"Be still and know that I am God..." (Ps. 46:10)
"Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling....If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, "because you have kept My command to persevere..." (Rev. 3:10). Continue to persevere spiritually."
(From Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest--2.22)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday Night Fun
Elizabeth, a fellow JMU grad student and flutist, came over this evening and had pizza with us--specially-ordered vegetarian, along with my "everything" and a bunch of added hot things. (Uncle George takes good care of Aunt Marilou and me, and any guests that come. :) The snap shot is the best of self-taken photos, which Elizabeth took right before we sat down to watch the last of the Bourne trilogy, Bourne Ultimatum. We also enjoyed ice cream. Mine is melting on the counter behind me in the picture.
On a more serious note, I was praying for an opportunity to give her a Bridge tract. After the video ended, she came up to my room, and somehow I managed to give it to her with some brief explanation in between conversations about chocolate, tae-bo, canoeing, and Spring Break. I thank the Lord for this, even though I wasn't able to walk through it with her. I know God's Word will not return void, so I pray He will use this for further conversations.
As for the rest of my weekend, under the not-so-relaxing category, I will be performing Bach's Prelude in Bb minor (WTC 1) in a Bach Prelude and Fugue concert by JMU pianists Sunday night at 8pm. But other than that, I look forward to a bunch of reading for jazz history seminar, lesson plans for my class piano students, attending the JMU Wind Symphony concert tomorrow afternoon with my aunt, and lunch with a family from church Sunday afternoon. Spring Break begins next weekend!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Auditions, Running, and Hope
Thankfully, I am past auditions, at least for the time being. But 481 students have auditioned for JMU's School of Music over three days this semester. My role--a much calmer and nearly stress-free one--has been to give Class Piano placement tests. Every music major must complete or test out of 2-3 years of these classes designed to teach them the basics of keyboarding (scales, arpeggios, chord progressions, harmonization/transposition, and sight reading). I am currently teaching a MUS 101 class, so I, along with two other TA's and the pedagogy director, Dr. Pat Brady, met with many of these prospective students to determine what level they will be placed in if they are accepted into the program. A 25% acceptance rate makes the competition rather stiff.
With two of the three audition days being last Saturday and today, my recent schedule has been a little different, but a nice change. Since I am not quite as buried by my own studies this semester, I enjoy variety a little bit more! I get to babysit Wednesday night, and I even had time for an outdoor run this afternoon. But a front is blowing in, and my lungs reminded me of how much they do NOT appreciate wind. Oh well--signs of spring give me hope for running days to return. :)
Hope is a wonderful thing.
With two of the three audition days being last Saturday and today, my recent schedule has been a little different, but a nice change. Since I am not quite as buried by my own studies this semester, I enjoy variety a little bit more! I get to babysit Wednesday night, and I even had time for an outdoor run this afternoon. But a front is blowing in, and my lungs reminded me of how much they do NOT appreciate wind. Oh well--signs of spring give me hope for running days to return. :)
Hope is a wonderful thing.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
February 13th and Faithfulness
This date last year, I was anticipating the completion of my senior recital. Now, I'm one year away from a graduate recital. Wow. In thinking of all the changes that have taken place in the last year, I value even more the solid, unchanging, and faithful character of the Lord. One of my favorite promises He made to Israel is found in Isaiah 54:10: "'For the mountains may depart and the hills disappear, but even then I will remain loyal to you. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,' says the LORD, who has mercy on you." While the promise was made specifically to Israel, this loyalty of our God has many parallels in the NT--Phil. 1:6, I Thess. 5:24, Heb 13:5--to mention a few.
Life is a vapor. And even my sincerest loyalties must seem insignificant in light of God's eternal faithfulness. Yet what a Model! How thankful I am for this and other attributes that reveal His unfathomableness.
Life is a vapor. And even my sincerest loyalties must seem insignificant in light of God's eternal faithfulness. Yet what a Model! How thankful I am for this and other attributes that reveal His unfathomableness.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Worth Waiting For
"As a gift of grace, sanctification is conferred on each believer as soon as he believes. But it is a gift yet held on deposit, 'hid with Christ in God,' to be appropriated through daily communion and gradual apprehension. So, while the believer's realized sanctification appears painfully meager, at most a thin line of light, like the crescent of the new moon, yet he sees it ever complemented by the clear outlines of that rounded wholeness which is his in the Lord Jesus, and into which he is to be daily waxing till he grows to 'the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13)." -A.J. Gordon
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God you whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thess. 5:23).
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God you whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thess. 5:23).
Friday, February 1, 2008
Time to Fall
I made it through four years at Northland with no falls on ice. Now I am in Virginia and today, I hit the ground! Thankfully it was right after I crossed the street, and not during. What came down as rain last night hardened into a thick sheet of ice. Although I had to chisel the Trooper this morning, the roads seemed fine. My first encounter with ice was the curb onto which I stepped, or tried to step, but had absolutely no footing! I'm fine. Nothing hurt. My hands stayed clear of the whole thing as one maneuvered the umbrella and the other held the cell phone. My peaceful conversation with Mom was soon interrupted by a "eeaaahhh...(thump)...I just fell...After four years!...I'm fine." Haha. Glad I can laugh about it. Although the only other potential amusers were those driving by. Oh well.
Beside that (or maybe even including it :), it has been a good week. I have missed Northland more, as this week is HEART Conference--something I always looked forward to. But I must say that I didn't miss the -40 degree windchill. The cold, the snow--those bring back good memories. But the wind is not quite as inviting!
I've added an accompanying recital for April, working with a violin/viola player who attends the Sunday night Bible study. He's doing the Copland Sonata and a set of Ralph Vaughan Williams pieces. It is some challenging music with polytonalities and changing meters, so I look forward to working on that. Also, I believe I will be able to participate in the music worship at church on occasion, starting in March. I'm very grateful for this opportunity.
I keep waiting for the busyness of last semester to hit, but so far, I am accomplishing everything I need to, as well as having extra time! Teaching is going well, although I am facing many of the typical challenges of education. This has provided an opportunity for me to stimulate my creativity (or more likely my problem-solving skills!) and try to come up with ways to face them effectively. How thankful I am for the peace of God's continual presence, His active work in my life, and His wisdom. Just this morning, I was refreshed by the simple truths of the gospel.
I did nothing! I deserve nothing. Yet I have been given everything! And I am here to share that with those around me:
"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers...that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 4,6
Beside that (or maybe even including it :), it has been a good week. I have missed Northland more, as this week is HEART Conference--something I always looked forward to. But I must say that I didn't miss the -40 degree windchill. The cold, the snow--those bring back good memories. But the wind is not quite as inviting!
I've added an accompanying recital for April, working with a violin/viola player who attends the Sunday night Bible study. He's doing the Copland Sonata and a set of Ralph Vaughan Williams pieces. It is some challenging music with polytonalities and changing meters, so I look forward to working on that. Also, I believe I will be able to participate in the music worship at church on occasion, starting in March. I'm very grateful for this opportunity.
I keep waiting for the busyness of last semester to hit, but so far, I am accomplishing everything I need to, as well as having extra time! Teaching is going well, although I am facing many of the typical challenges of education. This has provided an opportunity for me to stimulate my creativity (or more likely my problem-solving skills!) and try to come up with ways to face them effectively. How thankful I am for the peace of God's continual presence, His active work in my life, and His wisdom. Just this morning, I was refreshed by the simple truths of the gospel.
I did nothing! I deserve nothing. Yet I have been given everything! And I am here to share that with those around me:
"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers...that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 4,6
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