On a connecting flight from D.C. to Orlando I had the privilege of being seated next to a man named Dan Merrill.after stowing my carry-on bag in the overhead compartment I got settled into my seat. I kept my Bible tucked under my arm, as I took my seat, with the intention of spending some time getting intimate with my Creator during the flight to Orlando. I was soon joined by a man who introduced himself as Dan Merrill from Portland, Maine. As he took his seat he noticed the Bible tucked under my arm and commented, "Best book ever written." That was the beginning of a nice conversation that lasted nearly an hour as we shared thoughts about Scripture and our common journey with Christ. I was on my way to Orlando for Exponential 2008, Dan was enroute to Lakeland, Fla for a revival.
Come to find out, Dan plays guitar and sings lead vocals in a progressive Christian rock band called Simon Apple . As we touched down in Orlando and made our way from the plane to the airport Dan and I shook hands, exchanged e-mail addresses and went our separate ways to our intended destinations. I had an opportunity during my four days in Florida to check out Simon Apple's website and Myspace page. I love their sound which is reminiscent of early Genesis, Bruce Hornsby & Steely Dan, to name a few.
It was indeed a blessing to meet Dan Merrill and to hear his story. As I was perusing their website I discovered that their drummer, Buzz Saylor, was recently diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment. So, to my blogging friends I would ask you to pray for this man, Buzz Saylor, and if you have an extra minute or two, check out their music on their website and myspace page
