My Night with Dolly!!

My Night with Dolly!!
So let me tell you about my incredible experience at Dolly Parton concert! It was wonderful. We had the best seats in the house (front and center)! We were so close in fact that I am positive Dolly looked and smiled directly at me at least 3 times. I think she could tell how much I enjoyed being there. I had a smile on my face a mile wide the whole time I was there! Tim earned major points for this belated birthday present. Love him!

Before we went to the concert, I decided I wanted to give Dolly flowers and a little note. Here’s me looking way to excited to give them to her.

IMG_4921

The note was just thanking her being such an inspiration to me and told her how her songs and story are things that pick me up and push me forward all the time. I think it is important to tell the people in your life who inspire you, whether they are family members or celebrities. A genuine kind word means a lot to anybody whether they’re famous or not. 😉

It turns out Dolly fans are the greatest (of course)! And a man sitting behind me (Mr. Myles Jaeschke) took some great and graciously agreed to e-mail a few to me. Here are some he took.

dolly33

dolly14

dolly09

During the concert, I got to learn a little more about Dolly that I didn’t know. For example, did you know Jolene was actually written about a real woman who worked at a bank?

My first concert ever was seeing Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers preform together. That was like 20 years ago! Well I am pleased to report that Dolly is still a little firecracker and she’s moving as good as ever! Sometimes I forget that she is a little older. Can you imagine your grandmother on stage moving and grooving, rapping (yes I said rapping!!), and strutting her stuff in 4 in heels?! Dolly may be aging like the rest of us (except not really like the rest of us), but her attitude is as youthful as ever!

Probably my favorite part of the whole concert was when Dolly introduced a newer song of hers. It’s a song that talks about how she achieved her dreams and how it was so worth it. The song is called “The Sacrifice” and here are the lyrics. I encourage you not to skim over them but to really read them.

Well, I’ve sacrificed time with family and friends
Gave up vacations for work without end
24/7, 365
But I was willing to make the sacrifice

But empty or full, I’ve carried my pale
You don’t drink the water if you don’t dig the well
Through blood sweat and tears I have built a good life
But it didn’t come without sacrifice

But I was gonna be rich no matter how much it cost
And I was gonna win no matter how much I lost
All through the years I kept my eye on the prize
You ask if it’s worth the sacrifice, the sacrifice

I think about Jesus and all that he gave
And the ultimate sacrifice that he made
He is my strength and my guiding light
And he’s taught me that nothing’s without sacrifice
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/dolly_parton/the_sacrifice.html ]
I was gonna be rich no matter how much it cost
And I was gonna win no matter how much I lost
I wanted success and, brother, I’ve paid the price
And, yes, it’s been worth the sacrifice, the sacrifice

I was gonna be rich no matter how much it cost
And I was gonna win no matter how much I lost
Grindstones and rhinestones have made up my life
But I’ve shined like a diamond through sacrifice

I was gonna be rich no matter how much it cost
And I was gonna win no matter how much I lost
But I hope God will tell me, ‘Well done, my child
You’ve won your reward through your sacrifice, the sacrifice’

The sacrifice
But sometimes I wonder in the still of the night
Is it really worth the sacrifice
I’ve often laughed and I’ve often cried
I’ve often failed but I’ve always tried
I made the sacrifice

I love, love this song. However, I would like to clarify that I do not believe we have to “win our reward” from God. I believe Jesus paid for our sin on the cross and all we have to do to gain eternal life (our reward) is to accept that sacrifice that Jesus made for us. But I still love the song and love Dolly!!

Here’s a video of Dolly singing “The Sacrifice” of you’d like to be encouraged today!

Dolly also has a movie coming out soon called “Joyful Noise” in which she and Queen Latifah team up to bring a uplifting, music infused movie! You can watch the trailer here and get super excited with me!! 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend!

This article has 3 comments

  1. Liz

    Just shouting out how much I love your blog, and how much I love Dolly as well! She is great! (FYI, I am somehow distantly related to her through my husband’s family – crazy, right?!)

    I’m a newlywed and have loved getting decorating ideas for our small apt from your blog. Keep up the good work!

  2. Teresa

    the restaurant in the movie trailer, howard’s, is in my neighborhood. i remember when they closed it down for 3 days to shoot the film.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *