Jewells of Thought

This weekend saying it’s busy has been an understatement. There has been some craziness around here so it has actually been a welcome distraction for me. Music is the passion and talent God gave me from birth. It’s the gift that continues to give.

As of this moment I am literally tied emotionally to three church families. Grandma’s church in Pleasantville, my current night church at Fellowship and my parents’ church Bethel Baptist. This weekend some big event was happening at all three churches. Still I never thought I would actually be in two of the big church events until a short couple months ago.

Now that it’s all done and over with my only regret is not putting a second dose of Voltaren on and taking my Ibuprofen this morning before performing in the second Cantata. Yet the moments will be cherished. Such as being a part of a family memory in the making. A beloved friend of my Grandma’s and our family was able to have not only her daughter but her great-granddaughter sing in the Cantata with her. It was a special moment especially when this 11 year old girl sang her solo. She totally reminds me of me at that age only with maybe more confidence. Although I do remember being a few years younger and having the preacher’s wife tell me she could hear me when I sang my solo. I wish I could remember her words verbatim. She was giving me a compliment or that’s how I remember it as at least.

Then this morning arriving at church early was the hard part. We would only need no more than 30 minutes of prep time and then had at least 30 minutes to wait until the service would begin. Thank goodness I did have business to take care of with some family. When I upped and decided to spend my Sunday mornings with Grandma I didn’t get to tell all of those about my decision. Not all of them attend on Sunday evenings and so I inadvertently left them hanging. So it was really good being able to talk to my church family I have missed and worried about over the months. Knowing I would be in the Cantata gave me some peace that I could have this time to do so and it was exactly what I needed. I do love my church family and they have known me since I was a teenager; they remember my Alsman Grandparents too. There’s a special bond at Pleasantville with the Bishops and Fellowship with the Alsman’s although there are also ties to the other sides as well.

Sometimes it’s really funny how connected these three churches truly are for me. Fellowship and Pleasantville also have various family and friend connections with Bethel Baptist. Tonight was their last presentation of the Live Nativity Program; A Centurion’s Story. It was incredible after the show ended to all of a sudden see my Aunt’s face. She had seen it once before, but it had been awhile. She really enjoyed watching it unfold. There was one little hitch she couldn’t see the angel’s last scene from her vantage point when he talked to the shepherds telling them what to look for in Bethlehem. There was a good mostly church crowd tonight, but some were from other churches. I noticed some from a couple other congregations at least. The llamas and sheep were blessing us with their presence and they were going to add another species but they were not behaving apparently.

Earlier after church was concluded this morning and both the children’s program was over and the Cantata was I decided to grab one of Carmen’s Hometown donuts. I don’t usually eat them on the ride home but I thought I deserved it after everything. Then when I got home I tried to start dinner but my feet felt like lead. Fortunately I was able to convince everyone to switch our meal plans. We ended up eating at Wendy’s after some proper care and maintenance I and Mom were able to fix Sloppy Joes for supper.

This year just happened to work out this way, but I’m not sure I would sign up so quickly for two Cantatas at the same time again. Thank goodness the Lord was guiding me and had practice times on different wave lengths. I am so grateful for that specifically. Honestly the most intriguing part was that I sang 2nd Soprano/Alto for and Soprano for the other one and didn’t lose my voice. God was really working in this endeavor I was a part of this Christmas Season. My heart feels full tonight especially knowing I also handed something to a friend last night to look at in regards to some writing. I am interested in what happens next which will be in God’s hands!