Tag Archives: God

Renewed Hope: God Speaks through a New Friend

11 May
Days they force you
Back under those covers
Lazy mornings they multiply
But glory’s waiting
Outside your window
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes
Tongues are violent
Personal and focused
Tough to beat with
Your steady mind
But hearts are stronger after broken
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes
-“Slumber” by NEEDTOBREATHE
It’s so exciting when you KNOW that God is working through somebody in the moment that it is happening! Adam has had a couple meaningful conversations very recently with a fellow aspiring artist, Cora Zoan, who was introduced to him by Emma’s former manager (who is now working with Cora). Adam has been helping her record some new songs over the past couple weeks. Originally, Adam thought this would simply be a good way to make some extra money, but it has turned out to be something that had to have been destined by God – another “aha’ moment in Adam’s journey…
For those of you who have been reading my blog over the course of the past year, you know that Adam has been going through a sort of personal transformation. He has been asking himself tough questions and looking to God for the answers. For quite a while, though, Adam has continued to be his own worst enemy. Fear of failure and feelings of insecurity about his weight, combined with a lack of adequate “free” time has nearly paralyzed Adam from taking steps forward in his career; but, this past year has still been full of growth, priority-checking, and preparation for whatever is to come. Adam now has meaningful, amazing songs that he can’t wait to record and share.
Adam did have the opportunity to share some of these songs with Cora last week. She was able to see the relatability of his songs and personality. Now, before I go on about how God spoke through Cora to Adam, I do want to say that the first time they met the other week, God was using Adam to help her out with some things, but I don’t want to go into detail out of respect for her, especially since I haven’t even met her yet! From what Adam has told me, she is a very caring, direct, down-to-earth person who has gone through a lot of stuff that no one would ever be able to guess from the outside. I’m sorry to tease, but be assured it was non-coincidental that these two met at this time!
Now, where do I begin…?
I received a phone call from Adam the other night after their recording session. He was excitedly talking to me about their conversation and how God revealed the next step for him to be able to move forward. I can’t remember everything that Adam told me, but I’ll try to hit the highlights! Basically, Adam said that he sees how he allowed his “self-doubt and the doubt of others to become bigger than my passion.” Adam said that Cora told him some things that he really needed to hear from an objective person who is pursuing the same career. (What’s crazy is that a lot of these things have been discussed by Adam and I before, but we all know that what a spouse or family member says doesn’t “click” sometimes until an outside source makes the observation!)
Anyway, back to the conversation… First of all, Cora sincerely told Adam that he is the best singer that she has ever heard. She told him that he can make it and she would bring him along in any way that she could if she is given the opportunity. Somehow, Adam brought up that he thinks his weight is holding him back, but Cora stated that it will not prevent him from making it. She made the astute observation that it’s like Adam is sabotaging himself and giving himself an excuse if he doesn’t “make it”. She told him that he doesn’t need to lose weight to make it, unless he wants to do it for himself. Cora used to work at Gold’s Gym and offered him the advice of getting help and having someone to hold him accountable, since Adam has trouble with self-motivation. She also compared Adam to Garth Brooks as far as relatability and genuiness as an artist. This really touched Adam because he admires how Garth is so passionate and connects to his fans on such an intimate level.
Adam now feels that he has the “permission” he needs to put more energy into pursuing a successful music career, even while not being at his ideal weight. At the same time, though, Adam feels that now is the time to lose weight – not for anybody else – for himself and to be prepared for what God wants him to do. Adam feels strongly that this is the next big step for him. He plans to get a trainer again and figure out childcare, whether that means Grandma watches the girls or they go to the daycare at the gym while he works out. Adam has wasted too much time fretting over how he looks and how he’s not “good enough” yet. If you knew how much of a battle this has been for him, you’d understand what a big deal this is! I’ve been waiting for him to realize that he is his own biggest obstacle, but it all comes back to God’s timing. Adam is realizing that his self-sabotaging thoughts are not only preventing him from achieving his dream, but from fulfilling God’s will for his life. The devil would love for Adam to continue to be distracted and preoccupied with doubt. Fortunately, though, Adam’s passion and hope has been revived!
Here’s to the next step!

