The Wisdom of Saying NO?

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for

wisdom?  Here's what you do:  Live well, live wisely, live

humbly.  It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.

James 3:13 [The Message]

Joe Green was a college roommate of Mark Zuckerberg [the co-creator of Facebook], and was there with the Internet entrepreneurs in the Harvard dorm where Facebook was born.  He was asked by Zuckerberg to drop out of school and join him in creating the social media network.  The two had gotten into hot water with the school over a previous venture and were threatened with expulsion, a fact which made Green's father none too happy.  Green gave his roommate's offer considerable thought, then told him "no."  Rather than following Zuckerberg and his team to Silicon Valley, Green stayed at Harvard to get his degree and dabble in his passion for politics, working for Kerry in the 2004 presidential campaign.

As Facebook is primed for its initial public offering, the media have taken to calling Green's decision his "$400 million mistake."  After all, his friend Zuckerberg's worth is currently estimated at $17+ billion.  Green has no regrets, however.  He is back working with his Facebook friends, but running a for-profit business called Causes, an application and website that lets friends suggest a charity, a social cause, or even a political candidate for other friends to contribute to.  Green's goal is to ...empower anyone with a good idea or passion for change to impact the world."  Green's company has raised $50 million for 50,000 charities, and Cause's Facebook page has 6.5 million active monthly users.

Did Joe Green make a mistake eight years ago?  He certainly doesn't think so.  In his own way, in his own time, Green found his own cause - helping other people.  He firmly believes that "Everyone has the ability inside of them to make a difference."  Jesus would heartily agree.

Faith in Action

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this 

if you learn all the right words but never do anything?

Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person 

really has it?  For instance, you come upon an old friend

dressed in rags and half-starved and say,

"Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ!

Be filled with the Spirit!"

and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a

cup of soup - where does that get you?  Isn't it obvious

that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

James 2:15-17 [The Message]

I have a soft spot for charities; I'm not exactly sure why.  My dad was always a champion for the rights of the underdog, so perhaps that is where I got it from.  When I was young, I rescued stray animals, and somehow that morphed into wanting to help down-and-out people.  I love the work that Habitat for Humanity does in building homes for folks who work right along side them to make their dreams happen.   Directly after Thanksgiving, I start looking for the bell ringers from the Salvation Army, and can't wait for the Angel Tree people to get set up in the malls. Heifer International offers the opportunity to purchase chickens or sheep for people in third world countries instead of giving cheap Christmas trinkets to friends.  Smile Train provides cleft palette surgeries for third world children.  So many love things to donate to - so little money!!

I have friends who have a very difficult time giving money directly to homeless people and others who are begging on street corners.  I'll admit, I have my doubts about the advisability of that as well.  But there are times when God pulls on my heart strings and I do it anyway.  There was a time {when my children were small} when our family was extremely poor and basically homeless. I remember the thrill I experienced when someone at church or work would slip an envelope in my purse with $5 or $10 in it: a very small love gift for them, but an unexpected blessing enabling me to provide a little something extra {or simply the basics} for my girls.  It meant the whole world to me to receive such a gift, and now, as far as I am able, I am determined to pay it forward.

A Word Aptly Spoken

It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire.

A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth 

can do that.  By our speech we can ruin the world, turn

harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the 

whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it...

This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue-

It's never been done.  The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer.

With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same

tongues we curse the very men and women He made in His

image.  Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

My friend, this can't go on!

James 3:6-8,10

I am both professionally and personally acquainted with an engaging and very talented young woman in her mid-twenties.  She is smart, savvy, very political, and quite vocal about her beliefs and her life.  None of these attributes are negative; in fact, they are very much what makes her the fantastic person she is. She is a great fan of Facebook, and I enjoy reading her comments and diatribes on my daily general feed.

