Nothing Soothes the Soul Like Jesus

Steve Borth & small befuddled child

This song is by a guy I replaced at Valley Grande Academy. Steve Borth was a senior at Valley in 1971. I came along and was a senior in 1972.  Steve played guitar. I played guitar badly. Steve was the boy's dorm janitor. I was the boy's dorm janitor. Steve was in the choir. The choir director felt sorry for me and let me in the choir. In summer Steve wore a beard. I wore a beard in summer. Steve wore glasses. I wore glasses. We were often mistaken for each other around Adventist circles. He toured with the Texas Adventist Youth in Action Team. I worked at summer camp. At camp meeting, I used to get asked when I was going to sing next. At Lone Star Camp, Steve would get asked when canoeing class was going to start. Steve wrote some really great songs and sang them well. I wrote some really awful songs and sang them badly. In our old age, little kids are fascinated by our facial hair (see pictures above).

Tom with small befuddled child

Steve has, after years of personal mission work, restarted his
musical career, re-releasing an old album and working on some new music. This song is one of my favorites of his. It's very mellow, but I have to pitch it up a key or so to keep from bottoming out. My choir teacher, Bob LeBard called me a baritone with the lilt of a second bass. He stood me between two strong basses in order to keep me in tune.  It's funny that our lives ran so parallel. Steve worked in little mission efforts with homeless guys and veterans and such. I worked for 40 years in the nonprofit sector with abused and mentally ill kids, disabled folk, and was VP for the Tyler Homeless coalition. Steve's like my brother from another mother. It's probably good that God spread us out a bit. You get more good done that way.

But in heaven, I hope to get a chance to jam with Steve sometime. It's something I regret never having gotten to do.  Here is "Nothing Soothes the Soul Like Jesus":

Sabbath afternoon nap music if I ever heard it.  Thanks for the music Steve.

Tom King