Small Steps

4 Jun

I’ve talked with Adam on the phone a few times this weekend while he has been in North Carolina and he told me about some things that he wants to start doing.  One of the things he is considering being a part of is, the volunteer organization, Musicians On Call.  They have a Bedside Performance Program where artists play songs to uplift the spirits of hospital patients.  To learn more about this neat organization, go to www.musiciansoncall.org. I hope that he decides to do it.  I think it would be a very rewarding experience and people would love to hear his music!

Another thing that Adam wants to pursue to promote his music, is to release a cover song weekly on YouTube.  Adam feels that since he does not fit into the Nashville mold, he has to try to “think outside this town” to bring awareness to his music and his voice.  Adam also tried out for Simon Cowell’s upcoming reality show, “The X-Factor,” over a month ago via a studio audition.  Since so many people tried out using this method and they extended the days that people could audition, it has taken awhile for the producers to evaluate all of the videos.  Hopefully, he will be hearing back soon! And if not, we know that God has another plan…

Adam was able to get some good video of some of his performances from this weekend.  Hopefully I will be able to post some soon!

Changing the subject, but staying with the theme of “small steps,” our 2 year old learned to go on the potty today – 4 times!  Don’t worry, I do not plan to make bathroom talk a fixture in my blog!  I’m just a proud mommy right now!

Enjoy the weekend!

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Making an Impact

2 Jun

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to successful artists who seem to have the same goal that Adam is pursuing.  One artist who I’ve listened to since his first single, “Stay Gone,” came out awhile back, Jimmy Wayne, has many positive and meaningful songs.  I have been rocking out to his latest CD in the car for the past several months.  He has a great voice and some catchy melodies.  Jimmy has also used his fame to bring attention to a good cause.  Last year, he walked across the country to bring awareness to foster children who are aging out of the system.  Jimmy was in the foster care system himself when he was younger.  I think it is amazing to see someone sacrifice and give back like that!  Check out http://meetmehalfway.jimmywayne.com to read more about his story and his project.

An artist who recently caught my attention, when I was reading an article about this month’s local celebrity parent in June’s Nashville Parent magazine, is Matthew West.  He is a Christian artist who is married with two daughters.  I checked out his latest album, The Story of Your Life, on iTunes and all the songs were written about the life experiences that he read about in over 15,000 letters.  I sampled a few and was very impressed.  It’s refreshing to hear acknowledgment of real pain and difficulties, as well as hope.  His website is www.matthewwest.com.

Update:  Adam survived his first two full days with the girls – all went well!  I also survived my first couple days in the office.  It’s always a little interesting when you come back to work to find that you have double the responsibility, but I’ve worked in the field of social work long enough to know how to go with the flow… Thankful for the job!

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Back to Reality

31 May

Tomorrow, I go back to work and Adam will resume his Mr. Mom duties during most of the week – this time with 2 kids. I feel blessed that our situation allows for my husband and parents to care for our daughters when I cannot. We’ll see how tomorrow goes… First time little “A” will be drinking from a bottle.

A side note: Just saw that the author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, Meg Meeker, M.D., wrote a book for mommies entitled, The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers.   Adam has read Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and thought it to be very valuable and insightful (yes, he actually read this one), so I’m sure this latest book will be interesting.  I read a little summary about it today.  Meeker writes about putting aside the desire to be a perfectionist and avoiding the pressures of our culture.  I will definitely be adding it to my list of books to read.  I’m sure I will have some things to write about once I start delving into it.

Discerning God’s will

29 May

Overall, I guess my blog deals with the question of God’s purpose for my life and my family.  Today at mass the readings dealt with this specific topic, so I think it is the perfect time to discuss this a little more…

Adam and I have been focused on God’s will a lot lately, especially in regards to his career path.  He is starting to make decisions based on using his musical talents to bring others closer to God.  Adam wants to be a positive artist who writes/sings about the real life day-to-day struggles that we all have as human beings and show that there is hope even when things may be tough.  So I was definitely thinking about this when 1 Peter 3: 15-18 was read today, which says, “But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; and keep your  conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong.  For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

I’m usually not one to throw Bible verses around, but I feel that this really shows where Adam and I are at right now.  In Adam’s case, he is finally aligning his “artist image” with his “real life image.”  I feel excited about what God has in store for us, knowing that we are trying to keep our priorities in check and we are striving to be better individuals.

One author who talks a lot about being “the best version of ourselves” is Matthew Kelly.  A book that he has written, The Rhythm of Life, is focused on this topic and encourages us to have dreams and discover our talents.  Adam is currently listening to it, since he is not much of a reader.  I’d been encouraging him to read it for the past couple years and finally I broke down and got the audiobook.  It’s all in God’s timing! Matthew Kelly is a great motivator! He also encourages parents to frequently ask their children, “What do you think God is calling you to do with your life?”  In his book, Building Better Families, he states that as a society, we often ask kids, “What do you want to do when you get older?”  Many of us grow up to be unhappy with what we are doing.  Maybe asking a different question will bring more fulfillment and purpose.

For more about Matthew Kelly, you can check out his website:  www.matthewkelly.org.

Good night!  This mommy needs her sleep!

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Campground Tour Begins

27 May

Adam leaves tonight to go on the road for the first weekend of the summer.  He is part of the Nashville To You Campground Tour for the second year.  Adam will be playing guitar for a couple of female artists and will be playing some new original songs as well.   It will be quite an adjustment again, since Adam has been off the road for the past 6 months.  It will definitely be difficult for our 2 year old – maybe more so for her daddy!

For more information about concert dates, check out www.nashvilletoyou.com/Events.php.

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Happy sacrifices

26 May

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am getting ready to go back to work after being on maternity leave.  I’d love to stay home with my girls, but working a full-time job is a necessity at this time in my life.  (I know I am blessed to have a job in this economy.)  Adam is able to call himself a professional musician, fortunately, but it doesn’t quite support the family yet. Due to pre-term labor complications that required a short hospital stay and being on bed rest, we are not in the greatest financial spot right now, but I know that God will bring us through it and it is all worth it for our newest little angel!

One of the ways that God has shown me that I can help support my family is by using coupons.  I’m sure many of you have seen, or at least heard about, the TLC show, “Extreme Couponing.”  This show debuted right around the time our youngest daughter was born and it got me thinking that I can save money on my grocery bill.  I am definitely not trying to be like these very extreme people on the show who are clearing shelves, but it is fun and rewarding to be able to find a good deal on something that is free or over 50% of what it would normally cost and maybe stock up on a few more items than usual.  I like to call what I do, “strategic couponing!”  I’m sure I’ll talk more about this later in another blog as it is one of the things I am very focused on in addition to my children, working, and taking care of our house –  not unlike many other mommies in America.  It’s also fun, because Adam is now asking me if we have coupons for certain items.  I feel good knowing that I’ve found another way that I can contribute to the well-being of our family.

I know that many families are going through difficult times financially right now.  We, as wives and mothers, need to support each other.  We all make great sacrifices for our husbands and our children.  So often in the media we see women gossiping and attacking each other, but another reason that I wanted to do this blog was to encourage each other in a wonderful mission that we are all striving for – to support our families and help them be the best individuals that they can be.  Hopefully, this blog can become a forum for advice, tips, and encouragement.

More to come!

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New Direction

23 May

I added a picture to my first blog the other night of Adam and me the summer he moved down to Nashville. He is wearing a black cowboy hat and has a guitar strapped over his shoulder. You may think that he has a twang in his voice, if you didn’t know him! He actually has a pop/rock/r&b voice and has finally been writing songs that fit his vocal style. His melodies get stuck in your head for days, too! He has grown so much since he started writing songs over 10 years ago. It’s fun to look back and see how things evolve. We’ll see how he can break the Nashville mold now. He is definitely not a cookie-cutter artist, so we’ll just have to see where the journey goes. Needless to say, there’s no more cowboy hat (and hasn’t been for awhile)! Check out his music at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adam-Lee/107793982609919.  He’d love feedback!

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Transitions

19 May

So… Adam is a little discouraged today about the reality of having two children and trying to devote time to furthering his music career.  I definitely know it is challenging to get certain things done, but I think it’s all about looking at it with a positive “what can I do today” attitude.  I think we are both getting a little stressed out, because he will be heading back out on the road every weekend for the next 5-6 months starting next weekend.  I am also going back to work after being on bed rest and maternity leave for the past 4 months.  Good thing my parents live close by to help us!  Soon, we will have a routine worked out and a “new normal.”

Hopefully, I can lift Adam’s spirits tonight.  He loves being a daddy and wants to support his family doing music.  I know God can make it happen!

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Let’s start at the beginning…

17 May

I am the wife of a dreamer – a musician.

I believed in my husband, Adam, before I even met him.  I saw him perform in our junior high school talent show.  He sang “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton and I, along with the rest of the audience, thought that he had an amazing voice.  He continued to stand out during high school musical concerts and as a drummer/singer with his parents’ band.   After he graduated high school he stayed around town for a year to earn money to move to Nashville, Tennessee.  During this time, we began dating and I always knew that music was what Adam was born to do.  In addition, to my belief in his voice, we also shared a strong faith in God.  In 2002, he moved to Nashville to pursue his music career and I headed off to a small college in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana.  We had a long distance relationship for three years.  I definitely didn’t have the typical college experience.  Most of my nights were spent talking on the phone and doing school work.  I took  extra courses most semesters and went to summer school.  I graduated early so that we could get married and I could follow him south.  I never once hesitated about leaving my supportive family and moving to a new life, since I believed in Adam and his God-given abilities so much.

Now here we are, nearly 6  years, a house, and two beautiful daughters later.  It has been a long, winding road so far in regards to Adam achieving his dream.  He has written numerous songs, pursued an 80’s cover band, a band project, and a duo project.  He has been playing guitar and singing backgrounds for a young female country artist.  He is a professional demo singer. Last year, he began a new path as a solo artist and has reached a new level with songs that truly fit his voice.  In some ways he has come so far and in other ways, he is only just beginning.

As I said before, I have always believed in Adam.  I have always trusted that God has a plan for him, since he is so musically gifted in so many ways and gets along so well with other people.  I have been praying that God will show him the steps that He wants Adam to take.  Recently, my prayers were answered.  Adam had been struggling with what to do with his music and was losing hope.  Due to some conversations with a couple of guys on the same day, he discovered that he had lost his purpose.  After some soul searching and some other God “coincidences” around the same time, he renewed his goal of wanting to speak the truth and bring God to a secular audience.  He has his passion and excitement back and I am very excited to see what God has in store for our lives.

We have already been blessed in countless ways, but when trying to make a dream a reality there are always sacrifices  and obstacles.  This blog will capture these times, as well as the positive, hopeful moments.  I feel that a big part of my mission in life is to support Adam in his career and to be the best mother that I can be.   I’m excited to be on this journey with the family that God has given me and to share these experiences with you!

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