Called to Serve

I have been called to serve in the Canada Toronto Mission and I will be speaking Spanish. I'm excited and scared. It's a big step into a new world where all I do every day is think about, read about, study about, and teach about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I look forward to the growth I know I will experience, but I hope I'm up to the challenge. I have to remember, however, that with God, all things are possible and another scripture gives me comfort: D&C 84:88-89

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hears, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

"Whoso receiveth you receiveth me...."

I know that this call comes from the Lord and I am humbled that He sees so much potential in me. I pray that I can live up to that potential, and I am determined to do so.

The Greatest Gift

I wasn't sure what I wanted to write today, but I want to express some of the feelings I've had this season.

I've been watching some TV since I got home thanks to the lack of homework (yay!) and the commercials sicken me. All these things to buy and deals to not miss out on! Most take away from the real meaning of Christmas, they use the parts of Christmas carols that don't matter and so on.

But Christmas, as the Grinch says, doesn't come from a store.

This last week I've had the opportunity to do a lot of baking and decorating. And I've done my share of shopping, but I learned to have a different perspective than usual. This year I have reveled more in the memories of years past and have focused on the real reason for the season: the birth of the Savior.

There is an ornament on the Christmas tree that I love dearly. It is a wooden star with the nativity scene carved into it. When I first looked into it, I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be, but then my eyes focused and I saw it. Every time I look at it I see what is carved there and it refocuses my mind to Christ.

He is the greatest gift we have ever been given. Without Him, we there would be no reason to celebrate. What greater gift could the Father have given us then His son who would perform His ministry and then experience the atonement. Through His sacrifice He reaches out to us with His redemptive power and His enabling power. He redeems us from sin and enables us to obtain eternal life! There is no greater gift.

Sure, it's nice to receive new gadgets and toys, clothes and shoes, but these things are not as important as the gift of Jesus. I have felt this season a sense of gratitude for His sacrifice and a desire to yield my heart to Him. The number of gifts or the type of gifts I receive have taken second place. I am so grateful for this perspective, for I feel more charity in my heart and this season has been much more meaningful than in the past.

You hear many stories of people's most meaningful Christmases. They are the ones when there are few presents but great happiness. I suppose I've never really experienced one of these but I'm glad to have found the right perspective in spite of it. I just wish I'd done more to be giving to others. . .

But there's still time. And there are still cookies to hand out and encouragement to give and service to my family and friends. This time is a time for giving and reflection and hope. It is my hope that you all will have a very merry Christmas and that the spirit will last beyond the single day.

Thanks for all you do.
Merry Christmas

You...

For a good friend of mine:

You...

You are of infinite worth.
Your grades are good enough.
Your spirit is bright and beautiful.
You are loving.
You are kind.
You are a good friend.
You have much to say.
You have faith enough.
You have trust enough.
You can achieve your goals.
You can succeed.
You may not know now, but you will.

Remember who you are. Remember whose you are. Remember that you are loved more deeply than you realize.

I love you my dear friend. Please don't disappear from my life.

Our True Identity

We are all of great worth to our Heavenly Father, and though we may feel unworthy, our worth never diminishes, never changes. He does not compare us to the brilliant pianist or the super model but sees the divine potential that is within us. He loves you; you are a son or daughter of God!

Consider this story: A young piano student's mother, wishing to encourage him, “bought tickets for a performance of the great Polish pianist, Paderewski. The night of the concert arrived and the mother and son found their seats near the front of the concert hall. While the mother visited with friends, the boy slipped quietly away.

“Suddenly, it was time for the performance to begin and a single spotlight cut through the darkness of the concert hall to illuminate the grand piano on stage. Only then did the audience notice the little boy on the bench, innocently picking out ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’

“His mother gasped, but before she could move, Paderewski appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, ‘Don’t quit. Keep playing.’ And then, leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

“In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and time again, ‘Don’t quit. Keep playing.’ And as we do, He augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created. He is right there with all of us, telling us over and over, ‘Keep playing.’” (As quoted by James E. Faust, Oct. 1999 General Conference, General Releif Society Session.)

Never forget your true identity. Never forget your divine worth.

All Creatures of Our God and King

This is one of the harder hymns to play in the hymnbook, but I think it is all the more beautiful for it. The music to which this inspiring text is set is magnificent. So here is a video I found featuring this wonderful hymn for your Thanksgiving enjoyment.

Oh, praise Him! For He is our Creator, our Help, and our Salvation. Alleluia!

Happy Thanksgiving!

More Slow Practice!

Earlier this semester my school hosted a short conference. We had two guest artists come. One of the artist's main bit of advice for us was "more slow practice!"

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Also told us to slow down in his recent conference address:

"Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road.

"Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the coarse, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions." (emphasis added)

Taking it slow is no easy task. It takes a lot of motivation to practice something that goes by in 5 seconds for an hour or more. I must consider how important music is to me and how important playing the bassoon is to me.

In the subsequent weeks since the Round-up, I have striven to implement more slow practice into my rehearsal time. I also resolved to concentrate more on my fundamentals, even though I have etudes and other music I could be working on. But I know that my playing is important to me so I need to take the time to work on my fundamentals and slow practice. By doing these things, I will progress much faster in my abilities, and I won't have to spend as much time on the etudes and such. Even now there is a difference in my playing.

Uchtdorf continues, "when stress levels rise, when distress appears, when tragedy strikes, too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be."

Instead we need to "focus on the things that matter most (Uchtdorf)."

"[D]o 'all these things...in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby...win the prize.' " (Mosiah 4:27)

Let's slow down and focus on the basics. it is not about how fast we can play a passage or the number of things on our to-do lists. It's about how diligent we are in the things we do. No matter how fast we climb the path to heaven, be diligent.

If you are worried about reducing your productivity by slowing down, don't! "Quality always leads it increased productivity." (Glasser, The Quality School. p. 8)

"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light." (Uchtdorf)

So, how important to you are the things you do? . . . MORE SLOW PRACTICE!

Uchtdorf, Dieter F. Of Things That Matter Most.

My Bracelet

I have a bracelet filled with small charms
Each a reminder of a year among farms

A pendant with my name and one with the year,
A cake for my birthday, my dating year :)

The rest stand for values and things special to me
One for music, one for Christmas, and a cute little bee

A pendant for faith, a crown for divine nature,
A torch for individual worth, a more come after

A globe for knowledge, compass--choice, accountability,
A heart for good works, and a light house--integrity.

Among these is one more, a small handcart
So I can keep that journey close to my heart.

I do not often wear my bracelet, but through it
I remember that year and others like it.