Music By Laurel Jean

Music By Laurel Jean
Music with a Message and a Mission

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Laurel Jean's Scrapbook

Sharing God's Guiding Glimpses into my Life of Music and Ministry

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Youth Chaplaincy Update

I thank God for two gifts above all else, my Christian Faith and my personal independence. Each is encompassed by a variety of people and circumstances which God still uses to keep both gifts alive and growing in my life. As an offering of praise to my Lord, I live to pass these gifts on to others, blind and sighted alike. He has placed a special calling on my heart to reach out to blind youth, allowing me to share these gifts with His precious children through mentoring and tutoring.

Laurel helps Dalton learn to track a Braille line



Recently, God blessed my outreach in Charleston, SC with six-year-old Dalton, “my” youngest yet here in South Carolina. Here I am introducing him to the concept of tracking a line of Braille. Braille literacy is so vital to my personal independence, and I take very seriously the honor of helping to unlock that door for someone else. Dalton loves to learn and takes his learning very seriously, too.

Laurel and Dalton at the piano



Of course, one must never take life too seriously, so in our regular visits, we take lots of time for singing, dancing and fun. Here at the piano, Dalton's favorite songs to sing are “Miss Mary Mack” and “Joy In My Heart.” He likes to play along with my accompaniment as we sing.

Laurel and Dalton catching imaginary bumblebee



Even blind children can enjoy learning songs and games to get their feet and hands moving. In this shot, we just caught a pretend bumblebee as part of the “Baby Bumblebee Song.”

My thanks to Dalton’s parents, David and Dani, for allowing me to share these pictures and for the opportunity to spend time with their precious child.

Dalton’s mom, Dani, has a gift of creating fine art paintings with bee’s wax. The pictures are beautiful to see, and are completely discernable by touch as well. To learn more about how you can show your support for this family through the purchase of Dani’s full-vision, accessible artwork, visit the Web site of Dixie Land Guide Dog Users. Then, scroll down to the “Links and Resources” section of the Dixie Land site.

Thank God, and thank you, for the ongoing prayers and support which make possible my ministry’s outreach to brilliant young people like Dalton.

Stay tuned for more posts like this one. Until next time, God bless you and keep His Song in your heart!

© 2011 by Laurel Jean Walden

A Little About Me

My photo
God continues to bless me with a busy and fulfilling life. Even after thirty-plus years, my music and ministry keep going and growing. Blind from birth, I am n avid user of Braille and the long, white cane, in addition to a variety of mainstream and access technology. While my blindness does not define me, I consider it to be a unique gift from God. With this gift comes my opportunity to serve as an advocate on behalf of my fellow members of the Blindness community, living and serving among blind and sighted folks of all ages, on all walks of life. To learn more about my music, ministry and outreach, please visit my Web site, and be sure to stay tuned to my Blog!