Since Wednesday of last week I have been in the process of making a video that could be published on YouTube. The audio was in my music file, with other recordings converted from cassette tapes, through Garageband to ITunes.   This is my first attempt, and having the impression that it would be an easy task I set out to collect some images to use with America the Beautiful that our daughter Lee, and I had sung at Smokerise Baptist Church in 1986. My project was begun on July 1, with high hopes of publishing it on July 4th,  but that did not happen because I didn’t really know what I was doing.  The Lord led me first to Don Detrick’s website, and his permission to upload images from his Flickr photographs, so I did not need to go anywhere else for images.

A lot of Google searches turned up many different ways to make a video on a Mac.

I first tried PowerPoint but there were problems with this program. A second try with a free trial software did not work out. After hours and days of trying different methods I stumbled across the application of IMovie on our Mac.

The format was similar to others, so synchronizing the music to the photos was the main thing. Finally I had a decent video (for a beginner) but instructions for importing from IMovie to YouTube did not work. After struggling through the midnight hour of Wednesday, this week, I gave up and put everything to bed. My continual prayers resulted in plans to try again Thursday morning for 30 minutes. If no progress was made I would leave for a time, take the remainder of the day for something else I needed to do; try again for 30 minute intervals whenever I had time until I experienced some progress.

Thursday morning after setting the 30 minute limit I opened the movie file where I had imported from IMovie. It still looked okay. I then signed in to my YouTube (Google) account and clicked the upload button, after which it took only a few minutes to publish. Here is the finished product. I praise the Lord for His leading me through with patience, persevering by His grace, for His glory. Whether there will be more videos or not depends on the Lord’s leading.  Whatever His will He always leads through or over every obstacle.

Gracious Father, thank you for the country you have given us, a country where your people still fear, love and obey you.  Thank you for enabling us to see your goodness, even in the middle of wars, chaos, oppression, persecution and rebellion from others against you.  Thank you for your plans in which you follow through to accomplish all according to your will.  Thank you for your continued leading by your Holy Spirit in the lives of your children.  We pray that your brotherhood throughout this nation will continue to grow stronger.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.