The first mother…Happy Mother’s Day
May 08, 2011
copyright ©2011
"And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because
she was the mother of all living." Genesis 3:20
There are people all over the world, past and present, who have wanted to be the first
at something. First to reach a high mountain top, first man in space, first person to do
this and that. There are many "firsts" but one first I don't think I would want to have been
was to be the first mother. I'm glad Eve took that role on for all of us women.
I was thinking about Mother's Day coming up and somehow my thoughts ran to Eve
and how things must have been like for her becoming a mother. Of course Eve was
the first to sin and other firsts but being the first mother must have made it an interesting
life for Eve.
Because of Eve's sin, we all know there is pain in childbirth but she still was the very first
to go through it and how that must have been for her. She didn't have Lamaze classes she
could attend. She didn't have any pregnancy books or even a doctor. No yearly check ups
for her! And just think, no epidurals. Eve didn't have anyone with her when Cain was born,
telling her that, "Eve, women have been doing this for thousands of years. It will be alright".
No, she didn't have any of that. No birthing coach. There wasn't even another woman around
that could be her midwife. No nurse at a hospital to wait on her and bring her first baby boy
when he wanted fed. No one to take care of her, other than Adam, and he was the "first" husband,
newly made and new to the whole thing of life and new to being a husband and father.
I wonder how he did?
Eve didn't have any books to read on rearing kids. No famous child psychologist to fill her ears
with all sorts of theories on child-rearing. No friends she could share with and discuss her c
hildren with. No other mothers to talk to while her boys played at the neighborhood park. No
online support groups. She had to figure it all out on her own and do it all on her own.
Poor Eve. She didn't even have a Babies "R" Us to shop at. She never even had a babysitter so
she could get away with Adam for a date night when her first little ones were born. Eve didn't
have a mom she could call up and ask advice from. Not even a mother-in-law, although I'm
sure some of you may think that would be a good thing.
The Bible mentions Eve's sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth. The Bible also says (Genesis 5:4) that
Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters as well. We don't know how many and we don't
know to what age Eve lived but we do know (Genesis 5:5) that Adam lived until he was 930 years old.
I'm sure among all this, Eve must have enjoyed her children like all mothers do. I'm confident that Eve
had wonderful moments with her first three boys and with her other children when they were babies,
toddlers, and small children growing up as we all do with our children. I'm sure Eve had some beautiful
memories throughout her life.
Of course, Eve saw heartache resulting from her children. To have the first murder happen within your
family and have it to be one of your sons killing the other, must have weighed heavily on Eve. I do not
envy her the task of having to be the first mother to bury one of her children. How could some of us
have handled being in Eve's situation?
There really isn't too many details written about Eve in the Bible but I still think by reflecting on her life,
we can be inspired to ask ourselves a few questions.
How do you handle being tempted?
Like Eve, we are all human and subject to being tempted to sin. We don't have a beautiful garden
with some fruit hanging from a tree to stay away from, but that tempting fruit is hanging all around
us just calling out to us to look, desire, pick of it, and taste. We have to be so careful not to be caught
up in it. Are you good at handling temptation?
How do you handle being a wife?
Eve was Adam's helpmate.
And God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make him an help mate for him." Genesis 2:18
We don't know exactly what kind of a wife she was, but we do know
that if we are married, being the kind of wife we need to be takes a little work.
If you are married, are you where you want to be in your role as a wife?
Are you a helpmate to your husband/partner? (Note: my addition of partner)
How do you handle being a mother?
Eve, our first mother, had to go through all the stages of motherhood that
we all do. We just aren't given any details of how she interacted with her children
or what type of mother she was.
If you are a mother, what kind of mother are you? I doubt if any of us are the "perfect"
mother but are you happy at the place you are at being a mother? Do you like the way
you interact with your kids? Do you have a handle on discipline? There's so many areas
that revolve around being a mother that it usually is a process to be the mother we'd
like to become. How are you doing in your motherly role?
How do you handle heartbreak?
Eve was the first to have to handle a mother's heartbreak from her children. Knowing
one son lashed out in anger against the other in such a way had to be tough. Heartbreak
from your children can be such a blow to any mother.
I know several mothers, good Christian women, who have raised their children in the ways
of the Lord, but yet those children are grown now and have done things, gotten far from Christ,
and living in a way that breaks those mother's hearts. It can bring such grief to a mother.
You may not even be a mother but you may be hurting. Unstable relationships and circumstances
may be weighing you down with some tremendous pressure. Are you trusting in God to get you through?
How do you handle sorrow?.
What pain and sorrow Eve must have felt when her son, Abel, died at the hands of his brother, Cain.
I guess Adam and Eve were the first to shed tears over a lost loved one as well as being among
all the other firsts. When sorrow enters your life, it can be overwhelming.
Do you rest in God to console you?
Conclusion:
Although Eve's life seems so far away from us and long ago, she still was a woman and went
through all the things we do. Emotions, feelings, childbirth, motherhood, child-rearing, and
even was a grandmother, and probably lived to see great-great-great-great (and so on) grandchildren
if she lived nearly as long as Adam. She went through all those things associated with being a woman.
Eve was the first woman and mother to go through it all.
I think we don't need to worry about concentrating on any "firsts" ourselves, but we should concentrate
on Who we keep first in our lives. When we keep Christ first, it's then we begin to handle our lives like
they should be handled. It's then we can be the wife, mother, and woman that God would have us be.
It's then that we are better able to deal with any temptations that come our way. It's then that we rest
in God and rely on Him for comfort and consolation. Putting Christ first will help us as we work on
being the kind of woman God wants us to be.
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:40 am
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You Are Not Alone
April 12, 2011
words/music by Sara Hickman
4/12/2011
12:32 pm
Inspired by someone scratching the words "I know what it means"
on the back of a bathroom door in Boston; it just touched me that
that was all they had written...and there has been so much heartache
within my home, my friend's lives, and around the world...I wanted to
take those words and turn them into something beautiful and, hopefully,
inspiring.
I know what it means
To feel sad
And I know what it means
To feel lonely
I know what it means
To feel like you're the only one
Who knows what it means to know
And I can see, I can see what's happened
And I can see what's coming down the road
I can see what I simply don't believe
Because I believe you're
Carrying a heavy load
But you are not alone
Standing in this crowd
You are not alone
When you need to cry out loud
In a world that feels like a broken home
More than anything I could want you to know
I know:
You are not alone
And I can hear all the breaking hearts
I can hear where the hissing lies like to live
I can hear the denial of that sweet, sweet kiss
And the moment when it feels
Like you can't rise above any of this
But you are not alone
Standing in this crowd
You are not alone
When you need to cry out loud
In a world that feels like you don't exist
There's one thing I know and I promise you this
I know:
You are not alone
I remember when my sister used to talk to me
I remember when my brother cut my hand
I remember when I thought I'd reach my dreams
When I finally gave up I finally came to understand
That I am not alone
Standing in this crowd
I am not alone
When I need to cry out loud
In a world that seems like a broken home
More than anything I need to know
That I
I am not alone
posted by Sara Hickman at 09:25 am
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TAKAMINE GUITARS & ELIXIR STRINGS: Simply rock!
February 04, 2011
Both of them have continued to be incredible supporters of my projects,
both musically and community oriented. If you ever have a moment, send
them a thank you and let them know their care makes a difference! I wholeheartedly
celebrate Takamine and Elixir and love their guitars and strings.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Love and a heart full of gratitude,
Sara
TAKAMINE ADDRESS:
David Vincent
c/o Takamine
900 19th Ave S., Suite 301
Nashville TN 37064
ELIXIR ADDRESS:
Mike Mahoney/Michael Lille
201 Airport Rd.
Elkton MD 21921
posted by Sara Hickman at 10:37 am
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AN UNBELIEVABLE STORY!!!
January 05, 2011
This story is from my cousin, Leslie, and she told it to me right after
I forwarded your "Palin by Comparison" video to her (which she really enjoyed.)
She said, "Is that Sara Hickman the folksinger?" And I explained you were much
more than that. Now get a load of this . . .Leslie wrote:
"Well, you're going to like this one! A number of years ago when I was still
in RI, Brandon went off to do a few things and came back with this tale.
He stopped for gas and was approached by a breathless, frazzled young
woman. She told him she was playing at the Newport Folk Festival that day
and had no idea where she was or how to get there. There were in a kind
of odd place in relation to Newport (hard place to give good directions from)
so he told her to follow him and he would take her to the best highway
on-ramp and from there it would be a cinch. With this, she flung her arms
around him with gratitude and told him she wanted to give him SOMETHING
for helping him which he assured her was unnecessary, and presented him
with a copy of her Spiritual Appliances CD. When he was telling me the story
upon his return home, I noticed he had glitter on his face which he said
must've come from her -- no other explanation.
