Two Days ~ Two Concerts

Quite a weekend for us, musically speaking... Saturday night we were given the chance to see Harry Connick live at the Fox. Our kids got us 12th row tickets as a combined birthday gift... how's that for totally cool kids??? Anyway, Harry is traveling on his New Orleans tour with a 12 piece band almost entirely of musicians based in that city's musical roots. So it was a totally awesome concert. Very high energy, very fun!

Then today at Immanuel we had two opportunities to hear the group Fusebox. This band will be the praise band at the National Youth Gathering this summer. Led by singer/songwriter Billy Buchanan, these guys led worship with acoustic sounds in the fellowship hall this morning and then rocked the place with an evening concert. He has written a new song called "Child of God" as a theme song for the Gathering! It is a great song and one that you can't help humming for a long time after you hear it. Check them out on iTunes... both of their albums are available there!

Life Lessons in the Vineyard

It's that season, again. The time when we go into the vineyard and cut out the old to make way for the new. It's always a strange sort of time for me. Not only do we connect individually with each of our 1200 vines, but we cut away much of what it took each vine an entire year to grow. The first time we trimmed, it felt scary. Would the vine come back? Would we cut it the right way? All that runs through your mind and more.

And every year, that bit about vines in John 15 comes bouncing into my brain. "I am the vine, you are the branches.... apart from me, you can do nothing!" (it doesn't hurt that it was also my confirmation verse!) So I think, here go the branches from last year... or at least most of them.. all that is left is 8-10 buds on only about 4 branches. The vine does it all... and each year the branches regrow.. some as much as 20-30 feet!!! It's pretty amazing that they even grow, and then they produce 30-40 lbs of grapes per vine! It's mind blowing, really! And I think about God's "pruning" in my life.. showing me what's essential and needful, and what is not. (I told you, it gets deep!)

A dear friend of ours lost his wife to leukemia this week. Lost is a bad word... the disease appeared to have won.. but she really did the winning. He's hurting right now... feeling very alone and lost... but he's giving witness to others and even though this is probably the worst "pruning" he's ever undergone; we can see his faith in what God has in mind for his life shining through. We know more growth is coming, and we absolutely know his wife is even now alive and rejoicing in the fruits of her faith with her Savior. What a marvelous thing that is! Pain with gain... weird and wonderful!

Every year, every moment, there's new lessons to be learned. The power is all in the connection to the vine!


Ed at work.

Vines before the trimming.

Each one, tended carefully....

Vines after the trimming

Walking the vineyard at dusk.
Keep growing, friends!

3 Strange Films

Watched three very odd films this weekend... all garnered from the $5.50 bin at the Warrenton Walmart. We were out there to do the trimming throughout the weekend and wanted something entertaining to watch. Picked up "Sideways" (totally because Josh Salzberg, a former student of ours, is working for the director of that film), "The Good Girl", and "Anger Management". All three had interesting moments, but none of them was a "winner" in the truest sense of the term. The most bizarre had to be "The Good Girl" largely because of its ending. Wondered what the weirdes movies any of you have found yourselves watching lately.

By the way, all the grapes are ready for spring with the sole exception of a few remaining rows of Nortons... but they bud slower so we feel like we're ahead of the game right now! YEAH!

We have a winner! and ADDITIONS!

My loving daughter Katrina, mother to the miner in the photo two entries ago, has graciously provided me with a new #8...plus four addendums to the list... can you all tell she lives with "little people"?

Things a toddler can do and be adorable that a grown-up cannot:

1. Walk around with his finger in his nose.
2. Run around wearing only a diaper... or less!
3. Mush his hands into a birthday cake and still have everyone be willing to share a slice.
4. Spit food he doesn't like into his mother's hand.
5. Talk to people sitting in the pew behind him during the sermon... and get smiled at!
6. Fall asleep in church.
7. Say "hi" to totally unknown men and women in supermarkets or other public places without having anyone cast suspicious glances his way.
8. When angry, drop to the floor screaming, and start spinning in circles.
9. Crawl under the kitchen table and sit there playing.
10. Splash as much as he cares to in the bathtub.
and the new additions!!!! (drum roll, please...)
11. scream at the top of your lungs,"ME, ME, ME!!" whenever you want food
12. Fall asleep on a woman's chest while sucking your thumb in a public place.
13. drool
14, Say "wee wee!" excitedly ... moments before grabbing the aforementioned body part.

I need a new #8

One of my readers (a college student) pointed out to me that naps are totally legal in the world of young college adults... (please somebody tell MY BOSS that those are good for 50-something English teachers as well!

Anyway... so the list needs a new #8.... hmmm any ideas for more?

A New list for Spring

This somewhat crass but totally endearing photo of my grandson was sent to me by his mother. It was taken by his daddy, who is also a professional photographer... so besides being evidence of the kinds of things a poor grandma gets in her email... it also sparked some thought.

I posted the photo on my school screensaver and have had an interesting time watching the reactions of various people as they've noticed it. Young high school aged men invariably crack up laughing when they see it and then say something like, "Cool photo!". The young ladies generally do something different... like smiling benignly and saying... "Oh, is that your grandson?.... Cute....." (like I'd have just any little kid on my computer with his finger up his nose!)

Thus was born the thought that there must be plenty of things that little tykes can do that us bigger tykes cannot do and still be considered "cool" or "cute"..... I will start said list here... and see how it goes:

Things a toddler can do and be adorable that a grown-up cannot:

1. Walk around with his finger in his nose.
2. Run around wearing only a diaper... or less!
3. Mush his hands into a birthday cake and still have everyone be willing to share a slice.
4. Spit food he doesn't like into his mother's hand.
5. Talk to people sitting in the pew behind him during the sermon... and get smiled at!
6. Fall asleep in church.
7. Say "hi" to totally unknown men and women in supermarkets or other public places without having anyone cast suspicious glances his way.
8. Take a nap in the middle of the day.
9. Crawl under the kitchen table and sit there playing.
10. Splash as much as he cares to in the bathtub.

I will accept suggestions for added items... I know there are a lot more!