Be Thou My Vision

For as long as we can remember, my mom (Melody), aunt (Debbie), cousin (Valerie) and I have wanted to sing together.  Not just anything -- we wanted to prepare something special and perform it.  And this past weekend, we finally got our chance!  After a few months of practicing together when we could, we pulled off a beautiful a capella arrangement of "Be Thou My Vision" and sang it for the Sunday service at Reedley MB Church.  While the service is available to view on the church's website, it doesn't do our performance justice.  I was really tempted to be nervous, singing in front of the whole congregation, but I made sure that I knew my part like the back of my hand and focused on blending with the voices of the women next to me, and while it wasn't perfect, it was a beautiful offering.  We hope to be able to sing it together again....someday!

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Seattle Trip & Tess's First Travel Adventure

While Daddy was away at a weekend debate tournament, Tess and I had our own little adventure in Seattle!  We spent the long weekend up there, along with my dear friend Danielle and her fiance, Cory.  Interestingly, Dani and I both have an aunt/uncle/cousins in the Seattle area -- who live less than 3 miles from each other and actually even know each other.  (We've been friends for about 7 years but just discovered this about a year ago!)  So, thanks to a fantastic deal on airfare from Alaska Airlines, we were able to take a trip together that included visiting our respective families. 

We arrived Thursday morning and spent the day adventuring around Bellevue and Mercer Island and visiting the PrideStaff office in Tukwila.  We also took a very fun and much-anticipated trip to the Glassybaby store -- this was super exciting for me, since I am a proud owner of 3 Glassybabys but had never been to any of their retail locations.  (Most of you are probably wondering, "What the heck is 'Glassybaby'?" They're beautiful, one-of-a-kind votive candle holders made ONLY in Seattle. Sales proceeds benefit various nonprofits.) On Thursday night we had dinner with our good friend David Brown, who we've known for years through PrideStaff.  Danielle's fiance, Cory, joined us on Friday morning and we spent the day doing "touristy" stuff downtown (Pike Place, Space Needle, etc.). On Friday evening Dani and I parted ways to spend time with our families.  I was so grateful that my cousin Heather drove all the way from Spokane, with her 2 1/2 year old daughter Gabby, so that she could spend the weekend at her parents' house with me and Tess. On Saturday, Heather and I did some shopping and joined up with Danielle and her Aunt Tiff for some wine tasting (in the snow!).  Tess and I spent Saturday evening enjoying a lovely dinner at Dani's aunt and uncle's house, where I got to meet Barcelona's lead singer, Brian Fennell, and his lovely fiance, Marion.  On Sunday, Danielle, Cory and I visited Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue, where Dani's uncle is the worship and media pastor. (Also, her uncle -- Timothy James Meaney -- is also pretty big in Christian music circles, for those of you who are interested.)  We spent Sunday afternoon hanging out at the Meaney's house, watching football (that fantastic 49er's playoff game!) and watching the snow fall. Little did we know that our flight out on Sunday evening was just in time for a record-breaking snowstorm in the Seattle area!

And now a word about traveling by plane with a 5-month old baby, without her Daddy... Our little Tess did SO great! She is SO inquisitive that looking around kept her pretty preoccupied during the short flight.  Everyone on the plane fell in love with her, of course.  She was not fussy and was just talkative enough to be super cute.  Having Danielle with me was a HUGE help -- I can't imagine taking my first trip with a baby ALONE! I had been really nervous about all the logistics of traveling with a baby (from what to pack to what I should carry on the plane to how to deal with sleeping away from home) and all my worry was for nothing.  Have baby, will travel!  It turns out that people are much more kind and understanding and helpful when you've got an adorable kiddo with you than they are otherwise.  Although I have to admit, even with the fantastic help, spending 4 days as a "single parent" -- especially away from home and all of our usual baby "stuff"-- was pretty exhausting.  We had a wonderful time but were so glad to be home!

Below is a slide show of my pics from the trip.  Next up for Tess is a trip to Dallas over Spring Break, to meet her "Uncle" Randy and "Aunt" Lindsey.

Bon voyage!

Mary's Song

We sang this worship song at church yesterday, and I love it so much that I had to share:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
And my spirit exalts in God my Savior
For He has looked with mercy on my lowliness
And His name shall be forever exalted

For my mighty God has done great things for me
And His mercy shall reach from age to age
Holy, holy, holy is His name

The lyrics are taken from the following passage:

Luke 1:46-55 ~ Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Encouragement For Today...

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Belated Birthday Treat

This past weekend my parents made good on my birthday gift from November.... tickets to see Tierney Sutton in concert. Tierney is AMAZING! We snagged front row seats and soaked up every note. The concert was just as good as seeing her in 2007, and like last time we got to meet the band and have them sign their latest CD.

We had a lovely dinner before the concert at Cafe Rousseau in the Tower District, and afterward Chad and I hit up Ruth's Chris for dessert. It was a night of total and complete yumminess, all around!

Kutless Rocks On!

Last weekend, while Chad was debating, I had the opportunity to see Kutless in concert (for the 3rd time) with some of my girlfriends. Like the loyal fans we are, we drove all the way to Bakersfield for the show. It was worth the trip, especially because we got to meet the band after the show. Here's a pic of me, Danielle & Tiffany with the lead singer, Jon Micah Sumrall.

DMB At Save Mart Center!

So last night we saw the Dave Matthews Band in concert at the Save Mart Center, and it was a great show! As usual, they totally rocked and showed off some impressive musical expertise. This is our 2nd time seeing Dave and it had been way too long. (Our first DMB concert was the summer of 1997 at the Shoreline Amphitheater, for our one-year anniversary, and at the concert Chad gave me a "promise ring." How sweet!) The band is touring for their new album, Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King, which we think is one of their best ever. We had a really fun time, complete with spending way too much on t-shirts!

Notes On "Blue," Sarah's Favorite Joni Mitchell Album...

A singer, composer and lyricist of exceptional talent and unmatched influence, Joni Mitchell has crafted an extraordinary body of work spanning more than 40 years and is widely regarded as one of the brightest musical lights of recent generations. Fans, fellow musicians and critics have delighted in an ever-evolving creative journey, with songs both universal and profoundly personal. Her music has become a standard to which others are compared and which many aspire to copy, but its inventiveness and ineffable spirit make it decidedly her own. Explore the musical magnificence of Joni Mitchell...Sad, spare, and beautiful, "Blue" is the quintessential confessional singer/songwriter album. Forthright and poetic, Mitchell's songs are raw nerves, tales of love and loss (two words with relative meaning here) etched with stunning complexity; even tracks like "All I Want," "My Old Man," and "Carey" -- the brightest, most hopeful moments on the record -- are darkened by bittersweet moments of sorrow and loneliness. At the same time that songs like "Little Green" (about a child given up for adoption) and the title cut (a hymn to salvation supposedly penned for James Taylor) raise the stakes of confessional folk-pop to new levels of honesty and openness, Mitchell's music moves beyond the constraints of acoustic folk into more intricate and diverse territory, setting the stage for the experimentation of her later work. Unrivaled in its intensity and insight, "Blue" remains a watershed. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

It's A 2-Concert Week (Part Two)

Last night (Friday) was Tierney Sutton at the Fresno Jazz Festival, and all I can say is......aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh. It is so hard to describe the delicious jazzy goodness that is Tierney Sutton. As I write this I'm reveling in all things Tierney and the newest CD (purchased last night and autographed by the band)!

I must give credit to our friend "CW" who introduced me to Tierney several months ago.....I had just purchased my first CD ("Something Cool") when we learned she would be coming here. Went to get tickets last week and managed to get the last 5 for a sold-out performance -- whew! Despite open seating we were "front and center" in the second row.

While Tierney's voice is impressive on record, it is unforgettable live. Seeing IS believing -- the only way I can describe it is to say she plays her voice like a talented musician plays a fine instrument of their own design. I mean, I have heard and seen great singers before, but nothing like this......To watch her vocally interact with the instruments/band (also indescribably impressive in their own right), play with the microphone like a mouthpiece, and see the notes written on her face was a delight. It doesn't hurt that she is strikingly beautiful! Tierney and her 3-piece combo have been playing together for 14 years and it shows -- every song was a masterpiece and an experience of its own.

If you have ANY interest in jazz, check it out because you won't be disappointed -- you can find her online at http://www.tierneysutton.com/.

PS -- The Rachel McAdams madness doesn't stop, for those of you who know about my celeb-lookalike......while drummer Ray Brinker was signing my CD he says, "You look so familiar to me, are you an actress?" Ha!!

It's A 2-Concert Week (Part One)

This week we got in touch with our youthful side (Thursday night) and cultured side (Friday night) with not one but TWO concerts -- very fun!

Thursday night was the Newsboys with Kutless at the Visalia Convention Center. Not much to say about this other than the Newsboys NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER disappoint! I saw them for the first time in 1992 at the Madera Fairgrounds; they were nobodies and I got to meet them, get autographs after the show. They were playing with now-hasbeens "T-Bone" (who?) and "Code of Ethics" (huh?). I have been about once a year since then, making this about my 15th Newsboys show. Talk about a loyal fan!! Anyway......the 'Boys have come so far......and their productions are now a full-blown multimedia experience. Peter Furler (lead singer) is an amazing performer and speaker. The show would not have been complete without "Breakfast" (and the requisite Captain Crunch throwing) and Duncan's drums platform elevating and spinning at a 90-degree angle to the stage WHILE HE WAS PLAYING a drum-off with Peter!!! Impressive, for sure.

I almost forgot my loyalty to the 'Boys with my excitement about seeing Kutless again. We saw them in October at the Big Fresno Fair (thanks to Tiff for encouraging me to go, and then loaning me all the CDs!) but didn't know them well at the time. Since then, I have become a huge Kutless fan and own all their music. This show did not disappoint except for being too short as they were an opening act and not the headlining gig. What a great way to ROCK OUT, though, with a positive message. SO fun. They can be hard and draw a rough crowd, but are talented and focused nonetheless -- lead singer JonMicah Sumrall really has a great voice, and he even did a ballad while playing keyboard. If you haven't heard them, check out http://www.kutless.com/!!