ARCHIVES SECTION B: HOPE and FAITH   18.    4-03-09: "Hope Online" 17.    1-05-09: "How Do You Say Happy New Year?" 16.  11-23-08: "Challenge and Thanks" 15.  10-22-08: "Microeconomics and Hope" 14.    9-20-08:  "Enlarge Your Tent" 13.    9-11-08: "World Day of Prayer 2008" 12.    7-18-08: "Thoughts on Prayer" 11.    3-15-08: "Recognition: An Easter Message"♫ 10.    2-23-08: "Prayer on the Brain"   9.    1-26-08: "Music and Prayer" ♫   8.    1-19-08: "Count Your Blessings"   7.    1-05-08: "Cast Myself Away"♫   6.  12-29-07: "Come By Here"♫    5.  11-25-07: "Cheryl’s Gone Country"♫   4.  11-21-07: "When God Winks"   3.  11-14-07: "Lost Then Found"   2.  11-08-07: "Someone Watching Over You"♫    1.  10-13-07: "The 'Nobel' Mr. Gore   _______________________________ ♫ Music-related content. . Bay Heart Music Blog is best viewed using Internet Explorer Browser. Bay Heart Music is a registered trademark. Established 2004. As a matter of courtesy and the law, please do not copy Bay Heart Music files. Topic of the Day B.18. “Hope Online” April 3, 2009    For the past month, I’ve been trying to develop commentary on how people are coping with the economy. Just as I formulate a position, rapid fire news from the auto and banking industries make for a perpetual journal in progress. However, The New York Times just issued a story, Finding Hope Online, and Hoping a Job Follows that anchors the economic coping issue rather well.* Tag line: “A laid-off window installer says he has applied unsuccessfully for dozens of jobs in the past year.”   I was intrigued by the article’s title alone as the premise of my blog postings is finding hope…online. As I read the story, I was moved by the plight of Raymond Vaughn, who might as well be the banner for millions of Americans trying to stay afloat in these challenging times. His story is about being resourceful—enrolling in an online education course to qualify for a better paying job.   Mr. Vaughn is among several South Carolinians who put a face on the recession. According to the article, “South Carolina has the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation—11 percent in February, behind only Michigan.” It’s human nature to marginalize those statistics as applying to “other people.” The sobering fact is the situation applies to us all, if it applies to anyone.   As such, I remind us all that hope comes from many sources. The quickest way to tap into hope is to find someone with whom you can share your situation. Whether a neighbor, a former colleague, a support group—any positive spirit with do. Do not go it alone! Online resources are very helpful, but they are not the sole answer.   These tough times will pass—it’s assured because history tells us as much. It seems the “in the meantime” work is connecting with others to help each other cope. I wish Mr. Vaughn a safe landing on his flight to employment. I wish the same for all others who seek hope in their journeys.   *NYT Business Section, Peter S. Goodman, 4-3-09 Topic of the Day B.17. How Do You Say Happy New Year? January 5, 2009   The Happy New Year! greeting usually subsides by mid-January. However, the cheers may linger throughout this month given the events of 2008. There is much to gladly file away in the year that was.   One interesting way to say goodbye to 2008 came from Marc Cenedella, CEO and Founder of high-end jobs website, TheLadders.com. (www.theladders.com). In a delightful alpha-centric way he said:   Whew! We finally said "bye-bye!" to 2008. It was an abysmal, botched, cataclysmic, depressing, egregious, frustrating, grinding, hellish, impossible, jagged, knackered, losing, messed-up, no-good, odious, perplexing, questionable, ravaging, squandered, tedious, unbelievable, vexing, worrying, xerotic, yowling, zippo of a year.   Another New Year’s custom is reviewing predictions that never materialized. A few days ago, I received an anonymous email with an elaborate list of 2008 predictions. They proved abysmally (and in some cases, embarrassingly) off base. I cannot provide original attribution, so I won’t list the specific quotes here.* However, you can just imagine the crystal ball pronouncements about oil prices. They were targeted for $150 a barrel; by end of year they were well below $50. There were projections for a stable financial industry. Bailouts became the response to those assessments. Certain industry experts predicted growth in existing home sales. Record foreclosures answered those expectations.   Rather than wag a nee-ner nee-ner finger at those prognosticators, I find hope in the inverted outcomes. That is, the dire "expert" predictions for 2009 may just as likely foretell good news! I paid $55 to fill up my car last summer; this weekend I filled up with $23. Granted, the reason for low gas prices is a sobering financial indicator, but the price is the price…and it’s lower than anyone predicted six months ago.   Another annual ritual is listing notables who passed away the prior year. My practice is to light a candle for people who are not high profile. They were good citizens, fathers, aunts, neighbors, and friends. Each year, my list of such names grows at a disconcerting rate. I want to acknowledge those lives that touched me in a special way—often in a hope-filled way. So, as I begin to bask in the emerging glow of 2009, I dedicate this portion of cyberspace to people of hope who are no longer with us.   --Cheryl “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.”                                                                                   Little Gidding II                                                                                               T.S. Eliot (1943)** *I welcome proper attribution. **Courtesy www.thinkexist.com Topic of the Day B.16. 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. Topic of the Day B.15. “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    These two sayings frame my message today. Stay with me as I make the connection. In my search for hope in our country’s financial crisis, I’ve pondered what each individual can do to affect change. The media is full of dire predictions from various experts. For example, a recent Nobel Prize winner in economics spoke about the downward momentum of economic indicators. They portend far worse times before things improve. With all due respect to such distinguished professionals, I’m curious if we are unequivocally doomed to the theoretical and historic forces of economics.    If the answer is yes, then why get up tomorrow? If there’s a good chance your job will be eliminated, why bother with the gamble? I believe the reason we keep at it is because in our core, hope tells us life will be okay anyway. I admit, “being okay” isn’t rich in science, but the phrase means something to most of us. So much so, that we rely on it to get through the day. Some call it fate, some call it faith, but whatever you call it, there’s an essence to life that drives us to defy the odds.*   Here’s where “a little bit of knowledge” comes in. I took several university Economics courses decades ago and have very little to offer Fed Chairman Bernanke on strategy. However, it seems to me that we can individually act to stare down prognosticators. Intuitively, there ought to be something each of us can do given what we hear is coming. Like a trickle up theory. During energy crises, we are told to run appliances less and avoid running them during peak periods. What each of us did in our little microcosm of the world affected the broader world. We saw it at the gas pumps this summer. We just drove less. There were big and small consequences to that and, yes price changes were tied to reactionary supply actions, but consumption declined nevertheless. We took action. We found “remedy” (AKA hope) in those actions.   I suspect any undergraduate Econ major can neutralize my thoughts of individual spirit with a swift Google of Keynesian Theory. However, I counter with the power of hope that comes from affecting the world in some individual way. I believe that our human desire to find comfort amidst crisis trumps graphs predicting severe times. It’s not about clicking our heels, channeling Dorothy with “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” It is about keeping our minds open to possibilities other than doom. If the weatherman says there’s a good chance of torrential rain tomorrow, then you consider shelter options. You partner up with folk who share similar or complimentary circumstances. You do what you can to mitigate the impact of the predicted outcome.   This is all lofty, bereft of specific actions against the much heralded financial storm. For those of us already in dire circumstances, this may come up empty. Regardless, we still have options for hope. The options are based on our willingness to consider them. They may be dressed up in ways that you would never have imagined, but they are there.   Here’s where the Cervantes quote applies. There’s indeed value in the media clueing us in on the possibilities of the future. And, I appreciate experts being really good at what they do. However, we must be smart consumers of information. Look for messengers who offer more than why things are bad and how bad they will be.   As I said in a previous entry, stay vigilant in your search for truth. Time presents brighter days—it always does. Therein lies the hope.   *Commentary on the sad human forces that triggered the crisis and its perpetrators are not for hopeful discourse. Topic of the Day B.14. “Enlarge Your Tent" September 20, 2008   With the worsening financial crisis in our country, there are a lot of people in need of hope right now. Home foreclosures, lifestyle and health deterioration, and strained relationships are symptoms of these difficult times. When I was younger, and the domino effect seemed to go unchecked, my impulse was to hunker down. My misplaced logic was that if I reduce the number of moving parts, I would somehow mitigate further problems. I now believe there’s a call to action in one’s faith.     Such action is found in Isaiah 54:2. It’s scripture that I “stumbled on” this week. I place quotes here because with faith and hope, there are no accidents in finding the right message. The literal interpretation of the passage is about a barren woman who longed to have children. She was ostracized by a community that prized fertility. As I’ve written before, I suffered infertility decades ago. It took twelve years to conceive my two children, including a miscarriage in the process. One of my closest friends encouraged me to “enlarge my tent” during that long stretch of time. I never knew where to find the scripture until I came across it this week.   In the passage, the woman is instructed to prepare for giving birth to many children—far more than those who mocked her. The imagery is rich as she is told to “enlarge the place of your tent... lengthen your cords. And strengthen your pegs.”[1] I actually enjoy The Message translation—see below.[2]   Scholarly commentary interprets the scripture to mean the actions in Biblical times of converting from idol worship to Christianity. It describes the bounty that can occur from worshipping a living God.[3] Appropriately, the metaphor applies to anything we are going through today.   Acting on one’s faith beyond circumstances is not just wishful thinking or slapping a happy face on an issue. It’s about knowing things are going to work out even in the midst of dire uncertainty. Let your actions reflect the assurance that a home will be provided; a partner will be found; a job will be attained; a health challenge will improve; a relationship will be repaired; a child will be born. Only you know what it means in your life to prepare for the good that’s coming your way. The point is to take action…to enlarge your tent in preparation for the bounty. "God's gift of hope steps in where our imagination drops off."                                                                                                            —Cheryl Farrell [1] See New American Standard Bible (© 1995) http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-2.htm   [2] http://www.biblegateway.com/ Isaiah 54:2 (The Message) (MSG) (Copyright ©  2002 by Eugene H. Peterson) Spread Out! Think Big! Isaiah 54:1-6 "Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth! You're ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women." God says so! Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You're going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family...”   [3] See Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-2.htm Topic of the Day B.13. “World Day of Prayer" September 11, 2008   As I have often indicated, Daily Word magazine is very special to me. Published by Silent Unity in Missouri, this compact publication belies its bounty of hope. Today’s entry is appropriately entitled, “World Day of Prayer." This annual observance draws attention to the power of prayer.   There’s so much to pray for these days. We seek comfort in the memory of loved ones lost seven years ago today; companionship for the infirmed who have very few people to call on them; peace to offset the rancor among political ideologists; hope for those who struggle to make ends meet due to lost employment; and so much more.   I believe the current political climate is so intense because issues are hitting close to home for all parts of society. Issues like race, gender equality, education, lifestyle (sexual and cultural), the economy, reproductive rights, and on and on are being stirred up for everyone. Ultimately it's the poor economy that gets it boiling. The haves versus the have-nots are at fierce odds with one another. Those intense feelings that lie under the surface during fair economic times are spewing out from sectors that heretofore, were passive in their disquiet.   Yet, prayer has a place in all that we live with. Every prayer for help has a flip side for thanksgiving. We’re thankful for the ability to offer comforting words or gestures to the grieving; to be a companion to the ill; to have some type of “ends to meet”; and, to be a calm voice in conflict.   My prayer for you is the assurance that things in your life will be alright. There is indeed hope for today. Below are resources to assist you in prayer:   Daily Word message: www.dailyword.com             Bay Heart Music Prayer Room: www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom   Thoughts on Prayer* "When we work, we work. When we pray, God works."                                                            —J. Hudson Taylor   "Every work of God can be traced to some kneeling form."                                                       —D.L. Moody   "The faith we bring to prayer must include a trust that God is able to hear our prayers and that He is disposed to answer them. Yet, when God says no to our requests, this faith also trusts in His wisdom."                                                         —R.C. Sproul   *Taken from “God Bless America: Prayers & Reflections For Our Country” by Gwen Ellis, Senior Editor. Copyright © 1999. Used by permission of Zondervan, www.zondervan.com Topic of the Day B.12. “Thoughts on Prayer” July 18, 2008   A recent update to the Bay Heart Music Prayer Room includes the following "Thoughts on Prayer" section.  May you be inspired. Please visit the Bay Heart Music Prayer Room at www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom.     Quotations for "Thoughts on Prayer"*   "When we work, we work. When we pray, God works."                                                            —J. Hudson Taylor   "Every work of God can be traced to some kneeling form."                                                       —D.L. Moody   "The faith we bring to prayer must include  a trust that God is able to hear our prayers and that He is disposed to answer them. Yet, when God says no to our requests, this faith also trusts in His wisdom."                                                         —R.C. Sproul   *Taken from “God Bless America: Prayers & Reflections For Our Country” by Gwen Ellis, Senior Editor. Copyright © 1999. Used by permission of Zondervan, www.zondervan.com. Topic of the Day B.11. "Recognition: An Easter Message"♫ March 15, 2008    “I’ll know Mr. Right when I see him,” is what I often said as a single person. Interestingly, Mr. Right had been in my midst decades before I recognized him—not knowing we’d be married for twenty-three years…and counting.   The audio clip below offers another story of recognizing a blessing that is right before us. It's a spoken word and music clip inspired by a 2005 Easter Sermon, delivered by The Reverend Dr. Loyde Hartley.* I present the jingle-like song, “God Loves You and Me” in its simple unadorned form. The musical message: to recognize God is to truly see those closest to us.   May your Easter celebration be full of hope and promise. [Visit www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom/id37.html to hear music and read the full essay.] Topic of the Day  B.10. "Prayer on the Brain" February 23, 2008   Forgive me if I sound like a one note band. Since the launch of Bay Heart Music Prayer Room, I’ve become more alert to conversations with God. I promise to address less heady topics in the near future. For now, I want to share an email I received from my minister on the matter of prayer. It’s posted below.    The other reason for this blog entry is to share a bit of insight I received. When I feel a bit unsettled, I refer to the very Internet prayer page I designed. However, today when I attempted to pull up the prayer page on faith, my web service went down. I was frustrated, as I’ve grown accustomed to my web-based routine. I was humbly reminded that the prayer page is a mere device.   The good news is that I can still pray! Prayer is portable, needs no electricity, and no password. I just close my eyes and get on with it. So as much as I have been rewarded with kind responses from web visitors, the real buzz comes from knowing the conversation can occur anytime and anywhere.   And yet, please visit the Prayer Room when you can. I recently added songs on the topics of grace and promise. Do I have prayer on the brain? Maybe. Or perhaps, it’s prayer on the heart.    Email sent by Rev. Mark Rohrbaugh, Minister  Morningside United Church of Christ, Inglewood, CA 2/21/08   A saintly man named A. W. Tozer wrote an essay about honesty in prayer. Prayers are conversations with God.  Our prayers should sound like our conversations with our friends.  They should reflect our true emotions, feelings and thoughts.  They should be candid and honest.  Our prayers should not be limited to what we think is possible–for God can do the impossible.  And, our prayers should not be proposals about how we think God should respond.     Our prayers should express our joy, our sorrow and all the negative thoughts and emotions that we humans are capable of experiencing.  Dr. Tozer in this essay said if you are angry with God, you should even express your anger.  It is essential that we should not complicate our prayers by using phrases or words or whatever that we have heard others say. Just be yourself when you talk with God.   Visit "Thoughts on Prayer" for the complete text:   www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom/id35.html   Topic of the Day  B.9. “Music and Prayer” Bay Heart Music Prayer Room♫ January 26, 2008   I recall reading a magazine article in April 2007 about a young woman professing the need to pray throughout the day. I would like to give proper attribution, but research indicates Jane Magazine folded a few months after the article appeared. [If anyone knows the woman’s name, please advise.] The writer was Muslim, and she worked in an office setting. She was resourceful in her ways to pray discreetly. I believe she described office closets and cubicle encampments to accomplish her goal. I was able to retrieve a quote from the article: “Some people sneak off to smoke, I sneak off to pray.”   I was moved by this woman’s discipline and determination to fully live her faith. Her diligence reminded me of the daily health rituals my teenage son conducts because he has type 1 diabetes. He takes insulin injections several times a day to live. This young woman took prayer several times a day to live.   I pray often, but my daytime conversations with God tend to be crisis driven. In those times, there’s often flailing and wailing going on. I began to wonder if the tone would change if I had “easy access” to God during the day. I know... he’s only a thought away.   