Late night babbling sessions

It's late, and I have a million thoughts rolling around in my head. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who just can't stand to start something if I can't finish it, so I guess there will be some good stuff for another entry. I will say this past week, I learned some things. I'm always learning. Gotta be learning. What's the point of living if we are not growing and learning, right? That's my thoughts on it all. God spends the time to order everything so precisely, and His creation would much rather veg out in front of the TV (as I always say, "TV is the sugar to the enamel of the brain"), watching some American Idol karoake show or football or whatever else is on, rather than learning about and His infinite awesomeness. (When the knowledge of God and His love gets put into action, it has the power to change the world.) To each their own, I guess. Mediocrity is humanity's defining point. (Or maybe certain people truly aren't wired for certain things. Or maybe I am just being a little too hardball tonight.) As for me, I gotta be learning. Sleep might be nice too, but I get all these ideas at night. Everything just flows so smoothly.

The more I learn about God, the more I want to make this a better world for Him (and the people He loves) to inhabit. It doesn't matter if half (or more) of his creation is content to try to destroy it or burn it down (church people and non-church people alike). That has very little to do with my take on it. My task is to build it back up. This may seem irrational, depending on one's perspective, but it works for me.

Something else I am learning about God is that He intentionally takes imperfect people, like myself, and sprinkles the most beautiful souls around them. One may be content to call these people friends, but if you open your heart up enough, you may even come to call them family. I have a very large family, it turns out - people who love me in spite of my quirks and my unorthodox ways. People are always looking for God in science and man's limited intellectual capacity (when man can tell me exactly what gravity is, then I'll give him more credit - 'nuff said. Mankind, you just got 'dissed'), but God just doesn't fit in our boxes. I do know this, though. If you want to find God, and if you are too afraid to cry out to Him personally, you can find Him when you see love and unity. I am blessed to have a family that is both loving and united - in hearts and spirits and minds. And I am always learning more and more from them about how to love people like they love me. So that makes me a rich man.

Another thing I have learned is that there has got to be an evil power in the world that seeks to divide that unity. This past weekend, I experienced a weird circumstance that put me in odd feelings with some friends. It was an awkward situation right off the bat, but in the silence, divisive thoughts crept in my head. The bible says, "In you anger, do not sin." I was angry (more-so at the one who caused the whole thing, and rightfully so), but I clung to as much truth as I knew to cling to. I didn't try to be hurtful or 'return wrong for wrong'. As it turned out, there was a lot of misunderstanding on both sides. I was later pulled aside by two friends (who mean the world to me), and they talked to me, and I saw the full spectrum, and here we stand - united. Still. Like always. In spite of me forgiving them in my heart for how I originally felt (regardless of what had gone down - and I could now see it all), I still had to vent those feelings.

We've all felt hurt once or twice, and it is so easy to recall the emotions of years past when weird things happen. It's always easier to run away or to justify or cover something over, but who has the courage to stand and face it head-on? It is better to get those negative things out into the light and get rid of them, than to stuff them down inside. The bible makes another bold challenge: 'do not be controlled by your emotions.' The Christian life is one of freedom (if we allow it), where we don't have to live that way anymore. We have a choice. Hanging onto negative emotions only stands to make someone hard on the inside and possibly a bit jaded toward future things. And life will throw 'things' at us. Things that will shake our emotions. Emotions are funny things. They seem to stand apart from truth a LOT.

(Enter: the previous blog entry.) So I blogged. (What is a blog anyway? Is it a bloated frog? Who comes up with these geek names? Probably someone like me.) When all was said and done after blogging, I was approached by several people the next day who had been going through similar feelings in their own life experiences, and in reading it, a lot of healing came out of it. And then the two friends that I had felt so hurt by stepped up (unaware that I had been hurt - we joke around a LOT, so I could see their side very clearly) and there was all this mass healing. Me, them, and people who were not directly connected in circumstance, yet very connected emotionally. So another biblical idea presented itself: "And all things work for the good for those who love Him."

What is my response to it all? I'm blown away still by God's infinite mystery in using circumstances as a way of drawing hearts closer to Him. To those two friends in particular (and you will hopefully be reading this -after American Idol... okay, that was a joke - you know who you are), I am feeling so blessed to have you both in my life. Sometimes I wonder if I am even worthy to have such amazing friends in my life... but then again, are any of us worthy, in light of grace?

