Where Has the Time Gone??

Life is in full swing. I can't believe a month of school is gone!

Between practicing, teaching, observing classroom teachers, and attending classes and concerts, I don't have too much free time. I'm really seeking to find balance while at the same time work harder than I ever have. This proves to be quite challenging, but I refuse to give up living life. I'm settling for less sleep as a result. My family and friends have been very understanding. (For instance, yesterday Tyler had to settle for sitting on the couch next to me while I read textbooks.) So far I'm functioning, but this morning I almost fell asleep at the piano. :)

Erin has been bringing a dorm-size coffee maker to school and making coffee in her practice room at 5am. The other day she brought decaf, and I was a happy camper! Why they insist upon freezing us out I'll never know! I dress for winter inside and then sweat the whole way home with no A/C.

I'm so ready for winter! That means Tali Rose comes home, and I get to meet my sweet nephew!

Fridays and Fugues

Boy, am I thankful for Fridays! I had a great 4.2 mile run this morning!
I'm especially thankful for Wednesdays this week!

I had a wonderful piano lesson, and Ty came home! Doesn't get much better. :)

I've been working on Bach's 2nd Partita in C Minor. Two movements down, four more to go.
On Thursday I turned the page to the third movement. While it is a mere two pages, it is going to be a pain in the neck. I love, love, love Bach, but sometimes his music is insanely frustrating to learn! (Scratch that; it's usually frustrating to learn!) Nothing like a fugal movement that starts in measure one with four parts! I decided I should work on the fourth movement instead. :)
I'm just postponing the inevitable.

One of my classmates has played it before, so I asked his opinion; I knew already what his answer would be: learn it voice by voice.

Let me describe the process of learning a fugue.
1. Learn voice one.
2. Learn voice two.
3. Learn voice three.
4. Learn voice four.
5. Put voices one and two together.
6. Put voices one and three together
7. Put voices one and four together
8. Put voices two and three together.
9. Put voices two and four together.
10. Put voices three and four together.
(The word learn here really should read memorize, because that's the only way to guarantee you know each part.)

The Fugue from WTC Book 1 that I played last year was also in four parts. I clearly remember the struggle, but I also remember it was one of the most beautiful pieces I've played. It will be worth it.
But right now I'm only on step one. :)

This is for your listening pleasure (and please appreciate how much care went into creating such a lovely sound).

Recovery Run

I just ran 3 miles for the first time in seven weeks.
It took me 34 minutes. 10 minutes longer than my good summer runs.

Cringe.

This is a very humbling thing to admit.

But the facts are the facts, and there's no getting around them.
The fact that I actually completed my run is success in my book.

So where do I go from here? I'm back at square one, but I don't intend to stay here. I didn't push myself today, because I'm letting my body tell me how much and how far; slowly I will work back up to a good pace.

Here's the long and short of it:
I am training for a half-marathon in January!
I've decided to make this my recovery race. No rigorous time constraints. Just completion.

Stay tuned.

Good ol' Tension

It's a wonderful day.

I'm taking the command to rest quite seriously. I slept in, talked with my sister on Skype, went to church, started a new Sunday school class, took the day off piano practice, made some pita and cucumber dip, caught up on some homework, and walked over to the Madonna's house.

Maggie turns five tomorrow. They've invited me to join them for cake. :)
Can it be nearly five years have passed since I pushed her stroller around the block each week? Wasn't she just that toddler who loved to sit in my rocking chair and make phone calls from our land line? She makes me laugh and melts my heart every time she says "Miss Jessie."

I just can't believe she'll be five. Another unbelievable thing is that Gracie will be TWELVE this week - that makes me feel really old! She seems like she should still be Maggie's age!
It's a strange business, this thing called growing up. How can I feel so young and yet so old?

I often feel caught between childhood and adulthood. My first reaction is to shoo away any tension and search for comfort. That's why, many times, I choose to relive the past or dream of the future instead. Slowly I'm realizing that this tension is a part of growing, and that there is much to learn and love in the present. The past and the future have their places, but I live - present tense - in the here and now.

I don't want to miss what's going on today, what's going on relationally, just because I'm in a busy season. Already I feel as though these college years are eating up so much of my time. I don't want to wake up with a diploma only to find that so many have grown up or moved on without me. I truly want to invest in people and live life alongside those I care for. I'm praying for balance between doing what is required of me as a student and finding time to love on people. After all, relationships are what count in the long run.

Just some Sunday evening thoughts. So thankful for a chance to "live" a little extra this long weekend! I swam with a classmate on Saturday morning. (Did I mention that she also happens to be the girl who placed first in our age-division at my triathlon? I stood on the stand right next to her, and then she just happened to be in one of my classes! It was so funny when we figured that out! Crazy, huh?) I'm loving getting to know her, and we plan to train more together as I recover. Saturday evening I went with Tab and Erin to a school football game - my first time sitting in the student section! We girls had such a blast!
James, Amanda (and baby!) are coming over tomorrow, and then I'm heading to college group in the evening. Hello, applesauce cake! They'll never know it's healthy if you don't tell them...

Linkin' it Up!

My friend, Matt, is attending Moody Bible Institute and recently started a blog with his thoughts and insights about his experiences there. I've already learned so much just by reading his posts! (It's like satellite seminary or something!)


Particularly of interest to me was his post on Grace. Sweet words to my soul. May they nourish you, as well, as you are reminded of the depths of God's Love.


"Grace means that all the goodness of God is transferred to our account because of Christ! We were chosen before we had any opportunity to do anything - good or bad! (Ephesians 1:4,6)"


Thanks, Matt! Always a great thing being reminded that there's nothing I can do to earn this Grace!