All those Christian music lovers living in or around Nashville...

Now is the time to take advantage of this free offer from the Gospel Music Channel to see some of your favorite Christian artists live and in person! Download free tickets to gain access into their studio where you can watch artists like Jars of Clay, George Huff, Mandisa and others perform live. How many chances can you possibly get to have this sort of intimate access?

Tuesday, September 18th
See American Idol's George Huff, Mandisa, and Israel & the New Breed

Wednesday, September 19th
See Jars of Clay and Natalie Grant

Don't miss out! And if you can't be there in person, just check out the first 24-hour, all music entertainment network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is Gospel.

The How of Ministry

Art is it, the how of ministry that is.

OK, I am prejudiced because I am an artist. I see the visual arts as the way to connect to other people. Art for me is a portal for service, a means of communication, a way to attract and unite people. I discovered art ministry by doing art ministry. I found it was a window to understanding people’s needs. For me it meant seeing the needs of teens from broken homes and difficult situations. And as a new friend reminded me this week the arts are just the how, the means to an end in ministry. The goal of ministry is relationship. The goal of ministry is connecting to other people. Ministry is not programming. It is not a well executed sermon, worship service or a slick bulletin. Those are just the how. What happens among the people involved between the conception of a message and the service is the real ministry.

Ministry happens when people are plugged into the church in their area of giftedness.
So if I talk about art ministry I can communicate the how of ministry to you. I confess that visual art is what comes to my mind when I talk about art ministry. The arts are really much broader than the visual arts. Even in my narrow focus I can admit that the arts are music, drama, poetry, writing, media, dance and graphics. The arts communicate. Communication connects, invites and expands the message. Our message is the message of relationship first between God and man, then man to man.

My plan was simple. Meet with the kids who had an interest in art and give them the opportunity to create. Have the supplies they needed and just be there giving a helping hand and a few suggestions. I was able to begin to steer them and help them begin to express their faith through art. We had a few shows. We made some mission goals and planned projects. But what really happened was an instant connection, artist to artist. What was shared was their struggles in life, their hopes, their fears, their vision. So much more happened on the personal level than I expected that when my new friend Chris shared his vision of art ministry from a musician’s viewpoint I knew what he was saying was true. It wasn’t just about the music on Sunday morning it was about the team and the way they communicated with each other and the congregation. Chris’ challenge when he had accepted his position on staff at my new church was to grow an across the board arts ministry involving as many disciplines as he could find leadership for and get us involved with the inner workings of the church. His vision looks suspiciously like Paul’s description of the body of Christ in the book of Ephesians.

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:21-22

The principles of the how of ministry, of course goes beyond the arts. We can engage and connect through sports ministry, helps ministry, disaster relief… the possibilities are as vast as the gifts and talents in your local church.

Pray for each other

While this came to me as a forward from a friend, there is much to be said about the power of prayer and I just wanted to pass it on.

May everyone who receives this message be blessed. REMEMBER to pray. That's all you have to do. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of reward. Make sure you pray, and pray believing that God will answer.

"May today be all that you need it to be today.

May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight and conquer all your fears.

May God manifest himself today in ways that you have never experienced.

May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer and your prayers be answered. I pray
that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged and I pray that you step into your destiny within the ministry.

I pray for peace, health, happiness and true and undying love for God."

AMEN!

Hope you have a blessed day and be on the lookout for our next newsletter coming out in a few days!

Ministry Monday: The Where in Ministry

There is a cross stitch in my dining room I created that reads Bloom where you are planted. It is framed with dogwood blossoms and was created when I live in North Carolina. Where I lived if you looked out my back family room windows in the spring you would be treated to a woods filled with dogwood blossoms among the oaks trees that towered above them. At the time I had a son in kindergarten and one not ready for preschool. I was a stay home mom and my kids and my home were my ministry. The wisdom of the little saying I had seen cross stitched and hung on my older sister’s family room wall helped remind me to be content where I was. There is something inside me since I became a believer that just makes me want to serve. I had been active in the youth ministry at my church in Florida and wanted that again. It just wasn’t the right time. I was in a new church and still getting to know people. They were still getting to know me. I felt like my ministry was hampered when what I really was needed was a broader view of ministry.

Ministry happens and is meant to happen first where we are. If giving glory to God is giving others a correct estimation of the character of God, then how we serve at home, how we care for our family matters. It is the requirement for deacons and elders to have their household in order. If they have not mastered this first, then they are not qualified to serve in the church in leadership. We cannot ignore our family and say we serve others. It is wrong.

Clearly in the Bible Jesus speaks about going into the world and preaching the gospel and making disciples of the nations. In the book of Acts it is given more clarity, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

That is easy to translate that into, “you will be my witnesses first in your city, state, region, and nation and to the rest of the world.” We are to be involved some way in this strategy of outreach. We cannot do it all ourselves. Not everyone is called to foreign missions. The best way to cover the where of ministry is to be involved in a local church where ministry goes on at all these levels. Then when as you live out your faith, and as you are able to participate, you will have the opportunity to serve in your city, state region, nation and world. I think short term mission trips are the best means to serve in these various spheres of influence. I think your ministry should start locally. Why travel to Africa to do VBS, if you won’t help at VBS in your church, or in your city. I think if you want to go on a foreign mission trip that your training should begin at home. Why go to Seattle to help plant a church when you won’t invite your neighbor to church. We need to broaden our view of ministry on the local level. We need to broaden our view of missions and ministry on the personal level too. Are we looking for opportunities around us to serve? Do we say to the people we know, the people whom we encounter during the day, “how can I help you?” and really mean it.

Ministry Monday: The Who in Ministry

When we think of ministry, do we look over our shoulder to someone behind us? Are we looking for the “other” whom we imagine is the one spoken to when someone mentions ministry? “Who me?” We think of ministers, now days, paid professionals with higher degrees, titles and privilege. We may think of an office filled by someone deserving of respect. But do we think of servant, relief, support, preparation? When we think of ministry Biblically these words should fill our minds. We should also see ourselves in the picture.

Why? Shouldn’t we leave ministry to the professionals? No, at the risk of the church crumbling at its very foundation. No, we are the body of Christ and if there is anything true, it is that we have been called to servanthood. We are:

"… a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. "
2 Corinthians 5:17-20

This verse very clearly includes us as believers in the concept and practical living out of the word ministry. We are called to ministry. We are called to be reconcilers. We are given a charge to bring others to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

So ministry is always about us. How we respond I believe depends on how we are called, how we are gifted and where we are placed. God has always done these things; called us, gifted us and place just where he wants us. Are we listening, using our gifts, aware of those around us and open to the still small voice and what God may want to do I our lives? We don’t need seminary. We don’t have to be a deacon. We certainly don’t have to be perfect, just available and willing. We shouldn’t let anyone disqualify us from service. We should not let anyone or anything keep us from responding to God.

Ministry Monday is about individuals and groups that have heard God’s call and answered it by simply doing what God asked. If you have answered God’s call to ministry and would like to share your ministry story email me, Ruth Eshbaugh at ruthieonart@ruthieonart.com. I am the webmaster for Good News Now and a writer for Lifted Magazine; I would like to write about what God is doing in your life.

Chrstian Music Festivals in September

There aren't many festivals coming up in September but since all of them are towards the beginning of the month, we thought it might be a good idea to get this list out to you sooner than later!


September 1, 2007
Celebrate Freedom with Luis Palau
Atlanta, GA, USA
http://www.palau.org/celebratefreedomatlanta/

September 7-8, 2007
Rock the Universe
Universal Studios Orlando, FL, USA
http://www.rocktheuniverse.com/

September 8, 2007
Godstock
Fairfield, IL, USA
http://www.godstock.com

New in Travel on LiftedMagazine.com

The Unique Antique

Everyone has heard and probably even sung the children's tune "London Bridge is falling down." But few know it's surprising and somewhat tragic history. There have been at least five London Bridges rebuilt over the Thames River in England in the last 2,000 years and each bridge has its own tale of adventure.

In 1968, a wealthy businessman named Robert McCulloch purchased a crumbling London Bridge for over two-million dollars. At the time, it was recorded as the most expensive antique ever sold. Then he packed up the bridge and shipped it from London to its new home in the Arizona desert.

Lake Havasu City gave a new life to the London Bridge, yet ironically, the city received a new life of its own upon the bridge’s completion in 1971. Once a vast expanse of land, a man-made lake and a few shops, the opening day of the London Bridge drew in an excess of 50,000 spectators.

Today more than two-million tourists visit Lake Havasu City for its unique blend of history and present-day recreation.

Lampposts, which were fashioned out of cannons captured in the Battle of Waterloo, line the streets of the mock English village. Visible scars mark the granite bridge reminiscent of a WWII Nazi attack.

In contrast to the rich history, jet-ski’s and boats dot the crystal blue water surrounded by a coastline of campgrounds, fishermen and beaches.
The history of the London Bridge is like an action-packed movie or a good fiction book. It should be interesting to see what adventures are in store for this unique antique in centuries to come. Read the full story here.

New in Entertainment on LiftedMagazine.com

Because we have so many great new articles flowing in each week, we're going to take a few moments to highlight some of them for you right here, in addition to our usual monthly newsletter. What you find featured here on the blog you usually won't find in our newsletters so be sure to sign up for both!

A Moment with Brent Barrett: Broadway and Recording Artist Extraordinaire

Brent gives us advice about life ("As a friend said, 'This is not a dress rehearsal; this is the only life you have.' Everyday is a gift. Take it and make it the best you can."), love ("...My new puppies, Boris and Bianca, my 9-month-old Shih Tzu’s...are the sweetest beings on earth.") and much more. Read the full interview here.

TheatreWorks presents The Elephant Man: The true life story of a remarkable man
A wonderful performance by the whole cast, TheatreWorks’ production of The Elephant Man was done in a manner which not only focused on the physical deformity and emotional pain of the main character, but brought a vast array of life's morals and lessons to light. Religion, acceptance, love, pain, intelligence, tolerance and facing ones own internal imperfections were readily understood. Brilliantly directed by Robert Kelley, and skillfully written for the stage by Bernard Pomerance, this production allowed the audience to place themselves in the shoes of someone who suffered greatly in his life, but through his suffering taught others the importance of tolerance and understanding for people’s differences, no matter what they may be. A true teacher of tolerance and compassion, Joseph Merrick’s life will continue to profoundly touch generations to come. Read our full review here


Coming soon

We'll also be featuring interviews with Shane Sparks (judge from Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance") and Leilene Ondrad (a.k.a. "Smiley" from the reality show "Flavor of Love" and now on the show "Charmed School")

Ministry Monday: Puzzle

I have a theory. I believe there are basically two kinds of people, those who like to play cards and those who like to put puzzles together. I am definitely in the puzzle person category. There isn’t really a reason why we puzzle people are what we are, it seems to be a natural occurrence, as my theory goes.

I think it explains why I like serving in the Church. It is like one BIG jig-saw puzzle. There are all sorts of pieces, people pieces, and details to be attended to pieces, personality pieces, talents and gifts pieces. There are young pieces and not so young pieces. And somehow we are all suppose to fit together. Each one of us has a unique place in the big picture in the fellowship of believer in our local church and beyond.

How is it possible for us to all fit together? First, we have a Master Planner who lays out our puzzle ahead of time. He already knows where we are going. He had something in mind when He brought us all together. He’s the one who stands over our shoulder and says, “do you see that piece over there?” Sure enough, it’s the one we’ve been looking for, for at least a half an hour.

Second, I don’t know about you, but at my house it takes the whole family to put a puzzle together. We lay it out on the dining room table for days and we take turns forming the edges and filling in the center. Sometimes we work together, some times alone or in pairs. Often at our house we find ourselves staying up very late to do, “just one more piece.” That’s how the church and its ministries fit together. Over time as we continue to come together, things fall into place, friendships are formed, we become a community. But you know, something I’ve observed is that as a puzzle begins to take form, we tend to tackle the most obvious pieces first . I guess it is because they are easily recognizable. We are sure where they belong. There is comfort in finding our place. But with the complete picture in mind we cannot stop and be satisfied to find only our place in the community. We should continue to work, sometimes late in the night, to fill out the remaining holes in the puzzle, the areas that aren’t so recognizable. It may take effort on our part, a willingness to venture out into the unknown. It means reaching out to new people, being willing try out our gifts, to give freely of our time and talents. It means to not be satisfied being on the sidelines, but to join in. It takes a commitment to the body of Christ.

Where is your place? Maybe you already know. If so, let me encourage you to begin to help others find their place. Maybe you are aware of an area of ministry that isn’t complete and needs to be filled in.

I think you get the picture.


"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19

The next few weeks I want to write about "What is ministry?"

Ministry Monday: Celebrate Recovery

There has been a lot in the news written about celebrities and rehab recently. I am the webmaster for an online news site called Good News Now, http://www.goodnewsnow.com/. Every day I read about 25 news sites looking for “good news” stories. Some days there is not a lot of "good news" to be found. Today was like that. But I did find an article about rehab. It was written from the point of view of an adult child of an alcoholic whose mother got help. Emily L. Hauser who writes for the Dallas Morning News talks about how rehab saves lives. It saves lives not just of the addict, but of the children of those caught in the destruction of an addiction. It is really worth the time it takes to read.

