The emotional anticipation that came as August
approached made it somewhat difficult to focus on “normal life.” I love long road trips, and so I had decided
early on that I would drive to Oklahoma to lay out the vocals for my CD, Hope
Beyond Hope, rather than fly. Besides, all the horror stories I had been hearing
and reading about how TSA treated airline customers seemed like flying would
take all the fun out of my journey.
However, the wildfires in the area became a potential hazard that did bring
about some sobriety. I heard about them
on the radio two days before I was supposed to leave. So then I decided to do a
search on-line about it and discovered that the dry conditions had the
wildfires moving so fast that some people would leave for work in the morning
and come home to discover that their home and most everything in it was gone.
How ironic that I would be singing about Hope Beyond Hope in an area where many
had lost nearly all or all. In addition, the main highway that I was planning
to take into Oklahoma had been shut down the night before I heard the news
report. I contacted the studio to see if we needed to reschedule, and they assured
me that all was under control and that I had nothing to worry about. The fires
were on the opposite side of the county from the studio. Nevertheless, I
sounded the proverbial trumpet for all the prayer warriors that I knew to pray,
especially for rain. The day before I
left, a bit of rain started to fall in some of the threatened areas. It wasn’t a
lot, but it helped some.
Armed with multiple map quest print outs (I planned an alternate route just in
case), a road atlas, my cell phone, multiple books on cd and tape, music, and
of course my luggage, I enthusiastically began my journey just after dawn on a Monday
morning. Of course, a caffeinated beverage made said enthusiasm possible at
such an obnoxious hour. (Perhaps if I start doing more long-distance traveling
in the future because the CD takes off, I’ll quit being cheep and will actually
spring for a GPS.) I was also planning a
little side trip to Branson, Missouri to see who I could connect with for future
opportunities to share the songs from Hope Beyond Hope. Since my music is inspirational in nature and Branson
has gained the reputation for being a family-friendly venue with lots of great
music acts, this seemed like a great plan. Especially since it was only an about
hour off of the main highway into Oklahoma for me.
Branson is an amazing place. I saw a
show at the Pierce Arrow Theater and it was phenomenal! The Pierce Arrow quartet
is made up of four male singers whose harmonies are so tight it will make even
your eardrums stand and applaud. Singer Kim Boyce not only has a beautiful
musical theater type voice, but her boldness for her love of Jesus shines
through all of her songs. It was also inspiring to hear 15 year-old Desta, an
up and coming star, belt out some modern country tunes. That is certainly
someplace I’d like to sing someday. And I made a point of connecting, so it
will be interesting to see if anything comes of that.
God’s hand is truly on the city of Branson.
There is this uncanny sense of peace that passes understanding that I
experienced when I was there. I had also read a news article about a week prior
that stated that the Mayor of Branson is a Christian and she recognizes that
God’s blessings are on that city because of how the community honors God, family
and the Word. It’s one thing to read about a city that honors God. It’s another
thing to be there and experience how that affects the entire atmosphere. You
really just have to experience it to get a hold of that.
It was disappointing that I could only be in Branson overnight, but at the same
time, what a wonderful experience! And moving forward with what God has for me
was really why I had even gotten to enjoy such an amazing place. It took close
to nine hours to get from home to Branson. The remainder of my journey to Oklahoma would
be about another five hours.
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