Cedarville University

Hey there! This is Zac, and I’m thrilled that the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I haven’t been home since August, and so the chance to put classes on hold, drive across Ohio and share the best meal of the year with both sets of grandparents makes my heart joyful, and my mouth salivate.

Looking back, my family has been very fortunate. You could say we’ve been through quite a lot; through ministry and travel, personal tragedies and potential disasters. Through it all, my parents have remained steadfastly in love, and both branches of my extended family still love to be around each other. I’m incredibly grateful that both of those things still remain true.

It’s good to look back and remember where you came from. This idea of looking back and giving thanks is a Biblical idea, rooted in the very nature of God itself, even into the Trinity. Seeing as how the Father, Son and Spirit visibly demonstrate love towards each other in the Bible, such as during Christ’s baptism (Matthew 3:17), I imagine they are continually thankful for the unending love they show each other. Indeed, when Christ prays he frequently thanks the Father, oftentimes before a good meal (Matthew 15:36, 26:26-27).

While the holiday of Thanksgiving dates back centuries, it remains firmly rooted in a concept far older: the beauty of thankfulness, which is firmly rooted in the love of God. And apparently, God loves to give thanks over a good meal shared with others, so I am grateful for such a wonderful tradition.

I can’t wait to share stories over turkey, ham and sweet potatoes with my family, in the presence of the God who has kept us safe through thick and thin, adopted us into His family through the Gospel, and provided for our every need, and then some. No doubt about it, there are so many things to be grateful for.

~Zac

Hello everyone! Wow, it’s absolutely crazy to think that this semester is practically over!! I was telling my team the other day that this Thanksgiving break feels like it should be Fall Break; this semester has gone by so fast that it only feels like it’s halfway done. With 17 credits, a junior recital to prep, 5 new piano students, and a plethora of clients for piano accompanying, alongside my commitment to HeartSong, I’ve had barely any time to breathe, much less pause and reflect on what God has done. But with a bit of a breather before exams, I take this time to reflect on the many things that God has done this semester that I am thankful for.

It started back in September, where our first performance of the year was on my birthday! The weekend after that was Brownsburg Weekend, our traditional traveling teams retreat. Practicing like crazy and bonding as a team made that an amazing kick-off weekend for the year. But not long after that, my team underwent a member switch, leaving us with 3 returning members and bringing our “freshman count” up to 4. Fall Break Tour in October became our team’s “Brownsburg” as we reworked a few songs and bonded together in a different way.

But despite the sudden change, our team hardly skipped a beat. On our way to our first school on Thursday we had some fun times in the van, including a Wart-Head Challenge and stopping at an Amish market in the middle of nowhere to use the restroom. Musically, we improved as the weekend went on, and spending time with our host families was a huge blessing as it always is. Something unique about our team’s tour was that we didn’t have a venue every day, so we weren’t quite as busy as we had anticipated. It was a HUGE blessing to be able to have some time to relax and feel a little like we were on a break. It also gave me some time to reflect, read my Bible, and pray for my team members and the other teams on tour.

With November came Family Weekend! Most of our team had family coming to visit, so we decided to combine team time with family time on Friday night. 6 of the 8 of us went to the Cracker Barrel together, bringing our families with us, and reserved a table for 18! (under the name “Green,” of course). It was awesome to hang out as a team, meet each other’s families, and fellowship together. The family weekend concert the next day with One Voice and Jubilate was AMAZING as well! It was so incredible to worship God with my two families: my parents and grandparents, and my HeartSong family.

God has been working this semester in really personal ways as well. All 5 HeartSong teams have been going through a Bible study together about the Gospel; what it is and how it should penetrate our lives. We hear wisdom from Jim or Brandon, talk as a large group, and also talk as teams about how we can apply what we’re learning as we interact with each other. Letting the Gospel transform our lives is a huge part of what makes HeartSong such a powerful ministry; it would never be possible to do what we do if it weren’t for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and His amazing grace poured out for us.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I’m in a thanking mood! I am so thankful for this semester, as fast as it seems to have gone. I am thankful for every member on my team, past and present, and for the ways God is using them in my life constantly. I am thankful for the ministry that we share and the opportunity to use our gifts to bring glory to God. And I am beyond thankful for the reason for our ministry: Jesus and the Gospel. My prayer is that I will always be thankful, always praising God for the good things He has given me, and that I will always make time to reflect on what He’s done in order to praise His name even more.

The ladies of HeartSong

I classify thankfulness in my life as choosing to live with gratitude both proactively and reactively.
The idea of life is an amazing concept – How unique each person, family, experience, talent, language, and location is. Yet despite the differences and the incomparable backgrounds of each individual, God knows it all. He holds it all. He controls it all. For that assured control, I am thankful.
God doesn’t promise a life without struggle, but He said not to be anxious, completely understanding the human tendencies of anxiety. Whether it be grades, relationships with friends, or feelings of inadequacy, I am not supposed to be anxious, but rather rest in Him. What a refreshing and fulfilling response to anxiety. For that command and utterly amazing opportunity, I am thankful.
God is astoundingly creative. Two aspects of His creativity are present in my everyday life and they continue to amaze me. The first is my five senses. When I am lacking the sense of smell from a cold, I lose my sense of taste. When I get a numbing shot, I have to take extra caution to not unintentionally harm that area due to my lack of touch and nerves. When I can’t see, I rely on my hearing and vice versa. I am just amazed at how cool my senses really are and how easily I take them for granted. The second is the sky. Most people focus on sunrises and sunsets when mentioning the beauty of the sky. I agree, but I also like to focus on clouds. The memory card in my cell phone is completely full, mainly of pictures of the sky. I just cannot bring myself to delete them. They are all so different in color, texture, depth, shadow, and vibrancy. God’s SO creative and I can’t believe I am made in His image and given the opportunity to know more about Him! For that incredible creativity and relationship, I am thankful.
I have been blessed with an amazing family. My dad is very hard-working and thorough, but he will put aside what he needs to get done to help someone else. My mom is the most selfless person I’ve ever known. She is SO patient and very sensitive to others’ needs. My brothers and sisters are amazing. I have SO much fun with them. They are hilarious, genuinely loving, and so fun to be around. This will sound typical, but I seriously consider them my friends. They’re like the best of the best. Why I got them, I know not. For my wonderful family, I am thankful.
This year I have the opportunity to be a part of the HeartSong ministry. I know the ministry isn’t based on the enjoyment of those involved, but I have loved it! I love music and the people in the ministry, and I love the purpose of the ministry. I am so excited to continue this year with HeartSong, get to know the people on a more personal level, gain music experience, and most of all, watch God continue His work. For these opportunities, I am thankful.
The fact that Christ’s love for me “surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:16-19) is incredible. It’s unearthly. No matter how many moments I forget Him, He always remembers me. That’s why I am choosing thankfulness.

-Julie Zavodney