A Question of Gender?

As you already know, we have a lot of fascinating conversations on the bus. One such conversation started out of a simple curiosity that I had.  You see, men tend to have a very different view of vehicles than woman do. 

 

Most women simply view their vehicle as transportation or a tool that they use.  It’s not that they don’t love their car, because I have seen many ladies who baby their cars as if they were family members.  But when it comes down to it, guys always seem to form more of a bond with the vehicles they drive, or would like to drive.  Many times the car a guy drives will somewhat define his personality which is not usually the case with women. 

 

Now before any of the ladies out there get upset, let me just say that I am simply making a general observation that more men are attached to their cars than women.  That’s not to say that there are not exceptions to this, but for the most part it usually holds true.  Guys generally put a lot more value into the car they drive. 

 

As an example, I currently do not really like the car that I drive.  Its not that it has been a bad car, I really can’t complain about a car that still functions well after 7 years of use and over 150,000 miles.  Now I have to say, I am a stickler for maintenance.  I have a regular mechanic who takes care of my families cars, and I consider that a worthy expense so that our cars continue to run when we need them. 

 

But my car is definitely the “family car”.  It has no real apparent “guy value”.  It’s not one that you tell another guy “oh yes I drive a (insert any cool car here)”.  But I can put my entire family and their luggage in it and take off to anywhere and it does just fine.  What it lacks in “cool” it makes up for in “practicality” and that makes it an even less attractive “guy car”. 

 

So that being said, on any given day, when I have completed all the daily obligations that I have, you can usually find me looking at cars on my computer.  There’s really not one type in particular, just something that would allow me to fulfill all the responsibilities I have as a husband and a father, the practical stuff, but still have some sort of a cool factor to it.  I just haven’t been able to talk my wife into it yet, she’s convinced that it is not in our budget, but I am constantly pleading my case! 

 

It was during one of these searches that Cuz walked past my laptop, saw the cars on the screen, and asked me if something had happened to my car.  It was my answer that started the entire conversation.  I simply said, no, she’s fine.  I simply would like something a little cooler. 

 

He laughed and said “so you refer to your car as a she”.  I had never really thought about it before that, but yes I always do.  She gets great gas mileage, she runs like a top, she looks best when I get her all cleaned up.  I never realized how often I referred to it as “she”. 

 

He then asked the question that I pose today.  What do you refer to Sunny as?  Sunny is our beloved bus that we travel on and you will not find anyone in L5 who has anything ill to say about Sunny.  Our bus is wonderful!  But I was shocked at my answer, because I referred to Sunny as a “he”.  I’m not sure why or what my reasoning is, but for some reason I view our bus as a “he”.  Which then made me curious as to what everyone else who calls Sunny home would refer to him as?

 

One by one I asked each of the guys and the answers I got really surprised me.  The only ones who refer to Sunny as a “he” are me and Cuz.  Everyone else on the bus refers to Sunny as a “she”.  Why is this?  I mean, maybe it’s the fact that Legacy Five is made up of five guys and our driver so it makes sense to me to continue the whole male thing.  Maybe there is some sort of psychology at work here that I just don’t comprehend.

 

So I pose the question to you, our faithful friends.  When you think of our beloved bus Sunny, do you think of it as a “he” or a “she”?  Or do you not assign a thought of gender to it at all?  What say ye?

 

If you were reading this weeks blog hoping for some life lesson, well, I don’t think this is going to do very much for you.  They say ignorance is bliss, so let’s just say we have a ton of bliss on our bus! 

 

I am posting this a little earlier in the week than normal because we are in Canada this week and will not return home until the 23^rd.  So please keep us in your prayers as Sunny will be covering a lot of miles in a short amount of time.  But as always, I am sure “he” or “she” will do great and bring us back home without incident!

 

Until next time…..

Everybody, meet the 2 new guys on Legacy Fives Bus!

As I sit here this morning on the bus, I find myself in a very different situation than what is our normal every day fare.  You see, this weekend we are doing a mini Jubilee tour that features material from each of the two previous Jubilee projects along with music from the brand new Jubilee 3 project.  Not only is there new material, but there are 2 new riders on the bus this weekend.

With it being all Jubilee concerts we decided to combine and put Ronnie and Michael Booth on our bus, leaving Jim Brady and Robert Dixon to ride on the Greater Vision bus.  Yes, we are full, but what great fun it is to have everyone together for a weekend.  If you are in Houston, Oklahoma City, or Union City Tennessee this weekend be sure to come and join us.

For this weeks blog I have am sharing something that I wrote over a year ago.  It is often difficult to share things of a personal nature, but I really felt the time was right for this.  The greatest testimony a person can have is of something God has brought them thru so be encouraged as you read.

