Dwell in possibility....

I remember Mom painting her nails an iridescent pink, after they'd been filed to perhaps too much of a point, and then holding them under the "nail dryer portion" while she sat under the "hair dyer portion" of that crazy now-vintage turquoise appliance.

I remember Mom's hands loading up syringes with whatever immunization we kids were in need of, and then lining us up face down on her bed so she could expertly jab each backside as she worked her way down the line.  (Yep - she was an RN.  And also the hospital administrator.)

I remember Mom's hands fanning me in church with the bulletin - back and forth - back and forth.  Teaching me to sew a straight seam, demonstrating how to snap beans, fixing a puzzle with me and my Great Aunt Nell, applying red lipstick in front of the bathroom mirror. 

So last week we traveled to visit my parents.  Dad - with Alzheimers.  Mom - with advancing dementia.  Apparently Mom and Dad go down to dinner a bit early every day at the nursing home, so Mom can play hymns and Dad can sing along.  Reportedly everyone loves it!  My siblings and I decided to show up one day and sing along, and it's an experience I'll never forget.  Impeccable harmonies (I'd forgotten how talented everyone is).  Fond smiles as dusty lyrics sprang to life.  Sporadic applause of encouragement from a few residents.  And yes, tears.

It's funny....I lived in the same house as Mom for some 20-odd years and I knew she used to play organ in church back in the day, but I heard more music from her in that one visit than I can remember hearing in the totality of those 20 years living at home.  It's like present-day has dimmed for her (which it has) and the distant past has grown brighter.  She played absolutely any hymn that appeared in front of her eyes.  Every key signature, every time signature.  Granted, we ended up singing Have Thine Own Way Lord in the "mix" four or five times, as well as a few others....but eventually my brother figured out that she couldn't remember what we had just sung a few moments earlier, and so he began gently turning pages to something "new".  But she never skipped a beat. 

I grabbed my sister's camera and took some pics of everyone singing around the piano, and then snapped a few close-ups of her hands as she was playing.  Hands that once looked exactly like mine do today.  Hands that still look much the same, veins and all.  Hands that cared for myriads of hospital patients, that cared for me when I couldn't care for myself, and eventually cared for newborn grandchildren with practiced ease.  Hands that have grown arthritic, but play the old hymns like a pro - even though she can't remember what we talked about 5 minutes ago. 

Yes, sometimes I "see" my dad's hands when I watch my sons working on something.  But that's another topic.   For today, I see my mom's hands - Grandma's hands - and I'm amazed at the way her hands "remember" how to enter into God's presence.  I've become convinced that even if there are days when she can't focus her thoughts on her Savior, that once she sits down at that old upright, her hands remember - and they take her right into God's throne room.  And you know what?  They take my dad there too, and a whole lot of other people. 

Even at 85 years of age, with dementia wielding its worst, she has a ministry.  And she doesn't even know it. 

How cool is that?

Signed,
Aye wunnuh B. lyk herr

This morning's co-write was the exact opposite of the "we wrote an entire hit song in 30 minutes flat" scenario.  Today's project was a song we started months ago on one of my trips to Nashville.  (Actually, it's been over a year!) 

Sometimes it's hard to find the necessary opportunities to revisit inspiration, so this morning we decided to use Skype.  I'll admit I felt slightly guilty about the suggestion when I discovered my co-writer was heading out last night to purchase the necessary equipment.  (!)  But then my husband reminded me that guys are usually looking for opportunities to buy more gear. (Oh yeah.  I almost forgot.)  Anyway, it was my co-writer's first time on Skype and, true to Murphy's Law, the newly acquired webcam was acting up.  Throw in some Nashville thunderstorms, internet bugs, and spy satellites who I'm quite certain simply wanted to steal our killer ideas, and you get the picture.  But we pushed onward!  And if nothing else, my co-writer quickly became adept at redialing Bev's Skype ID after each disconnection.

Okay, so the technical aspects of the co-write didn't go smoothly  I'll give you that.  ....  But you know what?  We made excellent progress anyway, the song is gonna be awesome, and none of the rest mattered one eensy weensy bit - to me anyway!  Who cares about dropped calls and evil eavesdroppers when you can sit down together and create something absolutely brand new that didn't exist a few hours earlier?  That's a gift from God that not everyone gets to experience in life.  And it's so - much - fun!!

I think tomorrow I'll try it again.....

Signed,
Uh dikk Ted

A co-writing retreat weekend has come and gone.  I - absolutely - loved - it!!!  Got to learn massive amounts about writing - and about writers.  Faced some fears.  Stretched.  Swallowed hard.  Trusted.  Tapped into the myself, my co-writers and God.  And even experienced a few creative victories along the way.

Sometimes I hesitate to mention things like that.  Some of you were maybe there, and are thinking "Right on!"  Others of you maybe weren't, and feel discouraged to read about this kind of stuff happening "without you".  I've been there.  And I'll be there again.  No doubt about that.

So here's the thing.  One "procedure" from the event is, for me, a microcosm of the writer's entire life.  When it was time to dive into a morning or afternoon of co-writing, writers' names were drawn "out of a hat".  No one was matching you up based on genre, or experience, or perceived strengths and weaknesses.  No publisher was matching you up with an eye toward what kind of songs some artist is looking for.  No one was playing favorites and putting you with their favorite people...or vice versa.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  God was in control of that! 

That realization allowed me to enter every single co-write knowing that "God knows".  He put me here.  He knows what I need to experience in order to grow as a writer.  And He even knows what I might have to offer another writer in the room - whether that being songwriting insight, or encouragement, or something else.  He knows. 

And that's the way ALL of life is - even though we tend to forget that.  We tend to think we can orchestrate events or people to better further our journey.  We maybe wonder whose wagon we should hitch ourselves to in order to get ahead.  We think - believe it or not - that we have control over our destiny.  Ha!

Work hard?  Yes.  Take chances?  Take advantage of opportunities?  Learn something new?  Trust God along the way?  YES!  Enjoy a speck of "control"?  Absolutely not.  Just like the "hat" - God already knows.  And He knows what's best.

The image of Joel reaching into that hat (okay - it wasn't really a hat) and nonchalantly pulling out names of writers in all kinds of crazy and unexpected combinations will never leave me.  And even though Joel was reaching in blindly, I can rest in the knowledge that God is actually reaching "into the hat" with perfect vision.  He's the one putting the pieces of my life together - with full knowledge and intentionality.  So much for the luck of the draw!

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Signed,
Hiz I Deeyuss R behst

Did you know that the "smart" in Smart Car is an acronym?  Apparently the Smart car company is a joint venture by Swatch (as in Swatch watches) and Mercedes.  So....

S = Swatch
M = Mercedes
ART  = art, as in a work of art

Tada!  Smart Car! 

Did you know you can change out the panels and get a new color any time you like?  (for a fee)  Pretty cool!  I guess the "presto change" idea is because Swatch is involved.

Did you know the  color choices are year-specific?  Last year I'm told you could buy orange or yellow, and probably some other color as well (?).  This year it's red, blue and white. 

Did you know that a Smart Car is one of the safest cars on the road?  I didn't!  ....  Roll cage.  Crumple zones.  You name it....

Did you know that people stare at you a lot when you drive one?  Well, they do in the U.S. anyway, where it's only been one year since they appeared.   Smart Cars have been on the other side of the pond for 11 years now.

Did you know that we took one home today?  Yes indeed!  ....  RALLY RED.   :)  It's never gonna fly for carpool, but since it's not for me that's okay.  Scott will be driving it to work.  (But I did make arrangements to pick up our youngest from school this afternoon.  He loved it!)

Signed,
Fee Linn Inn Tellih Jent

We watched a DVD in our LifeGroup last night - part of a longer series - and this segment was called "Created to Create".  Someone commented, "Bev, this should be right up your alley."  And it was, but not in the ways I expected.  It was quite diverse, with lots of food for thought.  Wow!  We could have talked about it for hours.

It brought to mind one of my very favorite quotes in the world.  So I think I'll share that with you - then braid my daughter's hair and call it a night.

“The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  --Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Signed,
Beeyee Gladd