Seattle Center - Center House Stage

Here's another concert I'm looking forward to singing.  I've performed with the Foxley band at the Tacoma Rescue Mission & Tacoma Freedom Fair and it will be a pleasure to share the stage with them again.  When I think of them I'm reminded of a T.V. show back in the 70's called "The Partridge Family" .  Except the Foxley band can really play.  I haven't seen Latterain Dance Ministry but I'm looking forward to seeing and meeting them.  I've had the pleasure of recording Chuck Worthy at my studio and I'm honored to share the stage again with him as well.

To, Liv on our 5th Wedding Anniversary

A friend once told me they'd had a near-death experience.  I told them I knew what that was like because I'd been divorced three times.

My wife's name is Elizabeth but I call her "Liv".  I call her Liv because ever since she came into my life I feel like I'm living for the first time.  My love for her is so alive that when we're apart I feel empty, or at least half full.  I love her smile, her laugh, her eyes and her ways.  I knew from the moment I first saw her that we'd always be together and in love.  I know that sounds romantic and cute but it's true.

So to you my Liv it's our 5th,

with our lifetime yet still to be.

I can't believe I belong to you,

and that you still belong to me.  Love Forever, Your Husband

I'm Amazed Live at Jammer's by Jerry Corelli

Jammer's Java & Gourmet Sandwich Shop July 17th

First I'd like to introduce to you, Andrew Noble.  You can find out more Andrew and his music on the web at his Shoutlife page.  Andrew had the rough distinction of being the first up for the night and did a great job ministering to everyone.

Dave has really worked on Jammer's to give it a more comfortable atmosphere.  Not that it wasn't comfortable before, but after taking it over he pretty much started from scratch with things and it's looking better each day.  "Rest In Him" (Blues/Rock) was a signature song that was a real crowd pleasure that Andrew did a great "Air Guitar" lick to.  I recorded video of the night and plan to post songs from the evening on my YouTube channel.  First, I'll get Andrew's permission to post it before I do.

It was great to see and hear Dylan & Dulcinea Hatch again.  They did a wonderful song that they dedicated to Chuck & Linda Worthy for their 30 wedding anniversary.  They didn't know it but they were singing it to my wife and me too, because, July 23rd will be our 5th wedding anniversary.

Dulcinea and Dylan are really maturing with their stage presence too.  They becoming more and more comfortable and relaxed when they sing.  Plus their talking and sharing more between songs which I like a lot.

Up next after Dylan and Dulcinea was Susan Murphy.  The sun was beginning to set and really brightened up the place.  Susan is always so enjoyable to listen to and is so comfortable in her presence as well.

Next up was yours truly.

Sometimes my wife gets caught up in my singing and forgets to take pictures.  This was one of those nights.  So the pictures I'm posting of me were taken by Linda Worthy.  Thanks Linda for sending them.

It turned out we had Chasing Jane stop by after they had come from singing at the Taste of Seattle.  They were asked to share a few songs and were real troopers.  They pulled out the guitar and harmonica and blessed us with some of their standards along with a new one too.

Monroe WSR Concert July 11th

 

I could not have had a more beautiful day to drive to Monroe if I'd placed an order for it.  Blue skies and no traffic.  The road to WSR is on the right and before I drove up the road I had to stop and take a few pictures.

I'm not sure but according to the sign it appears the Washington State Reformatory (WSR) was built in 1910.

From out side the Visitors building I would take a guess that it was built in 1910.  To me it's a beautiful building.  The Visitors building, the one on the right is where we go to check in before entering the main area to the right of the picture.

Once inside no pictures are allowed.  It took about 15 minutes to pass through all the gates, about 5 of them, to reach the Chapel.  Steve Clines, the Prisoners For Christ Team Leader, arrived with 3 other men about 20 minutes after I'd gotten there and the last one showed up about 10 minutes before we went through the security check desk.  This was the largest Prisoners for Christ team I'd entered with and it was a good thing too.  When we entered the Chapel I was surprised to see 65 inmates getting ready for that evening. Interesting thing I noticed this trip. Every institution I've gone to has the same smell.  We always seem to go through areas where inmates are meeting with their loved ones on the outside, and the always ever present smell is popcorn.

As I got my mic and guitar equipment set up the PFC volunteers, along with some inmates, were prayer over an inmate who is to be released within the next week.  As I set everything up I was praying too.  Praying that he would have support on the outside and have the strength to decide not to go down the same road that brought him to WSR.

There has never been a time when I've left an institution less blessed than when I went in to minister in song.  The inmates always seem to take the moment I'm there and fill it up with as much richness and blessing as they can.  The Holy Spirit filled the Chapel Sunday and once again I felt blessed to be there.  I ministered in song for about 50 minutes and every song I picked for the evening seemed to be the right songs everyone needed to hear.

After my music two inmates got up and gave their testimony with both of them making reference to my newest song, "I'm Not Dead Yet".  They spoke of how, even though they are in prison, they're not Dead yet and have more to do in their lives.  That, for now, proclaiming the Gospel to other inmates is their mission and WSR is their mission field.  I often sing not knowing if what I sing is touching the hearts of those listening but Sunday I was blessed to hear from those who approached me afterward that my music spoke to their hearts.

I often sing at venues where I have someone come up afterward and I recognize them from another venue I sang at.  This time I had an inmate, James, who came up and I recognized him from a different unit I had ministered to earlier this year.  He shared with me that his mother recently accepted Christ and that his brother voluntarily is going through drug treatment.  He shared with me that something he did caused him to land in WSR from a different unit and that it pushed out his parole by a year.  But he shared that because he found the strength, through Christ, to be open and honest about what he did the consequences were less than minimal.  Again I was amazed by his attitude.  So many of us on the outside complain about the most trivial things in our life and how hard things are.  We rarely stop to admit that the way things are in our lives may be because it's our fault. 

Here's a picture as you drive down the road to leave WSR.  I rarely see the building like this because most of the times I've ministered there it's been dark when I leave.

Jammer's Java & Gourmet Sandwich Shop July 17th

The show starts @ 7pm and I'll be on at 9:30.  It's going to be a great night of fellowship & music.  Go to my Facebook page and check in that you're going if you can attend.

Tacoma Freedom Fair

Sunday July 4th my wife and I got up around 4:30 that morning, loaded the car, drove to Dickman Hill Park to unload our stuff with the stage looking all alone.

It took a few hours but by 10am Chuck & Linda Worthy, G-Write, Dylan & Dulcinea Hatch, along with a few others managed to get everything set up.

Everything started working after G-Write used the hammer on the table to show the sound board who was boss.  Just kidding!  In fact the entire stage was powered by solar energy.  I kind of thought that at some point it would give out but while we were there it never did.

Right on time Chuck Worthy took to the stage to announce the first artist of the day, Mr. G-Write.

I've had the privilege to sing at other gigs with G-Write and I can't stop saying enough about the man.  His Christian integrity is inspirational and his Rapping is unmatched locally.  G-Write pens lyrics that are down to earth yet poetic in their flow.  Knowing someone so talented and yet so humble is both a pleasure and honor.

Susan Murphy was up next and I regret we don't have any pictures.  I recall running an errand about that time and as I came back to the Park I could hear her wonderful voice and was thinking "Who is that?"

Tiger & Sydney Paulsen are singers I had not heard until the Tacoma Freedom Fair and they offered some surprising numbers.  Big band tunes are some of my favorite and they delivered them very well.  I'm glad to see those songs being picked up by such young artists.  They were most enjoyable in there presentation.

I can't say enough about Dylan & Dulcinea Hatch.  They did the back up vocals on my new CD "I'm Not Dead Yet" and their here to stay.  Dulcinea did "I'm proud to be an American" by Lee Greenwood and of course made it her own.

For a sound check before the day started I sang "America" by Neil Diamond and when the air show got underway Chuck got the idea to have me sing "America" as an intro to the air show.

When Eva Sabiniano & Band played I was running sound but my wife got off a few pictures.  Their song "Jump for Jesus" will forever be engraved in my brain.  That's a good thing too because I really liked the song, as did every child in the park.

I

I think I sang Neil Diamond's "America" three times that day but I enjoyed singing "I can't believe I'm yours" from my Grandfather Moon CD the most, because it's a song I wrote to and for my wife "Liv".

After doing 2 songs with a back up CD I picked up my guitar.  I wrote a song years ago called "Old Glory" and the Tacoma Freedom Fair was the first public performance of the song, that I can recall anyway.

Then I sang "If I didn't have you" from my Grandfather Moon CD and "Fried Bolgona" and "I'm Not Dead Yet" which has gotten on rotation on the Christian Originals internet radio station.  Just click the link and it will take you to the station.  They play a lot of really good material.

Around 7:30pm I looked over at my wonderful wife and could see the day was taking its toll on her.  I had been running the sound for awhile and hadn't noticed her fatigue.  She was packing up the CD's and table and I knew from that it was time to go.  Being on stage 3 times pumped me full of adrenaline so I didn't notice the fatigue until we got home.  It had been a long day for us but man was it a blast!

My wife and I want to thank Chuck & Linda Worthy for allowing me the opportunity to sing at the Tacoma Freedom Fair and for allowing me to run sound for a bit too.  Everyone there did such a great job displaying their talent and love for the Lord and community that it made my wife and I proud to be involved in the Worthy Music Ministries - Tacoma Freedom Fair for 2010.