We had running water on the farm; if the person carrying it back from the well was strong enough, he could run with it.
We had a wringer washer and a good sized bathtub in one corner of the house downstairs. Dad built walls around that corner with more of his poplar lumber, several boards nailed to a 4 by 4 pole every few feet, and a doorway draped with a blanket.
I think these implements drained through some pipes Dad had laid down to the lagoon. I remember hauling water into the house, for baths, but not out again…
Saturday morning, ten AM, time to start preparing a bath. For best results, use the following procedure:
Find the plug, plug the tub.
Put your boots on, and find a couple five gallon buckets.
Go out the basement door, around the end of the house and up to the well.
Let the dipping bucket down into the well, hand over hand, till it reaches the water, tips over, and fills.
Haul the full bucket up, and pour its contents into one of your five gallon pails.
Repeat this process for the second bucket.
Take the handle of one full bucket in each hand, and walk, with as little spillage as possible, down the hill, around the house, into the basement.
Take your boots off.
Carry the water through the kitchen, and into the laundry room.
Pour each bucket into the tub.
You now have a good inch of water in the bottom of the tub. Repeat the whole process ten times more if you wish to bathe in any reasonable depth of water.
Having done these preliminary preparations, you now have a bathtub with ninety to one hundred gallons of ice cold water. To warm it up enough to bathe in, do the following:
Make sure the power plant is on.
Find the electric heater with the metal foot and the rubber handle.
Find an extension cord, and check it for open wires.
Plug it in to the power source on one end, and the heater on the other end.
Place the metal foot into the cold water in the tub.
Wait for six hours while the water warms up.
Unplug the heater.
You are now ready for your bath, as are the other ten grubby people in the house. Fight or negotiate for your place in the line.
Following this simple 96-step procedure will insure that you get a bath, almost every time you do it! For the maintenance and development of friendships at school, do it five times a week. You won’t regret it!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Childhood Stories - Moberly - Encyclopaedia
Back in 1963, for the betterment of his children’s education, Dad had purchased an encyclopaedia set from World Book, and had continued to receive yearbooks from them until the early seventies. I discovered this set sometime in my preteen years, when I was still in single digits. I developed a great love for geography and maps, and for cities and population figures, for countries and which ones bordered them, for details about what were the longest rivers and the highest mountains. If anyone wanted to know which city in the United States was the fifth largest in 1963, all they had to do was ask me.
Hardly anyone ever did ask me, though, so I resorted to telling them whether they wanted to know or not. I would regularly pepper any of my siblings within range of hearing with questions about the things I loved.
“Hey, Peggy! Do you know what the capital city of Uganda is?”
“No.”
“It’s Kampala. Which river do you think is longer, the Fraser river or the McKenzie river?”
“The Fraser?”
“No, the McKenzie is 2500 miles long, and the Fraser is only 1200 miles. Do you know what the deepest lake in the world is?”
“Jamie, how am I supposed to know all this stuff?”
“Well, it’s all there in the World Book encyclopedias!”
I should have been their poster boy…
I do remember a time in grade six when my knowledge left me in good stead. I was not a very popular boy at school; our bathing habits on the farm kept getting in the way of developing relationships, they could only be done at a safe distance. But we were having a team geography game, and four team captains had been selected by the teacher. They were to pick teams. Shannon Willard picked me first overall, the only time I think that ever happened. “It helps to have Encyclopaedia Brown on your geography team,” she reasoned. They used that nickname for me while the game lasted, I assume because I had knowledge (encyclopaedia), and because I failed to wash up much (brown).
Hardly anyone ever did ask me, though, so I resorted to telling them whether they wanted to know or not. I would regularly pepper any of my siblings within range of hearing with questions about the things I loved.
“Hey, Peggy! Do you know what the capital city of Uganda is?”
“No.”
“It’s Kampala. Which river do you think is longer, the Fraser river or the McKenzie river?”
“The Fraser?”
“No, the McKenzie is 2500 miles long, and the Fraser is only 1200 miles. Do you know what the deepest lake in the world is?”
“Jamie, how am I supposed to know all this stuff?”
“Well, it’s all there in the World Book encyclopedias!”
I should have been their poster boy…
I do remember a time in grade six when my knowledge left me in good stead. I was not a very popular boy at school; our bathing habits on the farm kept getting in the way of developing relationships, they could only be done at a safe distance. But we were having a team geography game, and four team captains had been selected by the teacher. They were to pick teams. Shannon Willard picked me first overall, the only time I think that ever happened. “It helps to have Encyclopaedia Brown on your geography team,” she reasoned. They used that nickname for me while the game lasted, I assume because I had knowledge (encyclopaedia), and because I failed to wash up much (brown).
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Childhood Stories - Moberly - Card Games
Once upon a time there was a boy who did not like to lose. This made his life quite miserable, for losing was something he did often.
There were several card games in favor among the siblings, to help the evenings go by after supper. They played Three-Five-Eight, and Poker, and Hearts, and a few others. When the short-tempered boy started grouching in their midst, they would offer to let him play Fifty-Two Pickup. Having fallen for this a couple of times, he declined to play any more.
Though he was not a very good sport, the siblings, practicing their Christian duty, involved him in their games, though they knew that by doing so they would most likely compromise the peacefulness of their evening. The boy was touchy to begin with; his history of previous card game losses would set him on edge, but he was determined that this time would be different and he would be victorious. When the same old same old began happening, the ire would rise, along with the voice, the volume, the dander, and the angry tears in his eyes. Losing graciously, holding the prospect of victory with a lighter grasp, never seemed to have occurred to him.
The Hearts hands were dealt. The boy, having lost the previous six hands in a row, studied his cards, then passed three cards left, hoping to give some of his grief to someone else. He received in return three cards; not really good ones, but not as bad as could be either. His frown lessened.
In the second round he played a low card, but the person on his left played a lower one, as did the person across, and the one on the right gave him the Queen of Spades (Grrr!!! Anger from the boy, chuckles from the siblings.).
His next few cards were too high as well, and the person on the right kept feeding him hearts. Howls of protest rose; accusations of cheating, of picking on him, of being the source of most of the world’s ills were leveled at the siblings. With each passing card his voice rose, as each of the siblings always had a lower card than he did…
“It’s not fair! I’m getting so many points…” Which was, of course undesirable in Hearts. The hand ended, and there was the boy, with all the points. He wept bitterly, until it was pointed out to him that taking all the cards actually resulted in 26 points for everyone else and none for him. This made the boy happy, though he was still emotional, crying and laughing at the same time…
His siblings deserve many commendations for their patience with a self-centered and egotistical boy. I’m sure they all hoped he would not stay that way forever…
There were several card games in favor among the siblings, to help the evenings go by after supper. They played Three-Five-Eight, and Poker, and Hearts, and a few others. When the short-tempered boy started grouching in their midst, they would offer to let him play Fifty-Two Pickup. Having fallen for this a couple of times, he declined to play any more.
Though he was not a very good sport, the siblings, practicing their Christian duty, involved him in their games, though they knew that by doing so they would most likely compromise the peacefulness of their evening. The boy was touchy to begin with; his history of previous card game losses would set him on edge, but he was determined that this time would be different and he would be victorious. When the same old same old began happening, the ire would rise, along with the voice, the volume, the dander, and the angry tears in his eyes. Losing graciously, holding the prospect of victory with a lighter grasp, never seemed to have occurred to him.
The Hearts hands were dealt. The boy, having lost the previous six hands in a row, studied his cards, then passed three cards left, hoping to give some of his grief to someone else. He received in return three cards; not really good ones, but not as bad as could be either. His frown lessened.
In the second round he played a low card, but the person on his left played a lower one, as did the person across, and the one on the right gave him the Queen of Spades (Grrr!!! Anger from the boy, chuckles from the siblings.).
His next few cards were too high as well, and the person on the right kept feeding him hearts. Howls of protest rose; accusations of cheating, of picking on him, of being the source of most of the world’s ills were leveled at the siblings. With each passing card his voice rose, as each of the siblings always had a lower card than he did…
“It’s not fair! I’m getting so many points…” Which was, of course undesirable in Hearts. The hand ended, and there was the boy, with all the points. He wept bitterly, until it was pointed out to him that taking all the cards actually resulted in 26 points for everyone else and none for him. This made the boy happy, though he was still emotional, crying and laughing at the same time…
His siblings deserve many commendations for their patience with a self-centered and egotistical boy. I’m sure they all hoped he would not stay that way forever…
Thursday, July 08, 2010
On Psalm Singing
I remember my music history class in bible college, and the tale that was told there about the transition from psalmnody to hymnody. A young Isaac Watts was sitting in church, being bothered by all the dirges he was hearing. That afternoon he complained to his father about them. "I could write better songs than that!" he claimed. "So let's see you do it!" was the reply, and he took up the challenge and started writing the hymnody that took the Christian church by storm.
