Music of Marriage

Prayer covers a marriage unceasingly.

The MUSIC of MARRIAGE includes:
 cadence, fluctuation, lilt, measure,
 meter, motion, oscillation, rhythm,
stroke, sway, tempo, undulation,
and vibration.

The PENDULUM of MARRIAGE includes:
 alarm, chronograph, hourglass, metronome,
stopwatch, minute-minder, second-counter.
 sundial, tattler, tick-tock, and timekeeper.  

The PERCUSSION of MARRIAGE includes:
 collision, impact, jolt, shock, and sound.

The DISSONANCE of MARRIAGE includes:
 antagonism, conflict, contention, controversy,
discord, discrepancy, disharmony, disparity,
dissension, inconsistency, and strife.

MARRIAGE is a DUET
played as an ENCORE
through an ENHARMONIC INTERVAL
composed during an ETUDE.

I CHALLENGE YOU
TO FIT YOUR MARRIAGE
 INTO A GLOSSARY
OF MUSICAL TERMS!

Butterflies sing struggle.
Diamonds sing pressure.
Pearls sing irritate.
The falling leaf sings spring.
The Cross sings new life.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"A strong Angel reached for a boulder—huge, like a millstone—and heaved it into the sea, saying, Heaved and sunk, the great city Babylon, sunk in the sea, not a sign of her ever again. Silent the music of harpists and singers— you’ll never hear flutes and trumpets again. Artisans of every kind—gone; you’ll never see their likes again. The voice of a millstone grinding falls dumb; you’ll never hear that sound again. The light from lamps, never again; never again laughter of bride and groom. Her traders robbed the whole earth blind, and by black-magic arts deceived the nations. The only thing left of Babylon is blood— the blood of saints and prophets, the murdered and the martyred." Revelation 18:21-24 The Message

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"Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints."
Revelation 19:6-8 The Message

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Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

"Daddy, What's Worthy?"

Once upon a minute the Heart Farmer and his daughter were working in their garden. The farmer was on his knees, whistling with his lips while his hands were deep in the dirt. He smiled at his daughter and said: "My darling Beauty, this here dirt is worthy of our affection!" The little girl's eyes brightened with admiration for her dad and her lips curled into a smile. Then she paused quizzically and asked:

 "Daddy, what's worthy?"

"Oh my little sweet pea, worthy is like hanging a sign on my overalls that says; "Dad." If people saw that sign, they would expect me to act like a Dad. If I didn't show my children love by the way I treated them, folks wouldn't think I should wear that sign. I would not be worthy of being called a Dad."

People might bug you. They are still worthy of being treated like a flower.

 For a moment there was silence between them. The Heart Farmers daughter soaked her fathers words into her heart. Her Dad could see that his little girl was growing like one of the plants in the garden. She was worthy of his efforts to shower her with love. Beauty's understanding was growing like the vegetables after a good rainfall. The little girls questions sometimes seemed as long as a cornfield. The Heart Farmer learned to love his daughters questions. It was if he knew how short a growing season was for his little girl. The years passed quickly and it seemed like only yesterday that she was just like the sprout of a sweet pea.

Cactus grow slowly as they save up water. Children grow quickly as they save up wisdom.

As the sun began it's trip to the evening side of the day, the Heart Farmer and his daughter slowly walked away from the garden towards their home. Beauty had one more question: "Daddy, why am I worthy of your love?" The farmers face lit up brighter than a 4th of July bonfire. He was almost overcome with joy and laughed as he spoke. "My love for you darling is an extension of God's love to me. You are His gift to me. My gratitude to God for you makes me love you to the stars and back. I see God in you the way you act towards other people. You are worthy of love because God made you in His image and God is love. You are a wonderfully made little girl and you will always be worthy in my eyes and in God's eyes!" With a tear in her eye and a smile on her face, the little girl said:

 "I love you Daddy!"

All relationships will have thorns. Will you patiently wait for the flower?

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

The Trespassers - "The Shuttered Father Museum."

The building had been closed many years ago. They boarded the doors and shuttered the windows of the Father Museum. The children were not permitted to even say the word "father" out loud. If they spoke about fathers, the elders would punish the children. The Father Museum housed the relics saved from the time period when fathers lived in families. The Museum used to be open to the public until some families began to express a desire to bring the fathers back into the community. The Trespasser politicians voted to close the Father Museum for fear that the people would once again embrace fatherhood and they would lose their power.

The children were very inquisitive while they were still young. As they aged, they began to accept that fathers served a brief purpose and then disappeared. The older children thrived on controlling the youngsters and talk of fathers interrupted their control. One of the younger boys found an old ad for the Father Museum in his Mother's Hope Chest. The ad described the attributes of a father from days gone by. He read the ad out loud to his friends while they met secretly:

"A father is patient. 

A father is kind. 

A father cares more for his children

 than he does for himself. 

A father doesn't keep a record 

of his children's mistakes. 

A father apologizes to his children

 when he is wrong.

A father doesn't tease his children.

 A father protects his children. 

A father hopes for the best for his children. 

A father never gives up on his children. 

A father disciplines his children. 

