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Monday Music Appreciation #22 -- Smile
I've always loved this beautiful melody, sung by Nat King Cole. If I'm not mistaken, my parents had the recording when I was small, and another version sung by The Lettermen.It wasn't until I worked at a jazz event at the Winspear that I learned that the originator of Smile was none other th...
Published at Simple Moodlings
I've always loved this beautiful melody, sung by Nat King Cole. If I'm not mistaken, my parents had the recording when I was small, and another version sung by The Lettermen.It wasn't until I worked at a jazz event at the Winspear that I learned that the originator of Smile was none other th...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Sunday Reflection: Harden not your hearts
Demolitions continue...Today's reflection is brought to you by Psalm 95.Today the psalmist invites us to harden not [our] hearts.Tall order in a world that says otherwise.The world's voice encourages hardness.Compete.Overcome.Win. Rise to the top.But if we are to listen to Cre...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Demolitions continue...Today's reflection is brought to you by Psalm 95.Today the psalmist invites us to harden not [our] hearts.Tall order in a world that says otherwise.The world's voice encourages hardness.Compete.Overcome.Win. Rise to the top.But if we are to listen to Cre...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Simple pleasures -- Friday, chai day
The first time I ever tasted chai, my friend Mina's mom, Mrudula, made it for me. Who knew how good black pepper, cardamom, ginger, and other spices could be when steeped with Taj Mahal tea and scalded milk? Some years later, Mrudula shared her masala recipe with me, and ever since, whenever I've...
Published at Simple Moodlings
The first time I ever tasted chai, my friend Mina's mom, Mrudula, made it for me. Who knew how good black pepper, cardamom, ginger, and other spices could be when steeped with Taj Mahal tea and scalded milk? Some years later, Mrudula shared her masala recipe with me, and ever since, whenever I've...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Monday Music Appreciation #21 -- Nella Fantasia
Warning: the first time I heard Nella Fantasia from this Sarah Brightman album, it brought me to tears. And I'm pretty sure I've moodled about it before, but it deserves to be appreciated again, in my humble opinion.Nella Fantasia is a piece of music that was composed for the movie The Mission by...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Warning: the first time I heard Nella Fantasia from this Sarah Brightman album, it brought me to tears. And I'm pretty sure I've moodled about it before, but it deserves to be appreciated again, in my humble opinion.Nella Fantasia is a piece of music that was composed for the movie The Mission by...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Sunday Reflection: A Prayer for Christian Unity
The Icon of Mercyfrom the Taizé CommunityA lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher”, he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
The Icon of Mercyfrom the Taizé CommunityA lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher”, he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
What a housing emergency means
Yesterday, Mayor Sohi here in Edmonton declared a housing emergency in an effort to bring all levels of government together to come up with housing solutions. A good step, but there's a long way to go. At this point, it's anybody's guess as to whether other government officials will actually show...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Yesterday, Mayor Sohi here in Edmonton declared a housing emergency in an effort to bring all levels of government together to come up with housing solutions. A good step, but there's a long way to go. At this point, it's anybody's guess as to whether other government officials will actually show...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Encampment stories
The start of this year has been brutal for our houseless sisters and brothers in Edmonton. Not that life isn't brutal for them all year round, but for the last few weeks, it's been particularly bad as the Edmonton Police Service and City of Edmonton cleanup crews decided, in the days before Chris...
Published at Simple Moodlings
The start of this year has been brutal for our houseless sisters and brothers in Edmonton. Not that life isn't brutal for them all year round, but for the last few weeks, it's been particularly bad as the Edmonton Police Service and City of Edmonton cleanup crews decided, in the days before Chris...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Sunday Reflection: One good word for 2024
Happy New Year, friends!A symbol of 2024's word of the yearEvery year since 2003, I've tried to keep a special Word of the Year in mind, a touchstone of sorts to hold me steady when life becomes challenging. My word for 2023 was Appreciation, and there definitely was lots to appreciate. (Don't wo...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Happy New Year, friends!A symbol of 2024's word of the yearEvery year since 2003, I've tried to keep a special Word of the Year in mind, a touchstone of sorts to hold me steady when life becomes challenging. My word for 2023 was Appreciation, and there definitely was lots to appreciate. (Don't wo...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Jump on the bandwagon!
