Ben Storie spent ten years honing his songwriting skill while traveling in a Southern Gospel group with his wife before moving to Nashville to pursue songwriting professionally. After three years with little success, he decided to make a last-ditch effort, recording demos for about a dozen songs and passing them out at a National Quartet Convention one year.

“I gave it to anybody and everybody, including Daryl Williams,” he recalls. “I had met Daryl several years before, because my family’s group had done some of the same events as the Daryl Williams Trio.”

He continues: “I didn’t hear anything from anybody. That was my last-ditch effort; financially, we had to make some decisions, so we ended up moving back home, where we had come from, in Oklahoma.”

For the next six months, he kept submitting songs to different artists and publishers. One Tuesday, he got a polite no-thank-you letter. “I honestly don’t even remember exactly what happened,” he recalls, “but I just made the conscious decision that I would no longer pursue writing as a professional goal. It was one of those moments where I told my wife and the Lord, ‘I get it. This is not meant to be. I’m wasting a lot of time and resources and energy and this is not the direction You have for me.’ And I settled it in my soul.”

“I don’t know how to describe it,” he continues. “It wasn’t dramatic; it was just one of those moments where I made peace with it. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; I had walked away and laid it down. I knew that if I wrote again, it would be just purely for personal enjoyment.”

That Friday night, he got a call from Daryl Williams: “Ben, I’ve had a chance to listen to your music, and the stuff that you’re writing is already good enough to be published and for artists to be interested. You just need someone to connect you.”

Not only did Williams introduce him to Rick Shelton at Daywind Music Publishing, he also co-wrote eight to ten songs with Storie over the next several months. “He was just very, very gracious to mentor me and encourage me. What looked like the end of the road became the beginning of my songwriting story, professionally.”

One of the songs they wrote together was “Bless Your Holy Name Again.” “We set out to write a Southern Gospel praise and worship song,” he recalls,” something that would have a chorus that was very congregational in nature.”

“We wanted to communicate a praise and worship thought that a Southern Gospel artist and a Southern Gospel audience could identify with and want to sing,” he adds. “A lot of Southern Gospel artists want to have a point in their concerts where they invite audiences to join in singing a worship song together to the Lord. At that time, I think we were thinking that the Gaithers had the market cornered on congregational-type songs; we wanted to write one of those. It’s something that would still flow in a traditional worship service with a fresh melody and a fresh lyric.”

Three Bridges, the Lesters, and David McVay all ended up recorded the song; the Lesters used it as a concert opener. “It really is fun when you you write a song and it kind of takes on its own life and gets cut by several artists,” he concludes. “It is cool to hear through the grapevine that someone else has recorded this song and has breathed a new life in it.”

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Perrys bass singer / emcee Tracy Stuffle suffered a stroke on January 21. We’ve had several posts with updates on his condition—update 1, update 2, update 3, and update 4.

UPDATE, 5/23/13: Last night, Libbi posted:

I went today to search out a skilled nursing / rehab facility for Tracy to be moved to within the next few days. I think I found one in Lebanon, TN. Just waiting to see if they are able to accept him. I went to several and I just prayed for God to show me the one where He wanted Tracy to be. If this one takes him, I will be 15 miles closer to the house!! And this facility WILL let me stay with him at night some!!! PRAISE THE LORD!! So, help me pray they will accept him.

Tracy tonight has been making noises like he’s trying to hum like. I told him he could talk if he wanted to! I think he’s discovering that he can make noises. I am just waiting for the day he just takes off talking or singing!!! :0)

He has started winking at me!!! Yes, I bout shouted the first time he did it!! I have it on video. He’s back to blinking twice for yes. Rubbing his lips together after putting chap stick on his lips. A lot of this we have not seen since the shunt was put in. The speech therapist has been impressed with his progress this week!! He is holding his head up better when the PT therapist sit him on the edge of bed. He tried to kick me again in the leg! :0) His fingers on the right hand have been moving some. Yeah, it’s coming back!!!!!!!!!!! It may be slow, but it’s happening!!! GOOOOOOO GOD GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Lord willing, I will be in Ringgold, GA this Friday night with the group. Also, Lord willing I will be with them next Wednesday in Salina, KS and Thursday in Guymon, OK. Leah my fill in has a graduation on Thursday night in Florida so she can’t go the first two days. So if nothing happens, I will be with the group those two days and then I will fly back to Nashville on Friday morning. PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME, because this will be the first time I will have been away from Tracy for this long. My heart hurts every time I think about it, but I know God will take care of both of us. My brother Randy will be staying with him during this time.

