2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood - A Positive Outlook

2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood – A Positive Outlook
•December 22, 2009 • Leave a Comment (Edit)

* This is just a rough blog with no editing….

2009: The Year of Falling Stars in Hollywood – a positive outlook




Rueters called this: “The Year of Celebrity death.” This year we lost many of the entertainment industries brightest and most influential stars, more so in this one year then in any other year in the last decade. Brittany Murphy’s death yesterday reminded me of why we are called here in Los Angeles. I am reminded again of the Natalie Merchant who is not a Christian( but who God healed when she was young) wrote a song in remembrance of River Phoenix who passed on October 21, 1993. The song said:

Young & strong Hollywood son
In the early morning light
This star fell down
On Sunset Boulevard

Young & strong beautiful one
One that we embraced so close
Is gone
Was torn away

Let the youth of America mourn
Include him in their prayers
Let his image linger on
Repeat it everywhere

With candles with flowers
He was one of ours
One of ours
Died 1993


The heart of this song is that we need to take responsibility for what is ours. What Hollywood is missing is Fathers, and there is such an orphan spirit here. As a matter of fact popular culture/entertainment industry has truly become a 3rd world nation in the Spirit. There are so many people who are losing their life before they really begin to live. They have real accomplishments and families and love, but there is a greater piece. Something inside of me has expanded to love and Father this industry. I greave when its sons and daughters die or go to rehab, or miss their mark. I also rejoice when there are accomplishments and the fruit of love here. Our heart breaking over BRITTANY MURPHY’S DEATH PROVES WE ARE CALLED TO HOLLYWOOD.


THE HARVEST IS RIPE THE WORKERS ARE FEW

When I make this statement I want to qualify it first by saying: There are AMAZING Christians in Hollywood right now, probably more than ever. They are not your religious brand of zealots who are making Hollywood miserable, they are Daniels and Josephs and Esthers and they are creators who are influencing. There is an underground move of God in Hollywood that has not just started, but has always been here, but something is surfacing and gaining momentum. There are intercessors in studios, life coaches for entertainers, counselors for the broken, prophetic people to bring destiny, churches to bring family, and bands of creative people working together. This is not the Christian scene of yesteryear, something is going on in a Kingdom way in Hollywood that is spread out between hundreds of Kingdom minded groups collaborating.

At the same time, there needs to be the same effort we have in major church movements and missions movement brought to Hollywood. There is such a need for people who have a calling to Father and Mother in this industry. Hollywood needs a deliverance from an orphan spirit and this will only happen by bringing God’s original intention to the forefront. All of Hollywood is waiting like in Romans 8:19 for this Sonship to be revealed. In other words Hollywood is not impressed by Christianity right now but is very spiritual and knows that there is a God, and is waiting in anticipation for Him to reveal Himself.

WE DON’T ONLY NEED EVANGELISM WE NEED TO MENTOR CREATORS!

This requires those who are grounded in His love and nature going into this great industry as laborers with a mindset that is not just evangelistic but is creative. In other words, Hollywood doesn’t just need to be evangelized one more time, it needs Fathers and Mothers to invest into the creators and help people believe to be the version of themselves that God created them to be!

Hollywood is the culture capitol of the world that affects every decision maker in almost every part of society, and the church is just now realizing its responsibility to love and honor what God as a creator wants to do.

What would have happened if we had more Kingdom in Hollywood this year? My vision is that there will be a generation of Hollywood who will:

1) Learn the ecstasy of God’s love and won’t need a rehab or will find true deliverance from drugs
2) Know the healing power of God’s heart so won’t need medicine to manage their pain & disease
3) Know what family and marriage is and so won’t give theirs up for something that seems like it might be better
4) Know how amazing Jesus is and want to spend eternity with Him, so they won’t compromise that love for vanity or false power which looks like better opportunity or riches that don’t last

What would happen if we released a move of God that healed the identity of Hollywood and released sonship? What would happen if the same power of God that many of you have seen heal the sick, break through your own finances, restore your life or your families, deliver you from bad patterns or addictions, what would happen if we released that into Hollywood and the entertainment industry?

That is my dream, to see the Kingdom come from heaven to earth in this great industry all over the world.

I have a part two to this article for your consideration, but I wanted to end this with 2 notes.

1) If you can not go into this industry and help, then send us. We are getting a full time building in 2010 and are raising money for it. We have several hundred people who are involved in the entertainment industry in our church and we are loving well in Los Angeles. You can make a tax deductible gift to Expression58 and send it through the mail to 11271 Ventura blvd #500, Studio City, CA 91604, give to our paypal account via credit card/debit card/checking account: office@expression58.org or log into our website and give with our online store.

2) I wanted to leave you with a list of names of those we lost this year so that you can see how important your role in prayer and love is in this industry. I know some of them lived very long lives, and there is a passing of a generation of Entertainers last year and this year that is literally changing the landscape of the industry right now. I will talk about that later, but read the list and let the Holy Spirit speak to you.

