MormonGuitarGirl

Members
  • Posts

    13
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Religion
    Mormon

MormonGuitarGirl's Achievements

  1. Hi guys, Sometimes I lack confidence in my talents and it makes me feel really stupid. It's like, I know what they are in my heart, but I just feel sometimes like maybe I'm totally wrong about them. I know I'm right, as I've had so many confirmations of them over the years, and I cannot deny them, yet I can't shake the feeling that I'm wrong. I'm afraid Heavenly Father's disappointed in me for doubting after He's given me all these confirmations and all this help. How do you stay confident in your talents? What should I do to feel better? I don't want to waste my gifts. Thanks so much. :)
  2. Hi guys, I would really appreciate advice on this. This whole community is just so supportive and that really means a lot. Thanks so much in advance! :) In brief, I am very interested in volunteering at a nursing home as a musician starting in January, but have started to really doubt myself the closer it gets, despite the feeling that this is something I'm supposed to do. I feel like it's a prompting, honestly. Every once in a while I have the thought that maybe I'm completely off-base about my talents and that maybe I don't know what they are after all. Stupid thing is, logically and emotionally and spiritually, I know that this is false. I cannot deny my talents in the least; I've had too many confirmations that have been in answer to too many prayers. I feel like I know my talents inside out and backwards and I'm very grateful for this, because I know that some people really have to work hard to discover theirs. I know the fact that I even know what mine are at such a young age is a blessing in itself. Yet I keep worrying, and it's making my mom crazy. She thinks I'm fretting over nothing and have nothing to worry about. She doesn't understand what the big deal is and says she's sure David Archuleta doesn't do this. I don't want to keep holding myself back with all this doubt, and right now I feel like an idiot. Is it normal to have lapses in confidence, even in your own talents? I've had times like this before but have always gotten over it, and I kind of think that maybe this is Satan putting these doubts in my head to keep me from developing/sharing my gifts and volunteering. How do you get over thoughts like these? Should I keep praying about it? I feel ridiculous, like this is a dumb thing to keep getting so upset over, but it's really important to me because I want to use my talents wisely and stay humble and I don't want to waste them by worrying so much instead of using them. I feel like Heavenly Father's like, "Come on! I've given you all these confirmations; just trust me!" I'm worried that He's mad at/frustrated with me for doubting despite all the the confirmations He's given and for procrastinating with them. Please help. I just want to be able do what I know I was meant to in peace. Thanks very much. :)
  3. Hi guys, I'm having a bit of trouble finding clean fiction. Even some of the books I've bought in the Christian section at Barnes & Noble have language I find...not clean. It's frustrating to have to travel to an LDS bookstore every time I want a book; I'd love to be able to shop at B&N without it being such a hassle. I try to stick with publishers like Tyndale and Thomas Nelson, but I'm open to suggestions. I guess my questions are, where do you buy books that don't make you feel gross and which novels do you enjoy? My favorite genres are mystery, suspense and drama, but I'm willing to dabble in others. Thanks so much!
  4. Hi guys, So, Carol of the Bells (PA FunTime Christmas 3A-3B) is one of my homework pieces and at the beginning, both hands are in treble playing the same A. My question is, since the LH is holding for 3 beats (3/4 time) and I need beat 3 for RH, what do I do? Do I cut LH short to leave beat 3 for RH, or do I go up an octave even though there's no 8va, and in this YT video, it doesn't look like it's taken up an octave. http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=5xy-Pd-t9kI Thanks so much!
  5. Hi Vort! Thanks so much for your advice! I really appreciate your taking the time to comment. :) Honestly, it took me almost a year to reach a fork in the road with my guitar teacher (that was the first time I'd ever had anything happen like that), and I don't think I've outgrown my piano teacher at all; she's told me before that she doesn't want me to get frustrated. I just have to figure out how to tell her I can handle a little more. Granted, I can't handle everything, but I really do feel like I can deal with stuff a little harder. I'm sure I haven't outgrown her because she's been teaching so long. Oh, and actually, I still have the same guitar teacher; I just had a talk with him and we developed a new plan. Things are much better now. :)
  6. Hi guys, I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place with my piano teacher (I taught myself for about 2 weeks before starting with her in October) and would really appreciate any advice. :) She's been teaching for over 25 years and we get along great. But... I do not feel challenged. She put me in the Piano Adventures Primer series, and then when I was done with that she got me Alfred's Simply Classic Level 1, Faber's PlayTime Classics Level 1 and a Piano Adventures Christmas book which is 2B. I've since finished the PlayTime book and honestly, the 2B is super easy. Thing is, I think she knows the books are too easy, as she's ordering me another one and told me last week that I definitely need new books, but I don't want to go about asking her wrong. I'm torn between being myself and keeping my mouth shut. She's fine with me working ahead but I don't want more of the same. In truth, I know in my heart that Heavenly Father has given me a talent for piano. I do not doubt that in the least, and I want to use it carefully, volunteer, play at Church, etc. I know it's because of Him that I'm doing so well. I'm very, very grateful, I just want to make sure I make the most of this gift without coming off as a jerk. Do you think I should say anything? Thanks so much! :)
  7. Hi guys, I'm going to be honest. Profanity is something I never thought I'd struggle with. I always wondered how someone could take Their names in vain and use vulgar language, but never thought I'd have a problem. Well, that's certainly changed. Long story short, I used to make media choices that weren't the best, like reading mainstream fiction, watching R movies and TV shows, and listening to music that wasn't explicit but still not the cleanest, etc. The profanity would register but never stick. I've since repented of these things and am truly trying to do better. I turn the radio when a bad song comes on, only read Christian fiction or nonfiction I know is clean and am really careful about what I watch. I feel like I've really turned my life around over the past year, honestly. I used to never pray, read my Scriptures or really listen to conference. (Without going into detail, I come from an inactive family where profanity tends to fly sometimes and have not, for reasons outside my control, been able to attend Church since 2012. I feel really bad about this but I feel like I'm doing the best I can given my circumstances. I've never had FHE and have just subscribed to the Ensign amidst comments that I'm a holy roller because I take my Scriptures with me whever I go, and am just now learning who people in the Scriptures are, like Nephi and Enos.) Anyway, profanity pops into my head all the time and I'm really getting worried. I've repented a lot but I don't know if He's forgiven me since I repent and then the thoughts keep coming. As I understand it, we aren't supposed to repeat sins, so I don't know where I stand on that... I feel like my heart's in the right place and I'm really trying but I'm afraid I haven't beeen forgiven for these thoughts. How can I overcome the profanity so I can get some relief, and how can I know if I've been forgiven? I reject these thoughts as soon as they come. I just want to move on and stop worrying. Thanks buckets! :)
  8. To anyone who has ever commented on a post of mine or ever will, I just wanted to say thank you so much. I subscribe to the school of thought that we never know what someone is going through and never know how much our small acts of kindness can mean to them, and this is certainly true for me right now! I've posted some pretty delicate things here under other names and have always been well-received and I can't thank you guys enough. This forum is full of amazingly generous people and I'm very, very grateful. :)
  9. I read that Bitdefender got horrible ratings, so I went to switch to Avast and was told by Bitdefender that the download link (from Avast's official website, linking to cnet) was infected with malware. What do I do? Should I ignore this and download Avast anyway? I have a hard time believing it's really infected. I don't want to go back to AVG and when I use Panda antivirus, the icons always disappear. I'm not sure what to use... I feel really stuck. Thanks in advance!
  10. Hi guys, Anybody have a good free antivirus to recommend? I'm fed up with AVG. Also, I'm constantly paranoid about my computer; I worry all the time that something bad will happen to it. Long story short, I'm a novelist, so I have to use it to type, but sometimes I avoid the computer for weeks because of fear, and I don't want to waste this talent Heavenly Father's given me. How can I overcome this? Thanks!
  11. Hi guys, I thought it would be nice to give my guitar and piano teachers Christmas cards, but was wondering if it's wrong/weird to do so. I've known my guitar teacher for almost a year and my piano teacher since October. I'm just trying to be nice because I do appreciate them, but want to make the right decision. Thanks! :)
  12. Thank you for your help everyone! I feel a lot better and appreciate the thoughts. :)
  13. Hi everyone, I am so stressed out about this. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance! :) Long story short, I started teaching myself acoustic guitar in February 2013, learning entirely by chord grids. I could not read standard notation until I started with my teacher this January. When I met him, he'd been teaching for only about 6 months. We get along great and I love my lessons, but fast-forward to present day and he's telling me I'm his most advanced student and that I'm at the point now where I can pretty much figure out whatever I want to play on my own. He said he doesn't need to check things unless I have a question because he doesn't want to hold me back and that he has no idea what we'll do once we finish these few songs I picked out (when we've already finished one and are halfway through another). He also told me he teaches basic and beginner guitar all day and this bores him. In all honesty, other than answering the occasional question, I feel like he's guiding more than teaching, and I don't really feel challenged that much. If it helps, he's a jazz guy and I'm predominately country fingerstyle but am willing to do any genre as long as it's arranged for fingerstyle. :) I talked with a friend who has taught classical for many years and some of the things he said really stuck out to me. He asked me if I felt like I needed a teacher, if I thought my teacher was "letting me go," and then he told me to visit with a new one but talk with my current one. Then he told me it might be time for a new one. This is a big deal to me because I know that Heavenly Father has blessed me with a talent for guitar; I've received too many confirmations/answers to prayers time and time again to even think about doubting this. I want to make sure I use this gift carefully and I don't want to stay with my current teacher if it's not what's best for my talent. I want to use it for what Heavenly Father wants me to use it for. I want it to help people and bring glory to Him. I don't want Him to be disappointed in me. I've been praying and praying and will continue, but I'm so confused! I feel so stuck. I'm hoping once I talk to him he'll be able to give me what I need. I mean, he did increase the workload once before when I told him it was too easy, but that was a long time ago. I want to believe it's just his lack of experience and that he just doesn't know what to do with people once they finish the method books and that he'll understand. I feel like he's always been honest with me and wouldn't keep me just for the money. Do you think he's hinting at letting me go? This is going to be a hard conversation. I also don't want to come off as arrogant, either, when telling him I need more challenge, even though he is giving me free reign to do whatever I want and I don't think he would take it that way. I want to stay humble about this, because I know it comes from God, but I also know I need to be honest like I feel he's being with me. I know there's much more to learn, I just don't know if he's the one that can teach me further, and I don't want to hold myself back because I kmow that's not what God wants. Thanks.