SLACKER!

Sorry, I've been so busy...well, busy at first, and then just trying to find my brain after that. ;) I don't remember if I wrote about the Christmas concert...if I did, sorry, you can skip this part. I was the pianist for the ward Choir this year. (After not having a piano for the last 4 1/2 years...it had been about that long since I'd even played on a piano...so needless to say I was a little out of practice). Then they throw some Sally DeFord music at me (anyone who plays the piano will sympathize with me). We did "While Shepherds watched their flocks by night" (go look it up on defordmusic.com - seriously, I was like "AHHHHHHHH!") It was hard enough to begin with and when I finally started feeling like "yeah, I can do this"...she changes to 4 sharps...I just started laughing...you know, one of those..."yeah, this is NEVER going to happen" laughs. We did "Still, Still, Still" (I had never heard that song before, but I liked it). "Joseph (I was not His Father)" (from "The Forgotten Carols) - I LOVE that song. A really beautiful arrangement of "Silent Night" (go check it out at www.marknewmanmusic.com). Then a week before the program (as I'm fighting a losing battle not to lose my mind) I find out that they were expecting me to play the piano for their music as well. It all turned out well though. I'm glad that Heavenly Father doesn't get tired of listening to His children though. For about a month I felt like I was doing that thing that my kids do...the "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom...." until you're just like "WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?" I had been so nervous the first time I played for the choir, my hands were shaking and sweating. It's REALLY hard to play the piano like that. This time I was a nervous wreck before the program. But during the program I was surprisingly calm. I'm glad that Heavenly Father listens to things that are important to you at the time, but in all reality are of little consequence.

Then Christmas with the family. It was so GREAT! (Of course it didn't last anywhere NEAR long enough). Which reminds me. Ranee' tell DJ I still want a copy of that song he wrote alright? That's your job for today. :) It never ceases to amaze me how year after year after year people can get us the perfect gifts. Especially loved the gifts from my Grandparents. Home-made Apple Sauce and Salsa and bags of Potato Pearls (don't know who invented those, but they should get a prize of some sort) and kitchen utensils. And Grandma took the money that she would have spent on our presents and gave it to (sorry, I don't know the name of the charity) a charity that uses it to buy goats and chickens and other things that people need (really need...not need like we need a new computer or phone or whatever). What better gift than that? A gift that shows the true meaning of Christmas and there are no flashing lights and ringing bells and batteries to replace. If you really think about it...name the presents that you got from 5 different people...any 5. Chances are you can't.

And I just wanted to share a few of the thoughts that I heard today.

Resolutions...have you made any? (And don't give that lame excuse "I don't make them because I never keep them") write them down. I saw a cute idea of someone scrapbooking their resolutions. First page, they make a list of 10 resolutions (or you could do more or less depending on how motivated you are) then take a picture of you completing that resolution then journal it.

You can see evil all around us, turn on the news...it there...go almost anywhere...it's there. All it takes is to open the pages of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Ensign, the Friend, or the New Era to remind us that we are here for a purpose.

Every night before you go to bed write how you've seen the Lord's hand in your life today.

This touched me. There was a brother who stood up to bear his testimony today...the only problem was he only speaks Spanish and most of the ward only speaks English. He got up to the microphone and stated that he needed help (that's all I understood). Then another brother from our ward started to translate for him (even though he had not done any type of translation in the last 15 years or so). The first brother wanted his testimony to be understood, so the other brother wanted to help. I thought it was sweet.

And my favorite thing that I heard today, was actually from a young woman (in her teens). She said that she noticed as she walked around the school that people weren't happy. And when you look at the people that are...they are the ones that KNOW. They know why they are here, who they are and where they are going. Then she said (and I quote)

"THERE'S NO EXCUSE NOT TO BE HAPPY"