Hi friends,

Thanks for checking in on this holiday.  I appreciate your thoughts of us and am blessed to have such friends.  I’ve always been so grateful for our men and women who serve our country so faithfully and am thankful especially for all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for you and for me.  “Greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friend.”  Bless them and their family.

It’s on days like this that I think of my uncle Ted.  I never met him.  He was a tank driver in WWII and was killed when the tank he was driving ran over an uncharted mine field.  The weekend has been filled with stories of service and heroism and I thank the Lord for these individuals.

We’ve spent the day in an easy going fashion.  I had an early tee time with 3 of the guys and Patty did a little flower work which she has really gotten into this month.  This afternoon I have spent some time with my VBS music and am about to light up the grill for a little hamburger action.  I’ll be cooking for our neighbors who look after our place while we’re on the road.

May God bless you as you seek to serve!
John

Well, I decided to take a break from the VBS materials and hit a few golf balls.  So, I met up with a couple of friends early this morning and walked 18.  It was nice only getting hot toward the end of the morning.  My plan was golf then irrigation repair.  Did I mention I had a blown pipe that needed repair?  Depending on the location, this is more times than not, a fairly quick fix.  Ordinarily, that is.  I began work on the area and completed the work at 4 p.m.  Yuck.  Hot, tired, and exhausted…I’ve decided to decline an offer to meet several of my buds on the course in the morning and instead, get busy with VBS.  I’m just tired today and don’t believe I’ll be doing much on the music tonight.

I pray you have a good holiday weekend and in the midst of all the activities and good food, don’t forget to thank the Lord for all the brave men and women who have gone before us and given their lives for your freedoms.

Blessings,
John

The day began with a little golf with a bud.  Following that I began studying for the evening worship and choir rehearsal.  Our new worship leader has yet to move his family here because of the school year.  He has a son graduating from high school so he took off after Sunday services and is spending the week in his previous residence.  I led worship tonight and choir rehearsal.  I always enjoy that time so it was good to be back.

The “Front Door Guy” stopped by today to get final measurements.  Patty will go now and finalize the order.  From there we hear it’s about a 30 day deal to get the door in.  We’ll see.

Tomorrow, in keeping with the “getting things done while we’re home” theme, we have dentist appointments in the morning.  After that, it will be VBS time again.  It’s coming along but because of the past two days activities, I’ve put it on the back burning.  Moving up now!!

Thanks for checking in!
John

I guess I could say; “Same song, different verse”.  That’s how everything began today.  We expected to receive a call early this morning from the flooring guys telling us they were on the way.  That didn’t happen!  Patty wanted to get in a walk so I stayed in until she got back so we wouldn’t miss the call then once she completed her walk, she stayed in and I did yard work.  I was part way finished when she came out to tell me the owner of the flooring company had called to apologize and to say that the workers would be at the house at 11:00.  We had a luncheon at the church, scheduled for 11:30.  Being on staff, I felt I needed to go so I did and Patty stayed at home.

I got a text from her at 12:25 telling me she had received a call and they were on their way.  Hey, an hour and a half late but at least they were on the way.  Everything was completed at 4:00 p.m.  It looks good and we pray there are no other episodes.  We’d like to do things on OUR priority list, not the houses, if you know what I mean.  Nevertheless, we thank the Lord for providing.

Following the luncheon, I went through the slides for tomorrow night’s worship service.  Our worship pastor is off this week and I am leading worship and choir practice tomorrow night.  Everything’s good to go now.

As far as VBS…well, it was put on the back burner today.  Guess I’ll get back on it tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in,
John

Ha, as the song goes, it was Monday.  This morning, around 7:30, I received a call from the flooring place that they wanted to come on out and knock out the repair on the damaged section of our floor wood floors.  (long story but seems to be about to be taken care of)  Anyway, we did everything to prep for their arrival.  It’s now 20 minutes to 4 p.m. and my guess is they aren’t showing today.  What do you think?  Actually, Patty just called and they have scheduled us for tomorrow morning.  Would have been nice to get a phone call but it is what it is.  We may be changing some plans that are in place right now just so we can be here for the repair, we’ll see.  As I said in a previous blog, we are doing a lot of “house” things, some repair, some updating, and this is a necessary part of the time crunch we find ourselves in when we are home such limited time.  Just grateful to be able to take care of some things.

Also stopped by the eye doc this morning for my weekly session as we get closer to the contact/my brain combination I’m making weekly “stop-in’s” and adjustments are being made.  Yesterday while playing my horn in the pit, I had a little trouble reading the music.  It just wasn’t as clear as it is with my glasses from the distance of a music stand.  So, the doc went with yet a different setting and this should do it.  Right now, I’m not fuzzy but am a bit “3D” so……..yech!  All in all, I think it’s better already and I believe this combo is going to work.  Thanks Doc!

VBS is coming along well.  I completed my 4th of 6 songs today so things are going along on schedule.  I’ll begin putting final touches on the Ventriloquism part of the program soon so thanks for the prayers.

And speaking of prayers, we went to our LifeGroup meeting last night and had special prayer for 3 of our dear friends/members.  Some serious cancer has invaded the group and all 3 are good friends with very serious issues.  Please remember Lynn (he is going through experimental treatments), Gary, and Joan.

