A Sacred Heart Blessing

Sacred Heart Cafe

Last night the girls and I played at Sacred Heart Church in Winchester for a group of wonderful girls and a few of their awesome moms! It was a HUGE blessing for me to share the night with my blood sisters and spiritual sisters too.  Our “Live Cafe” consisted of praise and worship, a short talk, and some original music.  My favorite part of the night was the praise and worship. Its always so moving  to hear a group of girls together in song. Beautiful!

Other odds and ends

My little sister Megan just got some cute little converse looking shoes with pink shoelaces. I think my one year old sister might wear cooler clothes than me. Why is that?

Yesterday’s weather could be classified as heavenly. The fall colors in Virginia are always amazing, but when highlighted against a bright blue sky, they’re particularly powerful. With all the colors and feelings of fall, I can get nostalgic for past days of studying (with a cup of tea on the table of course).  I always enjoyed school in the fall; maybe because it was still early in the school year. Still, there really is something studious about this wonderful season.

I hope everyone is doing well.

In His love,

Marie

Keep the Change Please!

Tonight I feel an earnest desire to complain about the changes in my life that I have no power over. First off, who told Starbucks to stop serving their bold blends after 12:00 pm? Who can look forward to a cup of mild coffee after you’ve delighted in the robustness of Estima and Verona? I miss the days when “being bold” was acceptable all day long.  Secondly, where has Facebook gone? I am afraid every time I log in that something new will confuse me. Thirdly, am I ready for cold weather? And where did the sun go? Who’s really ever ready for the end of daylight savings time and darkness at 5:30. And, oh yes, there’s one more thing – many of my good friends (even my best friend) are dating. That’s another change in my life I need to get used to.  What happened to the days when a sleepover was the highlight of their week, not a date with their boy friend? Honestly, sometimes I just want to be ten or eleven again.

Although I know things change, I also know I might always have a hard time accepting it. I need to find myself a wise man who will show me the beauty in change. Hmm…..where’s my Dad?

At least Robert Frost understood me. Here’s a bit of “A Prayer in Spring”

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Sweet Dreams to all, and stay beautiful. Don’t change a thing!

Your ever constant one (yeah right),

Marie

Starting Over, Again.

I’d like to tell you about one particular morning when my mom tip-toed into my bedroom with the latest Magnificant (a daily prayer guide) in her hand. She had listened to my frustrations, failings, and complaints the night before, so that morning she wanted me to wake up to a little passage from St. Francis de Sales.

“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself; I mean, don’t be disturbed about your imperfections, and always have the courage to pick yourself up after a fall. I’m very glad to hear that you make a fresh start each day. There is no better way of growing toward perfection in the spiritual life than to be always starting over again and never thinking that we have done enough.”

That is exactly what I needed to hear that morning; that I could start over.  I think that sometimes I get so off track that the best thing to do is to go back to Jesus and begin my spiritual journey on a fresh new path. Well, there I was feeling the need to begin again,  and there was St. Francis speaking to me, filling me with comfort and courage.

I recently heard a priest say that God is like the lady on the GPS. When we lose our way, He’ll invite us to, “Make a legal U-turn.”

AMEN for that option!

Yours,

Marie

Miller Sister Musical Firsts

Hey everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of this beautiful fall season. I love seeing the trees go from green to yellow, orange and brown. My October has been great thus far. It started with a concert at St. Veronica’s Catholic Church in Chantilly, VA. This concert was particularly exciting because of two firsts – I sang lead vocals for the first time and my sister Carol Lynn performed with us for the first time! I think she did a fabulous job!

My sister, Tina, happened to be home from Nashville that weekend and so my whole family attended the show. It was great to have so much support, and it felt like a huge love fest. My Mom was in the audience with my little sister, Megan, and I constantly spotted Megan shaking her head and flashing a huge smile. It was so cute! Overall, the show went really well. My sisters and I look forward to many more and hope to see you at some of them!

I’m now studying piano with Mark Brandt www.markbrandt.com. He’s an amazing pianist and I’m really excited to be learning from him.

Also in this entry, I want to acknowledge my friends, Sarah Ellison and Jessica Stockton, who celebrate their birthdays this month. Happy birthday girls!! I love you both so much!

-Tess

Just my imagination

“Logic will get you from A to B; imagination will take you everywhere.” -Albert Einstein

Endless dreamer – That title fits me well. I like to imagine that one day I will be swept off my feet by a handsome prince and taken away to his castle. There we will marry and live happily ever after. Okay, I know that this will never happen but these moments of romantic fantasizing sure make my “real” life more interesting.

The other day after watching a few of my favorite scenes from Pride and Prejudice, I went for a walk and lamented over the fact that I will never marry Mr. Darcy or even attend a ball at Netherfield Park. The day (like my mood) was grey and misty, but as I walked along the path beside our pond and looked up at our noble old farm house, I suddenly started thinking about all the wonderful things in my life. Thoughts of family, friends, music, and ice cream flooded my soul and I realized the awesomeness of my “real” life.

I also had this realization of living in the mind of God. It was as if He, by thinking of me, was keeping me alive. My imaginings can’t come to life like God’s, but I do believe that they can have a real impact on my happiness. Speaking of which – Where in Heaven’s name is my prince charming?! Just like Cinderella imagined herself at the ball, I will keep imagining too. And just as her dreams came true, so will mine, so will mine… -Tess

Happy October! A Miller Sister’s Update

Hello Everyone!

Happy October! Today’s weather is cool and perfectly Fallish (is that a word?). It feels just right for the first day of October. Here’s a quick update on what’s going on with the Miller Sisters.

Tess is busy with school. She is currently writing a timeline from the Ancient Greece period till the 1950‘s!! Wow! I know that sounds crazy, but she says she has all year to finish it. PHEW…that’s a good thing. Tess and I are OBSESSED with Regina Doman’s book, “Waking Rose”. We spend lots of time discussing the book and the amazing character, Fish, who is somehow going to marry both Tess and me. Don’t you hate falling in love with fictional characters? It’s almost as depressing as wanting to marry a deceased movie star (this is a reference to my one-way romance with Fred Astaire).

Carol Lynn is all about 3 letters – S A T ! Carol is taking her SAT’s on Saturday and she spends most of her day studying for this long and grueling test. She is applying (along with me) to George Mason University in Fairfax for Spring 09. Both our older siblings went to GMU and we are excited to follow in their footsteps. Carol Lynn played her first gig with me on Friday and I must say that she did a wonderful job.

We are all looking forward to the first official Miller Sisters Café live event, which will be held at Sacred Heart parish in Winchester, VA later this month.

I am keeping busy with music but was able to spend some time with Tina (my big sister), who came home for a few days from her campus ministry position at Vanderbilt University. It’s always a treat to hang out with her. When she’s home we stay up late and chat until we drop from exhaustion. So fun!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful first day of October!

In Him,

Marie