Swept Away

Eyeyeyeye, what a memorial day weekend. Way too crazy to compile into one post, but I still want to make a post, so, I'll talk about Sunday.

Well, almost everyone was gone at NA, but that's alright, there were still tons of cool people to hand with, awesome worship and inspiring word to be taught from. Worship, was different from usual. Usually I can get right into sort of a worshipful mode(which tends to last into the next day. :-P) But yesterday was different: I was having a hard time. But, as we were worshipping, I prayed for a song to come along and help me forget myself and really worship. Immediately, I thought of the song "Grace Like Rain." by Todd Agnew. It's a variation on Amazing Grace with an added chorus. Lo and behold, it was the next song. God is so good isn't He.

Joel preached the final sermon of the Genesis series, and subsequently covered the life and times of Joseph. Towards the end of the sermon, Joel addressed the fact that Joseph not only forgave his brothers for their betrayal, but he invited them to live in Egypt under his personal care. This awakened the memory of one of my favorite verses, John 15:9, which says "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love." It's such a simple and small verse, but it speaks volumes of the love of Jesus, and therefore also the love of God. Jesus is not just saying, "I love you, each and every one, and I always want you to know that." It's SO MUCH MORE than that. He is expressing that we, as Christians are to abide(live, exist, stay) within his love. So, not only does Joseph mirror Christ in his mercy on his brothers, but he also mirrors Him as showing a desire to have his loved ones dwell or abide in his bountiful love. This concept isn't just a concept that Jesus presents, it's not just how Joseph lived his life, it's an over-arcing vision on the Bible. This is how the Holy Spirit reaches us, it's how we live in Christ and walk in his love: He abides in us, and we abide in his love and blessing.

So, Jesus just isn't your co-pilot, he isn't a far off wise-man who tells you to ask WWJD, and he is most certainly not the little angel that sits on your right shoulder. He is with you always, not overshadowing you, not tailing you making sure you're doing good, but abiding in you, and sanctifying you.

In utterly unrelated life news, I'm planning the first (as Dan aptly put it)"Sames's 'Come out to the farm and use all our cool stuff' Day". I'm thinking the second week in June. Look for a date in your inbox soon!

Also, it would be cool to get a group of PCOPers to go to Kennywood this summer, because SOME of us have never been there, and/or been there very rarely.


Well, with normal live done, on to music.

Today's song! Sweep Me Away, by Charlie Hall. It's a worship song with very few words, but it was presented VERY exceptionally. Charlie's Baritone voice is electronically sustained and reverbed in almost the same fashion a piano note is sustained by the sustain pedal and reverberated by the other strings. The product is a captivating and almost visual song. A hidden gem.

Uhg, the Sonata. I'm sure everyone is wondering where it is. It's here, but I had some pretty bad recording problems. First time through, I went too fast, then I messed up I don't know how many times, finally, I did the song perfectly, but the recorder stopped itself at 23 seconds (that one was really frustrating.) and at the end of my attempts I messed up the final movement. So, it's coming, give me some more time.

-Wes

My Creed

Well, in working on my portfolio, I came across an assignment that I had earlier in the year. I was instructed to construct my own Creed of what I believed in the pattern of the Apostles', and Nicene creeds as well as the "Definition if Chalcedon". Here it is! I hope you enjoy it.

I believe in the one God the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible, and in the one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, begotten of his father before all the worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the father, by whom all things were made, Who for us men, and our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnated by the Holy Ghost of the virgin Mary, full in his Godhead and divinity and full in his manhood, possessing a human body and soul, was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried, his human soul descended triumphantly into hell in order that he may pay the invisible and incomprehensible judgment that we deserve, his body, soul and divine nature were re-united on this earth on the third day, alive, he appeared before his disciples and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again in glory to judge all his creation; Whose kingdom shall never end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Triune God, the Lord and giver of Life, who proceeds from the father and the son, who with the father and the son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake by the prophets, and performs miracles by the saints and those who would believe. Amen.

Projects!

Yeah, I'm still here. I havn't abandoned you all yet. Although I'm really busy right now, and it's some crazy and good stuff that some of you may be interested in.

