Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2012

Simpler Christmas....

I have chosen, the past few years, to cut out a lot of the things around my Christmas that do little more than bring a momentary thrill with no eternal value.  Decided to rest a little more and give a little more....certainly worship a whole lot more.  And how easy is that?  The decision to do it was the hardest part...living in more simplicity is the easy part.  We're not "made" for stress, pressure, hyperactivity that brings chaos to everybody around us.  We're "made" to listen to our bodies, minds and hearts and just KNOW when it's time to STOP.....and LISTEN...then enjoy the moments of praise to a Heavenly Father Who's sent us the best...His Son Jesus...a baby to become a Redeemer.  And He has come..and we are at peace!!!

Why Write a Song?

I’d been asked over and over and over if I wrote…I’d say, “oh no, I just enjoy interpreting what someone else has already written”.   Not a bad answer, but it wore thin, and God finally got my attention. When Paul passed away and I made the decision to go back out on this singing/speaking ministry, I found myself having to do everything.   I did all the booking, packing, setting up, tearing down, travel plans, correspondence and all office duties…along with trying to have a minute here and there to spend with friends in an attempt to build a new life as a single woman.   I would give myself the excuse, concerning songwriting, that I just didn’t have time.   I even said to God several times with confidence that if I had some part-time help, I could possibly have time to concentrate on writing.   Well, one day THAT part-time help came along…what was I gonna say now??? Then one morning I was sitting at my kitchen table involved in my morning devotions’ time and the thought went th

National Quartet Convention (NQC)

I was blessed, and ADM was blessed, last week to have been given a booth space at NQC...in a big booth that was called "Memory Lane". Guess it's obvious that this was for some of us who've been around a while, can't stay at the convention all week, but when there, need a place to "hang out". Many thanks to Ralph Moore, former driver for the LeFevres and a promoter of gospel concerts for a long time from Alabama, for putting this together...and thanks to Les Beasley for providing this spot. It was an opportunity for me to be reunited with some folks I hadn't seen in many years...other gospel singers, in many cases going back to the 60's. I'm just grateful that there are unselfish people who are still willing to provide for some of us who are in a different place than we were when NQC began, but still have a "presence". 

It does make a difference

Recently I attended the ceremony inducting some folks into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.  I went at the invitation of a friend, Sheri and her daughter, Averi, who drove up from North Georgia and invited Karissa and me to join them.  I'd not been to one of these induction ceremonies in many years, maybe once since my induction in 1998.  To be honest, I'm not usually sure of what to expect when I walk into these kinds of events...times like this is when I really do miss another side of Paul, he was completely at ease walking into a room without any preconceptions as what to expect.  I'd just "hang onto his coattail" and walk right in with him greeting everybody, most of the time making them feel much better than they did before he came into the room.  I don't do as well as Paul, so last night I wasn't having tooooo great a time until I started seeing some faces that I hadn't seen in ages...hollering with glee at some of those faces...hugging, laughi

Miracles

Last week, Karissa and I were in Iowa, driving through Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri to get there. I grew up on a farm, but I was again amazed to see those endless rows of corn and soybeans...green as can be during an awfully dry and hot summer. I was reminded by Duane Nicholson, who grew up in those corn fields of Iowa, that science has produced ways now of developing seeds to draw the water from deeper in the soil than in years past...a change in the shape of leaves in order to catch more moisture (dew, etc.) and hold it, and more development that I can't remember. In spite of brown, barren hillsides, highway shoulders, lawns, those fields are doing just fine.....what a miracle...lots of miracles... Those corn and soybean fields should be dead, but they were "popping green"....God is never done with teaching us....

Green Tomatoes/Ripe Red Tomatoes

I love to raise tomatoes, 'cause I love tomatoes :).  I will have to say, though, that my "not so long" patience is tried in growing 'em.  Seems those plants produce yellow blooms reeeeaaaaallllll quickly after setting 'em out.  That's good, kinda gets me excited that soon and very soon there'll be fresh tomato sandwiches for lunch.  But alas, if you know anything about growin', then you know that those "quick" yellow blooms can be deceiving if you're lookin' for "fast fruit", 'cause it will be a long long long time 'til those little bitty green things grow and grow and grow and then finally turn sorta whitish and thennnnnnnnn a tinge of pink, leading finally to RED.  I have to admit I pull some as they're just beginning to turn and bring 'em in the house, seems they ripen a little quicker inside, off the vine. Don't know why I can't remember and keep in mind that it's gonna take this long t

After All These Years

I just had my 67th birthday...oh wow, I admit that was hard to say!! 67 years I've lived on this earth? I remember when I used to think it was kinda silly to talk "age" at all....especially in looking back over our lives...our years past. Mama used to say, even up to her 94th birthday before going to Heaven, that she didn't understand why people talked so much about being "old" :). I haven't "talked" age all that much during these past 67 years, admittedly more the past "few" :). But I find myself looking back, then looking forward, then thinking..."more behind than before....now what in those "past years" am I gonna use for my "before me years"? Hopefully, I will have learned some lessons that will make my next ???? years be even more fulfilling than the past "few". I wrote it in a song several years ago...it applies here, I think....."after all these years, Your love is still the same

"Why Should He Love Me So?"

