Tag: Christian Authors

The Story of a Gentle Music Man

We enjoy music in our church.  We had a good set of big band drums. Then our drummer left and someone moved in a set no one could play. They were digital drums and as ugly as a group of garbage can lids, only smaller. We prayed for a drummer, someone to keep the time.

Last week, Tom, a veteran of Middle Eastern wars, put down his guitar and was trying to get the digital drums to play. This week, Tom, was moving the Big Band drums back into place, because the digital drums are worn out.

Tom wasn’t happy with the way the big-band drums went with our type of music so he thought over the rhythm problem and brought in his bass guitar yesterday. It has a beautiful deep sound that goes right down into your core. Tom says he was having a hard time with his amplifier and his teeth were vibrating from the sound created by the bass. You never know what he’s going to do or say next. What fun—that’s a gift from God as well.

Tom sometimes needs a ride to work after church. He stocks meat at a big store. The other day at church he was limping so I asked if he was hurting—duh. He said he had shrapnel in his ankle and the change in the weather was playing havoc with it. I prayed for the right things to say, since he seemed to want to talk, but I was out of my zone. Bill moved the passenger seat back so Tom could fit into the car. He’s a big man and he looks strong and healthy, which is a bit deceiving because of the extent of his injuries.

Once, he wondered aloud why he lived when so many others died. He’s a humble man and lives rather simply.  He has his wife, and she is a gentle person. He takes a book to work to read on his break, sometimes he carries it in his hand and sometimes he sticks it in the waistband of his pants in the back.

Yesterday he sat down at the keyboard and played a soft background song that later he said he had “made up.” He seems puzzled that he can play any instrument around. His little daughter says she can too and wonders why everyone cannot. I’m not so much puzzled; as I am in awe of God’s giving of gifts. We all have them you know, and they make our lives sweeter. One can only wonder where Tom’s life will go from here. I hope he gets to play all the music that is in his soul and in his big hands and that many will hear it.

Jargon, We All Use It

Jargon
Writing Life

 

I’m saved? Are you?

What does that mean? A whole raft of people could tell you, but many more could not. Why? Because I’m saved, is jargon. So what is jargon? It’s a code, a language. It’s quick, it’s easy, and everybody in our circle knows what we’re talking about. That’s fine as long as we don’t mind excluding people who aren’t in the know.

What’s up? Are you working hard? How do you like this weather? Those are okay to start a conversation at the beginning of a chance meeting when there’s not much chance of having a real talk, but specific questions and answers are more

. Here’s a couple of examples: “I remember that the last time we talked you were working on a great project. What stage are you in now? For a traveler, you can’t do better than, “When is your next trip and where are you going?” If we’re creative, we’ll hear much better stories, and possibly be inspired with something exciting to write about.

What lines of jargon are we familiar with? We know religious jargon, and writing jargon. Then we have our music specialties and historical references, maybe you speak politics or sports or entertainment or cooking.  It might be fun to watch our own statements and ferret out things that others will not understand. I don’t know texting, computer, or game jargon, so I’m not the best at communicating with young people and some of the things I say such as, “You’ve got the cart before the horse,” are incomprehensible and weird to them. They are not only jargon, but they are clichéd, and archaic. I hope to root them out of my vocabulary, someday, but until then perhaps I can be more careful about when and where I use them.

Have you ever been to a doctor that told you precisely what you wanted to know in words that you could easily understand? If you have, you’ve been to a good doctor, who knows how to communicate without using medical jargon. He is especially valuable if he doesn’t take a superior attitude and judge you for not knowing.

So what do I mean when I say, I’m saved? Here’s a short explanation. It means that Jesus died on the cross for me because I was too busy ignoring Him and His Father to bother connecting with them. He had to get my attention. He got it in an act of atonement that will never be forgotten. Then he rose powerfully from death, and now because I asked Him to take over my life I’m being healed and living a freer and more abundant life than I could ever have imagined. Because he cast his cloak of righteousness over me, and He is no longer aware of my self-life, Jesus looks upon me as holy and perfect. Maybe I should just say, I’m saved, but what good would that do? What’s the point of saying anything at all if people can’t understand what I’m talking about? If I’m a Christian, I’m a teacher. If I’m a writer, I’m a teacher. Teachers must, by definition, be able to truly communicate.

 

Jargon
By DiVoran Lites

#writingtips #faith #communication #writingideas

Journaling

It is a good thing to get things off your chest, journaling or talking to a trusted friend are the best ways. However, if something is ultra private, and secret, the best thing to do is to write it out, rip it out, shred it, and dispose of it. That way you have the benefit of the writing and the insight, which will immediately or eventually come to you, and privacy. You have complete control over what goes into your journal. You may or may not have control over who reads it, or when they read it. Continue reading “Journaling”