JANUARY:
Johannes Mario Simmel, 84. Austrian-born author; topped German-language best-seller lists. Jan. 1.
Jett Travolta, 16. John Travolta’s son. Jan. 2. Seizure.
Pat Hingle, 84. Tony-nominated stage actor; Commissioner Gordon in “Batman” movies. Jan. 3.
Ned Tanen, 77. As Paramount and Universal chairman, he greenlighted a string of hits (“Top Gun,” “E.T”). Jan. 5.
Ron Asheton, 60. Guitarist for the Stooges, whose raw sound helped inspire punk rock. Jan. 6.
Cheryl Holdridge, 64. Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Jan. 6.
Coosje van Bruggen, 66. Artist; collaborated with husband Claes Oldenburg on his giant sculptures. Jan. 10.
Patrick McGoohan, 80. Emmy-winning actor; star of TV classic “The Prisoner.” Jan. 13.
Hortense Calisher, 97. Fiction writer known for dense prose (“False Entry”). Jan. 13.
Ricardo Montalban, 88. Actor in splashy MGM musicals; Mr. Roarke on “Fantasy Island.” Jan. 14.
Andrew Wyeth, 91. Acclaimed artist whose portraits and landscapes combined traditional realism, modern melancholy. Jan. 16.
David “Fathead” Newman, 75. Jazz saxophonist; played with wide range of luminaries. Jan. 20.
James Brady, 80. Author, Parade magazine celebrity columnist. Jan. 26.
John Updike, 76. Pulitzer-winning novelist, essayist. Jan. 27.
Hans Beck, 79. Created colourful Playmobil toy figures. Jan. 30.
FEBRUARY:
Lux Interior, 62. Lead singer of horror-punk band the Cramps. Feb. 4.
James Whitmore, 87. Many-faceted actor; did one-man shows on Harry Truman, Will Rogers. Feb. 6.
Molly Bee, 69. Country singer (“Don’t Go Courtin’ in a Hot Rod Ford”). Feb. 7.
Blossom Dearie, 84. Jazz singer with unique baby-doll voice. Feb. 7.
Robert Anderson, 91. Broadway playwright (“Tea and Sympathy”). Feb. 9.
Estelle Bennett, 67. One of Ronnettes, ’60s girl group (“Be My Baby”). Feb. 11.
Hugh Leonard, 82. Irish playwright; won Tony for father-son drama “Da.” Feb. 12.
Louie Bellson, 84. Jazz drummer; performed with Duke Ellington, wife Pearl Bailey. Feb. 14.
Al-Tayeb Saleh, 80. One of Arab world’s top novelists. Feb. 18.
Howard Zieff, 81. Directed films (“Private Benjamin”), TV ads (Alka-Seltzer’s “Spicy Meatballs.” ) Feb. 22.
Sverre Fehn, 84. Norwegian architect; won prestigious Pritzker award. Feb. 23.
Paul Harvey, 90. Radio news and talk pioneer; one of nation’s most familiar voices. Feb. 28.
MARCH:
Ernie Ashworth, 80. Grand Ole Opry singer (“Talk Back Trembling Lips”). March 2.
Sydney Chaplin, 82. Tony-winning actor; son of Charlie Chaplin (“Bells Are Ringing”). March 3.
Horton Foote, 92. Playwright (“The Trip to Bountiful”) and screenwriter (“To Kill a Mockingbird”). March 4.
Hank Locklin, 91. Smooth-voiced country singer (“Send Me the Pillow You Dream On”). March 8.
James Purdy, 94. Author of underground classics (“Cabot Wright Begins”). March 13.
Anne Wiggins Brown, 96. Soprano; the original Bess in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” March 13.
Betsy Blair, 85. Actress, Oscar-nominated for role as shy woman courted by homely Ernest Borgnine in “Marty.” March 13.
Ron Silver, 62. Won Tony as tough Hollywood producer in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.” March 15.
Natasha Richardson, 45. Gifted heiress to British acting royalty (“Patty Hearst”). March 18. Skiing accident.
Jade Goody, 27. British reality TV star, hailed in final months for her courage. March 22. Cancer.
Uriel Jones, 74. Drummer whose passionate beat fuelled Motown hits. March 24.
John Hope Franklin, 94. Towering scholar of African-American studies. March 25.
Steven Bach, 70. Movie executive who oversaw the debacle “Heaven’s Gate”; later wrote memoir about it. March 25.
Irving R. Levine, 86. Bow-tied NBC newsman who explained the fine points of economics. March 27.
Helen Levitt, 95. Photographer famed for scenes of New York street life. March 29.
Maurice Jarre, 84. Oscar-winning film composer (“Lawrence of Arabia,” “Doctor Zhivago”). March 28.
APRIL:
Tom Braden, 92. Helped launch CNN’s “Crossfire”; wrote memoir “Eight is Enough” that inspired a TV show. April 3.
Dave Arneson, 61. Co-creator of groundbreaking Dungeons&Dragons fantasy game. April 7.
David “Pop” Winans Sr., 76. Grammy-nominated patriarch of gospel music family. April 8.
Marilyn Chambers, 56. She helped bring adult films into mainstream with “Behind the Green Door.” April 12. Heart disease.
Peter Rogers, 95. Produced British “Carry On” films, hallmarks of lowbrow comedy. April 14.
J.G. Ballard, 78. British author known for dark vision (“Empire of the Sun”). April 19.
Jack Cardiff, 94. Oscar-winning cinematographer famed for innovative use of Technicolor (“The Red Shoes”). April 22.
Ken Annakin, 94. Directed World War II epics “Battle of the Bulge,” “The Longest Day.” April 22.
The Rev. Timothy Wright, 61. Grammy-nominated gospel singer, and composer (“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”). April 23.
Bea Arthur, 86. Her sharp delivery propelled “Maude,” “The Golden Girls”; won Tony for “Mame.” April 25.
Vern Gosdin, 74. Country singer (“Chiseled in Stone”). April 28.
MAY:
Marilyn French, 79. Feminist writer; her 1977 novel “The Women’s Room” sold millions. May 2.
Dom DeLuise, 75. Portly actor with offbeat style (“The Cannonball Run”). May 4.
Mickey Carroll, 89. One of last surviving Munchkins from “The Wizard of Oz.” May 7.
Wayman Tisdale, 44. Accomplished jazzman; earlier, a college, NBA basketball star. May 15. Cancer.
David Herbert Donald, 88. Pulitzer-winning Civil War historian; expert on Lincoln. May 17.
Mario Benedetti, 88. Renowned Uruguayan author (“The Truce”). May 17.
Amos Elon, 82. Israeli author (“The Israelis: Founders and Sons”). May 25.
JUNE:
Koko Taylor, 80. Regal, powerful singer known as “Queen of the Blues.” June 3.
Shih Kien, 96. Veteran Hong Kong actor; Bruce Lee’s archrival in 1973’s “Enter the Dragon.” June 3.
David Carradine, 72. Actor (“Kung Fu,” “Kill Bill”). June 4.
Bob Bogle, 75. Guitarist, co-founded instrumental band The Ventures (“Walk, Don’t Run”). June 14.
Ed McMahon, 86. Ebullient “Tonight” show sidekick who bolstered Johnny Carson. June 23.
Farrah Fawcett, 62. 1970s sex symbol, star of “Charlie’s Angels.” June 25.
Michael Jackson, 50. The “King of Pop.” June 25.
Gale Storm, 87. Perky actress; one of early television’s biggest stars (“My Little Margie”). June 27.
Billy Mays, 50. Burly, bearded television pitchman. June 28. Heart disease.
Harve Presnell, 75. His booming baritone graced Broadway musicals (“The Unsinkable Molly Brown”). June 30.
JULY:
Karl Malden, 97. Oscar-winning actor; a star despite his plain looks (“A Streetcar Named Desire”). July 1.
Allen Klein, 77. No-holds-barred music manager; worked with the Beatles, Rolling Stones. July 4.
Sir Edward Downes, 85. One of Britain’s most renowned conductors; longtime head of the BBC Philharmonic. July 10.
Walter Cronkite, 92. Premier TV anchorman of the networks’ golden age. July 17.
Gordon Waller, 64. Half of the British Invasion pop duo Peter and Gordon (“A World Without Love”). July 17.
Frank McCourt, 78. Former schoolteacher who enjoyed post-retirement fame, and a Pulitzer, for memoir “Angela’s Ashes.” July 19.
E. Lynn Harris, 54. Best-selling author who pioneered gay black fiction (“Love of My Own”). July 23. Heart disease.
Merce Cunningham, 90. The avant-garde dancer and choreographer who revolutionized modern dance. July 26.
AUGUST:
Naomi Sims, 61. Pioneering black model of the 1960s. Aug. 1.
Budd Schulberg, 95. Novelist (“What Makes Sammy Run?”) and Oscar-winning screenwriter (“On the Waterfront”). Aug. 5.
John Hughes, 59. Writer-director of smash youth-oriented comedies (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Home Alone”). Aug. 6. Heart attack.
Willy DeVille, 58. Singer, songwriter; founded punk group Mink DeVille. Aug. 6. Pancreatic cancer.
John Quade, 71. Character actor; the heavy in several Clint Eastwood movies. Aug. 9.
Andy Kessler, 48. Trailblazer of NYC’s skateboarding scene; designed skate parks. Aug. 10. Heart attack after wasp sting.
Les Paul, 94. Guitar virtuoso; invented solid-body electric guitar, multitrack recording. Aug. 13.
Virginia Davis, 90. As child actress, appeared in Walt Disney’s “Alice” films in 1920s. Aug. 15.
Hildegard Behrens, 72. German-born soprano hailed as one of the finest Wagnerian performers of her generation. Aug. 18.
Don Hewitt, 86. TV news pioneer who created “60 Minutes,” produced it for 36 years. Aug. 19.
