Nature's Message

My Friend Went Home

Well, I helped sing at Hugh Allen’s funeral today. He was my friend, and a very good man. He was almost 80 years old. He was essentially comatose his last 5 weeks on earth. I went to see him a couple days before he died and took an autoharp that I had retuned to a special tuning that sounds like one might imagine an angel harp would sound. I stood by his bed, near his head, and strummed softly on it….I just know he could hear it….and I hope it brought him some comfort and peace.

Hugh had the kind of heart that this world really, really needs. I thank God that he puts those people on this earth. Hugh really would help anyone in anyway he could. You could not count the number of times he has stopped on the side of the road and either fixed someone’s car for them, or took them home with him, fed them and then went back and fixed the car, if possible. His children remember that happening many times. Shortly after I first came to know Hugh, and his sweet wife Betty, I told my wife that they were straight out of Mayberry, NC with Andy Griffeth. I meant that in a very complimentary way…..they had the purity of simple, loving, non-judgemental hearts. Betty first saw Hugh when she was 14 years old, and never took her eyes off him. She never dated anyone else, and they were married 56 years. Being around Hugh was like sitting in your favorite chair….you felt very comfortable and cared for.

He had some stories to tell, I mean! One I will never forget. He ran a TV and radio repair shop in the small town of Edwards, MS, where he lived, back in the 50’ and 60’s. He told me he had repaired an older black man’s TV. The gentleman came in and got it, took it home, and brought it back to Hugh’s shop the very next day….very angry at Hugh. He told Hugh, “I want you to put my cowboy show back in there!!” Hugh says, “What are you talking about?” He said, “When I brought my TV in here there was a cowboy show I always watched, and you took it out….it ain’t in there anymore!” Hugh said that he never did convince that man that they must have changed the programming while he had the TV in the shop. He didn’t believe Hugh, and he left angry!! Ha! He mighta been from Mayberry too, you reckon?

We love ya, Hugh! We’ll see ya at the Taco Bell when we get up there. Save us a seat and make sure they give us those “old people” (senior) drinks free!

Stanley :)

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone

Stanley :)

I Know Nothing

(Thoughts on Ecclesiastes 11:5)

I do not understand
the winds that blow
Where they come from
where they go
So how might I understand
Your works, O God
Maker of all things?

I do not understand
the mothers womb
The way a life
is made to bloom
So how might I understand
Your works, O God
Maker of all things?

Stanley :)

A New Musical Insturment

This is one of the neatest newly invented muscial instruments I've seen in a long, long time....and what a wonderful use for it! There are no wrong notes. Did you hear that....no wrong notes. That's got to be the way an angels harp is made. Yeah....angels have harps....the pictures are correct. :)




I took my autoharp tonight and totally retuned it to a very similar tuning as this Reverie Harp....and it sounds beautiful....played by anyone.

Stanley :)

(Be sure to pause the player at the bottom of the page before starting the video)

The Power of the Mind

There is an old, and wise, belief among Native American peoples....that 90% of all illnesses come from bad feelings, guilt or negative energy.

Stanley :)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

There once was a very, very talented young lady....not very well known....mainly because she "passed over the rainbow" at very young age of 33....skin cancer. Her talent is greatly missed by many. This is one on my most favorite songs she does.....especially with the feeling and expression she presents to it. I think I would be very happy if this song....sung by her....was played at my funeral. It would be somewhat melancholy, but a beautiful thought. On a side note....I would also really appreciate another song at my funeral....sang by the entire audience....and that is...."Happy Birthday"....I'm serious. Anyway, here's Eva.....there couldn't be another quite the same on this song:

(Be sure to pause the player at the bottom of the page before starting the video)

Stanley :)

Homeless

I've always enjoyed what I might incorrectly call African Tribal music. Cum-Bah-Ya, when I was a teenager, was thought to be of African origin. The Africans have always seemed, to me at least, to have such a "real" "truthful" way of presenting life in there songs....both the words and the music. Until recently, with the advent of YouTube, etc, I hadn't been able to really listen to much of this type music. I've been enjoying listening to more now. Here is one of my favorites of late. It's called Homeless and is by a very talented group of Africans. It's about being homeless....really homeless. Listen, as one of the singers quickly tells the words in English at the beginning of the presentation. Crank up the speakers.....and Enjoy! :)

(Be sure to pause the player at the bottom of this page before playing the video)

Stanley :)

What Do You Think?

Every thought is a seed.
If you plant crab apples,
don’t count on harvesting golden delicious.

