I can remember the night. I had been the backup for my friend Billy as he sang a concert in the Dallas area, thanks to our friends David and Christy. I had flown in from Boston and Christy had been kind enough to give us a couple more days in the hotel to do some…

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” -Matthew 10:19-31 Jesus’ words of comfort intrigue me…

I’ve mentioned Emmylou Harris a couple of times this week. She has always been one of my musical faves and songwriting heroes. And now, at 61, she’s titled her latest release, All I Intended to Be. The title takes me back about twenty five years ago when I first came across Amy Grant’s song, “All…

The past few days have been marked by the words and actions of people around me who have offered love and encouragement in a number of tangible and meaningful ways. I’m still not past needing a melody to get through a post, but tonight I offer one out of gratitude: Pierce Pettis’ “Love’s Gonna Carry…

I spent the day on a men’s retreat with some guys from church. We were out at a lake house. The day was beautiful, the conversations were honest and open, and the day was full of meaning. I came home filled up and still ran out of gas before dark. The days feel too long…

I can remember the day in 1989 that I bought the CD. I was in Sound Warehouse and picked up How Did You Find Me Here? by David Wilcox the same afternoon I bought Steady On by Shawn Colvin. It was one of my better music buying afternoons. Ginger and I moved to Boston the…

I was reading the June issue of Harpers last week and found this sentence: Israeli researchers have identified a ruthless gene. That sentence led to this poem. Ruthless Gene I wonder how long goneshe was before anyonenoticed. The Moabitess hadbeen around, refusing toleave Naomi and desperatelyseeking Boaz, since Bible days. Who knows how Gene cameinto…

Emmylou Harris released a new record today: “All I Intended to Be”. I thought a great way to celebrate might be to point to several folks who have caught my ear and my heart. The videos on YouTube have been disabled for embedding, so here she is singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” with the Indigo…

One of things I find to be true in this life is evangelical churches have it all over us mainline folks when it comes to sound systems. I’ve been in several on both sides of the aisle and my observation remains spot on. I don’t have an explanation for this phenomenon, nor do I intend…

I always knew her as “Grandma C.” Her name was Marie. She was my dad’s stepmother. My father’s mother died a month after he was born and his father remarried when my dad was eleven. She saw me when I was born and then saw me get on a boat with my missionary parents to…