Good bless!!

- Joe

5 Minutes of Silence

So I'm having the best Friday ever. The only thing on my agenda was going to hang out with some friends of mine from church at a local Mt. Pleasant eatery, and then we would all be heading down to see The Thorn. (For more, go to theThorn.net. I highly recommend it. Amazing performance!!) This would be my first time seeing it, and I was kinda excited. I arrive at the restaurant, and we're all kinda packed in at the table. I am apparently the only single person in the group, other than a friend whose wife hasn't showed up yet. Nice to be that 'divorced guy/odd man out ', but I'm getting used to it. All these people in the group are professional jokesters, so I fit right in. One of the guys is showing off pictures of some organic soap that he found in his bathroom that either looks like hamburger... or something you'd find in a diaper. So that kicks off some funny conversation.

Enter: The angry, short-fused waiter
Our waiter arrives and he goes around the table, asking how the checks are to be split. Just to be funny, I put my arm around the other guy sitting beside me. (After all, I am the only single person in the bunch, and my humor is kinda out there.) I say, "We're together." And then I say, "No. Just kidding, it's not like that." The waiter storms off. Everybody has a puzzled look on their faces. Do we have a quirky waiter, or...? In a couple minutes he storms back with this miffed look on his face. He looks at me and says very bitterly, "I didn't appreciate that very much. I'm gay." [Insert the sound of crickets chirping.] Dead silence.... Just this glare.... Can you feel the love there? You can't? That's because it ain't there....

A million thoughts enter my mind. I felt like an idiot. In spite of his being WAY over-sensitive and taking it upon himself to include himself (and/or the gay community) as the butt of the joke, I suddenly become the guy who ruined his day. (Though he kinda had an attitude way before that. He looked like the kind of person who is looking to find a problem with the world. Apparently he created one, and I was catching the flack as a result.) Is he going to spit in my food? Should I leave? Oh boy! The entire mood at the table changes. There is just silence. Awkward silence. I have learned that when a person finds himself inadvertently in one of those situations (the kind that anyone could walk into - that awkward kind of situation), expect your friends to throw you to the wolves. Thanks guys! I won't say I felt totally abandoned, but let's just say if a group of angry Roman centurions were to have stormed the place, I didn't feel like this table had my back. No one looks me in the face. I have now become something worse than a murderer. I told a joke that was taken the wrong way. How DARE someone do such a thing! Nice. I am utterly humiliated. Althought it's clear what's really going on here, the waiter suddenly becomes the underdog, and I become the evil oppressor. Nice. I am getting the silent treatment. The waiter 'gains his composure' and he begins going around the table, asking everyone what they would like to order. No one says a word. 5 minutes of dead silence.... awkward dead silence....

The waiter leaves to place the orders. A couple of people who are aware of what was really going on are giving me that 'canned smile' expression, like "Whew! Better you than me." The guy sitting next to me says, "Man, that guy was seriously looking for a fight. He obviously has a chip on his shoulder." (He had my back. I would buy him a car right now if I had the extra income.) The couple I am actually the closest to are still giving me the silent treatment. When you open your heart to someone, it is that person who stands to make the greatest stab into your heart. I felt pushed out and a bit betrayed, in a sense. The outcast. And pretty angry about it. At that point, I am feeling like, "Ya know what? [insert non-spiritual 'sailor word' here], I'm leaving." But I toughed it out. And here we go again. 5 minutes of silence... awkward...

My thoughts were all over the place. Millions of thoughts going through my head, most of them angry ones. Later a few other friends joined the group, and the tension eased. Slightly. Through the course of my meal, which wasn't very appetizing at this point (perhaps from the suspicion of spit being one of the ingredients) or just because of this horrible scenareo I was in, I am just angry. I kept thinking, imagine if the scenareo were reversed. I am the straight waiter, and here is a gay man with his friend, a straight girl. I come to the table. The guy intentionally attempts a joke and puts his arm around the girl and (as if she's his wife) says, "Hey honey, I want to order the spinach pizza." And he very non-threateningly smiles at me to show me that he is just being funny. I am intelligent enough to see the humor in it. Of course, I tend to do that anyway. Life is funny anyway when you don't surround yourself with jerks who have a chip on their shoulder. Sheez! Mr. Angry Waiter guy - Mr. Horrible Service Professional Waiter guy - had taken it upon himself to create a problem where there was none... I came to have a good time, and it isn't happening. Hm. I could be back in Summerville in 30 minutes. But a very sweet couple bought my ticket. I stayed. I started thinking, "Ya know, I should write this guy's boss a letter. I don't want him to get fired, but he needs to be called down for his snappy behavior. He needs to develop a sense of humor. I don't appreciate feeling like I am being held for ransom due to his attitude." My letter would've looked something like this:



