Tuesday, October 24, 2017

♫ Harmony & Melody ♪


Love make our friends a little dearer. 

Joy makes our heart a little lighter.

 Faith makes our path a little dearer.

 Hope makes our life a little brighter. 

Peace brings us all a little nearer. ~Unknown 



When I was young, I would spend most of my nights listening to old records, everything from rock, folk, bluegrass and country.  I loved many different styles of music, to name a few, Linda Ronstadt, ELO, Journey and even The Carpenters. :)  
Really, whatever was in the cabinet that my dad had.

I was always outside, but when the sun went down I would go and put on the old headphones and just get lost in the music. Being terribly shy in school, music was a good outlet for me when things were stressful at school my freshmen year.

Somehow I got into the highest choir class by mistake and I have no idea how, but it certainly would not be something I would choose for myself.  My teacher knew right away that I didn't belong there and didn't say anything to me or the class.  I really didn't know what to do but to just stay put, hopefully unnoticed and try and figure out the right class later (a good freshmen theory, I thought). 

He was so patient with me and let me stay in the class (without saying a single word to me), while everyone else had to audition with a solo, read a little music, and complete lower levels of choir just to get in there. The other students were Juniors and Seniors and very serious about music!  The lower classes are for beginners, and shy people like me; he could've just put me in one of those, but he didn't, he just handed me the music we were going to work on. 

 We toured and sang in different places all over, and wore long formal dresses and sang songs from the Beach Boys.  We had to do a solo for each final in front of the class, which there was absolutely no way I was going to do.  For three years I would not do a solo but participated in all the choir class practices and tour activities and passed the class (I could have sounded like a toad for all he knew). My word, what a teacher! 

 It was the very last day and we had our last final, everybody got up, one by one put their sheet music on the piano and sang the song of their choosing with the accompaniment of a piano soloist.  One of the songs that were sung by one of my friends I recognized, "Bless the Beasts and Children" by The Carpenters and right before the final bell rang, I borrowed my friends sheet music and got up and sang it in front of the class, the bell rang and my teacher with the biggest grin played it back from a recording (very loudly) on the speaker as we all left the class on our final day.  

There is my embarrassing story, but wow, what a teacher, huh!!  :)

                                                                         🎨
There's a melody in everything. 
 And once you find the melody, 
 then you connect immediately with the heart. 
 Because sometimes English or Spanish,
 Swahili or any language gets in the way. 
But nothing penetrates the heart faster
 than the melody. 
~Carlos Santana 





In agreement and one accord; peaceful and harmonious relations.

Playing more than one note at the same time and blending sounds of different pitch simultaneously. 


Fact notes...
Harmony is also can be referred to the gospels,

"harmony" weaves together the same event in sections of scripture into a narrative, merging the four Gospels.  Different accounts in Matthew, Mark,John and Luke but still parallel.

 Isaiah also has an account of the suffering of Christ in Isaiah 53 well before the birth of Christ in Matthew, Mark, John and Luke.

Life is like a beautiful melody,
only the lyrics are messed up.
~Hans Christian Andersen


Musical sounds in single tones.
Melody is the main tune of a song; the outcome of a series of notes. 

Make a melody in your heart.♡



The interaction between different notes played together, gives music its richness and color.

Harmony is considered vertical because the notes are played simultaneously, while Melody is considered  horizontal because its notes are read from left-to-right.

Music is the an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.


“Music is the art of thinking with sounds.”

 Jules Combarieu

I found this lovely poem that just spoke to my heart.


"My Child.... You are to me a beautiful song.
 Your life is a sweet symphony that I Myself am composing note by note. I take your failures, your tears, and your triumphs, and I turn them into a glorious harmony that will be sung in the heavens for all eternity. All your thoughts and deeds are laid before Me like notes on a page. Every choice you make is a significant chord in an eternal arrangement. Don't let the noise of the world destroy your magnificent melody, My beloved. Seek me in the quiet stillness of the morning, and I will fill your heart with divine music. Stay in rhythm with My Spirit throughout the day, and I will make your life an irresistible medley that will linger like a sweet perfume in all the hearts of all that journey with you. Walk with Me in absolute surrender, and you will draw others to me in a rhapsody of praise. Love Your King and your Composer "

Speak this over your life and know that God has you in the palm of His hand.





 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:19

Monday, October 9, 2017

Folk art summary


Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in. ~Amy Lowell


I am applying for a few things and this a summary of just a few art pieces I have done. 


The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep. ~Paul Strand





"Weave your creative threads in the dark and then when the sun hits them, they will glisten with intricate beauty.
~ Ted Andrews
http://www.bannerandsail.com/2017/09/available-artwork-page.html
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.” ~Herman Melville

My life is a tapestry between my God and me.  With light and dark threads that only God can see.  He weaves them both to create a grand design, only the top is beautifully divine.  Oh how I wish I could see the tapestry in full, but the Lord says to me 
"child, in me you are whole". 

Friday, October 6, 2017

Wonder

The more I come to recognize my story's place in God's grander Story, my once-bewildered questions are turning to psalms of thanksgiving at the wonder that I have been included in what He is doing.
Gloria Gaither


Just a few vacation photos /2017

Standing in front of the mighty sea, time seems to stand still and all you hear is the roaring of the waves as the sun sets in a stunning array of colors that danced on the turquoise crystal clear waters.  I was very excited to see one of my favorite places, Hawaii.  This trip that my husband planned was for my mother in law and I was basically along for the ride.  

 Early in the morning, the day after we arrived, I grabbed my camera and went outside to see the ocean and locked myself out of the room we were staying at.  It was still dark (around 2:30 to 4:00 am) and I was still in my PJs .  There was no one else around, so I spotted a single bench against the sea wall and sat down just a few feet in front of the sea.  It was a strange feeling to be completely alone in the dark in front of such a vast body of water with the sounds of the sea the only sound you can hear.  My thoughts went to this bible verse; 

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
Genesis 1:2







And  suddenly,
I felt very small 
and insignificant, 
basking in the 
sheer wonder of it all.

Eventually the sun began to rise
and the sun rays on the golden waters enveloped over me. 

 Sun rays that were so close, I could see them touching my hand.  



How lovely God's creation is and His great love for us.


Wonder 
noun
a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration,      
caused by something beautiful, unexpected, 
unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
verb
feel admiration and amazement; marvel,
desire or be curious to know something.








Sketching some pictures I would like to paint.  I have some pictures on my little camera that I need to go through and I really love the shapes of these trees. 








Fun with pineapples!🍍










Blessed be the Lord God, 
the God of Israel, 
who alone works wonders.
And blessed be His glorious name forever;
and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. 
Amen and Amen. glory.
 Psalm 72:18-19




 I am reminded here about being more heavenly minded 
and not put our trust in earthly things and just "be ready". We still need to do our part here on earth but ultimately heaven is our home. 


I went a little overboard with the pictures this time, but I'm embarrassed to say that this isn't the half of them!:)
Aloha!
 🌺



God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. 
Hebrews 2:4
Some went out on the sea in ships;
    they were merchants on the mighty waters.
 They saw the works of the Lord,
    his wonderful deeds in the deep.
 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
    that lifted high the waves.
 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
    in their peril their courage melted away.
 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
    they were at their wits’ end.
 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out of their distress.
 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
    the waves of the sea were hushed.
 They were glad when it grew calm,
    and he guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Ps 107:23-32