After meeting so many Upward league directors, I know that it takes a lot of commitment to pull off a successful season.  I respect each of you for your willingness and desire to serve, using such an awesome tool.  It’s always an exciting moment to see the final event…the Awards Night Celebration.  Through my twelve years of experience with the Upward program, I’ve come to learn just how important this event is, in that your venue is filled with kids and their families, many who have no idea how much Jesus can radically change their lives.

With that in mind, I’ve written this post with the hopes that you too will be able to finish strong and well by making your Awards Celebration a huge success!  At the same time, I also understand that writing something like this requires a great deal of credibility.  That’s why it’s important for you to understand that in years of working with Upward Unlimited, I’ve had the opportunity to play a major role in almost 500 different awards nights with a combined attendance of over 250,000 people.  I’ve had the privilege of being part of some of the most creative and successful Awards Nights in the country.  Nonetheless, I’ve also been a part of some the least effective.  Through that, I’ve come to learn through time and experience exactly what it takes to make an Awards Night a success.  That’s why Upward Unlimited, including founder and president, Caz McCaslin, has continually endorsed our ministry and efforts through each of those past twelve years.

I encourage you to read through this post and learn from the experience I’ve gained.  Not only do I believe that your Awards Night will be much more professional and organized, but also more effective.  It’s a long post, but the results that will come from studying and learning from these mistakes is far greater than the moments it will take to read them.  I really do believe it is that important!  

Mistake #1: The Never-Ending Awards Night  

The majority of Awards Celebrations run considerably too long.  If I had to choose a percentage of the ones I’ve attended that last much longer than they should, it would be over 75%.  Most run at least two hours, and we’ve been to many that have lasted as long as three hours.  Why is this the case?  There are two main reasons: the failure to plan, and the failure to realize the importance of people’s time.

We live in a busy world, and as much as you don’t want to hear it, people don’t want to sit through your Awards Night for more than an hour and a half…if that.  The quicker you can get everything accomplished, the more satisfied your guests will leave.  I’ve seen too many people walk out in the middle of the night—many times before they’ve been given the opportunity to respond to the Gospel.  Please, whatever you do, don’t make this mistake!  Keep it to an hour and a half or less!  Your guests will love you for it…I promise.

To help prevent an extended program, plan ahead.  Have a script.  Know what’s going to happen, who will be doing it, and how much time they’re going to take.  The most successful Awards Nights I’ve attended have been well planned and prepared…yours should be too.  Here are a few tips to help you plan ahead:

1. Start on Time – Be professional by starting on time!  If you advertise that you’re starting at 7:00pm, don’t start at 7:15.  Sounds basic, but it’s a commonly made mistake.

2. Call ‘em Fast – If you decide to call each player by name, do it fast!  Many churches have growing leagues of hundreds of kids.  As much as I wish there was, there isn’t enough time to give every player ten seconds or more in the spotlight.  If you have 100 kids, go for six seconds.  If you have a lot more than that, speed it up even more!  Also, if your sound system doesn’t allow for the announcer to be heard over the applause, ask the audience to hold their applause until the end of each team.  Don’t make the mistake of losing your audience before the night even begins, especially if it’s before the gospel is presented!

3. Don’t Be Repetitive – Whatever you do, don’t bore your audience, and don’t do the same thing over and over again.  For example, if you insist on having a live band, (which is highly discouraged), keep their time to a minimum.  Don’t do a song in-between every part of the night.  Another good example would be coordinating what is said by your guest speaker and your pastor.  It’s OK for your pastor or another church member to follow your guest entertainer.  In fact, it’s highly recommended.  However, he or she should not repeat the same presentation of the gospel that has just been given, especially if it was given clearly.  (I’ve had pastors give up to 20 minute sermons following my presentation).  Everything should always flow well and never get slow.  One of the major causes of this problem is from choosing the wrong M.C.  In fact, it’s so important that I’ve given it an entire section on it’s own in this post.

