September 28

How are you tuned?

As some of you know, I like playing the guitar. I especially enjoy playing boleros, the music my parents and grandparents enjoyed. Many years ago, my wife and I went to Bolivia, and I bought a requinto, a smaller version of a classical guitar. I have been playing with that requinto for many years. Recently, I was changing its strings. I discovered something that I was not aware of. I learned that the requinto is not tuned the same way as the classical guitar. All these years I have been tuning the requinto the same way as the classical guitar. No wonder my songs have sounded a bit off, not the way they should sound on a requinto. Well, perhaps that is not the only reason. LOL 

This got me thinking about something. I started thinking about how I am tuned, and whether I am properly tuned, spiritually. Like the requinto, I have been a bit “off” for some time. Like the requinto, I have the right “strings,” but the tuning is just not right. Also, when one puts new strings on a requinto, or any string instrument, it takes some time for the strings to settle in, for the tuning to “take.”

I realized that my spiritual tuning needs some adjustment. I pray that God adjusts my tuning so that I am not “off.” I understand that any tuning by God may take some time to “take.” So, I suppose a little patience is in order.

How does my requinto sound with the new strings? Stay tuned…

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May 11

The fridge that wasn’t there

Every morning (ok, almost every morning) the first thing I do is get my wife a glass of OJ and put it on her night table. She really appreciates that! This morning I walked to the kitchen and turned towards the fridge, but the fridge was not there! No, I was not dreaming. This morning we are having a new fridge delivered and we had the old one taken away last night. I chuckled when I turned to the fridge and, half asleep, reached for the door, finding nothing there. So, I went to the basement to our small fridge and got my wife her OJ.

As I type this, sitting in the dining room, I am looking across where we have certain family pictures. There are pictures of my father-in-law and mother-in-law, God rest their souls. About six months ago my mom passed away and we placed her picture alongside. I miss her so much! Just last week my dad passed away and we added his picture to the “memorial.” My heart is sad. Both my parents gone in a matter of months. I am 62, however, and blessed to have had them for as long as I did.

Not to compare a missing fridge to missing parents, but it occurred to me that there is something worth noting. The fridge was there every single morning. Every morning I would reach out to it. Every morning I would open it’s door. But this morning the fridge was not there. I could not reach out and open it’s door, although I did reach out. This morning, the fridge was no longer there.

My parents are no longer here. I am not able to go to them. I am not able to reach out to them. I am no longer able to “open their doors,” the doors to their hearts and minds. It was so much a part of my life, being able to do that. It was the most natural thing to do. There might not be anything more natural in life. And the thing is, unlike my fridge, I am not waiting for new parents to be delivered.

My message to kids of all ages is to enjoy your parents. Always reach out to them and look to open the doors to their hearts and minds. The day will come when you will no longer be able to do that. When that time comes, you will feel like you are dreaming or like you are half-asleep. You will want to reach out to them, but they will no longer be there. Love them, cherish them, and be there for them, now, while you can.

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March 10

Cracked Spines

Have you cracked any spines lately? Let me rephrase that, have you cracked any book spines lately? Like many of you these days, most of the books that I read are digital or eBooks. I still read soft and hard-cover books, the “old-fashion” way (I hope that you do too), and I have definitely cracked some spines, perhaps too many!

Some people purposely avoid cracked book spines or any other kind of damage to books. On the other hand, a cracked spine or things like “dog ears” might indicate a well-read book, right? Here is one writer’s take:

Dog-earing sections, leaving the book open to a chapter on the bed and cracking the spine, is all the mark of an incredible book. If I see someone reading a book in that condition, I make a note to myself to look that book up. Something kept that reader up late at night, and I want to know what it is. Don’t you?

“In Defense of the Cracked Spine,” from Natalie’s Desk, www.coffeeandabookchick.com

Like I said, I have cracked many book spines. I guess that means I have read many books! Some of those cracked spines might indicate what part of the book I find most interesting; I must have spent a lot of time in that part of the book. For example, one of my paperbacks, a book that helps me in my spiritual walk and that I’ve had for more than forty years, is cracked precisely at the chapter on “the effects of sin.” I probably spent a good amount of time in that section of the book.

How about you? What books do you read and do they have any cracked spines? Do those cracked spines tell you something about what you spend your time thinking about? Do those cracked spines tell you something about yourself, about your life? If you are an e-reader, perhaps there are “e-cracks” that say something about you, something about where you are and where you’ve been, and even perhaps where you are going. “E-cracks” are a little harder to spot, but — believe me — they are there.

