AMERICAN IDOL!!!!

Okay... so i'm still in shock after last night... but if you missed it, i've got a couple links you can visit!

To see my audition, visit:

http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j141/mjsbigblog/Jackson/?action=view¤t=sharon.flv

To see me on E! News visit:

http://vids.eonline.com/services/link/bcpid4037511001/bctid9299327001

To see me & my family on the Jacksonville local news shortly after my audition... visit:

http://www.fox30online.com/content/topstories/story/American-Idol-Auditions/63WVnnqys0KQQ8T-ikRhMA.cspx

(be sure to watch the video over on the right-hand side!!)

here are a few more shots i snapped while watching last night...








Be sure to tune into Hollywood Week!!!! :)

Tues. Night - Jan 26th - 8pm!

Okay, so in case I don't get a chance to blog while out of town... I just wanted to remind everyone to watch American Idol Tuesday night (8pm EST, on FOX) because they will be showing the Jacksonville Auditions! :) Who knows... you may see a familiar face!

what if....?

A thought: When a drunk-driver kills a mother and her unborn baby, the person can get 2 counts of murder or manslaughter. However, when it comes to abortion... that same unborn baby is not considered person??? Can the courts have it both ways? I just don't get it.

someone you SHOULD know...

yes yes i know the tone of my blog has been rather serious for the past week or so... but lets take a music break for a minute.

this is Rebekah LeBeau... and you'll love her:



seriously... visit her myspace... get to know her stuff... you won't be disappointed! :)

www.myspace.com/rebekahlebeaumusic

I Stand With Israel... Rally

It's not every day I have an opportunity to take part in an event like this... so I was pretty excited when I found out that the local Chabad was sponsoring a "Stand with Israel Rally" last Sunday. We had a pretty good turn out... about 250-300 people were there showing their support for Israel's right to defend herself....

yay Israel!




myself leading in a round of Hava Nagila, ha.





me & my home-made shirt... can you tell? :)



Thankfully, America has spent the past 8 years under a President who has served as a great friend to the nation of Israel. It's my prayer that this friendship not only continues with our new President, but grows stronger.
------------
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May those who love you be secure.
Ps.122:6

inauguration day. 2009.

Today is the big day. Wow. I woke up with such mixed feelings this morning. Anyone who knows me, even in the slightest, knows that I'm quite a conservative... and a proud one. Since the election of Mr. Obama I have been careful to keep my mouth shut for the most part. Not because I am not feeling 94857349587349587 different emotions, but because now that he is in office I believe he deserves my utmost respect, and even more importantly - my prayers.

I came upon this article last night (thanks to a friend posting it) and it immediately caught my attention with this sentence:

"The incoming president is the man of the moment. He deserves good wishes and sincere prayers. But I’ve found myself thinking these last few days more about the man who has shouldered the burdens of office for the past eight years, George W. Bush."

So of course, I read on and was increasingly impressed by William Kristol's take on things. To read the full article, you can visit this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/opinion/19kristol.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=the%20next%20war%20president&st=Search

Here are a few excerpts that really struck me:

(Speaking of Bush)
"He has made mistakes as president... but he has exercised his just and rightful authority in a way — I believe — that deserves recognition and respect. It will probably be a while before he gets much of either."

"I couldn’t help but reflect that a distressingly small number of my fellow Jews seem to have given much thought at all to the fact that President Bush is one of the greatest friends the state of Israel — and, yes, the Jewish people — have had in quite a while. Bush stood with Israel when he had no political incentive to do so and received no political benefit from doing so. He was criticized by much of the world. He did it because he thought it the right thing to do."

"Many of Bush’s defenders have praised him for keeping the country safe since Sept. 11, 2001. He deserves that praise... But I don’t think keeping us safe has been Bush’s most impressive achievement. That was winning the war in Iraq, and in particular, his refusal to accept defeat when so many counseled him to do so in late 2006.... And the outcome in Iraq is a remarkable gift to the incoming president, who now only has to sustain success, rather than trying to deal with the consequences in the region and around the world of a humiliating withdrawal and a devastating defeat."

There's much more to this article, so please... take the time to read it. Mr. Kristol offers some wonderful perspective on a situation that really brings me such mixed feelings...

Our God and God of our ancestors: We ask your blessings for our country — for its government, for its leaders and advisers, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority.

so, anything new?

well not to suddenly change the tone of my blog, but some pretty amazing things have been going on for me personally, and i want to share a bit of them with you.

First of all, i'm continuing to write and compile music for my next album (not sure on a release date for that yet). This is one of my favorite parts of the whole "album making" process. Joel (my husband) and I really enjoy writing together so we've been doing much more of that lately, and we've also been blessed to work with some incredible writers as well. I'm sure I will be blogging like crazy once the project is set to release... but this could be a little while from now as we have to wait to see how some other things line up!

Second, one of my favorite TV shows premiered last night.... American Idol. YES I'm a confessed fan... but this year I've taken particular interest in seeing how things turn out....



...that being why. :)

Please keep me in your prayers over the next few months.

God is good and I know that ultimately His will will be done! I'm just here to be used in whatever way He wants to use me! ... My prayer has always been that God would open the doors He wants opened, and close those He wants closed.... so.... we'll see what happens!

Alrighty, that's it for now!

♥