Updated!

You know its bad when your friends call to remind you to update your blog. And here I thought no one cared enough to read this anyway. So much has happened since I last blogged. Let me try to bring you up-to-date with things.

I made it safely back to Indiana, rushed from the airport, made it to rehearsal and had a great time! I always love being with God's people and working on music for Sunday. The weekend was nice and I spent some time visiting the local music store (again) and played several mandolins, banjos, and Martin acoustic guitars. I think they're on to me at the store, knowing I'm probably never going to actually purchase anything there.

The concert Sunday night was a 5th Sunday night singing the church has each quarter. I was the featured artist. (whatever that means) I didn't feel like doing the normal setlist of songs. Instead, I borrowed the pastor's mandolin and banjo for the afternoon. After doing a few of my regular tunes, I busted out the mandolin and played and unaccompanied version of "Oh How I Love Him". As the entire congregation joined in with their voices lifted high, I began to feel God's presence so strong. My playing wasn't "all that", but their singing made the difference. You can always tell when a congregation is musically well-rounded, balanced in repertoire, and has an appreciation of the past. I don't have time for shallow worship, nor shallow people. I long for deep, intense moments of fellowship with Him. It seems we are really missing the mark in today's churches by not offering musically, a taste of everything for everyone to enjoy. How arrogant and selfish of me to think that everyone likes the kind of music that I like. We are all a part of the body of Christ. We are all individual members with varying likes and dislikes.

Back to the program... I went into a mid-tempo version of "Unclouded Day" on the mandolin. I traded in my mandolin for the banjo and went into a long stretch of songs right out of the book... and we had a great little sing-a-long. I don't care who you are, but if you can't appreciate songs like "I Saw The Light", "He Set Me Free", "The Glory-land Way", "I'll Fly Away", "Victory In Jesus", and the other songs we sang, then you should have your head examined! All in all, my first public performance on the mandolin was a success. The banjo is another story, as I probably need to take it to the woodshed a few more times. I just covered up my banjo playing with good singing. (A trick that more artists should consider doing.) Ha

Monday was Labor Day and I have to say it was quite laborious driving into Chicago, parking in a Michigan Ave. garage, taking a cab to Chinatown to buy Kim some purses and Spencer some Air Jordan basketball shoes. The labor continued all the way back to Michigan Ave. and on to Wrigley Field for a battle between the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field is considered by many baseball experts to be baseball heaven. I tend to agree. A breezy, 72 degree, Chicago sunny and clear afternoon, while sitting in complete shade in section 25, row 5, seat 1... only 20 feet from the players dugout is nearly indescribable. Did I mention the cheeseburger, bratwurst, nachos and chees, peanuts, all accompanied by a large Diet Pepsi? I really didn't need to come back down to Michigan Ave for dinner, but if you are in Chicago, you might as well enjoy Chicago! Right? Even though the Cubbies aren't always a winner, CheeseCake Factory is!

Here is some free advice. If the toll road between Chicago and Gary, Indiana is closed or has too much traffic, stay on it anyway. If you must, drive through roadblocks, over other vehicles, to the bottom of Lake Michigan, whatever! Just don't exit and drive through Gary, IN thinking you are taking a shortcut that will be safe. Gary, Indiana is the very opposite of safe. It looks like a warzone without the tanks! The streets are abandoned. No businesses are open for business. The only business going down on those streets is selling crack and prostitution. I do believe it is where the idea of the popular Xbox game Grand Theft Auto came from. It is also the hometown of Michael Jackson (who just turned 50 years old last week). The judge should make him come back to Gary, IN and live. Make him pay to rebuild the city! No wonder he became the King of Pop music! A quick 5-minute drive through downtown Gary, IN (and I do mean QUICK), would be all the incentive and drive I would ever need to make something of myself! Get out of that place... whatever it takes!

Okay, enough about that stuff. I am back in Lafayette and in a busy week of meetings, rehearsals, services, and getting quite a lot of work done (minus the blogging), I feel safe here. I am going to miss the wonderful people here in Lafayette when I leave next Monday. I will then be on my way back down south... back home to Florida where I belong. I'm just not sure of the exact route I'll be taking. Stay tuned for more!