How To Melt Faces One Day

For those of you that attended Avalon’s Christmas services you witnessed one of the greatest musical moments in my life and I just wanted to say a few things about it.

 

I had the privilege of playing “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on the guitar with a Mr. Dusty Beach. I was so focused that week on learning my stuff that I didn’t really have time to let the whole thing sink in of what I was actually going to be doing. But now that it’s over I’ve had some time to think about it.

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about when I first started playing guitar and how frustrated I was to not be able to play the things that I wanted to play. I remember the hours and hours I would spend practicing in my room, much to the discomfort of my family’s ears. I remember when I first learned to play “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana or “Today” by the Smashing Pumpkins and how I would just wear those songs out because I was so exciting that I actually learned a song. And a few years later I crossed over to the bass and learned that it can be just as fun to back up really good guitar players as well as be one. I am always excited when I get to see someone wailing on a solo and I’m standing in the back thumping away at a tight rhythm and they get to do their thing. I think I just like being a part of something big. Part of it too was that I never really thought I would be a good guitar player, because mediocre guitar players can make great bass players, and I was fine with that.

 

After we played the TSO songs for the last service I had this memory flashback of when I was sitting in my room trying to stretch my hand to form chords and being very discouraged at my ability that everyone kept telling me was a “God-given” talent. If God has given me this talent, why is it so hard? I would ask myself. Well I got my answer. If I had just immediately picked up the guitar and was able to shred an melt faces then I wouldn’t have been so humbled and thankful to be a part of that service.

 

Newsflash!!! God is smarter than we are.

 

No matter what you are going through and what may seem very discouraging and tough. If you’re being stretched or if literally you’re stretching your hands and fingers, God has a reason for it. Only when we take the time to stop and look around do we see why. And I know it’s a hard pill to swallow at the time, but when you look at it in the grand scheme of things it makes so much more sense.

 

What are you hoping for, what are you struggling with, what is discouraging you? Just tell yourself, God is smarter than I am and do I trust him. If you do, then it’s all going to work out. It may take 13 years of playing guitar, or it may happen sooner than you think, just remember where you came from when that times comes.

 

Peace

 

Denomination Test

A friend at work sent me this test that you can take to determine what Christian Denomination you best line up with.

Take it yourself here.

I took it the first time and was shocked to find out that it said I should be a Seventh-Day Adventist!? I went back through the test to see why and realized that one of the questions asks if Sunday is the preferred day of worship, and if you answer no it will mark you as SDA. I think preferred is a bad word to use, it's really just tradition.

Since I wasn't happy with that answer, I took it again and got Southern Baptist as my number one answer. Needless to say I was devastated.

I took it again three different times with varying degrees of answers and I keep getting Reformed Baptist. So I guess I'll have to settle with that. Here is my top five.

#1. Reformed Baptist

#2. Church of Christ

#3. Southern Baptist

#4. Seventh-Day Adventist

#5. Presbyterian Church USA

Peace

I'm Bringin' Funny Back

Sorry for the long boring posts, i'll put the funny back in soon...

"Scrumtrulescence"

Peace

What is in a name?

Since we found out that Katrina is pregnant again, we’ve been going through all the usual activities. Like, deciding what OBGYN to use and where we’re going to put the nursery and what names we like for boys and girls. This has gotten me thinking a lot about names and what weight they carry, or rather weight they should carry. I don’t necessarily mean the biblical/super-spiritual thing where a child’s name means “God with us” or whatever. I mean more in the heritage part of it.

Let me try to explain better.

Since as far back as I can remember, I have been engrained with Scottish pride. I don’t know why, but my Dad and that whole side of the family have always had a passion for being of Scottish descent. We have records and stories of our ancestor’s journey to the states. They are also proud of the fact that not only are we Scottish, but we are McDonald’s, of the clan MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, from the Isle of Skye. “Be proud of your heritage, son!” is what I’ve been told since birth, I imagine. Don’t get me wrong, I love Scotland and I love my heritage. The “heritage propaganda” worked well on me, maybe too well.

Here is my point.

What is heritage? Your family’s roots and origins, right? And what is pride for your heritage? Being thankful for something that you had no control over? No, it’s embracing the struggles, the successes, the lives, and the history of your origins. And how is that pride carried on? It is carried on through family.

Here is my question.

The McDonald sides of my family are the most dysfunctional, disconnected, and spiritually disoriented people that I know. Plus, my Father only wants to have a relationship with my family and me when it works for him. So my question is, if familial pride is such a huge part of who they/we are then why do they neglect the “family” that they’re so proud of. I can’t wrap my mind around that rationale. It’s contradictory to say the least.

In conclusion.

I haven’t spoken to my Father (note the use of the word “father” not “dad”) since Nov. 2, my birthday. We didn’t see each other or speak over Thanksgiving for reasons that are too stupid to even write about. I know I am not totally innocent in the faults of our relationship, but I’m tired of playing his game. I look forward to the day when I can pass on the story of the McDonald heritage to my children and when I can pass on a love for all things Scottish. However, I pray that it will be passed on through my love for them and not just passed on through meaningless words.

Peace