From Prison to Praise

I am new to Topeka and new to TBC so I had not seen the light show before but had heard many great comments about past years.  I knew I wanted to attend the light show for myself , but when the challenge was presented to reach out and invite others I knew immediately who I would invite. To set the stage let me give you a little background - I have been in Prison Ministry for the last few years and ministering to the women at Topeka Correctional Facility, and in the past several months since moving to Topeka I have been given permission from KDOC to mentor/minister to some of these women after they are released which in itself is an answer to prayer.  I have been inviting these young ladies to church over the past months to no avail.  However I decided that the light show would be a great opening, I invited 3 young ladies to go with me to the light show and they eagerly accepted, since I was not allowed to serve them the infamous Deliberto Chili on my home, I opted to take them out for dinner and then to the light show.  At first the girls thought it was quite funny when we pulled into the parking lot and it was apparent that we were staying in the car but as the show began the laughter went away and was replaced my wonder and amazement.  At the end of the show - I held my excitement to myself as I wanted to hear first from them what their reaction was.  They immediately started sharing how awesome it was and they started listing names of friends that they planned to bring back to see the lights and hear the message - they were all amazed.

Fast forward one week - I met with one of the ladies last night and she wanted to know about the 11 am service on Sunday.  I was so blessed and I Praise God that the light show and it's impact had opened that door that I had prayed for over the past several months,as this young lady and her boyfriend attended church with me today.

After the service they commented that they enjoyed the service and Hunter's message and they are making plans to come back for the Christmas Eve service. They also commented that though having been raised Catholic they really enjoyed the entire service and also the fact that they felt comfortable and accepted. The boyfriend commented that he was happy to hear the light show would be running again as he had missed it the first time and planned to attend this evening with friends.

Thank you Bryan and the entire Light Show Crew - for so willingly using the talents and abilities that God has blessed you with to present the message in such a way that touches the hearts of believers and non-believers alike.

Light Up the Season

After being challenged to invite others over for dinner and the light show at church, we really thought about who we could invite. The Lord impressed upon us our neighbors, who we have talked to in the past about church and religion in general. They excitedly accepted our invitation for chilli and a show. After some great hot chilli and fixin's, we headed out to the show. We got a great spot and sat back and watched an awesome display of art and music. Great job guys. After coming back home the husband immediatly said that his expectations were greatly exceeded. They were both impressed that it didn't cost a dime and were ready to pay money at the end. We took this opportunity to talk about TBC and the LA worship experiance, since they weren't really into the "church" deal and had small kids. They left with saying, "you know, we really need to get back to church". Seed planted, time to water.. Thanks TBC for giving us this opportunity to share some love...

First a little background. I have two close friends that I went to high school with. We graduated in 1975, so we have been friends for many years. One friend suffered a brain injury 3 years ago which left her with no short term memory. She lives in a locked facility now. We love her, and we catch glimpses of our old friend occasionally, but it is not the same. My other friend just got fired December the. After 15 years of service the salary she had been able to achieve became her biggest liability. This friend also has a daughter dealing with depression and she more times than not has the daughter's two children to care for. Both are less than 2 years of age.

Both friends went with me to the light show last Saturday. After that they came over for pie, coffee, and cider. The grandchildren of my friend also came, as did her husband and her brother. My granddaughter and daughter were over too. My granddaughter had a blast playing nanny with the two younger children. The adults talked for many hours. My friend with memory trouble even popped off a couple of funny jokes. We had a wonderful time of fellowship.

Eventually, we all started yawning. It was time for the night to end. As my friend with the two grandchildren hugged me she said "Thank you so much for getting us together and taking us to the light show. It was the perfect evening."

Even believers need a light show now and then. A reminder that regardless of our circumstance God is always good, He never forgets, He always is in control and that He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for us.

My_Story_Title

I accepted God 7 years ago. The more I put mysilf in his arms the more I
understood I was never alone. He was there all the time with his arms open.
Most of my life has been involved in music. I'm not tall and can't run fast but I can keep a beat. I started playing in band at the age of 6 years old. My father had a Mexican band and would let me sit in on some Bolero's and Polka's. Now to show you How God Guided my life. At the same time my father was playing in a club band with a keyboard player named Allan Livgren. Several months later Allen asked my DAD if I would consider trying out with a band his son had. Allan's son was KERRY LIVGREN. The band was called the Gimlets. We stayed together for several month and than went a seperate ways. From that point on I went a couple of band tours, did some recording and did some studio work. Also at the same time I had Diabetis and wasn't taking of myself. Thank God for the music and moving around. It saved my life. Now I'll jump to several years ago.. Seeveral years ago I had a heart attack and instead of calling a ambulance I had my mom drive me to the hospital. I was in the hospital for several week and they found I had a partially block artery. I didn't need a operation because with bed rest other arteries would grow to compensate for the problem but they still opened it. This is where I feel that God talked to me by showing me a miracle. Several month ago I fell down the stairs. My wife heard the fall and ask if I was alright. I mumbled, I'm just taking a nap:. She knew that wasn't right and called the Ambulance. They rushed me to the hospital and couldn't find a doctor who could evaluate my head injury so I was transported to KU Medical Center. Next is what I call a miracle. The nurse who was taking care of me had the same name as my sister who passed away several years prior. I believe God had sent my sister to be my GUARDIAN ANGEL. At that point I gave my life to God and tried to change my ways. I no longer play in bands that gig in taverns. My goal is to start a Christian Band that'll give me chance to Minster to people on God has helped me and that he can help them. Oh by the way I heard that Kerry Livgren was a Bible Instructor at TBC and I decided to attend. So you see God guided me in a full circle to this point. I love God and I enjoy getting a chance to speak to the people I help about God and there are so many people that are looking for Stability and Love and when I'm able to tell them how God has helped me.they seem to get a gleam in their eyes of hope. I still fight my battles but I know that I truly believe I'm wrong God is always there to HOLD ME. GOD BLESS.

Keeping Her Awake

A friend of mine has been having a hard year. Her mom has been in and out of the hospital with cancer issues, and my friend has been losing sleep to the point that the doctors can't figure out why and she's basically narcoleptic now. Her husband travels for work and is gone most of the week, one son is away at college and the other is so busy with school, work and hanging with friends she is often home alone for dinner and throughout the evenings. Because of her sleeping problems she doesn't drive much for fear of falling asleep at the wheel. She hasn't been to church in over 6 months and misses going a lot. I knew how much it would mean to her to get out of the house, have dinner with a warm body instead of being alone, and go to the light show. I took your suggestion and we went to Wendy's for some chili before the show and, with my crying 4-week-old baby in the back seat, we watched the light show Saturday night with joy in our hearts. (We were eventually able to get baby to take a pacifier and he quieted down after the first song.) She said the show was just wonderful and couldn't wait to tell her boys about it! Being a first time mom with a new baby at home, I wasn't able to volunteer for light show events this year, but I was able to help bring joy to a friend who has had a rough year.

An uninvited guest

I was amazed that someone who was simply out looking for Christmas
lights just happened to drive by the church. Here is what she wrote
me...

"Hi, Tonite I was looking for Christmas lights in Topeka, and I
stumbled upon your Christmas Lights Display on Mulvane. I went to the
9 oclock show, and I have to say it was wonderful. I really loved it.
The black light, and how the people REALLY played the instruments- oh
and how the music was in sync with the lights. I only wish it couldv'e
been longer. This was an awesome event for my friend and I. Thank you
so much for doing something so cool. I plan on attending again. I
really liked how you introduced the musicians at the end. Awesome."

Amazing! God arranges 'divine appointments' even without us.

Mele Kalikimaka Christmas

My next door neighbors and I are both relatively new on our block,
alongside a dozen other houses of families that have been there for
years. Since they moved in this past spring, I have stopped to chat
with them or say hellos while doing yard work, etc. But we never have
intentionally had any time together in a personal way. I decided to
invite them over to do dinner, get to know each other, and then take
them to the TBC Light Show. I'm not much of a chef extraordinaire, so
I prepared my simple fallback recipe: Papa John's. My neighbor's
favorite variety: Hawaiian Pineapple and Ham. We had a great time
getting to know each other, talking about the Lord's direction in our
lives, and learning about each other's backgrounds. When we'd had as
much apple cider as we could handle, we loaded up in the car and
caught the 8:15 Saturday night Light Show. They just LOVED it. As
soon as it finished, they were on the phone with siblings, inviting
them to come see it the next night with their kids. All in all, this
provided a great opportunity for me to forge new relationships with
new neighbors that I know will continue in the future. We already
have a game night planned for next month, this time at their home!
Thanks TBC for this Christmas experience!