Music is such a comfort to my soul, but I never listen to the radio. Well I do listen to pandora on my computer sometimes, but that is only because I can choose the type of music I want to hear.
When I’m driving I often listen to Pap and Paul. Lately I’ve been listening to The Louvin Brothers a whole lot. So many of their songs take me right back to childhood and the gospel ones give me a double dose of comfort. The first part comes from the familiarity of them the second part comes from the very words that make up the lyrics.
Miss Cindy’s illness has had me thinking about Pap a lot. He really liked Miss Cindy and she sure liked him. In fact she’s often told me he was finest man she ever met.
The day Pap broke his hip while working alone at the church fellowship hall he somehow dragged himself to his car and tried to drive home. He made it about half way to Miss Cindy’s house.
At the time Paul was putting up a metal building right near her house (that’s a story of God’s providence I need to tell you someday—how Miss Cindy and Paul bought land and split it). Pap pulled into the graded out area but couldn’t get out to go knock on the door.
An old friend pulled in to look at the building area and once he saw Pap he came over to talk. Pap said “Ole son go down to that house and knock on the door and tell the woman that lives there to bring me a glass of water.” The friend said “Well Jerry I don’t know her I can’t do that.” Pap told him “I know her now go down there and get her to bring me a glass of water.”
Once Miss Cindy saw Pap was in bad shape she drove him home. I’ll never know how she and Granny got Pap into the house but they did.
One of Pap’s original gospel songs has been running around in my head as I pray for Miss Cindy.
“Angels of Mercy” written by Jerry Wilson
Lazarus was hungry, suffering, waiting alone
Outside a gate of plenty, a beggar with no earthly home.
The crumbs were all he asked for, oh such a small thing indeed.
The dogs his only comfort for no man came to his need.
Angels of comfort came from his Father in love.
Angels of Mercy carried Lazarus above.
Sometimes life is a burden.
The body grows weak and tired.
Afflictions weary the traveler, his pathway uncertain and hard.
But as it was with Lazarus, oh so let it be with my soul.
Let Angels of comfort carry me into God’s fold.
Angels of comfort come from my Father in Love.
Angels of Mercy carried me above.
I hope you enjoyed Pap’s song as much as I do.
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Beautiful song. It brought tears to my eyes.
My heart is so touched with the voices and lyrics that my eyes are full of tears. I am blessed to just have heard it. How blessed you are to have a Pap like that!
Such beautiful angelic music. Thank you, Tipper, for sharing. Prayers for Miss
Cindy and the family.
Well it was a story of Courage that is for sure when Pap broke his hip, the pain must have been terrible. Well His song was very beautiful and they both played and sang very well Loved it all.
Hope all is well with the Pressley Family.
Prayers for Miss Cindy, Tipper. Your dad was a master at putting his thoughts and feelings to music. An amazing gift he used well.
Our Father in Heaven will surely bring that peace and comfort to Miss Cindy and to all who love her so dearly.
Blessings to all . . .
Great song!
What comforting music. It’s just beautiful and you picked the perfect song for us to hear today. Have a blessed Sunday. Continued prayers for all of you.
Tipper, what a blessing! I know you are grateful to have these amazing videos. Beautiful song – I just imagined Angels of Mercy surrounding Miss Cindy. Praying for y’all. Take care and God bless ❣️
What a beautiful song. I love it! I hope y’alls first book signing went well yesterday. We wanted to come but things happened and it didn’t work out. Hopefully we’ll get to come see yuns in Sylva in July! God bless and prayers for Ms Cindy
Beautiful, particularly Pap’s lovely high harmony. Thank you and God bless.
I love those lyrics that could only be written by a talented man like Pap. Only Pap and Paul can sing that song with such heartfelt emotions. God, please bless Miss Cindy again today!
Some don’t know good music. While it can tell a story, as a child, I always preferred musical notes. As a teen, discovered classical music, so calming.
Popular noise my mother played just rubbed me raw. The Beatles…nuff said.
There are many hymns that speak to me with a few ‘current’ writers thrown in such as Bill Lowery. Truth be told, his song, The Midnight Cry, was so beautiful and comforting after the death of my father and later, my sister that I felt almost at peace.
These days, my hearing is about shot, so I don’t hear lyrics plainly but music notes, gets the message across.
I think gospel music, especially old hymns, are just musically different from secular music. I have no music background to specify just how. But I think it is calming even as just an instrumental. And I know some of the hymn stories are of both words and music being inspired and even divided between two people; one words and one music. It may just be the way I was raised but increasingly I recall hymns from long ago just all at once and all of a sudden. I wonder why. I think maybe it is a connection between what is on my mind and some of the words.
