I am so thankful for the encouragers who always come up and shake my hand.

I can never tell who they might be.  I’ll be singing at a revival service or providing special music at a homecoming and when the service is over someone will find me, take my hand (sometimes grab me and hug me) and tell me what a blessing my music has been to them.  If you have sung in front of people, then you already know what a meaningful thing it is for someone to share that encouragement with you.  If you haven’t ever sung in front of people but you are the kind of person who would go up and extend that handshake or hug….you have no idea what a blessing you are.

That encouragement sometimes comes from someone in the service who may have seemed to be “out of it.”  You know, the kind that shows no expression on their face.  I guess I’m guilty of judging here, but I am always surprised when that person comes up to tell me how much they enjoyed the service.  I just assumed they were probably mentally asleep.

I’ve had older gentlemen come up to me and I just knew they were going to say, “Now missy, your kind of music is o.k……but I don’t know about those drums”……but instead, they have grabbed my hand between their two, strong hands and as they firmly shook it up and down, they were telling me what a great service it had been and they could see the Lord working through my songs. 

No, I never know who is being affected by what I sing and sometimes I wonder if God is using me at all.  That is why it is so great when someone finds me and lets me know that God spoke to them…..it hits me again, like the first time it happened…..God can use this broken vessel for His glory!

It’s the same neat feeling when someone writes and tells me they’ve enjoyed my music…..especially when I see it on the Write About Jesus bulletin board.  Many of you know about Write About Jesus that I attend every October.  It is an amazing writing workshop and if you met the lady who started it, you wouldn’t believe how kind and down to earth she is.  Sue Smith is an amazing person and orchestrates this awesome weekend.  At WAJ I’ve had a chance to meet some great people.  We keep in touch all year long through the WAJ board.  Recently, someone posted a review of my CD.  They said that they had received my CD and loved it.  I was happy, happy, happy.  Then someone else said they liked it and then I was reading last night and Sue Smith said that she’d gotten a copy and that it was a worshipful experience.  WOW…..that meant so much to me…on so many levels.  1) that she took the time to listen (incredibly busy lady in the music industry), 2) that she took time to post her comment 3) that she continues to reach out and mentor new writers when she could be resting her feet on her own stack of songs and taking it easy!

It was a great night….and then to top it off, I made some great cornbread for dinner.  And as a treat to me……I crumbled up a piece of cornbread in my glass, poured some milk over it and had dessert!!

It’s never too early for Christmas music. 

I am one of those strange people who can listen to it year round!  I never get tired of it.  I love the sound of it in the mall, in the stores and even at work!  I love the “country” versions, the classical versions and even the Elvis Presley versions of the traditional Christmas carols.

I was listening to “The Mix” radio station in the car last week because they are playing continuous Christmas songs until Christmas, and I heard “The Drummer Boy” come one.  I realize that is one of my favorite songs.  If I was recording another Christmas album, I would definitely include it in my top ten list.

I love that song because it creates pictures for me every time I hear it.  I picture the little drummer boy going to see Baby Jesus.  “Come, they told me, pa rum pa pum pum, a newborn King to see, pa rum pum pum pum……”

And I see him walking into the stable with the shepherds, in awe of the little baby lying in the manger.  He wants to approach the infant King.  He wonders if it would be alright.  Perhaps one of the Shepherds puts his hand on his shoulder and gently pushes him forward as if to say, go and see the King.  He looks at Joseph standing nearby and Joseph nods at him.  He cautiously walks toward the manger but then he stops.  Wait.  I have no gift for this King.  No one has told him that he must bring one, but somehow he realizes that Jesus had come as a gift for him and he wanted to give something in return.  I can see the disappointment on his face as he takes a step back and decides not to come near.  I think that is when he sees Mary.  There is only love on her face.  And she simply glances down at what is hanging at his side….his drum.

“Shall I play for Him?……on my drum?……”  And he does.  Then it’s my favorite verse…Mary nodded…..pa rum pum pum pum…..the ox and lamb kept time…..pa rum pum pum pum…I played my drum for Him……pa rum pum pum pum…..I played my best for Him……Then He smiled at me……me and my drum.

And it does, it gets me every time.  I can see the little boy playing his heart out and the joy he feels to know he has made Baby Jesus happy!  Call me sappy, call me crazy…..but I just LOVE that song! 

The message is so simple….. the one thing we want to do while we are here, is to serve Jesus to the best of our ability and see Him smile.  And all He asks of us is to use what He has placed in our hands.