Christmas Poem 2010

“A Perfect Christmas Night”


Faces of Cheribs
Excitement, dis-belief
Surprise, laughter, joy
Fear of the Fat Man

Food for a crowd
Fish!, MaMa’s Lasagna!
Dipping pears in Grampa’s wine
More food than I ever thought existed

Fireplace warm
Hot chocolate, movies
Quiet Carols, Quiet night
O Holy Night

Family Fun
Grandpa’s farm
Games: everyone must play
Side splitting laughter

Following the Star….
Heavenly singers among us
Candlelight calls us
“Fall on your knees”


I wish this night would never end

The evening went way too fast

… A perfect Christmas night.



This poem is the compilation of holiday memories of the Life Choice Hospice River Edge, NJ team members composed of: Lori Vollkommer, Jennifer O’Hara, Karen Miles, Maureen Capista, Elaine Dudek, Colleen Swick, Jan Scoville, and written by Richard Harris
Christmas 2010

HOPE IN PENNSYLVANIA

To my dear friends in PA....

Sermons are inadequate for the current crisis you are in. It is LOVE which will make the difference in your situation. You are loved... and being loved. You are surrounded by prayer and by caring brothers and sisters. You are blessed.

I was thinking that mature Christians find out how dependent they really are when cancer comes or some other crisis. We remember all those "stock answers" we used with other people to bring hope and encouragement to them in their time of pain. We remember shaking our heads in wonder at someone elses' situation, and just pray that they will be comforted in their time of trouble. We look for Bible verses that will somehow speak to the heart of the hurting one, and try our best to present ourselves to them as sympathetic and understanding. .... nothing prepares us for facing our own crisis times.

Where do we find relief in the storm of worry, concern, pain (sometimes), and the whirlwind of confusion that comes from conflicting advice and is sometimes exacerbated by well meaning fellow believers who say "dumb" things. Those "well meaning" words only add to the stress and turmoil that we face. BUT... thank God... we can cover over someone else's attempt at love knowing that the source of that action is the Love of Christ working in their hearts to bring Hope to you. So... our reaction... smile and say "thank you"... knowing that they are feeling as uncomfortable as we are in the exchange. And by saying "thanks"... it brings relief to both of you... the giver and the receiver of words.

Most importantly, in all this discussion about "love" from our fellow sufferers is the Love of God in Christ. If that "love" expressed in faulty humanness brings some measure of comfort (ignoring the "dumb" part)... think how much Love is poured out by our Savior... who is perfect and does not say "dumb" things! Somehow in the background noise of someones words... we hear our Master. HE is speaking through them. Oddly enough we find in Scripture God speaking His message using a donkey!

All this to say, that almost any expression of love and encouragement that we try to give you is tainted by our sinful humanity. But, if you listen close enough... you will find something to give you HOPE IN PENNSYLVANIA !

1956

1956
23 Mayer Ave
Buffalo, New York

"Ricky", My Dad and Mom -Walter and Dorothy, and Grandma Jenny Harris

I have no idea what the occasion was, if any. I am guessing my brother Walt was behind the camera.

Notice the coverage of the flash - the old blue bulb with the strands of filaments inside that burst into flame when you pressed the shutter button. Judging from the size of the image, I am thinking it was a brownie camera with flash attachment.
The original photo is on deckle edge paper with high gloss finish that crinkles (upper left) when bent. I remember using a silver coated nickle plate. You put the wet finished print on the plate an rolled over the back with a rubber roller to get that shiny surface. We had a drug store on the corner that processed all our film. At that time we did not take a lot of pictures because of the cost.

I did doctor the photo with a scan on our all-in-one and then used Picassa edit tool to add contrast and take out photo blemishes. I deliberately did not take out all of the spots etc. It is, of course, 1956 !

Each new day...

Every day is a new day. A new day to start fresh with your dreams and goals.

Yes, life gets complicated on occasion. Sometimes those complications are of our own making. We make choices about what we are going to do in the next few minutes, and sometimes those minutes explode into hours. In the process our dreams and goals are left in the dust, and we don't have enough time left in the day to pursue them. Maybe this is a lack of discipline; maybe this is an "unconscious" attempt at avoiding the really important things in life. I'm not sure on occasion.

What about our dreams... those elusive things we wish to see happen, but just never come into view. Is the answer in blocking everything else out except those few things and concentrating on those few items? Unfortunately, that does not work for me. There are too many others areas of my life that need attention to zero in on a few selected goals.

On the other hand. Maybe the key is to un-complicate things and shed a lot of things that don't serve the major goal. OK, I have read the time-management books like you have. I have been a slave to my day-timer (when it was paper - remember those days?). I am not sure my life was much different than when I was going day to day, solving problems - my own and others; chasing kids; going about daily work. It just seemed at the time that the chaos was a little more organized.... and made me feel better about it. (Not dissing planners etc).

Personally, I have found satisfaction in being able to help someone 'in the moment'. To be an agent of change and hope in someone else's life. How is that measured? Sorry... there's no way to measure the effects of a 'word spoken in season' (as the KJV Bible puts it.) I suppose the accumulation of small acts of kindness and courtesy can add up to 'a life well lived.' Why not?

The Deer

Deer

Heart beats quicken
Game is on the run
The beauty of the the beast
Draws a longing gaze

I raise my bow
Aim at the heart
Agonizing patience
Ponder the path

I see her eyes
Steeled toward me
Calmly release
The powerful bow

My heart fixes
on easy prey
My goal
To own and consume

I am skilled
In the art
Of taking...
for myself

What stands before me
Catching my eye
My heart envelops
The object of desire

The Triumph...Empty
As I awaken
The Hunt is illusory
Clouding my heart





"The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9 (New Living Translation)

Friends Facing the Future

This is a message for my dear friends, John, Jill and Josh, who read my blogs regularly.

You know our God is Mighty, and has Power beyond all knowledge. You trust in our Savior, and testify of His love and mercy in your lives. There are no sermons that can adequately address all that is happening in your lives at the moment. There are no words that can 'fix it' for you.

BUT, there is Love from the "Father of Lights" that surrounds you and, amazingly enough, comes by means of God's people on occasion. That we can be a little help to you in your need gives us joy beyond words. Our church family is hovering over you in prayer as you face the illness (and related issues) that God has allowed you face at this time in your ongoing relationship with Him.

Don't give up. We love you.

Norway Fjords

This is a haunting shot of the Fjord trip we took in Norway. Another example of digital magic. We had an absolutely beautiful day on this trip, and our host, Irene, said the weather is not always as cooperative. Hope you enjoy this shot.

Peter's wedding.

My oldest son, Peter, and his lovely bride, Kristin, as I officiate at their wedding.
What a joy and privilege for me!
These pictures are from a very talented young lady who gave the photos the sepia treatment. Very well timed photography. Not to take away from the beauty of the occasion of the Wedding of course.
This was a wonderful, magical wedding that was very different than any other wedding I have taken part in. Peter and his bride are very happy together, and they will be a huge blessing and encouragement to those they will reach out to in the future.
What a beautiful couple! What a beautiful wedding.

digital photos

Sunne, Sweden.

An incredibly beautiful little town.
What amazes me is the quality of photos that you can make with the small point and shoot digital cameras! I can remember the days when you had to wait to see if you got the shot... and in the process snap off about a dozen photos at 40cents each hoping one of them might be a 'keeper' . I deliberately left this one 'raw' with no digital monkey business! My camera for this shot: Fujifilm Finepix Z5... with up to 6 meg. Anyway, I love this picture and it brings back many good and happy memories of our trip to Sweden to visit our friends there.

If you are wondering, the church in the background, tying the composition together is the State Lutheran Church. The Swedes take their "church" seriously. In fact we were told that before a new town is established, the government builds a church first before anything else. (Don't know if that is fokelore or not).

I became interested in photography at the age of 10 or so. I learned darkroom processing when my parents bought me a complete set (second hand). I never really perfected darkroom techniques until in college when I did most of the photography (from camera to yearbook). I could never afford good equipment, but did the best with what I had.

I remember telling myself, when digital cameras first came out, that I would NEVER go digital. Well, my first digi was a Nikon Coolpix, the first generation. After I started seeing the results from that 2Meg camera, I virtually stopped using 35mm cameras. Say, I have a really well-kept Olympus OM system, complete with original Olympus lenses... if you want the set, let me know... make me an offer I can't refuse. (I am so 'sold' on digital, I have no real desire to shoot 35 anymore- something I thought would never happen.)

Exercise

Exercise is not easy. When you see people exercising you mostly observe the pain on their faces that is caused by exertion, and usually redness in the face from the effort. It doesn't look fun. However just about everyone I speak to who exercises to exhaustion tells me the same thing... it is worth it! And the benefits are both short and long term... so why don't we do it? This is not a forum for excuses, so there is no point giving rationalizations. Diet and exercise are vitally important to being a well-rounded (no pun intended) individual. Without divulging my own lack of discipline in this area (you can guess it exists), I think it's important for us to stick together and get back (if you need to) into that discipline.

Over the years I have come to fully understand that this subject is deeply spiritual, and it affects every part of our lives. Years ago I remember counseling training that addressed 'life dominating habits.' The concept is that we compartmentalize our issues and want to think that one area of our lives has no effect on all the other areas of our lives. Which is false! We think we are getting away with stuff, and we are affecting our entire soul, spirit and body. And that is a sobering thought when we choose to actually think about such things.

OK, let's do something about this and get back into a positive, God-honoring lifestyle that puts us on the path to better health.

That way, we can serve the Master better.... and probably longer.

Music and Spirituality

A very dear friend of mine mused about my Jazz program I gave at his church and innocently said something like 'I hope we see some spiritual good come out of this secular program'. As if there were some kind of great divide between secular and sacred. I want to address this briefly anecdotally, but not necessarily cursorily.

Over the past number of years I have come to understand my Jazz programs to be intensely spiritual, and moving. I suppose most serious performers realize this in some way, but it has taken on a new reality for me since I have been providing music programs for various churches. I see the way people react (in all settings) -not to me -but to the music itself. I use music backgrounds and play Trumpet, and add my own phrasing and musical comments along the score. I glance at the audience and I see smiles that come from deep within. You musicologists out there can tell me that studies have been done that show that music is processed on both sides of the brain... giving an indication that somehow the music experience affects us in ways we cannot understand, and probably reaches deep within our souls.

Having said that, it is interesting that when people hear music they like, they stop everything and 'groove' to the music. Take a look at audiences and watch what happens when they are connecting to the music. They put down the fork or coffee and start clapping in time or dancing in their seats - or jumping up and dancing. I suggest there is something mysterious (and spiritual) going on.

Ok, let's work with this for a moment. I am at a church event (usually in a hall) and people are listening to "secular" music (classic Jazz and Pop), and they are suddenly happy, and connected to the music. They are disappointed when the music stops, (and also when I don't move fast enough between pieces.) Sometimes this produces comments... like 'aww... don't stop now' at the end of my program.

Getting back to the spiritual discussion, I too had similar thoughts as my friend that you can't mix "secular" and "sacred". However my theology (Reformed) had led me to believe that everything in our lives is "sacred" - but somehow this one aspect of "securlar music" somehow escaped me and I never thought very deeply about it until I started providing Jazz for churches - my own and several others.

Here is the 'long and short' of it for me:

Since God in His sovereign wisdom created us in His image, creativity is clearly a reflection of God in us. By "common grace" God has gifted people musically and the world sees (hears) the voice of God in the deepest part of their souls. Think about this when you see someone crying (or yourself crying) at a concert where music is played that has somehow affected you in the past or in the present). It is not uncommon to see people shed tears at my Jazz programs, especially the ballads like "Misty" or "Someone To Watch Over Me"... not with superficial tears, but the kind that come out of nowhere unexpectedly. Why does this happen? I suggest it comes naturally because God has placed in all of us humans with a very sensitive "move me" button. Emotion, long denied to Evangelical "mainstream" Christians. You cannot deny the emotion. It simply flows up from somewhere inside. Your spirit.

I said in my poem about music:

The privilege is mine
To be the chauffer
Of such persuasive rhythms
That move the heart.
Then… I smile.

See the poem in full here

That poem will give you a clue about what is on my heart about this subject. Yes, I believe that music, in general, has a deeply spiritual quality. (I did not address here the negative impact that some music has on people when that music distorts the image of God and causes spiritual harm. But the starting place is the same... a heart that is somehow moved to create! I suppose another way to state my thesis is that music is inherently spiritual.

