photo by Jason Brown of Revival Art Studio rastudio.ca

Rebecca
I've shared a bit about Rebecca before... I love this photo of the two of us just before the Love Shines concert.
This precious girl loves singing and I want to encourage this gift in her.  There is something that she experiences when she sings that I identify with - it is a way to express a part of yourself that doesn't come out any other way.  When Rebecca sings, people pause.  She sings from her heart, from her soul.  she sings with a voice that understands that life is complicated but also that life is beautiful.  She sings with emotion and with passion.  When we sing 'Ordinary Miracle' together, there is a tenderness we share as well as a passion from the heart.  Rebecca has a dream to sing for the rest of her life.  I want to be part of making that dream a reality for her.  In the meantime, I will enjoy inviting her to sing with me and she will continue to step out on her own as well.  This week Rebecca, Boris (her dad) and I will be performing in Abbotsford at the Songs, Strings & Steps performance.
I will enjoy every moment of singing with Rebecca again.

Cathy & her band of men

photo by revival art studio www.rastudio.ca

  This photo was taken just before the Love Shines concert on April 16th - you may not be able to tell - but there were still a few butterflies in my stomach at this moment!  These guys really were fantastic that night and I want to tell you a bit about each of them ...
On the far right - Philip Janz.  Philip is the guy that produced the whole CD and engineered and mixed it as well.  He is incredibly talented as a musician and as a producer.  He has an amazing ear and understood the direction of many of my songs as I shared them with him in a simple form at the beginning of the project.  Philip believed in me and pushed me to be the best.  He was an amazing support for this release concert and played drums and sang with me.  I love this guy!
Beside Philip - Peter Davyduck.  Peter is a new friend of mine and I love his positive energy.  He was so supportive in the studio and gave his all at our rehearsal and performance on the 16th.  Peter - I want you to join me again!
Between me and Peter is Kevin Boese. Kevin I have known the longest of this gang....for around 16 years.  He has been a faithful friend and a huge supporter of my dreams.  He has served me in a zillion practical ways with setting up sound equipment, performing with me and encouraging me in my dreams. He is a great friend and was an awesome support at this concert.
On the other side of me is Brian Thiessen.  Brian did an incredible job of playing various guitar-like instruments on the recording.  His musical touch adds a lot to the Love Shines CD.  Brian put his back out on the week of the concert and was in tremendous pain that night.  But he served me in the midst of his pain and played incredibly.  Thank you Brian.
Beside Brian Thiessen is Jonathan VanDyke.  Jon and I have been friends for around 5 years now and he has an incredible voice.  It was awesome to have him there at the concert to add some harmonies and textures vocally.  thanks Jon.

On the far left is Boris Sichon.  Many people after the concert came to me and told me how much they loved the concert - and then they would add......and that Boris!!  Wow!  Boris has travelled all over the world performing on many world stages with his talent.  To have him support me in my musical dreams has been a deep honour.  I have learned so much from working with him and have enjoyed every minute of it.  Lots of laughs and good times we have had sharing music together.
what a great group of guys to surround me as I sang my heart out!!

photo by Jason Brown of Revival Art Studio  rastudio.ca

Easter.....my thoughts today

photo from revival art studios  revivalart.ca



Easter - my thoughts from walking in the woods today.....
I see in nature that things die.....life ends.....
and I also see that in the dead stump of an old tree a new tree coming in the centre.
I find evidence of death and new life everywhere -
that this IS life -
things die - and things are reborn
This is resurrection.
To embrace in life a knowing, an understanding
that sometimes you have to let go
sometimes you need to yield to death
but even as you do and you don't know what will happen
because you really, really have to let it go
there is a mystery that happens in the dying
a mystery of life
that new life emerges
where a death has occurred.
This I know.
This I have tasted
A Life Reborn

Stories about children from Saturday's Love Shines 
CD Release concert:

8 year old male student of mine during Land of the Silver Birch, 'Mom, I just love this song. I love it when Cathy sings it for our class.  it is soooo beautiful.'  He said this with tears in his eyes.

8 year old female student of mine that found me back stage and gave me the 'thumbs up' at half-time to her mom,  ' mom, I just went and told Cathy she is doing a good job.'

5 and 6 year old brother and sister of my new friend from drumming - both crying during Breathing Together....they were thinking of their grandmother in Alberta and were overcome with emotion from the song.

7 year old girl who has listened to the CD and has put 'Every Time' on replay until her mother is going crazy!!  She was so delighted that we did it TWICE in the concert and was dancing away.

I have been so touched by children.  I heard once that you can tell your connection with a child by the light in their eyes.  If the eyes are sparkling and shiny, you are able to communicate...but if the eyes are downcast and dull, very little can be transmitted from you to them.  The power of connection with a child is always amazing to me and one that I never take for granted.  To know that children, even very young children, emotionally connected with the music of Saturday touches me very deeply.
To have a child also want to give me the 'thumbs up' is so precious - she wanted to let me know that I was doing OK - because that's what a friend would do....and we're friends.




Listen to samples from the Love Shines CD

If you want to hear some tunes......you can get a taste here on the Emerton Records site.
you can order a digital copy here too - and hopefully a hard copy soon.

A Day of Gratefulness - time to give thanks

photo by revivalartstudios  rastudio.com

Yesterday marked the celebration of a dream;

the dream of a girl to sing and to share her songs.

It was a beautiful day and I am so grateful.

I had a thank you speech prepared for last night - and I forgot to give it!

But maybe this is better, because I can get it all out here and make it public

Yesterday was huge day in my life ......so many small baby steps to make one big step

I have taken many of these steps in solitude

in the hidden places of my heart

but recently these steps have had to be more public and I've taken more 

risks in sharing my dream with others...

and then allowing them to join me in my dream.

Last night I felt so honoured by so many who have come to 

believe and celebrate this dream with me.

I felt incredibly supported and surrounded

and I want to thank those who gave of their energy yesterday and in the days 

leading up to this event in incredible measures.

I want to thank the musicians for encircling me with their presence and musicianship - 

Philip Janz, Brian Thiessen, Peter Davyduck, Kevin Boese, 

Jonathan VanDyke, Boris Sichon, & Rebecca Sichon.  You all were such a joy to work with last night.

I want to thank Terry Neudorf for all the incredible work he did for me with the sound.

I want to thank Steve Klassen and his team for setting up my 'forest' and creating the space for my heart.

I want to thank the women who baked for our half-time food - the money donated goes to support someone going on a Silent Retreat at the Mark Centre; 

Joyce Kehler, Brenda Janz, Cathy Crawford, Evy Klassen and Wendy Vandenberg

I want to thank Deborah Handley and her team for organizing the 

front door and CD sales - incredible job!
Thank you to Charlie & Connie Peters for being the fire wardens for the evening.

I want to thank Darcie & Jason Brown for their photography which has been donated for this Love Shines CD and Release Concert. Your work has brought beauty & dignity to this project.

Thank you to David Vandas who did the video work last night - it was a privilege to have you come and share this night and record this memory!

Marika - your energy these past two weeks towards making this evening the best it can be has been such a beautiful gift.  You have gone way past any expectation I ever would have had and have blessed my socks off.  Wow - and wow.

thank you to everyone from Emerton Records who came out and supported this event and supported me personally throughout the evening.

I want to thank Evy Klassen for introducing me and being the amazing friend that she is in my life.

I want to thank my family who was there; my husband Brent and my daughters Pera & Brianna - all my siblings were there; Grace, Val & Randy - and their spouses; Steve, Ingrid & Dave.....

 my nephew Steve from South Carolina, my neice Karen from Vernon.

Thank you to all the other friends, extended family, and all other guests for coming and making 

April 16, 2011 an incredible celebration of Love Shining!

Jonah, the time in the whale is over

photography by revival art studio rastudio.ca


This morning I was telling Marika, my new friend...
(more about this amazing woman in another blog!)
how I've related to the story of Jonah.  It really is a great story - of being swallowed up.
It has been a story I've related to as I've gone through  a huge period of my life where
dreams felt swallowed up and it was dark in the belly of the whale.
We've been conditioned to be afraid of darkness.....and I was very afraid of my own darkness.
We've also been conditioned to disapprove of unproductive periods in our lives -
but when you're in the belly of the whale - it's hard to be
extremely productive.
We forget what happens in nature in the darkness.
Under the ground is all darkness - but that is where growth happens..
it is where a seed is safe enough to develop...
it is where the roots of a tree develop to sustain a marvelous plant
 that gives life to others.
It was in my darkness that my soul was born again.
I came alive there in the darkness....it was slow
but it was real.
And now.....now is a new day.
I've been spit out of the whale. It feels a little scary at times.
But it is time.  Time to tell the stories.
Time to sing the songs.
The songs that came in the darkness have powerfully impacted me
and I am ready to share them
with you.
Hope to see many of you at the concert tomorrow!!

