Watch.

Watch.

Music can create or destroy

It's been a long time.

Creativity has been pouring out through many holes,

like water through a sieve-

but music must come

it is th' force that drives it all

th' will behind th' motivation-

music is a vehicle,
it can take us to where our feet cannot-

music can create or destroy-

let's use it well.

stay tuned....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG-6w33mWYk

To Dream

Ahh, the dream life.  Fleeting visions and dreams become encouragements and warnings, and as they arise from our innermost longings and fears, they arise from our relationship with God.  Or perhaps they were sent from God, especially when we ask.

Last Friday, one of the prayers was for a guidepost to whether we should allow a house show in our home in two weeks, and to allow the founding members of Insomniac Folklore to stay in our home for a few days.  It would indeed make us accountable to finally clean that room in the basement.


I arrived at an old brick building on the outskirts of some town, and the landscape was that of sand and semi-arid vegetation, like palms, cacti, yucca, short succulents, etc. It was rather cold, however. I heard that Bethra and Rico were playing at a show, and I was to meet them there, as they might need a ride.

I could hear muffled music coming from inside the old brick building, and it seemed like we were behind it, with a few other homes around us. I’d seen this Florida-type landscape in at least one other dream. There was Rico, working over a fire with a large, braided basket caked in some sort of paper maché, and he was heating or curing it over a fire. The fire was set inside a large, steel trailer, short and rectanglish, the kind one might pull on a bike, if someone were to invent such a thing. One half of this trailer seemed to be reserved for woodfires set in a large bowl.

Then Bethra was there, and she was curing something over the fire as well. Rico said, Yeah, we’ve been making these for some time now. Actual coals were now in the bowl, glowing hot, and he shuffled them up into the air, the way a chef might with some vegetables in a pan, flipping them without the use of a spatula.

He emptied the coals from the basket and put the basket up on a shelf that was constructed out of wood and brick, and at the bottom I noticed Fynn playing with something. Both were busy at work. I got the distinct impression that they were working well as a team – Bethra weaving the bowls, and Rico adding a shell on the inside and wood-firing them to finish. It also seemed like they were travelling. They were more like prototypical gypsies, with their newborn son strapped to Bethra, and Rico wearing something which made him look more Mongolian – homemade for sure.

I see this as a confirmation that the Lighthouses will not only be able to subsist by relying on their talents as artisans, but will thrive as God's artisans, providing more than ornate, usable crafts to those that come.  There is grace and provision in the making, prayerfulness and meditation along the way, and perhaps frustration, but perseverance for sure.

Posted just now by ricardo

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Christmas show 2011

Well it was a fine show wasn't it...

yes it was, what should we do now?

 how 'bout we do another one?

Great idea! Let's wait till spring.

Thanks Kimana for th' photographs.
And a Merry Christmas to you all!

Christmas Show This Friday!

Come to The Lighthouse Band Christmas Show!
This Friday, December 16, 2011

At Everyday Joe's Coffee House on Mason St. in old town
Acoustic Tapestry will open for us!
It will be grand! We will have more christmas ornaments and other fun things for sale at our table.
Bring a friend and come sing along!

Show Last Night

Well, we opened up last night for our pals Insomniac Folklore. Everyone had a blast! People young and old were dancing, singing, smiling, laughing, there were bubbles... it was grand. I wish i would've gotten pics of everybody in the audience having a great time, but i was livin' in the moment & enjoying my espresso. Thank to our friend Kimana, we got a few pics of us & of IF on stage. I am only uploading these 2 because it takes a long time. We're not smiling in the pic because we're really concentrating really hard, you see. We really had a great time.

moving to portland

ok, after a year's worth of praying and hoping, th' time has finally come- we will be making th' move to portland oregon soon (mid sept 2007)- no longer to be landlocked in th' middle of a desolate country, no- we shall soon hear th' ocean's roar and th' laughter of our friends as we set sail once again,- we will harbor in th' port for awhile, who ever knows for how long?- maybe till mt. hood explodes and covers us all in dust...- then shall the arrows fly from th' quiver to all corners of the earth... and nobody but God knows where they shall land...aye, our land lubbin friends, good-bye, ye shall be missed, it's true...

the lighthouse band university

The Lighthouse Band University

Seeing how most of us have been out of school for a long time, a lot of us (members of the lighthouse band) have started to feel the need to excercise our brains again- to learn again. With a bit of plotting and scheming, we came up with the idea for the "Lighthouse Band University". We decided that each of us would research a topic, and we would take turns teaching once a week, holed up in someone's home (it being winter and all).

So last night was our first LHU session. It was very exciting! I opened with a class on medicinal herbs and their uses. It was very simple, perfect for the first time. We met at Heidi's house, ate snacks and chatted (plotted and schemed) for a while, then went thru the lesson, discussed it, and chatted and snacked some more. I think next week Danny is going to teach a class on Romania.

This is very exciting for us all, because, since most of us aren't in college or anything, this gives us an opportunity to learn all we can, and it's more motivating to learn with a community rather than alone. Also, we all have different strengths, and we can teach what we're good at, and share those things with our friends. And if there's something we really want to learn, we can research it and give a class on it. We can all help each other to learn & understand. Each person has something to give, and something to recieve (true anarchy!).

Some topics we are planning on researching are history of different countries, garbage & fast food & the effect of wastefulness, social studies & justice & the oppression of different peoples, physics, geology of the earth before & after the Flood, different arts & crafts, languages, and so on...

This is something anyone can do! You can start your own university in your own community of friends! Maybe we can share tips and ideas...

The negative effects of a capitalistic society

The Negative Effects of a Capitalistic Society

Pt. 1 - Time vs. Money

Upon first meeting someone, i am often asked "What do you do?". Generally, what is meant by this question is "what is your job?", ie, what do you do for money. And in my case, the reply expected is "i landscape", or "i am a landscaper". Our society, as a whole, has become so focused on career that we often forget that people are truly capable of many things. All through history, and as recently as 100 years ago even, people often built their own houses, grew as much of their own food as they could, raised animals for work and food, made and repaired their own clothing, furniture and other goods that they used everyday. People mostly worked outside, were not afraid of th' weather. They knew th' seasons, when to build, plant and harvest. But since the industrial "revolution" the average life of the common family now looks drastically different than it did for thousands of years. Very quickly people (especially in the usa) went from spending most of their time producing for themselves and their communities th' things they needed to spending most of their time making money to buy th' things they needed, which are mostly produced far away from their own communities. Gradually, we gave in to th' lie that our time is spent more effectively making money, with which we can buy th' things we need (and things we don't need) in far greater abundance than we and our local communities could have produced. And in many cases this is true. So we headed into th' towns and cities to get good jobs working away from home. (At first mostly men did this, while women continued to stay home and take care of th' house and land.) But as we spent more and more time away from home we realized we had no time to take care of all that land we used to use. And since we now had more money to buy th' food we eat and things we need, we no longer needed all that land anyway. It made good sense to move closer to town, onto a much smaller piece of property. And with this new abundance and diversity that money could buy, things seemed good for a while. And this is where we realize that "time is spent more effectively working to make money rather than goods" is a lie. You see, th' common people used to own most of th' land in this country, and work together to supply each others needs. Healthy interdependence. But as more people began moving into th' towns and cities, land ownership began to shift into th' hands of fewer people, mostly large corporations. The american public has by now sold over 80% of it's land to private companies. This is a scary thing. We have readily given our land to those who would abuse it with clear conscience, and who care not in th' least for us as people, whose only aim is to fatten their pockets, and everyday we agree to pay them for their rape and plunder of the earth, and for their healthless and nutrient deprived food, which cannot grow without the addition of chemical pesticides and fertilizers (which, of course, end up in our bodies. Been feeling tired lately?). We have herded ourselves like cattle into slaughter houses.
Right now we are living in a time of peak agricultural production. We can buy anything we need. But the earth and it's resources are being extracted at a dangerously alarming rate, and are not being replenished. Real food and other goods are even now becoming precious commodities. By real food i mean life-giving food, non GMO fruits and grains and vegetables. Another precious commodity is th' knowledge of how to do basic tasks that have kept people alive for thousands of years. Things like growing your own food, or as much of it as you can. Making, or at least mending, your own clothing. Building and taking care of your own house. Making a fire (to some this may seem ridiculous, but many people do not know how to make a proper fire, or how to cook with one). Baking bread. Living outside without destroying the area. There are many other tasks which used to be commonplace in peoples lives but are now limited to a very few number of folks. Most people simply don't have th' time outside of their jobs to do these things. As older generations pass away, so to does much of this practical knowledge. And since we live in a country of great abundance, many people don't even see a need for such knowledge.
But what we are doing is enslaving ourselves to ignorance. Ignorance, at least of necessary things, makes us feel worthless and helpless, like we cannot take care of ourselves and our families, not if we really had to. It's a feeling that too many of us suppress and ignore, which leads to violence and insanity, and even chauvinism. Our inner need to build, create, and provide for our loved ones gets pushed aside in our society, and takes second place to our quest for money, which is a false provider. We may be able to buy what we need, but as creative individuals and as communities, we are becoming helpless. Empty. We are dying, and deep down inside we feel this emptiness, though rarely realizing where it comes from.
But never fear, though we live in th' midst of a capitalistic and greedy society, there's many things we can do to awaken ourselves as creative beings. And th' first of these is learning to be content. We support th' very destruction of land and life by being greedy. By giving in to our greed and taking way more than we need, we are affirming th' destroyers position in th' desecration of all life. But when we realize that we actually need so very little compared to what most of us have, we can begin to be more picky with th' things we buy. We can spend more money on things that are better quality and made by caring individuals because we don't have to spend so much on useless stuff to fill th' holes in our lives. Holes which can not be filled by material goods. And th' more content we are with what we have, th' less we need to be entertained. Th' more whole and sane we become. Another thing we can do is grow some of our own food. Start small and work your way up. Even if you only have room for one plant, grow something to eat. Take care of what you grow, learn about what you grow. Nourish your food and it will nourish you. Build something with your hands. Anything. Build a raised bed for your garden. Or a plant shelf to put in a sunny window. Or try to fix something that's broken instead of throwing it away. Learn to sew. Mend your own clothes. Knit, crochet. If you or a friend knits or crochets a hat for you, that hat will be worn with more pride than any other hat you have. And most importantly, go outside. Become familiar with where you live. Not th' streets but th' plants and rivers and bugs and animals and yes, th' weather. We spend so much time trying to make ourselves comfortable and insulating ourselves from th' weather that we have begun to see it as our enemy rather than our friend. By spending more time outside we begin to recognize and enjoy th' weather patterns. Also, try to spend a little time not just outside, but in some kind of area where man made things are not readily visible or audible (Go camping- gather some wood and cook your food over a fire that you built. Stay up late talking around that fire. Drink some whiskey. Look at th' stars before falling asleep. Get up early, stoke th' coals and make some coffee). Remember that God is our creator and look around you to see, not only what He created, but how it exists, and co-exists, with everything around. Then look again at what man has made. People are so structured and safe. Nature is so wild and uncontrollable, just like it's creator.
Most of us are afraid of th' wilderness and afraid of ourselves, so it only makes sense that we would be afraid of our creator also. this world was created to be our home, and we have destroyed it. And now we are beginning to feel th' consequences. Soon we will live in a "Matrix" like world, insulated from land and sky. But there are still a remnant few folks who considere God's ways. You might find them hoeing their fields, or hauling dirt up to their roof-top gardens, or sitting around a fire under th' stars, or holed up together in grimy quarters with light in their eyes and songs in their midst. You will know them because they will share with you hope.

Buy Nothing Day

Voices speak up for simple life

 While hordes of shoppers invaded the stores Friday, a 
much smaller group of locals spoke out against holiday 
consumerism. As part of International Buy Nothing Day,
 Rico Lighthouse and his wife, Beth, spent the afternoon in 
Old Town Square serving free tea and hot chocolate and 
entertaining passers-by with juggling and live tunes from 
their musical group The Lighthouse Band. Their point, 
other than spreading holiday cheer, was to draw attention 
to Buy Nothing Day, a day which supporters urge consumers 
to remember the holidays should be less about buying and 
more about spending time with family. Rico Lighthouse said
 he hopes people will try to enjoy the holidays by nurturing
 personal relationships. "People should give the gift of 
yourself, which is often the most withheld gift in the 
world," he said. When they do give material gifts, he 
encourages people to buy from local artisans, or make the
 gifts themselves so they are more meaningful. "I'm not 
trying to tell people, 'Don't buy stuff,' but 'Think about
 what you are buying,'" he said. Buy Nothing Day started 
15 years ago in Vancouver, British Columbia, not just as a
backlash to holiday materialism but also to big spending 
throughout the year. Organizers challenge consumers to 
pick one day a year to live simply, spend more time with 
family and think about the environmental and ethical 
consequences of mass consumerism. In the past, local 
supporters have staged small protests at shopping centers 
in town, but Lighthouse said he was interested in gently 
spreading his message through cheer. Most Shoppers don't 
realize the social and environmental impact they have by 
mindlessly buying mass quantities, said Jana Six, who 
participated in Buy Nothing Day events in Fort Collins in
the past. Six earned a master's degree in environmental 
education at Colorado State University and focused parts 
of her studies on consumerism. Mass consumerism during the
holidays and throughout the year takes advantage of cheap 
labor and depletes natural resources and ecosystems 
throughout the world, said Six, who works for Alliance for
Sustainable Colorado, a nonprofit environmental and social public 
policy institute in Denver. "We're consuming our planet to 
death," she said. But one local mall manager said she 
believes people are starting to think more about the 
products they buy.
While many consumers continue to engage in holiday 
shopping frenzies, more shoppers are concerned about where
 the products come from and who made them, said Cynthia 
Eichler, general manager of Foothills Mall. "Overall, 
consumers are more savvy than they used to be," she said.
 "We're hearing conversations these days that you wouldn't
 have heard five years ago." Even on Black Friday, shoppers
 are more cognizant, she said. one way to feel good about
 holiday purchases is to be a more responsible consumer,
 said Wendy Poppen, manager of 10,000 Villages in Old Town
 Square, which specializes in international fair trade 
goods. Like other fair trade organizations, Poppen's store
 buys environmentally and socially friendly crafts directly 
from artisans cooperatives, where fair labor prices and
 decent working conditions are ensured. She urges holiday
 shoppers to not only ask who made their products and how,
 but to consider whether they really even need the product.
 "If you're going to buy something, don't just consume to 
consume," she said. "In reality, it's goodwill." Another 
opinion is to buy local, which keeps money in state and in
 the hands of local employees instead of exporting it to
 out of state corporations, Six said.

Survival in the Wasteland 2nd issue...

Hey everybody, Th' first issue of our zine, Survival in the Wasteland turned out really good and got good reception,(if you haven't read it you can check it out on our website) and now th' 2nd issue is in th' making... so check th' Wasteland section of our website to read th' new issue, scheduled to be released nov. 10 2006

PAPA festival

We had a wonderful weekend at PAPA festival-- and many beautiful things happened... such was th' beauty of God that it can't be descibed in words-- but i'll try to let you know what we saw going on-- for one, simply th' fact that everyone was there shows th' willingness to answer God's call to truly be His people-- learning to live together and love one another-- many times was i brought to tears by th' thought of all of us together under th' covering of our God-- and many new friends were made, and old ones reaffirmed once again. There's something very special about not knowing how long it will be till you see someone again, and then there they are-- it makes th' time together oh so sweet. I think that many people realized their need for one another-- in fact that's why everyone was there. And there was a genuineness about everyone-- a knowing that you were trusted, and that you could trust-- this was not simply a festival to get away from your everyday life, and then it's over and you go back to your life, hopefully carrying something good with you-- but rather this was a festival where people brought their lifestyles together in one place to share them with each other-- to be encouraged that though your life is radically different than that of this world we live in you have support, you are not alone in your views and your choices. And also, one of th' most beautiful things that happened there, that i did not even realize till we were driving away, was th' complete lack of propaganda. We stopped at a gas station as we were leaving and it hit me hard-- to walk inside and be blasted with candy, magazines, junk food, and tons of other crap that a person doesn't need, and driving down the interstate, with billboard after billboard yelling in my face to buy this, do that, come here, save yourself, blah blah, blah... i realized that th' world really rapes your mind-- everywhere you go your mind is being filled with advertisements and propaganda-- and each ad you read brings along with it a thousand worldly thoughts that are not your own-- it's nearly impossible to keep your mind on th' things of Heaven with such trumpets of propaganda blasting in your face everywhere you go. Once we left th' fest i realized that everything that was available there, whether as a gift, for trade or even for sale, was a piece of art created for art's sake-- nothing was motivated by capitalistic desires and nothing was being pushed-- but rather everything was an offering made out of love, for th' sake of love-- upon leaving it struck me how rare this really is--

peace be with you,
The LightHouse Band

Going to PAPA fest...

Some of us will be heading out to PAPA fest (people against poverty and apathy) in late June. We will be caravaning out there with anyone who wants to go. Th' fest is th' weekend of th' 23-24th of June and will be a gathering of communities from around th' country. Folks will be getting together to share communal experiences and ideas, share songs and stories, and learn learn learn as much as possible in a short time, as there will be a wealth of educational seminars including strawbale workshops, grease conversions, circus acts, renewable energy, drumming and much much more, click on th' title to go to th' PAPA website and check it out-- and if you' d like to come along and are in our area or on our route, from ft. collins, CO, to knoxville, TN, then let us know, post a reply or write to us at us@thelighthouseband.com ........... unite

Live @ Lunch, Community

We just played KRFC'S live @ lunch radio show-- it was great and we had a lot of fun-- there will be a recording of it on our website soon, so check it out if you didn't get to hear it. Also we are seriously considering communal living again, so please pray for us- or talk to us if you are interested...

The LightHouse Band Parade

Hey everyone, last saturday we had a parade in old town fort collins-- to celebrate togetherness and to advertise upcoming shows. We painted our faces and marched around to drum s and percussion- played songs and laughed a good bit- Andy and Tim biked and skated around us in a frenzy to keep things moving-- we flew the "LightHouse Band community thru music" flag and generally had a great time... Our next show is @ Everyday Joes, so come out and celebrate with us...

SPRING SHOWS COMING!

Hello anyone who still looks at this -- We've been active lately and have 3 exciting shows coming up in th' spring. Th' first one is March 31st - we will be opening for psalters-, and if you have not seen these guys yet, (or even if you have)- do yourself a favor and come be a part of this show-- here's a link to their website where you can read about them and hear some songs, PSALTERS - Th' second show will be on th' radio- krfc's live @ lunch-- that will be april 11, live broadcast from noon-1:00 on 88.9 fm -- and th' 3rd show will be on good friday at Everyday Joes in fort collins, show starts at 7:00 and th' talented Jorge Valenzuela will be opening up for us-- so come on out and celebrate and reflect with us-- and check out our website for exact times and all that stuff, and for further updates as they appear...

christmas album finished

hello everyone-- we've been recording like crazy th' past 2 months and we finally have something to show for it-- our christmas album will be available at our xmas concert and from us after that-- so come on out to th' show and sing with us if you can ---- also our website will be up and running soon-- www.thelighthouseband.com-- email us and let us know what you think--
in th' midst of an unpeaceful world,

peace to you all

christmas show coming up

hi anyone who reads this-- it's been a long time we know but here we are again to tell you a little of what's going on with us-- me and bethra are currently working on a christmas album-- reverent and reflective style -- we hope -- which hopefully will be ready by th' time we play our christmas show-- yep that's right -- we're doing a christmas show on dec 16 at th' Outback Auditorium -- on th' west side of Vineyard fort collins-- instrumentation will include th' likes of singing with harmonies, guitar, mandolin, organ, drums, accordion, horns, and maybe a surprise or two-- so come out and worship with us th' one who is love-- and th' very source of all th' beauty and goodness you've ever known -- more on th' way ---


rico

th' coal mine and th' reason we came in here

hi friends and family -- we're in west virginia right now-- and for who knows how long-- all of psalters were going to come down here after th' fall tour and stay with brandon and becca-- a young couple who were gonna join psalters but decided for various reasons not to-- but then another tour got booked right away so me and bethra decided to come down here just th' two of us and think and pray and figure out what's next-- brandon and becca came here from toledo ohio some months ago to work at a mission for youth-- well things aren't always as glorious as they sound--
they like working with th' kids but they are not really allowed to be themselves--
if any of you have had to work somewhere were you've had to compromise your beliefs you know how spiritualy exhausting that can be-- and there are no like minded people anywhere around here-- so they have some friends but no real friends like the encouraging one another bear one another's burdens type friends whom you can have long talks and lots of laughs with-- so in other words they were kinda lonely being down here too-- they made a committment and want to stay and fulfill it tho-- so they are really glad that we decided to come down here instead of going on tour again-- me and bethra didn't know them at all when we came here- besides a breif meeting on tour- but we've gotten along very well-- we have so much in common but come from different backgrounds- so it makes for an interesting exciting friendship-- we live in a big house with them and stay up late talking almost every night-- often under th' guise of playing poker- it's really nice for us cause we thought we were in for a major culture shock leaving psalters and moving to wv-- but we're really glad we got th' chance to come here and meet these guys-- they're th' kinda friends that will be for ever- we've been talking alot about where to go next and they are as ready as we are to move outta this giant coal mine that is wv- we've thought about renting a place together in another city- about moving to th' same town or neighbouring towns and about moving far away from each other-- we've thought about moving bck to fort collins and have tried to convince them that they'd love it there because we love it there-- but th' point of this is that we have no idea where we'll be next (as usual) but we're here to pray and be friends with these guys and probably with out giving us much time to pack our bags God will say GO-- and that will be that-- but in th' meantime we're going to try and get a car and work a bit while we're here-- save up some money since we have no bills here -- and play music together-- read and write and bethra has been aching to bake for th' past 3 month's and now she can-- so that's where we're at now -- please pray for us --

live under th' mercy of our love -- th' passionate christ --

a visual tour The image “http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/ricoandbeth/DSCF0103.jpg visual tour

welcome to our visual tour-- have yourself a cup of mate with us and enjoy th' pictures--


psalters of old-- circa 1880's--



21st centery psalters--



here's th' bus in it's early days--






scott wondering if he can sit on th' toilet with his hat on--



and here's relaxin after workin on th' bus all day--


the army advances-- with th' banner of christ leading th' way






and th' singers went first--- followed by th' dancers--








and in between shows we hung out-- enriched our fellowship with each other-- and even got stuck in th' mud--



this train's a ready to roll--


that was in tennessee-- i drove all night long-- we we're really tired-- jay took over th' driving and we saw a sign that said 'travelers rest' -- so we went there and it was this big farm with an 1800's reinactment show going on-- tickets we're 5 dollars-- we told them we're travellers and we saw th' 'travelers rest' sign and followed it here and they let us in for free-- th' people doing th' reinactments treated us like we were straight out of th' 1800's ourselves-- which we probably looked like -- we were dirty and road weary and some of us were dressed like robin hood-- so as we tried to leave we realized we were stuck in th' mud and after tearing up th' yard really good we made friends with th' owner of th' farm and left on very good terms-- imagine showing up in a big black scary bus - there's nine of us dirty and tired and pretty scary looking ourselves-- we show up in th' middle of tennesee to a place where school kids are on a field trip -- we cause everyone to stare at us and then we tear up th' yard trying to leave-- th' farmer has to work late trying to help us out of th' mud -- and he takes a real likin to us-- askes us to stay longer or at least come back and stop by next time we're in town-- gives us his phone number and address and asks us for a cd of our music and sends us away with a big smile and a happy good-bye--- now that's southern hospitality--

and on to th' next show--















after driving all night long--


some hang out time between shows-- bethra and jeremy playing 'fading'



bethra checking our email--




rico after a nice chicken dinner--


charity and jeremy--


sometimes in life you are happy--
sometimes yr blue--


and never forget to be thankful for yer free will---



do you ever feel like your being watched?....


when really it's just a shadow on th' wall.



there is coming a time when everyone must decide--

worship-


or warship?



peace to you all on your journey-- and in th' words of our southern jewish friends--