Stan Walker

Working at Compassion has it's perks. Yesterday was definitely one of those. Stan Walker, winner of Australian Idol, came to visit the headquarters and did a special chapel service.

Now, to be honest, when I heard that an Idol winner was coming here, my immediate thought was Oh great. Another wannabe pop star who's using God as a platform to fame. I had prepared myself to be unimpressed.

Um, okay. I don't think I could have been any more wrong. YouTube him. Seriously.

I can honestly say Stan Walker is a true lover of Jesus Christ. He has perhaps the most powerful story of redemption I've ever heard. He shared how God saved him from a life of abuse, crime, drugs, alcohol, women ... and much more. But the thing that is so moving is that when he talks, it's obvious that it's more than just words. He really means it. He clearly believes God has called him to be a wooer of people to the love of Christ. He sees God's allowing him to win the singing competition simply as a platform to praise the name of Jesus. It's unbelievable to hear his authentic love for Christ, knowing his whole story.

And on top of that, you should hear the guy sing. He sang this one for us...



All I can say is I look forward to singing praises to Jesus in eternity alongside this guy.

No matter how many I see ...

these clips never seem to get old.

This is Danyl, a teacher from the UK auditioning for a television show called the X-Factor.

In case you missed them, here are the other two.

A Few Things

So I have several things to share so this is going to be one of those random stream of consciousness posts. Mkay?

1. This morning I had a very weird experience. I was sitting on the couch enjoying my coffee when I heard something crash into the sliding glass door. A few seconds later I heard it happen again. And again. This deranged bird - I think it was a robin - would perch on the fence near my house, fly straight at the door, crash into it, fall down and then do it again. And again. And again. It went on for an hour until I had to leave for work. It's probably still doing it.

2. Today is Administrative Professional's Day and I'd like to give a shout out to my good friend and co-worker, Ms. Katy Balsis! She's the sunshine in my day.

3. This little project that I started back when I was on the Advocacy team at Compassion has finally gone live! I put a LOT of time and energy into it and so even though I'm no longer officially a part of the team, I'm still so stinkin' proud. So it's with utmost excitement that I present to you ... Compassion's new kid's web site! You should go check it out RIGHT NOW. (And try the fish game ... it's HARD.)

4. And finally, here's Annie Lennox on reality TV competitions ... I've always liked her musc. Now I like her even more.


That's all for now. Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Britian's Got Talent, Indeed

Remember this guy? And this guy? Seems Britain's Got Talent has a thing for discovering hidden treasures.

Well, prepare yourselves for this one.

Susan Boyle. Not only is she an aMAZing singer, but she sings one of my all-time favorite songs.

Simon's reaction is great.

On My Mind ...

A little free association for this Wednesday morning. Welcome to my brain.

My legs are jello. I went back to spin class this morning, for the first time in, oh ... three months or so. I used to go 2-3 times per week consistently. I had some pretty good motivation to get in shape back then. Winter's coming on fast, though, so I'm trying to get back into groove.

Speaking of winter, I heard on the radio the other day that according to an almanac from, like 1957 or something, this winter is predicted to be one of the worst in recent history. Ugh. I'm still recovering from the winter we had two years ago. I'm not sure I'm ready for this.

I'm excited that reality TV season is starting up again! I've missed it. The Biggest Loser (a.k.a. Big Fat Loser) started last night. And I hear that The Amazing Race has a new season starting. (John, wish you were here!) And also Survivor. Which I haven't watched for a long time, but which is primarily responsible for originally cultivating my taste for reality TV. (At least if we are dumped on with snow we'll have something to do.)

Here's some good news ... we only have about six weeks left of political ads. Isn't that great? This election will be interesting. I'm actually kind of excited to vote! And I'm even more excited that the ads will stop.

My boss just stopped by my desk with donuts. I just three hours ago kicked off my new health goals and now this. How's that for timing? Get thee behind me, donuts! Thankfully, I was able to abstain. If they were Krispy Kremes, I might have been doomed, but they were only Dunkin Donuts.

I have started a Clothing Coop with a couple friends from work. Through a random Sisterhood-of-the-Traveling-Pants-esque situation last week, we discovered that we are all the same size. So we decided to hail back to our college days where roommates shared a communal wardrobe. I'm very excited about this Coop! We haven't worked out all the details yet, but we will most likely trade items on a monthly basis. (Although just between you and me, I do think I'm getting the far better end of the deal.) Both girls have a much more distinct style then I do. Maybe I'll post a picture of me wearing a new Coop outfit.

Happy Hump Day.

He Didn't Win, But ...

I love me some Jason Castro.

Sing on, Jason.

Andrew Johnston

Remember when Paul Potts, that cell phone salesman auditioned for Britain's Got Talent? And won? He looked like your Average Joe but then he opened his mouth and had this beautiful classical voice.

If you thought that was inspiring, check THIS kid out.

Why I will watch Idol this year ...

Be still my heart.

My favorite American Idol audition so far ...

Although there's only been two nights of auditions so far, I already have a favorite contestant. Jonathan Baines. Love his style. And he's only 17!

Vote for Denver!

For those of you that like reality TV ... or enjoy good big band music ... or want to support some brothers in Christ who have a chance to make a big impact ... I have some exciting news!

Check out The Next Great American Band, a new show from the creators and producers of American Idol. The show airs Friday nights at 7pm/8pm Central on Fox. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, a big band whose members are spokespeople for Compassion, is one of the twelve bands chosen to compete on the show!

Viewer voting each week will determine which bands get to move on to the next round and the winner will receive a recording contract with a major mainstream label.

The first live performance is this Friday. Make sure you watch from the VERY BEGINNING if you want to catch Denver and his band this week. These are great guys and musicians that are completely on board with Compassion and it will be exciting to see what this show does for their ministry and for Compassion!

The Windows of Manhattan

Last summer I went to New York City. I stayed with a friend in the upper west side of Manhattan. I remember walking through the streets of Greenwich Village at night. Every highrise I walked past had rows of large, brightly lit windows. Through the windows I could see glimpses of massive and beautifully decorated lofts, every one completely different from the next. Each window was like a snapshot into someone's life - a freeze frame from an episode of Friends. I would see a small piece of their home and imagine what their name was, where they were at that moment, what they ate, where they shopped, who their friends were ... I was fascinated by the life journeys represented by these windows. There were unending possibilities of fame, heartbreak, triumph and tragedy.

I think those Manhattan windows intrigued me for the same reason I like reality TV shows. I'm a natural born people-watcher. I love anything that allows me to see into someone else's life. I'm fascinated by other people's life stories.

This is also why blogging appeals to me. I can literally sit for hours at a time and read people's blogs. When I'm reading a blog, it's like I'm being allowed inside another person's head for a momentary glimpse of their world. And every blog links to a bunch of other blogs that link to other blogs that ... well, you get the idea. It's sort of like a black hole. It sucks me in.

When it comes down to it, though, I guess that's really what life is all about - sharing in each other's life journeys. We are people created for community.