Call Me Spoon

    Like you I was scrolling through Instagram and the new threads app the other day and I discovered a bass player that blew me away.  Not only is she talented but magnetic.  She is full of attitude.  I don't anything about her but what she puts out in social media is on another level.  She can she sing and play a number of different types of basses. Her presentations are professional, sultry, and positive. I've heard her do some classic jazz covers, some originals and even a few tutorials.  I'm a fan.  I'd buy all her records.  Labels are unnecessary. Aneesa Strings is in the pocket.   Superficially but sincere, she is beautiful.  Her voice is sexy as hell. She reminds me of Chaka Khan, Sade, and Alicia Keys.  With only the latter playing an instrument and singing.  Not an easy task.  Back in the day she'd be a poster on my wall. She's managed to be a genuine woman without looking like the body exposing tramps on ev...

  Tone   I have always heard guitarist talk about signature sounds and tones and wondered when and if I would ever get one.  I've been dragging a guitar around all of my life.  I just remembered a few minutes ago the time I bought a broken Ovation guitar to practice on when I was in the Philippines.  That was a long time ago but here I am today practicing every day, playing every Sunday at church and watching videos whenever I get a chance to increase my knowledge.  Last night, I heard my tone.  Like my voice it was on a low register, I tend to use a lot of bends and vibrato no matter what the song. I did a bass like pluck with my plectrum/pick with a soft mute.  I forgot what I was playing but I felt it come out of me like when you sing a sound in the proper key. 

I think attention deficit disorder (ADHD) is overly prescribed as a disorder. I don't trust the pharmaceutical industry.   Although ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopment disorders as a parent I tend to believe now that we are too quick to assign or prescribe medication. I think this is the case because of the times we live in.  Children, teens and adults have more options, distractions, shiny objects fighting for our attention.  With the advent of some many things it is hard to concentrate, focus and prioritize. How to quiet our minds needs to be trained.  Parents should limit the input firehose their kids have access to. Children diagnosed with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.  They are overstimulated.   I think this is helped by our obsessions with being online.  Unplugging the tablet and phone will only help your child....

  I thank the Lord God, the Everlasting Father, Jehovah for my sixty one years of life.  An exciting and full life, a fun life with love, wonder and mysteries unfolded.  I thank God for the love of family and friends that span His earth.  I thank God for His mercy, and grace as I learned, failed, and tried things over and over.  I thank God for the experiences, the joys, the loves, the things I have seen and the people that have been with me.  I thank You Lord for allowing me to pastor, spy, teach, write, publish, speak, edit, ride, swim, love, read, learn, play, survive, escape, receive, give, live, serve, feel, help, bless, preach, rescue, encourage, motivate, inspire, father, husband, befriend, remember, forget and forgive. 

Learning guitar for me has been in stages. The stage I am in now is where I feel comfortable holding the instrument and trying to fine tune better ways to play it.   I am trying to be conscious of my hand positions so that I can make transitions better and not get tired. I am trying to fret my notes more accurately so that the dynamics of what I hear are intentional. I am conscious of my likes and dislikes.   The first guitar I fell in love with was an American Stratocaster I traded for a handgun.  At the time it was the most expensive guitar I had.  I fantasized about sounding like Buddy Guy or Stevie Ray Vaughn.  Then I bought a hollow body Epiphone and tried to get my B.B. King on.  I learned quickly that I will never be those guys.  The journey continued and I bought and sold a bunch of guitars until I found Dean Zelinksky.  He has some good marketing. I've had three of his guitars and can vouch for their quality and beauty.  You have to...

In the year 2019, I leaned forward with my guitar goals. I’m not alone. People all over are buying guitars according to Fender, Gibson and luthier extroidinaire, Dean Zelinsky. Younger people are learning, shredding and making music with a guitar like never before. The pandemic increased it.   Learning the guitar, is a forward-looking process, kindling hope and optimism. I am a big fan of hope.  God is hope. I believe one of the greatest gifts God has given you is hope. After all, that is what his promises are designed to do – inspire hope. It gives us the ability to look at any situation and know that regardless of how it may appear God is going to come through. This is the essence of what hope is.   However, if you are honest, the challenges of life can sometimes seem overwhelming. I know because I have faced those challenges just like you have. When these challenges attack, the thing they often come after is your hope. They try to move you from hope to despair, but tha...