Birthday Reflections.

Yesterday was a day of delight. Tom took me out for breakfast to one of our favorite places—Jaymee Lee's Diner. It's not that it's a fancy place, but it's my hometown. We stay caught up on the local chatter. 

We learned that a neighbor lost 13 calves this spring due to the long cold winter that's extended way too far into April. I was touched by his love for the calves. Especially since it didn't seem to be about the loss of money but the loss of little creatures. I inwardly groaned at his loss.  

After breakfast, I got my flower beds ready for planting the zinnia seeds I harvested last fall and kept through the winter. I eagerly wait for warmer weather when I can generously scatter them throughout the beds. My soul is always nourished by this yearly practice of working the soil, planting the seeds and harvesting more for next year.

After yard work, I visited the Newville library—another favorite hometown place. When I go to the library, I feel like I can do anything. I picked up a book I ordered called "Finishing the Hat" by Stephen Sondheim. The conductor of Portraits of White recommended I read—no—STUDY, this book to help me in my songwriting. I'm going to need to purchase one of my own. For now, this will have to do. 

We ate homemade vegetable beef soup for lunch. My soup supply is almost gone from the freezer. Soon it will be time to make more. It's amazing to feel the need for warm soup on April 26. The lilacs aren't anywhere close to blooming which is unusual. I often have lilacs for my birthday. Not this year.

After lunch, I rode my bicycle on the Newville trail all the way to Shippensburg University—something I've wanted to do for weeks but have never felt like I had the time. Yesterday I took the time. It was incredible. I sat on the campus for a short break and enjoyed a tart, crisp apple and a smoothie I made just for the trip. 

Tom and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (we love those coupons that come in the mail!) along with the presence of a mother duck waddling down the sidewalk outside our window. It wasn't even a minute after Tom said, "she probably has a nest near here" that she "ducked" under the bush right outside our window and plopped down on a big furry nest. The people at the table next to us also watched her settle in and move the eggs around in the nest, uncovering them just enough to let us see that there were at least 7-8 eggs. We all broke into lively chatter about the duck nesting outside the restaurant.

My present from Tom this year was a very special surprise! I now have fancy lights on my bright red Yamaha VStar that change color. They will show up best at night, so one of these evenings when the weather is finally warm, you might see me cruising around the neighborhood on my "night-rider". 

While I was spending my day doing what I love to do, my mind was mulling over the past 52 years of my life. What have I learned about life that I want to keep for the next 50 years? What would my proverbs be?

Here are my thoughts—in no special order.

• Goals are only handles, not molds.

• You can change anything about yourself if you first change your mind.

• You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to if you'll commit to spending 30 minutes a day on it.

• There will come a day when your dreams take more work than you could have ever imagined. When that day comes, you'll know you are officially on your way to achieving them.

• "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce. Then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vat bursting with wine." Proverbs 3:9-10. And you will likely have a ton of work to do. Don't let that take you by surprise.

• Prayer will be your life-support. Don't ever pull that plug.

• The work required of you when you pursue your dream is never going to end. So learn to embrace the work of the real as much as you embraced the love of the ideal.

• You never need to stay who you were. Decide who you want to be before you get there, and you will become that person.

• Five minutes spent doing what you love is like a blink of the eye. Five minutes spent doing what you hate is like forever. Since life is filled with many five-minute increments, make sure you blink often.

• Once a week, allow yourself a day to turn off your phone, your computer, and any other gizmos. Go for a walk. Take snapshots of the scenery with your heart and mind. Don't post them anywhere—not on Facebook, not on Instagram. One day a week, look at life without the lens of social media so you can remember what it's like to "just be".

Directionally Challenged?

I don't mind being directionally challenged when it comes to road travel, but I don't want to miss it when it comes to finding my way on the roads that really matter. On this week's podcast episode we did an exercise called spiritual mapping. 

"It's not what happens that determines your life future—it's what you DO about what happens. The same wind blows on us all—the difference in arrival is not the blowing of the wind but the set of the sail. If you wish to, it's possible to make the next three years better than the last three."— Jim Rohn

Spiritual mapping helps us correct the errors of the past and pick up new disciplines for the future.

I confess I'm directionally challenged. I sigh when my GPS tells me to head North West. I have no idea which way that is. I often still travel with a printed map. I have too much I want to accomplish to waste time getting off track.