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August 27

Abracadabra!

This morning I opened my YouVersion app and the verse of the day was Matthew 7:8: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” There was a short video chat on the verse and one comment caught my attention. The presenter stated that we cannot get everything we seek or ask for because then prayer would be like a magic trick. I know about magic tricks; I’ve been doing magic tricks since I was a kid. While it is true that prayer is not like a magic trick, there are some similarities worth noting, I think. I know, for example, that I need to practice a particular trick over and over before I perform it for anyone. If I don’t, chances are it will not come out right and, more importantly, it will not be convincing. In the same way, we need to practice our faith and our prayer life. That way, when we “present” our prayers to God, and our faith to others, we are more convincing. On the other hand, when I perform a magic trick, it must come off perfectly. If not, again, not convincing! God, on the other hand, does not seek perfection from us. True, in Matthew 5:48 we read: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Thankfully, I believe, that is an aspiration and not a requirement. One final comparison. The magic tricks I perform are primarily for children: “If we all could see the world through the eyes of a child we would see the magic in everything.” (Chee Vai Tang). In Matthew 18:1-5, we read: “Truly I say, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” So, we need to ask, seek, and knock as a child…that is when we truly see how wonderfully we are made. Psalm 139:14. Wow, I feel so inspired, I think I will go practice my magic tricks! Hey, here is the link to one of my tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF8LOK3rTdU&list=PLZ18io62pV0Udx0kkj0d7cUe7ocMo_PJR&index=8&t=42s, Check it out! Hope you like it. 😊

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May 15

Closing the Door

I was at Home Depot recently. I bought some two-by-fours, mulch and a few other things. I loaded up the SUV, but the liftgate would not close. It would slowly go down but start back up once it hit bottom. I figured it was the two-by-fours, so I pushed them in, which was a bit challenging with the mulch on top. I pressed the liftgate button, but, again, the liftgate did not close. I moved the driver’s seat up a bit and pushed the two-by-fours, but same result. I moved around the mulch bags, same result. Anyhow, I realized that what was preventing the liftgate from closing was my granddaughter’s stroller that is usually there by itself, but that I had to move in order to get the other stuff in. I moved the stroller a bit and, wham!, the liftgate closed.

This little experience made me think of times in our lives when we want to “shut the door” and it does not close. We want to shut the door on a bad memory, a bad habit, an unwanted attitude, or a bad relationship. We shift things around in our minds, our lives, in order to accomplish that, but the door does not close. We try moving other things around, but the door still does not close. If we keep working at it, eventually we move the right pieces, in our minds or in our lives, and get the door to close. Wham! Done! We have closed the door on that bad memory, bad habit, unwanted attitude, or bad relationship. Just one thing…if that thing, whatever it is, comes knocking, do not open the door!

As Christians, we pray for God to help us close certain doors, doors representing pain, loss, grief. We also pray that God opens doors for us. Revelations 3:7-8 speaks on this very subject. It is so powerful! Meditate on it. 

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you 
an open door that no one can shut. 
Revelations 3:7-8

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March 17

A Pocketful of Scripture 

I remember the things I used to keep
When I was a child, a long time ago
I kept baseball cards and I kept marbles
Stuffed in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans
I remember the matchbox cars and the toy soldiers too
There was the toy pistol and my neat magic tricks
And I remember the pennies, the nickels and dimes
All stuffed in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans
As I grew a little older, there were other things I kept
Stuffed in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans
Some of those things were real cool, my friends kept them too
But I'm ashamed to admit, some of them were not good
As I grew a little older still, I heard a voice from above say
"Empty out those pockets, and make room for my words"
And then what I saw, I could hardly believe
A hand from above reached way down to me
All I could see in the hand was a page from a book
I reached out and snatched it, as the hand let it go
I saw words on the page, the most amazing words they were
God's very own words, words I had never read or heard
Excitedly, I took out all the junk that I kept in my pockets
And filled them with the words God gave to me
Words that transformed me, words that healed and saved me
Words I now keep in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans

Luke 11:28 – 1 Timothy 4:4-5 – Hebrews 4:12-13

My Reflection: There are pockets in our lives that are crammed with the most useless things and sometimes the most destructive. God can fill those pockets with some wonderful and extraordinary things, if we only let Him.

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