There will never be another Walt Disney. Walt was made from a mold that was broken the minute he was born. Driven by creativity, often gruff and bull-headed, Walt Disney built an entertainment empire through his shear will and determination. And it all started with a mouse.

In WALT DISNEY: An Amercian Original, author Bob Thomas unpacks the AMAZING story of a young man from Marceline, Missouri (which would later become the template for Main Street, USA in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World) who grew up to become a pioneer of cartoons, movies, sound, television, and theme parks.

If you have ever been to any of the Disney Parks, you can understand the magic that they contain.  If you have ever looked into the eyes of child who has just ridden Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time, or watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you know that there was something altogether different about ANYTHING that bore the Disney brand.  And Walt Disney was the driving force behind that magic.

After reading WALT DISNEY: An Amercian Original, I lost track of the number of innovations that the Disney Studios invented and employed to create their cartoons and shows.  And the untold numbers of buisinesses and industries that were either created or resurrected because of Disney.

And in the final chapters, reading about the decreasing health of the Disney patriarch, my eyes welled with tears, as I began to mourn for a man that had passed over 40 years prior.  While reading, I grieved for his family and I long for visiting Walt Disney World again, but with a renewed love and appreciation for the man who dared to dream of the impossible.  Because for Walt Disney, nothing was impossible.

QUOTABLES

• “We are not trying to entertain the critics. I’ll take my chances with the public.”
• “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
• “Your dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.”

• Great weekend.  Sid and I got to spend some real quality time together, and I got to have some quality alone time, so it was a great weekend.
• Friday, Sid and I had a great bike ride and had some dinner, then finished the night catching up on some TV and and early bed time.
• Saturday, Sid went to work and I headed to Common Ground to finish the multi-media needs for the Sunday service.
• I’m not going to lie, I was jakked up to watch the 25th NASCAR All-Star race.  I watched it from start to finish and I was excited to see Tony Stewart, and Stewart-Haas Racing get their first win of the season.
• Sid came home, and actually watched the end of the race with me…I got me a good woman.
• Sunday AM was early, but awesome.
• Common Ground was off the chain great.  We had a guest worship leader, and the congregation was receptive and engaged.
• Danny Schaffner gave an amazing lesson.  You can listen to it HERE.
• It’s great to be a part of Common Ground, they are an amazing church, and I am learning a lot from Danny and the Staff.  if you are ever in Tampa, you should visit.
• After church, I hung out with the Ness ladies.  We visited a local Italian/Greek place…it rocked.
• Sid got home and we headed to Wal-mart and our beloved Shannon’s Market for some needed veggies and fruit.
• Sunday evening we laid very low around the house and crashed very early.
• It was a pretty low key weekend.  And I am very thankful for it.

WEEKLY LOOK AHEAD

• I have a very important lunch meeting with a local church planter Monday at Noon.  This will be a great connection, and a possible job.  Please pray.
• Tuesday is Common Ground day.  I have Staff Meeting and Creative Planning meeting after lunch.  GREAT stuff.
• Thursday is Common Ground’s Leadership Community.  We’ll be looking at the next 6 months and talking a little about “IT”.  Have I mentioned that I really LOVE Craig Groeschel.
• I’m really excited because Terminator: Salvation and Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian drop this weekend.  It’s going to be a GREAT weekend for movies.