She's Not Broken Anymore

*Quick note* I switched computers and I haven't been able to access my blog from the "new" one. Google is on the case and will hopefully be helping me with that soon, but in the meantime, I am at my old laptop which has the info stored for automatic use....






You remember my beauty...some of you have met her in person...(I apologize for lack of a better picture; see above quick note)

She has finally been given the name Caliope. It means "Beautiful voice." My goodness does she have a beautiful voice.
Sadly, a few years ago I began to notice that her voice was changing. There began to be a metal-like string vibration noise coming from her E and B strings and other things were happening too. As you can see, Caliope is very special. What you cannot see in this picture is that Caliope is a 12-string guitar. There is an incredible amount of pressure on her at all times and she began to show signs of stress.

I took her to the local guitar repair shop, which at that time was in Rosepine. They shipped it to their best guy in Lake Charles. He called me with the news that he was unwilling to even attempt repairs to this guitar because of the danger to the finish. And so it went. Several attempts rendered the same response, "Put her on display." Then one day entered.....

I heard about him through my friend Jenster. Jenster has heard Caliope and she felt my plight! He said he was willing to have a look at her. The trouble was, He is all the way in Pennsylvania and I am not. This was also during the time when we were doing construction in the Barndominium and it was no good place to be storing a sensitive guitar. I asked, "Can you look at her and tell me if you can repair her without destroying her?" This gracious man agreed to house Caliope with him for as long as it took to repair her (if he decided he could) and then for as long as it took for me to have a healthy environment for her to return to.
 The calendar would show this to be nearly an entire year.  By the time UPS dropped her at his door, she had MAJOR cracks and her bridge was separating from her body. When he had given her time to show all of her colors,(cracks) and completed all repairs AND there was a suitable environment for her to come home to, he carefully packaged her back up and sent her home. I have included some of the work and pictures of some of the damage from his page. If you click on the first picture, it should take you to the album where he explains all the work he did.

This guitar means a great deal to me and this man lovingly, patiently and carefully restored her to playable condition. She WILL eventually have to be retired, but he assures me that I have several good years left to play her before that day comes. 

I very highly recommend Thompson's Guitar for your most complicated or not as complicated repairs.

Blessings on your day, 

116 Degrees And An Epic Update

Hi y'all! It's been a long time hasn't it? I know you mostly know the bits from being friends on facebook, but I thought I would dust off the old virtual stationery and sit down and give an update.
The weather here in North Texas (as in everywhere else in the nation) has been hot! Yesterday the thermometer on the back porch read 116 degrees! It's all that people can talk about (including me.)
It has been about a year since the kids and I moved from Fort Polk while hubby was finishing up his final months of a 20 year career in the Air Force. When he retired, we had been married for 15 years. Added all together, the deployments and separations due to his job equaled 4 solid years. 4 years of our 15 year marriage spent apart. This past year has been such a blessing of having him home and the sure knowledge that we won't be facing those kinds of separations anymore. I would never undo those years and I am thankful to be in a new phase.
During the past year we saw many changes. We have already moved 3 times. Our second Daughter joined the Air Force and was medically disqualified and sent home after several months of making a go of it. She moved in (next door) with Grandma and Grandpa and is working several jobs to save up to get her own place and waiting for school to start this month so she can work on getting a degree in physical education. 18 is proving to be a lovely and difficult age for us to watch her be. I say, "watch" because that is all we can do now. She's a precious girl, finding her way and making some choices that make us wince and duck and get on our knees in prayer. I remember those years in my own life and thank God every.single.day that He pulled me through and out of those onto a solid foundation of believing and trusting in Him.

Our oldest daughter will be leaving her teen years behind next week. You want to talk about pulling through. Her son is 2 1/2 and she is a good, good Mommy. Again ~ a child making choices that sent us to our knees. Of course, we would love for her to be married and we are very fond of her boyfriend. Even so, we are ever thankful and proud that they are working together in love to raise their son and making him a priority.

The twins. Oh my the twins. They are starting their sophomore year in High School. And their second year in North Texas. They will be 16 in November and will be learning to drive soon. TWO of them. Learning to drive. Aaaaannnnnddddd back to my knees I go. :) Boy twin stands 6'3" and girl twin 5'4". No, they are not identical. Yes, people still ask me that.

Along with our daughter, Hubby will be attending college in the fall to earn a degree in welding. He has been wanting to do this for many years, and thanks to the GI Bill, he will begin working that dream into reality in just a few weeks.

We are coming upon a challenging life situation, which, of course, is nothing new. We have been living in the rental house next door over to our property for the past year and we received a letter stating that we are required to sign another year rental agreement or move out. We will be moving out.

We are making some bold choices about what to do next that will certainly take dedication, patience and prayer. (Is there a theme here?) The ideas that we had about what life would be like on the outside aren't the reality that we are living. Although I do have 3 jobs, they are not providing the income that we thought I would be able to achieve once I could work outside the home full-time and although Hubby's retirement pay is enough to live on if one has no debt and is not trying to build a new home, it is not enough to live on if you do have debt and are trying to build a new home.

So, we are now entering the beginning phases of plan "D". We are outfitting the barn with some living space and looking into bringing a travel trailer to our property to supplement that living space and we are moving onto our own land. Finally. Plan D allows for us to be investing back into our own future, rather than the neighbor's future and will allow us to easily live within our means. The plan is to work our debt elimination plan to completion and then build our house. Now don't get all wound up about, "Living in a barn?? Living in a trailer?? With four people and two dogs???" I did say it was going to be challenging. We have agreed that we will do it as long as we can possibly stand it and we are trying to make it as comfortable and doable as possible while staying within the budget we have for this endeavor and when the day comes that we can no longer deal, we will make other arrangements.

I celebrated my 39th birthday. I tell you what folks, I have really enjoyed my 30's. I will live this last year of them with joy and look forward to my 40's being even better!

I have had amazing blessings in this last year that I have been able to travel for photography and worship and although these trips have not been money-makers, how many people get to go to Hawaii for free and spend a week taking pictures of their friends and making new ones? And how many people get to say, "I got to travel to lead women to Throne of God in worship and all needs were taken care of." Well, I suppose a lot of musicians get to say that, but not me. 'Til now.

We have been attending a local church for some time now and I have begun to sing with the Praise Team. This is a church in transition and we are treading carefully on letting our hearts get too deep until we know for sure this is where we are supposed to be, but the people are so dear and the doctrine is sound. We shall see.

Blessings on your day my friends,

Backpacking Through Joshua - Wk 5

Focus: God is holy


P = Putting it out there

• ·Have you ever met someone that you could tell was a Christian by first impression?
  

This has been a tough question for me to answer.

I can't say that there has never been anyone who I could tell by first impression, was a Christian, but I can tell you that I can't think of one. Been trying all week. Let's be honest, if you take away settings that you meet people in, such as church, or at Bible study, or prayer shawl knitting ministry; if you take away outward physical markers such as jewelry, bumper stickers, long skirts, long hair, white collars, etc.; if you take away activities such as handing out tracts, preaching in the town square or huge crusades, what first impression indicators are you left with? A smile? A certain 'light' in the eyes? A soft but sure posture? The fact that they didn't curse in the first 3 sentences they spoke in your presence?

I've met people who I thought were Christians and found out I was wrong. I've met people who I thought weren't Christians and found out I was wrong.

Just don't remember meeting someone without any of the outer physical indicators that I knew was a Christian by first impression. Which brings me to the next part of that question.

• Do you think you are easily recognizable as a Christian? Why or why not?

I suppose, you could easily assume I am a Christian when you see me at church. You could assume from the cross hanging from my neck that I am a Christian. You could assume because you only ever hear Christian music playing in my car that I am a Christian. As far as by first impression, I don't know what people would say about me in this area.

Except for this one lady.

She came through my line at work and after a bit of conversating about I don't even remember what, she said to me, "I can tell you're a Sister." I thought she meant that she could tell that I have a sister! Then she clarified, "I can tell that you are a Sister in the Lord. You just have this way about you." I told her that indeed I was, I thanked her for her kind words and told her that I hoped I would see her again.

Lord, please help me to always have that way about me.

• ·Modern Christianity tends to value ‘blending in’ more than standing out– agree or disagree? Why or why not?

This one is also a toughy for me. I suppose it depends on your surroundings and what you view as "blending in" and "standing out". And how do you measure "blending in" or "standing out" against being set apart, holy, salt and light? I can stand on a box and yell to all who will hear that Jesus loves them. People have been reached this way. I can quietly listen to someone talk about their deceased love-one with earnest interest and care. People have been reached this way too. I say, in answer to this question, God has gifted us all differently, given us different temperaments, different 'hot buttons' and aside from direct directions, like the ten commandments, has set us to reach the lost in different ways. We cannot ever discount or sideline Scripture that doesn't fit into our idea of how things should be, but if we were all flies, there would be no bees to make the honey to catch us.

We can reach the lost. Some will do it by blending in. Some will do it by standing out.

W = Worship
The first two songs are about personal holiness, being set apart for God. The second 2 are songs of worship to a most holy God.

Worship In The Waiting - Music To Wait To; The Playlist

Well, the list seems to keep growing but I wanted to publish it here for your pleasure anyway. I have already experienced a new sense of peace and even fun when waiting to this music. I pray that you will as well!

1. Enough ~ Chris Tomlin
2. Wait ~ Big Daddy Weave
3. In the Waiting ~ FFH
4. So I Will Trust You ~ Sovereign Grace Music
5. Everlasting God ~ Chris Tomlin
6. Psalm 40 ~ Steve Bell
7. Wait ~ Anthony Evans
8. While I Am Waiting ~ John Waller
9. I Waited (Psalm 40) ~ The Maranatha! Singers
10. Waiting Room ~ Shane & Shane
11. The Remedy ~ Ayiesha Woods
12. Waiting Room ~ Jonny Diaz
13. Unwritten (from "The Sing-off") ~ Voices of Lee
14. Wait (Psalm 40) ~ The Message: Psalms
15. Be Still ~ Kari Jobe
16. Fight ~ Ayiesha Woods
17. Dear Friend ~ Charlie Peacock
18. Psalm 40 ~ NewSong
19. So Good To Me ~ Cory Asbury
20. Glory ~ Selah & Nichole Nordeman


*A prize is being delivered to me tomorrow* More on that later...

Blessings on your day,

More Than A Friend

Season Of Love

I was out on the front porch gettin' my worship on and was inundated with love. Love from the Father, yes - but more in my face and in my way - love from the love bugs. Yes, the season of love is upon us.

The More I Seek You

It Is finished

Yesterday marked the end to my tenure as the PWOC Praise and Worship Committee Chairwoman (AKA - Worship Leader) for the 2007-2008 year. It was a fantastic year full of HARD work and fulfilling service. It is a year that I will cherish until my last breath. And now, as I breathe a sigh of relief that God grew and sustained me through the work and is bringing me into a time of rest while requiring me to seek Him again in what are to be my priorities for this upcoming season, I post here my final "This Week's Worship".

Point Of Grace

My good friend (and favorite Tenor) Mel took a walk down Point Of Grace memory lane but she forgot to put up MY two favorites by them! So here they are....
The first one is the first Point Of Grace song I ever heard and the second one I actually had the privilege of singing with Mel and some other really missed and cherished friends a couple of years ago. Tra la la la. *update* There was no video for the second one on YouTube. I guess I will have to make one myself and post it later. FOILED.

Hallelujahs

Waters Gone By

I have said this before but I am not sure you really got it. GLORY REVEALED ROCKS. This album is promises straight from the Word of God. Waters Gone By is one of my favorite favorite favorite tracks. I will lift up my face without shame. I will firmly stand with no fear inside. I will surely forget all my troubles and pain, regarding them only as waters gone by.
Seriously people. Go buy this album! You can download it from iTunes - or you can purchase it from my favorite online Christian retailer - CBD

Psalms And Other Hugs From God

Going through an exceptionally challenging season in my life. It feels like there isn't an aspect of my life that isn't being tested, broken, refined or reconstructed. From my personal walk with the Lord to children to siblings to marriage to health to home to friendships to service I am called to. One of the things that is making me sad is that I don't have my funny right now. I do not feel funny. I am tired. So tired. I want my funny back. In the meantime, I will share these pieces of hope with you. Hope found only in the One True God.

I am meditating on Psalm 1 and it has been a challenge for me to take in what it has to say about a godly life. Specifically I will share with you verses 1-3 and my thoughts on this section. In the NLT translation it says this:

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper."

Of course I group myself in with the godly. I have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, the blessings apply to me. Right? Well, hold on. It says they bear fruit in each season without fail, their leaves never wither, in all they do, they prosper. I thought, "Wait. That's not true...I do not bear fruit EACH season WITHOUT FAIL. I do have withering leaves. I do not prosper in EVERYTHING I do." So I had to go back... What this scripture is saying to me is those who do not follow the advice of the wicked [ever], or stand around with sinners [ever], or join in with scoffers [ever], but they delight in EVERYTHING the Lord wants; DAY AND NIGHT they think about His law - THESE people have the unfailing blessings described in verse 3. That would not, in fact, be me.

Now don't freak about me being too hard on myself and all that. I know there is no one righteous. No not one; that I will never be perfect and that Jesus paid the price for my shortcomings. However, God does not waste words. He wants me to strive for the ideal and He tells me clearly what could be lacking when I am not seeing the fullness of His blessings.

God also is a merciful, personal, loving God. And while I am going through all this muck in life and He is shedding light on my true heart, He is loving me in such personal ways. For example:

Directly across from this Psalm in my iWorship Devotional Bible is Psalm 3:3-6, "But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side." Can you say, "Big fat hug from Daddy"?? Every day when I am re-reading and pondering Psalm 1, I also get this sweet comfort from my Father.

That's not all. No. I received an email from a very dear woman who I have never met in person. She reads my blog. Much of my current muck is not blogged. She told me that God has been prompting her to pray for me for the last two weeks. She knows that something is going on in my life, but she doesn't know what. So she wanted me to know that she is praying for me. Can you say, "Big fat hug from my Daddy"?? That He cares so much about me that He would lay my struggles onto a sister in Christ (who I am guessing knows just how to pray for me even though she doesn't know - you know?)- HEY! Was that funny? A little maybe.

Advice: Don't shy away from the work, if God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it. My son gave me this Scripture - Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." not full verse (that's his little notation :0) *sigh* dreamy.

Our ladies Bible study will not meet the week following Easter so, in worship, we are focusing on the resurrection a little bit early (according to the calendar year). Here is what we will be lifting up tomorrow:

Word Of The Day Wednesday

canorous \kuh-NOR-us; KAN-or-uhs\, adjective:
Richly melodious; pleasant sounding; musical.

This version of I WILL SING OF MY REDEEMER by Selah and Barlowgirl is canorous.

Seasons

Today while the housekeeper was cleaning my house (cause I'm broken, remember?) My friend the postlady brought me a package... but first, a little backstory....

I have several Bibles in several translations that I have picked up during different seasons of my Christian walk....

And for about a year now I have been wanting a praise and worship devotional type Bible.Today it came!
Here's the description....

There is a fresh wind of worship blowing across the Body of Christ - believers everywhere are realizing that amazing encounters with God occur not just on Sunday, but every day! The iWorship Daily Devotional Bible will help you celebrate and experience a fervent passion for God in everything you do. It will build your faith and encourage you to adopt a moment-by-moment lifestyle of worship!

It is a beautiful Bible and I already know that I will cherish it in the years to come. Don't get me wrong, it will never replace my first Bible which was given to me by Cousin Amber - who devotedly prayed for my salvation - when she learned firsthand that her prayers had been answered.

She knew just what I needed when I needed it (as she almost always has for the 20 years that we have been friends). It is a most excellent personal study Bible in the NKJV translation with my name engraved in gold lettering on the front. In it are the first pages that my hands touched in earnest seeking of the God who gave all for my very soul. It contains the pages where I first ever wrote a note in a Bible when the words of Isaiah the prophet jumped off the page and danced around me as an exact and direct answer to a friend in need. It contains a very personal,powerful and overwhelming message that God gave directly to me in purpose and promise at a time when I was just beginning to learn who I was in Christ.

I pray that this new one is a faithful companion and supplement to my evergrowing relationship with Christ.

Frustrated Rant to Worship

Praise team rehearsal was disastrous this morning. I hobbled in late, had to have help getting the music box in, didn't even bother bringing my guitar cause I can't carry it and I can't play it, had no music prepared and couldn't even think straight to answer questions or give direction. I feel ashamed and wonder how we are possibly going to glorify God in this state. Well, you know what? God is still on the throne. My Redeemer still lives. Ever have those times where singing your heart out just isn't enough? Like - you feel like, there must be MORE you can do....? This song is a piece of worship that inspires that in me. While you are watching this video, know that I am singing my heart out and lifting my hands to the One True God because I know that He lives.

McWitness

One thing that you will always hear coming from my vehicle is really, really loud worship music, unless the chillin's are in the car; at those times the volume is kept at an auditory protective level. :) I LOVE to sing my worship to God, and even to grieve and love and wonder through Christian music. I realized today that people are watching. They are looking and listening to me being who God has created me to be. How did I realize this? I travel through a certain McDonald's drive-thru rather often on my way to my various activities. (Thankfully, McDonald's has made the move to provide healthier choices to those on the go). As always, I turned down my music and pleasantly gave my order for some apple dippers and a diet coke. Turned my music back up and joined back in as I curved around to the pay window. As I handed over my card, I smiled and said, "Hello" and joined back in with the worship. And today the girl working the window said, "You're always so happy and you make me smile." I responded, "Praise Jesus! Have a great day." Then I moved on to the get your food window and when the guy saw me, he grinned from ear to ear, "What are you singing today?" I responded, "Worshiping my Jesus." It has not occurred to me before that these people are paying attention to me. What a blessing that I bring a little brightness to their day and hopefully they are seeing not me, but Jesus in me. How did I know I was living a biblical principle?! Matthew 5:14(NIV) "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Although the Great commission calls us to go and make disciples, that doesn't mean we are all going to be Billy Graham. Evangelism starts at home with how you live out your walk.

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.

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.