Apparently, the armed forces take it rather seriously if you are directionally challenged. According to the Urban Dictionary, "One reason (aside from instilling discipline) that the armed forces emphasize close-order drill in the training of recruits is to weed out the directionally challenged as someone who is such will tend to do poorly on the battlefield and may even jeopardize the lives of his or her fellow soldiers, sailors, or fellow fliers."

How about you? 

Perhaps you're more like my husband who has a great sense of direction. When we're on our motorcycles I follow him because I trust him. However, one time he led us astray and to this day we aren't sure what happened. We ended up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania instead of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (about a 3-hour difference). Since he rarely ever leads us wrong we are still baffled as to what happened. If we could go back and figure out where we went wrong, I'm sure we would avoid that mistake the next time. Our first mistake was that we didn't have a printed map with us. 

So What is Spiritual Mapping?

Spiritual mapping involves listing significant events in your life that are of a spiritual nature. They can involve people, things, and places.  As you take note of pivotal moments, based on the various decades of your life; childhood, teens, college, 20's, 30's, 40's, etc., you can start to identify patterns. 

Why Does it Matter?

In my case, I can see some patterns that have become more distinct thanks to the mapping process. I knew they were there but they became even more apparent after further reflection.

For instance, I'm a perfectionist, but not in the typical sense. It shows up most in the way I think God should be intervening in my life. I think He should orchestrate a perfect life for me. The big Wizard of Oz in the sky. Just being honest! 

Since I've been learning that about myself, I have started to change my thinking about things that don't always go the way I hoped. My faith is based less and less on what I see that's visible and more in the One who seems invisible but is actually very present. I'm finding that as I grow older, I can look back and see where God really was working. 

That's the joy of mapping out the history of your life. It can improve your future because it keeps you from spinning your wheels by repeating the same mistakes over and over.

I live in a much better place these days as it relates to joy and peace. 
Less anxiety. 
Less fear. 
Deeper trust. 

I'm enjoying this new sense of direction and feel less directionally challenged spiritually.  

How about you? Here's an exercise to get you started:

1) Find a quiet place and carve out a couple of hours.
2) Take several blank sheets of paper.
3) Draw a timeline from 0 to your present age with space allowed for each decade.
4) Make notes in each decade listing significant events in your life as they come to mind.
5) Identify common denominators between the events.
6) If you want to, try it with a friend and let them help you observe patterns.
7) End with a time of prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to show you things you might be missing.

If you want to hear more, you can tune in to this week's podcast here. Episode # 42.

The Power of One

One phone call—the doctor told her she had skin cancer.

One phone call—their son told them he was in jail for first-degree murder.

One phone call—her husband's secret girlfriend called to make her aware of the affair.

One accident—he plowed into the back of a semi.

One phone call—and I had hope again.

One friend—and I ceased feeling alone.

It's a pattern I've been noticing now that we're into our tenth month of weekly podcasts. It feels like almost every story we capture can point back to one phone call, one accident, one traumatic moment that took people where they weren't intending to go. But it also eventually leads to one new idea, a new job or a new book.

I've been thinking about the power of one—in a positive way. I've had the seed idea for a song for a couple of years and I'm trying to get back to a schedule that allows for daily songwriting. It's not been an easy goal thanks to ONE big Christmas show I've been doing each year. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the show and what it stands for. I just wasn't prepared for how much it would upset my comfortable routine. I've gone from feeling like I could flow from week to week in a given year and now everything revolves around one huge event and everything else is fighting for attention. The very ONE thing that started my idea has created a multi-laned highway going many different directions simultaneously.

In my attempt to get back to writing blogs and songs, I pulled out the song I started two years ago. I really wanted it for last year's show in December, but I just couldn't get it to where it needed to be so I'm trying to get into writing again. As with most songs, it starts with my own experience and sparks an idea for a new song.

For instance, years ago, I walked into the auditorium of a very big church and felt completely alone, though it was filled with plenty of people. How can one person feel so lonely in the midst of a crowd I thought to myself. I almost got up to leave, it was so uncomfortable. Then a friend of mine surprised me and sat down beside me and my whole mood changed. Now I didn't care how many people were there. Her presence was all I needed to feel at home.

