Projects in the Works

More info coming soon!

The Walla Walla Worship Project

The best made plans of mice and men fall to the scythe of time, again and again. What we thought would be an interaction with Walla Walla has shifted to the Portland area…due to love, economics and the inability to create enough blip on the radar. The studio is in Vancouver, WA and the process is being redesigned. What do I dream of…a monthly studio night where growing musicians come together to share time, talent, thought and tacos, tostadas and tree bark ( to capture the worship songs we pen ). Perhaps, there would be a gathering of high school students who would create that new voice of worship that I hear within my head…perhaps. The first high school worship song for the year was written in February by two Mt. Ellis Academy students. Love going where we’re called. It will be up in a couple of weeks.

After a year of initial interaction with Walla Walla University students who have a passion for the arts, the process is in motion. Kurtis Lamberton and Timmy Oliver are collaborating with Inner Anvil to create a student driven, Christ in the arts recording studio. Thanks to a generous donation by the Koelsch family, the recording booth is in the process of being constructed. Once the booth is up, the wiring done, then we are ready to start guiding the process of investing in the spiritual artistry of Walla Walla University singer songwriters. The plan is for the studio to be up and running by the first of the year.

Heartlife Imagineering Home School Co-op

We have closed our doors for now. I still desire to have those conversations, but it has not been the driving catalyst that it was in the past. Perhaps God will knock on this door again…if so, I am willing. I still meet with a couple of students, bi-weekly, and we are planning a summer road trip for three to four weeks. Still driven by the character process, the students are raising funds, planning the process and sharing how they are investing in deepening their life journey. It’s awesome.

We are now into our eighth year of character driven, arts oriented education. With ten students, an amazing array of teachers and awesome parent and Bridge House support…we are off to a promising year. As students are wrestling with joy day, academic accountability and learning skills new to them, we are having thoughtful conversations around “Who are you becoming and why?” As students become more responsible, we find our vision of a month of travel in May to be a greater likelihood. This year we will be touring the west coast. If you have a gym floor or want to cook a meal or two for a dozen weary travelers, reach out to us at heartlifepdx.com.

Community Building Benefit Concerts

A lot has happened in the past year. Dear friends have passed away, students have gotten into other commitments and God has been reshaping my heart in ways I’d never imagined. At this time we are working on two projects from Montana…one for a worship leader who had stopped singing, due to personal tragedy, and now is creating a project for her parents…the other,  for a gentleman performer who shares old country songs from the 1930’s-60’s with several nursing home communities in Livingston, Montana. When he’s not there, they have nothing to listen to. His project will bring joy, even when he’s gone. In the back of my mind are three or four projects of my own that have been on the back burner long enough.

This coming December 13 we will be putting on our third benefit concert this year. Our first concert was for the Farm in a Barrel initiative. These funds helped support micro businesses in Uganda. Our second concert raised funds to build a school in a remote part of Nepal. This third concert has a split agenda. Half of the funds will support a family who’s daughter was in a coma for over a month and the other half will go to support Heartlife Imagineering Home School Co-op.  I am grateful for the good we can do through these concerts.  A secondary opportunity is the ability to provide a safe, enthusiastic place for young artists to be exposed to performing. Nothing like taking the stage to find out if you practiced enough. And it makes them more teachable when the performance doesn’t quite go as planned. We will have supported over 15 different artists this year by putting on these concerts. Over time we will create a leadership team that will choose themes, oversee programming and support the quarterly efforts. Then leadership and creativity can happen within several contexts, which will be even more exciting.

A Few Personal Projects

The writing is still in process. Some creative engagement that combines storytelling, music and creative process comes to mind. I feel like I’m being led into three areas of connection. The first, is me as an artist/writer. I have gifted others while holding my own gifts hostage. That has to change. The second, I long to be a heart sage/listener. Two ears, one mouth is an intentional design. I love hearing the stories and sharing affirmations. The third, being available to serve where asked or called. Free range, cage free support and encouragement to the questioning or fringe hearted friend. For now, that’s enough.

By December 30th, I hope to finish my third album of original music and have a rough draft of my first book, The ABC’s of an Intentional Life.