I have had a couple of people ask me in person where my internet presence has run off to. It has mostly been hiding in dark corners of Facebook, Twitter, and sometimes Instagram, dealing out pithy one-liners and keeping up with the haps. Sorry about that, guys. If I added up all of the times I've apologized for being absent... that would be a lot of times.
But really though, I had a really nice—albeit a little bit stressful—weekend. I mostly have been catching up with getting in the Christmas spirit and catching up with mine Robbie. We really do spend a lot of time together, but it's not really together. Usually we're on separate couches with separate laptops doing separate work. So we've been doing some fun things, some not-so-fun things, and generally having some nice talks about important and not-so-important things. I did some soul-searching and found some good advice in this video (based on this talk). I recommend that you watch and/or read those.
Last thing. At church on Sunday I had the opportunity to accompany a lovely singer in our ward for a really lovely rendition of "O Holy Night." I was so stressed out about the prospect of accompanying for her that I really let my nerves get the better of me and I did not think very much about how beautiful that song is, and how beautifully she sang it (except at one point when we were practicing and I skipped a measure and admitted to her that I got distracted because I was just listening to her instead of paying attention to my part)—I was really just thinking about getting through the whole thing without screwing it up. And then the next day I was listening to some Christmas tunes on my computer, and another rendition of the song came across the playlist and the words really struck me that time around. He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger. Sometimes song lyrics are just words to me, and other times they just resonate and feel, well, like they were written for me. I love it when that happens.
So, uh, see you next week? Just kidding.
That is a great talk - and a timely one for me as I wait patiently for our kitchen to return!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Dad and I know all about leading parallel lives!!
that talk is awesome. thanks for reminding me about it. i'm totally that purse that has her blood boil standing in long line at the grocery store. patience is a virtue that i've yet to receive.
ReplyDeleteI accompany a lot and almost always I get caught in the practicing. So recently I decided that I would give whole-heartedly to the practicing, till I've got it down perfect, and then during the performance I would let myself just play and really listen to the singer/choir/spirit and become "one" with them (yikes! this is really cheesy!). It's a beautiful experience. Anyway, patience. I need that too.
ReplyDeleteyou did an amazing job on sunday! my family was totally blown away by that song. geez.
ReplyDeletei think evil TV and laptops are replacing real quality time in our house, so we're going to do a few nights without it, and fill it up with songs and stories instead. i mean, tis the season after all, right?
I think a little tear threatened to spring up when I saw that little blond girl smile up at the researcher at the very end of the video. That's one of the cutest things I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite quotes about patience was from a time I heard Elder Maxwell speak at BYU Women's Conference years ago. "[Developing] a quality like patience takes time. Yes, patience does not come 'right now'! Do not expect the world to understand or help in the precious process I’m attempting to describe. Mercifully, the whisperings of the Spirit nudge us along the path in an almost private process."
<3
thanks for linking to that video! i'd seen it before but it was a perfect reminder today.
ReplyDelete