Working Hands

I don't have pretty hands. I never have.

My fingers are not long and elegant. I had a really hard time learning to play guitar & I could not reach a full octave on a piano keyboard.

I accepted long ago that my hands were my hands. No big deal to just face what is as what is. I am pretty practical that way.

Something has built up inside of me over the last decade or so.  I have had many jobs using my hands.

A waitress, shoe saleswoman etc... - I used my hands to serve people.

A singer - I used my hands to express my emotions or clap to the Lord in worship.

A mother - to hold and comfort my child.

A wife  - to have and to hold my husband.

A daughter, sister, aunt, niece and friend - hugs are meant to be shared.

A housekeeper - to do what must be done. The daily grind we all do.


A helper - whether I am helping an author get published, or creating a book cover. I love that my hands know what to do.

A writer - my fingers are an extension of my thoughts. It is miraculous to me sometimes. Hours can go by and I never really was conscious of where the keys are.The story can flow. I pray while I write and hope that God blesses me with the words. Sometimes I am not sure where the inspiration came from. I like it that way.

I have always loved the verse. Deuteronomy 28:12

The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

The verse  gives a gal like me hope. I don't have anything about me that is perfect. But with God's blessing on my work I feel like I can contribute. 

I may be sickly, flawed, insecure and human but I can do work in God's kingdom. Little old me. With stubby hands and a big heart.

Bible Gateway - 

Deuteronomy 28:11-13

Sending a special thanks to my daughter - who painted my nails today and inspired me. Something as simple as polka dot nail polish can make a person think. 

~ Leah Banicki

Find out more about Leah Banicki's books at 

www.facebook.com/Leah.Banicki.Novelist

 

Finding My Place

Spring always feels to me like a new beginning. After spending a year plus in depression, the last two weeks have felt miraculous as I am up and out and panic free (mostly). The huge insurmountable struggles are smaller now and faced day by day as I rediscover my purpose and find my voice.

I have been singing a little every day these last weeks. So much of who I am and my past is made from music and performing and to go a year without it was bizarre and changed me a little. I feel a little dusty. My voice sounds the same but I feel different about it. I guess I always had this magic number in my head that was the end of my singing career because I figured no one would ever take me seriously after I turned thirty. That came and went and I discovered more about my gifts and having so much fun writing and recording on my own that I thought perhaps I was wrong. There is no age limit to talent… Well I am afraid that old lie has snuck back in with a few friends, like insecurity and procrastination.

So here I am with my studio back together and starting on a new simple road. A little insecure and fearful but ready to face the world. I truly don’t know what I would do if God wasn’t with me on this, probably crawl back into a pit again.

It feels good to be honest about where I have been. I know many people have struggles with depression and live to tell about it. Its real and even Christians can be depressed. I learned in recovery that sometimes tragedy happens again and again and some people handle it differently than others. I felt God with me every step of the way, especially in the darkest days early on. He never left my side.

I am on assignment, sing some love songs and begin singing at weddings. I have been doing it for friends and family for years but now it’s a new day. I am trusting in God to help me to know His network is bigger than mine. I am leaning on him and putting my feet on a path to where he sends me. Singing has never paid my house payment before but stranger things have happened. Ready, set, go!

I am also secretly hoping to sing and write again; praying some inspired Christian musicians come my way and want to collaborate. That is truly the most fun thing ever, trust me …creating something from nothing and the harmony it makes is brilliant and magnificent.

Back to recording, friends keep praying for me please.

Leah Banicki

A song- writing day

Today was a good day off. Spent quiet time reflecting. I am at peace.
I've been tossing a few song ideas around my head for a few days but nothing has been sticking. I decided that I was going to let inspiration finds it way to me and not force it. So I spent awhile looking up friends on blogspot and felt like writing here a little, I don't do it near enough these days. I find though, that when I keep writing journals and blogs it keeps my mind alert and refreshed. That is where the best songs come from.

So talking to the world(or in this case the few people who read my blog) keep my song-writing skills alert.

A few funny things I've written in my song-writing idea book
all by yours truly...
Country tune - "I got a minus sign in my checkbook balance"

OK this one isn't funny but I was definitely venting-

A chorus for a venting song-

Gone are the days of teaching integrity
Take what you want, no one cares if you’re cheating
The dollar is king and sin is exalted
Morals are choked out, prayer is halted
Belief in good is weak, our rights are now frozen
Opinions aren’t free, someone else gets to choose them

I may still record this one, it has a melody but I don't have the right music for it yet.

This line is the start of a short story I wrote awhile back called desperation.

I had screwed up, messed up and fouled up my life. My mind was shaken and overtaken by negative thoughts . . . and I believed them!

Maybe I'll blog it , I don't know.

Well life beckons me back- maybe I shall go back to work.

Leah

What is a "WANNA BE"?

This was a thought I had a few days ago and I've been pondering it for a little bit...
There is so much negative connotation for the
phrase "Wanna Be"
Sometime it can signify that a person is unable to get there but I was thinking about how many people were once "wanna be's" but after they pushed themselves they became it...
This isn't a song just an idea really- thought I'd share




Wanna Be
by Leah Banicki

I wanna be better than I was yesterday
I wanna be a better provider
I wanna be able to share what's in my heart
I wanna be a healthy woman
I wanna be a world traveler
I wanna be a good example
I wanna be able to say "Baby girl, it can be done"
I wanna be an inspiration
I wanna be a world changer

~~~~~~~~~~

What do you Wanna BE?

Tell me....