2013 in Review - DonB! Ministries

Large Photo: Dale and his cousin in California
Inset Photo: The Bursells, making "grass angels" for our friends back in Minnesota

2014 is well under way, and I realized it has been a while since my last writing here.  I've been keeping up with the activities of DonB! Ministries by writing on Facebook, as well as sending out an email newsletter, but I also realize that not everyone is on Facebook, so I wanted to drop by and let you know what's happening.

January 2013 was a busy month.  Deb & I began attending a new church, New Hope Community Church, in Cambridge, Minnesota.  I performed my 10th show for the "Delta Pilots for Kids Program" at St. Joseph's Shelter in St. Paul. I took a winter trip to Texas to perform and teach at the Joey to the World Clown Conference for 4 days. I did my 50th & 52nd show for Camp Lebanon in Bertram, Minnesota, including a test run of mid-air fishing (magically catching live fish on a pole) and gave a couple of other new routines a test run.  Deb, Deanna and I continued working with the junior high youth group at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

February was a slower month, but I did a couple of human mannequin gigs for Mannequin in Motion, including Bobby & Steve's BIG party at the Hilton in Minneapolis.

March started the Upward Sports season, and I travelled around Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois performing for players and their families.  I also has opportunity to play 2 fun nights of music (I play bass guitar) with musicians from around Minnesota, and our main gig was at Emma's Pizza right here in Mora, and almost 80 people showed up for pizza and music. We repeated the event once again at New Beginnings Church in Cambridge, Minnesota, on April 21st.

April was the month that I started sending out an email newsletter, the DonB! Irregular Newsletter.  If you do not receive it, please let me know and I'll add your email to my growing list of friends around the world. April 21st is when I started playing bass guitar on the worship team at our new church. I performed for an 80-year-old's birthday party, and performed at St. Canice Catholic Church in Kilkenny, Minnesota, and there were more people at my program than there were on the town's population sign!

On May 1st I took my first flight of the year to Nashville, Tennessee (I took 2 more throughout the year) to perform for Katie Harris's surprise birthday party.  Katie is the wife of Harris III, the illusionist I travel with every so often. The Dontar Machine had its first gig of the year at Hamline University. The last week was spent performing and teaching at Fun Camp, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where performers of different specialties get together and learn from each other.

June brought some warmth, as well as shows for Morristown Dam Days (yes, it's really called that), an overnight Grad party in North St. Paul, and an all day event for employees of Delta Airlines at the MSP airport. I flew to Pocola, Oklahoma, and performed with Harris III, at a casino, owned by Christians that want to use the venue as an outreach tool.  How's THAT for "outside the box" thinking?

On June 23rd, our family left to drive to Sandy Cove Ministries in North East, Maryland, for 6 weeks. Each week there I did 2 shows, M.C'd the morning Brown Bag Devotions (of which I'm still working on the book about) and performed strolling entertainment throughout the weeks.  Deb & I were invited to take an all-day trip on Goldwing motorcycles through the mountains of Pennsylvania, and it was incredibly scenic. I also started shaving my head during the 2nd week of camp, and I've chosen to leave it that way.  "Bald is beautiful", or at least that's what my wife says.

My new hairstyle

Even though we were in Maryland for the summer, on July 18th I flew back to Minnesota to perform at Sonshine Music Fest in Wallmar, MN, on the invite of Randy Christensen.  I closed off my time there by watching the night time concert from Skillet, complete with fireworks! While in Maryland, Deb & I took an all-day trip to the ocean with our friends, the Weavers. It had been at least 2 years since I had done any swimming in an ocean, and it was fun.

In August, I performed at the Little Falls County Fair, and also performed at libraries around Minnesota for their summer reading program. On July 21st I went on the road with Randy Christensen and his son, Ben, and presented the L.O.L. Show in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada. On the 31st, I competed in my 2nd disc golf tournament in Brainerd, MN, and returned for the 30-somethinkth time to Trout Lake Camp, to perform for their family weekend.

In September I did 3 shows in South Dakota, and then flew down to Marshall, Missouri, to perform with Harris III and Bubba Dowling, presenting the "Bamboozled" Show. September 18th I performed for (at least the 20th year in a row) Faith Community Church in Hudson, Wisconsin, opening up their year of AWANA programs for families. The next day I drove into the upper peninsula of Michigan for 2 shows in Nagaunee and Ishpiming. Things then quieted down a bit for the last 12 days of September.

Dontar at Mayo Clinic

However, October came in like a lion, albeit a small lion, with a Dontar Event at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, another Dontar gig for a private corporate party, and then the usual stilt-walking gig I've been doing now for 8 years for Halloween in Coon Rapids, MN. I finished out the month at New Life Church in Princeton, MN., on Halloween night, presenting 2 shows there.

