Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Time Passages" (Al Stewart)

Hi there!  Welcome to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving!!!  

My how time flies!  It has been 163 years since the proclamation by President Lincoln making the last Thursday of November (I don't get him not picking Tuesday?!) as a "day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."  What?  No mention of Turkey or football?  (Yup, football in one form or another has been around since before the Civil War.) 

It seems that in the middle of the American Civil War (18 months would pass before General Lee would surrender at Appomattox), President Lincoln felt that there were things in which to give thanks that did not include food or pastimes.  President Lincoln was instead thankful that no foreign nation had involved itself in the American conflict, that America's economy had expanded even during the time of war, and even with all of the casualties of the war, (approximately, 620,000) President Lincoln was thankful that the population of America had increased.  Gratitude in the face of such a horrific time was an example that we still honor today.  

So, as you gather with friends and family to enjoy a meal or maybe just time together, remember to be grateful for those special moments.  As you celebrate with abundant food and entertainment, reflect on all that time has allowed you to experience, the good and the bad.  For each and every moment you spend grateful is an occasion that you allocate your time in a good way as you navigate through your time passages.   

"Time Passages" title track from the September 1978 album by Al Stewart   

Featuring one of the more memorable saxophone solos by Phil Kenzie, "Time Passages" would peak on Billboard's Hot 100 at #7.  Produced by Alan Parsons (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sirius/Eye in the Sky" (Alan Parsons Project) "Time Passages" would spend 10 weeks at #1 on Billboards Easy Listening Chart, the most of any song in the '70s.  It would also be Stewart's second single to hit in the top ten, the previous being "Year of the Cat" (#8).

It is said that Stewart wrote this song as he was making plans to return home for Christmas.  Regardless of how hard he might try, he continues to find himself drifting into memories of previous times in his life.  Maybe he returns to the past searching for experiences in which he should be reminded of things to learn.  Or perhaps it's just reminiscing to a time that may be more pleasant than present or future existence portends to be.  

In the Bible, the life of Isaac, son of Abraham, seems to go by very quickly.  In comparison to other patriarchal lives, there is very little scripture that details the life of Isaac.  It seems his time passage is relatively short, at least in the Bible.  Once we read about Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, it seems that many years pass by quickly in the narrative.  We find that Isaac had 2 sons, Esau and Jacob.   Jacob would quickly become the focus as the next patriarch of Israel.  The Bible details that Isaac learned some interesting things from Abraham (Genesis 26 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel).  That's about it.  Isaac becomes old very quickly in the Bible it seems as he makes his way down his time passages.   

Even though the Bible does not dedicate much detail to the life of Isaac, there are some facts we can garner.  We see that he is the only one of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) who lived in the promised land all of his life, he is the only one who God did not change his name, and he is the patriarch who lived the longest.  

Here's the point of today's Notes.  As we see in the life of Isaac, the years run too short and the days run too fast for us to not live a life filled with gratitude.  As we see in President Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation, joy and gratitude, even in the face of adversity, are critical as Holy Spirit transforms us more into the likeness of Jesus.  

There may not be much ink spilled about your life, however, you could very well be the only believer/ Jesus Freak/ Christian, that someone will encounter.  Those folks will be looking at you and observe the interaction you have with each other, whether it be brief or life-long, as their only idea of who Jesus is.  Friend, how will you spend those particular time passages? 

'Til Tuesday

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (Green Day)

 Welcome to the Tuesdayest Tuesday of them all!  Well at least in our lifetime!  What does that even mean?  I'm not sure, it just seems I'm running out of ways to start this adventure into anecdotes and accents!  So let's get started already with another edition of your favorite blog and mine, Tuesday's Musical Notes...and Yes, we know it is November and that September ended nearly two months ago.  I guess that means we're awake?

"Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day from the September 20th, 2004 album American Idiot  

The fourth single from 2004's American Idiot was released on August 31, 2005.  Written by lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong about the death of his father in 1982 (he was 10), the single peaked at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 marking the group's second foray into the top 10.  The song became emblematic for two major events in the United States, Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 attacks of 2001.  The Platinum-selling single featured an extended video in pseudo protest over the war in Iraq, which went to #1 on Total Request Live and was voted #2 in a readers poll from Rolling Stone in the year of its release.  

In this world, we don't live forever.  Everyone deals with the grief of a loved-one lost in different manners.  Loss of a loved one is a theme that poets and songwriters have been putting to paper through the course of history.  Grief has been captured by creatives in myriad ways through the arts, but it seems that none are more poignant that song.  It seems that the music that supports the lyric in those special songs adds to the cathartic impact as one processes closure of a relationship.  

The Bible holds constant in its theology that death doesn't have to be a permanent state for folks.  Despite what some might propagate, there is something more after the departure from this existence. What that "more" is will be determined by one's belief systems and faith.  

Abraham was the patriarch of God's chosen people, the nation that would become Israel.  And even this "righteous" man passed from this earth.  You can read about Abraham's departure here: Genesis 25 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel  

Abraham followed in the footsteps of those who had come before him.  He died.  His sons gathered him up and buried him next to his wife Sarah.  His story comprises a large portion of the book of Genesis as we see God move an idol-worshipping bedouin, into being a righteous, One God only, father of a nation.  Did Abraham make mistakes?  We've mentioned a few along the way in our introspection of his life.  But the Bible says that God counted Abraham as "righteous".  So God was able to work with his flaws to provide a bountiful life and bring forth the promises he had made to Abraham long ago.

In Hebrews 9:27-28 NASB/The Message/KJV Paul writes about the inevitability of every person's future.  The NASB and KJV both speak of this time as "appointed". The pragmatist in me suggests that each of us has an appointed time in which this body will expire.  Some of those appointments occur unusually soon seemingly to us, yet in God's timing, they are right where they should be.   Can God change that appointment?  Sure He can!  Isaiah 38 NASB/The Message/KJV

A question of much greater import is:  when your time comes what will happen?  You get to determine what will happen!  The Bible also has the answer to this question.  It's as simple as this:  1) A - accept Jesus as Savior (boss, king, ruler) by confessing your sin and believing He is who the Bible says He is and did what the Bible said He did.  2) B - believe that Jesus is God in human form and that He came to earth the first time to die as a sacrifice for our sins.  By doing this we become righteous in God's eyes just like Abraham, as we believe in Jesus.  3) C - confess that we can do absolutely nothing on our own merit to get to heaven, that we can do nothing to restore the broken relationship between us and God.  Confess that Jesus did what needed to be done to make a way for every man, woman, boy, and girl to have that relationship with God mended.  Then tell everyone with which you come into contact about the good news (Gospel) of Jesus' salvation for mankind for those who believe.  It's as simple as A-B-C!!!  But you have to choose.  Friend, God is calling you, drawing you to Himself through Holy Spirit.  Won't you believe today and determine where your "more" will be?

We will never know when our appointment to leave this world will be, however, we can know the One who made the plan and executes it every day.  Only through this knowledge can we have hope, joy, and peace about where we will be when we wake up and our September has ended...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Love Walks In" (Van Halen)

Welcome to Tuesday!  Can you sense the change?  November always seems to bring about a difference in everything.  Retailers are determining how to find that "it" item for the fourth quarter.  Families begin the conversation of "where shall we spend the holidays this year?".  Planning for the perfect entrees and deserts become a common theme as budgets are made for the special meals that occur between now and January 1, 2020.  (Does saying "2020" seem weird to anyone else but me?)  Politicians are trying to get those last donations before holiday resources become a priority for everyone.  Football teams, except alas the Razorbacks, are trying to get those final wins to insure postseason play.  Things just seem to be different in November.  

And then there is the calm in the storm.  A "lighter" day amidst the cacophony of the final months of the year.  Yes, friend, you guessed it...Tuesdays!  It brings with it the productivity of not being Monday and the anticipation that tomorrow is hump day.  It also brings you your favorite blog, Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  (insert your favorite noisemaker noise right...here!)  

Welcome to the best day of the week!!!  Let's pull a string and see what comes in...

