my term as "praise leader" starts this week. i got the word from pastor B yesterday. i don't think i'm ready (i don't i'll ever be ready). i keep thinking about how people are going to see me... if i'm supposed to be a "better example" now... or if people expect things from me: musically, morally, spiritually. but the phrase, "just be yourself", keeps repeating in my head, like a bad self-help tape.

...just be yourself, just be yourself, just be yourself...

myself? the eyes-closed, hands-in-pockets, back-and-forth rocking, microphone-phobic, sweaty-handed, oops-my-pick-fell-into-the-sound-hole self? the head-scratching, easily-distracted, sings-flat-in-public, overly-apologetic self who smells the funky mic, gets disgusted but keeps sniffing?

riiiiiight...