Praise You in the Storm

This song, by Casting Crowns, has more or less been my theme song over the past couple of weeks.



My baby still hasn't moved into the position it's supposed to be in, though, thankfully, I haven't had to make any more trips to the emergency room, and the doctor is still optimistic that the problem may correct itself. So I'm trying to be optimistic too. And not worry. And not be anxious. And praise God in spite of it all.

After I had been singing this song for days, it was sung at my Bible study on Wednesday as "special music." Think God is trying to tell me something??

This weekend, the song took on a whole new meaning, as Nashville and the surrounding areas experienced record-setting rainfalls. Many parts of town are still flooded. You can view some pictures here. Thankfully, our house wasn't affected too much, other than a small leak and some water in our garage. We pretty much stayed home the whole weekend. Our church service was cancelled, as were many other churches and events around town, and most of the schools in the area are closed today.

Please keep the people of middle Tennessee who have been greatly affected by this in your prayers. And please keep my little baby in your prayers too. And me. In the meantime, I will keep trying to praise God. Even in the storms.

A Night at the Schermerhorn

On Saturday night Don and I went to hear the Messiah performed by the Nashville Symphony and the Symphony Chorus. It was amazing! This was the first time I had really sat down and listened attentively to the whole oratorio.

Written by George Frideric Handel in 1741, Messiah beautifully covers Christ's life, beginning with Old Testament prophecy, His birth, His life, death, resurrection, and even His second coming. Handel expertly incorporates scripture from all parts of the Bible.

The symphony used mostly strings for this occasion, adding a harpsichord, organ, oboes and a bassoon, with small trumpet and timpani parts. The approximately 130-member chorus, which I later found out are mostly volunteers, was incredible. Of course, the highlight of the evening was the well-known "Hallelujah Chorus," during which everyone stood, a tradition which was begun by King George II of Great Britain.

The Schermerhorn Center itself is a beautiful concert hall, which we have been to several times. Our seats were near the back of the balcony, but I suspect our view may have been at least as good as the main level seats. Built specifically to house the Nashville Symphony, the sound quality is excellent in every part of the building.

It was a fun outing, a good cultural experience, and we were blessed not only by the talented musicians and by Handel's impressive composition, but also by this Christmastime reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made for our salvation.

Keep Singing

One of my favorite worship songs is "How Can I Keep from Singing," by Chris Tomlin. I've been trying to get our worship team at church, which I am a part of, to try it one Sunday. So far, they haven't gotten around to it, so this week I decided that maybe if I did an arrangement of it for flute, piano and vocals, that would prompt them.

I am by no means a professional arranger, but I came up with something that I thought was pretty good, 8 pages long on my Finale software. It took me about 15 hours to do, over the course of several days. I listened to it over and over, trying to get it just perfect. About the time I did (at least by my standards), something happened. I still don't know exactly what, but my music was gone, all but the first page. I couldn't see it on the screen, and I couldn't pull up the file. I found a backup on my hard drive, but I couldn't pull that up either.

Needless to say, I was not happy about this. Devastated would be a better word. But then God reminded me of the lyrics to the song: "I know I am loved by the King, and it makes my heart want to sing," and "I can sing in the troubled times . . ." It is about praising God in everything, good and bad, because He loves us. He has saved me, and I will live eternally with Him, and that is far more important than any earthly thing. Even 15 hours of work being lost.

So I kept singing.

A couple of hours later, I decided to go ahead and try to recreate it as well as I could while it was still fresh on my mind. I pulled up what was left of it, and behold, it was all there! All 8 pages!

I can't explain what happened, but I know God was teaching me to praise Him even in hard times. They don't always turn out the way this did, but He always uses them to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)!

Steve Green

My mom and I attended a Steve Green concert last night at her church, Judson Baptist. It was wonderful! It was actually more of a worship service than a concert. He sang some old hymns like Holy, Holy, Holy and It is Well (a duet with a man from Judson Baptist), as well as some contemporary favorites. He also did some of the classic songs that he is best known for: For God and God Alone, Enter In, and Household of Faith (a duet with his wife, Marijean), and some of his newer hits.

His piano/keyboard/accordian player was Dick Tunney, who formerly worked with the group "First Call" with his wife Melodie. He played a beautiful piano solo of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.

Steve has been doing music for 25 years. He has a very impressive and powerful tenor voice, but he gives God all the glory. After his last song, the audience gave him a standing ovation, but he quickly had us sing a worship chorus, praising God instead of him. He also shared the message of salvation during the concert.

It is so nice to see someone who is a talented musician but also truly has a heart for God. If you ever have a chance to see him in concert, I would highly recommend you go.