'and this is grace.....an invitation to be beautiful'

this week an angel came to me

her name is Brenda

She's a real person, but this week she was an angel too.

I guess she was paying attention to something beyond herself

She was thinking of me and felt she was to give me a song

She bought me a CD and brought it to my house

She had no idea what was going on for me

She had no idea what I needed

But she listened and followed through 

and showed up at my door

with a gift

of a song

This song has a line in it that has been going 

through me over and over

'this is grace...an invitation to be beautiful'.

Sometimes it is easier to wear clothes of shame, guilt, fear or anxiety.

It takes courage to 'rise up' and put on clothes of dignity, self-respect, and beauty.

To own our 'beauty' we must believe in our intrinsic value as a human being.

To embrace our 'beauty' we must know deep down we are treasured.

To embrace our 'beauty' we must BELIEVE

that we ARE somebody

To embrace 'beauty'

is to embrace a belief that Life is beyond just 'survival' - 

Life is worth celebrating.

Life is beautiful

We are beautiful

Let us see the beauty in each other.

Love Shines

Release Concert - this Saturday April 16th - 7:30pm 

Matsqui Auditorium Abbotsford

tickets available on-line:  Emerton Records

Love Shines now on ITUNES!!!!!

special pre-release price this week

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rise-up/id431629421?i=431629476&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Life is full .......full of joy and sorrow - all mixed together!  A friend from my faith community died this past week, my parents are in frail health, and life feels fragile on multiple levels.  At the same time, I am captivated by watching an eagle soar over my head as I pause in the woods, the beauty of the daffodils blooming in my studio, the smile of a child, the clear, kind eyes of a stranger looking at me, the glory of a song, the warmth of a friendship, the warmth of the sun on my face.  On Saturday I will sing.  i will sing with my brokenness.  I will sing with my humanity.  I will sing with joy.  I will sing with knowing of great beauty and the power of love that is beyond all things.

Looking Up

photography by revival art studio rastudio.ca

Yesterday we looked up 

It was the one year anniversary of the 

passing of Christian Friesen, my nephew 

and a few of us gathered at the cemetery to 

place his ashes in a beautiful wall, called Dogwood.

Instead of hanging our heads in sorrow, 

we released balloons and 

looked up.

It was a sign of hope

A choice

to keep going-

to have faith in tomorrow

to keep dreaming-

to LIVE.

Yesterday was also a celebration of a birth

....I picked up 2000 copies of Love Shines !!

My goal was to have it ready by March 25 

so I could give the first copy to 

my brother and his wife...

and that happened.

Love Shines in the middle of our darkness

Love Shines is a CD filled with hope. 

I'm so excited to share this with everyone.......

soon.....

April 16th - come to the 

CD Release Concert- 

and celebrate LIFE with me.

'singing through it all'

today I felt tired.  It has been a wild 3 weeks.  Dad has been in and out of surgery and things are still uncertain for him as he remains in ICU at present. Mom has been a trooper but fighting her own health issues & caring for dad.  My sister Grace had a heart attack.  My sister Val had to deal with a biopsy that we found out yesterday was cancer free (yay).  We are also facing the one year date on Friday for Christian, the son of my brother Randy.
wow - some moments have just felt completely overwhelming.  At the same time I've been aware that many people go through moments like this....life sometimes brings things on a pile.
I've been reminded of some of the words from the song, Courage for Today.....coming out on the Love Shines album.
I sang these words to myself today as I walked through the woods.....

'my song.....my song is singin'
my song is singing
my song is singing through it all
Because Love is strengthening me, givin' me courage for today,
Ya, Love is strengthening me, givin' me courage for today.'


lyrics from Courage for Today ......from Love Shines  - being released on April 16th, 2011

photography by Revival Art www.rastudio.ca

Song Stories 
Love Shines CD Project

'Breathing Together'

Ps. 23 ’you make me lie down in green pastures; you lead me beside quiet waters. you restore my soul.’


This weekend I've spent time with both my parents in Vernon, most of our time together being spent in the Intensive Care Unit.  Both my parents are physically exhausted from the stress they have lived through these past 2 weeks in particular.  They are also facing much uncertainty in the days ahead.  Dad is still in ICU and his condition is 'serious'.   There were moments in our time together where we shared great memories from the past, laughed about crazy moments, and spent time in quiet silence together - overwhelmed at the present circumstance.  A couple of times, I said to dad, 'let's just breathe together' and it was a way to share our time together without need for conversation.
The concept of 'breathing together' has become powerful for me these past few years.  One evening 4 years ago I was having a difficult time and having a hard time breathing due to stress.  A friend came, placed her arm around my shoulder and didn't say anything.  She just 'breathed' with me, until my own breath was steady and calm. Somehow the power of her presence was much more powerful with quiet breath than with any words she could have ever said in that moment.  


The song, 'breathing together' reflects the heart of this experience and the invitation to rest that I find in psalm 23.  

excerpt from 'Breathing Together'  from the Love Shines CD

When my soul is weary,

when my heart is heavy

Then you come & you tell me

Lie down, lie down

As I rest my body

then you lie beside me

And you breathe with me

And you breathe with me

Today - In ICU

I arrived in Vernon today.  My dad has been in ICU for the past week due to severe complications from a surgery and has come close to death.  Right now his condition is serious and we don't know what the next few days will bring.  On Sunday, my older sister Grace had a heart attack and joined dad in ICU.  Needless to say, it has been a rather stressful week for all of us.  Grace is recovering and will probably be discharged tomorrow.
I've been very concerned about my father and it was good to finally be at his side this afternoon and evening.  Tonight became a significant moment for the two of us.  It is hard for dad to talk and each word takes time to be formed and communicated.  He made a big effort to communicate some things that were on his heart for me.  He told me that life is too short for dreams not be be realized.  He reminded me of some of the difficult years I have been through and that he admired me for keeping a dream alive in spite of so many challenges.  In short, he offered me a blessing and let me know that he 'sees' me and is 'proud' of me.  This is a great gift and one I will cherish as I live into my dream of sharing my songs.

And so on behalf of my dad, I invite us all to pay attention to the dreams that are deep within our hearts - listen to them, nurture them, honour them - life is too short not to live into them.

Stories from Love Shines
Steven Lacoursiere
Nephew Extraordinaire

Steve was born when I was 11.  I'll never forget how excited I was when he came into my life!  I was the youngest of 4 kids and I was thrilled to have a new baby come into the family.  As Steve became a toddler and young child I spent a lot of time playing with him and taking him for walks around the

 neighbourhood when my sister would come home with her family.  Steve was a precocious child and seemed to always get into mischief.  But I adored him.

Steve has had a huge part in the Love Shines CD especially over the past 5 weeks.  He has put together the graphic design for the album which you will see in a few weeks.  He has put in countless hours over the phone with me and invested his evenings and weekends into this project as a gift of love.

To receive all that he has done for me is very humbling and I am truly grateful.  Yesterday topped the cake though as he made extra phone calls on my behalf to deal with some practical challenges we were facing.   He really didn't need to do this for me, but he did.

I love this guy - have ever since the day he was born.

And I think I am now realizing - he loves me too.

Thanks Steve.

photo by revival art studios  www.rastudio.ca

Love Shines CD Release Concert

April 16, 2011

7:30pm

Matsqui Auditorium Abbotsford

I want to sing.

This is the message that came up from my core that day 

12 years ago

when I stood on the street corner of North Decatur Road and Clairmont in Atlanta, Georgia.

I had been asked 'what do I want'? two weeks earlier by a professional trying to help me deal with my deep depression.  I was dumbfounded by the question.

I had no answer.

all I could think of was what other people would say.

I had lost my voice.  I didn't know who I was or what I wanted.

I didn't know my own heart any more.  I was asleep.

I held this question throughout my days and nights and to my great surprise, this childhood longing emerged that day as I waited for a cross-walk sign.

I paid attention....and auditioned for a community choir.  it was the beginning of finding myself again.  My voice was soft and weak....frail.  But I sang with this choir for 3 years and gradually grew stronger.

It has been a journey - to find my voice...a long, long healing journey.

This concert is a celebration of that journey.

I invite you to join me as I sing.

