Originally posted at Paperclippings.com on Tuesday, June 10, 2008
My new favorite [Lost]...
About Me
- Kelly
- Kelly is the mother of 5 adorable kids--4 boys and a girl. The girl came in a package with a boy (twins). Kelly is married to a charming young man who lives and breathes computers. They are also guardians for three nieces and a nephew. She is active in the community having served as PTA President of a local elementary school, on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins, as a district round-table trainer with the Cub Scouts, as a volunteer for Sidelines (a support network for Women on bed rest during pregnancy) and she and her husband are active in the LDS Church.
Friday, January 16, 2009
In the Mood for Ballroom Dancing
Originally posted at Paperclippings.com on Sunday, August 17, 2008
When I was growing up I had seen people on television doing the swing, waltz, cha cha, et al. I never imagined doing them myself. In fact, I had not given the idea much notice at all.
That all changed during the summer after I turned 16. I was given the opportunity to be in a dance festival that was held during that summer. The festival was held on the football field of a local high school. By the time we arrived at this performance we had practiced quite a number of times and I was hooked on doing the swing.
One of the guys I liked, at the time, was also in this festival. So, at church youth dances we decided to show off. One of the fanciest moves we had learned was the 'Octopus' (see below). Soon after the festival, at one of the youth dances, they held a dance contest. There was no doubt that we were gonna be in it together.
Anyone who wanted to be in the dance contest just had to dance during the preliminary round. Then the judges went around holding their hands above the heads of those who would go onto the next and final round. As they prepared for the next round we thought we hadn't been picked...until the judges inticated that they had one more couple and motioned for us to come to the center of the dance floor.
We danced our hearts out in that final round. At the end of the final round the judges held their hands over each dance couple's heads one by one as they had everyone vote by noise level as to their favorite. In the end we had won with the loudest noise coming from the rest of our peers. My interest in the swing was now complete. I wanted to do it all the time.
Several years later I found a ballroom dance class offered at the University of Utah as part of the PE requirements. It was a beginning ballroom dance class. In it I learned not only how to do the swing correctly, but how to waltz and cha cha.
I later took country swing, intermediate ballroom and advanced ballroom. Now I don't claim to be very good at it, but I sure have a lot of fun doing it.
During the term that I was taking the advanced ballroom class I met the guy I would marry. No, we did not meet in the class, but on another dance floor. It was because he knew how to dance the swing that I gave him a second look.
They now teach 'social dancing' as a PE credit in the high school my boys attend. My oldest has learned how to do the swing. This mom is proud.
...now to find a good dance floor.
I found an even better video of the swing.
That all changed during the summer after I turned 16. I was given the opportunity to be in a dance festival that was held during that summer. The festival was held on the football field of a local high school. By the time we arrived at this performance we had practiced quite a number of times and I was hooked on doing the swing.
One of the guys I liked, at the time, was also in this festival. So, at church youth dances we decided to show off. One of the fanciest moves we had learned was the 'Octopus' (see below). Soon after the festival, at one of the youth dances, they held a dance contest. There was no doubt that we were gonna be in it together.
Anyone who wanted to be in the dance contest just had to dance during the preliminary round. Then the judges went around holding their hands above the heads of those who would go onto the next and final round. As they prepared for the next round we thought we hadn't been picked...until the judges inticated that they had one more couple and motioned for us to come to the center of the dance floor.
We danced our hearts out in that final round. At the end of the final round the judges held their hands over each dance couple's heads one by one as they had everyone vote by noise level as to their favorite. In the end we had won with the loudest noise coming from the rest of our peers. My interest in the swing was now complete. I wanted to do it all the time.
Several years later I found a ballroom dance class offered at the University of Utah as part of the PE requirements. It was a beginning ballroom dance class. In it I learned not only how to do the swing correctly, but how to waltz and cha cha.
I later took country swing, intermediate ballroom and advanced ballroom. Now I don't claim to be very good at it, but I sure have a lot of fun doing it.
During the term that I was taking the advanced ballroom class I met the guy I would marry. No, we did not meet in the class, but on another dance floor. It was because he knew how to dance the swing that I gave him a second look.
They now teach 'social dancing' as a PE credit in the high school my boys attend. My oldest has learned how to do the swing. This mom is proud.
...now to find a good dance floor.
I found an even better video of the swing.
