Guitar Initiation

Well, I survived.

Path today was, I kept feeling led...

1. to play the music myself. Struggled immensely with that-- in the bathroom--(uggh) all day, as I always do when such a dim-witted sounding idea comes to my head. But, I probably lost 5 pounds...who can complain?
2. to not involve a lot of singers who may not be familiar with the music. Figured the guitar was enough mental for me tonight without trying to figure out all the other stuff going on around me. Did anybody else have a hard time going from rhythm going alone to trying to play with a drummer who also plays rhythm. Hello? I do a lot of stops...you can't do those with a full band. They just get lost and you have to go to simplier rhythms sharing that space with the drummer. I hate that. I loved being able to drop in and out and let melodies ring here and there -- pop back in when I felt like it not having to wonder if everyone could follow me. Driving the car solo... I have to say...that part and the flexibility was a lot of fun...a lot of responsiblity, and a God Thing, definately, but this time wasn't humility for "Me" night...though, I'm sure those will come.

A couple times in practice I lost the pattern and I was so afraid of doing it again live, but that never happened, praise God. I added a strong singer just before worship on the male side and that helped. I never even had time to get nervous. Fun to try something for the first time! (Though it's 2AM now and I still can't sleep after a recover nap...on an adrenaline buzz).

3. to keep cutting songs! I started out with a possible pile of eight this week ...worked it down to four. Yet, still cut the final duet during the service. We had so many testimonies that it turned out that there just wasn't time.

After realizing how many needed to speak, I figured out finally why God was leading me to let other primary musicians recover and rest. Three songs? Not worth their sacrifice of practice and performance really. I hope they all got rest and recovry. It's marching band season here. Fun, but drains everybody. It was simple, uncluttered, and nice. The harmonies were great. With my lower range soprano voice, I love a good alto to sing with. I don't feel like I have such a hard time following myself, if that makes any sense to anybody.

We did two upbeat songs to start: Everyday (easy chords, great message of service for tonight. I kept getting a lot of string buzz I'm not happy with on the hard rhythm???...tried to stay close to the frets, but it's just a fast paced song...where you hit is where you hit!) Hopefully it was too fast for anybody to pay much attention. I may take my Ovation (Celebrity) to the body shop soon for it's first haircut...or whatever you call it...setup? There. A guy in my band was going to take it apart for me Friday and adjust the neck, but I just couldn't risk a new setup that close.

Maybe soon. Seems if the strings are vibrating now...wouldn't it be worse with them closer to the fretboard? I may have to get a second opinion with someone more skilled than I am and see if it rattles for them or if I'm still just not holding strings tight enough...I trimmed my nails some (eeeek...such sacrifice), but I could probably go shorter if I really had to. It's one of the two high strings I think. Maybe the second.

Anyway...song 2: Your Love is Amazing (I love that one).
followed by two testimonies from guys who did repairs down in "Katrina" territory (awesome).

Then song 3: God of Wonders (ministered to me much in the days following Katrina)
The video guy used a new song I found on Casting Crowns new CD (a must have) this week, Praise You for This Storm. He did a super-fantabulous job matching pics with the themes. I wish more could have seen it. With Fall break a lot of people were out. It was awesome.

In the beginning were satellite photos of Rita, followed by travel photos of guys in trucks on long roads surveying damage...Cot shelters and...wreckage and all. Then as it starting talking about God being there in quiet whispers...elderly volunteer ladies serving food for them and people building....I could really see God in their shining, serving faces! Do we all look like that serving selflessly?

Man...talk about powerful.

Then real video footage as they road in the back of a pick up truck surveying damage, narrated slides of houses implanted by trees and all kinds of mess they helped clean up... maggots in the frigerature-- uggh.

Fascinating to hear their hearts and passion to still be there -- helping.

We've got another team down this week...youth for fall break wanted to go help for their Fall break. What GREAT kids.

Then, four more testimonies...so we by-passed the last little inspirational duet we thought about doing (Watermark's "Take Me There"). I LOVE Watermark. In my next life, I get Kristy's voice.

Well, so I survived. It was fun. My fingers hurt, my joints are tight and swollen, and my back aches--such a newbie (I know I played 5 hours today--still not as much as some of you at times, I'm sure), but diarrhea is gone! (TMI...okay).
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Well...my husband just walked in from the drug store informing me that they had 99 cent DVDs; my son didn't know what "Beverly Hillbillys" were.

Oh no. They didn't...You gotta be kiddin' me.
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Well, I'm obviously losing control...time to get back to the home front.

All my adventure for now!

~Me!