Seeing rehab for what it really is Behind the gossip is a place where lives are changed - and saved

The truth is not every one who needs rehab gets into rehab. It is expensive and not always available to the uninsured or under insured. But that doesn’t mean there is no help for those who suffer with addiction and desire to get help. Twelve step programs like AA and NA give access to anyone who will walk through the door and give sobriety a chance. I got sober in AA twenty five plus years ago. It does work if you work the program.

In the last fifteen years there has been a new group that has made head way in the recovery business. It is a Christ centered program called Celebrate Recovery. Its focus is on changing lives from the inside out. Celebrate Recovery distinguishes recovery from sobriety. I dare say it seeks to take the 12 steps of AA a step further. It does that in its central focus being a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ and a commitment to working out Biblical principles in a community of believers. This working out in community is accomplished by accountability partners, sponsor/sponsee relationships, small group and study group accountability. The thing I like most about CR as it is called, is that it really works for anyone with life issues. If we are honest we all have them. CR claims to save lives. It also claims to change lives and bring inner peace and healing. For me twenty five years sober it is a refuge from the storms of life and safe place to deal with inner issues and find healing.

If you would like to know more about Celebrate Recovery visit their website.

New for August at Liftedmagazine.com!!

Food & Healthy Living

Jesse Brune: Your Happy Living Expert
Brune is a certified trainer and chef, and shares some of his philosophy on staying healthy, what to eat, and the mindset and emotional side of a workout routine. In this candid interview, Brune talks with Lifted Magazine’s Andrew Moreno about his past struggles with his own insecurities, while also speaking to the importance of remaining positive.


Relationships

From This Side of the Aisle
As this month's Lifted newsletter is published, Michael D. Duty celebrates eleven years of marriage to his wonderful wife. Along the way, they've both grown, matured and changed.


Election 2008

Dr. George Phillies – A New Kind of President
As our political dialog continues, Lifted Magazine and Andrew Moreno decided to continue in our pursuit to fully educate our readers on select presidential candidates. This time around, Lifted Magazine's Andrew Moreno sat down with Dr. George Phillies, a 2008 Libertarian Presidential Candidate.


Ministry Showcase

Art Informed by Faith
Sometimes something influences your life unexpectedly. You read a book, meet a person or experience a loss or illness and your life changes. If the influence is profound enough, your world view may even change. For Raleigh artist Kathy Ammon it was a sermon (or to be exact a series of sermons) she heard at her new church, Apex United Methodist Church, that moved her life and her art into a new direction.


Read more of our recently added Faith articles:

• God Knows Best
• To Catch A Rainbow
• The Past At Your Doorstep
• What Am I Worth?

Read more of our recently added entertainment articles:

• A New Day...with Céline Dion
• The 9th Annual CineVegas Film Festival
• New Releases: Le Vie En Rose
• And the winner is...John Heffron

What's coming up soon on LiftedMagazine.com?

• Brett Barrett from Las Vegas' Phantom of the Opera
• Career: Interviewing as a Christian
• College: Tips for Entering Freshmen
• We Are Marshall DVD Review
• Theatrical Review of The Elephant Man
• and much, much more!

Christian Music Festivals in August

I'm a few days late and some of these have kicked off already - but that doesn't mean it's too late to join in the fun! It's another long list of music festivals this time around!! We even have a few for those visiting or living in the UK.



August 1-4, 2007
Soul Fest
Gilford, NH, USA
http://www.thesoulfest.com

August 2-4, 2007
Spirit West Coast 2007
Monterey, CA, USA
http://www.spiritwestcoast.org/

August 3-5, 2007
Creation Fest 2007
Woolacombe, Devon, UK
http://www.creationfest.org.uk/

August 5-8, 2007
Kingdom Bound 2007
Park Resort, NY, USA
http://www.kingdombound.org/

August 9-11, 2007
Unity Music Festival
Muskegon, MI, USA
http://www.unitymusicfestival.com/

August 10-11, 2007
Rock the Desert
Midland, TX, USA
http://www.rockthedesert.com/

August 17-18, 2007
Higher Ground Music Festival 2007
Winsted, MN, USA
http://www.hgmusicfest.com/

August 17-18, 2007
Purple Door 2007
Lewisberry, PA
http://www.purpledoor.com/

August 17-19, 2007
Freedom Fest 2007
Snohomish, WA, USA
http://www.freedomfest.org/

August 24-27, 2007
Greenbelt Festival
Cheltenham, UK
http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/

August 31 - September 2, 2007
2007 LifeLight Festival
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
http://www.lifelight.org

August 31 - September 2, 2007
Rock the Light
Kansas City, MO, USA
http://www.rockthelight.com/

Tuesday it is Art: John Bramblitt Update

A while back I wrote about a blind visual artist from Denton Texas named John Bramblitt. He just finished a new series of paintings and has a show coming up in Lake Charles, Louisiana August 1 - September 8, 2007 at Gallery on the Lake. The name of the show is called Perceptions. Check out John's artist’s statement on his website.

After John realized he was going blind he struggled to understand and adapt. He overcame many obstacles. One can see in this new series that the process goes on. John has gained an understanding of perception that is expressed in his new work. The new art challenges our perception of what it is to see and to know. John confronts our misperception of blindness and the negative connation the word has in our language. His paintings ask us to rethink how we think about seeing and knowing.

John is also going to be a guest artist at the Special Arts Festival, November 10th in Garland Texas that explores the creativity of people with special needs. The Special Arts Festival will showcase the accomplishments of people with disabilities and educate the public to “the amazing possibilities that may have been overlooked where people with disabilities have achieved great things and overcome critical barriers to their success.”

How can you get involved?

Visit John’s website and be challenged by what you see and read.

Support the arts, go to see John's exhibition in Lake Charles, LA.

Attend or volunteer to help at the Special Arts Festival. Contact Jacqi Serie at jserie@unt.edu.

Impact

The American Heritage Dictionary defines impact as “the effect or impression of one thing on another.” Chelsea Heckathorn of Plano Texas was impacted by a mission trip to Zambia this summer. She is no stranger to world missions. Chelsea and a group of teens went to Zambia with Global Expeditions part of Teen Mania Ministries for a month in June.

Chelsea has been to Romania and Mexico with her Willow Bend Church youth group. The mission oriented environment of her church has impacted her. And she in turn wants to impact others.

The trip this summer consisted of two weeks of VBS (vacation Bible school) in Zambia. The first week she stayed in the secluded village of Chibebe where the teens roughed it. They slept in tents under primitive conditions. During their stay they ate simple foods like "mealypop," which is something like grits and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The second week of vacation Bible school was in Livingstone, a small city-type setting. It consisted of daily singing, lessons from a Bible story that the children acted out. The children were then asked questions. Next come craft time followed by lunch and the activities were repeated.

