4.29.2011

All Nighter

I feel like a real college student! (think Pinocchio)

I just finished a paper. It's 4 AM. I have class at 8 AM. Rather than risk oversleeping and missing my classes in the morning, I am choosing to stay up.

Good thing tonight just happens to be Royal Wedding :)

4.27.2011

{Blown Away}

I'm so blessed. I have friends and family who are beyond generous.

They're giving in service to the Lord, but I can't help thinking that these people believe in me and in what I'm trying to do enough to donate such large sums of money.

I'm shocked that they would consider me worth it. That they think I can do enough great things in the lives of others to warrant that.

I recognize that I'm blessed and I thank God everyday for putting these people in my life, who have always supported me in prayer and are now supporting me financially.

But wait. I can see Satan lurking. I can see him using this as an opportunity to make it all about me and how my friends and family view me. This is all about God. This is all about His kingdom. This is all about how He is able to work through me: an imperfect, fallen, human vessel.

This is not about me.

How humbling. How blessed am I!

Continue to pray that the support comes in. Pray for the support for the rest of my team as well. We are all struggling with trusting in God to provide. But if He wants to, it will.

4.24.2011

Christ is Risen - Matt Maher

Christ is risen from the dead,
trampling over death by death.
Come awake, come awake,
come and rise up from the grave.

Christ is risen from the dead,
we are one with him again.
Come awake, come awake,
come and rise up from the grave.

O, death. Where is your sting?
O, hell. Where is your victory?

The Next Few Months

Month One:
Georgia, North Carolina, GREECE.

Months Two, Three:
Serving my Lord in Greece!

Month Four:
'Merica.
21st birthday! in Florida!

Months Five, Six, Seven, Eight:
Studying in Scotland :]

Month Nine:
Return home. Move in to my HOUSE. Start back up my normal life in Nashville.


Whoa. That's a whirlwind next nine months! Someone keep me sane! Can you imagine the jet lag involved in this?

{Easter}




He is Risen. 


Praise the LORD!


4.21.2011

ADULThood.


We destroyed that For Rent sign (not literally, of course).
Alyssa's ballet moves killed it.
Why?
Because that house isn't up for no rent no mo'.
We be ADULTS.

We get keys on May 1. 
Be jealous.
You only wish you were as cool as us.

Flea Market Friday for bedroom furniture?
Yes, please.

We're more excited than little kids at the place with all the inflatable bouncy things!

4.13.2011

News

I don't know why I've been absent for so long. My school work hasn't been too bad, although these next few weeks are going to be rough.

I do have a few quick updates for you all though:
1. I need to raise $7331 in the next 10 days. I thank God daily for my home church. They are so supportive of missions. Thanks to them I have $1040. I have a long way to go...

2. I bought Chacos and I am soooo excited for them! They'll be the perfect shoes for Greece this summer and for ever after. Thanks lifetime warranty!

3. I'll be living with five wonderful girls next spring in a beautiful house after I return from Scotland. Casa del sexaaay! I love my friends, and I'm so glad we all get to live together. No brothel law will stop us (it actually won't; eight girls is the limit)!

4.04.2011

Alone.

Superfluous. Replaced. An inconvenience.

Uninvolved. Unimportant.

I don't really think that anyone will be at all bothered when I'm out of the country for the rest of the year. And I don't think anything will be different when I return. If anything, I'll be forgotten. More alone.

At school, at home, at church. With 'friends' and family and extracurricular groups.

Do I mean nothing?
Then again, what about me is worth the effort for someone to try?


A message to the world: I know you're on your cell phone 24/7. I'm going to pretend that my text messages never reach you instead of recognizing that you're just choosing not to respond.

4.03.2011

Belmont=Musical Talent

My school is crazy talented. I am blessed to go here. I'm surrounded by music. The students here don't just like music as a hobby- they are music.

This afternoon I went to my friend Melissa's Senior Composition Recital. She presented four or five of the pieces she has composed in her time here at Belmont. I was honestly blown away. My favorite piece (well... I guess I had two favorites) is called "Two clappers and a fiddle." She wrote the piece for "big" hands, "little" hands, and a violin. Incredible. I couldn't follow any one of them. The clappers were using their entire bodies to make these sounds. And Melissa had composed it. How do you even do that?! The other piece I loved was her final piece, "Consciousness." She said this was the most personal and introspective piece she has written. It had to do with naming consciousness (think Elegance of the Hedgehog). I won't pretend that I understand it completely. The way Melissa's mind works does not resemble mine in any way. She thinks in music and notes and rhythm. She sees something and it automatically translates into a melody for her. My consciousness gives me words instead. This piece was composed as a piano solo. Our friend Syneva played piano (and cello) for the recital, and I do not know anyone who knows their way around that instrument like Syneva does. No normal person could possibly perform what Melissa composed. I didn't even know it was possible/legal to play the strings inside the piano. How do you even notate that on a score? Melissa is ridiculously talented, it was a beautiful recital. I would like Melissa to create the score for my life.

This evening I went with some friends to see The Drowsy Chaperone, which our musical theater majors were putting on. Musical theater is the most difficult major to get into in the School of Music. It is the only major that has a quota. Over 100 people auditioned for musical theater for the fall. Belmont accepts 15-20. These students have to sing, dance, and act, and they have to be really great at all of it. This musical had a loooong tap number. Holy cow was it good! They tapped and sang and remained in character. One of the tappers also had to roller skate blindfolded on stage later in the show. I would recommend this musical to anyone, anywhere. I don't think I have ever seen a more entertaining, funnier musical. Obviously, if you could see the cast of Belmont students perform it, that would be the best. If you can't, I'm sorry, but you should still go see it if you have the chance.

Sometimes, I feel unbelievably untalented. But most of the time, I'm thankful that I go to a school where I can attend four or five music events for free in one day and know that every one of them will be of professional quality. As I said before, music isn't just a hobby. It's their life. Their present, their past, their future.

It's amazing how differently God forms each one of us. Yet we all have a unique purpose for the Kingdom.

4.02.2011

Happy Week!

It's been quite a whirlwind of a week!

Recap:
I beasted my huge test on Monday.
I found out I'll be officially going to Greece for the summer with MTW! Now to raise support...
Belmont told me that I've been approved for study abroad in Scotland in the fall!

Not a bad week despite this nasty weather (I refuse to return to winter).

If you could all do me a huge favor and pray for me as I continue this process with MTW. I do need to raise quite a lot of support in a short amount of time, but more than money, I need prayer.

After all this waiting, things are happening! God is so good!