The other day my husband and I sat looking at a large tree near our house and began to talk about how awesome (not surfer “awesome dude,” awesome, but inspiring awe, awesome) it is that a tree can grow so huge. That something can start so small and weather such great adversity such as frost, birds, lawn mowers, invading bugs, drought, wind, etc. and still make it.
It also blows my mind that a tree can retreat. It can fall back and withdraw every year, dropping its leaves, looking more dead than alive, and still bring forth new growth and life in the spring.
How is it that this tree hibernation/dormancy doesn’t kill the tree, stripping of it’s ability to gather the sun’s rays and instead allows such a great surge of growth once the ice thaws and the sun draws closer?
A quick study on the dormancy of trees reveals that the tree is in a state of quiescence. Dictionary.com defines this as, “being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless.”
It is at rest.
Just as we don’t need to rise in the middle of the night and eat a large meal to survive because we are at rest, so the tree can survive by being still.
Then the spring comes and growth surges to the tips of each branch and root.
Grow
Grow
Grow
Life.
Have you been in this place? Have you ever allowed yourself to relax and truly rest? Or are you the person that goes and goes and goes and never feels like you have any real growth because you are constantly on empty? Rest can be found in one day. One day of setting aside your phone and computer and tv and email and errands and laundry and facebook and driving in traffic and just allowing yourself to be still, be inactive, be quiet. Even typing out that sentence and that list has made my shoulders tighten and tense a little. Maybe the thought of letting those things go for even a moment has made you tense. Maybe the better question is why you can not let go, drop your leaves and rest? When you dig down to the root of why you can’t relax and rest is it because you are afraid to let go? You don’t trust anyone. You only rely on yourself.
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.”-Psalm 4:8
That is the soil where I want to find my roots stretching out their winding arms. That is the safety and confident trust that allows each and every second of relaxation in my life.
It’s with this in mind that I will say I am about to lay low. I am withdrawing to dormancy. I am taking a rest. My husband and daughter and I are packing our clothes and heading up into the beauty of the Colorado mountains with a campground full of loved ones. Between the packing, camping and unpacking there will be blog rest, quiet and stillness from me for the next two weeks. But
just wait,
don’t panic,
there is growth on it’s way.
My new CD is coming and the date is set, July 19th will be the official release date where you can buy the CD here on my website. There will also be a couple of shows that I will be sneaking it out early to on the 17th and 18th. Also you can sign up on my Mailing List where I will be notifying you of the when’s and where’s to pre-order the CD, and who knows, maybe I will throw in some fun stuff with those pre-orders like an immediate download of one song and add my scribbly signature to your copy(ies- you know you want to buy one for yourself, your mom and your roommate). So while I pull the great blue Colorado sky around me, you start your whispering. Tell your facebook friends. Tell your twitter friends (you can even link them straight to this blog below with the handy-dandy twitter and facebook links). Tell your real friends 
My new CD is coming.
Let me leave you with a sneak peak, the new album cover and the track titles and a link to a song sample. I would treasure your thoughts and insights
See you in a couple of weeks!
Here is the link to the title track of my CD “Current.”
1. Current
2. We Should Run
3. Take It All
4. Hope
5. Laughter Comes Upon Us
6. Galaxy Former
7. The Damaged
8. Hiding Place
9. You’re Coming
10. Calling, Calling
11. Joy Comes In
