The Catholic Bible
The New American Bible
The Word on the Street
The Bug Collection Bible
Baby's First Bible
Billy Graham Training Center Bible
Amplified Bible (but is there an unplugged version?)
Everyday Life Bible
True Identity (for women)
Grace
The Message Remix
Archaeological Study Bible
The Power of a Praying Woman Bible
The Holy Bible
Illustrated Study Bible
The Duct Tape Bible
Apostle's Bible (is it just the old testament?)
New Jerusalem Bible
Couple's Bible
Women of Color Study Bible
Becoming (for women)
Quest
Bible in 90 days
Sanctuary (for women)
Seek/Find: The Bible for All People
The Bible Experience
Extreme Teen Bible
The Maximized Living Bible
Friendship First
some of these, i find incredibly offensive. some of them are laughable. but the point is that my cart is still empty.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
good music prt. 2
good music is listening and performing
the previous blog described how i started performing music
listening is equally important
sometimes more important
listening involves connecting with good music
a matter of personal taste
there has always been music i do not like, with exceeptions
most soul music from my teen years i did not like
the exceptions - marvin gaye, wilson pickett, some temptations
disco could not fade soon enough
but donna summer was a great talent
disco ruined the bee gees
heavy metal has mostly excaped me, though led zepplin I & II; amazing
today i avoid rap, though a few months ago i saw a rap artist on letterman who was really good, very intelligent lyrics, very melodious, i don't remember his name
what do i like or have learned to like
beatles, beach boys, bruce cockburn, stevie ray vaughn, wagner, italian opera, early chicago
CD's i've recently listened to over and over:
beatles on capital, vol 1 & 2
love, beatles
tom petty, highway companion
rod stewart, great american songbook, vols 1-4
michael mcdonald, motown vol 1 & 2 (especially 2)
stevie ray vaughan's first three recordings (texas flood, couldn't stand the weather, soul to soul)
ric blair, fields of freedom (check out his web site and order his cd's: www.ricblair.com)
if no one listens, is it still music?
little fish has eclectic taste in music, very indie
the previous blog described how i started performing music
listening is equally important
sometimes more important
listening involves connecting with good music
a matter of personal taste
there has always been music i do not like, with exceeptions
most soul music from my teen years i did not like
the exceptions - marvin gaye, wilson pickett, some temptations
disco could not fade soon enough
but donna summer was a great talent
disco ruined the bee gees
heavy metal has mostly excaped me, though led zepplin I & II; amazing
today i avoid rap, though a few months ago i saw a rap artist on letterman who was really good, very intelligent lyrics, very melodious, i don't remember his name
what do i like or have learned to like
beatles, beach boys, bruce cockburn, stevie ray vaughn, wagner, italian opera, early chicago
CD's i've recently listened to over and over:
beatles on capital, vol 1 & 2
love, beatles
tom petty, highway companion
rod stewart, great american songbook, vols 1-4
michael mcdonald, motown vol 1 & 2 (especially 2)
stevie ray vaughan's first three recordings (texas flood, couldn't stand the weather, soul to soul)
ric blair, fields of freedom (check out his web site and order his cd's: www.ricblair.com)
if no one listens, is it still music?
little fish has eclectic taste in music, very indie
good music, pt. 1
good music has always been important
very young i ran around the house singing elvis, "you ain't nothing but a hound dog" and everly brothers "dream, dream, dream, dream, dream"
uncle elwood was my first musical influence;
sitting on the floor in the middle of his living room surrounded by his friends;
guitars, mandolins, fiddles;
country, gospel, rockabilly
a blur of chords, melodies, harmonies
i wanted to do that
my first guitar, the vagabond, came from my grandmother's cousin who played in a square dance band.
my grandmother took me to see them
during their break i talked to her about her guitar and how she played it
it was the only time i remember seeing her
the next christmas her guitar was leaning against the couch in the living room with my name on a gift tag
she bought a new guitar and decided i needed her old one
it leaned against the wall in a corner of my bedroom until february 9, 1964 - the day the world of music changed for me
i had heard beatle singles on the radio, "I want to hold your hand" and "love me do" and "my bonnie" (sort of a beatle song) but did not grasp the whole package until ed sullivan said, "ladies and gentlemen, from liverpool, england, the beatles!"
i was speechless, mesmerized, inspired
i wanted to do that
i got out the guitar
a mystery of strings, wood, ivory
fortunately 20 or so friends had the same dream
we taught each other
uncle elwood taugh me a couple of chords
house of the rising son - the most chords, if you can learn that one, you know almost every chord you need for rock & roll
louie, louie; satisfaction; peter gun; twilight zone theme; walk don't run - guitar primers
it was frustrating but i needed to learn
pain in finger tips, bloody callouses, we played for hours, we sounded horrible
thank God for parents who endured
formative musical years
later came music for Jesus
then it was just music because
very young i ran around the house singing elvis, "you ain't nothing but a hound dog" and everly brothers "dream, dream, dream, dream, dream"
uncle elwood was my first musical influence;
sitting on the floor in the middle of his living room surrounded by his friends;
guitars, mandolins, fiddles;
country, gospel, rockabilly
a blur of chords, melodies, harmonies
i wanted to do that
my first guitar, the vagabond, came from my grandmother's cousin who played in a square dance band.
my grandmother took me to see them
during their break i talked to her about her guitar and how she played it
it was the only time i remember seeing her
the next christmas her guitar was leaning against the couch in the living room with my name on a gift tag
she bought a new guitar and decided i needed her old one
it leaned against the wall in a corner of my bedroom until february 9, 1964 - the day the world of music changed for me
i had heard beatle singles on the radio, "I want to hold your hand" and "love me do" and "my bonnie" (sort of a beatle song) but did not grasp the whole package until ed sullivan said, "ladies and gentlemen, from liverpool, england, the beatles!"
i was speechless, mesmerized, inspired
i wanted to do that
i got out the guitar
a mystery of strings, wood, ivory
fortunately 20 or so friends had the same dream
we taught each other
uncle elwood taugh me a couple of chords
house of the rising son - the most chords, if you can learn that one, you know almost every chord you need for rock & roll
louie, louie; satisfaction; peter gun; twilight zone theme; walk don't run - guitar primers
it was frustrating but i needed to learn
pain in finger tips, bloody callouses, we played for hours, we sounded horrible
thank God for parents who endured
formative musical years
later came music for Jesus
then it was just music because
Thursday, March 29, 2007
how wrong can you be?
An old, often repeated joke, though the names tend to change according to setting:
A new arrival to heaven is being escorted down a long hallway with doors on each side bearing the names of various denominations. He passes the Lutheran door, the Methodist door, and the Presbyterian door but upon reaching the (exclusive denomination of your choice) door, his escort says, “Be quiet near this door, they think they’re the only ones here.”
I have heard the joke told about various Christian denominations and systems.
Christians pass judgment on other’s qualifications for heaven. It might be based upon the amount of water used in baptism or the ability to speak an unknown tongue or ones voting preference.
Last year an acquaintance was condemned near and far because of his convictions as a universalist; he believes everyone will be in heaven. As I read the various denouncements of him, I wondered, if his critics expected to see him in heaven? Most Christians, be they evangelical, fundamental, liberal, or some other brand, basically believe that salvation is a free gift of God based upon acceptance of Jesus. A few put some additional pieces to this acceptance like baptism or speaking in tongues or voting republican. (Joking, I haven’t actually met anyone who will admit to placing adherence to the Republican party as a prerequisite for salvation, regardless of their practice.)
So the question is:
How wrong can you be?
How wrong can you be and still get in?
Will the universalist be there?
What about a homosexual friend who’s not living a celibate life?
What about a grad school T.A. who described himself as a “dyed in the wool evolutionist?” (He was a research scientist, volunteered as a T.A. in Hebrew for the fun of it because he loved languages.)
The universalist, the homosexual and the evolutionist are all Christians. Do their convictions disqualify them for heaven?
My conviction: everyone has something wrong. We are human, we are broken and “we see in a mirror, dimly.” In heaven we will see clearly.
Salvation is a free gift and the level of understanding necessary to experience and possess salvation is very small. Little Fish accepted Jesus at age three. She was not as stubborn as her father who was not able to accomplish that simple task until eighteen.
Do I believe there will be universalists in heaven? Yes.
Do I believe there will be homosexuals in heaven? Yes.
Do I believe there will be evolutionists in heaven? Yes.
Why?
Because I think God is up to the task.
Do I believe that there will be people who do not make it into heaven? Yes. I think the Bible is very clear on this. I’m very glad, though, that the task of condemning people to hell is not in my job description. That responsibility resides with one who has far greater qualifications for the job.
A new arrival to heaven is being escorted down a long hallway with doors on each side bearing the names of various denominations. He passes the Lutheran door, the Methodist door, and the Presbyterian door but upon reaching the (exclusive denomination of your choice) door, his escort says, “Be quiet near this door, they think they’re the only ones here.”
I have heard the joke told about various Christian denominations and systems.
Christians pass judgment on other’s qualifications for heaven. It might be based upon the amount of water used in baptism or the ability to speak an unknown tongue or ones voting preference.
Last year an acquaintance was condemned near and far because of his convictions as a universalist; he believes everyone will be in heaven. As I read the various denouncements of him, I wondered, if his critics expected to see him in heaven? Most Christians, be they evangelical, fundamental, liberal, or some other brand, basically believe that salvation is a free gift of God based upon acceptance of Jesus. A few put some additional pieces to this acceptance like baptism or speaking in tongues or voting republican. (Joking, I haven’t actually met anyone who will admit to placing adherence to the Republican party as a prerequisite for salvation, regardless of their practice.)
So the question is:
How wrong can you be?
How wrong can you be and still get in?
Will the universalist be there?
What about a homosexual friend who’s not living a celibate life?
What about a grad school T.A. who described himself as a “dyed in the wool evolutionist?” (He was a research scientist, volunteered as a T.A. in Hebrew for the fun of it because he loved languages.)
The universalist, the homosexual and the evolutionist are all Christians. Do their convictions disqualify them for heaven?
My conviction: everyone has something wrong. We are human, we are broken and “we see in a mirror, dimly.” In heaven we will see clearly.
Salvation is a free gift and the level of understanding necessary to experience and possess salvation is very small. Little Fish accepted Jesus at age three. She was not as stubborn as her father who was not able to accomplish that simple task until eighteen.
Do I believe there will be universalists in heaven? Yes.
Do I believe there will be homosexuals in heaven? Yes.
Do I believe there will be evolutionists in heaven? Yes.
Why?
Because I think God is up to the task.
Do I believe that there will be people who do not make it into heaven? Yes. I think the Bible is very clear on this. I’m very glad, though, that the task of condemning people to hell is not in my job description. That responsibility resides with one who has far greater qualifications for the job.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
futility of the red bird
a red bird, aka cardinal lives on our property.
every day, all day long it flies into our windows.
the house has three floors.
it is no respecter of floors.
if i'm on the bottom floor it flies into the glass door for the deck.
if i'm on the second floor, the living room, it flies into the large windows.
if i'm on the third floor, it flies into the bedroom windows.
in my wife's office, third floor, it flies into her window.
as i write this it is flying into the window in front of me.
if we go on the deck it flies away.
the previous owners warned us about the bird.
they believed it was a deceased father reincarnated.
since i do not believe in reincarnation, i believe it is a bird with nothing better to do than fly into the windows.
we researched, how long do these birds live?
sometimes 15 years.
that's a long time to fly into windows.
one day the bird was sitting on a tree branch in front of the house chirping at me.
it's the most i've heard the bird say.
the bird's activities are a waste of time.
are human beings any better?
at times is the church any better?
i was at a church that had the same easter service every year to "bring people to christ."
good intentions. in five years, two people became christians on easter.
i'm glad they did.
but all the other years . . . no one.
were we flying into windows?
every day, all day long it flies into our windows.
the house has three floors.
it is no respecter of floors.
if i'm on the bottom floor it flies into the glass door for the deck.
if i'm on the second floor, the living room, it flies into the large windows.
if i'm on the third floor, it flies into the bedroom windows.
in my wife's office, third floor, it flies into her window.
as i write this it is flying into the window in front of me.
if we go on the deck it flies away.
the previous owners warned us about the bird.
they believed it was a deceased father reincarnated.
since i do not believe in reincarnation, i believe it is a bird with nothing better to do than fly into the windows.
we researched, how long do these birds live?
sometimes 15 years.
that's a long time to fly into windows.
one day the bird was sitting on a tree branch in front of the house chirping at me.
it's the most i've heard the bird say.
the bird's activities are a waste of time.
are human beings any better?
at times is the church any better?
i was at a church that had the same easter service every year to "bring people to christ."
good intentions. in five years, two people became christians on easter.
i'm glad they did.
but all the other years . . . no one.
were we flying into windows?
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
new stuff
people have asked, "what are you doing next?"
the current, correct answer is, "not sure."
we, meaning the family, have talked and brainstormed and are open to many possibilities.
i've been in touch with some churches.
I've looked into doctorate programs.
i have a couple of start up ideas.
mostly i'm not sure.
many of the ideas are good.
right now i'm trying to give myself a little time to adjust.
it's different to sit here, look out at the trees, birds, and deer in our backyard and know that i have no appointments, no pressing issues to resolve, no phone calls to return, (except to one friend who has called twice, sorry about that mike), and very few emails.
it's refreshing, except for those moments when i wonder , , ,
"what are you doing next?"
and i have to answer, "not sure."
the current, correct answer is, "not sure."
we, meaning the family, have talked and brainstormed and are open to many possibilities.
i've been in touch with some churches.
I've looked into doctorate programs.
i have a couple of start up ideas.
mostly i'm not sure.
many of the ideas are good.
right now i'm trying to give myself a little time to adjust.
it's different to sit here, look out at the trees, birds, and deer in our backyard and know that i have no appointments, no pressing issues to resolve, no phone calls to return, (except to one friend who has called twice, sorry about that mike), and very few emails.
it's refreshing, except for those moments when i wonder , , ,
"what are you doing next?"
and i have to answer, "not sure."
Thursday, March 08, 2007
friends
experiences of recent months have included reconnecting with old friends.
some i've not seen, spoken to, etc in many, many years. didn't know so many years could pass with no loss of friendship. friends are good. friends are important. friends are eternal.
never know when a new person becomes a friend.
one i met while sitting in the library in undergraduate school.
we sang together, traveled together, lived together, experienced anger, joy, disappointment, disagreements, unity and bonds of love. we were in each others weddings and each others lives. and all these years later we are still friends.
next week little fish shows up in florida with a group of friends. it will be her last spring break at our florida house because we are selling. one of her friends is her room mate since freshman year. she has become a second daughter to us and is an important friend to little fish. i hope they are in each others weddings (not too soon) and rejoice with each other thru the years with the arrival of children, job changes, and the movement and changes of life.
some i've not seen, spoken to, etc in many, many years. didn't know so many years could pass with no loss of friendship. friends are good. friends are important. friends are eternal.
never know when a new person becomes a friend.
one i met while sitting in the library in undergraduate school.
we sang together, traveled together, lived together, experienced anger, joy, disappointment, disagreements, unity and bonds of love. we were in each others weddings and each others lives. and all these years later we are still friends.
next week little fish shows up in florida with a group of friends. it will be her last spring break at our florida house because we are selling. one of her friends is her room mate since freshman year. she has become a second daughter to us and is an important friend to little fish. i hope they are in each others weddings (not too soon) and rejoice with each other thru the years with the arrival of children, job changes, and the movement and changes of life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
