I watched a video recently where Mandisa talks about hearing from God and how she believes that God still speaks to us. I have that belief and faith that God is still speaking. I often wonder, “Do we still listen?” After my last post I went to church and of course, we talked about storms. We’ve started a new series at church on the book of Ruth that is having a huge impact. God is speaking!! So this topic of storms has come up a lot since I wrote my last post. While reading this morning in Psalms-you guessed it-storms again in Chapter 29. David talks about the might of God and His storms. The chapter starts with shouting Bravo, God Bravo!!! Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!” They are awesomely praising God for this crazy, huge, awesome storm that just sounds insane and scary. Not usually my first reaction to a storm and asking for an encore seems a little crazy.

The very next verse David talks about “being in awe before the glory, in awe about God’s visible power!” Catch that word “visible”? That’s what I find myself looking for most-a visibly present God in my every day circumstances. Although, it is God’s “visible” power that I so often overlook because of my own fear and indecision. I also get too wrapped up in dreaming life, that I forget to “live” my life. Or I get too worried about failing to try anything. He’s teaching me to stop waiting for the best circumstances and just jump. I’m learning on this journey that failing is no longer a bad word, it’s a step to learning. If I don’t ever fail….then I’m probably not ever going to learn!

As I read about David, I’m really starting to get to know him better and realize why he is a man after God’s own heart! And in the midst of all this crazy storm in vs. 9 David says, “We fall to our knees-we call out, “Glory”! What other response could you have…when you are seeing God’s visible power. I don’t think people do that enough anymore, fall to their knees. I have seen that one time in the last 8 years of church attendance….one time that someone fell on their knees in front of God. That’s a whole other blog post to write!!

My favorite part of the chapter comes at the end. (And no it’s not that the storm is over!!) It’s when I read-God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace. What an amazing promise….through the storms we become stronger and in the midst of it all we find peace. I’m learning to take the storms for what they are and to not fear them as much but to learn from them. I’ve decided to take the storms because He is with me through every one and I’d rather be with Him than go back to living the way I used to when I was lost!!

I know this chapter shouted out to me this morning and I know a lot of people are facing storms right now in their lives-so I hope that you found peace in the words of Psalm 29.

I didn’t realize that thoughts of my own life and legacy would come into sharper focus than I had ever experienced. I don’t think anything can make you more aware of your absolute mortality than when some type of health issue comes up. I have truly been blessed when it comes to my physical health. I remember when I had surgery 3 years ago the anesthesiologist commented on how unusual it was that I’d made it this far in life and had never had any type of anesthesia. Unfortunately, over the last several months I’ve found myself dealing with numerous health issues. I joke with my husband that I’ve turned 40 and I am falling apart!!! Most recently I found myself waiting on test results that could come back with serious consequences. It not only made me look back over my life and take stock of what I’ve done and where I’ve been but it forced me to look at the present I am living in. I needed to look at today. We often get so tied up in the mistakes of the past or contemplating the direction of our future that we forget to live in the moment. That is where I found myself, caught in the middle of my past and my future, but definitely not always taking the time to enjoy the “now”.

Every life experience I’ve had shaped me into the person I am today. The past holds many things – good and bad. What I continued to think about as I went through these medical tests and waited on results (these things always seem to drag on forever!!) was the impact my life was having on those closest to me. I spent a lot of time thinking about some of the people who have impacted me. Why did certain people really connect with my life? What was different about them?

Most things in life don’t work out the way we expect them to, such is the nature of this life! I have come to the realization that I am absolutely human and I will always have struggles. I know I will never be perfect BUT I’ve learned I don’t have to be perfect to receive love. Thankfully – I’m free and God’s grace flows freely and the legacy Jesus left me will always have the ultimate impact on my life.

Right now I’m not really worrying about tomorrow. In December I’ll go back and have some follow-up tests and hopefully that will be the end of all this. If something different should happen…it’ll happen….I plan on trusting that to God. I’m learning to live in the moment and I’m going to tell people that are important to me that they are….important to me! I don’t want to miss that moment with anyone, I’ve learned you may not get a second chance.

Who’s life has impacted you? Are you thinking about your legacy?

The thing I’m sure of this evening is that my life is still a story in progress….I don’t know when my story may end but…. I do know I have a lot of story left to write and I need to be living in the “now” moments!