On another occasion, at one of the lowest points of my life, someone called me out of the blue and said,
"I don't know if this will make sense, but I feel like I'm supposed to tell you something".
I eagerly waited.
"Don't quit".
He had no idea that it was exactly what I needed to hear in that season of my life.

One person, one phone call.

It's the power of one.

He Holds My Hand (by guest author, Carol Kent)

Carol Kent - guest blogger/author

Have you ever been desperate to hear God’s voice? Has daily life ever felt so demanding you weren’t sure what to do next? Has your phone rung in the middle of the night with unexpected news about a loved one? Has the diagnosis from the doctor brought a sense of fear or unrest? Have you wanted an answer from God, but didn’t know where to turn?

I’ve been there.  When my son was arrested for a serious crime after I’d tried to be the best mother I could be, I felt alone. Angry. Hurt. Fearful. Disappointed in God. Those feelings intensified following his conviction and sentencing.  

Here’s what I began to learn.  I needed to give myself time to grieve my losses.  Maybe you’ve been there, too. I discovered it’s okay with God to cry out my pain and hurt.  Our tears matter to Him. 

Then I started communicating with God in a new way.  When life was intense or busy, it was hard to read an entire chapter of the Bible.  But I discovered I could read a verse or two.  I began meditating on those verses and praying, “Lord, what do you want to speak into my life as a result of this Scripture?”  Then I started writing out what I believed was His prayer over my life.  And it comforted me.  It was as if God took me by the hand, as a father would guide a child, and gently led me in the direction of unconditional love, renewed hope, and fresh faith.

I read Matthew 7:7-8:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  As I asked for His direction, I began to write:

        You’ve been stressed and anxious about future events.  There are work concerns and family issues, along with financial challenges. It’s hard to concentrate on what you have to do today, because you already know the week ahead is filled with impossible situations—and you’re not sure what you should do.  

Instead of worrying, talk to Me.  I love to respond to your requests.  Worrying about what hasn’t happened yet and about what might never happen is fruitless and only robs you of the strength you have today.  You will find Me if you look for Me, and I will provide all you need in perfect timing.  I am never 

late.

As I continued to listen to God’s voice through His Word, I wrote out 365 prayers based on Scripture for every day of the year.  I hope you’ll be encouraged through these devotions in He Holds My Hand (Tyndale).  Each day’s selection begins with a relevant quotation, followed by a prayer, and ends with a Scripture verse or passage. Listen to God’s voice and put your hand in His.  He is your Comforter, your Healer, your Teacher, and your Joy.  Whether life is good or unspeakably difficult, He holds your hand—and He won’t let go.

“I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.”  Psalm 63:8

Purchase Carol's new book here.

Bio:

Carol Kent is an international speaker and the bestselling author of When I Lay My Isaac Down and Becoming a Woman of Influence.  With vulnerable openness, irrepressible hope, restored joy, and a sense of humor, she directs you to choices based on God’s truth. She annually directs the Speak Up Conference, training Christians in speaking and writing skills. You can get information on her newest book, He Holds My Hand, or on inviting her to speak at your event at www.CarolKent.org.  Connect with Carol on Facebook at:  www.facebook.com/authorcarolkent and on Twitter at:  www.twitter.com/CarolKentSpeaks.

A World of Our Own Making?

A world where hearts will cease their aching

will be a world of our own making

When we start giving more than taking

we'll find what's lost is worth the cost

Lyrics by Ed Kee

Music by Randy Kartchner

If you have been listening to the news at all lately, it seems like our world is in an upheaval. From hurricanes to NFL player protests - what on earth is going on? Is the lyric to this song really true? Do we really have the ability to make a world where hearts cease their aching?

Once in a while, these days, I tune into the news but most of the time I'm tuning into the music for this year's Portraits of White winter concert. It takes me months to learn the songs, memorize them and plant them deep into my soul so that it's one seamless night of inspiration! As I "soak" in the music, I also meditate on the words and pan for nuggets of joy and hope like a prospector might pan for gold. Many of these nuggets will become potential gems for the concert.

This year we are including a new song co-written by none other than Ed Kee, the conductor himself and Randy Kartchner. The standard for a song choice for the concert is simply that it be a GREAT song, whether it's known or not. No one twists my arm for song choices and Ed certainly didn't push for us to use his song. I just felt that the song fits this year's concert and so we've included it. I LOVE the song.

