I am a blessed man. I have friends and loved ones that pitch in at a moments notice with no hesitation to help out with what I wedge myself into. Recently, I cooked a massive amount of food for my Pastor's retirement celebration. My mom and dad cooked 10 briskets and then helped to cut and pan all of the food. My wonderful wife changed out pans and washed dishes for the 20 briskets that I cooked. They took their lives and gave them to me for an entire week. In fact, my parents couldn't stay for the dinner, and my wife wrangled kids while I ate and received thanks. I am honored to have them dedicate themselves to me.

We cooked nearly 600 pounds of meat, and it was an amazing thing to see all of that food being enjoyed by my church family. I received so many compliments that I didn't deserve. I did a simple thing for an extraordinary event, and I wish that people would have directed their thanks and appreciation to the people that decorated and organized a stunning dinner celebration. I am absolutely grateful for the loving words that were piled on me, I just hope that they were even more generous to everyone else that worked and planned the event.

Great food isn't great food unless you have great people to serve it. That same food can't be enjoyed if they don't set up tables so that people can be seated while dining. That dinner wouldn't have tasted as good if the breathtaking decorations were not there to complete the experience. The dinner would have just been a dinner without the carefully crafted planning and orchestration that was done behind the scenes. Tim was even downloading music in the kitchen so that they could present Pastor Carter in style. The same fantastic crew that did all of the back-breaking labor stayed to clean up and polish the place before we left.

I am in awe of their dedication and selfless devotion. They make it easy to volunteer.

Today, Tim is in Dallas picking up a new drum set for me to play on for Sunday. Wednesday night, he and Eddie Goode asked my opinion as to what I wanted to play on. I bared my soul a little, and gave them my list. It felt like talking to Santa months before Christmas. I didn't think that I would get what I was asking for, but I had to answer truthfully. I value their questions as much as I value their friendship. They both admitted that drums and percussion gear were not their areas of expertise.

With that said, I have to say this - If I ever had a question about anything that remotely involved a guitar or stringed instrument, I would go to the scrolls of Eddie Goode for my knowledge. Tim would be the oracle for anything involving piano, sound equipment, electrical innovation, video editing, multimedia presentation, and the list goes on. I am surrounded with people that are passionate about what they do and what is being done through them.

It was an amazing compliment for these men that I hold in such a high position of regard in my life to ask my opinion on something as important in my life as music ministry. After my latest conversation with them, I am honored that my opinion mattered.

All said, this is a great Friday. I am going home on the high of great compliments from great people, and I will get to spend this weekend setting up and playing a beautiful new instrument. For a musician, that is a great privilege. In my job, I was evaluated this week as well. I was once again complimented far more than I deserved to be. I am gratefully humbled.

As I contemplate the week's events, I come to a conclusion: Compliments mean more when the people that are delivering them mean so much to you. Compliments spread joy and happiness.

What are you spreading?