Time to Worship

It's 8:00 AM on Sunday morning and we are all starting to get ready for Worship. I know the singing will be great as usual, Dan is leading the singing and he does a great job. Greg is delivering the lesson for 2 more weeks before he leaves on mission work to Africa. He is involved in a great work over there and I pray that God will bless him and all that are working in the mission field to spread the Word.

My sister and her family are going with me today and I know they will enjoy the entire service. When the worship service is over today we are heading for San Antonio to spend a couple of days at Sea World. God Bless Everyone! Say your prayers.

Time gets away from me

When I started my blog, I had great intentions! This world is just to busy. We don't take the time to look around and admire the beauty and LISTEN!!!!!! There is so much to be learned!

Since I last blogged, another musical ("Godspell") was performed at the high school, the choirs were chosen as Best in Class at the Alamo Classic, we had a great spring concert and wonderful choir banquet. School has also been dismissed for the summer and I have started my multiple jobs to keep me busy.

I am directing "Beauty and the Beast" for the Hill Country Community Theatre in Marble Falls and things are going really well. We have a fabulous cast that is working very hard, so it makes the whole process really enjoyable. I also have taken a job as a designer for the Marble Falls Floral Design. It's lots of fun and very fast paced as they are quite busy. The owners and staff are really nice and easy to work for.

My sister, Stacy, and her husband, Mike, and their daughter, Rachel, are at my house for the weekend! (I think I used too many commas) We are planning on going to Sea World and just hanging out. It is always good when they come down as I miss them lots.

I plan on getting back to this blog thing really soon. We are leaving in the morning and will be back in 2 days so I will get it going then. God Bless! Say your prayers.

Part II of Catching up with Time

Following the special prayer time at the church, I took off for the Dallas Metroplex. I was a UIL All-Region Choir Clinician and Conductor for the Region 2 Middle School All-Region Choir. This is a great honor especially since I have only been in the profession for a little over 7 years. The experience was tons of fun but lots of work also. The concert turned out to be a wonderful experience for all and I got to see some close friends that I don't get to see as often as I would like since my move to the Hill Country.

The next week was our UIL Contest. The Marble Falls choirs did outstanding for their first year under a new director. They received 2 Superior ratings, 2 Excellent ratings, and 2 good ratings. We will be working towards making them all Superior ratings next year. I was really proud of all of them as they had worked hard in preparation for the contest. They have already started working towards next year.

Then came Easter! The gospel group "Ernie Hasse and the Signature Sound" sing a song called "Then Came the Morning!" It talks about the lead up to the crucifixion and then the resurrection. Which is what is all about. He died for us and for the forgiveness of our sins and PRAISE GOD he was resurrected so that we might be able to rise with him in glory one day. WOW!! I truly can't wait for the day when I get to see Christ.

Easter weekend was fast and furious as we had 17 teens and about a dozen "NOT SO TEEN" at LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) in Dallas. I will tell you all about that tomorrow. It's time for bed. Have a great week and say your prayers. Love ya.

Time Flies When Your Having Fun!

Wow!!! When I started out blogging every day, it was pretty easy, but then became busy and put this aside. Something, hit me really hard today! It's very much like being a christian. We make the commitment to God and declare that nothing will come between us and then the first thing you know, we're missing church, we stop praying, we act in a way that is not Christ like. I have to be really careful that I keep my focus. This has been a crazy 2 and 1/2 weeks since I last blogged. Here is the Readers Digest version. I participated in the 24 hours of prayer at the church and was blessed beyond comprehension. In the process I renewed my prayer life with my father and I am forever thankful for Allan nudging me into participating. Speaking of Allan!

When I moved to Marble Falls, the ministers were Jim Gardner(preaching minister), Jimmy Mitchell(youth minister), Allan Stanglin(associate minister), and Jim Dobbs(associate minister). My first Sunday at church I found out Jim Gardner was leaving and Allan was preaching that morning. I had not met Allan and did not know anything about him. I had met Jim G. and Jimmy and had talked with both of them before I moved to Marble Falls. Finding a church where I could be active was very important to me. Anyway, after I heard Allan preach an outstanding lesson that morning, I went forward and placed my membership at the Marble Falls Church of Christ. Allan made me stand up and he made a commitment to me that I will never forget. He said that he would be there and the congregation would be there to help me in my walk and that we could always count on them. WOW!!!!!! I didn't even know most of these people. That was a lasting impression up on heart. So when he nudged me into being part of the 24 hours of prayer I was at first reluctant, but then realized that it was God nudging me using Allen as a vessel. Thank you Allan for being that vessel in which God can work through. Allan is getting ready to start his own personal ministry in Richland Hills. He will be awesome as he is a great man and servant of the Lord. I know that he will be richly blessed just as I was simply for getting to know him and his family.