Elmer Kelton, 83. Acclaimed Western novelist (“The Good Old Boys”). Aug. 22.
Ellie Greenwich, 68. Co-wrote some of 1960s’ most enduring songs (“Be My Baby”). Aug. 26.
Dominick Dunne, 83. Best-selling author who told stories of shocking crimes among the rich and famous. Aug. 26.
Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, 36. Celebrity disc jockey; also a reality TV figure who attempted to help fellow drug addicts. Aug. 28. Overdose.
Marie Knight, 84. Gospel music legend (“Beams of Heaven”). Aug. 30.
SEPTEMBER:
Erich Kunzel, 74. Conductor, longtime head of Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Sept. 1.
Keith Waterhouse, 80. British playwright, novelist (“Billy Liar”). Sept. 4.
Army Archerd, 87. His breezy Daily Variety column kept tabs on Hollywood doings for more than a half-century. Sept. 8.
Frank Batten Sr., 82. He built media giant Landmark Communications, created The Weather Channel. Sept. 10.
Jim Carroll, 60. Poet, punk rocker; wrote “The Basketball Diaries.” Sept. 11. Heart attack.
Larry Gelbart, 81. Slyly witty writer for stage and screen (“Tootsie,” “M-A-S-H”). Sept. 11.
Pierre Cossette, 85. Record label founder; turned Grammy Awards into a popular televised ceremony. Sept. 11.
Zakes Mokae, 75. Tony-winning South African actor (Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold … and the Boys”). Sept. 11.
Paul Burke, 83. Two-time Emmy nominee for his role as Detective Adam Flint in the gritty crime drama “Naked City.” Sept. 13.
Patrick Swayze, 57. Dancer turned movie superstar for “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost.” Sept. 14. Pancreatic cancer.
Henry Gibson, 73. Comic character actor; recited offbeat poetry on “Rowan&Martin’s Laugh-In.” Sept. 14.
Trevor Rhone, 69. Jamaican playwright; co-wrote the reggae film “The Harder They Come.” Sept. 15.
Mary Travers, 72. One-third of the hugely popular 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary (“If I Had a Hammer”). Sept. 16.
Art Ferrante, 88. Half of the piano duo Ferrante and Teicher (“Exodus”). Sept. 19.
Alicia de Larrocha, 86. Spanish pianist who thrilled music listeners for decades. Sept. 25.
William Safire, 79. Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist and word warrior. Sept. 27.
OCTOBER:
Mercedes Sosa, 74. Argentine folksinger; the “Voice of Latin America” who inspired pro-democracy activists. Oct. 4.
Ben Ali, 82. Founded Ben’s Chili Bowl diner, a Washington landmark. Oct. 7.
Irving Penn, 92. Photographer famed for stark simplicity in portraits, fashion shots. Oct. 7.
Al Martino, 82. Singer (“Spanish Eyes”); played the Frank Sinatra-type role in “The Godfather.” Oct. 13.
Daniel Melnick, 77. Producer of acclaimed films “Straw Dogs,” “Network.” Oct. 13.
Vic Mizzy, 93. Songwriter; did catchy sitcom themes (“The Addams Family”). Oct. 17.
Soupy Sales, 83. Rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on thousands of pies to the face. Oct. 22.
Ray Browne, 87. Bowling Green State professor credited with coining the phrase “popular culture.” Oct. 22.
Michelle Triola Marvin, 76. She fought a landmark “palimony” case in the 1970s against former lover Lee Marvin. Oct. 30.
NOVEMBER:
Francisco Ayala, 103. Spanish novelist, sociologist; went into exile during the country’s Franco dictatorship. Nov. 3.
Sheldon Dorf, 76. Founded Comic-Con International comic book convention that draws more than 100,000. Nov. 3.
Jeanne-Claude, 74. With her husband, Christo, she created large-scale, highly publicized art projects. Nov. 18.
Elisabeth Soderstrom, 82. Swedish soprano who performed on world stages. Nov. 20.
Al Alberts, 87. Member of singing Four Aces (“Love is a Many Splendored Thing”). Nov. 27.
DECEMBER:
Aaron Schroeder, 84. Songwriter (Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never”). Dec. 1.
Richard Todd, 90. Acclaimed British actor (“The Longest Day”). Dec. 3.
Vyacheslav Tikhonov, 81. Popular Russian actor; starred in Oscar-winning Soviet production of “War and Peace.” Dec. 4.
Liam Clancy, 74. Last of Clancy Brothers Irish folksong troupe whose songs struck sentimental chord worldwide. Dec. 4.
Thomas Hoving, 78. Former director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art who championed the “blockbuster” exhibit. Dec. 10.

Blog Day 6&7 "Secrets are Us"

So, I missed day 6 because of how crazy my travel schedule was. Today I was in a conference in New Haven Ct. That is not what this blog is about, but it was a really fun conference with Mike Smith, Georgian and Winnie Bannoff, and Ignite Team.

Now onto my subject: Secrets We all have them, good ones, sometimes bad ones. I heard a major leadership trainer say a principle that I believe for the most part "Everyone will tell one person your secret. No one was is geared to keep it to themselves." I do believe that almost everyone verbally processes secrets that are told, but some people have learned how to be incredible secret keepers, and that is where relationship of intimacy is formed....you become really good at keeping your mouth shut.

I am famous for telling peoples good news, I have had to battle the urge to hint of friends engagements, new babies coming, financial blessings, etc. because I love to celebrate. Other people are gossips and want to tell bad news because there is such enjoyment in knowing something that the whole world doesn't know yet. Reality in God: He trusts those with revelation and His heart who He can confide in. To confide means to keep it until He releases it. I have learned the hard way many times (to many times which meant it wasn't the easy character work) that secrets are better untold. Its a principle that people who carry a lot of authority have to live by, the faster you tell a secret the quicker you lose your authority.

So why do I bring it up? Because so many people are wondering why they are not growing in authority with God or others, and this is one HUGE key! On a happy note I will tell you one secret: Jennifer Toledo is going to name her baby Shawn! They love me so much that she can't help it! Oh yeah and my next blog might be on people who lie.

Love hugs and giggles

Shawn Bolz

Blog day 5 "I was made for fun"

Blog day 5 "I was made for fun!"
day off today!!! Great friends? Check! Lots of food and sweets? Check! Good entertainment? Check! Fun location? Double check! No drama? Priceless!

so I'm really tired and this may be short but sweet. After eating all over new York city and seeing shrek the musical, (my favorite food was the crumbs cupcake which will be in heaven with me), eating at a place where our waitress sang fun tunes, hanging out with friends whew, I'm ready for sleep but I made an internal commitment to write so write I will.

i am writing from my iPhone which I think has a special addictive chemical on the screen that makes me want to touch it and check it every five minutes. Because I am using the iPhone I might have spelling or capitolization errors.

i am not going to be profound or make any points tonight. I will just say that I have had a great day. Even on the subway we were entertained by a little Indian man singing and playing guitar. While I waited
for shrek to start I played video games. We met friends for dinner and had great conversations about how to help the world. It was a fun day!

question of the day: what was the most you ever did on a day off?

Day 4 "Remembering at the World Trade Center Location"

So Matthew and I are in New York and I did priceline for a hotel. It put us literally two buildings down from the World Trade Center site and we didn't even know it until after dinner we were walking back to the hotel a different way and we both got hit with some pretty deep emotions the closer we got.

I was surprised that the memories flooded back, maybe being here brought some closure that I didn't know I needed. I realized in this that God was letting my heart lead me through an experience that is just a good human experience to have and go through.

No one can understand the impact this kind of event can have on an individual or society but it made me realize how much I love our country. What an amazing place we live in.

So here is the question of the day:

What memory has come up recently that came with tons of emotions that you had to spend some time getting understanding about what you were feeling? Is your heart open where it surprises you and leads you at times or are you totally living out of your head?

Shawn Bolz

Expression58

www.expression58.org

Blog Day 3 "Authority Issues"

I am so glad we have the tools to grow as humans that are out here today. I feel like our grandparents generation and before lived in the dark ages when it came to issues of the heart and character. We have progressed so far forward in knowing how to get healed, knowing how to get balanced, knowing how to recover, etc. Also we have taken quantum leaps in character building.

I am constantly growing in heart skills and my core values and I make mistakes all the time, but the cool thing is that I live in an environment with God and friends that bring me back to the core of who I am which is defined by what I believe. I have watched countless numbers of people leave churches, businesses, relationships, etc and not be able to recover because they left unresolved and had nothing in their lives to help resolve them...and frankly just normal relationships aren't going to fix a heart problem. You need a heart specialist. If your friends tell you to go to a urologist when you have a heart attack, you wouldn't take their advice then.
Its funny because we were making jokes as ministers about some of our friends assistants who are reading books like "The Bondage Breaker and "Boundaries" because they don't know how to have a normal relationship with such high powered ministry professionals who don't usually live lives centered around relationships. Almost every high powered person I have ever met from any sphere of society whether ministry, business, politics, etc has learned to be self sufficient, to fix their own problems or hide them, and they don't usually slow down until there is a break down. It doesn't mean they are bad people it just means that they have learned a survival type of accomplishing their goals....not a thriving way that God intended us to walk in.

When you don't have a balance between relationship and purpose you will kill relationship around you which is the reason why we are on this Earth in the first place. Its funny that so many ministries have a Messiah complex, that they want to save the whole world and feel the weight of responsibility for their gifts and ministries but they usually have very imbalanced families and children. A lot of this is changing right now culturally as groups like Bethel in Redding hold leadership summits and retrain the way we prioritize and impart a new culture.
The reality is I want to be and create a safe place for people to fail. I hate that the church kills her wounded in most circles. We should have counseling, healing, and pastoring to build a process of safe relationships.

Basically there are two types of authority that we need to balance between: 1) Authority given out of respect for position and accomplishment 2) Authority given out of relationship.

This generation is longing for relationship and is weary of the authority that is positional or accomplishment based because of some of the hypocrisy of the lack of the relational balance. Some of the fundamental break downs in Evangelical Christianity are the issues that we are so passionate about but have very little relational authority in our culture to change. These become extremism to people who don't think like we do because we have isolated our lives from them but force our perspective onto them.

I was called several years ago by a pastor on a conference call who was going to go after a Culture Armageddon and fight homosexuality. I had just started my church and told them that I couldn't be part of their fight because I didn't have anything installed in my church to help heal sexual identity problems, so how could I have authority to fight against something that I wasn't using kingdom power to heal first? Then I asked how many of the other pastors had programs to help people with sexual identity problems that were successful who were fighting this battle and none of them did. This made me realize that we need to change quickly and become a source of kingdom power on the earth and install what is missing before we point out the results of those missing pieces. In other words everyone can see when there is a puzzle piece that is a gap in the puzzle but who is forming the piece or looking for the piece that fits and placing it in to complete the picture?

This is also why the prolife movement sucks right now in its impact. I am completely pro life, but very few organizations deal with the 800,000 kids who come into foster care just in America every year not to mention the countless orphans in many countries. How is a poor inner city teen not going to get an abortion when her alternatives only look good on paper? I think when we bring the kingdom of life, we start to steward the lives that are here and now and it creates a culture of life stewardship where abortion just doesn't make sense anymore because of the amount of loving families available to care for those babies. Its easy to see fetus's as not real people when you are not loved well and don't feel like a real person yourself.

So I guess my blog has come down to the fact that we need a love revolution steeped in a culture of honor.

Over the past two years I have been installing Danny Silks message on "Culture of Honor" which kills control and victimization. You can't hold people responsible for your neediness or for your rejection, or for your bad character or for controlling you when you understand his message that I think is revolutionary. It also reprioritizes you life around having safe boundaries and healthy relationship dynamics. I am including it in this blog.

Link to Culture of Honor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFxM9xn3-4Y
So my question of the day is:

What issues are you extremely passionate about that you don't have a balance of position and relationship to be an authority in to our culture yet?

Blog day 2 "Weren't you dating some girl?"

Blog day 2 "Weren't you dating some girl?"

So today max the wonder dog woke me up with a desperate need to go to the bathroom. He usually sleeps longer then me but there he was staring in hopes I would take him down the 2 flights of stairs so he could be delivered of who knows what he ate. No one could appreciate the intensity of a dog who has to go to the bathroom when you are trying to sleep unless they witness it. As I went to let him out I remembered my dream.

In it a bunch of people were asking me about the relationship I had this summer
that ended in august. I realized two things: 1) I released the fact that I was dating publically but never followed up with what happened and 2) I realized that in the dream people assumed the worst which made me want to make sure that it didn't happen in my real woken up land.

So let me tell you a nutshell version of what happened. I won't mention her name for her sake in case you are coming in late on our story. I am so grateful for the dating experience this summer with her. I haven't announced a girlfriend in years and she definitely was the center of my attention for a while. It was hard in the end, not because there was drama, but because it just wasn't it. She is such an amazing heart person so it of course was disappointing but we like each other and how we developed the relationship was around friendship first so we are ok now. Plus it was only 5 weeks of relationship....the lack of time invested helps it to be only disappointing and not devastating. So we are friends still and she still lives in LA and goes to our church. I think that's amazing that we can maintain that level of ok-ness.

I am so happy with the way my life is turning out without someone so I am in no hurry but if the right woman comes along believe you me, no one will have to point her out.

Well I didn't want this to sound like I had a summer fling, I wanted to make sure that this amazing woman was covered because there really wasn't a down side in our relationship, it just didn't work on a deeper level and she was the one to point it out first so there was nothing wrong with her...or me. Just wrong fit....hard for all the moms in my life to believe me they don't believe in a wrong fit they want drama! Haha except real mom she is amazing and understood. I wanted to fight for it when we were breaking up but I couldn't and I had to follow my heart just as she followed hers in initiating the break up.

I think the hardest part was that I so enjoyed doing life with someone on that level. Plus she is an amazing person. So with an open heart to God I pursue life.

On a side note I was able to really be creative this weekend which felt amazing. It was mostly in writing but I had other creative ideas for projects. I am the type of person who for the most part commits to my creativity and sees it through unless its all conceptual. This is so real though and I can't wait for my personal creative projects to take more shape. Maybe I will be bold and show them here.

So every day I am going to include a question to demand back from you, my readers, to participate. Here is today's:

my question of the day for you is can you think about a relationship/friendship that you had to end for whatever reason that is joyful to recall now? Like you suffer no pain or reminder of pain as much as you reminisce on the joy you had in it?

30 Days of Blogging Day 1

30 Days of Blogging

I am going to try and do the impossible and I am going to try and journal/blog for 30 consecutive days to kick start my life back into some consistency. Probably the hardest thing since I have been in LA is having anything that is "normal" that I do from day to day.

Maybe that's why Max the wonder dog plays such a crucial role in my life...no matter what I am doing that feels amazing or important or overwhelming or draining, I have to come home to let him out, to spend time with him, to feed him. That shows you how ungrounded a single person can get when they don't have their home life dictating their work or creative life. I am not complaining but its a different reality then many of you live out of.

So I am going to try and blog and maybe through it you will look into my life and process and have fun, or you will get bored and stop reading after just one (haha) either way I am doing this to share the journey.

During the next 30 days I am going to take radical steps in my:

1) Diet - I am doing a Susan Summers kind of low carb thing and I will update you how it goes. The only thing I won't give up is my coffee....she wants me to drink decaf with no milk or sweetener so I am going to compromise that and let it be my daily treat. (I love vanilla and I have it in every cup somehow..but there is sugerfree!)

2) Ministry related writing - I am writing a lot this month. Not just a blog, but working on pressing out 2 writing projects in the next few months. They are basically done but have to be restructured (Like my life) so that they flow correctly. They used to be different books and I completely changed them but thank God I had several hundred pages to work with. One is a book that I hope life coaches the reader into loving on purpose (thanks for the term goes to Danny Silk but I won't steal it) and the other is about creativity and the renaissance that is coming.

3) Creative Projects - many of you don't know that I love creative writing because I have never released anything to the world as far as stories, novels, etc. but its one of my passions. I love when a story and its characters live whole lives in your imagination and I have been having my first full living world alive inside of me that I want to construct but the first book might be a long process (hopefully years not decades). I need to get back into a writers club or group but again the way I am scheduled between itinerate ministry and church ministry right now is not allowing for the time so I have bought some books to kick start me including: "Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook" by Donald Maass which is amazing if you have other tools along with it & "How to write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card which isn't that helpful.

4) Restructuring my leadership team at the church - we have a lady who is fast becoming a real asset who is consulting us about info structure. Grab a group of mostly young adults, throw them into LA where they all go through constant personal transitions and survival mode through recession in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and you are bound to need help building structure. We also have some Bethel guys from Redding coming down to help us. We have vision up the wazoo and we have some management, but we need an admin backbone and clear vision. Two of the books I just read that were AMAZING were : Who Moved the Cheese (thanks Stephanie Taylor from Facebook) because it sounded so unusual, and it was amazing. I also just read Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People again with my team but did a refresher last week...hence why I am blogging. I ordered "Primal Leadership" from Borders at the recommendation of lots of facebook friends saying its amazing. I will report about it soon.

5) Restructuring my itinerate ministry - for years I taught and imparted on the prophetic and healing, but more so lately I have been empowering people with our ministry (my life) themes of LOVE CREATIVITY & JUSTICE. My traveling ministry has the old in it but its shaping up to be much broader and more building then my past season of traveling. We are rebuilding all of my resources (CD's, DVDs, ETC) to be really easy to access these themes and I have about 20 new products built and ready to come out. We just transferred the Dating DVD series onto audio format (finally!) and it will be a book soon as well its in final edits...kind of (right Sally the editor? I promise to give you final copy back after your edits).

So, I am going to blog about these things and unimportant things over the next 30 days. Stay tuned, and I will try and be faithful to upload my blogs to all my blogging sites every day but they will for sure be on MySpace and Facebook.

Shawn

Michael Jackson: A Call to Action Toward the Entertainment Industry

THE HARVEST IS RIPE IN HOLLYWOOD
A CALL TO ACTION TOWARD THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

A commission of love is being released toward the entertainment industry

The tragic passing of both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson in one day has hit the heart of Los Angeles in a devastating way. These two cultural icons, who pioneered in their respective industries, were loved. They were controversial, they were famous, they were broken, they were incredible—they were two of the people Jesus paid the price for on the cross.

For those of us living in Los Angeles, these kinds of events give us a much different perspective on the world around us. As I watched people gathering on the streets for both of these stars, my heart broke. The issue of what happens after the death of some like these hanged in the air.
I have been getting e-mails all day. So many people had a burden for these two superstars. I know many Christians who surrounded Farrah Fawcett all the way to the end. She was prayed for. She put her hope in God. She was believing for miraculous healing, and she was even reading books from a Christian perspective about this. I am so grateful for her choices in the end, and that she and her now-widowed husband got married to honor each other and God. She will be missed.

Michael Jackson also had many Christians in his life giving him hope. They believed for restoration of who he was, not just as an entertainer, but as an individual. One of our radical Christian friends was going to be one of the choreographers on his new fifty-city tour. God was surrounding him with people who were called to love him on this mission ground of Hollywood.

You and I are responsible for the famous entertainers

We have a responsibility to love the entertainment industry well. This is one of the reasons why I planted a church in one of the entertainment capitals of the world—to provide hope and family to people who live in this cultural city.

We are supposed to respect and honor those who have leadership and influence in society, even if we cannot honor their message or methods. When the Father created them, He was preparing a place for them in heaven. He hoped that they would spend their whole lives in eternity with Him. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, God treated them their whole lives as being worthy of His love. We are not supposed to treat them with any less value. The Father doesn’t judge these people with a permanent curse because they are not saved or are not walking with Him, He only judges them on the day they die, and His judgment is based on whether they chose Him or not. We need to give celebrities the same value and love the Father does.

It is society that raises people up to stardom, and society is responsible for their failures, their brokenness and their extreme behaviors. The Church is as responsible as anyone for popular culture. It was proven through marketing statistics that the reason Kris Allen (of American Idol fame) won this season was because Christian America was rooting for him. He was talented, but the much worldlier Adam, who was far more gifted, was not as appealing to the fans of the show. On top of this, more people voted for American Idol this year then for any presidency in history. The Church caused Kris Allen’s rise to stardom, and it is now responsible for its future treatment of him. We have to shepherd the famous, love them and help them to find their true identity. This has never been truer than now.

Because we haven’t taken responsibility, there is a whole culture of people who are badly wounded and broken. They feel estranged from the very people who are supposed to represent the love of God. We, the Church, have had such an anti-love spirit toward them because we feel violated by popular culture, but we have answered an antichrist spirit with an antichrist spirit. Instead of love being our response, we have rejected an unreached people group. Many of us have felt righteous in the process.

Let’s start to take responsibility. Maybe you don’t know how to actually affect culture as a Christian, but these people are cultural leaders in our society. We are called to action concerning them. We are called:
To pray that God reveals His love to them in tangible ways
To pray that ungodly influences are cut off from them
To pray that they won’t be an immoral influence
To love them like they are part of our heart—like they are family

These famous people are being raised up as voices, as icons and as idols because they have something to give the world around them. They have a message. They are a voice for those who have no voice. Sometimes their message is absolutely polluted, but that doesn’t mean their gift is not from God. We can see redemption of these people and their gifts.

There will be a revival amongst the unreached people group called the entertainment industry

There will be revival amongst the entertainment industry, but it is only going to break through as Daniels and Josephs love these people well, and as we raise up a prayer movement among those in the industry. These are going to be the two keys to revival breaking out in this harvest field.

This is where you and I come in. It’s time to raise up prayers and to accept the responsibility to love entertainers and the industry they are in. It’s time to influence them, not just with faith-based initiatives, but with compassion and kindness, whether they embrace Christ or not. It is time to answer the offense towards Christianity with authentic love.

Planting mission movements in entertainment cultures

Taking it a step further, I believe the Lord of the harvest is sending workers to the harvest field of the entertainment industry in a way that has never been so widespread. People are coming from all over the world to provoke God’s love in the entertainment industries by working there. Almost every major ministry we are connected to has begun to send people to minister here. Others are releasing people because they believe in their calling. Bethel, Morning Star, YWAM, Campus Crusade for Christ, TAC, Harvest Rock, HIM, Iris Ministries, etc. are all seeing the value of going into this industry to reap the harvest that is promised to Jesus

The entertainment industry is like a third-world nation in the Spirit

When I came to Los Angeles to plant a church, I had a vision. I saw a group of us ministering to one of the most extreme third-world-poverty people I had ever seen, but then my eyes opened, and overlaying the vision was Los Angeles. I immediately got the correlation that we are in a place where people die all the time because of their spiritual hunger. LA and other lands like it are third-world nations in the Spirit, and their people need intense love, effort and provision to be given them in creative spiritual ways.

I want to call you to action. If you have no way to directly go yourself into this mission field, connect the dots to someone who is there! About fifty percent of the people in our church are in the entertainment industry, and we are about to rent a building in the West Los Angeles area (around or in Hollywood) within the next three months. We still need some of the deposit, we still need chairs and we still need a sound system, but we are going! There are groups like us that you can partner with to make a difference. Let your heart be gripped with compassion for the cause! Help us bring in the entertainment field’s harvest! To make a donation online, you can
give through our PayPal account: office@expression58.org is our PayPal e-mail
or you can go to our Web site and click on store to make a donation
or call us at 310-913-3933

In the love of God,
Shawn Bolz
Expression58
http://shawnbolz.wordpress.com/
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