Alicia's Intro for the Beloved CD

Every woman has a story. For some, the story is simple and lovely; for others, it is full of hardship and pain. Nevertheless, in every story there is the voice of the Lord calling, saying, “What will it take for you to love Me?” I think a woman responds to God so easily because by her very nature, a woman is made to give herself away. By doing so, she can find herself and the One who loves her and has laid down His life for her.

God has surrounded me with strong women my whole life. My mother… a true Catholic feminist, who showed me how to embrace real womanhood. My aunts, grandmothers, and cousins…those who give me my grounding in where I have come from and give me reasons for who I am now. My four sisters… women who are all so different but bound by an unbreakable bond. My four adopted sisters, my sister-in-laws…they have come into my life with new perspectives to offer that I never would have imagined. My friends… other mothers who are there for me with a listening ear, advice, a helping hand, and above all, empathy and love. And in the future my five daughters will be women around me and just as I am now reaching out my hand to help them, I know someday it will be their hands that I will be seeking. My desire is that this CD honors the women who have blessed me to give thanks to my Heavenly Father who gave them to me.