The Last Lecture

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to Pastor Jake, the senior pastor at my church. He had just read a book that he recommended. It was The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Maybe you've heard of it.



I read through it in just a couple of days. Wow. It was a powerful book. I was really touched by it -- especially the last chapter. Pausch, at the time of the writing of the book, was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer. The book came out of a "last lecture" that he was asked to give at Carnegie-Mellon where he was a professor. Only this hypothetical "last lecture" would really be just that. In this lecture, he recounts what was most important in his life looking back, and why he chose to live his life like he did.

I read just now that Randy died today.

I recommend that every guy read his book. It will help you remember what the real priorities should be in your life.

"And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, 'Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money.' You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, 'If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.'" the Apostle James

For A Burst of Creativity

As I was writing for a post on my Draw What You Hear blog, I went to McNair Wilson's blog to check out what he's been doing lately and to link to it.

If you like creative stuff, you'll love his blog. If creative stuff makes you a bit squeamish, then you might want to start with some a little more mild before you head over there to check it out.

I had forgotten what a source of creative inspiration he was for me.

He is a former Disney Imagineer (cool), author, actor, director and creative consultant (very cool). He is an awesome and powerful speaker.

His blog delves into all sorts of things creative -- especially journaling. He's the one I credit with taking my journaling to a whole new level. He gave me some great advice in a couple of conversations at the writers conference in 2006, and we've had some email conversations after the conference.

New Blog for Draw What You Hear

For those of you who are taking my class -- or for those of you who wish you could take my class but you can't so you just want to get the condensed online version -- you can check out my newest blog where I'll post the summary of each class.

Also, from time to time, I'll post other tips or thoughts about using graphical elements in your notes.

Or I might post a link to a good article on visual notes.

Or I might post a picture of someone else's notes.

Or I might...

Well, you get the point. Check it out when you get a chance. It's http://drawwhatyouhear.blogspot.com.

And leave me a comment if you'd like.

Micah Ray

Draw What You Hear - July 23

Do you see pictures or images when you are listening to a sermon or a talk? Do you find yourself doodling when you are taking notes? Have you ever thought that there must be a better way to take notes.

This Wednesday, July 23, I'll be offering a class called "Draw What You Hear."

I know that I've talked to several people over the last few months about my journaling techniques and my note-taking techniques that I use during sermons and lectures. And I know that I have promised to teach a class about how to use these techniques.

Well, now's the time.

I'll be teaching the class for the next four weeks at Life Community Church. I'd love to have you join me, and learn how to use the skills and talents God gave you to make the most of your note-taking.

Let me know if you plan to come. Or just show up. We'll have fun exploring the world of graphic note-taking. See you there!

A Glimpse of The New Earth

I just got back last night from a three-day trip with Hannah’s dance troupe. They went to do some volunteer work for a ministry to the poor people of the Appalachian Mountains. We stayed at a beautiful family campground called Cherokee Cove. The following is something that caught my attention on Monday night, June 23.


* * * * * * *

It was a long day of travel, and when we finally arrived, we had to hurriedly set up our campsite. Then we were off to a wonderful dinner in the conference center / mess hall of the Cherokee Cove campground. There’s nothing like carrying your camping gear down a 35-degree incline, setting it all up and then hiking a half-mile back up that incline to work up an appetite. Fortunately for us, the campground manager was also a former chef and restaurant owner.

Since it didn’t work out for the girls to perform their ballet piece for the camp attendees, their leader decided to allow one of the dance instructors to perform solo for the crowd after dinner. Joy performed a ballet dance to the song “I Will Lift My Eyes.” Words cannot express the beauty, simplicity and worship that characterized that performance. The delicate movement of her hands toward the wood-paneled ceiling, the sweet smile on her face, the extension of her legs so gracefully before and behind her as she was gliding across the makeshift stage – it was also beautiful and appropriate for the words of the song.

