The Week- Many Gifts!

Last night’s visit to the men of Div. 4 at Cook County Jail was as usual, amazing, special and truly encouraging to me. It was one of the best give-and-take chats ever for the last 30 minutes of our time together. Myself and another bro. brought music and message and both remarked about the wonder of this gathering.

This coming Saturday I’m again getting the treat of performing at the Chicago Cigar Box Guitar Festival (see http://www.grrrrecords.com/shows for details please) -and perhaps at the top of next week I’ll finally get some time in the woods for a day!

Autumn is always my fave, magical time with the change of weather and of course beauty of the color changes.

Another sweet gift has been social media interplay with some friends, I do think more Americans are waking up to the issue of loving neighbor vs. control issues -always a good gift!

The first book isn’t even published yet and still I have been super encouraged in writing the first third of a second one. It covers the nine month period from my initial experience of saving faith in Jesus to a full-on surrender to Him in service at the end.

Oh, little by little recording more on the next record too! Heh, just sittin’ around doin’ nothin’ here… NOT!! 🙂

Enjoy autumn and as always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

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“How Would You Define Social Justice?”

That was the question a dear friend and colleague in Christian leadership recently put forth. Here is one of many responses I can and do give on the matter. As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

“Quoting Winston Churchill (no fan of socialism and in fact accused I think with some good cause, of racism) re. your question which for me forms but one way of my answer re. “Define social justice”:

His context was direct military attacks via the Nazis and the issues of full-on Communists (“socialism” as bent, flawed and abused as some “democracies” have been) re. the dictator Stalin. I am not here pleading for complete pacifism in the face of these… but eventually one must move beyond theory when facing actual martyrdom and that’s another and important matter in such real-world, historical discussions!

“The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are no longer strong.”

If loving one’s neighbor, even enemies as a command of Christ (which it is!) is lived out, then I think we might also benefit by considering that Churchill said he was often reminded of the comment of someone at the end of his life who said “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles -most of which never happened.”

When one of the strongest proponents against socialism (who apparently had no issue with Empire as in the UK) also quotes a statement clearly responding to fears, imaginations regarding events and as a Christ-follower (me) lack of faith and I think at times lack of simple wisdom regarding love and respect for -all- (see the New Testament) I’d say he himself in that first quote did away with the very command of God to love our enemies as well as Micah 6.8 (love mercy, DO justice, walk humbly with your God) much less Jesus’ shocking words in Matthew 25 about our treatment of those we consider “the least”.

I happen to think Sir Winston was both brilliant and at times as exceedingly wrong as wrong can be. See Battle of Gallipoli as a glaring example. -Glenn Kaiser

Razing Arizona?

Ha, well, not exactly but it was quite a weekend of gigs in the Phoenix area. Cal. Chapel Surprise, Arizona was indeed that, kind pastor Brad and crew were wonderful and I didn’t expect quite the number of people to show up who did. Such a great night! Earlier, a couple of kind bros. took me to a tour of Alice Cooper’s The Rock teen center. VERY cool!

Major Thanks and kudos to my friend John Traynor who brought me out and made this entire weekend happen 🙂

Saturday night was like Friday only in Mesquite and again, kind, receptive folks came out, followed by a study I was able to bring Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel North. What a great pastor Jesse and team there!

Jason and Jenny (two sweet, talented musician friends of mine) treated me royally and did a great set Saturday night -as well as brought me joy with their cats and even a look at a hummer at their front of house feeder 🙂

SO glad to be home w. my Wendi!

Next up and perhaps last (except for Cook Co. Jail gigs prior to Wendi’s post-Thanksgiving knee replacement) for this year is Berwyn for me solo at the Chicago Cigarbox Guitar Festival. You can find details on that in a recent post here on my site.

Ok -autumn rocks and I’m enjoying it as I hope you are!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

Pics, Links, Amazing Weekend Gigs!

Dunlap, Illinois (about 10 mins. from Peoria) Fri. night songwriter’s gathering was a treat! Jimmy and staff at Rock Solid Studio put on One Accord which was truly fun, heard 2 artists bring songs for evaluation and a lot of good input and grace. I was quite encouraged by the turnout and kind responses to my chat, especially enjoyed the question-and-answer time. Here is the entire speaking segment- Loooong speaking (audio from the evening) most of which (30mins. in) q. and a., the Topic- Christian songwriting https://www.therocksolidstudio.com/oneaccordcommunity … This will be an ongoing gathering for songwriters wanting to hone their craft. 

So here inthe mail Saturday morning -my longtime friend, the talented, imaginative cigarbox guitar phenom Shane Speal (see him via CBGitty.Com also), founder of CigarBoxNation.Com) surprised me with his new book!

I mean what a cool read and I’ve only just skimmed the pics and some of the details and historic writ… a fascinating read and fully loaded with “how to” details about building cigarbox (and other) guitars. This would make a cool Christmas gift for someone (and perhaps yourself)! https://shanespeal.bigcartel.com/product/autographed-book-package-making-poor-man-s-guitars-by-shane-speal

Ok, my sweet Wendi will have her last (already did both hips and one knee) knee replacement surgery November 27 -many thanks for prayers for that, as her arthritis has been quite painful and this will go a long way for her to have better quality of life, even joining me more and more as I begin touring again next year.

I’ll do what I can on a current solo blues project and book, and we’ll see what we get done prior to Christmas beside my care-giving to my Queen in this season and into winter.

The Uptown (Chicago) Church Grand Opening and Fall Festival gig on Sunday (including GKB set) was a blast as well! https://uptowncov.org/ Pastor Jeremy and crew worked so hard, were so kind, it was such a fun day-

So many people, great food, fun, family-friendly and as I have often said, I LOVE playing outdoor shows.  The weather was absolutely perfect! 

And I finished the afternoon off there doing a short dance with my little grand daughter and a sweet birthday time with her brother… Wow!

Now on to my solo weekend in Phoenix, Arizona and then the Chicago Cigarbox Guitar Festival (details on both elsewhere in my site here). All good 🙂

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

Wisconsin Tour Report

Another sweet weekend in the books -this time my Wendi was able to come, even did a REZ unplugged song together on two nights!

Berlin, Waupaca and Appleton not only were kind and gracious to us re. the shows and service on the Sunday morning, but I can brag on Benjamin, Bob and Tommy and staffs in each spot, all were/are gems to us. Once again we met old friends and I believe made new ones.

Jamming again with guitar shredding buddy Rex Carroll is always a treat- he never fails to cook solos as well as chats which equally make me smile.

So next up for me is a songwriter’s gathering this coming Friday near Peoria/Chillicothe, Illinois. You can look for the Oct/Nov tour schedule here in one of my earlier posts for that info..

Often it truly is the little things that bring me joy, stuff like soft rain on the river and great coffee in Berlin at Riverside Coffee Company, a rather hip men’s room 

(and sign above the sink) in Waupaca at Radiant Fellowship, a sweet pic a friend took of Wendi and I doing “Right On Time” at Rescue Shop Biker Church and even a fallen Fall leaf that stuck itself to our car side mirror there in Appleton.

Enjoy Autumn my friends, and as always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

A Poem Worth The Effort?

Some of you love poetry, some don’t give a rip, understood. I am “off and on” depending on the piece, my mood and such. As I’m a lyricist I find those a lot easier for me to both create and appreciate even w/o music. Again, prose is easier to grasp (for me) but I really appreciate the following which a friend shared w. me at this past summer’s AudioFeed Festvial 2018.

I think it’s truly worth consideration.

“He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic , rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him In !”

From the poem “Outwitted”

-Edwin Markham

Some of we Christ-followers (professing such at least…) have drawn extremely tiny circles and only those who are near 95 percent or more on board with our views are welcomed inside it. If we will not learn to care, even love (Jesus’ command, not option, mind you!) those “outside the camp” how does such an attitude and behavior share, actually demonstrate John 3.16 and 17 to a tragic world in deep need of Him?!

Something to ask myself as well as yourself?

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

 

 

Final GK Alaska Tour Report

ALASKAN TOUR REPORT

Once again I’m astounded at so very many kind people- hosts, promoters, chaplains and the response of the folks I was in front of in each location.

For two weeks I rode 8 planes to several different places, stayed in a number of super kind peeps’ homes and did 2 Bible colleges, 3 prisons 4 churches, a cigarbox guitar workshop and several concerts and gatherings in places -along with a couple of radio interviews.

I worked, slept when I was able, got rained in for two extra days before I could fly home but all-in-all this was a special time with several old friends and many new ones.

BIG Thanks to all, especially my longtime friend pastor Marc Murchison (Mountain Village, AK) and the several Ev. Covenant pastors (Ben, Rick, Adam) bros and sisters as well as Chaplain J.D. Duncan at Alaska DOC -these and many more were just amazingly gracious toward me in every possible way right through my journey.

My Native Alaskan friends and a huge number of incarcerated folks touched my heart. In fact at one prison set where women were also present for the concert (a first for me) several broke into tears during part of my sharing and music. Several of the men did also… and then so did I. This is a rare thing for me but I can tell you being so deeply moved is in my own life, always powerful, always a God-embrace.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged, helped, prayed, transported, fed and put me up/put up with me:)

Here are a small number of pics I took during the trip. If you look through my blog other photos I took are posted as well, a few also in my Twiter and Facebook accounts of my time North.

As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn