MY PUBLIC PRIVATE
JOURNAL...
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Valentine's Day!
I'm back from Alaska, and it looks like
I'll be starting at the mines next Tuesday, Lord willing.
If this was my last concert for a while, then I am thankful
to God for sending me out with a bang. I never dreamed I
would ever be giving a concert in beautiful Alaska, and
I was able to experience things I never have before, like
dog sledding for instance (I even got to be the musher for
a while). I had a great time and met some really wonderful
people.
The family I stayed with were incredibly
hospitable and made me feel right at home. They had three
little boys, ages five and under. The oldest had prepared
several art projects for me to take back to Minnesota. He
also made sure that I never got lost in the house by taping
numbered notes on the walls so I could find my way to my
room upstairs. Number one was at the top of the stairs;
number two by the light switch; number three at the end
of the hall; and number four on my bedroom door.
I love kids, so we got to be good buddies.
There weren't huge crowds at the concerts,
but I have learned to trust that God will bring those He
wants to attend. If given the choice, I would rather sing
for 10 people who take it to heart and draw closer to Christ,
than for 1,000 people who are merely "entertained".
It's impossible to know the effect of one's efforts when
in the business of sewing seeds, but if the Gospel of Christ
is proclaimed it will not be in vain. The word of the cross
may seem like foolishness to the world, but it is, according
to Saint Paul, the power of God unto salvation, even when
the messenger is less than impressive.
The second concert was for area teens,
which was fun, since it had been a long time since I had
been involved in youth ministry. I used to be a full-time
Director of Youth & Music Ministries in a protestant
church, before becoming Catholic in 2000. I sang and gave
a short talk entitled "Off The Bench & In The Game".
My main objective was to counter the common complaint among
young people: "Church is boring". I suggested
that the reason it appears boring is that they have only
been "sitting on the bench" and haven't been "in
the game".
The Christian life has been anything but
boring for me. When you surrender yourself to God and say,
"Here I am. Send me", there's no telling where
He'll lead you. Maybe you'll even end up in Alaska!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
I'm flying to Alaska in the morning for
two concerts over this weekend. Please pray that I will
effectively proclaim Christ and that many will be drawn
closer to Him as a result. When I get back, I am scheduled
to start a new job in the iron ore mines (apart from some
miracle, that is). May God's will be done.
One way or another, I will find a way
to keep spreading the Word of Christ through my music. If
my concert opportunities are to be limited (by my new employment),
then perhaps I will focus more on producing online music
videos that people can pass around via e-mail. Here's my
latest creation, written in honor of Saint Michael the
Archangel. The tone of the song gives you a sense for the
intense spiritual battle I have been facing lately. But
I'm not giving up this fight. Greater is He that is in me
than he that is in the world. And God has given us some
powerful allies!
Brothers and sisters in Christ, stand
up and fight. Let's pray more than ever. Let's proclaim
Christ louder than ever. Let's work harder than ever to
defend the sanctity of life. Let's surrender our lives more
completely to our Lord Jesus. The sound of the trumpet is
in the air. Now is not the time for retreat. Hold your ground;
or better yet, advance!
I can guarantee that the above response
is the exact opposite of what the devil is hoping we will
do as he presses in against us.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT...
I received an e-mail from someone, informing
me that some of my songs are being used on a site that promotes
the homosexual agenda. Apparently he saw this as some sort
of endorsement on my part, so I need to set the record straight.
Dear readers, if you should ever see my
songs appearing on some other site, don't assume that I
am in agreement with the teachings presented therein! Just
know that I have a heart for evangelism.
Here is how I responded to this recent
e-mail:
"Thanks for writing. I wasn't aware,
actually, that my songs were being used by a site that
promotes the homosexual agenda. I probably need to clarify...
I give permission to anyone who wants
to post my songs, because the songs were written for the
Lord and to reach out to people. All people. No matter
where they are at. However, just because a site uses my
songs does not necessarily mean that I support their mission
or cause; it just means that I want the songs to reach
as many people for Christ as possible. I suppose that
some people will misconstrue my intentions and see this
as some sort of "endorsement", but that couldn't
be further from the truth.
Now there are some sites that use my
music that I am in complete harmony with their stance.
Prenatal
Partners For Life would be one such group.
You, of course, are right to love your
family members who struggle in this manner. I know people
who have chosen this lifestyle as well. I love them, but
I would never say I "support" the mission of
the gay community. God's Word and the Church speak plainly
to the issue of homosexuality. It's a sin to actively
practice that lifestyle. Personally, I feel the most caring
thing I can do is to speak the truth in love, for the
Truth can set people free. Satan's distortions of the
truth never truly liberate, while they may seem to at
first glance.
I hope I'm not coming across as offensive
or harsh, but I do want to set the record straight regarding
my commitment to the Word of Christ and the teaching of
His Church.
God bless,
Karl"
Monday, January 29, 2007
I just back from my concert in St. Paul,
MN. There were two new additions to my concert this time.
First of all, I included my song "Far
From Your Heart" which I haven't been doing in concert
because of its confrontational nature. But I felt like this
was something that needed to be said. I introduced the song
by telling of a time when I was at Mass--this awesome celebration
where we are invited to partake in the body, blood, soul,
and divinity of Jesus--and I glanced across the aisle to
see a man who was clipping his fingernails! He obviously
didn't get the point. I fear there are many who do not.
This explains why people can't even linger long enough to
finish the closing hymn. They start bustling around, putting
on their jackets, joking around, talking about football
games, and rushing out the door.
Would it hurt to stay with
me one hour?
Can't you stand to sing the last refrain?
You sit there starting at your watches.
Don't you know you're causing more pain.
Did you really think I’d
never notice?
That’s because you don’t believe I’m here
I sat beside you Sunday morning
And you never knew that I was near
I’m close to your
lips
(when you’re cursing My name)
Far from your heart
(and you worship Me in vain)
Close to your lips
Far from your heart
The second addition to the concert was
the song "Down The Road Of Bittersweet" which
I wrote for
Prenatal Partners For Life. I feel like people need
to know about this ministry and other pro-life ministries
like them. Mary Kellet, the founder of Prenatal Partners
For Life, sent me some brochures, so those were made available
to people. And we are developing a new CD called "Down
The Road Of Bittersweet", which they can use as a fundraiser.
I had some prototype copies available at the concert.
Please visit the following page, PPFL
Promotional Materials, if you would like to order the
CD and support this wonderful ministry.
Friday, January 19, 2007
I received a fun e-mail in response to
Wednesday's post about my concert at St. Nicholas' Parish
in North Pole, Alaska. It made me smile, so maybe it will
brighten your day a little, too:
I just can't imagine what will go through
your little guys' minds. I told my grandsons
about it. I share your music with them....they were going
to write letters and ask you to take them with you. I
said, "But you just wrote Santa a letter and he just
visited and brought gifts!" Isaac said, "Yea
but, maybe he can tell "a elf" that I need
to talk to him."
So I asked, "Why do you need to talk to an elf?"
Isaac said, "'Cause maybe he can tell the Easter
Bunny not to hide my Easter Basket. I want to find mine
before Nathan does and takes my rabbit."
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
I just found out that I will be singing
and speaking to teens at St. Nicholas' Catholic Church in
(you guessed it) North Pole, Alaska . My kids are going
to get a kick out of this! The concert is on February 11th.
Monday, January 15, 2007
I've had a couple of people suggest that
I put my songs on iTunes as podcasts. I still feel somewhat
compelled to keep the songs available for free, but it sounds
like I still can on iTunes (at least to some degree). I
don't know much about podcast technology, but perhaps more
people will be reached if I try this new approach. It's
worth a shot.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Here's an interesting development in the
life and times of Karl Kohlhase...
I received a job offer from one of the
local iron ore mines yesterday. Just a general laborer position,
but it offered much more stability for my family. I didn't
give an immediate answer, because I needed to pray about
this one. So I headed to the Church to spend some time before
the Lord's presence. I really didn't know what to do. My
website business has been growing, and after years of trying,
my concert opportunities were finally starting to develop
as well. On the other hand, concerts were still few and
far between, and paychecks from web designing weren't exactly
what I would call "steady". The lack of benefits
(insurance, pension, etc...) were particularly troubling.
We were "making it", and God
was enabling us to pay our bills somehow, but the stress
of not knowing where the next week's income would come from
was beginning to wear upon my family.
I looked at the statue of St. Joseph at
the front of the sanctuary, and the answer started to become
clear. I knew that Joseph would take the opportunity that
took the weight off of his family, even if it meant a personal
sacrifice for him.
After looking at our budget, it became
even more clear that I needed to change directions before
I lead my family into financial ruin, so I decided to accept
the job offer. Work in the mines is on a rotating shift
basis, so I knew that my concert opportunities would be
severly limited, and I feared that I may have to cancel
existing engagements in January and February. But, by God's
grace, the mine representative told me that I could start
in late February, so that I could fulfill my obligations.
