Are you a problem thinker?

This is dedicated to
my new SpongeBob pal...
enjoy your crayons!
F

Are you a problem thinker?
(author unknown)

It started out innocently enough, thinking at parties now and then to loosen up. Inevitably though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker.

I began to think alone - "to relax", I told myself - but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time.

I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't stop myself.

I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau and Kafka. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?"

Things weren't going so great at home either. One evening I had turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother's.

I soon had a reputation as a heavy thinker. One day the boss called me in. He said, "Skippy, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job." This gave me a lot to think about.

I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confessed, "I've been thinking..."

"I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!"

"But Honey, surely it's not that serious," I protested minimizing the situation.

"It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver. "You think as much as college professors! College professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking we won't have any money!"

"That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently, and she began to cry.

I'd had enough. "I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door.

I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche, with NPR on the radio. I roared into the parking lot and ran up to the big glass doors ... they didn't open. The library was closed.

To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night.

As I sank to the ground clawing at the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye. "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked. You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinker's Anonymous poster.

Which is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was "Porky's". Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting.

I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home. Life just seemed ... easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking.

joy

Joy is a choice. Some people face incredible pain and suffering in this life and emerge from the ashes like the mythical phoenix with a greater appreciation for what they have and a renewed commitment to joy. Others face similar circumstances and respond with anger and bitterness. For them, a joyful heart and lasting happiness seem impossible to attain, so they stop trying. What is even more staggering is when you meet someone who has countless blessings, abundant financial resources, and more than they could ever need, yet they still can't seem to discover joy.

God has good news. He is the source of joy and wants to share it freely with us. Joy is the natural disposition of God's heart, and he wants us to be surprised by joy every day of our lives. No matter what we face, if we make the right choices and follow God with our whole hearts, we can experience more joy than we have ever imagined.

intimacy

There are times my heart aches to have someone to talk to about me...and them...and it...and you. So I carve out time to get alone, curl up in my easy chair by the fire, and imagine Jesus sitting there in another chair opposite me. And I just talk to Him...that is the privilege we call prayer.

I never cease to be amazed that Jesus invites you and me, as His children and in His name...to come into His Father's presence, to crawl up into His lap by faith, to put our head on His shoulder of strength, to feel His loving arms of protection around us, and to pour out our hearts.

I Wrote Your Name

I wrote your name on a piece of paper, but by accident
I threw it away. I wrote your name on my hand, but it
washed away. I wrote your name in the sand, but the
waves whispered it away. I wrote your name in my
heart, and forever it will stay.

Two elderly people...

Two elderly people were living in a mobile home park in Florida. He was a widower and she was a widow. They had known one another for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the Club House, and the widower and widow made a foursome with two other singles. They had a wonderful evening and the widower sent a few admiring glances across the table, and the widow smiled coyly back at him. Finally, he plucked up his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"

After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered, "Yes. Yes, I will. "

The meal ended with a few more pleasant exchanges and they went to their respective homes. The next morning, the widower was troubled. Did she say 'Yes' or did she say 'No'? He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank. He remembered asking the question, but for the life of him he could not recall her response.

With fear and trepidation, he picked up the phone and called her. First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage he then inquired of her, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?

"Why, you silly man, I said 'Yes. Yes I will.' And I meant it with all my heart. "

The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip a beat. Then she continued, "And I am so glad you called because I couldn't remember who asked me.”

(Emmisburg.net “Jokes about aging.”)

I must be over the edge 'cause I really think this is a funny joke! F

The Cross

I had included just part of this song in a March 2006 blog and the song was inside my head this morning so I decided to include all the lyrics.

Are you willing to carry the cross? Die for the cross?
F.

