For your musical enjoyment, may I suggest...

Ah: the end of another week. So hard to believe that September is nearly gone and October is right around the corner! 

I decided to devote this blog to suggestions of music, for your enjoyment. Anyone who knows me is aware that I literally live and breath music. Well, it's true! I love it. :) 

So- if you enjoy music, and are tired of listening to the same thing over and over, here are some of my favorites that I frequently recommend to people. (especially light classical and easy listening.)

Spotify:  Free internet download (you have to have Facebook to get it), and allows you to listen to unlimited (with commercials) music. You can find virtually any artist or album by just typing it in the 'search' box. It's great!

Pandora Radio: Make an easy free account by simply using your email address, and create free online radio stations based on your favorite songs, albums, or artists. I listen all the time! 

Now, for a few musical recommendations: 

Andre' Rieu- Violinist from the Netherlands. His live DVD's are not only filled with beautiful music, but are also quite funny and very entertaining. My students (and I) love him! He plays music varying from light classical to Movie classics (Moon River, etc.). It's great relaxing music, and there are several of his albums on Spotify as well as Pandora. A few of my favorite albums: Romantic Moments, Dreaming, Homecoming, At the Movies, and Greatest Hits.

Canadian Tenors- Terrific guys vocal group; they sing light pop/classical. Really love their sound! On Spotify as well as Pandora. 

Straight No Chaser- 10-men from Indiana who sing amazing! I especially love their holiday/Christmas stuff. Check it out- it's phenomenal! 

Julie Andrews- No introduction needed. She's my favorite female vocalist of the light classical/Broadway genre, and is truly a legend. Her Christmas albums are especially beautiful, if you're not a fan of Broadway music. Pandora and Spotify.

101 Strings Orchestra- Really enjoyable, beautifully played light classical/easy listening orchestral favorites. Love them! Pandora and Spotify- and most libraries. Amazon has free downloads, sometimes.

Phil Coulter- Irish pianist who often collaborates with famous flutist Sir James Galway. His albums Celtic Horizons, The Celtic Minstrel, Winter Crossing, and Highland Cathedral combine piano light-classical feel with celtic-easy listening. Sounds strange, but it's beautiful. Check it out!

Jim Brickman- Pianist. I don't like all of his songs because they tend to be repetitive, but his Disney album is quite nice, as well as Picture This and his Christmas album, Joy is a favorite. His pandora station is my favorite! Really nice studying music, or anytime music. 

Mantivani Orchestra- Great easy-listening orchestral music. Everything they do is extraordinary and beautiful. See what you think! 

Secret Garden- European violinist/pianist husband/wife team. Their music has a beautiful instrumental (and some vocal) feel, and is extremely relaxing. He actually wrote the famous song "You Raise Me Up," as well as most of the songs on all their albums. Earthsongs is one of my favorite albums. Check it out on Pandora or Spotify! 

Kenny G- Goes without saying, he is one of my favorites! His Christmas music permeates our house year-round! Miracles, Faith, Greatest Christmas, and everything else is a favorite. My favorite non-Christmasy album is Classics in the Key of G. It's a balance between light jazz and easy listening.

Yiruma- An Oriental pianist with a unique playing style. I really enjoy the Yiruma station on Pandora; it's very relaxing and beautiful!

James Todd- A cellist who truly plays from the heart. I really enjoy his cd's! They are beautiful. Pandora station is nice, too. Check out the album "Forrest Cello." 

I hope you check out a few of my recommendations and let me know what you think!

To close this blog post, here is a video of a legend and fantastic singer- Andy Williams. The world of music is richer because of him, and he will be missed! Moon River is one of my favorite songs. Enjoy! 

Another favorite- Autumn Leaves, also by Andy Williams. 

Recipe for Apple Spice Bars coming soon to the blog...a Fall tradition in my house! 

Have a lovely September Weekend...

The arrival of Fall

It is here. 

Fall. 

Finally. 

My absolute favorite time of the year!

Here are a few fall pictures I've taken so far, and some of my favorite fall quotes to welcome the season. Enjoy! 

Outdoor fall decor

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." -Emily Bronte

First tinge of autumn color in the trees by the house...

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." -George Elliot

front porch fall-ized

Pretty Fall table arrangement with pumpkins from the garden, berries, and fruit arranged in a dark basket

What is fall without Candy Corn? Definitely not Fall...
So, we welcome fall. 


Until next time...


Happy Fall! 

a genius cold remedy

Well, sniff as is typical with the arrival of Fall, sniff germs and colds increase. Booooo. I am a victim, thanks to a weekend visit with my sister in Greenville. (Great visit, but resulted in a biserable cold.) 

