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:
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Improve Your Biblical
Knowledge – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
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Strive for a Godly
character –Galatians 5:22-23
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Have a Sanctified
mind – Romans 12:1-2
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Watch for Spiritual
Discernment – Hebrews 5:13-14
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Have a Willing
Obedience – John 14:15-16
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
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