My friend Cammie Quinn’s asked if I would play the piano and lead the singing for one song during her book launch party for her new civil war novel Follow the Wind Home. The song was "How Great Thou Art."

It might surprise you to hear this, but I don’t normally play in public. I love playing the piano. And I love singing to God. But playing and singing—and leading others in singing in a live setting? For me, that’s rare.

But it was Cammie asking. And it was her book launch for a novel she’s been dreaming about writing and publishing since 6th grade. I had been helping her to get it published since last fall when she reached out to ask me for help getting it out of her computer and out to the world. So when she asked me to play the piano and lead one song, how could I say no?

It turned out to be one of the high points of her party, and one of the high points of the year for me personally. There’s just something about the song, about having her family and friends singing it, and about the way the Holy Spirit came into the room for those special moments. Cammie told me this morning she’s watched that song over and over this week, still amazed at what God was and is still doing.

Would you like to listen in? I’ll include the link below to our worship time, along with links to her book, her talk, and to another conversation we had in our back yard just a few weeks ago.

Take a few minutes to worship with us! He so worthy of our praise.

P.S. I read Cammie’s book on my trip to Italy this spring on some cold and rainy days when it was too dreary to go outside. I loved sitting by the fireplace in my room and letting her novel warm my heart. The book is dedicated "to those who love to much," which includes me!

I was hooked from Chapter 1 and was thankful to have a few more "cold and rainy days" to keep reading to the end! It gave me strength to move on. The book is written in the style of Willa Cather and John Steinbeck. So if you love those, you’ll love this!

• Follow the Wind Home on Amazon (paperback & Kindle)
• Follow the Wind Home on Lulu (hardcover)
• Cammie’s website

Here’s the link to Cammie’s book launch party, starting with a few remarks from me and another friend, followed by her talk at about 12-1/2 minutes into the video, and ending with the hymn, "How Great Thou Art" at around the 50 minute mark.

And here’s a short clip we recorded in my backyard a few weeks ago on the day her book was published–exactly 20 years from when she lost her eye to cancer. Thank God He can redeem our days!