April 15th is not my favorite day of the year. Traditional tax day is never fun for a guy who is organizationally challenged. My idea of being prepared is having everything in one box. But I was heartened to find that April 15th is a great day for baseball fans. Jackie Robinson made his major league debut at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on that date in 1947. It was a historic and significant day for baseball but maybe more so for our country. You can argue that the American civil rights movement was ignited when Robinson came to bat in Dodger Blue. The journey for Robinson was difficult at best and nearly impossible at worst. Many Dodgers players, mostly Southerners led by Dixie Walker, threatened to walk if forced to play with a black player. That ended when Dodger management let them know in no uncertain terms that they could keep walking to the unemployment line. I often
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The iPod Devotional series continues with a tune called Clumsy. It is written and performed by one of my favorites, Chris Rice You can find the song on the CD Deep Enough to Dream. How interesting that the third song in the shuffle series is my anthem for my Christian journey. ESPN’s Chris Berman signature line for a football blooper is “rumbling, stumbling, fumbling”. That would have been how I described my Christian walk until I found this song. Here are the lyrics from Chris Rice that I could have written if I had any musical talent or ability to write lyrics. Those are the only two obstacles that kept me from writing this song. You think I’d have it down by now Been practicin’ for thirty years I should have walked a thousand miles So what am I still doin’ here Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose Somebody tell
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I have started a new blog at World Magazine’s weblog. The weekly article will address following Jesus in the real world. Here is the link if you are interested. Following Jesus In The Real World By the way, that is also the link if you are not interested. Blessings and abounding grace, Dave
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(For the next 3 weeks or so I am going to be working on the re-release of “When Bad Christians Happen To Good People”. So I hope you will forgive me and be patient as I re-release the iPod Devotional series while I am working on that project. If you are not patient you may end up in the new edition. Thanks. And blessings.) Today the shuffle landed on one of my favorite Christian artists. A couple of years ago Andrew Peterson was not even on my playlist radar. Youngest son Brett suggested I should check out Peterson after he had performed at a chapel service at Baylor University. Andrew Peterson quickly moved to my top-rated playlist. The iPod shuffle today landed on a haunting and beautiful song called “After the Last Tear Falls”. Andrew Peterson has filled part of the void that I felt when Rich Mullins was tragically killed several years ago. His ability to use the power of music to portray truth is reminiscent of
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As Easter approaches I remembered an article in USA Today titled We are Easter People. I think it is worth a second look and here is a portion of the piece written by Diane Cameron. One of the lowest points in my life occurred years ago when I was living in Washington, D.C., at Easter time. My older sister had recently died and both of my brothers were seriously ill; my best friend was leaving town, and on top of that I was questioning my work. In my journal that April I wrote, “Am I depressed?” When I read those pages now I laugh and shake my head. “Depressed?” That I even had to ask. In that long year I thought I’d never laugh again, just as I thought I’d never again feel love, the joy of easy friendship, or the satisfaction of good work. I went to church that Easter out of both habit and desperation. I had grown up in a
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(For the next 4 weeks or so I am going to be working on the re-release of “When Bad Christians Happen To Good People”. So I hope you will forgive me and be patient as I re-release the iPod Devotional series while I am working on that project. I only get a few original thoughts a week and my publisher wants me to direct those to their project. Thanks. And blessings.) Regular readers of the humble ramblings know that I am a big fan of the group Casting Crowns. I love their CD “The Altar and the Door”. I hoped it would be as good as their previous efforts. I was not disappointed. Today’s song in the iPod Devotional series is a song from that CD called “Slow Fade”. The lyrics struck a chord with my heart: It’s a slow fade when you give yourself awayIt’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price
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(For the next 4 weeks or so I am going to be working on the re-release of “When Bad Christians Happen To Good People”. So I hope you will forgive me and be patient as I re-release the iPod Devotional series while I am working on that project. I only get a few original thoughts a week and my publisher wants me to direct those to their project. Thanks. And blessings.) I am taking a dual risk by attempting an iPod devotional series. If the Apple attorneys take note this will quickly become the MP3 Playback Device Devotional series. So I hope the lawyers stay busy with bigger fish. At any rate…here is how it will work. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and it randomly picks a song. This month I am going to write a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,600 plus songs on my iPod.
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