As I looked around the room from my position in the back, I could see the smiles on people’s faces and the tears forming little streams across their cheeks. Little girls on the front row were entranced as they watched one of their heroes perform so confidently for her audience. Mothers wiped tears from the corners of their eyes as they thought about the future of their daughters and their dreams and aspirations for them as future women. Fathers welled up with pride to think that their daughter could be a dancer like that someday. And you could tell that almost everyone there was transported to a place where they realized that lifting our eyes to our Maker will lead us to a place where our help will draw near to us in our times of trouble. And for that and for Him, we worshipped together. The gentle swishing of Joy’s body across the stage could easily have been mistaken for the gentle wind of God’s Holy Spirit as it descended on that place. His presence was almost palpable.

It was about halfway through the first chorus of the song that I suddenly had a glimpse of what the New Earth will be like. I could see our little crowd – and maybe many more – gathered in a beautiful place to see one of God’s children dancing in worship to a song written for His praise and glory. I envisioned all of us worshipping together as we thought of the One who redeemed us and was worthy of our praise. I imagined that the Savior Himself might show up for such a performance and grace us with His presence to receive the praise and honor He is due. I felt the warm anticipation well up in my chest as I thought about that wonderful day when we will worship in that wonderful place – together with Him and with each other.

All of this was going through my mind and heart when I was suddenly distracted by someone making their way through the doorway to my right. As a reflex, I glanced over to see who it was.

It was a mother of one of the dancers making her way toward an open spot just in front of me, pushing her son Jordan in a wheelchair. He was lying back at a 45-degree angle, his small, soft hands drawn up in his lap, his slender legs crossed, his head and its fine brown hair leaning back against the headrest, his eyes fixed on a nonexistent point far away in the distance.

I turned back to watch Joy continue to dance.

When I looked back at these two new audience members near me, Jordan's mother pushed him up close to the open spot where she could look over him to see ballet of worship. Leaning against the edge of the staircase landing, her left hand found its way over to her son, and lovingly, she traced her fingertips through the fine strands of the hair on his head. With the strong sound of the music swells and with his mother’s hand on his head, his hand suddenly lifted at an awkward angle and drew quick lines through the air above his body, a stark contrast to the smooth, controlled and graceful movements in the ballet dancer that I could see just beyond him. Then his little hand came to rest in his lap again.

I turned back to watch Joy continue to glide across the open space with such ease and in a spirit of uplifting worship.

“Only there won’t be any of this.”

That was the thought that shot through my mind as I stood there in the back of a small mountaintop conference center.

Just moments before I had a wonderful picture painted for me of some of things that will be a part of the New Earth. And while I was standing there enjoying that picture and anticipating that day, God added a few more brushstrokes to that painting.

He reminded me of what will not be in Heaven or on the New Earth.

There will not be any more physical illnesses.

There will not be any diseases that rob people of the ability to function as God intended.

There will not be people who cannot walk.

There will not be any deformed hands or feet.

There will not be any wheelchairs.

Heaven and the New Earth will be filled with healthy bodies, sound minds and worshipful hearts as we join to work for and offer praises to the One who redeemed us.

We will enjoy eternal blessings and shed these broken bodies for new ones. And it will all be possible because His body was broken for us.

When we all get there to worship together, it will be a glorious scene to behold and to enjoy. In that new and wonderful place, I can’t imagine what it will be like to see Joy dance in worship.

Better yet, I can’t wait to see Jordan dance.

Suggestions for Blogging

Recently, I was asked about how to write blog articles or posts. The following is my response which I edited a bit and have republished here for your benefit.

Q: Do you edit your entries before publishing them?
A: Yes. I normally read, re-read and edit my blog posts before I publish them. (That's the English major coming out in me!) But it's really not a big deal if you publish a post to your blog and then find a mistake. You can easily go back and edit it after you publish it. Or you could just ask a friend who’s good at this sort of thing to help you edit them before you publish.

Q: Are blog posts just your mental thoughts that you blurt out for everyone?
A: Blogs really vary in how they are written and for what purpose. Some that I've seen really are just a mental download onto the computer -- poorly written, hard to follow, and have bad punctuation and grammar. Others are very professional and formal. Others are fairly casual yet nicely written. (I try to get mine to fall in that last category.)

It really boils down to what you want out there to represent who you are. Do you care if people think you're sloppy? Or do you really want to make a good impression? Do you want your blog to be simply a way to capture your thoughts to share? Or do you want it to be a structured piece of work with some sort of purpose and point to it? Think about the purpose for your blog, and that will help you answer these questions.

