Daily Grat: Schrieber and a New Song

Wow, what a productive day.

Great morning at church with a BIG crowd. Finished writing a song I'd been working on for a few weeks. Then, played at Schrieber's chili cook off at night. Played a set of my own music, which was quite nice. Well received too.

All in all, it's rare to have that much stuff going on during one Sunday. I mean, Sunday's are always busy...but the particular combination of a sermon, song, and show are pretty rare. Felt good, if busy.

I really like the new song too. Hoping to get a version recorded and out there sometime tonight. I think lots of folks will resonate with it.

So, for all these things...a great morning, afternoon and evening, filled with lots of things I really enjoy, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: One of These Saturdays

"There's work to do, that's plain to see,
Laundry piled as high as me,
But the Beatles said just "Let it Be"
And that sounds like good advice."
-- David Lamotte

We had an especially lazy Saturday. Not a thing on the schedule, and a whole day to lounge around the house. Which is something everybody needs, now and then, no matter what you might think. Most of us assume that we *need* to stay busy and that if we're not somethings wrong.

But we all need "down time."

So, for a little downtime, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: Norman's "Thinking Outloud"

Norman Suggs is a friend I met via the internet some years back. He's only over in Stephenville, but the way the world works, it's doubtful we'd ever have met without our mutual online geekiness.

He's had cancer this past year, and has been undergoing treatment. Today on Facebook, he posted the blog below, which he called "Thinking Outloud."

I asked him if I could pass it along, and he agreed. I want you to read it, because it so completely describes the concept of "Daily Gratitude" that I've been trying to foster in my own soul.

So, today's Daily Gratitude is Normans' Daily Gratitudes.

Thanks, Norman.

"Thinking Outloud"

In the past months I have been quietly observing myself. That may sound like a strange way to say this, but it is the best words can do to describe the process.

This week is the first anniversary on which my treatment for multiple myeloma began. The Revlimid was a good drug for what it was intended to do: to lower my white blood cell counts and reduce the marrow producing these. The transplant process would not begin until June and that was when it was most arduous.

So far as I can tell, the treatments continue to have forced the cancer into remission. It is probably going to be manageable for some time, with more treatments when it flares again and so on. I'm grateful for that. There are no complaints, no reason for sympathy and so on. I am fortunate.

I have noticed changes in me. I really do not find myself getting caught up in politics in the same way I might have at one time. Politics is essentially the decision process for who receives or uses what limited resources. Life is without limits - we keep fooling ourselves into thinking otherwise. It is really a matter of what is needed versus the next shiny object we allow ourselves to be distracted into desiring.

I see and appreciate little things: the feel of wind (hot, warm or cold) on my face, the warmth of sunlight on my scalp, the sound of bird songs.

I find myself looking into the eyes of others and marveling at the persons inside. We are all amazing creatures whether we realize it or not. I no longer feel the need to write as much as I once did. I still have a desire to write, but find myself unable to put into words what I am feeling and thinking.

A part of that is that I am left to drift in my thoughts a bit more. "Drift" may not be the best word for this - it implies uncontrolled directions and undirected destinations. In truth I do have control over the directions and can manage to guide myself along those paths. But I also find myself noticing and pausing for more of the rabbit trails and other paths that have led me to some remarkable discoveries. None of these are worthy of note, but they are wonderful all the same.

I love the feel of a hot shower - I used to prefer cold ones - and the sound of rainfall. I find myself thinking that music has a purity that does not exist in everyday existence. I enjoy the textures of things, both visual and physical.

I have rediscovered the taste of food. You really can't appreciate that fact until you have had to deal with months of chemotherapy and the way it strips you of your sense of taste. Even at that I do not really find food attractive until I am hungry.

I have rediscovered the marvel of people and our diversity. I have rediscovered my amazement of how we describe and define our existence in relation to the Creator. I have found a revived amazement at the mystery of life, of it's conception, the ways in which it grows, the ways in which all animated life shares a common gift of breath.

All of this is true for me. And at the current moment, it does not even begin to express the nuances in these and in every part of my life.

I am blessed beyond my ability to know and express.

If you've read this far, thanks for staying with me through the rambling. Go back to what you were doing. Or take a different direction. That is the fun of it all - it is your decision to make.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

(As always, if you like this post, then "like it"  or "share it" on Facebook by clicking the box below, or send it to your friends...so others can see too...and leave a comment...EF)  
 

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Daily Grat: Lunch with an old friend

Today, I had lunch with an old friend named Gene at the Garden Cafe. The Garden Cafe is a great little restaurant, literally around the corner from the log house in East Dallas....I mean a block away. It's been there for years, we lived in the neighborhood for years, taking our daughter to play in the park there, and never once did we eat there.

But Gene suggested we give it a try and it was awesome. Great to catch up with him too. Gene took the picture that inspired my song "Walk With Me" last Fall. I've been multi-tracking the song, as time permits, over the past few weeks, and so that made me wonder how he's been.

It was great to catch up.

For the Garden Cafe, and old place I should have known a long time ago, and for Gene, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: Billy and Laura

This morning, I had a 9 am meeting in Frisco.

As an aside, this violates the terms of one of my own core life values:

"Rarely does anything good happen before 10 am."

"Rarely" allows me to include the occasional outlier, and still get at the meaning. Lot's of stuff *happens* before 10 am. Just rarely is any of it "good." Most of it's a lot of hard work and slogging.

Anyway, I fought through a northbound traffic accident on the tollroad (proving my point, of course...) and got to the meeting late.

The meeting was at Grace Avenue UMC in Frisco, where we'll be doing our next Connections show a week from Friday. The meeting was with my old and dear friends, Billy and Laura Echols-Richter, who have been copastors there since the church's founding ten years ago.

Back then, we were all in a study group together and used to see each other semi-regularly. That group disbanded as we moved different places over time. But I still remember those early years for them...how they were basically sent out to an area with nothing but promise and dream. I remember seeing their early space, how it was little more than an office building.

Now, it's a established and fast-growing church, with four worship services and thousands of members.

Amazing stuff. It was great to walk around the building with them, and recall when it was all just a dream.

And, just yesterday, a member of Northaven told me an amazing story about Billy. This member told me that, years ago, a friend of hers wandered into Grace Avenue at a time of great need. Billy took the time to talk to her and counsel her. The woman eventually turned her life around in a major way and is now incredibly active at the church.

Knowing Billy, it didn't surprise me.

So, for old friends like Billy and Laura, for the chance to know folks long enough to see such dreams born and grown, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: Leadership Council

We had a fantastic Leadership Council meeting at church tonight. That's not to say that all the news was easy or good. We had some disappointing financial news near the year-end. Namely, that we didn't have the big December "push" that often comes late-year to balance out our budget.

So, we started this year in the hole. Then, despite more pledges than ever in the church's history, we were still behind in terms of income we were hoping to have for this year.

