I Love Broccoli

My granddaughter Daisy will be here for a couple days this week. I'm so excited to see her again I can hardly sleep! Besides the pure joy grandchildren bring to the whole extended family, just having a little one around makes everything seem so lively and hopeful.

This photo of my daughter Rachel and Daisy from a birthday lunch shows Daisy eating broccoli. She also sucked on a lemon slice at that same lunch and ate a plateful of spaghetti and most of the broccoli. My refrigerator and pantry are ready for her . . .  broccoli, cookies and more!

Children bring such a depth of love and vitality to life. When too many days go by without being around little ones, I try to get somewhere near their energy for at least a few moments, if its just the grocery store or the nearby park.

When we moved back to the Raleigh area last year, one thing that caught my attention right away was all the families on our block and all the kids. I love hearing their laughter through the open windows on a nice day, or seeing them learning to ride a tricycle or bicycle down the sidewalk with Mom or Dad close by. The boys across the street like to toss a football with their Dad before dinner. What a pleasure to enjoy their fun game from my front porch while our own dinner is in the oven.

Jesus loves the little children too. He made time for them and is our example of how to value their worth in little ways:

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

                                                              Matthew 19:13-15

I'm sure after several days with a three year old around, a quiet house will be okay with hubby and me. We are after all, grandparents and that means we've learned to enjoy a quiet evening! But for those few golden hours with our granddaughter, we will be on high alert as we watch her and enjoy her company. And we will be reminded again of how our Lord wants us to come to him:

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.  

                                                           Matthew 18:3-5 

Hello Miss Daisy! Hello Jesus!

~ ~ ~ 

MUSIC LINKS

Children of the Heavenly Father - Concordia Choir, Paul Christiansen directing

For children who are living in volatile situations around the world this day:

Prayer of the Children - by Kurt Bestor, Baylor Men's Choir

Little by Little

An American lady once visited London and fell in love with and bought a run-down Victorian home in one of the neighborhoods. She hired an elderly gardener to do something with the jungle growing around the house while she concentrated on the interior with a small army of carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. 

Photo by Katherine Micks

Several months into the project she took a break one afternoon for a stroll around the house. She had not really paid much attention to what was going on in the yard and gardens and was astounded to note how beautiful the lush growth was becoming in the shaping and caring hands of the kind, elderly gardener. 

She asked the gardener his secret for such marked success in such a short time. He replied, "Every morning I come into the garden and stop, and whatever is at my feet, that's where I start to work." The value of just beginning and beginning with what is nearby. The action plan of little by little.

A college English teacher taught me that same concept. With a large research paper assigned, the Professor led the class through the process with step-by-step goals and assignments. I remember spending several consecutive Saturdays happily taking the subway to the main Chicago public library and working on a list of resources for my bibliography. Once that list of 3 x 5 cards was turned in and graded, we moved on to the next step (I'm dating myself; we didn't do any of this on a computer!). She taught in a very tangible way the value of doing a big project little by little. I remember feeling so energized by that semester's process. 

Where I have spent many little by little minutes practicing

Of course accomplishing goals as a musician is the same process. Learning a difficult or longer work happens little by little with hours, days and weeks of practice.

So much of life really calls for the little by little process. One doesn't become an expert in any area overnight, but over time with regular, thoughtful, input or work, study, or research. 

Children grow up to be responsible, contributing adults through years of patient, loving parenting and more that molds and shapes little by little. 

A marriage doesn't gain its golden edge until little by little a couple faithfully shares life's ups and downs and grows close and strong together. 

Clean-up after a natural disaster (I'm thinking of the storm system that has been over Haiti through the night), must begin at once, and it begins with many people removing debris, offering hope little by little.

But what about the watershed moments, the epiphanies of life? Those terms belie the truth that they are both wonderful, and occasional, even rare. And perhaps they often follow on the heels of times where little by little planted the seeds for the spectacular bloom. 

