Teri Fode Photography / Blog

WE HAVE A NEW BLOG!

TWO BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS!

FIRST, THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSED AND WE HAVE A NEW BLOG! PLUS OUR NEW COMMERCIAL SITE IS FINALLY LIVE!!!

HERE IS THE NEW BLOG!

and

HERE IS THE NEW COMMERCIAL SITE!

Please bookmark our new blog! This blog has been merged into the new blog for archives and we will no longer be posting to it. I've loved typepad for the 3 l/2 years I've been here, but we wanted a more customized look for our branding with larger images for our viewers.

If you are a follower of my Inspirations Blog, we will continue to post to it at the current website on typepad.

Woo hoo! Come visit us!!!!!!!

Teri

mary, did you know?

Today I'd like to share the song lyrics and story behind my all-time favorite Christmas song...

Mary Did you Know?

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little boy
You've kissed the face of God.

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb.

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am.

-Song lyrics by Mark Lowry

Every time I hear this song (we love it in the version sung by Michael English), it gives me chills to imagine what Mary must have felt, knowing that she was carrying the Great I Am...knowing that He would one day rule the nations...that the baby she delivered, would soon deliver her?

Amazing song.

Amazing story.

Amazing God we have, that the world would be saved in this very incredible way.

STORY BEHIND THE LYRICS (copied and pasted from Christianitytoday.com):

Mark Lowry is best known as a singer and comedian who spent more than a decade as a regular fixture of Bill Gaither's vocal band. But years from now, when all is said and done, Lowry's most enduring legacy will probably be the beautiful little song that he wrote 18 years ago as a meditation for a Christmas program at his church.

In 1984, the leaders at Lowry's Nashville congregation asked him if he'd be willing to write a musical for Advent. He gladly agreed.Inspiration came as Lowry focused his heart and mind on the wonder of Christmas.

"I tried to picture Mary holding the baby Jesus on the first Christmas morning and wondered what she was thinking about that child," he says. "She knew he was special—the Virgin Birth was her first clue—but could she ever imagine all the things that he would do while he was here?"

Soon, Lowry came up with a series of questions that he would like to ask Mary: "Did she know he would walk on water? Raise the dead? Give sight to the blind?"

Lowry decided to use the questions as a monologue to be recited between the scenes of his musical. But the profundity of those questions lingered in his mind long after the church musical was done.

Six years later, harmonica virtuoso Buddy Greene supplied just the right music and "Mary, Did You Know?" was complete.

Since then, Lowry and Greene's tune has become a modern classic. It has been recorded by more than 30 different artists (besides Lowry), including Kenny Rogers, Kathleen Battle, and Reba McEntire.

"I hear from a lot of people who have sung it in the church choir for Christmas and Easter programs," says Lowry. "When I wrote it, I felt there was something special there, but I never imagined how wide-reaching it would become."

so inspired...

feeling so inspired tonight.

[note: this entry edited to add lyrics to song referenced below...scroll to bottom]

Just came home a bit ago from the Nichole Nordeman "Brave" concert...and it...was...AWESOME.

In life, lots of things inspire me. For color and design? Pottery Barn and Target. Scrapbooking? Heidi Swapp and Karen Russell. Photography? Audrey Woulard and Skye Hardwick

And Music?

The amazingly talented Nichole Nordeman.

She has this way of making you really turn your thoughts to God in this beautiful, musical environment. She was nothing short of fabulous and awesome.

Prior to each song, she shared the story behind the lyrics that she had written. One song in particular was very moving. It moved me (and many others) to tears:

She explained that the song was about 2 very small children: Miles and Alex. Miles was sick. Very sick. In fact, he was in desperate need of...a heart transplant.

Alex was an energetic little boy, full of joy and happiness. And then, one day, a tragic accident claimed his little life.

The song was about the two mothers. They had both been talking to God...Miles' mommy had been praying: dear God, please help my little Miles...please make him well. Please intervene and miraculously deliver the donor heart that he so desperately needs.

Alex' mommy had been talking to God about her own son...and the fact that she didn't understand how God could allow such a tragedy to claim the life of her beloved child. She felt desperate to understand why such an unthinkable thing could happen.

Nichole then, at this point choking through the story, explained to us that this had all occurred at the same time and in the same city. Both families lived in San Francisco.

In fact, both families were...

sitting in the audience tonight.

Including...Miles.

You see, little Miles was at the concert tonight, sitting next to his mommy and daddy, with the little heart of Alex miraculously beating inside of him.

And they were sitting next to...Alex' family.

Without Alex.

Now...can I just tell you that this was the most incredible moment I've ever experienced at a concert? She told this story BEFORE she sang the song. So, we, the audience, were listening to the words and imagining what it must feel like for both sets of parents...

One family was thanking God for the miracle of life that was preserved. The other family was praying that God would sustain them through a life that no longer was.

So imagine the emotion that ran through the audience during the actual song.

God is amazing. His timing is amazing. And this story reminded me that we don't have the answers to everything. We don't understand everything. We are not in control of everything...but God is. He is ALWAYS in control and works in very mysterious...and miraculous ways.

He is the great "I AM".

The entire concert was so moving. Every song had an incredible story behind it.

I came home so inspired and so uplifted. Just had to share.

EDITED TO INCLUDE SONG LYRICS:

"For Miles Coulson and the beautiful heart of Alex that lives on..."

"MILES"

There's a mother on her knees / Somewhere in San Francisco / Looking up and begging please / God, do not forget me now // Her baby's on machines / 'Cause his heart can not keep beating / And she knows what desperate means / 'Cause the clock is ticking down, down // And hope rushed in like waves / That someone might just save the day / And if heaven's just a prayer away / Then why, she cries, would God not change things? // It may be miles and miles before the journey's clear / There may be rivers, may be oceans of tears / But the very Hand that shields your eyes from understanding / is the Hand that will be holding you for miles // There's another mother on her knees / Somewhere in San Franciso / Looking up and begging please / God, do not forget me now // It happened like a dream / He was laughing, he was running / Then she heard the sirens scream / When her little boy fell down, down // She had never known / The agony of letting go / But a few miles down the road / His heart would find a baby boy just in time // One moment someone whispers thank you / Just then another heart cries, how could you? / When Jesus, who sees us, He says I hear you / I'm near you //  It may be miles and miles before the journey's clear / There may be rivers, may be oceans of tears / But the very Hand that shields your eyes from understanding / is the Hand that will be holding you for miles

-Song lyrics by Nichole Nordeman

God is so good.

brave

[inspiration l music]

question of the day: how brave are you?

If you are a reader of my blog, you know that I *love* music...contemporary Christian music to be exact. Right now I have both of the newest Nichole Nordeman CD's in my car ("Brave" and "Woven"/Legacy) and David Phelps new "Life is a Church" CD.

And...I...am...so...excited...

We are going to Nichole's "Brave" concert on Sunday night!!! Just happened upon something, somewhere last week that said she'll be here in, and I of course jumped up and down like a kid saying "...we HAVE to go see her!!!"...LOL. (Quick! She'll also be in Phoenix Friday night 11/11/05!).

Such a sweetie he is to buy us tickets...

So, for this blog entry, I'd like to share the words to her "Brave" song...after reading them, you can listen to a bit of the music on her Brave CD by going to the "launch music player" button on the left side of her site. The first song that comes on is "Brave"...and so many other awesome songs from that CD too.

The gate is wide, the road is paved in moderation

The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in.

Welcome to the middle ground...

You're safe and sound...

And until now it's where I've been.

'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything.

But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings.

So long "status quo", I think I just let go...

You make me want to be brave.

The way it always was,

is no longer good enough!

You make me want to be brave.

I am small and I speak when I am spoken to.

But I am willing to risk it all.

I say Your name, just Your name,

and I am ready to jump...even ready to fall.

Why did I take this vow of compromise?

Why did I try to keep it all inside?

I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame.

Every storm will start with just a drop of rain.

But if You believe in me, that changes everything.

So long "status quo"...I think I just let go!

You make me want to be brave.

The way it always was, is no longer good enough.

You make me want to be brave.

-song lyrics by Nichole Nordeman

The first time I heard this song a few months ago, I was so inspired. So uplifted. So energized. Because I could really relate to it...being brave to "just let go" of what people think, and be more concerned with what God thinks.

It spoke to my heart in a very energetic, up-beat way that reminded me of the day I was brave enough to stand up, against the popularity of the world, and share my faith. My thoughts. The real me.

It was day I took off my mask.

It took a long time for me, but several years ago, I realized I was "hiding" my faith and only sharing it when I thought it was...appropriate.

On that day, several years ago, I decided that I wanted to be...BRAVE.

I no longer wanted the "middle ground". I was done with the "status quo" of living my life trying to be politically correct and proper in the eyes of the world.

I wanted to be brave in the sight of God.

Being brave...it's all about:

*being brave enough to say "no" when the world around you says "yes".

*being brave enough to stand up and say "that's not okay with God".

*being brave enough to know what you believe, and believing that it's good enough to speak up about it.

*being brave enough to say we shouldn't take the "under God" words out of our Pledge of Allegiance.

*being brave enough to say "in God we trust" should ALWAYS remain on our coins and bills.

*being brave enough to speak out against the things that God does not stand for.

*being brave enough to live, walk and talk like a Christian the *other* 6 days of the week. Even around your co-workers, friends, non-believers.

*being brave enough to say that virginity and purity before marriage is STILL God's plan...He hasn't changed His mind. It's not outdated. Even for boys and girls, men and women. Even today.

*being brave enough to say alcohol is as dangerous as illegal drugs. being brave enough...to say no.

*being brave enough to share your soul, your beliefs, your thoughts, even in a world that may not like what you stand for, what you believe, what you think.

*being brave enough to tell your children to always choose righteousness over popularity, even when you know it will mean they may not be well received. being brave enough to stick to it even when it hurts your heart to see them being "unpopular". being brave enough to teach them to look forward to the reward at the end.

*being brave enough to speak out against the violence and the immorality that comes across the television screen into our homes...yes, the popular shows that...are...supposed to be...about reality. being brave enough to say "THAT'S NOT GOD'S REALITY NOR WHAT HE WANTS US TO BE POURING INTO OUR MINDS".

*being brave enough to speak out against the fact that our society shows too much skin. being brave enough to say "modesty" is good, right, moral. being brave enough to be different than most.

*being brave enough to stand up for what you believe. being brave enough to believe in something...or you'll believe in nothing.

*being brave enough to turn your cheek when you'd rather...be rude back.

*being brave enough to realize that "garbage-in, garbage-out" applies to adults too. being brave enough to say "no" to immoral television programming (which is...most television programming).

*being brave enough to speak out against the immorality of our world. being brave enough to uphold God's Word even in a seemingly godless-society.

*being brave enough to stand up, even though you might be the only one that's standing.

*being brave enough to push the "publish" button on this blog entry.

music {inspiration}

[inspiration l music]

warning: our eyes and ears lead to our hearts...

I've received so many wonderful, inspirational emails from many of you over the past few weeks...lots of you have actually gone out and purchased CD's after hearing songs I've shared here. And many of you are enjoying music you already know and love.

Where do I find this music? Well...literally, from a site that offers these tunes for free. But that's not my point.

Dh actually (at my request and his sweet agreement to do so) went through every single song on the site listed to weed through the secular music and find me the music that we have in our music library at home (Dh has somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 Contemporary Christian CD's).

I don't recognize the Artist's names as well as he does. It's funny because I'll say "okay, who sings that song that goes like this..." and I butcher a perfectly good song with my attempt to re-create the song I'm looking for.

So...thanks to my dear hubby for finding "the songs that go like this..." for my site. And thank *you* for listening and enjoying and emailing me about it!

WHY do *we* only listen to contemporary Christian music? We believe God was serious when he said to guard our hearts...and He later connects the eyes and the ears to the heart. In other words...He's telling us that *become* like what we look at and listen to.

What we look at with our EYES (television, magazines, reading materials, movies, videos, games) and what we listen to with our EARS (music, TV, movies, videos, people we hang out with/associate with) affects our HEARTS...

And our HEARTS are the basis of who we are and how we love...or don't love. Our HEARTS are what He wants most. Because that's where *change* starts.

Just sharing because I was asked and thought it might be of interest as to *why* we listen to the music we listen to.

Have a GREAT day!  :)

{listen}

[music]

warning: i found something fun to add to my blog...music!!!

I'm loving this fun little find (thanks to Steph)...it's music to my ears!!! It took me a few tries to find the song I was REALLY after...so make sure you "refresh" this page if it's not the following song:

The song you're listening to is called "I'll take you back...by Jeremy Camp". It's about how no matter what we do, how far off track we get, how much we tune out the voice of God...He will always take us back.

He took me back...and I was pretty far off the road at one time in my life...someday, I might share the story with you. It's very inspirational actually...even when I look back at it. God gets all the glory for where I am today...who I am today...and the blessings I call my family, my faith, my breath of life.

Have a great weekend...

PS: those of you that have emailed me with appreciation for the little tidbits here and there that I share about my faith, thank you. Your emails mean more to me than you know...really. I can't help but share what is the core of my being...can't hide it, won't deny it. :)