Soprano or Bass clarinet???

I had orchestra rehearsal last night for our Christmas services at church. I was on the slate, so to speak, to play bass clarinet as there were two clarinet players joining us. Last night was our second rehearsal and I was asked if I would play (soprano) clarinet instead as the orchestra leader just found out that one of the clarinetists cannot be with us. I, of course, willingly said yes, even though I do very much enjoy playing my bass clarinet (love that low sound). So I had the choice that night to play clarinet parts or my bass clarinet parts. I chose to play my bass clarinet parts. I thought it would be weird to play clarinet parts on bass clarinet considering the ranges and sounds of both instruments. As it was, I could hear most of my bass clarinet parts being covered by the low brass players. I got my clarinet parts today so I am going to enjoy practicing them this week for our next rehearsal.
Hope you all are having a good week so far. TTFN

Turkey and Halibut

First of all, I hope you all had a nice thanksgiving. I did...we were supposed to have my aunt, cousin, brother and sister-in-law over but my aunt was sick so she didn't come. We did have turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes (YUMMM!), rolls, and other good stuff to eat.
This weekend I went with my family to the coast. I was looking forward to it since I had not been there since Labor Day weekend. Okay, I went there late September with some friends too, for a day. The weather was nice...we left Friday morning (got Friday off work) and came back Sunday afternoon/early evening. Saturday my sister and I spent some time on the beach looking for rocks and agates and found some nice ones. There was no wind at all which was nice. Sunday was sunny as we spent a little time shopping and ate lunch at Mo's. Here comes the halibut...oh, but unfortunately I decided not to have the halibut and had fish and chips instead. Oh, and we got to see the sea lions which had come back to their 'get-out-of-the-cold-water-and-sleep-in-the-sun-place-on-the-docks'. Some were not sleeping at all and had a conversation...I'm surprised they did not wake up all the sleeping ones. All in all it was a nice weekend to have gotten away for a couple days.

Earth-quaking missions with a passion

It was a hit!!! My niece was in the school play that was performed this last weekend called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. If you haven't seen it or read the book, I recommend you do so. I went to the play Thursday night and saw half of it Friday night as I had worked late on Friday. All the kids did a great job and I thought the lady who cast the play did a great job. I enjoyed the costumes the kids wore as they were from the 1970's. One question: do you (a wise man) like ham? Okay, so that wasn't the main point of the play but ham had a part in the play believe it or not. It took the place of frankincense as one of the gifts the three wise men brought to Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. I don't think that ham was the wise man's pure and holy passion (see last post). It was nice though that he did bring the ham so J, M, and BJ would have something to eat.
The service was good this weekend in church as it was our annual global outreach weekend. It is very good for us as a church to remember all our brothers and sisters that are out there doing His will by being disciples. It makes me think of a few friends that I know that are out there serving and it gave me that continuing hunger to go on another mission trip next summer. I had already been thinking about it since I went on one three summers ago. It was really neat to hear some stories from a few of our own on how they ended up where they are and what is happening over there.
Here is an odd thing that does not go with the rest of what I just said...there was an earthquake earlier today (?) off the coast, 6 miles deep under the water measuring 5.8 on the scale. Oh, and I just recently read about the cyclone that hit Bangladesh last Thursday and the last number I heard, over 2300 people have been lost. I read that a few countries, including the US, are sending money and supplies over that way to help the ones in need. My heart goes out to them.

Pure and Holy Passion

Who / what is your pure and holy passion? Well, for me, it would be halibut! No, just kidding!!! To be serious, though, it is Christ the King. Last Tuesday night at Bible study, one of our songs we worshipped to was Pure and Holy Passion. That was one of the weeks I got to play my clarinet with the worship team. I immediately fell in love with the song the first time we sung it in church. Saturday night I was on my way to church, listening to the radio in the car, singing along with what song was playing. I switched stations to find another song that I liked but didn't so I turned off the radio and started singing what came into my head. You guessed it...it was Pure and Holy Passion! I must have sung that the rest of the way to church. During the worship part of the service, the second song we sang, after I had got seated was...Pure and Holy Passion! Isn't it cool how He puts songs in your head for a reason?!!
The message was great as it so reminded me of when I was in Mexico! It was on the passage in Matthew chapter six, a section of the sermon on the mount and this part is on laying your treasures up in heaven and seeking first the kingdom of heaven. While I was in Mexico on my mission trip a couple years ago, we did devotions every morning after breakfast. Those of us that wanted to could volunteer to lead one. Our theme was the sermon on the mount. I chose to do the part on...treasures in heaven and that very same passage. So I was listening close to what Stu was saying about seeking Him and His kingdom over the earthly kingdom.
After we had 1.3 and dinner, I was on the way home and I heard Steven Curtis Chapman's song Magnificent Obsession. Okay, I get it. I love that song, too of course. I will leave you this moment with one verse:
"Whom have I in heaven but you? and earth has nothing I desire besides you." Psalm 73:25
I know that if I desire Him and His kingdom, He will give me what I need. Hmm...that just reminded me of another verse...
"Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4
May He be the desire of your heart.