Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur

"You're going to be a bouncer, aren't you?"

2010-08-28T11:10:00.004-05:00

For some reason, listening to Sufjan Stevens's The BQE inspired me to blog. This cinematic/orchestral suite provides a sort of otherworldly soundtrack for the "pockmarked, serpentine, congested [Brooklyn-Queens Expressway]...one of Brooklyn's most notable icons of urban blight" [watch & listen to some of it here]. ANYWAY, that's not what I'm blogging about. There's just something about great music that inspires one's creativity.

While mindlessly surfing the web, I came across an ad for Bar Hunger, a campaign in which Snickers (Mars, Inc.) has partnered with the hunger relief organization, Feeding America. Here's how it works: when you buy a Snickers bar, the wrapper contains a code. You then enter the code at Snickers.com (or text it), and Mars will donate a meal through Feeding America.

Although I have yet to form any coherent opinions about this ad, I find it interesting for several reasons. The first is that rather than having customers enter codes for a (very small) chance to win prizes, the candy manufacturer has given chocolate lovers an opportunity to help someone in need with their purchase. I know that most people throw away wrappers that offer a chance of winning, so I wonder if more people will feel compelled to use that code to help somone. (And does it make you a bad person if you don't?)

I am also intrigued by idea of corporate social responsibility in this campaign. Is Mars a "good company" for making this switch? Or are they actually irresponsible for placing the impetus on the customer? Would it be better if they just donated a meal for every purchase (similar to the TOMS Shoes model)? Or are they actually to be praised for involving customers in the process by providing people with the opportunity to turn their candy purchase into charity?

And then there's the irony behind it: buy a chocolate bar in order to keep someone from starving.

Any thoughts?

"Our systems are good. Period."

2010-07-27T13:56:00.001-05:00

Since I returned from Africa nine months ago (hard to believe it's been that long), hardly a day passes that I don't think about the beautiful country and people of Swaziland. It is still difficult to believe that I had the amazing opportunity to live there for 2 1/2 months.

My good friends Brent and Michaele LaVigne recently returned to the USA from Swaziland, after spending over a year volunteering there as part of the Swaziland Partnership. In a recent blog post, they reflect on their experience:

Since being back in the US just over a month, we’ve been asked a lot of questions about Swaziland. Among the top 5 is – What’s the biggest thing you learned? Superlative questions are always the hardest, but this has been especially difficult to answer. I think we will continue to reap lessons from our time in Swaziland for years to come, but in this last month a few things have crystallized in our minds.

Read the rest of their blog entry here.

"The cup doesn't actually have a hole in the bottom that requires you to drink the coffee really fast before it falls out."

2010-06-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

If you are someone who at one point in time read this blog regularly, I apologize. After the return from Swaziland, my life became somewhat less eventful, at least in comparison. But you know what? I live far away from many of my friends, and a regularly updated blog has the potential to be much more informative than Facebook status updates.

Since the Reeds have been out of town on vacation, I will be filling in to teach the high school class tomorrow morning at church. I enjoy doing this, but considering that I only teach them once every few months, it is something of a challenge to come up with a single lesson that is both meaningful and appropriate. Although it would be a lot of work to come up with lessons for every week, I feel that it would be easier in many ways to have an ongoing theme, especially since teaching every Sunday would mean that I would get to know the group and its dynamics much better than I currently do.

I had worked out most of my original plan for Sunday school, when I felt that God wanted me to talk instead about Christians living out the faith that we claim. So I changed my plans, to something that was neither that nor my original idea. Yesterday I realized that I really do need to talk about living our faith, so I have spent the past couple of hours at Little City, researching and planning. I now have lots of ideas, but still no structured plan for tomorrow, so if you happen to read this before 9 am, say a little prayer that I will be coherent in delivering this message. I have the tendency to ramble through all of my ideas very quickly, so I will be trying hard not to do that tomorrow.

Next weekend I will be going to OKC for Man Night 5: M for Mandetta (which is the follow-up to Man Night 4: Live Free or Man Hard). Basically, it's an excuse for former Imelites and whoever else to hang out at Josh's place eating man food and watching manly movies. I feel like I should invest in an axe and grow a gnarly beard. Or at least write off a couple of business expenses.

"I turned into a pigeon, flew back there, and left you a present."

2009-12-05T07:21:00.001-06:00

So...

I'm back in the U.S.

Quite a lot has happened since I returned from Africa at the end of October. Here are the highlights: I spent a weekend in Oklahoma, presenting my findings to SNU leaders of international study programs, along with leaders from BFC. I began working as a full-time financial analyst at the MAC. And I'm getting an apartment here in Austin (move in next weekend).

And suddenly, Christmas time is upon is. It's always been my favorite time of year, but I feel like I'm not "there" yet. Something about spending 2 1/2 months on the other side of the world in a transition from winter to spring creates sort of a time lapse back here.

And it truly seems that life never stops in the U.S. When we are not working or running errands, we are watching TV or surfing the web. In Swaziland, I didn't have TV or Internet at home. Very few people do. So all those hours of "free time" were spent building relationships or quietly reflecting. I got to know my neighbors. I read a ton of books. I became a better cook. I made new friends. I found that this "simpler" life is also richer, and so I am trying to incorporate some of its elements into the completely incongruous, non-stop American lifestyle.

Care to join me?

"Open up a fresh box of Salticrax to get your mind off things."

2009-11-04T22:08:00.001-06:00

"Have no fear of robbers or murderers. Such dangers are without, and are but petty. We should fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices the real murderers. The great dangers are within us. What matters it what threatens our heads or our purses? Let us think only of what threatens our souls."

Spoken by M. Myriel in Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo

"Roode-bhuti-poort!"

2009-10-20T07:41:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, nestled in the mountains of southern Africa was a small kingdom known as Swaziland. In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine, a young lad named Shane went on a journey to visit this faraway land. Upon arriving in Swaziland, he saw many unusual sights: beautiful mountains, women carrying giant parcels on their heads, strange animals, and even cars driving on the left side of the road!

Shane also learned of a dark shadow that was creeping into the kingdom--a deadly virus known as HIV. This virus, and the associated disease known as AIDS, had attacked a few small groups of people in Shane's homeland of America. However, in Swaziland, HIV had infected a larger percentage of the population than in any other country of the world--it seemed that nearly everybody knew somebody who had been affected by the disease.

The people of Swaziland could not agree on how to purge their land of the virus. The “traditional healers” made expensive medicines out of plants and prayed for instantaneous healing, but this did not work. The king told all of the young girls to wear a tassel, showing that they are pure, but that only led to ire and confusion. Rich people from foreign countries provided large amounts of money and condoms, but to no avail. Things became so bad that many people just decided to pretend that the disease did not exist, hoping that ignoring it would make it go away. Unfortunately, that made it exponentially worse.

While in Swaziland, Shane met some people who called themselves the HIV/AIDS Task Force. These people chose not to ignore the virus, but to face it head-on. The heroes of the Task Force, who called themselves care supporters, volunteered their own time to visit patients suffering from AIDS and other serious illnesses. They helped provide these clients with medicine and food, as well as with emotional and spiritual support. The care supporters also helped the patients and their families in learning to talk about the disease, in order to dispel the stigma surrounding it--a stigma that prevented people from protecting themselves against the virus, and even prevented those infected from seeking testing and treatment.

This process was very slow at times, requiring loads of diligence and patience. However, the Task Force knew that their labor was not in vain. They had heard the words of Jesus Christ: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” They followed his command to care for the “widows and orphans,” and emulated his example of serving the very lowest people in his society.

Shane formed strong friendships with the 2 ladies who directed the Task Force, working for several weeks in their office. He experienced firsthand their selfless ministry to the poor and downtrodden, learning what it truly means to serve God. He even met support groups of Task Force patients who had learned to “live positively” with the virus. Some of these groups had grown from a 10-15 people to over 40. By faithfully taking their medications, the group members had grown strong enough to work, and started large gardens in their communities--gardens where they could grow food to feed their families, then sell the surplus for profit.

After many difficult goodbyes, Shane departed Swaziland, returning to his homeland of America. Happy to see his friends and family once again (and to drive on the right side of the road), Shane was also eager to tell his fellow Americans about the Kingdom of Swaziland. He told them about its struggle with the deadly virus. He also told them about the noble work of the Task Force, and the ways in which their labor is bringing about positive change in individual lives and entire communities. He expressed his sincere gratitude to those who made it possible for him to travel to Swaziland, and pleaded with them to continue in prayer for the ministry that they had supported. Swaziland’s fight with HIV and AIDS is far from over, and it is therefore necessary that we continue to support those who are working to take back this beautiful country from the deadly virus.

"They probably stopped to have a tea."

2009-10-07T07:55:00.000-05:00

Confession: The reason that I have not blogged recently is not that I have done nothing interesting. Rather, it is because I have not taken any good pictures to prove it.

Yeah, lame excuse. Especially coming from someone who rarely carries a camera at the right times, anyway.

On Saturday, I attended the first graduation of the Nazarene Higher Education Consortium (NAHEC). This consortium is formed by the combination of the Nazarene Nursing College, the Nazarene College of Education, and the Nazarene College of Theology. These 3 schools in Swaziland are combining in order to form a Southern Africa Nazarene University. I was fortunate enough to have a friend at the Nazarene Nursing College who gave me an invitation to this invitation-only event, and even had the pleasure of meeting the guest speaker, Dr. Lebron Fairbanks. Dr. Fairbanks is the commissioner for the Church of the Nazarene's International Board of Education, which means that he oversees all Nazarene colleges and universities in the world. He has worked at European Nazarene University, Korea Nazarene University, and even Southern Nazarene University. Dr. Fairbanks also served as president at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

On Sunday morning I attended Sharpe Memorial Church of the Nazarene. This was an interesting experience because the services there are almost entirely in siSwati. Fortunately, Rev. Themba sprinkled his sermon with just enough English phrases in order for me to understand the gist of the message. His energetic style of preaching (which included walking around the sanctuary and jumping up and down) made it a very interesting sermon, even though I couldn't understand. Since the historical building naturally amplifies sound, the music was also very enjoyable. I tried singing in siSwati, which was much easier when I already knew the English translations of some songs.

It is hard to believe that I will be back in the USA in just 2 weeks. These last couple months have changed my life, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. However, I am already having fun making plans with friends and family when I come home. Next Thursday I will say goodbye to Swaziland for a vacation weekend in South Africa, and the following Monday it's adiós Africa. (Or should I say, "sala kahle.")

“But it’s so cold in Mbabane!”

2009-09-25T07:09:00.003-05:00

As I sit here in my living room writing this, I have come to a unique realization. On most of the evenings that I have spent on my own, there usually come waves of acute homesickness, where I can’t wait to return to the United States. However, tonight I am filled with this sense of peace, in which I feel “at home.”

Although it will be great to return home in less than a month and see all the people who I have sincerely missed during the last 7 weeks, I am seeing now that it will be very difficult to say goodbye to Swaziland. This country and the people I that I met here have changed my life. I am indescribably grateful for the opportunity to experience life here.

Now that I have gotten through that mushy stuff, this week has been very productive. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland. It is a bit more cosmopolitan than Manzini, and even has a KFC where you can enjoy Daft Punk and American hip-hop videos with your fried chicken. I met with the national coordinator for SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), who connected me with the SIFE program at the Nazarene Teacher Training College here in Manzini.

Located just down the road from where I live, the college has a very impressive SIFE program. Their teams have won national competitions on multiple occasions, advancing to the SIFE World Cup in locations such as Singapore and New York City, to compete against teams from 40 other countries. Their projects often involve microenterprise, training people in poor communities to manufacture and market products in order to generate income for themselves and their families.

As I met today with the SIFE faculty advisors and the SIFE president at the Teacher Training College, I explained the work that the HIV/AIDS Task Force is doing through the community gardens and support groups, and gave a basic outline of the Morningstar Internship. As I was describing these things, the student’s face lit up, and the advisors expressed how excited they were about the work being done. And I realized: this is why I felt called to work in development. I felt that same level of excitement when I first read about Muhammad Yunus’s experiments with microcredit in Bangladesh. The same jolt of electricity shot through my mind when I first learned that there are ways for people trapped in poverty to bring themselves to a higher quality of life through simple ingenuity and creativity.

Meeting with these representatives from the college’s SIFE program, I was reminded of why I am doing this work. Proverbs 31 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Jesus is a living example of this, as he spends his time with the poor, the downcast, and the broken. He says in Matthew 5, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

At times, this sort of work can get very frustrating, full of what seem like dead ends, but today I was fortunate to have new life breathed into it.

"How do you spell 'carers'?"

2009-09-11T05:58:00.002-05:00

Any trip to Africa would be incomplete without some adventures, so I made an effort to fill that requirement this past weekend.

On Thursday night, the LaVignes asked if I was interested in going to Mozambique with a friend over the weekend. Of course I was. On Friday night I learned that we would be leaving at 7:15 the next morning, so I threw some stuff into a suitcase and caught a few hours of sleep.

Fortunately, I packed a swimsuit, since our destination was Ponta d’Ouro, located on the coast at the country’s southeastern tip. I forgot my passport twice, causing us to turn around, but everything was OK, since we stopped in the happy little town of Matata (as in Hakuna Matata) and had some of the only espresso to be found in Swaziland. The drive through the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa was breathtaking, and was punctuated with a stop at the American classic--KFC.

Upon arriving at the Mozambican border, the road ended. Well, that’s not completely accurate...rather, the pavement ended. At the border, the road turned into a spider web of sand roads crisscrossing over the dunes, with a handful of signs to suggest which direction to take. Our 4x4 vehicle got stuck in the sand within 5 seconds, the first of about 6 times over the weekend. Fortunately, there were usually people around who were glad to help us push in exchange for a few rand.

When we finally reached the town, my first glimpse of the Indian Ocean was breathtaking. The white sand, blue water, and relaxed atmosphere of Ponta d’Ouro combined to create an amazing weekend. We spent an entire day at the beach, and on Monday morning we went for a boat ride where we snorkeled in the open water, saw some dolphins, and watched a humpback whale jumping out of the water at close range. We also experienced some incredible seafood and Portuguese coffee. All of this made up for the facts that we had limited cash, there was not one ATM in the entire town, we got stuck in the sand on multiple occasions, and almost lost our vehicle (ask me about that story sometime).

All in all, it was an incredible weekend. I made some new friends, and got to know existing friends much better. I also learned that even when a situation seems hopeless, God can always bring you through.

"Did you say she was shattered?"

2009-09-08T06:11:00.001-05:00

NOTE: I finally had the opportunity to upload the rest of the pictures to my GO Team post.

Believe it or not (I tend to lean toward the latter), I have spent a month now in Swaziland. These four weeks have been filled with service, learning, worship, and quiet times, as well as some confusion and frustration. There is still quite a bit that I need to accomplish, and I am not sure how to find answers to some of the questions that must be answered before Morningstar Institute can send interns to this place. But God is merciful, and has established unexpected connections with some people who either hold the answers to my questions, or know those who can help.

For two Sundays, I have attended Living Waters Church of the Nazarene with the LaVignes. As I understand it, this is the only English-speaking Nazarene church in Manzini (Sharpe Memorial Church, here at the mission station, is in siSwati), and as such, it reminds me in some ways of a church that might be found in the United States, yet is still very much African. On my first day there, I was asked to stand and introduce myself to the congregation. As embarrassing as this was, I soon learned that the people at Living Waters are very kind and welcoming, and I was eager to return the following week.

