Category: Music

Posted in Campus Ministry, Faith, Family, Music

It’s good to be.

Posted on by narciejeter

It’s good to be at Wesley.  In my little universe.  Catching up on email and listening to my itunes.  Songs from Dawson’s Creek soundtracks.  Bahahaha….and all sorts of things.  A couple have stood out this morning.  Amy Grant’s Better than a Hallelujah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOHJghBU0XA

is one of them.  By the way – I own all the music I post.  Not the youtube videos of course, but just sayin – support your musicians people.

I also love Tom Conlon’s music.  His Emmanuel  is one of my favorite songs and always makes me think of my ordination.  I also love this one that to many says a lot about church – God doesn’t reside in a church but God resides in God’s community here on earth.  Such simplicity and such power.  Here’s the video of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97twloqVygE

  Here’s one called Old Town that he did at Wesley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta0wrIZWc9A&feature=related. 

I reconnected with one of my best friends this morning and it almost brings me to tears even writing about it.  There’s something about shared experience!  She and I used to eat these awesome rolls from the restaurant Hop’s.  They’re much like the ones at California Dreamin’ but better.  That’s what the title of her email was this morning and not even seeing the name – I knew who sent it.  There’s something about the breaking of bread and shared experience.  Something far more powerful than we can encapsulate or wax eloquent on this side of life, but to me that’s the importance of breaking bread.  My favorite bits of ministry and of this walk of faith in general has been around the table whether growing up with covered dish dinners (my favorite – you can’t beat the desserts) or sharing around the dining room table at Clairmont Religious Life and talking about Lord knows what or sharing in communion around our coffee table at Wesley.  It’s the food for the body and the soul.  God loves you.  God forgives you.  Supper’s ready!  Thanksgivings for all of the meals I have shared along the way with so many people and thanks to the one who sustains us each step of the way with the morsels of hope, love, and peace that keep us keeping on.  I am grateful.

Posted in Family, Health, Music, Tumor

Not going for that annual quite yet…

Posted on by narciejeter

Hi y’all!  So as always there are highs and lows in a day.  (Can’t decide whether watching The Bachelorette right now is a high or a low…much better on fast forward to the decent parts.)  Mike and I dropped off the CD of the previous MRI/CT Scan at the neurosurgeon’s, I got a quick lesson on all this brain stuff from a wonderful Emory friend, and our GPS got us to Carolinas Medical Center.  I’ve never been to the real one – just having babies at the one in Pinevile.

We parked way far away because we had no clue where to go but we finally figured it out and it made for a beautiful day to walk.  Filled out some more forms and then got to talk to the anesthesologist and a nurse.  I’ll get to the hospital at 11:15 am and they’ll take all of us up to the 5th floor and get them settled in the waiting room, will bring me in, I’ll get to see everyone one last time, and then we’ll begin.  They’ve blocked out the room for up to three hours.  I should be in the neurointensive care for at least one night and then in the hospital 3-5 days.  Okay.  There we go.  So then giving a couple more tubes of blood, we were back in the sunshine.

Time to hit up Rock Bottom Brewery.  Completely randomly they sat us in the same booth that we were in over 9 years ago when we talked to Mike’s parents about us getting engaged and began wedding planning with them.  Oh, ironic.  In the midst of this I get a phone call and it’s not a number I recognize and let me tell you – we are screening some calls these days.  So Mike answers “Narcie’s phone, Mike speaking” and I think okay he’ll probably be on there for a while but quickly he hands it over to me and whispers “OB-Gyn.”  I’m thinking what in the heck do they want at this point?  And the very nice lady says, Mrs. Jeter you haven’t scheduled your annual appointment yet.  I know I probably should have just penciled it in to the looming calendar that I had in my pocketbook but I couldn’t help myself and said – welp, I was told a week ago I have a brain tumor and they’re operating on it on Friday and I don’t think I’ll be getting to that appointment any time soon.  LOL.  We both had a good laugh.  She said to call back any time.  It’s important – keep in good health people – but not in the scheme of things right now.

I didn’t realize until today being in there that my life is going to change for awhile.  I mean I’ve had that realization in pieces over the past week and a half but Mike and I also decided at a certain point that I needed to live my life as normally as possible.  In the midst of that though I’m now thinking oh wow what do I need to do before Friday?  We went and bought some books and some toys for Enoch and Evy for the days to come.  I got to play with the kiddos in the bath tonight and put both of them to bed.  Mike asked the nurse today if when I come back home, I can really come back home.  In other words – in our world here there is no rest, Mommy napping, etc.  There is Silly 1 and Silly 2 – my two wild and crazy E’s.  She said we’ll have to ask the doctor.  Should be interesting.

Tomorrow Enoch will go back to school, Evy will have our 16 month check up, and I’ll do some work at Wesley for one of the last times before Friday.  Then we’ll head to MRI land and will see what Presbyterian Hospital looks like.  This has been a sort of weird medical scavenger hunt.

Earlier I posted one of my favorite Laura Story songs.  I actually like most of her new CD – great stuff!  One of my all time favorites of hers though was when she was with Silers Bald and it’s called “Grace.”

  Glad that we can start each morning with mercies anew and grace afresh!  Check it out…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FribXzqHVE

Posted in Campus Ministry, Faith, Health, Music, Tumor

What to do today…

Posted on by narciejeter

So I’m sitting at Wesley with a million and one things to do and that’s what I love about my job.  However I’m just sitting here eating peanut m&m’s and am thinking how wonderful all of you are to be praying for me.  I kind of don’t want to let any of the surgeons or medical people know about all this because feel the pressure!  =0)  It’s completely surreal that this is happening and that there are facebook groups being created to pray for me.  This can’t be my life.

But it is, and in the midst of everything I feel y’all’s love and support hugely!  It’s been great to catch up with friends from high school and college and grad school and my work at Emory and all of my wonderful Winthrop folks.  One of my favorite messages is from my friend Jan who I met while working in Religious Life at Emory.  Jan is Jewish and wonderful!  She said she’s sending up some Jewish prayers!  Hey if God’s chosen people are praying – tee hee….  The thing that is wonderful is that I love all of you.  Each of you has touched my life in intricate ways and this tapestry of love that is being created around me is powerful.  Again, no pressure doctors.

Just want to give each of you a hug.  One more hour of work before time to go give a copy of the MRI/CT Scan CD to the neurosurgeon.  Oh yes – there are pictures of my brain and the tumor on the CD.  If I could figure out how to post them I would, but I don’t have those mad kind of computer skills.  For some people it helps to see it and wrap the mind around it (it made me feel better like I wasn’t crazy for having a seizure and falling out of a bed randomly) but then padre didn’t feel better after seeing it – totally understandable.  So back to work and then off to deliver some pictures and find out what I need to do for pre-op!

  Love this video.  And her story.  And that she’s from South Carolina.  Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e00JWpre67U.

Posted in Faith, Family, Health, Music, Television, Tumor

MTV Movie Awards

Posted on by narciejeter

I am totally not telling you to watch them because they are rather disturbing this year and there are so many things being bleeped out that you can’t understand half of it but it is pretty funny.

Mike walked in earlier and he’s like “What are you smiling at?” Guess I haven’t done that much today, and I’m like “They’re giving an award to Sandra Bullock and they’re showing clips from her movies.” So we got sucked in. Although now he’s flipping back and forth between hockey and basketball. It’s a night with absolute nothing on tv and all sorts of things to watch on tv all at the same time.

Thank y’all for the prayers! It had to be prayer that got me through this morning. I totally didn’t crash until after church and I know that had to be prayer so thank you!

The rest of the day today and yesterday has been good – hanging out with the kids, going to the park and the pool and watching Enoch play with his new trains, and watching Evy in her new dresses and bows. It’s been good. And there’s been great food (Mike’s grandmother sent chocolate-covered strawberries – who could ask for better?).

I know this is going to be a crazy week with highs and lows and it’s all going to be fine, but I’m tired and it’s a tired day. Enoch has been staying up til all hours of the night not wanting to sleep, don’t know if he feels the energy in the air or if he needs to not ever take naps anymore!

So not much to report in Jeterland today. Tomorrow begins the week of craziness and thankfully the kids will begin summer preschool in the morning so here’s to a good start for them! Thank you all for the prayers and support! I am deeply humbled, overwhelmed and hugely thankful for them. Much love!

Posted in Culture, Faith, Family, Music, Television

Blest Be The Tie That Binds

Posted on by narciejeter

So I love this old hymn.  We sang it at the end of every worship service when we were at Wesley Chapel in Lydia and it was played at my Gandaddy’s funeral with Ganny’s alto voice ringing out as always.   It’s not the greatest sounding recording, but it’s about like I remember in UMC’s with a bunch of different voices and a lot of joy in the harmony and singing out as loud as you can even if you’re not the best singer in the history of the world.  The second video – different tune but also familiar and I think the images are cool with the words. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=9OfSm2LfX48&feature=related.

What is the tie that binds us?

Love that great cloud of witnesses always before us (can’t help but mention the LOST finale) and that great community of Christ followers that is ever behind us, beside us, and before us.  Love, love, love that in this crazy blog system that people’s posts look like patches in a quilt.  God is sewing community together all around us and that is beautiful.

Posted in Faith, Family, Health, Music, Television, Tumor

So if life were a musical

Posted on by narciejeter

Scratch that.  Maybe I should use sports imagery.  Maybe this is like halftime.  Or back to the musical this could either be the orchestra warming up at the beginning of a full and fabulous Broadway show or this could be the intermission music.  Either way all’s quiet on the home front.  The kids went to bed reasonably early tonight.  Mike is asleep already – praise God!  And GiGi (Mike’s mom) has arrived safe and sound.

Tomorrow we pick up Enoch’s 3rd birthday cake, some last minute birthday gifts, and we’ll stop by the neurologist.  The MRI has been moved from Saturday to Tuesday and the anesthesiologist appointment is now on Monday.  So after tomorrow’s neuro there’s nothing on the appointment horizon until Monday which freaks me out a little bit but also makes me want to randomly go somewhere that’s not sitting on my couch waiting for Monday.  So is the orchestra gearing up or will it spend all weekend gearing up or better yet in this not completely working analogy – are we going to play a completely different show this weekend – ie. the birthday extravaganza, everyone enjoy life and try not to freak out dance?

In reading people’s posts on the blog and facebook and comments and everything I’ve felt a wide range of emotions.  I’ve cried and laughed out loud.  Part of me wants to start doing the whole Wicked

“Because I Knew You” as I think about so many different people from so many different places and all of the many ways I love each of you and you have touched my life in real and not so cheesy ways.  Another part of me is still just happy to be alive in general and I’ve not been able to get David Crowder’s “O Praise Him” and the video that someone posted months ago out of my head. 
  I’m not a total David Crowder fan – I admit that – but I do lift this song/video.

Also – please don’t read this blog or any blog for that matter and think that anyone has anything all figured out.  That’s crap.  No one of us has the in track to faith, theodicy, or the mysteries of life – much less who the smoke monster really was – but we do serve a God who blesses far beyond our wildest dreams and you guys are that blessing for me.  So if life were a musical what would be your song?  Glee people – what would be your soundtrack?  What is that go to music for you that makes your soul come alive?  The dear friends that light up your life?

We’re cranking up the music this weekend and there won’t be any electric slide at this three year old’s birthday party!

Posted in Campus Ministry, Culture, Faith, Music

For Now

Posted on by narciejeter

So just had a good lunch with some clergywomen!  Love!  When I came back to Wesley playing was a song from Avenue Q called “For Now.”  Love the show and the song and so true…For Now from Avenue Q…

Mike and I had the pleasure of going on the campus ministry trip to Harlem a couple weeks ago and we took the students from Winthrop Wesley to see Avenue Q.  Yep a little on the edge, but totally fitting for college students.

Stuff is for now…but we know the One who is bigger than time and anything else we’re dealing with here on this crazy planet.