More Favorite Things - Geek Alert!

Here they are, in no particular order - some of my favorite things, for Sunday, June 3rd.


Solitude, by Marc Chagall, ca. 1913
(come on, don't all goats play violin?)
















The first movement for the Serenade in G Major, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"



The way the shadows and light play in the works of Caravaggio. Here they dance around Jesus, Judas and the soldiers in Gethsamne, in "The Taking of The Christ", ca. 1598, probably his most recognized piece.













The prospect of someday returning to China, and spending more time there. I am fascinated by so much about this country, the people and the culture. I long to return!














The promises made in the first three chapters of Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:3-8 “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”

Ephesians 1:18-20 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[fn6] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Ephesians 2:4-11 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 3:16-21 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

This last one is both one of my favorite things, and a tradition I will miss this coming birthday. The pleasure of enjoying a jazz concert at the Hollywood Bowl, followed by a fireworks display. There is nothing that compares to listening to the wonders of well written music, under a rose and purple summer sky, skin kissed by a soft breeze as the music wafts softly on the air, except when it is followed by fireworks that seem so close that they could dance on the tip of your nose.