Category Archives: Thoughts

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Faith in Action, Thoughts

Coda

As I wrap up the last few minutes in my office on this final day of 2013, I wanted to post a thought or two here before I power-down the Mac, lock the doors, and head home for the evening.

I keep thinking back over the previous 364 days and I’ve come to the conclusion that this past year was a bridging year for me and my family. We had to cross a mighty river and we experienced a myriad of emotions, setbacks, triumphs, near-tragedies, exhaustion, much grace, and lots of mercy.

All this to get us from where we are now to where God intends for us to be.

I look forward to the new year because I can see a hint, a glimmer, of hope and God-sized possibilities. This vision has been born out of the crucible of this past year. I wouldn’t trade the last 12 months for anything because I believe God gave us this past year to lay a foundation for what is to come.

I’m ready to live in 2014.

My prayer is that you are too.

Let’s live a better story together as we move forward into whatever God has in store for us this next year.

 

Bible Study, Life, Music, My Life, Thoughts

Bring Me a Harpist!

This weekend I’ll be preaching in 2Kings 3 as we continue in our UNSTOPPABLE series.

In ch 3, there is a fascinating story about the King of Judah, Israel, and Edom coming together to make war against the King of Moab, who has decided that he no longer wants to pay tribute to Judah. The political intrigue in this whole scene rivals anything out of Egypt or Lybia on CNN today. The 3 kings feel God is calling them to make war on Moab but they now find themselves, their armies, and their provisions marching circles in the desert. They are tired and severely dehydrated. They decide to seek God’s counsel (finally) by speaking to Elisha.

I won’t spend any time on this on Sunday, but there is something in v. 15 that captured my attention and made me stop and think.

2Kings 3:15 ESV
“But now bring me a musician.” While the musician was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha.

How cool is that? Music aided in Elisha’s communication with the LORD. Warren Wiersbe writes, “The music of the harpist brought quietness to the prophet’s mind and heart and helped to facilitate his communion with the Lord.”

I can definitely relate to that. Music and song help me connect with God too. When I study or when I need to get my mind and heart right, I often do so through music. You can often find me singing alone at my desk early Monday mornings before I open up my Bible. Listening to music through my headphones while I read different books often helps me shut out unnecessary distractions like my cell phone. I love listening to Bethoveen’s 6th and 9th symphonies to put me in the right frame of mind or in the background while I write. Lots of great mediation on lessons, classes, and discussions have happened on long car rides listening to music.

I would have loved to have been there while the harpist played and Elisha communicated with God. Wouldn’t you like to know which Psalm Elisha liked to listen to?

How about you? Is there any song or music that helps put you in a place physically, cognitively or spiritually where you are more ready to commune with God?

Grace, Remarkable, Theology, Things That Are Beyond My Comprehension, Thoughts, Worship

Grace > Your Sin

I could spend the rest of my life reading about and studying the subject of Grace. I am obsessed with understanding just exactly what it is and what it means for my life. I could spend every waking minute of the rest my life dedicated to understanding Grace but I’m convinced that I would never even scratch the surface of understanding what Grace is or why God gives me that which I don’t deserve.

Today I came across another example of just how big God’s love and grace is for his children.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve choose to believe the lies of Satan over the promises of God. They were experiencing God’s grace and love in the form of unbroken relationship and care. When they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree their “eyes were open” and for the first time they experienced shame and fear. Realizing that they were naked they fashion for themselves a covering made from fig leaves. The Hebrew word here (chagorah) means something along the lines of a belt. They made underwear from leaves and grass. Not the greatest effort to cover their shame but it was the best that they could do. It was all they were capable of.

In Genesis 3:21, after God has caught his children in their sin, after he has pronounced judgement over mankind, and after removing Adam and Eve from the garden (God’s tangible representation of his relationship and care for his children) God does something, to me, that’s incredible. God once again demonstrated his grace and love even in the face of those who openly reject and ignore his instruction.

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

Did you catch that? God made garments and clothed them. Kuttoneth is defined as a tunic or a robe. God completely covered Adam and Eve after their sin and disobedience. God did for Adam and Eve what they couldn’t do for themselves. What they could NEVER do for themselves.

Adam and Eve covered themselves (just barely) with some twigs and leaves.

Even though their sin had removed them from God’s garden, even though their sin separated and destroyed the intimate relationship they enjoyed with God, their sin couldn’t separate them from God’s grace. God gave them more than they deserved. God’s grace covered them completely.

We are a lot like Adam and Eve. Try as we might, we will never be able to adequately cover up the shame of our sin on our own. Instead of animal skins, God’s grace covers us completely by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Trade in your fig leaf briefs. God’s grace is greater and more complete than anything you can do on your own.

Thoughts

Tuesday Thoughts

Man… I really miss my wife and son. They are off living it up at the in-laws this week. I have managed to keep the house clean… including the kitchen! For a brief second on Sunday night I thought about sleeping on the couch or sleeping on top of the comforter so as not to mess up the bed. I hope they get home soon!

It is HOT!!! I mean, come on! 102? 104? Feels like 108? Seriously!?!?! Texas, I am always singing your praises but your testing my love for you this week.

I am super excited about walking my students through the book of Romans this fall during our HS Bible Study, CHIalpha (Christ First). Tonight, it is on like Donkey Kong! I can remember reading Paul’s letter to the church in Rome for the first time when I was a Junior in high school. I’m praying that my students have the same game-changing experience that I did.

I’ve been reading Eric Metaxes’ Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy this week. It is FANTASTIC! Mataxes has done an incredible job painting not only a vivid and real picture of this theological giant but he has also managed to paint a real picture of what was happening- politically, socially, and spiritually- in 1930-1940s Germany. I am transfixed and fascinated by this book right now!

I have been trying to work on some time-management principles this week. I’ve been adding some disciplines into my day to day to be more effective and more efficient. Starting a new discipline each morning and after lunch where I’m praying, “God, what is the best use of my time RIGHT NOW?” I am really praying that God will direct every minute of my day.

2 Conferences I can’t go to but would love to are David Crowder’s Fantastical Church Music Conference in Waco, TX and New Spring Leadership Conference in Anderson, SC. Anyone wanna sponsor me to attend either one of these events? Seriously. I am in full agreement with the Temptations here- I ain’t too proud to beg.

    Ethos, Faith in Action, Mission, Popular Culture, Religion, Remarkable, Stories, The Word, Thoughts

    Penn Gets a Bible

    I came across this video earlier in the week. A friend posted it on their Facebook page and I have been going over it in my mind all week. It is a video blog posted by Penn Jillette, the illusionist. In the video Penn, an atheist, recounts a conversation that occurred after a Penn & Teller show between him and a Christian business man. Watch the video below and then read my observations. (If you are reading this in RSS you may need to click through to see the video)

    Ok, now for some observations:

    Genuiness. The first thig that Pen noticed about this man was that he was GENUINE. The way the man complemented the show and spoke praise to Penn & Teller came across as real and from the heart. Penn also saw that this genuine nature wasn’t just evident in the way he praised the show. This man had a genuine concern for Penn’s soul. Having the character trait of being genuine with and about people was shared by Timothy in the Bible. In the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes that Timothy was a man who had real and genuine concern for the people of Philippi. Paul writes, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” (Philippians 2:19-22)

    Boldness. Acts 14:3 says, “So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time (in Iconium), speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.” Penn Jillette is a bear of a man. At 6’6″ he towers over most men and his booming voice looms large as well. Penn speaks his mind and is very animated when he talks. As nice as he seems most people would try to avoid any argument with this vivacious magician. However, it was the boldness of this man that seemed to capture Penn’s attention and his respect. It seems that Penn wasn’t the only one pulling off amazing wonders that night. God had a few tricks up his sleeve as well.

    Love. Penn argues, “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Penn, a dedicated atheist, believes that sharing your faith in Jesus Christ is ultimately an act of love and that keeping quiet about your faith is actually telling the world that you hate them and want them to go to hell. Think about that one for a minute.

    One. In the video clip, you can tell that Penn is wrestling with the entire situation. He isn’t dismissive. He was touched. He isn’t defensive. He’s disarmed. He isn’t angry. He is thankful. One man. One incident. One gift. One conversation. That’s all it took.

    “I know there’s no God and one polite person doesn’t change that… but I’ll tell ya, that was a very, very, very good man. And… that’s real important. And with that kind of goodness… it’s ok to have that deep of a disagreement. And I still think that religion still does a lot of bad stuff, but, man, that was good man who gave me that book.”

    I’ve really been thinking about this video all week. How can I make an impact on others the way this man impacted Penn? I hope that I too can be GENUINE, BOLD, and LOVING to others so that God can use me to impact others in His name.

    Firm on the Rock, Music, Remarkable, Thoughts, U2

    All That Can’t Leave You Behind

    I’ve been listening to one of my all-time favorite albums, U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind, most of the evening. I absolutely love this album. It reminds me of early college life and all the new experiences and fun that come with time of your life. We’ve been rearranging some furniture in the house tonight but I have found myself a little distracted. You see, it seems as though some lyric or line captures my attention and pulls me into the music. This has happened on each and every song (yes, even New York and Wild Honey). So, as we listened, I collected my favorite lines or verses below.

    To me, music doesn’t get much better than Beautiful Day, lyrics don’t get much better than Stuck In a Moment, hope doesn’t get much better than Walk On, and love doesn’t get better than Grace.

    Beautiful Day
    See the Bedouin fires at night / See the oil fields at first light and / See the bird with a leaf in her mouth / After the flood all the colors came out

    (Beautiful Day ranks #1 on my “Greatest Songs to Wake Up To” list)

    Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
    And if the night runs over / And if the day won’t last / And if our way should falter / Along the stony pass / It’s just a moment, this time will pass

    (Perfect finish.)

    Elevation
    Love, lift me out of these blues / Won’t you tell me something true / I believe in you

    (Narrowly beat out the line A mole living in a hole / Digging up my soul. Narrowly.)

    Walk On
    You’re packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been / A place that has to be believed to be seen

    (The live version takes you home with a chorus of “Hallelujahs” at the end.)

    Kite
    Who’s to say where the wind will take you / Who’s to say what it is will break you / I don’t know where the wind will blow / Who’s to know when the time has come around

    (When Bono dedicates this to his late Father I dare you not to tear up.)

    In a Little While
    In a little while I won’t be blown by every breeze / Friday night running to Sunday on my knees

    (There’s an entire youth group message series contain here in)

    Wild Honey
    Did I know you, did I know you even then / Before the clocks kept time, before the world was made / From the cruel sun you were my shelter / You were my shelter and my shade

    (Every album needs some throw away ditty. Thankfully these lyrics narrowly save this one. Narrowly.)

    Peace On Earth
    Their lives are bigger than any big idea

    (This song is bigger than any one lyric.)

    When I Look At the World
    So I try to be like you / Try to feel it like you do / But without you it’s no use

    (“When you see as God sees, you will do what God says.” – A. Stanley)

    New York
    In the stillness of the evening / When the sun has had its day / I heard your voice whispering / Come away now

    (Every album needs an odd track.)

    Grace
    What once was hurt / What once was friction / What left a mark no longer stings / Because Grace makes beauty / Out of ugly things

    (Boom.)

    Bonus: The Ground Beneath Her Feet was a bonus track on some of the early presses of ATYCLB. No lyric hit me but I rocked out some sweet air guitar to the Edge’s solo.

    General, Leadership, Ministry, Thanksgiving, Thoughts, Worship, Youth Ministry Tips

    YMT #2: Desire

    2 Comments

    You want to avoid burnout or irrelevance? Then you must find the desire to move forward. Everyday is another chance for you to improve, grow, & stretch yourself and the influence of your ministry. Yesterday is over. Take what you can learn- the good AND the bad- and use it as fuel for your journey today.

    Rolling Stone just posted an article from The Edge asking him what the future looks like for U2. Truth be told, while Bono may be the face of the band the heart, soul, and mind of U2 is The Edge. (Check out the doc “It Might Get Loud” for a glimpse into The Edge’s work ethic) U2’s last album was one of the best selling albums of 2009, they are currently touring the planet on the world’s largest concert stage, and they are undoubtedly the world’s biggest band. And yet, the desire to move forward, develop, and excel is pronounced.

    Rolling Stone: What do you foresee for U2 in the next decade?
    The Edge: I can’t think that things will change radically for us, because we are already enjoying being in the band. It matters to us that we still make music that connects, and we are still capable of potentially doing our best-ever album. It’s not a foregone conclusion that our best work is behind us. That still makes it really exciting.

    Remember, U2 has experienced unprecedented sustained success for 30 years. There have been missteps and mistakes, hubris and humiliations. Does this sound like a man that is burned out and ready to give up? No. This is a man on fire! In fact, that’s a big joke in the U2 fan community. Anytime a journalist asks Bono about the upcoming album he says (without fail) that “The Edge is on fire.” That fire must come from a desire to learn and move on.

    What makes ministry exciting is that your best days are not behind you. Find that desire to move forward.

    At what may seem like the apex of success or at what may seem like the pit of despair there is a choice. You can get bitter or you can get better. The choice is yours. Getting bitter is the easy choice. You get to complain and people will stroke your hair and sing “Soft Kitty” over you. And you will die inside a little each day.

    But.. you choose to get better and there is hope. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2Corinthians 4:16) There’s your promise. We serve a God that takes our dark yesterdays and gives us bright tomorrows.

    Do not lose heart. Your best day is not behind you because God’s best day is not behind Him!

    “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1Corinthians 9:24-27)

    Art, Cinema, Film & Theology, Leadership, Music, Popular Culture, Thoughts, U2

    5 Leadership Lessons From Rock Royalty

    If you get the chance, go see the new documentary film, It Might Get Loud. This film is a 90 minute love letter to the electric guitar starring three of the most amazing and talented rock icons. The film chronicles the careers of Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes) letting the viewer catch a glimpse (or a listen) of the history, hardware, and creative power that fuels each artist’s unique sound.

    Never one to pass up a learning experience, I walked away from the film with a little bit more than just a greater appreciation for all things rock. As I listened to each of these masters talk about their experiences I couldn’t help but jot down a few notes for myself. I feel like I got a good dose of rock ‘n roll today but I am even more appreciative of the leadership lessons I gleaned from the movie. Here are 5 Leadership Lessons I Learned from It Might Get Loud:

    1) ABL- Always Be Learning: Jack White, 34, is the youngest guitarist in the film’s trio. He is fourteen years younger than The Edge, 48, and thirty years younger than Jimmy Page, 64. White is featured in the film because, without a doubt, he has developed a distinctly unique sound. When you hear him play you know for certain that it is Jack White. White could have strolled into the studio, unique sound in hand and a chip on his shoulder, ready to show the old guard a thing or two. Instead, White showed that he understood the opportunity handed to him through this project. White, with a huge knowing smile, says, “I plan on tricking these guys into showing me all their tricks.” Always be learning starts with a humble attitude and a desire to make the most of every opportunity. Yes, White has a lot to bring to that table but someone with a teachable spirit and a heart for learning will walk away from experiences like these richer for it.

    2) Disregard Most Critics: Everyone has a shared experience in receiving criticism. Critics love to cut you down and write you off. A perfect example of this comes from Jimmy Page as he is discussing the harsh criticism that he and the other members of Led Zeppelin received with each album release. Page says that Led Zeppelin IV was only given a one paragraph review. One paragraph!!! For those of you who are unaware, this album contains a wide variety of music and some of rock’s quintessential tracks including Black Dog, When the Levee Breaks, and Stairway to Heaven. Everyone can listen and learn from constructive criticism. However, most critics just love to hear themselves talk. Learn to discern the helpful from the hurtful. Get better from the critics who want to see you do better and ignore the ones who just want to cut you down.

    3) God Moves In Mysterious Ways: Jimmy Page says that the only reason he even began playing guitar was because they had moved into a new house and the previous owner had left a guitar behind. The only reason one of the world’s greatest guitar players even picked up a guitar was because some man’s trash became another boy’s treasure. I don’t know what Jimmy Page’s religious persuasion is. I believe that God determines the steps of the believer and non-beliver alike. I believe that coincidences like this are not really coincidences at all. That well worn passage in Jeremiah says that God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. He does this- directs our steps- so that we will call on him and seek him with all of our hearts. Maybe God has led you to this place, opened this door, or given you this gift so that you may see him, know him, and seek him. What ever it is you do, do it for the glory of God.

    4) Do the Hard Work: The Edge is a master technician. A great aspect of the film is watching him run his guitar through various amps, filters, pedals, and gadgets to produce just the right sound. In fact, The Edge calls the sounds from his guitar “his voice” and righty so. In the film, you get to watch The Edge alone in the studio with just his guitar, equipment, and computer tweaking away at a few chords for what ultimately becomes the opening of “Get On Your Boots.” You see him working late into the night– strumming here, moving a dial there, stepping on a pedal over here- until the final product emerges. What started out as a straight-forward lick becomes and full fledged rock riff. It all came about because the Edge put in the hard work. Many may never know the behind the scenes struggle, the tweaking, or the long hours you put into something but you know that it was in those moments that the project was given life and brought to fruition. Do the hard work every time- even if you are the only one who ever knows.

    5) Seize Opportunities: Every U2 fan knows that the band was formed when the boys were schoolmates in Ireland. Larry Mullen, drums, put a flyer up on the school bulletin board to recruit band members. The rest they say is history. The film takes you back to the school with the Edge as tour guide. He walks through the halls and over to the bulletin board telling us that this was where the flyer was posted. The Edge admits that he probably would have joined another band at some point but he wonders what would have been different. Would he have gone on to fame and fortune if he had ignored the flyer? He admits he couldn’t play very well at that time. What if he had seen the flyer but had been too afraid or self-conscious to follow up on it. In a very matter of fact way the Edge says, “Who knows? I could be working at a bank somewhere.” Seize every opportunity! Don’t let fear or critics or even your “small” abilities keep you from pursuing the right opportunities when the present themselves. The Edge answered that flyer and found what he was looking for.

    I absolutely loved this film. If you like rock music or documentary films or if like me, you like both of these things, find a theatre showing It Might Get Loud and rock out with your bad self. The music is great, the conversation is great, and you might walk away thinking about more than just rock ‘n roll.

    Book Review, Ethos, Leadership, Ministry, Resources, Thoughts

    Avoid the Cockroaches

    I’ve been reading Tony Morgan’s Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musing on Leadership and it has quickly become one of my favorite books. I can see this small collection of blog posts, lists, thoughts, and challenges as one of my “go to” books for a quick jolt or simple reminder of my calling.

    Tony Morgan is the Chief Strategic Officer at NewSpring Church in South Carolina. He has a great blog filled with all kinds of goodness. Killing Cockroaches is Tony’s attempt to collect some of his “best of” posts into book form because some “don’t embrace the credibility of an idea unless it is contained writing the hardbound covers of a book.” It is Small is the New Big for ministry leaders.

    Morgan defines Killing Cockroaches as “responding to the urgent stuff in our lives that keeps us from doing the important stuff in our lives.” He relays a story when he worked in the corporate world as a CEO. One day he was working and was called away from his desk by a screaming employee who needed him to kill a cockroach that was in her office. I’m positive that “exterminator” was not on his nor any CEO’s list of job responsibilities.

    This emergency (and others like it) would be what Covey would call the “tyranny of the urgent” and as a leader you could spend the bulk of your time chasing down emergencies and putting out fires. For some they feed on this type of energy. They love feeling needed or swooping in like a caped superhero. Unfortunately these feeling move from a feeling of exhilaration to burnout in the blink of an eye.

    Sometimes we have to meet oncoming deadlines. Sometimes we have to swoop in and save the day. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. Sometimes we do have to kill the cockroaches.

    But how can you avoid the soul-crushing realization that you’ve moved from a full-time leader to full-time exterminator. Morgan has some ideas:

    Blocking out time in my schedule. A little proactive planning will give you the time you need to work on the important things. This helps me balance home, work, and Micheal time. I’m actively working on this in my life so that when emergencies do arise I can shift things around and still come back to what is important. I have also found that by trying to control my own schedule I can anticipate emergencies a little better than before. Do you plan a head? What can you do this week to pro-actively schedule your time?

    Empowering other competent leaders. I spent 27hrs last weekend traveling (14hrs) and teaching (13hrs) between Thursday AM and Saturday PM. I was beat and I was a bit wiped come Sunday morning. The great thing is that I have a great group of adults and support people to help me teach classes on Sunday mornings. I know that I can count on them to lead, teach, and coach. So instead of worrying about getting a teacher to cover or summoning some energy from within (which would have been an impossible task this past Sunday) I knew that everything would be taken care of because I am sharing leadership responsibilities with other competent leaders. Who are you working with? Do they know that you appreciate them? Are you unleashing them for ministry?

    Identifying my strengths. I always try to play with my strengths. In high school I was stocky and quick. In football it would have been a colossal mistake for me to try and push over or run over some of those 6ft+ offensive linemen. Instead I played to my strengths- stay low, go under/through, get into the backfield and mess up the O’s play. It worked. Could I have tried other techniques? Yes but I would have ended most games black and blue with little to no glory. Play to your strengths and avoid living within your weaknesses. When you have to constantly work within your weaknesses that is a recipe for disaster. Plus, working and living in your strengths most of the time gives you the (ahem) strength to kill those cockroaches when you have too. What are your strengths? Do you get to play to your strengths everyday?

    Morgan states plainly that it is my fault when my day is filled with killing cockroaches. “It is easy to blame the screaming person who runs into my office,” he says, “but oftentimes I’m the one who has allowed (and sometimes created) those urgent demands.”

    Today I hope you don’t have to kill any cockroaches. I hope you get to do what you love and can avoid the tyranny of the urgent. If you do find yourself dealing with cockroaches I hope that these suggestions will help you. Good luck friends! Keep pressing on to “take hold of the life that is truly life.”

    Killing Cockroaches in 4 Easy Parts (from the Introduction)
    1) Mix equal parts powdered sugar and borax in a bowl.
    2) Sprinkle in cracks along walls and under cupboards
    3) Keep mixture away from children and pets
    4) Repeat as necessary for one to two weeks until all roaches have died

    Tony Morgan
    Killing Cockroaches

    Ethos, Life, Questions, Thoughts

    The Last Note

    Out of the whole Beatles catalogue it is incredibly hard for me to pick just one favorite song.

    Do you pick something from their early years? I Wanna Hold Your Hand? Love Me Do? Can’t Buy Me Love, perhaps?

    What about their later years? Revolution or Carry That Weight?

    Maybe a song that you never get tired of singing? Hey Jude or All You Need Is Love?

    While it is hard for me to pick my favorite Beatles song it is no trouble at all to pick my favorite note from a Beatles song.

    It is that final chord that comes at the end of A Day in the Life. The whole of the song builds and builds until one final crescendo. In that final definitive one E-major chord we get the entire summation of the song. Everything all at once – laid bare and finished. That last note leaves us with the lasting impression of the whole song.

    And so it is in life.

    We tend to focus so much on first impressions or keeping/maintaining other people’s impressions of us that we forget that what truly matters — What we will be remembered for is that final note. Our actions, the way we treat people, the way we love and serve- all these things are what truly lasts and will reverberate with people long after our song is over.

    The E-major chord in A Day in the Life lasts for 40 seconds. That is quite a long time.

    Imagine that this idea too translates into real life. What if your final note, the impression that your character and life leaves with those you’ve left behind, had so much power and energy behind it that it was able to ring out 40 years? That would mean your song would be heard by at least 3 generations.

    I have always believed that I could care less about having a building dedicated in my name. But to have a building dedicated in the name of one of my children or great-grand children? That would tell me that maybe I did something right.

    What are you doing today to add power to your final note? What impressions are you leaving people with? Today as the music of your life is being played- as it builds and crescendos, moves and sings- remember that everyone is building up to their final note.

    May you do whatever you can to make your final note ring out loud and reverberate long after your song is finished.