Praise God with the blast of the ram’s horn!
    Praise God with lute and lyre!
 Praise God with drum and dance!
    Praise God with strings and pipe!
 Let every living thing praise the Lord!  – Psalm 150

Once in a while I’m going to skip the social commentary in this space and simply share something I’m excited about. This is one of those days.

If you have been reading you already know I celebrated a birthday a couple of weeks back. Typically I will make a passing reference then move on. But this one came with such a beautiful exhibition of thoughtfulness from Rebekah that one particular gift deserves its own post.

It’s my mandolin! I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself. Rebekah ordered the instrument some time ago but – because it was hand-built to her specs – it wasn’t ready until this week. So yesterday we drove over to Harry’s Guitar Shop the other side of Raleigh and picked it up. It was love at first sight.

I have played guitar for decades and I have – little by little – developed a style that seems to works quite well. I still have a lot to learn but I do okay. Then, a few years ago, I became captivated by the unique sound of the mandolin. It’s an instrument with a range that blends beautifully with guitar and offers a unique solo voice too.

So a couple of months back, when Rebekah picked out a really nice ukulele (she’s doing beautifully with her lessons, by the way), she decided it was time to find the mandolin I’d been talking about for so long.

Talk about a thoughtful and generous gift! She researched, she visited several dealers, then she worked with the folk at Harry’s (they were great) to design exactly the right mandolin.

Made for Praise!

Now I don’t want to be one of those people guilty of liking an instrument just because it looks good, but I have to tell you my new mandolin is exquisite in every detail. Not only that but the sound is sweet. It’s bright – which is what a mandolin is supposed to be – but it’s mellow too; it doesn’t have the shrill or metalic voicing you sometimes hear.

I promise to post a video once I learn a few chords.

So there it is. Rebekah absolutely hit it out of the park this time!

Before I sign off, I have just one more comment about the gift of music. I believe that God created each one of us with a song in our souls. Exactly how we express that impulse to praise God is of course unique to each one of us. As for me, I am looking forward to giving voice to my gratitude for the gift of life and the joy of music through this mandolin.

Peace, and joy, and gratitude – DEREK