Some Bumpin' Tunes and a Shining Example

I was visiting NieNie Dialogues this morning, like I frequently do, and she had a link to a new cd called Nearer. I followed the link and oh my, I want it. My heart is not one that generally desires material things, but this is different. It doesn't just have one or two of my favorite hymns, it has all of them, even "More Holiness Give Me," which hasn't been recorded very much. So, go check it out, and fall in love with it too, in all of it's 30 second clips.

A bit about NieNie [aka Stephanie Nielson]. I found her blog about a week before she, her husband Christian [aka Mr. Nielson], and their friend Doug Kinneard were in a plane crash near St. Johns, AZ. That was August 16, 2008. Doug died from injuries, Christian was burned over 30 percent of his body and Stephaie over 80 percent. I spent the next few months crying over and praying for this woman and her family I'd never met. I know I was joined by all the readers of her blog in this mix of heartache at what had happened and hope for her recovery...for her life. The remarkable thing about it is that despite an event as big as a plane crash, and how it would alter one's life, it's like a little blip on the radar when it comes to making up who she is to me.

In the months she spent in a medically induced coma, I poured over her posts. I loved reading about all the places she frequented in Mesa, as that was her home when I found her. It was my growing up home. I still look at the real estate in the zip code I grew up in [85203], and dream about the houses I would live in if I moved back tomorrow. She made me feel sentimental, like I need more of that. I do. I like my sentimental self. I felt like I was catching up with an old friend.

She has four children, but was able to find this balance between motherhood and selfhood. I think the magic was that the line was blurred. She lives a life full of passion and creation, and every little part adds to who she is. Everyday is physically difficult for her, but she knows how to make the most with what is in front of her, even if some of her posts are heavy-hearted - she keeps it real. She seeks out beauty in every thing. She inspires me. If you haven't heard of her before and need a boost every now and again, go take a peek into her life. She will enrich your soul.

NieNie Dialogues

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