The people of Swaziland are truly unique. As a country united under a monarchy, the Swazis are a peaceful nation that has never been to war. They have no political parties, and therefore stand together in many affairs. This mentality is reflected in the people who live here, as many Swazis tend to be polite and humble. I am very thankful to have crossed paths with so many good people—both Swazi and otherwise—who have been kind and helpful as I seek to accomplish my tasks for the Morningstar project.

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to visit the community garden at Luve (pronounced LOO-vay). The support group that tends the garden was preparing it for planting, and trenches were being dug as part of a water project in conjunction with Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. As I understand it, Coca-Cola donated money for water distribution systems to be installed in various rural areas of Swaziland, and one of them is centered around the Luve garden. It was exciting to see these things taking place, and I was impressed by the size of the garden, which is really more like a small farm. It is surrounded by a large protective fence, and there is lots of potential there for successful food production.

I apologize for the long entries, but there is a lot to write about, and my Internet usage sessions tend to be few and far between. I hope to share more pictures at some point, but I realize that it may not be until I return home in several weeks.

"It was between the Vita Snacks and the Salticrax."

2009-08-27T13:38:00.002-05:00

I woke this morning to the crow of a rooster from a couple houses down. Reluctant to leave the warmth of my bed on this cold winter day, I took a moment to reflect before getting up to put on the coffee.

I reflected on my current situation. Just months ago, I would not have dreamed that the first place I lived “on my own” would be in Africa. Granted, few people really live “on their own” in Africa, but I do have my own house for these 2 ½ months. Each morning, I have left my house around 8:15 to walk the dirt road to the Manzini Nazarene High School, where the HIV/AIDS Task Force is holding a training for Home Based Care volunteers from north and south Swaziland. On my walk I pass chickens, ducks, and several people who seem surprised to see a white person in this neck of the woods.

It is challenging and frustrating not to have a car, especially in this city, which can be dangerous for an unaccompanied American. I have been humbled in losing my car—the protective cage that many Americans take for granted—and have had my eyes opened to what is outside that “bubble.” Fortunately, I have found great friends in Brent and Michaele, the on-site coordinators for the Swaziland Partnership. They also happen to be Americans, but they have lived here for several months now, so they know their way around. I am also thankful that they have a car, and have offered transportation to places such as the supermarket.

The two women who oversee the Task Force have graciously allowed me to attend the 2 ½ week training. Although the lectures are all in siSwati, I have learned quite a bit just from being there. Home Based Care is a uniquely African ministry, and is a vital component of the community-centric response to AIDS that many experts credit as the primary reason for the significant decline in the HIV rate of countries such as Uganda, which once had the world’s highest incidence of the virus. It is exciting to see this taking off in Swaziland, as this country now has the world’s highest infection rate. There have been about 50 people in attendance, volunteers who have given up 2 ½ weeks out of their schedules in order to learn how to lead their communities in responding to a disease that puts the entire country at risk. According to Mary Magagula, director of the Task Force, these people are willing to volunteer because “the rewards are so great.”

Out of the Home Based Care ministry grew the Task Force’s community gardens project (pun intended). They have started gardens in various rural areas of Swaziland, to be tended by support groups composed of HBC patients who have become well enough to perform the work of gardening. My job here is to coordinate details for Morningstar Institute to send student interns who will work with the Task Force, study the gardens, and determine whether they are on track to become self-sustaining, as well as what type of impact they are making on their support groups and communities. Since the gardens are at various stages, the interns will have opportunity to measure their progress and success, while also contributing to the goals of the Task Force.

This past weekend, I went with Brent and Michaele to Mlilwane Game Sanctuary, a wildlife reserve in Swaziland where we had the chance to see hippos, warthogs, kudus, impalas, and ostriches up close (as close as 2-3 feet away). Admission was under $3, and we ate a late lunch on a deck overlooking a lake where hippos and herons bathed.

Perhaps this isn’t what I expected to do after graduating from college, but I’m glad to be doing it.

"They probably thought I was Spider-Man."

2009-08-22T12:04:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Manzini, Swaziland!

So much has happened since I arrived here, I honestly don’t know where to begin.

Last week was GO Team Week. As you probably know, I traveled to Africa with a team of 60 volunteers from Oklahoma and Canada, as part of the Swaziland Partnership. We split up into various teams for construction, education, compassionate ministry, and art, and I was a member of the Compassion Team.

My team was the most varied in its tasks, which included painting a church in Bhalekane,

leading two days of Vacation Bible School at a Nazarene primary school,

and volunteering at the New Hope Centre orphanage.

The Construction team renovated a clinic in Bhalekane, the Medical Team held several free clinics and worked with the staff at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, and various other team members participated in ministries around the country.

My team also spent a day with the HIV/AIDS Task Force. This organization is staffed by the most extraordinary people I have ever met. Volunteer members of the Home Based Care Task Force spend several days a week visiting the homes of sick people who cannot afford full time health care. They assist these people in administering medications, talk with them, pray with them, and provide hope to many who might otherwise have none. My group had the opportunity to accompany two of the Task Force women in visiting seven homes. We brought each home a bucket of basic food items, and spent some time talking, singing, and praying with the patients. This day proved to be the most emotionally challenging of the week: we visited people who had very little, and saw their faces light up with joy--not because of our measly gifts, but because of the selfless ministry of the Task Force volunteers. As we sat on straw mats outside a tiny house in rural Siteki, laughing along with an older couple that was raising their two young grandchildren, I gained a humbling new understanding of what it means to sincerely serve God.

The week ended appropriately with a visit to Kruger National Park, the largest wildlife reserve in South Africa. We spent Saturday driving through the park, and saw some incredible animals. Although my amateur photography skills don’t do the day justice, here are a few pictures of what we saw…

Oh yes, and I was the only member of the entire team to take part in traditional Swazi dance!

I could write an entire book about the events and emotions of the week. After spending an entire week here, I know that every team member gained valuable new perspective about serving God, and connected deeply with his people here in Swaziland. It is still hard to believe that it was real. But the week ended, the team went home, and I have now moved into my house here. The next update will include more details about that, as well as the additional time that I have spent with the Task Force this week.

"I bless the rains down in Africa."

2009-08-13T13:09:00.000-05:00

I am in Swaziland! Almost out of Internet time, so I will provide a much more detailed update later, when I have had time to write. GO Team has been busy all week, so I will have lots to say about these last few days.

"I will say I'm allergic to mud."

2009-08-05T18:25:00.001-05:00

Ready or not, my African adventure begins tomorrow! My bags are (mostly) packed and the plane will be leaving at 11:45 am.

Thanks again to everyone who has provided prayers and support for this trip. I feel blessed and inspired to know that I have the best friends and family that I could ever hope for--they have made it possible for me to take this trip and follow God's call to serve in Swaziland.

Of course, everything up until now has been preparation. The adventure is just beginning, so please continue in prayer for the successful outcome of the project!

I don't know how often I will have Internet access in Swaziland, but will do my best to post updates and photos on this blog. Also, check my Facebook profile and the Morningstar Institute's website for occasional updates from Africa.

P.S. If you have Skype, look me up! If you don't have Skype, download the free version.

"I kind of miss the drama."

2009-08-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

It is difficult to express how I feel right now.

In less than a week, I will be in Africa. I depart Austin this Thursday and arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday evening. I will be in Swaziland next Saturday.

Although I have spent months preparing for this trip, and have spent all summer thinking about it and sharing the details with people, it is hard to believe that my two-and-a-half-month African adventure is about to begin.

Scary, even. The past few days have been filled with preparations, including a LOT of shopping for various items that I need for the trip. As this part tends to get quite expensive, I was very worried about how much money I would be spending before I even left for Africa.

Yet two or three times during the last week, people have unexpectedly handed me money to help with my expenses. These people may not realize it, but each of them has been an incredible blessing. These occurrences have just served as assurance that this project is meant to happen, and that God truly is overseeing its various aspects. I have felt an overwhelming sense of peace in the midst of what should be a very stressful week.

And I am thankful.

"So you don't need to do sit-ups anymore?"

2009-07-27T21:24:00.003-05:00

Today marks the end of my nearly-week-long whirlwind trip to Oklahoma City and Kansas City.

A brief recap:

Went up to OKC on Tuesday and stayed at Josh's place. It was nice. I had the chance to hang out with most of my friends who are living there this summer, and saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was excellent, as far as movie versions of books go.

I drove up to Kansas City on Thursday, and had dinner with the Adams family--the awesome people with whom I lived last summer. As I had not seen the five kids in nearly a year, they had all grown quite a bit! It was fun catching up, and even getting my butt kicked in Wii Sports.

My one day of sleeping in was Friday, and after waking up I had lunch with my awesome friends from the publishing house. They even had some cool gifts...like a giant magnetic head of Mike Speck (OK, maybe not all of them were "cool")!

Friday afternoon and all day Saturday were filled with Cross-Cultural Orientation--the main reason for my entire trip. This consisted of hours and hours of information, games, devotions, and activities meant to prepare me for spending 2 1/2 months in Swaziland. Definitely information overload, but it was reassuring to learn that I have done a pretty good job of preparing for my trip. Not to mention the fact that I met some really great people who are preparing to serve internationally, or else exploring that possibility.

However, on Friday I started having trouble starting my car. The starter would turn and turn for several seconds, but the engine would not start until the second or third try. SO I woke up before 6 on Saturday morning to get a new battery. This did not help, so on my late-night drive to OKC, I worried at each stop that I might not make it the entire way.

Fortunately, I made it to OKC at about 1 am on Sunday. Went to church at Lakeview Park, where we had a special time of prayer for my trip. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace about the whole thing, and extremely blessed to have so many people supporting and praying for me. Lunch was with Dr. Herskowitz (director of the Morningstar Institute), and we talked about Swaziland, travel, and microfinance. He has had some incredible experiences--I only wish that I had gotten to know him better while I was still attending SNU.

I brought my car in this morning to have it worked on some more, and it is finally starting when I turn the key. (However, the mechanic mentioned that the fuel system may still need some work.) So through construction, traffic, and a closed highway due to a suicide attempt, I finally made it home this evening.

10 days left until take-off!

"Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation."

2009-07-17T12:21:00.005-05:00

So far, I have been somewhat vague in my posts about Africa. This upcoming trip to Swaziland is the last in a series of travel opportunities that have fallen through, and so I have been wary about putting much information "out there" in a public setting such as this.

However, the big pieces have fallen into place, and I am going to Swaziland.

Swaziland is located in Southern Africa, between South Africa and Mozambique. It is the smallest country in the Southern Hemisphere, roughly comparable in size to New Jersey. Swaziland currently has the world's highest HIV/AIDS infection rate, accounting for about 33% of its 1.1 million inhabitants.

Bethany First Church of the Nazarene has partnered with several organizations, including Southern Nazarene University, Sister to Sister, and the HIV/AIDS Task Force, to establish community gardens in Swaziland. In these gardens, women with AIDS are each allotted an area to grow food for their families. The additional food grown can be sold to provide additional income.

It is the hope of SNU's Morningstar Institute to establish an intern base in Manzini, Swaziland, where students of international economic development can spend several months studying the community gardens. They would evaluate the sustainability, financial viability, and impact of the gardens, also working to advance the developmental goals of the organization.

This is where I come in. For my first week in Swaziland, I will be working with the August GO Team from BFC, as a member of the Compassion Team. We will volunteer with the HIV/AIDS Task Force, as well as with local clinics and churches. After this first week, the team will depart, and I will remain in Manzini until October, researching logistics and serving as an on-site coordinator in developing the Morningstar internship for SNU.

Throughout the project, I hope to post updates and photos on this blog. Of course, this depends on the availability of Internet access, which may be sporadic. In the meantime, I am continuing with preparations for my departure in August.

You can read more about the project at http://www.morningstarinstitute.org/swaziland. To learn more about community garden projects in Swaziland, visit http://www.sis2sis.org/luve.php, which includes photos of the LUVE Garden Project and its participants. At Servant Forge, you can read about Catherine Vilakazi, a woman whose incredible story is credited to the support of the Zombotze Garden Project and the Home Care Task Force of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries.

I can't express my appreciation for the support of all who have helped make this project possible. It is incredibly humbling to see God piece together the various parts of something that would otherwise seem impossible

"Then I think I'll go lounge on that freshly poured asphalt."

2009-07-15T19:50:00.001-05:00

An update with some final info. about Swaziland is coming soon.

In the meantime, I have to show off my "new" bike. This was a birthday gift in May, but I have yet to show any pictures, so here it is.

Since these pics were taken, I have added a water bottle cage and a bike lock for which I have already lost the combination.

"Stand over here, walk over there."

2009-06-25T22:10:00.000-05:00

Today I got my shot for Hepatitis A, and got my other arm pricked to test for Tuberculosis.

The shot arm is still really sore!

"We need to be in a ditch somewhere."

2009-06-13T22:50:00.001-05:00

This is like my fourth(ish) consecutive post where I have written about graduation, but I guess that's what's on my brain these days.

The day after graduation, I decided to update the ol' Facebook profile. I added the word "Alum" after Southen Nazarene University. I changed my address. I updated the work information.

AND I changed the "Activities." You see, I always filled that field with my school activities: band, choir, tutoring, Mortar Board, and so on. But as these things no longer filled my time, I found myself at a loss for activities to fill this space on my profile.

This may sound silly, but I think that we need "activities" in our lives. It made me think: what are my passions? How to I spend my time? OR, how do I want to spend the time that is no longer taken up by those college activities?

Since moving back to Austin, I have begun taking part in youth group activities as a "sponsor." It's basically an excuse to have fun with a cool group of teenagers, while taking part in what we like to call "ministry." I also like to ride my bike occasionally, although the scenery in my small neighborhood tends to get a little old. I like to hang out with the handful of friends who live in Austin, and just exploring Austin to find cool new (or old) places.

But I also thought of some activities that I would like to incorporate into my life:

I would like to cook more. I love cooking, and have done it a bit in the past, but I want to learn some new techniques and have some recipes to call my own.
I want to start my mornings with some stretching and maybe a little mini-workout.
I would like to start investing a little of my income. Nothing major (stocks are a little too risky for me), but just a save a little.
I want to blog more, about something interesting, rather than just whatever strikes my fancy once or twice a month.
I want to volunteer. Volunteer work is an awesome way to serve God, to serve the community, and to feel good about yourself. And I don't do it enough. Anyone want to join me in coming up with some good ways to serve?

"We could call it...Taverne and Shirley's."

2009-06-13T15:22:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year, lots of graduations have just taken place, and lots of graduates are wondering what comes next. We get lots of cards, speeches, and books with lofty advice about reaching for the stars and succeeding in all that we do, but those things are kind of hard to grasp.

In his typical, sarcastic and slightly snarky fashion, Statesman columnist John Kelso provides some insights of his own for this year's grads.

Here are some of my favorites:

Beware of con artists. If a guy wearing a Super Fly hat who calls himself Diddley tells you he's the CEO of a major corporation, he's probably lying.
Remember that getting a tattoo is like a rattlesnake: it's a lot easier to get it on you than it is to get it off you.
Never stay at a motel that has a sign out front bragging about the air conditioning and free HBO.

"Oh yeah you're that college guy, my bad."

2009-06-04T19:44:00.002-05:00

"Some of my friends are gothic."

