Well…hello friends....April saw lots of anniversaries for me…3 years in Florida, 30th year in media, 22 years with my business HMTV and another school year coming to a close. It's been a time of reflection and a time of perspective. I been looking at my life and I realize that time is flying by for this former workaholic! God is stirring me out of my nest and he wants me to make new real friends and new relationships.
On the final day of class when I was teaching I would have the famous career lecture and ask the following questions:
BE HONEST!!!!
If you had unlimited money what would you do?
If you had unlimited time here on earth what would you do?
If you had unlimited ability what would you do?
If you had unlimited opportunity what would you do?
If you had unlimited support from your family what would you do?
Now what are you going to do the rest of your life?
One step at a time! Follow Your Passion. God put that in your heart and soul.
Write it out somewhere.
God is definitely doing a new thing in me and I don't know what it is but I am excited and I am ready for whatever it is... I have never had so many cancellations for shoots and closed doors like I have this month in 30 years. There is a part of me that is nervous but all the bills are paid and God has never failed me. I am hanging on to His hand! So have your way Lord! Lead me on to the next level! It's a brand new day and a new season for me and you!
You know if my Dad were still alive he would freak out over this next statement but "I really like country music!" It might be that several of my friends are artists in this genre so I might be prejudice but really the genre is different today than it was back when I was a kid. It is more like Adult Contemporary mixed in with Southern rock from the 70's and 80's. Also I think tht in the past few months I have met Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Vince and Amy Gill, Joe Nichols, Randy Travis, of course along with my gang Rascall Flatts and Little Big Town and they are all so nice and real normal people not like the "rock stars" in secular and Gospel music I normally have to deal. It's just nice to know that the artists are the really are sincere and nice.
Speaking of music I have always said my favorite shoot of all times is New Orleans Jazzfest. I did this shoot for years and since Katrina it has been scaled back on the TV production end but seeing The Neville brothers close the show this year was a good sign that things are getting back to normal in Nawlins'. I know what John Hagee said about why God let Katrina hit Nawlins but I have to say I love it there and my best friends in the world live there. They deserve out support. Nawlins is just not bourbon street but a great mixture of so many cultures and so much history was made there in the franch quater. Plus the beignets rock at Cafe Dumont!!! Besides seeing all my friends and directing great music every day for 2 weeks I miss the crawfish monica and crawfish bread! Yum Yum!!!
I have a lot of stories from backstage at Jazzfest but my favorites are when Bonnie Raitt boyfriend nearly beat me up. She was just hanging out in her car so I though I would go talk to her and let her know about our mutual friend Wayne Perkins who used to play with her. She was sitting in her old Mercedes and when I walked up to the car her boyfriend came flying at me and pushed me and said leave her alone! Ok I said everything is cool. Come to find out she was nearly naked in the car! She was changing clothes so she could walk around the festival without people bothering her and she could enjoy the music and food. When she came out of the car I was shocked! No one would ever recognize her and sure enough she spent days there at the festival and no who knew who she was. You would be surprise how many "famous people" walk around you with hats and sunglasses on and you never recognize them.
The most groupies I thought of all time for Jazzfest was for Sting, the women went crazy over him backstage but wait there was one more artist who had more than Sting! Melissa Etheridge! She also had the best looking women groupies!!! They were hysterical! 60,000 women were in attendace and I still could not get a date! LOL!
The Allmans, Neville's, Jimmy Buffet, Keb Mo, Lyle Lovett, Dr. John and others all were super nice. The only jerk I met backstage at Jazzfest was Lenny Kravitz. He dived into his land rover driven by Lisa Bonet after his set with a blanket over his head to hide his identity like a guy who was running for his life! I started laughing because no one was backstage but me sitting in a chair eating and he was acting like he was Elvis. More on my Elvis experience one day soon.
Once Eryka Badu came into the TV truck to watch her set on tape and she said she really liked me and was going to take me home to be her new boo and kick out her current boyfriend! Her mom is always at her side and despite the image she puts out she is really a down to earth sweet girl. I had to pass don't like Dallas! LOL! Quint Davis is the Mac daddy of the festival and can be a jerk but it has kept it all together the last few years.
Speaking of Nawlins another story from the road was it was also in Nawlins when I was there doing last Nsync video "Celebrity." It was also on that shoot that Justin Timberlake broke up with Brittney and I have never been so proud of anybody like I was that day with Justin. The guys in Nsync and their families and manager Johnny Wright are great guys. Looking back boy did Justin make the right call or what…Remember at the time Brittney was the bomb!
In September I will talk more about Georgia Music Hall of Fame but let me say quickly that I thought Usher last year inductee would be a jerk but was one of the nicest guys I have ever met.
Things are great at New Life Christian Fellowship. Pastor Zink is really hearing from God and preaching some great Word. He spoke last week on the Jeremiah Wright controversy, Preachers on TV getting divorces, and Todd Bently revival and it was right on! Go get the pod cast at http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm5sY2Yub3JnLw== for May 4, 2008.
Still pray for me as I go through this new shift that I will be in His perfect will and not create my own will by forcing a door open he has closed with a poor decisions. Also, pray that Bishop Weeks will square up with me this month 32K is a lot of money! It's time for favor and increase. I am not going back but up to a new level with His grace.
God uses the foolish things of the world to work his miraculous and that is all I can say at this time about the Lakeland outpouring with Todd Bentley. He is a different looking brother but the bottom line is that many of my friends are getting healed and prospering by attending the services. Watch the services everynight at http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LkdvZC50dg== I may be taking over the TV production real soon it the revival continues. It was good to reconnect to my old friend Bob Lauro formerly with Jerry Farwell ministries who is now with God TV this month.
My neighborhood is a buzz with "The Players" golf championship this week check it out on TV this week and maybe you will see me!
Now go see your MOM! You know my mom was so tough growing up. She spanked or should I say beat me every chance she had growing up back but back then it was politically correct to punish your kids. I never understood her intensity but when I was 12 it was discovered she had a huge brain tumor and that was causing migraines and she felt terrible all the time thus explaining hi short fuse. They removed the tumor and from that day my mom has been an angel! She is still with me and in great shape approaching her 80th birthday! She will pick up shells on the beach for hours and walks miles. I love having her around she is a neat freak and my house is spotless and organized to the detail when she is around. I am so blessed to have such a great mom! What an inspiration that she raised my sis and me, worked full time and was such a great woman of God to her community despite losing her husband, my dad, so early in her married life. She lost her father as a child and of course overcame the obstacle of deafness in her work and social life.
Go and bless your mom while you still can! There is a promise for long life if you do and if you are mad at her for somoething get over it!
Love Ya!
Thank You for your friendships emails and comments! I been blogging @ myspace and Facebook as well...
Shalom!
Carey and Crissy the wonder dog!
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