
So now the challenge is acting on the counsel we have heard. I have many projects ahead in the next few weeks. Instead of giving in to the feeling of being overwhelmed, I need to adjust my perspective and realize that it is the load that will give me the traction to move forward. I need to think about the wonderful knowledge and skills I will gain through the experiences. I need to be grateful that I have the opportunities before me and be happy that I can be productive and serve others. How wonderful to receive inspired counsel from our leaders every six months in General Conference!
The music was wonderful to sing, too. My favorite moments were when the men sang in four parts. The new arrangements by Ryan Murphy of "Come, O Thou King of Kings" and "I Stand All Amazed" were particularly meaningful for us to sing. Difficult, but meaningful. We even were given some kudos for how unified we were singing. The soft, unison sections are usually the most difficult to get unified. The next most difficult to unify are the ascending lines with sudden drops in pitch by dramatic skips. We worked very hard to do all that we were asked, and prayed that we could sing through our tears to make it all work. We have a difficult concert coming up in less than two weeks and a major recording after that. We are working hard on memorization and mastering difficult singing skills in order to sing Handel's Messiah. Our directors tell us that this diligence is what will give us the stamina to accomplish our goals. We are doing all this while continuing to try to also carry the loads of our regular daily lives. We are reaping great rewards, though, by trying to leap over these hurdles while carrying these loads. Once again, it's the load that provides the traction to move ahead.