On the Border

Ever been to the border? Oh, I don’t mean a geographical border, although those can be fun to visit.  I am talking about the border between right and wrong, between good and best, between faith and feeling.  Those difficult places in which we are forced to face ourselves and make a choice that will alter our lives, sometimes irrevocably. 

I have been on the border many times.  Not too long ago, I stood on the border at Walmart (this is not a corny joke).  Here is the scenario:

I went to Walmart to pick up a few groceries using a gift card.  The gift card did not work, even though it had a balance that more than covered the amount of my purchases.  After numerous employees, managers, and personnel had come over to work their magic on the card, it still refused to scan.  Sigh.  I really would hate to be the person behind me in line.  They ended up keying in the card number and transferring the remaining balance to a new gift card, in hopes that it would work better.  Twenty minutes after scanning my card for the first time, I walked out of the store with my melting ice cream.

Several days later, in another far-off city, I again made some purchases at my less-than-favorite store.  The “new” gift card was pulled out, and the cashier told me that it probably would not scan on the customer side of the register, since the swiper/scanner thing had not been working for several months.  Then he tried to scan my card on the cashier side of the register.  Nada.  I groaned within myself as he swiped again and again, trying in vain to get the card to work.  Frantically swiping my card up and down repeatedly, he called for a manager.  My face felt hot as the people in line behind me began muttering and looking for another, faster-moving line.  After several more attempts, and even keying in the card number, it still didn’t register.  Solution:  let’s move to another register.  The manager transferred my purchases to another register, and told me to come with him.  Guess what?  He put me in front of several people who had moved to avoid being behind me in the previous lane.  {mortified}  They couldn’t believe their bad luck, either.

To make a long story short, I finally got out of the store after a very long check-out process.  I sat in the truck and glanced over my receipt, only to find that I hadn’t paid for one of my items!  Somehow, although they had picked it up and put it in the bag, it had never been scanned.  I checked the bag, to see if it really was in there, then looked at the receipt again.  Nope – definitely not there.  Rats.  I really did not want to go back into the store and go through the whole gift-card fiasco again.  I just wanted to go home!  I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit telling me to go back and pay for the item.  That is the right thing to do.  “But I don’t want to go back in there,” I protested.  At this point, I was considering just throwing the item out the window into the parking lot and driving away.  Definitely standing on the border.  I decided to compromise.  I will call the store, tell them what happened, and see what they say.  I was hoping that they would just say something like,

“Oh, that’s okay – we overcharge people all the time, so you can just have that inexpensive item on the house.”  Really.  I was hoping that.   

It didn’t happen that way. They told me that I could just bring the item back – and pay for it.  Resignedly, I dragged myself out of the truck, grabbed the item, and went back into the store.  I was greatly relieved when the store entry sirens did not go off as I walked between them.  After another long hassle with the gift card, I walked out of the store with not only my twice-bought, once-paid-for item, but also a clean conscience.  

Sometimes the border is clearly defined, but other times it can be hard to discern through the mist of feelings that we can experience.  I have seen so many people stand on the border and make the wrong choice, and my heart aches for them.  Every choice we make helps determine our direction, and if you cross enough borders, eventually, you will end up somewhere you never intended to be.   The lesson I learned:  when faced with a choice, listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Then follow that leading!  Don’t let your feelings dictate your choices.

Guatemala–Part 3

Thursday was quite busy, and after breakfast, we packed up our things in preparation for being gone all day.  Our team was joined by the four men who attend the Bible Institute at the church, some of their family members, a missionary family on deputation to go to Bolivia, and several church members.  There were about thirty people in all.  We packed a lunch and packed into the three vehicles.

Our First stop was in San Martin, a town about 45 minutes away, where there is a fledgling church.  Long story, but Daniel (the missionary) is now pastoring that work, too.  We handed out flyers and tracts all over the neighborhood where the services were to be held that evening, then loaded into the vehicles again.

Man reading a flyer that he was given

Ladies at the corner store grinding their cornmeal for tortillas and their refried beans

Lady with children (one is in the sling) and a basket on her head – just a thought, if you carry your basket on  your head, does it really need handles? :)

After we passed out all our flyers and tracts, we headed up the mountain to some remote villages.  It was then that we realized our vehicle only had brakes when it was in neutral. Uh-oh!  It was a little scary when we had to turn around and almost went over the cliff!  Thank the Lord there was a large ditch that caught us!  We lost reverse, too, and had to push the car out of the ditch.  We did a lot of praying on that trip! 

