Orchestra Buddies

Donald Whitney says that "whether you realize it or not, everything you do is for eternity.  Nothing has an impact only on this life."  Every morning that we wake up with breath still in our chests is an opportunity to remember our upward call of God in Christ.  WE move forward in daily, incremental faithfulness because Christ has made us his own.  We belong to him, which means every ordinary day of perseverance belongs to him.

~Glenna Marshall, "Everyday Faithfulness"

I love watching God weave the tapestries of our lives.  When we began teaching orchestra twenty-five years ago, we had no idea of the amazing people that God would bring into our lives to add color and depth.

The Swanigan family attending church with us in Pine Bluff, the older two siblings we knew from growing up in orchestra and playing in All-Region and All-State.  The younger two siblings were in my high school orchestra the very first year I taught.

Then when I taught orchestra in Conway, I discovered a Swanigan kid in my middle school class, and he is a treasure, too!  This sibling set has spread out all over the country, but they all came together last weekend, and we just happened to be driving through NW Arkansas.  Spontaneously, they graciously invited us to take a quick bathroom break and to swing by and hug all those beautiful people.

Later in the same week, we reconnected with another orchestra and church friend.  Amanda, who now resides in California, studied in Aaron's cello studio and played in my very spunky and special 8th grade orchestra my first year of teaching.

She and her kids were heading north and our family was heading south on the same road, so we made time to catch up for a few short minutes.  Even though we no longer make music for our livelihoods, looking back at God's faithfulness always makes my jaw drop in awe as I look at the way He has crafted our stories.

 

Summertime

 The weather here begins to feel more like the weather in the Solomon Islands.  Officially, Summer doesn't begin for a couple more weeks, but we are ramping up the celebrations!

These popsicle molds are perfect for freezing homemade chocolate pudding when we have egg yolks left from making strawberry trifle.  And Risen Motherhood has "Sweet Summer: Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit" available as a free download, another summer treat.

Because you know I think picture books are for everyone, here are some new to us summer books from our library:

Mouse Loves Summer by Lauren Thompson

A Summery Saturday Morning by Margaret Mahy

And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner (a great example of cause and effect)

Summer Wonders by Bob Raczka

Summertime Waltz by Nina Payne

Mama, Is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure

Island Summer by Catherine Stock

Summer Beat by Betsy Franco

Sun Up by Alvin Tresselt

Sun Dance Water Dance by Jonathan London

Summer Song by Kevin Henkes

Touch the Sky Summer by Jean Van Leeuwen

Summersaults by Douglas Florian

Early Registration for Olivia

 God continues to amaze us with His goodness and generosity.

This weekend, we finally go to meet Olivia's roommate and see their dorm room.  I was flooded with memories from four years ago when we started our journey with JBU.

I love it when God brings new people into our lives, and this sweet family has already been a huge blessing.

Olivia chose a float trip as her activity, possibly because her big brother and sister were leaders on the excursion.

And while Olivia and I stayed on the JBU campus, registered for classes, and marveled at the many scholarships God provided to pay for school,

Aaron and Katherine enjoyed a trip to Crystal Bridges to enjoy the art together.

One last little blessing...our tiny Air BnB nestled in a beautiful historic building!

Grandma's Birthday

 

"You have created each of us, O Lord, to bear your image

in unique expression, reflecting a facet of your glory

in a way that no other person in all of history will,

so that by knowing one another, we might also know you better."

~Every Moment Holy

First Week in June

Last week began with Memorial Day.  We weren't traveling to a church over the weekend, so we had time to make a beautiful torte for brunch and to top it with pastry stars.  Since we returned to America, we've been slowly reading our way through "The Mission of the Body of Christ" during breakfast.

I love our hometown.  The local cemetery, where my veteran uncle is buried, held a short memorial service on Monday morning to commemorate veterans.  I'm so grateful to belong to a community whose mayor shared about how important it is to focus on the Lord and on service to each other.

Our family pulled out the badminton set and discovered how rusty we are as we lodged both birdies and rackets in the pecan tree above us.

Olivia had all four of her wisdom teeth removed (we're still working our way down that long list of medical needs), and she is recovering beautifully.

I started "Same Page Summer 2021" for my daily Bible reading and got my fingerprints taken as the last step in renewing my Arkansas teacher's license.

Reconnecting with old friends continues to be a source of joy for us.

Sarah Kate is a former cello student, and she has a handsome new baby.

Catching up with her and snuggling her son brought much delight to my afternoon!

We also got a surprise text from a friend we've known since middle school.  He was in town briefly and reached out to spend a few minutes with us.  It's so much fun to look back and see how God is working in each of our lives, weaving our stories for His good and His glory.

Last Week in May

Sarah and Benjamin spent a few days visiting us to help celebrate my birthday.  

Somehow, the kids contrived to blow up forty-seven balloons after we went to bed, so I woke up to balloons and streamers all over the house.  What a great way to start the day!

Sarah made one of my favorites for breakfast...blueberry cream cheese coffee cake.

The boys went to the Department of Motor Vehicles, and girls and I went shopping at a vintage clothes store downtown.  This elicited one of the most hilarious text conversations I've ever seen.

Sarah made a big and beautiful strawberry trifle from the berries we had just picked.  She also rearranged the letters of "Happy Birthday" which I didn't realize until the trifle was set before me.  I spewed my coffee.

Having all of the kids around the piano singing made my heart sing, too.

And staying up late to chat while propped on the hide-away bed was totally worth the loss of sleep.

But the week wasn't all about my birthday!  I started teaching strings lessons again this week.  One of my favorite things to do.

We also reconnected with some friends that we've known for a long time.  Grant's dad was our calculus teacher, we went to their wedding, and when they honeymooned in central Florida, we had just moved back so we got to spend time with them there, too.  Sweet friends who love Jesus and who left us feeling encouraged.

A wedding showed for my cousin finished off our week.  The highlight of the shower was the game of spicy Uno that brought much joy and laughter to the church's' fellowship hall.  I love being close enough to family to celebrate special days!

Sarah's Graduation

So much joy in celebrating Sarah and her four years of wise investments with her time and energy.

We're proud of her not just because she graduated summa cum laude,

but also because of the people she invested in along the way.

Her church family, her professors, her fellow students.

She chose to pour herself into people as well as into her studies.

As "Every Moment Holy" says:

Let me be in this school, even in small ways, 

a bearer of love and light and reconciliation;

which is to say, let me in humility, be your child.

...God grant this child knowledge and understanding.

Lead me to truth.

God bless the labors of this new season.

Shape me for your service.

Amen.

Third Week of May

Sunday morning found us on the road again, this time to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.

Visiting this sweet church always feels like going back to Grandma's house.

The week also included attending our favorite group classes with our gym buddies,

making this German apple torte and remembering our precious German colleagues in the Solomon Islands, 

beginning piano lessons again in preparation for minoring in music at JBU this fall,

listening to the tornado sirens go off while snuggling in the hall closet,

and enjoying a quick visit from some seminary friends, Russ and Crystal, who have worked hard to stay in touch over the fifteen years since Aaron graduated.  So many sweet gifts!