Talbot Davis, Author at Talbot Davis

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Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Rock Love Songs

Talbot Davis February 12, 2013 at 2:00 am 3

In honor of this week's Valentine's Celebration, my Top Five Tuesday returns to music and, more specifically, to rock's love songs.

Ever since the Beatles sang "I Want To Hold Your Hand" rock music and romantic love have been closely connected.

They weren't always friendly, mind you. Who could forget they cynicism of Love Stinks? The carnality of Feel Like Makin' Love? Or the whimsy of Silly Love Songs?

So I'll try for a little better than each of those. At least better in my mind. Here goes:

5. Unchained Melody, the Righteous Brothers. Well, it goes pretty well with that scene in Ghost, doesn't it? Trivia gem: Did you know that John Wimber, an early member of the Righteous Brothers, went on to become the founder of The Vineyard movement within Christianity?

4. Angie, the Rolling Stones. The Stones are usually more libertine than sensitive, but I've always loved the delicate guitar and plaintive vocals on this one. Note: Mick Jagger did not go on from here to start a Christian church or denomination.

3. The Best Of My Love, the Eagles. At times, the Eagles were accused of misogyny. Not here.

2. Wonderful Tonight, by Eric Clapton. If only Clapton's own love life could have measured up to the beauty of this song . . .

1. Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney & Wings. Really? Yes, really. I've never been a big fan of McCartney, Wings, Linda's backing vocals, or even Heather Mills. But I've always loved this song. Something about the soothing piano and soaring guitar make me . . . amazed.

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Words In The Family

Talbot Davis February 11, 2013 at 2:00 am 1

As I posted on Friday, I spent the first part of the weekend in Austin, Texas where my 97-year-old mother Betty Davis presented the first-ever Betty X. Davis Award For Young Writers Of Merit.

The gala was all part of a writer's conference hosted by the Austin Chapter of the Society Of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.

But when the big moment arrived on Friday night, my mother stood and delivered an impromptu speech.

Let's admit it. It's impressive when a 97-year-old stands. It's even more impressive when a 97-year-old does anything impromptu. And most impressive of all to deliver a cohesive and clever speech of just the right length with the pressure of family (including a, um, preacher) and friends looking on.

But my mom did all that. The best part of her talk was when she quipped that not too long ago a child asked her, "how did you ever get to be so old?" The answer: "well, I got an early start."

After the talk, she presented the awards to a third grade poet, a seventh grade playwright, and a twelfth grade essayist.

And that was that. And well worth the trip.

Back in Charlotte, I was delighted that Marty Minchin wrote another piece for the Charlotte Observer about our church's Home Project. While her earlier article spoke about the sermon series and the Miracle Goal of $150,000 in a single Sunday to heal the wounds of domestic sex trafficking, this second story was a follow up that included our results. Here it is:

When the offices of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church opened on Jan. 28, church members began filing in. They’d given money during the church offering the day before, but after some thought, decided they wanted to give more.

The day before, the church had concluded a month-long Sunday series about the issues related to sex trafficking in the United States. On Jan. 27, they asked people to give money to help buy and renovate a home in the Charlotte area for underage victims of sex trafficking.

The church hoped to collect $150,000, which would pay for the house and major renovations. About 2,200 people attended the church’s Sunday services on Jan. 27, an attendance record for Good Shepherd Church for a non-Easter Sunday.

That morning, Pastor Talbot Davis began to entertain the thought that the church could exceed its goal, maybe even raise more than $200,000.

He waited anxiously the next day. The woman who makes deposits for the church finally texted him the total – $367,000.

“I was just speechless,” Davis said. “I put on my reading glasses to make sure I read it right.”

The sum grew to almost $390,000 over the week as church members stopped by the office to give more. One person gave $30,000, and seven gave more than $10,000. Just as meaningful, Davis said, was the gift from a family who the church had once helped make their rent payments.

“The people at this church are just phenomenal,” Davis said. “When they are inspired by the right cause they love to think beyond themselves.”

All of the money will be given to On Eagles Wings Ministries, a nonprofit organization based in Asheville that is expanding to Charlotte. The group closed on its Charlotte-area house this week and plans to open it this summer.

