Remind Me!!!

Remind me!!! I forget to blog! But I forget a LOT of things lately! If it weren't for my cell phone alarms, the world would see a lot more Wilson's sitting on more curbs:)

I have an alarm set on my phone for 5:50 am, to get Jonathan up so he can make it to basetball practice. I pray immediately, asking the Lord to "help" Stephen sleep another hour. Nothing like a 1st grader crying for me to make his lunch at 5:50 a.m....2 hrs before he leaves for school!!! :)

No need to go back to sleep, since David & Michael need up soon. I try to squeeze in some quiet time. Sometimes it's quieter than others!!!

Next comes the challenge: simultaneously awaken the 3 elementary kids. It has to appear to each child that they are the first one up. It's a game. Whispering to each "would you go wake up the others?" Each stays in bed, saying "You always ask me to get them up!" So we're safe.

Yes, sibling rivalry dominates in our home. You should see me make their sandwiches at the same time, so they can all three say "Mom made mine first!!!!" Oh, and filling the water bottles is even more fun!!!

Usually, Barry does the morning carpool run. That is such a huge blessing for me!! And for the kids & their friends. But when he has a meeting, well, let's just say GONE IS THE BLESSING!!! Mornings were voted least likely to succeed, in a poll that included BOTH of my eyelids!!! Oh, that's funny. Remind me to be funny. Real, but funny.

Afternoons are similar, with alarms set, to remind me to be home when some of the kids are to arrive, and to help me remember to go pick up those junior high boys. Lord help me!!!

OK, this is a little sidenote, but I thought it was interesting...this is Psalm 90:12-17 in The Message....
Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you're best at—
the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!


"Come back, God" ummmm Did He leave? And notice line for "treat your servants with kindness for a change." I can almost hear the ppl lamenting!!! That is so ME!!! Remind me NOT to ask God to do something "for a change" ~ never!!!! I'm not sure about the skipping and dancing part, either.

Remind me, Lord, to see your love at daybreak...to look to You as you rule and bless Your children...remind me, Lord...

Favorites

2 of my favorite people: My Mom, Mother of Many & My Brother, Brother of Many

We have a running joke in our family: You're my favorite niece. Or you're my favorite brother. Just fill in the blank. Guess it's our way of reminding each other that we treasure the other person!

I was thinking of how much I love my family when I called "home" today to talk to Moma and my sister who is there. I was NOT feeling like Mom's favorite as Patricia handed her the phone.

It started out with the usual, "Hi, Mom, this is Eva!" To that, she said "Hmph. I'm surprised you have time to call me!"

I was speechless! Absolutely speechless! Then she started naming random activities, like, "With all the scuba diving, reptiles, horses, sculpting, how could you remember to call your mother?"

Whaaaaat?

Well, it just so happens that our family has a family website & and someone doctored up my profile, without my knowledge...Mom found it today...(I suspect it's my brother pictured, thanky very much, BURT!!!)

Hobbies and Interests
Aquarium , Astronomy , Auto Mechanics , Ballet , Bicycling , Card/Board Games , Carpentry/Woodworking , Computer Games , Cooking , Crafts , Dancing , Debate , Drawing/Painting , Electronics , Fishing , Gardening , Genealogy/Family History , Hiking/Camping , Horseback Riding , Hunting , Music (listening) , Music (playing/writing) , Opera , Poetry/Writing , Reading , Running , Sailing , Scrapbooking , Scuba/Snorkeling , Sculpting , Sewing , Shooting , Stamp Collecting , Theater , Waterskiing , Writing , checking all that apply is one of my favorite things!!!
Type of Person I Am
Adventurous , Analytical , Animal Lover , Athlete , Computer Addict , Couch Potato , Creative , Do-it-yourselfer , Domestic , Feminine , Has Everything , Health Nut , History buff , Humorous , Jock , Movie Buff , Romantic , Sports Fan , Tool guy , checking all that apply is one of my favorite things!!!
Pets I Own
Bird , Cats , Dogs , Fish , Horse/Pony , Reptile/Amphibian , checking all that apply is one of my favorite things!!!
Sports I Participate In
Baseball , Basketball , Bowling , Boxing , Cycling , Football , Golf , Gymnastics , Hockey , Ice Skating , LaCrosse , Rugby , Skiing/Snowboarding , Soccer , Swimming/Diving , Tennis , Track and Field , Volleyball , Wrestling , checking all that apply is one of my favorite things!!!
My Favorite Colors
Black , Blue , Brown , Gold , Green , Orange , Pink , Purple , Red , White , Yellow , checking all that apply is one of my favorite things!!!
Types of Food I Like
American , Chinese , East Europe , French , German , Indian , Italian , Japanese , Mexican , Middle Eastern , Polynesian , Russian , Scandinavian , Thai
Types of Music I Like
Gospel
Types of Movies I Like
Classical Literature , Historical Fiction , Mystery

Chances are, I have something in common with YOU, right???!!! The biggest laugh is the sports...I haven't even played those sports on Wii. The food section is pretty much on the dollar, since I'll eat anything that doesn't eat me first, right?

Seriously, now. This list made me think about the things I truly do enjoy. Many of my true interests are different now than those I held dearly even 5 years ago. I was 30 when I learned to sew. Almost 40 when songwriting arrived at my heart's door. No telling what might be lurking on my front porch right now.

How about yours?

Hope you have a great day as you re-discover YOUR favorites, and possibly find a new interest! I'm ready, willing & hopefully able!!!

How about you?

Praying on Election Day

Almost everyone I know has expressed concern about the "place" the USA is in. Fear of the future can paralyze us. Let's once again (and again again) place our faith in Christ. We can only find freedom through fear, through faith.

It's true that our country stands at a crossroads. But let me remind you, the future holds NO surprises for the Lord.

Yes, we need to continue to pray, even on Election Day. To pray in truth, not out of fear.

We need to go boldly to the throne. God is in control, and, either way the election goes, we as the body of Christ needs to be strengthened. We need to shine brighter, truer, clearer.

Let's remember Prov 21:1

The LORD controls rulers, just as he determines the course of rivers. CEV

aka:
Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses. The Message

and even:
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. KJV

and let's never forget to cling to the God of this Scripture:

Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God. Ps 20:7 NIV

(whithersoever...put THAT in a song!!!)

Oh, speaking of songs, if you think about it, pray for Stephanie Raymond. Stephanie's love for God is infectious, and it's truly been a joy to get to know her! An added perk is that she has a beautiful voice! I was surprised to find out that she is including 3 songs I wrote/co-wrote on her new CD. On Nov 4, she plans to record You Say (Wilson/Zody), Own Me (Wilson/Ferrin), and Me & Faith Hill (Wilson).

Just another reason to pray ON Election Day!!!

Gentle Arms of Jesus

When we received word that our friend's little grandson passed away last night, God stopped me in my tracks. I had been grumbling, complaining, griping, and more. About nothing. Truly nothing. Nothing matters now.

Praying the Lord will comfort, as only His spirit can. There are no words. But we try.

I wish I had this song finished, but my co-writer, Carrie, will be singing it. As a photographer, she was looking for a song to use, to give in a keepsake slideshow to couples who have lost a young child. Since I didn't have anything like that, I offered to write one, with her help.