Remember to thank God for all your blessings tonight!!!! HE’S GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!!!

UPDATE, 5/18/13: Libbi posted:

YES, YES I know I haven’t updated in a couple of days. Tracy is doing good. He’s rested most of the day today, but that’s what his brain needs to heal. THANKS TO RONNY AND DIANNE REID from S. Alabama for the healing player by Rev. John Hagee!! It’s taped to the side of Tracy’s bed and plays almost 24/7!! Great for Tracy, but also great for me and great for those that may not be believers!!!!! You will never know how much this means to us!!!

Last night I went to Huntsville, AL to sing with the group. My Pastor’s wife Alisa Grubb went with me for company. I think she’s gonna become my roadie when I have to drive to some of the dates!!! Eat and talk!!! Any ways, Tracy must have missed me pretty bad because his blood pressure stayed up from about 7pm to I got back to his room about 12:30 am. When I walked in and started talking to him, his heart rate went down immediately and then in just a few minutes his blood pressure went down. Made me feel good that he may have missed me!! :0)

Tracy will be moving from Kindred Hospital here to a Skilled Nursing/Rehab facility in the next couple of weeks. He will need more time for his brain to heal and be on the trach a little longer. With 5 bleeds, it just takes time. Not for sure yet which facility he will be going to yet. JK and I will be checking one out in Lebanon and one is Mt Juliet, TN on Monday. Only down side to this is I will not be able to stay with him at night! I wouldn’t worry so much about him if he could talk. But, I pray God will give me a peace about it and Tracy too!!! Not sure how long he will be there, but probably for a little while. Please, pray for me during this transition!! I’m a protector!!!

UPDATE, 5/15/13: Libbi posted:

Tracy did good with the blood transfusion he received Monday night at midnight. Fever elevated tiny bit, but nothing major. He seems to be staying awake a little more off and on through the day and night. Yesterday evening he lifted his head off the pillow about 3 times and tried to turn his head. That’s a great thing. PRAISE THE LORD.

Working on trying to get him on a schedule of some sort with his sleeping and staying awake so when the therapist come in he will stay awake for them. So far…….well I still have some tweaking to do! :0/ PT and I set him up on the edge of the bed again yesterday and he did well with holding his head up, but it just really tires him. He set up for about 15 mins with me holding his back. Therapist kinda got on to him because he felt like he wasn’t really putting forth a lot of effort. Just praying that this will improve!!! He may be discouraged I don’t know. I am trying everything I know to encourage him and cheer him on (even have pom poms)! :0)

He did great yesterday on the speaking valve. He was on it for probably 4 hours. He’s already been on it for 2 hours today and still going. The doctor said his lungs sound soooo much better. The speech therapist is teaching me some more things to work with Tracy on being he responds more to me than them. We will see how this goes. …

Please continue to pray for Tracy’s strength, that it will improve each day! Pray for me to have patiences and not try to rush things that can’t be rushed. Sometimes I am a pusher and want things to happen NOW!! I am learning, IN GOD’S TIME, things will happen!

 

UPDATE, 5/12/13: Libbi posted:

Today has been a great day!!! Such a beautiful blessed day!!! I got up this morning and went to church with JK, my Mom, my sister Debra and Bro in law Chris. The nurse Tracy had this morning was soooo sweet and told me she would watch Tracy while I was gone if I wanted to go to church. Then, the cleaning lady came in and we started talking about going to church, being saved and stuff and she told me the same thing, that she would watch Tracy while I was gone to church. It was great being in my home church and able to worship with my family!!! My Pastor, Mark Grubb did some incredible preaching on End Times!!

When I got back to the hospital, I ask Tracy if he missed me and he blinked his eyes twice to tell me yes! :0) I missed him too!!! But, felt good to take a little break to go to church. Then all the family came to the hospital and brought food for Mother’s Day lunch! It’s always great when we can be together. JK brought me a Peanut Butter Pie, Amish Peanut Butter and bread from Blue Gate Amish Rest. in Shipshewana, IN!! My FAVORITE!!!!! And he brought me beautiful flowers! He’s such a great son!!! Blessed to call him son!!

Tracy has got settled in now I think. He seems to be resting well. His secretions seems to be better. He’s been awake a good bit today. I worked him out some when I got back from church. Talked to him a lot. I have about got his facial expressions figured out. He watched a little bit of Tiger Woods golfing and then fell asleep. It’s amazing how watching golf does me the same way!!! :0)

Lord willing tomorrow he will begin his therapies here at Kindred. I am praying that God will gird him with a supernatural strength to do what he needs to do! I’m gonna get my pom poms out that someone sent me and cheer him on!!!

Please pray specifically this week for God to move Tracy toward a great progressive week!! Pray for strength that will totally amaze the doctors, nurses and therapists! I BELIEVE!!!!

If all goes well Friday and it’s the Lord’s will, I may be with the group in Huntsville, AL that night with The McKameys. I will update y’all closer to the date. I have to line up people I trust and that he knows to stay with Tracy that afternoon and that night til I would get back about 11pm.

UPDATE, 5/11/13: Libbi posted:

Good morning!!!! It’s a great day to be a live!!!! A brand new day is here, filled with new mercies and new miracles!!!! I praise the Lord for ALL His goodness, grace, mercy and love!!!!! Hope you find the blessings, mercies and miracles throughout your whole day!!!!

Tracy is being moved back to Kindred sometime today. The doctors feel that he has improved greatly in the past couple of days and that he’s ready to head back and start back on the road to recovery!!! And yes……I am trusting God and expecting nothing less than a full recovery, in God’s time!!!! I know there’s a lot of doubters out there who will say, I just don’t know about that. Well, it’s your choice to be a doubting Thomas!!!! I choose to BELIEVE AND TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD!!!! The world has always been filled with doubting Thomas’ from the beginning of time and will be til the very end of time!! What a miserable life to live always doubting God. It’s been a 111 days and we are still here, a live and breathing!!! That’s a miracle within it’s self!! I hope and pray that if you are a doubting Thomas, that God will show you just as he did Thomas himself, that HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS!!!! AND “NOTHING” IS TOO HARD FOR HIM OR IMPOSSIBLE!!! I’ve already experienced one major miracle this week that to man looked totally impossible, but to God it wasn’t nothing!!!! Don’t go through life always doubting, start trusting God and see how different life can be.

Thank you again to everyone who has prayed a prayer, sent an email, text, cards, love gifts, bought a motel room, hosted a benefit concert, requested prayer, had prayer vigils, have sent prayer cloths, prayer shawls, blankets, bought a lift chair and sooooo much more!!!!! I may not have been able to thank each one of you in person or personally, but I am doing it now, because I DO appreciate everything!!! I will be forever grateful for all the love, prayers and concern you all have shown our family over the past 111 days. My prayer is God will “richly” bless each one of you!!!!!

To all the Moms out there, let me take this time to say “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY” tomorrow!!!! I pray it is a very blessed day!!!! I am happy that my sweet mom is in town for the weekend!!! God has given me the greatest Mom ever!!!!

UPDATE, 5/9/13, 8 PM: Libbi posted:

Sorry I haven’t updated in the past 24 hours but been waiting on test results and blood cultures to come back on Tracy’s pneumonia and his latest CT scan this morning.

The CT scan this morning from Tracy’s brain shows that the shunt is doing it’s thing. The old blood from the ventricles from the last bleeds he had several weeks ago has decreased!! PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY!!!!! It will take several more weeks and maybe months for all the blood to dissolve. The little pocket of spinal fluid near the shunt is better! So, everything with the brain is improving! Gooooo GOD Goooooo!!!!!!

The pneumonia shows sign of clearing up. Tracy has been more awake today than he’s been in several days. He’s been trying to watch ESPN. Sometimes he just tires out and falls back to sleep. Dr. Ulm said anyone with pneumonia would be sleepy, tired and not feel good. He said give him time to get over this and we should see some progress. The secretions are not all yellow and green anymore, but a white color. So, we may be heading back to Kindred tomorrow. I just want him to be better before he goes anywhere!! . . .

I will try to update again tomorrow if we get to go back to Kindred. Thanks to everyone who has prayed so hard for my Sweet T!!! Y’all have been so faithful to keep praying and lifting him up. I will never ever be able to thank y’all enough!!!!! I love y’all and y’all are the greatest friends ever!!!!! I pray God richly bless you all!!!!!!

UPDATE, 5/7/13, 8:30 PM: Libbi posted: 

Well, Tracy was admitted back to the hospital last night after having CT scan and X-ray. He has pneumonia, which I found out this evening from Kindred where he was at, that he came there with pneumonia. Surprised me! No one told me anything about it! Ugh!!! So, they have him on 3 different kinds of antibiotics to make sure they have good coverage in case there’s infection somewhere else. Should have cultures back in next 48 hrs.

CT scan showed a little pocket of fluid on the right side of brain, that was there after putting the shunt in had a little more fluid than 3 weeks ago on last CT scan. Not a significant amount, but more than before. Dr. Darice Spackmen (Dr. Ulm’s PA) came in this evening and opened up the shunt pressure to let more fluid be released. He will have another CT scan done tomorrow to make sure it’s doing the job.

Tracy’s temp is back to normal tonight!!! Praise God!!!!

PT worked with him this morning by sitting him on edge of bed and he did very well considering him being tired from a long night of getting settled in. He even balanced for a few seconds on his own.

Speech and OT will be by to work with him tomorrow. Praying he has strength from God to do great!!

Don’t have a clue as to how long we will be here, praying not long!! Ready to move forward in the name of Jesus!!!!

Thanks to everyone for praying extra hard for my sweet man!!!! I am forever grateful!!! Please keep it up!!!

None of this caught God by surprise!!! He is all knowing and all seeing!!! His Will be done, not mine. I just pray for more grace to keep fighting on this journey He has laid before us!

Thank You God for Your sustaining grace!!! I love You!!!

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Worth Knowing

• Monroe Hopper, one of the original members of the Hopper Brothers and Connie, passed away yesterday morning.
• Little Jimmy Taylor passed away late Wednesday evening. He was pianist for the Rebels Quartet from 1952-1969 and from 1972-1974. He also wrote the song “Dear Jesus, Abide With Me,” cut by the Rebels Quartet in 1960, the Blackwood Brothers in 1961, and numerous other groups in the early ’60s.
• On Tuesday, Beyond the Ashes baritone vocalist Kellan Monroe announced his departure from the group on his Facebook page. He said that he is “very excited about this new season and direction in my life and thankful for all God is doing,” but did not specify his future plans. A video was posted to Facebook of former Freedom baritone Tyler Vestal filling in at a concert last weekend—intriguing given that Freedom and Beyond the Ashes are on polar opposite ends of the Southern Gospel spectrum.
• A new Homecoming video recording will be taped next Tuesday. It is being billed as “our first-ever all-women’s Homecoming!” This, however, refers only to the vocalists; Bill Gaither will be there to host, and current Boxcars / former Isaacs member John Bowman mentioned on Facebook that he will be part of the live band, playing fiddle and mandolin. A 90-minute selection of what will ultimately result in a two-DVD taping will be aired live for www.gaither.tv members.

Worth Watching

Here’s a video of Inspirations bass singer Mike Holcomb singing tenor:

(That’s a B-flat above middle C at the end—a note that most lead singers don’t even try to hit!)

Worth Discussing

It’s open thread Saturday—you decide!

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3:1 Reviews offer three highlights of an album and one area that could have been improved.

After singing with groups like Heaven Bound and the Journeymen, Anthony Facello joined Garry Jones’ Mercy’s Mark Quartet as a founding member in 2004. Shortly after he left that group in 2006, he started his own group, Anthony Facello and Crossroad. (They would later be renamed Beyond the Ashes.)

Beyond the Ashes carved out a spot on the Southern Gospel spectrum that moved the markers and left groups like Brian Free & Assurance or the Crist Family, by comparison, labeled as “moderately progressive.” Through a couple of personnel changes, they have maintained a consistent progressive trio sound. They spent several years with Vine Records (run by Wayne Haun and Kevin Ward); Living in the Moment is their debut release for Stow Town Records (run by Wayne Haun and Ernie Haase).

Their diverse influences show in their song selection. They cover songs from artists as diverse as the Collingsworth Family (“Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me”) and pop singer Jason Mraz (“Living in the Moment.”) It doesn’t seem that Mraz, who co-wrote the latter song, intended it as an overtly Christian song; he describes himself as a syncretist who doesn’t “follow any type of religious doctrine or any type of rules that any one religion creates”; however, the case can be made that the song’s lyrics, including “peace in my heart / peace in my soul,” “I’ve let my past go past / and now I’m having more fun” and “wherever I’m going, I’m already home / I’m living in the moment” allow room to be interpreted within a Christian context.

Perhaps to counterbalance the lyrical risk in the title track—many of the other lyrics on the album cover familiar turf in familiar ways: No sin is greater than grace. Jesus gives us peace in the storm. Jesus loves us. Love whispers our name. Love comes shining through.

Fans of progressive Southern Gospel are likely to enjoy Living in the Moment. If your tastes run more middle-of-the-road (Perrys, Triumphant) to traditional (Dixie Echoes, Blackwood Brothers), it is unlikely to be your cup of tea. But even then, you may well enjoy several individual tracks, like “Where Gold Begins” and “Oh, the Thought that Jesus Loves Me.”

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