Sing Us A Song, Piano Man...

Why do we sing?

Throughout history, people have sung songs of all kinds. Songs have been sung because someone was happy. There have been songs of sadness. Songs of joy. Songs of love. Songs of hate. Songs of lament. Songs of victory. Songs of loss. And songs of pain. People have sung songs because they had a story to tell or because they had a story to remember. Down through the ages, songs have helped people communicate and relate the stories and emotions of life.

Songs, and music in general, are powerful tools that, for some reason, connect to us as humans on a primal level. I think they some how help us, and allow us, to express feelings and emotions that we otherwise may not be able to express. Songs make it alright to feel a certain way, or say certain things that other forms of communication could not suffice or sometimes even allow. This is why, I think, there are so many different forms of songs. The emotions needing to be expressed, must be expressed in the appropriate song type. Hence, many forms of music through songs.

One of the sections of the Bible is a whole collection of songs known as the Psalms. These Psalms were written by many people, over the course of many years. This collection of songs was used as a songbook of sorts for people gathering to worship the Lord. The men who wrote these songs were trying to express certain feelings and emotions that they had, or were, experiencing. Some are fears. Some are joys. Some are sorrows. Some are laments. Some are encouragements.

All throughout the book of Psalms, there is this phrase that is scattered around: "Sing a new song to the Lord." Through all these emotions and experiences, the writers of Psalms keep coming back to this statement, “Sing a new song to the Lord.” It implies that in the midst of whatever circumstance you find yourself, the appropriate response is to “Sing a new song to the Lord.”

In other words, whether you have a sad song, or a happy song, or a joyous song, or a painful song, or a love song….Sing your new song to the Lord. The idea is to focus not on the emotion but on who the song is addressed too. The Lord should be the only thing worthy of our song. But we do have pains, and joys, and victories, and sorrows, and loves, and struggles. So whether you find yourself in the midst of victory or a loss, sing a new song to the Lord…. And sing loud! Because the Lord loves when people make much of who He is, even in the midst of our sorrows and pains.

So, Why do we sing?

About Cruise Ships and Bunny Rabbits

Earlier this year, my wife (rocketcityramblings) and I took a cruise to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. It was a wonderful time to get away and relax. We enjoyed the time greatly. But I had some observations from that time, I’d like to share with you...

Things I learned I on the cruise....

1. There is food everywhere! You can eat as much as You want, whenever you want, wherever you want!
2. There’s ice cream 24 hrs a day. Enough said...
3. When presented with the opportunity, old retired men will always feel the need to take off their shirts. Thankfully, old retired women don’t feel this same need!
4. Cruise Director Steve has more energy in his pinky finger than I have in my entire body! In fact, I'm pretty sure his pinky finger could kick my butt from one end of the ship to the other and never break a sweat! Yet, His games are fun and sometimes very embarrassing.
5. Sometimes fun games are needed to make people feel welcome and comfortable.
6. Cruse Director Steve has a myriad of Auburn clothing. He is a huge fan, yet is from Toronto, Canada.
7. Being on a boat in the middle of the ocean made me feel small and insignificant. This was a cool, yet surreal feeling for such a large man as myself.
8. There’s satellite TV. This way Glenn Beck and Anderson Cooper can keep you abreast of all the political propaganda of the day!
9. Carnival Cruises plays a myriad of 80’s and 90’s music, should one feel the need to cut a rug or two. (and yes, I did get my groove on once or twice on the Lido deck!)
10. There is an array of people from various walks of life on board a cruise ship. Some folks look like they belong, and others... Well, they just look out place.
11. Before we left for the trip, I joked to our Sunday School class about how even people on a cruise ships need Jesus... Turns out, I was correct!
12. I’m still convinced the best way to get people to open up and talk is around a table when food is involved.
13. There’s always a band on the Lido Deck, and at any time during the day they can be found playing a collection of Glen Campbell or Jimmy Buffett songs. I suppose if this ministry thing doesn’t pan out, there’s always a place for me on this boat!
14. I might just punch the next waiter who comes over and asks me if I want a drink in a coconut! DUDE, this is not Gilligan’s Island! If I want to drink from a coconut, I will get one!
15. But wait man, you can get me some more coffee! Did I mention there is free coffee anytime you want it!
16. On a cruise ship you can do just about anything you want, which includes taking a nap every afternoon following lunch. (I will definitely be bringing this one up with my supervisor when I get back!)
17. There is absolutely no good way to sport a life jacket! If the ship is going down, it is perfectly acceptable to be a fashion faux pas, if in fact the faux pas will save your life!
18. My dining room waiter is named “Wilson”, which is very funny and confusing, since his name tag says he is from “Indonesia.”
19. Wilson always greets me by name with a smile. This makes me feel particularly important, especially when he does it outside of the dining room!
20. I’ve come to realize that a cruise ship is all about me: My wants, My desires, My pleasure... This only helps to feed the “All About Me” Mentality.

