The Summer of 1982


I had just graduated from Baylor University, and went home to live with my parents for the summer, before moving to Ft. Worth to attend seminary...TBS was brand new, and for the first time in my life, I could watch Atlanta Braves baseball on a daily basis...my childhood team...and they were winning...well, for awhile anyway. I had 2 summer jobs that year...one at Montgomery Wards, and a second as youth minister for a small Baptist church. Someday I might write about my experiences in that small Baptist church...middle schoolers can really open your eyes to a whole new way of seeing life!
You might wonder what causes me to write about the summer of 1982 this morning, and there is a reason for it...for the last week or so, I've been listening to a John Michael Talbot CD that first became meaningful to me in that summer almost 30 years ago...musically speaking, it has staying power for me. I'll never forget that one of my most beloved music professors from Baylor made a cassette tape of the album that summer, and mailed it to me as a gift. He was especially fond of The Pleaides and Orion, which is still one of my favorites today. I'm listening to the CD (on my iPod, of course) right now, and it makes me realize again how significant events can shape us, and how even the seemingly small events of life can shape us too. The song on this CD that most comforts me is The Bread of Life...some because of the words, but I think mostly, it's the beauty of the music that speaks to my soul.
The other event of that summer that is emblazened in my memory is the death of Keith Green. Keith was a Christian musician, and a bit of a firebrand. His music was a major influence in my spiritual life at that time, and I remember the exact place I was standing when I heard of his death on the radio...stunning...how could it happen? Someone so young, so full of life and dedication to God...? In the years since that summer of 1982, I feel like I've been around the world and back, in terms of the people and events that have shaped and influenced my life. I can honestly say however, that this one CD done by John Michael Talbot all those years ago, has been a constant presence for me...musically and spiritually...and I'm grateful for it.
And here we are in 2010, and the Braves are winning...again.










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