"Nobody But Me"

January feels like the unwelcome roommate that you must have in order to pay rent, instead, January sticks around trying to make all twelve months count. If I could pull a few friend's birthdays and the one where I get to eat black eyed peas, I'd say to hell with it altogether. So, I kicked January out and invited February in as long as it promised to be quick and deliver no snow. Snow still happened. Never trust February. So, today marks the 1st of March and I have high expectations for this month, mainly, of course, because today is my birthday. :)

I've always expected so much out of birthdays. If birthdays were in the Olympics, March 1st would be Lindsey Vonn. Christmas would be the whole USA hockey team (more people, more presents) and January would be the guy who face planted on the downhill ski event. For those of you who did not watch the Olympics and are pissed that I used that as an anology, here is another example. If birthdays were on The Bachelor, March 1st would be Tenley and January would be Vienna, the crossed eyed contestant. (Just get rid of it altogether). If you don't watch the Olympics OR The Bachelor then quit reading this immediately and go back under the rock you've lived under all this time. Me, 'Tenley' and the 'Olympics' not only celebrate on the glorified day, but usually the entire week. Birthday Week (n.)- A week in which a person is born on one day of that week, but uses the "It's My Birthday" card as entitlement to recognize it every single day. For a week. Everyone likes having birthday week.

Birthday week started last Monday when I realized my birth date was in week. Recognizing the holiday is the first step. Birthday dinners, outings at the local bars, and occasional desserts followed as the week progressed. Monday is a crappy day for a holiday but things turned out quite amazing, and I had the whole day to myself.

I've never had a birthday alone. I don't know how to do that. It's like Algebra all over again. Just give me tutors or someone to cheat off of and it's an A+. Give me streamers and 5 friends and it's a party. (You can't have a party without streamers taped to the wall. Or the ceiling fan.) Facebook gave me wishes from friends, but only my checkbook could buy me a Birthday Happy. Birthday Happy- (n.) A certain oversized clutch with sparkles. In this case, blue and green sequins on that bad boy from Forever 21. What an adventure this will be: The Mall Dun Dun Duuuuun.. (in the scariest voice possible.)

Ello, preety lady, can I ask question to you?
"Nope, uh uh, Don't want any."
Don't want ninny? Can I ask you question?
I don't know what you're selling but I don't want it. I don't care how fast it works or how great it smells, I'm not buying your magic cream for FORTY FIVE DOLLARS! (This is a thought not a statement).
You look so yooty-full this day, must be you birthday!
How. Did he know that?

Well, I got past Psychic Sanjuan, now let's venture into Dillard's. Or let's not because the checkout lady is officially stalking me. Every turn I make there she is popping up behind the clothes rack. HELLO! I can't even concentrate on what I think is.. CAN I HELP YOOUU??.. cute because she's staring me down in hopes of a sale. YOU LOOK LIKE A NEON KIND OF GIRL! How do I look neon? LOOK AT THIS BATHING SUIT HERE! Neon, not for me.

Sequined Clutch- Check

A couple laps around that place will wear a girl out. Especially when you're looking for a store that's not there." The guitar store is down the street you stupid, illiterate idiot!!" At least that's what his face said. "A-ha! Genius! You only have 2342387 stores in this stupid mall, why would you put a music store smack dab in the middle of Music City??" At least that's what my face said. On the way out, I grabbed my favorite Frappe Latte even though it's cold as a toilet seat outside. Because, it's my birthday, that's why. The guitar shop ended up being a grocery store, so I TomTom'd the next one. My TomTom is named Richard. And Richard is the dumbest kid in GPS school. (Like me in Algebra). Richard took me 24 miles out of the way to the capital of Nowhere, Smackdabinthemiddleof. There's only one reason I'm telling you this story. Richard may have gotten me lost but I found it. It. Alan. Jackson's. House. Ahhhhhhhhh. I knew he lived in Franklin but unless you have Richard as a guide you would never find it. Turns, curves, railroad tracks, gravel, tunnels for one-car-at-a-time, then there it stood. A shining white shrine. I picked up my jaw, somehow found my way to I-65 and thought about how lucky I was to even run into something like that. I don't even know what I would do if I actually saw him. Maybe follow him home, pull out my "It's My Birthday" card and demand a song on the spot. Ok, I take that back. I caught myself second glancing for blonde locks in the driver's seat of every pimped out Ford pickup I saw on the way back. That guitar shop does not exist, but when I finally got home, flowers had been left on my doorstep and I knew I was a very lucky, blessed birthday girl.

