Five Minute Friday - Music

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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.

an ear for music

classical music

gift of music

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How do I write about music in only five minutes? Or even ten or twenty or forty-five minutes? Music has been part of my very existence for as long as I can remember, and there are so many styles and tastes and expressions of music that it is part of all of us. It's described as a universal language, and a way to say things that words can't express. It's not just a human invention, because we hear music from birds and animals, in trees and wind and waves. 

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. ~Victor Hugo

It's not specified on which day God created music, but we believe that music is a gift from God and that its primary purpose is to worship God.

Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;

make music to our God on the harp.

~Psalm 147:7~

When King David established what would become Temple worship in Jerusalem, he appointed an entire division of Levites whose job revolved around providing music for worship. I did a quick perusal through the Psalms and found that fifty-eight of them are specified as being "FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC"; twenty-two are titled "A SONG", and six more have a title such as "A maskil" or "miktam" which are believed to be types of songs. Many of those eighty-six psalms that are clearly intended as music give a name of the tune. Of the remaining psalms, twenty-six mention music or singing in them. That makes 112 out of 150 psalms that are music. Music for praising, for praying, for teaching, and even for lamenting.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

~Psalm 95:1-2~

A PSALM. A SONG. FOR THE SABBATH DAY.

It is good to praise the LORD

and make music to your name, O Most High,

proclaiming your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp.

~Psalm 92:1-3~

My heart, O God, is steadfast,

my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and make music.

Awake, my soul!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

~Psalm 57:7-78~

In the Old Testament, we see that music was used as a call to worship and a call to battle. David's harp music had the power to soothe King Saul's spiritual turmoil. Prophets and poets sang songs that taught Israel its history, celebrated its victories, warned of judgement to come, lamented its failures, and called all of us to meditate on God's mercy and judgement.

Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful present God has given us. ~Martin Luther

In the New Testament, Paul urged the early Christians to use music in their communication, and to always have music in their hearts. 

. . . keep on being filled with the Spirit - sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other; sing to the Lord and make music in your heart to him; always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 

~Ephesians 5:18-20 (CJB)~

If music is God's gift to us, if music is intended to bring glory to God, and if we are to use music to express ourselves to each other, and to memorize, learn and teach God's Word, it truly is essential to our lives. And it's not just for those who have musical talents and gifts or the time and dedication to study music and all its facets. It's for all of us, to help us connect to God.

Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven. ~Walter Savage Landor

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,

burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the LORD with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn―

shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

let the mountains sing together for joy;

let them sing before the LORD,

for he comes to judge the earht.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples with equity.

~Psalm 98:4-9~

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This post is linked at Five Minute Friday for the word prompt "Music".

This post will also be linked at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Simply Coffee & Jesus.

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 ©2006-2023 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

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WQ - Keep Glowing

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I wanted to get this week's quote collection ready for Tuesday, but life got in the way, so here I am a little later than I'd planned! I'm participating in the Wednesday Quotes link-up hosted by Marsha at Always Write. 

Looking at the prompt, two phrases came to mind―glowing with health, and glowing reviews―and I wondered whether a search for quotes would make the same connections. After searching for a bit, I decided to sort things out using the definition of the word.

glowing (adjective) -

1. incandescent

2. rich and warm in coloring

3. showing the radiance of health, excitement, etc.

4. warmly favorable or complimentary

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There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures. ~James Thurber

It occurs to me that the difference between glaring and glowing is that the light must be diffused or partially obscured in order to glow. Reflected light is more likely to be glowing than direct light. Clouds, the horizon, or encroaching darkness may not seem positive at first, but these do allow us to appreciate glowing light. I suppose the same is true in a figurative sense as well.

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The sun's glow had given way to a brilliant twilight that colored the great mountains with violet and orange rivers. ~Michael R. Hicks

Space for the sunflower, bright with yellow glow, to court the sky. ~Caroline Gilman

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I have self-actualized. Pardon me whilst I adjust my glowing halo. ~Ted Nugent

Bronzer keeps me glowing, and a little blush makes it look natural. ~Katie Stevens

I think having naturally beautiful skin and hair and just glowing from within, that's my idea of beautiful. ~Kirti Kulhari

I'm obsessed with make-up, but my top tip doesn't actually involve any products. Beauty starts with glowing skin, and the way to ruin it is with dirty, clogged make-up brushes. ~Madison Beer

My beauty ethos? Well, I'd love to tell you it's something like 'less is more,' but honestly, it all starts with happiness. If only someone could bottle that up - when I'm happy, I'm at my most radiant and glowing. It does me better than any product ever could. And I stand by how cheesy and cliched that sounds. ~Solange Knowles

