Home of the Darkwater Author
There are only two weeks until the release of Darkwater: A Pastor’s Memoir of Depression and Faith. I’m spending these days sharing some questions with you related to themes in the book. I invite you to answer in the comment section! One of the minor themes in the book Darkwater is music. (And much of … Continue reading A Question for You about Music
So I've mostly given up on learning the theremin. As I wrote on here before, my Christmas present this year was a digital theremin, quite possibly the most intriguing musical instrument there is. You play it with your hands, but without touching it! You wave your hands carefully near it, and it makes haunting music … Continue reading Charms to Soothe
A few days ago, I had a vision during my morning devotions. I was reading Psalm 148, which includes lines like this: Praise the Lord!Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,8 fire and hail, … Continue reading Conducting the Symphony 2: The Vision
Slow down, you move too fast.Gotta make the morning lastJust kicking down the cobblestonesLooking for fun and feelin' groovy"59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", Paul Simon I always forget that that song isn't just called "Feelin' Groovy." And now it's in my head, and probably in yours as well. You're welcome! When I was in … Continue reading Fifty-Nine
I think the first time I heard the phrase "49th parallel" was while listening to the 1993 song "The Lazy Boy" by Moxy Früvous. "The Lazy Boy" is a song about the United States (maybe?), sung from the standpoint of Canadians. The song contains odd lyrics comparing furniture to countries, such as "I put my … Continue reading Forty-Nine
When I was a kid, we had a record player that had four settings: 16, 33, 45, and 78. These numbers, as anyone over a certain age will remember, determined the speed at which the disc would spin while it was read by the needle. The slowest setting, 16, made the disc rotate at 16-2/3 … Continue reading Forty-Five
There were four Beatles. John Lennon, rhythm guitar. Paul McCartney, bass guitar. George Harrison, lead guitar. Ringo Starr, drums. And of course, the muse of musical genius, who dwelt among them for the duration of the band's existence. The Beatles are my favorite band, and the only reason for that is because they are the … Continue reading Five
Hold my breath as I wish for death Oh please, God, wake me -- Metallica One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do -- Harry Nilsson Just promise me, you'll always be a friend 'Cause you are the only one -- Ed Sheeran Those are lyrics from just three of the thirty-two songs (according … Continue reading One
Every year, I write a poem for Christmas, and include it in my Christmas cards to friends and family. For the past 26 days, I’ve been publishing all of my Christmas poems here, as a kind of Advent calendar. It's now Christmas Day, so here is 2017's poem. Merry Christmas! If you're not familiar with … Continue reading Christmas Poem XXVI: “Christmas at Darkwater Church”
This is one in a series of posts I’m calling “Snapshots of my Depression.” These are memories of times in my life when my mental illness manifested itself in one way or another. I can remember sitting at a table outside a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, browsing through a document I'd printed out a few … Continue reading Snapshots of My Depression #13: Persona in Progress
Scholtes-Blog 