GEORGIA ON MY MIND…

Wow, what a trip west!  If you watched the video I posted after our California conference you got a feel for it.  If you didn’t, don’t worry.  You’ll have a chance at a different edit shortly.  ?   Upon returning home… well then there’s that.  We were on the go every weekend except for the fourth of July Holiday.  No complaints here, just busy. This included a great opportunity for MISSIONvideo to install a video system for our great friends at FBC Hamshire including a digital switcher and remote displays.  This church embraced the MISSIONvideo/KNIGHTsong Ministries concept of “ministry helping ministry”.  One hundred percent of the profit from this (and all MISSIONvideo projects) goes directly to KSM.  Shaunda and I keep none of it.  I also had the privilege to lead worship while I was there.  You can add to that two very special weekends with our dear friends and ministry partners, Bunny and Henry, one in Southeastern Arkansas and one in Cleburne Texas.  And finally last weekend off and then…

This past Wednesday morning we departed for our second tour of 2019.  This one we’ve called “Georgia On My Mind”.  That’s the title of a familiar tune that I get to sing in the Bois D’Arc Dixieland Band, and the destination of our first ministry stop: Jonesboro Georgia (south of Atlanta).  From there its on to Statesboro.  In Statesboro I’ll have the opportunity to spend many hours over the following two weeks with the Worship Team from Believer’s Church,  They are an awesome group of worshippers (and fine musicians), and the basement of our fifth wheel is loaded with recording gear.  I’ll have the privilege of putting the two together to help them complete their first recording project.  I’l be sharing out Journey with this great Church as well.  After that we are scheduled to spend a few weekends with some churches in North Carolina and then return Texas in early September.  

The year-end also looks promising.  We are scheduled for a conference in New Jersey in September and another in Austin in November.  Both of these are regional conferences for Mom’s who have lost children.  Another great “Camp Meeting” is also scheduled in September where I will speak and lead worship with some other musicians including the southern gospel group Legacy Five.  

The Calendar is filling up for Christmas too!  This year’s concert is entitled CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT, and includes a brand new Christmas project of the same title.  This recording will features an audio cd and an accompanying DVD as well.  The music is different than you might expect, with many Holiday tunes presented in unique arrangements.  I’ve produced several projects through the years with complete orchestrations and vocals.  This one however,  with the exception of one song, is piano… just piano.  

Picture Christmas Eve, your presents all wrapped and the kids in bed asleep.  The lights from the tree along with the some small glowing candles offer the only light in the room.  You sit in your favorite chair with a cup of steaming hot Christmas tea.  In the stillness of the evening with snow gently falling outside your window, simple, almost haunting strains of your favorite carols emanate from the corner of the room presented only by a grand piano.  If you can imagine all of that then you’ll have a good idea of what these special LIVE WORSHIP EVENTS will be like.  A very few weeknight dates are still open if you’d like to bring this event to your church or organization.

Who would have believed all this a few short years ago?

SO WHATS THE BIG DEAL?

I know I mentioned this before, but something very exciting is coming to KNIGHTsong Ministries!  Hard to believe, but it has been more that ten years since Matt passed away, and seven years since the release of my first book. TEARS IN A BOTTLE, Lessons From A Broken Heart.  A few months ago it became quite obvious that the book could use some updating and could be of better service if some additional stories were added.  Shortly after mentioning this project in our first newsletter of this year, I was contacted by a gentleman named David Stokes.  David is a prolific and an excellent writer.  I had read one of his books previously.  He was just retiring from a successful ministry career.  He had read that first  newsletter and contacted me to “start a discussion”.  I soon understood that David is also a publisher.  

That initial contact indeed led to further discussions, then to a partnership and a wonderful opportunity.  In a sentence, the second edition of TEARS IN A BOTTLE will be released later this year by by David’s publishing company.  It is currently in the editing process.  (And to say the least, that process has been challenging, educational, humorous and, well, sometimes painful!)  I have certainly learned a lot.  Combine this process with a professionally designed cover, a professionally designed interior and some aggressive promotion, and… we’ll see!  The win for me here is at least the chance to tell Matt’s story to an expanded audience.  The lifeblood of this ministry is to tell Matt’s story to people who have never heard it before.

Please pray with us about this.  And watch for TEARS IN A BOTTLE, Lessons From A Broken Heart Second Edition on Critical Mass Books.  There will be much more on this soon including some extra help I will ask of you. 

Who would have believed all this a few short years ago?

THE BOTTOM LINE

Did the paragraphs above seem amazing at all to you?  They sure did to me.  Just three and one half years years ago I completed my last Sunday at Family Fellowship where I had served for 21 years.  That day also marked more than 35 years in vocational ministry.  To be quite honest, I love Family Fellowship and I loved my years there.  And what’s more, I was a little bit intimidated by all this. In the midst of all that is when we started out on our initial two year Journey to share Matt’s story.  And I believed at the time that two years was all it was likely to be.  Yet here we are midway into YEAR 4 with two more opportunities to minister to hurting Moms on the schedule for a YEAR 5.  And I honestly ask myself “How did all this happen?”

And the answer is really not all that difficult.  It was God through so may of you.  Many of you pray earnestly for us.  Many of you supported us financially.  Others of you have allowed us to come to your churches and tell Matt’s story.  You have traded books and CDs for offerings for our ministry.  You have sent letters, emails, texts  and made phone calls.  You have encouraged us.  You have chosen to not forget Matt, his life, his death nor his unbelievable story of faith and hope.  

As I look back, I can’t help but chuckle.  If I had set out on this course and planned for all the churches to open their doors it would be one thing.  If I had planned to write more books, to record more projects, to create of MISSIONvideo, to partner with a national ministry and to partner with a publisher, you might think I was a genius.  But you know the truth.  This entire Journey has been revealed to me only one step at a time:  “a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my path”. Light for just one more step. And once again I ask for continued prayers for God’s guidance.  I simply want to achieve all that God has for this ministry no matter how big, or no matter when He determines that it is enough.

And all of this leaves us with nothing to say… nothing, that is, but thank you.  Please know that I don’t take you for granted either.  Who would have believed all this a few short years ago?