Category: Feel the Music

Feel the Music

· 7 Comments ·

I went to a friends shop looking for a pair of jeans and found a pair that fit perfectly, but didn’t buy them. I said, “I’m church hopping and need a pair for church.” She was surprised by the words, ‘church hopping’ and neither of us were sure what church jeans were supposed to look like.

TobyMac dropped a new song and I’ve been thinking a lot about the goodness in my life. It was 7 years ago I was standing in a post office in small town Texas, when a man walked in whose presence engulfed the lobby. I asked, “How are you?”, and still remember what he looked like and the conviction in his voice as he spoke these words, “I’m blessed and highly favored.”

Not only did he say it, but he owned it, and I knew right then, I wanted to be able to respond like that.

Earlier this year at another friend’s shop, I saw this pillow and picked it up and held it every time I walked in. It’s a frivolous purchase, like I need one more pillow, but still remember it and how it made me smile. The original pillow sold, but a couple of weeks ago I was talking with my friend and mentioned that pillow. She offered to special order me a new one.

Kendall Designs

My daughter says it looks like I killed a Yak, but I see God’s favor.

When this post airs, I’ll be sitting in the same church for the second time and I’m treating it like a date, so let’s see if we make it to number three. Sometimes God’s goodness is tangible like this pillow, but it isn’t always so obvious. The true goodness in life is God Himself consistently showing up. Maybe I’ll practice saying, “Blessed and highly favored”, at church. That’ll reveal pretty quick if I’m at the right building.

TobyMac-The Goodness

Feel the Music

· 6 Comments ·

When leaving the house, I like to leave music playing for the animals. I know I’m not alone in this because my neighbor, Hercules, does it for his pets and possibly you do as well. The other day I came home and left the music playing softly in the background while trying to wrap my mind around work, but this song came on and snagged my attention. The beginning reminded me of when Shania Twain said, “Let’s go girls”, but Kane Brown has a deeper voice when he says, “Let’s get it”.

It’s a fun song and who knows, maybe one day I’ll love a man like I love coffee and Chemex. It could happen! 😂

Kane Brown-I love you like I love country music.

Feel the Music

· 18 Comments ·

Whenever my daughter wanted to lighten the mood, she would step into the room and belt out the ‘and I’ part of this song like a mini Whitney. Whitney Houston had a set of lungs like no other, and recorded this song for her movie, The Bodyguard, but it was written by Dolly Parton.

I watched, “Here I Am“, about Dolly Parton on Netflix. I find her to be such an interesting woman. She was one of the first women to make it big in country music, and wrote a song early in her career to set the record straight called, Dumb Blonde. Dolly never cared what other people thought about her and she created a persona larger than life.

Dolly was asked to be on the Porter Wagner show and that gave her exposure because there weren’t many TV shows in the early 70’s. When Dolly was ready to leave the show and move on to other ventures, she wrote this song as her way of saying farewell to Porter. He had stopped listening to her, but knew she could get through to him in song.

This clip is from the movie The Bodyguard, which is one of my many favorite movies. This recording caused an uproar by people claiming it was Whitney’s song, but Dolly said, “It is her record. It never sounded that way when I sang it, but it’s my song.” Whitney sang this song to fill in the movie soundtrack, but it far outlived the movie.

I believe one of the kindest forms of love is when we love someone with our whole heart, but have to let them go, and do so gracefully. Your paths cross, intertwine and split, with no bitterness, only love.

My hope for every soul who crossed my path is…

“I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you’ve dreamed of
And I’m wishing you joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love”

Even though you’re no longer in my life…I will always love you.

Whitney Houston ~ I Will Always Love You

Feel the Music

· 8 Comments ·

This Feel the Music showed up on my Facebook memories, and my first thought was, “Has it really been 5 years since she brought the stereo home?” I haven’t used it much since receiving this little JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker for Christmas last year. This little guys gives off astounding sound, comes in various colors, will handle 12 hours of play, and it’s waterproof.

JBL Flip 5 beside a houseplant.

In the post Warrior, I mentioned trying my hand at house plants over the Winter and am pleased with the results. This week has been cloudy, so I’ve barely seen the sun, but just like plants, I’m happier with light. Scrolling through Spotify I came across Music for Plants, with a description of, “Mellow vibes for green leaves, green thumbs and green ears.”