After extricating ourselves from the ditch, we walked up and down the roads in the village, passing out Romans booklets, and inviting people to a service.  We also had a drawing for a soccer ball giveaway, and gave everyone in attendance a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Samuel, one of the Bible Institute students, preached a Gospel message.

This young mother was quite attentive, and responded at the invitation, along with several others.

After the first service, we went to a nearby secondary school, and were given permission to have a service there as well.  The students were very attentive, and though I know of no decisions made, they were given a clear Gospel presentation.

Leaving the villages, we headed back to San Martin for the evening service.  We had a good crowd, and afterward made banana splits for everyone!

On the way home that night, Mom and I rode in the Spanish-speaking vehicle (they didn’t want to risk driving in the brake-less vehicle with all of us, so we were dispersed accordingly among the safe cars).  It was a little awkward at first, since I know only enough Spanish to be extremely dangerous, and the silence was somewhat strained.  Then, I decided to speak with the driver, Edwin, who, I found, had been to the states several times, and spoke some English.

We continued the drive speaking “Spanglish” to one another, with lots of “huh?s” and “que?s” and “what?s” sprinkled in among the conversation.  The others must have just been listening to his side of the conversation and laughing at my pronunciation and bad grammar, but they said nothing.  He asked about our political situation, the current president, and a few previous presidents.  Then he asked about the governor – was he a good man?  I was puzzled for a moment, not knowing which governor he meant, then he said, “Schwartznegger!”  I laughed right out loud, and everyone else in the car did as well!  Apparently our politics are somewhat of a curiosity to them.  I can hardly wonder at that, though, since I am somewhat puzzled by the people we elect sometimes, too!

It was quite late when we got back to the church, and I was so glad to finally get in bed after a long and fruitful day!

Thus ended the third day.

To be continued…

Remembering Nathan–Ten Years

I can hardly believe it has been ten years.  Some days  it seems an eternity ago, and others, it seems as if it was only yesterday.  It was ten years ago that a very difficult pregnancy ended several weeks early, and my second child came into the world.

It was ten years ago, as I lay on the operating table after an emergency C-section, violently shaking with the aftereffects of the anesthesia, that I wondered where my baby was.  I groggily asked the anesthesiologist if it was a boy or a girl, but he wasn’t sure.  I thought that was odd, but in that post-op state of mind, I figured that maybe he just didn’t know.  After a few more minutes, I asked again.  This time, he answered slowly, reluctantly, “It’s a boy, but he is having a hard time breathing.”

It was ten years ago that I began praying for my son, begging God to help him breathe, pleading for the life of my son.

It was ten years ago that God answered my prayer, not with the answer I so desperately wanted to hear, but with a sorrowful, “No, Sarah.  My grace is sufficient for thee.”  As I lay on the table, I knew. My son was not going to live.

It was ten years ago that my husband and I heard the news from the doctor, “Your son has responded to the latest round of treatment, but I’m afraid it is too little, too late.  It will only give you enough time to say goodbye.”

It was ten years ago that I held my dying baby in my arms, touching his tiny face, watching him struggle, and still praying, hoping that God would do a miracle.

It was ten years ago that for the first time, I realized the magnitude of God’s love for me.  I would not have traded my son’s life for any price, if I had had the choice, but God sent His Son, His only beloved Son, to die for me, to taste death in my place, to pay the price for my sin, and not for mine only, but for the sins of the whole world.

It was ten years ago that my husband and I committed the tiny life that God had given us so briefly back to the Giver.  Nathan, our gift, a precious few moments of life committed to our care, left our earthly arms to rest in the eternal arms of Jesus.

It was ten years ago that I entered the valley of the shadow of death.  My world came to a total standstill.  It was the darkest, bleakest time of my life.  The sleepless nights and tearful days became the new “normal.”  The huge, painful lump in my throat became bigger, and finally settled in my chest, making conversation difficult, and laughter impossible.

It was ten years ago that I claimed by faith, God’s promise, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  Faith was the only way I could claim that promise, because I could not envision or even imagine a morning of joy. 

It was ten years ago that I decided I would not give up on God because He had allowed this tragedy in my life.  I read my Bible, prayed, attended church, all the while secretly wanting to slap the next person that quoted Romans 8:28 to me.  Oh, I knew that God did work out all things for my good, but I really didn’t want a verse flippantly quoted to me by someone whose life had never been shattered into pieces.  It sounds scandalous for me to say such a thing, but it is the absolute and candid truth.

It was ten years ago that I began to know and experience, in a whole new way, God’s sustaining grace.  The strength that helped me to get out of bed each day, to care for my young son, Josiah.  The grace to endure thoughtless comments, when all I wanted to do was lash out in hurt.  The grace to see other mothers hold their babies when mine was gone.  The grace to reach out to others when my own grief was so great.

It was ten years ago that God began to give me a deeper compassion for people who are hurting.  Even now, when I hear of the death of a child, a miscarriage, or stillbirth, my heart breaks for those who have lost that precious child, because I know the terrible, overwhelming grief and loss.  I can truly sympathize because I have been there. 

Yes, it was ten years ago that Nathan came into my life.  My life is forever changed because of the hour that I had with him.  The sorrow is still there, but it no longer casts a shadow over everything.  I still cry when I think about my son.  I still miss him and mourn his loss.  I still feel guilty when I say I have four children, rather than five, simply because I cannot talk about it without crying.  However, I know I will see him again some day.  I will be able to share with him the love that I hold in my heart, and in that day, I will, for the first time, truly understand all that God was doing in my life. 

These are a few of the lessons I have learned in the last ten years:

1.  God’s grace is always sufficient.

2.  Romans 8:28 is still true, even when it doesn’t feel true.

3.  Joy  will come in the morning.  The night of weeping may be long, but eventually, the dawn will come.

4.  God loves me.  Enough to send His Son to die for me. 

5.  People really do care, but sometimes they don’t know how to let you know.

6.  Life is uncertain.  Treasure every moment.

7.  God’s plan for your life is good, acceptable, and perfect, even though you may not understand it.

8.  Faith will sustain you through any trial.

Above All

It seems as if the Lord is testing my faith right now.  Testing its length, breadth, width, and depth.  Testing its strengths and weaknesses.  Trying its endurance and perspective.  Stretching me to points that seem painful without giving release from the pressure.  Some days I wonder if I am going pass this testing period, or if I will fail and have to re-take this test again.  Most days, I am not even sure over what exactly I am being tested.

There are days when it seems overwhelming.  Those days when you just cry out, “Lord, I believe!  Help Thou mine unbelief!”  Those days when that proverbial mustard seed just falls out of your pocket, and you are desperately trying to find it, knowing that it is necessary for your survival. 

For without faith, it is really hard  to please God.  No, wait…

Impossible.

It isn’t just hard to please God without faith – it is totally impossible.  You cannot do it.  You must scrounge up that mustard seed of faith and hang onto it for dear life. 

Why is having faith so difficult, so against our nature?  Because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  We cannot see what God is doing, and therefore we doubt Him.  We doubt that He is working all things for our good and His glory.  We doubt that He really has everything under control, because it seems so out of control from our perspective.  The sin that so easily besets us is, I believe, the sin of unbelief.  We are all prone to faith failures, and it can happen so quickly.  That mustard seed of faith is so easily replaced with a seed of doubt.  Is God really all He promised to be?  Is He really hearing my prayers?  Is this trial really for my good?

Perhaps you have slightly different questions, and vastly different situations, but if we are honest, we have all been there at one time or another.  Those times when our feelings tell us one thing, and God’s Word tells us another.  What is the answer of faith in trying circumstances?  Be still, and know that I am God.  Know.  Believe.  Trust.  Have faith.  Stop everything.  Focus on the fact that He is God, the all-knowing, all-powerful, everlasting God.  The One Who knows you, sees you, hears you, answers you, and loves you.  The One Who asks you to trust Him and believe that He is everything He said He would be.  The One Who knows the end from the beginning.  The One Who sees the sparrow fall.  He is there.  He is God.  Have faith.

Sometimes this “head knowledge” is denied by the way I live my life.  I am sorry to say that doubt creeps into my heart at times, and I must remind myself of these things.  Thank the Lord for His Word, which gently rebukes and corrects my errant thoughts.  Just yesterday, I was reading in Ephesians 6 about the armor of God.  I don’t know how many times I have read or heard that passage quoted.  In the light of this thought, I noticed something that had never stuck out to me before.  As it lists the pieces of armor we are to wear and carry, it says,

“Above all, taking the shield of faith…” 

I paused in my reading at that point and read it again.  Above all.  More than any other piece of equipment.  The one we absolutely cannot survive without – faith.  I read it , pondered it, and marveled as God spoke to my heart once again.  “Trust Me.  Believe.  Be still and know. Your crisis is a faith crisis.  Above all, you need to know that this is of Me.  That this is for your good.  That I love you, my child.  Just trust Me.”

I wish I could end the story with, “So she did, and she lived happily ever after.”  However, the story is far from over.  It is still being written. My desire is that one day, I will stand before God and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”  May God increase my faith.

Take No Thought

Recently, I have been reading through the gospel of Matthew in my personal devotions.  There are times in my life when I allow circumstances or situations to control the direction of my thoughts, and that always seems to put things in a negative light.  “How will this situation ever be resolved?” or the equally bad, “What if…(you fill in the blank) happens or does not happen?”  Questions like these can take over my mind in such a short time, when I dwell on the situation and not the One who is in control of the situation. 

I read the other morning, just when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by some circumstances, God’s perspective on the issue.  “Take no thought.”  Those words hit me like a bucket of cold water.  Clear, refreshing, and invigorating words of God, that spoke directly to me.  It was as if He spoke aloud through those words, “Sarah, my child, take no thought for those things that lay so heavily on your mind this morning.  Those tiny birds that nest in your gutters – I clothe and feed them, provide a home for them, and you are so much more dear to Me than they are.  If I take care of them, will I not take care of you?  And those beautiful flowers that bloom in the spring and summer – how glorious they are, but I provide their clothing and nourishment!  They only last a little while, but I care enough about them to meet their very temporary needs.  Will I not do the same for you, o ye of little faith?”

The passage goes to to ask if we think anything will be changed by taking thought, or worrying about it, and I have to say, “No, nothing will change by my worrying.”  Why then, am I consumed with care?  I must conclude that it is because my faith is weak, or perhaps my heart is hardened, as in the disciples’ case, when they considered not the miracle of the loaves and fishes. (Mark 6:52)  They had seen God do amazing things, but when they were in a crisis, they did not consider His miracles in the past, and they were filled with fear.  It is not as if God has neglected me in the past.  On the contrary, He has abundantly supplied for all of our needs, in so many amazing ways!  He has reconciled relationships, resolved conflicts, provided food, shelter, and clothing, and, I am sorry to say, that there are still times when my faith falters and I begin to wonder how it will all work out.

“Therefore, take no thought…

for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye

have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

Matthew 6:31a, 32b, 33-34a

Perhaps this lesson is for me alone today, but perhaps it may be an encouragement to you as well.  In the coming weeks, I know there are many more uncertainties ahead.  My hope and prayer is that I will take no thought, but instead trust my heavenly Father to provide whatever I may need, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional.  Can I challenge you to do the same?  Let us use each situation to increase our faith.

Priorities

I suppose every New Year brings a flood of resolutions and plans that range from losing weight, to eating a more healthy diet, quitting a bad habit, starting a good habit, or improving some area of your life.

I am no stranger to these kind of resolutions, and I must say, that the ones I need to focus on most are usually the one that get kicked to the side of the road first!  I recently read an e-book that dealt with this very issue.  While much of the book was superfluous to my situation, I did glean this nugget of truth: Prioritize.  The author advised instead of setting several difficult goals for the new year, to focus on the next 21 days.  She said to figure out the minimum you wanted to accomplish in that amount of time, and to cut it in half!  That amount should be your goal.  Whoa!  This is totally revolutionary!  No longer do I have this huge task looming before me – just a small goal that does not seem so insurmountable.  This narrow focus causes us to prioritize the tasks we want to accomplish, and only the most important ones will survive.

Just to show you haw this can change your goal-making plans, here are a few of my goals, both before reading the book, and after reading the book.

Before – Publish another piano arrangement book

After – Spend at least 15 minutes a week working on my piano arrangement book

Before – Lose XXX pounds

After – Exercise at least 4 days a week and substitute a protein shake for a meal at least 3 times a week

Before – Get back on the coupon wagon (I fell off and got run over sometime last year)

After – Buy a paper each week, and organize my coupons (I am still working on this one, but I need to finish it soon, since you can quickly get behind when it comes to coupons.  There is nothing worse than missing a good deal because you can’t find  a coupon!)

Just a few simple tweaks to my goals, and they all of a sudden seem so much more accessible!  I have already spent more time accomplishing these “little” goals than if I had left them as they were.  It gives a sense of accomplishment and renewed excitement each time you make the goal, and if you feel like you can do more, do it!  Don’t modify your goals, though.  Keep them simple, and you will accomplish more in the end because you will not get discouraged.

So sit down and make a list of priorities.  What do you feel you have  to accomplish this year?  What would you like  to accomplish this year?  What is something you should do, but have been putting off?  Write them all down, and take small steps to accomplishing those things a little at at time.  It might take a bit longer, but in the end, it will get done, and you can cross it off the list!

If you are interested in reading this book for yourself, check it out!

The “Do What You Can” Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better  by Holley Gerth, Revell Publishing (available on Amazon.com)

Nine Patch Project

I already mentioned that we have been reading through the Little House on the Prairie books as a family.  I am amazed at how much the children, even four-year-old Daniel, enjoy the stories.  One of the things that is mentioned frequently is Mary working on her nine-patch quilt.  As I pondered this the other day, I guessed her age at the time to be around seven years old.  Quilting already!?  Wow. 

My girls have recently shown a great interest in “stitching,” as Esther calls it.  I had an epiphany.  Why not let the girls work on their own nine patch squares?  I know I have tons of little scraps left over from  sewing projects over the years, and what better purpose could they serve?  I promptly began cutting the scraps into small squares, and told the girls the plan.  They were thrilled!  I had already taught them how to thread a needle and knot the thread at the end(this has been cause for great fun over the last few weeks, as they sew scraps of fabric together in random patterns), so they busily began to thread their needles while I cut material. 

You can see there was quite a bit of silliness going on, too.

Cutting a bunch of 3.5” squares – not too big, not too small for little hands and short attention spans!  It also works well with the leftover scrap fabrics that are too small to be used for anything else.

They each got to choose the fabrics they liked best and put them in the order that they wanted within the block.

Then the sewing began!  Disclaimer: no one was seriously injured in the making of this blog post.  I did suffer a needle stab at the hands of a very eager seamstress, but I have not suffered from lock-jaw at this point.

Here is Abigail’s first finished nine-patch square.  She is so pleased with her accomplishment.  Her goal is now to make a whole blanket.  The seams are a bit wobbly in places, but overall, I would say it looks pretty good for a first attempt!

Esther’s pattern was more symmetrical than Abigail’s was, which makes it easier to tell them apart.  Her seams were  very  wobbly, and this particular square may not stand up to very many washings, but with experience comes skill.

We had such a fun time together, laughing and sewing and talking.  They both told me as they went to bed that night, that they really enjoyed our crafting time together.  This is what being a mother is all about!

Together

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”  - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I just want to say how thankful I am for my husband.  God has given us over twelve wonderful years together.  We have had good times as well as difficult times, but in each season, God has enabled us to lift up and encourage one another.  I thought this picture was a rather apropos description of our lives together.  Two people with one shadow, separate but joined, standing side by side, showing a strength that comes from unity.  The shadow is long, indicating that we are continually being stretched, growing as God works in our lives.  By His grace, we will continue to live in the light of His love and care.  I am so glad that God’s plan was for us to be together! 

A Bad Thing

From time to time, my life is not all roses and chocolate.  Sometimes bad things happen to me.  Things that make me angry, things that make me sad, and even things that discourage me.  Last week, a bad thing happened.  For those of you that have a weak stomach, you might want to stop reading now.  I have forewarned you.

 

Last Thursday started off rather well.  Everyone in our household was ecstatic because it was the last day of school—no more teachers, no more books—you know the routine!  The kids finished their last papers and tests of the year, and we put away our pencils with a huge smile and a sigh of relief.  Summer vacation has arrived!

I spent a good part of the day baking and decorating Abigail’s birthday cake, while the kids rode bikes and played out in the oppressive heat.

 

I must mention that living in an RV has its share of challenges.  One of those is the need for dumping our sewage regularly.  Our trailer has two bathroom areas, although only one shower, so there is a sink and toilet in the kids’ bathroom as well as in the main bathroom of the trailer.  This is wonderful because it means that I can finally take a shower without someone pounding on the door as soon as I turn on the water.  However, it also means we have twice as much trouble to dump, since there are two “black water” tanks to empty.  Also, the children have not yet deciphered the meaning of , “Don’t use that toilet—it’s full!”  On more than one occasion now, they have “forgotten” and caused a major problem by  overfilling the black water tank.  I never understood how they did this until last Thursday night.

 

The tank was full, and they had been good about going in the church bathroom, since they were forbidden to use their own.  I walked into their room in the afternoon, and it really smelled terrible.  I opened the toilet lid, and saw, to my great dismay, things that I will not mention here.  Then the inquisition began.  Who had violated the rule?  One guilty party spoke up, but there was more than one person involved, I was sure, just because of the volume of black water visible in the bowl.

 

I informed my husband that he would need to try out his new macerator pump that evening.  This pump was given rave reviews on all the camping websites because of its ability to chop the sewage into tiny pieces and shoot the offending substance through a garden hose into a sewer cleanout.  This was an ideal solution for our current situation, since moving our trailer closer to the sewer cleanout at the church was an impossibility, due to the fact that another RV was parked between us and the cleanout.  No problem, we thought.  My husband hooked up the pump and turned it on, and we blissfully in the kitchen talking, when all of a sudden, he shoved me aside, ran into the back bathroom, and then headed for the door like a shot.  I hurried into the bathroom to see what was wrong, and to my absolute horror, I saw that the black water had not only backed up into the toilet and was overflowing, it had also backed up into the sink, and was now pouring over the edge like a dark version of Niagara Falls!  I screamed and started searching for old towels to sop up the mess and keep it from seeping into the carpet in the kids’ room.  I cried, and gagged at the stench, while my husband frantically worked to disconnect the pump that was filling the tank even more.  It was a bad thing… a terrible thing… probably the worst thing that has ever happened inside the walls of our trailer.  But we survived.

 

Several hours later, we went to bed.  We had the inestimable  blessing of having some friends who were able and willing to help us.  Those are true friends indeed.  The bathroom was clean, the towels were in the trash, the ventilation fans were running, and the kids were asleep in the living room.  We figured out that the kids’ sink drains into the black water tank, not into the gray water tank like ours does.  (For the uninitiated, gray water is water that drains from the shower, sinks, and washing machine.  Black water is sewage.)  That is the reason the tank was so full.  The kids had been washing their hands and brushing their teeth, further filling the tank.  We are not yet sure why the pump filled the tank more instead of emptying it, but when we tried it on the front black water tank, it worked just fine.  We still sat and watched the toilet, just to be sure. 

 

Yes, bad things happen.  Things go wrong, sometimes at an alarming rate, but we can survive.  So, just relax and remember that  you are not alone!

Ticklin’ the Ivories

Music has been a part of my life ever since I can remember.  My parents sacrificed for my brothers and me to take piano lessons.  I began taking lessons in 1984, and continued all the way through my college years and beyond.  I suppose my last formal lessons were in 2001, but I have endeavored to continue learning and improving my playing, even though I no longer have a teacher or a regular lesson time.  Those of you who do the same know how difficult it is to challenge yourself!

I have begun teaching my oldest two children, and they are coming along rather well, in spite of the irregularity of their lessons ( we do not have a piano or keyboard in the trailer, so when we are on the road, the lessons are sporadic at best).  However, they all have developed a great love for singing, playing, and anything musical.  We have a lovely piano that the Lord allowed us to purchase, and although I want to keep it free from little fingerprints, I allow my children access to this instrument at all times.   Here is Daniel picking out a tune on the piano.  He “practiced” for about twenty minutes before I snapped this picture. :)



The most important thing is that they learn to enjoy playing.  I do not believe there are ever any great musicians who do not love to play their instrument.  Dedication is good, and discipline is essential, but without the love of playing, you can never truly pass over the line to true musicianship.  I want to instill in my children a love for music that will drive them on to greater heights than I and my husband have achieved.  I do not want to pressure them to be a copy of my husband or myself, but I do want them to get the most out of our musical training.  One step at a time, I want to lead them to a love of music, and a lifetime of enjoyment serving the Lord with their talents.

Do you play an instrument?  Did you ever take lessons?  Who was the most influential teacher you ever had?