2009-05-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

Four years ago, I would not have thought that Oklahoma would feel like home. Not in my wildest dreams. I grew up in Austin. In TEXAS. (If you haven't caught on, that's the best place in the world.)

But of course, now that I have to leave OKC, I am realizing that it truly feels like home.

Do I love Austin? Absolutely. But did I cry for the first two hours of the six-and-a-half-hour drive yesterday? Yup. I already miss my friends and the college lifestyle.

So in case you have not heard, I graduated from college last Saturday. B.S. in Music Business and Business Administration. Pink tassel and all. It was a blast. After a whirlwind weekend of eating, being with family, packing, cleaning, moving, saying goodbyes, and driving, I am at my parents' house, wondering what is next.

Plans for summer: I am working at the MAC again, living with the 'rents so that I can try to save up money for...Africa! I don't update this very often, so here's a summary: Honduras internship plans fell through, but at the same time I learned of an opportunity for volunteer missions in Swaziland. SO I am working on plans to spend August-October in Swaziland as part of Mission Corps and the BFC Swaziland Initiative. Money and exact plans have not been finalized, so please keep those in your prayers.

"I was buttering crackers like nobody's business."

2009-05-03T23:58:00.000-05:00

Danielle says I don't blog much anymore. Which is true.

Yesterday I was reading some of my older blog posts, and realized that over the past couple of years, their quality has decreased. I'm not sure if this means that my writing quality has gotten worse, or if I just have not had good stuff to write about.

Anyway, being in the nostalgic mood that I was, I came across this post from the end of freshman year. In it, I wrote about some of the lessons that I had learned about myself, and also mentioned some of the things that I would miss about college.

And I learned quite a bit during that year. So, needless to say, looking back at my entire four years of college, it only seems appropriate that I would have a similar, much longer list.

But I don't.

Does this mean that I have not learned anything important since freshman year? Absolutely not. But I think that the lessons are not quite as momentous or profound as those learned during that first year away from home. They consist of more practical things such as how to budget, or how to cook good food for myself.

I guess that's part of "growing up."

"I sound like a man."

2009-04-06T21:36:00.001-05:00

On Friday night I had the opportunity to hear the OKC Philharmonic perform "The Planets" by Gustav Holst, as well as Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3. It was fantastic.

And for some reason, it took me back. Back to some of my life's greatest musical experiences.

I remembered elementary school, when my class took a field trip to see the Austin Symphony for the first time in my life. It was magical. And the most incredible part (at least in my 7-year-old mind) was at the beginning, when the orchestra tuned. Not exactly sure why, but an orchestra tuning up has always been one of my favorite sounds.

Friday night's performance also took me back to Music Memory. If you don't know what that is, it's an Austin thing. 3rd-5th graders at Austin public schools learned about 10 classical works each year, and the students who scored highest on standardized tests participated on their school's team, competing against other elementary schools in a citywide contest. I was on the Williams Elementary Music Memory Team for 2 years, and the contests at Bass Concert Hall changed my life, as a live orchestra played the music that we had spent an entire school year learning by heart.

I was reminded of Honor Band of America and Honor Orchestra of America, my junior and senior years of high school (respectively), when I had the opportunities to participate in incredible ensembles with some of the nation's most outstanding high school musicians. Nothing will ever compare to our performance of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" in 2005.

The purpose of all this reminiscense? Nothing, really. But looking back, it is incredible to see how specific moments become milestones of your life. I couldn't have known at those moments that these experiences would forever remain prominent in my memory.

Convicted

2009-03-06T20:00:00.004-06:00

A recent column in Relevant Magazine reflected on some of the ways in which the information age has superficially bloated my generation's sense of self. Our extreme connectedness--manifest in the form of cell phones, Facebook, Wi-Fi, blogs, Twitter, and iPhones--has created a culture of unprecidented self-obsession. Brett McCracken writes:

The problem of self-entitlement (or pride, to be more direct) is a familiar one for the Church, and technology has only exacerbated it. In times like these--when it's easier and more alluring than ever to be or feel important--Christians must remember that we're not called to be viral superstars, we're called to be living sacrifices. We're not instructed to make ourselves look as good as possible in front of the largest audience we can; no, we are instructed to deny ourselves and humbly follow Christ.

Needless to say, I felt kind of convicted. As part of Generation Y, I'm often compelled to create this virtual image of myself as I want to be perceived through networks such as Facebook and blogs. Yet in an effort to "reach out" and "connect" with the rest of the world, I have found myself retreating into myself and my own sense of consumeristic entitlement.

So I have scaled back on the blogging, at least for now.

I encourage you to read the entire article, The Problem of Pride in the Age of Twitter. It's short.

"If you call that a boat one more time, I will hit you."

2009-02-17T20:17:00.003-06:00

Today wasn't very good for me. It started off pretty swell, when I discovered the Sons of Korah, but soon went downhill. I learned today of two very poor test grades. Poor as in the two lowest test grades of my college career (one was failing). And I would blame it on the senioritis, but I felt like I spent a lot of time on these two areas and that I put forward some pretty good work. Apparently, though, it was not good enough.

So I threw myself a pity party this afternoon, and eventually got over feeling sorry for myself. The poet Wendell Berry really puts things into perspective with this poem:

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

"Did he just itch his brain?"

2009-02-17T09:08:00.000-06:00

If you have been faithfully checking this blog, then I appreciate you. And I apologize for slacking off with updates. The muses must be on vacation.

Anywho, some meaningful updates are coming. Eventually.

In the meantime, here is one of my favorite psalms.

¹The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains,
         The world, and those who dwell in it.
    ²For He has founded it upon the seas
         And established it upon the rivers.
    ³Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
         And who may stand in His holy place?
    ⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
         Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
         And has not sworn deceitfully.
    ⁵He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
         And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
    ⁶This is the generation of those who seek Him,
         Who seek Your face--even Jacob. Selah.

    ⁷Lift up your heads, O gates,
         And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
         That the King of glory may come in!
    ⁸Who is the King of glory?
         The LORD strong and mighty,
         The LORD mighty in battle.
    ⁹Lift up your heads, O gates,
         And lift them up, O ancient doors,
         That the King of glory may come in!
    ¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
         The LORD of hosts,
         He is the King of glory. Selah.

Psalm 24, NASB

"I think I have a love-hate relationship with Hollywood."

2009-01-24T22:10:00.001-06:00

Whoops, didn't mean to leave that emo entry at the top of the page for almost the entire month.

We are two weeks into the semester, and back into the crazy-go-nuts swing of things here at SNU. I'm not sure that this is really the most difficult semester yet, but senioritis has kicked in, so I have absolutely no motivation to do anything.

Including blogging.

"Mmm...nub of mushroom soup."

2009-01-06T20:01:00.001-06:00

I have not blogged much lately. Not because I have had no time (I have had lots of time) or because I have not had anything to write about, but rather because I don't want this to turn into a space for me to complain.

But complain I must--a little bit is good for you. (Was it Aristotle who coined the phrase, "All things in moderation"?)

The New Year has come, and we are almost one full week into it, but I don't like the way that it has started for me. Not that I have had a bad start to 2009, but I'm just unhappy with it.

One of those situations where can't complain, but you also can't say anything positive. C'est la vie, I suppose...

"I think it was Mrs. Peacrock."

2008-12-27T22:54:00.001-06:00

Five and a half years ago, I got my driver's license and a 1988 Dodge Shadow (eventually christened "Warm Glass of Mayonnaise"). At that time, I could buy a gallon of gasoline for $1.26, and $10 would almost fill up my car.

This summer, the price of one gallon of gasoline was over $4.00 in Kansas City. I reminisced about the days of $1.26, realizing that I would never again experience such prices.

Today, I filled up my car for $1.26/gallon.

I realize that the sharp drop in the price of gasoline is a sign of bad times economically, but I can't help but get a little giddy about paying so little to fill up.

"Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but at least he did get a nice tree."

2008-12-25T08:54:00.002-06:00

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome, Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God

Welcome to our world

"Welcome to Our World" by Chris Rice

"We can call it...bobbing for apples."

2008-12-20T12:42:00.000-06:00

Singer/songwriter Shaun Groves and his family have decided to rethink Christmas .

We hear every year in church and in our favorite seasonal songs how Christmas is not about getting gifts and shopping and Santa Claus, but for the most part, our "traditions" (read: old habits) don't really change.

In his blog series, Going Giftless, Shaun writes about some of the ways that he and his wife are helping their kids understand Christmas as we should.

Most of the emphasis on Christ though comes from little conversations that just naturally happen. For instance, Gresham, my son, recently asked me if he was going to get any presents for Christmas. He knew he would but this was his way of trying to figure out what they might be. I sarcastically asked him why he would get presents if it’s not his birthday. I asked him whose birthday it was. He said Jesus’ and then I asked him what he was going to give Jesus for his birthday. He thought for a minute and then he said the most profound thing: “Well, Jesus gets...me!” Exactly. And then we talked very briefly about how we could give ourselves to Jesus this Christmas.

"Coastal Icarus will be facing Landlocked Daedalus in next week's Battle of the Bands."

2008-12-11T12:32:00.002-06:00

As hard as I try not to like this city, OKC keeps surprising me.

It took about 3 years, but this place is actually beginning to feel like home. When most people first visit Oklahoma City, they aren't sure what anyone would see in this place. Yet the people who have lived here for all (or most) of their lives will defend it to the death (case in point: any Sooner fan).

I have finally realized that this city has its charm...you just have to know where to look. And I keep stumbling upon the most unexpected reasons to like this place. For example, I am currently sitting in the rotunda of the OKC downtown library--which would put many libraries to shame, in terms of architecture and layout--which is decked with yards of garland and a giant Christmas tree. Surrounding me, tables are set up explaining holiday celebrations around the world, and a jazz pianist is playing his renditions of "Autumn Leaves" and "White Christmas."

Yes. OKC. In the middle of the day. Who knew??

Although I would not go so far as to say that I can see myself spending the rest of my life here, I am actually enjoying the years that this city is my home.

"Some people just collect baseball cards."

2008-12-11T08:44:00.000-06:00

I haz teh Christmas spirit, indeed.

We have a 6-foot fiber optic tree here in our townhouse, as well as lights on our balcony. It's cheery!

It began with worship.

2008-12-08T13:46:00.000-06:00

At this time last year, I read about Advent Conspiracy.

"What an interesting concept," I thought. What better way to overcome the mindless, ubiquitous commercialism and consumerism surrounding Christmas, than to focus on relationships. Rather than spending money on unwanted and unneeded gifts, why not spend more time spending time with those we love. And give that money instead to those who really need it.

But then I thought about it some more.

Right away, I was able to name 5 people who would be offended or let down by a gift of a donation in their name. Clearly, it would cost way too much energy and time to make something like Advent Conspiracy a reality. I decided that I would not even blog about it.

But here we are, once again, at Christmas time. Advent. The second week of Advent, precisely. It's about peace and hope. How can I bring peace and hope to others?

We are currently facing some of the worst economic times that our country has seen in years. Yet shopping centers and malls are still buzzing with activity.

We are still the most prosperous country in the world.

So isn't it our responsibility to give to those truly in need?

This video is less than 3 minutes in length, but will provide years of perspective.

"It's typing Reno, Nevada, not rhino frittata or emo piñata."

2008-12-03T19:20:00.001-06:00

I don't typically watch TV. I usually end up feeling guilty about it, and it typically just seems like a waste of time.

But I somehow got hooked tonight. I am watching this new show on Fox called Secret Millionaires.

The premise is that extremely wealthy people leave their lives of luxury to live in poverty for a period of time. On tonight's episode, a father-son duo check into a cockroach-infested apartment and must find a job to pay the daily rent. When their supervisor learns that they are living "day-to-day," she immediately opens up to them about the time that she spent without a home. She told them about how she began volunteering with a church, whose congregation became her "support group" to help her get back on her feet. While feeding the guys breakfast, she sincerely advised that they find such a group to help them through tough times.

I got goosebumps watching it. These two guys had never encountered such poverty, and probably never expected to experience it firsthand. In the first 30 minutes of the two-hour special, they have already learned the gravity of poverty in America, and have begun to redefine what is important in life.

This past Sunday marked the beginning of Advent . This time of year is about expectation. But there are countless people who have no hope--nothing to look forward to. They need to find their "support groups."

Isn't this where the Church steps in?

"That coffee's so fresh it'll slap you in the face."

2008-12-03T17:24:00.002-06:00

I think my head is about to explode.

I must be dreaming.

This is too good to be true.

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek have combined forces to create Fiction Family.

One of my absolute favorite artists has joined with a member of one of my absolute favorite bands, and they are releasing an album on January 20!!! I would say Christmas came early this year, but the album doesn't technically release until after Christmas.

In the meantime, go here to download their song "When She's Near"...for FREE!

As far as I know, these two artists have not really worked together in the past, so I am ridiculously excited to see what they have come up with.

"Where did you get your choo-choo hat?"

2008-11-28T08:49:00.000-06:00

Last week was amazingly musical.

Perhaps it was the exciting anticipation of Thanksgiving, or the shock from being finished with my recital, but I have neglected to blog about it before now.

Sooooooo...here we go! Post-Thanksgiving reminiscence...

On the Sunday before last, Copeland played a free concert in the OU Student Union, so I headed down to Normantown with Sofia and Mayo. After a delicious Freebird burrito and four "just-OK" bands, we experienced Copelandic bliss. They played my favorites from Beneath Medicine Tree and In Motion, and convinced me to go out and buy Eat, Sleep, Repeat and their newest album, You Are My Sunshine.

It was a live concert that got me hooked on Copeland, when they opened for Switchfoot a couple years ago at La Zona Rosa. Their shows are incredibly chill. If the tiny Will Rogers Room at the Union had not been so squished, I could have just closed my eyes and listened to them for hours.

Last Thursday, my parents and brother made the drive up to OKC in time for the Symphonic Band concert. Of course, the real reason they came was for Chris's and my recital. We performed Friday night, and the recital was followed by a delicious reception (all thanks to the parents). I still haven't come to terms with the fact that it's finally over. I'm GLAD that it is...just can't believe it.

Finally...Emily, Chris, Keegan and I hopped in the car and headed downtown for Winter Wonder Slam last Sunday night. B. Reith, Family Force 5, Relient K, and TobyMac all took the Christmas-themed stage for a night of great music.

Most people know that I can be kind of a Scrooge about Christmas coming after Thanksgiving, but I eventually got into the spirit of things (I'm a sucker for awesome music). That was my first time seeing TobyMac in concert, but it was incredible. Every person on stage was extremely multi-talented as band members became dancers and backup singers became a horn section--it was an hour and a half of non-stop energy. BTW, every member of Family Force 5 is insane.

So there is the whirlwind update on last week. I'm home, and still full from Thanksgiving. But I think I'll be sitting out the Black Friday festivities.

"Scholastica is up to bat."

2008-11-15T22:34:00.001-06:00

My roomie is upset that I have not blogged in a week.

So here is some appeasement.

This week is going to be crazy-go-nuts. I have 2 major tests, a band concert, and MY RECITAL ON FRIDAY!

That's right, folks. Chris & Shane's Recital in partial completion of Bachelor of Science degrees with concentrations in Multidisciplinary Studies...7:30 on Friday night.
November 21.
Cantrell Hall.
Southern Nazarene University.
Bethany, Oklahoma.

Don't miss the trumpet and piano magic!

I am ridiculously excited that my family will be in town for this (and maybe Katie and Becca)! The prospect of seeing all of those people--and finally being finished with this recital--is enough incentive to get me through the week.

"Debussy stole it from Da Vinci."

2008-11-06T22:54:00.005-06:00

OK. Why haven't I blogged yet about my new car?

I just have to show it off. I can't resist.

Brace yourself. Here it comes...

Check it out!!

OK, this isn't actually my car, but it looks exactly like it. I have a silver '02 Toyota Celica with this same body kit. It has steel wheels, but they're a little different from the ones in this picture. It's a lot of fun.

I really like that it's a hatchback, as that gives me a lot more storage space than I had in the trunk of the Camry. (Poor Camry...)

Anyway, hit me up if you need a ride to anywhere! :-)

"I'm not lazy; I'm overflowing with potential energy."

2008-11-04T12:33:00.001-06:00

This has been one of my most productive days in a long time.

I usually tutor an accounting student on Tuesday mornings, but he couldn't be there today. So I went to Starbucks and got my free coffee for voting. While there, I decided to knock out my finance homework for tomorrow.

Return to campus for Women's Chorus chapel (cimbalis!). Go to Pop's Lounge and take my Business Communication quiz.

Now I'm sitting in the music lobby, about to go practice trumpet for a while before eating lunch.

I have not felt this good about my day since freshman year...it's kind of great.

Speaking of freshman year, I enrolled yesterday in my LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE. How crazy is that?? Funny thing, too: although I am taking different classes, my schedule is nearly the same as my first semester of college. (As in, I have classes at the same times.) Isn't symmetry great?

"I'll let you stand."

2008-10-22T23:13:00.001-05:00

I like to feel independent. I'm 21 now, which means my life is at the stage where most people are starting to realistically see the "rest" of their lives, in which they are not dependent on family and parents. Heck, lots of people my age have left those things far behind. I'm excited about being "on my own," taking care of myself, and making my own decisions. During the summer, while I was living in Kansas City, I truly got a taste of what this is like, considering that I (in a sense) lived on my own, had a job, and paid my own rent. It was cool.

But during the past month, I have not felt very independent.

My car was totaled in a wreck. Right away, no car. Suddenly, I am asking my parents to help me deal with insurance issues, since I am clueless in that area. On top of that, I have to find people who can give me a ride to...well, everywhere.

But I came to terms with the fact that I might have to live without a car for a while. It was my way of being responsible and independent (by waiting until I can afford another car) even though I was still dependent on other people for certain transportation needs.

I caught a ride to Austin for Fall Break, and my parents decided that I needed a car. So they helped me get one. In one weekend. Sure, insurance provided a little money, but certainly not enough that I could just buy the car on my own (I don't exactly have any sort of steady income at this point in my life...oh so independent). So the 'rents helped me out, quite a bit.

I have a new (to me) car. It's fantastic. I absolutely love it, and it is a good car that should (cross your fingers and knock on wood) last quite a while. But I feel guilty about it.

Driving back to school on Sunday evening, I realized that I left my trumpet and cornet at my house. In Austin. Crap. I called my parents, talked about the (expensive) options for getting the instruments back to Oklahoma, and hung up the phone feeling like the most worthless son ever. "Seriously," I thought, "I will never make it on my own."

Fortunately, there was an unexpected breakthrough by which I got the instruments. But I'm feeling anything but independent these days. Perhaps I'm not ready for this whole graduate-and-go-out-into-the-real-world thing.

"Clearly, I have almost been in one of those fights before."

2008-10-15T19:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I overheard a conversation between two of my friends. One of them, who spent his first two years of college at a state university, was commenting on his observation of the differences between the two types of schools.

He noted that at Christian colleges such as SNU, it seems that students are "forced" to live their lives according to how the school administration has decided that followers of Christ should behave. I assume that he was referring to requirements such as chapel attendance, extremely limited dorm visitation, and the stipulations of the Lifestyle Covenant.

This friend then argued that at schools with fewer behavior limitations, Christians are more inclined to truly live out their faith. He even went so far as to say that "you see more real Christians at a state school."

Let's pause for a moment.

I believe that SNU is intended (by its founders and its current administrators) as an institution where student followers of Christ can pursue higher education while simultaneously experiencing spiritual growth and growth of character in an environment that upholds Christian values and beliefs. As a part of the Church of the Nazarene, it is expected that the school would present itself as one in agreement with the holiness tradition of the church, even though that tradition is not consistent with all branches of the universal Church.

But back to the topic at hand. Not all students at SNU are from a Nazarene background. Not all students identify as Christians, and many people on campus have no interest in "livin' the Naz life."

By imposing behavioral restrictions, does a Christian college actually limit its students' freedom to live as followers of Christ?

I think that it is important to remember that during registration and enrollment, all students agreed to uphold the university expections. Whether or not we agree that such restrictions are necessary, each one of us agreed to becoming a part of that community.

However, such an environment can--and does--present quite a challenge to many of its students. Both to those who are discovering what it means to live as a follower of Christ in a culture that believes otherwise, and to those who view such a community and see only hypocrisy.

"...Pee-pants over there."

2008-10-09T21:19:00.002-05:00

I could kill for a Coke Blak right now.

(OK not really. It's a figure of speech.)

Why did it have to be discontinued???

:::EDIT:::

I love this...

"I even wore a hoodie and trackpants to dinner tonight."

2008-10-09T11:53:00.002-05:00

Do you ever feel like there are certain times that you just should not be around other people?

I don't mean those times when you just feel like being by yourself for a while. I mean the times when you're just angry and/or upset, and your temper/attitude is so volatile that if you interact with other people, there is a good chance of saying or doing something that you will regret.

That's kind of how I feel right now. I'm upset about needing to find a job. I'm tired of being sick. I feel like a crappy son for being in two wrecks this year, while my parents have to pay higher insurance and now feel obligated to help me find and pay for a new car. I'm angry from jazz band this morning. Some of my 9 roommates are stressing me out right now, even though they haven't really done anything.

Maybe I have senioritis. I yearn to be independent; to travel and to live on my own...even though I know that I do not currently have the means to do that. I feel like I am done with this school, where the norm is for faculty to treat students like children, and for students to act accordingly. My classes this semester feel like unnecessary fluff (and for the most part, they are).

But somehow, I have to get over all this and make it through the rest of the school year, at the same time planning for the future (which feels like shooting in the dark).

Help.

"Europe is a big town."

2008-10-06T10:38:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has offered support. It means a lot, and I appreciate you more than you know.

This car situation is the sort of thing that you never think will happen to you, but when it does, it seems like you're the only one. But I am working through it, and have learned quite a bit in the last week.

I'm not sure why it always flows downhill
Why broken cisterns never could stay filled
I've spent ten years singing gravity away
But the water keeps on falling from the sky

And heaven knows, heaven knows
I tried to find a cure for the pain
Oh my Lord! To suffer like you do
It would be a lie to run away

--"The Cure for Pain" by Jon Foreman

"You should sharpen your black rose..."

2008-10-03T21:48:00.005-05:00

I have recently learned that when it rains, it pours.

This is not a pleasant blog post, so if you would prefer to stay in a good mood, it might be best to stop reading right now.

On Wednesday, I was driving to my trumpet lesson in Edmond, Oklahoma. When I was about three blocks away, driving in the right lane, the person driving the Jeep Cherokee in front of me suddenly slowed to make a right turn. I did not have enough time to stop, so even though I slammed on my brakes, my Camry slid straight into the Jeep as my car's front end folded under the SUV.

The person driving the car was a student at nearby UCO, and did not know what to do. He called his dad, who instructed him to call the police. Two officers came to the scene, asked the kid what happened (while I was trying to call AAA for a tow truck), wrote me a ticket for following too closely, and left. There was no asking for my side of the story here.

My trumpet professor came to help and recommended a body shop, and I spent the next hour waiting for the tow truck and trying to talk to my parents as they helped me figure things out with the insurance company. Fortunately, my insurance covered a rental car which I was able to pick up before the rental place closed.

However, I found out today that my car is going to be totaled.

That's right. I have no car, my insurance is through the roof, I have to pay off a ticket, and I have no job or money to pay for a new car.

I also learned on Tuesday that Diane Gorzycki, my middle school band director and one of the best teachers I have ever known, passed away. She was one of the world's best music teachers, and positively impacted the lives of countless people. And now we have lost her.

Today I had my preview for my trumpet recital, where I played through my music for a panel of three professors. Besides being nervous out of my mind, it started off badly. One of the professors was running really late, and one of the others had to be somewhere else this afternoon. The cellist who is playing for my concerto was unable to be there because of an out-of-town commitment, and I was told that although the music sounded good, they cannot officially approve my recital until they hear everyone who will be performing. So I have to schedule another time when everyone can be there.

I'm mad--at the kid who, in a split second, caused a wreck which robbed me of my car and is now having a tremendously negative effect on my family's budget. While his car didn't have a noticeable scratch. I'm exhausted. I'm defeated, I'm burnt out, I give up. I want to live in a city where I can walk everywhere so that I will not have to worry about a car. I want to just run away from all of this and make the problems disappear.

But that's not really an option, is it?

"Remember that one time Emily drank water with a spoon?"

2008-09-21T17:42:00.008-05:00

Music is a seriously powerful thing.

Last week, I made two appearances at the Oklahoma State Fair. This year's fair featured several big-name artists in concert, so I got to see both Sanctus Real and Gavin DeGraw. Both concerts were well-attended (although by very different crowds), making it very interesting to see how similar interests in music can bring so many people to one place. And for the few hours that the concert is going on, all of these people become part of one crowd, drawn together by the music. It's romantic, I know. But it just strikes me as really interesting, now that I am preparing for ACL Fest. Now there is a diverse crowd. Those people are willing to put up with heat, dust, sweat, discomfort, and rude people...just to experience great music! It's hardcore.

And now for something completely different...

I made a fort/tent/cave/chill spot in my room! Since my bed is raised up to the highest level, I cleared out some of the space below it and made a cool area to hang out, nap, read, and play video games. I'm proud of it. Take a look.

"That's a great painting--it looks just like a bowl of fruit!"

2008-09-06T21:20:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't even written on here since I got to school!

But rest assured that the start of the semester has been both crazy and awesome.

I am an RA (Residential Advisor) this year in our townhouse. I am also tutoring in accounting, and will be giving a recital with Chris in November.

This summer, I hope to go to Africa. SNU has a new microfinance program called the Morningstar Institute that will be sending student interns to sub-Saharan Africa. To learn more about microfinance, I am currently reading a book called Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus, a pioneer in the field of modern microfinance.

Speaking of good books, I recently read The Shack by William Young. It is one of the most interesting books that I have read in recent times, and I HIGHLY recommend it.

This was kind of a haphazard, unplanned post, but that's kind of how I feel these days. There is a lot going on, but I have not settled into any kind of routine yet! So take luck.

"Who would you kiss?"

2008-08-08T12:23:00.004-05:00

Okay, new discovery. Today, I found the Wordle cloud creator. This web site will take a field of text and rearrange the words to look really cool. You can control the colors of the words and also the way that they are laid out. As a word source, you can also input a web site with an RSS feed (ie. this blog, as I did). Check it out!

"It's crazy what people call themselves."

2008-07-30T18:46:00.004-05:00

It's just unbelievable how eight weeks can go by so slowly and yet so quickly. I have one and a half days left of my internship (the entire company is going to a local theme park tomorrow afternoon/evening), and will be back on the road to Austin on Saturday morning. At the moment, I am still too immersed in Kansas City to look back on this entire period, but I will say that it has been a very positive life learning experience. Spending two straight months in one place will really make it feel like home (or rather, a second...or third...home). KC no longer feels foreign to me. I have made some amazing friends with whom I hope I can keep in touch after this week. I even got to go to a Royals game last week! And they WON!

Maybe I will have some profound reflections on this time, later on. At the very least, I will have some pictures. (I don't have any way to transfer them to my computer until I get home.)

I guess it's time to start preparing for my final year of college. (SCARY.) Here is my (somewhat tentative) schedule for the semester (click to make it bigger). I am kind of excited about having only 3 "real" classes. Lifetime Wellness is only for the beginning and end of the semester, and Horsemanship is in the middle of those.

"Wait...why are we celebrating?"

2008-07-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

Sad but true. God bless 'Merca.

"You need to like trendy churches."

2008-07-20T15:41:00.001-05:00

Those lolcats are just so darn funny...

"No, it wasn't in the trunk."

2008-07-18T13:04:00.002-05:00

I'll admit, the weakened state of the U.S. economy has gotten me down. It's depressing to pay $4 for every gallon of gas that I pump. Higher prices across the board make my bi-weekly paycheck worth less and less.

But to put things in perspective, the American is still very prosperous. In comparison with the majority of people in this world--who live primarily in developing countries--we have it made. There are millions of working adults who make less than $1 a day, making it very difficult for developing countries to raise themselves out of poverty.

Economists understand that the financial sector of a developing country is one of the most crucial factors to solving this problem, and in the 1970s a new movement known as microfinance began, in hopes of addressing it. A professor named Muhammad Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to offer small loans to the poor, as an alternative to the loan sharks where they typically were forced to go. Yunus's model has caught on, and many have begun to use microfinance as a method of fighting poverty.

The key to the model is capital. Without substantial capital, it is impossible to provide loans. However, an organization called MicroPlace has come up with a solution--allow Americans to invest in the fight against poverty. Owned by eBay (a company that believes in the power of the ordinary individual), MicroPlace provides opportunities for Americans to invest in socially responsible ways that provide capital for microfinance institutions. It combines capitalism with respect for human dignity and hard work, in order to help those who do not have the means to borrow using the traditional loan model.

The monetary return might not be as high, but the investment is much more. It works to serve the Kingdom in a way that is both sustainable and financially responsible.

"Actually, Ralph Waldo Emerson IV graded it."

2008-07-13T08:55:00.005-05:00

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
--Philippians 4:6-7, NLT

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
--I Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV

"Bishop Quayle tells how he had been pacing the floor in anxiety for hours when suddenly he stopped short, laughed aloud and went upstairs to sleep. He had heard God's voice saying, 'It's all right now, bishop. You go to bed, and I'll stay up the rest of the night.'"
--from Truth for Today by Bertha Munro

"It's because we're organic organisms."

2008-07-12T19:18:00.004-05:00

It’s a beautiful day in Belton, Missouri.

Yes, I realize that it has been raining all day. That is part of what has made it so great. When it rains in Austin, the heat and humidity combine to create one sticky mess outside. When it rains in Bethany, the entire city floods.

But when I stepped outside this morning, I was met by a temperature of about 65 degrees and a little bit of a breeze. It felt like the second week of fall in Oklahoma (which is a good thing, for those of who have not had the--ahem--privilege of living in the Sooner State).

When I came to Kansas City in February with the University Singers, we were supposed to sing at the Blue Room (a famous jazz club at 18th and Vine) with Lisa Henry, a jazz singer from the KC area. However, the expected crowd size forced us to move the concert to the Gem Theatre, across the street. It was still incredible, and Lisa Henry proved to be an incredibly talented jazz artist.

So I was pretty excited to learn that Lisa would be singing at the Blue Room on July 11. When my friends Tori and Jared asked if I wanted to go hear her, I almost peed my pants! (“Uh, YEAH I wanna go!”) So we arrived at the Blue Room last night to discover that Lisa Henry was home, sick.