4. Don’t Give Away Too Many Door Prizes – It’s highly recommended that you utilize door prizes.  Used correctly, they can be very effective.  However, a very common mistake made by awards night planners is that way too many door prizes are given away.  I’ve witnessed as many as 50 given away on the same night, at the same time.  Believe it or not, 3 to 5 prizes are plenty!  And if you have a huge crowd, you can give away a few more…just no more than a dozen.  If you do end up giving away a lot of door prizes, at least give them out quickly.  Have a runner handy to deliver each prize as you go on to draw the next card.  Doing so will keep your night flowing well!

Mistake #2: Choosing the Wrong Emcee

As crazy as it may sound to some, every Awards Night needs a Master of Ceremonies.  Just as with any other event, one distinguished individual needs to be in charge making the night flow smoothly.  Most people assume that it has to be the league director, which isn’t always true!  Find someone, (connected with the program of course), who is fun, outgoing, and good at speaking in front of large groups of people.  It must be someone who won’t go on forever.  Remember, the role of the M.C. is to make everything flow smoothly.  If you, or whoever the league director is, fits that criteria, great!  Go for it!  Just remember that choosing the right or wrong M.C. can make or break your night, so put some thought into it…very few do.

Mistake #3: Failing to Make the Players Feel Important

As shocking as it may be, there are churches and organizations that fail to make their players feel important.  Thankfully, there’s more of a problem with too much attention than not enough.  However, this mistake is still commonly made.  This is their big night, so make them feel special.  Upward Unlimited itself makes excellent recommendations on how to accomplish this goal.  A basic, first step would be to do what you know they love.  For example, if your players’ favorite part of their games is getting to run through a tunnel with lights and fog, then do it at your awards night celebration, and make it big! This is their night, so make sure they know it.  Pull out all the stops.  Be creative, and go all out!

Mistake #4: Not Making the Year-End Awards “Special”

I’ve been at too many Award Nights that ended in, “Ok…coaches may now hand out awards and everyone is dismissed.”  If that’s the way you prefer to do it, then go ahead.  But if you do, I firmly believe you’re missing out on a great opportunity to make it a bigger deal.  After all, this is “Awards” Night, right?  Kids love this stuff, and they can’t wait to see what kind of cool awards they’re going to get this year.  But those awards’ “coolness” can be determined by the way that you present them.  The more important and exciting you make the award out to be, the more important and excited your players will feel about receiving it.  Make your awards a very big deal!

Bonus Tip: The most creative way to give out the end-of-the-year awards we have ever seen was by Brad and Barb Mattax in Fort Wayne, IN (Brad now works for Upward Unlimited).  I share it with you with their permission…

Plan your night in such a way that your awards are passed out directly following your door prize drawing.  Build excitement as you give away the prizes by holding up each prize as you draw it, asking your players, “Who wants to win this?!”  Immediately following the last door prize, hold up a player award, (which in this instance was an Upward backpack), again asking, “Who wants to win this?!”  Show it off, make it seem special, and let them all want it.  Making it a big deal, eventually decide to just give every single player one for making such an effort this season.  Have the coaches pass them out, (from boxes under their seats), and I promise, every player in the audience will be thrilled with their end-of-the-year award.

Mistake #5: Failing to Use the Evaluation Card Effectively

The Evaluation Card is one of the most important elements of your Awards Night.  First of all, it’s important for me to say up front that you must use evaluation cards in order for the entire purpose of your night to be filled! Your Awards Night is all about bringing unsaved people to Christ.  There are many who forget it, but that’s what it’s all about.  One of the most basic rules of any outreach event is that follow-up must occur.  It’s not an option.  And the only way for you to disciple those who make decisions on this night is to get a record of their attendance and decision, allowing for follow-up to occur.  So again, failing to get this record is not an option.