DonB, on New Year's Eve. Franklin, TN

November started with only 3 scheduled shows, but somehow became a busy month of teaching, and meetings, and travels.  Probably the rest I really needed?

December showed only 5 gigs at the beginning of the month, but by the end of the month, I had performed in Minnesota, California and Tennessee, entailing some really last minute additional shows. One of the highlights of December was being able to travel to California to see friends and relatives that we've not seen in years.  It was warm there. 

On our way to California

Throughout the year I've been playing disc golf more and more, especially when I visit the warmer areas of the United States. I have also been spending the last year helping to sell an entire collection of magic books on eBay, owned by a friend of mine. Some are modern, and some are from the late 1800s.

New Magic Books

Very Old Magic Books

Well, what can I say?  I've been blessed with a life that I don't deserve.  I type this as I sit by our new fireplace, with a roof over my head, with friends and family all around me.  I'll close by sharing some fun photos from the year.

One of my favorite Christmas photos

Our disc gold group in CA

We first loved Rita's in Maryland, but
now they have them in California too!

California

Tennessee

Minnesota

Happy New Year! - A Resolution

Can it be true?!?  Is it really 2012 already?!?  It's incredible how time flies.

It's that time of year when people have made "new year's resolutions".  It's also about this time of year when most people forget about their resolution and eat those extra chocolate chip cookies anyway.  I know I did.

Well, it's a new year in different ways.  My home church here in Mora, Emmanuel Baptist Church, is heading into the new year, with goals about individual growth, as well as growth within our community.  Our senior pastor, Mike Herzog, presented what his message, "The State of the Unity" last weekend, and told how possible it is to have a "new beginning" as a church.  Instead of looking back and saying, "that's not how we used to do it", he encouraged the entire church to look forward, to what can be accomplished as a healthy group of Christians work together, instead of divided.  This is one resolution that I hope grows strong and happens the way it has the potential to.

As for me, I look into the new year and see how many shows I have, the places I will be traveling, and look forward to the people I can work alongside of, and those I can perform for.  My calendar is filling fast, and that's wonderful!

Our daughter, Deanna, finished up her first semester of college at North Central University, and is transferring over to Bethel university in 2 weeks.  She likes college, but it's weird not having her around all the time.

Dale, our son, is 15 years old, and has his fingers in all sorts of projects.  He loves remote controlled vehicles (he assembled one really nice one from various kits), is working on a large robotics program at Mora high School, and is going nuts hoping for enough snow to go snowboarding.  Minnesota hasn't received much snow this winter.  Yet.

Debbie is in her 9th year as a paraprofessional at Mora Junior High School, and still loves it.  She's awesome.

As for me, I'm just trying to better my life day by day.  I love to hear people's stories, and asked for anyone on Facebook to tell me about something that has made a big difference in their life.  I like to know what people are doing to bring more meaning to their relationships.  Even our Bible study group talked about how important relationships are to keep people connected and healthy.

What about your year coming up?  What do you have planned?  Did you make a new year's resolution, and have you kept it?

The Meaning of "Disciple"

While visiting the church website of my good friend, Randy Christensen, I saw a neat anagram for the word "disciple", and I wanted to share it here with you. It caused me to stop and examine my own motives and methods.  Enjoy.


Core Values

Do everything in love.
I don't have to, I get to.
Seek to understand before seeking to be right.
Compassion is a bridge over which truth is carried.
I am free to fail so I am free to succeed.
Praise in public, rebuke in private.
Leave it better than you found it.
Everyone matters to God.

Isn't that great?!  I really like it.

DonB!

Calvinism and Arminians

Greetings all!

Spring is sprung, and I had some time to research some topics. Here is the first one:

Many Christians claim to be "Calvinists," and others claim to be "Arminians". Well what does that mean?

Calvinists say that some basics of the Christian faith fall under the acronym, TULIP. Each letter stands for a basic "stance" as a Christian:

T - total depravity
U - unconditional election
L - limited atonement
I - irresistible grace
P - perseverance of the saints

If this acronym uses such big words that it seems like a foreign language to you, trust me; it does to many people.

But that is why I enjoy studying these things. Is it enough to become a Christian and then stop learning anything else about Christianity? My thought is absolutely not!

So, here is a short, and well written article explaining how the Arminian and Calvinistic viewpoints differ:

http://www.spreadinglight.com/theology/armvscal.html

Take a read of the article and let me know what you think.

DonB

Going back to Maryland

If anyone lives on the East Coast, or wants to take a nice family vacation out there, I, along with my whole family will be performing and working there for 6 weeks this summer.

Here is the basic information page HERE

If you click on the above link, DO NOT move your mouse across the top of the page, as that will open up the waiver form (weird website quirk).  It does show a nice spread of pictures of me.  Neato!

