This Present Dissonance

I have heard life to be compared to a symphony, emphasizing all the different musicians playing together and making music and somehow it sounds beautiful. I like that.
I like better the idea of life like a piece of music. There are millions of pieces of music that exist, and an infinite number that can be written.
The melody is what happens in our lives, there are ups and downs. There are times when the jumps are difficult and other times it feels like we are just gently drifting up or down. There are times when we stay on many whole notes tied together and other times we are jumping through thirty-second notes in a quick two four beat.
Then there is harmony. Beautifully orchestrated, everything fits together. The composer, that author of our life, has chosen and put together everything just as he chose for it to be.
In music it is important for it to feel like it is going somewhere. The sweet melodies are nice, they are easy, but if the piece is to become real and passionate, there must be dissonance in it somewhere.  In music dissonance is found everywhere. The fourth, the second, the suspension, the chord that feels like it need to go somewhere. The leading tone is named after it's dissonance. Without the piece feels like it hasn't gone anywhere.
If our lives can be represented by music, there is dissonance in them. There is tough situations and difficult times that we all experience. There is where we are and where we should be. There is times when nothing makes sense, but the compose, the author of our life, has chose each point of dissonance and constructed in unique way that will lead us to where we need to be complete.
Cadences happen throughout music. At the end of a phrase, a verse, and the piece. There are ones that sound complete and some that don't and then there are the ones that sound like they are going to be complete, but at the last moments set you for some more. A deceptive cadence adds color to a piece, and maybe best represents when we leave the world here on earth and enter heaven. It appears that it is almost over, that there is nothing left, but then there is more.
 At the end of a piece of music there is a cadence, the final ending, it feels complete, that the music is fully resolved. Some piece end abruptly and others have long drawn out back and fourth chords tying in everything.
As Christian we know our composer and as each composer has an almost predicable style we know our composer end the music of all Christians in a similar way. All of our songs, we are told, end in front of the throne of the Lamb of God with an everlasting repeat of Hallelujahs and Holy Holy Holy.
Whatever the dissonance is happening in the music today, we are sure God will bring it to completion.
Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

It is now.

Many times I find that I run through life without looking around. I look at what I need to get down before a certain time and I end up focusing only on where I am going and not where I am.  It reminds of when I would be biking home from school on a hot afternoon, and all I would think about is getting home. I would pick the fartthest thing that I could see in a straight line, often a tall tree hanging over the road, and focus only on getting there as fast as I could.  Repeat and repeat until I got home.
It is almost the end of the semester. I can see the things in the distance that I am aiming for and it is easy to focus only on those things, hand in 1 more assingnment, 2 or 3 more write ups, 1 presentation then 6 exams and a performance, then I'll be done. I could spend the last three weeks focusing just on those things, studying, meetiing deadlines and completing tasks, but then what have I really accomplished?
God has placed me here, now, for what is here and what is now. If it is only deadlines and tasks to complete it is easy to forget that God is working in me through where I am. It is not just the last weeks of a semester that is affected by this. I have caught myself before thinking, once I am finished here, then my life will start. Or I'm just here to get through this, then I'll be on my way.
It seem the God has something else in mind. He doesn't tell us what tomorrow will bring. He doesn't tell us where we will end up next year or what our future's hold, He lets us know what we need to know for now, and today. Maybe that is His way of preventing us from living focused only on what is ahead and reminding us to live for Him now, where we He has placed us for now.

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6: 32-34

fall colors

Some fall pictures from the weekend,

 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

John 12:23-24

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 6:28-30

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make straight your way before me

Psalm 5:8

Life is like a hike.......

Life is like a hike. 

It can be easy and it can be difficult. 

There are times when the path is wide open and times when you can't see around the next bend.

Just imagine for a moment that this hike begins in a meadow. 

It is easy walking here. The trail is clean, you feel you can do this all by yourself. The trail is soft, no rocks to stumble on, no roots to trip over.

The sunshine is easy to see and the weather is fair. 

We would stay here forever if we could. 

But we can't, something happens. something changes and the trail that you are on heads you into the forest. 

It is harder now, the trail is not as smooth, the trail is difficult in places. 

The path continues on. 

Occasionally it splits, a decision will be made, choices cannot be undone. 

The hike continues. 

Sometimes it brings us to a place where it is really rocky. 

The rocks are hard. 

Sometimes they hurt. 

But without changing they provide a firm place to stand. 

On the uphill climbs, it is these rocks that we cling to, to prevent falling to where we once were. 

These rocks are an important feature on the trail. 

They make it what it is.

Looking back over your life, where are you? 

Are you clinging to the meadow, trying to stay where it is easy or are you clinging to the rocks? 

Struggle with the hard stuff. 

If you stay in the meadow you will never make it to the top of the hill or stand on the heights of the mountain. 

If you stay in the meadow you won't learn what the forest can teach you.

But more important than pressing forward is seeing who is in front of you. 

Who is leading you? 

Who created the path you are following? 

Where are you? 

Where are you going?

Psalm 23-

The Lord is any shepherd I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores any soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for His name's sake,

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil.

For you are with me,

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

The Judgement

I randomly thought of a story a little while ago, so I wrote it down and saw when it went.
I like it when God gives me ideas that make me think about things in a different way.

The Judgment

I can't say how it exactly happened. It happened before I realized what was going on. I was standing there. Shame hung like a thick smog on a humid day over me. Every offense had been found out. Every effort I had made to hide them and avoid this had failed. The Judge stood, despair filled his face as he took upon me. He had no more choices, he was a just Judge and punishment had to be carried out.

He picked up the paper on the table between us and started reading. After about the twentieth charge I tuned out. Simple addition could not total the punishment I would have to receive. On the other hand I knew deep down the addition would come up to only one answer: complete separation, no chance of parole, death.

I was not far off. Actually I Was dead on. After everything had been said, I was lead, shaking with repentance, to the place where the consequence of my offenses and I would meet. I dread it.

I stood waiting. A crowd had followed, lead by the Judge. Those who had been place to give the punishment took their stands. I stood there.

Then, unexpectedly a man rushed forward, breaking through the barriers that were so rigidly in place. He moved towards me, directly to me. Then he wrapped his arms around me, just as the punishment began. He held me tight, I held my breath. Everything that was supposed to be for me, he took. All the pain and suffering I was deserving of. he took. I looked towards the crowd, bewilderment flooded everyone's faces. The Judge was shaking, crumpled on the ground, weeping.

The man, he laid on the ground, took a deep breath and let go. He died there. in my place. I knelt down, weeping from deep within. I don't know how long I was there, but when I looked up I was only one left with the judge and the body of the man. I stayed there longer, when the strangest thing happened, the man took a breath, then another slowly they grew stronger before I knew it, he was standing, embracing me. The Judge walk over, smiling more than ever, He looked at us, embraced ups, weeping.

He looked upon me and with gentle words he spoke, 'You are mine'

strange sign....

On the way back to school after thanksgiving we had to stop to get some gas, usually they have signs and mechanisms that encourage you to stay at the pump while filling up. This one was slightly different.
Not only did this one encourage you to busy yourself with something else, the latch in it's handle also was still working, so you could.