Overwhelmed in a good way

So our month run of tour is done, and we're back home for an almost 2 week break. By break, I mean I'm home and not playing shows, but I went straight into working on our demos with Nick, and today we're tracking drums. We're at a studio in Franklin called Dark Horse. Its a beautiful studio that reminds me of sort of a cabin mansion...yea, hard to describe. We're doing drums in a little cabin off of the main studios..very quaint and cute. We're way out and theres just land and adorable things like a tire swing in the tree right outside..such a cool place to stay and do a whole record, and you can live here if thats how you choose. We're just doing drums here, and then the rest we will probably track at our house. Our friend Joey Sanchez is playing drums for the record. 1 song down and its sounding great! Really excited. Street date is may 3, 2011. We have worked with some amazing writers and put together an album that is personal and vulnerable for me, and I guess I couldnt have asked for anything else in the process.

This tour we're on has felt like this time of reminders for me. Through so many little things, I feel like God's been reminding me to be thankful. That my attitude affects my situation so much, instead of letting circumstances dictate my attitude. I know I have so much to be thankful for and that it outweighs the things I can be frustrated with in life. But its so easy to talk about the negative, to focus on what we need, on what we've lost, on the people we struggle with..but to see what we have allready, all the little times each day that God makes us smile, and to appreciate the relationships we have. When I do focus on the positive, sometimes I am overwhelmed by Him, and ashamed that I ever spend a day whining to Him with the breath He gives.

I have met so many amazing, strong and broken people on this tour. A woman who is a recovering addict, a family who says they are in church bc of our music, a girl who says we were on her bucket list, a girl who lost her brother to suicide bc of bullying...a girl says we saved her life when she was ready to kill herself, a woman shared that beauty from pain helped her through her husband leaving her. I felt like every night God was sending someone to remind me that He will use us, normal and broken and not perfect people, if we will move ourselves out of the way enough for people to see Him in us.

I got to see a friend one day I was in Texas last weekend. She is one of the strongest, most Godly women I know. She is one of my prayer warriors, one of the first people I think to ask when I need prayer. She just had a baby a month ago and had some complications and has been bedridden and in so much pain since the labor. Her baby is good and healthy, but her recovery has been so discouraging and long road for her. I know she believes she can be healed and will be, but has wondered why it hasnt happened yet. She wants to enjoy this newborn time and be able to change diapers and take him on walks and be fully immersed in him right now. So we were talking and her emotions came and she shared her hurt and discouragement..so like shes done for me so many times, I encouraged her in the woman she is and her faith, and just shared some thoughts on why maybe God would be asking her to slow down...the next day she woke up healed of her pain. And she said she believes that my words were what she needed to believe and be ready for healing. My point in the story is the reminder that in our words there is power. There is life or death. There is love or hate. Inspiration and life or discouragement and negative thoughts. And why do we waste these breaths on even speaking out anything other than what could give life and healing and encouragement? The power is not in us or our words or eloquence, but in the One who hears our prayers.

Ok lunch was just delivered..thai food to the rescue. I am so on a thai kick right now. I can get obsessive with food and then I overdue it. but not yet with thai...