On September 26 I was able to attend Neal McCoy’s charity concert to benefit his East Texas Angel Network. I was blessed to win four tickets from KLTV7 (www.kltv.com) on Twitter! Nice.  Thanks you guys!  I took my husband’s Aunt Ginny and her friend Linda with me as a treat for Ginny’s birthday, which was the following day.

You may know Neal McCoy from his big country hits, such as “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On,” “Wink,” and “No Doubt About It.”  You probably remember that comedian Rob Schneider is in the “beer goggles” video. 😉 I remember hearing these songs as a passive listener while my husband listened to various country stations.  I’ve not been a huge follower of country music over the years, but didn’t mind listening with him in his truck.

What I didn’t know about Neal is that he spends a lot of time giving to others. He has done at least 13 USO tours, according to his website (www.nealmccoy.com) and has raised millions of dollars for his East TX Angel Network. This charity isn’t for research dollars, but goes directly to the families of the children who have cancer to help them pay bills, buy gas, and keep their lives running while they are dealing with the traumatic illness of the child. I love that. It goes right to the need of the families. Sometimes you just need to buy groceries for the kids, you know? That’s great. I want to be a part of that, somehow.

Neal has a heart for charity, that’s clear, but I have to say, when you’re at one of his concerts, you’re not thinking about charity. You’re having fun!! He is a fabulous performer. He has a great voice, and, in addition to his radio hits, treats you to a few old standards, a few gospel tunes, and even one song called “Hillbilly Rap,” which you can figure out for yourself. Hilarious. He’s got a ton of personality, is fun to watch dance around stage, and makes you laugh all the time. When he gets serious he brings you there with him. His show is really good. I can’t wait to see him perform again. (Road trip to Branson, anyone?)

I have to say that I didn’t just get entertained by Neal (who happens to be from East Texas, by the way, and lives about 45 minutes from me), but I also got inspired. And the way God works things out is so cool. I’m on Twitter, (please follow me there! I’d love to meet you) and on Twitter, I read all kinds of great quotes. They really make me think! I get teased by my beloved son and some of his friends that I “retweet” too many quotes, but I can’t help it, I love reading them and have to share them with my followers! 🙂 Here are some recent favorites:

No one has ever become poor by giving. ~Anne Frank

Only great souls know the grandeur there is in charity.~Jacques B’Nigne Bossuet

To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind. ~Pearl Sydenstricker Buck

But my experience is that people who have been through painful, difficult times are filled with compassion.  ~Amy Grant

I’ve been thinking along these lines for weeks:  God has blessed me so much, and has helped me endure so much, that I should do something for someone else who needs help. I’m sure that’s how Neal thinks, too. Our lives are totally different, but we can do the same thing: help other people in whatever way we can, large or small.  I love that Neal and Twitter have both converged upon my brain, accelerated by God, to cause me to think about this.  Now to get out there and do something; I’ll keep you posted!