“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)
Hello dear friends! My Renaissance Man is a man of many talents and one is his unique style of writing. Most of you have recognized his talents through the writing and photographing of our Simple + Southern Sunday posts. I asked him to write a Valentine’s post and he graciously agreed.
“Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”
~Paul Webster, Sammy FainREAD MORE
Whether young or old, there are moments when we find ourselves needing to spend time in the past. So many things can trigger what we call a “yearning for returning”, but perhaps nothing can take us there quite like music. Of course we cannot re-live the past but a few minutes (or an hour or two) in la la land with certain memories is wonderful…and it’s as close as we can get without jumping into a time machine. We’ve not seen one of those lately!
We had a unique opportunity to enjoy some of these memory moments last week as we attended a concert which was a tribute to The Carpenters, Richard and Karen. Their music helped define the 1970’s, with their first hit coming in ’70, the year we met. As much as we loved the music of The Carpenters, we were never able to hear them in person. But thankfully, there are super talented singers and musicians who recognize the legacy of Richard and Karen’s music and perform it in such a way that makes us feel that it is “yesterday once more”.
The Oxford Performing Arts Center is a remarkable venue in Oxford Alabama. We recently heard Home Free there, and what an evening of fun that was. Last week, we were thrilled to once again attend a concert at the Center to hear We’ve Only Just Begun, The Carpenters Remembered. Michelle Berting Brett and band do a fabulous job and delivered a stunning tribute to the Carpenters both musically and otherwise, relating songs and stories.
Shows like this are special for wonderful entertainment, stirring up fond memories, and just a good ole time, but for us a bit more. Music was so instrumental (no pun intended) in our first meeting, our first date, getting to know each other, and yes…falling in love. That love, and our love of music remains strong, 52 years later.
With lyrics like “We’ve only just begun to live, white lace and promises, a kiss for luck and we’re on our way”, it’s no wonder this was one of the most popular songs to be sung at weddings in the 70’s. Pam remembers singing it at many weddings. “We’ve Only Just Begun” was The Carpenters’ second hit behind “Close To You” which was their first release in March, 1970, rising to number one on the charts by July.READ MORE
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:2
Vail, Colorado 2012
How quickly time seems to pass is a common topic of conversation, and it’s more common among those of us who have celebrated a number of birthdays. Do you find yourself reflecting back and asking; how did I get here so fast? Time is a possession we cannot keep, control, speed up, or slow down. It is constantly moving and once it passes by, will not allow us to reclaim it. I wrote a song a number of years ago (that no one has ever heard) titled, “If I Could Stop The Time”. We would all, at times, love to have a pause button on life, but it is not to be had.READ MORE