Five Guys in Colorado......

....this is not a hamburger joint! As I was sitting in a ReFresh Conference at Calvary, Aurora last week, I noticed five guys in the room who had moved from Albuquerque to Colorado to start churches: Gino Geraci, Al Pittman, Fernando Ortiz, Mike Montgomery & Larry Eckton all came from CCABQ. Who was the one guy in the building who moved from Colorado to Albuquerque? Moi. The way of a lone wolf is a solitary path! No complaints & no regrets over the honor I have had to serve in New Mexico, but now I get the opportunity to consult with a new metro radio station in Denver, and I see the Lord bringing me full circle. So ABQ will be my home base while Montana, Miami & Colorado are my new stomping grounds.

Looks like Freq Flyer miles will mount up, while I bring some Connection projects in for landings. Launching the Shattered the DVD is high on my radar, as are putting two new radio Connection stations on the air in Arizona & south New Mexico. After a few days in Colorado last week I spent a day in LA, where I toured the Trinity Broadcast Network with Paul Crouch Jr. TBN has a tremendous global footprint and I have high hopes for what could happen with this platform.

Also dropped into KWVE to see Pastor Chuck and hand deliver a copy of Riptide to him,

almost 2 years to the day when we conducted a two hour interview with him to launch production of the project.

Aisley Rebecca makes her appearance
No words for Jaxon!

A Few Days In Fla & A Birthday In the City Different

You might hear about 'monsoon season' in New Mexico, well I went through a minor tropical storm last week in Florida. Nicole rolled through Miami and they cancelled church!

They said it was mild, but man, 20 inches of rain later.....

Amazing thing was, no thunder, no wind, no warning, the heavens just opened and poured warm water. Very tropical, and with no lightening, the pool at my hotel stayed open and swimming was a trip in the storm. Of course I did get wet.

It is going to be nice escaping to South Florida this winter for work, the team at Calvary in Miami is in for a wild ride- it will be fun to go along.

Celebrating my birthday in Santa Fe at Larissa & my favorite place, the La Posada near the Plaza.

Only 45 minutes from ABQ, but a whole different vibe. Great place to write, eat and soak it all in.

This pic is of the Plaza at sunrise.
Friend of animals- sun rising at St. Francis' church
Happy Birthday to me, after 2 years of production, the first shipment of Riptide DVD's arrived.

Thank you Lord. I am very pleased with the outcome, I think it tells the story.

Dozens of interviews, six countries along with blood, sweat etc.......here is the trailer:

www.riptidemovie.com - let me know what you think.

North to Montana

Skull Church! Finally- able to see my first Skull Church in person in Montana. This is one of the reasons I am now known as 'Levi Lusko's Dad,' though I used to be someone (not really!).
Skull Church is the real deal: smooth, powerful and gritty at the same time. Not for the faint of heart, Skull Church roars into action every Wednesday at 7, (www.skullchurch.com) from the Strand Theater in Kalispell, Montana, but I am thinking that very soon, the Strand will not be able to hold it, and it will bust loose to parts unknown.Homage to the Original Mermaid: Home of the first Starbucks - in Seattle
Second Childhood? On my way to Montana I had a meeting and significant layover in Seattle. That is a good thing, great city. There wasn't time to go to the San Juan Islands, and check out the Orca whales, so I did the obvious, headed for Pike Place to watch fish get tossed, have some salmon and reverently drink coffee at the Original Starbucks.
Also found time for some bike shopping. Interesting, when I was 12, I did not care about cars, all I wanted was a Schwinn. Now, I have a convertible Mustang, and could not care less, all I want is a newer bike. Granted, the Litespeed above goes for double what my first new car ('73 Ford Maverick) cost!

Pike Place: Home of Flying Fish 

Meeting Daisy Grace for the first time,
Queen Alivia and her court
What a sweetheart- Daisy locks eyes and just laughs

A Few Connection Flashbacks

As you can see above, I was very young when I started managing Connection Communications.
Well, maybe I haven't been there quite that long, but I did start supervising The Connection Radio and TV broadcast 20 years ago this summer.

The Past
The Connection Brand actually was born 1n 1980 in Southern California when a friend of mine, Kent Bagdasar and I began a weekly contemporary Christian radio program on KFOX radio in Redondo Beach. I came up with the name, The Calvary Connection and then it all began. Kent eventually moved to Albuquerque to manage KKIM Radio, where the Connection made its New Mexico debut. Soon, Skip and Lenya moved to New Mexico and started a Bible study; Kent then applied this name to the CCABQ radio ministry on his station.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I moved to Colorado to manage a radio station and start a church.
Eventually, Kent and I owned two radio stations in Colorado Springs and I became General Sales Manager of a new Fox TV station. Here, Skip and I began producing The Calvary Connection TV program and I started producing the Connection daily radio broadcast.
So that's the ancient history. Oh yeah, I also moved the Lusko tribe to Albququerque and went on staff full time, at that time there were 1 and 1/2 people working at the Connection, Dawn Chancellor in art & Dan Elliot in audio. Who knew we would one day have our own building with over 40 people on the media team? God knew.


Career Highlight: Bibleman hugged me

What's Next: On the Road with Jaxon

The People
I can't say there is one singular lesson from this experience during my time on the Calvary Campus, but high on the list is this: I have learned to value people over projects. There it is, as a sometimes maniacally driven individual, I can be focused to the point of obsession. That trait doesn't always translate well into horizontal relationships, and just maybe this passion can come across as a bit aloof. It's been a process, but God has gradually helped me appreciate the people around me more than my own productivity. No one will confuse me with Dr. Phil, but I am making progress. The team at the Connection is a talented group of dedicated professionals, my basic job was to turn the lights on for them. I served with some for 10-15 years, they rock.
Levi, Daniel, Heidi, Becca & Jesse

The Fam
One amazing opportunity I have had at Calvary is to work with my kids. In turn all have been a part of ministry at CCABQ. The campus has been a magnet for each of them and I am so grateful for the activities and events that have kept my kids off the streets and walking with the Lord. I am way blessed to have been able to serve in ministry with them, and there is more ahead. (Josh, not pictured, but he did his time at Solomon's Porch & the Skate Park!)

