Summer Vacation Part #1

Part of my summer was spent visiting the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I've decided to share the Top Ten reasons why I love the U.P.

10. The nature/woods/wildlife
9. The weather--not too hot
8. Water (lakes/rivers)
7. Relaxing atmosphere/more slow-paced life
6. Red necks (like Da Yoopers Tourist Trap)
5. It feels like home/good memories
4. Hiking trails galore
3. People I get to see at Bible Baptist Church
2. Did I mention the nice, fresh water (& scenery)?
1. My family is there!

I really enjoyed getting to spend time with my nephews being Auntie Beth--and getting to sleep in!

"Playing" with Grant on the playground

Lake Superior at Presque Isle

Chapel Rock, Pictured Rocks

Pictured Rocks Lakeshore, Munising

Family Together on the 4th of July

Understanding My Role

(I decided it was finally time to start blogging again, so you're going to start being bombarded with a few journal posts I've been mulling over for quite a while. This is a good place to start.)

Who am I? What is my purpose for existence? I'm sure we've all thought this as we've matured. But those of us who are older (30s) and single sometimes have a harder time finding our places in the world.

Since I was little I've dreamed of being a wife and mom (and teacher, which I am), but when you find those roles in life unfulfilled you start to question everything. It's easy to think you don't matter since there's no one special that would truly miss you if you were gone. You start to think maybe you aren't smart enough or attractive enough or put-together enough or there's something wrong with you. Who am I? What is my identity?

I am a church pianist. I was at my parents' church from age 13-22. But when I moved away they found someone to replace me. I eventually found a niche in Lafayette, but even then there were times when it seemed that if I stepped away from it no one would miss me. What am I wanting? I'm wanting to feel needed. This is not who I am.

I am a sibling. My sister & brother found spouses and are now parenting, and, sure, it's great to be an Aunt, but I'm not necessarily NEEDED in their lives. This is not who I am.

I am a piano teacher. I love my students and I think some of them love me, but if I moved away from the area they could find another teacher. I'm not NEEDED. This is not who I am.

I am a daughter. But I live 10 hours from my parents, so they are able to manage on their own without me (at least for now!) just fine. This is not who I am.

So who am I? Does God have a role for me? I can share this now because I've struggled through it, and have come to the realization that I AM needed. No, God Himself doesn't NEED me, but He wants me. He has created me and put me on this earth for a special reason. I have a role to fulfill; I am an instrument in His hands. Just as a composer orchestrates a piece of music and hands out the different sections, God has assigned me a part to play. If He has assigned me the percussion role, I don't have to know what the trumpets are playing at all times. I don't have to know why the flutes or violins play and I don't. I just have to do what He has assigned me to do.

"My role is not to question why, it's but to do or die." I just need to do whatever it is He has made me for. My role is to love others, be a help to those around me, do my job to the best of my ability, and be a witness to Christ's name so they can see Jesus in me. "For such a time as this." I am a believer and therefore a child of God. That's who I am.

Micah & Wesley Visit Indiana

While their parents attended the February 2011 Biblical Counseling Training Conference here in Lafayette, Micah & Wesley hung out with me. We made a little video...Link to YouTube Video

Dissonance & Resolution

The last two days in piano I've tried to teach a piano student or two about dissonance and resolution. You know, dissonance: the part of music that seems to clash and not make sense--especially when you are playing it slowly. I tell my students that that is a "dissonant" part of the music; it may not sound good at that particular moment, but if you look ahead you see where the chord progression is going, and it will all make sense eventually. Sometimes we just need to look ahead to the point of "resolution," where the music resolves and it doesn't clash anymore.

God reminded me of a spiritual application I can draw from this. Sometimes God gives us trials in life, where the "bad things" tend to happen--the "dissonant" parts of life. In the middle of it we can wonder why God is allowing this bad thing to happen. But He knows the big picture. He can see where it's going. And he promises that He will work out all things for good, that we will become more like Christ (Rom. 8:28-29).

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

Christmas Letter 2010

December 16, 2010

Dear Friends & Family,

Merry Christmas! “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Looking back on the past year, I trust we can all say we have looked for ways to grow: physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and of course in the most important way: our relationship with Christ.

This year has brought to me an increased awareness of my place in the world, and just how content and satisfied I can be in serving God. It really isn’t about me, it’s just about who I am in Christ. And God’s Word truly has all the truth and answers to all of life’s issues. I have seen evidence of that this year.

Physical
My dog Juju, who is now 4 years old, keeps me active with “making” me take her for a walk every evening. I’m getting older, as we all are, but I am thankful to be in good health, although I had to make my first visit to a chiropractor this month after some severe lower back pain. He fixed that, but also told me that apparently I look down a lot (imagine that for a piano player!) so I need to work on making my neck straighter by looking up more! Oddly enough, the title of my blog is “Focus up!” Which is a great thing for me to remember, as it is very easy for me to get caught up in daily activities and neglect the really important things: like worshiping God. I think I can relate with Martha, busy serving the Lord, but often forgetful of spending time at Jesus’ feet.

Emotional
I attended a piano workshop at Butler University in September and the speaker was talking about motivating our piano students by teaching to body, mind, and heart. I thought this was especially interesting from a non-Christian perspective. It has made me continue to meditate on how all the parts of us are tied together, and especially how God keeps bringing my heart/desires into focus. Our Faith Christian School theme this year is “Desiring God,” so I am continually reminded how the “desires and intents of our hearts” affect me and my students. As I teach I want to try to motivate the DESIRES of my students, and I continue to realize how I need to keep my own desires focused on God (Psalm 37:4).

