Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Life In One Day" (Howard Jones)

Yep!  It's that time again!  It's Tuesday!  The 3rd day of the week!  This Tuesday happens to be the 18th day of the month!  It's the 321st day of the year!!  Since we're here we may as well say it...Only 37 shopping days until Christmas...but let's not get in too big of a hurry...ONLY 10 MORE DAYS UNTIL THANKSGIVING... #respecttheturkey...Anyway, Welcome To Tuesday and the 18th Day of November edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! We have lots to do in our brief time together so let's get to it!  Welcome!

For some, counting the days down until a big event is an exciting way to remember a special time that is in the future.  These countdowns  remind us of the time constraints that we place on ourselves to accomplish tasks prior to a big event. Occasionally, countdowns are a way to stoke the fires of anticipation for the event itself.  Not surprisingly, there is even a countdown app available for most smart phones to help keep you reminded of the time you have left before the big day (Free Countdown app at iTunes).  With all the focus on the future, sometimes we tend to forget to enjoy the here and now...the future will take care of itself somehow...  With this hurry-up, instant gratification mentality permeating our culture, it is easy to see how some may attempt to live their life in one day...

(Please do not adjust your dial, the following video is supposed to appear to have glitches...kinda fun, huh?!)

"Life In One Day" - Howard Jones from the 1985 album Dream Into Action

Although he never dominated the charts, Howard Jones placed his unique stamp of uptempo, synthesizer driven, positive songs on the popular music scene of the 80's.  His debut album, 1984's Human's Lib, went to #1 on the UK charts (#59 in the US).  His followup, 1985's Dream Into Action, would soar to #10 on the US charts with support of 3 top 20 singles ("Things Can Only Get Better" US #5, "Look Mama", UK #10, and "Life In One Day", US #19).  Jones' most popular song would also come from this album.   "No One Ever Is To Blame" would reach the #4 spot in 1986, after having been rerecorded with drum work, backing vocals and production work by Phil Collins to make it more radio friendly.  It was also a feature song at Tuesday's Musical Notes (March 2011, the email version).   Look for the reimagination of that email in future "First Tuesday" blogs.

"Life In One Day" is one of those "ear candy" songs that is instantly recognized with its synth pop intro and 80's feel.  Lyrically it speaks to making the best of this very moment (which obviously you believe in doing by reading today's Notes...thank you very much).  Even in the 1980's it was easy to feel like our lives were being put into fast forward.  With the technological advancements we have seen in the last 30 years, (yep, next year this song will be 30 years old...) it would be easy to say that we are able to achieve much more in the 14-18 waking hours that we have in each day.  Unfortunately, we see an increasing push to advance that productivity even higher.  Please do not misunderstand.  Tuesday's Musical Notes understands the importance of productivity and by no means advocates laziness.  The Notes difficulty lies in the drive to overproduce that leads to neglected families and burnout.  How long has it been since you enjoyed a day where you  "didn't take life so seriously"... and maybe just read a book without the worry of "all the things I have to get done" running around in your head?  

This "filling up every minute with something" mentality goes against many of the precepts found in the Bible.  In fact, in the 2nd verse of Genesis 2, the Bible tells us that God "rested from all His work".  In fact, He found so much enjoyment in His resting that He "blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done." (Verse 3)  So if the creator AND sustainer of the universe took the time to relax and enjoy His productivity, logic would dictate that His creation would also need a day to rest, reflect, and respond to His glorious blessings.  

God also felt rest was important enough to include it in His Ten Commandments.  In Exodus 20, God gave Moses the laws by which the Israelite nation would be governed as they went to and eventually settled the promised land.  These commandments have been the guideposts for law and morality since they were etched into the stone on Mt. Sinai. They are standards by which much of mankind's governing rules have been based.  Unfortunately, the first section of the Commandments, those regarding man's relationship with God, have been cast aside for most of the world's population.   Only devout Jews and Christians hold to the commandments which focus on our relationship with God.

It is in the middle of these commands that we find God detailing a day of focus and reflection specifically on our relationship to Him.  Far too many times, we "speed our time away" by filling it with activities that do not cause us to pause and rest.  Anymore it seems that Sunday's are another day of work, sports activities, and church activities.  All of which have the potential to clutter the rest time that we physically and spiritually need.  The church is not immune to the busyness of our days.  We tend to try to compact as much as we can into our 2-3 hours together per week all the while our  "hereditary bone" is crying out for nothing more than time spent communicating with God.  

If we look at Jesus' ministry, we see that His season among man was certainly limited,  He still made time to refresh and reinvigorate His relationship with God the Father,  (Luke 5:16 NIV), He felt that His disciples needed a break, (Mark 6:30-31 NIV), and He promised that He would provide rest to believers, (Matthew 11:28 NIV).  

So in the Old Testament, God the Father commands that we observe a holy day of rest, following His example, and in the New Testament, Jesus (God the Son) affirms that we should have times of quiet and rest.  Both of these are achieved through the workings of the Holy Spirit (God the Spirit) as He communicates with our spirits about our physical and spiritual well beings.  

There our times in our lives where we must examine why we have filled every waking minute with busyness.  If our motivations are to get ahead of everyone else, we would be wise to realize, "the grass is never greener over there".  If our motivation is to always be seen as being productive, we wind up finding ourselves spent to the point of being counterproductive or burned out.  If we convince ourselves that our busyness is God motivated, then according to the scripture (God's Word on the subject) we are deceiving ourselves, as God wants the best for us and that includes some time to "play your flute and dance and sing along..."

'Til Tuesday

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Baba O'Riley" (The Who)

Rules of Civility #21 - "Reproach none for the infirmities of nature, nor delight to put them that have in mind thereof."

Welcome to Independence Week and Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Two days from now our country will celebrate its birth.  That's 237 years old if you are keeping track.  It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating 195 years of the most prosperous republic ever seen on the earth.

That is correct, despite what many in the United States of America believe, America is not a true democracy.  As a nation, we are better defined as a constitutional republic.

There is a huge difference in those terms.  You see, a democracy is dependent on its people being their own governing agents.  They can change the laws that they don't like and maintain order in a manner they deem appropriate.  Some democracies deteriorate into a form of mob rule, where very little is fair and laws are tossed aside when they are no longer considered relevant.  A constitutional republic is government that is organized by a set of principles and laws whereby the people elect representatives to insure those principles are upheld.  By these definitions and taking current events into consideration, perhaps we are a democracy after all...  It seems the teenage wasteland of 1971 has become the government of 2013...

The Who - "Baba O'Riley" This song comes from the combination of the names of the metaphysical religious author Meher Baba and minimalist musician Terry Riley.  Originally written as the opening song for their follow-up to rock opera Tommy (for a conversation on rock opera, just click on this link: Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mr. Roboto" ), The Who would reduce the song by over 25 minutes to include it in their 1971 release, Who's Next.  It was written as an observation of the cultural phenomenon of Woodstock with its excesses.  Looking out over that muddy field, a teenage wasteland would be easy to conclude. This observation seems strange coming from a band that is noted for destroying more guitars on stage than any other band in history.

Pete Townsend wrote the song for The Who.  Despite the song never being released as a single in the United States "Baba O'Riley" became an instant international hit.  With its familiar electronic opening, it has been used in everything from commercials (Mazda 6) to the Olympics (London Olympics 2012).  It is listed at #349 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time".  It has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for being one of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.  With all of this success, The Notes wonders what the formative teenage years of Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon would have been like.

King Solomon is attributed to many of the chapters of the book of Proverbs in the Bible.  The story regarding his wisdom is well known.  It seems however that Solomon did not always heed his own sayings or pay attention to his God-given knowledge.  The dysfunction of our modern family would pale in comparison to what Solomon had experienced with his father King David and his brothers.  Solomon propagated this broken family model due to the large number of women he "loved".  It seems that he did not read some of his own writings when it came to his family.

Proverbs 22:6 stands out to many people as one of Solomon's greatest observations.  It simply says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  We must remember that our definition of children and Solomon's would have been significantly different.  In Solomon's day and culture, boys and girls that were older than 11 were already beginning to take increasing responsibility for themselves and their families.  Solomon's father, King David, was the youngest of his clan when he was selected by God to become the king of Israel.  Jesus was trained as a carpenter, the trade of his earthly father Joseph, at an early age.  With that context in mind, how should we be training our children today?

Many of you were probably like me.  I was part of the drug culture of the '60s and '70s.....we were drug to church every Sunday.  (choose your own rimshot)  It didn't matter what Disney might be showing on Sunday night, we were going to church.  It was what you were supposed to do.  The Notes does not wish to judge our parents as to their motivational techniques, yet going to church was not an option for many children and teens during this time.  I am told that the decade or two before were even more stringent.  Did Proverbs 22:6 have anything to do with this?  We now live in a generation where there really is a choice among children and teenagers about attending church.  The result has been the aging of the church, a reduction in overall church attendance, and we would say a contributing factor to the decline of our great country. 

Perhaps you have heard it said often that "our children and youth are the church of tomorrow".  While this is a statement that can cause great hope, the diminishing number of students involved with the ministries of the church is a cause for alarm.  The reality of many churches is that the children and youth are the church today... I was at a camp for 3rd-6th graders recently.  The declining number of campers is cause for alarm.    I was speaking to one of the leaders of the camp who informed me that as little as 20 years ago, there would have been 600 children at that camp.  This year the number was 103.  "Don't cry....don't raise your eye...it's only teenage wasteland"  In that 20 years, the enemy has used some "really good things" to compete against the best things of God.  In eternity, what of these "really good things" will we use to glorify Jesus?  As Christ- followers and parents, it is our responsibility to determine the difference between these things for ourselves as well as our children.  Granted, the church has made mistakes.  It is made up of flawed people.  But it is still the best vehicle whereby boys and girls can come to a saving heart knowledge and God-motivated desire to serve.  Please encourage your children to participate in the activities of your local church.  Encourage and pray for the children's ministry leaders at your church.  Be involved in the children and youth ministries of your church.  Encourage your children to lead in the church now, so they are better equipped to lead in the church in the future. 

We make choices daily that impact our children.  Our children will one day be the decision-makers in our churches and our country...Training up your child in the way he should go is the greatest thing you can do to celebrate our wonderful country on this Independence Day.

A poem for your consideration:

Only One Life

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life's busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in 'that day' my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God's holy will to cleave;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e'er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,"Thy will be done";
And when at last I'll hear the call, I know I'll say twas worth it all";
Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. 


'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "In My Life" (The Beatles)

Hey, there friend!  Welcome to Tuesday! It's time to celebrate another day of livin'!  It's time to celebrate another day of life!  Today's life is brought to you in the mold of the 3rd day of the week!  Get this!  Tuesday derives its name from Old English and the celebration of the god of single combat.  I don't know about you, but I've had some Tuesdays that seem like I'm always fighting something.  Norse mythology also has this day as a celebration of law and justice. Maybe your single combat battles have resulted in law and justice being served...or maybe it's just Tuesday. 

Anyway, welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes, the blog that answers many of the questions you never really wanted to be answered...but found interesting nonetheless.  In my life, it is a great way to meld three of my favorite things!  More about those in a moment but for now thanks for stopping by!!!  We hope Tuesday's Musical Notes is on your list of places you remember...

"In My Life" by The Beatles from the December 3, 1965 album Rubber Soul 

Rubber Soul was one of the rare records that came at a time when The Beatles had no touring or film commitments.  It was the band's sixth album overall but only their second album of completely original material.  Coming right off the heals of HELP! (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "HELP!" (The Beatles)), it was their second album to be released in 1965.  The album saw two versions produced.  One for the US and the other for the UK.  The US versions cut 4 songs that would later be included in the 1966 album, Yesterday and Today.  Rubber Soul is one of the iconic albums by The Beatles and found itself at #5 position on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.  

"In My Life" joins the other songs of Rubber Soul by seeming to usher in a more reflective season for the music of The Beatles.  Very little of their writing had to do with personal moments of their lives up to this point.  If you review the singles released by The Beatles, pre-Rubber Soul, you see that especially the Lennon/McCartney collaborations on this album are different.  

While "In My Life" is credited to Lennon/McCartney, there is some conversation regarding its origin. 

"How The Beatles made "In My Life" - The Hollyhobs, April 2, 2019  

The song was never released as a single but gets continued radio play due to its being on a track on Rubber Soul and the fact that it is by THE BEATLES.  "In My Life" remains so popular that it also finds itself on a Rolling Stone list.  It comes in at #23 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.  Not too bad for a song that wasn't a single, nor was it in the mode of what was expected by the biggest band in the world at the time of its recording.  

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.  Some of the biggest names in music have covered "In My Life".  Allan Hall (Selah), Judy Collins, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Cash, and Bette Midler have all produced the song on albums.  Midler's version was on the soundtrack to the movie For the Boys and was the most successful of the covers finding itself peaking at #20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.  John Lennon's first wife Cynthia even recorded a cover of "In My Life" for The Beatles Complete on Ukelele.  (You read that right...it is an attempt to record every Beatles song by or at least including a ukelele.) 

There is much we can imitate from the song.  Its reflective theme resonates with everyone at some point in their lives.  Even kings take the opportunity to look back.  And here's where my 3 favorite things, Tuesday, tunes, and theology, come together, right now...you get the point.

1 Samuel 16 - 1Kings 1 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

David is absolutely my favorite Old Testament Bible character.  First of all, he is a musician. Me too!!! I mean really what more do we need than a musician who will be king, but I digress.  

Secondly, he is a herdsman.  Me too!!! (well at least as a kid on our small farm.  Cattle was our animal of choice and then it was only 10-12 head, does that count as a herd?)  David's herd consisted of sheep.  Perhaps we've mentioned the fact that sheep herding is one of the most difficult livestock trades existing.  Sheep are not the brightest animal, in fact, they are considered the dumbest on the planet.  (Perhaps that's why the Bible refers to humans as sheep on occasion.)  The sheepherder is not only responsible to protect the flock from predators but also from the sheep themselves.  

Finally, David really messed up many times throughout his life. Me too!!! Just like King Saul his mentor and predecessor, he disobeyed God and sinned.  On one of the most egregious occasions, David had Uriah, one of his mighty men, killed to cover up the affair David had with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife.  This sin and others in David's life had consequences. David repented and God revived their relationship.  Even though David was restored in his relationship with God, those consequences would plague him for the rest of his life.  His kingdom was seemingly in turmoil for the remainder of his life in the form of a family that defines dysfunctionality for generations to come.  

The difference between David and Saul?  Through all of the mess-ups, the wrongdoings, and the sin, David remembered something that had been prevalent in his life.  He loved God more.  Saul disobeyed God and never seemingly repented of his broken relationship with God. He loved himself and his power more. David however, mourned in the times his relationship with God was broken because of his missteps.  He repented for the sin in his life and he turned to the God who had brought him out of the hands of lions and giants and into the throne room of a king.  He loved God more than the trappings of being king and the power of conquering surrounding nations.  He loved God more than the lust that consumed him at his greatest failure and he turned his grief about the broken relationship with God into repentance and obedience and praise of the God who was faithful to restore him.

Many of the Psalms are an expression of the way David felt at times in his life.  Some of those Psalms are celebratory and others are depressing.  He wrote songs about how God had brought him into triumph and he wrote songs about his experiences away from God.  Psalm 51:1-17 NASB/AMP/KJV  

Ultimately, the theme of David's songs was his love and trust in God. Regardless of the people and things he'd known before, in his life...David loved God more.

Can the same be said for us?  Where do our affections lie?  Have we been truly honest with ourselves as we reflect on the places we remember?  Have we come to a point where we realize that this is not all there is?   Have we come to a point where we hear a still small voice calling to us to come to Him forever and for better?  Have we come to a point where we recognize that in our life there's something more?  

This song is attributed to John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  Regardless of who wrote it, I can see King David singing it.  I can see me seeing it.  What about you?  Can you hear yourself singing..."In my life, I love You more?

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving You,

randy

<><

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Miracles" (Coldplay)

As we begin today's Notes, we want to pause a moment and reflect on the significance of today's date.  June 6, 1944, plays into some of the events described in today's Musical Notes and is a day to be celebrated and honored, for on this date 79 years ago the Allied forces made their push into Normandy, France, and turned the tide on World War II.  Many lost their lives that day in the advancement of freedom from the tyranny of Nazi Germany.  We must never forget moments like this in history and provide to those who sacrificed, the honor due them by remembering.  We are grateful for those who served in this great conflict and pray that your sacrifice will never be dishonored.

For more about D-Day, click on this link from history.com:  "D-Day" - by history.com editors, updated May 11, 2023, | original article published October 27, 2009

And now we bring you Tuesday's Musical Notes in its entirety...

Here we are.  We find ourselves on the first Tuesday of June!  Most schools have dismissed for the summer.  More candidates are scheduled to announce their intentions of running for President and other offices in an election that is 16 months away. (Get your yard signs today!) College baseball is on its Road to Omaha and the big leagues are defining the "Boys of Summer".  (It's okay to be humming the song right now, we're doing it too!!!)  It's only 88 days until College Football kicks off!!!  Theme parks, campgrounds, and lakes are seeing the summer influx of vacationers needing a break, and a diverse variety of summer camps are populating college campuses and retreat centers.  

We start today's blog with all of the above to ask a simple question:  "Are you ready for the summer?"  (While obscure, this too is a song reference...end credits...1979's Meatballs starring Bill Murray in his first leading role. Rated PG.  That's 1979's PG.  Funny but a bit crude at times)  After the remembrance of those who sacrificed everything for our country, it seems with Memorial Day weekend, folks all across the country declare it to be summertime and start the annual rituals of getting outdoors more often for a variety of things, some of which are much fun, others of which...well, is weed eating...  If you live in the South, you distribute your time equally by enjoying the outdoors and battling the creatures that live in the outdoors.  

Whether you are grilling for the family or determining your next strategy against mosquitozilla, music tends to be a part of what we do outdoors.  From the days of the transistor radio to the current opportunity to stream a gazillion songs on your phone, music has been a part of our summertime fun.  (For a brief history of portable music, click on the link: "Infographic: The Evolution Of Portable Music" by Josh Morrisey, April 9, 2012, thestrut.com) In short, the ability to take our favorite summertime soundtrack of life with us is nothing short of...well...a miracle...

"Miracle", December 15, 2014, single by Coldplay from the soundtrack to the Legendary Pictures release, Unbroken

Written specifically for the Angelina Jolie movie Unbroken,  the Coldplay song "Miracles" was released as a part of the promotional campaign for the film.  While it did receive some airplay and was well-received by music critics, it failed to chart as a single.   

The film, however, is a different story.  It is based on the 2010 book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story Of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  It is the retelling of the true story of Louis (Louie) Zamperini, a combat serviceman in World War II, who prior to his military service, placed 8th in the 1936 Olympics as a runner setting a record for the final lap of his 5000-meter race.  During his service in the war, Zamperini survived a plane crash and 47 days in open water on a raft, and was then captured and held in a series of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.   The bulk of the film features his struggle to survive the brutality of the camp and one Japanese soldier, Mutshuhiro Watanabe.

The film was critically acclaimed while not in major award areas, receiving three Academy Award nominations in the Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing categories.  Who knew those existed?  Unfortunately, it did not win in any of those categories but was named one of the Top Ten Films of the Year by the American Film Institute,  the New Hollywood Award for Jack O'Connell, the actor who played Louis Zamperini, given by the Hollywood Film Awards, the Top Ten Films list, and Breakthrough Performance Award for Jack O'Connell,  by National Review, Best Action or Adventure Film by the Saturn Awards, and the Outstanding Action Performance by Stunt Ensemble Award from the Screen Actors Guild.  (Nice award...should probably get more props!) Some Christian movie critics argued that the film didn't receive the Major Awards recognition it deserved due to Zamperini's life after his army service ended...it too was something that many consider...a miracle.

 

The Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, a physician, chapter 9, verses 32-43 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

We leave the story of Saul for a time and segue into the adventures of the Apostle Peter.  As we have told the great stories of the Bible in the last couple of years, Peter has been a prominent character of late.  He was one of the 12 original disciples called by Jesus to follow Him during His teaching time on earth.  He also was a part of Jesus' inner circle of three, which included James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  Peter had a reputation for being quick to speak, many times resulting in a strong admonition from Jesus.  

By the time we catch up with Peter in this portion of Acts, we see a maturing disciple who is seeking to be more like Jesus with each day, to have the opportunity to serve others, to preach the Gospel of Jesus, and if necessary to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.  The impulsive Peter that we have come to expect is still around as we will see in the future, but our Scriptural focal point today doesn't indicate that his actions were anything more than one of a man seeking to be like Jesus.

We see in Luke's account of Peter's acts two stories of the miraculous.  Peter has traveled to the town of Lydda, which is modern-day Lod a city northwest of Jerusalem and southwest of Tel Aviv.  As Peter comes into town he encounters Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.  Peter speaks the name of Jesus over Aeneas and tells him to "get up and make his own bed", which of course Aeneas does.  Yes, it is a miracle that Aeneas was walking, however, if you're not careful, you miss another miraculous event in the postlude of the story.  Aeneas walking around the streets of Lydda was news for the day and all of his neighbors saw him.  The Bible says that after they witnessed the miracle in Aeneas' life, they received one on their own, as they turned to the Lord.  The Bible says "ALL" (emphasis mine) in this portion of the passage.  An entire region (Lydda and the plain of Sharon) was transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit because of the miracle that occurred in a paralyzed man's life.  

