Sometimes I have a difficult time with change.  I have been with Xanga for many, many years and although it's currently free for me, I'm unhappy with the new settings and changes.  So, I will switch to BlogSpot for a while and see how it goes.

We had Stake Conference this weekend and I had to organize quite a bit of music that was requested by the Stake Presidency.  For the Priesthood session, I organized a High Council Choir that sang a Hymnplicity piece and I heard they did a good job.  For the adult session, I organized a women's quintet for "There Is No Other Name" and it was a gorgeous piece.  Also for the adult session I organized a triple quartet and I accompanied on the violin.  :)  For the general session, a Missionary Choir was requested for the first piece comprised of High School seniors, prospective missionaries, current missionaries, and recently returned missionaries.  Then the Stake Choir sang another musical number and the closing hymn.  For the musical number the choir sang "Testimony" by T. Chemain Evans... an absolutely beautiful piece that just came out last year.  I received many compliments on that piece and the Spirit that was felt.  For the closing hymn we sang "Consider the Lilies" and the choir nailed it... I received many compliments for that one too.  I'm just lucky to be able to conduct such a talented group of singers.  President Slaughter (I know, I know), the new Mission President, said we sounded like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and asked where I received my training... haha.  How do you say a little school, a little family, a little Youtube, and mostly God?  Anyway, the Stake Choir sounded really good today on both pieces.

I started back up with the Symphony again... it was so fun to play again.  On Tuesday, Cameron spoke at Standard's Night and I played the piano.  I had an interesting experience with that.  I've always prided myself on saying "Yes" for serving when I am available, especially when it comes to music.  I quit piano lessons at an early age, but was called to be the YW pianist and because I said "yes" I progressed and learned and grew.  I have never thought of myself as a great pianist, but I've always been able to fake my way through or be blessed enough to play and sound descent when accompanying.  Well, I was asked on Sunday to play for Standard's Night with only two days notice.  I was going anyway to hear Cameron speak so I accepted.  For one of the pieces, they wanted me to accompany the YW and it was a rather difficult piece.  If I had spent 20 minutes on it I probably could have mastered it well enough to get by.  Instead, because I was upset that I was asked last minute and I didn't want to take the time to actually practice, I said they would need to sing with the recording but I could play the other hymns.  When I got up to play the easy hymns that I'd played my whole life, my fingers did not work well.  I found that I was not able to naturally and easily play like I had always played before.  I had to concentrate and choppily plough my way though the hymns.  I sounded like a beginner.  I wondered why I was having such difficulty playing.  Then the thought came into my mind that because I had always selflessly served in my musical abilities that I had been blessed beyond my capacity.  I realized that because I had not been willing to try or serve when I was able to in this instance, that the blessings I had been so accustomed to receiving had been withheld.  As soon as I had the thought, the Spirit bore witness to me that it was true, that I had been blessed numerous times in my abilities because I had been willing to serve.  Lesson learned.  I am grateful that I have been blessed for so long in this capacity and I will try to serve when I have the opportunity.