According to her website "Lynda Tait Randle...was born in the inner city of Washington, D.C. She is the middle child of seven and feels blessed to have had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home". She and her husband have two daughters, Patience and Joy. Michael Tait, lead vocalist for Newsboys, is her brother. What I'm reviewing here is TIMELESS; FAVORITES FROM THE HOMECOMING SERIES (2002, Spring House Productions). It was produced by Bill Gaither and Woody Wright and executive produced by Bill Gaither.
First up is the upbeat Southern Gospel number 'Down at the Cross'. It is a song of spiritual invitation: "Come to this fountain so rich and sweet/Cast thy poor soul at the Savior's feet/Plunge in today and be made complete/Glory to His Name!" 'God on the Mountain' was penned by Tracy Dartt in the mid 1970's. It's a pleasant ballad about God's faithfulness: "Don't lose faith for you're never alone/For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley/When things go wrong/He'll make them right/And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times/The God of the day is still God in the night". 'Leave it There' is a ballad of concern for others: "If your body suffers pain and your health you can't regain/And your soul is almost sinking in despair/Jesus knows the pain you feel/He can save and sure enough can heal/Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there".
'If the Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side' doesn't even hit the two minute mark. This toe-tapping Southern Gospel cut offers testimony: "I was drifting/I was drifting on the sea of despair/And I was wand'ring/I was wand'ring in this old world of care/But Jesus found me/Jesus found me in my sinful plight/He heard me praying/Heard me praying on my knees at night/So now I'm singing/Now I'm singing a glad new song/Because I'm happy/'Cause I'm happy as I go along". Andrae Crouch's classic 'Through it All' is next up. This gospel ballad also testifies: "Through it all (2X)/I've learned to trust in Jesus/I've learned to trust in God/Through it all (2X)/I've learned to depend upon His Word".
'Mine, All Mine' gives all praise to God: "He gave me grace at my very worst/He rescued me from bondage/He showed love I don't deserve/He paid my debt on Calvary's tree/Promised me a robe and crown/And you can't take that from me". 'I'm Free' was penned by Bill and Gloria Gaither in the 1960's. It's a Southern Gospel ballad of celebration: "I'm free from the fear of tomorrow/I'm free from the guilt of my past/For I've traded my shackles for a glorious song/I'm free, praise the Lord, free at last".
'Day Three' was written by Suzanne and Barry Jennings. It's a story song fit for Easter: "Surprised when my heart recognized/That no grave could hold this man down/I'm so amazed/What He did in 3 days/Turned this whole crazy world upside-down!" The song has a cool musical vibe to it. 'One Day' is a gospel song about Jesus coming back: "One day Jesus will call my name/As days go by I hope I don't stay the same/I want to get so close to Him that it's no big change/On the day that Jesus calls my name". Jessy Dixon sings on the track.
What follows is the classic hymn 'Farther Along'. It encourages us: "Farther along we'll know all about it/Farther along we'll understand why/Cheer up, my brother/Live in the sunshine/We'll understand it all by and by". 'To the Other Side' looks ahead to life on the other side: "Over Jordan, what do I see?/A band of angels waiting for me/All the saints who washed their robes in white/Some fine day I'm gonna take my place/Glory light shining all over my face/That's the day He's gonna take me to the other side". It's a great duet with Marshall Hall!
Squire Parsons wrote 'Sweet Beulah Land'. This Southern Gospel ballad pines for heaven: "I'm kind of homesick for a city/To which I've never been before/No sad goodbyes will there be spoken/For time won't matter anymore". Last up is 'Going Home', on the same theme as the previous song: "Going home, I'm going home/There's nothing to hold me here/Well, I've caught a glimpse of that heavenly land/Praise God, I'm going home!"
TIMELESS is a wonderful treasure of an album! Lynda's vocals are a strength here for sure. There are eight Southern Gospel and five gospel songs on the album. There's a decent mix of slow and fast songs. Lynda sings about Calvary (the cross, the blood, forgiveness, redemption, and Jesus' resurrection). She reminds us God is always with us and encourages us to press on in life no matter what. Jesus' return and heaven are eagerly anticipated. In heaven we'll find true peace and happiness. This project, which I'm rating 97%, will give you a spiritual boost when you need it. For more info visit www.lyndarandle.com and/or connect with her on social media.