Hi lovely readers!
Here is a vlog of our family singing at Luke’s work place – a nursing home. Unfortunately I didn’t get the children singing on film because our camera ran out of space before they came on! Maybe next time! Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel while you are on YouTube.
Last Friday we were booked in to play at a small nursing home around 45 minutes drive from our house. This time the children sang two songs for the residents! We were given one hour for the performance and Luke sang the bulk of the songs and played his guitar in front of an audience of around 15 residents. It was a special day and being Good Friday all our songs were focused on Jesus and his death and glorious resurrection!
Our day didn’t get off to a good start. A few of the children didn’t sleep well and were in a very grumpy mood! We tried to do a practice in the morning but the moods continued and at that moment Luke and I were feeling pretty stressed!
Things did come together though. Praise the Lord! We had a quiet early lunch of toasted wraps and tuna and beans to give us the energy to give our best. The drive up was very quiet! We listened to a new Hamilton family theatrical CD about ‘Pleasure Island’ and how the sailors made their escape. It was also quiet because when I’m nervous I go silent and hold it all internally. I have no idea why I was so nervous, we were only singing in front of 15 smiling elderly people who were so pleased just to see a friendly face and I’m sure, couldn’t care if we were any good or not. Perhaps because it’s been several years since I stood up in front of a group of people or perhaps I was nervous because the morning practice was not so crash hot!
Once we were there the set up went quickly and smoothly. I set up our ‘camp’ in the back of the room with pencils, note books, stickers, crackers, raisins and activity sheets and all the stuff.
Our ‘camp’ set up in the back of the room.
Setting up. Willow’s looking at something?
Sound checks
On arrival – lots of gear to bring in and people to unload!
I didn’t get any good footage of the children’s performance because I had no one to film for me and didn’t get time to set up the camera properly – maybe next time.
Luke opened with the songs ‘Mediator’ by Ghost Ship and ‘Grace Alone.’ When it was time for myself and the children to come up the front Holly (3) was busy colouring in and didn’t want to come! She’s eventually went up the front and sat on the floor and in front of everyone yelled…
“I’m NOT singing!!”
A chorus of laughter echoed throughout the room! Of course all the residents thought she was adorable and it was the funniest thing ever. So – on with the show we sang the songs anyway with Holly sitting on the floor colouring. Oh well. She is only three so I was surprised if I could even get her to sing or even stand in a line.
After the show we stayed and had afternoon tea with the residents. This is a great learning time for the children. I was very proud of the way a few of my children spoke to the residents and answered the elderly residents questions. I had a lovely chat to a few of the people and listened to a few very sad stories. One lady’s story really touched me. She is ninety six years old and was put into the home because she was sick but is better now and all she wants is to go home to her lovely country cottage. She says she doesn’t get to go out much and tears rolled down her cheeks as she told me her story. It really got to me. I couldn’t imagine the sorrow of staying in a hospital like place…forever. If I were her I know for sure I would want to be in my home surrounded by people I love with a lovely garden and my own freedom and dignity intact.
They were so grateful for us for coming and brightening their Good Friday in the facility and loved seeing the young children. It really brought so much joy to their day and it made all worth it. I’m really glad we went. We sing all Christian songs. Hymns, praise and worship songs as well as contemporary Christian songs. We are spreading the gospel through music and bringing Christ’s light into an other wise dark, sad place.
For those that do not know, Luke has worked as an aged carer for eight years and so, is used to the ins and outs of nursing homes. One day his workplace found out he sang and played guitar and asked if he would play for the residents. Luke happily agreed, did a little show for them and they loved it. And so our ministry began. We now have been to many different nursing homes throughout South Australia. From Paradise to Murray Bridge. We are working slowly towards to children and myself singing and playing too. The children and I have joined Luke up the front for 1-2 songs of the last two shows.
It is our dream and vision to bring our nursing home ministry to the rest of Australia. We are saving for a caravan and plan on traveling around Australia visiting the elderly. We will be visiting churches too.
If you would like to support our family ministry there are a few ways to help out and help get us on the road sooner.
You can donate on our family band website HERE
You can purchase my new Ebook ‘Yes You Can Lose Your Pregnancy Weight’ HERE
You can spread the word about Luke’s graphic design business Breathe In Designs. Have your website, business cards and logos done by Luke. He does each job very uniquely with detailed design flair. All his customers and well looked after and are very happy with his work, he is a very talented designer and works on his jobs right away as he enjoys his work so much. If you have a YouTube channel he also designs thumbnails and video editing too. His website is HERE
Thank You for supporting our family’s ministry. It really means a lot to us. Everything for our ministry is paid for out of our own pocket so any amount of donation helps to keep us going and will help us to improve our equipment and enable us to purchase our long awaited caravan.
Enjoy this vlog of our day and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel too.
What’s going to happen to me after I die? That’s the ultimate question isn’t it. It’s this question that attracts me to Jesus.