Chelsea was impacted by the singing. She says, “Some of the most amazing worship comes from the country of Zambia. They are all very passionate about singing.”

The conditions never dampened Chelsea’s enthusiasm for what she was doing. She quickly bonded with the kids, the other teens, her interpreter and the other people she met. In her own words:

“It was definitely a life-changing experience. There's just something about being surrounded by incredible Christians who love the Lord and are on a mission to tell the world [about Jesus] that really causes amazing bonds to be formed. I met some awesome people from all over the country”

Would Chelsea do it again? Yes, “I just can't afford to have an ordinary life in the States while there's a world in need of a Savior.”

Chelsea plans to attend an international nursing school in Spain with the hopes of returning to the mission field one day.

How can you get involved with Teen Mania Ministries?

· Visit their website at Teen Mania Ministries
· Donate to Teen Mania Ministries through their website.
· Support a child from Zambia. The children Chelsea met in Zambia all need sponsors. It cost $43.00 dollars a month, and it provides education, health care, and food for the orphan. If you are interested email me at goodnewsnow@goodnewsnow.com and I will have Chelsea contact you. She has seven sponsorship cards.
· Go. Contact Global Expeditions through the Teen Mania Ministries website.

Posted by Ruth Eshbaugh. Ruth is the webmaster for Good News Now. She writes about Ministries for Lifted Magazine.

You're going to love the film Ratatouille!

What do you get when you combine a mouse with a clumsy restaurant garbage boy and a 5-star French restaurant? The best chef in Paris! Rats aren’t known for their cooking skills in the kitchen, only their mischievous hunt for food, but the talented and innovative minds of the animators at Disney and Pixar Animation studios, have created an unconventional story with a more than unlikely little hero.

A sure-to-please, entertaining treat for the whole family, Ratatouille is a story that caters to both children and adults alike. Throughout the movie, kids along with their parents were sporadically laughing, as Remy and his friends were found in not so favorable predicaments. The humor is easily understood by young audiences and the story is sophisticated enough for their parents to enjoy. The plot is very well-developed and the characters are so cute (especially Remy), that you can’t help but cheer for them.

Read our full review here!

Kitty Kavey Inspires Us

Kitty Kavey's story is one which can provide inspiration for many. Despite a very rough childhood and a massively tragic motorcycle accident Kitty Kavey never seems to have lost the desire to live life to its fullest.

"I'm an eternal optimist," Kitty told us. "I always think it's going to be better, that somehow everything will work itself out. I always thought God was my Dad, and used to talk to Him as if He was just an invisible parent – not some sort of supernatural being. I felt that He thought I was special, and He'd make sure I got through whatever it was. Whenever it seemed something terrible was happening, I had faith that I'd get through."

Even her agent has nothing but kinds words, "She's never forgotten where she came from, and how hard a road it's been. She's a leader and a teacher to those who follow the same path. Always one to help others, she actively participates in charitable activities of all kinds, and loves to be of service to others. She prefers directing, writing and producing work of a comedic genre, and is on a crusade to include a more accurate representation of ethnic minorities in the media. She believes that anything is possible and dreams are attainable here in the land of opportunity. Her feisty nature and positive spirit transcend her circumstances, and remind us all that it is a great day to be alive!"

Read the entire interview online now

The ever intense Shane Drake

Somehow even his name sounds dark and mysterious...Shane told us, "I think that I would be fairly accurate in saying that I am pretty intense. I take my life and the contents of it, quite seriously. I can definitely be a little whacky, sometimes witty, and often times paranoid. Plus it is probably a relevant thing to note that I have a fairly obnoxious dose of OCD which pretty much gives me the qualities of a delusional mad scientist."

To date, Shane Drake has directed over 50 music videos and co-produced 3 films. This year, he was awarded the MTV/VMA for Video Of The Year for his video "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" for the band, Panic! At The Disco.

Although you may be familar with some of his work, you may not know that he used to be a be involved with the youth in his community. "I was a youth pastor for a couple different churches a few years back," Shane responded. "It was a wonderfully enriching time in my life and I loved every moment of it."

Read the entire interview with Shane online now.

Ministry Monday: Hillsong United

Hillsong United took over Lakewood Church Sunday night, July 15, 2007. They led worship for an overflow crowd in the arena size venue. Thousands of youth groups descended upon the Houston church from around the region to hear the wildly popular Christian worship band from Hillsong Church Australia.

There was a very enthusiastic crowd and an enthusiastic band with one message and that message was unapologetically Jesus Christ.

When I hear the name Hillsong I think of Darlene Zschech. It was my 18 year old son who reoriented me to the music of Hillsong United. They are a rock band and definitely much louder than Darlene; very high energy. We enjoyed their sound in the car on our road trip to the Houston area this weekend. Our adventure ended at the concert which was a great ending.

In concert, Hillsong United holds nothing back, not in their sound, their dance, the energy nor the message. In the introduction videos that played on the big screen before the band came on, Joel Houston (vocalist and spokesperson) let us know he sees each concert as a privilege. He is given an amazing opportunity to reach a vast audience. He had one chance last night, for a brief time, to try to impact a generation.

In Joel’s words and then later in song and a sermon message, Hillsong declared that every generation needs a revolution. This revolution needs every one of the kids that filled the church last night to be sold out for Jesus Christ. Unafraid to speak his name outside the church. It was a call to step out of the safe places we hide our faith and let the world know in word and deed how great our God is. The youth were challenged to let God use them to glorify and magnify Himself.

As I looked around at the sea of youth before me last night and listened to their worship, I saw the message was received. The name of Jesus was lifted up, God was magnified.

How you can help Hillsong Ministries?

• Pray for this new generation of youth to be sold out for Jesus Christ.


• Speak the name of Jesus Christ boldly outside the church.


• Give your life over to God by placing your life in His hands.


• Read and study the Bible.


• Visit the Hillsong United websites to find out what they are about, where they will be playing next. http://www.hillsong.com/united/
  and Hillsong United MySpace http://www.myspace.com/hillsongunited

Written by Ruth Eshbaugh. Ruth is the webmaster for Good New Now (http://www.goodnewsnow.com/) and writes about ministry for Lifted Magazine.

Watch out for some of our upcoming articles!

• Dr. George Phillies Interview (2008 Libertarian Presidential Candidate)
• Interview with Rue McClanahan of the Golden Girls
• Talking to director Shane Drake
• Meet the inspirational Kitty Kavey
• Laughing with comedian John Heffron
• Back from CineVegas
• Film reviews of La Vie En Rose and Ratatouille

A change in publications

Over the past two years, the staff of Lifted Magazine has worked very hard to produce PDF editions of our digital magazine for our readers to enjoy. But demand has dropped and we find that more and more people are just reading the articles online instead of downloading the PDF. Therefore, we will no longer be publishing PDF editions of Lifted Magazine but will focus on bringing more new articles to our readers throughout the month and publish a monthly newsletter highlighting our best new articles to make sure you don't miss the best of the best. We were pouring a WHOLE lot of time and resources into producing the PDF issues so it will be a lot more beneificial to everyone if we drop them.

