Saints & Angels

Hey there!!!

I am working on pulling together some songs for a summer concert here in Nashville and came across this one. Sara Evans is one of my fav country music singers and "Saints & Angels" just touches me sweetly. The music, the rhythm... the lyrics resonate in a deep part of me and I think I'll add it to the list.

I'd love for you to take a listen to a practice recording from this morning. The vocals are pretty low at times due to the high level of compression needed for a cheap mic ;0) Lyrics are below in case you need them. Well, I told you it was a PRACTICE session. So anyway...let me know what you think. Yes, I want your honest feedback :0)


In case the video doesn't come through... here's the link: http://www.singsnap.com/snap/r/bf1306ad9



We're only human baby
we walk on broken ground
We lose our way, we come unwound

We're turnin' circles baby
We're never satisfied
We fall from grace, forget we CAN fly
But through all of the tears that we cry
We'll survive

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

I love your imperfections
I love your everything
Your broken heart, your broken wings
I love you when you hold me
And when you turn away,
I love you still, and i'm not afraid
Cause I know you feel the same way
And you'll stay

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

These feet of clay (feet of clay)
They will not stray

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

(saints and angels...saints and angels...)


Enjoy!
Tracye

Making room for promises...

What a wonderful weekend it's been...
I feel more rested then I have in weeks and a new sense of hope is swirling within me.
Hope for what? Well, I am not exactly sure... I am just peaceful in places that have not felt serene for quite some time.

Thank God.




As I turn the planner pages to reveal a new week and the official beginning of business in March, I am sensing something new. Maybe it's the promise of Spring... as Life is working it's way through the soil and roots are going deeper to prepare a life source for the colorful blooms we will soon enjoy in nature.
Winter's chill and apparent dormancy was only a grand stage curtain, covering the busyness of new life's preparation. Something glorious is about to appear.



That's it... I remember now. It's promises from long ago... even those that became too hard to believe. The ones that hurt sometimes to remember. They are pushing through the soil... and being made ready for their appearance.

As you and I make our plans for the week... and even this month, I extend to you a joyful challenge. Will you join me, in making room for your heart's desires?
Will you clear away time to do that thing you long for... or to be with the one(s) you've been waiting on?
I believe it will be worth it.

Enjoy this day... knowing that something beautiful is coming :0)

Oh God... how precious it is to ponder Your Faithfulness and to remember back on times when You've come through. Spring is on the horizon, and in my heart... I feel that it brings with it some long standing desires that have been unfulfilled until now. Receive my thanks in advance... as my heart swells with great joy just thinking about how good You are.
Lord, for all of us, who are in the waiting, for those secret things that You whispered so long ago... may you grant us peace and endow us with a patience that we can no longer conjure up on our own. It is only by Your Spirit that we can wait with joy.
Show us how, to make room for You... and the fulness that You long to bring with Your presence.
With Love and great Gratitude... in the Name of Jesus!
Amen :)
Have a beautiful day,
Tray

Ramblings, really...

Hi there,

It's a snow day in Nashville, and I'm just not feeling the hustle and bustle this weekend... so it's music, internet and phone calls for me :)

Ella is crooning the sweetest "Sunday Kind of Love" in the background and my cup of peppermint tea is offering warm comfort to my senses. Sometimes it's nice to just stay in.

There's been alot on my mind, as always. Yet, I've chosen not to broadcast what I've written publicly, lately. Understanding that there are seasons for everything... that is about to change, once again.

I realize now, more than ever... that I was created to share my thoughts, feelings, hopes, etc. It is simply who I am... and I find that the more courage and self love that I exhibit in talking about the hard things... the more I see people around who would not normally express themselves begin to do the same.
I am also realizing that this character trait is not just about other people. It is about me.
And that is okay.

It is okay for me to do things simply because I want to.
Not because it is going to be something profound for other people.
But because it is going to be what is fulfilling to me as well.

I love that about life.
I love that about learning.

I wish I could have realized these things before now.
I wish I could have lived my whole life including myself in the picture along with everyone else.

As I move more into "dating" mode, it is so interesting to see the different characters that come into my life. It's also amazing to see the different sides of me that they bring out. How crazy is it, to live for 30 years thinking you know who you are... and then realize that there are portions of your life that you have had no clue about!

It has been so important for me to have it all together all of these years... and now all of a sudden (or maybe not so suddenly), it feels more important to be able to be vulnerable... to be a little weak.
Sharing my needs is not easy for me at all. But I find that in relationships, there is a certain necessity for allowing someone else to provide for you in the ways that they feel confident and competent.

I am learning to give what's in my heart a voice... whether or not it will be received by all... or even many. Sometimes the sharing is simply about the one who is sharing... and that's okay too.

Today, I am staying in.
Today, I am changing.
Today, I am okay.

Dear Lord,
What a jumbled up mess of a person I can be some days... yet I feel your love so close and so constant. Thank you for urging me to share today. I pray that each person reading this will know that what they hold within them is worthy of expression. Lord, we were not put here on this Earth to only offer the perfected parts of ourselves... but to extend invitations daily, to intertwine with one another. Often times, that will not be the simplest process. And even more often than that, there will be misunderstandings and parts of ourselves that are exposed that we wish could have remained hidden. Oh God, I pray that we will all give grace to one another and also to ourselves for not being perfect. May our blemishes not cause us to hide. And in the same respect, may we also not be so repulsed by the ugly parts of one another, that we push each other away. Help us, to embrace. In Jesus' Name :)

Tray

Ponder with me, will ya?

Just another quickie post this morning...

I have been thinking alot lately of how we are affected by others. The way they treat us... whether they accept us or not... it really has a huge impact on our well being. And it should to some extent... but I am wondering just how much.

There is nothing like the feeling of a great new friend... you know... they get alllll excited to see you, pick your calls up within the first two rings, answer your texts almost immediately and invite you to just about everything. They are so careful to make you feel welcome, compliment you often and tread lightly in conversations to be sure not to offend you in any way. It's an interesting thing.
But somehow, as familiarity sets in... those beginning acts of respect and adoration will wane.
Oh don't worry... I am talking mostly to myself and asking these questions to my own heart.

Why is it we offer so much in the beginning and then fizzle out so soon after?

And then it's on to the next new person, who is just the best thing in the world... until they do or say something we don't like... or that spoils the fantasy of "perfect fit"?

Is it our assumptions?
Maybe our expectations?
Or the thrill of the chase?
Possibly the discomfort of too much of our own brokeness being revealed?

Tell me... what do you think?

Happy Monday - Positive Psychology

Happy Monday to you!

I don't have much time before I need to scoot out of the door and make it ON TIME for our Monday morning staff meeting. Before I go, I wanted to share a little.
Last night, as I mentally began to prepare for this busy week ahead... I thought about how Monday mornings can be such a dread. You know, you're having such a great time with friends and family on the weekend... that going back to work just sounds like punishment.

If you know me... you know that I'm always analyzing and working on negativity. We can thank my Dad... oh follower of Norman Vincent Peale and many other Positive thinking gurus. He always had motivation type books and Guidepost magazines around the house when I was growing up. He and I share a great love for "Thinking Happy Thoughts"!

So I thought it might be fun to share something I "happened" upon this weekend. During some needed downtime, in between celebrations... I came home and did some surfing on the internet. I don't know what it was that lead me to YouTube... but I ended up finding someone else who believes in being happy.
Shawn Achor, is/was a Professor at Harvard and teaches Positive Psychology (I mean, who knew there was such a thing)! Take a minute and watch this clip on the Unicorn Story.

Well I just realized that I can't actually link the video here... but here is the URL... click on it and enjoy. (Shawn Achor's Unicorn Story)

I've got to get going for work now, but I hope you have a super happy day today!!!

Smiley Saturday - 4th of July!

4th of July is just a day full of opportunities for smiling!

This year, amongst other festivities, we sat on a corner of the Bicentennial Mall and watched an amazing fireworks show. I think all of us "grownups" were grinning and giggling like little kids. There were a few ooohs and ahhhs, that then brought on more giggles and playful bantering. It was a great time of allowing ourselves to enjoy an awesome part of our country's heritage with Wide-Eyed Wonder!!

I was only able to get a couple of pics before my camera decided to die (Boo!)

Welp, I am going to keep it short and simple today... gotta get back to celebrating!!!

Happy Holiday Weekend Everyone :0)

Unconscious Mutterings

Thought this was fun... so why not.
You can playing along too at Unconscious Mutterings .

1. Goodbye :: Not another one :(


2. Cage :: Bird singing


3. Buddy :: Be my friend


4. Magic words :: Open sesame


5. Library :: stillness... peace


6. Fall in love :: I want to


7. Tense :: How I've felt lately


8. Work! :: Overwhelming


9. Empty :: sometimes a good thing


10. Heat wave :: We're having a heat wave.... a tropical heat wave :0) That song comes to mind

Smiley Saturday...

Happy Saturday All!

Upon my quest to be a better blogger (say that 7 times... haha), I have come to enjoy memes.

What is a meme, you ask? Well, for a longer explaination, you can visit TheDailyMeme. But from what I've seen they are one of two things:

* A weekly question, list of questions or request that an author will post to their blog. Others will read it, copy and past the questions to their own blog and link back to the original authors blog so that others can read their answer too.* Or the 2nd way I have seen them used is that an auther will answer a list of questions on their blog and then TAG others by going to their blog and leaving them a comment that they have been tagged to participate.

So, if you're like me... a ponderer... things like this are fun cause I like to give my opinion very much! Haha! And I also like to know what you're thinking too.

Today, I found this cute meme... Smiley Saturday on Lightening Online, and the objective is to post about something that makes you smile! Of course... smiling is one of my favorite things to do... so I snatched this one up quickly.

One of the little someone's who makes me smile the most is my very silly and fun nephew, Tayo. He is just dang adorable. So I thought I'd share his pic... which will probably do the trick with making you smile.

Happy Saturday Everybody... Hope you're smiling :0)

Tray