My meeting with Ted...

My meeting with Ted...

Sitting in the restaurant waiting for my second shift of work that day, I sat at a counter seat next to two people, one of whom was obviously mentally challenged...

As I plugged my laptop in the young man said "Hi" but I noticed he did not speak otherwise.

As I sat there going through my emails and Facebook posts, I watched and listened, I noticed the woman with the man was astonishingly patient with him..."You have to turn off your ipad and let it charge." she said. "You can't keep looking at it, why didn't you plug it in last night? she said...
He would not speak but mumble and just sort of groan.
By these "words" the lady was able to tell what he was saying, and what he wanted even though there were no words coming from his mouth...

The man would chuckle a bit, laugh and she would say "what's so funny, what's funny?"
He would just mumble or stay quiet...

She would prompt him, and say "Ok, so what's your plan? what are you going to do?" very patiently I might add...the woman had the patience of Mother Teresa for sure.
 "No, we talked about that yesterday, you can't do that." she said as he "said" something to her on his ipad,
 the man would mumble "humppff" as if disgusted by her answer...

As the man went to the bathroom, I struck up a conversation with the woman and asked who she worked for, I told her "You have an astonishing amount of patience."

She smiled and said "Yeah, I grew up with an autistic brother, so, I'm used to being patient"

I spoke and said "My son has Aspergers syndrome, very high functioning autism, and has three scholarships
at CCU in Denver, very brilliant kid."

"Wow", she said, "that's awesome..."

"So who do you work for?" I asked.

"A company that hired me to work with disabled people like him" she said...

Again I encouraged her and told her how amazingly patient she was with this man....

I looked at the Tablet type instrument the man had and asked "What is that? does he use that all the time?, can he type on that?"

"Yes" she said, "it's an ipad, it has a special program on it and he speaks through it, he can communicate with his group."

"Wow" that's pretty impressive, so he can talk through the ipad?" I said...

"Yes" she said.

Just about that time the man came back from the restroom, and the Lady said  "Tell him your name"

So the man pushed a button on his ipad and it voiced the name in an electronic voice "Ted"

"Wow amazing, that's pretty cool..." I said.

"Yeah, it's really useful"

I shook the mans hand and said "Hi Ted, nice to meet you"

Ted shook my hand and smiled and said hi and waved...

"Well, lets get going Ted", she said, "Nice meeting you"

"You too" I said, "Have a good day Ted" as he smiled at me...

And that was my meeting with Ted in the restaurant...

Dear Lukewarm Christian...

Dear Lukewarm Christian...

You've been playing both sides against the middle for so long,
that you're not even sure which side you belong to anymore...

You've been sitting in the Grey for so long that...
the darkness enshrouds you
and you barely recognize the light you once knew so well...
You have a vague memory of it,
but it's a dreamlike reminiscence, like thick fog
on a Colorado winters morning

You've been jumping over the candlestick, back and forth, back and forth like Jumping Jack Flash for so long, that you're about to get burned.

You've been meandering in and out of the darkness in a half hearted attempt to reach it
not knowing that it's tentacles are all over you.
You have been appeasing the darkness for so long,
that you believe yourself impervious to it's pull, you are too smart for that you say, I am not tempted
by this cultures perversion.

But this worlds stench will invade your heart and mind...
like slow molasses it will creep into your heart, soul, and mind
and you will not even recognize it
because you refused to choose His holiness and righteousness

You've been afraid of offending for so long
that your lack of conviction causes your heart and mind,
to turn from their once steadfast position, into a complacent and compromised ghost
of what they once were.
Your will and steadfastness have been replaced by
doubt and a vague feeling that things are not right.

You believe yourself more intelligent and of higher education
than your predecessors before you, who were on fire and offensive to this world, but not to God.
You may even have a name for yourself
You may even be called preacher, teacher
and you may even work for a well known ministry
But, do you think because of your high learning and name
that you will not sit at the judgement and answer
for the times you would not make a stand for the most vulnerable?
for those who could not speak up for themselves?
for the most innocent and "least of these"?

Do you believe your wealth, education, and fine house
will protect you when He asks...
"Why didn't you speak up for me?, why didn't you
do what I asked?"
Where was your voice when mine was being defamed, falsely accused, and silenced?