This week, however, her disgust with one particular faction of politics and public game-playing led her to use the F-word twice on her Facebook commentary, leading me to sigh and feel very, very sad.  I love this girl dearly, but even with that, her posted comment caused me to pause and my estimation of her to sink just a bit.  There is nothing wrong with passionate discussion on any subject, but the tongue doesn't need to rule the brain.  Young people do not seem to thoroughly understand that Facebook is a public forum and anyone can finagle around and get to your page, no matter your privacy settings.  Friends, family, co-workers, and employers can access public information.  What your mouth says on Facebook and Twitter matters.  It very, very much matters.  Employers regularly check Facebook pages, and the opinions formed from the comments displayed might not be the ones that you are hoping for.

I have really, really enjoyed reading chapter 3 of the book of James this week, using The Message as my chosen translation.  The message is so plain and so clear:  How can both praises and curses come out of the same Christian mouth and heart?  It does, unfortunately, but it shouldn't.  We are representing the King of Kings on this old earth, and as His people, we have an obligation to not muddy the waters with our own inappropriate commentary.  The next time I am tempted to spout out ugly words, I am going to endeavor to remember James - and zip my lip!!

Love Your Neighbor?

You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of scripture:

"Love others as you love yourself."

The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery,"

also said, "Don't murder."  If you don't commit adultery

but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery

will cancel out your murder?  No, you're a murderer, period.

Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the

Rule that sets us free.  For if you refuse to act kindly,

you can hardly expect to be treated kindly.

Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.

James 2:8, 11-12

I have followed with interest, horror and sorrow the case of the 29-year-old yoga shop clerk who killed her 30-year-old co-worker because the former had stolen a pair of pants from the shop, and the latter found out about it.  Luring Jayna Murray back into the shop after it had been closed and locked by saying she "forgot" something, Brittany Norwood inflicted 330 wounds on Murray, who was alive for most of the attack.  She then lay down by her dead co-worker, inflicted a few surface wounds on herself, and when found the next morning, claimed to the police that they had been raped and bludgeoned by two masked men the previous evening.  Ms. Norwood's story fell apart within hours of the killing, and a week later she was arrested, charged with murder in the first degree, and two months ago was convicted of the crime.

At the sentencing hearing yesterday in a hushed courtroom, Norwood tearfully apologized to Murray's family, an apology that rang distinctly hollow considering the amount of time it would have required for her to stab and strike Jayna over 330 times with five different weapons.  That Jayna was alive and pleading for her life during much of the brutality only added to the abject insincerity of Norwood's tears and words.  The judge was unmoved, telling the 29-year-old that her crime "exemplified the worst of human nature" and that she was "one hell of a liar." He rejected defense pleas that she was capable of rehabilitation and deserved an eventual shot at freedom.  "You mutilated this woman. And with every blow, you had a chance to think about what you were doing," said Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Robert Greenberg in imposing a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

 I would like to think that my life is worth more than a pair of yoga pants, but the truth is that lives are lost every day for the change in one's pocket, the sneakers on one's feet, or the contents of one's purse.  Society needs a constant reminder of the sanctity and value of human life.  Our daily attitude toward our fellow human beings must be one of care and compassion rather than superiority and indifference.  The Bible says that the measure you mete out will be measured back to you again.  I hope what you give is love.

The Art of Listening

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends:

Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue,

and let anger straggle along in the rear.

James 1:19 [The Message]

...be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath...

James 1:19 [KJV]

If there was ever a verse in the Bible that I personally need to pay more attention to, it would be this one.  I am not, on average, the world's greatest listener.  I can talk with the best of them when I am in a "safe" environment with a friend, but listening?  Yeah, not so much.  I don't know why I am that way.  Perhaps over time I have learned to tune people out, for one reason or another [my mother and ex-husband come to mind].  But the older I get, the more I realize that the art of listening is a very important talent that I need to diligently cultivate.

Yesterday I had a run-in with a senior at school - not one of my students, but another kid that is in the instrumental specialty program.  He sauntered into my classroom to print out a paper (I teach singing in a computer lab, believe it or not!), and I was certain he had permission from another teacher to do so.  After a few moments, I asked him how long he was going to be, and he countered with a challenge:  WHY?  I told him that I needed to talk with my class (freshmen) regarding their grades for the semester (and the very poor job that they did on the semester project), and that it was information that he didn't need to hear.  He shot me a wide-eyed look that clearly read, "What could you possibly have to say that I can't hear?" and started rolling his eyes at my students.  At that point, I politely asked him to leave the room, and he impolitely did so.

After my teaching periods were completed, I spent the ride back to my full-time job wondering if there could have been another way to say what needed to be said to this young man, or if I missed something in listening to him - either of which might have presented a better outcome.  As it turned out, the computers at school were down, and he would not have been able to complete his task at that point in the day.  He did not know that at the time, however, and neither did I.  Unfortunately, life does not give us an instant rewind button, and once words are out, they're gone.  As the old saying goes, God gave us two ears and only one mouth.  It's time that I relearned to lead with the two rather than running the one.

Hot Air Religion

Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game

is self-deceived.  This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father,

is this:  Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight,

and guard against corruption from the godless world.

James 1:26-27 [The Message]

My father had a familiar saying that he loved to apply to anyone in any situation who  "talked the talk but didn't walk the walk". Such people were All "Talk" and No "Do."  There seemed to be no end of people to whom that label could be affixed. 

I have known church members, acquaintances and family members who excelled in talking a good game.  When discussions turned to religion, they were all over that.  One gentleman of my acquaintance just loved to interrupt the flow of Sunday School class in order to ask an "important" question that had nothing to do with the topic at hand.  A family member would just love to take group discussion and twist it around so that he felt superior in his knowledge and everyone else ended up confused and feeling stupid.  Such conversations are worse than useless:  in a way, they make a mockery of the Gospel which should be plain, simple, easy to understand, and full of love and grace.

One of the saddest sentiments I have ever heard at the death of a loved one was, "We knew he knew a lot about the Bible.  We just wish he would have lived it."  The Gospel is not about showing everyone how smart you are (or how clever, how sinless, etc.), but how compassionate, loving and Christ-like we can be.

Fleeting Riches

Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it.  You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers.  Its petals wilt and, before you know it, the beautiful face is a barren stem.  Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.”  At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

James 1:10-11

I have come to the time in my life when it is imperative that I give serious thought to retirement.  Of course, the minute I do, I have to laugh at the impossible nature of the situation.  Current wisdom on the subject indicates that a person retiring in the next 5-10 years will need over $1,000,000 to sustain a comfortable lifestyle. Just writing these words leaves me with a huge grin on my face.  A million dollars?   I realize that it costs more to live these days, and women especially are living longer, fuller lives.  But the chance of my having even a healthy fraction of that number is slim to none.  Period.

When the economy took its drastic downturn, I had several friends who lost major portions of their retirement savings almost overnight.  I realize that the economy regularly has these ups and downs, but the upward trend is very slow this time, and the constant fear of another downward turn is very real in our world.  Nothing is a certainty today - not retirement, not savings, not even employment.

Today's verse from James might be very discouraging if it were not for Jesus' words in Matthew:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or 

store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Who of you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?

And why do you worry about clothes?

See how the flowers of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his 

splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,

will He not much more clothe you - you of little faith?

So do not worry saying, "What shall we eat"

or "What shall we drink" or "What shall we wear?"

For the world runs after all these things,

and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,

and all these things will be added to you as well.

Matthew 6:26-33

Obviously this does not mean that I am going to sit back and wait for God to provide me with all that I need for the remainder of my life.  Far from it.  But as I work and save and do my best to prepare, hopefully worrying about the future will not be a part of my daily living.

The Gift of Challenges

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

James 1:2-4

The home that I purchased in 2010 had housed an elderly couple – he in his 90’s and she with Alzheimer’s disease.  The main bathroom had seen its share of accidents, and a strong lingering smell caused me to decide to completely remodel it – tearing it down to the studs and floor boards.  When the drywall was removed behind the toilet [the wall adjacent to the half bath in the master bedroom], the contractor discovered black mold on the drywall of the small bathroom [the sink had been leaking], requiring that wall to be removed as well.  That sealed the decision to rip out the half bath as well.  The decision was the right one, but left me with a real quandry.