"Love Walks In" by Van Halen, from the March 24, 1986 album 5150  

It would serve as the follow-up single to "Dreams", the #22 smash hit by Van Halen. A typical popular album with see 1-3 single releases. But never being labeled "typical", Van Halen released  "Love Comes In" as 1 of 5 singles released from the 1986 #1 album,  5150.  The song was a bit of a departure from quintessential Van Halen fare like "Runnin' with the Devil".  

Stylistically following in the footsteps of Van Halen's 1984,  synthesizers and keyboards became a dominant instrument instead of Eddie Van Halen's soaring guitar solos on many of the tracks from 5150.  As seen by our featured video, during the 5150 tours, Sammy Hagar's guitar prowess was put on display as Eddie Van Halen handled keyboard duties on the songs that were heavily weighted toward that instrument.  

The music for "Love Walks In" was written by Eddie, with lyrics by Sammy, once again proving the validity of this incarnation of the band Van Halen and solidifying it as a force with which to be reckoned in the mid to late '80s.  I don't know about you, but I am fast becoming a Van Hagar fan...

Peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at #22, "Love Walks In" is at its heart a love ballad.  While you won't see it as the soundtrack of a Hallmark movie, you do get the sense that it serves as a defining song for the love ballads of its time.  

The feelings at first sight, the befuddlement of new love, and the intense desire to be in the presence of this person all the time are emotions that many have felt throughout the ages.  It is a part of the DNA of who we are as humans.  And seemingly coming right out of the script of said Hallmark movies is the story from the Bible, found in the book of Genesis, of Isaac and Rebekah.  

Genesis 24 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/ King James Version of the Bible parallel 

Abraham was getting old.  Sarah, his wife of many years, had passed away (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sarah Smiles" (Panic! at the Disco))  In an effort to ensure that his son, Isaac married the "right girl", Abraham sent a servant back to the homeland to find a wife for Isaac of his distant family.  This marrying of a family member did not hold the stigma that western culture perceives today (remember that Sarah was Abraham's half-sister).  

Praying as he went, the servant found his way back to Abraham's kin and God led him straight to Rebekah.  The details of the story do the "fill in" much better than I can, but ultimately Isaac, who the Bible says is meditating upon Rebekah's arrival (probably due to the loss of Sarah),  sees her and the synthesizers begin.  The Bible doesn't say anything about fireworks (or synthesizers for that matter), but it is a sweet moment as Isaac and Rebekah listen again to the servant's retelling of his story of how God put them together.  

This story serves a dual purpose.  First, it continues the progression of the promise that God made to Abraham about making him into a great nation and securing the land of promise that will eventually become the nation of Israel.  Secondly, Rebekah's companionship and willingness to be a servant of God serve to provide comfort to Isaac at the loss of his mother.  

One qualifier that I must make.  Love may not come walkin' into your circumference.  You aren't going to be the one who continues the lineage of the ancestors of Israel.  Can God work that way in our lives?  Absolutely, but we shouldn't expect it to happen that way.  

There are, however, promises from God that are as equally miraculous as Isaac and Rebekah's love story and are true for each of us.  He promises that He loves us as shown by Jesus' sacrifice to provide a restoration of our relationship with God. (The Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple John, chapter 3, verses 16-17 NASB/The Message/KJV)   He promises that if we ask, He will forgive us from ALL of our past, present, and future sins.  (1 John 1:9 NASB/The Message/KJV)   He promises that once we believe that Jesus did that we can never be snatched from His hand. (John 10:28-29 NASB/The Message/KJV )  He promises that at the end of the age, folks will be judged and spend eternity in either heaven or hell (Revelation NASB/The Message/KJV).  These are just 4 of the many promises that God makes to you and I.  They are in the Bible.  Read it and you'll see.  And then you sense the change, nothin' feels the same, all your dreams are strange and love comes walkin' in...

