'Be anxious for nothing..." ~Philippians 4:6

Sunday, October 31, 2010

SUNDAY THOUGHTS: REMEMBERING THE CAPITAL JAZZ FEST SUPER CRUISE




































I'm home. 
Actually, I got home yesterday afternoon. 
The US Airways flight rocked and rolled all the way from Fort Lauderdale, but I was too happy to care.

I've been up and about today, but not moving with any deliberate speed. Perhaps one should build in post-cruise vacation time. 

I decided to start dinner a few hours ago--just a reminder that I'm back to preparing my own meals.

I spent seven wonderful days aboard the beautiful Carnival Liberty for the Capital Jazz Fest Super Cruise. 
It's only the second cruise of my life--the first being last year's Super Cruise. 
If my brief experience is a barometer, they get better each year. 

I didn't find out that I was going until the end of September, and it was a pleasure to learn new music and refresh my memory of older tunes. 
I really do love being a background singer. 
It's great to be able to encourage and push someone else. 
It's an honor to perform beautiful music and let the people that you admire know how much you respect them and their musical offerings.

I'm tired today. I'm not complaining, though. 
I think you can have so much fun enjoying what you love to do, and appreciating the wonderful talents of others that you can literally wear yourself out clapping, dancing and singing along. 
The cruise was just great. 
I was so happy to have my daughter with me. She got a chance to sing background vocals with Leela James. That tiny little woman is fantastic! 
She wasn't even feeling well, but gave her all in the Atrium on Friday night. Good Lord! What on earth would it have been like if she was feeling up to it? 
It was such a joy to watch the young folks! 
Whew! Lisa, Maimouna and Paige made me so proud. Their work ethic was so admirable, and when it was time to back Leela, the time they'd put in working together on their own really showed.

I loved backing John Stoddart, Kevin Whalum, Phil Perry, Jonathan Butler, and even got a last minute call to sit in with Kirk Whalum's set for The Gospel According to Jazz. 
I especially enjoyed working with Troy "Sol" Edler and Stony Ellis. 

I say it a lot, but a good attitude is everything. When there is unity and a pleasant spirit of cooperation, there's no burdensome chore, but a welcomed, stress-free experience. 
Too many people are so busy competing, fostering strife, and trying to begrudge others of opportunities that they miss out on the joy of hearing harmony. 
It doesn't matter who you are, but when gifts and talents come together, it can be a beautiful thing or a nightmare. 
Right spirits are so important. People can physically see when contention and cattiness is afoot, and it affects everything. 
It's great when people only want to do their part in order to enhance the whole. 

Thank God for good people. 
I met so many nice people and was happy to establish new working relationships. Two of my favorite singers, Ledisi and Lalah Hathaway were also on board, and their performances alone would have been enough for me--but I was treated to so much more. You could literally just walk around the ship and catch amazing sounds.

I enjoyed wonderful meals, (the lobster bisque was delicious) walked more than usual, window shopped in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and spent time just looking out over God's beautiful ocean. I didn't get a chance to get off of the ship in Grand Turk, but it was okay.
Every night I felt as if I was being rocked to sleep by the waves. No nausea, no sickness. 

I have so much to say, but will stop for now. I'll close with this: Don't EVER allow another person's insecurity to cause you to feel inadequate or unqualified. God has lots of stuff and he's not stingy. He WILL make a way for you to be exactly where you should be, and when he does, give your best--for HIS glory.




#workingvacation
#bgvlife
#capitaljazzsupercruise

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

FOR MY DAUGHTER

I remember when I painted the picture. I'd always wanted to paint my baby, and learned that the best time that she was the most perfect model, was when she was asleep. She's not a baby any more. She is quite a remarkable young lady, and I couldn't be more proud. I watched from the window one day as she drove away. I thought about how independent she is. So focused and determined. I can't thank God enough for the child he gave to me.


AS I AGE

(For My Daughter)


Sometimes I feel the child I've raised

Is leaving me behind
It seems that she's exceeded me
In strength, and heart, and mind
So focused and determined
Aggressively does she
Move through life with purpose
Boldly taking on each deed

Sometimes I feel just like a tot
Crying, "Wait for me!"
"Wait! Let me catch up with you!
Let me go with you, please!"
And then I remember the prayer
I prayed once, as she slept
Everything she is today
Reflects a promise kept

God has so endowed her
With all I lack and more
She's everything I hoped she'd be
His child and so much more
I asked him to protect her
And cover her with grace
I asked him to surround her
And guide each day she faced
I asked him to please keep her
Speak always in each ear
Carefully map her every step
Remove all doubt and fear
And He has done just as I asked
So why am I surprised?
When I look at my dear child
I see God in her eyes


copyright 2010 VRW

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

TUESDAY THOUGHTS: WHEN THE JOB IS DONE










I recently got a call to work at an event. 
I was told when, where, and the occasion. 
I was told what to do, and who else would be participating. 

