A Dream Come True

Last Friday, I left for Nashville and met Kristin at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta for dinner. I arrived at my hotel within a stone's throw of the Grand Ole Opry around midnight. I was pretty excited about my recording session, so I did find it a little difficult to get to sleep. This was my fourth trip up to Nashville to work on my 10 song, hymn CD, Be Thou My Vision. You'd think after 3 times before in the studio, that the gold records on my producer, Dave Pomeroy's wall for his work with Keith Whitley, Alison Krauss and Trisha Yearwood would be old hat, but they impress me anew everytime. Dave is a remarkable bassist with the type of personality that makes you forget he's shared the stage with Steve Winwood, Don Williams, The Chieftains and a host of other musicians of great renown and great talent. On Saturday, his attention was on li'l ol' me and my hymn project. We spent about an hour getting set up and waiting for a session musician to arrive. Around 10:00am or so, Andy Leftwich came in wearing a ballcap and carrying a fiddle and a mandolin case by his sides. Anyone who has ever listened to Ricky Skaggs' band, Kentucky Thunder has heard Andy. Ricky is one of the most respected musicians in the world for his genre of music, so the fact that Ricky, a remarkable fiddle and mandolin player in his own right, would select Andy to play fiddle and mandolin with him on the road and in the studio really says it all. In fact I've been listening to Andy for years and didn't even know it until reading the liner notes in retrospect. Andy and Dave caught up discussing a recent show that he played on the Opry stage, and talking about a recording they were working on with their all-star Nashville group, Three Ring Circle. Andy gave a listen to my title track, Be Thou My Vision, and went into the booth without a note one for reference. His tune up alone was beautiful, so I suggested he do a solo intro for my song. With almost no hesitation he nailed the concept nearly on the first run through. Dave had recorded a bass line on an earlier session, so the tune was already "complete" or so I thought. After hearing what Andy put down, I don't think I can imagine it without his fiddle...absolutely beautiful. As soon as he started, it was over and down for the record.

I thought about Dave's and Andy's talents, and about my own gift as a musician. I couldn't help but recognize the parallel between music and the Body of Christ. We're each given our own special part to contribute. Too often we don't realize our gift, our part, and too often when we do, we let it stand alone. What we have to offer may be fine by itself, but when we work within the Body, sharing our gift with the gift of others, there is a magnifying effect completing the composition in a way that lies just beyond our own vision. Together we are an orchestra, and God is our Maestro. I thank Him for conducting Be Thou My Vision last Saturday, and for allowing me to have a part in His orchestra. It is indeed a dream come true.

Remembering Scout Camp

I can't recall how many summers my old scout troop spent summer camp week atop the Windy Hill campsite at Camp Old Indian. Just thinking about the old place brings back a flood of memories. I can smell the Off insect repellent. I can see the wooden plank floors, and iron bunk beds of our adirondack in my mind's eye. Each day was spent walking up and down the paths of that Blue Ridge Mountains foothills campsite. The most pervasive memory is the dining hall. We met as a troop there only 3 times a day, but it seemed like we were always at the table together. We shared chants, yells, songs, prayers and scrambled eggs. Flag ceremonies were also important. After the bugle sounded, we called out our daily report with a smart three-fingered, boy scout salute, "Sir, Troop 102 all present and accounted for!" And we honored the flag. Then, there were the campfires and indian dancers. One of the camp staff members, Brad, I think was his name, played guitar and sang Bye Bye Miss American Pie and Cats in the Cradle. I barely remember the merit badge classes other than Andy McGaha's Wilderness Survival course, even though some might argue that working on scout skills and earning badges is the focus of scout camp. For me, it was just the event; making life-long memories with friends. Wrestling with Victor Robinson, getting "tapped out" in a ceremony for the Order of the Arrow with my life-long friend, Danny, knot tying races, and thunderstorms all are lasting memories scattered in my mind without regard to any chronological sequence. Weeks go by all through our lives, and I'm saddened a little at just how few can be recalled to memory, but then, that makes memorable times stand out. We file them under "never forget," and our minds obey.

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Last week, I added a new week to the file. Two-hundred miles south east of Camp Old Indian on Wadmalaw Island lies Camp Ho Non Wah. This was Nathan's first scout camp week, and my first as a scoutmaster. We walked trails together, made ourselves look silly with our dining hall chants, yells and songs. We weathered a fierce thunderstorm walking back to our campsite after dark in water knee deep at some points. We did the wave, and hit the beach ball at the campfires. I paddled a canoe with my hands in a leader's canoe race, and gave Nathan a little coaching with his basketry merit badge projects. Nathan earned almost 5 merit badges, but I bet he'll better remember feeding the millipede to that HUGE spider outside the scoutmasters' lounge. He'll recall the mosquito net over his bed, and the late night talkative cabin mates in his adirondack. I bet he'll better remember walking behind his scoutmaster Dad on those shaded lowcountry paths toward all those enduring adventures of scout camp life. As for me, I too will file the week under "never forget."

Memorial Day

I want to say a word of thanks to all those brave men and women who've lost life or limb giving freedom to a nation that rarely counts the costs. Their sacrifice cannot be overstated. They are the true heroes of America, and in many cases, the free world.
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This month marks the two year anniversary of my retirement from the United States Air Force where I was honored to serve for just over 20 years. On a few occasions I've had folks come up to me and thank me for my service. One morning a fellow bought me a hot tea at a Starbucks in Alexandria, VA just because I was in uniform. Another time a lady came up to me in the grocery store to thank me. The pastor of my church routinely singles out past and present military members for recognition, and I'm always proud to stand along side the others who've served. But truth be known, I've always received more from my service than I had occasion to give. Because of the US Air Force, I was able to receive an education I could not, otherwise, afford. Because of the Air Force, I've seen frost on Nebraska cornfields, the sunrise over Mt Etna in Sicily, and the sunset against the walls of the Alhambra in Spain. I've seen castles on the Rhine, fields of gold in France, and harvest moons over a southwestern desert. Because of the Air Force, I've marched before sunrise on the echoing streets of Lackland, I've trained on the friendly fields of strife at Maxwell, and I've briefed generals and sergeants in makeshift offices during time of war. I've seen a C-17 on an overseas tarmac bearing a flag draped coffin, and I taught a cadet who would join those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. All of this, and I was able to be counted among the names of those who've served this country, and humbly have association with those who gave their life for it. Yes, I received far more than, by the grace of God, I ever had to give. .
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For those who gave more than they received, I say thanks and I remember.

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Keith H. Miller, Major, USAF (retired)

Out Like a Lamb

Okay, it's 11:24 pm on the 31st, and I'm just about out of time to post a note for March, so here it is. This month definately came in with winter's last gasp, but hopefully I'll be posting some photos of the azaleas soon. Charleston is simply at its best right now. The pear trees were snowing little white flowers all week. I have dozens of goldfinches in my backyard competing for 10 perches on two thistle feeders. The picture shows a red bellied woodpecker on my seed feeder just last week. The azaleas and wisteria are building to a crescendo, and this weekend and next week should be amazing. There are so many things going on in the world lately that give good cause for one to be very anxious, yet, God is in control. He reveals Himself to His creation, through His creation, and for the ability to see Him in these simple, beautiful ways, I am thankful.

My Bird Watching Season Opener

About mid-March, I like to clean and refill my thistle feeders in our backyard. Soon after, our backyard becomes a favorite little haven for the goldfinches for about a month or so, and then they move on and leave the seeds for the cardinals and mourning doves. I was looking out back just today thinking about the coming of the goldfinches when I saw a truly amazing sight...the largest woodpecker I've ever seen in my life was perched on our wooden fence. His head was bobbing up, down and around as he worked over a little piece of our fence. I called for Kristin, and she came over and exclaimed, "he's large enough to eat!" I then said, I've got to get a pic of this fellow if he'll let me. I went back to my room to get my camera, and then as quietly as I could manage, opened the back screen and slipped outside. It was drizzling just a little as I crept across the yard toward the back fence. I turned my camera on, and started trying to close in with my zoom before he caught sight of me. He darted to a nearby tree and quickly positioned himself opposite of where I was standing. I saw the red tuft peek out to the side as he surveyed my position, then he pulled back before I could get the shot. Finally he sailed over to another tree and I caught a blurry image as soon as he gripped the side of the tree. He then darted to another tree and I got a little shot of him searching the branch for a meal.

When I got back to the computer, I loaded the pics up, and did a quick search to determine what kind of woodpecker I'd just seen. Only one kind of woodpecker on the page even resembled him...the ivory billed woodpecker. I clicked on it to read more, and to my shock read that this variety of woodpecker was thought to be extinct until 1999, and that definitive proof of their existence, until recently, was still elusive! What's more, it said that this kind of woodpecker was the 2nd largest woodpecker in the world. I was a little more than excited by the prospect that I had seen something so rare. I told Kristin, and she called her knowledgeable friend, Amanda. Kristin was sure that her friend would have good insight since she had extensively studied birds, insects and was basically a walking naturalist's handbook. Amanda was driving near our home; she gasped and immediately re-charted her course to our house upon hearing about the possibility of such a rare sighting. While on her way, she suggested that I look up the pileated woodpecker, just so we could rule it out. By the time she arrived, I had just about come to grips with the fact that our visitor was indeed the pileated woodpecker as she suspected...beautiful and uncommon, yes; critically endangered, no. Still, it's not everyday that I get to uncover a mystery in my own backyard. I hope he lives nearby and visits often during the upcoming finch season. Who knows, maybe next time he'll bring along an ivory billed pal.