A father guides his children in the right direction

 so they won't get lost when they are older. 

A father teaches his children

 about love  by loving them.

A father teaches his children about

 the Way and Truth of Life.

^{The children sat in stunned silence. It seemed like such a short time ago that they had banished fathers by chanting: "Fathers or fun" and they had chosen to be Or-funs. The children sat in silence until they were distracted by the wind bringing more sounds from the nearby mountain. They thought they could hear another "F" word. They focused on the sounds that were mixed with cries of agony and jeers of derision. The clouds overhead became thicker and the day became darker. The children could feel raindrops. The falling drizzle felt like liquid sadness. The first "F" word they had heard was "Father." They strained their ears and could barely make out another "F" word;}

^{"F   o   r   g   i   v   e"}

^{They now had heard the words "Father forgive..." These words were foreign to them and they were confused and felt fear. Some of them cried, others shook uncontrollably while a few got up and walked away. They all wondered: "What is a Father?"  "What does it mean to forgive?" Could the children bring the fathers back? Could the children learn and teach forgiveness?}

A still, small voice in the wind says: "F   O   R   G   I   V   E"

 ^{Next: The Final "F" Word on Golgotha}

The Trespassers - "F" Words on Golgotha

A cross on a mountain is a foot bridge.

 The children's minds seemed to soak up the darkness descending on the mountain. Most of the children had lost their flow of venomous insults against the Chosen Victim. Without the verbal abuse intended to devalue the heart of the Victim, they could not continue the game of Put Downs. The wind  carried sounds down the mountain into the valley of Shabbat. When the children listened intently, the sounds began to take the shape of words. They strained to hear and decipher what the words were. The words were mixed with cries of anguish distorting any clarity that would help them understand. One sound seemed to be as loud as the cries themselves. It sounded like an "F" sound. The "F" words slowly became louder than the groans of agony as the cheering had disappeared.

Some of the older children who always won the game of Put Downs tried to restart the game. They did not like the idea of losing control and possibly losing the Crown of Opinions. They even tried throwing fruit from the Gossip Tree at the other children which backfired as it made the children angry at them. The wind carried the "F" words with greater clarity. They could almost make out a word as it slowly seeped into their hearts. It was a word they had heard before but they knew very little of it's meaning. The wind strung the letters of the "F" word together and it sounded like:

"F          a          t          h         e          r"

The children all began repeating the word: "Father." They had heard the word several times while growing up. They began to tell each other what they knew of the word "Father."

• "My Mom says that's how I got here."
• "I had one but he's in a jail."
• "My Mom doesn't know who mine is."
• "Doesn't he send money sometimes?"
• "I stopped talking to mine because he always lies."
• "Father's only help Mom's make us and then they go away."

The children gave many other answers until one of the older boys got their attention. He was bitter because he had a greater understanding of what a "Father" was. His "Father" had made him feel good until his "Father" was killed by some religious people. The boy remembered the day his "Father" died. The religious people were arguing with him about someone called God. His "Father" was very intelligent and the men were getting angry because they knew he was telling the truth. Then some men came and told lies about his "Father" and the crowd became angry and killed him. The boy became lonely and bitter as he started acting like the angry crowd. His bitterness infected the other children until today. He wanted his control of their opinions back so he made up his own lie.

The boy told them a story that he said happened long ago when "Fathers" still lived in families with the Mothers and their children. A wizard appeared one day as all the children were gathered together during a game of "Neighbor." The object of the game of "Neighbor" was to amass points by doing something nice for somebody (everybody is a neighbor.) The clothing of the wizard was eye catching, his words were ear grabbing. One look from his eyes froze the children's hearts. He told them that he could make their dreams come true.He asked them a question: "Would you like to have anything that you ever wanted on everyday of your life?' The children joyfully shouted as one: "Yes!" The wizard continued: "Then gather in dear children and I will give you the secret. You are very smart children and I'm sure you have noticed that your "Father's" give you many rules. I'm sure that sometimes you have had the thought that life would be more fun without rules from "Fathers." I will show you how to remove the rules so you can have anything you want. Would you like that?" The children once again shouted joyfully and this time with anticipation: "Yes!"

The wizard continued: "The first step in your beautiful new life of having everything you ever wanted on everyday of your life is to remove the "Fathers." They are the problem. They set rules that you don't like that prevent you from having the fun you deserve. The first step in making you happy is to make your neighborhood "Father-less." There is a secret code that I can reveal only to those who want to have a life of fun. Who is ready to hear the secret code?" Most of the children once again said: "Yes!" A few of them left and were jeered by the crowd who remained enraptured by the wizard's words."Listen carefully as I reveal to you what most children never have a chance to hear. You must say the phrase very fast everyday for the rest of your life. As you keep repeating the phrase, the first word will disappear and only part of the phrase will remain. There is only one more rule, you must look upon me as your father. Whenever you feel lonely for your "Father" you must call upon me. I am your wizard and my name is Leye Ar. I will help you get anything you ever want. Are you ready?" A few more of the children drifted away but the majority remained.

Here is your secret phrase that will remove rules and get you anything you ever want, remember to say it fast without thinking. Repeat after me:  

"Father or Fun!      Father or Fun!      Father or Fun!"

The wizard and the children chanted the phrase for many hours. The change happened quicker for some and happened without them even noticing it. The more they chanted, the latter part of the phrase erased the first part. Pretty soon, the chanting sounded like: "Or Fun! Or Fun! Or Fun!" The children were in a frenzy and decided that they would have no more rules and live in happiness. They would give themselves a name and they would be called the "Orfuns!"

Next: "The Shuttered Father Museum."

Thank's for your time. Go do something nice for an old head.
Jesus loves you and so do we.

Bob Kuebler is the Founder & Director of Youth With A Purpose. Bob has spent the last 12 yrs. learning about pain and perseverance from inner city young people and their families. Healing starts with love and encompasses compassion and empathy. Our mission at YWAP is to inspire inner city young people to develop as God's leaders who overcome the mindset of poverty and gang violence. Bob is the Author of four books, several magazine articles and blogs including The Bright Spot Report. He regularly shares with audiences about how God is redeeming our cities through young people.



Bob can be reached at 716-830-8240
or ywapbuffalo@yahoo.com.
www.youthwithapurpose.org

The Trespassers - What is a Man-tree Cross?

A heavy film seemed to be spreading over the sky. The light of the noon day was slipping into the shadows on the nearby mountain. The children sat under the Gossip Tree sipping on freshly picked fruit as they began their game of Put Downs. It was strange that there would even be shadows on the mountain as the sky had grown quite dark. The day began with 3 shadows of the strange man-tree crosses and now it appeared that 2 of them had converged as one. Now there were only 2 distinct shapes of man-tree crosses and 1 seemed darker than the other. The children could feel that something strange was happening. Their lack of understanding caused them to feel fear, so they focused on what they had become comfortable with - playing games.

Trees play Put Downs and let their leaves fall. People play Put Downs and let their neighbors fall.

  Put Downs was a game taught to them by their parents. Many generations of Trespassers had played this game. The object of the game was to see who could score the most points by saying cruel things about the Chosen Victim. One person would be given the role of submitting to whatever cruelty the children could inflict. Points were awarded by a panel of judges called the Rejecters. Bonus points were awarded if the victim was made to cry out in pain. Total rejection inflicted upon the heart of the victim was the goal. The winner received the Crown of Opinions. The Crown entitled the winner to force all the other children to agree with his or her opinions. There were a select few who always seemed to be declared the winners and thus their opinions ruled the neighborhood.

How close do you have to get to see the likeness of Christ on a Cross in this tree — at On Lafayette Street near Main in Buffalo, New York, USA.

The wind was still carrying the strange mixture of sounds down the mountain, across the valley and onto the Highpoint of Shabatt. As they sat under the Gossip Tree, the drifting sounds caused the children to interrupt their game of Put Downs and listen. Sometimes the children would hear mocking cheers and taunting laughter that sounded like games that their parents played. At first, the children reasoned that some adults must be playing a game of Put Downs over on Golgotha Mountain. Then the wind shifted. Sounds of moaning mixed with cries of sadness filled with pain entered the ears of the children and flowed straight to their hearts. They were touched in a way that was foreign to them. Unable to understand this strange Heart Touching, the children wondered if the adults had found a new way to play Put Downs. This caused a greater fear than they had ever known. Their fear was mixed with excitement, what was a Man-tree Cross and how could it cry?

To be continued.....

Next: "F Words in The Wind"

The habits of adults create traffic patterns that are the draw bridges to the future habits of children.

The Trespassers

Once upon a minute,
there lived a group of people called the Trespassers.
They lived in a valley town called Unforgiving.

Look closely, do you see a man with outstretched arms with his headed hanging low?

A mountain called Golgotha overshadowed the Town of Unforgiving.
One day, the Trespassers noticed that the shadow of the mountain had grown bigger. From a distance, it appeared that 3 trees had been planted on top of the mountain. The shape of the trees was unfamiliar and un

like anything they had ever seen before. Each tree looked like a cross between a tree and a man. There were three of these odd shapes, each with their own distinct shadow.

The valley Town had a highpoint in elevation from where the townsfolk could get a better view of the mountain. The highpoint was called Shabbat and was a favorite place where the Trespassers would gather with their families and teach their children the fine art of fault finding. From the Highpoint of Shabbat, the Trespassers got a better view of what was actually happening on top of the mountain.

The colors of these Man-trees became a little clearer. There were many veins of red mixed with dark browns. The wind currents carried an ebb and flow of sounds down the mountain toward the
Trespassers gathered at Shabbat. The wind seemed to be conducting a chorus of cheers mixed with groans. One of the Trespasser children tugged on the hem of her mother's garment and said: "Mommy I think I hear a tear." The Mom laughed and said to her daughter: "O silly girl, you can't hear the sound of tears! Besides, trees don't cry. Run along now sweetheart. The fruit on the Gossip Trees is ripe, maybe you and your friends can pick some." The children could sit and be pacified for hours sipping from the nectar of the Gossip fruit.

To be continued..........

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Matthew 13:43-44
The Message

“Are you listening to this? Really listening?

44 “God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.

Running