My present to my family this year is the gift of presence. While I’m away, I’ve scheduled some posts for your reading enjoyment. I hope all of you have a blessed Christmas. Be in the moment. Look people in the eyes. Be still. Listen and enjoy each other. Life is short. LIVE the moment.

The Neurotic Messiah, copyright December 2000.

Oh no! What have I done? I cannot read a single note. Not one. This score is much more complicated Than I ever anticipated.

I haven’t sung in a choir for twenty year. And so began my chorus of fears.

The starts, the stops, the highs, the lows The beats, the counts, the arpeggios. The conductors who speak in some foreign tongue Is it Latin, or Italian? I know not which one.

The M’s and P’s, and F’s and M’s. Oh, these aren’t your typical church service hymns. Am I an “S” or not an “S” I do not know and now they say my costume I need to sew.

Light the fire but don’t take it out?! Would someone please tell me what that was about?

Now I’m told to sing like Ethel Merman and that we aren’t singing, but giving a sermon.

Oh how I’m beginning to rue the day when Sue Paulison said “Come on let’s play. You don’t need to audition, just show up and sing. Being a part of “The Messiah” is a wonderful thing.”

I’m now thinking my impulse to do this was rash. This may be a check I’ve written that my body can’t cash.

This is not good, not good at all, but then again, does pride not come before the fall?

I drove straight home and on my bed I sat telling my husband, I’m not going back! And that is that!

Then standing in the hallway whom did I see but my 9-year-old son list-ening to me. “I thought you once said don’t ever quit. So please tell me now, why are you doing it?”

I searched through my brain to frantically look for some wise answer to get me off the hook. Failing that I tried for the truth Hoping somehow he’d understand, even in his youth.

“That may be true.” I answer, “But don’t you see? There’s too much to learn and it’s too hard for me. Besides, I really can’t sing, not like the rest.” And he said “That’s okay Mom; just do your best. God won’t mind, just wait and see. Isn’t that what you’re always telling me?”

And so I sat with a guilty heart wondering when my son got so smart. And wondering why he now would choose to remember my words and those words use.

Then henceforth came my next blessing I caught a cold while I was dressing. I coughed and sneezed and wheezed and gasped. My voice, once loud, now barely rasped.

I cannot sing and cough no sir, they have to let me drop now, I’m sure. No guilt, no blame, It’s not my fault. This cruel dance can finally come to a halt.

But Leon’s good. He doesn’t miss a trick. You’d better get well and get well quick. I’ll let you sing you’ll do just fine, people catch colds all the time. And so went my last excuse. Fighting God on this one seemed no use.

My costume’s all sewn by my friend Cyndi, with care, At least now I will have something to wear.

I thought a “piano” is what you played and not what you sang and this cold still makes me sound like a cat in the rain. I’m not an “S” and this much I know that’s to keep us from hissing during the show.

The Marys and Josephs have been picked out with care now if only they could decide when they’ll be there.

The last practice has come we should know what to do. Stand up straight, bend your knees, and that includes you. The Altos still outnumber the rest by a score, next year could you please try soprano some more.

The orchestra is with us, it’s coming together. Somehow I doubt we could get any better.

Tell us Pastor Carter how does it sound now that we’ve done this last go around?

“It needs to be crisp, we’ve lost that somehow. Remember, you are praising God, so let’s pull it together now. Sopranos are too strong, bring it down just a bit. Bass’s your not emphasizing the lines that you hit. Tenors and Altos your entrances are late, but other than that I think it sounds great.”

Our differences we have quietly tucked away, as all Tulsa Lutheran churches sing in har-mony this day. Clear and true our music does ring as we all praise and worship our new-born King.

All fears and joking are now put aside. This is a worship service and our joy we can’t hide.

The true story of Christmas can only be told through the lives of the ones who dare to Behold.

“Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all
people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is
Christ the Lord.”

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We will be celebrating our 90th year this December 4, 2010. Won’t you please join us at First Lutheran Church on 13th and Utica for this wonderful presentation of the Christmas Story.

After month’s of searching,waiting, and negotiating, our new fishing/writing cabin will finally be ours this Monday. Providing of course that all goes well with the closing. Which is will. Between the closing, settling in, Thanksgiving, and various Christmas Programs, things on this end will be busy to say the least.

I will be taking a break from blogging and I’ve set my blog up to repost some of my older posts just in case some of you haven’t seen those.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you in a few weeks.

Love and Laughter,

Deana

ps. we are wondering though — if we’ll get to see UFO’s in our cabin, like they did in Stigler – which is an airforce base. I mean what are the odds that people living near an airforce base would see things flying in the sky, hunh? And yes, we moved here from Chicago, why?

Today’s High in Oklahoma = 104

Today’s High in Chicago = 87

Yep, I know where I want to be right now.

The SUV is packed, the children are in various stages of consciousness, the dogs will soon be at the kennel and we will be on the road heading back home to Chicago. See you when we return.

Redemption’s Heart will be on Hiatus until August while I spend time with my family and convert this blog to a more user friendly platform. Please check back after August 1 to see the changes.

Thank you so much for reading my blog and have a wonderful few weeks.

Do you remember the Byrds? “For everything, turn, turn, turn..” I love that classic song. It’s taken straight from the book Ecclesiastes and it reminds me that there is a time for every season.

I’m looking around and listening to my friends and my own life, and I see a common theme.

Weddings

Graduations

Funerals

College

Camp

Kindergarten.

Almost everyone I know is in a season of letting go and moving forward at the same time. In Bible study, we’re even talking about where we are at, season wise, and what things we are letting go of and moving towards. What things we are excited about, and what things scare us. Camp came up alot.

Scripture says that God nevers changes, but life does – Solomon tells us so.

Over the past few weeks we’ve even talked about letting go of old ideas so that we can make room for God’s ideas. I got serious in a blog post yesterday and people have been asking if I’m alright. And yes, I’m better than alright. I found it in my old prayer journals and am thankful for seeing the changes. Sometimes women (and men) can confuse our cross with someone elses in trying to be that helpmate, or that good parent, or that good employee – and we wear ourselves out, and we harm the other individual. There is a letting go in that as well.

Right now, a lot of us are learning how to let go of our kids. We are learning to let God be God and relax in who we know Him to be.

What are you letting go of today? Would you like to share it?

I don’ t care what you think about his life. His choices or anything else. I grew up with the Jackson 5 playing on my radio. I went to college dancing to Michael’s songs and lovin every minute of it. Michael Jackson is to Pop Music what Elvis Presley was to Rock and Roll. He was an entertainer through and through.

 

This video clip is by far my favorite song of his..

Be the change, look at the Man in the Mirror