Christmas Tripping

First I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad from the bottom of my heart.

But some of us ought to go ahead and acknowledge that we start tripping this time of year. Christmas is a time for giving but it is also a time for receiving. When we expect to get as much as we give or want to give, that's when the trouble begins. Our expectations rise to the occasion and our self pity kicks in because we know that we won't get what we want; even if we don't even know what we want.

So what's the solution? For me its important to take myself out of the equation by focusing on who is really important. First of all its God then others. If I am being grateful to God for his gifts of love, grace and mercy then this will surely stop the madness of the season. The rest of the year will be better too.

Beginnings

This is what I would have said to her had I met my wife while we were still in high school instead of when we did meet, seven years after high school. In high school I was a musician and I loved playing jazz and rock music on my slide trombone.  The words to the Chicago band's song Beginnings, express just how I would've felt had we met in high school. I really hope she would have liked it had I played Beginnings on my horn to her and sang it too. But its hard to know just what her reaction would have been. I'm guessing that her feelings would've been hard for her to put into words. Maybe she would have been...silent... silent, yet hopefully in a good way. 

The song Beginnings (you can hear by clicking here!)

Song lyrics excerpts are below. 
Songwriter: Robert Lamm

When I'm with you, it doesn't matter where we are, or what we're doing
I'm with you, that's all that matters.
Time passes much too quickly, when we're together laughing I wish I could sing it to you, oh no, I wish I could sing it to you.

Oh whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
Oh whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
Mostly I'm silent, mm-hm-hm-hm... Silent, la la la la la.

Never think of the right words to say.

When I kiss you, I feel a thousand different feelings
The color of chills all over my body, yeah, yeah, yeah!

And when I feel them, I quickly try to decide which one?
I should try to put into words, oh no, try to put into words.

Mostly I'm silent... Silent... La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la... Silent.

Dirt

It is really early in the morning.  There is a big pile of dirt in my driveway about 41 cubic yards along with 30 pieces of grass sod stacked behind it.  A dump truck dropped these off last Wednesday but there is no religious significance to their presence. My plan was to get my yardman to spread the dirt at the top part of my front lawn (nearest to the house) where the earth is barren that is, without a grass covering.  The earth in this area was eroded by rain due to a lack of grass and large tree roots that are clearly visible above the ground from my two large oak trees.  I want to cover those roots over with my new soil and then plant the new grass sod so that I can have a nice green front lawn. After all, the Lord wants me to “lie down in green pastures” not barren ones, am I right?  I swear on a stack of bibles that I don’t really talk like this!   This yardman, who usually cuts my grass showed up Thursday, took one look at that pile of dirt and sod and ran off saying he’d return on Friday.  Well it’s Saturday and he still hasn't returned yet.  I guess he doesn't have the kind of faith that could “move mountains,” but I do.  So I’m just going to have to do the job myself and keep my appointments with a shovel and a sore back.  Please pray for me.

"Five is Better than Zero," and other Wise sayings

"When you’re struggling not to say something in anger; stop thinking it!"

 –A saying of j hammond

When it’s time to get away, try using: "The Walmart Excuse"

–From a blog post by j hammond

"Deer, I am sorry to hurt you, but the people are hungry."

-Choctaw Hunter’s Prayer

"Remember that your children are not your own,
they are lent to you by the Creator."

–Mohawk proverb

"If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come."
-Arapaho proverb

"Five is better than zero!" Spoken by the guy you loaned
twenty dollars to when he pays you back with only five dollars.
-A saying my brother Martin attributes to Norman Wise.

The Seed of Faith

When I was a married law student I would sometimes study in public libraries because they were closer to home than the law school's library. I remember one day while studying at a public library that I heard a male voice say over and over again, “Thank You Jesus, Thank You Jesus, Thank You Jesus.”  My curiosity got the best of me so I got up and walked over to see what was going on. The speaker was a young man about twenty years old with his hands clasped together and his eyes screwed tightly shut in prayer. I didn't disturb him and went back to my own table wondering why he was so passionately thanking God. Had he gotten out of some kind of trouble? Did he recover from some serious illness?  Nevertheless, I went back to studying my law books and went on with my life and never saw the praying man again. But I never forgot him. From time to time I would think about him as eight years passed by. During that span of time I would experience many good things in my life, but also some bad things and some very deep emotional pain.

However, I give that young man's prayer allot of credit. I know in my heart that on that day, a seed was planted in my soul that mysteriously and persistently took root over time. Eventually, I would gain a much fuller understanding of why anyone would want to thank Jesus over and over again and without shame. Then came the fateful day when I myself made Jesus the lord of my life. Now I too have become very grateful for the many blessings that have come my way.  You just never know who might be listening or watching you when you call upon the name that is above all names: Jesus.

Feelin's From Within

Okay so I recently went to a vinyl record store in LA called Record Surplus which is on Santa Monica Blvd. It had a pretty nice selection of old vinyl albums, and you could listen to them over headphones  on three or four conveniently placed record players. I got a kick out of using their record players because I used to have a 70's era Marantz receiver just like the ones they have for your use there. I browsed for about an hour and felt at home in there. A year earlier I had gone to San Francisco and wound up doing the same thing by checking out the Groove Merchant Record store and the Amoeba Music store on Haight Street. And the year before that I was in the Record Mart store in Chicago where I found a treasured album called Powerhouse by the Jazz Crusaders (see earlier post "Jazz Record Found").

Who knows when I may find that other jazz album I've been searching for called; "Feelin's From Within" by Joe Thomas. There's a cut named Coco (click on it) from that album which is the last missing piece from my California road trip playlist. (See my earlier post "Vantastic Voyage.") Although I've looked for the vinyl  album in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and even on Amazon, it still eludes me. Yet, I'm not worried. I've got a  feelin from within, that I'm getting closer. I was able to get the CD album which I have added to my collection.

I Thank You

You didn't have to love me like you did
But you did, but you did, oh, and I thank you
You didn't have to hold me like you did
But you did, but you did, and I thank you

                                                Happy 34th anniversary to Us

But this post could just as easily be about

thanking you God, for your amazing grace

 and I thank you.