30th Year Photos/#139

Partners in music and life.
David Lindsey and Dana Hamilton in 1980 working on one of their earliest musical projects together, as they did a lot back then – in fact they started as business partners.  Bet you didn’t know that.  Merla and I had gotten to know Dana and Judy by way of visiting my sister Annette and David every few weeks.  They even came from Arlington, TX with David and Annette to visit the Cook family in the country of Bryan County, Oklahoma a time or two.  Someday I must share their experience there of the “green ghost in the bedroom”.  Even better, everyone should hit Dana up about it when you see him next. 

David and Dana taught high school together and had become good friends and went to Colorado together on vacation driving or dragging their International Harvester Scout 4 wheel drive vehicles with them (thus the hat on Dana).  Having heard an album of Bill Spence on the hammer dulcimer, smartly entitled “The Hammer Dulcimer”, and discovering there was a shop outside Denver that sold kits, they made their way to the Hughes Music Company the summer of 1978 and purchased their fanciest model – all 40 bucks worth!  Thus I, too, was exposed to the wonderful world of dulcimers, went to Mt. View, AR the following spring and fell head over heels for the things. 

This scenario and much, much more …just coincidence and happenstance...maybe.  But I believe in a world of order and reason, created by a God of infinite wisdom and knowledge of the past, present and future.  He loves all His creation.  But for those who recognize and worship their creator and Lord, He pours out indescribable blessings on them, even amongst the discord of the world caused by mankind’s own failure to honor Him.  I cannot take the glory for anything good that has taken place in my life – I must give Christ that honor.  It is by Him I was created, by Christ I have been redeemed and through Him I am able to live well despite my extreme weaknesses.  I love to watch God manipulate the circumstances around me, working through so many who I come in contact with all to His pleasure and thus to mine.  To live with Christ in my heart and to subject my life to His will is my most sincere and foremost desire.  If you see me fail, don’t blame anyone but me.  If you see me succeed, give Christ the glory.  This, David and Dana have reflected in their lives and music and I would do well to pay even closer attention to their lead…even more so than the dulcimers they shared with me 30 years ago.