Church Boy
Three time Grammy Award winning artist, Kirk Franklin, has joined with Lionsgate to film ‘Church Boy’, a film based on his inspirational life story. ‘Church Boy’ is the rags-to-riches story of Kirk Franklin, a precocious musical talent who was abandoned by his teenage mother and raised by his great aunt.
He was the director of his church choir at 11 years of age, but as he entered his teens he grew rebellious and lost his way. ‘Church Boy’ chronicles Kirk’s dramatic conversion as he begins his remarkable journey to superstardom. Filming is slated to begin next spring.
Fab Five!!-Safe In His Arms
Gospel music is comforting and encouraging in good and bad times. My husband and I received a telephone call late one night last week with the sad news of a tragedy in our family. The circumstances were totally unexpected and a total shock. What do you say to someone who is devastated beyond belief? How do you encourage someone in the midst of such pain? I have been and is still going through the pain and hurt that comes from losing someone. What else can you do but reach out to God for comfort?
There are many people that are going through hurt and pain right now for some reason or another. The war in Iraq has caused a lot of pain for many families. During times like these I am so grateful for the gift of gospel music. Some of the most beautiful gospel songs have come from a place of sadness in trying times. My top five for this week are songs that have been a comfort to me………..
1. Thomas A. Dorsey -“Take My Hand, Precious Lord”-Thomas A. Dorsey is known as “The Father of Gospel Music” and was the first person to use the term gospel music. The loss of his wife and child led Dorsey to write one of the most famous of all gospel songs, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”. This song has been covered by many gospel artists and has comforted many during times of despair.
2. BeBe Winans-“Safe From Harm”- I woke up listening to this beautiful song one morning and it was very comforting because it was speaking of being safe from all harm in the arms of Jesus. There was a line that said, “my soul is safe from harm”. It is a great thing to know that our very essence, our soul, is totally safe from all the chaos, confusion and hurt that seems to be everywhere.
3. Yolanda Adams-“This Too Shall Pass”-I love this song because it can apply to so many things in our lives. When we are going through heartache we feel that things will never get better and we can’t see past the hurt. This song, sung beautifully by Yolanda, tells us that things do get better and God will never put more on us that we can bear. It goes on to say that God knows our tears before they fall, he knows our pain because His heart and ours are one.
4. Keith ‘Wonderboy’ Johnson & The Spiritual Voices-“I Made It” -This top selling traditional quartet group has a winner with this song. The song reminds us that with God we can make it regardless of what we are going through.
5. Paul Jones-“I Won’t Complain”-This song by the late Rev. Paul Jones is still popular even today. The lyrics speak of being grateful and not complaining. I can’t remember how many times I have heard this song………..it has been an awful lot. It is one that has remained popular and is comforting to many people. Below are some of the lyrics:
I’ve had some good days
I’ve had some hills to climb
I’ve had some weary days
And some sleepless nights
But when I look around
And I think things over
All of my good days
Outweigh my bad days
I won’t complain
Sometimes the clouds are low
I can hardly see the road
I ask a question, Lord
Lord, why so much pain?
But he knows what’s best for me
Although my weary eyes
They can’t see
So I’ll just say thank you Lord
I won’t complain.
And those are my favorites for this week! Bless someone with the good news that is always in great Gospel music!! Don’t forget to visit us daily or sign up to receive our feed. We would love to hear what you think about this blog. E-mail us at customerservice@1800gospel.com.
Dominique
gospel music, thomas a. dorsey, father of gospel music, paul jones, yolanda adams
Staying Calm
Gabcast! 1800Gospel.com #5 - staying calm
