Why I will not eat at Chick-Fil-A today!

You don’t like them?  You obviously don’t know me very well.  I’ve posted about my visits in the past… and not a week goes by that I don’t go there at least once, maybe twice … even while on weight watchers.

That’s right! You’re trying to lose weight so you can’t?  Wrong again.  I’ve made my weekly visits (or more) while losing over 40 pounds.  Sometimes I’m forced to select the grilled option or omit the waffle fries though, and always get a calorie-free drink, but I still enjoy the chicken.

You don’t like chicken?   What? Are you paying attention or just skimming through until you see the key word gay?  I love chicken.  It’s my leaner protein meat of choice, and the reason I give myself the right to get the breaded over the grilled is … is there really a need to answer that?  It just tastes so great that grilled is like cardboard in comparison!

I know, you just don’t like their business practices or the company themselves?  You would be completely in error my friends.  I am fascinated by the success of a business with a limited menu, a shorter work week, and so much consistency in management and customer service that I know I will always be greeted with a smile and a genuine “my pleasure”.  I’ve attended several John Maxwell led Chick-Fil-A leadercast seminars just to try to learn how to be a better manager myself.

Obviously then, in light of all of the recent hype and publicity, you must be gay!  Really?  I am happily heterosexual, married to one woman for one lifetime, celebrating 27 ½ years together as of next Thursday, August 9.

Ah, should have realized, there are no restaurants near you then!  Actually, there are three.

Friends, while I am a Christian, and believe, along with Dan Cathy that God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman, and value freedom of speech, I know that we are each on our own journey with God.  I have more friends today who are self-proclaimed homosexuals than ever before in my life.  When God started bringing these friends into my life years ago, it rocked my theological world a bit.  I found myself in discussions with some of them trying to change them.  I ultimately realized I personally had enough things needing changing in my own life that I needed to just love them and accept them and let any changing I felt God required up to God Himself.  It wasn’t my job.  I only needed to focus on myself.  These friends are very kind to me and accept me for who I am – heterosexual white male Christian and all hopefully because they see my heart first.   

Because almost all of my gay friends say they are followers of Jesus, I refer to the writings of Paul in Romans 15 which reminds me:

⁵ May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ⁶ Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

While Jesus Himself never spoke about homosexuality, plenty of times He spoke of love and even proclaimed the greatest commandments of all to involve love…love for God Himself, and love for our neighbors equal to how we love ourselves.

So while it is important to thank a business whose CEO has convictions he is not ashamed of, and important that in America we have freedom to do or to not do business with any business we choose for whatever reason we choose, it is also not a war of us versus them, especially when some of them are some of us.  Love over-rides our differences because Christ died for all ….   I respect those who took part in the appreciation day because I’m sure their intent was good at heart.  I have many friends in that group as well … in number, probably more.  I just hope we can look at our motivations and how we treat people differently than knee jerk reactions from both sides have done.

While I may not always agree with statements or positions of the CEO of my own employer, he should still have the freedom to speak and to act.  I’m sure I frequent companies whose ideals I may disagree with … maybe they aren’t brave enough to admit their philosophical convictions for fear of losing customers.   So, I will be thanking Dan Cathy in writing with a copy of this blog instead of with my dollars today.  My sandwich can wait -- it is not as important as declaring how much I value all of my friendships.  These relationships are the vehicles that God uses to allow us to speak into the lives of each other and how He can change the things that need changed – which ironically may or may not be what we actually think needs changed in our friend.  That’s why He is God and we are not.

One other point I hope that my gay friends will acknowledge...  Of the hundreds (at least) of times that I have walked into a Chick-Fil-A, or passed through their drive-through, I have never been asked about my sexual orientation, never refused service, never received a smile only if I was with my wife and kids, never asked if I was a Christian … but always treated kindly and respectfully, and my money and presence was valued exactly the same as the customer both in front of and behind me because yes… there is always a line … much longer today I’m sure, just one other reason I won’t be eating there.  They’ll be fine.  And so will my friends…

2011: For the Record

As this year is ticking quickly to a close, I felt it was time for me to put in my 2-cents about the music of 2011. I’ve seen many other best of lists, and wanted to throw my voice into the ring as well.

Anyone who knows me personally from time spent working together during my broadcasting career, or who serves side-by-side with me on the church worship team, or only knows me casually through Facebook posts, will know that I love music… but beyond that, I love to discover new music and introduce others to it. It’s like a second language for me. I monitor new releases every single Tuesday and utilize www.spinner.com and Spotify to listen before I buy in my search of treasured projects. I love to be part of the smaller market share, on the cutting edge … U2 was my favorite college band while that’s all they were, four young college-age kids from Dublin with a couple of records out that had some great spiritual lyrics. I’m actually often saddened and ready to move on if and when my discovered artist wins the favor of the populace … not because I enjoy them less, but because I fear they will no longer be true to themselves enough to remain special and original and will instead make music that they’re told will sell to the masses. U2 has been the one exception. While the band has evolved and gone through musical seasons of style, this year they hold claim as the biggest touring success of 2011, and yes, I still follow them whole-heartedly as my favorite artist of all time.

Another artist whom I discovered two years ago when she was 19 and chasing pavements, added millions of fans this year with her release of 21. Adele’s 21 has become the biggest selling album of the last seven years and has enjoyed 43 straight weeks in the top five of the Billboard 200, setting a record for most weeks in the top five in the chart's 55-year history. Adele has a charm that’s undeniable; she offers no pretenses, other then displaying some occasional insecurity in her vulnerability to sing about her failed relationships at such a young age. That, I believe is why people love her so much. While this ability to relate gains the staying power of her fans, their original interest is in her voice, which alone is the instrument and in need of nothing else to make her music memorable. There was really nothing else like it on the radio in 2011. To make that case, "Someone Like You" is the first piano-and-vocal-only ballad to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Adele has nearly single-handedly turned around the music industry after 2010 saw album sales fall 13%, while sales averaged an 8% drop every year in the 2000s. In 2011, the industry experienced a 1% increase in album sales and more than a 3% increase in overall music sales. Michael Buble's holiday album sold almost two million records in the last several weeks to become the second biggest album of 2011 while Lady Gaga is expected to end up with the third highest seller. Gaga has only sold half of Adele’s sales even with the suspected inflation of sales during her album’s first week when Amazon sold digital copies for 99-cents.