Ron, I fully agree with you. I am a lifelong full blooded back row sitting Southern Baptist and am so grateful for my church still singing the old time gospel hymns from the Baptist Hymnal Book. One day while having a bad depressing day at work after my daughter’s death, I prayed a short silent prayer asking God to help me, immediately I thought of and began singing to myself the old hymn “ The Nail Scarred Hand” that has these words- put your hands in the nail scarred hand, he’s your dearest friend or similar words to those. I never sing our loud, the last time I did at church, my dear lifelong friend that sits two rows of pews in front of me thought I was having a medical attack and wanted to know if she needed to call 911! I have had request to sing solo- so low no one can hear me!
As you well know I have something to say about most things, but I cannot add to the perfection of the Lord God Almighty nor to his humble and obedient servants who sing and play guitar like doves to lead listeners closer to Him. I have tears in my eyes and I am overwhelmed in emotions and love. This song was beautiful and I’m all the better for hearing it and hearing you tell of Pap and Miss Cindy together in a terrible situation. What blessings and pearls you share and thank you so much for that. Prayers and all things good to Miss Cindy and her family as well as courage, strength, resilience, love and endless patience. Let’s “fight the good fight every minute every day!” -The band Triumph from the 80’s.
So beautiful. God bless you all and Miss Cindy.
Beautiful, comforting words. Prayers for Miss Cindy and her family. Heartbreaking news but such comfort in the assurance of her salvation through Jesus Christ.
And. prayers for Norman Chester’s cat Tom – All creatures great and small The Lord God made them all.
May everyone have a Blessed Sunday.
Beautiful singing and how precious the harmony especially at the end. Gospel songs can inspire and comfort one! The real comfort is knowing Jesus as your savior and Miss Cindy does. God bless her and keep her and your family through this rough patch of life.
i am so thankful God g ave us the gift of music. amazing how pap and paul play and sing so well together. i can see why you miss pap so much. your brothers do too i am sure.
Continued prayers for Miss Cindy, and all of you.
Tipper, once again your post has blessed me. I have been praying for your family and a prayer for Miss Cindy comes to me often. I pray you all find your rest and peace in that quiet place of God.
I know the Lord showed you some of those faces yesterday that are praying and supporting your family in your time of need, I was one of them. God Bless and keep you and let his face shine upon you.
What a wonderful story showing God’s care and intervention on behalf of His people! Love the words to the song, actually I have tears in my eyes now thinking of our Heavenly Father and how He loves and cares for us.
God bless you all. Praying for Miss Cindy and the entire family.
Praying for all of you in North Carolina from here in Oregon. You truly live in God’s Country!
Mama was born near Hogback Mountain, in the Blue Ridge, not far from Tryon, N.C.
God gives us comfort in many ways and this song, like so many we have heard, is one of them. I so enjoy hearing songs Pap and Paul did together. I’m sure Miss Cindy will enjoy hearing it too. Praying for you all.
BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for sharing your grief and your COMFORT. So precious. . .
Tipper, Thank you so much for all of your inspiring stories that you post. I read your Emails every morning! Praying for your family and miss Cindy.
Enjoyed the song Tipper! They sure are very talented! Wanted to let you know we got our cookbook yesterday! My wife don’t know I ordered it I am giving it to her today for her birthday! I know she’s going to enjoy it! Also we have been watching you on you tube for a few years now and we also enjoy your readings. We have been married for 45 years come May 20th. We also have a garden and my wife Cindy does a lot of canning, freezing and dehydration! You have a wonderful family and we are praying for Miss Cindy! We live in Franklin County Pa! But I have deep roots from NC. That’s where my mama is from! Eastern NC! Wilson! That’s where I was born! Well anyway I just wanted to touch base in some sort of way! Keep up the good work! Prayers for you all!
I’ve never heard this song before but the words are a comfort. Thank you for sharing. Praying for comfort, peace, and wisdom for all of you.
I have not played the radio in my cars for several years. I have no interest in today’s so called music or songs. I dearly love going to you tube and listening to Pap , Paul and the other members singing the old time gospel hymns. They are some other older singers I also like to listen too. I also find comfort in their music. The last thing I do each night is pray when going to be and I have included Miss Cindy, Tipper, The Deer Hunter, Chitter, Chatter and any other family members in my prayer. May you find some comfort through God during this difficult time of your families life.
Friends of Appalachia, please say a word for Tom Cat, he came home with foot and leg swelled up , he been Tom cattin, I love him, he has been abandoned and left here in the woods , I first saw him 2yr ago, I don’t have money or transportation to get him proper care but I do feed him when I can , I think he has an infection in that foot and leg, God bless Tipper, God bless Ms Cindy, God bless you friends of Appalachia, in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord and Savior
Prayers for Tom cat!
Mr. Chester I hope Tom Cat will be okay. If he will let you a warm wet washcloth held on his leg might help if you could do it often. It may be an abscess & hopefully will drain on its own.
Now that is music and ‘reflecting’ words. You don’t hear comforting words like that very often and I can see how those words can be so dear right now. Your family, all of them, are such a comfort to you as it should be. Not everyone has that. God Bless you on this wonderful Sunday.