I went. 

I did what I was asked to do. 

The event ended. 

The happy person who greeted me and the other participants when we arrived, was suddenly nowhere to be found.
 
I waited around with others, who had been on the job. 
The contact person finally approached us, gave us compliments, hugs, and hearty handshakes, and then walked away.
 
We all looked at each other with what were obviously familiar expressions on our faces. 
The look of The Screwed. 
That wide-eyed, mouth agape, wrinkled brow that says, "Doggone it, it happened again".
 
None of us expected to leave the event empty handed. 

Our thoughts turned to the person who had enlisted our participation in the first place. 
Had our services been offered up for free?
 
Once again, we were left feeling stupid. 
We all shook our heads.
 
It was our fault. 
We should have cleared it all up before we even left home. 
We've been engaged in the work far too long to still be stiffed AFTER the work is done, or made to wait an undetermined amount of time to be paid. 

The most difficult part to swallow was that the whole thing had been orchestrated by a mutual friend.
I imagined how the conversation went:

"Hey. I need some people for this event. Do you know anybody?"

"Yeah. I know who I can get"

"They're not going to charge me an arm and a leg, are they?"

"Naw. They're good peeps. I'll take care of them".

It's true. You teach people how to treat you. 
What's stopping someone from using you, if you allow it? 
When people know they can get away with unscrupulous behavior, unless they're stopped by force-- or their own integrity--they usually proceed. 
You've got to decide how regularly you are going to allow yourself to be impacted by the inconsideration of others. 

You've got to decide whether or not your time and effort is worth something. 
You've got to know when you are employed and when you are celebrating volunteerism. 
Not knowing, can present a huge problem, and if you're not a fan of confrontation, the person who will get saddled with the bulk of your frustration, is you.

When the job you've been hired to do, (or you assumed you were hired to do) is done, and it's time to be compensated, why do the very people who employed you suddenly act as if they have amnesia? 
Why do they suddenly adopt blank stares, as if they have just been returned to Earth by their alien kidnappers? 
No. Why are YOU left waiting around as if you're begging for a handout? 
Why are you treated as if you've stolen something? 

The questions of the hour, after the work is done, are:
"Why hasn't someone approached you with some kind of negotiable tender, or AT LEAST given you some indication as to when you should expect to receive it?" 
Why isn't compensation FOR the work handled as efficiently as the execution OF the work?
How people are to be paid for their work, should be discussed right along with everything else concerning the work, shouldn't it? 
How does compensation become a non-issue? 
How do people FORGET to pay for the work they contract? 
The employer didn't have to wait for the work to be done, so why do you have to wait to be paid?

Save yourself a lot of grief. 
Know the terms of an assignment BEFORE you take it on.

I'm beginning to wonder if some people think that you, unlike them, do not need money to survive. They need, want and demand theirs. You? Oh no. You're fine. Your bills are obviously paid by the Happy Bill-Paying Fairy. 
Do you REALLY look like you have it like that? 

I think some people are laboring under the misapprehension that you are sustained by air and their compliments. 
There are people who want what you have to offer--often at the very last minute, and for indefinite periods of time--but there is no mechanism in their brain, and no urging in their heart, that motivates them to show appreciation for what you do, by paying you for your work.
 
There are people who are constantly expecting others to make an investment without ever seeing a return on it. 
All the while, they prosper as a result of the labor of others. 
Oh no! Sounds like slavery has made a sophisticated comeback.

I have found that the most arrogant and demanding people are the stingiest. 
People who want the best for themselves, don't mind if others exist on mediocrity. 
People who want their money in hand, before they lift a finger, have no problem making you wait for yours--or not get it at all. 

Apparently, you should just be happy to be on the job.

There are those who delight in bragging about who they know, and how easily they can retain the services of others, but have absolutely no regard for how the lives of their acquaintances are sustained. 
They've amassed a list of go-to people who they know are capable of getting a job done. 
What they HAVEN'T done is shown an ounce of respect for the fact that what the people do is WORK that is worthy of compensation. 

