The Sights

Alaska has to have some of the most beautiful vistas of any state. I sheepishly admit that I don't always pay attention to God's gorgeous scenery, but there's something different about Alaska's landscapes. They jump out and grab you. They demand attention. I have several pics of the great Alaskan outdoors, but they don't do justice to its grandeur. So, I'm just going to post a few, especially for Shanna. Enjoy!

Mt. McKinley, by far, was my favorite spot. It's imposing presence can't be missed on a clear day and is just awe-inspiring. This was the 7th time for Liberty to be in Alaska, but this was the first time Royce had been able to see McKinley. It was worth the wait, I'm sure. We spent over an hour taking pictures and just taking it all in.

Speaking of an imposing presence...

Royce and I attempt to show the viewing public how large McKinley is. Our conservative estimate is at about 5'8".

I had never seen a glacier before, so I was blown away by this immense ice object. Very cool! I try to keep my cool in these types of situations and so am very hesitant to look like anything but an absolute moron when being photographed. What facial expression are you supposed to use while posing in front of a glacier, anyway?

Royce forgot his camera, so he took some really clear cellphone pics. Those .75 megapixel cameras are just amazing.

We were fortunate enough to catch a large bull moose frolicking in the great Alaskan outdoors. That was an incredible sight! Wow!

We were also fortunate enough to catch a Southern Gospel pianist frolicking in the great outdoors. Not quite as impressive as the moose, I can assure you. Very disturbing.

Crabby

Royce delicately dances around an aggressive crab. I had heard of the crabwalk but had never personally witnessed it. It was quite impressive.

God's frozen chosen

As I have mentioned in a previous post Royce reeled in a 47 lb. king salmon on our first Saturday in Alaska. We spent the next 8 days hauling around frozen salmon steaks. Royce was pretty excited as you will note from this picture while the rest of us were, well, not so excited.

Fishing the Kenai

You asked for pictures, you got 'em:

Royce puts on his salmon face as he prepares to fish

Dan grins close to one of the many rainbow trout he reeled in

Doran was the only one to catch the monster trout. Doran is pretty sure that he snagged Arthur, the Kenai River trout whose size has reached mythical proportions. By the way, he's sitting here in the sound booth at church (we're at VBS; no sarcastic comments, please) making sure that I'm quoting him correctly.

Royce doesn't worry about using bait on his hook. He figures if he flails his line around enough he'll be able to snag one in the eye. His method worked. (Please refrain from calling PETA).

Royce holds up his one-eyed beaut. Now, we were just doing catch and release fishing. It's illegal to keep them in the area we were fishing. So, there's a half-blind trout flopping around the Kenai these days. Incidentally, you will notice that I am the only one who isn't pictured with a fish. During the first hour of fishing I caught 5 fish, 3 tiny, 1 small, 1 medium. I should have got my pic taken with the mid-sized trout, but I was feeling pretty cocky and made the comment that I was going to wait until I caught Arthur. I caught exactly 3 more fish the rest of the day, all of them miniscule at best.

Alaska: Chapter 2

There is something to be said for the isolated beauty of the Alaskan landscape, but nothing beats the sight of my beautiful house. We pulled in mid-afternoon on Monday after an exhausting day of flying. We left Anchorage at 2:00 AM Monday and had a five and a half hour layover in Seattle. Yes, you can sleep on concrete. I didn't pull in the serious Zs that I do at home, but I still caught some shuteye. Needless to say I have done little but exist the last couple of days.

We had a superb trip. Alaska is by far the most beautiful state that I have visited. The gorgeous scenes that we witnessed traveling across the state can't be explained; just experienced. Awesome! I caught a glimpse of why God said, "It is good". Let me explain that I love the Midwest. You know, growing up in Indiana and living in Ohio, I have a warm spot in my heart for the country of my roots. But I'm convinced that God just passed his hand over the Midwest, taking the extra stuff to form Alaska. It's absolutely beautiful! I highly recommend touring AK.

