LONG Time Fan

[tmarble]

Brother Michael.....

Having watched you for such a very long time.....days with the Goodmans, Days with Singing Americans, with the Vocal Band, by yourself...

Tried to imitate your singing style, only to realize what you do is YOUR gift from God....He wants me to sing how HE wants me to sing....

My heart is so full.......emotions are at a high level right now...my mom passed away on 2/28/2010........I didn't find out till the last week of her life that she had accepted Christ as her Savior when she was 16 years old at a tent-meeting revival in Steward County, TN in 1948. So many years after I got saved in 1972, I prayed for her to be saved, worried about her, lost nights of sleep about her salvation........but to know she is now with Christ: that is a blessing to me.

Planning out the music for her visitation, I chose I bowed on my Knees that you sang with the Singing Americans on the Live project because that as one of her favorite songs..........

My grandfather is the reason why I love SG so much. He always had a SG album playing when I grew up. As a teen I was listening to the Inspiration, Kingsmen, LeFavors, Cathedrals, Hemphills, Blue Ridge Qt, Oak Ridge Boys, and the Gaither Trio.........didn't really get into the rock crowd.......

Mom heard all of what I played around the house: always with the phrase, TURN IT DOWN.......she became familiar with what I listened to.

Later, when her and I were traveling somewhere in my van, I had Singing Americans Live cassette in the player.....it was q'ed up to where I Bowed on my Knees was about to play. I started to turn it off, and she reached out and touched the on/off button. "I haven't heard much of what you are listening to these days......leave it on". So, she heard the whole thing. I looked over, and she had tears in her eyes. I asked her if there was something wrong.......she shook her head, and told me she loved it........about 5-6 years later, we were just sitting around having a cup of coffee together.......just an easy day over at her house. One of those days in the early summer where the windows are open, a fresh breeze is coming in the windows, and nothing else is going on or filling your time at that moment in time. We had been discussing just alot of things, making jokes, remembering when I was younger and we had went to see relatives in Tennessee.......all of a sudden, out of no where, she asked me if I remembered that song she had listened to in my van. I said how can I ever forget that song, mom? It is one of my all time favorite songs......She told me that day she wanted that song played at her funeral........Now, mind you, that was WAY before CD's or anything like that........but I promised her that I would do that. Then we went on to more pressing matters, like my grandma's fried chicken....

The heart that you have shown in your music is why I have loved listening to you.

I am grateful that you are who you are......a sinner saved by grace, and that you are living and breathing again under that grace.

Tom Marble, Sr.

Phil. 1:3