LIFE MOVES ON

Life…..It keeps coming to me through the complexities of pleasure and pain. I heard a very interesting and humorous TEDx talk at TPAC this past Friday and Saturday with my buddies Rod Huff and Neal Joseph (they couldn’t believe I could pay attention that long). One of the speakers was Seth Stephens-Davidowitz who spoke about the differences between Facebook and Google. He pointed out several funny scenarios about how people on Facebook generally sport the finest aspects of their lives on this site…but if you want to know the truth…Google it.(You had to be there) I try to be upfront about where I am on Facebook…it’s an old peoples site you know. (If you want to split a gut, watch “A Millennial Job Interview on YouTube)

My days are about keeping the house clean with Pam, washing dishes, studying, watching different YouTube discussions every morning, listening to new music, researching things, mentoring continually and writing (rewriting, rewriting, rewriting) I saw on my edit post history about Ronn Huff, that I had edited it over 50 times. No…I’m not obsessive compulsive!!!! The mix of poor eyesight and my ADHD getting more ferocious as I grow older makes it nearly impossible for me to read a book. I read a lot of poetry because I don’t have to pay attention for extended periods of time and the ideas come in shorter bursts. I love meeting people from different vantage points…it’s a primary way I learn stuff. I need multiple repetitions on a subject to really understand it. There are those times, I’ll instantaneously grasp something someone says, or something I’ve heard or read, but that’s only occasionally. I’m constantly taking notes and tend to have good recall once my synapse snapses.

The fact is, my days are not ones of great events and travel…maybe a few…but not that many. I love my life now. I have great clarity about things I believe, and understand there are things I may never know, until the One I wait to meet will bring me a transforming pellucidity of mind. Then all things will become new.

It’s been a tough tough past few days…and life is unrelenting. Even so, I can’t forget all the wonderful things that are happening around me.

In these past weeks I’ve had the inextricable joy of watching my oldest granddaughter, Georgia play on her middle school varsity Lacrosse team, going to the elementary school my younger grandchildren attend, seeing them run laps to raise money for their school, watching Tessa’s school musical, going with grandma Pam and our middle two grands to Steak n Shake, taking in a movie with Georgia or getting the latest photos of our youngest chippie…Maya.

I regularly lunch with music industry friends, Michael Puryear and Elwyn Raymer, and just last Sunday we got to be with Bob and Jane Farrell, their daughter Dawn Cheri and her handsome son, Isaac. I always enjoy catching up with studio gurus of sound and all things orchestral, Kent Hooper, Phillip Keveren and my ever smiling Brazilian friend and músico extraordinário, Daniel Bondaczuk.

There were other meals shared with lifetime family friends, Brad and Heidi Mitchell, Pam’s cousin, Wayne Spidahl,and her Life Group girls, Celeata Taylor and Susan Ivie. Pam and I were so fortunate to get a private tour of the new LifeWay building with our good friends, Ken and Brenda Barker.

We had the pleasure of getting together again with a family of awesome talent, Jared and Noni Mason and his sweet mother. Jared was on Broadway in the hit show “Million Dollar Quartet” and performed at the “Medora Musical” back home in North Dakota. We spent a wonderful evening at the home of Dr. Sarah Samuel, dining on the most delectable Indian cuisine with our friends, Sarah Becky, Carol and Bill Lovell. Sarah’s father has a 10,000-member church in Hyderbaad, India and her brother leads worship there. I spent some time with him a few years back as he was producing a record here in the US. Bill and Carol’s precious daughter, is a missionary with her family in Myanmar.

Got to speak to the New Canaan men’s fellowship at Puckett’s in Franklin. It was a wonderful time with Wes Yoder, Larry Stone and the band of brothers there. Later I attended a function for Nation of Coaches, a fabulous organization that is intentional about mentoring young athletes. Finally, shared some songwriting ideas with Amber Maxwell and her husband, pastor Charles Maxwell. Amber is a lovely songwriter and singer and we had a glorious day talking about songs, perspectives and Jesus.

It’s a good life…a very good life I lead. It makes me tremble at the weight I feel to help those in crisis and those who go without… the poor…the poor in spirit…and every implication of the word. I have a responsibility to be a good steward of that which is entrusted to me in relationships, finances, service and so much more. I do not want to wile away this final season of my life with “me” activities. This is the real prime of my life…not my earning years.

Pam has been teaching me some vital things as well. She told me that we seem to think that if we tithe and give over and above in an offering, we’re doing a good thing and we’re off the hook with God. She continued and said that none of what we have is ours…it’s all God’s grace to us and not ours to indiscreetly spend because we can. What remains is to be used with discretion no matter how much is there. I bristled….because that revelation of hers kinda ruined my chances to do some really fun indiscreet spending I was thinking about. But she was right….as usual. I can’t figure out she her wisdom always manages to include me having self restraint in one one area or another. I wish she could ease up on that type of epiphany… just a little. Sheesh!!!

But that’s really my life….and you can Google it. Not glamorous, but beautiful. These are the opportune hours I have to encourage, teach and live life to it’s fullest. So I’ll let life come to me…. and deal with it one day at a time.