Salt

The guy who started the band Don is in wanted to write a song about Christians being the salt of the earth, so he asked the band members for ideas. Since I dabble a bit in poetry and lyric-writing, Don mentioned it to me. I wrote out some verses, and Don sent it to him.

Well, he didn't use mine directly but instead combined my ideas with his own and those of another person who gave it a shot and came up with a song. You can hear this song on this website.

Now apparently there are a couple of radio stations who want to play the song, so I have to register as a songwriter with ASCAP so I can collect royalties. I'm not maxing out my credit cards yet, but it is kind of exciting!

This band will be playing again next Saturday night, August 1, at 7:00 p.m. at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. You can get directions on the site above.

If you are on Facebook, you can join the "fan page" for this band: GetCloser2God.

GetCloser2God

Don's concerts went really well this weekend. The band is very evangelism-minded and truly shared the gospel with their music as well as through speaking in between songs.

The crowd was small on Friday night (10-15), but a bit larger on Saturday night (25-30). They will be playing again at the Wilson County Fairgrounds on August 1. I'll post more details as they become available.

Don’s Concerts

My husband Don, a drummer, has recently joined a Christian rock band, currently named after its website, GetCloser2God.com. This band was formed with the purpose of helping people find God and grow in their relationship with Him. They will be playing their first two concerts this weekend, Friday and Saturday night, July 10 and 11, both at approximately 8:00 p.m., at The Ark, a club in Mt. Juliet (13260 Lebanon Rd.). You can find out more details here. (The website says they're at 7:00, but apparently someone else is playing before them, so they'll be playing closer to 8:00.) Hope to see you there!

Debut Performance

The Cedar Creek Community Band, which I am a part of, will be having its first concert on Monday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Mt. Juliet High School auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for ages 10-17. Under 10 is free. Let me know if you’d like more information.

Mt. Juliet Community Band

A lady in Mt. Juliet is starting a community band for anyone who would like to participate. The only requirements are that you be over 15 and already know how to play a band instrument. If you are interested, just show up with your instrument at the Mt. Juliet High School band room on Monday, January 12, at 7:00 p.m. I am planning to be there, along with several people from my church. I think this will give me some good experience on my flute. If you want more information, you can read this recent article from The Tennessean.

Ashley Cleveland

Last night Don and I went to the club 3rd and Lindsley, located at, you guessed it, 3rd & Lindsley, downtown. Ashley Cleveland was playing. There is very little music that Don and I both like, but Ashley Cleveland fits the bill, so we try to see her whenever we can when she is playing locally.
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Her music is mostly rock-style with Christian lyrics. My favorite CD of hers, "Men and Angels Say," is old hymns that she has recorded in her own style.

Her gritty voice is very unique and intriguing. You can hear a sample of it on her website. One of her trademarks is playing on colorful guitars (purple, green, etc.). She has a great sense of humor too. Her husband, Kenny Greenberg (hard to see but on the far left in the picture above), plays guitar for her and is also full of antics onstage.
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Don went up afterward and had her autograph a CD of hers that he brought in. She was very friendly to him and all of her other fans. Even though I’m not big into nightclubs, it was a fun evening for both of us.

The Little Drummer Boy

This is a song I hadn’t thought much about before, but a couple of weeks ago in church, a man sang it and spoke about how it had meant a lot to him during this Christmas season. He said that he often feels inadequate, like he has nothing to offer. This song reminded him that none of us really has anything that is a worthy gift to God, but He wants us to offer Him what we have to give, and He will honor it. This gave the song a whole new meaning for me, as well as reminding me that God wants me to use the gifts He has given me, no matter how small they may seem to me, for His glory.

Favorite Christmas Songs

One thing that I really do enjoy about the Christmas season is the music. I would have to say my all-time favorite Christmas song is probably O Holy Night. Not that I can sing it, but I like to listen to it. I also like Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Silent Night, as well as the more contemporary, Mary, Did You Know?

On the secular side, Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas, Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Canon, and We Need a Little Christmas all float my boat.

As for instrumentals, I enjoy the Ukrainian Carol of the Bells.

There are many others. I think part of the joy of Christmas music is that it is only heard for a month or so each year. I don’t like to hear it before Thanksgiving or after New Year’s, but in the midst of the season, the music that goes along with it brings me joy. What are your favorites?

Canadian Brass

Don and I went to a concert last week at the Nashville Symphony with special guests, the Canadian Brass.

I had never heard of this brass quintet, but apparently they have been around a long time, since 1970 in fact. Two of the original members are still a part of it.

Their music is mostly classical, though the concert we saw included some jazz and Christmas music. Their program was also interspersed with quirky humor and a couple of magic tricks. They have traveled the world and even played a command performance for Queen Elizabeth (who told them afterward that a "command performance" meant they didn’t get paid).

Here is a video of them playing the Pachelbel Canon, which they didn’t play last week, but is a piece I really like.

Franklin Band Days

I’ve been reminiscing a lot lately about my Franklin High School marching band days, probably because it’s fall and because I’ve been hooking up with a lot of those old friends on Facebook. I played the clarinet then; I was TERRIBLE, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying marching band. It was a lot of hard work and dedication (both on my part and my parents’, having to come pick me up at all hours of the day and night), but I’m glad I did it.
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We had practice every afternoon after school during football season, played at the games every Friday night (many of them out of town) and had contests on Saturdays. Didn’t leave much time for a social life, but most of my closest friends were in the band anyway. I can still remember the thrill of marching out onto the field for a performance, and the even greater thrill of winning. We were state champions my sophomore year. My senior year, we were in the Orange Bowl parade and then stopped by Disney World on the way home.
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Even now, Friday nights in the fall remind me of playing at football games. Sometimes it was FREEZING cold. We sat in the stands and waved Confederate flags as we cheered on our team (now no longer politically correct, but after all, we were the Franklin Rebels). I didn’t know the first thing about football when I started high school, but by the time I graduated, I had learned all the rules and actually enjoyed watching the games.
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Besides learning about football, I also developed a lot of discipline and endurance from being in the band. I learned some things about music and rhythm, though I was a very slow learner on those things. (I still consider myself to be "rhythmically handicapped," even though I have since learned to play the flute moderately well.)
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I think being in the marching band was definitely the highlight of my high school years, and if I had to do those years over, I would do it again.
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But I’m glad I don’t have to.
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Hymns

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

Old hymns are probably my favorite kind of music. Many churches are now going to more contemporary music, which I believe has its place, but not to the exclusion of hymns. These are songs that have stood the test of time, where gospel truths are spoken well and have been sung for generations, and I believe many of them will be sung in heaven. It would be hard for me to even choose my favorites, because I have so many, but here are a few of them:

Holy, Holy, Holy
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
How Great Thou Art
O Worship the King
Great is Thy Faithfulness
It is Well With My Soul
All Creatures of Our God and King
Amazing Grace
My Jesus, I Love Thee

I could go on and on. Then there are all the Christmas and Easter ones and all the patriotic ones that I love as well.

Hymns are a wonderful legacy that we shouldn’t neglect to pass on to the next generation. What are some of your favorites?

James Galway

On Saturday night Don I went to see James Galway playing with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Center. This was a late anniversary celebration for us.
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Sir James Galway (he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2001) is quite possibly the best flute player in the world. I was both entertained and inspired by this amazing man. He holds his 20-karat gold flute at an odd angle when he plays, but obviously he knows what he’s doing. The sound coming out of it was phenomenal.

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He has recorded over 60 CD’s, most of which are classical music, but he has also done some pop, folk and played on the soundtrack for one of the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

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I couldn’t take pictures or videos during the concert, but there are a number of videos of him playing on Youtube, including this one.

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It was an impressive concert. I doubt I’ll ever play flute anywhere near as well as he does, but he at least gave me something to strive for.
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Cool Thing to Know: If you’re a flute player, James Galway gives some great tutorials on his website (go to the "You Tube Sir James" section).

My Flute

"Praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute." Psalm 150:4

Don bought me a wonderful gift for my first birthday after we got married: a flute. Not just any flute, but a Gemeinhardt solid silver, open-hole flute with a B foot. I know this doesn’t mean a lot to a non-flute player, but it was a much nicer gift than I ever expected. As an added bonus, this gift also included six months of lessons.

I had always wanted to play the flute. In high school I played the clarinet but my heart was never in it because I wanted to play the flute. I had joined the band after everyone else and they already had too many flutes. I was never much of a musician, but I never lost my desire to be a flute player. Don, being a musician himself (a drummer), wanted to help me fulfill my dream.

I ended up taking lessons for about a year and a half, during which time I acquired adequate skills to be able to play in our worship team at church, which Don is also a part of. I very much enjoy doing this.

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I don’t know what direction this will take in the future, but for now I am thankful for a husband who heard my heart and bought me a flute without me even asking or suspecting he would, and who encourages me when I don’t feel like I will ever be a good musician. I am also thankful for a church that allows me the opportunity to use what (meager) skills I have for the glory of God.

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Cool Thing to Know: If you go to http://www.finalemusic.com/, you can download their free software, Notepad. It is a bit cumbersome, but allows you to write or arrange, play and print your own music.

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