Flashback Friday: Soul Desire

I have the privilege of "being" at my Uncle Barney's funeral today as he asked that some of my songs be played instead of having a choir sing. I can't tell you how much it means to me that he would want that, and that it's still possible I can give to him in that small way today despite not being able to travel home.

So today, in honor of him, I'm doing a Flashback Friday with a song that speaks to me about the way I want to live out my life.

The same way Barney lived his.

My Soul Desire
{originally posted April 17, 2009}

Tonight I had the girls over for our faith sharing night, and this paragraph from Max Lucado's Traveling Light struck me in a big way:

God hates arrogance. He hates arrogance because we haven't done anything to be arrogant about. Do art critics give awards to the canvas? Is there a Pulitzer for ink? Can you imagine a scalpel growing smug after a successful heart transplant? Of course not. They are only tools, so they get no credit for the accomplishments.

Now, at some point in the discussion I think Susie called me a tool, and didn't mean it in the nicest way, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here. :) In every part of the 23rd Psalm, which this book is based on, it talks about all God does for us:

"He makes me..."

"He leads me..."

"He restores my soul..."

And once again I am reminded that I need to be mindful of having a servant's heart. I have to be intentional in all the actions I take, knowing that all I do needs to point back to Him... the One who gets the praise for writing the story of our lives. The story for which I am blessed enough to be the ink.

And I just happen to have recorded a song back in the day that reminds me of just that.

01 My Soul Desire by gitzengirl

Stop. Collaborate and Listen.

I have no idea why thinking about writing this post suddenly brought Vanilla Ice's lyrics into my head. But since they're now stuck in mine I thought I would be kind enough to share and let them be stuck in your head, too.

You're welcome.

Sorry. Back to the reason I was writing in the first place. As I've been less and less able the past few years, I've discovered a little gem that has kept my mind busy and distracted when I've not been able to physically distract myself.

AUDIO BOOKS.

I remember going with Mom and Dad on car trips when I was the only kid left at home, and thinking they were nuts for checking cassette tapes of books out at the library.

BORING.

And then I would totally get lost and absorbed in the stories right along with them, and the trips seemed to fly by. As an added bonus, no one got carsick trying to read in a moving vehicle.

Win-win.

Of course, no one in today's day and age remember what a cassette tape is, and cds are quickly going by the wayside with the dawn of ever-shrinking iPod Nanos that hold more songs than I could ever listen to in my lifetime.

But audio books? They're still amazing. I have received a few as gifts, and these past months when I have felt too tired to even think about holding a book, they have been an amazing distraction. To me, they are the quintessential movie of the mind.

TODAY, because my friend Matthew is amazing, you all get to try an audiobook for FREE. You will love it. There is something about hearing an author tell the story in their own words… with their pauses and inflections… that brings a whole new depth to the work. It becomes a … wait for it… COLLABORATION between you and the author.

[I can't believe I'm actually tying in that random title.]

So … STOP. COLLABORATE with the author. All you have to do is download it for free and LISTEN.

[forgive me. I just couldn't help myself. it won't happen again.]

Fill out this box and get your audiobook for free:

Oh, and word to your mother.

YOU:create ... week 19

When I was in high school, Dad would drive us home from church and I would sit in the back seat singing the songs we had just heard, while Mom sat in the front seat singing the harmony. Dad was convinced [seriously] that Mom and I could be Naomi and Wynonna. He thought if the Judd's could make it big there was no reason we couldn't do it, too.

Bless his heart.

I loved those moments because Dad really enjoyed listening to us. I didn't grow up in a family that just couldn't wait to hear me sing. It was probably more that most of them couldn't wait for me to stop singing :), which is why it was always so shocking to me once I got to college that people would ask me to sing at the most random of times.

Freshman year I had friends on my dorm floor who would call down to my room after they had gotten all ready for bed so I could come sing them to sleep. Later, when I was off campus, I would have friends over and make them big dinners... and it became habit that after they were all full and dishes were sitting empty on the table, they would lay on the floor and have me sing to them while they relaxed and digested.

I thought they were crazy. But I also loved being able to do something so simple that made someone so happy.

So that one year, when I had the opportunity to record a few songs, I jumped at the chance knowing there were some friends who would enjoy it. My nieces and nephews were little, and I loved being able to give them a cassette tape of Aunt Sara so they could hear me sing to them whenever they wanted. My niece Anna used to sit in their basement with her little plastic tape player and sing along with me. I loved it.

