Entertainment Industry acclaims THE GOSPEL TRAIN video

Looks wonderful! Christian music is a huge market – Mickey Carroll, Grammy Award Nominee

FAN-TASTIC! What a great, feel-good little video! Thanks for sharing it with me – Dan Beach (former WGBH Boston Film Dept.)

Amen! Awesome! I'm still clapping! That was fun! Great job! – Paul Chepikian (Filmmaker)

Great job everyone!  Creative! I like the end where the train fades away........ but the smoke continues.  I like it all actually, good camera angles. – Myron Leggett (Photographer)

What a wonderful Christmas gift to us!  This is a toe-tappin', hand-clappin' video.  I can't wait to get something I can share with our friends!  Congratulations, Nadine and all. You do such great things! And Nadine did a mighty fine job!!! -Ada Vaughan (Producer, Director)

good music! good video! - Art Ayris (Producer)

Nice music, congrats. – Michael Hurwitz

It's really good. You did a great job. – Chuck Hall (Musician)

EXCELLENT PRODUCTION & PERFORMANCES!  Kudos to Nadine and the singer-musicians!!!  THANKS for sharing. – Marie Williams

Someone had shared the video with a woman last night and she said the combination of the music and the joy-filled video just made her burst into tears.  She said it has been a hard year and it made her realize that God is a God of joy and that we all have hope.  She just kept saying, "It’s just so beautiful".

That's great man! You guys did a great job. Great song and Great Video! – Greg Devlin (Producer)

Wow, your video is really great. Where is that train station and locomotive / passenger cars that you used for the shoot?? I hope you don't mind, I sent the link to a friend of mine who pastors a church up in Missouri. He really liked it! Thanks for sharing. Sincerely, Billy – William Carroll)

The video is out and it has been edited, synched and credited, and mind you superbly produced. In a 1950s era setting, the scene edits are tastefully peaceful and rhythmic and the music is toe-tappingly engaging. - Search Amelia Magazine

Bravo! - Robert H. Sanders

This is a wonderful video!! – Donna Feith

Awesome! – Thomas Wade Clayton

Love it! Makes me want to dig out some of my originals and hire you to produce one for me!!!!! – Lucia Fishburne (Florida Film Commissioner)

You guys did a great job – Pam Helton (Amelia Baptist Church)

Wonderful video, song and all.  Thanks for sharing.  – Ralph Clemente (Founder of the highly respected Valencia Community College film program)

Good job. Quite a few participants to manage out on location. Good work getting it all done. Nice location for this kind of thing. – Don Rua (Filmmaker)

THANKS RICK quite nicely done Glad to see you and NADINE doing what makes you happy *)o(* - Barry Shankman (Owner/Operator at VOICE of MEMPHIS MUSIC)

This looks great!  Fun and a good song to boot! – John Olbert (Producer)

Please tell Nadine what a great video.  Everything was/is super!!!!  Thanks for sharing. – Monica Pomeroy (Memorial United Methodist Church)

Oh, this was wonderful!!  I forwarded to a friend of ours that owns a recording company in France. – Kathleen Maurer (Photographer)

Thanks for sharing.  Loved it!  "Toe tapping...", indeed – Jerry Prell (Company Member - Actor at California Repertory Company,Theatre Arts Teaching Associate at California State University, Long Beach,Actor, Voice Talent, Performing Arts Educator and Administrator at www.jerryprell.com, Performing Arts Instructor / Faculty Artist / Consultant / Personal Development Trainer at Freelance Facilitator, Dean of Musical Theater - Director of Admissions at Hartford Conservatory)

(more to follow)

Songs of Life From a Hospital Bed

The following email was written to my step-Mom (Jan) on the day her late husband (my Dad) would have been 85.  Dad died just 6 months ago. Because the story within this email was so powerful, I wanted to share it with others.

Jan,

How are you?  I almost hesitate to ask. I’ve had a rough week knowing that Dad would have turned 85 today.  I know this must be a million times harder for you.  You are in my prayers a lot Jan.

An interesting thing happened to me today and I think you’ll find it to be an amazing story.

My music partner (Jeanie) and I were asked by the family of a dying Lutheran preacher (Ed) to come to his hospital room and sing songs for him.  At first I said ‘yes’, then I said, ‘no wait a minute, it’s my Dad’s 85^th birthday and this is just too sensitive and familiar.” A second later I was saying ‘yes’ again. And 10 minutes later we were sitting on the bed next to Ed the preacher who was pretty much in a coma.  Hospice was there. So were about half a dozen members of Ed’s family.  

At first it was hard. Very hard. Looking at the 82 year-old frail man, hooked up to monitors, was like seeing Dad in his final days.

Jeanie and I started into old hymns.  Ed’s mouth started moving. Our 3^rd song was Amazing Grace. Ed started mouthing the words with almost intelligible sounds.  There was no question in my mind that he heard the song and was singing with us. 

As a preacher he had directed church choral groups.  On the next song, Ed’s IV-bruised hand lifted up and began a rhythmic dance of sorts.  Through teary eyes, Jeanie cried, “Look, he’s conducting us.”  I felt the smiling presence of God and His angels. My tears finally stopped about the time Ed’s daughter starting adding a beautiful soprano harmony to our 2 voices.  It was so emotional.  It had turned from sorrowful to loving. Purposeful.  A blessing all around.

The staff and other folks in the hospital kept peeking in from the hall.  I didn’t get the impression they saw much of this kind of thing.  Ed’s family must have thanked us a dozen times.  In the parking lot afterwards the hospice woman came up to us and said, “You two blessed the entire hospital today.”  That was sweet to hear. And I know that the truth is that this is the way God blesses – all around (our job is to say ‘yes’ when we hear His call).

And so, in the end, I realize that this was really a blessing passed on by my Dad to their Dad and his family.  God doesn’t waste our experiences or our pain.  God’s timing – perfect! He is the Master story-maker. Well, I’m crying again.  I miss Dad a lot today.

Love,

Joey

PS – I think I’m going to cc the family and Jeanie on this email.  I think they’d like that. The blessings just keep going because, “what the Lord blesses, He blesses forever.”
========================
Songs of Life From a Hospital Bed - Part 2
After sending the previous blog (email really) out to my family I was reminded (by my sister) of a very significant related event.  A few weeks before my father died my brother and I went up to visit him. Since we were traveling light our step-brother brought over 2 guitars for us to jam with (perhaps a miracle in and of itself).  We sang and played for Jan and my Dad for over 2 hours after dinner one evening.  Dad said that this was the best he had felt in many weeks.  It really was one of the best times I've ever had with my father.  He even sang! Amazing considering his declining condition.

So therein lies the connection. Music, songs, guitars, family, love, healing, taking time not just say you care but to show you care.  It is no wonder that the experience in the hospital with Ed the preacher triggered so much emotion.  Someone once said, "Where your pain is, therein lies your gift." The gifts God gives us are the magic carpet rides upon which we travel to give to others. Pain is not a worthless emotion. It is more like an experience which teaches us sensitivity to others.  And in that sensitivity we connect with Amazing Grace.

Joey