January 2

The next day I received two very exciting phone calls!  The first was from one of the church musicians.  She asked if I could play the pre-ludes, hymns and offering for Sabbath School pre-lims on the 14th and 28th of January.  She'd play with me on the hymns.  One of my first thoughts was, "How does she know I play piano?"  Another one was, "Every time I play piano I get so nervous and make mistakes."  "Then another voice said, "God's given you a talent - use it!  Don't hide it under a bushel."  Some memories came to mind then.  One was a conversation I'd had about 9 days before with someone who asked what I play.  She asked what was my favorite instrument to play and I said piano because it's so easy and I love to just sit down and make up songs (that only God hears and I never play twice) or play whatever I'm feeling.  She then asked if I'd played much for the church to which I replied no.  She was very surprised and urged me not to hide my talents but use them.  Another memory was from when I was reading in my PACE's about Christi playing the piano in church.  I had the idea of how nice it would be to be a church pianist.  Then there was a tiny feeling of excitement beginning to grow, mixed with nervousness.  I said yes!
Before I could get to work, I received another call.  This time it was from my good friend Megan.  One of our favorite things to do is make movies!  Well, Megan is good with all the background work (filming, editing etc) and I love acting!  We've made two movies so far and well... tried an animation on the whiteboard but the tape broke and we started progressing from simple drawings to colored in and more realistic ones which took 30 minutes to draw instead of 5!  Anyway!  We decided to do a Bible story one the next time we filmed.  The evening of Dec 24 Stella and I went for a walk down the road to the reserve and I saw a bottle floating in the water.  Out of curiosity I waded out to get it (which was a mission because I have cut myself quite bad walking there when the tide was out and didn't know what critters lived in the mud) trying to only walk on the stones underwater.  It was an empty bottle. =/  Anyway!  While I was out wading for it I said to Stella that I felt I was Miriam and her Mother down at the river when they sent baby Moses adrift.  Then I thought - AH!  We can do that story!

The water at the reserve when the tide is in.  This is where we skip stones and where we found the bottle.
This water comes right up to our garden.
(Stella's photo)

Well - maybe next time.  During this call, Megan told me her brilliant idea - do a story that is unpopular!  She told me what it was (it involves lepers in the book of Kings) and I started telling her about a story a man told at an end of year Bible in School assembly about the 10 lepers.  He was acting out what they might have said or done prior to and after they were healed.  One I remember best said this, "When I'm healed, the first thing I'll do is go and stand on something sharp - just to feel my foot again!"  After he was healed, the guy was sooo funny.  "Look there's a thorn!" (runs over and jumps on it)  "OOOWW!  That feels so GOOD!"  It was hilarious and I've remembered it for years!
Well... I was on the phone in my room and was pretty much acting out what I described above.  After shouting the last line I suddenly remembered - just through my bedroom wall Stella was sleeping!  Later I asked if I woke her and she said no.  Whew!
Later, Stella and I went to Megan's house.  As usual we watched a Little House on the Prairie film.  Then we got onto "work" -  planning - researching, brainstorming the script for our movie, thinking up the cast and their names and what scenery we should look out for.  We also played a game of Monopoly - where Stella did so well it was one of the biggest wins in any Monopoly game I've played.  Then again, we were playing by our own set of rules where the money for anything purchased gets put in free parking and whoever lands there gets all!  It was a really fun game.  Strangely enough - every time we would say "it would be funny if you landed here" it happened!  Like when Stella was doing so well with all her properties, we said, "the last thing you need is to land on free parking" and she did.  Well - that was the end of the game!  Then I reluctantly went home.
What did I do at home?  I don't remember.  I've had so much on since the beginning of the year!  Well that is why I started a blog - to keep in touch with everyone at once!  Even if I don't get everything written on here, at least you'll have some idea of my eventful life!