Our newsletters will now arrive once a month and will feature the best of the best new articles we are adding online. We will continue to feature many of the new articles here as well so that you don't miss out on anything!

There will also be some changes coming up on the website which we will certainly announce here too so check back often or subscribe to this blog :)

New Releases: Sicko

Michael Moore is one of the most controversial documentarists of this time. He has made many friends and enimies with previous films such as Bowling for Columbine and Farenheit 911. But now he has used his personal connections to take his research to a whole new level and perhaps make a positive impact on the lives of many individuals in America.

Although Moore is famous for being one-sided in his political plight, this film is made for the American people in a hope to promote understanding and encourage change in our system. The argument Moore makes is one of a moral and ethical tone. If the United States is one of the richest countries in terms of GDP and other health indices, why do we fall so low in our health care system? In his film, Moore uses juxtaposition to analyze the US health care system versus counties like Canada, Britain and France. Because these citizens pay for universal health care through taxes, doctors and health-aids are government employees and patients need not worry about their medical bills. Citizens can chose which hospital, pharmacy, and doctor to see – without paying any money. This may seem like a mythical utopia, but as Moore captures in his film, this is a reality. Read our full review online.

For more information on Sicko and local show times, please visit http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Christian Music Festivals in July

July is now upon us and there are more great music festivals going on for you to enjoy!



July 11-15, 2007
Lifest 2007
Oshkosh, WI, USA
http://www.lifest.com/

July 14-15,2007
Luis Palau Heartland Festival
Omaha, NE, USA
http://www.palau.org/omaha

July 14-15,2007
Hills Alive
Rapid City, SD, USA
http://www.hillsalive.com/new2007/

July 25-28, 2007
Creation Northwest
George, WA, USA
http://www.creationfest.com/

Tune Filled Tuesdays Vol. 2

Eleventh Hour
MySpace profile

Eleventh Hour is four guys with one great sound and a lot of potential. Although they don't list any of their own influences, I hear a lot of similiarities to Creed and Nickelback, especially in their song "I Need You." Strong guitar riffs, great melodies and powerful lyrics run rampant here.

Those living in Ohio absolutely should go out to a show where Eleventh Hour is playing. We don't think you'll regret it in the least. You can find a list of upcoming venues on their MySpace page.

Ministry Monday: Malachi Ministries

Malachi Ministries

Website: http://malachi.org/

I heard about this ministry while listening to AFN, the Armed Forces Network, a radio station which caters to those in the miltary around the world and other English speaking listeners. They were interviewing some of the volunteers for Malachi Ministries and I had to find out more abou them.

Malachi Children's Ministry is a joint venture of Cadence International and Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. (CEF). With the strength and experience of Cadence International in working within the military culture and with the proven success of CEF in reaching children for Christ, we create a synergy that allows more powerful ministry to these special children.

Around four million people call the U.S. Military "home." This includes almost one million children of military and civilian personnel. Within this American subculture, approximately 25-35% of the people in a given community move every year. Most assignments for people in the U.S. Military last a mere two to three years with the end of the assignment possibly bringing a move across the world. Children in this environment must continually adjust and make new friends. One or both parents may leave on deployment or on an unaccompanied assignment for six months to a year. Military life can be difficult for all involved. These children need people in their lives to anchor them in Jesus, the Rock of Ages.

If you would like to help Malachi Ministries, there are several ways you can do so.

• Pray their leaders and missionaries all around the world as well as for all the students to whom they get to minister. Give them receptive hearts and may the hearts of their families be receptive as well.
• Donate your frequent flyer miles. Learn more here.
• Donate funds

Tune Filled Tuesdays Vol. 2

Praise-Apella

Website
MySpace Page

In a time when more or more artists seem to be relying primarily on instruments and sounds created in the studios, Praise-Apella is going in completely the opposite direction. These five gifted individuals are the instruments and create all the sounds with their mouths using beat-box and other techniques.

Each song has its own feel and showcases the talents of each band member. Their song "Lord I Give You My Heart" is a wonderful song of praise with a great funky feel to it which makes you want to bob your head along with them as they sing in perfect harmony with one another. You might even forget for a moment that they aren't using any instruments.

It's not hard to see why this band will be performing along with other great musicians like Michael W. Smith, Leeland and Superchick at The Fest in Wickliffe, OH. The Fest is a FREE one day, Christian family festival being held August 5, 2007. In addition to the live performances, other activities and events are available of all ages. Learn more on their website.

Ministry Monday: Shoes 2 Share

Shoes 2 Share (formerly Soles 2 Share) was formed when one special family starting spending time in Haiti. This family was bringing two Haitian children into their home but they weren't prepared to stop giving to children in need.

Every time they would visit Haiti, they would take along suitcases full of "like new" and "gently used" shoes to distribute to children that they came into contact with in the orphanages and on the streets. But it was very clear to them that their own personal efforts weren't nearly enough to meet the needs of these kids. And so the ministry began. They started approaching businesses, churches and schools for help and things have begun to grow from there. In fact, they currently have so many shoes in their warehouse in Wilmington, Deleware, that they are now asking for help to sort, clean, categorize and repack the shoes.

If you'd like to donate shoes, there are currently drop off sites in Maryland and there is currently a shoe drive going on in Exton, Pennsylvania. Click here to learn more information

You can also contact Rhonda via email info@shoes2share.com with any questions you have, to volunteer your time or to collect their information so that you can send them a donation.

Always wanted to read the entire bible in a year?

I know this is often a goal set by many individuals when they give their life to Christ, or when a new year rolls around. This is probably one of the most common goals set by Christians and perhaps also the most failed goal. But if you have this goal in mind and have not yet found a way that meets your needs to read every day, perhaps you can stop looking.

The One Year Bible Blog is written to help you get through your daily readings and puts everything you need just one mouse click away. Mike, the author, first gives you the passages you should be reading for the day and offers you a link which will pull up the passages from an online bible. Then he discusses the verses and gives his own personal insights into the scriptures. He also provides many illustrations throughout the blog to keep your creative side interested.

If all this reading still seems too daunting for you, how about listening to the verses via Windows Media Player, MP3 or subscribing via a Podcast? The One Year Bible On Radio website allows you to do just that. Listen on your way to work, to class or at the beach.

Now you've got no more excuses!!

Tune Filled Tuesdays Vol. 1

This week will be a week of several firsts. In addition to starting Ministry Mondays, we are also going to be starting Tune Filled Tuesdays, Wednesday's Written Words and Featured Flashbacks Fridays. We'll write more about what each of these is on their first blog posts. At some point we will also be featuring the searches that led to this blog in hopes that anything we may have missed in the first post, we can clarify a bit better.

On Tune Filled Tuesdays we will feature a musical artist or band which we have recently come across. They may be bands just starting out without even a full demo or they may have their feet on solid ground already with a very well known following. Either way we hope you will enjoy these little showcases!

First up:
Malachi3

Genre: Christian Soul, R&B, Lyrical
Website: http://www.malachi3music.com/
MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/malachi3music

All I can say is what a great trio of voices. These three have so much talent and they have a huge future ahead of them. They initially started off on their own paths, working on their own careers but God brought them all together to form Malachi3 and the union is really powerful. Shauna has a fantastic hip-hop/R&B flavor much like Mary J. Blige and I really love the songs that feature her such as "Didn't Imagine Me" and "Breathe 2.0." And Tori and Q Rock are clearly talented as well. Tori has a really nice R&B/Soul sound and he has a wonderful, dreamy voice. And Q Rock - well let's just say he definitely rocks. This guy has some great flow and I think he easily could have used God's gifts to have a large mainstream career as well.

One of the really great things about this group and their newself-titled CD is that they sing about things that other people can relate to. They bring words of encouragement for teenage mothers, those who grew up without a father figure and have just not lived the easiest of lives in general. For example in "My Story" each member of this trio really showcases their skills and brings their own personal lessons out in the open so others in their situation might see the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel."

Hear snippets of all their new songs on their website or just go buy their new CD. We'll be reviewing their entire album soon so be sure to look out for it!!

Ministry Monday: Backpacks for Pine Ridge

There are so many ministries out there that need and deserve attention so I thought I would start a new blogging series on this post called Ministry Monday. Every Monday I will feature another ministry which has caught my eye.

This week:

Backpacks for Pine Ridge
MySpace page

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is one of the most beautiful places in America. It is also one of the poorest. The median income on the reservation is just $2,600 a year. The unemployment rate is a shocking 85%. Sadly, it is the children and teenagers who are the most vulnerable victims of such poverty. Among schools on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the drop-out rate is 70%.

Since 2004, a group from Winton Rd. Church of God in Fairfield, Ohio, has been going to the reservation and giving out backpacks filled with school supplies to the children in the village of Allen. Their goal is to expand this backpack project so that they can provide a backpack filled with school supplies to every child on the reservation. Giving a child a backpack of school supplies does two things: It provides much needed school supplies and it encourages children to stay in school and get an education.

Just $15.00 can provide one child on the reservation with a backpack and school supplies.

If you'd like to help you can do so in the following ways:

• Pray! Pray for the ministry, the leaders of this ministry, those donating their money and time and the children and families receiving these backpacks
• Donate money for backpacks and school supplies.
• Sponsor a team member
• Go on a trip (see the requirements)
  

Learn more about their specific trips on their other blog Pine Ridge Mission Trips.

Promote yourself & your website

We have recently added a resource directory on our website to provide our readers with additional great websites and information. If you have a website you'd like to promote, please come on over and submit your link.

It is a reciprocal linking directory and we appreciate your link back to us. You can even do it on your myspace page if you want!

Current categories include:

Bands & Musicians
Bible Resources
Churches
Concerts, Festivals & Events
Online Communities
Family Life
Ministries & Organizations
News Portals
Portals & Search Engines
Self-Help
Shopping
Young Adult & Youth Groups

If there isn't a category that suits your site, let me know and I will add one in. Or put it in the closest fitting category you find and I'll move it later if it doesn't fit.

Questions? Contact me!!

Christian Music Festivals in June

In our June/July issue of Lifted Magazine, we posted a list of upcoming Christian music festivals. We don't want anyone to miss out so here are the June festivals again!! Hope you can enjoy at least one festival near you this year.

June 7-9, 2007
Collide
Bells, TX, USA
http://www.collidefestival.com/

June 7-9, 2008
Crossover Music Festival
Lake of the Ozarks, MO, USA
http://www.crossoverfestival.org/

June 12-14, 2007
Sonshine Festival
Wilmar, MN, USA
http://www.sonshinefestival.com/

June 14, 2007
Atlanta Fest
Six Flags over Georgia, GA, USA
http://www.atlantafest.com/

June 14-16, 2007
Ichthus 2007
Wilmore, KY, USA
http://www.ichthusfestival.org/

June 20-23, 2007
Alive 07
Canal Fulton, OH, USA
http://www.alive.org/

June 22-24, 2007
Mountain of Praise Festival
Wautoma, WI, USA
www.myspace.com/mountainofpraise

June 25-30, 2007
Cornerstone Festival
Bushnell, IL, USA
http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/

June 27-30, 2007
Creation Northeast
Mt. Union, PA, USA
http://www.creationfest.com/

June 29-30, 2007
Celebrate Freedom with Luis Palau
Dallas, TX, USA
www.klty.com/celebratefreedom/index.htm

Our website gets some attention as well

We made some changes to the website in the last few days and would love for you to come have a look. They're not massive changes but we hope that they will improve your browsing experience. :-)

Have ideas you'd like to see implemented? Let me know!!

We've got a new look

Although this blog hasn't really been around all that long, we thought it would be nice to give our header a bit of a facelift. Our road trips blog will also be getting a facelift very, very soon so keep your eye on it!

June/July 2007 Issue Now Online

Download it now!

Featured Inside

The Inside Story: Ron McGehee - Read online now
Getting Personal: Gloria Jean - Read online now
Out & About: Theater ~ Phantom of the Opera - Read online now
Special: Summer Fun - PDF Exclusive
Career: Coping with Time-Related Stress - Read online now
Career Quiz: How Stressed Are You? - PDF Exclusive
Environment: What is Global Warming? - Read online now
Environment: Global Warming - Fact or Fiction? - Read online now
Election 2008: Dr. Kent Mesplay - Read online now
Faith: Run the Race- Read online now
Faith: Hezekiah's Tunnel - Read online now
Faith: Brief Encounters - Read online now
Faith: Wounding Words - Read online now
Testimonies: Flightless Angels - Read online now
Ministries: Ministry Blackout ~ Grounded for Life - Read online now
Ministries: Connecting to Make a Difference - Read online now
New Movie Releases: Gracie - Read online now
Book Review: Kiss of a Dolphin - Read online now
Poetry: Food for the Hungry - Read online now
Poetry: Summertime - Read online now

Sneak Peak June/July Issue: Gracie Movie Review

Entertainment writer Sophia M. Papadopolous caught an early preview of Gracie, to be released this Friday, June 1st. Here is an excerpt from her review. Click here to read the full review and movie trivia.

