Recital

Delie, Anna, George, and I had our music recital a couple of weeks ago. The four of us have been taking from the Smith family for two years, and we love it--especially because our teachers encourage us to play together. Thank you, Smiths!

 

 

The four of us played Send the Light.  (You can watch it here.)

 

 

George played the mandolin.  I really like the way it adds to our music. 

 

 

 Anna accompanied us on the piano.

 

 

I love playing the violin with Delie!

 

Anna and I also played a duet--Slavonic Dance.  We had fun playing together, but we collapsed after we finished :) .

 

I look forward to next year!

Joy

 

To the most wonderful mommy in the world

 

 

Dear Mommy,

Happy Mother's Day!  We are so blessed to have you as our mommy.  You have such a servant's heart--getting up in the night with littles, grading math books for hours on end, and soooo much more.  You teach us to love others more than we love ourselves, and you not only preach, but practice it as well.  I want to be like you!

 
²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Happy Birthday, Joy!

Dear Joy,
Happy sixteenth birthday!  I can’t believe that I’m already saying that to one of my siblings.  Although, to tell the truth, you have acted older than sixteen for quite some time.

You have always been a role model for me and the rest of your brothers and sisters.  We used to think that magazine was pronounced “mazazine” because that was the way you said it. Though you may not realize it you are still teaching us things every day.  You have never said, as Paul did, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 11:1.)  But your life has displayed it.

You could never help being a leader.  I guess it came naturally as the oldest child.  But as you grew older you began to lead the way that Christ did.  When we were little, you made me be Xerxes and Joseph in our games so that you could be Esther and Mary.  It was your way of leading.  But now things are different.  You lead by service.  Jesus said, “Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.”  (Luke 22:26.)  You lead by dying to yourself and putting the interests of others before your own.

I’m sure you would let me “be Esther” now if I wanted to.  But our interests have changed over the years.  We enjoy talking together about serious (and not-so-serious) things.  I always like hearing your insight on various topics and feel like I can share my thoughts freely with you.  Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”  I am so blessed to have a wise big sister who can sharpen me as “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17).  I love you!

Delie

 

That would be JJ

 Driving home yesterday, I was touched to hear a sweet little voice break out in "Amazing Grace".  He sings in the style of one our fiddle arrangements, and stretchs the "zing" of "amazing" into at least three syllables. Singing loud enough for the entire van to hear, he made it through the first verse.  But on the second verse he switched to a James original, same tune, different words.

The new song went something like this:

"Amazi-i-ing boots, boots, boots, boots, boots.

Amazi-i-ing boots, boots, boots!"

 

It looks like someone needs to rethink his priorities.

 

Joy

Bible Bee Registration

 The 2013 National Bible Bee opened for contestant registration today!  The contest is open to children who will be 7 to 18 on the national contest day, but younger siblings can use the materials, too.

For the local contest (June 1 - August 24) participants will use 25 memory cards (last year this was approximately 100 verses) and a Sword Study to help them do an in-depth study of one book of the Bible.  You can use these tools even if you aren't competing but we found that the contest provided a lot of motivation and a chance to get to know other Christians who share a desire to learn God's word.  It was a very good experience and we hope you look into it.  You can find out more at the Bible Bee website.

We are very excited to be hosting a local bee again this year.  (One of last year's family get-togethers is picured above.)  Seven contestants have already registered, but, thanks to the generosity of Union University, we can hold 193 more!  There are over 100 hosts across the nation; click here to find one near you.  It's not too late to sign up to host your own bee, but it probably will be soon.  We look forward to seeing who the Lord brings into our bee this year!
-Delie, for all the Mosses