At this point, I almost cried. I was seriously looking forward to hearing her sing again, and possibly getting a chance to reintroduce myself.

But alas, we paid the $10 cover and heard the nervous cruise ship singer who had been called in to replace her. Fortunately, the saxophone player who stole the spotlight (and whose name now escapes me) turned out to be pretty spectacular. As was the combo who played for them all evening.

"Just take your age, divide it in half, and add seven."

2008-07-07T11:11:00.007-05:00

The idea of a singing evangelist is stupid.

It sounds nice--husband and wife duo travel around the country spreading the message of the Gospel through song! What could be so wrong about that? Aren't they doing God's work by reaching all sorts of people with a ministry of beautiful music?

But where do they conduct this "ministry"? Churches. Churches full of believers and pastors (at least one). I guess that it can be nice to have some different music in church, but do you need an "evangelist" to spread the Gospel to you?? Traveling around the country to sing at different churches costs a lot of money. And where does this money come from?

The churches. Lots of money and time and energy and talent is being wasted so that rich, complacent churches can have different music and feel good about themselves. While no REAL EVANGELISM is even happening. All of those resources for ministry should be going to spreading the Word to those who do not know it, and for helping people in need! That is the work of the Church.

Is a "singing evangelist" really what Jesus had in mind when he sent his disciples out to preach the Gospel?

Evangelism is one beggar telling another where to find bread.
--D.T. Niles

"It's amazing the kind of bonding that Playstation can bring about."

2008-07-05T19:50:00.004-05:00

Lately I have been reading again from my favorite devotional book, Bertha Munro's Truth for Today. It's unfortunate that this book is out of print and not widely known, because Munro's daily devotional always seems to hit the nail on the head. Each day's passage typically addresses something that has been on my mind...which is why I have often quoted Munro in this blog.

Being several states away from home has had me thinking quite a bit about life and the changes that are happening in mine, or will be happening soon. As Munro puts it, "Life is full of storms and cross-currents and shifting winds." She writes that we have to face a lot of important choices in life, and that "life finds true value only in enlightened choice." In other words, having to make tough decisions is a blessing; we find true freedom by submitting to the highest law.

But according to the author, it is important to make several choices early on that hold us steady when we face the storms and shifting winds. One of these, she writes, is to recognize God's absolute authority. "The scholar has learned how to think; the wise man has learned how to live," writes Munro, and "the first step in living is submitting the will to God." This caused me to seriously think about some things, and I hope that it also challenges you to seek that complete freedom.

As for Kansas City life, all is still well. I'm crazy homesick for Austin and SNU, but I'll survive. Recent events include listening to jazz at the Blue Room, feeding the homeless, eating more BBQ, and watching a play in the park. Life is good.

"I don't want you to explode."

2008-06-21T16:23:00.005-05:00

Ok ok, Kansas City update!

I made it through my second week of the internship. It went well, although a few days went by kind of slowly. But I guess that's life. It's still hard to come to terms with the fact that most people work in the same place for 40 hours a week. For years. There's got to be more to life...

But in the meantime, I still love the internship! Yesterday I got to sit in on a project development meeting for Lillenas, which lasted almost all day. It was really interesting, and we discussed upcoming music projects, and marketing strategy. I even got my lunch paid for at this cool Chinese restaurant called Bo Lings!

Last night I met up with my friend Tori from NPH and some of her friends in Kansas City. We went to this very cool coffee house in Overland Park, KS called Homer's. It's this super chill, laid back place that has free live music every Friday and Saturday night from Christian musicians. We saw this amazing classical/folk guitarist who is a professor at MNU.

I was possibly going to go to a KC Royals game tonight, but that didn't really work out. Hopefully I'll get to go soon--Tuesday is free t-shirt night this week, and Wednesday night is $7 tickets for students!

"I don't want to lie on my own in a separate sky."

2008-06-17T20:34:00.008-05:00

According to the liner notes of Coldplay's just-released album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, one of its producers was Brian Eno.

No, not Brian Emo. Eno.

He is the musician credited with pioneering ambient music, a style without meter, which employs electronic sounds and textures to create or enhance a mood. For his revolutionary Music for Airports, Eno stated that the music was intended to be appropriate for either passive or active listening. In the ambient style, Airports employed what have come to be known as "sonic landscapes."

Speaking of sonic landscapes, Coldplay's liner notes say "Sonic landscapes by Brian Eno." Someone familiar with any of Eno's music would immediately recognize his work at the beginning of track 1, entitled "Life in Technicolor." After putting the album in, the listener is instantly propelled into a delicious (Eno-licious) sonic landscape. It gets you pretty excited about the rest of the album.

I'm still listening to the rest of the album, but so far I like everything except "Violet Hill." And that song's growing on me. The title track ("Viva La Vida") is brilliant.

It's a new direction for Coldplay, but I am thus far convinced that it's the right direction.

I mean, come on. How can you go wrong with an album that was recorded in a bakery, a nunnery, a magic shop, and a church?

"A...B...C...D...E...F...8...9...10!"

2008-06-16T21:05:00.005-05:00

People who know me know that I listen primarily to alternative and pop/rock music.

What many people don't know is that I'm a little bit country.

In fact, I was raised on the music of Garth Brooks, George Strait, Patsy Cline, Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, Reba McEntire, and Brooks & Dunn. And although I do not often listen to country music these days, it comes back to me every once in a while. For example, when driving, I often find myself turning to the station that plays older country music (please spare me from Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift). It's unbelievably comforting, comparable to the scene in Ratatouille where Anton Ego is reminded of the dish that his mother prepared for him as a child.

When I was helping Allyson and Amanda paint their house several weeks back, Amanda's iPod would often play country music. Allyson complained (as many of my friends do when assailed by things country), but I pleaded for it to stay on! I felt like I was back home, living in simpler times!

For the last hour, my iTunes has been set to play only music by Garth Brooks, causing me to marvel at the realization that songs such as "The Dance," "If Tomorrow Never Comes," and "Unanswered Prayers" have shaped many of my general philosophies on life.

Stuck in an airport in Austin, all of the flights are delayed
And as the rain keeps fallin' the memories keep callin' me back
To another time and place

Back to a rainy day in Oklahoma, she was workin' at this roadside cafe
And it was just her and me and looked like it would be
At least 'till the storm rolled away
--from "Everytime That it Rains" by Garth Brooks

"Rapture! I'm glad to hear it!"

2008-06-15T15:05:00.003-05:00

My first experience with Jacob's Well church was in February of 2007. I was one of several students fortunate enough to have a paid trip to Kansas City for Mission 2007 (M7), the conference for the USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene. Each of the two nights of the conference, a "postmodern" service was held at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, a beautiful old Episcopal church near the Bartle Hall Convention Center. I attended the first such service, for which the music was led by the praise band from Jacob's Well. They placed giant speakers and a huge screen in the nave of the church and blasted our eardrums out. My friends and I left quite distrubed, feeling that the historical church building had been desecrated.

Needless to say, I was slightly apprehensive about visiting Jacob's Well this morning. The congregation meets in another historical church building in Midtown KC, although with slightly better acoustics for amplified music. Because of the progressive music and diverse, postmodern feel of the church, it is very popular with young adults. Three similar services are held each Sunday, and I understand that all are well-attended. Although I only knew one song, I enjoyed the music, which consisted of loud praise choruses played by a rock band (w/ trumpet!) blasted over speakers lining the sanctuary walls. The prayer preceding the sermon was especially meaningful, as it addressed the fact that the Church should reflect the community found in the Triune God, and how it is important us to embrace the diversity found in creation.

I will admit that I am still not completely comfortable with the postmodern approach to worship services. This morning I worried about what to wear. I knew that it would be ok to dress down in comfortable clothes, but still felt strange wearing them to church. When I got there, I was surprised to see people bringing their Starbucks cups to their pew or wearing baseball caps. The secular indie music playing before the service was also a little strange to me...all of this mainly b/c we were inside such an old church building...it just seemed like the kind of place where people are typically more reverent. But one big concept from the emergent/postmodern church movement is the blending of the sacred and the secular. This was also seen in the fact that the praise band was located in the apse of the church--the area reserved for priests in Roman Catholic worship.

Despite my dislike for many things postmodern in the church, I really enjoyed my visit this morning. I liked the way that Jacob's Well does a lot to reach and engage the postmodern culture that would not attend more traditional church services. I also liked the fact that they do so without being excessively cheesy, and with strong biblical teaching that reflects theological integrity (the sermon was about women in church leadership, and featured sound, scriptural reasoning). After the sermon, the congregation filed to the front for communion, and after a couple more choruses, the worship service closed with a benedictory song for which we all joined hands with the people on either side.

Even though this was a large congregation, the ministry team worked to foster community among the people, and in my opinion, did so very well.

"Does your pickle yodel?"

2008-06-11T22:19:00.003-05:00

OKAY! I'm in Kansas City now, and I started my internship at the Nazarene Publishing House on Monday. I'm working in marketing for Lillenas (the music division of the publishing house). So far, working there is EXTREMELY COOL. I have met some really amazing people, and am hopefully starting to build some friendships.

But it's late and I need to get to bed, so I will try to offer some more updates later. In the meantime, here is a picture that I just stumbled across...and love.

"We will reveal our master plan soon."

2008-06-04T15:15:00.002-05:00

I haven't even left Austin yet, and I already miss it.

Honestly, I don't know how I could ever call another place home.

Yesterday was Sofia's birthday, and I went with her and some of her friends to see Matt Costa in concert. It was great! We also ate some great food at Joe's and played a game of pool before it started.

Austin just has everything: good food, good music, good venues for live music...heck, we even have plenty of traffic to keep things interesting!

I have visited some cool cities, but I just don't think any other can take the place of home.

"It smells like horse puppies."

2008-05-29T09:44:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things about this summer (so far) is waking up of my own accord. Granted, it is usually still quite early, but it is still nice to wake up and have the entire house to myself. The rest of the family is gone to work, so I get to make a whole pot of coffee for myself and turn on radios both upstairs and downstairs to the same station--surround sound!

Well I did both of those things this morning, and one of the first few songs to play on Mix 94.7 was Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T's. When this song first became popular last summer, I loved it. It was just so catchy and deliciously cheesy! Of course, after it caught on so much that it was played for every other song on at least two of my preset stations, I got a little fed up with the song. You can have too much of a good thing! I groaned in disgust every time it came on the radio!

Of course, the song finally died away, not to be heard again for months. So when it came on this morning, I did not respond with the usual hatred, but rather with fond reminiscence of last summer's memories! The Plain White T's reminded me of fun times spent hanging out with Emily and Keegs and the youth groups of both LifeSpring and South Austin! Just crazy how a once despised song can have a pleasant effect like that.

On another note, I feel that I should at least attempt to explain the Dogtini from my last post. Several weeks ago, I attended the Oklahoma Festival of the Arts with some of my friends from school. The festival brought together artists, food, and music from all over the state, and beyond. And one artist displaying her works decided that it would be a great idea to paint pictures of martini glasses. But these were not just any martini glasses--each one had a different breed of dog sitting in it! It really was quite strange...and my good friend Melissa decided to help me remember the great experience by making an "actual" Dogtini for me! On Tuesday I received in the mail a martini glass filled with coconut-scented gel and...a DOG!

"I'm gonna buy you a draaaaaank!!!!"

2008-05-27T16:47:00.002-05:00

Melissa sent me a Dogtini for my birthday!

2008-05-19T20:28:00.002-05:00

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. --Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV

"Time to exegete."

2008-05-14T20:55:00.003-05:00

Here we are. It is the end of another school year (my last final is tomorrow!), and so comes the obligatory reflections upon the time period that is now coming to a close.

In case you keep up with what I write in here, I hope that you have not mistaken my sparse blogging for a lack of exciting things happening in my life! This school year has been incredible, for lack of a better word.

I took the most difficult classes that I have taken yet in college.
I went on a Church Safari and learned a ton about Christian worship.
I sang John Rutter's Magnificat in freaking Carnegie Hall!
I joined the University Singers in Kansas City in concert with Lisa Henry.
I performed a trumpet solo with orchestra in the SNU Concerto/Aria concert.

And from all of this, I feel incredibly blessed. This journey would be nothing without the amazing friends who are also on it. This includes both old friends and some new ones who I feel like I have known for years! There have been some extremely difficult periods, but friends and family help each other through them, and God is present always.

This transition into summer brings some sadness, due to the fact that we will miss a lot of what we had during the school year, but it also brings with it the hope and excitement of a new period our lives--not to mention the new opportunities that come with it.

The reflection has just begun. And a thunderstorm now serves as the background--how perfect.

"Thanks for yelling 'Shut up' at me while I was serenading you with the best song ever."

2008-04-18T00:45:00.004-05:00

I am tired of being a slave to time.

This is that time of the semester. There are events to attend, concerts to prepare for, homework assignments to do, tests to take, papers to write, presentations to prepare, and there is absolutely not enough time to fit everything in! Yet the spiral keeps winding downward as failure upon failure to meet obligations piles up. It's depressing, and makes it hard to sleep in those few available hours each night.

Josh and I have a print of this painting by Caspar David Friedrich. It is called "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog," and is one of the best known paintings from the Romantic Period. To me, it represents an escape from this crazy world in which we live. This man has somehow managed to rise above the confusion of the mist, and just looks at it from above, somehow removed from this time frame in which our lives are played out.

It makes me long for heaven, when we will no longer be subject to the constraints of time, but will finally grasp eternal life. It makes me homesick for that place beyond time and beyond the life that we know. At the end of The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis describes a "new Narnia" that is reminiscent of the old, but it is actually so much more. In fact, the world that the characters knew was--in all truth--only a shadow of what was to come. The new one is the "real" Narnia.

I long to also live in the new Narnia.

"It's OK, you can still like in that chair."

2008-03-28T09:46:00.004-05:00

Spring Break is over, and I think it's safe to say that with it came a fresh outlook on life.

Jon Foreman, the songwriter and lead singer of Switchfoot, is in the process of releasing four acoustic solo EPs, one for each season of the year. He has already released Fall and Summer, and I just bought Spring on Tuesday.

I am kind of addicted to this music. It has the poignancy of Switchfoot, but is more mellow and spiritual in nature.

The Spring EP combines honest, passionate lyrics with strings, a bright guitar sound, and even some brass, in order to convey the newness and redemption found in the season of spring.

I like to think of it as a contemporary folk tribute to Vivaldi's Four Seasons concertos.

I look out the window
The birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune
Or out of place
--"Your Love Is Strong" by Jon Foreman

"Did you mean that or are you just being facetious?"

2008-03-12T10:03:00.002-05:00

At the very beginning of my senior year of high school, I knew what freedom was.

I had 3 (THREE!) off periods, PLUS I was a senior who could leave campus and drive around South Austin whenever I pleased. At least, anytime that I was not in class. Or band. Or choir, or any other school obligation.

I could drive to Randalls and buy a 25¢ coke (sometimes the machine would give it to me for free), or I could drive to Seattle's Best and get coffee, I could drive to Target and buy a shirt since I needed one for the concert that evening, or I could drive to Chipotle and get a giant burrito for lunch.

Yup, I KNEW what freedom was. Sure, my parents and teachers and pastors were my superiors, but isn't that the way it's supposed to be? The important part was that I had more freedom than most Bowie students.

