Orange 2010 does it big..!
I just got back from The Orange Conference where I had a great time seeing meeting so many old friends, and making many new ones. If you haven’t been before, trust me when I say; they do it big…!
Sure they have top-notch lights, sounds, visuals, etc; but what I mean by “Orange does it big” is that they challenge people to dream big things for the cause of Christ. They are passionate about churches partnering with parents, and to me that is big…!
I’l elaborate on this more next week when things slow down for me, but for now enjoy these images from #Orange10
Can you say “DELUXE ” accommodations…..
I’m in Atlanta this week at The Orange Conference, and while I’m in town my friends Jared and Eryn (both who work for Orange) offered to let me stay at their place. Since they are both working CRAZY hours at the conference, they are staying in a hotel across the street from the arena where the conference is located. Which means we (a cool guy by the name of Kyle is staying here as well) have their house to ourself…!
I’m sure they wouldn’t want me to brag on them, but I was excited to find out they have a HUGE bathtub. (For those who don’t know, I’m a “bath” taker. So what, I”m not afraid to admit it.) Not to mention their entire place is awesome! (dual shower heads + dual sinks = AWESOME!) Kyle and I got to their place around midnight tonight, and take a look what we came home to…! Thanks Eryn and Jared, it’s going to be a great week!
The Making Of Orange – behind the veil
All week long we will be live streaming from backstage at The Orange Conference. This is totally cool, and totally FREE…!
Here is a sneak peak “behind the veil” before we get started. Enjoy..!
Orange 2010 – YOU CAN BE “THERE” – FOR FREE…!
Please excuse the low quality of this video, I’m going on about five hours of sleep in the last three days so I’m a little out of it. Now on to the important stuff! Tomorrow is the start of the one conference I look forward to all year – The Orange Conference.
If you are attending, please be sure to make the short journey to the top of the arena to The Orange Leaders Lounge. I’ll be hanging out there pretty much the entire conference, and you won’t want to miss some of the cool things we’re going to be doing! During the conference you’ll have a chance to come up and meet Donald Miller, Rev Run, Reggie Miller, John & Nancy Ortberg, just to name a few…! In other words, we’re going to be having a GREAT time up there…and rumor has it you’ll be able to come up with your team and great a FREE picture taken in front of some awesome masterpieces created by Hannah Joiner! We’ll also be giving out some prizes, and running contests throughout the conference, so stay tuned..! (You can follow me on twitter for the real-time updates from The Orange Leaders Lounge. @Rick_Smith )
If you aren’t able to attend the conference I am very excited to announce that we are doing something super cool this year at Orange – a live video stream from backstage. You can click this link, and get your fill of “Orange” for the next three days – FOR FREE!!!! This is a great chance for you to get a “sneak peek” at some of the cool things going on backstage at Orange. You’ll also be able to hear some great insight from people who are passionate about helping the church partner with parents and students! (And if your around your computer at 1:10 on Thursday you’ll be able to see, and hear from me! I’m excited to be a part of this, and I think it is super cool that we are able to do this totally free for all of you out in “internet land”!!!)
Again, if you’re at Orange, come up and say hi. If not, check out the link above and enjoy the FREE, live stream…! See you, or tweet you, soon….
p.s. – if you have an iphone, or iPad be sure to download the official Orange iPhone App..!
-Rick
rhythm. how’s yours?
Everyone has rhythm. Yelp, even me. The question is how’s yours?
Lately mine has been fast. Too fast. Sure, a fast rhythm can be exciting, but I find I feel more connected to God when I slow down. If we aren’t intentional about slowing down the rhythm of our lives from time to time, April turns into May, and 2009 turns into 2010, and life gets away from us.
We look up and find we aren’t any closer to God in 2010 then we were in 2009. And then 2010 becomes 2020. And there we are, still chasing iPads, and iPhones.
I want to make sure I take time to slow down and connect with God.
It may just be me, but God seems to really like slow rhythms.
Dallas Seminary + iPad = Crazy Delicious
You want to see something that is mega, epic, cool? Well then check out this short video I just recorded! My good friend, John Dyer, is the director of web development at DTS, and is wicked smart (and a mega geek – which is another reason I like him so much!) As you probably know by no, the iPad dropped today, and John allowed me to get a sneak peek at something VERY AWESOME that he is in the beginning stages of developing. What is this mega, epic, awesome thing? Well I”m glad you asked. Check out the video below to find out!
As you can see there are many things he is still working out, but to even to have something as innovate as this in the pipeline, I think is epic! I don’t want to get to ‘deep’ here, but it really excited me when Christian organizations are on the cutting edge of technology instead of doing the same ol’, some ol’. I could be wrong, but I think there is something about being creative and using the gifts God has given us that honors Him!
If you have an iPad and want to check this incredible technology out, John has allowed me to post the link for your touch screen pleasure.
(**Disclaimer – My comments regarding other seminaries in no way should be taken seriously. I am not making any theological statements regarding any seminary, or implying that a theological institution is in ANY way “better” then another by the sorts of technology it uses. Those of you who know me in “real life” understand my humor, so if you don’t please take my comments in jest.)
I want to pop the big. blue. balloons.
This picture reminds me of my life lately. There is the one thing worth focusing on. The one thing deserving of all of me. The one place where all of life is found. Then in an attempt to take our attention away from the one thing, is this big, blue, balloon.
I have a lot of these big, blue, balloons in my life. It seems that lately they are all over the place. My mind is going a million miles a minute. It’s all mostly a mix of good, and just ‘neutral’ stuff. Seminary, ministry, work, family, travel, dreaming about ways I could change the World for the cause of Christ, and just living life. Then things like Lost, 24, ipad’s, my fish tanks, rss feeds, naps, projects, and the rest of the things that take up my time. All big, blue, balloons.
I haven’t gotten much sleep lately, instead I’ve been consumed by these big, blue, balloons. (Again, it isn’t that these balloons are all bad) – but they are distractions. Things attempting to keep my focus off of the one thing that really matters.
I want to pop all of these big. blue. balloons.
Tonight I put away the Hebrew parsing, the mountain of books I have to read, the sermon prep for Easter Sunday’s sermon, the ministry planning, the iPhone, and all the rest, and I just sat with God. I popped all the big. blue. balloons, and just sat there, at the foot of the cross, with my God. It was nice.
I read through Psalm 63 tonight, the entire Psalm is beautiful, however I really like verse 1-4.
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.”
My soul really does thirst after God. I know this land is dry, there is nothing here for me. It’s lame in comparison to my God. No iPad, no Iphone, no degree, no anything can compare with how awesome God is. In fact, that Psalm says, “Your love is better then life.” How true is this! The fact that the Holy, Loving, Powerful, Creator, God loves a guy like me. Enough to send His Son to die in my place, and take ALL of my sin, and put it on His Son so that I could have a personal relationship with Him, that blows my mind. That is better then any of the big. blue. balloons.
God’s got a lot of work to do on me. A lot. But my prayer is God will help me to get better at popping these big. blue. balloons.
Ed Young is a Lyrical Gangsta’
I had no idea Ed Young knew how to rap, but check out this video I ran across today by Ed Young, pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX. Say what you want about Ed Young, but you got to admit, this is pretty funny…!
Check it out, and let me know your thoughts. Funny? UnFunny?