We are sparks that must glow as brightly as possible. ~Asger Jorn

Charm is a glow within a woman that casts a most becoming light on others. ~John Mason Brown

The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money. ~Thomas Jefferson

When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things - not the great occasions - that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness. ~Bob Hope

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

~II Corinthians 4:6~

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In a way, I'd rather go into an interview and be disliked, and have unpleasant things written about me, than to have a wonderful, glowing article written that is in no way a reflection of who I am. ~Romola Garai

Really? I wouldn't want unpleasant things written about me at all, even if they are true! But I do agree that over-the-top glowing reviews often ring false. Surely we could write and tell the truth while being kind? That's what honest reviews are about, I believe.

The thing we found out was, when you get to a Super Bowl, both teams are treated the same, talked about in glowing terms. But when the game is over, only the team that won matters. ~Don Shula

You read glowing things and it doesn't feel deserved. You read things that are critical and it cuts you to the bone. ~Tim Tebow

The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we hold of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us. ~Quentin Crisp

A mom reads you like a book, and wherever she goes, people read you like a glowing book review. ~Robert Breault

Goals: To live up to the glowing reviews of those who love us best. And to be known for the warm glow of positive influence we bring to every room and situation.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

~Matthew 5:14-16~

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~Numbers 6:24-26~

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Wednesday Quotes is hosted by Marsha at Always Write. This post will be linked at #WQ #26: Glowing

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 ©2006-2023 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

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What's Up Wednesday Hodgepodge - June 2023

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On the last Wednesday of each month, Shaeffer & Shay host a link-up to talk a bit about what's going on in our worlds - food, entertainment, plans, fashion, work, whatever - in the What's Up Wednesday linky party.

What We're Eating This Week . . . so far, nothing too exciting, BUT I'm doing prep for a big Canada Day dinner on Saturday. We're planning for our son and his family to be here, and three of my husband's co-workers who are from Brazil and Zimbabwe (I think I'm remembering that correctly) and were curious about Canadian food when they found out we're Canadians. On the menu: Salmon, Tourtiere, Poutine, Maple Glazed Carrots, and Bannock. Dessert bar will have Nanaimo Bars, Butter Tarts, Butterscotch Confetti, and possibly Beavertails.

French-Canadian Tourtiere

Eating the Americas - Poutine

Canada Day Butter Tarts

Eating the Americas - Nanaimo Bars

What I'm Reminiscing About . . . Just thinking about this time last year . . . On June 30th I had my knee replacement surgery, and then mostly lived on the living room sofa for a couple weeks, during the initial recovery. I remember making it as fun as I could, by doing things like drinking the necessary prune juice from wine glasses or brandy snifters! On my first day at home all by myself, I ran out of toilet paper in the only bathroom of the house that I could get the walker into, and had to figure out how to safely navigate into another bathroom in hopes of finding a spare roll and to do that without falling, since I couldn't yet bear weight on that leg. Boy, was I glad that all the spare rolls were not downstairs or it would have been all over for me! As it was, I turned it into my own episode of the survival show Alone, and it was quite an ordeal. 

When your post-surgery instructions are to
drink prune juice, but you want to keep it classy.

OH NO!!!

What I'm Loving . . . Having a keyboard to play whenever I want to. Even though I'm not playing every day, it's wonderful and a big help to have it for learning music for chorus, and just to play for fun occasionally. I'm hoping to make more use of it eventually if I am a more regular part of worship team at church, and I plan to bring a collection of music here after our next trip to Maryland.

What We've Been Up To . . . Over the past month we've had our daughter and her boyfriend here for a visit and we've done some exploring on hiking trails and local spots. We went to the Powell Festival last weekend and had such a fun time at a Smash Mouth concert! More recently, I've tried to focus more on job-hunting, looking for something part-time or flexible to give me something to do. Plus a little extra income, of course! 

What I'm Dreading . . . Last month I mentioned dreading my upcoming oral surgeon consultation. Now that I've had the consultation, I'm dreading the actual surgery and paying the bill for it. Our dental insurance is covering almost none of the cost, which is so frustrating. To make it even more frustrating, I found out that the claims have been kicked to an old insurance plan which has not been active for 18 months. So naturally it's not an in-network dentist, but it's clearly the insurance company that got it wrong. Hard to explain, but it has been the most frustrating thing to deal with, and I've been fighting with the company for six months about it. Grrrrrr.