Now that I am in college, I live away from my family in another state. I can drive between CITIES and even STATES now if I want. I have no curfew, I live in a house with other college students to whom I am not really accountable for my whereabouts. I can come and go as I please. I set my own schedule. Sure, there are classes, but I DECIDE whether or not to go to them, and when (and whether) to do the homework.

Basically, I have so much freedom that I can't get everything done. I have free time, so instead of doing homework or running errands, I check Facebook. Or play video games, or sit on the couch and watch TV with the rest of the guys in the house.

It brings to mind something that Dr. Crutcher said in Christian Thought last semester: we can only have freedom within boundaries. The guardrail on the side of a mountain road is a boundary, but if it was not there, we wouldn't necessarily have any more freedom--driving off the road would just mean falling off a cliff. Boundaries such as schedules and authorities do not limit our freedom; rather, they show us the extent of it. I could use some more boundaries, so that I know how far my freedom extends.

"Just call me Dr. Nurse."

2008-03-07T10:03:00.002-06:00

Yesterday in my Contemporary Social Issues class, the professor showed us this video. I think it's kind of great: Star Wars According to a 3-year-old!

"You can still win World Civ. if you go to every episode."

2008-03-05T19:26:00.002-06:00

I need to get out of the 'burbs.

I want to live in the city. Like, in the city--Bethany doesn't count. It doesn't have to be a HUGE city (although I am quite a fan New York City).

I want to have some simple job that is a lot of fun, without many hours of work, and yet somehow earns me plenty of money to live on.

After a while, I will take a month-long trip to Europe. I will visit England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and wherever I feel like going. There will be no schedule or preset plans for the trip.

Eventually, though, I will come back to my cool apartment in the city and go back to my incredible job.

I need my life to have a soundtrack of cool music that follows me everywhere and makes everything that much better.

I need to stop watching so many movies and being so self-centered.

"Don't treat her like a margarita."

2008-03-02T21:48:00.004-06:00

Tonight I went with Emily, Chris, Tony, and Clint to what is probably the coolest gas station in Oklahoma. We drove to Pop's which is about 5 miles west of Edmond, and sells about 500 different kinds of cokes, including Leninade. We ate at the restaurant in the store and bought some cool drinks to go. This picture is of the giant light-up bottle in front of the store. After that, some nasty weather moved through central Oklahoma, but I don't think any tornadoes formed. However, our power did go out for about half a minute.

So all that was good, but I am seriously depressed about having school tomorrow. I hate Monday. It starts at 9am, and my last class does not end until 9:30pm (although I will most likely get out a little early tomorrow). I also have my trumpet lesson, to which I just do not look forward. Most lessons, my teacher ends up being disappointed because I do not practice enough, but I just don't have the motivation to do so.

I hardly consider myself a music major anymore. I finished all my music classes, so my only responsibility in that area is ensembles and lessons (and a recital that I have to do before I can graduate). However, I have somehow gotten myself involved in 4 ensembles. My "real" classes are business and gen. ed. Which I enjoy, because I never really wanted to be a music major anyway. So there is very little to look forward to about tomorrow. Maybe it will snow so much tonight that class gets canceled...

"No, don't go to bread!"

2008-02-18T09:47:00.004-06:00

Wow, today has not started very well.

As soon as I woke up this morning, I remembered that I had an accounting test at 9. So I panicked, began to get ready, and got a nosebleed. This caused me to sit down and wait it out, and when it finally went away I stood up and immediately felt dizzy. I thought that I might pass out, so I sat back down on the couch. This began to disappear, but both arms simultaneously began tingling like they were falling asleep.

When I finally got over all of this weirdness, I was a little bit on the edge. I went to breakfast to study some for the test, but upon walking into the Commons I realized that I had forgotten my student ID. Fortunately, my old one was in my wallet. Then came the test, about which I did not feel very confident. In fact, I blanked on a few questions.

After walking back to Imel, I could not get in because my old ID does not let me in the house, and I had also forgotten my keys. But I knocked long enough and loudly enough that I woke up Marcus and he came down from the third floor to let me in. And here I am.

Can we just skip Monday this week? Please?

"Apologize to Mother Nature by sticking your head in her bosom."

2008-02-14T10:06:00.004-06:00

SHAMELESS PLUG:

The SNU School of Music is presenting Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta:

The Gondoliers or The King of Barataria

...this weekend! Come see a stellar cast and constantly improving orchestra in this classic musical production!

Okay, sorry about that. Every night this week, there has been an opera rehearsal, and I have had to be there from 7:15 until about 10:30. I must say, I was really worried about going into this week--I just KNEW that it would be busy and stressful and I would be pulling a lot of late nights. Monday was just that kind of day, and I knew that it would be a long week.

But somehow, the last two days plus today have worked out to be incredibly, refreshingly unstressful! It helps me realize once again that God truly is awesome. My friends Albany and Melissa also helped me realize that I should be giving some this extra time back to God.

One of the things that has come with this free time has been some things reminiscent of freshman year--crazy things like playing Zelda on Josh's Game Cube (we seriously have not played that game in 2 years!!) and listening to Anberlin's Blueprints for the Black Market. It made me remember how freshman year could at times be really emotional, and was overall an emotionally unstable year. I went through so many changes: living in a new state, having a roommate, community bathrooms, college classes, new friends, finding a new church...

Freshman year is crazy, and pretty rough at times. I guess this helped me realize that a lot of my friends who are freshmen now are going through these same kinds of things. And I haven't really been very sensitive to that. So from now on, I will try to be more understanding of the wild things that most people have to deal with freshmen year.

Aaah, freshman year! All I need now is some Coke Blak...

"You and your coffee make me sick...but not in a literal sense."

2008-02-12T23:23:00.001-06:00

This is what the white board on our fridge looks like right now.

"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a chicken could cross the road?"

2008-02-11T23:06:00.000-06:00

I had an interesting thought today.

When I am home, I am all about the music. This happens especially at church, where I am the music major who participates in every aspect of the music.

But at SNU, I am surrounded by all these incredibly talented musicians to whom I could never measure up. So I try to do everything I can to get away from the music...probably in some sort of weird attempt to distinguish myself. I don't usually like to practice or go to lessons or ensembles. I even changed my major, to have more business and LESS music.

The question is: is this good or bad? Of course I love music, but it just doesn't seem like it will be the driving force of my life and future career. At least, certainly not music performance. Of course, who knows what I will end up doing with my life, anyway?

"It's about the peopleocity."

2008-02-07T22:36:00.000-06:00

I rarely write about politics here, but that's what has been on my mind lately, so here is a summary of my thoughts on the presidential race.

I voted today (as in, I filled out my absentee ballot and mailed it in), which felt good. It was only for primaries, but this is the first major election in which I have participated.

It was extremely sad to hear that Mitt Romney dropped out of the race today. However, I can understand why he did, and have a lot of respect for his insight in the situation. He realizes that he has not been doing so well in the primaries, and hopes that his action will help unite Republican voters. I guess I just still had some hope for him--I wanted Romney to pull through.

In light of his withdrawal, the upcoming election does not look so great. I like Ron Paul, but he just has not been able to bring in enough support. That leaves McCain as the frontrunner for the Republican Party--somewhat of a joke, considering his liberal past. Clinton and Obama seem to be pretty evenly matched on the Democrat side, but I honestly do not like either one of them.

It would be very cool to see the first female or black president in the White House, but I strongly disagree with the policy of both candidates for the Democratic nomination. Especially Obama--the more I learn about him, the less I like him. Reading about some issues, it seems that his solution for everything is to throw money at the problem. This poses some difficulty, considering the ridiculous debt situation in which our government found itself. Ironically, liberals such as Obama often criticize the Bush administration for spending too much.

I had high hopes in Romney's fiscal conservatism, but it looks like our nation will be dealing with severe financial deficit for years to come.

* By the way, please comment if you disagree with me on any of this. I do not claim to have the market cornered on politics, and it often helps when others provide their enlightened insight on the issues.

How ironic, that I would use funny quotes for titles when the content is often so serious.

2008-01-30T23:23:00.000-06:00

There's a hole in the world now. In the place where he was, there's now just nothing. A center, like no other, of memory and hope and knowledge and affection which once inhabited this earth is gone. Only a gap remains. A perspective on this world unique in this world which once moved about within this world has been rubbed out. Only a void is left... The world is emptier. My son is gone. Only a hole remains, a void, a gap, never to be filled.
--from Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1987)

"Let's sing 'Joy to the World.'"

2008-01-26T23:48:00.000-06:00

Judging from the blog, one might assume that my life has been very dry lately.

And in all honesty, that would not be far from the truth.

Sure, life has been extremely busy, and I have done a lot in recent days and weeks, but I cannot say that there has been a great deal of spiritual depth. There has not been much "meaning."

And I would like for that to change. The only question is where to start?

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
--Psalm 32:8-11, NLT

"Nooo, he's a basketball player."

2008-01-21T21:36:00.000-06:00

Wow. As you can see, I have not been very consistent about updating this blog lately.

So here are some highlights from the last few weeks:

- I finished working at the MAC for the break.
- SACN is currently looking for a new music minister, so we had a planning committee put together some temporary music (which seems to be going quite well).
- I went to NYC with my choir and sang in CARNEGIE HALL, and also saw Laura!
- I went to Tulsa for OIHB and because the SNU Chorale was an OMEA honor choir.
- I hung out at school, and rejoiced because the OKC Metro now has a CHIPOTLE, a FREEBIRD'S, and a new HIDEAWAY PIZZA!!! (We ate at Chipotle last night.)
- Classes start tomorrow morning. Boo...

Peace out!

What Your Pizza Reveals

Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either.

You aren't particularly picky about pizza. It's so good... how could you be? You fit in best in the Western part of the US.

You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods.

You are generous, outgoing, and considerate with your choices.

You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna.

The stereotype that best fits you is emo. You think you're special... and you kind of are.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Take it all down, Christmas is over

2008-01-02T18:14:00.000-06:00

Do not despair, but rather be glad
We had a good year, now let's have another
Remembering all the good times that we had

Oh no more lights glistening
No more carols to sing
But Christmas, it makes way for spring

Though hearts of man are bitter in weather
As cold as the snow that falls from above
But just for one day we all came together
We showed the whole world that we know how to love

Remember that Christmas, it makes way for spring

--"Boxing Day" by Relient K

"It just doesn't sound appetizing when you call it a butt."

2007-12-25T12:24:00.000-06:00

Rejoice, for God is come into the world! Peace is here.

At Christmas, the four candles of Advent are lit: We have Hope in the salvation offered us in Christ, we find comfort in the Peace that he brings, we Rejoice in the gift of God's Son, and we Love one another as God has loved us. For four weeks, these candles have burned as we have anticipated the arrival of Jesus Christ, but the wait is over. Today we light the Christ candle because God is in the world, and is the center of our lives.

Little children, born to chaos, sojourn by the stars appear,
Though your fears wrap all around you, love has come and peace is here.
--"Peace is Here" by Jars of Clay

"Narnicles?? That sounds like barnacles!"

2007-12-24T23:21:00.000-06:00

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, four candles are lit: one for Hope, one for Peace, one for Joy, and one for the great Love by which God sent his only begotten Son into our world.

God's love, which is greater than any we could ever comprehend or describe with our limited language, is perfected in the advent of Jesus, who became flesh for the salvation of all mankind. Throughout his life, Christ set an example of love which he instructed us to share with others. That is why, during this season of Advent, so many people shift their focus from themselves to others: we give to those less fortunate than us, and to those whom we love. This "re-focus," however, must endure beyond the Advent/Christmas season, and our lives must be guided by love throughout the year.

Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. --Psalm 80:3, NRSV

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
--"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," trans. John M. Neale

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace.
Come, Son of God,
And save us from our destruction.

God-With-Us, deliver your children.

"Is she an 80s girl?"

2007-12-22T11:28:00.000-06:00

Whoops.

The third Sunday of Advent came and went, with no blog entry! That is unacceptable, so here is my way of making up for it. (Besides, the third Sunday is the happiest, so I can't skip it!)

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. --Isaiah 35:10, NRSV

Last weekend we observed the third Sunday of Advent, with a focus on the Joy that we have in the coming incarnation of Christ. When we think about what God has done for us, and about what he is going to do for us, we are filled--overtaken even--by this transcendent joy in Jesus Christ. This joy is not superficial, and does not come and go with our times of happiness and sadness. Rather, we are called to rejoice always in the fact that God's plan for salvation will triumph, in spite of the trials and hard times that we face. The Incarnation of Christ that occurred on that first Christmas signified a change for all of mankind. God became man, and is now among us. Therefore, we rejoice: not because all is well now, but because we have Hope in God's future kingdom, and in the Peace that he gives us, and which we must propagate throughout this world along with the message of Joy.

And now, for something completely different: I woke up this morning with Flock of Seagulls hair.

"That sounds like fun if you're a psychology major..."

2007-12-09T09:31:00.000-06:00

It is currently 23 degrees here, with a wind chill of 11 degrees. It is also raining, so the roads are in the process of freezing over.

Church has been canceled this morning, and so I am sitting in my room using the extra time "wisely." J/k...I'm blogging.

Anyway, the worship service may be canceled this morning, but that does not change the fact that today is the second Sunday of Advent! In fact, I think that the inclement weather does a good job of instilling a spirit of the season (as it has been mostly nice up until today) and reminding us of the way that Jesus's actual coming did not happen in accordance with any human plans.

The second Sunday of Advent symbolizes Peace. We light the first candle, again remembering that the light of Hope shines for us in the darkness. We also light the second candle to recognize God's gift of peace in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. In our actions of love and justice, we can show God's peace to the world. Of course, this peace is more than simply the absence of violence. God's peace is the set of all right relationships: with God, with other people, and with all of God's created order. Let us remember this during the Advent season, and allow ourselves to be instruments of God's peace, and examine all of our actions so that they move us toward that peace.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

--St. Francis of Assisi

"He's like an angel in jeans."

2007-12-02T22:36:00.000-06:00

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. --Isaiah 7:14, KJV

Today is the First Sunday of Advent. It is a day of HOPE in the coming of the Christ, and in Jesus himself, who is our hope.

However, one unique characteristic of Advent is that it is not only about celebrating the coming of the baby Jesus into the world. This awesome time of year also links the past coming of Jesus with the next, and so our hope is also in the future reign of heaven.

One of my Christian Thought textbooks explains it this way:

That hope, and the joy it produces, may be compared to the situation of a girl who sees her presents under a Christmas tree. The day when she will be able to open them is not here yet, and sometimes--because she is so young--she even has difficulty understanding how long she must wait. She knows that the presents are hers, and every time she can she goes and touches them, or she picks them up and shakes them, not only to try to find out what is in them, but also in order to enjoy some of the promised joy. In those days before Christmas, she rejoices in what is already hers, and in what is still not quite hers yet. She certainly knows that Christmas Day will arrive, and even though sometimes she wishes that it would be sooner, all that she can do now is rejoice in the hope for what is to come.

In the Gospels, Jesus says on the one hand that the reign of God is "among you" (Luke 17:21), and on the other hand that it is near, that it is at hand, but is not yet here (Matt. 4:17). The reign is a promise and a reality, just as the girl's presents before Christmas. --Justo L. Gonzáles and Zaida Maldonado Pérez, An Introduction to Christian Theology (Nashville: Abingdon, 2002) 146

"Greet everybody you see with a holy kiss."

