Ladies and Gentlemen

I tried to get this out last night, and that would have happened if not for the communications setup being worked on over the weekend. I'm still so new to using the 'puter that everytime something doesn't work the way it has in the past I figure it is my fault. Guess what? I have now learned after a year of using this new tool of the modern world that other people can make mistakes, too! This little "portabeast," (my new term for the 'puter in a briefcase, sort of like a "porta potty, only this little ditty can dump on you instead of you using it) is not without flaws, and it can be somebody else that is messing with things somewhere. I guess things are back to normal, I'm running way far afield of my intended purpose this evening.
Jackie Bird! Extraordinary lady with whom I work from time to time is ready to begin doing tracks in the studio again. Jackie has performed across the nation and across the seas, and presented here in the US for the President in the White House. I never asked her which one of them she had the honor of performing for, or even if it was only one. We don't get around to talking too much about the things we've done, we tend to focus much more strongly on the things that we want to do in writing, creating, and performance. She is a people person with a heart as big as Alaska with a spirit to match. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear her you might consider picking up one of her CDs for a listen. Jackie is an energetic, exciting, and extremely talented young lady. For instance: When she is working the traps her command of the band is such that she lays down a solid rhythm that pulls together players from an extremely wide variety of stylistic approaches. Jamming with the best she is still "out front" even when she's in the back. First, though, is her vocalizatons of original works given her by God, as she puts it. Her voice conveys an essence of the spirit-filled person that she is, sending out the messages she writes so well with a depth of feeling that one has to hear to comprehend. Whether she is sitting on the floor in the studio strumming her guitar or working the center of a huge stage under glaring lights her presence doesn't change, though. The same person shines through no matter what the occasion. Jackie's daughters, sons, and her grand daughter share the spotlight with her on occasion. Each one multi-talented, and raised in the tight family tradition that balances performance and personalities with an expertise often lacking in our modern world of "stars." I'm looking forward to our next session. The last one had us working with Jared from Australia doing new "stuff" that will be on the upcoming CD. He wandered through our Great American Desert while touring the US following his introduction at the World Day of Prayer in NYC. (Looking forward to seeing you again one of these days, Jared) Jackie brings her talents and gifts to the stage in service to people everywhere, and has what she calls, "an old spirit," but there is nothing old about how she does what she does! Her combination of faith and family, past and present, and the here and now are a welcome addition to my personal experience in the world of live entertainment. God truly blesses us each day with the time to bring talents and gifts to bear for His glory in this, our earthly existence. Thanks, Jackie, for your heart, your songs, and the spirit you bring to every session. In Christ's Love, Preacher.

Scholastically Speaking

 
So it seemed to work and I thought I'd have just a little fun. Read at your leisure and ponder at your convenience what these say about the "system" under which we are living. Maybe, just maybe, we need a little more faith in our school boards, and the decisions they are trying to make to keep dissenters happy. "You can make some people happy all of the time. You can make all of the people happy some of the time. You can't make everybody happy all the time!" It simply isn't in our nature as human beings to accomplish that feat! God bless, Preacher. 

Checking Things Out

 
I had no idea how the new interface(if that is what this is called)worked with the program so I though I'd give it a whirl. The pic is courtesy of National Geographic, the caption, of course, is mine and I pray it is readable. Mail is coming in from the devestation in the south. I appreciate the folks down there that have gone in to do ministry and work side by side with cleanup crews. I don't appreciate them referring to where they are at as "ground zero!" It seems to me that is a term that has only one connotation. It was associated(my first remembrance was bomb testing and Hiroshima)with New York and 911, and to use it in the Katrina scenario seems(in my mind), somehow, inappropriate. "Ground Zero" was heard as a phrase so often in the World Trade Towers attack that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when it is associated with other disasters. So, Russell, Mike, and crew, if others are doing the useage thing the way you are, pray about it and see if there is not a better form of terminology that can be applied to the situation. After all, we're on God's team, and we would not wish to offend even one of His children if it were avoidable. In Christ's Love, Preacher. 

From A Distance!

From a distance I hear the sound of the train crossing through town. The mournful cry of it's horn breaks the silence of the early morning as I ponder the beauty of the earth. There it is again, this time more insistant that everyone make way. When they roll through town I don't think they're doing much over 30 mph, but that is certainly fast enough to push past, considering it's total mass, any and all obstacles.Growing up I had a neighbor, Milo Scholl, an engineer for the northern line. He was home 3 or 4 days a week and there was still a depot in town. Diesel engines were fairly new to the rails, and the sound began to change to what we hear today. This story is not about trains, though, it is about the beauty of the earth when seen from such a great distance. No huddled masses in need, no trash strewn carelessly about, just a neat pretty orb backlit by the infinite universe. My hours are messed up, I should be sleeping. Our eldest grandson hit the rack about an hour ago(he's here for the weekend and watched the satellite dish perform it's living room magic until his eyes would no longer support their lids), I should have been asleep long before that but there were these things that had to be taken care of, and one last piece of work to do in the office before shutting down.
The early morning hours are my favorites of the whole day. Only a couple dark ones left until the dawn, and out there somewhere there are folks just rising. That's the way it is 24\7 I suppose. No matter when we go to sleep someone else is just waking. Comfort can also be taken in the thought that no matter when I quit praying there is someone out there who is just beginning. Do you think God sees the earth as it is pictured? Or do you suppose that from His perspective it is just another twinkle in the sky? I don't know. God, in all, through all, constantly present, and yet distant, too. I like the time when things are peaceful, they invite the mind to ponder enormous thoughts, and focus for a time on the important things in life, faith, family, and friends. I pray each of us has the opportunity to do this everyday. God bless, Preacher.

Getting There and Trying Again!

Pictures from around the world cross my screen each day. Yesterday I was blessed to open mail from an E friend residing in our nation's northern neighbor. Many thanks go out this morning to Joni for providing the fun fodder for my thoughts and your entertainment.
Black bear are not all that large. The one you see above is probably quite young, and no more than 500 pounds. Should you have the opportunity to get to know one of these in their natural habitat, they are very much like dogs, and can be quite friendly. The thing I enjoy the most about them is their intellect. They aren't very smart, and if able to speak would be totally challenged in their latter stages of adulthood to cope with the brains my 4 year old grandaughter, Kyra. Presuming that this makes them fairly bright beasts what you are seeing here is one of their most endearing attributes, curiosity. My mind did an immediate shift when I saw these pics(there were many more in the series)of this black satisfying his\her enquiring mind. That is so like one of them. Their eyesight is notorious(worse than mine without glasses), and their bulk would tend toward awkwardness if not for that brain they have that makes them wonderful for children of all ages when it comes to the circus. This depiction of temperment reminds me of many of today's young people. What is that? What's it doing there? I 'have' to check this out! If there were a group of them they would, more than likely, all try this same feat. It's sort of cool when you think about it! We all went through that stage in our growing, that time when instinct had us following in whatever happened to be the moment's curiosity. Where would you find yourself in this picture? Some looked up and saw the birdfeeder thing and walked on without indulging their curious side. Others followed up the tree, but hesitated to traverse the rope. Many more tried the same stunt with varying results. Some arriving with no idea of how to get back. Many falling to the ground only to find themselves looking up and feeling the pain brought on by the attempt. Many would climb higher to gain a different perspective, and a few would lose interest rapidly and start looking around for something else to do.
In our faith walk many of us see the "House of God" hanging out there between the streets in much the same way. Throwing all of our learned, preconceived notions to the wind we may go through one, or several, of the bear's activities. We may not even be aware of what it is we are seeking, but there just might be something there if we can get to it. The bear exemplifies the tenacity of the spirit which kept it trying different ways to arrive at it's goal until achieving success. Diligence and perseverance are the keys that will enable us to reach that goal, and when we get to that feeder we may learn there is nothing in it that we can eat, and so it is with the Lord's house. You may have to go through all of the approaches over and over until you find the one that does feed you, spiritually. In our humaness we often follow the crowd, or attempt to, only to find ourselves flat on our backsides hurting. There is a truth here, though. If we make the effort to get there we will find that the house was 'not' our objective as we began our climb. It is the food of the spirit which the house holds that we are in need of reaching. If you've been seeing that "house" or actually "been there and done that" and it wasn't what you thought it would be, take heart! There will always be another one out there somewhere, and the next time you may find just the sustenance you are seeking. My Savior is always there, hanging out, waiting for you to taste and see that the Lord is good! God bless, Preacher.

We moved to the sanctuary of this converted church for the main portion of the day's presentations. It's origins were catholic. I believe even the Pope would have liked what went on here today! 

Times Have Changed!

The concept of what we were doing today didn't dawn on me until about 12 hours after it began. We were a small cluster of concerned ecumenical individuals discussing the relevance of events that occurred some 2000 years ago based on the writings of individuals 500 years ago that were summed up over 1200 years ago and are still being discussed today. Let me see if I've got that right,...12 - 5 + 15 x the number gathered and divide that by the number of cups of coffee required to stay awake 'til noon. Yeah! I got it. It was great, the whole day. To think that here on the Great American Desert we can be blessed with a gathering of minds with insights that are fresh and yet founded on the same faith ideals that were taught yesterday in church is reassuring to me. We're going to do it again tomorrow starting at 8:30 am give or take a few cups of coffee and rolls, for sure! Thoughts and feelings are being shared in the spiritual department that few will ever read, even fewer will hear about, and the news clip at 11 won't happen! Lol....but it was good! My favorite thus far is my senior by at least a quarter of a century who seems to have more on the ball than pastors a third his age. Maybe that is something I have to look forward to, more genuine "meat" on the bones of my rhetoric as I "mature." This would not be most people's idea of a "good time," and hasn't been one of mine for quite some time in the overall fabric of denominational heirarchy. It wouldn't be now, if the churches were not by and large across the board shaking down to the very foundations of christendom. This is not an arena for the shy or the easily offended. The language becomes strong and, I might add, sometimes bordering on the right down abusive. Having wandered around in the political arena during my youth(entertainment for several campaigns)I have a remembrance of how politicians speak of one another when the doors are shut. This was not much different. It is encouraging, though, to see that there are some seriously straight shooters in the world when it comes to matters of faith's future in America. You see, it isn't a job anyone wants, and it certainly isn't one that would be chosen by many. To quote one such individual from history, "Here I stand I can do no ____!" I pray we fill in the blank today as Luther did 500 years ago. God bless, Preacher.