The final events of 2009 are summed up pretty quickly and include a talent show for the kids at our own Cornerstone Church and a robbery ...in our own driveway.
I counted it a blessing to be home the weekend of December 11-13, which allowed me to participate in the Cornerstone Choir Concert. This is always one of the highlights of the year as Pastor Sarah Delane, who formerly traveled with the Gaither Homecoming Tours, knows how to produce a good show. “Show” you ask? Yes, a show. The entire Nashville community has become more and more aware of our Christmas concerts as well as our 4th of July Celebrations, and Pastor Davis has steered us in the direction of creating a production that compares with something you'd see at TPAC in downtown Nashville...not your typical church cantata. As a result, people that seldom darken the doors of a church from across the city come to see a “show”...at a church. Our pastor believes in taking advantage of every opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so once they've come through the doors, laughed, cried and let their hair down, so to speak, the Gospel is presented and an invitation to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ is extended. I've seen hundreds respond to the altar calls over the past several years and every time I see the flow of people moving toward the front of the auditorium and the tears falling, it moves me as I witness the greatest miracle of all as souls step out of darkness and into light to become new creations in Jesus Christ. This is why I counted it a blessing to be a part of the Christmas concert...my last.
In October it suddenly occurred to me that it was rather silly of me to come to choir rehearsal on Wednesday nights but rarely sing with the choir in the weekend services. Once I had this thought, I began to self consciously think that perhaps others had this same thought long before I did and wondered WHY I was still in choir? After prayer and counsel with my husband, I decided to sing through the end of the year, participating in the Christmas concert and making my choir career a complete 1 and a half decades. I joined reluctantly in January of 1995, stating that I was “really not a choir person,” (no, I was too cool for choir) but after that first Sunday, I was hooked. To detach myself from 15 years of choir ministry was not a welcome idea. But the change has been a good thing as now on Wednesday nights I'm attending an interesting and informative class on Genesis with Bobby and following the class we hear the word preached.
After Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning performances, we still couldn't rest as we were scheduled to minister at Living To Go Church in Goodlettsvile, Tennessee, just down the road from home. Very long time and dear friend, Jeremy Medkiff is the worship leader at Living To Go Church and welcomed us to come. We had a good time in worship and ministry and of course hanging out with Jeremy.
The following Wednesday night, Landis and Hope participated in a talent show in the children's' ministry at Cornerstone and won first place! They sang a duet, harmonizing and accompanying themselves and yes, maybe they did have a bit of an advantage. But Bobby and I were in the room watching the whole thing and we couldn't have been more proud.
We rose early Sunday morning the 20th to drive to Chattanooga and serve at Carpenter's Cowboy Church pastored by brother Gene Coleman. It was, and still is a special treat knowing this fun and joy-filled brother who loves life and loves his Lord. Bobby has heard from him weekly since then as Pastor Gene put Bobby's number on his list of phonetree recipients.
Wes and Marie Nolan and the kids drove up to Chattanooga from Jasper, Georgia and this time we were able to spend the day together as we sang at Carpenter's Cowboy Church for both morning and evening services. The Nolan's went to lunch with us and Pastor Gene and then we had some time after lunch to just relax and visit some more at the church before the evening service.
Bobby had some vocal trouble that evening as he battled some crud. Midway through a song, he turned the track off and said he couldn't go any further. His voice was cracking too much to suit his perfectionist ideals. He called the kids up to sing 3 or 4 songs instead of the usual 2 and then I shared my testimony. A first for me was soloing our standard closing song, “Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus.” As I segued into the song and Bobby began to play softly, I could tell he had lowered it into a perfect key for me to sing. Of course on the way home he bragged a bit about how well he knew my range.
We shared a long drawn out good-bye with the Nolans before making the two-hour drive back to Nashville.
The following Wednesday, the 23rd we didn't have church so as to have family time as we anticipated Christmas. So instead, we loaded 16 dozen cookies, muffins and cards into our yard wagon, hitched it to the lawn mower, bundled up and grabbed some flashlights and jingle bells and hit the neighborhood. The only thing we didn't do was sing Christmas carols but we figured with the noise of the lawn mower we wouldn't have been heard anyway. We made it to all but one of the houses as it took a couple of hours to deliver the 15 out of 16 and the last one was a little too far down the road considering how late it had become.
One of our neighbors, after welcoming us and catching up a bit on news, informed us of some prowlers they had seen on their property in the middle of the day back in the latter half of November. We thanked them for the word of caution but forgot all about their warning as we prepared for and enjoyed Christmas at home. It was wonderful to stay home and relax for a few days.
The day after Christmas we took the children shopping as their Papaw and Mamaw had given them each a little money to spend. Bobby and I thought it would be more fun for them if we waited until the after-Christmas sales began so as to get a little more bang for their bucks. We returned home tickled that we had found some good deals, ate some dinner and all went to bed.
The following morning as we were nearly ready to leave for church, Landis went out to start the van and get it warmed up for us. He came back in quickly saying the doors of the van were open and it was a mess inside. Bobby knew right away that something was seriously wrong and sure enough, he went back outside with Landis and realized we had been robbed. It's an awful feeling, that first moment when you realize you've been violated, but I knew right away that this was an opportunity to show our children how to pray for someone that had wronged us and allow God to have the vengeance.
At bedtime for the next several nights we prayed for the thieves and thanked God that once again, what Satan meant for evil, God would turn for our good and His glory. We found out that our homeowners insurance would not cover the stolen items because they were things used to make a living. Didn't make sense to us, however, I'm sure the insurance company has good reason for their rules. But it wasn't long before Bobby had all of his items replaced with better things than the ones which were stolen thanks to facebook and the family of God.
This completes my blogging for 2009. I didn't keep up like I would have liked. I blame that on that long and busy Canada trip last summer. My typing couldn't keep up with all the bookings. I didn't finish when I wanted to but I did finish and I'm closing this year out with a heart of gratitude for first of all the opportunity to travel and minister as a family, for God's protection as we travel and for the ministry that was done. Obviously as I write this we've already begun a new year of ministry and I can tell you that it has started out very well...very well indeed.
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