Mary...

Have you ever had "the scoop" on something. I mean, NOBODY, nobody else knew what you knew. Like when you are the first person in your set of friends to hear about an up and coming band. Or a new movie that's coming out next summer. Or a new restaurant that's coming in on Grape Rd. (yeah, like that's something new...) Or maybe you're the first person to tell your family that you and your spouse are expecting. That is one of the coolest feelings to be the first person to spill the beans. Of course it makes you seem hip and "with it". Here's the thing, though, that feeling seems to wear off. Yeah, only so much time can elapse before calling Coldplay an up and coming new band seems to be breaking news. And so we must search for the newest and hippest thing in order to ride the wave.

Since it was Easter yesterday, I was reading the account of the resurrection in John. The part that struck me most was about Mary Magdalene.

The Message translates this passage:

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid. They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him." After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him. Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?" She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."

Jesus said, "Mary."

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"

What struck me was Jesus' perspective. Can you imagine his excitement? I mean, he's just beaten the grave. He's just conquered sin and death! He's got the scoop on the BEST NEWS EVER!!! And now, here's his chance to tell the world "I'm BAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!" And what does Jesus say to trumpet his resurrection? With overflowing joy (like a parent on Christmas morning getting ready to see the kids open presents) he whispers, "Mary."

FLASH - THE LIGHT GOT TURNED ON FOR MARY. She now knew her Lord had indeed RISEN!

"Mary." So much was said in one word.

You could tack on:

"Mary, I rose for you."

"Mary, I rose for a common street hooker."

"Mary, I rose for the undesirables of society."

"Mary, I rose for women, the 'property' of that day."

"Mary, I rose for people like you who bless me with their sold-out worship." (the jar of nard)

"Mary, I rose for..."

And it continues.

In our context God celebrates each time a person has those "lightbulb" moments of awareness of Him. And so he has said in the past, says now in the present, and will say in the future our names, as we come into greater consciousness of our GREAT GOD! He repeats:

"Dan."

"Lisa."

"Anna."

"Sophie."

"Sylvia."

"Bob."

"Corey."

"Matt."

"Gene."

"Maggie."

"Aaron."

"Dustin."

"Jason."

"Jeff."

"Karen."

"Eric."

"Kim."

"(fill in your name here)."

International Hat Mondays - We're Back Baby!

Oui, oui. We are in Paris! And yes, I consider my wife a hottie!

She's decked out in a Rasberry Beret. The kind you find in a second hand store... uh... except for this is Disney... so it like costs $80 for just about anything, including a hat. We were going to have "Vukmirovich" or "Griswold" or something embroidered on the front of 4 matching ones but we figured that might have already been done. So, we just stuck with the picture.

France in Epcot - Rating = C+

It looks cool but not a whole lot there. A film that's kinda boring and really expensive food. The street entertainment was good last year with acrobats.

Au revoir!

By Popular Request... The Culps Video on the Web

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to share with you a little piece of our lives this past month. We did a spoof on SNL's "The Culps" for our volunteer night at Granger Community Church. We finally had a chance to upload this for your viewing pleasure. Thanks to everyone for their very kind remarks. Here's the link:

International Hat Monday on... Tuesday!!!

This week: Morocco! Yes, we pretty much ran through Morocco this year and took about 20 pictures. Anna is pictured with native head garb. Mostly the photo-op thing this year. Last year, (below) on the other hand, was a bit more special:


Anna, lost her first tooth in Morocco, at the Tangierine Cafe. The crazy thing was that she lost it during a ticklefest with her friends, the Oldenbergs, from Grand Rapids (pictured) that we met down there. She lost her tooth and it was bleeding but we couldn't find the tooth. THE TOOTHFAIRY WAS GOING TO BE A NO-SHOW!!! That didn't sit well with Anna, so we looked all over for the tooth. Yes, the booth we sat at was rather dark, and yes, a main staple of Moroccan dining is rice. A five year old's tooth is about the size of a grain of cooked rice. So, after we searched through much food on the floor that had probably seen time in other people's mouths, we finally found the tooth! And yes, the toothfairy made her first appearance that night! Here's a happy Anna after we found the tooth:

International Hat Mondays Part III!

