Posts Tagged Vintage
Taking Stock
Today had a lot of tears in it. I listened to a lot of preaching today and some segments from last years SAICFF which STANDING FIRM was accepted into for this year. I called 2009′s festival and academy the “best week of my life” and I meant it. Today I listened and remembered some of the things that happened last year and it got me thinking about how God has changed me since that time. I’m such a different man, and a different Christian. My theology isn’t the same, my outlook on life isn’t the same, my goals aren’t the same, my passion isn’t for the same things, and so much more. It really got me worked up.
At the same time I have so much to work on still, and always will. Past bitterness from the last few years to work through and deal with, old habits to break and get rid of, people skills to continue developing, business skills that need to be strengthened if I ever hope to continue working for myself at home, etc. God has a lot of work to do on me but PRAISE GOD that it’s God doing the work. I can’t imagine not having Christ in my life!
I purchased a bunch of Christian movies I’ve been waiting to buy for a while. I like to support the others out there and I love the research. I love hearing how some of these films have done over the years. It gives me hope and shows me what’s really possible in this market. Unfortunately I think most up and coming filmmakers ignore the business side more than anything else. They just want to make films and make a living but they don’t want to learn nor do they have an interest in how it financially works to get there. You can’t have one and not the other. I can say that now with absolute confidence after almost 4 years of research, phone calls, emails, and keeping my eye on 100 things at once. I know how to go about this at least now and be successful (as best as I can, that’s up to the Lord ultimately). Perhaps I’ll take some of this knowledge and put it into some blog posts in time. I’ve had many conversations with friends on some of these topics and I think it’s been helpful to dispel some of the common misconceptions about how things REALLY are in this industry. That blog post about money and filmmaking was sorta a first effort to throw the brick of reality into some of your windows. I want to see us all excel and improve in our craft but also build a viable option to live and take care of our families. It’s a balancing act, and not an easy one.
I have a few screenings coming up to go to, so that’ll be exciting to see what God does there. Also tomorrow is STAND which is the e-Group leader get together for Vintage. Vintage is the college ministry at my church where I’ll be starting to serve at this year. It’s been a long time coming. I’ll be leading a small group of guys after each Vintage on tuesdays. This is a big step for me and I’m excited to get started. I’m nervous as well, but this is something I need to do and I feel like God has called me to. I want to be available for these guys in whatever is going on in their lives. It’s going to be a big challenge but worth it I think. I’m also looking forward to getting to know my fellow e-Group leaders better as the months progress. Oct 1-3rd is the e-Group retreat too so that’ll be fun times. Oct 5 I move into my new apartment and furniture shows up Oct 6. This week I’ll be purchasing a new editing desk, and a new printer and various other things to make sure I’m ready when I move. I can’t afford to be down very long, there’s too much to do! So much going on and lots to pay for. Furniture to pay off, rent to pay now, utilities, and some other stuff that I’ll talk about sometime later. It’s going to be interesting!
Can’t Stop What’s Coming
Do I really know what’s coming my way? Nah. Does it scare me a little? Sure. Am I excited though? You bet! 
I’m really not prepared I think for what the rest of this year could bring, and that does throw me a bit off every time I think about it. I don’t know why I just have this feeling like something big is on its way, not sure why I feel that. Yes STANDING FIRM is coming out and yes there have been some great things happening regarding that, but somehow I feel that isn’t the only thing. It’s a weird feeling to have every day as new opportunities, emails, phone calls, etc. come.
I saw STANDING FIRM landed at #7 on ChristianCinema.com today under Best Sellers. That’s pretty incredible to be considering the film is 2 weeks from release and as far as I know, not many know about it. (lol) I got rid of another Church Screening, with a lot of them pending so I look forward to making some phone calls tomorrow to see who’s not sure 
I went with Denise to The Chapel tonight to go to our E-Group Leader Training Meeting. I’m starting this next Vintage (the college ministry there) as an E-Group leader which means I’ll be leading a small group of guys in discussion and such after the message on tuesday nights. This means a lot more responsibility on my part while I’m there, more accountability, and a ton of things I’ll need to work on if I hope to be effective. I’m very nervous to do this but excited as well. It’s going to take some hard work on my part, and also stepping outside my comfort zone in almost every way possible. It’s going to be good for me, I know it. Prayers for all of that is appreciated as the next 6 months of my life are going to get increasingly busy, difficult, exciting, scary, and everything else mixed in.
I started using iCal on my Mac to schedule things and I see the next 3 months slowly but surely filling up with different dates and events I have. Getting my E-Group kit tonight included a ton of dates I’ll need to throw in there. Life is getting busier, and I’ll have a lot of changes to make. I’m also moving in about 6 weeks 35-40mins away. That’s a change as well. A new place (all mine!), in an area of WNY I’ve been to many times but isn’t where I’ve lived before. New neighbors, new routine since I’ll be living alone and providing for every need, and LOTS of expenses. Besides the new editing desk I plan to buy for my office (finally have a room that’s JUST an office!) and a double bed, I won’t have ANY furniture at the start. It’ll look completely empty. Even my TV will have to stay in its box until I get an entertainment stand that it can go on or something, because it can’t sit on a floor the way it’s made. It’ll take some time to fill the place but I’ll get there. Those first few months are going to be extremely expensive.
I gotta be honest, one of my greatest worries is finances. I don’t mean right now I just mean in general. It’s hard to relinquish the control to the Lord at times when it comes to funds. I have to learn the lesson over and over again it seems, and God is faithful each time to take care of me. With all that’s going on in life, and where God has been moving me locationally not just with opportunities but with friends, where I’m moving is the right decision and I’m confident of that. So I need to be confident that if God led me to move out that way finally, then he’ll provide a way for me to stay there.
The current Church Screenings purchased start shipping on the 16th, so there’s a lot to do to make sure those are ready to go just in case I get any rush of them because of the shipping date. Lots of folks have looked at the page, but I think the pre-order status scared some folks away. Hopefully once I announce them ready to ship immediately, I’ll get a few more bites!
Lots of stuff to do…keep me in prayer please!
Do Not Grow Weary
It’s funny, yesterday while I was at Vintage (a college group ministry) I felt like I needed to leave during the ending of the message and just go read. I left early enough that I was able to quickly read through a slew of different books of the bible. I read 1, 2, and 3 John…Titus, Jude, some of Hebrews, some Romans, etc. I read all sorts of things that really stuck me hard given what was going on in my life recently and what I knew was coming. Much has come down on me yesterday and today. Various phone calls, discouraging emails, etc. that made my day very miserable. It was tough to keep my eye on the ball because right after something else happened another thing happened. Not all of it was even bad, just weighty and very important.
I’ll be honest, my greatest struggle is just letting go of things I can’t control. Whether it’s what people think of me because of something I’ve done, or not done, or said, or not said, or anything else…it’s hard for me to simply let go and realize I’ve said my peace. There have been so many trials in the last year and many recently that have hit me hard, and I need to remember that suffering is refining. If you remember, I posted something a few weeks ago where I just laid out on the table everything that was on my mind and asked the Lord to bring the fire if that’s what he wanted. Now I find him bringing it, go figure! LOL. I asked for it, and I understand that it’s of God and will make me a greater man of God…but it’s tough to remember that.
I couldn’t remember what passage I had read at Vintage until tonight when me and Denise were talking and I looked through the back end of my bible many times. By the way, I am the luckiest guy ever…Denise is amazing. I’m blessed to have her. I love you if your reading this!
What I read was Hebrews 12…specifically 12:3 through 12:17. Give that a read, and you’ll see what I mean. I hope that passage blesses you. It’s definitely one I will remember and refer back to many times over. Unfortunately the world teaches the opposite of what that passage is saying. Anything “negative” is bad…it can’t be good…because it’s…”negative.” Well sorry world, I believe in a God who gives me Romans 8:28 (one of two theme verses for Standing Firm) and shows it to be true on a consistant basis. That verse shows it’s legitimacy every single day.
As tough as today was, I will persevere and take heart in God’s promises. Another passage I read recently that speaks directly into my situation is James 4:13-17. I need to keep my eye on the prize, and understand that God has gone before me. It’s tough to hang onto that sometimes, and I had my areas of fault today and in recent days, but if it be God’s WILL, I WILL get through this. I believe it is His Will and where he’s leading and has been leading for a few years in creating this film…so I need to work with confidence towards the goal.
I get so fired up about this stuff…lol. I hope those passages are a blessing, they are for me. So much to do, so little time…peace out folks, I need some rest.
