Well, this update would be allot easier if the storms here in middle Tennessee would settle down. Every time we get weather like this it knocks my internet access out or makes it sporadic. Tonight…it’s sporadic. I’ll type and then lose….then type….and then lose. But I think it’s finally calmed down to the point where I can get this thing done. We were down at a local mall earlier, came outside and all thought “hmmm…..must be later than I thought”. It was pitch black and a quick glance to the west showed bright sunshine…what a sharp contrast in skies. The rains brought several blessings, but one in particular was a gorgeous horizon to horizon rainbow that showed all the brilliant colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. How did I spout that off (and no…I didn’t Google the colors)? My high school Biology teacher taught us Roy G. Biv, plug the colors in and wa-la! Forgot 99% of the rest of the class, but that stuck for some reason. Moving on…

Hope you guys have all had an awesome couple of weeks since we last talked. Called Out Quartet has some HUGE news to share…our very own Scott Russell is engaged!! Go check out all the pics and details at http://rsrussellsblog.blogspot.com/ . It was super romantic with the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Cod in the background with the sun setting into a light overcast of high clouds…absolutely perfect. Check out the pics while you are there…I, ah…know the photographer VERY well. Okay…it was me, and I did a fair job if I say so myself. Thankfully Scott’s camera was very automated, so all I had to do was frame the sunset, ocean, and the happy couple. A few details…Scott had planned this for weeks. He wanted to find a way for Ashley to join us for the trip, but we had to coordinate it well with the pastors and friends in New England so we could get an extra hotel room for her and make sure she was busy all the time enjoying the scenery and not thinking about why she might be there. Big props go out to Doug Scalise, pastor of Brewster Baptist. He selected “the” spot and even moved the church’s normal night service an hour up so we would be finished in time to make a quick jaunt over to the nearby beach for the proposal. Doug took us there under the guise of getting ice cream, then a final beach picture before we headed home. She was stunned….Scott had pulled it off. Read the blog for all the details…and I’m sure we will have a confirmed date for the nuptials very soon.

Two Sundays ago we got back on the singing train at Salem Missionary Baptist Church in nearby Gallatin, TN. Was awesome to see many from my home church (especially my music leader Donnie Hines and his wife) and others from area churches. Never been to Salem before, but hope it’s not the last time. That weekend was my birthday weekend and my home church had no evening services that Sunday night, so my family dragged me kicking and screaming all the way to a local minor league baseball game (yeah right…I was waiting in the car once I found out, waiting for them to come so I wouldn’t miss the first pitch). Wonderful night…not too hot and the local Nashville Sounds won big. Thanks to my wife and daughter, and Darrell, Tammie, and Kenzie Collier for making it a special night.

Before I go too much further I have to send out an apology to some dear friends of ours at Plunkett’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church just outside of Carthage, TN. We had on our schedule that we would be singing there yesterday at their Homecoming, but it came to our attention late Friday night (thanks Dewey) that they were expecting us NEXT weekend for their Homecoming. Through a scheduling error, we mistakenly placed Plunkett’s Creek on the 21st of June and they wanted us June 28th. I could explain how we came to this conclusion, but it really won’t help the fact that we blew it. I talked at length last night to their pastor Junior Dickerson and apologized profusely for our mistake, and though he had every reason to be very upset…he handled it like a true Christian and said that we all make mistakes and for us not to worry. The church found a replacement (since we are booked at 3 different locations next Saturday and Sunday) and are moving forward with their celebration. I can’t think of a time where we made this kind of error in the past, but I am sure we have. I feel terrible for messing up like we did, but am very appreciative of the church, and in particular Bro. Dickerson’s patience and understanding. God bless you guys and we all hope and pray we are given an opportunity to make this up to you down the road.

This weekend we will be heading up to Illinois and Indiana Saturday and Sunday, so please check our schedule for times and dates…and (in particular as I think of this past weekend) be sure and call or email before you travel long distances. Hopefully we won’t foul up again, but you never know…and it wouldn’t be the first time a church has had to cancel on us…so please check with us before you make a road trip of any length…Lord knows that gas and travel expenses are high enough if you get to do what you intended, but it would by many times worse if you got there only to discover the schedule had changed.

Oh…more big news. I mentioned the First Annual Called Out Quartet Homecoming in my last update…and it is in full swing to be an incredible evening. All the guys I mentioned last time are confirmed….Ron Bowman, Darrell Collier, Marty Harris, and all the current guys…with special guest Eddie Crook to top things off. Should be one great evening. There is a discussion going on right now about maybe videotaping the night as well…so you will definitely want to be a part of it so you can point at the TV screen one day and say “there….that’s the back of my head…see me??!!”. Mark down August the 8th at 7:00pm at McFerrin Missionary Baptist Church in Madison, TN….be there or be square!! Don’t make me start calling out folks here in the update…we want ALL of you there…and you know who “ALL” of you are…

Hope you guys have a great week ahead. My Granny sent the sweetest card to me on my birthday and wrote many memories she has of me as I grew up. At the end of the card she admonished me to enjoy every second of every day…. for today is tomorrow’s yesterday….and that is so true. I often catch myself in difficult or trying circumstances thinking that tomorrow I’ll be doing this or that, and then I’ll let my mind wander off to that time…but truly, good or bad…today is a gift from our Lord and we should enjoy it for all it holds. Go out there tomorrow and wear the day like your favorite shirt…waller in it and live it to the fullest you know how….and then thank the good Lord for it all, good…or bad….

Von and all the guys at CO4

Don’t have my usual time to fill up a big ol’ blog, but I did want to let everyone know that we all made it home safe and sound from our trip to New England this past weekend. Our hosts were incredible as always…special thanks go out to Joe Hadfield for his concert in Coventry, Rhode Island on Friday night and all the promotion he had to do. It was a ticketed event that was well attended thanks to his efforts and was great fun to be a part of. When the evening there was over, he had us over to his house to meet some of the “behind the scenes” heroes of the night and we did our best to thank them all for their support and hard work. Got to thank our dear friend Joe Fitzgerald and his lovely wife Carole for coming to just about every singing we had all while in the midst of planning and preparing for their daughter’s wedding this Saturday (on my birthday mind you June 13th). Love you guys and wish your daughter the best for her special day. Thanks to all the folks (and especially their pastor Mike Johnson) at Fall River, Massachusetts’ own Baptist Temple…the night was awesome and we especially appreciated the wonderful Italian meal they served when it was all over. Last but certainly not least we want to send a special thanks to Doug Scalise of Brewster Baptist and all the wonderful folks who attend there. Had another incredible day on the Cape thanks to their generosity and hospitality. From lunch at Arnold’s (owned by some folks who attend there at Brewster Baptist and highly recommended) to the night at the nearby Chatham Motel (also owned by a church goer there at Brewster and also highly recommended). Everything was incredible and I will detail all of it very soon. Suffice it to say there were incredible moments that will live with us forever throughout the entire weekend. The service the last night there in Brewster I know did more to lift our spirits than anything we could have ever done for them….what a tremendous blessing. Come back soon for more details…but to all we met and those we saw once again, we are safe and sound back here in Nashville and look forward to coming back very soon….God bless you all…

Von and all the guys with CO4