We came to Atlanta this weekend to bring our music to a couple of churches and apparently, we're staying for the snow. Or rather, because of the snow. The kids are thrilled; it's their first encounter of the snowy-kind and they're making the most of it. And, unlike the Chicago winters I'm used to (where snow is immediately besmirched by snow plows and salt trucks), it looks picture-postcard pretty. But the fun and beauty of nearly 6 inches of snow in a town not outfitted for it also means the roads aren't safe to drive, so we're not getting home for at least another day. I thought I might make use of this unscheduled down time and squeeze in a little writing. In between snowball fights, that is.
The start of a new year lends itself to reflection. Looking back over last year, I clearly see God's handiwork at work in our lives. It's awesome and humbling.
2010 was our most difficult year work-wise. The recession (have you heard about it? I think it's gonna be BIG news!) had an enormous impact on our "After Hours" business. Our secular/wedding/corporate work has taken an enormous hit in the last 18 or so months. People are still having parties, but they're smaller in scale, with smaller budgets. And when the budget is small, one of the first things to get cut is the music, which is us. We've managed to survive, but had the fewest number of band gigs that we've had since we first put our band together, over 8 years ago.
And yet, this past year has been incredibly rewarding for our Christian music. In 2010 we released our first, all-original Christian music CD, and moved (either by sale or for promotion) almost all 1000 copies. We performed our original music at over 50 events - church services and concerts, Christian group gatherings, home concerts and parties. We went on our first tour, taking 6 weeks to go from our home to Chicago and back. We produced our first YouTube video in support of our Christmas song, "That Night" and received almost 1400 hits (still hoping to go viral, but that'll have to be in next year's recap, I guess). We were invited to lead the contemporary worship service at a local church on a semi-permanent basis. Meanwhile, we wrote more new songs and mangled more traditional hymns. So, while our variety band work decreased, our Christian music ministry has grown and sustained us.
All in all, it's been an amazing year. We're making plans and setting goals as we move into the new year and are excited about what lies ahead. We're trying to make sure that we listen for His guidance as we try to grow this ministry. It's a challenge, and I'm sure we'll make some mistakes along the way. We pray that He gently corrects our course as we go along ("gently" being the operative word).
Meanwhile, we're enjoying my brother's and sister-in-law's kind hospitality. The kids are happy as clams at high tide, learning important snow-related skills, like making snowballs and sledding downhill on cardboard (even Tim has gotten some lessons!). In fact, I think it might be time for another snowball fight. Gotta get 'em in while we can!
