You Can Make Anything New

I'm praying for Jason and Erin who are fighting the good fight. Our God can make anything new!

Sanctus Real - The Redeemer

Sometimes I just want to start over, 'cause everything looks like a wreck
And I need the courage to carry on, 'cause I can't see what's ahead
And there are places I've wished I could be, battles I've wanted to win
Dreams that have slipped through my hands
I may never get back again

But I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh, I've lost my faith in so many things, but I still believe in You
'Cause You can make anything new

Sometimes I just wish we could say all the things that are easy to hear
Ignore the injustice we see and explain every unanswered prayer
But I'd rather speak honestly and wear a tattered heart on my sleeve
'Cause in the middle of my broken dreams, redemption is here

And I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh, I've lost my faith in so many things, but I still believe in You
'Cause You are the answer, the redeemer
Oh, I've given up on too many things, but I'm not giving up on You
'Cause You can make anything new

I don't have every answer in life
But I'm trusting You one day at a time
'Cause You can make a weak heart stay alive forever
this is where Heaven and Earth collide
I lift my hands and give my life
This is how my weary heart stays alive

Oh, I'm still a dreamer (This is where heaven and earth collide)
(I lift my hands and give my life)
Still a believer (This is how my weary heart stays alive)
Oh, You are the answer (Oh, this is where Heaven and Earth collide)
(I lift my voice and give my life)
The redeemer (This is how my weary heart stays alive, oh)

'Cause You can make anything new
Yeah, You can make anything new

A Swing'n Christmas

We went to the Big Band Christmas Concert last night at New Covenant. It was awesome. If you didn't attend last night, make sure you don't miss it this evening. Don't let a little snow stop you from having a memorable evening!

You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the concert. Kudos to all the musicians who participated! And a special "thank you" to Pastor Gary! Our hearts were touched by the story of Christmas as told through the big band sound! It was a swing'n Christmas.

Three Cheers

We traveled to Gallagher Bluedorn yesterday to hear Josh perform in the UNI Men's Glee Club Christmas Variety Show. And what a show it was! You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the evening.

The 116 voice men's choir was awesome! I especially enjoyed Mary Did You Know, Ave Maria, and The First Noel sung to candle light! David Hoobler did an awesome job in the Men's Camerata. And Caroling, Caroling sung by the Vocal Jazz Ensemble may have been my favorite!

A Star-Crossed Christmas was a Star Wars meets Star Trek Christmas play. There were some classic lines and scenes! And of course, the show ends with its traditional Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairies performed by the Arthur Murder Dancers!

We thoroughly enjoyed the 2 1/2 hour show. Three cheers to Dr. Barrett and all those who performed.

This Is Home

I've had Switchfoot's "This Is Home" running around in my head for some time. I knew there was a blog post in there somewhere, I just didn't know when or what.

I first heard the song this past summer on ESPN of all places. They used it as their theme song for the Title Town USA contest they were holding. I loved the song but didn't know anything about it. Josh did some hunting around and found that it was done by Switchfoot for the Prince Caspian movie.

This morning I put a slide show together using This Is Home. I used pictures from Eight Days of Hope. Enjoy!

This Is Home reminds me that this world is not my home. That my real home is in heaven. And it's imperishable and eternal. That it will never be destroyed. And that in my new home there will be no more tears, no more death, no more mourning, no more crying and no more pain. This is my real home, the home where I belong.

Every man, woman and child longs for a home like this. A place to call their own. A place to belong. I want to help people find their real home, a home prepared with love just for them.

I've been created for a place I've never known. This is home!

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

The 12 Days of Christmas

It's time for some Christmas music. Sit back, relax and enjoy this version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Last year, Josh and a group of Linn-Mar guys performed a similar arrangement at the Get In The Spirit concert. These guys are good!

Christmas Variety Show

We traveled to the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls last evening to attend the UNI Men's Glee Club Christmas Variety Show. The performance was 2 1/2 hours of inspiration, entertainment and laughter. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Believe, In The Sanctuary, Lux Aurumque, and Gloria were vocal favorites. And A Glee Club Christmas Carol and Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairies were show stoppers! Sharon and I especially enjoyed the show as Josh, David Hoobler and Ben Wohlers all sing in the Glee Club.

It was a great evening of entertainment. It was a great way to begin the Christmas season. Kudos to Dr. Barrett and all those who performed!

Father of Mine

Last week at Men's Fraternity Robert Lewis talked about the Five Wounds men deal with:

• The absent father wound
• The overly bonded with mother
• The all alone wound
• The lack of a manhood vision wound
• The heart wound

When Robert Lewis was talking about the "absent father" wound, he mentioned the band Everclear and their song, Father Of Mine. You can click on the picture above to watch the music video.

Here are the lyrics to the song, Father of Mine.

Father of mine
Tell me where have you been
You know I just closed my eyes
My whole world disappeared
Father of mine
Take me back to the day
When I was still your golden boy
Back before you went away

I remember blue skies
Walking the block
I loved it when you held me high
I loved to hear you talk
You would take me to the movie
You would take me to the beach
You would take me to a place inside
That is so hard to reach

Father of mine
Tell me where did you go
You had the world inside your hand
But you did not seem to know
Father of mine
Tell me what do you see
When you look back at your wasted life
And you don't see me

I was ten years old
Doing all that I could
It wasn't easy for me
To be a scared white boy
In a black neighborhood
Sometimes you would send me a birthday card
With a five dollar bill
I never understood you then
And I guess I never will

Daddy gave me a name
My dad he gave me a name
Then he walked away
Daddy gave me a name
Then he walked away
My daddy gave me a name

Daddy gave me a name
Daddy gave me a name
Then he walked away
Daddy gave me a name
Then he walked away
My daddy gave me a name

Father of mine
Tell me where have you been
I just closed my eyes
And the world disappeared
Father of mine
Tell me how do you sleep
With the children you abandoned
And the wife I saw you beat

I will never be safe
I will never be sane
I will always be weird inside
I will always be lame
Now I'm a grown man
With a child of my own
And I swear I'm not going to let her know
All the pain I have known

Then he walked away
Daddy gave me a name
Then he walked away
My dad gave me a name
Then he walked away

My daddy gave me a name
Then he walked away
My daddy gave me a name
Then he walked away
Then he walked away
Then he walked away

I'm thankful for my earthly father and my Heavenly Father. They gave me name and they didn't walk away.

But for those men who have an absent father wound in their heart, there is hope and healing. And as Robert Lewis says, you can't change what you don't understand. And understanding begins with unpacking. And unpacking happens at Men's Fraternity. Men's Fraternity provides a safe environment for men to talk to other men about their manhood journey. See you there!

It's Time

Josh wrapped up his vocal season at Linn-Mar with the Spring Vocal Concert last Monday. It was an awesome evening that included a family pot-luck, senior recognition and concert. David Hoobler received the outstanding senior musician award. Way to go David!

The 9th and 10th Grade Choirs, Concert Choir, Chorale, Men and Women's Choirs all performed along with several other ensembles. It was a great evening of music. A special thank you to Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Schmidt for a great year. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

Our lives have been filled with a series of "lasts" during the month of May. We can now at the "last vocal concert" to our list! It's a little sad to think that next year we won't be going to marching band contests, winter or spring vocal concerts or track meets in the spring.

But there is a time and season for everything. And this is a season of lasts, and transitions, and new beginnings. Graduation is only a day away. It's time.

Beautiful

This evening was Senior Solo Night at Linn-Mar. Jon returned from the State Track Meet just in time to change and grab his guitar.

Andrew Holcombe, Melanie Marzen, David Hoobler and Jon performed Shawn McDonald's, Beautiful. They did an awesome job! We are so proud of you!