350 million seconds later, it was time to head to see The Thorn. Leaving that restaurant, I had the same feeling a falsely accused death row inmate must have when the governer calls to stop his death sentence. So glad to be out of there! So let's put it to rest.

Finally: why I left the house
The Thorn was utterly brilliant!! I have seen quite a few live action performances in my life, but given the story (which is the greatest story ever told) and the over-the-top performances and writing (and just everything about it) made it my favorite so far. It made the top of my list. My favorite scenes involved the martial artists (who were representing angels in spiritual battle. The battle between good and evil. Heaven and Hell), the character who played John (he totally reminded me of Dean Jones' version of John), and there were the scenes of Jesus. Oh yes. The star of the play. Of the greatest story ever told.

There was Jesus (in a later scene) in the garden of Gethsemene on the night before he is to be crucified. He knows this, and he is using his last remaining moments of time to pray for strength, but more-so, he is praying for his followers. His friends and these people he holds so dear. Where are his friends? Asleep, of course. How crushing that must have felt. It must have pierced his heart. If that were me, I'd have gotten pretty mad and probably said, "Hey you jerks, I am doing this for YOU, and this is the best you can do?" Not Jesus, though. Somehow, in the midst of this, there is only sadness, but covered in love and compassion for these jerks. (My words, not his.) And later he is seized and taken to be beaten by the Romans (ironically the Romans would later start a semi-parallel version of Christianity, but replacing the many gods they worshipped with the very saints they killed and tortured for not denouncing the deity of Christ. Interesting. Weird). But as Jesus is being beaten by one of those Roman guards, John (the narrarator in the story) makes a point to add that he had never seen something like that ever before. The look of total hatred in the guard's eyes, as he was about to swing his iron and bone-infused whip, met Jesus' eyes, full of love. In spite of what was about to transpire, Jesus continued to love. That is beyond my comprehension.

There was a rivetting scene where Jesus fell and Satan began to try to tempt him to give up or just cry out to God to stop the pain he was going through. Jesus struggling to his feet and held onto the post once again, and the Romans continued the beating. A love like that is hard to fathom. That stood out to me. Regardless of the exact details of the beatings, history (biblical and non-biblical writers) record that Jesus was beaten and that he was later crucified. (500 witnesses would later profess to the ressurrection.) But to endure all that pain. To look into the eyes of Peter with love, knowing full well he was going to deny him in mere hours from that moment. To look into the eyes of Judas, who was about to betray him for a mere 30 pieces of silver, and choose to love through it... that is the picture of grace. The love that Jesus had for us. And when you catch a glimpse of grace, there is only one way to respond. To embrace it head on. And in light of that picture, there is no offense that has been done to us that is truly worthy of harboring.

Suddenly, I thought about the anger I had been feeling toward that young 20-something waiter. And I looked at the frustration at some of my party at the restaurant, and the fact that I kinda got my feelings hurt a little. And there it was once again, amidst the music and the noises in the play. 5 minutes of dead silence.. And a lyric jumped out at me from a David Crowder song:

'And what was said to the rose to make it unfold
Was said to me here in my chest'... (from 'Here Is Our King')

That describes it perfectly. God - the creator of love and life itself. The power of God, conveyed through Jesus Christ. The more I see of it, the more I lose sight of that junk I was feeling. The more I think about those eyes... the eyes who stared into the eyes of the guards who mocked him and the angry mobs - who once cheered him as the messiah... now many of these were screaming out, "Crucify him." He dared to stand in their faces and love through it. The more I feel that heart, the heart that dared to include me in that love when I used to hate Christians... when I used to mock churches and more-so, the few adamant Christians who he would sprinkle around me, knowing how I would belittle and berate them... when I see these things, what other possible response could I have? So I sit here tonight, melted and permeated by a love unlike that the world has ever known.

