Obedience brings joy and uninterrupted fellowship with God (from Unit 9, Day 2 in the Experiencing God study by Henry Blackaby). JOY always catches my eye, and it really jumped off the page in this context. For much of my life I would have been more likely to associate words like “duty” or “hard work” with obedience. Then verses like the following got me out of my comfort zone, and stirred a longing to experience God’s blessings by trusting and obeying: “By faith Abraham . . . obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). Just two weeks ago I wondered if He was nudging me to go to Arizona to celebrate Music to Light the World donating 10,000 CDs. They are arriving in Tucson this Friday, and will be gifts to children and their families served by Beads of Courage in 106 hospitals this holiday season. Three years ago a lady had discovered my music in northwest Arizona, where her husband was a pastor. One year ago they moved to Phoenix to serve a local church. Maybe this would come together, but if I were to go to Tucson to celebrate and if I got an invitation to play the piano in Phoenix, the logistics would have been difficult over a short 48-hour weekend. As I prayed and watched to see what God might want to do, keeping in mind this idea about joy and uninterrupted fellowship, I learned that the Beads of Courage board of directors happened to be making their annual visit to Tucson this weekend, and they would be coming up to Phoenix. The church invited me to play at all three Sunday morning services, Beads of Courage invited me to join them Sunday afternoon to celebrate at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and the pastor’s wife and a friend invited me to play a Sunday evening house concert. There happened to be low airfares and a special hotel-rental car discount package. My heart is filled with JOY and I am obeying and going even though I don’t know all that will happen.