Last December... almost the same today.This morning, the Edmonton Police Service and City cleanup crews took down a homeless encampment (they've been doing it for weeks) in spite of the fact that there is a court injunction in place until January 11th to protect our homeless folks if there aren't...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Last December... almost the same today.This morning, the Edmonton Police Service and City cleanup crews took down a homeless encampment (they've been doing it for weeks) in spite of the fact that there is a court injunction in place until January 11th to protect our homeless folks if there aren't...
Published at Simple Moodlings
On the Feast of the Holy Innocents
Warning: this is not a happy Christmas moodling.Remember the Bible story (a dream version of which I shared yesterday) about King Herod sending soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the babies two years of age and under so that the promised Messiah could not unseat him as king? Today is the day ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Warning: this is not a happy Christmas moodling.Remember the Bible story (a dream version of which I shared yesterday) about King Herod sending soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the babies two years of age and under so that the promised Messiah could not unseat him as king? Today is the day ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
A story for Christmas
I wrote this story in 2010. It has appeared in these moodlings a few times, just because I feel like it's one of the best things I've ever written. It seems to have even more meaning for me this year, with Bethlehem in the midst of war...Monica’s EpiphanyChristmas was a week away, and Monica was ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
I wrote this story in 2010. It has appeared in these moodlings a few times, just because I feel like it's one of the best things I've ever written. It seems to have even more meaning for me this year, with Bethlehem in the midst of war...Monica’s EpiphanyChristmas was a week away, and Monica was ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Sunday Reflection/Christmas Prayer 2023
Today's reflection is brought to you by Luke 1:37."There is nothing too hard for the Great Spirit."--First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament (Downer's Grove IL: InterVarsity Press 2021, ISBN 978-0-8308-1350-6).In this time of the year, the darkness wei...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Today's reflection is brought to you by Luke 1:37."There is nothing too hard for the Great Spirit."--First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament (Downer's Grove IL: InterVarsity Press 2021, ISBN 978-0-8308-1350-6).In this time of the year, the darkness wei...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Monday Music Appreciation #20 -- Candlelight Carol, composed by John Rutter
This one brought tears to my eyes at Friday night's Lightly Classical Christmas concert, sung by the Cantalon Chamber Choir of young people ages 12 to 20. I wish I had a recording of their sweet voices, but this will do. Enjoy!
Published at Simple Moodlings
This one brought tears to my eyes at Friday night's Lightly Classical Christmas concert, sung by the Cantalon Chamber Choir of young people ages 12 to 20. I wish I had a recording of their sweet voices, but this will do. Enjoy!
Published at Simple Moodlings
Monday Music Appreciation #19 -- Handel's Messiah Amen
(Yeah, I know it's Tuesday, but I accidentally set the publication date incorrectly for this moodling to next Monday, oops! And didn't realize it until this morning.)My wonderful Winspear ushering job means that I get to hear Handel's Messiah in December each year. I've always loved different par...
Published at Simple Moodlings
(Yeah, I know it's Tuesday, but I accidentally set the publication date incorrectly for this moodling to next Monday, oops! And didn't realize it until this morning.)My wonderful Winspear ushering job means that I get to hear Handel's Messiah in December each year. I've always loved different par...
Published at Simple Moodlings
Sunday Reflection: How do we level the playing field?
This Sunday reflection is brought to you by Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11It's already the second Sunday of Advent -- and I don't know about you, but in hearing Isaiah calling for valleys to be raised, mountains made low, and uneven ground level, I can't help but think of how unfair and uneasy life is ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
This Sunday reflection is brought to you by Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11It's already the second Sunday of Advent -- and I don't know about you, but in hearing Isaiah calling for valleys to be raised, mountains made low, and uneven ground level, I can't help but think of how unfair and uneasy life is ...
Published at Simple Moodlings
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