Watch Your Words

So I had to stop by the store on the way home from church (One where everything is generally a dollar...or two). As I was checking out the two cashiers were conversing about not having groceries because their children eat them out of house and home. One lady's son was older (I know this because she was older and because of what she was about to say.) and she was excited because he had decided to go back to school and try to make something of himself. He was going to get a degree in medical assistance. Then, without missing a beat the other lady chimed in and said that there isn't any money in medical assistance, that she had the same degree, and began to list her reasons why it was a terrible idea. It reminded me of the SNL sketch "Debbie downer" and I couldn't help but wonder how many times I have ruined someones excitement by saying something stupid. Sometimes people aren't asking for advice, they are just telling you something they find exciting. DG lady watch what you say.

Great iPhone pic

This is a pic of my niece, Charlee, taken with my iPhone. Could the conditions have been any better?

Holiday Mac

Guitar Villain

This morning I was honored to play guitar in Grace's Christmas production, "Come Light Your World." I played acoustic for the first half and electric for the second half. Since I do not own an electric (although I wish I did...that would be GREAT) Clayton graciously loaned me his (This is a BIG deal that usually requires a deposit of blood and the promise of your first-born son). This is something I take very seriously for it is a great responsibility to cherish and protect someone else's baby. OK...all that to say that when I was putting it on it's stand this morning I did not check to make sure that it was balanced and as I turned away I saw it begin to fall. Now normally I am very quick to catch a guitar and would even sacrifice my body to protect one from harm but today...today I wounded my friend's guitar. It is an ever so small ding on the neck but I am still sick about it. Throughout the day the scene has been replaying in slow motion. "What could I have done differently?" "Why didn't I double check the stand?" "I should have gotten more sleep last night. Then I would have been able to reflex catch it." It's hopeless...I'm a guitar-aphile. I lured it away from it's owner and I robbed it of it's perfection. I'm guilty of first-degree neck-murder and there is no punishment to fit the crime. Thankfully Clayton was very gracious and saved his tears for the privacy of his own home. He said, "It had to happen sometime." But why did it have to happen to me? I'm sorry Clayton. I'm sorry Fender. I'm sorry Stevie, Jimi, Eric and Phil. I'm sorry world. I do not deserve to bear the name "guitarist."

Psalm 131

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me

A Diamond is Forever

If you are anything like me, you discover new music via commercials, tv, and movies quite often. The new diamond commercial (when the husband and wife are sitting in the car and he drops the journey diamond pendant in her hand) is a great example. So for any of you who were wondering what song is playing in the background: Landon Pigg, Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop.

You can here it here:
Landon's Myspace

or download it from iTunes.

Andrew Peterson

Andrew is a man that I have mad respect for as a singer/songwriter. His lyrics love to swim into the deep waters of God's truth and at the same time embrace you like an old (at times extremely funny) friend. Here is a track off of his Christmas album that has been beating in rhythm with my heart this Advent. Enjoy:


Deliver Us
from "Behold the Lamb of God"
Words and music by Andrew Peterson
Lyrics:

Our enemy, our captor is no pharaoh on the Nile
Our toil is neither mud nor brick nor sand
Our ankles bear no calluses from chains, yet Lord, we're bound
Imprisoned here, we dwell in our own land

Deliver us, deliver us
Oh Yahweh, hear our cry
And gather us beneath your wings tonight

Our sins they are more numerous than all the lambs we slay
These shackles they were made with our own hands
Our toil is our atonement and our freedom yours to give
So Yahweh, break your silence if you can

Chorus

'Jerusalem, Jerusalem
How often I have longed
To gather you beneath my gentle wings'

©2004 Andrew Peterson

Glory's cute hat

Advent Poem

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Poems/ByDate/2523_Nicodemus_Part_1/