2021 Joshua 1:9

Happy New Year

It is after midnight on Sunday morning. God is good. Sabbath was great yesterday and we had a wonderful service. The week before, I was not sure if the youth were going to join the zoom and do a song so I was primed and ready to go, but the youth jumped on and declared they were going to do a song. Turned out, it was the same song I had planned to do. That afternoon before AY, I came on with my son and dusted off my flute and clarinet. He grabbed a violin and we just played songs of praise while we waited for others to join. I had not played the clarinet like that in years. Clarinet and piano are my first instruments (piano being first). We have almost every instrument one would need to start a band from guitars, a trumpet, a viola, a saxophone, to harmonica, a new electronic drum set and four clarinets (because my dad wanted me to have the best). I tried flute in undergrad for a private class and played around with saxophone for a bit as well. I like how easy it is to get going with flute over clarinet as you have to prepare the reed first and with flute, you just don't have to do that.

This week, I asked a church sis to do special music and she said yes but she also said if she could not do it, she would find someone else and let me know. Sabbath evening, I find out through the church clerk that sis was not going to do special music and she suggested that I do something instead. I was peeved to say the least. I had sent three songs over for praise and worship and was going to do one but changed last minute on it. Sabbath morning, I wondered what song I would do for special music. I never replied to the clerk and was not sure what they were doing for the program. I went to the piano and thought the song the youth had done last week. I recorded my rendition of it and grabbed my flute thinking it would be something nice but I didn't like the low sound on the device I recorded on and I wasn't too satisfied with my flute playing. I decided to stick with just piano.

The service started and sis was on there. I didn't know if she would step up but...she didn't. The speaker came on and shared that he and his wife sing and he loves playing the flute and piano. It was just so funny to me because I never heard anyone say they play flute and I had on a whim decided to play flute for church the other week at AY. The song I picked was also very special to me. When I had come to the Adventist church, a Haitian sis noticed my interest in piano. I knew no hymns at that point and doubted my abilities to sight read despite years of musical training and music theory. She saw me at the piano ag church and asked me if I could play, When He Cometh as she wanted to sing it for church. I was painfully shy and turned down the request. She did find music for the song which she sang for church and I went on to visit another church and became the pianist for them for several years, learning When He Cometh and half of hymnal.

That was the song I played today. I sang several times today which is also something I avoid but seem to get stuck with.

I have a prayer journal that was really started during Bible class yesterday. One of my prayers is to understand what my gifts are and to use them for God. My theme is Be Bold and Courageous based off of Joshua 1:9. I want to stop being a wimp. I'm in my late 30's for crying out loud. I want to do more for God and not to be afraid. I know the Lord blessed me with several talents. I just don't want them to be a waste. Pray for me that I will stay on track, continue walking with Jesus and develop my talents for His use.