But the one who clearly loved it most was Dad. How do I know this? Because every single time the family was home and one of the grandkids rode with him in his truck, they came back in the house saying, "Hey Aunt Sara, we just listened to you sing." I'd hop in the truck to ride with Dad to get a movie, he'd turn the key in the ignition and there I would be... singing from the cd player... and he'd start humming along.

He listened to me all the time.

I'm not sure I've ever been more proud than to see that he was proud of me.

All those years ago, I never imagined that creating a quick cd of music would have such a lasting impact for me. I never imagined that Breath of Heaven would play at my Aunt Judy's funeral when I couldn't travel home. I never dreamed the only presence I would have at Dad's funeral would be my voice that I recorded so many years prior. I had no idea how much it would mean to me to have something to offer when it was no longer physically possible to give.

Some of you guys have asked over the past few years if you could order a cd, but rather than go through the bother of all of that, I thought I'd offer it up as a YOU:create. Admittedly, I feel as silly about offering it now as I did singing to my friends after a good meal, but if it's a small way I can make you happy then I am all for it. I created it years ago... I sang one song after another without the opportunity to fix bad notes or lost breath, so there are many flaws and many mistakes... but I put my heart in it and I hope it blesses yours.

To download the songs, all you have to do is click on that download button and it will take you to the download page.

Hope you enjoy... Merry Christmas!

I can’t wait to see what you guys came up with this week! Just click below and follow the instructions to link to your project. When it asks you to choose the web or a file for your thumbnail, choose web. Then it will take you to a list of the images on the page you are linking to and you’ll be able to choose a photo to represent your project.

Flashback Friday: A Song for You

Hello, my sweet blog people. After a very un-fun week I'm here to tell you I'm still alive and kicking. :) Ok, I'm not doing the Rockette kind of kicks, but I'm working on the the much shorter, joint restricted, spondylitis version.

I thought this week would be a good time for our annual Flashback Friday to the days of Advent when I used to sing this song at St. Stephen's. There are a great many things in this life I miss doing, but looking into people's eyes when I sing this song is way up there on the list. I'm awfully grateful I can at least do it for you in this small, imperfect, but heartfelt form...

Breath of Heaven
[originally posted 12.8.08]

Since my first day at college, I was involved at St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center. I loved that place and the ever-evolving community. As a freshman I had upperclassmen who took me under their wing. I had friends my age who were going through the same ups and downs of college life. And as I made my way through the years, I eventually mentored others and took them under my wing. While the community changed, the environment didn't. It was a place of love and support and acceptance and learning.

All of those things are still in that building for me. I haven't been able to be there to celebrate Mass or join in activities for a long time, but I can close my eyes and see the details, smell the essence, hear the trickle of the baptismal font and feel the closeness of the air that hugs you into a sense of serenity. I loved worshipping there.

Mostly, I loved singing there.

I'm not the best singer in the world, but it is, hands down, the thing I loved to do the most. I don't read music so I would meet the pianist for our practice session carrying a mini-recorder to tape the songs. Then I would take it home and play it over and over to have the music ingrained in me until I could sing without thinking.

I would stand up to the microphone on Sunday morning and see a sea of faces who were there for something so much bigger than us. And I would do the same thing each time... silently pray the Memorare and ask for Mary to send one of the angels in the choir to sing for me that day. I would ask that whatever message was supposed to be given would be heard, and then I would concentrate on the words and the meaning and trust that the notes would come out right. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't, but regardless I always felt a connection with the community.

One year around Christmas time I had recorded a radio jingle for our local airport... it was the corniest jingle ever, but the studio I was at gave me a deal on some recording time. I had enough money from the jingle to be in the studio for one hour, and I recorded eight songs back-to-back. Each song had one take... no going back to fix it if I hit a wrong note or ran out of breath. I took the opportunity to record the songs I had done most often at St. Stephen's to share with the people it meant something to.

The song I still have people tell me they miss at this time of year was a song I would have sang today on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception... Breath of Heaven. So, for all of you from St. Stephen's that read the blog, and for all of you new friends of mine, I'm going to share my recording of it today. I know others have sang it better, but I hope you get as much out of hearing it as I got out of singing it for so many years. Just click the play button on the player below and wait a second for it to start. And remember I'm not a professional... just a person who loved the experience of sharing the moment.

07 Breath of Heaven by gitzengirl

Brought to You by the Letter X

Ok… it’s time for the dreaded letter [X]!!!! Before we get there, though…

Truth: I’ve been a bit uncharacteristically emotional the last few days. Not because it’s the holiday or anything – I actually had a lovely time with great friends who came over for lunch on Sunday, and their kids schooled me on the Wii. Literally. I’d never played before and they got a great laugh at how inept I am!

No one can run a Mario Cart into the wall like I can. :)

No, I just think there are those wisps of time when a person has to sit in the pain of it for a moment. Even me… the girl who hates sitting in anything but the joy. I miss outside. I miss going to church. I miss not seeing my friends’ kids play, and I want to visit their new homes and be a part of things. I’m struggling so much with this new view in the mirror and I’m struggling most because I have no patience for struggling!

I like being strong.

Seriously.

I know this will pass as soon as I get some rest… I really only get emotional when I’m exhausted, and that’s where last week’s allergic reaction and crazy amounts of Benadryl have left me. But sometimes, there are good reminders in the sad stuff, too.

That’s why [X] is going to stand for X-Marks-The-Spot.

You know how, on a treasure map, the trunk of gold and spoils is always marked with an X? Or how those signs in the mall that say “You Are Here” give you a red X to find your location?

The marking is there to let us know where we are, or where we would like to be. It shows us what we want to know. Where our heart lies. It shows us the treasure.

I listened to a song by Selah recently that is a good reminder about how He has marked an X on each of us. Whether we remember to go to Him or not, he’s left an impression on our hearts. He knows our location. He knows where our heart lies. He knows we are His treasure. Because of that, we are never alone no matter how isolated we may be.

This line in the song was the reminder for me this Easter: I would never stake my life on any lesser thing than the cross of Christ where He gave His life to ease my suffering. If there’s one thing I know, you were never left alone… because you can always call on Jesus’ name.

Here’s the song One Thing I Know, in case you need to hear it today, too.

Because He has left an X to mark the spot on each of our hearts.

09 One Thing I Know by gitzengirl

Ok, [Y] should be much easier on the suggestion front! Throw them at me in the comment section :)

Brought to You by the Letter S

Songs

Ok, total honesty here. I had an idea earlier to write about different songs that have meant something to me at different times in my life. Funny ones, sentimental ones, nonsense ones that are probably only funny to me.

But as the day has gone on, I’ve decided I’m either feeling a weather front coming through or I was up and around too much this weekend. Because my body is saying ouch and my head is saying “impending migraine.”

Lucky for me, I have one song that I recorded back in the day that I haven’t shared with you yet. You remember how I went in the studio and had enough money to record one song after another, without any breaks or being able to go back and fix what I didn’t like?

This is the song I wanted to go back and fix something on.

The thing that sucks is that it was my FAVORITE song to sing, and anyone from St. Stephen’s who is reading this will already know what song I’m talking about.

So, for your listening pleasure, here is my recording of On Holy Ground… the part that will not be your listening pleasure are the two flat notes that make me cringe. Please just ignore them and enjoy the rest. :)

03 Holy Ground by gitzengirl

Don’t forget to leave ideas for a [T] topic in the comments! [and no wisecracks about the flat notes :)]

Flashback Friday: Breath of Heaven

In an effort to get back into our Flashback Friday routine, I thought this post was a great one to revisit during the Christmas season. Hope it helps put you in the frame of mind for what Christmas is all about. This song does it for me every time.

Breath of Heaven
[originally posted 12.8.08]

Since my first day at college, I was involved at St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center. I loved that place and the ever-evolving community. As a freshman I had upperclassmen who took me under their wing. I had friends my age who were going through the same ups and downs of college life. And as I made my way through the years, I eventually mentored others and took them under my wing. While the community changed, the environment didn't. It was a place of love and support and acceptance and learning.

All of those things are still in that building for me. I haven't been able to be there to celebrate Mass or join in activities for a long time, but I can close my eyes and see the details, smell the essence, hear the trickle of the baptismal font and feel the closeness of the air that hugs you into a sense of serenity. I loved worshipping there.

Mostly, I loved singing there.

I'm not the best singer in the world, but it is, hands down, the thing I loved to do the most. I don't read music so I would meet the pianist for our practice session carrying a mini-recorder to tape the songs. Then I would take it home and play it over and over to have the music ingrained in me until I could sing without thinking.

I would stand up to the microphone on Sunday morning and see a sea of faces who were there for something so much bigger than us. And I would do the same thing each time... silently pray the Memorare and ask for Mary to send one of the angels in the choir to sing for me that day. I would ask that whatever message was supposed to be given would be heard, and then I would concentrate on the words and the meaning and trust that the notes would come out right. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't, but regardless I always felt a connection with the community.

One year around Christmas time I had recorded a radio jingle for our local airport... it was the corniest jingle ever, but the studio I was at gave me a deal on some recording time. I had enough money from the jingle to be in the studio for one hour, and I recorded eight songs back-to-back. Each song had one take... no going back to fix it if I hit a wrong note or ran out of breath. I took the opportunity to record the songs I had done most often at St. Stephen's to share with the people it meant something to.

The song I still have people tell me they miss at this time of year was a song I would have sang today on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception... Breath of Heaven. So, for all of you from St. Stephen's that read the blog, and for all of you new friends of mine, I'm going to share my recording of it today. I know others have sang it better, but I hope you get as much out of hearing it as I got out of singing it for so many years. Just click the play button on the player below and wait a second for it to start. And remember I'm not a professional... just a person who loved the experience of sharing the moment.

07 Breath of Heaven  by  gitzengirl

When All Else Fails, Sing Ave Maria

Ok, so this whole suddenly-having-a-new-allergic-reaction-to-a-random-food-ingredient-thing is a bit more tedious than I originally expected it to be. Ridiculous amounts of Benadryl later, I feel like I have nothing to write about but food allergies. Because let me tell you, whey is in a lot of food. Including milk, butter and cheese. And do you know how many products contain whey, milk or butter?

Don’t bother looking… I’ll just tell you. It’s a lot of them. Which is why I’m a bit obsessed with food labels at the moment. But that doesn’t mean you should be obsessed with food labels, so I’m choosing not to write about them. Well, starting now.

Instead, I thought I would go to my old standby when all else fails. The song Ave Maria.

Yeah, I know that’s probably not where you thought I was going with this. But that song has saved my neck many times when things have gone wrong. For example, my friend Chris’ wedding. Back when I was a wedding singing traveling fool, I showed up early for his out of town wedding rehearsal to meet with the accompanist. She was sitting at the piano waiting for me, so it was just the two of us in the chapel. And when she started to play the first song I knew we were in trouble. Because it didn’t sound like music.

Now, I’m not saying she was just a mediocre piano player. I’m saying she put her hands on the keys and hit random notes, much like I would do because I don’t read music or have a clue how to play. But this woman was apparently a regular accompanist at the church… and that just wasn’t adding up to me. After about 20 minutes of stopping and starting and realizing that her blank stare and lack of emotional affect were a bigger problem than I could deal with, the priest showed up.

I went out to the lobby to explain the situation and he said, “Oh, I was afraid that was going to happen. She’s been caring for her ill mother who just passed away and some have been concerned about her having a breakdown.”

Really? Then maybe you shouldn’t have recommended her to play at a wedding. Where there would be added pressure on her. But at that point it wouldn’t have done much good to point that out to him, so I just stepped aside when he said he’d handle it.

The priest came in and ushered the woman out, and I had the pleasure of telling an old friend that there was no one to play for his wedding the next day. Thankfully, he’s a mortician so he had some contacts and was able to find a woman to come play the processional and recessional and a couple of the songs. The rest of the music she didn’t know, however? Me. a cappella.

Which is how the Ave Maria saved me that day. And on a few other occasions when a song needed to fill in for empty space during random church services. And today it’s sparing you from having to hear more about whey, milk, butter, cheese and food labels.

You’re welcome.

09 Ave Maria  by  gitzengirl

Riley Speaks…

Someone is having withdrawals from his blog mascot fame.

I told him NorEaster asked for photos of him in the comment section today and he seemed to perk up a bit…

Then he started barking orders.

Obviously he’s been thinking a lot while we’ve been laying around, because he had some big ideas for me…

Let it be known that when the alpha speaks, I listen… so here’s another song I recorded back in the day:

04 Turn and Love  by  gitzengirl

Thanks for being so patient with me, guys. I’ll work on a post to update you on life in general… I’m just realizing while putting this little one together that it’ll have to be done in spurts instead of my normal way of writing [which usually consists of me sitting down and babbling until I’m done, otherwise known as rambling], but I’ll do my best to get one up by Monday.

In the meantime, enjoy the song and I hope you have a GREAT weekend…

Miss you all!

Only A Savior

Hello, sweet peeps…

Running a bit slow today, so in the absence of my words I thought I’d leave you with my voice.

05 Only a Savior  by  gitzengirl

Hope you enjoy it and have a beautiful weekend… I’ll meet you back here Monday for our first “letter sponsored” post. :)

My Soul Desire

Earlier in the week, Tam made this ever-so-subtle comment about what I could do for you all while we're waiting for the computer that still has not been shipped from the Dell warehouse [not that I'm bitter or anything]:

i know what you can do while you're waiting...find some more of those awesome songs of yours. and. you know. share them :)

That Tam, she's always thinking.

And since she asked so nicely I thought I'd better do as I'm told. [She's really good at talking me into things... like Twitter. And Facebook. And oreo cravings.]

Tonight I had the girls over for our faith sharing night, and this paragraph from Max Lucado's Traveling Light struck me in a big way:

God hates arrogance. He hates arrogance because we haven't done anything to be arrogant about. Do art critics give awards to the canvas? Is there a Pulitzer for ink? Can you imagine a scalpel growing smug after a successful heart transplant? Of course not. They are only tools, so they get no credit for the accomplishments.

Now, at some point in the discussion I think Susie called me a tool, and didn't mean it in the nicest way, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here. :) In every part of the 23rd Psalm, which this book is based on, it talks about all God does for us:

"He makes me..."

"He leads me..."

"He restores my soul..."

And once again I am reminded that I need to be mindful of having a servant's heart. I have to be intentional in all the actions I take, knowing that all I do needs to point back to Him... the One who gets the praise for writing the story of our lives. The story for which I am blessed enough to be the ink.

And I just happen to have recorded a song back in the day that reminds me of that. So, thanks to Tam, here's my recording of My Soul Desire:

01 My Soul Desire by gitzengiirl

Flashback Friday: Singing Days

Cards on the table: I got a little behind today and don’t have anything fantastic ready for a Flashback Friday. So I’m showing you a canvas AND playing you a song to make up for it. :)


His Eye Is On The Sparrow is one of my all-time favorite songs to sing. There’s something so comforting about it, and when I used to sing it I would invariably feel like something inside of me was broken open and released. I appreciate it so much, actually, that one of the first canvases I made has part of the song written out... it hangs in my bedroom as a little daily reminder that I’m never alone in all of this craziness.

So here is a recording of me singing His Eye Is On The Sparrow… I hope you enjoy this today, and know that you’re never alone in your craziness, either.

02 His Eye Is On The Sparrow  by  gitzengirl

Amazing Grace

It was recently brought to my attention that, while I haven't been to many concerts in my lifetime, I have gone to the oddest collection of concerts. In order, I've seen:

• Whitney Houston
• Def Leppard
• Amy Grant
• Elton John

Weird, right? I've always known my taste in music is eclectic, but this takes it to a whole other level. My entire family went to see Whitney when I was in junior high... we were pretty high up in the nosebleeds and at some point my brothers Jim and Steve went looking for better seats. During a lull in between songs when things were relatively quiet we heard, "I love you, Whitney!" and we all looked at each other knowing immediately the voice was my brother Steve.

He didn't really love Whitney. He just wanted to be the guy to yell it.

Def Leppard was a total accident, and one of those times it was really good mom was busy and not at home. I was a freshman in high school and Steve was a senior... I got a call from my friend Lisa that she had just won tickets on the radio and if I could be at her house (that was 15 minutes away) in a half hour I could go with her. I ran to dad and asked if it was ok, and he did the "dad-shrug" and said sure.

It was only as Steve was giving me a ride to Lisa's house that I found out he had asked mom weeks before if he could go to the concert and she said NO. Not only that, he was supposed to go with Lisa's boyfriend. So here I was, three years younger than him, going to the Def Leppard concert and sitting with his friends after mom told him he couldn't go.

Dad learned to check in with mom after that.

Amy Grant and Elton John were both random concerts ... but were both ones I actually chose myself and not by accident. The Elton concert was just him on stage with a piano and I could go back and relive it every night he was so good. We had seats off to the side of the stage, and that man reached into a tub of ice and grabbed out a Diet Coke after almost every song. Honestly, I was waiting for him to accidentally belch in the middle of Crocodile Rock but, professional that he is, he held it together...

