Inadequate Words

My friends lost their little 3 1/2 year old daughter this week. They put her to bed with kisses and hugs and lovies and stories, and when they went in to get her up the next morning, she was gone.

Dearest Mommy and Daddy, dearest Aunties and Uncles, dearest Grammies and Grandpas...my heart truly knows your pain. I walked through this valley five years ago, and if I learned anything that I can teach you, it would be my privilege to pass it on to you. It's your journey now, but you do not travel alone. Remember that the same God you glorified the day Karissa was born, is the same God who loved and supported you through the health problems and diagnoses, is the same God who holds you now.

This song holds me up. I pray it does the same for you.

Glory Baby
by Watermark

Glory Baby, You slipped away
As fast as we could say "baby"
You were growing, what happened, dear?
You disappeared on us baby, baby
Heaven will hold you before we do
Heaven will keep you safe
Until we're home with you

But we'll miss you everyday, we'll miss you in every way
But we know there's a day when we will hold you
And you'll kiss our tears away, when we're home to stay
We can't wait for the day when we will see you
But baby, let sweet Jesus hold you
Until mom and dad can hold you
You'll just have heaven before we do
You'll just have heaven before we do

Sweet little baby, it's hard to understand it
'Cause we are hurting, we are hurting
But there is healing, and we know we're stronger people
Through the growing, and in knowing
All things work together for our good
And God works His purposes
Just like He said he would

I can't imagine heaven's lullabies
And what they must sound like
But I can rest in knowing that heaven is your home
And it's all you'll ever know, all you'll ever know

We miss you everyday, we'll miss you in every way
But we know there's a day when we will hold you
And you'll kiss our tears away, when we're home to stay
We can't wait for the day when we will see you
But baby, let sweet Jesus hold you
Until mom and dad can hold you
You'll just have heaven before we do
You'll just have heaven before we do

Near, far, wherever you are

When I was in the 6th grade, part of our core curriculum included a subject we called music. (I know; I'm very very old.) We performed folk dances like the Virginia Reel, studied great art, and learned songs from all over the world. My favorite was the Canadian national anthem, which I still find myself singing whenever I hear it played. Admittedly, that's not often, but sometimes the random Canadian will win an ice-or-snow-related Olympic event, and I'll start belting out "O Canada, my home and native land."

It never occurred to me that I was avowing my allegiance to a country other than my own. I just really like that kind of loyalist, patriotic song. (Last week I was driving down the 215 singing my high school alma mater at the top of my lungs, but that's another story) This music makes my heart swell, my throat constrict, my eyes mist. You can keep your sappy love songs, and give me a marching band and a rousing version of Hail to the Chief.

This weekend, the Praise Ensemble is singing God Bless America, as recorded by French-Canadian Celine Dion. I wonder if she ponders the irony of singing a blatantly pro-USA song, or if she --like me-- simply loves to sing that kind of bold, strongly nationalistic, lump-in-the-throaty kind of music.

Blue and white we hold before us
As our song we raise
O Ramona, alma mater of our high school days

((sob))

Stand beside her, and guide her...

It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage; that is our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old, as we raise our voices to the God who is the Author of this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound—sound in unity, affection, and love—one people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and hopeful world. God bless you and may God bless America.

from Ronald Reagan's 2nd Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985

You're so fine, you blow my mind...

We'll be on the Magic cruising the waters of Mexico when the Olympics begin. I can't wait to see what the cast and crew do for the opening ceremonies! I promise to take lots of pictures to post when we get home.

Yo homes, smell ya later

Hancock: Bad. Awful. Terrible. Dreadful. No redeeming qualities. The best line in the whole fiasco was the one at the box office. I should have gone to see Wall-E instead.

Save your $7.50. In fact, wait 'til it's on video, then don't rent it.

Flow it, show it, long as I can grow it...

Shear Genius has begun. It's a typical reality show...lots of bleeped words, lots of less-than-macho men, lots of infighting, lots of blatant product placement. This time, instead of singing or dancing or yodeling or designing Barbie's ballgown/tennis togs, they're cutting and coloring and styling hair.

As with all programs of this genre, every single one of the contestants thinks they are The Next Great Thing--Just Wait Til Jennifer Aniston Sees What I Can Do while everyone else is a sad little mistake.

I'm pining for Tim Gunn.

Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Ferris is on The View today, and his hair is getting GRAY! He's going the way of The Fonz.