A Thanksgiving to Remember

Throughout my 40 years of life, I've discovered that life is a paradox, meaning that, my life has been full of incredible joy and deep sadness. This past Thanksgiving was a reflection of that.

I wish I could say that Thanksgiving day dawned as bright and beautiful as it always did when I was a girl, but that wasn't exactly the case this year. I slept through the sunrise that morning. I had a debilitating headache for several days last week, and I slept hard the night before. I didn't see the sunrise at all that morning, although the day turned out to be a very beautiful one. I was disappointed I missed the sunrise because, in recent years, I've come up with my own tradition on Thanksgiving morning. I like to get up early, often around sunrise, to cook turkey bacon. I love turkey bacon, and the smell of that sizzling in our kitchen on Thanksgiving morning is such a fun way to begin the day. Not this year. I woke up late. I was grateful I woke up without a headache though, and I felt better than I had in days! I was so thankful for a good night of rest! 

We have a tradition in our home of having a brunch on Thanksgiving morning before enjoying our larger meal later on in the early evening. Our Thanksgiving brunch usually includes: scrambled eggs, bacon (or turkey bacon), cinnamon rolls, a specialty bread, and hot, mulled, apple cider simmering on the stove. Quite often, our Thanksgiving brunch is served around 10:00 a.m. Not this year. This year, our brunch was on the table earlier, so much so, I wondered if it should have been called Thanksgiving breakfast and not brunch. I was a few minutes late joining the table for breakfast. And the turkey bacon? I hadn't cooked any yet. During our "brunch", I was like a "Jack in the Box", jumping up every two minutes or so from the table to see how my turkey bacon was cooking on the stove. Thanksgiving breakfast (I mean brunch) isn't as enjoyable or relaxing when you're trying to cook while eating.

I helped with food preparation the evening before Thanksgiving, and my mom had help from one of my sisters with the clean up after breakfast. I was able to spend some time with the Lord after breakfast that morning which was nice, but as the day went on, things went south. I won't proceed to share details of things I face in my home at times, but as the afternoon approached, I decided to go for a nature walk. 

Going for a walk on Thanksgiving day isn't something I usually do; in fact, I'm not sure I've ever left our home on Thanksgiving Day. Usually, I find something to do at home. But, since everything for our meal was well under control, I decided to go out. I took my Bible and my small 10 string Davidic Harp along with me. A harp is not something I usually take with me on a walk, but I decided to bring it along this time. It was, after all, Thanksgiving. 

I was glad to be outside, alone with God, my Bible, and my little harp. The nature area was quiet, naturally, being a holiday. I was glad for that. I didn't want anyone else on the trails to see my blood shot eyes and tear stained face. 

I found a quiet spot by the water and read part of a Psalm of thanksgiving out loud to God. My heart echoed the Psalmist as I thanked God for all His numerous blessings - too many to name them all! It was just me and God out there, and I could no longer hold my pain inside. My tears came forth in a flood as I literally wept into the ground and cried out to God. My heart then echoed the Psalmist’s grief and tears. 

Joy and sorrow. Sickness and tears. Such is life, even on Thanksgiving day. 

I cried while praying and walking back to my vehicle, and in a way only God can, I felt Him strengthen my heart and give me tremendous peace. I was amazed, and I decided not to drive home quite yet. I wanted to walk up a steeper path, a path still covered with some snow and one that overlooked the beautiful river flowing below. 

As I approached a certain spot, I saw a cleft in the rock. I decided to sit there, overlooking the river, to sing and play a hymn of praise to the Lord: 

"For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies, 

For the love which from our birth, 

Over and around us lies. 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, 

This our hymn of grateful praise." 

  

My heart felt even more strengthened after praising the Lord, and the view was hard to beat. God was meeting me in my brokenness and tears. 

To remember my special time there with the Lord, I decided to snap a few pictures. The cleft in the rock brought to mind another hymn I've known and loved since I was a girl. 

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, 

A wonderful Savior to me. 

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

Where rivers of pleasure I see."     

Rivers of pleasure? No way!

There was a river flowing beneath me! I was nearly speechless as I continued to think about the words to the chorus: 

"He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, 

That shadows a dry, thirsty land. 

He hideth my life in the depths of His love, 

And covers me there with His hand, 

And covers me there with His hand." 

~ Fanny Crosby 

A dry, thirsty land? That was there in view too! 

I stood there in awe of God. God was reminding me of His love, His depths of love for me, and His hand over my life. His presence met me there by the cleft of the rock, the river of pleasure, and the dry, thirsty land.

I was overwhelmed by God's presence and love! 

Later, I added the words from that hymn to the picture I took on Thanksgiving.  

This past Thanksgiving is one I won't ever forget, not so much because of my tears and sadness, but because God met me in my affliction. In exchange, the Lord filled my heart with His peace and joy and gave me a song to praise Him with. 

Like a verse from the book of Isaiah says, God comforts His people in their affliction and brings them joy enough to sing. 

“Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.” Isaiah 43:19 

Thanksgiving 2022 is one I will remember. 

Another Recording!

This is an exciting post for me to share! I'm delighted to announce that, Lord willing, sometime in the future, I plan to make one more harp recording! This future recording will almost certainly be my last, but a very special one.

How did this come about? There's a small story behind it.

With my last harp recording, Thou Art Worthy, I was convinced it would be my last. I even wrote on the inside cover that it was "likely" my last harp recording. 

After that recording was released 5 years ago (2017) stating that it would be my last, I had someone say to me: “Don't say that!” Others echoed that same sentiment. I shared with them that: “God is the One Who gave me the inspiration to record my albums, and He hasn't given me anymore to record.”

  

Knowing that I've recorded six harp albums, someone made the statement to me: “You know, seven is the number of completion in the Bible.” Their comment made me laugh. 

I played around with the idea of another recording, and I even shared the idea on a previous blog of mine. But another album looked overwhelming to me. I had no inspiration to do another album. I finally decided that no. Not happening. Though I loved recording each of my albums, they took so much time, work, and money. (not to mention attacks from the evil one!) I decided my recording days were done.

Since then, I've learned to never say never. Because if God wants you to do something, He'll bring it around when the time is right. God did that this past spring when I was working for some friends of mine in California. 

During an afternoon chat at work about Godly music, favorite songs and hymns, my harp albums, and the joy of learning to play the harp and other instruments, I casually mentioned this album idea I had floating around in my head. But it was one I didn't think would happen. I mentioned that the inspiration for all my other albums always began with a title, and I didn't have one for this idea.  

Sometime that afternoon God gave me a title. It was so clear, I knew it was from God. There was no question. And it stunned me. In all of my years of playing the harp, why did I never think of this as an album title before? 

I realized that it wasn't God timing then. But now, God was giving me the title. And with the title, always comes the inspiration.   

The title for this future recording will be: 

The Lord is My Shepherd   

This will be album number seven for me, the number of completion. (wink, wink)

What kind of songs will be on this future album? The Psalms of the Bible. Just the Psalms, nothing else. Psalm 23, Psalm 34, Psalm 91, and Psalm 103 are a few that I have in mind. 

This will be another harp and vocal album. I plan to play only my smaller harps (not my large one) for this album and sing with them just like David did when playing his harp to the Lord.

 

I plan to play some familiar melodies as well as melodies that I may try to write myself to the Psalms. There is nothing like the Word of God, and the Psalms are loved by so many. The Psalms were divinely inspired by God. 

The story behind this future recording doesn't end here.  

You see, in the past two years, I sold five older harps to purchase a new large harp, one that will likely be my harp for life. It's the only harp standing in our living room now which makes me happy. 

