I Have a New Blog!

Hi friends,

Well, I finally launched my new blog, A Positive Curl.  Check it out!

Thanks for your support!
Lori

A New Direction

Hello!  Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole month since I last wrote something on the blog.  Where has the time gone?!

Well, I will tell you that I haven't totally abandoned my little space in the blogosphere.  In fact, I've been doing some work behind the scenes as I prepare to take this blog in a new direction.  There's going to be a new name, a new look and a new feel that is going to be more consistent, more intentional and more purposeful.  I don't want to give anything away just yet, but I will say that I'm quite positive you're going to like it.

Talk to you all soon!

Work In Progress

Some days, I feel like that tall glorious building in the background (the Williams Tower), standing tall, basking in the glow of the sun, and feeling like I can conquer the world.  

Other days, I feel like that small building in the front - the one that is under construction.  There's no pretty glass, no finished architecture, no beautiful sight to see, just a work in progress.

Today is one of those days - a work in progress day.   

It can be frustrating to know that I'm not complete, my dreams are not yet fully realized, and my accomplishments are not as great or as many as I would like for them to be.  

But there is hope!  Philippians 1:6 says, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  

That is the hope that I'm holding on to today.

As Surely As The Sun Will Rise

Good morning, friends!  I always enjoy starting off the week by writing a blog post.  It's a fun way to share my thoughts and ideas on life, especially the lessons that I've learned while walking on this spiritual journey with God.

One lesson God has been showing me lately is about His faithfulness.  Have you ever wondered about God's faithfulness?  I know I do.  There are times when I am certain, but there are more probably more times that I doubt.  But thank goodness that God does not waver in His faithfulness in the way that I waver in my believing.  God is faithfull all of the time.  Even when we don't think He is going to be, or when we don't think that we deserve it, He still is faithful.

Last month at work was incredibly challenging for me.  My workload increased significantly as our group took on a new project, and I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to meet all of the deadlines for my monthly reporting.  But God was quick to remind me - just as you have met all of your deadlines in the past, you will still be able to meet all of your deadlines.  God was faithful before, and He will be faithful again.  Amen!

After four weeks of long hours and lots of overtime (and lots of prayer), I met all of my deadlines, and was even able to get things finished before their deadline!  To me, it was a miracle, and a sure sign that God is faithful to His word.   

Hillsong sings a song called You'll Come, which is about this very subject of God's faithfulness.  I blasted this song on my CD player as I was driving home from work last week, and I was overcome with emotion everytime I sang these words:  As surely as the sun will rise, you'll come to us.  As certain as the dawn appears, you'll come.  (Inspired by Hosea 6:3).

It's comforting to know that if I ever find myself again wondering about how faithful God really is, then all I have to do is look at the sun and know that as surely as the sun will rise, then surely our God is faithful. 

Ever Heard of The Katinas?

Have you ever heard of The Katinas?  If your answer is no, then you're not alone.  I had never heard of them either until they came to sing at our church yesterday.  The Katinas are a group of five brothers who sing, play instruments and write awesome worship songs.  By the end of them singing their song, Home, I was an instant fan.  Check it out below.

The Revelation

I took this photo on my first morning in Blue Ridge, Georgia.  I woke up extra early that morning so that I could have time to read my Bible and spend some quiet time alone with God.  I felt like He wanted to speak something to me, and this seemed like the perfect place.  The perfect spot for God to show up.  The perfect moment for a revelation. 

But it didn't happen that day.

That day ended up being the only day that I would wake up early to read my Bible.  I was so tired every morning from staying up late that I chose to sleep in and get as much rest as I could.  I never did build in any other quiet time.   

The vacation week passed by me in a speeding blur, and I left Blue Ridge without a revelation.  I was a little disappointed - mostly in myself for not making an effort to have more alone time with God - but I realized that if He really wanted to tell me something or reveal something to me, then He would.

Well, let me just say, God is faithful.

On the drive back, it was nearly midnight when I turned onto the freeway that would lead us to our home, and that's when it hit me:  the revelation. 

I am where I am supposed to be.

Living in Houston.

In my home.

At my job.

At my church.

With my family.

With my friends.

Where I am is where I am supposed to be.

This was not the exact revelation that I was expecting, but I can see now that this was the exact revelation that I needed to receive.  Sometimes, when I look at the big picture of my life, I start to wonder if I'm doing what's best for my life.  Am I on the right path?  Am I doing what I'm meant to be doing?  Am I fulfilling my purpose?

These questions tend to overwhelm me at times, but in that moment, in the dark of night, I received my answer.  I am on the right path.  I am in the right place.  I am where I am supposed to be.

4 Things I Can Cross Off My Bucket List

Hello there!  I'm finally back from vacation!  It was so nice to get away for a while, but it definitely feels good to be back at home and back on the computer typing away on my blog.   

We had the best time in Blue Ridge, GA.  It was an especially great vacation because I got to do some things that I've always wanted to do.   

Here are four things that I accomplished in Georgia and can now officially cross off my bucket list.

1.  Whitewater rafting.
I have always wanted to go whitewater rafting.  This was actually the very first activity we did when we got to Georgia, and it was by far my favorite part of the entire trip.  I can't wait to go again! 

2.  Zip Lining.
When I heard that they had zip lining in Blue Ridge, I knew that I could not pass up that opportunity, and I'm so glad that I didn't.

3.  Go down yonder on the Chattahoochee.
Ever since I was a kid, I've been singing Alan Jackson's Chattahoochee song, and ever since then, I've wanted to go to the Chattahoochee River.  The river was about an hour drive from where we were staying, but it was worth every mile.  We even stopped by the Chattahoochee National Forest which was truly a sight to see. 

4.  Stay in a cabin in the mountains. 
About two years ago I went to Tennessee and drove through the beautiful Smoky Mountains.  It was then that I made it my goal to one day stay in a cabin in the mountains.  Well, our cabin in Blue Ridge was just that - right smack in the middle of the mountains.  Breathtaking!

I hope you all enjoyed seeing a few photos from my vacation.  And I have to say a big THANKS to my step sister, Lisa for taking the photos of me whitewater rafting and zip lining.  Thanks, Lisa!

Still on Vacation...

...I'll be back next Monday!

It's Finally Here!

It's finally here!  It's vacation time!  And I'm enjoying every relaxing and adventurous second of it.

Photo credit: escapetoblueridge.com

Search My Heart

I had another post planned for today, but my mind is in serious vacation mode (I'm leaving for Blue Ridge, Georgia next week!) and I'm not able to write two sentences without erasing them and starting over again.

I thought I would give my mind a little break (I think that it thinks it's already on vacation anyways) and share a new favorite song with you instead. This song is called Search My Heart, and it's by Hillsong United. I heard this song recently, and I had to stop what I was doing just so that I could sing along and worship.

If you're looking for a good worship song this week, I encourage you to listen to this one.



Have a wonderful week!

Six Years Ago Today...

...I married this handsome man.

Wow, I can't believe it's already been six years!  The time passes by so quickly, and I'm thankful that every day with him just gets better and better.

We'll be celebrating our anniversary with a quiet dinner at home tonight, and then later this month we'll be taking a week long vacation in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia with our family and then we'll spend a couple of days by ourselves in New Orleans, Louisiana.  It will be a wonderful way to celebrate our six years together. 

Here's to many, many, many more blessed and happy years of marriage!

What To Do While You Wait

If someone ever told me that fulfilling my singing/songwriting dreams would take me 31 years to accomplish, I'd laugh out loud because that would seem so ridiculous.  But truth be told, that is my reality at the moment...

I'm 31 years old, and I'm still waiting for my music dreams to come to pass.  There are times when I can the realization of those dreams so clearly, like I can reach out and touch them.  But the moment that I reach out is the moment that I realize that it's still too far away.  So there I stand.  Waiting.  Hoping.  There's something within me that does not want to give up, even after all these years. 

So, what do you do while you're waiting, you ask?  Well, a lot of times I grumble and complain that things are not happening as fast as I would like them to.  Other times, I cry my eyes out and say that I never want to sing again.

Neither of those things are good to do while you're waiting for your dreams to come true.  In fact, I believe that these things may even cause you to take steps backwards, away from your dream.   

If you want to forge ahead and take positive steps toward your dreams while you're in the season of waiting, then here are three things that I've learned to do:

1. Increase your prayer time.
Prayer is simply communicating with God.  Often times, when things aren't going our way, we stop communicating with God because we think that maybe He is not listening to us or He doesn't hear us.  That couldn't be further from the truth.

Psalm 145:18 (The Message) says, "God's there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it."  When you communicate with God with a pure heart, He hears you, so keep talking to Him even while you're waiting.

2. Confess God's Word over your life.
A lot of times when we are on the path towards our dreams, we may feel discouraged and begin to think negative things about ourselves, and eventually begin to speak negative things about ourselves. 

Instead of saying those negative words, choose to say what God says about you.  Proverbs 18:21 says, "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose."  Find God's promises in the Bible, and let those be the words that come out of your mouth.  Remember, it's a choice; no one can do it for you.

