We came in late today, due to the snow, and we’ll probably head home a bit early (due to the melting snow re-freezing as I type this).  So it was nice to sleep in a bit this morning . . . but it’s put me behind all day long.

All these little things, all necessary, but one thing after another keeps popping up that I have to do . . . none of it on my to-do list for today.  When the database freezes, I cant just put that off till later.  I keep getting calls like that, all day long.  Usually I dont mind, but today I’m trying to concept out a video that we’re going to shoot Thursday and show Sunday.  I have the main ideas, but I have to work them into an overall concept and then get down to the specifics of the thing.

The big project is the D-TOX video for Sunday.  D-TOX is our theme for the year here at DFA.  Getting rid of all the spiritual (and physical) junk that’s built up over the years is the jist of the thing.  It also stands for Discipline through Training and Obedience . . . meaning we need to get back into God’s Word and stop being lax about it.

But to come up with a funny (yet dealing with serious issues) video that explains the theme for the rest of the year . . . well that takes some thinking time.  Time when I dont have any distractions but can just kind of focus on the video concept . . . uninterrupted.  I guess all the interruptions, needed as they are  just keep blocking me from making any progress on a task that I’m already behind on. 

I wish my brain could come up with these ideas faster.  And you know, each time I do a video (like a good one, not just a mindless announcement video thing) I get a little better at it.  But it’s such a struggle to get these things started.  Then I read this on Ben Arment’s blog (found HERE) . . . he writes:

“God doesn’t allow one, single experience to be wasted on you.  What you think might have been a worthless endeavor, a big mistake, or a pointless job was exactly what God needed you to experience for what’s coming ahead.

What if heartbreak and setback were qualifications for your dream? What if your dream required thick skin and you didn’t have it? Would you be okay with facing letdown after letdown if it helped prepare you?

Oswald Chambers says, “Before God can use a man greatly, he must wound him deeply.” Are you willing to accept pain for greatness?”

Not that I’m after ‘greatness’, and I dont see any of this as a ‘set back’ . . . but lately my job has been increasingly difficult due to many factors (that I cant go into here or now) and I guess today it just all came to a head when I just couldn’t even get this huge project STARTED.

Though it’s frustrating . . . every ‘setback’ is just making me a better person . . . helping me to do my job better. 

Though today was a frustriating day, I did get a lot acomplished and helped a lot of people.  And if this video turns out crappy . . . well then so be it.  I’ll just have to make sure the next one is that much better.

So Veronica and Pastor Barry has this guy redo our logo (matt from DigitalSnot.com) . . . and it’s very cool !  We not only got the logo, we got it as a layered Photoshop file and we got the logo infront of all these cool still and animated backgrounds . . . all for a very good price.  Pastor Barry did a sketch of his logo concept, and matt took that and did a full up logo for us ! 

 I’d post some of the backgrounds and animations but . . . I dont have time right at the moment.  But here is a sample of the logo !

Thanks Matt !

First, the fish tank.  I finally took some pictures of the tank that I got more then a month ago.  I think that I put the tank in a bad place in the living room because the couches are 90 degrees to it (facing the TV set on the wall to the right) . . . but I didn’t want to put it next to the TV / Entertainment center because I wasn’t sure about putting all that weight on the one spot of the floor of the apartment.

Anywho, the right side of the tank is missing any kind of decoration because I haven’t found anything I like yet.  I want something like a big(ish) castle or something with gecko-roman columns . . . like Atlantis sunk in the tank lol. 

In other news, I’ve decided that we need to change the color / pattern of the back wall monthly.  Last month was a very geometric / sharp edged / masculine breakup pattern . . . green pattern with purple background.  So this month, wanting to avoid fall colors since they will take up the next two months, I decided to go with a green background and a paisley pattern. 

I know it’s very busy.  But many of the backgrounds that I downloaded for use in worship / Pastors notes have a sketched / scribble / paisley aspect to them.  And it’s more feminine then last month (many ladies told me last month that the pattern was very linear).  The pictures are blurry, sorry, and one looks more saturated then the other . . . but you get the idea.  I may make the paisley pattern a deep orange and see how that looks on the green . . . just to take away from the bright white of the pattern.

I know, it is very busy.  But I’m still learning stuff here.  Also, the green isn’t as deep as I wanted and the focal point of the lamps in my ellipses are off (so the pattern has a glow about it that washes out the green even more).  But I think it’s a step in the right direction.

Last, but not least, you should check out Camron Ware’s web site and blog.  He does some amazing stuff with architectural projection (that’s pointing a projector at a wall and projecting some cool designs on them to make for a more immersive service).  His latest post shows a church that he worked with that uses fabric and some color mixing LED banks in the ceiling to truly create an immersive space.  Check it out

Well, we have been having a bit of a dry spell here in Tennessee (like many other places in the South) . . . this has not been good for my allergies.  You know what else is not good for my allergies . . . wood smoke. Today the neighbor across the road decided to burn more stuff . . . AGAIN.  There has been a burn pile of one sort or another burning like every 8 – 10 days over there for the longest time. 

Hey I don’t mind that kind of stuff every now and again, the guy has a large field and a wood line and you need to clean it out.  But our apartments are down wind and even if you have all the doors and windows closed the apartment still reeks of smoke . . . and I mean REEKS.  My next door neighbors called the fire department (or police department or someone) and complained when her little girl couldn’t stop coughing.  She went to talk to the guy across the road and I could hear her with the windows closed lol. 

In other exciting news, I need to come up with a new color / pattern scheme for the platform walls.  This past month I’ve had purple background with a green ‘deconstruction’ pattern (I didn’t pick the name of the pattern).  Here is a picture . . .

I want to do something new for September but I’m not sure what.  I don’t want to do ‘fall’ colors as October and November will likely be that way.  Also, warm colors often make bad background colors as they don’t contrast with our pastors skin tone (since he is white and tanish looking, I usually go with a cool color for the background). 

I had to draw in where the projector screne goes.

Also, we have been matching the color of the background for the songs with that of  the walls (either using a purple that matches quite well, or a green that is pretty close to the one I’m using).  So I’m kind of looking for a song background(s) that I like and then perhaps basing the color scheme off that. 

Any ideas ?