Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the
sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading
away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the
reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted,
because it is removed in Christ.
But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty.
But we all,
with unveiled face,
beholding as in a mirror
the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory,
just as from the Lord,
the Spirit.
Gramercy
Hello from Houston!! (And not hello from New York, where I was just a few hours ago!) I am very deeply tired now(really looking forward to a long night’s sleep!), but wanted to write just a few words while my memories are yet fresh! For yes, I just had a brief one-night vacation in NYC. Random what! Well, exceedingly so, yes. But a few months ago, I was perusing instagram(as one does) and saw that Tarja was doing a few shows in the US. Those of you who don’t know Tarja…she is the original singer of Nightwish, one of my very favourite bands. And if I was forced to choose a favourite singer of theirs(because they’ve had three over the years), I would pick her in a heartbeat. Sadly, I came to Nightwish too late to ever get to see her live with the band. But it’s always been a dream to see her live…but unfortunately her solo career pretty much never brings her to the US. Americans are uncultured and don’t appreciate her, I guess. Anyways though – her voice is oh so gorgeous. And as I saw that she was going to four cities in the US(only four!!), I pondered for a few minutes…then spontaneously decided, “You know what? I may never get the chance to see her again – I’m going to do this.” So booked a ticket for the show in NYC, got a plane ticket…and then started second-guessing myself the next day! But I’m quite glad I did this…really just having a little mini holiday in NYC was brilliant. I had an early flight out of Houston yesterday morning, landed in Newark and then made my way to the city. Had to wait a few hours to check into my hotel and it was very grey and wet and rainy(and cold!), so I hunkered down at a corner deli, had lunch and enjoyed coffee and reading for a few hours. Reading John Flavel’s “All Things Made New” currently – some truly heart-warming and most encouraging words contained therein. How wonderful it is to read of the glories and majesties of Christ!! So yes, even some quiet hours reading old Puritan writings got to be part of my vacation. Lovely.
And eventually…I walked down to my hotel, checked in and dropped my bag off, and then made my way down to Gramercy Theatre…I got there over 3 hours before doors, but I was definitely not first in line! About 20-25 people in front of me. So settled down for the long wait. Thankfully, as one does, made friends with the people I was standing with in line – had some great chat as we waited! I met Ken, your classic metal aficionado(complete with long curly hair!)…apparently he goes to some 60-80 concerts a year!! Yeah, I could not compete. Also met this man named Bill…a guy probably in his forties who still yet loves metal. It was fun talking to him because he’s definitely not your stereotypical metal fan…works in construction in the city, part of the Iron Workers Union, just your average New Yorker. We had plenty of football and baseball chat, aside from concert talk! So yeah, it was fun to make some friends. I very much am not a fan of going to a concert on my own, but since I made that decision in this case, at least I got to meet some fun people!! Later on, nearer to doors opening, talked to this one girl(never did her name!) for a while. She was probably a couple years younger than me, and upon chatting with her, realized we both got into Nightwish about the same time, back in 07/08. We had much fun talking about our favourite songs, favourite albums…all the shows we’d been to…all the singer drama, etc, etc. I have to confess, I enjoyed that much, mostly because I don’t have many people I can discuss Nightwish with!! I ended up standing next to her at the actual show too, so we got to look at each other and get excited when particular favorite songs were played!! Oh and one more thing…while we were standing in line, a few hours before showtime…I noticed the people in line were getting louder for some strange reason. Looked over to see Tarja and her husband and daughter crossing the street! They made their way into the theatre, but she was smiling and waving at us, passing a few feet in front of me – my first time seeing her, so I was a little starstruck, ok!? – and I’m sure I had a silly smile on my face as I waved back at her. Moments like this. Fun times.
