2007 July archive at isaac downing

Archive for July, 2007

28Julthe Creative Summit.

I’ve been following Randy Elrod’s blog, ethos, for several months now. His regular posts about watercolor art, his favorite wines and his affinity for gardening and nature have been a continual source of inspiration to me (I paint with oils, and my family runs a landscaping company).

So, a couple weeks ago when I saw that he had a couple of books available, I bought them immediately.

I just finished Choosing the Right Path to Your Creative Summit this morning. Although the name is a mouthful, it’s a pretty quick read (only about 18 pages) …but don’t be fooled — this booklet is packed with wisdom, inspiration and creative thinking!

He tells the story of mountain climbing and the different approaches taken when trying to work toward a goal.

I felt like the past few jobs I’ve had mirrored this pattern exactly.

I started out trying to reach my peak in spite of myself.
That didn’t work out so well, so I switched gears and tried to reach the top because of myself.
And now, after that failed attempt, I feel like I’m finally beginning to see the value in forming a team of people. I’m reaching my summit alongside of others. (collaborating)

It’s such a logical pattern, and now that I recognize it, I feel like I can embrace where I am and where I’m headed… as a creative, as a husband, as a leader, and (soon) as a father. You should definitely grab this book.

I know and you know that you can spare $20. Go here and pick up a copy of his two latest books (he’ll even throw in a watercolor print!).

And if you haven’t been reading Randy’s blog, you need to start today. There’s a reason he’s referred to as the blogfather. It’s worth every minute.

in Books & Film and Culture. 0 Comments

27JulTwitterpated.

I set up a Twitter account to track all the news on the kid.

If you’re thinking… “What the heck is a twitter?”, you aren’t alone!

Twitter is a social-networking site that allows people to quickly inform friends and family members of news and updates. It’s a lot like email, but it goes one step further and through the use of text & instant messages. You have the option of receiving text updates on your cell phone or through your GoogleTalk, Jabber or LiveJournal instant messaging service!

It’s totally free, and once you sign up for an account, it’s extremely easy to have updates sent directly to you via text message. If you want to stay up to date on our family, follow the quick step-by-step instructions.

Here’s how to get started:

Go to http://twitter.com
Click “JOIN FOR FREE” on the right sidebar, under the login
Fill in the blanks (username / password / email / etc)
Go to twitter.com/idowning (my profile)
Click the gray button under my name that says “FOLLOW“
You’re all set! …almost
Click on “SETTINGS“
Click “PHONE & IM“
Enter your mobile phone number
Click “SAVE“
Follow the instructions and send the code to: 40404
Now you’re all set!

We want everyone to know about the birth and when it happens, but I guarantee that we won’t call everyone. Even if you deserve to be called, odds are good that I’ll forget.

So, I’m warning you in advance. Please don’t be offended if you don’t hear from me. Sign up for Twitter updates, so we can stay friends.

in Parenting and Web/Tech. 0 Comments

24JulTwo Weeks.

We’re coming down to the wire. Only two weeks until the due date!

I took Rachel to the doctor last Thursday for her weekly checkup and had a sonogram. So far, everything looks healthy. Healthy…and big. With three weeks to go, he weighed in at a whopping 7 pounds, 11 ounces! The doc said to expect a weight gain of 1/2 pound per week, so we’re looking at a possible 9 pound kid!

In spite of this, Rachel has been amazing. She’s ruining all of the stereotypes of the ‘crazy pregnant women’ that are shown on tv.

She hardly says anything about being uncomfortable (although I know she is)
She hasn’t had a single late-night-craving
She hasn’t eaten anything stranger than Ruffles & applesauce (but she eats that anyway, so it doesn’t really count).

Summary: My wife = incredible.

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
The face of the soon-to-be-Mr. Downing!

What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man…

in Family, My Life and Parenting. 2 Comments

23JulRelated (worship) Leaders.

Saturday afternoon I went over to Riverside with five other members of our worship team to the Related (worship) Leaders event. Robin Mark was brought in all the way from Northern Ireland to teach about worship.

The day went by quickly. It began at 2:00p, and was over by 4:45. If you subtract time for the break in the middle and the acoustic worship set afterward, there was only close to 2 hours of actual teaching. That was a little disappointing, but overall it was still a great afternoon.

The first half of his two-part talk was primarily a summary of his book, Warrior Poet, which Amazon describes as “…how absolutely important worship is and how, perhaps, it is the highest calling and occupation of the believer.” Heavy stuff. Then a he finished with a Q&A session.

High Point:
I was really impressed with Robin’s humility. He absolutely lacked that ‘rockstar’ personality that I’ve seen some successful musicians have. A major point of his talk was about giving the glory to God. “…how many of you would like to publish a song — anonymously?”

He lived this. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were several songs of his that have been published without giving him any credit — only giving glory to God.

Low Point:
The only thing that I think I would’ve changed about the event would be to begin with a worship time. At past RL events, they started out with a 3 or 4 song worship set that helped to wake everyone up and get everyone focused.

This time, Pastor King came out and said 5 or 6 things about Robin, then he stepped up to the mic and began his discussion. It wasn’t bad, and I’m sure they were limited by time, but it was sort of anticlimactic.

My Two Cents:
Spiritually, this was a major refreshment to me. I left the event completely inspired. And not surprisingly, I was really looking forward to leading worship the next morning at Twelve Oaks!

God is doing some incredible things through Riverside in Peoria.

in Worship. 0 Comments

21JulFamily Friendly.

I definitely thought I was more intense than a ‘G’ rating.

It makes me wonder… If I’m not a tough guy now, what will life be like once I’m surrounded by the sights and sounds of Nickelodeon, the Wiggles and Boomerang twenty-four hours a day?

in My Life and Weblogs. 0 Comments