In a time when women’s soccer did not exist, Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder) a 15 year old teenager from New Jersey finds herself fighting for her right to play on an all boys varsity soccer team. Taking place in 1978, when women are still fighting for their rights and trying to prove that they too are just as smart and able-bodied as men, Gracie proves to herself and to all those who doubt her that she can handle this intensely physical “male sport.” Growing up in a household with three soccer obsessed brothers and a father (Dermot Mulroney) who thinks soccer isn’t a girl’s sport, Gracie not only struggles to find her place in a male dominated household, she also has to prove to her toughest critic [her father] that she too can play just as hard and rough as the boys.

When her older brother and star of the high school soccer team dies in a tragic car accident, Gracie and her family are distraught over the loss. Her only confidant and protector is now gone, but she will not allow his memory and his dream to die with him. Wanting to prove her skills and win the nationals for the team, Gracie petitions the school to allow her to take the place of her brother on the soccer team. After many discouraging comments from the coach, the guys on the team, and her own father’s skewed view of her abilities as a girl, she wins them over with her un-dying determination and commitment. Her father, a past star high school soccer player himself, begins to steadily come around, as he starts training her just as hard as he trained her brother.

This film demonstrated that woman can in fact do anything men can do, even though our patriarchic society does not seem to think so. It also demonstrated how hard women have had to fight to be heard and seen as equals. This movie was a great testament that women’s abilities are not determined by their bodies, but by their intellectual strength, courage, and will to strive. We too can fight like the “Big Boys,” on and off the field!

Kimberly Caldwell steals our hearts

Lifted Magazine recently had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Caldwell from American Idol, Idol Chat and much more!

A very down to earth and genuine young woman, Kimberly is destined for success. Whether working on her upcoming album, interviewing celebrities, acting, singing, or even just relaxing, Kimberly always seems to outshine others. This is not done intentionally, but Kimberly just has that presence: Her true talent cannot be hidden.

Read the entire interview online

Kimberly Caldwell is up next!

Lifted Magazine is talking to Kimberly Caldwell this week and we want to know your questions. Don't be shy - we know there must be SOMETHING you want to know.

Also, if you have questions you'd like to ask Ryan Starr, don't forget to send them over!!

Submit questions by commenting on this post here...or email them to questions@liftedmag.com

To find out if YOUR question is selected, just sign up for our newsletter or subscribe to this blog. We'll also notify all our friends via MySpace when the interview comes out!

Free festival in Nashville, TN

We wrote about the Luis Palau Festival of Hope in Washington, D.C. quite a while ago. The festival has moved on and the next big event is taking place in Nashville, TN, on May 19-20! And one of the best parts about the festival - it's FREE!!! Yes, no catch. It is a completely free event.

Activities are scheduled from 1:30 pm to 10:00 pm both Saturday, May 19th & Sunday, May 20th at Riverfront Park. The Livin It action sports tour will showcase top pro athletes from the action sports of skateboarding, freestyle motocross, and bicycle motocross. Video superstars Bob and Larry from the VeggieTales film and video series will host an entertaining family area for kids of all ages.

The music line up includes the following:

• LeAnn Rimes
• Craig Morgan
• Steven Curtis Chapman
• TobyMac
• Israel & New Breed
• BarlowGirl
• Jeremy Camp
• El Trio de Hoy
• Tye Tribbett & G.A.

More details about the Nashville City Fest can be found on their website.

YOU Interview Ryan Starr from American Idol!

You have questions you'd love to ask Ryan Starr...and we want to know what they are!

Are you dying to know how she got started? Or maybe what her favorite band is? Lifted Magazine will be interviewing Ryan Starr from American Idol very soon so send us your questions today!!

Questions can be submitted to this blog as comments or can be emailed to questions AT liftedmag.com.

To find out if YOUR question is selected, just sign up for our newsletter or subscribe to this blog.

Sabrina Sloan in the pages of Lifted Magazine

Our very own Andrew Moreno recently had the privledge to interview Sabrina Sloan. Below is a snippet... But you can read the full article here: Sabrina Sloan - In Her Own Words

Moreno: Tell me; at what age did you realize your passion for music/performance art?
Sloan: I started singing when I was three-years-old. I got involved with church and school choirs early. I also started playing the piano at the age of 7. At around 9, I would just sit at the piano for hours and play and sing and have my own private concert. I loved the theory of music and how the chords supported the melody and I began to appreciate every part of a song. I’d say I knew then that music was what I loved. I also knew it would always be a part of my life.

Moreno: Where/what do you draw on for strength/encouragement?

Sloan: I feel very strongly that it was part of God’s plan for me to be on the show. In everything I do, I trust He knows why things happen the way they do. I was able to go on the stage feeling confident that I was supposed to be there and share my talent. My greatest encourager is my husband, and I give him credit for helping me finally audition, while keeping me focused through the whole process. Our mantra was “Nothing to Lose.” He helped me do the show without thinking of what people would think of me, how I might get voted off, etc. I had to hit the stage with that “no fear” attitude.

Moreno: Do you keep in contact with the other Idol contestants?

Sloan: I try to, but they have an incredibly busy schedule so usually we talk when I visit the show. I feel for them! I know they’re exhausted! J

Moreno: What is it like working with Sanjaya? Everyone seems to be Malakrazy! What's he like behind-the-scenes?

Sloan: He’s a 17 year old kid! He’s having a blast, and enjoying the show. He’s someone who I think genuinely appreciates everything he’s experiencing being on American Idol. I don’t know if he even knows how FAMOUS he is! You live in a bubble being on the show and I know his mom is good about protecting him from some of that publicity and nationwide obsession!

Becoming "social bookmarking" friendly

We've just added new bookmarking links on our article and travel guide pages to allow you, our readers, share articles you enjoy with others. We've implemented Digg, del.icio.us and reddit buttons. Stumble Upon is unfortunately not database friendly but you can still use their great browser toolbar to bookmark your favorite articles.

Hop on over to the site and start marking your favorite articles! http://www.liftedmagazine.com

GodMen - When Faith Gets Dangerous

We've all heard that "Nice guys finish last" - and I guess that is what GodMen and founder Brad Stine are hoping to curb when it comes to Christian men. They want guys to not be "nice" but "good" - the latter being acceptable by society and "nice" carrying a stigmata that generally indicates guys are too mushy, sentimental or just push overs. And women want men that will stand up for their family, their beliefs and themselves, right?

Although GodMen is still in its founding stages, their vision is very real already. Their home page describes the organization as follows:

The truth is that on any given Sunday, 60% of church attendees are women, and something about church today is keeping men away. We are attempting to create a worship place for men that looks nothing like church. It is a place where men of no religion and men who have left the church break bread with followers of Jesus. Where simply being a man, created in Gods image, is celebrated. An environment familiar with and conducive to the way men are made comfortable and the unique way men interact.

