Forest Park Covenant Church in Muskegon

Beginning of Chapel at Portage Lake Bible Camp

Well, I am absolutely exhausted, but this was one amazing and wonderful weekend in Michigan! Apparently I pretty much forgot my camera, though, which is so unlike me. So only a few pictures, but that is no reflection on the weekend.

On Thursday, my mom and I drove up to Muskegon and we got to stay with Wally and Donna Coots. Wally is one of the pastors at Forest Park Covenant Church in Muskegon, which is where I did a concert on Thursday night, BUT the reason I was so excited to see them again is that Wally and Donna were missionaries to Kenya for many years, and they are the reason we got to go, AND they were our hosts for about half our time in Kenya. They are amazing, and it was so, so good to see them again and to hear about their ministry in the US now, and catch up on their lives.

That night I did a concert at Forest Park, which is a great church. I was with them about three years ago for their worship service as well. We had a great time hanging out with the music pastor, Chris, afterward as well (hi, Chris!).

The next morning, mom and I got up and drove to the big, bustling metropolis of Onekama, Michigan. We got a little lost in there, but eventually we found Portage Lake Bible Camp where I was speaking on Esther for their women’s retreat and also leading worship for the weekend. I was also up here three years ago when I did a retreat with Ruth Hill, the women’s ministries director for the Evangelical Covenant denomination – she was the speaker, and I was the worship leader. These were some of the coolest ladies I have met anywhere, and I was just psyched to be back with them!

The weekend did not disappoint. There were women there from churches all over Michigan, many of whom I had met at concerts I’d done at their home churches. We talked about God’s plan to use us wherever He has placed us as we looked at the book of Esther. The staff of that camp is awesome, and they just bent over backwards to make sure everyone had a wonderful weekend. I loved every minute! And we got a ton of World Vision kids sponsored which always just touches my heart.

Thanks, Forest Park and Portage Lake! I hope we’re seeing you again soon. 🙂

We’ve been running a design contest for the cover of my new book, and it’s been really fun to watch. So much creativity! Today, we picked our winner – check it out! You can find the contest here.

Covenant Village in Plantation, FL

This weekend I made a very quick trip down to Florida for some ministry. It was my kids’ first week back at school, so I wanted to keep it as short and sweet as possible – there are always a million details to take care of at this time of year!

I flew into Ft. Lauderdale and was at Covenant Village. They have an annual Chaplain Walter and Esther Johnson Memorial Concert, and I was privileged to be with them this year for it. I did a short concert in the afternoon in the rehab center for the people who couldn’t make it down for the concert, and then a full concert that night. I met some amazing people, chaplains at the village, people from a church I’ve been to several times down there, retired missionaries, just wonderful people. The family of God is a lot of fun!

Thanks for having me, looking forward to seeing you all again!

Ashley River Baptist Church - thanks for having me!

Nathan and I with Dawn on the pier - so good to see her!

Historic Drayton Hall from the reflecting pool

Nathan and the sting ray - you go!

We went boogie boarding nearly every day

Our alligator neighbor.

Well, this month has flown by! I have been working non-stop on my new book and we finally have a title – Life Not Typical: How Special Needs Parenting Changed My Faith and My Song. “Typical” is the word used in the special needs community for a typically developing kid, aka, one without special needs. The book is basically a memoir of what we went through with Toby while we were also experiencing my dad’s death and the birth of this music ministry. I really hope it will encourage people to trust God in hard times, and also be a resource for parents who are looking for help for their kids. We’re including a lot of information to that end in the appendices – resources, check lists, interviews with different therapists on what to look for, etc. So far, the feedback has been terrific on pre-releases, so I’m excited!

We also ran a cover contest – feel free to check it out and vote for your favorite! We’re going to pick a winner next week. Just know that some of the themes in the book involve the beach and math, so that’s why you will see those ideas on the covers. The one that has a few versions is showing some color variations. We also still need to make a few changes to the back cover copy, so don’t worry if you see some mistakes there.

