SHE ROCKS MY WORLD

My last blog was all about my youngest baby girl, Jaelyn. Today I am inspired to write about my older baby girl, Savvy, aka Prada, nee nee, sissy boo sissy or her given name, Savannah Michelle. I am over the moon proud of this young woman in the making. We were informed yesterday that she was awarded a PELL GRANT in addition to her HOPE SCHOLARSHIP. How cool is that!!! She has been rewarded for all her hard work and diligence. Its an awesome wonderful thing when a woman in our society has the potential and the ability to educate herself and excel toward her plans and goals. Go nee nee!

It was about a 100 years ago in this country when young women were still denied the right to vote. Can you imagine that? How about the century where women weren't permitted to own land? Or even better how about the time IN THIS NATION when a husband was permitted to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb??? I'd be hiding me a black ironed skillet for that dear boy, LOL.

I am a huge fan of the Women's' Suffrage Movement and those incredible beings who had the where with all to go after and change the the laws of this nation. I'm referring to women like Lydia Chapin Taft, Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and a more obscure female abolitionist, Lucretia Mott. But even today there are still so many injustices occurring against our sisters in other parts of the world. Some African tribes still practice female genital circumcision. %$#!!!! And no ladies and gentlemen, that isn't performed in a clean and sterile hospital environment. There are countries where women have no choice as to who they marry. There are cultures today where women are still DENIED an education. I look back with a grateful heart to the above aforementioned women. In 1920 our country ratified our 19th amendment granting me, my daughters and all women in this nation the right to vote our conscience. In 1948 the UN declared it international law in the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I adore reading about this time period but am so grateful that my daughters greatest achievements in life do NOT have to center around WHOM they are given in marriage to. I am thrilled that they have the opportunities to move forward in society as people first. I want them to be able to stand up on their own two feet and seek God for their direction. I sometimes wonder if the women in our nation realize how truly blessed they are --- or if my own daughters ever pause to reflect on this. Our choices are no longer just marriage, governess or prostitute. Savannah was born in a time where the law clearly states she has the right to an education and the privilege to work and the ability to own property IN HER NAME. She has so many choices afforded to her now because of the courageous women that fought for her rights without even knowing her name. She will begin the next step in her life's journey this fall at MTSU. I am so very proud of my daughter. SHE ROCKS MY WORLD! I cannot wait to see what she chooses to go forth in.

And so today as I look forward to her future, I humbly look back at the women who have gone before her and say --- THANK YOU!

Thank you so very, very much.

TAKING A BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE

It was a very exciting week for this mom and her baby girl. We were flown to NYC for a meeting with an A&R rep of a recording label to talk about a possible development deal for Jaelyn. This wasn't a plan executed by me, it was one of THOSE stories you sometimes hear about. You know, the ones where the incredibly famous actress states she was drinking a milkshake in a famous 5&10 store with a burger grill located in the back, when lo and behold, a talent agent walks up drops his card and states,"stick with me sweetheart and I'll make you a household name?' LOL Yeah, it was kind of like that, except NOT. Gregg and Jaelyn began her YOUTUBE video channel about 7 months ago and she has been recording video 'covers' at her leisure. The thing is this former singer KNOWS she is gifted. No auto-tune or verb --- N_O_T_H_I_N_G processing her voice into sounding THAT good. This is a case where the HYPE lives up to the REAL DEAL.

So we were contacted by the VP of A&R from this record label. It required some digging on their part to even attempt to figure out how to reach us and who Jaelyn's authority figures were but after a few tries --- that was indeed accomplished. The talks began, the tickets were purchased ----- the meeting was a GO.

Jaelyn and I braved the planes. I chuckled as I remembered a friend, deathly afraid of spiders being poured down his shirt, relating to my not so much love of flying fear and phobia. Yeah, THAT helped me, LOL. Anyhow, the flights were smooth but still nerve wracking. Arnie picked us up and we fell into bed that night with visions of big scary corporate monsters wanting to chew Jaelyn up and spit her out into the next version of Britney Spears --- the one with the shaved head and the lost look in her eyes. So yeah, exhausted sleep came easily but it wasn't restful sleep because this was Jaelyn and HER dream. We had to tread lightly but with a sense of purpose. We had to prepare to protect while encouraging her gift. Kind of like all the dads out there who see the potential in their little athletes. They run out the door and sign them up for sports. They suit them up in shoulder pads, shin guards, jock-straps, and then send them out to PLAY THE FIELD all the while bellowing declarative remarks like, "you can do it, drop your shoulder, hit em again harder, DON'T YOU LET ME SEE TEARS BOY, WE play to win!!!! ruh ruh ruh " Yep, we were about to enter into THE game of games for a singer. And the mama was just a wee bit nerved out. I needed a drink but then remembered I don't do that sort of thing! So I took some deep breaths, received a phone call from a friend who prayed a gloriously inspired prayer, and I was set. I was going to Madison Ave to meet this LION head on.

One of the best things to witness was Jaelyn's calm. She managed to keep giggling at all the silly stuff. She retained her appetite. She loved on her daddy and he coo'd over her. We showed her where the mama FIRST kissed the daddy. Asked her what HER GOALS were for the day --- and then listened to her reply. Encouraged her to be honest in all her answers and that REGARDLESS of the outcome we were so very proud of her. We reminded her that in the end, this may not be THE DOOR but it was A DOOR. That she would glean some important lessons from this experience. To stay alert and be present in the moment during the meeting. Then we told her how much we loved her and headed into the great metropolis of steel and mortar....

So, are you wondering what happened? What the outcome was? How she really did? Hmmm, okay I'll spill it. Jaelyn did even better than I could have imagined. She looked the LION directly in the eye while smiling, giggled a bit, articulated who she was and who SHE WASNT. When asked if she would mind singing in front of him she stated, "are you kidding, I don't mind at all." Then she opened her mouth and let it flow. A big ol' smile broke over the LION'S face and he stopped her after the chorus and said, "you can stop right there Jaelyn, it's more than obvious that you ARE the real deal and that the youtube videos were ALL YOU." We then talked about industry. What is happening behind the scenes in music business. All very corporate boring facts but facts that every artist SHOULD BE well versed in. We talked about recoupable losses, budgets and itunes etc etc. THE LION was a huge teddybear of a man, much like my husband --- but bigger. And at the end of the hour and forty five minute marathon, he looked Jaelyn square in the eye and said, "We'd very much like to extend a contract offer to you Jaelyn."

Now, everyone in this business KNOWS the devil is in the details. We are expecting a copy of the contract to arrive at the beginning of the week. Legal then gets on board and we begin the arduous process of negotiating outclauses and must haves.

Is it in the bag as they say?

Well in the words of my very talented young daughter, "don't crack your eggs before you lay them."

So, we are applying that wisdom here in our house and aren't cracking open any eggs. We are simply moving forward on the next step of a journey. It doesn't change anything for Jaelyn at this point. She can walk into next week knowing that her dream was affirmed. That it's no longer just her mama telling her she has it. Her feet are firmly planted on the ground. She's back to arguing with me, her sister, and then exploding in laughter the very next minute.

She's the YO!!

And all is just as it should be....

ITS A HEART CONDITION

In talking with an old friend last week I was dumbfounded, and then angered, by the following exchange:

"Tell Arnie he should drive the bus into a brick wall."

I had do idea as to why this person would want my husband to drive into a wall.

He then replied, "But He should jump out of the bus first."

Again, I was stumped, "Why on earth would he do that?"

"Well he's driving the QUEERS ON WHEELS tour."

(My husband is currently on tour with the STARS ON ICE.)

In reading the above how did it make you feel? Shocked and appalled or did you agree with the sentiments of my old friend? I know it took less that a second for my heart to register what my ears and brain had processed.
This is a person whom I have known for nearly 11 years. A 'go to' guy in whatever church he has served in. And this, THIS is what he shared with me?
I am going through something in my life that is challenging my response to those in the world. Not just the CHRISTIAN world, but the one we live in outside of the
church walls. I am daily being reminded of the two commandments that JESUS CHRIST himself stated we, HIS FOLLOWERS, were to obey:

Luke 10:27And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

I don't see Christ stating to ---Love your neighbor as yourself ... unless they are GAY...unless they are divorced, liars or drunkards. etc, etc.

How on earth do we claim to know CHRIST and yet harbor hatred in our hearts for a people whom GOD loves. A people, he too in fact, DIED FOR?

And how often we forget that God says, 1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

You may not be Gay or Lesbian. That may not be your particular 'sin' issue. For you, it might be GLUTTONY --- a much IGNORED sin in the worldwide church.
You may be someone with a propensity for LYING. You may be someone right now, realizing the truth of your ADULTEROUS AFFAIR is about to be revealed to your spouse.
You may be a well thought of highly esteemed teenager in your youth group who is SEXUALLY ACTIVE with your boyfriend or girlfriend. You may be a believer who is WITHHOLDING THE TITHE.
Or a woman who cannot stop COVETING what her best friend has, whether it be a Dolche and Gabana satchel or the latest pair of Prada shoes.
You may be a man who has brought great emotional harm to his wife and is now walking the lonely road of DIVORCE. You may be an employee who delights in GOSSIP MONGERING.
You may be eaten alive with PRIDE and SELF IMPORTANCE. You may be a Christian who has UNFORGIVENESS in your heart for someone who deeply hurt you.
Regardless of what 'sin' the secret part of your heart holds, there's a very powerful and meaningful truth --- a wake-up call to everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ and believes they have it all under control. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
That ALL includes Y-O-U! Grab a mirror and take a good long look at the face you call your own.
Do you remember what it is YOU have been saved from? How wretched and dirty your own soul was and at times may very well still be? Have you forgotten the very sin in YOU that Christ shed HIS BLOOD to cover?

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (the drunks, the liars, the gluttons, the covetous, the sexually immoral) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not die but have eternal life."

Do you believe that Christ's sacrifice covers their sin or just the more acceptable ones you occassionally dabble in?

If Christ told us to love, to go into the world sharing the GOOD NEWS --- was that with a religious bat or with the truth of HIS LOVE?
Are you being Jesus with skin to your neighbors? Not only the straight ones but those who are very much the modern day 'lepers' of our society --- your gay and lesbian neighbors? They are indeed part of the world. And just like you and me they are, more often than not, hurting wounded people.

You may want to dig alittle deeper today and see what CONDITION your HEART is in.