In a few hours, the Easter services wil begin. It's late, and I need to turn in. But my only hope and prayer tonight is that a glimpse of that love is shown through me tomorrow. A tiny glimmer of this love could change the entire world - one heart at a time. And that is my prayer. For anyone who may stumble across this, may you be invaded and consumed by the love of Christ as well. God bless!!

A word at tonight's practice

Easter is coming this weekend. Tonight, we met for band practice. Our band leader, Sarah G., came in and donned her acoustic guitar. She and I talked for a second and joked about tangle-proof guitar cables (they all tangle, regardless). Soon, everybody joined us on stage. As she typically does, she gave a little word before we launched into a short prayer like we always do before we actually start playing. She said, "Guys. This weekend is Easter. Keep in mind there is nothing we can do to actually top the resurrection story." I don't think she set out to make a profound statement, but she did all the same. She went on to talk for a second and clarify why we were doing what we were doing (a mark of a good leader), but somehow that short statement said it all.

There is a lot of weight and application in such a short 'one-liner' statement like that. First off, what Jesus did at Calvary is what defines our faith. Jesus literally took our sins upon Himself, died in our place (due to the sin that separates us from God), and as many writers both in and outside of the bible testified to, He rose again. This showed him to be the savior (the messiah) that was prophesized in scriptures centuries before. No other faith makes such a claim. His offering was done so we could live in freedom, and in standing with God. By merely believing in Him and following Him, we have the promise of hope where before there was none. That is grace. The Easter story, then, is a love story. The ultimate love story. As the bible says:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" (Romans 5:6-9, NIV)

There is a powerful message there. A reminder of what was done for us. Grace, pure and simple. But to the believer (who often struggles with performance issues or perfectionistic tendencies or even trying to be 'good enough' in spite of grace), Sarah's simple words were a reminder to me that: 1) we cannot top God, and 2) we don't have to try to top God. God is God. Period. High above us. This thought frees up a lot of performance anxiety and worry (or over-analyzing, in my case) that goes along with any stage performance. God is perfect. Period. End of story. We are there merely to point people to that beautiful picture and kinda just stay out of the way so He can work His wonders in the lives of His people. Such an awesome concept. Very liberating.

This is also something to focus on weekly, especially for the worship team. God is perfect. We are a creation that have been extended something we could not achieve on our own. That means we are less than perfect. So God is perfect, and we aren't. Period. If any realization should thwart those perfectionistic tendencies, this particular one should. A few years ago, we all did a group discussion from the book 'Heart of the Artist', and we discussed perfectionism versus striving for excellence (ie. striving for our best while being realistic about it all). Sarah's words tonight kind of three-dimensionalized what we discussed in the book.

Every once in a while, Sarah will pop out with a very memorable statement. The last one was 'Outside of God, there is nothing.' I have hung onto that one as well. (It has often served to be a good reminder to me at different places in my life. And besides, I tend to hang onto quotes and philosophies if they're good.) Tonight's statement made the list as well. But I just wanted to jot this down. It's late, so I will turn in. Looking forward to our Easter services. In the meantime, good night and God bless!

My (R)evolution - the full version

There is a saying that I use that was originally coined (to the best of my knowledge) by the band Fishbone: 'Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe'. That pretty much sums up the entire history of mankind in a nutshell. I would love to stand apart from it and speak of how I am so much better than that, but the fact is, that would just not be the case.

There is a sickness embedded in the head of man that makes him think he is invincible and impervious to the harsh realities of his own nature and life itself. Often this sickness allows him to think a little more highly of himself than he should (in various forms). The music world (on any level) and even Hollywood are littered with such stories. Stick around, and you're bound to see it. They have totally bought into the life, and they are now defined by it. At a certain point, the music (or gift) owns them instead of the other way around. An artist's creation suddenly metamorphosizes into something that is no longer owned by him/her. There are all these expectations and appearances to keep up. Suddenly, it is more about entertainment than sharing art, and it can get pretty brutal.

The story
It goes like this... a driven and passionate person with a clear vision sets out with the greatest intentions (often without solid accountability surrounding him), and over time, suddenly obstacles pop up that hinder that vision. The person becomes so fixated on the prize that when he is faced with options, he chooses to compromise in one little area. Distance is set between the original intention and what is actually going on, and this distance increases more and more. Soon, lines become skewed, and without taking a deep introspective look (or listening to his accountability), the very thing he set out to do becomes something much different than what he set out to accomplish. One becomes lost in his own creation. Funny how intentions work. Something as simple as a gift designed to be shared becomes something more about conquest. Or making a quota. Or attaining another notch in one's belt. And everything changes. Things that used to matter suddenly get pushed aside. To say again, this is the story of man in a nutshell.

My Revolution - what happened?
The earlier paragraphs pretty much sum up the story. With My Revolution, I originally set out to 'bring the message of hope within the church to those outside of its walls', and to some degree, it was effective. (I have had some great experiences to share that message with people I have met along the way.. if only to remind them of their worth, that they matter, and that God loves them exactly where they are and for who they are.) ...And then there's all that other stuff that goes along with playing in clubs. Some people are better at manuevering through the temptations than I.

I have heard more people say (as I used to say), "Church is for weak-minded people." I couldn't agree more. The clubs are as well. One seeks to build up their own. The other is merely trying to make a buck off of the weak-mindedness of others. (In my best Jeopardy voice: "I'll take 'church' for $200, Alex".) If you are a frequent bar-hopper, you can get mad at me all you want. It's okay. Just keeping it real.

Conflicts
Over a year ago, I talked with a girl who worked at a bar that I played at, and apparently, one of her inebriated 'clients' drove out of the bar and was involved in a major accident. I remember the look of guilt on her face. All the while I kept asking myself, "Aren't people like me the ones who get peoples' adrenaline glands pumping so they will buy more and more alcohol? Am I the villain? That is a hard question to ask one's self.

To add to matters, I was able to create a double life that I could typically keep under the radar. However, in those quiet times, my conscience screamed at me, "Something is NOT RIGHT here!" I was battling between a world of integrity and a world that says non-chalantly, "the ends justify the means". I often joked about 'walking in both worlds', but in truth, you can't do that for long. There is a scripture that says, "No man can serve two masters." It is the absolute truth. I found myself at times being disgusted by certain actions and behaviors that I was falling into (which I will refrain from talking about here). Once you have seen 'the life' from an outside perspective, it is hard to return to and find any true happiness in it.

I began to pray about whether to continue it or not. Over the following weeks, the answer became clear. God does not ask us to run full throttle - head to head with the complexities of life. He allows us free-will, but this fast-paced rat race man has created for himself is not the life He designed for us. So as weird as it was, it was time to walk away. Interestingly, as soon as I made the decision, I felt a peace inside. And suddenly new songs popped in my head. A new inspiration. It has been said, "God closes one door and opens another." I believe this is such a time in my life. A new chapter.

Resolution
So in spite of how this may appear to everyone who doesn't understand my faith or my relationship with Christ, I walk away with a renewed focus. A focus on the grace and love that comes from God alone. And I am happy about it. To all of you who have been understanding (especially my church family and the My Rev family), and to all of you who may not be so understanding, I love you all.

Joe

PS. Keep your eyes open, 'cause you never know what to expect in the future. The band project itself may be over, but the 'revolution' continues on. And CD's are still available on iTunes.

My (R)evolution

So here is the official word: my original project, My (R)evolution, is officially no more. I made the decision for various reasons. The music is still available on iTunes and I have left a couple sites up (on myspace and reverbnation), but as far as live shows, our run is over.

I know someone will want to know why, and I wanted to get some of this off my chest anyway. Before I do, I wanted to thank all the guys who have been a part of it all. The various musicians: Gale Watson, Adam Marshall, Konrad Gorski, Mike Straussberg, Jim Ratcliffe, Jeff Calafiore, and Jesse Anderson. I also thank the bands and the venues who stood by us on this short chapter of my life. I also thank my church family for standing by me when I made the decision to start the band, and I thank them for standing by me when I decided it was time to disband it.

So what happened? A brief summary
After a long haitus (which I am getting a reputation for in the local scene), we worked hard to come back strong. We played a pretty strong set at Halligans Bar and Grill (West Ashley), and sure enough the clubs started calling for bookings, but in spite of that, I pulled the plug. Who does that? Especially when your band is doing well. If a band is tanked or falling apart, that is when you disband. Never when things are about to take off, renewed and re-energized. This came as a surprise (I'm sure) to the band members, but I am grateful to them for their understanding. I am presently working to write the full story, and I will post that soon. (to be continued)

introductions

Okay, first entry. Got so much to get out of my head. Two to four years worth of stuff. What to do, what to do? Well, I suppose introductions would be a great start. And it goes like this...

My name is Joe. I could blabber on about titles, occupations, and 'flags', and 'banners' that I may or may not carry, but these things do not truly define a person, so I will refrain from wasting time in even bringing it up. To most people who know me, I am a musician who has been playing for 23 years, but there is more to me that that. (Many could probably care less beyond the musical aspect, and those people will probably never see this blog anyway, so I won't waste much time there.) I am a single/divorced father of two beautiful children. I have been studying Jungian psychology (more specifically, I have honed in on personality types, or 'typology' as it is called) for nearly two decades, and I recognize its relevance in so many applications in life. I am what Jung, Briggs-Myers, and/or Kiersey would call an iNFj. Perhaps because the type only makes up about 1% of the population could account for why I can come off as a bit unorthodox to many other types.

If you were to ask twenty different people who I was, you'd probably get all kinds of answers. I would be: an idiot/intellectual brainiac, too serious/never serious, hilarious/not funny, etc., etc... depending on the degree of time invested in me and vice versa. (I would say the same could be said for many people, actually.) I tend to be one of those guys who can converse with you for hours, but I can do so without ever letting you really know what's up or who I really am. If you are able to touch my heart (and I am speaking of friends and everyone else), then I am very warm - and once you are in my 'inner circle', it is nearly impossible to 'fall out' of it. I am working on being more open and trusting with people (which is a challenge considering the tendency of mankind to stomp on and destroy anything it gets the chance to). There is a saying, "We are more likely to accept what already looks like us than what is different." I would say this explains why people always try to change me or mold me into something that looks like them, and I cannot live in that world anymore than they would probably want to live in mine. I am generally pretty appreciative and/or tolerant of the differences in others, however, I seldom see the same considerations returned. But in seeking like-minded individuals (especially other iNFj's), it makes the world a more peaceful and desirable place to live in.

One thing that is pretty consistent (observably so) is my spirituality. Or more-so my faith. I have spent the larger part of my life trying to accept anything other than the teachings of Christ (like so many people). Such a simple message that people tend to overcomplicate. I spent 14 years of my life trying to disprove the existence of God using science, math, and philosophy. The conclusion I was finally forced to accept logically is that all those factors that hard science cannot answer have God's fingerprints all over them. The very human mind itself is the greatest testimony to its creator and designer, regardless if it (in faith) chooses to embrace it or not. In March of 2003, I had a direct experience (not some hokey 'religious' experience, but a real experience of faith) that caused me to embrace Christ, and I have never been the same since.

All types have a certain style to them and a certain way of communicating. Some speak in hard logic. Some use quick catchy one-liners and simplistic thoughts. Many tend to place importance on 'things' and 'stuff'. iNFj's generally communicate best in writing. We tend to be more concerned with bigger picture 'ideas' than fads, trends, systems, and things that are not questioned. I know, personally, I get bored and drained really quick when talking about 'surface matters' as I call them, but show me your dreams or your vision or something you are passionate about, and you have my undivided attention.

But let me get back to introductions and sum it up. I am a musician, a Christ-follower (who questions and analyzes his faith, which is the enemy of 'religion' and yet the friend of 'faith'), a writer, and a unique personality type. This sounds like some potentials for good blog work. Obviously, here it is. The blog, I mean. I invite you to share in my experiences if this grabs you in any way. For me, the idea of getting this stuff out of my head is a reward in itself, but if something shared can actually prove to be beneficial in some way or fashion, then that is an even greater thing. I hope to use this blog as a means to share my ideas (and my successses and failures), and I also hope it serves to be an 'ebenezer stone' to look back on later in the future and remind me where I was when I wrote it. There will be more to come. I think this is a good stopping point in the meantime.