After much prayer my family and I have felt led to leave. We wanted to be able to tell you all in some form that we appreciate each of you and love you dearly and pray the LORD will bless you greatly. And as we move on to a place where the LORD seeks to use us more, we earnestly desire your prayers for us as well. Thank you all so very much. To God alone be the glory.

Michael, Donna and Zach

Ecclesiastes 3:1says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

My my…it’s been quite a ride ain’t it?

The past few months have been incredible for me and I wanted to take this opportunity to share them with you.  They are both very personal in nature.

Recently I was able to make contact with my daughter Hannah. This is most significant since it has been many years since I saw her last. The events and circumstances that led to our being separated were my fault, and while I had the best of intentions, I made some very poor decisions and conducted myself in a very irresponsible and selfish way. It was shortly after Hannah left that I realized how stupid I was but by then it was too late, and she and her mother were gone. I tried desperately for many years, to find her, but to no avail.

A year or so ago, with the help of my sister Allison, I was able to acquire a location for Hannah, and was able to make temporary contact with her. Then, a few weeks ago or so she and I connected for what I hope is forever, and most recently, I was able to hear her sweet, angelic voice for the first time in all these years.

Not to make myself out as some sort of victim, because I’m not, but it has been so long, and now to finally have contact with her, is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. I hope that in the coming weeks we are able to meet again in person. I have dreamed of that day so much and I pray it will come to be.

To Hannah, my darling daughter, please forgive me for not being there for you all these years. You have always been in my mind and in my heart. My love for you never died and if you will allow me, I will spend the rest of my days trying to be a father to you. I am so proud of you and I love you so dearly. And to your mom; thank you for loving and caring for our daughter and for all the sacrifices you made. I only hope that you can find it in your heart some day to forgive me.

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Then, in my life, as I’m sure everyone can admit to, there have been many blessings and many trials. I would not begin to focus on the trials so much or to spend a lot of time on them here. I would rather focus on the mercies of a gracious Lord, who continues to amaze me every day.

Being somewhat in a spotlight, with the radio programs, the blogs and such, leads many to believe they know me, when in reality there is much about me that I don’t discuss, either because it’s irrelevant or if it’s of such a personal nature that it doesn’t need to be spoken of.

In early 2010 my marriage legally ended, after over 5 years of being alone and seeking reconciliation, it ended and a divorce was sought and granted. I will not go into any specifics as it serves no purpose. But needless to say, it was a sad, heart-wrenching and devastating ordeal for both of us.

During that process, I cried, I screamed, I questioned God and myself, I doubted, I searched my soul, I poured through Scripture, I sought the prayer and counsel of others and to a very few confidants, I whined…a lot. It was incredibly difficult that the relationship had ended and I will freely admit to this day, it still hurts to a degree. But, God is gracious. He is merciful, and while I have failed Him many times, He has never failed me. I continue to humble myself before Him, praying for us both, and asking Him to break and mold me as He chooses.

God has placed some very special people in my life to help and guide me or just to love me and pray for me. I think of my best friends Danny and Scott, who sat and listened to all of my whining and crying; who sometimes offered feedback or many times just offered a listening ear. Their love, care and guidance have meant more than I can express and I cherish them greatly.

There’s Mildred and Edward, who have prayed constantly; who would send me a text or an email that always seemed to arrive at the just the moments I needed them most. They are God sends and I cherish them deeply.

There were many others who came along and offered me nothing but love and encouragement. They laughed with me when I need a chuckle and cried with me when I needed to shed tears; they prayed for me and cared for me. They gave of themselves and invested their hearts in me and I have been very blessed to have them in my life. I will always thank the Lord for their friendship and will always have the warmest feelings for them.

So after all of this, as I prayed seeking the Lord’s will, for me as a believer, as a father, and as a single person, I have arrived at this moment in my life. Over the course of the last 6 years I would ask the Lord if this was my destiny, to be alone. I wrestled with it but was trying to accept perhaps that it was indeed the Lord’s plan that I remain single. To be honest with you I didn’t like it but my prayer was that the Lord helps me to accept and deal with it or clearly show me His direction. I wasn’t praying for Him to send me a relationship or even a spouse. I was simply praying for Him to show me the way, whatever it was.

There were a few others that were praying the same things and wasn’t until a short time ago that I began to realize answers to those prayers.

It amazes me still how the Lord can do some things just because He wants to. There is a special person in my life now whose name is Donna. She and I have known one another for some 10 years or so. We attended the same church together and worked in some ministry projects together in the past. I had always had the highest regard for her and always looked up to her. For what I can only attribute to grace, a while back we became reacquainted.

We started spending more and more time together; we have prayed together, studied together and attended church together. I am so impressed with her love for the Lord, her steadfast commitment and especially for her humility. I have always considered her to be on higher spiritual level than me, and even though I have been blessed to know her better…I still hold her up. She is a gracious and caring person, and I am confident the Lord brought her into my life.

She is a beautiful woman physically but even more beautiful spiritually. Being around her I’m drawn to want to love God more, to want to please Him more, and I will admit, sometimes I’m convicted of my sins and faults too. Donna holds me to a higher standard, not in a haughty or critical way; it’s more in a way of encouragement, in a “too whom much is given, much is required” sort of way.

I love her but I also like her, if you know what I mean. We are incredibly honest with one another and try to lay everything on the table, even if it stings a little. I am so thankful to our merciful Lord for bringing her into my life. Never did I imagine that this wonderful lady would have any interest in some old broken down man like me, and frankly I’m still amazed by it; but I’m not doubting it or rejecting it.

So, with all the baggage, the history, the background, the struggles,besetting sins, the worries; the Lord has brought Donna and me to this point. We have prayed, sought counsel and prayed some more, and we have arrived at the conclusion that we wish to be wed and if she will have me I will spend the rest of my days on this earth loving her and cherishing her.

She and I know that our joy comes from the Lord, but we also recognize that His joy also works through the vessels He chooses to use. I’m convinced that He put us together; two people who thought we were destined to live and serve our lives as a single soul, have been graced with a tremendous gift.

This gift isn’t for self gratification or to pass credit to one of us. This gift has been from the Lord and was given for a purpose and design; to bring Him glory.

Thank you Father, for loving me; a miserable wretch apart from Your grace; Thank you Lord for never giving up on me, even when You could; for showing me mercy when You could have judge me; for strengthening me when You could have easily let me fend for myself. Thank you Father for all the ones you placed in my life to love and lift me up. Thank you Father for the gift of placing Donna in my life; May we be found worthy in Your sight and be found faithful. May all that we do glorify You.

This is a silly post to write but I will write it anyway and it will be my last time to write it so read carefully. Any further questions on this topic will referred to this post. You ready?

My name is Mike Corley and I wear a cowboy hat and boots. I am 49 years old and for most of those years I wore hats and boots. For a few years, while in the radio business, I dabbled in trying to be more contemporary and “hip” and obviously it didn’t take.

I grew up on a farm and my folks had cattle and some horses but mostly they raised cotton and soybeans. In my early adult years I worked for a man tending to his cows, horses and pasture land, and tried to rodeo a little but all of my experience in these do not qualify me as a cowboy. As much as I would still love to be one, I am not worth of that title. One day I hope have my own place with a little pasture land and a round pen to work ponies.

I love cowboyin, horses, cows, western history and collecting, cowboy music, poetry, literature and films.

I am not going through a cowboy phase or stage. This is how I like to live and feel comfortable.

If you don’t like my hat and boots, fine…don’t look at me.

If you don’t want to wear a hat and boots, fine…nobody is making you do it.

I know my moustache is long and my hair is cut close to the sides. I like it that way.

You can stare at me if you like but you are moved to speak to me, especially if it is pertaining to my way of life, keep it simple and polite or you may just get the rudeness thrown back at you. I detest rude and disrespectful behavior and will not tolerate it directed at me and particularly at my family.

I am not originally from Texas but I claim it as my home and most likely one day reside there permanently.

I have always talked the way I do, except when I change my voice for different occasions like for radio or goofin-off. If you do not like my mode of speech, my turn of phrase or the use of metaphor and rural colloquialisms, then don’t listen to me then. I’m almost certain I will sleep fine tonight.

I love to laugh, tell stories, spend time with my children and grandchildren and to dream.

