Five Minute Friday — True

Posted on September 28, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday. You might remember the task at hand is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. The initiative was started by Lisa-Jo Baker who thought about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take five minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.

Lisa strayed a bit this week. She gave a preamble to her readers — predominately young mothers like her — about her next goal … presenting motherhood. Here’s how she phrased it …

“…But here I am anyway and sitting with a bum knee (remind me to tell you how I got five stitches and a tetanus shot in Austin last week) up on a sofa overlooking a beautiful view with hundreds of miles between me and my kids writing the story of how I’m the only version of a mom I know how to be. And it likely looks different than your version. And it’s always a work in progress.

And I don’t want to be scared to tell you how motherhood looks for me because I never want you to be scared of being able to share how it looks for you.

Next week I’m going to share some of the stories that make me both me and a mother. Me and a working mother. Me and a mother who grew up in South Africa. Me and a mother who has three adopted siblings. Me and a mother who lost her mother. Me and a mother who’s writing a book.

Because if we’re going to do this thing — if we’re going to remind each other that we are both more and less complicated than ‘just’ a mom, we’re going to need to trust each other, yes

So I’ll go first.

I’ll share you some of my ‘back’ stories. Because in reality they’re my ‘now’ stories.

And I’ll know that we’re in this thing together.

Really.

Yes?

So our word for Five Minute Friday this week? Let’s make it: TRUE. Because I need your true stories. Just like I hope you need mine.
(See more at: http://lisajobaker.com/2013/09/when-a-blogger-gets-stage-fright/)”

Lisa’s openness was refreshing. I had to comment. And this is what I said to her …

“Loved the prompt and the idea behind it. As a man, I am often overwhelmed by how women — my wife included — diminish their roles, juggling careers (even if it’s the most demanding job of being a homemaker) and home life. We men often are experts in compartmentalizing our lives — separating work and careers from home life — frequently at the expense of one or the other. You women blend them and make them work. My prayer would be no woman ever calls herself ‘just’ a mother. It’s the most important job in the world! And that’s the truth, phthh!”

To be honest, I felt like an interloper this week, especially as I read some of the responses to Lisa’s challenge. I can’t figure out in my right brain-left brain why women sell themselves short. You guys are amazing. You not only have the capacity to use your brains and your brawn, but your heart as well. Celebrate that! That softness of heart, that compassion is what makes you stand out. And, please, please, please strike the word “just” out of your vocabulary

This week’s prompt is TRUE.

I’m not setting the timer this time around. I’ve already invested well more than five minutes. But I think the prompt was justified … STOP

I try to present “back stories” into my life through my posts. You guys probably know as much about me as anyone. That’s TRUE, too.

I receive so much insight from reading your posts. It’s refreshing to read about Cheerios crushed into the carpet or supper coming out of the freezer, into the oven and onto a paper plate. It heartening to hear these young women turning their trials into testimonies. That’s TRUE, too.

At least from this guy, I say, Let’s hear it for the girls!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER:  The most effective way to cope with change is to help create it.

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In the Blink of an Eye

Posted on September 27, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

Five years. It has been five years to the minute of this post since I changed my status from married to widowed, from husband to widower.

karen sleeveTo be honest, some days it doesn’t seem like five years. The events unfold like they were yesterday. On other days, it seems sooooo long ago. But the reality is it has been five years of mood swings, of moving on, of holding back. Don’t let anyone fool you into believing life goes on after the death of someone with whom you intimately shared your life with for any length of time — in my case 40 years — dies. It doesn’t go on … it changes. There is a piece of you that dies as well. It’s not all gloom and doom. It’s just different. Her imprint remains throughout the house and indelibly on my heart and life. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about her … sometimes with a smile, others with a grimace when I remember where I failed and still others with a tear or two.

I don’t want to be melancholic. After all, we had 40 amazing years together. And I don’t want to dwell on the months leading up to Karen’s death. She showed amazing grace during that time. I chronicled it last year if anyone is interested in reading about it (Amazing Grace, https://wisdomfromafather.com/2012/09/27/amazing-grace/).

But there are two things I do wish to share.

First, Karen “sent” me and each of the five kids a special letter, not to be opened until after she died. In mine, she gave the following life lesson to share …

“… I know I’m leaving you with a lot of dust bunnies in the ceiling, dust on the furniture and furry little balls of dog hiding in various places on the floor. That stuff never was important to you, but it was my job and I took it seriously. The hardest thing for me through this [her illness] has been not being able to do my jobs … cleaning, cooking, laundry, office. I have felt so useless. If I get a good day I want to live it, not clean it … The days may be long but the years are short … You always told me to ‘stop and smell the roses.’ Thirty years ago I wondered where you thought I would find 30 seconds to do that; now 30 years later I wish I had … The song Celine [Dion] sang, Because You Loved Me, puts into words what I never could. It is how I always felt for you …”

Right back at you, Babe!

The other anecdote I wanted to share was an incident shortly before Karen died. To set the scene, this happened on the Tuesday night prior to her death. We had just returned from the doctor’s with the somber news there was nothing more that could be done … it was just a matter of time … maybe a few weeks. That afternoon, a hospital bed was delivered and set up in the living room — not without rearranging the room three or four times {by me} to get it just right. It was set up next to my recliner, which is nestled in the corner. My job was to make sure Karen was comfortable, got her meds and to help her get around as long as she was able.

Sometime during the night, I was roused by the sound of a crash from the bathroom and a wire basket ricocheting off the porcelain toilet and rolling around the tiled floor. I bolted to the bathroom to find Karen on the floor, covered by towels that had been stored in an old crate she had transformed which was now on top of her.

“Are you okay?” I asked, to which she relied yes before exploding in tears. “You were supposed to wake me up so I could help you to the bathroom,” I “scolded” her.

“I know,” she said, “but you looked so peaceful sleeping. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

As I tried to help her up, she pulled me down onto the floor. We hugged amid the towels, swapping “I love yous” and salty tears on the cold tile. We just held each other close for I really don’t know how long … seconds … minutes.

I would do anything to have those moments back.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Perhaps we never had it so good — but it never went so fast either.

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Dishwasher Science

Posted on September 25, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

The grandkids have chores around the house. The older two, for example, take turns loading and unloading the dishwasher.

The other day, my son reminded my grandson (10) it was his turn to unload the dishwasher. Immediately my granddaughter (13) pipes in, “And make sure you put the spoons in the right place!”

I damn near choked on my bread.

It seems my grandson is getting groomed in the male art of putting things away haphazardly, while my granddaughter is honing up on her organizational skills.

To illustrate the point, we have two utensil caddies in the drawer … one for the everyday cutlery and the other for the more formal fare. Of course, with five of us in the house — and three under the age of 14 — we go through a lot of silverware, so it’s not unusual to use both the everyday and more formal flatware. When he unloads, my grandson has the tendency to mix them together.

Of course, the same is true for dishes and bowls. You can always tell when my grandson unloads … there will be a combination of round and square plates stacked in the cupboards as they come out of the dishwasher, not necessarily in a round on bottom, square on top pattern. The same premise applies to loading the dishwasher. When grandson loads, you are apt to find plates and bowls randomly placed in the machine … including on the top rack, which is usually reserved for glasses, cups and mugs.

My granddaughter, on the other hand, has a sense of loading and unloading protocol. Her biggest problem is remembering to exercise it.

But the exchange caught me off guard because — in that instance — I thought Karen was being channeled through her. I could hear her utter those exact words. In fact, I can remember her telling me those exact words.

In my male defense, I never knew there was a right way or a wrong way to load a dishwasher. I mean, you put the dirty stuff in and the machine does the rest. But Karen had a definite, logical plan to utilize every imaginable square inch of the dishwasher cavity. I can’t tell you the number of times I was “scolded” for putting the glasses on the wrong side of the rack {glasses go to the left, cups and mugs to the right because the cupboards holding them are to the left and right, respectively}. Silverware never got mixed {knives with forks or forks with spoons or spoons with knives} and were always alternated up or down so there wouldn’t be any nesting. Dishes were loaded with bigger plates on the outside and smaller ones in the middle. Bowls were set sideways in the bigger rack openings. The top rack was reserved for glasses, cups and mugs, as well as small bowls {I never figured that one out}.

I really don’t know if it’s a male/female thing or a slob/neat freak thing since we were male and female and I tend to be a slob … unorganized … while she was a neat freak.

I do know I heard her voice at the dinner table that night!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.

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Lonely Cornstalk

Posted on September 21, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

We’ve all seen them. You know, the lone cornstalk growing in the middle of a soybean field … the tree stretching out from a wall of rock … the weed that miraculously appears in the only crack in the asphalt.

IMAG0212I found one of those aberrations along a busy state highway earlier this year. A lone cornstalk sprouted inches from the road bed. And I’ve watched it all summer. It just continues to grow, maybe not as tall as corstalks in a cornfield, but a respectable five feet or so. As of this morning, it had three well-formed ears with flowing silks and tassels blowing in the September breeze.

This particular cornstalk piqued my interest for a number of reasons. Obviously, just watching it grow by itself next to a state highway was impressive. And to actually see it grow was another marvel. It’s amazing no one either intentionally or unintentionally has cut it down. Even the mowers have spared this lone stalk.

There had to be a life lesson in this, I thought. Maybe independence. Maybe Providence. Maybe a little bit of both.

To be sure, the science of its existence can’t be questioned. We’re an agricultural area and I’m sure a kernel or two fell along the wayside during transport last year. The kernel germinated, rooted, sprouted and let nature do its thing.

We have a lot of cornfields in our area. However, this little guy was nowhere in eyesight of another stalk of corn.

I had thought visions of writing about the little cornstalk that could. Independence. Perseverance. Defying odds.

But I morphed into divine protection. You know, the lilies of the field … not one of the sparrows shall fall without the knowledge of the Father … the lone cornstalk.

I think that’s the message I take out of this summer’s journey. Each time I pass that little cornstalk, I know I, too, am under divine protection.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Frequently you have to go way out on a limb if you want the finest fruit.

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Five Minute Friday — She

Posted on September 20, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday. You might remember the task at hand is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. The initiative was started by Lisa-Jo Baker (http://lisajobaker.com/2013/09/five-minute-friday-she/) who thought about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take five minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.

I generally find the prompt and mull it over for awhile collecting my thoughts and memories before settling down for the five minute task. Today I saw the prompt and just jumped right in.

This week’s prompt is SHE.

Here goes. The timer is set for five minutes {clock starts now}

She appeared out of nowhere on a side street … a wisp of a girl.

She and I became friends as she dated my best friend.

She and I became closer friends when she was dumped by my best friend.

She and I became closer friends as I struggled with who I was and who I wanted to be.

She became my best friend when I almost lost her.

She became my help mate when we married.

She was my inspiration, love, helper, psychoanalyst, confidant, strength, compass and support during 40 years of marriage.

She was mother to our five children … and did a bang up job at it.

She was a rock and the foundation in our … STOP

….lives.

She is gone, taken too soon by the dreaded C …

But she is never forgotten!

Well, that’s it. A heart tugging assignment at a heart tugging time.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER:  Often it takes as much courage to resist as it does to go ahead.

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Dig … Dig … Dig …

Posted on September 19, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

A couple of weekends ago, I headed to Maine for some house hunting {and relaxation}. Before I left, my son told me there was a problem with the washing machine. The water was backing up, but while I was gone, he was going to snake the line. No problem. Fortunately it was a graywater line, not our main sewer line.

While in Maine, he texted me things weren’t going as planned {which, actually, is exactly what I had planned}. So I returned with the problem not resolved. Jay was pulling out roots and pieces of Orangeburg pipe, but couldn’t get it cleared enough for a free flow.

Not to be defeated, Jay borrowed a power snake and promptly “lost” one of the extensions somewhere in the bowels of the sewer. Town water and sewer representatives came to inform us it appeared somewhere down there, a sewer line had collapsed. The remedy was to dig down until we found the collapse, adding it was probably down by our red maple or even further down by our spreading bush.