I am doing work around the house today. Therefore will blog more later today. Love everyone! Have a great weekend! Take some time to pray.

Looking Ahead

It was a very busy day today. I even brought work home. My Men's choir is struggling with one of their pieces because it is too high for them so I transposed it on my computer tonight. It's not hard work, just very time consuming. The up side to it is that my Men's choir will sing much better in the new key and will have more confidence. They are a great bunch of guys that it's been fun watching them grow this year. They are such better musicians than when we started and I can't wait to see what they will do next year.

Tomorrow, Friday, we are having our 24 hours of prayer at church. I am praying from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM at the church. My partners are Jim Dobbs and Greg Neill. I couldn't have been given better prayer partners than these men as they are pillars in our congregation and in my life. I am looking forward to this time as this is a big step for me and my walk. Public prayer with other men present has always been very scary and uncomfortable for me, but I have prayed about it and I know I am doing the right thing. I know this time will be uplifting to me as well as all those we will be praying for. My Uncle Cecil is at the head of my list right now, as he had heart surgery today. The doctors did 5 bypasses. At this time he should be out of surgery but I haven't heard from my family. I know I will in the morning. My prayer list is kind of long but I don't mind. I am very thankful for my new friends here in Marble Falls. One family that is near and dear to me are the Futrells. Kyle, Marti and Kyleigh Ann are the nicest people you will ever meet. They welcomed me into their family and I am so lucky to know them.

I won't be blogging for a couple of days as I will be out of town. I will tell you all about it when I get back. Have a great week. Spend some time in prayer.

Never Quit, Keep Your Eye On The Goal

This is what I have been "preaching" to my Men's Choir and my Concert Choir at school. They are struggling with the concepts of Sight-reading. It is a new skill for them and it gives them fits, but I tell them no matter what happens "NEVER QUIT!" I think they believe me and trust me but I am not sure they believe in themselves. How do you teach that? I am kind of lost on this one. Although, if you look at the patterns of Christians or "Sinners," I honestly think that we believe in God and trust him but we just don't trust ourselves. I am going through some struggles in my life right now and am worried about the future. Just when I think it's about all I can handle, God lifts me up again. Tonight it was through Jimmy! You know the guy that I have mentioned in my previous blogs. We were talking and I was sharing some of my concerns and he just laid it out there. "Don't worry about tomorrow because we don't even know if we will have tomorrow," he said, "Take it one day at a time." His affirmation of my choices and his encouragement in my struggles was much needed and appreciated. I still wonder at times why I am in Marble Falls and why God sent me here. I know for sure that He knew that I would need a Jimmy in my life and I am so thankful he put Jimmy Mitchell there. I know I will "Never Quit and Keep My Eye On The Goal" which is Jesus Christ. Bless Jimmy and his wife, Elizabeth and their new baby girl, Jenniva. I pray that God gives me the patience with my students and that they can rely on Him to help them through their struggles. I also pray the God will teach them to believe in themselves. Have a great week. I have one more thing to say, Here is a big shout out for JD.

Singing Again!

What a great day it was. My Varsity Women's Choir met today during 1st period at school and they were absolutely amazing. They have been working so hard and it is finally paying off. I can't seem to find anything that they can't sight-read. Their skills in that area are becoming so strong that they are begging to be challenged daily. I love it!!!!! Then when you add on their concert pieces that they are working on, it's just icing on the cake. They sing with a rich, full tone and maturity beyond their years. It has been a long road and lots of hard work but they are seeing now the fruits of their labors.

Jimmy, Dan and I met tonight to practice. We are singing together once a week and I am having a wonderful time. Jimmy and Dan are not only great guys and really good friends, they are very talented singers. We have so much fun and we get some singing done also. Who knows when our first gig will be, but I am sure we will be prepared. Our music is varied but it is all religious music and praise to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that he is pleased with us and our efforts to praise Him and show our love for him through the gracious gift of song that he gave us. I also thank Him for Jimmy and Dan coming into my life so that I may have this wonderful experience of Christian fellowship and worship. Have a great week!