Oh brother, where art thou?

Posted on August 7, 2007 by ascensionarts

He is in Scotland, that's where. Michelle's brother Darren and his wife, Rebecca Thornberries and their four children are with YWAM Edinburgh where they are hard at work reaching out to a booming arts community there. You can read up on their adventure at http://thornberryzoo.blogspot.com.

As you may have heard Michelle bragging (like for her entire life), Darren is her most favorite writer and singer of all time. (at least after 1975). His voice is haunting, his lyrics are thought provoking and passionate. His debut cd "On the Edge" has just been released and we wanted to hear it. Barry and Darren have been working on it for two years now and we are so thrilled that it is finally ready! You can preview some tracks at www.myspace.com/thornsmusicaljourney or go right ahead and buy it today, right here, right now! Come on, support an artist with four kids who is really worth listening to! This music is compelling on every level and we are so incredibly proud of him. Thought you would want to know.

Barry & Michelle

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Welcome to the Greenhouse!

Posted on July 5, 2007 by ascensionarts

We want to tell you what we have been wholeheartedly up to for the last few months. We are part of an artist's group called Greenhouse Arts. The group is headed by Mark & Christi Bovee

and we have been meeting almost every Monday night for about two years now. The goal of Greenhouse Arts is for artists, both local and abroad, to have a place to grow, talk, experiment and be nurtured. Part of what we do is a monthly teleconference where artists from all over the world get on the horn to listen to a speaker and bat thoughts back and forth. We also pot-luck a bit and love on each other a lot.This spring, we attempted a giant experiment. We had our Pastor, Chris Austin, give us a Scripture to create off of and we worked together within our different mediums for two months

to create art towards that theme. Painters, writers, dancers, musicians and film-makers all collaborated around I Peter 2:4-6. We posted our works in progress on an online bulletin board where all the artists could look them over and comment. It was a huge undertaking for so many artists with busy lives. It was a

challenge to work together with other people as well. You had to be willing to have your stuff hacked at and critiqued. We were working towards a live presentation on Father's Day. loading in

What became apparent as we all strove together to produce quality, meaningful work for this collaborative, was that this is a vulnerable, scary place for a lot of people. Our friend Roxanne, a visual artist, who admittedly had never painted for pleasure's sake before, faced tremendous fear in her process, which resulted in a stunning painting.

Our friend, Marsha, danced to a heartbreaking story from her own life and was literally pushing down walls in her heart as she performed. Our beloved CJ

wrote a brutally honest song and sang it live, after much coaxing. There was a lot at stake for so many in this process. Early on, we received a strong admonition from leadership that we must give something of ourselves to others. That we did. Until it hurt, for sure. The result was that when the time came to make our presentation, we were all wrapped up in each other's success and pain. We were all on the edge of our seats to see our friends press through their junk and deliver a piece of themselves. The truth of that Scripture was communicated with grit and passion.

We all drew in closer to each other and kicked fear in the teeth. We will continue to morph this experiment and have big ideas about different approaches. Please take a look at and www.myspace.com/greenhousearts to check it all out! Why don't you join us for a teleconference?
It must be said that the Patterson's would not have made it through the crunch week of this project without serious help. That help arrived on a plane from Houston in the form of Kathleen Maynard. She comes from a long line of people who love us and are nice to us and we honestly cannot believe we have not scared the Maynards off by now. 🙂 She did dishes, bathed babies, cooked, went to Wal-mart & Target with four kids in the same day, babysat for hours and gave Michelle much needed companionship while Barry was hard at work. Our Sammy was truly upset when we took her to the airport; evidence of a job well done! Kate, we love you so much and can't believe you are this nice to us! Thank you for your hard work and kindness to all Pattersons! When can you come back?
Kate and kiddos

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SONGWRITING–“PREGNANT STYLE”.

