Love You

Give a little time for the child within you,
don't be afraid to be young and free.
Undo the locks and throw away the keys
and take off your shoes and socks, and run you.

Love You
The Free Design
 

Courage

Bring my courage back now
Bring it back to me
Tired of being afraid of what I can't change
And I want to be living free

Courage
Glen Phillips

Free

Drive until the city lights
Dissolve into a country sky

Free
Zac Brown

Driving to work - sun roof open - my hand to the sky - the wind between my fingers.  The trees are stunning in their fall beauty today.  I'd like to forget work... keep on driving... and keep on driving... and keep on driving...

70 x 7

They've heard the screaming matches
That made a family fall apart
They've had a front row seat
To the breaking of my heart

7 times 70 times
I'll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way

70 x 7
Chris August

I thought, on some level, that I wanted him to pay - to get what he gave - to hurt like he hurt everyone else, but in the end, there's already been too much hurt.  All I feel is compassion and sadness.

If I Had a Boat

And if I were like lightning
I wouldn't need no sneakers
I'd come and go wherever I would please
And I'd scare 'em by the shade tree
And I'd scare 'em by the light pole
But I would not scare my pony on my boat out on the sea

If I Had a Boat
Lyle Lovett


We saw John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett last night at the Keswick - my first time to see Lyle Lovett.  Amazing!  Amazing!

I do love lightning.. and I would NEVER scare my pony.. on my boat out on the sea... or even in my yard (or my mind, where my pony actually lives)

The Happy Birthday Song

Sing me "Happy Birthday"
Sing it like it's going to be your last day
Like it's Hallelujah
Don't just let it pass on through ya

The Happy Birthday Song

Andrew Bird

65 today... 'nuff said. 

Don't Stop

If you wake up and don't want to smile,
If it takes just a little while,
Open your eyes and look at the day,
You'll see things in a different way.
Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before

Don't Stop
Christine McVie
Performed by Fleetwood Mac

Very aggressive cancer - spread beyond the bladder walls, but they think they got it all.  Hope!

The Circle of Life

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life

The Circle of Life

Music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice

Dad's surgery is today - 9 hour surgery for bladder cancer - hoping for the best

Flood

Lift me up
Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Flood
Stephen Daniel Mason, Charlie Lowell, Dan Haseltine, Matt Odmark

Thinking of Jars Of Clay today and the concert last month  - and remembering that God is faithful and that He meets us wherever we are.  I need to be reminded of that from time to time.

Stronger

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller

Stronger
Kelly Clarkson

Last Tears

These are the last tears I'm gonna cry for you
My cryin's through I'm moving on

Last Tears
Amy Elizabet Ray, Emily Ann Saliers

So Lonesome I Could Cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
Im so lonesome I could cry

So Lonesome I Could Cry
Hank Williams Sr.

Sometimes it seems like life changes faster than I can keep up   

On The Road Again

On the road again -
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is making music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again

On The Road Again
Willie Nelson

Time to start back home and there's  not much I like better than a road trip (as long as I have my iPod and a decent set of speakers).  This one should be about 11 hours and that's fine with me.  :-)

I Gotta Feeling

I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night

That tonight's gonna be a good night 

That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

I Gotta Feeling

Stacy Ferguson, William Adams, Allen Pineda, Jaime Gomez, David Guetta, Frederick Reisterer

Performed by The Black Eyed Peas

Chelsea got married today and this was the last song the DJ played.   We won't even go into the first song  (Bye Bye Bye)

Car Song

I'll take you riding in my car car
Take you riding in my car car
Take you riding in my car car
Riding in my car.

Boys and girls sing a little song
Boys and girls you sing a little song
Boys and girls sing a little song
When you're riding in my car.

Car Song
Modified by Donovan  BUT the original was by Woodie Guthrie

We're off tomorrow to  Indiana for Chelsea's wedding!  Nothing like a road trip to take the "hurry" out of life.

Love Song for a Savior

In open fields of wild flowers,
she breathes the air and flies away
She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

Sitting silent wearing Sunday best
The sermon echoes through the walls
A great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call us and we will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

It seems too easy to call you "Savior",
Not close enough to call you "God"
So as I sit and think of words I can mention
to show my devotion

"I want to fall in love with You"

"my heart beats for You"

Love Song for a Savior
Stephen Daniel Mason, Charlie Lowell, Dan Haseltine, Matt Odmark

Concert tonight at World Cafe Live at the Queen.  I think is is one of my favorite Jars Of Clay songs.  I hope they play it.  Lives are opened, seeds are planted, Love enters.

My Wish

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

My Wish
Steele/Robson

Heard this today and thought of my grandchildren (there are 8 now).  Big wishes for lots of love - both given and received.  I'll certainly keep up my end!  :-)

Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

Forever Young
Bob Dylan

Today is my grandson's 15th birthday - so many hopes, dreams, and prayers for him.  I framed the lyrics to Forever Young for him last Christmas.  I hope he keeps it long enough to understand.  

Come to Jesus

Oh, my baby, when you're dying
Believe the healing of His hand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'

Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

Come to Jesus
Mindy Smith

Blackbird

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Black-bird fly
Black-bird fly, into the light of a dark black night

Black-bird fly
Black-bird fly, into the light of a dark black night

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird
Paul McCartney

Another kind of freedom

America The Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea. 

 America the Beautiful
Lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates
Music by Samuel A. Ward

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 The words to the original poem, written in 1893 are as follows:

America. A Poem for July 4.

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife,
When once or twice, for man's avail,
Men lavished precious life!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain,
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee! 

Let freedom ring!

Downtown

And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Guide them along
So maybe I'll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares

So go downtown
Things will be great when you're downtown
Don't wait a minute more, downtown
Everything is waiting for you, downtown

Downtown
Petula Clark

I heard an interview today with Petula Clark, who is now 80 years old with a new album coming out.  I heard the version of Downtown that is on the album.  Age and "life" have given a new flavor to an old song.

Nobody's Girl

And she's a walking contradiction,
But I ache for her inside.
She's fragile like a string of pearls.
She's nobody's girl

Nobody's Girl
Larry John McNally
Performed by Bonnie Raitt

Echoes

Every time you love just a little
Take one step closer, solving a riddle
It echoes all over the world
Every time you choose one more morning,
Goodness or meanness, life has one warning
It echoes all over the world

It echoes all over the world
It echoes all over the world
It echoes all over the world

Echoes
Dar Williams

Choices!

You and Me

I remember the night,
I remember the sun
I remember the light
When the moon came around
The night flowers bloomed
The air so sweet
I remember you

You and Me
Sara Watkins

Bridge Over Troubled Water

When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Bridge Over Trouble Water
Simon and Garfunkel

43 years ago
I will always remember

Hope

She said, "Son there'll be times when the tides are high
And the boat may be rocky, you can cry
Just never give up
And you must never give

In this life you can lead if you only believe
In order to achieve what you need
You can never give up
You can never give up"

And it's hope that keeps me holdin' on and on
It's just hope that makes me carry on, on and on

Hope
Shaggy

My father had a biopsy today of a tumor in his bladder. The doctor was supposed to remove the tumor, but it was too large to remove.  I'm not sure where we go from here, but the message is clear...

You can never give up

The Weary Kind

And this ain't no place for the weary kind
And this ain't no place to lose your mind
This ain't no place to fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try

The Weary Kind
Ryan Bingham

When you can't afford to quit
When you need to stay focused
When courage is hard to find
You do what you need to do

Time

Some people never get, some never give
Some people never die and some never live
Some folks treat me mean, some treat me kind
Most folks just go their way, don't pay me any mind

Time
Premro Smith and T. Jones
performed by the Pozo-Seco Singers
 

Give a Little Bit

Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
I'll give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my love to you
There's so much that we need to share
So send a smile and show you care

I'll give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my life for you
So give a little bit
Give a little bit of your time to me
See the man with the lonely eyes
Oh, take his hand, you'll be surprised

Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
Give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my life for you
Now's the time that we need to share
So find yourself, we're on our way back home

Give a Little Bit
Ronnie Wayne Davies

This feels especially true to me today.  It seems to me that this is the only way the world will change. 
(well.. that and a great 12-string guitar)

Stairway to Heaven

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter.


Stairway to Heaven
by James Patrick Page, Robert Anthony Plant

Led Zeppelin


And the forests will echo with laughter.  What a thought

I'm having trouble trying to sleep
I'm counting sheep but running out
As time ticks by
And still I try

My mind is set on overdrive
The clock is laughing in my face
A crooked spine
My sense's dulled
Passed the point of delirium

Brain Stew
by Billie Joe Armstrong, Frank Edwin Wright III, Mike Ryan Pritchard
Green Day

One of those nights - a million things running around my head - none of which are solvable at 3:00 am.  I read something once that was really helpful for nights like this but I spent half the night trying to remember what it was and where I read it - no luck.  Maybe tomorrow night?

The Secret O' Life

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Any fool can do it
There ain't nothing to it
Nobody knows how we got to
The top of the hill
But since we're on our way down
We might as well enjoy the ride

Now the thing about time is that time
Isn't really real
It's just your point of view
How does it feel for you
Einstein said he could never understand it all
Planets spinning through space
The smile upon your face
Welcome to the human race

Isn't it a lovely ride
Sliding down
Gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

The Secret O' Life
James Taylor

Too many worries.... too many plans.  The best way to live "today"
 is to enjoy the passage of time.

Try not to try too hard.  

Shelter From the Storm

Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
"Come in" she said
"I'll give you shelter from the storm".

Shelter From the Storm
Bob Dylan

Blame it on the Rain

You can blame it on the rain 
Cos the rain don't mind  
And the rain don't care  
You got to blame it on something

Blame it on the Rain
Diane Warren
Performed by Milli Vanilli

I know!  I know! I know!  But I like it!  It's raining again today and this song came to mind.  Forget Milli Vanilli.  It's Diane Warren!   I love it!

I Think it's Going to Rain Today

Broken windows and empty hallways
A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today

Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
With frozen smiles to chase love away
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today

Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
Think I'll kick it down the street
That's the way to treat a friend

Bright before me the signs implore me
To help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today

I Think it's Going to Rain Today
Randy Newman

 Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today

Storms today - lightning, thunder - traffic lights out - flooded roads

I took some time to drive down to the river to experience the storm from there - whitecaps on the water, the river muddy brown as always in the rain - an oil tanker - a container ship - a tugboat pushing a barge.  Sometimes peace comes in the power of a storm.

The Heart of Saturday Night

Makes it kind of quiver down in the core 
'Cause you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before  
And now you're stumblin'  
You're stumblin' onto the heart of Saturday night

The Heart of Saturday Night
 Tom Waits

With a Little Help From My Friends

What would you think if I sang out of tune  
Would you stand up and walk out on me?  
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song  
And I'll try not to sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends 
I get high with a little help from my friends 
Gonna try with a little help from my friends

With a Little Help From My Friends

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Going tonight to see our friend, Andy, and his band play at a local bar/restaurant.  It's great to be around Andy any time, (he's just one of those people)  but especially fun when he's doing what he loves.

Handouts In The Rain

Teach your children stories
You can fill them full of lies
You can make them all despise
One another… one another

But when they all find out later
And they call us by our rightful names
And send us shamefully to old age

Taking handouts in the rain
Taking handouts in the rain
Taking handouts in the rain

Handouts In The Rain

Richie Havens

My father has been in my head all week, trying to justify his cruel treatment of my mother until the day she died -  and me for as long as I have memory. Today, I understand that this latest barrage of bullshit is fear-based and just his frantic attempt to avoid...

          taking handouts in the rain

He is forgiven

If I Had a Boat

And if I were like lightning
I wouldn't need no sneakers
I'd come and go wherever I would please
And I'd scare 'em by the shade tree
And I'd scare 'em by the light pole
But I would not scare my pony on my boat out on the sea

If I Had a Boat
Lyle Lovett

Powerful storms here in Delaware this morning - skies so black that anything in the back yard that was smaller than an oak tree was lost in the darkness.

Homeward Bound

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home, where my thought's escaping
Home, where my music's playing
Home, where my love lies waiting
Silently for me

Homeward Bound
Paul Simon

After two years away... I'm back

Home, where my thought's escaping
Home, where my music's playing