Well for day 3, I chose Music of The Heart as my topic. Can you even guess what artist and songs I will be covering? If you know me at all, you know who my top 3 favorite artist in the world are. LOL
Okay so who are these favorites? Well let’s start with the two sisters. Reba McEntire and Susie McEntire. Then there is MommaJo. Wait ya’ll do not go looking her up on ITunes as that…. LOL. AKA Carol Hogner.
My love for Reba and her music started in Jr High. Good Ol 80’s country music. I would belt out her songs such as, Little Rock, Whoever’s In New England, Somebody Should Leave and well every song she had out. BTW I still do! In 1991 Reba released a song called If I had Only Known. This song was released after her band was lost in a plane crash. The song was personal for me. I had lost my aunt Nonnie on March 1st of 1991. Rebas band died in the plane crash on March 16th of 1991. So this song became my song. I actually played it on Sunday morning in memory of my aunt. I am going to add this song below so you can listen as well.
My love for Susie McEntire and her music also started in Jr High. I was living in Vinita Oklahoma and attending Emmanuel Temple Church as well as Cowboy Junction Cowboy Church. The pastors of Cowboy Junction asked me if I would watch Susie’s kids for church service. When they told me who she was, I was so nervous. I remember changing my clothes multiple times. My mom hollered up and asked me what was taking me so long and I told her “I don’t know what to wear”. She said “well I expect she puts her pants on the same way the rest of us do and she doesn’t care what you wear”. She was totally correct. Susie is as down to earth as you can get.
I watched Susies kids grow up over the years. I was able to watch them for many church events over the years. Susies music got me through many trials in my life. They still do. When I was in school and maybe even when I was out lol, I use to fix my hair just like Susies. She was my role model. I would crank up one her tapes or cds, grab my curling iron or hair brush that was my mic… I would put quite the concert on.
Susie has encouraged me for many years. She has given me a lot of support over the last 3 years since I left my abusive marriage. I am going to add a few of her songs below that has got me through life.
https://youtu.be/r9SFrVNqBOA
Now for Ms Carol Hogner. I absolutely love this woman and her music has seen me through many many days since 2011. For about a year or two before I ever became friends with Carol AKA Mommajo, I had heard much about her. Through divine connections and facebook, I met Carol in person in spring of 2012. We had been friends on facebook for many months at that point. I had been listening to her music and sharing it on social media as much as I could.
Carol came to OK for whats called Jr Pro in March of 2012 and I got to meet her in person for the very first time. She came back in April for a church service. I began to travel with her and Lu AKA Hannah Hogner on my free weekends. I got to know her music and her heart behind that music very well.
Carol Hogner is my second momma. I moved to her ranch in spring of 2013. I stayed there when I wasn’t working at my live in care job or traveling to OK to see my kids.
I knew from day one that Carol’s music needed to be on radio. When I moved to Texas, I had a lot of time during the week with my live in care job. I started emailing every Christian radio station I could. I sent her website, bio and music out. Stations started playing her music. It wasn’t long until she was picked up by HMG out of Nashville. They released her single Ordinary Things. Carol was nominated for New Artist of The Year. She made it to the top and we got to go to the Inspirational Country Music Awards in Nashville. It was an amazing time and event. Click below to listen to Ordinary Things.
I spent 4 years living at the ranch and traveling with Carol in her music ministry. I did whatever God would allow me to do to promote her and her music. That is actually how this entire website and blog began. One day she said “baby girl thank you for taking ahold of my dreams and running with them”.
Now I live back in Oklahoma buy part of my heart is always back in Texas with my mommajo and her music. Carol does the music for my conferences here in Oklahoma and Texas. I don’t get to travel with her like I use to but her music is with me daily. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t text and check in with each other.
This next song I am going to share with ya’ll is one that I have held onto tightly. One day the Lord downloaded an idea for a music video for it. Hannah is so talented. I shared my ideas with her and she made it happen. This song is Won’t Let Go. I hope you enjoy it.
I hope y’all Have enjoyed getting to know the music and the artist that touch my heart.
Dream Catcher 3:20
Cassie Gilman