And so, because you would not make a choice for His righteousness and holiness
you will sit in unrighteousness, and unholiness.
Because you would not choose the light
you will sit in great darkness
because you would not choose decency and goodness
you will sit in indecency and the stench of corruption
because you would not choose what is moral, good, and right
you will sit in perversion and debauchery.

Yet, there is hope for you
if you remember where you started
if you recall the days you were not afraid of His name
if you make yourself steadfast like you once were...
There is hope,
but you must choose, and not wait any longer
you cannot sit on the fence teetering...
or you will be thrown off it, not knowing which side you will land.

'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,…Revelation 3:15-17

There once was a Prince in the West

There once was a Prince in the West

Who’s thoughts he held close to the vest

The petulant King

Allah on his ring

All enemies scourged was his quest

Place Czars through the realm at my feet!

Told NASA you will not compete!

His head held in pride

His queen by his side

Vindictive was she quite complete

The prince’s new plan was quite vile

Declare hope and change with a smile

His enemies were beat

So friends have their meat

And blame it on Tea Rank and File

When lie becomes truth the king teaches

The sheeple are fooled by his speeches

falsehoods he did spread

Like buttering bread

Which pleased all his cohorts and leeches

You can Keep your own plan we were told

But Truth was plain seen by the bold

The Prince he did lie

Our plans went goodbye

And health prices went up four fold

Ma’m  Secretary’s  Mandate enacted

The unjust law not retracted

The faithful did protest

Without strife or unrest

Foul law they had surely impacted

New energy was the hailed charge

With Windmills, and gas lines to sparge

But panels did break

Solyndra was fake

Poor taxpayers bill grew quite large

Then came guns fast and furious

The plan was a bust and quite spurious

The press they did lie

Good men they did die

And others were wounded injurious

Now came debate called Gay Marriage

Good men lacked the wisdom or courage

So sheep went to sleep

Without a soft peep

And morals went into cold storage

Yet, was the NSA spying
Our cellphones were tapped without trying
Men looked at our inbox
Without any roadblocks
Made Watergate look like tots lying

A YouTube Video was blamed
For murderous acts not explained
The story is leaving
The Families left grieving
The lie has been deftly ingrained.

Don’t tread on me! flags went to fly

And Occupy streets! was the cry

But men start to whimper

Like Sheep with distemper

And visions go south bye and bye

The second act plan was called forward

But sideways we skewed back and toward

Good men went a hiding

Truth wasn’t abiding

So logic and peace went disordered

 Now here we are down on our knees

Just fighting off taxes and fees

High Finance doth  dance

While workers per chance

Are hoping to work not for free

So let the young lads start to see

While old men look back as years flee

Will good men regain

And Lasses sustain

The land of the brave and the free?

D.J. Thrush 2013

The Bard,

Young man,

 I have a bit of advice for you if you're apt to listen, and if not I understand for so it was when I was your age, not willing to listen, because in my mind I knew most everything, (I believed)

The Bard (Musician) is an extremely noble endeavor, a calling much like a doctor or preacher.

It's something one has a passion to do and is appointed to, not a task one says "I'm going to be a bard because that famous, rich man does it, and I want to be famous and rich like him" 

But you must understand that being a Bard can be fraught with great difficulty and heartbreak, as well as great jovial kinship and a lifetime of pleasure, enjoyment, and friendship.

You must know that the craft of the Bard starts young and requires intensive study and practice, giving up pleasures your youthful mates strive for and enjoy, in order that you may become very skillful.

 Later, the Bard's job requires perseverance and a stubborn unwillingness to give up, and there will most definitely be times when you want to give up. You must know that not everyone is capable of such long term determination and patience.

The Bard's task is not for the greedy, nor materialistic wanting great wealth and material gain, because, while

some periods of a bard's career, he will enjoy hearty employment and great financial rewards (as well as other great rewards, such as seeing other distant lands), other times will be endured with financial hardship and loss of material wealth, and sometimes, even friendship and loss of family because of the song's very nature, and because the calling of the bard can be very demanding in ways not observable to those who don't work in it.

Those who do become well known Bards have to be very careful so as not to be taken advantage of by the greedy...whether for their notoriety, or, by those who seek to be well known themselves, just using the Bard's fame and influence for their own gain. Even at times, being wary of those who are close to you...It's up to you to decipher who, among your friends are truly loyal, or, they've become friends and even closer than friends, because they want to be close to you for their own advantage and gain.

You will find, (If you've worked hard and studied your craft well) in your career as a bard, that you may play for the extremely rich and famous, the wealthy and elite of society, even kings presidents and princes, and the next week you may find yourself playing for the homeless man on the street, or the very poor in a part of the city most of your friends will not venture into. As a bard myself since I was your age, I've found that the poor and destitute, the lower class (so called) are by far the better audience for the bard, simply because the rich and famous are too self important and too worried about moving up in their circle of self important friends to notice at their large and very expensive parties, that you're there for their enjoyment and pleasure, not to make themselves feel more important among their self important peers. The poor, you will find, listen to you, and appreciate your gift and skill as a bard much more, although they have not much to give you for your performance.

 Most of your Fellow Bard's will toil away for much of their lives in relative obscurity, just knowing that in their craft they were well respected in their sphere of influence, whether wide, or small, for their mastery of their chosen instrument (or instruments).

You must understand that the work of the Bard is not understood by many, and that the calling of the Bard is not one of being served, but one of service to others bringing great enjoyment and a very welcome respite from the dreary, work a day world of men.

 Because the Bards work is one of service to others, many times those you serve (perform for) will (sometimes) be obstinate, brash, unkind, very demanding, and even hateful and cruel, but most will be very happy you are providing your song for themselves and their compatriots, for the compensation of you being able to feed and house yourself and your family, which is not too much to ask.

As you work at the Bard's craft in time (If that's what you decide to do), you will come across many different types of bards, confident, not at all confident, arrogant, humble, very gregarious and loud, and very quiet and introverted. Many bards will admit that they are a broken and non assuming lot, not being arrogant and overconfident, but not lacking in confidence either, however, you will find that those who are cocky and much too overconfident are many times those without much skill at the song at all.

Many in the Bards service believe that our calling is a very high one, and so believe that the gift and ability to

perform as a bard is from the one true creator of the song, and use their bards gift to lead the people of the creator of songs in worship, which is a very high calling indeed, while others are simply happy using their gift of the song for men's pleasure and entertainment, and some bards, like myself, do both, because that's what we've been asked to do.

I hope this letter has not seemed in any way arrogant or condescending and assuming, but instead, a handing down of hopefully, some knowledge of a long time bards near lifetime of experience that may be helpful...

But over drums and piercing fifes,
Beyond the soldiers' hails
They swell the song, five hundred strong
Those martyred bards of wales

The Bards of Wales-Janos Arany. 1857-Translation by Peter Zollman

People have lost everything, Evans Colorado 2013

A friendly encounter with a Jehovah's Witness Yesterday...

The young man knocked on the door yesterday morning, my son alerted me as I did not hear the knock, looking out the glass I knew immediately it was a young Jehovah's Witness. I've encountered probably a dozen or so JW's in the last 20 years, and, to be honest in times past I was somewhat argumentative, but, with age comes a bit of wisdom (hopefully) and I opened the door and greeted the cordial and intelligent young man who then began his "spiel" (which I've heard before), he asked "When you look at the world and what's going on today, the violence, the degradation of society, what do you think is going on?, what's the answer?, I spoke up right away nicely and calmly but with emphasis..." I'm a born again Christian,and I have several bibles in my possession, I also use Biblos.com, and Bible Gateway.com as reference because you can compare about 30 different versions of one Bible verse. I spoke up a bit more saying..." I'm a musician and I toured in Christian Rock Bands in the 1980's and 90's all over the world, Australia, Europe, South America, Canada, and I became a Christian while doing that."

The young man seemed fascinated by my story and asked, "So, what do you think is going to happen with our society the way things are going?" and I said, "Well, the scriptures tell us that Jesus will return someday, He will come back to earth at the end point of a struggle with the Anti Christ who will be able to capture and control the entire world and those who follow him. Jesus will return destroying this character and establish his Kingdom where we who believe will live with Him." I said. The young man spoke up knowingly, "Ah yes, the thousand year reign of Christ." and I said "Yes, except you're a Jehovah's Witness aren't you?,  "Yes" he stated sheepishly, as if not wanting to reveal that fact, so I stated very nicely, but clearly, " You have to understand I'm a Christian, and have been for awhile, and I believe that Jesus IS God, not an angel or some other lower being, the scripture states that Jesus himself said "I and the Father are one" which makes very clear that he was affirming his deity, his Godhead with the Father, that is the basis of my faith."

The young man then began to finish his memorized spiel and said, "May I leave this pamphlet here with you? it describes several things that will take place?" so I very nicely just said, "No, thank you though, I know what I believe and why I believe it" We ended cordially and agreed that things in society seem to be getting worse not better with all the NSA snooping and IRS targeting conservative groups etc... and then he said "May I come back again?" and I said "sure, no problem..." At that point, the bright young man left the doorstep and I said a quick prayer for him. That was my morning encounter with a Jehovah's Witness yesterday.

Why does it take Tragedy like Aurora to bring people to the Cross?

I was pondering this as I was looking at pictures of the twelve crosses near Aurora Century 16 Theater.
Seeing a man kneeling down touching one of the crosses that artist Greg Zanis built yet again (He's built many crosses for other mass shootings like Columbine over the years)

Why does it take a tragedy like Aurora to bring people to the Cross I thought?

Being a student of human nature, I've pondered this question many times since I myself became a believer in the Cross, the Cross of Christ. Not the Icon of the cross, but the actual cross of Jesus, the death of Jesus on the cross by the Romans and his enemies over two thousand years ago.

I don't worship the Icon of the cross  because simply, that is Idol worship, but, the death of Christ on the cross of course is the basis of all Christendom, without the cross, there is no salvation, without the cross, there is no forgiveness of sins at all. That's why (I believe) the symbol is so powerful.

Seeing tragedy in others lives I have known (as well as my own), it's become clear to me that for some at least, it's only after tragedy in their lives that many come to the cross.

I used to take my kids to Century 16 theater when they were young and we lived not too far from those theaters.
 Being a musician married to a teacher at the time we were on a tight budget, and the Century 16 theaters were perfect for us and many families with kids in that area. The theater was modern and kept clean
and ran the latest films like "Lord of the Rings", "Star Wars", or the "Ice Age" Films my two boys loved, but the ticket prices were less than other theaters in the Front Range area, usually $3-$4 less per show. So for us it was perfect.

My older son and I attended a film at those theaters about 4 months before the night in July last year, 2012, when an insane gunman methodically shot and killed many innocent men women and children and wounding many others.

The night of the shootings I became a little frantic as my son had said a couple of days before that his College friends were talking about going to the Batman Movie at Century 16 at midnight.
Making several repeated phone calls until about 7 am the next morning I found out my son had not gone to
the midnight screening with his friends, but I learned that someone I knew personally, and was in my band class at a Charter school in Aurora where I once taught had been in the theater next to theater nine. Thankfully this former student of mine was not injured. At least not physically, and I pray that all of the scars from that horrific night will eventually heal,

But, the thought occurred to me "That could have been my son in that theater"

I've watched a few people I know personally that waited until tragedy struck in their lives before kneeling before the cross of Christ and taking the free gift of His forgiveness and salvation. Unfortunately, loss of loved ones
or other sad tragedy happened first.
It seems to be part of human nature that we say, "I can do it myself and I don't need any help" when in fact, all of us need some help at some point in our lives, I know I do and if anyone is truly honest with themselves they would say the same.

Sadly, I've come across parents that have lost their child before humbling themselves and admitting that they need to change, change their thinking, and change their hearts toward the one that created us.
Our creator knows that we need Him, that we are made to have a relationship with Him, that's why He made the way for us to do exactly that, the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus, who was put on that cross that is represented once again as a balm against these awful shootings so that we won't have to pay the price. God's own Son was put on that cross so that we won't have to be put on it for the sins we commit almost daily.
That's an amazing thing when you think about it...

Looking at the poignant photo of the man kneeling and touching the cross near the Century 16 theaters where I took my kids, my prayer is that those who need to turn to that cross will think carefully while there is still time... and turn to that cross and the one who was nailed on it.