Daily Devotional

My first year of high school began when I reported, early in the summer, to football orientation and practice. I walked into the gym of my new high school with eyes wide open, not knowing what to expect. All first-year students sat down in the gym as the coaches brought us together for a heart-to-heart discussion on what we were about to experience. They described the hard work that was expected, what our schedules would be, and the effort they expected out of us.

The first day of school is filled with so many great memories for each of us. Today is the first day of school for so many across Oklahoma. My daughters were excited to start a new year. Do you remember your first day of school? Maybe you remember that new backpack or special outfit your parents bought you? Were you nervous or excited? Do you remember the sadness of summer vacation ending? Whatever emotions were stirring in you, the first day of school is a special day that opens the door to so many great possibilities.

When I think of a Broadway show, my first thought is of the great music. I love musical theatre. The powerful music, performed by amazing musicians, is something I could listen to all day. However, music is not only the thing that makes a great Broadway show. Each show has multiple elements that come together to bring a story to life. The stage, props, music, dialogue, casting, choreography, lighting, sound, and many other components come together to make the show happen.

One of the most successful Broadway musicals of modern times is Hamilton. Arriving on Broadway in 2015, this musical took the world by storm. Within just a few short years, Hamilton collected a trophy case full of awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score, the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It continues to be a successful musical with multiple touring casts and performance locations all over the world.

I really enjoyed our look at the musical Back to The Future. I have not seen the musical but loved the movie in which Marty McFly travels back in time to the 1950’s. It’s been several days since we looked at the show, and I haven’t been able to get it off my mind. Perhaps part of the reason is all the folks I visit with who have lost loved ones. As we plan services of remembrance, we often spend much time revisiting the past focusing on those memories that make family members smile. I often say it is those memories that sustain us when a loved one dies.

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

Frozen has been a favorite at our house for many years. In our household, we have two independent, young girls that relish the message Frozen depicts throughout the storyline.

In the hit Broadway musical Come from Away, stories are told of the amazing people of Gander, Newfoundland. Through their hospitality and kindness, people from around the world are welcomed and cared for on the morning of September 11, 2001.

We often turn to music to express our faith and to find comfort and a faithful reminder we need in the difficult times of life. Music allows us to remember our faith and find comfort in the presence of God. One of the most popular hymns that remind us of the closeness of God is In the Garden by C. Austin Miles.

In this age of electronic devices, I am very thankful for “caller ID.” While I don’t particularly want to screen my calls, well, today access to our information almost requires it.