I love the Lord and seek to know Him more. I have failed Him miserably many times, but He has never failed me.

Life is strange ain’t it. It’s so short too. That’s definitely cliché’ but as I get older it really starts to sink in.

I had the blessing of looking into the eyes of a friend today, to watch those eyes swell up with tears over the thought of losing his son, and it melted my heart like it has been melted few times before.

Rick, his wife Julie and their oldest son Neil are remarkable people. They are devoted Christians and committed to their family and friends. This morning, they stood beside Stephen, Rick and Julie’s youngest boy and Neil’s brother, and loved him as they have for some long, and loved him into the waiting arms of the Lord.

I didn’t know Stephen well. I have known his Dad for quite some time as we attended the same church and I have had the pleasure of working with him at my job with the government. But I, and many others, have known of and been inspired by the devotion and dedication of this family; the unbelievable love and care they had for Stephen and for one another as something that can only be explained as direct grace from God.

This morning as I was working on a project that Rick had put together, I was surprised to see that he had stopped by to check in on things. I took his hand and told him I was surprised to see him there, and it was then that the tears began to flow. I asked him to come to my office, where all I knew to do was to hug him, tell him I loved him and cry with him. One cannot imagine the pain and sorrow that he and his family must be experiencing now as their darling son has departed this life.

But I am assured of one lasting and joyful note, that just as Stephen departed this life, he arrived at the next; a new, joyful, vibrant, peaceful and whole life as He was promoted to Glory and touched the hands of Jesus. Oh how I envy him. There is sadness and sorrow as he is gone, but there is rejoicing and hope in knowing that God is faithful.

So today, as I and many others mourn the passing of Stephen, and our hearts weep for his loving family as they grieve; we rejoice with them knowing that the only time Stephen need bow, from now through eternity, is at the feet of the Savior.

One of the greatest men I have ever knew, did not possess a grand formal education, nor was he rich materially or well traveled. He was in fact a simple man who farmed the land and who passed on to me a love for livestock and cowboying. He was an amazing man and I marveled at what he could do, with a crop in the ground or a cow in a field.

I don’t recall seeing him wear a cowboy hat very often. It was usually a cap of sorts, jeans, boots and a button up shirt. Maybe an occasional pair of khakis and always cleaned and properly prepared for church.

There is much that I remember of him and recently someone asked me to describe my childhood days. Although there was much in my youthful years that were troubling, the ones that I either can, or choose to recall, more times than not, included this great man.

He made an impression on me so strong, that to this day, I stop what I am doing, and jot down a few thoughts about what he meant to me. There is not a day that goes by that something he said to me or showed me, doesn’t play into my day-day life.

It isn’t only the advice or instruction he passed to me, but probably more so, the things I saw and watched of him, when he didn’t even know I was looking. The way he trimmed his fingernails with his pocket knife; how he rested his arms on the kitchen table while he chewed his food;  the loud yawn he made every night around 9:30 when it was time for him to go to bed; the way he laid his boots out at night; how he would cut his hand and not even realize it.

It’s cliché to some, but to me it’s the rock solid truth, when God created this man he broke the mold. Surely there are many others who live and have lived as he did, but not another him.

So when I go to work every day, still rising before sun up and getting to my job hours before others do, its because of him and all the days we sat at his kitchen table, drinkin coffee and discussing the day. When I look at a field, especially one with long, long rows, I think of him and all the times I could see him standing up straight at the wheel of a tractor plowing or runnin ditches. When I see a horse gettin broncy in a pasture kickin and buckin all the way, I can still him tellin me, “Ride em boy!”, and gettin throwed off that pony, him bending over me asking me, “Well…what are you gonna do now?” I would reply, “Get back on I reckon.”, and he would say, “well, let’s see it then”.

Oh, I miss him so.

I always made it a point to tell him I loved him and made sure I touched him physically, whether be a handshake, or a hug or simply brushing my hand across his crew cut hair.

Life has been very hard for me at times, especially in the last couple of years, and so many times I wish I had him to go to and sit and talk about it all. Yet how thankful I am for the memories and lessons he left me.

He was my hero, an inspiration, a friend and the greatest cowboy I ever knew. He was Francis Corley, my pa-paw.

“Make em a good hand boy, make em a good hand”.