Band, Life-condensed

Guess Who Earned His School Letter Today?

Karen

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Apparently, it’s unusual for Sophomores to earn their letters. At least, this is what Jazz said his band director told him. But leave it up to Jazz to do it. He has always enjoyed earning points to get stuff. lol

I really need to make this boy a scrapbook. He’s earning so many cool things, we need to put something together and show off his accomplishments.

Also…

I noticed something weird with Jazz’s mouth in this picture:

I don’t recognize this particular piece of hardware. Actually, I initially thought he had food stuck in his teeth and was going to photoshop it out, but when I zoomed in, I saw it was part of his braces. (In fact, it’s pathetic that I’m just now noticing this, actually. His last dentist appointment was weeks ago. Bad mommy!)

I don’t think Dude had this put on his front teeth. I wonder if Jazz had to have it to push his teeth back. He had a little bit of an overbite (which was one of the reasons we decided to put braces on him) and I’m betting this piece of hardware is supposed to correct that. I’ll have to ask his orthodontist when we see him in a few weeks.

Band

Spring Concert – Songs Two and Three

Karen

I’d like to apologize for the crotch shot. Kevin took this video and he was trying to zoom in on Jazz’s feet, NOT the girl’s lady parts. He was trying to be artsy-fartsy and came off instead as a dirty old man. HA!

I think I’ll be taking over videographer duties next time.

Also. The last song. I got frustrated with Kevin because Jazz played a lot of saxophone parts and he wouldn’t zoom in. GRR. And. Jazz said the kids were nervous on this song for some reason so they played quieter than they were supposed to – hence the reason you see the band director gesturing for them to play louder.

And yes. The band director only has one arm. He lost it in a farming accident when he was eight. But he’s incredible and the kids love him.

And may I just rant for a second? (Tune out if you’re not in the mood).

Several of the girls at this concert came in wearing skirts so short that I was seriously (no, I mean SERIOUSLY) concerned that they would end up displaying their goods for the entire audience to view when they sat down.

I understand it seems like the height of fashion and that they think they’re sexy, but if you’re a parent of a young woman (high school age) that is allowing her daughter to show up at school wearing a skirt so short that all it would take was the lifting of one arm to cover a sneeze to flash the world a shot of her underwear, then shame on you.

That’s right! I said it! SHAME ON YOU! I hate to judge, but I’m going to judge for a moment. It’s inappropriate! And crass! And uncomfortable! And disturbing. Women balk and bitch about how men only see them as sex objects and say things like “why don’t they see me as a PERSON” only to see them advertising their wares in front of a group of hormonal young men … I mean, DUH. What are they supposed to think?

I asked my young men what they thought of young ladies that wore clothing like that.

“Sluts.” Was their immediate response.

Do you really want your daughters thought of in that way? Because I assure you, not only do other girls think this, but so do the guys.

I don’t care how much they groan, complain, whine, cry. “But MOM, it’s the FASHION. All my friends are wearing the same thing!” It’s called NO. It’s called putting your foot down and being the responsible adult in the situation. These girls wouldn’t be wearing these mini-skirts if parents weren’t buying them for them.

Sorry. I don’t mean to go off in left field, but this stuff really bothers me. Women have come such a long way throughout history – WHY must we insist on resorting to sex appeal in order be noticed? To me, that just screams INSECURE. A confident, well-rounded young lady doesn’t NEED to put her body on display for the world to see – the world automatically sees her because of the way she acts and holds herself.

Anyway. My two cents.

ADDED: Interesting. This very issue is being debated here. If women over 18 want to dress in a provocative manner – go for it. Just realize, that by doing so, dressing that way may be perceived, whether rightly, or wrongly, as loose, easy prey and wanting unwanted sexual advances. Once again, it all boils down to personal responsibility. And may I just ask, what happened to being perceived as classy?

But girls under 18? There’s never a good reason to dress provocatively. Ever. Let them be girls, please.

Band

Spring Concert 2011

Karen

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Jazz had his spring concert last week. (Blonde boy, blue shirt) I always look forward to … wait, scratch that. I always look forward to ANY kind of concert Jazz is in. It never ceases to amaze me that he can even play an instrument to begin with, let alone play it WELL. He’s so comfortable with his saxophone, he really enjoys playing it, and it honestly warms my heart to watch, and hear, him play.

The band was split into three groups – freshmen, intermediate and advance. Jazz is in the intermediate group. He’s hoping to make advance band next year.

We all thought the band sounded fantastic, but Jazz wasn’t happy with the performance. He was okay with how he played, but he was disappointed in his band mates. He said that after they finished the first song, they started getting nervous and playing a lot softer than they were supposed to, which in turn, made him nervous and playing softer than he wanted to.

I love that he wants to be a better player, but I wish he wasn’t so hard on himself.

He comes by that perfectionist attitude honestly – both me and Kevin are pretty hard on ourselves as well.

At any rate, Kevin showed me how to manipulate his video program and I was able to slice the first song off the disk. I’ll work on uploading the other two songs soon.

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I love Jazz’s look of concentration in this picture.

Or maybe it’s irritation, they’re sort of one and the same, actually. HA!

Life-condensed

Graduation is in T-minus EIGHT days!!

Karen

I adore this boy … er … man??

We “talked” Dude into dressing up and wearing his cap and gown this past weekend so we could take pictures of him. We did it mainly because I want to blow the best one up to 5 x 7 so I can put it in a frame that I had custom-made for him, but we also did it because I was afraid that with the craziness that is sure to happen graduation night, I was afraid we wouldn’t have time, or just plain forget in all the excitement, to take some really good pictures of him, and with us.

Kevin moved our photography lights up to the office. He then draped a black and white (not one sheet, two sheets) and we took pictures against the background. I think we got some pretty good shots.

I’ll post the pictures soon.

The pictures you see above were actually taken last fall in our backyard. I wanted to get a decent shot of him to put on his graduation announcements.

Though Dude scowls at all the picture taking, I think, deep down, he’s enjoying the attention.

As he should. He’s worked very hard to get to this point and we’re very proud of him.

Abundant Life

Teaching: Individual Gifts of God’s Grace

Karen

Every Sunday I provide videos and valuable links to the Truth or Tradition teachings. We’ve been following the Truth or Tradition teachings for many years now and they have truly blessed our family. We have found peace and happiness through our beliefs and we walk confidently for God. My hope, by passing on this information to you, is that what you find here, or on the Truth or Tradition website, will guide you to a better, more blessed and abundant life.

If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.

Let’s get started:

One of the most influential periods of my life was the eight years I spent in the Roman Catholic Parochial school system. Many people who attended those schools can testify that forty or fifty years ago education at the feet of the priests and nuns was often a no-nonsense affair. For the most part, the students took school seriously, mostly because the nuns knew how to instill discipline like a drill sergeant with a platoon of new recruits. As I reflect back on the many lessons I learned in those formative years, I realize that one of the most beneficial was the sense that everyone has a gift and calling or, as they said, a vocation from God. It was explained that we are all unique and that it is your responsibility to discover your vocation. Today I see more clearly, and in a much larger way, some foundational truths concerning our personal gifts and callings.

Properly understanding these truths concerning our gifts and callings provides us with a proper framework in which to view our personal giftings. It also encourages us to discover our gifts, helps us to honor and respect the gifts of others, and motivates us to use our gifts for the benefit of others. These truths should greatly assist us in keeping our place in the Body of Christ in proper perspective. The elementary truths we will review are:

1. There is only one Body.
2. The one Body is composed of many members.
3. Each member is unique.
4. Each member is to work to benefit one another.
5. Christ is the Head of the one Body.

There is only one Body

Everyone should seek to discover their personal giftings and the role God has called them to play. However, all talk about our personal giftings and roles must be viewed in light of the understanding that there is one Body, the Body of Christ. [1]

1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Romans 12:4 and 5
(4) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
(5) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We must never lose sight that there is only one Body. This means that every person who is born again of God’s spirit [2] is part of this one Body, no matter what church, denomination, or group they belong to. This is the proper way to think of others who think differently about the scriptures, because it gives us the greatest opportunity to work for unity.

The one Body is composed of many members

Many Christians recognize that the one Body is composed of many members, yet from a practical standpoint this truth seems to get lost because of how people behave. One way this manifests itself is in the way we negatively judge others who differ from us, merely on the basis that they see and do things differently from us. The truth that there are many members in the Body of Christ obligates us to recognize that we are not alone. By acknowledging the many other members in the Body of Christ we give ourselves the opportunity to see a variety of perspectives besides our own.

While unity is expressed through the concept of there being one Body, its diversity is celebrated through the understanding that the Body has many members.

Ephesians 4:25
…for we are all members of one body.

Romans 12:4 and 5
(4) Just as each of us has one body with many members,
(5)…so in Christ we who are many form one body…

1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. [3]

Each member is unique

With this third truth, that each member is unique, I give permission to myself and others to be different in our gifts and callings. In the New Testament, there are three sections of God’s Word (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4) that list various gifts. These lists are by no means exhaustive because we know that there are also those who are gifted as intercessors, dancers, worshippers, artisans, etc. In the Old Testament God even tells us how He spiritually gifted Bezalel as a craftsman with all types of artistry in metals, stone, and wood. [4] There is no reason to believe He does not do the same today in the Body of Christ.

The diversity of all the members allows for specialization in our functions (doings).

Romans 12:4
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function (doing)…

Not only would it be boring, it would also be extremely tedious if we all looked alike and did the same thing. The great variety among the various members allows for each of us to pursue our passions. Having a proper understanding of this truth provides us the greatest opportunity to respect and honor everyone’s individual differences. The distinctiveness of each member creates a tapestry of color and hue. We are a kaleidoscope of grace that, through our various combinations, reveals God’s great goodness.

Each member is to work to benefit the other members

Despite our individuality, we must work for the mutual benefit of all the members. God has given us all special gifts that we are to use to serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

It is because we have a variety of gifts that we can minister (serve) His grace to others in a variety of ways. A teacher provides a benefit to the Body that is very different from an intercessor, server, or administrator. Although we serve differently, our service must be for the benefit of the others, because we belong to each other. One part of the Body cannot rightly deny another part.

Romans 12:5
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Within the Body of Christ we are to have a mutual concern for every other member in all we do. This truth is expressed wonderfully through the various “one anothering” sections of God’s Word, for instance:

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another…

Christ is the head of the one Body

The health of the human body is very much dependent upon all the various systems working harmoniously together. In the human body it is the responsibility of the head (brain) to coordinate the various physical, chemical, and neurological systems. In the same way, our connection to the Head, Jesus Christ, is what keeps us working in harmony.

Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the church…

Serious problems develop in the Body of Christ whenever we lose connection with the Head. This happens whenever we turn to doing things our own way (idolatry and pride) versus following the lead of the Head.

Colossians 2:18 and 19
(18) Do not let anyone who delights in false humility [pride] and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
(19) He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

When it comes to our gifts and callings, pride cannot be given any room. This truth is made clear when God provides a fictional dialogue between body parts in 1 Corinthians 12:14-22. This section begins with the foot complaining that because it is not the hand it is not a part of the body. This is the “I’m not good enough syndrome.” This is really rooted in a devalued estimation of self, which is one way pride shows up. The other extreme is depicted when the eye says to the hand, “I don’t need you!” (1 Cor. 12:21). This is the “I’m better than you syndrome,” which is also prideful. The fact is that in the Body of Christ no one is to look up to, or down upon, another. We are all to look to Christ as the Head and work to serve one another with the gifts we have received.

In an orchestra there are hundreds of individual instruments, each of which sound, look, and operate differently. Their ability to make beautiful music depends upon the musicians taking their lead from the conductor. In the same manner, in the Body of Christ our diversity can demonstrate the beauty of God’s grace when we all serve one another with our various gifts of grace, taking our lead from Christ, the Head.

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about God’s wonderful message, please visit the Truth or Tradition website. You can also keep track of the ministry through their Facebook page, their YouTube Channel, or follow them on Twitter.

Thanks for reading.

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