Self-Control

2 Timothy 1:7--"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

Even though I love to play the piano, it took many years of self-discipline to be able to do what I do. Many people think that a person with a musical ability doesn't have to practice--God just gave them a gift. In some cases that is true but most people are not natural musicians. Most people who play instruments or sing well have to practice and that takes self-control. Many times, as I sat at the keyboard, I wished I were somewhere else. It took me hours of practice a day, when I was seriously studying music, to prepare for a recital or a performance. Dancing is the same. I've been watching "So You Think You Can Dance." These young adults are not there just because they THINK they can dance. They know they can and have been preparing for years. It's so obvious to see the true dancers when compared to the "think-I-cans" in the try-outs. The true dancers are the ones who have spent years on the dance floor. The world today needs more self-controlled Christians who know they can't do anything without the help of the Spirit.

This card is the last of the "Fruits of the Spirit" that will be put into a book for Heather of
The Patchwork Heart in a trade we're doing. I altered the original Degas painting making this dancer independent.