Ladies and Gentlemen: Lets have an applause for Mr. Teleprompter, the 44th President of the United States.


Good job, America. I will admit, Bush used teleprompters too, but not to this extreme. It is evident that Obama has people writing his speeches to try and please everyone with his C.H.A.N.G.E. policy, and to be honest that is sad. He continues making promises that he will not keep, ruining this country and everything it stands for in the process.

Want real change? Choose the FairTax. Change that REALLY works. Change we REALLY need.

Labels: Boortz, Bush, change, FairTax, Huckabee, Obama, Teleprompter

...are beautiful
...are understanding
...are wonderful
...are patient
...are understanding
...are AWESOME.

Don't let anyone tell you anything different. We do not complement each other enough. Do me a favor, in all seriousness, find at least one person each day this week and complement them. Tell them how you truly feel. Find a special way to tell them. Lather them with love and compassion.

-Ken

Labels: awesome, complement, YOU

A hurricane. A tropical storm that, as you probably know, frequents the southern sates of America during the summer months. I would have to admit, hurricanes are amazing! You see, there is the the storm part and then you have the eye. Usually, it is peaceful and calm within the eye...but there will be the remainder of the storm to follow. The walls of the storm that surround the eye are called the "eyewall" which typically has the worst part of the storm within.

I recall as a child the first hurricane that I could remember. Everyone was getting all hiked up over it. I was scared. It started one evening before I was going to sleep. It seemed to me like a violent thunderstorm. I remember hearing all the activity going on outside, but I went to sleep. I awoke a few times that night and progressively heard the storm getting worse and worse. Finally, I awoke and everything was calm. I thought to myself "is it over??" I went back to sleep, and was awoken a few hours later, and the storm was going on again! I was eternally confused...

It turns out that the eye was passing through when I awoke and everything was calm. Although they are destructive, I see hurricanes as very amazing.

At times, I think I am living in an endless hurricane; somewhat like the one that I experienced as a child. It seems that I am living in a situation and I get my feathers all ruffled and get stressed and then...all of that ends. Things get worked out and I think things are going to be okay. Then out of no where, the eye passes and everything is going 100+ miles-per-hour again. It is like clock work.

I heave realized through life's trials not to stress about things. It is pointless. This by no means live live with arrogance. You should always be aware of your surroundings and take all precautions necessary. I choose to live a life that is as drama free as possible. I hate drama. When there is drama, I go the other way.

-Ken

Labels: hurricane, storms, trials

Ending my trip to Atlanta, I enjoyed a great night at church and dinner with the Hurst family. I made the decision to drive back to Florida after that, which would put me back in Orlando at 6am. I tend to prefer to drive at night because there are fewer people on the roads and it brings good time to listen to music, watch movies and think about things.

I left Atlanta at about 11:30pm that evening. Things were fine, I made some phone calls as I drove and talked to a few people before they went to bed, which is what I typically do. My mind was committed to driving all night to arrive at my destination. Every part of me believed that I could do it. It hit me...about in Macon, GA. The fatigue was bearing down on me. It was at that time I began questioning my decision to drive after a long day. My mind was made up to drive and make it back, but I had to respect the fact that my body was exhausted after a long day of worship and fellowship with friends and family. It was then when I called a hotel and made an amendment to my plan to stop and sleep for the night.

I checked in and went right to sleep. I woke up at about 10:15am and continued my trip. I made it back safely. It is now, that I think back upon my trip and wonder if I really could have made the trip safely in that state. Was I really that tired?

Oftentimes in our lives, we over commit to things we want. In friendships / relationships, goals, jobs or projects. Although our intentions are good from the front, sometimes the fatigue sets in and in reality the goal can not be accomplished. But how will you compensate for the change? Will you do the right thing and find a safe medium to solve the problem? Or, perhaps will you continue, even though the warning signs are present and risk making a big mistake and loosing everything or something that is important to you?

Make the right decision. Listen to the warning signs. I will be the first to admit that I am a stubborn person, but trust me, you will be a better person for it. Believe it or not...

-Ken

Labels: Atlanta, committment, decision, drive, fatigue, Orlando, overcommitment, stubborn, tired

I have been out of town (Orlando) for the last week, and sadly I was not able to join my home church, First Orlando (physically) in their worship services this weekend. I did, however watch the stream online on Saturday evening. This morning, I was able "multi-worship" and attend two churches here in Atlanta that are very dear to me.

I was blessed by visiting Buckhead Church this weekend. The scenic atmosphere was ingenious, as it always tends to be. They had a rig on stage that consisted of truss', plasma displays and LED light fixtures. It was a nice setup, which wasn't a surprise.

Todd Fields led the worship set this morning. It was great experiencing his worship style again. I have not been in a worship service with him for sometime now...probably the last time was back in the day when I was at a 722 service!