Since the real day was spent alone, I'm spending the rest of the month with people I love. This includes Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Leann Womack on Thursday and everyone in the tri-county area of Greenwood the week following.This year, I'm on the 3 Week Birthday Plan. :) I am so so so lucky to have the best friends, fans, and family in the entire world. Thank you to anyone who sent love my way today. Happy Birthday to me!!

"Open Arms"

Pancakes make me happy. There is one problem though. I get so excited and stack them up high only to conquer a fourth of the food on the plate. They fill me up so fast, I want it to last longer! I have no real topic today, but instead, I'm going to use this time to update you, or the ones who care, on some little things going on in my life.

A. Every night I wake up to this horrible noise on my porch. The first time it happened, I thought it was someone breaking in. I grabbed my mase and almost peed in my pants until I looked out the window to find 4 cats chillin' on my patio furniture. The strangest part is that one of them was aggressively eating my charcoal from the grill. um, normal? So, now that they've found the motherload of ashes they come back every. night. How can I keep them away??
B. At the beginning of this year Mary Britton and I decided to participate in the Country Music Marathon here in Nashville. Well, I take that back, we decided to attempt to walk/run/jog the half marathon, which is 13.1 miles. I don't run thirteen miles often so this, my friends, is a challenge. So I've been "training" for two weeks now and it's actually going better than I expected. I've only gotten up to six miles but I'm
definitely making progress. The run is on April 24th so 12 wk training starts today! Pray for me. :)
C. I keep having dreams that T. Swift and I are really good friends. Last night we went riding around and talked about not liking
cats. She posts pictures of her cat on Twitter so I know for a fact that she has one, so I'm not sure why she said she didn't
like them. Why the crap am I dreaming about cats? Or Taylor Swift?
D. I was scheduled to do a benefit show for Nashville Heart & Soul where all the dinero goes to the American Heart Association. It was on Saturday night but the weather got so bad that I was snowed in! (They rescheduled.) The snow was beautiful. There's still a lot outside but the roads are clear now. Matthew and I didn't have a sled but improvised with tubberware for sledding. Being snowed in isn't half bad. We made lunch, tacos for dinner, a tent for the living room, videos for everyone back home and brownies. It was good weekend.
E. WHO DAT? Saints for the Superbowl!
F. I recently put some videos on YouTube. I've never wanted to do this until now. I decided that all the songs don't make it on the demo can still be videoed and put up for everyone to hear anyway. So if you have a chance, check them out, and let me know what you think.

That's all I can remember right now, I'm going to practice guitar. :)
"Love the life you live. Live the life you love."

PS. New songs for the iPod?
o Jason Aldean- The Truth (not new, but in love)
o Lady Antebellum- American Honey
o Miranda Lambert- The House That Built Me
o Justin Beiber- Baby
o Rascal Flatts- Unstoppable
o Daughtry- Life After You
o The Script- Breakeven
o Jason Derulo- Whatcha Say

"You Just Might Make Me Believe"

With God, all things are possible, reachable, attainable, dreamable. Now, BRING IT ON.

