Letters To War - Deja Vu

Swisspers And Cows

I bought a new package of super cheap version of Q-tips Swisspers cotton swabs and thought it was funny that one of their advertising claims is "Hot Colors" Why do we need hot colors of cotton on a stick to insert into our ears?



Hot? Seriously?


I sure do like the cleanliness and texture of the swabs.

I went out to rehearse for a special that I am singing on Tuesday. My friend lives in front of a farm. I crossed this cattle guard...


And walked down this path...


And stopped near this gate...


And watched the biggest bull in the pasture go and hide behind a tree as if the fence between us was not enough to protect him from me...


Then I sang.

Irony Pie And Vestiges Of Christmas Music

As you may recall, irony visits me often. It is a regular companion to me. Here's an example:
Just the other day I said to my friend Jenn, "I don't read your recipe blog because I don't like to cook, but maybe you could publish it cookbook style for your kids."

And then, today, I went to 2 different stores about 30 miles apart to find whole Allspice and Kitchen Bouquet for a recipe I wanted to try. Open mouth, insert foot. The honest truth is that I DON'T like to cook. But I do have a family who needs to be fed, and we do have a need for healthier meals with fresher ingredients. Hence, I read my cookbooks(which were all gifts) and find recipes that require things that half the world has never even heard of. Whatever. It was a recipe for "Lip smackin' chicken", and it turned out fine. If you're really that interested - leave me a comment and I'll email you the recipe.

Anyway, when we try recipes out of a cookbook, we try to rate it in the cookbook so we know for next time whether to bother with it or not. And as I was thinking about that this evening, I thought - you know, my family is pretty particular about their likes and dislikes and it would be way easier for me if all the stuff WE like were in ONE book. That thought took me back to Jenn and the cookbook for posterity idea. SO - I decided that I would put together one for our family and when each kid moves out, I will give them one so that they can have the recipes for their favorite meals altogether in one place. Maybe I'll include lovey quotes and beautiful S4J photography as well. Who knows? Perhaps there will even be a recipe for Irony Pie in there. Don't go getting all 'crazy' thinking that I am endeavoring on this huge cookbook scheme or anything like that, and NO I am not starting a recipe blog. I had already downloaded the Blurb software for my New Year gift which STILL no one has gotten for me, and I just opened a file for the cookbook. As I care to pass the time with it, I will enter a recipe into it. Then, when it is time - I will have it printed.

Tomorrow I am singing a special at first service. Our first service Worship Leader requested that we get in the last vestiges of Christmas music, so I chose a truly lovely song that I heard for the first time about a month ago called Christmas Lullaby (Lead You Home) by Amy Grant which I have posted for you below. Imagine me as that skinny blond girl (minus the foreign choir, the duet partner, and the live musicians) and you pretty much know what I will sound like and look like in the morning.

Best show EVER.3

Well, y'all......
Tonight was the finale. Did you see it? Oh my word! Even my KIDS were asking how they could get in a choir like that.(Only one of them actually even gives a hoot about singing). It came down to the final two; Patti LaBelle and Nick Lachey. My 15 year old said she votes for Nick Lachey's choir because he is her future husband. LOL. Well, he is a beautiful creation of God. Here I was so sure that team Philly was going to take it home, although ALL of the choirs were just amazing, and *whammo* Team Cincinnati takes home the mega charity prize. Drama, suspense, good music and charity. This week has been a true pleasure.

Best show EVER

Okay, so - got a jumpstart on the van this morning from a very kind man from church, took it straight to the dealer an hour and a half away. Sure enough, bum battery. Also, 3/4 motor mounts broken. Air filter dirty. Hey - change the oil. Blah blah blah. Who cares? Who can possibly care when this very night on NBC at 8/7c is the premier of the BEST SHOW EVER? This week on NBC is a charity competition called CLASH OF THE CHOIRS. Can I just say, "Oh my goodness! I want to do THAT!" I have to say that Patti LaBelle's choir was on the top of my list. They were incredible! And who did they sing about? God. That's right. "He's got the whole world in His hands." http://www.nbc.com/Clash_of_the_Choirs/

What I am singing

Well, you may already know this, but currently my very favorite CD is GLORY REVEALED The Word of God in Worship.






Man alive! This is just plain good. This CD is a must have. It features some of today's best worship leaders/Christian artists and one of my very favorites; Candice Pearson-Shelton. I know what you're thinking, "Scripture in song - cheesy, boring." NO NO NO. This music is so good AND it is all Scripture. You can visit their website and sample the music if you don't believe me. My favorite is the title track. It is an easy walk into meditating on the glory of God when I pick up my twelve-string and go for it! http://www.gloryrevealed.com/music.php

I am just waiting ever so patiently for someone to decide to publish the songbook. BTW - you can visit worshiptogether.com and get sheet music for a few of the songs on the album.

Outreach

Today I went with the PWOC choir and we sang the story of Jesus' birth to the poor souls waiting and waiting for their prescriptions to be filled at the pharmacy. Then we sang the story of Jesus' birth to the 'holiday' shoppers at the PX. After we had lunch came the highlight of our day of outreach; we went to the local retirement home and sang to the people living there and the staff who cares for them. They were so touched just to have us there. We caroled through the hallways and stopped every few rooms. A very sweet lady asked us to come into her room and sing a song to her. So we did. The most beautiful sound of, "Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee o Israel" reverberated through her room and shone in her eyes. Does it get better than that? Oh yes. We caroled into the Alzheimer's hall. This hall has locked doors on either end for the patients' safety. I will not lie, it was a hard place to be. But I was there in the name of the One True God, and it was not my job to take on the weight of the world, but only to love them as He would. So I did. No naughty dogs will steal my joy today.

My cup runneth over

Today was our Christmas cantata - A Celebration of Carols. (Funnily enough, the front of the program said, "Sing for joy") My choir director said to me, "I love to see the joy on your face and in you when you are singing. You are such a blessing." How little she knows about what a gift it is to me to be able to be a part of this most amazing and beautiful choir. I am reminded of the verse from Jeremiah 20:9 which perfectly describes my NEED to sing to the Lord ...."But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Indeed I cannot. Even if I wanted to. I sometimes am so completely overwhelmed by the need to worship the Lord that it feels like if I don't get it out, the power of it will shatter my bones into pieces. And truly when I am worshiping with this amazing group of people, I feel so full, that there really is nowhere else for the joy to fit and it just runs over. Right over the brim of the cup the Lord has given me. I urge you to find the thing that the Lord has given you to do on this earth and do it with all your heart. Truly, when you are doing the thing that God has created you for, you will be able to do it no other way and you'll be so happy about it to boot.