Tag Archives: music

Lord of the Dance

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It is said that one thing leads to another and I have found this to be true recently. A couple of days ago I mentioned liturgical dance in a blog about dancing in church, and a viewer sent me a link about universal dancing, which in turn caused me to think of the song “Lord Of The Dance”. It is worth checking this out on You Tube just to hear the music to it.
Lord Of The Dance
I danced in the morning when the world was young
I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced for the scribes and the Pharisees
They wouldn’t dance, they wouldn’t follow me
I danced for the fishermen James and John
They came with me so the dance went on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They ripped, they stripped, they hung me high
Left me there on the cross to die
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced on a Friday when the world turned black
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body, they thought I was gone
But I am the dance, and the dance goes on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that will never, never die
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me
I am the Lord of the dance, said he
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
Sydney Carter
One thing does lead to another and before you know it, you could be dancing to this tune stuck in your head.

Another Random Act of Kindness

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Last week, one of my granddaughters, her mother, and five friends went to the Air Canada Center here in Toronto to see Shania Twain. Courtney and her long-time friend had been adoring fans of Shania since they were eight years old, and are now in their mid-twenties. When they heard their hero was coming to perform in Toronto, they immediately ordered tickets. Top choice tickets were out of their price range and so they purchased balcony seats, but were not able to get all seven seats together.

The long awaited night arrived and the two girls were beside themselves with excitement…the rest of the group…a little less so, but excited all the same.

As the escalator ascended, a uniformed usher stopped them on their way to their balcony seats and asked if they knew where they were going. When they confirmed that they were on their way to the balcony, he said, “No, I am giving you tickets to the main floor.” Courtney couldn’t believe her ears but then said, “Oh, except there are seven of us.” With that the usher handed her seven tickets to the top choice area…seven seats in a row.

Needless to say, the group of seven was ecstatic with this change of events, and were totally taken with Shania Twain’s performance.

This is the second random act of kindness which has come to my attention within a short period of time…once again, doesn’t it make you want to pay it forward?

 

My Heart Will Go On

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“My Heart Will Go On” is the song from the movie, Titanic, that won James Horner an Oscar. And now he is gone…killed in a plane crash on June 22nd, at age sixty-one. But his heart will go on in all the music this brilliant composer has left behind.

On the weekend we were saddened by the deaths of two more of our church members. But I have no doubt that their hearts will go on in the memories of the loved ones they have left behind…hearts that knew and shared love…hearts that measured countless beats over a lifetime.

I remember being at a funeral years ago for a young woman who died too early in life from a brain tumor. She had requested that a song be dedicated to her family at the end of the service. The words were from the song “You’ve Got a Friend” and were heard softly in the hushed room. “Just call out my name, and you know where ever I am I’ll come running to see you again…”

You can be sure that that young woman’s heart will go on forever in the hearts of her family and friends.

So, if you are grieving, whether from a past or recent loss, I hope you can hear your loved one’s words…”my heart will go on”…and take heart.

 

 

Celebrating Life

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On Saturday I attended two different life celebrations. One was a memorial for a dear friend’s husband, and the other was an 80th birthday party for a dear friend. Both events celebrated a continuation of  life; one here, and one in the hereafter. One celebration was as moving as the other, and I would not have missed either for anything.

Sunday’s events, besides the church service, were a committal and a concert. Once again different celebrations in different ways. The committal saw another member of our congregation on his way to continuing life, and the concert celebrated life’s commitment to music and song with a neighbouring church. The hymns we sang were chosen in memory of loved ones of that church’s congregation who also had transitioned.

It was a wonderful weekend of song and celebration, honouring the lives of those with us and those who haved passed on; a weekend of celebrating life.

Why Am I Here, Anyway?

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This is chapter ten and the tenth prayer in Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To. The chapter is called Why Am I Here Anyway? And the prayer is God, Lead Me to My Destiny. Here is an excerpt from this final chapter:

In the final analysis, we are not just human beings but keys–keys that God has individually crafted to fit certain locks. Each of us is special because the lock we are called to open will accept only one key–one that looks different, acts different, and feels different from any other one; one that has different kinds of emotions, passions, skills, and defects from any other one. In fact, in all the world and in all of time itself, there has only been one key that has the ability to open this one particular lock–and you are it. Make no mistake: when you find the lock, you will find your destiny. It could be virtually anything. It could be something big or something small, something loud or something quiet. It could be something that makes you famous overnight or something that keeps you hidden. It could be that you’re destined to save someone’s life in a fire or some other disaster–or that you’re destined to change someone’s life through a simple conversation. It could be that you’ll one day create something that helps people–like an invention or a piece of inspiring music or a book or an article. It could be that your son or daughter is destined to achieve something stupendous–something he or she could not have achieved without your influence. Your destiny might be one decisive, dramatic moment in your life, or it might be many actions taken over many years. Who knows? Whatever it turns out to be, though, one thing is certain: it will be profoundly important to the life of this world and immensely fulfilling to you personally.

This has been my favorite chapter in the book. The author touches on science and religion, genetics and DNA, Forrest Gump and George Washington, and the destiny God has planned for all of us.

I have to admit to praying the above prayer, but also have to admit to still waiting for the answer–unless my book, My Precious Life, published last June, is the answer.

One thing I know for sure is that with God leading, my destiny can only be the best. I’m willing to wait forever.

 

Nostalgia Ends the Day

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It is said we should not live in the past, but I spent a few hours last night doing just that.

I tuned into a TV program, Jukebox Oldies, and was swept away into so many parts of my past, it was incredible.

Each song had its own place in my heart and life. Each emotion was as real in this time as it was in the years of my youth and young adulthood.

Paul Anka, Patti Page, Pat Boone and a host of other popular artists from the past put the finishing touches on an already perfect day…my 78th birthday. (There you go, Christine!)

Did I have a happy birthday? Indeed I did, and that bout of nostalgia was a welcome end to the day.

What has been will be again….Ecclesiastes 1:9

 

 

 

 

 

My Greatest Gift

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This morning I opened a forward that one of my daughters sent my way in 2012. It was a flashmob rendition of Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee, and numerous other wonderful Christmas Savior songs.

As the music crescendoed from my Ipad, I raised my hands in response to the call for adoration.

Joyful tears flowed as I gave thanks not only for the Baby born over two thousand years ago, but for the babies that have blessed my life over the last sixty years: my sons and daughters, my grandsons and granddaughters and most of all my great-grandchildren; all truly wonderful gifts.

The joy that filled my heart at our family Christmas party yesterday, overflowed this morning in thanksgiving to the One whose presence in my life is my greatest gift.

“Oh, come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Songs of Friendship

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Hello and welcome to Blog Day Six and Chapter Five of My Precious Life.  I always associated music with friends when I was growing up because music made me happy when the end of a friendship made me sad. So here is a blurb from that part of my life.

 

Chapter Five  –   Songs of Friendship

Before long, I became accustomed to my new surroundings, and made a new friend. She was a little older than I, acted kind of tough, but was very nice. Her name was Jean Braid, and she gave me my first cigarette when I turned twelve. I’ll tell you about that later.

Our teacher that year was Mrs. Deville. She was tough. She had glaring eyes, and her tongue was always jammed into the inside of one cheek or the other. If you didn’t understand what she had written on the blackboard, her inch long, scarlet nails screeched down the slate from top to bottom. It still makes my skin crawl remembering that sound.

You never chewed gum in Deville’s class. I know, because the one time I forgot to spit mine out, I wrote five hundred lines of, I will not chew gum in school. I get writer’s cramp to this day. “Cow Cow Boogie” was the song of the time.

 

It was difficult to choose an excerpt from this chapter because of the many people, friends, and connected songs it portrays. It was fun writing the chapter, as each friend and song came to mind.