...still looking for a dance floor...
Music and Memory #3
Originally posted on Paperclippings.com on Saturday, September 13, 2008.
I just got myself a cheap little mp3 player. I have had a desire to get out and walk in the mornings and having some music to accompany me would help motivate me to walk more. I gathered a number of favorites from my computer and downloaded them to my new player.
Among the songs I added to my player were a few Josh Groban Christmas songs. Now if you have never heard him sing a carol or two you are definitely missing something. I could listen to them year round. In fact, when his Christmas CD came out last fall, I quickly got a copy for myself and began listening to it OVER and OVER...it was still only November.
About the time that I got this CD a good friend sent me a book...a very good, very difficult, very heart wrenching book, in the hopes that I would read it and enjoy it as he had.
Well, as it happened, I found myself reading that book, Give Us This Day, while listening to this new Christmas CD.
Fast forward to today. I am listening to the tunes I have just downloaded to my new mp3 player. As The First Noel and Angels we Have Heard on High by Josh Groban start out I am suddenly thinking of that book I read last fall. Many of the same feelings I had as I read that book come flooding back to my mind and heart.
It is a good thing.
Related posts:
http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/06/music-and-memory.html
http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/07/more-on-music-and-memory.html
http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2007/12/hardest-book-i-ever-read.html
I just got myself a cheap little mp3 player. I have had a desire to get out and walk in the mornings and having some music to accompany me would help motivate me to walk more. I gathered a number of favorites from my computer and downloaded them to my new player.
Among the songs I added to my player were a few Josh Groban Christmas songs. Now if you have never heard him sing a carol or two you are definitely missing something. I could listen to them year round. In fact, when his Christmas CD came out last fall, I quickly got a copy for myself and began listening to it OVER and OVER...it was still only November.
About the time that I got this CD a good friend sent me a book...a very good, very difficult, very heart wrenching book, in the hopes that I would read it and enjoy it as he had.
Well, as it happened, I found myself reading that book, Give Us This Day, while listening to this new Christmas CD.
Fast forward to today. I am listening to the tunes I have just downloaded to my new mp3 player. As The First Noel and Angels we Have Heard on High by Josh Groban start out I am suddenly thinking of that book I read last fall. Many of the same feelings I had as I read that book come flooding back to my mind and heart.
It is a good thing.
Related posts:
http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/06/music-and-memory.html
http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2005/07/more-on-music-and-memory.html
http://paperclippings.blogspot.com/2007/12/hardest-book-i-ever-read.html
Forgiveness
First posted on Paperclippings.com on Tuesday, December 23, 2008
What do you say to someone who says that you may write one last time but that they will not respond? For a year and a half I contemplated this very subject because I was given that directive as a long time friend had walked away.
I knew that I could not waste words. I knew that I had one chance. Then I heard a song that I had heard many times before. But this time I really heard it.
The following are from The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics:
Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thoughts
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid thats all we've got.
You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense.
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.
So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts.
So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be okay.
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.
When I heard these words I realized that I no longer held any hard or ill feelings toward my friend. I knew what I had to say.
This past November I penned the words from my heart and sent them off. I wondered if they would even be read or if they would be tossed to the side without a look. But I knew that I had to send them anyway.
This last Saturday I got a Christmas card in the mail. It didn't say much. But is spoke volumes. It didn't even say how they were doing. But as I think more and more about that card I realize that my sadness has also gone away. My friend had read my words. My friend had responded.
I may not get more than a Christmas card in the years to come, but I have not completely lost my friend.
I have learned that with a little bit of forgiveness it is not the bitterness that lasts.
What do you say to someone who says that you may write one last time but that they will not respond? For a year and a half I contemplated this very subject because I was given that directive as a long time friend had walked away.
I knew that I could not waste words. I knew that I had one chance. Then I heard a song that I had heard many times before. But this time I really heard it.
The following are from The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics:
Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thoughts
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid thats all we've got.
You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense.
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.
So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts.
So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be okay.
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye.
When I heard these words I realized that I no longer held any hard or ill feelings toward my friend. I knew what I had to say.
This past November I penned the words from my heart and sent them off. I wondered if they would even be read or if they would be tossed to the side without a look. But I knew that I had to send them anyway.
