It snowed here in Atlanta this afternoon and evening, “burying” us in four or five inches of white. For all of you in places where you have multiple FEET of snow right now, I know you might laugh, but around here you just don’t go anywhere when that happens since all the roads become slushy ice rinks and people are not experienced enough to drive on them. I grew up in Michigan and Indiana, so I know snow, but we don’t have snow plows and salt trucks enough to go around in the South, and so the city just shuts down when this happens. For years, they will likely talk about this as “The Blizzard of 2010.”

So I enjoyed staying home on this quiet Friday night and watching the snow fall. Then I snuggled under a blanket to watch TV, played a little guitar, and went to bed early. It’s the first night in weeks (maybe months?) when I actually went to bed fairly early AND could have slept in late, and I was so excited! However, at 4am, even with the world so quiet and peaceful and covered in white, for some reason I am wide awake again.

So I'm thrilled that I get to be part of a wonderful multi-artist compilation CD - a project specifically created to benefit the people of Haiti. The album is available for $10 and during the month of February only, so make sure to act soon!

To download the album, visit my friends 1000 Generations at their website: http://1000generations.com/products-page/music/

100% of the profits will be given to World Vision to support the relief efforts in Haiti.

Share the love with those in need in Haiti this month...and enjoy some new music by some great artists & friends of mine, too. :)

Blessings,
Sheri

So thanks to a friend's recent encouragement (and kick in the butt, thanks friend!), I sat down yesterday on an Atlanta "snow day" with my guitar, a keyboard, and my notebook...and the whole afternoon free. I didn't know what to sing or say after a long dry spell, but as my friend encouraged me, "Well, just write about that." I want to share the lyrics with you all (and it doesn't have a title yet, so I'm open to suggestions!), but first I wanted to talk about what led me here. Grab a cup of coffee, cause this might be a long one.

Hello Friends,

This has been a different season for me, and after a friend shared this prayer on facebook, I found it touching and helpful. For those of you out there for who find it's been hard to find the "joy" in Christmas this year, may you be reminded you're not alone. Let's join together to pray for many others who are also grieving or find themselves in difficult circumstances right now. This is certainly a hurting world, but we have a redemptive Savior, who is Christ the Lord!

I am thankful for so many of you who have helped bring joy back in to my life over these past few months. The Lord is near, that I know.

Praying you have a Blessed Christmas,
Sheri

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Christmas Prayer For Those Who Struggle During Christmas
by Katherine Walden
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Father God, I ask you to come to those whose hearts ache on your Son's birthday. Although they sincerely thank you for your greatest gift of all -- they are hurting and lonely. Father, let them know it's ok to express to you the pain and loneliness and frustration in their hearts. Let them know you are listening -- and care.

I pray for those who are single and who have no family -- who spend much of the holidays alone. Be with them in the lonely hours, help them not to feel marginalized during this season that places so much emphasis on 'family'.

I pray for those who are housebound and infirm and are unable to leave their homes or hospital rooms due to illness. I pray for those with loved ones that are separated due to work, weather, duty or other circumstances.

I pray for families who are struggling this year, financially and emotionally. I pray for desperate spouses who worry over their marriage. I pray for those children who are frightened and alone, who are in abusive situations or who sense the worry and frustration that their parents try to hide. . I pray for parents who have children who are ill in body; ill in mind or who are addicted to drugs.

Jesus, please come as Immanuel -- God with us, Jesus, please enter into each place, each home, each hospital room, each homeless shelter, each hotel, each jail cell, each place of business - let them know they are not alone. Holy Spirit, come as the Comforter, let your gentle, healing warmth sooth and bring solace to aching hearts. God the Father, come to those without family and remind them that you are their family. Show them your heavenly, attentive, fatherly love for them in a way that they can understand. I pray this in the name of Jesus -- who knows our sorrows and understands our hearts.

So out of the blue yesterday, a new friend of my husband gifted tickets to us he was unable to use for last night's U2 concert in Atlanta. I found out at 5pm that we were jumping in the car to head downtown! In the midst of a rough few months and weeks...what a gift from the Lord. My husband is not a *huge* U2 fan - though he can appreciate their music - but I am! I had never seen them in person before. What a treat!

So it’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged. It’s probably my first real case of true bloggers block. Every time I thought about blogging these last eight weeks, it just seemed like there was an emptiness, a void of any thoughts to blog whatsoever. Maybe it’s the pressure I put on myself to come up with something “deep” and meaningful in every blog - my inner perfectionist rearing its ugly head.

Have you ever had “one of those days?” Maybe you've had a few bad days this month, this week, or maybe you're having one today?

I know I've had just a few bad days myself recently, and on one of those days when I was trying to find some encouragement by reading my Bible, I found myself reading in the book of Acts. Maybe you’re familiar with the story of Saul of Tarsus (who was later re-named Paul). He was certainly a guy who saw his fair share of bad days! First to give you some background…

I added a bunch of new photos and re-organized things from my trip.

For photos from Breathe Festival in Ohio, visit here:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94965&id=838110679&l=8e16f588c4

For photos from my week in Washington, visit here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=93525&id=838110679&l=82495e3569

I ran out of room on my camera the last day so am sad to have missed getting pics of my Aunt & Uncle and the Wilson family. :( It was great to see you all, though!

Enjoy!

Sheri

So hello from Chicago O'Hare airport, where I'm sitting at one of those "recharge your laptop" stations with the really uncomfortable seats. My poor laptop battery is fried and barely holds a charge anymore, thus the need to plug in to be able to say hello to all of you! So I will endure the metal seat for a few minutes while I have internet access to fill you in on the last few days in an open field where the WiFi was lacking.

So I haven't been blogging a whole lot this summer. I'm blaming it on a case of "Summertime Blues." I'm sure you can relate...

You're sitting at your computer, window in site, and the sunshine is just calling your name. It seems like the days go by too fast and all those days you planned to go relax at the pool (or beach if you have one) and enjoy some of that sunshine you now see slipping through your fingers faster than you can catch them. All those evenings you'd hoped to have friends or family over for BBQ's seem filled by to-do's and have-to's instead, and you find yourself so rarely ever getting to the really-want-to's.