Interesting Times…

singing diary

These are interesting times! 

So much is happening; so much is at stake! It’s an extreme thing (to begin with) to move country in your 50s, which is what Marcia & I have done. While we’ve come a long way, adjusting and getting to know this ‘so very different culture’, we still have a long way to go, to find our place in this great & crazy ‘new world’. 

My conviction to go into the Retirement Homes in the area (of Tampa Bay- through Lakeland) to sing & story-tell is as strong as ever.  A few interesting accounts here of special and not-so-special times that I’ve had in the last 6 weeks or so, but first a couple of thoughts regarding ‘these interesting times’.

The economy is down; a massive political struggle is taking place over who will be the next USA president (I hope it’ll be Obama {see the latest ‘From an Angel’s PoV’}). There’s a restlessness in the air; people are ‘on edge’. 

Marcia & I are happy together, pressing ON as much as we can, and pressing IN (to heaven) even more.

Marcia is in a (more then) full-time job where much of her energy is given to tasks that she’s not interested in. She needs to move on badly! 

While she’s almost desperate to get out, we understand that the fact of having the job (at this time and in this area) is a huge blessing; a mixed blessing, I suppose. Pressure makes us grow, and she certainly is growing (in inner strength, in her gifting & skills, and also in her conviction that she needs to move on).

I keep very busy trying to put hands & feet on a vision that much of the time looks like ‘pie in the sky’. We have so much vision. We believe God for SO MUCH!  (See our web-site: www.entertainingangels.us) This is both exciting and exhausting. While (we believe that) God has given this (vision) to us, daily we give it back to Him; we don’t have the strength, the resources, the connections, the know-how, the support. So we go One Day at a Time’ like the song that I sing.  

So what about my singing in the Retirement Homes?

While we are consistently spending more money then what comes in, I give a large part of my weekly time & energy to providing entertainment (of a special kind) to Retirement Homes in the area (around 60 in all), without receiving any realistic pay. Interesting times indeed. 2 or 3 Homes per week. 

Occasionally I wonder ‘how long will I be able to keep this going?’. I read somewhere, that if what you do (and keep doing), doesn’t pay, it really amounts to no more then a hobby. According to that definition I’m keeping myself busy with a time consuming hobby.

Obviously this is much more then a hobby; it is a ministry. However, if it really is a ministry, then ‘the worker is worthy of his pay!’ , as it says in scripture, and I should see funds in return for my hard work. (I have stood on this scripture since I’ve been going into the Homes, and continue to stand on it). 

So, I’m looking for a break-through here, of some kind. In my communication with the Activities Directors of the Homes, I have become a little stronger on wanting to be paid. Some places have an entertainment budget, and I must not allow them to treat me cheaply as ‘that volunteer who never needs to be paid’. The difference between NO PAY, and a little pay is HUGE!!! First of all, it’s appreciation. Second, it puts gas in my car! 

Going into the Retirement Homes under the label of entertainment is a great way of getting past the usual barriers, and reaching many lost souls for Jesus almost unhindered. It’s like an under-cover operation. I walk right into these places, set-up my PA, start playing (the soprano sax) and singing, and the wonderful Holy Spirit begins to move.

Often there are 1 or 2 born again Christians there, members of staff, and I can see that their spirit is activated through the presence & work of the Holy Spirit. Usually I can clearly see it happen. Other members of staff are touched too. Often all kinds of people (working there or visiting) appear behind the little audience of residents, and are being ‘blessed’.

If I had time, I would connect with those people and work out a strategy of how to best reach the residents, on a regular (say weekly) basis, with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Winding back a little in this ‘chain-of-thought’, I have written about the Spirit moving while I minister, about being paid or not, about vision (without vision people perish), and about insecure times in a new & strange culture.

Meanwhile,

I continue to visit 2, sometimes 3 Retirement Homes per week. This is a good rhythm; it keeps me on my toes, constantly learning to push my voice and my expression, to learn lines, learn new songs, learn new stories (to tell) etc.. There’s also a deep learning process taking place by stepping into all kinds of extreme situations and standing in front of all kinds of audiences, and delivering while under pressure. I am constantly learning to stand strong (while ministering) in the face of opposition of all kinds. (I can assure you that before hand, I take authority in the Spirit over the situation, what-ever that  might entail.)

Just once, so far, has it happened that the Holy Spirit could not move;  there was too much opposition.

I was singing, first time, in a posh Retirement Home on Bayshore in Tampa. I had contacted the place for a booking, and they got back to me, wanting me to sing just a few days later on a Monday morning. This seemed odd to me. No Retirement Home (that I know) would seriously consider providing entertainment to their residents in a Monday morning! However, they were looking for someone to come in to entertain weekly, and in this way they could ‘check me out’, sooner rather then later. 

When I arrived at 9 AM the following Monday, the Activities Director didn’t have a place for me to perform yet. Again, it struck me as odd!  However, it was quickly sorted and I could go into some small dining room on the second floor. She accompanied me there, and kept commenting on my PA: it was SO MUCH equipment. I kept re-assuring her that to me it was normal, and nothing too much.

However in the tiny dining room that she took me to, where I was to perform for 12 people, it did seem out of proportion. This is a large Retirement Home (bigger then most), and here I was giving my al to 12 people, half of whom were either asleep, or simply ‘not there’. I’ve learned this lesson before: when I get ’set-up’ for something the Activity Director wants to do, it ends up being the wrong event for Holy Spirit action. (And if the Holy Spirit is not welcome, I’m not interested in coming either!)

During the ‘gig’ several residents are constantly moaning & groaning, others want to be entertained with Frank Sinatra kind-of songs, and one lady, who is sitting right in front of me, keeps crying out that she wants to be taken back to her room, but none of the staff want to oblige.

This one lady (with the help of a few others) made so much noise, all the way though, that the Holy Spirit would not move. Meanwhile several  members of staff were standing there, to the side, being judgmental of my (hard) work. Twice I stopped, asking the staff to take the screaming lady right in front of me, out of the room, but they just wouldn’t.

On reflection I can say that the Spirit did move, because 3 people came up to me afterwards pleading for me to come back. 

The staff clearly wasn’t interested in me coming in regularly, and I was neither (in the regular slot). Speaking to the Activities Director afterwards, she suggested I come back sometime on a Sunday afternoon (the God-slot). I’m open to that.  When I asked what she could pay me for such an afternoon (my appearance here today was voluntary and therefor unpaid), she said she couldn’t afford anything. I have difficulty accepting this; this place is clearly wealthy compared to most places; surely they can pay me something! The lady is willing to continue this conversation, and we both repeat our views, looking for a way forward.

In the end, she asks me if I can possibly do a Christmas Special, and she would pay me for that. I will have to think & pray about this carefully; it could  be another TRAP (like today’s appearance clearly was…).

I guess the struggle that I’m going through here (with the Retirement Homes), is the struggle to make a meaningful connection with this US society. Not easy. 

So here a few paragraphs about recent visits to Retirement Homes:

Performing in a new place in Lakeland: a magical hour! Several members of staff stood there, all the way through the hour, being touched!!!

Performing in another new place in Lakeland: telling much of the story of Moses, a very different, but equally magical hour. I spent most of the hour telling the story of Moses; the Holy Spirit was moving in deep & beautiful ways! They can’t wait to have me back!

Performing 2nd time in a difficult place in Lakeland, doing the same program again, with good results! The staff in this place gives me very little attention and the hall I’m performing in is also a corridor. Much traffic; staff talking loudly together; noise coming from the kitchen etc. etc.; many residents completely out of it, unable to move or speak. Still the Spirit moved beautifully. Some very seriously handicapped people profoundly touched here today!

Going into Park Club, Brandon; the people come out to the hall early.  I’ve not been there since the spring of the year, even though I’ve been there several times. As soon as I walk in I’m greeted by a lovely very elderly man, who starts singing ‘One day at the Time’ to me; how precious, he remembered the song from previous occasions (I sing it every time that I sing). 

The new activities director, who doesn’t know me says:” the people LOVE YOU!”. A lovely crowd came out to hear me. A few minutes into my set I’m told that any moment now  the fire alarm will sound; no need to worry, and no need to be leaving the building. They’re just checking the system. Indeed a few minutes later the alarm goes off making a screaming & blaring sound; it’s almost impossible to do anything. I’m in the middle of a song, and manage to complete the song; it’s crazy.

I try to wait it out while the sound hurts the ears. What madness! Still, when eventually the silence returns it is more precious then ever, and as I carry on, soon the Holy Spirit begins to move. 

We have a great time again, as before; the people are touched & refreshed! What a precious little crowd in this place! As much as they love me, I love them to: they bring the best out of me! Thank you Lord!

Performing upstairs in some small room (part of the corridor); the Activities Director had forgotten that I was coming (even though I had rung her earlier in the week- she’s being careless with me). At first it seems impossible to climb into this corner, upstairs; but once the playing (of the sax) & singing gets started, the Spirit moves in beautiful ways. The Lord keeps surprising us al! 

EVERY OCCASION IS SPECIAL! THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS MOVES, AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TOUCHED! 

Woow, what a privilege, to be doing this. I feel, every time I sing (& tell stories) something shifts in the heaven-lies!  I supposed the earthly realm just needs to catch up with that, and once that has happened, I will have all my answers I trust! Interesting times indeed! 

 

  

single issue voting…

From an Angel’s PoV

This morning at church our senior pastor encouraged every one present to register for the upcoming elections, so that every body would vote. Voting is important!

