JOYFUL WANDERING -- 71

+ Where have I been? Where am I going? It's a mystery, isn't it?

+ Dear Christian Trump supporters, I know you believe that making Trump President would lead to policies and laws that you folks on the Right think would be good for us.  But, oh, what a stain you have put on the name of Christianity and the stain will not wear off for generations to come.  

+ 4 Music Videos I like >

·         New Soul by Yael Naim

·         Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

·         The Logical Song by SuperTramp | https://genius.com/Supertramp-the-logical-song-lyrics

·         Healing Part 1 by Todd Rundgren LIVE in Morristown NJ September 2010 (wish I was there) | Part 2

+ Your Turn

COFFEE BREAK 405

+ updated at 12:10pm EST on Friday, February 14, 2014

+ Here is the Gratefulness Word for the Day:

“Treat everyone you meet as if he or she were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do so with no thought of reward. Your life will never be the same.” -- Og Mandino in The Greatest Salesman in the World

+ A book on Grace > http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=21998

+ At least a foot of snow here in the Utica area and it is still snowing at 11:42am.

+ This one ALWAYS makes me cry >
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EWvbu5K7MBM

+ I did an online Enneagram instrument and I came out tied for the Four, the Thinker (or the Observer) and the Five, the Artist (or the Romantic).  The other seven types are: The One, the Reformer (or the Perfectionist), the Two, the Helper, the Three, the Motivator (or the Achiever), the Six, the Skeptic (or the Questioner), the Seven, the Generalist (or the Adventurer), the Eight, the Leader (or the Asserter) and the Nine, the Peacemaker.  What are you?

COFFEE BREAK 400

+ updated at 5:34 EST on Thursday, January 9, 2014

+ The Washington Post offers "Church shouldn't be this hard" by Tom Ehrick. Excerpt: "An assembly that should relax into the serenity of God’s unconditional love shouldn’t be so filled with hatred and fear." | Read it all

+ Love IS the answer. Sing Along!

+ Robert Reich offers "Why The Republican’sOld Divide-and-Conquer Strategy — Setting Working Class Against the Poor  — Is Backfiring." Excerpt: "Republicans told the working class that its hard-earned tax dollars were being siphoned off to pay for “welfare queens” (as Ronald Reagan decorously dubbed a black single woman on welfare) and other nefarious loafers. The poor were “them” — lazy, dependent on government handouts, and overwhelmingly black — in sharp contrast to “us,” who were working ever harder, proudly independent (even sending wives and mothers to work, in order to prop up family incomes dragged down by shrinking male paychecks), and white." | Read it all 

COFFEE BREAK 357

+ updated at 2:30pm EST on Monday, February 4, 2013

+ If only politicians would learn from people who know what they are talking about, people like Robert Reich. TruthOut offers "The Jobs Report, and Why the Recovery Has Stalled" which begins: "We are in the most anemic recovery in modern history, yet our political leaders in Washington aren’t doing squat about it. In fact, apart from the Fed – which continues to hold interest rates down in the quixotic hope that banks will begin lending again to average people – the government is heading in exactly the wrong direction: raising taxes on the middle class, and cutting spending."

+ Here is one of my favorites: New Soul by Yael Naim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgEfYGzojcA

+ Here is a great song, an all time favorite of mine, The Logical Song by Supertramp, accompanied by some great images: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k3JVfxluFU

+ How about some Coldplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlQc9sZJt4M 

COFFEE BREAK 347

+ How about a little REM? Here is a live version of It's the End of the World as We Know It and here are the lyrics.

COFFEE BREAK 334

+ I just added place 13 on The Amazing Journey, The Abundancetrek.  There are some really great rock'n'roll video links. Go now!

COFFEE BREAK 333

+ updated at 3:06pm ESDT on Monday, April 23, 2012

+ Peaceworks offers "The Right Wing Self Designated Neighborhood Watch" by Alexandria Skinner. This blogger gets it so right as she affirms the ministry of John Shuck and criticizes the self-righteous, mightier-than-thou, thought police trying to bring him down in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Excerpt: "As our nation reels from the murder of Trayvon Martin by a self-designated Neighborhood Watch Vigilante, we observe another equally self-obsessed group of vigilantes within the Presbyterian Church, eager to take matters into their own hands to pass judgment on others they don’t want in their neighborhood. This time, the neighborhood of the Presbyterian Church. Claiming that the institutional mechanisms within the church don’t reflect Biblical truth, they would seek to have Shuck defrocked based upon their own view of the Gospel."

+ This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  And, It's a Beautiful Day. Shout it from the rooftops. 

COFFEE BREAK 332

+ I just discovered this Van Morrison video: Moondance live at the Capitol Theater in Passaic NJ, October 6, 1979. I WAS THERE!!! I lived just across the river at the time. Fantastic concert in an intimate theater. Great moment. Great memory. Brought back to life. WOO HOO! The magic of the internet.

COFFEE BREAK 331

+ Oh My! This is definitely The Boss at his best.  Rock'n'Roll at its best. From despair to Ecstasy. Spirit! Faith. Hope. Love. Holy Communion in Barcelona. In the Universe.  The magic of the Internet. CLICK AND ENJOY!

COFFEE BREAK 323

+ C'mon. Get up and dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXADx5ZosNc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

COFFEE BREAK 254

+ updated at 8:47pm EST on Wednesday, February 24, 2011

+ Can We Still be Friends? < One of Todd Rundgren's best songs. Enjoy and Grow and Change!

+ On my Connections Galore Page, I have just added a slew of spiritual websites which I have discovered in the past couple of years. Most of the rest of the list are BIG FAVORITES. 26 new links.  67 Oldies but Goodies links.

+ The Spiritual Literacy Blog offers "From Cairo to Madison: Hope and Solidarity Are Alive" by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. It begins: "In an inspiring article posted on Global Exchange, Medea Benjamin celebrates the oneness and the hope shared by protesters in Egypt and Wisconsin. In both cases, ordinary people have taken to the streets to stand up for basic human rights. Demonstrators in Madison had their spirits lifted when an Egyptian engineer named Muhammad Saladin Nusair held up a sign in Tahrir Square saying: 'Egypt Supports Wisconsin Workers - One World, One Pain.' Signs in Madison included one that said: 'From Egypt to Wisconsin: We Rise Up.'"

COFFEE BREAK 248

+ Updated at 12:45 pm EST on February 15, 2011

+ Shuck and Jive offers "From Cosmos to Cosmogenesis," a sermon for Evolution Sunday by John Shuck. Excerpt: "It is time to get off the fence regarding one of the foundations of human knowledge. So six years ago, Dr. Michael Zimmerman, a biologist from Butler University started the Clergy Letter Project. The idea was to procure 10,000 signatures from clergy who affirmed evolution to counter the viewpoint of some religious people that evolution and Christian faith were incompatible. As of today, 12,711 Christian clergy have signed the letter. That number goes over 14,000 when Unitarian and Jewish religious leaders are included. In addition to the letter, churches have been asked to raise the level of discussion in their congregations regarding science."

+ Cloudbusting

+ I love Kate Bush.  Enjoy!

+ All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons by Jay Walljasper deals with the growing gap between the wealthy and the rest of us and how all of our wisdom traditions promote the common good rather than the competitive individualism embedded so deeply in current economic trends. Spirituality and Practice offers a book review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. Here's an excerpt from this review: "Given the poor state of the American economy, the degradation of the environment, the confusion of the Internet, the disrepair of democracy, the decline of communities, the time is ripe for the newly emerging commons movement. Walljasper give us hope that it is taking hold as urban gardeners, hometown champions, Greens, whistle-blowers, health care advocates, defenders of libraries, fighters for water justice, and local artists are all involved in the creation of new forms of sharing. As Bill McKibben states: 'The commons is a crucial part of the human story that must be recovered if we are to deal with the problems now crowding in on us.'" Read the review.

COFFEE BREAK 247

+ updated at 3:25pm EST on Wednesday, February 9, 2011

+ LiquidCompass.net has some interesting radio stations.  Right now I'm listening to Coldplay on Lightning100, Nashville's Independent Radio. Before that, I heard the Avett Brothers.  Daily from Noon to 3 EST, The Thom Hartmann Show can be heard at http://den-a.plr.liquidcompass.net/standard_plr/audio_player.php?id=THSIO&playerType=silverlight. He is a very Liberal and very Intelligent and very Wise talkshow host.

COFFEE BREAK 241

+ updated at 2:53pm EST on Thursday, January 20, 2011

+ Gratefulness.org offers a Labyrinth.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers 12 Spiritual Energy Boosters, an inspiring slideshow.

+ The New York Times offers "What I Learned From Sargent Shriver" by Bono of U2.

COFFEE BREAK 235

+ updated at 11:04am EST on Wednesday, December 8, 2010

+ TruthDig offers "Happy as a Hangman" by Chris Hedges.  Chris is always provocative.  Here he challenges us to stop being complicit with America;s m,any crimes.  Being innocent now means we are guilty.

+ Democracy Now! offers "Abandoning "Net Neutrality," FCC Chair Backs Two-Tiered Internet Fees." Blurb: "The Federal Communications Commission is being accused of abandoning "net neutrality" rules that would ensure a free and open internet. On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski unveiled proposals that would allow internet service providers to charge higher fees for faster access to online content. We speak to Josh Silver, co-founder of the media reform group Free Press." Listen, Watch, or Read the Transcript.

Will this be another victory for the Plutocrats?

+ "Remembering John Lennon" will be aired on The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR. Blurb: "On the thirtieth anniversary of John Lennon's death, a look at why the music of the former Beatle still stirs the imagination of millions around the world. The political and musical legacy of John Lennon." Listen at 11 am Eastern or anytime you want to on the internet.

+ Spirituality and Practice offers an excerpt from Bead One, Pray Too: A Guide to Making and Using Prayer Beads by Kimberly Winston.

COFFEE BREAK 234

+ From Ogden Nash to Johnny Nash!  This is a very special song. < CLICK. 

COFFEE BREAK 232

+ updated at 2:13pm on Monday, November 30, 2010.

+ A new song for us to sing (like at the Joyful Noise Cafe this Friday night at First Presbyterian Church, Utica NY):

Presbyterians for Earthcare Hymn

"IN A ROUND WORLD"

Written by PEC Member, Manley Olson
To the tune, "Morning Has Broken" Presbyterian Hymnal #469

In a round world, no corners to hide in,
All life connected, part of the whole.
God made but one earth which needs protection.
We face this challenge, we claim this goal.

From space one sees a lovely blue marble,
A floating speck in the star-filled sky.
This was the insight told by the psalmist;
We are but dust, yet seen in God's eye.

Gone are the days when we could be masters,
Using earth's gifts for our selfish ends.
Our role today is that of God's stewards,
To be a church that speaks and defends.

Only our God can create a species.
Can we preserve what God has designed?
When we destroy life, we change the balance
In ways not thought of, with ends not seen.

It's time we alter our basic outlook
Renounce dominion, give up our pride.
Working with God, restoring creation,
In a round world with nowhere to hide.

Words by Manley Olson. Copyright 1995 (date), Manley Olson, used by permission.

The words of this hymn may be reprinted without special permission in a program or worship service bulletin for one-time use only, provided that the following statement is included:

For other uses please request permission in writing from Manley Olson, 1974 W. Summer St., St. Paul, MN 55113 Presbynet: MANLEY OLSON

+ The Diane Rehm Show offers an interview with Anne Rice promoting a new book but also speaking about other books and her commitment to Christ but not in any established church.

+ More Magic. Here is "Dig a Pony" by the Beatles on the rooftop on YouTube.

+ WallWritings offers "Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve" by James Wall.

+ Shuck and Jive offers "Thanks WikiLeaks" by John Shuck.

+ How about some Cars? Here is MAGIC on YouTube.

COFFEE BREAK 224

+ updated at 12:11pm ESDT on Thursday, November 4, 2010

+ You will need to scroll down to that rock'n'roll list I mentioned on Facebook.

+ Still thinking about the Election.  I just added the following comment at http://www.shuckandjive.org/2010/11/day-after.html.

It seems to me that the last time the Democrats really acted like Democrats on most issues was the 1960s. Sadly, Viet Nam got in the way of the significant reforms of that era so that The Great Society only got partially implemented. The Poverty rate was actually cut in half between 1960 and 1975, from 23 per cent to 12 per cent.


A massive national agenda of creating green energy and fixing our crumbling infrastructure would revive our economy but most of the people in power in both parties are overwhelmingly beholden to the status quo interests of the big corporations. Sadly, that includes Barack Obama who had raised hopes so much 2 years ago. But I still hold out a little hope that he can change course and begin to promote a new version of The Great Society -- very Green and very Just. Let's pray that he and other Democrats see the Light and give America a vision we can believe in.

+ Here is a list of twelve of my favorite Rock'n'Roll artists. This is subject to change as I think about it.

The Who (Pete Townshend is a creative genius and he really rocks)
Todd Rundgren (HEALING is an amazing album)
The Grateful Dead
The Beatles (particularly John Lennon)
U2
Kate Bush (bold and imaginative)
Enter the Haggis (Delicious Celtic Rock)
The Cranberries
Bob Dylan
Marina and the Diamonds (The Diamonds are Marina's fans)
Fleetwood Mac
World Party

+ Here is a link for election results in the Utica area > http://www.wktv.com/news/politics/decision-2010/DECISION-2010-ELECTION-RESULTS.html

Republicans won some races.  Democrats won some races.  Progressive Democrats can win in our area.  I hope to see a Progressive Democrat representing us in Congress in the not-too-distant future.

COFFEE BREAK 212

+ Thanks to a Facebook friend, I discovered the LOST DOGS. 

• Visit their website.
• See them on YouTube singing "Glory Road". 

COFFEE BREAK 205

+ OH NO! I'm a Diamond along with the rest of Marina and the Diamonds. So, go ahead and be a Diamond too. At Abundancetrek.com, you will now find the "Oh No!" video embedded at the top of the page.