Please pray that the Father will use Gentle Arms of Jesus to touch lives. We all suffer, we all fear the unknown...but losing a child leaves an emptiness that only the Lord can fill.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6704080

Gentle Arms of Jesus
(c)2008 Carrie LaFollette/Eva Wilson

VI
You were growing, I was growing, too
Knowing I would share my hopes and dreams with you
Treasuring your sweetness, my little child within
Someday we’ll never have to say goodbye again

CHORUS
I believe you were the answer to my prayers
Although I couldn't hold you very long
He will always keep you in His tender care
For the gentle arms of Jesus are strong
Oh, the gentle arms of Jesus are strong

VII
I have questions I don’t understand
But I know you’re safe now in His loving Hands
Resting in His presence, surrounded by His light
His peace washes over me His arms hold me tight

bridge:
I wanted one more lullaby ~ one more goodnight
One more way to say I love you, my child
The Lord is watching over you,
He'll take good care of you
He’s singing over you

CHORUS
I believe you were the answer to my prayers
Although I couldn't hold you very long
He will always keep you in His tender care
For the gentle arms of Jesus are strong
Oh, the gentle arms of Jesus are strong

Thinking About Heaven

Another hard day. It was so much easier to ask for prayer for these families the other day, but prayers are very much appreciated still, because both men did pass away. I actually thought about deleting the previous post, questioning why I even try to blog. Yet as I sorted through emails tonight, I saw the comment (prayer) my dear friend, Lisette left on my previous blog. It reminded me about the journey we have with the Lord.

It's so important that we share the journey with each other. Some days I hope something I say will help you hold on to hope. Other days, I can almost hear you laughing with me. Still other times, I realize that the transparency in others has helped me take the next step. How I want that in my life. To be real. Transparent. True. Nothing to hide.

Speaking of nothing to hide, gotta share this picture from the 80's...it's my Grandma Ragsdale, as she hid in the pantry so she could hear. Let it be a reminder to stop what you're doing, and steal a few minutes away, so you can listen. Someone Special has something to say to ya!!!


And, before I forget, it's no coincidence that I started a song about Heaven this week. Been thinking a lot about things to come. Once again, God crossed my path with a great writer, and he joined me in this one. Here's the start:

Great Day
(c)2008 Eva Wilson/LeWain Dysart

V1
I see a light shining over there
I know it’s drawing me to come near
Out yonder no darkness no fear
It’s the light of Jesus shining fair

Pre
There’s no more night ~ Jesus shining bright
ch
Gonna be a great day in Heaven
When all the saints get home
Gonna be a great day in Heaven
We'll meet around the throne
Shouting hallelujah, amen
We'll sing redemption's song
Gonna be a great day in Heaven
With Jesus on His throne

Prayers Appreciated

Time stands still on days like this. Received sad news.

My cousin, Mike, is in a coma. He's been in poor health, but I didn't expect this. I'm holding onto a thread of hope that he could recover, but right now it's not looking good. I haven't seen Mike in many years, but I'm close to his sister, Mary.

My niece's husband's father also fell ill. Not expected to pull through.

So hard on the family. Prayers appreciated.

The Lord brought this Scripture to mind today, and it brought comfort. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life." Prov 13:12 Reminds me that here on earth, our hearts are sick with grief as hope is deferred. But the tree of life awaits in Heaven, for all who believe in Christ...and our desires will be fulfilled there.

you ARE the weakest link

Ok, so I would have never made it far on Weakest Link. Nor Are You Smarter than A Fifth Grader?

I gave up on trying to keep the house just so. And I gave up on getting the dishes & laundry "done" ~ I surrender. I'm raising my white flag!!! I hereby resolve to SAY SO when I don't understand the homework, instead of helping a child limp along.

Ta-Da!!! Feels better!!!

Just got an email from Ms. _____ saying:

The answer should be x is less than or equal to -10.

When you divided by -2....you have to "flip" the inequality sign.

If you multiply or divide by a "negative" number...you
have to flip the inequality sign.

why I don't blog more often

Ms. _____,

I have a question about the answers
on the homework that was checked in
3rd period on Oct 27. _________ made a 40.
I was surprised at that.

Can you explain why
"37 is lesser than or equal to 17-2x"
was marked wrong,
when his answer was
"-10 is less than or equal to x".

He took -17 from both sides,
which left "20 is less than or equal to -2x".

Then divided both sides by -2,
which gave the answer of
"-10 is less than or equal to x"

That's one example of how he solved it
by the same rules used in #1 & #2,
which were done in class.

He had planned to go to tutoring,
but I checked his homework and thought I helped him!

Can you give me the answers to that worksheet,
or let me come to tutoring?

:)

Thanks,
Eva Wilson
note to self:
don't spend hrs trying to figure out homework!!!

Write About Jesus ~ Lessons Learned

Here's the re-cap of my weekend at the Write About Jesus workshop. I feel like I'm writing a movie review, and I want to say just enough to make you want to BE there, but not reveal the plot and conclusion. It has taken me a week to reduce this blog draft to bare bones. I really can't say enough about the Clinicians, but don't want to say too much their classes...I want you to COME if ya can!!!! If you are a songwriter, you just have to put the workshop on your calendar for '09. Third weekend in Oct, I believe.

OK, here goes:

Co-writing Demonstration w/ Joel Lindsey & Twila Labar ~ Thursday pm Would the deer-in-the-headlights look ever leave my face? I was truly astounded by the way Joel and Twila hammered out lyric, genre, mood (major/minor stuff), melody, beat, and even to bridge or not to bridge (Twila sure is a rhythm-girl ~ wish I had that!!!)...all as if there was no one else in the room! Truly a fly-on-the-wall experience, and it was an excellent challenge. As of that night, I had only co-written "live" with one person, Glenn Green. I'm happy to say that it was a great write. Our song will be on his cd, released sometime next yr. Watching Joel & Twila gave me tools for future opportunities. (update: The next day at WAJ I was able to sit down and work on a song Mike Mitcham & I had started online. The next week, God opened the door for me to work on songs with a friend in our church. Great stuff happening! Yay, God!!!)

Recognizing Genres w/ Joel Lindsey & Holly Zabka ~ It was a joy to be in Joel's class again...and Holly also knows what she's talking about! Main points were to do your research so you'll know your target, your audience, and your artist. They discussed the difference between Southern Gospel, Inspirational, Praise & Worship, Adult Contemporary/Christian Hit Radio, Pop, Rock, and Choral Anthems. They encouraged us to write each song toward a specific genre, instead of being "genre-less." Makes sense to me! IMHO, the words themselves tell the genre. Sometimes you can write backwards. Sometimes it's more poetic. Others, you want to say something without saying it. Hanging with Holly & Joel made me wanna WRITE! Mission accomplished!!!

Crafting Great Lyrics w/ Dave Clark ~ Dave Clark. I was told I HAD to go to a Dave Clark class, and I'm so very thankful I listened to that counsel!!! Did Dave address lyrics? Did he even mention songwriting? All I can remember is the Spirit of the Lord was in that place, and He was carving "love Me more" on my heart. I did take notes. Lots of notes. I wouldn't have remembered the teaching if it weren't for my trusty notebook! Some lines from Dave's talk: *Songs are SEEDS falling on different kinds of soil. Some Hard ground. Emotional ground. Healthy ground, etc. *Be transparent, but don't flaunt it. *Always write as simple as possible, but never simpler. *To be a better writer, you need to be a better listener (to God) AMEN!!! Gets ya to thinking, no?

Knowing Your Gifts and Limitations w/ Mark Roach ~ I have followed Mark's music ministry on myspace for a year or so. He is an amazing writer, and has so much to offer. Mark meets you right where you are. He pointed out his own weaknesses in writing, and how he had to learn to not focus on improving on those weaknesses. Instead, he works on strengthening his strengths. This was great for me to hear, as I find myself drawn into the desire to sing and dance. Just kidding. The desire is to sing and play the piano. But if I can zoom in on writing lyrics, the Body of Christ stretches and grows, drawing in other writers and artists to complete the song. Maybe we'll shine clearer and brighter if we're walking in humility before the Lord, saying "I need help with this." I appreciate Mark's transparency (and I'm disappointed that he didn't share a song with us in that class...oh well, maybe next yr!!)

