Operation Christmas Child

I really love this ministry.

There are a lot of great causes out there to contribute too. More than I will ever likely be able to get around to. That being said, I can honestly say that OCC is the most fun to give to.

Going around from store to store, hunting deals on stuff you imagine someone else would like. Trying to get a theme together for the appropriate age. Figuring out if you would have liked this thing when you were 5. It's great!

It's also helping an important cause.

One thing we take for granted in North America is gift giving. Not excessive "look how much I got" just simple "hey, I got you something special." There are families all over the world that never have received anything. Ziltch. Hard to wrap my head around that one. Operation Christmas Child aims to fix that. Plus, they present the gospel at the same time! Bonus!

This year I'm challenging myself to pack a shoebox every month. Call it an early New Year's Resolution. That way when November 2014 hits next year, I'll have a nice big stack ready to go.

If you've never given to OCC before, maybe you want to take the challenge too. Or, just pack one come November. Either way, it's great to imagine the look(s) on the kids faces when they get their new -- insert gift here ---

Nashville

I grew up listening to LIFE. Every year I would hear about the Dove Awards and how big they were. And how cool things are in Nashville. When you've heard about something for that long you tend to romanticize it. I'm the first to admit, I romanticized both!

I recently had the chance to go to Nashville for the Dove Awards.

I was ecstatic.

It was awesome!

Scott Jackson has already done a great job recapping the Doves, so I won't get into that.

I'm going to talk about Nashville.

It's a really crazy place. Music is everywhere! It's in the airport, in the ads on the side of the road, playing on the main street.
Speaking of the main drag - Just taking a stroll down the main drag all you can hear are the live country bands playing in the restaurants and bars. It's crazy!

Another crazy part of Nashville is the Bi-Centennial Mall. No, you can't get cloths there. It's a monument to 200 years of Tennessee.

To sum it up in one picture is impossible.
I tried, it failed. There's not only the entire history of Tennessee, but the names of some of the most famous people Tennessee has produced. There's also a mammoth map of the State with cities and rivers marked on it. The whole thing is worth the trip to Nashville.

Another highlight was Rocketown. It's a outreach/venue type thing started by Michael W. Smith. Not only is there a concert theater and cafe, but a recording booth and skate park!

Plus really big beach chairs.

All in all, Nashville was everything I had hoped.
The Doves were awesome too. Lots of bright lights and Christian Celebs.
It was nice to watch an award show and know who 95% of the musicians were!