I have a very talented, piano-playing friend from the UK whose music I adore. One of us found the other via ReverbNation, became fans of the music, and recommended it to anyone who wanted to take a listen. This site has allowed me to become a fan of so many unsigned artists that usually have more to offer than what is actually on the radio. We all come together on a website to try and find success in this business. James Clarke, aka Live Pianoman has somewhat found the first pillar of his success this very week. With a brand new album out on Amazon, solid piano playing fingers, and a chance to co-host the Indie Showcase Radio Show, I'm not sure.. but I bet he's had a good week. The reason I'm mentioning my friend is because he mentioned me. Tuesday on the live radio show, James co-hosted and brought music from a few of his favorite friends/artists. I was very honored to be one of them. The following link is to the downloadable podcast of the show. I will show you step by step how to listen in. A big shout out and thanks to Live Pianoman for introducing little Meagan Rae to another country and sharing my music with others. Hope all is well over there and continued success for you!

HOW TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO SHOW, CO-HOSTED BY LIVE PIANOMAN:
-Go to www.indieshowcase.net
-On the left column, click on 'Podcasts'
-Click on the podcast that says live piano man 01-10 and download
-Once downloaded, you can listen from your iTunes, Media Player, etc.
-"Just Another Sad Song" is featured on 1 hour and 17 minutes

LINKS TO JAMES CLARKE (LIVE PIANOMAN):
-www.myspace.com/livepianoman
-www.amazon.com

LINKS TO REVERBNATION:
-www.reverbnation.com/meaganrae
-www.reverbnation.com/livepianoman

"Break Down Here"

I woke up January 2nd at 8am for the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale. The biggest sale of all time (to women, of course). Underwear for $3? Don't mind if i do. I pulled a smart move and decided to heat up the car before we headed out. In midst of the 17 degree weather and my running to make it there faster, I missed the important fact that my entire parking lot was covered in ice. On a hill. And here I go. In a flash, I could see my legs flying up over my head, the sky blue, and the ground a few feet under me that I was guaranteed to hit in 3.. 2.. 1.. I landed on my backside. Next to hit was my elbow. I sat there and scanned the area to make sure no one saw my acrobatics. In a usually busy parking lot, not a soul in sight and not a soul saw me. I picked myself up, brushed off the icy dust, and tried again. And in the midst of all this commotion I hadn't seen it.. the beautiful snow falling around me.

In 2010, as with previous years, I have made 'resolutions' that seem more like 'bad decisions' after 2 months of not sticking with it. But this year's resolution is different. This year, quitting a bad habit, gaining money, and losing weight are not the priorities on my list. Sure, it would be nice to check these things off, but this year, I'm looking at the big picture. The whole year. I have prepared myself for a long road ahead that includes hard work, determination, and eliminating the option of ever giving up. My uncle Mitch never gave up.. so I'm following his lead. There will come a time when I might climb the ladder of this music industry and get knocked down on my backside, and land on more than my elbow but I will pick myself up, and try again. I will try, and try, and try, until I'm standing up and see the beautiful things falling around me. (And if you keep God in the picture, He will make sure that when you fall, no one sees you make an idiot out of yourself.) There is a grand possibility that I might get my heartbroken. There is a definite possibility that I will hear the word 'no'. But through all of this lies the beauty of something great, and the reasoning of why I am here.

Now, what I didn't tell you is that my butt is bruised, my tailbone is sore, and my elbow is cut up. After living here for only six months now, I can tell that I will have many more ailments. Some due to icy weather that I'm not used to, and some due to the musical politics of this city. "Everybody's your friend, you can never be sure", sings Sugarland. You can chase a dream but you can't get lost in it. You must keep your faith, your family, and your gut feelings close by. But throw the fear out the window. During this journey, whether it takes me 10 months or 10 years, I will come out of this with a few bumps and bruises, inside and out, but all for a reason.

Here I come 2010.

"No matter how dark the moment, hope and love are always possible."

Happy NEW year everyone! xo, Meagan Rae

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"

"I really can't stay, baby, it's cooold outside." It's 32 degrees outside to be exact. My tree is shining bright. I have some of my gifts wrapped under it and the other half waiting for a box their size. The warm glow at night when the lights are on is the same way I feel inside. It's the best time of year. Everyone is nicer. Everything is prettier. I check my mailbox everyday for new cards and letters from people back home. I have to say I've done a fairly great job at making myself feel at home here in Nashville. Driving home Sunday, I felt like I have two homes. Going there, or here, is fine with me because I'm going home both ways. The roads are lined with wreaths and trees for sale. The Radio City Rockettes are showing at the Opry. Red and green are everywhere. Everyone is trying to outdo the other in the front yard. Blow-up Santas, merry-go-rounds, and nativity scenes create an atmosphere for the holiday. It's the best holiday. It's my favorite time of year.

