"I'VE GOT A HOUSE DOWN BY THE OCEAN
THE RENT IS NOT TOO HIGH
AND I LOVE TO WATCH THE SHIPS COME IN
AND HEAR THE SEAGULLS CRY
AND LATELY I'VE BEEN TAKING STOCK
OF ALL THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH
OH TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY
FEELS FUNNY BUT IT'S TRUE
I'M TURNING THIRTY

NOW I'VE GOT A WIFE WHO REALLY LOVES ME
SHE MAKES MY LIFE SO SWEET
AND A LITTLE BABY DAUGHTER
WHO PLAYS GAMES AROUND MY FEET
AND MY WORLD IS VERY DIFFERENT
FROM LOST LAZY BACHELOR YEARS
BUT IF I HAD THE CHANCE TO GO BACK
I'D RATHER STAY RIGHT HERE
TURNING THIRTY

AND I HAVE FRIENDS WHO CARE ABOUT ME
THEY'RE THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD
AND THEY ALWAYS STOOD BEHIND ME
WHENEVER TIMES GOT BAD
AND I LOVE TO PLAY MY MUSIC
THOUGH THE ROAD CAN BE AT TRIAL
BUT EVERY TIME I WALK ON STAGE
IT'S WORTH EACH DUSTY MILE
TURNING THIRTY

WELL, NOW THIRTY AIN'T LIKE FIFTEEN
AND IT'S NOT LIKE TWENTY-FIVE
MY BACK'S A LITTLE STIFF
AND THERE'RE SOME LINES AROUND MY EYES
BUT I'VE STILL GOT MY ENERGY
AND I'VE GOT MOST OF MY HAIR
AND I'M NOT TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N ROLL
AND I'M NOT REALLY SCARED
OF TURNING THIRTY
I WROTE THIS SONG EIGHT YEARS AGO
MY, HOW TIME FLIES AND SO DO I

OH, THE NINETIES LOOK LIKE TOUGH TIMES
THE WORLD IS TURNING SOUR
SO I'LL KEEP ON SERVING JESUS
AND AWAIT THE FINAL HOUR
AND THOUGH I'VE OFTEN FAILED HIM
IN THESE THIRTY ROCKY YEARS
HIS MERCY BROUGHT ME THIS FAR
AND HIS LOVE HAS DRIED MY YEARS
I'M TURNING THIRTY
I'LL TREASURE THESE YEARS
I'M TURNING THIRTY
I'LL TREASURE THESE YEARS TURNING THIRTY..."

well, i've always liked that old randy stonehill song, but i never really thought about relating to it so well. hmmm...

spent the weekend in westport, KC for the new earth festival...terri kalavig told me it would most probably be the last one ever. she and sheldon are "ready to be put out to pasture", she said. i wonder what will become of that place. if it does close and no more memories are to be made within and without its walls, i think i will recall as my fondest ones the don and lori acoustic shows upstairs, especially when it rained...seeds kicking off everyone's festival the other year, matthew perryman jones venturing out of nashville and blessing us with his realness and songs...sheldon and dons' sermonettes, all of waterdeep's jams and old favorites; waiting for bill malonee to get on stage already when in fact he was pounding on the wrong side of a door upstairs that wouldn't open, yelling to be rescued...the bottomless mugs of coffee, the seventies carpet, the community, the history. its place in time will be definitively remembered, that's for sure.