This past weekend Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were in Rayville, Louisiana. That is where my mama lives, and where I am now, and also where I finished High School.

My sister-in-law who is now in heaven, use to cut Tim's hair when he was a boy and teenager. She worked in his Aunt's Beauty Shop. He was also in the truck with my nephew and another boy when they totaled my nephews truck, because they were drinking.

His step father and my dad were cousins, so I can say we knew him well.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because as a youth in Rayville he was just like all the others thinking they were having a good time... just good ole boys as they say.

But things turned around and now he is one of the top country singers. He has done a lot to help his community also.

He has built three ballparks in this small community, and he comes every year and plays ball, and then gives a concert. He also pays someone to keep the parks up and going for the community.

We were out riding around Saturday and mama wanted to ride up to the ball park, so we did. There were hundreds of people there just to see this good ole country boy... Someone they use to know and go to school with.

Everyone was laughing, singing and having a grand old time. And I can guarantee that at the concert everyone was going crazy, dancing, singing along with Tim and Faith, and clapping their hands to the music and then applauding them at the end of each song.

Mama told my sister and me that there needed to be a preacher there to get on that stage and tell all of the people about Jesus.

Then I got to thinking about all the music, singing, clapping and giving praise to the singers. It made my heart break when I thought about some of those people will go to church tomorrow and will not even think about giving God Praise. That if you ask them to smile, laugh, clap in church they would look at you like you were crazy, and dance well they would throw you out of the church.

But my Bible says, "to dance, sing, clap and give praise to and before the Lord."

I can tell you now that when you learn to praise God, you will see things change in your life. So start today, giving God the Praise He desires and deserves from you.

(Psalm 108: 1- 5)
1. My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2. Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

3. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

4. For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

5. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
 

Worship the Lord, means to ascribe worth to something or someone thought speech and conduct. Worship addresses God directly, expressing reverence for His nature, character attributes, and power, and grateful praise for all He is and does.

To Praise the Lord means to speak well of God with exuberance and enthusiasm to others and/or to Him because of what He has done. "Praise the Lord!" (Hebrew Hallelujah!) is a command to extol God's virtues and exalt Him because of His mighty acts. A praise gathering is a celebration of God's mighty power and purpose.

Worship the Lord with all your heart and mind. Rehearse His attributes consciously. Recount that how who God is affects you and is changing you . Avoid worshiping mindlessly or by rote or becoming passive in worship. Give yourself wholeheartedly to it.

Employ singing, both with the spirit and with the understanding, using speaking, bowing, kneeling, dancing, corporate applause and instrumental music to enhance expression of worship.

Praise God with a loud and enthusiastic voice. Clap your hands and shout joyfully to the Lord. Participate in processions of praise. Speak and sing praise to God. Involve such physical expressions as raising hands, dancing, applause, and kneeling.

Discipline yourself to praise God for every benefit He provides. Be disciplined to corporate praise. Be careful to submit to leadership in praise services, not letting praise degenerate into fleshly enthusiasm.

The song that is playing is called "I Exalt Thee." I have included the words below.