This last Saturday I got a Christmas card in the mail. It didn't say much. But is spoke volumes. It didn't even say how they were doing. But as I think more and more about that card I realize that my sadness has also gone away. My friend had read my words. My friend had responded.
I may not get more than a Christmas card in the years to come, but I have not completely lost my friend.
I have learned that with a little bit of forgiveness it is not the bitterness that lasts.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Music and memory
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Friday, June 17, 2005
In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.
Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.
Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".
I said "go if you wanna go,
Stay if you wanna stay"
I didn't care if you hung around me
I didn't care if you went away
And I know you were never right
I'll admit I was never wrong
I could never make up my mind
I made it up as I went along
And though I treated you like a child
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
I never had any time
And I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you,
The one I shouldn't hurt at all
I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it's always the same old story
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone
If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.
In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.
Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.
Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".
I said "go if you wanna go,
Stay if you wanna stay"
I didn't care if you hung around me
I didn't care if you went away
And I know you were never right
I'll admit I was never wrong
I could never make up my mind
I made it up as I went along
And though I treated you like a child
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
I never had any time
And I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you,
The one I shouldn't hurt at all
I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it's always the same old story
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone
If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Saturday, November 19, 2005
I have always found the Christmas song, "O Holy Night" to be a very pretty song. But when Josh Groban sings that beautiful song I am swept away by it.
O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord
Let ever, ever praise we
Noel, Noel
Oh night, oh night divine
Noel, Noel
Oh night, oh night divine
Noel, Noel
Oh night, oh night divine
I have always found the Christmas song, "O Holy Night" to be a very pretty song. But when Josh Groban sings that beautiful song I am swept away by it.
O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord
Let ever, ever praise we
Noel, Noel
Oh night, oh night divine
Noel, Noel
Oh night, oh night divine
Noel, Noel
Oh night, oh night divine
It was a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Wednesday, December 14, 2005
I was listening to the radio in the car this evening. As I turned the station I caught the tail end a song that took me back to a concert in Denver 16 years ago. My husband and I, along with some friends of ours, were sitting in the 14th row of the floor section listening to Billy Joel...the "Piano Man" himself. After three encores and cheering our lungs out waiting for another, out he came to do one final number...the one we had been waiting for... he sang a few lines and then let the crowd fill in the chorus...
I was listening to the radio in the car this evening. As I turned the station I caught the tail end a song that took me back to a concert in Denver 16 years ago. My husband and I, along with some friends of ours, were sitting in the 14th row of the floor section listening to Billy Joel...the "Piano Man" himself. After three encores and cheering our lungs out waiting for another, out he came to do one final number...the one we had been waiting for... he sang a few lines and then let the crowd fill in the chorus...Sing us a song you're the piano manThe crowd went wild...he sang more lines. Then, as he sang out these next lines, the crowd roared...
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright
It's a pretty good crowd for a SaturdayIt WAS a Saturday and he had us feeling alright.
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see
To forget about life for a while.
So what is it about Christmas music
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Sunday, November 27, 2005
Tis the season for Christmas music once again. People know right away whether a song is a Christmas song or not. So, what is it that is different?
Some of the music has jingle bells ringing in the background. That is almost always a give away. But not all of it has jingle bells. Most of the Santa Claus, 'secular'/holiday' music tends to lean that way.
When one hears 'O Holy Night' or 'Silent Night' it is quite obvious that they are Christmas songs just because we have heard them all our lives. Is it because we reserve those songs for this time of year. It isn't just because they are about Christ. Mercy Me has come out with some very moving Christian music that wouldn't qualify as Christmas music...though their music is very stirring.
One would argue that Christmas music must be about the birth of Jesus. But not all religious Christmas music is about His birth.
It just seems that there is something magical about the music.
Tis the season for Christmas music once again. People know right away whether a song is a Christmas song or not. So, what is it that is different?
Some of the music has jingle bells ringing in the background. That is almost always a give away. But not all of it has jingle bells. Most of the Santa Claus, 'secular'/holiday' music tends to lean that way.
When one hears 'O Holy Night' or 'Silent Night' it is quite obvious that they are Christmas songs just because we have heard them all our lives. Is it because we reserve those songs for this time of year. It isn't just because they are about Christ. Mercy Me has come out with some very moving Christian music that wouldn't qualify as Christmas music...though their music is very stirring.