Tags: , , ,

Keeping It Real

7 Apr

It has been a good while since my last post. I’m not sure if it has been due to laziness, busy-ness, writer’s block, or just not wanting to waste anyone’s time with a less than average post – probably a combination of all of them! There have definitely been things on my mind but I haven’t come up with a way to put it all together yet, but I’ll give it a try now…

A lot has been going on the past few months – most of it NOT music related. There has been a lot of stress dealing with some serious issues with friends and family members regarding drug addiction, mental and physical health issues, and infidelity.  Add caring for two young girls and working most nights out of the week and there doesn’t leave too much time for music.  Adam has managed to write a handful of amazing songs in the past few months and several more are waiting to be finished.  He has been playing writers’ rounds a couple times a month, too, and his new songs have been getting some great responses!  He is currently preparing for his first official trio gig in town in about a week – April 16th! 

Back to more of what’s been going on outside of music… God has been working within us, and particularly Adam, on valuing what’s important in life and trusting His perfect plan and timing. I have seen my husband grow into a stronger, more confident man who is willing to speak up and be honest and not just “go along to get along.”  This challenge to be a more authentic person started a little less than a year ago (about the same time I started this blog).  My dad showed Adam a song called “Jerusalem” by a Hasidic Jew rapper named Matisyahu.  This song is basically about calling out Jews who have forgotten their history and traditions.  Within this song there is a line that made an impression on Adam: “If I forget the truth then my words won’t penetrate.”  Pretty poweful lyrics by a pretty unforgettable artist!  You may want to go back and read that line again!  This has kind of become Adam’s motto when focusing on who he wants to be, not only as an artist, but as a person.  I love that Adam is still the same empathatic, kind-hearted man but now has a newfound boldness.  His passion for “being real” is refreshing, especially in a town full of people that only say what you want to hear because one day they may need a favor from you… AND because we live in a society that goes along with whatever is popular in the media…

There have been two things that I have been reflecting on a lot in the past month or so – one is a verse and the other is a quote.  The bible verse that I’ve been obsessed with lately is “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).  I think this fits the theme of my blog very well, don’t you?! 

Another saying that has been inspiring to me is the following quote by William Carey: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”  Enough said!

Happy Easter!  Have a wondeful day celebrating the greatest truth and gift of all!

Tags: , ,

February’s Dreamer in the Spotlight!

17 Feb

In honor of President’s Day this month, I thought it would be appropriate to look back at one of the nation’s greatest leaders – Abraham Lincoln.

I recently listened to one of my favorite (audio)books, The Rhythm of Life, again.  In this book, author Matthew Kelly discusses the perseverance of Lincoln and the many obstacles and difficulties that he faced during the course of his life, particularly while pursuing his political ambitions.  Several times he ran for different levels of office and lost before finally winning a seat in Congress in 1846.  Even after that, he lost when he ran for re-election in 1848 and lost again in 1854 when he ran for Senate.  Yet, he still decided to run for President of the United States in 1860.  And of course, the rest is history – we now know him to be the 16th President.

Not only is Abraham Lincoln a great example of staying focused on a goal despite many failures, but he also had his priorities in order.  In his famous speech, The Gettysburg Address, Lincoln noted the importance of Americans moving forward together as a nation under God.  Clearly, it was God’s plan for Lincoln to be president at this point in history.  Who knows what our country would look like now if someone else had been president?

Just as Lincoln was meant to be the 16th President of the United States of America, each one of us has a purpose and a role right now.  We all are on earth at this point in time for a reason.  I believe that true joy in life comes from discovering what God is asking of us and then striving to achieve that dream – ultimately becoming the person that we were meant to be and fulfilling the special role we were meant to play.  The road will likely not be easy, but anything is possible with God’s grace and guidance!

Tags: , , ,

Tim Tebow: Too Radical? (January’s Dreamer in the Spotlight)

15 Jan

Tim Tebow - Credit: Jeffrey Beall on Flickr.com

Earlier this week, when I woke for my daughter’s 4 am feeding, I started thinking about Tim Tebow.  Why? I have no idea.  Maybe it had something to do with the recent playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers combined with a brief article that I read the night before regarding his response to quarterback Jake Plummer stating he wanted him to limit the Jesus talk.  (This happened back in November and Adam had sent me a video link of the interview, but I forgot to watch it.  Click here to read about Tebow’s response – amazing!)  All I know, is that a lot of connections and revelations were going on in my mind at a time I am usually half asleep…

As I was thinking about these things, I realized that Tim Tebow would be the perfect person to feature for this month’s Dreamer in the Spotlight post.  He, without a doubt, is focused on doing whatever God’s will is for his life and is not fazed by what others’ say about him.  He was told he wouldn’t be successful in the NFL, but look where he is right now in only his second year.  He has people who talk trash about him, but he continues to possess a noticeable joy and unashamedly expresses his faith.  He does a lot of volunteer work and has his own Tim Tebow Foundation.  He has worked hard and kept his priorities in order.

Later that same morning, when I was getting ready for work, I noticed a quarter on the counter in the bathroom.  I picked it up and looked at the front to see the words that I already knew were printed there: “In God We Trust.” I don’t think it is a coincidence that the NFL is at its peak in popularity right now and God is working through a Heisman trophy winning quarterback to turn America’s attention back towards Him.  Adam told me that he heard that more people watched last weekend’s wildcard playoff game between Denver and Pittsburgh than any NFL game last season, besides the Superbowl.  In addition, so many people started researching verse John 3:16 that it trended on Google.  (And no, I don’t think the 316 total passing yards or 31.6 average yards per pass are coincidences either.)

Is Tim Tebow too radical?  I think it says a lot about the state of our country, when a man is getting so much attention for publicly giving God gratitude for all his blessings and for doing so many self-less acts.  It says many of us Christians aren’t radical enough.   We aren’t shining bright enough and unafraid to live a life uncommon.  Tebow has been an inspiration to those of us who haven’t had enough courage to stand up for our faith or pursue our dreams.  Some of you reading this may be thinking that I’m too radical right now.  If believing that God has a plan for each one of us and that miracles do happen makes me extreme, then yes, I’m radical – and proud of it!  I need to continue to step up my level of faith and “radical-ness,” especially after reading Psalm 34.

Below are some quotes and verses that came into my mind in the midst of thinking about all this Tebow stuff…

“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” -Basil King

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:13

“With God, all things are possible.” -Matthew 19:26

Tim Tebow should give each of us the confidence to not be afraid to show others who we truly are.  We all have talents that God has given us to make the world a better place.  We all have been given a role to aid humanity.  Tebow has definitely been an inspiration to Adam to be bolder and work harder.  He wrote a song last summer, simply and powerfully, titled, “Jesus.”  I woke Adam up after my 4 am revelation to tell him that I felt God was wanting him to share this song.  So please check out the YouTube video “Jesus” by Adam Lee and you’ll see what I mean…

God bless!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Life is Good.

7 Jan

“Gratitude is the best attitude.”  -Author unknown

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”  -Lao Tzu

The two quotes listed above were referenced in the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Positive Thinking.  I just finished listening to this audiobook and these words stood out to me, in addition to several personal stories that were shared about a decision to view life with a positive attitude and a grateful heart.

One story was about a man who lost his job and had to stay home with his baby daughter while his wife worked, since they could no longer afford daycare.  At first, this father was devastated over losing his job and had no idea what to do with a baby all day.  This man shared how he eventually developed a routine, he knew what her cries meant, and they formed a very tight dad/daughter bond.  He said he wouldn’t have given this time up for anything.

That particular story touched me because I thought of Adam and the time that he spends with the girls during the week while I’m at work.  He has grown so close to our oldest daughter and adores our youngest.  I rarely ever have to tell him what to do with the girls or how to handle certain situations, since he is so comfortable doing all that needs to be done in regards to their care.  It made me realize that things are exactly how they are meant to be right now for us.  Often times, I struggle with feeling that we are not where we are supposed to be yet in life.  I think, “Someday, we’ll have a nicer house” or “I won’t have to work a full-time job,” etc., but if Adam had a more successful music career already, he probably wouldn’t be as close with our girls and, maybe, they wouldn’t have even been born!

Adam and I have so much to be thankful for.  Adam recently said, “If I could be guaranteed that life would get no better or no worse, then sign me up!”  We both seem to be approaching life with a much more positive outlook and we express gratitude daily for our beautiful daughters and our family.  I think going through a rough patch of sleep deprivation helped draw us closer together because we both saw that the other one was sacrificing a lot.   We also have come to the realization that God isn’t “holding out on us,” but is blessing and guiding us each day.

One other message that got my attention, while listening to this Chicken Soup book, was the idea of a “gratitude journal.”  What a great concept it is to write down the many specific blessings we receive daily – big and small!  I’m at peace and very content with exactly where we are today.  It’s great to have goals and dreams, but it is comforting to know that we are living out God’s plan right now!  Our lives aren’t being put on hold because we haven’t achieved something specific yet.  Like Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Life is a journey, not a destination…”  Each day that we have together is truly a gift!

 

 

Photo above via Felixco, Inc/freedigitalphotos.net

Tags: , , , , ,

Proud of my CHS class of ’02!

15 Oct

This blog focuses on inspiration, hope, and seeking God’s will, so what I’m about to share is definitely appropriate…

A high school friend, Nichole, and her husband, Aaron, tragically lost their baby girl last week after she was born prematurely.  I’ve never met her husband, but from what I’ve seen on Facebook and their website, they have a strong desire to help others and spread the love of Jesus.  This amazing couple spent 9 months in Africa in 2009 doing missionary work.  During this experience they decided to pursue international adoption.  Aaron and Nichole are currently in the process of bringing home a baby boy from Ethiopia, but are still raising the necessary funds.

After the news of the loss of their precious baby, Figi (short for Fighter Girl), another high school classmate, Heathyr, decided to put together a fundraiser via Facebook in honor of Figi (pronounced fee-jee) to raise money to bring her brother home sooner.  Donations and cards were collected by her personally and through the mail.  Over sixty people (CHS alumni and strangers) gave money for a total of over $1,800 so far!  (The original goal was $1,000.)  Heathyr is going to travel to attend the memorial service tomorrow and give Aaron and Nichole the collected funds and personal notes.

I can’t imagine the grief that Aaron and Nichole must feel right now after losing their daughter after they just met her.  Hopefully, they will be able to hold their little boy in their arms soon!  If you are interested in donating, please visit their Village to Village Intl. page.

Thanks, Heathyr, for all the effort that you put into making this gift for the Marshall family a reality.  I am moved by your generous heart and the generous hearts of all that donated.  It is so inspiring to see God’s work in action!

Please pray for Aaron and Nichole Marshall during this difficult time.  To see pictures of precious Figi Grace, you can view their website.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot via freedigitalphotos.net

Tags: , , , ,

October’s Dreamer in the Spotlight

6 Oct

This month’s post is probably going to be a little different from any other one that I will ever write for this series.  The person that I have chosen has no idea that I have a blog and that I would ever choose to write about her.  I can’t use her real name because of privacy rights, so I will refer to her as Fran.

I met Fran earlier this week at the community mental health agency where I work.  Fran shared with me how she is desperately wanting to move out of the apartment complex where she currently resides due to people threatening her life.  Fran said that she reported a neighbor who was beating his  three-year-old son.  She is not getting much help from the landlords, either, and is afraid she may be evicted.  I am not sure of any other incidents that may have occurred leading up to this point, but Fran was clearly in distress about her circumstances.  In addition to this major stress in her life, Fran is dealing with custody and child support issues regarding her daughter.  She is currently unemployed and has suffered a traumatic brain injury in the past.  Needless to say, this woman has been through a lot.  It definitely made me thankful for all the wonderful people in my life, the roof over my head, and my job.

While talking with her, Fran brought up her trust in God.  She mentioned that despite all of the negative things she has experienced in the past several years, she has “such peace.”  She stated that she knows that God is having her go through these things for a purpose and that this is just the beginning.  Fran wants to be able to help people through similar situations.  She recently has already taken the step to talk in front of state politicians  about holding judges accountable for their actions.  Fran told me that she once had to spend 15 days in jail because a judge overlooked that she had paid her child support on time.

I don’t know the decisions, reasons, circumstances, etc., regarding what has happened in Fran’s life.  I don’t know if things have happened due to poor choices that she has made or not.  I do know, though, that this woman is hurting, but despite her pain she continues to rely on God and have faith in His plan for her life.  I let her know that her trust was inspiring and that God would reward her faithfulness.

While driving home from work that day, I wondered if she had anyone to pray for her.  Fran could use some support and love right now.  I’d like to ask you to pause for a moment and join me in the following prayer:

Lord,

Please be with Fran during this difficult time and continue to wrap her in your peace.  Send your angels to protect and lead her.  We ask that you bring someone into her life who can offer support and guidance.  Give her the strength and wisdom she needs to follow your will.  We ask this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and offering a prayer for Fran.  She is already helping others by sharing her unwavering faith in God’s plan.

 

 

Photo courtesy of luigi diamanti via freedigitalphotos.net

Tags: , , , , , ,

Now is the Time

30 Sep

As I’m writing this post, Adam and my cousin Tommy (amazing drummer) are doing a quick rehearsal in our basement before Adam Lee’s first show as a solo artist tonight in downtown Nashville.  Adam will be playing acoustic guitar and singing  some of his recent originals and a few covers.  He does a great four-chord medley of several pop songs that I hope to share on here in the near future!  Tommy will be playing a percussion box instrument thing (not sure of the real name) which helps to add some more groove to the songs.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go to this show because I need to stay with the girls, but there will be more to come!

There have been some significant changes in the past couple months.  I’ve been waiting to see how they play out a little bit, but thought that it was time for an update… First of all, Emma Jacob, the artist that Adam has been playing for the past nearly four years, has decided to go to college.  After not being able to secure a record deal with a major label this summer, she has decided not to pursue a country music career any further.  Adam will officially be off the payroll at the end of next month.  In the meantime, he is working part-time at my cousin’s jewelry store to help earn some money while continuing to care for our girls, write songs and pursue his career.  The timing of this actually is working out very well, since Adam has felt that it is time for a change.  He wants to be able to focus on his own music career, not somebody else’s.  Adam has played a few writer’s rounds over the past couple weeks and has been meeting more people in town.

Another interesting development has to do with the post that I wrote a couple month’s ago called, “Musicians Wanted.”  Adam and I have been praying for other musicians with the right motivations and talents, to come into his life.  We have been praying a lot to God about the direction that Adam should go.  Around the time that I wrote this post, we were talking about how Adam needed to go out around town more and network with other artists and people in the industry.  I distinctly remember saying to him, “God is not going to drop someone off on our doorstep.”  Apparently, though, he does drop people off on the doorsteps of tour buses!

Within a week or so of the post that I wrote, a female artist came out on the campground tour one weekend to play a few shows.  After the first gig on Friday night, Adam called and told me about this musician.  He stated that during her set, she shared a story prior to singing her song, “Jealous of the Angels,” about how her father had passed away.  She talked about prayer and God in front of the audience.  This really struck Adam, of course.  In addition to learning that she is a Christian, he discovered that she had an amazing voice and is stylistically similar to him.  She has been told that she is “too pop for country and too country for pop.”  (Sound familiar?)  She also plays the keyboard and writes her own songs!  She is in her mid-twenties and is married.

Both Adam and I believe that it is not a coincidence that he met her.  Even if nothing more happens with them musically, I believe that it was God’s way of saying that He is listening to Adam and that He does have a plan for him.  They have already written a song together and he has played a writer’s round with her.  I was able to meet her and her husband last weekend.  She is very talented and is busy with her own solo career.  Adam would love to pursue a band project with her and she seems open to the idea, but it may prove challenging due to all she has going on with her own music.  (Check out Jenn Bostic.)  Adam is going to continue to focus on furthering his own solo career, as well, at this time.  She has definitely motivated him to get out there more and have confidence in what he is doing.  It’s easy to say, “Wow, Adam should have been playing his songs around town long before now,” but Adam has grown so much over the past year in regards to writing and interacting with the crowd to put on a good show.  It is all in God’s timing, and the time for Adam to put himself out there is definitely NOW!

Thank you all for your continued support of Adam Lee!  I hope to have some videos and pictures from the Campground tour to share soon.  There is only one more weekend of shows left… Have a great weekend!

Tags: , , ,

September’s Dreamer in the Spotlight

19 Sep

As those of you who have read my blog already know, I am a “strategic” coupon user.  There are a variety of websites out there to help with finding weekly deals, etc.  One of these websites, started by Kelly Hancock, is Faithful Provisions.  When I read about her story and faith in God’s plan, I knew that this would be a great dream to share with others.  Kelly did a wonderful job of writing about her journey in her own blog, so please click on the links below to check out her personal story!

About Kelly Hancock

Kelly’s Video Story

 

Thanks, Kelly, for inspiring all of us to save money, listen to God’s voice and to pursue our own dreams!  Congratulations on your recently released book, Saving Savvy!

 

(A side note: an update on Adam’s musical journey is coming soon!!)

Tags: , , , , , ,

Cheering for the Underdog Part II

29 Aug

To expand on my previous post,  I think there are two additional keys (besides hard work and determination) to achieving our dreams and pursuing the path God has for us: right motivation and another person’s belief in our God-given abilities.  This is how we pursue being the “best-version-of-ourselves,” to quote author Matthew Kelly.  And this is how we will find true joy in this life.

First of all, we need to be motivated by good things; not money, fame, materialism, etc.  I’d like to share some lines from Rick Warren’s Daily Hope devotional blog on August 11, titled “Make the Most of Your Talents.”  In this post, he writes:

Are you using what He’s given you for the benefit of others to make the world a better place? Or are you just using those talents to benefit yourself?

When God gives you a talent, he expects you to use it. It’s like a muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t, you’ll lose it. If you have a talent but are afraid to use it, or if you get lazy and don’t use it to benefit others, you’re going to lose it. Like the parable of the ten talents in Luke 19, if you don’t use what God has given you, he will take it away and give it to someone else who will.

But if you use your talents wisely, God will give you more. If you use your time wisely, God will give you more time. If you use your energy wisely, God will give you more energy. If you use your influence wisely, God will increase your influence. God will bless your level of faithfulness.

God has a purpose for each of us, but we  need to trust Him and be open to using our gifts however He calls us.  When we try to do things on our own terms on our own time-frame, we will find ourselves on the wrong track.  We may have things that the world defines as success, but we will still feel lost.  With God, we can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  He gave us our talents and He wants us to use them.  Believing that God wants us to follow our dreams, is what keeps my hope in Adam’s musical career alive!  God would not give Adam all of these musical gifts and the passion that he has just to squander it.  (Of course, how things will work out is a mystery, but we know there is a plan!)

I mentioned above that there is another key factor in achieving our goals and dreams: support of another person.  Since I talked about Rudy in my last post, I’ll stick with that here.  Most people in Rudy’s life, including his family members, thought that his dream of being a football player for Notre Dame was not a realistic goal.  Rudy had one best friend, Pete, who encouraged him, though.  Pete’s tragic death prompted him to go for his dream, despite the many obstacles in his way.  It could be that without the support of his best friend, he never would have had the courage to do what others thought could not be done.  Now, everyone loves the amazing story of Rudy Ruettiger and how he accomplished the seemingly impossible.

Adam and I were talking about underdog stories yesterday, and he pointed out that a lot of people only root for the underdog when they start to see success.  People want to hop on board after a lot of the hard work has already proven to pay off.  It seems that we are so quick to dismiss dreams, because they aren’t practical or “realistic,” and it’s hard to believe what cannot yet be seen.  But once a dream comes to fruition, we want to share it and be associated with it.  How much better would the world be, if we encouraged each other to pursue our skills and talents even when things look impossible?!  Let’s be dream “ENcouragers,” not “DIScouragers!”

Have a great week!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →