Swim

Life is so full of ups and downs and the best advice is to Swim through it.

Remember Nemo? Just Keep Swimming…….

Well, the global K-pop group from Korea BTS just released their new album and I love the track called “Swim”. Lately people around me have been going trough all sorts of things, a death in the family, a loved one is very sick, a car accident, not to mention the chaos all around us in the political world.

As a Mom and Grandma I watch as my children and grandchildren go along life’s road and hit small speed bumps and very LARGE speed bumps and all I can do is teach them to SWIM – keep going – take a breath – never give up – keep swimming.

Have a listen to this track – and just SWIM

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D6mfycbzs

Swim, swim
Water falling off your skin
Swim, swim
I could spend a lifetime watching you
Swim, swim
This is how it all begins
Swim, swim
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive

[Verse 1: RM]
Bad world, gone away and I still wake up in this mad world
Name a place that I could breathe on this map, world
Lookin’ like a goody, goody in this bad world, bad world
Don’t know how to act, girl
I’m in the deep, tell me, where the hell you at, girl?
Oh, you ain’t even gotta love me bad, girl
You know that I’m never holdin’ back, girl
Yeah

[Pre-Chorus: Jung Kook]
So easy, don’t make it so hard
Nights like these, I just wanna get lost
Right here with the moon and the sharks
I ain’t gotta think ’bout a thing, baby, I just

[Verse 2: SUGA]
Water, water so deep, water so deep
Take it off the ground, I ain’t never gettin’ cold feet
Yeah, you know me, yeah, you know me
Sittin’ on the shore, now I’m ready for the whole sea
I can feel the high waves comin’ (Yeah)
Why you run away? You can run in (Yeah)
Salt on my tongue, she’s stunnin’ (Oh)
You’re the only place that I wanna be, yeah

[Chorus: Jung Kook, Jin]
Swim, swim
Water falling off your skin
Swim, swim
I could spend a lifetime watching you
Swim (Swim), swim (Swim)
This is how it all begins
Swim, swim
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive
 (Hey)

[Verse 3: j-hope]
Splash (Splash), drift (Drift)
I make waves with my two fins (Two fins)
Splash (Woo), drip (Drip)
I just wanna take it across the line
Under here, we don’t chase the time
Baby, everything can’t be so sad (So sad)
Turn my face from the land
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive

[Chorus: V, Jin]
Swim, swim
Water falling off your skin
Swim, swim
I could spend a lifetime watching you
Swim (Swim), swim (Swim)
Let it all begin
Swim, swim
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive

Music is Healing for me

The world is a very scary place right now so I use music to take me somewhere else in my head. To me there is no better listening than the sound of a flute soaring to those beautiful high notes. Playing flute is like singing. That is something I learned while I was studying flute in college. I took a voice class and learned how to breath and use my breath to sing – and I transferred that to my flute! I can sing with my flute and get beautiful lines and with the added breath support beautiful tone.

James Galway is one of my favorite flutists, I have seen in person and it is magical to hear him “sing” his flute! Some of you young ones might know another famous flutist Lizzo? Well, at the Grammy’s last year Lizzo and Sir James Galway played a duet together!

Give a listen to Sir James Galway!

“Pathway Back to Flute Playing”

I have been busy working on my new adventure! I love music and my passion is teaching music. Tonight I will present a webinar about this new online adventure! Join me to find out how to get back to flute playing if you have played the flute before. Send this invite to anyone you know who used to play the flute. You can go to my website at http://www.ladymjmusic.com to learn more.

Mary Jo Tenison-Willis is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: My second Webinar
Time: Mar 4, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/89411137042?pwd=AzEwKC8yVIhCrwqAd72NnbcnbYVqxO.1

Meeting ID: 894 1113 7042
Passcode: e9WH6F

A New Adventure

I am a retired band director/music teacher living in Texas. I still teach private lessons and love it. Teaching music is my passion! I recently had knee replacement surgery and spent quite a bit of time in my recliner and teaching online. I recently discovered an online teaching model which I love. I would like to invite you to visit my new website and get acquainted with my new adventure in online music teaching.

http://www.ladymjmusic.com

for more information about the course in flute I am offering email me at ladymjmusic@gmail.com

The 6th of January

Amy Grant released this song just 6 days ago and I hope everyone will give it a listen.  It brought me to tears to think of how the generation from the 60’s and 70’s was so hopeful and full of idealism.  I wasn’t old enough to be at Woodstock (which was held at Yasgur’s Farm) but I did Hike for Hope and I Walked for Clean Water as well as Marched for Abortion Rights in 1972. 

I look at what is happening in our country right now and wonder where did we go wrong?  And more importantly how do we get back?

Listen – share – and start a dialogue……………

Tragedy

I confess – I am a boomer so this song has been in my consciousness for decades. I have told myself to write a blog about this song but have put it off – maybe because the last three years or so have been a tragedy and it hit too close to home? Yesterday I heard the song again and it prompted me to wonder why the word – or the melody- or the song speak to me.

I have a few memories in my life that I feel this word fits. The loss of a love, a deep love that you thought would go on forever and it ends, “with no one to love you you’re going nowhere”.

I have been diagnosed with breast cancer – twice – “When the morning cries and you don’t know why?”

I have been there, but came back from there. How did I do it? I really don’t know but something inside pushed through the tragedy and I became an overcomer.

This song is not a sad song at all. The way the song keeps repeating that word – tragedy – tragedy – tragedy. The melody, the rhythm, the voices and the instruments all come together to remind the listener of something in their life that was a tragedy. At the same time this song is hopeful – its upbeat – to me it musically is pushing forward and gives me a feeling of overcoming tragedy.

Yes, that’s it, its not a sad song it is and overcomer song – put all this tragedy behind, get your soul back, wake up one morning NOT crying and feel in control again.

Maybe the tragedy is not the event that prompted those feelings but the inability to overcome those feelings and remain in the state of tragedy.

Verse 1]
Here I lie in a lost and lonely part of town
Held in time
 in a world of tears, I slowly drown
Goin’ home, I just can’t make it all alone
I really should be holding you, holding you
Loving you, loving you

[Chorus]
Tragedy
When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on, It’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one to love you, you’re goin’ nowhere
Tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul, it’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one beside you, you’re goin’ nowhere

[Instrumental Interlude]

[Verse 2]
Night and day, there’s a burning down inside of me, aaah
Burning love with a yearning that won’t let me be
Down I go, and I just can’t take it all alone
I really should be holding you, holding you
Loving you, loving you

[Chorus]
Tragedy
When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on, It’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one to love you, you’re goin’ nowhere
(Aaah) Tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul, it’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one beside you, you’re goin’ nowhere
Aaahhhh

[Instrumental Interlude]

[Chorus / Outro]
Tragedy
When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on, It’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one to love you, you’re goin’ nowhere
(Aaah) Tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul, it’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one beside you, you’re goin’ nowhere
Aaahhhh, tragedy
When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on, It’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one to love you, you’re goin’ nowhere
(Aaah) Aaah, tragedy
When you lose control and you got no soul, it’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one beside you, you’re goin’ nowhere
Aaahhhh, tragedy
When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on, It’s tragedy
When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear
With no one to love you, you’re goin’ nowhere
Aaah, tragedy

The Prayer

I fall in love with this song every time I hear it!  It is so beautiful and touched my heart as I look around and see the struggles in our world.

The world is not a very happy or calm place right now.  The entire world is dealing with a pandemic.  Right here in our own country there is arguing instead of compromise, fighting instead of handshakes or hugs.   Families are struggling to find places to live and put food on their tables.  Our children are being tossed about in a school situation that is awful (from personal experience – I was a teacher for 36 years).   There is the feeling of being afraid of the future and being out of control.  We have children shooting other children, parents abusing and abandoning their children, and discrimination aimed at anyone who is different that “us”.  How did we get here? 

There really is only one answer – and this of course is my personal belief – and that is FAITH.  I have to believe that there is a God who sent His Son to help us through all of the horrible things that will happen in our lifetimes.  No one is immune from struggle, but I believe there is a loving God who really is in control.  If I can find that place of peace in my own heart, and trust that all is well I can make it through anything. 

I have had my own personal struggles, from personal relationships that failed to overcoming cancer twice!  I have always had a positive attitude and I do believe that came from my Mom whose motto was “Everything Changes”.  The bad times will happen but they will go away and faith is what sustains me during the rough times.

I wish you that faith in tomorrow, that things will be better.  This song is my prayer for all of my family and friends.

I have shared two versions of this song – enjoy!!!

I pray you’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go
And help us to be wise in times when we don’t know

I pray we ‘Il find your light, and hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night,
Remind us where you are
Let this be our prayer, when shadows fill our day
Help us find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

A world where pain and sorrow will be ended
And every heart that’s broken will be mended
And we’ll remember we are all God’s children
Reaching out to touch you
Reaching to the sky

We ask that life be kind, and watch us from above
We hope each soul will find another soul to love
Let this be our prayer, just like every child

Who needs to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Advent 2021

Well, in just a few months it will be a full two years since the pandemic began.   I must confess that with the pandemic and moving to Texas, I have not yet found a new church home.  So, today on this first day of Advent 2021 I will practice “Forgiveness” on myself.   Not attending a brick-and-mortar building does not mean I have moved away from my faith, on the contrary I still remain faithful in my beliefs but I do not yet have a faith community to share that with.

I have decided to use this Advent season to return to daily reflection and prayer.  In my life music is very important for me so I will blog each day a seasonal song to share with you.

Today, the first Sunday of advent I have chosen the hymn “O Come, O come Emmanuel”.  The term advent in Latin means “coming or arrival”.  How appropriate those words are as we have spent almost the last two years waiting on an end to this pandemic and if you are like me feeling not at all in control of what is happening in the world.   

Advent is a time of waiting and a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ. Before the birth of Jesus, the Israelites were waiting for a Savior to arrive!  The arrival of this Savior was a child and that was not what they were expecting.  The Son of God became a man like you and me.  God did not have to do this – but He did.  Those words strike a chord for me – He did not have to do it but He did! He did it for us so He could also become the sacrifice for our sins.

It took me listening to quite a few versions of this song to decide which one I would share.  I wanted the pure sound of the lonely melody and the feeling of mourning and longing as we wait for the coming of a Savior to rescue us from all the ills of the world.  Maybe this Advent we can remember that God saw our situation and sent the Christ Child.  What we can learn from His birth and life is to wait patiently and know that God is in charge.