Sunday night

The road was long and winding, but it finally led me to our destination, Nashville, Tennessee. The ride seems like a distant memory already, as the first few hours here have been spent soaking up the atmosphere of this neon city of dreams. As excitement builds, and the realization of what tomorrow will hold finally reaches my mind, I have to look back on my past that brought me here today, and the only word I can use to describe this experience is "dream."

Most people in rural Iowa grow up wanting to be a farmer or a teacher; something practical. Most kids are in a hurry to grow up fast and live the life that Daddy did, or better yet, become something so they could give their children the lifestyle that they could never have. So when a kid from a small town grows up wanting to be a professional singer and performer, it tends to catch peoples attention. My life up until this point was a dream. I grew up an a fully functional family with the ability to live any way I chose. Athletic success, incredible friends, strong faith, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever picture myself in Nashville at the age of twenty finally making my reach for the stars.

Even in this muggy, humid, southern heat, I found myself sitting on our hotel room balcony, looking at the moon, glancing off into the nearby neon skyline, wondering what tomorrow will hold. For many, their dreams include success, fame, and fortune, but for me, my road of faith has given me the oportunity to chase so much more than that. My good friend, Randy Cauthron, once told me that he loves his job because he is able to impact people's lives in a positive way, and that is exactly what I want. I want to stand in a studio or on stage, and use my voice to bring joy to someone's heart. There is so much bad in this world that when something good comes along people cling to it; they cherish it, and that's exactly what I'm doing. There are moments so great that even words cannot express the deeper meaning behind them. Sitting on that balcony tonight I realized that dreams are only relevant in a persons life if they fight for them and push themselves to every limit to achieve them.

Thanks again everyone. You've pushed me, and forced me to take a deeper look at myself in order to unlock every scrap of potential within me to make you all proud. I'm not just dreaming for me now, I'm dreaming for everyone who's life I've ever touched, and everyone who has ever reached out to me to touch mine. --With the utmost hometown pride, Casey Muessigmann