What Christmas means to a 24 year old:

• Music- There are some Christmas tunes that make me well up out of nowhere. I think maybe it's because I miss the ones I've lost. This will be our first Christmas without my Uncle Mitch and the second without my sweet granddad. I guess it's the getting older and realizing how precious time is. It seems like we lose so many great people in our lives and you just want to get the year over with and start again. My granddad always sang Christmas carols and had the deepest voice, sounding like Bing Crosby. Maybe that's where the emotion comes from. It's also my first Christmas away from home. It's hard to think that my sister and mom are at home shopping, making cookies, and decorating without me? Can't be.. I'm the ringleader of these events. But, life goes on and so does the baking. Things have to get done whether I'm at home or not. This is why I have decided that getting older, busier, and broker is really cramping my style. The good news is Nashville pretty much shuts down during this time for a 'winter session' so I will get to go home for a while. And all the way home I will jam out to Christmas CD's. Here are some of my faves:

Sugarland- Gold and Green (the entire CD)

Martina McBride- White Christmas (the entire CD)

Faith Hill- O Holy Night

Bing Crosby- I'll Be Home For Christmas

SheDaisy- Deck The Halls

Trisha Yearwood- It Wasn't His Child

Josh Groban- The First Noel

• Loving People More- Not more, just amplified. This might sound silly, but during December I just want to hug everybody. I want everyone's plans to work out and things to go their way. I love the Wendy's worker at the window and the homeless man on the street. (which by the way is not there anymore.) I miss people, too. I went Christmas looking the other day bc I really didn't need to spend my money buying and they had all the Christmas stops pulled out. The decor, the music, the lights, the people. I was sad. I missed my Gran and how we make any excuse to drive to another town to shop for gifts. I miss my brother. I miss Edi-Ann. I feel like she grows a foot every time I see her again. Last time I was home I told her I was going to put books on her head to keep her from growing. She said, "But when I'm big, you can still hold me." :) I miss my dad. He's the funniest, funnest, most awesome dad ever. I miss his jokes that he finds funnier than anyone. I miss sleeping in my sister's twin bed just to annoy her. I miss my Aunt Pam's chicken and dumplings. My whole family believes in me, THANK YOU GOD. That's why I miss them, cause they're so awesome. I know, it's a lot, but it makes you appreciate what you have. And I am so blessed.
• Giving Back- Oh, how I love giving what I don't have. :) I'll tell ya, if one day I do have money, I will spend half on others. I love the looks on people's faces when you do something so unexpected, because, let's face it, selfless things don't happen too often. Try it. You don't have to be Oprah and buy everyone a car, it can be simple. I try to buy the person's food behind me in line sometimes. It may be cheap, but the feeling you get is something you can't buy.
• Bonus Features- There are a few extras that come with the season and some that come with moving further North! Snow is one of them. I cannot wait to see a white city. Living in the Delta didn't furnish much precipitation in that manner but now, YES! My stepdad is currently snowed-in in Dallas and I want him to bring that weather with him. (I have a plan to get my family snowed-in here so they have to stay. evil laugh. Muhahahahahah.) And what about getting everyone to come HERE for New Year's Eve? Don't mind if I do. No more trying to find a place to go. I live there. A few other things I love to 'tis the season that don't need discussin' are Christmas cards with cute little faces on them, watching "A Christmas Story" 24 hours on Christmas Eve, fireplaces burning, sleeping with my sweet baby sister on Christmas Eve waiting on Santa to bring her 57 baby dolls, "The Night Before Christmas", and of course, apple cider. :)