Here are a few strange things I've tried that seem to be helping, oddly enough. Thought I would pass them on in case you become a victim of the common cold. 

*Mint/Rosemary Vaporizer: Mint and rosemary are known to help with respiratory infections and congestion. Eucalyptus will work, too. So, I picked some fresh mint and rosemary from my herb garden, boiled it, and sniffed. Not only does it smell amazing and work as a potpourri, it really does help significantly! 

*Another equally strange remedy is a cough syrup made by mixing apple-cider vinegar, honey, water, and cinnamon. It really does seem to help quite a lot! 

That is the extent of my home-remedy knowledge this evening. May you ward off the evil common cold, and "may the odds be ever in your favor!"

until next time...

The terrible thing of 'giving all'

Thoughts of 'giving your absolute best to God' continue to permeate my thoughts, even after my last blog post. And, I feel the need to clarify something important which I feel I may have left out.

I mentioned the importance of giving your very best to God, of cultivating your specific talents and abilities to the best of your capability, then using them for God's glory. I also connected my talents and my best to the continuing of higher education; I stated that this is the way I feel I can best use what God has given me. 

Hear this:

Just because higher education is my venue for cultivating my talents, doesn't mean it is the right choice for you. God blesses each of us with different gifts, so if yours is different than mine, that's actually a good thing! God is creative in distributing talents and abilities, so it is futile to compare yours to mine, or anyone else's for that matter. 

For me, it's a much bigger matter even yet. It's what C.S. Lewis calls the 'terrible thing' of giving all. Here's what Lewis explains in his book, Mere Christianity. (Which, by the way, if you haven't read, you should.) 

"Christ says, 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked - the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will you Myself: my own will shall become yours.'"

"The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self - all your wishes and precautions - to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call 'ourselves', to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time to be 'good'. We are all trying to let mind and heart go their own way - centred on money or pleasure or ambition - and hoping, in spite of this, to behave honestly and chastely and humbly. And that is exactly what Christ warned us you could not do. As He said, a thistle cannot produce figs. If I am a field that contains nothing but grass-seed, I cannot produce wheat. Cutting the grass may keep it short: but I shall still produce grass and no wheat. If I want to produce wheat, the change must go deeper than the surface. I must be ploughed up and re-sown." 

Wow. So, essentially, it's not even an issue of higher education or not. Everything stems back to this 'terrible thing' of giving all. In giving all, there is a freeing state of captivity in which we are crucified to our own desires, and drawn to God's greater plan instead. It's the only way to achieve true contentment in life. 

Happy September Weekend!

"So, you're attending graduate school?" -My Response to Higher Education

sigh. 

If I could but have $1 for every time I've been asked, "What? You're going back to school?" that last few months, I'd have all my parking fees and books paid for completely.  no joke. :)

Seriously, what is your reaction when you hear of someone attending higher education? 

(I'm specifically thinking of public education, not Bible school.)

Can't think of what you'd say? Well, let me share a few I've heard the past few months...

"WHAT? If you were really a Christian and in-tune with God's Will, 

you would sacrifice for His work and not pursue a secular and worldly career at a public university. God doesn't bless those who reject His will."

"You should be content to serve God rather than chase after worldly careers and fame."

"Christian education is where the real contentment lies- and you're missing it."

"The public university is a dangerous place. There's...(whispered) gays everywhere, and you will

be affected! Your soul will suffer! You'd better beg God for mercy!"

etc. etc. etc. etc.  

I could go on for a while, but I'm assuming you're an intelligent individual

and thus able to read what I've written so far, and I won't bore you with more of the same.

(Note: I am not disrespecting any of the individuals who made the above comments.)

This is my third week of graduate classes, and just to report:

1) I am still a Christian

2) I feel that God is pleased with my life

3) God has worked out details for my schooling and continues to do so

and,

4) I am 'in His will' 

No way!

Here is my response to higher education from a Christian perspective, 

coming from someone who has already 

received a BA from a Bible College:

1) Christ asks, no commands us to be disciples. Right? And by definition, a disciple of Christ

is literally a 'little Christ.' In the words of C.S. Lewis, 

"Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else."

I love that. Really, I do. As Christians, we are truly representatives of Christ to the world, and everyone really.

2) Jesus was a student. Remember, when He was 12 and sat in the synagogue to learn about the Scriptures?

What about the verse, "Study to show thyself approved?" (2 Tim. 2:15) Jesus did not condemn education.

3) It appears that some Christians view any educational institution lacking the word 'Bible' or 'Christian' in the 

name as being 'of the devil,' or 'completely worldly.' How ignorant. 

Now, for my opinion:

1) I am literally sick and tired of Christian education (in general) having a 'bad rap' and reputation as being

second-rate, unprofessional, non-academic, archaic, etc. 

I'm sure you've heard of it described as such...I know I have. 

And, sadly, I'm sure you have heard of/seen institutions bearing the name of Christ 

that demonstrate these 'qualities.' It's truly saddening, and it's a disgrace to the name of Christ.

2) By completely rejecting the idea of 'professional education,' we as Christians

have cheated students. Just a little hint: holy shoddy is still shoddy. The foundation of 

"Christian Education" is, yes, Christ, but it's still 'education,' not Sunday School.

The educational system is intended to educate and instruct in areas of academia and character building, and

when coupled with a passion for Christ, is an absolutely beautiful thing! But leave out the 

passion for excellence in academics, and it's just glorified Sunday School. 

3) As a Christian, I believe that God has given each of us certain gifts, talents, and abilities that, 

when cultivated, can be used for His glory. I also believe that God expects me to represent Him

well, and to do my absolute best with what He has given me. 

That means I want to learn as much as I can to help teach others about music/piano, 

use it as a tool to bless others, and ultimately glorify God. Without concentrated practice, 

diligence, and instruction, this won't happen. So, to do my best with what God has given me,

I am attending a graduate music school, pursuing my MM in Piano Performance/Pedagogy,

and ultimately achieving a DMA in Piano Performance. 

All with God's approval, sanction, and my parents' blessing. :) 

So, there you have it- my philosophy of Christian Education in a nutshell. 

But, it all comes down to this: 

Don't ever give less than your very best back to God with the 

talents he has given you. Do your absolute, dead-level best

in your area, and leave the rest up to God. 

But always give your best.

Anything less is not only embarrassing,

it's also not pleasing to God.

And, since that's what life is all about- pleasing God- we should strive to please Him in education, too.
A few closing thoughts:

I am very thankful for the four years at Hobe Sound Bible College, where I learned

the 'foundations of faith,' philosophical views, and what I believe before coming to 

a secular university of 18,000 + students. Likewise, my dad and sister

did an online Biblical beliefs course together from GBS before she went to Bob Jones (a Baptist

university). That being said, it may not be wise for a Christian individual who is not solidly grounded in his/her faith to attend a secular university...take a Biblical beliefs class. Be ready to answer questions from people about your beliefs, and be a mature enough individual that you can be who you are, no matter where you are. 

I do not- and would not- live on campus at UNCG. I am a proud commuter, and 

most at the university know it by now. They've also picked up on the fact that I'm not a 

party-goer. Hmmm...wonder how that came across? :)

 Unitl next time...

God is great, God is good

I've done it again. 

That which I promised myself I would do at least once weekly, has become an unconquerable monster of once monthly. 

That which brings me joy has been replaced by a new sort of monster:

graduate school. gasp Oh yes. 

Well, enough with the dramatic soliloquy- but I really 

have survived my first 2 1/2 weeks of graduate school at UNCG School of Music.

And, besides the dreadful assignment last week in which I had to 

cite 200+ sources in turabian, I'm really loving it. 

I'm learning really great piano literature from a phenomenal professor.

Learning answers to questions I've had for a long time. (love that feeling.)

Making really good grades. (thank you, Lord.)

Hating Music Research Class. (it's to be expected.)

And thoroughly loving living my dream. 

So thankful to Jesus for helping to work out all the details! 

It's really incredible, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to further my education.

That being said, my sister, Kimberly, is also embarking on her

own educational journey by beginning her BSN Nursing at Bob Jones University,

and plans to continue schooling to become a Physician's Assistant. 

Miss her like crazy, but very proud of her. 

I can't reiterate enough how extremely thankful I am for God 

working out details in my life recently. Things I thought I had planned/prepared

quite nicely, He thought differently. 

I've been living by the motto: "Don't confuse the will of God with the will of the majority." 

No matter how hard you or I try, there's no possible way to please absolutely everyone-

that's humanity for ya. However, I'm realizing this. 

If: 

1) God says do it

2) Parents support it

3) It just makes sense, and even if

4) A few people you highly respect just 'don't get it,' 

do. it.  

Don't let the opinions of a few keep you from doing what you should. 

It's hard.

Difficult.

Confrontational.

Uncomfortable.

Weird.

Embarrassing.

all of the above, but it brings peace with God, which is worth it. 

And, in the end, God's approval is what really matters anyways, right? right. 

I'm done with my soapbox :), just thought I'd 'throw that out there.' 

(food for thought, if you will.)

God is great, God is good. 

until next time...

e.d.