But why was the church so ready to change? I would suggest that Watt's characterization of the psalms as dirges has a large part to play. When the genevans were written, they were sung in such a fresh and vigorous way that the Catholic queen of France called them the "Genevan Jigs". But as time went along, and as spiritual coldness began to set in over a couple generations, all that "frivolity" was despised and rejected by the psalm singers, who were too dignified to behave in such a way...
By the time Watts came around in the 1700s, this spiritual coldness was deep and wide, and was reflected in the music of the psalm singers. So when he started writing upbeat, doctrinally sound songs that the church could again sing with vigor, it won the day on a wide scale.
We have seen the same thing happen in our own day in the evangelical churches transition from hymnody to choruses. I grew up in it, and I remember the standard way that hymns were "supposed" to be done... slow and dirge-like. No wonder the choruses took over. The people of God need both spiritual vitality and vigorous, joyful music.
If we want to restore psalmnody to the church at large, it will be vigorous, word-for-word psalm versions that will win the day. It seems to me that anyone in whom the Spirit of God is doing a good work is eventually going to become tired of the shallow waters of modern evangelical music, and are going to be very receptive to the psalms being sung again. But it won't be to Genevans, sung slowly. Genevans with speed could be another story.
But why was the church so ready to change? I would suggest that Watt's characterization of the psalms as dirges has a large part to play. When the genevans were written, they were sung in such a fresh and vigorous way that the Catholic queen of France called them the "Genevan Jigs". But as time went along, and as spiritual coldness began to set in over a couple generations, all that "frivolity" was despised and rejected by the psalm singers, who were too dignified to behave in such a way...
By the time Watts came around in the 1700s, this spiritual coldness was deep and wide, and was reflected in the music of the psalm singers. So when he started writing upbeat, doctrinally sound songs that the church could again sing with vigor, it won the day on a wide scale.
We have seen the same thing happen in our own day in the evangelical churches transition from hymnody to choruses. I grew up in it, and I remember the standard way that hymns were "supposed" to be done... slow and dirge-like. No wonder the choruses took over. The people of God need both spiritual vitality and vigorous, joyful music.
If we want to restore psalmnody to the church at large, it will be vigorous, word-for-word psalm versions that will win the day. It seems to me that anyone in whom the Spirit of God is doing a good work is eventually going to become tired of the shallow waters of modern evangelical music, and are going to be very receptive to the psalms being sung again. But it won't be to Genevans, sung slowly. Genevans with speed could be another story.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
25 Random things about Jamie Soles?
1. I had 11 siblings in a blended family; the oldest was 11 years older than me, the youngest was 11 years younger than me, and I was the 11th of 12.
2. I fell off some stairs and lit on my head on a concrete floor when I was 4, and cracked my skull.
3. I visited a chiropractor in my late 30s, and he found a knot in my backbone that he said "had been there for a long time, probably from when you were a little boy."
4. In our Evangelical Free Church where I grew up, we had a pastor who preached thru Jeremiah for a couple years. But I never remembered, my older brother told me last year...
5. I was given a choice in grade one; right-handed or left-handed?... a week after I had a cast removed from my right arm. I am left-handed.
6. I remember the song leader asking for favorites week after week when I was a boy in the EFree. We had some strange songs in our hymnal, and strange tastes in our pews...
7. Rolf Harris had a large impact on how I make kids songs.
8. I tried to write my first song at 13, but it was stupid. I don't think I had an organised thought in my head till I was 15.
9. On Saturday nights, we used to eat fresh bread, corn, and baked beans my mother made, have a cup of tea, and watch Hockey Night In Canada.
10. I always eat my brown and yellow smarties together, and last. I love those colors together!
11. I used to play chess a lot.
12. My parents worried about me as a teenager, about how I would survive in the world. "He can play guitar, and play chess, but he can't even fix his own car!"
13. I looked after the farm by myself when I was 14, for weeks at a time, while my parents were out breaking land to make a living.
14. I learned a life lesson about where my future would lie, when I was feeding the horses outside in
-55 weather. "Not here, Jamie, develop your music..."
15. I counted 29 moose one winter morning, on the way to church. They never arrived...
16. The first time I ever rode a horse, I got bucked off, into the knee-deep-in-mud-and-stuff
17. I caught a weasel with my bare hands when I was 11.
18. I was charged by an irate Hereford cow, out in the middle of the field, at about 20 paces. I am still alive, because God's angels know how to deal with irate Hereford cows.
19. I used to listen to 8-tracks of Kris Kristopherson, while bombing about the backwoods with my brother Bill in his black 1964 4x4 International pickup.
20. From grade 4 through grade 12, we had no running water or indoor plumbing. I grew to hate snowsuits.
21. I fell through the ice on Williston Lake when I was 10, and I couldn't swim. My brother Bill borrowed my brother Dave's crutch, lay down on the ice, and fished me out. Right above the turbines on the dam.
22. I read encyclopedias for fun when I was a kid. I could have told you every country in the world, it's capital, it's population, etc. 1963 World Book set my father had.
23. I was swept away down the flooding Sukunka River when I was 8, in a 14 foot fiberglass canoe, with 4 of my siblings. No life jackets, no swimmers... Another day on the way to school...
24. I rode a runner sled for a solid mile without having to put a foot on the ground, when I was 8.
25. I won the band award in grade 12, playing the baritone horn.
2. I fell off some stairs and lit on my head on a concrete floor when I was 4, and cracked my skull.
3. I visited a chiropractor in my late 30s, and he found a knot in my backbone that he said "had been there for a long time, probably from when you were a little boy."
4. In our Evangelical Free Church where I grew up, we had a pastor who preached thru Jeremiah for a couple years. But I never remembered, my older brother told me last year...
5. I was given a choice in grade one; right-handed or left-handed?... a week after I had a cast removed from my right arm. I am left-handed.
6. I remember the song leader asking for favorites week after week when I was a boy in the EFree. We had some strange songs in our hymnal, and strange tastes in our pews...
7. Rolf Harris had a large impact on how I make kids songs.
8. I tried to write my first song at 13, but it was stupid. I don't think I had an organised thought in my head till I was 15.
9. On Saturday nights, we used to eat fresh bread, corn, and baked beans my mother made, have a cup of tea, and watch Hockey Night In Canada.
10. I always eat my brown and yellow smarties together, and last. I love those colors together!
11. I used to play chess a lot.
12. My parents worried about me as a teenager, about how I would survive in the world. "He can play guitar, and play chess, but he can't even fix his own car!"
13. I looked after the farm by myself when I was 14, for weeks at a time, while my parents were out breaking land to make a living.
14. I learned a life lesson about where my future would lie, when I was feeding the horses outside in
-55 weather. "Not here, Jamie, develop your music..."
15. I counted 29 moose one winter morning, on the way to church. They never arrived...
16. The first time I ever rode a horse, I got bucked off, into the knee-deep-in-mud-and-stuff
17. I caught a weasel with my bare hands when I was 11.
18. I was charged by an irate Hereford cow, out in the middle of the field, at about 20 paces. I am still alive, because God's angels know how to deal with irate Hereford cows.
19. I used to listen to 8-tracks of Kris Kristopherson, while bombing about the backwoods with my brother Bill in his black 1964 4x4 International pickup.
20. From grade 4 through grade 12, we had no running water or indoor plumbing. I grew to hate snowsuits.
21. I fell through the ice on Williston Lake when I was 10, and I couldn't swim. My brother Bill borrowed my brother Dave's crutch, lay down on the ice, and fished me out. Right above the turbines on the dam.
22. I read encyclopedias for fun when I was a kid. I could have told you every country in the world, it's capital, it's population, etc. 1963 World Book set my father had.
23. I was swept away down the flooding Sukunka River when I was 8, in a 14 foot fiberglass canoe, with 4 of my siblings. No life jackets, no swimmers... Another day on the way to school...
24. I rode a runner sled for a solid mile without having to put a foot on the ground, when I was 8.
25. I won the band award in grade 12, playing the baritone horn.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Soles Family Christmas Tour 2009
Dec. 14 Monday 7:00 PM concert at Grace Chapel, 935 Evalena St, Castle Rock, CO 80108 Contact Scott Davidson 720.236.2540 scott@chec.org
Dec. 15 Tuesday Concert at Flint Hills Christian Academy’s gym (3905 Green Valley Rd, Manhattan, KS 7 PM, Contact ~Nate Wilson, Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS www.ctrchurch-mhk.org 785-537-9377
Dec. 16 Wed.Concert at 7 PM at Faith Lutheran Church, Peters Family Life Center
1517 E. Valley Watermill Road, Springfield, MO 65803 Contact Eric Sauder 417-209-5405 pastor@christthekingkirk.com
Dec. 17 Thurs. Concert at 7 PM at Camp Wyldewood in Searcy, AR.; 155 Riverside Park Rd., Searcy, AR 72143. Todd Davis is contact person. (501) 278-6325 christchurch@gmail.com
Dec. 18 Friday concert at 7:15 PM at Immanuel Presbyterian Church; meeting at: Pineview Baptist Church, 1288 Clinton-Raymond Road, Clinton, Mississippi, Organiser - Davy Durham 601 672-3957
Dec. 20 Sunday concert at 5 PM at 501 Brewer Dr. Nasvhille, TN 37211 Contact is Carson Sensing carson.sensing@gmail.com 615-221-8836 hm, 615-405-0499 cell
Dec. 28 Monday Concert at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Valparaiso, FL. at 7 PM. Contact Mary Ann Waldron mwaldron@trinvalp.com (850) 678-0060
Dec. 29 Tuesday concert at 7 PM at Christ Presbyterian Church, 8025 Antioch Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817. http://www.christpresbyterianbr.com/ Contact Debby Louviere debbyl@cox.net 225.751.6339
Dec. 30 Wednesday concert at 7 PM at Bethel PCA, 2040 E. McNeese St. Lake Charles, LA 70607 Contact Steven Wright 337.478.5672 pastorsteven@bethelpca.com
Dec. 31 Thursday Concert at 7 PM at Cole Concert Hall at the Stephen F. Austin University Campus in Nacogdoches, TX Contact Randy Booth (936) 559-0952
RandyBooth.gcc@gmail.com
Jan. 2 San Antonio Concert at 7 PM at Christ Covenant Church of San Antonio, meeting at River City Christian School, 5810 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216-6617 www.christcovenantsa.org Contact Perry Coghlan 830-688-9840
Jan. 5 Tuesday Concert for pastor’s conference in Monroe, LA 6-7 PM at Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church, 224 Auburn Avenue, Monroe, LA. Contact Duane Garner dgarner@auburnavenue.org 318 547 6917
Jan. 7 Thursday Concert at 7 PM in Longview, TX. Concert info pending. Contact person is Phil Hodson premodern1@yahoo.com www.ChristTheKingLongview.org
Jan. 8 Friday Concert at 7 PM at 2101 East 50th St, Texarkana, AR. Contact Bill Izzard 870 779-0656, or 870) 772-0656 billizard@windstream.net
Jan. 9 Saturday
Jan. 10 Sunday Rolla, MO. Details pending. Contact Scott Alford alfords@centurytel.net
Jan. 11 Monday
Jan. 12 Tuesday 8:30 AM at Pella Christian School assembly. 7 PM concert in Pella, IA at Faith Christian Reformed Church, 215 East University Street, Pella, IA Contact Brian Nolder bdnolder@iowatelecom.net
Jan. 13 Wednesday Concert at Christ Church-Twin Cities Meeting At: Fairview Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS), 4215 Fairview Avenue, Minnetonka, MN 55343 Phone: (612) 281.1090 E-mail: pastor@christchurchtc.com
Web Site: www.christchurchtwincities.com
Concert at 7 PM, contact Arnie Abens arnie@abens.com 952 933 9650
This is what we have so far. If the later part of the tour develops, I will let you know.
Dec. 15 Tuesday Concert at Flint Hills Christian Academy’s gym (3905 Green Valley Rd, Manhattan, KS 7 PM, Contact ~Nate Wilson, Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS www.ctrchurch-mhk.org 785-537-9377
Dec. 16 Wed.Concert at 7 PM at Faith Lutheran Church, Peters Family Life Center
1517 E. Valley Watermill Road, Springfield, MO 65803 Contact Eric Sauder 417-209-5405 pastor@christthekingkirk.com
Dec. 17 Thurs. Concert at 7 PM at Camp Wyldewood in Searcy, AR.; 155 Riverside Park Rd., Searcy, AR 72143. Todd Davis is contact person. (501) 278-6325 christchurch@gmail.com
Dec. 18 Friday concert at 7:15 PM at Immanuel Presbyterian Church; meeting at: Pineview Baptist Church, 1288 Clinton-Raymond Road, Clinton, Mississippi, Organiser - Davy Durham 601 672-3957
Dec. 20 Sunday concert at 5 PM at 501 Brewer Dr. Nasvhille, TN 37211 Contact is Carson Sensing carson.sensing@gmail.com 615-221-8836 hm, 615-405-0499 cell
Dec. 28 Monday Concert at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Valparaiso, FL. at 7 PM. Contact Mary Ann Waldron mwaldron@trinvalp.com (850) 678-0060
Dec. 29 Tuesday concert at 7 PM at Christ Presbyterian Church, 8025 Antioch Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817. http://www.christpresbyterianbr.com/ Contact Debby Louviere debbyl@cox.net 225.751.6339
Dec. 30 Wednesday concert at 7 PM at Bethel PCA, 2040 E. McNeese St. Lake Charles, LA 70607 Contact Steven Wright 337.478.5672 pastorsteven@bethelpca.com
Dec. 31 Thursday Concert at 7 PM at Cole Concert Hall at the Stephen F. Austin University Campus in Nacogdoches, TX Contact Randy Booth (936) 559-0952
RandyBooth.gcc@gmail.com
Jan. 2 San Antonio Concert at 7 PM at Christ Covenant Church of San Antonio, meeting at River City Christian School, 5810 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216-6617 www.christcovenantsa.org Contact Perry Coghlan 830-688-9840
Jan. 5 Tuesday Concert for pastor’s conference in Monroe, LA 6-7 PM at Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church, 224 Auburn Avenue, Monroe, LA. Contact Duane Garner dgarner@auburnavenue.org 318 547 6917
Jan. 7 Thursday Concert at 7 PM in Longview, TX. Concert info pending. Contact person is Phil Hodson premodern1@yahoo.com www.ChristTheKingLongview.org
Jan. 8 Friday Concert at 7 PM at 2101 East 50th St, Texarkana, AR. Contact Bill Izzard 870 779-0656, or 870) 772-0656 billizard@windstream.net
Jan. 9 Saturday
Jan. 10 Sunday Rolla, MO. Details pending. Contact Scott Alford alfords@centurytel.net
Jan. 11 Monday
Jan. 12 Tuesday 8:30 AM at Pella Christian School assembly. 7 PM concert in Pella, IA at Faith Christian Reformed Church, 215 East University Street, Pella, IA Contact Brian Nolder bdnolder@iowatelecom.net
Jan. 13 Wednesday Concert at Christ Church-Twin Cities Meeting At: Fairview Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS), 4215 Fairview Avenue, Minnetonka, MN 55343 Phone: (612) 281.1090 E-mail: pastor@christchurchtc.com
Web Site: www.christchurchtwincities.com
Concert at 7 PM, contact Arnie Abens arnie@abens.com 952 933 9650
This is what we have so far. If the later part of the tour develops, I will let you know.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Childhood stories
Some of the stories I can remember are my own, I’m sure, but others have been told and retold, and I am no longer clear on whether the memories are mine or not. This is one of those.
I was living at Buckhorn Lake with my family. I was on the porch of the house, and there was a high (to me) railing around the porch. There was a dugout area which must have been just beside the house, and it was full of water.
My two year old self looked, and behold! The cat sat on the railing of the porch soaking up the sunlight, minding his own business. In my recollection I tried to pet the cat; I rather suspect that in my urge to justify myself I have trained myself to think that pulling that cat’s tail was “petting” it. The cat took exception, and took a swipe at me with his claws open. I think he drew blood. I seem to recall bodily grabbing the cat and throwing him over the railing, though I may be exaggerating my physical prowess just a little. Whatever the case, the cat went off the rail and into the dugout.