But alright, enough prologue, am I right?? (But seriously, standing in line for over four hours…always fun right???) Finally, after a bit of a delay, the doors were opened and in we rushed!! I was able to maneuver my way to a pretty excellent spot on the far left. Second row!! Yes, not center, but I’ll take it! The support band played and they were…acceptable? Not my favourite, but they tried hard and gave it their all, I’ll give them that. But then finally, finally – it was Tarja time. She came out, the crowd went crazy and the show was amazing. …I honestly don’t really know how to describe it and I fear I would not do it justice. She was energetic and fiery and passionate and radiant and it all was wonderful. Seeing the classic Tarja expressions and smiles in real life…making eye contact with her as her voice rose high…seeing her dance around the stage in joy…what a wonderful, beautiful show. I must now make a small confession and say that while I do like her solo material and seeing her sing is a treat no matter what the songs are…obviously my favourite songs of hers are the ones she sung with Nightwish. So when about halfway through the show she did a medley of Nightwish songs – I was simply ecstatic(along with the girl I was standing next to – we were so much hoping she’d do some old Nightwish!!). That was for sure my favourite part of the night – hearing her sing Ever Dream…Slaying the Dreamer…!!! I never thought I’d ever get this chance to hear her sing those songs in person. And of course…hearing other great songs of hers – Innocence, Diva, Demons in You, and more…was really happy to hear her sing Diva – love that song so much and she brings such energy to it. And of course for that song, she wore a special crown. Oh Tarja. Never change. Near the end of the show(think it was the last song, possibly?) as the band rocked out, she did some of her classic Tarja headbanging…then hilariously stood up, pointed to her neck, grimaced, smiled and laughed – as if to say, “Too old to still be doing this!!” Tarja has just a magnetic stage presence. As much as I tried to enjoy the rest of the band, it was almost impossible to keep from watching her perform. Part of what makes her a legend, I suppose!!
Now, I fear this post is getting rather long, but I suppose I will – as is tradition – also confess that I couldn’t help praying for her as she sang…in one of her talking moments, she spoke of how music was her first love, great passion, etc. And you can definitely see that passion within her! But I do pray for her soul – that she will someday find a new great love, that she will come to know Christ. So many people(very obvious at show last night!) worship her, adore her, shower her with love. May she discover that all in this life is as vanity without knowing God. This I pray. And as for me – as much as I found great joy in listening to her sing…I have a higher joy than that. May I not forget that my true love is Christ! (That’s why it was so special yesterday that I got to read for a few hours in Flavel!)
So the show ended and it was sad and magnificent all at the same time. She did three songs for an encore, then the band made their bows and Tarja had that beautiful smile she always has as she waved farewell. She truly did seem so excited and happy by the love she got from us!! But finally it was over. I eventually made my way to the hotel, feeling oh so tired and having no voice!! (Yes, I yelled a bit too much. Alas) Woke up early this morning(oh wow, it was really only this morning. Seems so long ago now) so that I could take a nice early morning walk. Grabbed some coffee at Pret and made my way through the rainy streets up to 441 W 53rd Street. What is that address, you may ask? (Well, you won’t ask if you’re Mom). Because that is where Mom worked back in the day(80-81, I think) – the “Power Station”, recording studio extraordinaire! She’d sent me the address earlier, so I couldn’t help but make a pilgrimage to see it. Took some pics and called Mom while I was there! It was pretty special, I have to admit.
Eventually though…it was time to return to Houston. Walked down 8th Ave, enjoying walking amidst all the normal New York foot traffic…even though it was *still* raining! I don’t think it was dry the whole time I was there.
Now though, I’m back in Houston, sitting on my couch while John watches some The Last Jedi deleted scenes and I am oh so tired and oh so hungry. Think I’m gonna make some mashed potatoes and go across the street to get some nice spicy chicken. A good dinner, methinks. Thanks for putting up with this rambling entry(sorry for the ill-structure and repetitiveness – tiredness does not a good writer make)…as a reward – a few pics!!
Standing in line
The rather interesting support band!!
Diva
Always love a good acoustic song!! (plus Tarja’s voice!!)
Tarja forever
Outside the Power Station!!
Thanks for reading all this. Love you all!!! Now. Dinner time.