Ya, fer sure! The Viking Hats in Norway were certainly a treat! One thing I must say about Norwegians, very clean. The movie that you see about Norway makes everything look spic and span. I think I'd like to visit someday, but I think stuff is way expensive.

More later. Just keeping the people happy with this new series that is incredibly important to our lives - no not the Pure Sex series at GCC, the International Hat Mondays thing! Yeah, that's it... Okay... I'll go sleep now....

International Hat Mondays Part Dos!

Mi casa es tu casa... uh... como esta... uh... nachos bellgrande....


Yes, it's Mexico this week. And Epcot's version of Mexico is most cool in the fact that it feels very much like a scene from The Three Amigos when El Guapo holds a fiesta in his own honor. Favorite quote: "Hefe, would you say that I have a plethora of pinatas?" And yes, the Three Amigos taught me a cool vocabulary words PLELTHORA - an abundant amount.

I hate to say it though, the boat ride that they take you on through "modern" Mexico is a movie that kind of plays as you float by. I'm honestly embarassed for the Mexican people by this representation. It's about 20+ years old! Going for retro in the unintentional way. For all it's cheese though, I give Epcot Mexico a solid B rating.

At long last... Foreign Hat Mondays!

As we journeyed around the world last month - okay, it was just around Epcot at Disney - we had some photo ops with hats from each country we visited. Our first entry: Canada, eh! Land of the Maple Leaf, land of hockey, land of a wacked out government run healthcare system...


Did I mention how cool "The Lion King" show was at Animal Kingdom? Oh yeah. Way cool. Disney's finest live show outside of Broadway.

Back from Disney Part I

Yes, it was AWESOME! Okay, we had a couple of days of rain, but our temps hung out mostly in the lower 70's. Not bad considering it's now 2 degress in South Bend!!! Well, I thought I'd share a few photos from our trip.


The second day at Magic Kingdom, Anna and Sophie thought they'd "goof" around a little.

And yes, a pic with the BIG CHEESE himself!

"Why don't you come with me little girls - on a magic carpet ride!?"

And finally, THE RIDE of the vacation for the Vukmirovich family. Did I mention that we went on this ride NINE times! Yes, NINE times! We got soaked only about 6 of the 9. Most fun though.

5 cool things on the trip:
1. The Disney Dining Plan - this is the last I'll mention it, but anyone going to Disney MUST use this plan. SO WORTH what you pay. We truly ate like kings and queens. Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot was a great recommend by our friend Lindsay. Great service, great food, and available through the dining plan. Great Filet and New York Strip.
2. The $11.99 refills for life mug at any of the Disney resorts. You can bring this cup back over and over until you're old and grey and it doesn't cost any more. Good deal.
3. Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom - check out www.disneyeverest.com for a cool interactive site.

Pic from the start of the ride. Based on the ascent to the top. Watch out for the YETI!

The top of Everest

This is the top of the ride where the YETI has destroyed the track! No way to go except BACKWARD! Yep, you kick it into gear going backward on this ride. Mostly in darkness from this point on. By far, the coolest coaster I've experienced at Disney.
Also,check out how Disney just promoted this www.wdwmagic.com/everest_pressrelease.htm. Pretty over the top, no pun intended!
4. World Showcase Players at Epcot. These people do such a great job with improv. Our kids loved it.

5. The beauty of seeing Sophie play in the ocean for the first time! What a great example of full commitment to the moment. She didn't mind that the water temp in the Atlantic was 59 degrees! It was really beautiful.


More later.

My Taffy Valentine

One cool tradition in Lisa's family has been that of making taffy. The picture below shows Lisa and I making a batch in our garage.


It's pretty simple really. Very few ingredients - karo syrup, sugar, butter, whipping cream, parafin (yeah, that's wax that you ingest), and a little vanilla + nuts for flavoring. Then you heat it up to 252 degrees - no more, no less or it is rock hard or stickier than duct tape. After it's cooked, the taffy is then cooled on a marble slab. Wait a while and then the pulling begins. Two people start "working" it - technical term in the taffy industry - which helps it cool. Later, after it hardens some, you begin to take turns pulling it on the taffy hook shown in the upper left corner of the pic. Finally, after it is the right consistency you take it inside to cut and wrap it. Of course a few tastes here and there are a must.

The great thing about taffy is that it's not meant to be made alone. The saying "it takes two to tango" also works for "it takes two to taffy". The best part is doing this together. Lisa is the love of my life and there is no one I would rather pull taffy with. She makes my heart sing. She is "My Taffy Valentine" - so sweet! I love you honey!

Hey from FLA!

Just wanted to say HEY from the land of oranges, palm trees, and retirees. We're having a great time relaxing from our vacation at Disney. This sounds odd to take a vacation from your vacation, but after each day walking around 5 miles and running on occasion to catch a bus, we need it! Anna and Sophie absolutely loved Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom! We literally rode it NINE times!

We liked our hotel, but Anna would like to try All-Star Movies if we come back next year. More updates and pix when we get back!

Disneyworld - Here we come!!!

Look out Disney, here we come! Oh yeah, baby! 6 days in the parks, then 4 days of relaxation on the beach. Little piece of advice for anyone going. Check out the Park Hopper Plus Dining option when you hit the parks. Each day you get a counter service meal (entree, side and drink), a full service meal (sit down - appetizer, entree, drink, dessert), and a snack (ice cream/drink). TIP IS INCLUDED! We're loving it. The price all of this is certainly way below what it would cost to purchase separately. Also, check out www.mousesavers.com as a site to find savings. We went with WDWVacations.com for our travel agent and have been very satisfied. The lady we worked with was Andrea Rollins. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

Top 5 Things We Want to Do:
1. Splash Mountain - best ride with overall theme/thrill and length
2. It's a Small World - looking forward to seeing what they've done with remodel last year
3. Soaring - Amazingly cool ride in Epcot where you basically "fly" over California
4. Crush's Under the Sea - most excellent interactive thingy in FutureWorld at Epcot
5. Lion King Show - way impressive broadway style show at Animal Kingdom

Updates and best moments when we get back!

Digital Performer Here I Come

Okay. So I'm totally not a tech geek. I'm kinda like, "just make sure it works and don't ask me to fix it." So the thought of me taking on this program which is known for it's steep learning curve may make you question my sanity. But nonetheless, I really feel that God has called me to this. My thoughts are that He has a purpose that might even be beyond what I can actually do with it and more to how I can help my girls benefit from it's use. We'll see. My six year old has several songs to her credit, but I'm not bragging. My friend Gene is going to be my major lifeline in helping me get through the initial stages of learning. Only a 995 page manual to read through. See you next October...

You Like Me... You REALLY Like Me!

I'm dating myself here by using this quote. Sally Field's famous Oscar acceptance speech started out with this catch phrase. I'm kinda wondering if we all don't wear a shirt like this one. I think it would be more accurate if it had a question mark at the end of it. "You like me? You REALLY like me?"

I'm speaking from my own experience here. No matter where we're at, who we're with, we often fall into the "do you like me?" mindset. For me it conjures up nightmares of the 8th grade hallway before school. Do I cruise the halls with my friends checking in with "the cool people" or do I play it safe and hang out outside the bandroom with the other band geeks? What it comes down to for me is simply acceptance. Am I accepted or part of this group or am I not?

Mars Hill Bible Church's Pastor Rob Bell quotes his wife on her definition of what's SEXY: "It's someone who's comfortable in their own skin." I would like to also transfer this same definition to someone who is likeable. I think the most likeable people are people who are comfortable with themselves. Comfortable enough to be fully present in a given social setting; not have to dominate or compete in that setting; and ultimately show genuine interest in others. Whenever someone feels the need to dominate or control a given setting, he/she automatically emits a "not cool" vibe which can send people away like bad B.O. The basis of this need for control is fear.