There is an interesting phrase in one of the Old Testament books, "do not despise the day of small things." A helpful mini-study on the phrase can be found here:  The Day of Small Things

Dawn is about to announce the arrival of another day here in my neck of the woods. What small things, what little by little processes will present themselves for my faithful response? This calendar year is half-spent. I pray that there are little by little plants of 2012 growing at my feet even now. 

You sense that tickling little vine brushing against your elbow too in your own garden? May God continue to bless our days of little by little as we learn to live in the moment and savor the sunrise on fresh buds and fully riotous blossoms. 

Two interesting passages of scripture that mention little by little . . . 

Deuteronomy 7:22

The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.

Proverbs 13:11

Dishonest money dwindles away,

    but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

MUSIC LINKS

Here's one of my recent little by little projects:

 

Domenico's and Joe's Happy Days  with Sonata in E Major by Domenico Scarlatti

The result of little by little? Peace, love, joy.

Peace Like a River - University of Utah Singers

Felix and Skateboards on Our Street

Sitting on the front porch during the golden hour of the afternoon yesterday, I was enjoying the birds and scenes through the trees while reading a little devotional book a friend recently gave me. I absent-mindedly glanced over a paragraph and looked up to admire yet another feathered friend nearby, when it hit me what I had just read. "Of all God's creation, people are the highest and greatest creative act of God."

I laid the book on my lap to think deeper about that. In the distance coming down the sidewalk (which is at a slight downhill slant) I could hear a skateboard coming. I suppose the eleven year old boy cruising at about 30 m.p.h. thought I was a little strange to wave and smile so broadly at him, but I was just overwhelmed thinking about how God made him such a unique, special, and glorious creature. I don't remember when I thought a little boy that age was so magnificent. 

If I would have had a plate of cookies beside me I might have ran after him. Mister Rogers was probably smiling down at me from his new address thinking, "Yep, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood."

Last evening then, I began work on a new video based on a lovely Andante by Felix Mendelssohn in his collection of Songs without Words. That thought from the porch reverie was so lingering and strong, that Psalm 139 kept coming to the fore in my mind. This verse is the repeated visual refrain I decided to use:

I will praise you for I am fearfully

and wonderfully made.

I like to use interesting photos or art with my audio recordings. I think you will agree the photographer and her subject for this one are a lovely, perfect pairing to both Mendelssohn's Andante and the psalmist's prayer of thanksgiving. 

Song without Words, Op. 67, No. 1 - Andante

Everyday Prayers

This summer I've been reading Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. Sometimes you feel a connection to an author because of their writing style, content, or life circumstance. Mrs. Voskamp is a farmer's wife somewhere in the bread-basket farmlands of Canada.  As a farmer's daughter myself, her writing resonates deeply with me in the rich rural upbringing I had. 

One example, her escape from dinnertime chores to chase the harvest moon is a particularly lovely telling. I could smell the sheaves of corn stalks, hear the crunch of the half-frozen grass under her feet, feel the freshness of the cold night air, and thrill at the spectacular moon rise.

I also deeply appreciate her dare to live fully right where you are. Isn't that what makes life worthwhile, living where you are, living fully in the moment, and doing so with thanksgiving to God?  This type of living is more related to the attitude and mindset than circumstance. It is what gives a person a generous, joyful disposition no matter what the circumstance. 

I think of people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer as he served his fellow prisoners in the German prison camps; my mother as she kept a joyful spirit through months of health struggles; a college roommate who was always on the lookout for ways to serve others and woke each morning with a beautiful smile. And many more. 

Do you know people who have dared or are daring to live fully right where they were? How about you and me today?

Martin Rinkart was a German Lutheran pastor who lived during the difficult years of the Thirty Years War. His hymn Now Thank We All Our God is an amazing table prayer, written for his children after his wife died. It is an astounding poetic affirmation of daring to living fully and thankfully in the midst of the most unimaginable circumstances.

Here's a video of Karg-Elert's stirring setting of that hymn for organ. It's a piece that has always inspired me to Greater Things when I've ruminated on it, practiced it, and shared it in worship. This recording is from a worship service at Muhlenberg Lutheran Church, where I was privileged to serve a beautiful congregation in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia.

