Wow, it’s been half a month since my last post. You can tell you’re too busy when you can’t take ten minutes to write a post! So because of that I’m now going to block out time on my calendar, hopefully daily, to write a new blog post. I enjoy it way to much to let this thing slide by the way-side.

Anyway, my friend Alex Haynes is a photographer in North East Georgia and she was great enough to do a short photo shoot with me on Saturday before I hosted the ONEWAY Video Awards (more about that later). Here are a few of her pictures, you can check out more in my Facebook Album Here

This week’s Motivational Friday comes from a colleuge who spoke with the team last week. It was a great motivator in using every minute of your life for something positive.

God’s Minute-

I’ve only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it,
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,
But it’s up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I loose it,
Give an account if I abuse it.
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.

-Dr. Benjamin Mays

Are you making the most of every minute you’ve been given?

Avoid Falling

High above the practice field perched precariously on top of a forty foot steel beam the last thing you would think about doing is Falling Off. However, the lift manufactures find it necessary to warn against this. Nick Bray, one of our video interns, found this very amusing… and I can’t blame him, two hours a day in a lift above the practice field you find A LOT of things amusing!

Wow, it’s bad that I look down and my previous post was also a Motivational Friday! I will do better next week.

This weeks Motivational Friday comes from one of my Co-Workers who serves as our Strength and Conditioning Coach at Georgia State. I’m putting this quote/saying into the Winter Workout Manual I’m helping him to create for the Football Team (a pretty neat thing!)

Impossible is Nothing (Sorry, I don’t know the source)

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given rather than explore the power they have to change it

Impossible is not a fact.

It’s an opinion.

Impossible is not a declaration.

It’s a dare.

Impossible is potential.

Impossible is temporary.

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!

–Update–
It has been noted this is a John Maxwell Quote based off of a Muhammad Ali Quote.

A new series of posts, more for myself, I’m going to be starting is “Motivational Friday’s”. I’m going to post something; a quote, poem, story or just something I think of, that has been motivational or inspiring to me over the last week. Hopefully it will also give you something to think about as you end your week and look to the next.

So, here is this weeks Motivational Friday. It’s a poem by C.W. Longnecker entitled “The Victor”

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Two weeks ago we re-launched our 333 Progressive Services at The Torch Worship Center. This year due to work I’m not able to work as “Hands On” with the service but our Media Director, Brandi Wood, has taken and ran with the service (I was impressed!) It was great to be able to stand in the Sound Booth and see the service from that angle. The first time I haven’t been in the Control Room for one of the 333’s. So here are two of the songs from the Service as well as a brief highlight clip of Pastor Scott and Eric. The first video followed the One Video I put up last week.

“One”

“Nothing is Impossible”

Highlights of Pastor Scott and Eric

I have been a huge fan of Lego’s for years. The ability to create something from scratch and build things with little blocks is amazing, and a great stress reliever! I came across this site today with some fantastic Lego Creations. Nathan Sawaya quit his job as a Corporate Lawyer in 2001 to become the world’s foremost Lego Artist. Check out some more of his work here.

The commute home yesterday was the most eventful I have had since moving to Atlanta… of course I have a feeling yesterday was the most eventful commute for anyone living in Atlanta in quite a while.

Underwater Car

I left the offices at 3:30 to “beat the traffic” so I would make it home at a decent hour, knowing it was going to be bad. I turned right out of the Parking Garage and went down the hill, only to find the underpass six feet underwater and a red car attempting to make it through. Notice I said attempting because as it got near the center of the underpass the car stalled and the helpless… dare I say stupid… driver had to get out and wade back to the shore (sidewalk). I told Tom Tom to find an alternate route and it turned me right, along the back side of our offices. Immediately my car was in two feet of water, but with no where to go I continued. Slowly making my way around back roads, often having to turn around due to rivers running over the road,  I found my way to an on-ramp for the interstate.

Where I was Stuck (I'm About Fifteen cars back)

I was thinking, surely Atlanta can effectively manage the interstate road, however I was quickly proven wrong. The second I reached the top of the on-ramp cars were at a dead stop. No more than twenty cars ahead of me was a lake the size of a Football Field where the Interstate use to be. Knowing there was no where to go the guy in front of me put it in park and got out, so I followed suit. We chatted for a while and attempted to take some pictures, although in a torrential downpour this is not such a great idea.

My View of the "Lake"

After nearly thirty minutes a state trooper made his way back to our section and had us all reverse direction. That’s right, six lanes of traffic all slowly turned around and faced the other way. We then drove back to the on-ramp, much to the surprise of cars just attempting to enter it, and made our way home on back roads. It took nearly two hours of commute time as opposed to my usual 20 minutes… and I was one of the lucky ones.

I know several people who had to move out of their flooded apartments and into a hotel last night. I know the media director for a very large church in Atlanta and his sanctuary was three feet underwater (picture below).

An Atlanta Church Underwater

A Local Apartment Complex (via a friend)

Caved In Road

This past Sunday was the first ever “Re-Vamped” version of 333 at The Torch Worship Center. You may remember 333 from last Spring (See bottom of post for links to videos). Here is a video I created in After Effects for the opening of the first service. It was a HUGE After Effects project, but a lot of fun.. Check it out and let me know what you think:

Previous 333 Videos can be seen here

-Blake

Here is a short Highlight Video I created this week showcasing the first few weeks of Georgia State Football. Segments include: Players Arriving; Coach Curry’s Welcome to the Players and Families; Practices; and the Countdown to Touchdown Press Conference. (You may recognize the Practice Highlight Video as I re-purposed it here)