Who Is That Old Person In The Mirror??

Um...that would be ME. Ugh. I feel like in a way I have been running up a "down" escalator for months...running away from November 15th. You know what? Time marches on, people. Time marches on. (Sometimes all over your body and face...but that's another blog.) To be honest, I don't feel 40. FORTY? I mean...I remember when I was in Junior High and High School and thinking the people on that TV show, "Thirty Something" were so old. Now I'm not even thirty SOMETHING! FORTYYYYYYYYYYYY. OK. Turn the page, Brandon. Turn the page.

Whew...ok, I am so grateful for the years of love I have experienced with an amazing family and friends. I am a blessed man. Thank you, God for that.

Sheryl, in her incredible way, created an evening to remember at the Williams Grove Farm House. I was surrounded by some of my most favorite friends who spoke words of blessing into my life. What an amazing gift. THANK YOU, SHERYL!

My good buddy Jill Batson--a wonderful photographer--took some pictures of the evening. (Some of these I took--the not-so-good ones). Thanks, Jill!

Sheryl and I pose with Eve and Ben English

Grant and Jill Batson

Cory and Elizabeth Davis. Elizabeth and I have been friends since 1987. Whew! Cory and I met a couple of years after that...many years of friendship.

Sheryl and me...warming ourselves BY THE FIRE.

I love the sound of fun fellowship!


Jill Batson--Jill and Grant and their kids have been such a great blessing in our lives

Grant Batson, Mark and Holly Whaley, and David and Sharon Shaub. Hilarious.

Sweet friends--Mark and Holly Whaley

My dear mother. Without her I wouldn't be here! She is one of the coolest people I know!

Sheryl making last minute preparations...

Kevin and Kiki

Nathan Slingluff and Cory Davis

Sheryl did this awesome arrangement

Such a perfect setting!

Amy Westerman (We missed you, Scott!!)

Ryan and Sarah Williamson and Geof and Amanda Vickers. Ryan and I have been friends since 8th grade. His family is so deeply woven into my own it's hard to remember a time when I didn't know them.

Bobby and Sonya Colvert and my mom, Judy

My mom!

Yum! What a night! I will never forget it. Thank you to my sweet friends for being there and loving me!

He Chose the Nails

I was going through a box in our bedroom and found a live recording of an Easter concert we did for several nights at Otter Creek several years ago called "He Chose the Nails". It is based off the book by the same title by Max Lucado. I had forgotten how great everyone sounded...even though there was NO editing or cleaning up or tuning. As in any untouched live recording, there are some mistakes, but it was still so sweet! The band was incredible! David Woodard and Jason Patrick did a fantastic job of leading them. John Catchings blessed us with his world famous cello skills too which just made the concerts so much better.

The vocals really sounded sweet too. Part of it is because I am partial to all those people...but man, they all sounded great! It put the biggest smile on my face to revisit this.

I am including a widget here (sound clip) from the concert. This is my wife Sheryl singing "How Beautiful". It might be one of my favorite songs to hear her sing. Kills me! And then when the cello comes in and the choir behind her. I still get chills. Click on the underlined song title and it should play.

15 HCTN How Beauti...

Hosted by eSnips

If you'd like to hear more, I uploaded a bunch of the CD from the evening on Esnips where you can listen to all of it or even download it if you want. Be sure to listen to "Because of Love" too. "You Are My King" and "Made to Worship" are fun too. Tim Woodroof also did a great job narrating that night. The website for this folder online is http://www.esnips.com/web/HeChosetheNails

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Feedback

Hi bloggers...
I know this blog gets a lot of traffic from various sources. Some of you end up here through google search for information on cruises or shows, others of you are here because you know ZOE or me. For those in the later category, I would really love to hear your thoughts on the previous post. Feel free to leave a comment and weigh in. I'm curious how some of those thoughts strike you guys out there. There is a good set of comments already going, but I wanted to take a minute and invite you to go back to that last post and join the discussion. I want to hear what you think.