Writing for the Country Market w/ Don Poythress (and Chad Cates, yeah!) ~ OK, of all the classes, this is the one where I walked away speechless. Don & Chad taught as they passed the guitar back and forth. I felt like I was in my parents' front porch. Things they said pierced my innermost parts. I didn't expect to be challenged spiritually in that class, but I was. Tremendously. But it's not because of the things they said. It was their meekness. Here are 2 successful writers, just sitting around like brothers, spontaneously giving examples of country songs that could prove their points. And they weren't "their" songs. That was cool, to see how they admire other ppl's work. Oh, and one thing Don said that I hope I keep tucked away in my heart forever: Write from the heart, from a real place. Oh, and another: Country music doesn't TELL you how to feel; it MAKES you feel. It was all great. Don & Chad's class made me wanna write with depth. Dig deeper with words. I'm loving that!

Out of the Box and Off the Wall: Writing for Kids w/ Johnathan Crumpton, Gina Boe & Sue Smith ~ I NEEDED this class. You'd think I'd know all about writing for kids, since I've been surrounded by little ones since I was a little one myself! But it was awesome to pull away and learn the nitty gritty, such as the structure of kids' musicals. They say that kids' music is an area where songwriters need to write within the box. Keep it real. Keep it simple. Hm. Some of my grown-up music might work better as kids' songs. Hmmmm.

Writing on Assignment for Your Church w/ Gina Boe, Sue Christensen & Lisa Qualsett ~ Curiosity kills the cat, right? I attended this just to see how the process works. I love Gina, Sue & Lisa, and wanted to find out how they do what they do. I don't know that I'll ever have the opportunity to write toward specific church goals, but I'm willing! For my church or yours. hahaha. That reminds me of a Kelly Willard song from the '80's. I remember singing it at a youth camp talent show. Little did I know that it would come back to haunt me for many years. Little did I know it would be my crutch, helping me realize I needed to ask the Lord to give me a willing heart, in many areas of my life.

Willing Heart, by Kelly Willard
If you don't have a willing heart,
ask Him to give you one
If you can't seem to make a start,
trust in His power
For the Lord of love is watching you
He sees what you're going thru
And He will make a way if you want Him to
Oh, do you want Him to?
Then tell Him so. He wants to know.
Go on and tell Him so.

Whehehehew. that's good stuff!!!

Being Your Own Publisher w/ Twila Labar ~ To publish or not to publish. I've been asking myself for 3 yrs. My greatest hesitation is that I find it hard to promote my own material. When Twila started teaching, I wondered, "Why am I even in here? I don't want think I could be my own publisher. I don't want to be perceived as pushy." But I knew I wanted to learn how, so I could make an educated decision.

Was I ever surprised and delighted to hear Twila's story! The Father revealed some of His plan for me that afternoon. As she talked about building bridges, I realized I never set out to build bridges, but the Lord established that in my life. It's not because of anything I've done. It's His work. And the acceptance of other writers and artists. I can't explain why God shows favor in those ways, but I'm fovever grateful. As people have cared for me, taking me under their wings, I also want to continue to draw in the writers who are just beginning. I find that so refreshing. I'm not equipped to train, but I love walking hand-in-hand with those who are just beginning to explore writing about Jesus. I love that about God!!!

Twila gave helpful tips for Independent writers, and where to find more online. Her personal walk really ministered to me, except when she talked about goals from early on in her songwriting career. I've been writing almost 4 years now, and have never set goals. Don't get me wrong, I have little goals, like, writing every day. I do that. But bigger...that's the hard part. I tried it that evening. Goals like that don't feel right to me. They seem lofty, unattainable. I gave them to God...might re-visit them someday!!!

To top off the weekend,
a group of artists performed at
The Crooked Tree Coffeehouse.
Great people, great music.
SWEET TIMES!!!!

l-r Allie & Nick LaPointe, Benton Stokes, Sean Smith, Chris Filer

Write About Jesus Workshop 2008

Thank You, Lord for taking me to the Write About Jesus workshop!!!
I know it was YOU!!!!

Thank you, John & Sue Smith,
for capturing the vision and, with God's help,
making it soar!!!
Although this was only my first time to attend,
you welcomed me in as family!!!
Thanks for being REAL!!!
For being all God wants you to be!!!
You DO make a difference!!!

And the drumroll, please ././././././././././.
introducing my "new" lil bro, Eric, and his wife (and me)

A huge highlight of the workshop was getting to meet Michelle & Eric Myers of Troy, MO. Eric and I have written together for over a year, but hadn't met until Thursday. Woot-woot! Yay, God!!! I just posted some of our songs HERE Holding Me, No Regrets, & I Will Sing. You'll LOVE them...ck 'em out!!! Eric is an outstanding writer, and it is a privilege to call him my brother!

You, Amazing Me, is also posted, which came from a quiet time with the Lord. By the next day, Eddie Cavazos, of San Antonio, had sent me a beautiful production!!! I couldn't believe it!!! I entered You, Amazing Me into the song competition. It didn't place, but I know it's the one the Lord wanted me to submit. Having songs critiqued was a great experience.

In my open critique session, I was comforted to see the familiar face of Mike Mitcham, an awesome online co-writing friend...Mike & I started several songs earlier this year, and committed to finish at least one (this year? did we sign on the dotted line?) She Whispered to God is probably my favorite of those we've written together. I'll post when it's done. But there's also a southern gospel song, a contemporary Christian one, and I believe I sent him a lyric that answered Oprah's question about "What About Jesus"...can't wait to finish that! The open crit went well, btw, as Phil Mehrens listened and gave suggestions on how to improve Shadow of El Shaddai. I appreciated his feedback for minor tweaks. Great man. Great musician! I admire Phil's calming affect on a room...he doesn't create tension:)

That group was filled with excellent songwriters. I know this tiny speck of iron within me was sharpened by the chunk of iron seen in their lives!!!

That was Friday. On Saturday we had our competition song critiqued. That was quite interesting. Twila Labar & Johnathan Crumpton were the judges. They were EXCELLENT!!! I learned from their feedback for my own song, but also for the other songs that morning. Such depth and experience...but they walk in all humility and meekness. I think that's what I was most impressed with, that none of the clinicians saw themselves as superior to others. And they spoke the truth with love!

There were classes other than critiques...here's the list of the ones I attended...I'll tell what I learned in tomorrow's blog:

1. Co-writing Demonstration w/ Joel Lindsey & Twila Labar
2. Recognizing Genres w/ Joel Lindsey & Holly Zabka
3. Crafting Great Lyrics w/ Dave Clark
4. Knowing Your Gifts and Limitations w/ Mark Roach
5. Writing for the Country Market w/ Don Poythress (and Chad Cates, yeah!)
6. Out of the Box and Off the Wall: Writing for Kids w/ Johnathan Crumpton, Gina Boe & Sue Smith
7. Writing on Assignment for Your Church w/ Gina Boe, Sue Christensen & Lisa Qualsett
8. Being Your Own Publisher w/ Twila Labar

It may take more than one day for me to write about those, no?

All in all, I felt like I was at a family reunion. You know the kind, where, you ask someone "who's that? I know her face, but can't remember her name!" I've known several people from simply interacting on the WAJ discussion board, but it was such a joy to meet face to face.

As at any reunion, there were missing faces. I was missing Andrea & Edwin Parker (it was Andrea who introduced me to WAJ and she listed ME in her cd's credits, as her mentor...exactly who mentors whom?). Other WAJ regulars had to miss...even some clinicians took the year off. I heard names again and again, as ppl were looking for friends. Maybe the 10th anniversary, in 2009, will draw us together before the Lord, for some special time together!!!

What a blessing to meet those who promised to pray for Liz as she faced the challenges in Africa! Nothing compares to the sweetness of gathering with those you've been pulling for, asking God to bring healing, provision, direction, protection...oh, the list goes on, how a prayer request draws hearts together.

Before I forget, I do want to admit that I stuck out a sore thumb with my TEXAS ACCENT!!! Plus, I had a few "oops" moments, like, one time when I said, "Bless his heart" about someone whose music is very popular because it's GREAT, I was told, "Where I'm from, that means he's already 6 feet under!" Well, I guess I'll drop THAT from my vocab!

I was about to POP when Kerry Cox got up to sing "The Best View Ain't Always from the Top" because he's a great family guy AND it's a great song that reflects just that. I was singing along, cuz we'd crossed paths and we exchanged ideas about our songs...I felt like a proud mama in the crowd because I was the only one singing along. I tried to be discreet. Really!!!

Tricia Zody NAILED her song (oops I forgot the name of it...but I love all her stuff)

Dean Pyle. New to me. Great stuff. Oh, Dean was the WAJ tshirt guy!!! Yay!!!

Kara Smith of Cheyenne, WA. Felt like I'd known her forever. Diamond Horizon is a beautiful song, Kara!!! Keep singing!!!

Melisa Joy Wood you better keep in touch!!!

A fly on the wall at my house? Enter at your own risk!!!

I had a worktape playing tonight after dinner, and accidentally left it (repeating) while I ran an errand.

It's the song with Tim Juillet. Tim has a very deep, piercing voice that obviously draws the listener.

At one point he sings "Only One, Oh, Holy One, You are the Only Holy One."

When I got home, what a joy to hear my daughter-in-law singing it, from upstairs (with depth, no less!!!)

Less accurately, I heard my 12 yr old, Jonathan belting out "Obe One, O Obe One, Obe One Kenobi"

Whehehehew!!!! Gotta love my life!!!

Joys of Co-Writing

Tonight I couldn't go to sleep. Well, not yet, anyway. I just couldn't settle in without reflecting on an awesome blessing God has graciously given me recently.

I've lived most of my life within the framework of serving on a team. Can't recall Dad or Moma ever calling our family a team, but that's how we lived. Working together, at home & Dad's business, we learned quickly to give and take (mostly to give!!!!). I can now see that the Lord was equipping me, not only for having a family of my own, and for ministry, but also to learn to give-and-take in this so-called songwriting.

The Father amazes me again and again...for instance, here's an email I sent Tim Juillet August 10th, 2008:

I'd love to see what the Lord does, Tim. I'm definitely stronger on lyrics than music. Have you co-written before? Tell me about yourself, and what your hopes and dreams are, before the Lord.

Let's commit to honor the Lord in all we do and say...that's wayyy more important than any song we could ever craft!

There are some guidelines I have for co-writing...here are a few:

1) Write what you know, from personal experience or at least what you've learned from others;)
2) If it doesn't soar, let's put it on the back burner. Maybe re-visit later.
3) Be tender-hearted, but thick-skinned. Brutally honest.
4) When we decide a song is finished, neither the lyric nor music can be used with another song.
5) Keep each other updated. Ex: we don't want to both enter the same song into a contest. Waste of time and money. (and one of us waste a song that could have been heard)
6) I hate deadlines. The few songs I've tried to get demo-ed for a deadline (contest) were rushed.
7) Pray, pray, pray.
8) If I send you a lyric idea, I will tell you if it's complete, as is, or if it's a seedthought....there are some pieces I work on for months, and I believe there's not much room for tweaking (too dear to my heart.) Others, I'll say tweak or toss. Sometimes there may be one phrase, or even one word that is "worthy" of building a song on. I'm ok with that. Totally!!!
9) The rights to the song are 50/50 if there are 2 writers. If we bring in another writer, it would be 33.34/33.33/33.33 ;) and so on. (I have one song that had 4 of us writing!!! arrrrgh very hard, but worth every bit of it!)

There are other courtesies I haven't covered, I'm sure:) but that's it, off the top of my head.

About me:
I've been married to the love of my life for 23 yrs. Barry is pastor of adult ed at Houston's Second Baptist Church, North campus. We have 9 kids, ages 6-22. Although I've only been writing for 3 yrs, I believe the Lord is requiring me to write! It's for my spiritual livelihood, to be able to express the greatness of God in the universal language of music. I want to encourage and strengthen the body of Christ, and subtly teach His character through words and music. It's my desire to reach out to those who need to know that there is hope for today. And I believe the Father wants to reclaim some of His sheep who have wondered away from Him. If a song He puts in my heart can be an instrument, I want to be obedient in writing every day.

I'm affiliated with BMI and CCLI. And I'm a grandma:) 5 wk old Jacob is my tiniest heartthrob!!!

Now it's your turn!

God bless you, and I mean that!!!
:),
eva
ps If you have a lyric idea, give me a shout! I'll get started on it. If not, I can send you a few ideas.

Well, we didn't really talk much until toward the end of September. But God then met with us, and we're building a song that lifts up the Lord Jesus...what could be better? My part (lyric) is pretty much done, as I've hesitantly sent bits and pieces to Tim. It's been an excellent experience, and I can hardly wait to hear the finished product!!! I'll share the link once it's ready! Yay, God!!!

btw, here's some of Tim's work...beautiful music, for our beautiful Lord!!! I pray you can meet with the Lord as you listen/watch:

www.youtube.com/timjuillet


PS: Toward the end of writing our song, we were down to a very special part of it, and Tim wrote this:

Like you might go into a very spirit filled church, & the music minister might pray a prayer that uses direct reference to s scripture. It might be cool to find a scripture that specifically will work here...? hmmmm...

Well, that wasn't hard!!! I go into a very spirit filled church every week. And our pastors & other leaders have no problem proclaiming the Truth as they pray. (And God led me to the right passages to use there...thank You, Lord!!!)

Can't believe my ears!!!

Andrea C Parker just released her 11-song cd, and she recorded 3 songs I co-wrote!!!

December Rain (Townley/Wilson/Miller)
Let Us Pray (Utz/Wilson)
Carpenter's Clue (Parker/Wilson/Parker)

You can hear samples at

http://www.indieheaven.com/artist_main.php?id=4005

If you'd like to buy one, leave me a message here and I'll email you her email address:

ackparker@gmail.com

$10 plus $2 shipping:)

or you can use paypal to order, through

http://andreacparker.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-cd-is-here.html

Symptomatic

I'd like to ask for prayer for Liz's close friend, Sonnie.
During the past 3 weeks,
she experienced symptoms ranging from headaches, dizziness,
left leg occasionally losing feeling,
blurred vision in one right eye, and the list went on.

The doctor suspected brain tumors or
Multiple Schlerosis as he reviewed her MRI.
Her spinal tap results were positive for MS.

I believe Sonnie is in her last year of college.
She is an amazing young lady.
Strong in the Lord.

Please pray the Father gives Sonnie
wisdom concerning treatment.

We are trusting Him for financial provision,
as she has no insurance.

Most of all, she is asking the Lord
to draw others to Christ,
through her suffering.

Sarah, Palin and Tall

I was impressed when I saw this today. I believe we are a divided nation, and that we will be. Let's pray for the future leaders of America (and for we/ussens followers).

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1766638341

For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Ps 5:12

Women in Black

Well, we survived the trip to the dentist. But I left the "just-in-case" bottle at home. So Hannah & I came back home instead of going straight to lunch.

At that point, I should have stayed home. Really. I should have just stayed home. But no, I had a gift card and coupon for Chick-fil-A, so I kept my promise to my little one. It was just "our" time, since Dan was home with Jacob.

Everything was fine at Chick-fil-A, except that I sat at the wrong place. The lady next to me was dressed in heels and a black dress. I should have known better. She soon approached me, asking me if I would take a few minutes with her to talk about Avon.

I could have gone into the big long story about how my 8 yr old and I never have time together, as she always has to share me (or that I have to share her)

I could have gone into a big long story about how I don't remember the last hot meal I ate. HA.

I could have gone into a big long story about how bad the waffle fries are if you don't get 'em while they're hot.

But I chose to toss my friend Paula's name out there, and how wonderful she is with Avon and if I ever wanted to be a rep, I'd sign up with Paula.

I thought that was enough but Mrs. Avon wouldn't back off until I finally just smiled, and said, "Look. I have nine kids and their STUFF. I don't want any more stuff to keep up with." She and her co-conspirator (other woman in black) laughed and backed down. They made phone calls until the third gal came along for their meeting.

I overheard them talking about other places they would be going, to pass out business cards. Chili's, etc.

Funny thing. Hannah was on the playground for a little while and came out saying, "Watch my hair when I come down the slide!" It was really funny, because of the static.

But every time I smiled or waved, Mrs. Avon looked at me like "oh, maybe she changed her mind!!!"

You betcha, I changed my mind. We'll be eating at home for a while!!!!!



You betcha. I

Oh, I forgot I had YOU!!!!

You know something? When I call my mom, I usually identify myself. Being the youngest of nine, and the mother of nine, I know how helpful it is to actually know who I'm talking with. Every once in a while, when I say, "Hi, Moma, this is Eva" she replies "Oh, I forgot I had YOU!!!"

Up until recently, I thought she was kidding.

Today I was nervous about running a few errands, as Grammie. I've been out of the baby routine for just a few years, but it's amazing how quickly I'd forgotten how to do things.

• Like how to load a diaper bag. Last week I put everything except diapers in the bag. This week I almost poured bottled water into a 3 lb container of formula. There's a reason YOUNG people have babies.

• Like, how to buy groceries for 11 ppl while feeding a two month old his bottle. Baby did fine. I guess I did, too. The true challenge was keeping all the women at the store from slowing me down! Could they not see that I was on a roll? I had 12 more rows to conquer! His happy disposition was not on my side. The more he cooed, the longer the other Grandmas stood in the middle of the aisle. Every aisle. And they had so many questions. And I had all the answers. Yes, he's mine! No, he's not mine! Well, yes, he's mine! I really would have had more kids, if I wasn't so exhausted. And so confused! By the time I was leaving, I was thankful I'd remembered to go thru the check-out.
  

• Oh, and I'd forgotten how to carry a baby in a carrier and grin while swimming upstream in the high school hallway. It seemed simple enough, to drop the forgotten athletics clothes by the office. Actually, it wasn't so difficult to keep a smile on my face, as I was meditating on the fact that I need to drop off the stuff in my right hand, not the stuff in my left hand. Wonder what Michael's coach would have done if he'd brought baby Jacob to gym!!

Tomorrow I'll take Jacob with me to a dental appt for Hannah. If you happen to find a random baby in a waiting room, he's mine.

Labor Day

As we tried to talk with the children about the meaning of Labor Day, one of my kids suggested that today be Mom's Day, since I'm the only one in the house that really knows what labor is! More on that later.

It was a Labor Day like none other for much of the Gulf Coast. Prayers were going up through the day, for those fleeing from Gustav, and even more so, those who dared to tough it out. If it was me, I'd be first in line to get out of town.

Yes, I'm chicken. And I'll continue to be chicken. I plan my chicken-ness. Don't you?

We were also watchful to see if it was turning any toward Houston. I guess I could have made it to Cleveland on my 1/4 of a tank, only to find that they were fresh out of gas. Oh, the gas gauge is broken on Barry's van. Remind me of that if we ever have to sit in traffic for long!

I'm so thankful that Gustav didn't gain strength as it approached the coast. Praying the Lord would have mercy, I shouldn't have been surprised that it calmed a bit. I don't understand natural disasters. And I don't like them. I guess that's one reason I'm chicken. Bawk bawk.

When I think of labor, I think of hard work. Almost unbearable work. Seems like the hardest work I do these days is to train myself to not worry. The projected path of the storm for Tues is right thru Liz & Ruth's college town, and then on to visit Moma and family there. There's a reason the psalmist says "WHEN I am afraid, I will trust in You" instead of "IF I am afraid..." I'm trusting Him to keep them all safe, as always.

But I look at a storm as a picture of the things that we face that are more real than wind and rain. Our lives are flooded with decisions each day, to choose right instead of wrong. To run or to bear the pain. To care or not care. To love or not to love. The waves of darkness can be overwhelming. That's WHEN I am afraid...that's WHEN I will trust in You, Lord. Spiritual storms. No warning for those...no tracking. Or is there?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I managed to celebrate "my" day by slipping away from the house for about an hour. Alone. Several friends have told me about external hard drives, saying I need to back up all my info on my laptop. It's the only place I have all my songs (plus the brilliant lyric ideas that I haven't done anything with YET). So I ventured out to Best Buy, along with half of Houston. It was so busy. I was sure they would be sold out of the one I wanted (on sale). But there was one left. Oh, yes!

Then I went next door, to Office Maxx, to get some Kraft paper, to cover my high schoolers' books. Last year's fine for a damaged book is all it took for me to want to cover them myself! Somebody's gotta be the mama, right? Honey, I reinforce them babies. With duct tape. Every fold, every corner. Duct tape here. Duct tape there. I don't take a chance. And BOYS are soooo rough on their books!

But my true agenda for "my" outing was to buy tape. Lots of tape. And caulk. For Barry. He was painting our bathroom, and was running out of masking tape. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I didn't like the color! He wanted to say "but YOU picked it!!!" I could tell he was struggling for the right words. He looked around the room. And then looked again. Poor guy. Even after 23 yrs of marriage, he doesn't know what to say. Then he saw the stupid grin on my face, and he knew I loved it afterall.

I then returned to my 17 loads of laundry. Ha. But just when I thought I was tired of washing and folding, I came across a stray. All it took was a navy blue onesie to remind me that it's worth it all. And that was a reminder to pray for my peeps as I do their laundry...it turns my heart toward God, and toward them, as well. I used to pray for my hubby and kids as I ironed their clothes, but I no longer buy clothes that need ironed (or get ironed?!?!).

Yes, I'm loving my life ~ and the fruit of my labor ~ love!

Whoa. I just read this. It was random rambling. I don't dare go back and edit.

Katrina's Anniversary

shelter

I saw a handmade sign similar to that as I drove
from Houston to Dallas in Sept, 2005.
It's very telling, isn't it?

I can't believe it's been 3 yrs since Katrina hit the Gulf of Mexico.
In some ways, it seems like it was more recent.
But in other ways,
it was so long ago.
May we not forget the darkness of the heart of man,
and the need for the Light of the World!

As we pray for the safety of those of us in the Gulf,
let's remember to pray for their spiritual safety, too.

Psalm 91:1-2
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
He is my God, and I trust him

Back in 2005, the week of Katrina,
the Lord poured a song into my heart.
I was in the middle of studying Isaiah 60
in a Joy of Living class,
and Arise and Shine jumped off the page.
I was familiar with the passages,
and had the childhood song etched in my mind
(Rise, Shine, give God the glory, glory).

But this was a more somber look at the passages:

1 Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the LORD will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy
16 You shall know that I, the LORD,
am your Savior and your Redeemer

Darkness did cover New Orleans, with no electricity,
then deep darkness covered the people,
as rioting and looting broke out.
Yet the Lord did indeed arise over His people,
and His glory was seen,
as we served in the shelters in Houston and elsewhere.

Martin Luther King Jr. said
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that."

I pray you can meet with the Lord
as you listen to Arise and Shine.

And I pray you will find shelter in His shadow today!!!

Arise and Shine, at http://www.soundclick.com/evawilson

Congratulatons are in order!!!

Congratulations are also in order to my dear friend,

Andrea C Parker, for hitting #10 on IndieHeaven's FanFaves!!!

Thank you for voting! It will be on FanFaves until Sept 13 or 14. (So will Closer Than Your Heartbeat, at #14 today)

She posted December Rain in honor or the 7th anniversary of 9/11.

We will never forget the sacrifice given on 9/11/01. I will never be the same.

God bless America. And America, bless God.





Now, on a much lighter note:

The family survived 5 days of school!!! And I didn't have to rush to Wal-Mart for last minute supplies, until Thursday night, when we realized we were short by one binder!

Btw, I love the stock-up-and-save sales, but it's awkward when the cashier looks at me as if I'm hoarding. Sometimes I've explained my family size, but Ms. Cashier never believes me. (Don't worry, Lady, there's not a straightjacket on planet earth that could hold my sags and bags!)

But this year, I went through the self-check! Ha! So weird to feel like I'm inconveniencing someone by buying so much. That's a character quirk in my life: fear of inconveniencing someone.

Anybody else out there feel that way? It's not like I'm a doormat. Nothing like that.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I was never voted "most likely to succeed" or any of those notorious labels we hang on people. As a matter of fact, there was a new honor created the year I graduated. I think some of my teachers liked me, and wanted to do something to recognize me. lol.

Most courteous. Yup. That was me. Seriously.

Don't tell my kids, though. They think I'm rude. Always barking orders. Well, what do they expect from the Enforcer?

Anyway, congratulations are in order to all the principals, teachers, kids, safety patrol-ers! And how about all those home-room moms and those like me, that I call home-RUN moms:

Hurry, run home, mom, before they sign you up to do something ELSE!!!

How Would SHE know?

This IS the Day that the Lord has made

I WILL rejoice and be GLAD in it!!! 1st day of school!!!! Yippee!!!

Yes, I will miss my kids! But they thrive in routine (me, too!!!) and they are READY!!!

The kids are odd this year. 1st, 3rd, 5th, etc. Praying for all...especially my 2 college girls:) Praying HARD and LONG for all their teachers!!!! Big day for all!

Hey, we are back to our "original" household size as of today...those of you who know me know exactly what I mean. With a huge Grammy grin;)

Music Note: In only 10 days, December Rain has climbed to #37 and Closer Than Your Heartbeat #39 on http://www.indieheaven.com/fanfaves Thank you ALL for voting! You can vote once a day per computer. ***vote by clicking on star on far right, next to song title.*** An artist can only post one song at a time, but Andrea C Parker recorded December Rain, so it's legal:)

Several of my other co-writers have songs there, too...

Eddie & Laura Cavazos is #14 (Eddie is setting 3 of my lyrics to song!!!)
Tim Juliett #23 (we're just starting something)
Ken Lang #34 (we started a song a yr ago...does that count?)
Joey Nicholson $49 (we wrote Awesome One together)
Give them all a listen!

(and my close friend Cynthia Miller's song Falling Up is AWESOME...#16)

God BLESS you, and I MEAN that!!!

Closer than Your Heartbeat, the song, the story

In all humility and gratitude, I'd like to share this story:

Over 2 yrs ago, while I was in a Bible study class called MotherWise, something Denise Glenn had penned in the workbook jumped right off the page at me. Pierced my heart with truth. She said that Jesus is closer than our very heartbeat. I began writing notes in my margin, and after class, went straight home so I could sing back to the Lord. I never dreamed I would ever share it with anyone else, as it was so close to my heart.

But God had other plans. and I sent a little worktape to my then-new friend, Deborah Ivris, in Israel. Deborah had translated a few of my songs into Hebrew, and her voice is so clear and resounding, it blessed my socks off! I only sent Closer Than Your Heartbeat as an encouragement to her heart, but soon she sent me an a cappella version back to me, expressing her heart, how the Lord had ministered to her.

Well, for over a year, the file sat in my computer. I don't have the know-how (or talent) to build a songtrack. I hear it in my heart and head, but can't get it from point A to point B.

But while on a forum at http://www.christiansongwriters.org the Father crossed my path with Paul Sumares of CA. He is brilliant & talented, but most of all, desires to honor the Father. We agreed to work together on several songs.

To my surprise, Paul took Deborah's vocals and crafted the song!!! Even with my meager chord ideas and inability to keep time, Paul structured this beautiful arrangement!!!

Thank you, Jesus!!!! (and many thanks to you, Deborah and Paul, for letting hear with my ears what I'd wanted to hear in my heart!!!!)

Here's what Paul said, in response to my note of thanks to him:

I see an arrangement like this as analogous to taking one's already beautiful daughter and adorning her with fine robes, perfumes and jewels … presenting her as a bride for the Son of the King. The tune, lyrics and spirit of the song are the main value of the gift which is offered out of love to God (the daughter). But the arrangement is a pleasure we have to gather some of the more precious and pleasing elements we see around us (which God Himself placed there for us to find), and with those, dress up that gift to show that He is deserving of all the glory and beauty that exists in creation.

What a beautiful display of Kingdom work, as we seek to glory in Him. (and can we give the Lord praise, for allowing us all to use the internet for HIS purposes!!!)

Closer Than Your Heartbeat
(c)2006 Eva Wilson
vocals: Deborah Ivris
production: Paul Sumares

B2 F#/A#
Nothing can keep you from God's love
B2 F#/A#
Nothing in life, not even death
C#m/E F#
Jesus is closer than your heartbeat
C#m/E F#
Nearer than your very breath
B2 F#/A#
He's alive. (He's alive.)
B2 F#/A#
He is here. (He is here)
C#m/E F#
He’s all you need (He's all you need)
B
He's closer than your heartbeat

C#m/E
I am convinced
F#
Neither death nor life,
C#m/E
Neither angels nor demons,
F#
Neither the present nor the future,
E7
Nor any powers. Nothing.
C#m/E
Neither height nor depth,
F#
Nor anything else in all creation,
G#m F#
Can keep you from God's love
G#M F#
Nothing can keep you from God's love
B
In Christ.

B2 F#/A#
Nothing can keep you from God's love
B2 F#/A#
Nothing in life, not even death
C#m/E F#
Jesus is closer than your heartbeat
C#m/E F#
Nearer than your very breath
B2 F#/A#
He's alive. (He's alive.)
B2 F#/A#
He is here. (He is here)
C#m/E F#
He’s all you need (He's all you need)
B
He's closer than your heartbeat


Whehehehehehew!!! We love you, Jesus!!!

Oh, you can hear the Hebrew translations Deborah made at http://www.evawilsonmusic.com

(and for you songwriters, it may be a learning experience to hear my original worktape at http://www.soundclick.com/evawilson so you can hear how God can make something from "almost" nothing) ;)

this is NOT public knowledge!!!!

I kid you NOT!!! I read this on shoutlife today:

I am looking to relocate to the Nashville, TN possibly soon...and I am looking for a FULL TIME music minister/worship leader position. If you are in need or know of a church please contact me! Thanks!! I can submit a resume and of course you can hear my music on here!! LOL!

God bless!

then, this is added, as the author commented on his own blog:

this is NOT public knowledge...and it is still up in the air....I am looking for work outside of Evansville...cause nothing is happening here....DO NOT say ANYTHING to ANYBODY....it's only a thought we are having i am searching out leads in nashville only right now.

OK, am I missing something? Is the internet NOT open to the public?

(still laughing)

if the shoe fits, share it

no spellcheck allowed!!!

Our walls are breathing a sigh of relief!!! A little less stuff packed into the house, a little more wallspace! As we pulled Liz's couch out (for college), the heart of a little brother was revealed:

Hannah is a stupid head

Yes, it must have been a bad day in Stephen's kindergarten head. Was it that Hannah wouldn't play chess with him? Or maybe she hid the remote control!!! Who knows!!!

It will be painted over tonight...that's why I took the picture:) Just had to share!!!

What's in YOUR Wall?

A convo I recently had with my friend, Paul Sumares reminded me of my parents. Paul is a solid man, strong in his faith in Christ Jesus, and committed to family values. It has been a joy to work with him on some music this summer. What a blessing to have his special touch on songs God planted in my heart!

Well, something he said in a convo this week reminded me of my folks. The best I can remember, neither of my parents ever ran for any kind of office. Not even PTA. Not that PTA is a lowly office. You know what I mean. They never sought public attention. Unless writing letters to the editor counts...I guess I got the bold streak from my mother. Never at a loss for words.

In my mind's eye, Mom and Dad were not even considered pillars of the community. But they were definitely an important part. There was a steadfastness that reminds me of a wall. But not just any wall. This wall stood the test of time. The test of trials. All because of God's grace, and their willingness to receive it.

Now, I look at my own life. My marriage. My parenting. I don't think I can be a wall. I don't think I'm made of the same stuff my mom is made of. But I'd like to think of myself as a stud. A backbone, if you will. Almost useless if standing alone, but with others joining in the framework, we can serve as a support to those walls.

Do I have it in me to stand firm? Not to sway? Only by His mercy!

Some days I think my kids are the nails, holding me in place. Keeping me on my knees.

Some days I think my kids are the hammer, driving those very painful points right where they need to be.

Either way, I'm asking myself, "What's in YOUR wall, Eva?" I'm not pleased with my answer. I want the strength, the dignity, and respect that the generation before me had. But there's no shortcut from point A to point Z.

fell

I fell in love with Jesus. Again. Kathy Troccoli & Dee Brestin did an excellent job with the book. So creative, tying in song titles for their chapter themes. Hmmm. Wonder if they had copyright issues. Nah.

Vacation was a sweet time with family. Then we returned home for VBS. What an awesome week!!!

More later. Much later. Hard to blog these days. But I'm writing songs every day. Does that count?

A Hammock and a Good Book

Looking for a good book to read on vacation.

Right next to Pillars and Prophets stood Gorilla on the Midway. I kid you not.

But after a little digging, I found "Falling in Love with Jesus" ~ sounds like a keeper!!!

Let Us Pray

Well, I haven't blogged in a loooong time. There's MUCH to write about, but where do I begin?

Oh, oh...ok...a few weeks ago, Andrea C Parker went to the studio...and Praise the Lord!!! She chose to record two of my songs!!!

http://www.shoutlife.com/andreacparker



She posted Let Us Pray on Fan Faves, and Only You is there, too...we'd appreciate your votes:)

Still 2 wks left to vote for Let Us Pray #8 & Only You #9
Please vote every day at http://www.indieheaven.com/fanfaves
(Once per day per computer ~ five stars is the best)

This morning, after making the carpool run, I thought it would take me 5 minutes to water the flowers we planted in the cool of the evening.

But no. Something had been eating my hybiscus. They are 7 ft tall! Why would some measely bug think it could have a midnight snack on my beauties? Well, me and Sevendust will teach them a thing or two!!! OK, I confess. It didn't happen overnight. But it just didn't seem so bad when I first noticed it! Snuck up on me, I reckon!

As I started relieving the beloved plants of those holey leaves, I began to see a pattern. For every huge, bug-bitten leaf, there was already a teensy little sign of life coming in! That new life would have eventually bumped off the old, unhealthy one.

So life is. May we welcome those tiny, yet mighty growth patterns in our lives. Shed the old stuff...old habits...sinfulnesses...weakness...there's more to this life!

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:13-14

Baby Addison ~ Ain't She Sweet!!!

Welcome to the world, Little One!!!

passages

In the last 5 days, there's been a lot of excitement in our family!!!

Liz came home safely Sunday night...what a joy to have her home after 195,840 minutes away!! But who's counting!!!

We had about 100 ppl at our house as family and friends joined us in welcoming her home,
and celebrated Ruth's graduation!
In 172,800 seconds, Ruth will step into the world of high school graduates.
I wrote her a song, called Eyes of Blue...haven't recorded it yet, but she approved it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And then, two nieces born in one week...oh...great nieces!!!

Two of my sisters are enjoying their grandaughters!!!
Congrats to the mommies, Rachel and Jillian!!!

And my cousin, Mary, had her baby today, too!!! Her first! Praise the Lord!!!
A long awaited arrival...Mary is about 40 yrs old!!! Oh, Praise Him!!!!

Can hardly wait to squeeze those babies!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But I'll wait a few weeks...Stephen came in from kindergarten today saying that only 9 of his classmates were in school today, out of 23.

Then we received this email:

Your child's elementary "had an unusually high absence rate today.
Seventy-six children were absent and about 10 were sent home ill.
The absences are particularly concentrated in kindergarten, with 28 children out.
Typically, there are about 25 student absences.
Vomiting appears to be a common symptom.
At this point, the cause of the illness is not known.

Our County Public Health and Environmental Services Department has been contacted as a precaution
so that this can be investigated.
The parents of children who are ill may be interviewed in an effort to determine the cause of the illness
and if any additional steps need to be taken for prevention.

And why did I insist that Stephen go to school today, even tho he complained of a sore throat? Because first, he said his foot hurt.
Then his arm.
And his knee.
Then he hid a shoe.
Doesn't he know I've been discerning the truth from "crying wolf" for almost 22 years?

And why did I think I'm right?
Now I'm just holding my breath,
hoping & praying he's not next on the list of sick kids in his class!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Randomness: I think grandniece would be a nice change of terminology! Then I could be a grandaunt instead of greataunt!

Don't You EVER

If you spill superglue on your finger, don't lick it off, even if it FEELS like a burn. It is not a burn. You'll be fine.

It does NOT taste like Elmer's. It is NOT harmless.

When we get to Heaven, you'll be able to pick me out of the crowd. I'll be the one STILL looking for something to wipe the smile that's glued on my face!

Well, at least I died laughing.

ps I got the glue off my tongue by scraping it on my teeth. Don't you EVER do that, either!!! hope it wears off before my next dental appt...

SoundClick Widgets

Gas is CHEAP????

"A typical latte costs $3.59 for 16 oz. That's 22 cents per ounce or $28.72 a gallon!"

Check out Dave Ramsey's article at:

http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/newsletters/company/052308.cfm?ectid=cnl0805_06#1

It's a New Day for Dottie

Songwriter Dottie Rambo went to be with Jesus yesterday.

Everything Dottie wrote about,
she's now experience FACE to FACE!

I looked at her song isting on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_by_Dottie_Rambo
and there are many classics on there.
But among the more popular ones,
I found these to be particularly touching:

*I Want To Live So I Can Die Right
*My Visit To Heaven

She did, and she did.

Her life, and death, were no surprise to our Lord...and she's
complete in Him, bowing down before Him.
And think of all the other saints she's rejoicing with!!!

Greatly missed, but greatly appreciated.
She's touched lives in so many ways,
like yours, and in turn, mine.
Her investment here on earth was huge.

The first Dottie song I can remember singing
was in the late 70's
"Holy Spirit, Thou Art Welcome" ~
in my youth ensemble.

Didn't even know she wrote that, until tonight.
It's been forever in my heart.
Once again, I'm welcoming Him in this place.
Omnipotent Father, of mercy and grace.

Grieving ~ And Believing

I'm grieving with this family in our church....prayers appreciated.

Nancy was in my ladies' small group...she and her husband were in our Sunday School class. A precious couple. I can't believe he's gone. But I'm so thankful to know He loved the Lord Jesus.

http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=3433

sad,
eva

edited to share a note:

I was crushed to get this news. Barry was able to be with the family, but I had to stay home with a sick kid, along with guys repairing our bathroom tile. I asked the Lord to let me "do" something, in addition to praying.

Later, God rattled my cage, and showed me that I'd turned inward, and that I needed turn outward and touch lives ~ to not let Chuck's death be in vain. The Lord gave me strength and wisdom. I burned 20 songs of mine, plus one in Spanish that my cousin wrote (put it first on the cd's in case it was the only one they heard)...the Father helped me to share my grief with these men...and to offer hope. Yes, there was a language barrier, but they understand life and death.

As they waited for their ride, I briefly shared the gospel. None of them knows the Lord YET. The oldest gentleman hugged the cd and said it is probably the only birthday he will get. I assured him that the Lord Jesus is the best present he could ever receive. And he said he'd listen tonight. They have my cell # and I encouraged them to call me if they want to talk about how Christ can make a difference in their lives. Of course, they nodded and thanked me graciously. Only God knows how hard or fertile the soil of their hearts are. Only He can do a work, and I trust Him.

Over and over again, the Lord reminds me to live each to the fullest. I pray you will, too. Really. We really don't know when it will be our last. Really.

So, if today was your last day, what would you do, to make a difference for Christ? Anything different than what you already did today?

