I think I figured it out!

**Okay, so I finally have something to post that won't offend people in general or personally! That's why I haven't blogged in awhile =v)**

So I actually got to watch the ACM Awards Sunday night! I really think it had been over 5 years since I've seen a country music awards show...like honestly, the last one I remember seeing--most if not all of it--was probably 4th grade (I watched one in college but it was like 10 minutes, so it doesn't count!). Now mind you, I started watching at 8:15ish...we were at church and the dessert social, but we got home and started watching. I tweeted about it, and I enjoyed it. I always liked the fact that while most artists would play their most recent song, some--like Darius Rucker--would play songs that maybe haven't been played that much, but were their newest song (or maybe it has been played on radio, and I've just missed it).

Anyway, I loved it...the bittersweet final ACM performance from Brooks and Dunn, all that stuff. But there was one thing that stuck out as I watched. Someone would win an award and they'd come up and go through their list of 'thanks'...and most would start off by thanking God. Carrie Underwood took it a step further by thanking her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, she was the first one I heard say it--remember I started watching later, so I don't know if she was jumping on the Jesus train or not. I know Miranda Lambert had apparently already won an award, because she said something like "I forgot to thank the most important person, Jesus last time". And then Dave from Lady A thanked God and Jesus too. And even toward the end of the show, when Carrie Underwood won again, she bursted out in "Praise the Lord!"

I say all of this, and I say it happily. I love the fact that they acknowlegded God for their accomplishments and Jesus for their salvation. I have no problem with it. But I mention all of this because sitting this morning at the breakfast table eating my Coco Roos, it hit me. I remember in college there was this guy I was totally...I mean extremely crushing on, and we were talking on AIM one (of the many) night. I was probably going on about the latest Pat Green song...or maybe it was the time I gave him the link to watch "What Hurts the Most" video from Rascal Flatts, I don't really remember. The one thing I do remember is him asking "Why do you like country music so much?" and I know I didn't really give him an answer. I think I just said I did. But thanks to the ACM's, I figured it out. I love that people we seem to put up on the pedestal have a recognition of God, and they can publically tell us that "Yeah, He's the reason I'm here, successful and all". Even in their songs they talk about God. "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Temporary Home" (yes, Carrie Underwood songs), but they talk about Him..."He Ain't the Leaving Kind" by Rascal Flatts, and their song "To Make Her Love Me".

I think my absolute favorite song right now about this topic though is Tim McGraw's "Still". That last verse talking about the church and the line "Thank God I can go there...still" gets me everytime! I LOVE IT! Country music is the only realm--to me--of stardom that knows who's boss and it's God. Yeah, I know that--to me, again--country music is great because (like Robbie Hart from Wedding Singer says) you can hear a song and think "Man, I know what that guy was going through" because there are a number of country songs that I can attach to specific memories.

So, there's the answer about 5 years in the making. That's why I like country music so much.