Something Worth Watching

I have a confession to make.  I watch a lot of television.  I like college football.  I like tennis.  I like the reality singing shows.  I like good movies.  But I also like that streaming has brought us the limited series. It's like a movie divided into parts, except the creators have 10's of hours to develop characters and story lines instead of 1-2 hours with movies. And unlike the weekly series that we grew up on, you can watch the episodes back to back if you have time.  A lot of what I watch is entertaining, but I don't feel like a lot of what I watch is great.  One of my favorite series of all time is The West Wing - 7 seasons with over 140 episodes.  I love that show because you don't always get what you expect, and the show has heart.  It was probably my favorite TV show of all time until the one I just finished -  The News Room - with a cast of actors that is very impressive - Jeff Daniels, Jane Fonda, Oliva Munn, Sam Waterston and B.K. Novak just to name a few.   But the secret sauce is the creator/writer Aaron Sorkin, who just so happens to also be the creator/writer of The West Wing.  Not only are the stories smart, fast-paced and interesting, they have something that most television and movies are lacking - decency.  You won't find one sex scene or one murder in the three seasons, and the characters stand for something besides self-promotion.   If you decide to watch for the first time. or watch again if you have already seen it, don't skip the "Inside The Episode" following each episode which gives Sorkin a chance to talk about what went into his thinking in putting each episode together.   Let me know what you think if you take the time to watch.

All Consuming Fire

 

I have watched with horror over the last couple of days the news reports of the raging fires in and around Palisades. I pray for those whose lives and homes have been threatened and for the safety of the residents and the rescue workers that risk everything to save others. I have heard the fires that are being fueled by the Santa Ana winds described as "all consuming". Those words made me think of this worship song that also talks about an all consuming fire. The lyrics talk about how God's breath blows on the embers of your soul turning it into an all consuming fire - a fire for Him that will burn brightly for everyone to see.  I ask God to breathe His holy breath on you, me and all those affected by the California fires.

Pickleball Fail

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was a portable pickleball net and paddles.  We set it up in our driveway, where we had just enough space for a regulation court.  Things went great for a couple of days until a heated match I played with my son and two granddaughters.  As it turns out, while we had enough space for the court, we did not have enough space surrounding the court.   After running for a crosscourt return, I went headfirst off a 4' retaining wall to the sidewalk below.  I was pretty banged up, with the most serious injury being a broken elbow.  I was so fortunate to have Trey, my son-in-law, and Emily, my daughter-in-law with me who have excellent relationships with healthcare professionals through their work.  After a trip to the emergency room on Friday, they were able to get me an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on Monday and surgery scheduled for Tuesday.  I was very anxious about all of this, but the support I received from my family and friends made things much easier.  I met with the surgeon, Dr. Abrar Ansari at Piedmont Orthopedics in Athens, for the first time Monday morning.   I was in tears after he left, not from pain or fear, but from an overwhelming feeling of relief and gratitude that I would be in his capable hands.  I later realized that those feelings were certainly the results of family and friends that had been praying for me, Dr. Ansari, and all of the other support staff that took care of me while I was there.  I was able to begin recovery with the same activity that I would have been involved in had I not had the accident - watching two days of football on television.  Thanks to each of you who sent prayers of support, and if you ever have to deal with an orthopedic injury in our area, I strongly recommend Dr. Ansari and the whole Piedmont staff.

A genealogy to die for

For Christians, yesterday was a day to celebrate the birth of our Savior.   Either at home, or at a Christmas Eve service, many return to Matthew or one of the other gospels to hear the Christmas story.  Most will start with Matthew 1:18 to read about the virgin Mary being visited by an angel to announce that she would give birth to the Son of God.  But what about the first 17 verses of Matthew?  Those verses give a genealogy of Jesus, and let's just say that if you spend a little time in the Old Testament, you will find many have quite a colorful past, including prostitutes and murderers.  Why would Matthew kick-off one of the most beautiful stories ever told with an account that would seem to be so ugly?  I believe it is because Matthew wanted his readers to know that Jesus came to save sinners - sinners like me.  And he wasn't just born for me, he died for me.   And that death paid the penalty for all of my sins - past, present and future.  Praise Him.

