Being trombone!

Ever wonder what it must feel like to be an instrument, in particular, a trombone? Watch James Morrison, musician extraordinaire.

Sameness

Okay, I don't rant on very much on this site.  Yes, I enjoy humor, sometimes at others' expense, but that's just part of it.  I don't believe I have ever talked about this, though.  So, here's my rant for today.

I went to breakfast with my dad and my two brothers recently.  I left a little before they did and took the picture below.

My brother's car is the white impala.  Next to it was a Lexus and the black one is an Acura, I think.  Brands aren't important to this discussion except to say that my brother's car is just a simple "dime-a-dozen" Chevrolet Impala.  Here's the bottom line of this rant.  Please note the body styles.  If you were to cover up the back end of the car, you'll see the three cars are basically the same.  One has a spoiler, but that's about it.  Where is the innovative designs of yesterday?  Think about the fins, chrome, fastbacks, etc. of the cars gone by.   I miss the '57 Chevy's, the '65 Mustang, the '72 Cutlass, even the '73 Monte Carlo.  Where are those engineers?  Are we now in the place where body style is viewed the same as Mr. Ford viewed color? Ford said, "They can have any color they want as long as the color they want is black."  We can have any body style we want as long as it looks like a ???; right, I don't know what it looks like.  Finally, note the Ford 4 spaces to the right.  Body style is different.  Wow!  I'm not really crazy about it because there are other cars that look very similar.  However, in this picture, at least it offers a different shape.  Just wish the dreamers were back in control of the body styles so that a Mercedes or a Jaguar would be unique again, something to think about.  Now, there's no distinction to the tune that everyone is singing the same melody and, quite frankly, not everyone is in tune!

Okay, I'm done ranting on this.  At least until the next time.

The Power of Music (Especially the trombone!)

Take a look at this.  Good playing with a great effect!  Enjoy.  (Thanks, Timothy Thomas for the video.)

God's sense of humor

Friends, I have often stated that God must have a keen sense based on his call for me to step into pastoral ministry.  However, I'm wondering if that understanding is somewhat false.  What if God saw in me some latent ability to speak, to dream, to say the things He would have me say in a public setting?  What if it was His foresight that prompted me down this path because He had confidence in me even if I lacked it?  See, that changes everything.  It's not His sense of humor but His confidence in me.  Rather than pulling some uncomfortable practical joke, He's really pushing me to be better than I am.  Wow!  What a change of thought!  I had this notion that He was sitting on His throne, elbowing Jesus and saying, "Watch this!  I'm gonna tell this fellow he's going to preach.  Watch him squirm.  Then, when he gets in the pulpit, I won't leave him hanging, but it'll be fun to see the contortions he goes through just to get there."  Gales of laughter from the Three-in-One.  Please understand, I mean no disrespect to God.  It's my poor view. I'm not saying that God doesn't have a sense of humor.  It must be a keen sense and one that is deeply affected by the actions of His creation.  However, in this way, I don't believe it was His humor that led me to be a minister of the Gospel, to be a student again, to earn a PhD, to direct an online learning program.  It's not His humor; it's his confidence.  At that, I bow my head in wonder and amazement - that the King of all creation would consider me enough to push me in ways that would expand my horizon, equip me to do things beyond my natural ability, and to keep me moving forward.  As the old chorus says, "What a mighty God we serve!"  "I stand, I stand in awe of [Him]!"

Be still!

I don't know about you, but sometimes I need help. Sometimes, the help needed is something I can get from family or friends. Other times, it is much deeper, more difficult to satisfy. I was listening to another of those lectures of Dr. Seamands this morning in which he was describing an interview of Joni Erickson-Tada, the quadriplegic who has turned her handicap into a witness of God's grace. In this interview, Joni spoke of trying to get her head around what it meant to be a quadriplegic, the eternal "why". She concluded that one day God is going to give her the key that unlocks the answer to that question. That's not now, though. For now, she needs to be content in Him.

A few weeks ago, I was at a gathering of academic leaders. That day, one of our group led us in a devotional. Honestly, I can't remember much about the devotional. However, one thing the leader said was that he and his wife practiced scripture memorization and would find opportunities to use that scripture over and over. It helped make relevant the scripture while at the same time spoke into that point of their lives. I thought to myself, "That's what I need to do. I need to use the scriptures in that way." Yes, I've heard others say the same thing, but I got it this time.

Following that lead, I decided to do the same. I picked a verse of scripture that has not been far from me for quite some time. Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Be still. I don't know about you, but sometimes my life gets in a major uproar. I start worrying, fretting over what is or what might be or what isn't. "Be still." But, I need an answer to this terrific problem! "Shhhh. Just be still." Yes, but... "Be still." The still small voice whispers, "Be still and know that I am God." Don't worry about this. Just rest and trust in Him. I keep having to hear that but every time I do, I hear the comfort, grace, love of the Father compelling me to "cast all my cares on Him because He cares for me." (1 Peter 5:7) Hear it? "Be still."

Friends, I don't know what you face but this one thing I do know. God is fully aware and is not in the least caught by surprise by your predicament. We can have every confidence that He will work all things for our good. He will answer. He will reveal some of those answers later, when we are with Him in person. But, until then, rest in Him. "Be still and know that He is God."