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the Senior Solos. Thanks Seniors for a great performance!

Here are the lyrics to Beautiful:

As I look into the stars
Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclestiastes 3:11

Not To Us O Lord

We celebrated the life of Denny Ferry today. I was reminded all over again that a life well-lived is a beautiful thing. Denny lived a life that was beautifully simple - he loved God and he loved people. This simple phrase summed up his entire life. Well, he also loved music, and Karen and his family and ..... I think you get the point!

Ah yes, music. There was music everywhere! The choir started us off with "Not To Us O Lord." It was majestic! Karen even left her seat to join them in singing the anthem! There were three soloists, we had four congregational songs and we ended with a men's quartet. In addition, three more songs accompanied the Tribute to Life slide show at the end of the service. And at the graveside? Jim Jenkins played the bagpipes as we sang Wild Irish Rose and Amazing Grace!

The thoughts that I shared at the service follow.

Denny requested that this passage of Scripture be read at his Celebration of Life Service. Denny felt strongly that a person who called themselves a Christian should live like one.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:8-20

I first met Denny when I candidated at New Covenant in 1991. Denny was serving on the Deacon Board in our worship ministry. We hit it off right away as we were both born in the Tama/Toledo area. I've never met someone who was so excited about being from Tama, Iowa!

Denny lived the Ephesians passage out. He was careful how he lived. Three words come to mind when I think of Denny.

The first word is sing. Denny loved to sing. As you can gather from the ceremony today, Denny loved music. He was in various music groups and ensembles including our choir.

The second word is smile. Denny always had a twinkle in his eye, a smile on his face and a good word for everyone he met. He loved to laugh and have fun. Maybe that came from all the ribbing he had to take from his nine brothers and sisters!

The third word is servant. Denny chose to live as a servant, always looking for ways to serve the needs of others. He had a special place in his heart for children. And of course, Denny also served here at New Covenant.

As I mentioned before, Denny served as Deacon of Worship here at New Covenant from 1991 to 1995. When one of our Elders or Deacons finish their term of service, we acknowledge them by giving them this framed Timothy Botts print at our spring retreat. It’s a beautiful print of Colossians 1:28. Denny and Karen had this print hanging in the bed room.

But the thing that makes this print valuable is the words that are written on the back. All of the other Elders, Deacons and staff write words of thanks and appreciation. I would like to read a few of the remarks on the back of Denny’s print.

Today we grieve the passing of a husband, brother, father, grandfather, family member, and friend. But our loss is Denny’s gain. Today Denny is in his Saviors presence, with a new song on his lips, a smile on his face, serving His Jesus forever.

Oh Happy Day

Yesterday was Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. It was a great day of celebration. Individual players and even entire teams wore number 42 in tribute to Jackie Robinson. But the person who stole the show, in my opinion, was Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife.

Rachel Robinson, the founder of The Jackie Robinson Foundation, was given the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award yesterday during the Sunday's ceremony at Dodger Stadium. The award was presented by Commissioner Bud Selig and honors Rachel Robinson for her "contribution and sacrifice to the legacy of her husband," who passed away in 1972.

Rachel Robinson is the first woman to receive the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. She founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation in 1973 as a public, not-for-profit organization to serve as an advocate for young people with the greatest need. Under Mrs. Robinson's leadership, JRF has awarded scholarships to 1,200 students from 43 states and the District of Columbia, totaling over $14.5 million.

During the television broadcast of the Dodgers and Padres game last evening, Rachel Robinson joined announcers Jon Miller and Joe Morgan in the booth. She was witty, intelligent, charming, and gracious. Rachel Robinson is one incredible lady! The pre-game show featured a black gospel choir singing Oh Happy Day, Jackie and Rachel Robinson's favorite song.

Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
Washed my sins away (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)

It has been said that Jackie Robinson could not have achieved what he did without Rachel at his side. During his ten year playing career, Rachel attended every Dodger home game. She wanted to make sure that when Jack (as she calls him) looked up into the stands, that he would see at least one person who was cheering for him!

