Piano Year Four

Madison starts piano classes again in just one week.  This is year four.  Daddy went to a meeting of parents to see what the new year would be like, the same meeting we've been to the last few years.  The same parents too - it's good to see most of the parents returning.  I think we only lost one student, although Madison will miss Sloan this year.  At least Mary Kate is still with us, so that's one other girl.  The rest of the class is made up of boys, who are pretty energetic to say the least.  Madison holds her own though, and this year is supposed to be a big one for the kids, who will start to understand that, 'hey, I can kind of play piano!'

Daddy will have to keep up this year, more than ever, if he ever hopes of doing the same.  Already, Madison is taking off without him.  It all comes down to practice, practice, practice.  Fortunately, Madison is good with that when there are goals and charts to fill out with little stickers!

There was a rough spot of weather tonight, following the extreme heat.  It just looked freaky outside, swirling vortexes of darkness looming overhead.

By the way, if you're wondering what book series we've been reading next before bedtime, it's the old Jack Sparrow ones.  These are about Jack Sparrow's adventures before the movies - long before them.  He's just a kid in these stories, but Madison and Mommy are there at bedtime to listen to the high seas adventures.  Coincidentally, and what made me think of this, was a storm in the first book that we just read about.  How many different creative ways can you describe stormy darkness?  This book gives it a go, as Daddy just did two paragraphs ago.

The point is, the weather was looking rough, and you could actually see the rotations in the clouds.  Such was the heat we had outside beforehand - all that energy in the air.  But we were ultimately safe, although certainly drenched.  The ground needed that moisture, and of course it was very nice to have the temperature drop quite a bit.

Funny note of the day:  deodorant.  Mommy is starting to get Madison into the habit of using deodorant.  Madison found it in the bathroom, and was wondering:  "What is this for?"  And so, here is the day Madison first uses deodorant.  She doesn't need deodorant yet, but it's good to get into that habit already - and of course, with Madison's love of fragrances and beauty products, she's all on board.  No problem at all!

Tonight, we were checking out - for time travel research, mind you - the adventures of "Mr. Peabody and Sherman."  These were the cartoons from 1958, a collection we've had for some time.  Madison sat and watched with us - they were pretty good, although the new movie is certainly more fast-paced.  The original cartoon was quite charming though, and the puns were awesome as always.

Anyway, with time travel in mind, here is the latest message description for one of our upcoming Kidpak sermons in September:

     One of the biggest wishes many have as they get older is the power of time travel.  Why is this?  The answer is so they can go back in time, and fix the many mistakes they think they’ve made along the way!

     It seems like such a simple task to stay on the road to a happier tomorrowland.  Yet somewhere in time, we can occasionally make bad choices that don’t please God.  Even worse, we can lose our focus, our drive, and sometimes even our hope.

     Great scott!  How can we prevent that twist in time from happening?  

     First, we need to have discipline each day.  Remember that time erodes!  It wears away at all things, from canyon walls to rocky shores along the seas.  But time can also erode our discipline, and our resolve to be better people.  This is why Paul told us we have to commit ourselves to be better Christians each and every day, time after time. We need to be in it to win it!

     As you give each day to Him, you’ll see that your time adds up.  You may have heard that whatever you invest time in will grow and grow.  You work your muscles and they grow bigger.  You take care of your garden and it grows larger.  You study God’s word, and your knowledge increases.  It’s a law of time, one set up way back in the book of Genesis with the first seed.  With this knowledge, we should spend more time doing those things that God is pleased with, and wait for that increase!

     And don’t waste His time.  Time is the most important thing any of us is given.  But sometimes we let it get stolen away so easily!  Time bandits like television, video games, and time on the computer or phone can be a big distraction to the things that are really important.  That's why you have to be a time cop, and keep those things that rob your time under control.

     If you want your life to be an excellent adventure, with no looking back, the plan is a good one:  have discipline, see increase, and keep making every moment count.  In other words, don’t waste His time!