A few nights ago, I was in the kitchen preparing vegetable soup
for the Little Nies and Boss Nielson,
(who was in town visiting the ranch).
I love making dinner while listening to music, and this particular night
I turned on a playlist of the top 50 most popular classical pieces.
When Clair de Lune came on, Boss Nielson walked into the kitchen from
his desk and remarked that that song "was the best of them all."
He paced the kitchen floor in silence while listening to the
gorgeous melody, and then, once the song ended, he walked back to his desk.
I love how music can move us in such emotional ways!!
My mom always had the classics playing in the living room when I was little.
One summer, we listened to the album "Barcelona"
by Freddie Mercury and Spanish opera diva Montserrat Caballé.
Ask my siblings; we must have heard that album
over and over and over again, maybe 200 hundred times in the summer of '92.
I learned of Vivaldi from my mom,
but when I was married, I truly appreciated his music.
I still fondly think about sitting in my rocking chair, nursing my babies
to The Four Seasons with occasional tears dripping down my eyes.
Come to think of it, I often cried when I was alone with
my babies nursing them- but not because I was sad.
I was feeling things.
In 2012 Max Richter recomposed The Four Seasons
and it is absolutely mind-blowing.
If you only do one thing today (besides saying your prayers, of course),
listen to "Spring 1".
Don't just play it in the background as you work or do the
laundry. Promise me that you will sit down and listen to it.
And I hope you can be alone since I am almost positive
the arrangement will make you cry.
I also hope you can listen to it as loud as you possibly can
and unequivocally know that GOD IS.
* * * * * * * *
Teachings from RMN:
Face the Future with Faith, April 2011
"You parents bear the primary
responsibility to strengthen [your children's] faith.
Let them feel your faith, even when sore trials come upon you.
Let your faith be focused on our loving Heavenly Father and
His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Teach that faith with deep conviction.
Teach each precious boy or girl that he or she is a child of God,
created in His image, with a sacred purpose and potential.
Each is born with challenges to overcome and faith to be developed.
we do not need to let our fears displace our faith.
We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith."
