Music Heals the Soul? I Say Music WITH a Side of Dancing Heals the Soul!

It's been nearly two years since the Hubby and I enjoyed a night out on the town. Not that we don't like going out and dancing...we LOVE to! We just seldom make time for ourselves to do the fun stuff! We were kidless and Hubby the day off Friday so Thursday night we ventured out with family and friends and danced the night away!

As we drove to Tulsa I started thinking about exactly WHY it had been so long since we had been dancing since we love it so much. I decided the last two years have just been busy and challenging! Here's a little breakdown: for 11 months we were entrenched in a custody battle (that thankfully we put to rest in May 2010), we sold a house, remodeled and moved into another house, lost a beloved grandfather, lost a beloved family dog, we spent all of summer 2010 at the lake (our best summer yet), the kids switched schools (for the best), kids school & sports, I walked away from working in public education to begin a new career in new home sales, writing & marketing and we spent two months preparing, go through (11 days in Vegas) IVF to try to have a baby which ended in a miscarriage. So I would say I understand WHY it's been so long since we took time to enjoy ourselves by spending the night out on the town.

We danced our hearts out for nearly 4 hours. Singing, laughing and mostly- DANCING! As we were enjoying the evening I looked my hubby in the eyes and I was overwhelmed by the fact that after everything we had been through...we are still as happy as the first day we fell in love! He still gives me chills when he touches, makes me laugh and sweeps me off my feet when we dance! I am truly blessed!

Even though a part of me remains in recovery mode I can say that for the first time since November I felt healed! By the music and especially by the dancing...my soul was calmed and I felt NORMAL again! Thank you Lord for giving us music and giving couples like Hubby and I dancing...so when we are climbing our way out of the valley we can do so while dancing  and singing!

I AM DEDICATING THIS POST TO MARY KATHRYN RIDENOUR...LIFELONG SPERRY/SKIATOOK RESIDENT, MOM, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER, SISTER, COUSIN, AUNT, FRIEND AND LOVING CHRISTIAN WOMAN WHO WENT TO BE WITH HER LORD JANUARY 1, 2010. SHE WILL BE MISSED BY MANY. HER GRANDDAUGHTER SHARED WITH ME YESTERDAY THAT SHE ENJOYED READING MY IVF BLOG POSTS AND WOULD ALWAYS VISIT WITH HER ABOUT IT. SHE LOVED SINGING AND I HAVE MANY FOND MEMORIES OF HER IN THE CHURCH CHOIR. KATHRYN WAS SUCH AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND INSPIRATION TO ME WHEN I WAS STRUGGLING!  I WAS BLESSED TO KNOW HER!

Keeping the Peace

As I discussed in my last blog I started reading Joyce Meyer's book In Pursuit of Peace: 21 Ways to Conquer Anxiety, Fear and Discontentment. I knew I would be unable to set the book down when even before finishing the Introduction I was moved to tears. I want to share this paragraph with you:

"We tend to think that persons with the greatest faith are the ones who get the miracles. I'm not really sure about that, myself. We make so much out of miracles, when they happen. We think, Oh, what great faith they must have! They got a miracle. But I think the ones with the greater faith are the ones who KEEP THEIR PEACE even they don't get the miracles they wanted. I think the greater faith is in those who have to walk it out and decide to love God anyway. The people who don't get everything they're asking for, and who might not understand why, but yet continue to love and praise God, are truly trusting God. They stay in church, give their tithes and offerings, and stay full of peace. That is remarkable faith, in my opinion."

I absolutely 200% needed to hear those exact words! When you feel let down and without your miracle, it is so easy to backslide into self loathing, disappointment, envy, resentment and bitterness. Through this entire process, especially the hurtful ending, keeping my faith and being still in God's peace gave me strength even I did not know I had. And believe me, my life has been NO CAKE WALK, I have overcome mountains and persevered through many trials...but this time it was different...this time the understanding and peace were insurmountable. It was hard to think we did not get our miracle and not question why others got theirs while we are still waiting. But at the end of the day, I rested in a peace beyond understanding that can only come from our Savior.

Just like Joyce says, we did not get what we wanted and we don't understand why, but we are choosing to "walk it out" and "keep our peace". I know I have looked at others and fought back envy thinking "why did they get their miracle and we did not?". So this paragraph grabbed me by the heart strings and gave me the assurance I needed in my faith and my peace. Through this journey I know that without our faith and peace we would have been completely defeated and crushed by the end result. Not that we aren't heartbroken or sad...but in our heartbroken sadness we still walk in the victory that God gives us on a daily basis. We are not losing sight of the prize and we are still praying for our miracle to come in God's time and believing in God's plan for us.

Thank you Joyce Meyer for being so awesome and just "getting it". I am so excited about this book. I love reading books that you feel were written JUST FOR YOU! It speaks to me, it moves me, it inspires me and I hope I can take that inspiration and inspire someone else!

SO I am KEEPING THE PEACE...holding on to it for dear and seeking it out in everything I do, hope for, pray for and think about....and I hope and pray you are doing the same....