Growing up, Rachel was a determined young woman who knew what she wanted. Listen to what she said attracted her to Jack as transcribed in this 2005 interview.

And then he was – another trait that he – I saw a lot of and – is my favorite and most important one, is a humility about him that I liked. I cannot tolerate arrogance and self importance and all those kinds of things and he had none of that and he just came in and blended in with the students and kind of accepted their greetings of him in a positive way and so between – I started assessing who he was before I – he actually mattered.

Rachel was a young woman with a strong faith in Christ. She describes growing up in her home.

My life centered around Bethel AME Church. My mother was very, very protective and we were not allowed to go very far unchaperoned. But we could go to church anytime, day or night and hopefully, that’s where we were going on her part. And so we would go to church, Bethel. I sang in the choir; I later on began to teach Sunday School until I got to college and so the church was the center of our life for all social things as well as for religious services and that kind of thing.

She met Jack at UCLA when she was a freshman and he was a senior. Jack was the big man on campus and starred in football, basketball, track and baseball. A relationship began but Rachel didn't want to get married until she graduated from nursing school, which led to a five year engagement!

Rachel's father wasn't thrilled with Jackie at first, but her mother approved.

My mother on the other hand was very enthusiastic. She was all very excited and she thought he’s a Christian man; she knows he goes to – he goes to church, he talked about he always prays and he – his spiritual beliefs were there for everybody to examine, he was very close to his church. His best friend was Carl Downs who was the Reverend in his church and so she thought he was ideal in – in every way and had great prospects and she – the only thing she complained about, at the dinner table he told her that he didn’t eat vegetables; that he only ate potatoes and sometimes a tomato. And so she said, “Well, I don’t know how he’s going to manage, you know” and she knew that I was – I’m a – vegetables and fruits and you know, a healthnik and all that. And how are you going to make out with this man that just eat meat and potatoes, you know?

Here is what Rachel has to say about her goal orientation.

I always had five year plans. From the time I was ten years old I had five year plans. I really did. And they, you know, and they give you a sense of direction and – and things to strive for and you know what steps you have to take and I’ve been doing that all my life.

Rachel's sense of direction and purpose has led to many accomplishments in her own right. She became a psychiatric nurse at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Director of Nursing at Connecticut Mental Health Center, and Associate and an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychiatry at Yale School of Nursing.

Today, Rachel describes herself as "an energetic, loving, caring person who's deeply spiritual." She said that she and Jack were "the perfect match." They were true team mates. Jackie's work is finished, Rachel's continues on. Their lives are intertwined by their shared passion to make a difference.

Jackie Robinson said that "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Our world is better today because of the courage and commitment of Jackie and Rachel Robinson. As far as we have come, there is much left to do. There are goals to strive for and dreams yet to reach. But until that day, we remember our Jesus who has washed our sin away. Oh happy day!

Don't Pass Him By

I just read a powerful article at washingtonpost.com about a social experiment set up by Gene Weingarten, a Washington Post staff reporter. On Friday, January 12 of this year, Weingarten arranged for a world-class violinist to stand outside the Metro in Washington DC in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators and play some of the finest classical music ever composed on one of the most valuable violins ever made.

Did I mention the violinist was Joshua Bell? Joshua recently received the 2007 Avery Fisher Prize which is awarded for outstanding achievement and excellence in music. This award is so prestigious and demanding that no one has received its prize for three years. And the violin that he plays? Bell owns the Gibson Stradivarius violin that he purchased in 2001 for $3.5 million. It's considered the world's greatest violin!

At 7:51 AM Joshua Bell began playing his Gibson Stradivarius violin and over the next 43 minutes played six great classical pieces. What transpired next is the material for Weingarten's Washington Post article. The article contains four video segments and then entire 43 minutes of recorded audio. I encourage you to read the entire piece. It's long but well worth the read. I have to tell you that by the end I was in tears. You won't be disappointed.