So how does this have anything to do with my personal best of list? It lends clarification to why I have the top-selling record of the year, a popular artist and project, as my top record of the year as well. Otherwise, my selected Top 20 for 2011 list shares only 5 other records that generated enough sales to chart in Billboard’s Top 200 … and only 1 of those was in the top 100 (sales rank appears in parenthesis).

I won’t speak of each one individually, but having always felt that Charlie Peacock was underappreciated as a musical genius, I am very pleased that he garnered success with The Civil Wars. While Barton Hollow may not have charted high in sales, Jill Williams and John Paul White have gained tremendous attention and are ending up on many end-of-year best of lists. I find it ironic and disappointing that Charlie was not able to enjoy this success as producer within the Christian music industry. Congratulations to Charlie for his new success. Hopefully, he will experience even more.

My first 7 albums were extremely difficult to rank as all are amazing projects and deserve your ear. I would love to hear your thoughts, your disagreements, and your feedback on which of your favorite projects should have appeared on my list.

I can’t wait to discover even more great music in 2012!! Anyone care to join me?

1 Adele/21 (1)

2 The Civil Wars/Barton Hollow (153)

3 Gungor/Ghosts Upon The Earth

4 Fleet Foxes/Helplessness Blues (123)

5 Tedeschi Trucks Band/Revelator

6 The Black Keys/El Camino

7 Over The Rhine/The Long Surrender

8 Iron & Wine/Kiss Each Other Clean

9 Florence + The Machine/Ceremonials

10 Robbie Robertson/How To Become Clairvoyant

11 Coldplay/Mylo Xyloto (35)

12 Bon Iver/Bon Iver (100)

13 Death Cab For Cutie/Codes And Keys (143)

14 My Morning Jacket/Circuital

15 Steve Earle/I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive

16 Eisley/The Valley

17 Jamie Grace/One Song At A Time

18 Ben Harper/Give Till It's Gone

19 Bruce Cockburn/Small Source Of Comfort

20 Amos Lee/Mission Bell

(Honorable mention: Peter Bjorn and John/Gimme Some; Edwin McCain/Mercy Bound; Tom Waits/Bad As Me; Needtobreathe/The Reckoning; Ben Harper/Give Till It’s Gone; Owl City/All Things Bright and Beautiful; Cake/Showroom of Compassion; Eddie Vedder//Ukulele Songs; Gregg Allman/Low Country Blues; Sam Phillips/Long Play project)

References:

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/retail/21-by-the-numbers-billboard-breaks-down-1005645152.story

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/100397/happy-old-year-record-sales-increase-in-2011

Culturally relevant thinking points

"Culture Shift" is a collection of essay-type chapters taken in part from the author's blog and adapted for this book, filled with talking points, or perhaps what are more accurately described as thinking points. In his first book, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, covers topics ranging from abortion to natural disasters to the role of the Supreme Court to dishonesty to popular entertainment to political shifts to racism ... and a few things in-between.

In his introduction Mohler states, "We must first understand our culture and its challenges because we are to be faithful followers of Christ and faithful witnesses to the gospel. We are called to faithfulness, and faithfulness requires that we be ready to think as Christians when confronted with the crucial issues of the day. This is all rooted in our love of God." A better understanding of the culture in which we live makes us more relevant with our message and the methods of communication we employ as believers. It's best to take these topics one at a time and think through their implications upon people of faith.

A highlight of the book is the chapter where Mohlers offers five theses for understanding the relationship between Christian morality and public law! They are:

1) A liberal democracy must allow all participants in the debate to speak and argue from whatever worldviews or convictions they possess.
2) Citizens participating in public debate over law and public policy should declare the convictional basis for their arguments.
3) A liberal democracy must accept limits on secular discourse even as it recognizes limits on religious discourse.
4) A liberal democracy must acknowledge the commingling (mixing together) of religious and secular arguments, religious and secular motivations, and religious and secular outcomes.
5) A liberal democracy must acknowledge and respect the rights of all citizens, including its self-consciously religious citizens.

Another highlight is the chapter on the age of dishonesty, discussing the cultural acceptability of lying by renaming it as misspeak or exaggeration. How the culture has shifted!

Be informed, become more relevant and stretch your thinking with this very important work.

I received this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers.

A Destiny Unto Death; Martyr By Grace

The title says it all, "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy." What other character in history do you know that was all of these? You'll be hard-pressed I'm sure, if you can think even of one.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" is a thorough and detailed glimpse into Dietrich Bonhoeffer's childhood, relationships, theology and ultimate destiny as an executed martyr of The Third Reich.

"Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" is extremely well documented with letters and writings by himself and others. Many of these letters are while he was in prison between himself and his fiancée Maria von Wedemeyer. Unfortunately the two would never be together again outside of prison and never see their dreams fulfilled for a life together.

Through author Eric Metaxas's biography, we learn how Bonhoeffer felt spiritually justified in his participation as a double-agent and key contributor in the strategies to kill Hitler. It was Hitler himself, who just weeks before his own suicide, ordered the execution of Bonhoeffer.

This biography allows readers a complete look into Bonhoeffer's life from the days before his birth all the way through complete words delivered in sermon at his memorial service.

Ultimately we come away with a view of this man, who died at only 39 years of age, as one who knew God's calling on his life and allowed himself to be used knowing the potential risk and ultimate cost.

The doctor present at his death said this: Through the half-open door in one room of the huts I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer, before taking off his prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying fervently to his God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.

"Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy" was recently named "Book of the Year" by the ECPA, won the 2011 John C. Pollock Award for Biography awarded by Beeson Divinity School and a 2011 Christopher Award in the Non-fiction category. It is certainly not a read to be accomplished in a few sittings, but is so full of historical documentation and writings that it is certainly a worthy read and guaranteed that you will learn something new about Bonhoeffer, Hitler or both ... likely the latter.

Mother and son ... both back home.

This book’s biggest impact, other than the actual story, is the format that alternates chronologically-written brief chapters by Christopher Yuan and his mother Angela Yuan. Really, it tells two stories of God’s redemption as the book begins with Christopher revealing his homosexuality to his family which brought his mother Angela to such desperation she decided upon suicide. The writings reveal the “divine” happenings along the way God used to reconcile the family to each other and to Himself, as well as the mother’s heartbreaks as her son’s path led to criminal activity with drugs and imprisonment. So gripping is the mother’s tough love, that she was willing to accept anything it would take to bring her son back to her and to her God … and she prayed daily for it to happen. In the end, jail may have saved Christopher’s life. Angela prayed: “I’ll stand in the gap for Christopher. I’ll stand until the victory is won, until Christopher’s heart changes. I’ll stand in the gap every day, and there I will fervently pray.” Ultimately, her heart changed too and she learned to love her son for who he was, even without evidence of any change that she hoped for.

