In September when I packed up all of my things and started my fall journey I had no idea what to really expect. Not because I hadn’t toured before or worked before, but because this time was different. Working two full-time jobs simultaneously is not my norm, and it felt like I was possibly biting off more than I could chew. But I had to trust that God was not giving me more than He thought I would be able to handle. So off I went to New York City to begin putting Songbird on stage.
Read MoreAs the end of the year draws nigh, discussions about what the next year will look like are taking place at dinner tables, over late night cookies, in the Twittersphere, and beyond. How have we grown and been shaped over the course of the last year? How will that affect our trajectory for the next? And how on earth will we condense the local zeitgeist into a 2016 hashtag? As I’ve found myself in these conversations, #Hustle2015 is a recurring term of endearment used to describe the last year.
Read MoreThey say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think sometimes the best ones don’t need words at all. As I browse through the photos taken last Saturday, December 5, at Help-Portrait (hosted by RIFA), I’m smiling behind my computer screen so big that if someone were to walk by my office they might think I’ve had just a little too much coffee.
Read MoreOn a fall afternoon I decided to diagnose my boredom with little good, ole fashioned exploring around the heart of Jackson, Tennessee. Equipped with my camera, I ventured downtown searching aimlessly for anything out of the ordinary to grasp my attention. Having already spent a majority of my time in this part of town, I desperately needed to be more creative with finding a hidden gem. After countless hours of wandering, trespassing, and jaywalking, I was on the brink of defeat.
Read MoreChristmas was a big deal at my house. Throughout December, every radio (one in each room) was tuned to the same station, promising no escape from that beautiful—though maddening, for some—collection of classic standards and contemporary holiday tunes. That little kid, still roaming the corridors of my psyche, remembers Dad sitting next to the radio, waiting patiently to hear each of his perennial favorites, while Mom baked cookies destined to be set upon festive red and green trays.
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