The second story in Scripture today comes from the area of Joppa (modern-day Jaffa, a district of Tel Aviv) and relates the account of Tabitha's interaction with the Apostle Peter.  The Bible describes Tabitha as rich in acts of kindness and charity.  It goes on to say that these acts were a habit that Tabitha had as a part of her life.  This habitually kind lady became ill and died.  Her friends and family prepared her body to be buried and placed her in an upstairs room.   The local followers of Jesus heard about Tabitha's death and sent for Peter whom they had heard was at Lydda.  At their earnest urgings, Peter came to Joppa and went to the room where the women of the area were morning Tabitha (the Bible calls her Dorcas at this juncture in the narrative).  On display were the garments and tunics she had made, the tangible signs of Dorcas' kindness.  Upon his arrival, Peter ushers them all out of the room and prays.  Turning towards Tabitha he said to her "Tabitha arise".  She opened her eyes, saw that it was Peter, and sat up.     Peter gathers the women who had previously been mourning and presents Tabitha to them.  The Bible says that this event also resulted in life change miracles as many in the region of Joppa heard about Tabitha and believed in the Lord.  

"...Sometimes the stars decide
To reflect in puddles in the dirt
When I look in your eyes
I forget all about what hurts..."

The 1998 Winter Olympics (Nagano, Japan) was the scene for another miraculous event in Louis Zamperini's life as he would run a leg of the Olympic Torch Relay close to where the prison camp he was interred in was located.  Zamperini was 4 days shy of being 81 at the time.  

Just like Aeneas and Tabitha, there is a postlude to Louis Zamperini's life that includes a miracle equally as important as his survival.  Director Jolie doesn't quite finish telling the story as Unbroken ends just when Louie's real life is beginning.  Zamperini converts to Christianity upon his return home and becomes an example of Jesus by meeting with several of his captors (Watanabe refused to meet with him) and offering them forgiveness for the acts they had perpetrated against him. The miraculous story of survival he had experienced paled in comparison to the miraculous change he experienced when he surrendered himself to Jesus.   

Aeneas, Tabitha, and Louis Zamperini devoted their lives to God.  They allowed that devotion to spill over into every aspect of their life as the attention came to them as a response to the miraculous events in their lives.   In Zamperini's case, the movie falls short in telling His inspirational story, one that did not rely on his release from a prison camp, it was one dependent on his belief in a man who died to bring him a restored relationship with God.  On July 2, 2014, at the age of 97, Louis Zamperini received the ultimate miracle as he passed from this life into the presence of the One who had provided the only miracle in his life that counted...

Have you had a similar miracle?  You can by believing that Jesus was sent by God to restore the relationship that was broken by mankind in the Garden of Eden.  Jesus provided this opportunity by serving as the sacrifice for all of the wrong things you have done, I have done, and everybody else has done.  His perfection becomes the lens by which God sees us if we believe this.  And that my friend is as true of a miracle as you will ever experience...

If you would like to read more about the miracles that occur in the Bible and that can occur in your life, check out these Tuesday's Musical Notes from the archives:

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "All I Need Is A Miracle" (Mike + The Mechanics)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "It's A Miracle" (Barry Manilow)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Miracles" (Jefferson Starship)

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy  

<><

 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "One Day" (Matisyahu)

Welcome to Tuesday and another jam packed edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  It's the last Tuesday of February and coincidentally the last day of February as well!  Wow, that month flew by....  

Thanks for taking a couple minutes from your day to read up on things that make you go hmmm.  We bask in the sunlight of all musical genre's and time periods as we provide thoughts that hopefully cause you to consider life change from the One who is timeless.  So sit back and get in the groove of a reggae beat as we ponder a time for which we all long.  It is a way of life that many say we desire, however, do we really do things to make a world like this come to pass...ahh mon, maybe one day...

"One Day" by Matisyahu from the 2008 album Light 

This is what can happen when someone comes to themselves.  (Think parable of the lost son when he was eating with the pigs, The Gospel of Jesus according to Dr. Luke chapter 15:11-32 English Standard Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible parallel) Matisyahu, (Hebrew name), his given name is Matthew Paul Miller, lived a life that was experiential by nature as a teenager.  He existed in the drug culture during his formative years and after a time in rehab, began to rediscover his Jewish heritage.  He combined this heritage with the beats of Reggae and Hip Hop and in October of 2004 released his first studio album, Shake Off The Dust...Arise.  

His first album failed to chart, but with constant touring and exposure of the album success of his second album in 2006 entitled Youth was insured.  Youth soared up the Billboard album charts finally peaking at #4 in the US rock charts and all the way to #1 in the US Reggae chart  (who knew there even was a US Reggae chart?) This increased publicity caught the attention of NBC advertising execs as they decided to utilize today's feature song in advertising for the 2010 Olympics (NBC 2010 Olympic promo).  The exposure caused significant interest in the song and it would break into the Hot 100.  However, the Olympics would not be enough for the single of "One Day" to see gold.  It peaked at #85 in the US, but not surprisingly went all the way to #1 at Media Forest, the Israeli version of Billboard Magazine.  

Lyrically, the song speaks to the positive message of a world wear "our children will play".  It is a song that breaks down cultural barriers as it attempts to find avenues of unity which all of the human race can support.  ("Are There Really Different Races?" - by Ken Ham answersingenesis.org November 19, 2007, "One Race" by Dr. Georgia Purdom, answersingenesis.org, April 1, 2010)  

How would the positive embrace of unity affect our world and be the impetus to show a love that was taught to a bunch of folks on a hillside long ago?    The Gospel of Jesus according to the Disciple Matthew chapter 5 Holman Christian Standard Bible  If embraced by this Teacher's followers, this message has the capacity to be the most unifying of declarations.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a "Christian" Rock and Roll Show.  That really is the only way I know how to put it.  The visuals and production alone were worth the price of admission.  It featured 7 diffferent acts.  A couple of the artists took to the stage to attempt cultural reconciliation, however, their lead was, "You know how divided we are as a country..."  While well intentioned, I firmly believe this type of rhetoric plays right into the narrative of the very division to which they refer, as well as into the hands of the enemy of which we despise.  

Think about it for a moment.  When was the last time you heard or read a news story about black folks and white folks living together in peace and love?  While we rarely hear about it, "community" happens every day in cities across our nation.  In churches, in workplaces, in sports teams, professional and amateur, even in our governemnt,  we see examples of folks getting along despite differences in their culture and skin color.   Matisyahu performs with Muslim beatboxer, Kenny Muhammad and recorded a remix of "One Day with Muslim rapper Akon.  And finally the best commercial your humble blogger has personally ever seen went viral on youtube.com (Two Old Friends Meet for Tea and Discover They Share a Problem- Amazon.com ad)  

Unfortunately, our media outlets choose to feature stories tainted with the ever present discourse of negativism and cultural conflict fueling both of these in the process.  Do we have issues?  Absolutely!  However, when all we are fed is a constant barrage of garbage and hate, a self fulfilling prophecy tends to take control.  Wouldn't a self fulfilling prophecy of unity be better?

What would happen if tomorrow we awoke and the very first thing that our eyes beheld were the efforts of white officers in predominantly black neighborhoods building relationships and trust.  What would happen if our newspapers featured stories about how multicultural churches are making a difference in their communities and world wide?  What would happen if folks who disagree were respectful of their differences and did not bloviate on facebook causing hard feelings?  What would happen if celebrities talked more about their own multicultural relationships than fueling their political disagreement while trying to be funny (or not getting the Best Picture Award correct)?

  

What would happen if everyone would listen as the Teacher told this parable:  The Gospel of Jesus according to Dr. Luke chapter 10:25-37 New King James Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible parallel ?  How would our nation and our world be impacted if we chose to focus on the partnerships and positive relationships among cultures that live in communities all over the nation that get along and indeed flourish every day?  Stop with the violence, stop with the hate.  The Beatles may have had something..."All you need is love, love, love is all you need."  Maybe they were paraphrasing the Teacher...

Repentance is a word that is far too seldom used in our world today.  It means to turn away from something and turn to something.  What would happen to our world if we turned to Jesus and focused on Him and the love He commands us to give to others?  The Gospel of Jesus as written by the Disciple Matthew chapter 22:34-40 NKJV/The Message  Is this too much to ask?  We can defeat the enemy through Holy Spirit's power by focusing on the positive.  As followers of Jesus, "we can make a difference, we can make a change, we can make the world a better place" by exposing the positive examples that are going on all around us and destroying the rhetoric of hate and narrative of the negative.  Yes the negativity abounds, but as believers we don't have to let it get us down.  Because our focus is on One Day...The Revelation of the Disciple John chapter 22:1-5 NKJV/The Message

"Love Broke Through" from the 2015 album, This Is Not A Test by Toby Mac 

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Georgia On My Mind" (Ray Charles/Willie Nelson)

Rules of Civility #4 - "In the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming noise or drum with your fingers or feet."

     Welcome to Tuesday!!!  Strategically placed after the 2nd day of the week, and before the fourth day of the week.  The day after the beginning of the work week and the day before "get over the hump" day.  It is a day that the Lord has made....REJOICE!!!!  ....and read The Notes.  So what's on your mind?

     If you were prompted to and pondered long enough, you could probably think of some of your favorite songs that were recorded by more than one artist.  The Notes recalls "Shameless" recorded by Billy Joel and Garth Brooks, "I Will Always Love You", recorded by Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston, and "Proud Mary" recorded by Ike and Tina Turner and Creedence Clearwater Revival as  samples of  songs that were hits by multiple artists.  Rare is the occasion that 2 different people will reach #1 with the same song.   Even more rare is to see both artists in the same video performing the song:
 

"Georgia On My Mind" Ray Charles   Willie Nelson


  
       
     "Georgia On My Mind" was originally written and recorded by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930.  It has been covered by a who's who of recording artists in a variety of musical genre.   But the version by Ray Charles from 1960's The Genius Hits The Road album is the first to hit #1 on the Billboard charts and is the arrangement most associated with the song by listening audiences.   18 years later (1978) country artist Willie Nelson would record "Georgia On My Mind" for his Stardust album and hit #1 on the Country charts.  Willie would eventually receive a Grammy the following year for his recording of this iconic song.  In that same year, the State Of Georgia would adopt "Georgia On My Mind" as the official state song.  The lyrics adopted by the State of Georgia included the rarely used introductory verse:

Melodies bring memories, that linger in my heart

Make me think of Georgia, Why did we ever part?

Some sweet day when blossoms fall, And all the world's a song

I'll go back to Georgia, "Cause that's where I belong.

Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through

Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.

Georgia, Georgia, a song of you

Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.

Other arms reach out to me, Other eyes smile tenderly

Still in peaceful dreams I see, The road leads back to you.

Georgia, Georgia, no peace I find

Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.



     What occupies your mind?  What are you contemplating as you are reading today's Tuesday's Musical Notes?  If you were to ask the man on the street, the variety of responses would probably be mind boggling, however, they would more than likely have a few common themes:  financial security, job security, relationship security....there seems to be an underlying commentary regarding security in those answers.  For the most part folks minds are essentially focused on themselves.  Do I have enough money?  Will I have a job next week?  Am I loved by those around me?  Let's face it, from the beginning of time, man has been contemplating and working towards those things that give us a sense of being secure. 


     The opening line of the book As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen deserves a glance:
"The aphorism, "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he," not only embraces the whole of a man's being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts."

     "Every condition and circumstance" of man's life is determined by the thing on which he thinks in his heart.....not in his mind.  This is a big paradigm for some to handle.   The Bible directly addresses exactly where our hearts and minds should be focused:

 Colossians 3:
From The Message Paraphrase

He Is Your Life

3 ^1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.
^3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
^5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
^9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
^12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
^15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

     Notice that the self is minimized in all of this description of the new life in Jesus.  The NIV translation puts the first 2 verses like this:  "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."  This is difficult as we are bombarded by distractions every moment of every day.  This "mind" set is acheivable, however,  as we mature in our walk with Jesus.  Maturity has very little to do with physical age, but oh so much to do with our spiritual formation as a Christian.  


     The question is "How do we "set our minds on things above""?  The following is a list of suggestions that if done consistently will help:

-         Improve Your Biblical Knowledge – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

-         Strive for a Godly character –Galatians 5:22-23

-         Have a Sanctified mind – Romans 12:1-2

-         Watch for Spiritual Discernment – Hebrews 5:13-14

-         Have a Willing Obedience – John 14:15-16

Remember to always keep in your mind what Jesus said that all the commandments pointed to:


1)Love God       2)Love your neighbor as you do yourself

These 2 things will keep Jesus, not Georgia or anyone else, on your mind......

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy