Not the Last Word...

Blogs are supposed to be the written work of a person, who can't afford to wait and write a book, have it edited, criticized, and re-edited.  There is something that has to be said IMMEDIATELY!  The funny thing is that I have been wanting to share this for years... YEARS I tell you!  But today, as I prepare to serve the funeral of a 26 year old woman, whose life was taken much too soon, the Spirit of a Song Bird has re-entered my life.

When things touch your heart, you want the world to know... Or at least, your 36 readers... in hopes that its message can ripple, and do the work for you!  Eva Cassidy was a singer in the DC area, who had a local dose of success.  She never was discovered by the industry, nor did she herself experience fame, except in the hearts of those in Blues Alley.

Eva's life was taken by cancer at the age of 33, and once again, she has touched my heart this morning.

You can criticize it and edit it later, but I have to say that I know of another who lived in some obscurity, and had a local following!  It was years after His life, death and resurrection that a song began to grow into something that made the Truth a little less elusive.  Eva Cassidy was not another "Second Coming", but she was a gift from God who helped me understand, "It isn't over when its over, [and] death doesn't get the last word!" (from Dave Merish's Nighline Piece on Eva linked below.)

The following videos do a better job of sharing the gifts of Ms. Cassidy, allowing me to get the Truthto you, and the world in as immediate a way as possible... I just ask that you take the time to watch and listen to each below.  Bookmark it, and come back as often as you need to... God bless!

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Eva had Cancer during this performance, and would be gone within a year of its filming.  But it was this film that made it to the UK five years after her death, and became a number one hit on the charts! The number one status is not the story.  The wonderful thing is that this simple message of hope entered into the hearts of a people who desperately needed it, when they needed it most!

"Fields of Gold"

As a long time fan of Sting and the Police, this version of this long time favorite 

song of mine BLEW ME AWAY, and forever touched my heart!  

Yes, it's about death, and living forever in fields of gold!

"What a Wonderful World"

While this is not the actual recording of that last performance, it should be noted that Eva's last song for the world, sung six weeks before her 1996 death, was "What a Wonderful World".

The Eva Cassidy Story (A 20 minute - Must See)

Eva died on All Souls Day, November 2nd, in 1996.  Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Rich Mullins, and my own father passed within the following 10 months.  And today, a 26 year old named Danielle is laid to rest!  All are different, and yet all are the same gift from God, with their song rippling far beyond a rainbow and into forever!  None are gone... None are forgotten... ALL ARE LOVED!