Grace Notes

I was originally planning on posting something else today, but this is something God has been speaking to my heart about recently, so I decided to switch gears and write out a completely new post.   From my heart to yours… here are some things I have been learning from the well-known setting of Jesus’ visit to Martha and Mary’s house in Luke 10.

Hey y’all!   Confession time: I am very picky when it comes to what I read.   Unlike many writers, my desire to devour books for pleasure just isn’t there.   Especially fiction.   There’s a couple golden series (hello Anne of Green Gables!) that I enjoyed when I was a little younger, but otherwise, I struggle with enjoying fiction.   Other genres like romance or mystery were completely foreign to me.

Hey y’all!   Anyone that knows me knows that I am a hard-core goal setter, list-maker, and planner.   You can tell that just by reading my blog. :)   Brainstorming and making goals is one of my favorite things about New Year’s Day!   Today I’d like to share some of my goals with you.   Please feel free to ask me how I’m doing on them throughout the year – accountability is very important when it comes to goals!

It’s time to talk highlights from 2018!   Standing at the brink of the New Year last December, I could’ve never in a thousand years predicted everything that would happen throughout 2018, from the trials to the triumphs to the lessons to the opportunities.   But truly, God has been good.   Here were some of the highlights from my year!

Hey y’all!   Every year I like to write a goal/resolutions list, and then review it at the end of the year to see how I did!   You can see my goal review from 2016 here and my one for 2017 here .   Let’s see what I got accomplished this year...

Hey y’all! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas, enjoying the fellowship of family and the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.   It’s the day after Christmas, and you know what that means. :) It’s New Year’s Blog Week!

I’ll be honest: this is a post I’ve been wanting to write for months now, but I haven’t had the guts or the words to present my thoughts properly.   This is, shall we say, one of those “toe-stepping” posts.   It’s something that I think trips up too many Christian girls, even those in my own circles.

Hey y’all!   After reading 8 Ways to Slow Down This Holiday Season from my friend Isabella’s blog, Worth It All, and re-reading Savoring the Rest of the Season from Rebekah at More Radiance, I decided that I just have to add to the fun and make my own list of ways to savor the season, too! ;)   So let’s begin!

Hey y’all!   Today’s post is very different than anything I’ve ever done, and that’s because I’m part of the blog tour for Anna’s new book, A Place to Belong: A Short Story Collection !   Annie Writes is one of my favorite blogs, and I’m super excited to be a part of this tour.   Anna graciously agreed to write a guest post just for this blog post, so I’ll turn things over to her…

Hey y’all!   We’re officially entering Christmas season!   Who is as excited about Christmastime this year as I am?! ;)   With Christmas season also comes the all-time-consuming ordeal of shopping and finding the *perfect* gift for your friends and loved ones.   I’m here today to share with you some of my personal favorites for online Christmas shopping.   I hope these ideas are helpful to someone out there! ;)

Life is hard. People are harder.

Hey y’all!   It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, hasn’t it?   October was such an exciting month full of dreams-come-true, which really got me hyped for having another productive month!   It’s amazing to see how God works in our lives when we surrender every moment and situation to Him.

Hey y’all!   With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I thought it would be helpful and good for all of us to really focus on learning to become more thankful people.   I know I definitely need more gratitude in my life!   To help with this focus, I’ve created a fun, simple tag for all you bloggers out there.   This tag is not just a Thanksgiving/November-only tag, but one we can use all year round!

A great big thank-you to Alyssa from Here is Love for tagging me for the Hello Fall blog tag!

Hey y’all!   I am sad to announce that today the Church Music series comes to a close.   It’s been a fun last couple months writing and releasing weekly posts on a topic so important to me.   It’s been fantastic and so satisfying putting up content on a consistent weekly basis.

Hey y’all!   It’s Q+A day!   A great big thank-you to those of you who submitted questions for this Q+A.   I love it when my blog readers get involved!

Today I’m thankful for…

Hey y’all!   It’s time to have a little fun in this series!   Listed below are some of my recommendations when it comes to church/sacred music and the like.

Hello everyone!   Thank you for joining me thus far in my Church Music series.   As we prepare to wrap up this series in the next couple weeks, I would like to open up a Q+A for those of you who have any additional questions or would like me to elaborate further on a certain topic.

Today’s post is a little off the beaten path and was not originally planned to be part of my Church Music series, but since I have received several requests to write on this topic, and because it is such a big component in the music ministry with which I am involved, I have decided to go ahead and incorporate it into this series.   Please forgive me in advance if I do not come across clearly; you are welcome to begin a discussion below in the comments and I will seek to better explain anything that may have come across confusing.

Hey y’all!   Alyssa at Here is Love tagged me for the Sunshine Blogger Award (thank you, Alyssa!), so here we go again! ;)   To see my last Sunshine Blogger Award, click here .

As I have pondered and wrestled with personal questions I’ve had and lies I’ve believed about music ministry – searching for answers and Bible verses, dying to have the perfect aha moment, waiting for comfort and encouragement to steer me in the right direction – I have learned a couple of things about God’s grace for our mistakes.

I have other gifts, but they’re all hidden under constant piano responsibilities. It seems like playing the piano is the only thing people want me for. Sometimes I’d simply rather be asked to sing in a group than accompany it.

Have you ever been so nervous that you can hardly form your thoughts into a coherent prayer?   There have been many times when I have wanted to pray before a performance or offertory, but my thoughts are spinning so wildly that I can hardly focus enough to pray everything I want to pray.   Can you relate?

Happy Monday, friends!   I was once again privileged to be tagged by Anna from Annie Writes for a blog tag!   (Thank you so much, Anna!   You’re the best!)   Anna was ingenious to create this Blessings from Summer 2018 tag, and I can’t wait to get started!

There never seems to be enough time in the day to practice and thoroughly prepare for every music-related thing I have to do.   Can you relate?   Scales, theory, hymn arrangements, classical pieces, competition preparation, recital preparation, YouTube videos, hymn playing, “fun” music, accompaniments of every sort... too much music, too little time!   It definitely keeps me busy, though I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world (well, besides theory maybe... just kidding!). ;)

I was 14 when I first started normally filling the larger piano roles at church.   At first, taking on important musical responsibilities at church was understandably nerve-wracking.   It was new and scary.   People understood the nervousness those first couple times.   But what no one told me is that the nerves just intensify as time goes by.

Hey y’all!   Ever since I began piano lessons at the age of 9, music has been one of my deepest passions.   I used to think sour cream made the world go ‘round, but as my blog title change last year clearly indicated, I no longer think that way. ;)   For me, music trumps any other interest or hobby.   And truly, it is way more than just an interest or hobby… it is a burning passion of mine.   Music resonates with me in a way that nothing else does.

Hey y’all!   Over the past few months a lot has happened in my corner of the world, and I’ve also accumulated a couple photos.   You all know what that means! :)   It’s time for another “Currently” post!

Anna from Annie Writes recently tagged me for the My Favorite Things blog tag!   Thank you, Anna!

Hey y’all!   According to Google, summer officially begins on Thursday.   OK, so I’ll give it that.   I trust Google on that one.   But obviously the state in which I live does not agree.   It rebelliously began sporting temperatures in the 90s several weeks ago, and that’s just the beginning.   Oh, the joys of living down south! ;)

Hey y’all!   I apologize for my blogging absence these past 2 weeks.   For the time being, it is best if I put blogging on the backburner, but don’t worry, I do not intend to completely abandon Grace Notes. ;)   I just need to take a step back and review my priorities.   For today, I just have a random life post to share with recent photography and such.

Hey y’all!   Today in the Women of the Bible series we’re talking about the Proverbs 31 woman.   I have always loved Proverbs 31 and have admired this example for years.   Of course, Proverbs 31 isn’t necessarily describing a specific woman.   Proverbs 31:1 tells us, “The words of king Lemuel, the prophect that his mother taught him.”   King Lemuel’s mother was instructing her son in this passage.

As Christians – imperfect people saved by a perfect God – I think we all go through phases where we struggle to spend adequate time with the Lord.   There are many excuses for this downfall in a believer’s life, ranging from “I can’t find the time,” to a heart-problem of “I don’t need the Lord’s help,” to a simple, “I try to read the Bible and pray, but everything seems so dry!”   Whatever the reason, I’m sure you’ve experienced some sort of spiritual apathy in your life at one point or another.

As you are all well aware of (I’m sure), tomorrow is Mother’s Day.   And I will also assume that you have planned accordingly. ;)   Because this weekend is all about honoring our mothers, I wanted to just take a moment to brag on MY amazing mother.   I think you all should feel extremely honored to meet THE very best mother in the world in this post.   Because truly she is. :)

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”   -- 1 Chronicles 16:34

As I mentioned back in this post , the story of the woman with an issue of blood in the gospels is one of my favorite stories from the Bible.   I don’t exactly know why; maybe it’s because she had a serious health issue like I once did.   I’m not sure.   But this particular miracle of Jesus’ has always touched me in a special way.

Hey y’all!  Can you believe it?  This is my third blog tag this year already!  How fun!  Tags are a blast to do and give me lots of inspiration for future posts as well.  Today, the tag I’m bringing to you all is the Sunshine Blogger Award, nominated again by the lovely Anna from Annie Writes .   Thank you so much, Anna! <3

Hey y'all!  Today I'm releasing the long-awaited Pictionary Q+A post in honor of my 3rd blogversary here at Grace Notes!!  I'm super excited about this post and the blogging milestone it represents for me.  I'm also very proud of myself because I managed to get photos for so many of your questions, and trust me, it was HARD! ;)

Hey girls!   Today I would like to share with you some random bits of truth and advice and food for thought for young ladies.   These are just some things that I have realized are wise and helpful for girls to learn and think about.   This list is not complete by any means, and I’m not always consistent in following this advice, either.   This list is just to inspire you (and I!) to think about some of the things we should be doing as Christian young ladies.  

Hey y’all!   My friend Anna from Annie Writes recently tagged me for the Liebster Award… AND THEN Alyssa over at Here is Love tagged me, too!   Obviously I’m very popular :)   Kidding, of course!   But seriously girls, thank you so much for tagging me!   I’m honored.   Since I didn’t want to leave one of them out, I’ve decided to just combine everything and do it all at once.

Hey y’all!   It’s been a little while since I’ve done a “Currently” post, and even longer since I’ve shared monthly goals with you!   But yet, I’m putting out more posts and coming up with even more blogging ideas than I believe I ever had before.   How exciting!!

Hey y’all!   Today is the second study in the Women of the Bible series, and we’re going to be talking about Dorcas from Acts 9.   Now, Dorcas’ story has always been especially exciting to me because Acts 9 was one of the first full chapters I ever memorized.   I memorized it for a Bible quiz competition I was doing with my dad, but then he got pneumonia and we had to back out.   But that’s beside the point.   The important thing is that I hid Scripture in my heart.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”   - Psalm 100:4

Hey y’all!   I know it’s only been three days since I last posted, but I was thinking recently about my upcoming 3rd  blogversary (blog anniversary), and realized that time is running out if I want to do some sort of blog celebration!  And of course, I do. :)  Hence this post.

Hey y’all!   I don’t know about you, but Monday through Friday, there never seems to be enough hours in the day.   Work, school, family time, music lessons, sports practice, chores, exercise, cleaning, remembering to pray for everyone who has asked you to... whatever your schedule looks like, it can probably get overwhelming at times!

Hey y’all!   I know I had mentioned back in this post about me potentially doing a blog study on women of the Bible, and many of you gave positive feedback on the idea.   I’ve been thinking about, studying, and planning to begin this series this spring, and today I’m officially kicking of this study!   I am hoping to post every-other-week, but Saturdays can either be very quiet or very busy, depending on the week, so it may not work.   We will have to see.   Anyway, let’s go ahead and jump in with our first study, discussing Ruth!

Hey y’all!   I was tagged for the Average Day Tag by Grace over at Don’t You Know That I’m Singing !   I love participating in blog tags (although technically this is only my second), and this one especially was super fun to do.   I’m a big fan of taking every-day photos.   The sad thing is, I usually delete them because most are terrible quality and I don’t have a use for them.   Well, today I have a reason to take some photos of daily life… so let’s get started!

Hey y’all!   Recently I was texting with a sweet friend of mine, and we got into the topic of spiritual growth and things we could do better in our pursuit of holiness.   We both admitted that one of the biggest struggles we have is in knowing how to boldly witness to others.   What does this look like on a practical level in our everyday lives?  

Hey y'all!  My apologies for the blogging absence.  I know it hasn't been that awful long, but still, my goal is to a post out at least once a week, and I have failed.  I will try to be better from now on :)  Today, here are some things I'm thankful for...

Hey y’all!   It’s just two days till Valentine’s Day!   I know that a lot of people aren’t too thrilled about this holiday, but I’d like to encourage you to make the most of it by trying one (or all) of these 6 fun Valentine’s Day activities of sorts.   Valentine’s Day can be a blast!

Hey y’all!   I am SUPER excited to bring an interview with Anna – a friend, author, and fellow blogger – to the blog today!   I recently did an interview with Anna over at her personal blog ( click here ) and she has sweetly agreed to do one here at Grace Notes as well.   Let’s get started!

Hey y’all!  It’s been a couple of months since I’ve done a currently post, so I thought I’d hop on the blog today to update you on some of the things that have gone on in my life these past few weeks of 2018.

As you probably have gathered from the title of this post, I recently read Alex and Brett Harris’s book, Do Hard Things.  And WOW.  What a good book!  Every teenager should own a copy.  It is life-changing!

Hey y’all!  As you probably have gathered, I’m a big fan of to-do lists ;)  They can be super helpful in getting things done.  But some days they can seem more like a curse than a blessing!  Am I right?!

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  -- 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

As I was scanning through my ever-running list of blog post ideas, I chose the topic of sibling relationships.  It’s a topic I’ve been meaning to write on for quite a while.  As a sister to 6, and being neither the oldest nor the youngest of the bunch, I have at least a little bit of experience in this area.  No, I don’t know everything there is to know about sibling relationships, and I certainly am not the perfect sister!  But God has given me some experience in the area of sibling relationships, and I think I’ve learned a couple things ;)

I glance down at the corner of my computer screen and see 1/1/2018 below the time.  I unlock my phone and see the big 1 on my calendar app.  I open up my text messages and see all the texts that say “Happy New Year!!” with celebratory emojis for fun.  Everywhere I see the evidence: 2018 has arrived!