Happy Anthems

I'm a newbie to Mama's Losin' It, but I love her blog! And I thought I would, like Rebecca, take her prompt challenge. So here goes...

1.) What is your life's anthem? You know...that song that is ALWAYS in your head. The one you'd go to sing first if someone told you to sing a song right NOW. What is it and what does it mean to you?

There are so many songs that run through my head at any given moment. Because my life has so many twists and turns, the songs that are played in my head run like an old jukebox that belts out one song after another of different varieties with that silent pause to change the vinyl. Yes, vinyl.

For example, on any given morning I can wake up singing a worship song God's literally placed in my head. I really have woke myself up singing in my sleep. "Count Your Blessings," "Amazing Grace," "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," and "In The Garden" are some of favorite older hymns. Newer favorites are anything by Casting Crowns, "Heaven" - the Salvador version, or anything we sing regular at church services. Other times I can just have a thought about something, anything, and a matching song will go through my head. Any style too - Motown to Country to Worship to Southern Gospel to old Jazz. So it's always really hard to choose something right NOW to sing.

But as for my whole life's ANTHEM song. There would be two: "Lonely River" by Susan Ashton and "The Love of the Lord Endures" by Joy Williams. Both of these songs are heart-wrenching as well as comforting and motivating at the same time. They have messages that no matter how much life doesn't make sense and I feel alone, God does make sense and He is always with me no matter what. And He will be with me on this journey running the race to the finish!

Lonely River lyrics(Wayne Kirkpatrick, Michael W. Smith)
Lonely river
You meander like a road
Stretching out into the great unknown
With solitary movement
You're compelled and you're enthralled
As though you're answering a distant call
Lonely river
Is there a place you're running to
Or is it something that you're running from
Is it hope that keeps you going
Is it faith that makes you strong
Lonely river, lonely river, running on
Lonely river
In the stillness of the night
Your restless nature keeps you raging on
Changing courses
Shallow waters, tangent streams
Lonely river, do you wonder what it means
Lonely river
I think I am a lot like you
Winding on in hopes to find the sea
And flooded by uncertainties
The current can be strong
But drifting towards our destinies
The arm of God is long
And I believe that through this journey
'Til we're finally home
Lonely river, we will never, run alone

The Love of the Lord Endures...

Now, for this one! 5.) List ten things that make you HAPPY.



1. Jesus. Because He's the answer for everything (right, Erica :-) )

2. Bill. He just knows how to make me laugh and he's such a good man!

3. Driving down an unexplored country road with the windows open and music blaring and sun shining

4. Spending time in my pool! It's almost full and ready to jump into (thanks, Bill!!!)
5. Springtime - seeing God's creation come to life in full color is just awesome. And this year I've been able to pick-up momentum on a favorite activity - photography.

6. Music - anything that fits my mood. A couple that will guarantee a good mood for me: "Perfect Isn't Easy," from Oliver & Company, and "I Love Ya Honey," by Patsy Cline. Two perfectly shallow songs, but oh-so-fun to sing along with!

7. Food. I admit it, I'm an addict! I've gotten a lot better over time, yes, I'm an emotional eater. Also, I don't really take time to cook healthy meals when it's just me. But when I give myself the time to really cook or go out to eat something I really enjoy, it's so nice! I have favorites of course: pizza (any kind just about), Hagaan Daz Bailey's Irish Cream Ice Cream (haven't had this in months!), fresh fruit - honeydew, red or black grapes, strawberries...mmmmm, and Bill's hot wings - oh man those'll burn ya! But it's worth it!

8. Cartoons, Comics & Disney. These all have to be wrapped-up together. Wonder Woman being my favorite. I have an almost complete collection of her comics and 2 shelves full of "stuff." I grew up with cartoons being my family since I was an only child and a latchkey kid to-boot. They have always been there for me and I still remember the phrase after a lesson, "and now I know...and knowing is half the battle," spoke at the end of each GI Joe cartoon. There was always a clear line between good & evil and good always won (wonder where they got that idea). And going to Disney World is my favorite form of refreshing! It's one of my favorite places in the world to escape to. I'd love to take Tom & Bill this fall - taking donations for that :-).

9. Getting projects done. It feels good to have a sense of accomplishment. The Italy video project comes to mind.

10. Knowing this life is just temporary. There's more exciting things to come!

Spines, Dr., & Country Music

Well, my spine is all good. No bad disks, no pinched nerve, just some pulled ligaments and muscles. And to heal-up it requires bed-rest - 2 weeks worth! Ugh. But at least it's not surgery.

But I just had to post a couple of thoughts I had this morning.

1. 1. My x-ray was really cool! I have a healthy spine, which is really good news. The funny part was you could see the buttons and zipper from my pants as well as the metal hooks in my bra. I almost asked out loud "what are those loopy things up there?" Duh...
2. The doctor's office was very basic in the classic dull gray color. The nurses were all nice, and country music filled the air. I guess to make up for the gray color. Bill was about to die from both. So then I get called back to see the Dr. He's Indian - from India - no real surprise there. However, what I found so funny? Let me just say.....Indian Doctor & Country Music......

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

'Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!' = Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ in me
Christ beneath me
Christ above me
Christ on my right
Christ on my left
Christ where I lie
Christ where I sit
Christ where I arise
Christ in the heart of every man
who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of every man
who speaks of me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me
Salvation is of the Lord.


An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!





And now some clips from one of my favorites..."The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. This movie has great scenery from Ireland - and I've been in some of these spots and actually rode in the trap they ride in while their "courting." I've walked that same lane they ride their bike in too. It's just breathtaking views and I can't wait to go back someday.

Too much to blog about

Man. There are times when I just have so much I want to share, and not near enough time or space. I think some of that comes because blogging seems to be a great release of 'me.' So beware - this post might be a little long after not getting time to sit and write.

First - I totally missed watching the snow/ice storm last week. I had to be at KFC meetings in Austin, TX. I wasn't real sure I'd make it back home on Wednesday. But the transportation - wow. (Rebecca, you may want to skip this part)...I got to ride in a Cessna Citation XLS. One of the franchisee's private JET!

At first I was a little nervous - I niavely had in my mind that his private plane was more of a propeller-type - nope - this was a first class jet. Complete with leather seats, video panels, plug-ins for electronic devices, wood trim, the works! The franchisee even took a conference call from his satellite phone 43,000 feet up! It was truly a blessing experience for me. I sat on the bench couch that faced the stairs/hatch door. But when I look to the right (see the picture), I can see the pilots and there's a little corner galley filled with goodies and drinks. I just walked right up and talked with the pilots and saw all the gadgets and buttons! It was so cool! I tried to be smooth about taking these pictures so I didn't look like the little podunck I felt like in there.

So we get to Austin and we stay at The Driskell. If you've ever watched Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel - you may have seen this hotel. It's very historic and just fabulous! Built in 1886 by a cattle baron - it's straight-up Texas to say the least.

The lobby is cozy and grand all at the same time. There's a grand staircase that leads to the lounge/bar area - the sitting areas of which have built-in bookcases with books, and cow print & leather furniture galore. VERY manly.

But I have to say - for it being a basic room design, it became one of my favorites to sleep in. You see those dark throws on the beds? Those are the faux fur kind with velvet backing, with a little wool throw rolled-up on top like a blanket rolled up on the back of a saddle. I just slept with the fur blanket! And my final night - a yellow rose on the pillow! I almosted hoped we couldn't make it back for another day at least. Of course, since the franchisee had his own jet we could make a detour to just about anywhere we wanted. But we made it home.

At these meetings we do get to eat at some nice places. It's VERY hard to maintain any sort of weight loss while at these meetings. But at dinner, Wally - the franchisee's right-hand-man, seemed very upset. I asked him if everything was ok at home and he said no and he would tell me later. Well, the next morning Wally, Susan (co-worker), and I were in the lobby waiting for the others and he finally told up about his grandson, Sawyer. Sawyer is walking now - and apparently bumped and landed his hands right on the woodstove (yes, it was hot). Now Sawyer has 2nd degree burns. Wally was mortified - fire protection was his responsibility, and he wasn't there to protect him. Susan and I tried to console him - she being the official mom of us.

So to try and lighten the mood, Wally pulls out his guitar - right there in the lobby (picture above) - and proceeds to sing us this song he wrote about Sawyer called "Sawyer's Eyes." You talk about tear-jerker! He sang about what it was like to see Sawyer's eyes on the video screen while still in his mother's womb, about seeing Sawyer's eyes for the first time when he was born, about seeing the world differently through Sawyer's eyes, and then he added a verse about seeing someday seeing heaven through those eyes. It was so beautiful. Susan and I just teared up big-time. Then he sang us a nursery-rhyme song he wrote for Sawyer....Sawyer Clark Has His Own Aardvark. That grandson has opened a fount of creativity for that grandpa!

Before the trip, I went to Southeast Saturday night. It was their night to recognize the commitment to their new Indiana Campus that's opening in a couple months. The amount of people that went forward just Saturday night was amazing! There were 200+ on stage. Bill's dad just kept saying, "where are all the people coming from?"

And FINALLY - if you get a chance, check out yesterday and today's Focus on the Family's broadcasts. It's a fabulous segment on "Raising a Modern Day Knight" with Robert Lewis. I can't explain it well, but it gives hope that men are raising up men. And I really liked his ideas of celebrating milestones and having a "now you're a man" ceremony with other men. I also agree with him about men celebrating the honorable activities (flowers or poems for wives, reading scripture to their kids, etc.) with each other. Being a "man-cheerleader" where they hoot & holler and bump chests -- man-stuff -- from other men who need that same encouragement. Awesome stuff.

First Time Blogger

Here goes - my first "blog." There's so much to say and so little time! How about an overview of recent events:

• New pastor at church, Chad Doerr - his first day will be June 18 - can't wait to start working with him. Not only is he young and bringing a beautiful family with him, he also knows his way around a computer and is not afraid to use it! In fact, he has a blog (which inspired me to get started on my own): www.anopendoerr.com



• Recently a beloved member of my church passed away from cancer, Stephanie Frazier. She was an inspiration to hundreds of people and will be missed. But I have to confess that I'm a little jealous she's already living in Heaven with Jesus and dancing with the angels!



• I am almost ready to put the pool up! Just need some extra hands and sturdy backs. Once that's done I can get the deck/stairs started.



• Going on vacation!! June 10-15 I'll be in Florida with my best friends, Kim, Darren & Tyler Wall. It's to celebrate Tyler's good grades.

The attached picture is a logo I've worked on for my own business someday. It would be a full-service record label/publishing/recording/managing/development company for new talent. I've done it for years on small scales with teaching and producing talent shows at church - I love music and all that is to everyone. I'd love to perform professionally, but until I get off my butt and work my talent (and quit thinking I suck at it), I won't get anywhere with it. It's all in my head (don't laugh!).