Jamie crying and the cat yowling drew a crowd, and soon my siblings were looking in the dugout for the cat, fearful that I may have drowned it. They needn’t have worried; the cat was found a few minutes later in the house, sitting on the register drying off.
I was living at Buckhorn Lake with my family. I was on the porch of the house, and there was a high (to me) railing around the porch. There was a dugout area which must have been just beside the house, and it was full of water.
My two year old self looked, and behold! The cat sat on the railing of the porch soaking up the sunlight, minding his own business. In my recollection I tried to pet the cat; I rather suspect that in my urge to justify myself I have trained myself to think that pulling that cat’s tail was “petting” it. The cat took exception, and took a swipe at me with his claws open. I think he drew blood. I seem to recall bodily grabbing the cat and throwing him over the railing, though I may be exaggerating my physical prowess just a little. Whatever the case, the cat went off the rail and into the dugout.
Jamie crying and the cat yowling drew a crowd, and soon my siblings were looking in the dugout for the cat, fearful that I may have drowned it. They needn’t have worried; the cat was found a few minutes later in the house, sitting on the register drying off.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Oldies
This is the oldest song of mine that I have recorded on any of my albums. I wrote it in 1984 when I was still in my teens. It is on my Fidelty album, from 1990.
Trusting In You
Sometimes life gets hard, don’t know just which way to turn
And it seems like one way or another I’m gonna get burned
But Jesus I know that You’re holding my hand
And You’re gonna be there when I need You, helping me stand
Helping me stand, I’m trusting in You
When I see the storm closing in around me
There’s no shelter in sight and it seems like it’s gonna drown me
But You’re a rock I can cling to, to weather the storm
And no matter what happens Lord I’m safe in Your arms
I’m safe in Your arms, I’m trusting in You
Trusting in You
Jesus when you are near anxieties fade away
My fears and troubles seem to disappear cause they can no longer stay
Lord in Your marvellous presence I’ll always want to be
Cause Jesus when I am with You my bonds are loosed and I’m free
I truly am free when I’m trusting in You
Lord I need to trust in You more
Won’t you help me open up my door
Lord by Your hand You uphold me with strength from heaven above
You take my thoughts from this world full of sin
And surround me with Your love
And when my work here is finished, my final day is done
I know to heaven You’ll take me to live forever with the Son
Forever with the Son because I’m trusting in You
©Mar.5/1984 Jamie Soles
Trusting In You
Sometimes life gets hard, don’t know just which way to turn
And it seems like one way or another I’m gonna get burned
But Jesus I know that You’re holding my hand
And You’re gonna be there when I need You, helping me stand
Helping me stand, I’m trusting in You
When I see the storm closing in around me
There’s no shelter in sight and it seems like it’s gonna drown me
But You’re a rock I can cling to, to weather the storm
And no matter what happens Lord I’m safe in Your arms
I’m safe in Your arms, I’m trusting in You
Trusting in You
Jesus when you are near anxieties fade away
My fears and troubles seem to disappear cause they can no longer stay
Lord in Your marvellous presence I’ll always want to be
Cause Jesus when I am with You my bonds are loosed and I’m free
I truly am free when I’m trusting in You
Lord I need to trust in You more
Won’t you help me open up my door
Lord by Your hand You uphold me with strength from heaven above
You take my thoughts from this world full of sin
And surround me with Your love
And when my work here is finished, my final day is done
I know to heaven You’ll take me to live forever with the Son
Forever with the Son because I’m trusting in You
©Mar.5/1984 Jamie Soles
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Going back, back, wayyy back...
This song was one of the only ones in my first 30 songs that I was willing to sing a couple years later. I just looked through the songs of mine from 1981 and 1982, and they are currently quite appalling to me. But I guess a fellow has to learn somehow, and I didn't have a teacher to give me pointers in this art of songwriting. Or the art of thinking straight, for that matter.
Maturity is a delightful thing. It is exactly what God wants in all of us.
Average Man
Walking down life’s stormy road
Bearing my heavy load all alone
Wondering why, why oh why am I here
Can’t find any rhyme or reason
No meaning in this life I’m living
I can’t see where I’m going
But I’m sure that I’ve lost my way
I put on a smile and try to hide
The fact that I’m hurting down deep inside
Wondering if you can see through my disguise
But I know it better than anyone else
The only one I’m fooling is myself
But I’ll continue on this path
Cause I can’t see any better way
If only I could see the light of day
chorus
My name is Average Man
I’m imprisoned in a cell of my own making
I wish I could go outside myself
And tear down all those walls that I’ve been building
But I’m just an average man
And I need the help of someone who is greater
To set me on my feet again
Well though I have friends I see each day
The loneliness I feel won’t go away
I wish I could understand my pain
Well I’ve got a hole inside my heart
If I don’t get it filled I’ll fall apart
But I can’t find anyone or anything to please my soul
Oh I need someone to turn to who will make me whole
chorus
I don’t know where to turn to but I know
The need is greater than anything I’ve ever known
chorus
@Aug.29/1983 Jamie Soles
Maturity is a delightful thing. It is exactly what God wants in all of us.
Average Man
Walking down life’s stormy road
Bearing my heavy load all alone
Wondering why, why oh why am I here
Can’t find any rhyme or reason
No meaning in this life I’m living
I can’t see where I’m going
But I’m sure that I’ve lost my way
I put on a smile and try to hide
The fact that I’m hurting down deep inside
Wondering if you can see through my disguise
But I know it better than anyone else
The only one I’m fooling is myself
But I’ll continue on this path
Cause I can’t see any better way
If only I could see the light of day
chorus
My name is Average Man
I’m imprisoned in a cell of my own making
I wish I could go outside myself
And tear down all those walls that I’ve been building
But I’m just an average man
And I need the help of someone who is greater
To set me on my feet again
Well though I have friends I see each day
The loneliness I feel won’t go away
I wish I could understand my pain
Well I’ve got a hole inside my heart
If I don’t get it filled I’ll fall apart
But I can’t find anyone or anything to please my soul
Oh I need someone to turn to who will make me whole
chorus
I don’t know where to turn to but I know
The need is greater than anything I’ve ever known
chorus
@Aug.29/1983 Jamie Soles
Country Roads
I remember John Denver singing this when I was a young and impressionable fellow. Though I have never been to West Virginia it seems like it would be a familiar place to me...
Country Roads
Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
All my memories gathered round her
Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrops in my eye
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
I hear her voice, in the mornin’ hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin’ down the road I get a feelin’
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
---------------------------------------------
I used to accompany my grade four class on the guitar when we sang, and this was one of our numbers. It was one of the more decent songs our teacher filled our heads with; some of her selections make it obvious to me now that she was just recently removed from hippy/drug culture, and brought along a lot of the songs she knew...
Country Roads
Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge mountains, Shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
All my memories gathered round her
Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrops in my eye
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
I hear her voice, in the mornin’ hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin’ down the road I get a feelin’
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
---------------------------------------------
I used to accompany my grade four class on the guitar when we sang, and this was one of our numbers. It was one of the more decent songs our teacher filled our heads with; some of her selections make it obvious to me now that she was just recently removed from hippy/drug culture, and brought along a lot of the songs she knew...
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Soles Family Western Tour 2009
This schedule is subject to revision, please stay posted. If there are any of you along this route who wish to host us overnight in a place marked "staying with..." please get hold of me.
Soles Travel Journal
Destination: To California and back
Start date: May 13/2009
Traveling companions: Soles family
Goal of trip: Concert tour
 Day 1; Wed. May 13/09
Drive to Calgary.
 Day 2; Thurs. May 14/09
Concert at Calgary First Church of the Nazarene, 65 Richard Way, SW. Calgary/AB Supper at 6PM, 6:45 PM concert. $5/person, $20/family contact Kim Baptist Phone: 403-242-1718, ext. 23 Kim.Baptist@firstnaz.ca
 Day 3; Fri. May 15/09
Concert at Great Falls, MT., 7PM at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1226 First Ave. North, Great Falls, MT. Contact Jill Clark, (406)453-8440
 Day 4; Sat. May 16/09
Concert at Billings, MT., at the Kathy Lillis Chapel http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Poly+Dr+%26+Shiloh+Rd,+Billings,+MT&sll=45.81564,-108.61599&sspn=0.135914,0.248222&ie=UTF8&z=16
Contact Jay Barfield, pastor@ccrchurch.org 406-530-1371
 Day 5; Sun. May 17/09
Worship in Billings with the saints there. Stay one more night.
 Day 6; Mon. May 18/09
Leave early, go visit Yellowstone National Park. Where to spend the night is yet unknown.
 Day 7; Tues. May 19/09
Leave at 9AM, drive to Boise, ID
Concert in Boise with Kings Congregation at 7PM at the Locust Grove Grange at 1201 E. Victory Road between Meridian Road and Eagle Road.
 Day 8; Wed. May 20/09
Leave at 9AM, arrive in Moscow ID at the Bauer’s residence in late afternoon
Concert at the Nuart Theater at 7PM. THIS COULD BE CHANGED TO THURSDAY EVE. PLEASE STAY TUNED!
 Day 9; Thurs. May 21/09
Relax at Moscow
 Day 10; Fri. May 22/09
Concert at Christ Church Spokane, 7PM, 228 E. Gordon, Spokane, WA
 Day 11; Sat. May 23/09
Leave at 10 AM, drive 4 hours south to Enterprise, OR.
Concert at 7PM at the Odd Fellows Hall (to be confirmed)
Staying at
Contact Terrance Tollefson 541 426-0301 church, 541 886-0101 home.
 Day 12; Sun. May 24/09
Worship with the saints at Christ Covenant Church in Enterprise.
 Day 13; Mon. May 25/09
Leave at 10 AM for a 6 hour drive to Wenatchee, WA
Concert at Trinity Church in Wenatchee, 7 PM
Staying with
 Day 14; Tues. May 26/09
Leave Wenatchee at 9AM.
Concert at Providence Classical School assembly, 1:45 PM, 21500 Cypress Way, Lynnwood, WA www.pccs.org
 Day 15; Wed. May 27/09
Relax?
 Day 16; Thurs. May 28/09
Concert in Skamania, WA at the Skamania Community Church, Hiway 14, between mileposts 33 and 34, by the fire hall.
 Day 17; Fri. May 29/09
Concert for Resurrection Presbyterian Church in Puyallup, WA at 5316 104th St. E., Tacoma, WA, 7 PM. Contact David Scott david@resurrectionpc.org Staying with…
 Day 18; Sat. May 30/09
Concert at Reformation Covenant Church in Oregon City, OR at 6:30 PM
1201 John Quincy Adams St., Oregon City, OR.
Contact the church office (503) 656-9444 Staying with…
 Day 19; Sun. May 31/09
Worship with the saints at RCC,
 Day 20; Mon. June 1/09
Relax
 Day 21; Tues. June 2/09
Relax
 Day 22; Wed. June 3/09
Leave at 9AM for Medford, OR 5 ½ hr drive
Concert in Medford for Christ Church, 7PM, at this location; First Presbyterian Church
405 E. California St., Jacksonville, OR contact John Barach (541) 531-2906
Staying with …
 Day 23; Thurs. June 4/09
Maybe explore the California coast around Eureka, CA.
 Day 24; Fri. June 5/09
Concert in Santa Cruz, CA at 7PM, contact Jason Farley
Staying with…
 Day 25; Sat. June 6/09
Concert in Sacramento, CA at Church Of The King Contact Theron Johnson 916 372-7128
Staying with…
 Day 26; Sun. June 7/09
Worship with the saints at Church Of The King
 Day 27; Mon. June 8/09
Leave at 9AM for Santa Clarita, CA
Concert in Santa Clarita, CA, 7PM at Desert Streams Church, 26873 Ruether Avenue, Canyon Country, CA 91351
Contact pastor Garrett Craw garrett.craw@sbcglobal.net
Staying at…
 Day 28; Tues. June 9/09
Head for home up I 15. Stay in northern Utah
 Day 29; Wed. June 10/09
Head for home up I 15. Stay in Lethbridge?
 Day 30; Thurs. June 11/09
Home!
Soles Travel Journal
Destination: To California and back
Start date: May 13/2009
Traveling companions: Soles family
Goal of trip: Concert tour
 Day 1; Wed. May 13/09
Drive to Calgary.
 Day 2; Thurs. May 14/09
Concert at Calgary First Church of the Nazarene, 65 Richard Way, SW. Calgary/AB Supper at 6PM, 6:45 PM concert. $5/person, $20/family contact Kim Baptist Phone: 403-242-1718, ext. 23 Kim.Baptist@firstnaz.ca
 Day 3; Fri. May 15/09
Concert at Great Falls, MT., 7PM at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1226 First Ave. North, Great Falls, MT. Contact Jill Clark, (406)453-8440
 Day 4; Sat. May 16/09
Concert at Billings, MT., at the Kathy Lillis Chapel http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Poly+Dr+%26+Shiloh+Rd,+Billings,+MT&sll=45.81564,-108.61599&sspn=0.135914,0.248222&ie=UTF8&z=16
Contact Jay Barfield, pastor@ccrchurch.org 406-530-1371
 Day 5; Sun. May 17/09
Worship in Billings with the saints there. Stay one more night.
 Day 6; Mon. May 18/09
Leave early, go visit Yellowstone National Park. Where to spend the night is yet unknown.
 Day 7; Tues. May 19/09
Leave at 9AM, drive to Boise, ID
Concert in Boise with Kings Congregation at 7PM at the Locust Grove Grange at 1201 E. Victory Road between Meridian Road and Eagle Road.
 Day 8; Wed. May 20/09
Leave at 9AM, arrive in Moscow ID at the Bauer’s residence in late afternoon
Concert at the Nuart Theater at 7PM. THIS COULD BE CHANGED TO THURSDAY EVE. PLEASE STAY TUNED!
 Day 9; Thurs. May 21/09
Relax at Moscow
 Day 10; Fri. May 22/09
Concert at Christ Church Spokane, 7PM, 228 E. Gordon, Spokane, WA
 Day 11; Sat. May 23/09
Leave at 10 AM, drive 4 hours south to Enterprise, OR.
Concert at 7PM at the Odd Fellows Hall (to be confirmed)
Staying at
Contact Terrance Tollefson 541 426-0301 church, 541 886-0101 home.
 Day 12; Sun. May 24/09
Worship with the saints at Christ Covenant Church in Enterprise.
 Day 13; Mon. May 25/09
Leave at 10 AM for a 6 hour drive to Wenatchee, WA
Concert at Trinity Church in Wenatchee, 7 PM
Staying with
 Day 14; Tues. May 26/09
Leave Wenatchee at 9AM.
Concert at Providence Classical School assembly, 1:45 PM, 21500 Cypress Way, Lynnwood, WA www.pccs.org
 Day 15; Wed. May 27/09
Relax?
 Day 16; Thurs. May 28/09
Concert in Skamania, WA at the Skamania Community Church, Hiway 14, between mileposts 33 and 34, by the fire hall.
 Day 17; Fri. May 29/09
Concert for Resurrection Presbyterian Church in Puyallup, WA at 5316 104th St. E., Tacoma, WA, 7 PM. Contact David Scott david@resurrectionpc.org Staying with…
 Day 18; Sat. May 30/09
Concert at Reformation Covenant Church in Oregon City, OR at 6:30 PM
1201 John Quincy Adams St., Oregon City, OR.
Contact the church office (503) 656-9444 Staying with…
 Day 19; Sun. May 31/09
Worship with the saints at RCC,
 Day 20; Mon. June 1/09
Relax
 Day 21; Tues. June 2/09
Relax
 Day 22; Wed. June 3/09
Leave at 9AM for Medford, OR 5 ½ hr drive
Concert in Medford for Christ Church, 7PM, at this location; First Presbyterian Church
405 E. California St., Jacksonville, OR contact John Barach (541) 531-2906
Staying with …
 Day 23; Thurs. June 4/09
Maybe explore the California coast around Eureka, CA.
 Day 24; Fri. June 5/09
Concert in Santa Cruz, CA at 7PM, contact Jason Farley
Staying with…
 Day 25; Sat. June 6/09
Concert in Sacramento, CA at Church Of The King Contact Theron Johnson 916 372-7128
Staying with…
 Day 26; Sun. June 7/09
Worship with the saints at Church Of The King
 Day 27; Mon. June 8/09
Leave at 9AM for Santa Clarita, CA
Concert in Santa Clarita, CA, 7PM at Desert Streams Church, 26873 Ruether Avenue, Canyon Country, CA 91351
Contact pastor Garrett Craw garrett.craw@sbcglobal.net
Staying at…
 Day 28; Tues. June 9/09
Head for home up I 15. Stay in northern Utah
 Day 29; Wed. June 10/09
Head for home up I 15. Stay in Lethbridge?
 Day 30; Thurs. June 11/09
Home!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
How Do We Form Our Theology?
On a list we were talking about Calvin's catechism, which seems to many reformed folk to be teaching something they don't believe in. A friend of mine wrote the following, and it piqued my imagination;
> > The Institutes are a far better judge of what Calvin was saying and
> > where the reformed formed their theology IMO.
Not Calvin's catechism, but Calvin's Institutes.
I've made several CDs of Bible songs, some of which are more important and useful than others, but I don't think someone else could say of my works that *this one* represents Jamie's thoughts better than *that one*, since they were all my thoughts in the first place. Same with Calvin.
But on to other things...
How have the reformed formed their theology? My friend suggests that in his opinion the Institutes have had a greater effect on this formation than Calvin's catechism, and presumeably for good reasons; most of the folks here have a copy of the Institutes, and hardly any of us have ever heard of Calvin's catechism. Stands to reason that the Institutes are more influential.
I would suggest, however, that neither of these are the fountainhead of how the reformed developed their theology. One should look to their liturgies for that. Compare how often the average reformed person has read Calvin with how often they have attended a whole worship service from start to finish. Our liturgies are our prime teachers, and they shape us far more than the things we read. And they do so in ways that are deeper than we are able to grasp.
God sometimes, in His kindness, teaches us things about Him and His ways that we didn't learn in worship. And when this is the case, and I want to share with you some great thing I have learned from the Bible about baptism, or communion, I naturally run into opposition from my brothers. The Lord has not opened their eyes to see what I see, and until he does, their default position will be what they have learned in worship.
This is not a bad thing; it is in fact a very good thing that we operate this way. God shapes us into certain kinds of people thru the way we worship Him. Have you ever wondered why evangelicals are so very different from us reformed folk? It didn't come because they have not read Calvin and we have; it came because they approach God differently in worship. That's just the way God made the world; if you worship Him differently, you become a different sort of person.
God has made us to worship Him. That is what we are for. So I think it is very important that elders and pastors everywhere continually review their worship service with a view to making it conform to Scripture. Has God revealed something to you that is different from your normal practice, oh elder? Then be prepared, for the sake of His kingdom and for the glory of God, to be opposed. But pray, also, that God would open the hearts of your fellow elders so that you might have a good conversation about it. But be prepared also to start working on some new wineskins, because sometimes you get kicked out...
> > The Institutes are a far better judge of what Calvin was saying and
> > where the reformed formed their theology IMO.
Not Calvin's catechism, but Calvin's Institutes.
I've made several CDs of Bible songs, some of which are more important and useful than others, but I don't think someone else could say of my works that *this one* represents Jamie's thoughts better than *that one*, since they were all my thoughts in the first place. Same with Calvin.
But on to other things...
How have the reformed formed their theology? My friend suggests that in his opinion the Institutes have had a greater effect on this formation than Calvin's catechism, and presumeably for good reasons; most of the folks here have a copy of the Institutes, and hardly any of us have ever heard of Calvin's catechism. Stands to reason that the Institutes are more influential.
I would suggest, however, that neither of these are the fountainhead of how the reformed developed their theology. One should look to their liturgies for that. Compare how often the average reformed person has read Calvin with how often they have attended a whole worship service from start to finish. Our liturgies are our prime teachers, and they shape us far more than the things we read. And they do so in ways that are deeper than we are able to grasp.
God sometimes, in His kindness, teaches us things about Him and His ways that we didn't learn in worship. And when this is the case, and I want to share with you some great thing I have learned from the Bible about baptism, or communion, I naturally run into opposition from my brothers. The Lord has not opened their eyes to see what I see, and until he does, their default position will be what they have learned in worship.
This is not a bad thing; it is in fact a very good thing that we operate this way. God shapes us into certain kinds of people thru the way we worship Him. Have you ever wondered why evangelicals are so very different from us reformed folk? It didn't come because they have not read Calvin and we have; it came because they approach God differently in worship. That's just the way God made the world; if you worship Him differently, you become a different sort of person.
God has made us to worship Him. That is what we are for. So I think it is very important that elders and pastors everywhere continually review their worship service with a view to making it conform to Scripture. Has God revealed something to you that is different from your normal practice, oh elder? Then be prepared, for the sake of His kingdom and for the glory of God, to be opposed. But pray, also, that God would open the hearts of your fellow elders so that you might have a good conversation about it. But be prepared also to start working on some new wineskins, because sometimes you get kicked out...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
On Character Development
I have eight kids. And God has charged me with the responsibility to see that each of them grows up in the faith, and that they learn to love Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love their neighbours as themselves. I am responsible for the shaping of their thinking, so that they can grow up and pass on the faith to their children.
And what disaster could come in the world if I fail in any one of these eight instances! It is a common theme in the Bible to see a man pursue godliness himself, but then be followed by children who unravel everything he knitted, because he didn’t teach and train and discipline his children well. One prostitute or one atheist or thief or adulterer, one undiscerning pop musician among them, and the pure light and strength of Jamie Soles music will be tainted in the eyes of many people. “He taught others, let him teach himself!” they would say.
Given the pitfalls and dangers which lie in my path, now ask me if I am worried about this. NO!
If we go thru any particular day and ask ourselves at the end of it what we accomplished in terms of character development today, our usual answer may range from “Not much…” down to “Nothing”. But I read a saying a couple weeks ago that stuck in my mind, and it is worth thinking about… “People overestimate what they can accomplish in a day, and underestimate what they can accomplish in a decade.”
Someone once described the development of the kingdom of God as “A series of triumphs disguised as disasters.” It may appear that we are failing, but we keep on doing what we know God wants us to do, plugging away believing in His promises, and it seems to me that God will honor this kind of faith with children who are obedient to Jesus. God wants me to honor Him, and acknowledge Him in all my ways, and over the long term He will bring about what He has promised.
And what disaster could come in the world if I fail in any one of these eight instances! It is a common theme in the Bible to see a man pursue godliness himself, but then be followed by children who unravel everything he knitted, because he didn’t teach and train and discipline his children well. One prostitute or one atheist or thief or adulterer, one undiscerning pop musician among them, and the pure light and strength of Jamie Soles music will be tainted in the eyes of many people. “He taught others, let him teach himself!” they would say.
Given the pitfalls and dangers which lie in my path, now ask me if I am worried about this. NO!
If we go thru any particular day and ask ourselves at the end of it what we accomplished in terms of character development today, our usual answer may range from “Not much…” down to “Nothing”. But I read a saying a couple weeks ago that stuck in my mind, and it is worth thinking about… “People overestimate what they can accomplish in a day, and underestimate what they can accomplish in a decade.”
Someone once described the development of the kingdom of God as “A series of triumphs disguised as disasters.” It may appear that we are failing, but we keep on doing what we know God wants us to do, plugging away believing in His promises, and it seems to me that God will honor this kind of faith with children who are obedient to Jesus. God wants me to honor Him, and acknowledge Him in all my ways, and over the long term He will bring about what He has promised.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
The real lyrics.
Here is the real lyrics. Recorded on "Man In Black" LP from 1971.
ORPHAN OF THE ROAD
(Dick Feller)
« © '71 Cyberphonic Publishing, BMI »
From a carnie show and a rodeo that shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carnie queen
In new spring nights amid the lights of the painted carnie van
They laughed and loved and shared short lived dreams
But the carnie show and the rodeo went their separate ways
And the carnie season bloomed and soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark eyed carnie queen
The too-late-son of somethin' that was gone
The blacksheep child that grew up wild
From the seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire an orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mama died of a chill that closed her eyes
So I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name too wild to tame no one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
In dingy bars and cold boxcars hobo jungle camps
I joined the men who drift from town to town
The surgin' flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
The blacksheep child that grew up wild...
In the misty rain I caught the train that slowed down through the town
And I pulled myself into the boxcar door
In a passing light in the deep grey night I saw the still dark form
Of an old man lyin' sick upon the floor
And he said I tried to find her but they told me that she'd died
And that she'd left an only son behind
And I tried to find him but I never did but I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I die
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickerin' flame
Then I held it close and I gently raised his head
My mother sir I said of her I have her same dark eyes
He smiled a cowboy smile then was dead
The blacksheep child that grew up wild...
**********
This is one of those ballad songs that made Johnny Cash such a great artist. I think that Man In Black was my dad's favorite album for awhile, at least. I must have heard it a lot.
ORPHAN OF THE ROAD
(Dick Feller)
« © '71 Cyberphonic Publishing, BMI »
From a carnie show and a rodeo that shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carnie queen
In new spring nights amid the lights of the painted carnie van
They laughed and loved and shared short lived dreams
But the carnie show and the rodeo went their separate ways
And the carnie season bloomed and soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark eyed carnie queen
The too-late-son of somethin' that was gone
The blacksheep child that grew up wild
From the seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire an orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mama died of a chill that closed her eyes
So I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name too wild to tame no one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
In dingy bars and cold boxcars hobo jungle camps
I joined the men who drift from town to town
The surgin' flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
The blacksheep child that grew up wild...
In the misty rain I caught the train that slowed down through the town
And I pulled myself into the boxcar door
In a passing light in the deep grey night I saw the still dark form
Of an old man lyin' sick upon the floor
And he said I tried to find her but they told me that she'd died
And that she'd left an only son behind
And I tried to find him but I never did but I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I die
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickerin' flame
Then I held it close and I gently raised his head
My mother sir I said of her I have her same dark eyes
He smiled a cowboy smile then was dead
The blacksheep child that grew up wild...
**********
This is one of those ballad songs that made Johnny Cash such a great artist. I think that Man In Black was my dad's favorite album for awhile, at least. I must have heard it a lot.
How my mind works
I was laying in bed last night, late, when a lyric floated thru my brain...
"...from a chill that closed her eyes..."
I thought about it for a bit, trying to recall who sang it, and what the rest of the words were. I got a few more words after a minute,
"and I was left to grow up on my own"
...when I identified it as a Johnny Cash song, one I have not heard or thought of for 30 years, at least. Here it is, as I remember it, without having checked any lyric sites.
Orphan Of The Road by Johnny Cash
The carny show and the rodeo shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carny queen
....
They laughed and loved and shared short-lived dreams
But the carny show and the rodeo went their separate ways
..... ... soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark-eyed carny queen
The too-late son of something that was gone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mother died of a chill that closed her eyes
And I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name, too wild to tame, and no-one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
.... and old boxcars, hobo ... camps
And I was left to drift from town to town
A surging flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
-I don't remember how he arrives there, but he finds an old cowboy dying in a boxcar, saying this.
He said "I tried to find her, but they told me that she died
And that she'd left an only son behind
I tried to find him, but I never did,
But I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I died."
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickering flame
And I held it close as I gently raised his head
"My mother, sir," I said of her, "I have her same dark eyes"
He smiled, the cowboy smiled, then was dead.
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
Some people can remember numbers; I can remember lyrics. Now I will go and check the lyric sites, to see how I did.
"...from a chill that closed her eyes..."
I thought about it for a bit, trying to recall who sang it, and what the rest of the words were. I got a few more words after a minute,
"and I was left to grow up on my own"
...when I identified it as a Johnny Cash song, one I have not heard or thought of for 30 years, at least. Here it is, as I remember it, without having checked any lyric sites.
Orphan Of The Road by Johnny Cash
The carny show and the rodeo shared a three day stand
A cowboy met a fiery carny queen
....
They laughed and loved and shared short-lived dreams
But the carny show and the rodeo went their separate ways
..... ... soon moved on
And I was born on a winter morn to the dark-eyed carny queen
The too-late son of something that was gone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
I was still a child when my mother died of a chill that closed her eyes
And I was left to grow up on my own
Without a name, too wild to tame, and no-one cared to try
So mostly I was mostly left alone
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
.... and old boxcars, hobo ... camps
And I was left to drift from town to town
A surging flood of restless blood flowed inside my veins
I'd never find the time to settle down
-I don't remember how he arrives there, but he finds an old cowboy dying in a boxcar, saying this.
He said "I tried to find her, but they told me that she died
And that she'd left an only son behind
I tried to find him, but I never did,
But I know I could rest in peace
If I could just see him once before I died."
I found a match and I quickly scratched it into flickering flame
And I held it close as I gently raised his head
"My mother, sir," I said of her, "I have her same dark eyes"
He smiled, the cowboy smiled, then was dead.
A black sheep child that grew up wild
From a seed the four winds sowed
Unwanted son of ice and fire
An orphan of the road
Some people can remember numbers; I can remember lyrics. Now I will go and check the lyric sites, to see how I did.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Argh!
This is reprinted with permission from my friend Derek Hale from Wichita. He writes...
My election day "scream at the windshield" moment came today while driving down the street to grab a bite of lunch. It came not from conservative talk radio or from NPR. It came from Christian talk radio. Don't ask me how I ended up there.
Anyway, the host (no idea who it was) was taking calls from callers who had voted earlier in the day. The callers that I heard were all talking about how they took their children with them to their polling places and they went on and on about "how important it was that children witnessed their parents voting" and about how "instilling the desire to participate in the democratic process" needs to instilled in children from a young age. I didn't hear much else because my shouting started.
I needed to shout because I imagined the type of folks that were out there listening to this same radio program and adding their "amen" to what was being said. I imagine these are the same folks that ship their children off to "children's church" on Sunday because the children are distracting and "would never understand what was going on anyway." I'm sure these are the same people that feel no desire demonstrate to their children "how important it is that children witness their parents worshiping on Sunday." No desire to "instill from a young age" a desire to participate in the worship of God almighty with the rest of the adults of the church. Nope, it is MUCH more important for children to get excited about the "democratic process" than it is for them to get excited about hearing God's call to worship, hearing that their sins are forgiven, learning the music of the Kingdom, hearing the Word thundered, and sitting down to eat a meal with Jesus every week.
And people still wonder why evangelicalism is as ineffective as it is.
Amen, Derek!
My election day "scream at the windshield" moment came today while driving down the street to grab a bite of lunch. It came not from conservative talk radio or from NPR. It came from Christian talk radio. Don't ask me how I ended up there.
Anyway, the host (no idea who it was) was taking calls from callers who had voted earlier in the day. The callers that I heard were all talking about how they took their children with them to their polling places and they went on and on about "how important it was that children witnessed their parents voting" and about how "instilling the desire to participate in the democratic process" needs to instilled in children from a young age. I didn't hear much else because my shouting started.
I needed to shout because I imagined the type of folks that were out there listening to this same radio program and adding their "amen" to what was being said. I imagine these are the same folks that ship their children off to "children's church" on Sunday because the children are distracting and "would never understand what was going on anyway." I'm sure these are the same people that feel no desire demonstrate to their children "how important it is that children witness their parents worshiping on Sunday." No desire to "instill from a young age" a desire to participate in the worship of God almighty with the rest of the adults of the church. Nope, it is MUCH more important for children to get excited about the "democratic process" than it is for them to get excited about hearing God's call to worship, hearing that their sins are forgiven, learning the music of the Kingdom, hearing the Word thundered, and sitting down to eat a meal with Jesus every week.
And people still wonder why evangelicalism is as ineffective as it is.
Amen, Derek!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Pure Words
My new CD, Pure Words, is now available from me. We sing several of these songs in our church, and I hope they might work in yours, as well!
Monday, September 22, 2008
The music in our church
Not being a very policy-oriented fellow, we don't have a written policy in our church about what music we will and will not use. But we do have some general guidelines...
1. The Psalms are the dominant source. We are not exclusive Psalmists, we think that other scriptures and songs derived from them may be sung, but we are dominant Psalmists. There are generally more psalms in our worship than other stuff. We try to avoid the sort of music that tells you how I feel, unless you are doing a psalm and that is what David is doing just there.
2. Word-for-word Psalmnody is preferable to versified Psalmnody. Of course there is a lot more accessible material for the versified sort than for the word for word sort, consult any Psalter and you will see what I mean. But I think that God built His word in such a way that the structure is part of His revelation to us, and we lose something when we restructure it. In our church, we use the Cantus Christi Hymnbook, and probably about half our service uses music that I have made.
3. We make use of our musicians. If your most able leaders in music play guitar, then by all means use them. If you have songwriters in your midst, encourage them to write word for word songs from the Psalms and the rest of the Bible for the congregation to sing.
We know that God has greatly gifted musicians in the past to write music for the church to sing, so we don't despise it, but learn how to sing it well. But we don't stop there; we try to build on the foundations already laid. We don't assume that church music has reached it's pinnacle and cannot be improved upon, we rather try to make songs that are more faithful to the Scriptures, because we know that the Scriptures shape us into the image of Jesus.
These are some things, in brief...
1. The Psalms are the dominant source. We are not exclusive Psalmists, we think that other scriptures and songs derived from them may be sung, but we are dominant Psalmists. There are generally more psalms in our worship than other stuff. We try to avoid the sort of music that tells you how I feel, unless you are doing a psalm and that is what David is doing just there.
2. Word-for-word Psalmnody is preferable to versified Psalmnody. Of course there is a lot more accessible material for the versified sort than for the word for word sort, consult any Psalter and you will see what I mean. But I think that God built His word in such a way that the structure is part of His revelation to us, and we lose something when we restructure it. In our church, we use the Cantus Christi Hymnbook, and probably about half our service uses music that I have made.
3. We make use of our musicians. If your most able leaders in music play guitar, then by all means use them. If you have songwriters in your midst, encourage them to write word for word songs from the Psalms and the rest of the Bible for the congregation to sing.
We know that God has greatly gifted musicians in the past to write music for the church to sing, so we don't despise it, but learn how to sing it well. But we don't stop there; we try to build on the foundations already laid. We don't assume that church music has reached it's pinnacle and cannot be improved upon, we rather try to make songs that are more faithful to the Scriptures, because we know that the Scriptures shape us into the image of Jesus.
These are some things, in brief...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Concerts in October
Hey folks!
If there are any Texans or Tennesseans within range, you may wish to hear of the following concerts I will be doing.
On Saturday evening, October 11/08 I will be doing a concert for St. Davids Church at the following location;
We now meet in the chapel at the Boys and Girls Country Academy, which is located at 21225 FM 2920, Hockley, Texas, about 1 mile west of Rosehill Christian School on the south side of FM 2920.
and the contact people to ask directions are the Gene Franklin family. gene@crechouston.org and the Church website is http://www.crechouston.org/
On Sunday eve, 6PM, October 12/08 I will be in concert in Austin, TX at this location;
Park Hills Baptist Church
900 S. MoPac Expressway
Austin, TX 78746
This concert is sponsored by Redeemer Presbyterian Curch (PCA), and the contact person will be Susan Marcus smarcus@redeemerpres.org
On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18/09 at 4PM I am doing a concert in Nashville, TN, sponsored by the fine folks at St. Mark Reformed Church, at the following location;
501 Brewer Dr. Nashville, TN 37211 at the Nashville First Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Contact Joe Thacker for details, pastorjoeccp@gmail.com
If there are any Texans or Tennesseans within range, you may wish to hear of the following concerts I will be doing.
On Saturday evening, October 11/08 I will be doing a concert for St. Davids Church at the following location;
We now meet in the chapel at the Boys and Girls Country Academy, which is located at 21225 FM 2920, Hockley, Texas, about 1 mile west of Rosehill Christian School on the south side of FM 2920.
and the contact people to ask directions are the Gene Franklin family. gene@crechouston.org and the Church website is http://www.crechouston.org/
On Sunday eve, 6PM, October 12/08 I will be in concert in Austin, TX at this location;
Park Hills Baptist Church
900 S. MoPac Expressway
Austin, TX 78746
This concert is sponsored by Redeemer Presbyterian Curch (PCA), and the contact person will be Susan Marcus smarcus@redeemerpres.org
On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18/09 at 4PM I am doing a concert in Nashville, TN, sponsored by the fine folks at St. Mark Reformed Church, at the following location;
501 Brewer Dr. Nashville, TN 37211 at the Nashville First Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Contact Joe Thacker for details, pastorjoeccp@gmail.com
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Timbrel as Moses
We were talking around the table tonight about things that happened to the kids when they were little, episodes when they got lost and so forth. I remembered this one...
Timbrel was 4, Zion was in her high 2s, Judah was probably ten months old. The Soles family took a drive out to the Dunes area south of town to look for some flat rocks we could use for a walkway in our backyard. We parked the minivan at the entrance to a gravel pit, and we got out to look around. Judah was sleeping in his car seat; I think we had been going to take him along but then realized he was asleep, so we just set his seat back on the bucket seat of the van, and Val looked around for rocks near the van. I took the two girls on a trip down into the gravel pit to look for flat rocks.
The pit curved sharply to the right just ahead, and kept curving till we had gone probably 220 degrees when we came to the end of the pit. I found some good rocks high up on the bank while Timbrel and Zion played down on the floor of the pit, which was pretty solid and mostly dry, except for a few puddles left by a recent rain. The rock that I had found looked too big for me to carry all the way back to the van, so I had the bright idea to go get the van.
"Girls, Daddy is just going to walk over this ridge and get the van, and I will drive it around to where you are, you just stay there!" Timbrel's eyes widened, but I don't think I noticed...
Bad idea, Daddy!
I went around and found Val loading rocks she had found, so I helped her finish and told her the plan. We shut the door beside Judah, got in, and drove down into the gravel pit, and started around the loop toward my rock, when we saw a rather distressing sight. Timbrel had decided that there was no way we were leaving them there, and like Moses she began to lead the children out of the wilderness. Unfortunately, she didn't have much sense about big puddles, and the one we found her stuck in was about 50 feet across. She was out in the middle, both boots stuck fast, and screaming her head off; Zion was about 15 feet behind her, both boots stuck fast and screaming her head off too.
I saw them and slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the van, and ran out to rescue the girls and their boots, which was a difficult task... that mud was really sticky! We all became quite a mud fest; me carrying two screeching girls up to the van. But the van was screaming too... When I hit the brakes, I had failed to notice that Judah was not buckled into the bucket seat, and he went pitching onto the floor face first, still strapped in his car seat. His lip was swelling up at the same rate as his voice...
The Soles family mourned, and I'm sure half the town heard it.
Timbrel was 4, Zion was in her high 2s, Judah was probably ten months old. The Soles family took a drive out to the Dunes area south of town to look for some flat rocks we could use for a walkway in our backyard. We parked the minivan at the entrance to a gravel pit, and we got out to look around. Judah was sleeping in his car seat; I think we had been going to take him along but then realized he was asleep, so we just set his seat back on the bucket seat of the van, and Val looked around for rocks near the van. I took the two girls on a trip down into the gravel pit to look for flat rocks.
The pit curved sharply to the right just ahead, and kept curving till we had gone probably 220 degrees when we came to the end of the pit. I found some good rocks high up on the bank while Timbrel and Zion played down on the floor of the pit, which was pretty solid and mostly dry, except for a few puddles left by a recent rain. The rock that I had found looked too big for me to carry all the way back to the van, so I had the bright idea to go get the van.
"Girls, Daddy is just going to walk over this ridge and get the van, and I will drive it around to where you are, you just stay there!" Timbrel's eyes widened, but I don't think I noticed...
Bad idea, Daddy!
I went around and found Val loading rocks she had found, so I helped her finish and told her the plan. We shut the door beside Judah, got in, and drove down into the gravel pit, and started around the loop toward my rock, when we saw a rather distressing sight. Timbrel had decided that there was no way we were leaving them there, and like Moses she began to lead the children out of the wilderness. Unfortunately, she didn't have much sense about big puddles, and the one we found her stuck in was about 50 feet across. She was out in the middle, both boots stuck fast, and screaming her head off; Zion was about 15 feet behind her, both boots stuck fast and screaming her head off too.
I saw them and slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the van, and ran out to rescue the girls and their boots, which was a difficult task... that mud was really sticky! We all became quite a mud fest; me carrying two screeching girls up to the van. But the van was screaming too... When I hit the brakes, I had failed to notice that Judah was not buckled into the bucket seat, and he went pitching onto the floor face first, still strapped in his car seat. His lip was swelling up at the same rate as his voice...
The Soles family mourned, and I'm sure half the town heard it.
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