This month we also took a wonderful family vacation to South Carolina spending time on the beaches and in Charleston and while I was there I did the services at Ashley River Baptist Church in Charleston. It was a great morning – the congregation was so warm and friendly, and I got to do most of the service which was so fun. They also televise their second service, so it’s fun to think about who else may be listening that you can’t even see. Thanks for having me, and I hope I see you again soon! We had a personally wonderful moment too – found out that one of our dear Young Life kids from NY who we loved so much, Dawn, now lives just blocks from that church (she was driving home from work and saw my name on the marquee!) and we got to see her and spend time with her that morning – what a blessing!

We also had a couple of adventures. We visited a historic plantation and also the only working tea plantation in North America. An eight-foot alligator lived behind our house which was fun, one kid got stung by a jellyfish and one was almost killed by a chicken (or so she thought!) which was less fun, and my husband heroically rescued a really mad sting ray off the beach armed with only a kid’s sand shovel. What a guy! All in all, an awesome trip. Now we’re home, and slammed into the back-to-school. Lots of seasons.

Spent the weekend with Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, MI, just north of Detroit. This church has become almost a second home to me! I do guest worship there every year, and this fall I’m doing a women’s retreat for the region of the Evangelical Covenant denomination up here and guess who’s hosting – yep, Faith Covenant, Farmington Hills. 🙂 I have to say “Farmington Hills” because my home church is Faith Covenant, Columbus. Kind of fun.

Had a great time with them even though it was 100+ degrees and the air conditioning in my car broke on the way up (darn electrical problem!). Really looking forward to spending time with some of these women in September!

Nathan and Toby start the demolition

The original porch, junk and all.

Lost the walls and screens

Trying to keep the roof from falling

Studs going in

Starting to take shape

We have a door!

Drywalling

Our new entryway, almost done.

Our new office, ready for desks and African art.

Okay, so I know most people never really think about where a music ministry lives, but mine lives, ahem, in my dining room. Or what was a dining room. It has been covered with paper and printers and computers and office paraphernalia for oh, about, six years. My son has never seen the table top. Last year, my husband took a new job (his main client is Sesame Street, how cool is that?) and it’s remote, so he works at home. In the dining room. Here with me.

I love my husband. We get along really well, actually. But it’s getting harder and harder to run away from each other with our laptops in hand whenever we’re both on the phone at the same time, and it’s hard on our phone calling and our kids that we don’t have doors on this dining room. So we decided it’s time to remodel the porch and make an actual office with a new entry way while we’re at it. Crazy.

Been working on it all spring. The plan was to get in there before the kids got out of school for the summer, but alas, with the book project and everything going on, it didn’t happen. But hey, it will be done eventually, and it will be fabulous! We’re going to decorate it with the art we brought back from Africa. Thought you’d enjoy some pictures. 🙂

First Baptist, Kingsville, OH

Singing for the 75th anniversary at Sacandaga Bible Camp

Adorable Pine Lodge where Nathan and I stayed at Sacandaga

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

Horseshoe Falls at Niagara - the roar of the water was so loud, we couldn't talk

Our cute b&b in London, Ontario

We had a crazy travel weekend this weekend with some great ministry concerts. I sang in Kingsville, OH on Friday night, and then in Broadalbin, NY on Saturday night – all the way across upstate NY. It was also our anniversary, so my husband decided to go with me, and we had the kids spend a couple of days with their grandparents in MI.

First we drove due north just across the border in MI and met Nathan’s parents who drove down and they took the kids the rest of the way. Then we drove back down and across Ohio around the lake to get to Kingsville, totaling about 6 or so hours. Had a wonderful concert in Kingsville and dinner with Pastor Dave and his family – I have so loved knowing this family over the years, and they have been extremely supportive of my ministry, great people with a wonderful ministry of their own! – then Nathan and I drove another hour or so to Erie, PA to spend the night. We found a cute little b&b and our room was decorated like Kenya – turned out the hosts had been there and we had a fun conversation with them.

Headed out that morning and drove up into NY and all the way across to Broadalbin, just north of Albany, another six and a half hours. We went to Sacandaga Bible Camp which was celebrating its seventy fifth anniversary. They had a huge celebration weekend, and my concert was part of it. It’s a very interesting camp – they have all the residential and day camp stuff, but they also have people who come and camp with their families by the lake and others who have built cottages there and live there for the summer. The people loved the Lord, the staff were so helpful, and we had a great time. We even got to stay in a very cool log lodge. 🙂

The next day we got up and headed out. Our mission was to get close enough to the kids in MI that we could pick them up the next day and get home in time for fireworks on the fourth together. We drove back across NY, but headed through Canada this time entering through Buffalo so we could come out by Detroit and save going around the lake. We decided to see Niagara Falls since neither of us had been there in years, and we even took the Maid in the Mist – the boat the goes right up to them. I’d never done it, and if you can’t have fun with 800 strangers in matching ponchos on a boat with your sweetie, well, that’s a problem. 🙂 It was both Canada Day weekend and Fourth of July weekend, though, so it didn’t matter which side we were on, it was packed! Took forever to get on the boat, but it was worth it.

Then we drove to London, Ontario, stopping in Hamilton for the best Indian food I’ve ever had bar none. Just a little family place with four tables but wow! Amazing. We stayed at another really nice b&b with such a sweet hostess, total driving for the day another seven hours.

Got up the next morning, headed back through Detroit and picked up our kiddos at Nathan’s brother’s in Flint where his parents were meeting us again. They had an amazing time tubing and swimming at the lake, and we all headed home. Another six and a half hours of driving. I usually love driving with Nathan because it’s great talking time, but this weekend was a bit much, even for me! Got home in time to take the kids to fireworks and all fall in bed. Great weekend, but it felt like a week!

We were filming Savannah Sam and Cindy for Jake's zoo back home

Father, I seek You every day!

The Revival Covenant dancers, who came to share Kenyan dance with us.

The cast and crew.

The children brought enough money to give a cow to our friends in Kenya!

I can’t believe it’s Adventure Week again, but here it is. We were so blessed this year to have it fill up almost immediately and we were at capacity all week. God is good! My play-writing partner, Terry, and I wrote this script several years ago, but I updated it and changed the music. We had a great cast and had a lot of fun working together. The kids also brought in enough money to buy a cow and some fruit trees for friends of ours who running a feeding program and school in Mombasa, Kenya. They do amazing work – check them out at the Hope Foundation!

I always love Adventure Week and watching the kids learn how much Jesus loves them. So many of them started a relationship with God this week. Absolutely amazing.

I haven’t talked about it much, but I have been working on a book that is a memoir about the time in my life when my dad was dying and this music ministry was starting and our young son, Toby was struggling with sensory processing disorder. I’m hoping that it will really encourage people in their faith when they are in difficult times, and that God will use the book as a resource for other parents who are trying to find help for their children with special needs. We’ll keep you updated, but expect the release in the fall – October is Sensory Awareness Month, and that’s my aim. 🙂

Mandy and Sam tie the knot (and yes, that's from my piano bench)

This weekend was the craziest one I can ever remember, really. All three of our kids play soccer and this was a tournament weekend for all of them so we had 11, count ’em, 11 soccer games. We also had two parties for out-going coaches, one play rehearsal, church, and my drummer, Sam, married his best friend, Mandy, this weekend and I played the wedding so we had that and the rehearsal. Yikes.

The wedding was gorgeous, though, and Sam is the graphic designer for the zoo, so he and Mandy got married at Water’s Edge, a private pavilion right on the Olentangy River inside the zoo. It was beautiful, and we were actually looking out over the water at the spot where he proposed. Everybody now, awwww!! Somehow they also picked the only two sunny days we’ve seen in Ohio this entire spring, so that was a miracle. 82 degrees, and I had a lovely burn from the soccer fields, but it was still a gorgeous night. Congratulations, Mandy and Sam!