Honey on the Horizon
Read some sweet words this morning that encouraged my soul. Thought I’d briefly share. 1 Samuel 30…reading about David’s continued adventures. He decides to spend some time living in the Philistine territory because it’s not exactly fun being chased around by Saul all the time, right?? He’s there for a year and a bit, going on raids with his men to fight the enemies of Israel(even though he’s not entirely forthright to the Philistine king about this!). Anyway, the Philistines gear up for a big campaign against Israel and David and his men get recruited for the cause. David puts on a good face (I do honestly wonder what his backup plan was…? Would he have betrayed the Philistines mid-battle? I am most curious) but the Philistine high command ends up kicking him out, fearing his possibly inevitable betrayal. So that’s all the backstory. David and his men trudge back to the city the Philistines had given them…only to see smoke rising high, the city in ruins. The cursed Amalekites had raided the city and taken all the inhabitants captive. At this point…David and his men can do nothing but cry – indeed, the text says they “lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep.” But following that…David’s men were pretty upset with him and decided to blame David for the loss of their families so they started talking about stoning David!! Now this is where David was at. His city that he’d lived in for the past year was destroyed. His men were turning on him and talking about killing him for something that surely wasn’t his fault. And last but certainly not least…David’s family had been taken too. So it makes sense that the text says “David was greatly distressed.” I think I would be pretty distressed as well. So what was David’s response to all this? He had spent time crying, yes. Emotions are good and proper and part of what it is to be human, yes? But…what did David do next? Well – “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” And following that line, he sought to communicate with God and ascertain what his next steps should be.
I think this is a good lesson for us all. Surely we are in dire straits at times (maybe our whole city hasn’t burned down and our closest companions aren’t talking about killing us and our family hasn’t been kidnapped by our worst enemies…but well…we still suffer, right?) and surely we feel as if there is nothing we can do to make things better and surely all is just crumbling around us. Yet. Let us remember that our strength does not come from our circumstances or our surroundings or our friends (who may turn against us!) or even within us (because really – what strength do we have…? We are oh so weak at times). No – our strength comes from the Lord. So let us strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God when all else seems dim. Let us remember that no matter how greatly distressed we are in the moment, we can find strength and comfort in our God. Let us flee to him. We may weep first, yes. But then, let us turn to God and rejoice in the love and strength He has to offer. Strengthen yourself in the Lord this day, dear friends.
So Many Blinking Lights – is it Time to pull the lever?
Happy Friday, friends!! Not much time to write but thought I’d poke my head in. Had a delightful last night chatting with David Tombs…who is in town this weekend visiting me! So excited, so utterly fantastic to catch up and have amazing talks about so many things. Thankful to Dream that she allowed her husband to come and hang out with me!! This weekend shall be delightful, I so declare. Now I’m at work, but it is a Friday and I’m trusting it won’t be too hectic. Famous last words. But my peppermint mocha is hot and the day is young and all is rosy and bright at the moment. Saw Penelope and Katie at Starbucks and nice chats were had (as always!!) and now I suppose I should settle down to the business that is at hand. I did want to write about my luscious time reading through Psalm 37 (+38 + Proverbs 31) but…the minutes have fled too rapidly and I dare not attempt to write more. I can say that it is oh so truly beautiful to rest in my Lord and to wait patiently for Him. At the thought of being close to my God…joy fills my heart and my soul sings.
once Again we Dance
This sleepy Thursday morning…a few more books vanquished:
26. The Daring Mission of William Tyndale by Steven Lawson. This was a very little book, but massively encouraging. I got this from Mom & Dad last Christmas…and I do so love biographies, so even very little ones are always worth it! This was a great reminder of Tyndale and the great works of God that were done through him. He lived in 16th century England for a time…but eventually fled to Europe to complete his Great Work – the translation of much of the Bible into English. A truly staggering accomplishment, especially as he was not translating from the Latin, as had been done before. No – he translated from the original Greek & Hebrew…and in doing so, he created a marvelous translation that still is the foundation and backbone of the majority of English translations today. He translated all of the New Testament and much of the Old, coordinating the printing and smuggling of these English Bibles into England so that the common man and woman could read. Before he could finish the Old Testament translation, he was captured by English agents, held in prison in Belgium and eventually executed for the grave crime of translating God’s Word into English so that all could read. Tyndale’s passion for the glory of God and desire that all might know Him through His Word…oh so gloriously inspiring. May the desire for God’s glory to increase fill our hearts this day.