On a closing note I would like to say that Christmas is ultimately all about Jesus, otherwise there wouldn't be one. There wouldn't be holiday hustle and bustle, no caroling, no gift giving, there would be no season to celebrate if there wasn't a celebration when Christ was born. And it was an Old Testament throwdown when this man was brought here. They SANG to HIM. They brought GIFTS to HIM, and so the tradition lives on. The problem is, I think our government has forgotten. They can take Christ out of Christmas and called it a holiday. And they can quit saying Merry Christmas and say Happy Holidays but you and I know that as hard as they try, Jesus is more powerful than them all, and He will never really go away. So, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AMERICA!!!

I hope everyone has an awesome Christmas season. Remember to give without taking, do without asking, and believe without knowing.

xoxo, Meagan Rae

Luke 2:13

And suddenly there was the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest."

"Which One Of Them"

It is finally feeling like fall instead of winter and I absolutely love it. Nashville is beaaaaautiful this time of year. The sun is out, the rain is gone (for a day or two). The leaves are the brightest colors I have ever seen and one day last week a friend and I went and captured it all on pictures, which are awesome, but do it no justice. Fall also means November has rolled in and has proven to be a busy time and a quick one since we are already on week two and I just realized the month had started.

I have been working hard on writing and recording some new stuff for a new demo so I can get new fans and new gigs. =) The people I have been songwriting with are very talented and we have gotten some great music to put on the record. When it is finished it will be available on the internet and I will let you know where to find it.

I went home this past week to do some things in good ole Mississippi and it turned out to be very, very busy and amazing at the same time. I got to see my fam which is #1. I hadn't seen my sisters in, oh 2 and 1/2 months. If you know me, you know that is a lifetime. If you don't know me, now you know. I played an acoustic show at the one and only Webster's Bar & Grill on Wednesday, Thursday we had an engagement party for a bff and Saturday Edi-Ann (my little sister) had her 4th birthday party where I was designated the 'face painter'.. All while squeezing in a little shopping, a lot of food, and Wii. Such an eventful 5 days, I know.

So it's CMA week here in Nashville and it is insane. People everywhere. Driving home yesterday I was thinking that if Jennifer Nettles would just realize how fun of a girl I am and become my friend I could just go with her. I don't twitter much, but I twittered Mrs. Nettles.

1. Wish I could be at the CMAs Wednesday. Now would be a good time for Jen Nettles to befriend me. @Sugarlandmusic
2. I mean, come on, I'm a fun girl. I could double as a date and entertainment. A 2 in 1 package deal. @sugarlandmusic
3. And you'll need someone to hold all your trophies for the night. That can be my job. @sugarlandmusic
4. Ok so look pretty. Entertain them two. Hold trophies. Got it. Maybe I should talk to Christian since Jen is not listening. @sugarlandmusic

Yeah.. Jennifer and Christian never messaged me back but soon after that a friend of mine told me one of his friends had a couple tickets on sale so guess who got them! Yep, yours truly! We got them for way cheaper than they started out and it will be total awesomeness. The Country Music Awards are Wednesday night on ABC, which happens to be my Matthew Little's birthday so this is his great present. We are going to dress up and try to look important as we scope out the place for all of our idols. We will get to experience everyone performing and accepting their awards which is nice, but I can't wait until one day I am there on the floor, or on the stage, and I didn't have to pay anything but my dues to get there. =) As my sister says, "We're bring home the gold!" As you may have noticed, each post's title is also the title of a song. I choose it to fit the stories, info, and outline of the blog I had written. "Which One Of Them" was sung by Garth Brooks and is on here as a tribute for coming back into the music industry to perform once again. I also have a feeling he may make an appearance at the CMAs since heeeee's baaaaaaack. =) With today's title we are going to play a little game called "Which One of Them Will Take Home the Win?". After you read, comment and let me know which artist you think will win the category tomorrow night! We'll see who knows their music!

*Remember, it may not be who you want to win. =)

Remember again, that this is only my opinion.

