PRE-OSCAR LOOK AT MOVIES THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON ME, PART 2 OF 12: THAT DARN CAT (1965)

 

I debated whether this was the second or third movie on my list. Technically, it came out first and thus, I probably saw it first (I was 5 or 6 at that time). However, this movie had a delayed impact - it wasn't until I watched it as a teenager that it climbed to being my all time favorite comedy.

Even when I was a child at its release, this movie had a draw from having two actors I was a fan of. One was Frank Gorshin, who portrayed my favorite villain, The Riddler. The other was, of course, the cat. 

I will add that I could not stand the '97 remake nor, for that matter, John Astin's portrayal in season 2 of Batman. Also, I will also admit I'm not a comedy fan, in spite of me being quick to tell a joke. (Most of the time, my favorite comedies were ones that mixed adventure with the comedy like "Silver Streak" or those that try to keep you on the floor laughing like "Airplane".

One last comment - the first two movies on this list were Disney films. Is that expected from me starting chronological? Or is this a trend?

PRE-OSCAR LOOK AT MOVIES THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON ME, PART 1 OF 12: MARY POPPINS

 

I saw one person in the film industry (maybe Spielberg? Don't remember for sure) comment you can learn a lot about people from their favorite movies. With Oscar's 2 weeks away, I thought I'd use that time to share 10 movies that made an impact on me. Some of these would be in my top 10 favorite list, others aren't far, but I'm focusing on those that I think had an influence on me.

So should I do it as a list of how I'd rank those ten movies either ascending or descending? Maybe alphabetic order? Well, considering that this is dealing with the impact it made on my life, I'll start in basic chronological order. There might be one or two that I might have goofed between two I saw in close proximity; hopefully that's forgiveable.

Thus, I'll start with Mary Poppins. This is the first movie I fell in love with. I also listened frequently to the soundtrack and albums that included Mary Poppins music. I was disappointed, because most did not have my favorite song from the movie: "Step In Time." However, it did not make it to me reading the books - I was just learning to read.

It influenced me both with the movie itself and the music, but I'd also call it the first "event movie." There are few movies that I'd put in that category: these are ones that I consider its viewing an event. Some of them I became familiar with the story before seeing the movie, such as Disney's "The Jungle Book," the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine," or "Star Wars." 

Others are among the five I'd include as seeing on opening night. You might say "Star Wars" fit that category - I saw that on the second showing of its appearance at the Rialto Theater in Cottonwood. Of course, considering that movies didn't reach Cottonwood till the end of their run, this was after being part of the Christmas program at church in '77. I saw both "Hanky Panky" (starring Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner) and "Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan" the night they both opened; I went with some friends to the theater and both Star Trek and "Rocky 3" were sold out, so we saw the other movie. Then, one of the guys who had friends at the theater got us in for the final showing of Star Trek that night. Also in this category was "Batman Forever" and on a lesser scale, "Prodigal Planet" (the final of the four part "Thief in the Night" series.

Without a doubt, though, the one that made the biggest impact on me was "Mary Poppins." 

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 8 OF 48 - PSALM 32

 

Rock Island State Park, Rock Island, TN

1    Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
    Whose sin is covered.
2   Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
    And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3   When I kept silent, my bones grew old
    Through my groaning all the day long.
4   For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
    My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.

Selah

5   I acknowledged my sin to You,
    And my iniquity I have not hidden.
    I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
    And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah

6   For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
    In a time when You may be found;
    Surely in a flood of great waters
    They shall not come near him.
7   You are my hiding place;
    You shall preserve me from trouble;
    You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah

8   I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will guide you with My eye.
9   Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
    Which have no understanding,
    Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
    Else they will not come near you.

10   Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
    But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
11   Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
    And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32:1-11, NKJV

I think of Psalm 32 and 51 as the repentance Psalms, dealing with David asking God forgiveness for his sins.

There are a lot of good points in this Psalm, but there's one point I want to focus on, which is in verse 6. David says, "For this cause, everyone who is godly will call to You when You may be found." Maybe I'm wrong, but I think another way to say this is that whenever the godly call on the Lord is a time when He may be found. In other words, God's not hiding from the prayers and pleas of the righteous.