Low Country Coin Show

With the coin show out at the Ladson fair grounds, it's been tough trying to work the past couple of days. Fortunately, I can at least claim the "cool Dad" title even if the flipside is near dereliction of duty regarding my business route. One of the merit badges I earned as a young scouter was the Coin Collection Merit Badge, and it was one of those things that expanded my appreciation for our currency and the feel of history that just lingers on old coins. It can be a very expensive hobby. Literally thousands of dollars are on display at these shows, but for me the intrinsic value has never been the draw. I like to hold the coin in my hand, study its artful design and worn lines and spaces, and just imagine what the world was like when it was made. One of my favorites is this old worn large cent minted in 1822. You can barely read the date, and the face of Liberty is worn smooth and almost flat. The value is degraded because of the wear, but when I hold it, I like to think that Thomas Jefferson was still alive when it was minted. The nation was young, and the sun was still rising on our Republic. Abraham Lincoln was just 13 years old at the time, and could've labored long in the sun for that very penny. Every human alive on earth at the minting of that penny has long since passed away, and still it lives on held in yet another American's hand.

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This weekend, Nathan started his own collection. He put some of his Christmas money in his wallet, and went to the show with me. While we were there, we had the special treat of meeting the show's guest of honor, a remarkable Abe Lincoln look-alike. It was perfect since this President's Day we celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday. We posed for photos and Nathan bought 102 foreign coins at .10 cents a piece. We spent the evening logging and labeling the nations and dates in a catalog. He bought a complete set of WWII nickels, two Buffalo Nickels and an Ike silver dollar. We got two of the states quarters catalogs, and went through a roll of quarters filling in as many as we could find. He learned a little about grading the coins, and a little about the minting locations, and maybe even caught a little of that wonder that I felt when I was his age. All in all I think I've almost earned Coin Collecting Merit Badge all over again, and Nathan has come a long way towards it himself! Best of all, we can chalk up another weekend of discovering more about each other while we discover the world around us.

Thoughts on the Abundant Life

When I was young, I remember riding with my Dad while he worked accounts on his pest control route. We would ride from Cowpens to Gaffney late in the evening toward some little mobile home sitting off in a field. On the way, he would teach me what he'd learned about succeeding in business. Often he would quote the words of Norman Vincent Peale encouraging me to "think positive," and remove those harmful words like "can't" from my vocabulary. I learned a lot of good things on those rides even if I'd rather been home watching Sanford and Son or the Rockford Files. These talks were different from our Bible discussions. Those talks often included Old Testament references, but ultimately came down to the salvation offered by Jesus Christ...not by works or positive thoughts, but by faith in Christ alone.

These days it seems the topics have been merged. There is so much literature out there now on how to apply Christianity as a formula for earthly success. The "abundant life" through Christ that Paul talked about is now understood to mean abundance in earthly terms...health, wealth and happiness. It all sounds great until you read what the scripture actually says. One passage I find particularly interesting is in The Acts 23-25. Paul and Silas were in Philippi and had stirred up the people in that town with a message that many today might say wasn't very "seeker friendly." Paul often found that the truth of Christ can be considered offensive; it cares nothing for political correctness and very, very seldom pleases the masses. As their reward for preaching the truth, here is what Paul and Silas received: The Acts 23 "And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. The Philippian Jailer Saved 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." So, to get the picture straight, these fervent believers and doers of the Word were beaten and imprisoned! True, God loosened their chains with a powerful earthquake, but they sang while yet they were still bound...now THAT is the abundant life of Christ. Bottom line is that earthly success is not a guaranteed outcome for the believer. In fact, when you look at the apostles' lives after Christ arose from the tomb, all but one were murdered for their obedience to the Lord. That's hardly success by earthly measure.

What can we conclude? To serve Christ is to be willing to sacrifice all, even unto death if need be, without any promise of earthly reward. To be willing to leave life behind for the sake of Christ means that health, wealth, happiness, and even our own perceived purpose to be has to mean nothing to me in light of Christ Who is to be everything or nothing. I want the abundant life that lets me sing even if chained and persecuted; abundance that leaves me with joy in the midst of sorrow--a joy that surpasses all understanding. To embrace the cross is to be scorned by a world that tells you that your personal health, wealth and happiness is paramount, but it is what we who would follow Christ must do.