As I tried to process my own emotions, several passages of Scripture came to mind.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but but his own did not receive him. John 1:10-11

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-41

One of the greatest violists in the world performs in a busy public venue and goes virtually unnoticed. Here is how Weingarten reports it.

In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look.

I believe he hits the nail on the head when he goes on to write:

Let's accept that we can't look at what happened on January 12 and make any judgment whatever about people's sophistication or their ability to appreciate beauty. But what about their ability to appreciate life? We're busy. Americans have been busy, as a people, since at least 1831, when a young French sociologist named Alexis de Tocqueville visited the States and found himself impressed, bemused and slightly dismayed at the degree to which people were driven, to the exclusion of everything else, by hard work and the accumulation of wealth.What about our ability to appreciate and live life? We're drive by hard work and the accumulation of wealth to the extent that we can't even take the time to enjoy the incredible gift of life we have been given.

And on one starry night, God himself showed up in our neighborhood. Thousands passed him by, but a few lowly shephards paused to recognize his greatness. His virtuoso performance went unrecognized and unappreciated.

Gene Weingarten says that he has never written a piece that has generated such strong reaction and public response. He has received thousands of emails and letters. The article showed up in the Washington Post on Easter Sunday of all days. I believe this story touches hearts because it reminds us that there is more to life than working hard, staying busy and accumulating wealth. That life is meant to have beauty and purpose. And that sadly, so many wander aimlessly by the master musician, oblivious to the incredible music.

The story that grabbed my heart is the one of John Picarello. I apologize for the length of this post, you have permission to quit reading!

Picarello hit the top of the escalator just after Bell began his final piece, a reprise of "Chaconne." In the video, you see Picarello stop dead in his tracks, locate the source of the music, and then retreat to the other end of the arcade. He takes up a position past the shoeshine stand, across from that lottery line, and he will not budge for the next nine minutes.

Like all the passersby interviewed for this article, Picarello was stopped by a reporter after he left the building, and was asked for his phone number. Like everyone, he was told only that this was to be an article about commuting.

When he was called later in the day, like everyone else, he was first asked if anything unusual had happened to him on his trip into work. Of the more than 40 people contacted, Picarello was the only one who immediately mentioned the violinist.
"There was a musician playing at the top of the escalator at L'Enfant Plaza."

Haven't you seen musicians there before?
"Not like this one."

What do you mean?
"This was a superb violinist. I've never heard anyone of that caliber. He was technically proficient, with very good phrasing. He had a good fiddle, too, with a big, lush sound. I walked a distance away, to hear him. I didn't want to be intrusive on his space."

Really?
"Really. It was that kind of experience. It was a treat, just a brilliant, incredible way to start the day."

Picarello knows classical music. He is a fan of Joshua Bell but didn't recognize him; he hadn't seen a recent photo, and besides, for most of the time Picarello was pretty far away. But he knew this was not a run-of-the-mill guy out there, performing. On the video, you can see Picarello look around him now and then, almost bewildered.

"Yeah, other people just were not getting it. It just wasn't registering. That was baffling to me."

When Picarello was growing up in New York, he studied violin seriously, intending to be a concert musician. But he gave it up at 18, when he decided he'd never be good enough to make it pay. Life does that to you sometimes. Sometimes, you have to do the prudent thing. So he went into another line of work. He's a supervisor at the U.S. Postal Service. Doesn't play the violin much, anymore.

When he left, Picarello says, "I humbly threw in $5." It was humble: You can actually see that on the video. Picarello walks up, barely looking at Bell, and tosses in the money. Then, as if embarrassed, he quickly walks away from the man he once wanted to be.

Bell thinks he did his best work of the day in those final minutes, in the second "Chaconne."

Jesus is worthy of our entire devotion and lives. Take time today to humbly receive his free gift of salvation. Take time today to linger in his presence to enjoy his beauty. Don't pass him by.