The Cross by Prince (and Blind Boys Of Alabama sing it)

Black day, stormy night
No love, no hope in sight
Don't cry, he is coming
Don't die without knowing the cross
Ghettos 2 the left of us
Flowers 2 the right
There'll be bread 4 all of us
If we can just bear the cross

Sweet song of salvation
A pregnant mother sings
She lives in starvation
Her children need all that she brings

We all have our problems
Some BIG, some are small
Soon all of our problems
Will be taken by the cross

Black day, stormy night
No love, no hope in sight
Don't cry 4 he is coming
Don't die without knowing the cross

Ghettos 2 the left of us
Flowers 2 the right
There'll be bread 4 all, y'all
If we can just, just bear the cross, yeah

We all have our problems
Some are BIG, some are small
Soon all of our problems, y'all
Will be taken by the cross

The cross

NARNIA Trivia

NARNIA Trivia

1. Who does Queen Jadis from THE MAGICIAN'S ASSISTANT later become in THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE?

A) Queen Lucy
B) the White Witch
C) Jill Pole
D) Princess Caspian

2. What beast does mean and greedy old Eustace turn into in THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER?

A) a sea monster
B) a woolly mammoth
C) a dragon
D) a dinosaur

3. Which is the only character to appear in all seven books of the Narnia Chronicles?

A) Aslan
B) Edmund
C) The White Witch
D) Prince Caspian

4. Who is the second youngest of the four Pevensie children?

A) Lucy
B) Peter
C) Edmund
D) Susan

5. In Narnia, what is the punishment for anyone who sees a human and does not tell the White Witch?

A) They are exiled to another land.
B) They are chased by terrifying beasts.
C) They are put in jail.
D) They are turned to stone.

6. Who is the rightful heir to the royal crown that the evil tyrant Miraz is trying to steal in PRINCE CASPIAN?

A) Prince Caspian
B) Peter the High King
C) Doctor Cornelius
D) King Caspian IX

7. Which two characters do we first meet in THE HORSE AND HIS BOY and then later in THE LAST BATTLE, by which time they also happened to be married?

A) Susan and Prince Caspian
B) Shasta and Aravis
C) Eustace and Jill
D) Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer

8. Who is a muddy brown color, with straggly greeny-gray hair like reeds, and enormously long legs, rather like a frog's?

A) Trumpkin
B) Reepicheep
C) Puddleglum
D) Mr. Tumnus

Ted Dekker "Showdown"

Ted Dekker is my favorite fiction author and I am reading his latest book. It is a classic good vs. evil story and there is the question, are we born 'evil'?

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil" Should we avoid the valley of death? No! We walk through it and conquer it and then turn back and face it without fear. For the joy set before him, Christ endured the cross.

Why did the Gospel writers give us so much detail about the passion of Christ? So that we wouldn't forget his suffering. How dare a child of God look away from the pain of evil--doing so undermines the grace that conquers that evil.

As you journey with Christ, do you have certain profound or memorable experiences or defining moments when you felt the presence of God? For me, when I came to realize that the opposite of faith if fear, I started to reason how little faith I had because I was living my life in fear.

Thank you Lord for taking away my fears and allowing faith to bring me closer to you! F.

Daily Existence

Daily Existence

Now, it can be easier, relatively speaking, to perceive
life through the lens of gratitude in out-of-the-ordinary
situations. Certainly that's true with life's milestone
moments or special times.

The birth of Neil and Lydia, graduating from RETS with high honors, baptism at Blue Marsh.

It can even be true in tragedies: there seems to be a
certain spiritual adrenaline that fuels the fires of
faith in times of crisis. Often—though not always—we
sense God's power and presence during catastrophes. We
feel that there is grace to help in the times of great need.

My divorce, the death of my father, losing my pet Ernie.

But what about the everyday life, when it's life on
the small screen, where the same old triggers are there,
charged and waiting to trip us up? The fact is, the
spiritual perspective that bears us up in extraordinary
emergencies is also available in the dreariest chores of
daily existence.

My family and friends. A roof that doesn't leak, a job, good health.

What are you grateful for, right now, at this very moment?

All You Need Is Love...Beatles Trivia

The Beatles have always been one of my favorite bands and this is from Dick Staub (http://dickstaub.com/) July 2, 2006...

The Pop Gospel
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
by David Buckna

(Regarding the Photo) The 45 rpm single "All You Need Is Love" was released in July, 1967. "Baby, You're a Rich Man" appears on the B side.
===========================================================================

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)

On June 18th, 2006 Sir Paul McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday. At age 15, Paul plinked out a melody on the family piano that would become one of the Beatles' most memorable songs: When I'm 64. The lyrics came later, written in tribute to his father Jim McCartney. When I'm 64 was recorded in 1966 (the year Jim turned 64) while the Beatles worked on their iconic album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

1. The Beatles lyric: "Life is very short" echoes Psalm 89:47:"Remember how fleeting is my life..." In what 1965 song is it heard?