Blessings my friends,
John

A bit of an unusual day today but nice nevertheless.  Everything began with an early tee time with some friends.  I decided to give the ole contact a try today on the course.  I’m pretty comfortable around the house in the normal day in, day out functions but haven’t tried it out there.  Not really sure I’ll be doing it again for a while.  Things were kinda “swimmy” out there, for lack of a better description.

By hole 13 I was pretty much tired of it all so I packed it in.  I came in to do a little “house” stuff and got it accomplished.  Of course, “Little” is the operative word. Ha ha.  From there it was time to review this past weeks efforts on the VBS music and motions.  So, I took care of that the better part of the afternoon and now am just chillin’ with a ballgame.

Tomorrow I’ll be up early to make the 8 a.m. orchestra rehearsal and the 2 services before coming home and doing it all over again.  Except the golf part. Not tomorrow!

We sure appreciate your prayers as we dedicate these next 2 weeks to final preparations.

Blessings,
John

It’s going full blast now.  The prep, that is!  Technically, we’ll start leading VBS in June but for now I’m spending a great part of the day learning music and familiarizing myself with the music.  It’s going pretty well.  My “lofty” goal for this week was to learn 3 of the songs with motions too.  That’s done and now I can go onto the next 3.  Thanks for the prayers.

Patty has been extremely busy trying to do household stuff as well as yard work planting lots of pretty flowers.  To her, that’s therapy.  For me…I would need the therapy after the fact!  There are also some things that the house needs in upkeep that we are trying to knock out as well.  You know, when you are home for a short time, things are really busy to get these type things done as well as the preparation for ministry.

Both my mom and Patty’s dad are doing very well.  Patty’s dad got a great report this past Wed with his oncologist administering his “once every eight weeks” chemo and telling him that his xrays look super and he won’t need to come back until July.

We will continue this pattern of life for a couple more weeks then “off we go”!!

Blessings
John

Ha ha ha, those words were, ironically, never said in the same sentence when I was in school.  This morning I went to Enterprise Prep Academy Elementary for an end of the year program.  The kids were fun and responsive so things went well.  Following that we stopped by the church for a funeral visitation of a Godly saint.  We were able to spend about 30 minutes with his widow and son and are blessed to have done so.

The bifocal in one eye seems to be doing pretty well.  I’m thinking I would like it a little stronger if possible but its so much better than last week.  I feel like I’m going in the right direction now which of course, last week, I couldn’t say that.

We will go to our mid week service tonight then get back on the VBS Music train (or this year…Airplane) as soon as I get home.  Not much else to report.  Things in Yazoo are continuing to be fine.  Patty’s dad got a great report today and his xray was completely clear.  The doctor said she wouldn’t need to see him again until July!  Praise the Lord!

Mom, as well, is doing just fine.  Sure appreciate all the prayers and remembrances!

John

Hi gang,

The adventure continues with my eyesight.  I went back to the doc today.  I was scheduled as a followup to my “trying out my contact for a week” and when I described my sight to him he said we definitely needed a different direction which of course I agreed with wholeheartedly.  He has elected to go with a bi-focal contact in the left eye only and I’m to try this for a week to see if my brain will adjust.  It was better immediately upon insertion but still not perfect.  I’ll try this and go back next Monday to go from there.  He has other options and says we’ll get this worked out.  I know he will and am grateful for him!

After some lawn work I settled in for some VBS study.  Got lots to do for sure with learning 6 different songs and motions as well as planning an “End of the Year” school program at the local private school here in town.  Also, our new Worship Pastor (as of Feb) asked if I might be available to lead worship on Wednesday the 23rd and choir practice that follows.  He will be driving up to join his family, who are finishing up the school year in the town he moved from, for his son’s graduation.  So, I’ll be needing to get that order of worship into the music office by the end of the week.

Patty’s dad is continuing to do very well.  He does have his 8 week chemo coming up this Wednesday so we would appreciate your prayers on his behalf.  Mom is doing great! She’s traveling just a bit having just gone to Starkville, MS, to see my little brothers’ sons play in their little league games.  Then she drove to Clinton, MS, yesterday after services to have lunch with my sister and her family.

Lots going on.  I know you do to and appreciate, very much, you checking in on us and this ministry.  You are a blessing!

John

Hi gang,

The morning was spent in a little exercise then some time with the new VBS music.  It takes me a while to learn it all, along with all the motions that go along so I try and begin early in May.  Lord willing, I will have it all done by the time we head out in June.

This afternoon we took some time off to go to the new movie, “The Avengers”.  We enjoyed it…fun movie.  Now back to the grind.  I called this blog; “another fuzzy day” because that’s what it has been.  This is really getting frustrating…the dr told me that it would take some time but, man, I’m tired of having fuzzy vision.  I’m sticking with it and praying that we’ll know something for sure by Monday, whether this is going to work or we’ll be going in a different direction.

Thanks for checking in.  I guess if I had any type of prayer requests for now it would be that I will be able to “focus” in two areas.  ha ha ha   I need to learn this music as soon as possible. (the better I know it, the better it comes off in front of the kids) and I need my eyes straightened out so pray for this whether it involves adjustment of my brain over the single contact, or we have to do something else on Monday.

Thanks!
John