However, a device to trigger prayer other than panic was my desire... and ironically, my prayer. The answer came to me, and I now share it with you. Check out my web page:                                                           www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom   You will find short pages with eclectic music, scripture and messages of hope. There are even jazz pieces to inspire your conversations with God. For now, the songs are performed by my friends and me. We’ll see what the future holds for future content.   If you’re sitting at your PC and you get stressed from the world, click on Bay Heart’s Prayer Page and relax. If you’re up late at night surfing the Internet for a respite, check us out. If you’re trying to figure out how to respond to a troubling email, view this page before you reply. Better yet, if you want to thank God or need a reminder to "count your blessings," here's a place to do it. [See 1-19-08 essay for "Count Your Blessings.]   The power of prayer is available regardless of how often you pray. It just seems that praying unceasingly reminds us of the assured reply. It also cuts down on the flailing and the wailing.   Please visit, bookmark, and tell a friend: www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom  (For best viewing experience, use Internet Explorer Browser) Topic of the Day B.8. "Count Your Blessings" January 19, 2008   Did you have a rough week? Did someone hurt your feelings? If so, you might relate to the premise of a favorite book of mine, “The Highly Sensitive Person,” by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. To paraphrase, her research finds that some of us are particularly attuned to things in our inner world and outer world. The range of stimuli includes emotions, sights, sounds, fragrances and more. There’s no judgment associated with being “highly sensitive”—it’s not about being “too sensitive” It’s a neutral designation that says we are attuned more than others may be. It’s just how some of us are wired.   As a highly sensitive person, creative blessings abound. It’s as if ideas are flying around in the air and your special antenna picks them up. On the flip side, too much awareness can leave a person overwhelmed and often wounded. Think of newborns who can’t handle too much noise or light.   I bring all this up in order to share a trick I use when I find my feelings hurt. Rather than wish I was different, I count my blessings. One woman with similar sensitive wiring told me she places Post-it notes on her bathroom mirror with a list of her blessings. (It kind of reminds me of Al Franken’s Stuart Smalley character and his daily affirmation.) She checks her mirror every morning to remind her of what’s good in the middle of what’s bad.   I digress for a moment here. My 10-year-old daughter consults a child-friendly web site each morning to learn a word for the day. Last week, one word was “patronize.” Despite the provided definition, she used the word in an odd sentence. She proudly announced: “George Washington was great at patronizing.”  I smiled and kindly corrected her with the word “patriot.”   While I’m not sure if President Washington said things to hurt people’s feelings, there are plenty of them who do in this life time. Instead of counting to ten, I count my blessings.   My car is on the fritz again. [See blog entry, “Not Ready for Prime Time."] One evening this past week, the car began to idle rough. The check engine light flashed as if signaling cardiac arrest. After calling for emergency support, I sought blessings from the situation.   One blessing was being only three miles from the car dealer. Another was that the service bay and car rental window were open late in the evening. Ironically, the most important blessing came from the service rep who hurt my feelings the last time. Our interaction was pleasant this time around. I still paid out the nose for the repair, but at least my feelings weren’t hurt!   As you go about the next week, count your blessings. Go beyond obvious material blessings. Think on things that you may take for granted. There is good in it all. And, for goodness sake, don’t patronize! Topic of the Day B.7. "Cast Myself Away"♫ January 5, 2008   On the Bay Heart Music web site, I list my favorites. They include music, authors, songs, and the like. One song that remains a favorite is “Cast Myself Away” written by a long-time church friend, Gwen Cathey. The lyrics speak to the Biblical idea of surrendering one’s will to God for a greater good. Interestingly, Gwen presents this heady concept with a funky saxophone riff and rhythm. It’s a perfect iPod rotation for your cardio workouts. I’ve attached music and lyrics samples below.   My family and close friends know that I am the Dare to Dream Queen. Just about every aspect of my life tracks to dreams of a better way and a better day. From wanting children, to buying a house, to getting jobs, to healing, I’ve imagined it all. Yet, I go further by daring to act on those dreams. On the surface, this approach may appear to be a tenet of Emerson’s philosophy on self-reliance. However, there’s much more to it.     