Monday, October 31, 2011

Musical Monday: The Civil Wars

In honor of their upcoming trip to St. Louis, here are a couple numbers from southern boy, John Paul White, and his singer-songwriter sidekick, California native, Joy Williams.  Read more about their story here.  And then...listen to, watch, and buy everything you can get your hands on.

Here's an original composition:


Here's a cover tune:


Here's a rather morbid twist on an old classic:

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Triple Fool

The Triple Fool
by John Donne

I am two fools, I know,
For loving, and for saying so
In whining poetry;
But where's that wise man, that would not be I,
If she would not deny?
Then as th' earth's inward narrow crooked lanes
Do purge sea-water's fretful salt away,
I thought, if I could draw my pains
Through rhyme's vexation, I should them allay.
Grief brought to numbers cannot be so fierce,
For he tames it, that fetters it in verse.

But when I have done so,
Some man, his art and voice to show,
Doth set and sing my pain,
And by delighting many, frees again
Grief, which verse did restrain.
To love and grief tribute of verse belongs,
But not of such as pleases when 'tis read;
Both are increased by such songs;
For both their triumphs so are published,
And I, which was two fools, do so grow three;
Who are a little wise, the best fools be.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Donne's Holy Sonnet IV

Holy Sonnet IV
by John Donne

Oh my black soul! now thou art summoned
By sickness, death's herald and champion;
Thou art like a pilgrim, which abroad hath done
Treason, and durst not turn to whence he is fled,
Or like a thief, which till death's doom be read,
Wisheth himself delivered from prison;
But damn'd and hal'd to execution,
Wisheth that still he might be imprisoned.
Yet grace, if thou repent, thou canst not lack;
But who shall give thee that grace to begin?
Oh make thyself with holy mourning black,
And red with blushing, as thou art with sin;
Or wash thee in Christ's blood, which hath this might -
That being red, it dyes red souls to white.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Wordsmith Wednesday

Root:

premo, premere, pressi, pressum (v) L. - to push; to crush; to overpower

Derivatives:

press - to act on with steady force or weight

pressure - the application of a steady force or weight (-ize)

compress - to push together (-er, -ion)

depress - to push down (-er, -ible, -ion, -ive, -or)

impress - to press into, leaving a mark (-ion, -ionistic, -ionable, -ive)

oppress - to press heavily upon; to burden (-ion, -ible, -ive, -iveness, -or)

repress - to push back; restrain (-ible, -ibility, -ion, -ive, -or) (ir-)

suppress - to push down by force; to hold down (-er, -ible, - ion, - ive, - or)

Not Done With Donne

I know I am supposed to be focusing on a variety of poets this year - and I've done some of that (Kenyon, Teasdale, Millay...is that it??) - but I simply can not stay away from Donne.  Every time I read him, it's as if I am reading with new eyes and I discover another gem...or two...or three...which I had read before, but hadn't really heard.  I can only hope that at least one of you falls in love with and is profoundly moved by his work. 

Holy Sonnet III
by John Donne

O might those sighs and tears return again
Into my breast and eyes, which I have spent,
That I might in this holy discontent
Mourn with some fruit, as I have mourned in vain;
In mine idolatry what showers of rain
Mine eyes did waste? what griefs my heart did rent?
That sufferance was my sin, now I repent;
'Cause I did suffer I must suffer pain.
Th' hydroptic drunkard, and night-scouting thief,
The itchy lecher, and self-tickling proud
Have the remembrance of past joys for relief
Of coming ills.  To poor me is allow'd
No ease; for long yet vehement grief hath been
Th' effect and cause, the punishment and sin.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Coming Out of the Closet

I believe I can safely say that I have never ever posted a blog about fashion.  Not because I don't like fashion, but because I don't know fashion.  I am usually a year or two behind on the trends, because it often takes me a while to even become aware of them and then it takes even longer to adjust to the idea.  So, about the time a trend has ceased to be a trend and is on its way out, I'm finally buying into it...which makes for great shopping at Goodwill!  

I am bucking my own trend here, though, to "write" a fashion post.  Sort of.  

You see, I like scarves.  I've always liked scarves.  In fact, I may even LOVE scarves.  They provide a wonderfully safe way to incorporate eye-popping color and prints in which I would otherwise  not be caught dead.  They also present an economical way to spice up a closet full of classic lines and neutral colors.  But I have been eternally plagued by a dilemma: I don't know how to wear them!  I mean, I DO know 1 or 2 ways but they are the old-fashioned, traditional, "going-to-the-office" looks.  So I buy beautiful scarves, but they adorn my closet, not me.

But then last week!  Ahhh...last week.  T'was a life-changing week indeed...in terms of fashion, that is.  My friend, Dana Hui, brought the following video to my attention and wah-lah! 


Suddenly I can rock a scarf like nobody's business!  

I thank you, Dana, and my poor neglected scarves thank you as they will finally see the light of day!  This may well be the most useful YouTube video ever!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Name That Flower

Musical Monday: Ben Folds

My eldest son introduced me to Ben Folds about 3 years ago.  Grant is pretty good about knowing what music I'll like, and this was one of those cases where he was spot on.   So, thanks to him, I grew to appreciate Folds' music, but I knew nothing about the person, Ben Folds, until we began watching The Sing Off last year.  He has the most endearing personality...charming, witty, kind, humble.  He is an excellent judge too whose evaluations of the performances are honest yet generous...and they're RIGHT (AKA: he agrees with ME!). 

So here is one of my favorite songs by him.  Enjoy. 

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Teacher in Me...

This post could very possibly be motivated by my Inner Perfectionist, but since I'm pretending to work on that, I shall blame my Inner Teacher instead. 

You see, one of my friends loves me enough to correct me.  In my posts on PERFECTIONISM...which I forbade myself to edit (aaargh...!), I misspelled the word "committment" repeatedly.  It's not the first time this week I've had to be corrected for public errors... apparently I have a need to make my mistakes OUT LOUD.

This isn't the first time I've spelled "commitment" incorrectly.  The weird thing is...I KNOW the phonics rule that applies! I know that when adding "-ed" or "-ing" to "commit," one must double the final consonant in order to avoid making that final vowel long. Conversely, I know that because "-ment" begins with a consonant, it is entirely unnecessary to double the final consonant, but I do it anyway...almost every time.

So...the Teacher in me decided that this habitual spelling error needed to be corrected once and for all.  What does a teacher do when a kid repeatedly spells a word incorrectly?  She makes him learn the rule, of course.  And when that fails to penetrate his thick-skull, then what?  She makes him write it 50 times, right?  So...I decided to swallow a little of my own medicine:


Perhaps I won't make this particular mistake again.  Or perhaps I'll discover that I am even more thick-headed than I thought.  Sigh...

Friday, October 14, 2011

Practically IMPerfect in Every Way

SO...this MAY be considered cheating. 

I am forbidden from editing my previous post because I committed to not doing so and, of course, I must scrupulously keep that committment...by publishing a new post with all the important stuff I left out of the last one!

But I really did neglect a couple of really significant factors in this whole perfectionism thing!

First of all, we easily identify and assign negative motivations, such as pride and insecurity, to our perfectionistic tendencies...and they certainly can be and often are driven by sinful motivations.  BUT...we should also remember that to some extent, this pursuit is driven by a desire to obtain that for which we were created: beauty, order, dominion, service, the glorious image of God in Christ.  That pursuit is noble and worthy and should not be abandoned.   At the same time, though, we have to accept our own and other's limitations, recognizing that we will remain in a state of dissatisfied longing until the final consummation of our redemption. 

We must come face-to-face with the limitations of living in a fallen world as finite, frail and flawed creatures.  "We are indeed a strange, wonderful, and terrible mixture of dignity and depravity, beauty and brokenness, glory and grief.  Imagine a beautiful old palace or castle, built many centuries ago.  You wander around the crumbling ruin...you have a sense of its previous glory and the tragedy of its destruction.  You can also imagine what it would be like if it were to be completely restored.  Accepting that we are glorious ruins, with great dignity and profound depravity, is part of the tension of living in a fallen world.  This ambiguity is hard for perfectionists to accept.  For them, the dignity and depravity are not woven together, but are in two separate compartments...they find it hard to live in the tension of both at the same time."  (Perfecting Ourselves to Death)

Accepting the truth of our mortality as well as our legitimate desire for glory, is crucial and allows us to submit to the tension, trusting God to complete the work he has begun in us and to bring us to maturity.

That's about all I have to say about that.  So there.

Practically Perfect in Every Way

I have known for a good portion of my adult life that I have a slight tendency toward perfectionism (OK...so maybe it's a ridiculously heightened inclination.)  I have also known for years that this tendency can cause problems for not only me but everyone around me.  However, I have held on fiercely, afraid that letting go meant settling for mediocrity and abandoning the pursuit of excellence...a sacrifice I haven't been willing to make.

The common circumstances of life (marriage and motherhood) have forced me to lighten up considerably.  I look back on some of the ways I used to function in life and wonder at my lunacy.  Why in the world did I think every drawer and closet and curtain rod and window sill and cabinet and tub had to be spotless and organized before I could have people over for dinner?  Seriously.  I didn't even recognize this as odd...I even thought it was NORMAL.  That's astonishing to me now.

What is the motivation behind this kind of perfectionistic mentality?  Well...it's complicated.  For me, and I suspect for many others, multiple factors are involved: innate personality, family of origin tendencies, theological committments, etc.  Insecurity, pride, a need to feel in control, the love of beauty and order, a sense of duty, the desire to serve others well...both positive and negative factors can propel us toward perfectionism.  It's helpful to identify the matters of our own heart in this regard.

It has also helped me to recognize that moving away from perfectionism does NOT require that I abandon the pursuit of excellence.  In his book, Perfecting Ourselves to Death, Dr. Richard Winter clarified for me that the primary delineating factor between healthy and unhealthy perfectionism: how do I respond when I or others fail to meet my standard of excellence?  If my response is characterized by negative emotions - irritability, frustration, disdain, arrogance, defeatism, etc. - toward myself or others, then my pursuit has become unhealthy.  If I can pursue that same standard of excellence, knowing that neither I nor others will always meet up and I can extend grace, understanding, acceptance and love anyway...then my pursuit of excellence is a good thing and will likely increase my productivity and quality of life. 

True to my nature, as I read the book, I found myself wanting to perfectly overcome my perfectionism!  To find that magical key that would change me forever into a non-perfectionist pursuer of all things excellent...and, of course, would create a reputation for me as a conquerer  of this evil!  So OBVIOUSLY...I have not yet achieved perfection in my pursuit to abandon perfectionism.

As I set out to adjust my expectations, my mindset, my responses, my motivations, my heart committments, etc., I've sometimes let the pendulum swing toward the other extreme (b/c we perfectionists are all-or-nothing sort of folks), but that overcorrection is sometimes a necessary part of learning to let go.  Don't be afraid of it.  I'm slowly finding my way back toward the middle...and even toward excellence.  I believe I will arrive there as a much more pleasant and tolerable human being who finds a great deal more joy in life than I did before.

The good thing is, I know I'm not the only one riding this train!  Hop on and let's enjoy the ride together.

NOTE: as an exercise in non-perfectionist self-discipline, I will not allow myself to edit this post more than once!  Any shortcomings in thought, wording, grammar, or spelling, shall remain forever immortalized in all their inglorious imperfection.  (Excuse me while I pause a moment for some deep-breathing exercises.  There.  That's better.  No one said this was gonna be easy...did they?!?)

The London Tea Room

I love St. Louis.  For many reasons.  Not the least of which are the abundant opportunities to listen to live musical performances free of charge.  No tickets, no entry fees, no cover charges.  It's astonishing really. 

Tonight offered another of those opportunities.

Thanks to my  sweet friend and fellow Christian, Mom, and Blogger, Annie, I became personally acquainted with the hammered dulcimer - played by none other than...you guessed it...Dulcimer Dude (Annie's special appellation for him).  I also discovered a comfortable little spot where I would love to drink away my days.  Drinking TEA, that is.
 

The London Tea Room occupies an old storefront on  Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis.  It's not exactly what you might expect from a place with such a name.  You won't see a single doily.  Not even a hint of a floral print.  No lace.  No fine china.  And not a lick of pretense.  Just high ceilings, brightly colored walls, rustic wood floors, and an urban coffee shop atmosphere. 

You'll also find a selection of delectable-looking homemade pastries, a comprehensive and highly entertaining (yes, you heard me...ENTERTAINING) tea menu, and even a few coffee options for those who really must. 

Owner and manager, Jackie, is a transplanted Brit whose longing for the familiar tradition of afternoon tea, prompted her to set up shop.   Her emptiness has led to a fuller, more complete world for the rest of us, who never knew until now just what we were missing.  One taste of the Tanzanian or the Coconut Oolong and you'll wonder at our ancestors for hurling such unequivocal goodness into the harbor.