I want to share these songs with you and with as many people as I can.

you.....are on my mind


February 24 - yesterday.  Was and is a big date now for the Hardy family.  3 years ago yesterday, my nephew Trevor was killed...   hit by a drunk driver.  He was just approaching his 19th b-day.We gathered last night at his parents, Stephanie and Arwit Dueck to celebrate his life and remember him. It was a great time.  But of course filled with pain as well.  


And today....February 25 is the 11th month anniversary of the death of my nephew Christian, 17 years old...son of my brother Randy and his wife Ingrid.  We are approaching the 1 year in March and part of me can't believe that he has been gone this long. 


For both of these families, they have had to face shocking loss, unbearable grief and the choice of how to now live.  To choose LIFE in the midst of such sadness and loss takes incredible courage and dignity and strength.  To observe this in people you love is truly inspiring.


The question has come to me - how will you then live?  How will we all live?
There is a quote by St. Irenaeus that has come to reside deep within me - 


'The glory of God is a human being fully alive'


To be fully alive is perhaps the best answer I can give....to choose to be present, to choose life, to choose gratefulness, to choose to take risks in following dreams and passions...to fully live....is how I can say to these two boys I love.......Trevor & Chris.....you are on my mind

A Journey into Gratefulness

'Do you think this just another day in your life? 

 It's not just another day.  It's the one day that is given to you. 

Today.  

It's given to you.  

It's a gift.

It's the only gift that you have right now.

And the only appropriate response is

gratefulness'  

Brother David

I am inspired every time I take the time to listen to Brother David and his invitation to a daily life of gratefulness and to be present - to fully engage with what is right now.

What am I especially grateful for today?

amazing friendships

dreams being realized

generosity of strangers and loved ones

photography by revival art studio  www.rastudio.ca

a tribute to my mom.....

This week my dad turned 80 and I wrote a bit about him.  But now I also want to write a bit about my mom and what I am so grateful for in my mother and how these elements have influenced my life and this Love Shines CD.

As a child one of my best memories of my mom is following her through the woods of Harrison Hot Springs.  She would go many Saturdays into the woods to collect ferns, moss, pussywillows and wildflowers in a huge basket she would carry with her while my brother Randy and I trailed behind.  At home she would turn these wild elements into enormous displays of nature (and works of art) that would greet people at church the following morning.  As my brother and I would follow mom in the woods I remember sometimes being afraid of wild animals.  There were stories of bears and cougars around Harrison and I was terrified of meeting my end along a lonely forest trail.  But my mother seemed to have no concerns such as these - she not only walked in the woods, she marched in them as if she owned them.  My mother loves the  outdoors and has never been one to show much fear.  If she wants to go somewhere, let nothing stand in her way....even a bear.   Mom has also spoken lovingly of her childhood in the prairies and walking out in the open spaces by herself.   I don't think she was afraid then either -  she loved and still does being outside in nature - and celebrating the beauty that she finds.  She has built enormous gardens, made special places for birds to come, and makes an effort to go walking outdoors as many days of the year as her health and the weather allow.

I think mom's love of the outdoors got into my skin and down into my bones.  Breathing that wondrous fresh air every day, looking at the amazing mountains around me in the Fraser Valley, and spending regular times walking in the woods has become like my daily cup of coffee....how could I survive without it?  ( I definitely CANNoT survive without my morning coffee!)
Mom - thanks for your enthusiasm for the beauty that surrounds us and having the eyes to see it and appreciate it and for taking me into it.
There are many more things I can write about my mom - but that is for another day and another blog :-)

APRIL 16th - YOU ARE INVITED
LOVE SHINES RELEASE CONCERT

Well.....a major step has been taken and the Matsqui Auditorium has been booked for a LOVE SHINES CD release event on Saturday, April 16th at 7:30 pm.
Tickets and posters will start going out next week - but I wanted to announce the date today to let people start to know.
More info to follow next week!

Song Stories #11
The Journey of Being Known - and the story of the bent over woman

photography by Revival Art Studios  www.rastudio.ca

Today Shaw Cable is airing a segment on me, my career of teaching piano, and the journey into my own music.  I have watched the clip twice now before anyone else will see it.  Part of me is terrified for anyone to watch this.  The camera comes very close to my face - revealing all my imperfections!  If beauty is skin deep - then I want to run and hide!!!!  I've struggled often with my appearance ( as many of us do!) ....and it is intimidating to allow the public to come so close to me.  However, a comment has been ringing in my head that a close friend spoke to me last week:  ' Cathy, trust your presence.'  What kind words - and words that bring me back to truth - that it is our essence that we bring to each other and that is truly 'beautiful'.
To know our own inner 'beauty' is a difficult journey for most of us - it sure has been for me.  My inner heart has been 'bent over'.  One day when I was struggling in particular with my life and how my heart was feeling - I went deep into the woods of Mission for a walk.  I poured out my heart there.  And then I saw this big stick and felt compelled to take hold of it and walk with it.  As I walked with this stick, these words poured over me; 'Rise Up Woman- Rise UP'.  Wow - to be called to rise up - lift my face to the sky and stand tall - when I sure didn't feel like it!  But it was a call to me - and I had a choice in how to respond.  I have realized at times it is almost more comfortable to stay 'bent over'.  I am less visible there, I can allow self-pity there, I am not responsible there - I remain a victim.  When I lift my face up and stand tall - I take my place and bring my presence.  This is terribly frightening - to be fully present.  But I am learning it is also a great gift.  It is a gift to myself, to others and to the One who gave me breath.  To live small and bent over is to disregard the gift of Life that has been given.  To embrace this Life in me - means saying YES to being fully alive and allowing others to come close to that Life in me....and allowing you to see me on Shaw Cable!!!
You will see my imperfections - but hopefully you will also feel my 'presence'....which doesn't have an image factor value placed on it - which is incredibly freeing.

Here is an excerpt of the words to the song that is on the Love Shines album that came out of that experience in the woods;


Rise Up  (and it is the black soul woman in me who sang this song - you will see!)


when my heart was troubled, I went to the woods to pray
when my heart was troubled, I went to the woods to pray
In my darkness You sang to me - woman, I have set you free
Take off the chains of sorrow, remove the veil of fear
find you courage, find your strength
lift your voice and stand up straight - Rise, I'm calling you to rise


rise up woman, rise up
rise up woman rise
rise up woman, rise up
rise up woman rise

there is a Gospel story from Mark 13 where Jesus healed a woman who was 'bent over'. He broke all the social taboos by speaking to her, inviting her to stand with the men and also touching her.  I love, love, love this story and it has also become my story in this song.

Happy 80th Birthday Dad 
Stories for Love Shines - the blessings from my father.....


My father turns 80 today.  It is a huge milestone to reach 80 years of living.  Dad has experienced cancer for the first time this past year and gone through 2 surgeries but is coming out strong.  He has been determined to live life to the full and has stayed active in any way he can.
As I have reflected on who my dad is, I am grateful for many qualities he has.  One quality that has been a real inspiration to me is his love of staying physically healthy and strong. He learned to ski in his 40s and continued that sport until last year - he hopes to hit the slopes again.  He plays tennis, bikes, and loves a vigorous round of ping pong.  His activities have put him in the top percentile of his age group with health and given him a wonderful quality of life.

Another gift my father gave me was his own journey in following his dreams.  After being a pastor for many years and then a counsellor, he decided to go back to college and become an ESL teacher.  To make a decision like this at 65 years of age takes a lot of courage, sense of adventure and determination.  To pursue following the Love shines project - I have had to face the fear and thought in my head - I AM TOO OLD - it is TOO late for me to dream.

But knowing that dad kept dreaming about new things and then trying them out has been an encouragement to me in my own life to take risks and to try.
Perhaps the greatest gift he has given me that has influenced my life and is truly a part of the Love Shines album. The gift my father gave me is his life of prayer.  As a child, if I wanted to find my father, I would look for him in his home office.  Many, many times I would silently open the door to find my father on his knees by his office chair.  He would be holding his head in his hands and all was still and quiet.  As a child and teen I knew that my father greatly valued his spiritual journey and that it was the centre of all the decisions he made.  He sought through prayer to find strength, direction and wisdom for his role in the community and his personal life.
One way that dad pursued his life of prayer would be to go away for personal silence at retreats throughout the year.  It would be time set apart from schedules and demands and would be filled with time to listen and to rest.
It has been a discovery for me in my 30s that this practice of time set in silence is a powerful gift.  These times for me have become like anchors in my life....setting my course and giving me stability.  It is a gift to know that my father also lived this way and maybe without realizing it, set an example of a lifestyle of prayer.



Happy Birthday Dad - thanks for all you are in my life.