With that said, it’s my belief that there is a way to ensure maximum effectiveness out of this card.  First are the basics: don’t take up the cards or ask them to check boxes until the gospel has been presented.  (Forgive me for being so basic, as even I am surprised at how often this occurs).

Second, have a familiar face walk the audience through the filling out of the cards—yourself, the league director, the pastor even.  I personally recommend the pastor, as he can briefly follow up with the speaker, and your unchurched guests are given the opportunity to connect with who he is, along with what he does.  Third, specifically ask that everyone fill out a card, regardless of the decision that they made.  You will find that many assume that it is a “decision” card only and do not think about the evaluation aspect.  Through the evaluation idea, you will have a greater response in the amount of cards that are returned…not to mention the benefit of receiving the feedback.

Bonus Tip: Though some churches disagree, it is my experience that the use of door prizes actually does increase the number of cards returned.  By utilizing the cards as means to draw from for the prizes, a greater number of people fill it out and pass it in.  It’s highly recommended, just be sure to inform everyone of the opportunity to win a prize.

Mistake #6: Forgetting about the Grown-Ups and Rest of the Family

Again, I can’t stress enough that the ultimate purpose of the Upward Awards Celebration is to bring lost people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The good news is, many understand this concept.  The bad news is, they only apply it to the kids.  Please, please, please, in everything you do during this special time, do NOT direct 100% of it all to the kids.  There is nothing that stirs up more frustration in me than someone getting up after our presentation and saying, “Ok kids, if tonight you decided to trust Jesus as your personal savior…,” when 50% or more of the crowd, (as with Awards Nights) consists of parents, grandparents, and other adult family members.  Please do not make the simple, yet huge mistake of letting newly saved adults walk out of your church completely unaddressed.

Mistake #7: Choosing the Wrong Guest Entertainer/Speaker

I’ve saved this for last for two reasons.  First, because of the fact that choosing the wrong guest entertainer/speaker is one of the most commonly made mistakes there is.  Second, because it’s the most important aspect of your big night.  Just like earlier, choosing the right or wrong speaker/entertainer can literally make or break your entire Awards Night program.  Again, keep in mind the purpose of your event; to bring lost souls to Christ.  Because of that, the #1 most important thing you can do during your program is to be 100% sure that the gospel will be communicated effectively, professionally, and very, very clearly.  Period.

Because of the importance of ensuring that this happens, I’ve put together a checklist that every Awards Night planner should go through before scheduling his or her guest speaker/entertainer.  This list has been compiled through many years of experience, and more importantly, lots of feedback from other pastors, church leaders, and other league directors just like you.  Following it provides a successful, low-risk approach to making sure you get just the right person to fulfill this important task.  Use this list and you’ll be glad you did…I promise!

q Verify their listing on the “Recommended Speakers” list provided by Upward Unlimited, Inc. Upward requires everyone on the list to go through a very extensive screening process, including multiple letters of recommendation, proof of experience speaking at Awards Nights, as well as a personal testimony, mission, and statement of faith.  This list is becoming very well known throughout the entertainment industry, primarily in the area of ministry-minded performers.  It is slowly becoming one of the most sought after lists in the country, making it highly prestigious but very trustworthy.  It’s the first step in securing the right speaker/entertainer for your important night.

