Southern Grace has had a busy November and December.  We are not complaining, as we love to be doing what we strongly feel the Lord has called us to do.

November began with us celebrating homecoming with Pastor and Sister Jimmy Collins at Ft. Ogden Church of God.  We have been privileged to know Pastor Collins since the early days of The Spirituals.  He was one of the first pastors to take a chance on that group, of whom your editor was an original member.  These wonderful people put out an incredible dinner that included smoked pork and chicken.  Great time – great folks.

The following Sunday we went in the opposite direction to the Live Oak area where we sang at Suwannee Station Baptist Church for their annual Old Fashion Day.  This was our second time singing for them at this event.  Pastor Wilbur Woods is a wonderful man of God and we love the precious people who make up his congregation.  Two families took two of each of the singers for Sunday morning showers and a full home-cooked breakfast at their homes.  They even sent us home with homemade cane syrup!  Yum Yum!  (Thanks to the Morgan family and to Chris and Angie Lee)!  A local minister preached an awesome sermon on why we need to commit to faithfully attend worship services.  Then, of course, they spread an old fashion, home-cooked “dinner-on-the-ground”.  What food these folks in this area prepare!  Thanks to all of you, and especially to our Lord, whose presence was so evident throughout the day.

On the way home, we stopped for an evening service at Berean Baptist Church in Ocala.  A gentleman who met us at the FGMA convention in Wimauma this year told us he would check with his pastor about having us sing at Berean.  His pastor agreed.  We found him to be most hospitable.  It was wonderful to meet members of the family of God we had not met before. We trust they will invite us back again as we had a grand time.

On Saturday November the 15th, we were part of the “entertainment package” at The Florida Opry in Plant City.  This event is held in the historic Plant City High School auditorium.  The room was not designed for electronic sound reinforcement.  It was a soundman’s nightmare, but we made it through!  The feature group was Dixie Highway, a country band with steel guitar and an excellent fiddle man.  They were very good with their style of music, though somewhat loud for the older audience that was there that night.

Last Sunday we, with the help of Map Quest, found our way to Istachatta, FL, where we sang at the Istachatta Baptist Church for their 5th Sunday singing.  It was not only our first time in that church, it was our first time in that community.  If fact, none of us had ever even heard of the community until we were invited to sing there.  Wayne Simpson, former rhythm guitar player for The Spirituals, and his wife Gloria were instrumental in getting us scheduled there.  We were joined in the afternoon service by New Day, another southern gospel group.  We prevailed upon them to sing a few songs, which they did.  The folks loved them and scheduled them to sing there in the future.  But, it was especially good to have Wayne and Gloria there, as Wayne has struggled a great deal with his health in the last couple of years.  Thanks to all who were involved with the services.

Our last singing for 2009 will be Saturday, December 5th.  at Walk In Faith Worship Center in Apopka, FL.  We have never been to this church either, so we are very excited about singing there and meeting these fellow travelers on the road to glory.  Unfortunately, the Florida Gators will be playing the Alabama Crimson Tide in Altanta that day for the SEC title, and we will be in the bus or sitting up sound equipment during game time.  We hope Florida wins or Southern Grace may be unable to sing.  Kidding! But we do want our Florida Gators to make it a perfect season, and to showcase Tim Tebow, whose Christ-like attitude has stood head and shoulders above the mostly self-centered attitudes of a lot of college athletes.  All that being said, our heart is ministry in song and that is what we are most excited about; singing for Jesus one more time.