Obviously I didn't take advantage of my love for music before I couldn't sit through concerts anymore or I would have gone to a lot more of them over the years. But there have been a couple of times when my brother Steve and his wife Patience have gone to concerts and he's called me so I could listen in through his cell phone. Usually you can't hear much over the crowd screaming, but there was one Billy Joel concert where the sound was so darn clear that I spent half the night singing along to the phone while listening to his classics.

It was a night I was incredibly grateful not to be on Candid Camera.

This past Friday night the phone rang and I couldn't get to it, but when I checked my messages I heard none other than Chris Tomlin singing Amazing Grace. Now that's a phone message you don't delete right away. My sweet friend Jenny had gone to the concert and held up her phone, leaving me a five minute message so I could enjoy the concert with her.

Have I mentioned to you all lately that I have the coolest friends?

So, I'm no Chris Tomlin. And I never did concerts. But I did have the opportunity to do a few recordings that I've told you about before. So, close your eyes, pretend I'm on a cell phone and imagine I'm letting you listen in on a concert from my past. Here's a little a cappella Amazing Grace, sung by me a long time ago, to start off your week:

08 Amazing Grace by gitzengirl

Emmanuel, God With Us

When I was in college, one of the big traditions on campus was the Men's Glee Club Christmas Concert. It's a big event that is usually sold out every year, and they hold auditions for students to try out and earn a spot to perform. I was always a little bit chicken to try out because I wasn't a part of the music program or any choirs in college and figured I didn't really have a shot.

But my friend Nicole, the one who is sitting at home this Christmas preparing for the arrival of her twin girls, was always one to encourage me... so I sucked up my courage and tried out. When I came back to our apartment one day to find balloons and notes of congratulations, I realized she had gotten to the answering machine before I did and that I was going to be performing at the concert. It's one of those moments that I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience.

The song I sang at that concert is also one that I sang each year during the Christmas season at St. Stephen's. After all of the wonderful comments and stories last week, I thought this recording might keep us in the right mood for all we have to celebrate in the days ahead...

If you missed the story behind my recordings, you can find it here.

06 Emmanuel, God With Us  by  gitzengirl

Breath of Heaven

Since my first day at college, I was involved at St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center. I loved that place and the ever-evolving community. As a freshman I had upperclassmen who took me under their wing. I had friends my age who were going through the same ups and downs of college life. And as I made my way through the years I eventually mentored others and took them under my wing. While the community changed, the environment didn't. It was a place of love and support and acceptance and learning.

All of those things are still in that building for me. I haven't been able to be there to celebrate Mass or join in activities for a long time, but I can close my eyes and see the details, smell the essence, hear the trickle of the baptismal font and feel the closeness of the air that hugs you into a sense of serenity. I loved worshipping there.

Mostly, I loved singing there.

I'm not the best singer in the world, but it is, hands down, the thing I loved to do the most. I don't read music so I would meet the pianist for our practice session carrying a mini-recorder to tape the songs. Then I would take it home and play it over and over to have the music ingrained in me until I could sing without thinking.

I would stand up to the microphone on Sunday morning and see a sea of faces who were there for something so much bigger than us. And I would do the same thing each time... silently pray the Memorare and ask for Mary to send one of the angels in the choir to sing for me that day. I would ask that whatever message was supposed to be given would be heard, and then I would concentrate on the words and the meaning and trust that the notes would come out right. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't, but regardless I always felt a connection with the community.

One year around Christmas time I had recorded a radio jingle for our local airport... it was the corniest jingle ever, but the studio I was at gave me a deal on some recording time. I had enough money from the jingle to be in the studio for one hour, and I recorded eight songs back-to-back. Each song had one take... no going back to fix it if I hit a wrong note or ran out of breath. I took the opportunity to record the songs I had done most often at St. Stephen's to share with the people it meant something to.

The song I still have people tell me they miss at this time of year was a song I would have sang today on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception... Breath of Heaven. So, for all of you from St. Stephen's that read the blog, and for all of you new friends of mine, I'm going to share my recording of it today. I know others have sang it better, but I hope you get as much out of hearing it as I got out of singing it for so many years. Just click the play button on the player below and wait a second for it to start. And remember I'm not a professional... just a person who loved the experience of sharing the moment.

07 Breath of Heaven  by  gitzengirl