Once upon a "Silent Night"...

Today is already December 3rd  13th now, which totally trampled my heartfelt intention of posting each day this month, something that inspires me to anticipate in a new way the birthday of our Savior.

The bad news is that this month of December (well, really the last week of November on) is the most ridiculous time of year for any musician or lover of the arts as there is SO much to fill our schedules.

If it's not teaching, it's my not-by-my-choice-soon-to-be-over cleaning job. If it's not that, it's rehearsals. If not rehearsals, it's extra rehearsals or last minute sectionals, or planning for final recitals or preparing for student juries or production planning or performances for the first production I am involved in with the THAA. And then it's more and more and more for the second production which is this coming was this past weekend for Prairie... did I mention rehearsals and more mopping of floors and additional preparations?

Once in a while, if my dear husband is so lucky, I will have time to make a meal or spot clean our own home. Thank you for being so patient with your crazy and passionate artist wife and even blessing me by doing the dishes once in a while :)

What can I say? I take pride in what I do. I may be poor in monetary gain for my work but goodness knows that for an artist, it's so much more.

If I wanted to make my millions I would have continued down my initial thoughts of a career choice in the medical field. Thank God I couldn't manage to grasp the concepts of Math no matter how many days a week I went in for help in high school. I never would have imagine then, how deeply in love I would fall with my music and teaching.

I don't wave my hands in front of all 27 of them expecting perfection. 95% of them don't even read music. And yet, when it's all sung and lights come back on bright and they say to me "Teacher, I messed up here and there"... I can honestly say, "I didn't even hear it" because the excitement on their faces and the glorious efforts that they have put forth to learn what they have been gifted to do are more important to me than being the best.

And this year, Prairies 69th Annual Christmas Music Night titled "Silent Night", that those three and I talked about and planned as they learn under my often failing wing, was the most beautiful and perfect program that they could have given me. I am humbled and inspired. 

Thank you to my dear students who love to learn and inspire me to create! Merry Christmas and enjoy your time off because January is going to be CRAZY with LOTS of new music :)

PBI Choir 2012/2013. A new generation posed on the foundation of the old Prairie Tabernacle. 

Just another day...

It's just another day it seems. An overcast, chilly spring day. The date is not a mark the calendar kind. I've done 6 loads of laundry with 3 more to go. Dishes are waiting, the bathroom needs scrubbing, my floors need attention from my hands and knees and we all know that the hallways outside my little home would love to be freed from the muddy trails that have made their way in from shoes worn out... Yes it is just another day.

                              

My heart, however, tells me otherwise. There is something about this day that brings an overwhelming sense of emotion. Some would say "Oh, she's just being an artist today" and I smile to myself thinking "Thank you" because I've been learning that it is not always a bad thing.

                                      
I have experienced 9,780 days thus far on this earth and each one of those has been as different from each other as any one thing in this world.

How can it be "Just another day" when each one is comprised of completely different tasks, events, people or a lack there of? When each moment carries a different emotion or feeling or desire?

It can't.


We can let ourselves believe it is because it's often easier to just carry on as if there is nothing really important to concern ourselves with.

But it's not Truth.

The truth is: there isn't one moment in time, one strand on a persons head, one grain of sand that is like any other of it's kind and yet we so often choose to ignore the sign's.

The truth is: I have another opportunity to serve my neighbours today through my "cleaning lady" job. I have another chance to say "I've missed you this week" by preparing our home for his arrival. I have another moment that is given to me in order to feel their touch and love through the pain and long for the ones far away and pray with the ones here today... 

"Just another day", my heart says you will have no place in my time-table.

                                    

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."  Genesis 1:31