Good news for folks stuck with bad internet experience

Every now and then, I'll simply post a helpful hint or two for folks

 

Just go here for info on using a better web browser than you probably have right now.

 

Back to regular programming.

The Cows

  This isn't new, but it's... cropping up again.  heh

For those of y'all who've experienced the so-called "worship wars" in your local churches, this lil cautionary tale:

 

"The Cows Are in the Corn"

("First Verse")

What is a chorus?

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

"Well," said the farmer, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."

"Praise choruses," said his wife, "What are those?"

"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.

The farmer said, "Well it's like this: If I were to say to you: 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well, that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

 

'Martha, Martha, Martha,

Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA,

the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows,

the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn,

are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN.'

Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

("Second Verse")

What is a Hymn?

A young, new Christian went to his local church usually, but one weekend attended a church in the city. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

"Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs."

"Hymns," said his wife, "What are those?"

"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked his wife.

The young man said, "Well it's like this: If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song.

If, on the other hand, I were to say to you:

'Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry.
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
to the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain;
There in their heads is no shadow of sense.
Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain
unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night,
they all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by,
where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn,
where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.'

"Then, if I were to do only verses 1, 3, and 4, and do a key change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn."

(For the next few days, expect some of these canned posts, written up, saved and ready for posting. Probably not much over next few days'll be current events related. Time. Other things.)

Dandelions

A brief exposition on Matthew 6: 28-29

 

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Weeds are all in the eye (and heart) of the beholder. Let me submit for your consideration the lowly dandelion.  Was there ever a more beautiful yellow, a more deliciously luscious green? What a feast for the eyes!

 

And yet, our culture considers the dandelion to be a pest plant; not merely useless, but something to be eradicated. *sigh* Useless? Every part (excepting the seed puffball) of the dandelion is edible.  The greens cleaned and steamed or boiled are not only tasty but highly nutritious.  The root, after cleaning, peeling and then blanching, boiling or roasting is also highly nutritious and useful in many ways. And even the yellow bloom is nutritious and a treat for both the eye and the tastebuds in salads.

 

And what can I say of dandelion wine?

 

:-)

 

And, as much as our society spends to eradicate this nutritious food and lovely flowering plant, it thrives in spite of all the poisons thown its way.  And have you ever attempted to pull a dandelion to get rid of the "weed"?  Unless you get every last piece of the root, it's more than likely to simply grow back.

 

Lilies of the field? Nah. 

 

"Consider the dandelions how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

 

Consider these parallels to the Christian life that penetrate a tad deeper than we might think of lilies' simple dependence on God's provision for the glory of their raiment. The perseverance of the dandelion is a quality much to be admired... and emulated. ("Weary not in well-doing... " Gal: 6:6 ff.) Their very real beauty is despised by the world. ("For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish; to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life." 2Cor 2:15-16) And on, and on--the dandelion's usefulness: despised; the dandelion's persistance: persecuted *s*; and yet they raise their puffball heads above the fields to be cut down... and in dying, spread themselves even further afield.

 

See this post in a slightly different light at third world county

This reader sings!

Christine, of Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea, honors my humble ode to the Holy Bean with a recording...

 

...and made the recording available here as an mp3 download. Very nice voices, genuinely interesting voicing variations, well-sung.  All musical mistakes are mine in the manuscript.  All else in the recording is perfectly in character for the piece.  A fun interpretation.

 

Thanks, Christine! You'd have been welcome in any choir I ever directed!

 

BTW, if you want a visual tutorial in lucious blog design, trip on over to Christine's place for that reason alone.  Easy on the eyes design.  Information-dense. Nice.

 

Another note: since starting out as an Insignificant Microbe in the TTLB Ecosystem last weekend, Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea has evolved to Crawly Amphibian.  Be sure to wave as she passes you going up the evolutionary ladder!  *VBG*

 

A Honey of a Mom

I think that I shall never see
My mom when she ain't like a bee.
A bee with honey and a sting
Cos both make bees a wondrous thing.

Aww.. Grow Up: Kipling Tuesday

A portion of what is missing from the generations of perpetual adolescents we are producing via "public education" and pop culture: the desire to take a responsible place in adult society:

The Children's Song
Puck of Pook's Hills

Land of our Birth, we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be;
When we are grown and take our place
As men and women with our race.

Father in Heaven who lovest all,
Oh, help Thy children when they call;
That they may build from age to age
An undefiled heritage.

Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,
With steadfastness and careful truth;
That, in our time, Thy Grace may give
The Truth whereby the Nations live.

Teach us to rule ourselves alway,
Controlled and cleanly night and day;
That we may bring, if need arise,
No maimed or worthless sacrifice.

Teach us to look in all our ends
On Thee for judge, and not our friends;
That we, with Thee, may walk uncowed
By fear or favour of the crowd.

Teach us the Strength that cannot seek,
By deed or thought, to hurt the weak;
That, under Thee, we may possess
Man's strength to comfort man's distress.

Teach us Delight in simple things,
And Mirth that has no bitter springs;
Forgiveness free of evil done,
And Love to all men 'neath the sun!

Land of our Birth, our faith, our pride,
For whose dear sake our fathers died;
Oh, Motherland, we pledge to thee
Head, heart and hand through the years to be!