SRO

What a joy to get to spend time with friends old and new this past weekend! After picking up Andrea Parker at the airport, we drove 2.5 hours, to beautiful East TX. Our friend, Barbara, had invited Andrea to lead a ladies' event called Birthday Bash. Each year, the church celebrates all the women's lives at once! The tables are beautifully decorated by month, filled with ladies born that month.

We spent two nights in Barbara's lovely home, in a gorgeous country setting. God gave Barbara an extra dose of hospitality...made me think about my house, and how rarely we've invited people over in recent years. Oh, I'm so thankful for the time with Barbara. Her sweet face radiates her love for the Lord. And I was able to see her mother, Helen. They both reminded me of the preciousness of Christ.

Barbara's house was full...there were friends who'd come in from all over. Donna, Debbie, & Loretta came from the Dallas area. Darlene drove in from near Houston. Joyce & Liz live near Barbara, but joined the slumber party. I guess you could say it was Sleeping Room Only. (Each gal deserves plenty of blog time....maybe tomorrow?) Others had hoped to come, but circumstances tied them up (you know who you are....and I hope you know you were MISSED!!:)

We had a great time....catching up on our lives, laughing, and praying together. It was a blessing to get to spend time with the girls...some down time. But I have to admit, it took me all weekend to find a place to relax in my mind. Now that I'm looking back, maybe I should have had a sermon at the beginning of the trip instead of at the end.

Barbara's husband, James Kinman is pastor of Central Baptist of Kirbyville, TX. Barry & I call him Bro. Jamie. He's a great man of God...and somehow balances the preaching and pastoring perfectly!!! (OK, almost perfectly!!!)

It had been 22 years since I'd heard this dear pastor friend preach, and I wasn't prepared to be blown away by his sermon this weekend. I tried to take notes carefully, and will now take a few minutes to share some highlights with you.

Opening our Bibles to Mark 2, I settled in, in my mind, that this was a familiar passage. I had been the one in need, at the mercy of my friends and family who knew Jesus and helped me get to Him. I had put myself in the friends' place, bringing others to Christ.

But the pastor explained that he wanted to show us why Peter's house was full. That caught me off guard. I was expecting same-o same-o. Here's a bit of the outline:

1) Jesus was PRESENT. (Peter had welcomed Him)
2) Jesus was PUBLICIZED. (not the house, not the furnishings, not the menu)
3) Jesus was PREACHING. Jesus IS the Word of God. The Word of God must be preached. We are to be ready in season and out of season.
4) Jesus was POWERFUL. The friends broke through the ceiling because they knew the power of Christ. And Jesus proves His power that day. Not only over physical affliction. In V5 He sees their faith and says, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." The forgiveness of SINS is GREATER than physical healing.

Bro. Jamie also said the saddest verse about God's house was in Nehemiah, when it is asked "Why was the house of God forsaken?" And the happiest: "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord?"

It all got me to thinking about a book I first read in the 80's My Heart, Christ's Home (by Robert Boyd Munger)....Bro. Jamie's sermon began to pierce my heart. I want my heart to have Standing Room Only...packed full of Jesus' presence. I want to make much of Jesus, publicizing Him. I want Jesus to preach to and teach through my heart. Is His power made known in my heart? Truly? In depth? Is the forgiveness of sins greater than physical healing?

And, now that I'm thinking about it, here's a big question? Would anyone feel like they could cut a whole in the roof of my heart, to carry a friend down for God's help???

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Come, make yourself at home in my heart...filling me to SRO.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the way, there were special blessings along the way.
Not only did I get to hear Andrea sing,
but at the birthday bash she sang two songs
that are near and dear to me:
December Rain (Townley/Wilson/Miller)
Let Us Pray (Utz/Wilson)
I praise God for giving these messages....and for the messenger!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
oh, here's the passage Bro. Jamie preached from:

Mark 2:1When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.

2And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.

3And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.

4Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.

5And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Marked

There are a lot of things marked in my Bible...in the front, there are special notes, like the dates of my kids' salvation. And notes...lots of notes. Some reveal the depths of my heart, like when I'd lost a loved one and the Lord comforted me with Scripture. Others are verses I was clinging to...sometimes with great joy...other times, I was holding on for dear life!!!

For example:

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Ps 116:15 (in memory of missionary friend Carolyn Campbell dated 1-14-05)

Michael Joseph Wallace was blameless. Not perfect. Only Christ is perfect. 2 Pet 3:14. In memory of my 21 yr old nephew that SEEMED perfect. A gentle giant.

On parenting:
Affirm
Build bridges
Choose battles carefully

On WORDS:
Is it TRUE?
Is it KIND?
Is it NECESSARY?

Random verses the Spirit prompted me to write:
Revive me, o Lord, for your Name's sake! Ps 143:11
Too deep for words? Rom 8:26-27

And random places where I've written notes to myself:

Eva, are you pleasing God? Rom 8:8
Eva, be a vessel of mercy. Rom 9
Eva, owe love ~ nothing more! Rom 13:8
Eva, you're accountable to God ~ for your SELF! (Rom 14:12)
Eva, your faith is in the power of God! (1 Cor 1:22)
Eva, submit to Barry as you submit to Christ in EVERYTHING (Eph 4:24)

Then, there are other parts of the Bible that I've filled in with notes during sermons...like, from James 3

Roots of Worldly Wisdom:

Bitter jealousy: you have something and afraid you'll lose it. Or that someone will have better than you.

Selfish ambition: do you change your story as you go along?

Lying against the truth: we know the truth but build a case against it. Defending a lie?

Roots of Godly Wisdom:

Purity ~ not by nature, but by the Spirit
Peace ~ doesn't cause strife
Gentleness ~ considerate of others
Willing to yield ~ reasonable, open to discussion
Merciful ~ compassionate about the things God cares about
Good fruits ~ more good than bad
Without partiality ~ unwavering
Without hypocrisy ~ without masks

Ouch! that makes me want to go back to square one. Back to the day I turned my life over to Christ Jesus. Jan 24, 1982. That's a lot of years. Should be a lot more markings in my life...more good fruits than bad. I can't change the past...but there's still today...it's not too late for me to make a difference today!!!

I also found another special reminder my Bible, in my own handwriting:

Many pages of my own Bible are marked. But while I was at my brother's house, i was reading his Bible and noticed that there was only thing written there:

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You
Psalm 25:21

This is a reflection on my brother's life, and I pray it will be mine, too. dated June 24, 2006

And, last, but not least:

Many people mark their Bibles, but does the Bible mark YOU?

Closer Than Your Heartbeat..the song

I was in the middle of a Bible study when the Lord put this in my heart...still need to work it up...but thought I'd share it:)

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6416862

Closer Than Your Heartbeat
(c)2006 Eva Wilson

B2 F#/A#
Nothing can keep you from God's love
B2 F#/A#
Nothing in life, not even death
C#m/E F#
Jesus is closer than your heartbeat
C#m/E F#
Nearer than your very breath
B2 F#/A#
He's alive. (He's alive.)
B2 F#/A#
He is here. (He is here)
C#m/E F#
He’s all you need (He's all you need)
B
He's closer than your heartbeat

C#m/E
I am convinced
F#
Neither death nor life,
C#m/E
Neither angels nor demons,
F#
Neither the present nor the future,
E7
Nor any powers. Nothing.
C#m/E
Neither height nor depth,
F#
Nor anything else in all creation,
G#m F#
Can keep you from God's love
G#M F#
Nothing can keep you from God's love
B
In Christ.

B2 F#/A#
Nothing can keep you from God's love
B2 F#/A#
Nothing in life, not even death
C#m/E F#
Jesus is closer than your heartbeat
C#m/E F#
Nearer than your very breath
B2 F#/A#
He's alive. (He's alive.)
B2 F#/A#
He is here. (He is here)
C#m/E F#
He’s all you need (He's all you need)
B
He's closer than your heartbeat