Saying Goodbye Is Never An Easy Thing....

So....today we loaded up the first real purchase of any great value that Bruce and I made as a married couple. A piano. A Mark Model Electric Kurzweil Piano cased in cherry wood. We paid $6000 and we thought we were in the big time.

I began teaching piano lessons almost immediately. We were living in College Station and Bruce was the youth pastor and we were both subbing in the public school system full-time. It was a crazy busy time in our lives, filled with ups and downs of young married life and trying to start a family and that piano helped to soothe some of our first sorrows as a married couple. Music will do that.

When we left College Station, Bruce became pastor of a small church in the town of Fannett, Texas. They had an old upright that I played on for a few years but when we built our new church building my piano was used as the main instrument...and for about 6 years it was parked on stage at the church. I taught another slew of kids and teenagers and even a few adults while we lived there. We had recitals and sing-a-longs and it's there that I learned to play off a chord sheet....at the ripe old age of 30.

After nearly 10 years in Fannett, we moved to Gunter, Texas. Bruce began pastoring a small group of people there and within a few months, the piano made it's way into the church building. Up until that time it had been all guitar and soundtracks. I began teaching another group of students...more recitals and worship.

When we moved to Sulphur Springs, I was able to keep my piano at home with me. It's been a real blessing to our family over the last five years. Savannah has taken lessons for 4 years and has been tickling those ivories on a regular basis ever since her first lesson. Good memories of singing with her  and having Tucker on the drums beside us with stay with me forever.

That piano served me well...and it's going to a sweet family that will love it as much as we did. It's paid for itself over and over ...not only financially but also through the fun we've had as a family with the music that has flowed freely around us these last 20 years.

Today as Bruce and a friend carried the piano out and loaded it up, I shed a few tears...sentimental of course...The journey of those keys has special memories wrapped with special people and places that are dear to my heart. I am so thankful for the ministry that it represented and the lives that have been brought to worship as a result.

$6000 well spent by two crazy newlyweds. 88 keys tickled by 100+ students and many many hours of practicing....weddings and funerals and church services and much much more! Special and sweet memories.

Stay tuned to see its replacement....