Gettin’ All The Good

Bazooka Bubble Gum used to cost a penny a piece. And it had a comic strip inside the wrapper!

As a kid I could make a quarter’s worth last several days. Of course, I’d chew each piece until it vulcanized in my mouth before I’d spit it out or add another. I wanted to make my stash last as long as possible. As my mother would say, I was “gettin’ all the good out of it”.

We’ve spent the last few weeks preparing for our move to Georgia by saying goodbye to Nashville in stages. (We guessed it wouldn’t hurt as much that way.)

One last lunch or dinner with friends.

One last meal at our favorite restaurants.

One last pass through our favorite stores.

It was like we were trying to “get all the good” out of the place where we lived for over 26 years.

And it has been good. Very good. In our years in Nashville, we have met some of the greatest people in the universe and had experiences that most people only dream about.

First, being a part of a wonderful body of believers at Judson Baptist Church in Nashville, we learned so much about serving the Lord and had the privilege of serving alongside some of the most humble and godly people on the planet. They became not just friends to us, but family as well. These people are the real deal!

Then we’ve worked with the most incredible studio musicians ever created – most of them humble beyond belief. They have no idea how good they are. Every time I’d sit in on a rhythm or orchestra session I was in awe of the glorious sounds they could make…and with such ease, too. Whenever I would sing on a session I felt so privileged just to be there, much less singing alongside those magnificent voices. And I’d watch studio engineers work their magic and make those sounds even better at the “mix”. Then there were publishers and editors who are brilliant and insightful – helping us to get better at what we do. What an honor to have worked with them all! (We look forward to even more years working with you.)

Even though we tried to get all the good out of Nashville in the last weeks, we believe there’s still a lot of good left behind. No, we didn’t get all the good.

But now it’s time to experience some new flavors as we start our life in Cleveland, GA. Yes, there’s lots of good here, too, and we are beginning to develop a taste for it. I mean, who couldn’t love the grandeur of the mountains? I’m looking out of my home office window at the glorious Mt. Yonah and down below at the valley where the Truett McConnell campus sits. Dennis is teaching college students right this minute to prepare for music ministry. What could be better than that! And I’ve got some new things on horizon, too. On September 23 I’ll start back to school, getting my Master’s in English and Creative Writing. (Ya’ll pray for me, okay?) I’ll also be doing some adjunct teaching later on and…who knows what else.

You know, I’m not sure if you can even buy Bazooka Bubble Gum anymore. If so, I am pretty sure it wouldn’t cost a penny.

Nothing that good comes cheap.