Homosexuality used to be just a word to me, a term that I knew dogmatically what I believed… but slowly God started bringing people into my life that put many faces on the word. Some of those friends may be reading this. This is not the forum to debate – even discuss - what I interpret God to say about homosexuality and what He has shown me through these friends, any more than it is the place to talk about things in my life those friends may differ on. I do want to share here the conclusion that Yuan arrived at. In the chapter “Holy Sexuality”, Yuan writes: “As I continued to read the Bible, I realized that my identity shouldn’t be defined by my sexuality. Paul said in Acts 17:28, ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ Christ should be everything – my all in all. My sexual orientation didn’t have to be the core of who I was…My identity was not “gay” or “homosexual,” or even “heterosexual,” for that matter. But my identity as a child of the living God must be in Jesus Christ alone.”

Today, HIV continues to weaken Yuan’s body and immune system and he may begin taking medication soon. He teaches at Moody Bible College and is part of the President’s Task Force on Homosexuality.

I highly encourage you to read this book … you’ll be amazed as you experience God’s mercy, grace and redemption in two of His greatly loved children.

Why New Atheism is Fizzling Out...

If you pick up Alister McGrath's book "Why God Won't Go Away" in hopes of getting a discourse on the merits and rationale behind Christianity, you won't. Instead, his work is more of a "situational report" (to borrow a term from another reviewer) on the state of New Athiesm. McGrath writes says "It's not my intention to argue the case for the Christian faith in this short volume, yet I can hardly fail to point out that the common Christian understanding of human nature over the last two thousand years is that we possess, and are meant to possess, a homing instinct for God."

The bulk of the work is spent dissecting the writings of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, atheist best-sellers who are commonly referred to as the Four Horsemen. McGrath sorts through the arguments of these men and identifies the weaknesses in their beliefs and positions, often finding their foundation unstable and often based on myths or facts taken out of context.

New Athiesm began to take prominence in position after 9/11, when a small group of people fanatically schemed such a horrible attack on our country, all in the name of their religion. The conclusion is drawn therefore that religion is violent, dangerous and deluded, yet there is no consideration given to violent men of history who made no claims of religion or belief in a God.

Another irony is that God often gets blamed for all the bad things in the world and "who would want to believe in a God like that"? Well...if an atheist believes that God does not exist, then he or she has no other way to explain away evil acts other than the depravity of man. You can't blame a god you don't even believe in.

Another point to consider is that New Atheism may not be as prominent as we are led to believe by media attention and spin. Events are attended by few, atheist blogs now regularly feature "agonized reflections on the failure of the movement to gain intellectual ground", and more books are being published asserting the reasons for Christian belief.

Sometimes the mission of these new atheists backfire. McGrath closes the book with a story about a young man who decided to learn more about God and ultimately give his life to Him after reading Dawkins' "The God Delusion". He says he found it unfair and one-sided so much so that he wanted to know what the other side of the story was... he says, "Without Dawkins, I would never have given God a second thought." This work is a worthy and easy read because as a believer it's always good to know what those who disagree with you are thinking. If you are not a believer, maybe you'll end up like the young man just mentioned when you dig a little deeper. After all, McGrath, the author, is himself a former atheist.

Maybe AC/DC was wrong and it's not the highway destination to brag about...

Francis Chan's new book released Tuesday, Erasing Hell, is not an easy read. Well, it is easy to complete as I did so in 2 days. It is not easy to enjoy or embrace.

The book is in answer to recent writings which suggest the doctrine of hell should be reconsidered since it is difficult to reconcile a God of unconditional and everlasting love, with a God of wrath and eternal damnation. Much of Chan's work is in direct response to Rob Bell's March-released work Love Wins. Many have labeled Bell a Universalist because of numerous of his comments, and the questions raised in his book. He challenges the reader to consider that love ultimately wins and that all will come to God eventually, even possibly after death. Hell is more about the injustices of the here and now than a future place of torment for unbelievers.

I have read both works and Chan's is much more thoroughly researched, even using writings from Judaism that represent Jewish thought and beliefs which were common during the time of Christ. Biblical references are considered in full context and relevance yielding stronger conclusions than Bell was able to accomplish convincingly.

A couple of my take-aways...

1) No one can know the answer to the questions posed with 100% certainty but conclusions can certainly be drawn that are uncomfortable. Yes, there is a hell and though it was created for the devil and his angels, people we know and even love will end up there. So, what are we doing about in response?

2) It is OK for us not to like it, for us to want not to believe in such a terrible place. However, we must understand that we aren't going to think like God because we aren't God, but rather a being created by God. The prophet Isaiah writes in chapter 55 (vv. 8-9) that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not like our own. We may not 'want' to believe that hell is the consequence for failure to accept God's Son and His sacrifice, His gift of love and grace, but 'can' we believe it ... just because He is God?

Chan challenges the reader to stop apologizing for God. After all, does a work of art ever get the opportunity to apologize for the artist? Chan writes, "Like the nervous kid who tries to keep his friends from seeing his drunken father. I have tried to hide God at times. Who do I think I am? The truth is, God is perfect and right in all that He does. I am a fool for thinking otherwise. He does not need or want me to "cover" for Him. There's nothing to be covered. Everything about Him and all He does is perfect. Yet sometimes from our human perspective, its tough to see exactly how..."

Chan summarily concludes that "God, as the Creator, is free to do whatever He sees best, He is compelled by none other than Himself."

Before you turn away thinking 'I wouldn't have done it that way' or 'Why would I want to believe in that kind of God?', consider a few final words from Chan. "Would you have thought to rescue sinful people from their sins by sending your Son to take on human flesh? Would you have thought to enter creation through the womb of a young Jewish woman and be born in a feeding trough? Would you have thought to allow your created beings to torture your Son, lacerate His flesh with whips, and then drive nails through His hands and feet?"

Doubt it that I would have. I'm glad I'm not God, and you should be just as relieved.

If you could be any... animal?

If you could be any animal, which would you be? Remember that game? Maybe there's more to it.

Ever feel like you're prey, being stalked for the great kill by circumstances of life?

