Once again I feel blessed with a wonderful month of happy things. Composing, singing, playing the harp, playing the piano, are definitely highlights of every month. These things were also the heartbeat of my life in April. In addition I was able to get out of town for a long weekend to see family and … [Read more…]
I forgot to post my list. I’ve still been keeping track, but have been so busy with lots of wonderful things that I forgot to upload this. March included a trip to Disney World with family, starting to learn to play the harp, some early gardening and garden planning, and finishing several compositions. Whew! As … [Read more…]
I must say that February has been a bit better than January for finding happy things. And, as a result it was a lot easier to focus on the things that make me happy. Like so many other things, this requires practice. In case you missed the January post, this idea comes from 14,000 Things … [Read more…]
May the Love of the Father is yet another moving prayer from John Birch. It calls upon the power of the Holy Trinity to lift our spirits bringing peacefulness to our lives. John Birch has an ability to convey the mystery God’s love in language that speaks to the modern day heart. May the love … [Read more…]
I’ve written before about the book 14,000 things to be happy about by Barbara Ann Kipfer. I think that focusing on happy thing of the things we are happy about is a fabulous strategy for improving health and happiness. So, I decided to do a monthly blog post about my happy things. Finding things to … [Read more…]
One of the lessons I am learning as an adult student of both composition and voice is humility. This humility is necessary in order to set aside any excess pride or superiority that can interfere with my learning. That isn’t always comfortable. Some definitions of humility include. While I believe all of these definitions are … [Read more…]
Veni, Veni Emmanuel (O Come, O come Emmanuel) is an anthem for Advent, utilizing SATB choir, piano, and handbells, anticipating the coming of Christ. It includes both Latin and English lyrics of praise, worship, and anticipation. I have always loved handbells. I spent a lot of my life at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio … [Read more…]
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines responsibility in several ways. The two most relevant to this post include: 1. the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone 2. a moral obligation to behave correctly toward or in respect of: individuals have a responsibility to control … [Read more…]
May the Peace of God is based on Philippians 4:7 and offers an assurance that we do not need to be anxious about anything. God has it all covered in ways that we cannot even begin to understand. In times of doubt, pray. In times of uncertainty, pray. When we have troubled minds, pray. Protect … [Read more…]
Things are rarely one and done. Sometimes we have to repeat the work. I don’t know about you, but I find that fact really annoying. This is true for me whether we are talking about reps at the gym or playing the piano. It is also true about cleaning the house, doing the dishes, or … [Read more…]