"WHICH ONE OF THEM WILL TAKE HOME THE WIN?"

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Reba McEntire

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

This is a hard one for me. Three of my favorites are in this category and they are not Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift. Miranda Lambert's new album is freaking on fire, Reba has two singles off her new album already, and Martina McBride's new album is amazing. Carrie also has a new record out but the trick here is that none of them except Martina and Taylor had a new album that was released in time for nominations. So, although Miranda could whoop Taylor in a real fight, she won't win this one. As much as I hate it, T-Swizzle will win this and maybe everything she is nominated for.

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:

Kenny Chesney

Brad Paisley

Darius Rucker

George Strait

Keith Urban

George is the old dog, Darius is the new one, and then we have the middle of the pack which is probably the tightest running. I would love to see George Strait win it just bc he is a country favorite and everyone loves him. But this year I think it's almost a tie between Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. I'm picking Keith Urban.

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

Randy Houser

Jamey Johnson

Jake Owen

Darius Rucker

Zac Brown Band

I always am curious to see who wins this category and watch for them the next year. I can't get "I'm going out with my boots on" out of my head but I think maybe Darius will win this year because of more singles and longer track record.

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

The Eagles

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Rascal Flatts

Zac Brown Band

I'm liking that Lady A is no longer in the newcomer category. Move over R. Flatts, we have a new group in the running and a great one at that. I've heard critics say the other nominees don't have the power behind them like Rascal Flatts does but I disagree. With a recent #1 and a new album out, I'm pulling for the trio with a girl. Lady A!

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR:

Big & Rich

Brooks & Dunn

Joey & Rory

Montgomery Gentry

Sugarland

Oh, the sweet smell of victory. Jen Jen and Christian should prepare a speech already. There's not a whole lot of competition considering Big & Rich are no longer together and Brooks & Dunn will also soon call it quits. They might could pull it off since this would be their last as the Brooks and Dunn duo before retiring but I'm pulling for the one and only Sugarland. Duh.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

American Saturday Night- Brad Paisley

Defying Gravity- Keith Urban

Fearless- Taylor Swift

Love On The Inside- Sugarland

That Lonesome Song- Jamey Johnson

Oh, why do you do this to me? Putting my favorite and my least favorite head to head knowing the least favorite will probably win since she just re-released Fearless and radio plays her songs every other minute. Sugarland deserves it, Taylor will win it.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:

Kenny Chesney

Brad Paisley

George Strait

Taylor Swift

Keith Urban

The reigning champ in this category is Kenny with 4 wins. Despite this, all eyes will be on Taylor because this country is all about shaking it up and making some history. As long as they can do that, they are happy so I will in advance congratulate Ms. Swift on winning this. Don't be surprised when she freaks out and acts like she had no idea.

Now let me know what you think!

"There Ain't Nothin' Like A Memory"

Story #1

Picture this:

You are in a bar, in the store, in your car and the song that you thought they would never play, that you haven't heard in years, that defines that one moment in time.. is on. You freeze, even if it's for a second, and go back to the exact minute when you first heard it. You remember who you were with, what you wore, what they said. And even though you maybe shouldn't, you can't help but let the song take you back for one more ride back in time.

This subject is MY subject for the new song written last week. 'There With You" was co-written with a very talented Nashville songwriter, Bruce Wallace. After writing a sassy little number on the gossip-driven and inescapable scandals of living in a small town, my well had run dry. Sitting on the 'inspiration deck' looking out into the blue, conjuring up any ideas we had left, I suddenly remembered the topic I had longed to pursue. I had an hour worth of driving to do so before I left the house, I rummaged through the big, leather case of CDs from high school. I randomly picked ten or so and was on my way. Gator Boots, Standing Still, and Killing Me Softly all perked me up, and sooner than later, I was singing very loudly, and recalled every word. As soon as Track #8 was played, I quit singing. Not because I didn't know the words. I was in another moment, reminiscing and allowing it to all play back in my head. The motions and emotions were real and didn't need help unfolding.. It all came at once and in perfect order. When 2 minutes and 39 seconds ended, it felt like the shortest song ever made. I wanted to play it over and over again to stay where I was, and where I had been so many years ago. I changed the track and vowed to let that topic lead me to the music. Bruce agreed and so we now have a song, and a hit in my opinion. =)

Songwriters remember: Real Life Experience = A sure fire song

(Join us at The Carroll County Market, November 28th, 8pm to hear the track "There With You" live)

Story #2

My boyfriend, Matthew (a cute little thing), lives in Columbia, TN so I often drive to see him. There is a RedBox at a Walgreens that we visit.. oh, every other day, to rent movies. The RedBox is not the only thing that lives at Walgreens, though. It shares this residence with a homeless man. I, Meagan Rae Mitchell, have the biggest, what-if, loving heart when it comes to unfortunates. I know there are times when they can't be trusted, you don't know their motives, and the joke is probably on you but I can't help but to take a different approach. Let me tell you about my friend: He is an older, black male who is a little hefty with gray hair. The four times I've seen him, he's had on the same red sweatsuit, sitting on a thin blanket. Seems to me the only thing he owns is a tiny radio whose antennae is pulled out as far as it will reach and bucket of KFC. Ok, so he has a few things, but no home, so isn't he still considered homeless? Matthew said since he had fried chicken he must be doing alright. But that doesn't look alright to me. Maybe he has some money but not enough to afford rent? We watched him a couple times. He never bothered anyone, not once did he ask for a dollar. I just wanted to know his name. We rented our movie, and drove back to our warm house, and slept in our warm bed. But the last time we visited, I couldn't stand it any longer. It's been raining here like it's the sky's job to drown us and if I didn't live on a hill, I'd buy a boat. That night was no exception and the temperature had dropped to the 40's. He was laying horizontal on the blanket, red sweatsuit covered him, as close to the brick wall as possible for this provided some protection from the rain due to the roof. The radio played a slow R&B song and the bucket of KFC smelled days old. I bet there are times when a song on that old radio can take him back in time, too, and let him feel the familiarity of comfort and hope, even if for a second. On impulse, I went inside, took a bag and started grabbing the essentials I thought it might take to survive a cold, rainy night. (By the way, Matthew is looking at me like I've lost it). I didn't want to wake him so I stood the bag against the brick wall and went back to picking out the DVD for the night. As we got into the truck, he woke and we stopped to watch. He spotted the green bag packed with a fleece blanket, an umbrella, a lunchable, a muffin, and a six-pack of Sprite. He immediately opened the blanket, spread it across him and went back to sleep.

So my approach is:

• I may not have a lot but he's got even less than I do.
• If I were in that position, I would want someone to think about me, no matter what mistakes got me there.
• What if that is Jesus waiting to see what I do?

Next time, we are taking a Bible. And I'm gonna find out his name. I'll keep you updated. Do you agree with what we are doing? Have you ever helped someone less fortunate? Do you have another opinion? Let me know what you think!

Story #3

My favorite picks for this week.

Top "Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya" Songs:

1. Down- Jay feat. Lil' Wayne
2. I Got A Feeling- B.E.P.
3. One Time- Justin Beiber

Top "Girls Rock Better Than You" Songs:

1. Party In The U.S.A.- Miley Cyrus
2. Already Gone- Kelly Clarkson
3. Paparazzi- Lady GaGa

Top "That's Country, I Don't Care Who You Are" Songs:

1. American Ride- Toby Keith
2. Hillbilly Bone- Blake Shelton/Trace Adkins
3. Gettin' You Home- Chris Young

Top "Country Females That Rock Your Socks Off" Songs:

1. White Liar- Miranda Lambert
2. Consider Me Gone- Reba McEntire
3. How Far Do You Wanna Go- Gloriana

Top "I Go Back To A Two-Toned, Short Bed Chevy" Songs:

1. Hanging By A Moment- Lifehouse
2. Which One Of Them- Garth Brooks
3. Someday- Nickelback