CHURCH SIGNS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (YOU CAN PLAY THE THEME TO SET THE MOOD).

Southminster Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, IN

 Whenever Becky and I drive on the I-74 from Indy headed toward Cincinnati (or returning), we make sure that we're paying attention to the right side of the road after going under Thompson Road (again, just before the Thompson Rd. Overpass on the left when returning). Because just past the bridge is the above sign, reminding us that Jesus Never Fails.

Another Indianapolis church also blesses us when we drive by it. We've seen churches with the words "Jesus saves" posted. But the Bible Study Chapel has on their building "Jesus saves and keeps." The two extra words are inspiring (let alone important and Biblical). It takes looking for; it's best seen when turning from Emerson Ave. Northbound onto the I-70 Eastbound. (It's easier seeing the church than finding where it's at.

Christians United Church, also in Indy (on Mithoffer between 10th Street and Washington) has great signs as well. They have a marquee which they change, and sometimes they have different thoughts that play off each other. My favorite was when we saw it say in one direction, "Lord, forgive them: they don't know what they're doing," and in the other, "Lord, forgive me: I don't know what I'm doing."

 

Our former Church, Arlington Avenue Baptist Church (on the corner of Shelbyville Rd. and Arlington Ave., Indianapolis) also had a marquee. When we had more children, we would have on the sign "We're praying for you,..." and then mention one of the schools that our members are attending.

I keep telling my friend, Pastor Richard Walton, that we ought to post "We're praying for you, School of Hard Knox." He never took me up on it. 

I've mentioned some signs that excite us, and I'm putting pictures of others as well. However, there are some that make us cringe. 

We've seen signs with deep spiritual messages like "Less hate, more pancakes," or "Go Fish." True, sometimes it seems like half of the thought is on one side of the marquee and it's completed on the other. When it had the cliche "You can change the world" on one side, the other added, "For love's sake." That makes more sense, but with the church's location on a winding road, it isn't logical to think that some people will pass it going one direction will remember the first half and put it together with the second.

Church signs, bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets, memes, etc. can be used to point people to God. But do we sometimes try to get a laugh or present worldly wisdom instead of using this as an opportunity to glorify God and draw others to the truth of God's Word?

Note - the last two signs are from Eastwood Baptist Church and Faith Family Church, both in Cookeville, TN.

FEUDING LIKE THE HALFBREEDS AND THE STALWARTS

 

I know. President's Day was yesterday (or, depending when you read this, even further back!). I debated posting it on the correct day, but I want to keep my Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday habit (unless I want to add extra blogs for a series). 

Allow me to share my favorite President story. I learned about it reading Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield by Kenneth D. Ackerman. I debated just making this a book review, but there are other items I'd like to add that I learned from other books (I'll mention them below).

The story actually started in the House of Representatives  and Garfield wasn't in the picture. It's origin was when then Congressman Roscoe Conklin (NY-R) presented a bill in 1866. Conklin was described by Zachary Karabell in his biography of Chester Alan Arthur (part of the American President series) as a six foot three peacock. He was a person few people had the courage to stand up to. 

One of the few who had that nerve was fellow Republican Congressman James Blaine from Maine. When Blaine thought Conklin was being vindictive against Provost General Fry, he countered the New Yorker, insulting him in the process. Just a passing disagreement? No, the waves carried over nearly twenty years in American politics.

Around the same time, the GOP divided into a pair of factions. One group, headed by Conklin, called themselves the Stalwarts, being stalwart supporters of President Grant. The other side, known as the Half Breeds - with Blaine as the visible face - differed on some ideological issues, primarily how to deal with the post-Civil War South and the patronage system of civil service, though Karabell said there wasn't much real ideological differences between the two factions or even with the Democrats for that matter. In his autobiography, former Speaker of the House "Uncle Joe" Cannon referred to this party division as silly. 

Where did the name "Half-Breed" come for? Karabell stated that the Stalwarts gave them that name because "they had half a mind for Presiden Grant, half a mind for reform, and a whole mind for nothing." Not very flattering. But the Half-Breeds liked that name, and took it as their moniker. 

