To BE thankful...

You know, I feel too young to have a wife and family.

I realize I'm no spring chicken but, man, when did THIS happen to me? The female above left is my lovely wife. The female above right is my lovely 2nd daughter.

I'm very blessed.

We had the loveliest of days yesterday, chillin' by our friends pool (ours isn't open yet) in MARCH. For those of you reading around the World, we NEVER get 28 degree (celsius) weather this time of year. This time of year is typically cold and rainy with that one last snowstorm of the season lurking around the corner.

Yesterday was like June.

And I spent it with family and friends.

Something to BE thankful for.

T

Chapter one...

So today I started 'Chapter One'.

My back hurts. Four hours, fifteen minutes in the chair. 20 pages. 5,000 words. Almost 2/3's through the chapter. Have to hang it up now and go make sure the second half of dinner prep gets done.

Just wanted to 'put it out there'.

One of my resolutions for this year was to write a book. I've had several ideas for books and have written several chapters here and there over the years but this year, 2012, I have decided to finish.

So, anyway, I've started.

The real trick now will be to keep it up. I don't know about you but I find that the hardest thing about writing is just the simple 'doing' of it day in and day out.

Like laying bricks.

Writing every day.

Gonna' keep at it though. I'll let you know how it goes from time to time. Hope your project is creeping closer to 'done' as well.

Best,

T

Swing...

That was the 'good' part of my morning. Sitting outside drinking coffee in my Muskoka chair, watching crazy Z chase the sky.

I am thankful for those kind of moments.

After that lovely start I came inside and reviewed two piece of media (a doc and a series) that we've been asked to give feedback on with an eye to potentially helping with a 're-imagining' of each product.

Very sobering.

I'm reminded that it's very easy for creative types to lose their sense of objectivity, and in losing it, it's possible for us to create work that, well, doesn't 'work'.

One of *the* key character traits a commercial artist (like a show biz person) must have is actual, legit, insight into what they do well and what they're just not so good at. You need to be able to appraise your *actual* talent level or you might end up chasing the wrong dream.

If you don't truly know good work from bad (especially in your own work) you're in big trouble.

I feel both sick to my stomach, and tremendously sobered.

T

Catching up...

Okay, so I feel IMMENSE pressure with all of these visits each day and nothing new to post.

I've been dealing with a bit of a creative hangover from a couple weeks back, the week of Robbie's death a year ago. I really didn't have much to say. His funeral is now up in case you want to WATCH IT. It's pretty long and pretty intense but pretty inspiring. My bit comes up second last.

Yesterday I preached a pretty decent sermon. If you're looking for some encouragement it might be of some HELP.

After 'death week' we had 'shoot week' which means I haven't really existed for the past two weeks. Today I'm doing my best to ease back into a productive week but, seeing as it's 'March Break' I'm going to be hard pressed.

To help me have something to say that didn't require heights of creative achievement I thought I'd use some of the photos I've taken recently to help tell the story.

So, a lil' catch up...

Me 'n two of my four, up in the air at the indoor play place we invaded with the kids from our church. As soon as we got there my kids insisted I climb up with them. Despite my protests (mostly feigned) of "I'm TOO old!" I made my way up with 'em. I found it really nice to be loved like that, to have them insist on my company. That's one of the upsides of having kids (in case you're considering it) they love you enough to make you climb.

These are the kids at the end of the night. Pretty happy bunch. The deal is this. If you come to THE WELL we do 'small group' once a month. To make that happen we book this wicked-awesome indoor playground and take your kids for a couple hours so they can go nuts and you can get some space to think and hang out with your church family. Free. Good deal right? Come and see for yourself anytime.

One of our Elder Track guys (Jeff Stout) singing in worship. Funny, I just pulled out my phone and took this shot right in the middle of worship. Something we never would have done 5 years ago. It was such a sweet moment I needed to capture it. What was cool about it was that Aaron (our worship leader, pictured in the background above and also below) was going to lead alone 'cause his band was away. Instead of going that stripped-down I got some guys together to sing 'gang vocals' with him and another guitar to play with him. We ended up with five dudes on stage worshipping Jesus together. I heard from several people in the congregation how much they LOVED that approach. Goes to show you that a little creative flexibility can go a long way when needed.

Said Aaron Weafer, practicing before church. Great guy. What I liked about this moment was knowing that he's going through a *very* rough time right now and watching him reach to find the strength and peace he needed to lead well that morning. Man's work I tell 'ya.