One would argue that Christmas music must be about the birth of Jesus. But not all religious Christmas music is about His birth.
It just seems that there is something magical about the music.
More on Music and Memory
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Friday, July 01, 2005
The other day I am driving down the road with the music playing on the radio. A song comes on that I have not heard in ages. I cannot remember the name of the song as I really never knew the name of it. But the song takes me to another place in time.
It is 1978 once again. I am 12 years old (which of course tells you how old I am now). In my room is a stack of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. The song I am hearing on my radio is the same one I am hearing in the car in the present. The plot of the Nancy Drew book I am reading fades into focus. She is getting herself into yet another pickle as she tries to follow her sleuthing instincts to solve yet another case.
These books were the answer to my reading problems in earlier years. I believe I read every single Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book in print. To tell the truth I was more interested in her interactions with her boyfriend, Ned, than how she solved each mystery. The Hardy boys kept my interest as I imagined being one of their girlfriends. But they kept me reading and that was what was important.
As the song on the radio comes to an end I find myself back in 2005 driving down the road. I let out a sigh and laugh that a song I can't even remember takes me to such a place.
The other day I am driving down the road with the music playing on the radio. A song comes on that I have not heard in ages. I cannot remember the name of the song as I really never knew the name of it. But the song takes me to another place in time.
It is 1978 once again. I am 12 years old (which of course tells you how old I am now). In my room is a stack of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. The song I am hearing on my radio is the same one I am hearing in the car in the present. The plot of the Nancy Drew book I am reading fades into focus. She is getting herself into yet another pickle as she tries to follow her sleuthing instincts to solve yet another case.
These books were the answer to my reading problems in earlier years. I believe I read every single Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys book in print. To tell the truth I was more interested in her interactions with her boyfriend, Ned, than how she solved each mystery. The Hardy boys kept my interest as I imagined being one of their girlfriends. But they kept me reading and that was what was important.
As the song on the radio comes to an end I find myself back in 2005 driving down the road. I let out a sigh and laugh that a song I can't even remember takes me to such a place.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Living Life
First Posted on Paperclippings blog: Wednesday, September 07, 2005
My husband was voicing his thoughts the other evening while we were coming home from a date. The general notion was that when people get out there and just do things it makes a huge difference in their lives. As he was telling me these thoughts we heard Tim McGraw's "Live like you were dying." When the song ended I changed the station to hear "I Hope You Dance" by LeeAnn Womack.
I think there are a few who would agree.
Live Like You Were Dying
He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days, lookin' at the x-rays,
Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time.
Asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end.
How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news.
an what ya do.
And he says,
[Chorus]
I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dyin'.
He said I was finally the husband,
That most the time I wasn't.
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all the sudden goin' fishing,
Wasn't such an imposition.
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book,
And I took a good long hard look at what I'd do
If I could do it all again.
And then.
[Chorus]
Like tomorrow was a gift and you've got eternity
To think about what you do with it,
What could you do with it, what can
I do with with it, what would I do with it.
[Chorus]
I Hope You Dance
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)
My husband was voicing his thoughts the other evening while we were coming home from a date. The general notion was that when people get out there and just do things it makes a huge difference in their lives. As he was telling me these thoughts we heard Tim McGraw's "Live like you were dying." When the song ended I changed the station to hear "I Hope You Dance" by LeeAnn Womack.
I think there are a few who would agree.
Live Like You Were Dying
He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days, lookin' at the x-rays,
Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time.
Asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end.
How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news.
an what ya do.
And he says,
[Chorus]
I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dyin'.
He said I was finally the husband,
That most the time I wasn't.
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all the sudden goin' fishing,
Wasn't such an imposition.
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book,
And I took a good long hard look at what I'd do
If I could do it all again.
And then.
[Chorus]
Like tomorrow was a gift and you've got eternity
To think about what you do with it,
What could you do with it, what can
I do with with it, what would I do with it.
[Chorus]
I Hope You Dance
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)
My Foundation
First Posted on Paperclippings blog: Tuesday, August 16, 2005
The words to this hymn and verse of scripture tell it better than anything I can say.
How firm a foundation--(attr. to Robert Keen)
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
In every condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea
Thy days may demand so thy succor shall be.
Fear not, I am with thee; Oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’er flow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply,
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
(Page 378 of the Book of Mormon)
The words to this hymn and verse of scripture tell it better than anything I can say.
