10.27.06
Posted in Janet's Posts at 4:22 pm by Janet
A “Gaitherfest” without a single Gaither would have seemed impossible a few days ago, but late last week Bill had to undergo a stent replacement and needed a little time to recover before hosting a weekend of this magnitude; so he made a last minute call to Mark Lowry asking him to emcee the weekend. Mark dropped everything and headed to Myrtle Beach while Bill worked from home to help put together the agenda for the weekend.
A few hours and many cell phone calls later, Mark Lowry led the parade of artists to the stage singing, “Lean on me… when you’re not strong…” As it turned out, no song could have more perfectly prepared us for what would happen during the hours that followed.
Mark announced right away that Bill would not be able to attend, and you could hear a concerned sigh across the crowd, but the evening lacked for nothing as one song folded into the next according to Bill’s instructions. As Mark started feeling more and more confident that things were going well, he decided to rip up Bill’s notes… just as Bill came on via live video feed to ask him what he was doing.
Bill spent the next few moments bantering with Mark, checking in on the evening, greeting all the great folks who were in attendance, and even sang a little song. You could tell that Bill would have loved nothing more than to jump through that video screen and stand beside Mark on the stage; but, as is true with so many good leaders, all his years of teaching, nurturing and building up his team was paying off. The entire event was an unprecedented success because every person who stepped up to a microphone during the weekend had learned something from Bill that would make the event happen in his absence.
Janet Paschal stepped onto the Homecoming stage for the first time in a year-and-a-half, after her breast cancer diagnosis and treatments. And she was back 100%. She has never looked, sounded or communicated better. The audience was thrilled to see her again, and she took the opportunity to say that she never asked God to let her sing again after her diagnosis… she only wanted Him to let her thank all the people who had prayed and supported her during that journey.
Saturday evening was filled with more of those moments that really can’t be adequately described with words but, in a nutshell, it was a personification of the Family of God truly touching heaven together as Christ was lifted up.
The evening ended, as so many Homecoming events have ended over the years, with “Because He Lives.” And as the building cleared, the message lingered as vividly as it has ever lingered… “I can face tomorrow… I know who holds the future… because He lives.”
With or without Bill Gaither… the music went on and God showed up.
Emily Sutherland
Gaither.com
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Posted in Janet's Posts at 10:43 am by Janet
Hey Everybody,
It’s Friday morning, and I’ve spent the majority of it in the garage. I began reorganizing the CDs, etc., and Max began grabbing my garden gloves and running. I, of course, proceeded to chase him until we were both exhausted. He loves to do something he knows is wrong, just because he knows he’ll get my undivided attention – not that different from the rest of us, I guess.
I’m getting ready to leave town and I’m very excited about it. Don and Nita Brankel were evangelists for many years. He recently began pastoring in Texarkana and they are now readying to dedicate their new church. John Starnes and I are singing for the services and it’s always so much fun to work with him. For years, people had no idea how wonderfully funny he was. Now he’s incorporating that quick wit into his programs and they are just tremendous. He has you laughing one minute and crying the next. Just too, too good.
Last weekend I sang for my first Gaither event since I resumed my concerts and the entire weekend was just fantastic. The only thing missing were Bill and Gloria, and we think the Lord showed up in a special way, knowing how much we’d need it! Bill is doing great now and he expects to be back on the road any day. It’s really amazing when someone has championed an event for so many years that it still reflects your mark whether or not you’re there. They’ve done so many things right for so long that they’re allowed to coast now and then. I selfishly hope, however, that it’s not the next time I’m on the program! I missed them!
We love you and I look forward to seeing some of you in Arkansas this weekend. Go Razorbacks!!
Love,
Janet
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10.18.06
Posted in Janet's Posts at 9:36 am by Janet
Hey Everybody,
It’s early Wednesday morning. Fall is grandstanding in North Carolina like never before. Maggie (the magnolia) has almost doubled in size, Moe (the sycamore) is getting ready to undress for winter, and I’m browsing recipes. One of my favorite things about fall’s arrival is the first time we turn on the heat; the smelI always reminds me of home and family and fires and quilts. While I love each changing season, this is my absolute favorite.
I recently spent a week at my sister’s church, planning to help with some events. As it turned out, they were so well organized that they didn’t need any extra help at all. Since that was the case, I sat in on my brother-in-law’s evening adult classes. Each night he took us through the nuts and bolts of the Festival of the Trumpets – and he made it matter to us. While you all probably know all of this information, I was wide-eyed, riveted by the way God pulls a thread through history, tying knots along the way. He made it clear that those of us who live in the 21st century are merely products of the events of Leviticus. I left each night with a lump in my throat – no kidding.
One of my favorite ideas was Pastor Gary’s assertion that God never stops filling our hearts with wonder. He reminded us that John, the Beloved Apostle, walked with Christ for three and a half years prior to the crucifixion. He recognized Him walking on the lake. He shared in the multiplication of fish and bread. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Jesus while He healed the sick. He traveled alongside Him to Jairus’ home and saw the dead raised to live again. He witnessed, firsthand, the Transfiguration. He knew the agony of Gethsemane and the solemnity of the Last Supper. He stood the lone apostle at the crucifixion. He was the first to arrive at the tomb. Over and over, and more and more his heart was filled with wonder.
In the year 95 AD, John was arrested and sent to Rome as a prisoner. For his punishment, he was boiled in oil, but he emerged unscathed. This miracle was attributed to sorcery and, as a result, he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. Because he was Jewish he was allowed to worship on the seventh day of each week. He wrote so eloquently of Jesus’ appearance to him on that island (I’ll paraphrase), ‘I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day (the seventh day)…. I heard a loud voice and turned around … His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in the furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters… When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.’ This beloved apostle who knew Christ intimately, who witnessed the greatest events of history alongside Him, suddenly saw Jesus again and he was still overwhelmed by Him. He fell at His feet, overtaken by the wonder.
It is my prayer that all of us keep the wonder – the realization that we can know Him intimately, that He hears us, that He cares for us, that our lives are held in His hands. That we, too, are His Beloved.
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10.03.06
Posted in Janet's Posts at 10:15 pm by Janet
Hey Everybody,
It’s Tuesday night, John has just given me a crash course in Blogging 101, and I’m still shaking my head that you and I can sit at our respective computers and communicate in our bedroom shoes. Anyway, this is just a quick update. Deeper, more mind-boggling updates will come later.
We’re gearing up for concerts this weekend. My sister, Kay, is joining me for two North Carolina events. On Friday night we’ll be in Elkin for a pastor with whom I worked when I first began singing solo concerts. He was always so gracious to invite me back, and I’ve never forgotten it. On Saturday, we’ll be at Amy Templeton’s church in Boone for a Ladies Luncheon. I met Amy at a television station when I sang with the Rex Nelon Singers. I always thought she was so beautiful inside and out. Now she and Jeff have two children who are just as beautiful.
While I’m out of town this weekend, John and the church team will be playing their final softball game of the season. I say “final” because they probably won’t make it to the playoffs – unless, of course, some other team has a worse record – which we can’t imagine. What’s more important is that they have fun playing (since they don’t enjoy shopping.)
Okay, that’s all for now. In my next post I’ll tell you about my trip to Indiana for the ‘Best of Janet’ video shoot. Wait ’til you hear….
Blessings,
Janet
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