Marshan Chronicles - 05

May 2007 Volume 10, Number 5 Dear Balm Benefactors, Those of you waiting for new songs will be happy to know I got to spend a little time in Nashville, writing & recording again. Golly, I love that part of the ministry! I had an opportunity to write with a world-renowned songwriter who was really fun to be around. Part of the way this writer stays out of hot water with fans, fanatics & record companies is to never lend his name to anyone’s “causes,” so the name you see will be a pseudonym, but you are free to pray heartily for this person since I’m pretty sure Jesus knows us all! We did the conference theme song together for MCC’s General Conference coming up in July. The conference theme is “Building on Hope, Creating our Future,” so the song is “Built on Hope.” In the picture above, you can see me (in my day-off drag!) with the drummer, guitarist & bassist at the studio. The music tracks on the conference theme song & one other song were really all we finished in the couple days I was there, but if some of you want to hear a rough mix of the song – with no back up vocals or anything yet – I’ll post it on our website for you. (Go to the Music & Video tab. Click on the Music Player & scroll down to the song “Built on Hope ROUGH MIX” then hit the play button.) Tell me what you think, too! MCC wanted an up-tempo Praise & Worship song. Fabulous upBeat! artist, Justin Ryan, will do the vocal arrangements & sing them with other artists he works with in Nashville. I can’t wait to hear them. (Please remember when you listen that this is a rough mix. I just went to the site to hear it – very rough!) The goal of this & the other song I recorded is to put out a limited pressing of a CD with all the theme songs I have written over the years – for MCC Conferences, & for anniversaries for pastors & church events. Since this is the last time we’ll be having an MCC General Conference every two years (they are going to every three now), & for MCC’s 40th birthday, I thought it would be a good project. It will include a bonus track of another new song, as well. Speaking of the multi-talented Justin Ryan, he & I did a concert together this month at the MCC church in Paducah where we first met. They had a wonderful turn-out & made us feel very welcome. With all the controversy & struggles, I am so happy when I can just be out there singing & praying with folks. Justin took some video of the concert there & is piecing it together to get another video up on the website. The rest of my month was spent on birthdays. In Massachusetts, my grandson, JJ, turned 4 on the 25th, my granddaughter, Joanie had her first birthday the same day…in California! Well, even I am not that fast a flyer, so I had to pick one & settle for pix from the other : ). See you out there at a concert this summer! Marsha & Cindy
VERY IMPORTANT!! PLEASE let us know if you want to continue to receive this newsletter. Otherwise, we’ll put you on our regular list, but not write to you every month. Email me at SSBALM@aol.com or write us to let us know! Free Funding Please continue to consider using www.goodsearch.com as your search engine. Choose BalmMinistries in the “who do you goodsearch for” box. Just 100 of you using it once or twice a day would raise hundreds of dollars for Balm this year. Prayer List • Praises for the new songs & recordings – now you need to be praying for the funding! As you know, we try to avoid cutting corners in our recording projects – we want them to be great for you. • Praises for the responses you see here from the concerts & website. Pray for God to touch & heal more hearts. • Praises for a loving spouse who works hard to keep us in home & health insurance even when she can’t travel with me! • Prayers for our health. Some health issues are personal, but I will be seeing a specialist…yet again, this month. It’s one of those “everyone-agrees-something-is-wrong-but-no-one-knows-what-it-is” times that can leave me VERY frustrated. Wisdom & healing!! • Praises that we’re strong enough to work right now. • Prayers for the local & short tours we’re planning. • Huge praises for the handful of folks who are helping me to book mini-tours in their areas of the country. • Continued prayers for each upBeat! artist as they pursue the paths God has set before them. • Prayers for the writing Marsha is doing right now – both songs & stories, but especially for the new music. • Prayers for the people who have tried to deny us. They need wisdom & courage & peace in their own hearts. • Prayers for wisdom to understand God’s direction. • Prayers for bookings. Write SSBALM@aol.com or visit our new website at www.BalmMinistries.net What You Have to Say “Your concert on Saturday was wonderful, as always. You still love being up there. I hope you don't have to make tents for much longer. You thrive on your ministry. I have been thinking about some of the things you shared. Regarding the Big Revival : Maybe your music had to be there without you because the people that needed to hear it, would not have listened if you had been there. Unfair, but possibly true. Perhaps it was your music, your gift that brought Jesus to someone there where your physical presence would have gotten in the way of that miracle. If you had been asked to sing with them, you would not have had the opportunity to have been heard out by those “in power” & they would not have been reminded that I AM was in charge then & is still. God’s message is so clear in your music, that even when you are not the singer, the Truth cannot be denied. They sang your music, & God's message went out again. Your ministry continues even if you are not the singer giving human voice to the songs. God’s voice comes through as clear as can be. So, whose music is it, yours, God's, the GLBT community"s or an entire world's? (You mentioned feeling an increasing call towards international ministry.) It sounds like the leaders at the reunion may have begun to realize that you are still on Plan A & being created as you are, are uniquely qualified to reach people that otherwise would not know how great & loving a Lord we serve. They were not willing to include everyone in God's love, but you were. “ Marsha’s Schedule May 27-Jun 5th Cindy & I will be praying for many open doors for ministry! Jun 30-Jul 7 MCC General Conference Scottsdale, AZ. Various times of singing for me & for upBeat! artists including: Orgena Rose, Carolyn Marshall & Pat Grant, Michael Malfavon, Sandi Baker, Justin Ryan, & I’m betting even more than that Jul 29 Windsor Ontario Pride – AM service & concert stage, tentative Jul 30 MCC Windsor, Ontario evening concert-time to be announced Aug 26 Spirit of Hope MCC Kansas City, MO 10:15 special music, 7pm concert (816)931-0750 www.SpiritOfHopeMCCKC.org End of Sept-Oct northeast tour including most of the Buffalo/Boston/Baltimore triangle – see if you’d like to have a concert during this time! ssbalm@aol.com PLEASE!! As always, check the phone numbers for updated times & info. Go to www.BalmMinistries.net for current listings.