When I was seven years old my parents began attending an AOG (Assemblies Of God) Church in the small town we lived near. I began to learn heaps about God and suddenly the world began to make sense to me. Heaven, Hell, what Jesus did for me. It all made sense. I prayed along with my Sunday School teacher and asked Jesus to forgive my sins and I put my trust in Him. I became a Christian that day. I’ve never looked back. The Lord has a plan for my life and it was his will for me to become a Christian that day. When I was eight years old I decided that I wanted to be baptised to further show my commitment to the Lord. My Sunday School teacher and Pastor baptised me at the local beach. It was a glorious day. I was very young but still understood the old me was being washed away in the water and the new spirit within me was rising up and I was ‘born again.’
I remember writing in my journal back then, a prayer from my young heart.
“Lord let me always be close to you. Don’t let me ever become distant from you and follow the world. I want to be yours forever. Use me to do whatever you want me to do in my life. My life is yours. Amen”
I learnt that I can be in a relationship with Jesus. I can speak to Him anytime and anywhere. He delights in being close to me. He will speak to me by reading His word – the Bible. He can also speak to me and lead me along the right path for my life through the Holy Spirit which he sent to help us after he went up the heaven.
I realised that there was nothing I could do to get right with God. No good or nice thing will get me into Heaven to be with the Lord. It’s only by God’s grace that I am saved.
God sent his only son into the world as a baby. So he would grow up and become a sacrifice for me. I am a sinner and deserve to die. We all are. But God in His mercy, sent His son to lay down his life for me so I could live forever. My heart burns for my Lord as I think of him suffering on that cross. It deeply distresses me. I take this as seriously as I live and breathe.
The thought though, that I am now saved gives me hope and joy down to my deepest being. I imagine myself on those golden streets, as the Bible describes, dancing whilst weeping for joy!
I’ve had a burning passion since I was a little girl that others around me would be saved too. It’s a huge desire of mine. My passion for telling others about Jesus peaked in my teen years where I would begin telling everyone in my public school about Him. Some listened and asked questions. Some said I was weird. A particular group of boys harassed me very badly for it. I was spat on, tripped over, punched and kicked to the floor and verbally pulled to pieces.
Still all the while this Bible verse was going through my head…
The Bible speaks about Hell. Torment, isolation, fear, pain and burning for eternity. That place was made for Satan and his fallen angels, not for man. But because of mans disobedience to God way back at creation, they sadly must die and be judged. God judges the condition of our hearts by the way, not all the ‘good’ things we do.
But there is hope! That is why God sent Jesus into the world. So we didn’t have to spend forever apart from Him being tormented in Hell.
All this can be done, in your heart and in the privacy of your own home, or at church. Anywhere. Not to a priest or pastor. Just between you and God.
Once we become a Christian it is REALLY important to connect with other believers. Without regular contact with other Christians your faith can dwindle. All the ways of the world can begin to slip back into your life. The best place to connect with other believers is at a Bible believing Christian church.
There are many great denominations of Christian Churches! Here’s a few I recommend.
I went to an AOG (ACC) church for 20 years. I now have been attending a Baptist church for the last 2 years.
Having a Bible to read is also important. The Bible is God’s handbook for our lives. In it you will find the answers to all life’s big questions. Reading God’s word will bring us closer to Him, deepen our faith and transform our lives. I try to read mine daily.
You can download a Bible app onto your phone right now! Or go http://www.biblegateway.com. Or buy one from a Christian book store. http://www.koorong.com is a great place to buy Christian books, music and DVD’s if you are in Australia.
Another important thing is being baptised. There are some that agree with babies being baptised. However it is my understanding that it is better to be baptised when you are at an age of understanding. Being baptised is a decision of faith in action. Something a baby cannot yet comprehend. Jesus was baptised as an adult. All through scripture it tells us to believe and be baptised. Ask the pastor of the church you are attending about baptism. Many churches do baptism services from time to time where they baptise a few people at a time who are ready and willing. They are baptised by full body immersion in water in a pool, river or beach. Like I mentioned above – I was baptised at the age of eight at the beach. Many members of our church came and stood on the foreshore to watch and congratulate me as I came out of the water.
There really is more to life than just going through the motions of getting up, going to work or school and coming home and going to bed again. There is hope and it is found in Jesus Christ.
This is why I am a Christian.
Blessings, Peta
PS. Beware of cults. Cults take God’s word and twist it to make up their own set of beliefs. They follow their own written book of rules and are NOT Christian. Cults are controlling and repressive. Some examples of cults are Jehovah’s witnesses and Mormons.
Our family visited a local nursing home today. Luke played guitar and sang hymns and worship songs and a few songs he had written for the residents. I sat with the children while they listened and afterwards we had a lovely time going around and meeting lots of people. Luke knew his way around well – he also works there as a carer. Baby Willow was quite the popular one, a few ladies wanted to keep her! The boys helped their daddy pack up his sound gear, and took lots of photos.
Blessings, Peta
Goddard Family 