I just wanted to share a little image video I just put together for a song from my new EP "Watch Love Rise". When I discovered the Sara Bareilles gem "Love is Christmas" a year ago and had a chance to perform it, it was like coming home. It expressed everything about Christmas and what it means to me in one little package of a song. I absolutely fell in love with it. 

In the hustle and bustle of the season (and everything else going on), allow yourself to take a breather. Find the joy... ​feel the joy... BE the joy amidst it all. Love is all there really is. And Love is Christmas... <3

With love,
Lauri

I got a "download" the other night. I was lying in bed... the light of the full moon keeping me awake (well, that and the thoughts and worries spinning in my head)... when I heard: "You are too strong". It sounds kind of judgy and critical, but I felt an odd sense of relief hearing that. It was gentle and caring... and felt like love.

I've been feeling an extra dose of anxiety lately... always a sign to check in with myself. To the deep inside part of me. To the spirit in me. Prolonged periods of anxiety usually signal to me that I am in my head too much... too ME-focused in a  "little me" kind of way. That it is ALL up to "little me" to make things happen.

So... I was going through yet more boxes still in storage since our move to the country two years ago (!) and came across a notebook from one of my first official "spiritual" classes nearly a decade ago... when I truly, consciously, intentionally committed to my spiritual path. There was a page on Grace that caught my attention. I really love the word "Grace".... just saying that word puts me more at ease and I can feel the literal pain in my neck and shoulders start to dissipate.

Anyway, reading the notes, I was reminded of the power of Grace... a power I've perhaps been neglecting lately. "Grace is the absolute highest form of luck, yet we don't create it", my notes said. "We recognize it and appreciate it rather than create it. It's always there, but we don't always allow it. Grace is listening for us to tune into it."

So maybe, when I heard "you are too strong", it was a gentle whisper from Grace saying "I am here... don't forget about me. Lean into me. Believe in me. There is weakness in your strength and strength in your weakness. Crack the window just a bit and let me in..."

And then the tears came... realizing how hard I can be on myself. Can you relate? :-) So much judgment... and worry. And fear. All the while creating more judgment and worry and fear. Sigh.

This is when I am so grateful for spiritual awareness... and more importantly, spiritual practice. Recognizing what's going on and allowing the spiritual principles and laws to do their thing.

Two and a half years ago I reduced my overhead, quit my "day job" and stepped into full-time self-employment... following my passion to bring love and healing to the world one song at a time. And what a journey it's been, really. :-) I have been blessed with opportunities to share my music and earn enough income to support my (materially) simplified lifestyle, staying open to growth and expansion as I strive to add value with my gifts and talents. But here's the thing about self-employment:  it has the word SELF in it. This is both exciting and liberating... AND can feel like... well... pressure. As in, my livelihood is ALL up to ME. Maybe I should start calling it Spirit-employed or LOVE-employed instead... even just to myself... to shift the energy. The SELF isn't really the employer anyway, in a spiritual sense... just the vehicle. There. Feeling better already. :-)  
 
The next morning, after hearing Grace's whisper,  I was sitting in meditation and quiet reflection and was led to the book "This Thing Called You" by Ernest Holmes. I randomly (yeah, right) ;-) opened to this:

"If you wish to know the truth about your business or your profession, know that it is an activity of GOOD. It is an activity of your partnership with the Infinite. The business of life is to be happy, active, and whole; to express the Divine Life with joy and in fulfillment".

And here is the clincher:

"Lift the load of personal responsibility by transferring it to the Law of Perfect Action. No matter what confronts you, what obstructions appear, or what undesirable situations exist in your experience, this Law can dissolve them".

I love the way this is worded because it's not about just giving it all to Spirit and sitting around waiting for things to happen. It's giving it to the Law of Perfect ACTION... and taking action myself as I am guided to. Grace (not luck) is when preparation meets opportunity. It's recognizing and trusting in the law and power of the Universe. That is spiritual practice. 

Love does provide. In the way that Love sees fit. When there is doubt (or if you forget... which is usually the case for me), here is a powerful affirmation from Ernest Holmes:

Spirit never rejects me.
I accept myself.
I know that I am one with all the good there is.
I am one with all the power there is.
I am one with all the peace there is.
There is nothing in me that can judge or be judged.

And one from Florence Scovel Shinn:

My supply is endless, inexhaustible, and immediate and comes to me under grace in perfect ways.

Ahhhhhh. Can you just feel the tension melting away? Just in time to enJOY this season of magic and miracles! <3

I'm going to leave you here with a LIVE version (with choir!) of "Love Will Provide" from my new EP. Take it in, sing along, let it fill you and "lift you up into a higher vibration". 