My aspirations are supported by the message in "Cast Myself Away"—I need to get out of God’s way. I’m no Bible scholar, but I recall a particular reference to casting in the good book. There were fishermen who cast their nets in previously barren seas, later to find abundance. It paradoxically suggests an abandon of preconceived notions based on clinging to something—faith. Surrendering isn’t an act of aimlessly hurling one’s will into an abyss, even though it can feel like a free fall. The comfort (if you can call it that) is found in faith.   How do I reconcile daring to dream with getting out of God’s way? I believe God gives me the dreams… and he expects me to act on them in his time.   Do you have a recurring dream around which you will spin yet another new year’s resolution? If so, I say trust that good dreams come from a good place, and your job is to get out of the way. There will be plenty of time to act on them. In the meantime, cast yourself away.   I wish you a faith-filled new year… therein lies the hope.   Cast Myself Away* I used to think I had the power and all control of me And anything the Lord required, I could make me be. I forgot that I am only clay, just the pottery And any kind of lasting change has to come from Thee. Lord, just fix me til you are satisfied. I won’t interfere, I’ll step aside. Ev'ry will of mine you just override. Lord, I cast myself away...   *Cast Myself Away was used with permission. Written and produced by Gwen Cathey.  You can find it on her CD, “I Came to Speak My Soul.” (Gentee Productions). Visit www.cdbaby.com/cd/gwencathey to purchase.   THE MUSIC CLIP PREVIOUSLY POSTED HERE CAN NOW BE FOUND AT: www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom/id25.html Topic of the Day B.6. "Come By Here" December 29, 2007   Tomorrow at church, I will be singing a song in memory of the church members who passed away in 2007. My small little church has had its share of memorial services this year. Two women in particular leave me sad that I will not see them again: Doris Robinson and Mildred Anderson. Doris sang in the choir with me for decades and Mildred was among the strongest prayer givers for my son’s health. I’ve also said goodbye to work colleagues whose generous work made it possible for me to do my job. There have been other types of losses that are equally impacting. I sing for those as well.   For me, church songs are musical prayers. It’s my special way to talk to God. At dinner last night a friend asked me if I really hear a voice in response. My reply was that God’s vocabulary is particular to me. He knows me and as such, the way he communicates leaves no mistake on who’s sending the message. I told her the thought of disembodied “voices” makes some people uncomfortable. So, you have to be prepared to just know what you know and not expect a cheering section during your talks with God.   Come By Here* is a special musical prayer for me because it was a part of my childhood worship. The uncomplicated lyrics reflect a profound faith statement: talk to God and he will hear you. This musical conversation implores God to remember us, although he needs no reminders. He attends to every situation. I wish you a safe and prosperous new year.  —Cheryl   *To hear my performance of  Come By Here, please  visit: http://www.bayheartmusic.com/prayerroom/id22.html Topic of the Day B.5. "Cheryl's Gone Country—Rascal Flatts Country" November 25, 2007   Just so we’re clear, I’m a middle-aged, self-professed urban sista’ from way back. The music I grew up on came from the likes of Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and Gladys Knight. Old school R&B is practically in my DNA. As an adult, my iPod includes light jazz, Broadway tunes, and contemporary gospel songs.   About a week ago, a friend who watched the recent CMA awards suggested I consider country music. In particular, he mentioned Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts as outstanding performers. My look of “Oh, I don’t think so…” motivated him to send me a compilation of modern country tunes for my listening pleasure.   I now must confess that this sista’ girl may be addicted to “Bless the Broken Road” along with “My Wish.” Performed by Rascal Flatts, I call them anthems of hope. Underwood’s “So Small” could easily be a musical mantra for living. The delicate twang in these songs transmits earthy sincerity. They inspire as well as console. While the lyrics suggest romantic love, they can be about other life experiences. They can relate to career set backs, betrayals, and rejection. Like spiritual GPS, I love that God directs our hurts and disappointments to right jobs, good friends, and acceptance. If you've not heard the song, please give it a listen. It will make your day.   Carrie Underwood’s song also packs a spiritual punch. The hook reminds me that there’s hope in all things … hope for health, career, family, anything I seek.   These songs are not the latest hits for the artists, and any American Idol fan will tell you this is old news. Further, music review sites don’t necessarily agree with my opinions. However, what matters most is where the music takes you. We can find hope in all kinds of music. There will be no more typecasting of music from me.