Remembering: Beethoven, Muscle Memory and Happiness

Here's a win that surprised me tonight. Despite struggling with new glasses for the past month*, I have recently enjoyed pulling out some of my old piano music from as far back as high school. 

Tonight, I moved past the eye issues and other things weighing on the day and tried a Beethoven Sonata. In fact, I had avoided it for 19 years, thinking I could never enjoy casually playing what I had spent two years perfecting and memorizing for part of my final recital and exam. I had completely forgotten what it looked and sounded like... until I started playing. 

Here's the utterly amazing thing about our brains. I still had muscle-memory to play some parts easily! And what struck me was that the parts I remembered best were the sections that made me happiest all those years ago! They gave me the old thrill again, and I'm pretty sure I was smiling through them tonight.

This reminded me how happiness is powerful in our brains!!

TIP: Try take time to purposely remember some happy things in your past... whether years ago or days ago.  Knowing what we do about the neuroplasticity of the brain, this simple act will do more for your health than you can imagine!

Intentionally remembering - especially in light of God's goodness, provision, love... positively affects many parts of the brain, including the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. It even helps our brain release dopamine, positively impacting far more than just mood!

No wonder God told us throughout His word to "remember" as well as to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. [Philippians 4:8] Science is finally catching up to some more of what God has told us all along. 

*Yep, it was time for bifocals along with the double whammy of a prism to pull my left eye into alignment. The combination of a sledding injury 24 years ago along with the neurological complications of Lyme, mold, toxic levels of mercury, etc. these past years, made my optometrist give this a try. 

Getting Back to Concerts!

One of those opportunities to "get back to life" mentioned in my previous post was attending my first concert in nearly a decade!

Thanks to a trumpet-playing, music-major Dad, I enjoyed growing up with the music of the Canadian Brass. So when one of their former members came to our local concert association, it was not to be missed!

Dad actually attended the concert twice as it came to two area towns. Mom went with the first time, and I got to join him for the second. And due to stories told in concert and some talk Dad had with the performer after the first one, Dad brought his own trumpet along for Jens Lindemann to sign the case. [You had to be there to understand. 😊]

Dad's trumpet is a Yamaha bought through the Canadian Brass and tested by one of their members. The special story behind it was that Dad's college trumpet broke around 20 years ago, and he was ready to give up playing for Easter and Christmas anymore. But his mom wouldn't let him stop and bought this trumpet to keep him playing. 

Now Dad practices an hour most days and is getting better than I have heard him in my lifetime!

At the second concert, Dad also had the surprise of finding someone he had played with in college who had since had a professional trumpet career. Dad had him sign the case too... just for fun!

So my first concert was a treat and a successful chance to exposure-train with several of my long-time triggers.

Music Therapy

What do the 19th Century Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg and the famous Baroque George F. Handel have in common? They are both a part of my healing journey! 

For years I hardly had strength to sit at the piano, let alone get eyes to focus and brain to signal fingers with any accuracy and speed. Getting back to the piano has been very off and on these latter years. It still takes a lot of strength that is often needed elsewhere instead.

But when I do give the time and strength, the harmonies welling out of my 100+ year old 7-foot Baldwin are a balm to my whole being! (Especially the bass notes which don't seem affected by the cracked and patched sound board.)

What activity do you find healing that is worth the extra effort some days?

~ Hannah

All the More Beautiful

This week brought to a close my 19th year of teaching piano students. Family and friends gathered for a cosy evening recital with a dozen fun, short pieces by my three young students as well as a chance for them to turn the tables and quiz me on keyboard skills as I had done so often in their lessons through the year.

A couple days later I came across this quote by a Victorian English missionary who gave up what promised to be a career at the top of the art world of her day in order to show people God's love in difficult places.

 

"All the more beautiful will be God's triumph when it comes. The highest music is not the music where all goes on simple and straight and sweet, but where discord suddenly resolves tensions with harmony."

~ Lillias Trotter (12 February 1905)

 

This reminds me how my young students comment from time to time on how a note or chord in their music "sounds wrong." They hear discord and want to "fix" it... not understanding why a composer would ever purposely choose to stray from tuneful harmonies.

But to those of us who have lived longer with great music, it is easy to hear the purpose of dissonance - to set off the beauty of harmony far more.

The same goes for dark shadows in art and the climax of crisis in good stories.

Yet, no matter how many years of experience we log in this world, sometimes we may still find it not-so-simple to accept the various trials that come throughout each day, as well as the bigger ones that last for years.

And so we remind ourselves along with Lillias "All the more beautiful will be God's triumph when it comes."

And with an ancient author we say,

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

~ Lamentations 3:21-24

A Season of Singing

"In this season of much singing, I ask those who love our Lord Jesus to ask very specially for singing hearts.

"It would be sad if the lovely Christmas hymns and carols sounded only like a noise – even a noise of music – to Him. But if they are the glad and wondering adoration of our hearts, then I think they will give Him joy.

"Do not forget what Christmas cost Him – Gethsemane and Calvary." 

· Amy Carmichael
Edges of His Ways daily devotional

Merry Christmas!

~ Hannah

His Eye is On the Sparrow

I am slowly pulling out of yet another physical setback...days of deep weakness and survival mode. And in them, God is with me. How do I know?! One way is through the songs He places in my heart. Like one morning last week...

...How glad I am that even before I woke to the fact that today was a hard-to-breathe, hard-to-move, legs-giving-out sort of day...

Even before this I woke to a song in my heart:

"Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come?...

"I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free;
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me."*

That song is obviously a perfectly timed gift from my loving Father today.

• Matthew 10:29 — Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

• Luke 12:7 — Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Even though I am working my way back toward my "normal" strength this week, Elsa is facing a more prolonged setback due to the toxins spread through our house during days of cement chipping and grinding in our basement. Would you pray that her near-blacking-out through large portions of each day will clear up more quickly than the first time mycotoxins put her body in this state for much of a year?

P.S. - Pics are of last week's Jasmine-Green tea with the spontaneous addition of dandelion fluff. Tea outdoors is the best! Especially in my favorite mug by The Evergreen Studio.

*Civilla D. Martin (1905)

In You Will I Trust

This album of Scripture Lullabies - Hidden In My Heart first became a good friend during another sleepless night. (Even though I recognize music after one hearing, it usually takes a few times through new songs to get past the "new acquaintance" stage for me.)  Now these cinematic orchestrations and Bible-based lyrics so beautifully help reset my mind on the truth during stressful and physically weak days.

Running a search just now on my blog, I am surprised not to find any mention of this series of albums before. Ever since I first heard of Jay Stocker's Scripture Lullabies (only 1 album back then) through the ministry of Revive Our Hearts and bought it to help Aunt Dorothy rest in the afternoons, they have been a big part of our life.

Besides blessing and calming us many days and nights at home, I played them through earbuds every time I was in the claustrophobic scanning machines for post-cancer checkups. We also give them to most new babies among our family and friends, as well as to hurting adult-friends. 

Check out the series here: Scripture-Lullabies.com

A favorite song from Volume IV which keeps playing through my mind and heart is based on Psalm 91:

In You Will I Trust
Listen Here

I will dwell in the secret place
Of the Most High God
I will abide under the shadow of the Almighty
Surely You will deliver me
You will make a way
With Your outstretched wings, Lord, You cover me
You will hold me close
Never let me go

I will say of the Lord You are my refuge
And my fortress
My God in You will I trust
In You will I trust

I will not fear the terror by night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
And when a thousand fall then ten thousand more
I’ll stand firm
You will give angels charge over me
Keep me in all my ways
They will lift me up, God You’ll hold me up
You’re my shield and strength
I won’t be afraid

No evil will befall me
The serpent has no power
I will set my love upon You
God You deliver, You will deliver me

I will say of the Lord You are my refuge
And my fortress
My God in You will I trust
In You will I trust

Whiter Than Snow

Since taking these photos, our snow has gotten even dirtier. The top, white layer is gone, and our yard is mostly a grey-black.

That has brought a verse and song to mind day after day. How thankful we can be that God washes away our guilt not just to be "as white as snow," but "WHITER than snow."

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

• Psalm 51:7-8

And the song:

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain:
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies,
And help me to make a complete sacrifice;
I give up myself, and whatever I know—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee Thou never said’st “No”—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

• James L. Nicholson, 1872

Rest in Him

Come, Thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.

• Charles Wesley, 1744

Merry Christmas!!!

P.S. - Though not something one usually sits down and reads of an evening, this hymnal is still one of my favorite books.

You know how words are so much more easily memorized when set to music? Every child should grow up filling their memories with timeless hymns full of eternal Truth!

Countless times these hymns have come back to me "out of the blue." Actually, I know I am given just the right one at just the right time to meet the needs of my heart.

Hymns help me find my rest in Him!

Just for Fun!

Even though my posts (and life) have been heavier of late, there are always joys to be found walking through each day with our good Shepherd.

One treat I often enjoy these chilly days (yes, we have snow on the ground now!) is my own version of hot-chocolate... half cocoa / half maca. What is that? You can find this nutrient-dense, powdered "superfood" at this link: https://www.vitacost.com/navitas-organics-maca-gelatinized  It reminds me a bit of peanut-butter. 

Find my recipe in the description of this short video: Favorite Hot Drink: Hot Maca-Cocoa

And while I'm sharing video links, here's one just for fun, full of sweet memories with Aunt Dorothy: Music Therapy with Down's Syndrome

If you haven't "met" her before:
Aunt Dorothy was a gift to our family as well as to countless others who knew and loved her!

Dorothy never spoke more than a few words in all her life, but music was always a communication point between us. Dorothy loved harmony - sparkling and voicing her joy when my sisters and I split into harmony from unison singing. Dorothy disliked dissonance - getting predictably agitated and loud when around unsettling music such as the 20th century Bartok pieces I practiced during college days.

Dorothy loved to dance with music. We could just start humming a tune, grab her hands, and go. Even singing hymns at church would get her grooving!

Even in her last week of life [in 2017] she lay in her wheelchair by my piano soaking up music. When nearly unresponsive in her last last day on earth, the voice of the Hospice chaplain singing a hymn brought a slight acknowledgement. My sisters and I sang to her again as we all gathered around in her last hour, and our brother-in-law led us in the Doxology as Dorothy entered heaven, where she now has the joy of taking part in the best music ever - praising her Savior!

This video [linked above] shows one of the times Dorothy took an active part in music. Even in her 50's, she loved sitting in my lap at the piano and "riding" my hands while I played. But here you can hear her one-note rhythm inspiring an improvised duet.

Recorded February 2013

Making His Glories Known

 I love crafting bouquets from Mom's garden! 

This bouquet is reminding me of the last verse of an Isaac Watts hymn:

There's not a plant or flow'r below
But makes Thy glories known

And clouds arise and tempests blow
By order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows like from Thee
Is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that man can be,
Thou, God art present there.

Isaac Watts, 1715

Waiting Room Hymns

 

On my first visit to Dr. V. (see previous post) seven years ago, I was blessed to hear a hymn playing in the waiting room: "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." Not that they were playing Christian music. Somehow, this one just ended up on the mixed album they were playing that day. Actually, I know how... a loving God was taking care of His hurting, scared child in the way He knew would touch her best.

For years I had forgotten that special moment until I was just now recalling another special gift from just this week. At my final appointment with this amazing doctor (the day before she retired) I was brought to tears by once again hearing a hymn among the variety of modern and classical "background music." It was the perfect hymn for this day of saying goodbye to the doctor who was able to diagnose Elsa and me and help our bodies begin to dig out of a decade of damage, as well as who found my thyroid cancer when it was only stage one. As we moved into a future of more unknowns, I heard notes and harmonies that told me:

"Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;"

And then the lines that really got me...

"Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.

"Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end."

My doctor called me for a blood draw just then, so I had to explain the tears. As she entered her own season of changes and unknowns, she had to try to keep back the tears too.

P.S. - As a bonus, this last appointment also contained a second hymn: "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross"

[Pictures from camping near our clinic this week.]

Log-Splitting and Loss

 

Strange how a log-splitter can trigger a fresh realization of loss. But seeing Dad clean up a couple trees that blew down in strong prairie winds this spring didn't look right. That used to be a family job with everyone hauling branches, rolling logs, and putting in many hours and days every fall and early winter on log-splitting.

When we heated the house from the basement wood stove, we borrowed the hefty log splitter from my uncles that attached to a tractor. One of us would sit in the cab running the direction of the wedge while watching carefully for hand signals and making instant safety decisions if we saw any knots that looked as if they would cause problems for the two hoisting logs outside. Heavy, satisfying work!

Then came the winters where one of us girls would split smaller logs in the shed while the other two did sheep chores. Over and over, we lifted and threw a weight against the wedge set on top of a log. Thankfully the weight slid along a vertical rod to keep everything safe and perfectly aimed.

And no matter the method of splitting, there were always 5-gallon buckets to fill with wood and haul to the basement.

All this kind of work came to an end for me when chronic pain set in 15 years ago.

If I let myself think too much, more than my body hurts. I can feel guilty for being unable to do the heavy outdoor work that used to be my specialty - especially because we don't want Dad overdoing it since his heart attack. I can fret watching Mom overwork in the perennial gardens. I can be tempted to mow the lawn (which was my job for years), though I know the zero-turn mower would mess up my brain even worse than a very difficult drive last week. It can feel like our family is drowning in weakness and pain with three in the house battling daily chronic illness.

OR...

I can choose to replace these discouraging facts with Truth.

As Dad is playing on his trumpet as I type:

Be still my soul!
the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still my soul!
thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

• K.A. von Schlegel, 1752

Hallelujah! what a Savior!

"Man of Sorrows," what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Guilty, vile and helpless, we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
"Full atonement" can it be?
Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die,
"It is finished," was His cry;
Now in heav'n exalted high;
Hallelujah! what a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah! what a Savior!

· Philip P. Bliss, 1875

He is Risen! 

He is Risen indeed!

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Besides our reading from Genesis and a hymn last night, we were also blessed to join the Getty family for a hymn sing from their current home in Northern Ireland. How neat to see another family gather their little girls around the piano and sing songs of truth and faith - something we desperately need to pass on to keep each generation strong in the Lord.

One of the hymns that was good to sing again was Great is Thy Faithfulness.

It's amazing how many powerful lines are contained in these few, short verses!

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow...

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth...



As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!



Click here to sing along with the Getty Family Hymn Sing - from Northern Ireland

A Mighty Fortress is our God

Joseph has put in 'almost' as much time on my piano as have I over the past year! At least his visits keep getting me back to a few favorite pieces to let him hear live baroque and classical harmonies.

Over Christmas, besides keeping Elsa's harp in tune as the new strings kept stretching... 

...I actually put in the (for me, physically demanding) hour of tuning all the sets of strings on my hammered dulcimer. I'm not sure if I've done that even once in the past 7 years, but back in college days I was using it a lot - even toting it around for various Christmas and madrigal concerts.



It was special to play a few old favorites again last month. But now as time and strength are once again demanded elsewhere, most of the music we make is with our voices.

When the 25 days of advent readings were over for 2020, we missed our nightly time together that always ended with a carol. So last week we began a new after-supper study: Exploring the Bible Together by David Murray. 

Yes, it is meant for children, but the bite sized portions of scripture will still give us a thorough overview of the whole Bible in a year. 

At the same time, we backed up to the beginning of our hymnal to sing through old favorites and all that are even slightly familiar, which should take us through the year as well.

Last night's hymn was particularly encouraging:

A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood 

Of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, 

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right Man on our side,

The man of God's own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth His name

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim, 

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo, his doom is sure;

One little work shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, 

No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Through him who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go,

This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God's truth abideth still;

His kingdom is forever.

- Martin Luther, 1529

(translated by F. H. Hedge, 1852)