I thought that was incredibly kind of him.
Having a steady income will enable me
to be all the more "free" with my ministry, which
for some reason is what I truly feel my "calling"
is (after being a husband/father, that is). So, Lord willing,
the website and free songs will remain. Once I get into
a regular shift rotation, I will have what is called a "long
weekend" every 3-5 weeks, so I can still schedule a
few concerts throughout the year. At least that's what I'm
hoping to do. I'll probably also keep doing websites on
the side to keep my skills sharp and as an "insurance
policy" in case the mines ever go through layoffs again.
Please pray for me as I make this transition,
especially that I will find new ways to keep bearing fruit
with my music even though I will not be able to do so on
a full-time basis.
May God's will be done.
Karl
Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006
I recently receieved an e-mail from a
man in Louisianna (near New Orleans). He is on the rebuilding
committee for his parish after hurricane Katrina and would
like to have me come for a benefit concert in March. The
event could be a fund raiser and, perhaps even more importantly,
a hope raiser for all those affected by this terrible storm.
He was wondering about travel expenses and such.
Typically, churches pay my travel expenses,
but I told him that we should see if we can make this event
totally cost free for his parish. Perhaps some of my website
visitors would like to contribute towards the travel costs
(around $300). My website has almost 400 visitors per day,
so even if people were willing to give $1 each, we could
raise enough in one day. If it's God will, I'm sure He will
provide the means somehow. If
you're interested in helping, please e-mail me to let
me know how much you could contribute.
May the Lord's will be done.
Sunday, Dec. 24, 2006
I wish you all a blessed Christ Mass.
Don't forget Who it's all about.
Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006
Here's something new for me. I created
a "video" of the new song I wrote for Prenatal
Partners For Life. Click here
to view it and read the lyrics. Perhaps I should make more
of these for my other songs. They could be effective tools
for evangelism. Maybe people would be interested in e-mailing
the link to friends and family. Just a thought...
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006
Today I posted a new song I wrote this
week called "Down The Road of Bittersweet". I
wrote the song at the request of an organization called
Prenatal Partners For Life (please visit
their site and offer them a donation and/or some prayers).
PPFL is a support ministry for expectant parents who have
learned that their little one is in poor health. The song
was inspired by the beautiful, heart-breaking stories on
their site, written by parents who have "been there
and done that". Some of these couples only got to hold
their son or daughter for a few short minutes before he
or she was taken from them, and yet they were thankful for
those minutes and their faith remained strong. God bless
them. I hope this song encourages many who have had to walk
down that "road of bittersweet". You can read
the lyrics and listen to the song here.
Soon after I released the song, I learned
that my wife's young cousin, Brett, passed away today after
years of struggling with a debilitating disease since birth.
Please pray for Brett's family in this difficult time.
I also received an e-mail today from a
man who is creating a DVD to raise awareness for child abuse
and funds for the Child Abuse Prevention Association in
Missouri. He wanted to use one of my songs in the DVD. I,
of course, gave him permission. That's what these songs
were written for in the first place.
There were also more concert and website
opportunities today than I have had in a long time. It looks
like I may be going to Fairbanks, Alaska in January, and
I also heard from churches in Seattle, Washington and Southeast
Michigan.
Lord, here I am. Send me!
I'm thankful to God for days like these,
when He sends me little confirmations that my work is not
in vain. I hope this means that I am going in the right
direction with this whole self-employment idea. My prayer
today was that God would fill up my schedule with concerts
and web design jobs, so I will know that I don't have to
go looking for other employment.
PLEASE
E-MAIL ME TODAY if you would like to host a concert
in your church or are in need of a website. I feel like
this week could be a pivotal one for me and my music ministry.
If I'm going to do this full-time, I need to know the interest
is out there, so I won't be placing my family in jeopardy
by not accepting any full-time job that may present itself.
I'm sure that some of my readers may be
thinking, "Get a job already! Give up on this musical
pipe dream, and take care of your family." Believe
me, I hear it often. And they may be right. But there is
a flip side to that coin. First of all, God has shown Himself
faithful in providing for all our needs over the past 6
months of not having a "regular job". Second,
I have learned over the years that what the world presents
as "wisdom" is not always the path that God leads
us down. Sometimes He calls those who follow Him to take
steps that seem downright ludicrous to the rest of society.
Take the birth of Christ for example. The King of all kings
lay in a manger, with no crib for his bed. I wonder if Saint
Joseph was ever chided for "not taking care of his
family" after the manner of this world. But this was
God's perfect will for His Son to be born in poverty and
obscurity. Joseph carried out God's intention, never minding
the so called wisdom of the age.
Let me lay my heart out there a bit for
you all. I know that I am not a million dollar talent that
is going to have record companies and publishers falling
all over me. I'm no rock star. I'm no Pavorotti. I record
my CDs in my closet or my basement. I can't afford to hire
a producer or session artists. My recordings don't sound
like the highly polished productions coming out of Nashville
or LA. I could go on...
But when I read the parable of the talents,
I see that God does not expect a good return only from the
10-talent man, but also from His 5-talent and 1-talent servants.
All I am trying to do is give the Lord the best return on
His investment that I can. I am driven by this thought:
"If I CAN reach more people for Christ, I SHOULD."
I have received e-mails from many people
over the years who have discovered something unique in my
simple songs. They hear the Spirit of Christ speaking through
them. Those listener e-mails keep me going when I question
my own abilities, because I see that my humble efforts are
bearing fruit and bringing honor to our Lord.
My concerts are similar. There's nothing
particularly impressive about them....no dazzling light
show or smoke machines. It's just me and my acoustic guitar.
But somehow God enables me to connect with people in a concert
setting in ways that can't be duplicated over the internet.
Somehow people are being renewed in their faith and drawn
closer to Jesus. I'm certain that my life will bear more
fruit for the Lord if I have the freedom to do concerts.
I may not know how much more, but it will be more nonetheless.
That, for me, is the clincher. Once again, if I CAN reach
more people for Christ, than I SHOULD. This guiding principle
leads me to consider that self-employment, while it is a
little unsettling (especially in the beginning stages),
may be the better option, since this seems to be the only
way that gives me the freedom to accept concert opportunities
around the nation.
I realize I'm taking a bit of a risk by
being so transparent with this journal. It doesn't make
much sense for me to label myself as a man with a little
talent when I'm trying to convince people to let me give
a concert in their church. I'm supposed to say things like
"Internationally Renowned" or "Award Winning"....
But I'm honestly struggling right now, so why should I lead
my readers to think I have it all put together? This is
life. This is walking by faith. Sometimes we stumble along,
and the answer seems unclear. God doesn't promise us a life
with no valleys; He promises to walk with us through those
valleys. Who knows? Perhaps my weaknesses are my greatest
strengths as a "minister". Maybe that's what people
connect with most in my songs and in my concerts. They see
a regular guy who struggles right along with them, yet still
sings a song of hope.
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006
By God's grace I made it! My goal was
to release my Christmas CD in the first week of Advent,
and it is now available for free download on the site. My
thanks go out to all of you who have prayed for me and this
project. It is my hope that many will be able to use these
songs to help them prepare their hearts for a meaningful
Christmas during this Advent Season.
Several people have provided donations
for copies of the CD, which has been a blessing for me and
my family. One person asked for 51 copies so she can give
them as Christmas gifts! Another couple wrote and told me
that they were making copies for their relatives in India,
whom they would be visiting over Christmas; so they gave
a donation (totally of their own free will) to my ministry
out of gratitude. It just goes to show that one can never
"outgive" the Lord. The more freely I give my
music away, the more He seems to bless my little music ministry.
It makes no sense from a business point of view, and I'm
sure that music industry executives would scoff at my approach,
but this is what I believe God has led me to do. I'll gladly
be considered a fool for the sake of Christ.
I would also like to thank the people
of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I
had a concert there this past weekend, and the people were
so warm and welcoming. It felt like one big family, as it
should, since we are the family of God in Christ.
FOR THOSE WHO PRAY for
me and my ministry, please include the following requests:
1) I have asked my Bishop for his blessing
to continue pursuing concerts in his diocese. He kindly
responded, informing me that he will review my ministry
and get back to me. Please pray that if God wills for me
to actively pursue this concert ministry idea, that my Bishop
will encourage me in that direction and give me his episcopal
blessing.
2) I had an interview with one of the
local iron ore mines a few weeks ago. It went well, and
they told me that they will probably be hiring again in
January. Please pray that if it is God's will for me to
support my family in this manner, that He will open up this
door. On the other hand, may God be pleased to shut that
door if He truly intends for me to continue pursuing this
concert ministry (with some supplemental web design on the
side). Either way, I intend to keep offering my music freely
on my website.
Thank you for praying. Apart from God's
grace, I can do nothing.
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006
I am pleased to announce that my Christmas
CD will be ready, Lord willing, in the first week of December.
