Rejoice In Them All

 “Seems to me, other than all things eternal, the only promised things in scripture are suffering and presence.” Our dogs were gentle and patient to no end. When they got in a fight though…You could lose an arm or a leg trying to break it up. Bruno, the younger Samoyed would step out of the round gladly but Sam was in it for dominance and blood. There was no letting go. This quote from E. Brown has had its’ teeth in me the same way.

Is it that black and white? My initial visceral reaction was to dismiss it as too simplistic. What about joy? What about peace? No, they don’t occur in a vacuum. They are a result of presence. This concept of presence persisted. His presence means we have immediate access to the ear of God; for worship and for lament. “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.”

“In this world you will have trouble and suffering.” Jesus guarantees it. That quote comes at the end of a stream of scripture assuring deep-in-the-soul peace to His followers. That peace comes in the person of the Holy Spirit as a result of Christ’s overcoming the world.

So what’s niggling at me? Is it the Hound of Heaven (a nickname for the Holy Spirit) stirring me? Here it is. What about love? Or that perfect wine and cheese pairing you had last weekend? The music group that brought you to tears yesterday; what about that?

My answer has to do with the Ecclesiastes and Chestertonian mindset I’ve been soaking in this last year. “We want a fiercer delight and a fiercer discontent. We have to feel the universe at once an ogre’s castle, to be stormed, and yet as our own cottage, to which we can return at evening…. We should not be affected by the fact that there are more dragons than princesses.” Delight in the fruit of your labor, worship God the creator, enjoy the friends of your youth. Even in seasons of deep suffering these may lighten the load. “Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.”

        Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash

Prone To Wander

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above

Prone to wander is quite the understatement. Prone to rebellion works, prone to self, prone to divination all fit. Looking back on these days I think my life like the Judges doing right in my own eyes one moment then calling out to God for help the next breath. I find however that in the midst of all my ups and downs God has given grace. I count three specific tools that God encourages me to make use of while His hand draws me back.

First I count on the Bible to renew my embers. I have favorite authors whose lives rooted in scripture never cease to inspire. I turn to Spurgeon, to Piper, to Lewis to remind me of the deep things of God, the beauty of His Son and the effect of clean, cold water to a thirsty soul. It seems the Spirit nudges me toward these along with time in the Bible and my heart aligns with true North again.

Fellowship is amazing. How God set kindred souls in place to correct and console boggles my little mind. We have acquaintances that get their Sunday worship from the television set. That is a sad state of affairs. The television doesn’t laugh with you or make physical contact. My tv doesn’t give hugs or pats on the back. The thing about friends is they provoke you to push your own envelope (‘Provoke one another to love and good deeds’). Electronic devices are content to leave you as you are or worse, encourage you in your downward spiral.

Music points to beauty that is higher than us. When sung in praise it puts mood to the grandeur of the God we worship. That is the key. Music changes my focus from me to God, from lowly to high and lifted up.

These are the graces that God has seen fit to use in my life to draw me back to him. These are the anchors that lead to hold fast and lead into the Holy of Holies.

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary—Heb 6:19.

Agajanian On Fire

A girl named Olga stole my heart,
For a second while I fixed her bagel,
Light cream cheese, she blinked
And my heart skipped a beat.
A strong beat, perhaps with raucous guitar and
Piano accompaniment or,
Segovia on strings, Agajanian on fire,
I dream.

Windows open in my big house
By the ocean, the breeze blows in,
Wind over wheat fields,
Garth Brooks croons of dances past,
First love and fireworks.

A synchronicity of nerves on edge,
From battles at work,
Squirrel Zippers, perhaps,
But they make my feet tap,
And I don’t feel much like dancing.

Father flails in hospital again,
In the dark of my living room,
I pursue perspective,
Jars of Clay carries me,
Balanced between hope and angst.

Heart longing to touch,
Something bigger than itself,
Again,
I’ll choose Waits, he knows that pain,
And Powell, who knows the Healer.

Postcard Collection-Bear Band Vacation Show

Because, when life's a bear, you need to crank up some tunes....


The Disney Gallery
New Orleans Square-
Dave Feiten, 1984

Casting Crowns and Hidden Tracks

One of the newest (and somewhat annoying) fads these days is for musicians to put a "hidden track" on their CD's. Seems like they are usually unique and different artistic endeavors from the group's normal stuff. For instance, on one of Third Day's CD's; they actually have someone beside Mac Powell singing (Mac sings lead on, I think, every song they've ever released).

Let me get to the point. Casting Crowns newest CD, The Altar and the Door, contains, you guessed it, a hidden track. I think it's one of the most beautiful on the CD. A moving song, maybe more so once you realize the context (explained in the video intro.) But it's hidden! How ridiculous is that?

Enjoy!

Update: As Robert said in the comments; the way they are hidden, and the reason they are annoying is that they are usually included on the final track of the CD. So, you don't even know they're on the CD until you are in the room listening long past the end of what is billed as the last track. Then, POOF, there's music coming from your CD again. But it's a song you've never heard before. And you go to look on the CD jacket; and there is no information, no song listing, no credits, nada. Annoying.

Vindication-Elvis Rocks

I had this urge to crank some Elvis Costello all day today. All because at the coffee shop we put the name of the customer on the cup. "What's the name on that, please?"
"Allison."

So, got home and put on the CD. Hailey said, (say this with a sneer in your voice)"Who's this? I can't even understand what this guy's saying." She quickly started calling it Old People Music.

Tonight while at the supermarket she bought a People Special Collector Edition on the Jonas Brothers. Young People Music.

Guess whom one of the Jonas brothers listed as his favorite musician and inspiration?

Blues and Bluegrass: Enjoying the Desert Part 2

Strawberry blonde hair hanging in ringlets down to the middle of her back. Small Blue polka-dots on a white silk shirt, pleated at the elbows and hips. Ruby red lips, great set of….teeth; attractive but not stunning. More sweet than Siren. The Hotshots have a female vocalist! She belted out some great songs such as Bei Mir Bist Du Shein and Honeysuckle Rose (Well, don't buy sugar, You just have to touch my cup, You're my sugar, And it's oh so sweet when you stir it up…)

The Hotshots sound great! We took the time to hang around at Water Canyon Coffee again today, and stuck around for a listen. Some really talented guys; on clarinet, violin, bass, and drums. Combined with the vocalist, I think it may become my Sunday hangout, much like Mondays with the Kung Pao Chickens.

I was reminded of the only limerick I’ve ever written (that I’m willing to admit):

A man raised on the Brothers Grimm,
Liked his women blonde, blue-eyed and slim,
For such a fair sight,
He would search day and night,
To fulfill his particular whim.

Speaking of music, the Sun Runner’s entire publication was dedicated to music this month. From one of the articles, “Bluegrass Grows in Wonder Valley.”
“Chambers was injured with a broken back in ‘91 and in ’94 decided to go to the Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie in Phoenix, AZ, ‘to learn how to build these things, learn how to cut the wood, learn how to bend the wood, do inlays, make everything myself.” From the same article, “We do not do country. We do western, bluegrass, and gospel………Western music is a working man’s music; it was the cowboy songs on the trail and around the campfire, on a horse ride. There’s no drums, there’s no electric guitars, there’s no stars. In western music, everybody takes a part. It’s shared music. It’s very orchestrated because everything’s got a good melody line that people recognize. You know, when you sing ‘Happy Trails’ at the end of your set, everybody’s singing along with you.”

Till we meet again.

Redefining My Life

I feel successful or I've felt a favorable result when:
I finish something well.
I change something for the better.
I do the honourable thing.
I help.
I execute something with excellence.
I bring comfort.
I bring encouragement.
I improve at something.

Or more specifically:
I help someone get what they need.
I empty all the trash in my house.
I play a musical piece with passion and excellence.
I am part of a link in the chain of comfort to someone.
I communicate well, to the point of comfort.
I am self-sufficient.

For years I've felt successful when
these things happen:
these things are present:

You’ve gotta love a woman with a resume that reads, “….writing books,speaking, putting on her Coming Up For Air Anti-Conference, producing artists, offering life and artist intensives, making dining room tables…” The above quote is from her book, “Coming Up for Air-Simple Acts to Redefine Your Life.” In the book, Margaret Becker feels life crowding in on her and decides to take four weeks off. She actually goes to a beach house and just spends the time reflecting.

Hearing her music and reading her stuff, I gather that Maggie B. is somebody that wants her life to count. Somebody with unique talent and wiring that has wrestled with her place in the world. Flowing from her personal journey and honed in those four weeks of solace and soul searching she creates a personal vision statement which she is actually fleshing out on a day to day basis. I think that is important. The Old Testament wisdom literature tells us to “number our days that we might present to (God) a heart of wisdom.”

It’s up to me to know how best to utilize my gifts and talents in ways that better mankind and glorify God. So what am I good at? I feel successful when I can point to a finished project that I did. Something tangible like a blog post. I feel successful when I cogently present a point. I’m a good small group leader. I feel successful when a point I made or a book I gave someone impacts their life.

I can go on and on; what stirs my heart and rocks my world? I am significantly aware of the needs in the world…..and desire to somehow make a difference there. That’s why I sponsor a World Vision kid. That’s why I’m connected to a number of missionaries throughout the world serving in different capacities. You get the idea.

I need to create my own vision statement. Who do I want to invest in? What do I want to invest in? It seems like a good exercise for anybody. Of course, the hope is that I’ll flesh it out.

What do you think? Anyone out there interested in pursuing this with me? Seems like a good resolution for 2008…..but I’m starting now.

An Anchor for the Soul

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest ‘Cause You know just how far the east is from the west,
From one scarred hand to the other….
Casting Crowns

As I tried to synthesize the key events of this week for this post, what I realized was that many of them were events that either, significantly stretched me; or were so outside of my control that there was nowhere to go but God. In each case, I found the strength to persevere through prayer, and the occasional singing of worship music.

At work there are the new management opportunities. Dealing with the manager at the training store. I work in a kosher environment; and this manager has told me and her staff that we are not to eat while on the premises. The other day she was behind the counter eating some shrimp. “You may as well have dragged a pig back here,” I advised her. She takes long lunches, long breaks, and leaves early. Than she complains about how her staff doesn’t want to work. It’s frustrating for me; more frustrating for her usual employees. So I pray for strength, wisdom, and patience in abundance.

Friends of mine are missionaries in Asia. Their latest two newsletters report that seven of their co-workers have been expelled from the country. Additionally, many of the local believers are under house arrest and others are being threatened by police who say that what the foreigners are experiencing is nothing compared with what they have in store for them. Where else does one go except to Him who:
Changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings,
He gives wisdom to wise men,
And knowledge to men of understanding.”

This weekend was Hailey’s 11th birthday. A good time, a great celebration. But all of Hailey’s mom’s family were there. And then her pastor stopped by. A thousand things I wanted to say; but didn’t. Prayer, the lyrics from Casting Crown songs, and more prayer kept my soul at peace.

Finally, there are my own personal demons. Besides the normal everyday battles, events have transpired this week that brought together strong feelings having to do with the divorce, loneliness, and the desire for female companionship. And sometimes, even though I am blessed with a rich circle of friendships, the depth of feeling and complexity of issues necessitate crying out to God.

“No one can possibly move forward in the strength of the Lord until he has stood still in the midst of his own helplessness.”

Remembrance....Rich Mullins

"After hearing yourself night after night, it's hard to imagine that anything you'd have to say would be worth listening to."

"I don't think I really understood poverty at all until I met these kids---the poverty of those who go to bed hungry and the poverty of those who sleep with indifference. Wealth can't be defined in terms of what we have, but only in terms of how free we are to give and take."
I came across this memorial post to Rich Mullins today. Mainly, I say, "Amen." While there are a number of Christian individuals and groups that I listen to and like; there are only a few artists that I think have known the heart of God, re Exodus 33, " Then Moses said, " I pray You, show me Your glory!"

The two that have most influenced me and moved me through their music are Keith Green and Rich Mullins. Oddly enough, they both died early in life; Keith in a plane crash, and Rich in a car crash.

"No wonder we love these moments and want them to linger. But for now they can't, so we must let them go. They are the flicker of some holy flame, a twinkling of an eye wherein the dead come alive again. Remember then, thank the Lord for them, but move on into the next moment and be present in it. It is God's present to you."-Rich Mullins, from his essay, Momentary Pleasures.