Bridge Builders

What’s so happy about “Happy Hour?”   If’s it’s so happy, why do you have to return every Friday night.   It appears the happiness is fleeting.   It depends on who’s at happy hour, if the appetizers are edible, if there is a cover charge, if the drinks are watered down, if the music is decent and for some, if you leave with someone.   The concept of “Happy Hour” is based on a lie because Happy Hour last from 4 PM to 7 PM.   That’s not an hour.   The premise that happiness can be found in a bar or restaurant during a certain time frame is false advertising.   The more time we spend searching for happiness in the wrong place, the less likely we are to find where true happiness resides. Psalm 144:15 15  Happy  are  the people who are in such a state; Happy  are  the people whose God  is  the  Lord . Happiness is not found in a place.   It is found in a Person.   We are a blessed people when hav...

Americans accumulate a ton of stuff.   We spend an inordinate amount of time working to buy stuff, shopping for stuff on line or at the mall, deciding where to put the stuff then searching for someone to come and pick-up the stuff after storing the stuff in our attic and garage for years.   We cycle through stuff in warp speed.   Stuff goes out of style, stops working, no longer interest us or we just want to replace it with other stuff.   A majority of our waking hours consists of managing, organizing or thinking about our stuff.   When assessing how much we get back from stuff compared to what we put in, it is fleeting, fruitless and finite.   Our stuff is giving us all a raw deal. Matthew 6:19-21 19  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [ a ]  destroy and where thieves break in and steal,  20  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust dest...

San Antonio had an unexpected snow storm in mid-December.   We did not see it coming.   I opened my front door to picture of winter wonderland in South Texas.   A few days later, the roads were cracked with scattered potholes.   After snow and ice, roadways give way.   Potholes occur due to the expansion and contraction of ground water after is has entered into the ground under the pavement.  Drivers know to expect potholes after inclement weather .   We do not stop driving.   We go around the potholes or at least we should to prevent damage to our car’s rims, tires and suspension.   After snow, look for the potholes, take evasive action and keep on trucking. Psalm 118:24 24  This is the day that the  Lord  has made      let us rejoice and be glad in it. Expect trouble. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.   In the world you will have tribulation. ...

Jared played saxophone and Zachary the baritone in their school band. Periodically, the intensity of their practices accelerated in preparation for the assessment done by the band direction for chair assignment.   Competition for first chair was fierce.   Making second chair was also a celebrated accomplishment.   I never really understood the difference between first and second chair.   Jennifer Jones, Assistant Concertmaster for the Nova Scotia Symphony gave a simple thought provoking explanation of the two. “All violinists in an orchestra have very high skill levels and the only difference between the two sections is the role they play in the orchestra. Members of both sections audition with mainly the same repertoire and have to maintain a very high level of musicianship. If truth be known, a lot of what is required of the second violins is difficult even at times treacherous! They often have to play rapid intricate rhythms on the lower strings, whi...