Here's something that I've been brewing on for a few days: FEAR KILLS COMMUNITY. In every shape and form. Fear brings out the worst in community: lack of trust, superficiality, competition, jealousy, envy, - you name the sin. Looking back over my life as an approval addict, I realize how much of my time has been spent motivated by this fear of rejection. Particularly in the area of competition. I have that alpha male syndrome that crowds out other males because of fear of competition. I often "image manage" to make myself look better, causing me not to be fully present in a given setting but looking for a way to control the situation to make me look good. Big confessions here.

I've thought about what the opposite of this fear is and came up with this: LOVE FEEDS COMMUNITY. Also in every shape and form. Love brings out the best in community. "Pefect love drives out all fear." 1 John 4:18. The Corinthians "love chapter 13" talks about this kind of love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." Not self seeking! Ouch! Not envious! Eww! Not boastful? But what about me!!!?

So what does this mean for me? I can tell you this, that since God has planted this in my heart, I will do my very best to simply BE. I apologize to all those who I have tried my not-so-crafty skills of image management on. No more. I'm done.

Final thought - I guess I need a new t-shirt. I think it will say, without being overly egotistic: "I Like Me." Anyone know a good, cheap, custom t-shirt place?

Just What is Relevant?

A friend of mine and I were speaking of the topic of relevance which is often spoken about or at least inferred in the way that modern ministry is done. What he brought up was the fact that our Christmas Eve services, which hosted 9000+ people, had a great sense of relevance while not all of it was current.

There seems to be a false sense out there that RELEVANT = CURRENT.

I think that this isn't necessarily always the case. Sometimes an older song, a hymn even, might really fit the flow of a given service. Jason Miller, my friend and fellow worship leader, talks about what is helpful. I think this is essential to our thinking about designing services. If we can consider what is most helpful and then possibly what is most current to our audience, that might be a slightly better way to think. Your thoughts?

Yep, It's Time, I'm Back

I am a serious pragmatist. Especially with regards to time. I really want serious bang for the proverbial buck when it comes to my use of time. This doesn't mean that I'm totally organized when it comes to my use of time (I'm working on this). So maybe this is why I haven't written in a while. Or perhaps I reallly didn't have a whole lot to say. Kinda like now where I'm rambling. One way cool thing is that I'm blogging now for the first time from my brand spanking new Power Mac G5! Oh yeah baby! She's got POWER. Dual 2.3 Ghz processors. I thought I'd show you a pic:



So now I need to really learn how to harness the power of this thing. I made my first iMovie of my daughter Anna's 1st Grade play, The Three Little Pigs, where she played the Big Bad Wolf. She's the cute one with a black shirt and a wolf hat:



More later.

VIVA LA BUFFET!!!

Ah yes. We achieved the impossible on Tuesday around noon. After having served faithfully for several hours at Monroe Circle Community Center, my wife, Lisa was STARVED. We came up with ideas, Taco Bell, the usual. Then, as often happens, we both get a prompting, possibly from the Holy Spirit, but more likely from our hunger - CHINESE, BABY! Oh yeah. And we didn't just want a small lunch portion of Chinese. I mean this was KING-SIZED hunger. So what better way to feed this need than with not just Chinese, but CHINESE BUFFET.


So we live more on the west side of town, near 933, so we thought "Hey, this is a big town. There must be a Chinese Buffet on 933 right. I mean, this road goes right by Notre Dame." (Note: King's Buffet, by the mall is not our favorite place. Maybe because it was formerly a "Chi Chi's" and the cactuses and sombreros on the walls don't exactly conjure up the richness that is Chinese Buffet heritage.)So, our perilous journey began. So we found a Chinese Restaurant, no BUFFET. Found a buffet, no CHINESE - INDIAN! DOH! Found another Chinese Restaurant, no BUFFET!!! We found Italian, Greek, Mexican, American, and Indian restaurants but NO CHINESE BUFFET!!! We had our mind and bodies set to feed from the never ending trough of MSG!


Should this be so difficult? I mean, let's face it - pretty much on any corner where there is an old restaurant that has gone out of business, a China Buffet has popped up. You've all seen them - old Wendy's, Bill Knapp's, and Burger Chef's - now, tastefully decorated with several statues of Bhudda and a goldfish pond. THESE PLACES ARE EVERYWHERE!!! We had achieved the impossible!! We could not find one! Foiled! And so we dragged our tails back to Casa del King's Buffet (formerly Chi Chi's) and pretty much gourged ourselves on every chicken and rice dish imaginable (yeah, I had a tater-tot or two as well, and an onion ring - authentic Chinese, baby!) The best part is that you get "free" dessert included. Those pre-cut "Little Debbie" ho-ho things are always a treat. And certainly the 4 shades of jello. Yep, life is good - VIVA LA BUFFET!

A Tribute...

A man of God. A husband. A father. A diligent co-worker in ministry. A talented artisan. And much more could be shared about Doug Coney, who went home to be with Jesus this past Monday evening.

Doug had just completed possibly the largest set that he ever built - our set for LOST. If you haven't seen it, it's FANTASTIC! With working waterfall and plane wreckage that he picked up on a short jaunt down to Atlanta during Hurricane Katrina. Doug's dedication to his craft and the ministry at GCC was incredible. Late late hours. Pressing deadlines. The man ALWAYS came through with something amazing.

I came to GCC for my first weekend service during the Matrix series (see photo). I simply could not believe my eyes. All these pipes and smoke and TVs. I couldn't believe that a church like this existed, and much more that it might be interested in me! Needless to say, I was impressed with the production. All the welding and cool lighting really made the place intriguing - especially for those who had a conception that church was boring or irrelevant to culture. Doug was our first line of offense into the first impressions that people have of GCC and ultimately of Jesus. From a performer's standpoint I have to say that I always was glad to know that Doug was in charge of our safety in the structures he created. He never cut corners. He got the job done right. This legacy of excellence is what Doug leaves us.

So many lives were changed because of Doug. I think of the first bridge weekend a few years back, the cross weekend last year, and "The Gap" bridge this year. All built by Doug, but representing "THE bridge" that Jesus created by his ultimate sacrifice. Countless people crossed from the darkness to the light on the set pieces built by Doug Coney. Eternity was impacted by this man. This inspires me to make the most of every moment for the kingdom of God. As Chris Tomlin's song The Way I Was Made says: "I want to live like there's no tomorrow." In light of Doug's life and tragic passing. I want to live that way. May tomorrow be everything it could be - without regret of time wasted in some sort of holding pattern! May we write the songs that need to be written; may we create the art that shouts to be created; may we love those who are in greatest need with extravagant love; may we forgive those who have harmed us with generous grace; may we LIVE, truly LIVE without regret!

I'm so saddened for his family. To Lesley, Peyton and Dalton. My heart goes out to you. I will pray for you and your family daily to experience the "peace that goes beyond all understanding". May Jesus and this body called Granger Community Church walk with you every step of the way as you heal from the pain of this loss. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

99 Cents of Scrumtralescence...

All right. Consider me boring. Maybe even obtuse. But I am a man who considers himself a serious connoisseur of the Taco Bell Bean Burrito. I have been this way for over 10 years. I have experienced several evolutions of this classic taste sensation during the past decade. From it's humble beginnings as a side menu item, to that craze in the mid-90's with "low fat" menu items (low fat cheese - a fine rubbery texture- yum!), to it's most recent and (to me) most glorious of all incarnations - THE BEAN BURRITO ESPECIAL. 99 cents of pure scrumtralescence. Here are the specs from TacoBell.com:

A large flour tortilla loaded with a huge portion of hearty beans, cheddar cheese, creamy jalapeno sauce, onions and tangy red sauce.

And although I have been a B.B. fan (those of us who are in the club call it B.B. for short) for all these years, it is not until this latest version that I can tell everyone that there is no other competition on the Taco Bell menu with regards to value, portion and taste. I mention taste last because of one particular aspect of the B.B. Especial - the jalapeno sauce. Now, Taco Bell still serves the regular bean burrito for 89 cents, but this would be a most unwise purchase my friend. "What's the difference?" you ask. It's the sauce. That creamy, tangy jalapeno sauce. It makes my mouth water even as I write this. It's that last ten percent of the recipe which takes a normal, nutritious menu item and skyrocket's it to the top of the taco heap!