2. Complete this lyric from The Word: "Have you heard the word is _____".

3. Who "died in the church and was buried along with her name"?

4. What 1966 song written by John started out as a nostalgic view of a Salvation Army orphanage, where he and childhood friends Pete and Ivan played amongst the trees?

5. What song on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) mentions John's aggressive tendencies?

6. What song did the Beatles perform on the first ever live global
television link?

7. What five-year-old served as inspiration for the 1968 song, Hey Jude?

8. What's the only thing Rocky Raccoon found in his room?

9. What's the first line of Birthday?

10. What song on Abbey Road (1969) is an expression of George's delight at being out in the sun--Good Day Sunshine, Here Comes The Sun, or Sun King?

11. Also from Abbey Road, this song ends with the repeating chant: "One two three four five six seven, all good children go to Heaven." What song?

12. In what 1970 hymn-like ballad did some listeners interpret as a
reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus?

13. Also from 1970, this song includes the lyric: "Lead me to your door". Name it.

14. From a 1975 song by Paul McCartney & Wings: "And love is fine for all weknow/For all we know, our love will grow". Name the song.

15. What German theologian and church reformer is mentioned in Let 'Em In, recorded in 1976?

16. What unreleased John Lennon song recounts how he contemplated suicide?

17. On what 1983 song does Paul McCartney ask: "What do you say? Will the human race be run in a day? Or will someone save this planet we're playing on? Is it the only one?"

18. What single and video was released by the Beatles in December 1995 to mark the release of the documentary Anthology and their Anthology 1 compilation album?

19. What's the title of Paul McCartney's 1999 album?

20. What song on Ringo Starr's Choose Love album (2005) features the late Billy Preston on organ, Robert Randolph on steel guitar, and the Rose Stone Gospel Choir?

Answers

1. We Can Work It Out. Paul wrote the song in response to his girlfriend, (actress Jane Asher) moving away from London to join the Bristol Old Vic Company, which caused the first major rift in their relationship. The middle eight bars, with its intimations of mortality, was added by John: "Life is very short/And there's no time/For fussing and fighting my friend/I have always thought/That it's a crime/So I will ask you once again."

2. Steve Turner observes in his book, A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song (1994): "Understood at the time as just another Beatles' love song, it was actually sprinkled with clues pointing to a song of a different kind. The love that John (Lennon) was now singing about offered 'freedom' and 'light'. It even offered 'the way.' He may even have been thinking of 'the word' in the evangelistic sense of 'preaching the word.'....He later recalled the song as one of the Beatles' first 'message songs' and the beginnings of the group's role as cultural leaders expected
to supply answers to social and spiritual questions."

The opening verse: "Say the word and you'll be free/Say the word and be like me/Say the word I'm thinking of/Have you heard the word is love/It's so fine, it's sunshine/It's the word love"

The song's title is reminiscient of John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

3. Eleanor Rigby, the fictional church cleaner. Paul thought he had come up with the name because of having worked with Eleanor Bron in the movie Help!. However, in the mid-80's the grave of an Eleanor Rigby was discovered in the graveyard of St. Peter's Parish Church in Woolton, Liverpool, within metres of where Paul and John first met in 1957 at a church fete. Steve Turner asks: "...is it possible that the pleasing sound of the name lay buried in (Paul's) subconscious until called up by the song?" Paul's original title was Miss Daisy Hawkins.

A bronze statue of Eleanor Rigby was unveiled on Liverpool's Stanley Street in 1982. One of the items inside the statue is a page from the Bible. A plaque next to the statue dedicates it 'To All The Lonely People'. See photo
at (http://www.upv.es/~ecabrera/letme/eleanor.html)

The chorus: "All the lonely people/Where do they all come from/All the lonely people/ Where do they all belong". Jesus experiences utter loneliness on the cross: "And at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' "(Mark 15:34).

