Seasonal endings
As Christmas has come and gone my music crammed month comes to an end
I take a deep breath and look around at the mess that is my house and choose at this moment to ignore the chores procrastinate. I LOVE December for many reasons but one main reason is how many events I am honored to be involved in. I am engulfed in Christmas music and trying to find that new revamped Christmas tune that we can bring into our church. So after the month ends and my kids have more toys and clothes than we have food in our house I sit and take a deep breath. I have been inspired by new music and a new friend who is incredibly talented and doesnt even realize just how talented she is. ( those are the best kind ) We have been co-writing and have new songs with new sounds that I can't wait to share. She has brought out a piece of me I knew was always there but wasnt sure how to express. Her cello will haunt you with its eerie melodies yet draw you in with its alluring organic sound. I am excited for future music not even yet created and those songs in the making. -Ashley What If I lost everything?A friend of mine Brandon Ramey wrote a song this past week that made me stop and listen.
He didnt title it but I titled it my "what if i lost everything". "The epic outbreak" or the tornadoes that made history tore through North Alabama wrecking homes/lives/families this past week. It was devastating. I live in Huntsville Alabama so the worst we saw here was hail but some parts had some trees down on homes even. We lost power and our house in particular for a total of 7 days. As each day went by my very talented outdoorsman of a husband would make us food on our propane grill but after the meat went bad due to lack of thought on my part to put it in the cooler we resulted in a lot of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. This no power thing began to have its benefits when the sun would go down and without the light polution we actually could see the stars.... It was beautiful. In the quietness of the nights (without our fans by our beds to allow us peaceful sleep in noise) I laid in bed and thought about what had just happened. Having no clue of the disasters because we couldnt really see the footage without power I could only image the loss Tuscaloosa was having and a little town Phil Campbell just to name a few of the places that were going through this tragedy. What if it had been me that lost my house... or heaven forbid, my family. I would hope I would go on being the peaceful warrior that God has made me to be telling others that the name of Jesus is bigger... that the name of Jesus is everything we need. So I can never loose everything because I always have Jesus.. and he is EVERYTHING i need. I was challenged. I was challenged to no longer sit down when i am tired but to get up and make the best of my time. Now I know I will have moments of going through the same routine I have lived day in and day out but I want to remember. I dont want to forget that I am not promised tomorrow. God please be with those who are hurting. God please be with those who are rejoicing saying this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. " Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Dueteronomy 31:6 Nolan IsaiahMy precious baby boy Nolan was born February 17th 2011.
It has been amazing to once again watch God's amazing creation become life. So now with three children and and an amazing husband I am in a new season of life but more than that to remind myself that "HE must become greater and I must become less" John 3:30 God please help me to be the woman you created me to be. -ashley Newborns
My best friends just had their baby girl Bailey this morning. She is perfect. Flawless little face, perfect features, and just slept in my arms as I held her.
I felt as though I was holding family in my arms. 6 weeks from now my husband and I will be going through all of that again for the third time. It was all very real this morning sitting in a hospital room feeling those proud moments yet knowing exactly what they had just been through. Newborns NEED us. They are helpless without us taking care of them. God remind me that I am yet a newborn baby in need of You for everything. Thank you for many blessings everyday that I take for granted. I never want to take life for granted. The fact that I can even have children is a gift from You. Thank you for giving us the ultimate example of the perfect child. "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 -Ashley after Christmas Blues
Why do we have these moments of awe man Christmas is over...? I dont know about you but it happens every year to me. I wanted this year to be different. I wanted to start off this year by having the attitude of Christ. I am not promised tomorrow right? So how can I be bummed about a season ending? A brand new one is beginning and I want to be an open book. I am due February 25th with a little baby boy Nolan Isaiah. If that's not a new season I'm not sure what is. I am having times of being tempted to be anxious about 3 kids but God is slowly calming my own apprehensions with his promises.
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, an he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him,firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-10 So I wanted to write today and look back on this time and see how God used it to chip away at my own selfishness and replaced it with his strength and endurance. Dear God, THANK YOU for life. Thank you for taking this shell of me and filling it up with truth and with grace. Thank you that I dont have to rely on myself. That you are always in control of my life. That you have breathed into me promises of love and eternal life. Thank you for your many blessings I dont deserve. For great family and friends and an amazing husband that loves you more than he loves me. I love you. -Ashley Busyness
Its been a crazy few months. I have had opportunitites to play at different places and I have new events coming up I am so excited about.
In the midst of the busyness I have gotten pregnant and am due February 25th. So between the nausea I have found moments of "oh my goodness I am about to have 3 kids" My oldest Addison just turned 3. Looking back It just seems like yesterday she was born. Hayden wont even be 2 when baby 3 is born. Am I crazy? Sometimes I feel like how in the world do women have any more kids than 2?? I feel like God is allowing me to be busy with events and my family because I know things will have to change once we have three kids. But ultimately what that means I dont know. I know I am born to play and sing and that part of my life won't stop. But first I am born to serve my Jesus, my husband, then my kids. God show me balance. Well that should keep you up to date for a few days. Much love in Christ. -ashley Of Course
Well I had such an awesome time doing concerts in the courtyard at Bridgestreet in Huntsville Alabama. There was a great crowd and I just felt so loved.
It was fun to sing cover songs again. But I wanted to share the coolest part of the night. I had a few minutes left to play and we were out of our set list so my friend said "hey why don't we do a worship song" how about "Lead me to the cross". So we went on to play one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists and it was what I considered the best song of the night. After singing 20 songs my voice should have been completely worn out but God just reached down and allowed me to sing that song probably the strongest of any others I sang. It just goes to show you can sing all you want but when you are singing lyrics to the Lord passion is always inevitable. Thank you Jesus. Hosanna
One of the most biblically sound pastors I know John Piper who's mission is "to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples, through Jesus Christ" shares a thought about the words we sing and what they mean. This was said before a service one sunday morning. This was in 1983... its 2010 and God is still the same all powerful God. He is still moving hearts with music... Here's what he said.
"I know one of the concerns of the children's music ministry is that the children understand what they are singing and that they mean it. And I share that concern for our people. In a moment the choir will sing a song called, "Hosanna, Hosanna!" And after that we all will sing a song which begins: "Hosanna in the highest!" So I want to give a little lesson in Greek and Hebrew to make sure we all know what the New Testament means when it says in three different places, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Mt. 21:9,15), or "Hosanna in the highest!" (Mk. 11:9,10), or simply, "Hosanna!" (John 12:13). You all know that the New Testament was first written in Greek and the Old Testament was first written in Hebrew. Wherever the word "hosanna" occurs in the New Testament do you know what the Greek word is? Right! It's "hosanna." All the English translators did was use English letters (h-o-s-a-n-n-a) to make the sound of a Greek word. But if you look in a Greek dictionary to find what it means, you know what you find? You find that it is really not originally a Greek word after all. The men who wrote the New Testament in Greek did the same thing to a Hebrew word that our English translators did to the Greek word: they just used Greek letters to make the sound of a Hebrew phrase. I know this sounds sort of complicated. But it's really not. Our English word "hosanna" comes from a Greek word "hosanna" which comes from a Hebrew phrase hoshiya na. And that Hebrew phrase is found one solitary place in the whole Old Testament, Psalm 118:25, where it means, "Save, please!" It is a cry to God for help. Like when somebody pushes out off the diving board before you can swim and you come up hollering: "Help, save me" … "Hoshiya na!" But something happened to that phrase, hoshiya na. The meaning changed over the years. In the psalm it was immediately followed by the exclamation: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The cry for help, hoshiya na, was answered almost before it came out of the psalmist's mouth. And over the centuries the phrase hoshiya na stopped being a cry for help in the ordinary language of the Jews. Instead it became a shout of hope and exultation. It used to mean, "Save, please!" But gradually it came to mean, "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!" It used to be what you would say when you fell off the diving board. But it came to be what you would say when you see the lifeguard coming to save you! It is the bubbling over of a heart that sees hope and joy and salvation on the way and can't keep it in. So "Hosanna!" means, "Hooray for salvation! It's coming! It's here! Salvation! Salvation!" And "Hosanna to the Son of David!" means, "The Son of David is our salvation! Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!" And "Hosanna in the highest!" means, "Let all the angels in heaven join the song of praise. Salvation! Salvation! Let the highest heaven sing the song!" - John Piper I was inspired when I read this to always be very intentional when I sing and when I lead others in song. There is such truth in the words we sing and when we begin to play on the emotions of people it is important that we are saturated in the word of God and not of our own words. It's easy to fall into the trap but I pray I would press forth and begin to be more fierce for the Lord than ever especially when leading worship. -Ashley 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
2 Corinithians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. No matter where I am in life I cling to this truth. God has been healing me of hurts this month and growing me in His truth. I have been reminded to always always remember his promises because in Him there is truth and life. formationWonderful words have come through this period of playing and configuring the vision for the future. I have been listening to artists that inspire my creativity and spending time outside to find clarity. I'm looking forward to the summer and the heat that comes with it. In the mean time i'm learning to be quiet so I can hear God's voice. It's very humbling. -ashley 
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