(The opening photo is, again, part of what we see when we look out of our back windows at home. Psalm 66:4.) Many of you may be aware of a wonderful song I was privileged to record with my buddies, Bonnie Keen and Marty McCall as the group First Call. It has the same title as this blog – Lord of All. I remember when we were listening to lots of music in order to choose ten songs for our second album entitled “The Reason We Sing”, we were in an office at Word Records and the A&R Director began to play this particular option for us. All three of…

You’ve probably heard, in movie vernacular, of the “dailies”. This is a term used for raw, unedited footage shot during a single day of film or television production. The purpose is to record everything, realizing that much will end up on the cutting room floor because it holds little interest. But there are stories of directors who have found hidden gems in the dailies – moments and scenes that originally might have been overlooked, but once reviewed were shown to be valuable!  Daily life is kind of that way. It may look very ordinary or even mundane at times. Maybe it seems to be filled with “normal stuff” that wouldn’t…

The only other time I have been through another other big medical issue was July 4th weekend of 2000. Dick and I, with our two daughters, were scheduled to fly to northern California for a week-long conference where we would be leading worship alongside one of our heroes of the faith, Chuck Swindoll. This had been on the calendar for a year or so and we were all very excited about it. On the Friday before we would fly out on Sunday, I was at the mall picking up a few last minute items. I began to see a host of floaters in one of my eyes and had no…

Little known fact: I had my first music arrangement published when I was 15 years old. I had taken a song that my dad had written, “Teach Me O Lord to Care” (page 312 in the 1975 Baptist Hymnal), and turned it into a handbell arrangement for our youth ensemble to sing and ring. (Playing the bells and adding a singing part was a new novelty in that era). So, handbells have been a part of my life for a very long time.  Fast forward to now. Dick will be the Musical Director for a theatre production here in Bowling Green next month of Disney’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame”. It’s…

(The photo is one that Dick took of me as we were hiking in Mammoth Cave National Park yesterday – five days after getting out of the hospital. A banner moment! And a place where God’s presence was clearly seen.)  This coming week is a big week. In fact, Dick and I are marveling that we are at this point in the journey. On December 4, 2025, my treatment plan for ovarian cancer was laid out – 3 chemotherapies, a hysterectomy, and 3 more chemos. This Wednesday, May 13, if all goes as planned, I will sit in the chair for my final chemo treatment. And when I am unhooked,…

As Paul Harvey used to say, I wanted to share the rest of the story in regards to this past weekend’s “swerve” to the hospital.  First let me say, I got home early this afternoon. Whew! When Dick and I headed to the oncologist on Friday with the small possibility I would require a hospital stay, I probably was leaning a little too much on the word “small”. Little did I know five nights at St. Thomas Midtown was in our future. But it truly was the place God had prepared for me to be. I can now report that my fever is gone, white counts are up considerably, strength is building…

Swerve: To turn aside abruptly, deviate, or change direction suddenly, especially to avoid hitting something or to move off a straight course “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) I’ve been in the hospital all weekend. I was admitted on Friday because of low white counts and an accompanying fever. The protocol during my treatments has been: if I develop a fever over 100, call TN Oncology and they will advise. Because mine was 100.7, I was told to come to Nashville to have my blood checked and then decisions would be made. Which we did. And they were made. Our sweet Nurse Practitioner…

“Faith is the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1)  “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) There are certain subjects in which I’m fairly knowledgeable. For instance, I can have in-depth conversations on music theory. We could dive into all of the seven-note modal scales, and believe it or not, I could name and explain each one – from Ionian to Locrian and all in between. (Okay everyone, I promise this post isn’t going to go any further on that subject!)  I am a student of the Bible. While I’m no Bible scholar…

(The photo chosen for this part of the story is one of Dick and I on a hike! To be at this point – where I can put on my Hoka’s and traverse up and down beautiful trails – is a direct result of what you’re about to read in this post . . . ) Dick and I are studying a book on the Psalms each day – In the Lord, I Take Refuge, by Dane Ortlund. Our mornings begin with me reading the designated psalm we will ponder, and Dick reading the devotional thoughts. Then both of us dive into great discussions as we search commentaries and other writings…

One of the services provided in my treatment plan with TN Oncology is the opportunity to connect with a designated therapist/counselor in the Psychosocial Oncology division . The purpose of this meeting is to process all of the changes and “new normals” that come with a cancer diagnosis. I was grateful and looking forward to this chat – whether it would be it a one-time connection, or something ongoing in the future (both were offered).  Our Zoom call appointment began with several disclaimers. The final one stood out most – All of your information will be held completely confidential unless I surmise that you are a threat to yourself or to…