A month ago then, at January's Leadership Council meeting, the group left with several ideas for how to get us back to "even" financially. In the past 30 days, both our Finance and Stewardship Teams worked together on a quiet appeal to some of the church givers, in order to balance our budget.

The incredible news is that between tough-decision cuts by our Finance group, and the second appeal from our Stewardship group, last night we passed a balanced budget for the year. That's a lot of hard work, condensed into about four or five sentences. But it was really really good work by some incredibly talented folks.

And for them, I am grateful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: My Staff

I ought to call it "Northaven's Staff." Whatever you call them, I have to say I'm mighty proud to work with these folks.

This afternoon was a busy afternoon for all of who were here in the office.

Mary Clair, Chris, Mindy and me were all in and out of each other's offices, talking about various things going on around the church....boring stuff like room reservations....sensitive stuff, like what's going on inside some of our church families.

It was all good, and all very productive.

Overall, we have a very positive and hard-working staff team, and I'm thankful to be coworkers with them.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: Dancing With My Daughter

This afternoon, Maria had her last "Cotillion" at Prestonwood. A part of that was a chance for me to dance with her a couple of times.

There were a lot of kids and parents there that we knew from different parts of life....Maria's school...church...sports, etc....

It's amazing to see how all these boys and girls are growing up into great young men and women.

But the chance to dance with Maria and note this important moment in life, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: The Circle Concert Series

Had a GREAT time last night at the Circle Concert Series in Lucas.

It was great to be with all the incredible musicians there, and to get the chance to play some of my own songs. I'm grateful to Paul and to Weird for getting me out there, and hope to come back again.

This series is my daily gratitude.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: Health Care

I had a minor procedure yesterday on my back. I've been going to a new dermatologist, and he suggested that I get a small cyst taken off my back. It was right in the middle of my shoulder blades....a place I couldn't really either see or get to.

He thinks it's nothing, but it's getting biopsied.

However, it's meant stitches in my back, which hurt a bit, and antibiotics which generally make me feel a little wurvy.

The main gratitude here is for health care in general. I know the system is deeply flawed and broken. But I am deeply grateful to be one of those who have health care.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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What I Know about the Joseph Stack Situation

I have read very little about Joseph Stack, the man who, yesterday, flew a plane into an IRS Building in Austin. So, I don't know a lot about the particulars of his life. I don't have to.

Even without reading one more word about him, or about what Liberal or Conservative bloggers are saying about him, I know many things I can say about this situation.

Without reading one more word, I know two things broadly:

1) I know I have overwhelming compassion for a man who had obviously gone so far over the edge that he could not see how wrong his actions were.

2) I know I have overwhelming contempt for anyone who attempts to politicize this, on the left or the right.

What follows then, expands on these two broad things "I know"...

I know I have not read his suicide note or so-called "manifesto." I know I choose not to. I know that the moment Joseph Stack flew a plane into a building, he gave up his right to have me listen to him. I know what I need to know about him already, by his actions alone.

I know that he was hurt, confused, and angry enough to fly a plane into a building filled with innocent people. I know that this means he was, by definition, not rational or sane. Therefore, I know that any "rants" he may have left --any messages he wanted "us" to hear-- cannot be logically evaluated by the general public in any meaningful way, because they are so tainted by the anger and despair of his sickness.

I know that he also apparently set his own house on fire. I know this means that the wife and child he leaves behind are not only husband-and-fatherless, but also now homeless. Again, I know this means I don't need to listen to his words. I know there are no further meanings to be gained from it beyond attempting to imagine the pain, anger, and faulty thinking that leads to such horror.

By his actions, I know that he needed psychological help that he never got, or that he refused at some point.

I know that it doesn't matter what the IRS did or didn't do. I know it doesn't matter what the government did or didn't do. As with any terrorist, I know he alone is responsible for his choices. Period.

I know that people of the Left and Right will scurry to the internet to post blogs assigning blame for this.

I know that people on the Right will be wrong to excuse anything he did as any kind of justifiable anger. I know that for more than 35 years, the political Right in this country has denigrated the role of the Federal Government.

I know that, despite tax *decreases* for most average Americans, I continue to hear constant belly-aching about how odious our tax burdens are. I know this means that this specific anti-government tax-anger is non-sensical, even as it is clearly a real and genuine emotion in the hearts of those who express it.

I know, and have known for some time, that this constant drum-beat of anti-government sentiment re-enforces a cynicism about our fellow Americans (ie, government workers) that cannot help but incite anger in people.

I know I have been saying this over and over for about the last year. I know that until the Political Right admits and repents of the dehumanization of government workers (Federal, State, City) they will continue to be at risk...as they were yesterday...as they were in Oklahoma City.

I know that there have now been four major terrorist acts on our soil in my adult life:
Oklahoma City
September 11th
The Washington Snipers
And now this.

I know that two out of four of those were perpetrated by white males.

But, as a white male, I know that despite this damning evidence, I am still less likely to get patted down or screened at an airport than is my wife, a sitting State District Judge in the State of Texas who happens to be a brown-skinned woman.

I know this is wrong.

I know that those on the Political Left will likely try to use this as an example of how the "Tea Party Movement" and right-wing hate is out of control. As I have just stated, I know there is likely some truth to the fact that *some* rhetoric is clearly over the line and out of control.

But I also know that it would be a horrible mistake to not hear the anger in this act.

I know that this sound contradictory, given all I have just said in this essay about not listening to Joseph Stack's rant. But I know that we can understand the *anger* in these kinds of events, without having to glorify the terrorist himself, or without giving him a forum for his manifesto.

I know this because it's what we need to do after September 11th. I know that, as a progressive, after September 11th I called for a greater understanding of the *anger* that led to that event. I know I suggested, over and over, that until we understood the anger that led to that attack, we'd be likely to face another attack in the future.

I know that this is still true, and that, unfortunately, many of the acts of our nation in the ensuing years --especially the prosecution of two seemingly endless wars-- have likely *increased* the anger directed at our country by those in the Middle East and the Muslim community.

Therefore, I know that it would be a horrendous mistake, worthy of repentance, for the Political Left to crow about how "all" conservatives, or even all Tea Party folks, have gone so far over the line in their "anti-government" rhetoric that it creates events like this. I say this because I know that they "all" have not, and I know that there is genuine anger out there among many.
I know that whether or not it's justified anger or not makes little difference. I know it is real in the minds of those who feel it, and it must be understood by everyone in our society.

I know it makes as little sense to gloss and blame ALL conservatives for events like this, than to gloss and blame all anti-war protesters for the Weather Underground.

Therefore, I know that until folks on the Political Left become less reactive and more compassionate to the many conservatives who find yesterday's acts just as repugnant as they do, that conservatives will continue to recoil in defensiveness, and the whole cycle will simply start again.
-----------------------------------

I know that it's likely that any wisdom contained in this blog will be widely ignored by folks on the Right and the Left.

I know that I felt compelled to write it anyway.

And that is just about all I know about the Joseph Stack situation.

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Circle Concert Series: Saturday, February 20th

I'm pleased to let you know that I'll be playing a show tomorrow night of my own, yes my own, music. For a multitude of reasons, that's become a pretty rare event in the past few years.

But the good folks a the Circle Concert Series (Paul and Harold, mainly) have invited me to come out of and be a feature performer at their monthly gathering in Lucas.

Here are the details:

Circle Concert Series
Sat. 2/20 7:30PM
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
750 Lucas Rd., Lucas TX
Suggested Donation: $10 (For Church Support)
Featuring: Eric Folkerth, Paul Shearer...usual suspects. :)
Song circle afterward, so bring your thing and do it!
More Info: Paul Shearer 214-728-0871.

Here's a map.

I really appreciate the friends who continue to push me to do more of my own shows. I've got a few more private gigs coming up in the next few weeks, and hope to get more public ones on the schedule soon.

In the meantime, if you're free, I'd love to see you Saturday in Lucas.

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Daily Grat: The Deer Shall Lie Down With the Dog

While surfing around on FB this morning, I stumbled on this YouTube vid:



Isn't that fun?

What's even more amazing is that there's more where it came from.

When I went to YouTube to find the original version, I stumbled on this:



Which led to me this:



Which led me to this:



Which leads me to say "you get the idea."

Isn't this great?

That's not to say that deer and dogs get along all the time. Heck, dogs and dogs don't get along all the time.

But if they can learn to play, with all their differences, why is it often so hard for us?

The lessons of deer and dogs is today's daily gratitude.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Ash Wednesday

We had a wonderful start to our Lenten season tonight. We had the usual service of ashes, with scriptures and beautiful music. Tonight, I encouraged folks to see the message of Ash Wednesday being one of acknowledging our limitations. Especially when we are young, we like to imagine that we live without them. But as we grow through life, the truth is --whether it's our ability to "help others," or "seek justice," whether it's our careers or our physical health-- eventually we run up against limitations. We bump against blocks and obstacle that others put in our way, or self-imposed ones. Or, we come face-to-face with the physical limits of just getting older.

The classic line of the day is "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return;" seen broadly as a call to acknowledge our mortality.

But what I suggested to everyone is that each of our limitations are, in a sense, little deaths that happen each and every day. Parts of us are always dying. New parts are always being born. There is power in acknowledging limits. But! There is power in then trusting that grace and power can still work through them, and in us, anyway.

The other really powerful piece of worship was our "Wailing Wall." We have created a Wailing Wall in the sanctuary, along the "grid" that we normally have in the sanctuary. Like the real Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, seen to the left, people came forward and left prayers along it. Others will add to these prayers during the coming weeks, as we move toward Easter.

The Wailing Wall was very well received, and it's always so gratifying when something the Worship Team envisions turns out well in real life.



So, for the creativity for our team, for a church that encourages it, and for all who came and were a part of Ash Wednesday, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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My Fat Tuesday Meal

Before I get to my Fat Tuesday meal, which is my "Daily Grat" of the day, let me tell you a little bit about my day.

Today was one of those long, but gratifying ministry days. They're not all like today, and there are days that are pretty dull and slow, but this was a good one.

It started with a late lunch at the original Kel's on Forest with a church member who's got a lot going on in their family right now...a nice pastoral care time.

Then, back to the church to finalize changes to the Ash Wednesday bulletin. While there, two members of our worship team were busily working in the sanctuary on our "Wailing Wall," which will be a great visual/symbolic feature of all our worship in Lent.

Then, in the afternoon, it was over to a member's house, to talk about an upcoming "service of inurnment" for her late husband. (Basically, like doing planning for a memorial service...)

Then, it was back to the church for some premarital counseling with a couple at the church.

Then, a weekly meeting with our Leadership Council Chair in the late, late afternoon.

And, finally, a meeting with our Finance Committee, as we continue the tough work of trying to synch our income with our expenses for 2010. It's a challenging year, financially, but we have such a *good* team working on all this.

So, at the end of they day, I was thinking about the great staff and volunteers pulling together our worship service, the others using their finance skills to help us in that needed area, and the folks I was able to help out, pastorally.

Like I said, not all days are this good. But today was.

And so, at the very end, it dawned on me that it was Fat Tuesday.

Maria and me made a quick stop by Cosco on the way home, and got some food. Among the things we got was dinner....Cosco's own Chicken Noodle Soup, and some homemade tortillas:

You buy the tortillas raw at Cosco and heat them at home. The soup is something they make there at Cosco and it has HUGE chunks of chicken in it.

So, it's not exactly the fancy, rich, and perhaps even gluttonous meals others had, but it was PERFECT.

And so, for a delish meal after a long day, I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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The Enjoyment of Enjoyment

This "Daily Gratitude" expands on some things I said yesterday here. I'm calling today's installment "The Enjoyment of Enjoyment."

When I was a kid, I can distinctly remember the experience of getting joy from having others play with my toys. I was not a perfect child, and I don't mean to make myself sound more perfect than I was by telling this story. But I can remember, very vividly, the wonderful feeling of having a friend come over and play with my toys.

It was the late 60s, and so my toys were thinks like GI Joes, and a cool Apollo Space Station. I had a stuffed monkey named "Chester O'Chimp. A few years later, I had lots of Hot Wheels.

Even as a kid I realized that there was something about the act of sharing --something about a sheer enjoyment over watching somebody else's enjoyment-- that was really wonderful. I can only describe it is a tingly feeling all over my body.

I had a flattop haircut in those days, and I can literally remember that incredibly warm tingly feeling, all through the top of my head, just watching the enjoyment, the fun, of watching somebody else get enjoyment from my toys.

This week, I had the same experience walking up Canyon Road in Santa Fe. I stumbled into several art galleries and met several artists and chatted with them for a while. It was such an incredible experience. I could literally feel those endorphins start to rush through my body with each passing gallery. What a mood lifter. Just the enjoyment of the art...soaking it all in...I could FEEL it lifting my spirits.

One gallery I stumbled in was the LaKind Gallery. Inside the door was a woman named Lisa Linch, trying valiantly to tend a fire that wouldn't seem to light. She seemed like a very gentle soul with a beautiful smile, and as I entered she smiled and left me alone to wander.

But then when she could tell I was really enjoying looking at everything --and it was one of my favorite galleries-- she started telling me a little about each artist. Then, as we walked through each room, she slowly uncovered that she was one of the artists, and that it was her gallery. She showed me her stuff too. Here's the gallery website again.

She was so excited about every piece of art that was on display there, especially a new installation that had just opened. The pic to the right is of one of the new pieces that was actually displayed on the outside front wall of the gallery, out on the street.

It's from an artist named Sloane Bibb. Here's more of his stuff.

She was so proud of all of them, and so pleased to see my being pleased by them. I could tell she was enjoying my enjoyment.

And it suddenly hit me that this dynamic happens all the time in all sorts of artistic/human expressions...

...after a sermon, somebody says how much they loved it. Sometimes, they'll even write a note later in the week.

...you write and play a song for somebody, and they "get it" and you can tell it's touched them, and you love their love of it.

...you taste something too good to be true, and you just have to share with somebody, watching that blissful "MMMMnnn...that's GOOD!" come over their face as they savor the food off the fork.

...you read something and have to call up a friend right away and read it to them over the phone.

...you're walking down the street, and you notice how the Sun's last light hits the trees to the East...and buildings, and mountains... just before it sets....that bright and brilliant warm light that comes right before dusk. And you make your companions stop and notice it too.

Interestingly, with all this already on my mind, I found this blog on HuffPo today.

In his new book, Richard Restak suggests that our brains are actually *built* for empathy.

'"In our culture we're taught to think of ourselves as independent and self-actualizing. In reality, our brain is uniquely constructed for experiencing other people's thoughts, emotions and actions as if they were our own.
When we watch another person move, our observations of their movement activates in our own brain the same areas that are involved when we make that movement...

If you observe my hand reaching for a cup of tea the motor cortex in your brain will become slightly active in the same areas you would use if you reached for the cup of tea yourself. Further, if you observe my lips as I savor the tea, the area of your brain corresponding to lip movements will fire as well. Of course that doesn't mean you can taste my tea but it does mean that I am directly affecting your brain as you watch me drinking it. And the process is reciprocal. If you pour yourself a cup of tea, a similar pattern occurs in my brain. In both situations the artificial distinction between you and me breaks down; we form a unit influencing each other's actions: I alter your brain as a result of your observations of me, and vice versa."

Isn't that fascinating?

Of course, this seems to indicate that both positive and negative emotions are "reciprocated" by our brains....if we see or experience pain, we too will likely "feel" it.

But it's most interesting, it seems to me, in the area of joy and love. It's quite clearly demonstrable that enjoying the enjoyment of others is scientifically verifiable in the brain.

In fact, Restak notes that the empathy he is describing here approaches the power of the great spiritual teaching of Jesus (and others) to "Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You."

About this spiritual teaching, I have always believed it functions more like a "law of nature" than a "rule."

Others *will* do unto you, as you do unto them...
You *will* do unto others, as they do unto you...

So, if we are ready to receive joy and love and wonder, that's probably what we'll experience as coming from others. And, if we *give* joy and love, we'll be able, with increasing clarity, to enjoy the enjoyment of others.

The final, and deeply theological belief I have about this is that, at the macro-level, God is also engaged in this process.

God calls us to love...ourselves...others...and God. (The Great Commandment). And, when we can do it, God enjoys our enjoyment of the world....God loves our love of the world.

The final enjoyment is God's enjoyment of our enjoyment of the world.

All of this, the enjoyment of enjoyment, is today's "Daily Gratitude.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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My Two Girls

Add me to the list of Valentine's Day haters. Charter member, here.

But if I am grateful for anything on this day, I am grateful for my two girls. I love watching them together. They make a beautiful mother/daughter team. They are smart, strong and beautiful.

Here are few pics through the years...

 

 

So, on this day, I am grateful for them.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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A Love Song That's True

Been hearing a lot of folks complaining about Valentine's Day this year. Right there with you, friends. Here's a song I wrote a few years back that makes fun of most of the love songs we like to play on this day. It will probably be on my next CD:

A Love Song That's True (words and music by Eric Folkerth)

(note: if you can't get the player to work, it could be because it's an old post and I had to move the file...sorry...)

A Love Song That's True
You Mean the world to me...
But, when you're out of town
This big blue-green ball
Keep on spinning right around.

You are a part of me...
But, that line is just pretend
'Cause I've still got all my fingers
And I've still got all my limbs

And I'd be lost without you...
But, the truth is, when I pack
That I always take a compass
And I usually take a map.

And so what I'm really search for
Is a love song that's true
So, I guess that I'll just say that I love you.

You're the wind in my wings...
But, that's really quite absurb
'Cause you're really not the wind
And I'm really not a bird.

You are my only one...
And yet, when I count my friends
They number in the hundreds
Or at least into the tens.

And I'm totally crazy 'bout you...
But, the simple truth remains
Every moment we're together
I'm really still quite sane.

And so what I'm really search for
Is a love song that's true
So, I guess that I'll just say that I love you.

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Santa Fe

We just got home from the quick trip to Santa Fe. I would love to write more about it, but I'm a little tired right now. Sufficed to say, a trip there is always awesome. This was our fourth, although for two of them we were headed a lot of other places in Northern New Mexico.

Here's a few pics I took with the cell phone to tide you over.


For now, sufficed to say I am...
Thankful for the special feeling of being there, every time I am.
Thankful for the endorphin rush of Green and Red chili...although I have finally decided I am more of a fan of Green.
Thankful for Canyon Road and meeting a lot of artists as I wandered up the road today.

I was sorry to miss Jaime Michaels, who is out on tour, and other friends who we weren't able to connect with.

More later...just grateful for this trip.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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The Miracle of Flight, and SW Flight 8

I'm here in Santa Fe today. The Judge has a two-day family law conference here, and I tagged along...because it's SANTA FE. (Duh...) How can you pass up a chance to come here? (We're coming back tomorrow...)

Although, it did feel strange to be leaving Dallas in the midst of the greatest snowstorm in our city's history. I always hate those moments when two cool things are happening at the same time in life.

As you might imagine, a *lot* of the flights were canceled yesterday. We were flying Southwest out of Love Field to ABQ. I didn't think we were actually going to get out of town. But we did. And I'll share a little bit about that in a moment.

But the first part of the "Daily Grat" is the miracle of flight itself. One of my all-time favorite YouTube videos is this one below, from the Conan O'Brien Show.



Every time I fly, this miracle of air travel is not lost on me. No matter what goes wrong...and plenty can.

The kind of amazement that Louis CK describes is exactly how I feel with every flight.

But then, you have a weather event like yesterday, and you're reminded of how amazing airline travel can be.

So, here's our brief story from yesterday...

We were supposed to get out on a late morning flight. But, snow was falling heavily and, frankly, I didn't think *any* flights were going to get out.

We were stuck there for several hours, watching the board as flight after flight (in and outbound) was canceled.

Finally, somebody hear the news that there was a plane at Gate 11, and that it might be going to ABQ. So, we got in line there, but it still seemed pretty hopeless. Lots of the flights were being canceled, and there's not a lot of "de-icing" equimpment in Texas.

Then, about 2:30, somebody picked up the intercom and announced that there *was* a plane bound for ABQ, and that anybody with a boarding pass, regardless of the flight number, should jump out of line.

We learned later that this was because somebody else already on the plane had told the pilot that others were in line, trying to figure out their situation. The pilot apparently knew he had seats, and was about to push off...so he told them to make that announcement.

So, we got to the boarding ramp and all they did was just take our boarding passes....if it said "ABQ," they let us on.

So, that's amazing thing #1.

But then, we sat there thinking "Crap...none of our luggage will make it..."

And, in fact, when we got here, we were pretty sure there'd be no bags.

