Brendan Shea's Blog, page 16

Song of the Week

This is one of my all time favorites:

HE IS (by Aaron Jeoffrey)

[Verse 1]
In Genesis, He’s the breath of life
In Exodus, the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He’s our high priest
Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He’s Moses’ voice
In Joshua, He is salvation’s choice
In Judges, the law-giver
In Ruth, the kinsmen redeemer
In First and Second Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles, He’s sovereign
Ezra, a true and faithful scribe
Nehemiah, He’s the rebuilder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He is Mordecai’s courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms, He is our morning song
In Proverbs, wisdom’s cry
Ecclesiastes, the time and season
In the Song of Solomon, He is the lover’s dream

[Chorus]
He is
He is
He is

[Verse 2]
In Isaiah, He’s the prince of peace
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
In Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, He’s the call from sin
In Daniel, the stranger in the fire
In Hosea, He is forever faithful
In Joel, He is the Spirit’s power
In Amos, the arms that carry us
In Obadiah, He’s the Lord our Savior
In Jonah, He’s the great missionary
In Micah, the promise of peace
In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He’s pleading for revival
In Haggai, He restores the lost heritage
In Zachariah, our fountain
In Malachi, He’s the son of righteousness
Rising with healing in His wings

[Chorus]
He is
He is
He is

[Verse 3]
In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
He is God, Man, Messiah
In the book of Acts, He is
The fire from Heaven
In Romans, He’s the grace of God
In Corinthians, the power of love
In Galatians, He is freedom
From the curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Phillipians, the servant’s heart
In Colossians, He’s the Godhead Trinity
Thessalonians, our coming king
In Timothy, Titus, Philemon
He’s our mediator and our
Faithful pastor
In Hebrews, the everlasting covenant
In James, the one who heals the sick
In First and Second Peter, He is our shepherd
In John and in Jude, He’s the lover coming for His bride
In the Revelation, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords

[Chorus]
He is
He is
He is

[Outro]

The end of an era

Barnes & Noble is closing two of their stores in San Jose.

Today was Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving; a big shopping day for Americans, but for me, it was a writing day. Yesterday was a day of reading and eating, which closed with a meal out at Black Angus family restaurant.

I’d never seen Black Angus so packed. There must have been a hundred people queued up to eat, aside from maybe two hundred or so diners in progress. The phrase the waiting guests were using was, “No one wanted to cook”.

My wife asked me if I wanted to wait or go home. Going home was not an option, not as long as she was definitely willing to stay. Our reservation was for 7pm, and we were twenty minutes early. Talking to a few agreeable hopeful eaters, we had some good fellowship, and were seated around 8pm.

The food was good. In my failed bid for vegetarianism, I opted for the ribeye with salad and mac ‘n’ cheese. We ordered cheesy bread for starters but they forgot our order.

When the steaks arrived, they realized their mistake, but I opted out, saying we had ample food. They insisted on comping me the bread, so we took it home and enjoyed it later.

Heading home, I was grateful for the meal, but we probably wouldn’t go there on Thanksgiving again; not if it was going to be that busy.The next day, writing day, I decided to go to Barnes & Noble. My wife said it would be madness there on Black Friday, but I work from home all week and decided to chance the crowds.

It was actually quite normal, busyness-wise, but some of the shelves were empty. They are closing this location in January, and I, for one, will miss it.

However, I didn’t ever really spend much money there, and perhaps that is the problem. They only sell new books… and other related items, and purchasing a new hardback (or even a paperback), is very expensive for me. I spend more money at the used bookstores, the little mom & pops, where I can get a book for a few bucks or so.

I took some photos of their writing magazine section, some popular books I’m interested in, and noted they had zero copies of the new Michael Connelly book, The Waiting. When I asked if it had sold out, they confirmed it had.

I was surprised a big retailer like Barnes’ would let that happen, but Connelly is VERY popular, and this store is on its way out.

The first book of interest I saw was by rapper Curtis, “50 Cent” Jackson, The Accomplice, but it was around $30 new, so with the store’s nice 25% discount, it was still a bit hefty for me to lug home…

They had at least one copy of the new Baldacci, a Travis Devine thriller, To Die For, and the winner of the National Book Award for fiction: James, by Percival Everett.

I also spied a Len Deighton mystery, The Ipcress File (Michael Caine starred in the film treatment in the 1960s), that I almost purchased.

For the actor/foodie in me, I couldn’t have gone very wrong with one of actor Stanley Tucci’s books on the same subject, What I Ate in One Year: (and related thoughts). I’m not sure why I didn’t spy that particular volume…

I’ll miss this big box store, with it’s Starbucks, handsome journals, magazines, DVDs and audio items, and hope the little bookstores hang on.