Visit the website...if the tea selection doesn't convince you, I guarantee their sense of humor will entice you to visit!  Patronize this gem of a shop as soon as you're able.  While you're there, why not wander next door into English Living - a haven of well-appointed home furnishings, owned by Jackie's folks.

If you need a guide to accompany you...I just might be available!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Tree of Life 1

There are two ways through life: the way of nature and the way of grace.

Grace doesn't try to please itself.  Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked.  Accepts insults and injuries.

Nature only wants to please itself.  Gets others to please it too.  Likes to lord it over them...to have its own way.  It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it, and love is smiling through all things.

They taught us that none who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end.

I will be true to You.  Whatever comes.

Thus begins Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, in which he artistically - through magnificent images and cinematography - yet very overtly - through the voices of his characters - asks some of life's most difficult questions.  Where is God...that One whose majesty, glory, and power are revealed in His creative works?  Why doesn't He intervene when tragedy befalls the faithful?  Is He there?  Does He know?  Who are we to Him?   Why does He hurt us? 

Malick's motives, belief statements, and artistry have been both acclaimed and ridiculed, and a variety of interpretations have been assigned to the film's deeper meaning.  It seems to me that the majority of these interpretations have minimized, if not entirely ignored, the film's opening statements, which colored my interpretation of everything that followed, as I suspect they were intended to.  The initial screenshot highlights this text from Job 38:

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?  When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

This is crucial to understanding the film.  The dichotomy of belief and experience is the thread of continuity throughout.  The God who laid the very foundations of this unbelievably magnificent earth appears to stand idly by while the crowns of his creation suffer loss and grief.  A sermon from Job holds a prominent place in the movie and creates a crisis of faith - again juxtaposing man's beliefs about God with his finite perspective and experience.  One of the central characters, the eldest of three adolescent sons, cries out poignantly to God, "You let a boy die.  You let anything happen.  Why should I be good if You aren't?"

The movie succeeds in portraying the soul's inner, often unspoken, struggle to reconcile faith and experience.  The characters' experiences aren't always negative either.  We see astonishing expressions of love and grace...mostly astonishing because Malick makes them stand out as extraordinary even though they come in and through the very ordinary means  of daily life.  Simple daily interactions have the power to transform lives.  For example, in keeping with Proverbs, we see through the contrast of the mother and father's words to their sons that "a soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness therin is a wound to the spirit."  This is only one of several allusions to the Tree of Life.  More on that in another post...hopefully.

The breathtaking visuals (if you have the patience to endure long sequences of images coupled by a complete absence of traditional plot and character development), and the sparse, yet powerful, words, are joined to a dynamic soundtrack which sheds significant light on each scene's symbolism.  (Let me warn you here that the CD titled as the soundtrack, contains a score composed for, but rarely used in, the actual movie.  Here is a comprehensive listing of what you actually heard...or will hear.)

I will go so far as to suggest that the scattering of pieces from The Requiem are not only fitting and telling, but may well regulate the overarching structure of the film.  At the very least, there is a correlative movement from judgement and pleas for mercy to an everlasting day of light, rest and communion.

I'll leave it at that for now, recognizing that the artistic, poetic, theological, musical, philosophical, familial, as well as other themes remain largely unaddressed.  After a single viewing, I am entirely inadequate to effectively address all of those layers!  I hope to say more after multiple viewings as well as input from others.

I do encourage you to watch it, and as you do, keep in mind during the creation scene (which has been hailed as a glorious testament to Darwinism) that the lyrics playing in the background are from The Requeim's Lacrimosa:

"Mournful that day when from the ashes shall rise guilty man to be judged.  Lord, have mercy on him.  Gentle Jesus, grant him eternal rest."

To learn more about the film's content from a decent review that is helpful without being very theological or too philosophical, go here.  This will give you an idea of the film's story, which I have completely ignored in this post.

Then...let me know what you think of the film, please!  And feel free to completely dismantle my interpretation!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Dust

Dust
by Sara Teasdale

When I went to look at what had long been hidden,
A jewel laid long ago in a secret place,
I trembled, for I thought to see it's dark deep fire -
But only a pinch of dust blew up in my face.

I almost gave my life long ago for a thing
That has gone to dust now, stinging my eyes—
It is strange how often a heart must be broken
Before the years can make it wise.

Musical Monday: Louis Armstrong

//

Thursday, October 6, 2011

The Mind of the Maker

Dorothy Sayers wrote a book by this post's title, in which she suggests that man's primary means of imaging God is in his creativity.  Man is inherently a creative being and is at his best and most joyful when his mind and hand are engaged in creative work.

The world lost two men this week who, whether or not they intended to, beautifully reflected the mind of the Maker in their creative pursuits. 

Steve Jobs is a household name and most of us are not only aware of his creative contributions to the world of technology, but have had our daily lives impacted by them.  He made the world a better place to live by imagining what could be...by envisioning that which had never before existed, then bringing it into existence for the benefit of others.  He may not have done it in submission to God, but that doesn't mean his works and legacy are fruitless.  Just as the children of God used the creative works of Cain's descendants (bronze tools, musical instruments) to beautify and glorify the worship of God, we too should delight and rejoice in man's creative works, redeeming them for the sake of the Gospel.

But St. Louis lost another creative genius whose name is not remotely close to being a household name.  Bob Cassilly died this week.  Have you ever heard of Bob Cassilly?  Probably not.  But I guarantee, if you live in St. Louis, his work has brought you moments of great delight.  You see, he was the mind (and the money) behind The City Museum, an unparalleled haven of creativity!

This place never fails to astonish me on so many levels.  First of all, it is a playground for kids of all ages that openly defies the modern tendency to remove every element of risk.  One can walk through a pitch black cavern where the ground is uneven and the "danger" of tripping and falling is significant!!  Can you believe that?!  Somebody might get HURT! 

This playground is non-traditional in other ways too.  You will find no pre-fab plastic slides here and no formulaic play spaces that dictate exactly how one ought to use them.  Everything is constructed from someone else's garbage. The building itself was an abandoned warehouse whose usefulness and beauty had been overlooked.  Now, discarded yet important pieces of St. Louis's architectural history have been preserved for posterity.  Cases of unused watch bands beautify a column.  Scrap metal is twisted into spiral tunnels which tower 2 stories above ground.  Broken shards of pottery line the floors in fantastical designs.  The entire place, from floor to ceiling offers an indescribable feast for the eyes and the imagination.

I don't know what Mr. Cassilly believed, but I can tell you that his creative works are reflective of God's image.  Not only in their originality, but especially in their nature.  How much more godlike action is there than to rescue that which has been cast aside, deemed useless and unworthy...mere trash...and transform it into a thing of beauty which brings delight to all who experience its transformation?!  Our God delights in creating beauty from ashes...in reclaiming and restoring broken, ugly, abandoned people for himself. 

I hope you rejoice and give thanks with me for the lives of these men who, at least in this one aspect, reflected the glory of man as made in the image of God.

When Helping Hurts

When Helping Hurts is an excellent book, recommended to me by Pastor Chris Smith.  Authors Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert each bring practical, philosophical, theological and economic experience to bear on their assessment of poverty - its causes, its perpetuation and its alleviation.  They are forthright in their criticism of current models, but they are also helpful, encouraging, and specific in their suggestions for altering our mindset, thus transforming our approach to those living in poverty. 

You'll need to read the book to get the full import of their ideas, but here are a couple of issues that stood out to me.

One significant problem in the way we approach the poor is rooted in faulty assumptions about the nature of poverty.  We define poverty too narrowly in terms of material deficit, when in reality, it has everything to do with relationship deficits: relationships to self, community, creation and God are all in various states of poverty.  These broken relationships sometimes lead to material poverty and in order to be truly effective in our efforts, all 4 relationships must be addressed. 

Instead, our most common approach is to offer RELIEF (providing "stuff" or labor), when relief efforts ought to be seldom, immediate and temporary.  Relief is appropriate in certain circumstances (i.e. immediately following disasters), but ongoing relief too often keeps the poor trapped in the same broken place in which we found them.

So why do we tend to focus on relief? 

1) It's doable.  Most of us can take a short-term missions trip to provide temporary assistance, or participate in a food drive, or some other event where we can step briefly into and  out of a particular context.  Most of us don't have (or don't believe we have) time or the desire to devote to long-term, ongoing involvement in the lives of the needy.  We tend to believe that relief is all they want anyway.

2)  It's manageable.  Relief is something we do TO and FOR the poor, so we are in complete control of what is given and done.  We don't want to go getting entangled in the mess of rehabilitation and development, which require us to work intimately WITH the poor to help them create a different future for themselves by restoring relationships with self, community, God, and the rest of creation.  This one of the authors' main arguments: the poor must be involved in the decisions and process which help them move to a healthier place in life.

3)  It's rewarding.  Quite frankly, it makes us feel good about ourselves.  Problem is, we often end up with a god-complex while we leave the poor feeling inferior, indebted, and helpless.  This is almost certainly unintentional on most of our parts, but it's an unfortunate truth that hurts both parties...the helping and the helped. 

One of the things I love most about this book, is the authors' insistence that because God is present and active in all of His creation, including poor communities, we must take the time to see, uncover, display and build upon the work and image of God in every human and community.  These people and communities already have strengths which they and we need to recognize, give thanks for, and capitalize on! Those of us who are not materially poor, tend to sweep in with an "I'm going to save you" attitude that assumes we have all the answers and resources, while "they" have all need and deficits.  In reality, we are often just as deficient in our relationships as those we seek to serve...we too are broken and needy, and we can actually learn from those we are trying to "help."  But only if we have an attitude of humility.

I could go on and on, but you really just need to read the book!  These guys lay a strong theological and anthropological foundation, then offer very concrete advice about when and how to do relief, rehabilitation and development among the needy according to their own context.  Even if you don't anticipate personal involvement in charitable work, this book will challenge you to think more biblically, with a more God-like attitude toward your fellow man.  This will likely influence allocation of your funds, and may transform your political views as well.   If you ARE actively involved in charitable ministries that attempt to make a difference among the poor, you will be helped not only by the book, but by ongoing resources offered through The Chalmers Center in Chattanooga.

Thanks, Pastor Smith, for the challenge and for creating and providing ongoing opportunities to put these principles into action.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Wordsmith Wednesday

Somewhere along the way, I contracted a form of mental illness which fortunately is not called Preoccupied Constrained Malady (PCM)...Tormented Coerced Ailment (TCA)...Haunted Urgency Syndrome (HUS)...or even  Beset by Impulse Disease (BID).  In the realm of synonyms, I suppose any one of these could have been chosen, yet somehow, the all-knowing "they" chose the best-sounding, most appropriate name of all.

Obsessive - (adj) L.  obsidere - ob = on + sedere = sit - haunted or troubled in mind to an abnormal degree

Compulsive - (adj) L. compellere - com = together + pello = to drive or force - controlled by a driving force; dominated by an irresistible impulse to perform some act

Disorder - (n) Fr. desordre - an upset of normal function; irregularity

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder = an irregularity of normal function in which a driving desire takes control of your mind and sits heavily on you until you act upon it, providing relief for the anxiety.

Yep.  That's me alright: an abnormal driving desire that weighs me down until I DO something which relieves the anxiety of disarray. 




I know what you're thinking. "I bet she's one of those who turns all the soda cans the same direction in the fridge."  Well...yeah...but don't judge me too harshly.  It's an illness, right, so you shouldn't JUDGE me, you should feel SORRY for me.  Or the people who live with me...

Have a great day, all, and straighten something crooked today...see if it doesn't bring you just a tiny bit of delight!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Donne's Holy Sonnet VII

Today I am giving thanks for two of my life's great joys: exceptional poetry and music.  Thanks be to God for gifting men and women in these areas, and for their response to His call to use those gifts to bring joy to others!

At the round earth's imagined corners blow
Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise
From death, you numberless infinities
Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go ;
All whom the flood did, and fire shall o'erthrow,
All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies,
Despair, law, chance hath slain, and you, whose eyes
Shall behold God, and never taste death's woe.
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space ;
For, if above all these my sins abound,
'Tis late to ask abundance of Thy grace,
When we are there.   Here on this lowly ground,
Teach me how to repent, for that's as good
As if Thou hadst seal'd my pardon with Thy blood. 


Musical Monday: Abbie & Anthony

Abbie is part of the trio from last week's music post, Red Molly.  She and Anthony DaCosta are both talented singer-songwriters who happen to work well together.   Learn more about both of them here.  They have produced one short but exquisite album together: Better Nights, Better Days.