One of the gifts I recieved from Rhi was country singer Jamey Johnson's new album. One of my favorite songs on it is, "The Guitar Song." The song is performed by Jamey Johnson and "Whispering Bill" Anderson. It tells about the life of an old guitar with many memories and stories to tell. The guitar talks about being on stage with Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and old Lefty Frizzell in Saginaw.
The guitar's last owner sold him for 20 bucks.... and there he sits silent on the wall in an old pawn shop, collecting dust. A guitar that has made thousands smile and cry from the sounds that came from his strings and wood, but now remains earily silent. Why is the old guitar silent?.... A guitar does not, will not, and will never live up to it's potential until someone picks it up, holds it close to their heart and allow their soul to pour out over the instrument.
We are all just like the old guitar in the pawn shop. Just like the guitar, God placed a song/music in our hearts and souls for us to share with the world. A guitar is useless and we are useless unless we allow our hearts to thumb the strings in our soul and live up the potential that God meant for our lives.
That old guitar's music career and life is over, only if it's strings are not played. Our lives are only over if we allow our music, our songs, our talents to remain silent. As the New Year approaches, we all should ask ourselves are we living our lives in a way God meant for us to live? Are we allowing the music in our hearts to impact other people in a positive way? When we finally play that last show and live that last day, will our children remember us as a good Dad or Mom? We all should try to live a life where even the undertaker will be sorry for our passing.
And that's the way I see it......
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
December 1943..... A Miracle In the Sky.....
In December 1943, Lt. Charlie Brown flew his Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress for a bombing run over Breman, Germany. In an attempt to stop Hitler's Wermacht, Brown's plane, "Ye Old Pub", opened it's bombbay doors and dropped Adolph Hitler a Christmas gift, courtesy of the American people.
Germany's air defenses unleashed a torrential hail storm of anti-aircraft shells and flak into the air. Lt. Brown's plane took tremendous damage, engines knocked out, large holes in the tail and fuselage sections. The inside of the B-17 was spattered with blood and smoke. With his aircraft, crew, and compass, heavily damaged, Brown had limited options. Thing could not get any worse ......or could it.
Into the distance, Lt. Charlie Brown could see a German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt 109 flying directly in front, piloted by a German fighter ace with over 2 dozen Allied aircraft kills under his belt.... Franz Stigler. Charlie Brown knew this was it and closed his eyes. The Messerschmitt sped by the battered B-17 turned around for the kill.
Stigler had never seen a B-17 so heavily damaged. The top and tail gunner's glass was stained with blood. A large section of the tail was gone. Three engines out of service and the cockpit shot up. Franz Stigler with his hand on the trigger, eased his finger off and pulled along side Charlie Brown and his limping B-17. The German fighter ace "didn't have the heart."
Stigler and Lt. Brown, a pilot in his early twenties, made eye contact with the German motioning for Brown to follow him. Of course if found out by the German high command, Stigler would be court-martialed and sentenced to death. But, the human heart from time to time takes over and with that Franz Stigler led the crippled B-17 and it crew to safety in England and allowed his fellow man and enemy to live another day.
After the war Charlie Brown moved to Seattle and Franz Stigler moved to Vancouver, BC. For over 50 years they lived about 200 miles apart. They met each other and became friends. Franz Stigler passed away on March 22 2008. Charlie Brown passed away on November 24 that same year.
These two men teaches us a lesson of not only forgiveness, but also of mercy. Two enemies, two men, showed that the human spirit was alive and well at the height of a World War. This Christmas and this next year show love and kindness to others around you and set an example for those to follow..... Never know when your enemy just might be the one to lead you to safety and life......and that's the way I see it.
Germany's air defenses unleashed a torrential hail storm of anti-aircraft shells and flak into the air. Lt. Brown's plane took tremendous damage, engines knocked out, large holes in the tail and fuselage sections. The inside of the B-17 was spattered with blood and smoke. With his aircraft, crew, and compass, heavily damaged, Brown had limited options. Thing could not get any worse ......or could it.
Into the distance, Lt. Charlie Brown could see a German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt 109 flying directly in front, piloted by a German fighter ace with over 2 dozen Allied aircraft kills under his belt.... Franz Stigler. Charlie Brown knew this was it and closed his eyes. The Messerschmitt sped by the battered B-17 turned around for the kill.
Stigler had never seen a B-17 so heavily damaged. The top and tail gunner's glass was stained with blood. A large section of the tail was gone. Three engines out of service and the cockpit shot up. Franz Stigler with his hand on the trigger, eased his finger off and pulled along side Charlie Brown and his limping B-17. The German fighter ace "didn't have the heart."
Stigler and Lt. Brown, a pilot in his early twenties, made eye contact with the German motioning for Brown to follow him. Of course if found out by the German high command, Stigler would be court-martialed and sentenced to death. But, the human heart from time to time takes over and with that Franz Stigler led the crippled B-17 and it crew to safety in England and allowed his fellow man and enemy to live another day.
After the war Charlie Brown moved to Seattle and Franz Stigler moved to Vancouver, BC. For over 50 years they lived about 200 miles apart. They met each other and became friends. Franz Stigler passed away on March 22 2008. Charlie Brown passed away on November 24 that same year.
These two men teaches us a lesson of not only forgiveness, but also of mercy. Two enemies, two men, showed that the human spirit was alive and well at the height of a World War. This Christmas and this next year show love and kindness to others around you and set an example for those to follow..... Never know when your enemy just might be the one to lead you to safety and life......and that's the way I see it.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
WILL THE REAL McCOY PLEASE STAND UP......
Most all of us have heard of the phrase "the real McCoy." Elijah McCoy was a black inventor from Canada in the 1800's. Mr. McCoy developed a lubrication system for steam engines for locomotives, which operated very well. There were other lubrication systems as well. It is reported that train engineers wanted and asked for the "real McCoy."
When I was a teenager, I had a youth pastor who made a tremendous impact upon my life.... Scott Smith. Each one of us have a certain amount of influence upon an individual's life. Scott's life and ministry helped shape my life and change the direction of my being forever. Scott was not only a preacher he and his ministry was the "real McCoy."
Scott helped change my life, my views, and helped me live a life that gave Jesus Christ all the glory. BUT, there was one thing Scott could not change about me....LOL!!! That was my love for Country Music and Hank Williams Jr. No matter what he did or what he said, my radio still cranked out ol' Bocephus, the Hag, and Garth Brooks. Only until a couple of years ago did I realize why Scott's inability to steer me away from ol' Hank Jr. did not work.
When I was a little boy, I would sit on my Daddy's knee and we would listened for hours of old country records. Hank Sr., Merle Haggard, Bocephus, Willie, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so on. I loved my Dad so much. He loved country music and so I developed a love of it as well. My Dad is in Heaven now, but I think of him almost instantly when Hank Sr. twangs out a line of "I Saw the Light." Country music was a part of his life and mine. It is a part of who I am.... the "real McCoy."
All people want is for the folks around them to be themselves, act naturally, and not portray themselves as something they are not. My Daddy was as comman and humble as any man I will ever meet. He told me once that he would rather sit on a sack of hog shorts with a poor old farmer, eating a can of potted meat; than sit in a restaurant with a rich man, eating a steak. My Dad lived and acted as who he really was on the inside. He did not act one way at home and another way in public.... Daddy was the "real McCoy."
So, if you enjoy a "cold one" be who you are and don't hide the brew if the preacher comes to visit. Be honest to your family, your friends, and most importantly to yourself and be the "real McCoy."
And thats the way I see it......
When I was a teenager, I had a youth pastor who made a tremendous impact upon my life.... Scott Smith. Each one of us have a certain amount of influence upon an individual's life. Scott's life and ministry helped shape my life and change the direction of my being forever. Scott was not only a preacher he and his ministry was the "real McCoy."
Scott helped change my life, my views, and helped me live a life that gave Jesus Christ all the glory. BUT, there was one thing Scott could not change about me....LOL!!! That was my love for Country Music and Hank Williams Jr. No matter what he did or what he said, my radio still cranked out ol' Bocephus, the Hag, and Garth Brooks. Only until a couple of years ago did I realize why Scott's inability to steer me away from ol' Hank Jr. did not work.
When I was a little boy, I would sit on my Daddy's knee and we would listened for hours of old country records. Hank Sr., Merle Haggard, Bocephus, Willie, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so on. I loved my Dad so much. He loved country music and so I developed a love of it as well. My Dad is in Heaven now, but I think of him almost instantly when Hank Sr. twangs out a line of "I Saw the Light." Country music was a part of his life and mine. It is a part of who I am.... the "real McCoy."
All people want is for the folks around them to be themselves, act naturally, and not portray themselves as something they are not. My Daddy was as comman and humble as any man I will ever meet. He told me once that he would rather sit on a sack of hog shorts with a poor old farmer, eating a can of potted meat; than sit in a restaurant with a rich man, eating a steak. My Dad lived and acted as who he really was on the inside. He did not act one way at home and another way in public.... Daddy was the "real McCoy."
So, if you enjoy a "cold one" be who you are and don't hide the brew if the preacher comes to visit. Be honest to your family, your friends, and most importantly to yourself and be the "real McCoy."
And thats the way I see it......
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