Thanksgiving Came A Week Late For Me

Well maybe not literally, but as I sit here tonight, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. So tonight, I am going to do my best to put into words some things that have happened through this experience of Christmas at Northwood that I will be forever grateful for.

1. I am thankful for the amazing gift of the performing arts. This week I watched some 70+ cast and crew (singers, instrumentalists, dancers, technicians, etc) come together and forge a bond that only comes from performing together. If you were part of that team and you are reading this, I am looking forward to reading everyone's bios tonight. You are all so incredibly gifted in your particular areas and I consider it a true blessing to have shared the stage with you.

2. I am thankful for the experience of playing in a band again. The CAN Band as we are called was an incredible group of players and it was a joy to be part of them. Crystal, Charlie, Jason, Josh, and Ben....you guys are amazing. Let's do it again!

3. I am thankful that God can take something that is broken and put it back together. It's no secret how difficult this year has been for Beth and I, but I know in my life, God is putting me back together and is healing the pain that has tried to take me out of ministry. I will never speak for my wife, but I saw some things this week that show me He's doing the same thing for her. We may be at different stages of that journey, but we're doing it together and nothing the enemy can throw at us will split us apart.

4. I am thankful for being stretched musically. Let's face it, I'm a drummer. Playing piano for worship is an entirely different animal than playing auxiliary keys for a Christmas production that ranges from Elvis, to Taylor Swift, to Frozen and everything in between. I have not been this challenged since I had a piano player tell me on a Sunday morning that they were quitting and I had 7 days to make myself proficient enough to lead from the piano. This week, I was playing dueling piano parts on a Trans Siberian Orchestra piece. WHAT??!??!

Speaking of which....

5. I am thankful to not be playing Wish Liszt again for a very long time. (Crystal, I still have my hard copy if we can get the band back together for a sheet music burning ceremony)

6. I am thankful to go to bed tonight knowing that I don't have to have the same outfit that I've worn for 6 straight nights ready to wear again tomorrow night.

7. I am thankful for exhaustion. If I wasn't this tired (see pic) I would question if I've really given it my all.

8. I am thankful for cast members who will change back into an earlier costume at the end of a long night just to put a smile on the faces of my children.

To my fellow CANNIES - You guys are awesome and I love you all!