The churches in the North Point family, have moved toward a new technique of letting their congregation be a part of the sermon. Instead of the Satellite churches being a week behind NPCC...or whichever church Andy or the speaker was at, they elected to invest in simulcasting each week. I am not sure of your knowledge of streaming audio / video, but this is a major task! I am not quite sure on the technical setup they have for this new option, but all churches have to be timed right in order for this to work appropriately. I am sure they have some type of DDR (digital disk recorder) that each facility uses "just in case" something goes unexpected. I know when Shane Stevens took me on a tour of the NPCC facilities early 2008 he was mentioning doing something like this. I guess it finally happened!

Simulcasting allows for members at all satellite churches to hear the same message the same week, which makes everyone feel included moreso than a delayed message. It was interesting to see the audience's reaction to the sermon. Andy Stanley (Senior Pastor of NPCC) had a question time, and people answered aloud the questions and even laughed out loud at jokes...just as if he was preaching at Buckhead!

It was a great experience. I hope that one day, I am lead into a ministry that not only am I broadcasting God's message...but incorporates streaming to multiple venues. It will be an exciting experience.

After the service concluded at Buckhead Church, I traveled over to my home church, Rehoboth Baptist Church. After visiting around with my kids, the Minister of Music (Andy Newsome) approached me and asked if I was willing to go CG for the service. I accepted. **It turned out that Michelle (Andy's Wife) was not feeling well and was unable to make it to the service. Michelle is usually the CG masterette...and take care of those responsibilities week-to-week. It was very humbling to be trusted enough by someone that you have never worked for to just up and ask you to do something major for a worship service. That went well. Although, it would have been more convenient to have ProPresenter, they have Media Shout...which is fine, but I do prefer the GUI of ProPresenter much more. Plus...it works on a Mac... :)

I was impressed, though with the state of the technology at that church. Most of that equipment is older than me, so it is good to see A) that it is still functioning after all these years and B) that the staff at RBC is using the stuff...to assist the worship experience. Nothing is worse that having something **sit** because it is not up to today's standards. Put it to work! It cost good money. You should not waste it, if it is still meeting your needs.

Tonight, I will be attending the evening service at Rehoboth. I am really looking forward to that as well.

-Ken

Labels: Andy Newsome, Andy Stanley, Buckhead Church, church, MediaShout, North Point, Pastor Rusty Womack, ProPresenter, Rehoboth, sermon, simulcast, streaming, Todd Fields, worship

I have always struggled with them. The go great...then for no reason, always seem to come to a screeching halt. Why? Is it that I give up to soon? Have "tunnel vision" and only want thing to go my way...then they don't and I give up?

I believe the correct answer lies as a combination of the two above. I have a set way that I want things to be...and if someone does not agree with that, I take it personal. I have come to the realization that not everyone is going to be marching at the beat of my own drum and that differences is what makes us all unique.

In the fall of 2008, I had a friend that I was getting close to. A young lad that is an amazing guy. One night, we were chatting on the phone and although it was not the best of conversation topics, (meaning something dear to me) he mistakenly said something that did not settle right with me. Did I at that point ask for clarification? Oh no. I got defensive and offended. Was that the right reaction? No.

Days after that had happened, I felt terrible. But I figured that he had given up on the friendship that we had. He too struggles with Friendships just as I struggle. People come and go...no one is one hundred percent committed, besides him. For that I felt terrible for my reaction to the situation. I battled with this for months.

But I worked through some things, forgiveness was given. Tonight, I had the pleasure of having dinner with him at a very nice restaurant, Copeland's in Buckhead. We had a joyful time of fellowship and then the bitter-sweet moment of confrontation of the events last fall.

During that time, we talked through things, and we are on the road to recovery. God works in mysterious ways, but they always turn out for the best. There are still hurt feelings, but I think that time, trust and love will bring healing.

-Ken

Labels: committment, Copeland's Atlanta, forgiveness, friendships, love, mistakes, relationships, struggle

One of my most cherished events of any week is being able to serve the broadcast ministry at my home church, First Baptist Church of Orlando each Saturday night. In serving in such a ministry, you are able to bring worship to many people through both television and streaming online for people who either can't make the service or live in another part of the country or world.

There is nothing more satisfying that being a part of a ministry that brings the Word of Jesus Christ to many people. Recently, the church upgraded their website. I would encourage you to check it out! The video streaming service was upgraded as well and now it is done on Adobe Flash...and not that old-school Microsoft stuff anymore :). The 1K stream looks beautiful, and is just like you are watching it on television.

I also would like to put my heart out to the Uth family, as David has lost his father this week. This must be a bitter-sweet moment for him and his family, but David's father is in a better place...with no pain or sufferings. My prayers are with you and your family in this difficult time.

Anyway, I am going to get back to worshiping along with my church. Thanks for stopping by!!

-Ken

Labels: David Uth, First Baptist Church Orlando, Flash, streaming, suffering, worship

So...I remember a few years back the swarm of pagers and personal beepers. Some probably brought the concept of text messaging into the playing field. I remember one guy I knew that had one could send text-based messages out through his pager. So...are pagers technically a "lost technology?"

