Bridging the Gap: Music

I was driving with my kids in the van. Among them are my two teen-age boys. The oldest, just turned 15, pops in a music CD. Though he likes to listen to such groups as Green Day, Three Doors Down and so forth, this CD has April Wine, Night Ranger and a collection of other great 8Os hits. At that moment there was no, so-called, generation gap. Going down the road together, belting out the tunes, whether we knew the words or not, was priceless.

My Dad understood this concept. He knew that if he could connect with his teenagers through music he could connect with them in other ways.

Though my dad prefered to listen to classical, country and such; he often broke out his Styx Pieces of Eight LP to test his new speakers.

But when the neighbor kid was blasting away on his stereo while washing his truck, we cheered as our dad brought out the great big "Styx-tested" speakers and cranked up the volume with Bach or Beethoven.

This lack of a gap runs two ways. The 80s tunes are not the only ones we meet up on. My teenagers and I have also been known to fill the air with "Bullevard of Broken Dreams".

So, I ask, is there really a generation gap? Maybe, maybe not.

Extreme (ly) good TV Show

In a day when there are reality TV shows that degrade and pit one person against another there comes a show that rises above the crowd. I have recently discovered this reality show that puts a tear in my eye almost every week. I am talking about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Ty Pennington, Paul DiMeo, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney, Constance Ramos, Ed Sanders, Preston Sharp and Eduardo Xol make up this team. They get to know the families they help to the degree that they can give them exactly what they need.

Hats off to ABC for airing such a show.

Home on the Range

My family and I have recently moved to a town that once had less than a thousand people. Now, they are scrambling to get enough room for all the children in their elementary school and they can't build churches fast enough.

I was reminded yesterday evening that this town still has that country, rural feel to it. We were across the street helping a neighbor put down sod grass in their new yard. Suddenly, one of the other neighbors comes running back to where we were, shouting, "There's a cow in your front yard." We ran to see and lo and behold, there was indeed a small brown cow eating the grass in our front yard.

I guess the next thing we need to do is fix the fence in our back yard.

At the end of the song...no one spoke

One day toward the end of my stay in the LDS Mission Training Center in preparation to serve as one of their missionaries for a year and a half our group was waiting in our classroom for our instructor to show up. While waiting we decided to sing. We chose to sing 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' written by James Montgomery. We sang all seven verses of that wonderful hymn. This was a favorite hymn of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He asked John Taylor to sing that hymn as they sat in a jail in Carthage, Illinois moments before he was murdered by a mob of his enemies.

Our group in the MTC sang this song with no accompaniment and as we sang the final two verses the room felt to us as if it were floating and not a dry eye could be found among us. At the end of the song...no one spoke.

"...My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die. The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, 'I will!'...

"Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise. The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, 'Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.'"

Here are the words to that song in their entirety.

A poor wayfaring Man of grief Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow'r to ask his name, Whereto he went, or whence he came
Yet there was something in his eye That won my love; I knew not why.

Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread. I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part a-gain. Mine was an angel's portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.

I spied him where a fountain burst Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
The heedless water mocked his thirst; He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
I ran and raised the suff'rer up; Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
Dipped and returned it running o'er; I drank and never thirsted more.

'Twas night; the floods were out; it blew A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest;
Then made the earth my bed, and seemed In Eden's garden while I dreamed.

Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death, I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed. I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart, And peace bound up my broken heart.

In pris'n I saw him next, condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed, And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.
My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, "I will!"

Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named, "Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me."

My Foundation

The words to this hymn and verse of scripture tell it better than anything I can say.

How firm a foundation--(attr. to Robert Keen)

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

In every condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea
Thy days may demand so thy succor shall be.

Fear not, I am with thee; Oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’er flow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply,
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

Helaman 5:12 (Page 378 of the Book of Mormon)

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

My two most favorite poems

I want to share just a taste of the poet I married.
(Do not use without permission.)

Heaven’s Gate (February 14, 2004) A world of darker days was mine. The held-back rays of shining sun Would penetrate as fate allowed, Until with joy met I an one With whom I then could be at peace, Or, with joy both speak and hear. None such feelings ever rose As when to you my heart was near. And now to hear your voice I live, To touch with joy and warmth your hand, To move through all of life with you, And weave a path, as feet on sand. Laid out now in plainest truth Is shown our plan of life at last. I want with you to spend my life From here to heaven’s gate, and past.

Bonds (February 14, 2005) Tradition binds as thinnest string When duty comes to call, Yet duty fades to second best When honor stands us tall. Honor fades as evening light When oaths are spoken true. A list of bonds all freely worn, Where bondage frees us, too. We each are living day by day, Distinct yet truly bound By all of these, and something more, A love most gladly found. A love that is the strongest yet Of bonds both old and new, A bond I seek and bear with joy, The love I have for you.

Both written by my dear other half--John.

Quilting

This is one of one my favorite hobbies. I designed, pieced and quilted this for my own bed. This is just one of the squares.