We all could take a lesson from the B.B. Especial. It's the last ten percent that makes something really special. I realize that more and more in the programming that I'm involved with at GCC. Really good arts elements become great ones with that last ten percent. I'm reminded of this with a Gwen Stefani song that we did a few months back. "Rich Girl" was the tune which has a part for a female rapper. We could have just had our rapper come onto the stage by walking out from the back curtain. However, we chose to have her enter by spinning her around on a very glammed-out high back chair. This was that final 10 percent which made for a WOW experience. And don't even get me started on what's happening for our new LOST series.

Regarding our families, friendships, or jobs, I wonder what it would look like if each of us would take whatever we do beyond the normal 90% and go for that last 10%? Would our marriages be stronger? Would our families feel more connected? Would our jobs be that much more exciting to go to? Would we make a bigger impact? All this, brought to you by the Bean Burrito Especial and our amigos at Taco Bell!

Knock knock...

Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Dwayne.

Dwayne who?

Dwayne the tub, I'm drowning.


It's amazing how quickly we can go from swimming at a good stroke, with confidence and reasonably good form to the point of barely keeping our heads above water. The road from making headway to treading water is a short one. This has been the story of the last few weeks for me. A couple weeks ago, things were pretty smooth. I just came off the Leadership Summit with new ideas. Ready to focus on my part in advancing God's kingdom in more effective ways. Fastforward to this past week and we're talking SWAMPFEST '05. During this, God led me to a scripture:

2 Timothy 4:5 "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, dispatch all the duties of your ministry."

1. Finding myself overwhelmed, my mind gets really cloudy. I find that because everything seems so daunting I don't do anything that is important. I'll perform some menial tasks to avoid the huge mess in front of me. Paul reminds Timothy to "keep your head". At a breaking point I'll forget about task prioritizing and just start picking at the pile instead of being strategic.
2. Ministry is tough work and we must "endure hardship." For some reason I had the idea in my head that things would be easy once I got out of "the real world". Yes, there are benefits to being in professional ministry, like a flexible schedule, but since I help lead in ministry, I'm under that much more attack. As John Eldredge often says, "We live a life opposed." Satan has leaders targeted.
3. When I find myself completely stressed out and buried, it's usually because I try to do way too much on my own. I think of how geese work together and form the "flying V"(also a way cool, vintage, headbanger's guitar, I might add), depending on each other to take turns cutting through the hardest headwinds. I think that's what's being addressed in the "dispatch the duties of your ministry" part of the verse. Notice, he says to do the work of an evangelist (Timothy's calling/gifting) but to "dispatch" the other duties. Once again, this challenges us to be ruthless with our schedules as to what we can delegate to others vs. doing stuff ourselves.
   

With all that being said, maybe it's time for you and I to pull the plug and "dwayne the tub"?

I can't takes no more!

Remember Bluto from Popeye? In each episode, he would push (often torture) Popeye to the point of saying: "I've taken all I can takes! I can't takes no more!" Every time this came up, it usually had to do with someone that Popeye cared about - Olive Oyl, Pappy, or Wimpy. At this point, Popeye would bust out the spinach, and get down to business. Today at Willow Creek's Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels challenged us to take a cue from Popeye. Is there something that really gets our blood boiling to the point of actually doing something about it. It seems to remind me of James challenge of "Faith without works is DEAD." Bill called it a "Holy Discontent" that he said needed to be fanned into flames. I'm still trying to figure this one out for me personally. Several things come to mind:

1. I hate lame church services that are irrelevant to people's lives.
2. I hate that kids at churches are often forced to sing songs that are way over their heads theologically and topically - "Blessed Be Your Name" for Kids? Come on, man!
3. I hate that there are kids in Africa who will be orphaned tonight because of AIDS!
4. I hate that kids are often under-challenged to make a difference for Christ in this world.

Just thoughts. I'm simmering on these for a while and asking for God's guidance. Hopefully, for the remainder of my life I'll be, as the sailor with disproportionate forearms might say, "Strong to the finish!"