27. They Were Counted by Miklós Bánffy. I don’t even know how to describe this one. Originally published in Budapest in the 1930s, this Hungarian novel(first of a trilogy!!) is magnificent, luscious & depressing…all at the same time. Maybe when I read the next two books in the trilogy, I will talk about them more. But briefly – these books are set in early 20th century Transylvania, when Hungary controlled much more territory than they do now. It is written by a Hungarian politician who lived through the tumultuous early 20th century and actually signed the peace treaty with the US that granted Hungary access to the League of Nations after end of the Great War. What’s fascinating is this book is very obviously a depiction of Hungarian high society in the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire…and a vivid look into the short-sighted and decadent behaviour that was part and parcel of that life. The characters are vividly painted, although so many of their decisions and actions are so terrible. One of the characters that started out as my favourite slowly descended into a bottomless pit of his own making (I have been reinforced in my opinion that gambling is not altogether a Wise Thing) and another character, while honourable for the most part, seems to consider it acceptable to chase after a married woman (who yes, may be married to an evil psychopath, which makes me feel slightly better about it. But still). I have heard this trilogy/novel compared favourably to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, one of my very favourites. I wouldn’t go quite that far, as I don’t think Bánffy is quite the equal of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but I do greatly appreciate this author’s style, as overwrought as some of the prose may be! (Or…maybe that’s why I like it…hm) There are some truly lovely scenes early on (before things get too terrible)…and the descriptions of the great Hungarian estates are a treat for the (imaginary) senses. And one of the things I love about this novel as well, as painful as the reading sometime is…is that the characters are all so very flawed. There are no perfect characters here. People feel deeply…and people err greatly. And the author doesn’t let the characters get away with acting rashly on their emotions. Now, I may be slightly biased in liking this novel, because it has Hungarian characters and written by a Hungarian author…and I do so have a soft spot in my heart for Hungary – having visited there and having dear friends from there. But despite this bias, I think this book has some worthwhile qualities. One of my favourite things is the absurd depiction of Hungarian politics…and it would almost be hilarious if you don’t stop and think that these same political dramas are what set the stage for the soon-coming world war. I love reading about historical events and this book, while fiction, very much educated me on the mindset and political currents that were present at the time. Especially since the book was written by someone who was very much a part of the political scene back then! This mini-review has gotten a bit long. We shall see what I think of the other two books of the trilogy, although I do not have much confidence things will get better. We shall see. Very intrigued to see what happens to Balint, Laszlo, Adrienne, Klara and the rest of the characters I’ve gotten to know so well…as the Austro-Hungarian Empire – and the world – further descends into madness…
Slightly Transylvanian
A restful night. Meatloaf and green beans in oven…and mashed potatoes shall accompany once it is time for dinner. A quiet night. I am ever so grateful to my Father God for blessing me so. I have had a long weekend and my body craves rest. My heart longs for quiet. My soul cries for love. This night I lift my song of praise and thanksgiving to my Lord, my God, my Father. He has given me much. He has forgiven me everything. Thus sings my soul. A lovely night.
Five Dozen Eggs
Brief entry this morning. It is Thursday…and like most Thursdays of late, it is extremely busy with work meetings and then community group tonight, so I’m already breathing in deep in preparation for the plunge. But shall I complain? Not I, I say – especially not while I have hot black coffee steaming away in front of me, honey fragrance strong. For sure though, I can say that although I didn’t really get good sleep last night(because I went to bed far too late!), I much enjoyed the evening…went to Miller Outdoor Theatre, where a beautiful night was had watching the classic Disney movie – Beauty and the Beast. My second-fav Disney movie, I’ve always said, even though I haven’t seen it in oh so many years…but it held up and did most certainly not disappoint! The artistry was stunningly gorgeous(the rich colours! the landscapes!) and the music was just as good as I’d remembered…love it so. I remembered one of the reasons I loved it so much…Belle is a book-lover and her scene when she is shown the grand library…so much happiness!! A quality movie all around, I say. And of course – to watch it with good friends makes it all the more fun…there with John, Emily, Erica, Meagan, Amanda and others…so yes, it was a most fun midweek activity. God is good, for blessing me with such dear friends. Truly.
And now I suppose I should prepare myself for the frenetic day ahead. Peace, my friends. Peace and love.
Surfside
I have so much I could write about…but so little time…hence, I shall log my latest read(already a few days late on this!):
25. The Works of John Owen, Vol 3: The Holy Spirit by John Owen. And there you go. After more than a year(not exactly sure when I started it, but I think it was in 2017??), with gaps where I took time to read other theological works…I have finished Vol 3 of Owen’s Works. What a masterpiece of a book. I’m not sure how often I’ve written of Owen here, so I guess I should be brief. This book was all about the Holy Spirit and His work (mostly in our lives as Christians – but not exclusively!). Apparently this volume was not big enough to contain all of Owen’s thoughts on the Spirit though…as Volume 4 is called “The Work of the Spirit”! But this book was very encouraging to my soul. I very much hesitate to recommend Owen, as he’s a difficult read at the best of times, and most would probably not get much out of it. I tend to read so quickly though, that when reading many books, I miss out on the truth within because I’m just reading so fast! With Owen though…because of his dense and obtuse writing style, I’m forced to read slower and analyse carefully what he’s saying…and so in a weird way, I am more greatly benefited by his Puritan language than I am by more modern authors(like a Keller or a Piper…both of whom for some reason I’m not really either edified or moved by as much…). But reading Owen’s words on the Spirit of God – and how He indeed actively works in our lives and how this knowledge should drive us to holiness and dependence on God for all things…indeed humbling and thrilling all at the same time. I’m rambling a bit, I know, so I shall close. But one of my takeaways from this hefty tome is the beauty and sheer necessity of our holiness as Christians. When we sin before God, we show God that we despise Him and His words. Is that what we want? As we know that we are sons and daughters of God…as we know that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit…our driving passion should be to honour our Lord God in every word we speak and every step we take. Be holy, as our Father in heaven is holy. We are God’s children, fellow heirs with Christ Himself. Meditate today on what it means to truly abide in Christ. Remain at peace in the love of God, which burns brighter and hotter and more beautifully than anything we can even begin to imagine.
A somewhat Odd phenomenon In this Early morning
So very quickly I write!! Just wanted to comment briefly on some words I read this morning in 1 Samuel 2. Sobering words, but God’s Word nonetheless. Was reading about the sons of Eli, who were…not nice men. As is made abundantly clear. The text describes some of their sins against God, against the people who brought sacrifices, and against women. I shall not go into all that here. But we do see these lines, “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord.” And again a few verses later, “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord”. Chilling words. Now eventually their father Eli heard about his sons’ reputation. Why he didn’t already know about their wicked behaviour and terrible sins, I know not. I don’t think Eli can be held up as a model father, that is for sure. But we see that he learned through various rumors and reports about what his sons were up to and we see that he (finally!!) talked to his sons and chastised them and made it clear that what they were doing was “evil” and that they were sinning “against the Lord”. But what does the text say next? “But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.” Right then. This is a hard verse to understand…could not the Lord show mercy and give them a chance to repent? But it seems clear that their hearts were hardened and God had judged them for their sins and now despite the warning of their father…they could not hear nor could they repent, nor desired they to repent – because God’s judgment was incoming and could not be turned away. These are fearsome words. At the end of the day, we do not understand all of God’s ways, but we must rest in His sovereignty and His goodness. God is just in all His ways, so do we all confess. So do I confess.
And so what can we learn from these words? Firstly, to sin against the Lord and to disobey His commands is most grievous indeed and worthy of all judgment, worthy of eternal horror and death. Do not take lightly the commands of God. Holiness is greatly prized by God, for God is holy and He desires that we all be holy before Him. Secondly, be warned that to reject God and His commands is a very serious thing, for as you reject God, so shall God reject you. Thirdly and finally – I must end on a note of hope, so the hope that I offer is that because we are all utterly wicked apart from God, so does God offer a pure and perfect sacrifice of His only Son, who can make us right before God. Only through Jesus can we find peace with God. And peace with God…there is nothing greater than that. Flee to Christ this day. Before it is too late and before the words of this passage could be applied to you – “for the Lord desired to put them to death”. Flee to Christ, cry out for your salvation. For God is truly merciful and compassionate and desires that you would come to Him. And God does most surely offer you rest for your souls.
Skinny Love
My muse burns but yet the words are dammed. Weeping, my heart sings in joy, in sorrow, in love.
And so…like so many times before, I flee to previous writings and remember the goodness of my God!!!
…and yes, so this is an excuse to run a word cloud on my poetry throughout the years. 2004-2018, inclusive of a few short stories as well. Clearly I need to stop using the word ‘now’. I’m so impatient, what can I say??
Oh my friends – be at peace this night. My heart prays for you.