My post today was inspired by Andy Stanley's current sermon series.

God's Voice

 

This week, I posted about a young local talent at my business website.  Juakeem Fortson is a 14 year old singer from Elberton, Georgia that made a name for himself after appearing on The Voice.  Juakeem doesn't have a long bio yet, but we do know that he grew up singing in church.  His dad wasn't around that much, but there are stories of him waking his mom up to get her to take him to church on Sundays.  Juakeem used his platform on The Voice to honor his time in church by singing "God Only Knows" by for King + Country.  Juakeem didn't win the competition, but he did earn a chance to sing with for King + Country tonight at The Grand Ole Opry.  I'm not sure what he will be singing.  God only knows.  I praise God for using Juakeem to help build His kingdom here on earth.

Marie and Liz

 

In March of 2023 , Marie was just 15 years old when she found herself pregnant and unmarried.  She was overwhelmed with the fear of what to do next.  Her boyfriend encouraged her to seek out a friend or family member that she could confide in.  Marie chose Liz.  Liz was Marie's cousin, much older than Marie, but also pregnant at the time.  Marie showed up at Liz's house, and as soon as Marie entered the house, Liz knew something important was on Marie's mind.  Marie told Liz what had happened, and Liz encouraged her, letting her know that her baby would be special, and that she should love it with all of her heart.   They had no idea at that moment that 30 years later, Liz's son would be the one to baptize Marie's son.

All of the above may have happened in 2023, but the names would probably be different, as I made them up.  For those of you that thought the story sounded familiar, you may remember it happened 2000 years ago, and John tells the story in Chapter 1 of his Gospel letter.  Just to fill in the gaps, Mary was pregnant at 15, but she was a virgin.  An angel let her know that she would give birth to the Son of God.  She went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was well beyond childbearing years, but was also pregnant.  When Mary entered the room, Elizabeth's baby jumped for joy in her womb.  Elizabeth's baby would be named John, and John would be the one to baptize Jesus 30 years later.  Mary and Elizabeth believed what the angel had told Mary, and Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit.

I want my faith to be more like Mary's.  I love hearing this story put to music, and this arrangement is one of my favorites.

Chained Melody

If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that music is important to me.   Aurelia Pitts led our children's choir at First Presbyterian Church in Columbus, GA.  Some time later, I auditioned for the part of Winthrop in The Music Man at the Springer Opera House and was selected for the part.  In that show, Winthrop waits for the Well(th) Fargo Wagon to deliver his new trumpet sold to his parents by Harold Hill, The Music Man.   That brief introduction to the trumpet inspired me to join the school band in 6th grade, where I made eyes at the girl playing flute who would become my wife 11 years later.   After we were married and had our two kids, we joined a traditional church that started a contemporary service.  That is when I was introduced to music by artists like Michael W. Smith and my love for contemporary Christian music grows stronger every year. When my kids were in high school, they had a friend at school named Diana Degarmo.  Diana was a singer with some local notoriety.  She tried out for and made it onto a new TV talent show called American Idol.   We had watch parties to cheer and vote for Dianna, who ended up finishing in second place to Fantasia.   That introduction to American Idol made us fans, and we continued watching.  The following season, a little country girl from Oklahoma won American Idol and is now one of the top selling country artists of all time.  I had no interest in country music before Carrie Underwood, and now I listen to country music regularly.  In 2015, I watched CMA Country Christmas.   It was a great show with some of my favorite singers and favorite Christmas songs, but one performance really hit home - Michael W. Smith and Carrie Underwood singing about the birth of Jesus and the hope that He can bring us every day - the only thing missing is the trumpets.  All is Well.