This is my 11th year at Faith Christian School. I have 50 piano students (5 home schooled, 5 public school or college, rest in Kindergarten through 12th from Faith) this year. Our music department has undergone some changes this year as the head of our music department (Jack Heim) changed jobs and moved to NC. I have enjoyed getting to work with the new elementary music teacher (Camden Mullis) and trying to help Joe Wright transition into his job as he was promoted from elementary to high school and head of the music dept. I continue to teach Preschool & K5 music classes. I also still accompany for the FaithMinistry Team and Jr/Sr High choirs (traveled with the FMT to SC this year for fall tour), and run sound for the Praise Team and chapels. I guess I’m supposedly one of the resident tech experts, even though I apparently have been in denial, since I just realized I was probably a “techie” a few months ago when a friend of mine was looking for an HDMI cable, and I knew what that was and I had an extra one at home. I make the PowerPoint presentations (and occasional videos) for our school programs and help others put their presentations together for weekly chapels. This summer I upgraded to a Smartphone too (a Motorola Android), and I find myself joining the ranks of those who are becoming dependent on their phones for their contacts, emails, and calendar. I didn’t think I would use it for all those things but I am starting to really like it. (I’m also becoming addicted to Twitter.)

As I get older I find that I am getting more comfortable in my routines and schedules, thus I’ve felt comfortable branching out to new things, like refinancing my home. I just signed papers to start the process to refinance my home at 4% interest for a 15-year loan with my local bank. Closing should be at the end of January. I continue to have my sister Sarah and our friend Sara Denny living with me in my home, although Sara D will probably be leaving us sometime in the following year to pursue her Mrs. degree.

Spiritual
I have learned in the past year how important it is to be connected with the body of Christ, as I discovered that I can easily sink into an “Elijah mentality,” getting discouraged and thinking that I’m the only person making the choice to live for God (which may seem silly in a church of over 1,500), but connecting with the accountability of my Tuesday night Bible study has helped to keep me focused on God’s purpose and not on myself. I need to be around others who encourage me, and I don’t want to be just “going through the motions” either.

My prayer this year has been to grow in my love for others. I have realized (again) how selfish I am. As Elyse Fitzpatrick says, “I am more sinful and flawed then I ever dared believe, yet more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope.” And thankfully I have seen progress in that area, especially in having a genuine loving attitude toward those who may be different than I am. This reminds me, that to be more in tune with others and the people in my community I also volunteer twice a month at the Faith Community Center, working at the cafe.

I am very thankful for my church family and am privileged to have the opportunity to serve on the Worship Team every Sunday, which makes for a long morning with 3 services, but has also given me some great close friends; I also got some custom-molded earphones out of the deal this year! Our choir Christmas cantata this year also included orchestra, video (MediaShout), and new LED lights.

For our school Christmas program season, my sister and I made an actual figgy pudding (which Juju did NOT eat this year) for the Preschool program, and FCS had our first combined K5-12th grade program: a Christmas Spectacular.
As I’ve grown more comfortable in my responsibilities, I have taken on some extra things in my local music teachers’ association as well, so I am the chairman of the biannual Monster Concert (which I also did in 2009). We are in the planning stages for our June 9, 2011 concert at the Long Center downtown Lafayette. If you are in the area I hope you can support us by attending this program, a grand piano recital with 10 pianos on stage and students of all ages playing.

I’ve discovered that I love spending as much time with my family as much as possible, but that is hard with my work schedule and the distance from Indiana to Wisconsin/Michigan (about 7 hours to Tim & Kristen’s & 9-and-a-half to Rachel/Matt’s and Mom & Dad’s). I now have 4 nephews: Reagan (2 yrs) & Grant (2 mos.) Eliason and Micah (2 yrs) & Wesley (7 mos.) Hill. I enjoyed spending a few days in June with my brother’s family just a few weeks after Wesley was born, and I spent some good quality time in June with my parents (and helping with their Vacation Bible School). And I also look forward to having time at Christmas break to spend with everyone in Ishpeming. For the first time in a long time we will all be together for Christmas! If I still live the same distance away in a few years I think I will definitely be figuring out a way to Skype piano lessons with my nephews!

For more regular updates from me, follow me on Twitter (INDIANABETH) or Facebook, as I enjoy keeping in touch with many of you that way.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year,
Beth Hill

FMT TOUR '10

Dear FMT Member,

What a great tour we shared this year, but I am burdened to try to express what is in my heart now as I pray that this experience continues for you. You have been on the mountaintop, but the valley is coming. How will you allow what God has taught you on this trip to continue? I have been where you have been. I come from a Christian family, surrounded by Christian things all my life, but there will come a time when you are going to have to decide for yourself if you are truly going to live and take a stand for Christ.