It's working title is "Arumpumpum STRUM". Acoustic
guitar lovers will enjoy this one I think.
It's been a struggle to complete this
one for some reason, and I've had to overcome alot of opposition,
but I have learned that a little bit of trouble does not
necessarily mean that it's not God's will for you to do
something. In fact, sometimes hardships may mean the exact
opposite. It could be that you are pursuing an endeavor
that is so worth while that the devil will fight you to
hinder the proclamation of Christ. I was encouraged to read
in First Thessalonians that even the great Apostle Paul
experienced hindrances like this, but he just kept right
on trying.
May God grant me victory in this battle,
and may Christ be proclaimed all the more!
He is SO worth the struggle.
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
I would like to thank all of you who prayed
for me last week about my employment situation. God provided
another website for me to work on, and I just heard from
a parish in Alaska that would like me to come for a concert.
This seems like a good solution. If I can get this web design
business rolling sufficiently, I'll have the freedom (being
self-employed) to say "yes" to any concert request,
even if it's as far away as Alaska!
I'll also be able to keep giving my songs
away over the internet, which I still feel deeply committed
to doing. It occurred to me the other day that I need to
work harder at letting churches know about this free resource.
I think it's a pretty unique deal where people can freely
download so many songs with the artist's permission and
blessing.
Since all you journal readers are such
good intercessors, maybe you could pray about this as well.
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006
PLEASE PRAY for me and my family
this week. I have some serious decisions to make. For those
of you who have been reading my journal, you'll know that
I recently moved 1,000 miles and my one and only job prospect
fell through as soon we got here in beautiful Northern Minnesota.
I took that to mean that perhaps it was time for me to strike
out in faith and start the concert ministry that I have
wanted to do for such a long time.
Well.... I had some concerts in September,
but since then almost nothing. The Lord has been exceedingly
gracious and has provided for all our needs through odd
jobs, a couple of websites, and a few donations/CD requests.
But I do feel a bit negligent as a father and husband, as
I am not offering much "stability" for my family.
I have no idea where next week's income will come from.
Not that I have to know the future, mind you, as God has
proven Himself absolutely trustworthy, but it can put strain
on a family living this way, and there are many loose ends
that I need to attend to. (Let the reader understand, that
I am a frail sinner trying to learn to walk by faith, stumbling
as I go. Just because I write and sing songs of faith doesn't
mean that I have "arrived". I, in fact, have much
to learn.) I am beginning to wonder if it might be time
to start looking for full-time work again.
The good thing about having a "regular"
job is that I would provide a more stable income and would
be able to keep offering my music completely free of charge
from my website (Lord willing). I've taken this approach
for the past six years. The negative side is that it would
seriously hinder my ability to say "yes" to concert
opportunities if and when they do arise. I really would
miss that face to face ministry. Another possible negative
is that one of the only decent paying jobs in my area is
shift work with an iron ore mine, which would mean I would
miss at least two Sunday Masses every month and precious
time with my family. I have a degree in music and seminary
training, but since I left the protestant ministry to become
a Catholic my job options are limited in the region we are
in. If at all possible, we would like to stay here, as closeness
to our extended families was our chief motivation for our
recent 1,000 mile move.
Please note that my motivation for writing
this journal entry is not to ask for donations. What I really
need at this moment are your prayers. Pray that God will
make it abundantly clear this week what I am supposed to
do and that He will grant me wisdom as I seek His will.
Perhaps He will grant me a new job. Perhaps He will open
the doors to several concerts. Perhaps my website business
will take off so I can be my own boss and have the freedom
to still do concerts as they infrequently arise. Perhaps
a publisher or record producer will contact me. Perhaps
my wife's sewing business idea will begin to blossom. Perhaps
my bishop will send me out to all the diocese with his blessing.
Perhaps (insert a million other possibilities here...) I
have no idea what to expect, but I know that God will provide.
Either way, I will still keep putting
my music out there.It would be a blessing to be able to
spread the Word of Christ in song fulltime, but that is
in no way a condition I am placing upon the Lord. I'm not
giving Him some kind of ultimatum, saying "If I can't
do it full-time I won't won't do it at all." I have
offered my music freely for six years and will gladly continue
to do so if that is truly His will. I know in my heart that
I am supposed to do all I can to give God a good return
on the talents He has given me, however small they may be.
I am compelled to proclaim the Word of Christ and would
be absolutely miserable if I didn't. I want to do whatever
I can to help spread the saving Gospel. Jesus' precious
blood was shed to reach souls. How could I not do my part
in at least telling people about what He has done?
Thank you for praying for me and my family
at this "crossroad" moment. I'll keep you all
posted through this Journal with an update on how your prayers
have been answered.
God bless you,
Karl
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006
It was a blessing to be able to visit
EWTN and be a guest on Marcus Grodi's program, The Journey
Home. I received lots of encouraging e-mails (and a few
from folks who didn't like what I had to say). God bless
them all.
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
My Christmas CD is starting to come together,
and I will likely post the first song, "The Song of
Mary", for free download by the end of this week. My
wife and I invested in a good keyboard, so you will hear
some new sounds on this CD, including larger orchestral
arrangements. I would love to get this CD professionally
duplicated. E-mail
me if you would be interested in buying a few copies
for Christmas gifts. If there's enough interest, I'll spend
the money to have 1,000 or more copies made.
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
I've started writing a Christmas CD! I've
got the first five songs written, but I haven't started
recording yet, as I have been battling a bit of a cold.
My whole family has been under the weather, but I think
we are on the mend now.
I'm excited about this Christmas project.
I was wondering why no concert opportunities had been opening
up in October, but I'm now beginning to wonder if that was
just God's way of saying, "Take some time to write
songs that honor the birth of my Son." It would be
ideal if I could have the CD completed by mid November,
so people could use the songs in their Advent preparations.
Thursday, Sept 28, 2006
We had a wonderful time in Crosslake,
MN this past weekend. I had a concert at Immaculate Heart
Catholic Church on Saturday and then was invited to sing
at a Christian coffee house unexpectedly the next night.
The life of faith is one big adventure. You never know what
tomorrow has in store, but you always know that God is going
to be there.
Friday, Sept 15, 2006
Another new development. I had the opportunity
to write and record a commercial jingle for a local ski
resort. That was kind of fun. Maybe I need to try and land
more of those jobs along with my web development. Between
those two perhaps I can piece together a stable enough income
which will allow me to remain self-employed and free to
go wherever and whenever for concerts as those opportunities
arise. I'm still praying for guidance and wisdom on how
to make it all work.
My family and I had a good trip last weekend.
The concerts weren't very well attended, but even if one
person is encouraged to fall deeper in love with Christ
it's all worth while. We also had the opportunity to visit
a friend on the way, whose little boy is in intensive care
after a car accident. Please pray for Everett Gillen, age
13.
Thursday, Sept 7, 2006
My family and I are looking forward to
our trip to Southern Minnesota for two concerts this weekend.
I have prayed for such a long time (more than 6 years) to
be able to launch this concert ministry. It's exciting to
see it finally taking shape.
Thank you, Lord, for giving me the grace
to persevere in prayer.
Thursday, August24. 2006
I have been busy re-designing my website.
I've also had alot of yard work to do. Last month seven
of our big beautiful trees were blown over by straight-line
winds. That was a bummer, but my wife had just prayed for
firewood earlier that week so... This batch will easily
carry us through next winter, after it has dried sufficiently.
We are thankful to God that none of the
trees hit our home.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Some interesting new turns in this ongoing
story.... First of all, I'm excited to announce that I will
be a guest on EWTN's "The Journey Home" program,
hosted by Marcus Grodi on October 30th. Second, I've scheduled
five concerts for the month of September, which is the closest
to being full-time with my music as I've ever been. Third,
I've started designing websites again in order to support
my family. I feel like I'm supposed to be my own boss, rather
than take a full-time job with another company, so that
I may have the freedom to pursue more concert opportunities.
Please pray for me and my family as we
consider the next step.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Still no full time job offers, but I do
have some temp work with a road construction crew. That
should carry us through the next couple of weeks. God is
good. I'm hoping that the absence of full-time offers means
that the Lord intends to bless my concert ministry.
Two concerts are scheduled so far. Would
you like me to come to your church?
Thanks for your prayers!
Friday, July 14, 2006
More prayers are needed!
After quitting a very good job, moving
1000 miles North, and closing on our new home, I was told
(about an hour after the closing) that the job I had been
offered is no longer available. That puts me and my family
in a bit of a bind, but I believe that God will provide.
I am beginning to wonder if the timing may be right to launch
the concert ministry that I have wanted to do for a long
time. May God's will be done.
I intend to speak with a few nearby priests
in the morning to see if those doors start opening. I hope
they do; I would love to travel from parish to parish proclaiming
Christ in song. But can I support my family doing so? That
is the question. And only God knows the answer.
Please pray!
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