Thank You Praise Orchestra Members!

For any Praise Orchestra members who may be reading this;

 My family and I just want to say thank you so much for your love and support and interest in our adoption of Maida.

You have been very good to us, and the girls and we so appreciate it. The girls love you all so much and have enjoyed their time with you both in practice, performances and in the Chile trip:)

Because of your love for Christ you have used so many different opportunities and gifts to bring the hope of Christ and the love of Christ to others.

Thank you for extending that goodness and that hope to Maida. She will be brought up to know who Christ is, and to know it was because of the love of others and their obedience to God that she knows who He is too.

Ironically, you all are practicing the music from the Selfish Giant. It is my favorite childrens book, and the girls are going to bring it in next practice so anyone who hasn't read it can read it.

The main point of the story, is there was an ogre who didn't want to share what he had with children.
So he closed off his beautiful gardens to them because his wanted it all for himself.  Eventually, he came around and saw he was blessed by sharing with them all he had.

One day, and the most beautiful part of the story, is that there was a little boy in the garden that wasn't big enough to climb up into a beautiful tree. The other children were able, but this little boy wasn't. He was too little. Too helpless. So the giant came and lifted him up so he could experience the same joy the other children experienced in the beautiful trees.

Here; better yet is the section from the book:

"It was a lovely scene, only in one corner it was still winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poor tree was still covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it. "Climb up! little boy", said the Tree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny.
And the giant's heart melted as he looked out. "How selfish I have been!" he said; "now I know why Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the garden wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and ever". He was really very sorry for what he had done.

And when the people were going to market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him good-bye.
"But here is your little companion?" he said "the boy I put into the tree".
But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had never seen him before; and the Giant felt very sad.

Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with teh Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him. "How I would like to see him!" he used to say.
Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He cound not play about any more, so he sat in a huge arm-chair and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden. 'I have many beautiful flowers," he said; but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all."

One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate teh Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.
Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder and looked and looked.
It certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across teh grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, "Who hath dared to wound thee?" cried the giant; "tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him".
"Nay!" answered the child; "but these are the wounds of Love."
"Who art thou?" said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.

And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, "You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise."


You are that giant for Maida.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Since you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:40

Thank you!


Beth and Family