Eloise's Concert Countdown Chart #7
Beautiful People
(song appears at bottom of post)
And what better person to choose to hold up sign number seven than this cutie pie right here?
You'll recognize the slide show if you are a regular blog reader. I made it for Thanksgiving weekend and posted it last November. There are many beautiful people in it; some I know well and others I know of and just admire. It is a really good song to play when you need a lift because it reminds you that there are still good people in the world.
Watch the news today? If you are a Pennsylvanian you are bound to feel sadness over the uncovering of horrific crimes against children and teens and the punishments that followed. I think this is a good picture representing how we all feel:
Because I used this Nittany Lion does not mean I am crying for the university itself or its legendary coach. I (we) mourn for those kids. Penn State haters are happy, but I am asking you to back pedal from all of that. After all of this noise, remember the silence. The years those who were abused stayed mum. What does that do to a person, to a soul? Eloise is proud of those people brave enough to finally speak up, despite the fear they must had about facing an institution such as Penn State football.
Sexual abuse doesn't just happen in Happy Valley. It happens everywhere; in your town, on your street, maybe even in your own family. Keep watch, everyone. If you suspect something suspicious report it. But as we have learned, don't just stop there. Check back to make sure it was investigated. Follow through. It is your responsibility to protect children whether they are your own or those born to someone else. It takes a village, remember.
Just as you cannot let one sour grape spoil the whole bunch, we cannot let this very bad news sour our entire day. Play the song and let Tim's soothing voice sing you into a lullaby of sorts, and it let smooth over some of the hurt.
Tim's a Christian and I suspect he'd send a prayer for those victims if asked to, or maybe he already has. In fact, for your Tim Fact of the Day, here is his Christian inspired tattoo on his right bicep:
I always like to end on a lighter note, so here is a church story about Sam from yesterday. My church has announcements and lots of singing before the children's service begins, leaving Sam a bit restless. I've been working with Sam, trying to get him to connect the reason why we are going to church in the first place, urging him to be still and listen.
Sam was clamoring over the pews, trying to choose who to sit by, and I was the lucky one yesterday. During the song he wondered aloud about what kind of snack the Sunday School class would be serving up. I reminded him that church is about listening and learning, not about snacks. He then opened a Bible and paged through it. "No pictures?" he said. I shook my head no.
"Read this to me, Momma!" he demanded as the congregation still was singing. He pointed to a page, midway through the Bible, filled with black and white text.
"Not now, Sam," I scolded, "when we get home. Now be quiet!"
Sam sat with his bruised legs out in front of him, inspecting the "pricker scrapes" on his legs from recent berry picking. Bible still open on his lap, the congregation also sat at the end of the song, and Pastor's wife prepared to read the verse for the day: Isaiah 58.
She read:
Isaiah 58: 7-8: Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear.
"Did she just say NAKED?" said Sam a decibel too loudly.
As I clamped my hand over his mouth, I noticed the supposedly hard of hearing old lady next to me stifling a smile. Great time to pick to start listening, Sam. The rambunctious children were called to the front for the kick off of their lesson for the day, then proceeded to an area where they are all corralled together for further instruction (and snacks).
As he arose, I pulled the Bible from his lap and put it onto mine. It lay open there while I held my breath as Sam sat up front for Children's Church. The kid doesn't miss a trick and his hand is always up. Please don't call on him, please don't call on him, please don't call on him, I recited over and over. The Good Lord above must have heard me because Sam did not get called on, and the issue of nakedness that I am sure he had plenty of questions about was tabled for the time being.
I looked down to my lap to close the Bible Sam had opened and jumped when I found that he had opened to one of my favorite chapters, Ecclesiastes 3--A Time For Everything. I like the chapter and its verses so much that I even put in in my book The Key. (I promise you readers, it's coming soon, Eloise is pokey remember).
The verses speak to so many things in life and they find such a great application in today's post. Check them out for yourself, or listen to them if you want to. The verses are almost verbatim in a 1965 song version Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds. The words are the same, but sometimes they are out of order.
I guess I just gave you a few homework assignments today. Bad thing for a teacher to do in the summer, I suppose.
Reader's Homework:
- Check out the archive song post below for Beautiful People.
- Read Ecclesiastes 3--spelling test for this word on Friday.
- Listen to the Byrds version--there is a good one on youtube.
- Send up a prayer for abused children. After all, verse seven reads: a time to be silent and a time to speak. Pray for their strength as they they step from their silence.
Goodbye for Today, Beautiful People,
Eloise
Eloise
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