Most of my life, I have stumbled into things. I was not raised in a privileged home where music lessons were a stepping stone to wealth and fame. Nothing against that, if God has placed you there. However, in my life it seems that my musical career has been a stepping into the unknown, unguided, unplanned. And I have experienced an outlet for my natural abilities to play the trumpet (guitar, mandolin and other instruments). And in that sharing of my full soul for music, other souls are moved. That to me is the point. Making a connection spiritually, not just to the music, but the one performing. Let me illustrate. You are sitting in an audience listening to some really grooving music, and you suddenly find yourself all alone in the crowd, the musician is playing for YOU and that connection carries you beyond the moment, your surroundings, your self-awareness... and you are transported, if but for a few moments, into a place of soul soothing rest. I had one lady give me one of the greatest compliments I have ever received in my life. It was at an Assisted Living, and this dear woman was perfectly aware of her surroundings and situation in life. I played my usual playlist, knowing that people will 'like' it. But she came to me afterward and said... "you know, I was sitting there listening to you play those familiar tunes and it just enveloped my soul." This was not a church setting! Those words burn in my heart even now. By the grace of God I was able to convey to another human being something that moved her spirit. How cool is that!

I play now with a deep awareness that whatever the tune may be (e.g. "It don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing") it is "spiritual" and in some mysterious way is penetrating a cold heart and "enveloping" a soul.

test post

Logos Bible Software gave us this "Tag" to put Bible verses on the blog, and when you hover over them the Bible verse appears. This is a test entry to see if I can get it working.

Romans 6:1

"by golly" it works!! Now when I have a Bible verse to point to, all you do is hover your mouse over the verse! Cool beans!

Norway... cool shot

I just can't get away from looking at my Norway pics! This shot is on the top of a mountain looking down into the valley below from an observer's viewing area. I have several other shots like this and it seems that all you have to do is point your camera in the right direction and you get a beautiful picture. I did crop this a little, and it came out even more interesting. I did not "adjust" colors etc. The bus ride to the top was quite scary. Hair-pin turns in a rather large bus, with cars coming down the mountain. and passengers looking out the bus window almost straight down, remarking in numerous indistinguishable languages... expressions of fright! My favorite English phrase was "oh boy!" But we made it to the top, and the riders gave the bus driver a spontaneous round of applause. Truly, it was a memorable trip!

Harold...

Harold...


Harold came of age
during the depression.

Never idle.
No bread lines...

Finally...
Foundry work.

Never groused...
Kept shoveling.

Wry wit,
Winking eye...

Self made,
Slept well.

Short on words,
Tall in humor,

Story teller...
Over and over.

Loved life,
Loved his wife

Lonely in time,
Longing for Heaven.

Once happy...
Happy once more.




....

Harold was a remarkable and simple man. He was humorous, lovable and always joking. This quiet man made a huge impression on my heart.

You need new strings on your guitar...

"New Strings"


Little adjustments
Force the instrument
To Sing a different song

Strings argue
With me
Fighting back

Sound rings
Notes rise
In tune

Harmony comes hard
With newly born strings
Crying out in pain

Music flows
Over my heart
Past my soul


R D Harris

The Oil Spill.... and your Heart

The oil spill is beyond comprehension now.

People in the gulf area are suffering, and will suffer in job losses, and in may other ways. We add our prayers to those already engaged in the 'great prayer' for the Gulf. Pictures of the sludge and the dead wildlife are truly heartbreaking.

I don't want to be overly dramatic in using this as an illustration.... but...

Isn't sin a lot like the oil spill? It runs deep underwater and surfaces eventually to create a gooey slime that is dangerous to clean up and continues to stink even after the visible goop is in plastic bags. It also damages the sea floor so that once fertile seafood production areas are now going to be dead for a long time. Sin is gooey stuff!

We don't like to think about it. For the people in the gulf, many can smell the strong, sickening odor every time they go outside... it follows them around- sticks to their clothes. Sin does that too. It follows us around and wants to stick to our clothes! Multiple washings don't do the trick. Hamlet couldn't wash his hands enough either!

OK, so what do we do now.

It is not as easy as 'wishing' the oil to go away. The reaction of some in the government is to want to kick something! But that 'ain't' going to work. It will take something far larger than good intentions and crocodile tears. It will take something BIG to contain this sinful sludge in our hearts. Only the GRACE of God will clean you up and get rid of the odor of sin in your life! It is only reliance upon the Sovereign God to take away my sin that will finally set me free from it's gooeyness. For believing Christians this is a daily exercise in faith and repentance. It is the only way to be clean and whole. By coming to Christ in sorrow for your sin, and faith working in your heart, by his Sovereign grace, we have "peace with God." And our oil spill is contained!

About the Poem "Lord I Am Thankful"

Addendum to the poem "Lord I Am Thankful" (two post's below)...