     It was just simple conversation.  Nothing serious, just something to pass the time while riding from point a to point b.  It wasn’t supposed to be life changing or deeply moving, but it ended up being both.  To understand the way things unfolded, I have to take you back a few years.

 

     My good friend was driving alone in his car, in the middle of the day, when the driver of the car he was following stopped suddenly right in front of him.  With no warning, and nowhere to go, my friend’s car slammed into the back of the car stopped in front of him.  Thanks to the wonderful safety equipment in the cars, no one was injured, but his car was an absolute mess.

 

     As I stood at the side of the road looking at the crumpled metal that used to be his pride and joy, I was amazed that there were no injuries.  I couldn’t believe that he had walked away from this heap of metal without a scratch.  I knew at that moment that God had been there on that road.

 

     But nothing can express to you the shock I got just two days later when my friend called to share with me the wonderful news he had just received.  His insurance company had just called to tell him that they would be able to repair his car.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!  Of course he was thrilled, but I was not convinced that this could be done.  I mean, after seeing that crumpled car I was sure that they would be replacing his car, not fixing it.  But sure enough, just three weeks later he was once again driving his pride and joy over to my house to give me a ride.  It was simply amazing.  The car looked absolutely brand new.  It was beautiful, both inside and out.

 

     I hopped in and we headed up the interstate to find the nearest Sonic to celebrate with a lemon-berry slush.  As the car began to accelerate, we were both grinning ear to ear.  We could not believe that we were indeed riding in his car again.  It was at this moment of sheer joy that we started to hear a strange sound from the front of the car, followed by a wobble in the front end.  We pulled to the side of the interstate to find that all was not ok with the car.  We knew there was something wrong, but neither of us “Ace Mechanics” could figure out what it was.  So our trip to the Sonic ended with a tow truck taking us back to the same shop that had just given him the car earlier in the day.

 

     After a few minutes of inspection by the mechanic, we were informed that we were lucky to be in one piece.  He told us that had we gotten to full speed we would have probably had a major wreck because of the condition of the car.  The damage couldn’t be seen, and believe me, the car looked incredible!  It looked brand new and no one, not even the mechanic knew the damage that was truly there!

 

     So why was this story necessary?  Because a few months ago, as I was riding from point a, to point b, I realized that I was the same as my friend’s car.  The conversation wasn’t anything that would cause deep thought, but there was a point where something that was said reminded me of a situation that my family had recently walked thru.  I realized at that moment that I had hidden damages. 

 

     All of us have things that we have to walk thru.  That is simply life, and life can sometimes throw us a curve.  As we have talked about before, Matthew 5:45 says “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”  No where does it say that because we are Christians we get a free pass in life.  But it does say that God will be with us thru everything and that, my friend, has incredible benefits!

 

     I’m sure you’ve heard it said that time heals all wounds, and I have found this to be true to a point.  But I also now know that some wounds take more time to heal than others.  I find that I tend to listen to more music than normal when I am walking thru a situation in my life, and I always try to find a message in the songs I listen to.  The McKameys have a song that says “things look different on the mountain, from the Shepherds point of view.  What an incredible message, and yet I was amazed at how quickly just a few words, spoken at random and in complete innocence, could cause my mind to go back to the middle of the valley that I had already walked thru.

 

     Life has a funny way of challenging us on a daily basis.  I’m forever amazed at how in an instant our outlook can change from a mountaintop to a valley view.  Another song that has really ministered to me and my wife is a song by Brian Free & Assurance called “Nothing Takes You by Surprise”.  It speaks to the very thing that happened in the middle of the conversation.  A few words that completely caught me off guard, but as the song says, we can rest assured knowing that nothing takes God by surprise.

 

     Why am I quoting songs?  You see, for us, singing is not just something that we do.  This music has a message that we not only get to share, but it speaks to us as well.  It is the greatest music that I know, because it has the greatest message there is, and that is that God is able!  God is able to do what?  God is able to do anything and everything!  There is no problem that we have that is too big or too small for God, and because we are His, He wants to do and be everything that we need.

 

     There’s a song we sing that has such an incredible message.  The first line of the chorus says “There’s peace when I leave it in your hands” and that is one of the simplest and most powerful truths that we as Christians can hold to.  You see, I realized that there were parts of my situation that I had not fully turned over to God.  There were things that you couldn’t see on the outside, but when I stepped out and started moving again at the speed of life, they started to show up in something as simple as a passing conversation.

