Awesome God and Guttural Sounds

Music in the life of my family has been a common thing.  Growing up, there was always music and musical instruments around me.  If it wasn't the radio blaring WHBC in the mornings when we were getting ready for school, it was my dad playing his guitar or his keyboards every night after a day in the factory.  Or, at the most in opportune times when I wanted to watch TV, my sister would be practicing for her piano lessons.  It all came naturally in my family passed from my father to my siblings and me. 

Music was also common in Steph's family.  Marching band music and a love for the radio and records were passed along to her from her parents and older brothers.  Her dad sang (and still sings) in the church choir - he and I sat nest togethe.  The music around her blossomed into a passion for music.  One example could be the hours upon hours she spent sitting and listening to her boom box trying to catch and record the latest chart topping hit.  (If you don't believe me, we still have the tapes around here to prove it, all neatly labeled in a box in the basement.)

Thus, its not a surprise that Hannah Grace is musical.  She's grown up being around my worship ministry at South - dancing to the music of many a worship rehearsal and always wanting her turn to play my guitar when I have it out practicing.  At home it is no different.  There is always something playing in the cd player, on the Comcast digital music stations, or in the car radio.  If Taylor Swift or some other song that her and her momma likes comes on, she blitzes across the room to crank the volume.  Or, if by the off chance the house is void of music, you will probably find Hannah on the floor playing with her dolls or whatever, singing away, as if they've been caught up in the most dramatic six year old opera ever produced.  Its really a beautiful thing.

Music is even part of our routine.  I think I've written at least once on this blog about the songs her and I sing each night before she goes to bed.  Its something we've done since she was able to.  Its a joy, even when I can't trick her into letting me sing the last word of the ABC's like I used to. It helps her (and me) to settle down and easily go to sleep.  Its something that I will miss when she outgrows it.

This week has been a new day for Hannah and her love of music.  It started on Sunday.  In Kidz Worship they sang Awesome God by Rich Mullins.  She's been singing it on and off since then.  Its extremely cute and touching, especially since I have a huge love/appreciation for Rich Mullin's music.  Its allowed us to have some cool conversations about who God is and how big He is.    

As I type out this post, I can't help but think of my friend Adam.  Adam is into communication.  Well.  That's not true.  He's beyond being into communication.  He's like a kid who just got a new video game when it comes to communication.  He's obsessed.  When someone new is around us who doesn't know Adam, I like to have him explain why he is so into communication.  At that moment, his eyes light up and twinkle and he gets a giddy smile on his face as he shares about the fascination he has of how people are able to make guttural sounds with their vocal chords and combine them with body language, emotion, and so on to converse and what not.  (I'm sure that is not as eloquent as Adam would have put it - that's why he's the communications guy and I play a guitar)  As he talks, his whole person glows with wonder.

As I sit here and write about how music has been a part of my life and how my daughter is learning to love it as I have loved it, I can't help but marvel at what music is and how it affects us.  Physical disturbances in the air, like the guttural sounds of our voices, become something more than just noise.  Music gives us hope.  It calms us at times.  It brings us joy.  It allows us to express our emotion whether we are musical or not.  It stirs memories of the past and of relationships/friendships that we have had.  It gives us an avenue of worship and praise from us to our God and allows us to share that awe with others.  It helps me to calm my daughter for sleep and talk with her about God.  It helps me better share with my wife how wide and deep my love for her is.  It helps me know who I am not, who I am, and who I need to be.

A New Look

Well.  I used to use Haloscan for my comments.  The other day when I posted And Then There Were Three I noticed that Haloscan had been purchased by another company and were not handling my comments the way I wanted because I need total control.  Thus, I needed a change.

If you know me, change is sometimes difficult.  When I started my blog way back in 2004, I searched forever to find my old template and edit it.  It was one of the things that got me started in dabbling in web design.  it took me at least a month of learning code and so on to get everything just the way I wanted it, yet another one of my issues.

So, off to Google to search for a new template.  Luckily, it really didn't take too long, since I found a blog template named Möbius - the name on my truck's personalized license plate - see here.  Coincidence?  Maybe.  I liked the template more than the other 5 or 6 I had downloaded today.  

So, here it is.  Hope you like it.  If you don't, it is not your blog.

And Then There Were Three

I should simply cancel this blog and give up. Its been almost 3 months since my last post. So much has happened since then. In that time I went from four followers to three. I've lost 25% of my constituency and readership. Those are horrible numbers. . . if you care about numbers. I don't. For the three of you that read this, thanks for reading.

I've started drinking soda again. I made it two months. Then, I realized I was being more vigilant about my beverage choices than I was about making time for Scripture. That wasn't right in my opinion, so I've tried to flip that. I've failed miserably in trying to read through the Gospels each week. The first week I made it to Matthew 16. The second week I made it all the way to Mark, by way of the NIV Audio Bible and a long trip. That's how its gone.

That seems to be how my life is lately. I have great intentions and an even greater inability to carry through on my intentions. I stare at an accomplish-able list of things I want/need to do and struggle to find the discipline and motivation to do it. This has happened to me before.

When I was in second grade, I spent a sizable part of one of the grading periods staring out the window in our classroom. I don't really remember what I was thinking. I simply remember staring out the window at the white house that was there. At the end grading period, I remember Mrs. Barkus talking to my mom and letting her know I hadn't been doing my work. Then she showed my mom the neatly stacked pile of uncompleted papers in my desk. That was not good for me. For the next few weeks, I would go home from school, have dinner, and then go to my room to do my homework, then bed.

I guess its time to send myself to my room for awhile.