Smiles, Sounds & Sunshine Eleven

 What a wonderful summer full of adventure!! From multiple road trips to see Civil Twilight, the annual Smith Family Reunion, opportunities to sing, making new friends from around the country and planning the next steps of my story, this summer has been a whirlwind of opportunity and experiences. I am loving every minute and every new adventure. I know that embarking on a new chapter in my story means saying goodbye to people and places that have been so supportive to me over the last several years. And I hope that these people and places will understand that this is just a part of my journey and a necessary step in writing a better story for my life...the story I am supposed to live. "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps," Proverbs 16:9. So, I'm trusting, hoping, planning and living!

Here are just a few snapshots from my fabulous summer...

When the Lights Go Down...

When the sun has set and the music fades,
when the lights have gone down and you've cleared the stage,
what speaks to your heart and makes you move?
What whispers into your soul to soothe?
Who do you see yourself to be; who is it that you want to see?
Where is home and all that connects to the deepest parts of your inner self?
When you rest your head and close your eyes, when you dream of a life beyond tonight,
when the lights go down and the music fades, will you still be you; will I still be me?

Wait for me...

Wait for me...when the sun is bright, when the clouds roll in or the moon is high.

Wait for me...when resolve grows weak, when my heart is still, when I cannot speak.

Wait for me...when the air is cold, when I say goodbye, when I'm feeling bold.

Wait for me...when I just can't be, when I walk away, when I turn to leave.

Wait for me...when I don't return, when I let you go, when I never learn.

My own reminder

I switched over to a new blog page very recently, having changed my last name and all. Who knew that by simply trying to make a "g" and "s" I'd have to make a completely new blog page? I probably don't have to but being that I am not the most technically savvy individual, this is how I resolved my little situation.

Anyway...I was reading through some of my old blog posts and came across a paragraph that I had written last fall. I remember being in somewhat of a dark place; dealing with the internal demons and insecurities of some of my decisions and the emotional fallout of a failed relationship. And while my life is much less complicated these days, it was a nice reminder to myself that there is beauty from the ashes of our lives. So I thought I would repost that paragraph as a reminder to me, and maybe an encouragement to anyone who may eventually read this little blog page of mine.

"And at the moment of awakening you are struck with a liberating realization....I am simply a human being. I am flawed, broken, rejected, lonely & insecure. But I am also restored, forgiven, redeemed, loved, desired, valued, never alone, & full of worth and promise."

To everything turn, turn, turn...

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war; and a time of peace.