The singing last night at the Grand Central Church was amazing!  The auditorium was totally packed  and extra folding chairs had to be added.  It dawned on me that we went two straight hours without taking a break.  I was expecting many to leave after an hour or so, but the room stayed full until the very end.  This event turned out to be part seminar and part reunion.  The people in the Parkersburg area are very special. 

At 10:00 this morning, I got to lead worship in chapel for this University in Vienna, West Virginia.  A flood of memories returned because we lived in this area while attending Williamstown Bible College (many moons ago. ) The last time I was here, it was called Ohio Valley College.  Now, this beautiful campus is home to a university!  The students were very friendly and the participation in the singing was meaningful.  Somebody needs to tell me about this campus and what it was before the university purchased it.

I am thrilled to hear stories about how Praise & Harmony continues to assist people in their worship.  Last week, a church ordered a copy of the CD for every member of their entire congregation!  I'm glad that people are getting serious about learning and restoring four-part harmony in our worship.  Sharon and I leave for Parkersburg, West Virginia today for a Praise & Harmony seminar there.  We are excited about seeing old friends and making new ones.  Hopefully, you'll hear from some of them after the seminar and they will post comments here.

I told you about my friend, Roger Ferguson and how he connected us with the Korean Church.  He shared a heart-warming story with me this morning, that I have asked him to send a comment to this message so you can read his story.  If you have any positive stories to share about Praise & Harmony, I encourage you to post the comment here.  Blessings! 

I love to travel and have been blessed to see a lot of the world.  My favorite city that I have ever visited is San Francisco.  What a city!  Since I enjoy the cool breezes in the peak of summer, I absolutely love the weather there.  I believe it was Mark Twain who said the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.  It seems to be pleasant all the time.

Sharon and I took our two youngest children, Anthony and Allison to San Francisco in June of this year.  It was their first time to expereince this wonderful city, and yes, the weather did not disappoint.  While everyone was wearing long sleeves and parkas, I was celebrating the cool, cool San Francisco summer in shorts and short sleeves.

San Francisco is very eclectic and the cosmopolitan nature of the city is evident everywhere.    No more so than in their restaurants.  San Francisco boasts some of the most outstanding dining choices to be found anywhere on the planet, and boy did we enjoy our share.  Being vegetarians, Sharon and the kids were treated to many vegetarian dishes, including Chinese, Thai, Mediterranean and Italian.  Of course we did splurge and visit Ghiradelli Chocolate factory and did not pass up the local See's Candies.

One surprising restaurant hit was called the Stinking Rose, recommended by my friends Phil Barnes and Jim Gotto.  Apparently EVERYTHING on the menu is based in garlic.  I mean everything.  We also enjoyed Original Joe's Italian and the Lucky Creation, a fantastic vegetarian Chinese Diner.  We really enjoyed  Houston's, a very nice, nation-wide chain that originated in Nashville, TN, but sadly, the original store has closed.  This was our favorite local restaurant in Nashville!

Our family bicycled across the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoyed lunch in Sausolito.  We ferried back to San Francisco and took in the normal tourist destinations at Fisherman's Warf and Pier 39.  One of the highlights for Anthony was the tour of Alcatraz Prison, where we were given the privilege of being a select few for a very limited side tour.   

The observation level of the Coit Tower afforded us a breath-taking view of the city.  Allison enjoyed driving down the "crookedest" street in the world, Lombard Street.  China Town is always such an exhilirating experience.  Another breath-taking panaramic view came from atop Twin Peaks.  Riding the cable cars up and down the steep hills was delightful.  Golden Gate Park is an attraction all it's own, including it's Japanese Gardens and arbors.

In addition to the city itself, we took in surrounding highlights like the Monterrey Peninsula (and aquarium), 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, Carmel By The Sea, Bonita Point and the redwoods at Muir Woods.  We really enjoyed visiting the wonderful people at the local church at Golden Gate.  All in all, San Francisco is my favorite place to enjoy a relaxing vacation.

Click on the San Francisco Photo Album then click slides for 80 second slide show.

 

My Friend, Roger Ferguson was the one who arranged the singing opportunity with the Korean Church. He and his wife Dawn are part of our praise team ministry at Madison. Roger has produced a wonderful CD of original songs that has a very "British Invasion" and Beatles sound. You will enjoy his music! Check it out at http://www.rogerferguson.net

My friend, David Creek, recently spent two weeks on a mission trip in Brazil. His only regret was, in his words --

"The only thing I regret - not having a walkman to listen to my hundreds of Acappella CDs! The second I got back in, I dropped my bags in the living room, prayed, and ran through CD after CD . . . four hours nonstop."

"When I sang, 'Well On My Way' though, I had to turn off the ceiling fan so I wouldn't lose my fingers!"

David, we are glad you saved your fingers! Also, glad you had a fruitful trip. Thanks for sharing.

(for those of you who have never been to an Acappella concert, it is common for everyone in the entire audience to raise their hands as high as they can during part of this song.)