A year has passed since a conversation with a friend who nudged me (okay, maybe kicked me in the bum) to start writing songs again. He reminded me to not give up on my dreams, to keep living, to keep creating, to keep worshipping, to keep offering my gifts, to be honest in my writing about where I was at and what I was feeling, and to not lose hope. I opened my songwriting journal tonight and realized it was exactly a year ago TODAY I wrote the song that was the first of many to come in the months to follow: January 8, 2010.

SO here it is...a whole year later...and the same friend who nudged me to write a year ago (whom has gotten together with me on numerous occasions to hear said songs and help me polish them, finish them, write more of them together, and practice/perform them) left me a voicemail about plans being set in place to finally get them recorded. I am humbled all over again at the mercies of God, at His timing, at His perfect plans that the enemy cannot thwart.

Though I feel very much like these songs are just my humble little offering - my loaves and fishes - and though they don't seem like much to offer, I know that God is able to multiply my efforts if He so wills. It is just my job to offer what I have. And what I have are a few simple songs written along a painful path - songs which I hope can touch the hearts of others who have experienced loss, grief, and hopelessness in their own journeys as well.

As the New Year begins I truly feel like I have come out of a dark cave. I am holding on to this verse in Isaiah that rings so true in my heart: "Your sun will no longer set, nor will your moon wane; for you shall have the LORD for an everlasting LIGHT, and the days of your mourning will be over (Is. 60:20)." I am doing all that I can to invite His light into my life every day, to keep living, laughing, loving, writing, and singing.

We are a motley crew, those of us attempting to get these songs recorded. We have no label backing us or money to put towards it. But we have a lot of heart, and I see what I believe is the hand of the Lord in it. I am blessed with friends who believe in me, and that is such a gift.

I covet your prayers for us - for this humble gathering of songs, writers, musicians, engineers, & equipment - that the Lord would breathe life into every step of the process. It is for His glory that we press on to take hold of that for which He took hold of each of us.

Thanks for all of you who continue to follow my journey, to walk alongside me, and to cheer me on. I hope that it won't be too much longer, friends, until I have some recordings of these new songs to share with you.

May the Lord fill your life with LIGHT in 2011.

-Sheri

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor. 4:8-9)