Thanks Be To Our God!!!

I'm laying in my bed- listening to "Thanks Be to God" the last song on Travis Cottrell's new record...it's very much a benediction to an incredible project...but this song evokes so much emotion in me its not even funny. It...like almost everything does these days makes me think of my friend, Maurice Carter..who almost at the thought of the fact that he's left this earth waaaay sooner than I EVER expected, makes me cry for some indiscriminate amount of time.

Maurice joined my Travis Cottrell Praise Team singin' peeps on this last album which was unusual, because NORMALLY we wouldn't have "sullied" ourselves with his....."type"...lol but Trav' was sick... and so, we FORCED ourselves....to have to tolerate his incredible talent...lol. We sang MANY songs for the record, but a when we got to a certain verse on the final song...all of us looked up, and Maurice had begun to cry, and had taken a step back from the mic'. I'd watched him try to sing thru the emotion that was clearly rising up within him...but he couldn't fight it-and eventually he told us.. "Wow guys, I'm so sorry, I don't know whats gotten into me.." "What's WRONG with me?" He asked us thru his tears, slightly embarrassed...because the emotion, came from seemingly nowhere. Finally it was if he tried to explain to us what was going on with him.. "Whew, it's like the lyrics of that song got all over me!"

Well...by that point.. there wasn't any need to even say anything, almost all the rest of us who were singing had started to cry too.... the lyric "For the mysteries beyond the veil of death,for the peace that opens with our closing breath, When our struggles pass away and we finally see your face and greater glory rises into view....Thanks be to our God......Hallelujah, Everlasting songs will rise for all you've done, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, thanks be to our God!"

I don't know what happens in the spirit before our earthly journey wraps up here.... Knowing Maurice HIS spirit was feeling ALL KINDS of things that his natural mind couldn't comprehend yet...

But MAYBE all of that emotional....rigmarole...occurred in our vocal session to get us in a mindset of TRUE worship.

Thanks,adulation,adoration,and worship Eternally are owed our Father for all he's done for us. Tomorrow nite I get to perform with some friends here in Nashville at an event called Still Waters. I was listening to the song I've been referring to tonite on my ipod while at rehearsal for that event when it dawned on me that the last Still Waters event was on June 3,2011 on June 3,2011 (if my dates are correct), my phone began to ring because Mo' was missing. June 4th, late night.... I laid on my couch and cried because my spirit gave my heart the impression, and the leading, that Mo' had gone to be with the Lord already...But I still prayed, and prayed that what I was feeling was wrong...and that we'd find him. I called, I texted, I harassed him...(like I was SUPPOSED TO...as per the conditions of our relationship...lol) but also there in  this middle of my praying and pleading with God....... I began to worship, and thank God for the life of my friend.... and for the fact that i KNEW that if his time HAD indeed come to enter into his sabbath rest...that Maurice was SO OK.... it would be US..who would mourn... and hurt... but he would be fine.....

And when finally it WAS confirmed that Mo' was gone "Thanks Be To Our God" was one of the FIRST songs that came to my mind because I knew in that instant that though I was a ball on the floor....with carpet fibers in my nails from digging and grabbing....Maurice was right at that very moment...joined with the saints of old, and the angels, and the 4 and 20 elders LITERALLY singing Hallelujah, and Everlasting songs.

My days vary....some days I'm alright...I can go on with life without crying...but most days my heart just breaks at some point...when it dawns on me again, what I've lost...what so many of us have lost...in a friend, and brother. But THEN i hear ANOTHER lil' song from Travis's new cd...my brother Mo's last lil' ad lib on one of the song thats sung and echo 3xs that simply encourages us to MARCH ON...sung over a series of connected 8th note runs that just leave you shaking your head in awe of Mo's vocal Skill(z)...lol

March on...in VICTORY...March on... My friend and brother reminds us from the heavens.... and so... March on I shall.... while worshipping, and singing at the top of my lungs...hot tears running down my face..."HALLELUJAH, EVERLASTING SONGS WILL RISE, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE, HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, THANKS. BE TO. OUR GOD!!!!!"