The Orchestra and Choir Christmas Party was held at our house this year. It's a full house when everyone is here. The Bishop and I still missed several who could not come, but those that were able to come had a grand time together!
With all the laughter and loud joking - we all had so much fun together! We all rehearse together on Tuesday nights for 2 hours - then minister together for 3 services weekly. So we all have lots of time together and our social Christmas party is always a time for us to unwind and just enjoy a free evening.
One of our Choir members is moving to St Croix, and we honor her tonight with special cards and gifts. It's Edna - second from the left. She is a real witness of God's saving grace. Her testimony is really awesome, and she will leave a permanent mark on all of us. We will never forget her!!
Pictures are worth so many thousands of words - just a few of the special great singers and musicians we minister together with at New Life. 
Each person has special giftings that when we blend each together, makes such a beautiful team of sound and praise. There is a genuine love and bond of unity from years of working together, I love each of them and appreciate their talents so much.
After enjoying different styles of chili -regular with cheese, spicy with Frito's, or turkey chili - or the new one this year- white chili!! So good! These were all brought by members, along with hot chocolate, coffees and cold drinks, and some good old holiday sweets we all ate till we were full. Played some group games then we all bundled up and went outdoors to sing Christmas Carols for neighbors.
I don't know who had the most fun, the listeners or the singers. Or maybe it was team 2 as we played games against 2 sides, just watching them all have a good time, means so much to me. They need to have some relaxed laughter together.
I know each of their personal stories as their pastor's wife and have watched many things happen in their lives. God's provision for each of them is amazing and heartwarming. As the years go by, our hearts and talents get stronger and stronger in God's plan for us together.
We have experienced high moments in praise and deep times of worship, in songs and hymns - and our times together in ministry have bonded us in the love of the Lord. I love each one and am honored to work side by side with them in the ministry of music weekly.
My voice is tired tonight! Every week I rehearse with the singers and musicians of New Life for 2 hours. We all have committed a certain night each week to prepare our music, orchestrations and vocal abilities. It certainly pays off each Sunday when we begin to lead the congregation in praise and worship.
The orchestra is made up of sincere men and women who want to play music in the House of the Lord. We have all (mostly) worked together for 5 + years now and enjoy the companionship of each other. But some of us have worked together for 12+ years now musically. When musicians play together for a long time, there is a certain 'jelling' that happens. They know each other and play well together.
Our choir room has seen many a prayer meeting as we prepare our hearts for ministry. Every week one of the members will give a devotion before we minister to the church. It's always something good and relevant to us all.
Our orchestra meets 3 times weekly and we are a strong unit together. We have experienced musicians helping younger ones - and together the process is extremely team building!
How is it that one can never get everyone to smile at the same time! Finally I just take a picture and go with it! And a bunch of them were not in the choir room at the time!
We have walked through the storms of life together. Our musical ministry has braved family sicknesses, and career losses. Children disappointments and personal challenges. But through it all we are stronger and our bonds of friendship endure. And as time passes each of us become truer and more genuine as fellow Christians, accountable to each other.
I love my team and enjoy working with each of them. Each one has special giftings and their personal stories are amazing of what God has done for 
each of them! I also have a hard time getting everyone together for any kind of pictures. They just laugh at me while I am trying to gather them up! Mostly they are shy of my camera. Altogether we number 35 - but getting that in one picture is impossible.
There is nothing in the world like leading worship with a team that has 1 single focus - it's truly awesome. And the anointing of God that comes down upon us at times is breathtaking and so powerfully beautiful!
And the years turn pages and we slowly grow older together - life's musical projects get sweeter as my team and I know each other's abilities and working together becomes seamless more and more. I love each of them and appreciate each one. I could not lead worship without them, it takes 3 parts to make a whole. Musicans, singers and a leader. Not to forget to mention the other detailed parts of us- our sound tech and the teleprompter directors. We could not do what we do without both of these ministries! Our oldest member is in her 80's and our youngest is 14! I am grateful for each of them. I can simply look at them and tell what is happening with them, because of the time we have all spent together. Some of them have children born to them while they have been on this team- others have become grandparents. And still others have endured the loss of family members, and yet we all stick together as a musical ministry gaining strength and encouragement from one another. Multi- cultural and different ages - it's a truly great fellowship in heart and song! There can be no better format for the spirit of community and love to flourish!
It takes everyone to make our music strong and inspiring. They are the reason - our ministry of music is great. To God be the Glory!
I love music and have stacks of it setting in various places in my two offices. So finally it's time to gather in the 'sheaves' and put everyone together and settle all these CD's that just keep running from office to office and place to place. Some end up in my car for serious listening. Others just float, and others just set in silence. They don't get any air time. Hearing all of the silent notes of music playing on these many CD's I have to decide who to keep and who to let go of.
Finding the biggest notebook style CD holder on the market, reckoning day is here and all these round 'people' are going to get set into place. Total control of all my music in one location! Wow! what could be better for the music in me?
Sorting through the goodies and the so so's and those I never did enjoy - and ending up with three stacks it's easy to see what I listen to and what is ignored.
And all the singers are already singing -when they are chosen to enter The Book. Whoo Hoo I made the cut!!!
Who will get to be chosen...... tiny voices cry out from the silver disks - pick me ..... pick me..... please I can sing really good....one more chance..
I feel like one of the judges on a famous TV show - who is 'good enough' for My Great Book. Talented? I am sure each singer of the ignored CD's are. Gifted? Yes for sure. It takes patience and painstaking actions to produce a music project. Not to mention funds that each group spent creating each album. I feel a little guilty not accepting ALL of the CD's into my valued bunch. Yet some strike me with their message and others just sound good. Some have the Presence of the Lord in their music and others just entertain. I know which stack I want to keep. That's easy to choose.
But there are only so many pages in The Book, and better to keep those whom I enjoy instead of stacks of CD's I will never listen to. Better to choose those that lead me into God's presence - than those that really take me nowhere spiritually.
Some are so good I not only keep the CD's, but keep the words too! And these probably will get used at some point in our music program at New Life.
Reminds me of another Great Day when everybody will stand before the Judge and each of our completed recorded lives will find out if our names are found in God's Great Book of Life. This day is written about clearly in the Bible.
Musical words that I penned in a song one time called Write My Name. The chorus says,
Write my name in the Book of Life
make sure I'm there in the end of time.
I want to live my life in such a way....
when the angel looks..... and find's my name...
