Brand New Me

Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do you choose the players for Portraits of White first or the music first? So many questions!

Hear the answer to this question and take in another journal entry from Frances in this episode. You'll also hear a beautiful arrangement of "When I Survey" with Frances on the piano and Doug Cook on flute.

As for the chicken question...we had chickens on our farm and I don't ever remember having trouble deciding which came first...the chicken or the egg. It was obvious to me. The peeps came first.

My mother and I would drive the very curvy and hilly Pennsylvania back roads to a little poultry farm near us and pick up boxes of peeps. They'd "peep" all the way home. The sound was comforting to me. Then we'd unload the boxes of the little yellow fuzzy balls into our chicken house. My mother, along with our apricot poodle, Angie, and I would sit in the chicken house and watch them for hours. It's one of my favorite memories from childhood.

What do chickens and eggs have to do with Portraits of White, you ask?

It's what popped into my mind when I read this week's fan question. It's really one of those "chicken or egg" questions.

"Do you pick the musicians and then select the songs and arrangements around those musicians? Or do you select the music arrangements and then find the musicians to fit your needs?

Thanks to Doug Cook, Eastman School of Music alumni [Performer's Certificate]—one of the star players of Portraits of White, I can select just about any arrangement I want, because we have such great musicians to draw from. Doug was the first person I approached about playing in my "orchestra" and his musical network consisted of pro musicians throughout South Central Pennsylvania. Since he knew that I wanted to put together an orchestra, he made a very special offer.

"Would you like me to be the music contractor for your Christmas show?"

At the time, I didn't know what a gift Doug was giving me when he offered to do this. I knew anyone he chose would be amazing, so I immediately said, "yes!"

Special announcement on this episode!

How do men and women fulfill their roles in the Kingdom of God? Pastor Dave Hess shares his heart with us on the issue of men and women ministering together in the church and as the church in the world. He brings new revelation concerning the scripture that states women shouldn’t speak, teach or have authority in the church. He shares truths on the importance of women having a leadership role, having a voice and a place in the church as well as for women to be fully released to use their gifts and fulfill their calling!

We all have a story. It takes courage to be vulnerable and share our story with others. It can be hard to be vulnerable.

In this episode, Frances and Pam talk about how having the courage to open our heart to share our story with others can open a whole new world for someone else.

We would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected].

As a child, Alexa Moody struggled with depression, which eventually lead to thoughts of suicide as a teenager. She received help and recovered, deciding then to go to college for Human Services. During the 2009-2010 school year, while she was a 19-year-old college student, there was a cluster of suicides within her community. Just minutes outside of Pennsylvania’s capital, Alexa heard of five teen suicides within the course of five months. She was heartbroken. Although she did not personally know any of the teens, her heart was torn for the friends and families left behind (known as suicide loss survivors). It was from this hurt and her personal experiences of depression and recovery that Alexa heard God’s voice telling her to do something about it.

Armed with a broken heart and a message from God, Alexa started Please Live in May 2010. Her efforts were quickly noticed within the midstate as she networked with local prevention powerhouses such as Holy Spirit Teenline, the Mental Wellness Awareness Association, Someone To Tell It To, and the local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The first board of directors was elected in 2012, and Please Live received it’s 501(c)3 nonprofit status in April of 2014.

Today Please Live has blossomed into a program that educators are eager to get their hands on. The future of Please Live hopes to plant chapters all over the United States to bring the message of help, hope, and healing to as many students as possible.

Pam and I are excited to share Alexa's story with you on this podcast episode.