11/04/2008

Putting a Little Music Back in My Life! Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! Gotta Play!*

Other than a couple of tunes for my monday night students, I've not sung since our return.

how abruptly life can make u turns!

Was it really me singing in a LA Jazz Club last May? 

Or at the 5star Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco?

But I'm gonna get back into it!

This week I've started forcing myself to make music (and exercise) a disciplined part of my day. It started because I got my little electric keyboard back this past week and have set out to spend 30 minutes a day learning how to really play. If i commit to it for a few months, I wonder how much progress i can make.

It's amazing how therapeutic music is for me. MIRACULOUS really.

I've really been fighting yucky symptoms of depression the last month (I suppose who wouldn't, given the circumstances of another international move, and the workload without helper and a car).

But, I have found that if I just take some still time to shut out the rest and listen to worship music and start singing along, or sitting down at the piano to self-teach some lessons and have a go at some simple songs, it has actually TRANSFORMED my outlook.  I can get on with the day with a happy attitude that's not just being the "strong little soldier" who's constantly crying out to the Lord, "Change my heart oh God!" 

(The Thessalonians verse "Pray without ceasing" is especially helpful for the depressed who have an extra challenge of "taking all those negative thoughts captive and giving them to the Lordship of Christ!)

A few months ago I told Jim that all my life I've wanted a real piano, and that if I prove to myself that I'm committed, I'm going to reward myself with purchasing or renting one! I've got the name of a 2nd hand dealer and a rental company.

Regardless of my children's lack of enthusiasm for taking music lessons (yes, with football over, now there's room in their week for other activities), I'm ready to roll! I don't have the emotional energy to force them to complain through their practicing, or keeping them on task with it, while I'm in the kitchen peeling the carrots for dinner.

If they don't want to practice for their music lessons, I'll have THEM make the dinner and I'LL practice!

1 comment:

Robin Harris (ICE Coordinator) said...

YES! I'm doing this myself (at the same time as enormously complicating my life by adding PhD studies) and I have to tell you... it's keeping me sane! Go girl go!