The Highlights
I won't even try to be remotely exhaustive here, but flow of consciousness goes like this:

• The first Harvest Crusade at old Dukes Stadium
• Signing on KNKT with Skip at midnight on a Good Friday in 95 (I think)
• Israel Trip #5, with Chuck Smith, Skip and Joel Rosenberg.
• Epicenter Conference in Jerusalem, Jesus Boat Shoot in the Galilee
• Easter Sunrise Service (Pick one)
• Levi coming from Montana to teach his first weekend at Calvary of Albuquerque
• Debut of Massive Radio
• Preaching in a soccer stadium in Ghana with the Kry
• Making the Epicenter Documentary with Daniel, Skip and Joel in Israel
• Road to Rome Video shoot with Daniel in Israel, Turkey, Greece & Italy
• Daniel's multi-media auto biography event: Zeal!
• Meeting Benjamin Netanyahu for Epicenter interview
• Two hour on stage 'Actors Studio' type interview with Jim Caviezel at CCABQ 
• Connection Celebration in Belize. Clive!
• Set-up trip for Lifeline with Becca in Manila
• Calvary Celebration in Anaheim for Riptide
• Watching Larissa teach at Women at Calvary
• Having Jesse in my Shepherd's School class

It almost sounds like bragging when I review these spiritual resumes. But not at all, I am boasting in the Lord, He did it. The kids have all  avoided the PK syndrome, gone voluntarily to Christian Colleges and are certain to surpass my accomplishments. Jesse is now co-leading Vertical and also still on campus is my lovely wife Larissa who is working with Lenya in management of Women at Calvary. She is a fine teacher, strong administrator and keeps me on the straight and narrow, generally.


Larissa. Yes, way over my pay grade

The Lowlight
No contest: It's the loss of relationships through the transition from hell a few years back. I received a crash course in crisis management that Michigan State did not offer, and lost some lifelong friends in the mix. Very sad. Did get a glimpse of what it is like for the media to smell blood in the water. Fins were circling, and no Jimmy Buffett music.
I learned that bloggers in bunny slippers can become spiritual criminals, lucky for them, I am not the judge and jury. We shall leave that to the Lord. In the Romans 8 department, I saw that God's hand is on the thermostat, and He will let you get pretty well broasted.

The Next Pasture
Hope to spend some time in Montana with the Fresh Life Team, work with Daniel on his first feature film and launch Heidi properly. There are also a few movies I want to make while I pray large and push the borders. There are some good friends who are inviting me on mega-adventures. As Will Smith would say, Gotta go, gotta go!
Just want to stay hungry, and go hard till we  go home. Okay, and maybe dive Tahiti too.

Parting Shot
I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve at Calvary. Skip has always been very gracious to give me a shot at pushing the edges. Usually it worked, there were 'other' times when my ideas led me out to thin ice, but not many.
It has been an amazing ride watching God blow up this work. Calvary has an incredible pulpit and I have learned a great deal about pulpit faithfulness from Skip.
At the end of the day- it's about getting God's word out in as many echoes as possible, that's why I came to ABQ, and that's why I got up this morning too.
Or as Joey B says, 'It's all about the kids.' True, true.

Home Crawling with Grandchildren

Touchdown! Larissa, Levi, Heidi & Alivia

Levi was in town recently to teach at Calvary and was able to bring Alivia- happily. great weekend, here are some snapshots

Levi was in the main sancturary-while Jesse led the Vertical teaching in the Hub
Fresh take on the book of Jonah: God Rocks the Punk. Jonah was a punk. So are we.
Who's watching who? Lusko's at the zoo.
Liv does the pink flamingo.

Levi joins me and Team Rio for a 40 mile ride.
Jaxon & Alivia
Pre-game: Levi and Jesse preparing for Saturday night teachings. I am a blessed dude.

Collide Magazine | Church Spotlight: Fresh Life Church

Officially one of my favorite coffee places on the planet, (and that is saying a great deal) Montana Coffee Traders in Whitefish.Daniel directing as I interview Levi for Riptide at the Liberty Theater

Three and a half years back, Levi left the warm vibe of Southern California for the frontier of Montana. Quite a leap. Levi could have stayed comfortably on staff at a mega-church, but elected to take a serious spiritual adventure. He did not choose a soft landing. The Flathead Valley of Montana could not be more different from Orange County. Let's just say Levi is not a
flannel and pick-up kind of guy. Long story short: God has moved and a remarkable work has sprung up. Levi took some homies (sp) with him, a spiritual bratpack from ABQ & SoCal.
Best analysis came from a Calvary ABQ team that visited, after walking through the church and seeing what God was doing through a bunch of former youth group leaders, he said:
'Where are the grown-ups, and who tells you guys when to go to bed?!" Answer: No one does.

Here are some links to check it:

http://freshlifechurch.com
http://levilusko.com
http://skullchurch.com
http://freshliferadio.com

And here's an article from Collide Mag:

Collide Magazine | Church Spotlight: Fresh Life Church

Calvary of Albuquerque Webcast - Will the Church Survive?

Calvary of Albuquerque Webcast - Will the Church Survive?