We headed up to the northern part of the state on Tuesday, singing in Glenallen. While we were there, we met a great guy who has already become part of the Liberty family. Park made sure that we enjoyed our time up north. Wednesday morning, Royce and Dan hit a trail, or I should say created a trail, borrowing Park's Yamaha Rhino. Park had told us the night before that the Alaskan pipeline was just a mile or so from his house, so Dan thought he knew where he was going. They crashed through the underbrush, scaring off any grizzlies in the area (which is important since 9 people have died in recent months as a result of bear mauling) on their way to the pipeline. After some time of wandering around they finally discovered what they were looking for. As they were riding along the pipeline, a federal helicoptor came out of nowhere and dove toward the guys. Apparently, you have to have a pass to legally get in this particular area. Park had the pass, but obviously Royce and Dan didn't have it. The chopper hovered overhead scoping out this terrorist threat. His mind was set at ease as Royce leaned out and began taking pictures of the aircraft. He took off, probably thinking to himself, "Stupid tourists."

We then headed down to Talkeetna where we enjoyed a good time with the pastor of the AoG church. Thursday morning, we woke up to our first clear, sunny morning of the trip. We were able to see Mt. McKinley clear as could be. It was jaw-dropping awesome. We spent quite a bit of time on the deck of a lodge in Talkeetna taking pictures and enjoying the view. I have some great footage that will never make it to a Liberty video, but is quite entertaining, nevertheless.

Thursday night we were with some of my great friends in North Pole, AK. I spent my first trip to Alaska in North Pole at the Missionary Chapel. Pastor Duane and Gwen Newton were phenomenal hosts. In fact, they had just moved into their new house that same day and still let us spend the night. I saw so many of my friends from the GBS days. Scott and Kristina Clemens were up there (he had just finished speaking at a youth camp) along with their two cute boys. I hadn't seen Scott and Kristina since my days at Immanuel in KY. They moved to Indiana about a month after we moved to Idaho. It was also good to see Sonya (many of you will remember her from her work in the Revivalist office), Jodie Newton (one of the greatest girls in the world), Heidi, Thad, Jonathan Miller (shouts out to Maloyed in MI), the Betters, the Mitchells (including future GBS student Sheronna), and so many others that I had met previously. Jodie has bought a huge house and has opened up a daycare and is doing an incredible job. I was impressed! After our concert we headed over to Gary Mitchell's house (Gary is Royce's cousin, as well as a fellow GBS alum) for a barbeque. His grilled salmon is the best I've ever tasted. OK, moment of truth, I had never tasted grilled salmon before, but I loved it. That cajun mix was delicious. A good time was had by all.

Friday night we sang in Fairbanks at an outdoor concert sponsored by the First Assembly of God church. Those people were incredible! They treated us like royalty. Whoever made the marshmallow covered brownies needs to be awarded.

Saturday night's concert was at Church of the Wildwood, near Anchorage. The youth pastor and I got into some great discussions about music groups from the 80s and 90s. Ask Doran about his input.

We spent all day Sunday at Anchorage Baptist Temple. I've been to a lot of churches with Liberty, but this has to be one of my favorites. We had some wonderful times of worship and preaching/teaching. If there is anyway that you can download or buy any of Pastor Prevo's messages, do it (http://www.ancbt.org/). His Sunday School class might be the best session I've ever been a part of. God has gifted Dr. Prevo with the ability to clearly and concisely teach the Bible. We are rarely able to hear messages while we are on the road, so it was nice to be a part of the service. We sang for their television program which is seen all over the state. I tried to keep one eye on the screen so I didn't do something stupid in front of a million people. It didn't work. I have the uncanny gift of making gaffes in front of the camera. It's scary, actually.

Sunday night was a full concert at ABT. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. By the way, for those who say that bus ministry doesn't work anymore, they need to check out what ABT is doing. They literally crisscross the city with scores of buses, reaching out to their community. They are making a huge impact on their city.

Overall, it was a great week! I'm tired, but it was worth it. At least 20 people gave their lives to Christ during the trip. Man, that's incredible! It's cool to be used by God.