How firm a foundation--(attr. to Robert Keen)
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
In every condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea
Thy days may demand so thy succor shall be.
Fear not, I am with thee; Oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’er flow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply,
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
(Page 378 of the Book of Mormon)
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
At the end of the song...no one spoke
First posted on Paperclippings blog: Tuesday, August 16, 2005
One day toward the end of my stay in the LDS Mission Training Center in preparation to serve as one of their missionaries for a year and a half our group was waiting in our classroom for our instructor to show up. While waiting we decided to sing. We chose to sing 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' written by James Montgomery. We sang all seven verses of that wonderful hymn. This was a favorite hymn of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He asked John Taylor to sing that hymn as they sat in a jail in Carthage, Illinois moments before he was murdered by a mob of his enemies.
Our group in the MTC sang this song with no accompaniment and as we sang the final two verses the room felt to us as if it were floating and not a dry eye could be found among us.
"...
At the end of the song...no one spoke.
Here are the words to that song in their entirety.
A poor wayfaring Man of grief Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow'r to ask his name, Whereto he went, or whence he came
Yet there was something in his eye That won my love; I knew not why.
Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread. I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part a-gain. Mine was an angel's portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.
I spied him where a fountain burst Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
The heedless water mocked his thirst; He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
I ran and raised the suff'rer up; Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
Dipped and returned it running o'er; I drank and never thirsted more.
'Twas night; the floods were out; it blew A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest;
Then made the earth my bed, and seemed In Eden's garden while I dreamed.
Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death, I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed. I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart, And peace bound up my broken heart.
In pris'n I saw him next, condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed, And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.
My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, "I will!"
Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named, "Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me."
One day toward the end of my stay in the LDS Mission Training Center in preparation to serve as one of their missionaries for a year and a half our group was waiting in our classroom for our instructor to show up. While waiting we decided to sing. We chose to sing 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' written by James Montgomery. We sang all seven verses of that wonderful hymn. This was a favorite hymn of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He asked John Taylor to sing that hymn as they sat in a jail in Carthage, Illinois moments before he was murdered by a mob of his enemies.Our group in the MTC sang this song with no accompaniment and as we sang the final two verses the room felt to us as if it were floating and not a dry eye could be found among us.
"...
My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die. The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, 'I will!'...'"
"Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise. The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes. He spake, and my poor name he named, 'Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.
At the end of the song...no one spoke.
Here are the words to that song in their entirety.
A poor wayfaring Man of grief Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow'r to ask his name, Whereto he went, or whence he came
Yet there was something in his eye That won my love; I knew not why.
Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread. I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part a-gain. Mine was an angel's portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.
I spied him where a fountain burst Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
The heedless water mocked his thirst; He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
I ran and raised the suff'rer up; Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
Dipped and returned it running o'er; I drank and never thirsted more.
'Twas night; the floods were out; it blew A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest;
Then made the earth my bed, and seemed In Eden's garden while I dreamed.
Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death, I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed. I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart, And peace bound up my broken heart.
In pris'n I saw him next, condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed, And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.
My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, "I will!"
Then in a moment to my view The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew; The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named, "Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me."
Bridging the Gap: Music
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Monday, August 29, 2005
I was driving with my kids in the van. Among them are my two teen-age boys. The oldest, just turned 15, pops in a music CD. Though he likes to listen to such groups as Green Day, Three Doors Down and so forth, this CD has April Wine, Night Ranger and a collection of other great 8Os hits. At that moment there was no, so-called, generation gap. Going down the road together, belting out the tunes, whether we knew the words or not, was priceless.
My Dad understood this concept. He knew that if he could connect with his teenagers through music he could connect with them in other ways.
Though my dad prefered to listen to classical, country and such; he often broke out his Styx Pieces of Eight LP to test his new speakers.
But when the neighbor kid was blasting away on his stereo while washing his truck, we cheered as our dad brought out the great big "Styx-tested" speakers and cranked up the volume with Bach or Beethoven.
This lack of a gap runs two ways. The 80s tunes are not the only ones we meet up on. My teenagers and I have also been known to fill the air with "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".
So, I ask, is there really a generation gap? Maybe, maybe not.
Friday, June 09, 2006
My dad and his guitar
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Thursday, June 23, 2005
I grew up listening to my dad playing the guitar. He was often plucking out one tune or another. My dad was also a fan of Linda Ronstadt. One day he started playing "I Never Will Marry". We had heard this song many times as he listened to it on the record player. As he played, one sister and I began to sing along. My sister sang the melody and I sang back up. We thought we sounded really good. We put our hearts into the song as we sang it. We practiced a bit with our dad and talked about singing in front of an audience.
Then one day my dad quit playing the song and all our begging and pleading would not change his mind. He reasoned that we were just way too convincing with the words. I guess he thought we might believe the words we sang.
Here are the words to that beautiful song.
I grew up listening to my dad playing the guitar. He was often plucking out one tune or another. My dad was also a fan of Linda Ronstadt. One day he started playing "I Never Will Marry". We had heard this song many times as he listened to it on the record player. As he played, one sister and I began to sing along. My sister sang the melody and I sang back up. We thought we sounded really good. We put our hearts into the song as we sang it. We practiced a bit with our dad and talked about singing in front of an audience.
Then one day my dad quit playing the song and all our begging and pleading would not change his mind. He reasoned that we were just way too convincing with the words. I guess he thought we might believe the words we sang.
Here are the words to that beautiful song.
I Never Will Marry
They say that love’s
a gentle thing
But it’s only brought me pain
For the only man I ever love
Has gone on the morning train
Chorus:
I never will marry
I’ll be no man’s wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life.
Well the train pulled out,
the whistle blew
He’s gone, he’s gone,
like the morning dew
And left me all alone.
Chorus:
I never will marry
I’ll be no man’s wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life.
Well there’s many a change
in the winter wind
And a change in the cloud’s design
There’s many a change
in a young man’s heart
But never a change in mine
Chorus:
I never will marry
I’ll be no man’s wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life.
Life(stops) Music
I am beginning a new blog. I am going to keep the focus of this blog to music and related subjects.
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Sunday, May 07, 2006
My favorite song is on the radio and nobody better say anything, do anything--except perhaps to sing along. Some of these songs are critical to breathing.
My taste in music is very eclectic. It spans three decades consisting of such genres as country, pop, classic rock, contemporary rock and Christian. It runs the gamut from Alabama, Amy Grant and Backstreet Boys to Roxette and Bon Jovi.
As with any music the words by themselves do not make the song. Often it is the music itself that draws me into a particular song. Bruce Hornsby, for instance, has an incredible piano sound. Bryan Adams improved upon a very good song, Heaven, by redoing it unplugged. Celine Dion and Peter Cetera have voices that are very distinct and could make just about any song at hit. And some songs just have a very good message in them and it does not matter who sings it. True Colors, which was originally done by Cyndi Lauper, sounds just as good done by Phil Collins. At the same time there are those songs that are Lifestops for no apparent reason other than they are just good songs.
I have not stopped adding to my favorite songs list. Just recently I have discovered Michael Buble...sigh! His new hits "Home" and "Save the Last Dance for Me" are definite residence of my list.
I have compiled this list with the lyrics on my website.
What do you think makes a great song? What are your favorites?
First posted on Paperclippings blog on: Sunday, May 07, 2006
My favorite song is on the radio and nobody better say anything, do anything--except perhaps to sing along. Some of these songs are critical to breathing.
My taste in music is very eclectic. It spans three decades consisting of such genres as country, pop, classic rock, contemporary rock and Christian. It runs the gamut from Alabama, Amy Grant and Backstreet Boys to Roxette and Bon Jovi.
As with any music the words by themselves do not make the song. Often it is the music itself that draws me into a particular song. Bruce Hornsby, for instance, has an incredible piano sound. Bryan Adams improved upon a very good song, Heaven, by redoing it unplugged. Celine Dion and Peter Cetera have voices that are very distinct and could make just about any song at hit. And some songs just have a very good message in them and it does not matter who sings it. True Colors, which was originally done by Cyndi Lauper, sounds just as good done by Phil Collins. At the same time there are those songs that are Lifestops for no apparent reason other than they are just good songs.
I have not stopped adding to my favorite songs list. Just recently I have discovered Michael Buble...sigh! His new hits "Home" and "Save the Last Dance for Me" are definite residence of my list.
I have compiled this list with the lyrics on my website.
What do you think makes a great song? What are your favorites?
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