But! Amazingly, somehow SW Airlines had gotten them on the plane! Somehow, in the minutes we waited at the gate for departure, they'd located our bags (remember, we were booked on a canceled flight, and on stand-by for yet a third) and gotten them on the plane.

I know a lot of folks got stranded and it didn't work out for them.

But I must say, I am SO impressed with Southwest.

So....
For "de-cing" trucks...
For the whole SW crew...and Flight 8...
For the miracle of flight itself...

I am thankful.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Snow!

It's not a "Snowpocalypse." For those in the midst of that, it might seem like a Snowpockmark. But we did wake to flakes again today...

I think, with snow, context is everything. They say it could be up to five inches today....which, for us, is HUGE. My guess is it still has a very good chance of being gone by noon.

Still though, snow is snow. And this, incredibly, is the fifth day I've seen flakes this winter. Unheard of.

And very beautiful. A small snowfall like this is a very calming, serene thing.

And definitely something to be grateful for.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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The Moonlady

Had a meeting with the Moonlady today. The Moonlady being Amy Martin. Amy is the self-described "poobah" behind "EarthRhythms," the group that puts on Dallas' large annual "Winter Solsticelebration." She's also the editor of "Moonlady News," an email group that is really one of the best sources for news and info on interesting things happening around Dallas. Her website describes the list by saying "if it’s holistic, eclectic, progressive or spiritual it’s on the Moonlady News listserv..."

She's also a contributor to "Texas Faith," a consortium of writers from various religious faiths who chime in on issues of the day at the DMN Religion blog.

Here's her website.

Me and two members of our "Second Monday Series" team were meeting with Amy because she's going to be one of our presenters later on this year. She'll be with us in May, talking about her own personal connection to Taoist spirituality, and how it approaches the idea of "mystery." But she'll also note the broad "Spiritual but not religious" movement that is of such growing importance to so many people today.

You can argue about the name --and there could be a better term out there somewhere-- but the number of folks who call themselves "spiritual, but not religious" is exploding. Especially among the young. What this means is that they are saying "No thank you" to any organized religion of any kind. It's not that they are ignorant of "organized religion;" it's that they have made the more dramatic choice to "Just Say No" to what traditional religions offer.

As I noted, huge and growing numbers of persons, especially among the young, self-describe themselves in this way.

Whether or not people inside "traditional" religions are comfortable with this movement is of little importance. My personal sense is that it's here to stay, and its existence is something we, on the "inside" of organized religion, need more than a passing understand of. Frankly, it's probably more important for "us" (those who have a foot inside of a traditional religion) to understand "them" than vice versa.

So, I'm grateful to have been given the chance to get to know Amy a little better these last few years. I'm grateful for her reservoir of spiritual insight, and for the way she brings disparate spiritual seekers together in acts of real connection and community.

Amy Martin is today's "Daily Gratitude."

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Words I Cannot Say: A New Song

A new song for you this morning. An instrumental one.

Listen here:

Words I Cannot Say (music by Eric Folkerth)

If you can't see the music player, you can download an mp3 here.

Finishing it is my "Daily Gratitude" for today.

Hope you like it.

EF

(And, yes, I know I'm a few days behind on "Daily Grats." I've got 'em. Just haven't written 'em down yet...)

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The Saints

I know, I know. A Super Bowl game is not going to erase all of Hurricane Katrina. It doesn't make "everything" better. But to listen to folks from the Gulf Coast talk, it's the best thing that's happened there in a long time. I'm so glad the Saints won, and (with all respect to the Colts) I think a whole lot of America was rooting with/for them.

Lest we forget, not everybody stayed in New Orleans after Katrina. Not only people, but even the basketball team left. Lots of folks thought the Saints should pull out and leave.

I love the story about how, when Shawn Peyton recruited Drew Brees, he drove him into the 9th Ward. To hear some tell it, it might have been an accident.

But the legend is now that Brees fell in love with the city, and the idea that it needed some hope to help bring it back. He was in the midst of rehabbing a bum shoulder and it wasn't a certainty that he could come back.

As he said on Sunday:

"Here we were as a team, trying to rebuild, just like the city was trying to rebuild....I'm coming off that shoulder injury trying to rebuild my shoulder and my career. It's kinda like, 'hey, let's do this together. By leaning on each other, we can give each other strength and hope for something great in the end....I just saw the potential that New Orleans had, really because of the people. People are so passionate…. They have so much invested, that they're not going to give it up."

This quote is from a pretty nice story by George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel, called "New Orleans QB Drew Brees: How a city in ruins healed a broken man"

It's a nice read, and my Daily Grat is for the Saints, for Drew Brees, and for whatever healing this win can bring.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Chris and Val

(catching up on Daily Grats...)

Sunday: Chris and Val
We watched the Super Bowl on Sunday over at Chris and Val's house. It was nice to get to spend some time with them. Dennise, Chris and me have now officially known each other for a few weeks more than 20 years. We each met each other, twenty years ago this January, when Chris joined my staff in Boaz-Letterman Hall as a mid-year replacement "RA." As I've said before, it was a mighty good staff.

Dennise was a part of it. So was Chris. So was Rep. Rafael Anchia.

It used to be that the folks I'd known twenty years were all elementary and high school friends. Now, they're grad school friends. Wow.

I met Val when I was in charge of Pursuits and she and Chris started dating. Was mighty honored to do their wedding. They have two of the cutest kids anywhere. And it's been even more fun having them at Northaven, too, and getting to keep up more than we probably would have otherwise.

BTW, Chris is running for one of the Dallas County Probate Courts. I wish him the best of luck. If elected, it will make three elected officials from my staff at Boaz-Letterman.

And I will still say, no matter how untrue it is: "They learned it all from me."

So, Sunday, I was grateful for Chris and Val.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Maria the Gymnast

(catching up on Daily Grats...)

Maria had a gymnastics meet Saturday night in South Arlington. It was her first in several months and in a new gymnastics league.

She did *great.* She had her best overall meet ever, and did very well in every event.

What I was pleased by, though, was how confident and unworried she was about it. She just seemed to be having fun, and trying hard...and it showed. Not putting too much pressure on herself....just "doing it."

So, I am so proud, and so grateful, for Maria the Gymnast.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Connections

I've written a lot about the band during these past few years. So, some of this is a repeat. We've got another show tonight and, with any luck, we'll surpass a total of $90,000 raised for missions, with a very good chance of standing at the cusp of $100, 000.

That's just beyond imagining for me. If you'd told me, five years ago, that I was about to be a part of an insanely big band --sometimes more than 20 members on stage in our live shows-- that would play more than 25 shows to thousands of people, and raise tens of thousands (now, almost hundreds) for charity, I would have laughed in your face.

But that's exactly who Connections is. It's who we continue to be. And, for this band, I am extremely grateful.

It all started by accident.

