Take Me Home Country Roads
Growing up, I was pretty much a Daddy's girl. I wanted to be with my Dad as much as I could. I went to work with him at Winn Dixie, spending my time getting dropped cans from underneath the aisle shelves, practicing cheers in the produce dept. (granted I was not a cheerleader). Sundays after church I would beg and plead to ride out to "Cloud Nine" with the windows down in the Grand Prix so I could play with my cousins. When my Dad and I were together, especially in the car, the music was always going. My Dad is a fan of seventies music and so that was what we listened to. Some of his favorite artists were James Taylor, Bob Seger, Simon & Garfunkel, The Carpenters, Elton John, Lobo, Jim Croce, CCR, Carole King, and John Denver. These are just a few that I remember listening to often.
During those car rides that "Old Time Rock and Roll" would lead us to "The Bridge Over Trouble Waters" because of those "Rainy Days and Mondays". Some days we would see "Fire and Rain" while visiting the "Empty Garden" wondering why Johnny wouldn't come out and play. Sometime we even "fell out of our chairs" while looking for "A Dog named Boo." We realized that if we could save "Time in A Bottle" we would always choose to save those memories from that "Small Town". "Brown Eyed Girls" are the best, and no matter what "You've Got a Friend." And on every ride, "Carolina was always on our minds" while those "country roads were taking us home."
It's no wonder I love music, it was an important part of my childhood. But bless both of our hearts, neither one of us can sing a lick, but that doesn't keep us from listening, enjoying, and even belting it out on occasion. Music with the right lyrics and the right singer can touch your soul. Give you those goosebumps that make you just stop for one moment and say to yourself, "Yes! Life is right, life is good, it can't get much better than this feeling right here and right now." Music can express something that your heart longs to say, but doesn't know how to say it.
I still love listening to all kinds of music, and now a days my station is usually set to positive, encouraging K-Love. For one reason, I like the music and another reason is the other stations have things I'm not really crazy about my daughters hearing because whether I think it or not, they are listening. When I first started listening to K-Love I could take it or leave it, some of the songs I liked but there were a lot I didn't like. It took a little while but then I decided to take their 30 Day Challenge, not listening to anything other than K-Love for 30 days to see if it would change my life or at least my perspective. About halfway through the month, I started listening to the lyrics, like actually thinking about them instead of just singing them. When I started doing that, I started getting that feeling I used to get when listening to one of my favorite songs riding around with my Dad. Life is good, life feels right, life doesn't get much better than this.
One time in particular I remember there was a difference. I had this peace, this calmness, and this overwhelming sense of thankfulness that just urged me to raise my hands up to the sky. Don't worry I kept one hand on the steering wheel. But at that point "Jesus took the Wheel". When listening to one of these songs, I felt His presence with me in the car, almost as if He was riding shotgun with me. Then, from the backseat I hear my little girls telling me that "God's not dead, he's surely alive!" and I couldn't help the tears from flowing. I realized that day that every moment of the day is an opportunity to teach those in your life about Jesus. It's not just a car ride to school, or to the store, or to go get something to eat. It's an opportunity to praise Jesus, to thank him, to give him the glory. He gives us so many gifts to help us along the way, music being one of them. While I can't sing very well, I can share my love of music by giving my children the opportunity of learning about Jesus through some of my favorite songs.
And I can't help but wonder and even believe, this is part of God's plan to help me share his word. He used my Dad to instill a love of music in me, and now I can use that love to help tell the world about him by sharing music that glorifies him. I don't know if that is what is going on, but I like to think so. But I do know one thing for sure, He is the master planner and His ways will always be greater than mine.
"Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises." Psalm 47:6
With love,
Tori
During those car rides that "Old Time Rock and Roll" would lead us to "The Bridge Over Trouble Waters" because of those "Rainy Days and Mondays". Some days we would see "Fire and Rain" while visiting the "Empty Garden" wondering why Johnny wouldn't come out and play. Sometime we even "fell out of our chairs" while looking for "A Dog named Boo." We realized that if we could save "Time in A Bottle" we would always choose to save those memories from that "Small Town". "Brown Eyed Girls" are the best, and no matter what "You've Got a Friend." And on every ride, "Carolina was always on our minds" while those "country roads were taking us home."
It's no wonder I love music, it was an important part of my childhood. But bless both of our hearts, neither one of us can sing a lick, but that doesn't keep us from listening, enjoying, and even belting it out on occasion. Music with the right lyrics and the right singer can touch your soul. Give you those goosebumps that make you just stop for one moment and say to yourself, "Yes! Life is right, life is good, it can't get much better than this feeling right here and right now." Music can express something that your heart longs to say, but doesn't know how to say it.
I still love listening to all kinds of music, and now a days my station is usually set to positive, encouraging K-Love. For one reason, I like the music and another reason is the other stations have things I'm not really crazy about my daughters hearing because whether I think it or not, they are listening. When I first started listening to K-Love I could take it or leave it, some of the songs I liked but there were a lot I didn't like. It took a little while but then I decided to take their 30 Day Challenge, not listening to anything other than K-Love for 30 days to see if it would change my life or at least my perspective. About halfway through the month, I started listening to the lyrics, like actually thinking about them instead of just singing them. When I started doing that, I started getting that feeling I used to get when listening to one of my favorite songs riding around with my Dad. Life is good, life feels right, life doesn't get much better than this.
One time in particular I remember there was a difference. I had this peace, this calmness, and this overwhelming sense of thankfulness that just urged me to raise my hands up to the sky. Don't worry I kept one hand on the steering wheel. But at that point "Jesus took the Wheel". When listening to one of these songs, I felt His presence with me in the car, almost as if He was riding shotgun with me. Then, from the backseat I hear my little girls telling me that "God's not dead, he's surely alive!" and I couldn't help the tears from flowing. I realized that day that every moment of the day is an opportunity to teach those in your life about Jesus. It's not just a car ride to school, or to the store, or to go get something to eat. It's an opportunity to praise Jesus, to thank him, to give him the glory. He gives us so many gifts to help us along the way, music being one of them. While I can't sing very well, I can share my love of music by giving my children the opportunity of learning about Jesus through some of my favorite songs.
And I can't help but wonder and even believe, this is part of God's plan to help me share his word. He used my Dad to instill a love of music in me, and now I can use that love to help tell the world about him by sharing music that glorifies him. I don't know if that is what is going on, but I like to think so. But I do know one thing for sure, He is the master planner and His ways will always be greater than mine.
"Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises." Psalm 47:6
With love,
Tori
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