Life Is Like a Country Song

These are real titles (really bad, that is) of country songs

Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You

Here's A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares) 

High Cost of Low Living

How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away? 

How Come Your Dog Don't Bite Nobody But Me? 

I Keep Forgettin' I Forgot About You  

I Still Miss You Baby...  But My Aim is Getting Better

If The Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me 

If Today Was a Fish, I'd Throw It Back In 

I'm In Love With A Capital U

I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna be a Diamond Someday) 

Mama Get The Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)

Pick Me Up On Your Way Down

Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox When I Die

Queen Of My Double-Wide Trailer 

She Got The Gold Mine And I Got The Shaft 

Thank God And Greyhound She's Gone

The Bridge Washed Out and I Can't Swim and My Baby's On the Other Side

The Last Word in Lonesome is Me

Timber... I'm Fallin In Love

Walk Out Backwards Slowly So I'll Think You're Walking In

You Can Lock Me Up in Jail & Throw Away the Key, But You Can't Keep My Face from Breaking Out

You Can't Haul a U-Haul Into Heaven

You Done Stomped On My Heart (and You Mashed That Sucker Flat)

You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly

You're either laughing or groaning. In country music it's all good or all bad or just badly titled. Mark Lowry said that life is like a roller coaster with ups and downs and twists and curves. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly. Mark says that means the ups and downs are just bigger. Mark also says his favorite Bible verse is "And it came to pass" ...it didn't come to stay. I've revised it to say This too shall pass...like a kidney stone. I don't have first hand experience of this but after spending time with Mark D. at the hospital last weekend, it's BAD! Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS and again I say rejoice. He also said that whatever state I am in; feast or famine, good or bad, (my interpretation) I will be content. 

Sometimes it's hard to be content when the world throws life at you. Life is about choosing. Joshua said it, choose you this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. (Deut. 30:19) How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! (Prov. 16:16) 

All this rambling to say...today, how will you choose to live your life? This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Uneventful Event

Saturday came and went without incident other than the fact that it marked 2 1/2 years since the girls went home. It seems that's how things are now. Days come and go as they always have. You wake up, look at the calendar and say 'oh yea, today is such 'n such day. Well what are we doing today? Business as usual, ok.' We had a conversation last night. This Saturday will be Kayla's 21st birthday. What are we going to do to celebrate, commemorate, whatever it is we're doing? I don't know. 21? Is she 21 in heaven? Will they have a party? How cool would it be to have a birthday party with Jesus? Grammy, Granny, Maw-Maw (whom she hadn't met until that day in February), Uncle Buck, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Modie, Aunt Doris, Aunt Virginia, Betty Barnes (her favorite 6th grade SS teacher), and the list goes on and on of people who are partying with Kayla. Wow! Not to mention all the Biblical people. And God the Father, her Father, bringing in the cake. What would He say? 'Kayla, I remember thinking of you before I spoke the world into motion. You were, are and forever will be the apple of My eye. I remember the look on your Dad's face when he first saw you. He was freaked out. Doctor asked if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord. He politely declined. Oh, but once they cleaned you up and placed you in your mother's arms, the joy that was on her face. The love and joy that your parents have for you is just a raindrop in the ocean compared to the love and joy that I have for you. Happy Birthday Kayla! I love you, my precious daughter.' God, will it ever get easier? Is it supposed to? I am amazed at the impact Kayla and Alicia made and are still making on our world. I miss your smile, your laughter, all your crazy dreams. I can still see you standing on the stairs looking at me as you were heading to the library. "I love you, Kayla." "I know, I love you, too." You actually said it. I knew you did but it was this unspoken thing between us for some reason. Thank you so much for saying those words that day. Hey Kayla, I love you! Happy Early 21st Birthday! 

Chasing Me

THE CHASING SONG - ANDREW PETERSON
Now and then these feet just take to wandering
Now and then I prop them up at home
Sometimes I think about the consequences
Sometimes I don't

Well, I realize that falling down ain't graceful
But I thank the Lord that falling's full of grace
Sometimes I take my eyes off Jesus
And you know that's all it takes

Well I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
I was happy with the way that I'm behaving

'Cause Job, he chased and answer
The wise men chased the Child
Jacob chased her 14 years and he 
Captured Rachel's smile
Moses chased the Promised Land
Joseph chased a dream
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

Well, they say a race can only have one winner
And you know you've got to pull out front to win
God knows the only time I'm winning
Is when I'm chasing Him

Well I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
I was happy with the way that I'm behaving

'Cause Samson chased a woman
and he chased the Philistines
I'm not quite sure what Jonah chased
But I know he caught the sea
Cain, he chased the harvest
While Abel chased the beasts
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

And Jesus chased the moneymen
And he chased his Father's will
He chased my sin to Calvary
And he caught it on that hill
Saul, he chased the Christians
Till his blindness made him see
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me 

Love Out Loud

As summer comes to an end, I look back to say "WOW!". It's been an amazing summer. Super Summer, Trip to Nebraska, Association Camp, and VBS. And those are the things I was involved in. Bonnie went to Russia. The team went to Branson. Dani went to Canada. Sarah went to Canada and Ireland. Wes, Kim and Samantha went to NYC. Jeromy spent 3 weeks in Florida with Nana and Papa. Again, it was an amazing summer. On top of all the activities, we had young ladies leading people to Christ. That is double amazing. God worked through you this summer. Thank you all for your willingness to serve. As we close the book on the summer, we havta remember that the summer may end but our serving doesn't end. Let's show God's love out loud. Can't wait to see what God's gonna do next and who He will use. :)


JESUS HOPE OF THE NATIONS
BRIAN DOERKSEN
Jesus hope of the nations
Jesus comfort for all who mourn
You are the source of Heaven's hope on earth

Jesus light in the darkness
Jesus truth in each circumstance
You are the source of Heaven's light on earth

In history You lived and died
You broke the chains You rose to life

You are the hope living in us
You are the rock in Whom we trust
You are the light Shining for all the world to see

You rose from the dead conquering fear
Our Prince of Peace drawing us near
Jesus our hope living for all who will receive
Lord we believe