March Triomphale / Now Thank We All Our God

Little Chairs and Wide-Eyed Wonder

The Main Character

I've been spending time in the children's section of the local library, sitting on a little chair surrounded by a pile of books. Reading. Noting little details. Scribbling "things to remember" in my little spiral notebook. Trying to move into the world of wonder and awe that a child has over stories with imaginative pictures and storyline. Exclaiming in delight when characters step off the page as new friends and mentors.

This evening on the stand in the hallway outside my office I have three hopeful envelopes ready to mail in the morning with manuscripts for a picture book story for preschool age children. Knowing all the odds, and knowing that rejection is part of the proces, I still will send them off. There is a chance that one of these publishers will think my story is delightful, marketable, and would be a lovely addition to their next catalog. At the very least, I'll learn something helpful for future stories.

Like so much of life, writing children's books is a process of learning, jumping into the unknown, falling, getting back up again, trying over and over, until it's just right. Like the little kitten in my story, I'm going to risk getting my paws dirty for the adventure of it.

You can check back with me in six months or so to see if I've heard back yet about the kitten story. I'm told the turn around time is about as long as Pinocchio's nose.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here's a delightful little ragtime piece that will put you in a playful kitten mood:

Kitten on the Keys

High Places, Narrow Roads

Have you noticed when hiking in the mountains that the trail seems to get narrower and often less pronounced the higher up one goes? But what a spectacular view at the end of the journey! It was worth the climb. The word summit always connotes adrenalin-laced, joy-filled awesome moments and places.

View of sunrise from my brother's porch in Marble CO

A number of years ago when visiting my brother Jerry out in Aspen Colorado, he took us up to the see the marble quarry in Marble, CO. His trusty Jeep "Festus" didn't let us down, but I was pretty certain at many points on the narrow, winding mountain road that there was less than an inch between the jeep's wheels and the absolute edge of the cliff where the dirt road was precariously perched. None of that seemed to phase my brother as he chatted happily while driving and bouncing along. (You've been up the mountain with such a guide too? It changes your blood chemistry doesn't it?!)

At some point we had to disembark and walk, which included crossing a mountain stream. It seemed more like a small raging river to me. But it was exquisite, absolutely crystal clear. The sights in the quarry up on the mountain at the end of the journey made the climb well worth the effort. 

Later while reading Irving Stone's biographical novel, The Agony and the Ecstasy on the life of Michelangelo, Stone's telling of getting the best marble for his sculptures were vivid in my imagination. At one point one of the assistants who was helping Michelangelo roll a large piece of marble down the mountain was crushed by it when the laws of physics came between his good intentions and the large stone. 

My visit to Marble helped me visualize this scene and weep with Michelangelo and the family of the assistant. These back stories to producing the world's masterpieces often are filled with stone-crushing, careful-steps-along-the-edge-of-the-precipice scenes. Careful crossings of pristine streams. The narrow roads. 

Ad augusta per angusta 

To high places by narrow roads

Jesus talked a lot about life's narrow roads and he "put his money where his mouth was" by walking the narrow road himself. A beautifully poignant verse in the epistle of Hebrews describes his journey succintly:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.     Hebrews 12:1

Today I've posted another organ solo on YouTube, Of the Father's Love Begotten. Through sound and the underlying text, it describes Ad augusta per angusta in the life of one whose narrow road experience has turned the world upside down. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Of the Father's Love Begotten 

organ solo played on the Schantz Pipe Organ 

at Resurrection Lutheran Church on Epiphany Sunday, 2004

Y2K and B3K

Remember the hype before the turn of this century - Y2K?  Many were predicting a lot of bad things would happen. I wasn't sure they were correct, but I did buy a couple bags of rice and some extra dried beans in case the world markets collapsed overnight. 

I suppose the thing I was most concerned about was the warnings from the computer geeks who were saying that all the computers would blow up (or something like that) when they reach the end of 1999 and weren't programmed for what's next. How many of us depend on computers these days as assistants in our work!

Maybe that was all just a lot of hoop-a-la intended as marketing schemes by those who make computers and harvest beans. 