If I’m not careful, I could get to thinking life is all about me. As I was making my observations about the cruise ship, I thought back to some words from Donald Miller...
In His book Blue Like Jazz, He tells the story of Don Rabbit:


“There was a Rabbit named Don Rabbit. Don Rabbit went to Stumptown Coffee every morning. One Morning at Stumptown, Don Rabbit met Sexy Carrot. And Don Rabbit decided to chase Sexy Carrot. But Sexy Carrot was very fast. And Don Rabbit chased Sexy Carrot all over Oregon. And all over America, all the way to New York City. And Don Rabbit chased Sexy Carrot all the way to the moon. And Don Rabbit was very, very tired. But with one last burst of strength, Don Rabbit lunged at Sexy Carrot. And Don Rabbit caught Sexy Carrot. And the moral of the story is that if you work hard, stay focused and never give up, you will eventually get what you want in life.
Unfortunately, shortly after this story was told, Don Rabbit choked on the carrot and died. so the second moral of the story is: Sometimes the things we want most in life are things that will kill us."

There is so much more to life than just living for me...
There is something much more satisfying in life than just filling it with “all about me” things....
But that’s for another post....

Until next time.

Questions about God, Islands, and Potato Chips

In certain Christian circles recently, there’s been a lot of talk revolving around God and Hell, and why He would or could, or possibly do or what it would end up being like or how we....

Well, I’ve tried to keep my ideas and thoughts to myself... But apparently writing a book on God and Hell will make you a millionaire over night... (Maybe I should I write a book on that...)

There are lots of questions out there... And some people, for some reason, feel the need to try and answer them all... I have many questions at any point of any given day... For instance right now these questions are: What the heck WAS the Island? Why do they still make sour cream and onion potato chips? Why, for the life of me, can I not eat red meat without A-1 sauce? These are just a few of the questions I ponder from time to time...

And yet there are still others... And I know I will not be able to answer some (if not most) of these questions... But I still wonder why, or if we ever can, come to a point where we say, “Somethings concerning God are just going to be a mystery.” I mean, really... I see many things when I read the Bible... 1. I see a God who is bigger than me and who’s thoughts are bigger than my thoughts. A God who is Infinite... I mean, I can’t really even begin to understand infinite, even if I wanted too.
And 2: As I read my Bible, I see also, this God, always has a plan. And that plan is so much bigger and grander than my finite imagination can ever understand. And I think, that is what leads to so much mystery... And thus, also leads to the beauty of it all.

So talk and speculate all you want to about God and Hell and how things might be.... Jibber Jabber all you want about this and that and what God might be thinking....
But, I’m going to rest in that fact that God is who He is... He will do what He wants, when He wants, and with however and whatever means He wants to do it. I mean, really... When was the last time you spoke into darkness and created anything?? (anyone???)

Hmm... Amazing.

All I know is that at some point, this God saw fit to look upon man and decide that Man was worth something to Him. God then decided to pursue that Man relentlessly... And yet for some reason, Man still wants to figure it all out and ask questions.

And maybe questions aren’t all bad... Maybe some questions should be asked in an attempt to understand and become better people. But in the end just remember, it was just one question that got Man in this whole predicament to begin with....

If Guitars Could Speak (part 2)

As I began in ministry, “Brooksy” was there as my tool - like Moses’ staff... (Not that Brooksy does any crazy miracles or anything... Like turning into snakes, turning water into blood and things like that).

As the years went on, and I would visit home, Dick would always be there to ask, “How You Doin’? You still playin’ that ‘ol cedar top?” With a big smile I would reply, “Yes Sir. Everyday.”


In May 2008, I saw my friend Dick again. But this time there were no witty jokes or a heartily, “How You Doin’?” This time, Dick was laying in a hospital bed. He was weak, hardly able to speak and laid on his back. Though when I saw him, he still had that big smile!

Doctors weren’t sure what caused Dick’s sickness. All they knew is that something, perhaps his meds, were causing his lungs to deteriorate, causing his oxygen levels to drop.

As I walked in and sat down beside Dick’s bed, he looked at me, looked at “Brooksy” in my hands and just grinned. I sat down and began to play and sing for my friend Dick. A played a couple of new tunes I was working on and a couple of old favorites. After a few minutes, Dick slowly raised his hand and pointed at me. With his other hand he was pulling up his oxygen mask. With all the voice and air he could muster, he whispered, “Amazing Grace.”