DonB!

“We loved the fellowship, teaching, and of course… DonB! We loved how he interacted with us – seemed like he was sneaking behind every corner and jumped out whenever we needed a laugh!!! He was definitely on God’s timing!!” 

Hope – York PA

The Letter to Don

On Monday evenings, in our home, we hold a Bible study & fellowship time.  Each week we listen to a 25-40 minute podcast of a message, then talk about it.  We finish up the evening by laughing and joking as we talk about how our week prior has gone.  It is a great time together with people who simply want to grow in our faith as Christians.


Last night, the message was titled "A Change of Direction", talking about God's grace toward each one of us, and that no matter where we choose to go in life, God allows, and even ASKS us to turn around and follow Him again.  It was a neat thought, especially when we talked about our own times in life that we have had to STOP, and turn around from the stupid and sometimes painful decisions we have made.


The speaker on the podcast used Revelation 2-3 in his message, regarding what Christ said to the various churches that claimed to be His followers.  This really got me thinking...


What would the letter say if written to my own church, Emmanuel Baptist Church, or Mora, Minnesota?  In each of the Revelation letters, Christ pointed out the good & bad that each church demonstrated.  He praised them for the things they were doing correctly, but rebuked them for the ways that they had turned their backs on God.


I can think of many things that my own church has done well over the almost 18 years I have been attending.  Sadly, I can think of other times when our church chose to go a route that was self-serving, and not within God's will.


Then, this took me even further into this idea: 

What would Christ say if He wrote a letter directly to ME?

What would he commend me for doing that was within His will for me?  Followed closely by the rebuke for my failures as a believer, I'm sure.  Which half of the letter would be longer? Would He point out things that I am already aware of, or would I be surprised by what He lists, both good and bad?


Given, I'm not looking for answers from any of you, but it made me really stop and attempt to evaluate where I am at. What have I done in the way of sharing the Gospel around my town, my state, my country, and beyond?  Could someone look at me and see that I am a Christian, or would they only see a "nice guy"? What about the people that I have hurt throughout my life?  Will I ever be able to repair those hurts?


There will come a time when each of stands before God and makes an account for what we did with the time we were given. Am I ready for that time?  Are you? 

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Life's not fair, but God is. 

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I leave you with this verse from the book of Matthew, but don't let it scare you.  Let it encourage you to do as much as possible with your time here on earth. Put aside the petty things that divide us. Forgive each other over and over and over again. Make that "YouTurn" that the speaker talked about. Share the Good News, in our words and actions.

    “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23 (New International Version, ©2010)

DonB!

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Lifepoint Church: Inspiring!

Last summer, while my wife, Debbie, and son, Dale, were working and ministering in North East, Maryland, we had the opportunity to attend church 3 times at a church that seemed buried way out in the countryside, Lifepoint Church.

Our first sunday there, Senior Pastor Joe Duke spoke a message titled, "Judge Knot", as the 3rd part in a series titled "There's an App for That", making reference to the iPhone's "app", short for "application".  It was a great message, helping to decipher when, and if, it is appropriate to judge someone on their actions, choices, etc.  It really was a great sermon.

Later in the summer we had the opportunity to attend Lifepoint again, and they were into the 7th sermon of the APP series, titled "Change4Good", referring to the proper discipline all Christians should live under.

Well, summer came to an end and we returned back to our home in Minnesota, thinking that our time with the Lifepoint sermon series was over.  Not quite.

When challenged by a friend from our home church to lead an in-home small group Bible study, I felt at a loss of what to do.  I find that I don't have a lot of discipline in arranging my schedule throughout the week to organize a lesson, and felt ready to back out of the deal. Well, not quite.

David Pribulick. He's cool!

Our Maryland friends, the Pribulicks, sent us a small gift.  It seems that at the end of the sermon series at Lifepoint Church, everyone that finished the series was given a mini iPhone look-a-like item, featuring all of the sermons and accompanying verses form the series.  My answer had arrived.

Our nifty "iPhone" Lifepoint APP souvenir

Our small group could use this exact sermon series as a jumping off point for our weekly study. An answer to prayer, in more ways than one.

So, here we are, 7 weeks into our get togethers, and we're doing well.  Each sermon deals with one part of the importance that "hearing is not the same as doing; we hear the message, understand it, and maybe even agree with it, but what do we do about it?"

I say all this to inspire you to download the free podcasts from this series.  Each message is only 28-38 minutes in length, and they all have been really good!  The most recent one, "RiskIt", challenges all of us to take what we know about our faith and get out there and do something with it: RiskIt, by telling others.

If you are interested in looking for a great, free podcast, go HERE and download some episodes to your iTunes, and listen to them.  They are inspiring.  Maybe you'll be challenged like our group has been.

