Operator: New Voice from the concert at Big Canoe Chapel

Home Concert in pictures

Home Concert

We have now been home for 3 days: long enough to come back to reality, wash clothes, realize that choir tour is now over. The home concert was beautiful. Several past choir members had smiles on their faces for a couple of songs that they also had performed on tour. Kyle Smith, I believe, was reported to almost "dance" during "Witness". Glenn and Diana were presented with signed pictures for memorabilia and the choir also will send one to Josh in Korea. There was a vote to take the tour to Korea so who knows, we may get to deliver it in person. It was a glorious site to see all the former and present members of Youth Choir come together to sing "Bless His Holy Name". One thing I've learned on choir tour, in the two years I have been blessed to go, is that it *really* doesn't matter where they go because wherever they go they will spread the joy of song based in the Word of God. They will have a great time WHATEVER the destination city happens to be. They have fun all along the way in cities they have never heard of. What a great group of kids we have in this group. Their willingness to serve God and make a difference is evidence in their actions together. Their willingness to talk to their audience of strangers at a concert is refreshing and something we should all strive to do. They aren't perfect of course but they do have shining moments of greatness while still trying to "keep their cups clean". They bring the joy of the Spirit where ever they roam. Let's try to be more like them, shall we? This is the last entry for this blog for this year. Thank you again to Aaron Tomberlin, Brian Czarnowsky, Woody Gregg, Jennifer Martin, Sarah Harrell, Kirsti Slaughter,Dana Rackley, Glenn Gregg and Janice Veal especially for planning such a FANTASTIC and memorable trip! I hope to blog with you again about this time next year and that our newly graduated seniors will be able to keep up with the choir again with this and come to another home concert to sing the benediction. Bless His Holy Name!

Day 7

The day started early at our hotel with a Bible Study by Scott Harrell. His application of the Word has been easy to remember. He has given us "catch phrases" to help us remember God throughout the day. Today was no exception and was the best one yet. He gave an analogy about a "dirty cup". What does your cup look like? What does God see? Try to keep your cup clean (and remember that you carry God on your back as you go throughout your day because of what is written on your choir tour t shirts!) All through the day we found ways to refer back to "the cup" analogy so it really stuck with all of us. If we saw people from our group at the park we asked them if their cups were clean. We found that it is difficult not to "dirty your cup" if you are hurling down a steep incline on the first hill of a major roller coaster but we did do as good a job as humans could in these circumstances I believe. We tried to hold each other accountable and have fun doing so. Somehow I missed a "Day 7" report. I am not sure how this happened as it was certainly a memorable day. I could attribute the lack of information to spinning/flying through the air/hurling myself down steep hills and up mountainous inclines with Laura Becerril and Bridget Buff (who ride every roller coaster in parks). Yes, I'll go with that one. Any future lapses of memory on my part will be attributed to Cedar Point amusement park where I scrambled my brain cells beyond recognition on these rides in particular: Top Thrill Dragster, Millenium Force, Max Air and Wicked Twister. Ask your kids. It really, really was an incredible park. Kudos to the Choir Officers for picking this activity! Swimming at the hotel followed with our Examen groups before bedtime. We really like these small groups called examen. They help us relate in a small group setting to how God worked in your life that day. We talk about challenges, failures and successes. With all the screaming I was worried we would damage vocal chords but God helped us because: God is good.....all the time. All the time.....God is GOOD!

Day 9 in pictures

Day 9

Coming home!
It feels as if we have been gone forever but it is finally the last day of tour. There was plenty more fun awaiting us however because we started out the day with a hike of the Lower Falls Trail. We found an old cabin and Glenn gave a memorable story devotion about Jesus being willing to "go the extra mile". He encouraged us all to "go that extra mile". We continued our trek to the beach/pool area of Big Canoe. There was a sliding rock for fun as well. It seems we have exercised quite a bit this tour! After lots of activity Dan Whitaker and his wife Joyce joined us. Dan gathered us around and shared a story from long ago about a little girl with pretty gloves. It was a story about children's church from his days at FBC Forsyth and the story was about our own Senior, Jennifer Martin. She was quite surprised indeed. We blessed our humongous sub sandwich lunch with song and enjoyed another meal together, our last one on tour. Our bus arrived to take us back home to see the smiling faces of our families. It was a really good tour and I anticipate a wonderful home concert. I hope you will be able to come see the choir perform at 10:30 this Sunday morning. I think you will be glad you did.

Day 8 in pictures