Constantly humbled...

That's our set for UNSCRIPTED the TV show I'm producing this year.  Pictured is yours truly with Mr. Nigel Lythgoe of 'American Idol' and 'So You Think You Can Dance' fame.  We're on-set at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills and you can see that all it takes is three green screens, some lighting and five cameras to take you away.

Thought I'd also mention that my interview with Mr. Lythgoe wasn't my best ever.  Reason? Well, the simple truth is I geeked out a bit.  My wife and I are big fans of SYTYCD and I ended up spending more of the conversation with Mr. Lythgoe in that vein than I did exploring his life which is our typical mandate.

Part of it was due to the fact that, in the moment with him, I felt like my more biographical questions weren't exciting him enough so I began steering away a little more towards his work and part of it was because I know his show is a big hit in Canada so I knew that line of question and answer would get a response from our audience but the hard truth was I just got too personally involved--because I'm a fan--and didn't deliver my best work as a result.

Apparently Mr. Lythgoe was a bit thrown that I didn't get more biographical with him which was embarrassing to me and our team.

I must say he was a real gentleman throughout.  I do apologize to him for geeking out.  I hope our audience will love his interview and keep watching his show.

What I take from this is a lesson to keep my cool and keep growing and, like any lesson, it's eating some humble pie for me to learn it.

Also, in the other 'zone' of my career--at ye' old chuch plant--I'm very aware that my sermons are not yet at the level they once were when I was doing it week in and week out.  It's hard for me to keep doing it when I know that I could be much better but I have to remember that, 1) it's ultimately not about me and 2) you can't 'rush' the process.  Learning and growing happen over time and each 'less than perfect--in my opinion--sermon' is another rung on the way back up to a level of effectiveness that I know is possible 'cause I've been there before.

Again, it's humbling for me.

The sermon got posted today.  You can check it out for yourself to see what I mean by humbling.

Keeping at it today, in the face of it all.

Hope you're keeping at things on your end.

Humbly yours,

T