A genuine gent

Someone bought me Bill Gaither's biography for Christmas. I read all 250 pages in one day. Fabulous book. Wonderful man.
I've been involved in promoting Christian music for over 25 years. When I was asked to do the Gaithers last year, various people around me thought I'd lost the plot. They weren't current, they weren't cool. Well this much I can tell you. A more genuine, nicer, more committed bunch of people I have yet to meet, never mind work with. I've worked with many of the current CCM stars, and they're not fit to polish Mr G's boots! As a promoter you do get to see people as they really are. Sometimes it can take a few years, but you get there in the end. Sometimes you wish you didn't.
At the age of 72, Bill's still going strong. After more than 25 MILLION DVD's and another 25 MILLION albums. Congratulations Sir, it could not happen to a nicer man.

Another one gone

Well Christmas rushed past as usual. It always seems to sneak up, and then be gone.
And the older you get, the faster it goes.

I sat my four kids down yesterday and we talked about the year ahead and the year just passed.
How we should be grateful for everything we have (and my family are lucky to have A LOT!). Not grateful to me or their Mum, but grateful to God. The boys aren't really old enough to appreciate what they have in relation to other kids around the world. They can appreciate they have a laptop when the kid beside them in school doesn't, but they can't really appreciate a warm bed, food when they want it, hugs from Mum and Dad and so on. Or freedom to talk openly about Jesus.

Yet I as an adult can forget to be grateful for exactly the same things.

It truly is the simplest things that make us happiest. Did you thank God this Christmas for warmth, health and family? There are literally millions on this earth who don't have any of those things.

Hoping...

I'm intending to blog much more regularly from the start of the New Year. Let's see how we can get on.

Here's why

Saw a book by Jonathon Ross in HMV today. It was called
something like "Why do I say these things?". I can tell you
without reading the book.
Cause your an ARSE@@@@ Mr. Ross, that's why.

Kildrummy Drive

Well' we wnt to Caladesi park. It was VERY disappointing! Waves were big (good), seaweed everywhere (VERY bad) and shells cut the feet aff ye!

Here's Dan just before the tidal wave washed him away.....


We drove up to the Orlando area and arrived about 9pm. We're in a nice villa in Kildrummy Drive. Tonight I go to pick up Pete's posse.

Day 2

Day 2 here at St Pete's Beach.
The kids had a go on these things - their name escapes me.


They were provided free with the hotel and were a lot of fun. The water is soooo warm.

The kids also had a great time bombing into the pool.......



We're about to check out now and gead to "America's number one beach". It does look amazing. It's an island that you can kayak out to.

After that we head to Orlando and check into our villa.

Holiday 2008

Well it's holiday time again. We left Dublin at 12 noon on Wednesday and flew with Delta to Atlanta, then after a layover to Orlando International. Had seat back TV's on the plane and watched Iron Man (85%), Kung Fu Panda (90%) and The Counterfeiters (95%). All in all very good movies.
Drove down to St Pete's Beach (Tradewinds resort) and arrived at 10.30pm.



Everyone was wrecked and into bed. Awoke at 7am by the intrepid Laura, who is always too excited to sleep! We all were on the beach by 8.15am. Temp was already about 85.

Starting to get relaxed already, which is about three days shorter than it usually takes me.

Valenii de Munte

I'm over in Romania again , this time to buy a house to serve as a stop gap for kids who have to leave the Valenii Centre with no-where to go. I had a meeting arranged with the notary this morning at 9.30pm, but I chickened out at the last minute. I was due to hand over 6 grand of a deposit and I just didn't have any peace about the whole thing. It's now 10.30 at night and I've eventually decided to go ahead. It was a long hard day deliberating. But sometimes we need to take a step of faith without having the peace we desire, and that's the case here. It just seems like a logical move.

A new gospel

deleted....

Kiva

Greetings from sunny Florida.

I spend a lot of time in Romania. We work with a lot of young ladies in a Placement centre in Valenii de Munte. The centre looks after the girls until they are 18 (or until they have to leave school if earlier or later). But when they become 18, they are on the streets if they have no family. Literally out on the street. So it doesn't take much imagination to see where they will probably end up.



So my dream (and it's going to happen soon!) is to build a home where half a dozen of these girls can call home and can learn life skills, moral values and get to know about Jesus. Romania is a growing economy at the moment and property values are rising. So could we get some well-off Christian people to fund this house, with the promise of getting their money back in 5 years? At that stage someone else takes over the investment. It's just a thought, but I think it can work.

When researching it on the internet I found an amazing site called Kiva, it's KIVA.ORG. Have a look at the amazing work that they are doing.

Larry's gone

Most of you will know that Larry Norman passed away a few weeks ago. I still find it hard to credit. He could be a real pain in the arse (can't we all), but boy was he a gifted communicator. And he loved Jesus.

Thre's lots of stuff on youtube about him, but if you nothing about Larry - have a look at the video they showed at his memorial service. It's on his website here.

http://www.larrynorman.com/multimedia.html

It brought back so many wonderful memories and brought a tear to my eye - many tears actually. He was truly one of a kind. In a very real way it also had a profound effect on me. Larry IS gone now, and only what he did for Jesus remains and matters. As I sit here this week trying to figure out the way forward, it's only the lasting things that I will do for and with Jesus that will matter. One day people will blog about me after I am gone (well, hopefully someone will!) and I hope there are lasting things that I have done which will make a difference. Sounds trite but it's so true. Miss you Larry.

Daytona Beach

Flew into Daytona Beach earlier this evening to the usual weather - gorgeous. Drove down to Orlando and to my favourite salad restaurant, Sweet Tomatoe.
No-one has been in Norman's house since I was here last - fridge is still full (yugh), so are the bins. And the air conditioning isn't working. You can imagine how i handle that - I don't. I'm sweating like a pig.
But it's good to be back. I've a full week to relax, read, write and think. Should be good!

Leaving New Orleans

Tomorrow I fly out of New Orleans. It's a lovely city. Big old houses line the streets, music permeates everything and a sense of unity abides in the people. Shared suffering I think it is.

I went and bought a new GPS in Walmart tonight - £75 for a Tom Tom 1! And it worked a treat. I took it out in the car, typed in Chili's, and it took me to my favourite restaurant. The ribs are still unbeatable........

There's something I love about the USA - the food, the weather, the freedom, being away from work and stress, time to think, the cheap prices - or maybe all these things. But in many ways I wish I lived here a bit more than I do.

Talked to the kids on Skype - that was great. Miss them a lot.

For those of you who haven't heard, my brother Mervyn's getting married. Yes, you read that right - Mervyn is getting hitched. June 7th is the big day and I'm really happy for him. Companionship will do him the world of good.

That's about it for tonight - tomorrow I fly to Daytona Beach and drive down to Orlando. Weather is in he mid-80's. Life's tough!

"Read" this blog

One of the best blogs I've ever seen......

http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/