Sophie's Guitar Debut

Sophie has decided. And if you know Sophie, when she decides something, that's that. Guitar is HER thing! She takes "lessons" from her dad every week. Her general sense of rhythm is really solid.

Here is a link to her playing her 1/2 size guitar for her preschool classes' Art Show Program. We're proud at how brave she is playing for others, especially her peers. Way to go Soph!

The Rat Race

I have been reading Richard Foster's book entitled "Prayer". He considers the practice of solitude. I'm loving this quote:

"To be sure, at first we thought solitude was a way to recharge our batteries in order to enter life's many competitions with new vigor and strength. In time, however, we find that solitude gives us power not to win the rat race but to ignore the rat race altogether."

Since I'm an only child, I've got this strange mix of first-born competitiveness and last-born laziness. If you're an only child, can you relate? At times I want to get in "the race" and run hard to prove myself, and at other times I can't get my butt up off the couch. The thing I'm realizing is that whatever race that I'm trying to run often has me looking left and right to see who is my competition. And yet, Hebrews 12:1 talks of: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

I understand that the race is marked out for US. The is a "together" thing. My encouragement of others is necessary. I have a friend right now who is running the race alone. I need to press on toward the goal and not worry so much about how I'm doing RELATIVE TO others. Rather, I should focus on what I'm doing FOR others to help them run their race well. This is the heart of the servant. This is the heart of Christ. Am I giving my best to God and others? I'm still chewing on this.