We have committed to see what would happen if, for one day, our faith and its struggles would be discussed with absolute honesty, transparency and openness - not sugar coated or framed in church language but instead spoken in frankness and maturity where men can see their innermost fears, shames, and secrets brought to light in a safe environment. Not for judgment but instead to reveal a commonality of unique male struggles shared with their own tribe, a band of brothers who promise to walk this journey with them to the end.

And they've gotten quite a bit of coverage already. ABCNews actually brought my attention to them with their cleverly titled article, "Christian Men...Too Wimpy?"

If you're a man who'd like to grow a backbone, hang out with other guys and play with power tools (or you're a woman who'd like to have a non-wimpy man), here's their upcoming events:
Mobile, Alabama - September 15
Austin, Texas - September 29
Jacksonville, Florida - October 6
Charlotte, North Carolina - October 13
Sacramento, California - October 27
Indianapolis, Indiana - November 3
Nashville, Tennessee - April 5, 2008

They also have a blog with news updates, photos of recent events and more.

New April/May Issue Out Now

If you haven't dropped by LiftedMagazine.com to read the new issue, you can download the PDF here or read any of the articles below.



Out & About: Movies ~ Cinequest Film Festival - Read online now
The Inside Story: Ben Byer's Indestructible Spirit - Read online now
Career: Lessons From My Little Red Notebook - Read online now
Career Quiz: Are You Good With Money? - PDF Exclusive
Faith: Resurrection from Perfection - Read online now
Faith: Why Believe the Bible? - Read online now
Faith: The Battle Belongs to the Lord - Read online now
Faith: Drop That Mask - Read online now
Faith: Love in the True Sense - Read online now
Testimonies: "Isn't It Dangerous?"- Read online now
Ministries: Artist to Artist - John Bramblitt - Read online now
Poetry: Reflection - Read online now
Poetry: Do You Wanna Be Healed? - Read online now
Poetry: The Lion in the Heart of the Lamb - Read online now

A Godly President

This email came across my desk today and I was moved by the compassion of the President. We see him all the time asking God to bless America and all those in it...but we rarely get first hand accounts of what a Godly man he really is. I wanted to pass this on for those who may not have had the chance to read the story yet...

I checked it on urbanlegends.com and a few other places and it appears to be a true story. Of course we'll never really know ourselves what happened inside the Oval Office that day - but I'll take Bruce's word for it!

Subject: Bruce Vincent and the Oval Office

To my most special clump of humanity:

I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day Of the award ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but The White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends. The moment with the President in the Oval Office was incredible. I want to protect the memory because it was an intensely private moment between two men. At the same time I'd like to share it on a broader scale because I'd like others to know what I know about the man sitting at the desk in the Oval Office. For now, I'll just tell it to you folks.

As you know, our efforts concerning the reintroduction of our rural, resource providing cultures to the ever more urbane society of our nation has been honored with an award from the President and First Lady Bush. Nominated by the Forest Service for the first ever Preserve America President's Award was our cultural exchange program Provider PalsT and our restoration of an abandoned CCC built Forest Service ranger station (Raven Ranger Station) for use as a learning center for students from throughout the nation that are now engaged in our cultural exchange.

The award was given at a White House ceremony on Monday, May 3. Guests at the East Room ceremony (the Rose Garden was going to be used but it rained) included Secretary of Interior Gorton, Secretary of Agriculture Venneman, Undersecretary Mark Rey, Chief Bosworth, President's Advisory Council for Preserve America, and others. The East Wing was closed to the public for the event and those who attended enjoyed brunch and live chamber music. Provider PalsT was able to bring members of our board of directors, staff from our partner Communities for a Great Northwest, our Kootenai Forest Supervisor and Forest Archaeologist, and two officials from our major sponsor Ford Motor Company. Thankfully, I was also able to bring PJ and all four children. In the East Room, Secretaries Venneman and Gorton spoke as did First Lady Bush and Preserve America's Chairman John Nau. The First Lady then gave autographed copies of a White House book to award winners in this ceremony and posed for pictures. When the ceremony concluded, the First Lady stayed for a bit in the Green Room and chatted and posed for pictures. She was then escorted outside to meet the President and board a Marine One helicopter waiting to whisk them off to the airport.

For me, however, the biggest event of the day had already happened when the East Room Ceremony started up. While the East Room ceremony was being prepared, the four national award winners and the entities that nominated them were taken to the Oval Office for the official award presentation by President Bush and First Lady Bush. There were eight of us in total.

Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby, Montana, I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot.

I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh, my God." I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones.

Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating.

I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I Think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote. I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment - that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.'

Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush.

With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President and Mrs. Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope.

He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the a Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.

When asked what the biggest challenge of the Presidency was, he talked about the daily frustration of partisan politics. 'This from a politician,' he said. He said that when he was elected he promised that he would do in DC what he had done in Texas and that was build alliances and coalitions that bridged party lines in order to move the nation forward. He had quickly learned that there are those in the nation's capital that would rather see the nation dismantled than work together to achieve a common good. That, he said is a bitter and continuing disappointment.

The President talked about the artwork and other items of interest in the room. For instance the desk he uses is the one that was given to the U.S. by Queen Victoria and used by FDR and JFK. In fact FDR had a front panel added to the desk to cover the mid section because FDR did not want the country to know he was in a wheelchair. President Bush laughed and said, "My how things have changed, FDR hid a wheelchair and if I eat a pretzel and get a tingle in my arm it's front page news around the globe." That little desk faux front is hinged by the way, and is the door that we all have seen John John sticking his head from behind in the famous photo of JFK at work.

The President also noted that much of the artwork in the office is from Texas or about Texas. He said that it made sense for him to have it in his office because Texas is part of who he is. He talked about family and place and faith helping to build the person you end up being and noted that the Oval Office reflected who he is. He noted that it would be a mistake to come to the Oval Office and entertain a mission to 'find yourself.' He said that with all of the pressures and responsibilities that go with the job, you'd best know who you are when you put your name plate on the desk in the Oval Office. He said he knows who he is and now America has had four years to learn about who he is. If they like what they see, he may have another four years. If not, then he may be going back to Texas.

After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the President shook my hand I said "thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family." He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly, turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you - and God bless you and yours as well."

On our way out of the office we were to leave by the Glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said "I'll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards." I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, "Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and have a favor to ask you." As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it."

I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it." From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?" He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer.

When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that if it is they can get it all with this surgery.

He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer." As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance - standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace. He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months.

I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our President. I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for he and his.

As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled - and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal.

I've read internet stories about the President praying With troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hope them to be true and not an internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day - and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple man to man, father to father, son to son, husband to husband, Christian to Christian prayerful embrace.

He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.