I have not had a functioning bathroom in my home since that day.  I have a membership at the YMCA, so showering is not a big deal, and the tub was the first thing installed, giving me the option of a bath instead of a shower.  The trial of not having a functioning toilet, however, is another matter altogether.  Constantly running to a friend’s house a block away to use her toilet becomes embarrassing after a while.  Most of the time, I have gone to my work church, which is only a half mile away, and bodily functions have come to dictate my daily timetable in an amazing way.

After reading today’s text from James, you might chuckle at my thinking that my bathroom situation is the kind of trial that the apostle is talking about, but I believe that anything, small or large, that challenges our patience and our politeness is just exactly that – a chance to grow and mature in our behavior and attitudes.  My contractor friend broke his big toe yesterday – slowing down the finishing process a bit, but hey – life happens.  His toe is his trial and my bathroomlessness (is there such a word?) is mine. We take so many things for granted in this life, and when we are deprived of them, it is a wonderful lesson in being thankful for even the smallest blessings.

Getting Wisdom

Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7

Wisdom is not primarily knowing the truth,

although it certainly includes that.

It is skill in living.

For what good is truth if we don’t know how to live it?

What good is an intention if we can’t sustain it?

Introduction to the Book of James [The Message]

During my recent trip to New York, I attended two Master Classes at Carnegie Hall – one by Marilyn Horne and the other by Renee Fleming.  I was a little disappointed in the first class, because Ms. Horne dealt with only the interpretation of the music being sung.  She gave wonderful ideas for making the songs come alive, but did not really delve into the very basics of the singers’ voices.  What she imparted was wonderful, but I longed for so much more.

Renee Fleming, on the other hand, started from the ground up.  Every human being on earth knows how to breathe, but few know how to do so as a singer, and how to make that breath do what is necessary to support the voice. Through the illustration of her own body, Fleming shared her hard-earned wisdom regarding the workings of breathing and support in the art of singing.  She shared the unbelievable truth that she herself is still a student of the art.  As a singer, Fleming always warms up in front of a mirror so that she can ascertain whether she is still practicing what she preaches.  The first performer that evening, a young woman from Serbia, sang beautifully at the beginning of her segment.  After soaking in the wisdom of Fleming’s hands-on coaching, her singing transformed into a stunning presentation.

We are all mentors, whether we realize it or not.  We all have a sphere of influence where we are being observed by others with less knowledge and experience.  It is our privilege to open our hearts to those who are seeking the wisdom of years, the knowledge necessary to live a full life.  Give what you can today, especially to the young people open to your inspiration.  They will receive a precious gift – wisdom from someone who has been there, and who cares. 

An Anniversary of Joy

Norfolk Botanical Garden.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Consider it a sheer gift, friend, when tests and

challenges come at you from all sides.

James 1:2

            When Christian believers gather in churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does.  Outsiders, on observing this, conclude that there is nothing to the religion business except, perhaps, business—and dishonest business at that.  Insiders see it differently.  Just as a hospital collects the sick under one roof and labels them as such, the church collects sinners.  So Christian churches are not, as a rule, model communities of good behavior.  ~ Introduction to the book of James [The Message]

On Monday of this last week, January 16, I passed a milestone in my life.  That day was the 10^th anniversary of the starting date of my employment at Beulah United Methodist Church.  It hardly seems possible that I have lived in Richmond, and worked at Beulah, for ten years.  I wish that I could proclaim that the entire time has been a walk in the park, but that would not be the truth.  Wherever human beings gather – church or no church – there will be strife, lies, petty gossip, unkindness, distrust and malice.

Conversely, wherever human beings gather, there is also joy, laughter, kindness, compassion, and support.  These last ten years of my life have been pretty rough at times, including a husband’s adultery and divorce.  Through thick and thin, someone at Beulah has been there for me at every step of the way.  As I painfully transitioned from married to single life, there were members of the congregation who provided a shoulder to cry on, a strong back when a task was too much for me, the support of friendship and understanding, a co-conspirator to enable me to be “…wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove,” many “someones” to listen and talk things out, and a safe environment in which to heal and grow.  There are many people at Beulah to whom I owe a debt of support that I can never repay, although I give back to the congregation what, when and where I can. 

