Perfect Escape

Anticipation

2012-01-24T13:03:00.001-06:00

I noticed the days' brevity especially early last autumn, and I've since watched with great anticipation for a sign from the sky that this burden of long nights would some day lift. I had hope in my heart and facts in my head, but the consciousness of faith each day was lost in some unconscious notion that the length of a day is dependent on the abilities of men.

Men abolish peace and pollute atmospheres and crush each other with economic burden. Men create churches in their own images and their roads to restriction are paved with personal preference.

I'm thankful God sets the times and the seasons.

Yesterday, (finally!) the sun set after 5PM and it was glorious! I watched the beautiful show God displayed in the sky, and the sunset declared His glory.

Beautiful Worship

2012-01-19T20:56:00.003-06:00

You Alone - John Martin Keith

2012-01-18T19:20:00.001-06:00

I made a lyric video for my husband's latest worship song. Enjoy!

Drive Fast and Eat Cheese

2011-12-03T20:32:00.001-06:00

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." ~ Helen Keller

I have an adventurous spirit. I was an exchange student in high school and spent my senior year ten thousand miles from home. I've hiked, I've rappelled, I've snorkeled. I've jumped out of an airplane at 14,500 feet. Why 14,500 feet? Because the rest of the group jumped at 12,000 feet. I've slept under the open sky in the Australian outback and awoken by a wallaby licking my toes. I've been chased through the New Mexico desert by a rattle snake. While spelunking in Illinois, my face shared the crevasse in a rock with a massive spider. I've been rescued from a drunken crowd by security while onstage playing music on an American college campus, and I've recorded with a former Beatles producer. I've been sprayed in the face with Windex by a Maori in New Zealand, and I've accidentally started a small fire on a plane in Japan. (They're very forgiving.)

My adventures haven't always been about seeking the thrill. And, I'm not always smart. I signed a marriage certificate as a teen because I thought it was the perfect ending to a fairy tale. And it was. The ending.

In the workplace I've had normal jobs, and I've had jobs that got the response "I've never seen a girl doing _____!" Those have been my favorite. Girl bass player, girl pizza guy, etc. It invites adventure. I'm not after danger. I've always been street smart for a white girl from the burbs; my Dad made sure of that. He taught me the dangers that lurk and how to watch out for them. Good thing, because I've never been tough. I've got tattoos and piercings, but that doesn't mean I'm tough - it means I shouldn't allow myself to get bored.

Which brings us to the present... today I looked up "adventure" using the dictionary app on my iPhone. Granted, I'm on day 8 of bronchitis, so I'm not quite myself. But, let's face it - no matter how sweet the sweet parts of motherhood are, it still did to me exactly what I was afraid it would. It made me boring. The overwhelming desire to protect not only this innocent little being I was given, but also her only mother, has my hands planted firmly at ten and two o'clock. The big adventure in my life is laundry. I enjoyed the miracle of pregnancy. I accepted the challenge of infant care with no prior baby knowledge and came out victorious. I navigated the minefield of toddler dangers, and stuck to my guns through the "2's". Now, we have a routine. Stability. Exactly what I've been trying to build. Yet, all I want to do is drive fast and eat cheese.

So, this is my new challenge. I'm older, wiser, more mature, and have good reason to wear a helmet at this point in life, but I'm definitely seeking my next adventure. Stay tuned to see where all this leads...

My Favorite Season

2011-10-24T16:37:00.004-05:00

I love autumn. Especially the time between first frost (which means the end of allergies for me) and Thanksgiving (which usually means the first freeze here in Middle Tennessee). We were blessed with a weekend full of perfect fall family fun.

We spent Saturday enjoying the blue sky and wide open space of a local park that was surprisingly empty. Then, we stopped by a fall festival in the evening where our friends were playing music. The best part was when a hot air balloon made an unplanned landing on the church's land:

Sunday we visited a church here in Franklin. They invited us to their fall festival that evening which was held on a farm belonging to one of the church members. Rachel had a lot of firsts there. First hayride, first horse-feeding, first roping lesson, and the first time she put rabbit ears on her Daddy for a photo.

On the ride home we missed our turn and had to turn around by a shallow lake on Carter's Creek Pike near Coleman Road (info for Franklin folks) and spotted a bald eagle. I've never seen one in Franklin before. We were thrilled! It is far away, and I only had my iPhone camera to rely on, but here is the picture:

Wedding Song - Because I Do

2011-10-15T09:56:00.002-05:00

I think this song would make the perfect wedding song:

I may be partial since it was written and recorded by my husband. Oh yeah, and I played bass on this recording. Buy it at CD Baby.

Fathers Be Good To Your Daughters

2011-09-14T14:41:00.001-05:00

Saturday was the anniversary of our first date. We celebrate it every year because our first date was remarkable. Marty was such a gentleman, and not because he was pretending to be one, but because he is intentional, present, and attentive. He is a treasure.

We usually celebrate our First Date Anniversary with a date, just the two of us, at the same small Italian restaurant where we went seven years ago. Every year at that special place our hearts beat out of sentiment.

This year was a little different, but special all the same. Marty got dressed up and left early in the afternoon as he usually does when he's going to take me out. I got dressed up, too, but this year I had a co-princess. My four-year-old and I danced in the living room while awaiting our prince.

She got to go with us because it's so important to Marty and I both that she sees how a man is supposed to treat a woman. She has such a great example in her Daddy that I sometimes pity the boys who will one day try to win her heart.

This is all parents can do: pray for daughters, give them an intentional, authentic example, treat them well, and occasionally let them come along on a date.

Edenbrooke Commercial

2011-08-23T20:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, not really a commercial. It was my first attempt at using iMovie. I hope you like this plug for my husband's business:

New 35mm Photos From My "Remember Film?" Project

2011-08-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

Black and White Film:

Color shots:

A couple shots from the studio:

My Church Closed

2011-07-31T21:43:00.001-05:00

Today was the final gathering of Bent Creek Community Church in Nolensville, Tennessee.

For the past year we've had around twenty people who claimed to go to Bent Creek, but other than the pastor and his wife and us, rarely did more than ten show up any given Sunday.

Our pastor tried every thing he could to build his church.

My husband was committed as "worship pastor" and didn't miss more than two Sundays per year in the past three years. He was faithful to see this work through.

I'm elated to be free, and also feel a void already because I've prayed for the families that go/went to Bent Creek everyday. Each by name. I never remove a name from the lists in my prayer journal, but as a new chapter opens in our life, the old gets skimmed.

I prayed in 2008 that God would give Marty the work He was created for. That we could build long-term ministry, long-term relationships and long-term discipleship. Nowadays in ministry, I guess three years is long-term. Not to me.

I loved playing bass guitar on the worship team for the past year. Also, I enjoyed practicing the songs during the week at home with my husband. Our daughter sings along and sometimes "plays" her guitar, too. I don't want that to stop, so I do pray God continues to allow us to lift musical praise to Him. Even if it's just at home.

I'm going to let our next church experience unfold very slowly. We have lost the income, and that will make things tight while we re-adjust, but we have so many irons in the fire with our music business, and now antiques, that we do not feel any pressure to find a job in ministry. That is so freeing!

My husband spoke very little on our 25 minute drive home. He did mention that for the first time since he came to church with me when we were dating seven years ago that we don't have a church. We feel a bit orphaned in that regard.

We are going to spend the next few weeks visiting all the churches around us that we've always wondered about. We're going to visit all of our friends' churches, and see what some of our friends in ministry are up to. I'm looking forward.

So, good-bye Bent Creek. It is a mix of loss and relief. For us all.

"Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert."
Isaiah 43:18-19

Antique Archaeology Nashville Opens Doors

2011-07-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

We arrived at the grand opening of Mike Wolfe's new Nashville location of Antique Archaeology to find the line of people waiting was a block long. We drove by several hours later to try again, and the line was just as long in 95 degree heat, full sun. No thanks. We'll try again another day.

Here is a video of the moment hundreds of people were waiting for. If none of this makes sense to you, check out American Pickers on the History Channel. It's a good time!

How to Create a Ringtone in iTunes 10

2011-06-27T20:17:00.000-05:00

I'm no techie, so since I spent way too long figuring this out this afternoon I thought it best to pass on this information...

Select song in iTunes.
Listen to song and figure out the minutes:seconds where you want the ringtone to begin and end.
Right click the song on iTunes playlist. (To "right click" on a MacBook is hold the ctrl button and click. Yes, I had to look that up, too.)
Select "Get Info".
Check the Start Time box and enter start time.
Check the End Time box and enter end time.
Click OK
Right click song again.
Select "Create ACC Version"
Right click on newly created version of song.
Select "Show in Finder". (It should automatically highlight the correct song when the Finder opens.)
Change the last letter of the file name from 'a' to 'r'. No quotation marks, obviously. Just r
Keep the Finder box open. You can slide it to the side a bit to make it easy to go back to in a couple steps.
Go back to the new version of the song on the iTunes playlist and select it.
Hit the delete button. Select "Remove", then "Keep File".
Go back to the Finder box and select the .m4r version and drag it into iTunes (import).
Go to Ringtones on the iTunes Library menu and it should be there.

I have the iPhone 4. So, the next step for me is to sync the phone with the computer. First, make sure "sync ringtones" is selected in the device information on iTunes. Then, the ringtone will be among the options when editing a contact.

Disclaimer:
I am only trying to pass on the information as it worked for me. I am not a computer professional, nor am I presenting this information as professional advice. If you follow these steps and somehow ruin something I am in no way responsible, liable or willing to give further instructions.

Heckman Family Reunion

2011-06-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

We had an unofficial family reunion yesterday as most of my Dad's family gathered to surprise him with a 60th Birthday Party. He knew something was up during the months of planning and secrecy, but since the only date we could get everyone together was a few weeks after his birthday, I think he was surprised, especially by how many people came.

I'm also experimenting with black and white film (remember film?), so here are a few snap shots of the family:

Left to right: Rachel Keith, Marty Keith, Keely Keith, Ian Myers, Ashley Myers, Kevin Heckman, Sara Heckman (holding baby Colten), Bryan Heckman, Van Heckman, Pam Heckman, Cherine Heckman, Rick Gomez, Rod Heckman, Darla Gomez, Cody Evans, Michelle Heckman (holding baby Jax), Brendan Heckman, Talitha Oettinger, Michael Oettinger (holding baby Lucy).

My parents: Pam & Rod Heckman


My Dad and his siblings: Kevin, Cherine, Rod

Me and my siblings: Keely, Brendan, Darla, Talitha

Thanks to everyone who came - from near and far - to help celebrate my Dad. He really enjoyed it!

Little Drummer Girl

2011-06-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

I think we have a band...

Pictures from the Road

2011-06-12T17:15:00.001-05:00

We fit guitars, sound system, merch, suitcases, bedding for three people, three people, and over 20 Thomas the Train toy engines in Marty's Jeep. We broke the trip with an over-night stay in Columbia, Missouri, then were welcomed to St. Joseph by the Klundt Family. Rachel fit right in.

She also found her place on stage. I had her hide in the choir loft while her Daddy and I led worship at Rosendale C.C. She would much prefer to hold onto my leg while I play bass. Hiding in the choir loft is progress, believe me.

Sunday afternoon we were off to Mission Lake Christian Camp. We had the luxurious "Cabin 4" this year. If I had to estimate the number of dead lady bugs that had to be cleaned out before we could unpack I would guess over 10,000. Not kidding. But, here it is once we were all moved in.

We have a lot of dear friends in the Christian Churches in northwest Missouri and eastern Kansas. Marty has been involved with these great people for about 15 years, I think. I've only been on the scene since 2005. Here is one of Marty's best friends, and one of the most fun people I've ever met: Kyle

That's Marty and the evening worship team. I played bass during the morning worship services and during Marty's concert. It was 97 degrees during the concert. The chapel is not air conditioned. I've never drank so much Gatorade in my life.

This week of camp was Senior High students. Since Marty and I had a family of our own we no longer serve as "family group leaders". This enables us to rehearse and play music and to attend to our child. Unfortunately, this also means we no longer really know the kids. The kids we used to know are grown (it happens SO fast) and many are now staff. So, our camp experience was a good one, but mostly about worshiping God through music and enjoying the fellowship of the staff.

We also enjoyed the skunk under our cabin. I don't have a picture of the skunk, but if you want a glimpse of the experience get an old car tire, light it on fire, throw some hair into the fire and take a deep breath.

There was also something dead within the chapel wall one day. Yet, none of this compared to the aroma of the girls' cabin. I don't get it. Maybe they should make Axe for girls. The boys pour on three liters of it.

Here are some more pictures, most of which only make sense if you were there:

We love you Mission Lake.
Lord willing, we will see ya next year!

And we're off...

2011-05-28T15:23:00.001-05:00

If you know Marty and I personally, you know the first couple of years we were married we spent about 100 days per year "on the road".

Then, came baby.

Now, the baby is a kid.

Next week, we are going together on our first tour in a long time. It's a short tour - ten days. Marty will lead worship at a couple of churches and at our favorite camp, Mission Lake Christian Camp. I believe there is a concert of his original music in there somewhere. I will be playing bass guitar for him for the first time on the road. I'm seriously excited!

I'm excited just to be excited!

Marty is excited. Rachel is excited. We made a "Countdown To Camp" calendar and she asks to see pictures of MLCC every night before bed. She's been there twice - the first trip was at 6 weeks old - but, she doesn't remember it.

So, here we go! Back on the road in Scooter the green Jeep, which will be packed to the gills once again with music equipment. And, no diapers this time! Woo hoo!

Fun Fun Fun

2011-05-15T18:23:00.001-05:00

We are having a delightful, busy, exciting, exhausting, God-glorifying time in the Keith family. Lots of business-busyness, one happy, growing kiddo, and a Zumba-lovin' mama. Ministry in the usual places and some unexpected opportunities, too. We also have hours of well-guarded, sweet, restful downtime to keep it all in healthy balance. And two iPhone cameras to capture some of this life...

Marty is back in the studio. He is over-joyed to be working on a new album.

We celebrated our 6th Anniversary and Mother's Day in one weekend. I'm honored to be Marty's wife and Rachel's mother. Wow! God has been so good to me.

Play dates and ball pits.

Edenbrooke Music (our business) held guitar recitals yesterday. See blog post on Edenbrooke Music's blog for pictures and details. We had two recitals in one day. Rachel and I were both so exhausted this morning that we missed church. But we had fun helping...

Oh, and Rachel got her driver's license...

(kidding, of course)

Chattanooga Vacation

2011-05-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

I sometimes wonder if there is such a thing as Birthday Bad Luck. Something tragic, costly or devastating has struck on most of my adult birthdays. I'm otherwise happy-go-lucky in life... but, if I'm ever going to be hit by lightning, rest assured, it will probably occur on my birthday. I could write a very interesting book recounting only birthdays, and I may if this keeps up.

My husband knew of many of my unique birthday stories before we were married, and he has gone out of his way every year to give me a fun-filled birthday. He took me to NASA one year, organized a fancy dinner party one year, and took me to the symphony a couple years ago. Still, his love could not stop the Nashville flood on my birthday last year, and even today was one of three years that we've had a car repair in the $500 range on my birthday.

I've thought about changing the date, but that won't work. I went into hiding last year - well, I was stranded by flood waters. This year I thought leaving town would help, or at least spare my neighbors if this was to be my lightning strike.

Off we went to Chattanooga for the weekend. Thanks to Thomas the Train my 3-year-old loves trains.

She and my husband both got to experience their first train ride.

We stayed at the historic Sheraton Read House downtown, and took the free electric shuttles around town.

Then, forgot about the time change, missed the last shuttle, and had to walk a mile or so from Northshore back to downtown. (Rachel has her fingers in her ears because the traffic on the bridge was so loud.)

Our reward was waiting. A horse and carriage ride. We all loved that. It was so relaxing.

The next day we spent the morning admiring some of God's amazing designs at the Tennessee Aquarium.

There is also an excellent butterfly garden on the top of the Ocean Journey building. I didn't really get any good pictures because there were so many butterflies zooming past. The butterflies were very active and playful.

Speaking of funny curly fries...

We had a wonderful time in Chattanooga. It's a cool town for a weekend away.

No matter if the Birthday Bad Luck was waiting for me when we got home today, we'll call that fodder for my next novel Oh No, It's Her Birthday!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-26T20:26:00.000-05:00

My baby is no longer a baby. I'm startled by that thought at some point every day. She is almost 4. It didn't just happen - I know. Still, I live in a state of amazement.

The kid phase is so much fun! Each holiday is met with a new fascination. This year she understood for the first time that Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We explained that His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of the believer, and that this renewal is represented in Spring.

Spring. Flowers. Bunnies. Birds. Eggs.

Her first Easter Egg Hunt. She is still 3 and was put in the gated-off area for "3's & Under". My daughter is especially tall for her age. She is as tall as most 6-year-olds. Here she is, the only child tall enough to see and reach the egg hidden in the tree:

She was so sweet and polite to the other children. My husband and I often get teary-eyed when we watch her interact with other children. Here she sees an eggs she really wants, but waits for the little boy to move away:

...she gets her egg...

...and she's off...

...with great speed!
It's all going so fast.

"So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12

Ah, true love

2011-04-11T20:19:00.001-05:00

Marty's Amazing Belt Buckle Collection

2011-04-06T21:44:00.001-05:00

My life is currently a full, beautiful blast of energy and motion. Still, I must pause to showcase one of the seemingly random collections in my home. May I present... Some of my husband's belt buckles:

This is a unique handmade belt he commissioned last year. It's a replica of the belt worn by the character Bo Duke on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. Marty actually met John Schneider once and asked him about "the" belt. The buckle currently on the belt is from an antiques store. "The" buckle will be made soon, I'm sure.

Now for some of the buckles:

Pictures from Cafe VIBE

2011-02-08T13:39:00.005-06:00

Friday night I played bass guitar for my husband, John Martin Keith, during his set at the Cafe VIBE show. Here are some pictures taken by friends:

It was so much fun performing with Marty. His friend Joby Luca played drums. We only rehearsed one time as a band - the morning of the show - and I was blown away by how talented and professional Joby was.

This angle makes all those instruments look like a train wreck, but we had four acts, one stage and five minutes between sets. Shew! Still, we had a great crowd and everything went well.

My sweet baby did not feel well that night. I hid her backstage (with a friend) during our set, then I took her home immediately afterward. This kid already knows how to sound check. She's my Backstage Baby.

I was at home tucking my child in bed long before the show ended and the group shot was taken. The line-up included: Michael Ricks, Salient, John Martin Keith and Sacred June. I just put links to all the artists' pages on our business blog, Edenbrooke Music, if your interested. Thanks to Troy and Sheila Yoder for taking pictures and video. (Go to Video page at top of blog to watch videos from the show.)

Expectant

2011-02-03T19:53:00.000-06:00

Tonight's mini.
Acrylic on watercolor paper.
2 1/2" x 3 1/2".

My First Miniature

2011-01-15T20:48:00.001-06:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I love painting. I love all things miniature. Voila! I finally put it together. A full painting leisurely completed in less than 45 minutes. That's my kind of party!

Guitar Recitals

2010-12-11T21:35:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday evening our business, Edenbrooke Music, held its first guitar recital at the Brentwood YMCA. Sixteen guitar students performed a Christmas song of their choice. The recital opened with special guest Haeley Vaughn of American Idol singing "Do You Hear What I Hear", accompanied by Edenbrooke Music's brilliant guitar teacher Marty Keith (aka Husband). We consider the evening a huge success, and had over 100 in attendance!

Tonight was our second recital and featured Marty's YMCA guitar students. Ten students performed a Christmas song of their choice. About 65 people were there. The recital opened with Amber & Sarah of Everlife preforming "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas":

I was busy passing out programs, collecting slips for the prize drawings and trying to explain to my three-year-old why she could not clog on the tile floor while the students were nervously playing their guitars. So, my pictures are all from a weird angle, over the pool table. Most of the crowd of proud parents and grandparents are in rows of chairs not visible from where I was, but I could hear the shutters clicking and the roaring applause after each performance and it oozed parental pride.

Tonight's recital closed with Sacred June performing "The Night That Love Was Born", a beautiful original Christmas song. It was Annalise's cello debut, and for the life of me I couldn't get a picture without a child running past:

Here are my proudest moments:

...when my sweet, patient husband sits with the littlest students and plays along with them, quietly singing the words to help them along. He is a good teacher.

Veterans' Day Parade

2010-11-11T13:32:00.002-06:00

We appreciate our Veterans!

The Best Job in the World

2010-11-09T15:12:00.004-06:00

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17

I believe Motherhood is the best job in the world. It never gets old watching a child's face as they learn and touch and experience the goodness of God's creation. Sure, the days are long, but the months are short. Parenting is such a short season.

My Record: Two Years, Six Days

2010-11-02T13:56:00.006-05:00

Today is a special day for me. I have now lived in my present home longer than I've lived anywhere in my life. My record: two years, six days. Not just a record in my adult life - this is the longest I've lived in one home in my entire life.

I wrote a blog once listing the many places I lived as a child, but for the past 17 years, I've been mostly in the Nashville area.

Anyway, my current home feels like home. As much as any earthly home could for me. I know my citizenship is in Heaven. There awaits my inheritance. My hope. Then, I will truly be home.

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:20

What Is Halloween?

2010-10-31T20:30:00.005-05:00

I had to explain Halloween to my very impressionable, intelligent preschooler for the first time.

It's a simple question, but my child doesn't want to know only answers, she wants to know what I think about the answers. I knew this question would come, and I needed to sort out what my answer would be.

I won't recount my religious and cultural resume, but as a Christian (a real one who truly believes in Jesus Christ for salvation, not a Christian-because-I'm-American type) this holiday is no Holy Day. For Christians, Halloween is a potential landmine of controversy.

I researched and read. I surveyed friends, colleagues and fellow Believers. I came to my own conclusions.

So, last week, we watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown together and when she asked, "What is Halloween?" I confidently answered, "Halloween is an American holiday when little kids dress up in silly costumes, and we give each other candy. Sometimes bigger kids dress up in scary costumes, or even play tricks on others, so we have to be careful on Halloween night. But, mostly, it's about the candy."

We taught her "trick-or-treating" at our town's daytime pumpkin festival. She was a ballerina princess. Of course, she was.

14 Monkeys Saved

2010-10-27T17:56:00.002-05:00

My 3 year old daughter was in the bathtub this evening playing with a Barrel of Monkeys. I kept hearing, "Father, Son, Holy Spirit." Splash! "Father, Son, Holy Spirit." Splash! "Father, Son, Holy Spirit." Splash!

"Honey, what are you doing?" I asked curiously as each monkey was ceremonially dunked.

"I'm bath-tizing my monkeys, Mom."

Mamas Pick the Mood

2010-10-16T13:43:00.004-05:00

My 3 yr. old was a little difficult yesterday. She often watches me while she does something she knows she's not supposed to and waits for my reaction. This is not new. The new part is: when I told her not to do it she added a very whiny, "But Mahhhhhh-ahm!" That is "but Mom" in the loudest, whiniest kid voice you can imagine.

So yesterday, after hours of nothing but annoyance, correction, annoyance, correction I left the room, and prayed that God would give me strength. I instantly thought: do something funny. So, I walked back in like drum major in a parade and sang a silly song. She laughed until she got hiccups and we went on to have a wonderful and fun evening.

God reminded me that when my child is stuck in a bad place it is I who must make a change. I can either freak out and yell at her and we can have turmoil, or we can find a way to enjoy each other. I'm the Mama, I pick the mood.

Mamas pick the mood. Great reminder, Lord, thank You! I wonder how many other Mamas forget that. Surely, I'm not the only one :)

"The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands."
Proverbs 14:1

1973 Volkswagen Beetle

2010-09-26T18:17:00.006-05:00

A person, once very close to me, often said, "You can learn something from every person you meet. Every person has some grain of knowledge you will never otherwise learn. Find out what they know and learn it."

That was the only grain of wisdom that I learned from that person. That and about cars. I love cars. I love pre-computerized cars. I love working on them. I love the purr of a properly timed engine. I don't have mechanical opportunities in my life right now, as old cars and young kids don't mix for busy mommies. And, I may never fix up an old car again, but I have fond memories.

The first car that was actually mine was a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. I loved that car. She broke down a lot. Sometimes I knew what was wrong, and sometimes I had to push her. She flooded a lot when parked and I'd have to push her out of the space, let her roll a bit and pop the clutch. Brilliant! I miss that car... and I learned something.

Genealogy Page Now Just a Post

2010-09-24T19:26:00.004-05:00

I'm making a couple of changes to this blog. Here is the information that I had on a page titled "Genealogy":

Family History Lesson Series - Seven lesson series, great class supplement.

God bless the Mormons for Family Search. Especially the new Record Search pilot that allows you to sometimes view the actual document the information is from.

Land patents document the transfer of land ownership from the federal government to individuals. Click here if you need to do a Land Patent Search.

Good for leads, but "public" information often contains errors: Ancestry.com

The U.S. Gen Web Project has a link to each state's Gen Web Project.

Midwest Genealogy Research Blog.

Thirsty

2010-09-07T14:05:00.004-05:00

Always buy the cashier a bottle of water.

Rehearse almost daily. Playing bass guitar on the worship team. Wait! It's a "team" now?! Yep, we have a drummer and second singer, too. Praise God! Extra hour early on Sunday mornings. Happy to praise God. Happy.

Dance, dance, dance. There is no wrong way to dance. "This is a Salsa with a bounce, left foot turn, pop, pop. Got it?! GO!" Sixty second break between songs. Haven't died yet. To die is gain. I'm gaining muscle. About a pound a week of it, yet my clothes are getting looser. Who knew?!

Writing nothing. Not not writing - but writing amounts to nothing.

Started preschool "homeschool" lessons. It's awesome. I like schedules until they become routine, then I must break them. But in the beginning...

Beautiful weather. Pollen. Sneezing. I'm a mess, but Husband reminds me I'm "his mess".

Lots of new friends and neighbors. Like that. A lot.

Also loving long socks above boots for fall.

Art. Beauty. Music. This house is filled with music. Busy - in a good way - not stressed, but living a full life.

Still, no matter how much joy and enjoyment, someone is thirsty. Everyone is thirsty. This is a dry and weary land. It rains plenty and yet there is a drought here in the Bible Belt. More than music, art, dance, writing, more than family and joy, there can be no contentment without the Gospel.

Always buy the cashier a bottle of water.

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me." - Jesus

Matthew 25:34-36

Is This a Luna Moth ???

2010-08-30T18:23:00.003-05:00

I saw this big guy clinging to the bricks on the Borders building in Cool Springs. I've never seen a moth like him before. Does anybody know what he is, and if he's migratory? I think he is a Luna Moth, but I'm not sure.

Superhero Parenting

2010-08-18T11:39:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon in the car my three year old was displeased with the overcast sky and asked, "Mommy, would you turn that light on, please?"

I looked at the dashboard searching for the light she referred to and responded, "What light, Sweetie?"

Pointing up through the back window she said, "The one up dare."

"The sun?!" I asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, that one!"

I chuckled at the abilities my child endows me with and said, "I cannot control the sun, but thank you for thinking I'm that powerful."

She is at such a sweet age. She has so much faith in her Daddy and I that she doesn't even question the supernatural power she believes we possess. We'll be sure to use those powers for good.

No, I can't control the sun or the sky or the boy who was mean to her on the playground. But, I can control myself and never yell at her or belittle her or shun her. Yes, I will use my powers for good and not evil.

Zumba

2010-08-15T17:31:00.008-05:00

Zumba. Wow! I'm loving it! I went from a few minutes a day of really, really low-impact exercise - so forced, always dreaded, often fudged - to three one-hour dance classes per week. Hard core, too, as the instructor is a hip-hop dancer. Every step is a bounce, every turn has a pop, every bend slithers into low drop that makes me question my salvation. (Not really.)

I purchased my first pair of dance shoes this weekend. It was out of necessity because one day last week the dance floor was newly polished and "way too slick" for everyone else. Since I was moving like never before, I realized my sneakers not only slow me down, but are setting me up for knee surgery.

The feel of my body moving feeds this new love of dance. I love the muscle that is already awakening beneath my skin. I daydream about strength and vitality and muscle ...no matter how much it aches.

As a teen I prized the athletic look instead of the waifs that were newly in vogue at the time. But now, the demonic scheme of beauty-requires-emaciation is so embedded, that I was shocked at how beautiful I found the bulging muscles of the other dancers' legs. It's probably atypical for a thirty-something suburbanite NOT to think of thinness constantly, but for me the train has left Starvation Station. Motherhood made me realize I need food for energy and I need activity for life. The challenge was finding an activity I could really get into.

Well, Zumba my new love, activity you are!

Yesterday's Gig

2010-08-08T19:48:00.023-05:00

This is my new friend (and next door neighbor) Haeley:
She was a contestant on American Idol this year and has just moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music. She is a brilliant country singer. Ah-mazing! She's 17, talented and focused. If anyone is going to make it, it's going to be Haeley Vaughn.

Haeley needed more songs. Country songs. Where could she find a co-writer?

This is my husband Marty or John Martin Keith for some of you:

He has never been on American Idol, but if you look deep enough on YouTube you can find some of his performances on early morning talk shows years ago. He moved to Nashville a decade ago to pursue a career in Christian music. His music career has made him a living, so he's "living the dream", but it may not be what he expected. For example, he fits into county music easily as a gifted songwriter.

So, while Marty is co-writing with Haeley, he is still playing music solo, and also with the usual suspects. Such as husband and wife duo Sacred June:

Now, I'm not going to be too biased and say they are the coolest cats ever just because they are my daughter's godparents and all, but just take a look at Jacob wearing a fedora and playing the upright bass. Honestly, could I fit anymore "Nashville" into one photo frame?!

So, that was the gig yesterday. John Martin Keith, Sacred June (Annalise & Jacob Wiley), and a surprise appearance by Haeley Vaughn. All in the comfort of Two Elle at the Hill Center in Green Hills. I took pictures and video, while my 3-year-old daughter played pool. Awesome.

I love this town!

Who She Is

2010-08-04T13:34:00.008-05:00

Last night I was writing a reference for my friend, Annalise. The questionnaire asked the usual questions, but it made me think of the unusual things I’ve experienced living life with this dear friend.

She’s applying to go to Haiti to help sick kids and work on construction projects. Have I seen her do things in life that show she has these skills? Let’s see: she sat up with my sick baby one night while my husband and I were violently ill. I can’t imagine what a hospital in a developing country smells like, but it can’t be much worse than my house did that night.

I thought of more examples of the selfless acts I’ve witnessed in Annalise than there was room to write them on the questionnaire. Not that she’s only selfless – I’m not here to blow smoke – she has the same struggles we all do. But, when it matters, when an opportunity to “prove it” appears, Annalise is one of the rare people in my life that consistently strives for Christ-likeness.

She stuck around when my baby had colic for eight weeks and none of my other friends could stand to come near my house for the incessant screaming. A couple of years ago she took my family in for a month when we were between ministry jobs. She was in the hospital with me when I had my baby and had to change the first diaper – that diaper – and I had no idea what to do.

But, what matters to me more than all the times she’s been there for me is that she let’s me be there for her, too. One lovely part of being in the Body of Christ is the overwhelming kindness Brothers and Sisters show each other in times of trouble, but I’ve found most of these kind people have a very hard time accepting that same support in return, not to mention showing their own need.

Willingness to accept that which you offer - that determines for me whether someone is a person I have in my life, or a friend I will pursue for life. I pray I know Annalise for the rest of my life – not for what she gives, but for who she is.

For the Young Mother

2010-07-07T16:26:00.008-05:00

Nearly three years ago while I was learning the joys and challenges of new motherhood, I became depleted spiritually. God sent an amazing and fresh stream through my life. My husband was paid to run sound for a bible study that was meeting on Sunday nights at our (former) church. He brought home a CD of the speaker and said you have to hear this guy! My hazy mommy-brain required that I listen to the message twice. It wasn't just me, this preacher was deep! I was used to fluffy seeker-sensitive messages. He made me use my brain and it fed my spirit. I wrapped my baby up the next Sunday night and off we went. I sat in the church office so that I could listen but her coos wouldn't draw attention. I hate to draw attention. Fortunately for me, there was no hiding here because these people were born to love!

I was so wrapped in the unintentional, self-inflicted isolation that accompanies new motherhood that I tried to go unnoticed, but within a month I was certain I wanted to be a part of what was going on. The bible study included a few dozen people - mostly over age 50 - who were considering becoming a church. With no family nearby, I was happy that my daughter's baby-babble found her surrounded by about 12 new surrogate grandmothers. More than that, as a new and non-confident mother I was overwhelmed by the love and support these ladies graced upon me. The leading lady being Jani Ortlund. She's just written an article For the Young Mother that all mommies should read.

Though my husband's work required our family go in another direction, I will always cherish the few months I was blessed to be a part of what is now Immanuel Church.

John Martin Keith

2010-06-16T14:06:00.005-05:00

I adore my husband. He adores me.
He adores the Lord. I do, too.

Worship is beyond singing and playing musical instruments in praise to God. It is how we do everything in our lives. I adore my worshipful husband. I am happy to follow a man who follows the Lord.

I once thought the Bible was so degrading to women and Christians were just controlling each other. Then, God in His irresistible grace redeemed me and gave me His Spirit. Now, in the Bible I see every answer to every question in life, and I can honestly say What godly woman wouldn't happily submit to a godly man?

"The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands."
Proverbs 14:1

Uncovering The Music (Radio Show)

2010-05-29T20:39:00.004-05:00

Sorry for not explaining in the last post what we were recording and who the other players were.

My husband, John Martin Keith, is the host of a new radio show called Uncovering The Music. Each week a singer/band performs "live". Since my husband is also a singer, he had his co-host/producer take the reins this week and he performed. He wanted a fuller sound, so he enlisted me on bass, Jacob Wiley on guitar, Annalise Joy Brock-Hulsey-Wiley on mandolin & fiddle and Jared Ribble on drums.

New news

2010-05-29T09:43:00.004-05:00

I had a blast in the recording studio this week. I just started playing bass guitar a few weeks ago after a six-year break, so I had to rehearse every spare minute I had for the past week. It was extra fun to record "live" for the show. Jamming with friends is way better than playing to a click.

Pack a Lunch and Pick a Town

2010-05-15T14:26:00.006-05:00

I love Tennessee. I love America for that matter. There is a special joy in knowing on a Saturday morning I can pack lunch and drive in any direction out of town and find a little town rich with history, antique shops and people old enough to have lived there through at least one world war.

Today, we picked Columbia, Tennessee. Our day of exploring this old Tennessee town ended with a visit to an unexpected place. The home of James K. Polk. If you read this blog much, you may think I'm obsessed. Seriously, we went for antique stores and visiting the Polk House was just a pleasant surprise.

A year ago I found out he and I descended from the same line, and today I walked through his house and touched the furniture he took with him to the White House. Pack a lunch and go some where!

Nashville Flood

2010-05-03T20:03:00.007-05:00

Saturday my husband, daughter and I were caught in flooded streets. We had no idea this could or would happen where we live. God made a way of escape for us and we took it.

Sunday I spent my birthday watching the live coverage on television as the continuous downpour flooded the Middle Tennessee areas I've lived in and loved for 17 years. I was safely in my home on a hill, snuggled in a "fort" in the living room with my fun family.

Here is the Opryland Hotel filled with flood water. I was just having lunch there amongst these linen covered tables two weeks ago.

This is my hometown, Franklin. As this person drives, they pass our favorite park:

Do Trees Make the Wind Blow, part 2

2010-04-25T15:59:00.004-05:00

Last year I titled a blog post "Do Trees Make the Wind Blow?". The post is not about wind. I remembered that line from The Apple Dumpling Gang or some show like that and used it because I thought it was funny. It's an interesting fact that I have more hits on my blog from people searching "do trees make wind" on Google. People from all over the world apparently think trees make wind and have to go to the internet to sort out this belief.

Hopefully, in their search for the cause of the wind they will land here, think that I am just quirky enough to be interesting and keep reading. I pray they see that my life is filled with hope because God loved me enough to send His Son to take the punishment for my sin and now I live by faith in Jesus Christ. He didn't just die for my sin, but for the sin of the whole world.

So, Hello Russia, Malaysia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and all! No, trees do not make the wind blow, but "the God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

James K. Polk - 11th U.S. President

2010-04-17T11:48:00.011-05:00

I love researching my genealogy. In just two years, with the magic of the internet, the patience of kind "Local Look-up Volunteers", and many late nights I've unearthed nearly 400 of my ancestors. (Not literally "unearthed"... e-gad!)

There are so many amazing stories and brave people in my family's history, and in many lines it spans the entire history of the New World. I've debunked many family rumors in my research like: "Our third great grandmother was a Cherokee Indian" and "Look how dark our great grandfather was in this picture. He had to be Hispanic". I've dug further into the past than the rumors and am now pulling information about my blood relatives from history books. I'm amazed that this 21st Century girl from Missouri has roots as American as... well, my 7th great grandfather had his "fine brick home" burnt by Benedict Arnold.

My paternal grandmother was a Weathermon and always added that the Weathermon's were British. (The word British said with an accent of superiority.) Sorry, Nana, but the Weathermon's came to America over two centuries ago from Germany where they were the Vettermon's.

Nana did have some other fascinating ancestors that, had she known, would have given her more to sit on the front porch and brag about than she ever imagined. Her 3rd great grandmother, for instance was a doctor.

A female doctor born 1768? That got me curious, too. I'm still digging up her story, but I have gotten off on a cousin trail (which I rarely do). While my 5th great grandmother, Margaret Polk, was becoming a doctor, her cousin was being born who would become the President of the United States.

I won't recount his history. That's what you have Wikipedia for. I'll just say that he was the only American president to fulfill every one of his campaign promises. I won't expand on that concept either.

Here's to history!

Christ eau de Parfume

2010-04-12T21:09:00.004-05:00

My favorite part of today was definitely lunch. We met up with friends from out-of-town whom we do not get to see very often, but we are filled with Christmas Eve-like glee when we do.

My husband knew this couple for years before we were married and, everything he told me about them is true. They really do live up to the hype. They truly emanate such passion for Christ that I can't take my eyes away. Not just that, they are passionate about each other and their work and the arts and good food and remembering the forgotten.

They are two of the very few people in life that when I am around them I get this sense that... that everything is okay.

I wish I could bottle their passion. Every morning I'd spritz one spray of it and enjoy it all day.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14

Psalm 23 (like you've never heard it before!)

2010-04-08T19:07:00.003-05:00

My Baby reciting the 23rd Psalm at 2 years old.

Back to BASSics

2010-04-05T20:21:00.013-05:00

Thank you, Husband for my new bass guitar!

See, I set aside playing bass in 2004 while in school to be a massage therapist. Both occupations were hand-intensive and I felt it was time to set aside 11 years of playing bass to focus on something new.

The following year, as I was putting the earthly contents of my life in storage in preparation to go on tour with my Husband, I decided to sell all of my bass gear. I'd out-grown the tone I'd once spent years seeking. (Bye-bye, Hartke. I'll remember you fondly, Gallien-Krueger.) Husband so sweetly said that when I felt like playing again, he would buy me whatever I wanted. I added that any new gear would need a warmer, deeper, fuller sound that matched my new life.

Fast-forward to 2010: Here I am with hands weakened and damaged from a few short years as a licensed massage therapist. My license is officially retired with the State Board ...and I want a bass. I told Husband that I may not be able to play for more than a few minutes at a time, but I want it here when I am able to play.

He was delighted get to know me as a bass player! It was the biggest part of the who-I-am equation from my mid-teen's to late 20's and yet it is the part of me that Husband hasn't seen much of.

We saved-up and did our research. I aimed my sights at Fender - thinking P-bass with all its warmth and depth - but was wooed by a Hot Rod Red Jaguar Bass. Saturday, I brought her home... I mean it. It's an object, I know, but it's beautiful and lovely and everything a bass guitar should be! I get giddy thinking of all the knobs and switches, but even if I went blind, I'd still melt in its deliciously warm tone.

I'm happy to report I've been running scales for about 20 minutes straight for three days and no hand pain. (If you know me, you know what a miracle that is!) I just want to play because I love to play. If I play with a group it will be only to worship my God and glorify Him. He created music. He rather enjoys it. I do, too!

Psalm 150

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

Cut/Paste

2010-03-31T20:10:00.002-05:00

This paragraph didn't belong in something I was writing, but I didn't want to throw it away, so I'm pasting it here:

"At the park today I scanned all the moms in a mommy-toddler group and said to my husband, 'When I look at them, I don’t feel like a real mom.' I wear hoodies and Chucks and play bass and have tattoos that have been with me nearly half my life. On the same note, I’m not a tube-topped, chain-smoking, no-rules-in-this-house type either - ick, no! I belong in my ‘burb by values, but not by its HGTV-loving, scrap-booking cuteness. Let’s put it this way: if I met Martha Stewart she wouldn’t call for security, but I believe she’d certainly tip me in hopes it would make me go away."

IRS New Employee Orientation Memo

2010-03-25T14:21:00.003-05:00

While swamped in IRS forms and publications, I heard that new legislation would have the IRS hiring about 16, 000 new employees. Just looking at the ridiculous jargon in the IRS forms I was preparing made me wonder what these new recruits may face the first day of work. My imagination got carried away, but here are a couple of possibilities:

IRS New Employee Orientation Memo
Pub. 109873 (rev. March 2010)

Information for your first day on the job:

Section One: Locating Your Assigned Parking Space
Generally, an assigned parking space is provided for each full-time IRS employee. In order to locate your parking space, please file Form 23087B.
Instruction for Form 23087B:
Line 1: Enter your Social Security Number (SSN).
Line 2: Add the digits of your social security number together and enter the sum here.
Line 3: Enter your year of birth.
Line 4: Enter which is greater of Line 2 or Line 3. If the answer is zero, skip Lines 4 through 6a.
Line 4: Enter your AGI from the previous tax year’s Form 1040.
Line 5: Multiple Line 5 by 92.35% (.9235).
Line 6a: Add Line 5 and Line 1. Enter this amount in Line 6a.
Line 6b: Look at the number designated “Assigned Parking Space Number” on the back of your employee ID tag and enter that number in Line 6b. Generally, this is your assigned parking space.

Section Two: Arriving Early to Work
Generally, it is our understanding that many accounting professionals are eager to succeed in their new position with the Internal Revenue Service. This eagerness can sometimes motivate certain persons to arrive a few minutes early for work. Generally, if you believe you will, during the current tax year, arrive early for work you are required to file Form 37083EST. This Form requires an estimate of the amount of days you think you may arrive early for work each quarter. Generally, within 15 days after each quarter you must pay tax on that amount on or before the due date to avoid penalties. The penalty for filing late is 50% of the estimated fine, which the IRS will assess for you notwithstanding credits you would generally receive. Generally, if you do not file on or before the due date, you will be fined a penalty of 100% of the estimated fine plus interest, which can be backdated to your exact moment of birth, compounded daily.

Welcome to the Internal Revenue Service.

The Sum

2010-03-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

The human experience seems incomplete if neither tragedy nor trauma is included. That is life in a fallen world.

I do know a few fortunate souls who have not (yet) experienced a true tragedy or trauma. They are also some of the people I know who gripe the most and constantly seek opportunity to convince others that they are very much wounded.

I’m never surprised when an unsaved person is stressed, depressed and oppressed, but aren’t Believers supposed to live in the joy of their salvation?

I thought by adulthood we all had scars and it is therefore unnecessary to show them at all, let alone to every person at every opportunity.

Assuming we all have some type of baggage, isn’t it a choice as to what we want to carry into life each day?

Some people move so joyfully and lightly in life it’s a surprise to find out what they’ve been through. I love being around people who are always filled with the joy of the Lord – not loopy with happiness, but they truly believe God is in control and they are grateful to be breathing.

I’ve always hoped that if someone did want to see what all is in my “baggage” they would have to go to the cross where I left it at Jesus’ feet.

If we as human beings are more than the sum of our parts, then we as Believers must be more than the sum of our experiences.

Conflict Resolution

2010-03-20T15:16:00.013-05:00

I’m not often engaged in conflict with others. It’s just not my style. I will fight for someone else, but personal conflict I find …icky. There is usually a peaceful solution. If recess taught me anything, peace usually involves the wise person simply walking away. I long for wisdom.

A couple of mornings ago, after a night of being awakened several times by my child, I was achingly sleep-deprived. As I sat sipping my coffee at breakfast I looked out the window to see a neighbor’s dog walking her toward my patio. I live in an apartment community so the grass is not “my yard”, but there are clear rules and frequent reminders from the management that dog owners must restrict dog-bowel-movements to certain areas. Neither my patio nor the grass around are those areas.

I’ve endured the grossness of picking up feces for over a year, but on this particular morning the sleep-deprivation removed my normal ability to ignore being… dumped on. I was at my patio door as one of the woman’s three dogs (two is the supposed limit) was heading for my porch. Without missing a beat I flung the door open and surprised her with a brisk, “Do you mind?”

I would appreciate that. Thanks a lot. Have a good day. See you later.

Boundary set! Willingness to enforce displayed! Hooray for me!

…Or was that rude? Maybe I should have let it go again, or left an anonymous note for the property manager.

It started to feel out of character for me, but when I closed the door (much gentler than I had opened it) I turned to see my husband’s face beaming with pride! His eyes were wide with amazement. He smiled and held up his glass of orange juice as if to say, "Cheers!"

The dog was an apt metaphor for another area of my life where I'm learning to finally say, "do you mind". Not often, but quite impressionable, there are times when an unstable person will cross my path and discover I make a great place to dump. I'm not referring to friends going through actual life difficulties or sincere persons needing a friend. I'm referring to people who belong on a real therapist's couch, aided by medication, paying by the hour to sort out mental problems. Three instances in particular have lead to months of conflict in my life because I truly think I'm helping, when really they have no intention of leaving their self-perpetuated darkness.

When I finally say, "no more" it is not like the neighbor, apologetic because she is obviously caught in her bad behavior. It ends badly because when people use a person as a dumping ground over time they feel ownership in their dump.

I have a family now. I have a husband who has first claim to my affections and a daughter who deserves for her mother to be focused on her family. I have a peaceful, loving home and I'm willing to set boundaries. I've heard that good fences make good neighbors. My life's fence now has a sign that reads: This dump is closed!

More Paintings

2010-03-11T08:47:00.018-06:00

Here are more digital pictures of some of my paintings. This painting was inspired by a photo I took just after sunset from the backyard of a house I was renting in Australia. A flock of wild cockatiel had just flown past. I was overwhelmed by the isolation, yet I enjoyed it. It is a beautiful country filled with nature that attests to God's imagination.

Next we have a painting of ferns and gray sky. I painted this when my husband and I were dating. He was playing guitar while I painted. No words, just music. I tried to paint what I heard and these little copper dragonflies emerged, some in bubbles.

The flowers that faithfully fill the Tennessee landscape each spring always present a striking blend of brilliant colors to me. I love the way the pink blossoms of the Redbud trees pop among the juniper trees. This painting was more of a doodle. One of those fifteen minute pieces.

This sunset painting has a sadness to it. I let the sky flow into space. I was thinking of the darkness of Easter Saturday. One day with Christ in the grave. I can't fathom the weight of that day. I don't need to, because with Sunday came the pivotal point on which all of time and eternity stands.

Paintings In Baby's Room

2010-03-03T19:31:00.017-06:00

I love to paint. I took six years of art and still would never claim to have advanced beyond the level: childish. I still love to paint. I love the feel of the paint-soaked brush layering the canvas, or board, or shoebox lid or whatever I'm paining on. Painting is one of my three artistic loves that I always return to in life and feel at home. Myself.

I thought of this tonight as I was getting my daughter ready for bed and I quickly snapped a few (low resolution) pictures of the paintings of mine that are hanging in her room right now. None of these pictures has the color or detail of the painting, but you get the idea of my childish paintings and my joy of painting childishly.

I painted the top picture after Husband surprised me with a visit to a butterfly garden in Florida. It was so amazing to walk through the garden with hundreds of different kinds of butterflies flying all around. This painting is the first I painted after I gave birth to my daughter. It is a portrait of one of her toys.

The beach painting was painted when I was in massage school. I assumed I would graduate and go work at a fabulous destination spa somewhere tropical. I used a color mix in the sky of this painting that I normally don't use. I like it. Can't really see it on this picture though.

I painted lilies for Baby when she was about six months old. Husband and I dance with her to Mindy Smith's "It's Amazing" every night before bed. She is our Tiger Lilly. (These are actually Asiatic Lilies, I know.)

No comment on the lumpy lighthouse. I was listening to an old Counting Crows album when I painted it, drinking something red.

Dad's Heart

2010-02-12T21:26:00.004-06:00

My Dad was rushed to the E.R. today for chest pain. It's a short trip through a hall and down the elevator seeing as he works in the O.R.

He and my Mom are currently living 403.46 miles away, according to MapQuest. I couldn't be there.

I sent out texts and made phone calls, enlisting many of my praying Brethren and Sister-en to lift my father up in prayer before The Father.

Not to divulge another person's medical history here, but it's no secret that Dad has had heart problems for years. The first E.R. visit I remember was about 20 years ago. About 11 years ago he had a 5xBypass. That's a "quadruple bypass, plus one".

An awesome thing happened today, possibly blindsiding for those not intimate with the power of God. The doctors found two areas of blockage in his heart. A stint was placed in one area. Then, the other had regrown new vessels around the blockage! The doctor told my Mom that Dad's "heart problem is reversing."

I had prayed the Lord would touch his heart and I asked many people to pray that God would heal his heart. My Dad and Mom were praying for healing, too. Did any of us expect it? I expected the doctors would use their skill to fix the current problem. I hoped for a quick recovery. I asked it all from the Lord according to his will, knowing that often includes suffering. I honestly did not expect a miracle. An actual the-doctor-says-its-a-miracle miracle.

In this circumstance it pleased the Father to make a middle-aged man's heart young again. To God be the glory for all the things He has done!

It Is The Little Things

2010-01-30T16:29:00.002-06:00

I jazzed-up Husband's business blog and since I usually avoid technical things, I'm quite proud of myself. It was actually really easy and required no brilliance whatsoever. It is the little things - such small accomplishments - as Lizzie would say.

Employee Benefits

2010-01-25T14:17:00.002-06:00

At some point each day I need to feel busy with work that feels relevant.
At some point each day I need to feel that my work is done.

An Australian Graduation

2010-01-10T15:46:00.004-06:00

It was a hot, late November day when I graduated high school. The large multipurpose hall on campus was not air-conditioned. In 1994, state schools in Queensland still enjoyed the tropical ocean breeze in the open rooms.

I envisioned my high school graduation the same as most American students, but instead of cap and gown, this ceremony found me wearing a school uniform like the other eighty or so seniors. After a year in their company, my speech resembled theirs, as did my tanned skin and make-up-free face. I felt like I was one of them and on this day I looked every bit the part.

Though most foreign exchange students do not expect their schooling abroad to count toward their education, I found my studies in Australian public school to be far more intensive than their American counterpart. Upon class registration, I was advised that if I wanted to be listed as a senior, I was expected to do the work. I accepted the challenge and considered it an accomplishment to graduate six months earlier than I would have at home.

At graduation I felt nervous as I approached the familiar stage to accept my diploma. I was a musician, an actor and a (cringe) model while overseas, so I was surprised by the sudden stage fright. I stepped forward when my name was called. My friends cheered. I smiled. I looked out at the crowd and felt a flash of sadness that my parents were not a part of the moment. It was ten o’clock at night, the day before for them.

I graduated and stepped off a stage to which I’d grown too comfortable. That evening was the senior prom. My picture would be in the paper twice the next day. I would clip it out and put it with all the other clippings to show my parents when I went home. But first, there would be a few more weeks of summer before I would return to the gray sky of January in Nashville.

Oh, Oswald!

2009-12-15T13:45:00.004-06:00

I just read this in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

"The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance."

Bulls eye!

I've gotta read that again...

Yep, it hits the target of my own experience with the same precision each time I read it!

This Year I Am Thankful...

2009-11-25T13:19:00.006-06:00

...that I have in-laws to celebrate Thanksgiving with because that means I have my amazing husband. Having him is worth the occasional trip to Kentucky ;-)

...for my freedom and all those who have fought for it and those who are continually fighting for it.

...that my 2 1/2 year old still takes naps.

...for friends who truly know me and love me.

...that I am wealthy enough to own a copy of the Scriptures, educated enough to read it and free enough to say that I believe it.

...that God has used my husband's musical and teaching talents to create a job for him in a year that many jobs disappeared.

...for finding an honest dentist. Seriously!

...for my God and King and the fact that He will one day return.

...for my husband, his love, his honesty, his friendship, his leadership, his music, his grace, his love for our child and for the peace that fills our home!

"In everything gives thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
I Thessalonians 5:18

Forgiveness

2009-11-21T20:05:00.009-06:00

I know a person, whom I will call X. X doesn't read this blog, so if you are reading don't wonder if you are X. You are not. You don't even know X.

I have known X for a very long time. I love X and hold X close to my heart. I know that X loves me too. I know X very, very well, but X doesn't really know me. X thinks X knows me, but I often hear X's opinion of me and it is not accurate according to myself or anyone I ask. X evens tells stories involving me and X always has me doing or saying or thinking something I did not do or say or think.

Although it may appear X pursues me as a friend, I have tested my theory that X doesn't want an actual, healthy friendship with me. I have, in fact, confirmed many times over the course of our relationship that X only wants a dumping ground. When X approaches me I'm beginning to hear the sound a dump truck makes as it backs up to the dump... beeep - beeep - beeep!

I've tried every tactic I can imagine to avoid being used as a dump. But, to know X is to wear wade boots. For some reason in the moment I always think I can wade in and pull X out of the swamp. I know X built the swamp and X isn't leaving. I know.

So I pray for X. X prays for me, too. That's fine.

Next thing I know X is, yet again, giving a particularly inaccurate portrayal of me. I brush it off and later, when the moment has passed, I think of X's character flaws and how sadistically satisfying it would be to say in one grand speech, "It is not I who am despicable, but you!"

I renounce my sinful nature at once. It is I who am despicable. I, too, am covered in the blood of Christ. If I were so perfect I could approach God without it. I cannot.

I read the following in a book once and copied it down. I still have the page I originally wrote it on and have worn that page out over the past few years. I wish I could give credit to the author, but I simply don't remember the book. (If you know where it is from, please let me know, so I can give the author credit.)

Fill in the blank on your own...

Forgiveness
"I forgive __________ for ___________ . I admit that what was done was wrong. I do not expect _________ to make up for what he/she has done. I will not define __________ by what he/she has done. Instead, I will define him/her as someone who needs just as much grace in life as I do. I will not manipulate _________ with what he/she has done. I will not allow what has happened to stop my personal growth."

"He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends."
~Proverbs 17:9

Dust

2009-11-15T13:45:00.007-06:00

I am filled with love for my Lord.

I've typed and deleted a paragraph twice now. Seems I can't articulate the one thing that has never changed since the day I poured my heart out to my Maker and said, "Here's my life. You can have it if you want it."

He wanted it.

I've not taken my eyes off Him since.

Still in awe.

It seems I can chatter about nonsense, complain about inconveniences, muse about irony and boast about my sweet family, but my words will never do when I want to express my love for the Lord.

Maybe that's because I can't get over His love for me.

"For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust."
~ Psalm 103:14

So Far I've Learned That...

2009-11-10T11:39:00.005-06:00

...if you want everything simple to become difficult, have a baby.

...if you want everything normal to become dangerous, have a toddler.

...if you want everything ordinary to become fascinating, have a preschooler.

Life After Birth

2009-11-06T20:02:00.006-06:00

Immediately after my baby was born, I died. At least, that’s what it felt like. Not in heart, for my perfect, healthy, beautiful baby brought the gift of inexpressible awe and joy into my soul. My body, however, told my brain that I was a goner. I couldn’t move how I used to move. I couldn’t think straight. My eyes would read a sentence over and over and I’d still have no idea what it said.

Several weeks after giving birth, my body was healing, but my cognitive skills, some motor skills, and my basic sense of consciousness remained as foggy as those first few drugged moments of motherhood.

One night my offspring, the little reward I’d done nothing to deserve, lay sleeping sweetly in her bouncy seat while we were on tour with my husband. He was playing a show while she and I were cozy and quiet, far from the crowds… and the lights …and the fun. I cried as I wrote in my journal about my life being over. Permanently gone. The tear-stained pages bore witness to what doctors call postpartum depression, but I call the Birth of a Mother.

It is a painful reality that sets in when a carefree woman grows into a selfless person who lives to serve another. I was learning to patiently give and give of my existence to a person of equal weight in soul, but incapable of expressing appreciation. Proof my life had changed forever – a thing only beautiful upon hindsight.

Of course I had the normal postpartum depression all women get: the week or two where every hormone leaving the body is filtered by the emotions. The septic stew of chemical messengers was mistranslated so badly in my body it provided my husband with the ghastly spectacle of a one-woman three-ring circus.

But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m referring to the realization that the work God had for me to do – the elusive “God’s Plan” that every Christian young person desperately seeks – was the type of work that left me in no way resembling myself.

And then one day…

I’m not sure when the fog lifted, or if that is even the kind of thing that has a precise origin. But, one day I was painting. My baby was napping and my house was clean and my husband was at work and I was painting. Granted it was a portrait of the green stuffed elephant my daughter loved to chew on, but I could feel the color return to my vision. When the painting was finished, I called a friend. Then wrote. And later I learned that if I had people over at Baby's bedtime I could have conversations with grown-ups. Then, I painted again.

"My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
~ Psalm 73:26

I Understand

2009-11-02T13:42:00.007-06:00

I understand her.
People listen to her, but don't understand. They look at me and say, "I don't know how you understand her."
I just do.

I understood her before anyone else realized she was putting forth expression.
I used to interpret for people out of amazement that I could.
She is becoming aware of privacy and her need for it.
I need it too.

Now she speaks with not only that sweet, inflectional voice, but also with her eyes. Her pauses. Her posture. Her tiny hand reaching for mine.

I understand, so I interpret less - only if I know she wants the other person to understand. She's reached a place where she cares who knows what.
And that I definitely understand!

Do Trees Make The Wind Blow?

2009-10-31T15:22:00.005-05:00

The trees in this area are currently ablaze in all their deciduous glory. I can't help but to stare up at the reds and oranges, maroons and crisp yellows set dynamically against the clear blue sky.

Something else has caught my attention and, unfortunately, I must depart the wonder of this pumpkin-scented autumn to question the mountains of mulch.

Every tree in my pristine suburbia is laced at the ground with a fluffy bed of cypress mulch. The dark brown circles each tree in a shadowy circumference like the dot of an exclamation point. It's not just the delicate, non-native trees that are blanketed in the smelly shreds of former forest flesh. It is also the mighty oaks, hickories and maples indigenous to the naturally beautiful terrain. Nature now pushed behind the boundaries of this plastic paradise.

How did this happen? Has this practice been D.I.Y.ed into normalcy?

Cypress mulch is stinky, using it depletes natural cypress forests turning them into wastelands and it is usually covered in non-native fungi that spot the leaves of the very trees it supposedly protects. Then, mulch-lovers have to re-pile again next season.

I'm not an activist, nor do I have a personal vendetta against mulch. It's just that when I was a kid trees simply grew out of the ground. I just wondered if they still can.

In Honor of Tomorrow's In-Store Appearance...

2009-10-29T15:19:00.008-05:00

About 5 years ago I was delivering pizza to a house that either part of or the whole house was a recording studio and music industry offices. I had two hot bags full of pizzas in my hands and a couple of two-liters in a grocery bag hanging on my arm. Their were several people in the entryway trying to figure out who signs the credit card?, where is our assistant?, where do we put this food?, etc.

Being who I am, I often make suggestions when I can tell people don't know what to do. So as the weight of the order pulled my tiny (at the time) frame down I handed the bag of two-liters to the man standing nearest me and said, "Why don't you take that... and I'll set the pizza on this table for you guys?" As the baseball-cap-clad man reached his muscle-defined arm out to take the bag of drinks, I noticed a familiar tattoo on his arm. I felt the instant flush as every red blood cell in my body rushed to my face. I realized I had just told Keith Urban what to do. Though he looked a little perplexed, he did exactly what I asked and held the bag of drinks as a man came to sign for the order. It is probably rare for him to go unrecognized, even for a moment.

After I set out the steaming pizzas, I thanked my helper who seemed to be waiting for an oh-my-gosh-you're-Keith-Urban. I did not oblige. I've delivered pizzas many times to music stars in this area, so I don't know why this encounter took me by surprise, but it did!

10 Ways To Live In The Moment - Part 2

2009-10-24T08:13:00.009-05:00

10 Ways To Live In The Moment
1. Reality Check. God gives us guidelines for how to think. Its located in the Bible in Philippians 4:8 and no matter what version I check, it always begins with "whatever things are true". So many of my bad days, hours, moments are caused by dwelling on things that are simply not true.

2. Play. Whether its with a child or like a child, playing lightens any moment.

3. Surprise. I love to place a surprise for someone where they will find it and just wait. This works for spouses, children, pets, coworkers, anyone.

4. Remember. Not a distant reminisce, just thinking of people in my life who truly love me right now.

5. Dance. I'm a dancer. A graceful, beautiful dancer, only my body doesn't know it. That's fine. Getting off my rear and moving it brings life to any moment for me.

6. Listen. I try to pick out three noises inside, then three noises outside. Try it.

7. Get Out! My day, my mood, my problems dwarf when I step outside. Granted I live on top of a hill and can cast my view in any direction to distant rolling hills, beautiful no matter the season. What was I worried about???

8. Acknowledge. Once in a while I have the presence of mind to realize I've been in the same room with someone and haven't even acknowledged them. Time to affirm someone.

9. Escape. That may seem like the opposite of living in the moment, but sometimes I have to completely escape to live through a moment. I was once on an airplane and the door opened slightly while at cruising altitude. I thought of everything I could except what was going on in the moment until we landed!

10. Read Scripture. I know its ancient and that may not seem to be a way to live in the moment, but it is filled with hope. Not the good wishes kind of hope like 'I hope it doesn't rain today', but hope for a future with the Creator who made me. It tells me He knows me and planned my existence. It tells me He rescued me and I have nothing to fear. It tells me He conquered death and tells me about the amazing future I have waiting for me when this life is over. That is hope!

10 Ways To Live In The Moment - Part 1

2009-10-23T10:02:00.010-05:00

I'm naturally an optimist. I can quickly find silver linings, easily pick up the pieces and I usually do stop and smell the roses. But, sometimes I'll have one of 'those' days and to snap out of it I'll ask myself, "What can I do to live in the moment?"

So, I'm making a list of "10 Ways To Live In The Moment". But, before I do that, here are some easier-to-make pessimistic lists:

"10 Ways To Live In The Past"
(I'm not interested in such a list, but I'm sure each line would begin with either "Why did I..." or "Why didn't I...".)

"10 Ways To Live In The Future"
think about: bills
death
layoffs
congressional decisions
wrinkles
car repairs
contagious diseases
my child's education
energy prices
unforeseen medical expenses

And the always delightful list:
"10 Ways I Could Suddenly Die Today"
car accident
tornado
heart attack
house fire
armed intruder
freak blow-dryer accident
choke on food
choke on a Chap Stick lid that I should not be holding between my teeth while applying Chap Stick
choke while swallowing a large pill
and, of course, airplane debris falling on me from 35,000 feet above

So, how to live in the moment? Check back for Part 2!

Rebuilding the Ancient Ruins

2009-10-22T10:16:00.007-05:00

Many nights while I give my tiny daughter her bath my husband sits near and plays softly on the guitar. Skillful and excellent the wordless tunes drift sweetly into my soul. My day melts into an evening of peace. He chooses each chord before it is played and I think of his love and how carefully he led our courtship.

I could easily get lost in the melodies, but I keep an ever-watchful eye on my precious treasure as she plays with her tub toys. Knowing the weight of the responsibility before me doesn't keep my spirit from floating adrift along a beautiful coast. I watch as the ancient ruins along the shore are being rebuilt. It is the work of the Lord in my life. His craftsman is my husband and the mortar is the soft, sweet music I've heard these five years. If you know him, its not what you've heard from his stage. Its better. It rebuilds ancient ruins.

"Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations."
Isaiah 61:4

Redemption

2009-10-21T11:40:00.005-05:00

Imagine a cute little squirrel with big, round eyes and a fluffy tail. She's a girl squirrel, so give her pretty eyelashes, too. Now watch the squirrel hop into a barrel of acorns. She eats and eats until the proverbial barrel is empty. There she sits sad and remorseful at the bottom of her empty barrel. What does she do, but look up from the darkness to the light of the bright, blue sky.

Yep, I'm the squirrel and my redemption story is a classic tale. God allowed me in my gluttonous zeal to consume every last ounce of self-fulfillment until the barrel of my life was empty. Then, in His kindness, God did not give me anymore ME. Instead He gave me mercy. He called me and I looked up to the Light.

I surrendered and He redeemed me!

Are you depleted yet?

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Moving Wasn't Normal Then

2009-10-20T13:23:00.009-05:00

I love to make lists. I find lists fun to make and comforting when completed. I was thinking today of all the moving my family did while I was growing up. Sometimes we lived in a town for a year and a half, sometimes six weeks. Realizing that I attended 12 different schools before college, not including two years of homeschooling, I thought making a list of my moving adventures would be a challenge.

Let's see...
Born in St. Joseph, Missouri then...
Tucson, Arizona...
Cypress, California...
Tucson, Arizona...
Maryville, Missouri (a farmhouse near there anyway)...
Phoenix, Arizona...
Tucson, Arizona... (two houses)
Topeka, Kansas... (two houses)
Maryville, Missouri...
St. Joseph, Missouri...
Port Neches, Texas...
Clovis, New Mexico...
Lafayette, Louisiana... (two houses)
Paducah, Kentucky...
Houma, Louisiana...
Hendersonville, Tennessee...

Then, I chose to spend a year as an exchange student to Australia. After two more long-term stays in Australia, I've made 12 moves as an adult, but in the same general area, so that's not as fun to list.

The best part of moving as a kid was by far setting up my new room. The best part about moving as an adult is by far setting up my new place. I love where I'm at now and prefer to never move again. Maybe I'll just rearrange the furniture when the newness wears off!

I Am Not Sure Why I Have A Blog

2009-10-19T21:14:00.007-05:00

I've clicked on the links to so many of my friends' blogs over the years and checked out a picture of their baby or wedding or band or mission trip, but read little else and forgot the link.

I've tried facebook and hated it for enough reasons to warrant a separate article.

I love to write when I believe no one will read it. I always keep journals. (A journal is a bound book of paper made from a tree. I'll explain what a letter is at another time.)

So, I'm not sure why I have a blog. That's what I typed in when it ask for my title. Now, I'll go journal about how I wasted an hour setting up a blog. Good Night.