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). 

Heavenly Music

Adagio (Enigma Variations) must be directly piped in from our mansion in the sky.

Tired of Trudging

Just wondering how much longer I can get up at night and admit patients, to be followed by more admissions the same morning, followed by more consults the same day, followed by a full day of patients in the office?

However, I am thankful for a job ... and for this particular job.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Dad, Grandpa. We miss you. Can't believe it's been 10 years! You'd be proud of your grandkids (but then maybe you know that already). See you when it's time.

It's What Guys Do

My family and I saw (again) the movie "Fireproof" last night (New Year's Eve). The two action scenes for some reason broke me up. Not because they were "guy" things, in terms of action scenes. More because of the rescue. "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her." Be willing to die as Christ died for us. There's something inside us that drives us to be willing to die for those we love, and sometimes for those we don't even know. That's why guys protect us in the military (I know women do too and I'm not detracting from that at all). That's why guys rush into the Twin Towers to rescue trapped people. 

I was moved, because it resonated with something deep within me. 

It's what guys do.