I really do have a bunch of pics to upload, but I'm tired. I'll post them tomorrow. Good night.

Stay tuned...

Alaska Trip, Chapter 2 will be released tomorrow, with pictures. We just kicked off the first night of our church's first VBS. Lori has helped coordinate (and is still coordinating) many of the details. My esteemed sister-in-law, Charlotte Frederick, is the special speaker. The first night was awesome! We had no idea how many kids to plan on, so Lori estimated 60 at the most. We ran out of nametags and fireman hats during the registration. We ended up with 79 on the first night, totally blowing away my faithless prediction of 30 or so!

The theme is "Jesus to the Rescue" and features a special presentation each evening from emergency response units in our community. Tonight's presentation was made by Life Flight out of Boise. They flew in a helicoptor and landed in our church's back yard. The kids were impressed, to say the least. I'll have some pics uploaded later.

Crabb Family Calling It Quits

An interesting day for Crabb Family fans. I have copied a post by Chuck Peters (www.southerngospelreporter.com) from a SG fan website:

CRABB FAMILY.. ONE MORE YEAR. August 1.. 2007 will mark the end of The Crabb Family.. as the group we know today. The official anouncement was made Tuesday (08/01) in Hendersonville, Tn. Press information released shortly after the announcement says each member will keep with tradition and continue to pursue their separate ministries once their tour has been completed. The siblings feel it is time to move to a new season and are anticipating what God has in store for all of their ministries. The Crabb Family will set out on a tour immediately to thank their fans for their unwavering support.The CF representative adds: "Everyone is being asked to respect the decision of the Crabb Family and keep each of them in your prayers.

Ironically, this announcement comes after several of the concerts on their "Blur the Lines" tour was cancelled.

The Crabb Family have been awesome, no doubt about it! They are one of the few groups that make it in my "buy every CD they produce" category.

Alaska: Chapter 1

Hello from beautiful (and might I add) chilly Alaska. From what I hear Boise is quite toasty with temperatures around 105 degrees. This 55 degree weather feels pretty good, to be honest. We have had a fantastic time so far. The people in Alaska have gone beyond the call of duty to make us feel at home. Today is an off day, no concert scheduled, and so I'm getting caught up on my e-mail from Alaska Christian College.

We flew into Anchorage Thursday evening at about 9:oo PM (11:00 MST). Royce picked us up, dropped Jeremiah off (he flew out that night for Boise), and we then headed for Soldatna, a 3 hour drive. We stopped for fuel and food and then tried to find a motel in the area. Due to this being prime fishing season in Alaska, we weren't able to find a room where we had intended. We finally found a room at a slightly seedy motel in the middle of nowhere. We got in bed at 2:00 AM. The alarm went off at 4:00 AM for our first fishing trip on the Kenai River. We were supposed to go halibut fishing, but got blown off by high winds. So, instead, we went trout fishing. Kenai River is the #1 destination for fishermen all over the world. I have never fished before, so I started out at the top. Unfortunately, it was just catch and release fishing. I caught about 6 fish, 5 of which were tiny and 1 that was medium size. All the other guys caught pretty nice size fish. Needless to say we were wasted by the evening concert. But God came through. God has a way of making great things happen when we're at our lowest. 3 people gave their hearts to Christ Friday night and we sang to a packed-out church in Sterling. Awesome!

All of us were scheduled to go King salmon fishing at 4:00 AM Saturday. Doran and I decided that it was going to be too early, especially on only 2 hours of sleep from the previous day. So, we slept in, and felt really good about it. Royce has been obsessed with catching king salmon. This was his seventh time to go and he had never caught one. Fortunately, he pulled in a 45 pound salmon. Needless to say, he's been in a good mood. He smiles much through his moustache. He often stares out the window, smiling, with a dreamy expression on his face. He da' man. By the way, Dan didn't catch squat.

Saturday evening we were in Homer, AK for a concert. A good time was had by all. I tried halibut chowder for the first time and it was delicious!

Sunday was a great day with 2 concerts in the area. Sunday evening's concert was outside at a fish camp and preceded by a meal. Now, I've been to a lot of pitch-in dinners, but never one where barbequed llama was on the menu. This food critic's description: it tastes exactly what you think a llama would taste like. After the meal I fought overwhelming urges to stare bug-eyed and perk my ears.

Today we were supposed to go halibut fishing, but once again the waves were too choppy and we weren't able to go. So, Doran and I opted for a nice relaxing round of golf. I use the term relaxing much the same way I would say that boot camp is relaxing. Doran shot an amazing 122 while I came in one stroke down at 122. We bought 3 sleeves of golf balls and ended up with only 1 original ball left. We did find many other golf balls, though, during our frequent treks to the underbrush to track down errant shots. I also found out that the majority of the Alaskan mosquitos nest in the underbrush on the Kenai Golf Course. For some reason, they swarm persons who tramp through the weeds. I am one big lump. I am a mosquito lollipop. I should look pretty interesting tomorrow evening.

We're going to be heading up for the northern part of Alaska tomorrow. I don't know if I'll find a computer before I'll get back, so just stay tuned for further details.

Blur

Wow! Two days can go by really fast. So fast that I haven't really had a chance to post anything of merit. In a couple of hours I'll be flying out to Alaska. We'll be doing a 10-day tour up there, singing and fishing. It's a tough job, people.

I'm not taking my laptop with me so there won't be any posting for the next week and a half. I'll catch you later.

Red Deer

We've been having a great time in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. I'm in Southern Gospel heaven right now, listening to some of my favorite groups. Two groups that have been especially popular in Canada are the Perrys and the Booth Brothers. This is the first time I've been able to be around the BB and they are as great off the stage as on. Michael is just naturally funny and he has kept things exciting around here.

Speaking of exciting, Thursday was quite a day for Liberty Quartet. We had left Wednesday at about 8:00 AM and were planning on staying about 60 miles from the Canadian border. Well, when we got to where we were going to stay on Wednesday evening we looked over the map, looked at the time we would need to get through Canadian customs at the border, and decided that we probably should drive the bus on ahead.

A few weeks ago we purchased a van for our Alaska trip. We're hoping to sell it in Alaska, so Royce, along with his son Jeremiah, is driving it up following our Canadian stint. So, he was following the bus. We decided that there was no need for us to cancel the room. Royce and Jeremiah could use it and leave early Thursday morning.

Our sound check was 2:15 in the afternoon and so we figured out that if they left by 5:00 or 6:00 AM they could make it. Dan, Doran, and I (along with our good friend Paul Munson), took off and drove several hours, pulled over, and caught about 7 hours of sleep. We headed out about 7:30 in the morning and made great time. I called Royce about 9:30 to see where they were. He said that they were quite a ways behind us, but that they were making pretty good time. There was one thing that worried me, though. He said he was on Rt. 220 and when I looked at the map after hanging up I couldn't find 220 anywhere close to the route we were taking. We were about a half hour away when I called him again. This time there was a slight tinge of panic in his voice as he relayed that they had gone nearly 75 miles in the wrong direction. He told me to go ahead and go with the sound check and he would get there in time for the concert. What we didn't know was that they had ended up in Montana somewhere and had circled all the way back to where they had started that morning. The concert promoter told us to plan on doing a trio. Based on where he was, there was no way he was going to make the concert.

Now, you have to understand, Royce is the main man for Liberty. He does the emceeing, puts together the song list, not to mention the fact that he has one of the best bass voices in SG. So, we were pretty stressed. We put together a makeshift list of songs that might work as a trio and tried to get our minds and spirits ready for the evening concert. Royce asked me to lay out his suit, shirt, and tie just in case he made it. Jerry Goff, who is the emcee for the weekend, had a whole schtik based on the fact that Royce wasn't there and was getting ready to head for the stage when Royce comes bounding down the stairs towards the lower level. We were supposed to be on at 7:15 and he got to the platform at 7:13. Talk about relief! Close call!