We have some wonderful memories of this trip, including our stay with the youth at Jones Avenue Baptist Church in Easley, SC and the wonderful home cooking and Southern hospitality! You will remember our trip on the bus, playing games, talking to people you never might have gotten the opportunity to otherwise, sleeping, playing Euchre or Kemps, or teaching me how to play Texas hold 'em. You will remember playing volleyball or basketball or round robin in the gym and having to get cancer ball down from being stuck on the beam. You will remember the ginormous amount of ice cream we were given and staying up until midnight, laughing and playing games. You will remember Kum-Cha & Asay no-no (sp?) and singing on the bus. You will remember meeting the men in Anderson, SC at the Haven of Rest farm & mission and hearing their stories of God has changed their lives. You will remember the Miracle Hills Rescue Mission in Greenville, SC and of course the unforgettable Knoxville Area Rescue Mission, and how we could never make it through "The Room" or "The Power of the Cross" without crying...ever.

But just a word of caution. You can't depend on your feelings. I felt it too this trip--the Spirit moving in hearts and lives, the "connection of souls," and God's marvelous power. But feelings don't last. After this great emotional high you will probably feel a let down. On this trip you were exposed to the "other path." As a Christian, sometimes I tend to remember only my chosen path, but there are others in the world who have chosen a different path for their lives. Even other Christians have different views and "interpretations" of God's Word. One of the men at Haven of Rest told me that he had just come from a funeral of a senior saint, and then to come hear our program gave him hope for the next generation of followers of Christ. He said he could see that your faith was genuine, and he said to tell you that he had tried the other way and it wasn't worth it. I'd always thought my faith was genuine too, but after a while it's easy to get complacent in our Christianity, and I've been there. I've wondered if what I was doing was just because that's the way I'd always done it, and whether worshiping God was just a futile activity. I mean, look at all the fun that is out there that I am missing because I'm supposed to have some sort of morals or ethics or "religion." Does God really know what He's doing? Is the Bible really true? Are my parents hypocrites? But if you are just going through the motions, you will get discouraged and depressed...UNLESS you keep your focus on Christ and HIS work in your lives. That is one of the reasons I love taking pictures, because then I can look back and see and remember what God has done in the past. This gives me hope for the future. This is why I think it is so important that I will give YOU a copy of all these pictures and videos, because I want you to REMEMBER. Never forget what you have learned here.

I also used to think that as long as I read the Bible and prayed and depended on God I could go through life without the help of others. I have learned even in just the last few years the importance of GOOD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS and accountability and the TRUE importance of WEEKLY church attendance and church family to help me stay on track spiritually. Don't ever think that it is not imporant to go to church EVERY week. I know so many friends or former students who have let the world creep into their thinking. Oh, the LITTLE THINGS are so important. If you can start making good godly choices in the LITTLE, daily decisions in life: how to treat a friend at school, how to spend time with God, how to turn in assignments on time, how to do your chores with excellence, how to obey your parents, you will be keeping yourself on the right path. Little choices will pile up and have a big effect.

I am concerned for you. I wonder that in a few years, a few months, a few days, or even in a few hours the "experience" will wear off. We coast along, thinking we'll always love God and always desire Him. But we won't. Sometimes we'll want other things, thinking God has gypped us of something important, something that would be more fun. But our thinking gets warped. "Our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." (Jer. 17:9) We can't trust ourselves, but we CAN trust God. Our priorities get out of whack, and my devotions and time with godly influences don't seem to take priority--after all, I know how to "do" the Christian life by now, right? But even now, when I WORK in a Christian environment, I still get drawn away by the things of the world. I find myself thinking, "it's okay to watch this program, after all, it's not THAT bad." But I'm just deceiving myself. I wonder if I'm missing out on the "fun" things in life. But the longer I live (and I'm getting old) the more I am convinced that NOTHING else matters but the things of eternity. This life is only the beginning.

So how do we keep our faith genuine? Here is what I've learned from observation and personal experience. We must CHOSE to put God first, especially in the little things, even when we don't necessarily feel like it. Every little decision matters. If you know something is wrong, DON'T DO IT, even if someone else is doing it. You may take flack for this. I know I have. I like to surround myself as much as possible with good Christian music, or even Christian radio (like Moody or KLOV). Why listen to something that will not encourage you in your Christian walk? Get a group of good Christian friends and make yourself spend time with them. Sometimes we will just be going through the motions, but these choices will eventually influence our feelings. Will you choose to wear something you might think is questionable, just because "everyone else gets away with it." Choose to take a stand for what's right.

I'm uploading a video to Facebook of just a short portion of our spontaneous worship time, so you can REMEMBER. My heart is burdened for you and your future choices. I will pray for you, and you pray for me, that we can continue to grow in our love for God, and our love for others. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul...and love your neighbor as yourself." I love you. But God loves you more. Never forget.

Accompanying Tips

I have been playing the piano, accompanying for choirs, soloists, and ensembles full-time for over 11 years, longer if you count accompanying specials for church. I thought I would take a minute to share some tips that I have learned. Maybe these will be useful for my students and any others who are or have been accompanying. This is especially geared to four-part choir accompanying in a school setting, but may be applicable for other situations, too. Some of these might seem basic, but here goes:

1. Play out. The choir tends to sing stronger when they have strong support.
2. Be confident. If you're going to make a mistake, make a big one.
3. Learn to keep a steady beat. At many times you are the only metronome they will have. Practice with a metronome and imagine a drumbeat in your head.
4. Follow the director for certain cues, but don't depend on him/her. Be a conductor/director yourself from the piano.
5. Younger kids need to hear more melody, even during performances, so don't be afraid to add more of the melody line.
6. If you hear a part struggling, try to play that part out (especially in rehearsals).
7. Four-part harmony can be difficult to read and play. If necessary, play just the tenor & alto lines since they tend to be the hardest to find. Add the bass if possible, too, but it's usually ok to leave out the soprano.
8. Learn what your director likes. Some like you to play just the parts while others prefer you to play as much accompaniment as possible.
9. Try to guess what the director is thinking. Guess where he's going to start and be ready.
10. Learn to play either parts or accompaniment, or a mixture of both. Practice!
11. You will tend to perform the way you practice, so practice the performance.
12. Practice an hour before a concert so the music is fresh in your mind.
13. Match the style of the singers, and lead them with the way you play. If they are supposed to be sining soft, play quieter. If they are supposed to be singing smoothly, play as smoothly as you can. The singers will tend to emulate you.
14. Be a leader.
15. The introduction is important. You are setting the mood for the piece.
16. Sight read lots of music.
17. Before a concert, get lots of rest so you have a clear mind.
18. Try to help the choir in its entrances, especially if they are staggered. Try to play out at least the first phrase of an entrance.
19. Keep your music organized. Minimize page turns by making copies and keeping your music in a binder.
20. Use a pencil. Write notes to yourself (maybe come up with your own shorthand system). Don't think you will remember something in the middle of a performance. You just might blank!
21. Listen listen listen.
22. Work on facial expression. Try to have a pleasant expression on your face, no matter WHAT happens!
23. Support your director, even if you don't necessarily agree.
24. If you have a disagreement with or suggestion for the director, try to discuss this away from the students. Present the director perfect in public!
25. Enjoy making music!

End of Summer

Me & Nephew Reagan

Me & Nephews Micah & Wesley

I enjoyed my summer with my family, but summer is over now. :( Even though I'm doing basically the same job at Faith Christian School this year, it will be different because of working alongside some new people this year. Joe Wright is taking over the music jobs of Jack Heim, who "retired" and moved to NC. And Camden Mullis has been hired to take over Joe Wright's former elementary music responsibilities. I am thankful that I have already collaborated with Joe so am already familiar with his style. Last week we had Faith Ministry Team camp, and while it's not EXACTLY the same, it really made me excited for this coming year. After today's Team-Building Retreat, I am looking forward to the new opportunities this school year will have to bring and the new students and teachers to work alongside.

I am hoping to spend more time in prayer for my students this year and take advantage of the mission field that is before me. Let the school year commence!

Summer Up North 2010

Since my mom said I should update my blog, I thought I'd journal a bit about the recent weeks I spent up north in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. All of my pictures are on my facebook page, which most of you have access to, so I'll only include 1 or 2 here, because I have over 200!

So what did I do, you wonder? Well, I don't want to bore you with all the details, so I'll scroll through the "highlight reel."

I first got to spend an amazing 4 days with my brother (Tim) and his wife (Kristen) and their 2 boys in Crivitz, WI: Micah (about 1 1/2) and Wesley, who was only about 2 weeks old! I really enjoyed getting to help Kristen take care of the house and the boys and just get to visit. (I'm sure Kristen was tired but it was kind of relaxing for me, actually, with not as strict of a schedule--just meal times, nap times, and play times!) I also helped out with Sunday services at Timberland Bible Chapel, where my brother is "Pastor Tim."

Then I headed to my parents' house in Ishpeming, Michigan where my dad is "Pastor Hill" at Bible Baptist Church. I got to be VBS director the next week, so it was a busy time of getting songs & skits organized, PowerPoint presentations put together, and prizes in order. But I do have to say that the body of Christ at Bible Baptist is AWESOME at serving! If something needed to be done, we had people just waiting to jump in and help, whether it was bringing snacks, helping to decorate, filling water balloons for water day, counting pennies for the offering, or vacuuming the floor, people there are WILLING TO SERVE! ("I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.") What a joy to work with the folks there! We had about 15-20 helpers every evening and about 41 kids every night, so we thought the attendance was great! One very fun thing for me was having my nephew Reagan (even though he was only 1) attending VBS, and my other 1-year-old nephew Micah was there for Friday night, too. We had a blast!

The next week I took care of my parents' house for them while they attended a conference in Illinois. This involved picking strawberries from their garden, mowing their lawn & the neighbors, and watering the plants. And since I had the house to myself, I spread out to do some scrapbooking (got my pictures from Thanksgiving-Graduation done).

Then my former youth group leaders (John & Kathy Kantola), said the Youth Group was taking a trip the Noah's Ark waterpark in Wisconsin Dells and they had extra room (and an extra ticket) and that I was willing to join them. So I worked that into my schedule! :) (My dad was going too). So I had a great time getting some sun and going on some water park rides. Even tried the new Scorpion's Tail ride, where you have to be weighed then get into a little "glass box" where (after a "3-2-1" count) the bottom drops out, plunging you down about 50 feet so you have enough speed to get up & around the chute. Hey, I can at least say I did it once.

Other than that, I was just able to relax and enjoy my time in the U.P.in a more laid-back fashion: sleeping in, reading fiction books, watching TV/movies, & hiking with Juju. I was able to do a couple of hikes with friends: up Hogsback "Mountain" in Marquette, walk the Little Presque Isle beach, and hike up the bluff in Ishpeming. My parents & I were invited out to visit friends who were camping, too, so we were able to enjoy sharing their campfire food with them!I really enjoyed the time with my parents, too, just chatting and playing games. I was also able to make a DVD for my sister Rachel of the last few months of pictures & videos of Reagan.