It's hard to exist in a work environment, and maintain a positive attitude, while knowing that money has been spent for various, often frivolous things, yet none has been reserved for the people who actually do the bulk of the work. It makes you wonder just how vital your participation really is. 
It makes you wonder what perception of you is held.

Have you inadvertently established a reputation of being reasonable, gullible, easy-going, averse to business, or willing to lend a hand? 
You're "nice", "humble", "helpful". 
That may be true, but if you keep dealing with certain people, and don't get a clue quickly, you may soon add "broke" and "homeless" to the list. 

It shouldn't cost you to work. 
If, in the course of your work, money is regularly flowing OUT of your accounts, and rarely flowing in, surprise. You are a volunteer.

"God is going to bless you" is nice to hear--and thank God for that, because if you are waiting for some people to follow through with writing a check when you are done with the job they've arranged for you to do, you may be waiting a very long time.

People get awfully tense and offended when they ask you if you have a fee for the services they seek, and you actually give them one. 
They also seem to forget--while they cry broke--that you didn't call them
The decision to spend ANY time at all doing something for no compensation should be YOURS. 

If you're like me, and have an embarrassingly long history of walking away from numerous jobs, and the only thing you have in your hand is traces of sweat from the palm of someone who shook it and said, "Thank you", you are probably re-evaluating how, and with whom you do business. 
“Thank You’s” are nice, but they're not legal tender. 

What IS it that causes people to consistently expect something for nothing?

Some people want others to assume they are big shots, but their business practices are poor at best. 
They want to have access to resources, but care less if those resources are replenished. 
With the advent of Paypal, all of the usual lame excuses for NOT being paid, have lost their validity. 
There's no reason to leave people high and dry, unless there was never an intention to pay them in the first place. 
If you have worked, you shouldn't have to go through a lot of any colored tape to be paid.

I'm not saying that I've divorced myself from helping or volunteering. There are times when it is necessary to serve, but I've made a few mental notes. If I am going to volunteer, the first person who will know it is me.

Suggesting people for a job should be followed by  "I respect them, their time, and the work they do". 

Before you obligate others for a task, you must know that doing a favor for YOUR friend, associates, or business, requires YOUR time and effort. 
Don't be surprised if the people you call on to do the job, are laboring under the justifiable assumption that they are employees--NOT volunteers. 
Promising the labor of others, without arranging fair and timely compensation for the work they do, is the first lesson in Pimpology 101, and some folks, I'm afraid, are one Super Fly hat and a platform shoe away from earning a diploma. 

How many times do people have to find themselves in the uncomfortable and disappointing state of Hoodwink, before they decide that enough is enough?
 
I suppose you just have to make a decision as to what you will and won't do; who you will and won't deal with; whose calls you will or won't take; who is good for a handshake deal, and who must remit a deposit and sign an iron clad contract. 

No more dealings with the shady, the manipulative, or the dishonest. Their promises and flattery don't buy groceries. 

A good way to lose friends is to use and abuse them by devaluing their work and worth. 
Maybe it's not a novel concept, but I wish people would treat others the way they would want to be treated--ESPECIALLY if they are in the same line of business. 
Those manipulative buzzwords, "exposure" and "ministry" already have valid meanings. 
Neither is a synonym for "free services".

There may very well be millions of people who will want the job you have to offer, but there's a reason why they were not called upon. 
They, no doubt, have a "cash up front" policy to protect themselves and their precious time. They've been in an empty pockets position, and have no desire to experience it again.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

KEEPING THE FAITH: EIN KELOHEINU


"Keeping the Faith" starring Ben Stiller is on television. I admit I wasn't paying much attention--not that the movie isn't good, but I was preoccupied on my computer with another task. The computer work took a back seat when I heard a choir singing. I looked away from the computer and was fascinated by the scene. Ben Stiller's character was a worship leader of sorts, enthusiastically encouraging the people assembled to stand, sing, and join in the celebration. I was thoroughly and unashamedly enjoying the song and was a little sad when it ended. I had no idea what the words were, but the scene and the song put a smile on my face. What were they singing? This is when I love the internet.
I did a search and found out the song was a Jewish hymn titled "Ein Keloheinu". Wikipedia even had a link to an mp3 of a cantor singing the song. I listened over and over to the fast and slow versions both sung in Hebrew. The cantor wasn't riffing or running, and was no Luther Vandross, but I found myself so drawn to the song. Before I knew it I was singing. "En kelohenu, en kadonenu, en kemalkenu, en kemoshi`enu..."

