Words and Music to Share

Good morning, Friends!

I am getting a late start this morning.....but, I have a very good reason.  Truly, I do!!!  I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading.  I was totally absorbed in a book that I downloaded to my Kindle a couple of days ago and just couldn't go to sleep without finishing it.

What kept me so interested that I literally could not put it down until reading the last word????

 

I have long been a fan of Steven Curtis Chapman.  When the kids were younger, we had one of his cassette tapes and it got played so much that it finally began to drag.  They adored him and sang right along with me.  Through the years, he has been a positive and steady influence in the world of Christian music with his ministry and testimony.

And, you know what they say, don't you?  Behind every great man is an even greater woman.  Well, Mary Beth Chapman would probably argue that she is not a "great" woman, but her story will certainly lead you to believe otherwise.

As a woman who always desired order and perfection in her life, she has dealt with the struggle in realizing that "our" way is not always "God's" way.  Her honesty about dealing with personal demons and changed plans, even clinical depression, is refreshing to hear.  It has not always been a walk in the park and the fact that she still struggles daily makes her story real and encouraging.

I had wanted to read this book for some time, but was hesitant to do so.  I feared that the message would be too personal, touch a place too deep inside.  I simply did not think I could handle it without dissolving into a blubbering mess.

I did dissolve into a blubbering mess as I read of the loss of their precious five-year old daughter.  In fact, Ed was trying to sleep, so I had to creep into the guest room with my Kindle and a roll of toilet paper (alas, we had no box of kleenex) to continue reading last night.  But, the sadness and loss was offset by Hope and Joy in the Chapman family's conscious decision to look for God's hand in the midst of tragedy.

I laughed and then I cried and, finally, I felt lifted up to a level of new understanding as I read this book.  If you haven't read it, I encourage you to obtain a copy.  Amazon was running a two-day special on it as a Kindle download, which has probably expired.  But, whatever the cost, this is one worth owning so you can go back and read passages over and over.

I share with you this song written and performed by Steven Curtis Chapman for his precious daughters.  Listen and be touched by the message.  



Blessings to all of you on this Palm Sunday!