Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Love Bug (Herbie's Theme)" (George Bruns)

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Welcome to Tuesday!!!  We hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!  This weekend typically signals the end of summer.  With this transition, the temperatures fall, the length of having sunshine during the day gets shorter, and a "normalcy" sets into the schedules of most folks.  The Notes embraces this "normalcy" as it has really seemed to be a busy summer.  A routine can bring you back to focus, reduce the urgency, and perhaps even bring a little balance back to your life.  We appreciate the routine that many of you have of reading Tuesday's Musical Notes each week.  People from all over the world have joined in as we have taken a moment of their time to share things that we are passionate about.  THANK YOU!!!
Even in the face of normalcy and balance, a little chaos every once in a while can be a good thing.   Otherwise, life could become really, boring really fast.   This chaos can come in the form of friends, family and occasionally a VW Beetle...

The Love Bug (Herbie's Theme) by George Bruns from the 1968 movie The Love Bug starring Dean Jones
 
In 1968, an icon of the automobile world flashed, dashed, and skirted into the hearts of millions of people.  Herbie, the Love Bug raced onto the screen as a lighthearted distraction from the turbulence all around the world that defined the 60's.  It was one of the first motion pictures I can ever remember seeing.  We saw it at the Joy theater in Bald Knob, Arkansas.  Long gone are the movies that were shown there but the building still stands.  I remember it with fondness as my father's laughter resonated and seemingly became early surround sound for that small theater by the railroad tracks.  My dad's laughter was infectious.  The infection of his laughter competed with the equally contagious personality of Dean Jones cool portrayal of Jim Douglas, Herbie's driver.

Upon Herbie's arrival, Douglas' "normal" life of racing and crashing cars was thrown into chaos as the car that he got hustled into buying actually came to life.  The chaos continues for 4 theatrical sequels, a 1982 5 episode TV series,  and a 1997 made for TV movie sequel.  The chaotic world of Herbie would continue for Jim Douglas in Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo and as a tribute to the original, Jim Douglas makes a cameo in the '97 TV movie. 

 
Walt Disney himself recruited Dean Jones to be the foil for the Beetle with a personality.  Dean Jones television show, Ensign O'Toole, was the lead in for Disney's Wonderful World of Color on NBC.  Disney then ordered prints of the Jones' previous film work to preview for the possibility of a long term commitment.  That commitment was realized when Jones, who served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, would be a recurring actor for a decade at Disney Pictures after his starring role in the 1965 Disney classic That Darn Cat!  The Love Bug, however, would be the film for which he was best known.   
 
Off screen, Dean Jones lived the Hollywood personality lifestyle until 1986 when he came to know Jesus as Savior.  His life of chaos settled into a world of peace.  A recent Washington Post tribute article on Dean Jones details his convictions and charitable work after his conversion experience.

 
Tragically, Dean Jones died on September 1, 2015 at the age of 84 due to Parkinson's disease.

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Dictionary.com has 7 definitions for the word "peace".  The one that applies to most folks is, "freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity".  This seems a difficult state of being for most people of the world.  The importance of an individual to have a sense of calm or peace far outweighs any of the geopolitical aspects of what the word peace describes.  True peace can only come from one source...Jesus.
 
"Peace" as a word is used 249 times in the New International Version of the Bible.  That makes it one of the most used words of the Bible.  It is a topic that our day and age so desperately needs, as hate seemingly is having a field day in our culture.  Jesus provides us with encouragement as He tells his disciples what their lives will be like without Him there.  John 14 - New International Version of The Bible/The Message Paraphrase parallel  The overriding encouragement is that with the coming of Holy Spirit, there is peace for followers of Jesus.  It is not a peace that is defined by the world, but one that was given from the foundation of world.  It is a peace that only those who follow Jesus can obtain, and a peace that will be magnified exponentially in the eternal kingdom to come. 
 
A "normal" life on this earth is replete with chaos.  A "normal" existence in heaven is replete with peace.  As followers of Jesus, we get to experience a taste of that peace amidst the chaos of this earthly experience.  THAT peace is reserved for those who are absolutely not "normal"...

 
 
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy

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