It felt so good last week crossing the state line from Indiana into Kentucky. Then the trip down to Nashville was even better. But neither compared to driving into Mississippi. Wednesday afternoon I stopped at ASCAP and took care of some business, then I had lunch with a friend in outside of Nashville. We shared our visions for ministry, and our dreams for life. He is getting married in a couple of weeks and that reminded me of so many dreams I had at that age. Many years later, I am happy to report that I feel my best years are ahead! After a great lunch (more like dinner), I drove I-40 west and played at a church in Dickson, TN. I spent the night and got an early start for Mississippi on Thursday. For some reason on travel days, I usually can't sleep in. Thursday was no exception. I stayed awake trying to get my phone to work between Jackson, TN and Holly Springs, MS where I had planned on having lunch with a pastor friend of mine from way back. I hadn't seen him in several years and it seemed as if we met for lunch everyday. I am amazed how God controls our lives and blesses our families when we remain faithful to His calling. I am so happy for everyone in my life who has dreamed dreams in life, had visions for their ministry, and found where they are supposed to be in both. Thursday night I met my sister, my brother and sister-in-law, and my stepdad for dinner. We stayed so long talking... it seemed we shut the place down.
Friday, I drove over to Batesville, MS to visit a long-time friend from college. He has been involved in music ministry for ever it seems, and I thoroughly enjoyed being with his wonderful family. As a bonus, our football team from Apopka had made the trip up to Mississippi to play his high school team. It was a battle to the end, as Apopka fell short. Saturday morning I was able to sleep in until 10:00 AM. That was the first time in about ten days I hadn't awakened early. Playing one-nighters can begin to take a toll on the body (and voice). The drive over to Oxford was only 30 minutes and I set up camp to tailgate on the Ole Miss campus. The game against Vanderbilt started at 6:00 PM and was a great game even though Ole Miss fell short on the scoreboard. The entire weekend brought back some wonderful memories of my time spent at Ole Miss and the Mississippi delta.
This morning I woke up very early and drove about two hours to Corinth, MS and played at a 10:30 service. I always enjoy playing in Corinth. That town also brings back memories of when I was at Northeast and met Kim. On my way out of town I stopped in Booneville and drove around the campus. It has changed some with a few new or remodeled buildings, but overall, it has the same look and feel as it did back in 1981. (Tuition for an 18-hour semester was $220 back then.) I suddenly feel very old! I drove around the campus and saw all the hangout spots where Kim and I spent a lot of time... and I thanked God for keeping his hand of blessing on our lives and blessing us with a wonderful family. None of our friends would have ever thought we could have made it together and lasted this long. Those were the days... It is a good thing to look back every once in a while... just to see how far God has brought us. I really couldn't have made it without Him on my side. Today I remembered the times He spared my life and gave me another chance to do what was right and serve Him. Some of my friends weren't so lucky. Automobile accidents, tragic circumstances, etc. have claimed the lives of many of my friends. Tonight, I am the luckiest man alive. And tomorrow is Tate's 6th birthday, and I'm flying home to Orlando for a week! Even though I'll be working it will be great to spend some time at home with the family. This tour will end around the third weekend of October. Keep me in your prayers.
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