Best night in ... a long time....

My fall will be for you
My love will be in you
If you be the one to
Cut me I'll bleed forever
— Ghost Love Score

Nightwish is my favorite band in the world, and though they've toured the US before (they're originally from Finland), this is the first time they've played in Oklahoma. I rode down to the concert with three friends. We left late and hit huge traffic jams on the way, then got lost for about fifteen minutes, but made it there just in time for the opening band, Volbeat (which I think is also from Finland). I was still sore from wildly dancing and headbanging to Birthday Massacre two days before, so I didn't dance to Volbeat's music (though my feet really wanted to), but I DID buy a Monster energy drink in anticipation of what was to come. After Volbeat finished, I pushed through the crowd, trailing my three friends, until we met solid opposition and were standing about ten feet from the stage, pretty far to the left side but still with a good view. At 10:00 I guzzled the Monster (sharing a little with a friend who is already so ADHD that decaf coffee is as good as espresso ... in all seriousness). At 10:10 people were coming and going through the stage doors, and we saw glimpses of Marco, Empuu, and Tuomas. At 10:20 Jukka appeared onstage, soon followed by Marco, Empuu, Tuomas, and Anette in no particular order and with little ceremony other than Tuomas's signature Hans Zimmer opening theme and a vivid display of lights. They immediately dove into their opening song, 7 Days to the Wolves, followed without pause by Nemo. Though most of the songs in this concert came from their latest two albums (Once and Dark Passion Play), they did go back to their third latest release and sing Bless the Child. Dark Chest of Wonders came next, followed by Amaranth (to the extreme joy of one of my friends — it's her favorite of all their songs). They took a short break and set a couple stools on the stage, preparing for the wistful The Islander, lit by a cool spectrum of marine colors. Next they sang While You Lips are Still Red, which was a nice surprise — it's one of my absolute favorites, and since it was only released on an EP of demos for their latest album, I had not expected them to play it. Finally they went back to the harder stuff, belting out Romanticide with even more feeling than in the studio version, and finishing with the song everyone had been waiting for — the quarter-hour Poet and the Pendulum. As soon as they left the stage, the crowd began roaring, and a tall man with a huge voice standing front and center led them all to chant "ONE MORE! ONE MORE!" — and then "GHOST LOVE SCORE! GHOST LOVE SCORE!" My heart raced with anticipation; that's another of my absolute favorites. Nightwish returned for their encore ... and to everyone's excitement, they played Ghost Love Score. That was followed by Wish I Had An Angel, after which Tuomas's signature Hans Zimmer exit music played and they all took a bow or three before leaving for the last time.

During the entire show, I had been screaming my excitement at each song, screaming out the lyrics to the songs as well as I could, not caring whether I was on key, jumping six inches off the ground in my 5-pound combat boots, shaking a "rock fist" to the beat, headbanging, waving, whatever I felt like doing and was able to do without injuring any innocent bystanders. My friends were bystanders, but apparently not innocent; I jumped on the toes of the one behind me three times. Even with the help of the energy drink, by the time they got to The Poet and the Pendulum, I was exhausted — though with the encore I suddenly realized I had more energy than I thought. Pretty much the entire last half of the concert I did on nothing but adrenaline... but I had a lot of that. My favorite band in the world, all the way from Finland, standing directly, almost tangibly, in front of me ... Tuomas, one of the most amazing people on earth, playing his triple keyboard directly across from where I was standing, and making eye contact with me multiple times ... I didn't care that my legs screamed in protest every time I jumped, or that every time I threw the rock fist my arm wanted to go with it; I didn't care that every time I banged my head sweat flew everywhere ... this was literally a dream come true.

During the concert (apologies for the quality — cell phone camera in low light)









After it was over ... "exhausted" is too gentle of a word

The Tree

He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

— Psalm 1:3 (ESV)

Let me tell you a story.

There is a tree, much like the tree in this Psalm, which has been growing beside a nourishing stream for many years. It is tall and strong, an example many other trees look up to, and a home and fortress to many woodland creatures.

Every autumn, this tree sheds its leaves. In recent years, some of its branches have stretched far over the stream, and the leaves it sheds have been falling into the small channel, choking it. Not all of the leaves get washed away each year, and over time the waters in the stream trickled down to a halt. The stream no longer flows past the tree, having overflowed the banks and cut a new path in a different direction, and without the water and the minerals it carries, the tree has withered and has slowly begun to die. It is no longer growing, nor does it bear fruit or leaves. Yet even a dead tree remains for a long time, particularly a tree as hardy, as solidly rooted, and as sturdy as this tree. Most of the other trees in the forest don't realize the tree is dying, and continue to look up to it and be inspired by the example it sets. The woodland creatures still find shelter in its strong branches and in the shade of its powerful trunk.

Right now the tree is dormant, as most trees are in winter time — it's neither growing nor producing, but is still alive. However, if the stream is not soon allowed to clear itself of the debris, the tree will die and begin to weaken and rot. I know this tree personally, and have spoken with it many times on this exact subject. The tree is very thirsty, but is unwilling to stop shedding its leaves into the stream.

Please pray for my friend the tree.

Out of respect for the tree's privacy, I don't want to use its real name; if you know or think you know this person, please also respect their privacy and avoid using names in any comments you might leave.