Oh wow, haven't heard this song, "Why Should He Love Me So?" in many a moon....then all of a sudden today it started traveling in my head and down to my heart. I'll have to say it didn't put me on one of those trips where I feel like a "worm", not worthy of love of any kind from anybody for any reason. It did start me to thinking that it really is an amazing mystery how God, my Abba Father, could love me so much. That got me to remembering that classic of Dottie Rambo's... "He left the splendor of Heaven, knowing His destiny 'twas the lonely hill of Golgatha, there to lay down His life for me... If that isn't love, the ocean is dry, there're no stars in the sky, and the sparrow can't fly If that isn't love, then Heaven's a myth, there's no feeling like this, it that isn't love" It's now floating around in my head and heart that I don't have to dig and dig and dig to know why He'd love me so.

MISSING MAMA

I always knew I had a good woman for a Mama. Mama wasn’t known for her words, although she spoke plenty of good ones!! Her favorite way, in my opinion, to show her love for my sister, Lavern, and me was in her consistent, quiet steadfast support, many times not saying a word but just being there as if to say, “nothing can make me not believe in you and love you”. I’ve learned a lot from Mama….and the more days that pass since she went to Heaven just confirm that she was one of the wisest women who ever lived. Every morning in my devotions’ time as I’m journalizing I most always write out my thanks to God for my Mama….and the legacy she left behind. Mama went to Heaven on Mother’s Day, 2005. I only hope and pray that the rest of my life here on earth reflects just a smidgen of her grace and dignity…and consistent love. I sure do miss you, Mama!!! Ann D

Making it ok...

Oh wow.....it would be great if we could make all things alright for all people, wouldn't it? I mean, when you know that you know that you know you've blown it with someone, didn't really think things through and boobooed big time and then apologized God's way, then what do you do? I'm learning through this thick head that it's ok if they don't choose to "like me" while they're hearing what I say in the way of an apology, yet "smarting" over what I said or did that they feel "made" them feel badly. What do we do? We just ask God to help you love 'em, you think? Is that it? Is that enough? It may not be to them right now, but it will be...and it can be for us right at this moment. Come to think of it...I'm sure grateful that a lot of people have let God love me through them after I've ripped their hearts to shreds. Yep, you just love 'em....knowing God does, too.

There's Still a Cross

Earlier this year, I released a new CD. Of course, I always have my favs from each one, sorta. However this particular CD includes songs I've co-written, all but one, and in going back over some of the lyrics today (trying to learn 'em to stage 'em), I'm finding words that have been poured onto paper that I don't even remember thinking, much less writing down. I truly think God speaks many times in ways that we aren't at the time even consciously aware of. Today found me going over and over "There's Still a Cross"....I don't remember Daryl W and me saying this in that writing room several years ago, but this is profound to me today....."The sinless blood of Christ redeems each guilty life....the highest price is settled on that hill". Today, you may not have consciously thought of that "price", but don't miss the truth. THE PRICE HAS BEEN SETTLED BY JESUS. And... THERE'S STILL A CROSS where sins are wa

It's never too late to recalculate

Why does it sometimes seem we'll never get back on track? Never find that right road, never make that turn that will get us to where we're trying to go? I think we never want to stop trying to prove that we can be independent, have a mind that thinks for itself. I mean, those GPSs are wonderful.....well, if they're so wonderful, why do we argue with them and keep going even when "Recalculate" is heard over and over and over? Maybe somewhere along the way we're thinking that surely we should have known how to find our way by now without a "talking person in a box" having to direct us..point out when we're made a wrong turn or didn't make a turn at all. Whatever the reason we get frustrated enough to argue with a little gadget and sometimes defy that voice and keep going, let's never forget that it's never too late to recalculate. We can go back, our dear Lord God will help us get back to the last place we saw the light even i

Grownups

Can we please try to remember that this isn't Heaven yet...we're on the way, an imperfect journey, but we're gettin' there....together. I need for you to walk with me, I want to walk with you, we aren't walking alone...I need for you to be a little patient every now and then and you need me to be a little patient now and then. Thank you for bearing with our journey together...that we will be grown up boys and girls, as best as we can....

Planting....

Recently we had a fundraiser for Middle Tennessee Women's Retreat that I host each year in the Nashville, TN area. We sold bulbs...all kinds. I love spring flowers. As a kid growing up in Mississippi,we had hillsides' full of jonquils, iris, hyancinths, etc, that were a clear sign that spring wasn't all that far away. I decided to get several different kinds of bulbs to plant in my courtyard and around the oak tree outside my front door, around some shrubs out there...I got 'em everywhere :). Now that's all well and good....but I'm having quite the challenge!!! I have to fight the urge to go out there and scratch around in that loose dirt to see what's happenin' under the surface. I'm soooo anxious to see green things piping up outta that dirt!!!! I wanna see the blooms tomorrow. Anything ring a bell here with anyone? Yeah, we plant a seed, really do want to trust God with it, and yet, far too often we "cave in" to trying to