It's mid-October in Michigan and we are enjoying beautiful sunshine today,  as you can see in this picture I just took from my back deck. Few pleasures can rival a  short afternoon doze in a patch of sunshine under the pretense of "reading a book." It's nothing more or less than an excuse to soak in some free liquid warmth, soothing your soul and replenishing stress defense reserves.  Close your eyes, enjoy the warmth, and be thankful for the brilliant sunshine.        

What a guy, and what a song. In praise of sunshine, the  subject of today's thankfulness.  Give it a listen, for old times sake, and for Sunshine all the way.  

For those who really want to make thankfulness the rock solid foundation of their life, music expressing thankfulness is mandatoty. This song is one of my favorites, it very nearly says it all. I'm considering playing this for my guests this Thursday. Thanksgiving is a perfect day. We are so blessed with what we don't deserve. In His grace and Mercy, God has given us good and perfect gifts. Join me in giving thanks.

Meatloaf

I don't really think I can write much about meatloaf, but come to think of it, it's pretty amazing stuff. Hot out of the oven with a good sauce or gravy, and some red potatoes and green beans, it's an awfully nice way to break bread. And it heats up really well for a sandwich the next day. Now tell me the truth, if you didn't know, would ever guess there was OATMEAL in meatloaf? Which part would that be, the meat, or the loaf? The first time I made it, I almost cooked the oatmeal before I mixed it together with the meat, I mean c'mon, nobody puts raw oatmeal flakes in recipes do they? Turns out everyone does. Well lookit here, I nearly wrote a whole paragraph about meatloaf. When's the last time you had a good meatloaf at a restaurant? You know you've found a good down-home restaurant if every Tuesday is Ethel's home made meatloaf and gravy with mashed potatoes. Yum.

I'll bet some of you didn't know there was a singer named Meat Loaf, let alone know that he sings pretty good. I heard a British announcer say he knew him when he was just a breakfast sausage. Seriously.

Sunday

This church near Gatlinburg reminded me of Sundays in the country. There's a special place in my heart for the simple things of life. Simple, yet sacred to those who believe. Nothing more than a building made of wood, a steeple, some hard wooden pews, a pulpit, some furniture for the Lord's Supper and the offering plates, a piano, maybe a stained glass window or two and a choir loft; but if there was ever a definition of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, this is it. Add a couple of dozen believers and a preacher who believes the word of God, and this modest old building became a place where every Sunday, God and his people met. May we always hold a place in our hearts for these simple country churches where generation after generation came and learned of their own desperate condition and of the remedy of God's mercy and grace.

Craig Morgan: That's What I Love About Sunday

This here fella has a pretty good idea what he likes about Sunday in the country. If you have any country roots at all, you know just what he's talking about