Just a note of continuing thanksgiving for your thoughs on this healing thing . . .

It looks now like a January debut for the Radio Outreach. I'm hoping to call the program "Reason to Rise," after a John Stewart song of the same name.

Miranda and I saw John in Alta Dena, CA at a little place called The Coffee Gallery. Only holds 40 folks. Spoke w/ him afterward and asked his blessing on the title and using his recording as the theme.

I've asked him just a few nights ago if he would consider recording a solo version of the song - just John and guitar. The lyrics would come thru stronger in that setting, I figure.

And special thanks to Ms Mouse for Cheryl Wheeler and Bruce Guthro music. Good Stuff I'd not heard before, and now will seek more.

I'll find the lyrics to Reason to Rise and post 'em.

Looks like this thing is gonna really come to pass - Praise God - and y'all have been wonderfully "instrumental" and "vocal" in your thoughts.

Keep on keepin' on . . .

The Rez

Rez, I was out of town for three weeks the end of October into November and missed this thread when I was trying to catch up with my reading. I'm so thrilled to read that your Mama is improving! With that plus the radio show and organ gig, looks like you are definitely being smiled upon.

Here's those John Stewart lyrics:

REASON TO RISE

Crossing your heart, you have blood on your hands
You have mud on your shoes, you are making a stand

And you are running the race, and your only prize
Is you've found you a reason to rise
Finding the reasons to rise

To carve out a face on a mountain of stone
Day after day, one man alone
And it took twenty years just to get to his eyes
But he's found him a reason to rise
Finding the reasons to rise

Then you must realize, that you're not telling lies
If it's crazy that shines in your eyes
Then you must realize, on a star in the sky
You've found you a reason to rise
Finding the reasons to rise

Here's what you do when you give it your all
And there's nowhere to run and you're too weak to crawl
With a pain in your heart and tears in your eyes
You just find you a reason to rise
Finding a reason to rise

. . . thanks Janice. Yes, The River is Flowing Again . . .

Rez

A PEARL HARBOR THOUGHT . . .

John Andres Albrecht and Dolores Maxine Davisson . . .
became lovers in the summer of '41.

John was Merchant Marine.
Dee was Merchant Marine's Hula.
Dee lived in Honolulu.
Johnny lived onboard ship.

Hell reigned and rained that morning
of the Seventh Day in December.
Two Lovers Lived . . .

In the Summer of '67
their daughter Leilani and Rex married . . .

In the Spring of 2000.
Granny died. Granddad died.

That 2000 Summer, Davey De Long
- living on Maui -
paddled out to sea on his Longboard.

Johnny and Dee
- Merchant Marine and his Hula/Granny and Granddad -
gently joined the sea . . .

In the Summer of '02
Zack De Long and his wife Helen
went to live in Japan.

[ December 08, 2005, 02:05: Message edited by: The Rez ]

There's a wonderful site I *finally* found again after losing track of it for a few years which has about a dozen "songs to fight aplastic [anemia] in the middle of the night" at http://aplasticcentral.com/music/. I had stumbled across it looking for Lightfoot songs and found "The Pony Man" here and includes the "Aplastic Theme" which is John Denver singing "Some Days Are Diamonds" lyrics below:

When you ask how I’ve been here without you
I like to say I’ve been fine and I do
But we both know the truth is hard to come by
And if I told the truth, that’s not quite true

Some days are diamonds, some days are stone
Some time the hard times won’t leave you alone
Some times the cold winds blow a chill in my bones
Some days are diamonds, some days are stone

Now the face that I see in my mirror
More and more is a stranger to me
More and more I can see there’s a danger
In becoming what I never thought I’d be

Some days are diamonds, some days are stone
Some time the hard times won’t leave you alone
Some times the cold winds blow a chill in my bones
Some days are diamonds, some days are stone

Words and music by Dick Feller

Anyway, just thought you might want to check it out for a little more inspiration,

Thanks for sharing that link, Annie. Some great songs there. It was nice to listen to Poems, Prayers and Promises this morning. Sad to hear John sing thoughts about growing old and know he never made it that far....

Mouse

Of course . . . how could I have missed Diamonds/Stones. Thank you Auburn Annie. Are you "Auburn" from your locks or from "Auburn" CA?
. . . or neither/either.

I too, thank you for the link.

I drove today for the driving's sake. Mama was fine, so I did a mini-road trip (99cent store & back.)

While driving (the 99cent store I went to was in Bakersfield), a favorite from my youth, played on.

The Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle

For the purposes of the upcoming radio outreach, I can set it up to be a parable, if you will, of how wrong choices, and yes Sin, consume a persons life.

They did mine . . . until the Hammerstar came along.

Had to write it down before it escaped me.

The Rez

From Auburn NY - I have a cousin close in age, also from Auburn with the same name, so my Grandmother used to distinguish us as Auburn Annie (me) and Scranton Annie (her) because of where our mothers came from.

This Christmas Letter was supposed to have a
Beautiful Blue Border around it showing
Christmas Around the World.

The ones I e-mailed and printed did . . .
but I couldn't figure out how to do it here.

So, here's the text - yes, For You . . .
and imagine the Beautiful Blue Border

Blessed Peace . . .

DEAR ONES . . .

CHRISTMAS . . . 2005

PEACE ON EARTH GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN
THE HOPE OF ALL HUMANKIND . . . THE SOLID HOPE - NOT THE VAPOR WISH

ON OUR PIECE OF EARTH LIVES HOPE. MOM REGAINS HER INDEPENDENCE
FROM THE BROKEN BODY ENDURED NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO AS SHE FELL . . .
HER LEFT LEG AND HIP SHATTERING AS CRYSTAL
SHE IS NEITHER AS SHE WAS, NOR AS SHE WILL BECOME
BUT ENDURES HER PERSONAL TRAIL OF TEARS
WITH THE DIGNITY AND SPIRIT OF HER FOREFATHERS AND HER LORD
GRANDMA IS A DETERMINED CHEROKEE

WITH MOM’S HEALING TIME, COMES MINE
MR. VERTIGO IS STILL A TRAVELIN’ SALESMAN . . . FOOT-IN-DOOR
BUT THE FOOT COMES KICKING LESS AND LESS
I’M LEARNING, THROUGH GRANDMA.
IF I DON’T GIVE HIM SHELTER, HE’LL HAVE NO PLACE TO HIDE

MOM AND I? WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, YOU SEE
TWO KIDS AT A 4TH OF JULY PICNIC IN A THREE-LEGGED RACE

SUNDAY MORNINGS FIND US IN CHURCH
THAT FIRST SUNDAY BACK WAS A FULL HOMECOMING FOR MOM
SO MUCH LOVE POURED OUT TO THIS HUMBLE, GODLY WOMAN
THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY IT WAS, "OH, YOU BACK AGAIN?"
GLORIOUS HUMOR . . . LOVINKINDNESS . . .

I’M FIXIN’ TO RETURN TO RADIO AT CALVARY CHAPEL COSTA MESA
A LATE NIGHT OUTREACH TO THE HURTING SOUL (TITLE STILL IN CAUCUS)
HAVING WALKED MILES IN THOSE MOCCASINS,
I NOW AM ASKED TO USE THOSE MILES
TO MINISTER THROUGH MUSIC TO SOULS STILL ON THE ROAD
FOR WHATEVER REASON

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU EACH. TIMES LIKE THESE MUST NOT PASS ON
PLEASE KNOW THAT OUR ARROW PRAYERS ARE CONTINUALLY
IN FLIGHT TOWARD YOU THAT YOU BE COMFORTED, ENCOURAGED, EAGER, JOYFUL, AT PEACE - AND KNOW THE LOVE AND KNOW WITHOUT THE SMALLEST DOUBT

JESUS’ AIM IS TRUE . . .

[ December 20, 2005, 23:41: Message edited by: The Rez ]

Great sentiments, Rez. If you have time, say a Christmas prayer for my mother-in-law, who broke a hip a couple of weeks ago; combined with her other multiple ailments, she is in a very dicey situation. At best, she will have very limited mobility. At worst (or at best, depending on how you look at it), she may not be with us much longer.

Blessed Christmas wishes for you and your family, Rez, and to all the Corfidders.

DQ

A bit late on this info:

Tomorrow (Christmas EVE Morning) I'll be guesting on
The Saturday Morning Kids Show as Uncle Ned (my alter-ego.)

I'll be on across 7 - 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
However that translates to your time zone
is when you can catch it.

Just go to www.calvarychapel.com and follow
the Ministry links to KWVE radio and The Sat
Morn Kids Show. KWVE's programming is online
24/7.

Lotsa Christmas cheer to be sure, but I'm gonna
sneak in some fun folk music, too. The kids
love it as much as we do.

G'nite - gotta get up early . . .

The Rez