Bad Moods and TV Preachers

I'm in a bit of a bad mood this morning. Here's my story...

Our family is approaching Christmas a little bit differently this year. Every year we spend money on gifts that people don't really need, and we give them to people that we probably wouldn't give them to except for the fact that we feel a sense of obligation. You buy me a $15 gift that I'll never use, and I'll buy you a $15 gift that you never use, and we'll call ourselves generous. I'm not sure that generosity is a virtue unless it is expressed thoughtfully and directed toward people that genuinely need it.

So we are changing the way that we celebrate. One of those changes is that for the past month, I have been offering my brand new original Christmas song on my website, and all the money from the sale if it goes towards giving clean water to a school in the border region of Thailand. It only takes a paltry $2500 to improve the quality of life for hundreds of people. Many of these children have nothing - not even shoes! And compared to the millions that will be spent on useless Christmas gifts for people that don't need them this holiday season, $2500 is not a lot of money at all. I`m just trying to use what little gifts I have to redistribute some of the wealth. So far we are not quite half of the way to our goal. Please go to www.imaginethailand.org to see the effects of this incredible ministry.

But that's not why I'm in a bad mood...

I also have a brother in Mexico who is working with orphaned and abandoned children through Outreach Adventures Relief Organization of Canada. Some of the stories that come from that place would break your heart, and that ministry is literally providing hope and a future for children who would otherwise have nothing. But like many, their ministry has significant financial need this Christmas and they are stuggling to find the money that they need. (You can learn more about the ministry that Rick and Lisa are a part of atwww.oaroc.com)

I believe that God provides. And I know that He will provide for the water project and for my brother. Ultimately He is able to meet any need that we have, and He does it on a regular basis...much more often than we give Him credit for.

That's not why I'm in a bad mood either...

Here's why I'm in a bad mood.

While trying to find a children's show on television for my daughter, we stumbled across a television preacher. I hate to admit it, but that ruined my breakfast pretty quickly.

I'm not against all television preachers...just the ones that sit on leather chairs and wear flashy suits and say that God told them that 10,000 people watching have to send $1000, so that God will bless them and heal them and give them a promotion. Because, as we all know, God is running some sort of divine frequent flyer program, where if you give someone a thousand bucks you can order a new toaster.

While the idea of sowing and reaping is a clear principle in the scripture, God never promises that he will make us rich. Lets be clear on that. On the contrary, God promises quite a few things that many of us would never choose for ourselves. And...we should give out of hearts of gratitude for what God has already given us, not so we can get more.

I also fear these people are ripping off those who are searching for hope. Even if you are sending every cent of that money to poor families in the poorest areas of the world, deceit and manuipulation do not justify the end result.

I also know that while OAROC and Imagine Thailand are doing incredible things for people in practical ways, and are passionately doing the work of Jesus by showing His love and acceptance to those who have been marginalized, 10000 people will still send in $1000 each and line the pockets of these TV hucksters. All in the name of God. I have my doubts if God is really factored into the equation at all.

God has blessed us already. I want to give in response to that, thoughfully and thankfully.

So you'll have to excuse my bad mood this morning.

Can One Song Make A Difference This Christmas?

Dan Bursey, a singer/songwriter from Newfoundland, Canada, is convinced that one song can make a difference this Christmas. With the release of his brand new Christmas single, “Hallelujah Carol”, Dan is going to prove it.

“Hallelujah Carol” is a “rootsy” acoustic song that’s reminiscent of the traditional carols, but gives the listener a fresh take on the classic Christmas Story. Not wanting to release the song in the usual way, Dan began to wonder if there was a way that this one song could make a practical difference.

Between December 1st and December 24th, “Hallelujah Carol” will be available for purchase on Dan’s website, www.danbursey.com. ALL proceeds from the sale of the single will go towards purchasing a water purification system for a community in Thailand, through a partnership with Peter and Cavell Dove of “Imagine Thailand” ( www.imaginethailand.org ), a relief organization that “works to provide hope and a future for people affected by natural disasters or political conflicts in Southeast Asia.”

When 2500 people download “Hallelujah Carol”, we will be able to purchase the system outright. By purchasing this one song, you will be taking part in a movement that will directly improve the quality of life for hundreds of Thai people.

Can one song make a difference this Christmas?

Yes.


