Faith and Not Fear Adventures: Financial Stewardship

I've been trying to think of a catchy mantra I can repeat to myself in moments of weakness to remind myself of my resolution to quell doubt, anxiety and fear with faith, action, and optimism. So far I've got "faith and not fear: be of good cheer!" I haven't decided if it's so dumb that I won't even use it, or if it's cheesy enough to actually work. It's not on my fridge yet, if that's an indicator.

The first bull I've tried to grab by the horns in my personal campaign to betterment is finances. It's been a rough ride for a chicken like me, but it's okay, because these changes are long overdue!

We are consistently admonished by scripture and by living prophets to be thankful for, and good stewards of, our financial and temporal blessings. Proverbs is littered with admonitions to work diligently and build our means wisely. Doctrine and Covenants is chock-full of specific applications relating to people who correctly or incorrectly used their position of stewardship over their financial assets, and dicates just what righteous stewardship entails (see Doctrine and Covenants 104:11-14). Most notable of all, Jesus Christ taught these principles through the parable of the talents and the servants (Matthew 25), and through his example to the Pharisees of the foolishness of a man starting a project he cannot afford to finish (Luke 14:28-30). We know we need to work hard, invest/spend/save prudently, give generously, pay tithing, and enjoy and be grateful for the abundance with which we've been blessed.

So, the spiritual compass is set. Now, for actual application!

I have a lot of weaknesses in this area. Although I am careful to watch my spending, I have never maintained a budget in our marriage, and I do not keep close track of the balance, ins, and outs of our bank account. I don't pay the bills, leaving that to Chris; and neither of us work during the school year (not for lack of trying last year, though: our schedules were too weird for even Wal-mart to hire us!). We don't have ANY savings. We don't buy stuff on credit, but we do owe a bundle in student loans, lurking menacingly in the wings of 2014 to catch up to us.
Yeah, pretty bad, isn't it? I personally have not been applying gospel counsel in ANY of the areas of good stewardship, except perhaps in gratitude for what we have and in prudence in what I spend on. That's why this project is so desperately needed.
This past semester, with grant money and loan money, we thought we'd have enough to pull us through until the next period of financial aide distribution. But without a budget, the money slipped away here and there: gas needed for Mesa drives, higher utilities than expected, healthier groceries without counting the cost, and so on. Suddenly we were facing the month of December, and with all every dollar we had put toward our rent check, we were still $200.00 short. I was horrified, and had no idea where the money had gone. It ended up working out, through a borrowed (and now repaid, thank you) sum from family; but I have determined that we will never be in that boat again - at least, not through inaction on my part!
So, I rolled up my sleeves and took a deep breath, determined to face the bank account. I got online and had to face the fact that I don't even have my own log-in, nor did I remember Chris's log-in/password - that's how infrequently I get on to our account! But I did it (Faith and Not Fear Triumph #1!).
Here's our current start (using our financial aide money given at the beginning of January)

• We payed our tithing (ALWAYS pay your tithing to the Lord first, folks! I'll save that for another post).
• We payed our rent for the full semester in advance. This was advice given by my sister-in-law, and I think it will be effective for us. It was scary to see the number drop from four digits to three, but on the other hand it was so satisfying to know that, come what may financially, our dwelling is secure; and it's important to not be fooled by a large number in the account, when that money is committed elsewhere in bills (Faith and Not Fear Triumph #2!).
• We payed our minor debts that had been on hold - lab work, eye testing for Chris, library fees, etc.
• We are setting aside 10% of any money that comes our way into savings. Even jobless, we've had pockets of income (Chris donates blood, I teach a voice student, we occasionally land singing gigs, etc), so the goal is for that 10% to be the tiny beginnings of a savings account.
• I am tracking exactly where every dollar goes, and I'm trying to set limits. I'm not so great at this. If there is anyone reading this who has suggestions about how to create a budget that works month to month, I would love advice. It's helpful to see how much is spent in a category like groceries or utilities; but I don't know how to get an estimate for how much to designate to a category per month, since my numbers per month vary wildly. Some months the grocery bill is nothing (like December, where we were given some canned food and then we spent the break with my in-laws and didn't grocery shop), and other months (like this month, since I'm replenishing I suppose) where the grocery bill seems way over the top. Any ideas for how to adjust the curve here would be appreciated.

 Future goals include plans to find work, using a budget to set aside even more in savings, and breaking out of being attached to family members' accounts for bills and such.

All of this paying off has left us with not much left over in the end, which is intimidating. But we know that Heavenly Father is taking care of us, as He always has, and that He is pleased that we are taking steps to align ourselves more with what He has taught us.
Chris is helping us along this road of financial stewardship by applying for work, and just today he officially lined up a ten-hour a week job in the music office on campus! At minimum wage, that might not seem like a big deal, but for our current situation, it's huge!! I'm so proud of him for making efforts to overcome his own fears/doubts by his work to secure a job. When we move our feet, the Lord provides a way. :)

"And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath."
Luke 12:42-44

Hello 2013!

Happy January 2013, y'all. Chris and I had a truly wonderful Christmas Break, and we will be heading back up to school in the next couple of days.

As usual, I've neglected this blog. But I'm back, with a lot of thoughts on my mind. So please excuse my poor grammar today. My thoughts are everywhere, so they will just come out as they are.

I have been given many, many, MANY blessings in my life. Some are blessings that have been given to all, such as the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the gift of mortality. I've also been blessed to have my wonderful husband whom I love more than anything, my incredible mother and dad, my siblings, my in-laws and extended family, and dear friends. In our current phase of life, we even have a lovely apartment, the opportunity to attend school, and enough money to get by.

And yet, with all these blessings, I manage to tinge each one of them with my anxieties - fear, worry, sadness, doubt. These all lead to feeling guilt for not "appreciating" my blessings, which only feeds the negative feelings. But I am finally realizing that feeling sad or anxious doesn't mean I don't appreciate what I have been given. But nor can I just stop there and accept that it's okay to be constantly sad or anxious. So I've been pondering a lot about how to "keep" happy, and it's caused me to do some soul-searching about who I am and what's holding me back.

I am something of a timid person. I don't usually come across that way in conversation (for which I'm thankful), but when it comes right down to the meat-and-potatoes of life, I have a lot of fear. I'm afraid of trying new things. Making phone calls. Handling finances. Dancing. Job interviews, even working. Exercising around other people. Experimenting with recipes or hairstyles or painting. Doctor appointments.

But all that fear is getting me down. I'm getting to that place where, when I'm faced with an opportunity, I don't even respond with fear, I respond with negativity -- "I'm afraid to do that" becomes "I don't do that" becomes "I can't do that". Which ends up making me feel sad about myself and about life, when in reality the "can't" piece of my self-talk isn't necessarily true.

I want to be happy. I want to change. And this is my year to start!

It's time to give myself the advice that Elder Wirthlin's mother gave him: "Come what may and love it!" I'm done wringing my hands when the money is tight; I am going to learn how to budget better. I'm done scrolling through other people's Pinterest boards with a lump in my throat because I'm not Super Woman; I am going to be honest with myself about what matters to me, what will improve my life, and what I enjoy & not what others think I should enjoy, and then give those things a try! I'm done with thinking that the grass is greener on the other side; I am going to "lift where I stand" and water the grass where I am. I will try to keep all these aims balanced with a realistic view of making choices based on what the Lord wants of me, how much I can handle, and what will improve rather than burden my life. But it's time for me to stop treating the majority of my life as a burden, when actually, it's a wonderful life. I'm looking forward to the changes I'll make, and the effects those changes will have on my life!

So begins a journey!

"Be careful [anxious or fearful] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ . . . whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." - Philippians 4: 6-8

Semest(g)rrrrr!

The semester has been busy busy busy! For a quicker summation of what we've been up to, I'm borrowing from an email I wrote to a friend (so forgive me, Eden, if some of these sentences look familiar!). Here are some updates for the semester so far:

School: I am taking Environmental Sciences (where the first article we read was on the topic, "The Right to Breed [as humans] is Intolerable" and I was the ONLY person in the room who disagreed, if that gives you an idea about the class and my classmates); Southwest Humanities (which is actually really fascinating, minus the whole "white people and Christians are horrible to this day for everything you've done to the Native Americans"); English Immersion (online, a class to prep teachers for ELL students, very good class); and MAT 150 Principles of Mathematics (which is like a methods course for teaching the logic behind mathematical concepts to future teachers - we've been learning via the Mayan, Babylonian, and African tribal number systems so that we can see just how foreign learning our number system/math will be to our little kindergarteners someday. It's more about figuring out the logic than anything else. Hard, but cool). I will DEFINITELY not be getting all A's this year - the deadlines have been flying by, fast 'n furious! I'm trying to catch up and stay on top of things.

Church: We are back with our ward and back in our callings. I am the Primary Chorister, and I really think it is THE most joyful and fulfilling ward calling there is. I love getting to work with the children by singing songs, playing games, and focusing on the basics. This focus on the essentials has been a blessing to my own testimony as I've helped the children learn these principles through songs. I haven't always had a good attitude about this calling, but reading "To the Rescue" (Pres. Monson's biography) has inspired me to see the good in, and make the most of, my callings. Now I'm ashamed of the attitude I had, and can't imagine a better calling. Heavenly Father knows my abilities and my needs, and inspired to bishop to call me to this particular calling (which, this time around, has conveniently been a perfect fit for me). The big "event" for my calling is the annual Primary Sacrament Meeting Program, which is made up of spoken lines, testimonies, and songs from all of the children. I am really nervous, because it is this month, and since I've been gone for over three months, the children aren't very prepared (plus, it's a small group of kids, most of whom can't carry a tune). I have to keep reminding myself that the point is for the children to enrich their testimonies and their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. My role is to facilitate that, not to have a flawless program (though having both would be nice. Just sayin'.). I have to keep my pride in check, too, because the temptation is to worry about the impression the program will make on the congregation (since it's my first year leading the program, and the previous Chorister did it for 9 years with great success and much reluctance at letting go of the calling). I have to remember that the process is so, so much more important than the performance. Working on that. :)

Extracurricular: I am in the Master Chorale of Flagstaff and its chamber group Arizona's Mountain Chorale. It's a straight three and a half hours of choir late at night, but it's worth it to stay involved in music and get to work with Dr. Copley. It'll be nice, because in the Spring semester the choir joins with Shrine, so I'll get to sing with Chris again. I'm also babysitting for a lady in my ward with two little boys, since I can't seem to stop working with kids altogether.

 Work: Still looking. I have contacted the Flagstaff Unified School District for aide positions, put out flyers for teaching voice, reapplied to work at Fry's, and will soon attend a session with the employment specialist in my ward. We'll see how it goes. Mostly though, I am waiting for my fingerprint clearance card to come through. I think a whole lot of job opportunities will open up once that comes. My school schedule is a LOT more conducive to me getting a job this year. Last year, I had scattered classes filling my days, literally dozens of choir performances, and other music major related schedule fillers. This year, I planned my schedule so that I'm at school from 8:00am to 9:30pm on Tuesdays, 8:00am to 5:00pm on Thursdays, and only one hour and a half class on M/W. I could easily work a M/W/F job. We are praying that I and/or Chris will be able to find work.

Tidbits: Let's see, what else? We took some fun day trips around the Flagstaff area recently, to Wupatki ruins to Lowell Observatory. We loved Conference, and I'll write more about it in another post. I have been working hard to eat healthier and get in better shape. So far I have gone from 159 to 148 pounds, and I'd like to get down to 140 by the time Thanksgiving arrives.  I have completely fallen behind in posting on this blog. I am dreading the homework load of each new week.

I also wanted to share a personal tender mercy I had earlier in the semester. Maybe it's because we just moved back up, maybe it's because we are in so much debt, maybe it's because I didn't hang out with friends like I'd hoped to this summer, but several weeks ago, I was feeling very overwhelmed and alone, unloved and helpless. Within a 48 hour period of pouring my heart out to Heavenly Father about feeling so alone and unneeded by the people I love, I received a message, a text, an email, and a phone call from a best friend in high school, a best friend from CGCC, a much-admired sister-in-law, and a new friend I made this summer, all either letting me know that they were thinking about me for some reason, or to encourage me. It seems such a simple thing, but to me it was a dramatic experience letting me know that I am not alone. I have many, many wonderful people in my life, family and friends who care about me, a husband who is the best friend I could ever ask for, a loving Savior, and a loving Heavenly Father who answers prayers.

". . . and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." - Hebrews 13:5

Back in the Saddle Again

Hm. Haven't posted in a long time, so this layout is pretty different. We'll see how it turns out.
To cover what I've missed:
The school year steamrollered along. I made the Dean's List, and since I was never an A-student in high school or at CGCC, this was very exciting to me. The irony is that the school work this year was harder than in years past, but I guess I've finally gotten organized enough to meet deadlines and have quality focus-time for homework and study. It was a hard, busy year.
My last weekend of concerts in Shrine of the Ages Choir was bittersweet. We had a truly wonderful Shrine concert at the Church of the Nativity, performing Ralph Vaughn-William's Mass in G Minor, along with selected repertoire from throughout the year. It was the fourth and final time that I got to sing the solo in "The Road Home", and it was a very moving experience for me and many others. I just love the message of that song - so beautiful. As I was singing, it finally sank in that, by leaving behind the option of a music degree, I was closing a chapter in my life that I would miss deeply. Even though I am happy with my choice, the thought still made my heart ache with a sense of loss. I will miss it - the art of making music with other artists, the unity of spirit when passionate musicians join voices under the direction of a master, the outlet of being an outlet for beautiful and meaningful works of music, and even the opportunities to sing a as a soloist. It's not like I'll never be part of music ensembles again, but it's not quite the same as dedicating my life to it, y'know? Plus, I'll miss having all the same classes as my honey.

However, I know, by confirmation of the Spirit, that I am making the right choice by leaving Choral Education and planning to someday be an elementary school teacher. I believe that, through teaching children, I will not only find greater joy than I would in any other career, but that I will be in a better position to bless others than I would in any other career. I am still very unsure about how it will all work out. I wish a thunderbolt would fall out of heaven and hit me on the head with the answers to: Work or school? School or family? Family or work? When? How? For at least this next semester, I've decided to be cool and stay in school. Don't ask me why I'm planning that, when we've got less than a hundred dollars to our name. But we've got financial aide coming next month, a full tank of gas, and family that won't let us starve, so that dollar numerical amount is not the only factor. Plus, for being so broke, we've had a pretty incredible summer, including a family trip to Yellowstone, working in MCC's Musical Theater Workshops, helping my family move to a new house (!!), and quality time with family and friends. I'll have to have a separate post about our summer experiences. For now, we are sad to be on the back end of summer - I could use several more weeks!

Times They Are a-Changing . . . Majors, Too.

We didn't have Halloween this year. We instead went to a two-hour, grade-mandatory piano recital. It's lucky the recital was very, very good, because I was very bitter. Now I'm only a little bit bitter. Mostly I just feel wrong-footed, because it doesn't feel like November because I keep waiting for the Halloween season to start. It's weird.
Beyond that sense of Rip Van Winkleness, life is great. I actually have big news. No, I'm not pregnant. But I am switching majors. (Eden, if you are reading this, pardon me for using excerpts from our emails. The more I try to explain myself, the more convoluted my reasoning seems, and since my email to you was the first time I wrote things down, it's the least complicated explanation).
So . . . I'm changing majors. Chris and I have spent a lot of time on our knees in prayer about what I need to do; because as much as I love music, I am really struggling with feeling "right" about continuing down that path. I feel that all the work I've done in music was certainly meant to be (it brought Chris into my life, for one thing), but now Chris and I are coming to a crossroads with regard to financial planning, career planning, and family planning. We've decided that I'm going to switch to going to school part-time, and gradually working toward my degree, so that I can work and make sure that Chris, as provider, gets through school quickly and with as little debt as possible. Not only that - music is not an ideal degree to work at two or three classes at a time.
I'm switching to (drum roll please) Elementary Education!

I feel really good about this decision. I've always felt that I have a gift with small children, and I felt so fulfilled during the year I worked at Longfellow's kindergarten. I also feel that, for me personally, this major/career will be good for me as a mom. Even with music, I had the feeling that I wouldn't be in the workforce as a choir teacher before having kids, so why the rush and the debt? I'm going to take just a few classes every semester (mostly things that are necessary to take in a live classroom, like the 4 semesters of language and the math classes), work to make sure we can afford to be alive (heheh), and when we have children, take one or two online classes every semester (unless I'm finished by then). I can do my student teaching once our children are elementary school age. That's a pretty big leap of time (and therefore a big leap of faith for me), but I still feel like it's what God wants me to do.
I haven't decided if I'm going to make the switch this coming semester or this coming year, because as an Elementary Ed major, I need to minor in something, and that something can be music, but I need to check the requirements. Plus, I've already committed to being in Shrine of the Ages Choir for the New York tour next semester, so I can't drop at least a few of my music classes. Also, it's not likely that I will get a job at the semester mark anyway. But long story short, I feel really good about this decision, just nervous (especially because I STILL don't have a job lined up, and this switch means I will lose my music scholarship tuition). So, friends and family, your prayers are appreciated as we work out the details of this change.

Last night I had a dream. I was at a summer reading program at Longfellow Elementary, and I was assigned to do small-group drills with Jorge, David, and Ismael, three little boys from kindergarten last year whom I loved, but who were very difficult to work with. Ismael was being his jitterbug self, Jorge was struggling with the concepts, and David, who was smart enough to get it, was busy trying to get attention from me and the others. But although I was working hard with little result, I had a distinct and overwhelming feeling that I was doing exactly what I needed to be doing. I just felt thrilled the whole time. I woke up really happy. It was a nice reinforcement of my own feelings, because last year was undeniably hard, and I came home many days exhausted and in tears. This reminded me that things can be hard AND right, frustrating AND good. Such is life. We'll figure out these changes one way or another, and even if it will be frustrating it will be good and right.

{Besides, all those tears paid off. Our kindergarten showed an increase from around 20% of kids meeting the state standards (a trend for at least the past five years of results I had access to) to 80% of the kids meeting the standards - a HUGE turnaround in one year, one that didn't happen at any other grade levels or in any other schools. We aides definitely had a party about that. Well, honestly, I can't remember the actual statistics off the top of my head. But it was something huge like that. If I find the paperwork I'll post the true numbers}.

On a different subject, Flagstaff turned FREEZING all of a sudden. I mean, I knew this was coming. But now that it's here, I can't say I'm enjoying this weather. The wind is so biting that, no matter how long I sit indoors afterward, I feel like I can never get warm. C-c-c-c-c-cold. I need to get me some cloth gloves and a scarf. I'm weirdly excited, since a scarf is only something I've worn on vacation trip to the snow.

Also, I'm ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas, please. I'm so excited for Christmas music, turkey, nativities, caroling, stockings, Christmas books, Christmas colors, sweets, everything!!! I'm trying to keep myself reined in (I haven't turned on Christmas music yet, nor have I let myself buy the eggnog already on sale at Fry's), but school is wearing me out and it's making me look forward to holiday festivities. Anyone have any favorite holiday traditions?

Blessings

I know this is a cheesy, Mormonblog thing to do. But I'm feeling distinctly blessed lately, and I want to share some of the things I'm thankful for (if for my own sake more than for family or friends reading this), Drop out if you get bored. But here's a list of things I've been thankful to Heavenly Father for lately!

In no particular order:
1. Fall.

I'm experiencing a real autumn season for the first time (not as true of an autumn as I might experience back East, but still new and beautiful to me). The colors are beautiful, the changing leaves make me ponder, and the weather is delightfully brisk. I'm thankful for the changing seasons.
2. Art.

I've been working on an art-related project for my Christianity class, a "sisters in the scriptures" scrapbook for myself, and looking up art that I'd like to use to decorate my home someday when we're fabulously wealthy (ha). I've come across some incredible artwork that simply inspires me. . . Too many paintings that I've fallen in love with to even try and show them on this blog (although I might stick in one or two that I like). I've been amazed at how different and yet so beautiful and even strengthening some of these portrayals of people or feelings are! I am very impressed by those who can create works of art. . . how people can use mediums like pencil, paint, clay, wire, or cloth to create something that is alive without life, something that provokes thought, affects moods, persuades or uplifts us. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father blesses all of his children by blessing some of His children with this gift. It's a gift that I wish I had!  By the way, check out http://mormonartist.net/ to see some beautiful religious paintings (and other forms of art) by some new and relatively unknown artists. A couple art tidbits I've liked lately include some works by James Christensen, paintings by Megan Rieker, and Navajo pottery and rug art.
3. Chris.

I thank the Lord every day for blessing me with someone as good (and as good for me) as Chris. He is "my sunshine" every day. Chris is THE best person I know, and always motivates me to work hard, enjoy life, and be "an example of the believers". Plus he makes my life filled with fun. :) I love you, Chris!
4. The Book of Mormon.  This one, that is.

Don't care if that's cliche, because it's true. I am grateful for the clarity the Book of Mormon gives. I'm thankful for the motivation to become more like Jesus Christ that I feel renewed in me when I study it. I'm thankful to have a testimony, because it is that testimony in the Book of Mormon that keeps me grounded in the Church no matter what. Not that I don't have questions because, hoo boy, I have lots of concerns and questions. But the Book of Mormon gives me faith in Jesus Christ, hope in the Church, and charity enough to be patient with the doctrines/people/situations that I don't fully get. Not gonna lie, I need more of the charity and patience bit. But either way, I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
5. Our car.

Our Mazda Protege, nicknamed "Stinky" by Chris (in the pre-Aubrey era, trust me), is the most reliable little thing! It just keeps going and going and going. . . . and it gets great gas mileage. With all the other school expenses piling up, I'm grateful that we have a sturdy car that we aren't spending much money on.


Welp, that's all folks! Maybe you'll think of some things you are thankful to Heavenly Father for; because it sure makes the day brighter! :)

Life in Flagstaff

Like I said in last post, I’m working harder to keep this blog updated.

I wrote a bit about our place a while back. It’s even more settled now. I love our new home, and having space to actually use things instead of keeping them in storage. Our apartment is the far back corner of the last apartment complex on the hill, so we get a nice view of a woodsy area out our front door.

We are really enjoying Flagstaff! We are so lucky to live in a beautiful, interesting place. Some tidbits:

It has a historic downtown shopping district that looks intriguing, although we haven’t visited it yet. The public library lends quality DVDs, our own free Redbox! The grocery stores are very pricey, but the cheapest one is Fry’s, which happens to be the one closest to us. The Walmart here is lame-sauce. The City Hall has a grassy field perfect for Ron Paul supporters to camp out with their signs along historic Route 66. We actually drive on Route 66 on our way to school each morning. I’ve noticed three street-corner prophets on a regular basis. There are beautiful hikes, and we recently took the ski lift up to the highest mountain point in Arizona. And, the forecast for tomorrow is snow. Not sure how I feel about that last one. We’ll deal with winter bit by bit as it comes and sticks. Up until now (July to October), the weather has been breezy, rainy, and cool.