2007-11-16T22:37:00.000-06:00

Hey look, it's one more visit on the Church Safari! Last weekend Chris, Clint, and I went to Church of the Harvest. I have not yet written about it because I am crazy tired of writing--blogs, papers, whatever. I just don't want to write anymore. But since my MuMinChu paper needs to be finished soon, I needed to type up these notes, so here they are!

Service Order
When the doors to the sanctuary opened, we walked in, received bulletins, and found seats in one of the middle sections. After the praise band took the stage, the service began with four choruses. After this, a spiky-haired pastor came out (We later learned that his name is Rev. Spike Hawks. Not even kidding.) and spoke of several answered prayers within the congregation, and mentioned a few requests. We then repeated the previous praise chorus one more time through, and this was followed by a period for greeting. The church announcements were presented in a video form, after which a passage from Malachi 3 was read. The senior pastor then took the stage for the sermon, after which the band once again came up and began to play background music. The pastor gave an invitation to accept Christ and led seekers in a prayer of repentance, then led the congregation in a pastoral prayer. The band continued to play as buckets were passed around for the offering. After this, we were dismissed.

Music Style
The music was very loud and upbeat, played by a band consisting of electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric bass guitar, drums, keyboard, small choir, and three singers. The three of us did not know any of the guitar-driven choruses, which were published either by Hillsong or Harvest Church. This led me to believe that this church is affiliated with Hillsong in Sydney. However, the catchy music was not difficult to learn, and by the second or third verse, almost everyone was participating in each song.

Evangelism in Worship
When we walked into the church, people were standing around the foyer chatting and drinking Starbucks coffee from the in-church coffee shop. A young couple talked to us, and we learned that one was a SNU alumnus and the other lives across the street from us. Upon entering the sanctuary, we were greeted twice: once by the people handing out bulletins, and again by a man who was standing slightly inside the doors. The service was seeker-sensitive in that it directed the sermon, which was about tithing, to the body of believers, but also included elements that would appeal to nonbelievers. For example, the pastor said in his sermon that "the lost" will "come to God's house," explaining that tithes and offerings would help make the church building a place that would look good to nonbelieving visitors. The church also placed visitor cards in each seat, at one point applauded those visiting, and offers "DNA Classes" for those who are new to the church. However, the fact that all of the music came from within this small group of churches seemed very targeted to regular attenders and members.

Atmosphere
One of the first things that we noticed about the sanctuary was the lack of altars or a cross. It looked like a large, rectangular conference room with a stage in the front center and four sections of pew chairs facing it. A black curtain covered the front part of the room, while the stage had backdrop banners, a platform for the band, and risers for the choir. The outside of the church was very plain: aluminum siding with large worship banners on the front of the building. During the service, the music was very loud, and was probably intended to envelop the worshipers like a rock concert does its audience. The music was accompanied by an elaborate light show on stage.

Worship Postures/Actions
As soon as the music began the service, almost everyone in the congregation jumped to their feet and began clapping with the music. Many people throughout the sanctuary raised their hands during the music, and during the announcements, Rev. Spike gave an invitation for everyone to lift their hands in worship during the music, stating that it displays our surrender to God. Before reading the Scripture, the pastor led everyone in holding up their Bibles and repeating him in a series of statements beginning with "I love the Word." They mentioned things like loving to read and learn from the Word. Also, there were many times that people clapped for various parts of the service. This included the end of each song played by the band, and when directed to applaud visitors, but there were also instances in which the pastor asked for applause for certain points in the sermon. I think that he intended the applause to be for God, but because he never explicitly stated that, it often seemed that the congregation was cheering for a performance, rather than participating in corporate worship. At the end of the service, during the prayer, all were directed to spread out and join hands across the sanctuary.

Community
This service produced in me many mixed feelings about the congregation's practice of Christian community. Some great examples of community practices were the announcement of answered prayers in the community, which was followed by applause from the congregation, and then the public announcement of some prayer requests. During the pastoral prayer, the pastor invited people to pray out loud, resulting in a unified lifting of all prayers. During his sermon, the pastor said that "the key word in Christian community is 'relationships,'" and he worked to involve listeners in his message by asking us to repeat a word or important phrase, or to clap in agreement with something. The topic of the sermon was tithing, which he felt was somewhat controversial, and so he emphasized the importance of unity among believers by encouraging those who disagreed to come back. The announcements also mentioned an upcoming baby dedication service and Habitat for Humanity work day, as well as a conference for all four Harvest church campuses. When the pastor led seekers in a prayer of repentance, he asked for the entire congregation to join them in saying the prayer out loud, in essence grafting those people into the body of believers. We also joined hands for this prayer, strengthening the sense of community. However, I felt that in spite of these practices, a large majority of attenders chose not to commit to this unity of the body, and came only for the good feelings provided by the music and sermon.

"So he was just chillin' with the Father and the Holy Spirit?"

2007-11-04T22:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, I realize that I have not kept my Sunday blogging schedule.

It looks like the Church Safari may be over. Too many other obligations and events have arisen to keep me from visiting churches (Fall Break, Covenant Celebration, Chorale outing). As I said earlier, this semester is evil, and I am reaching the crisis period (probably from now until mid-December), so I cannot guarantee any sort of blogging consistency!

But I am trying to hang in there, and I will do my best!

Peace.

"Are you guys ready to get crunk with the Word of God?"

2007-10-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

As many scholars in the United States have noticed, postmodernism has moved young people from the alienation of the 1960s to the schizophrenia or multiphrenia (a legion of selves with no constant core of character) of the 1990s and 2000s. Having no point of reference, no overarching story, no master narrative, people don't know who they are. Constantly shifting their image of themselves to fit in with the fads and fashions of the times, young folks especially lack a nucleus of identity, a personality that has been formed by moral authorities and mentoring models. Furthermore, since they have no sense of themselves, they are unable to make commitments to another person in marriage or friendship or to a job, a vision, a vocation, a religion. Their subconscious cry often becomes, "Keep entertaining me, so that I don't have to face the absence of my self. --Marva J. Dawn, from A Royal "Waste" of Time

That is a quote from one of my MuMinChu textbooks. In it, Marva Dawn expresses how the postmodern mindset often finds connection with a church very difficult.

One big concern of many in the Church today is this: How do we connect to postmoderns? How does the church reach out to those with no master narrative, no "nucleus of identity"?

About a week and a half ago, I visited Frontline Fellowship, a church in OKC which specifically aims to reach such people. And my actual experience in the church service was nowhere near my expectations. In fact, I took more notes during this service that any of the other visits on my Church Safari. So hang on as we dive into Frontline (the church, not the flea/tick medicine).

Service Order
As Clint and I entered this church a few minutes early, we found many people standing around discussing their weeks, and a few others finding seats. The first part of the service consisted of fellowship, with many grabbing some coffee from the back of the room. As the musicians took the stage, people found their seats and we began by singing a hymn and two praise choruses. In between songs, the leader offered up several short prayers. The pastor then walked on stage and read a passage from Acts 16 (which I later found was to be the basis for the sermon) and used it as an invitation to worship. This led directly into another chorus, which he directed us to sing "as a prayer." At the end of the song, the pastor called up three members of the congregation to lead us in prayer, and after each had prayed, the congregation joined in unison to recite the Lord's Prayer. The amen led us straight into a time of meeting/greeting during which the lights were turned up and we participated in friendly introductions with the people sitting near us. The pastor once again took the stage for a greeting, and welcomed the visitors. After this, all children were called up to the front, and they sat on the front part of the stage, as the pastor appealed to parents to raise these children in Christian households and teachings. The children's pastor then prayed and led them to children's church. We then heard announcements of upcoming events from the pastor, were led in a pastoral prayer, and once again read from the larger passage in Acts 16, on which the sermon was preached. The sermon was followed with a closing prayer, an invitation to accept Christ (during which people seekers left to pray with another pastor), and prayer for for seekers and the sick, and the pastor ended with a benediction.

Music Style
The music was led by a singer and band that consisted of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, violin, bass guitar, bongos, congas, and one backup singer. The style was mostly guitar-driven rock. The hymn that began the service was "Nothing But the Blood," and the choruses with which I was familiar were "Marvelous Light" and "Your Love, Oh Lord." The lyrics to all of the songs were projected on a large screen behind the stage and two smaller wide-screen televisions which were hanging from the ceiling above the front part of the stage. The song leader, who was also the pastor's wife, did not play any instruments, but was very active during the music, often moving about the stage.

Evangelism in Worship
Overall, I felt that this church was extremely comfortable and accessible for any potential visitor. The church took a seeker-sensitive approach to the worship service (very sensitive) with an emphasis on the idea that all people are children of God. As we found our seats before the service, we noticed that every seat contained a small flyer which served as the church bulletin and welcome card. In his sermon, the pastor fully explained the scriptures that were read, and without "talking down," did not assume that the congregation had any scriptural knowledge.This was paired with a visitor card, which the pastor asked guests to place in the offering baskets. The sermon employed many cultural references to engage the postmoderns in attendance, and used very few terms that distinguished between believers and non-believers, although there was an time at the end of the service set apart for people to accept Jesus as Savior. At this point, those who decided to do so went off to the side to pray with another pastor, and were then brought to the front of the sanctuary with the pastor. The entire congregation stretched out their hands toward the people to welcome them into the Body of Christ and pray for them as a community. The church also offered a sort of membership class for people just getting involved with the congregation. This class, called The Way, meets on Wednesday evenings.

Atmosphere
Frontline Church meets in a former commercial suite in downtown OKC, and consists of one large main room that serves as the sanctuary, and a few smaller rooms in the back for children's ministries and nursery. Upon entering, I first noticed two major things. The first was the dim lighting: characteristic of postmodern worship settings, this church had very low house lights, with some candles and several trendy-looking floor lamps around the room. I imagine that the goal was to help create an atmosphere conducive to worship and reverence. The second thing that I noticed was the seating: although the congregational seating consisted primarily of blue, plastic chairs, it was interspersed with many easy chairs, couches, wooden pews, and--toward the back of the room--bistro tables. I felt that this was a reflection of the way that postmodern culture embraces diversity, but also the way that it relies on multiple, unrelated stimuli (ie. in entertainment). The design of the room consisted of mostly earth tones like brown and tan, and several different types of art were displayed around the room, including a mosaic of Jesus's face made from magazine cutouts, and several paintings. New Age-sounding music was played during the fellowship time before the service, and there were no Bibles or hymnals at the seats. It seemed like the church was trying for a hip/cool atmosphere, but I observed that they did not flaunt this characteristic, but rather put the entire focus of the service on God and his worship.

Worship Postures/Actions
As the first song began, the entire congregation instinctively stood, without any direction to do so. In fact, I do not recall any directions to sit or stand, allowing for freedom of worship postures. Some manifestations of this freedom that I noticed during the music were clapping, lifted hands, dancing, sitting on the floor, swaying to the music, or kneeling. However, most of these were done by only a handful of people in the congregation. When we prayed as a church, the pastor directed everyone to bow their head and close their eyes, and when we welcomed and prayed for the new believers toward the end of the service, the entire congregation was asked to stretch out our hands toward them, in support. In the closing prayer, there was a point where the pastor directed us to verbally express our thanks to God, which did not really make me uncomfortable since everyone else was doing it at the same time. Although the church allowed freedom to express worship, the presence of directions in prayer emphasized the reverence of speaking with God.

Community
Of the many facets that I observed while visiting this church, I was probably most impressed with its display of Christian community. The time for coffee and fellowship thirty minutes before the service allowed attendees to "catch up" with one another and "settle into" an attitude of worship. The unisonal recitation of the Lord's Prayer brought us together as the Body of Christ, and when the kids were called up before children's church, the pastor's message to parents emphasized the importance of equipping children to carry on the faith as the next generation of believers. I loved the way that the sermon was not simply a lecture, but purposely involved the congregation by asking questions such as, "Are you still with me?" and asking everyone to verbally repeat an important point in the message. The pastor spoke of us as a part of the universal Christian church, rather than excluding nonbelievers with phrases that speak of "we as believers," and used cultural references such as movies and young children to engage the church's majority demographic of young, postmodern adults. He spoke of the New Testament churches as a model for our church today (an important tenet of postmodern Christianity), and told us about how a new, local congregational church is using Frontline's church building to meet until they have their own, as a way of emphasizing the universality of the Body. The church community also holds regular meetings of home groups for in-depth Bible study, since the Sunday worship service is heavily oriented toward seekers, and also participates in "prayer teams" and a ministry at nearby Oklahoma City University. The church leaders clearly see community as indispensable to Christian faith, and make a valiant effort at creating such community on many different levels.

"You were weeping, the tears flowing like drops of mercury from your observational globes."

2007-10-18T20:06:00.000-05:00

This entry (for some reason I hate the term "blog post." it makes me think of a fence post.) is completely independent from the ones prior, and most likely from the ones that will come after it. Forget the Church Safari for a bit (yes, I still need to do one for last weekend, but that might take place this weekend, because it doesn't look like I will get another visit in), because that is probably one of the farthest things from my mind right now.

I am in Austin this weekend for Fall Break. I skipped chapel, Chorale, and my reading group yesterday so that I could drive down early, and it's a good thing I left when I did, because crazy storms hit Oklahoma last night! Anyway, I was reminded today of just how great Austin is--definitely the best place in the world to live. Oklahoma City just cannot compare to the beautiful landscape, rich culture, quirky populus, and cool stores (like Central Market) of Austin. Besides that, I was able to completely forget about the ridiculous amount of homework commitments that I have in Bethany. That's not necessarily a good thing, since I should be a lot farther along on most of them than I currently am, but this visit has just given me a different perspective on things.

Last night, I went to Wednesday night church at South Austin, which is something that I have not done in a LONG time. Sure, I went to teen group all summer to sponsor, but it is different in the fall. I once again went to teen group, and after that I went to choir practice (I am going to try and be a part of the Christmas musical...), and it was seriously a blast from the past. Wednesday night was seriously like the highlight of my week in high school, because of the awesome/relaxing fellowship time that I had in teen group, the great music and people in choir practice, and then I stayed at my grandma's house every week. I think it has been over two years since I last got to have that experience! Of course, teen group is quite different now that I am a sponsor, but I remember well what it feels like to be in the youth group.

Doing these things, and driving around Austin help me realize some things:
1. I realize that I love participating at South Austin Church.
2. I realize that I love living in Austin.
3. I realize that I am sick of school...I seriously do not want to go back. Ever. But I know that I have to.
4. I realize that I do not know what I am going to do with my life. I cannot see any career in my future, and I don't even know where to look for any.

I guess I wish that I could just spend my life volunteering and being a part of South Austin Church, serving the church and community. But that doesn't exactly pay the rent, as they say. It's not a job. It's not a practical plan for my life, and doesn't explain how I will make a living.

I realize that I have to go back to school and write those papers and do those projects due this semester. Then I have to take a bunch more classes before I can graduate. But then what? What happens when "real life" takes over? What do I say when people ask me why I am studying music business and business administration?

I don't know. But for now, I am going to revel in this perspective. I am not sure whether it is "good" or "bad," but who knows? maybe it will help me answer some of those questions above.

Peace.

"Jesus says, 'Dude, have you read my Bible?'"

2007-10-14T23:09:00.000-05:00

What a weekend! I did triple church duty this weekend: two for my Safari, and one just because. Since I hardly have the energy right now to write about one safari church, I will have to add in an extra blog post sometime this week (joy!) for the second one.

