Howdy folks! Yet another awesome trip me and the boys had this past weekend. A journey to see our dear friends in the southern Indiana/southern Illinois/northern Kentucky area was just what the doctor ordered. For some who don’t know, we really cut our “traveling” teeth in and around Evansville when we first started heading out on the road 5 or so years ago. In fact, one of the places we sang at this past weekend was one of the first places we “tried” to sing at away from home. Why did I say “tried”? Well…the short version is that we, our record label, and a now dear friend, Pastor Jim Johnson, all got our wires crossed. We thought we were supposed to sing on one Friday night in the fall and I think we were the only ones who thought it. Seems confirmations weren’t our strong point just yet and we ended up playing football with some local kids for a couple of hours before heading home. The next day we came back up (thanks to our friend Norman Martin) and sang Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday night in and around that area. That was the beginning of a long and wonderful relationship with all the folks up there for us. This past weekend we saw many of those same folks we met that first weekend so many years back…and it kind of re-energizes us to see some of those smiling faces. As Jess and I said to one another today, the Lord knows what we need when we need it. Still miss seeing Norman though…and pray for him often. If you guys haven’t been with us for a long time, Norman was in a car struck by a drunk driver over 40 years ago. He walks with the assistance of a cane, walker, or wheelchair (depending on the pain he is feeling). He does allot of booking for groups in that area and even through his adversity, finds time and opportunity to thank the good Lord for what he does have. Norman has been an inspiration to the group and lots of other folks… and even was part of the impetus for us singing the song “Happy Rhythm”. He often told us in those early days, “if we (as Christians) can’t find something to smile about in church, why in the world would everybody out there (folks who aren’t saved) want anything that we’ve got?” Awesome words that have driven us to try and spread the word that it is okay to come to church and smile, laugh, and have a good time in the Lord.

Saturday night had us at Pastor Johnson’s church Fares Avenue (yep, that’s the same one mentioned above where we made one of our biggest goofs). Wish I had the time and space to personally thank each and every person who attended…we virtually know each and every one. Thanks to Pastor Johnson and his friends for the lunch before and thanks to Tom Wilgus and all his friends and family for the Mr. B’s pizza afterwards. The whole deal just really recharged out worn out batteries.

After a late night at Mr. B’s, we loaded up and headed for Carmi, IL to stay with Pastor Bob Pollard and his wife Sharon. I think this was the third time they opened up their home to us…which is a real treat. They’ve got two of the cutest dogs (almost as cute as my Sandy) which allowed me to get surrogate puppy love while traveling and missing mine at home. Sunday we enjoyed Sunday school and then hearing Pastor Bob preach the word. A great lunch of sandwich stuff and desserts, then we sang. Great service with great friends again…and like the night before, just what we needed to continue the recharging process. I think Jess even mentioned it there at Marshall Ferry (affectionately known locally as Dogtown) that some times we go and we pour out all we’ve got and don’t ever get the filling back up that we need…this weekend seemed to be more about refilling the cups for whatever reason…and we’ll take it anytime we get it.

Sunday night had us at a new church, but in a familiar place…Henderson, KY (basically Evansville’s sister city) at Victory Chapel. This church happens to be the home church of one of our pals Mark Ross with River City Quartet. Actually, his brother is the pastor and both Mark and another brother sang for us that night, along with Mark’s niece as well. Great church that was one of the easiest to sing to I can remember in a while. All weekend we got gathered around the piano and took advantage of Marty (still filling in with us for now) playing a verse or two of some of our favorite hymns. This night though, it seemed special. Even Jess felt it and kind of surprised us all (including Marty who had to play it by memory) and asked if we could go all the way back to the beginning and sing the very first song the quartet learned and sang in church, “Because He Lives”. It was special in lots of ways, but in particular because at the time we got together and started singing, Jess found out that his wife Lindy was pregnant…and it never failed, when he hit that second verse where it talks about “how sweet to hold a new born baby…” he would lose it. I’ll never forget that first time we sang it AFTER Carter was born…after singing it for months, he finally got to hold that new born baby, and feel the pride…and joy he brings. Awesome memories…and an awesome service that night.

