Carol of the Rooms Now Available
It is with great pleasure that I announce my debut novel, “Carol of the Rooms” is now available. This story has been through a lot of changes over the last eight years since it was…
Behind the Christmas Carol: Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels We Have Heard on High commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke. The song focuses on the shepherds encounter with the angels foretelling of the birth of the newborn…
Behind the Christmas Carol: Go Tell It on the Mountain
African Americans have a rich musical history through the use of passing down stories in the guise of a song. These songs are called spirituals and the slaves often sung them in the fields, while…
Behind the Christmas Song: The Birthday of the King
This is a beautiful Christmas song that Daddy and I performed together many times. The lyrics and music were written by William H. Neidlinger in 1890. No other information is known about this beautiful Christmas…
Behind the Christmas Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem
Imagine traveling to the Holy Land and being inspired by the places where Jesus was born, walked, died and rose from the grave. To ride by horseback out to the fields where the shepherds attended…
Behind the Christmas Carol: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
The hymn we sing today as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing has had many alterations since it originated. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing first appeared in the 1739 Hymns and Sacred Poems. This is one…
Behind the Song: O Holy Night
In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was most likely shocked when the parish priest asked him to write a poem for Christmas Mass. De Roquemaure was the commissioner of wines in a small French town and…
Behind the Hymn: We Gather Together
We Gather Together is a popular hymn sung at Thanksgiving. The song was written in 1597 by Adrianus Valerius. The original title of the Dutch hymn was “Wilt heden nu treden“. The song was written…
Behind the Song: Ave Maria
Franz Schubert composed the popular Catholic hymn in 1825, as part of his Opus 52. He titled the song “Ellens dritter Gesang” or Ellen’s Third Song. Philip Adam Storck translated and published the poem Lady…
Behind the Hymn: America the Beautiful
In honor of Veteran’s Day this week, I wanted to look at a beloved Patriotic hymn. Katharine Lee Bates and a group of colleagues ascended up Pike’s Peak by prairie wagon in the summer of…
In the Struggle: My Favorite Walking Partner
Last week, I shared the importance of having a walking partner. Today, I want to tell you about my favorite walking partner and the reasons why. My favorite walking partner is God. I can tell…
Rebel to Redeemed: Meeting the Enemy
I was going through my life and day to day activities. I was enjoying the life of a Casual Christian, but not putting any other effort into my relationship with God. I was busy finishing…
Second Chances: Joseph
Last week we took a look at the second chances God gave Jacob. Today let’s look at his favorite son, Joseph. Joseph was the first son born of his mother, Rachel. He had ten half-brothers…
7 Benefits of a Walking Partner
Last night I went walking with a friend. While we would like to walk on a more regular basis, coordinating our schedules have made this difficult at times. However, I’ve discovered that a walking partner…
Rebel to Redeemed: Running from Destiny
Last week, I shared about my call to serve. However, I wasn’t ready to answer that call. I was perfectly happy with my life at that time. Years ago I used to sing a song…
In the Struggle: Planning Ahead
This past week I took a trip several hours away. I realized during the trip that I should have planned ahead when it came to my meals. Two of my meals were fast food. I…
Rebel to Redeemed: The Call to Serve
Following Daddy’s death, I was very angry. I was especially angry at God. I couldn’t understand why he would take my Daddy when he had so much going for him. I really struggled with this,…
Behind the Song: I Can Only Imagine
I recently heard someone publicly say they did not like the song, “I Can Only Imagine.” Their reason was that they could not imagine dancing when we get to heaven. The scriptures include several references…
Rebel to Redeemed: Teenage Rebellion
I am so thankful that my parents trained me in the way I should go. For the most part I did what was asked of me as a child. However, around the time I graduated…
Struggle Tuesday: Importance of Support Groups
Last Monday evening I attended the celebration for our First Place 4 Health group. When I began attending the group, I knew no one there. However, I quickly made friends. We faced many ups…