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Hello everyone, My name is Carolyn Vaughn, and I have been singing gospel music for twenty-four years. In the year 1976 I sang my first solo in our Baptist Church, located in Jenks, Oklahoma, and I knew the moment I finished singing, that the Lord had placed a desire in my heart to serve Him in a music ministry. It was Christmas time, and I was asked to sing the song, "Do You Hear What I Hear"? I came home very excited and shared this news with my husband, Butch. He was in total shock and disbelief!! He said "In the nine years we have been married, I've never heard you sing." "Are you sure you want to do this?" I replied, "Of course, why not?" Don't you believe I can do it? "Well, he said, I'll be on the back row, just in case I have to make a quick get away!!" We both laughed at the back row escape plan, but with the Lord's guidance, I went forth to sing my first solo, quite successfully, and my husbsand didn't have to escape after all! This was the beginning of my music ministry, and then the Lord began to bless my ministry, and started opening many doors for me to go and minister to his people. We moved back home to the Ft. Worth, Tx. area, and then we bacame members of Retta Baptist Church, of Burleson, Tx., in 1984. I began singing with Retta's Choir, and then, I was asked to join Retta's ensemble, by our Minister of Music, Rodney Salmon, which was a thrill for me. I have also performed and sung in several of our big church productions. Retta's Church Choir and Ensemble, had the opportunity to fly to Boston, Ma., and perform the play "The Day He Wore My Crown", and minister to the Haitians. I've also had the privilege to minister to my precious church family, on many of our Sunday morning and evening services. The past twenty-four years has been such a blessing from the Lord. I have had many opportunities, to sing for the Lord, in the area local Churches, revivals, on a Christian Radio station in Tulsa, Ok., I've been on KMPX, Ch. 29, Daystar Christian Television, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, a mini-concert on March 4, 2000, at Family Christian Book Stores, in Irving, Tx. and I was on Johnnie High's Country Music Revue, June 9,2000, and scheduled to be on again on Sept. 29th to sing Gospel music. In September, 1999, I joined the Southern Gospel Music Association, and in August, 2000 I was thrilled to find that I had been nominated for soloist of the year, for this past year. What a blessing from the Lord!! In October of 1999 I joined BYKOTA Gospel Music Association. Since I have been with these two Associations, I have had many more opportunitites to sing and minister in some of the area Church Singings and Jamborees, Alvarado and Wylie Oprys, at SGMA and BYKOTA conventions and other functions. I''ve sung at Canton's First Monday with Leroy Lewis' Singing on the Mountain, and minister in music on Sunday at his chapel services. I have sung at the Fellowship Of Christian Music, Winter Fest, at Country Church, in Mesquite, Tx. I also, showcased at the Jones Family Theater, in Farmers Branch, Tx. On June 14th, during the ICGMA convention, and I have sung at the Garland Opry at the Alpha Christian Center with Bob and Gloria Wilson. The Lord has humbled me so much with his kindness and blessings. I give our Lord Jesus Christ all of the glory for all he has done. I strictly do this ministry for the cause of Christ and for His glory only. Not for any glory or my own!! I just glory in his name!! In November 1999, I was able to record my very first project. The title of my tape is called "The Rose". I rewrote some of the words to this song to make it more of a gospel song. This song was originally recorded by Bette Midler, and it was such a beautiful song, I thought it would be a wonderful song about our Savior's love for us, and how it sometimes hurts to love, just as it hurt Jesus. So much love, that He was beaten beyond recognition, a crown of thorns shoved down on his head, and then he was nailed and hung upon the cross and speared in his side, and then felt that His Father had forsaken Him, But, He never gave into His own pain and needs or asked for anything to give Him any comfort from the pain and suffering. He put himself on the cross and took all of our sins, grief and pain and sickness with him to the cross and bore them, so we wouldn't have to suffer here on earth. You cannot believe how this song has ministered to so many hurting people, who also has been hurt by love. But, we have to remember that this pain lasts only for awhile, and Jesus, will carry that pain for us today if we will let Him. Five of my most favorite songs are "WHEN HE WAS ON THE CROSS, I WAS ON HIS MIND", "NO ONE EVER CARED FOR ME LIKE JESUS", and "IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL", "THE ANCHOR HOLDS", and of course "THE ROSE". I will be recording my next project sometime soon, and I believe the title of my tape will be "NO ONE EVER CARED FOR ME LIKE JESUS," very fitting, I thought. I also have two songs on two compilation dics that are out now. One is on BYKOTA'S disc, and the song on it is "THE ROSE" and the other is on a compilation disc, put out by Dr. Joe Price and Gene Bradly, which is going world wide for airtime play, and the song on that disc is "JESUS WILL OUTSHINE THEM ALL". 
More than anything, I have had the best blessing of all, and that is when the Lord Jesus Christ saved me and forgave me of my sins, and the Lord had His hand on my life, guiding each and every step of my way, even when I didn't know Him as Savior. He had His loving hands and arms around me, protecting me from many dangers, toils and snares. I wished many times as a little girl, that I would die, because I thought no one loved me, or cared for me, because, I had a Father who beat my Mother constantly, and he didn't have anything to do with me. He only cared for my brother. I also, had a physically abusive alcholic, stepfather, and he would beat my mother in a drunken fit, and my mother, brother, and I, would have to run for our lives and hide from him, behind garbage cans, for fear that he would kill us all. I had no peace of mind as a child, until we moved into my grandmother's house in Grand Prairie. In this neighborhood about two houses down from her house, there stood Bowles Memorial Baptist Church, and I would go there every time the doors opened, because that was the only place I could find peace of mind and joy, when I was there. I never wanted to leave the Church and go back home. It was like walking from heaven back into hell!!!! I was only ten years old and broken in heart and in spirit, until one Sunday, I asked the Lord into my heart and to save me from my sins, that was in 1958. The Lord is the only reason I have peach of mind today. But, you know, I am so thankful for this past life, because, He gave me a talent and a music ministry and healed me of a terrible self image, lack of self confidence and shyness, guilt and a broken heart. Now I can go out and minister in song, to other hurting people and children, like I was at one time. Thank you Jesus for all of your love, and I thank Him for giving me a wonderful, Christian Husband, and two beautiful Christian daughters, and three beautiful grandson. The eldest grandson accepted Christ as his Savior this last spring. He is nine and loves to sing also, and he is going to sing with me at the BYKOTA Convention. I am a proud grandmother!! This is also my address if you would like to write to me: 7 Rochelle Ct., Mansfield, Tx. 76063. If anyone would like a copy of my tape "THE ROSE" I would love to send you one. There are ten great songs recorded on this tape. They are: "THE ROSE, WHEN HE WAS ON THE CROSS, ONE DAY AT A TIME, LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE, HE DIDN'T THROW THE CLAY AWAY, THERE IS COMING A GREAT DAY, SWEET BEULAH LAND, IT'S GONNA RAIN, JESUS WILL OUTSHINE THEM ALL, AND GOD ON THE MOUNTAIN. I think you will enjoy the tape and I pray you feel the anointing of the Lord.
In Christ's Love, Carolyn Vaughn Music Ministry. |