Looking forward to this weekend where, in theory, Marty’s time filling in with us will end. We talked this weekend that when you travel with folks like we do, it’s inevitable that problems arise…ill feelings and wrong words spoken at bad times. it just happens…kind of like brothers almost. In the end though, all that’s there really is love for one another. We’ve all probably contemplated slow, painful deaths for one another at various times…but like Marty, Jess, Scott, Darrell, Ron, and myself have said at various times…I love these guys more than they will ever know. I’ve really enjoyed this time of reconnecting with Marty. Life is fast, and it’s moving faster for me every day. My daughter grows, and with that comes growing responsibilities and growing demands on every minute of every day I am home. That growing demand makes it harder and harder to keep close to the friends I love…and spending quality time with Marty has been hard to do since he had to leave. Same goes for Ron…he lives over an hour and a half away….it’s just not possible it seems. And though my daughter spends almost every weekend with Darrell’s daughter Makenzie, he and I haven’t been able to “bond” like we used to each and every weekend. That’s the tough part…you build relationships even stronger than they were before the group, then they grow weak as the group diversifies. All that to really say….Marty, I love you and enjoy this time. I’ll miss it when it’s done, but we’ll enjoy it while it’s here. Appreciate Scott and Jess too while I’m here…with little “spare time” in my life, other than my family here at home, they are my best friends.

Speaking of this weekend….how about a “homer”? Yep…I’ll be sleeping in my own bed and actually listening to my own pastor Sunday morning…all while singing Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening. We’ll be at a benefit for a Christian television broadcast facility in Hartsville, TN (the “heart” of Tennessee….or so says one of their water towers I frequently fly over) Saturday afternoon, then to Marty’s home church of Victory Missionary Baptist on Sunday afternoon, and finally wrapping up in Jess’ backyard at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church on Sunday night. Check our schedule for times and locations. Come on out if you can.

Jess called me one day last week and says the word for 2009 so far has been without a doubt for him….focus. He says that it seems like every sermon, every Wednesday night class, and Sunday School message has been about focusing in the midst of distractions. Unbeknownst to me, even last week my update was about focusing on what is most important in times of trouble (I titled it “Fly The Plane” for the lessons flight instructors teach student pilots about making sure no matter what comes up, keep flying the plane as your number one priority). My pastor this Wednesday night brought his message from Romans 8: 1-17….living life through the Spirit. Again, he talked about focusing our efforts on heavenly things during times of trials (like we all seem to be facing in some fashion or form). He told us to listen for the Holy Spirit to prompt us and be ready to respond….which requires a great deal of focus and attention. I find it comforting that it seems that the Lord is trying to tell us all every way He can to focus our eyes upon him and set our face as a flint toward Heaven. Ain’t it good to know that God still cares enough about us to send these messages through all these different avenues? Just reaffirms to me that He truly still is sitting on the throne today and He cares about every aspect of my life and will guide me if I will let Him take charge. Got to focus and not let these petty distractions drag us under the proverbial flood waters….the life preserver is around the corner if we can just hang on for just a little while longer.

Have a great weekend and don’t float away if you live up north near Minnesota…don’t blow away if you live down here in tornado alley….and don’t get caught in a snow drift if you live out in Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma. Spring weather is a trip….meteorology never ceases to fascinate me and this time of the year runs the gamut. Be sure and check our schdule as things are being added every day. We’ve probably had 4 or 5 inquiries this week and confirmed at least 3 of those with more coming. If you’ve got any dates you want to discuss, no time like now. Also don’t forget to at least mark down the Gatlinburg dates for November in your calendar. We’ve booked several (believe it or not) in the last couple of weeks (thanks Deb for one of them). All we need is a deposit, and your set until September. Should be a blast again just like last year. Hard to imagine a cool, wintery weekend in the mountains right now as we face spring and summer, but like everything else…it will be here before you know it.

Oh…and several folks have inquired about my father-in-law….he is hanging in there and actually back at his home at the assisted living facility. Appreciate your prayers for his recovery.

Pray for us as we make final determinations about our baritone position….and get out there and enjoy life!

Von and all the guys at CO4