Paul Overstreet Changing lives, one song at a time After years of writing songs for the big guns of country music, Paul Overstreet is releasing a book and his own albums. by Teresa Lockhart     When Paul Overstreet packed up his 1968 Ford Fairlane and headed to Nashville, he dreamed of being a songwriter. He never imagined he'd be writing chart-topping songs for country stars like George Jones, Randy Travis, and The Judds, just to name a few, and even more importantly, he hadn't a clue what an impact his words would have on the lives of everyday people once he turned over his gift — and his life — to Jesus Christ.   "It's amazing to realize the reality is greater than the dreams that started the whole adventure," he says. But the success Paul dreamed about wasn't immediate. Upon arriving in Nashville, he recalls sleeping in cheap motels, an empty church, and even his car before getting his foot in the door. As he watched others achieve their dreams, he began to doubt His own vision. "I guess the Lord just brings it about in His own time," he explains.   Then when Paul began to make his mark, he encountered obstacles that challenged his Christian faith, as well as his ability to make his dreams come true. Through his involvement in the music business, he began smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol, and doing cocaine. According to Paul, he took his eyes off Jesus and allowed the music industry to become his god — at least for a while.   The son of a Baptist preacher, Paul says he always believed Jesus was who He said He was, but it took some time for him to put Him in charge of his life. Even though his parents divorced when Paul was just a young boy, both his mother and his father made sure he was in church. Paul was baptized at age 10 or 11, officially accepting Jesus as his Saviour. However, because he received little discipleship growing up, his attention turned to sports and eventually music. It wasn't until 1984 that Paul surrendered his whole life to Christ and made him Lord. It was then that He allowed God to guide him.   "I believe everybody has a calling on their life to do something, but everybody is not called to be a pastor," Paul explains. "Some are called to be evangelists; some are called to preach. Some are called to drive trucks or heavy equipment, and some are called to be songwriters. My calling, I believe, is to write the kinds of songs that God gave me the liberty to write."   The songs Paul writes are about real-life things that will encourage and motivate people. But at the time God was first leading him to pen these songs, he questioned whether country music was the place God wanted him to be and considered moving in the direction of Christian music. After finding no open doors there, he finally realized God had him right where He wanted him to be.   Even though most of the songs Paul was hearing on country radio were about relationships and marriages that didn't work, Paul soon discovered people needed examples of love that could last forever. "First you've got to be able to see it to be able to believe it," he says. "When the honeymoon period ends, young couples don't always know which way to turn because they're not prepared. I just think it's incredibly important that with my calling I paint that picture of success that people have something to look at and say, 'hey, that's us,' when they're doing it right."   Not only does he write songs that encourage the family, Paul lives out them out. The husband of Julie and the father of Nash, Summer, Chord, Harmony, Skye, and Charity, whose ages range from teenage to toddler, Paul has turned down many opportunities to go out on the road for opportunities to stay close to home. It's not so much a matter of balance between work and home, he says, but a matter of priority. Paul found that by putting God first in his life he was able to get more accomplished in a short period than when we was working all the time. "When we put Him first, He takes care of other things," Paul says.   For Paul, seeking God's guidance is a daily venture. In 1998 he founded his own record label, Scarlet Moon Records, on which he's recorded two albums, A Songwriter's Project — Volume 1 and his current project, Living By the Book. The latter is a collection of original Christian songs that started out as a demo made available only to fans at Paul's shows. However, when Paul gave a copy to his friend Franklin Graham, Franklin was so moved by the songs that he wanted to give all the supporters of his ministry a copy. So Paul decided to go into the studio and cut a complete album.   Paul continues to encourage and uplift people with his songs, never knowing the effect his words will have. His songs have changed the lives of the celebrities who sing them, boosting their record sales and careers but, more importantly, they've changed the hearts of the everyday people who hear them.   As a result of the numerous letters he's received over the years, Paul recently wrote Forever and Ever Amen, a collection of stories about the songs that have changed people's lives. While Paul explains the stories behind his most popular songs, he says the real power behind this book is from the stories fans have told about how the songs impacted their lives.   However, as Paul states in this book, he doesn't believe these stories should bring glory to himself or the other writers with whom the songs were written. "Rather," he writes, "the glory should be given to God for allowing us, in some small way, to be a part of what He has done for someone else." [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives][Good News] [About Us][Links]