You'll certainly hear songs you know and love, probably played in a way you haven't heard, but no Frances Drost concert is complete without original tunes. The lyrics posted above come from the song "Christmas All Year Long". It has a great message for the times we live in.

Ed Kee, conductor and songwriter.

As I've been learning this song, my first reaction to this verse lyric, "a world where hearts will cease their aching, will be a world of our own making" made me stop and think. As a Christian, we would usually say that Jesus is in charge of all things and He is the maker of our world, right? 

So shouldn't we just pray and leave it up to GOD to make it better? Doesn't it sound a bit humanistic to think we could create a world where hearts stop aching?

Can we make THAT much of a difference in our world? 

The more I've meditated on this lyric, the more I must agree with the writer (and not just because he's my conductor) but because I believe that how we treat each other has a big impact on our world. Small acts of kindness go a long way.

One musician sent me an email after last year's concert, thanking me for the opportunity to be a part of the event and though he loved the concert, he seemed to most appreciate how he was treated. That spoke volumes to me and reminded me that above and beyond the music, it's more important that I treat everyone involved with kindness.

What kind of world are you making where you live? A smile, an encouraging word, a pleasant post on social media, a donation to a charity that's helping others survive the disasters, spending time with your child and giving them a chance to speak their mind and not shut them down; there are so many ways we can make this world a better place. 

"If it's Christmas in our hearts

then may our gift be love

and hope our song

when men are blind to all but kindness

compassion will remind us

it's Christmas all year long"

Ed Kee

Randy Kartchner

Click here to purchase your tickets to see this grand event and consider inviting others to come with you as a gift of love to them.

Our Own Set of Wheels

His rich baritone voice rose above all the others, partly due to the fact that he was sitting right beside me, but also because he seemed to pick up on the new song quickly. I paused part way through the song and told him he had a beautiful voice. He seemed touched that I noticed. 

As we continued singing and conversing together I learned that at one time he had been part of a barbershop quartet. I already knew from our first group songwriting session together that his mother had been a talented piano player and one of his big life regrets was the fact that he didn't take lessons from her when she offered to teach him. 

My purpose in connecting with this gathering of elderly people was to gain experience writing songs with groups as a way to build community among various circles of people - whether it be organizations, patients or in this case, residents of a retirement community. 

This was my second organization to work with this summer. Though my heart pounds a little bit before I enter the room of complete strangers (knowing I promised we'd write a song as a result of our gathering), I always walk away inspired and take home a deeper appreciation for the path each human being walks. Though each story is so different, there are definite similarities and it's a huge sense of satisfaction to write a song after gatherings such as this one. 

There were three recurring themes I heard as these precious elderly people sat and pulled back the curtain for just a moment so I could get a peek into their life. 

• Travel 
• Family/love
• Food

I felt a twinge of sorrow in my heart as I resonated with them, remembering that those were the things my mother missed the most in her last years on earth.

Many of this group were widows and widowers who had been married well over 50 years. And then we talked about their pets. I loved how one woman talked about her two parakeets; Bruce and Pete. It was obvious they brought her lots of joy. Ah yes, we mourn their departure almost as much as humans. Okay, so maybe there were four recurring themes! 

The first week I met with the group, I sat and simply asked a lot of questions and took a lot of notes. I wondered if the group might have some curiosity (and even doubt) about the fact that we were going to come up with a song based on their information. At the end of our first hour together, I assured them that songs are simply lyrics and melodies that come from stories and phrases. If they'd just keep talking, I'd come up with something. 

At the end of the hour, one woman said, "This was fun!" But initially, it was hard to get any of them to actually come to the session in the first place. Many seemed apprehensive so I ended up going from room to room with the activity assistant to introduce myself and encourage them to come.

We were only able to gather about seven, but once they agreed to come, I found that if I'd ask the right questions, even the introverts started to talk. Writing a song is a fun and challenging process, but they provided enough keywords and themes that I felt like I had something to work with. 

At a recent songwriting workshop I sponsored, Robert Sterling, a hit songwriter, and the guest teacher, told us that all good songwriters are good listeners. I took great comfort in that statement because I knew that I could gather material if I just listen. 

Normally, we'd need hours to dig through a thesaurus, dictionaries, and word menu books, but I had to do that later in the privacy of my own studio. A week later I returned(a week later) with a song ready for them to tweak if they wanted. After all, it's about them so I wanted them to have that chance. 

I knew I was seeing the realization of my idea and my hopes, all the while touching people at the same time. What more could I want?

I took my guitar and some Rita's Italian ice for the unveiling of the song. Since one of their big hankerings was for food, I wanted to take them a treat. It was such a beautiful day that we ended up sitting out on the porch. Amongst all the activity of the ambulance, transport vehicles and people coming and going from beauty salons and physical therapy, we learned the song together. 

As the sun warmed our backs, the collective activity seemed to warm our hearts and Rita's Ice was a great way to conclude the day. It all started with an idea.

First comes thought; 

then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; 

then transformation of those plans into reality. 

The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.

Napoleon Hill

Do you have some ideas? Can you find some small ways to start testing them? You never know what might unfold if you try.

Due to privacy issues these days, I can't post pictures or video but this is the song we created based on their sentiments. You'll even see what foods they were hungry for. Maybe you can taste them as you read the lyrics. 

Maybe you could go visit your loved one who sits in their chair, day after day, wishing for their own set of wheels.

Our Own Set of Wheels

by Frances Drost

for Bethany Village participants

it’s too boring just to sit here snoring

let’s take a trip this afternoon

good-bye high rise and hello to blue skies

we won’t be coming back ‘til June

we’ll have steak in Nebraska

fry some fish in Alaska

make our way to New Jersey

celebrate our anniversary

see our children for the day

eat some meatloaf made our way

we would eat our favorite meals

if we only had our own set of wheels

we’ll stop whining and enjoy fine dining

we’d like some homemade pumpkin pie

no more knitting we’re so sick of sitting

we’ve got a hankering to fly

we’ll have steak in Nebraska

fry some fish in Alaska

make our way to New Jersey

celebrate our anniversary

see our children for the day

eat some meatloaf made our way

we would eat our favorite meals

if we only had our own set of wheels

Bruce and Pete those silly parakeets

say they would like to join the fun

we’ll be stopping for some extra toppings

let’s eat the pizza on the run

we’ll have steak in Nebraska

fry some fish in Alaska

make our way to New Jersey

celebrate our anniversary

see our children for the day

eat some meatloaf made our way

we would eat our favorite meals

if we only had our own set of wheels

Orange or Brown?

I walked by my zinnias this morning and their brilliance made me stop and ponder their beauty. Next to a brilliant orange flower was a dying bloom, marked by the boring brown color. What a contrast. I paused to take in this ever-inspiring process of growing flowers.

As I continue preparing for this year's Portraits of White concert, I think of how this applies to following our dreams. For instance, I'm currently working on writing a song about snow for this year's concert. I LOVE snow. I know I'm weird, but that's what the title theme song is all about and snow removes the winter blahs, at least for me. I love sharing my heart with the audience each year and finding creative ways to make us all pause for one night and be inspired. Writing a song is one of the ways I go about this.

I'm watching a lot of ideas and lyrics turn brown and "die" because they just aren't there yet. But within the death of those old ideas and lyrics, lie seeds to new ideas and the more I keep "working the soil" in songwriting, the more my little garden of writing grows. You'll get to "pick a bouquet of inspiration" from the music the night of the concert and take it home with you and it will all be because of the cycle of how things grow.

Everything has a process. I would prefer to have only bright orange blossoms growing all the time, but to get those beautiful flowers, they must die to produce new seeds for the next year. At some point in the next few weeks, I'll pluck all the dead blossoms and store them in the basement so they can dry. Within the fading brown petals lie plenty of seeds to grow more next year. In fact, my yard has flourished with zinnias this year thanks to all the seeds I gathered and kept last year.

Maybe you've had to move recently and start new friendships. Perhaps you didn't get the grade you hoped for in class or you've had a sudden crisis of health.

Whatever you are facing these days will often contain brown, "dead-looking" flowers, but within those dry blossoms lie the seeds to a potentially bigger and better garden. As you sort through the seemingly fading blossoms, look for little seeds of hope. They can be planted with the promise of Spring.

At some point, your flowers may end up on someone else's table and bring them complete delight. You may never know what kind of impact your little seeds may have. Just keep tending your garden. There is life in both orange and brown!

To learn more about this Portraits of White concert, click here.