Let it snow!! Let it snow!! Let it snow!!

Snowflakes are amazing....each has its own intricate design and possibly it's own dance it does while gliding down through the air. By themselves they bring beauty to the air and can be caught on the tip of tongues.  But when they start gathering, things are "painted" white either with a thin sheet, or a thick blanket.  Some people love to scoop them up in their hands, creating snow balls to be thrown...while others love laying on top, moving their arms and legs to create snow angels.  Together they have been, are being and will be used for making igloos...a shelter from the elements.

But I know there are times when there are so many of them....they make driving almost impossible, dangerous.  When they melt, if the temperature is right...things get slippery.

Winter's just beginning...so....let's just focus on how the snow leads people to sip hot chocolate, or apple cider....when snowflakes signal that Christmas is coming...a time of celebration!

In the same way....people are so much like snowflakes...each one created uniquely. With this in mind, Tuesday...as I was traveling to my violin lesson...I started thinking about  people. 

It started with my dear friend....a snowflake....who, when we met at a coffee company, excitedly shared how she just started taking these Christian Education Classes through the internet...she chattered on and on about the plan she had as I longed for that encouragement...but clung to my fear.  Days, maybe weeks passed until I caught that hope and am now currently on my third book. It was quite timely as soon afterward certain events in my life stormed forward....I'm so glad I had this class to hold me accountable....lest I would have been crushed under trials weights!

Then, to honor my Dad who's now with Christ and to honor my Mom too, I picked up the violin, after I don't know how many years, determined to learn as much as I could....until, one of my strings popped! No worries though because of another "snowflake" in my life who took my violin to be repaired (I don't know how to change my own strings).

That's when my violin teacher, another awesome "snowflake", asked my hubby if he played violin...to which he explained that it was mine..."would she like to have lessons?" Oh yes she would!

Ok....there came a time while I was practicing......that I thought..."why am I doing this?  I am sounding so much better than when I first started...but, why?  Am I only here to entertain myself?"  Momentarily I hated myself...as much as I love playing...as much as I love classical music.....it was as if I was beginning to melt and become a frozen patch of ice!  NO!!

Well, with the class I am taking the requirements had changed and we were no longer required to write papers....to hide behind them....but we were required to create a ministry to where we get involved with people...an ongoing ministry....and apply what we learn from the books to this ministry.  I've always wanted to be a part of visitation.....and on the list of ideas was visiting people who aren't able to get out and about.  My friend who started me with this class and now facilitates it suggested that I do this one.  I WANTED to do this....but the fear of the unknown held me still.

God knew this....so He sailed another "snowflake" into my life who's precious wife is now living in a nursing home.  I asked him when the best time to go visit her would be because I want to play my violin for her.....earlier I had played it for other dear friends and I thought she would so enjoy hearing me play.  "Oh, she would, but so would everyone else!  Why don't you call the Activities Director and set up a time with him?" 

GULP!!

But I seen the excitement in his eyes....how could I refuse?  So that afternoon, I called a bunch of different numbers and set up some times to go play at various places.  I wish a dear friend, and "snowflake" who plays the violin was here to play with me!!!

I felt the Lord tugging on my shoulder.  "You need someone to go with you." The Lord must have heard my thoughts.  He was right...I so wanted someone to go with me to encourage me. "Take this person" another "snowflake", I heard my heart being spoken to.  Peace filled me as I thought about how this individual will help bring me comfort as I play and will help her get out and about.  She said yes, with zest!!  WOW!!

But even before these snow flakes began to fall, I must give credit to two special "Snowflakes"; my parents....who insisted I take after my Grandpa and learn how to play the violin in 4th grade....who made sure I practiced every day...even when I didn't want to...even when I angrily played "Mary Had a Little Lamb"....

The Lamb Who is the Grandest "snowflake" of all...the reason I'm learning to play "It Is Well With My Soul"...

So like I said, on the way to my lesson, I was thinking about people.  If all these "snowflakes" told God they weren't going to fall...that they weren't going to trust Him where He would guide them, I wouldn't be a "snowflake" in someone elses life....."Let it snow!! Let it snow!! Let it snow!!"

Take time to listen

You know the other day I was thinking about the violin....how it's so very different from the guitar or any other instrument, really.  See, a guitar has these bars across it's neck and a violin doesn't. 

I asked my violin teacher why this is and his reply was "the bars help the guitarist know where the notes are and a violin is an instrument you have to train your ear to hear where the sound is. It really is a beautiful instrument."  It can also be added to what he said is that along with the listening....the feeling where my finger positions are...how my hand is positioned against the neck of the violin.  A being aware of my surroundings.

I so commend the guitarist for playing!!  I think the frets make it more difficult for the fingers...one has to have a stronger hand as I believe the frets add a resistance against pressing the string down. I've tried it....and I'm staying with the violin :)

A piano, the player must use both their hands to create the notes....and play possibly ten notes at once!!!  I don't think the violin is able to do that :)  Again, I've tried it....and to me, it's like learning to drive a stick shift.....it would take a LONG time to get my mind to coordinate each hand to do what it was supposed to.  Pulling the bow across the strings is much easier to me.

There are sooooo many other instruments out there....ones I haven't tried to play....but they are all so very important!  Even the garbage cans are now an instrument!!  They are fun to listen to!!  Each instrument makes music.  Together they are an orchestra!!  Can you imagine if there was only one instrument and could only play one sound?  Ugck!!

In the same way, I praise God for our differences!! And the fact that there are Zillions more different people through life than there will ever be instruments. And each one of them has been, are, and will be different :)
All I have to say right now is "Let's make some MUSIC!"

Warning Signs

As I have posted in earlier blogs, I attend a violin class.  My desire is that as I play unto the Lord the sound will make a person melt as they enjoy listening to each note....like I do when my violin teacher plays. Each lesson is quite difficult as this dear friend plays with me, to get me accustomed to the sounds, tempos and techniques. There have been a few times he's asked me if I wanted to play alone...because each student has a preference.  "No," I almost beg....for to remove this treasure would be too devastating.  So God is giving me the strength to concentrate on the lesson and not give in to the desire to just sit and enjoy hearing him play.

But there's sooo much I have to learn!  Like I've got to let go of my pride!!  When I first started lessons...I was quite obedient to mark up my lesson books with highlighters and other pens to help me see what I was supposed to be playing, until I became used to playing without the marking.  I thought enough time had passed for me to attempt to play without the markings....and it was soooo exhilarating!!  I was so excited that I was learning!!!  So we continued on...

And so did life....adding different responsibilities too..

The book that I'm learning from has pale orange rectangles that let the reader know that it's something the student needs to learn, a "warning sign" if  I may.  I have read them....but....the scales, arpeggios and samples of songs were sooo much more appealing to "read".

So when I came to the Key's of the Major's and Minors....I would just glance at the pictures...thinking how is this supposed to help me, I'm just not getting it...not taking the time to read them (the first step to getting help is admitting :).  It was almost like another language....where repetition is one of the things that help a student learn.  My focus was more on the "fun" stuff.

Yet...without learning the "language" of the Keys.....I was beginning to sound...... "ishy" (it's the word that comes to my mind).  My teacher is so patient with me and always compliments me on readjusting my fingers to meet the sound as we play through the scales, arpeggios and songs....but I would get sooooooo frustrated.  SOMETHING was wrong!!!! 

Then God showed me in my determination to learn the keys that the answer was there all along.  Before I heard His leading....I searched the store where my lesson takes place, and online...picking up a book at each place (just 2), hoping it had what I wanted.  The books that were ordered and bought will be quite helpful....but....

all I had to do was see the orange rectangular boxes....the warning signs.....and take extra caution to learn what was being taught.  Praise God for second chances!!

In the same way....I have to ask myself, "what are the warning signs in my life?  Am I seeing them?"  I know one warning is a small pain I get in my back when I'm doing too much.....I'll carry in heavy bags of groceries...or even if there are a lot and I don't want to make the extra trips....I'll gang them all together ....love those plastic bags and their handles for this purpose....though it weighs a lot, I think to myself, it's only one trip. WHY do I want to do things faster?  Taking the time to enjoy life...hearing every sound of life with my heart and my ears makes my heart melt...unlike pushing forward and rushing.