The following is the English translation:


There is none like our God,

There is none like our Lord,
There is none like our King,
There is none like our Saviour.

Who is like our God?,

Who is like our Lord?,
Who is like our King?,
Who is like our Saviour?

Let us thank our God,

Let us thank our Lord,
Let us thank our King,
Let us thank our Saviour.

Blessed be our God,

Blessed be our Lord,
Blessed be our King,
Blessed be our Saviour.

You are our God,

You are our Lord,
You are our King,
You are our Saviour.

I think I've found another favorite song today.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

GRATEFUL THOUGHTS


Do what you love--what brings you joy--and don't let anyone turn it into a chore. Don't let anyone add on their requirements, rules or standards. Don't let anyone cause you to despise what you love to do. 
You were born for a purpose. There's something that only you can do the way that you will do it. Embrace it. Take care of it. It will make you suddenly smile. There will be a twinge in your heart that lets you know, "This is for me. This is where I belong. This is the light that I am supposed to shine--not for my own glory, but for the one who so graciously allowed it."
Then thank Him for it. Thank God for whatever it is that draws you close to Him. Thank Him for whatever it is that reminds you how great He is. After all, it has to be His doing to so overwhelm your heart that you suddenly realize why you're alive. Thank him for those moments when you realize that He is faithful and always keeps his promises.

I'm home from the studio session. Richard has written the most wonderful songs once again. Steven Ford is ably guiding us from his seat at the console. The music is glorious. I thought I'd be tired, but I'm just so grateful. I don't know if this day could have turned out any better.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

THE HEART OF THE ART OF WORSHIP


Art communicates feelings, ideas, moods and experiences--yours, or those of someone else. It can be original or a fabulous fake, painstakingly created or carelessly thrown together-- and someone will still like it. It is subjective. Everyone will not appreciate the same thing, which requires and often demands that there be different styles. Art often aims to please the creator of it first, and those who will experience it second. Art always has an audience, even if there's only one member.The creator of a commissioned piece doesn't have to like it, but the recipient MUST, or the artist doesn't get paid. The heart doesn't have to be in a sincere place for an artist to create what the world will consider a masterpiece. It just takes skill.
Because we are wired to worship SOMETHING, when we do, whether it's a football team, a vehicle, or another human being, it is authentic, enthusiastic, undeniable and sincere--from the heart. People can be passionate about a lot of things and it is obvious. There is a formula, however, for worshiping God. Your worship of God will not always please people, may greatly offend some and inspire hatred in others. Worship tends to upset programs and agendas because it redirects the attention so often placed on people and focuses it on God. At the heart of worship is faith and God's pleasure. If worship is not done in spirit or truth, no matter how aesthetically pleasing it may be to people, it has failed to communicate love and devotion to God. Because God created us all, even when we engage in artistic, religious endeavors, He STILL gets the glory. That's the irony of it all.

Monday, October 11, 2010

NEAT FREAK

Know when to resist the urge to clean up a mess that someone else had made and left behind...to stink and crust over...and spread and morph into a science project...and make it impossible to utilize a space. 
If you're a bit of a neat freak, it's hard to sit among mess and just shoot the breeze. The sights and smells around you won't allow you to relax. You know that with the right tools and a matter of minutes, a space can be transformed into a much more livable, comfortable one. So you decide to take matters into your own hands and clean up--and don't be surprised when others in the same space are perfectly content to let you. 

You have to know, going in, that no one will appreciate the effort since you were the only one bothered by the mess. Don't look for a pat on the back.
Be warned. No matter how good or thorough a job you do, instead of a "Thank You", you may get a reprimand, ridicule, or criticism for the methods you used to get the job done. How you choose to clean up another person's mess might get you in trouble if you don't do it the way they would have--if, and when they ever got to it. By the time some people get to cleaning up the mess they've made, it requires industrial strength equipment, hazmat suits, and a professional.

If you can't stand mess, instead of taking initiative to eliminate it, sometimes it's best to remove yourself from the situation, and accept the fact that some people really don't mind mess at all. It's true. Some people don't even NOTICE the filth in their midst. They can live in, move around and pass through it as if it's not there. They only notice it when someone else complains, begins to tackle it--or it's no longer there. They notice, of course, when something is missing, thrown away, or suddenly back to it's original color. At no time does it occur to them to locate a broom, mop, or soap-producing product themselves. You, on the other hand are hoping there's hot, running water, a gallon of Clorox, a can of original Lysol, and several rolls of Bounty somewhere on the premises.