Obviously, modern cell phones today can do all that and more. But it just struck me as a thought earlier today. What is the next device to merge?

-Ken

Labels: beepers, cell phones, maturity, pagers, technology, test messaging

So, tonight's church service was spectacular. If you are interested, I would suggest looking at the archives on our site at www.firstorlando.com. The music and message are superb.

So at the end of Pastor David's message, I was reminded of my post last night...of how fickle this life is. Life is a gift that most of us are blessed with, but out time here on earth is not guaranteed...take heart of it. Fix your relationships. Tell someone you love that you care about them. Please, don't wait until tomorrow. Do it now.

-Ken

Arguments. Laughter. Disagreements. Memories. Betrayal. Love.

Emotions aside, believe it or not, we have all been given a priceless gift. Life. Every moment that we life and share with others is a gift from God. Some are blessed with 50+ years of age and others just get to share a few moments on earth. It is a bitter-sweet moment regardless. We do not know what tomorrow holds for us, in this gift of life.

I am currently watching one of my favorite television shows, and one of the characters has struggled with a sickness through the first four seasons and in the episode that I am watching now, he passes away due to his illness. After fighting with his sister who has taken care of him for the last few years. The last memory that she will ever remember of him is fighting. Is that how you want to be remembered? Relationships are fickle, do yourself a favor and do not let a life throw a surprise your way. Be sure you tell those you care about that you love them. Reassure them of that. Do not let a bad situation effect someone for the rest of their life.

-Ken

One of the most attractive thing about a person is their scars. The "bad" things. The situations that caused pain. People remember when, where and why they got hurt much more than anything else. Why? Those were learning experiences. Without scars, a person would be...just like everyone else, with a perfect appearance. I love having talks with people about why they got scars.

The same thing goes for mistakes. We all make 'em. Trust me, I have made some huge mistakes along the way! If the person learns from their mistakes and is an overall better person for the mistake he has made, that is beautiful! In a project that I worked on, I made mistakes, but I will guarantee you, I will never make those mistakes again! Thinking back on them, they were STUPID! Forgiveness is the key here. I thank those people who have experienced me making a mistake...personally and professionally.

Oftentimes, in the heat of the moment...I beat myself up for mistakes. I love perfection. I love being able to do a task and not face mistakes, but sometimes...mistakes have to be made...in order for a person to grow. With each mistake, a person learns lessons that are priceless. To me that is beautiful.

Do one thing for yourself. The next time you make a mistake...afterward take a moment and reflect on what happened. Find out why you did what you did. Decide what you will do differently next time when you are facing the same situation. If you let the fact that you made a mistake walk away from a situation, is that the right decision? I do not believe so.

Ken

Labels: change, experiences, learn, mistakes, scars

A week ago...last night I showed up to serve at church. But...there was a problem. The lighting system had somehow failed.

I sat and watched the service, and I was impressed how the lighting team worked together under pressure to find a solution for the problem...in a little over an hour before the service began! The best part is...a small group of folks stayed all hours through the night to rig lights and trusses for the following Sunday morning services. It is great to see people that are passionate enough to give above and beyond the calls of ministry in order that others can worship the Lord.

Is it an absolute necessity in order to have "lights" in order to worship the Lord? Well...no. It is an amenity that sadly most of us overlook most of the time. But in fact, at this church, the lighting aspect is a large aspect of the service for many reasons. One, broadcast...without lighting, the Message cannot be spread to home and venues of people watching via television or internet broadcast. In addition to that, lighting is also pivotal to the service in order that it sets the mood for the worship environment.

In conclusion, I would like to thank those that served above and beyond in order to allow others to worship last Sunday morning. Your willingness to serve has not gone unnoticed, and you will be rewarded. Thanks again.

-Ken

Labels: 316 networks, failures, First Baptist Church Orlando, lighting, worship

Recently, I have been posting silly things on my Twitter and/or Facebook to entertain people. For example, yesterday, I was sifting through pictures on Facebook and I saw numerous captions that had "omg..." in them. I have a pet peeve against that "term" (as some say) so...I thought other people would enjoy it so I posted the following to my Twitter / Facebook:

Ken Miller : Pet peeve of the day - people that use "omg" in ANY form...text messages, picture captions...whatever.

Within second...literally of posting that, my two best friends from Atlanta texted my phone...with some extent of "omg" in their message. I died laughing. Also, the response I had on the Facebook update had a great response...from all types of different friends laughing, venting and talking about it. All in all, it was very entertaining.

The point of this post is to show how quickly we as avid computer and mobile users can communicate so quickly...within seconds of receiving data. That is something that no other generation has been able to do. We are by far blessed...to not have to wait weeks upon weeks for mail to be delivered. Almost instantly, we can communicate with whomever we need to...in pretty much any medium...text, video/audio, e-mail.

We are in a mobile universe for sure. Data is at our finger tips. So what do you think the next "leg" of the mobile generation is?