I am very content with my job in Lafayette, but I have to say I really enjoyed being back in the U.P. and didn't really miss anything in Lafayette while I was there. In fact, I didn't really want to come back to Lafayette when July 6 rolled around, but now that I'm back in Lafayette I'm very content with being here too. I am very blessed to have a group of family & friends in both locations.

Practice Like Evan

I try to give out a newsletter to my piano students every couple of months, and I had started writing this article for that back in February, while the Olympics were on. Even though the Olympics are over now, I thought I'd share this article that I have given out to my piano students.


I enjoy watching the Olympics, and for whatever reason I especially like figure skating.

What can we learn from the Olympics? Many of these athletes, like figure skater Evan Lysacek, are very disciplined in their practice times. They train and train and practice and practice—just for their 2 or 4 minute programs! I’m sure they don’t want to go to the gym every day. They may not like what they have to do, what they have to eat, or what they can’t do because they are practicing. Some people would say that it’s too much work. Yet a lot of the lessons we learn are formed by the habits we practice. If we do something over and over again we are training ourselves to be disciplined in that action.

Sometimes they are practicing things they may already be “good” at. By doing a little research on the internet, I acquired the following information.

Lysacek has focused this offseason on improving his spins, even though they were marked high at worlds, and posture. He has trained more with choreographers and has worked on the ice with a prima ballerina, "which for me," he says, "is not the stuff I like to do. I like to jump, jump, jump, spin, spin, spin," he says. "I want to sweat. I want to work. This has been a little more of a stretch. But I have been so sore from doing this kind of work that, obviously, it's difficult, and I have so much respect for what they do." "He's been working a lot on the emotion and bringing out his feelings — rather than just doing a program that's a bunch of unconnected elements — and really interpreting the music," says Lysacek's coach, Frank Carroll.
"Evan's consistency is something I admire," said Jeremy Abbott, U.S. champion the past two seasons, who fell apart to finish 15th in the short program. "It takes a very strong mind to focus that intently and keep things on track all the time."

Whether it’s figure skating or piano, what are you practicing? Many things in life take practice—sometimes YEARS of practice. Yet our times of training are also our times of learning. No practice time is wasted time. Training yourself takes devoted TIME and effort.

But the most important TIME of our life should be the time we devote to being disciplined in the practice of godliness. (I Tim 4:8.) Whether we’re practicing piano for our spring recital, doing homework, playing sports, or helping a friend in need, do “all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Having the right attitude and mindset is vital to our spiritual discipline.

February Conference

BCTC. That was a logo that I have seen quite a few times this week as my church hosted the Biblical Counseling Training Conference here at Faith Baptist in Lafayette, IN. (You can find the tag #bctc on Twitter, too!)

My parents have come every year that I've been here, so I think that makes this their 10th time at the conference. They decided to do Track 4 this year, as many of the topics in that track change every year. Of course, school for us is canceled this week to enable the conference flexibility in using the entire campus--church building and community center, too. Since I didn't end up having any nephews to come and babysit this time around, I decided to use my time in serving at the conference. I thought I might have some extra time to get some things done at home, too. Well...didn't end up having much time at home, but it was a good week. This is basically how the week went:

Saturday, Feb. 6: the Solo & Ensemble event I was supposed to spend all morning at accompanying got postponed to next Saturday due to a snowstorm on Friday night. So I had time to do some grocery shopping and cleaning before Mom & Dad arrive around 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 7: Church in the morning, Cracker Barrel with mom & dad for lunch, then music rehearsal and the evening session from about 3-6:30. Got home in time to watch most of the Super Bowl and see the Colts LOSE. :( We got out a 2000 piece puzzle to work on this week.

Monday, Feb. 8: The Community Center Cafe was hurting for workers for the conference, so I offered to work from 7am-noon every day. Got up bright and early ready to spend the day serving! Ate lunch with mom & dad around 12:15, then went home. Heard a loud bang in the garage; discovered the spring broke. Muscled the car out of the garage to squeeze in a dentist appointment at 3:00 before music rehearsals in the evening. Made a trip to Meijer to buy chicken & noodle soup for supper. Discovered a 2000 piece puzzle does not fit on a regular sized folding table. But at least we found all the edge pieces.

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Got up again to work at the cafe at 7. Had lunch with Mom & Dad again, then headed home to call a company to fix the garage door. Even though it is snowing they manage to come right over and replace the spring and make it work even better than before--for a fee, of course. Garage door fixed. Check. Squeezed in a piano lesson at 3:00 before running an errand for my friend Norma. Great evening session with James MacDonald.

Wednesday, Feb. 10: Getting harder to get up in the morning, but made it to the cafe to make some coffee! Took mom at lunch time to get her hair cut with my hair stylist. Time at home to get papers organized for doing taxes. Get a call to practice with a student for Saturday. Had time to fix beef stroganoff for supper. Supper ready for mom and dad when they came home at 6:30 while I left for normal Wed. evening Worship Team rehearsal. Still have not found solution to fitting the puzzle on the folding table. Not making much progress.

Thursday, Feb. 11: Manage to roll off the couch and get up. At the cafe today from 7-2. At least I get a free lunch. Run some errands for Sarah, then need to get taxes done, so I head over to my friends' house to use their Turbo Tax. I love Turbo Tax. 45 minutes later the taxes are done. Mom & Dad and I go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Have time to stop at the dollar store and find 2 foam boards--a perfect solution to the puzzle dilemma. Make it back in time for the evening service with Paul Tripp. Puzzle edge now all in one piece--fitting on top of the "table"!

Friday, Feb. 12: Really hard to get up today, but push through. Only work at the cafe from 7-8 since I have an opportunity to help out in the sound room today from 9-11. Conference over. Time to practice with students who are playing THIS Saturday, now. Practice from 12-2. Go home to crash and stay in for supper (chicken enchiladas). Have an exciting game of Scattergories--all 12 rounds--while watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Need to sleep. ZZzzzz. Hmmm, don't think we'll finish the puzzle.

Saturday, Feb. 13: Leave the house at 8 to accompany at Solo & Ensemble. Say goodbye to Mom & Dad. Puzzle not QUITE complete (see below).

February Conference is always a busy but fun week as we are reminded of God's truth from God's word.

Merry Christmas 2009

In the form of a Christmas letter, allow me to reflect on what has changed in the past 10 years. 10 years. Has it already been ten years since I moved to Lafayette, IN? Well, technically it's only been a little over 9 years, but at the end of this school year I will have been teaching here for 10 years.

If you had told me during my senior year of college 10 years ago that I would be teaching at a Christian school for the next 10 years I would have laughed. But as Jeremiah says, God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. I am so thankful that I believe in a God who is sovereign.

In my freshman year of college, I dedicated my life to God for full-time Christian service, thinking I would possibly be a missionary or a pastor's wife. But obviously God wanted me to be a piano teacher in a Christian school. I have learned so much over the last few years, but ultimately God has used all of it to draw me closer to Himself. I have learned a lot about teaching preschoolers and kindergarteners and about classroom control! I have played a lot of music and taught a lot of songs. I have learned to play off of chord charts and notate music. I have had some students for years and some for only a few weeks. The third grade class to whom I taught a general music class in my first year will be graduating in May! (That makes me feel old!) My views of some aspects of Christianity and Christian liberty have been broadened and refined. My church's worship styles have changed. My hairstyle has changed--multiple times! My living arrangements have changed: apartment to house to roommates and a dog! The color of paint on my walls has changed.

But some things don't change. God is the same God of the Bible that He has always been. He still causes all to work together for God to those who love Him. He is still orchestrating every insignificant detail of my life to bring glory to Himself. And as I learn to delight in him, He brings the desires of my heart into accord with His desires (Psalm 37:4). And, of course, in my finite wisdom, I couldn't have planned it any better.

I truly do love my job and the school-age people I am privileged to be around. Yes, there are some days when I don't want to go to work and I would love to stay at home, but I am thankful that God has provided this position for me at this time.

My love for God and His people has grown. And as you pray for me, pray that I would continue to grown in Godly love of the people around me, in my church and in my community. And pray that I would continue to stay faithful to God and to His Word. This year I reached a low point where I struggled with unbelief. I learned to surround myself with the truth of God's Word and with encouraging friends. Pastor Viars' Sunday sermons have been a necessity. My Tuesday night Bible study (that I originally didn't have time for) has really been an encouragement to me, especially in fellowshipping with other people working on the same issues. (I really enjoyed one book we did: Jerry Bridges' "Respectable Sins." Now we are doing "Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney.) And I am still working on reading through the New Testament, as I didn't quite make that goal this year! I still struggle with keeping my "appointments with God" each day, but am striving to keep my focus up on what is eternal.

It's a great comfort to know that the God who set His plan in motion for redeeming the world over 2000 years ago is the same God who is coordinating events in the present time.

Merry Christmas!
Beth Hill (& Juju)

Juju and the Christmas Pudding

I taught my Preschool kids this year to sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" for their Christmas program. We also sang the subsequent verses: "Oh bring us some figgy pudding," "We all love our figgy pudding," and "We won't go until we get some." So in music class I would "pretend" to give them their imaginary "figgy pudding" and they would say please and thank you. I thought it would be fun for the actual program if we had a real live figgy pudding! I looked up a recipe, and figgy pudding is a very dense cake (sometimes made with a spice cake mix) with figs, raisins, and almonds. So my sister Sarah graciously offered to make it the day before the program. So the day of the program dawned and the figgy pudding sat on our stove cooling. At lunch time I turned it out onto a platter and thought I'd put it someplace Juju couldn't reach it--I mean she hadn't touched it all night, right? Of course I should know better by now. I didn't lock Juju up in her kennel...and obviously I should have. Yup. She ate the WHOLE THING. Apparently Juju likes figgy pudding.

So we have been paying the consequences: Juju and I have been up throughout the night throwing up and cleaning up figgy pudding! I have a very sick dog now. I think she is determined to eat herself to death...

The Discipline of Godliness

I usually consider myself a fairly disciplined person. I like my routine, my schedule, and my fairly rigid school schedule keeps me aware of every minute on the clock during the day. Even when I was young I enjoyed sticking to a schedule and being very disciplined and organized in the way I spent my time--and even in the way I spent my money. I guess I thought my spiritual life would be like that, too. Just something I naturally fell into, was able to organize, and accomplish just with the simple stroke of a pen in my planner. But it hasn't turned out that way at all. I still struggle with making a plan and sticking to my quiet time alone with God. Why is that so hard to do?

This book my Bible study group has just started--"Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney--has really been an eye-opener in the first chapter. My spiritual life is a DISCIPLINE. Duh! I really enjoyed his illustration about the discipline of learning a musical instrument. Now there's something I can relate to. I don't really have a daily "practice schedule" for piano anymore for myself, but I did for all of my grade school years that I can remember. I remember having to practice the piano 10 hours a week in college. And I deal with students practically every day who struggle with finding time in their schedules to practice. Now when it comes to piano practice, I can tell a student straight up, "Can you find just 5 or 10 minutes in your day to sit down and even do a LITTLE practice? I'd much rather you did 10 minutes for 6 days than 60 minutes for 1 day. Piano is a discipline; you are training your finger muscles, and a little bit every day goes a long way." Haha, maybe I should follow my own advice! "Even if you don't feel like it, make yourself practice. You will see the results!"

What are some of the pitfalls that make this hard to do in my spiritual life? 1) I don't see the results. When I practice a piece of music, in a few days I can usually see some improvement. I need to keep my focus on the goal of godliness. 2) I don't surround myself with encouragers. Do I have people around me who will keep me accountable? Am I spending time with fellow believers who are helping me to see the areas of growth I need to work on? 3) I don't have a plan. Just like learning a musical instrument, it's not going to be easy at first--or maybe even years later. I think I've been waiting for the "instant change" that's never going to happen. I'm not going to get struck with lightning and find, "Oh, now it's easy for me to make time for God's Word every day." I need to DISCIPLINE myself for godliness. 4) I think I'm okay the way I am. If I am focusing on the people around me, I can get complacent in my spiritual life. But if I am living a cross-centered life, I am far from being perfect in this journey of sanctification.

So I am making a new commitment to being in God's Word EVERY day this week--even if it's just 5 minutes, because I want my focus and my discipline to be helping me to become more like Christ.

1 Tim. 4:8 "For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

The Shack

Another book review!

I just finished reading "The Shack" by William Paul Young. From my understanding it's a fairly controversial book right now because some Christians are endorsing it while others are condemning it. So I thought I'd read it for myself.

So if you haven't gotten the chance to read it yet (or even if you have)here's what I thought. SPOILER WARNING: If you are anticipating reading it soon and don't want to know what happens, then don't read this, because I'm planning on giving the entire plot.

The story is about Mack and his family, his wife and 5 children. It's kind of a book in two sections. The first section is the part of the story that tells what has shaped Mack's thinking up to the point where he meets God at the shack. The second half of the book is where Mack gets a greater understanding of God's love and his thinking is changed.

I didn't enjoy the first part of the book as I found it a little hard to get into. It tells the story of how Mack's father, although externally religious and a church elder, was a closet drunkard and beat his wife and son and how Mack had run away from home at age 13 and harbored serious bitterness toward God because of his father. Then came the story of the "Great Sadness." Mack's family was camping in Oregon and his 6-old daughter was kidnapped and brually murdered. They tracked her killer to a "shack" out in the wilderness. Four years later Mack is still bitter and his family is still struggling with the loss of Missy.

Then Mack gets a note from "Papa" (his wife's affectionate name for God): "It's been a while. I've missed you. I'll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together."

So he heads to the shack where Missy was taken to confront whatever he will find there. When he arrives he is met by "God" in three persons: Papa (an affectionate black woman), Jesus (the carpenter), and Sarayu (a wispy Asian woman). This is where it gets a little weird. Obviously it's a work of fiction and not a work of theology, although theologically God could manifest Himself however He needed to at the time. And really how DO we as finite humans understand the Trinity? I believe what the author is trying to convey here is that Mack needed God to manifest His love for him. Along the lines of "why do bad things happen to good people," Mack did not believe that God loved him and really knew what was best for him. By the affectionate greeting of Papa, Mack was stunned that God really cared for him and was not like his own father. Now whether we agree that God would manifest himself as a woman is debatable, but He could, I suppose, if that's what it would take for Mack to comprehend His love. (And later on after Mack forgives his father Papa does manifest himself as a man.) This book does not delve into the balance of wrath versus love and instead focuses on God's love, which in 248 pages still can only just skim the surface. And this book does not cover how sinful we are or how undeserving we are or what we face apart from God, it just focuses on how much God loves of us. Now of course we want to read everything through the filter of the Word of God. Not everything in this book may line up with how we may understand the Trinity to work, but I thought that it was actually fairly theologically sound for trying to split the Trinity up into three fictional people and how they might relate to each other. It's not something we'll ever truly understand until we get to heaven. And I think he's also pointing out that Mack had a lot of preconceived notions when it came to God that weren't Biblical.

Some sentences I wasn't sure were accurate: "Papa: 'There's no easy answer that will take your pain away. Believe me, If I had one, I'd use it now.'" (p. 92) I didn't like that sentence because it makes it sound as if God is not omnipotent.
(p. 96) "Regardless of what [Jesus] felt at that moment [on the cross], I never left Him." I don't know. I always thought there was some sort of separation there, but can God separate from Himself?
(p. 96) "He found his way through it [the cross] to put Himself completely into my hands." I don't know; it just sounds a little touchy-feely to me.

But there were parts of it that I really liked. Sarayu (the Holy Spirit) was the garden tender and Mack thought her garden looked like a mess. But it only looked like a mess when you were in it; it was really a "fractal" (from above it had a pattern to it). Our lives might look like messes to us but God is really in control of it all. We don't understand what God is doing--and that's why He is God and we are not! God does love us and wants what's best for us--or maybe not what's best for us but what is best for His purpose and plan to be complete--which is conforming us to the image of His Son. And just as Mack was a dynamic character, learning to forgive his father and even the man who had murdered Misy and trust God's wisdom, we can learn to trust God and believe in his great love for us.

So depending on where you are in your spiritual journey, this book COULD help you understand God's love (or His "special fondness") for you a tiny bit better, if you are in a place where you need to hear it.

But don't let books take the place of the only one True and Living Word in which there is no error!

Twilight

I just finished reading the fourth and final book in Stephanie Meyers' "Twilight Series" (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, & Breaking Dawn). Ok, ok, ok, I know what you're thinking. Before you start in on me about getting caught up in the "vampire hype," don't worry, I'm not going to be plastering Twilight posters in my room or writing Edward Cullen's name in calligraphy on scrap paper or drinking out of a Twilight mug or anything. In fact, the first time I saw some high school girls reading the Twilight series I told myself that I wasn't going to read them...ever. That it was a complete waste of time. But my morbid curiosity kicked in, and this summer I caved. So here's my review.

I can't say it wasn't possibly a waste of time, but I did find it very entertaining and enjoyable. I do love to read, especially good stories, and this was a very well-written and well-thought out story line and plot. I generally don't enjoy stories written in first person tense, but from the first page of Twilight I was hooked. As a fantasy, I would liken it to a cross between Harry Potter and X-Men. Whereas Harry Potter (which incidentally I also enjoyed reading) is all about witchcraft and wizardry, Twilight is all about vampires and werewolves (in some Christian circles maybe not as controversial). But I also liken it to X-Men because of the special powers and fighting.

If you are not familiar with the plot of Twilight at all, Bella is an ordinary high school girl who falls in love with a vampire: Edward Cullen, whom she meets in high school. This was the only part of the plot that I didn't really like. I mean, can you really have a real, true "love of your life" when you're 17 years old? But for some reason in this case it works. And the book was surprisingly moral and family-friendly, although I wouldn't recommend it for any really young readers as there are sexual elements, although surprisingly again no premarital sex. And I'd have to say that Bella's morals and view of marriage were not very Biblical, although I'm sure the author was just giving an insight into how her parents' split-up had affected her. But she really did seem to have an agape, self-sacrificing love, not only for Edward, but also for her parents. Another thing that I enjoyed from a Biblical perspective was that it was very creationist. The flood was even alluded to, and no evolutionary theory slipped in at all. It might be a little gory for kids--what with the blood drinking and all. But at first I couldn't imagine how the plot could expand into approximately 2,000 pages, but things continue to change and happen (don't worry, I won't spoil anything for you if you want to read it) and you keep reading to find out if Bella becomes a vampire, if Victoria will have her revenge, if Edward can protect her, what Jacob's role is, if the Volturi will ruin everything, if they can really survive, and if Bella can protect the ones she loves. So if you are looking for a idealistic, happy-ever-after fairy tale, this is the series for you!

I'm actually glad that I read the series, especially since it seems to be all the craze in high schools now--even FCS! We're only 1 week into the year and it's already been referenced quite a few times. So at least I can speak knowledgeably!

P.S. The Twilight MOVIE, however, is not worth watching, unlike Harry Potter films. Because so much of Twilight takes place in Bella's head it is really hard to capture on film. And I don't really even want to see the New Moon movie. I'm sure it just can't even compare to the book.

Going Green

My summer project for my house this summer was painting my kitchen, a feat which thankfully we DID accomplish! Sarah and I spent a day painting and I had fun spending all of my money on a low-budget "update" of my kitchen.
No one had painted in the kitchen before so it was the plain, boring, off-white.
BEFORE:

With advice from my roommates, I decided to go with "Brush Meadow" green:


Yeah, Sarah had fun with the wall that is behind the stove.






Sunflower accents




I'm still trying to decide on curtains, but this is what I've found so far. And notice that I put knobs on all the cupboards! Hmm? Pretty snazzy, eh?




AFTER:

I think we're close to done.
Thank you HGTV and Food Network!

Helping Out Dad

Rototilling the garden. One new project I was able to help my dad with this week while I'm at their house. My dad has been sick. He got a disease from a Virginian tick: human ehrlichiosis. Before they figured out what it was, he spent many days tired and feverish before finally being admitted to the hospital--for 5 days. Now he's rehydrated but still on antibiotics and other medicine and still very weak. The doctor says it will probably be 6-8 weeks before he really feels back to "normal." So I'm glad I'm able to be around to help out with some chores while I'm home. Dad helped me get the rototiller (from the neighbor's shed) and helped me get started. Then he supervised.



This week the chores are mowing the lawn and PLANTING the garden...

Music Teacher Purchases Sonata

Lafayette, IN--Beth Hill, a local piano teacher, recently acquired a new vehicle. Jon Hubner, Inc., a used car dealership in Otterbein, had a 2009 Hyundai Sonata with only 16,000 miles available for sale. In a timely turn of events, Miss Hill was able to sell her 1999 Dodge Stratus and purchase the new, sleek Sonata for a reasonable price, as it was a repossession from the Chicago area. Further information can be obtained from the owner.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Juju!

Today Juju turned 3, so I took her to PetSmart. She was very excited because she LOVES shopping!

Did we find anything good?

She is enjoying her peanut butter marrow-filled bone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUJU!!