"Do you hear what I hear"

I added a few new links and updated a couple old ones. One link I just added, the National Christian Choir, is an awesome Choir. My friend is a long-time member. If you ever get an opportunity to attend a concert, you will be greatly blessed and uplifted. So far, I've attended at least 3 concerts. They tour around the metropolitan Washington, DC area at local churches or schools, and the choir members tour nationally, too. The 2004-2005 season is over, but they should have the upcoming 2005-2006 tour season schedule on their website fairly soon. Also, some, if not all concerts, are free to the public, and they release a CD on an annual basis.

Did you know that anyone can audition for the choir? They have auditions right after the concerts are over. The choir director solicits invitations to audition before the concert begins.

Here are some tips about how to really listen. I got these tips from a preview newsletter, "Coummunications Briefings", Vol XXII, Number I.

Make sure you are not a ...

* Mind Reader: You'll hear little or nothing as you think "what is this person really thinking or feeling"

* Rehearser: Your mental tryouts for "Here's what I'll say next" tune out the speaker.

* Filterer: Some call this selective listening-hearing only what you want to hear.

* Dreamer: Drifting off during a one-to-one conversation can lead to an embarrassing "What did you say?" or "Can you repeat that?"

* Identifier: If referring everything you hear from your own experiences, then you didn't actually hear what was said.

* Comparer: When you get sidetracked assessing the messenger, you're certain to miss the message.

* Derailer: Changing the topic inappropriately tells others you're not interested in anything they have to say.

* Sparrer: You heard what was said but belittled it or discounted it.

* Placater: I'm guilty of doing this too many times. Agreeing with everything you heard just to be nice or to avoid conflict does not mean you're a good listener.

Source: "The Writing Lab", Dept of English, Purdue University Press

These 'snippets' make me aware that I need to pay more attention. I can probably relate to all these mistaken "ers", or should I say that I'm guilty about my lack of skill in listening to other people. In a world where we think about ourselves first or talk about our wants or needs first, it is very easy for us to lose our way to hear God's voice when He speaks to us or when others are in need to talk. If we want to be heard, we need to know how to listen. I'm glad that I'm learning how to pay attention.

Today's verses: 1 Samuel 3:2-10 (New International Version)

One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."