“As to who to vote for, he said, just look at what the candidates believe, and compare that to your Bible, and you have the answer.” Taking it a step further, he then said: “There’s one candidate who believes in abortion, the other knows that abortion is wrong, which is what my Bible says. There you have it, now you know who to vote for. You cannot vote for the other man.” He then moved on to other things.

Even though I know that many Christians think & vote this way, I was shocked at the speed and boldness by which the entire congregation’s vote was being ‘arranged’ (I suppose the vast majority here at church has already decided to vote this way.)

The Bible, namely the 10 commandments forbids us to commit murder, which is what happens to unborn human beings in abortion clinics. It’s totally wrong indeed; it’s outrageously wrong, and in my view brings a curse on every one involved, which is really the whole nation, because abortion has been made legal here in the USA.

While I have very strong feelings on the subject, and count myself a passionate pro-lifer (pro choose life), I don’t think that the Bible can be treated as a political textbook. 

I apply the Bible to my own life (the 10 commandments as well as the 2 laws given us by Jesus- love your God with all… & love your neighbor as yourself), but in public life and in the choices made by government, many of the 10 commandments are broken regularly and the 2 commandments by Jesus are not even in sight. 

Politics if full of compromise, littered with bad choices, packed with contradictions, and always far, FAR from perfect. Holding up the 10 commandments to government, each successive government stand guilty. All of them have broken the law (of Moses) multiple times. 

George Bush decided to invade a country on the other side of the world, where he had no right to enter. This country posed no threat to the USA; Bush had no business there, other then for selfish reasons. In the process (of the invasion) thousands of innocent Iraqis were killed. The country was plunged into chaos. Naively Bush declared the war over, when it was really only just beginning. In the years following tens of thousands more innocent Iraqis lost their lives, and millions of people fled their home country, simply to avoid being killed. 

Talking about killing… (unborn babies, or innocent people, what’s the difference?)

Coming back to the painful subject of abortion, I would ask what George Bush has done in his 8 years as president to limit the numbers, and decrease the need. It often seems that the people who make the most noise (against abortion), do the least about it. All very well, to make proclamations (against abortion), but who is actually doing something to bring the numbers down?

So the way that the Christian Republicans (are they the same group?) absolve their conscience (from their lack of action) is to put the issue above all the other issues that are at play in elections, and simply vote for the one candidate who has declared to be against. Never mind what other very important issues are in the mix… 

Never mind the fact that so very little is actually done once the elections are over…

This way of voting seems rather irresponsible to me. Voting is serious business. Each vote is a voice that can determine the country’s direction for the next so many years.

Eight years ago, many Christians voted in this particular (single issue) manner, and put George Bush in power, who, soon after, took the country into this disastrous war (Iraq). He presided over many government scandals, and a culture of secrecy, deceit, abuse of power, and torture.

Meanwhile, what did George Bush do to bring down the number of abortions?  (Bill Clinton probably did more on that issue in his 8 years in power then did Bush.) 

The Christian Right talks about getting more of ‘their’ judges into the Supreme Court and once the pro-lifers there are in the majority Roe versus Wade will be undone. Question here is, what would take place next were this to happen? The answer is: the law making on abortion matters would go back to the 50 states. Each state will then be writing their own abortion laws.

Chances are that most states would adopt laws similar to Roe versus Wade, and a minority of states would not. Pro Lifers will probably argue that we just keep fighting until the day abortion is no longer legal in the USA, when ever that  may be. Don’t you get the feeling that THAT day will not come in a hundred years. And even if it came, would that be the end of abortion? It would go underground, wouldn’t it, and pregnant woman would get make-shift abortions in illegal ‘garage clinics’. Women would travel in large numbers to countries where abortion still IS legal.

Please don’t get me wrong here, I am deeply abhorred by the reality of abortions taking place; it is an abomination. Killing human life is wrong! But then allowing millions of people (children and adults around the world) to be dying simply of malnutrition and lack of basic medical care is an EQUAL ABOMINATION. Yet, we close our eyes to that situation with great ease. But I digress.

If we take a little longer (then pastor took this morning) to study our options (of how to best eliminate abortions), we would have to think of more affective ways of combatting this ongoing tragedy (killing unborn human beings). 

1. 

For starters we want to engage in an on-going study of the present culture, to understand people’s thinking better; to get a better understanding of why people are able to brush the killing of human life aside as something that’s OK. How come they don’t see that IT IS NOT!!! 

This subject needs constant attention, and the deep emotional & spiritual damage that an abortion causes in & to the mother (to be) must be documented and brought to the public’s attention!  

What is the church doing about that? Not much, it seems…

2.

We also need to develop ongoing action to diminish the ‘need’ (of abortions). This is a huge issue, mostly to do with bringing down the number of teenage pregnancies. Just telling teenagers that she shouldn’t have ‘intimate relations’ doesn’t seem to produce much result. Statistics show that only a multi sided approach (including making contraceptives available to young people) is affective. It seems that especially the church (at large) has been unwilling to participate in this multi sided approach. Yet, if we are serious about confronting this issue and bringing the level of abortion down, we  (the church at large) must be willing to work together with secular agencies, and get practical!!!!

It is so much easier to just keep on shouting about this issue, and taking a hard-line approach, which alienates every one else from ‘us’, and ‘us’ from ‘them’. As a last resort ‘we’ then declare that one day soon there will  be enough of ‘our’ judges (in the Supreme Court) to abolish the law as it stand today.

In my view this is a cop-out and a delusion. The abortion law has been in place for so long now, that the only  way ‘out’ is the way ‘forward’, not ‘back’. How do we move forward on this issue? By going to work on it, and not by making it the single issue way to vote. Single issue voting for me, is part of the cop-out. Do you really think that ‘politics’ will make this (abortion) issue an problem of the past? Of course not! Politics can only follow the culture; it’s up to us to change the culture. Once that is done politics will fall in line with appropriate laws & measures. 

3.

So, thirdly, we want to influence the culture and encourage mothers-to-be to go for the ful term, and to give their (unwanted) babies up for adoption. This issue deserves much attention & publicity. We want to find life stories of people who have done this, and bring those stories to the public’s attention. Not just once or twice, but continuously. I see a quality Hollywood block buster on this subject!

The question arises again: what is the church doing about this???? 

When I think of voting, many issues are in the balance of my thinking. All about what I believe the country needs the most, what to expect of candidates (what they will actually do once in power). We all understand that politics never guarantees anything (other then the usual struggles & scandals), and that by casting your vote, you participate in this ongoing power struggle hoping to influence the process in a certain direction. 

If, by voting for a anti abortion candidate we give the green light to policies that (in time) produce mass killings and mass displacement of people, policies that have the rich grow even richer while to poor get poorer still, while at the same time no realistic change takes place to the abortion situation, then our vote was morally a dubious vote (to say the least)!

Massive action needs to be taken on the abortion issue, at grass-root level, by every church that counts itself a Kingdom church. Meanwhile, all pro-life people, like every body else, should study the full array of issues that are in the mix at an election. Single issue voting is dangerous business. And to make the rather simple assumption that the anti-abortion candidate will take effective action to resolve the abortion issue is like putting your head in the sand.  

It is up to all of us to do something about the protection of unborn children. It’s such a big & important issue; it needs attention on an ongoing basis!  If we’re serious! So, how about a ‘Act Psalm 139′ department in every church?! This Scripture is SO totally BEAUTIFUL & POWERFUL:

Psalm 139: 7-16 (TNIV)

 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? 
       Where can I flee from your presence?

    8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
       if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

    9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,

    10 even there your hand will guide me, 
       your right hand will hold me fast.

    11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 
       and the light become night around me,”

    12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
       the night will shine like the day, 
       for darkness is as light to you.

    13 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

    14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
       your works are wonderful, 
       I know that full well.

    15 My frame was not hidden from you 
       when I was made in the secret place. 
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

    16 your eyes saw my unformed body. 
       All the days ordained for me 
       were written in your book before one of them came to be.

On a personal note, I want to include this very serious issue in my work as a communicator (story-teller/ film maker), and also financially support work that’s already being done on these lines. Your comments please!

short/ medium/ long/ & longer term planning!

vision & mission

We press on with the vision, putting our faith into action, and believing that God Makes a Way! For more information on all these activities (and more) see: www.entertainingangels.us

In the short term there are several activities to be developed:

-film 25 Psalms & edit those (the Psalm Alive series, which is part of The Word in-Action TV series)

-continue to go into Retirement Homes with Story & Song (live performance)

-begin to take the Three Lives of Moses into churches (90-100 minute live presentation)

-go into Elementary School & Bible School on regular basis, with O.T. story series (live story telling)

-start the weekly Play-by-Ear Training, a chance for people to tune in & explore (workshop)

 

In the mid term: 

-begin to film & edit the stories of the  O.T.- filmed on location (part of The Word-in-Action TV series)

-complete the Psalm Alive series.

-continue with Story & Song/ The Three Lives of Moses/ O.T. story-series/ Play-by-Ear Training

-start Snails & Dinosaurs, weekly

-write Upper Room Story (Billy writing)

 

In the long term:

-complete filming & editing of O.T. stories (Part of: The Word-in-Action TV series)

-continue Story & Song (live performance)

-begin telling the N.T. stories (in elementary school & Bible School)

-take the Upper Room Story into churches, as a telling.