But, the first order of business was to dig down to the sewer line, which we estimated to be about four and half to five feet down. Using town drawings, we “mapped” the line and marked the digging plan.

Next was renting a backhoe. We planned on getting it Monday, but the weather was wet, so we opted to wait until Tuesday. We picked it up and started happily digging out the trench {on a production day for me, I might add, so much of the work was done by my son, bless his heart}.

Around noon, he called me outside. He couldn’t find the sewer line out of the house and he was already about five feet deep. We checked and double checked and knew it had to be just under our rapidly growing hole.

A little while later he came it to tell me he hit the water line, so we had to call the town to turn off the water. We knew {or at least suspected} the water was about six inches above the sewer, so after the water was shut off and the hole pumped, we started digging a little deeper. Still nothing. We started prodding to the side, almost to the foundation. Still nothing. And, by now, we were running out room to put the dirt and reaching the eight foot, four inch limit of our rented backhoe.

Under the cover of darkness, illuminated by a plug-in halogen light, we opted for Plan B … call someone with a little more experience.

Jay kept telling me he was sorry, but, hey, I kind of figured we would hit water before sewer and never find any oil. It’s just the way it goes.

We were fortunate to get someone Wednesday. The game plan was to hook up the water, then return this weekend for the sewer work. We agreed on a price.

By 9 a.m., a bigger backhoe was sitting at the mouth of the hole, deftly searching for the elusive sewer pipe. Nine and a half feet down, they found it. That’s right, 9 1/2 feet down! It seems the iron pipe jutted through the foundation, took a 45 degree turn down and finally connected with the main line. They cut through the iron pipe to find the pesky break. They ran a snake through and snared only the wayward extension, which apparent went right to the road before getting hung up and twisting off. No breaks! No collapse! They re-hooked up the water line and ran water through the drain. No backup … just a steady flow that made its way to the town sewer. They cut a section of the pipe, re-fit it and we were good to go. By 10:30ish we had water and clean flowing drains and by 11ish the cavern halfway to China was filled in.

So, what lessons did we learn?

First, as a homeowner, if something can go wrong, it will go wrong … especially if you try to self-fix. I mean, how often do you hear of losing a snake extension? I mean, 4 1/2 to 5 feet really means 9 1/2 feet?

Second, as a parent and grandparent, I was proud of my family. Jay kept saying he was sorry, but I was proud of his initiative. I would never criticize him — or anyone in the family — for trying. So what, it didn’t work out as planned. It was another experience on this journey’s path. And the family rallied through the inconvenience of no running water for almost 24 hours. We had pizza for dinner … went to the local convenience store for potty breaks … and the kids took their showers at their grandma’s house.

Third, my faith was not challenged. Not once did I become upset. There was a calm, knowing in the grand scheme of things, this was nothing but a memory maker.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: A leader is never certain whether others are following or chasing him.

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Country Christian — No. 1

Posted on September 16, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

Start the trumpets!!! Let the fanfare begin!!! Add some guitar strings!!!

It’s time to present my No. 1 all time country song with a Christian message. And the honor goes to Carrie Underwood and her Jesus Take the Wheel.

This was Underwood’s first single hit off her Some Hearts album (2005) after winning American Idol earlier that year. The cross over ballad hit the top of the charts in both the country and Christian genres. And it was an immediate hit in the Siccardi household. Karen even used it as her cell phone ring tone.

The song resonates with me because it symbolizes a never-ending struggle with giving up control. “Jesus, take the wheel … Take it from my hands … Cause I can’t do this on my own.”

There is just so much truth in those words penned by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson. We all push Jesus and God to the passenger seat as we cruise through life. We want to be in control — until we hit that patch of black ice that causes us to spin out of control. Jesus! Take the wheel!

“I’m letting go … So give me one more chance … To save me from this road I’m on … Jesus, take the wheel.”

Whenever I hear the song, I stop and assess my relationship with the Lord. Who’s in control? Me? Or Jesus?

That’s why this is my No. 1 pick.

So, there you have it. Recapping my top 10 are No. 2, Miranda Lambert, Heart Like Mine (Sept. 14); No. 3, Rodney Atkins, If You’re Going Through Hell (Sept. 11); No. 4, the actual impetus for the series, Beer with Jesus by Thomas Rhett, (Oct. 13); No. 5, Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis (Sept. 5); No. 6, Watching You also by Rodney Atkins (Sept. 1); No. 7, The Little Girl by John Michael Montgomery (Aug. 29); No. 8, When I Get Where I’m Going by Brad Paisley (Aug. 25); No. 9, Red Dirt Road by Brooks and Dunn before they split up (Aug. 21); and No. 10, Alabama’s Angels Among Us (Aug. 17).

Just to remind you what this series was all about, I enjoy country music. I know it can be raunchy and risque at times, twangy and bring out the best (or worst) of our redneck feelings {aw, come on, we all have them}. But, no matter what, it is always real — addressing real-life issues, warts and all. The country genre lyrics are honest, honest to goodness honest.

But at its root, the country music genre is a compilation of life in America — not the America of cities, but the rural America. It may have been born in the south, but its sound resonates in every state … even upstate New York. Despite its sometimes shortcomings, it buzzes with traditional American values — God, family and country. It’s not unusual to hear a country song with lyrics like “… five-card poker on a Saturday night, church on Sunday morning …” (Boondocks by Little Big Town).

Country music tells a story in less than five minutes, especially contemporary ballads. It’s the lyricist’s story … it’s the singer’s story … It’s your story … It’s my story.

That’s my Top 10. What about you? What would your list include?

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: What we see depends mainly on what we look for.

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County Christian — No. 2

Posted on September 14, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

Well, we made it to the top two country songs that have a Christian message … at least in my opinion.

Thus far, my ranked songs have been No. 10, Alabama’s Angels Among Us (Aug. 17); No. 9, Red Dirt Road by Brooks and Dunn before they split up (Aug. 21); No. 8, When I Get Where I’m Going by Brad Paisley (Aug. 25); No. 7, The Little Girl by John Michael Montgomery (Aug. 29); No. 6, Watching You by Rodney Atkins; No. 5, Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis (Sept. 5); No. 4, the actual impetus for the series, Beer with Jesus by Thomas Rhett, way back in October (Oct. 13); and Rodney Atkins was a repeater for my No. 3 pick, If You’re Going Through Hell (Sept. 11).

This song caught my ear quickly after its release in early 2011. It’s by Miranda Lambert, Heart Like Mine.

It’s uptempo for country, but gives us a insight into the life of Miranda Lambert — a little rough around the edges but with a soft heart. From that standpoint, it’s a county Christian standard … and it’s pretty much a story of her life, your life and my life.

The hook is in the chorus …

‘Cause I heard Jesus, He drank wine
I bet we’d get along just fine
He could calm a storm and heal the blind
And I bet He’d understand a heart like mine,

We all need a Jesus who understands our heart, our unpredictable, unprotected heart. We all make some questionable choices in life. We all lose our way. We all have some regrets, but I’m looking forward — as Lambert puts it —

These are the days that I will remember
When my name’s called on a roll
They’ll meet me with two long stem glasses
Make a toast to me coming home …
He’d understand a heart like mine.

To remind you of what this series is about, I enjoy country music. It can be raunchy and risque at times, twangy and bring out the best (or worst) of our redneck feelings {aw, come on, we all have them}. But, no matter what, it is always real — addressing real-life issues, warts and all. The country genre lyrics are honest, honest to goodness honest.

But at its root, the country music genre is a compilation of life in America — not the America of cities, but the rural America. It may have been born in the south, but its sound resonates in every state … even upstate New York. Despite its sometimes shortcomings, it buzzes with traditional American values — God, family and country. It’s not unusual to hear a country song with lyrics like “… five-card poker on a Saturday night, church on Sunday morning …” (Boondocks by Little Big Town).

Country music tells a story in less than five minutes, especially contemporary ballads. It’s the lyricist’s story … it’s the singer’s story … It’s your story … It’s my story.

And then there are those times when a country story just stops you in your tracks. Whenever you hear it, you make that connection with God. It returns you to communion.

So this series is about those country songs that have — at least for me — a Christian message.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Opportunities do not limit us as much as we limit ourselves.

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Five Minute Friday — Mercy

Posted on September 13, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday. You might remember the task is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. The initiative was started by Lisa-Jo Baker (http://lisajobaker.com/2013/09/five-minute-friday-mercy/) who thought about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take five minutes and see what comes out — not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing. I’m proud to be one of the hundreds of bloggers who take part each week and look forward to reading what others write. It’s always a treat reading different interpretations on a common word.

This week’s prompt is MERCY.

Here goes. The timer is set for five minutes {clock starts now}

Lord, have mercy on me.

I say that little prayer each time I take the bread during communion. I know at that moment — and just about always — I don’t deserve mercy, but I do ask for the Lord’s compassion over me, a sinner.

While sharing the cup, I always add, Lord I am not worthy to receive You, but say the word and my soul will be healed.

Another request for mercy.

Mercy acknowledges our role as an offender, someone not worthy of saving but saved nonetheless. It’s humbling. Its subservient. It’s a request for an act of kindness and compassion.

But we also have to give mercy to those who wrong us. We have the power to show mercy, to forgive, to emulate our Savior. How often do we fail … STOP

… there as well.

Lord, have mercy on me.

Well, that’s it for another week.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Keeping your eye too closely on the future may obscure present opportunities.

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Country Christian — No. 3

Posted on September 11, 2013 by wisdomfromafather

The Top Three. That’s where we are in my list of the top country songs that have a Christian message.

Thus far, my ranked songs have been No. 10, Alabama’s Angels Among Us (Aug. 17); No. 9, Red Dirt Road by Brooks and Dunn before they split up (Aug. 21); No. 8, When I Get Where I’m Going by Brad Paisley (Aug. 25); No. 7, The Little Girl by John Michael Montgomery (Aug. 29); No. 6, Watching You by Rodney Atkins; No. 5, Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis (Sept. 5); and No. 4, the actual impetus for the series, Beer with Jesus by Thomas Rhett, way back in October (Oct. 13).

Rodney Atkins is a repeater for my No. 3 pick, If You’re Going Through Hell.

Man, can I relate.

Well you know those times
When you feel like there’s a sign there on your back
Says I don’t mind if ya kick me
Seems like everybody has
Things go from bad to worse
You’d think they can’t get worse than that
And then they do …

We’ve all been there. Life sometimes has a way of beating us down. Our best plans get derailed. Our options are limited. We’ve been down to our last match and felt a hundred different demons breathing fire down our back.

Rodney Atkins gives us the way out …

But the good news
Is there’s angels everywhere out on the street
Holding out a hand to pull you back up on your feet
The one’s that you’ve been dragging for so long
You’re on your knees
You might as well be praying
Guess what I’m saying

If your going through hell
Keep on going, don’t slow down
If you’re scared don’t show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re there

Yeah, If you’re going through hell
Keep on moving, face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you’re there…

That’s a pretty powerful mantra. If you’re knocked to your knees you might as well be praying. Keep on moving. Face that fire. Walk right through it.

How can that song not inspire you?

To remind you of what this series is about, I enjoy country music. It can be raunchy and risque at times, twangy and bring out the best (or worst) of our redneck feelings {aw, come on, we all have them}. But, no matter what, it is always real — addressing real-life issues, warts and all. The country genre lyrics are honest, honest to goodness honest.

But at its root, the country music genre is a compilation of life in America — not the America of cities, but the rural America. It may have been born in the south, but its sound resonates in every state … even upstate New York. Despite its sometimes shortcomings, it buzzes with traditional American values — God, family and country. It’s not unusual to hear a country song with lyrics like “… five-card poker on a Saturday night, church on Sunday morning …” (Boondocks by Little Big Town).

Country music tells a story in less than five minutes, especially contemporary ballads. It’s the lyricist’s story … it’s the singer’s story … It’s your story … It’s my story.

And then there are those times when a country story just stops you in your tracks. Whenever you hear it, you make that connection with God. It returns you to communion.

So this series is about those country songs that have — at least for me — a Christian message.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Opportunities are seldom labeled.

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