We were at a yearly clergy retreat at Lake Texoma...at a nice resort there called Tanglewood. I know it will be hard for those who know me well to believe (turn on your sarcasm detectors) but I had failed to pre-register, pay, or let anybody know I was actually coming. I just showed up, hoping they'd still have rooms.

The guest clerks told me they were, unfortunately, all sold out of the regular rooms...but would a Tower room be OK?

The Tower is a structure that looks, brick for brick, like the air traffic control tower of a small community airport. It's not that tall (5...6 stories?), but on that hill, above the lake, it makes for *amazing* views. Each floor is a single room...a *huge* room with floor to ceiling windows looking out all four directions. An incredible view.

I immediately felt guilty for having been given such a gift by accident. So, I started spreading the word: "Party in my room." (knowing that, since it was a conference of ministers, it wasn't gonna get real crazy anyway...nobody was gonna trash the place...)

I especially encouraged my friends who played guitar to come by. There was plenty of room for a Kerrville-type song circle in the middle of the room, and still have folks set up games in other parts of the room.

I don't remember anymore all the folks who came. I remember Andy Stoker in one part other room, playing some kind of board game with others on the floor.

I remember John Fleming came by. I had known John since high school. Paul Escamilla came by too. And so did some red-headed guy I had never met before, named Rusty King. As we went around the circle, he and I started doing Dan Fogelberg tunes. And each of us startled the other when we were able to jump in with almost perfect harmonies at precisely the right time.

My main take away from the night was " Who IS this guy?! How does he know so many Fogelberg tunes?!"

We made it an annual tradition, although we were never again lucky enough to get "The Tower Room." We'd gather in the closed-down bar, late at night, and sing songs until everybody got tired. Soon, Ann Willett and Frank Rahm (one of my oldest friends in the world...) would join us. And each time, Rusty and I would play copious amounts of Fogelberg.

Somewhere along the way, Rusty made a wild and crazy suggestion: why don't do a Dan Fogelberg Tribute Show?

He said he had done it before, a few years back, and that it had gone very well. We could get a band together, of folks from different churches. But not just a regular band....a band that recreated, best we could, the note-for-note sounds of Fogelberg. Even down to having an entire orchestra section --horns, strings, etc-- to provide the backing on the big production numbers.

I thought it was an absolutely crazy idea. Of course, personally, I was thrilled. You kidding me? Get to play/sing some of my favorite Fogelberg songs before a live audience? Recreate those sounds, not just with a keyboard synth, but with live musicians?

What DanFan *wouldn't* jump at the chance?

I just didn't think it would work. I didn't see how we could pull it off. I could "get" the vision....I just didn't comprehend the logistics.

Rusty did. Being a music minister himself, he already knew the players the moment he suggested it. So, we set a date, and began to gather with musicians for rehearsal.

Jeez, those early rehearsals were TOUGH. It takes some time for a band to "jell" together. And, given our size, we needed lots of time. Probably more than we had.

But, bit by bit, it came together passably, and we approached the night of our show. From my perspective, it was still a mostly selfish venture. The thrill of playing behind such talented musicians, and so many of them, and doing some of the my all time favorite songs, was rich.

But I kept thinking, "I love this....the BAND seems to love this...but who will come?!"

Turns out, almost 200 people did. We packed the hall at SVUMC for our first show. Even more incredible, we raised $2,000 for UMCOR.

Almost immediately our core members were talking about it being "a magical night."

And it suddenly struck us...."maybe we're on to something...."

Maybe there is a "win-win...win" synergy created by this kind of show; one that we hadn't even considered when we'd started?

We, the band, could provide a quality evening of entertainment to a venue (usually, a local church...). They would provide desserts and coffees, and "host" us, and together we could all raise money for mission....mission to help the poor, the marginalized...the suffering around the world.

What if we could have a great time, playing great music, to great crowds, and "do good" at the same time?

So, we decided to do another crazy show: Chicago and the Eagles. Another huge logistical challenge....ie, rehearsing a huge horn section to go along with the already big band...finding some really quality horn players too.

That was an amazing show too, and we decided to take it on the road. we went to Coppell, to HPUMC, and to Custer Road, in early 2007. And probably by the end of the Custer Road show, we knew we had something really special.

Since then, we've added a "James Taylor/Carole King" show, a "Doobie Brothers/Elton John" show...and our current "new show" "SuperHits of the 70s."

We just had a meeting around the holidays where it was decided that next Fall's new show will be "Billy Joel/ Stevie Wonder."

Yes, that's a crazy pairing. That's what we do.
;)

Our "founding members" jointly make all of our major band decisions. We meet a couple of times a year to hash things out, talk about what works, what doesn't...what to change...what to keep. We decided pretty early on to support one of two charities with every show we do.

We did that, partly because many venues have their "pet causes," but sometimes they're not *missional*...they're not meeting real human need in the most needy parts of the world. So, UMCOR and "Nothing But Nets" became our two approved beneficiaries.

And you can see the breakdown of how much we raised for each (through year-end, 2009) here:

Tonight will be our 27th live show since March of 2006. We have literally played for thousands of people in that time period. More than 55 different musicians have played with us (on and off). And, as we said, we are approaching the $100,000 mark in funds raised.

Here's a chart, showing our show-by-show results:

 

Here's another chart, showing the year-by-year funds raised:

The truth is, there's lots of things we *can* do, lots of venues we *could* play. Heck, offer-wise, we could probably play every weekend.

But these days, we've realized that, given the work these shows take (set up, tear down, for 20 musicians...), we need to be picky. So, we'll be playing at increasingly larger venues to, hopefully, larger and larger crowds...with the ultimate goal of raising even *more* for missions.

It's pretty clear to us that this will likely be our best fundraising year ever, given the quick start of our first show at Northaven. That show raised a whopping $15,000 for Haiti. (something that still brings me to my knees...both what's happening in Haiti, and that fundraising result...) After tonight, we'll be within striking distance of last year's fundraising total...for the whole YEAR! Wow.

And the truth is, I never saw any of this coming. I never imagined the sense of "connection" we'd form with each other. I'd never played in a band before...always been a solo guy. All in all, we've had relatively few band arguments, and none of the "drama" you often hear about with bands.

Perhaps because we're older, and we don't have time to screw around? Perhaps because we *have* that sense of *purpose* as a band...a purpose not only to serve the music, but to serve people through serving the music?

The five founding members have all become some of my dearest friends. We now also have a basic "core band," players who are with us for almost every show, and almost every rehearsal. Their dedication to what we do --volunteering hours and hours of their time-- is inspiring to me, as are their friendships and talent too.

If you're free tonight, we'd love to see you in Rockwall. If not, we'd love to see you at another show soon.

I'm grateful that we stumbled on this incredible group. I'm grateful for our shared vision, and for our founding members. I'm grateful for the thousands of people who have come to see us play. I'm grateful for our "core band," the dedicated players who are with us almost every show. I'm grateful to be able to raise funds for those less fortunate, and to do it through the gift of music.

Today, I am so very very grateful for the blessing that is Connections. And I'm grateful for it most every other day too.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Andy Gullahorn's Song, "That Guy"

I'm almost always haunted by songs.