4. Strawberry Fields Forever. Strawberry Field (John added the 's') was a large Victorian building with extensive wooded grounds in Beaconsfield Road, a five-minute walk from John's childhood home. The building had been an orphanage with an annual fete, which John's Aunt Mimi regularly took him to. Strawberry Field became symbolic of John's desire to be alone and let his imagination run free:

"No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low/That is you
can't, you know, tune in, but it's all right/That is I think it's not too
bad/Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields/Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about/Strawberry Fields forever."

The building and grounds have been replaced by a modern block, but the remaining posts are a tourist attraction in Liverpool.

5. Getting Better. The optimism of Paul's chorus, where everything is
improving because of love, is counterbalanced by John's confession:"Me used to be angry young man/Me hiding me head in the sand/You gave me the word/I finally heard/I'm doing the best that I can/...I used to be cruel to my woman I beat her/And kept her apart from the things that she loved/Man, I was mean but I'm changing my scene/And I'm doing the best that I can."

Proverbs 29:22: "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins."

Years later John admitted: "I sincerely believe in love and peace. I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence." The apostle Paul reflects:"I die every day (to self)..." (1 Corinthians 15:31).

6. All You Need Is Love, part of the Our World program broadcast to 26 countries on June 25, 1967. The single was released July 7, and became the soundtrack for the "Summer of Love". The song captured the aspirations of international youth, who showed their opposition to the Vietnam war by staging peaceful protests.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

7. Julian Lennon, John's son with Cynthia Lennon. To show his support for Cynthia and Julian during the breakup of the Lennon marriage, Paul drove to visit mother and child, taking a single red rose. Writes Steve Turner:"...on this day, with Julian's uncertain future on his mind, he started singing
'Hey Julian' and improvising lyrics on the theme of comfort and reassurance. At some point during the hour-long journey, 'Hey Julian' gave way to 'Hey Jules' and Paul developed the lines 'Hey Jules, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better.' It was only later, when he came to flesh out the lyric, that he changed Jules to Jude, feeling that Jude was a stronger sounding name."

In the New Testament, Jude describes himself as "a brother of James", which would also make him a brother of Jesus.

8. "Now Rocky Raccoon, he fell back in his room/Only to find Gideon's bible/ Gideon checked out, and he left it no doubt/To help with good Rocky's revival."

In the Bible, Gideon was a military hero who delivered Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. As the conquering warrior, Gideon was invited to become king, but declined (Judges 8:22-23).

The Gideons are an association of Christian commercial, business and professional men in over 120 countries who freely distribute Bibles in hotels and motels, hospitals, university dorms, prisons and other locations. The association began in the U.S. in 1899, and Canada in 1911.

9. "You say it's your birthday". On June 18th, 2006 Sir Paul McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday. Genesis 11:16-17 records that Eber (a great-grandson of Noah's son Shem) lived to be 464 years old.

Job's seven sons used to feast in the house of each "on his day" (birthday) and invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. (Job 1:4)

10. Here Comes The Sun. One morning in early spring, George took a break from the frequent and tense business meetings at Apple Corps to visit Eric Clapton at his country home. Steve Turner writes: "Borrowing one of Eric's acoustic guitars, George took a walk around the gardens and, basking in the first real sunshine of the year, he felt a sudden flush of optimism and started to write Here Comes The Sun. 'It was such a great release for me
simply being out in the sun,' said George at the time. 'The song just came to me.' "

Ecclesiastes 11:7:"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun."

11. You Never Give Me Your Money. After King David's child by Bathsheba died in infancy, he told his servants: "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:22-23). The clear sense of this passage is that David believed he woul be reunited with his child in Heaven.

Jesus said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:16-17).

12. Let It Be, which Paul wrote out of his general despair, as the Beatles began to fall apart. The song begins: "When I find myself in times of trouble/Mother Mary comes to me/Speaking words of wisdom/Let it be."

In reality, the reference is to Paul's own mother, Mary, who died in 1956. The song is based on a dream Paul had of her a decade after her death: "I had a dream one night about my mother. She had died when I was 14, so I hadn't heard from her in quite a while and it was very good. It gave me some strength. In my darkest hour, mother Mary had come to me."

