Thanks for the kind acts!

Today I was the recipient of agape. Agape is the love of the bible - not the mushy emotional feeling we get from those that attract us. It's a VERB. So... I hope the people know who they are. How do you thank them without sounding silly? One student was so kind, she raised funds for my son to help with his tour costs. It will really help. Another decided to create the fun and not wait for it to happen, so he shared music and food with those around him. I sure enjoyed rehearsal more. I hope he felt the change in the others around him. An adult told me last week that she can't make a difference any more. She doesn't have the energy left to do this. I'm sad for her and those she would help. And, my mother-in-law has a roomate for six weeks. She is extremely kind and thoughtful. She's making changes and we can see the fruits of her labor. Just simple acts of love. We have all these gifts. I think we look to give the gifts that others have instead of identifying our own talents and sharing what God gave us. Each one has so much to share with another. One person CAN make a difference. We may not notice what effect we have had on the situation until later, if at all. But, Mother Theresa was heard to say "do it anyway".

I love teaching. I am gifted everyday with the blessing of being around the students. I pray I never lose that! As I continue to work on being a better listener, I also learn to receive from others. Thanks for reading to the end. Go show love! :-)

Well, I'm very excited to have this week arrive. I get to work with my St. Mary's Central High School & Cathedral students. I will spend Wednesday evening with the Cathedral Church Choir. Anyone wanting to join us, click on the informational link on the side of the page. A great thing to happen... Father James Shea will be installed, this week, as the 6th president of University of Mary. Sister Thomas Welder has been such a tremendous mentor. I'm lucky to have been a student during her presidency. More excitement... I am hiring soloists for the 80th Messiah production and my boys have soccer & football games to enjoy. Sometimes the business is filled with great energy and lots of joy. Anyone who needs something to do on Saturday, September 19th? The SMCHS Choir will have a food booth under the canopy at Eckroth Music. We'll be there from 10 - 3:00 PM. They're having a sidewalk sale. I think there will be an open mic. Come have some fun and support the choir on our journey toward our June 2010 Choir Tour to NYC. The picture I included is from Capitola CA. Just a great place to hang out. Travel is so wonderful.

Rest - Sometimes the best part of music is in the silence.

It's labor day. A day of rest after Sunday, another day of rest. It's funny. Sometimes, when teaching a new piece of music, the choir does very well, until they come to a section with rests. They let go completely and forget to feel the time in the rests. So, they don't come back in at the right time. I think life is the same way. What we do with our time of rest says a lot about us. Do we fill it with as much activity as possible? Try to fit in all the things we've just been waiting to do? Or, do we just enjoy being present with those around us? Just food for thought. I know that as Tuesday arrives, we'll have so much activity in our lives that we may even have to take time to breathe. How to balance the sound and the silence... Good luck to you with hurried lives. I will keep my students and their families in my prayers. I am extremely excited to start the Blues rehearsals this week, and to begin the Cathedral Church Choir next week. Apparently it will be quality rest over quantity. :-)