3. Rejoice in the Lord.
While you are waiting, go ahead and thank God for the victory, for the fulfillment of your dreams.  There's a beautiful portrayal of this in Habakkuk 3:17-18 when he says, "Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I'm singing joyful praise to God.  I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God." 

You see, Habakkuk could have easily complained about his situation, but instead he rejoiced in the Lord as he was waiting on victory.  Oh, this is my desire as well!  While I'm waiting, I want to sing, shout, dance and rejoice in the Lord, trusting that victory is on the way.

I have come to the conclusion in my life that even if I have to wait 31 more years before seeing my dream come to pass, then I will still wait with great expectation.  And while I'm waiting, I will continue to pray, confess God's word over my life and rejoice in Him, trusting that He is working out everything for my good.

So tell me, what do you do while you're waiting for your dreams to come true?

12 Things I Learned Over Memorial Day Weekend

I hope you all had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend last weekend.  I know I did!  I spent time with good friends, ate delicious food and enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather.

I also learned 12 things which made the weekend all the more enjoyable: 

1. Take a leap of faith and jump into the deep end of the pool.  If my son can do it (with “floaties” on, of course), then I can do it too.
2. God is BIG. Bigger than any circumstance, problem or issue that you have ever experienced, are experiencing or will ever experience. 
3. You can still look and feel attractive in a one-piece bathing suit.  There's no need to try and squeeze into that old two-piece suit anymore.
4. When you’re on a limited clothing and accessories budget, don’t get all worked up about what you can’t afford.  Get excited about what you can afford.
5. If something is important to someone you love, then make that something important to you too.
6. You’re never too old to jump off a diving board.
7. Take the time to have a conversation with a young teen.  You might find that they are more polite, kind, considerate and compassionate than you imagined them to be.
8. Leave the fancy camera at home.  Your iPhone will be perfect for capturing those extra special moments.
9. Spend actual face-to-face time with a friend that you haven't seen in a while.  It’s a whole lot better than just chatting with them on Facebook.
10. Don’t rush your child to do something they aren’t ready to do.  In their own time, they will get it done.
11. Give $25 of your personal money and sow a seed into someone else’s dream.  You’ll be glad that you did.
12. Never complain about having a busy weekend.  Instead, be thankful for your busy weekend because it means that you have things to do and people to share those things with.  

Lori's Music Blog Turns One!

Lori's Music Blog is ONE year old! 

I wrote my very first post on May 13, 2011 (which technically means that my blog is one year and eight days old today, but who's counting!?) and I'm so excited that I'm still here blogging a whole year later.  What a blessing!

This blog has been the best creative outlet for me.  It has also helped me learn a lot about who I am and, more importantly, who I am not.  In the past year, I have overcome my fear of sharing my songs with the world and I was able to share two of my original songs with all of you.  I've also had the great opportunity to meet lots of wonderful new friends that have been a huge blessing in my life.  To God be the glory! 

I couldn't celebrate this day without also saying a big THANK YOU to all of you who read this blog, write comments and encourage me along the way.  I sincerely appreciate each and every single one of you, and I hope you'll stick around with me as I continue on in this next year of blogging.  There are a ton of great things in store for Lori's Music Blog, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Second Chances

Years ago, I had a giant collection of Oprah magazines.  I owned every issue since the magazine first launched in 2000, and I was quite proud of my collection.   

When it was time for me to move out of my apartment, however, I was faced with a decision - do I keep all of these magazines, or do I give them away?  At the time it didn't feel like I had a real need for them, and so I made the decision to give them away...to the recycle bin.  

As time passed, I began to regret that decision.  I started to think about how special it was to have the first very issue of the Oprah magazine and how cool it would have been to display my collection of magazines in my new home.  But it was too late, and there was nothing that I could do to get those magazines back. 

Well, a few months ago, my husband said that he wanted to buy me something with his Coca-Cola reward points.  He gave me a list of options he thought I would like, and a subscription to the Oprah magazine was one of those options.  As soon as he mentioned it, I immediately knew that's what I wanted.  I saw this as my second chance to start collecting Oprah magazines once again.

As soon as I got that first issue, I was so thrilled.  It almost felt like I was being reunited with an old friend.  I was also quickly reminded of why I kept the magazines in the first place - the beautiful pictures, the inspirational articles, and the powerful life lessons. 

Slowly but surely, I've been building back up my collection of Oprah magazines.  This time though, I don't plan on letting them go.