Have You Ever

The Linn-Mar Variety Show was held last week. There was a fun mixture between the serious and the humorous, and student and staff. I was so impressed by the talent level of the students and their willingness to put themselves on the line to perform in front of their peers.

The show stopper was the last number, Lean on Me, performed by members of the chorale. It was inspirational! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

David Hoobler and Jon performed Shawn McDonald's, Have You Ever. It's a beautiful song about wanting and longing for more out of life. They dedicated the song to all those who are seeking and questioning the meaning of life. I couldn't have been more proud of these two young men and their longing to share Christ.

I was introduced to Shawn McDonald through Josh and Jon. I absolutely love his heart for the Lord and his music. Here are the lyrics to Have You Ever.

Have you ever wanted to be someone else
Have you ever wanted just to be someone
Have you ever wanted to reach your dreams
Have you ever wanted life to be more than it seems
I have tasted of a love so wide
That it stops all my time
I have tasted of a love so deep
That it blows my mind
Have you ever wanted to reach up and touch the sky
Have you ever wanted to pack it up and say good-bye
Have you ever wanted someone to care
Have you ever wanted someone to be there
He is sweet, He is sweet
What your looking for
Is my sweet, sweet Jesus
What You're looking for
Is my sweet Lord

Watching You

I'm speaking this Sunday on Ephesians 6:4 and the parenting process. And of course you can't talk about being a parent without talking about being a role model. Our children are watching us and model what they see. We try to take short-cuts and mistake telling for training. Training takes more time and involves showing, explaining, correcting and encouraging.

Many of you may be familiar with Rodney Atkins "Watching You" music video. Watching You is Billboards number one country song right now. It's about the relationship between a dad and his son and the power of modeling. Dad's, watch the video and then go hug your son. Someone is watching you!

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy
Till his nuggets were gone
Green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my breaks and mumbled under my breath
As fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with "s" and I was concerned
So I said son now where did you learn to talk like that

[Chorus one]
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son's scooby doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to god like he was talking to a friend
And I said son where'd you learn to pray like that

[Chorus two]
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama's hand
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

[Bridge]
With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug
Said my little bear is growing up
He said but when I'm big I'll still know what to do

[Chorus three]
Cause I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
Then I'll be as strong as you and superman
We'll be just alike, hey won't we dad
When I can do everything you do
Cause I've been watching you

Get In The Spirit

We enjoyed the Get In The Spirit Christmas Concert at Linn-Mar High School last Saturday evening. We enjoyed the In Step and 10th Street Show Choirs, Christmas carol sing alongs, and various soloists and and choral groups. It was an incredible evening. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the individual and choral groups.

You can click here to see a slide show of the In Step Show Choir. You can click here to see a slide show of the 10th Street Show Choir. These are large slide shows and may take awhile to load on your computer. You can click on an individual photo to stop the show, then click on "Open photo in new window" to go to my online flickr account. You can then click on "All Sizes" above the photo in order to download an individual photo.

It was a wonderful musical evening. Jon played in the band for the show choirs, and Josh participated in the last ensemble that performed the Twelve and A Half Days of Christmas. Kudos to June Schmidt and the rest of the staff for developing such fine musicians. The Linn-Mar choral, band and orchestra departments all helped the full house get in the Christmas spirit!

Jesus Our Treasure

Pastor Gary and our choir, orchestra and drama team performed Jesus Our Treasure Christmas musical yesterday and twice today. The timeless Christmas story is told through the eyes of one of the shepherds, as told to his granddaughter. Kudos to Pastor Gary, Natalie Kaufman, and Darrin Crow for an outstanding performance. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the musical.

There is one more performance of the musical on Monday evening. The music is wonderful, the performances are outstanding and the story is compelling. God became a man and dwelt among us. It's the greatest story every told. The Christmas story is the reason we celebrate. He is our treasure!