Per his wish, I began to sing, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me...” As I sang, Dick closed his eyes and this calming peace broke out all over his face. But then Dick did something I wasn’t prepared for. As I started into the chorus, “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free...”, Dick raised his hands to the Lord in worship.

Here is a man with no words to sing, no voice to be had, but his heart and hands were lifted in praise to the Lord. Although, he doesn’t know it, Dick taught me much about worship that day.

After I finished this song, we prayed together. With tears beginning to fill both our eyes, I said goodbye. He simply grinned and nodded as I walked out of his room.
About 2 short weeks later, my dad called to tell me, our friend, Dick, had died.


Over the years my guitar (and other instrument) collection has grown, and I still play “Brooksy” from time to time. But mostly, she hangs on the wall in my office for all who come in to see. She hangs there as a testimony. A testimony to the Grace of a loving God and a testimony of an obedient man named Dick.

Man, if that guitar could speak... I wonder if it would say, “How You Doin’?”

If Guitars Could Speak (part 1)

Per my career as a musician, I own many different musical instruments. Many of these instruments, if they could speak, could tell you some crazy stories about where they’ve been or how they came into my possession. One of these instruments is a Takamine EN-10C Acoustic/ Electric guitar (pronounced ‘TawK-a-Mee-nee').

I don’t how much you know of acoustic guitars, but guitars can be made of several different woods. And the sound directly reflects the wood (or woods) the guitar is made of. So, the more exotic the wood, the smoother, deeper, or sometimes, more intense the sound.

My Takamine, or “Brooksy” as I call her (don’t ask... long story. And yes, it is a “her”, because all guys toys are “her’s”) is made of mahogany on the back and sides and a single, thin-cut piece of cedar on the top. This cedar top gives “Brooksy” a nice deep, warm sound. She sounds almost as good as a nice warm cup of hot chocolate tastes. You know, not when it’s too hot, so that it burns the roof of your mouth or tongue, but right as the marshmallows begin to melt together and you get that frothy warm feeling all inside. That’s how “Brooksy” sounds when I play her....

“Brooksy” came to me when I was 17 years old. It was the Fall of my Junior year of high school and I was so looking forward to being done with school. Earlier that year, I had began to feel the Lord’s pull into a specific area of ministry.

Well, one particular day, my dad and I met a family friend, Dick, at his machine shop. I thought this was odd, but sometimes Dad would drop things off for church members from time to time. Little did I know what was in store.

As I entered the shop, Dick was there to greet us with a big smile (as was his style), and a quick, “How You Doin’?” I always laughed when I heard Dick say, “How You Doin’?” It was one of those things I’ll remember about Dick the rest of my life; Even now, still trying to use the “How You Doin’?” with the same style and method that Dick had.

That afternoon in the shop, Dick began to explain to me that he believed the Lord had told him to buy me a guitar. A guitar that would be used to begin the ministry that the Lord had began to show and grow in me over the last year or so.

We went that afternoon to a local guitar shop and “shopped” around a bit trying to find a good one that I liked. Later in the week, Dick showed up at my house with “Brooksy”... and she was PERFECT!

Blogging....

This is an interesting subject to me. I've had friends for years telling me that I need to "blog". I would throw off the idea with a smirk of, "Are you kidding me?" I mean after all, is my life so important that someone would want to "follow" me, know my whereabouts, or how about even care what I think about a particular thought or ideology?

So, there I sat... Going through my days a lowly guitar playing, Dr. Pepper drinking, sometimes likes to engage in debate dude who explores the vast expanse of the ever-changing realm we call the World Wide Web.

Oh, I enjoy reading other thoughts and commentaries on other people's blogs and such, but could I think well enough to expound on my thoughts to become a "blogger"?

And then one day recently, it happened. I was sitting in my office (during some free time - which doesn't happen often) reading some post responses to an article I had read on a blog I frequently read. A passerby stopped abruptly in my office door and burst out into laughter. Apparently, I was so caught up in my debate from reading, I was verbally speaking my thoughts back to my computer screen. We had a quick laugh and as I, slightly red-faced, stood up to shut my office door, this person mentioned I should perhaps put my thoughts in writing....

So, here I sit... writing (nay TYPING) my first thoughts for my FIRST blog entry.

And you know what? It really wasn't so bad. Not really scary at all.
Interesting? Well... that's for others to decide.

But for now, I think I will call it a post.

These are simply my thoughts from the thinking chair....