Scripture Verses::

Psalm 37:4 -  "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Romans 8:38-39 - "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jeremiah 29:11 - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Matthew 19:14 - "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"

John 15:12 - "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

1 John 4:7 - "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."

1 John 3:17 - "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

Luke 7:44-47 - "Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Coffee Beverage::

Starbucks (must be!!) Grande bold coffee, with a short shot of sugar-free Vanilla

Food::

Sushi, Salmon (the fresher the better) and any fruit pie.

Joke::

Q: Why did the female mushroom go out with the male mushroom?
A:  Because he was a fungi

Musicians/musical influences::

Shawn Colvin, James Taylor, The Beatles, Jonatha Brooke, Indigo Girls, Marc Cohn, Innocence Mission and my mom!

Movies::

• The Manchurian Candidate (original, with Frank Sinatra/Janet Leigh)
• Ben Hur
• Night of the Hunter (Robert Mitchum)
• The Color Purple
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy
• Arsenic & Old Lace, Bringing Up Baby (originals, with Cary Grant)
• Any musical!
• Favorite bizzaro B-Movie: Carnival of Souls

TV (when I actually get to watch)::

• Law & Order (any of them)
• The Simpsons
• Futurama
• Everybody Loves Raymond

Saints::

• St. Bernadette (the reluctant saint)
• St. Cecelia (my confirmation saint and patroness of musicians)
• St. Monica (mommy extrordinaire)

Days of the Year::

• My children's birthdays
• Christmas Eve

Authors::

• Anita Diamante
• Flannery O'Connor
• Thomas Merton
• Barry Unsworth
• Kent Haruf

Poets::

• Thomas Merton
• Sylvia Plath
• e.e. cummings (his readers will get my lower case "tip of the hat")

Website Links::

Breedlove Guitar Company
Sarah is proud to now endorse Breedlove guitars.  Check out their website today.

SMU's Institute In Pastoral Ministries
Saint Mary's University Institute In Pastoral Ministries.

Think Exist
One of the sites Sarah visits often.  A literary gem for those who love quotes!

Feminists For Life
Sarah is a big believer in this organization, which supports the lives of women and children in the highest way. Based upon the writings and beliefs of the early feminists, this organization offers real hope to strong women everywhere...pro-woman, pro-life. Refuse to choose...there is a better way!

Spirit and Song
Sarah's recording label.  Information about other fine Catholic artists, blogs, tour schedules, prayer pages and chats.

Mercy Corp
The Charitable organization Sarah works with.  Mercy Corps is a not-for-profit organization that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities.

BMI
Sarah's performing rights organization.  To get info about any of Sarah's songs, click here.

Nashville Public Library
Sarah has written music for a number of shows performed in the Children's Marionette Theater at the Nashville Public Library.  Find out more about this and other great kids programs at the NPL.

Catholic Mom
A wonderful cyber-place for moms to gather...lots of great info and stories.

Truth or Fiction
Sarah has gotten sooooooo much e-mail from great-hearted people, forwarding everything from cancer warnings to prayer requests to crime spree scares, often resulting in her being listed on too many e-spam accounts to mention!  Before you send that seemingly "okay" forwarded e-mail to a plethora of unsuspecting family and friends, check out it's authenticity at this amazing site.  They will clear up for you whether it's the real deal or not.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
A must see for every writer...great reference material!

Habitat For Humanity
A wonderful service organization - if you are handy with a hammer, gardening, or even making refresh-ments this organization would love to hear from you!

The Ohio State University
Visit Sarah's Alma Mater. Be certain to check out TBDBITL! (only OSU fans will know what that means...)

Recommended Reading::

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

I was on the bus. No doubt about it. Mr. Lewis' masterpiece of a book about a bus trip from hell (literally) had me identifying, on some level, with every one of the characters in this short read. The message is clear...all of life is a battle between God's will and our own, and that not only divides us internally, but decides our ultimate fate. I found myself so convicted to look outside of the "box of me", and overcome my desire for things of this world in a powerful way. Brilliantly written.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Sisters, this is one for us! A beautiful, amazing read...I cried when it was over. A fictional account of Dinah, only daughter of Jacob. It is a thoughtful portrait of what life must have been for the Cannanites. Following Dinah through her youth, adolescence, and into her adulthood, I felt deeply connected to her and to women everywhere...suddenly the oceans that divide us all seemed small. I wanted to hug every woman I saw for months! Girls, go get it.

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Beautiful...a marvel of a book. The simplicity of Kent Haruf's characters, and the words he chooses to describe them, are nothing short of brilliant. It is the use of unquoted first-person speech that made it so endearing to me. I was transported to unadorned Holt, Colorado (until 3 in the morning!), and felt an equal part of it's inhabitants plainly spectacular lives.

A Treasury of Great American Scandals by Michael Farquhar

OK, so we think we've got troubles NOW? This hilarious, easy read (put-down, pick-upability) made me feel so much better about us as a nation. Find out the hilarious, sad, tainted truths of a growing America, and discover that modern-day politics are, most certainly, not alone in their scandals. Familial squabbles, puffed egos and even the occasional duel make for an interesting dip into the American historical pool. Extremely well researched and penned by Mr. Farquhar. An excellent read for the American historian. Loved it!

The Professor And The Madman by Simon Winchester

I have given this book to a few folks, which is a good sign. But warning!; not a book for those who are easily put to sleep by grammar. Yet I found it absolutely fascinating. This is the true story of Professor James Murray, who spent more than 40 years of his life working for the most ambitious and perhaps the greatest undertaking of it's time, "The Oxford English Dictionary", and Dr. W.C. Minor, one of the most fluent contributors to the project. For Years Dr. Minor submitted entry after entry, and all from a cell at the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. It is a fascinating read for those who love the art of the English language, and appreciate those who had the daunting task of recording it.

Selected Poems by Thomas Merton

Unbelievable. A too-often-overlooked contribution to the poetic world. Get it.

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth

Oh my gosh! I came across this little book quite by accident, and how serendipitous! Barry Unsworth has fast become one of my favorite authors. Set in the fourteenth century, this very easy read about a priest who becomes an actor is astounding. I could almost smell the air, touch the characters, and feel the uneasy discomforts of life in that age. The acting troupe stumbles into a town to perform, only to find that a murder has taken place, and...well, just read it. I will again, too, in twenty years, when I have long since forgotten the fascinating ending...