is the grass any bluer...

is the grass any bluer...
...in Cincinnati!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

All About Esau

My alto-in-arms, Betty Ceci, who harmonizes with me
at times when we are really not supposed to -- like during
the Gloria Patri (ain't we naughty?   lol :0
Another glorious weekend, topped off by a Sunday full of blessings and meaningful moments.  

After the health events of this past summer, I've made a commitment to myself to do, go and see the things I love to do, write more about harmony, less about conflict (aka drama), hug the folks that I love, and work my ass off to love the folks that I don't.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life investing energy and emotion into thorns and briars. I want to put my heart and soul into that which makes me a better neighbor.  I want to live like this is my last day, I want to pour out my life so that when I am ready to leave this Life, I will have nothing left to take with me.  I don't want to pass from this world without making a positive impact on someone, somewhere, in whatever way I can.
Penny Little rehearsing her solo with Dr. Kate Covington,
who has been our interim music director while Michael Rintamma
has been on sabbatical this summer.  This was Kate's last Sunday
before MR makes his triumphant return.   She is Grace personified...
(and so is Penny for that matter ;-)

I am a sinner.  Let's get that straight.  We all are, we all fall short of perfection, I don't care who we are or who we pretend to be or who we convince to love us -- we all have imperfections and flaws.  I don't profess to be the best Christian, the best singer, the best writer, the best at anything, actually.  However, I do love those who love kindness; who do justice, and who walk humbly with their God.  I know several souls who are atheists, yet they are some of the kindest people I know, the do the right thing, and although they are very talented, they do not boast, they do not run past those who cannot walk, and they lighten the load of their fellow man and woman.  Those are the people I aspire to follow.  Those are the people I want to be when I grow up.
My newest musical BFF, Roger BonDurant,
my BFF and makeup artist Tom Bragg, and me
on Friday night at CCI, singing an
Everly Brothers tune.  My friend, Katie, from
work showed up and we all had a grand time.
All good clean fun. Nobody got hurt. Nobody
got offended.  All laughs and giggles, all night.
Music is like that...good music,
anyway :)  

So, scrolling upward in this text, I notice I have used the word "I" a lot here today.  Maybe I'm being selfish, but I like to think of that as being introspective.  I like to fashion myself as someone whose only consistency is being inconsistent.  

Accordingly, I'm not going to feel guilty -- not tonight -- for saying the "I' word a lot.  I'm also not going to feel guilty about telling someone I love them, when I truly, truly do love them.  Love is not a 4-letter word.  Yes, I love to be in love; but if I tell you I love you, it is because I respect that which is the most basic part of your being.  I love people who are kind. I love the blogger who comes off like a mean-ass but who never fails to see when I'm hurting and sends me links to a profoundly uplifting messages, posts about how to move beyond the hurt and be forgiving.  

I love the man-about-town actor buddy who breaks a different girl's heart every day, yet who takes the time to check on me when he knows something is wrong, whether it's a peeper in my window or classic cardiac symptoms sticking their thorns in my aorta.

I love my ukulele student who doesn't practice, doesn't listen, rarely shows up on time for his FREE instruction...and who doesn't let any chance for sexual innuendo slip by...I love him because he brings me popsicles when I'm having a heat stroke and he gave me one of the best birthday gifts I've ever received, my ukulele. He's naughty, but he's nice.
Someone else who inspires me is award-winning
playwright Brian Hampton,
who, despite his talent, never lets his ego get in the
way of being kind, just and humble.
(I have a blog coming about him and his
movie Checking In, which stars one of my favorites,
Allie Darden, and was directed by former AGL artistic
guru, Rick St. Peter.  Stay tuned for more about all
of that :)

I love my friend whose heart is broken, who confides in me, who allows me to minister to him in my way and who shows his gratitude through his eyes, his actions, his words, his lack of hubris, who will walk down the street with me hand-in-hand and kiss me in front of all of the world.  
Dr. Michael Mooty, Jeanne Lucas ( a former Chancel Choir
member and now music director at a church near Boston.  She sings
like an angel! ), and choir pal Anne Taul...
I think that's Jeanne's dad in the background.

I love the singer who sings with me, the sister who harmonizes with me, the boss who chastises me yet whose gestures indicate a respectful gratitude for my skill and knowledge.

Love is everywhere.  I just need to embrace it and let all the rest melt away...because it will.  





So I'm writing more about music these days, and I'm enjoying my life immeasurably more than I have been lately.  I'm not going to let tomorrow take me down and not show my thankfulness for all that is joy and righteous.  
My gorgeous baby sis, Kelli, Buttons and Buttons' Mama,
at Sayre Christian Village today.  Buttons is quite the
uke fan!  lollyArf!  

This weekend has been filled with people I love.  Writers.  Singers. Guitarists.  Friends.  Sisters.  Neighbors.  I am one lucky, lucky gal.  Thanks for sharing my life with me, all of you lambchops (you know who you are).  


If music be the food of love, then laughter is its key.  

and forgiveness is the bread of Life.



I want to be more like Esau.  His life, filled with turmoil, sin and guilt, was memorialized for the mark he made on lives of others for generations thousands of years later, those who followed because he show us what Grace truly is...he forgave his brother, he loved, even though he was hated, and he showed kindness, justice and humility...

Our worship message today was about Esau. It was about how important it is to remember that the future is what is important, not what happened yesterday. Our minister's sermon gave me great reason to shed many tears, my choir sang a tremendous rendition of Amazing Grace (to the tune of O Waly Waly), and I left church this morning happy to have been a part of the service.  I then picked up my baby Sister, Kelli and we rehearsed before we went to play our gig at the nursing home, where we had a lovely time singing to my ukulele playing, and we were hugged, kissed and thanked profusely for doing something we love to do.

I'm going to shut the heck up now and leave you with a prayer:

Almighty God,
too often we forget your promise.
We live in ways that bring glory only to ourselves,
We bask in the false assumption
that we are in control of our lives.
Sometimes we want to tamper with the lives
of those around us for our own ends.
Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves
and to serve you more faithfully each day.
Amen.

This post seems to go 'round and 'round, and I'm sorry about all that...but I thank you for reading all of this. I feel better now.  I needed to get that off my heart.  Speaking of my heart, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to get all that checked out.  Please pray for me, and pray for
peace, y'all,
love,
Kimmy


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