On just about every day of life, a song comes from somewhere and swirls around inside my head. I know I'm not alone in this.

The best of them can stay around for weeks. Sometimes months.

The current song haunting my soul is from Andy Gullahorn, and it's called "That Guy." I mentioned Andy's music in my list of "25 Most Listened To Songs" for last year.

Andy's an amazing songwriter. He has a fantastic storytelling sense. He can tease a phrase or thought to the point that you're not exactly sure where the verse is going... until the very last moment; often to surprising depth.

In the case of this song, The theology in it is incredibly simple, incredibly powerful, and incredibly challenging. Which is why I love it. It's a lot of the way I believe God believes.

As I said, this song has haunted me for several weeks now. I just checked, and it's my #1 Listened To Song" for this year so far. Which doesn't surprise me. It's definitely a song I wish I had written, and learning to play it last week helped reduce its vexing power. I think a song haunts you until it's inside for good. Then, it just stays in there until you need it later.

Who knew, when it started haunting me a few weeks back, that the second verse would so completely describe actual things going on in real life right now? Maybe that's no accident.

Well, it's a painfully true song, and it wrenched my spiritual guts even before events of this week.

I am grateful to Andy for writing it.

Learn more about the CD, and a link to buy it, go here.

THAT GUY
He scoped out the market
All the women and kids
With so many distractions
Nobody noticed him
Nobody noticed him
He had a jacket a size too big
A skullcap on his head
And a couple of homemade bombs
He duct taped them to his chest
He taped them to his chest

God loves that guy
God loves that guy

He followed his heart
To a co-worker’s bed
He could have salvaged his marriage with kids
But he chose to leave instead
He chose to leave
He thought it was love
But it was just a mirage
So he sits in his idling car
Parked in a closed garage
Inside a closed garage

God loves that guy
God loves that guy

Me on the other hand I can write somebody off
Like the last check for a student loan
I can love when it’s convenient
But it’s not always convenient
It’s not always the easy road
I want to look past the outside to the well-meaning heart
To the good they forgot that they had
Teach me to love, teach me to love
Teach me to love like that

He messed up again
Wanted to disappear
But he can’t ‘cause he’s easy to find
I see him in the mirror
I see him in the mirror

God loves that guy
God loves that guy
Teach me to love, teach me to love
Teach me to love like that
Love like that

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: Six Feet Under

Given my last "Daily Gratitude" you might imagine I've been thinking about death.

And eventually thinking about death always gets me back to "Six Feet Under," the TV series that ran on HBO during the first half of this decade. We came late to the party with this show, not really finding it until halfway through the next-to-last season. But once we started watching, we got hooked, eventually buying the DVD box set of the entire series. Then we watched it, start to finish, during the Christmas before the final season. Yes, a strange way to spend a Christmas. But working our way through the series was a powerful thing.

Here's how Wikipedia describes the show:

"Six Feet Under received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and acting, and consistently drew high ratings for the HBO network. Six Feet Under has frequently been described by critics as one of the greatest television series of all time..."

The show featured the Fishers, a family of morticians who operate a classic "family owned" mortuary/funeral home in the basement and first floor of what is also their home. Each of the main characters are either members of this family, or connected to them somehow. Wikipedia continues:

"On one level, the show is a conventional family drama, dealing with such issues as relationships, infidelity, and religion. At the same time, it is a show distinguished by its unblinking focus on the topic of death, which it explores on multiple levels (personal, religious, and philosophical). Each episode begins with a death — anything from drowning or heart attack to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome — and that death usually sets the tone for each episode, allowing the characters to reflect on their current fortunes and misfortunes in a way that is illuminated by the death and its aftermath. The show also has a strong dosage of dark humor and surrealism running throughout."

This is drew me to the show...this blunt (sometimes shockingly so) portrayal of death. As somebody who finds myself around death more than the average person, I found it incredibly refreshing. I am convinced that there has never been another show to confront death with such honesty and realism....and I doubt there ever will be.

Quoting authors Shoshana and Teman, Wikipedia continues:

"The series hurls death provocatively in the viewer's face, each episode consciously serving as a "memento mori" for its audience. Consequently, death is starkly present within the life-world of the series, challenging the strict binary between life and death. The blurring of these boundaries evokes the idea that the living can be more lifeless than the physically deceased and the departed can be livelier than the living."

Not only is it one of the finest TV dramas ever, but its final episode is, IMHO, the single finest "final espisode" in TV history (I know...again with the hyperbole....but, hey, it's my blog/my opinion...)

In a series that dealt with death so realistically, it ended with this scene, feature the haunting music of Sia's "Breathe Me."


(If you can't see the player, click here)

Again, if you didn't know the show, this conclusion might not have the power it had for me. But I found it haunting and beautiful.

We could all use more awareness of death and mortality. And, IMHO, the more we *become* aware, the more death becomes both less mysterious and *more* mysterious, at the same time.

So, I'm grateful to "Six Feet Under" for existing, to Alan Ball for creating it, and for still being there for anybody who wants to unpack some serious stuff.

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Daily Grat: The Pull of the Lifeforce

I figured that the feeling I am having right now would happen at some point, I just didn't figure it would happen this soon in the year of "Daily Gratitudes."

I figured that, at some point, I'd bump up against a day where gratitude for anything would be hard to find, and I'd be wracking my brain to think of something.

Apparently, today's the day. (At least the first of them...)

We had a member of the church commit suicide over the weekend. The word slipped out slowly, starting last night at about 5 pm. Last night and today were dominated by phone calls to church members who knew her, and her friends in the Dallas area.

It's a big shock. As often happens in these cases, there were no real warning signs. In fact, her life actually seemed to be going better lately. And I specifically remember thinking that things were looking up for her this past month or two. (The experts will tell you that this actually happens too...that sometimes folks become *more* positive, right before an attempt...)

She was a genuinely kind person, and I am sure I'll be writing more about her for an upcoming memorial service.

Needless to say, it's thrown my ability to process "gratitude" a bit out of whack all day today.

For now, folks are still working their way back through their encounters with her, perhaps wondering if there was some sign they missed. (I don't think there was, from what I can tell...)

My thoughts immediately go to other folks I know who are suffering from depression...some folks I know who have recently shared with me the tough times they've been having lately. I hope and pray that they are OK and reaching out, and I will certainly be checking in on them. Hope you'll check in on friends you know.

Ultimately, when I am faced with suicide among people I know, I almost always fall back on a strange sense of gratitude for everyone who else, who somehow manages to *not* make that choice.

I know that in a sense this sounds defeatist. As if I'm saying "Well, at least most of us don't kill ourselves!"

But, in a way, that IS what I'm saying. The truth is, when you consider it from a law of averages point of view, most of us do manage to *not* make that choice, day in and day out. And this truly is something to be grateful for.

And that doesn't mean our lives are golden and trouble free. Some of us (including me) suffer from depression from time to time. Others of us live with deeper and long term choronic pain, emotional and physical. Some people struggle with that choice to remain living each and every day. And even though they *do* struggle, most of them still make that choice to live.

Contrary to the old religious prohibitions about suicide (which rarely ever did anything except make deeply depressed people feel more crappy about themselves for having the thought...) I have a lot of sympathy for those who would make the choice. Nobody walks in their shoes but them, and for some people the pain of their lives is often very great.

OTOH, when there are loved ones involved, I often feel angry at the person who has taken their life....feeling that it is a selfish act that, in some cases, *means* to hurt those who remain alive...those who are left to pick up the pieces and eternally wonder "Why?"

I get very angry on behalf of the loved ones of suicide victims, even as I remind myself that, by definition, a suicidal person is *not* thinking clearly.

And this gets me back to my strange gratitude. It's gratitude for that powerful life force that keeps most of us here, most of the time.

The reality is, many people never, ever, consider suicide. And even among those for whom it's a passing thought, the set of those who ever make an attempt is much smaller. (And experts will say, many of these attempts do not so much reflect a real desire to die, so much as they are a cry for help...) Many attempts do *not* succeed, and the people live long and fruitful lives...or at least find a way out of the hole.

All this is to say that it's a very small set of folks who actually go through with a suicide.

All this is another way of saying that, stepping back and looking at it from afar, most people choose life. They may even *hate* their life much of the time, but they choose to wake up each day and muddle through at the very least. Even when they rarely taste happiness, they still rarely do the deed of killing themselves. I believe we can make this point and in no way diminish the suffering of those who sometimes do make this choice, or of loved ones who are left behind to suffer because of their choice.

If you are depressed and feeling low, I hope and pray that you'll reach out to someone you know and trust. Despite how it might feel to you right now, most of us always have more options than we realize we have. We have choices that *don't* involve the choice to die.

The lifeforce is strong, in all of us, and for this I am grateful.


(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

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Thanks to DACPA

Every now and then, the good folks at Dallas Area Progressive Christian Alliance, see fit to reprint stuff I've written or preached. They've done that with last week's sermon (Jan. 24th) and you can read it at their site here.

Many thanks to all of DACPA, and especially to Kim Bachelor for taking my notes and turning them into something written and readable.

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Daily Grat: Preaching

It is a great blessing.
It is a great curse.
It is my highest privilege
It is an albatross around my neck.
It is something I look forward to.
It is something I dread.

It's preaching.

Lots of folks do it now and then. But the unique set of women and men who do it week-in and week-out is really relatively small. When I was an associate minister and was only allowed to preach now and then, I always felt my sermons were incredible. Heck, almost anybody can craft a sermon, it if you give them virtually no time constraints, and all the time in the world to practice. But there's something about the week-in and week-out preaching gig that is extremely challenging.

In fact, I really know of no other gig like it. You can compare it to other things. But it's never entirely a "one-to-one" comparison. I know of no other speaking profession where someone is asked to come up with 15-20 minutes of entirely "new material" each week.

It's sort of like a politician giving a "stump speech." But, even though the length is about the same, most politicians recycle lines, anectodes -- and sometimes entire speeches-- over and over again.

It's a bit like playing a live concert of your own original songs (a comparison I know something about...). But most performing musicians do same songs over and over each night. They might throw in one new tune every few weeks, but certainly not a entire new set of songs every seven days.

The closest thing I can think for comparison-sake is a newspaper columnist. (Folks who write a twice-weekly "byline" piece in papers and magazines). The deadlines are similar, in that they come around each week. And, assuming they go to press twice weekly, the amount of "copy" they produce is probably analogous.

But, columnists are rarely called upon to *speak* their columns out loud; to take that final step of turning a written page it into inspiriting *verbal* communication. The act of writing something to be *read* is really quite different from the act of writing something to be *spoken;* not to mention time spent practicing what you are going to speak.

So, there's a lot in the culture that's comparable to the task of preaching, but nothing exactly like it.

Once a week, I'm called upon to stand up and deliver a message that both honors the history of a 2,000-year-old tradition, but is also "relevant" to the modern world. I'm called upon to connect with, and interpret, ancient Bible passages, and modern events in the news. I'm called upon to not just speak some word I need to hear, but to try and discern what others might need to hear. Or even more precisely: to allow God to speak a word through me (God willing).

There are Sundays where there is nothing easy about this task. Maybe something's going on in my life that is distracting me. Maybe I just didn't get enough sleep, or stayed up too late. (Very likely...). Maybe I had a fun Saturday night, and my mind's still on that. Maybe I liked what I said last week and just don't feel like adding anything else quite yet. The point is, there are often Sundays where I am the Grumbler in Chief about the task itself.

Why me? And why again so soon?

Then, there are those other Sundays when the Word has lept off the page, when the interpretation lights up every synapse in my brain, and where I can't wait to share it with others.

Then finally, there are moments of true Grace, when I think, "Well, this one really stunk it up today." And invariably? That will be the Sunday somebody comes up afterward to say "That was so helpful to me."

Sometimes, you can tell they really mean it. Those are surprisingly special moments.

Yesterday was one of those good days. I really liked the sermon I had to offer, and it not only fit the texts, but I think my own personal life and experience added some unique depth.

You can listen to it here. (Note: in about six months, this link will likely no longer work...)

You never can know, of course, how others will take your words. They might totally "get" what you thought the point should be. Or, they might totally miss it and hear something else entirely.

My classic example of this phenomena came many years ago, when I'd preached about the need/right for every person to interpret the Bible through the lens of their own insight and experience. You don't, I preached with some fierceness, need anybody else to tell you what to think about the Bible...no preacher...no Pope...nobody. God, as John Calvin once said, has given each of us our set of "spiritual spectacles," with which to do our reading and study. Think for yourself. Ready for yourself. Don't just take the word of so-called "experts."

So, having preached this sermon on the autonomy of the individual, I was met at the door by by very animated man who said, "That's one of the best sermons I've ever heard! This is a message we all really need to hear right now. And there's nobody out there saying it...except you...and Rush Limbaugh!"

After I pealed my lower chin off of the floor, I realized something: What people "hear" in what I say is not ultimately up to me. Everybody brings their own experiences, insights, history, baggage, etc. Sometimes, they take home what you want them to. Sometimes, God helps them take home something you could have never intended. And sometimes, you're not quite sure how they got what they got.

There are Sundays I am not grateful that this task falls upon me. But when I am in my right mind, I do realize what a special gift it is, and how much I'd miss it if it ever went away.

That's why the gift of preaching is today's "daily gratitude."

(During this year, my goal is to find something new to be thankful for every single day, and to add that thanksgiving as a blog entry, under the title "My Daily Gratitude." I started this kick back around Thanksgiving, and it's already resulted in a favorite new song of mine. The goal of this ongoing spiritual exercise is to see if doing such a thing might inspire even more gratitude within me, and to foster general awareness of life on a deeper level.)

Read More