-continue Play-by-Ear Training

-continue Snails & Dinosaurs, weekly

-start Story Round, weekly

-start The Hot House, weekly

-start Angel Whispers & Scripture Express…

 

In the longer term:

-develop a drama film script (from Upper Room Story) and prepare for 

              Jacob’s Ladder TV drama series Production

                      Start & develop Story Cafe!

Continue with: Snails & Dinosaurs/ Story Round/ The Hot House

Continue with: Story & Song/ The Word-in-Action TV series/ Angel Whispers TV/ Scripture Express…TV

We commit these plans to God; He holds the future, and us in it. We go one day at the time, following His leading, and resting in His LOVE!

Touches of heaven…

singing diary

Since last writing an entree of singing diary I’ve been  singing in 6 places, 3 per week over the last 2 weeks.

It continues to be an amazing adventure going into these Retirement Homes, 2 of them first time, 2 of them for the second time, and the other 2 Homes I’ve visited several times. Different dynamics, but always the same sweet wonderful Spirit that moves through the room touching us all (some feel it more then others).

Last week I brought my friend Hans from Holland with me. Slightly risky thing to do; some places that I go into can be quite distressing at first to witness. But then again, I’m happy for my friend to see it as it really is, and once the sweet Holy Spirit begins to move, the contrast is all the more amazing!  And indeed, at both occasions (Hans joined me twice) there was such a wonderful sweet presence; Hans saw how people were moved and totally intrigued with the songs, the music and the stories.

October 6th, I sing in Tampa (Southerland Place)- a tremendous first time hour/ October 7th I’m in Lakeland (Hawthorn Village), where I’ve been several times; what a great little crowd!/ Oct.8th I’m back in Tampa (Abigail Village), where I have a miraculous time with a very small crowd (about 7 people). It’s the second time in this place, and when I walk in I get one of those (‘What AM I doing?”) moments. Why should I go back into this tiny place and perform for the same little crowd again? (Question; is the size of the crowd of any significance?). Seconds later, I hear the Holy Spirit say: “What if Jesus is here, sitting between the people?” The next moment I realize that God LOVES touching people with His Holy Spirit, and is ALWAYS looking for an opportunity. He wants to use me to BLESS these dear people BIG TIME. All of a sudden I feel inspired to give the BEST PERFORMANCE of my life!!!

I’m in a completely obscure place, and the last thing I need to do is PROVE MYSELF, and obviously that’s not what I’m after in any case, going into the Retirement Homes. But what suddenly happens here is that I really feel INSPIRED to give these people my best. A tremendous JOY breaks out, through me, and we’re all having a great time (all 8 of us). Heaven comes down to earth! The hour that follows is one of the best hours of my life; it is full of joy, depth, beauty, sweetness, love, healing, power, and other wonderful things that I can’t put any words to. God is amazing; He really turns things around that humanly speaking are hopeless.

Afterwards I sit down for a little while, to take a little time digesting what has just happened. How totally special! The staff have also enjoyed the hour; they collect some money and give me a cash gift- how precious! 

Oct.14th in Carrolwood, Tampa (with Hans). I had left my microphones in the film gear, and so I had to sing without amplification. Jolly hard work, but I succeeded, and once the sweet H.S. began to move, things got easier. Thank you God for your grace!

Oct.15th in South Tampa; first time here (also with Hans). The ‘room’ is between corridors, and so there quite a lot of noise & movement. Not easy. A sweet little crowd; people with serious conditions, and strong needs. This one woman is making a moaning, crying sound, almost non-stop. Occasionally she forgets about herself and stops ‘crying’. Another young woman is not quite in her right mind; she waves at me every 20 seconds. I wave back, every once in a while (not every 20 seconds). The Spirit moves, but the entire hour continues to be a struggle. I don’t sing LOVE NEVER FAILS; somehow I feel that the people will not be able to understand the text. Their cognition is very limited. And yet, once I finish, I get such sweet feedback; people have been moved & touched. Next time I will press a little further into the sweet & powerful presence of the H.S.

Sunday Oct.19th I sing in Fairway Oaks, Tampa. I’ve been here once before; now I’m coming in on this Sunday afternoon; is this a so called ‘God slot’? What ever it is, or isn’t, the hour turns into a precious time of bathing in the presence of Jesus. There’s very little opposition (noise/ movement/ unhappy people); this little crowd is ready to receive, and so the songs & the telling (as well as little bit of conversation in between) are all flowing beautifully. What a joy to be part of this! Marcia is there with me; she is loving it. By doing this hour here on this Sunday, we forfeit going to our second church meeting; we’ve received a big blessing here at this place. Several members of staff stood in the 2 door openings, as well as one or two visiters. One of them came up to me afterwards, to thank me for a tremendous time. The lady told me ‘how glad she was, that she happened to be here during the time of my presentation’.

I’m glad too, that I was here (together with Marcia). These are tumultuous times (elections coming up/ economic trouble all around), but bathing in the sweet presence of the Lord brings a peace to goes well beyond understanding! What a joy!

from rocky ride to smooth sailing

singing diary

I went into a Parkinson Retirement Home in Tampa (Oct.20th), with some seriously disturbed people, among a rather mixed little crowd. A lot of movement; some people talking to them selves; this one man lies down on the floor, while I’m performing and falls asleep right there; for a moment or two I thought he might have passed away. Eventually a member of staff pulled him up and sat him in a chair. Afterwards this man thanked me for my performance; he had thoroughly enjoyed it… The whole hour was a rocky ride; all kinds of disturbances, noises, movements etc. It was extreme, and yet, I was hardly troubled by it, and just carried on. And in spite of the level of disruption the wonderful Holy Spirit began to move beautifully. Praise God, He has taken me to a new level of ministry, right in the midst of ‘trouble’.   

Another day this week, I’m performing/ ministering in a smallish Retirement Home (Oct.21st); my first time in this place. I have an audience of about 10 ladies; they are loving my work. Like every where else I go, I bring my PA system; it seems rather large for this occasion.  The people are pleasantly surprised to be getting such a show. There’s a young male nurse who begins to sing a couple of songs through the microphone, while I’m hiding in a corner, to change my shirt. So we even have a warm-up act here; the 10 ladies are loving it. I’m happy to go with the flow, and let this young man have fun; it’s all part of stepping into these people’s little world, including the staff. While I’m singing (and telling) I can see that members of staff are enjoying my set as much as my little audience is; the Holy Spirit is moving beautifully. The hour (turning into 80 minutes) flies by; it’s wonderful smooth sailing today! 

It continues to be an amazing experience, to be going into these unlikely places, and without pay. Even so, I’m totally motivated to do it; every time, without fail, is special! People are being touched, and given a heavenly embrace. Without fail, people always beg me to COME BACK PLEASE! They have loved it SO MUCH!!

Yesterday (Oct.28th) I sang for my most regular little crowd: this beautiful Home in Brandon where I sing once a Month. I’ve sang a lot of my song material here, over the Months, and told a good few short Biblical stories. This time I decided to sing & tell about angel visitations, of which there are many (in both the Old and  the New Testaments). It was one of the best times here at this place; so very very special. Hard to say exactly why, but the wonderful heavenly spirit moved in a deep way; every one was touched.

None of us have ever been visited by an angel; in that sense we don’t relate so much to the Biblical characters who DID have that experience. And yet, many of us have been through hard times, when heaven moved on our behalf, and circumstances changed dramatically. The Bible if full of angelic visitations (The Angel of the Lord, which often turns out to be: The Lord). I hope to do another session in this Home on the same subject.

labor of love…

singing diary

This week I sang in three places (Oct.28/ 29/ 30). The first & third occasion were at places where I’ve been before (Savannah Court/ Hawthorne Village), several times; 2 wonderful hours of joy & singing in the spirit.

The second occasion was plain hard work in difficult circumstances. I had been to this place once before, and at that time it was very much the same. Lots of movement, people walking & talking, including staff; one disturbed lady kind of screaming every 3 minutes. Gladly about 15 minutes into my presentation, she stopped and sat there staring at me. Afterwards she thanked me profusely.

This last place was such a struggle; a labor of love. It pushed me into that uncomfortable place, where you don’t want to go. The hardest thing I found was members of staff making so much noise, and constantly walking around and interacting with my little audience. I  kept loosing their attention because of the staff. They treat me like I’m the radio (or a CD player); I’m having to work hard, not to get angry, not to get offended. Then I discover that I can get more eye contact with my audience, and as a result the staff begin to sit back or walk away (even better).

During His ministry years Jesus confronted the religious authorities many times, but always at moments of His choosing. Most of the time, Jesus simply ignored them and focussed on the ordinary people. 

Once the concert/ presentation is finished the activities director tells me how much the people have loved it, and would I come & sing here once a month (she offers me pay). My, here’s another challenge; I was hoping to sneak out of this place, to never return. Now I realize, that I need to speak to the staff about their behavior and that, if they respond well, I should be prepared to return, even on a regular basis.

Singing at the other 2 places this week, is a total joy & privilege. It just keeps getting better, how the spirit uses my singing & telling (and playing the sax). I would like to have opportunities to do a longer presentation; 90 minutes for instance, or even longer. It would also be great to start using projection during some of the songs, projecting paintings of the (Biblical) characters & situations that I’m singing about. I trust it will all be happening, before soon.

The Spirit goes where no-one else can…; once the light shines in, darkness has to flee!

singing diary

It is amazing to me, to see how the Holy Spirit moves in places and circumstances where communication seems impossible. If I didn’t know that my singing & telling will get the backing, the deep touch of heaven’s great, loving & powerful spirit, I wouldn’t dare stand before some crowds that I find myself in front of.

