07/13/2026
Two of my very favorite weeks of every year were back to back this year... And it was so good, but absolutely exhausting!
We gathered in Nashville with just over 800 other auditioned singers from all over the nation (and a couple of other countries!) to record an album of 25 hymns and contemporary Christian songs. We spent two days recording audio and one day doing video for each song. The sound was nothing short of heavenly and the experience will always be at the top of my list for the year. This was my 9th in-person recording and 11th album....and I can't imagine not participating in the future! (Currently learning the audition song for next year!)
We averaged about 9 hours of standing on each 10+ hour recording day and I got approximately 4 hours of sleep each night. But the tired was completely overshadowed by the camaraderie and connection with my people and with the Lord.
Lili and I left Nashville and went straight to a week of church camp... About 5 hours away, back in Southeast Missouri. Bootheel Youth Camp has been a part of my summers since about 1979, And it's one of my favorite places on earth! I've never started off quite so tired before, but it didn't stop us from having an amazing week singing, studying from the book of Ephesians, and making a whole new pile of memories! Record heat, record rain, and a night spent hunkered down in the mess hall to ensure safety during a storm... What's not to love?! 😅
And now we're back home...back to reality...and back to the shops. Scott, Savannah, Wendy, and others did a fantastic job keeping things going while I was gone. I'll be jumping back in feet first today...right after I visit the chiropractor for a much needed adjustment!! 😁
Happy Monday, Newfound friends! See y'all soon! 💚
