Mid Life Country Convert

Rodney and the Devil

toptwentymusicalmystery — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:08:31 +0000

Here are some thoughts I’d like to share on Rodney Atkins song: “If Your Going Through Hell” I have to ask myself where does Mr. Atkins get his information on the devil and hell. It sure isn’t from the Bible. I know it’s a play on words. When you have an especially bad time in life you are ” going through hell”. I’ve been there. He then connects that with the idea that hell is the realm of the devil filled with unquenchable fire as described in the Bible. The thing is the two don’t really jive. When going through a difficult time in life you can and most probably will pass through it and get to the “other side” all the stronger for it. “Whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” The hell described in the Bible does not have a way out. You can’t pass through it. Once your there your there. For eternity! Also there is no way the devil “won’t know your there.” In fact he’s counting the minutes till you arrive. The only thing that spoils his plan is your dedication of your life to Jesus Christ. He’s the only one that has the power to fight the devil and keep you out of his clutches. The devil is a spiritual being and he like God doesn’t have physical limitations where he could only pay attention to one thing at a time. The Bible tells us that God keeps count of each and every hair on everyone’s head. That’s everyone ,all the time!
We can not even conceive of being able to do that. We tend to put physical limitations on God that really aren’t there. The devil also doesn’t have physical limitations. The reason this is so important is that someone may think that once they die they can slip through the devil’s grasp and get to the other side. What exactly would be on the other side of Hell? Certainly not Heaven. It will be in the exact opposite direction. So read your Bible, get your life right with God, get Jesus on your side, and skip the Hell thing all together.

I do like the hope given in letting you know you can get through that incredibly difficult time in life and make it to the other side. Of course this is a lot easier when you allow God to help you. But you have to allow God to do that. He won’t interfere unless you ask. Also I really like the line “You’re on your knees
You might as well be praying.” Like I said before I’ve been there and I agree. Unfortunately sometimes God has to let us get knocked to our knees before we are humble enough to ask for help. Let’s get smart and ask before that happens.

My thoughts on “All I ask for any more” by Trace Adkins

toptwentymusicalmystery — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:49:05 +0000

What a great song! I can truly relate. Nothing is more important than the health and happiness of my family.
When he mentions the “siren sound” I think of all the prayers I have said when the siren made me worry.

I think an important aspect of this is living in a small town. There aren’t that many people who could be on their way to the hospital. If you lived in New York city this wouldn’t be the case. You probably hear sirens alot more. But here in Hillsdale the sirens you hear are few and far between and when you are away from your family at that time there’s a chance it could be them.

My son is 15 and just learning to drive. He also is just started to ride around with his older friends. My wife worries to death over this and it rubs off on me. There have been stories of a car full of teens crashing and one or all killed. Their lives snuffed out before they really start living. They warn the more kids in the car the less attention the driver gives to the road and the more they may be tempted to show off.
The other night my son was traveling with friends to a bonfire and I heard a siren and breathed a prayer for him.
My wife works a second job as a professor in the Masters degree program for a college 45 min. from our home. She’s always tired from her various obligations so I worry about her on the back roads at night.
I appreciate my family and I relate to Trace’s thoughts on this subject which is close to my heart.
Do you love country music? Check out www.countrymusictoptwenty.com

Small town Northern man by the Mid-life Country Convert.

toptwentymusicalmystery — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:57:48 +0000

I was born the youngest child and only son of a Manager of Advertising for a Refractories company and grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have no idea what my father’s father did, but it was something quite different than my Dad. I grew up cutting the grass on a 1/4 acre plot a mile from the mall. I fell in love with a young woman who was going to college with me and who grew up in a suburb of Detriot. She was majoring in Secretarial Science and I in Biology. We initially settled down in our first house in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. We lived there for 10 years and then I decided I was “called” to be a minister so I went back to college to get my degree in Religious Education. We were offered to move into the parsonage of a church in a small Northern town. After a couple years as a minister I decided that being a paid church employee wasn’t for me. I then went back to being a engineering technician in an R&D lab. Very much like my father’s first job. We stayed in the small Northern town.

We have two kids. One for each of us. We live in a house someone else built. I’m fortunate if I can just keep up with maintenance on our house. Actually there are quite a few jobs I don’t know how to begin so they remain undone. I keep thinking I’ll sign up for the courses at Home Depot and learn how to tackle them but as of yet have not.

So it seems I have nothing in common with Alan Jackson’s Small Town Southern Man, right?

That is until you get to the chorus.

For I bow my head to Jesus. (I work teaching and preaching and so forth for my local church)

I stood for Uncle Sam. (I served 6 years in the United States Navy)

I have only loved one woman. (We have been happily married (that is for most of it) for 27 years.)

And I am proud of what I have. ( I have worked hard for it. I haven’t completely worn out my body but some days it is hard to walk and stand.)

And my greatest contribution is what I’ll leave behind. (I have some pretty awesome kids), that I hope will agree I have raised with gentle kindness.

So I hope you’ll agree I have become a small town Northern man.

Come visit www.CountryMusicTopTwenty.com

My take on “Our Song” from the Mid-life Country Convert

toptwentymusicalmystery — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:44:36 +0000

Many years ago while we were living in Nashville, TN some friends took us to visit Music Row to check out the sites. We ventured into a gift shop of one of the female country music singers. The store personnel had one of her music videos playing. We seem to think the lyrics of the song said, “I’m just a country girl”. My wife and don’t recall for sure who it was. This was around 18 years ago. I thought it was Babara Mandrell but I’m not finding on a search of sites on her music that she sang such a song. The thing that struck me odd was that she was making such a claim in the song while she was stepping out of a stretch limo dressed in a mink stole. This almost seemed hypocritical to me. It seemed to me no self respecting “country girl” would be caught dead doing such a thing. When I think country dress I think of blue jeans and boots not an evening gown and furs. I know a country girl gets dressed up to go out special every once in a while but that seems a little over the top.

When I saw Taylor Swift’s video of “Our song” recently I had a similar reaction. It just seemed too frilly.

I do enjoy the song though. Very upbeat and fun and original. The girl is talented! She has a long and undoubtedly successful career ahead of her.

As a father of a young lady who is just turning 21 in 9 days I do have a problem with the “Sneakin’ out late” aspect of things.

One aspect of country music I have come to appreciate is the connection to faith in God. I greatly appreciae Taylor expressing her faith in sharing her prayer, “before I said amen
Asking God if he could play it again.”

I will continue to enjoy listening to her songs in the future.

If you love country music come visit www.countrymusictoptwenty.com

My thoughts on “International Harvester” by the Mid-life Country Convert

toptwentymusicalmystery — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:38:07 +0000

I grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have never used a piece of farm equipment in my life. Not even a tractor. I do work for a company that makes cooling systems for such equipment. I oversee the durability testing of these fans and fan drives, so I do have a vested interest in farming.

I live in a small farming community in Michigan. A number of times I have found myself behind farm equipment when I was in a hurry to get somewhere. Although I have never cussed out these “drivers” or given them the finger I have asked the occupants in my vehicle why these farmers couldn’t time these trips in the middle of the day when there was very little traffic to deal with. When their trip was not holding me back.

I know this is not fair to them. They need to be able to get their equipment where they need it when they need it there. Their job is difficult enough without having to do the gymnastics of all these special timing schedules.

I do have a deep appreciation for farmers. They have been and are still integral to the success of our great nation. I know many of them get ” a little pay for a lot of hay”. I’m very glad they are willing to do this often thankless job. I have thought I would like to try my hand at it but realize I wouldn’t have any clue of where to start. The experience that has been handed down through many generations of farmers is priceless.

Thank you farmers for our full bellies.

If you enjoy county music take a look at: www.CountryMusicTopTwenty.com

My thoughts on “Stealing Cinderela”

toptwentymusicalmystery — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:47:22 +0000

Chuck hits it right on the head with these lyrics. I have a daughter that will turn 21 this month. She has a serious relationship with a young man she met at college. She keeps mentioning the “M” word. I’m not very comfortable with this and have told her so. She says it will be a long time down the road but she feels he is the one. My son of 14 (next month) keeps asking me if I like her boyfriend. I’ m not sure how I feel. He seems nice enough but is any young man going to be good enough for my little girl? I sure do love it when my daughter hugs me and looks up into my eyes and says “I love you, Daddy”. With her away at school it doesn’t happen near enough these days. But she is a young woman now even if I don’t want to accept it. I still can see her as we put her in the crib when we brought her home from the hospital. She looked soooo tiny in that big bed.

Last winter when she was coming home from school she went down the road we warned her not to in the snowy weather. The road was mostly clear but for a few drifts. She was going way too fast as usual. She topped a hill and hit a drift that pushed her into the other lane, where she caught the corner of an oncoming car. She called me on the phone at work. I couldn’t leave work fast enough. Unfortunately I was an hour away. I made it there as quickly as I could and was glad to find she had only a cut on her leg. That was very good news. The man in the other car was not hurt. I’m just not ready for things like this but yet I have to let her go. I need to give her roots as well as wings.

I still enjoy looking at those old pictures and remembering times with her then.

Thanks Chuck for making me know there are other dads out there feeling the same way. Just don’t expect me to listen to your song much. It’s just too darn sad. And I can’t let the other guys see me cry can I now?

Mid-life Country Convert.

toptwentymusicalmystery — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:08:37 +0000

My taste in music has always been very eclectic. I used to say the only music I didn’t enjoy was heavy metal and country. This ecleticism began in my early teens when I asked my Mother for a record player. She got me one offered by a record club which she got at a very low price as long as you bought 20 records. The common practice of these clubs is that they send you a letter and you choose from a list what record you would like the following months selection to be . If you did not respond then they would send you their choice. I remember the first time I forgot to reply they sent me a Moody Blues album. I had never heard of them. I decided to keep the record and expand my horizons. The first time I listened to it I didn’t like it. But I owned it now so I kept listening to it and slowly began to appreciate this new genre. From that point on I just took what ever they sent me and learned to enjoy classical, rock, jazz, pop, etc.

Recently after the death of my Dad, I began to reflect on my love for music and where that had come from. You see my mother and father didn’t listen to music much. My mother had a transistor radio that I got her for Christmas one year and she would listen to it every once in a while. I don’t remember my dad listening at all. When I left home to join the Navy I bought a very nice stereo system at the base exchange. I didn’t have anywhere to keep it because I was living on the ship then so I left it at their house. I showed them how to use it even though it was very simple. I wanted them to enjoy it. When I returned months later they had never touched it. I was flabbergasted!! Here was this top of the line music system that put out incredible sound and they couldn’t have cared less. The thing that really makes it seem so odd to me is that my dad was a very accomplished pianist at one point. He could play a mean boogie woogie. In fact I found out as I was visiting my sister, at the time of my dad’s funeral, we used to have a piano in our house when I was very small but they got rid of it soon there after. I had no memory of this.

Early in my marriage I used to have light hearted conflicts with my mother-in-law about our difference in music choices. At that time my main musical love was called “Space music” There was a show on PBS called “Music from the Hearts of Space” It was synthesized music. Very light and airy. Something you would expect to hear in space. I used to stay up late on Friday night and lay on the floor with headphones listening for the uninterupted hour in the dark. It was soooo cool drifting in and out of sleep “floating through space”. I tried to share my love for this music with her but she wasn’t having any part of it. She loved the realness of country music and that stuff I listened to was “gay blade music”. I was embarrassed by this so I would shoot back you wouldn’t catch me listening to her soap opera county music songs all about cheating and divorce and crying in your beer. We usually avoided discussing music at family gatherings from that point on.

Later in life I began to teach the teens bible class on Sunday mornings at church. The kids would share their love for a particular song with the other kids. I often knew these songs and knew some of them had a immoral theme to them. When I pointed this out to them they were surprised. They didn’t know the words they just like the sound and the beat. I felt they needed to be careful as professed Christians what songs they sang with their friends. They might give people the wrong impression. So to encourage the teens to learn the words to the songs I created a puzzle called the “Top Twenty Musical Mystery.” I gave the puzzle to them in class and they would do it and bring it back the next week. The puzzle is a collage of pictures. Each picture is numbered and represents a “word picture” from the lyrics of one of that week’s top twenty songs. They would match the picture with the song that the lyrics came from. If you would like to see one of these and try it out go to www.CountryMusicTopTwenty.com.

When I went to Nashville to visit friends my good buddy suggested I try it with country music. He would show it to some one he knew from CMT and see if they would like to promote it. So I began to make the puzzle using the top twenty country music songs. Through this process I began to develop an appreciation for the stories told in these songs. For example the mixture of feelings a father feels when his daughter gets married that you hear in “Stealing Cinderella”. You see I have a daughter that is turning 21 this month and is very seriously involved with a young man. She hopes this will progress to a proposal some day soon. I’m not sure I like that idea that much.

So here at midlife I have begun listening to country music and enjoying it very much. I am a midlife country convert. Here in this blog I will be sharing mine and other’s thoughts on the latest county music top twenty.