It’s been from one extreme to the other this week. I did my second visit to a place in Brandon with Alzheimer patients/ residents (Nov.6th 2008). Sweet & precious people, some of them far gone; others quite present as it were, but a little confused also. Some residents had relatives visit them, who joined their elderly parents in attending the  ’concert’. It was so special. God’s love for vulnerable people is almost overwhelming. He knows their history, their character, their personality; He knows what they have lost, but it’s not lost forever. In the Kingdom of Heaven we’ll be fully restored!

There was a woman visiting her elderly mother; she tells me afterwards how much she has enjoyed my presentation. She tells that her mother was, for most of her life, an opera singer, and that she was responding to my singing, even though her memory of opera was more or less gone. Hard to imagine even, this lady, sitting so lifeless in her wheel chair, had been an opera singer. Woow. The daughter had been thoroughly touched, and asked to buy an album. The Spirit goes places no one else can!

A man, visiting his mother, in tears at the end of the ‘concert’, came up to me to say ‘thank you’. He was angry with the dark forces that had stolen his mother’s memory. He felt that the Holy Spirit was there to restore (a measure of) health to her. When the light shines in, darkness has to flee.   

I’m singing third time in Woodbridge, North Tampa. A difficult place with many people in serious conditions, some of them seem close to the end of their lives. Others are quite disturbed, moaning loudly, or even jelling at regular intervals; everybody is in their wheel chair. SO MUCH NOISE in the room; members of staff walking in & out; an ice machine making such a racket.  On top of that I’m having trouble with my PA system; the sound seems all wrong; out of balance; too much echo, creating even more distance in this large room. I struggle to get on top of it; clearly there is a high level of darkness in this place, and I’m right in the middle of it.

Still, I’ve learned to press on, and to stick to my guns: I proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven, and keep doing it. And yes, like before, after 20 to 30 minutes of struggle the room finally begins to settle and the wonderful spirit can freely move. Afterwards I go around the room (I always do this) to ’see’ every person. Further at the back of the room are quite a few people who can’t talk; some are in a daze; others only make gibberish noises. This one woman talking in nonsense sounds, never able to look me in the eye. SUCH DARKNESS.

Maybe in future days God will give me the authority  to speak to those mountains (of darkness) and cast them in the sea.  Wouldn’t it be amazing and brilliant to see people really walk free from their heavy chains! Still, the moaning lady has stopped her complaining and has begun to receive something from the Spirit. Others are smiling;  many have been touched. The Spirit has gone where I could never go, and the light of God has rejected some darkness. The Activities Director insists I come back a.s.a.p. “This is the best entertainment we’ve ever had!”, she says. It’s obviously more then entertainment, much more. Without this move of  the Spirit, I would be at a complete loss as to what to do here, or anywhere else really. Woodbridge, Nov. 10th 2008.

I’m singing in Hudson Manor on Davis Island, Tampa. First time  here. They know that my material is Biblical, as it were; apart from that they have no idea obviously of what they’re in for. Right at the beginning there’s an interesting situation. The Activities Director (A.D.) wants me to set the PA up right in the middle of a corridor, facing the dining room. To get into the dining room, you would need to walk through the area where I am supposed to perform. I begin to set up, when I get a conviction that this is not right. I look for the A.D., but cannot find her; I hear she gone out for something. So I decide to turn things around. I take my stuff down again, take it into the dining room and set up at the other end, facing this way. When the A.D. returns she is all upset, because the kitchen staff will not like this at all, she says. She insists I take it all down again, and go back to the original setting. I don’t want to do this,  because I’m hoping for a quality show, rather then casual entertainment. While we’re having our little conflict the lady running the kitchen appears;  she’s quickly figured what’s going on, and immediately interrupts to let us know that she has no problem with the new setting. A few moments later we discover there is a misunderstanding over the time of the show; it’s not from 2 to 3, but from 3 to 4. This is my opportunity to show generosity, and the A.D. is glad to hear that I have no problem waiting an hour, before starting.

I took a few minutes to write this little story, because what happened there made a huge difference to what happened during the ’show’. At first there was quite a bit of noise & movement;  this is what people are used to where there’s ‘entertainment’- you talk & walk as much as you like; it doesn’t matter. But HERE (with what I present) it DOES MATTER. After about 15 minutes the room began to settle, and the wonderful H. Spirit began to move. Members of staff appeared and stood there behind the audience. Turning the physical  situation around was crucial in turning the spiritual situation around. All kinds of people appeared and were glued to the  presentation. IT WAS SO SPECIAL! 

Afterward I heard the same question, as what I hear so often:”When are you coming back?” One lady told me that she only saw (heard) the end bit; she had stayed in her room for mot of my presentation. She was very sorry to have missed most of it, and wanted to know when I was going to come back. She tells me: ” We get these country singers here who sing all  these depressing songs about how their love has cheated on them, how bad things are… You know the score in country music. I don’t need to hear that kind of thing; I need something that lifts me up; something inspiring! That’s what YOU DO; you inspire people!” (Hudson Manor, November 7th, 2009)

I drive away thanking God for what He does through me in these place, and how special this afternoon had been, once again. And once the light shines into the darkness, darkness HAS TO flee. God is great! Thank you Jesus; I’m so honored and grateful to be a co-worker with the Holy Spirit. There’s nothing like the Kingdom of Heaven! 

 

 

 

God’s Spirit is on the Move…

singing diary

November 13th, singing in Summerville, Lakeland/ Nov.19th, singing in Savannah Court, Brandon/ Nov.20th, singing in Delaney Creek Lodge, Brandon/ Nov.21st, singing in Whispering Oaks, Tampa.

It just keeps on getting better! I’m learning more & more to flow in the spirit; while I’m more relaxed in what I do, I’m also learning to be more expressive in the singing & the telling. Another thing I’m learning is to stand against dark forces and present the Kingdom of God with conviction, strength, energy, joy & love flowing through me. If there is restlessness, it usually goes after a while, because God’s peace is powerful.

At Summerville I performed/ ministered in the activities room, which was lovely; a settled & very quiet audience. People were too quiet for my liking, and I tried hard to get more of a response. This began to happen only well into the program. Then I notices some people began to leave. (Sometimes people leave simply to go to the bathroom.)  I  had difficulty finishing within the hour and was ‘on’  for about 70 minutes. Afterwards the Activities Director expressed her appreciation for my work; she had loved the program etc., but next time I should finish with 50  minutes. My oh my, that is very difficult, especially when people are so slow to respond. Never mind; they will learn to yield a little quicker, and I will (have to) keep it shorter. Really, I long for opportunities where I can go for 90 minutes or even 100. “Please come back soon!” was the response; here’s another regular home for me to visit! Great place; lovely people!

Savannah Court is the ONE place where I sing ONCE a month. How special. And I’m glad that I can honestly say that EVERY ONE of those hours (70 minutes) have been really special! The little crowd that comes out to hear me, are like a friend that I very much enjoy visiting.   THEY LOVE ME! They come out early when I visit, because they look forward to hearing me sing & tell. As a result of that they all sit there watching me set-up my PA system (which is fine really- I do it very quick now-a-days). I told my little audience more about Moses, the latter part of his life, and I sang 2 songs: ‘I will wait’ & ‘Have I not dreamed?’    

People LOVE my story telling, and the story of Moses is SO VERY RICH! They LOVED the first song; the second song is about Moses in his relationship with God, just before he finishes his life. I suppose this story material is very close to the bone for these dear elderly. They were more quiet, but I think they received it all just as much. After that I was on to the New Testament material, which is like stepping into a taxi: all of a sudden things move quickly and the ride is great: In His way of being/ Beatitudes/ Love Never Fails/ Touch Eternity/ Aaron’s Blessing. In fact I skipped ‘Love Never Fails’ since I had taken substantial time for Moses (I LOVE {the story of} Moses). I was on for 70 minutes; just got away with that length. Seconds after I finished there was an announcement via the intercom that lunch was NOW BEING SERVED. A great morning!

This is the first time I’m in Delaney Creek Lodge IN THE MORNING (I have been here twice before, in the afternoons). In some place most elderly sleep during the early afternoon, and doing a program at that time of day can be a bad idea! Today I have a terrific audience coming out and I manage to start EARLY. This helps with finishing not too late. The people LOVE my work; they are responding well and the spirit is moving beautifully. It’s almost like today is the first time  here. Afterwards, while taking my stuff out the building, the director of the place asks me what I’m being paid. I tell here I’m not getting paid today. She responds by asking me to write an invoice for $50. “Doing such a great job and then not getting paid, that’s not right…” she says. I gladly write the invoice and quietly say: “Thank you Lord; the worker is worthy of his pay!”, and here it is!

I’ve been to Whispering Oaks once before; the occasion went well; I remember quite a few people who are well ‘out of it’. In recent teaching (through our home group) I had received encouragement to take authority earlier & quicker (instead of too late when ‘all hell has broken loose’). I’m doing just that even on the way here, and while I’m preparing. I suggest we change the set-up of the room, and the Activities Director kindly agrees to it (she is very kind indeed). I find myself playing the sax and singing to individual people, and really inviting the Holy Spirit (praying while I sing/ play/ tell) to touch this person and that person…

The occasion turns into something very special. The Spirit begins to move beautifully over the whole audience, very much including the people who seem so far away. Members of staff appear and stay; quite a few of them. God is at work in a fresh & surprising way. People are getting touched. This one young man is lying in his wheelchair (it’s almost like a bed);  his eyes are bewildered; his arms & legs all over the place. While he is getting touched by the spirit he begins to calm down and gets a little focus in his eyes. After the presentation is finished I pray for him & over him, binding the spirit of infirmity and loosening the healing spirit of God over him. I still  have a long way to go here, but one day (soon) God is going to use me to bring complete healing & liberty to people like this young man. I hope & pray that this young man can have a gradual healing! Many people here received Jesus today, including some members of staff. Another VERY SPECIAL event. I wonder sometimes, where is this all going?! Something very special is happening through all these encounters. God’s Spirit is on the Move!

Unlikely places…

singing diary

Retirement Homes are such unlikely places for a singer with self respect to go into, and yet… To begin with,  (a large) part your audience is either half asleep or mentally not quite there. Some residents make constant noise, talking to themselves, or even shouting at nobody. Recently in the middle of my set, this lady loudly proclaimed that she had to go the bath  room. At first I ignored her and simply carried on, but there was no member of staff in the room and she kept declaring her need. A conviction came on me that if I didn’t respond, we were going to have more serious trouble right there. So when I had finished singing, I left the room for a few brief moments, to alarm a member of staff. Other times members of staff congregate in the back of the room, usually talking to each other loudly. Often they walk right into the audience during the ’show’ and start giving people their medicine or food, or talking with them loudly. Announcements come through the  PA system in the building loud & clear. At one time the fire alarm went off; it was so loud, people had to cover their ears. Other times I’ve performed in open plan spaces; the ‘hall’ is also a corridor, and all kinds of people walk right through usually oblivious to the fact that there’s a presentation going on.

AND YET! In these UNLIKELY PLACES the Holy Spirit often moves in remarkable ways, because many residents are HUNGRY for GOD. It reminds me of doing STREET SHOWS in Trafelgar Sqare, London, with heavy traffic all around the center where we were performing. There were constant sirens from police cars and ambulances driving right past, AND YET!! Because there were HUNGRY-for-GOD people watching our street theatre, the Spirit moved and created a still & holy space around us (performers & audience). Same in the Retirement Homes. Often when walking into these places, it feels like you’ve come to the wrong building; and yet, once the music & the telling begins, the Holy Spirit moves over the people and something very precious happens; every time!

Never mind going into an expensive building with excellent facilities etc. finding that the people are hard hearted, not hungry for God, but picky & judgmental. No move of the Spirit here! I’ve been there a few times, and have no desire to go there again. Usually those are the places where the money is. Those people think they’ve got it all, and they don’t want you to ruffle their feathers.

Nov.28th, Sunrise Village in Tampa. Another ‘unlikely place’; the Holy Spirit moved beautifully.

Dec.1st, Tender Loving Care, Lakeland. I’ve been here many times before. A wonderful steady little crowd. I did the story of Jacob, which they very much appreciated. I struggle to stay within the one hour time limit. An excellent morning.

Dec.2nd, Hanna Oaks in Tampa. A very unlikely place and a wonderful move of the Spirit.

Dec.5th, Lake Morton Plaza, Lakeland. 2nd time in this place. When I was here before, an excellent little crowd turned up who very much enjoyed the story of Moses. Today, the story of Jacob, equally compelling material. While singing I can see the Spirit washing over the people. This place would be ready for me to visit more regularly (like once a month). 

Dec.9th, Excell Rehab in Tampa. A new experience today… The Activities Director with whom I’ve arranged the date for me to come in, is not there. I rang her the day before, and left a message, since she didn’t answer her phone. When I arrive I hear that the Act. Dir. is not there; she wasn’t there yesterday either, nobody has heard my phone message, and they were not expecting me. Even so, they’re prepared to go ahead, but they are also having an early Christmas dinner at lunch time (I’m there in the morning). In all the business & rushing we forget to talk about timing. I was scheduled to sing from 10.30 until 11.30 AM, and I’m assuming that that’s still OK. To my dismay I’m finding that at 11.15 the staff re beginning to roll my audience (in the wheel chairs) out of the room. The assistant Act. Dic. indicated that I should finish, and within minutes the last few members of my audience are being taken out of the room while I sing the last song, Aaron’s Blessing, having skipped 3 songs that should have come first. A very odd experience! They needed to get ready for their special dinner, and expected me to finish at 10.15 AM. Never mind, I still LOVE going into these UNLIKELY PLACES, where I come in to minister under the guise of entertainment.

The King of Pop, and the King of the World!

another  must-see movie

This last weekend Marcia & I saw two films in the cinema, over the stretch of 2 nights. We don’t go to the cinema all that often, so this was unusual for us. We saw Michel Jackson’s ‘This is it’, and we saw ‘Where the wild things are!’.

Can’t help but feel very sad about Michel Jackson’s early death. What an enormously gifted man, and how wonderful to see him rise during those rehearsal times (where & when the filming was done). It looks like it was going to be a GREAT CONCERT, that never actually happened. I was very touched by a number of beautiful moments in the film, moments where he was singing without musical backing, moments where he was improvising, and other moments of inter-action with members of the cast & crew of the show. Definitely a MUST SEE  film, to be seen in the cinema!

Michael has (co-) written many great songs, and his whole expression (physically/ vocally) is so VERY UNIQUE; he is mesmerizing!  With him on stage, the stage is filled; without him it is open & waiting to be filled. 

I was very impressed with the quality of the filming and the sound and the amount of film material. It seems almost as if they (?) had planned to make this film (of the rehearsal period). Obviously some footage will  have been shot after Michael’s untimely death, but there is plenty of film material with him in it. Makes me wonder, why were they doing all this filming? What would have happened to this footage, had the concerts in London gone ahead as planned?

While cast & crew have great respect for Michael, he keeps his distance and rarely comes out of his shell. He wears sunglasses most of the time, and kind of hides behind a lot of hear, it seems to me. He is obviously saving himself for the real work (giving the 50 concerts), and slowly gearing himself in the demanding work of dancing & singing and carrying the burden of the whole production etc. Michael’s dancers & singers admire him greatly, and stir him up every once in a while to open up, open out, let rip. Occasionally he does, to an extend, and those are beautiful moments.

My impression of Michael was that he is (was) Peter Pan indeed; never quite grown up. His best qualities are child like qualities. It is as if he put all negativity and pain aside (inside himself) and decided to be like Peter Pan. As a result of not really digesting the trouble & pain, he didn’t really move on, and could only repeat himself with his songs and movements. On stage he could come alive; of stage he (perhaps) didn’t quite know who he was. 

In the film it became obvious (to me)  that there was no new inspiration; Michael was simply repeating himself, even after a 10 year absence from the concert stage. It looked like Michael had developed some new movements, and the concept for the show had some new ideas (?), but on the whole that didn’t invigorate me, not in this film. In a way, what did strike me was the knowledge that Michael’s funeral service would be held in this same auditorium just weeks later, with most of his backing vocalists and dancers participating. Would it have been possible for Michael to know, to have some inclination, that this was going to happen? Did he feel he had it IN HIM to go to London and hold large audiences captive for 50 nights running? Did he feel during those rehearsal days that the show was really coming together?  It struck me that at one point Michael mentions that this last run will be his final stage appearance. Could it be that he began to realize that this ‘final’  tour could become  an uninspired repeating-himself grueling 50 day night-mare? Will we ever find out what caused his death, and how aware Michael was about risks he was taking (with drugs etc.). That, I’m sure we’ll never know. It could even be, that all these questions were too delicate for Michael to openly confront, and that much of the struggle was unconscious, or at least pushed away  into the small night hours. 

Now he sleeps the for-ever sleep.  God bless his family, and all those beautiful people dancing & singing with him, including the man who made this beautiful film: ‘This is it!’ 

The next night Marcia & I saw ‘Where the WILD THINGS are!’.  WHAT AN AMAZING FILM! GO SEE IT!! This is not a film for children. It is a film about a young boy, and is world, his perceptions, and how he uses his imagination to work through his conflicts. In the film we experience the boys (imaginary?) adventures, as he visits a far away place ‘where -indeed- the wild things are’; the boy is quite a wild thing himself.

Marcia & I used to have the book (from which the film was written & designed). I always had a special love for that book. I read it to and with Dan, when he was little. The film is remarkable close to the book, in more ways than one. Beautifully made, a huge amount of work must have gone into this cinematic miracle! Slowly moving, but always with an undercurrent of pending danger, which is very much the boy’s  perception of (his) life. The boy in the film deserves an OSCAR- he is completely natural and totally brilliant. I will buy the DVD; I want to own this film!  The creatures that the boy meets, and that make him their King, are all reflections of his family, including the father that no longer lives at home (we never see him), and possibly some neighbors and/ or close friends. While the sound of their voices is so familiar, their bodies, their ideas and words, and their actions are (at times) wonderfully off the wall, out of the box, if not crazy. My favorite line in the movie (when the boy is leaving the wild things to go back home): “You’re the first king we haven’t eaten!”

The imagery of the film is FANTASTIC, the music is BRILLIANT, the boy is MESMERIZING (the king of the world indeed, which is a tittle given to him by his father). The WILD THINGS are AMAZING to watch in their expressions and body language. This is altogether a TOP FILM!! Not to be missed!

Story Singing at the River!

singing diary

Last Saturday, October 31st, I was invited to do some Story Singing @ the River Church for the Platinum Group; first time for me to take the Story-Singing into my home church. There is so much that I wanted to do, many songs, all kinds of scripture to speak (including some Psalms), several stories (& songs). In the end I felt I should do a synopsis of the Moses story, ending it with the Hebrew’s escape from Pharaoh & his army through the sea. What a great story, and my telling of it has grown over the years.  Great to have a chance to sing & tell in this anointed place.  Can’t wait to do some more!

guns & money

From an Angel’s PoV

While waiting for a traffic-light today, I read a bumper sticker on the car in front which kind of shocked me. It read:

OK you’ve got your change, but I still have my God and freedom, and I’ll hide my guns and money.

CAn you believe someone actually bothered to put this text on a sticker, and some else bothered to put this strange piece of communication on their car. It certainly got me thinking!

From Story Cafe to Story Express!

vision & mission- Oct. 26th ‘09

A couple of years ago heaven gave us a VISION for a round building that would be a mix of a coffee place, a community meeting place, a place for LIVE entertainment & short FILM; we decided to call it: the Story Cafe.  A British architect friend did some amazing drawings, and in the process we studied the concept of this special place, and we developed a few options (larger building smaller building etc.).

Since than nothing much has happened with this GRAND idea. Often we’ve wondered weather we should buy a plot of land, and simply build the first Story Cafe. But clearly, having a building (and a huge mortgage on it) is not suddenly make the Story Cafe happen. We would need a team of people to run it, and a serious budget to keep the place open until -finally- business would begin to happen etc. No the kind of scenario you gladly step into. So we’ve waited to act on this vision, while busy with other visionary work.

A few weeks ago I feel I had a brainwave, an inspired moment, a spark from heaven I believe. Suddenly I saw that what we need here is ONE NAME, that covers three things: an ACTIVITY, a MOVEMENT, and a (series of) BUILDING (s).  We start with the activity which eventually grows into a movement which in due course will require a building. The name of this activity/ movement/ building: Story Express!   

We are excited about this! Now we have a beginning! This coming December 5th we are planning our first Story Express! event. It will be along the lines of Story-Round which we did in Wales once a month. First half of the evening (45 min.) will be given to a Christian entertainer (singer/ story-teller). There will be an interval with coffee & tea and soft drinks as well as cakes & deserts. The second half of the evening is OPEN FLOOR!  People can tell their (testimony) stories, sing songs, speak poems, do a mime, a dance or drama, and we’ll let the entertainer finish the evening. We’re looking forward to this event, hopefully the first of many. 

For more information about the VISION behind this initiative, go to: www.entertainingangels.us and click Story Express (on the Opening Page). People carry amazing stories! Each person who became Born of the Spirit has a UNIQUE and IMPORTANT story! This story, which is part of their LIFE story, describes a TURNING POINT in their life! Scripture describes how we are to overcome (darkness) by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our TESTIMONY!  (Revelation 12: 11) People need to tell their (testimony) story and realize how powerful this story is; realize how God can use their (testimony) story to touch OTHERS!  In the telling of our stories we take further ownership of that story and learn to fully take on board what was given to us (when the events of the story happened). If we don’t tell the story (regularly) we run the risk of slowly losing what was gained (when the events took place); in the end the enemy will (try to) tell us ‘it never even happened’. 

Our stories are powerful communicators! They describe what actually HAPPENED TO US; nobody can argue with that, and in the telling, the power of these events, the miracle working power, becomes tangible, present in the atmosphere!  When stories of healing are being told, fresh healing might take place to other people!  The stories often speak of people’s struggles, their (inner) conflicts and how they found a way out, a way forward.

The Scriptures are full of stories like this, and by telling those stories we invite the same Holy Spirit that moved through these amazing events, to move again, in our midst. This is the LIVING Word of God.

So in Story Express! we want to celebrate all kinds of inspired stories. Stories of ‘becoming born-of-the-Spirit’, stories of  healing, stories of miraculous provision, stories of inner healing & restoration, and last but not least stories from Scripture!

We ’see’ small groups of people meeting in their homes, or in coffee bars, restaurants, or any public space, to tell each other their stories, and stories from Scripture. Just like people coming together to discuss a book or a film, which is being done in lots of places. Why not Story Express! in the such groups?!

Still singing & dancing & telling!

singing diary-Oct. 26th ‘09

With all the business of this year (2009), Marcia & I working through Dan’s situation here in Plant City and eventually taking Dan to Wales, and me filming many Psalms this year, I simply haven’t had the time to write a blog entree (singing diary) after Story-Singing in Retirement Homes. Yes, I still go in and deliver. It continues to be an amazing and very worthwhile experience; my presentation continues to grow!

I am up to speed on several (Old & New Testament) stories, which are followed up by a song. The GREATER LOVE album is full of great songs, and I’m grateful (great-full) for all that (great) material! If I had the time, I could write many short stories of what happened when going in. NOT ONE TIME has it been bad or boring; NO, every time I go in, something worthwhile happens, the wonderful spirit of heaven moves (the Kingdom) and everybody (including myself) gets blessed!  I’m SO GRATEFUL to have the opportunity to be involved in this (move of the spirit). Quite a few times people have said to ma afterwards, to NEVER STOP doing this. To me it is an amazing exercise, on many levels (physically, musically, mentally, spiritually etc), that keeps me very fit and alert and flowing in the spirit (and in singing, playing, telling, speaking, dancing, laughing…) and enables me to come out of myself and become an open vessel for the Holy Spirit. I see people being liberated,  touched, healed, and turning to Jesus! What a privilege to be part of this precious move of God!

While I continue to go into the Retirement Homes, I am beginning to feel that I should also be going into PRISONS, as well as certain FESTIVALS and celebrations, even house & dinner parties etc. Lord willing I should make a DVD of the kind of work I do in the Retirement Homes (possibly filmed in a couple of Homes), to make this DVD available to the churches, for them to send the DVD to their local Retirement Homes! 

Meanwhile I’ve developed a hunger for more stories! I want to KNOW ALL THE STORIES (in both New & Old Testament). This is a huge challenge, but by God’s grace I’ll take hold of it. I also hope to (co-) write many more songs, to go with the stories. It works SO WELL for me to tell a story, and than sing a song! A great deal of work to be done here, and a serious budget will be needed to bring this vision to reality! By God’s grace it will be done!

Dan moves to Wales!

family matters- Oct. 26th ‘09

Yes, indeed, Dan has moved to Wales, where he has enrolled in a local college. Welsh education is very good on the whole, and this is a great opportunity for Dan to improve on his English & maths and learn some practical skills.

Life in Florida had become increasingly difficult. No work to be found for Dan, and no college course that appealed to him either. Dan didn’t connect very much with his parent’s church, and local friendships didn’t work out, so in the end there didn’t seem much reason for Dan to be staying here. The idea came to go back to Wales where we, as a family, lived before. Dan got excited about this, as well as about the idea of moving out of his parents home, and beginning to live an independent life (not quite, but still…).

So all three of us travelled to Wales and enjoyed visiting this beautiful country and reconnecting with ‘old’ friends. Billy came back after 10 days, while Marcia stayed on to help Dan get settled etc. Dan now has his own room, is making new friends, and attends the local college. We are pleased for him! Because Dan is in the UK, he can now make visits to the London area where both his birth parents live, not together; both with their spouse and child (children).  While he can only go there for brief visits, we hope that over time Dan will learn more about himself, who he is and what his roots are, and we hope that Dan will begin to understand that he needs to move on in life…

While Marcia & I are on the phone to Dan daily and also speak to various authorities in Wales on a regular basis, we feel we’ve come into a new chapter in our lives where we have (a little) more space for the work that is in our hands; and much work is to be done! Before we moved to Wales (from London in 2000) we went there on holiday trips many times! We LOVE the Welsh countryside. The entire coastline is totally beautiful, the Gower in the South is a paradise, and to the North there is Anglesey, also breath-taking!  Many amazing castles in Wales, old villages, old farms, old bridges. So now that Dan is living there (again) we expect to be visiting and enjoying this great country many more times! All thanks to Dan moving to Wales!

double whammy

family matters

A week after Dan was arrested, accused of stalking, after we bailed him out and saw a lawyer regarding the criminal court case that we were now bracing ourselves for, we are visited by a Plant City Police Officer, handing us the documents of a Temporary Injunction placed by a local judge against Dan. He is not to go certain places; if he does he’ll be arrested and put in jail immediately. The civil court case is just one week away! Woow, we have been hit by a double whammy: a criminal court case AND a civil court case (both regarding the same situation, and yet 2 separate cases). 

We speak to a second lawyer; a free consultation. The man is excellent, much better than the first lawyer we met, but also a great deal more expensive. Welcome to the USA, the land of lawyers & court cases; they even take credit cards. After consulting with this man we decide to go it alone, as it were, in the civil case. However, we will certainly need a lawyer for the criminal case. I study the materials for the civil case, and prepare as much as I can. I’ll sit with Dan and speak on his behalf (if & when he doesn’t). 

We make it to the court house for 1.30 PM, the time we’re summoned to be there, and get to follow several cases, some with, some without lawyers. Sad situations on the whole, and hugely exhausting to follow all this conflict that people have with each other. Eventually it is our turn; I find it nerve wrecking. The opposing party is a mother & daughter of 17. Before soon, the judge gets the girl to tell her story, and after some time Dan is asked to give his report, his view of things as it were.

The judge is good; he listens well, and is gentle & firm in his interactions with who is there. After a while the judge has heard enough and decides to grant the injunction. The case is suddenly finished and we have to wait to get the papers that are being prepared. In his closing statement the judge tells the mother & daughter to relax (now that they have what they came for) and to just look the other way when they happen to see the young man in question (Dan). This is important! We feel that the ‘other’ family has over reacted on several occasions (I suppose you can’t blame people for being vigilant) and in some ways they have (unwittingly) given Dan just the kind of attention that made him curious and unwilling to let go. Just a few kind words to him and a request to move on would have diffused the situation. The family did the opposite. Alternatively, just one phone call to us (Dan’s parents) to put us into the picture, would have probably stopped the whole thing in it’s tracks. Sadly this is not how people think here; they get alarmed very quickly and call the police.  The police are in the business of ‘nailing’ offenders, and yes Dan gave them what they were looking for. 

So now we’re having to prepare for the criminal case, including hiring a lawyer, which costs an absolute fortune. What madness; we’re having to spend all this money just to keep Dan out of jail. Jail (for any length of time) would cause a massive set-back for Dan. He doesn’t need jail; he needs therapy. Please pray for a miracle here; the case to be dropped and Dan to (begin to) see his need for help.

Meanwhile Dan has been offered a full time car detailing job here in Plant City, and we’re excited for him. Dan has done his drug test, and filled in all the paper work; now we’re waiting for the call that all is clear and he can start work. Hopefully these court cases will not spoil this wonderful opportunity for him to work professionally, 5 days a week.

finding our way forward…

family matters

Marcia finished her job at the end of January. She was working as an Occupational Therapist with children at Pediatric Therapy Services, in Lakeland & Brandon. A very intense job with children in serious need, often kids that are extremely hard work. In December Marcia felt the release in her spirit to give her notices and finish. Before then, she considered working Part Time at PTS, but by now it had become clear she really needed to leave & move on altogether.  She’s hoping to focus on working with parents; after all it’s the parents who need to be doing most of the therapeutic work. 

While Marcia hopes & expects to continue working with (children and their) parents, preferably through a weekly TV program (SNAIL & immunization, which we have in preparation), she is very keen to pick up the Psycho Drama as well as PlayBack Theatre. We are beginning to recruit for a weekly training workshop (Play by Ear) out of which people will be invited to participate in PLayBack Performances (STORY-ROUND, televised) and to be involved in Psycho Drama (the HOT-HOUSE). Later this year we expect to have TV Studio equipment up & running, so that we can video-record these (weekly) activities.

Dan picked up his life here in Plant City, after visiting his birth dad in London, UK, which has had quite an impact on him. I believe he is a little calmer as a result of meeting Neil, who was very kind to Dan and has invited him to come & visit some more.  Dan would love to go back straight away, but he is also aware that he needs to take hold of his future a little more before he makes that second visit. But now a complication has troubled the waters!

Dan got arrested by the police just over a week ago now, and spend a night in a jail in Tampa. A nasty surprise this is for us all. A week earlier we had a surprise visit from a local police offices, telling us that Dan was being accused (by a local girl of 16) of stalking her, namely following her in his (Dan’s/ really my) car. Apparently he also made unwelcome phone calls to her; I’m not sure even if that is true. The visiting officer described what would happen if there was another ‘incident’. The incident that got this officer involved that night was the fact that Dan had bumped into this girl & her family at a local gas station. It was a complete surprise to Dan to see her there, and as soon as this family saw Dan they began to be verbally abusive to him. Strange enough, they felt the need to call the police shortly afterwards, and the police was happy to oblige (a 16 year old girl can exercise quite a bit of power here).

We didn’t know what to think of it all, and got on with the business of life. Marcia & I kept a very close eye on Dan. The trips that we allowed him to make into Plant City were always short and with very clear & direct instructions. Yet a week later (Friday night again) Dan didn’t return from a brief trip to Blockbusters, where we had sent him to collect a DVD. At 1 am in the morning Dan finally called us from the Tampa jail where he had been taken. At Blockbusters Dan had run into the same girl again, as he was pulling out of the car-park. The police was called, and they decided to chase after Dan who was on his way home, and arrest him just a few hundred yards from our house. The car was impounded and kept in some storage place over the weekend. We could only get in out on Monday morning; it cost $220. You wonder, why didn’t the police give us a chance to pick the car up; I could have walked there, it was so close. But no. Dan was given quite a rough treatment by 2 police officers, while this girl & her family stood there shouting abuse at him. I’m amazed at this kind of treatment. It looks like the policeman jumped to the conclusion that Dan was a nasty stalker deserving of being bundled into a police car, of a night without sleep in jail, of the expense of getting the car back and the cost of BAIL ($500).

Now we’re looking for an attorney and having to get ready for a court case. The expense goes on. But what is this about? I don’t think there’s any credible evidence of Dan stalking, but this girl & her family, who have appeared out of no-where,  seem to have impressed the police with their stories. In these lean times, it may be, that making an arrest helps the officer get a certain quota; I don’t know, but this officer seemed so keen. Even the first night when he was at our home (first time we heard that something was up)  he seemed so happy to spell out the procedure of arrest, jail in Tampa, bail, court case etc. What is going on here? Are we being abused by the lower end of Plant City? Has Dan done something we don’t know about? Or is he being used as an easy target. I’m told there are people in this little town who would love to play the victim game, and who are always looking to typecast some young man as a ‘criminal’. Crazy stuff!

The court date we are given is in March, and so it seems that Dan cannot make a 2nd trip to the UK before then. On that day, Dan will be asked to make a plea (guilty or not guilty) and after that he’ll be given another date foe the actual court case. While we believe that God has allowed for this crazy situation to occur (Dan has had a taste of prison life) we also see it as ‘enemy activity’ designed to take Dan away from heaven’s blessings and hinder us in our efforts to see our dreams fulfilled. So we are standing against this craziness and with heaven’s authority we proclaim that these false accusations come to nothing; this whole situation will disintegrate , and we WILL move on in God’s purposes, and that includes Dan.

You know how at immunization you get a little bit of the disease injected so that your body can build anti dotes in order for the body to stand strong against this disease. We believe that something similar is happening here, and that this situation will teach Dan to stand firm against any temptation to play dangerous games, make unwise moves, or do stupid things. Please pray for us and for Dan in particular. He needs to break through his natural limitations and his natural blind spots, in order to wise up, to learn to function as normal (which has eluded him so far), to get & keep a job, make good friends (especially at the River Church) and to develop a spiritual life. We live in hope!

Billy continues to perform in Retirement Homes. The doors of many places are wide open  to him. He loves singing & telling stories, and this regular work gives him a tremendous opportunity to grow in this kind of presentation and to learn to flow in the spirit. Billy also continues to film Psalms (on location in the central Florida region) and is learning to edit etc. He is very keen to press on with the Psalms and to get started with filming short stories from the Old Testament, using a multi camera system. We’re hoping to put many short films on the internet, as well as broadcast the 3 programs Marcia is hoping to do (Snails & Dinosaurs/ Story-Round/ The Hot House). To see the whole vision of what we believe God has called us to do, see our web-site: www.entertainingangels.us.

We’re hoping to develop an Internet Community (of friends) that will enjoy our programs and give us feedback etc. Marcia is hoping to start a SHOP with craft materials, jewelry, postcards, fabrics, special paper etc. She is also hoping to become a guest speaker at Universities, colleges, (therapeutic) work places and churches. I would like to perform (and speak) in prisons, as well as in (some) churches, (Bible) schools, colleges & universities; small theatres, if at all possible, and maybe even bookstores and cafes. But ultimately we need to video tape our work and put it on the Internet. 

How we do all this financially, only God knows; we trust that day by day we will do all that we need to do. We’re working on some ideas, constantly studying our options, but what’s more, constantly checking in with heaven. Meanwhile our focus is on the stories that inspire. Please pray for us, for our protection, and that the river shall flow through our lives!

Our new London family & Dan slowly but surely becoming whole.

family matters

Last Christmas Eve Marcia & Dan flew to the UK, where they spend a few days in London and a few days in the Rhondda, Wales, where we used to live before moving to Florida.

In London, after resting for a day or two, they met with Dan’s birth father Neil, his partner Elaine and their son Jordan. Dan had been a little nervous, but also eagerly anticipating meeting the man that was his father when Dan was born. Things worked out as well as could be expected. Dan & Neil very much enjoyed each other’s company, and were both quite in awe of the other. They look alike; even their behavior and mannerisms are quite similar.

Marcia & Dan also met with Gel, Dan’s foster mom from the time he was a 6 month old traumatized baby until we adopted him a year later. Gel’s partner Colin has died some time ago; she has 2 adult daughters, Emma & Amy, and an adopted son Scott. Emma has a son of 8 years; Callum. Dan slipped (back) into this lively family as if he never left; quite amazing to see that happen. He has always considered himself a part of this family, which gives him wonderful acceptance & appreciation and it gives him 2 sisters, a brother and a mother (wonderful Gel). 

Together with Marcia & Dan, the 2 families decided to come out together for an evening of bowling, something Dan LOVES to do. What a celebration of life and of healing! Meanwhile there’s SO MUCH brokenness and so much damage in the lives of most of these people…; the stories would be shocking and overwhelming to hear.

Now that I’m writing this (Marcia & Dan are back in Florida) I see how Dan has changed through this opportunity to reconnect with his past. While some questions remain unanswered, and a lot of the damage done (in Dan’s early life) seems (not: is) irreversible, just by reconnecting with his past, and especially meeting Neil face to face, has helped Dan to be(come) himself, that little bit more. Most of the time he seems more relaxed, less prone to blow his top. He has let go of his anger!  Now, just occasionally, he falls back into an old behavior (of getting angry too quickly).

