A Beautiful Evening

My heart is very full today and I have found my emotions very close to the surface all morning. We had an incredible opportunity to be a part of an amazing family home evening fireside last night for our ward and neighborhood with the musical talent behind the Reflections of Christ project. If you aren't already familiar with this beautiful project, it's photos, videos and music then you must check it out. I posted a little bit about it when it first came out last year, and they are now nearing completion of the second installment, which focuses on Christ in the Americas. They expect it to be out sometime in the fall.

Freddie Ashby, who is a big part of the musical portion of Reflections, is a long time and very dear friend of mine and graciously agreed to round up some of the other talent and come do a special fireside for our ward. Wow. We were fortunate enough to have Clyde Bawden, a concert pianist and incredible composer of much of the Reflections music, Freddie, who is one of my true heros and has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, Alex Boye', who's a member of the MoTab, has an impressive and diverse resume and is amazingly talented and last but not least, Jason Barney who is the producer of it all in addition to having also written some of the music. Wow. I still can't believe how lucky we were!

It was such an incredible honor and opportunity to hear the testimonies, talent and experiences of these amazing people in such a private and intimate setting. The spirit that accompanied us as they shared their music and testimonies of the Savior was undeniable. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be reminded of such incredible truths. My testimony was given a serious boost last night.

One of the best parts was for Chris and I to be able to sit back, listen and enjoy as they warmed up and rehearsed prior to the fireside. It was a private 45 minute concert and inside peek at some really incredibly talented musicians and we enjoyed every single minute of it.

We really appreciated our amazing neighbors for opening up their home and hosting this event. It truly was an honor to have such a special presentation of such an incredible project that is sure to touch anyone who sees and hears it. We were lucky enough to have them perform a few of the songs from the new, not yet released project, Another Testament in addition to many of the songs from the first Reflections. The music is beautiful and I've heard the images from the new project, which were shot in Honduras, are completely breathtaking. I'm not suprised.

These are not only talented musicians but also, and most importantly, they are incredibly nice, humble, great men. From left: Alex Boye', Jason Barney, Clyde Bawden, Freddie Ashby and cute little Karli in the front.

One of the best treats of all was being able to have Freddie's daughter Karli come with him. She has a song that she sings with her Dad and Jessie Clark Funk on the upcoming CD. Freddie shared a sneak peak with me and she's amazing! I don't get to see them very often, now that they've moved to Arizona, so I really loved seeing her again and I always love being around Freddie. He's just one of those people in my life that makes me want to be better. I really love and admire him and am thankful for the influence he's been and continues to be in my life. Thanks again Freddie. You are amazing!

If you haven't seen this slideshow, watch it.

If you have, watch it again.

It's worth it.