After little to no sleep that night I have to get up and go to work. I have truly been blessed at work and have moved into a different position that is requiring me to stretch myself a bit and I stay very busy. I really enjoy my work and even though the nursing shortage always cause us nurses to have increased stress over – plenty to do and never enough helping hands….I still love what I do.

Little did I know when I left for work this particular morning that God had plans to meet me there in just a few hours!

It was actually a morning where I could catch up on some things and help out a little bit. So…not a lot of pressure of things needing to be done asap. I had the opportunity to run someone over for an appt. – which never happens. When I received the call to go back and pick them up I headed that way; along the way someone stopped me to ask a question. As I was standing there talking a lady came by with the person that I was supposed to pick up and as I explained my delay she was very kind and proceeded to take this person back to my floor. I continued on as I had a couple of items I had to pick up from different departments.

This is where my story will get a little strange….

On my way back to the floor – I ran into this lady again. She asked if I had a minute and could she talk to me. It seemed a little odd but I thought maybe she needed a paperwork question answered so I willingly followed her back to her office. She took me to a part of the building I had never been in and you have to keep in mind I had never seen this lady before in my life. I was feeling a little anxious at this point.

She asked me two questions on the way to her office…..
1)Was your husband a pastor? – & -
2)Did your family experience something painful related to his job at a church?

I felt very perplexed at the turn in the conversation….this had nothing to do with my job. I explained my husband had been the CA Director at our church and I related to her that – yes, something had happened that was very painful for our family.

As we entered her office she turned, held out her hands, and proceeded to tell me she was going to pray. I’m really confused at this point!!! As she prayed I heard phrases like…. “take away her negative thoughts, bind them up” & “send satan back where he belongs” & “God has great things planned for you and your husband” & “don’t be discouraged” & “God isn’t done with you yet” & “great things are going to happen”…..this prayer continued for quite some time. Remember this is a person I don’t know & who doesn’t know me. She prayed a prayer so personal it was as if she knew everything about me!!

The impact that prayer had on me…I can’t really articulate. It was as if my very soul had been pulled out….and turned inside out! I was absolutely overcome by that moment. After the prayer…I do remember asking her if she was real, did she really work here or was she an angel? Laughingly she said yes…very real, very human. She did relate in our conversation that she had an overwhelming response that she should pray for me when the person I had brought to the appt. mentioned that my husband used to be in ministry but no longer was. At that moment she said God compelled her strongly that He would give her words I needed to hear and that she should be obedient to what He was asking her to do. Keep in mind she knew no details about my husband other than he was no longer in ministry…that was it. She knew nothing of our circumstances and nothing I had been struggling with for the last year.

I’m grateful….for her obedience, for doing something that stretched her out of her comfort zone. How many times had I felt that prompting and ignored it? I can tell you that I won’t ever ignore that feeling again. Since being on the receiving end I realize that it is so very important…the other person may be crying out for just that moment! I told this story many times over the next few days!

As I close this…I considered not going into too much detail as I wrote this. You see it is very personal to me and it’s one thing to share with those closest to you…but I promised this lady…. as she hugged me before we parted…she looked back at me and said, “Remember to give God all the glory in this.” Not any part of this was me! God is truly amazing and He knew I needed that moment. I hope I’ve finally got my “listening” ears on….

So, if I had to answer that question again…Do I believe that God speaks to us in an audible voice? I can say without doubt that – as long as we are willing to listen – yes, God speaks to us!

What are you needing to hear from God? Do you have your “listening” ears on?

I didn’t believe it was just a “bible” thing. I felt that anything that happened in the bible could still happen…including hearing God’s voice. So I believed that, yes, here on this earth God still speaks to us – sometimes in quiet whispers & sometimes in a loud, booming voice.

I would say that to people and truly believe it, in fact at life group one night that very question was asked and I answered quickly, without reservation – YES. I just couldn’t figure out how I could experience it and why I never had. Please know that I’m not talking about those moments when we feel very compelled or “convicted” to do something. I certainly believe those are moments when the Holy Spirit is giving me the nudge to do something in particular. Nope, right now I’m talking about voices. Do you believe that God speaks to us in an audible voice? I know you may be feeling a little uncomfortable at this moment but maybe after I share my voices story it will make more sense!

If you read my blog post on the 15th you’ll see I was debating worry and some of my “fix it” mentality. What you didn’t know from that post is I was really struggling with some thoughts that I absolutely did not want back in my head. Reading the post again, myself, it seems pretty calm and benign…but I was in some serious turmoil that night. Couldn’t sleep, trying to talk myself out of going “there” again, & trying to use the motivation of positive thoughts to overcome darkness. I often wonder if I’m just a slow learner or very forgetful. Trying to do things under my own power again!! At one point while praying I got angry….I cried out and pretty much said….God – this situation is in your hands… I’m absolutely done with sleepless nights filled with darkness and you are going to do something and you are going to make sure I know YOU heard me. Didn’t share my feelings very well & please know I’m not really proud of that moment. Really debated on glossing that over so I didn’t look like such a spoiled brat. I’m not sure…could that be considered a tantrum? Grateful for not receiving any “lightning bolt” discipline.

What I didn’t realize that early morning was a lesson would be coming and it would be coming very soon and it would start off a week full of lesson after lesson.

What happened next? It’s too long for one post so you’ll have to check back soon for the rest of this crazy, little experience! You can be assured that I’m still living, no lightning….but definite lessons learned and still learning. I don’t think you can challenge God without Him answering…while He offers a little discipline for bad behavior…a little teaching…and a whole lot of His love unleashed….. so you will NEVER, EVER doubt again that in those dark moments He is always with you. What I also realized was my heart was open to whatever happened and I think to hear what He’s going to say there has to be a willingness to accept it….no matter that you might have to come face to face with some hard truths about yourself.

So, before we move on….what is God asking you to lay down that you aren’t? Are you willing to really listen….. And maybe a better question, what will it take to make you let it go?

I can tell you this…God never ceases to amaze and surprise me AND He absolutely has some things He needs me to own. I can’t even explain to you how I feel today BUT I hope over the next few posts I can somehow share those feelings.

Hope you are having a fabulous, relaxing Sunday!!

I will say I am not feeling any anxiety tonight, even though I have to get up at 5:30am for work!! Anxiety can be a big issue for me. I am a worrier by nature, I inherited it from my Grandmother. She worried about absolutely everything and although I am not that bad – I often find myself worrying about things that are completely out of my control. I wonder why I do that to myself….maybe my need to “fix” things? Things like – people’s attitudes, bad situations, the chaos of this life….you get the picture. Sometimes “this life” casts us into chaos and that feeling of being spun completely out of control, that often causes my restlessness.

Even though it is my intention to exhibit great faith in the midst of life’s struggles….I often times let doubt creep in. I was reading a book the other day that offered some pretty good advice: just refuse to go there, make the conscious choice to change directions. I am really good at giving my mind free reign to run off in all kinds of directions, but lately I’ve used that bit of advice. I very much have to get my thoughts under control and just refuse to “go there” and sometimes that means removing myself from situations that facilitate those feelings. What I realized is – I am the one that needs to make a choice….a choice to refuse those thoughts.

God has been very faithful to me as He continues to help me focus on the important and get rid of the garbage. At times that has meant getting rid of things that facilitate those destructive thoughts. I found myself in that situation recently and I had to make the decision to remove the catalyst, which was hard….the results were worth it. What I think I’m finally realizing is I don’t have to accept all the garbage and lies that lead to worry. I’ve said to all kinds of people…it’s really going to be okay because God – He’s big enough to handle anything and I always thought that applied to everybody else but that maybe it didn’t apply to me and my worries.

What God’s taught me and is still teaching me – He’s got it all covered and MY God is definitely big enough to handle anything!!

Sweet Dreams!!!

I look words up alot, I really like knowing what the dictionary says they mean up against what I “think” they mean. It always adds a whole other dimension to the word’s meaning. So…contemplation:

1. Thoughtful observation or study.
2. Meditation on spiritual matters, especially as a form of devotion

Very cool…meditation on spiritual matters. I pretty much had the “thoughtful observation” part but I really liked that second part! My contemplation tonight? Good old human behavior, I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around why people do some of the things they do.

Human behavior is such a funny, crazy, kind of tragic mystery to me. One thing I’ve noticed A LOT of this week is….we treat each other very poorly sometimes with little to no remorse. I am kind of intrigued with trying to figure out if we have always treated each other so? I’ve been around – a few years anyway – but maybe as a child I didn’t pay very much attention to human behavior. Hmmm, go figure? Is this a new phenomenon that is rapidly replacing caring for one another? Could it be violence on tv, or the media, or Facebook, or Twitter, or being too busy, or too inward focused, or….(you see this could go on for a long time) selfish? Yes, I did, I threw the “s” word out there. We don’t really seem to notice each other unless it suits a personal need or a purpose or someone really pisses us off.

We don’t appear sometimes to really care about one another or what ultimately happens to someone else. The recent death of Michael Jackson certainly plays out a big example of this. I’ve heard and read some really hideous things. I think we lost sight a little bit of these facts….the man died leaving behind children and a family and a lot of friends that are hurting and that are not immune to our careless words. You know, all I could think about all week was his mom and how much she must hurt right now…because to her he was someone very important. It also reminds me that one of our favorite past times is judging people. Don’t we love doing this? Me? Oh, yes, guilty as charged!

It has amazed me the number of outbursts I have witnessed this week where people really didn’t even recognize each other as fellow human beings. Is it just a trend or is it our new kind of normal? In those moments I had no idea if the people have any faith in God, a personal relationship with God or even live life with people who love and treasure them. Does that make a difference? So that’s what began this evening’s contemplation.

Sometimes this stuff really bugs me….I think “Ok, God, I truly want to understand this”. Like somehow understanding will bring enlightenment and that will unlock the magical antidote to bad behavior, mine included! If I could just understand this couldn’t I help in some way or “fix” something or be saying something good in the midst of bad? That’s me…I like to fix things – people, situations, bad habits. Could this be why I ended up in the nursing profession? Who knows? Experience over the years has shown me time and time again that sometimes…no matter how desperately I want to or how much I try – some things I can’t fix. Certainly not under my own power and sometimes not on this side of heaven no matter how much I wish it.

It always comes back to grace doesn’t it? I guess that’s my answer…..God really knew we were going to need a whole lot of it. Someone recently said this and it has really stuck with me – “if we breathe Jesus in ultimately what we breath out is going to be…Jesus”. I guess this week once again reminds me about grace, not just the “getting it” part but the other part the “practicing it” in my relationships part.

Grace – that’s one word I truly, truly love and that one I didn’t have to look up…..

Last weekend was WOF in St. Louis! A very intense, fun-filled weekend. That crazy weekend started on Thursday when Kayla, Michael, and I had the opportunity to volunteer with WOF. It was amazing to have Michael there with Kayla and I this year. We had a blast! He’s a really good sport especially since he was only one of two guys there that morning. We were lucky to have them. Then on Friday, Kayla and I, attended the pre-conference and throughout the next couple of days we were joined by other friends. I can’t explain the impact of a Women of Faith conference, it’s really something you have to experience. I would challenge anyone who hasn’t been. What are you waiting for? You won’t be sorry!

I am always humbled by the amazing women (and some men) who brave that stage weekend after weekend. They share not just their story but their very hearts. God speaks through moments like these…He speaks refreshingly of love and community, of sisterhood and friendship. I won’t forget this weekend EVER as it had a profound impact on my story! I’ll never forget Lisa Welchel (yes, Blair from Facts of Life – and she was amazing!) talking about her life and sharing about hearing God say to her ….it’s okay, baby girl, I’m not mad at you…I know you needed that wall around your heart to make it through….but you don’t need it anymore! So, slowly, “piece by piece” her wall is coming down!! That was something I needed to hear from God as well.

It was good to realize that I didn’t have to have some big “moment” – it was important for me to know that God will work with me, that He’s not mad and it’s okay if it takes me a little longer to process things! With Him there’s no rush, He has no timetable, nothing more important to get to. I’ve had several people over the last year tell me to “just get over it”, that’s something we say, isn’t it? It makes us feel better but probably not the person hurting. We are impatient with hurting people…we want them fixed, it’s inconvenient, it’s uncomfortable. But, I think what we forget is healing doesn’t come with the snap of our fingers or with that phrase “just get over it”. Hurts sometimes require some venting (Sandi Patty mentioned this and I loved it!) so that our hearts will start to soften.

Some hurt is deep and not easily “patched up”, especially when that hurt is the one you fear the most. Trust is a huge deal with me, I don’t give it easily. There have been times in my life that I’ve trusted the wrong people and been hurt by that. I’ve learned that guarding my heart a little bit makes sense….because sometimes people don’t really care if they hurt you. You might just find yourself in the way of something they want, something they’ll do anything to get. Or, maybe they just really don’t find you valuable as a human being. That’s a hard one! But sometimes you let your guard down a little bit and somebody gets by and you experience pain. It doesn’t have to define us, but it does have to be addressed by us. It has to be wrestled with and vented about and you have to listen to the people in your life that will help you along. God sent some amazing people into my life over the last year, people that challenged me to go through this and to not avoid it. People that challenged me to – love like Jesus did and to forgive like He forgave me. I am hugely grateful to them for hanging in there with me.

The end of last summer started “a very dark night” for me as I got to experience one of life’s valleys….a person who didn’t value my husband or me or my children very much. We were easily dispensed of and easily forgotten. It was especially hard when that person was someone I had initially trusted, I had let my guard down with them. It was my most feared pain, broken trust. It has certainly been a struggle and a different path on this journey than I could ever have imagined.

Getting to today I’ve realized two things I had to face in my life: 1)Desiring to be close to God and actually committing to being close to God are two completely different things AND 2)This life is a lot more valleys than mountain tops. I learned through this experience some really good things…like to trust God with EVERYTHING and to believe in His love and His plan. I learned that I was just settling for “desiring” closeness (you may have to think about that one for a minute I know I did!) Through this “life experience” I find myself surrendering. It strengthens your faith, if you let it. I wasn’t very easy on God in the beginning, but He never gave up on me! I realized that I didn’t want to just “get by” that I wanted to believe and completely trust in His wisdom in every crazy experience that this life throws at me and to also not get “too busy” for Him when everything is going great. I don’t have any answers a year later, I don’t understand that hurtful event any better. I probably never will, but one thing I’m sure of…God will lead me to healing and someday even forgiveness. Not thoughts I would have even entertained a year ago!

So, as I celebrate the 4th with my family today and I look at the last year I know I would never be here in this moment feeling the way I do if it weren’t for that moment almost a year ago. All a part of the bigger picture that I will never fully understand! I think that’s going to be okay with me!

The last 11 months Michael’s definitely had his hands full challenging my thinking. His most recent post poses the question “Are you a lover or a fighter?”. I didn’t need much time for contemplation. Hands down…I’m a fighter. This from the most shy kid my momma ever had! I can still remember hiding behind my mom’s legs when people would come to the house! I transitioned into that “fighter” role early. Holding up for my cousin on the bus…he was in Kindergarten, I was in 1st grade. Holding up for the kid everyone picked on.

I realize that’s part of me….of how I’m made. As I got older, I stepped in between a lot of fights, always jumping in to defend the person who couldn’t always defend themselves. My mom will tell you that I was always fighting for the “underdog” and that was absolutely true. My biggest pet peeve – ever….people treating other people badly. Want to see a whole different side of me…put me in the position where I feel I need to defend someone.

So, what happens after I think I’m starting to understand this life a little better…I find myself right in the middle of a situation where I’m going to have to deal with someone who’s really not very nice to people. This person gave off the vibe that they were better than everybody else and unfortunately, they liked to say not very nice things about people behind their back and sometimes even to their face. I found myself in a very uncomfortable position and I saw myself become very negative toward this person. At that time I saw only two choices: I could grit my teeth and bear it or let my feelings be known. I blew off some severe steam over this situation to the wrong people. This was a lose situation either way. Ignoring it went against who I was and dealing with it would have severe consequences. I tried dealing with it in a mature Christian sort of way…fail. I then chose to remove myself from the situation…fail. Like I said, a definite lose situation. I can’t say that my husband lost his job entirely because of me….but I think my situation was another “nail in his coffin”.

You can only imagine how the last 11 months have fanned the flames for me. I feel very strongly the need to defend…my husband and my children and my mother…all people I love, all people that are hurting. I find myself in a weird place – I’ve entered into a life long commitment of following what God has in store for me and I don’t think it involves punching people in the face. So, I’ve continued to be at war with myself….fight and defend – OR – attempt to follow Christ’s ultimate command by loving the very people who have caused so much pain. Christians who maim and destroy, who don’t hold to God’s commandment to love one another……do I want to become like them? Absolutely not! But how do I stop being a fighter and become a lover? That big part of me that is so very human and fails almost every day….that person is the hardest person to fight sometimes. That’s when I think I feel the weight of Christ’s sacrifice the most. I know on any given day I’m not going to measure up or deserve what He did. I know that’s why grace means so much and it’s something I hold onto….to get through the rough days…like today.