Chris and I are really lucky in our school schedule too. We are taking all of the same classes except for one (Chris is taking the Search for Meaning, which I tried to get into, but it filled up too quickly). Having the same classes helps us study, keeps us motivated, and sometimes makes us be more accountable than we might be otherwise. J A quick overview of our classes:

World Music: A study of music in culture and music AS culture, this has been the most intriguing class! Our professor is vaguely hippie, with a long pony tail, a drop of Spokane blood, and a hands-on, semi-mystical attitude about studying the musics of the world. The only drawback is that he tends to judge for the crime of being middle-class and white. I think he’d like us better if we were from China, Poland, or the BaAka tribe. All I can say is, we can’t help it. I’d love to be Black. It’s not my fault that I’m not. Psh. However, he is a really good teacher, giving us lots of chances to study and attempt to make the music of other cultures. In fact, for our final, we are performing an A.R. Rahman song at a concert with a famous Indian classical artist! I prefer getting elbow deep in the music, combined with weekly tests, versus cramming for a mid-term at the last minute.

Diction: Our diction professor is a very complex person. At once loving and terrifying, at once an expert and yet with a certain detachment from reality, she is passionate about her subject and assigns more loads of work for one night of pronouncing fricatives than others do for an entire month. Picture your stereotypical high school drama teacher. Mix in a little bit of Professor Trelawny, a little bit of opera diva past her prime, and a hint of Beatrix Potter. That’s our professor. She’s delightful, because she is the sweetest person and has no idea she comes off as crazy. She likes to dance her arms to spoken song text, chew every sound, and then get within an inch of your face to make sure you’ve got it right. To top it off, she can extend her jaw farther than Jacob Marley and wiggle it faster than her vibrato. It’s bizarre. MY jaw drops just watching it. Regardless, I’m learning a lot in her class

Christianity: Can’t deny, I thought I’d like this class better than I do. It is neat to see the branching tree that makes up Christianity. But the class is full of zombies, and I think the text makes the content dryer than it should be. At least the professor offers lots of extra credit, that’s always nice.

Educational Psychology: Really great class as well. I’m learning so many new things! So many things we’re learning, like developmental stages and theories, teaching methods, and behaviorism, are going to be incredible helpful to us not only as school teachers but as parents. The catch to this class is that it’s 2 ½ hours long, once a week. We are really luck that the subject matter is interesting and that the professor is engaging, so it doesn’t drag on too long. It’s always a relief when the teacher teaching you how to be a good teacher is, well, a good teacher.

Voice Lessons: Doesn’t necessarily fit in the category of a class, somehow. We attend a weekly vocal divisional recital on Tuesday mornings, a weekly master class on Tuesday afternoons, a weekly half-hour rehearsal with our accompanists, and a weekly hour lesson with Dr. Saunders (in addition to practicing every day). It’s very time consuming. But we love being able to work with Dr. Saunders, who is also the vocal pedagogy teacher at NAU; it’s a perk because not only are we learning to improve our own voices, but we’re getting tidbits of vocal pedagogy information that will be more useful to us as teacher than perhaps the abstract imagery used by some vocal performance teachers, used to create a certain sound in your voice only, rather than giving you the tools to teach that to people with voices different from yours. That’s a run-on sentence, but you get the idea. ;)

Shrine of the Ages Choir: How we love Shrine! We’ve been in many choirs, but none quite as good as this one! Dr. Copley is my idol. I am amazed at how with a minimum expenditure of outward effort she can get us to fix the choir’s problems with incredible precision. Her conducting is natural, her control of the sound of the choir is impressive, and her musical interpretation teaches me new things every week. Dr. Copley has a way of making students step up to the plate with on-the-fly questions, although she never shoots anyone down for being wrong; she just gets someone else to say it right. She’s terribly funny too, with fabulous comedic timing and a natural way of relating to people. On top of that, she’s just one of those people that make you feel important every time you talk to her. I learn a lot from her example of how to be an effective and memorable teacher. I also really enjoy being in a choir again, period. We enjoy the music. Chris even got a solo in our last concert! It was a very prestigious concert too, for the International Alliance of Women in Music Congress (for an idea of the scale of this thing, I’d like to point out that the Congress was last held in Bejing. Pretty big, worldwide event). He sang wonderfully, as always. J

So, that’s some of what we’ve been up to! There’s more, of course, there always is. But alas, there isn’t more time, there never is. So I’m off to bed!