Merry Christmas

Every year we take our 20 plus guitar and piano students up to the Nursing home to do a truly outstanding musical show for them. It's a tradition in my family that my mom started when my brother, David Klinkenberg, and I were kids. We'd travel to at least 8 different retirement/nursing homes over the course of December putting on a full show as well as at least one church.

David and I still have the privilege of traveling all over the US doing shows together - the last one we did was this last weekend in December at Westside Church in Bend. It's a little different scene than the nursing homes with over 5000 people seeing our show - but we didn't lack for tearful older men, beaming moms and kids, and doting grandmas. What blessed us the most was the fact that over 30 people raised their hands to accept Christ as their Savior. To continue to be used by God, alongside my brother, is unspeakably amazing!

I can't celebrate Christmas without a visit to a nursing home and a performance or two in a church! So, now, we have expanded it to our entire studio of students and truly, there is not a more grateful audience.

It teaches our students how to perform. But it more importantly teaches them to give a little of themselves - serve in our community by sharing a musical blessing. And music has a way of blessing the soul unlike almost anything else can, it transcends words and shoots straight for the heart.

This year was the most talented group of students we have had yet - putting on a high quality show. These students practice hard for this, wanting to give their very best, and it brought tears to the eyes of many of the residents.

My 2 precious sprouts were in the program this year, for the first time. Princess sprout declared that they looked like a "Man and a Woman" dressed up like they were. Here's a picture of my little man and little woman who walked around that nursing home talking to the residents, unbeknownst to them, bringing tears of joy to the eyes of the men and women there blessed by their joy. At one point, my little Shirley Temple broke out into a full rendition of We Wish You A Merry Christmas to a captivated audience of 3 ladies in their hallway. They couldn't take their eyes off of this little golden angel of mine.