" I'LL HAVE THE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS( With SOME GRITS AND GRAVY)!

Hi Kids! Thanksgiving is coming up and I am thankful that MY WORK is picking up! I have been doing some projects close to home... but soon I will be going back to LINEVILLE, Alabama... and I LOVE it over there!!! It's near Lake Wedowee, and I have been working over there off and on for a few years now.. Lineville is a small town.. you know what I am talking about- The TOWN SQUARE, THE traffic light( singular), the small country churches... it's SO relaxing... There's not a LOT of Yankees over there... you know what that means: People say Hello , wave, and talk to you for no particular reason( shocking.. I know)... It's so refreshing... A while back I was working in Lineville and I decided to drive into town and try out the MEXICAN restaurant(singular) in town. I pulled in the gravel( plural) parking lot and walked into the painted block building. My beautiful mexican wife has prepared several THOUSAND authentic mexican meals for me through the years.. so I was ready to give the Lineville Mexican Restaurant a try..ya NEVER know.... also I was looking forward to practicing my southern flavored Spanish with the servers...I walked in and saw a beautiful young lady sitting behind a counter- She had long black hair, dark complexion- "allright- I thought, she HAS to be Mexican.. I get to practice the old espanol today" I smiled, walked toward her and said ," Buenas Dias".!!!!.. and what happened next... almost gave me a heart attack... I heard a voice.... a southern voice... ( even more southern than mine- if thats possible).. She said" well Hey there- how YOU??? Now... think COUNTRY, think CAUCASIAN, think HILLBILLY( think Clay Callaway)... thats the voice I heard coming from that lovely Hispanic lady... She showed me to my booth, and told me about the chicken enchilada special( SPAY-shul.. she said)... Now most of the time THAT LOVELY SOUTHERN accent is telling me about FRied chicken, biscuits, grits, and gravy.. it AINT telling me about enchilada" Spay-shuls"- Her voice was lovely... I soaked it all in... ordered and asked her about her "story"... YES her parents are from Mexico- her dad came to Lineville to work - and SHE was born there, grew up there, went to school there- the only Latin girl in Lineville. Naturally she picked up the southern drawl of her hometown.. in her home they still speak spanish( mexican accent) but with the customers... its all SOUTHERN!!... I enjoyed the enchiladas... but more than anything I enjoyed hearing her story... I went away thinking about this experience... Her raven hair and dark complexion was a reminder of those proud warriors who suffered the invasion of the men from Spain - men who changed their language and their culture. HER southern accent told the story of another "people" who were also proud warriors- They TOO were invaded.- by men from the NORTH who changed their culture and way of life... and Yes... the YANKEES had SOME success.We have become "UNFRIENDLY"... LOTS of southerners DO'nt say Good Morning or HELLO. they wo'nt ask "HOW YOU"? or HOW'S Your FAMILY?..But the INVADERS did'nt completely conquer us... - SOME OF US held onto our beautiful southern drawl.... " Next time you are in LINEVILLE, ask for the Enchilada SPAY-SHUL"....

King David Danced a Mean Electric Slide( thats why His wife was Jealous)

Many of you know the story of King David of Israel. He threw a mean sling-shot and he worked magic with his lyre. His songs were healing balms for the melancholy soul of King Saul - and his Psalms are with us today. Everyone likes to talk about the episode with Bathsheba- The Rich King , the OTHER woman, the AFFAIR. The "young and the Restless" ain't got nothing on the David and Bathsheba story... yep- we know our King David stuff... but I want us to think about the "dancing episode"... Do'nt remember that one.???. well, here goes.. David and His men were bringing the ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem..The people were singing, The cymbals were ringing, the timbrels were timbreling.. and they were praising the Lord with loud music-( David and his Posse didnt lead worship at the Presbyterian Church in Jerusalem- they musta been pentecostal)- The Bible tells us that "David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod". Now David's wife, Michal was looking from her window and she saw her husband, The KING of Israel dancing without his KINGLY WARDROBE, leaping and jumping, like a COMMONER... it says that Michal"despised him in her heart"- so after offering sacrifices, David passed out party favors to all the people: A cake of bread, some meat, and a flagon of wine( you dont have to bring your own bottle to King David's parties... he a swinging host). After receiving their goody bags, everyone went home to check their facebook status.... and King david went home to check on the MICHAL status... and it was a big dis-like symbol from her... She Nagged him about" getting down with the people", she said that he UNCOVERED HIMSELF- David "let his hair down" , threw off the kingly robes, and started praising the Lord with his dance... Michal was a stickler for decorum and propriety.. Michal do'nt allow no dancing praise around here.. well, David did'nt care what Michal do'nt allow- gonna do his dance anyhow! and he told her so...David said" IT was BEFORE THE LORD... and you ai'nt seen nothing yet... at NEXT weeks party... I'm doing the electric slide... so there..." I LOVE this story of David and HIS dancing... Now in FULL disclosure, I have to say that I do NOT believe DANCE is supposed to be an element of a "New Testament Worship service- you and I will "argue" about this later( in another blog-lol)... I just like to focus on the dancing!!! Maria and I have been doing a lot of dancing lately... mostly with my friends from my youth( High school friends) and we are having a wonderful time... when we dance, the concerns of life are put upon a shelf... if only for a while- - we throw off our Kingly Robes of formality... and we put on the linen ephod of joy and happiness... we become like children... is'nt it funny.... children express their joy by dancing... and how do WE( the brilliant adults) respond," You stop that now... you are acting silly"... Our wise little friends are trying to teach us something.It does'nt matter if you look silly( or if you are old, or overweight, or not graceful,...i.e. past 40 -can I get a witness???).The lesson is this- "If you are happy and you know it clap your hands( and move your feet)....."- OH yeah !!!thanks Kim for teaching Maria and I the "to the left to the left" dance... maybe NEXT time.... The Electric Slide..