Books should be more than attractive covers, but often that seems like all they are. I guess each of us find something compelling on the inside of many, or those who enjoy a good read.

I’ll say farewell to Barnes & Noble’s Almaden shop. Books are a good escape from the world that have fewer traps for me that most television, and sometimes they inspire me as well…I hope these fine folks land in good new jobs soon.

It is not good for man to be alone

Baby Come Back, the song by Player

I thought of this song today, by the 1970’s band, Player. I used to think it was schmaltzy, “I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you”, but realizing that it is not good for man to be alone…

Genesis 2:18 New King James Version

18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

… and then I realized that this song was telling the truth, if by “I just can’t live without you”, the singer meant more than just physical desire, more than female fellowship, but the whole relationship, and how integral it is for the man.

So then, the Player song takes on new meaning for me. Perhaps in my youth I was just singing words, when I read these lyrics; or maybe back then I felt it too…

So this song is not meant as a valentine, per se, but to recall that the woman is key to the stability of the man… may each of you have your own special valentine

Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town
Doing anything just to get you off of my mind, yeah
But when the morning comes, I’m right back where I started again
And tryna forget you is just a waste of time

Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, yeah, you can blame it all on me
‘Cause I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you

All day long, wearing a mask of false bravado (false bravado)
Tryna keep up a smile that hides a tear (hides a tear)
But as the sun goes down, I get that empty feeling again
How I wish to God that you were here

Baby come back, yeah, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you, no

Now that I put it all together, ooh
Give me the chance to make you see (make you see, baby)
Have you used up all the love in your heart? (Oh)
Nothing left for me? Ain’t there nothing left for me?

Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
‘Cause I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you

Baby I was wrong, and I just can’t live

Baby come back

Source: LyricFind Songwriters: John Crowley / Peter BeckettBaby Come Back lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Wixen Music Publishing

A Christmas song for Thanksgiving

Donny Hathaway: This Christmas…

Hang all the mistletoe
I’m gonna get to know you better, yeah
This Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it’s gonna be together, yeah
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me

Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you
This Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town they do
This Christmas

Fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah

Shake a hand, shake a hand now

Fireside is blazing bright
We’re caroling through the night
And this Christmas will be
A very special Christmas for me, yeah

Shake a hand, shake a hand now
A hand now
Wish your brother merry Christmas
All over the land

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Donny Edward Hathaway / Nadine Mckinnor

This Christmas lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Universal Music – Mgb Songs, Microhits Music Corp., Kuumba Music, Microhits Music Corp, Ray Keys Publishing

Who are my enemies?

I recalled this morning that The Lord prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies, but I’ve had so few of them that I had to ask myself who they were.

Yes, there are a few people who wronged me, but I have been so blessed with good people around me that I realized my worst enemy aside from the enemy of my soul is myself.

My enemies, like Cyrano de Bergerac, are my own greed, pride, and so on; as the playwright Rostand said:

“Cyrano: I can see him there—he grins—
He is looking at my nose—that skeleton
—What’s that you say? Hopeless?—Why, very well!—
But a man does not fight merely to win!
No—no—better to know one fights in vain!…
You there—Who are you? A hundred against one—
I know them now, my ancient enemies—
Falsehood!…There! There! Prejudice—Compromise—Cowardice—
What’s that? No! Surrender? No!
Never—never!…
Ah, you too, Vanity!
I knew you would overthrow me in the end—
No! I fight on! I fight on! I fight on!
Yes, all my laurels you have riven away
And all my roses; yet in spite of you,
There is one crown I bear away with me,
And to-night, when I enter before God,
My salute shall sweep all the stars away
From the blue threshold! One thing without stain,
Unspotted from the world, in spite of doom
Mine own!—
And that is…
Roxane: —That is…
Cyrano: My white plume….”

― Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac

A SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER

(reblogged from Prison Fellowship)

Fred was 17—and reading the Bible while high—when his life forever changed.

By 

Some people put their faith in Jesus Christ after hearing a moving sermon, while others are influenced by loved ones. Fred came to faith at age 17 after getting high on marijuana in prison.

“I read the Bible, and I kept hearing voices, and I was really tripping out,” he says. “I accused my neighbor of lacing the weed with crack.”

Looking back now, Fred says what he actually heard was the Holy Spirit penetrating his mind with Scripture. The episode dramatically changed his life as he left his old self behind and embraced what God had in store for him.

ABUSE, ADDICTION, AND GANGS

The radical experience Fred had behind bars isn’t something he expected, given his rough childhood. His mother was deeply involved with gangs. The youngest of three, he was often left with anyone who would watch him. Those who were supposed to care for him violated his trust by sexually abusing him. The abuse left Fred with deep emotional wounds.

“I isolated, and I suppressed it,” he says. “I didn’t tell anyone, and I went through depression and mental health [issues].”

The abuse made Fred angry, and he decided to solve his problems through violence. He feared he would not be appreciated, loved, seen, or valued if people knew he had been abused. To cope with that trauma, Fred followed in his mother’s footsteps and joined a gang.

Fred became enamored with the gang life, but it led him down an unhealthy road. He was arrested for numerous carjackings at age 16 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

COMING TO FAITH

Fred wasn’t sent to prison immediately because he was under 18. He went to a juvenile facility where his encounter with Christ changed the trajectory of his life.

But it wasn’t a one-time event. Fred decided to get high for a second night in a row. This time, he threw his Bible under his bed.

The drug-induced haze began overwhelming Fred, who was alone in his cell. He had music blaring in his headphones, but he couldn’t hear it. He didn’t know it at the time, but looking back he realized he was hearing Scripture. He looked around and saw his Bible was now in the middle of the floor. That brought him to his knees.

“God, I don’t know if this is real,” Fred recalls saying. “I don’t know if this is You, but if it is, I’ll take the first step if You’ll do the rest.”

The changes in Fred’s life were instant. He disavowed the gang life and began living for Christ.

“It rocked my world that Jesus wasn’t asking [any] of His followers to put in work or to hurt anyone,” Fred says. “He was asking them just to believe in Him and follow Him.”

The changes in Fred’s life were instant. He disavowed the gang life and began living for Christ.

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

Things that had happened in Fred’s life began to make sense. Memories would flood his mind each time he read the Bible. He was forced to stop and process those memories in order to understand them.

Fred hadn’t been raised with much of a religious background. His grandmother was religious, but he didn’t see her often. He had a basic understanding of the heroes of the Christian faith like Moses but had little else from which to draw. Even without much of a foundation, Fred saw God provide for him.

“God put a lot of people in my life who spoke life into me in the church and outside of the church,” Fred says.

One of those people was a chaplain at Fred’s first facility. She warned Fred about the persecution he would face and encouraged him with 1 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

That stuck with Fred as he experienced the persecution she had warned him about, and persecution didn’t stop him from living out his new purpose.

“You have to serve Christ because He’s your Lord,” Fred explains.

Even without much of a foundation, Fred saw God provide for him.

PARENTING WHILE INCARCERATED

 is hard. Fred understands this firsthand. He had one biological child who was born in 2016 and also had two stepdaughters to think about while he was incarcerated.

Fred tried to be the best parent he could. A major part of that was signing up his kids for . Angel Tree® Christmas gives incarcerated parents a way to provide a Christmas gift and a personal message, delivered by caring, local volunteers, as a tangible representation of their love.

“Angel Tree was a crucial part of being relevant in my child’s life,” Fred says.

The gifts helped Fred work through the internal struggle he was having.

“I dealt with a lot of shame of not being able to be there for my family and provide [for] them,” Fred says.

FINDING PURPOSE IN PAIN

Fred was released from prison more than a year ago. Two days later, his 12-year-old cousin was murdered.

“That really caused a lot of grief and shame to come to the surface,” Fred says.

Fred admits he was going through the motions of life after his cousin’s death. He eventually began to feel more like himself before tragedy struck again. His uncle was murdered in October 2023, and it sent Fred back into a tailspin. He struggled to journal, pray, or read his Bible.

Time has helped Fred process his emotions and renew his dependence on God.

“I’m so grateful for faith because you don’t realize you need faith until your faith is tested,” Fred says.

Time has helped Fred process his emotions and renew his dependence on God.

HELPING OTHERS HELP THEMSELVES

Fred has a passion for helping those who are still incarcerated. He works for a nonprofit focused on reentry and goes into prison each Saturday in addition to visiting juvenile halls on Wednesdays.

Fred knows the feelings associated with living behind bars, which is why he makes sure to share some encouragement.

“You’re not defined by whatever you’ve done or experienced or participated in that got you in prison,” Fred tells the guys. “It will only define you as long as you allow it and do not try to normalize or make the prison experience OK.”

Fred emphasizes to the prisoners that they should learn from his mistake of not looking beyond himself. He tells them he was in a Christian bubble where he would only pray, read his Bible, and talk with other believers. As a result, Fred’s patience wore thin when restricting himself to those activities. He admits he didn’t pay attention to Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). He challenges prisoners to look within and ask what Jesus died for.

Fred’s work behind bars is a foundation for what he wants to do in the future. He’s looking to go into ministry and start a small church. His dreams don’t stop there, as he also hopes to form a nonprofit or start a business that helps incarcerated people work on themselves.

For now, Fred is focused on being the father he couldn’t be while behind bars as he welcomed a new daughter into the world this fall.

“I feel it is a vote of confidence from God,” Fred says.

As he raises his daughter and thinks about what’s ahead, Fred knows his past is being used by God for a purpose.

“I always tell people, ‘I wasn’t arrested; I was rescued.’”

“You’re not defined by whatever you’ve done or experienced or participated in that got you in prison.”
—Fred

(Reblogged from )

A startling Triple Play

From On Patrol Live:

Working on a book I have in edit mode, my wife watching TV, I thought I’d check in and see the Triple Play. On Patrol Live, the reality television show, hosted by Dan Abrams, with Deputy Curtis Wilson and Captain Tom Rizzo, is a regular staple in my home.

As I said, I got the feeling I should watch the Triple Play, where Wilson shows some thrilling footage, mostly of car chases with criminals on the lam.

I got up from my writing and stood in the livingroom. I was not ready to move my work location, so I perched by the nearby kitchen counter.

Wilson played an audio clip, a new thing to me. There was a constant captioning, and the story was breathtaking:

The speaker was driving his truck,whose brakes may have gone out. He couldn’t stop the vehicle, was on the freeway and crashed his vehicle.

The dispatcher on the line with him kept calm and got help for him.

The police came to rescue him, and he was trapped in his crashed truck and the vehicle was on FIRE.

The story is a great one, and since I can’t get the video to work…

I’ll provide a made-up transcript below of the call, to give the reader a better idea of the suspense:

Caller: My truck’s going faster.

Dispatcher: What do you mean?

Caller: My truck’s going faster, I can’t stop.

Dispatcher: Why can’t you stop.

Caller: I can’t stop. I’m going to crash.

Dispatcher: Where are you located?

So, readers, I managed to grab the video, and it is better and more accurate:

OPL is a GREAT show…

Taking measures?

An excerpt from my new book on Chronic Kidney Disease, Timestamp:

I had been grappling with myself: Do I sue the hospital, do I just put my head down and press on through? I even submitted a detailed letter about my situation with the mysterious missing GFR records and the policy of Kaiser to not refer to nephrology until Stage 3B, but a funny thing happened.

My old friend gave me the contact for a personal injury attorney. I hadn’t spoken with the friend in months, and while just some brief notes exchanged hands, it was good to hear from him and to have his support. 

I sat at my computer and carefully drafted an email about the nature of my concerns. After I fired off the letter, I hesitated, thinking I might be like Pharaoh in hardening my heart by trying to get Kaiser to compensate me, but much of my concern rests with their policy about notification being flawed, since they don’t refer to a kidney doctor until Stage 3B. Still, I didn’t want God to get mad at me for contacting the lawyer. Not that He would, but I wanted to have the right heart. I needn’t have worried, or so it seemed, for the guy wrote me back, thanking me for reaching out, and saying that he had retired! If ever I had negative approbation, this was it. 

A lawsuit was not in the cards. I’m still wondering how to lobby Kaiser to change their policy in a way that is effective, without going against my principles, and without causing my God any grief or bringing judgment on myself or making Christians look like petty, money grubbing folks.

ꭥ

7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

—1 Corinthians 6: 7-9

Song of the Week

Bryan Duncan: Love Takes Time

Have you ever been lied to, maybe mistreated
Taked for granted till you just can’t stand it
Were you ever mistaken, thought to be someone
That you just can’t be, where’s the love you need

~Chorus~

Love takes time
Please be kind
See every part of me
Cause I wanna be loved
Love ain’t blind, ties that bind, take on eternity

Would you like to be trusted for once in your life
Carry that fire without burnin’ each other
Are you easily angry, can you bury your pride
Could you ever forgive me and not keep it inside

~Chorus~

Make a sacrifice sometimes, maybe more than planned
Don’t you hate to go through the pain it takes to make a stand
A hardened heart or a heartache, to admit that you’re wrong
Though it’s hard, it hardly matters if that love is gone
Make a sacrifice sometimes…

Love Takes Time Bryan Duncan • Love Takes Time • 1999 3:00

God Speaks?

God spoke with me today… Do you believe me?

Today, I had some adversity at work, and then I had to call my old customers, and send emails and leave voicemails, but with two customers, I heard a whisper in my mind, barely spoken, saying that there was no need to send an email, they would answer my call.

On precisely and only on those calls of which I speak, the customers each answered, and I helped them.

Do you suppose this was any but God?

My impression is that God whispered, and I listened, while many such utterings in the past, I have ignored, passed off as my own silly thoughts, but today, I listened and took heed, and good things followed.

I am just setting this down so you know; belief is clearly optional