Thanks!

Distraction

Sunday morning we walked into the worship center and the chairs had all been switched around into two sections facing each other. As Lloyd opened the service he talked about what happens when our "order" is distracted. They had rearranged the chairs on purpose...just to shake things up a bit and gently awaken people from the norm...even something as basic as seating. It's crazy how little things affect us. For me, it was great! I liked things being rearranged a little and I think it's good for us to have to get out of our comfort zone.

I've always thought it was weird when people complained about things in worship being out of their comfort zone. It's a bit ironic when you think about it. Worship...true worship does not leave us as we were. It is never about us. It is always about the unsurprising greatness of our Father and what HE wants to do in us and this world...or even simply about who HE is.

I believe the Lord DOES comfort us as we worship...but more than anything, I think He wants to prod us and convict our hearts. Frankly, when something is not to our liking or preference, sometimes we have to just get over it. Maybe it's in the discomfort that the Lord is trying to speak to you. Maybe that discomfort is the gentle hand of the Father leading us away from ourselves.

Ronnie Freeman rocked it leading Sunday morning. Lloyd taught, as he always does, with great wisdom and depth. But, the thing that meant the most to me was getting to worship with my family and with the Batsons who were there with us. Lloyd reminded us that we were made to be in relationship...even God is in relationship with Himself...the three in one. It is a beautiful thing to have friends who walk with you and who know you inside out. It just serves as a reminder that the relationship we are in with our Father is one of deep intimacy. There is nothing hidden from Him. He KNOWS us inside out...and loves us in spite of ourselves.

Blessed Be the Lord who would not give us up!
Blessed be the Lord for His unfailing love.
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord!

New York Auditions

Trick or Treat 2009

Saturday seemed like a long day. The kids were ready about noon to trick-or-treat. We met at the Batson's early that evening ready to roll!

Batgirl, Ella the soda shop waitress and Sharkboy

The Batson and Thomas kids were a force to be reckoned with

Grant gave everyone the watch-for-crazy-drivers speech. Good thing he did. We encountered one. Hello, people??!! Who speeds through a neighborhood on Halloween??

Sam and Michael

Sheryl, Grant and Jill Batson and me

Today we finished our Discovery Classes at Fellowship. It has been a great series of classes and very encouraging spiritually. After church we had a ZOE meeting at our house. It was great to be together. What a great second family we have in all of them. 13 years is a long time to journey together. We've all grown up together in a way. What a blessing to have relationships like that. We will be travelling to Atlanta in a few weeks to sing. Hope to see some of you there!

Have a great week, blog family!

Last weekend we went to Trunk or Treat at Otter Creek. The kids had a blast. We took our good friends Grant and Jill Batson and their kids. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

In true Sheryl fashion, she transformed herself into Lucy...and totally looked the part! She also made each of the kids' costumes by hand. Way to go, Sheryl!

Ella was a malt shop waitress. Maddie was Batgirl. Sam was Shark Boy... and Sheryl was Lucy

The Thomas kids and the Batson kids.

Maddie as Batgirl

Sheryl and Amy Westerman

On Monday night we went to the TV taping of Amy Grant's "Holiday Postcards From Home" at the Grand Ol' Opry. It was so great! Take 6 was there as special guests. The Air Force Reserve band played as well as the Air Force Strings. It was a gorgeous full orchestra! I had gotten tickets through work and so we made a family night of it and had Kiki and Kevin, Mom and her friend Dorris Colvet, and our adopted daughter Dani and her friend Maria.

Bird's-eye view of the stage

Take 6 performs

Amy sings "Tender Tennessee Christmas"

This special will air on the Armed Forces channel on Christmas Eve. I'm guessing it will air elsewhere too. I'll keep you posted.

Sheryl has a couple of new pictures on her blog from an arrangement she did as a centerpiece for a formal Asian themed gala. Check them out at http://www.sherylthomasflorals.blogspot.com/

Have a great weekend, blog friends!