The Next 11 Days

I will be spending the next 11 days with a group of folks from Vineyard Cincinnati following up and expanding upon the activities explained in the videos below.


H2O Nigeria - First Well from Still Rendering on Vimeo.



Nigeria H2O Update 2010 from Still Rendering on Vimeo.



H2O Nigeria Update - Director, Kande Wilson from Still Rendering on Vimeo.

I'm A Pretty Lucky Guy

This afternoon I stood around an old hotel room in Middletown with about 10 people, eating vegetable soup, sweating, listening to an antique radio, and loving it. And this is part of my job!
I can't believe I get to make movies, like as part of my job. But yet at the same, I also have health insurance.
I think I'm probably the most blessed person I know. Who else gets away with this? And on top of it all, my wife goes along with it. She actually helps on crew and allowed a 15 to 20 person film crew to invade our home for 15 days.
Don't misunderstand, we work hard. We work really really hard at times. And sometimes we get really stressed. But then there are moments like I described above and I can't imagine too many things that are too much better.
This filmmaking stuff is like being 9 years old again, working on a monstrous lego sculpture; sometimes the pieces don't fit like you want them to or a block falls off, but you work through it, slaving away at your creation, loving it, and in the end you can't wait to show off what you just made.

YEP

A Public Blessing

This evening as I reflected on blessing, I realized I've been better at receiving than at giving. This is particularly true of my relationship with my wife. She's regularly praises me and builds me up, and I too often take her for granted and neglect to accurately express my appreciation for her. So tonight, I wanted to briefly share who she is to me and how I think God sees her.

Jenny,


You are God’s gift to me. You have and are what I lack. Your smile calms the uneasy waters shifting within me. Your blind faith challenges me. You have the ability to shrink the social gaps between groups of people and make everyone feel important, worthy, and loved. You have been created unique, for a unique purpose and will be the spark to inspire many to leave the comfort of normal and jump into the divine chaos of love. Your journey is just beginning. And I look forward to witnessing all that will be done through you.


P.S. I just coughed up some flem.

The Vineyard is offering a Film Camp

I'm pretty pumped that for the fourth summer in a row I get to help facilitate a film camp to train young people in the filmmaking production process. And for the first time ever, Vineyard Community Church is partnering to support the camp. Should make for a great summer experience.

Here's a link to more info.

Check out a couple highlight videos from previous camps.

Film Camp for HS Students from TheUG on Vimeo.

Zama Highlight from TheUG on Vimeo.

Whale of an Escort

I read an interesting story today about someone paddling 40 miles while being escorted by a minke whale. But I think there's more to the story than just a nine hour aquatic adventure. Jodie was called to do something extraordinary and peculiar and hoped for help from man(celebrities). But when man didn’t answer the call, she didn’t dismiss her calling/mission/vision. She didn’t give up hope. And now it looks as though something supernatural will provide her a vehicle to achieve her calling/mission/vision that she could have never designed or planned for.

Redemptive Snow

As I left for work this morning, I was refreshed by my aesthetically pleasing surroundings. What is typically an old worn down neighborhood in need of more than a few repairs, was made beautiful when covered by white snow. The blanket of snow covered imperfections and helped me see what the neighborhood might have looked like when it was new. I think there's a song about that...