Sole-ly His

Ankle boots, army boots, athletic shoes, ballet shoes, beach shoes, boat shoes, boots, bowling shoes, brogues, cleats, climbing shoes, clogs, court shoes, cowboy boots, cycling shoes, deck shoes, dress shoes, elevator shoes, espadrilles, figure skates, flip-flops, galoshes, golf shoes, gumboots, heels, high heels, high-top sneakers, hiking boots, ice skates, inline skates, jackboots, jump boots, kamik, loafers, Mary Janes, moccasins, mukluks, mules, open-toes shoes, Oxfords, penny loafers, platform shoes, pointe shoes, pumps, rainboots, riding boots, rollerblades, rollerskates, running shoes, saddle shoes, sandals, shoes, skates, skate shoes, ski boots, slides, sling-backs, slippers, sneakers, steel-toe boots, stiletto heels, swim fins, tap shoes, tennis shoes, toe shoes, track shoes, valenki, waders, wedge shoes, Wellington boots, wingtip shoes, work boots, zories...a few types of footware.

I copied this list...and I must say there are those that I don't know, like Kamik, espadrilles, slingbacks, valenki and Zorries....i don't know what they are. I love going barefoot, but if I was to wear any shoes....sketchers...i love my sketchers!! These tennis shoes are so comfortable!!

The green sandals I have were awesome at first...because of the air flowing through and .....NO SOCKS!!! (i LOVE socks...it's just the barefoot feeling I felt the sandals gave) but then after wearing them for a while, every time I put them on, my feet start to burn on the bottom because they can't breathe on the bottom.

Perhaps you are wondering why I am blogging about shoes? I'm not crazy about shoes...as I said, I would rather go barefoot. And I've seen some pretty interesting shoes out there. How do people walk in them? Regardless of the answer, every shoe has a creator...a designer. And each shoe, boot...foot covering has someone to wear them. There may be people who are thankful for their shoes, others cannot wait to take them off.

Jesus loved each and every person who wore foot coverings...or who went barefoot. It didn't matter the fashion statement, the stench that blanketed the foot with sweat....whether the children ran past the adults, if these people were on their death bed, or poured perfume on Him. Even if they called Him a heretic. He loved them. He stood with them, speaking words of Life. He sat with them, fellowshipped with them. He cried with them. Never once did He show favoritism.

Though trends have changed...Jesus has not. I've worn a pink and orange tennis shoe on one foot, and a blue and green tennis shoe on the other....granted, it was a LONG time ago....but today, from time to time...I wear mismatched socks...it's something I enjoy....

I was at the gym the other day where a man wearing shorts, to the knees, sported a pair of bright green and yellow socks. After talking to a fellow gym mate, I went over and told him that his socks are awesome! He thanked me and went on talking to the group he was with.

The gym is where this blog idea originated...because as I listen to Mark Schultz proclaim God's love for us....I study faces. Some are be-bopping along..where others look like their going to drop. I wonder what goes on in their lives? Can they see just how awesome they look, shoes and all as they keep on keeping on? I pray they know that they encourage me...socks and all.

You encourage me :D

What's your favorite foot covering?

Silence from the Lamb

As a child I've always been fascinated with caterpillar & butterflies. There are the inchworms, the zebra monarch ones, the green ones with sticky suction cup feet...the fuzzy ones....even fuzzy ones with horns that are quite aggressive....along with so many more I haven't mentioned. These worms with legs would go where ever there many legs would carry them. Then one day, POOF!!!! They have become a butterfly!!! Now able to soar on top the wind wherever it leads them.

I've always wanted to watch this "secret" process...in fact as a child I collected a cocoon,waiting & waiting. I thought it might be too dirty to open so I washed it.....eventually the green cocoon turned black.

A very dear friend encouraged me to start blogging again....so I thought about what I could write. It was then the Lord showed me that He is bringing me through the transformation process..that little by little the Holy Spirit is removing all the legs that would pull me in every direction, each direction having a different noise to drown out His voice. Jesus is guiding me through my trials so that I will have His strength to soar like an eagle

Since my last blog post, the Lord has blessed me with jail ministry, being accountable at a gym along with visiting dear friends at nursing homes.....playing my violin and so much more!!

It is a Grand Adventure having the faith if a mustard seed to allow God to lead me ...stretching me, shaping me, growing me in only ways He intimately knows.

I praise God for silencing my fears so The Lamb may proclaim His Truth!!!!

Until next time!!!!

It's A Wonderful Life!

I praise God for the many friends and family whom God has brought through my life!!  I thank the Holy Spirit for pouring Himself through me to practice the violin so that I may play for family, friends and my new friends whom are so very precious and patient!!!

There are so many lessons Christ has taught me through each one that has traveled through my life...I am so thankful I am able to give back, or "pay it forward" in many ways...one of which is the violin.

