Doug Van Pelt

New Issue Going Up Today

David and I are planning to have the new issue up by the end of the day today. And that will include a couple of items promised from previous issues (like a Stryper interview mp3, and more...).

Continuing on in 2 Corinthians this morning, I was impressed with the statement that WE are led (by God) in "triumphal procession" in Christ. Isn't that like a parade where someone shows off something they are extremely pleased with? Would it be safe to say that we are "always" (v 14) being paraded in Christ? Is this before the spiritual realm? The world? Either way it breaks down, it certainly means that we are special, treasured, marked, clothed, and tattoo'd, as it were, with Christ. That's an identity for ya!

Of course, the text goes on to say that we are the fragrance and aroma of Christ amongst the world. Another line of distinction between those who believe and those who don't. There's no getting around it, but I think the key is love. Not just a mental ('oh, yeah, i love those people'), but a genuine love that grieves, cries, weeps and (thus) truly cares for those around us. Not in a condescending, ('i'm better than you are') attitude, but one of humility and gratitude. I love the statement: "I'm just a beggar, showing other beggars where to get bread."

Jesus, the Bread of Life.

The God of all comfort

2 Corinthians 1 and 2 has some interesting notes. I like the point he makes early in the letter about how God comforts us and we can, in turn, comfort others. There's an interesting verse there that says, "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

I usually try to avoid a real "us vs. them" mentality when talking about those human beings that do not believe in, cling to, trust in, and rely on Jesus, our God and Savior. It always seems to me like that attitude is a turn off and can lead to pride and condescension (not good things).

But Paul really seems to draw a line in the sand when talking about people "of the world" in making plans and say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" in the same breath. He is obviously using this as instruction to us, that we may not be double-minded and unfaithful in our plans and commitments. And surely there are people that choose not to believe who have built a reputation on honesty and trust -- people that surely you could depend on to mean yes when they say "Yes," but nevertheless Paul refers to this wishy-washy behavior and planning as "worldly."

Food for thought.

Norma Jean + Stretch

Went to the "early show" at Emo's last night.
4 bands, including Norma Jean and Stretch Arm Strong played on a tiny postage-stamp of a stage. Great fun.

Saw Lonny, Bonnie, Andrew, Steve, and noticed little Jesse (Norma Jean's 3 year old travelling buddy). Good times.

It was funny seeing Chris McLane work the crowd, trying to get the cool kids with their arms crossed to lighten up. "I know it's not cool to have fun at a hardcore show...but get up here..." They both really performed well. The guys in the band report that the tour's going really great, with most shows between 500 and 800 in attendance.

From The Air

My parents dropped in from Florida (from Houston). They're at the office now.
"I like it," says Mother. I showed her our new merchandise.
She loves the new Allen "girl" shirts.
I gave her one and my dad a Trucker hat.
They'll be hipper than their senior friends now.

I saw the office from the air today, as my dad (who built his own airplane, called Velocity (you can see them at www.VelocityAircraft.com). It was cool seeing it from 4,500 feet. I shot some video footage of it as we banked left to see it, but we were pulling about 1.5 g's and my arm was feeling it and not being too steady (nor my stomach). My daughters loved the plane ride.

This has started a nice 3-day weekend of sorts.
Have a good one,
and don't forget to check out the live streaming video/audio footage of the HM Stage at the Purple Door Festival tonight and tomorrow night.

Just arrived:
New Dashboard album (plus DVD),
and the movies Agent Cody Banks, Titanic, and Bowling for Columbine.

Purple Door Live!

The folks at CM Radio are doing another very cool thing this weekend -- broadcasting the HM Stage at the Purple Door Festival in PA live (streaming) on the internet. Very cool.
Last year I was at the fest (this year my wife is going and running the HM booth), I stuck my head in the broadcast booth a few times to see how they pulled off this massive feat. With a T-1 line (I believe) and a small hard working staff, they broadcast video and audio.

The link is cmradio.net/purpledoor
so check it out.

A strange and unexpected weekend it is.
I'm Mr. Mom at home with the kids,
my wife is in PA at Purple Door,
David Allen and his wife are out in SoCal (taking in the Rock of Ages Tattoo Festival, and more),
my parents flew in from Florida,
and major cities in the Northeast are without power.
Strange times.

Lava Lamp

Showed my visiting sister the nearby zebras on the way to the office this morning. Today is jam-packed with getting the shipping report to the printer, with all the quantities and people getting copies delivered to our printer, who ships our magazines out to retailers, wholesalers, etc. They also put our subscriber copies in the mailstream. They have so much mail going out of that plant (up in Midland, MI) that there is a tiny office in the shipping area of the warehouse that is manned by an official postal employee. I guess this issue will hit mailboxes by late August.

I've been dealing a little bit with accusation and forgiveness lately. When falsely accused, do you ever respond? Do you at least try to tell your side / perspective? Of course, context comes into play here. Definitely a hard road to go, but real forgiveness isn't easy then, is it? I imagine myself in Jesus' place (make sure you don't psycho-analyze that one! blame the WWJD bracelets!) during his mockery of a trial. I would have found it virtually impossible to keep my mouth shut, when it appears that simply explaining the truth would end the accusations and grant freedom. Much of the time I take the easy way out and just think, 'Well, He was God, of course He could do that.' I happen to believe that Jesus made the choice to deny his diety while on earth, which leads me to conclude that, with the Holy Spirit's guidance, I too can try to follow His example and possibly ocassionally model something not too far away from it (albeit a temporary and imperfect imitation). I think opposite direction taken to an extreme is flawed -- that being the truth that we are wretched sinners taken the next level to being incapable of not sinning and for the duration of our time on earth in a state of constant sin. I don't buy that. Where does obedience, choice, spiritual disciplines come in? What about the passages that refer to being "once" dead in our sin? What about the freedome spoken of in the Bible? It's a tenuous balance and a tricky theological debate that, like predestination, involves quite an element of mystery.

I'll choose to forgive and make the effort to go another mile (or another day, or another hour), and face the next challenge, temptation, bridge when I come to it.

Keep Those Ideas Comin'

We are mapping out the Nov/Dec issue this week, so now is the time to speak, yell, type, scream, sing, write, shout, tell, vent, complain, encourage, kick it out.

Re-arranged much in my office today. I love that refreshed/re-organized feeling that comes from doing that. Weird.

The new Skillet album... Wow. It actually rocks. They seemed to have gone after the Linkin Park sound - and they nailed it. For some that's a negative (copycat, blah blah blah), but to others, it's a nice change of sound to rage/energy/attitude. Gotta respect that.

Cornerstone NC is coming up this week. Charlotta leaves tomorrow morning at about 6 am. I'm glad I'm not driving to the airport!

Gotta jet. It's 5 pm again.

Spy Kids 3-D

Yeah, we're hitting the movies today - to celebrate deadline being over. This one should be fun. I think some big things are in store for HM, but getting around "that corner" is a lot of hard work and sweat. I guess that'll make it satisfying, but I know it'll be the Lord that does this thing. It's really His Magazine, so He'll get all the glory. We'll take the encouragement, but the glory is His.

A clever idea came to me in regards to a house ad that we'll design. I'll share more later. The rest of this week will be full: deciding which artists to do stories on for our Nov/Dec issue (including who's on the cover), which writers will write which stories, fixing any last minute editorial or ad files that the printer might have troubles with, checking over the proofs, figuring out the quantity that we'll print and ship to wholesalers and retailers and subscribers of our next issue, and seeing my wife off to Cornerstone NC.

Whew! Happy Monday!

Oh, and big congrats go to our writer Matt Morrow. His wife gave birth to their new daughter - Emma Elizabeth Morrow.
She was born at 9:56 pm on Friday, August 1st. She was 7lbs, 11oz.
Glory to God!

I Lost...but to a great one

I look at Marcus Allen highlights on tv right now...and I think that somehow, somewhere, there is some link or bloodline between David and Marcus. I definitely felt like one of those hapless Redskin defenders trying to chase #32 as he speeds into the end zone. Injuries stink. Ya hate to see a sprinter like David go down. But, I'm thinking the injury has taken some time off his speed. Next time it'll be a more even race now...

The good news is that deadline is over. The magazine is all digital and burned onto CDRs and on its way to the printer in a red, white, and blue Fed Ex package. It's nice to finish. We'll celebrate as a team with those 3-d glasses on, viewing Spy Kids 3-D.