Welcome to Tuesday and another Christmas edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!
While normally festive during the month of December, I must take a pause and reflect on the passing of a musical great in my life.
Today's Notes are dedicated to her...
In our family and early in her church life, her musical accomplishments were incredible. While only having a few piano lessons, she learned to play hymn after hymn, partnered with my dad in singing songs of joy, and implanted in my brother and myself an appreciation of all kinds of music. A love of music that I can only hope we are as passionate to pass on to our children and grandchildren as she was.
She had a beautiful Soprano voice and absolutely loved to sing. Memories were made as we sang together in church with as much 4 part harmony as we could muster back in the 70's. She sang the great hymns of the church without hesitation as the congregation lifted its voice in praise to the One who gave us our voices.
However, my fondest memory of her singing was her morning wake up calls. She would usually get up between 4:30 and 5 in the morning, get herself ready and in the meantime prepare a full-blown breakfast for dad, Wade, and I. When she thought it time that we arise from our slumber, she would start in..."Everybody oughta know!!! Everybody oughta know!!! It's time to get up!!! It's time to get up!!!" taken from the old hymn of the same name with the words transitioned to get us going in the mornings.
Except for her rendition was much faster and, on purpose, more out of tune...It takes real skill to sing like that...This was not her beautiful Soprano that we had grown so fond of at New Bethel General Baptist Church. In fact, we would have done about anything to make it...Stop
Once Thanksgiving was over, she would transition to a holiday-themed crooning to arouse us gently from our evening rest..."can't ya hear them bells ringin', ringin'..."
or for you modern country fans:
Originally recorded by Bill Monroe in 1951, "Christmas Time's a-Comin'" is usually relegated to Country music stations during the season. It is an incredible departure from Bing, Nat, Dean, and Elvis. It is a departure that I can highly recommend if you wish to provide diversity to your Christmas playlist.
The Bible was something my mom believed. While she loved Sunday School classes and learning about the Bible. She lived a life that was emblematic of the truths of the Bible and the things she learned at church. Her life was one that was metered by Biblical virtues and standards. She consistently mirrored the servant/leader mentality of the Savior whom she called Lord.
Solomon could have been writing about her in Proverbs 31:10-30 King James Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel She believed strongly in the 2 commandments that Jesus highlighted in The Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple Matthew:22-34-40 KJV/The Message She was also secure in the hope of an eternal home. The Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple John 5:24 KJV/The Message, Matthew 7:21-33 KJV/The Message, and John 14 KJV/The Message, and Paul's letter to the church of the Philippians 3:20-21 KJV/The Message
Dear friend, yes, my family and I are sad. Yes, we are heartbroken. But please understand the calm assurance that is placed in our lives because we believe the same things my mom did. We are filled by Holy Spirit as our comforter at this time and surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ from our church families to whom our gratitude cannot be expressed by words. Churches are not perfect, but I know of 3 that are really, really good.
Can the same be said of you? Do you have the calm, heavenly peace that sustains you through difficult times? Are you traveling down your life path all alone, yet seeking friends and substance to fill you? Please consider attending a local church. Please consider the message you will hear there. Please consider that Christmas time's a-comin'...do you know you're going home?
This song pretty much sums up today's salute to my mom...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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