Cheryl Farrell greets visitors. Click the play button.

	Current Topics (Scroll down to read essays posted in date order.)   12-07-08: "Face Your Fears and Sing" ♫ 11-24-08: "Children Included Too!" ♫ 11-23-08: "Challenge and Thanks" 11-18-08: "My Letter to President-Elect Obama"♫ 11-03-08: "The Day Before Tomorrow" ♫ 10-22-08: "Microeconomics and Hope" 10-08-08: "Hope in Financial Crisis, Part II"    9-29-08: "Hope in Financial Crisis" ♫   9-20-08: "Enlarge Your Tent"    9-11-08: "World Day of Prayer"   8-23-08: "Race, Music, and Resolution" ♫   8-10-08: "You Had It All Along!" ♫   7-18-08: "Thoughts on Prayer"   7-04-08: "The String and the Journey"   6-21-08: "Making A Joyful Noise" ♫   6-15-08: "Hope on Father's Day" ♫   5-11-08: "Hope on Mother's Day" ♫   4-25-08: "What Does Hope Look Like?"   4-05-08: "Wedding Song and Prayer "♫   ______________________________________________________________  ♫ denotes music-related content. Click here to visit ARCHIVES and COMMENTS pages. Bay Heart Music Blog is best viewed using Internet Explorer Browser. As a matter of courtesy and the law, please do not copy Bay Heart Music files. Bay Heart Music is a registered trademark. Established 2004.

	"I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment, I was an effective voice of the voiceless, an effective hope of the hopeless."                                                                                 —Whitney M. Young, Jr.

	Topic of the Day “Face Your Fears and Sing” ♫ December 7, 2008   Dire economic conditions continue to sour the news. Unemployment statistics, sagging consumer confidence, bankruptcies excite the Chicken Little in all of us. It’s Christmas time and we hardly recognize it for the financial backdrop. However...and there’s always a however with me...I say we face our fears head on.   Seven years ago this month, I sang “Silent Night” on national television, backed by The Spirit Chorale of Los Angeles. Of all my incredible professional experiences, I still rank that as one of the highest moments ever. Yet, it was accomplished by overcoming a fear that gripped my very vocal chords.   Within the first few months of joining the Clue Crew, I was approached by Jeopardy! producers to find a choir for a novel Final Jeopardy! video clip. The plan was to have “Silent Night” performed in place of the famous Think Music. Eager to please, I found a local group that could render the appropriate spiritual timbre to the song. Proud of myself, I reported back with group’s name and contact information. It was then that I was invited to perform the solo with the group.     Panic is an understatement for the fear I felt. I had sung in church for over 40 years, but the thought of singing before millions of viewers on this iconic show was a lot to face. But, I did it. I recall a voice coming to me (God, intuition, you name it) asking five simple questions:   1. What’s the largest audience you’ve stood before in performance?    Answer: 900 2. How large is the studio audience at the show?    Answer: About 150 3. Have you ever sung “Silent Night” before?    Answer: Yes, many times 4. Do you know what the song is about?    Answer: Yes, the birth of Jesus 5. So what’s your problem?   Answer: [Silent courage]   While I could merely wipe my brow and say that I got through a scary time, that experience has a more powerful meaning. Sure, it’s about singing and not about dire circumstances. But, it says any fearful situation can be reduced to a few simple questions.   It’s not a simple-minded look at the upside. It’s about striping fear into manageable pieces and then reassembling them to overcome fear of the future. I don’t mean to minimize the clearly serious times we’re in.  I'm a banker from way back, and I know all too well the economic indices that breed fear. However, I try not to be distracted by probabilities—my life is riddled with improbabilities. When something is for you, the only statistic that really matters is whether you show up or not.   I know you didn't ask for a sermon, so I won't "pass the plate." I feel compelled to share the hope that can be found in even the bleakest of times.   My gift to you this Christmas is a rendering of Silent Night, similar to the arrangement I performed with the Chorale. I wish you peace in these times.   "Silent Night" (Christmas Carol) [1:15] Click the play button to hear music. The Spirit Chorale of Los Angeles, Byron J. Smith, Director  http://www.spiritchorale.com/

	Topic of the Day “Children Included Too!” ♫ November 24, 2008 [Reposted from earlier in the year.]   As a member of the mid-Boomer generation, I recall childhood holiday dinners when extended family gathered at our home. Both familiar and long lost cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents would cramp into two or three rooms for a meal that had been in preparation for days. The aroma from turkey and dressing would linger in the upholstery and drapes weeks after the holidays.   The ritual always included faux dining tables—known as the Kids Table. We spent many holidays in converted bedroom dining areas, sitting on folding chairs tucked under rickety card tables. At least modern card tables have metal legs. I recall tables with wooden legs that made the table lean dangerously close to collapse. It’s funny how the human psyche and body adapt—my tablemates and I would lean along with the table as we ate.   In all honesty, it was a better deal to be ensconced from the grownups, where we could talk about what we wanted to talk about. No need to smile politely at the same old stories heard year after year. We could “hide” food we didn’t like. (Amazing how Princess the pet dog could devour au gratin potatoes and not get sick.) We had our own community at the kids table. It was so much fun, that those who could graduate to the big table, never did.   At the kids table, we were loved right where we were. This principle applies today. Being loved no matter what age or circumstance is what I celebrate in a song I recorded for my Prayer Room. The Jesus Loves Medley is posted below for your listening and inspirational pleasure. It’s an a cappella compilation of “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and “Jesus Loves Me.”  These two songs were as much a part of my childhood as those family dinners.   I am sustained by the Biblical directive to care for the “least of these,” which covers children, the impoverished, the disabled, the homeless, the heartbroken, the disillusioned, the lonely, and any of us who struggle. We may be sitting at life’s proverbial rickety table, but we are full with abundant love and in excellent company!    ̶ Cheryl Farrell   For more information, please visit the Bay Heart Music Prayer Room Children’s Page: http://www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom/id45.html    Jesus Loves the Little Children, written by preacher Clare Herbert Woolston (1856-1927) Jesus Loves Me, written by Anna B. Warner (1827-1915) Melody added 1862 by William Batchelder Bradbury.   Click the play button to hear audio clip. [1:00]

	Topic of the Day Challenge and Thanks November 23, 2008   With Thanksgiving around the corner, here’s a reminder that the act of giving thanks produces hope. Yet, with unprecedented world events distracting us, it’s difficult to stop for even a minute to say thanks. A helpful exercise for me is to cite the distraction and then name the gift in it. It’s not an original concept, but it produces relief and hope. Here’s a sample “Challenge and Thanks” analysis.   The Challenge: a friend’s retirement portfolio shrank 35% in one week during the stock market downturn The Thanks: the remaining 65%   The Challenge: a 57-year-old insurance exec was laid off in the worst economic times in decades The Thanks: her husband is still employed and he loves her deeply   The Challenge: an elderly widow sold her home at depressed market values The Thanks: she owned her home for 30 years and equity to pay for assisted living. The buyers, a family with young children and on a budget bought the home at a good price.   The Challenge: a 48-year-old family friend was recently partially paralyzed by a stroke The Thanks: his wife is still employed and she loves him deeply   The Challenge: a news report projects further economic woes The Thanks: I woke up this morning … and was able to read the news report     There’s always a reason to give thanks, no matter what the challenge.

Click here to send me your comments.

	Topic of the Day 'My Letter to President-Elect Obama" ♫ “We Believe In Your Dreams”-- Where Hope Sings November 18, 2008   I dedicate the song I wrote, “We Believe In Your Dreams,” to President-elect Barack Obama. I am a member of the Conejo Valley, CA “Yes We Can” Team. The song was originally developed as an inspiration to build houses of hope. Appropriately, it now serves as an inspirational message to the 44th President of the United States. The song was my anthem as I phone banked, trained volunteers, and did data entry for the Campaign for Change. To hear the song, please refer to the music file below.*   I had donated to the Women for  Obama campaign in spring 2007 where the future First Lady spoke of her husband’s vision for America—his dreams. However, it wasn’t until after the Democratic National Convention that I realized I wanted do more. I become an active Obama volunteer.   Complete strangers came together in a neighbor’s home and ran an amazing enterprise for change. My job entailed making calls to Nevada, Missouri, Florida, and other battleground states. Our team ran data entry like scientists. We all celebrated as if family at approximately 8P PST on November 4th when Senator Obama was declared the next President of the United States.   I’m sure my story is not unlike thousands of others across America. However, the most striking accomplishment from this experience for me is the undeniable unity for change from folk of disparate backgrounds. It is magical seeing Obama/Biden bumper stickers around town. Strangers give knowing nods to one another as we recognize a fellow “Yes We Can” member. We believe in your dream, President-elect Obama.   "We Believe In Your Dreams"© Written by Cheryl Farrell [2:26] Click the play button to hear music.  *You may also hear the song at the Bay Heart Music Prayer Room—Dreams Page: http://www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom/id27.html

Click here to send me your comments.

	Topic of the Day “The Day Before Tomorrow … Election Day 2008” ♫ November 3, 2008   This little blog entry, written the day before tomorrow’s history-making event is dedicated to my children. I want my son (17) and daughter (11) to have personal connections to a world of hope unfolding now. The world is watching and waiting.   Tonight, on Election Eve, and tomorrow will be full of moments that my children will remember. I want them to remember the unprecedented voter registration around the country—even among citizens living abroad. I want my children to remember the buzz of political discussion in the grocery lines, on the playground, and at the dentist office. I want my kids to remember the long lines that people of all colors endured for the opportunity to vote.   I want my children to remember these moments so that they will have a sense of living history as did my generation. We remember the first to break the color barrier in the Olympics. We remember where we were when Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. This kind of history transcends academic classification—it will be chronicled in social studies, in art, and in athletic classes. Fortunately, my children will have first hand reference to these studies.   Hopefully, my kids will remember our family discussions about candidates, ballot propositions, and Presidential debates. They have bumper stickers, lapel buttons, and lawn signs for keepsakes. Maybe they will remember how Mommy volunteered at the phone banks, rallies, and poll working. Or, how Daddy proudly embraced the "Obamican" moniker.   On second thought, maybe I’ll remember all these events … and remind my children relentlessly! When they are feeling insecure about reaching a goal, I’ll remind them of their potential. When someone says they are not smart enough, I’ll remind them of their possibilities. I’ll remind them of the “day before tomorrow” and how it gives us wondrous hope.   --Cheryl Farrell

Click here to send me your comments.

	Topic of the Day “Microeconomics and Hope” October 22, 2008   “A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.” —Author Unknown    “Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.” —Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra