Summer Cruise 5 is in full swing. So far we’ve visited Tampa, Gainesville, Ocala & Brooksville. We’re loving hearing your stories, and many defining snapshots of your life. We’ve celebrated with some and cried with others. And speaking of “snapshots”, Josh’s current single, Before the Morning has definitely touched, spoken and ministered to hearts. No doubt about it! Each time he sings it, one glance around the room and it becomes abundantly clear who’s experiencing the “dark before the morning.” How special to see our listeners connect so intimately with the song that has brought so much comfort and healing to their lives. And then for them to get to meet Josh and spend is a few minutes with him is a sweet thing to witness.

I’ll try and tell you about some specific stories tomorrow. If you think about it, please pray for us. We need strength, stamina and sleep! All kidding aside, pray that we are loving well. That’s our ultimate goal.

It seems like unforgiveness has surrounded me quite a bit lately. Some wounds were recently re-visited from years ago, family refusing to forgive family. Other situations with friends are a little more recent, while yet other hurts that have been discussed with me require forgiveness on a daily basis.

1. When we forgive, we really are helping ourselves. And not only in a mental and spiritual sense, but in a physical sense too! Unforgiveness absolutely, positively has a negative physical effect on our bodies. Ask your doctor. Or google it.

It was 1 year ago today that we reunited Scottie & Keith for Father’s Day with the help of our friend, Brandon Heath. It was Brandon’s “I’m Not Who I Was” that gave Scottie the courage to contact her father. I could tell you all the details, but this video captures the emotional reunion best:

Interested in going to Guatemala with me in September? I have 10 spots available and would love to have you join me!

I’d love to take some “first timers” with me. Of course, I’d love to take all of you with me! We’ll begin collecting shoes in August, but for now, I’m looking for 10 who will say, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”

Last week we introduced you to our new friend (and new to our format) Dave Barnes. Dave’s actually been around for awhile, so it’s kinda awkward for us to say he’s a “new artist”, but he’s defintely new to CCM (Contemporary Christian Music). His current single, God Gave Me You, is hands-down, a listener favorite.

Here’s what’s so crazy about Dave:

He’s one-half crooner: a guy who can write and belt out these UH-mazing love songs!

And at the same time ….

He’s one-half comedian: a guy who will have you doubled-over laughing hysterically!

I first heard of Dave several years ago when I attended a wedding where his romanticly sweet On a Night Like This was sung. The lyrics captivated me. I immediately googled the song when I got home from the wedding to see who had written this song. From there, I bought everything he had on iTunes, and everything since.

Earlier this year when God Gave Me You landed on my desk, I about killed myself running to Krispy’s office (he’s a huge Dave Barnes fan too!) screaming “We got him, we got him!” Meaning, Dave was releasing a song to CCM. Kris & I did a little happy dance in his office and then put the song on repeat! Shortly afterwards, we were planning our broadcast at Brandon Heath’s Kitchen Table, and I called and asked Brandon if we could invite Dave. I finally had a legit reason to invite him, as opposed to just being a kooky fan.

But back to why I’m really blogging about Dave…. And what does all of this have to do with fried chicken? This video explains it. Take :37 seconds and watch it!

I follow Dave on Twitter, and the afternoon he posted the “manna finding,” I was rolling! It’s so random!

So after seeing the video, we obviously had to ask Dave about the fried chicken when he was here last week. Here’s how the break went! IT’S A MUST HEAR!

Seriously, it was one of the funniest moments EVER on The Morning Cruise! If I had one person, I had twenty ask me about the fried chicken the last few days! I think my favorite line was “please make it rain sweet tea”. LOLOLOLOL!

But maybe you have to be from the South to appreciate it!

Click here to read more about Dave or purchase his music.

One day last week after we’d finished the show, Bill ran across this story. He shared it with me. I loved it. I have a feeling you will too.

The story is told of Martin Luther, the great Christian reformer of the 1500′s. There was a time in his Christian life when he was very depressed for days on end. His wife, Kate, came into his study dressed in black from head to toe as if she were in mourning. Luther asked her what exactly she was mourning….

“Have you not heard?” she questioned. “God is dead.”
Luther responded, “Woman! That is absurd! God is not dead!”
“Well,” she replied, “if God is not dead, then stop living like He is!”

Perspective is everything, isn’t it?

God, forgive me for the days I live like this. May they be fewer and fewer. You are fully alive. On the throne. In control. You are Healer, Savior, Redeemer, Restorer. Lover of my soul.

The One who was, is, and is to come.

That’s something to live for!

We talked to our friend Sue Swanson this morning and got her world famous (at least to us!) chocolate chip cookie recipe. Oh my word! I’ve never had so many requests for a recipe!

Several of you have asked what I’m currently reading. Well, that’s a difficult question to answer! Haha. You see, I’ve been hanging out with Bill Martin too long! He’s definitely rubbing off on me!

Here’s why:

Bill reads numerous books at one time. Me? Well, I read one book, finish it, and then select my next one. I’ve done it like that my entire life! However, all that changed in the last 5 months and I’ve picked up my morning show partners weird, ineffective (he would argue this!) reading habits.

Earlier this year I started reading Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I got to Chapter 6.

In February, I was getting a pedicure with my friend Becca and during our conversation in the pedi chairs, she mentioned The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. Becca RAVED about this book. A week later my friend, Shannon mentioned the same book! So…. I ordered it! After reading the first few pages, I was in tears. Here’s a short excerpt and what I shared on air.

On who this book is for:

“…….It is for the sorely burdened who are still shifiting the heavy suitcase from one hand to the other.”

Whoa! Speak to anybody?

And then this:

“…….It is for the bent and the bruised who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God.”

Granted, I don’t feel this way now, but I’d be less than honest if I said I haven’t felt this way at times in the past. I absolutely have!

Fast forward to April. I was in Nashville for a week for the Doves, and various other promotions. I attended Cross Point Church, a church that I love to go to when I’m in Nashville. Pete Wilson is the Senior Pastor. I follow him on Twitter as well as his blog, Without Wax. Good stuff! You should check it out! After the service, I saw that they were pre-selling his book, Plan B. (It wasn’t available on Amazon yet. I knew b/c I had been checking!) So SCORE! I went back to my room that afternoon and began reading. I read a few more chapters on the plane ride home. For the next two weeks, I oscillated between Ragamuffin and Plan B.

And then 10th Avenue North came down for their CD release and beach concert on Siesta Key. Yep! We were chatting with Mike Donehey of 10th and in the course of the conversation he mentioned Tim Keller’s The Reason for God being one of the “best apologetic books out there.” And …. as you can guess ….. I now wanted to read that one too! It arrived last week. I’ve only read the 1st 5 pages.

But …. Dave has intervened and taken all but 1 of my books from me. He’s now the self-appointed librarian, and I have to finish one before he’ll release another to me. Perhaps necessary if I want to finish A book this year!

What are you currently reading?

P.S. Josh, Dave had to take extreme measures if there was to be any chance at all for Bill to complete the reading assignment you gave him.

When I go to sleep, I like 5 things:

That’s what the 2 consecutive signs said as we headed UP the last monster of a mountain on the MS150 this past weekend.

“Fatigued?” ….

“Fatigued?” ….

“Yes! I am!” I shouted.

After those couple of signs that read “Fatigued?” The next few said: “That’s what people suffering from MS feel like everyday.” And then a few yards further: “Thank you for taking the challenge”. Of course, I was thinking of my mother as I was crawling up this final hill; and certainly at times when the ride was the toughest, I would think of her at her sickest. But I was also thinking about life in general and the spiritual parallels of our walk with Jesus. I was absolutely determined to get to the top ….. dirty, bruised, battered, sweaty, kicking & screaming and yes, fatigued! ….. But regardless, I wasn’t gonna stop pedaling; I was gonna get to the top of that hill! In the midst of that intense moment, I started reciting these race scriptures:

Hebrews 12:1-2:

“….and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…..”

Phillippians 3:13-14:

“….Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Jesus, is calling us.

I’ve always loved those scriptures. But they took on a new meaning for me this weekend. There were even a few times when I yelled up (or back) to my friend Amy. “Amy, just pretend like we’re running to Jesus!” And the truth is, we are. And no matter what….I’m gonna keep my eyes fixed on the prize. His name is Jesus. The author and perfecter of our faith. Yes, I’ll most likely finish fatigued, fried, feeble, exhausted and downright weary, but I am finishing!

Some pics from this weekend:

Seeing my mom cheering us on at the Finish Line was worth it all. Are you fatigued? Keep pedaling! It’ll be worth it, I promise! Jesus is at the Finish Line!