Songs I Like – Send One Your Love

I’ve never been an incurable romantic, I was brought up to find those things kind of soppy and mushy and yucky and that kind of business – brought up properly!

Yet as I got into the music of Stevie Wonder and as I engaged in the thing of … feelings (wow, I have those?) I gave some room to allow some fanciful flights of fantasy into a world where perhaps the love shared between a man and a woman went beyond making me dinner and letting me snore in bed. (Told you I wasn’t an incurable romantic)

Now Mr. Wonder has written many love songs, a lot of which deal with the negative side of relationships – splits, heartaches, affairs that kind of thing. He’s real with most of his music which makes it all kosher with me. It’s not all bad though and with this particular track he pens a beautiful tune just applauding the concept of a man and a woman being in that romantic kind of love. The one that allows people to just be free to express in a considerate and open fashion how much they cherish the loved one.

Lyrically it’s not profound, but it is enriching and engaging in its simplicity. It’s vocally and musically that this particular song soars into the stratosphere with the right environment made by the aaahh-ing backing vocals and the tender use of all the other instruments to create something just right for those candle-lit occasions. (Not that I’d ever know about those, the last time I thought of lighting a candle I nearly brought the house down … nope hold on, I nearly brought the house down with my amazing humour, that’s it!)

Don’t get me wrong, obviously in relationships there’s a whole heap more to love than sending a dozen roses with a flower from your heart. At the end of the day, though, we’re not expecting a song to give a comprehensive breakdown on the complexities of relationships, especially in under 4 minutes. This song is beautiful in rendering the qualities of an aspect of love that reminds particularly those who can sneer at this kind of thing (i.e. me) that there is a time to really tell her and show her you love her in that soppy, mushy, yucky kind of way.

It’s well worth listening to it – and you can do so as you check the video out with this link. You can find it on the Original Musiquarium album or the Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants album - either way, enjoy!

4 His Name’s Sake
Shalom
da man cd

Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

I still remember reading Charlie’s blog this time last year and using that as a spur to start my own one. I recall at the time I really wanted to make the most of the writing gig that I enjoy and the concept of a blog appealed to me. Since making that decision and putting up my first entry last year, like my life, this blog has had its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, mountains and valleys, highs and lows. Through it all I really enjoy the experience. I’ve seen others who are more diligent in putting in regular daily entries like Tim Challies one, which I think is brilliant. I’ve also seen those who just have a better writing style to mine like Charlie’s one. Despite that I’m not embarrassed or ashamed of this blog as a whole. I joke with some of the people I work with here that it’s a boring blue blog, but looking back on some of the entries it’s clear that it’s not all that boring.

I may not have been too personally revelatory, but that’s not a bad thing in this case. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to put on here stuff that ranges from football and Stevie Wonder to Sabbath and Daily Thoughts. I enjoyed it and I still enjoy it. I hope to be able to raise the bar in the quality of output that’s released on this blog and I want to get more creative in conveying the issues and ideas in my head. Who’s to say that soon I’ll be posting up video-blogs as well as text, though that maybe a way down the line it’s something to look forward to. One thing is for sure, having this blog has really brought alive my passion for writing and I am grateful for that. Indeed lately, along with some other developments, my whole literary approach to life has been stimulated so that I’m reading voraciously more that I’ve done before and enjoying actually engaging with the Bible as something that’s to be read properly and then to seek understanding on it.

So a year on and I’d like to think a year wiser and definitely more knowledgeable about what can be done through this medium. Should the Lord spare my life and abilities I’d love to develop this further for His Name’s Sake. Hopefully I should be rustling up a year in review for the end of 2006 and actually get the Friend of the Year award set and done way before March 2007 – as opposed to when I eventually got it done this year. I’m still busy and there are still issues to be resolved, but I’m in a better position of life now than I’ve been for a long time and for that I give God much thanks. Here’s to more good blogging!

4 His Name’s Sake
Shalom
da man cd

What's Update

So when I’m not being a spiritual development worker, how am I? Well if anything I’m very busy. Busy in my head, busy at work, busy at church and busy at home. I guess that’s how I’d love it to be, but being busy has to have its precautions. So it got to a point where I was feeling really exhausted and not having enough time to commit to the quality things in life. That’s why I’m looking forward to some time off to reappraise what my commitments are and where I should channel my energies in the time to come. I’m going to meetings as part of my job that get me excited about stuff that I could do and stuff that church could be doing and how God is definitely working through some awesome stuff. I just want to stay alive and well to witness them and play the part – and only the part – that He’s assigned for me.

The daughters are doing well, Deborah is progressing so very well she’s got mannerisms and attitudes that make me pray all the more. Abigail is making noises suggesting she’s got something to say that makes me even more – just consider friends, Abigail, Deborah and Authrine – women on a mission with a lot to say and muggins in the middle of all that. You can see why I pray. Things are safe with the wife at the time of writing. I’m reading a lot more as well, which is great! I’ve paid off the library fine (oh you didn’t know?) and so I’ve got a license to borrow again and have used it to trundle through a fair number of books, the reviews of which I hope to be slapping up on the blog in the weeks to come.

As well as this blog I’ve also helped set up another one called Among Friends which is meant to be a place for friends to post views, thoughts and opinions on issues of life and so there may well be a couple of reviews on that site as well, so click it, check it and then contribute or e-mail me to contribute if you’re interested.

I’m content with Liverpool at the moment, I am not dismayed at our record overall at the moment as I live in hope that we will improve and go from strength to strength as the season progresses with hopefully the ‘other’ side hitting slump in the fullness of time that sees their title chances goes the way of the skier – downhill. That’s what’s up with the man cd at this time! In the meantime – keep well!

4 His Name’s Sake
Shalom
da man cd

Opportunities for Grace

I was at the police station on Wednesday (about time some would suggest), I was there to wait on a friend who was being charged. The officer responsible for the friend said that the process would take an hour … roughly. Anyway, while I was waiting sometime passed the 2 hour mark someone came out looked at me and said ‘Are you still here?’ Now after waiting for so long I was in the mood to respond sarcastically, ‘No, this is a hologram version of myself occupying this seat whilst really I’m at home laughing at sad-ken-steins like you asking stupid questions.’ Yet the grace of God compelled me to meekly nod my head with a wry grin. When the person returned with me still waiting they asked the same question, thankfully again I didn’t react from the gut but from the heart.

Later on I reflected at how these testing issues are actually opportunities for grace. How often are we tempted to respond angrily or sarcastically at situations that are not working our way? Then lets consider how often we don’t do things God’s way and His response is to just shower us with more opportunities to do right. Where you and I would be judgemental, condemnatory and dismissive, our heavenly Father is encouraging, supporting and caring. So it is that there is the need to know the grace of God for our lives more and thus look to replicate it in our lives so that no matter what happens, rather than responding rashly, over-critically and harmfully we can see these times as opportunities for grace.

4 His Name’s Sake
Shalom
da man cd