Since July, I've only been practicing with one other musician...my teacher.  It has been very difficult for him as while we are playing, I tune my notes to his, which I know are right.  I want to play beautifully like him...I don't want to play out of tune.  Yet when I am home practicing....I have no sound to compare myself with.....but that doesn't stop me.  I still keep trying.  The Lord has blessed my obedience....as people can tell which song I am playing....and as I play alone....it sounds pretty good.

Yet, as I said...God brings people into my life so that I can learn....and because my teacher is trying so very hard for me to learn to play the sharps, flats and naturals as I continue to play to the beat I want...ignoring that part of the lesson...because I'm having so much fun playing the songs that sound "ok" to me.  Little did I realize I was training myself to play.....out of tune.

However, this last Friday a dear friend and excellent pianist joined me as I was to perform.  GULP!!! 

I've never had a concert with another musician since high school!!!  As my breathing quickened, a piano was rolled into place.  I set my music on the piano and opened the music book as my hands must have shook. 

As I began to read a short story...a previous blog called "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" I heard soft notes genteelly gliding across the keys. Soon these tiny white flakes covered my nerves as I continued to read to the end. 

A bit confidently I picked up my bow and began to play the notes before me.  It was fun!  And going well, until my eyes grew tired and I became unsure of the notes I was seeing.  Still,  I continued to play...because so many times  before I would stop and start over...which was soo embarrassing!!

Yet, adlibbing the music just seemed to snowball as my confidence plunged into a spiral decent quickly!  What did my friend think?  Would he ever want to accompany me again?  I didn't think so....I felt like Jimmy Stewart in "It's a wonderful life" who thought he let everyone down.

I love the end of that movie....because someone had gone around to encourage all the friends and family to encourage Jimmy....which is what my dear friend did.  Instead of playing through the music, praying it would end soon, he asks if my husband, who has a beautiful voice, could lead everyone in singing the words as we played.

OOoohhhhHHH!!!  God is such a sweetheart!!!  As I heard everyone start to sing...my ice cold worries and thoughts melted away...there wasn't any room for doubt as I heard joy pouring through voices.

In the same way....how often have I ....how often will I see the enemy's lies and believe them?  Oh, that I learn to be a team player so that we may all rejoice, for definitely "It's a wonderful life"!!

Forever a Solo? NOT!!

Since July I have been taking violin lessons. 

The more I practice, the more people ask me when I am going to play with the Worship Team at our church. It would be a great honor to do so...yet, I've always worried that I would play a note, or notes and throw everyone off....not bringing glory to God.  So I've kept quiet...and will continue to do so until the Holy Spirit opens the doors.

Even with my music teacher I tremble when I play, with a thousand emotions rushing through me: overjoyed to be playing with him, embarrassed that I sound the way I do, feeling confidence build with each lesson, upset with myself for not practicing the "right" way....just to name a few....

So, when our Pastor....who's also our Worship Leader, has talked about music, there's always been some excuse that I "skate" around...as to why I'm not ready to play.

But yesterday, at Bible Study...I brought my violin and music....determined to play the music our Pastor gave me to practice before I knew I was going to be out of town during the performance.  I felt it would be a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas with my classmates :)

However, the Pastor was downstairs getting things ready for something...probably a rehearsal or something....he found out that I had the music he gave me and asked to run through it right then.

GULP!!! :)  Wowzers!!!  I set my violin down and asked, "You want to practice now?" 

"Yes," he replied with a smile, sitting down at the piano with the music I just handed him...running his hands across the keys.

I tried to take deep breaths in and out as I focused on the notes.....we played through 4 pages of music together as I listened to the piano dance around my rusty violin....but for playing together for the first time, it sounded good!  And my playing didn't mess him up!

My classmates so enjoyed the music too :)

How often have I thought this way in Life?  How many opportunities have I missed because I was too afraid to trust God to play through the music?

Tempo

As I have written about in previous posts, I've been learning how to play the violin.  Last Tuesday when I met with my instructor, I was excited to show him the music I had ordered through the mail, of which I was practicing since our last lesson.  Two of the songs, "Danny Boy" & "An Irish Lullaby", my Dad had sang and whistled through the years.  It was a delight to play them now...though I would have love to see his expressions.

So when my teacher and I played through them once...I was happy that I was doing well to keep up....he was following my lead...instead of me struggling to follow his.

Yet, when we were finished, after he complimented me on doing well practicing...he asked me to listen to him play. 

Full of myself, I tuned my ears only to hear him play much slower and with much vibratto.  I began to melt, for this is how I remember my Dad singing it, whistling it.  When he finished, my confession was that while I practiced at home, I felt like I was a wind up music box going for the next round....very mechanical.  But now I would slow down.  My instructor chuckled.  I love music boxes....but I want the music to flow...not wind down.

In the same way, There are so many times I rush through my day, "Playing" the music my Father has for me.  But I wonder if it's like the violin music; would my lifesong God gave me be sweeter, if I slowed down? 

Do You See What I See?

There is one thing I cannot leave home without and that's my pair of glasses.  Actually I can't do much around the house without them.  It's even marked on my driver's license that I must have them while driving. 

Without them, my vision can be compared to how it looks like at twilight...kind of slurred together.  I don't like driving at that time very much because I feel like I'm just about blind and going to hit something....because at twilight....my car lights are basically ignored....they don't have that great of impact on the environment.

A few years ago I was blessed with a pair of hand-held binoculars.  What a treasure as I LOVE the outdoors!!  To see things up-close and in fine detail too!!  Makes me melt!!  Yet, I've not used them as much as I would like.  Even with my passion for wildlife, my schedule hasn't allowed me very much time to enjoy this pleasure.

Ok...well, maybe the FACT is that I need to be more aggressive and MAKE time to enjoy what I love!

This morning when my nose was being nipped by the chilled air, I thought it best to put a bungie loaf out for the squirrels and fill the bird feeders.  Normally when I do this....it's been a while since I've put something out there so the "change" keeps them cautiously away for a while. 

It was when I started to do dishes that I noticed a white bellied bird pecking furiously away every few seconds or so at the squirrel's bungie loaf!  Even with my glasses it was difficult to see the detail from the kitchen...then I remembered the binoculars.  Quickly I went to my purse (they are kept there for when I have moments like this....where ever I am.....I will have them with me) and pulled them out....leaving the black chord wrapped around the middle.

UGH!  I thought as I tried to look through them with my glasses on....I've always thought I would be able to see better this way....but my glasses always get in the way.  So I took them off and walked over to the kitchen sink that was just below the window.  Trying not to panic, I pressed the binoculars against my eyes and felt for the adjustment knob as I moved my view around.  There it was; the bungie loaf....and the white bellied bird with dark wings still pecking away.

I leaned against my kitchen counter still focused on the wildlife and studied the detail of the bird.  It was so close, I could almost touch it...it looked sooo soft!!  It must be a breed of wood pecker.....then it darted away......I could stay here all day!!!!

In the same way.....God has blessed me with two eyes.....that work with my mind and emotions to analyze my thoughts...how I feel about something....and in result I will respond, one way or another.  I'm going to parallel it to me not wearing my glasses...or even when I do wear them.

Yet, it is when I'm being "still", taking the time to read my Bible and pray....having a time of praise....this is when I am picking up His Binaculars....when He fine tunes my "vision"......I can "see" with my heart sooo much more.

There are those times when I want to "keep my glasses on" and look through my King's Binoculars....this might be through rushing, rushing, rushing.....and I don't see a whole lot this way.  I must take my "glasses" or "way of thinking" off and look through His eyes.   And looking through His eyes requires desire and obedience.....I don't have to.....I may not want to "dig in my purse, set my glasses down, unwrap the chord..." for that all takes time......but it is soooooooooooooooooooo worth what I see on the other side of His Binoculars when I get close, press in and look around.

Knock, Knock?

This morning I was standing in front of the bathroom sink, curling my hair as I prepared for an appointment.  I happened to look down at the closed door....and reaching through the small space between the door and the floor was this white paw.  My assumption is that it was trying to swat the toy mouse less than an inch away from its reach....so I stepped close and "bunted" the furry object closer, to which it was smacked back my direction.

At other times, our black cat will wave a paw through the space to let me know she's there...I'm sure to get me to open the door...usually I shoot a hair band at the door just above where she's pulled her paw back out of site to wait a moment or two...then with claws extended, she thrusts her paw back out to capture the rubber band and rake it in.

These precious animals love the bathroom; with the shower curtain drawn, our black cat will jump in the tub and wait for me to sling a hair band up over the metal bar...and drop down for her to take prisoner! There have also been those times when the shower curtains drawn I'll peek through the waves of material and see if I can spot where they might be.  "I can see you!" I'll whisper, thinking that I'm just looking at the tail....which moves just a bit...."I'm going to get you" I slowly announce, getting ready to tag my "opponent".  But with quick reflex response this massive fur ball comes rushing up that tunnel created by the shower curtain, with eyes focused directly on mine and tags my fingers!!   I gasp and laugh :)  The bathroom sink is a nice cool "bed" to relax in while I put on my makeup....and with the heater at the base of the wall, it's a popular site to find them!  The cats love spending time with me :)

In the same way...the Light creates curiosity in me.  I know the light reveals Who is in the Room...Who is preparing.....  I am so thankful Christ wants to spend time with me..with each of us!!  Yet there is soooooooooo much more in that Room than there is in my bathroom.  And just like my kittens who are drawn to the heat register by the door, I want to be filled with God's heat so that when I enter those cold seasons in life...as winter is approaching....I will be prepared for the bitter chill...I pray that I will be able to share His Warmth with others.....as others have brought This Heat to me.  May this flame ignite Passion and Compassion....Strength and Healing....Wisdom and Truth!