Music By Laurel Jean

Music By Laurel Jean
Music with a Message and a Mission

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

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Holiday Greetings and Year-End Highlights.

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light..." (Isaiah 9:2)

Greetings and Merry Christmas!

Christmas lights on the fence outside Laurel's house

Here is a shot of the Christmas lights on the fence outside my home in Charleston, SC. Audrey and I had a great time decorating the fence this year, and I'm sure that it was great fun for the neighbors to watch two blind ladies untangling and stringing Christmas lights! :) We pray that the light of Christ shines in all that we do every day.

From beginning to end, 2016 has been packed with God's blessings in my life, music and ministry! Since the January release of my latest album "Living That Story,"  this collection is now available on CD, as well as on iTunes and other popular download/streaming sites. Recording has changed a lot since I released my first cassette album back in 1993. Now, thanks to accessible computer technology, I can enjoy much more independence in recording and producing an album.  With this technology and the Internet, I can work on projects like this in collaboration with people all over the world! God's Light keeps shining in ways that I never would have dreamed to be possible!

The weekend of February 14 found me in my home state of Illinois, with musical engagements in the Champaign and Springfield areas. For me, the beautiful snowfall that greeted me while I was there felt like a personal Valentine from the good Lord Himself!  Seeing many old friends and meeting new ones made that weekend extra special!

Whether presenting in front of a church, or working behind the scenes to help folk feel welcome, wanted and loved in God's House, the subject of "The Church and People With Disabilities" continues to bee a priority. In the spring, Audrey, Jessie and I were called up the road to Goose Creek, SC for an "Able to Serve Sunday" presentation at St. James United Methodist Church. Amid the warm welcome and enthusiastic response from this congregation, we were inspired to meet a young lady named Donna. Having served in Afghanistan, Donna was awaiting a lung transplant. We were deeply moved as Donna looked beyond her own health challenges to pray with us and assist us in our presentation.

This year, more talking Bibles have been placed in the hands of people with blindness and other print disabilities, as well as others having mobility issues which make it difficult to hold a book. In the spring, we were contacted by a representative of Project Okurase, an organization based here in Charleston. Project Okurase works with the people of the rural West African village of Okurase in Ghana. We met with Francis, a twelve-year-old boy, blind from birth, who was brought to the United States for the diagnosis of his eye condition since proper evaluation was not available in Ghana. Francis has Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). We were able to refer Francis and his guardian to an independent vision teacher who specializes in orientation and mobility. Francis and his family are Christian, and I found a solar powered talking Bible (The New Testament) in his native tribal language of "Ewe" (pronounced "Ay-way).

This past summer, I assisted with coordination and participation in presenting for area day camps, collaborating with others from the Charleston area's blindness community.  Here I am with friend and fellow Dixie Lander Kimberly and her guide dog "Fonzie."

Laurel and Kimberly presenting for day campers

Together, we educated sighted children--ages seven thru fifteen--on the subjects of Braille, proper etiquette when meeting a blind person--with or without a service dog--, accessible technology and much more.

We also assisted area Girl Scouts in earning their merit badges relating to disabilities and service animals. Here, Audrey, her guide Jessie and I posed with scouts, their leaders and our puppy raiser friends Mike and Peggy who joined us for this presentation.

Laurel and Audrey with puppy raisers and girl scouts

On July 31st, I truly felt the impact--and was able to serve as a witness--of God's Grace and mercy. I was walking my pet Lab, Sonny, around my neighborhood as I do every day. I approached a driveway with which I am very familiar. A car was idling in the driveway. I stopped for a moment to listen to the car. Then, I continued across the driveway behind the car, just as the driver punched it in reverse. The right rear of the car caught my right hip and I fell. The driver was absolutely beside herself. Her sister had just been taken to the hospital and she confessed that she wasn't even looking as she backed out of the driveway. I was fine, just stiff and sore with a few bruises, scrapes on my knee and hand, and torn jeans. The driver helped me retrieve Sonny, who is soooooo not a guide dog and had occupied himself with some cat food on the porch. Then, she asked me if I needed anything.

As I stood talking to this lady, I kept hearing the words "Grace" and "mercy" in my heart. We live in such a litigious society. One can't watch a single program on TV without hearing the advertisement for an attorney to call if one has been in an accident. I gave the driver a hug, asked her sister's name and promised to pray for both of them. Then, after admonishing her to please be more careful, I finished our walk (torn pants and all) and headed home. I was stiff and sore for four days, but never missed a day of walking my dog. By the end of that week, we were back to our regular brisk pace. Praise God!

In the fall, we here in Charleston battened down the hatches to prepare for an unwelcome visitor named Hurricane Matthew.  While many people evacuated, a lot of us (myself included) stayed put and hunkered down in place to wait out the storm. Damage in my immediate neighborhood was minimal and we lost power for less than 24 hours. Others in the greater metro area of Charleston and throughout the state were not so fortunate. The storm was quite unnerving to say the least. Fierce winds roared thru the night and all the next day. Transformers exploded all around, and mature trees were snapped as if they were little twigs. Thru it all, we were kept informed by realtime radio/television coverage and alerts from some of the top meteorologists in the nation who happen to live  and work here in Charleston. It was truly a blessing also to  have such a supportive network of friends and neighbors. Those victory shouts of "We made it!" really meant a lot as we all began to venture out of our homes again.

Every day, we pray that God will put us where He wants us, and use us where He puts us. Guide Dog Users of Florida will be hosting Top Dog-2017 in Orlando this coming January, and we South Carolina affiliate members have been providing administrative and promotional assistance as needed. Once again, we have been asked to participate in "The Blessing of the Guides," one of the highlights of Top Dog since that first workshop was held in 2006. I have also been providing technical support for the Not Alone Internet Ministry. This ministry reaches out from St. Louis, Missouri to blind people all over the world with an accessible Bible study and weekly devotionals featuring Pastor Dave Andrus and colleague Cecilia Lee, both totally blind. Earlier this year, I was commissioned to write a song for the "Heart and Soul" choir of Central Christian Church in Decatur, Illinois for their annual concert in June, 2017. I am currently working on that project, and preparing for music and ministry in Georgia next spring.

We continue to be available to serve as peer mentors for our blind brothers and sisters, and those who are in the process of losing their sight. Most of this mentoring takes place via phone or Internet. We consider it an honor and a gift to hear someone's confidence growing as they speak and to witness them learning to solve many of their own problems. I personally find that I am most often the one who is mentored, and I thank God for every opportunity that He gives me to shine His Light.

I also thank God for you. Your prayers and support help keep my ministry and me going and growing in God. Stay tuned for more posts in the coming year. Until next time, God bless you and keep His Song in your heart!


A Little About Me

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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!