 

     I don’t pretend to know what other people are going thru, but if you’re reading this and you’ve walked thru something, or are in the middle of something, know this.  GOD IS ABLE!  He can bring peace in the most troubling of times.  But it won’t happen until you give your situation fully to Him.  Don’t hold on to anything!  My dad had a phrase that he used all the time, “let go and let God”.  My prayer is that you don’t wait to find the hidden damages in your life!  You CAN walk in peace, no matter what you are walking thru!

Until next time…..

What do 7200, 12, 36, and 127,000 have in common? Legacy Five!

This week finds us having completed our annual end of April west coast run.  It was a little different this year in that our first date on the trip was in South Carolina.  We then headed to New York before winding up 10 days later at Shadow Mountain in El Cajon California.  In just 12 short days we saw both coasts and only had one day off on the way.

Then after a short 36 hours at home we were right back out for this weekend.  Now before anyone gets too worried let me put your mind at ease.  That is a very unusual schedule for us.  We normally leave out on Wednesday night, usually 11 pm or later, and sing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and try to be home in time for church with our families on Sunday.  So to cover 7200 miles in 12 days is not our normal fare.  But it was wonderful getting to see all of our friends and share our music with so many in such a short amount of time.

We have truly been overwhelmed at the response to our first concept video for “Ask Me Why”.  There have been over 127,000 views on YouTube.  If you haven’t seen it be sure to check it out at www.youtube.com/legacyfiveblog .  We also encourage those who have seen it to use it as it was intended.  If there is someone you know needs Christ in their lives, forward the link to them.  Sometimes people who would never come to a church service or concert are more than happy to watch a music video.  And what better video for them to watch than one with the message of Christs redeeming love!

This is the last chance for you to get your questions in for the video blog interview that I will be doing.  It not only will be the first time that I have answered any of your questions, but it will be the first time that our beloved bass singer will be hosting the interview process.  I know its gonna be great fun, but I have to admit that I am a little nervous about it.  Not the questions as much as I am about Cuz and what he will do and say throughout the process.  Lets just say we will be prepared for anything!

Until next time…..

Coast to Coast with Coffee and Toast!!!

As Sunny rolls down the highway this morning, thus the coffee and toast, we are one day into an 11 day trip that started last night in Myrtle Beach SC, and will end in El Cajon CA.  We will be doing 10 concerts in 8 states with one night off because of travel.  WOW!  That’s a lot of singing and travel in a short amount of time, but we love it!  What an incredible opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ to as many as possible.  Just keep both us and our driver in your prayers over the next few days.

We are also one day into the release of Legacy Fives first ever concept video for the song “Ask Me Why”.  The response so far has been incredible.  Not only are people enjoying the video, but we have received countless messages already of people who have been touched by the incredible story of this song.  We are so excited to see just what God has in store for this video and the message it contains.

“And to think, it all started with a simple question” is a statement Scott makes most nights when he introduces this song which causes me to think of another simple question.  What if?  What if Scott had not responded to the opportunity that God had given him with Patty and Hannah.  What would have happened if when the lights flickered and it was time to go back on stage he had just walked away and not asked for an e-mail address so he could keep in contact.  Most definitely we would not have had the opportunity to share the love of caring Saviour with Patty and Hannah.  I would like to think that somewhere somehow God would have provided another opportunity for them to hear the wonderful truth of His love.  But “What if”?

How many “simple questions” have I just missed?  So many times I am looking for the “big” opportunity and the “simple question” goes right by me.  I have talked about this before so forgive me for repeating.  Two years ago on the way to our Celebration event in Nashville a dear friend of ours was asked a “simple question” on her flight from California to Tennessee.  The couple in the seat next to her were returning home to Nashville and asked her what she was doing.  Just simple conversation, but sometimes that is the catalyst for greater things.

When she explained that she was going to a Christian event at the Opryland Hotel they seemed intrigued by the idea.  So instead of just letting it pass by, she asked them to come as her guest to one of the concerts and they accepted the invitation.  That night after the concert was over, this couple came to the front of the stage and shared with me that they had been believers for a number of years.  But because of some things that they had walked thru in the past few years they were really struggling and wanting God to bring peace to their lives and restore their joy.  They continued to share as they stood their weeping that thru the songs and the message that night God had started the work in their lives and they felt a peace that they had not felt in a long time, which in turn brought joy to their hearts.  Just think what would have been if our friend had not put the effort into reaching this couple.

What an incredible blessing it was for me to get to listen to them share what God had done in their lives.  These are the things that we as members of Legacy Five pray for.  So many people think that what we do is so glamorous and that all the traveling must be such fun.  But the truth is this.  Not one of us in L5 would be here if that’s all there was with this job.  It simply is not worth getting on the bus and leaving our families to get applause, or to travel, or just to hang out.  But those moments that God allows us to see just what He is doing, and let me stress, what He is doing, thru our willingness to get on the bus and carry His message, well, those are the moments that we live for, and fight for, and praise God daily for.

So maybe now you can understand why we are so excited to see just what God has planned for “Ask Me Why”.  We know that the message of Patty & Hannahs story and this song are going to reach many people.  So be sure to pass it along.  Anyone that you know needs Gods love, or just His encouragement, share this video with them.  Use it as it was intended to be used, simply a tool to carry the greatest of all messages, the message of Gods love.

I’ve included the link to the video below just in case you haven’t seen it yet.  Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think.  Don’t forget to get your questions in for my (Gus) video interview.  We will be filming it shortly so make sure you get them in on time.

www.youtube.com/legacyfiveblog

Until next time…..

“Ask Me Why” video is here!!!

Our first “concept” video “Ask Me Why” is now posted on our blog site.  Just take the link to

www.youtube.com/legacyfiveblog

Be sure and lett us know what you think!

Until next time…..

Sunny is blazing a trail again!

Here we are back on the bus after spending a wonderful time at home with our families.  Everyone had a great Easter and we hope that yours was blessed as well.

This week finds us in Michigan and Ohio for two great concerts with our friends Greater Vision.  The first is in Spring Arbor Michigan, and tomorrow will find us in Dayton Ohio.  We always love sharing the stage with Gerald, Rodney, and Chris, and look forward to a great time filled with great Southern Gospel Music.

Next week we will head to South Carolina and start a 12 day run that will see us do 11 concerts ending in California on April 29th.  Normally I am not one who can tell you when or where we are going to be with any detail, but this one I know for a couple of reasons.  Anytime we are away from our families for that amount of time most everyone on the bus knows when and where we are going.  Second, the 29th of April is mine and my wife Tamras 23rd anniversary.  So I would be in serious trouble if I didn’t remember that!

There is only one victim I mean person left in our questions series and that would be me.  So if you have any questions you would like for yours truly (I’m Gus by the way) to answer please put them in your response and we will get the answers filmed for you.  By the way, I think it would be a little weird to interview myself so I am going to get Glenn to do it.  That in itself should be worth watching!

Be sure and check our schedule to see if we going to be close to your town and come and see us.  We look forward to getting to sing for you soon!

Until next time…..

Once again, It’s time for Change!

My thanks to everyone for indulging our craziness last week.  I know that many of you that read this blog are in no way sports fans, so thank you for doing your best to read it thru.  A big thanks to those who went on to comment about our insanity.  It was fun for us to read the responses and we continued adding to and taking away from the blog for the entire weekend.  I know!  We need a life!

If you haven’t done it yet, you really should go and see the new lay-out we have on our web-site.  Our site had been the same for quite some time and was in need of a fresh update.  There’s some really cool stuff there so be sure to check it out at  www.legacyfive.com

Also, while there, if you haven’t signed up for our email be sure to register your address so you can get all of the updates that we send.  This is the best way to get reminders about concerts, upcoming events, and news that relates to Legacy Five.

This weekend finds us in Danville Illinois for the first of 2 concerts this weekend.  We always have a great time in Danville with our friends Homeward Bound.  They do a wonderful job with the concert there and it’s always exciting to see just what God does!

We then will travel to Osage Beach Missouri for a concert at the Main Street Music Hall.  This will be the first time there for me and I am looking forward to the concert.  I do know that we have a lot of friends in Missouri so I hope to see all of you there!

After this weekend we will get a few days at home to rest and relax with our families and spend Easter together.  We each have plans as to how we are going to spend the time off.  Some will be traveling, some staying in, but everyone is planning a great time with their families.

I asked each of the guys to answer a question for this weeks blog.  The question seemed simple enough, at least for me, until I realized that I had to narrow it down to one answer!  I hope you enjoy the answers as much as I did.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned since joining Legacy Five?

 

Scott Howard:  I’ve learned that the success of a concert can’t be judged on numbers.(how many are there, how much you sell, etc) A successful concert is any night that the message of Christ gets presented to the audience.

Trey Ivey:  The greatest lesson I have learned since joining Legacy Five is how to adapt to not having a program… well, I’m still learning. Just when you think you have figured Scott Fowler’s song selection out, he throws you for a curveball!!

Glenn Dustin:  I’m not sure if you would call it a lesson or not but one of the first things I had to learn since joining L5 is how to manage my time when I am home. I have had to learn how to give Kristi and the kids the time and energy any good husband and father can be to his family.

Scott Fowler:  God works it all out!

Gus Gaches:  God is faithful!  During my first year there were nights when I simply did not feel that I had anything left.  I would pray and ask God to give me the strength to deliver the message thru song, and God would give me both strength and peace.  Truly, God is faithful!

Until next time…..