Last night I watched a movie called Soul Surfer about the young surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack back in 2003. The movie used Jeremiah 29:11 as a basis for her story "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to give you a hope and a future." I was pondering that as I watched the story of Bethany and her family coming to grips with the loss of her arm. I cannot imagine going through something like that. I mean, I've been through the loss of a family member in general, but I imagine dealing with a family member's loss of an arm must be a tough thing to go through, watching her have to learn how to do certain things. The movie also made the point that even though bad things happen, we need to back on the board and keep going. Bethany's father encourages her, and keeps pushing her. I liked  seeing a father encouraging and exhorting his daughter to do what she loved, even though she wasn't the same. He tells her mother that if she didn't get back in the water, she'd never be the same again. I got to thinking about the time I had just started Chamber Singers and I felt like I didn't quite fit in there. I wanted to quit, but my father encouraged me to stick with it. I'm so glad I didn't quit--Chamber Singers turned out to be the best "job" I ever had. I still wish I could do that for a living. My point is that I think some of the best things parents can do for their children is to encourage them to stick with something and see it through.