nywc: atlanta - day three, part 2

First, an observation...

I have noticed that when people are in a crowd like the one we're in, there is some pressure to dance. The artists are known to say things like, "Alright, ya'all... I want to see everyone in this room up on their feet and when I say 'dookie dookie' you need to jump on up." Thanks, but I'm at the stage in life when I get to decide what to do on 'dookie dookie,' but I'm also still young enough to vertical dance/jump up when that's what feels like the right thing to do in such a 'dookie dookie' moment.

That's not the observation, though. The real observation is the people who try to actually do the vertical dance/jump during these times.

• The rookie: This is often someone dressed in a shirt with a collar. Male or female, you can tell they came to the event to take notes and not to vertical dance/jump up during 'dookie dookie.' Their jumping is usually cautious, and after about three or four attempts up and down, they stop to evaluate how they're doing, recalibrate with the crowd, then try three or four more and repeat the process.
  


• The charismatic: This individual is a bit dangerous... makes people around them afraid to take their eyes off of them. If they had their way, they'd give him five feet all to himself. But they can't... so they don't... and they are afraid... very afraid... of being stomped on.
  


• The arm-folder: This is that guy or gal who refuses to vertical dance/jump up during 'dookie dookie' but still goes into the front area where everyone is gathered who wants to jump dance during 'dookie dookie' - and I find this amazingly confusing.
  


• The punker: This title doesn't mean to imply the person is a punk rocker, but rather they have a barbaric way about them in jump dancing. You can tell if they really wanted to they could go pro and win some trophies for the energy they put into the deal... if only it was an Olympic sport.

Now, an overview...

• Brent Longenecker (entertainment): I can do that... I just don't want to.
  


• Jeff Allen (comedian): This guy cracks me up... he's like a funny Tim Allen... who just woke up.
  


• Bill Arnold (comedian): Nice... nice... not thrilling, but nice.
  
  
• Family Force Five (music): I have to laugh... I just do. I don't know if it's a Christian Kid Rock concert or simply a joke I'll never get. These guys have talent - don't get me wrong. What they do with it, though, blows the mind. I had to use the restroom during this part... they sound amazing from the stalls.
  
  
• Michelle (Compassion International): Wow... I had no idea. I believe I must do something about this... to see someone be blessed by this ministry AND open a school of the arts to minister in her country AND now sponsor a child of her own? To see what God is doing in and through this gal's life blew me away. I sat close to her, too... watching her worship was life-enlarging.
  


• Louie Giglio (speaker): How does he flippin' do it? Every year Louie puts a message together just for me. Only this year I took it in differently... I'll write more on this later, but let me just affirm our God is good. Notes coming later.
  


• Chris Tomlin (lead worship): Tomlin following Louie goes together just like Kibbles and Bits... or something like that. Afterward. Jesse from the band hung out with our church's lead worshipper Mike - they had a cool cat chat about this and that.