Last night, I attended a Communion service at All Souls' Episcopal Church with Emily and Chris. As I have never before attended an Episcopal church, I knew that I would be in for an experience quite different from what I am used to. The liturgical format, various actions and readings, and Communion were somewhat foreign to us, but we all left appreciating the new experience. Here are some notes...

Service Order
This church followed a liturgical format known as Rite I in the Book of Common Prayer, which is a guide for Episcopal and Anglican church services worldwide. The church bulletin outlined the order of the service, pointing us to specific pages in the parish missal, which contained excerpts from the Book of Common Prayer, as well as pointing us to specific pages in the hymnal. In the bulletin and missal, there were also specific instructions to sit, stand, or kneel for different parts of the service. To my understanding, this same liturgy is used for most communion services at this church. An organ prelude began the service, followed by a congregational hymn. We then went through several readings from the missal, including prayers and statements of faith, interspersed with short doxologies sung by all, and one hymn. Some readings were spoken by all, and some only by the priest. In the middle of this section, there was a scripture reading and homily from the priest. The second section contained some missal readings about the Eucharist, and then the entire congregation filed to the altar at the front of the church in order to take Communion. We knelt along the altar, people taking the place of others after they had taken the body and blood. The service concluded with another prayer and benediction, and an organ fugue was played as the people left. After the service, there was fellowship in the Parish Hall, although we did not attend.

Music Style
The organ music at the beginning and end of the service (played by Prof. Tim Marek) consisted of a Walther chorale prelude and a Buxtehude fugue. These complex baroque compositions brought on a very formal feeling, connecting the service with hundreds of years of worship in the Christian church. The congregational hymns, "Praise to the Lord" and "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" were familiar to me, and were led by the priest, accompanied by organ. The massive pipe organ, whose pipes nearly covered the front wall, filled the entire sanctuary with sound. The liturgy contained several short doxologies, which did not have notation or organ accompaniment. I did not know these songs, and found myself unable to sing along with the majority of them. Overall, however, I felt that the solemnity of the music and lack of a complex instrumental "praise band" brought the words of the music into a new, fresh perspective and poignancy.

Evangelism in Worship
This service followed a clearly believer-targeted format. Although visitors were invited to fill out "visitor cards" from the pew backs during the announcements, there was an over-arching assumption that all present were believers. Some examples of this were the sermon/homily, which spoke of the thankfulness that "we as Christians" should have for God's work and our church traditions, and also the fact that there were no instructions or explanations given about the various elements of the liturgy. As a visitor, and one who is not familiar with the Episcopal worship practices, I often felt lost and frustrated about the constant actions which were second nature to most attendees, yet which I could not keep up with. Although there are many important symbols and reasons for the traditions in the liturgical worship, I did not understand many of them, and it seemed that no one wanted to help me and my friends, who were guests. This church clearly separates worship and evangelism, probably because the worship service is meant for the edification of believers and regular attenders, while Inquirer classes, catechumenal education, and community involvement are the channels used for evangelism.

Atmosphere
The church architecture was a beautiful blend of modern and ancient elements: brick walls, vaulted wood ceiling, and wood pews combined to create a warm, comfortable space for worship. The altar and crucifix were prominent at the front of the sanctuary, and stained glass windows surrounded the room, depicting the various Stations of the Cross. Ornate chandeliers lit the congregational pew area, and accent lights covered the ceiling of the altar area. The pulpit was altar area nearest the congregation, on the left side of the sanctuary, and the organ manuals were on the opposite side. The overall effect of the atmosphere was the creation of a holy haven, separated from the daily struggles of life. The pew backs each contained two hymnals, 2 missals, and four Books of Common Prayer, but no bibles (the daily scripture readings were printed in the bulletin).

Worship Postures/Actions
As stated earlier, the specific worship postures consisted primarily of sitting, standing, and kneeling. For each element of the service listed in the bulletin, there was an instruction of which posture to take. Generally, we stood for hymns and statements of faith, kneeled for prayer, and sat for the reading and instruction from the Word. There were also several instances, notated by a Greek cross in the liturgical text, where worshipers were to make the Sign of the Cross. When the congregation went forward for Communion, many bowed before leaving the pew, and upon arriving at the altar, kneeled with folded hands while waiting to be served the body and blood. When a priest came by with the body, both hands were cupped, and after the wafer was placed in them, they were brought up to the mouth. When the second priest came by with the cup, he poured it into each person's mouth. Upon returning to the pew, many people bowed once more. During the pastoral prayer, the priest speaking kneeled at the altar with his back to the congregants, as if offering up the church's prayers to God. During the readings, the missal directed us to alternate between only the priest and the entire congregation, and this was indicated by the use of bold text when all were to read.

Community
Although we were greeted by an usher and handed a bulletin upon entering the church, we found that there were large spaces between the groups of people attending--as congregants entered, they sat away from other people. However, I found that this church participates in community in other ways. Built in to the service were many readings in which everyone participated, lifting our voices in unison to God. The reading of the Nicean Creed was especially moving, as we corporately stated that "We believe..." In the pastoral prayer, the priest offered up prayers for the parish congregation, the surrounding community, the larger Episcopal church, the nation, and the world, and even for some specific members of the church. The bulletin also listed names of many people in need of prayer, encouraging the community of believers to pray for one another. Each service is followed by fellowship in the Parish Hall, which encourages participation in community of the Body of Christ, and numerous ministries take place throughout the week which incorporate many different people in the life of the church. Food collections for charity and an upcoming Fall Fest reflected the church's participation in surrounding community as the Body of Christ for the world.

"My ears are marsupials."

2007-10-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

It figures that as soon as I began trying to structure my weekends, challenges would arise.

I was not able to complete the weekend's homework yesterday, so I am busy busy today. Also, my church safari was temporarily postponed because Chorale sang at Williams Memorial Church of the Nazarene this morning.

But I wanted something to remain constant, so here is my weekly blog update. Going on in my life: allergies, a sinus infection, and stress. This semester is awful, and I find that it is difficult to enjoy it in light of the ridiculous amount of schoolwork that I have signed myself up for.

The exciting news is that I am changing my major from Music Business to a multidisciplinary one in Music Business and Business Administration. After this semester, I will (officially) be finished with all of my music classes, so that only business and gen. ed. classes will remain. I am only adding 9 hours to what I already need, and I am only adding one semester, so that I will graduate in May 2009.

To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
Do not be silent to me,
Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
--Psalm 28:1-2, NKJV

"It will be a Church Safari!"

2007-09-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

This semester, I am in a class called Music, Ministry, and the Church--or MuMinChu, for short. For my research paper, I have decided to attend the worship services at a variety of different churches to write about their different approaches to worshiping God. I will be attending a diverse mix of churches, in the evangelical, orthodox, charismatic, and postmodern traditions to get (hopefully) a good sampling of the ways that Christians worship. I would also like to write about the churches that I visit, in order to share what I have learned.

This morning, Clint and I attended Mayfair Church of Christ here in OKC. Clint is helping me with my Church Safari, as he called it. I have never been to a Church of Christ service, but I knew that the music is all a capella, so I thought that might be a good starting point. Here are some of my observations.

Service Order
After we arrived, were handed bulletins, and sat down in about the middle of the sanctuary, the worship service followed what is a standard liturgy for most evangelical churches. This began with a welcome from the pulpit, followed by two hymns, after which someone gave the weekly announcements. We then sang two praise choruses and another hymn, after which a pastoral prayer took place. Communion (or the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist) followed. We sang the first verse of a hymn while the body was passed out, the second verse during the blood, and the third verse during the passing of the offering plates. The children were called up to the front of the sanctuary for what was called PALS, a short children's lesson, and they were sent off to children's church. We followed this with another praise chorus, after which the pastor delivered the sermon. The sermon was ended with a call for those who would like to receive Jesus as savior to walk up to the front pew, after which the pastor prayed. We sang one more hymn, and were dismissed with a benedictory prayer.

Music Style
The Churches of Christ have within their denominational doctrine a belief that musical instruments should not be used in worship. I wrote about this belief a couple of years ago (it's hard to believe that I have had this blog for that long). Regardless of your personal opinion on this matter, this meant that the church music this morning was very different from what I am used to. Among the hymns that we sang were "All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name," "Nearer, Still Nearer," and "There's A Fountain Free." The praise choruses included "As The Deer," "Step By Step," and "He Is Able." For each of these songs, the words and four-part sheet music were projected on the screen. Since this was basically like singing from a hymnal, this allowed for an intellectual involvement in the music, due to the four-part harmony. However, I found myself sometimes frustrated about things such as not knowing the music, changes in tempo, and the music leader getting off key. Every rest resulted in silence, as opposed to the piano/drum/guitar fill that I am used to, and at points when no one was singing or talking in the service, there was only silence. This at first felt strange, but I soon learned to appreciate these moments, which were perfect for reflection or silent worship. In other churches, we often feel the need to entertain with constant music.

Evangelism in Worship
I felt that this church followed a "seeker-sensitive" approach to the worship service, in which the believer-slash-regular-attender was targeted, yet they were still sensitive to the presence of possible seekers and/or visitors. While the service began by welcoming visitors, we were encouraged to fill out "Guest Cards," and the sermon began with a recap of the previous sermons in the series, that seemed to be the extent of hospitality toward visitors. There were few directions about how to worship (other than sit/stand), and during communion, I sat there waiting to eat the body until I realized that the blood was already being passed around and taken. There was no time for greeting one another built into the service, and only one person took the time to introduce themself to us--a lady who happened to be sitting behind us and recognized us as college kids. During the sermon, I felt that it was geared mostly toward those who were already believers, yet the "altar call" at the end was interesting. The pastor first applied the message to nonbelievers, calling them up if they would like to receive Jesus as Savior, and then called upon those beleivers seeking renewal.

Atmosphere
The church building is colonial-revival architecture, with high ceilings and windows and tall columns. The lighting is recessed, joining with the sunlight streaming in the windows. The moments of silence that came with the a capella music set a somber, reverent mood for the service. I felt somewhat neglected by the hospitality of the church. Although they were "seeker-sensitive," I felt as if they were not sincere about it, but doing the bare minimum that was expected to make newcomers feel welcome. However, maybe this is because my evangelical church background is fairly seeker-targeted. Interestingly, only the welcome and announcements were given from the giant pulpit on stage. The music and sermon were delivered from a smaller lectern, which was lower than the pulpit, helping it to feel more accessible and down-to-earth.

Worship Postures and Actions
As one of the more conservative denominations within the evangelical church tradition, the people in this Church of Christ seemed to be minimally expressive within the worship service. The postures taken during the music were standing (for the first two songs, and for the last two), and sitting (for the rest). No one raised their hands or moved with the music. In prayer, all bowed their heads, closed their eyes, and folded their hands, but I did not see anyone kneeling or otherwise.

Community
Although the church's hospitality toward visitors did not match up with my expectations, I found that they participate in Christian community in other ways. The bulletin contained congregational announcements such as marriages, births, and many prayer requests. The pastoral prayer addressed many needs within the community of believers, and there was an announcement in the bulletin about community service nights. Involvement in the surrounding community included an upcoming Fall Carnival, a play group for new mothers, and a request for musical instrument donations for nearby schools. I realized that the church DOES reach out, but not necessarily to visitors who are already Christians. Instead, they work in the surrounding community as the hands and feet of Christ, and then work to bring those in, where they are nurtured and encouraged to participate in the activites of the church.

"If you were really sorry, you would quit saying 'explosive diarrhea.'"

2007-09-23T20:08:00.000-05:00

Hi.

It's been a while.

Let's dive in.

I am taking a class called Intro. to Christian Thought this semester. It is basically an introductory class to theology, required for everyone at SNU who is NOT majoring in theology. For the most part, I love this class. Our professor, Dr. Crutcher, constantly brings many aspects of Christian theology into a light in which I never before understood them.

For example, in teaching about the Doctrine of God, he recently used the creation story at the beginning of Genesis, and took some time to focus on the seventh day, when God rested. Dr. Crutcher told us how that when he was in college, he resolved to work hard during the week and on Saturday to complete his homework, so that Sunday would be a day of Sabbath rest. (Any homework not yet finished would have to be postponed until Monday morning, at the earliest.) I have decided to try and apply this concept to my own life, and so far it has worked out amazingly. The abundance of free time on Sundays allows me to blog, so I think that I will make this a weekly-update blog.

This evening, I did something pretty out of the norm. I visited a church where I had never been, and where I knew absolutely no one. All by myself. Even now, I am not exactly sure why I did this, except that God must have led me there. Mars Hill is a fairly new church in Oklahoma City, and those who attend are mostly twenty-somethings. I only heard of this church from their website, and some flyers they stuck in the SNU Commons when they were first getting started several months back.

But I am glad that I went. Although Mars Hill is something of a hip, young church, and they meet in a trendy, retro cafe near Oklahoma City University, I sensed a genuine spirit in the place. When I arrived, the pastor (or "quasi-pastor", as he called himself), Ben Nockels, greeted me and we talked for a while, as the first few minutes were spent in fellowship and people helping themselves to cake and coffee. Interestingly enough, Ben comes from a Nazarene background. I met a couple other people, with whom I sat during the service. The church seems to be very involved in the community, with homeless ministries and participation in the AIDS Walk, which is one of the things that I love most about South Austin Church. I know it's cliche, but I feel pretty strongly about the Body of Christ being the church, rather than simply talking about ministry. Although the music was kind of slow and very repetitive, the gathering still had a worshipful atmosphere, and a strong sense of community.

Community is kind of a big deal with me right now. All semester, in several different ways, God has been teaching me about the importance of worship in community. I would love to talk about that some more in another entry.

I am glad that I visited Mars Hill today. I would like to return, and possibly get involved in that community of believers.

"You're super. Only not Superman, because he's retarded."

2007-09-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hi.

Even though I have failed to write much in here since school began, it does not mean that I have nothing to say. In fact, there have been multiple occurances each day that have seemed to me like blog-worthy material (good stuff, not emo stuff)! But considering that I am having serious difficulty even fitting sleep into my schedule right now, it might be a little while before anything significant shows up on here. I don't like it, but I felt like I should give my excuse.

So there it is.

Hopefully this will not be at the top of the page for long.

"Let's use these snowflake sprinkles that we did not find in some trash heap."

2007-08-24T17:53:00.000-05:00

Here we are, approaching the end of the first "week" of school. After two days, I have been to most of my classes, and it looks like this semester will be significantly more challenging than most of the ones before this. So far, I know that I have a short paper due next week, three research papers to write during the semester, and two presentations to prepare for.

I am, however, pretty excited about living in one of four Imel Townhouses on campus this year. There are ten of us living in this large house, and people are coming in and out ALL THE TIME. It is possible to find privacy, but if you feel like talking to someone, there are usually others in the house. The only "bad" thing is that everyone is really excited about our new living conditions, so the social activity has been basically nonstop since I got here.

However, it will probably not last (at least for me). The ridiculous amount of work that I will have this semester, accompanied by my insanely large number of musical commitments, is going to catch up soon. And it doesn't help that I still need to cough up the money for a couple more textbooks, and I just realized that the air conditioner on my car is not working! Ugh...

But I had a moment of clarity about fifteen minutes ago where I realized how much I love college, in spite of the challenges. This time will not last for long, so I want to keep a positive attitude and make it the best that it can be.

"Did somebody say K.T. Tunstall?"

2007-08-17T22:12:00.000-05:00

Peter Parker doesn't like Albany's drawing: