Harper Valley

Whitney Houston: I Look to You

Is anyone else as excited as I am about Whitney Houston's comeback?  After the years with Bobbaaaaay and witnessing train wreck after circus after freak show...it's so inspiring to see her back on track and using that gorgeous voice.  Sure, the vocals are not the same as they used to be, but I almost like them better.  They have a story to tell now.  More character.  More grit.  More truth.  I LOVE a good comeback story.  I'm rooting for you, Whitney!  May God bless your new season. 

Whitney Houston: I Look to You
As I lay me down,
heaven hear me now.
I'm lost without a cause
after giving it my all.

Winter storms have come
and darkened my sun.
After all that I've been through
Who on earth can I turn to?

[Refrain]
I look to you.
I look to you.
After all my strength is gone,
in you I can be strong
I look to you.
I look to you.
And when melodies are gone,
in you I hear a song.
I look to you.

About to lose my breathe,
there's no more fighting left,
Sinking to rise no more,
searching for that open door.

And every road that I've taken
lead to my regret.
And I don't know if I'm going to make it.
Nothing to do but lift my head

[Refrain]

My levees are broken
My walls have come
tumbling down on me

The rain is falling.
Defeat is calling.
I need you to set me free.

Take me far away from the battle.
I need you.
Shine on me.

[Refrain]

Where Will You Run?

 

Trent Cory & Tenth Avenue North

Hellooooo out there!  I have not abandoned you, my loyal blog readers.  No abandonment here.  But as Fresh Prince once said..."my life got flipped-turned upside down."  Had a chica-niece weekend, followed by my bathrooms being renovated, with a few redesign projects thrown in there.  It's been nutty. 

Somehow in the midst of the mayhem, I found time for a few most excellent concerts.  The first one being my favorite Georgia boy with a huge heap o' flava... THE Trent Cory.  He sang for the third anniversary service of a church in Longwood a few weeks back.  This man is truly gifted.  Not only can he belt out some soul; he belts out the truth. 

About halfway through the music, he broke out into a spontaneous message that made my mind explode.  It was thought provoking, yet simple.  His message boiled down to this: Forget the checklist of good deeds and just fall in love with the one who made ya.  That's all we need.  Why are we not calling on the supernatural powers that are so available to us?  In times of famine, He will feed what fuels us. 

After that night, I started thinking about the word famine.  Most of us think of food (or the lack of it) when we hear famine. As an average plump American, I can't even wrap my mind around a food famine.  I was curious about the other meanings of the word, so I looked it up and learned that the word famine isn't only related to food.  It also means overall lack, want, shortage, deficiency.  Or my favorite definition --- an acute insufficiency.  That one really hit me hard.  My typical reflex for fueling acute insufficiencies is to fill them with emotional and spiritual toxins.  And I had been struggling with this reflex all week, and that very evening.

Interestingly enough, a very similar message emerged from the Tenth Avenue North show I saw one week later.  The lead singer is incredibly dynamic.  He talked about how he grew up in the church and a Christian school, and while he was thankful for his upbringing..he was still recovering from the legalism and the 'list of rules'.  He said one day he finally realized that God's glory was not in opposition to his satisfaction.  He spoke of how we often get so caught up in religion and rules that we don't fully experience the person God is.  And that once we truly experience Him, the toxic crap we run to simply no longer satisfies us.  Even if we screw up and check it out again (just in case it might cure what ails us)...forgiveness is right where we fell.  We are not our mistakes.

Anyhoo, I could go on and on about how both evenings impacted me, but I think you get the drift.  I love that I got exactly what I needed when I needed it.  God's cool like that.

Here's me and Gaybrielle with our secret crush, Trent Cory.  Guess it's not a secret anymore.  Isn't he adorable?  He's such a funny, down to earth, sweetheart.  ; )

Israel Houghton & New Breed

  

I was treated to some scrumptious soul food last night: Israel Houghton & New Breed.  I had plans to do a whole lotta nothing yesterday.  But God had something better in mind.  Not only did I get a spontaneous invite to see Israel and his crew live in Tampa...but also got the mad hookup seats.  Oh yeah.  Fourth row.  Thank you Paul & Gaybrielle!  I owe ya one. 

Here's why I love Israel's music.  It's fresh.  It's positive.  It's funky.  It's joyful.  And can I be completely cliche for un minuto?  It's got a beat and you can dance to it. 

The theme ~moving forward~ emerged quickly last night.   It showed up through the music and through his words.  One of my favorite moments was when Israel shared how people see him at the mall and like to reminisce about how great he was at his old church back in '91.  He said when he hears things like that, he thinks..."Hey man, thanks for the trip down amnesia lane, but '91 is the last thing on my mind.  I'm moving forward!" 

Know what else I love about Israel?  He blurs the racial lines like nobody's business.  I found this quote from him on his worship style:  “When I moved to Nashville, I basically had people saying, ‘You’re too black for this, you’re too white for that.  Pick a style.  And I remember saying, ‘What happens when we get to heaven? What section are we planning on being in?’”

His old stuff is fabulous.  His new stuff is even better.  Check him out sometime.  Hey, I love a rump-shakin', bootylicous song just as much as the next chica.  But I can't listen to the biatch and ho-ho stuff all the time.  I need more.  I need to be FULL.  Listen to something uplifting and watch your life start to change. 

Move forward.  Don't be afraid.  The past is over.  Don't look back.  And while you're at it, click play on this tune below.  It's from Israel's latest, The Power of One:

 

 

Healer

 

Most of you know I sang in my church's Easter choir a while back.  That Easter weekend was a turning point for me because I felt like I was part of something.  Something bigger than me.  Something powerful and effective.  I felt emotional when I watched the audience respond positively to the music.  I was so proud of us for doing it, but not in a boastful way.  Just proud that we came together as a team to create a joyful and meaningful experience for people.  

This weekend, the choir reunited for the first time since Easter.  We sang at all four services, and I'd be lying if I said the fourth one was a cake walk.  It wasn't.  By the time #4 rolled around, I was exhausted.  My toes hurt.  My back hurt.  My throat hurt.  And then I walked out on stage and the crowd was very, very slim.  When I saw that, I felt disheartened, and felt my attitude drift South real fast. 

But then I thought....Lisa, don't go there --- These people deserve our best performance just as much as the other three audiences did.  They came here to worship too.  Some of them are hurting and broken just like you've been.  They need to feel God's presence, just like you need to feel it over and over again.  They need a Healer, just like you do. 

I thought..well what am I doing up here anyway?  Am I up here to worship or am I up here for the applause?  And then something shifted in me.  That turned out to be my favorite service.  I loved singing for that less-than-large audience and felt honored to be a conduit of praise for them.

I was amazed how full my heart felt after our last song.  What a big fat blessing all over again.  We closed each service with a song called "Healer" by Trent Cory.  Take a listen below.  Powerful stuff.

"Healer" by Trent Cory

Creative Journey Day

There's nothing I love more than making art, eating scrumptious food, and drinking wine...and doing it with friends makes it even sweeter.  Enjoy these shots below of my Creative Journey group's latest endeavor. 

~Becky brought wooden crosses that we enhanced with collage, papers, paint, beads, stamps, broken tile pieces, and other found objects.

  

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~Lori used Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky-Back Canvas for the blooms on her cross.

 

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~Our completed masterpieces!  Can you guess which one is mine?

 

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~Denise did something a little different -- mini tags to represent her favorite quotes from the book, Captivating.

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~Debbie & Brian knocked it out of the park with gourmet pizzas on the grill.  Our topping choices included fresh roasted red peppers, onions, grilled portobello mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, six different primo cheeses, marinated artichoke hearts, spicy chicken sausage, roasted garlic cloves, and prosciutto.  As an alternative to regular tomato sauce, they also made olive tapenade, garlic/lemon/olive oil sauce, ricotta/fresh herb spread, and arugula/basil/pinenut pesto.  These were the best pizzas I've ever eaten...in my life....EVER. 

 

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~After pizza, we indulged in Becky's decadent mini cheesecakes.  They were stupid good!

Wynonna Live!

 

Country powerhouse ~Wynonna~ put on a great show at Northland Church tonight.  As soon as she walked on stage, she said..."Wow, I'm in church and this is a trip!"  She said it was a little awkward because she's used to performing in bars and casinos and prisons.  But I gotta tell ya, she fit in just fine.  Throughout the evening, she shared a lot about her faith in God and about her struggles.  She always keeps it REAL, which is what I love and admire about her. 

Wynonna got pretty choked up as she started singing "I Can Only Imagine."  She said that she's had nightmares about crying on stage.  You know, I've heard that song a million times, and to be honest, I'm pretty dadgum tired of it.  But tonight, through her authenticity, I heard it in a whole new way.  Bravo, Wy!  So glad you came to see us. 

 

Me and Tammy at the show!  I sported my cowgirl hat, but the old folks behind me couldn't see, so I retired it early.  So much for my new country look!

Amazing Week!

I had THE craziest and most exciting week!  It started with wrapping up the work office decor project (to be featured in a future post).  That was followed by an open house with our friends/family to christen the new work space. Then there was QT with the fam because my middle sister Jill was visiting from Atlanta...and my niece Meagan turned four.  In between all that, I had Easter choir rehearsal and FIVE performances this weekend.  Whew!  What a whirlwind.  I feel exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time.  I love natural highs.  Happy Easter everyone! 

I got all my sisters with me!  Girls night at Amura for sushi and vino. 

 

My nieces Avery & Meagan at Chef Mickey's. Meagan wasn't too sweet on the characters at first.  She was even hiding under the table at one point!  But she eventually came around hugged Donald Duck. 

 

Happy Fourth Birthday, Meagan! 

 

After breakfast with the Disney characters, we hopped on the monorail for ride.  It jets right through the Contemporary hotel.  The kids loved it and it didn't cost us a penny!

 

Future crafter in the making.  

 

Me and J-MAW, our fearless choir leader and motivator. 

 

Me and Melissa, backstage between choir performances.

The choir crew.  We rocked it out and blew the roof off that place!!  I had a really cool revelation as we were singing this weekend.  None of us, not one single person in that choir could have done alone what we did together as a team.  We all had our parts..the altos balanced out the sopranos..and the tenors rounded us all out.  And we sure couldn't have done it without the band, or the solo artists, or our choir leader!  Maybe it's obvious to most, but it really sunk in to me that we were meant to be up there together, each of us doing what we do best, and creating something uniquely special...together as one.  My heart was so full!

Overcome!

I would LOVE for you to join me this weekend for an amazing Easter service at Discovery Church.  I'm singing in the choir and we're gonna rock the house!  If you can't make it or don't live in Orlando, then click here for our live online podcasts.  Then click the blue box that says "discovery live."  If that doesn't work then click on the brown box that says "media player."  You're in for a real treat.  We will overcome!!

Be sure to watch it all the way through because our best two songs are at the end.  :>)

Discovery Church
4400 S. Orange Avenue | Orlando, FL 32806

Saturday, April 11 | 5pm | 6:45pm
Sunday, April 12| 9am | 10:45am | 12:30pm

DC Kid's Ministry available at all services

Abundance

***Found this on Pecannoot's blog.  Loved it!! 

Easter Choir - Did it Afraid!

I did it!  I auditioned for the Easter choir at church.  OK, so there was no audition.  But...I didn't know that until I arrived.  For several weeks, I've been mentally torturing preparing myself for this night.  This Easter Idol-esque night.  This nerve-wracking, anxiety-ridden night.  My thoughts have been consumed with flashes of me tripping on stage, my voice sounding like poo, people heckling me and throwing tomatoes.  Alright, I knew there wouldn't be tomatoes, but I was still scerred.  But I just knew in my heart that I was supposed to do this, despite the fear and doubt.  I knew that I was supposed to do it ---> afraid.

After a few minutes into the "audition," our leader said that we only have to sway and smile to get in.  Whew!  Big sigh of relief.  Hooray!  No tomatoes or humiliation.  That's it!  After that, it was lots of singing, harmonizing, and some good ole fashioned gettin' down.  It was a piece o' cake!  And it was FUN.

Can you imagine if I would have chickened out?  I would have missed out on an amazing experience.  On my way to the rehearsal tonight, I kept saying..ok God..I know I'm supposed to do this, so you've gotta help me out here.  And He sure did.  No audition.  I'm so glad I did it afraid!

Here's what we're singing:

"Glorious" by Martha Munizzi

 

"We Have Overcome" by Isreal & New Breed

 

"Mighty to Save" by Hillsong

 

"Overcome" by Desperation Band

Rejoice!

Another Christmas has come and gone in the blink of an eye....as always!   Although I wish the day were longer, I cherish the new memories created with friends and family today.  I also cherish the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Last night, I attended a Christmas Eve service at my church.  The theme of the evening was -- choice.  Our pastor explained how there is no better expression of human existence than the joy and pain of choice.   And that most lasting changes in one's life are made through relationships.  I'm thankful to have the choice of being in a relationship with someone who is greater than the craziness out there... thankful for the choice to believe that He can transcend every messy circumstance in every season of our life.  That's enough reason for me to rejoice!  How bout you?

Enjoy these snapshots of my Christmas Day. I spent the first half in The Wood with my sister Janet's family, and the second half back in Orlando with a friend.  And the best part of today...my PJs stayed on the entire time.  That's right folks.  Now THAT is the way Christmas oughta be.  It was joyful! 

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Cookies and milk for Santa.  Avery's note includes: "I wish I could give you a present...Please look at your cookies and milk....It's your cookies and milk!....PS-How's Rudolph doing?"

 

I guess Santa liked his cookies and milk because he showed up with some pretty hot gifts!

 

Me, Meagan, and Avery after the tornado of unwrapping. Could their smiles BE any more forced?  I think they're pretty much over my photograph requests. 

 

Santa's little helper.

 Meagan's footprint snowman. Isn't this precious?

 

Back at home, Gaybrielle and Gracie stopped by for a visit and mimosas!

 

Ahhh...the end to a great day is even better with some cold eggnog.  Since it's the opposite of cold in Florida today, I cranked the air way down so it would feel chilly enough to wear my new fuzzy Christmas slippers!

 

Top 10 Reasons that Christmas Rocks

How is it that every Christmas moves from joyful to stressful about 5.2 days after Thanksgiving?  Every year I vow that I will NOT allow my inner Grinch/Scrooge make an appearance.  But every year...he seems to creep up on me like a bad rash.  There are just so many financial obligations, time commitments, keeping up with the Joneses, finding the perfect gifts, throwing the perfect party, decorating the perfect tree, creating the perfect atmosphere, buying the perfect LBD for your work party, baking the perfect cookies, finding the perfect Secret Santa gift for the co-worker you barely know.  I could go on and on, right???? 

Well this year, I still feel the stress, but I'm seeking out little snapshots of time to ENJOY these precious few weeks that we all come together and celebrate.  Whether it's sitting on my back porch and chuckling at the Charlie Brown lights my neighbors hung, or just lounging on my couch reflecting on what it must have been like the night Christ was born....I am doing simple little things that keep me connected to the spirit of Joy.  Here are the top 10 reasons that Christmas rocks to me:

• Peppermint everything!
• Shine and Sparkle
• Finding special gifts for special people
• More reasons to buy stuff from Pier One
• FOOD. BAKED GOODS. MIMOSAS.
• Pine tree candles
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• Clear blue skies and brisk air (gotta love FL winters)
• Partaaaays!
• Celebrating the birth of the man who changed the world (best for last)

p.s. The shot above is my nativity scene, courtesy of Dollar Tree, Pier One, and Target.

p.s.s. I almost forgot one more KEY thing that I'm doing to make Christmas more enjoyable -- I'm saying "no" to a few things.  Usually, I want to be at every single party and volunteer for the many serving opportunities available.  This year, I'm not over scheduling myself and I'm already seeing the benefits...try it!!

Kirk Franklin Live!

Last night, my friend Gaybrielle and I had the privilege of experiencing a live Kirk Franklin concert.  It was off the hizzaay!  The opening act was Anthony Evans, who can belt out some gospel like nobody's bizness.  He sang with Kirk for three years and is now a solo artist.  After a few tunes by Anthony, Kirk came on and tore up the stage.  That man is hilarious!!  He bounced around like a mexican jumping bean for hours, cracked tons of jokes and spoke the truth in a truly approachable way.  And of course..his music is amazingly powerful, positive, emotional and energizing.  His six backup singers and the band are full of talent.  I literally had goosebumps most of the time. 

Kirk got completely involved with the audience throughout the show. He walked/ran around the venue several times, invited all the teenagers to come on stage, talked to a 90-year old audience member and an eight year old boy, took audience requests, and asked the audience to hug five new people that didn't look anything like themselves.  He said...if you're name's Shaniqua, then go hug someone named April...if your name is Jennifer, then hug Tyrone!  My fave part was when Orlando's New Destiny choir rushed the stage and busted out "Hosanna."  Oh. My. Lanta.  The audience went absolutely nuts!  If you've never heard Kirk's music, check it out below.  It'll make ya smile.

Download 02_hosanna.mp3

We sang.  We danced.  We held hands.  We praised.  We worked up a sweat.  We got DOWN.  It was an experience I'll not soon forget and can't wait to see him again next time!

God is Rad.

I am in total amazement at how God can meet our needs in such specific, creative, and intensely personal ways.  Last night, I was questioning some of the choices and changes I've made in my life over the years.  I was truly struggling, melting down, confused, sad, wondering where I belong.  These overwhelming emotions made me feel downright toxic.  I cried myself to sleep and begged God to take this mess away from me.  Then today, completely out of nowhere, He gave me EXACTLY what I needed, in such an unexpected way.  Some people say that God is good.  I say: God is rad.