My thoughts summarized in one paragraph...

As the season passes, the holiday decorations will come down. Many will swear off chocolate, and many will be successful until Valentine's Day candy goes on sale. I will put my Christmas CDs in a box and put them in a cabinet to be left alone until next September. I will keep "O Come O Come Emmanuel" on the iPod for the moment. It has been my Christmas revelation, inspiration, and New Year's resolution.  Sadness, grief, suffering, and all sorts of misfortune come to us all regardless of status or wealth. We can all identify with the call, "ransom captive Israel." There are those of us who are blessed to also understand the call to "Rejoice". In spite of all manner of suffering, we have life more abundant than we can imagine. We have hope beyond present circumstances because Emmanuel has indeed come. I want to show more than ever before the Emmanuel that dwells in me to the world that is desperately seeking for Him. Happy New Year!

My anti-rant.....on a lighter note

First let me apologize for posting so late. It’s been a wild and crazy week to say the least! Between giving finals and taking finals I must say that my brain cells are nearing burnout, thus the late post.

I’ve been thinking about RJ’s post and the positive message he shared with us in expressing gratitude to all the many people who have impacted his life musically and otherwise. Since it seems that I often rant and rave on this blog, I thought I would take advantage of RJ’s inspiration coupled with the beauty of the season to take a more positive tone. Every time I begin to go over in my mind the many people who have impacted my life via education alone, I become pretty nostalgic, to say the least. It humbles me so much to see the thread of God’s presence woven into the fabric of my life by men and women who took the time to invest in me and direct me down the path I’m on. And here I refer to Christian and non-Christian people because I believe that God has used them all whether they realized it or not. That said, I’d like to take some time here to publicly thank a few of them once again, and in the process, inspire those of you reading this blog to have your own moment of gratitude.

Her name is Elaine Wilson. Every day she comes to her small studio inside the music store she and her husband have operated for twenty-five plus years teaching and touching lives. I still go by at times when I visit home just to see how she is doing and I can honestly say that she hasn’t changed a bit. If you look there by the piano you’ll see the same stubby pencil with the cap eraser, the same round yellow stickers on which we would draw a face to express how we felt about a particular piece of music she had assigned. She drove me to every recital, every competition, supported me endlessly. And just as always, she still believes in me – amazing. I remember when I played my senior recital in college, she drove three hours to surprise me – and boy was I surprised! Then at my graduate recital I arrived to the biggest bouquet of roses I’d ever seen. Sure enough, there on the card, “We’re so proud of you – Dick and Elaine Wilson.” What a wonderful gift the Lord blessed me with when He gave me Elaine. I’ll always be thankful for her.

And there were so many others. Dr. Jeffrey Heyl, my choral teacher who taught me to love great classical vocal music. Dr. Ruth Price who patiently dismantled and rebuilt my pitiful technique and saved my aching arms. Daniel Schene who taught me that teaching is not telling, but rather leading the student to their own revelations, or what I like to call “light bulb moments.” Dr. Cathy Benton who stood by me through moments of accomplishment and moments when music caused me the deepest pain and hurt of my life. Dr. James Littles for teaching me what worship really means.

I count every one of these wonderful people a precious blessing in my life. We hear it over and over that we should be careful to realize the impact of our words and actions on the lives of those that God places under us. And while I wholeheartedly believe this, I have to take it one step further and remind us that how we use our influence and our calling is an act of worship, one that will be played out long after we are gone as a result of our shaping other lives. So, go type your list of those to whom you owe gratitude and follow it with the list of those whose lives have been placed in your hands. Perhaps a great title could be “My Act of Worship.”

Ice Princess Reveals All!

Ms. Ballestero's post will be appearing in 90&9's Monday edition, as it includes a darling picture and some thoughts on the "most wonderful time of the year!"

Please visit again Monday.

It's that time of year again

Feeling a tad schizophrenic. Last year, around this time, posted about a general dislike of Christmas music. But since it is the time of year to write about Christmas music... I have been listening to it nigh non-stop for three weeks and counting. Ever since purchasing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' Christmas CD. Greatly enjoying (mostly) the artistry mixed with playful revelry. Subject, verb, subject, verb, my kingdom for someone with a decent sense of grammar! Never. Not me. Not on your life. I send Blackberries.

Yes. I admit it. I crave "Jingle Bells" as performed by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones along with their very special guests. At first I was taken aback by the unusual throat singing. I found it somewhat distasteful. I associate throat singing with Tibetan monks and thought the juxtaposition of Christmas music with a Buddhist tradition rather appalling. But then in started to grow on me, in a good way. I admire the artistry and musicianship and I am no longer negatively distracted by the throat singing.

However, it brings me to an interesting spiritual application. Where is the "spirituality" in the performance of music? Is it in the performers? Is it in the style of music? Is it in the composition? Is it in some nebulous region in between or some combination of the above?

I believe the "spirituality" of music lies chiefly in the lyrics. Music that does not have a "programme" or words is hard for me to appreciate in any spiritual sense. I have discussed here before "spirituality" in one of Beethoven's late works. Certainly, there is something to the notion that we apply (or project) our own integrated spiritual presuppositions on the music that we listen to. However I can enjoy "Jingle Bells" with no sense of "spirituality" applied to the music. Or can I? Is all of life truly worship? I fear I may be trampling on some sacred cows here, but can I simply listen to Jingle Bells and be merry?

I also like "The Christmas Song," "Winter Wonderland," and "Sleigh Ride." Especially Johnny Mathis's "Sleigh Ride." Rock on. And merry Christmas to all!