If they have to apologize in order to receive forgiveness then it’s not really forgiveness. That is not releasing them from their debt, it’s demanding payment.
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes | Tagged forgiveness | Leave a Comment »
Feeling sorry for someone who’s already immersed in self pity is like giving a glass of water to a drowning man.
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Being angry with God isn’t likely to change how He feels about you, but it sure does excite your demons.
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There is a place where it all comes together
your experience
your intuition
your gut level instincts
A place where your passion, and intellect sing with one voice
In that moment you just know
and it seems inevitable
It is the triumph of the human spirit
And in the end
it leads to death (Prov. 14:12)
Posted in Free Verse / Poetry | Tagged experience, human spirit, instincts, intuition | Leave a Comment »
You have given us eyes to see:
Beauty in midst of ashes
&
Value in those who’ve been discarded
&
Folly within our own hearts
*
You have given us eyes to discern:
The foolishness in what men call wisdom
&
The evaporating worth of temporal things
&
The emptiness of a life immersed in self
*
You have given us eyes to find:
Peace within the storm
&
Transformation through times of brokenness
&
Hope in seasons of tragedy
*
You have given us eyes to recognize:
The fear in the eyes of our oppressors
&
The inherent deceptiveness of human nature
&
Your fingerprints all around us
*
Let those who have eyes to see
See!
(Ezekiel 12:2)
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Standing before His accusers, Jesus said not a word. That’s because silence is a perfectly appropriate response to a closed mind.
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The Voice in the Closet is a collection of stories, poems, essays, lists, prayers, and thoughts that were inspired during times of prayer. Taken together, they are effectually a prayer journal from almost two decades of walking with the Lord. Volume 1 became available on Amazon today. Volume 2 should be available in the coming weeks.
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I’m not making a case that these are the five “greatest guitarists of all-time”, but they are my all-time favorites.
5. Larry Carlton:
Though Larry is a Jazz music legend, I am most familiar with his work with Steely Dan, which is nothing short of spectacular. His fills are always tasteful, generally warm, and frequently remarkable. Listen to the solo on “Kid Charlemagne” or his work on “Aja”, both by Steely Dan.
4. Stevie Ray Vaughan:
In his short but brilliant career, Vaughan created a catalog of memorable blues rock music that both paid homage to the classics and forged its own path forward. His fluid playing woven into a raw vocal style created beautifully textured songs that stick to your soul. Checkout his playing on “Riviera Paradise”.
3. Mark Knopfler:
Dire Straits was by no means a guitar driven band, but Mark Knopfler’s distinctive playing style was at the heart of their best music. He was never showy or much on guitar solos, but his virtuosity was undeniable. Checkout “Private Investigations” and/or “Telegraph Road”.
2. Carlos Santana:
It is tempting to say Carlos is my all-time favorite. His playing style is all his own, and it adds a savory tang to everything it touches. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but “Europa” is a great place to start.
1. Jimmy Page:
What makes Page standout for me is his ability to seamlessly shift from blues, to rock, to folk. The sheer variety of his catalog is astounding. Again, hard to pick just one, but “Since I’ve Been Loving You” jumps to my mind.
Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports | Tagged Carlos Santana, Dire Straits, Double Trouble, Jimmy Page, Larry Carlton, Mark Knopfler, Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughan | Leave a Comment »
- Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd: Though “Dark Side of the Moon”, and “The Wall” are undoubtedly the groups most iconic albums, die-hard fans often rank “Wish You Were Here” above them as the band’s finest work.
- Aja – Steely Dan: Despite being generally revered by Rock critics, Steely Dan’s albums are rarely mentioned amongst the all-time greats. Arguably, “Aja” stands out as being one of the bands most cohesive projects. Decades later, it sounds even better than when it was first released.
- Reggatta de Blanc – The Police: While “Outlandos d’Amour” was a great introduction to this talented trio, it was “Reggatta de Blanc” which provided the first glimpse of the band’s spectacular potential. It was a leap forward in style, songwriting, musicianship and production.
