Friday, February 29, 2008
Practicing
So I've found that I really like to practice for a solid couple of hours at a time, and that for some reason I always want to practice starting at 8 or 8:30 pm. The only problem is that this "lifestyle" doesn't fit with either the early to bed teacher routine, or the fact that I live with a roommate in an apartment complex. So back to the drawing board....
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Ramblings...
The Lord used some people at church today to show me a couple of things about myself. I had the opportunity to observe some young folk who are so completely wrapped up in their own world (musical happenings great and small), that they failed to introduce themselves to the new person sitting across the table from them. All they talked about was music, music, and more music. No mention of service to the Lord or others through their music, but instead it was a very self centered conversation. Easy to do if you are living your whole life focused on one thing: music. I've been there and done that before. And that was what the Lord showed me--if He hadn't stepped in while I was in college and forced me to refocus, I probably would've been very similar to the young'uns who were sitting across from me.
So that leads me to contemplate and ask: Lord, what is that perfect balance that You would have us to have. Our music making can have a number of purposes: serving and ministering to the Lord, edifying the saints, witnessing to others.....but it is not supposed to lead us down the path of becoming self centered, competitive musicians. And my heart's cry is to have congregational times of worship that are truly focused on the Lord and led by the Spirit--where people are not afraid to express themselves musically and emotionally in a way that is still decent and in order--and where the planned structure can be thrown out the window because the Lord is directing and guiding the way. I do pray that someday the Lord will allow me to experience that again.
The second thing the Lord showed me today was that He has fulfilled His word to me from eight years ago that I would play my viola again--that arm problems and tendinitis would not overcome me. And I have seen that happen. The Lord has given me the grace to pick up my viola again, and play it better than I ever did before, after eight years of not playing or practicing it. This is encouraging because it flies in the face of "practice makes perfect." Only the Lord can give us the grace and ability to perfect our skills to whatever level He would have us achieve. After only teaching (and not playing) for six years, it has been wonderful playing again, and I appreciate it more than I did before.
Music has always been my outlet for dealing with and working through problems and frustration. I can express myself better in a song or by playing something than using words. And right now it is as if the Lord has given this gift back to me to use for whatever His purposes are. Granted I have no idea where He is going to take me with this, I do know that it is a blessing to be able to show my students how well they could learn to do something if they stick with it.
Please keep me in prayer (if the Lord leads). Right now I have no home church and I feel like a wondering sheep. I know that the Lord is all I need, but after coming out of a church where I had been so involved, it is hard to start over. Especially when you have no desire to. I am not a church hopper by nature and so this is definitely out of my comfort zone. I desire to live a life that is radically sold out for Jesus, but struggle in the midst of discouraging circumstances. Perhaps it shouldn't matter. It certainly didn't seem to in Paul's case; his troubles spurned him to further Christ likeness. But I am thankful for "friends who stick closer than a brother" that the Lord has brought into my life. He knows my weaknesses and that I do much better with few close companions who are traveling the same path. So that is a definite praise!
Anyways, I will thus end my novel as it is almost 10:30 and passed my bed time!
So that leads me to contemplate and ask: Lord, what is that perfect balance that You would have us to have. Our music making can have a number of purposes: serving and ministering to the Lord, edifying the saints, witnessing to others.....but it is not supposed to lead us down the path of becoming self centered, competitive musicians. And my heart's cry is to have congregational times of worship that are truly focused on the Lord and led by the Spirit--where people are not afraid to express themselves musically and emotionally in a way that is still decent and in order--and where the planned structure can be thrown out the window because the Lord is directing and guiding the way. I do pray that someday the Lord will allow me to experience that again.
The second thing the Lord showed me today was that He has fulfilled His word to me from eight years ago that I would play my viola again--that arm problems and tendinitis would not overcome me. And I have seen that happen. The Lord has given me the grace to pick up my viola again, and play it better than I ever did before, after eight years of not playing or practicing it. This is encouraging because it flies in the face of "practice makes perfect." Only the Lord can give us the grace and ability to perfect our skills to whatever level He would have us achieve. After only teaching (and not playing) for six years, it has been wonderful playing again, and I appreciate it more than I did before.
Music has always been my outlet for dealing with and working through problems and frustration. I can express myself better in a song or by playing something than using words. And right now it is as if the Lord has given this gift back to me to use for whatever His purposes are. Granted I have no idea where He is going to take me with this, I do know that it is a blessing to be able to show my students how well they could learn to do something if they stick with it.
Please keep me in prayer (if the Lord leads). Right now I have no home church and I feel like a wondering sheep. I know that the Lord is all I need, but after coming out of a church where I had been so involved, it is hard to start over. Especially when you have no desire to. I am not a church hopper by nature and so this is definitely out of my comfort zone. I desire to live a life that is radically sold out for Jesus, but struggle in the midst of discouraging circumstances. Perhaps it shouldn't matter. It certainly didn't seem to in Paul's case; his troubles spurned him to further Christ likeness. But I am thankful for "friends who stick closer than a brother" that the Lord has brought into my life. He knows my weaknesses and that I do much better with few close companions who are traveling the same path. So that is a definite praise!
Anyways, I will thus end my novel as it is almost 10:30 and passed my bed time!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
February Break
So what do two teachers do with a week off from school? Eat our dinners in front of an episode of The Waltons, comment on how late it feels, check the clock to find out that it is only 8:00 and then go and put our pjs on. Nothing like living life in the fast lane!
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Mercy Seat
I've been listening to the Gospels little by little each night before bed. A few nights ago I was listening to John 20 when I heard the part of Mary Magdalene weeping by the tomb:
(John 20:11-12) "But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain."
As I was listening it occurred to me that that the two angels sitting at the head and foot of where Jesus had lain was a realization of the mercy seat from the ark of the covenant. Exodus 25 tells us of the two angels that were made of gold seated on both ends of the mercy seat:
(Exodus 25:17-22) "And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. (18) And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. (19) And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. (20) And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. (21) And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. (22) And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."
It is interesting that God told Moses that the mercy seat was the place He would meet with him, and that many years later, we can come and meet with God because of Jesus' death on the cross and the mercy that was bestowed on us--sinners saved by grace.
(John 20:11-12) "But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain."
As I was listening it occurred to me that that the two angels sitting at the head and foot of where Jesus had lain was a realization of the mercy seat from the ark of the covenant. Exodus 25 tells us of the two angels that were made of gold seated on both ends of the mercy seat:
(Exodus 25:17-22) "And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. (18) And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. (19) And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. (20) And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. (21) And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. (22) And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."
It is interesting that God told Moses that the mercy seat was the place He would meet with him, and that many years later, we can come and meet with God because of Jesus' death on the cross and the mercy that was bestowed on us--sinners saved by grace.
Cat Attack
So here I am down in Houghton, enjoying a week off from teaching, wearing nice new slippers that my mom gave me. My sister's kitten, however, seems to enjoy the pompoms on the slippers and likes to attack me when I am walking by. While I don't really mind walking around with a kitten hanging off of my leg, it does take away from the restful atmosphere of the vacation.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Belated New Year's Post
I received this in an e-mail from the Berean Call and thought I would post it because it is a good one:
Taken from William MacDonald's devotional book, "One Day at a Time":
New Year's resolutions are good but fragile, that is, easily broken. New Year's prayers are better; they ascend to the throne of God and set answering wheels in motion. As we come to the beginning of another year, we would do well to make the following prayer requests our own:
Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory.
I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your Name.
Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You. Don't let me settle in a rut.
May my motto this year be, "He must increase; I must decrease." The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.
Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jer. 10:23).
May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.
Keep me from gossip and criticism of others. Rather, help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.
Lead me to needy souls. May I become a friend of sinners, as You are. Give me tears of compassion for the perishing.
Lord Jesus, keep me from becoming cold, bitter, or cynical in spite of anything that may happen to me in the Christian life.
Guide me in my stewardship of money. Help me to be a good steward of everything You have entrusted to me.
Help me to remember moment by moment that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.
And, Lord Jesus, I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
Taken from William MacDonald's devotional book, "One Day at a Time":
New Year's resolutions are good but fragile, that is, easily broken. New Year's prayers are better; they ascend to the throne of God and set answering wheels in motion. As we come to the beginning of another year, we would do well to make the following prayer requests our own:
Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory.
I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your Name.
Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You. Don't let me settle in a rut.
May my motto this year be, "He must increase; I must decrease." The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.
Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jer. 10:23).
May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.
Keep me from gossip and criticism of others. Rather, help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.
Lead me to needy souls. May I become a friend of sinners, as You are. Give me tears of compassion for the perishing.
Lord Jesus, keep me from becoming cold, bitter, or cynical in spite of anything that may happen to me in the Christian life.
Guide me in my stewardship of money. Help me to be a good steward of everything You have entrusted to me.
Help me to remember moment by moment that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.
And, Lord Jesus, I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
At last an update... 
So the January craziness has ended and I am now into the relatively calm of February. The latest and greatest is that I've finally pulled my viola "out of storage" so to speak and am practicing again. The reason: my brother-in-law needed a violist for his April recital at Houghton. It has been about 8 years since I've played my viola and about 6 since I've even really practiced violin, so it has been quite interesting. But I must say the Lord has blessed my efforts and the past 6 years of teaching have improved my musicianship skills and in turn has given me the ability to practice more efficiently. So I had thought that I had become a violinist....but must confess on beginning to play viola again realized that I am truly a violist at heart. Thus the reason why I love the sound of the bass recorder. I guess the exciting news is that practicing has gone from being a chore to something I enjoy doing and look forward to when I get home from teaching. Now if I can just figure out how to squeeze more than an hour and a half in each day, I will be good to go! 
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