Squire Parsons is my favorite Southern Gospel singer and songwriter.  I went to one of Squire's concerts last Saturday night.  He normally does a 45 minute concert, but Saturday night the Lord led him to do an hour and a half concert.  After he sang the first four or five songs he told the people in attendance that he had been in the hospital a couple of weeks earlier for treatment of pneumonia.  It turned out the pneumonia was a result of a weakened immune system which was due to chronic myelogenous leukemia, or sometimes referred to as CML.

Squire was very thin, pale and noticeably weak.  To make matters worse, while he was laying on the CAT Scan bed he lost the hearing in his right ear.  He asked the doctor how soon it would be before he got his hearing back.  The doctor said "Squire, you may never get it back.  But you do have one ear you can hear with."  Squire responded "Doc, you don't understand, I play the piano by ear!"

About half of the concert Saturday night Squire sat at his keyboard and played the tunes to the songs he, his son Sam and another gentleman that travels with them sang.  After he announced his CLM diagnosis he said "About 25 years ago I wrote a song, one of 1000+ he has written, that I've sang maybe once since I wrote it.  I never really knew why I wrote it.  But now I now, in this time of uncertainty the Lord has given me this song as a song of encouragement and peace, letting me know that I'm in His hand and everything will turn out for my good and His glory, honor and praise."  Squire then sang the song and  I had a giant frog in my throat as he sang it.

For those who may not be familiar with Squire, if you've ever heard the song Sweet Beulah Land, Squire wrote that song when he was with the Kingsmen Quartet in the mid-70s.  Below is a link to a video of Squire singing Sweet Beulah Land.

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8302305909059983357#  

Please remember Squire, his family and his ministry in your prayers.

Bill

Prayers on the way for Squire.

Amen & prayers sent

Prayers sent for Squire

i prayed for squire. he has had a plan for him for years, his songs, especially sweet beulah land has gave many peace and comfort in knowing there is a heavenly home waiting for them. i pray GOD will continue to use him to bring the gospel to many through his music.

What a delight to pray for someone who has done so much to bring peace and light into other's lives through music... and who is willing to profess their deep faith publicly when many in the limelight today, seem to do anything but...

Prayers for healing and strength to carry on while the Lord reveals Squire's future to him.

Thanks for the prayers.  Squire is continuing to travel and is scheduling future concerts.  When he has to take time off to see the doctor his son, Sam, and several friends of Squire fills the dates.

I have a songbook of Squire's that contains over 350 songs he has written.  I use the songbook and his songs in my nursing home ministry.  What a blessing he has been to me over the years.

Bill

Prayers from here...