Today, I'll be leaving Hickory, North Carolina -- what a day I had yesterday. I underestimated my distance by about 50 miles and started a bit later than I planned because I was enjoying talking with Pastor Brian and Nancy Harrel in their home in Parkersburg--I really like those two!
Anyway, I had full day of driving through beautiful Appalachian country. I stopped off in Ronceverte, WV on the other end of the state where the ladies of the WCG who support us surprised me with a lunch--perfect break with wonderful people. Back on the road, I swooped down into Roanoke, VA -- the GPS took me through some little country, two-lane county roads that were quite winding and no shoulders that gave me impressive views of the ravines below! As I wound through there, it was the frist time ever that I was making my own self car sick, and had to roll the windows down, despite the cold, just to get some fresh air!
I made it into Hickory, about an hour and a half later than I was hoping--but there were more than 20 people from the congregation waiting to receive me and to hear about our family's service to the Middle East. It was a great time of sharing together. After a late dinner with Pastor Michael and his wife Kelly, it was time to crash!
The long, tiring drive yesterday led me to listen to only about half of the "Truth Between Us Series"--i needed to sing to keep myself going, so I jumped into a little of today's playlist to get me through. So today, I'll finish the McManus series as well as finish today's playlist...
For you younger and less civilized readers, the quote above that begins this post is from a song by Kenny Rogers back in the day -- he was a country singer. I'm heading back to some of my roots of radio for this post:
As you know, I grew up in the middle of Nowhere, Indiana and we lived a good 45 minute drive to church--one way-- three times a week. We had an old, 2-door, vinyl top, Chevy Nova (wish we never sold that thing) that only had an AM radio. I grew up listening through hours, if not eons, of old country music begging for some Kenny Rogers, Oak Ridge Boys, or Alabama to break the monotony of all the other stuff -- but most of all, I longed for the storytelling of Paul Harvey. For those of you who have never heard me preach or missed my tweets about my appreciation for the Ram Truck commercial using Paul Harvey's "And On the 8th Day, God Made the Farmer"--you may not know that his storytelling may had the earliest (and one of the greatest) influences in my preparation.
Anyway, as I head south from North Carolina (did you enjoy the Bill Cosby clip), and west into Georgia, I will be going old school on my playlist. I love me the 80's, and some country, and some old "contemporary" Christian music -- it's not all so old as those days of listening in the Nova -- no these are after I discovered FM and the ability to purchase my own music--too bad there aren't podcasts of Paul Harvey--or are there? hmmm...
Here's a few of the "oldies" hanging out in my playlist...
Billy Joel - "The Piano Man", & "You May Be Right (I May Be Crazy)" -- anyone ever see the Broadway musical based on his songs?
Alanis Morisette - "Ironic" -- and, don't judge--what "oldies" are hanging out in your playlists?
Bruce Hornsby and the Range - "The Way It Is" -- I love the sound of this band: the voice, the piano, the style--good stuff.
Bryan Duncan - "Looks A Lot Like Me"
Chicago - where to begin the album "Greatest Hits 1982-1989," including "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "You're the Inspiration," "Hard Habit to Break" - any "Best of the 1980's" without Chicago suffers from amnesia
DC Talk - "Jesus Freak," "Consume Me" (ever hear the story of how I signed autographs for DC Talk -- seriously--there are dozens of their posters and merchandise with my signature, to prove it; though they were just as confused as I was at the time...)
Elton John - Sir Elton is one of those fascinating people I would love to have a conversation with -- as an Indiana kid who was nearly the same age as Ryan White, Elton's compassion endeared him to me forever -- "Tiny Dancer"
Garth Brooks - High School girlfriends got me to listen to Garth and that's one of the only things I don't regret from those years ;) -- Garth has to be one of the greatest showmen ever -- I have his "The Hits" album, including "The River," "Standing Outside the Fire," "The Dance," "Two of A Kind, Working On A Full House" -- I think I could win a karaoke contest with that last one ;D but don't hold me to that
Travis Tritt - country, again - gotta love "Drift Off to Dream"
Genesis / Phil Collins - one of my favorite artists ever, "That's All," and the "Serious Hits Live" album, including "Something Happened On the Way to Heaven", "Another Day in Paradise"
Jeff Healy Band - "Angel Eyes"
Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean," "Thriller"
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark - "If You Leave" - oh, the 80's!
Nat King Cole - "L-O-V-E" -- classic, through and through--I nearly always have to play this song twice!
Peter Gabriel - "In Your Eyes" - John Cusack's famous pose from the movie "Say Anything" cannot properly be seen without the song playing on that radio. Forget the movie though, I find this song deeply spiritual and inspirational
Rich Mullins - My first Rich Mullins album was bought in a bargain section under Anderson Campmeeting's big tent (only you old-ChoGers will get that one) -- any way, I bought it based on the endorsement of Amy Grant on the back. Rich Mullins was one of those truly wonderful psalmists who is probably personally delighting the Lord with new songs regularly in Heaven. His album "Songs" includes some of his favorites: "Sing Your Praise to the Lord," "Sometimes By Step," "Awesome God," "Boy Like Me/Man Like You," and one of my personal all time favorite songs, "If I Stand"
Rick Astley - "Never Gonna Give You Up" -- this is in honor of Grace (we sing this when it's her turn for dishes--it's fun, and it keeps me away from some of the Bieber and other stuff she calls music)
Seal - "Crazy" (if only for the lyric, "no we're never gonna survive, unless, we get a little crazy")
Simple Minds - yes, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" -- music and movies of the 1980's may best be summarized in one year--1985
Stevie Wonder - one of the best, ever - "My Cherie Amour," "Superstition," and on and on
Temptations - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (great road trip song!)
Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car" (i love her voice--this song captures a lot of emotion that resonates out of her and makes even yuppies identify with the character--i don't know another voice that could have done that with this song)
U2 - duh, of course they're here: "Vertigo", "With or Without You"
Van Halen - curiously, all the "hair bands" are missing from my iPod and playlists because it's difficult to push the "purchase" button to capture bits of the nostalgia that are better left in the past -- but, I couldn't keep myself from buying, "Dreams", and "Love Walks In"
Oh, that may be all I share with you -- and that may be all I have on the iPod at the moment, or maybe I'm sharing a few to share with you in the days ahead. I'll always have a whole lot of love for those songs from yesteryear and each one takes me back down another part of "Amnesia Lane".
Pictures from yesterday...
These are the great cooks that were waiting for me in Ronceverte, WV -- a delightful group that blessed me yesterday with food and fellowship!
The sanctuary at Roanoke First Church of God was built while Kelly Hone (Pastor Michael's wife from Hickory) was a girl--in fact, her father was the pastor of the church who led the campaign and for whom the sanctuary is dedicated. The church still operates a day care center that was begun in the 1960's--also a memory for Kelly Hone as that was the place of her first job!
No pics of Hickory yet--I'll head back over there today and get a picture of Pastor Michael and the staff before I hit the road.
Thank you for your continued interest and prayers for our family. Pray for Keli tomorrow as she leads the 2nd week of the new Cairo Christian Fellowship Kids program--it had an exciting start right before I left last weekend and I haven't had time to fill you in on all the details. I will once back in Cairo...
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