Thinking about all of this makes me think of all the times that I passed up an opportunity to sing because I was too scared and too nervous.  I get so mad at myself just thinking about those times!  But, I'm trusting that if God can give me a second chance at building up my collection of Oprah magazines, then surely he can give me a second chance at singing.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!  I pray that your children are rising and calling you blessed today because that's exactly what you are - blessed!  And a special Happy Mother's Day to my mom.  Thank you for all that you are and all that you do.  I love you!

The Labor of Songwriting

Last week, I heard a new song on the radio called The Sound of a Million Dreams by David Nail. The song is so moving and speaks directly to my heart, especially the chorus:

And I'll labor for hours 'cause I know the power

Of a song when a song hits you right

Pouring my soul into stories of life

Hoping someone'll hear one tonight

Maybe my voice will cut through the noise

And stir up an old memory

Out of these piano keys

Comes the sound, the sound of a million dreams

I am particularly inspired by the words, "And I'll labor for hours..."  I find comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one who labors for hours in the songwriting process.  In this season of songwriting, the process for me has actually been a very long and arduous one.  I find myself playing the music over and over again until it feels completely right.  Once I settle on the music, then I continue playing it over and over again in order to get the lyrics, or the words of the song, just right.  Sometimes the words come pouring out like rain; with little effort, my heart starts singing the words that match perfectly with the music while also helping to convey the story that I am trying to tell.  Like when I was writing My Offering, it took me a few weeks to get the music, but the words just came very naturally. 

With the latest song that I've been working on, Simply Worship, the words have not been flowing as freely.  I've been laboring and laboring over the words, nearly to the point where I'm wondering if maybe I'm laboring too much!  But just as I was starting to think that maybe this song that I'm working on wasn't meant to be, I heard this Sound of a Million Dreams song, and it gave me the extra little push that I need to keep laboring.  I know it will be worth it in the end.   

Reply to:

Reply to loganl23

My Everything

"Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple."  Luke 14:33 (The Message)

Jesus Culture is one of my new favorite groups to listen to for worship music.  Their song, My Everything, describes exactly what this scripture is talking about.  If we want to be followers of Christ, then we must make Him our everything.

Desires of Your Heart

For years, I have been going to the Houston Rockets basketball games.  And for years, I've wanted to meet Clutch, the Rockets Bear.  Clutch is adorable, funny and always makes me want to smile.  I've only ever seen Clutch from far away, but it was always a desire of mine to meet him.  It wasn't anything that I ever put on my goal board or my bucket list, it was just a little something that I hoped to be able to do one day.  

Well, just last week, that desire came true.  We were at a Rockets game, and we happened to be at the right place at the right time (Thank you, God!) and we got to meet Clutch, get his autograph and take our picture with him.  I was more excited about it than anyone else in my family - even William!

That night, God reminded me that although I may have counted this desire as something small and not that important, He still knew it was a desire of my heart.  Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."  It is so awesome to know that God loves us and He longs to give us the desires of our heart when we first delight ourselves in Him.   

Have a great week!
Lori

Beautiful in its Time

I've always envied other parents whose children held their hands.  Whenever I try to hold William's hand, he refuses with a loud "No!"  Even when we are about to cross the street, I tell William that he needs to hold my hand so that I can make sure he is safe, but he still refuses.  In those instances, I just grab his hand anyways and he ends up walking next to me kicking and screaming.  This always made me so sad because I started to believe that William would never want to hold my hand. 

Well, a couple of weeks ago, something wonderful happened.  One afternoon, William and I were walking across a parking lot, and when I told him to hold my hand, he simply reached up and grabbed my hand without any protest at all.  He held my hand and walked peacefully across the parking lot with me.  It was an awesome moment!

Ever since that day, William is much more willing to hold my hand, whether we're crossing the street, going down a flight of stairs or just walking in the grocery store.  The desire that I always had for William to hold my hand is now a reality, and I thank God for it.       

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says "Has has made everything beautiful in its time."  Having William hold my hand without protesting was one of those things that God made beautiful in His own time.  In His perfect time.  Sure, I would have liked for it to happen a lot sooner, but maybe William wasn't ready yet.  Maybe William needed more time to excercise his independence.  Or, maybe God was teaching me a lesson to be patient and to wait for Him and His timing.

There may be something that you are wanting and waiting for in your life.  A business you are trying to start.  A book you are trying to write.  A song you are trying to sing.  Your dream and vision may not look as beautiful and lovely as you would like it to be, but I encourage you to keep pressing on, through the "ugliness" of it all, and trust that God will make everything beautiful in its time.     

Have a blessed week,
Lori