Happy Tuesday after Thanksgiving!!! .....did you survive your Turkey coma? We hope that you were able to see those who were dear to you and pause for true Thanksgiving for God's providence in your lives.
Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes!!
As we enter into the peak of the holidays, The Notes would like to offer a strange piece of advice. EAT DESSERT FIRST! Especially if you have a sweet tooth! This allows you to have the sumptuous goodies AND enjoy the incredible entrees that the season usually produces. It also sets you apart as someone who may have just a little bit of a different perspective. Let's face it, everyone has something that makes them unique....in reality "People Are Strange"
"People Are Strange The Doors"
While one of the most wildly popular
bands of the 70s, The Doors were not considered very mainstream. They
would see the production of 9 albums, 3 of which were produced without
their lead singer, Jim Morrison, who died of a heart attack in 1971 at age 27. Alcohol and drug abuse were considered by many to be contributing factors to his fatal heart attack.
They would experience sold out concerts, some that featured Jim
Morrison antagonizing security and the crowd, and 1 concert that would
see him arrested while on stage.
"People Are Strange" was a 1967 single released from the Strange Days album. It would peak at #12 on the charts and be considered somewhat autobiographical. The Doors entire existence as a band can easily be considered as "strange" at best.
It seems the entertainment industry has its share of people who are strange. Can you think of any other "unique" entertainers. Here is a look at one:
The Many Faces Of Johnny Depp
It is easy to see how the eccentricity of Jim Morrison and Johnny Depp would draw the attention of people. Is there anything that you do that people would consider out of the ordinary or perhaps peculiar? There should be.....
1 Peter 2:9
King James Version (KJV)
9 But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;
Notice the word "peculiar" in the previous passage from the King James Translation of the Bible. The King James is the only Bible translation that translates the word "peripoesis" into the word "peculiar". This word is updated in most other translations of the Bible to mean possession, something highly treasured by God. Peculiar is only used 7 times (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2, Deuteronomy 26:18, Psalm 135:4, Ecclesiastes 2:8, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) in the King James and is exclusively an attribute given to Israel in the Old Testament and Christians in the New Testament. This high favoring is worthy of behavior becoming one who is "His own possession".
Usually for something to be a possession, another thing has to be given in exchange. In this transitory time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, let us not forget what has been exchanged for us to be peculiar......Jesus. As we go about our planning the perfect gift, let us not forget the perfect gift we have in Jesus. Can others tell by our demeanor that we are a Christian.....why or why not? Do we reflect the peculiarity of one who is considered a prized possession? Do we reflect a perspective on this season that causes others to be curious as to why we are different? Do we attract attention with our peculiarities? Are we prepared to adequately explain the reason for those idiosyncrasies? Here is a good article that might shed some light on how to be different as we interact in the world:
How Christians Should Be Different
In 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul reinforces the possession mentality for us. He reminds us that "we are bought with a price" so we can "glorify God in the body, and in the spirit, which are God's". In the next 30 days we will likely interact with more people than usual, so let's be challenged by The Word to act like the treasured possessions that God considers us to be. Let's attract pre-Christians to the life giving message by how we conduct ourselves. Let's cause people to wonder what is different about us. It is how people act....."When you're strange..."
'Til Tuesday
Good Tuesday to ya' friend and welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!
The Notes would like to express it's gratitude and thanks first of all to you!! Since June of this year, over
70 people have subscribed via email and the Tuesday's Musical Notes
Blog has had close to 600 hits. Readers in 10 different countries, including Russia and Iran, have been gracious enough to take the time to read The Notes and we have received positive feedback from several of you. Keep those cards and letters coming..... Thanks again! We look forward to writing these musical perspectives and hope that together we have been exposed to some interesting facts about our favorite musicians, and more importantly, we have learned more about ourselves and about our walk in The Way.
It seems with each passing year, the push to get the "jump" on Christmas is more prevalent. Some retailers have begun having the traditional day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" specials every Friday
between Halloween and Christmas. It is not unheard of to even see some
Christmas decor in the stores prior to Halloween. Where is Charlie
Brown when you need him?!!!! In an attempt to stall the rush of the season and to pause for a moment to give thanks we offer up this ode to the season, with an assist from Sawyer Brown:
"Thank God For You" Sawyer Brown
With multiple chart hits and 3 #1's, Sawyer Brown would dominate the charts for 2 decades of country music. Every album Sawyer Brown released from 1980 - 2000 would chart in the top 40. With lead singer Mark Miller's distinctive vocals and the band's fun concert reputation, Sawyer Brown would become an award winning standard for country music groups. They won the 80's version of the X-Factor, Star Search, and would continue to produce albums as late as 2010.
Sawyer Brown got its start as a successful road band for Country artist Don King. Their name was taken from the street where they rehearsed. Most recently, Mark Miller has formed his own Christian Record label, Beach Street Records. Perhaps you have heard of one of the bands he signed to this label.....Casting Crowns. It would seem on the face of it that Sawyer Brown has many reasons to be thankful.
The Notes recently had a conversation with a young adult regarding the seasonal rush to Christmas. This "wise beyond their years" person was pushing back as hard as she could against the tendency to neglect the Thanksgiving season and move into Christmas. "What happened to the celebration of Thanksgiving?", she asked. This is a good question for each of us to ask. Especially those that claim Christ as their hope of eternal salvation. To understand what may have happened to Thanksgiving, we must first get a good idea of what the season was set aside to celebrate. Last week The Notes started this conversation with a look at where the proclamations for Thanksgiving began. In case you missed it here is the link:
Tuesday's Musical Notes - "What A Wonderful World"
While President Lincoln's proclamation set the date tradition for Thanksgiving, we need
travel just a bit further back in time, say 200 years, to see when the
first observances of Thanksgiving occurred. While Thanksgiving
celebrations had been occurring in the New World as early as 1607 among
Spanish explorers, the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation are credited with the traditions we now observe during this season. Their prospects were bleak for the coming winter as only half of those who arrived in the New World survived the voyage from England and the previous winter. The spring brought a new relationship with the Indians which enhanced the ability to grow crops that would sustain them through the next winter. As a result of their gratefulness to God's providence, they celebrated. The following is an interesting article regarding the life of one of the Pilgrim leaders, William Bradford.
William Bradford
The Pilgrim leadership realized that it was by the hand of Almighty God that they survived and eventually thrived in the New World. Are we as aware of God's providence in our lives? As Christians, do we observe Thanksgiving in a way that would cause pre-Christians to wonder why we celebrate in the manner we do? Do we take the time to realize that our survival as well as all of the good things in our lives are by the hand of Almighty God? The writers of the book of Psalms did:
Psalm 9:1 - "I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."
Psalm 35:18 - "I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you."
Psalm 69:30 - "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."
Psalm 95:2 - "Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."
Psalm 100:4 - "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
17 more times in Psalms and 95 more times in the Bible is the word thanks or thanksgiving used to express to whom our gratitude should be given. It is this "attitude of gratitude" that should permeate every aspect of a believer's life. We really should "give credit where credit is due,"......
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy
Tuesday is here again!!!! Welcome to The Notes!!
When reading the title to this week's Musical Notes, instant images of a
happy trumpet player with a gravely voice possibly popped into your
head....Well, let's complete the image:
What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
This
iconic song by Louis Armstrong has been used at weddings, funerals,
graduations, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It
didn't break the top 100 on American charts upon its initial release,
but zoomed to the top of the charts, reaching #1, in the UK. Tony
Bennett turned down the original offer to record "What A Wonderful
World". It was then offered to band leader Louis Armstrong who was the
oldest artist to ever reach #1 on the charts in England. At 66, Louis
Armstrong had a unique insight into how wonderful the world really could
be. His career started during the roaring '20s and would culminate in the clamor of the '60s. He would influence the music scene in America from the early 1920's until his death in 1971, where Bing Crosby,
Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Pearl Bailey, Count Basie, Harry
James, Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Earl Wilson, Alan King, Johnny Carson
and David Frost would serve as honorary pallbearers. In 1988, "What A Wonderful World" would be featured in the movie Good Morning, Viet Nam and subsequently be re-released as a single in the US reaching #32 on the top 100. His
impact on music continues to be felt as 41 years after his death, "What
A Wonderful World" is considered a go-to song for many a sentimental
situation.
"What A Wonderful World" seems to be a list for which the
writers were expressing thankfulness. Given the tumultuous state of
world affairs at the time, Louis Armstrong's delivery of "What A
Wonderful World" provided a perspective of hopefulness and gratitude.
As we enter the holiday season, it is so easy to speed up to Christmas and totally miss Thanksgiving, a
holiday that was established by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a
day to give thanks to God for our great nation. It was as trying a time
in our nation's history since the Revolutionary War. During the 3rd
year of the Civil War, President Lincoln gave this Proclamation:
Thanksgiving Day Proclamation President Abraham Lincoln
President
Lincoln saw the blessings and gave thanks for them "in the midst of a
civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity".... and I said to
myself.....what a wonderful world.
The spirit of gratitude during hard times would be one that
Christians should never forget. It shows to a lost world the
"peculiarity" of Christians, the ability to express gratefulness in times of trouble. King
David of Israel understood this intense ideology of gratitude during
hard times. When you search the Psalms of the Bible, you see time and
again David's thankfulness for God's grace and mercy. One particular
time, David initiated a Thanksgiving day for Israel. The ark of God was
about to return to Jerusalem. This event was a joyous time in the
nation of Israel after many years of intense civil and foreign wars of
their own. Please take a moment and read King David's Thanksgiving Day
Proclamation:
Thanksgiving Day Proclamation King David
"Search for the Lord and for His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonderful works He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments He has pronounced" This line from
King David's proclamation seems to remind us to whom our thankfulness
should flow. So as we enter this season which will doubtless include
plans for Black Friday, watching the Razorbacks and LSU, and enjoying
some time off with family and friends, let's be intentional about being
thankful....
and I think to myself.....what a wonderful world.
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy
Good Tuesday to ya friend and welcome to the final political edition of The Notes, Tuesday's Musical Notes Votes!!
It is election day!!! Some states allow some form of early voting or absentee voting. Click here to see the map:
States That Allow Early Voting
But for most Americans, today will be the day that they will go to their respective polling places and decide who they will elect as President of the United States. Senators and Representatives, as well as many ballot initiatives, will be decided upon today as well. After today we should be finished hearing from our computers, radios, and televisions......"Vote For Me."
Chicago "Vote For Me"
The Notes admits to bias when it comes to certain rock bands. Any band that features a horn section is near and dear to the heart of this particular blog. The best, by Notes standards, is the band Chicago. One of the most successful bands in history, Chicago has seen 18 of their 34 albums go to platinum status. They have 21 top 10 singles and 5 albums reach #1 on the charts. They have released 63 singles from their albums. The remainder of songs on Chicago albums are good songs, yet have rarely been given a listen by anyone other than Chicago enthusiasts. One such song is entitled "Vote For Me", from 1977's Chicago XI. It was a song about obtaining the nomination for President. The candidate in the song makes many promises that would probably be difficult to achieve. It seems not much has changed in 35 years. "Vote For Me" was not released as a single, nor did it chart, but it joined a number of politically charged songs by Chicago, including "The Whole World Is Watching", "Harry Truman", "State Of The Union", and "A Song For Richard And His Friends".
Today our country will either
reelect President Barack Obama or elect Mitt Romney as our President.
As we have seen over the last couple of years, many surrogates and the candidates themselves have attempted to describe the role of President of the United States. I think the best way is always through the eyes of a child......cue flashback music:
Schoolhouse Rock "The Preamble"
The President will take the oath of office on Inauguration Day next January. This is a two part oath of office with the first portion being:
"I, (President's Name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I
take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose
of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of
the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
This same oath is given to Senators and Representatives as they are sworn into their new roles in the representative government of our Republic. The President however reaffirms his oath in the 2nd portion of his oath of office that is given at 12pm on the day of the Inaugural:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the
office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my
ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United
States."
You may notice that the Constitution of the United States is the document that the President is sworn to uphold. It includes the Preamble, The Bill Of Rights, and The Amendments and is one of the most revered documents in our nation. In fact, you could say that is a National Treasure:
National Treasure "A Line That's At The Heart Of All The Others"
Let's look at the Preamble to the Constitution to see if it sheds light on what the President as well as each of us as citizens are prescribed by the founders to accomplish......together.
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union
1) establish justice, 2) insure domestic tranquility, 3) provide for the common defense, 4) promote the general welfare, 5)secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
Do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."
Our challenge on this very special day, is to determine which candidate has the ability to do those 5 things. We will certainly disagree on the way those things are accomplished, but we must never compromise any one of them. We also have a responsibility as Christians to do the best that we can for the eternal kingdom, regardless who wins the Presidential campaign. A great article that details our reaction to the results of the election is at the next link. It is written by Glenn Packiam, a newly naturalized citizen and writer of the song "Your Name".
5 Reasons why voting matters to me
In this article Packiam references the wonderful teaching of Jesus called the Beautitudes. These are also some very high standards in which to hold all of our elected officials accountable. From The Message paraphrase:
Matthew 5-7 The Message
Today is an important day. Edward Everett Hale, the author of The Man Without a Country wrote something that applies well today:
I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
Time
is over to research the issues and candidates. If you haven't voted,
please do. To not vote, IS to vote. Then as Christ followers let us commit together to pray for the leaders we have elected. As we come to the close of this election cycle we can be thankful that the day has arrived where, at least for 6 months or so, we won't hear the phrase...."Vote For Me."
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy
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