I still have the CD which looks like it was made in 2000...
Is this one for the "Six Degrees of Separation" file?
Leslie"
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:45 pm
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TOP TEN THINGS ABOUT HOW TO BECOME A ROCK STAR—-when speaking in an elementary school on Career Day
November 22, 2010
1) Stay in school. All the way. School gives you the ability to think, reason, write, gain creative skills, be around other
like minded artists (musicians, theatre, poets, dancers, etc), and go through to college. Get a degree in what you love.
Most of all, gain the confidence that school/mentors/teachers/fellow classmates can share with you because the #1 one
thing you need in the music industry is confidence.
2) Be creative/dress creative/take creative writing lessons/write music/take lessons and learn an instrument or take vocal lessons, if you
want to be a singer. Take every class geared towards your future that you can: choir, drama, debate, history of music,
etc. Learn what you like, don't like, and be yourself. School helps you discover who you are and gets you ready for the real world.
3) Get in bands early on/play music for parties, weddings, hospitals, bar mitzvahs, whatever you can while you are in elementary school.
Next time your parents have a dinner party, ask them to hire your band (or you, if you can perform solo) to play for a while. Think of the
world as your stage---where you can perform on it!? My first band, I was 10 years old---4 girls, we all played guitar. But I was already
playing for adult events, and had my first paying gig when I was 14 for the Houston Oilers, a football team way back when, and I was paid
$450 to walk around and sing songs that were hits on the radio, and I even threw in a few I had written...My mom waited out in the car,
and when I was done, I thought I had the BEST JOB IN THE WORLD! Doing what I loved, getting paid, and, of course, my mom for a chauffeur!
4) Listen to all kinds of music---funk, classical, opera, country, jazz, reggae, pop, R & B, a capella, folk, orchestral, polka, new age, Celtic,
cajunto, slack-key Hawaiian guitar---try them all out because you can learn something from EVERY style. What are the musicians singing about?
What instruments are they playing? What takes the lead? How does the song break down? Try to write a song in that style. Listen to what emotions the
producer was trying to create when she/he put the song together. What was important for the songwriter to say? How does the music support that?
5) Learn about different aspects of the music business---maybe you don't want to be a rock star, but want to be in the
entertainment business, somehow. Well, there are jobs in: Entertainment Law, Publicity, Promotions (radio/media), Engineering (live or studio),
Producing, Film/TV song placement, Performing, Speaking, Recording Studios (owner/manager/designer---someone has to be a specialist in how to
create a room where music is recorded, and that's a specialized field!), Video Production, Publishing, Radio (DJ, Program director, Music Director),
Enterainment Journalism (print media/online/tv/radio), Music Critic (print/online/tv/radio), Music Therapist, Booking Agent, Manager,
Business Manager, Entertainment Tax Accountant/Tax Lawyer, Personal Assistant, Intern (you work for free, but you gain a lot of experience
and networking insights---say, at the Recording Academy or the Texas Music Office or in a studio), Copyright office (at the Library of Congress),
Web design and runnng online e-blasts for musicians, Graphic design (for packaging), Distribution, Duplication (making copies of cds to sell),
Label owner (signing bands and putting them out on your label), Singing/Writing for Commercials, Creative Consultant (professional networker), Composer...
These are just some of the areas associated with the music industry. There are a lot more. Some of them make TONS of money, some of them
make very little. But, if you love what you do, the money will come. That's just how it works.
It's important to understand what all these different jobs do because you will, at some point, be dealing with these different areas, and you need
to understand who does what and why so you can be prepared.
6) Practice, practice, write, practice, record everything you write, keep it all for when you are older, or when you are looking for ideas, or just so
you can use it to teach your band, or play for your class, or share with your family (or your very own kids, someday!)
7) Make connections. Send thank you notes. Follow up. Be on time for meetings. Network like crazy. Keep a huge database of people who are
in the business who can help you, who you like to work with. Keep a wish list of people you'd like to meet. Read about them. If they are people
who have already passed away, study them, anyway (like Jimi Hendrix or Eva Cassidy or Ma Rainey). If they are people still living, and you'd like
to meet them, write them a letter. You never know. Most people won't accept unsolicited material, but you can't know if you don't try. When I was
a kid, I sent Carly Simon a cassette of my songs and a big letter on how she was one of my heroes. 3 months letter, it came back, unopened, stamped
with, "UNSOLICITED MATERIAL UNACCEPTED". However, then I started writing George Burns, and he DID write back, and then 14 years later, I actually
got to MEET HIM. Believe in yourself. Never, never, never give up. Ask for help when you don't understand something---whether your music teacher,
your parents, friends, older musicians you know. Questions are like doors---you can't know what's on the other side unless you open them!
8) Understand entertainment law. Don’t sign any contract unless you understand it and you've reviewed it with your lawyer.
Have your OWN lawyer and make it someone who you respect and who LIKES WHAT YOU ARE DOING and believes in you. I have had the same lawyer
for 16 years, and I really, really trust him.
Your music can be owned in perpetuity (which means FOREVER) by other people (labels, publishers, even managers). You might be given an "Advance."
An "advance" is money given to you for anything: buying your Master (if you've already created a cd of songs) to money for your publishing (a company
taking your songs to put in their catalogue to allegedly "place" them in tv/film or with other artists to record), to money to help create a cd
you haven't made yet (and then there is more money to pay for creation of the cd, the engineer, other musicians, duplication, artwork, promotions, etc).
THE MONEY A LABEL OR PUBLISHER OFFERS YOU CAN BE EXCITING! BUT PAY ATTENTION! UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE GETTING THE MONEY,
WHAT YOU MAY LOSE, AND CREATIVE WAYS OF GETTING MONEY and STILL OWNING YOUR MATERIAL (like licensing that cd you already made
so you still own the master).
There are sync and master licenses, where people license ("borrow") your songs for film/tv/commercials. If YOU own your master of the songs,
YOU will get the money. If someone ELSE owns the master of your songs, THEY get the money until you RECOUP (repay) them on any advance they
have given you, including money they put into making the cd, touring costs, and, sometimes, promotions costs. And, even then, once you
have repaid any money given to you in advance, you will still have a split, depending on the artist...it can be 75/25% (you get 75%) or as nutty
as 50/50 split. I've heard of even WORSE.
Copyright all of your songs through the Library of Congress. Most likely, no one will ever steal your song, but better to be safe than sorry
9) As you can, get a lot of press/buzz/perform and, eventually, you will tour on the records you make.
In the meantime, you can make youtube videos/have a website and eblast your friends and families about your music, where you are playing
locally.
10) Share what you create with others because you are the only one who can do what you do. You'll be making music because of the sheer fact
it is something you LOVE to do. Remember: believe in yourself, even if no one else does. And, no matter what, have fun! For all the ins and outs of this
amazing, crazy business, there are a ton of good people who WILL cheer you on, who WILL want to help you, who DO believe in you.
THE WAYS I MAKE A LIVING BEING A MUSICIAN:
1) I make cds and sell the music in several ways: in physical form (cds) or as downloads. I prefer people to buy my music from me live or
on my website, as well as download my music from my website because I receive more money than when people buy my music from iTunes
or via Amazon.
2) I license my music for use in film, tv, on other recordings (compilaton cds or another artist covers one of my songs) and commercials. For example,
my music has been used on American Idol, on a Martha Stewart children's cd compilation, on David Letterman (Paul's band played one of my songs!), in films,
and I've written and sung on commercials like Popeye's, WalMart, Southwest Airlines, Coca-Cola, Fannie Mae, Daisy Sour Cream, etc.
3) I perform live at house concerts, theatres, clubs, festivals, private events....
4) I do speaking engagements, where I talk on whatever subject the group hiring me would like, usually something pertain to my
knowledge---from talking about creativity to how to balance motherhood/career to women of the bible to songwriting. It's very fun
and I write my talk just for that group. I also get hired to teach classes, like at Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas or Swannanoa Gathering in
N.C.
5) I produce other artists, but I don't do this often because there isn't a lot of music in Austin for producers unless they have their
own studio and also know how to engineer, as well. I only know how to produce.
6) I help as an art director with my husband and three other friends in our design group, Stingray, where we make cd packaging/graphics.
I hope all this information helps you know a little bit more about the vast complexities of the music industry!
Love,
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:20 am
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