MEANT TO STIR THE SOUL. . .

I love the oldies, you know, the stuff I bopped around to with a hairbrush in my hand when I was dreaming about Donnie and Bobby Sherman? Well . . . if you're under forty-five, you might not recognize the names, but you know what I mean.

I also love some country stuff, and I still love Barry Manilow's old songs, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and of course, James Taylor and Lionel Ritchie. There's even a few current numbers that can make the hair raise on my arms. When Josh Groban, David Archuletta, and Il Divo are playing I just want to sit in a chair and immerse myself in their lovely tones.

But these two clips from Britain's Got Talent go straight to my heart and stir my soul. This is beauty that elevates. And not just because of their exquisite voices. They are you and me . . . ordinary people with dreams who thought they were okay, but who doubted their gifts. Then one day, they took a chance . . . they stuck their necks out, and how we are blessed for it!

I think of the parable of the talents. They who buried theirs lost all, and they who attempted to multiply theirs had an unbelievable increase. Let's all pull out our own gifts and dust them off and share them. Let's stick our doubting necks out and try, try, try. Let's bless one another with our voices, our pens, our pots and pans and in any other ways our hands can produce joy. Let's stir one anther's' souls . . . like Paul and Susan below.