Unfolding

Have you heard Steven Curtis Chapman's song "The Glorious Unfolding"? I know it was released several months ago, but I heard it recently and it really spoke to my heart. So much so that I wanted to share it with you today. Even if you have heard it, maybe you should take a few minutes to listen to it again. Sometimes God reveals something new to us in a song we have heard many times, so I encourage you to give it a listen if you have a chance.

"Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart

There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold...

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

So let us remember this life we’re living
Is just the beginning of the beginning..."

Come, Holy Spirit

Happy Pentecost, dear friends! 

This is my prayer today (and every day, really). Would you pray with me?

{"Spirit of the Living God" - Audrey Assad/Henry Hallam Tweedy}

O Spirit of the Living God, thou light and fire divine,
Descend upon Thy Church once more and make it truly Thine.
Fill it with love and joy and power, with righteousness and peace;
'Til Christ shall dwell in human hearts, and sin and sorrow cease.

Blow, wind of God! With wisdom blow until our minds are free
From mists of error, clouds of doubt, which blind our eyes to Thee.
Burn, winged fire! Inspire our lips with flaming love and zeal,
To preach to all Thy great good news, God's glorious commonweal.

So shall we know the the power of Christ, who came this world to save;
So shall we rise with Him to life which soars beyond the grave;
And earth shall win true holiness, which makes Thy children whole;
'Til, perfected by Thee, we reach creation's glorious goal.

Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your people. Set us on fire for You...

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Full of Grace: A Marian Linkup

Happy Monday, and happy Memorial Day! Thank you, God, for all the men and women who have given their lives in service of our country. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May the peace of Christ be with all those who miss them. Amen.

•      •      •

As my dear readers know, I have been writing a post reflecting on Mary each Monday this month. This week I made a video to share with you! The song in the video is called "Blessed One." It was always one of my favorites at my church in college. (Maybe you sing it at your parish, too?) This particular recording is from the CD my choir recorded in 2009. I hope you will enjoy it. 

{click here to view in a separate window}

Isn't the refrain beautiful? I especially love the harmonies (always wish I was a tenor for this song!). The melodies are simple, yet so lovely - which is fitting for our Blessed Mother, I think.

To finish my series of posts on Mary, I am hosting a Marian linkup beginning today. (It's my blog's first linkup! Exciting!) It will be open through May 31, the Feast of the Visitation and the Queenship of Mary. I invite you to share any of your posts on Mary (new or old, and you may share more than one if you like). My hope is that as we share these posts we will also be able to encourage one another and grow with one another in faith as we honor the mother of Jesus. 

To join me: Click the "Add your link" button below. Be sure to enter the URL of your specific Marian post, not just your blog homepage. If you're writing a new post, please include a link back to this post to encourage others to join us. Feel free to include the Full of Grace linkup graphic in your post, too! 

Thanks so much for linking up with me - I look forward to reading your posts!

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{pretty, happy, funny, real} no. 1

A peek into my life right now...

{pretty}

Isn't this lemon lovely? I prefer my water with lemon. I tend to drink much more water this way,

and drinking water is always good! This particular lemon was just so juicy, fragrant, and fresh.

I wish you were here to enjoy it, too! 

{happy}

Michael and I tried green smoothies for the first time last night. Have you ever had one?

I was very happily surprised to find they were quite good. It was my idea to make them, but I admit
I was a little nervous it would taste purely like the spinach I put in there. But it didn't! :)

If you're interested, I used the following ingredients to make the two large smoothies you see pictured:

2 bananas, 1 green apple, 1 cup green grapes, 1 cup yogurt, 2 1/2 cups spinach - blend until smooth.

{funny}

I'm not sure this is really very funny, but it makes me giggle a little as this song is a bit belated now. 

This is what my little chalkboard read all during Advent - and still reads today...on January 16... 

...though calling on the Lord to come and be with us never goes out of season!

{real}

This is a picture of our dripping radiator. 

It likes to leak and leak and leak when it is put to good use in these winter months. Now, I'm no radiator expert, but I don't think this is normal. The cracked linoleum floors you can also see pictured are a delight to the eye, no? Keepin' it real here, folks! ;)

• • •

And...since I feel like I am still getting to know many of you

(as it's only my 3rd month of blogging), 4 random tidbits about me, {phfr} style: 

{pretty} // My husband Michael makes me feel prettiest. Lucky for me, he makes me feel as pretty in my pajamas as when I'm all dressed up for a date night. He's such a gift to me.

{happy} // Singing makes me happy...listening to great singing, and singing itself. Teaching others how to sing is also a great gift in my life; it brings me so much joy.

{funny} // For some reason, my fourth toe is a little rounder than the rest. My sister dubbed it my "bulbous toe" and then nicknamed it further: "Bulby." Good thing I love my sister so much!

{real} // I am a gal who wears many hats. Current 'hats' in my life:

music director, voice teacher, singer, personal assistant, etsy calligrapher, and blogger.

And my favorite hats, of course: Catholic wife, sister, daughter and friend.

Linking up with Leila and friends at Like Mother, Like Daughter today.

P.S. Join me in saying a prayer for Bonnie's son, James? And while you're at her blog, don't forget to nominate your favorite bloggers for the Sheenazing Blog Awards! I discovered many of my favorite bloggers at this time last year through these awards. You can nominate through Friday.

P.P.S. If you liked this post, follow along on instagram and twitter, too!

prelude

My life flows on in endless song;

Above earth's lamentation.

I hear the real though far-off hymn

That hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife

I hear the music ringing

It finds an echo in my soul

How can I keep from singing?

No storm can shake my inmost calm

While to that rock I'm clinging;

If love is Lord of heaven and earth

How can I keep from singing?

Hi. My name is Elise, and this is my blog. Welcome! I'm glad you're here.  

Starting this blog is a little bit scary for me...there is so much unknown! Will anyone read this? Does that even matter? What will people think of what I have to say? (Think I worry much? Might as well be honest from the beginning.) Speaking of which, where do I even begin? 

Over the past year I have spent a lot of time reading blogs. I have become a faithful follower of many, in fact. Recently I found myself interested in becoming not only a follower, but a participant. I felt a tug to write my own reflections...share my heart-thoughts...record my memories in a special and intentional way. So that's what I hope to do here.

Even before I made the decision to start blogging, I daydreamed about what I might name my blog if I ever had one. The name I ended up choosing came to mind rather quickly. As a Catholic musician, I thought of my favorite hymn: "How Can I Keep From Singing?" "My life flows on in endless song," it begins. How perfect for a place where I plan to write about where my life is flowing, moving, changing, growing...where I try (and fail and try again) to follow Christ on this journey towards heaven.

My faith is why I am the woman I am. I don't, however, always have the opportunity or the courage to share that part of my life with others. I am hoping this blog gives me a chance to do a little more of that sharing. I'll also share other things, like stories and pictures and songs and recipes...we'll see where the song leads. For this blog's song is just beginning...

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am His—
How can I keep from singing?

{Photo Credit: A Thousand Words Photography}