I don't understand how people can be so callous and careless with what belongs to someone else. How do you enter a clean home and reduce it to a dump? I hate seeing people treating another person's home in a manner that would be highly unacceptable in their own. It's heartbreaking to walk into a space that was once well cared for, orderly and neat, and see it treated like a trash can, and held in such little regard. 

"I'll get it later" is often the thoughtless reply of a selfish individual. Often, it translates, "I'm leaving my mess, and I don't care how it impacts you. I don't care how you like things arranged. I don't care if you're expecting guests. I don't care about your peace of mind or well being. I don't care if you need to use this space, or these appliances. If you don't like it, or can't wait until I decide to get to it--which could be tomorrow or never--close the door, go somewhere else, or clean it up yourself".

Is it true that a person's surroundings are an indicator of the state of their lives? Is a messy/filthy house the signal of a busy, active family/individual or a lazy, trifling one? What happens when everyone in a household decides to leave the maintenance of a home to others in the home, but NO ONE is doing anything? 
The attitude that "someone" will do it, is fine if "someone" actually shows up and gets to work. People do get tired of cleaning up behind able-bodied others--but do they HAVE to? It's generally a contest. Who can stand to deal with mess for a longer period of time? The person with the least tolerance, gets the honor of cleaning every time.

"When you see something that needs to be done, do it" is an admirable adage to live by, but should be adopted with caution. Pick your battles-- and messes. Most of all, clean up your own. Maybe, just maybe, it might encourage someone to notice, care, and clean up theirs.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

TUESDAY THOUGHTS: MY EVERYTHING


There are times when you hope you don't look like you feel
The power had been off the day before, and stayed off on the morning I should have been wielding a curling iron like a pro. 
The dress I wanted to wear said, "Uh uh, Sis. Not this time". 
I'd forgotten my earrings and make-up. There was no time to shop.
My throat was a little sore.

I was so nervous, in a way I don't ever recall being before. 

At sound check, I wanted to run and hide. My voice was cracking, and I didn't feel well. 
It was hot outside that day,  and I was in full menopausal meltdown. 
I felt so unprepared. 

Everyone else in the group was so lovely--dressed as if they remembered we were going to actually be on television. 
Where did I think I was going? An usher board anniversary? Jury duty?

I just felt so out of sorts, and so silly for feeling all of the things I was feeling— considering how long we've been singing. 

The answer for me was comfort. Put on the suit and stop worrying. Several people told me, "You're going to be fine". 

It's true. Sometimes, no matter how many times you've done a thing, it always feels like the first nerve-wracking time.

As I drank water like a camel, I thought of how loved "Is There Any Way" the first time I heard Brenda Roy sing it. It wasn't just a song I was covering, it was a testimony. When Richard told me I'd be singing it, I was speechless. He said it was his favorite Hawkins-penned song. 
I admit, I felt a little pressure. God forbid that you botch the daylights out of someone's FAVORITE song. 

It, however, became a prayer to me that day. 
I really was wondering if I would make it, and how! The high heels I have loved for so many years, aren't exactly being friendly any longer--well, at least not for AS long. They now have a strict time limit, then they go into torture mode. I wanted to get out of them, and away from the unforgiving lights. The cameraman promised me he would make me look skinnier, but of course he lied...lol. 

I don't remember much once we got on stage. Thanks to Youtube, it all came rushing back. I just wanted God to help me through it; hide me; sing through me, so that someone might be encouraged...AND get rid of the seemingly humongous, volcanic pimple that showed up out of nowhere, one minute before we were called to the stage. What am I? Twelve?

I admit I wasn't looking forward to the posting online. People can be so cruel with critiques and comparisons, but I had a chance to sing music I love, that ministered to, and encouraged me for so many years, with people I love--in our own city.

My prayer today is that everyone will remember that God really is everything, and He keeps his promises. 
His presence is assured and His love is unconditional. When anxiety tries to creep in; when insecurity tries to blanket you, and negative self-talk won’t shut up, just talk to God. 
Remember that His ears are attentive, and His arms are open. 
Rest in them. 
He really is everything.
You'll be safe.