It will never be “comfortable” or “okay” to share space with people who have hurt you. It makes going anywhere a challenge….for Michael, for me, for Kayla, for Seth, for Emilee. It’s not a comfortable feeling to be absolutely ignored by people that a year ago you were living life with. Seth made the comment today – it’s like we killed somebody, which we didn’t, in case you were uncertain on that one! It’s been a big lesson to my kids, to never conduct themselves in that manner…ever. It has also taught my kids that even if you’re not participating in treating someone that way, you shouldn’t affiliate yourself with people that do those things. It’s more important to hold onto your integrity than it is to go along with the crowd just so you fit in.

There are a lot of people out there that profess to love God and everything He stands for with their mouths but they never make that cross over to showing it with their actions. Because I am a fighter I know I could very easily fall into that category of people…so every day I know my ultimate fight is going to be with myself. I’m going to try and paraphrase a great philosopher – “it’s not about how hard you hit but how hard you get hit and keep going”. I know I need to take the gloves off.

Does it get easier? I don’t know, I sure hope so. It’s not something you get over and move on from in a week or a month or a year. I’m also not so conceited to think that this family is the only ones who have endured something like this. Anne Jackson talks a lot about the walking wounded in her writings, it’s been a good place for me to go. It gives me hope for a time when I’m not afraid to be amazing! A time when I become a lover instead of a fighter! I’m not there yet….but I have hope and a huge amount of faith!

Yes, that’s me! Sophomore year, Eldon High School Marching Mustangs, Flag Corps member. I have the most fabulous memories of that time in my life!! I would have to say a lot of that was due to the man that brought us all together. John Howser has been dear to me since that time and has continued to be a mainstay in my life over the years.

This week one of my high school friends started a page on Facebook for all of Howser’s band kids to reconnect with Howser and with one another! It’s really been a lot of fun going through old pictures and swaping stories with other band members. Howser’s band career spanned 30 years and 3 different schools….. and his bands weren’t small bands…so you can imagine the number of people out there that were in one of Howser’s bands!!

In my title I used the term “Howser-isms”, John was great at using little tidbits of wisdom to motivate us and they were unique to him. My favorite, hands down….”success comes in cans”. I have carried that little piece of advice around my entire life. One of the reasons I think Howser was so successful in his career is that he treated us like family and that’s what we felt about one another….we were and are still family!

I have the unique perspective of being one of two people that crossed over both the Eldon High School Band and the Fredericktown High School Band. My husband being the other person with that same perspective. FHS band was like our younger brother band, I used to kid Howser when I first came to FHS that he let those kids get away with way too much!! All joking aside, one thing I remember from both experiences – Howser ran a tight ship and he didn’t put up with excuses! I had the distinct pleasure of being able to work with John as his Flag Sponsor when I first came to Fred-mo! It was a great ride and over way too soon as John retired in 2001 and went off to chase his love of traveling!!

I have absolutely no trouble understanding why John impacted so many young lives. He never judged us or treated us like kids. He helped us face big problems….I’ll never forget that he was there for me during one of the most stressful times in my life. He treated me with respect, he never judged me and he always offered a shoulder to cry on. He’s inspired a lot of people to carry on his legacy. There’s lots of band directors and teachers out there today that do what they do because of John’s influence in their lives. My husband being one of them. Michael will tell you that John is one of the most important people in his life.

The last time I was a member of John’s band was 1987, the last time I got to work with him was 2001, but I know I’ve made a friend for a lifetime! I also know I’m not alone there are a lot of us out there that love and respect this man for the legacy he’s left for us.

I probably don’t say this enough to the people that are important to me……

John Howser – you dedicated your entire career to all of us and for that I am truly grateful! You are a man of integrity, you say what you mean and you are one of the most authentic people I have ever met. Authenticity to me is the #1 trait a person must have to impact lives like you have! You taught us discipline and respect for authority. You helped us over the hurdles of our teen years and you always had time for any hurt we were feeling. No problem was ever too small for you to listen to….thank you for that. You taught us what “family” was all about, we were a community….because of you we built strong bonds. Over the years you became more than my band teacher, you became my friend and for that I am grateful. Thank you!! I realize now after being married to a “music guy” what a sacrifice your family made. You couldn’t have done what you did without their love and support. I remember how important Marsha and the kids were to you, that didn’t go unnoticed. Thanks for the life lessons and all the amazing memories. You had a great impact on me and I believe helped make me the person I am today.

I hope you think I turned out okay!!