You Love Me Anyway

It's been a tough week.  Fear, doubt and Satan chasing me. Whenever that happens I flip on The Fish and this greeted me just when I needed it. Thanks for coming through again Abba...

You Love Me Anyway
                    ~ Sidewalk Prophets

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind

Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me

It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway

See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how you love me

You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

Music

I've recently been given some opportunities to stretch my legs a bit in the music world. Thanks to Gator Michaels over at Davis Music Group here in Nashville, TN.  Here's some shots I got from a little shindig the company held to honor the owners of the company. Funny story... I was being introduced to some of the people coming into the venue and chatting with the loveliest ladies, I looked down at a stack of magazines (Country Weekly) someone had just laid on the table next to me and thought... "Huh, they kinda look like these girls I'm talking to"  Turns out it WAS the girls I was talking to! Nice to meet you Point of Grace!  Silly me.

 The ladies of Point of Grace

The Real Me
Natalie Grant

Foolish heart looks like we're here again
Same old game of plastic smile
Don't let anybody in
Hiding my heartache, will this glass house break
How much will they take before I'm empty
Do I let it show, does anybody know?

(chorus)
But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

Painted on, life is behind a mask
Self-inflicted circus clown I'm tired of the song and dance
Living a Charade, always on parade
What a mess I've made of my existence
But you love me even now
And still I see somehow

That you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When you look at me
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life into
A perfect tapestry

I just wanna be me

Wonderful, Beautiful is what you see
When you look at me

New Music...

Heard this song on country radio the other day. I rarely listen to the radio and when I do it's not typically country but sometimes I'm just in the mood or I'm sick of the CD's in my car. Either way, heard this song and it struck a cord. It's not uncommon to hear a love song and with a little tweaking in the lyrics it becomes a ballad for my Lord. I would love to hear somebody re-record this song in that context like they did with Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". Lady Antebellum does a beautiful job too though. It also reminds me of my Steven.

I Run to You
Lady Antebellum

I run from hate
I run from prejudice
I run from pessimists
But I run too late

I run my life
Or is it running me?
Run from my past
I run too fast
Or too slow it seems

When lies become the truth
That's when I run to you

This world keeps spinning faster
To a new disaster, so I run to you I run to you
When it all starts coming undone
Baby, you're the only one I run to
I run to you

We run on fumes
Your life and mine
Like the sands of time
Slippin' right on through

Performing

Weslee had his first opportunity to perform last night at school. When he first learned of the upcoming program a couple of months ago he was less than thrilled. He was even more horrified when he was given a speaking and a dancing role and he begged Steve and I to let him bow out. After a few rehearsals and some encouragement from us he was actally excited. The program was about Tennessee's musical history. Minnie Pearl, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Elvis and Hannah Montana all made appearances along with W.C. Handey and Davey Crockett. Weslee got to dance with Miss Minnie Pearl herself to the Tennessee Waltz, it was the one and only time he actually cracked a smile. It was alot of fun. Here's some pics and videos...

Just What I Needed to Hear, Just When I Needed to Hear It.

Flipped on the Fish the other day. I'd heard this song before but never really stopped and payed attention to the lyrics. I was very thoughtful about a lot of things that day. Struggling with "worldly" worries. Feeling inadequate, Satan was on my back and it was getting the best of me. God always comes through to protect me when I need it most and this was no exception...thank you Father.

By Your Side
Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face...Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run?
To where will you run?

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you!
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go!