And I have found out that we will be spending a little time in Maryland this summer, so we'll be attending Lifepoint once again, even if only for a short time.

Enjoy,

DonB!

Camp Lebanon Audience Photo

To celebrate my 51st show for Camp Lebanon, I remembered to grab my camera and take a picture of the audience.  They were great.  See if you can find yourself...

And, YES, they DID decorate the entire chapel to look like the inside of a circus tent!

The Great Audience in Detroit Lakes, MN

Here is the great audience I had last night in Detroit Lakes, MN., at Community Alliance Church. It is funny how mellow they all went when I snapped this.

Earlier in the day I did an assembly for the 1st-5th graders at Roosevelt Elementary School, and they were great also.

Thank you to Connie Johnson for arranging both programs in the same day. Plus, her son rides a unicycle! How cool is that?!?!

See if you can find yourself in the picture...

Don

It's Such Great Frosting

James 4:14

Last week, at Camp Lebanon in Minnesota, I did two shows, both of which were very high energy, and the audience is what I would call a "perfect" one. Kids and adults, all laughing REALLY hard. Feeding off of the frenzy, I used my absolute best improvisational skills to add lines here and there, try out funny moves, etc. Both shows were "perfect" shows for me.

Right after the 2nd show, while packing my sound equipment up in the sound booth, the 2 guys up there asked me the question I get quite often: "We were trying to figure it out: Do you mind us asking how old you are?"

I said I would tell them, but only if they tell me how old they THINK I am, along with any interesting reasons why they came up with that guess.

He answered simply, "By watching you and listening to you, you've had so many amazing experiences already in your life, it forces me to guess that you must be at least 50. Maybe even 55?"

I loved his reasoning, and told him that I was 44.

Later when I thought about it, I realized that he was indeed correct.

My time spent with circus travels, 3 years at Disneyland, 2 years of school tour performing that took Deb & I through 42 of the United States, and working cruise ships alongside many HUGE names in the music industry. I've flown on a flying trapeze, walked a tight wire 30 feet off the ground and rode my unicycle in the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. I became a Christian in 1985 and have shared the Gospel in at least 5000 shows since then. I've been to Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, Ukraine, India, England, Germany and Amsterdam.

I actually have more friends OUTSIDE of Minnesota than I do INSIDE my home state. And the "inside" group is pretty big.

All of this before my 40th birthday!

I remember commenting to my wife, when I was about 40, that I felt that I had done so much in my life already, that if I were to die tomorrow, I could do so very happy. Very "complete" and very fulfilled. I remember also saying that "everything from here on out is really just frosting on the cake."

Well I have to admit, the frosting is really, really good. Here are some things I've done since turning 40:

More cruise ships, huge music festivals, multiple tours with other performers, including the "Sens de Vie" Shows twice and the L.O.L. tour with my 2 buddies, Randy & Ben Christensen. I've spoken and performed at national conferences, as well as taught on Wednesday nights to the 1st-4th graders at my home church.

I have taught myself how to use PhotoShop and InDesign (two HUGE computer programs). I continue to add new routines to my shows. I still read at least 30-60 minutes every day from books in my library (origami boxes, circus history, magic history, magic tricks and routines, Christian topics, the Bible, promotional materials, graphic arts, old movies).

I've watched our 2 kids grow up way too fast (something I wish WOULD slow down). Point: Our little curly-haired Deanna, goes to test for her driver's license on Monday. Wait a minute: little kids are not supposed to drive!!!

I remember, as I was growing up, always looking for that one experience that would make my life "complete,", or convince me that I had "made it". I realize now that it was ALL of those little details that have made my life complete. Not just one of those things. All of them together.

It's pretty incredible that the "cake" that made up the first 40 years of my life was so amazing, but I have to say, the frosting is even better. I get to enjoy it for the next 40+ years, and I can only imagine what is still in store. What will I have with my frosting?

Something to think about: What are you doing? Where are you at? Are you still mixing ingredients? Are you enjoying the cake? Are you savoring the great frosting?

Because it really is GREAT FROSTING!

DonB!

Matthew 6: 19-21

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Article Online includes DonB!

I will be performing at Ashland University in October with illusionist, Harris III, and an article is online promoting the event. Click HERE to read it. It's a quick read.

DonB!

Busy Weekend

Busy Weekend PART 1

It is Sunday morning, March 1st. I am writing this while I fly to Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the beginning of the busiest period of time I've seen in over a year.

Friday night I performed at Camp Lebanon, near Upsala, Minnesota, for their Mega-Fun 2 event for 4th-6th graders. What a great bunch of kids and leaders! This was my 44th appearance at Camp Lebanon, and that is thanks to "Bobber Bill", the director of the camp for many years.

Over the years that I have been going there, I have watched their kids be born, grow up, and now 2 of them are off to college. It's hard to believe that I have been doing ministry entertainment for so long. This is the beginning of my 20th year. Wow. And I feel barely over 25. :)

Last night, with the help of my wife, Debbie, and our son, Dale, I did my biggest show, "Evan-tastic", in Milaca, Minnesota. Milaca Free Church, with the guidance of Tom Krauel, organized this night as an outreach event for the local community. They hung up posters, invited people by word of mouth and did radio advertising (I even did a 15-minute radio interview, topped off by performing a short magic illusion over the radio waves). It was a free event, and therefore had no idea if 20 or 200 people would show up. With the show starting at 7 PM, they were going to open the doors at 6:30, but there were already enough people waiting to get it that they opened the doors then. As I sat talking with the pastor prior to the show, people kept coming and coming and coming. By the time the show started the bleachers were 3/4 filled. The final count was over 300 people, and they were a GREAT audience. They laughed easily. They clapped enthusiastically. They participated graciously. All of these factors made my job really easy and enjoyable.

After the short intermission, I presented my own testimony and the Gospel presentation, and for the next 12 minutes people were coming forward to talk with the pastor, as well as the many folks from Milaca Free Church. There were kids praying, adults praying, and even an entire family praying along with the pastor. The show ran a full 90 minutes, and I was tired.

It always amazes me that God uses the most common of us (meaning ME) in ways that we can never imagine if left up to our own. I always pray that my part of the show will go as perfect as possible, but it also seems that the more troubles I have in a show the better the response to the message is. Well last night I was blessed in both ways: the show went great, and the response to the message was great. A double blessing.

Busy Weekend PART 2

Right after the show, as volunteers helped Debbie take down the curtain and pack the rest of the show, I packed what I needed into 3 suitcases and then drove down to Minneapolis.

I spent the night at my parent's home, and woke up at 5 AM to get ready. My dad drove me over to the airport and I boarded this morning at 7 AM.

I am now sitting in Chicago's famous O'Hare airport, waiting to take my final leg to Fort Wayne, where I will do 2 shows for an Upward Awards night at Fellowship Missionary Church. One show at 3:30 and then another at 6 PM. The weather in Chicago is as cold as it was back in Minnesota: Freezing.

Busy Weekend PART 3
The flight to Fort Wayne from Chicago was a short flight, and very few passengers. This allowed me to move into the exit row and straighten my legs out.

I arrived in Fort Wayne, but only 2 of my 3 suitcases made it with me. After a 30 minute fiasco, I was made aware that my suitcase was NOT in Fort Wayne. Anywhere. So Joe picked me up and we headed over to the church. It has been 2 years since I last performed at Fellowship Missionary Church, but the minute I walked in I remembered what a fun time we had last time (performing for the adult volunteer leaders). This time it was for 250 elementary aged basketball players and their families.

As the first show drew nearer and nearer to starting time, I was very nervous about how to do the show as best I could without the props in that 3rd suitcase. Sadly, that suitcase had parts for all 3 of my unicycles, so I knew I'd be unable to incorporate them at all into the show.

After all of the player introductions and a 10 minute season highlight video, the Upward leader, Robbie Sondag, looked over at me, and I gave him the thumbs up, telling him that I was as ready as I could be.

At that moment, I heard a scuffle behind me in the hallway, and running towards me was Joe and Jim, and they had my suitcase! Thank God for these guys, because as I started performing in front of the curtain, they actually assembled all three unicycles backstage, and as they were together, they would slide them through the curtain near my crates so that I could see that they were ready. About 3 minutes before it was time to start the unicycle routine, all three unicycles were there, assembled and ready for action.

The first show went great, but a little short due to the rest of the equipment still in the suitcase.

When the 2nd show started, I had on my nice pants, nice shirt and my favorite DonB! tie, all of which were in suitcase #3 during the first show.

Robbie told me to take 40 minutes for the 2nd program, so I did the whole show, and the audience was very responsive.

It is days like these that show me over and over again that any "success" from these shows is NOT based on me. God works through the details and makes it works REGARDLESS of me and my equipment. He places the right people, in the right places, at the right time, to hear the right message and respond in the right way.

FINAL NOTE: One guy did not believe that there were guys backstage assembling my unicycles, so he ran back and snapped two cell phone photos. As soon as I have those pics, I will post them here.

Busy Weekend PART 4

I am now in the Fort Wayne airport, waiting for my first connection through Chicago, back to Minneapolis. I had a great night of sleep, and was taken to a great pancake house for breakfast. Which reminds me: when we returned from breakfast, Jim, the guy that assembled my unicycles so quickly backstage, was there fixing the broken handle on my suitcase #3. Amazing guy he is.

I will be heading back to Indiana this Thursday for two more programs, so I'll see how much fun I can have on that trip.

Stay tuned...

Back from the Bahamas

First, let me say that I love Minnesota.  I've lived in 4 of the United States, and Minnesota is still my favorite.  No contest.

However, it is REALLY COLD here right now.  It seems even colder due to the fact that I just spent 4 days on the ocean and in the Bahamas, where it averaged 68 degrees each day.

I had the honor of performing on the my 5th cruise with Premier Christian Cruises.  It really is the opportunity to "take a working vacation" that I could never afford to do otherwise.

I worked with Christian artists such as Third Day, Matthew West, Salvador, Nicole C. Mullen, Mandisa, Building 429, Sanctus Real, Brandon Heath, Phil Joel and the Annie Moses Band.  And it was a special reunion of the guys from 4HIM and also DeGarmo & Key.  Both reunion concerts were highlights for me.

I did one show on the cruise, but the highlight for me was doing the strolling entertainment for guests.  If people were waiting in line for autographs, I was there performing for them.  If they were waiting to get into the concert venues, I was there making paper roses for the ladies.  If they were sitting and waiting for concerts to start, I was asking them to "pick a card, any card".  i love the strolling because it gives me the opportunity to really meet the people and talk with them, find out where they are from, if this is their first cruise, etc.

Another thing that I worked harder on this time was the interaction with the wait staff around the ship.  I taught our two waiters some magic tricks they can use to raise better tips.  As I rode the elevator down to the first floor I met a waiter that likes magic, so he stepped off with me.  We stood around for almost 45 minutes talking about magic tricks, Christianity and his own life.

I taught 2 ladies in the Palladium how to make napkin roses for their customers.

One morning, I had planned on meeting our two evening waiters, to teach them a couple of magic tricks.  By the time I was done (about 20 minutes) there were almost 10 waiters around trying out the tricks for themselves.  I would imagine it gets tiring serving people day after day after day, so I only hope that they enjoy being served once in a while.  And I hope they actually use the tricks I taught them to make better tips on their future cruises.

On one of the past cruises, I felt sorry for the lack of business that some of the bartenders had.  I stopped and offered to show then a few magic routines, and by the time I was done 20 minutes later, almost 20 bar staff were standing around laughing and having a good time.

Another great thing about this cruise was that I actually had 9 other people sailing as part of our "group".  My parents came, my uncle was there, 2 great singers from our church, another couple that I've known since I was born, and one other lady friend of ours from Colorado.  The best part: my wife, Debbie, went along too. 

Here is the group photo, that I like to refer to as the DonB! fan club:

And here is the one of my beautiful wife:

Now THAT'S something to celebrate!

I leave you with this comment that one of the guests submitted after the cruise.  I remember this family, if only for the fact that the little girl was hanging a spoon on her nose, and I was jealous.  I've never been able to do it.  Out of sheer determination, I tried it, AND IT WORKED.

Here's the comment in its entirety:

Hello Janet,

My wife, myself and our two daughters most recently sailed on the KLove cruise with much satisfaction.  Thank you for assisting us with our arrangements. We would like to say the music was fantastic and fulfilling.

We also feel compelled to mention that the effort of Don B should not go unnoticed.  The man was constantly at work.  He approached us at our table, in line as we waited entry into the Palladium and we could not help but notice him at work inside the Palladium prior to the evening concerts.  Our daughters really enjoyed his performance in the lounge.

Please pass along this info if you think it may help for future events.

Sincerely,

Dr and Mrs Eric Castillo + "The Spoon Girls" Sarah and Brooke

I love my "job".  Blessings to you all.

DonB!

Patron Saint for Magicians?

One of my magician friends here in Minnesota, Geoff Williams, sent out this curious tidbit of information that you may find interesting. (Update note: this information is from Angelo Stagnaro and can be found in his book here).

PATRON SAINT OF MAGIC
There actually is a Catholic saint whose sphere of influence includes stage magic. January 31 is the day set aside on the Catholic liturgical calendar to honor ST. JOHN DON BOSCO ("Don" is simply the Italian honorific for a respected person, equivalent to our "Sir"). He was referred to as Don even during his life by both villagers and the
children for whom he cared.

Many people would wonder how it is that the Catholic Church and magic could get mixed up together. During the latter half of the 19th century, as Europe's poor were suffering from the effects of Industrialization, Don Bosco saw how most of the children in his village remained uneducated and unchurched. After Mass on Sundays, he would round up his little friends and relate the Bible stories he learned in church to them. To keep their attention he would use magic
tricks as he retold these stories.

As a young man, Don Bosco became a priest and directed his ministry solely to poor children. He needed a way to get kids interested in coming to church and to accept the aid he was offering. He used puzzles, riddles and juggling but it was the magic that most quickly caught the kids' attention. Stories that have come down to us from his
contemporaries include some specific tricks he used. He was said to be especially good at tying three ropes together to form one seamless rope in order to explain the mystery of the Christian Trinity. He also would pull coins from ears and change pebbles into money, delighting the children who were under his care. Don Bosco started a community of
Catholic priests, nuns and brothers who still to this day help street kids and youth in gangs throughout the world including New York City.

Catholic magicians in Europe still celebrate this day by performing benefit shows for children.

An interesting thing happened on the way to school

Today, my daughter, Deanna, asked me to come into her history class and show a few of my favorite magic tricks.  It is only a half-day of school before Christmas vacation, and there really aren't any assignments being handed out or getting turned in.  Why magic tricks in a history class?  Because Deanna's history teacher also does some magic in the classroom, and when Deanna told him what I do for a living, he suggested she bring me in some time.  So I did.

Why do I tell you this?  Deanna feels challenged by this teacher on more than one level, mainly because of her faith.  But when Deanna told him I was a professional magician, he said "prove it", and bring me into class sometime.  

Apparently this teacher has also asked Deanna to defend her beliefs from time to time.  From Deanna's recollections, this teacher is not a Christian.

This teacher asked her "how can you believe in creation, when you can't prove it?"  She said he asks other similar questions, regarding God, Jesus, Christianity, etc.  Not because he believes, but more as if he's asking, "How can you possibly believe THAT?!"

My first reaction was to think, "How dare he question her belief system, when he can't prove his own beliefs, such as species-to-species evolution, entropy is regards to higher evolution and other small things like that."  But then, things changed.

In MY mind they changed.

I realized that the quote by Friedrich Nietzsche stating, 

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger"

 is true in this situation.  I think EVERYONE, regardless of what they believe should be questioned and challenged about WHAT they believe, WHY they believe it and what the BENEFITS of their belief system are. If you don't understand your OWN faith, then why believe it in the first place?

I think that if this teacher is simply challenging her to explain her beliefs, and not belittling nor condemning her for them, then I think it will deepen her understanding of her Christianity.  It's not going to kill her to be faced with those questions, so my hope is that it will MAKE HER STRONGER.

Does this mean I can explain every little nook and cranny of knowledge about God and Jesus and Christianity? Obviously not.  But neither can scientists explain every nook and cranny about how the universe came to be, how species evolved from one to another, how if the universe is slowly running down how can there be higher life forms "evolving" from lower ones.  I understand the evolutionary process involving "survival of the fittest", and how lions get to be stronger lions, giraffes get to be taller giraffes, but not how an iguana "evolved" into a dog.

I believe what I believe because 1) it makes the most sense to me, 2) it brings a hope and peace that I couldn't have if I trusted only in my own self for my survival, and 3) it has changed my life.  If studying evolution brings those things to someone else, that's wonderful.  For them.  For now.  But I hope he/she is ready to defend what they believe the same way that I am challenged to defend what I believe.  

In the end, I have put my hope in God and the promises that he has laid out before me in the Bible.  Am I an idiot?  Some people would say so. But I'm sticking with it.  

Oscar Wilde summarized it this way:

A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.

Think about it...

...and have a merry Christmas.

DonB!

Martin Luther's Wisdom

My good friend, Randy Christensen, sent this quote to me.  It reiterates the idea I've felt for so long that the Gospel, spoken in simple words and actions, is most easily understood by most people.

“Cursed be every preacher who aims at lofty topics in the church, looking for his own glory and selfishly desiring to please one individual or another.  When I preach I adapt myself to the circumstances of the common people.  I don’t look at the doctors and master…but at the young people and children.  It is to them that I devote myself.  Take pains to be simple and direct.”   

          - Martin Luther

Another fantastic "Sens de Vie" trip

I returned home from Dallas, Texas, yesterday, and I slept about 10 hours last night into today.  Needless to say, I am tired.

I flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was picked up by a friend from Sandia Presbyterian Church, Mike Malony, who took me around Albuquerque until it was time for lunch.  We had some great Mexican food, and then he dropped me off at the hotel for a little rest.

The rest of the Sens crew showed up that afternoon, and we all got a good night's rest.

On Friday we did the show in Sandia Presbyterian Church to a very responsive group.

We then drove down to Ruidoso, New Mexico, arriving early in the morning hours.  I was able to get about 5 hours of sleep before heading over to the venue at noon to help with the set-up that Josh and Danny has begun at 9 AM.  This time the stage size was very small, but everyone agreed that we would do the full show on it anyway.  And we did it.  It involved a lot of lifting of illusions on & off the stage throughout the show, but the audience never knew the amount of work we were doing backstage to make it happen.

We chose to spend the night there in Ruidoso.  The next morning it was remembered that BJ was supposed to do a presentation in the church in Artesia that morning.  So with Josh at the wheel, we were able to make the drive in lightning speed, just in time for BJ to walk into church at 10:20 for his part.

While he performed at church, the rest of us went to the show venue and began the set-up.  Of all of the volunteers that helped us on this tour, the guys in Artesia were the best.  When the winch we use broke during load-in, two guys sat down on the floor and fixed it.  When the 2 big illusions that I am responsible for needed assembling, at least 6 guys jumped in to help, setting record time for complete set-up.  (Usually it takes about 1.5 hours to set-up the 2 big illusions.  This day we did both in under 25 minutes!)  

Here's an idea of what our day is like on the road:  I wake around 6:30AM, eat, shower and pack.  I start unloading by 9 or 10AM at the venue.  Unloading takes about an hour, depending on how many extra people help us. Set-up takes until about 3 or 4 PM, when we usually sit down to a quick dinner backstage.  The doors open at 6, with the show at 7 PM.  The show runs just over 2 hours.  We go out and meet the audience in the lobby for about 30 minutes, and then change I change out of my performing clothes.  Tear down takes about 90 minutes.  Loading takes another 60-75 minutes, and then we go for dinner somewhere.  I have been getting to bed by 12 midnight (at the earliest) and 2:30 AM at the latest.  The next day we do it all over again somewhere else.  IT'S A BLAST!  Really!

All 3 shows these days went really well.  Almost all of the technical and staging glitches were gone, and the audiences were so responsive.  All 3 shows ended with standing ovations.

When I think about the "Sens de Vie" show, it amazes me that with only 6 people on the road (and one dog), that such a large production can happen.  It is a HUGE show for 6 people to do, but it happens, and has done so for almost 10 shows now.

Please stay tuned to my blog here, or to BJ's website for future dates to be announced.  Or, join us in Dayton, Tennessee, on November 16th for this year's final "Sens de Vie" performance.

NOTE: Wonderful pictures to be posted here after this weekend.  I've seen them, and they are fantastic!

DonB! and "Sens de Vie" Show

An amazing new touring show, "Sens de Vie", featuring illusionist B.J. Harris is hitting the road. And DonB! is a big part of it.

I spent a week in Franklin, Tennessee, working with BJ Harris and his managers (former Audio Adrenaline members) on this new touring show. I could try and describe it, but I will instead provide you with some links to information about it.

To see the promotional video click HERE

To see BJ describe the purpose behind the show click HERE

We did the show for the first time in Jekyl Island, Georgia, and it was a huge success. Amazing lighting, curtains, sound, and the show itself is probably the highest quality 3-performer show I've ever been a part of.

If you can get out and see the show, wherever it tours to over the next 2 years, do it. You will be glad you did.

Wow! Look who DonB! is with

WOW! I opened the page of artist listings for the upcoming K-Love Friends and Family Cruise I am performing on in January, and saw this listing: ARTISTS

It is a real honor to be listed among so many talented people.

What a blessed time in my life. Every day I am reminded of how much God has put into my life that adds value and meaning to it. I have a great wife, 2 beautiful kids, a family that all are unique and extremely smart and talented in their own individual ways, friends that span the globe (literally) in all walks of life, performing opportunities that go far beyond anything I could have ever imagined or hoped for and so many other things that I cannot begin to try and list them all.

I constantly ask myself how people, that don't have a personal relationship with God through his son, Jesus, ever find deep joy in their lives. Happiness: Yes, but not true joy that goes beyond our circumstances.

What an amazing God we serve.

Touring Adventures

I'm writing this from a big RV that I am travelling in with 5 other people. We are returning back to Franklin, Tennessee, after presenting the first show of the "BJ Harris Variety Road Show" in Jekyl Island, Georgia. This was the first show of a tour that is being named "Sens de Vie" which means "Meaning of Life".

It was a 2-hour show, obviously featuring magician/illusionist BJ Harris. I was involved with the show as the preshow act, the juggler, the unicyclist and the plate spinner. Right before going onstage for my first act, the lapel microphone I was scheduled to use wasn't working properly. On a whim, I said "I'll do it all silently, without talking." I wasn't sure how I was going to accomplish it, but IT WORKED!

I performed my Ring Juggling routine, followed by the Unicycle Medley. Performed solely to music, it was a challenge for me, but it was a challenge I enjoyed. In the 2nd half of the show, I then performed the Spinning Plates routine that many of you have seen over the years. I was told afterward, by the producer of the show, thhat it was this routine that "makes it for the audience". In other words, he felt that this routine was the capstone of what my character can be/do. It was a good compliment.

I had a little time to see the ocean, take a 2 hour morning walk and listen to a couple of sermon podcasts while I walked.

I will post some pictures, as well as links, when I get home to Minnesota tomorrow.

DonB!