I’ve gotten pretty sluggish over the past couple months. A sore throat I can’t kick and some kind of bug or something..not so great. It really takes a toll on me physically.

But, in the midst of all that uncomfortable stuff, the Lord opened up a miraculous door for me.

I think I shared with you guys a bit back that Jan Krist has become my mentor and a dear friend over these past couple years. She was one of my heroes back in the day. I’m sure she’d cringe if she heard that..Anyway, I’ve finally grown up a bit and singing and songwriting are a gracious gift from God to be used for His glory, not mine. I’m responsible to develop these gifts and serve Him, and serve the work He’s put before me.

So I had this little cluster of songs that began as tools for womens’ ministries. We see a lot of broken women here at our shelter, Cornerstone Community Outreach. You can read more about them here: http://www.ccolife.org/

Abuse, addictions and despair are common stories with these ladies. So many of us can relate to addictions and bad relationships, whether or not we’ve ever set foot in a shelter though. So hopefully these songs can get people thinking and hoping for more than the things that we settle for so much of the time.

Anyhoo, she’s offered to help me record this cluster of songs. We had our first session a couple of weeks ago. I was able to do put down 6 guitar tracks and five vox! Yahoo! Though I’d planned on just getting an ep together, it looks like we’re gonna go for a full length project!!! amazing…

A few years back a dear friend was trying to encourage me and he said, “You know, sometimes we face some pretty difficult things, but sometimes, God also gives us “a little sugar to help the medicine go down” It’s stuck with me for all these years, and it’s really resonating deep in my soul right now. God is merciful.

Have a great weekend. My honey and my son are gone for a guys weekend, so I’m having a retreat here at home. Lots of prayer and seeking God about a few things.

peace to you,
-Aracely

peace to you today,
-Aracely

Things have been going well. Had lunch with a dear friend I hadn’t seen in a while. It’s so amazing when you feel like you just pick up where you left off. Great food and great friends, what more can a person ask for?

Got some more guitar work done on my project with Hilde today. It’s coming along nicely. I’ve got another couple leads to do on it..woo-hoo!

Thursday, I’ll finish up my last acoustic guitar track on the little solo thing I’m doing. Then it’s time to start the vocals.

I still get floored at all the doors that have opened since my diagnosis last year, yes…floored.

Anyway, we’re thinking of running a half marathon this summer as a family. We’d hoped to try for the marathon, but Joshue is too young, so we’ll go halfsies

It’s late, gotta go..
peace to you,
-a

See you soon!
-a

Pastors Don and Deb Sharpe and their whole crew there hosted a wonderful event with free food, a cake walk, games for the kids, free clothes, free toiletries and free music too. It felt like the whole neighborhood came out. There were so many kids there. It was just beautiful. They had a drawing for a free girls’ and boys’ bike that they gave away at the end of the event.

It was amazing. Pastor Don gave me the chance to share that afternoon before I played my set. It was easy to share on the hope for the kids I saw playing games and running around in that church playground. I actually began my speaking session by playing “Imagine Me” by Kirk Franklin as loud as we could through that sound system. I ran off from behind the mic to go dance with a couple of the ladies that were really enjoying that song! The whole point in it was to imagine what each of these kids could be if they were given the chance to fly, to develop the gifts God’s given each one of them. I think it went well.

I finished my set and followed up with a couple of kids worship songs for the little ones that gathered eagerly for the bike drawing…that was really fun.

The next morning, we ran late, took a couple of turns we were unsure of and got to church after the service started Not a way to start for the one leading worship and giving the message..that was me

We sang a few songs and then I shared. These guys are already so active in serving each other and serving their community. I hope that my words simply brought encouragement.

I sang a couple songs from the “Purple Flowers” project Ed Bialach remastered for me and met some really sweet folks. One of the gals I met had gone through Lymphoma just 5 years ago herself. We connected straight away and she offered to take a family portrait of Tim, Josh and I for a website she’s developing on folks who are living with and walking in their cancer healing….it was just wonderful.

It was quite a gift to have my husband Tim there and my son Joshua. They jumped in to help tear down the tents and clean up, and really, they are just a blast to be with! Joshue is growing to be more and more like his Dad, patient, kind and giving..that is a gift, my friends.

Till next time..
-a

Sunday Morning at the same addy, I’ll share some of my story with cancer, play the songs off the “Purple Flowers” project and finish up with some worship…It should be a great time of celebration…

Hope you can make it out…

Well today, I went out to Palmer Park in Janesville, WI to join some really sweet folks who really love Jesus in an outreach they had there. Free food and music from noon to five. I had the 3-4 slot and Colleen Davick from back in the Seeds days joined me to play some flute, whistle, some bgv’s and a djembe. Great, great fun.

I had the opportunity to share about our community, Jesus People USA and two of our larger outreaches, Cornerstone Community Outreach, and our fest, Cornerstone Festival. Just a wonderful time of celebrating with our Lord.

This is also Thyroid Cancer awareness month so I was able to share about my journey with it and hopefully, bring more awareness of it. More folks are being diagnosed with thyroid cancer over every other type of cancer right now.

To see the hope of Christ bringing so many things to life….Living with cancer, instead of feeling threatened by it. The chance to see people with broken lives being rebuilt by the Love of God at our shelters…unbelievable blessings, you guys.

Going in for my scans and possible treatment this next week, so today, was a celebration of God’s love and mercy not just for me, but for us all..
peace,
-a

The set went great.  I hope I’ve communicated how much of a gift it was to share that night and to share those songs. It was quite a blessing for me…”a party inside” is actually what I said as I shared my story. Remember, I was unsure whether I’d be able to sing at all…God continues to floor me.  I had several guests come up and join me..Hilde Bialach from the Crossing, Tom Cameron, my pastor and longtime friend, Colleen Davick from the Seeds days and another friend who checked on me just about everyday while I was in treatment for the cancer…Thanks for the harmony, Laura!  Our visuals guy captured a great vid of Tom and I playing one of the songs..check it out here…http://youtu.be/peep6ZKMQmM

I’m out at the Fest grounds now and doing a lot of weeding down in our community garden and in my own heart

I get the opportunity to read and pray a lot right now. I’m asking God to open my heart up to receive more fully who He really is. If any of you have known me for any amount of time, you know of my struggles with fear. Unbelievable, isn’t it? His mercies new each day, unbelievable grace, immeasurable love and still yet, the “record” in my mind skips each time an uneasy scenario plays out. Forgive me, Lord.

That reflex reaction has been changing for some time now. It may not ever be perfect because I am part of an imperfect world, but I know it continues to change and I am more free in Christ. That skip in my mind that plays over and over, is being filled by His Holy Spirit even as we speak. Thy will on earth as it is in heaven…free and full of His light.
peace to you,
-Aracely
ps…see you at Cornerstone

pps…I’ll be playing at Silvie’s Lounge on July 18 from about 9:20-9:55 right after I get back from the Fest…Hope you can make it!

I’ll be opening up for Glenn at the Tapestry Fellowship on Irving Park this next Friday…doors open at 7:30 with a $5 donation…I’ll play for a bit, then Glenn will play and share from his new release, “Cardboard Box” Hope you can be there..

Songs from the Deep: An Urban Blues Narrative
Tapestry
3824 W. Irving Park
Chicago, IL
Friday, June 17 · 7:30pm – 10:00pm