not giving up, not ever

Many people were attempting to successfully invent a light bulb, but it was Thomas Edison who did. 

Ever think about how he just kept at it? He had to figure it out. Creating a vacuum in the glass, figuring out what type of metal would hold the light. Over and over and over, again and again?

Today I cut granite slabs and I've never done that and after talking to some people determined that with the proper blade in a circular saw and with some water it could be done. 

I have to tell you that 1/2 way through the first cut, I was ready to give up. The saw blade bucked and then froze as the saw's engine let out a "I'm frozen" hum. It freaked me out. This is a 5' x 18", two inch thick piece of granite. Some serious, heavy, thick stone and my saw was not cutting it...literally. Am I going to get through this. I have a lot of cuts to make!! How is this going to work. Should I just.....give up?

I called a friend. 

She told me kinda what I already knew and was doing, she said yes, of course it can be done. She mentioned using a lot of water. 

I hung up, thought about what she had said

I said okay....more water, okay push down on the saw and okay let's see this through. I did. 

After each cut, I figured out something a little better to do. How to break the granite apart, how to properly disperse the water, how to do this and that, but yet, I was going to give up. Seriously give up. 

It was hard. 
It took all day. 
It's far from perfect (the cuts that is) and my ground is nice and muddy. 

But, I cut granite. Seriously thick granite. 

I often think about those telemarketers that always call. How do they do it? Why don't they give up? How to they have the spirit to call the next person, time after time after time?
They don't give up. 

Neither should we, not ever. 

grow and inspire

grow and inspire

every day I am growing....even at the ripe age of fifty

every day I try to inspire, despite my prejudices
DESPITE MY PREJUDICES, that loom large, my prejudices, they loom large

every day I try to do something creative
and as I get older, I seem to get selfish

"star, star teach me how to shine, shine teach me so i so I know what's going on in your mind, cause I don't understand these people, saying the hills to steep well...." The Frames

let's all work on shining real bright like

tomorrow

Today has been long, my kinda day. I love long days. Days were purposed for 24 hours, and frankly I have never thought that was enough. I'd like to see a 32 hour day and in that, I have learned, sleep is a rejuvenator.

All in all, today was good. That being said there is so, so, much going on. BnB w/the lovely later this month, a wedding to attend  :),a  mini vaca with the youngest (21yrrs old), then camp, and not to mention work. New store opening and the fun that goes with it. 

Hey, word of God to follow - - you've been warned!!!!

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious enough for itself. Sufficient for the day is it's own trouble." Jesus the Christ  (go ahead.....reread that)

For those that struggle with; Jesus,I say, truly and really- what is wrong with those words???  What is wrong w/Christians??????...yeah, I get it. There is a lot wrong with Christians, and people in general, and then......"do not judge or you too, will be judged"....yeah Christians don't practice that exactly right now do they, nope. But many try....just like all of us do. 

But back to the subject at hand - today. What will tomorrow bring, bring for the people who ran the Boston Marathon?, for the people in 911?, the starving/dying children of the world?

I guess what I am trying to say is this-

Today was May 1st, 2013, and it was the only one ever made, hope you made the best of it and if not....there are still a few hours left. 

Go. 

time...frozen

imagine, if you will, that the most special moment(s) you ever had in life were always. 

that the happiness of those moments were for always. 

wouldn't that be something. 

I would love to freeze time forever. make the best days for always and never lose those emotions, those smiles and that happiness, that joy. 

but it goes away....doesn't it? Or does it?

that depends

what do you subscribe to?

do you subscribe to the world and it's ways?

Anderson Cooper is on CNN interviewing the Boston Fire Department
ESPN is broadcasting the NFL Draft
and somewhere, but not in my hotel room, the season finale of Project Runway is on

what if we subscribed to forever?
what if we all believed and...and....and....encouraged one another in that belief

would that belief come easier? 
would time become frozen....ahhhhhhhh

happiness in permanence

I think God calls it heaven

it is forever
it is always
encourage me
I will encourage you

there is nothing else, nothing else, but me...and you...nothing. 

the repertoire

Here is what I play- 

Wonder by Natalie Merchant
This is the first song I really learned. Especially the lyrics. Lyrics can be hard, but these lyrics came naturally and quickly. "They say I must be one of the wonders of God;s own creation, and as far as they see they can offer no explanation", that is the chorus and with my belief in God this came quickly. It lifts me up to know - " "I must be one of the wonders of God's own creation". And yet this is a song of pain and overcoming that pain with faith and love. 

Winter's Storm by Joshua James
I love playing this song....actually I love singing this song. I love immersing myself in singing the lyrics..By far the easiest song to play on guitar that I know and ranking up there as one of the most powerful songs I know.. 

A friend, Alex Miller, once encouraged me by saying- "some of the best songs I know are one chord.". Since I only play chords, right now, that was highly encouraging. This is not a one chord song, but close enough to what Alex said. The lyrics to this song are just drop dead powerful. 

Stars Go Blue by Ryan Adams

I have read in many places what this song means and what the writer Ryan meant when he wrote it. This  song does not really carry the same for me,, and I think that is okay. 

This song speaks to me of loneliness, something my personality feels all to often and it hits my heart. Yes, I have a family and an amazingly loving wife (who puts up with a lot), but all to often I am where the "stars go blue". 

He Loves by John Mark McMillan

This song speaks to my Christianity. Anyone who really knows me knows I try and try and try to be a godly man. I love singing this song to the masses, playing and singing it with a group of people. 

From the opening line - "He is jealous for me", He has me. 

Something Beautiful by Alexi Murdoch

Of everything I play I dream of mastering this simple, but amazingly powerful two sentence song. 

"May the grace of God be always in your heart, may you find the strength to know that; you are something beautiful"

"And I thought, that I saw, I thought I saw a light shine, thought I saw a light shine"

This song BLOWS ME AWAY. 

There are many songs that I started with that have not made the cut, but are still in the works-

Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Peace, Love and Understanding by Nick Lowe

To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Heroes by David Bowie

Hurt by Trent Reznor

God's Gonna Cut You Down by unknown; version I play by Johnny Cash

Silly Love Songs by Paul McCartney

Lantern by Josh Ritter
Can I Stay by Ray LaMontagne

...and the list goes on and on. 

If we should meet, I would enjoy playing anything I know with you dear reader. Thank you for reading and maybe even eventually listening. 

Thanks to so many people for music in my life- Judy Skeels, Adam Hill, Mike Weiss and the entire Upper Darby cru- Greg, Ricky, Aaron, Daniel, Sarah and Penny as well as Ben, Barbie and Louie. A big thanks to my locals- Gerry and Matt!! My camp alum- Mary, Mike, Debo, Tim and all the staff and of course my fam- Margaret, Sean, Aryn & Johnny and Taylor.

Playing has only been a part of my life in my latter years and you have all contributed more than you will ever know. 

And there is of course you....the reader. Thank you.
 I blog to get my emotions out, but to think someone may share them and love me, for me. Well...thank you. 

Grace - - Peace - - Love

                                         Tate

what would you like to hear?

things I have learned (so far)

    Love to Love & Give to Give

                           
Of everything I have learned in life, from the awesomeness of the Beatles to not blindly sticking your hand in an evergreen tree (bees!!!). Loving to love and giving to give ranks as the most important of all.

If you are going to love, love. Do so without a return expectation and do the same with any giving you should do. 

It is easy for this writer, to love and give to those outside my family without any expectations in return, but I admit, it isn't as easy with my parents and siblings. As a matter of fact, I have no problem taking from them, but giving and loving? That's a difficult thing for me. And then giving time?! - wow, that is a whole other discussion?

I have always had a hard time in giving my time to my parental family and this bled into the family I started. I think I have done better then expected, but gee, the cliche' of wishing I knew then what I know now holds very true. 

So here we stand with the reversing of time impossible and what have we learned?

If you should love, love. Do so, to do so. 

If you should give, give, and do so, to do so. 

And I think we should all do so. 

do u think u r more beautiful then u say?

"tell me about you?" 

"my mom told me I had a big jaw"

"I look closed off and fatter"

describe yourself, then listen to a stranger describe you

"her eyes, they lit up when she spoke" 
is someone else describing you, imagine it was you describing you
Is that far-fetched????

That is exactly how God describes you. It truly is. No matter what others have told you, including your parents, family, friends and enemies; 
God describes you with amazing beauty. 

Not just because He loves you, but because He LOVES YOU.
I have a friend who every time he leaves your presence he says, while looking in your eye ~ ~ "God loves you"

IMAGINE THAT?!  

God loves ME!!!!!!

and he loves me for who I am 

not who I want to be

not who I used to be

not anything, 

but who I am

me

and He loves u 2 4 who u r 

special thanks to my favorite oldest child, Sean, for giving me the inspiration for this blog - CHIVE ON! - 

this will add insight

http://thechive.com/2013/04/16/women-just-a-friendly-reminder-you-are-more-beautiful-than-you-think-video/

peace love grace