This poem was written by Janet Chapman, a dear Saint of God who was a member of my church. I had the privilege of officiating at her funeral, and read this poem that she wrote some years ago. Janet was 80 something and had dementia. She did not speak during the last year of her life, but she sang the old Hymns... every word, every verse... and her voice was sweet and clear. She was very helpful to me and my wife when one of our children had chosen to go his own way a number of years ago. She said at that time "I understand what you are going through... I was a rebellious child, and broke my parent's hearts too". This very deeply spiritual Scottish Presbyterian lady was a person who prayed for not only us, but for everyone in the fellowship.

Upon her death, her dear husband gave me this poem written in her own hand-writing. And I made copies for everyone at church. I am a poet of sorts and can recognize good poetry when I see it, and this is a gem. Allow me to give you some background for this piece.

Janet grew up in a strict Scottish Presbyterian home, where she thought her father was being severe in his desire to raise his children in the way of that communion. (e.g. - no play on the Sabbath; multiple services etc). She rebelled as a teen, and walked far from God. Later she came to realize the truth of the Gospel and became thankful for the training she had as a child.

Later on in life she married an incredible man who loved her as Christ loved the church! Jim treated her like the queen... and although they had no children they adopted and took in numerous Chinese immigrants who needed a sponsor and a place to stay. They had a large extended family of wonderful Chinese who all called them "mother" and "father". What an incredible legacy!

Some time ago Jim was teaching her how to drive, and was in the garage directing her into it. Janet hit the gas instead of the brake and crushed both his legs, which he lost and even now is using prosthetic legs. Jim never blamed her. He was never angry with her, and accepted his disability as "from the hand of God." He never once, ever brought it up again to Janet, or to anyone else. He kept on serving God, legs or no. Janet was covered with the GRACE of God through Jim. For that she was thankful!

How many of us could deal with this situation in a similar way. Even those of us who have a mature faith, it would be difficult. Janet was the recipient of extraordinary Love and Mercy.

Last of all, Jim and Janet had a hobby of tending roses outside their garage. It was a testimony of amazing grace, as those roses bloomed and died, and came back to life each year... a testimony of God's forgivness in Janet's life especially, and she commemorated this in her poem.

I asked for permission to publish the poem, and Jim was glad for this. I hope and pray this explanation of the poem's origin will give you a sense of God's Amazing grace freely offered to you.

It's been a while since my last post, so I am back now.

Life is good. We face all sorts of circumstances in life that create multi-faceted situations that either depress us, or send us 'thru-the-roof' with unexplained joy. Not every day can be a happy day. Things go wrong, things happen... and just 'things.' There are so many variables for whether we have a good day or bad day. Jerry Bridges, a Christian writer talks about this in his books. Whether you are having a "good day" or "bad day" God is still in charge, and He will use you to glorify His Holy Name even though you 'feel' like you will never be able serve him. It's on a "day-to-day" basis for most Christians. And my opinion is that is the way it should be... "daily walking close to thee..." (Just a Closer Walk). We worry too much about how we "feel"... and don't worry enough about living moment to moment. OK, I had a few bad days this month. I felt disconnected and maybe even a little bit 'on my own'. But that 'feeling' is just that - a 'feeling' - a momentary splash of emotion, physical symptoms, and mental attitude. That's what 'feelings' are. They are temporary. It is only God who who is not affected by these fleeting human characteristics. (Except, of course, Jesus in His humanity). So, we accept our human-ness and realize that one day may have more emotional/spiritual/physical challenges than another. But at the same time, we have a supernatural God to intervene and bring us back to reality.

OK, feelings are important - mainly because they are such a large part of our lives. But we need to check our feelings against the backdrop of God's love and mercy. We look at 'yesterday' and rest in God that He will lead us through the crazy forest of life.... and we WILL come into a "wide space".

"Lord I Am Thankful...

Lord I am thankful


For Your love that meant the Cross.
For the Plan you had for me before my birth.
For the Parents who taught my infant feet The Holy Way.
Lord I am thankful.

For the love, the forgiveness, the peace
You gave on my return to Thee
For I had rebelled and gone My Way
Lord I am thankful.

For the Husband You had planned for me
For his love, humor and patience
And especially for his zeal for Thee
Lord I am thankful.

For the beauty that is there for eyes that see.
For natures promise of eternity
Seen in the rose that dies only to bud
and bloom another day
Lord I am thankful

Janet Chapman