By the way, this is my first time e-mailing a blog entry. So please bear with me as I try this out.

Thanks!
Joni

 My piano is so special to me, we’ve been through a lot together. My piano is not a God that I worship but it helps me to worship God through music and song. 

My 1904 Star Piano built in Richmond, Indiana

My piano is about 104 years old. It is an old upright and “a little out of tune” but I can still praise him to my heart’s content. It won an award at the 1904 St. Louis world’s fair.

It has beautiful features and carved dark wood.

I praise him when I am happy and I praise him when my heart hurts and play. My piano has been moved three times. All whom moved it I thank you bunches.  At one time we had six guys moving my piano.

We bought it in Cle Elum because my piano that I started out on was at my mom’s house and we had no way of getting it over Snoqualmie pass. So for our first 16 years of marriage I used an electronic keyboard. It sounded fine, but not the same as my piano.

I started playing when I was about 5 years old (35 years ago) and have not quit since. Music has always been a part of my life and choir ever since college.

I remember my first music teacher teaching me this little poem:

“Two black keys slide down to C, two black keys slide up to E and two black keys slide in the middle diddle D.” Thank  you  Mrs Meknamrah for teaching me my very first lessons And I thank Mrs. Inez Hoyt for teaching me and being patient with me through the years, God rest her soul.

Through good times and bad the piano has helped me. When my dog Brandi was sick with cancer she would lay there and listen to me play and it would help her.

Now my new pup Bessie loves it. At first she was very scared of it and ran away. Now when she is wild it helps her relax and she like Brandi grabs a bone, sits in Daddy’s chair and has her own quiet time with the Lord….

All creatures of our God and King lift up your voice and with us sing Oh praise him Oh praise him!

So through tough times and good times my Lord and my piano have been there with me through it all. And I praise him for the lady in Cle Elum who said “Hey Joni, I know where you can get a piano!”

This passage from the psalms has always been refreshing to me, has been a comfort to me as the psalmist  says, “You Lord are my shepherd, I will never be in need.”

He supplies everything for our lives, we don’t need to worry about  things as much as we do.

He leads us along the right paths. His ways are higher than our’s.

Have you ever been afraid? I know I have with the things in this world.

Do we need to worry about food? No. He treats us everyday to a feast. We need to feast on His word.

 He also fills us till our cup overflows. Wow, we don’t  have to worry it’s all here!

A prayer and praise:

Thank you Good And Gentle Shepherd for taking care of our every need. Thank you for leading us to places where we can rest in you, for walking us through dark valleys, for leading us along the right paths. Help us to make wise choices in our lives.

Thank you for refreshing my life.

In Jesus name, Amen

All of this reminds me of the poem, I Look to the Shepherd by Walt Harrah.

I look to the Shepherd, He meets all my needs;

Beside the still waters He faithfully leads,

Bringing peace to my soul,

as His Love makes me whole.

Each and every morning I get up early because I sub in the schools as a para-educator. I said Lord I don’t have time for this. But He gave me a strong nose and a patient heart and loving heart for my dog Bessie. 

The morning dragged on and as I was doing my daily chores I ran into the wall. My foot scraped it and all of the sudden I was bleeding without my knowledge. I was in the kitchen and my smart little dog noticed I was bleeding (all over).  Again Lord I do not have time for this. I told John ”I hope they don’t call me in.” John said “the morning can only get better.”

And it did.

My sweet husband decided to take me out for coffee this morning. Before that God drew me to His word, opened my eyes and let me see Psalm 100, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth WORSHIP the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is HE  who hath made us, and we are His.”

Through all chaos and the tootsie roll patrol, God in HIS perfect timing gave me a message. The message: Know that the Lord is GOD through any and all situations. even tootsie rolls.