VBS is going strong!

I'm the voice of a puppet!!  There's a bucket list item I can cross off!

Seriously, I've been the voice of "Checkers the Cheetah" during our morning VBS assemblies.  It's been great!  But afterwards I've been having a hankering for Cheetoe's!

Oops!  Wrong cheetah.

Speaking of great, what a wonderful group of adult and youth volunteers we've had this week at VBS!  Attendance has grown every day (could it be the big blow up water slide we have in the yard?)  I think attendance has grown because of the great people, great lessons and all the great food!

Singing wise, I've been busy this week singing with the pre-K kids after the opening assembly, and then singing with all the other kids and youth at closing.  

And to tell the truth, I've really needed this week.  Monday evening I sang as well as for our UMMen's group.  All the singing this week has given me a strong sense of balance that I haven't had in a few weeks.  Singing and playing guitar for other people is a devotional sort of thing with me.  If we can sing together, then we can work together to do great things for the Kingdom of God.  I'm sure how to better explain it, but after singing for people, I feel calmer, more controlled, more at peace.

Balance is a good thing.  Perspective helps me to not choose to react out of emotion, but to respond more often out of faith.

And that is always a good thing to do.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Update . . . I'm playing and singing again!

The transition to our new church and home in Crowley, Texas continues.  All is going well.  We still have a few boxes left to unpack.  Garage and workshop stuff I will unpack in the fall when it is cooler.

Singing and guitar wise, I "back in the saddle again!"

I am playing guitar for our 9am informal service  on Sunday mornings, hoping in the process to encourage other players to come join in the fun.  I really haven't played much praise & worship / contemporary Christian music, so there is a learning curve (what is it with contemporary Christian artists love of Eb?)

This past week I visited the local library, and will turn in my volunteer paperwork soon.  I think they are interested in having me come on Friday mornings when I can through the summer.  Hopefully we can talk more in the near future about doing something for after-school in the fall.

My next stop is the Crowley Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.  I believe one of our church members works there.  That is a help, especially when you walk in "off-the-streets" and introduce yourself as a singer / guitar player who will sing and play for free.

"Free" is what I am all about.  I'm a good performer, but not good enough to make a living at singing and playing.  And when you do it for a living, there is all the self-promotion work and travel.  And then, the people I love to perform for the most, children and older adults in retirement or nursing centers, would not normally be part of my usual audience.

I think I have it now the way it is supposed to be.  If I have my health when I retire, I will probably split my time singing at Philmont Scout Ranch in the summers, and singing wherever Hugworks.org wants me to go.  Either way, I will be singing the songs that I love with the people that I love, respect and appreciate the most.

More to report in the coming days.  VBS is next week!  Yay!

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>