5 things for halloween week

FYI - this post has nothing to do with halloween at all, but I WILL be carving a pumpkin and roasting pumpkin seeds with my bride tomorrow!

1. I don't know what exactly to say that I'm thankful for but - I just played with the Jacksonville Symphony - and it is the best orchestra I have ever played with. It was exhilarating!! Sure we weren't playing huge staples of the literature (it was a halloween concert complete with Harry Potter and Hall of the Mountain King) but it was AWESOME. To get technical - it was amazing to be a part of an orchestra where I didn't have to wonder if the strings were going to be able to play the music, the woodwinds would be in tune, the principal trumpet would actually lead the brass section, and whether or not the horns would actually be able to hit the high notes (much less in tune). It was truly humbling and enlightening experience. So....I'm thankful for it.

2. Passion - without it, #1 wouldn't have been possible. Musicians do a unique thing, and when there is passion behind it, it's just that much better.

3. Dave - my friend dave myslinski came down - he's a suit who works for ALEC as the director of their educational task force. We were school mates together at rutgers and he had a conference down here, and just decided to make it a week-long vacation to visit me and keep me company while Ashley is in Dallas. He's a fun pal and we went gun shopping. He's also my go to guy for when I don't understand what's going on in politics, or I need to know the dirt on a particular candidate.

4. US Navy - as far as I know (and I may have already been thankful for this via blog), I make more than probably 80% of my colleagues in the professional trombonist realm (and probably more than most of my colleagues my age).

5. The sermon that I heard on tithing - 10% of the first fruits. God says test Him - so we are doing it. My car sold after this decision and our first action regarding it - allowing me to fix the tinting on the mustang, and do other maintenance things needed and pay off another credit card.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow....

no matter how big or small.

long time - no 5 things

I know that I'm WAY over due. like possibly a month. My apologies so here to make up for it...I'll do 6 things!

1. I may have already been bloggoly thankful for him - but Brian Neal - THIS time for keeping me accountable to keep up with this so that I can continue to look for contentment instead of something that darkens life. And for playing halo whenever I want to :-)

2. For beautiful music. My audition circuit buddy Sarah Paradis who is the new trombone teacher at Bemidji State University in Minnesota wrote a blog about why she does what she does, pointing out several instances that give her inspiration, motivation and reinforces the passion for what we do. I decided to open my ears to find something that would do the same thing to remind myself of my love for playing music. Go figure...it starts with a quartet arrangement of a showtune :-) One Hand, One Heart - from West Side Story

3. Dave Ramsey - for the inspiration to get rid of debt and showing the evidence of the benefits of it. And for telling morons that they're morons when they need to be told that.

4. Hope - nothing better to lift your spirits than that. In the smallest things. And in the biggest things. You can always have it if you choose.

5. Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Kenji reminded me of this the other day by laughing about the fact that he's never stressed out because he doesn't think about tomorrow (except which uniform to show up in). It's a beautiful concept. Thanks Jesus! :-)

6. Per Diem for out of town trips - which means I'm ordering the steak!