13. The Long and Winding Road. Steve Turner writes: "The imagery actually comes from Paul's experience of staying at High Park, his farm in Scotland, which is exposed to high winds and frequently lashed with rain. The long and winding road itself is the B842, sixteen miles of twists and turns which runs down the east coast of Kintyre into Campbeltown, the nearest town to the farm."

"The long and winding road/That leads to your door/Will never disappear/ I've seen that road before/It always leads me here/Lead me to your door"

Jesus mentions a door in Revelation 3:20:"I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

14. Listen To What The Man Said. Although the identity of "the man" isn't mentioned, the lyric is reminiscent of Jesus: "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34)

15. Martin Luther. From (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther)
"His teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines and culture of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions, and the course of Western civilization. Luther emphasized that a person is saved by the merciful kindness of God through the merits of Jesus Christ alone, received through trusting faith in Christ, not by human efforts to earn God's favor."

"Someone's knockin' at the door/Somebody's ringin' the bell/Someone's knockin' at the door/Somebody's ringin' the bell/Do me a favour open the door and let 'em in./Sister Suzie/Brother John/Martin Luther/Phil and Don/Brother Michael/Auntie Gin/Open the door and let 'em in."

16. You Saved My Soul. Two books on John Lennon [Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon by Robert Rosen; Lennon in America by Geoffrey Giuliano] both claim that the ex-Beatle experienced a brief period as a born-again Christian during 1977.

Version 1: "When I was lonely and scared/I nearly fell for a TV preacher/In a hotel room in Tokyo/Oh, you truly saved me from that suicide/Because all the things, I die along with you/Remember the time/When I went to jump outof that apartment window/ On the west side of town of ol' New York/Oh, you saved me from that suicide/Because of all my foolish pride/Well, if I could thank you, thank you/For saving my soul with your true love"

Version 2: (http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/13647.htm)

Steve Turner writes in The Ballad of John and Jesus
(http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/007/34.86.html):"In his final interviews, carried out just weeks before his death in December 1980, Lenno said his beliefs could be described as 'Zen Christian, Zen pagan, Zen Marxist' or nothing at all. Speaking to Newsweek's Barbara Graustark, however, Lennon revealed that he still read the Bible. 'Some of [Christ's parables] are only making sense to me now, after a whole life of sitting in church or school,' he told her. "It was just moany, moany, moany for years, and then I hear it again and I think, God, that's what he means.'"

17. Pipes of Peace (1983).

Isaiah 9:6:"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

John 3:16-17:"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save theworld through him."

18. Free as a Bird. The song was originally a piece of music that John
Lennon composed but never completed. Yoko Ono gave a recording of Lennon's to the remaining Beatles, who reunited to record the completed song. Free as a Bird won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and a second Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.

"Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler." (Proverbs 6:5)

19. Run Devil Run, which begins:"Run devil run, the angels having fun/Making winners out of sinners better leave before it's done". Later lyrics: "Visiting the neighbors trying to spread the good news/Singing gospel music with a hint of the blues"

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

20. Oh My Lord, which ends: "Of all that's uncertain/After all I've been through/The one thing that's certain/That I know is true/Love that we need/It all comes from you/Oh my Lord, Oh my Lord/I need your love so bad"

Reviewer Benjamin Lukoff writes: "Ringo considers it his 'My Sweet Lord' and played Olivia Harrison an early demo because he felt 'George would have loved it'"

For further reference:

http://www.thebeatles.com
http://www.beatlemania.ca
http://www.daytrippin.com
http://www.beatlelinks.net
http://www.iamthebeatles.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles
http://www.torontobeatlescelebration.com

The seven ages of Paul McCartney; Sir Paul McCartney turns 64 on Sunday
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5087006.stm

Ed Sullivan Presents the Beatles (DVD, 2004). Includes the Beatles' four performances from '64 and '65, as well as other acts and original TV
commercials.

Copyright 2006 by David Buckna. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Buckna is the author of "The Pop Gospel," a quiz feature that has appeared in publications including The Calgary Herald, ChristianWeek and Baptist Press. Buckna reads email at (solomann@look.ca)