December 31, 2003
Charlie Hall in the CD Player Tonight…
“Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter the stars shine; let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death, thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty, thy glory in my valley.”
(from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Arthur Bennett, editor, 1975)
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Posted by Charlie
December 31, 2003
Charlie Hall in the CD Player Tonight…
“Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter the stars shine; let me find thy light in my darkness, thy life in my death, thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty, thy glory in my valley.”
(from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Arthur Bennett, editor, 1975)
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Posted by Charlie
December 29, 2003
OK…Almost Back to “Normal” After Christmas…
Tonight I went to our friendly local Barnes & Noble to spend a little Christmas gift card! I had a long list of books and CD’s from my Amazon.com Wish List that I was going to use as a “guide” to spending the gift card.
Well, as it turned out, I forgot to take my list, and the ones I could remember weren’t there, so I ended up picking up The Michael Feinstein Anthology.
Yeah, yeah, so I know all about him.
But the man can sing the American standards, and this collection is pretty awesome! Right now, he’s doing a super rendition of Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” you know the one…
The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I’ll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
No, they can’t take that away from me
Ah, Gershwin! Very cool!
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Posted by Charlie
December 29, 2003
OK…Almost Back to “Normal” After Christmas…
Tonight I went to our friendly local Barnes & Noble to spend a little Christmas gift card! I had a long list of books and CD’s from my Amazon.com Wish List that I was going to use as a “guide” to spending the gift card.
Well, as it turned out, I forgot to take my list, and the ones I could remember weren’t there, so I ended up picking up The Michael Feinstein Anthology.
Yeah, yeah, so I know all about him.
But the man can sing the American standards, and this collection is pretty awesome! Right now, he’s doing a super rendition of Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” you know the one…
The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I’ll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can’t take that away from me
No, they can’t take that away from me
Ah, Gershwin! Very cool!
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Posted by Charlie
December 24, 2003
Who Ever Would Have Thought…?
Seems the Pope did something amazing in his Christmas Eve service. He talked about…gasp!…
…JESUS!
Love this line from Reuters…
“‘You come to bring us peace. You are our peace,’ he said in a homily that was mostly of religious content, recalling the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.”
What did they expect? A recap on the college bowl season?!?!
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Posted by Charlie
December 24, 2003
Who Ever Would Have Thought…?
Seems the Pope did something amazing in his Christmas Eve service. He talked about…gasp!…
…JESUS!
Love this line from Reuters…
“‘You come to bring us peace. You are our peace,’ he said in a homily that was mostly of religious content, recalling the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.”
What did they expect? A recap on the college bowl season?!?!
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Posted by Charlie
December 22, 2003
Haunted…
Marley.
The Ghost of Christmas-Past.
The Ghost of Christmas-Present.
The Ghost of Christmas-Future.
The Ghost of Christmas-That-Never-Is-What-You-Think-It-Will-Be…
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Posted by Charlie
December 22, 2003
Haunted…
Marley.
The Ghost of Christmas-Past.
The Ghost of Christmas-Present.
The Ghost of Christmas-Future.
The Ghost of Christmas-That-Never-Is-What-You-Think-It-Will-Be…
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Posted by Charlie
December 18, 2003
Holiday Party?
OK, OK! I admit it! I want to go to a holiday party!
Not one of those”all-church” put-on-a-happy-sappy-face, Rudolph-and-Santa-and-Frosty-sweaters, Christmas-tree-socks kind of affairs. I mean a party!
Where people dress up. Stylish. Classy.
Where good conversation and good food abound.
Where people aren’t trying to impress others with how “holy” they are.
I mean a gathering that’s just about having a big time.
I mean where the kind of stuff on the Starbucks “A Merry Affair” CD is playing in the background. Where Diana Krall wishes me a merry Christmas. Where Charles Brown tells the world he’ll be home for Christmas. Where Ray Charles tries to convince Betty Carter that it’s cold outside. Where Mel Torme offers a simple phrase to kids from 1 to 92. Where Jim Brickman and George Winston back up a gourmet dinner.
Real glasses. Real china. Real silver.
No plastic cups. No paper plates. No throwaway utensils.
Cool little hors d’oeuvres. Festive little toothpick thingies.
Where candles sparkle. Where the tasteful Christmas tree twinkles.
A grown-up Christmas party, I guess.
Where real laughter is heard.
Where I steal a little “smacky-do” standing under the mistletoe with my wife. Where she looks like a million bucks in a little black dress.
OK, pinch me! I guess I’ll make do at the church-wide brunch this Sunday!
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Posted by Charlie
December 18, 2003
Holiday Party?
OK, OK! I admit it! I want to go to a holiday party!
Not one of those”all-church” put-on-a-happy-sappy-face, Rudolph-and-Santa-and-Frosty-sweaters, Christmas-tree-socks kind of affairs. I mean a party!
Where people dress up. Stylish. Classy.
Where good conversation and good food abound.
Where people aren’t trying to impress others with how “holy” they are.
I mean a gathering that’s just about having a big time.
I mean where the kind of stuff on the Starbucks “A Merry Affair” CD is playing in the background. Where Diana Krall wishes me a merry Christmas. Where Charles Brown tells the world he’ll be home for Christmas. Where Ray Charles tries to convince Betty Carter that it’s cold outside. Where Mel Torme offers a simple phrase to kids from 1 to 92. Where Jim Brickman and George Winston back up a gourmet dinner.
Real glasses. Real china. Real silver.
No plastic cups. No paper plates. No throwaway utensils.
Cool little hors d’oeuvres. Festive little toothpick thingies.
Where candles sparkle. Where the tasteful Christmas tree twinkles.
A grown-up Christmas party, I guess.
Where real laughter is heard.
Where I steal a little “smacky-do” standing under the mistletoe with my wife. Where she looks like a million bucks in a little black dress.
OK, pinch me! I guess I’ll make do at the church-wide brunch this Sunday!
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Posted by Charlie
