Our spring season of choir came to a close at the end of April & it was yet again a blast! "Spring Season" makes it sound like a sport. Choir is a sport right? Exercising my voice was about the only exercise I got back in my school girl days but I will blame that on the coaches who cut me at volleyball tryouts in 7th grade. I'm sure they laughed under their breath when my serve went under the net rather than over. And cheerleading tryouts....oh my. I was forced to enter Fine Arts ; ) In hindsight, it was a perfect place for me to grow & I absolutely loved it.
[Leaving 7th grade memories & re-entering current day]
Owen & Anson got to join with Lolo in her choir & were pretty adorable with their wiggles & giggles. We were so proud when they were brave & well behaved (while they were singing) in the Spring Performance. We had to have a pre-"beh-formance" photo shoot out front. Owen & Anson are still saying "beh-formance" in place of performance. It's one of those cute things we will correct next year. They were all smiles even little baby Arlo is smiling a teeny bit behind that thumb.
Arlo decided that he was done with people squeezing him so he escaped. He must have thought the beh-formance had begun & that the choir needed a director...
The music is carefully chosen, points to Christ & there is always at least one song that makes me cry every time I hear it. This spring it was a song called "Oh my Soul" & oh how my soul needed to be encouraged by those words. I first listened to it when we were in Kingwood back in February. My mom always sends me away for a block of time that includes a haircut, Starbucks & usually a podcast in the car, it's the best. On my way there I hit play & was in tears almost immediately. I couldn't wait for Charlotte to hear it & once I played it for her she wanted to listen over & over too! She's a bit like her mama. I was headed to take a bath & she asked if she could borrow my phone so she could keep listening. When I returned she presented me with this.....
I was in tears again as I looked at her precious seven year old handwritten words that hold SO much truth. We both had it memorized within 24 hours & I even had a dream that I snuck onto the stage & sang with the other 6-8 year olds....hahaha. Onto those lovely lyrics.
Oh my Soul
You are eternal, faithful forever, constant & true to your own nature.
You remain the same yesterday & today, tomorrow, forever.
When we are faithless you remain faithful, sending your son when we were unable.
In our helplessness, you died in our place & removed our disgrace.
Oh my soul bless God,
from head to toe I'll sing of his grace.
Oh my soul praise God.
He ransomed your life when you were your weakest.
He forgives your sins & heals your diseases.
Oh my soul, from head to toe bless God.
We walk in hope & patient endurance knowing he'll change us in an instant.
If we die with Christ, we will reign on high, in him we're alive.
Oh my soul bless God,
from head to toe I'll sing of his grace.
Oh my soul praise God.
He beautified what once came from ashes.
He crowns you with life & wraps you in kindness.
Oh my soul, from head to toe bless God.
How often I am made aware of my shortcomings each & every day. I struggle to bless the Lord as I go about many mundane tasks. I struggle to bless the Lord as I discipline my children & I certainly struggle to bless the Lord when it's one of those days that just plain stinks. The words of this song remind me of things that are true of God which rightly reveals things that are true of me. It is quite the contrast! He is eternal, faithful & never changes. I am finite, lured away by things I think will satisfy my soul more than him & sometimes feel like I have multiple personalities like when I put a kid to bed with a song & a prayer then see their face at my bedroom door moments later. That is a troublesome time of day for us here at the Nest.
There are so many beautiful parts but the part that says "He crowns you with life & wraps you in kindness" just moved my heart to consider what he has done through his death & resurrection. The day I first listened to this song I needed to be reminded that he wraps me in his perfect kindness. What a safe & loving place to be which challenges me to extend that "wrapping in kindness" to my children. I spend a lot of time with my arms wrapped around our brood whether we are snuggled up on the couch reading or I'm hauling someone to time out. My prayer is that kindness would invade our home as a result of the kindness the Lord has shown us.
So after all those tears we made it to the beh-formance without any meltdowns....major win! The younger choir with Eloise plus two little brothers were lined up in the back with me as the cat herder to get them on the stage at the right time. We were doing well until we weren't. The "cats" found their spots while the audience smiled. They could do anything & all would still find them adorable... because they are.
They sang The Arky Arky Song about Noah building the ark, Shane & Shane's Praise the Name of Jesus & Jesus Loves Me. They did a great job & our children actually smiled.
Having kids in multiple choirs that practice back to back means lots of playtime with friends. At the Christmas performance Owen made a scene loudly exclaiming that he needed to find his friend Ameila & finished it off by saying in an almost yell "Take me to Amelia!" Well, it went better this time around! He was proud to get his picture taken with that little cutie.
Eloise & Bonnie became coloring buddies & would bring their millions of colored pencils then find a hiding spot away from Owen & Anson to color in piece. Every now & then Arlo would sneak up on them. He is more trouble by the day ; )
The Junior Choir that Charlotte is a part of sang Everywhere I Go, Oh my Soul, Light of the World & another I can't remember the title of but it was Charlotte's first song to sing in a round. Do you remember how hard it was to sing Row Row Row your Boat in a round? Charlotte was serious about getting it right & we practiced OVER & OVER & OVER. She banned everyone else from joining in until the last operatic note that we would all belt out. It was fun.
Charlotte & Ella have a great time chasing & chatting. A bonus for Owen is that Ella is a big sis to Amelia!
We had been with my mom just days earlier & then at the last minute she decided to trek up to Dallas with Aunt Sharon. This made her dimple twin very happy.
We had quite the audience! Bob, Jeannine & Aunt Anne all snuck out before we could get a photo.
It's always worth a try....
