Ahavat Hashem

I was trying to find something interesting to call my blog and so today I started looking for Hebrew words with unique meanings. I found one phrase that I think will become my favorite and because it is my new blog address, I wanted to explain it to you. Ahavat Hashem means "The love of God." It is a phrase that comes from the word "Ahavah" which is Hebrew for "love." So there you go! What beautiful words to speak out loud. If you want to try it, say it like this: (ah-ha-VAT ha-SHEM).

Following my dreams

Life is crazy right now, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. Well, maybe not every minute :) Sometimes the craziness of it becomes so rediculous (I can't even spell it) that I just stop and wonder what I am doing living a life like this. Then I remember that I am living my dream, and working towards the next one. That is what keeps me going, and that is what will help me to achieve my goals. In less than two months I am going to spend a week at Juilliard. I will be listening to the teaching of Itzalk Perlman, the most famous violinist in the world. What kind of a dream is that? To spend a week in the place idolized by musicians and actors and everyone else in the arts, as a spectator of the goings on there, and to watch the movement of a city so full of life that it is known all over the world is such a dream come true that I can't even imagine its reality. What a God I serve that He has brought me to the foot of this mountain that I have seen my whole life as through a telescope. Now I see its curves and cliffs and I realize that only I can take the first step. This gorgeous creation of God called music has been a part of my heart forever, and now God has given me the means to climb this mountain and stand at the top and sing his praises. Can you see that picture...me standing in the wind on the highest peak and playing my violin to His glory? I can because He has given me the gift of talent, the desire for success, and a passion for music that no one can take away. I pray that you find the one thing that makes your heart sing, and when you do don't ever let it go.

Practice, practice, practice...

Today was a gorgeous day in Texas. I spent the morning in class, then practiced for about an hour. My violin teacher has made such a difference in my growing as a performer. She has taught me how to practice effectively, which has helped me so much in the learning process. I learned something profound when rehearsing with the Texas All-State Orchestra last year. Our conductor, Timothy Russel, taught us that there is a problem with the phrase "practice makes perfect". If it were to be stated correctly it would be "practice makes permanent". If all you do is repeat your wrong notes they become habitual and you will continue playing it the wrong way. Playing them over and over will not make them change for the better. What a novel concept! I think this applies to every aspect of life. If you have a habbit that you don't like, simply living life will not change or elimate the habbit. You have to devote attention to change and then you will be able to make a concious change. I think this is an important concept for us to grasp...we all need change is some area of our lives. At least I know I do! Thankfully, God is gracious enough to show us when a change is needed :)

A Good Decision

I made a choice today that no matter how many times my mind tells me that a certain choice is wrong or unacceptable, if that choice matches up with my biblical convictions then it is far wiser for me to listen to my heart. I say this because today I chose not to go to orchestra rehearsal. I had a head ache all morning and I knew that I needed rest, but I also knew that I could tough it out if I had to. I ultimately chose to stay home and rest, and I think that is a choice we need to make more often. When our commitments overwhelm us and it seems that the only option is to keep going until we crash, it is important for us to stop and take time. Sometimes it may seem wrong, like we're letting people down, but there comes a time when we are so run down that even if we follow through with our commitments we have nothing left to give. We are no longer benefiting other people, only hurting ourselves. I certainly learned from the past few days that when I'm not rested, nothing is really getting done. God calls us to take care of our bodies because they are His temple. Remember to stop and rest. You will thank yourself later :)

My first blog!

Hello everyone. I am very excited to be writing my very first blog! I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a freshman music major at MCC/Baylor University and I plan to go into private music teaching and also play in a professional orchestra. My whole life revolves around my faith in God and my belief that He has a definate plan for my future. Right now I'm living by faith, just waiting to see what the next step will be. I will graduate with an Associates degree in Violin Performance in 2006 and will hopefully then travel overseas to either Germany or Israel and spend some time experiencing culture and working as a violin teacher. I want to use my blog to share a little bit of my life with you. Thanks so much for visiting!