GreatRidge Station

I love acorns. Always have.

Now the Native Americans used to make a kind of “acorn butter” that was similar to what we know as peanut butter. Just because acorns are edible does not mean they are any good–they’re very bitter. That’s not what I love about acorns.

To me, an acorn is a wonderful symbol:

• It is a harbinger of fall
• It is a symbol of God’s provision and ongoing concern for his creation (oak trees, incidentally, grow very slowly and deliberately, and are about as unlike our western culture as they can be).
• They contain innumerable forests yet unseen
• Artistically, they are beautiful. They have whimsy (a nut in a knit cap), tactile appeal (both smooth and rough), beauty (perfect balance), and visual appeal (the ripe acorn is an unspeakably rich color, so often overlooked, and the not-quite-green-not-quite-brown before it is fully ripe is striking)

I don’t take acorns for granted. Like a four-year-old kid seized by the wonder of creation, my first impulse is to gather the ones that have fallen to the ground.

There’s no leadership moral here, just the quiet reminder that we all need moments of beauty in our lives. Pay attention to what captivates you–what turns you into that enthusiastic four-year-old. And if you take yourself too seriously for all that: Stop it. Go get some acorns.

About a year ago, a friend asked me “What CD is on repeat in your CD player?” Today, we’ve moved much more toward a software approach to music, and the question might be “What’s on your playlist.”

I’m happy to say that, yes, music has become interesting again. Those who know me well know that I love The Innocence Mission–but that seems to be winter music. I’ve been looking for some “fair weather” tunes, and I’m happy to say, I’ve found some. Here’s what I’m currently listening to, and why:

• Miriam Jones — You’ll find her on Amiestreet.com, the indie music site. She had two songs that were semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition, and her work is both complex and enjoyable. She’s a little bit folky, jazzy, poppy with good lyrics and surprising arrangements. She only has two albums worth of material, but I’m looking forward to much more from this talented artist.
• Susan Enan — Okay, so she has only released two tracks–but amazing tracks they are. I first heard her in the soundtrack to the film Cult of Sincerity, and I love her clear voice and elegant arrangements. I’m ready for more from her.
• Pearlfishers — These folks are, depending on which press releases you read, either from Scotland or Ireland. They are a bit pop-oriented, which, roughly translated means “not my kind of music.” The truth is, they have a winsome style that is hard to compare with anything else that is out there. Their music harkens back to times gone by, and does so with an amazingly diverse set of influences and styles.
• Michelle Whalen — It’s my privilege to have Michelle and her husband in my circle of friends. She sings honestly about Christian faith, struggles and challenges, joys and exaltations. Her new CD, Fringes, is worth a listen…and her voice is expressive, honest, and her range of tone, depth, timbre, and emotion will surprise you.
• Tyler Burkum — Tyler goes into my “artists I know” column. His dad and I have been friends for several years, and I have the privilege of working with his wife. I have great respect for Tyler, both musically and personally. He is the only person I know who has won four Grammy awards (for his work with Audio Adrenaline). Now, he takes his musical talent in his own direction, and the results are amazing. Buy his CD.

That’s it. As usual, I’m listening to musical innovators with one-of-a-kind styles, voices, and approaches. I know music is very personal, but, since I’m the blogger and you are the bloggee, I thought I would share some of the stuff I have discovered and enjoyed. This is all good summer music.

I had a long conversation (by phone) with my sister the other night. She mentioned something that seemed incredible to me; until she had Lasix surgery she had never seen the stars. She had heard about them, and she had seen one of the bright ones (she thought it might have been Arcturus, but I’m guessing Sirius), but she had no idea what a starlit night sky looked like.

She had taken the dark sky for granted throughout her youth and well into her adult years, and she never knew what she was missing. We both found it funny that she had taken an Astronomy class in college as an elective.

I often wonder what one person might see, and consider obvious, that another person might be incapable of seeing at all. We have to assume two things as leaders:

• In our own world, we have 20/20 vision, and everyone else is blind and groping about in the dark.
• When we enter someone else’s world, we’re the blind one in the dark, and they see the world in perfect clarity.
• Once in a while, those worlds overlap. This may mean that we both see (oh, that this would happen more often), or we are both blind (this is far more common). The problem is that we may not even be aware of our blindness.

This is a great challenge for leaders. Jesus addressed a similar situation (in specific circumstances) in Revelation 3:17, in the letter to the Church in Laodicea:

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Indeed. So where are the blindspots in your own life, and even in how you see yourself?