Posted on May 22, 2007 by ascensionarts

No, Michelle is not pregnant, but we did get you to read this didn't we? There are so many ways that songs are pulled out of people and "pregnant style" is one of them. Sometimes songs are labors of love, that stretch out over months and even years. Sometimes they are firecracker collaborations. Sometimes they begin as just a melody and others as a poem. And sometimes, as in the case of the song we will showcase here, you just get this "pregnant" feeling…

Michelle had been talking to our sister-in-law, Becca on the phone. Becca had run up on some super hard times and Becca's face Michelle was aching for her. For days after their phone call, Michelle walked around with Becca on her heart. She prayed for her a lot and thought about her non-stop. "I felt like I had something growing inside my heart for Becca, like a message or some comfort". Being the mother of four and running a chaotic household does not allow much time for ruminating and waxing poetic. So, not surprisingly, she was in her jammies, crawling into bed, when she felt compelled to grab her laptop and start writing. She typed so fast and sang while she typed. She got two verses and a chorus and called it a night. The piano is in Ivy's room, and Ivy was asleep so she waited 'til morning to hash out the music. As soon as she could sneak away to the piano the next day, she scribbled down chords and got two more verses and a bridge. All the while kids banged on the bass notes, just for that dissonant effect.

When Michelle called Becca to tell her about the song, Becca told Michelle that she had been praying the God would give Michelle a song for her. Hence, the pregnant feeling Michelle had. It's kind of like this weird spiritual dynamic thing that takes place in your heart when you are interceding for another person. It's like being pregnant with love for them. It's like something in your spirit is stirring up your creativity to be poured out on another person. When the expression is released, the releaser feels relieved and the recipient is blessed. It's win-win, wouldn't you say? Ironically, Becca had recently painted a self-portrait entirely in green. It's always a challenge for us to get something to tape due to time and the four best kids in the world. In the case of this delightfully raw demo, we put the littles down for a nap and rushed out to the studio. The full-sized keyboard would not work, so Michelle ended up having to play each hand separately and without a sustain pedal. We may approach it again with more instrumentation and 88 keys. 🙂 We thought you might want to hear something that is fresh from the studio/oven.

Becca, thanks for letting us play this song. We love you so very much. studio

B&M

Listen to the MP3 of "Green."

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What does “God is Good” mean to the Harps?

Posted on May 2, 2007 by ascensionarts

If you have ever heard us perform the song "God is Good", then you have heard us tell this story about Chloe Harp. When we were assembling songs to use on the Third Circle cd, we casually decided that God is Good would be a good one to use. At the same time, our friends, David, Tanya, Andy & Mia Harp were suffering the loss of their sweet baby, Chloe. As we headed off to record, tiny Chloe was swept off to eternity. Michelle's brother, Darren; chose to sing "God is Good" at Chloe's memorial. As we tuned up our guitars to record that same song, Michelle shared with the other writers what that song was meaning to she and Barry at that moment. We all recorded it with solemn sincerity and many tears. When we chose that song to record, we could never have known the deeper meaning it would hold in just a few weeks. We have asked Choe's mama, Tanya Harp, to write a little about what that song means to her.

TANYA WRITES:

what does that song mean to me? thats an easy one. where do i begin?

when we lost Chloe, we, of course, immediately called Darren. we need to start our prayer warriors working over time to send us peace. much needed. i had no strength left to pray. i had no strength left to have faith and i had no strength left to do much more then sit and feel sorry for myself. we asked Darren to both sing at the funeral and speak on our behalf because we couldn't manage to do so ourselves and we had things to say and people to thank. and we wanted his beautiful voice to represent our loss.

little did we know that one simple song could produce so much feeling. as i sat at my daughter's funeral and listened to your song, i was overcome with presence of our Lord. it was almost like a hand on my shoulder and a voice saying "it is all good, all of it" then what was self pity turned into appreciation for all the blessings that He did for us while she was here and all the small things He showed us as we said good bye. the promise of being taking care of and the realization that true faith came in the form of trusting that God's plan is good even when we don't understand it.

