Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Reminder

Just a reminder that A New Song To Sing has moved to www.anewsongtosing.com.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

My Last Blog...Here

I write. I sing. It's what I do. It's what I love to do.

Before I began this blog a little over two years ago, I wrote sporadically and for my own enjoyment. I didn't write consistently or learn to develop my craft until A New Song To Sing was birthed. I had no idea the journey blogging would take me on.

Because of this little space in the online world, I have felt great joy and awful pain, and every emotion between. But I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had and continue to have because of it.

Last spring a friend discovered my blog and saw something in me I couldn't see in myself...potential. Because this friend is an encourager and patient teacher, I am learning the art of songwriting. I am humbled, yet thrilled to tell you that I co-wrote some of the songs on my EP, "Captured."

What I began as a place to share what God teaches me, He is using to grow and develop the dreams and passions He's placed within me. Part of that incudes a new website.

That being said, this is my last official post at this Blogger address. When you come here for a visit on Monday, you will be directed to my new blog home. I can't wait to share it with you! Within that new home, I'll be sharing blogs, vlogs, photos, and in late October, "Captured."

Please plan to join me as I transition on Monday...

Thursday, September 27, 2012

My Husband's Dream

Six years ago, my husband had a dream: to transition from employee to employer. He walked away from a safe sales job and dove headfirst into unfamiliar territory. After three years of managing Olympic Fence, he was able to buy the company.

Last spring, Olympic Fence was contracted to build the fence for our local dogpark, designed by Jason Cameron of DIY's "Desperate Landscapes." My husband and his employees were shown in a brief clip on last night's one-hour special episode of "Desperate Landscapes," and the fence was shown repeatedly.

My husband had a dream, but had no idea where that dream would take him. He simply has worked hard doing what he loves. And it's paying off.

When I asked him if he ever thought his dream would lead to his company being on national television, he humbly responded that he didn't know six years ago where his dream would take him.

Isn't that true for most of us?

In fact, I dare say that if we could see into the future...to see where our dreams will take us and what we have to go through to get there...we'd likely quit out of terror. But when God plants a dream in us, and we are willing to follow it, events we never could've imagined begin to unfold.

We simply must refuse to give up.

Congratulations, Mark and Olympic Fence! I'm proud of you for following your God-given dream.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Preparing To Move

Moving has a way of forcing one to clean out and throw away. With every move, my mother would tell me to throw away the clutter in my room as I packed my life into boxes.

Upon arriving in my new bedroom, I'd unpack clothes, shoes, photo albums, and memorabilia, arranging them ever so neatly. Once we'd been in the new house for a little while, I'd eventually settle in and the room would begin to feel like my own.

My blog transition will be much the same as all those moves I experienced. Some of the clutter you see here will be tossed aside in effort to have a cleaner site. What I pack up and take with me will be arranged in a neater fashion. It may take a little while to adjust, to settle in, to make it my own.

When you visit, please be aware that some pages will not be quite ready for guests...much like a room the owner hasn't had a chance to decorate in a new house. However, I'll be sure to update you once everything is in place.

I'm very excited about the look and the content of the new blog site! I can't wait to introduce you to it and welcome you in for a visit!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A Birthday Letter To Myself

Today is my 37th birthday. Three years away from the big 4-0.

I've seen a lot of posts recently from bloggers who have written to their 20-year-old selves, and some to their teenage selves. They're using the wisdom and experience they have gained to write about what they would like to go back and tell their younger selves. I'm not going to do that.

Instead, I'm writing today to my 37-year-old self:

Dear Rebekah,

You were born 37 years ago by design. You were no accident. You were created to live in such a time as this.

God has given you a dream and passion that is intended to glorify Him. On the days you believe the lies, remember that His plans don't depend on what others think, nor do they depend on what you may think about yourself.

Fear has been your enemy, and yet your comfort, for too many years. Don't be afraid to learn and to try new things. After all, you're not getting any younger!

Finally, I'm proud of the work you've done over the past year to discover what needs changing in your life. I know how difficult change can be, and how easy it is to remain in what's comfortable. But comfort is not always safe or healthy. So...keep searching, keep discovering, keep changing...for your good and God's glory.

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Me :)

Monday, September 24, 2012

I'm Moving

I've moved more than a few times in my life, from as early as I can remember up until my last move -- two years ago. I always had mixed emotions with moving. The excitement of a new place, a new house was usually thrilling. But the packing up and leaving what was familiar usually scared me.

The older I got, the more difficult the moves. One was particularly difficult. In my junior year of high school, I was told that we'd be moving, although the time table was unclear. Six weeks into my senior year, my family moved from one side of the state of Alabama to the other. I remember saying goodbye to friends, getting in the car and driving to our new home. For some reason I still can't explain, our new home never felt like home to me.

Another difficult move was my last one. Two years ago, my husband, three girls and I moved from our home of nine years (the longest I'd ever lived in one place) to a new home a few miles away. Even though we were still in the same town, even the same school district, the move was hard because we were leaving the home where our two youngest girls were born. The home that saw babies become toddlers, toddlers become independent preschoolers, husband and wife struggling, a new business. Although I was excited to move, the thought of leaving the familiar left me unsettled.

Back in January, I decided to move, not realizing the significance of the move, or how long it would take. Next week, I'll be moving again. I'm excited, yet nervous.

This address has been my blog home for two years. It's simple and familiar. I move around comfortably here, and don't mind inviting new guests in for a visit. Words usually come easy and free here. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about leaving this simple space.

But...

I'll be packing up all my words and moving them with me next Monday. I'm excited about having a new blog home. I've planned and prepared for it to represent my thoughts as best I know how. In addition to my blog, my songs from the music project will soon be accessible there.

I hope the words continue to come easy and free, but I'm also planning for more intensity...the stuff life is made of. The stuff we both love and hate to remember. The questions to which we could all use answers. The search that binds us at our cores.

I'll share more this week about my move. I hope you'll read this week and prepare to do the one thing that my friends were never able to do throughout my life: move with me!