Hello as promised, a long time in being delivered, but better later than never, right?  The Worship Concert was at the Southern Oaks campus on the evening of June 23rd, 2024.

Before the concert could begin, we had to meet and practice or run through the program, so that we all knew our places, that the sound was just right, and we ran through all of the songs that were sung.

Our call time was 3:30 PM and the rest of that afternoon was spent practicing.  During the practice the mic for my solo was turned off, but I was assured that the mic would be left on, so one less thing to worry about.  The night before the concert in a conversation with GOD, I told him that I wanted him to show me how to sing the solo, and that I would sing it the way he wanted me to sing it.

I had positive feedback from my fellow choir members and my director too, I just had to relax and sing the solo from my heart.  The solo was my love letter to GOD.  After about two hours or maybe two and a half hours of practice, we all gathered together including our tech team and we ate a meal together, it was delicious Italian food, we all had a wonderful time in fellowship.

Then, after we ate, we got ready for the concert that was going to start at 6:30 PM, in the time leading up to that, we all greeted people as they arrived.  In Florida people arrive early, even at times when I am just reporting for the call time!  We had a lot of people come out for the concert, I asked our pastors and people I knew to pray for me, and I just tried to keep calm and focused on the entire evening. The night kicked off with a welcome from our director, then he introduced our Men's Trio, and the trio of men sang Sinner Saved By Grace when I looked up the copyright for the song, I had a bunch of results telling me that the song was by Gaither Vocal Band.  People really enjoyed that song and we had fun listening to them sing.  After the Men's Trio, our Men's Ensemble sang a lively tune that was called, Just a Little Talk With Jesus, written by George Jones.  My director, his wife, and two members of our choir sang We Are The Church, a song that reminded all of us that the building is just a building where the people are the church. The song was written for that purpose by Richard K. Avery.  During that song was our cue to come up, and we all enjoyed singing with them.

After that song, LOWC took over and we sang for the rest of the evening from top to finish.  These songs were a collection called The Worship Mashups Collection.  The first song was a mash up of In Christ Alone arranged by Cliff Durren , and written by Keith Getty, Stuart Townsend, Edward Mote, and William B. Bradbury.  The second song was Break Every Chain Will Regan with Revelation Song.  Some of us made motions, I made a motion with the gentleman next to me that looked like we were breaking the chains, because that is what GOD's power can do, GOD can break the chain of hatred, division, enslavement, bondage, addictions, and all of the chains in this world that can hold us down or hold us back. Then, we threw those broken chains down and praised GOD during Revelation Song.  The third song was Surrounded (Fight My Battles) by Elyssa Smith.  That song reminded all of us to fight our battels through prayer, and to let GOD fight our battles. The other song, Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Scott Cash.  We were also reminded that we should not live our lives in fear, even if circumstances want to make us run for the hills, we have GOD's armies of angels coming to rescue us, and GOD will see us through whatever life wants to throw at us.  

The fourth song we sang was 10,000 Reasons ( Bless the Lord) with What a Beautiful Name  10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) (Jonas Myrin, Matt Redman)  on the opening verse that talks about the sun coming up, I bent my head down and prayed, because that is the first thing I do every morning , I have prayer and I tell God what is on my heart and mind, I pray for others, first of all I thank GOD for the beautiful morning, all of the blessings, if there was a tragic event, I lift the people that were impacted by it up in prayer, and I have a list of people's needs in my church that I pray for, I am a prayer warrior and member of the LOCC prayer community.  If you sent me a private message here asking for prayer, I would stop what I am doing and pray for you and whatever need you have. I even had motions that were sincere, and heart felt during Beautiful Name.   Another song that was added was a hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Helen Howarth Lemmel) 1922.  The fifth song was Ever Be by Kalley Heilgenthal. Gabriel Wilson, Chris Greely, Bobby Strand.  The other song was Tremble by Hank Bentley, Mia Fields, Mariah McManus, Andres Figueroa.  Another song to remind us all that GOD can calm the storms and silence the seas, before HIM the darkness trembles.   The sixth song we sang was Spirit of the Living God Jacob Sooter, Mia Fieldes. / Holy Spirit Katie Torwalt , Bryan Torwalt.  Those songs drew us closer to GOD and closer to HIS presence.  The seventh song was The Stand, Joel Houston with So Will I (100 Billion X) by Joel Houston, Benjamin Hastings, Michael Fatkin.   Both songs expressed our gratitude for GOD's love and salvation, on the last verse of The Stand ,  I went up to the mic, it was not in any plan, but when the stand wanted to be difficult, I held the mic.  The first part of my solo called GOD, the GOD of salvation and described what Jesus did for all of us on the cruel cross.  HE was the light of the world, but he was abandoned in the darkness to die for all of our sins.  I held my finger up to show the light, like in the little song we learn This Little Light Of Mine, then I slowly pulled my finger down to my heart, I kept my hand on my heart a lot.  Then, the LOWC came in to sing about how all of our failures disappear when GOD speaks.  How HE gave HIS life for us so we could find our life, how HE left the grave defeated death, and if we know and follow Jesus, we do not have to fear the grave and death, we will leave it behind.  The next verse talked about GOD's heart and love, what HE did for us out of that love. HE gladly chose to surrender and so should I.  Then all of the precious souls and the children that HE died to save, and we are to love them and one another.  HE does this over and over again, and HIS desire for us has no amount that we can measure.  GOD is the one that never leaves anyone behind.  The next part, I sang some adlibbing, the choir asked What could I say? What could I do? I softly echoed What could I say? Oh LORD? What could I do?  I could offer my heart to GOD, and I took my hand off my heart and slowly raised it into the air, to show everyone that I was giving my heart to GOD. Then, our pastor had some final remarks, before we closed the concert by singing Lamb of God with Resurrecting by Merideth Andrews, Jason Ingram, Andi Rozier.  These two songs just echoed what the other two songs were all about. GOD taking our place, how HIS blood was poured out for all of us. Also reminded us that even when we are defeated or feel defeated because of GOD's spirit we all can rise up out of those ashes of defeat. Also Resurrecting was by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye, Matthews Thabo Ntele.  That was the conclusion of the concert, I humbly thanked the people who commented about the solo, or the ministry, I was also surprised by my friend, the one I had mentioned had prayed for Sammy, she came, and I had no idea that she was there. We hugged and spent some time talking, then my mom and I went home.  That night, I watched TV, had some of my friend's teas to drink to soothe my throat and voice, and I rested.  GOD was given the glory!

LOWC had most of the summer off, we just started back this week and I will keep you all posted on when we sing again, I think I heard September 22nd, location to be determined. 

I hope all of you enjoy reading about my choir's first concert.

Take Care!

Enjoy Your Weekend!

God Bless!