I'm pleased to be partnering with Family Christian Stores again for this Gaither Christmas Homecoming Tour post. While the post is sponsored, the opinions expressed here are my own. 

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In today’s post, memory lane is open. 

Let’s start with comfort foods... 

We called it fried mush. I later learned the fancy Italians call it polenta. A bit of corn meal and water mashed together. Fried up in bacon grease. At least that’s how my mom cooked it. 

Every year for our birthday, we got to pick out our birthday cake. Except I rarely wanted cake. To this day, cherry cheesecake takes me back to the birthday celebrations of my childhood. Put a candle in it and sing the tune. It worked for me. 

And soul food (music for the soul)... 

Now, from my dad’s influence, I go to country western legends like Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Porter Wagoner, Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn. I know their lyrics aren’t always wholesome. But they speak of the “Green, Green Grass of Home” to me. I mean, for the love, “It’s A Family Tradition.”

However, “Mama Tried” to raise me better. She had us in church every Sunday. We listened to hymns and Southern Gospel on our old record player. She filled our minds, hearts and ears with God’s truths.

That meant we grew up listening to songs by families like The Gaither’s. When I found out I had the opportunity to go see them live in Grand Rapids, I immediately started humming the tunes I know. Not because I had just heard them on the radio, although they’re still being played, but because they are a part of me. 

Songs like:

The King Is Coming

I Am A Promise

He Touched Me

Now, the Gaither Christmas Homecoming Tour might not include these soul food songs. Because. Christmas. But I have a list of Christmas soul food songs as well. I just know they'll play some of the songs from their Christmas CDs like Songs of Christmas.

This Saturday night, I’ll travel to downtown Grand Rapids via Memory Lane (aka US-131). Join me! Or visit this link to see where the Gaither’s are doing a Christmas Homecoming in a city near you. The tour continues after the holiday season too.

Whether it’s comfort food or soul food, a trip down memory lane does us all some good from time to time.