Here are some specific suggestions for your articles:

1. Good titles are always a good thing to have for blog posts or articles. It helps the reader focus on what the topic or theme is or to peak their interest.

2. You might consider putting a "Part 1", "Part 2", etc., on articles if they are a series. The way that a blog works is that the most recent published post or article is listed at the top. Then they descend in reverse order by date (so that the one at the bottom is the oldest.) If the reader had some sort of designation near the top of the post or in the title that the article was part of a series, it might make it easier for the reader to follow and to know where to start reading.

3. Pictures always make it more interesting. Pictures that you have taken are better. It makes it more personal, interesting and visually appealing.

4. It's always a good idea to write the article in your word processing software on your pc or Mac, save it, edit it and then just copy/paste it to the blog site when you’re ready. That way, if something happens to your Internet connection while you are posting, you don't lose all your work. You'll have a copy on your computer in a separate file.

The last thing I would recommend is to make it your own. Be yourself when you write and when you choose your topics. Then when people read it, they will hear your voice, personality and point of view. It will be a better representation of who you are in all your uniqueness. (Read more about “uniqueness” in my Sweet Spot blog.)

Take these suggestions, and start writing your first article. If you do, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a blogger!

Ever Thought About Having Your Own Blog?

Just in the past couple of months, I've had several people say to me, "I've thought about having my own blog -- is that something you could help me do?"

Actually, it is. I'd be happy to help. Just email me or leave me a comment here on this post and I'll get in contact with you.

Or if you are feeling brave and you have at least average technical skills, it's probably something you could set up on your own. I'll tell you about the basics here, and then you can explore your options. When you're ready to start blogging, let me know if I can help.

*****

First, what is a blog? It is a shortened term for "web log." It is basically a web page that has multiple entries or articles posted to it. Over the past couple of years, blogging has exploded. In fact, blogs are now so sophisticated that you can use them for a lot of different things in lieu of having your own web site. You can even sell products on a blog.

A blog is a web site basically -- just a certain kind. Blogs are really good for sharing articles, publishing short essays or poem, journaling or just writing about different subjects. You can publish pictures and videos with your articles, and because it is on the Internet, you can make it available to anyone to see who is connected to the web.

There are basically two different ways you can set up your blog. You can sign up to have it hosted for free on a variety of sites, or you can have it hosted on your own web hosting account. You can get a free account at blogger.com (which is where I have this blog published) or wordpress.com or a variety of other sites. However, these two are the biggest.

Once you sign up for an account, you can choose the name for your blog, choose a template for what it will look like, and then you're ready to start blogging. It's just that simple. I think this blog originally took me about 5 minutes to set up.

Whenever you are ready to write a new entry or article, you go to your blog host, log in and use their interface to enter the text for your entry. Once you've written what you want, you click the "publish" button and you're done.

One drawback to having a free account is that you are somewhat limited in what kinds of "bells and whistles" you can put on your blog. Google (who owns Blogger) and Wordpress maintain control over what you can do with the design of the site to a large degree. There are other sites out there that offer free templates, but the basic functions of the site are restricted.

The other drawback to a free account is that they own the content. If for some reason the company doesn't like your blog or thinks it has crossed some boundary that they have said is inappropriate, they can take your blog down without notice. However, for the vast majority of users, this will never be a problem.

A free service like Blogger has a lot of advantages like ease of use, easy publishing, email publishing and a great record of up time.

If you want more control, you should choose to pay for a hosting service. This works a lot like a traditional web site hosting arrangement. You pay for a web hosting service, install Wordpress software on your space on the site, and then start blogging. This way you have the flexibility of installing plug-in's, different templates, changing the design and adding elements that you can't add if you are using a free server.

(I use BlueHost for one of my hosted blogs. They are inexpensive and have an easy-to-use Wordpress installation. The other host I use is 1and1.com. They are very inexpensive, and also have Wordpress installation. Check them both out and see what you think.)

Well, that's enough to get you started. I've been blogging for about two years now -- a lot more seriously in the past few months. I've been reading a lot of articles and guides about the more technical side of blogs and about the business side of blogs (how to use them to make money online). If you have questions, send me a message and I'll do my best to get you an answer.