Author: Amanda Tero

Music has always been a part of Amanda Tero’s life–from her mom singing Steve Green specials to her dad honking out the rhythm of “Jingle Bells” in the driveway. She began teaching in 2007 and fell in love with sharing music. Amanda started arranging hymns for herself in her teens, with fast and furious advanced hymn settings. Then, as her students began requesting hymns at their levels, she branched out to hymn arranging for pedagogical reasons. Because of Amanda’s interest in various genres, in her shop, you will find hymn arrangements of various levels embracing classical elements, light jazz style, Southern Gospel flair, and more.

5×20=

Published on by Amanda Tero6 Comments
One hundred!!!
The past two afternoons have been busy for me, {Mom’s} printer, paper cutter, and stapler!
Next month, Lord willing, I will be setting up a booth at the Louisiana Homeschool Conference (CHEF). In this booth, my family and I will have music books (www.withajoyfulnoise.com), my sister’s signs (www.parlagrace.com), short stories (www.amandatero.weebly.com), and possibly more. Needless to say, things are looking quitebusy until April 17-18!
I am so grateful that today, the Lord allowed me to get all of the short stories printed up (this is a “special” because online, I currently sell my short stories as ebooks – only those attending the conference will have the opportunity to buy my short stories printed!). It is such a blessing to have one of many things checked off my list.
On the With a Joyful Noise side of things, we’re still working on getting music books printed to also sell at CHEF, and another “praise the Lord,” I’ve got my four page-outline for the workshop, “Music and My Child,” completed! (now, to get all that info out in one hour means super-sonic speed, right? Don’t say it: some of you are thinking “PLEASE don’t talk faster than normal!!”) I thoroughly enjoy answering parents’ questions when it comes to getting their children involved in music.

So, everything is getting pulled together little pieces at a time. Today is one of those days in which my heart is SO grateful to God for His goodness in allowing preparations for my first “big event” to go relatively smoothly! For those of you who have been praying with me, thank you SO much and please – keep the prayers coming!!!

What’s on your schedule this weekend?

J | Photoshoot

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

Another photoshoot! This time, I had fun using the mandolin as a photo prop. I’m getting spoiled on photo props. 🙂

Canon Pics
I’ve not posted much about my equipment. My standards is my Canon Digital Rebel T3i with my brother’s 17-40mm Canon L-lens. Here are the pictures that I took in my comfort zone.
One of these days I’m going to master the “spinning” shot! :/

A little fun with B&W

Nikon Pics
My brother recently bought a Nikon D7000 so he could better help our Nikon friends use their cameras. The other day, he mentioned that I should pull it out and try it. I’ll admit that even though I spent a few days playing with Nikons in December, when it came time to pull it out for the photoshoot I had a hard time finding all of the settings. Hence, I got more blurry pictures which was disappointing, but I did love the different aspects given with using a 35mm lens.

Gaussian blur added

Yes, I was trying different angles for this pose 🙂

~*~*~
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Guest Post and Giveaway by Sarah Holman

Published on by Amanda Tero6 Comments

A few weeks ago, I interviewed author Sarah Holman. I’m happy to be part of her blog tour and have her here again with a guest post for young writers! Added to that, she’s having a giveaway for her newest book! I have not read Brothers and Betrayal yet, but it looks like something exciting to check into!

Writing for Younger Readers
Growing up, I had a hard time finding books I wanted to read and that was one of the reasons I started writing. I wanted to create books that were full of adventure, excitement, and messages of faith. I wanted to write books that were written for kids that were between the ages of ten and fifteen that didn’t contain a lot of romance, violence, or non-Christian themes.

Too often in our culture, we give young people books full of subject matter that is better suited for adults. While there is nothing wrong with clean, God-honoring romance, a lot of young people really don’t need to be spending a lot of their days thinking about it. While some violence, especially while talking about events that really happened, is not an issue, a lot of young people just don’t want to read about it.

When I started plotting out the Tales of Taelis series, I wanted to write it with younger readers in mind. I wanted to create a series that would spark not only their imagination, but their faith. How did I plan to do that? Here are some of the things that I keep in mind while writing a book for this series:

Romance should not be the main focus of the book and if mentioned, be more hinted at then anything, not because it is evil, but so that kids have one series that isn’t saturated with guy-girl relationships.

Violence should be avoided for the most part. The heroes and heroines of the books should always try to make peace and take the most non-violent path. There are enough books out there that use violence; young people need to hear that there are other ways of dealing with issues.

Morals should be high and based on biblical standards. The heroes and heroines of the series should teach lessons through their actions and show the readers how to live according to God’s plan.

Adventure should be the key to every book. The journey that each character takes should capture the imagination of the reader and keep them turning the pages.

Those are the basic ideas that govern my Tales of Taelis series. Are you interested in reading them? You can find Adventures and Adversities here, or pre-order a copy of Brothers and Betrayal here.




Sarah HolmanSarah Holman is a not so typical mid-twenties girl: A homeschool graduate, sister to six awesome siblings, and author of three published books and counting. If there is anything adventuresome about her life, it is because she serves a God with a destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.

The Discontented Writer

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
“I wish one of my friends were engaged – I know! I can write a story . . .” The thought ran through my mind casually and then I stopped, almost in horror. What did I just think?
Don’t get me wrong – I don’t believe that it is a sin to write about people going through an engagement or marriage. But my desire to write this story was summed up in one word: discontentment. In this instance, I was discontent that God did not have any of my close friends in a relationship. My solution? If God didn’t give it to me in real life, then I would create a fictional life and create what I wanted.
Of course, written in black and white, this sounds downright unbiblical (now you see why I was horrified?). But I know that as writers (and girls on top of that), it is easy to subconsciously slip into being a “discontented writer” where our goal in writing is no longer to please the Lord but to please our desires and daydreams. It is for this reason, that we must continually check our hearts and minds and pray through the ideas that we are pondering. Some questions we can ask ourselves are:
~Am I sure that I’m following God with this idea? or am I just following my daydreams?
~Does this idea have a message? or does it fulfill the desire of my flesh?
~What is my purpose for writing this story?
If we slowly ponder those questions and answer them seriously, I really believe that we will save ourselves many moments of regret in our writing.

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

Word Wednesday #47

Published on by Amanda Tero4 Comments
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” Luke 6:47-48

The foundation takes work and effort to lay correctly. So it is with a spiritual foundation. It doesn’t just “happen” – we must come to Christ, hear His sayings, and do them.

Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!

 
 

According to the Need

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
“Jesus wept.”
John 11:35 has been popularized as “the shortest verse in the Bible.” But the verses surrounding this “shortest verse” paint a beautiful picture.
In this time of great grief, Jesus drew near to both Martha and Mary, yet we see that He comforted them differently.
With logical, hardworking Martha, Jesus had a discussion of theology and belief:
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?  She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” John 11:21-27
With tender Mary and her tears, Jesus simply wept:
“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.” (John 11:33-35)
For each woman, Jesus saw their different needs and met them. This amazing realization encourages me in two points:
            1) Jesus sees my needs and He knows exactly how to fulfill that need according to my personality.
            2) Not everyone is comforted in the same way. As a child of God, I need to follow Christ’s example and be sensitive to the different needs of others.

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The Armor of God – PRAYER | Ephesians Study

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Lastly is mentioned prayer and supplication.
Prayer – NT:4335 proseuche (pros-yoo-khay’); from NT:4336; prayer (worship); by implication, an oratory (chapel):
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)
“And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:28-29)
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4)
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” (Romans 12:12)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2)
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” (1 Timothy 2:1)
“But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.” (Philemon 1:22)
“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayedearnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” (James 5:17)
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7)
“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” (Revelations 5:8)
These verses reveal to us the power of prayer. We must pray believing. And when we pray believing, God works: devils are cast out, men are delivered from the enemy, rain is held. God answers the prayers of His saints – they are before Him.
Supplication – NT:1162 deesis (deh’-ay-sis); from NT:1189; a petition:
“And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”(Luke 2:37)
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” (Romans 10:1)
“Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.” (2 Corinthians 1:11)
“And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.” (2 Corinthians 9:14)
“Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,” (Philippians 1:4)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplicationwith thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” (1 Timothy 2:1)
“Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.” (1 Timothy 5:5)
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)
“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12)

Supplication is prayer especially for someone else. Supplication, also, is heard by God and answered. Supplication is powerful: delivering others from the hand of the enemy, enabling others in God’s ministry, and availing much. I personally believe that this is the type of prayer we could use the most but neglect the most. Not only are we commanded to make prayers and supplications, but Ephesians goes on to say, “and watching thereunto with all perseverance (persistency) and supplication (petition) for all saints;” In case we didn’t quite understand what mere “supplication” meant, we are assured that it is to be done faithfully for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Does my prayer life reflect my love for the brethren? Am I faithfully praying for others and their work in the Lord?

Yielding – guest post by Karen Tero

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
I am honored to have the guest post today from my mom, Karen Tero. I have been so blessed to have parents to disciple and encourage me in the Lord. I pray that her article is a blessing to you!

By Karen Tero

Rom 6:12-23
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
You are always yielding – You are either yielding to sin or yielding to righteousness (God). It is always your choice. If sin is reigning in your body, it is because you are allowing it do so.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Because you are saved, sin does not have the power to dominate you.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Although you are saved by grace, you can still live your life as a servant to sin. These verses were written by Paul to Roman Christians. He was reminding them that they were free from sin and were now the “servants of righteousness.” They were struggling, as you are, with the infirmity of the flesh. They were having a difficult time living a life of righteousness. I think that they had yielded so long to sin that they were having a difficult time resisting. This was causing doubt and defeat.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul is acknowledging that they were struggling because of “the infirmity of your flesh.” The struggle was not because they were not saved  – it was because they had not learned how to resist sin. They were still living as though they were in bondage to sin when, in fact, they had been set free from sin and were now “servants of righteousness unto holiness.”
I think that the marriage of a woman can illustrate this point. For the sake of this analogy, we are going to assume that she has overbearing parents who are always trying to run her life. When she is in her parents’ home, she is “under the power” of her parents. Through the years, she has learned to yield herself to her parents. She is “bound” to them – to obey them. However, when she gets married, the “bonds” of matrimony set her free from the “bonds” of submission to her parents. Now, once married, her parents still try to control her life. They try to sway her to continue to follow them rather than her husband. Because she has spent her life doing so, she has great difficulty listening to and following her husband. The voice of her parents tend to overpower the voice of her husband because it is the voice she is most familiar with. As long as she continues to listen to her parents, they continue to have power over her. This does not mean she is no longer married, it simply means that she has chosen to yield to her parents rather than to her husband. Each day she has the choice to yield to her parents or to yield to her husband. Her parents can have no power over her unless she is willing to yield to them. By the same token, her husband now has the right to her “service.” However, he cannot force her into submission – she must yield to his leadership. Either way, she must choose: She will yield to her parents – or she will yield to her husband. The longer she is married, the easier it will be to yield to her husband. The stronger her relationship with her husband is, the more natural it will be for her to yield to him. As she learns to recognize and love his voice, the voice of her parents will have less and less power over her life.
This is the way it is in our life with sin and righteousness. When we are first saved, the voice of sin is the more familiar voice. It is the voice we have responded to for years. The voice of the Lord is sweet, but strange in our ears. When faced with a choice, the voice of sin often drowns out the voice of God in our spirits. Our flesh yields to sin – not because we are lost, but because we are in the habit of yielding to the voice of sin. The more we spend time with the Lord, the more we will learn to recognize His voice. Slowly, we will learn to yield ourselves to righteousness rather than sin. It is a daily choice.

E | Photoshoot

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
I did a quick photoshoot of E the earlier this month. Here’s a glimpse of them.

This was actually one of E’s picks – the sun was bright!

~*~*~
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24