Ahh, the bathroom. Used to be a hole in the ground. It's been a year since we moved into our current house. No, it's not been fun to wait a year (having four kids) for a second toilet. No it's not been fun to do (most) of the work myself. However, you do what you have to do and, lest I forget, the house I live in which used to be the worst house on our street is now right up there with the best of them and that's (given the current market situation) given a serious shot in the arm to our net worth, thank you very much. Goes to show you that, sometimes, hard work and patience and the willingness to take the leap even when it feels (very) uncomfortable pay off. My sweet wife could barely leave our last place, and it's been really tough for her living in partial renovation for a year. She made it though, to her credit. Today, when I got back from my 15K bike ride (my legs are NOT happy) and saw my house, I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving.

Pre-shoot production meeting. Thing that was cool about this was realizing that (in some small sense) we've kinda' *made it* a bit, me and my biz-partner. It was 10 years ago that we really decided to try and see if we could 'make it' as a legit production company. Ten years later there we were, getting ready to shoot what would be our 1800th episode (or so...) of television. Every once in a while I experience these moments where I'm reminded of the progress we've made and reminded to be thankful, and humble, and full of peace.

End of shoot week. 12 hour day on my birthday. 38 and feeling like I might not have *completely* screwed the pooch when I decided to try and become a 'for real' writer/producer ten years ago. Gee whiz man, you look fried.

Birthday week. These were my presents. New snazzy shoes. I'll only wear them to preach, or interview. Three new albums 'cause music is 'forever'. Two new sail magazines 'cause sailing is my hobby. 'The Hunger Games' 'cause I needed to see what all the fuss was about. Read it in one day. The fuss is merited if you ask me.

Yesterday. Went out to pick up a few sticks, ended up raking the entire yard. That's what it's like to be me, the hardest part is 'getting me started'. Once I'm *going* I tend to keep going until the job's done, and done right. While sweating my way through the last bit of the raking I was, again, overwhelmed with a deep sense of thankfulness that I have a house that requires raking. I'm one of those dudes who really likes caring for a home, and I have a home. I bless the Lord for that.

Anyway, there you go. The last two weeks in pictures and words.

Love y'all...

T

Little steps...

THE WELL this past Sunday.

I was pretty happy with this shot (nice work Miki) when I saw it. Why? Well, it really 'captures' how I like 'church' to look. The 'big deal' about that is, in this case, something we're working on actually looks like what I hoped it might look like when we started.

A dream, turned real.

Granted, there's an awfully LONG way to go, we're nowhere near 'set', but I just thought it'd be key to note that all the little steps do eventually lead somewhere.

On another front, tomorrow I'll be in a network pitch meeting. On the one hand this is no big deal, who knows where this will go, the actual chance that one of the shows I pitch will get picked up and make it all the way to the screen is very small indeed.

Nevertheless, going to a network pitch meeting with five shows to sell (three of them already completed) is a dream, turned real. I wanted to be doing this ten years ago, would have given almost anything to get that kind of access. Today, this is not shocking for me. I call that progress.

All the little steps do eventually lead somewhere.

And since I'm a producer, let's think positive.

Imagine one of the pitches got picked up, heck, imagine three of 'em did. What would that be like? Well, I can tell you, it'd be awesome.

And, at the same time...

It'd be just another little step along the road called "What I'm trying to *do* with my life..."

One at a time.

T

Robbie...

Ah God.

Idealized...

I mean, if you didn't look TOO close, you'd think it was Santa Monica.

In fact, it's Burlington, a kilometer or so from my house, just past the heart of our small downtown. The body of water isn't the Pacific, it's Lake Ontario. The tree's not a Palm, heck, it's not even really 'alive' just yet, seeing as we're in the dead of winter up in here.

But it 'aint bad.

I took the shot Saturday morning on my way home from an early breakfast with the wife. Our kids were with her mom, so we had some time to ourselves. Up early, as is becoming our habit, we actually got to our favorite 'greasy spoon' breakfast place before it opened.

Now that's hard core.

We ended up somewhere a little more mass produced, and less-ideal, but still, we had breakfast together, chatted about our life, then drove home past an almost Santa-Monica-like vista.

An ideal morning.

Sort of.

Ideal.

What's your ideal? Like, if you had no limits on your life, where would you be having breakfast this Saturday morning, and with whom? Better yet, what would the 'job' be that you would have worked all week leading up to that Saturday morning breakfast date? What's your ideal city? What is your ideal car? Ideally-speaking, what kind of income would you like to earn, what kind of impact would you hope to be having on the World? In an ideal-scenario what would your life be about, what would it (and you) stand for?

Ideally...

Then, once you've thought long and hard about all of the above, the trick is to start working towards the ideal, even while living in something very much less than.

That's why you take pictures of your waterfront vista, so that you can pause to appreciate it. Two things happen in that moment, 1) you're thankful for what you have (which is the key to a peaceful/godly life) and 2) you're reminded of what you'd like to work towards.

Then, ideally, you go and get busy.

T