01/21/2022: “re: Soli Deo Gloria! / Robert Earl Keen is retiring Sep22 – Helotes, Tx. / “The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends.”
https://www.robertearlkeen.com/news/time-flies
Robert Earl’s “Time Flys” message is in the link above. Call it “Life is just a Breath” and yes, “Soli Deo Gloria”, as REK notes that his motivation is to give glory to God through his music, “his best”. No, he doesn’t mention God directly, through continuing prayers, we highly suspect he is a current christian. My bride was crying tears of joy as she read his letter amidst my breakfast. I recall fondly that first concert in Austin in a dance floor stand up packed house. It was the Christmas break, and he ended with “Merry Christmas in the Family”. I hadn’t heard it before, yet seemingly everyone was singing the entire ballad in unison with bravado. (theme: family dysfunction…- “We are all a mess, but we are a redeemed mess”. Texans resonate with gusto from both sides of that message (allowing for future Christians) )
Our youngest daughter gave us heads up on his retirement announcement last friday. At her older sister’s wedding , around the age of 8, she had already transformed REK’s “The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends.” into an explicit Christian faith statement for us , as to dance to like David in the streets. So, we did at the wedding. And I fulfilled my mission in the routine: She prompted me on the way out with: ” Dad!, “The road goes on forever and … “. To which, on cue, I finished with full exuberance for all to hear around me: “The party never ends!”
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“The Front Porch Song” by Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett:
On above link, the story behind the “old porch” off the A&M campus around 1977 with Lyle Lovett and friends. And click on the song in the midst of the text.
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“Feelin Good Again” – by Robert Earl Keen (*):
https://radiotexaslive.com/the-story-behind-robert-earl-keens-feelin-good-again/
This song seemed to bring back a flood of sublime memories, including my bride. That line: “reached into my pocket, found three twenty’s and a ten” reminds me of a similar story my Dad recounted to me from small town South Dakota saturday night scenes. (*) – oops I recall my “feelings mean nothing” retorts over the years. This one does, just move on and use it as mojo into the next battle.
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Always connected by His grace and through prayer. Soli Deo Gloria!
Your brother in Christ,
Jimmy