Even when he was only 8 or 9 years old, Dan got in touch with the root of his anger: he was FURIOUS with Neil, for the way Neil had treated his (birth) mother, Michele. In those months Dan absorbed serious levels & amounts of aggression.  This happened while he was just a few months old. (Try imagine what this DOES to a BABY…) Marcia & I considered it a great breakthrough that Dan could ‘place’ his anger (when he was 8 or 9). But then we found that no improvements followed; he remained a deeply angry boy/ teenager. Together with the enormous lack of attachment that Dan ’suffered’ in the first few months of his life, growing up was (and has been) hugely difficult and challenging for Dan. Totally under equipped, almost permanently shut-down, and burdened with fear. Quite impossible; but God!

Marcia & I found that by bringing Dan into the atmosphere of worship (the wonderful churches & conferences that we’ve attended over the years) things changed. The wonderful Holy Spirit of God has done a healing work in him, most of the time without Dan being aware of this, other then feeling good (to be in this place). Dan made some great friends in the church in the Rhondda Valley (South Wales), and began to have the beginnings of a faith life. Even during our London years (before moving to Wales) Dan received much healing just by being in that wonderful atmosphere of worship (music). From Wales we moved to Florida, where we’ve been members of the River Church led by Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne. This church celebrates Summer Camp & Winter Camp each year, 7 days of celebration, mornings & evenings. A tremendous atmosphere of worship, growing in intensity over the course of the week, Dan has spend many hours lying down (on some chairs) half asleep, as if under heavens anesthetic to receive healing. 

It was only a few months ago when Marcia & I came under the conviction that the time had come for Dan to go back to London. We had been praying for BREAKTHROUGH with Dan; he seems to be so stuck. Breakthrough didn’t come, but Dan got mature enough to get ready to confront his past. He was apprehensive to meet Neil (very conflicting feelings) and very keen to meet Michele (which hasn’t happened yet). To our delight,  Neil was very approachable and happy to meet with Dan (and Marcia). Dan is not a talker, and when he has conflicting feelings, he won’t communicate at all. Even so, Dan was delighted to discover that Neil was such a nice man, and the 2 resemble each other in many ways (external & internal). Dan is keen to spend more time with Neil, and meet the whole family, possibly. That should happen sometime, while Dan may need a level of protection, to not fall into behaviors that will not be helpful later on (smoking/ drinking/ drugs/  etc..).

We hope to get word from Michele, Dan’s birth mom, and when that happens and the time is right for Dan, we’ll be making another trip to London. How wonderful to have the promise that eventually Dan will be fully himself, clear, strong, mature, independent, capable, reliable, happy etc. We believe, by God’s grace, it’s there for him.

The last few gigs in this present run at the end of 08.

singing diary

I began singing in the Retirement Homes in this area (Tampa Bay/ Brandon/ Lakeland) about 14 Months ago, and I have connected with around 80 Homes. A few of them apart, all these Homes are very happy to have me come in for singing & telling; some of these Homes have really taken me to heart and want me to come in regularly (or as often as I can make it). All together it’s been VERY SPECIAL to make these connections and these friendships.

This Month, December 2008, I finish my third run of going into most of the Homes that I know, which means that in those 14 Months I’ve gone into most of the Homes three times. There’s one place that I visit once a Month; I’ve been there at least 7 or 8 times. A tremendous experience it has been; I’ve learned so much, and I feel I’ve come a long way.

Wednesday December 17th, going into Hudson Manor on Davis Island in Tampa, 2nd time here. I was here not long ago, and people liked me so much that they wanted me to come back a.s.a.p., hence today. The Activities Director has invited me to perform at 3 PM.

When I arrive there’s confusion at reception. Nobody knows I’m scheduled to sing today, and the Act. Director has gone out with a group, shopping at Walmart. All I can do is trust that they’ll be back on time, so I set up as usual and wait. Waiting before singing (and telling) can be a good thing; it helps with getting focussed and gearing up to deliver. However, waiting a long time, can have the opposite effect. You begin to think that the moment of sparking has gone, and it may be better to pack up & go.

The shopping party arrived back 40 minutes after I am supposed to start. When the Activities Director appears, I ask her, wasn’t I supposed to be starting at 3 PM. That’s the time she invited me for. No, she says, you’re in the schedule for 3.30 PM.  OK, but it’s now 3.40 PM and I don’t know what time the room needs to be available for supper.  

I suggest that perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to invite me on an afternoon with an afternoon shopping trip. Not at all, she says, you can just sing in the time that is left. I have lots of artists coming here who are very happy to use whatever little time they are given.

Basically she’s brushing me off. She doesn’t want to admit that she had forgotten all about my coming to the Home (at her invitation). Instead of saying sorry for the difficulties she’s caused, she gets aggressive with me, and tells me off for being unhappy with the rushing and the lack of time to perform. I offer to come back another time, but she doesn’t want to hear of it. No, she’ll get the people together quickly and I can get started straight away. 

Moments later she’s back to tell me that I must finish at 4.30 PM, because the kitchen staff need the room to set up for supper. That would give me just over half an hour, which for my kind of presentation is very short; I usually have one hour.

While he A.D. walks off to gather more residents, I approach the kitchen staff about the timing of things. They tell me that they’re happy to set the tables quietly while I perform, and so I only need to finish at 4.45 PM. Just before starting my short set, I tell the A.C. that the kitchen staff is happy to give me until 4.45 PM.

At 4.20 PM less then half an hour into my set, the A.C. walks up to me, and tells me that I HAVE to finish at 4.30 PM sharply.

And so I do. The whole thing has become a bit of a farce. The few people present are restless or not very present. They’ve already had a busy day, and the timing of my singing is wrong. In fact, last time I sang here the audience was double the size; most people have gone to their rooms to rest, for obvious reasons.

I pack up and prepare to leave, not quite sure what to do. The A.C. has disappeared; I’m tempted to just walk out the door, and forget about this place. However, I’ve been invited, and I’ve been offered pay, and I feel I should claim what’s due to me. So I fill in the required forms (which I already had on me) and head for reception to hand them in.

Two surprises follow. First: the A.C. sits behind the reception desk, filling in for the receptionist. I see her there and hesitate speaking to her. She will not listen to me, I don’t think, and she’ll be rude again. I’m not interested in being at the receiving end of her aggressive attitude. I’ve been there (in TV production); done that, and moved on. No need for a repeat of that kind of trouble.

Then the second surprise: while I hesitate, the administrator appears (out of nowhere it seems). She had apologized to me earlier for the delay etc. and had been very kind to me.

So I approach her, give her the documents, and give her a brief explanation of what happened earlier. Perhaps it would have been better to invite me for another day, I suggest. The A.C. overhears these words, and jumps in to oppose. Her attitude has not changed one little bit (as I suspected), and she’s ready to shut me up (once more). The phone rings and the A.C. has to pull away to answer. Great, at least I don’t have to argue, and it gives me a chance to suggest that something is really wrong with the way the A.C. has handled the situation. The administrator hears my brief account, and I’m out the door.

When I arrive home the A.C. has already left a message saying that I will not be welcome to return to Hudson Manor. As if I wanted too…

In almost every Home that I visit, I am received with respect and with open arms. Today was very much an exception, I’m glad to say. I do hope to see the people of Hudson Manor again. My first time singing there was outstanding; the spirit moved in a remarkable way; people were very touched. I imagine the A.C. will eventually be caught in her own aggression and either change her ways or be out of there. Eventually I should be able to go back; heaven’s kingdom is on the move; no stopping it!

December 19th, singing in Southerland PLace, Tampa. Second time here; first time went really well. I’ve discussed over the phone the need for a quiet room, so people can be focussed. Cynthia, the Activities Director has prepared an excellent space, and begins to gather the Residents as soon as I get there.

Apart from the usual songs (Little Love/ One day/ In His Way/ Beatitudes/ Love Never Fails/ Touch Eternity? Aaron’s Blessing) I do a long version of the Moses story; a risky thing to do, but the people stay with it quite well; God’s wonderful Holy Spirit is moving through the telling and singing. Altogether a great time. Several members of staff are present all the way through; afterwards they comment on how well I communicate ever with the Alzheimer Residents.  It’s the Holy Spirit, and I’m so thankful for God’s presence. What a privilege! What ever bad feelings were left from my previous ‘gig’ those are all gone; I’m so happy to be a channel of God’s love.

Tuesday December 23rd I’m singing in Ybor City at the Healthcare & Rehab Center. I’ve been here several times before, but not in quite a while. Sweet people here; some of them quite far gone. Like the previous times, today is another wonderful celebration. I tell the story of Jacob dreaming about the ‘Ladder-from-Heaven’. It’s a wonderful story; I try to keep things simple, and people stay with me all the way through. The Angel Whisper song is such a blessing. A great way to finish the year, and to finish this ‘tour’ of the Tampa, Brandon, PLant City & Lakeland Retirement Homes. It has been a very positive experience. I look forward to going back into all these places. Perhaps I should also begin to go into the Homes in St. Petersburgh. Something to pray about.

Several Homes send me a Christmas Card expressing their appreciation for my work; I’m touched and count myself privileged. Next year is going to be GREAT. Perhaps I can also make a start with going into some churches, and beyond that I would like to put my name down at some Christian Agencies and begin to sing & tell all over the USA. God knows what’s in store. Happy New Year!