SouthernGospelBlog.com

For those who have read my writings for a while, you may remember my struggle a year or so ago with accepting valleys as from the hand of God and determining to accept them if that’s what it takes to draw me closer to Him.

As I was praying this week, I’ve thought of how far God has brought me and how He continually shows me His goodness and gives me grace for each valley that I face. Sure, there are times I still end up in tears but I’m holding to His hand and I know He’s not going to let me sink to the depths. Somehow, He keeps me looking up and, when I do that, this valley doesn’t seem so large.

As I was praying the other day, I asked God that, when I’m on the mountain and I feel it start to crumble beneath me, if He would send angels to bear me up on their wings. I would love to be able to see the valley but to somehow stay above it and, with His grace, that’s how I would like to live. Sometimes it may be necessary to feel the pain of the valley to be able to better comfort others who are going through the same thing but I want to stay built up so I can encourage those people. Life may be hard but God is so good and I don’t ever want to communicate anything different.

I don’t yet have all the answers but I know everything is for a purpose and I want that purpose to be fulfilled. If it takes a valley in my life to draw others to Him, then I want to be willing to allow that. With Him carrying me I know I can.

I apologize for two question posts in a row, but it’s a slow news week in Southern Gospel so far. (But I can’t say that without anticipating it somehow becoming a self-defeating prophecy.) Jeff Foster does have a good post up on NQC Conduct, but there’s little to discuss in the way of news right now.

So let’s discuss a music-related question I’ve been puzzling over. I have quite a few “smart playlists” in iTunes. One day I might be inclined to listen to songs I’ve rated 5 stars, another day songs released in 2009, and another day songs penned by Dianne Wilkinson.

These smart playlists are constantly automatically refreshing. Do any iTunes geeks read this blog? If so, do you know if these slow the program down any significant amount?

Are the feature interviews I do for this site too long?

I realize that what comes out to eight or nine pages when formatted may be more than most people want to read on a regular basis.

And if they are too long, should I

• (a) Cut out some information and only stick to the highlights, or
• (b) serialize the interview, posting a segment once a week for four weeks?

UPDATE (9:37 PM): Thanks for your feedback. All at once it is! Every now and then, I try to give myself a reality check. Am I doing things the way I am because that’s the way I like it? because that’s the way I’ve always done it? or because that’s the way you like it? It’s nice when all three coincide!

I was sitting in Freedom Hall at the National Quartet Convention watching the Booth Brothers when Michael Booth began to sing “Look For Me at Jesus’ Feet.” I remember hearing Gary Sheppard sing that song years ago and I heard Michael sing it last year but this particular evening, I received a mental picture that I would like to share with you.

I picture myself in Heaven slowly strolling the streets, still somewhat dazed, wondering if I’m dreaming and not quite sure what to do with myself.

As I look up, I see Jesus up ahead, smiling at me as if maybe He is also wondering what I’m going to do once reality finally sinks in. As soon as my brain clears and I realize who He is, I run toward Him, throwing my arms around Him and clinging to Him in ecstasy. After a while, I let go and step back, looking into His face once more. The love pouring from His eyes is like none I’ve ever seen. Such an intensity that brings tears to mine.

He smiles as He says, “My beloved child, welcome Home.” He takes my hand and begins to walk back where He had come from. I don’t even think about where we’re headed; I’m just happy to be with Him. He leads me to His throne where He releases my hand and takes His rightful place. In awe, I sit at His feet staring up at Him in amazement that I’m finally there … in Heaven … with Jesus. Wow! Can this really be happening? Suddenly, all my worldly cares are forgotten for all I can see is His face!

I don’t notice the streets of gold; I don’t notice the walls of jasper; I don’t notice anything but Him and I am convinced that if I sit there looking at Him and listening to Him for all eternity, it would not be long enough.

Just for fun, since I don’t have anything more serious on my mind today, I thought I would post my most embarrassing NQC moment.

Apparently (as I hear) at the urging of Blackwood Brothers bass singer Randy Byrd, my fellow blogger Aaron Swain put together an impromptu Southern Gospel Bloggers Quartet. He sings bass; the other three of us (David Bruce Murray, Nate Stainbrook, and yours truly) sing baritone or lead. We had no tenor.

Well, I believe my comfortable range is the highest, but it just as certainly is not a natural tenor. But I foolishly agreed to sing tenor anyhow.

So we stumbled through a rendition of Boundless Love. I did especially poorly; remember …that I was singing tenor and I’m not one. Anyhow, it was bad enough that the person in the booth next to our home base (the SouthernGospelForums booth) peeked through the curtain to see what the racket was.

Brian Free.

The winner of this site’s Third Birthday Contest is in: It’s my fellow blogger Diana B., whose guess of 9,876 was 190 away from the correct total: This site has had 9,686 comments since its launch three years ago.

Rounding out the top 5:

• 2nd place: M Smith (286 away)
• 3rd place: Adam Wallace (314 away)
• 4th place: Nate Stainbrook (514 away)
• 5th place: Jeff Foster (814 away)

There have been 20,054 spam comments, too, which is why I made the contest specific to non-spam comments.

We’re getting closer to the 10,00o comment mark. Perhaps we should do another contest for that!

Just in case you missed it in the midst of the NQC coverage, SouthernGospelBlog.com has a Third Birthday contest going; that contest ends at 8 P.M. this evening. Head over and enter!

Here is a video Rich Crist took for the Crist Connect website:

The Inspirations’ new baritone, Donald Duck, who looks remarkably like their old baritone, Melton Campbell, was observed recording a radio liner yesterday:

On this day three years ago, September 18, 2006, the first post went up on SouthernGospelBlog.com. And today, as a thank you, I am announcing a special third birthday contest.

How many comments do you think this blog has had in its first three years? (Precisely: How many approved—i.e., non-spam—comments have appeared as of the end of the contest, 8 PM EST on Monday, 9/21/09?)

The person with the closest guess will win a copy of the Amazing Grace DVD (the movie about William Wilberforce). Post your guess in the comments. Be sure you leave a valid email address in the email box so I can follow up with the winner.

It’s appropriate that this contest focuses on the comments, because it has been the support and encouragement you’ve given me there that has spurred me on to sustain the hectic pace of daily posts this long. Thank you!