7,000 Seats Filled With Screaming Women

Last week I went to Ft. Worth, TX for my wife's company's national rally. She has a home business selling Premier Designs Jewelry. I go to the national rally each year as part of the entertainment.

This is a HUGE contrast to my normal week. I go from working in a progressive church setting, to a business setting but with a contemporary church feel. The production level is huge. Every time we go on stage, a team of people mic us up, using tiny wireless headsets and tegaderm adhesive. The production level is crazy huge!

There were two things that grabbed my heart while I was there. We heard from missionaries in over 70 countries who Premier supports. It was awesome to hear what God is doing around the globe and here in the states as well.

Also, every rally, there is a huge patriotic performance. This year, I came out to do a solo to an older song called, "Somebody's Praying You Through." The stage was set up with about 75 men and women who have lost someone in the military or currently have a loved on serving abroad. The narrator talked about honoring those we lost, and their families left behind. I about lost it! I had to pray for God to make me a cold-hearted unemotional butt-hole just to make it through the song! Anyway, here are a few pics of my time last week!

On Vacation....Sort Of

This week I'm hanging out with my wife in Ft. Worth, TX. I have VERY sparce internet connection possibilities... So...I'll see y'all soon...sort of. Pictures and more about what we're doing to come soon. Enjoy...in the mean time, you can follow my updates HERE on Twitter.

Back From Vacation

I was on hiatus! Yes, the Henslee family took a little time last week to rest and relax. We took our annual trip to Orange Beach, AL and stayed at the Phoenix V condominiums. We love coming here each year because we can eat at our favorite restaurants and just unwind on the beach.

After the 15 hour car ride we arrived to some stormy weather. Not unusual for us being from Oklahoma, but a bit unexpected. it was cool to see the rain come in from 8 stories up!

I also decided to take a break from blogging while we were gone. Now that we're home, unpacked, and back at it...here come the posts!

Enjoy...

What's Been Canceled?

I realize that my posts are somewhat sporadic. The past couple of weeks have been busy for poor Derrick. (Sorry, I don't normally speak in the third.) Last weekend I finished my jet-set life and started my journey home. That's where it hit the fan.

We were trying to leave DFW on a private charter but due to fog, our pilots couldn't get to us. So we waited, thinking any moment they would arrive and we could make our way to Irvine, CA. Finally, after a few hours, we were off....sort of. Due to a strong headwind we weren't moving as fast as planned. When we arrived in Irvine, I was already late for my return flight home to Tulsa. So, I got a flight to Dallas arriving at 12:00am. Chris, my campus pastor didn't want me to drive all night for fear that I'd run off the road. (I fall asleep at the wheel easy..btw.)

Premier got me a hotel room, and at 5:30am the next day I arrived at DFW to get my 6:50 flight to Tulsa....which was canceled. Whoops...I was supposed to lead worship...good thing Stephen Cole was prepared. The Tulsa campus experienced worship live via satellite and I continued to book another flight...hoping to lead worship. The band was ready, but then my flight was canceled again. Okay, not going to make the 10 o'clock experience.

Then my next flight was delayed every hour, on the hour. Not going to make the 11:30 experience. It seemed that at any moment the fog would lift and we'd be on our way. So, finally we board the plane at 3pm. Around 3:45 the pilot comes on and says that the airline canceled our flight but that he had gotten it re-instated. WHAT? THEY CANCELED THE FLIGHT WE WERE SITTING ON? THE NERVE! So, we left, made it into Tulsa at 4:50pm. I completely missed church.

All of this because of fog. I mean, snow...no problem. Rain...it's okay. Fog.....everything collapses. I guess it was important to see the runway...you know, to stay on it and everything. Okay, now I've told my story....don't feel sorry for me. Well, you can if you want. Moral of the story...hindsight is 20/20, when your flight cancels don't assume the next one will work out....just go rent a freakin car!

You Gotta Eat One....Once In Your Life

Two or three times a year, Rach and I head off to Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, MO. We share time share points with Rachel's dad and we look for opportunities to go there just to get away. But, we've adopted a certain ritual that isn't that healthy but is flippin tasty! Billy Bob's Dairyland was a local secret that was told to us by a driver at Big Cedar. We found it in Branson and we have to go there on our way back home every time we visit Branson.

One of the things that we love about Big Cedar and Billy Bob's is that the people there do things the way they should be done. When the cook at the restaurant gets our burger order, he opens a small door next to the griddle. In there, he has prepared fresh ground beef, rolled into balls. He takes one out, flattens it on the griddle and begins making the wonderful burger you see in the picture above. I like that. I like that I get a fresh burger, not a frozen patty. I like that this place does things in a way that isn't fast food and is the RIGHT way to do it.

It seems so often that our churches think that the latest and greatest is the only way to do church. However, approaching ministry with a grassroots feel just somehow seems like the right way it should be done. So, when I go to Big Cedar and we get ready to come home, we stop in to Billy Bob's and say hello to the waitress that's always there, order a fantastically old-fashioned burger and happily consume it.......thinking of the 5 miles the next day I'll have to run to get it off!

Man-cation

Okay so before this last couple weeks of working like crazy...I took a few days off. A college friend of mine (who's dad is my dentist) has a family cabin overlooking the White River in Flippin, AR. Yep, Flippin, Arkansas.

Anyway, it was nice to hang out with my friend Todd. He is the young adult pastor for another large church in Tulsa. Asbury United Methodist. We did manly things such as: Drive ATV's through stream beds and up n' down mountain trails, went 4x4ing in the cj5, built fires using gasoline, partook of Padrons, had a Fat Tire, played video games, skipped rocks across the river, went hiking, and ate whatever we wanted too. Yes, some of that was cryptic but that is to confuse any female readers. Anyway, Todd and I often get together to bounce ideas off of each other about our ministries. It's nice to get an outside perspective from someone in ministry who is unattached to what I do everyday. So, if you're looking for some of the best fly fishing in the country, or just need to go somewhere remote and scenic. The White River is gorgeous! Here are a few pics from my trip.

The Mayan Riviera

So, Mexico is not into WiFi in the resort area. I had hoped that I would be able to update the blog daily, but alas....I have to wait till I'm back here in good ol T-town. So here goes...



Mexico; where the people come to bathe topless, drink umbrella-less drinks, offer you trinkets, and make quesadillas with goat cheese. It is also a place that has the most beautiful beaches that I have ever seen. If you want a beautiful tropical vacation just outside the U. S. and A., then Meh-hicko it is!



We stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Riviera Maya. This is part of the Yucatan peninsula and was originally home to the Mayans. I mean, the land was...their..home....NOT the resort. Anyway, the accommodations were very nice. The mini bar in the room was fee, I got free house shoes, free drinks, free food, free catamaran excursions, free snorkeling, but best of all......FREE SOFTSERVE ICE CREAM! Good times.



We went with a couple that we have been friends with for a long time. Todd Craig is a close friend of mine. He lived through being my roommate in college and we became close friends staring with being co-counselors at Kanakuk Kamps. He and his wife Stephenie went with us and we have that kind of friendship where he and I get along, she and Rach get along, and we like each other's spouses too....rarely happens!



All we did was lay on the beach, swim at the pool, fall asleep in hammocks, eat, watch live shows with a little too much butt cheek showing, eat, snorkel, eat, rent hobiecats, eat softserve ice cream, and we also ate a bit too. Here are some pictures of our time at the beach.



Enjoy...

Here We Go Again!

Yes, we are traveling again. This time without the little guy. Rachel dropped him off with her aunt and uncle. (Rach's late mother's sister.) Yep, I have never felt this way before! I had this really weird feeling that was altogether new this morning as I drove away from my house to work. We've left him before but with each other. I've been out of town, and she's been out of town...but never at the same time without Ezra! I didn't know if it was a combination of fear, worry, and sadness or what! Whole new bag of emotions with the kid!



Anyway, we packed up his entire room almost and sent it along the way. Now we're barely packing anything for ourselves for our trip to the Mayan Riviera with our friends Todd and Stephenie Craig. I'll blog more about it in the days to come. Here's a picture of the beach from that area! This time we're without the kiddo and no family!



I'll keep you posted!



Here's where we are: LINK



Here's what it looks like:

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...