Thanks to everyone who has ordered the new CD “Classics”…if you haven’t received it, it’s on the way I promise. We’ve had an awesome response so far and we just praise the good Lord for it. Also getting calls and emails letting us know how much you all love it, which is extremely gratifying to hear such kind words after such a long process. Got to give the good Lord all honor and praise for this (and everything), we know we are zilch without His power and grace. If you don’t have a copy…why not!? Hit that “Buy It Now” button off to your right…that’s it….right there. It’s easy as pie (let’s make it Pecan Pie just for fun…easy as eating a Pecan Pie). The Buy It Now button will jet you off to a website where you can buy the new CD for $15 (no postage and certainly no handling…unless you consider me carrying it to the post office as “handling” your CD). The site is secure and takes all forms of plastic and checking account numbers…all through the highly respected and extremely secure PayPal service. Don’t be afeared…it’s as easy as, well…you know already…

Had another awesome weekend this past weekend. Got to go to Plunkett’s Creek up in Carthage, TN (technically Rock City, TN…but it’s in Carthage proper). Wonderful preaching that morning which led right into a great singing service. Blessed to see Jackie and Elaine Wilburn there…and in case you didn’t read last weeks update, they are the foundation of the famed Wilburns. We were all blessed to hear them sing again (and Scott did a great job as usual filling in the third spot in their group). For those who are not familiar, Scott Russell (our tenor) sang full-time with them just before joining our group back earlier this year. We were all blessed as well to see Eddie and Janice Crook show up…and after being blessed, we promptly put Eddie to work. After he accompanied Jackie, Elaine, and Scott, he did an unbelievable rendition of “The Church In The Wildwood” you would have had to have heard to believe….then he stayed up and played 3 or 4 songs for us. I guess I’ll never get over being in awe of Eddie as he plays….just feel honored each time we get the chance. As he eluded to Sunday….this was only a taste of what’s to come for all the folks up in the New England area where we will be touring in September. Eddie has decided he and his lovely bride Janice will be joining us on the trip and he will be playing at all of our stops, both accompanying us and wowing the crowd with his solo work. Should be an incredible weekend….more to come on that later. Thanks also to all our VERY dear friends who made the trip up to Carthage this past weekend from all over. Many were from Darrell’s home church of Victory, Jess’ home church of Union Hill, and mine and Scott’s home church of McFerrin. Appreciate all the support we are so richly blessed with at our home spots. While I’m on home spots, I need to personally thank all of my church family for the support they have been giving me all along, but especially lately with the emails, phone calls, and just stopping me at church or out at the grocery (or wherever) and letting me know how much they enjoy this newsletter/website update. Guys and gals…it’s a labor of love and 99% of the time it’s helping me remember the blessings and work through the trials. Appreciate you all very much, and even though I’m gone allot…you guys are always wonderful to send me messages of encouragement and letting me know I (along with all the guys and our families) are in your prayers. God bless you all very much…wonderful to know that even though I’ve got some things in my life all messed up I’m sure, I at least know I’m exactly where the Lord wants me at McFerrin…

Okay…sorry about that little personal message deal. Looking forward to this weekend in Cave City and Sulfur Well, KY. This is another weekend made possible by our great booking lady, Mrs. Barbara Roach. If you get a chance, go check out her website and see all the cool stuff she has added about us and her other artists. You’ll find a video we did the very first weekend Scott joined up with the group back in February or so. Lot’s of fun. Appreciate all the hard work she is doing getting us into places we never dreamed possible. The good Lord knows what we need, when we need it for sure.

 Last week I touched on a subject that has been wearing me out lately…worry. Appreciate all the kind words I’ve gotten from folks this week, many of whom are struggling with the same stuff. Got to share a quick deal my wife Lisa shared with me when I got home from singing this past Sunday. I forgot to ask my pastor, Bro. Johnny Carver, if he would mind me sharing this with everyone else. Hope you don’t mind Johnny. The good Lord works in such wonderful and mysterious ways doesn’t He? Here’s a prime example….you all know about the deal last week (scroll down if you don’t and read it real quick)…okay…this past Sunday Lisa sits me down and opens up the bulletin from the morning’s worship service and begins to read (and I’m going to paraphrase some for brevity)…”Malachi 3:3, And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness”. Lisa went on to read of a story about a women’s Bible class who wanted to find out more about the refining process of silver. One of the ladies called and got an appointment with a local silversmith and asked him to share with her about the process. He showed her that he held the silver over a flame…not just in the fire, but in the middle of the fire where it is it’s hottest so as to burn away all impurities. The lady went on to ask if he had to hold the silver in the flame the whole time, to which he replied he not only had to hold it there, but he had to keep his eye on it the entire time. He said that if he left it in the fire too long it would be destroyed. The lady asked how he knew from just looking at it that it was fully refined…to which he gave an awesome answer that just puts all of this into perspective for me. The silversmith said that was the easiest part…when it was refined he could see his image in the pure silver. How cool is that? God holds us to the fire refining us and stays there the whole time…then watches for His reflection in our lives to know when to pull us from the flames. Nice follow up to last week I think, all orchestrated by the Lord…

Couple of quick prayer requests if you’ll indulge me for a moment. Please remember our dear friends Mac and Norma Choate. They both are facing medical tests and issues, so I know they would love for you to mention them. Also remember Jerry White and his family as they deal with his parents sicknesses (cancer, heart problems, you name it). Got a good friend Joi Wassil here in Hendersonville who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She has surgery later in July and is my age. She’s a wonderful worker for the Lord and spends much of her time working with her passion….adoption. She’s a soldier that the cause needs back on the battle front for sure. I know there are numerous others…many who have lost loved ones (Jess and Lindy just this week lost a cousin two years old….the Lord knows all about that deal) and many struggling with the pain of sickness. Just toss one up for all these folks we know about and the ones the good Lord has wrapped up in his care that we don’t know about.

Have a great weekend and come on out if you’re in the area on Sunday, we’d love to see ya! Don’t forget Gatlinburg in November and don’t forget to get your copy of the latest CD “Classics”…hope to have a new page dedicated to the CD in the next few days here at the website so you can see the songs and maybe even hear some clips. Until next week, take care and God bless…

Von and all the guys at CO4

Well…after allot of blood, sweat, and tears (okay…maybe the only blood was a hang nail one of us had) the new CD “Classics” is here! Well…almost here. Have it on good authority that the CD will be ready for proliferation on Tuesday of next week (like Tuesday June 24th), Ha! Proliferation. You guys like them apples? It’s a fancy-schmancy term that means we’ll be hopefully shipping out all the orders we’ve got by the truckload. Got to throw a big high-five out to our pal Hannah Powell up in Michigan…Hannah, for the second year in a row, was the first person to buy the new CD through the website’s “Buy It Now” feature (to the right of this column). Thanks Hannah!!!

Seriously though folks, the new CD will be ready Tuesday and we are looking forward to carrying it with us next weekend, wish we had it ready to take to Plunkett’s Creek this weekend, but it just didn’t work out that way. Speaking of Plunkett’s Creek….can’t wait to see our good friends there, and especially Jackie and Elaine Wilburn (you guys know…THE Wilburns). Last year was the first time we got to go to Plunkett’s Creek to sing for their Homecoming, and as luck would have it…it was also the first time we got to hear Scott Russell (our newly minted full-time tenor) sing with Jackie and Elaine. Did a great job (obviously) and hope maybe those three will perhaps get back together for a song or two…would be neat to see them sing again. In case some of you guys out there don’t know, Jackie Wilburn has suffered from a few medical complications over the last few months and they had to decide to go off the road for a while. He’s doing MUCH better (thank the good Lord) and hopefully we will hear both Jackie and Elaine out there singing again real soon. Don’t know if I have ever said it publicly, but we all in the quartet hold The Wilburns in high regard for their life-long dedication to God’s work, both through preaching with Jackie, and with music as a family. They blazed the trail that we have all, who do this, regularly go back down thanks in large part to the way they conducted themselves with respect and honor, glorifying the Lord every step of the way. They have personally stuck their necks out for us on more than one occasion, and for that we are eternally grateful.

Had wonderful services this past weekend up in the Southern Illinois area at Brush Harbor Baptist and Marshall Ferry Baptist. On the way there we got to witness first-hand some of the devastation wrought by the recent rains and subsequent flooding. Tough deal for sure….saw some homes and cars under water, but saw more farm land completely submerged under the still rising waters of the Wabash River. We prayed at each of our services with the churches for the folks affected in that area by the flooding. Fortunately, though very nearby, Marshall Ferry was not affected by the water…we just had to find new and creative routes to take to get there.

Saturday night at Brush Harbor was neat…all week (and I guess for weeks leading up to it) our good friend Noel Hampton fretted about the potential for low attendance. We told him time and time again, no worries! Whoever is there is supposed to be there…and if he was the only one, we’d go. Well…I’m sure you can figure out now what happened….the place was packed out and the Lord’s spirit was definitely there. Lots of testifying and even our own Darrell Collier got convicted to say a few things that were awesome to hear. Just love it when the Lord steps in! Appreciate all the folks who came and look forward to going back sometime down the road.

One thing I didn’t mention was the “spirit” of humor that was there that night…Bob Pollard (pastor of Marshall Ferry) and Kenny Ragar (pastor at Springerton) were both in attendance, and when the Lord wasn’t moving in the service…they were. They barbed at each other back and forth all night, and it continued on into dinner at the Mexican restaurant later after the service. One thing we have learned, and something they even mentioned that night…I think the Lord wants us to have a good, clean time at church. I know He wants us to always smile and be happy…and that’s just a manifestation of that when we laugh and enjoy being with friends. Appreciate them coming and keeping us in stitches all night as well.

Sunday morning we went to Marshall Ferry and enjoyed getting to hear Bro. Pollard preach for the first time. I think we’ve been to Marshall Ferry 3 or 4 times before that, but never on Homecoming. The surrounding flood waters didn’t deter most folks from coming and we had a great day. Like I always say, at Homecomings we get fed spiritually (preaching) then get fed physically (the great food). After that I think folks just get “fed up” when we sing…

 Been fighting this week with my old nemesis…worry. Don’t really have to get specific I know, but I think you guys can all relate. One of the preachers at my home church a few weeks back brought a sermon about worry and it convicted me big time. Why is it that week after week (who am I kidding…minute after minute is probably more like it) do I struggle with the one thing we as Christians shouldn’t be struggling with? Where is my treasure laid up? Where is my hope? It’s hard…I’d love to say that my eyes are always on Heaven and Heavenly things, but the world creeps in. Not to sound too sharp…but don’t make a few payments or quit taking some important meds and let’s see where things go. I try to be real here and real for me right now is trying to figure out why sometimes things seem dark when in reality the victory has been won and the prize truly is just ahead? Earlier this week I needed some comfort and found it where I should…in God’s word. A quick search of my favorite online resource The Blue Letter Bible ( permanent link for which can always be found at the bottom of the page under “Blogroll”) had me quickly reading a familiar passage… found in Matthew Chapter 6 starting in verse 25… “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Think just maybe the Lord was talking about worry here? Like always…there is an answer…and He provides it at the end of the chapter in verse 33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Sounds simple…just hard for me to comprehend sometimes when things look tough. Let’s all (who suffer from this infernal disease of worry) make a pact next week…wait a minute, why not right now…to start praying to God about these things and let’s let Him have it all. Finances, family, work, school, church, friends…whatever….if it keeps us up at night and leads us to worry…then God can have it! We need to only worry about seeing souls saved and being about the Father’s business…the rest is God’s. Deal??? Deal….

Don’t forget (like I would let you) about Gatlinburg in November. We’ve had some confusion because it’s named “Harvest Celebration” but it’s kind of getting closer this year to Christmas. There will be more Christmas this year no doubt…Gatlinburg will be in all it’s glory with lights and such. Trees will be decorated and bells will jingle I’m sure. Not so sure about chestnuts roasting over an open fire, but if you can make a dime off of it….they will be available somewhere in Gatlinburg I’m sure! Make plans to be there with us if you can!

Hope you guys have an awesome weekend and we will talk on the backside when we have our new CD in our grubby little paws! Sorry…this time is always too exciting for me…hope you guys enjoy it half as much as we have enjoyed singing them…

Von and all the guys at CO4