but it didn't stop there. what i have always said is that i never wanted Chloe to be forgotten. i didn't want what He had taught us through her to be lost and i wanted her to be remembered always. when you sent us the cd that had her story i beamed with pride. the girl you talked about was my girl and the hearts that were touched were because of the blessing He gave me. i am still in awe that He chose me to be her mother!!!
then when i saw you play and you mentioned her before playing, my eyes lit up. once again, her name is spoken and i am reminded how much her little life meant not only to us but to others as well.

what does that song mean to me??? it is one of the greatest physical reminders i have that God is not only trustworthy, kind, faithful and loving. But above all else, it reminds me that God is good.
thank you forever michelle and barry
i love you guys,
Tanya
Harp family

the Harp family today

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SNIPPET

Posted on March 26, 2007 by ascensionarts

This song isn't going to make the cut for the cd, but we like it and wanted someone to hear it anyhow. We have way too many songs and are hacking away at them ruthlessly. This is a simple song inspired by New Orleans rescue scenes I watched for days on end. Isn't there a point in everyone's life where we for sure know we were rescued? Lifted out? So, who knows what will become of this song, maybe "Odd and Ends 2". Caleb Gonzales produced this song and we think he did pretty awesome for his first stab at production. By the way, Caleb rocks! Honestly folks, how many friends do you have who will come to serve you for two weeks, sleep on a lumpy futon, carry stuff around, critique songs, plug stuff in, laugh at your jokes, play cards with your kids, be underfed/paid all with a smile on their face–since they were 16? Here is the song…http://barryandmichelle.com/mp3/Eyes_Off_You.mp3

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RECORDING PROGRESS

Posted on March 19, 2007 by ascensionarts

Let's start by saying that we are overwhelmed by your response to our request to submit words, prayers and encouragement for us. Every few hours more come in and I head out to the studio to read them to the guys. It has been total fuel for our spirits! The Scriptures have been right on and every email has inspired and filled us up. Thank you! What an incredible atmosphere you are creating for us!

Quick introduction in case you don't know who "the guys" are. BRIAN HOBSON is drumming up a storm out there. He and his wife Cathleen have partnered with us in life and music for about 10 years now. MARK BOVEE is the master of all keyboards and he and his wife Christie are the founders of Greenhouse Arts www.greenhousearts.com. You can check out all of their musical prowess at www.creativeivory.com. CALEB GONZALES is the multi-talented, humble, awesome do-it-all friend of ours who has come out to do anything we need. That includes playing cards with the kids, running for cokes, tuning stuff and playing bass. With these guys here, we feel like we have a for real team. There is lots of comaraderie and total fun. Let's just say, it's business time.

This weekend we got all the drums where we want them to be and Mark spiced up pretty much everything with a wide variety of specialty keys. Barry is thoroughly enjoying this process. He is taking it at his pace (and if you know him, you know what I mean) and enjoying every minute. I can tell this is the most fun he has ever had recording.

We, on the other hand, are not having as much fun. Sam has had a fever for five days and won't let me put his 30 pound body down much. The doctor said today that he has a double ear infection and he has started antibiotics. If my mom wasn't here, this whole deal would have been impossible. I know for sure that the devil would like nothing more than for me to lose my joy over this, but my mom is here to make sure I don't let him. 🙂 I start vocals today and Barry and Caleb have one more week to track guitars and bass and anything else they think sounds fun. We will post a snippet soon for your listening pleasure. Thanks for caring about this project!
Your Patts

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HEALED OF FIBROMYALGIA 12 YEARS AGO

Posted on February 5, 2007 by ascensionarts

I have been having email conversations with a longtime friend of mine who is sick with fibromyalgia, the same thing I was healed of 12 years ago. As I have been trying to encourage, comfort and pray for her, I am reminded of how incredible it is to be set free from crippling illness! I don't talk about it enough anymore. So, here is my story–in blog form.
When I was about 18, I started having jaw trouble. It progressed to pain all over my body. I developed chronic headaches, pain in my arms and legs and impossibly tight muscles. I met with chiropractors, jaw doctors and a neurologist. I had MRIs to check for MS or tumors, steroid shots into each and every one of my muscle knots and shock testing on my nerves. And the drugs. Oh the drugs. Antidepressants, pain pills, muscle relaxers, sleeping pills. No one could tell me what was wrong. I had to drop out of college and lost my job. I became addicted to a drug called klonopin that masked the symptoms.
This was the most devastating time of my life. I was sooooo sick of asking people to pray for me and nothing happening. All of Job's buddies gave me their favorite Scripture to memorize, their formula for repenting or accused me of hidden sin. I felt like He didn't see me or care, and yet I loved him so much.
I got married and tried to get off of the drugs. Withdrawal set in and all of the former symptoms revved up again. Since I was undiagnosed, I felt like I was going crazy. Everyday activities would wear me totally out. Truly, chronic illness affects the way you see the world. Fear and darkness press in relentlessly.
A family friend sent me to the Mayo clinic where I received a quick fibromyalgia diagnosis. Fribromyalgia is a syndrome where your muscles maintain a state of tightness that sends inappropriate pain messages to your nerves. I was glad to be able to call it something. They prescribed exercise, physical therapy, massage and told me to apply for disability because it was incurable.
I slowly became dissatisfied with the thought of living with disability. I devoted my time to getting better. I did everything the doctors told me to. The pain was not getting better, but a seed of faith was growing in my heart. I did not want to be a sick mama, and I wanted kids so badly. I wanted to ask God again to heal me.
I went to some meetings at my parents' church where a man was prophesying over folks. On the second night of meetings, he spoke this over me.

"NOW WE ARE GETTING TO A MORE SERIOUS PART…NOW LET'S AGREE TOGETHER FOR THIS. THIS IS SO SPECIAL. WOULD YOU STAND MICHELLE? …FATHER IN THE NAME OF JESUS…EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM…NOW I WANT YOU TO AGREE WITH ME. WE NEED A CREATIVE MIRACLE FOR MICHELLE. AND THAT'S WHAT THE LORD LAID ON MY HEART JUST BEFORE I LEFT THE ROOM TONIGHT. I WAS TO REALLY MAKE THIS A SPECIAL PRAYER AND YOU ARE TO MAKE IT A SPECIAL PRAYER. I DON'T CARE WHO PRAYS THE PRAYER OF FAITH AND WHO TOUCHES GOD, BUT I WANT SOMEBODY TO TOUCH GOD FOR THIS DAUGHTER. FATHER, I WANT YOU TO CORRECT THIS FACIAL SURGERY MISHAP I WANT YOU TO GIVE THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE IF NECESSARY AND GUIDANCE TO THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO CORRECT THIS. AND LORD, IT MAY BE YOU…GREAT SURGEON, THE GREAT SPECIALIST, THE GREAT CREATOR. LORD, YOU CAN MAKE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE. AND YOU ACTUALLY GAVE ME A VISION OF LAYING YOUR HAND ON MICHELLE'S NECK AND ON HER SHOULDERS AND SPINE AND HEALING THESE NERVES THAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AND DESTROYED AND MAKING THEM…RECREATING THEM AND MAKING HER NEW IN JESUS NAME. AND THE LORD JUST SPOKE SWEET WORDS MICHELLE, SAYING, 'THIS TOO SHALL PASS AND LIFE GROWS SWEETER.'"

Oh my goodness, even as I type those words I quake inside. No one had told this man what was wrong with me. I was undone. I knew in that moment that God saw me. Even though I walked out of that room with as much pain as I came in with, as far as I was concerned, it was a done deal. Within a month, I was totally off of all meds. One day, three months later, I was pain free and have remained so to this day.
No one can tell me there is no God. No one can touch the space He has made in my heart. I know beyond doubting that He who has healed me … is Jesus. If you are sick, I only want to speak to your heart that He sees you, He knows you and you are never forsaken, even when it feels like it. If you need a seed of faith to burst open in your heart, I pray that the story of God's mercy on me will do that for you today.

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CONTEST WINNER…….S!

Posted on January 22, 2007 by ascensionarts

That's right, three of you who took the time to analyze this interview guessed it right. I was completely hyperentilating by the time they said the date again and said "next week". Yep, Marsha Ashabraner, Jason Williams and Janice Pruett all guessed it! Thanks for taking the time to sign up for our blog! Marsha, Jason and Janice, email us at michelle@barryandmichelle.com with your 2 cd choices and your mailing address and we will get those out to you pronto!

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SWEET HOME ALABAMA

Posted on January 17, 2007 by ascensionarts

I am sitting in an airport in Cinncinati, Ohio watching a flight boarding for Scranton. Being a hard-core “Office” fan, I called home and asked Barry if he would mind if I got on that flight. I am seriously rerouted on my way home from Montgomery, Alabama. At least I think I am. Being a Canadian, I am not really sure where in the U.S. I am.

I was at Pike Road Baptist Church www.PikeRoadChurch.org to lead worship for an incredible women’s conference. I have never been to anything like this. It was like Kingdom boot camp for ladies. This event drew women from 18 different churches; what an awesome expression of unity! The whole event centered around the Kingdom of God as our reality and learning how to walk and live there. Refreshing and riveting! Every speaker–Karen Dilbeck, Pamela Neu, Tanya McLemore, Clarissa Christman and my own precious mama, Sharleen Thornberry had my full attention. I would much rather hear someone tell the story of God walking with them through the rough stuff than hear hours of teaching. I guess that is the sanguin in me. Bring on the stories. I loved it. Kudos to Pike Road for facilitating a strategic, worthwhile event and thank you for letting me be a part. And smooches to Barry for watching the babies. xox

I was actually taught a workshop at this conference. I rarely teach adults, mostly kids and teenagers. However, I accepted this promotion and got to talk to those sweet ladies about a topic close to my heart. The workshop was called “Loving the King—Living Life of Worship”. Wanna hear it? I’d love to hear your reviews and comments if you will give this a listen. Maybe it will help me refine that message, if I am ever allowed to speak to adults again. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Listen to the MP3.

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THE “WELCOME TO OUR NEW BLOG” CONTEST

Posted on January 17, 2007 by ascensionarts

Thank you for accepting our challenge and visiting our new blog! It is our blogging practice to disclose more details of our lives than is ever necessary. In that fashion, we have designed this contest. We will begin by sharing this story. Just days ago, Michelle was on an over-the-phone radio interview with Faith Radio in Montgomery, Alabama, to advertise an upcoming event. Radio interviews make her feverishly nervous anyhow, so that only primed the pump for what was to come. As the interview progressed, the announcer and event host kept repeating the date. "January 13th, January 13th." After hearing that date a few times, Michelle took a mental trip to her calendar and realized that she had booked her plane ticket for the wrong date–a week too late. She began to hyperventilate. She has no recollection of answering any more questions. Apparently the interview wrapped up and Michelle brought the problem to the host's attention. Michelle, being the administrative hub of our operation, was particularly traumatized. So, we have decided to capitalize on her crisis and turn it into a contest. Here we have the MP3 of the interview. Please listen to it carefully. If you can pinpoint what you think is the precise moment when Michelle became aware of her error, if you can sense the drama queen donning her crown, if you can hear her suck in air and start fanning herself, then mark that spot down and enter this contest.

RULES FOR ENTRY

1)comment on this post with your guess, quoting the last five words before you assess Michelle's duress, leaving your name and email address in your comment
2)join our email subscription list
3)three prizes of 2 free Patterson cds of your choice will be awarded on Monday, January 22nd
4)winners will be announced on the blog by 8 p.m. mountain time on January 22nd

We are happy to announce that lots of awesome folks forgave Michelle for her mistake and helped her realign the stars to fix it. She went to Alabama with an appropriate ticket and the drama has subsided. Barry watched kids for five days (with Fosburg assistance) and deserves kudos.
Thanks for visiting,
Barry & Michelle

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