Stefan Swanepoel, born in the Serengeti (Kenya, Africa), has written a compelling life/business fable called "Surviving your Serengeti". While this was an easy read, application of the skills discussed will help one to navigate the Serengeti of life. Swanepoel takes visitors to his homeland on a journey, observing seven significant animals. He says that 'while the challenges faced by those that live and die on the Serengeti plains are certainly in a different realm than ours, the seven survival skills that the animals use to overcome their harsh conditions can help us rise above our own adversities and live a better life.' Readers learn about the endurance of the wildebeest, strategies of the lion, the enterprising crocodile, the gracious giraffe, the efficiency of the cheetah, the risk-taking of the mongoose, and the communication skills of the elephant. Fable aside, what we learn about these animals helps us see the beauty in God's creation and design. We learn very interesting facts about each.

After studying the seven animals and their unique survival skills, the question is posed "which animal are you?" What is your unique survival skill? It's the "one you would default to if you were one of the animals living here on the savannahs of the Serengeti."

Me? I'm an elephant. I love to make sure that all are moving in sync through great communication.

Having trouble knowing which animal you are? There is a quick quiz at www.WhatAnimalAmI.com.

Average Joe or G.I. Joe?

Ever feel like just a John Doe, or Jane Doe? Like just an average Joe?

The good news is that God chooses and uses the average Joe and converts them into a G.I. Joe when they least suspect it. The catch? They must be found ready and willing... not necessarily able. Much like reading through Hebrews 11 which reveals how many men (and women) were key parts of God's story simply because of their availability, their place in time, and their faith; Meeder uses exampls from the Bible as well as real-life current stories of family and friends to show how God can use us. His encouragement is that we not allow ourselves to be frustrated by the normal and the mundane, but instead to realize it is part of who we are in God's calling. We should be looking for those we can mentor, whether it be our children or a co-worker, a friend, and even has advice for those perhaps too young still to feel they can be a mentor...

"And don't think you have to somehow be a perfect man of God! No, just be an honest, grateful, growing man of God -- still in process. On the other hand, if you are younger, full of promise, and lacking gray hair, then listen up: find a mentor.... walking shoulder to shoulder with men of age and faith brings balance to imbalance, peace from chaos, and wisdom out of foolishness." Meeder is vulnerable and honest in his writings from the heart, sharing much he has learned in the journey and what God has shared with him. His work will be a blessing to your life.

Who's missing more? Reader or Author?

Truth be known, I had a hard time looking at the cover of this book each time I picked it up to read. Whether it was personal guilt from knowing that I had two arms and two legs, or disappointment with God that He would allow this seemingly cruel condition, or both, I struggled. By the end of the book, I realized that I was lacking more than Vujicic who had made peace with his imperfection. No, it wasn't easy at first, as Vujicic shares the struggle his parents had at his birth to accept him as their child, as well as the time he thought about jumping off the kitchen counter at age 10 in a suicide attempt. Still, as Vujicic grew in his relationship with God and learned to make the most of what he could not control, he grew in his acceptance of who he was and now includes humor in his writings and his public speaking... like asking a lady to give him a hand, having a friend place him in the carry-on compartment of an airplane to welcome fellow fliers or riding the luggage carousel at the airport just for fun. Vujicic embraces positive thinking throughout his story and encourages the reader to be intentionally ridiculous in the risks taken.

He writes:

But each of us has the capacity to add our own flourishes, to pursue our purpose, our passion, and our pleasures with reckless abandon and ridiculous enthusiasm... I've recounted my adventures as an airplane carry-on and an airport carousel rider, as a scuba diver and a stunt-man, as a fisherman, a drummer, and an orchestra conductor. My question to you now is: If imperfect me can have that much ridiculous fun, if I can push the limits and enjoy life so fully, what about you? ... dare to be ridiculous, and you will be ridiculously happy.

One of his favorite quotes comes from Marilyn Monroe and sums up his thoughts. "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

His stories, his life and his challenges will help you stop feeling sorry for yourself no matter what your story or condition is and will inspire you to do ridiculously more with your life. So, go for it!

Videos of Vujicic's first movie role in "The Butterfly Circus" and interviews/speeches can be easily found on YouTube.

Lite-Brite and Salty!

Despite the play on words (and spelling) that's the kind of world we should be leaving behind as Christians, especially as next Christians... one that has been lit up and salted.

I've always thought that if we could boil God's occupational responsibilities down to two requirements, they would be to 1) Redeem His creation and 2) Restore His creation. Seems He is always doing one or the other ... even if not always obvious at times.

In "The Next Christians", author Gabe Lyons makes note of the passage in Luke 4 where Jesus is quoting ancient texts that proclaim His annointing to proclaim good news to the poor, fredom for the prisoners, to set the oppressed free and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Lyons says "In other words, Jesus is saying, 'Enough of what is; I see things in terms of how they ought to be, and I'm here to do something about it'. Conclusion? So are the next Christians.

Next Christians are provoked to do something about changing their world, and not always with a religious slogan or identity posted somewhere. Next Christians serve for the common good, they join together in community to make a difference instead of isolating themselves. They don't work at jobs, they serve in vocations which they see as "occupational placement" for God's "greater mission." They are embarrassed by false representations of the Gospel and communicate "something authentic and true through their lives that gives pause to those who encounter them." They "create culture that promotes beauty" giving others a glimpse of the beauty of God.

Basically, true Christianity means we choose to be part of the world we are in and become part of the solution to make the world what it ought to be through being the salt and light that Jesus spoke of.

Lyons is great at giving many examples of people who have made very specific, sacrificial decisions to be part of this surge that is under way, but is careful to point out that first things must be first. Jesus Himself said to "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added." Lyons feels we must first and foremost relearn the Gospel story, "recovering the theme of restoration that runs throughout the whole of Scripture." The Gospel is: beautiful, redemptive, faithful, demanding, reconciling, all-powerful, restorative, atoning, grace-abounding, soul-quenching, spiritually fulfilling good news of God's love.

We must first be restored before we can help to restore our friends, neighbors or community.

This book will stir you, convict you, encourage you, challenge and inspire you. I dare you to read it. Just be careful though, because if you do, you may get a little too salty and make others around you a bit thirsty!

Thanks Coach!

A review of Coach Wooden by Pat Williams.

Last October I was fortunate enough to hear Pat Williams address the student body of Liberty University on the “7 Sides of Leadership”. This made the decision easy when I learned he had authored this work on the leadership principles of Coach John Wooden, one of America’s most successful college coaches, having led UCLA to 88 consecutive wins, ten NCAA championships, and 38 consecutive NCAA tournament victories before his retirement in 1975. He coached many players who later played in the NBA. While I expected this book to be a refresher of Williams’ speech, even with the overlapping concepts, I was left with the challenge of implementing additional disciplines in my life. Williams’ 7 Sides of Leadership were to:

1. Have a VISION
2. Communicate your VISION
3. Possess People Skills
4. Understand that Character counts
5. Have Competence
6. Possess Boldness
7. Lead with A Serving Heart

Williams writes about the great influence Wooden had on all those around him, making it clear that his list was directly influenced by Wooden’s 7 life-shaping principles:

1. Be True To Yourself
2. Help Others
3. Make Each Day Your Masterpiece
4. Drink Deeply from Good Books, Especially the Bible
5. Make Friendship a Fine Art
6. Build a Shelter against a Rainy Day by the Life You Life
7. Pray for Guidance and Counsel, and Give Thanks for Your Blessings Each Day

My favorite of the seven is to “make each day your masterpiece”. While working in radio, I used to have a co-worker who would close each newscast with “make it a great day”. It sounded odd to me years ago, but now I get it. It means ‘make each day your masterpiece’. Don’t just passively ‘have a great day’ but understand that the quality of your day depends on you, it’s something you initiate.

Another most impressive take-away from Wooden is his relationship with his father, who is referenced at least 100 times in the book. Once Wooden was asked how he would like to be remembered at the end of his life and he answered without the slightest hesitation, “I would like to be remembered as a man who came as close as possible to being like my father.” What an amazing legacy.

This easy-read will both challenge and inspire you, sports fan or not. I highly recommend it and leave you with some additional Woodenisms:

• The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.
• Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
• Discipline yourself and others won’t need to.
• It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.
• Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.

A Christian "Twilight"

I grew up watching Barnabas Collins on "Dark Shadows" so I have nothing against a good vampire story. In fact I enjoy them. However, mostly due to the hype, I have not seen the Twilight series. Still, while reading "Tandem" I could not help but tie its theme to the popularity of those books/movies. The problem I had with the book was that it jumped around a lot which made it challenging to follow. Once the reader learns that and presses on, the reading is enjoyable.

The story takes place in a small town in the south with murders and the apparent death of the killer in a house fire. Lauryn, who runs a family auction house, is busy caring for her father suffering from Alzheimer's disease. When Amede, a vampire alive for hundreds of years, receives a package from Lauryn, she hopes it will help her find her long long and estranged sister Eden. Thus, her visit to Abby Hills where these murders and animal deaths are taking place.

Vampires who are considerate of other humans and shy away from feeding on their blood? Vampires with morals? Well, sort of. If you're expecting Christian vampires or a clear presentation of the 'good news' however, the closest you'll come is in the final pages where this dialogue takes place:

*Amede (the vampire) gathered a breath and held her book close to her chest.

"There has to be something more. My father believed that something more was God."

"What do you think?" Lauryn's voice held no mockery and Amede could see she was listening.

"Think? You mean do I think reformed vampires get to go to heaven?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. Perhaps it's time to put Thomas Aquinas's theory into action. Better to believe in a redemption and go in that direction -- and by that I mean stop drinking even animal blood and let myself die like my fahter -- than to not believe and find out in the end after it's too late for forgiveness."

Lauryn observed her silently. "I truly hope you find what you're looking for, Amede."*

Certainly this book is an interesting concept, but the style of writing was not among my favorites. Albeit may be an unfair comparison, but if I want to read Christian-based fantasy I will still prefer C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien.

------------------------------

"Tandem" was written by Tracey Bateman, 320 pages, published by WaterBrook Press, released October 5, 2010. ISBN-10: 0307457176, ISBN-13: 978-0307457172.

Book Review: The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain - Kevin Nelson

While I expected something more, I'm glad I took the time to press through the more difficult parts. Up front, when author Kevin Nelson approaches the subject he does so with the assumption that our brains developed over years of evolution. Still, he goes into great detail - much of the book actually - about how amazingly our brains work.

One example: "You are not actually “seeing” Mona Lisa when you look at the painting. The light reflecting off the canvas gets only as far as the retina on the back of your eyeball. The retinal image is upside down. The eye and brain convert the image to nerve impulses that are transmitted to the occipital lobe, where they are fabricated into a mental image; turning the Dora Maar of brain activity into the Mona Lisa of experience."

The other significant part of the book is spent discussing Near Death Experiences, comparing them to dreams, and raising the questions about whether NDE's are actually dreams during a super-REM state or whether they are "spiritual experiences", citing lots of studies, some conducted near-by at UVA in Charlottesville.

He makes this statement: "whether we think the brain creates an illusion of God or believe it is a receptacle for something untouchable and absolute, we should be able to agree the brain is the seat of spiritual experience." I was hoping for more "proof" from the book that we are born with a "God-shaped hole" that is part of the make-up of our brain but again much time was spent on NDE's and whether they are "proof" of a spiritual element in our brain. The Bible tells me that "eternity is written on the heart" of every man. That's where the God-shaped hole really is. One very interesting fact through testimony of those who "almost" died is that at that point, the body/mind relaxes and one does not feel pain but becomes calm and at peace. This must be a gift from God for each of us when the time comes to make that journey from this world to the next, His grace upon us as we leave.

Overall, I recommend this book, even if it is just out of curiosity that a neurosurgeon would be seeking evidence for "God" in our brains. Nelson concludes: "Whether to induce the experience of the divine is a decision too important for medicine to make alone. I can see these possibilities and so much more, glimmering ahead, still out of reach but getting closer. We are all of this world, and my experience optimistically compels me to believe that understanding the brain as a spiritual organ strengthens our quest for meaning and complements a mature spirituality. My deepest hope is that this quest will ultimately bring us to a new birth of wisdom."

Wisdom, we knew, comes from God, who gives it to all men who ask Him.

Back into Blogging

So I haven't been to this page in a little while, mostly focused on using Facebook and Twitter. However, I would like to get this page current with the others during this calendar year. Whenever I post about my music, my books, my media discoveries .... I shall plan to carry them over here as well. ... just in case anyone was following this page and not already one of my friends or followers.

Currently I'm reading 'The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain' ... a fascinating book about how our brain works and whether there is room in its design for faith! Will share more later.

2008 A Journey of Grace

2008: A journey of grace

As Bono sang on U2's last project, grace is a thought that changed the world. For us, 2008 was a journey of grace, God's grace.

If one year ago, you had told Laura and I all that we would go through in 2008, we would have asked for things to be different and wouldn't have signed up... but even though we had no clue, or any choice, God was not surprised about what we would be facing!

The year began routinely enough as Lily became officially potty-trained! Daniel's band "A Breath of Plagues" held a few local concerts, but soon broke up. We made January and February visits to my side of the family in PA. I chaperoned an elementary school enrichment field trip with David to the NC zoo.

But, the year feels like it really began with a random text message in April sent by my dear niece Jessica - "grandma is in the hospital. She's got high blood pressure. We'll be up tonight if you want to call." Sent in the early hours of the morning, we didn't get the message until the next day and it didn't seem very serious until Laura's brother Rick, living in Portland, called to say that Laura's mom was unresponsive, probably suffered a stroke, and the hospital was asking serious questions about life support. After contacting Laura at work that Saturday, we made plans to leave on Sunday to be with her mother. Mom had fallen during her women's choral group's rehearsal in northern Kentucky late Friday night, and was in a KY hospital. As we travelled, our sister-in-law Linda reached us by cell, and Laura learned that her mom had awakened, and was actually able to speak with her, which was a wonderful answer to prayer, since just hours earlier we didn't know whether or not to pack for a funeral.

We visited a few days, along with Rick, who had flown in the same day we drove there. Rick was actually able to stay longer than we were, but after learning mom had a stroke she recovered quickly and within the week was moved to rehab where she remained for another week before going back home. Knowing she should have someone stay with her, Laura made medical leave arrangements with work and on April 27 took a train back to OH where she spent the next few weeks. The kids and I missed her greatly and traveled to OH in May to visit and bring Laura home, coming back on Mother's Day. By this time, though, mom was in the hospital for the 2nd time, this time due to cellulites and swelling. Ama, her life-friend for over 40 years, had also driven in from Florida and would be staying with mom to help out which gave Laura the opportunity for the break to come back home.

After a few weeks back at home, and knowing that Ama would be going back to FL, Laura again decided to take a second leave, this time for a longer stay and because gas prices were on the rise, travel by bus was a more affordable option. The bus, however, turned out to be a very long, slow, uncomfortable way to travel. Laura left mid-June and would stay in OH until mid-July, a very long time of separation for us that caused us to appreciate fully what we have and never to take the other for granted. The rest of our family still kept our end-of-June vacation plans to go to my parents’ home in PA. Daniel invited Chelsea, his girlfriend. David and Lily were already in PA as they spent much of the summer with their grandparents, aunt and uncles. On the way home to PA, Daniel, Chelsea and I made a swing through DC to visit Pentagon City mall for some shopping and Arlington Cemetery for some history.

In the midst of that week, my brother Kevin and cousin Kent joined Chelsea, me and the kids, for a drive to Cincinnati to reunite with Laura and to spend some time with her mom, now at home. We enjoyed time with Laura's family, and even lent helping hands as Kevin and Kent installed a ceiling fan for Linda. Before we left, we had a nice family picnic get-together at mom's apartment, and took her with us to the Loveland Castle the next morning - the last time that some would see her again. She was doing really well. We enjoyed a tasty Skyline Chili lunch before saying good-bye to Laura and driving back to Lewistown, PA. En route, we made a slight detour to Shanksville, PA where, as darkness set in, we visited the Flight 93 memorial and left our personal thoughts there handwritten on a card at the temporary memorial. Freedom is not free!! It was a tremendously moving experience to be at the site where people we never knew personally were willing to give everything for the sake of freedom, life and liberty. We capped off the week with our annual family reunion, and my 30th (yes! it’s true!) high school reunion. David and Lily decided to stay in PA for a few more weeks as we returned. In OH, Laura's brother Rick flew in to Cincinnati, with his family this time, so Laura got to meet for the first time, and enjoy, her newest nephew Moebius.

Laura returned to Lynchburg via Greyhound in mid-July on a 19-hour bus trip! If there is a next time for such travel, we will use Amtrak! Lesson learned. After a brief rest, later that same morning, we travelled half-way to PA where we met my family who had travelled the other half-of-the-way down from PA to meet in Winchester. It was great for David and Lily to be reunited with mom!

During the weeks Laura was away, Daniel continued to strengthen his relationship with Chelsea and experienced the thrill of the Jr. /Sr. Banquet. He goes to a private Christian school, so we cannot call it the prom! He and his friends were fortunate to ride in a limousine and had a very nice night. After much (I mean much!!) conversation, debate, and discussion, we also gave him permission to get his ears pierced. He now has small plugs and, gladly, he doesn't plan to go any bigger.

Missing Laura so much during our separation helped me get a bit creative in designing a mystery date weekend - the first time I've done something this extravagant and unannounced in our 24 years of marriage... that's how special this was! I do look forward to doing it again sometime.

I had purchased tickets for Amos Lee/Priscilla Ahn in Richmond, VA at The National. We had first seen Amos open for Bob Dylan in September '07 and really have come to enjoy his music. To become familiar with Priscilla's music, I had also bought her CD and been playing it in the car for Laura. So about half-way to Richmond, we started talking about where were going (the city) and where we may eat (since I had a few options in mind). Our hotel was beautiful, with valet service, and a warm chocolate chip cookie handed to us upon check-in. It was even better because it was a priceline.com bargain - I would never have purchased it at full price. Our dinner at The Thai Room was wonderful, sitting in the outdoor gardens, with a charming waitress, with beautiful and tasty curry-spiced Thai dishes. Then, we headed to The National - Laura still unaware of the destination. When we arrived she read the marquee "Amos Lee with Priscilla Ahn" and was absolutely surprised. The venue was beautiful and we had tickets for the fourth row. If you want to see a video I captured and posted to YouTube, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F694vq-qc9U.

A few weeks earlier, I contacted Priscilla through MySpace and asked her to sing a song for us, having briefly explained our separation. As she began her last song, she asked if there was a couple "Don and Laura" in the crowd and said "this one's for you", then sang "Find My Way Back Home". I think Laura started to cry. We met Priscilla afterwards, got her signature and had her picture taken with us. To top it off, the next day, we visited the Edgar Allen Poe museum in Richmond, and Oakencroft winery in Charlottesville where we had a wonderfully romantic walk in the vineyard together.

Meanwhile in OH, Laura's mom is back on her own in her apartment, and we intentionally planned a return trip about a month after Laura left so we could gauge how well mom was doing. As it turned out, just a few days before intended to leave, Laura was speaking with her mom by phone and she did not sound the same to her. She asked Linda to check on her, and was found disoriented, having had another episode of some kind, ending her back in the hospital a 3rd time. We still visited, and while we were there, she was able to move out of the hospital and into assisted nursing care. That's also when she realized however, that her condition was serious, and that she would not be returning to her apartment or able to keep her dog. We volunteered to be a foster family though for her beloved dachshund, Gretchen. While in OH, actually my birthday weekend, the kids and I went with Laura's brother Ed to a Cincinnati Reds game followed by a Mercy Me concert - and the Reds actually won!! They also had a visit to the Cincinnati Zoo with daddy!

We knew mom wasn't happy staying there but we had to head back to VA to get ready for the start of school. Mom was soon able to move from the acute nursing facility to an assisted living apartment and be more on her own for about a month. We hear she loved it!! But, then another text message in the early morning hours, this time from Laura's brother Rick on Sep 18 -- "mom's in the hospital again - no solid info yet". Turns out she had yet another stroke and was found on the floor in her apartment 45 minutes after the nurses had given her insulin. She was not able to speak. We made quick plans to go back to OH and visit mom in the hospital yet again. It was much harder this time since all mom could do was communicate with her eyes, her smile, and her humming as she tried to sing along with her music. The kids stayed with my sister Tina and did not make the trip. Rick flew in again from Portland and was actually waiting for us when we arrived. I drove back to VA by myself, as we knew Laura needed to be with her mother and brother.

The prognosis for recovery was pretty grim, and the difficult decision was made to not place a feeding tube, yet mom refused any nourishment by mouth and was moved to hospice care as her condition weakened. Laura desired for us all to visit, so we made a second September drive to OH, with Daniel and Gretchen going along as well. We were each able to spend time with mom in her room, take part in rolling her outside in her bed for fresh air and to hear the birds, and given the opportunity to hold her hand, kiss her, and say our goodbyes, knowing we would not see her again on this side of Heaven. With the difficulty of having to balance work and school, I reluctantly returned again to VA and left Laura with her family where she was surrounded by much love and support. Mom's friend Ama had again driven in from Florida. The rest of Rick's family had also flown in, as well as Ben, the oldest grandson, now in the Navy. Everyone was there!!

We stayed in touch by phone and text message, and the day I decided to drive back to be with Laura and her family, October 7, she reached me by phone about an hour into the trip during the 5a hour, to tell me that mom 'woke up in heaven this morning'. We had already packed anticipating the need to attend services. When we arrived in the afternoon, we began making arrangements. Just as it should have been, the funeral was a celebration of Mary Kay's life and her service to others. The kids handled everything wonderfully. The dulcimer society, of which she was a part, played during the visitation the night before. Over 30 members of her Sweet Adeline’s group were also there and sang several songs in honor of mom. She had been with the group for over 20 years and was planning to go with them for competition in Hawaii in November. We were all very grateful for the love, the support, the kindness, and mostly that we had time to spend with mom in her room, just treasuring her and family memories, and knowing that she was going home to be with her loves - her husband who passed away 20 years ago, October 6, her son Rob who died suddenly in an accident in 2003, and her Savior who said it was time for her to come home.

Since Laura is now executor of the will, we have had to travel back to OH two times since then to clean out the apartment, begin to empty some storage units and handle legal matters. One of the trips was on Thanksgiving Day where our holiday meal was at Cracker Barrel, with Laura’s brother Ed and his wife, Liz. We will also have some trips ahead for '09 to be certain.

In November, Laura and I took Daniel and Chelsea to see Amos Lee and Priscilla Ahn. Turns out, however, that Priscilla had injured her guitar playing hand before the tour, and was there as planned. That was a bit disappointing, but we did get to chat with the band members and obtained all of the "required" signatures on a concert poster we pulled down from the wall of a Five Guys (w/permission of course)!

Meanwhile this year, I continued my pursuit of my MBA with two additional courses, one in summer and one in fall - yes, in the midst of everything else life was throwing at me. I now have 4 courses left to complete my degree, and currently have a 3.75 GPA, which I'm very proud of. Both B's I've received were missed by 1.5 points or less! A bit frustrating to be so close, but hopefully it keeps me humble and working hard! I was also able to reconnect with many college friends through Facebook.

The one advantage of the multiple trips to OH? The frequent Skyline Chili five-ways!

Throughout the year, and even as we miss mom even more now during this holiday season, we were part of so many God-moments, and observed so much grace in our lives as we travelled, were hundreds of miles apart, made tough decisions, and grieved together as family. If you were praying for us, thank you, because we know someone one - we felt it!

As Bono concludes:

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark, no longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things
Grace finds beauty in everything
Grace finds goodness in everything

May you experience His love and His grace in 2009 and have a healthy and prosperous year.

With love from our family to yours,

Don (and Laura, Daniel, David and Lily)

Where Am I?

So, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.  2008 has been very intense for us.  Laura's mother did pass away in October.  Laura is executor of the estate, so we've been travelling to OH every 2 or 3 weeks ... until now with the holidays.  We'll need to go back sometime early 2009.  Plus, I'm in the last week of my current MBA course.

I have been doing many of my updates on Facebook.  So, if you check out this page wanting a more detailed update, just go to www.facebook.com and join, then become my friend.  

Take Me Out To The Ball Game... oh Mercy Me! (and yes, Happy Birthday!)

So for my birthday last Sunday (17th), since I was in Cincinnati with Laura to help out her mom, I had the pleasure of going to Great American Ballpark for a Reds/Cardinals game followed by a Mercy Me concert. It was Faith Day! David and Lily went too since it was free backpack day. We were joined by Laura's brother Ed, an even bigger Reds fan! The Reds won - a rare treat this season. Here's how the game 'went down' (courtesy of reds.com and mlb.com:

Volquez shines for Reds in win No. 15

08/17/2008 6:00 PM ET

By Jeff Wallner / Special to MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- With the Reds likely en route to their eighth straight losing season, it's difficult to highlight many positives. But Edinson Volquez has shined like a beacon in the abyss.

Volquez, making his first career appearance against St. Louis, allowed just three hits in a career-high-tying seven innings, helping the Reds defeat the Cardinals, 7-3, before 37,648 fans on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

With the victory, the Reds snapped a season-high eight-game home losing streak and stopped St. Louis' winning streak at four.

Volquez (15-5) walked four and struck out four in a 97-pitch effort. After a relatively rough stretch following the All-Star break, Volquez appears to be back on track.

"Nobody goes the whole year without scuffling," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "Everybody was worried about him, saying he was tired. He's caught his second wind."

The Reds got to Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse early. Jay Bruce's RBI single put the Reds ahead, 1-0, in the first inning. St. Louis was unable to complete a double play on Javier Valentin's slow roller, allowing Jerry Hairston Jr. to score Cincinnati's second run.

Lohse (13-6) allowed three earned runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out two.

Volquez was masterful early on. The Cardinals did not hit the ball out of the infield in the first three innings.

Volquez walked Ryan Ludwick with one out in the second, but Albert Pujols grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Volquez needed just 39 pitches to get through four innings.

"His pitch count was relatively low," said Baker. "That was huge for us. If he can do that, he's going to go deep into ballgames."

Rick Ankiel's broken-bat pop fly to Bruce in right field leading off the fifth was the first ball to exit the infield, while Adam Kennedy's single to center with one out in the fifth was the Cardinals' first hit.

Things got a bit testy later in the fifth. After Volquez brushed back Lohse in the top of the inning, Lohse returned the favor, sending Volquez to his knees with a pitch in the bottom of the frame.

Both benches were warned by home-plate umpire Greg Gibson.

Volquez, who had just one strikeout through five innings, said he's trying to evolve into more of a ground-ball pitcher.

"I was struggling a little bit last month," Volquez said. "Sometimes I try to strike guys out too much. I'm a sinkerball guy now, a ground-ball guy."

When he needed a strikeout, however, Volquez was more than willing to appease. In the sixth, for example, consecutive one-out singles by Skip Schumaker and Ludwick put runners at first and second, and Pujols walked to load the bases.

The situation prompted a visit to the mound by pitching coach Dick Pole.

"He told me Ankiel was going to be swinging at the first pitch," Volquez said. "I went to my changeup on Pujols. I didn't want to get into trouble with him."

Volquez fanned Ankiel and Troy Glaus to end the inning.

"That was one of the finest pitching performances under pressure I've seen in a long time," said Baker.

The Reds went ahead, 3-0, on Jeff Keppinger's single to center that scored Edwin Encarnacion from second base.

Brandon Phillips launched his 20th home run, a three-run shot on an 0-1 pitch from Jaime Garcia, with one out in the seventh, to make the score 6-0. Phillips, who went 2-for-5, hit a homer in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

After the Cardinals scored their first run on Glaus' two-out RBI single off David Weathers in the eighth, Joey Votto's pinch-hit single scored Corey Patterson to make the score 7-1.

The Cardinals roughed up Francisco Cordero for two runs on four hits in the ninth.

Rookie outfielder Chris Dickerson, who went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored, is hitting .409 through five big league games.

Baker was pleased to see his club respond after losing the first two games of the series to the Cardinals, especially with a nine-game, 11-day road trip upcoming.

"I want to see a team that competes," Baker said. "I don't care who you're playing or how many people are in the stands. I'm just glad that our young players are playing hard."

Back to School

I bet you remember those days as well. The first day of school. I still remember my dad walking me into first grade to meet my teacher -- now 42 years later! Well, Lily and I walked David into his first day of 1st grade today. See the big smiles! Yes, pink is an option in the school uniform code and David helped pick out this new pink polo this summer and proudly chose it for his first day! He does look pretty spiffy and handsome in it!

Lily has now started her countdown for her first day of school since she is still off this week... so 8 more days until pre-K classes for her!

Daniel begins his senior year next week as well... and I need to probably sign up for my next MBA class at Liberty this month or next!

Bob Dylan in Cincinnati

I was in Cincinnati just 3 days prior and would have loved to go to the show... so I'm living it vicariously through the review... so sorry I didn't get to hear him sing "I believe in you" from Slow Train when I saw him in September.... but it does sound like I witnessed a better show.

August 23, 2008

Half '60s, half hot streak

Concert review

By Chris Varias
Enquirer contributor

Paul McCartney is making news this month for driving along Route 66 to celebrate his 66th birthday. It seems like a lot of fuss over a little road trip, when you consider that Bob Dylan, McCartney’s 67-year-old contemporary, has been living out of a tour bus for the last 20 years.

Bob’s endless voyage has included several Cincinnati gigs along the way. His show at National City Pavilion Friday night was his second stop in town in the last 12 months, and just like the others, this one was made of moments that ranked as good, great or sublime.

Sporting the same five-piece band he brought to the Taft Theatre last October, the iconic singer-songwriter performed a 15-song set with a two-song encore. Dylan drew a near-sellout crowd, perhaps the biggest audience for any headliner in the pavilion’s first season. (Take that Huey Lewis, and you too Weird Al Yankovic.)

The two-hour performance was split fairly evenly between '60s classics and songs from his current hot streak, which began with 1997’s “Time Out of Mind.” The serious Dylan-watcher will note that the only two songs not fitting in either category were the show-opener “Cat’s in the Well” from the 1990 album “Under a Red Sky” and “I Believe in You” from 1979’s “Slow Train Coming.”

Dylan exclusively played electric keyboards on every song, except for a couple of harmonica solos. That was the show’s biggest disappointment, although his playing was fine. He was positioned facing stage right the entire time, and his crowd interaction was limited to a single “Thank you, friends” and band introductions. He connects better with the crowd as a guitar player, doing his weird frontman routine that crossbreeds a Charlie Chaplin stumble and a Chuck Berry duckwalk.

Wearing matching black suits, Dylan and the band weren’t dressed to beat the heat and humidity that lasted all night. They threw in the occasional slow number – perhaps their way of cooling down – but the show had enough rockers to keep things engaging.

The '60s selections included finger-pointing anthems like "The Times They Are A-Changin' " and “Chimes of Freedom,” but the best stuff from that era was the rock material, like “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Dylan was good enough to play two songs from his best album, 1967’s “John Wesley Harding” – the honky-tonk tune “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and a version of “All Along the Watchtower” that split the difference between his understated original and Jimi Hendrix’s electrified freakout.

The up-tempo, newer material measured up. The crowd seemed just as excited to hear the opening bars of songs like “Thunder on the Mountain,” “Honest with Me” and “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” as to hear “Like a Rolling Stone” or anything else.

“High Water” ranked as the best of the new, as it epitomized his classic, inimitable way of doing business as a songwriter. Verse to verse you could hear him mixing blues thievery (“I believe I’ll dust my broom”) with the hermetical (“They got Charles Darwin trapped out there on Highway Five”) and the hormonal (“Throw your panties overboard”).

Is it about creationism vs. evolution? Is it a silly love song? And if so, what’s wrong with that?