Path of Positivity Challenge #39 - Confidence to Shine

Path of Positivity is focusing on Confidence this month. What a great theme for an Olympics year! The designers have concisely discussed the aspects of developing and using confidence in life. Ideas worth visiting at any age, equally beneficial for parents, grandparents, and teachers who encourage young people.

The first thing that always comes into my mind when I think of confidence is the verse in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Knowing I'm not alone in any challenging situation is a big confidence booster! I began developing dreams and goals by age 12 and wanted to do my best in everything. Playing the flute in band was one of the areas that required confidence. When we started at the end of 4th grade, we had a band instructor who was very negative with the youngest students. He was impatient making us try a section AGAIN to try to get it right. His anger may have been a reason I was so reluctant to practice. By 6th grade several of us were supposed to play up on stage for a parent meeting. I was so nervous, especially when my friend next to me fainted during practice.
By 7th grade I had an amazing band and vocal music instructor, one of the best teachers I ever had. He encouraged us, never got angry over mistakes, showed us the value of repetition and practice. Everyone wanted to please Mr. Bortz and get it right. By that age I prayed a lot for God to help me do my best. I could see that He had given me many talents and didn't want to be big-headed like a few kids I knew, acting like know-it-alls. I also wanted to use those God-given abilities to their fullest extent and that took a confidence in God's help during difficulty as well as in the abilities He had blessed me with.
Mr. Bortz gave me a piccolo to play in concerts and marching band. How surprised I was when he had me stand during a concert when it came time for the piccolo part. I had been perfectly happy to play my flute and be drowned out by trumpets, trombones, and drums. Suddenly it was my time to be heard and to shine. My shy self still felt pretty nervous at the attention, but such experiences were important in developing the confidence I would need as an adult, to know someday that I could do anything because of desire, talent, preparation, and help from God. Confidence is believing in the abilities He's given us to develop and relying on Him to overcome difficulties that unexpectedly or inevitably arise along the way.

With the Olympics entertaining the world this month, I keep remembering the Winter Olympics of 1984. The first events I was really passionate about were all of the ice skating events. As a guest designer this month I have the privilege of using this skater image from Ike's Art.  I also designed my card by using the colors from Pals Paper Arts and rotating this Sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday:

Thank you for visiting! May you let your talents shine and leave a little sparkle on all those around you as you encourage them to shine, too!

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge #175: Buttons and Bows
Craft Rocket Challenge #21 - Glitzy Glitter
My Time to Craft #327 - Embossing
Pals Paper Arts #313 - Pink, Taupe, Peach
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2-95 - Sketch
The Paper Shelter #259 - punches and dies
Word Art Wednesday #242-243 - family friendly - anything goes

6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:
Papers - CTMH White Daisy, Slate, and White and Pink Glitter Cardstocks, pink watercolor background paper from Calypso;  Recollections peach glitter cardstock,
Markers - Copics: RV00, R81, R83; YR02, YR61 (dress and its flowers), E0000, E000, E00 (skin); W-1, W5, N2 (skates and hair);
Embellishments - CTMH white glitter buttons, white organdy ribbon; Tim Holtz Small Talk stickers
Tools - Cuttlebug snow embossing folder; Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Our Daily Bread Designs "Lavish Layers" rectangle die (slate mat); Sakura Gelly Roll gliter pen (dress details); CTMH Thin 3-D Foam Tape