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Dear friends,
Last night was one of those times when almost everything that could go wrong with sound did...there were no monitors on an enclosed stage where I was to be, with the main speakers on the outside of where I would be singing. I made the decision to move the keyboard and microphones from the stage onto the floor to try to hear, though still in a dead spot. Good thing I had on 4-inch heels! While the small keyboard worked in sound check, it somehow turned itself off between then and the program. I had four songs planned to be done with me playing the keyboard. When the sound man, the women's ministry director and I FINALLY got it to come back on after way too many minutes of awkwardness, the sounds coming out of it were a mix of outer space and some kind of disco/rap beat that we could then not get to shut off! I ended up singing one song acapella. The only keyboard sound I could find that would even come close to working was a mix between organ pads. Ya'll, are you starting to get the picture? So the next two songs were done with that sound. In that situation I would normally just nix the keyboard songs and move on, but this was the first time I had invited my darling voice student Kathryn Fisher to join me, and I surely  could not drop her songs from the set list. Her mama/my friend Debbie had come to hear her girl sing! In all sincerity, it really was one of the craziest sound mishaps I have experienced in over 30 years of music ministry. I truly seek to offer a ministry of excellence in every way, but there are those times where all of that goes out the window.
All I could do as I sat reflecting last night on the fiasco was shake my head and laugh. BUT GOD...He was so faithful to pour Himself out on a room full of women who came to hear from Him. And I believe we did. The enemy will do his best to silence us, friends, when we are about the business of sharing the Gospel of Jesus. And he would have loved nothing more than for me to be flustered, frustrated, and sidetracked in the message I believe the Lord had sent me there to share. This precious church has had me over the years, and I was so excited to be singing in my home town, and having some of my friends join me there. While the women's ministry team had prayed for 70-100 women, the Lord brought 200! The enemy of our souls did NOT like that. "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy..." (John 10:10.)
A few weeks earlier I had woken up hoarse and congested on the day I had to travel to Georgia to sing and speak. As I texted my friend Yvonne Howard asking her to pray for me, as she is so faithful to do for every single ministry event I'm privileged to serve, she responded with this; "Those women do not need to hear your music or your words. They just need to hear your heart." Truth. And last night as she sat there,  completely surprising me with her presence, I was reminded of what she had said, and I had this thought: Those women last night did not even need to hear my heart. They needed to hear from their Father's heart. He knows them by name. He is the One who brought them there. I believe it was a divine appointment. And so I moved forward as best I could with all of the technical difficulties, asking Him to do what only He can do. Sound systems will come and go, but the Word of God will stand forever.
 How loved and blessed I felt to have special friends with me last night, in spite of the issues and difficulties, to bless me with their presence and their prayers. As I shared my message of "Soul/Sole Sisters," my Sharona (Sharon Cone) was right there on the front row as she was so much a part of that very message I was sharing. Even as I am finishing up writing this article, I heard my email click and went over to read such a gracious email from one of the pastors at the hosting church from last night, apologizing for the AVL difficulties, thanking me for handling them with grace. Brothers and sisters, there are going to be so many times when all of our best laid plans fall apart, and we are left with a choice. How do we respond? Do we give in to the problems, or do we choose to proclaim the message we are called to share anyway? Oh I pray we will choose to walk in the abundance of our Savior's grace, giving Him the glory due His name. As I have read the sweet social media comments and messages from many of the ladies that were there last night, clearly the Lord accomplished what He had set out to do in hearts and lives. I am humbled and grateful beyond words. One friend wrote, "Goes to show that God's voice is not heard through sound systems, but through His servants. Yes, it will be memorable for the gremlins that reared their heads, but I just bet God used those same gremlins to make His Word memorable for those ladies who needed to hear from Him."
"..I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (John 10:10) Friends, when your plans go awry and you feel you did a much poorer "job" at whatever task the Lord has entrusted to you, remember, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world," (1 John 4:4.) He doesn't need us, our words, our technology, or all the frills. He just needs us to be willing servants, in spite of the curve balls thrown our way. And it is in those times that we feel our efforts were less than what we would have hoped for, that He shows us His glory in unexpected ways, that we would have otherwise missed. All glory is His alone!
Pressing on,
Dawn
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Ministry at a Glance
This past month I had the privilege of traveling to Georgia (4 times) and FL for ministry events, all of which were Women's events and it was such a treat. On September 6th I was at Grace Baptist Church in Evans, GA; and the following week on the 15th I headed back to Evans, GA to be with Redeemer Presbyterian Church. On September 18th I traveled to Savannah, GA to be with First Baptist Church of the Islands. On September 20th I was with Maysville Baptist Church in Maysville, GA. and then closing out the month in Lakeland, Florida at the Women 2 Women event. It was a wonderful month of ministry, and I am looking forward to a very busy October.
     
  
 
 
Funnies from the Road
As the painters were working on my house a few weeks ago, I was at the piano rehearsing before hitting the road for a concert in Georgia that evening. Because Sammy the singing dog ALWAYS joins in, and he was especially loving hitting the same high notes I was in my operatic aria, I had to stop and take him into another room so I could continue. As I did so, I just happened to hear my friend/the company owner talking to his employee, "Oh yeah, she does it all, opera, contemporary Christian. She was big-time back in the 80's, you could hear her songs on the radio. I think she did about 15 CDs, she was a charting artist almost in the top of the charts. She was big-time." That evening I was heading to be in concert where they had originally booked Laura Story for that evening, but because their new facility had not been completed in time, and she would need the bigger venue, they had me instead. So basically I was chopped liver that day! #bigtimeinthe80's #choppedliver #glorydays
***Available Dates for 2018***
I have a few Sundays left in November and December and would love to come share my ministry at your church. If you are interested in one of these dates, please email me at mail.dawnsmithjordan@gmail.com to schedule your date.
Sunday, November 4th
Sunday, November 18th
Sunday, December 2nd
Schedule your December/Christmas concerts NOW!!!
Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I would love to come share my Christmas concert/message with you and your church. I have a few events on my December schedule already but do still have some openings.
Email me at mail.dawnsmithjordan@gmail.com to get your church on the calendar.
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On the Road Again
October 4th
Northside Baptist Church
Lexington, SC
Ladies' Fall Dinner
6:00 p.m.
October 6th
Lamar United Methodist
Lamar, SC
Women's Luncheon
12:00 p.m.
October 7th
Steadman Baptist Church
Leesville, SC
Homecoming Service
10:00 a.m.
October 9th
Ashley River Baptist Church
Charleston, SC
Ladies' Event
6:00 p.m.
October 13th
Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church
Swansea, SC
Ladies' luncheon
11:30 a.m.
October 14th
East Lumberton Baptist Church
Lumberton, NC
Morning Service
11:00 a.m.
October 24th
Journey Church
Myrtle Beach, SC
Fields of Faith
6:30 p.m.
October 26th
SC Family & Community Leaders
Columbia, SC
Annual Meeting Banquet
6:30 p.m.
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Hodge-Podge
Allison Hodge, Administrative Assistant
Dawn Smith Jordan Ministries
Randy and Allison Hodge
Abby (6), Hannah (4), Ryan (1)
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