I'm looking forward to my own B3K sometime in the next few hours as this blog reaches 3,000 views. Thanks to all my good friends, old and new, who have taken a peek at what I'm thinking and offering on this site. It's been a means of so much joy for me, and I hope for you too.

The Organ & Chancel at ESUMC

In celebration, I've upload "The Hallelujah Chorus" to the new organ playlist on my YouTube Channel. This recording is of the postlude I played on  Christmas morning 2011 when I was serving as Interim Director of Music at Edenton Street United Methodist Church. Enjoy!  God is good!

Hallelujah Chorus

  on the 98-rank 
  Létourneau Opus 112

  Christmas Day 2011

A Gift at Four A.M.

What is that song that's going through my head? I lay awake hearing the voices of the congregation singing it so eagerly and with great joy. . .

Glory to God in the highest and peace to God's people on earth.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Glory to God . . .

Ah, yes. The Hymn of Praise, the Gloria sung at the beginning of worship, right after the Kyrie.

The month of July I've been serving as guest organist at St. Philip Lutheran Church on the north side of town. This is a congregation that loves to sing! Their song has blessed me in the middle of the night with a message of hope. In one's sleepy head, things get jumbled and I keep hearing the phrase, "and peace to God's  people on earth."

Is that why I was fidgeting, awake when I should be resting? Too much non-peace in the world, in circles far removed from me, and those closer to my home and heart. So in the night the Spirit of God brings the song. And then I hear another voice, one so clear, pure, sweet. . .

Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me, I will bring you home,
I love you and you are mine.

In the dark room, it sounds like the voice of an angel ministering to me. Music Director, Stephanie Rodelander, recently sang this refrain several times a capella, as cadences to the sermon. At the time, it struck me so profoundly, the juxtaposition of such powerful words and such a simple, beautiful presentation. The congregation followed suit at the sermon's conclusion and sang the entire hymn, You Are Mine. 

What a lovely thing to hear voices like these in the middle of the night! Thank you Lord! 

A former pastor and colleague, Pastor Joe Vought, often commented during our worship planning meetings, that this or that particular song would be good to incorporate into worship because it was a "walking along song, one the people can carry in their pockets throughout the week." Indeed. That is part of the beauty of the sung liturgy, repeated for numerous weeks, and memorized without even realizing it. It becomes something one can pull out of the pocket of their heart, consciously or unconsciously, and hear again and again as a blessing and sustenance for the spirit. Something like the fairy bread that Frodo and Sam shared on their arduous journey up the mountain.

What songs do you have rewinding, replaying in your heart in the middle of the night? May they be ones that bring you peace.

I'm heading back to bed now for a little more sleep . . .  blessings to all!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MUSIC

You Are Mine (Do Not Be Afraid)

The opening stanzas say . . .

"I will come to you in the silence,
I will lift you from all your fear.
Your will hear my voice.
I claim you as my choice.
Be still and know I am here.

I am hope for all who are hopeless,
I am eyes for all who long to see,
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light,
Come and rest in me."

He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

Postscript . . . 
 
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 
I do not give to you as the world gives. 
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  

John 14:27

Fast and Slow

FAST.  Sneakers of the soul laced tight, wind in the hair of vision, enormous amounts of adrenalin propelling the body onward. Sometimes we live life in the fast lane, zooming from one activity to the next, facing our responsibilities with all the gusto we can muster under a blazing sun and fluffy-cloud, blue sky. Or sometimes we are just running scared, or furiously pursuing a receding-in-the-distance, life-long goal. FAST. Are you in this lane today?

S L O W.   Moments last longer here, where the flow of blood is barely perceptible, thoughts are more one-dimensional and enlarged, past and present meld with today.  Life in the slow lane might mean summer vacation on a lazy beach, or in a hammock with a good book. How about a lingering, wet kiss from a much loved spouse? But then  s l o w  might also mean our sails have been clipped, or our limbs are weary or weighted down. Perhaps death is inching toward us and we perceive its stealth-like steps with a slow sigh.  S L O W.   Are you in slow motion today?

Contrasts. That seems to be the script for life's playbook, doesn't it?