No, the church is not perfect.  Yes, there are some really rotten apples in the barrel.  Yes, there are individuals who will leave a sour taste in your mouth, but you will also find such people at the bank, the gym, the office, and the grocery store.  A church is about the message of Christ – sinners receiving forgiveness, wrapped in the unconditional love of their heavenly Father.  Over time, that message will make a difference in every single life.  It certainly has in mine.

Living Honorably

Stay on good terms with each other,

held together by love.

Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed.

Why, some have extended hospitality

to angels without even knowing it!

Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them.

Look on victims of abuse as if what happened 

to them had happened to you.

Honor marriage and guard the sacredness

of sexual intimacy between wife and husband.

God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.

Don't be obsessed with getting more material things.

Be relaxed with what you have.

Since God assures us, "I'll never let you down,

never walk off and leave you,"

We can boldly quote:

God is there, ready to help.

I'm fearless no matter what.

Who or what can get to me?

~ Hebrews 13 [The Message]

If God be for us, who can be against us?

Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

It is God that justifieth;

Who is he that condemeth?

It is Christ that died; yea, rather,

that is risen again,

who is at the right hand of God,

who makes intercession for us.

~ Handel's Messiah

The Legacy of a Life

 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - 

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

On Monday, my daughter and I visited the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.  We had never visited, and although not knowing what exactly we might see, we certainly were not expecting the sight that met our eyes just inside the door.  The Guggenheim was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright with circular ramps instead of a staircase winding up the interior of the building, from one floor to another.  This leaves a very large area in the center of the hall, rising up 5-6 stories to the roof.  In this unique space was displayed the most amazing art exhibit I have ever seen.

Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian sculptor whose work is unsettling, disrespectful, provocative, bold and irreverent.  When the Guggenheim asked Cattelan to do a retrospective of his work, he borrowed every piece of art he had created (except for two), and then hung them from the ceiling at various heights like so much limp laundry.  Some of the images are beyond disturbing:  young boys hung by a noose; a squirrel who has committed suicide in his miniature kitchen; the image of dead bodies covered by a sheet--each sculpted from marble; Adolf Hitler as a child; two New York policemen hung from their ankles; a girl lying face down in stocks with nails pierced through her hands; Pope John Paul II lying dead after being struck by a meteor.

Traveling up the outer ramps gave one a different vantage point to view the work, entitled All.  About half way up on the right, a chicken sits on top of a cat who sits on top of a dog who sits on top of a donkey (all the animals are taxidermied).  Further down on the opposite side are the sculpted skeletons of the same animals stacked in the same order.  An overwhelming feel of death and sadness pervaded this lifework of the artist.  That Mr. Cattelan is making a statement is beyond doubt.  What that statement means is another matter entirely.

Most of us are not visual artists, but we all leave behind a footprint from our lives on the souls of those who have known and loved us.  I hope that when I depart this world, the memories I leave behind are of peace and caring, joy and music, and most importantly, love.

 

Make a Joyful Noise

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Psalm 100:1-2

Last night I attended a Master Class in singing at Carnegie Hall, with the legendary Marilyn Horne acting as the adjudicator for the class.  Three years ago I attended a similar event with Dawn Upshaw as the coach, and learned so much from that event, that I decided to return this year for two classes.

There were four young adult singers scheduled to perform: a soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a counter-tenor, and a bass-baritone.  Unfortunately, the bass-baritone was ill, but was replaced in the lineup by the alternate, also a baritone.  Tynan Davis (mezzo) and Tai Oney (counter-tenor) were the first two performers - fantastic singers with gorgeous voices, a ready sense of humor, a willingness to hear criticism from Ms. Horne, and a determination to try to do what she asked.  They each performed a selection uninterrupted, then were coached by Ms. Horne to bring out the musicality of the piece and tell the audience a compelling story with their voices and their faces.  Each singer followed closely as she imparted her wisdom, then set their minds to applying her direction as they sang again.  The development of their performance through this process was a wonder to behold.