Namaste, friends... Peace and Blessings to you always!
​
Lauri

I just wanted to let you know that my video "Watch Love Rise" is a finalist in this year's emPower Posi Awards. An honor! The Posi Awards "celebrate the powerful music and extraordinary artists who are transforming lives and helping to create a world that works for everyone through the power of Posi-tive music". 

Here's the deal: The video category relies primarily on public / fan voting. It's a great way for ALL of the videos to get exposure... and also to introduce people to POSI music. 

So... would you be willing to rate my video on the POSI site? It's really simple: just click the yellow button below and you will be directed to the list of videos and instructions on voting. If you are not already a member of Empower Music you will need to enter your email address and create a password in order to vote. You can unsubscribe at any time. 

The list is in alphabetical order, so "Watch Love Rise" is toward the bottom. If you have the time, though, I encourage you to check out and rate ALL of the videos! A range of topics and styles... ALL beautifully positive and transformational.

It was exactly a year ago that I wrote this song... amidst the tumultuous 2016 presidential election. The year has gone quickly, but a lot has happened. "Trying times" is an understatement. But I have seen love rising... people coming together and standing up in voice and action. I believe more than ever that we are waking up. And that there is purpose to the growing pains. November is such a rich month. We are shedding what no longer serves and celebrating the harvest of love. Giving thanks for all that IS and all that can be.

Much love to you and yours! Happiest of Thanksgivings to all. <3

In Gratitude,
Lauri  

Hello, Friends! Just a quick note to formally announce the release of my first official music video! (prelude to the new album coming out early August). It's been a really fun, organic process creating this and I'm excited to share! A very special "Thank You" to Ann Hanlin, Eric Montgomery, and "Buddy the Country Canine" ;-) for helping to bring this inspiration to life in such a beautiful way. 

​"Likes" and comments on YouTube are greatly appreciated if you are so inspired. And please do share! Let's radiate this love energy and message far and wide!

​With Love & Gratitude,
​Lauri​

So... if you haven't gathered from my recent blogs and posts (!), I'm pretty enamored with the very inspired and organic way certain artistic pursuits have been evolving over these past several months. And when I say pursuits... it really feels like these "artistic ventures" have been pursuing me rather than me pursuing them. ​Maybe it's like that Rumi quote: "what you seek is seeking you". Whatever the case, it all makes me feel like I'm in the right place... at the right time... doing what I'm meant to be doing. Not "little me", but "bigger me", dancing and co-creating with divinity.

Well, OK... it's also just so much damn fun!!! There is that. :-) I mean, yeah, it's a lot of work, and takes considerable time and energy... but when things line up like magic and I'm in the midst of the creating, time stands still and there is no place I'd rather be. God, I love that feeling. I know you know what I mean... we all have times like that. And when life isn't feeling so magical (we all have those times, too), I appreciate the divine moments even more. And I look to those times to remind me and help me stay the course. And to stay focused on the WHY. If I can lift and open hearts with my music and presence... if I can help bring about even a slight shift in awareness that alters just one small step in someone's journey (rippling out to all of humanity)... then I am fulfilling that mission. And immersed in the joy of that. :-)

So, in addition to the new CD in the works... the collection of live recordings that transpired through "divine intervention"... there is a new music video that's just about ready for release. I've wanted to shoot a video since the release of "Walk Your Life"... and thought it would be a song from that album... but I just kept getting the hit, in light of the times we're in, to bring "Watch Love Rise" to life in this very visually experiential way.

Eric and I collaborated with a talented young film student, Ann Hanlin, who also lives out here in the woods of Battle Ground, Washington. We sat down one afternoon in late February to brainstorm possibilities. Given that our life out here... living in nature's paradise in our little vintage trailer... is a conscious choice to "focus on what matters" (in many ways), we wanted to bring that essence to life in the video. So, we decided to shoot local... in and around the trailer and on property around where Ann lives.

OK... so... trying to plan an outdoor video shoot in the Pacific NW in March is... well, it's a little crazy, lol. It was a particularly wet March... and with our varying and busy schedules, it seemed next to impossible that we'd find a day when we were all available AND the weather would cooperate. So we just scheduled a date. Took our chances. Checking the weather the days prior, it looked pretty dismal. Even the night before the shoot, the forecast was showing rain.

Miraculously, we woke up the morning of the shoot to sunshine pouring through the window. Not just no rain, but SUN... and BLUE SKY. It was so beautiful I could hardly stand it. It was the perfect metaphor for "Watch Love Rise". The sun rose to the occasion and I could FEEL the love and warmth of the Universe. That day was a reminder of the love that rises even in seemingly dark times... and maybe even because of them. There was hope in the air... the very fresh air after a long stretch of dark and wet. It couldn't have been a more perfect day to capture the essence of the song on video. Orbs and sun flares everywhere... embraced by the arms of the trees... showered by sun rays... framed in the beauty of nature as it "showed off" for the shoot. Spectacular. And SO much fun!

​So, we've spent these past couple of months editing and finessing all that glorious footage. I just wanted to share the clip and a little of the back story with you all. Can't wait to share the full video with you (and the new EP) very soon! The warmth and light of summer is the perfect time to do that. May love rise always in your hearts and in your lives... <3

Love & Blessings,
​Lauri

So... here's another little tidbit about a song on the soon to be released CD. :-) In February of this year, I helped with the music for the New Thought Center for Spiritual Living women's retreat out in Eagle Creek, OR. On the first night, one of the amazing women there came to me saying she had an epiphany while listening to me sing one of my songs that night. She handed me a note saying, "Can we all help write a new song with you this weekend? Here's the title that came to me: First 100 Days."

There was already a pretty full agenda for the retreat, but I was really taken by her flash of divine inspiration and impulse to share it with me... so I brought the idea to the retreat facilitators. We kept it simple and loose and I just asked the women there to write any ideas or insights that came to them over the course of the weekend about the title "First 100 Days", keeping in mind the theme of the retreat, "We Were Made for These Times". By the end of the weekend, I had a stack of index cards with lots of beautiful inspiration for lyrics.

We didn't have time to create a song on the spot, so I took those cards home and sat with everything for a few days... meditating on the weekend and the energy and connection with those women... and the heartfelt desire and mission to step more fully into our power as enlightened spiritual beings in "these mighty, precious days". After a few rough drafts of lyrics... going back and forth in email, sharing with everyone what I was coming up with and getting feedback... and then sitting down at the piano to "find" the music (though it really found me)... a song was born. :-)

As it turned out, I was scheduled to sing at NTCSL a few weeks later on a Sunday where that song fit the message perfectly. So once again, the band brought its heart, soul, talent, and skill to the song and that magic was captured on multi-track. Eric and I did play with the arrangement a bit in the mix and I re-recorded my vocal to bring more emotion and dynamics to the piece... but that organic, divine energy and inspiration remains.

​I am thrilled to have this song included on the new CD. It's a "time capsule" kind of song that I feel needs to be heard. Thank you to all who have contributed through GoFundMe to help make this special project happen (and/or pre-ordered the CD from my website homepage)... can't wait to share the music with you! <3

... that's a line from Carole King's (rather obscure) song, "One". It was written in the 70's and to this day can only be found on vinyl. It's a glorious piece that I had the honor of singing with the NTCSL  choir last year. So... in planning my new CD (which hasn't really been "planning", the way it has all evolved so organically), I kind of forgot we had access to the multi-tracks for the performance of that song! Listened last night and just got chills. So powerful. Eric said, "OK, so we HAVE to put this on the CD". So, voila... the 5-song collection has now become 6. :-) It fits in so perfectly with the others. And thinking about this further (I just made this connection last night), it's pretty cool that the two cover songs on the CD are from two amazing, piano-playing female artists from different generations... but with a strong connection to each other.  Sara Bareilles has sometimes been referred to as the "Carole King of her times".  My soul resonates with these women... these artists... and what an honor it is to sing their songs.  Here's a clip of Carole King talking about this connection with Sara Bareilles:

I've been having so much fun working on this new CD... can't wait to share the music with you!!! Just a reminder, if you'd like to be part of the creative process, that it's not too late to contribute via GoFundMe and/or pre-order from my website home page. Getting so close to the goal to get this project wrapped up!  Every bit helps... and I am so grateful! <3

Hello, friends! I just wanted to share a little video update live from "Wild Wish Presents" out here in Battle Ground, WA! 

Here is the link to watch:  https://youtu.be/4ystvV3nrVU 

As I write this, we are 70% to the goal to get this product out there! THANK YOU to all who have contributed so far to bring this project to fruition!  We do still have a little ways to go to cover costs, so if you haven't yet contributed and are inspired to, it's not too late to kick in and be part of the magic. This indie "heARTist" is so very grateful for the support... I could not to this without it! :-) 

CLICK HERE to Contribute via GoFundMe

Most of the songs were captured during performances at New Thought Center for Spiritual Living in Lake Oswego, OR, where I have been singing (and growing!) for 10 years now. With David York at the helm, Rand Deahl covering sound, and incredibly talented and soulful musicians in the band, it is a place where magic is made. And when that magic happens to be captured brilliantly on multi-track... pure Divine Orchestration. :-)  This 5-song CD consists of three new original songs, a specially arranged version of my song "Love will Provide" with the NTCSL choir, and a beautifully tender Sara Bareilles tune... all songs ripe for the times.  I can't wait to share them with you! :-)

As I mentioned in my last blog, the songs are currently being mixed and polished by my brilliant partner and producer (thank you, Eric Montgomery!)... and then the collection needs to be mastered, replicated, and packaged for distribution for release this summer. Which is why I set up the GoFundMe... to help with those costs.

It is my absolute passion and mission to minister the power of LOVE through music. THANK YOU for sharing the journey with me!

Here is the link to contribute through GoFundMe:  https://www.gofundme.com/LauriJonesWatchLoveRise

AND/OR... If you'd like to pre-order the CD, please do so from my website home page.

​Thanks again for all the love and support! Happy spring and almost SUMMER!

​Love and Gratitude,
​Lauri

I'm pretty excited to announce that a brand new CD is in the works... one that has been evolving organically over the past few months. Inspiration hit big this past year and some powerful songs emerged. I didn't really set out to release something new so soon after my 2015 album, "Walk Your Life"... but so goes the artist's journey... the SOUL's journey. :-) This EP (a collection of about 5 songs at this point), is called "Watch Love Rise", built around the song that came through me like a thunderbolt last fall. For more specifics on that song and how it came about, please read my blog: http://www.laurijones.com/blog/watch-love-rise

The idea to release this collection of live recordings, rather than going back into the studio, was the completely magical way they all transpired. When you have the opportunity to bring a new song to incredibly talented musicians for a live performance...  and then that performance happens to be captured brilliantly on multi-track... well, I call that divine intervention. :-) The energy, the execution, the emotion... everything lined up in such a beautiful, powerful way that felt much bigger than me.  I can hear and FEEL the raw, authentic energy, heart, soul, and LOVE in all of the songs. And I know they need to be shared NOW... in these times.

The songs are currently being mixed and polished by my brilliant partner and producer (thank you, Eric Montgomery!)... but then the collection needs to be mastered, replicated, and packaged for distribution for release this summer. This is where I need a little help! :-)

I am beyond grateful for the resources available to me in the creative evolution of these songs so far... and am now taking a big breath and asking for financial assistance to bring this project to fruition. All funds received will go specifically to mastering, replication, and packaging of this CD.

It's my absolute passion and mission to minister the power of LOVE through my music and share it with you all. Contributions in any amount mean the world to me. And please spread the word! 

Here is the link to contribute through GoFundMe:  https://www.gofundme.com/LauriJonesWatchLoveRise

AND/OR... If you'd like to pre-order the CD, please do so from my website home page.

As always, thank you so very much for your support! Happy spring to everyone... I myself am looking SO forward to SUMMER.... enough with the rain! ;-)

With Love & Gratitude,
Lauri

Flashes of inspiration... nudges... "divine leads". Pretty incredible when you open yourself up to them. But I have to say, the rational mind can get a little wigged out with it all and try to tell you you're a little cray cray.  Like when you hear Melissa Etheridge singing the song you just wrote. So clearly. In your head. But I digress... more on that later. ;-)

I want to talk a little about songwriting inspiration in particular. I'm not the kind of songwriter that cranks out a ton of songs. Or haven't been, anyway. I tend to wait until I feel something that really needs to be expressed. I have to be inspired. And then I try to get some clarity about it: what is it exactly that needs to be expressed and why? I sit with it. With the muse... with the Great Spirit... with whatever it is inside of me that is wanting to express. Like sitting with a dear friend... just being with them. Listening. Really listening. And allowing the "conversation" between us to unfold. Getting everything out there... raw at first... and then caressing and refining until "we" are singing together. That's how I know when it's become a real song. When I can't get it out of my head. I'm singing it and feeling it and can even hear the full orchestration in my head and being. I become one with the song and the spirit it came from. Pretty amazing, actually.

Anyway, it was a crisp fall day in October when my latest song made itself known. Eric and I were out for a country drive, close to where we live, and I can remember being in and out of conversation with him as thoughts and ideas kept creeping into my awareness. It was a few weeks prior to election day and the air (and cyberspace) was filled with a whole lot of ugliness. On all sides. I remember knowing that we indeed needed to stand up and make our voices heard louder than ever... but what I was seeing was a whole lot of fear and desperation in the attempts to do so. I was getting a distinct message that any steps toward real change or progress had to be taken in an energy of LOVE. Fiercely promoting all that love stands for in an energy of love. That was key. I remember talking to Eric on that drive... trying to put into words what was coming through me. "I want to say something about the importance of standing up and taking action... but doing so from a deep place of knowing truth rather than out of desperation. And most importantly, not to lose heart in the process." He just looked at me and said, "Well... just say that". Sometimes I think things have to be more clever or complicated. ;-)

When we got back home, Eric got out of the car, but I just sat there in the passenger seat. I told him to go ahead... that I'd be in shortly. But I sat there a good long while. Listening until I heard the words. Then I went inside and started writing. After a couple of days, a few rough drafts, singing into my phone, and plunking out chords... a song called "Watch Love Rise" was born.

​It's not unusual or a big deal that I wrote a song. Songs happen. And yay for that! (they are always gifts) :-) But the way this particular one came through me, like a Spirit-driven thunderbolt at such a precarious time in our evolution as human beings (showing up politically), feels especially powerful to me. And bigger than me. Definitely bigger than politics. And what's interesting is that I wrote and completed the song before the election... with a very different outcome in mind. I thought I was writing about trusting that the right person would rise up and take office. I was as shocked and disheartened as anyone about how things turned out. This is when I truly realized the song and message were bigger than me. And even more relevant. It isn't about looking to any one political leader for real change. It's about looking to and having faith in our only real leader: LOVE. Anything other than love is just False Evidence Appearing Real, as they say. Yup. FEAR. We get to make a choice to watch love rise... to see through the disguise of fear. And we can BE LOVE so fiercely and radically that it has no other choice but to rise up and lead us... en masse.

I realize this might sound a bit Pollyanna... and I have no intention of hiding in a spiritual bubble... but I think it's important to lean into Spirit heavily, especially in times like these. And to take Spirit-driven action.

So... a bit more about the song and how the particular version/recording attached to this blog came to be. I had been scheduled to sing at New Thought Center for Spiritual Living in Lake Oswego, Oregon, the Sunday following election day. Funny thing is, I wasn't originally scheduled for that day... it was a "make up day" for an earlier Sunday I had to cancel. Anyway, the songs had been chosen in advance, but in light of all that had happened that week, I was inspired to pitch "Watch Love Rise" instead. Eric and I had created a piano/vocal live demo, so I shared it with David York, NTCSL's music director, and it struck the right chord. In a very short time, this very busy man scrambled to create a chart for the band and even write parts for back-up vocals. We all met on Sunday morning to rehearse before the services, and with just a couple of run-throughs, magic was made. I remain in awe of what each player and singer contributed individually and collectively to a song they had no awareness of until the morning we performed it (Or did they? Ahhh... that "one mind" thing). The song was performed and received so powerfully that morning. I will never forget the reciprocal energy in the room. And the beauty of it is that the performance was recorded (by Rand Deahl) in such a way that it could later be mixed and fine tuned (which Eric did).  

I share all of this with you to illustrate the divinity involved. I have gotten strong nudges about this song from the moment it was conceived. I mentioned that I heard Melissa Etheridge singing it in my head. It's true. I woke up one morning (after I had written the song) and she was singing it, unmistakably, as if it was HER song. She owned it. And she rocked the heck out of it with all that passion and conviction she's known for. It felt SO real. Now, I like Melissa Etheridge, but it's not like I've followed her to any extent. I had to Google her to see what she's up to these days. My jaw dropped a little when I discovered her philosophies and spiritual beliefs aligned so completely with mine... and that she had even written a song called "Uprising of Love" just a few years ago. Whoa. So I'm not sure what it's all about, but I do feel like I need to share this song with her. I'm listening, Universe... keep the leads coming. :-)

We all have the potential for Divine Magic in our lives... and it's best when it's shared, for sure. I am called to share this song with as many people as I can. If you are so inspired, by all means, please share it as well! No matter what "side" we're on politically, I have hope that we can all agree on LOVE. Love doesn't take sides... it just IS. The only thing that holds us back from love is fear... and the illusion of control. Love is the only thing that can break down walls and melt the hardest of hearts. This is the message I am carrying with me into the new year and sending out to the world.  

"Love is a mighty power, even in the darkest hour... and every disguise. Watch Love Rise.........."
​
Namaste, my friends. And Happy New Year!