- Frontiers – Journey: On the heels of the phenomenally successful “Escape” album, the band released this gem, which combined the best of that previous record with a heavier, more rock based sound. While the former could be considered a pop record, with some rock underpinnings, the later was more of a rock record, with pop sensibilities.
- Bad Company – Bad Company: Formed from the remains of successful bands, “Free”, “Mott the Hoople” and “King Crimson”, Bad Company came out firing on all cylinders for their debut record. Though this album contained numerous rock radio staples (e.g. Bad Company, Can’t Get Enough, Ready for Love, Movin’ On) and featured one of rock music’s best vocalists (Paul Rodgers), it is rarely acknowledged amongst rock’s elite records.
- In Utero – Nirvana: There is no denying the massive impact the bands, “Nevermind” album had on the music industry, but in some ways that story has obscured the brilliance of their latter work. With “In Utero” the band began to show its range, both musically and emotionally. Tragically, their story was cut short before we got to see how far they could take it.
- One of These Nights – The Eagles: The extraordinary success of 1976’s “Hotel California” didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. 1975’s “One of These Nights” was a number one album, featuring three top ten smashes, “One of These Nights”, “Take it to the Limit” and “Lyin’ Eyes”, which were each sung by a different lead vocalist. Few records or groups have ever managed such a feat.
- Pieces of Eight – Styx: The dynamic tension between Dennis DeYoung’s over the top pension for musical theater, and Tommy Shaw/James Young’s hard rock dreams came into perfect balance for the album, “The Grand Illusion” and on its breakout single, “Come Sail Away”. But on the follow-up record, “Pieces of Eight” it was the duo of Shaw & Young who got to be the rock band they’d always wanted to be. Unfortunately, the phenomenal success of the single, “Babe” from their next album, “Cornerstone” brought DeYoung back to the forefront, and marked the beginning of the end of the band’s straight ahead rock sound.
- Love Over Gold – Dire Straits: Though it was not their best selling or highest charting album, “Love Over Gold” may be the band’s most artistically ambitious work. The plaintive “Love Over Gold”, the haunting “Private Investigations”, and the sprawling, “Telegraph Road” create a soundscape that rivals the film scores that Mark Knopfler would eventually become famous for.
- Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin: Though Led Zeppelin I, II & IV are most often featured on critics “best of” lists, “Houses of the Holy” features some of the bands strongest and most original work (e.g. The Rain Song, No Quarter, Over the Hills and Far Away, D’yer Mak’er).
Posted in Entertainment/Music/Sports | Tagged Aja, Bad Company, Dire Straits, Frontiers, Houses of the Holy, In Utero, Journey, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, One of These Nights, Pieces of Eight, Pink Floyd, Reggatta de Blanc, Steely Dan, Styx, The Police, Wish You Were Here | 2 Comments »
Bjcorbin's Blog 
The Spirit of this Age (Part 2)
June 8, 2021 by bjcorbin
The spirit of this age wants you to be angry
So that you’ll miss the joy that is your strength
The spirit of this age wants you to know that you’re a victim
So that you will be defined by the most painful moments of your life
The spirit of this age wants you to make your voice heard
So that the still small voice of God is drowned out
The spirt of this age wants you to fight for control
So that you will exhaust yourself chasing the unattainable
The spirit of this age wants you to be offended
So that you’ll withhold the grace that can change lives
The spirit of this age wants your hope invested in the wisdom of men
So that you can be crushingly disappointed again and again
The spirit of this age wants you to go to extremes
So that you’ll miss the straight pathway, which prepares the way of the Lord
The spirit of this age want you focused on what is seen
So that you’ll forfeit the provision that’s been made in the unseen realm
The spirit of this age has a narrative to fill your mouth
So that you will forsake speaking words of life
The spirit of this age wants you to be religious
So that you can feel righteous in your indignation
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Posted in Commentaries | Tagged control, forfeit, narrative, offended, painful moments, spirit of this age, victim | Leave a Comment »