Lyle's Blog

I would like to thank everyone for the comments on my blogs. To answer all would be impossible. In an effort to respond, I will say a couple things.

People who desire to write a blog ask which platform I use. WordPress. I do not customize the site; it is simple and I believe, easy on the eye.

Spam? Yes, gobs of it. Could I do something about it? Maybe, someday, but as you know, someday many times doesn’t come. Most of it is aimed at getting me to purchase something to enhance my blog. Content is where the rubber meets the road. Blogs are for readers so I’m not likely to throw too much visual up to attract readers.

Will I write more on a particular subject? Yes, but there is no outline or plan I follow. Whatever pops into my head, I write about. I do want to make an effort to improve content. Anyone who writes knows how difficult it is to find the time for decent research. I am usually interrupted in the writing of a post, so some of the spontaneous thought isn’t delivered very well.

When things “settle down” I may revisit comments and respond to comments on articles but for now, time does not allow for that luxury. I again thank you all and will do my best to earn your continued support.

Jesus said if you love anyone more than Him you are not worthy of Him. As I look around at people and myself, we spend the vast majority of our time and money on other people. These people are “good” people. They are our spouses, children, grandchildren, friends, all people of our choosing.

When we assess how we spend our time, can we say we love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind? At least in my own life, I can’t say that”s true. If I don’t make Jesus Christ the most important person in my daily life, should it be any wonder that I feel estranged from the “God I love”? If I treated my wife like I treat God, she would get rid of me.

Life seems to eat you alive; everything just seems to keep coming at you. Obligations, we are just so busy. It becomes increasingly clear that knowing Christ versus knowing about Christ is of paramount importance. God says to seek Him and you will find Him. That takes time; lots of time. I spent a lot of time and money pursuing my wife. Being I declare that I am the bride of Christ, shouldn’t I spend that same amount of effort and time pursuing Him?

So we all have to ask ourselves if we are worthy. Worthy of what? The cross. If someone gave their lives to save ours, wouldn’t we be eternally grateful? Are we worthy of the blood that Christ shed? He died for us, in our place. And yet most Christians are ashamed to tell anyone of it. Maybe we’re just pretending to love Him. Maybe.

The Bible is the book of love. God demonstrates love to us; while we were yet in sin, Christ died for the ungodly. Job was for all accounts a good man, the best there was. But even he had to be reminded of who he wasn’t, he wasn’t God. Was he there when God created the heavens and the earth? He was as good as a man could be, but he had no real concept of who God was and neither do we.

There was a time when the message of the book of love had meaning. It was good news for men. Salvation had come. No one knew men needed a savior from outside our time domain. Today people do think that music can save their mortal soul. If that were true, then a bag of potato chips could save you too.

God knows you’re not in love with Him. He sees you dancing, flirting with other gods. You’re having a good time. If there is a God he would want you to enjoy this life. Isn’t that right? If you look at the curse on Adam and Eve, it does appear that God expects life without Him to be miserable.

The Bible is the book of love for unredeemed man. The Lambs Book of Life is the new book of love. It records the name of all those that love God, obeyed His commandments, and desired to live with him forevermore.

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

The generation of love thought they had a corner on the love market. So many believed they discovered something better; it was the age of Aquarius, whatever that was. Everyone was questioning whether they had faith in God or if there was a God. Look magazine ran a cover reading “God is Dead”. The authority of the Bible was questioned. Everything was questioned. They loved rock and roll music. The ramblings of blithering idiots charmed our generation. Music was the opioid of the dope heads who produced the snowflake generation of today. Dancing became erratic and erotic; dancing slow was a lost art.

Well, I know that you’re in love with him
‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin’

Nothing changed and everything changed. You saw people together and supposed they had something going. They were just having a good time; it was all frivolous and more so with each passing year. I was lonely like all teenagers. Mary Jane became the friend of most. It was hard to fit into this new world but you did, at least dummies like me did. But I knew I wasn’t cool. The music died. It was mostly noise. Music became noise, there was just too much of it, just like today. I sang, played guitar to nobody, working out the frustrations of a young man with nowhere to go.

I just kept driving around; nowhere to go and no reason to be alive. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

American Pie was an iconic song of my generation. I’ve heard some explanation of what the song means and I’m sure that is more or less correct. I thought I would offer a more nuanced opinion. This may take more than one post as reading long articles has become burdensome. There is just too much to read, view and consider anymore.

A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they’d be happy for a while

Way back, in my young years, music was good; I haven’t forgotten how sweet it was.
Music had entered a new level, it had crossed the threshold of a new future
It made me “smile”, I spent hours listening to the pied pipers of the new, brave world
Everyone wanted to be a rock star, at least I did and I just knew if people could hear me
I could make them happy, they would smile just like me.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step

But there was this chill in the air, the television was parked right at the dinner table.
We watched the daily reporting of the Vietnam War while eating supper.
It was bad news. I had a friend from high school that volunteered; don’t know what happened to him.
Not that I was a kid with any goals, but what step should I take? Was I going to be called?

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died

There were widows, plenty of widows, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, left with only a memory of a life that was too short. I don’t remember my reaction to any of this; as a young man of nineteen years, my mind was kind of numb.
You block out, don’t think about the next step. Maybe you only have one step left which might place you in a body bag. Boys my age were dying every day. Deep inside, something was dying; my future was dying. The music of the day was a distraction from what seemed an inevitable fate. The songs I listened catered to my emptiness. I was trying to use it to save my mortal soul.

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die

So, goodbye to all my lovely world. It wasn’t perfect but it had promise. I mindlessly drove around; where was there to go. The good old boys were drinking whiskey whilst planning our deaths. They sing a melody so sweet and commemorate our passing. Pretty words, pretty flowers, pretty lonely. I remember a less compassionate drill sergeant told all of us, you’re all going to Vietnam and you’re all going to die. So I thought, why go? That will be the day that I die.