{19}

Tuesday the 19th was my last Homeschool Praise concert for the semester. May I just say ~ I've never been so glad to be done with it! The songs we sung this spring were not my favorite, hand bells was getting a little boring, and I'm always glad when I don't have to wear that dorky polo shirt & back skirt again for a while ;)
But, I still love the choir. It's been one of the best experiences of my jr high and highschool years. I've met some of my closest friends there, I've learned a ton of music, and I've also learned a lot about worshiping and serving God with the gifts he's given me.

From the time that I was 11-13, I really didn't have much of a singing voice. My range was really small, and though I loved to sing I was often discouraged because I didn't think I was any good and I didn't think I ever would be. But there were little things that kept me going, kept me singing... one of them being Mrs. Ontjes, director of Homeschool Praise, telling us that each one of us was talented; that we all had good voices that God had given us. As she was saying that I was thinking "not me", but as she continued talking I became convinced that she thought that even *I* had a God-given talent to sing.

And here I am today, singing in three choirs, trying out for solos, singing on the youth group worship team, singing songs I wrote for coffee houses... and hoping to major in music for college, which is sure to include lots of singing. God is good :)