My request to Carl Dixon and his response

Ron ! · Posted 8 Jan 2006 12:23 pm

To all you forumites.Not a day goes by that I look at my steel guitar and think.....what an impact had that man on my steelplaying.

Every now and then a forumite starts a topic and asks Carl to come back on the forum.I for one am a man that would love to see Carl return.
Maybe I am the one on the SGF that has tried that the most of all.I always respected Carls opinion and answers and I will continue doing that.
I mailed Carl with the question that forumites posted here on the SGF.Here is what I asked him januari 6th

quote:

Carl,

It's been a while since we spoke and I would like to wish you and your family all the best for the new year and may the good Lord provide you and your loved ones.

You already know by now that there has been a couple topics on the SGF with your name on it.
I know that you consider to return.My feeling tells me that you are Carl.

Would you please think about this.
I know that everybody is set on this earth to do a task.I think that yours was to bring happiness and teach people how to play and maintain steelguitars.

Carl please reconsider and come back on the forum with us.

May the good Lord be with you and your family

Ron Steenwijk

Carl received this mail and he mailed me on januari 6th.And I respect this answer.

quote:

Ron,

I am indeed humbled and honored that you would take the time to write to me and say such nice things. Thank you sooooo much..

I got an email day before yesterday from a forumite that provided a link to what you refer to. I am greatful for the kindness and love that has been shown. Sadly, I will not be returning to the forum.

For there are things I cannot tell you that go much deeper than what is generally known. One day when we Christians all meet "up yonder", then you and all others will know why it is best I not return.

I would be remiss if I did not tell you that I miss the forum and all of you blessed kind people. Because I sincerely do; more than you know. I think of the forum often. It was a very large part of my life for years. So I do miss it very much.

Again thanks for your kind words dear friend.

A belated Merry Christ-mas to you and yours always. May Jesus richly bless you; and may EACH New Year be an ever greater blessing for you and your family,

carl

Here is the second mail that I send Carl januari 6th as an answer to him.

quote:

Carl,

first of all I would like to thank you for the reply to my e-mail.I am honored that you took the time to answer me back.I have seen numerous posts on the forum where people tried to get you back on there.

You send me a couple of e-mails from people once with things in it that can not stand the light of day.So I can understand why you made the move that you did.

I can understand that if "so called friends" on the forum don't stand up for ya it is of no use being there in the first place.I know that if my memories serve me correct those e-mails that you got were very offensive.
And if you made it your choice to not come back again I will respect that.

You are a man that had a great impact in all the choices I made in the Steel guitar world.You might not know this but I see you as my mentor.
I know that I can always e-mail you if I have a question about steel guitars or something that is related to it.Don't look at this e-mail as an attempt to change your mind Carl.

God put us on this world to do work.Some of us get the easy part and some of us are blessed with a lot of work to make people happy.
Some of people see it differently.These are the people that need the most of our attention.Those are the people that are standing in the doorway and still have doubts to go in or not.

Why is it that some of these people are trying to hurt other people?

They do that to get attention.Attention that they need.That attention is their oxygen.

It's a shame that the world has people like that but they are here on this world.

Is it not so that we have to reach out and help people?Even if that means that we have to set our personality second place?

Carl.......no matter where you are......I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive the people that hurt you the way they did.

May God be with you and bless you and your family

Please Carl.......think about this.

Thanks my friend.You will be in my mind forever.

Ron

And here is his answer.

quote:

Hi Ron,

Thank you for your kind concern. Let me share the following with you dear friend.

When God created each of us, he gave us certain inate talents. However, those talents are not the same in everyone. Some were given the awesome gift of being able to preach, such as Paul of Tarsus or Billy Graham or Dr James Kennedy, etc. Others were given the gift of music like Jerry Byrd and Buddy Emmons, etc. Yet others were given the talents of acting or singing or sports, etc, etc, etc.

Thru the grace of Jesus our God, I was given the gift of teaching. It is my forte'. I do not work at it; no more than BE works at playing the steel guitar. While we both have nurtured our gift thru practice, the talent comes straight from God and it was from birth. Buddy would have been the greatest musician regardless of the instrument he chose to play.

I tried to play the steel guitar, but I am denied (while on earth) the pleasure that most players have when they play it. I simply can not play well. Never have, never will. No matter how I have tried. That gift was NOT one of the ones Jesus gave out when it came to me.

But, he DID give me gifts; as he has everyone. Mine is in the line of instructing and explaining in simple terms even very complex things. It is from birth. I have an insatiable quest for knowledge of how EVERY thing works. My passion for it is unquenchable.

But it goes deeper. Jesus said, "For whom much is given, MUCH shall be required." Therefore, for the Christian, it is a commandment that we dare not disobey, for IF we do not obey it, God can cause us much pain. Thankfully, I have avoided that pain. Because while I am a wretched sinner saved by grace, I have NEVER knowningly failed to help someone (or students in my classes) when it comes to conveying knowledge on whatever subject I am instructing. This has been one of my greatest worldly blessings. And I thank Jesus for it.

Even though I no longer read (or participate on) the SGF, there are still many who write to me asking detailed questions about the steel guitar, and related subjects. So I stay quite busy answering them. And I shall continue to do this 'til the last breath.

I must stress that ALL I know came from God. So I am simply giving back a part of it. While we are punished on earth (for sins we commit on earth), I am sooo very blessed for giving back a part of my inate gift. Some never realize their inborn talents. Others do, but they do not share it willingly. Yet others do, and they share it. Jerry Byrd shared his awesome gift 'til the day he died. And there are many others who have not failed to give back a part of what God gave them in the first place. For these, there is untold blessings.

So we can only hope that when the final current falls, Jesus will say, "well done my child." As God told Jesus when he said, "I am well pleased...."

To all who have been soooooo kind to me, I say, thank you sincerely; and I will pass the "thanks" on to our source.......Jesus Christ. And may Jesus richly bless you all, always,

carl

I hope that everyone that asked for Carls return respect this answer.

Ron

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[This message was edited by Ronald Steenwijk on 08 January 2006 at 12:53 PM.]

richard burton · From: Britain

What a shame that such a clever man can be so deluded.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

...bless his heart.

EJL

Bob Strum · From: Anniston Alabama

Thank you Ron. I hear Carl's heart speaking and may God bless him.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Thanks for posting those, Ron. And richard, your inane response probably illustrates why Carl won't post here anymore. Anyone readin one of Carl's posts would know that he can explain physics, music theory, the mechanics of a pedal steel guitar, the history of the steel guitar---as well as, or BETTER than, most folks. Isn't it wonderful that we're all free to disagree with eavh others' politics, religion, hair color, whatever?
Y'all have a nice day.

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Wisdom begins with the fear of God.

Richard Burton tell Liz I said hello.

richard burton · From: Britain

Yes Stephen,
I've already stated how knowledgable Carl is,
and you have confirmed this.

The delusion I refer to is his unwavering belief in something that cannot logically exist.

Science has time and again shown that religious beliefs are unfounded, and that we are merely a clever ape, capable of thought.

It is this very ability to think that has brought about this delusion of an afterlife, as some people cannot/will not acknowledge that when we die, our brains also die, and we totally cease to exist.

Of all the billions of creatures that have lived on this planet, how can it be any other way??

Curt Langston · Posted 8 Jan 2006 3:07 pm

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

An atheist trying to figure out God is like a caveman trying to figure out the space shuttle.

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

"An atheist trying to figure out God is like a caveman trying to figure out the space shuttle"

Yes, but by definition, it is the same for the Christian. God is not knowable.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

"Science has time and again shown that religious beliefs are unfounded"

Actually science has shown them to be unprovable, not unfounded. There's a huge difference. Unproved does not mean *disproved*. It leaves open the matter of faith.

Which is why you can't with any validity say he's wrong in his beliefs.

I'm not defending his (in my opinion) method of shoving his beliefs down everybody's throat on this forum (this must be the only moderated music forum that even allows posts like his at all - every other major forum nukes any "hot button" topics like religion and politics, and for good reason).

But his beliefs cannot be proven wrong.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · From: Ayrshire, Scotland

This has deviated from Ron's original post.
This is the STEEL GUITAR forum.
I'm sure there is a place where we can discuss belief/non-belief, but it's not here....or the CSGMB.
Does anyone know of such a place?

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Thanks for sharing that, Ron. I'm closing this topic because it's turned into a religious debate.

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