Good Reads: "All My Knotted-Up Life"

Every now and then, I will write a bit about what I've read recently (as I continue my efforts to read one book a month). Here are my thoughts on a book I read in April 2024.

All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore. Non-Fiction, Memoir

2023 Year In Review

As we celebrate the dawn of another new year, taking a quick peek in the rear view mirror can help us see the road ahead a bit more clearly.

As with most years, 2023 had highs and lows. In February, I got to see one of my favorite bands, Alter Bridge, again and discovered the opening act, Mammoth WVH was as good as I had hoped. At the beginning of March, Isabella (now no longer a teenager) stepped out on her own and moved into an apartment in Jasper. While that journey has not always been easy, it has helped her take one more step towards independence. Shannon and I took this opportunity to revamp her pink room into an office space/music room with a brand-new color palette.

In April and May, Gabrielle went to her senior prom and turned 18, I headed towards the back half of my mid 40s and we celebrated Easter — both on the same day this year. In addition, Shannon and I caught “our band” Gov’t Mule AND got to meet the band's frontman/amazing guitarist Warren Haynes. He was such a nice guy to take a few minutes to chat with us.

Gabi graduated from Jasper High School in late May, we celebrated that and also went to Cape San Blas again to unwind. Summer brought Father’s Day, I was asked to play in the local Rock Lotto event and had a blast, a visit to family, a Braves games (a loss to eventual champs Arizona Diamondbacks), hot air balloons landing on our street, more adventures with Zero the Bunny, Shannon and I seeing the hilarious Leanne Morgan in Louisville, plus the rising star Curtis Crow in Jasper. We also got our trees back into badly-needed shape thanks to O'Neal Tree Trimming.

In September, we celebrated 25 years of wedded bliss by visiting Franklin, Tenn., once more. Shannon celebrated 51 with her first tattoo! 

We rounded out the year by gathering to celebrate our nephew’s wedding (where all of the cousins on that side were together at the same place/time for the first time we can recall). Thanksgiving was at a B&B in Tennessee and Christmas was in Georgia.

Daniel is still the Executive Minister/Worship Minister at Redemption Christian Church in southern Indiana, Shannon makes a lovely home, Bella will start part-time at Redemption in January as Media Assistant after a year of internship/training in the same role (she also maintains her employment at Wendy's in Jasper to help pay the bills). Gabi left her post at Wendy's after the summer break and began the 2023-2024 school year as a Teacher’s Assistant at Jasper Elementary School this year — and is excelling in the role. She also volunteers in the church’s Kids ministry and as a bass player in one of the church’s bands.

God knows what 2024 holds. He holds us in his hand.

The Books I Read In 2023

A few years ago, I set a goal to read at least one book a month as I had allowed my phone, social media, etc. to greatly lessen my ability to stay focused. In 2023, I continued this challenge. 

Here's what I read. Links to buy are available by clicking the photo of each book.

The Year In Music 2023: Favorite Albums & Songs

In the past, I've often taken time at the end of the year to review what I considered to be the best music of the year. Caveat: I can't and don't keep up with everything. This post is me telling you what is the best among the music I actually purchased/downloaded/streamed, in 2023. Links will be for Apple Music, as that is my streaming platform of choice (however, I have physical copies — vinyl and/or CD — of most of these).

Twenty-Five.

Twenty-five.

When we were married in that little chapel in the hills of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, we didn't see all of the twists and turns in front of us. 

We just knew there was a road. 

We were content to drive it as long as we could — avoiding as many road hazards and potholes as we could.

It was a warm mid-September afternoon when we said 'I do.' We made the commitment to each other then and there we were attempting to be each other's "one." 

The past 25 years have been an adventure in discovering the ancient command of "two becoming one" actually takes three. 

It's not the magic number. 

It's a supernatural mystery. You. Me. The Creator of Heaven and Earth.

This isn't "love" as presented in fairy tales and television sitcoms, is it?

The tangible video evidence of our wedding day may be a silent film, but the audible parts include lyrical proclamations from your favorite Canadian pop/rock songsmith: "Forever we will be/Together/A family/The more I get to know you/Nothing can compare/With all of my heart you know/I'll always be right there." 

That album track lyric always stood out to me. After all, we were aiming to live an album track life, not a one-hit-wonder single. 

We were now a family. 

Two different people from two different states. Two different ways of looking at the world. Two different sets of opinions. Two different sets of hang-ups and baggage.

A great commitment to The Work of becoming one.

I was very assured of my right-ness. What a foolish thing to think.

The years of commitment we made to one another have sanded down those stupid rough edges. Just as the Creator molds his creation into jars of clay, your love assisted in molding me into something at least resembling what our Creator desires.

There are a million lyrics I could quote for you. I've attempted to write you songs. But becoming one is a complex epic, not a three-chord country radio track.

Tangentially, I'm sorry I didn't tell you of my love for old country music. I promise I didn't trick you, you just caught me in a transitional year. Perhaps if we had been able to contain ourselves and given it more time, that would have emerged. I digress ...

Twenty-five. Halfway to the one where our kids are supposed to throw us a party. 

Our kids. Can you believe it? I don't think we could have on the nineteenth of September two years shy of the dawn of a new millennium. Who knew what the future held on that day? Well, One knew — but certainly none of us on that stage or in the room. Which one of them will plan our party? Which one of them will care for us when we're unable to care for one another?

We did our best. They are blessings. Not in the trite, hashtag kind of way, but actual blessings.

From a tiny one bedroom apartment on Edmondson Pike that cheated us out of several hundred dollars to a duplex on the hill on Cedar Valley Drive with our, um, passionate — and scary — seed-bearing-plant enthusiast neighbors to a duplex on Christopher Court we only had a day to find when we moved north of the Mason-Dixon to a little blue Main-Street-USA house we sometimes wonder if we never should have sold to a quiet neighborhood named for a tree we probably couldn't identify, we've always had a home. 

Not because of the structures, but because two made a commitment to become one.

It's been a hard trip, at times. But God never promises ease, does He?

Not everyone understands us. We're not the popular couple. You don't even remotely care. Like Morticia and Gomez. Sometimes we're the black sheep, but we never wanted to don only lilly-white fleece, anyway. That makes me love you even more.

We are not them. We are us.

Not you plus me — just us.

One.

For twenty-five.

For as many more as He will give to us.