When I look at an American Flag, I see so much more than stars and stripes. It is more than just a symbol. This is the AMERICAN flag which was built over time, with more and more states, being added. Each time our country has seemed on the verge of crisis, of being destroyed, of not making it this time, there have been brave, good men who have stepped up to lead our sometimes very tattered country. When I think of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and others, I think of those men that were raised up by God for such a time as this. They were not perfect men, they weren’t even great men until they had been proved in the refiner’s fire of God’s testing of our country and their own mortal hearts The song “Heal Our Land” is written for now, our own internal crisis and rending of our soul as a nation. How can we stand by and let all that this country has stood for over time, erode away? Will we allow our freedom of religion, to bear arms, and of free speech to fall by the wayside? Songs have been written and soldiers have marched for these freedoms in the past. Can we now sit by and just “watch it all go?”. I cannot. I will not. I will keep trying to push the symbols of our country and the flag and all the freedoms we have, in front of others as a reminder of WHO WE ARE AS A NATION. We are the UNITED States. We are a republic. We must stand firm in our freedoms and remind the upcoming generation of how precious those freedoms are. May God Bless America.
Category: Unity
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The Pandemic Shuffle
The pandemic is serious business and has impacted many people directly, and indirectly. Life as we knew it has changed. Wearing masks to go out and social distancing are necessary, but also have a cost. We are unsure if we should jump back in the water, or stay safer at home. We are fighting with each other, while others sit idle and ignore it. Can’t we just get along? We need to be unified as families and as society, and try to help each other. If we are slow and steady and do what we can for each other, then we will be through this in another, hop, skip, and a jump. We pray for unity, and for God to grant us solutions.
A guitar strumming, a piano playing, some double bass, some drums softly beating. These components make up a song. Each part is very unique and different. Each has it’s own sound and unique contribution. It takes a musical “family” to make up a unique song and message. This is also true of our own individual families. Each family member is unique, different, yet very important. Each child that is born in a family brings their own spirit, their own style and way of interacting with the world. When a child is appreciated and encouraged in their own authenticity, and is allowed to contribute to the family in their own way, that child grows up cherished and mentored in their talents. They maintain confidence in themselves and their own ideas and are motivated to contribute to the world. However if a child is not appreciated and is kept “small” then that child will not often have enough confidence in their own capabilities to flourish as they could have done.
I was sitting in a restaurant many years ago, and was eavesdropping on a family’s interactions where each child was listened to and was contributing to the conversation. They were all interacting in very confident tones and being listened to by everyone else. The sharing of ideas was fascinating as I felt the conversation sparkle from where I sat.
In the recording for this blog, Ed and I (he played the drums) have used the instrumentation to illustrate how each sound is important and unique. It hopefully shows, how a healthy family can interact and each family member has a very important “contribution” . The piano has it’s own unique characteristics, soon joined by an acoustic guitar and drums, coming in at the second verse , and also a double bass is added on the chorus. No instrumentation is more important than the rest. They all blend, hopefully, in a harmonic way.
God made everyone in the world to come and contribute and bring their own authentic soul to the harmony of the world. Each is a child of God. God loves everyone. There are no stars or v.i.p.’s in God’s world. How can I show love and appreciation for the unique music their hearts contribute to the orchestration of this incredible creation God has made? I can love my own family, for all the gifts they bring into my life. Jesus knows all of our hearts. Let’s sing for Him.