• Get plenty of references and testimonials! Any professional will have them.  Don’t hire anyone without them!
• Find out exactly how the gospel will be presented. Many entertainers out there today have incredibly clear presentations of the gospel, which is exactly what you’re looking for.  As a minimum requirement, find someone who uses an illustration as his or her presentation.  For example, many performers entertain to gain credibility, which is good.  However, they fail to continue their effectiveness by completely stopping their illustrations, and only presenting the Gospel audibly.  Find someone who utilizes a clear, physical and visual illustration while presenting the Gospel.  People remember and care a whole lot more about what they see than what they hear.  Presenting the gospel both audibly and visually is a definite must.
• Always read or request a statement of faith! Always, always, always request and read one’s statement of faith.  The last thing you want is for truth to be compromised. If you neglect to view one’s statement of faith, then you are held responsible.  Just read and double check it…your Pastor will appreciate it.
• Get someone fast! One of the best indications of a successful speaker/entertainer is that they’re in demand!  The best speakers in the country are usually booked many months, and sometimes a year in advance.  Plan at least 9 months ahead for best availability.  If you call 2-3 months before your awards night and entertainer’s schedule is 100% wide-open, that’s not a good sign. You can almost always snatch a date last second, but if availability is limited, it’s a good sign that you’re considering someone in demand, and there’s a good reason that demand exists.
• Finally, invest the money in bringing in a professional! Most of the time you get what you pay for.  Don’t completely judge by the price of one’s honorarium, but you can however get a pretty good idea of the quality of one’s presentation by how much they charge.  For example, in my industry, a full-time performer can’t afford to charge only a few hundred dollars per performance, when their entire income is based on the fees that they receive.  That’s why you’ll see less experienced, part-time performers charging that amount, mainly because they have another source of income.  (It takes hard work to be full-time).  If a performer can request a higher fee, and has a long list of enthusiastic testimonials from other people just like you, they’re probably worth it.  If your budget doesn’t allow that kind of money, find a way to come up with it.  It may sound blunt, but that’s a very small amount to invest in a packed auditorium of people ready and willing to hear the gospel!

I want you to know that this list is not an effort to eliminate so called “competition,” but instead an effort to help you make your Awards Night as successful as possible.  There are currently over 2,000 awards nights taking place each year, all of which take place in only a few months time.  With that said, it quickly becomes obvious that I must be more about building a large team of evangelizing performers, than a network of competing entertainers.  My goal is simple: utilize the experience and feedback I’ve received in order to help you select a qualified, Christ-centered professional.

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy post.  By applying the information you’ve just read, I feel very certain that your Awards Night will truly be effective. God will use you and your effort to reach others, and with that effort will come great joy and fulfillment!  May God bless each and every one of you who put the time and honest effort into doing your best possible for Him!  This world can always use a little more excellence from the church, and God certainly deserves our best.

If there’s anything I can do to serve you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  In the meantime, share your thoughts, leave a comment below, and let’s all learn together.

Continue looking Upward!

I’ve stayed in some of the nicest and most unique hotels in the world, as well as some pretty dumpy ones.  I’ve also found a few ways to save a penny or two and get the best bang for my buck.  Here are 3 totally random travel tips that you can use to save yourself some money when booking a hotel room.  This is exactly what we do when making our own reservations.  

1. Join AAA.

I’m always in shock when I bump into someone who travels a lot, and still isn’t a member of AAA.  It’s not that expensive.  (Around $60/year I believe.)  Not only has AAA saved me thousands, (yes, THOUSANDS), of dollars in road side assistance and towing fees, they save me almost $10 every single night I stay in a hotel room.  Multiply that $10 by the average of 100 nights a year, (less than what we spend in a hotel), and you’ve saved $1,000.  If your family takes a one week vacation, your AAA membership pays for itself, and you still get all of the other crazy discounts they offer on meals and dining, entertainment, and whole bunch of other stuff…including the roadside assistance.

When making a reservation, simple ask if they offer a “AAA Rate”.  Be sure to do this AFTER you get the normal rate first.

2. Once you find a brand or chain you like, stick with it, and rack up a free vacation.

I’m consistently surprised to find out how many other entertainers and business people, who also travel a lot, don’t take advantage of hotel points or even frequent flyer miles.  The first year my wife and I were married, we spent our one year anniversary in Hawaii.  The only thing we paid for all week was food.  We had an ocean view suite at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, got complimentary $50/person breakfast buffet passes, and also flew for free.  Hilton Honors is my favorite program personally, but every chain has their own rewards system.  And if you’re thinking that you don’t travel enough to make it worth keeping up with, why? It takes no extra time or effort, and even simplifies your check-in process. My parents travel very little due to financial restraints, and yet they still end up with free flights and hotel rooms every few years, just by being creative and diligent with points.  Do it!  It pays off! I promise!

3. If you’re already en route to your hotel and will be arriving shortly, only call ahead to check rates and availability. When possible, always negotiate your rate in person at the front desk.

Years ago, I remember waiting in line to check into a hotel room.  I had a reservation already made.  There was someone in front of me in line, and I happen to overhear his entire check-in process.  His rate was $18 less than mine!  I’m about as frugal as they come, so I had to know what was up.  Turns out, just before I walked in, he had asked what the “walk-up” rate was.  Little did I know, many times, hotels have what are called “walk-up rates”, and are usually cheaper than the quoted rate over the phone or internet when making a reservation.

I understand that many times, you have to plan in advance.  I rarely do, because I love to save money, and sometimes, that has ended up hurting me. We’ve arrived in a town with the intention of just getting a room that night, not realizing there was a special event going on, and all the hotels were full.  So if you can’t take the risk, I understand. Be smart.

However, if you’re traveling on a whim, or if you’re driving and en route to another place the next day, and not sure where or when you’re going to stop, trust me…you’ll almost always get a better rate if you walk up to the front desk without a reservation.  (You can always call as you pull into the parking lot to get the over the phone quoted rate.) And even if there isn’t a “walk-in” rate available, ALWAYS ask if there’s a better rate they can offer, after you’ve been given the first quote. I would guess that about 75% of the time, I get a cheaper rate for the room, just for asking for it. The people working behind the desk are usually allowed to sell the rooms at a better discount, if they feel they may lose the business to another hotel.

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So, what have I missed?  I know there are plenty of other road warriors out there, and I’ll always been a learner. If you know something I haven’t learned yet, I’m all ears.  I love to know how to save a buck!  ;-)

Try some of this stuff the next time you travel, then let me know if you were able to save any money.  It’s true…a penny saved, is a penny earned!

Let’s face it…not every kid is going to be a professional magician and travel the world as a Master Illusionist.  However, I do believe that there are at least 7 HUGE reasons why every kid on the planet should learn a few tricks, and get a little into magic, even if it’s only for a season…

1. A Rise in Social Skills :: Magic provided me an opportunity to interact with others and majorly improve my social skills, and even interact with people older than me.

2. Improved Communication Skills :: Magic forced me to become a better communicator through my desire to entertain those around me.  It forces those who perform magic to process their thoughts and find the necessary words to communicate properly about what’s going on.

3. A Higher Level of Confidence :: Magic gave me the boost I needed to come out of my shell a little and finally make some friends, by displaying some talent.  As a kid, I felt like I wasn’t good at anything.  Finally, I could do something others couldn’t, and that massively increased my confidence.

4. Improved Dexterity :: Performing magic required a little bit of practice, which improved my dexterity, which in turn, made me better at other skills as well.

5. Better Hand/Eye Coordination :: My coordination also improved, and I finally learned the answer to the question, “Is the hand quicker than the eye?”  In fact, it took my hand/eye coordination to another whole level.

6. An Understanding of Trust & Respect :: Learning to keep and respect the secrecy of magic gave me a positive example of how to trust and respect something or someone, and can help your kid understand it as well.  It’s a complicated concept to grasp, and something even adults these days struggle with. Teach someone to learn to truly value the secrecy of magic, and you’ll have taught someone the value of real trust and respect.

7. A Healthy & Potential Life-Changing Understanding of Trickery & Deception :: Understanding illusions showed me just how easy it was to be deceived, as well as deceive others.  That concept transformed my life, caused me to take my thoughts captive, question things more intentionally, and even strengthened my faith.  Can imagine how powerful it’d be for your child to truly understand that what they see and hear from their TV’s and websites is NOT always the truth?

Click here to order a magic set just like the one I got for Christmas from my grandmother as a kid.  Not only will you be supporting our efforts, it’s the perfect gift!  After all, it changed my life, and you never know what an impact it could have on yours, or the lives of your loved ones… 

CLICK HERE to order now, and receive it in plenty of time for Christmas!

Still don’t believe me?  Check out the first minute of this video…

Has your child ever been interested in magic?  If so, what did I miss?  What positive development or character did you notice your child develop while learning and performing some simple magic tricks?

That’s what happened recently in Ohio.  I’ve driven by this statue what seems like hundreds of times while traveling that stretch of interstate on tour.  Here’s what the news article had to say:

MONROE, Ohio – A six-story statue of Jesus Christ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up by curious onlookers Tuesday.

The “King of Kings” statue, one of southwest Ohio’s most familiar landmarks, had stood since 2004 at the evangelical Solid Rock Church along Interstate 75 in Monroe, just north of Cincinnati.

The lightning strike set the statue ablaze around 11:15 p.m. Monday, Monroe police dispatchers said.

The sculpture, about 62 feet tall and 40 feet wide at the base, showed Jesus from the torso up and was nicknamed Touchdown Jesus because of the way the arms were raised, similar to a referee signaling a touchdown. It was made of plastic foam and fiberglass over a steel frame, which is all that remained Tuesday.

You can read the whole article here, on Yahoo! News.

Apparently, the statue cost about $400,000 to construct.  Maybe it was allowed to be struck by lightening because God might not be cool with wasting a whopping $400k on concrete? For the record, I have no idea. Just wondering. I’m also not saying that God always causes natural disasters.  But I’m not sure how you could deny that certainly “allows” them.  Again, I’m just wondering…

They’re also already making plans to rebuild it, wasting that kind of money, plus more, all over again.  I mean, I’m not God, so I won’t pretend to know or always understand what he does, or why he allows certain things to happen, but I do know of a whole list of better uses for a few hundred thousand dollars.

And, I’m not the only one. A lot of them are a book called the Bible….maybe this church should read it.  If they do, they might learn a lot about Jesus, the guy they’re making statues of, and in the process, how he encouraged us to live.

What do you think?

]]> http://www.harrisiii.com/observations/jesus-got-struck-by-lightening/feed/ 10 http://www.harrisiii.com/tour/to-arkansas-and-back-in-a-swagger-wagon/ http://www.harrisiii.com/tour/to-arkansas-and-back-in-a-swagger-wagon/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:31:23 +0000 Harris III http://www.harrisiii.com/?p=1290 If you follow my wife or I on Twitter or Facebook, you’ve likely heard about all the vehicle problems we’ve been having lately.  We tour in a Toy Hauler. It’s like a moving truck + tour bus + RV.  We definitely got the “lemon”. We’ve had nothing but problems, very few of which the manufacturers have dealt with.  We keep getting shrugged off by both Chevrolet, (the makers of the chassis, cab, and engine), and Gulfstream, (the company who converted and built it out).  It’s been an absolute nightmare for the full four years we’ve owned it.

Anyway…we had an event in Arkansas last night at Harding University, and it was out of commission.  We couldn’t make repairs over the weekend, so we ended up renting a vehicle to get us to Arkansas and back.  Tried to find a cargo van, but couldn’t. And every rental car company in Nashville was out of SUV’s.  So, we rented one of these…and yes, I drove it with pride:  

[Note: Facebook readers, click here to see the video. Facebook does not automatically embed videos when importing these notes from my blog.]

If you watch the video on YouTube, it shows over 3 million views.  But surprisingly, every time I mention the phrase “Swagger Wagon”, I’m shocked to find out that most people still haven’t heard about these commercials.  Word is rapidly spreading, and I’d wager to say that Toyota already is, and will continue to get an incredible return on these ads.  They’re absolutely hysterical!

So parents, take pride in your ride. Turns out, mini-vans are pretty cool after all.

Today, on Memorial Day, everyone speaks of honor. Well, many do. It’s true that regardless of how you feel politically about any war we’ve ever been involved in, the soldiers who have fought and served deserve our honor. But while today might be a day to honor our troops, the whole idea of honoring someone is so much bigger.

Last week, I was catching up on some podcasts and I listened to an interview with Steven Furtick. He’s the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. I heard Steven speak briefly at Catalyst back in ‘08, and really enjoyed him. I also loved hearing him tell a story in this interview about a pastor he previously served under.

He explained that there was a difference between honor, and respect. And while he couldn’t respect the leader he was serving under, the leader still deserved to be honored, because he was his pastor, and a good man. The honor Steven gave him had a profound impact later on in this man’s life. It was memorable. It was humbling. It was transforming. And that doesn’t even include the additional character built up and displayed in Steven, the one giving honor. His ability and willingness to honor someone who deserved to be honored impacted them both.

It kind of got me thinking…

Why don’t other people my age, (and younger), honor others? And why have we lost that ability? What happened? And what could happen if we learned to do it once again? What if we created a culture of honor?

I agree with Steven, (whom his church calls “Pastor Steven” by the way, simply in an effort to honor him), that there really is a difference between honor and respect. Someone who deserves to be honored can lose my respect. For example…

There are magicians who haven’t earned my respect, both now and from the past, but some of them need to be honored. It’s easy to poke fun at the “old guys” because they had rabbits and top hats, along with matching tuxedos. It’s easy for my generation to label it “cheesy”, but while I don’t respect each of them, I believe they deserve to be honored for their contribution to my art, and for keeping magic alive. Of course we see it as cheesy now. It’s 2010. Tuxes were hot in 1920. But who am I, and who are you to judge?? Why not honor them, even if you don’t respect them? If labeling it cheesy is your way of saying, “Look how cool I am”, personally, I think you need to get over yourself.

And what about our parents? I know, I know. We get older, gain perspective, and become increasingly aware of their mistakes. Maybe it’s hard for you now to respect your mom or dad. But they still deserve to be honored. It may not make sense to you right now, but your decision to do so could change their lives, and yours in the process. Think I’m crazy? I dare you to try it. You might be the first and only person to ever honor them, and I bet you’ll gain their respect in the process.

If you’re struggling with honoring someone because you don’t think they deserve it, why? Because they weren’t perfect? C’mon…look in the mirror.

A question…

What would happen if you honored your wife? Or your girlfriend? Like, really honored her?

What would happen if you honored your husband? What would honoring him actually look like?

What kind of people would your children grow up to be if they grew up watching two people consistently honor each other?

George W. Bush supposedly wore a suit every single day of his stay at the White House, because he “wanted to bring honor to the presidency”.

Honoring my wife is a privilege. The same is true for my parents. And my grandparents. And honoring those who have gone before me, from magicians to leaders to soldiers is a privilege as well. One I hope and pray my generation doesn’t completely lose as we continue to rip apart everything we disagree with. There’s nothing wrong with discussion and debate, and respect is most definitely something that has to be earned. But in the process of re-envisioning our futures, I hope we don’t forget to honor those in our past. And our present. If we do, I fear that we may lose our honor as well.

Let’s honor those who need to be honored. Before they’re dead.

Kinda like this?

It’s weird. I’m usually incredibly positive and have a great attitude.  And honestly, my last few days have been amazing.  I don’t even have a good, valid reason to be apathetic.  I allow myself to get distracted, lose focus, and focus on the garbage.  Garbage like getting screwed by people from my past.  Garbage like us still having a house for sale, because the buyers backed out last second for no valid reason.  Stuff like that.  Eventually, if you dwell on the negative stuff, it makes you frustrated.  And I think frustration can very easily breed carelessness. Which reminds me…  

Back when Mitt Romney was running for President and eventually bowed out of the race, he gave a pretty darn good speech.  When I heard it, he included a phrase that I just couldn’t get out of my head:  “Carelessness kills. Complacency is murder.” His context was in reference to the mindset of welfare.  That was about two years ago.

Last month, I was re-reading the book of Proverbs in the Bible.  I’ve read it before.  More than once.  But this time, I read those same words right in chapter one, and they jumped off the page.  Turns out, it looks like Romney borrowed a little from Solomon while writing his speech, but forgot to quote his source.  ;-)

I’m not interested in being murdered.  Well, especially not by carelessness.  Am I alone?  I know, it’s stupid. I know, there are like 55 billion verses in the Bible that tell me why I have no need to remain apathetic, and every reason to feel blessed.  And I have one of the most amazing wives on the planet.  And I have everything I could ever possibly want or need.  But there are days that come, and it just isn’t how you feel. Ya know? I guess that’s another good reason to not live your whole life based fully on your feelings.

Ah…now there’s a good conversation:  How do you balance truth with your feelings, and the recognition that both are a gift?

Apathy may be my opponent for the day, but I fully intend on winning.  In fact, I’m feeling better already.

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Nice, huh?  How about you?  Have you ever had anything painful or embarrassing happen to you, while you were around or in front of a large group of people?

This morning, my assistant Beth got the following email in her inbox from Ben Birdsong, the Station Manager. It was completely unsolicited, and 100% unexpected:  

“Harris was amazing! Not only did he adjust his program to meet our needs, he was so easy to work with as a performer.  If more artists were this easy to work with, we would do a lot more events.”

What??  I’ll come back to that in a moment…

Ben went on with an endorsement saying, “You can’t go wrong with inviting him to your station’s event. I highly recommend him to you as aboth a highly skilled and polished performer that will amazing your audience, but also a compelling speaker who will challenge them in their walk with God.”

I genuinely appreciate not only Ben’s willingness to partner with us, but also for his great testimonial.  We have tons of feedback like this on our website, from all kinds of people.  Author John Maxwell, to Mac Powell from Third Day, to North Point, Andy’s Stanley’s church in Atlanta, have all said stuff like this about what we do.  It’s humbling, and a huge honor.  But that isn’t the point of this post.

“If all artists were this easy to work with, we would do a lot more events.” That shocked me.  I mean, I know there are artists, even some who claim to follow Jesus, who are highly demanding and incredibly difficult to work with.  But are there really so many of you out there that there are great people, who already share your same vision, that won’t partner with you because you’re “too hard to work with?”

Clearly, the answer is yes.  So to all of you other performers out there, take note! Get over yourselves, and recognize who’s hiring who.  You aren’t showing up to be served, you’re showing up to serve.  And unless you’re writing checks and paying the people who book you, try to show some gratitude, and be flexible along the way.

Honestly, we go out of our way to be over-the-top easy to work with.  If there’s something I can provide and carry with us on the road, so that an event host doesn’t have to provide it for us, we do it.  If I can design my material so that it can be performed in a wider variety of environments, I do it.  Me, and everyone who works for me, makes every attempt to be as professional and service-oriented as possible.  It’s why we’re here…to serve.

Do we have contract riders and lists of requests?  Of course.  But each one is designed with the intention of being as simple as possible.  And it’s not about our comfort, but about what we could use in order to serve hosts better.  The bottom line is that their event’s success is the driving force behind everything we ask for.

If you aren’t attaching my God or his name to your stuff, then so be it.  Do whatever you want.  (Though I bet this concept would revolutionize your business regardless.)  But if you’re saying it’s about Jesus, that means it supposedly isn’t about you.  So please stop with the side-show.

This isn’t about you.  Or me.  And even if you’re making it that way, I hate to be the bearer of the news, but your approach isn’t working out too well.  It turns out, your attitudes and lack of flexibility are costing you and everyone else not only opportunities, but their platforms.  If you change, “they’ll do a lot more events,” and you might get to be a part of them.

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What do YOU think?