Ezra's Slideshow

Hey, I've created an album with pictures of Ezra for the past couple of months. You can check it out here. Man he's a cute kid!

Tulsa Worship Podcast

Well, we're now podcasting the Tulsa worship on iTunes (wiki.) We started this week and will be continuing from here on out. Be sure to check it out here. You can subscribe to it and help us become one of the top downloaded podcasts.

Spread the word! If you like what you hear, leave some positive comments so that people will check it out! BTW it's all FREE! Yep, no purchase necessary! This is a free download that once you subscribe to will automatically update whenever we post a new one!

Swerve Blog

Like I said before, I work as a worship pastor for Lifechurch.tv. Our senior pastor, Craig Groeschel, has a blog called Swerve. He and Bobby Gruenewald are regular bloggers and have some really great insights into leadership and technology.

(For some reason the word "technology" is now humorous to me. Ever since hearing Kip sing, "Cause I love technology...but not as much as you, you see, but I still love technology...always and forever.")

ANYway, Craig is taking a break from blogging for a few days and has used a blog that I wrote that talks about worship and being sensitive to non-believers that are in our worship experience. Check it out here. Link

Be sure to come back and tell me what you think...or post there!

Bye Bye Orange Beach

Well, our trip has narrowed to its end. I have eaten lots of crustacean. I have laid on a white sand beach. I have stared out my balcony at the people down below. I have spent quite a bit of time with my father-in-law.....nuff said!

So, the little guy has seemed to change right before our eyes this week. He's begun making sequential "ooh, ooh, ooh" sounds. He reaches for his little furry thingys on the handle of his carrier, he even started kicking in the pool when we pulled him along. Lots of cool stuff. Being a dad has enamored me with my kiddo!

We embark on a 14-16 hour trek tomorrow morning that will take us through 4 states (we're avoiding Louisiana.) We shall partake of McDonald's dollar menu and stretch at many a truck stop. I hope we make it back in once piece!

Orange Beach....Part Deux!

Sorry, the title was misleading. You probably thought that I was going to bash Louisiana again huh? No, we're firmly planted in Alabama! Yesterday was pretty awesome. Ezra had several firsts. He put his feet in the sand....actually got in the ocean (not on his own...but with mom and dad's help.) He also went swimming for the first time. He did awesome! No crying, no fussing. He did get to take a nap under the umbrella on a towel...salt air breeze, waves crashing...I think it's a good start for a kiddo from Oklahoma! We had a good time at a cool restaurant in Gulf Shores. Lulu's is a loud environment! It was last year's watch party for the Soul Patrol Idol winner Taylor Hicks. Lulu is Jimmy Buffett's sister. (wiki) If you don't know who Buffett is, then I feel sad for you.

Today was less eventful. We got some decorations for his room from Souvenier City, which was full of souveniers...go figure. We tried to go on a beach walk but it rained. Instead we went to the indoor pool...more good times! Who knows what will be in store for the Henslee family tomorrow?

I'm posting a video and some pics of the last couple days...

Henslee Family Trip to Redneck Riviera / Part Un

Louisiana was purchased from the French in 1803. Apart from the other states besides Louisiana that were affected by this purchase...this very well might have been a bad bargain. I think that there definately was a good amount of buyers remorse. Now, I've got friends that live there and one of my favorite bands is from there (Mute Math.) Besides all that, my sweet wife got a ticket late last night in Lake Providence, LA.

This fits in the story during the 8th hour of our treck to Orange Beach, Alabama. We started out fine and dandy. Ezra was a champ. He played with toys in his carrier and fell asleep on schedule. He was sleeping pretty much all night but we did get pulled over. Rach was doing 37 in what she thought was a 35mph zone...whoops, mr fancy pants, blue lights told her it was a 25mph zone. Oh well, we were nice to the pudgy cop and didn't complain. Off we went to the end of this leg of the trip....Orange Beach! More to follow, but here are some pics of the trek!

I'm the baby daddy....

Just a quick little video for you. My son Ezra was about 6wks old when we were uploading a ton of videos to YouTube. I get to feed him usually once a day. This is the cutest kid I've ever seen.....didn't know I could feel like this toward something that poops and yaks on me.

Why did I bring it home?

This is a bit of a follow up of my last post...well not really but it started in the middle of "the band" phase. Rachel was working her business from home *insert shameless plug *(Premier Designs Jewelry) while I was touring around the South in the band formerly known as Maple Street.

Rachel has always been an independant woman, but night after night of being alone and certain fears creep in. One day, at a church we had just played for, I was standing in the auditorium and in walks this kitten. He walked right up to me! Must've came in through the door propped open for loading in and out. The church was in the middle of nowhere and the kitten had no way to ID it. So, I scooped up the kitten, brought him home to my wife...and that is how she became a cat lover! ME! I DID IT!!!!! Here is Buddy The Cat.

Now this cat is pretty cool. He minds fairly well, although he's now displaying some not-so-fun traits. Namely, he pees on my stuff. Yep, if I leave my wallet out....pees on it. If I leave clothes in the floor....pees on it. Pees on the rug, certain bags...etc. Also, if he gets stuck in the garage all night, when you let him in he gorges on his food and immediately proceeds to yak it up somewhere not fun to clean, (usually my stuff.)

As cute as buddy is, we still didn't have enough cat hair to clean up. I brought yet another cat home from the ally at work. We think he may have some mental retardation due to the fact that he's super strong...but we're still testing this theory. Here's a picture of Mr. Bubs.

So, the cats are cute...but they pee on everything and I'm tired of cleaning up the hair they leave behind.

This may sound like a negative post about cats...but I really do like em. I'm just a little peeved for using my dry-cleaning money to clean clothes that they have messed up. Oh well, at least they like to cuddle.

My Old Band

Once upon a time, I was in a band. Actually I have been in a few bands, but the one which I am centering the blog upon is MAPLE STREET. I was in this band for about 2 years while Rachel and I lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I met the band through our church we were attending. UBC was the place to be, specifically the "college hour." Maple Street was the worship band and I met Bruce Clinton, led worship in his absence one day...next thing I know, he asked me to help out during a summer for a camp they were leading!

That led to multiple D-Now's, retreats, and "special" sundays galore! That led to a full time gig. We bought a 15 passenger van, trailer, PA system and we were big time! We actually recorded an album at Ardent Studios with Dana Key (from Xian band Degarmo & Key (wiki)) producing the album.

I had some really cool times, played some really cool places, got to meet some really cool people, and got a taste of "the road." That actually left a bad taste in my mouth. My wife was at home by herself most of the time and being in a small van with 6 other people for hours at a time wasn't that glamorous!

I met my now boss, Craig Groeschel (wiki) while in Memphis at a singles event that we played for. He challenged me to reconsider my time away from my wife. SO...I did, and the band and I decided it was time to part ways.

The rest, and the details, are history. God used this chapter in my life to shape some core values of mine. Below are some pictures from the band....don't poke fun.

I WORK here....

So, this is where I work....

I work as a worship pastor for Lifechurch.tv in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I've been here for almost 5 years (June 2007) and have seen a lot of changes. We purchased a building from another church in town and took quite a while to remodel it due to the fact that we had to actually "live" in the building while we were remodeling. Here are some pics of the place for your viewing pleasure!

This is the LifeKids checkin area

This is our LifeStore

Lobby Chairs

And this is an experience...

Alright...that was fun.

Weathermen, the bain of my tv watching...

Well, spring is upon us and the storms are coming! That means that the weathermen get trigger happy and like to interrupt my coveted shows to warn us of some impending Hook Echo (wiki) that is about to destroy some puny town with 6 residents living in a tornado magnet (trailer home.)

Now, I know that I should care about the people, but when the fate of the world is at stake in Heroes, or Calel is about to stop the evil Luthor family from taking over the world, I really don't like to hear about the weather. At least not during the show, if they waited till the commercials...Derrick would be a happy boy!

I posted two pictures of our local weathermen that we like to watch. Dan Threlkeld and Jon Slater are meteorologists from competing stations. Both of them attend our church. This is where I have to realize that the weathermen are real people that are just doing their job. I have people that get mad at things I choose to do at work and write nasty blogs about me all in the name of selfishness. I seem to be in the same vein as them by getting angry at people doing their job if it interferes with my agenda!

So, Dan and Jon, interrupt away! I'll be safer for it, and I can always download the show...except for Smallville....that's sad.

Travels and Plans and Oh My!!!

Well, I am making preparations for our trip to Orange Beach, AL next week. Normally this takes us around 12 hours. This year, we have a 3 month old with us....I expect it to take up to 14 hours! Oh MY! So, if anyone has any advice on how to make it on a long trip with an infant...I'm ALL EARS!!!