The third singer (soprano) had a polished voice, a very quiet manner, and after her initial performance, appeared to be taking in Ms. Horne's comments regarding her interpretation of the piece.  Problem was, when she sang the piece again, she could not put those comments into practice.  On one particular passage, Ms. Horne had her re-sing it six or seven different times without her ever delivering the changes that were asked for. It appeared that she was hesitant because of fear of failure. Three years ago when I sat in the same venue and watched Ms. Upshaw work with a young tenor, he refused to incorporate any of her suggestions into his singing because of clear arrogance.  Whether fear or pride, the students could not grow in their understanding of the music, and the coaches were left visibly frustrated.

Walking to meet my daughter for dinner last night after the class was finished, I looked up at the sky and wondered how many time the Lord has gently suggested little changes in the song of my life, and I have been unable (from fear) or unwilling (from pride) to open up my heart to His words.  At times, fear paralyzes us or arrogance blinds us to experiences that would make us better men and women.  Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to move past these impediments and grow in the music of eternity.

NYC

Ye are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

Matthew 5:14

Waking up in New York City is an experience like no other.  Traffic on the street, garbage collection, and just simply city noise starts long before my usual rising time.  My daughter sleeps straight through cacophony that would wake the dead, but she has been a resident of Manhattan for five years, and the sounds of the city starting a new day don't even phase her. 

A quick trip to the street will find small restaurants open for business, a corner green grocer where you can also purchase delicacies, or a bakery selling fresh bread.  There is no other city quite like it in the United States.  Mind you, I would not want to live here, but I so enjoy visiting.

Tonight I will be attending a master class at Carnegie Hall given by Marilyn Horne, the great retired American opera singer whose foundation sponsors a week of master classes every January.  She and I (in the audience) will be listening to five or six up-and-coming singers who have auditioned to be a part of this class.  After they have performed, she will share her wisdom on their voice, their technical skills, and their performance that I would not be able to hear anywhere else.  I am thrilled beyond measure to be able to listen, observe and learn.

Learning really is a life-long process, or at least it should be!  We experience daily "lessons" that teach us about life, love, and faith.  While I am puttering around NYC this morning, and attending classes later in the day, I wish for you a day filled with joy and endless possibilities.

Teaching the Teacher

White Camellia, Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Happy is the (wo)man who finds wisdom…

Proverbs 3:13

As the vocal coach at a local high school Specialty Center for the Arts, I spend a portion of my work week teaching teenagers.  I thoroughly enjoy working with the kids, imparting to them the best of my wisdom on vocal production, performance skills, and technical acumen.  Watching them grow and mature as singers is one of the highlights of my week.

For the next three days, however, this teacher transforms into a student, attending master classes in vocal performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  A group of the best and brightest up-and-coming vocalists have previously auditioned and been chosen as the performers for these classes taught by world-class singers, orchestral conductors, or top-flight accompanists.  I will have the privilege of being an observer in this unusual classroom environment, and am thrilled to be able to attend.

The writer of Proverbs believed that knowledge was definitely important, but having the wisdom to apply that knowledge was far superior to mere book-learning or acquired skills.  Certainly this is true for a teacher, who must find the means to bestow his/her necessary knowledge to a wide variety of students and learning styles.  I am grateful for the opportunity to watch the best in the business as they impart their wisdom – to both the young performers onstage and those of us who will be silent participants in the audience. 

Day of Rest

Pink Camilla, Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Today has been a wonderful, comfortable day of rest.  I walked, I rested, I read – I enjoyed every moment of basically doing nothing – including writing this blog early in the morning as I usually do.  Some times all parts of the physical body need to rest, especially the brain!

While watching the beginning of the Miss America contest this evening, I thought back to the days when my mind was running 24/7, barely stopping at night for sleep.  I had unending energy, just like the ladies competing on the Miss America stage.  There are still work weeks when it seems that my feet never touch the floor, but at the end of one of those weeks, I always need quiet time to rejuvenate the body and refresh the soul.