Removing that treasure of listening has been devastating....it makes me confused, worried and grouchy...things God doesn't want in my life...nor does anyone else.  God give me strength to obey all the caution signs that way my life can be sweet melting music that brings peace....

Twilight

Last night, as I was waiting for my class to start, I stared out the glass doors waiting for everyone to arrive.  The sun was setting and cars drove by with their lights on....it was twilight....where things were kind of a dull color.

Suddenly, I saw a flicker.  Then in one quick moment, the light of this sign stayed on. 

"Cool!"  I thought, for I've rarely gotten to see light signs just come on...usually someone has to flip a switch...but this one was set to turn on when the sun was setting.

It got me to thinking that in the same way I am like a sign.  During the day, everyone can see who I am.  Yet when night comes....when trials dull the colors of life....what type of sign am I?  Am I just a  painted sign that everyone can see during the day...one that is bright and perhaps fancy...yet, is hidden in the dark?  Or am I a florescent sign...letting everyone know?

The other day I had set  my violin down in it's open case for a moment because my oven timer was going off. A dear friend had given me a most excellent recipe for apple dumplings and now was the time to see if I was paying attention to her guidance.

As I pulled this dessert out of the oven, I began to hear a noise in the other room.  After setting down the 9x13 pan on top of the stove, I joined my older son in the living room, where he had my violin propped up on his shoulder...pulling the bow across the strings.

"Would you like me to teach you a song?" I readjusted my sheet music.

"Sure," he replied.

"Ok, put two fingers on the 'a' string and then two fingers on the 'd' string," I instructed, watching him move his hand into various positions.

"Nah, it's a lot harder than I thought", he said, handing me the instrument.

It made me proud that he was doing an awesome job trying.

In the same way....I have seen what God is doing in other peoples lives and wanted to do the same.  One example is that there are those friends who have a ministry of visiting people....to take them joy, invest in their lives.  Such a beautiful thing cannot be bought or taken away...only grown.

So many times I have tried...and perhaps it might be thought to be something that ya just get out there and do it....but I was so shy....I would want to do this...and I would ask people when I could come visit...yet, something would always hinder me from following through....a "Nah, it's a lot harder than I thought" moment.

But God didn't give up on me....I've been taking a course through Global University that requires us to get involved in others lives as an assignment.  So since I've been taking violin lessons I thought it would be a beautiful way to give back what God's given me....a following in the footsteps of those God's brought into my life.....to hear His music playing.

May God's instrument not be set back down...

Thumbs Up!

The other night my hubby and I were on our way home and we were talking about seeing a dear friend at the THRIVE conference (If you are able to go to one, PLEASE DO! THEY ARE MOST AWESOMELY VERY ENCOURAGING!!!). This friend was saying that he needed to meet with my hubby becasue my hubby's moustache is almost as white as his.  My hubby was wondering why his hair wasn't streaked white like his moustache.

I told him that his moustache is right in front of his face so he could see it much better when he looks in the mirror...and I showed him how this would be: He sees his moustache, but when he turns his head to the side to see the color of his hair, his eyes are limited to the rest of his head...so he can't see the sides or the back. "I can't see the back of my head!!" I said.

He laughed and said that he's thinking about shaving his head, as he ran his hands through his hair, focusing on driving.

"I love my great big hairy thumb," I said.

He laughed again, this time smiling.

"You know sweetheart," I continued, "with all the fingers on the hand, God's created only one thumb.  It's a leader.  It can easily touch all the fingers lives, where the other fingers have to have to twist and bend in ways that aren't exactly natural to them."

"Two thumbs up!" He said.

"Yes, and together the hands lifted up give God praise!"

In the same way, at times, my "vision" of myself gets distorted....my eyes can't see the whole picture.  But I praise God that He's created us uniquely to encourage each other: some to be toes, some to be belly buttons, some to be ears, some to be mouths, some to be knees, some to be noses....and some to be thumbs. 

"Are You Comfortable Doing That?"

On Wednesdays at our church, I teach a group of girls.  Tonight we were learning about the Missionettes Code which follows Philippians 4:8.  We were discussing "whatever things are true and whatever things are right."  There is a repetition there...true and right are basically the same...and when things are repeated, that means they are very important.

I gave the girls an example; if someone were to say that I was ugly, I told them that I would probably think about it and think about it....beginning to get sad.  I told them that thinking about being ugly was a lie.  I told them that the Bible says that we are created in God's image, we are made beautiful.  God wants us to be strong and bold and share Christ with others....I danced about just a bit...and one of the girls (they are kindergarteners) asked if I was comfortable doing that.  I asked her what she meant.  She said, "dancing like that."  I told her, "not normally around people".

It's a good point this precious child made; I'm so used to dragging my feet and living a "secure" life...not living the way I so want to inside; boldly, in Freedom, with Joy and Peace!!

In the Same way...am I more comfortable believing the lies...that I'm ugly...that I can't do this or that...that I am nothing...that I'm silly...

Or am I going to be comfortable Praising God for creating me in His image, filling me with confidence and strength and Joy...Wisdom and Love....taking me places I've never been...helping me to bring life where hope is extinct?

Whatsoever things are True, Whatsoever things are Right....think on these things. Am I comfortable?

Forgiven

Ok....Ok....Ok....I did it.  After ladies Bible Study, when I got home, I signed back up on Facebook. 

I know I wrote about how Facebook and I needed to part ways. This time I am going to try to maintain a healthy relationship with Facebook.  After all, it wasn't Facebook's fault that my computer was turned upside down. It was my own opening up of the email that shouldn't have been opened up.

You may be wondering why I signed back up.....I miss the people on Facebook...I miss being involved in their lives...I miss knowing what/who to pray for....I miss being connected....I'm so glad I'm back. 

There are boundaries that I've put into place under their privacy policy so to guard myself..and those that are in my address book.

Yep I'm glad to be back : )

In the same way...there have been times when I have turned away from God...totally just turned my back on Him...ignored Him.  One could say that He was to blame for the things that have happened in my past....after all, it's His creation.

But like Facebook being this huge......Facebook.....that doesn't mean it creates viruses and plans for our facebook demise.  There are individuals out there, whom I"m praying for, that for whatever reason...find delight in this alone.

When my Facebook crashed....my hubby went on my facebook site and announced my separation from it and posted my email for people to contact me.  The first one to contact me was Facebook, stating in the subject line how to get back on to facebook.  I must say, I was so upset, I trashed the email...I didn't even want to open it.

Last night, I opened up a new account....not even looking back at the old one.

God is the same way....waiting for us....wanting to guide us and assist us back into a relationship with Him.  He wants us to set boundaries in our lives...that's why He's given us His Word....His Map.....His "Owner's Manuel" if I may....

I soooooo love being connected <3

Comfort Food

Last night I met with some friends for a Ladies Bible Study at a local coffee company. Every week we order something to sip on while we dive into God's Word.  This week I ordered a large Pom-a-Mango Smoothie.

A little while later, I took a long sip...enjoying the taste....taking note of where it might be in my body; my tummy.  I wondered how I would feel...what nutrients were in there....or if it were all sugar.  The semi full feeling never really registered all the other times I've ordered a treat there.  I was so involved in everything else; discussion, people passing through, orders being taken from other customers, dishes being moved about, wooden chairs sliding across the tile floor.  I really wasn't paying attention all the time. But this time the hunger pains were forced to leave, my worries were forgotten and my body was given energy.

You may be wondering where I'm going with this.  There is a beautiful parallel here, because....

In the same way I go through life occupying my time with things that keep me busy.  All these things that I give my time to are so very valuable and important to me.  Yet, when I am taking time out of my day to feast, or just sip on God's word...it's a filling....it's satisfying me in ways nothing else compares. 

Just as I need to eat to fuel my body to keep going to complete the tasks required of the day.....I also need these meals to sustain me and empower me for whatever God leads me through.  I don't know what lies ahead...I just know that I will need fuel for the Journey; comfort food to carry me through my crossings.

Lessons

In an earlier blog post, I had written about taking violin lessons from a most precious teacher.  One of the things I did this morning to prepare for my lesson, was tune a second violin I purchased from Amazon for under $50 (including shipping and handling) so that I may begin teaching others one day. 

When I first ordered it, I hoped it would be a full violin, with a bow and a case....but doubt filled my mind.  A Barbie sized violin was what I thought I would recieve.  Yet to my amazement, I was blessed with beauty, held securely in a distinguished looking black zipper case.  It also included a bow too!!

However, when I set the adult-sized violin to my shoulder to pull the horsehair across the strings....YUCK!!!  EWWWWEEE!!  Nothing but pain poured out!!  Automatically I felt like I was ripped off!!  No wonder it was so cheap!!

Still, I would take it to my teacher and see what he thought.

The first week I showed it to him, I told him I thought the strings were all G or D...because they were all so low after I tried tuning it.  He looked it over carefully, tuning it by plucking the strings to his and adjusting the knobs, admiring the finish....noting that it was such a fine instrument.  He warned me to be patient and keep tuning it, as it will take some time for the strings to stretch into place.

Reluctantly I did as he asked, tuning it to my violin which I tuned with a pitch pipe.  Yet, I wouldn't play the new one, until last night and this morning.  I didn't want to hear that aweful sound again!!!   though when I did play last night....it sounded pleasant.  So again this morning I practiced my lesson with it...along with the Christmas music (It's time to start practicing....Christmas will be here sooner than I think!). 

I determined that I wouldn't even take out my violin in the classroom (but I took it with me just in case...pardon the pun)...so this violin would continue being conditioned.  Again my dear teacher tuned my violin and gushed compliments on this new violin...happy he would get to hear it's sound.  When I told him that this violin has a sort of "hollow" sound to it...he tenderly said that each violin has it's own sound. No...I didn't waste my money.

In the same way, I have high expectations of myself.  I won't like how something turned out...."if I only did this", or "I should have done that".  I compare myself to others; they look this way, they act that way...they can do this...I don't know how to do that. But God sees my beauty, He hears my heart. I need to ignore the voice of negativity...the enemy of my soul. I have my own "sound" and the Music Teacher loves hearing it.  He didn't waste His "money".

Bungie Jumping

Some time ago my husband and I were in Lowes looking in the bird feeder section for a device that feeds squirrels.  My parents used to have one on their tree to where my dad would put walnuts on it and corn cobs too.  It was wonderful watching them feed....so we were looking for something like that.

What we found was a rectangular "granola bar" cube sealed in a cellophane wrapper. Attatched to this large feeding treat was a chain and a bungie chord covered with a material (probably to keep the little critters from pinching their toes) and a hook.  We bought one, imagining what it would look like when the squirrels would leap to the bar, swinging as they ate.

At home, we attached it to a shepherd's hook, but the chain was too long.  So we shortened it, still leaving the bungie part.  A couple of days later, the sqirrels were seen scampering up and down the tree to the pole...even leaping from bird feeder to bird feeder to get to the block of seed.  The block disappeard in a couple of days.  So we added more...and they disappeard quicker each time.

The squirrels soon figured out that if they positioned themselves on the shepherds hook just so, they could get the seed loaf to swing to them...thus giving the squirrel very little challenge.

Lately I had my boys move the bungie chord to where the chain wrapped around a large branch......after all, it was a bungie chord....not a buffet table.   For a long time, the fresh seed loaf was left alone.

I worried that I had my boys move it too far away...I worried about the animals starving.  But my son told me that when they get hungry enough, they'll figure it out.

Then as I walked from my house to my car, I heard angry chattering from the squirrels...as if they were telling me to move it back....still I ignored them trusting what my son had said.

About a week later I noticed some of the loaf was missing, but figured it was the birds that I saw fly to it from time to time.

Then...sure enough...I spotted this little squirrel leap from the tree to the loaf...the rectangular shape swinging back and forth as it held on momentarily to grab what it could...then this tiny rodent jumped back to the tree ...as if to take a rest then repeated the process.

I understand more why campers are to tie their food WAY UP in a tree from larger wild animals....this tiny squirrel of mine figured out the puzzle.

In the same way.....the disciples when they were with Jesus....they were treated to everything He gave.  They watched Him perform miracles, they heard Him speak with Authority to the Pharisees, they felt Him calm storms and they spoke when He asked them to speak when they were instructed to go out to others.  It must have been most awesome "feasting" on Life!

But then Jesus was crucified and three day's later He rose again.....then ascended into Heaven. If I may, the disciples "bungie loaf" was moved.  Just like there was no sound when I had the "bungie loaf" moved for the squirrels....I'm sure the disciples were even more confused than the squirrels.  I'm sure they even voiced their opinions to God in prayer just as the squirrels chattered away...as if to tell me to move it back so they could eat once again.

But then, after time passed, the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples (and others in the upper room) just as the Jesus promised because of their patience....and once again, they were being fed...being encouraged.

I must stop and ask myself....am I going to waste time complaining about not being comfortable, or am I going to be patient and wait for God to show me how to grow...knowing He will supply all my needs.

As I described in my earlier post...there were two dishes I dearly loved, that became almost glued together when the large ceramic coffee cup was placed in the 4 cup measuring cup during my time of washing dishes. 

For nothing at all would they separate...everything I tried wouldn't work.  I thought for sure the coffee cup would end up getting smashed so that I could use the 4 cup coffee cup.

But I hung on to them....thinking they would be a great object lesson when teaching.

Today, I was doing dishes and noticed the two "glued" dishes sitting by the window while I was running the garbage disposal.  I picked them up, while the garbage disposal was running....which was doing nothing, except vibrating the sink.  The coffee cup teetered in the measuring cup!!!  OH!!  With just a little bit of wiggling and jiggling the two pieces....the coffee cup and the measuring cup separated!!  Their "world" was being moved, so they were forced to change.

YES!!!!!  Now I can use both of them...and the other large coffee cup has a twin (something for my hubby and I to use :)  I couldn't stop singing and dancing about the kitchen for a while because I was soooo estatic that niether had to be shattered!

In the same way...like I wrote about Facebook in the last post....It was necessary for Facebook and I to be separated...I thought one of us would be shattered...and in my sillyness...I thought it would be me...because I sooo LOVE the people on there and what Facebook provides. 

It was unhealthy in the way I was using Facebook.  Kind of as if I was setting that coffee mug within my measuring cup....I allowed Facebook to consume most of my heart. Nothing else got much of my time. 

Our "worlds" were moved (like the vibration of the garbage disposal) through that virus (mentioned in the last blog post).  I could go back, but there is a saying "Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results".

Facebook and I are still separated.....I am filling the "void" with necessary things like housework and studying.  My email account is a means of communication, just as is the telephone, snail mail....and of course, face to face :)

Facebook is still meeting the needs and wants of so many....and will continue to do so.

My life will continue to have "garbage disposal" moments.....the question is how will I respond when I feel the vibration?

The other day I was doing dishes and happen to set a favorite large coffee cup in a 4 cup measuring cup in a sink full of bubbley water.  When I went to wash this coffee cup, it wouldn't separate from the measuring cup. Pulling, pushing, twisting, jiggling.....adding soap to the areas of contact...nothing.  Right now they are still firmly secured together next to my sink, in hopes that some moment they will decide to separate so that I may use them for their intention.


Yet, I'm afraid one may have to be shattered for me to use the other. My choice would be the measuring cup, becasue I need to use it.  The coffee cup is large....I LOVE  large coffee cups....but, I do have other coffee cups....and I only have coffee once in a while.


In the same way...there are things that I LOVE such as Facebook.  I used to be on there SO MUCH, it was an addiction.  Like the coffee cup and measuring cup...I am a wonderful individual and Facebook is an awesome means of communication.....but I was spending too much time on there.  Many times I've tried to break away from it....to give myself balance...so I could do the things that were necessary,but I always found myself glued to searching out what's going on in those I love lives. Until here recently......


I foolishly opened an email from a friend whom I"m sure wasn't a part of it...but someone hacked into his file and sent me this .....grrrr.....email. The title included something about blogging and I thought that since I posted my blog online, he read it and was posting his for me to read.  NOPE!  My computer went haywire!!! UGH!! And it started sending messages to everyone in my facebook address book!!!


So...because of  this horrible virus and other small viruses and glitches that my computer has obtained through my EXTREME attachment to Facebook....though I love Facebook...and moreso the beautiful lives on Facebook...I am allowing this means of communication to be removed from my life....a "shattering" if I may....so that I may be used by God to my fullest potential.


It's been difficult. At first I was BORED literally to tears and momentary grumbling....but now that it's been a little while....I'm actually enjoying the peace.  Things are getting done too.