Month: October 2014

Margaret Elizabeth Tapley Hudson – “Bettye”

Dear Mom,
Thank you for taking care of me when I was just a kid. Thank you for always loving me no matter what I did. Thank you for giving me a great love of music too and the poetry inside my heart began by watching you. Thank you for sitting me on the kitchen counter and teaching me how to cook; letting me eat cake batter and pretending not to look!

Thanks for letting me stay up late to watch old movies in black and white. Some of my fondest memories were spent with you, watching TV at night. I remember the first time the story line of a movie cut through my heart like a knife. It was a film we watched together, starring Lana Turner and John Gavin called The Imitation of Life.

Thank you too for afternoons spent picking four-leaf clovers. I’d love to go back in time again and search for them over and over.
Whenever I smell a Gardenia, it is deja vu of one of your favorite colognes. And thank you for all the times you clapped when I sang with a hairbrush for a microphone.

Thanks for the Sunday drives through our little town, to places I had not yet seen, and for ending each trip with a final stop at the local Dairy Queen.

Thank you too for all the shopping trips to buy me shoes and fun, fashionable clothes. I still enjoy shopping to this day…yes that’s a girl thing I suppose.

Thank you for every present you bought and wrapped and tied with bows. The times you made Christmas special, under the Tree a treasure trove!

For the lessons learned by working hard, the allowance poster board comes to mind. The silver and gold stars by our names when we completed our chores…each time.

You taught us to give back to God, our quarters in the offering plate. That has resonated with my heart and I continuing giving to this very date.

I’ll never forget our family time, around the kitchen table after dinner. You and Dad read Bible stories giving each of us kids a glimmer, of the faith and hope and love instilled inside your hearts from our Grandparents. What a beautiful gift you’ve left for Karen, Bobby, Bonita and I to inherit.

Like all families there were times when there was adversity, but that’s not what I will remember or what my heart will see. When I think of you my heart will praise God for the Mother he gave to me.
Margaret Elizabeth Tapley Hudson, my beautiful Mom, “Bettye”.

I Love You Mom,
Marie Elaine

I trust You though I’ve not seen your face
I believe Your Word was put in place
To steer the chosen by Your Grace…You are my place of PEACE

I love You though we’ve never met
For paying all of my sin debt
I believe Your Word is true…You are my source of WISDOM

You know my name and call me friend
Our conversations never end
You’re with me each and every day…You are my ROCK and my REDEEMER

I confide in You when I am down
Your Voice like rushing water sounds
I’m confident You hear my voice…You are my GOD and KING

Thomas believed when proof was given
That You once were dead and now arisen
Blessed are those who have not seen… AND YET THEY STILL BELIEVE

Here are a few pics that bring back some really great memories and fun times spent with of our sweet Australian/German Shepherd, “Sophie” when she was just a puppy. She looked almost like a snow leopard.

This pic was taken on Lee’s Dad’s 42′ Marinette, several years ago. She is just adorable in her new bandana scarf!

As the years went by her coat got much darker. We were beginning to wonder if she was really a lab because she has always loved the water! This pic was taken on the front of the Cobalt, right at dusk in front of Pickwick Landing State Park and made her a celebrity dog! We sent the pic in to the website for “Paws Aboard” (the maker of the life vest she is sporting) and this shot of Sophie appeared on their website that month!

This is one of my favorite pics of my very best girlfriend, companion and security guard…taken at Shelby Farms near Cordova, TN.

Finding Joy on difficult days
Is hard to do
If we miss
Counting the ways

That we’ve all been blessed
Beyond belief
“Gratitude”
Is complaining’s relief

Because it’s “Thankfulness” in adversity
That brings us closer
To God
So we can see

Clearly when our
Focused gaze
Turns toward Jesus
Giving Him all the praise

For His sun will rise
On the evil and the good
Rain too comes to all
As Matthew 5:45 said it would

So for everything
The good the bad
For the joyful noise
Or cries when sad

Give Thanks to The Father
In every way
And joy too will come
On difficult days

I’d like to welcome my niece Hannah Pearson to the Melodies and Memories page of my blog again today. The video below was Hannah’s first performance as a Freshman at Bethel University, singing “Defying Gravity” from the musical “Wicked” at Renaissance Weekend
on The Square in McKenzie, TN.

Have you ever contemplated how you are perceived by others? Do you find yourself diligently working to gain the accolades, respect, praise and applause of a fallen world, just to impress others?

If you answered yes to these questions, you are not alone. If I were truthful, I’d tell you I’ve been trying to impress and have been seeking approval and applause from “the world’s” many stages most all of my life.

It was not until just recently that a comment from a video series I watched on “The Best Yes” by Lisa TerKeurst that it really hit home with me. Lysa made the statement, “When you try to impress others, you only end up depressing yourself”. Wow! That statement still speaks volumes to me!

I’ve been known to belabor issues over and again in my mind, constantly replaying situations that have happened in my life and wondering what other people thought of me, my family, my background, my education, my abilities, my ambitions, my work, my performance, etc. etc…

But knowing how deeply music resonates in my soul, God reminds me
using the medium that speaks to me the most, through the lyrics and melody from a song by Francesca Battistelli; reminding me too, that He Knows “my name”…and that’s all that matters!

Exodus 33:17 (AMOP) “And The Lord said to Moses, I will do this thing also that you have asked, for you have found favor, loving-kindness, and mercy in My sight and I know you personally and by name”.

Please give a warm welcome to my niece, Hannah Pearson.

Hannah has been studying music since she was 4 years old under the guidance of former “Miss Tennessee” and Vocal-Coach, Deby Kincaid-Gooch at the Kincaid-Gooch Performing Arts Studio in Alamo, TN.

She has been active over the years in the choir with The Methodist Church in her hometown of Brownsville, TN. She earned lead rolls as “Elle Woods” in Legally Blonde The Musical in 2013 and again as “Sandy” in Grease The Musical in 2014 through Jackson Christian School’s Drama Department in Jackson, TN.

Hannah has had two call backs from “THE VOICE” television series in 2013 and 2014. She recently earned Fifth Chair/Second Soprano in 2014 with the ALL WEST TENNESSEE CHOIR and performed in June 2014 with Jackson Christian School’s Choral Group at the 2014 Rome International Choral Festival in Rome, Italy.

Hannah graduated from Jackson Christian School in 2014 and received a full scholarship to Bethel University through their Renaissance Performing Arts Program.

The video below was her last performance as a High School Senior at Kincaid-Gooch Performing Arts 2014 Summer Show at College Hill in Brownsville, TN. Enjoy!