When stress threatens to overwhelm me, I remember this invitation that Jesus extended to the disciples, His followers, and the world.  Within His arms of love are peace, relaxation and rest. 

Fuel for the Fire

CandyCorn Bromeliad, Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Is vine wood ever used for anything?

I don’t think so.  At best it’s good for fuel.

Ezekiel 15:3-4

As a child, you never think about what it must cost your parents to maintain a home for you.  Everything is just there – heat from the wall/floor vents in the winter, air-conditioning in the summer, lights in the darkness, refrigeration for food, bread baking in the oven.  Obviously the source of energy has to come from somewhere, but when you are young, it’s not really on your radar.

I vividly remember the days that Dad would come running in the house, yelling at Mom for her car keys.  There was another gas war down on Grand Avenue, and the price had fallen to 25¢ per gallon.  I never really knew what a big deal that was until the day that gasoline went over 99¢ a gallon and I thought the world was coming to an end!  Never would I have dreamed that it would go to $3.27 a gallon (what I paid yesterday).  The prognosticators are saying that it will finally go over $4.00 a gallon this spring.  I hope that they are wrong, but that is probably wishful thinking.

I decided to utilize my wood stove insert this winter in order to save on energy costs.  I know next to nothing about building and maintaining fires, so it has been a challenging project!  I’m learning about the different kinds of wood – what burns “hot” and what burns slowly.  I’ve never tried vine wood, but will trust Ezekiel’s judgment that it’s only good for the fire.  Through trial and error, I will eventually learn how to make a good fire and keep it going.  If you see me collecting sticks and branches in the neighborhood, please ignore me – I’m just out of kindling.

All About Family

Candycane Camellia, Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Copyright  2012:  singeronthesand

Children are a blessing from the Lord…

Psalm 127:3

In a world of run-away celebrity worship, it is wonderful to see a superstar who stays grounded in moral values and family ties.  Amid the marriages, divorces, affairs, and severe dysfunction, Celine Dion stands as a shining example of a career where priorities are in the right place.

She married her manager, Rene Angelil, in 1994.  Although he is 26 years her senior, their union has been a marriage of great stability for Dion.  After struggling for years with infertility and enduring endless treatments, Celine gave birth to her son, Rene-Charles in 2001, and twins Eddy and Nelson were born in 2010. 

When Rene-Charles was a young child, Celine’s schedule of performances often ran to 200+ a year. During that time, she surrounded herself with family and was insistent that family time be honored, no matter how hectic life became.  Celine’s brother is her stage manager, her sister helps with the children, her stepson carries additional responsibilities, and her mother is always near.  With the birth of her twins and the maturing of her eldest child, Dion now gives only 70 performances a year – all of them scheduled around the activities of Rene-Charles and his little brothers.  She credits the closeness of her family with her ability to continue to have a successful career while giving her best to her husband and children.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the release of the film Beauty and the Beast – the movie and the song that made Celine Dion a household name in the United States and swept her to stardom.  I salute her today, however, as a superstar with unbelievable talent and an amazing voice – a modern woman in a hectic world who knows where her heart and her time really belongs:  with her family.

Let It Snow?

He sends forth His commandment upon the earth,

His word runs swiftly.

He gives snow like wool;

He scatters frost like ashes.

Psalm 147:15-16

I think snow is one of the most beautiful things on this earth.  When it first comes down, the flakes are glistening and the ground glitters with icy beauty.  Of course, very shortly it turns ugly, with the dirt and leaves thrown up by the snow plows.  But in the first few moments, falling snow turns the landscape into a fairyland of white.

I would not, however, want to live in a place that received large amounts of snow in the winter.  More specifically, I would not want to live in Alaska.  Cordova, a coastal town about 150 miles east of Anchorage, has had record precipitation over the last few weeks, burying the town under an 18 foot blanket of snow.  Monday and Tuesday, 18 more inches were added to that total.  There is now a threat of an avalanche near the town’s airport.

