Linda Roorda

There are so many great contemporary praises listed above!  I use many from among your list in video form (no pianist/band) for our contemporary Praise time, along with "Greater" (Mercy Me), "Word of God Speak" (Bebo Norman), "10,000 Reasons/Bless the Lord" (Matt Redman), "O The Wonderful Cross" (Tomlin & Redman), "Overwhelmed" and "Redeemed" (Big Daddy Weave); older Newsboys' "Strong Tower" and "It Is You We Adore"; would like a good video for "Thrive" by Casting Crowns...  There is so much great contemporary music available to add to our traditional hymn selections to bring praise and worship to our great God!

Our small Baptist church serves Holy Communion the first Sunday of every month followed by a dish-to-pass buffet. Several years ago, our pastor implemented this as a casual-dress/jeans Sunday with worship in the gym of our attached Christian school. We music worship leaders chose only contemporary praise songs, and we were all encouraged to invite friends from among the community who might feel more at ease in this relaxed atmosphere. It has gone very well with great attendance, but the acoustics were poor and our sound system gave out, sending us back to the Church Sanctuary for worship and Communion within the past year, but the dish-to-pass lunch is still enjoyed in the gym afterward.

Coming out of the late '60s/early '70s hard rock genre, my husband and I welcomed Christian Contemporary artists like Jars of Clay, one of our kids' favorite groups too "back when", on local Christian radio, Family Life in Bath, NY.  They and other groups, like the Newsboys which two of our children saw in concert, provided positive upbeat music and lyrics that kept our kids out of the heavy rock with overtones of drugs, etc.  As a teen, I was turned off by a different local Christian radio station which was so sedate as to be boring and uninteresting, even though I love the old hymns of faith, and I turned to hard rock. I, too, heard a Jars of Clay song while grocery shopping, pausing to realize "How cool is that to hear their song on secular radio!"

Bert, you express yourself well, and are well understood by our having gone through similar situations. My husband Ed had retinopathy of prematurity from pure oxygen in incubator. With only one good eye that was legally blind, he was a dairy farmer until a major retinal detachment in 1985 when our kids were little, followed by several surgeries (not as many as you), including laser like you've had. With hemorrhaging, he was left with further sight limitations and only some light and color perception, but has been totally blind since 1998. With his trusty white cane and God's guiding hand he's done well, but now struggles to get around... still wanting to do whatever he can without my assistance, a common frustration with admitting a need for help.

You share such a wonderful positive attitude like Ed, also seeing the blessings God has provided in so many ways! It sounds like you two have a lot in common! Even to Ed saying the same as you that it's only by God's strength from prayer that he can get through his day. God bless you as you show us all what He helps you accomplish!

I live in tiny Spencer, New York.