'Til Tuesday

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sarah Smiles" (Panic! at the Disco)

Hey...psst...Yeah, You!!!  It's Tuesday!  Do you know what that means?  You guessed it!!!  It's time for another soiree' in the realms of the Musical Adventureland knows as Tuesday's Musical Notes!  That's right, you have clicked on to the only place in the internetosphere that you can find the LARGEST variety of music combined with the most IMPORTANT message in the world!  It's Tuesday and it's time, so let's get started with this week's TuEsDaY'S MuSiCaL NoTeS!!!  Don't panic!  You're in a safe place...and no this ain't no Disco...

"Sarah Smiles" by Panic! at the Disco from the March 22, 2011 album Vices and Virtues  

Panic! at the Disco began as a quartet of high school friends.  Soon after recording demos, Brendan Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson recorded their debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out in 2005.   5 albums, 1 Grammy nomination (2017 Best Rock Album Death of a Bachelor), numerous other accolades, and 14 years later we find Urie as the only remaining member still in the band with 2018's Pray for the Wicked as its latest outing.

Let's flashback however to the first album after the original quartet became a duo.  2011 would see the release of Vices and Virtues, the 3 studio album for Panic! at the Disco, but the first featuring only Urie and Smith.  It was generally regarded as a good album and was certified gold (excess of 500,000 copies shipped) in 2018.

The album was a return of sorts to what had drawn the listening public to Panic! at the Disco in 2005.  Fans of the band and critics alike welcomed the reimagining of the band and its return to being more closely aligned with the throwback sounds of their debut album.  Vices and Virtues' style is difficult to align with any genre as each track sounds different from the previous one.  Singles, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa", "Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind), and "Let's Kill Tonight", made The Hot 100 and sustained the band's popularity with fans.     

There is one track that is so much fun it gained the attention of this groovy little blog.  "Sarah Smiles" was written by Urie for his girlfriend at the time, Sarah, who later became his wife.  It is that catchy little tune, that in your humble blogger's opinion should have been released as a single and received heavy airplay.  But, alas, love songs, especially the fun, quirky ones don't always become chart scorchers.  Give it another listen, and smile...it's just fun!!!

In the last several weeks, we have explored some of the more dominant male characters of the Bible and their interactions with those around them.  As we continue through Genesis, we come upon chapter 23 which details the death of Sarah.  She was the wife (and half-sister) of Abraham and the mother of Isaac and she is a character of import in the narrative of Genesis that usually does not receive her due.

Genesis 23 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel  

So other than her familial connections, what do we know about Sarah?  Her name is the feminine form of the Hebrew name Sar, meaning chieftain or prince.  Her father (as was Abraham's) was Terah.  This would have made them about 10 generations removed from Noah.  Ur, the area in which God calls Abraham and Sarah out of, is in the region of where Noah's ark would have landed, the Ararat mountain range.  The Bible describes her as beautiful even at an older age.  Genesis 20 records what would appear to be a relatively recent occurrence of Abraham trying to deceive a local king who was impressed with Sarah's beauty.  Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Song Remains the Same" (Led Zeppelin)  She is heralded as the matriarch of Judaism, thus an important character in Christianity, and a major player in the origin stories of Islam.  The Bible records that she blamed Abraham for Ishmael (Genesis 16), was hospitable to strangers (Genesis 18) and insecure in the promises God had made to her and Abraham (Genesis 18).  The Bible even says that she laughed scoffingly as the strangers told Abraham that upon their return in 1 year, Sarah would be holding a baby.  While this laughter is coming from a place of doubt, none the less...Sarah smiles...

In a culture where women were looked upon as second class, Abraham goes to the tent where Sarah's body lay.  Here he mourned and wept for her.  Had she not been incredibly important to Abraham, he wouldn't have done this.  He spent time with her before preparations were made for her burial. He then paid for the land in which she would be buried.  Even though the folks of the region recognized him as one of good reputation and lofty status, Abraham would not accept anything less than having a "clear title" to the land.  I think it is of significance that Sarah's death would also be the first step in securing the land that God had promised to Abraham. 

It is thought that Sarah died at the age of 127.  Based on the imputed righteousness that Abraham had received, one would imagine that God had a place prepared for Sarah.  While the Bible does not record Sarah's salvation, the life the Bible does chronicle about her would cause one to believe that right now...Sarah Smiles...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy