Thanks for the Memories, Kenny!

So what’s a girl to do on a day when she hears that a dear friend has passed away – especially when she’s in quarantine because of the C-virus? And, when she gets many text messages from friends and family who offer her condolences. She remembers. And, she recalls the love she shared with her lover listening to this man's love songs. SHE recommends that you lovers out there listen to those songs while you're in quarantine!

Last Friday, Kenny Rogers passed away. As a devoted fan of his for so many years, I couldn’t help but shed some big old crocodile tears as I let my mind go back to his many concerts that my husband and I attended. We felt like we knew him personally because his songs were so much a part of our lives. Any time he was within a couple of hours distance from us, we’d make sure we were at his concert.

I’m strong, resilient, determined and I live life to its fullest. I don’t often spend time just reminiscing the past. Looking in the rearview mirror and dwelling there gets us no place. But there are times when it’s okay to remember. I did that on Sunday after I had watched, via livestream, two church services and two masses – all four giving me so much gratitude and deeper love for my Lord. I took notes and journaled what I heard.

Then I called five friends to check on them and to spread some love and encouragement. But once I cozied down in my chair, I listened to some of our Kenny Rogers’ favorites: “She Believes in Me”, “Lady”, “You Decorated My Life” and our absolute favorite in our later years: “Through the Years”. I had me some big old melt down as I remembered my sweetheart’s arms around me and holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes as we heard those songs.

I remembered, when living in Canada, us following Kenny’s entourage to Morden, Manitoba. A white limousine led the way for several white Cadillacs. We had a white Cadillac, so we felt welcomed to follow right in line with them and into the private parking area as the guard waved us through. Kenny and his entourage walked in through the stage doors. We owned it and made our way in with them and into the best seats in the house. Kenny always said from the stage: “Lady, why do you have binoculars when you’re sitting on the front row?” That wasn’t me, because it wasn’t the man we admired as much as we did his songs and his beautiful vibrato voice.

True love didn’t quit through life’s ups and downs.“Through the Years” spoke volumes about two determined people willing to never give up. That song described us perfectly!

To love and be loved is life's sweetest treasure. But even more than the earthly love we enjoy, the most beloved relationship we could ever hope to have, is our relationship with God. What a beautiful romance I have had with Him through the years. He yearns to share a life of beauty, intimacy, and adventure with us. He says:“I have loved you with an everlasting love”. (Jeremiah 31:3) This world was made for romance -- the rivers, the meadows, the mountains and the beaches. Flowers, music, a kiss, a sunrise, a sunset, a touch.

Shhh! I hear Him singing a love song to me: "The LORD your God among you is powerful -- He will save and He will take joyful delight in you. In His love He will renew you with His love; He will celebrate with singing because of you". Zephaniah 3:17

Perhaps, as a jealous God for our affection, one of the reasons for the incubation and isolation we’re experiencing right now, is because He wants us to turn our attention to Him. We’ve got the time and we’re in just the right place to do that today!

Love Shows Up in Whole Foods

Loving and Singing Through the Years
It seems I'm still caught up in this “Love Month”. I was at Whole Foods and over the sound system I heard Kenny Rogers singing "our" song, “Through the Years”. I was somewhat jolted and teared up a little! Of all places to be reminded of my sweetheart was Whole Foods. We had special songs that were “ours” in our earlier years, but when true love didn’t quit through all of life’s ups and downs, this song spoke volumes about two determined people willing to stick it out and realize how sweet the love grows when we don't give up. This song describes us perfectly! I can imagine, for those of you who have been together through thick and thin for many years, can relate to it, too.

I can't remember when you weren't there,
When I didn't care for anyone but you.
I swear we've been through everything there is,
Can't imagine anything we've missed.
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do.

Through the years. You've never let me down.
You turned my life around.
The sweetest days I've found, I've found with you.
Through the years. I've never been afraid.
I've loved the life we've made.
And I'm so glad I've stayed, right here with you.
Through the years.

I can't remember what I used to do, who I trusted,
Whom I listened to before.
I swear you've taught me everything I know,
Can't imagine needing someone so.
But through the years it seems to me,
I need you more and more.

Through the years, through all the good and bad,
I knew how much we had.
I've always been so glad, to be with you.
Through the years. It's better every day.
You've kissed my tears away. As long as it's okay,
I'll stay with you. Through the years.

Through the years, when everything went wrong,
Together we were strong.
I know that I belonged, right here with you.
Through the years, I never had a doubt,
We'd always work things out
I've learned what love's about, by loving you, through the years.

To love and be loved is life's sweetest treasure. But even more than the earthly love we enjoy, the most beloved relationship we could ever hope to have is our relationship with God. What a beautiful romance I have had with Him…..through the years.

This romance, beyond my Sweetheart’s “great escape to heaven” is the life of beauty, intimacy, and adventure I have with God. In Jeremiah 31:3, He says “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. Talk about a romantic lover. He’s given us the whole world for romance -- the rivers and the meadows, the mountains and the beaches. Flowers, music, a kiss, a sunrise, a sunset, a touch.

There's no "earthly" love like His love. Shhh! I hear Him singing a love song to me.....Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God among you is powerful -- He will save and He will take joyful delight in you. In His love He will renew you with His love; He will celebrate with singing because of you".

Sweet and Romantic Love Songs

Day 4 in this Month of Love -- Sweet and Romantic Love Songs
When my then-boyfriend (later, my husband) and I were dating (young things that we were), we had a favorite "puppy love" song, Bobby Vee's "My Venus in Blue Jeans" -- LOL! As we continued dating, we crooned over "Hey Paula, I Wanna' Marry You" and then being avid musical theater fans, "our song" was The Music Man's "Till There Was You". My brother, with his exquisite baritone voice, sang it so beautifully at our wedding.

In later years, Kenny Rogers, with his wonderful vibrato voice, became our best-loved singer who put to lyrics and music what we felt about each other. We swooned over "Lady", "She Believes in Me", and our absolute favorite was "Through the Years".

Love songs enhance romance, and life changes so dramatically when romance comes into our lives. To love and be loved is life's sweetest treasure. But even more than earthly love, the most beloved relationship we could ever hope to experience is our relationship with God. That love changes dramatically when we discover the great romance we have with Him. God yearns to share a life of beauty, intimacy, and adventure with us. In Jeremiah 31:3, He says “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. This whole world was made for romance — the rivers and the meadows, the mountains and the beaches. Flowers, music, a kiss, a sunrise, a sunset, a touch. But we have a way of forgetting all that as we lose ourselves in work, stress, concern and worry.

“I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!” Exodus 20:5. WOW! He is jealous for our romance. When we put so much of life's stuff ahead of Him, we are sharing our affection with other gods. He longs for us to be tender and inviting, intimate and alluring, fiercely devoted to Him. Oh yes, our God has a passionate, romantic heart for us.

There's no "earthly" love like His love. God is so intimately concerned about every detail of our life that He even numbered the hairs of our head. He knows our thoughts and our deepest desires. Oh, how He loves you and me. Shouldn’t we treasure our loving God in the same way?

God's love for us is immeasurable and unfathomable and it transcends our human understanding. He pleads to us "Please let me be your God, your everything, your reason for breathing." Knowing this love so deeply and profoundly, I must stop here in this post for today. It's time for romance. It's time for a love song to the lover of my soul:

Psalms 59:16: “I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”

Shhh! I hear Him singing a love song to me.....Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God among you is powerful -- He will save and He will take joyful delight in you. In His love He will renew you with His love; He will celebrate with singing because of you".