What I'm Working On . . . job searching, household budgeting, vacation planning. All are kind of related! I also offered to help a friend compile an employee handbook for their small business, so I'll be starting on that proposal.

What I'm Excited About . . . the things I'd be most excited about are a little farther out on the calendar―next trip to Maryland, and a fall trip to my family in Canada―but I'm low-key excited about the upcoming weekend with fireworks and all of that, and maybe even about starting a job (hopefully) soon.

What I'm Watching/Reading . . . I never sat down to watch it myself, but watched enough of the older TV series Travelers that my husband was watching to know what was going on. Even kind of wished I'd sat down and followed it, because it was really interesting. 

For all the details on what I'm reading, see my book blog at Just A Second. My first monthly book review link-up there just launched today - Book Review Bulletin. The idea is to link up book review posts so that others can read and comment on them.

I'm currently working on:

 Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber

Recently completed:

Beneath A Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee

A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell

Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep

Up next:

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber

A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber

What I'm Listening To . . . right now I can hear mowers so I think it must be lawn maintenance day here. They're working far enough from my townhouse that I can occasionally hear the birds outside my window too.

What I'm Wearing . . . still relying on my trusty t-shirts and jeans or capris most of the time. The summery dresses and my swimsuit have made a couple of appearances this season. My swimsuit was rather a tight fit, which will hopefully motivate me to do something about my weight.

What I'm Doing This Weekend . . . Big Canada Day feast on Saturday, probably take it easy on Sunday. I know there will be fireworks on at least a couple of days so we'll try to get out and enjoy those.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month . . . Well, hopefully starting a job and then probably getting another vehicle. Maybe a weekend getaway? Depends on the work schedule, I suppose.

What Else Is New . . . not much, it seems. I've started collecting my costume pieces for chorus. I got the jacket (and that's a tank top to wear under it, not a tie) a couple weeks ago, and will be ordering the required jeans and pants very soon. Will also need to get shoes, and there is a second jacket coming from the chorus later on.

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A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What's one thing you're excited about in the coming month?

The "What's Up Wednesday" questions asked me a very similar question and I had trouble coming up with an answer. I mean, I guess I'm excited about starting a job of some kind, but it's hard to be truly excited when I don't actually have it nailed down and know what I'm getting myself into! 

2. What was your life like when you were ten years old?

 

Life was good! I don't remember many specifics, except that my family went on a road trip in the US that summer. That stands out because it was the bicentennial year and patriotism was totally ramped up! That big road trip took us to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado and Arches National Park in Utah, and my mom's family from Manitoba met up with us in Kansas, where we stayed for a few days with their extended family. That part of the trip was super interesting because it was the town where my mom was born so we saw the house that had been her grandparents' place. And also that was the first time I'd ever seen fireflies. True story.

 

3. What's something from your childhood you still enjoy today?

 Maybe it's because I haven't had breakfast yet and I'm hungry, but I'm thinking in terms of food here! Ice cream, cookies, and sugary kids' cereals. I really want some Count Chocula or Cocoa Pebbles now . . .

4. What state (that you haven't been to) do you most want to visit? Tell us why.

 Easy answer! Alaska! I have been dreaming of going on an Alaska cruise for at least twenty years. I want to see the wildlife and the glaciers and all the scenery. And the Northern lights. I haven't seen Northern lights in years and years.

5. Do you like to drive? Tell us how you learned to drive.

 

In general, I like driving, but I try to avoid having to drive in the city. Especially in areas I'm not familiar with. I get anxious driving on busy multi-lane freeways and in crowded downtown type areas. 

I started learning to drive when I was in my late teens, but I got really anxious and it didn't go well. It was weird because I'd never had trouble with anxiety other than that, but I was so upset my first time or two just trying to manage in a parking lot with my mom as my instructor that I just gave up on it. When I was in college, my husband (he was boyfriend at that time), made me start learning again and I did better as long as I wasn't on the highway. The first time he had me get on the highway, I burst into tears and pulled over onto the shoulder as soon as I could and that was that. So I finally paid for drivers instruction after we'd been married for at least a year and got my license when I was about 22 years old, I guess. 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

It's just a few days until my daughter's birthday, and this might be the first time we haven't been with her for the occasion. I think one year she was away at camp or something over her birthday. And we haven't bought her gift yet. It will be rather strange ordering something from Amazon and having it shipped directly to her. Last year, her party was just a couple days after my knee replacement surgery so I let the kids do all the planning and the celebration happened around me.

What's up in your world this week? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

And this post is linked at What's Up Wednesday for June, with Sheaffer & Shay.

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2023 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.