Crashing California

So many of you know I have started a new job as of almost one month ago (YAY!!!) finally away from the old JC, I am now at a renowned animal center here in San Diego County, now known as HWAC ;) ... at first things were a little tough, but I'm one month in, getting used to the commutte (45 mins one way!) and starting to feel a bit more like I'm home. This last weekend, which seemed like a whirlwind in itself really, began with a show at a a cafe downtown SD called "Cafe 21" ... an upscale (and dare I say, Hipster) location. We were the entertainment for the night and pumped out a steady stream of originals (HUGE blessing) and instrumental music ... the event was interesting because we were part of the entourage of a ministry called Love On San Diego, which is headed by a couple people who love the Lord very much, and desire to bring the Love of Jesus into the gaslamp district, and that whole community. They basically take over a restaurant, anonymously paying people...

the traffic runs like blood through these streets, main arteries in the stop and go life. Mundane rumbles and rushing but standing still people, making their way from what they love, to what makes, what they love possible — in this world. That person, confined beside you in their comfortable luxury automobile, may have a wife, maybe a husband, maybe their marriage is the most beautiful thing, or maybe it's very broken. Maybe they have kids that are rebelling, maybe this time to and from work is the only moment they get to be with themselves, maybe it's the most comforting time, maybe the scariest. We are all paying for something. We all, in this culture, sacrifice our time, which is the most important commodity, for a bunch of shiny stuff, that somehow, makes this every day grind seem bearable. While we grow older, and more aches and more stresses creep up our backs, our necks, brace our temples with vices of various labels, we sacrifice more time, for more objects w...

I started the Daniel Fast last week. I felt that the Lord was calling me to this for a while, but it's such a pain, lol, it took me a while to commit ... after Murray left and after having Mexican food for a solid five days, I was ready to clean out my body and center my soul and mind upon what the Lord had for me. It also turned out that the day I began was the first day of Lent (!) How coincidental, ha! So I am certain that this is my season to seek, praise and learn about what it's like to just BE in His presence. (Sidebar, I am not doing the Fast for 40 days, lol, just the normal 21) I wasnt' sure exactly what I should be praying about in the beginning, but I really feel so strongly that Jay and I are in such a new season, that I am focusing my prayers around that. Yesterday the Lord hit me. I've been reading and praying in the morning and journalling like usual, but this time going through the Daniel Fast book that I have, so each day is a bit different and...

I've been marinating the content of this blog for quite a while — 2014 is turning out to be quite the year, no understatement ... In the last four weeks, we had layoffs at work, which resulted in me becoming a one-woman creative services dept for our entire organization and losing my partner in crime, which proved to be quite a bit more sad and stressful than i had expected.  I celebrated my 36th birthday in Maui, with a cold and came back to a fire-storm at work, which is just beginning to let up. And as of today, we are officially a one-income household, with Jay leaving his job at BBros (which is actually a very GOOD thing, it just holds a lot of unknowns for us, but, this is not new). A year ago, at this time I was experiencing a songwriting and worship retreat that was essentially knocking my spiritual socks off in every way.  I was surrounded by ladies with hearts like mine and each of us was finding our "wings" (as Rita Springer calls it).  It was an emotional an...

  As some of you may know — or not — I am embarking on a journey to do my own music project. I have no goals or aspirations with it except to craft the songs from my heart and make them available for sonic consumption.   I have wrestled with the "purpose" or  theme for the effort for some time, years actually because in the beginning I wanted the album to be about my dad, or for my dad, or a slap in the face of my Dad, etc., etc, and I finally came to the realization that it doesn't have to be about him at all. His choices have shaped me some, but I don't need to sit in that puddle of mud anymore and so began a "re-drafting" of my project. Since coming back from Dallas almost a year ago (!!) from a life-changing experience thanks to Rita Springer and her DIVE School, I have also been steadily journaling and writing, and becoming a better songwriter I would like to think ... or at least more practiced, and hey, practice can only make better, right? So, ...

I figure we can't ignore our other birdie babies =) Here's a recent video of them singing in the morning =)  Sunny is usually the obnoxious one (as shown here in full glory) Oscar makes a surprise appearance at the end. Sweetpea is the one in the front, who really does live up to her name. Sweetest bird on the block. ... alright, enough about the birds right? Till Next Blog! love, a.