Accentuate the positive*

by chuckofish

It’s Monday and I have no cute pictures of darling wee babes to share. Oh well, c’est la vie. Sometimes we have to fend for ourselves, latch on to the affirmative and smile, dude! I had fun this weekend–even without a visit from wee babes–how about you?

Daughter #1 drove home on Saturday and we went to three estate sales (!) and found nothing! Not even so much as a plant rescue or a book. Unheard of, you say. Indeed. We consoled ourselves with take-out margaritas from Club Taco and listening to music all evening.

When daughter #1 drove home to mid-MO on Sunday morning, I tuned in to Morning Prayer with Christ Church, Charlottesville, where David Zahl gave a good sermon on Joseph and his brothers. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph’s story is a good reminder for us all during a trying time that God is with us through thick and thin.

In other news, Matt Rollings, super keyboardist, who has played with Lyle Lovett, Mark Knopfler and many others, just released his first solo album in over 30 years, Matt Rollings Mosaic, and I bought it. I highly recommend it. Here’s a taste:

In another track, Lyle Lovett sings the old Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen standard, “Accentuate the Positive.” The lyrics seems appropriate to the times.

Gather ’round me, everybody
Gather ’round me while I’m preachin’
Feel a sermon comin’ on me
The topic will be sin and that’s what I’m ag’in’
If you want to hear my story
Then settle back and just sit tight
While I start reviewin’
The attitude of doin’ right
You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium’s
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do just when everything looked so dark?
(Man, they said “We’d better accentuate the positive”)
(“Eliminate the negative”)
(“And latch on to the affirmative”)
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between (No!)
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
(Ya got to spread joy up to the maximum)
(Bring gloom down to the minimum)
(Have faith or pandemonium’s)
(Liable to walk upon the scene)
You got to ac (yes, yes) -cent-tchu-ate the positive
Eliminate (yes, yes) the negative
And latch (yes, yes) on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
No, don’t mess with Mister In-Between

On that note, I’ll wish you a good start to the week. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.