• I'm writing my first Sonata! (three movements, a main theme, etc) I have a framework for the whole piece and a unique melody. It's in C# Minor, which has 4 sharps (same key as moonlight sonata). There are some allusions to moonlight, although it's very different. I hope to record a rough version tonight.
• School is crazy. I'm getting Evaluated this coming monday, and just started working on a finalized profolio this week. (>.<) Yikes.
• I'm reading Shakespeare like it's going out of style. I just finished A Midsummer night's Dream and Macbeth, I'm moving on to Henry V and Richard III. I absolutely loved A Midsummer night's dream, and if anyone wants to actually go see the play sometime, please please let me know.
• Wrapping up loose ends of the school year is becoming a HUGE task.
• We will have Vents in our house soon! It's amazing! I've never been so happy about chunks of aluminum in my life.
• The wood for all the trim in the house has arrived.
• My sister is home from college, for good! She's gradjimakated! Which is oh so awesome.
• For those of you who know that I'm actually in my room now, it's not really a room. It's a place with four walls, a 3/4 inch hardwood floor, and a bed in the center, nothing else. :-P But I'm happy with it.

That's the major points of my life now.

Today's music is: "Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, BMV582" J.S. Bach and "Time" by John Behrens

On a more personal note, I just wanted all of you guys to know something.

I love you all. :-)

Life is crazy for me right now, and I really miss my church family. I've been a part of Providence's family for nearly 4 years now, and this is the longest I've been apart from everyone. I'll be back soon, and I want you all to know I think about you often. Yes, YOU.

Love,

Wes

A Hobbit Weekend

"...But where our hearts truly lie is in peace and quiet, and good tilled earth. For all Hobbits share a love of things that grow. And yes, no doubt, to others our ways seem quaint. But today, of all days, it is brought home to me, it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."
-Bilbo Baggins

Today's music is: "Concerning Hobbits" by Howard Shore.

Yeah, call me silly, but I spent a weekend living a very Hobbit-like lifestyle this weekend. Yesterday, I did soooo much garden work, and enjoyed it greatly. I even did it in sandals/bare feet. Today, I did sooooo much more gardening, although today's work included more rocks and mulch, not so much fun. But still, I was outside, so I was happy. :-)

God gave Adam creation, man, what an amazing gift. I can't even begin to imagine the thank you note that Adam could have written. In the recent months, I've been discovering the joys of being outside. Peace and quiet, (to some degree) and good tilled earth really are what they're cracked up to be. These past few weeks have helped me realise that I love the country. Give me a bible, a family, a piano and some land, and I would be happy.

God created everything and said that it was good. That says to me that God was happy with this new dwelling place. In a parable, Jesus talks about two servants who were given sums of money and made more of them. The Master in the story says to the good servants, "'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" This rings true with all responsibilities. The Master(God) desires man to share with his happiness. He places us in charge of small things (daily devotions, modesty, respect, other daily activities) and if we do well with what he gives, he places us in charge of great things (Marriage, a home, children, land). God gives us responsibility, so therefore he challenges us, but he gives us the greatest Helper(The Holy Spirit). So, not only does he want us to be happy, and share in his happiness, but he HELPS US THERE! WOW. That just blows my mind. For a amazing God to even want to make a sinful, decrepit race happy, is an amazing, wonderful, and almost unbelievable concept.

But he slew his own son, and secured happiness for all of us.

Wow.

-Wes

From The Ashes

Welcome back. Or maybe simply welcome. This is a very old blog of mine that I'm going to attempt to revive. Feel free to peruse the archives, but I want the real life of this Blog to be what's new.

This, of course, begs the question: "What's new?"

Yikes, maybe that's too big of a question for the moment, so I'll start with something simpler: "What's with the new Blog name and Title?"

Well, I've fallen in love with music since I last posted in this blog, and I thought it would be a stupendous new name for a blog. My soul, when I sit at a piano, sings through the keys. God has given me a wonderful gift in the form of piano, and an ability to sit and play what's on my mind. Some people have journals to write out their thoughts, I have the keys on a piano and a memo recorder. (That I just started using recently)

Coincidentally, what I play often reflects my circumstances in life; thus it equates well with an online journal.

Again, Welcome! and I hope you enjoy the ride. :-)

-Wes