From Frustration to A Great Day!

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and so I decided to write a cheerful post on the Sonrise Christian Fellowship Facebook Page.  You know, something like, "It's a great day to rise and shine.  To worship together.....".  I meant it.  It was a sweet kind of a morning.  AND THEN......I had conflict with a family member, I pinched my finger in the refrigerator in the weirdest happening ever and my happy, oh so spiritual morning went in a very different direction.  I huffed and puffed around here, then grumbled on the way to church.  As we pulled into the parking lot it hit me.  This was an attack. The enemy was answering my cheerful and "inspirational" post with a test.  Well, that changed everything. That really made me mad.  I called him out right then and there in the name of Jesus.

My poor friend, Kelly, got an earful when she got there as I told her how I would rip that enemy to pieces if he happened to be right in front of me.  lol  I may have realized why things had taken a sour turn but it took me longer to get out of that grumpy state of mind.  It was while we practiced the music I had so cheerfully posted about earlier that my spirit calmed and I got over the anger and into His peace. I love the mornings I am not playing the piano but singing instead.  I can better focus on the words of the songs instead of being tense about missing the notes on the keys.

From that moment on yesterday became one of my favorite days ever.

After church we came back to Mom's house where we carried the stuff in to make burgers on the grill.  Mikey is working long hours as the new show, Samson, prepares to open so he couldn't make it but Emily had the idea of a family dinner and it was a great day for it.  Chelsea and Chadd, Mom, Emily, Warren and I all ate together.  After a while Georgia and Jonathan showed up.  Georgia had been out of town and Jonathan got up early from his sleep before work because he is tired of missing all the family stuff since he works overnights all weekends.  It was great to spend time with everyone!  And the grilled burgers were a taste of hope.  Hope that we will soon be grilling all kinds of things.  Yum.

This drummer is fantastic and had the cutest little cymbals she pulled out for just one spot in one song.  I mentioned them to her afterward and she said she found them at a second hand store for a couple of dollars and grabbed them.
The tone was pure and sweet.

Next up on the agenda was a concert.  The National Christian Choir was planning to sing at a nearby church.  We know one of the singers and had enjoyed watching the concert with his wife in 2013.  However, Annie, passed away just over a week ago and so this year would be different.  Paul still came and sang.  He needed that "normal" and the support of friends he has been singing with for years.  We were happy to be there to "support" him as well.  Not that he really needed us and we got way more benefit from our experience.  This choir is made up of regular people from all over the Washington D.C./Maryland/Pennsylvania area who come together each Monday evening to practice. They then tour on the East Coast and beyond.  It was announced that you have to have at least the following two things in order to be accepted into the choir:  A love for the Lord and the ability to SING.  Now, I was curious about the audition process.  Have been since I saw them the last time.  But I know that this is not a commitment I could make at this point in my life.  I mean, it would be 2 hours each way, minimum, every Monday night.  But still I wanted to know how the auditions work and if I ever did find myself in other circumstances if I thought I would have a chance.  As it happened I was standing in the right place at the right time as a woman came up to ask to audition.  We got to talking and I asked if I could stay and watch her try out.  I still don't know her name but we bonded as I stayed with her until it was time.  We tested out a couple of songs.  It was so much fun to see her audition.  I'm pretty sure she is "in" if she wants to be.  They will send her a letter to tell her for sure....but I think they were pleased.  I have photos of her audition but since I didn't ask her if I could post them I'm not going to.

During the concert, itself, I was so torn as to what to watch.  As you may know, I teach two choirs at our former home school co-op.  It is such small scale in comparison... but it is still a rush to direct and get a group of people (kids in my case) to do what you want them to do, when you want them to do it. There is nothing that compares for me.  In the beginning of each year they are individuals who all think their own way, come in to the song when they feel like it, sing loud or soft as the whim hits.  By the end of the semester they have become a choir.  A group of people who start and stop at the same time, get louder and softer together and who understand the story of a song and tell it as a whole.  That in itself is amazing but then when you take all of that and put it in front of parents, family and friends it is the cherry on the sundae.  I can only imagine what it would be like to direct a group of people who were ALL their by their own choice and not as a part of a required class.  WOW!  However, I totally enjoy the challenge that comes with having "non-singers" as part of my classes.

Kathy Bowman, the director of the National Christian Choir, held me spellbound as her hands and face were so expressive in communicating to the choir.  By the time the choir reaches the performance stage they know that music so well that her direction is almost supplemental.  Almost.

There is never a time that a choir will stay completely together without that same direction. Individuality will begin to take over again.  Chaos will begin to ensue.  And so, I sat there and just watched the beauty of her work and the hearing the resulting responsiveness of approximately 150 singers.  Exceptional.  Truly!!

If you ever get a chance to see this choir?  Go!!  Don't miss it.