Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Defying odds
I love this video because here is a group of guys refusing to dwell on the limits of space. Pretty impressive the more you watch as this is definitely entertainments. I love even more how they played by their own rules and were respectful of those surrounding them (and checked one another if it was getting out of hand). Consider this your Wednesday boost. Happy rest of the week!
Friday, February 21, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
A Pep Talk
I love watching videos of children saying that which we really need to hear. Kid President's video is always someone who delivers just this. Be well, be encouraged!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Meet Yourself in the Mirror
This Valentine's Day, remember to love yourself first and above all. Here's Ashley Wylde's "Meet Yourself in the Mirror".
Monday, February 10, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Weekend Activity: Snail Mail
This weekend, take a little time to have a foray with letter writing. With the invention of email and text message, the phone call and general letter writing are all but obsolete. However, there is a special feeling one still feels when they open their mailbox to find a letter that has nothing to do with a bill. This weekend, choose one or two persons to write a letter on a notecard, postcard or even a regular sheet of paper.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
First Wednesday: D'Marie
Happy Wednesday! Once a month, on the first Wednesdays, Peace and Praise will feature independent artists from around the world. Today's artist is D'Marie.
A couple of years ago at The Phenomenal Women's Summit in Birmingham, Alabama, the morning meditation leader presented a hybrid power hour of scripture, quotes and music. Different from many other meditation hours I attended in my conference career, this leader wove her own compositions into the worship, allowing attendees to walk through the journey of her pain and move through to healing. The music, a gospel neo-soul infusion, was inspiring, uplifting and encouraging a move through to a cathartic experience, where the participants were able to unpack their own, boxed and shelved emotions in the safety of the hour.
Meet D'Marie, one who has the "ability to create memorable moments through presence, word, and song—giving voice to the voiceless, bringing healing, motivating worship, and drawing people into the loving presence of God". Her album, H2O, features tunes such as "Afraid", "Misty Rain" and the theme song of The Phenomenal Women's Summit, "I'm not that Woman Anymore" covering a vast range of tunes suited for quite worship and meditation. For these reasons and more, we share this brilliant walk in the wade pool and some insight from D'Marie in this post. Enjoy!
How did you get started with your music?
Honestly, I have always "done" music; I even started arranging songs and writing my own compositions back in 1985. I did a project about 12 years ago but never felt comfortable with it or my voice on it. It took me this long to really commit to this new identity, to this as a career. I guess that is why I took on a new name/alter ego. Because of my other profession, a trusted friend thought that having a stage name would make it easier for some to accept what I was doing and what I was singing. I hesitated at first, but finally became comfortable when I came up with a name that was my name anyway. I'm glad I did it now. It has allowed me a certain freedom when my title would have been a restraint.
What was the inspiration for your album H2O?
How does "I'm Not that Woman Anymore" serve as an anthem for you and as a single?
Thinking of “I’m Not That Woman Anymore” as my anthem makes me smile! My artistic collaborator thought that the song sounded too angry at first, and he was right! In a way, it reflects my anger, but it was that same anger that pulled me out of the pit I felt I was in and made me fight back. The fight itself was that of reclaiming my space, reclaiming some peace of mind, reclaiming my sense of self, reclaiming the strength to leave a toxic situation. In part it was anger, but it was also celebration! I had had ample opportunity to compare the damaging impact that situation was having on me to the loving and strengthening presence of people like my spouse and other close friends, which led me to gather up my courage and move on with life. This song is the unofficial “part 2” of “Something in the Water” since it became my goodbye song as I closed that chapter. It was my anthem celebrating the change in me, the growth that allowed me to let that go and reclaim my strength.
How do you hope this album will touch and inspire others?
I think this quote from my liner notes answer this question. It reads:
"I have been entrusted with a great gift of music by God, the giver of all good gifts. This project is fruit of that generous gift. It is my desire that these songs will, first of all, be reflections of the beauty, grace, and love of God. Secondly, since the words and music have helped me to heal and to celebrate love in greater fullness, I pray that they will also bless the listeners as they heal and/or as they celebrate love in greater fullness."
What is one thing you would like for everyone to take away from your album?
I want the "take away" to be a sense that love makes us whole, that love helps us bear the tragedies and disappointments that come with living, and that love surprises us with the strength we need to get back into the game.
D'Marie can be booked by contacting her via Facebook at the information above. See her perform on Friday, February 7, 2014 at the Sister City Connection in Birmingham, Alabama.
A couple of years ago at The Phenomenal Women's Summit in Birmingham, Alabama, the morning meditation leader presented a hybrid power hour of scripture, quotes and music. Different from many other meditation hours I attended in my conference career, this leader wove her own compositions into the worship, allowing attendees to walk through the journey of her pain and move through to healing. The music, a gospel neo-soul infusion, was inspiring, uplifting and encouraging a move through to a cathartic experience, where the participants were able to unpack their own, boxed and shelved emotions in the safety of the hour.