“We were shocked,” said Emily Fitchpatrick, founder of OEWM, about the church’s gift. “We just could not believe it.”

With gifts from other churches, OEWM will begin its work in Charlotte with more than $400,000. Fitchpatrick said that was enough to buy and renovate the house and pay for at least a year of operating expenses, which will be about $150,000.

“I’m still just blown away that they were able to raise that amount,” Fitchpatrick said.

Four girls can live in the Charlotte-area house at a time, and the girls usually stay about a year.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/08/3835407/good-shepherd-exceeds-its-goal.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

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Where I Will Be On Friday Night

Talbot Davis February 8, 2013 at 2:00 am 1

In Austin, Texas.

That's where I'll be. In fact, as you read this, that's where I am.

I'm down here to attend an awards ceremony in which three young writers from Central Texas will be recognized with the Betty X. Davis Award For Young Writers Of Merit.

My mother is not the young writer. She's 97. And still a writer. And a tennis player. And a political activist.

And she's had enough of an influence on writers in the Austin area that they decided to develop an annual award in her name. This is the first, there's a gala event around it, so I don't think I should miss it.

You can read all about it here.

I'll be back home on Saturday and ready to share "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" with you on Sunday.

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Best. Home. Closing. EVER.

Talbot Davis February 7, 2013 at 2:00 am 2

Just ten days ago, the people of Good Shepherd gave a remarkable $389,571 towards the purchase and remodeling of a Home for girls who are themselves under renovation -- rescued from domestic sex trafficking and headed towards healing with On Eagles' Wings Ministries.

And so yesterday, we bought the home -- an unoccupied structure at an undisclosed location in Gaston County.

And we paid cash.

To capture the moment, we sent Brad Brasel to be not only our business manager extraordinaire but in this case, our photojournalist as well. We also sent Cindy Cox, who chairs our Board, and Gary Peeler, who leads our Trustees.

Here is Brad's report:

The lady in the red sweater is the seller.

She was moved to tears because her dream of helping young women was going to occur even if was not in the way she had planned. Linda is her name and she started a half house for young pregnant women but was not able to obtain enough funding to keep the program viable. For over six years she kept hoping the house could be used in some way that she originally envisioned.

The man in the picture, with Gary, Cindy, and Linda is Brian Matherlee, pastor of McAdenville Wesleyan Church, who has been deeply involved with OEWM helping to identify and contact potential donors for OEWM program. For the past three to four years it has been his dream to provide support for girls who have been trafficked.

Another interesting story relates to the woman who prepared the documentation for the closing. Her name is Kim and she and her women’s groups at Flint Grove Baptist Church have been praying for over a year for for some way to help women who are trafficked. She was overwhelmed when she discovered that the paper work she was handling was for a house for that purpose.

Here we are receiving the keys to the home:

The next step in the project is to define a scope of work, prepare engineering drawings, estimate costs, and apply for the necessary permits to start work. It is anticipated that we will have permits by the second week of March.

Within the next week there will be information on the GSUMC web site describing the furniture, accessories, and linen that will be needed for the house and where to drop off the items being donated.

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Have You Noticed?

Talbot Davis February 6, 2013 at 2:00 am 2

Have you noticed . . . .

That the same injury which ended Mark McGwire's career, patella tendinitis, is threatening Rafael Nadal's?

That when you spend a little more for items of higher quality you spend less in the long run because they last longer?

That the man recently convicted in Charlotte of murdering a pregnant woman was convicted of a double homicide? So for the purposes of a murder prosecution, a child in utero is . . . a person. Hmmmm.

That you can mention the words "church," "religion," and "faith" in polite company, but the word "Jesus" is a real conversation stopper?

That the harder you work, the luckier you get?

That anything termed a "Wake Up Call" through the years -- whether it has to do with drug use, underage drinking, STDs, or cultural violence -- hasn't woken us up?

That the more you give away, the less you miss it?

That "high touch / low threat" ways of sharing the gospel usually work better than the bullhorn method?

That people in the middle of great sadness or grief need your presence more than your advice?

Talbot Davis

Talbot Davis

The Heart of the Matter

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