A flurry of emotions

Looking forward to a week off work, Christmas plans, practicing Christmas eve service with Michelle and Sean, playing for 11 pm Christmas eve service, Christmas illnesses, going to Branson, boys home from MN, girl home from OBU, Corwin, J and L, time in the hot tub at Stormy Point, seeing/hearing the Haygoods, being with the Greenes, going to wedding rehearsal, interacting with people at rehearsal, practicing for wedding, playing for wedding, planning for men's Bible study tomorrow evening, preparing to teach CE next Sunday, preparing to play the organ for church next week, being on call today (Sunday), boys going back to MN yesterday, girl going back to OBU, taking down the outdoor Christmas lights and decorations, me going back to work, Karla going back to work. Wow. What a week. Time to go to bed.

One special evening

Take one marvelous violinist, add one very proud Dad and what do you have? An amazing evening which I frequently re-live in my mind.

March 14, 2008

Thanks, Sean.

The Strong Arm of the USA

Like a "city set on a hill" these United States were born. For all the faults of which we are aware (and many of which we likely are not aware), for all the mistakes we have made, for all the selfishness, greed and personal ambitions we've seen in our selves and our leaders, yet God bless the USA.

When I heard about the Haitian earthquake, then heard about the massive relief effort the US military was mounting, I was in tears. Once again, the God-given strength of the US military is being used for good, for rescuing the weak, for protecting the helpless, yes, for ... good.

Despite the mistakes we've made and the terrible thing war is and how much we hate that terrible evil, yet the US military is more often than not used to maintain peace, to keep order, to promote health, to rescue, to protect those who can not protect themselves. "Peace is our profession" as it says on the main gate of Fort Carson, Colorado.

God shed His grace on thee, America. Thank the Lord for the US military.

Coffee from out of this world (or out of something)

Today I went to Coffee Club to work on American History planning for this semester. I ordered a Mocha Latte. It was very good. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when the server came by and gave me a free sample of some new coffee they just got in. She said that someone wanted me to try it (some other guy there whom I should know, but don't). The name of the coffee was "Kopa Luwak" (phonetically). It was very good. It ought to be.

This gentleman then comes over and shows me a picture on his iPhone or iPod touch. The guy is about 70 years old or so. It's a picture of some type of small animal -- like a possum or similar -- in the jungle. He tells me that this animal eats the pods of some red seeds, then passes the remaining coffee beans out in the animals feces (poop for those of you in Rio Linda).

They then harvest the beans from the animals feces, cleanse them (I hope) and sell the coffee beans. This is the Kopa Luwak coffee beans.

As I mentioned, the coffee should be quite good. The cost of the beans is ...

$250.00 per 8 oz of beans.

Apparently, according to this gentleman, the story of the animal and the Kopa Luwak beans is detailed in a movie called "The Bucket List" which he highly recommends.

And that, my friends, is my story for today.

David

Texas Trip

Last weekend we had a wonderful trip to Shawnee, OK to visit OBU and then on to Longview, TX to see Chris's graduation. Our family was honored to be involved with all the celebration surrounding the graduation events, as well as to see Chris's fraternity and where he studied. Here's a video with Chris's high school graduation as well as his graduation from LeTourneau University. 

Laryngeal Lessons

The 2009 Golden Belt Vocal Festival has come and gone. My what a lot of work this is! There is the entire registration process (thankfully taken care of by Karen Groot), the evening three hour rehearsals in February and March, the preparation for the day of the Festival (buying food for the snacks and the evening meal), etc. 

The entire day of the Festival is exhausting (I got to the church just before 7 am and left after 10 pm). Then there's the cleanup, the rearranging of the sanctuary and fellowship hall back to some semblance of how it was before we arrived. Vacuuming, moving risers, chairs, tables, sweeping, emptying the trash throughout the church, making sure all the litter and music was picked up, etc., etc, etc. 

And to what avail? 

Well, to this avail: Young people are being taught a technique of accurately and correctly singing that they can use to praise God the rest of their lives. Where else is this occurring? Certainly not in most evangelical churches today. If anywhere, it is being taught in "mainline" churches and in colleges that still care about such things. Occasionally in public schools who have choral directors who care (and where the students are adequately disciplined to actually listen and take in the instruction). 

The day reminded me also of the truth that anything of value is costly. Is there value in learning good vocal/choral technique? Is there value in praising our Savior well? I think so. What is the cost for this in this case? The cost is several weeks of preparation and work and a very long day of rather exhausting labor. Is the cost worth it? Yes!

As a corollary it taught me also that to be really effective in communicating the truth and meaning of music (be it piano playing, violin playing, singing, whatever) takes many hours of diligent labor in practicing. This does not come naturally, easily, nor without discipline. It requires scheduled laborious work. I've not done well in this area in my life (although I was more disciplined in college in practicing my voice and organ lessons). Nevertheless, to be really good at anything takes an old fashioned four-letter word: 

WORK!

Grassroots Gratification

With the Tea Parties + Dave Ramsey's "Town Hall" meeting in the last couple of weeks, it occurred to me that there is something very gratifying, wholesome and "right" about ordinary people stating their opinions and taking control back from Washington. It (once again) struck a resonant "chord" in my heart to see this occur. I'm thankful we still have the right to gather, to state our thoughts without fear of recrimination and to turn the tide (before it's too late).