Meet D'Marie, one who has the "ability to create memorable moments through presence, word, and song—giving voice to the voiceless, bringing healing, motivating worship, and drawing people into the loving presence of God". Her album, H2O, features tunes such as "Afraid", "Misty Rain" and the theme song of The Phenomenal Women's Summit, "I'm not that Woman Anymore" covering a vast range of tunes suited for quite worship and meditation. For these reasons and more, we share this brilliant walk in the wade pool and some insight from D'Marie in this post. Enjoy!
How did you get started with your music?
Honestly, I have always "done" music; I even started arranging songs and writing my own compositions back in 1985. I did a project about 12 years ago but never felt comfortable with it or my voice on it. It took me this long to really commit to this new identity, to this as a career. I guess that is why I took on a new name/alter ego. Because of my other profession, a trusted friend thought that having a stage name would make it easier for some to accept what I was doing and what I was singing. I hesitated at first, but finally became comfortable when I came up with a name that was my name anyway. I'm glad I did it now. It has allowed me a certain freedom when my title would have been a restraint.
What was the inspiration for your album H2O?
The songs of H2O as a collection tell the story of my journey since I moved to Birmingham. This particular project began with the song “Something in the Water.” It sprang from a poem I wrote because of my frustration with my work supervisors (who remain my colleagues in other settings) because of belittling behavioral patterns that left me bewildered, disappointed, and trapped in an unhealthy situation. Up to that point, I had been in a songwriting drought, just couldn’t get a lot of inspiration. After I finally decided to put that song into recorded form, my songwriting drought ended. I began to have ideas for more and began to sit down to think about what I wanted (and needed) to express. The writing of the project itself and the recording and editing process were my form of “music therapy”—allowing me to find some clarity and emotional healing for myself. I wrote what I felt, not trying to make it pretty, not trying to make nice. I simply wrote from my life.
Regarding the title, there are three songs in this project which have water references. “Something in the Water” suggests that the water someone drank was tainted, causing that person to behave in unexpected and disappointing ways. The second, “A Life Touched by Pain,” uses the imagery of rain representing the painful, difficult seasons of life. However, even in the midst of dreary seasons, God is present and active, helping us find the beauty in the rain. “Misty Rain,” on the other hand, celebrates the replenishing, life-giving ability of water and the ways in which love replenishes and renews us, restoring what the struggles of life have taken away from us.
I decided to go with H2O to draw those images to the forefront and to offer music that can be a misty rain for others.
How does "I'm Not that Woman Anymore" serve as an anthem for you and as a single?
Thinking of “I’m Not That Woman Anymore” as my anthem makes me smile! My artistic collaborator thought that the song sounded too angry at first, and he was right! In a way, it reflects my anger, but it was that same anger that pulled me out of the pit I felt I was in and made me fight back. The fight itself was that of reclaiming my space, reclaiming some peace of mind, reclaiming my sense of self, reclaiming the strength to leave a toxic situation. In part it was anger, but it was also celebration! I had had ample opportunity to compare the damaging impact that situation was having on me to the loving and strengthening presence of people like my spouse and other close friends, which led me to gather up my courage and move on with life. This song is the unofficial “part 2” of “Something in the Water” since it became my goodbye song as I closed that chapter. It was my anthem celebrating the change in me, the growth that allowed me to let that go and reclaim my strength.
How do you hope this album will touch and inspire others?
I think this quote from my liner notes answer this question. It reads:
"I have been entrusted with a great gift of music by God, the giver of all good gifts. This project is fruit of that generous gift. It is my desire that these songs will, first of all, be reflections of the beauty, grace, and love of God. Secondly, since the words and music have helped me to heal and to celebrate love in greater fullness, I pray that they will also bless the listeners as they heal and/or as they celebrate love in greater fullness."
What is one thing you would like for everyone to take away from your album?
I want the "take away" to be a sense that love makes us whole, that love helps us bear the tragedies and disappointments that come with living, and that love surprises us with the strength we need to get back into the game.
D'Marie can be booked by contacting her via Facebook at the information above. See her perform on Friday, February 7, 2014 at the Sister City Connection in Birmingham, Alabama.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Car Theology: I Can Start Again
For the next month, we'll be looking into devotions based around my learning how to work with my car - and how they all taught me something new about myself. It has a different format than the normal Peace and Praise. I hope you all still enjoy it all the same!
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| Not my baby, but a look alike. The Colby AKA Brown Blur |
What happened: Broken Starter
One Homecoming weekend, during my Indiana days, I had to
be at work. In small town, liberal arts college employee life, having a weekend to yourself is completely atypical. I stretched, took a few moments to myself to get prepared for the day, wanting to orient myself before getting to the big game, often used as a time for recruitment and networking with the student's families. I went outside and The Colby, as my students affectionately called my car, was sitting there just waiting for the day. I got in, unlocked the door and
sat down, ready to get into the laziness of my day. Instead of the legato vroom that typically freely accompanied the turn, there was
a staccato click. I tried it a couple of times, to know
avail. Surely it must have been my
battery.
Thinking I must have been careless, I got my friend to come out and together we tried to start my car, first considering jumping it. After wiggling it a few times, the car eventually started. I still had a few minutes to get to work and other places so I took it straight to one of the body shops - a small family own garage on the main road in the town, whose gas prices were about $.50 above the rest. I met the owner, after some discussion, he checked it out. The body shop told me it was the starter, a piece inside the ignition that makes it turn on. They can get worn down, and when they do, they cause a "clicking" noise. They also tole me it would cost about 1500 dollars to fix. I should have known that could be the case since the gas price outside of the place was at least .50 higher than any of the other gas in town.
After a day or so, I went looking in the phone book and talked with a few friends on campus and someone recommended me to Crazy Jim. The thought was scary since I lived in a small Indiana town. Crazy Jim could have been a confederate redneck from the backwoods - I was just a little uneasy. Just when I found myself doubting the situation, I thought back to what was stronger - assumption or my refusal to pay $1500 for anything concerning my already 10+ year old car. That was half of what I paid for it to begin with!
On Monday, I took my car into Crazy Jim. When I came up to his shop, I had to first drive down a gravel alleyway to get to his shop. I approached and saw cars all over the place. Already, I started to feel like I was at home. Out comes Crazy Jim, a short, slender man with shoulder length black and gray hair that wasn’t really combed, which didn’t matter since it was hidden under a sun faded navy blue, oil stained hat and an equally scraggly low salt and pepper beard. And he was smoking a cigarette. He reminded me of my uncles when they got into the groove of their carpentry work and has to hanging by the lip, threatening to fall at any moment, though staying on by some invisible string.
I introduced myself to Jim and told him my problem. He asked me to pop my hood and for me to turn on the car. I did and when I got the same staccato notes, he reported the same thing that the other garage did – the starter. He told me though, I wouldn’t only need to pay about $300 dollars for the part and the installation. I had to ask of course, why on earth the discrepancy in the price. He told me that the part was hard to find, but it still wouldn’t cost that much.
I went back to work that afternoon and worked easily knowing there was someone under the hood who knew what they were doing. It was the start of a beautiful relationship.
Sometimes we start things or at least try to and realized that it is not the direction you’re supposed to go into. We often will abandon the idea complete, giving up, to some degree on a particular notion. I kept trying because I realized I needed to try a few options rather than accept just any place to take care of my car. Isaiah 30:21 reads, "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." We have to follow our instincts and move forward with discernment when we are presented with such issues. Chances are we'll be blessed with something more as a result of it.
When my starter got fixed, I also received mechanic relationship my car could appreciate and utilize until the day I would depart Indiana.
Thinking I must have been careless, I got my friend to come out and together we tried to start my car, first considering jumping it. After wiggling it a few times, the car eventually started. I still had a few minutes to get to work and other places so I took it straight to one of the body shops - a small family own garage on the main road in the town, whose gas prices were about $.50 above the rest. I met the owner, after some discussion, he checked it out. The body shop told me it was the starter, a piece inside the ignition that makes it turn on. They can get worn down, and when they do, they cause a "clicking" noise. They also tole me it would cost about 1500 dollars to fix. I should have known that could be the case since the gas price outside of the place was at least .50 higher than any of the other gas in town.
After a day or so, I went looking in the phone book and talked with a few friends on campus and someone recommended me to Crazy Jim. The thought was scary since I lived in a small Indiana town. Crazy Jim could have been a confederate redneck from the backwoods - I was just a little uneasy. Just when I found myself doubting the situation, I thought back to what was stronger - assumption or my refusal to pay $1500 for anything concerning my already 10+ year old car. That was half of what I paid for it to begin with!
On Monday, I took my car into Crazy Jim. When I came up to his shop, I had to first drive down a gravel alleyway to get to his shop. I approached and saw cars all over the place. Already, I started to feel like I was at home. Out comes Crazy Jim, a short, slender man with shoulder length black and gray hair that wasn’t really combed, which didn’t matter since it was hidden under a sun faded navy blue, oil stained hat and an equally scraggly low salt and pepper beard. And he was smoking a cigarette. He reminded me of my uncles when they got into the groove of their carpentry work and has to hanging by the lip, threatening to fall at any moment, though staying on by some invisible string.
I introduced myself to Jim and told him my problem. He asked me to pop my hood and for me to turn on the car. I did and when I got the same staccato notes, he reported the same thing that the other garage did – the starter. He told me though, I wouldn’t only need to pay about $300 dollars for the part and the installation. I had to ask of course, why on earth the discrepancy in the price. He told me that the part was hard to find, but it still wouldn’t cost that much.
I went back to work that afternoon and worked easily knowing there was someone under the hood who knew what they were doing. It was the start of a beautiful relationship.
Sometimes we start things or at least try to and realized that it is not the direction you’re supposed to go into. We often will abandon the idea complete, giving up, to some degree on a particular notion. I kept trying because I realized I needed to try a few options rather than accept just any place to take care of my car. Isaiah 30:21 reads, "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." We have to follow our instincts and move forward with discernment when we are presented with such issues. Chances are we'll be blessed with something more as a result of it.
When my starter got fixed, I also received mechanic relationship my car could appreciate and utilize until the day I would depart Indiana.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Weekend Activity: Vision Board
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| Amina's Vision Board |
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