This video/song is by the same artist, Aneel Aranha, who has done some beautiful worship songs. This is a very different style for him, but, like the others, it proclaims a true Biblical principle – keep on knocking.

How many times have you waited patiently for the train engine to cross in front of you? I bet we’ve never seen one like this.

Today is Phoebe’s last day with Jessie and us. She’s been with us for almost 2 1/2 weeks. It’s worked because she’s such a good dog and loves to play with Jessie.

Jessie will most likely mope for a couple of days after she’s gone.

The kindness of strangers …

There are few celebrities whose death would touch my heart, but the loss of Dolly Parton today has done just that.

Growing up in my home state of Tennessee, she earned every accolade she received. More importantly, she gave of herself and her resources to help others. When flood waters tore through Gatlinburg and other East Tennessee towns, Dolly donated untold thousands of dollars to help her neighbors recover. Her lasting legacy is her devotion to helping children through her Imagination Library that sends books every month to kids from birth to five years.

Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write Dolly started her Imagination Library in 1995 for the children within her home county. Today, her program spans five countries and gifts millions of free books each month to children around the world. Over 300 million books have been given away. This is her quote about what inspired her to start this program:

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.

The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

A strong Jesus-believing Christian, I’m confident she’s in heaven with Jesus, probably teaching the angels how to sing country praise songs, and I’m sure Jesus is clapping along.

She will be missed.