This was Wednesday, and I wanted to calm my mind before joining an online workshop. To prepare for midday workshops, especially meditative ones, it’s helpful to keep coffee at a minimum that day, and take time beforehand to get centered. You’ll be more present during the workshop, and able to pay closer attention to what’s being taught, which makes the time spent worthwhile.

On the dating scene, one of my qualifying questions for men is, “Do you have any plants?” If they have happy plants, and enjoy taking care of them, they should know how to care for a human. It’s okay if they choose not to have plants, but it’s a red flag if they kill them. 😂

Northern Lights Nature Calling

Feel the Music

· 4 Comments ·

This man holds an undying love for the Rodeo and wanted to be a part of it any way possible, so in high school, he chose to learn about bull riding.

When he wasn’t riding bulls, he kept singing, but his dream was to be a famous bull rider. There’s a movie about this song that you can watch on Amazon Prime for free entitled, “Dear Rodeo” co-starring Reba McIntyre. ‘Dear Rodeo’ is a love song where Cody lets go of his dream, but God still puts him in the Rodeo on a much larger scale and with no broken bones.

Rodeo Houston 2022-Sold out arena.

Cody’s love for the Rodeo is where it began, and he stayed for the bull riding, but bull riding wasn’t his destiny even though the rodeo was. The call came in from Houston Rodeo where their headliner had to cancel and they asked Cody to step in. In the movie, he talks about people thanking him for this song. How it changed their lives and saved many.

In this video Cody is singing to a sold out rodeo arena, but watch until the very end. After his performance, there’s a horse waiting for him at the bottom of the stage. He was supposed to mount the horse and do a slow ride around for the crowd, but instead, he dug his heels in and asked the horse to give him all he’s got. As the horse gallops around the arena, Cody says if felt like his past was flying off of him and he was able to let it all go.

God’s plan is so much better than ours. Our plan might actually prepares us for His plan which is far greater than anything we could ever imagine. The key is knowing when to let go of ours, to make room for His.

Cody Johnson Live-Dear Rodeo

To view ‘Dear Rodeo’ sang by Cody Johnson and Reba McIntyre, click here.

Cody is no stranger to Feel the Music. You can view two more here and here.

Feel the Music

· 16 Comments ·

Thank you for supporting my dating excursion.

This afternoon, I’ll be in a suite at a Bed and Breakfast for a couple of days. I can’t recall the last time I traveled by myself. It’s been 6 years since stepping inside a B&B, but my heart holds a never-ending love for them. I see two rows of stepping stones along the path. One is logical, paved by thoughts. The other is of the heart which can be scary, but God is there.

I booked the B&B a month ago, and have been watching as the weeks fly by. It’s in one of my favorite small towns, only an hour away. Travel doesn’t always mean get a passport and board a plane. It’s about a change of scenery, and being plucked from the normalcy of what you know.

I purchased this tote to use as a weekend bag and to inspire travel.

America and Beyond

It felt frivolous at first spending the extra time and money on this trip, and bag, but when friends and co-workers began asking, “When are you taking some time for just you?”, I listened. I’m looking forward to waking up in a different bed, and not having three animals pacing the hallway.

Thank you Stu, at Something to Stu About for sharing a Feel the Music in your Post Picks. I went to his Blogsite to pick up links to tag him in this post, and he had just posted about ‘Stillness‘. It was ironic to see his post since I’d booked this trip to dwell in some stillness with God.

Stu says, “Through stillness, we learn to pay attention to what God is doing in us and around us.” Make a space for what matters, which for me, is Him.

TobyMac-I Just Need You

Feel the Music

· 13 Comments ·

When someone newly sober asks how long I’ve been sober, it’s almost embarrassing to answer. I bow my head and mumble, “23 years”. They are shocked and ask, “How’d you do it?” I’m quick to admit, “It wasn’t me.”

I do know, if it wasn’t for sobriety, the life I live now wouldn’t exist. I’d most likely be dead. This has been one of those weeks where I see glimpses of my maker in every little thing. This morning I met an Artisan in a parking lot to look at her handmade, cloth bowls. I came home with one, but took note of her email address knowing she’d create specific ones in the future.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I’m walking through every door that crack opens toward that future. Just like meeting with an Artisan in a nearby parking lot.

I returned home, as my daughter was leaving the house and showed her the bowl. She knows my dream for the future, and sees me taking steps toward it. As I strolled down the hallway, shedding my jacket I shouted over one shoulder, “Look at us now”, thinking how far we’ve come, but I know better than that. It will forever be, “Look what you’ve done!”

Look What You’ve Done ~ Tasha Layton