Valdez is an oil port that is also laboring under heavy snow accumulation.  Cordova and Valdez normally get about 300 inches of snow accumulation per year.  They have received more than that amount in the last 60 days.  These two communities are among the best-prepared on earth for inclement weather conditions, but these storms have pushed them far behind despite their best efforts.

Currently a Russian tanker carrying over a million gallons of fuel and a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker are endeavoring to reach Nome, Alaska in a first-ever attempt to bring fuel to an Alaskan settlement through sea ice.  Breaking through ice ridges as high as 4 feet and plate ice up to two feet thick, the convoy hopes to come within a half mile of Nome by late Thursday or early Friday.  The fuel will then be transferred to on-shore storage by hose.  The temperature in Nome is running 25º below zero, making even on-shore preparations difficult.

Take a moment today to pray for the people of these hardest-hit areas of Alaska, especially for families and the elderly who might be subject to roof collapse or running out of fuel.  We are fellow travelers on the journey of life, and the best gift we can give to those who are so far removed from us is our genuine concern and uplifting them in prayer.

Respectful Speech

Winter Dafffodil @ Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned

that I should know how to speak a word in season…

Isaiah 50:4a

Today the Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments in a case involving the standards of decency on television during “prime-time hours” prior to 10:00 p.m. when families and children make up a large part of the viewing audience.  The case involves celebrities using expletives on Fox Network’s Billboard Music Awards show, and ABC’s use of images of partial nudity during the evening broadcast hours.

At the heart of the case is the Federal Communication Commission’s current broadcast indecency policy and whether it violates the First Amendment of the constitution.  These rules allow the FCC to levy high-priced fines against the networks that violate these decency standards.  The government agency believes that there should be a distinct different between what can be said/seen during family viewing hours and what is allowable during late night adult broadcasting.  The networks argue that the policy is arbitrary and “…puts a chill on broadcast speech.”

During my formative years, parents taught their children that there was a time and a place for everything, and that included what words were allowed to come out of your mouth.  In today’s culture, however, many terms that were vulgarities when I was growing up are now a common part of everyday language, particularly of the young adult population.  This does not mean, however, that one can say anything one likes anywhere one happens to be.  Such words are not allowed in our schools, one does not drop them into conversation at the office or our place of business, nor do we hear them in the doctor’s office, the church or in a court of law. 

Watching what you say and where you say it is a matter of respect - for yourself and for those around you.  If Cher and Nicole Ritchie are used to using expletives in their private, everyday speech, that is their business.  But for the very few moments that they appear on live, prime-time television in front of an audience that includes children, they ought to have respect for the families who are watching and voluntarily clean up their act.  A little class goes a long way.

Adoption

But when the fullness of the time had come,

God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

to redeem those who were under the law,

that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-6

Three days after April 11, the date of my birth, I left a birthing home in the arms of my new adoptive parents – the only mother and father I have ever known.  They started telling me I was adopted long before I could understand the meaning of their words, ensuring that I would mature into the knowledge that they had chosen me for their child.  As fate would have it, my coloring closely resembled that of my adoptive mother, so most people naturally assumed that I was her birth daughter, and there were never any awkward questions about my parentage.

Last week, Jon Huntsman – a Republican presidential candidate, was rightly outraged by a new political ad launched by one of his opponents, questioning whether his value were American or Chinese – showing pictures of his young daughters, one of whom was adopted from China and the other from India.  To even intimate such an idea is outrageous; to involve young children as pawns against their father’s political ambitions is, in my mind, unforgivable.  Although the current climate in our election culture says anything is fair game, children should never be exploited by anyone, particularly someone who is trying to gain advantage over another. 

Adoption is not a second-class status.  For many children, it is a salvation from an unimaginable life or a certain death.  We who have been adopted were chosen by parents who wanted to love and cherish us. I am, and always have been, proud of being adopted.  Mr. Huntsman’s opponent should be ashamed of himself.  Someone who would target children for his own political gain has no business running this country.