WAIT FOR IT...

Those who know me, know I am a southern country/bluegrass gospel girl down to the bone.  In fact it took me going to the jungles of Papua New Guinea to expand my music appreciation.  

Maybe it was listening to the drum beat coming from the village every morning that got old, or maybe it was the songs being sung by people with red teeth from chewing betel  nut mixed with lime powder that turns it red.    Hard to enjoy a song when the ones who sings has a mouth full of red stuff.  

    There were times I just wanted to hear something from my music. Out would come my country/bluegrass gospel with its pure harmony and the pure story of Jesus.   Those songs brought joy to my heart and ease the struggle of living so remote.  Well, that is when there was electricity.  

Unless you have lived without electricity or on a limited supply as we were you can never appreciate all electricity brings.  All missionaries take their favorite music to what ever country they are ministering in, praying they will have electricity at least half of the time.   My missionary neighbor brought El Divo with her and played it the only way it should be played, LOUD.  

I remember the first time I heard these guys...cold chills ran all over me. Four powerful beautiful voice blending in harmony.  If I learned anything living in two third world countries where songs are sung in another language its that you do not have to understand the words, just the heart of the music. Those four Italian men who make up the group El Divo along with my country/bluegrass groups were instrumental in encouraging me to keep on for the Lord.     

Never have I appreciate music more then when we lived  overseas.     

But I will let you be the judge of what I am talking about.  
Crank it up and

 Wait for it.

  

                  

I want to put this piece in , " Five Minute Friday blog link-up"  link up, so I must say something about the word "collect."  Years ago the piano player at our church gave me some great advice for singing. She said, learn a new song every month, one for a wedding, a funeral, a revival, church and then one that just for you.  I took her advice and now have a great collection  of sound tracts that I use when I sing.  

Music is so often the jumping off for my next post just as this one was.  I listen to El Divo and memories started flowing of  sitting at my desk in Papua New Guinea listening to music and singing along with whoever I was listening to.  I not only have a great collection of music but also a great collection of memories surrounding music. 

                                                       What do you collect?

Blessing Sunday

There is nothing more of a blessing then when God does something special for one of our children. Such was the case today as we ate dinner with our son and his three children after church.  His wife was off on a ladies retreat and we had just return from a long trip so none of us were up for cooking.

I notice this older couple sitting in the booth next to us but did not think about them being able to hear us talking. Our son was telling us about their upcoming vacation and how he was hoping to find good hotel rates.  They are not going far but far enough it requires about four nights in a hotel plus gas and eats for five and hopefully some extra to do some fun things with the kids.  We had finished our meal and was just waiting for our check when the gentleman and his wife who was seated near us came back to our table.  Honestly we did not even know they had left.  He lean in toward our son and shove some money on the table in front of him.  He said, for your vacation...our son was sort of stunned and could not say a thing, it was done and over with in a matter of a few minutes.  We all just sit there for a while soaking it in what had happened.  Did we hear the man right?  Did he really say, for your vacation?  Our son had not even counted it yet...but when he finally did it was around 150 some dollars.  It took a while for our minds to wrap around what just happened. 

God has been blessing our hearts through our children for quite some time.  Last January He provided the funds for our daughter to fly from Mn. to California to be with me during my surgery and recovery.  I had the opportunity recently to thank the people in a church in northern Mn. for helping her.  To know God cares for your children actually more then we do is a comfort and one that got us through the years of being separated during our time living overseas.  Each time God does bless them through someone besides us we are reminded they are not ours, God claims them as His, bought and paid for at Calvary.  Our part is to just trust Him for their care.  

"God will bless you and your family for honoring God by glorifying Him throughout your life"

 "The Godly walk with integrity, blessed are their children after them." Proverbs 20:7  

Aaron Tippin - Where The Stars & Stripes & The Eagle Fly

The line in this song, "I've seen enough to know we got it good" resonated with my heart this morning. Ace and I have lived for a few years in two different countries and folks we got it good despite all the issue our country faces now. You don't see thousands of people fighting to get out of this country, people are not flooding the visa office to leave the US. We got it good folks. I would like to send those who spit and burn our flag, throw rocks and other things on our police and military to a country where the freedom doesn't flow. They would be doing all they could to get back to where the red, white and blue stands for something besides hatred. 



                       
Proud to be an American...Happy Fourth of July