Hopeful of Being Helpful

Hopeful

Ever since I was about 8, I have felt compelled to share music with people. It’s been like I was on this mission to help people feel good and feel God. Hopeful.

Over the past dozen years or so, I have had an even stronger nudge to write, record, and share music, like this was what I was called to do.

So, in spite of having no idea what I would do with my music I found myself happily following through with this odd nudge. At times I have stopped to see if I might get some clarification on the plan.
Every time I ask God to shed some light on the future, my writing and recording just gets slowed down.

So, since I have not been blessed with a holy light bulb from the Big Guy, I have just continued on making music. It’s actually a lot  of fun to be clueless. It’s hard to get nervous when you have no clue what to get nervous about!

My hope is to shine a little light in this world. Ultimately, that’s my goal.

In my own life, I have found that the light of hope is a very important element. If I let my chronic pain rule my world I lose hope, I get depressed, and self centered. Thinking beyond the needs of myself gets difficult. That’s when depression impacts your kids and your spouse. That is not where you want to go. So, I make myself think about my family’s needs. This compels me to get up.

Because I’ve been there I felt compelled to name my first major concert event the Hope-Filled Hearts Concert. I wanted to shine a little light into my circle of influence.

There are people out there who need to know they aren’t the only people on the planet with their struggles.

Music and storytelling is one way I can communicate this.

Through humor and honesty my hope is to make people feel welcome, cared for, and inspired to live their lives with gumption!

Helpful

My goal with the Hope-Filled Hearts concert was to share a little bit of my story and, more importantly, have two creative friends help me to help others discover new ways to experience hope especially during difficult times.

Lisa (a painter) and Angela (a potter) worked on either side of me throughout the concert, taking lyrics from my songs and fused them into their own work.

At the end of the concert we invited everyone to come up front and try out playing instruments, painting, and working with clay. People of all ages came up and participated.

My friends and I brought a little hope into many lives that evening. We were able to make a difference by using our art, engaging our passion to create and leaning into our calling.

Add to the conversation. How does hope work in your life? What do you find helpful during difficult times? What do you do to help others find hope? Let us know your thoughts and feelings. We’ll be glad you did. And we’re hopeful you will!