Now, let's move ahead to 1880. Four years earlier, Rutherford B. Hayes said he would only serve one term, and kept his promise. The Stalwarts were determined to get Grant elected to an unprecedented third term, proposing a parlimentary procedure that silenced the minority of delegates in states where the majority favored Grant. Also running for President were Blaine and John Sherman. The attempt for Conklin and friend's rules change failed, and it turned into a stalemate where no candidate got the majority for 34 ballots.

Then, on the 34th ballot, 16 Wisconsin delegates voted for Garfield, who wasn't even mentioned at this point. On the 35th ballot, Garfield gained 50 votes, and on the 36th, he won the nomination.

But the party, wanting unity, told Garfield he needed a New York Stalwart as his running mate. Conklin said no way for himself or any other New York Stalwart. Well, except for one. Chester Arthur, who never held elected office and was fired from the one government position he had, felt he was serving his party by running with Garfield, even though it angered his friend Conklin.

There were interesting things about the campaign. They had a special meeting in New York to get Conklin's support, with four future presidents sharing a train ride en route (Garfield, Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley). By the way, Conklin was a no show. But a group that showed up to listen to Garfield was a group of Germans, making it the first time there was a foreign language used in a presidential campaign.

Garfield won the election in the narrowest margin, though afterwards Arthur hinted not everything was above board. (Yes, voter fraud is a reality, nothing new, and with neither party having the monopoly). 

One thing the party wanted and that Garfield was not opposed to was to have both Blaine and Conklin on the cabinet. After getting chosen as Secretary of State, Blaine talked Garfield out of having Conklin join them. After the inauguration, Blaine also encouraged Garfield to fire a corrupt customs official, which the President did. By the way, guess what state this fired official was, and who had that fired official's back?

Yes, there was a tough fight in the party over that fired New York official and opposition with the non-Stalwart New Yorker chosen to take his place. Even former President Grant put pressure on Garfield, stating that the Senators of a state should have a voice on who serves in their state. Garfield stood firm. In protest, New York senators Conklin and Tom Platt resigned (Ackerman points out that Platt was the one who suggested this move, even though everyone thought of him as "Me Too" Platt.) The Senators thought their state legislature would return them to Washington. It didn't happen

One person who wasn't happy about this was a gentleman named Charles J. Guiteau. Now, he wasn't a politician, so he didn't use politics to oppose Garfield. Instead, he used a gun. After he shot the President, Guiteau admitted he did it, adding, "I'm a Stalwart, and Arthur will be president."

I'll skip over the time it took for Garfield to die, and that it was more to medical malpractice than the bullet (the doctors didn't bother washing their hands before operating). Rather, I want to look at what happened after the President passed. What was Rutherford B. Hayes response? "Arthur as president? Good God!" 

Arthur is ranked on the lower end of "average" presidents by most historians. Actually, he exceeded expectations to reach that spot. He was one of the few Vice Presidents to replace a dead president to give an inaugural speech, to indicate he took his job seriously.

In reality, Guiteau unwittingly lead to the demise of the Stalwarts. Conklin visited his friend in the White House, encouraging him to fire Garfield's custom office appointee. Arthur refused. He also vetoed two pieces of legislation his party passed out of Congress: a 20 year moratorium on Chinese immigration (he later signed a 10 year version) and a bill designed to help the Mississippi River area, but didn't do much for the rest of the country.

How many of you are familiar with this bit of Presidential history?

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 7 OF 48 - PSALM 27

Christmas "plate" - A Thomas Kinkade painting with lights in the windows.

1  The LORD is my light and my salvation;
    Whom shall I fear?
    The LORD is the strength of my life;
    Of whom shall I be afraid?
2  When the wicked came against me
    To eat up my flesh,
    My enemies and foes,
    They stumbled and fell.
3  Though an army may encamp against me,
    My heart shall not fear;
    Though war should rise against me,
    In this I will be confident.

4  One thing I have desired of the LORD,
    That will I seek:
    That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
    All the days of my life,
    To behold the beauty of the LORD,
    And to inquire in His temple.
5  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;
    In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;
    He shall set me high upon a rock.
6  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
    Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
    I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7  Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
    Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8  When You said, "Seek My face,"
    My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
9  Do not hide Your face from me;
    Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
    You have been my help;
    Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
    Then the LORD will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
    And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
    For false witnesses have risen against me,
    And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
    That I would see the goodness of the LORD
    In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD;
    Be of good courage,
    And He shall strengthen your heart;
    Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Psalm 27:1-14, New King James Version

 This is a popular Psalm, for good reason; it's one of my favorites. And the last two verses have been a reflection of my heart for decades. But let me make one point on this.

From the first verse on, it's full of the Psalmist's confidence. But when I read the whole Psalm, I don't see that confidence being consistent. In verse 7, David's asking God to hear him and be merciful to him. Two verses later, and there's requests for God not to hide His faee, turn him away in His anger, or leave or forsake him.

This reflects the Christian life. There are times I have a head full of knowledge that God will keep me yet my heart doesn't have assurance. But we need to remember that God has promised to deliver us; we need to bring our experience and emotions in line with Scripture, not the other way around.

Permit me to close this blog with a pair of housekeeping items for this series.

1. WHAT  YOU  MAY HAVE NOTICED. I have been going in order for the Psalms, with the first half dozen being 1, 4, 11, 12, 18:22-28, and 20. And part 7 is ... 27? Did I skip a particular, highly popular Psalm that's half way (more or less) between 20 and 27? Good eye, but it's not skipped or ignored. I'm saving it for later in this 48 part series.
2. WHAT I  HAVE NOTICED. I have been using Bible Study Tools and copied the Psalm, as opposed to typing out the whole Psalm. It took working on over half a dozen of this series to realize something: The Bible Study tools do not capitalize "Lord." Let me explain. There are three Hebrew words referring to God: Elohim, translated "God;" Adonai, translated "Lord;" and Yahweh, God's personal name, which the Jews won't say because the name is too holy, and many English translations will translate as LORD (all caps) or, when used with Adonai, as GOD. Well, when I'm using that set-up, then you can't tell when the text reads Yahweh. 😭
   

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR: JUDGING NCFCA CONTESTS!

Official Logo of the NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Communications Association

I can start this blog by saying I'm excited today. Of course, does "today" refer to when this blog is posted (Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023), or to the day I'm writing the blog (the previous Saturday, five days in advance)? Well, yes, I'm excited to write this blog, but I am referring to the date this is published.

Why am I excited? Tonight and tomorrow I will be judging speeches for the Online East Regions Mixer of the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA). On March 2nd and 3rd I'll be judging debate rounds for the Online Central Regions Mixer. And in May, I'll be judging speeches and debates in person at the Region 6 Championship here in Indianapolis! 

Maybe sometime I'll do an interview abourt the NCFCA and give the history. Please forgive me for not talking about how it formed and rather focus on why I enjoy doing it and hopefully encourage you to do the same.

My first exposure was when a friend of ours who was homeschooling her children invited us to judge. I don't remember what Becky did, but when I was looking at the topics, I was excited to see contest types was Apologetics. Some may know I wrote a novel with that as a theme. In the NCFCA contests, Apologetics is one of three limited preparation speeches (along with "Impromptu" and "Extemporaneous Speaking." For Apologetics, the student picks from 2 or 3 topics, and spends 4 minutes preparing for a 6 minute speech on the selected topic. 

By the way, what qualifications did Becky and I have to judge the speeches? You might say my Toastmasters experience was a factor, but not really. The speeches/debates are judged by three groups of judges: 1) Parents of NCFCA competitors, 2) Alumni (students that partipated before they graduated High School), and 3) Community Judges. The best way to describe a Community Judge is a none of the above. The organization desires to have people from different backgrounds and experiences judging the speeches so the students have exposure to various perspectives. To judge the Apologetics contests, you have to agree with the Nicene Creed, but that's the only qualification.

A couple of years later, I was at a Toastmasters event, and one of the people encouraged us to judge NCFCA contests. I signed up and was pleasantly surprised to find it was the same organization. This time, I judged a Team Policy debate. There are two forms of Debate competitions: Lincoln Douglas Values one on one debates where it deals with a value (e.g. national security takes precedence over freedom of the press), and Team Policy two on two debates, which focuses on proposing legislation to solve the topic of the year (e.g. Election Law needs to be reformed). A third type of debate, Moot Court (resembling arguing an appellate case) has their own events.

To judge either a speech or debate round, one needs to make a three hour commitment, which includes training. They are thankful for anybody willing to serve as a Community Judge for one round. But I enjoy the speeches and debates enough that I take a day off work and judge several contests. The longest day was when I judged every event for a day once. 

Of course, I didn't judge in 2020, because COVID struck during that time. In 2021, they had on-line events, and I judged some including a couple of moot court competitions. My honest opinion - that was the most work! In other events, I don't have to do any prep; not true in this case.

Last year, I goofed up. I signed up for a live event thinking it was on-line. Nope. 😭

I mentioned the types of debates. There are usually 11 varieties of speech contests, falling into three categories. Above I told you about the limited prep such as Apologetics and Exptemporaneous Speaking, which deals with current events. They also have platform speeches (e.g. Persuasive and Informative) and interpretation, where one or two speakers recite(s) a work of literature (or sometimes their own). 

One non-NCFCA story from a NCFCA event. One time, after judging a tournament, I saw a gentleman sitting at a table who I thought looked familiar. I was correct- It was Gary Varvel, then cartoonist for the Indianapolis Star! I had a nice conversation with him.

Yes, I'm excited about judging NCFCA contests! Did I get you excited enough to check out when speeches are in your area and volunteering and judging? I didn't? Well, I suggest you find a tournament to judge anyway, because the great speeches and debates by these home school students will do a better job of getting you as hooked as I am!

How do I find it? You can go to their webpage (click here) or their Facebook page (click here).

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CD REVIEWS - BREAKTHROUGH BY SOUNDLESS WHISPER AND STRONGER THAN DEATH BY ZAHNA

I will confess - in the days of streaming, I rarely listen to a whole new album at once, but mix it up with other songs and thus take days (or weeks) to hear the whole track. But in the past week, I've made two exceptions.

The first was Breakthrough by the Swedish band Soundless Whisper. Should you choose to listen to it, you may notice a familiar voice joining in on the opening track "Dismayed": John Schlitt of Petra (formerly with Head East) sings on that song and three others, including their excellent first single, "Dark Cage." Besides those two songs, my favorite tracks include the title track and "Love Will Heal."

The second is "Stronger Than Death" by Zahna, . I thoroughly enjoyed this project. The title track and "This Is Your Calling" absolutely blew me away. Other favorites include a trio of songs previously released as singles - "Better Run," "Erased," and "Die For Something" (with Nesdam) - and the final track, the moving finale "Anything But Destiny."

Both albums were absolutely awesome!

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 6 OF 48 - PSALM 20

 

CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) International Headquarters, Warrenton Missouri. There are nine flags, 8 representing different regions of the world, one for the sole country without any CEF work.

1   May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
    May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2   May He send you help from the sanctuary,
    And strengthen you out of Zion;
3  May He remember all your offerings,
    And accept your burnt sacrifice.

Selah

4   May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
    And fulfill all your purpose.

5   We will rejoice in your salvation,
    And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
    May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6   Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
    He will answer him from His holy heaven
    With the saving strength of His right hand.
7   Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
    But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8   They have bowed down and fallen;
    But we have risen and stand upright.
9   Save, Lord!
    May the King answer us when we call.

Psalm 20:1-9, New King James Version

This is one of my favorite Psalms. Primary reason? Because it is a Psalm we can use to pray for others!

Just look at the first five verses! Aren't these wonderful things to pray for one another? True, verse 3 has the Old Testament feel of referring to sacrifices and burnt offerings. But if we're praying for a fellow believer who is making sacrifices in career or time for the sake of others and for the Kingdom, I pray with that in mind.