For some reason, Royce doesn't want to talk much about what happened. Everything else has gone OK (save for the sound issues that mysteriously plague regional groups at these big conventions). We've had a great time, though! I'll update you guys later.

McCune

I just got back from the Gold City concert in Nampa. Without going into a lot of detail, I just want to say that their new bass singer, 25 year old Aaron McCune, is on track to be one of the all-time greats. I first heard him 7 years ago in Winston-Salem, NC where as a rookie for the Anchormen Quartet he blew all the other basses away at a Ray Flynn Promotions concert. Ironically enough, one of the bass singers that night was Tim Riley.

I have to say that Aaron is already better than Tim. And that's not putting Tim down. Tim belongs in the bass singer Hall of Fame. It's just that McCune is incredible. If he would just stop fiddling around with his monitor (in his ear and the controls on his belt) and sing it would be that much better. We were with him at Fresno when he was still with Palmetto State. We'll be with him again in Canada, and I'm looking forward to it. I like listening to a bass singer who knows how to hit notes cleanly without lots of fake growling noises. You know, like Royce (just in case you're reading this, buddy).

Canada bound

Well, it looks like I'll be playing catch-up again. I'm running around like crazy today trying to get everything ready for our trip to the Great Canadian Gospel Music Celebration (http://www.gospelmusic.ca/). I think I have the border paperwork for our product figured out. I hope so, anyway. If not, we'll be waiting quite a while to get across. I'm looking forward to singing with and listening to some of my favorite groups like The Perrys, the Booth Brothers, and Legacy Five. Another group that is heading up to Canada, Gold City, is going to be in concert here in Nampa tonight. Lori and I are planning on going over there this evening. I'm curious as to how they will sound with their new bass, Aaron McCune. The guy has an awesome voice, no doubt about it.

Trey started soccer camp this week. He's participating in the Upwards sports program at a Nazarene church here in Nampa. He loved his first night! He was awarded a star for being one of the top offensive players. He made his dad proud! I got all misty-eyed sitting on the sidelines watching him. I can't believe he's old enough to be doing this kind of stuff. He's the only 4 year-old out there, but he holds his own. In fact, most of the kids are in 1st grade and above. He doesn't seem to be intimidated.

I'll be gone for about a week to Canada, so I'm hoping for a hotel with broadband so I can keep you guys updated on what's going on.

Back Home

Well, I'm back home after a fun week at our family camp in McCall, ID. The kids are filthy, my dress shoes are dusty, and we're all tired. I'll try to give you the details later. One of my good friends (as well as former pastor and college professor), Ben Durr, Jr. was our camp evangelist. His flight leaves at 5:50 AM tomorrow, so he was going to have someone drop him off at the airport tonight and spend the night in those narrow, uncomfortable chairs. I told him that he was crazy and there was no way I was going to let him do that. So, he's spending the night at our place tonight and I'll take him over to Boise tomorrow. I'll also be meeting up with the guys from GBS as well as my former boss, Jack Hooker, and dropping them off at the airport in the afternoon. I have been promised lunch at Goodwood for my troubles. "It will be worth it all..."

I'll check back with you later.

No Rap Sheet

Just in case you're wondering, I didn't get arrested last night. Royce did.
No, seriously, we had a great night of fun and fireworks with no major mishaps. I just wish that everyone had the privilege of witnessing Doran shoot Roman candles out of his pants back pockets. Very inspiring.

We are scurrying around at a feverish pace trying to get everything packed for family camp. I do believe my busiest times in life are the last 3 hours leading up to a family vacation.

Below are my Liberty kids. Kassady is Miss Independence (and not just on July 4th).

Kassady livin' it up

7.4.2006 Update (for lack of a better title)

Happy Independence Day! What an awesome country we live in! I'm proud to be an American!

I hope you have a day full of fun and family stuff planned. Our family is going to be heading over to the Meridian Mitchell mansion later this evening for some festivities, namely blowing stuff up. We are also going to spend some time with friends over at the Taylors. I'm looking forward to a relaxing day. Well, at least the first part of the day. Combine fireworks, testosterone, and pyromania and you have all the ingredients for disaster. There is no doubt that we will be having an exciting night. That could be my picture in the newspaper tomorrow.

It was great to get back on the road last weekend after a much-needed, week-long vacation. It was long enough to get those batteries recharged, not to mention my voice. I went all through fall, winter, and most of spring without a cold, impressed at this fact. However, late spring and early summer have caused me all sorts of problems. I have had some vicious sinus issues. I temporarily lost my voice in KS (see previous posts) and then had the same thing happen during my week off. Thank God, I made a full recovery.

We were able to reconnect with several of our friends on this trip, especially at our stop in Newberg, OR. We had a fantastic time! Then we did an outdoor concert in Gresham, OR at a park. The concert was part of a combined service with the Lynchwood Church of God and the Christian Church. Fortunately, I brought my IU hat because the sun was beating down mercilessly on my head. I wore it the whole concert. Royce's brother, Rayburn, and his family were able to be at all of our concerts this weekend. We had a lot of fun hanging out with Rayburn. He has a great sense of humor and his laidback delivery keeps the laughs coming. On Sunday evening we headed over to Portland First Church of the Nazarene for their 100th anniversary musical celebration. Royce was formerly Pastor of Drama and Music at Portland First (1984-1991) and so was invited to be part of the evening. The rest of us just tagged along. We sang in the choir and cheered Royce on as he was featured in a couple of special numbers. My favorite was his duet with Gary Woodruff (another former Worship Pastor) on the classic "Down From His Glory". Beckham and Bullock have nothing on those guys. Doran and I are practicing our arrangement of the song, as well. Royce also sang in a quartet made up of former music pastors. Liberty ended up singing the last couple of songs, "Statue of Liberty" and "Holy, Holy, Holy". I'm glad Royce was able to be a part of the concert. Actually, I'm glad I was able to be a part of the concert. By the way, another music pastor at Portland First was the acclaimed gospel songwriter Haldor Lillenas. He wasn't there (due to a death; actually his death; he died many, many years ago; did I use too many semicolons in this parenthetical sidenote?).

Of course, I didn't get pictures this weekend. I had my camera on the bus and just forgot to pull it out. We had many Kodak moments that I missed due to my forgetfulness. There's always next time.

Tomorrow the Waggoner family heads up to McCall, ID for our family camp. Our good friend and former pastor, Ben Durr, Jr. is the evangelist. I'll also get to see the boys from GBS (I think they'll be up there on Friday and Saturday). Unless there is a hi-fi hotspot in McCall that I don't know about, I won't be posting for a while.

Enjoy the 4th!

Just wondering...

I wonder what would happen if we treated the Bible like we treat our cell phones:

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets all the time?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it ?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?

Wonder what difference it might make?

(From Paul Heil's "The Gospel Greats Newsletter")

Worship

For those authentic worshippers who read my blog: http://www.worshipmatters.com/

Thought-provoking.

Traveling

Well, I'm in Newberg, OR getting ready to go set up for this evening's concert. We're looking forward to a good time. Last night we were in Hermiston, OR at the Church of the Nazarene with a ladies trio, Indirect Light. After the concert, I was manning the table when a man came up and asked me where I was originally from. After giving my background, I told him that I had moved to Nampa from Cincinnati. He asked, "Did you by chance attend God's Bible School and College?" When I replied in the affirmative, he told me that his father was a huge fan and supporter of the school. I asked his name, hoping that maybe I had come across his name in the past. He told me his dad was Richard S. Taylor, the great Nazarene theologian. As many of you know, Dr. Taylor passed away last week. In fact, his funeral was this Monday. Paul Taylor (his son) spent some time sharing some of the great things that happened in the hours leading up to his death. He told me that his passing was as peaceful as it could have been. I then shared with Paul how much Dr. Taylor's books had ministered to me across the years. I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Taylor in 2003 at GBS. What a great man! I also found out that he really enjoyed Liberty's music. I really enjoyed meeting Paul and his wife and look forward to spending some time with them in the future.

Searching, Swimming, and Submerging

As I sat at the table this morning, nibbling at my nutricious breakfast, Ham 'n Eggs Hot Pockets, I was doing some work on the website. While I was checking my Google e-mail, I noticed that there was a link to a search engine that I had never heard of. You have to check this site out. Man, they can track down everything about a person: http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/.
It was amazing how much info they have accumulated. Actually, it's a little scary (speaking of the book 1984). Of course, I bookmarked zoominfo. You never know when it will come in handy.

Last afternoon, Trey and I went tubing/boating with a bunch of the Liberty family members. We had a blast! Trey had never been out on a boat before, much less tubing, so he really enjoyed it. Doran and I spent time with the kids in a shallow part of the lake, watching them splash and swim around. It was a relaxing evening. We stayed out 'til nearly 10pm. Trey was exhausted by the time we got home. I'm not the greatest swimmer in the world (to say the least), so when I got on the tube for the first time I told Dan to take it easy in the boat. Yeah right. About 3 minutes later, my body was skipping across the water, my arms windmilling about helplessly, nanoseconds before my open mouth was filled with lake water, while the tube bounced merrily on the wake of Dan's boat. I laughed nervously as I swam back to the boat. Dan was laughing so hard he almost wet himself. I clambered back on to the tube and had a nice ride for about a minute and a half. All of a sudden, Dan yanked the boat the right, the bottom sat down and I heard the engine roar. I faintly remember saying out loud, "Oh, great!" He took off and I don't recall much past that. I do remember seeing my feet straight up in the air (I was vertical) and then plunging head-first into the water. Dan did wet himself on that one. The next time I climbed on the tube I made sure Trey was with me so Dan would have a little mercy. Trey kept on saying, "This isn't bad at all. I'm not scared". He then said, "Dad, we've got to get one of these", while tapping on the side of the intertube. It was an enjoyable evening.

Here in about 40 minutes I'll be leaving for the bus. We're going to be spending the weekend in Oregon. I'll keep you posted.

God and Country

Point of Grace

Avalon (Michael Passons second from left)

I just returned from a fun evening at the Idaho Center here in Nampa. The area "God and Country" rally was held in the outdoor ampitheater, featuring Point of Grace as the special musical guest. I'm telling you, those girls can still sing! They have one "new" member who has now been with them nearly 3 years, Leigh Cappillino, but their harmonies still povide the classic POG sound I've always enjoyed. They traveled out here with a scaled down band, just an acoustic guitar player (the Leigh's husband, Dana, who has been the band leader for the last 7 years) and Michael Passons on the keyboard. Some of you diehard CCM fans from the 90s will remember Michael as one of the founding members of the group Avalon. Maybe I'm getting old and nostalgic, but their best songs tonight were the ones from their first 3 recordings. They performed my personal favorite, "The Great Divide", along with some other classics like "I'll keep Believing", "Gather At the River", and "Keep the Candle Burning". As a special treat Michael Passons brought the house down with his rendition of the Avalon hit "Testify to Love". I felt like it was 1998 all over again.

After the concert, right above us I might add, they had a fantasmo* pyrotechnics show! I was a little nervous about how Kassady would handle it, especially being that close. She loved it! I had bought some popcorn, so she kept one hand going from the popcorn bag to her mouth, while gazing up at the fireworks. Trey enjoyed it, but was concerned that some of the flaming bits would land upon his person (uh...he doesn't have, like, a person person...it's just an age-old metaphor...just forget it, OK?) and so he kept one eye on where the dying embers were landing.

We had a good time. It's nice to just get away and enjoy an evening with family, friends, and fireworks (I would throw in Point of Grace, but their name doesn't start with an F, now, does it?).

*This is the first time that I have ever typed the word "fantasmo". It felt good.