Here’s how you can be involved…

1) Go to Dan’s website, www.danbursey.com, and be one of the 2500 people to download the single “Hallelujah Carol” for $1.50 . All of the proceeds from the sale of the single go towards the purchase of a water purification system for school children in Thailand.
2) Check out www.imaginethailand.org, to see first-hand how this organization is making a difference.
3) Email 10-15 of your friends that you think would like the song, and tell them about how they can be a part of this too.
4) Add the following to your Twitter/Facebook/Myspace status:
“Can one song provide clean drinking water for a whole community? I say yes! Go to www.danbursey.com to find out how.”
5) Add “Hallelujah Carol” to your holiday playlist on your radio station.
6) Interview Dan in your publication or on your radio station.
7) Add Dan to your twitter account (danbursey) so you can be updated regularly on how close we are to our goal.
8) Make the song a part of your Christmas playlist for years to come.

Who Designed This Pinata?!

Don't get me wrong...there is nothing as cool as Optimus Prime. But when he comes in the form of a pinata and dispenses candy from his rear end, he becomes less cool.




This is an actual pinata that my son Max had at his birthday party tonight. This wasn't one of those pinatas that you have to hit in order to get the candy...you have to pull strings that are attached to his back. When the right string is pulled, his butt opens and viola! Candy! Mmmmm.

Hi Rick...

TWO NOMINATIONS!!!

Hey Everyone,

Just letting you know that I received two nominations tonight from the Gospel Music Association Canada. "Hope Will Rise" was nominated for Jazz/Blues Album of the Year, and "Everybody Hurtin'" was nominated for Jazz/Blues Song of the Year. The Covenant Awards take place in October in Calgary.

Anyway...'nuff bragging. Take care.

Dan

A Look at Dan in the Studio...

I began rcording again on Wednesday. Here is some footage from the adventure...

On this video, Dean Stairs and I getting ready to record the scratch track.


This one is me recording the actual scratch track.


Hope you enjoy...I'd love to hear your comments.

Another Brush With "Greatness"

We went out for lunch this Sunday afternoon. Lewisporte is not large, so one of the only "sit-down" restaurants is inside a hotel named Brittney Inns. As my family, which is a bit of a motley crew at the best of times, went inside, a nice young man opened the door for us.

Right at that moment, my 3 year old daughter decided to spontaneously spazz out. No way could we get her to go inside. She wanted to stay outside and the whole place was going to know it. I looked up and apologized to the dude holding the door. Turns out the dude holding the door is Rex Goudie.

I'm not necessarily a big fan, but here in Newfoundland Rex is like Elvis. Young girls usually cry with glee in front of him. They don't usually tantrum.

Hmmm...reminds me of the time about three years ago when my son had a tantrum in the Toronto Airport...right in front of the Barenaked Ladies. (The band, not actual barenaked ladies).

Famous people bring out the worst in us. You can check out the time I tripped Larry Norman here. Or when I grunted at Leeland Mooring here.

Check Out This Review...

When you send an album away to be reviewed, it is scary! This one paid off...

You can read the review of "Hope Will Rise" right here.

The Blog is Back...

Hi everyone...

It has been a while since I've updated the blog. They say that one of the unforgiveable sins of blog-dom is not updating it regulary. Anyway... the blog is back. I'm pretty sure.

It has been a crazy spring and early summer. When life hits, it hits hard. First of all, my father passed away after a long fight with cancer. The whole process of watching him suffer and then go Home was a hard thing to process. Didn't feel like blogging.

Michelle and I were also blessed to add a third child to the Bursey clan. Max and Samara now have a little sister named Charlotte. I am now up to my elbows in poopy diapers. But I'm getting good at changing them...I can do it with one hand...blindfolded...that sort of thing. Unfortunately, I'm enduring many nights of broken sleep.

I still work a busy job as a youth pastor. But, I must say that it is a job that I love.

And I'm heading back into the studio on Wednesday to begin recording an EP. The tentative title is "here and gone". But that might change. "Love is Hard" may make it's way on there. You never know.

And, we have a nest of birds in our hanging basket in front of our house. Each time we enter or leave our front door, they swoop at us and verbally harass us. It's like we have to cross some sort of picket line every time we go outdoors.

I now run. 6.5 km 2-3 times a week. Although that gets harder to do now that I am sleep-deprived.

Now you're caught up. Keep checking back.

The Gift of Shoes from Imagine Thailand on Vimeo.

Great Video...

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Here is a great video that I thought you might enjoy...

My ECMA Mistake...

I had a very disheartening thing happen to me at the ECMA's a few weekends ago, and I thought that I would share it with all of you...Hopefully you will be able to learn from my mistakes, and avoid the same sort of blunder.

On the Saturday afternoon, I went to a great seminar at the Glynmill Inn in Corner Brook. Before I went, I picked up a Tim Horton's coffee - large with one milk and one sugar. There were smart people at this seminar, and they were talking about some very interesting things...but the room was very quiet, and I didn't want to roll up my rim and disturb the proceedings. So I laid my unrolled coffee cup under my chair.

After the seminar, I got up from my chair, left the hotel, and got into my car. As I was driving away, it hit me that I had left my unrolled coffee cup on the floor. Knowing that this would play on my mind for the rest of the weekend, I drove back to the hotel, and went upstairs to the conference room. Despite my obviously obsessive behavior, the seminar organizers had already cleaned the room and thrown my coffee cup away. I searched the garbage cans, but to no avail.

Now, I don't believe in Karma and all that stuff... but isn't it odd that since then, I haven't won a thing, despite my at-least-one-coffee-a-day habit. Is God teaching me a lesson? Did that coffee cup have a winning tab? Might I have won a car, or a laptop? Am I just searching for some meaning as to why I haven't won a stinking thing during this whole Roll Up The Rim To Win campaign? I'll never know...

Please...learn from my mistakes. Roll your rims.

Anyway...here's my life in a nutshell:


I also have a post called 10 Things That Tim Horon's Taught Me, that I may post in the near future, along with some video from the Corner Brook Concerts.

Updates and Broken Cameras

Two weekends ago I was in St. John's for a bit of a mini tour. Here are the pictures form the weekend. (I guess I should mention that our digital camera broke recently, so this is as good as it gets in terms of pics from the different concerts.)


Saturday, February 21, 2009


Sunday AM, February 22, 2009
The handsome dude playing the upright bass is Phil Tulk



Sunday PM, February 22, 2009


Monday, February 23, 2009
This event was snowed out...

Well there you have it! An incredibly life-like play-by-play of my time in St. john's. (I say "life-like" because I'm really that thin in real life. Really)

I'll update soon with some video from the Corner Brook Concert as well as my impressions of the ECMA's.

Upcoming Shows

It going to be a busy couple of weeks...

Here's where I'm going to be playing over the next little while.

February 18, 6:00 PM - Acoustic Performance at the Old Mill Ruins Bistro in Campbellton

February 21, 2:00 PM - In-store Performance at RBBH in St. John's

February 22, 10:30 AM - Morning Service at The Worship Centre, St. John's

February 22, 6:30 PM - Spruce Hills Community Church Coffee House, Paradise

February 23 - MOSAIC University Chapel, MUN

February 28, 7:00 PM - Concert with Irene Bridger and Amanda Squires, Westside Tabernacle, Corner Brook

March 1, 11:00 AM - Morning Service at Westside Tabernacle, Corner Brook

If you are in the area, I'd love to see you at one of these events.

Upcoming Concerts...

I just wanted to let everyone know about a few concerts that are coming up. If you're in the area, I'd love to see you at the shows...

Live at the Bistro - Feb 18th @ 6:00. I'll be performing at the Old Mill Ruins Bistro in Campbellton NL. They are preparing a very cool Tapas menu that night, and I'll be doing a couple of hours of acoustic music.

From February 20th to the 24th, I'll be performing a number of times in the St. John's area. There are a few concerts still in the works...I'll keep you posted on the exact details.

And on February 28th, at Westside Tabernacle in Corner Brook, NL, I'll be sharing the stage with Irene Bridger.

Hope to see you at one of the shows... Peace.

Taking Care of Biscuits

I've spent the last week painting. I had a week off and my wife and I decided that it was time for a change. Unfortunately we didn't really like two of the three colors that we picked...but that's not the point of this post. (I guess that means I'll be painting this weekend as well.)

While we were painting on Saturday, we were listening to CBC Radio 2. Molly Johnson's show that comes on Saturday mornings is one of the coolest shows ever. I like Radio 2 because they play music that is fresh, by Canadian Singer/Songwriters that I've never heard of. And most of the stuff is not being played on any other stations (at least around here). Anyway, they happened to play a golden oldie...BTO's "Taking Care of Business". So of course, my two children started jumping and dancing to the song.

About an hour later, my son comes into the room, singing at the top of his lungs "Taking Care of Biscuits!" What does that mean? Babysitting baked goods?

Anyway...keep checking my Myspace page for upcoming concerts. I'll be posting the details there in the next couple of days.

Peace.