Terms in a musical score from Adagio (very slow) to Presto (very fast) give musicians instructions for the tempo of a piece of music, with variations sometimes occurring in the midst of the piece. I've often thought how these changes tell the story of humanity, with the ebb and flow across the ages of multitudinous stories that weave together the tapestry of the story of the world. 

Jesus lived in both lanes during his days on earth. A phrase in Mark's gospel always makes me smile:

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”       Mark 6:31

When my children were still at home and I sometimes felt like there wasn't even time to eat, I liked to remember Jesus had that problem too. And he knew when enough was enough and it was time to change lanes. To move from serving to resting. 

It's good to remember that Jesus said to them, "Come with me." Whether in the fast or slow lanes, knowing Jesus is there with us and leading us is a strengthening, lovely thought. 

~ ~ ~ ~ 

MUSIC LINKS

Here are two Bach Preludes from the WTC, that I enjoy playing and share here as examples of FAST and S L O W.   I have paired both of these with a famous impressionistic painting that tells a kindred-spirit-like story. 

"Children on the Beach of Guernesey" RENOIR

Prelude No. 21 in B-flat Major, 

BWV 866

"A Pair of Shoes" VAN GOGH

 

Prelude No. 22, in B-flat Minor, 
BWV 867

Get Outta Here!

Unbelievable moments. We love the Olympics for many reasons, one of which is the incredulous moments the world is able to share. The 2012 games have already highlighted this phenomenon, haven't they? 

A quick roundup of news reports which use this word in recent days includes these few examples where this word incredulous is used. It seems to be one word appearing a lot in media reports these days:

India incredulous over mystery Olympian - "India is fuming over the presence of a mystery woman who led out the nation's athletes at the opening ceremony." 

In an article about swimmer Michael Phelps, a USA Today reporter closed his article by saying,

Which event would he most like to win again? Phelps looked incredulous. "Obviously, all of them," he said, smiling a golden smile.

Regarding Ye Shiwen's world-record breaking swim:  Australia has lent its voice to a mass of support building behind Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen, who raised doubts with an incredulous Olympic gold medal swim.

People enjoy the incredulous moment, the unbelievable outcome when it is something that exceeds their wildest expectations, their fondest hopes and dreams. The Olympics always seem to offer plenty of these, as well as the flip side, the incredulous sense of loss in an unexpected upset. These are the extremes of human emotion and the Olympics is a safe place to experience them vicariously.

I wonder how many of the visitors to London will take time to visit the National Gallery, one of that city's treasure houses of achievements in painting and art from around the world. 

One of the paintings housed in the National Gallery is the painting below by Caravaggio. It has been a favorite of  mine since I first encountered it. I love the get outta here! It's Jesus we've been talking to! expression of the man on the right, hands outstretched, fingers flayed, I can't believe it! flung to the ends of his furthest doubts. What a WOW moment of incredulous recognition.  Dr. Luke tells this story with the small details of a wise and practical physician in Luke 24.

Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaues 1601

What about you and me? What incredulous moments have we experienced in our lives? The first glimpse of your newborn baby's face? I remember saying when I first saw my son, "I can't believe it!" Such joy seemed almost too good to be true. I've also had my share of the disappointing unbelievable moments. You too? 

Yet here we are today, the hours ahead, beckoning with more unbelievable moments of joy, calm, and peace as we dwell in God's presence in the midst of whatever it is we are doing. . . watching the Olympics, clearing the supper table, sharing a chat with a friend or spouse, or nodding to the cardinal just outside the window (yes, he's there at the moment).

The image of the man with outstretched arms at the Supper is what I want to carry along for the journey of these next twelve hours. The disciples had begged this Gentleman to "stay with us for it is evening" and when his identity was revealed in the breaking of the bread (and he vanished), they said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us?"  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Incredulous Young Musicians

Mozart's First Symphony, written at age eight

Emily at Age Six

11 year old Korean violinist Soo-Been Lee performing Wieniawski's Variations on an Original Theme in A major

Levi the 3 year old drummer

And for fun . . .

Tucker Sings and Plays Piano