BST's Blog

Lots of ground to cover from the last few days...might take a couple of blogs.

Been swimming in creative stuff this week, which I really, really love. We just happen to have a guy relatively new to Otter Creek who was a set designer. YEA! We met this week about set design for Sander's Family Christmas. It's gonna be sweet!

I got to cut 5 more songs using the tracks from the Prague Symphony for the Family Christian Bookstore Hymns record set to release in December. I had to get my legit game on. Singing songs like "All Creatures of Our God and King", and "Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee" with an entire symphony going nuts will bring it out of you real quick! It was fun!

Last night we got to go see the Broadway tour of "Lion King"! Sheryl and I saw it 6 years ago in New York...and it hit me last night...this little 5 year old girl sitting next to me (Maddie) was already with us and we weren't even aware yet. She was just a little peanut.

The show...simply amazing. AMAZING. It's just as good as what we saw on Broadway. Sometimes the tours are sub-par, but not in this case. It's beyond excellent. I was just in awe again of the scenic design and costumes...and not just the costumes, but the choreography required to pull each character off. Unbelievable. If this show comes anywhere near your city, it is not to be missed. Thank you, Mom, for the tickets!!! Here's a pic of the girls with Nonnie last night. (Ella decided she'd go with the tiger theme instead of Bo Peep for the show)



Today all over the world people are celebrating "All Saints Day". Tonight's Vespers service will have that theme. As I close, I want to honor some of the saints who have impacted my life who are no longer with us.

My father, Sam Thomas--a role model of peace, charity, affection, humor, and love for everyone.

Buddy Arnold--former music minister at Otter Creek. His example impacted me deeply. Though our styles differed, he taught me so much about the heart of worship and about championing different ways to worship.

John Crothers--another Otter Creeker. John welcomed me with open arms in the beginning of my tenure at OC. His humor, his stories, his capacity to love still bless me in my memories of him.

Pauline Brandon--my maternal grandmother. She kept faith, joy, spirituality, and warmth alive for my mom and her siblings even when times were very hard. She was a wonderful woman of God.