In selling many of my older harps, one of them took much longer to sell. I finally sold it this past summer. After paying for my new harp, I was going to have some money left over. I was planning to use that extra money to go on a road trip to Pennsylvania to pick up my new large harp, but I had that harp delivered to me instead. So, what should I do with that extra money? I decided I would use it to pay some bills on my vehicle. But, working for friends in California this spring helped me pay for all my vehicle bills. 

I sensed God wanted me to do something special with this extra harp money. But what? 

I had my eye on a small Davidic Harp made by Marini Made Harps. But I already have a 10 string Davidic Harp made by them, so I had no need for another one. But their Davidic Harp with scrolls (rather than the standard, pointed tips like I have) caught my eye many years ago. I thought about a 12 string Davidic Harp with those scrolls. 

After calculating the cost, it seemed like a perfect fit. I decided to place an order for that 12 string harp this spring, and it has been completely paid for. It will be made in natural cherry wood, just like my first harp was in cherry wood. This will likely be my last harp, although never say never, right? (wink, wink)  

How many harps will I have? Five total. One large harp, one small harp, and three very small harps.  

When I was in Israel in the spring of 2018, I had the privilege of visiting the “City of David” in Jerusalem. It took my breath away when I walked down some stairs into what archeologists believe was once King David's palace. I stood among ancient stones and marveled at the scrolled column on display. 

Inside the City of David, Jerusalem, Israel, May 2018. 

Inside the Israel Museum, May 2018. 

I was amazed because the scrolls on these ancient stone columns looked nearly identical to the scrolls I saw on Marini Made Harps Davidic Harp with scrolls. When I returned home from Israel, I emailed Mrs. Marini of Marini Made Harps mentioning to her how similar they were. She emailed me back stating that God gives her husband ideas, and he makes them. Wow! Mr. Marini hadn’t even seen these scrolls from King David’s time, yet they were nearly identical. 

My new 12 string Davidic Harp will have these scrolls,
will have levers, and will be made in cherry wood. 

I've been blessed to visit Israel three times in the past. If I never visited Israel again, I would be fine with that. I am satisfied with all that I've gotten to see and do there. 

But if I ever went back, I would love to spend more time in the City of David, which is ancient, Biblical Jerusalem. So much is being uncovered there right now. Jerusalem has a glorious future!  

My 10 string Davidic Harp under an olive tree in the
City of David, Jerusalem, Israel. May 2018. 

Lord willing, I believe that, sometime in the future, another trip to Israel will happen. I plan to use my new 12 string Davidic Harp on the covers of this future album, and I hope to take pictures with that harp inside the actual City of David.

This future album will be dedicated to the Lord God of Israel, the one, true God, the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth - the One to Whom King David sang his songs to. 

This album probably won't happen for at least another year or two. I don't have the money to record right now, and I don't even have the song list yet. God will also have to provide for this album. But, the inspiration is there, just like it was for all of my other recordings. My last recording, Thou Art Worthy, took about 12 years from the time that God gave me the dream and inspiration until it became a reality. It took a long time, but in God's timing, it happened. 

I also hope to dedicate this album, The Lord Is My Shepherd, to my son someday, whom I dearly hope to name David. This recording isn't the only dream God has given to me.

Three years ago this month, in November of 2019, I had major surgery. Two days after surgery, my pain got out of control, and I had to go back to the hospital where they gave me morphine for the pain. Three days after surgery, on the morning of November 22, I woke up at home with one of the most incredible dreams I've ever had. I never had a dream like it, nor have I since. In my dream, someone was handing me a beautiful baby boy, a baby that looked exactly like me (and my Dad as a baby!) in baby pictures. My dream was so special, I shared it on Facebook. 

Where did that dream come from? I believe it came from God.

I believe God gives us dreams that He might fulfill them in His way and in His time. I've seen many God given dreams become a reality. They often happen much later than I expect, but in God's time, they have a become a reality. 

The Lord Is My Shepherd is an album I look forward to recording in the future, God willing.