After a much anticipated follow up visit at the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic I have been released from vocal (silence) rest. There is still some concern as the nodule on the vocal cord is still visible, however there was improvement. The next steps toward recovery include: speech therapy, singing therapy and adjustment of some of my daily and Sunday routines. There have been many of you who have voiced your concerns and put me on your prayer list, while I walked through these days of silence…thank you and a special thank you for the prayers. Don’t remove me from those prayer lists just yet…

The ClearView staff is headed out of town for a retreat, and where we are headed I don’t think there will computer access.  So this could be the last post until Wednesday. Here are a couple Monday musings:
1. All of my teams are out of the NCAA Tournament. What happened to North Carolina on Saturday?
2. I now only have four days left of vocal silence. I head back to the doctor on Thursday morning.
3. I visited a church just down the road from ClearView yesterday, Cumberland.  It is good to see God working in other places.
4. Great weather yesterday…so much so that my bike was calling. It was a great afternoon for a fourteen mile ride.
5. Again I realized how blessed I was to have great people to minister with.  Thank you Terry, Ed and Tiffany for helping to lead yesterday.
Off to staff retreat…

Tonight people I love, care about, minister to and with, surprised me. They threw, really produced, a party celebrating my ten years of ministry at ClearView. I was reminded what a great group of people I get to serve with and how talented they are. The video: whoever has all those pictures, please return them; they do not need to be made public. The song: there was way too much fun going on with those words and now that I know the choir can sway look for it to be added to a service soon. The plaque: will be put in a place of prominence in my office. The prayer: I do feel the prayers that are lifted on my behalf and have felt them for these ten years. A special thanks for inviting and involving my family; what a great surprise it was to walk in and see my parents and my children. The frustrating part of tonight is I could not talk and therefore express how much I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the evening. Hopefully I will be able to talk soon and I will express my sentiments verbally. Remember however that tonight is over so 51% comes back to my side.

I was able to take the day off from my normal Sunday routine yesterday and visit another church. It is not often that I get the chance to just participate in a service and not lead. However, yesterday was a totally new experience. Because of the doctor ordered vocal rest I am in, I became more of an observer than participator. I really cannot remember a time when I went
to a church service and did not sing.  It was almost painful to stand and not participate. I saw the words on the screen and was moved at the meaning of the text.  I looked around me and saw almost everyone participating.  I wanted to lift my voice. I
heard my wife on one side of me and my son on the other. I wanted to lift my voice. I heard the other people around me
calling out to God in song. I wanted to lift my voice. The sounds were not perfect but they were an offering to God. I wanted to lift my voice. There were words of declaration:  “I am a friend of God.” “Who can satisfy my soul?…Lord, Jesus.” “I stand amazed in the
presence.” There is so much to be thankful for, how can we keep silent.  I really do not understand how those who have a personal relationship with Christ can enter a gathering of worship and stand in silence and yet it happens week after week. How can we? Why do we? Yesterday I was forced to keep silent, however, my heart was singing. God calls us to worship…He made us to worship.  Even if you feel you don’t have a voice that is pleasing to God, or those around you…make a joyful noise…celebrate His
goodness and proclaim to those around you that He inhabits your life.

Psalm 33

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous
ones; praise from the upright is beautiful.

Praise the LORD
with the lyre; make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp.

Sing a new song to Him;play skillfully on
the strings, with a joyful shout.

Psalm
100

Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all
the earth.

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful songs.