Ever since I was fifteen I have loved to play that guitar; I've been in bands, orchestras, blue grass ensembles and mariachi groups.  I took lessons from a professional for a year while teaching at a local music store.  Through it all I have discovered my favorite styles and techniques of playing, which include finger-style instrumental and jamming away at lead guitar. 
     I have also discovered that I don't write songs very well.  There is a big difference between writing a song and playing one.  Some professional song writers only play the piano, if they play an instrument at all!  They are two different talents.  Successful bands often include a healthy and unique mix of the two talents.
       Longs story short, I haven't written a song for over two years, consigning myself to learning the hymns and other instrumental arrangements.  However, about two weeks ago I got the idea of writing a song.  I brushed it off, thinking 'my songs are so cheesy and shmarmy, I don't want to put people through that'.  A few days later the feeling came back.  I jotted down a few lines of struggling poetry about how special this place (BYU-I) is to me.  Coming up with a melody to a completely original song can sometimes require a lot of experimentation, always done while completely alone so no one can hear you.  At length I had the idea of what I wanted the song to be.
       The day after my rough draft was completed, I get a call from a friend; 'we are looking for people to try out for our next acoustic show, and I was wondering if you would like to audition'.  The way it came across left me with no doubt that this is what the song had been written for.  I accepted the invitation, and worked frantically that night to refine and polish my few lines of poetry.  The idea came that the lyrics applied to how I feel about my mission just as much as they did to how I feel about Rexburg.  The topic switched to how I felt leaving the mission and what I left behind.  One line includes;
    "but heaven knows what I left behind, all the faith that I possessed, and the joy of saving life and feeling saved".
        I auditioned and was accepted into the show.  I was touched by the whole process.  I thought "why would I get promptings concerning such a silly and small thing like writing a song for a little acoustic gig?"  It strengthened my testimony that Father is concerned with the details of our lives, even the ones that serve strictly emotional purposes. 
        For whoever wants to come, next Saturday is the show, there will be posters up on campus.  If you come I hope you enjoy it.