Bill Meyer

Smart Dog

Maria Swartzel sent this to me.....it's really cute....and interesting!

God's Creativity...More

An Albino Peacock....Wow! Beautiful! Thank You, God!!

May your troubles be less,

Your blessings be more,

And nothing but happiness

Come through your door.

Love Yourself

This is one of my favorite "unknown author" sayings...

very healthy advice:

Be gentle with yourself today.
Don't hurry too much
or laugh too little.
Be patient with yourself.
Don't expect to be perfect.
Be good to yourself.
Be happy with yourself.
Be a friend to yourself today.

Unkown Author

Stanley :)

God Smiles on His Creation!

This western sky shows off stunning colors and dramatic clouds reflected in Brisbane Water on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It also featured the remarkable conjunction of the crescent Moon, Venus, and Jupiter forming a twilight smiley face. While the gathering of the two bright planets and Moon awed skygazers around planet Earth, astronomer Mike Salway reports taking special pains to record this gorgeous view, braving mosquitos and rain squalls along a soggy shore. His southern hemisphere perspective finds brilliant Venus at the highest point in the celestial grouping.

Go here to see a larger picture of this so you can see God's "smiley face":

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0812/smileyfaceatsunset-2000px-mikesalway.jpg

Don't Drag Your Feet

Let this be a lesson......don't drag you feet!



Stanley :)

Are You Serious??

Sometimes life is confusing. Sometimes it's good to think about....sometimes it's not. Life's purpose?....What is real happiness?....How do I get it?....What is real love?....How will I know?.... Should I do this?....Should I do that?

Sometimes it's better to just reast and BE. To just exist, look about you, and enjoy all you see today.....Reserve another day to think deeply....if you must.

Stanley :)

More Creation

Let's do this one more time right now while we are on the subject. This picture is amazing, and I believe that we would have to be a student of astronomy for a long, long time before we could come close to realizing what we are looking at here.....at the vast distance and size of this picture and it's contents. Just look at all the numerous galaxies.....not solar systems....but, galaxies!! Read the explanation below and then click on the link beneath the picture to enlarge it, and use your mouse to zoom in on that picture, and the sidebars to move around the picture, and take a closer look. Tape you jaw up, 'cause it will drop as you begin to realize what all you are looking at, and how it is just a small part of God's amazing Creation!






http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/images/hs-2008-07-a-full_jpg.jpg

It’s been known for a long time that galaxies are not picky eaters. In fact, they’re cannibals.
Yes, they eat each other. If a little galaxy gets too close to a big one, the gravity of the beefier of the pair will rip the littler one apart, and the contents of the loser get absorbed into the winner. Most big galaxies show evidence of this, and our own Milky Way is eating at least one galaxy right now, and has probably swallowed down dozens before it.

But we’re pikers compared to NGC 1132, a monster elliptical galaxy over 300 million light years away. In visible light it’s 20% bigger in diameter than the Milky Way, and may outmass our galaxy by a factor of ten! It’s truly gargantuan. This Hubble image reveals the enormous extent of the galaxy, but even that’s only a part of the picture; most of the mass of this galaxy is in hot X-ray emitting gas and invisible dark matter.

Still, there is beauty in this overwhelming visible-light picture. Besides the obvious and pleasing smooth profile of the galaxy itself, there are also thousands of galaxies in the background, making the high-res original image well worth your time to download and peruse.

Amazing Creation!

God's Creation never, ever ceases to amaze me.....just take a close look at this seemingly surreal, but very real, picture from space of Saturn and read the narrative below it.....and give thanks to a most amazing God! :)

In the shadow of Saturn, unexpected wonders appear. The robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn recently drifted in giant planet's shadow for about 12 hours and looked back toward the eclipsed Sun. Cassini saw a view unlike any other. First, the night side of Saturn is seen to be partly lit by light reflected from its own majestic ring system. Next, the rings themselves appear dark when silhouetted against Saturn, but quite bright when viewed away from Saturn, slightly scattering sunlight, in this exaggerated color image. Saturn's rings light up so much that new rings were discovered, although they are hard to see in the image. Seen in spectacular detail, however, is Saturn's E ring, the ring created by the newly discovered ice-fountains of the moon Enceladus and the outermost ring visible above. Far in the distance, at the left, just above the bright main rings, is the almost ignorable pale blue dot of Earth.

(Click on the link below to make the picture large enough so that you can see where you are....Earth!)