One other comment on this section. When I read about banners, I think of flags, which is why I had the picture of the Child Evangelism Fellowship International Headquarters and their flag poles. As mentioned in the caption, 8 of the 9 flags represent regions of the world, and the 9th focuses on nations where there is no CEF work, which currently is one nation. (I won't tell you the name, but it rhymes with Korth Norea.) Each Wednesday they change the flags (except for the one I just mentioned) and pray for those nations.

Verses 6-8 are referring to God answering and saving His Anointed. In context, it refers to David. There's a chorus based on verses 7-8, about some trusting in chariots and some in horses. At a youth group I was in, they paraphrased it to "Some trust in Cadillacs and some in Porsches."

Can you see why I love this Psalm?

BOOK REVIEW - DETECTION DETAIL BY TERRI REED

 

 

Was Mia Turner and her best friend guilty of burning down a warehouse and killing the mayor's son a decade earlier? Did she have anything to do a car fire, and a possible child abduction? And are K-9 Officer Nelson Rivers and his yellow lab accelerant sniffing partner Diesel her source of protection from someone who's trying to destroy her business and her life? Or do they represent a different kind of danger - the romantic kind?

This is the first book of Love Inspired Suspense's Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit series. Terri Reed, besides telling the story of Mia and Nelson (and Diesel), is setting up other mysteries which this story doesn't solve. That's what the seven other books of this series will do.

Terri Reed is becoming one of my favorite authors. I've read four of her novels, all parts of K-9 series.  This one is great, with surprises and two strong lead characters... make that three - I keep forgetting Diesel!

I really enjoyed this story, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

BUCKET LISTS, MUSIC YOU CAN HEAR IN HEAVEN, AND OTHER SPECULATIONS

The Plains of Heaven by John Martin

 "Nacho, nacho man; I want to be a nacho man!"

Or is "mocha man" a more accurate description of me?

I'll confess: Seeing the Village People live would be on my bucket list, though it would be lower on the list. Hearing the Daniel Band and Idle Cure and Little River Band would all be higher on the list. So would hearing several classical compositions performed live, such as Mendelssohn's Reformation and Lobesang (Hymn of Praise) symphonies, Tchaikowski's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Bruckner's Romantic Symphony and his Te Deum, Wagner's Flying Dutchman Overture, and of course my favorite symphony: Beethoven's 7th.

However, Russell Moore pointed out the philosophical problems with bucket lists for Christians. It presupposes that there are things on this earth that we'll miss out on if we don't see them before going to heaven. After all, isn't heaven so much more wonderful than anything here? If we missed something on earth, won't there be something even better in heaven? By the way, Moore did suggest that you visit the pyramids if you want to see them, because Scripture hints they may not be around during the Kingdom.

Now, I would love to see the Village People in heaven. Did you understand what I just wrote? First off, I'd like to see them (and everybody else) there; I don't want anybody going to the other place (though I do believe that other place exists and those who continue in their treasonous sin without turning to God for forgiveness through Christ's sufficient and completed sacrifice). That said, I'd also love to hear them perform, though I think the songs they'd do in concert in the Kingdom would not include the hits they're known for down here (I'll admit I'd love to hear "In The Navy" live).

I do know some of Little River Band are Christians, so I would not be surprised to get to hear them perform. I do know I can meet the members of Daniel Band and Idle Cure; the question is if there will be electric guitars in the kingdom, or if all the sets would be unplugged.

Of course, orchestras are already unplugged. I would not be surprised to see Mendelssohn direct the two symphonies mentioned above, and maybe have him do a duet with Charles Wesley on "Hark The Herald Angels Sing." Same is true with Bruckner conducting his "Te Deum" (Latin for "Thee, O God, We Praise).

But what about the others? I have no idea of Tchaikowski's faith. Wagner, however, inspired some of Hitler's beliefs. Beethoven on his death bed heard lightning and sat up shaking his fist at heaven. Would their music be played in the Kingdom? After all, even if they weren't among the saints, their music was at worst neutral and at best causing the listeners to praise God for allowing that music to be composed.

And so I go into territory that I believe the Bible is silent and there is no evidence on one side or the other except to be grounds for theological/philosophical discussion. I am blessed by the beauty of the works I mentioned. Same is true with the theme of Chariots of Fire. Due to the story of Eric Liddell, Christians love that song. But composer Vangelis dedicated that theme to the Greek god Pan.

The question? Would music composed by unbelievers but beloved for its beauty be performed in heaven? I mean, Mendelssohn or Bach would be able to conduct that music. Or will any memory of unsaved performers be destroyed, including their musical masterpieces?

What are you looking at me for? Do you think I have the answer? None any better than yours. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 5 OF 48 - PSALM 18:22-28

Brown Bear, Louisville Zoo

 22     For all His judgments were before me,
          And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23     I was also blameless before Him,
        And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24   Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
        According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25   With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
        With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26   With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
        And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27   For You will save the humble people,
        But will bring down haughty looks.
28   For You will light my lamp;
       The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalm 18:22-28, NKJV

How many of you noticed this installment is just a portion of a Psalm, not the full Psalm? While this will be the first time, it won't be the last. This section is about the same length as the full Psalms I've shared thus far, but sometimes I'll just have one verse. 

I will admit - the first three verses of this segment sounds a little boastful. However, what reasons does David have for this confidence? 

1. His focus is on God's Word. God's judgments (often used as a synonym of His Word) were always before him, and he did not put them away from him. Do we set God's Word as that guide for our lives? Or do we turn away from Scripture and get caught up in self-help theology or politics or the like?
   
2. David said he kept himself from his iniquity. A lot of times, we think we've accomplished something by keeping from other people's iniquities, but we excuse the pitfalls we often make. I can pat myself on the back for not gambling, which is something I have no interest in, but am I keeping myself from wasting time or buying a burger to snack on that I don't really need?
3. He is looking at God's standards, not his own. It is God who is the judge, the comparison point. We compare ourselves with others, and often those comparisons tend to make us look good. On the other hand, sometimes our comparisons with others make us feel like we don't measure up. But that makes me think of Romans 14:4, where it says God is able to make us stand.

I love verses 25-28. Several decades ago, I wrote a chorus from verses 25-30. Isn't God wonderful to us, better than we deserve?

BOOK REVIEW - RANKING THE VICE PRESIDENTS: TRUE TALES AND TRIVIA, FROM JOHN ADAMS TO JOE BIDEN BY IAN RANDAL STROCK

 What kind of people have been our Vice-Presidents? Is there a scale on who was the most effective? Or does that apply to the job description of Vice President?

I have read books dealing with ranking the Presidents, most notably Where They Stand: The American Presidents in the Eyes of Voters and Historians by Robert W. Merry and Recarvomg Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty by Ivan Eland. Those two books have different treks on ranking the White House residents, but the question is: How about the Vice-Presidents? Ranking the Vice Presidents: True Tales and Trivia, From John Adams to Joe Biden by Ian Randal Strock sounds like the book I'd be interested in.

One curiosity is what standards would the Vice President be ranked on? After all, historically the role of the Vice President was to preside over the Sentate, only voting to break a tie, and to stay alive in case the President doesn't. It doesn't sound like the occupation where you can rank the best to the worst, does it?

This book doesn't even try. Rather, this book appears to have the goal to help you get to know the Vice Presidents better. It breaks down the Vice President in various categories such as their age, height, how long they survived their wives (or vice versa), and which ones certified the votes that would either put them into the White House or terminate their position. 

This book also goes further than its title indicates. It also has lists of cabinets, including how many former cabinet members became president. The book also closes with various acts dealing with the Vice Presidency from the Constitution to the 25th Amendment.

While not what I expected, this book is interesting and giving you information you wouldn't have otherwise.

I will warn that the editing is not perfect. When writing about Vice Presidents who served under more than one President the author accidentally misidentified James Madison as James Monroe, and when dealing with facial hair on Presidents and Vice-Presidents, he forgot that Taft was the last whiskered President, not Teddy Roosevelt. Still, this is a unique book.