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0901/newrings_cassini_big.jpg

Harmony in God

I was just thinking this morning about how good God is…..about how all things about Him are positive…..and how negativity has no room in Him…..for where there is light…..there is no darkness…..and all things are good in God…..and that is why we want to be “in” Him. And this afternoon….thinking about how the world needs peace and God’s positive existence in life….and what a blessing of light God has given to me in my enjoyment of, and meager talent in, music…..and to the world as well…..and.....well, it makes me wish that all people were musicians…..for I think that the musicians, of all people, are most likely to seek peace and joy for all. For in music, harmony is a necessity….and the desire to “work together” is what makes the song.

Stanley :)

She's All in One!

There are lots of things that are good in this life. Some are interesting, some are exciting, some are fun, some are unique, some are endearing, some are special, some are beautiful, some are heartwarming and some are absolutely precious! I know one "thing" that is ALL of these...and more. She's my granddaughter and she is a whole 2 years old today......only 100 years left to go!! She is full of life....a very happy child. May she always.....always....be full of life and a very happy "child". We Love You Very Much, Emerson Kate Matthews!!!!

Papa & Nana :) :)

I Love You, Daddy

We all seem to have so many ideas about what to expect when we die....as if we could really know for sure, or understand. I reckon I just expect to be in a world of spirits, and I hope I'm where the good ones are and that God is right there to help me outta the boat when I pull onto shore on the other side of the "Jordon River".

And if He can't make it, I hope my dad will. I dreamed about my daddy a couple nights ago....had a real pleasant visit....a very nice, "warmful" dream. It was just like being there....like getting another chance to go back and be with him. He's been gone now for 43 years this month.....and...well, I do still miss him. Just didn't get enough time to be with him at only 17 years old. More than some, but still not enough for me. I still remember his smell, his feel , his hands, his smile, his laugh, his eyes. Hugged him goodbye the morning of the day he died. Went into his bedroom, woke him up, he gave me some money to buy a new mouthpiece for the tuba I played in band at North Charleston HS, I leaned over the bed and gave him a nice, warm goodbye hug, and never saw him alive again. Interestingly, I went downtown after school to a music store to buy the mouthpiece, and started back home, driving by the hospitals. The thought came to me that maybe I should stop and call the preacher at church to see if someone might be in the hospital and me go visit them while I was already all the way down there. Then, I thought, "no, MaryNell (my “mom by choice”) might have supper waiting and I'd be late and I shouldn't do that to her." As it turned out, my dad was down there, alive, in the hospital, right then. John (my other dad) had taken him down there a little earlier and left MaryNell at home to come down with me when I got there. So, I got home and MaryNell was saying we need to hurry, your dad is in the hospital. We jumped in the car and drove right back down there. When we drove into the parking lot, it was raining hard, and John was standing in the parking lot, soaking wet, waiting on us. We stopped and he opened my door, and bent down, crying, and took my hand, and said, "Your dad has died." I'm just glad that John was with him when he died. I was so stunned, I didn't know what to do. I had "imagined" it happening, due to daddy's "preparation talks" to me, but, it's not possible to imagine such a thing as real. I had gotten out of school some of November and about all of December to drive him to Florida to see his heart doctor. He was taking nitro-glycerin pills like candy. We spent one night on the way down there at, what in those days was known as, a "tourist home". On that trip, he hand-wrote a will and had me and another person sign it as witnesses. He talked to me as though he was not going to make it, trying his best to prepare me for what was to come. I can't imagine a 73 year old man trying to relay to a very naive 17 year old that his daddy was probably going to die. He was put in the hospital, of course, down there. I stayed with a couple that he knew, while he was in the hospital. Daddy had a another heart attack while in the hospital, but, eventually got well enough that the doctor let him go back to SC. This was before the days of open heart surgery. I think it was thought that you would die immediately if someone touched your heart. We went to my oldest brothers house in Greenville, SC. He had given the property, on the side of Piney Mountain, and a small house, to Bill, my oldest brother, for a wedding present. Bill lived in that house till he died in 2005. Daddy stayed there and rested for a number of days. He was back at John and MaryNell's after the holiday's. He died in Charleston, SC, January, 1966. We moved him back to Greenville to rest his body there, since he loved the area so much. He was a jolly, positive, sincere, helpful, warm and loving man, and I loved him very much. I'm sure he wasn't perfect, who is, but, I didn't "see" any part that wasn't....even if I "saw” it. Anyway, the dream was a real pleasure. I reckon it's God's way of comforting us sometimes when He sees we could use it....and appreciate it. So, thank You, God....very, very much!

Stanley :)