Hi, my name is Sarah and I HATE change.
So, my dad got re-married about two weeks ago and is going to be selling his condo where I have lived off-and-on for about 4 years (so, I have a lot of stuff there). Let's consider the changes this entails, shall we? Well, actually, let's skip past the re-marriage stuff and move straight to the moving thing.
Here's the thing with moving. Even if you're leaving a place you weren't staying at all that much or that maybe you didn't even like, there's still something really sad about it. It's really depressing for me to take pictures off the wall, because those pictures provided comfort to me. Watching the wall go from a multi-colored mural back to a blank palette feels like a defeat. Removing trinkets and artifacts from a room that was once your own but will now belong to someone else just plain ol' sucks.
So, imagine all of that and multiply it by at least ten--because I hate change more than most. If I'm going to change something and smile about it, it's because I've thought long and hard over it and I've made sure it's something I want to do. However, when it's something that someone else decides, that forces me to make changes, I have an extremely hard time.
Some types of change I don't mind--like the occasional redecorating. This is one of the changes being "forced" on me because of the move. Today, I was considering with some degree of pleasure how I would reorganize the bedroom of the house I live in now. I was thinking of what things I would put on top of my dresser, realizing that some things would have to go. Then it occurred to me that I'd have to dust before rearranging anything. This is a simple observation, yes. But when you dust as often as I do (meaning...never), you think, "Ew. There will be a pretty thick layer by now..."
Please don't puke; I have a point.
Why don't I dust more often? Well, for one, because I'm plumb lazy. But the other reason is that I never think to, because I never change anything on my dresser. The same stuff has been up there for years. I never move things, I rarely add to it, and therefore, I never think of dusting it. But the dust, over time, can actually harm the wood, as well as getting into the air and aggravating my allergies. So, the effect of not changing things is negative.
Same thing goes with staying in one physical position for too long--you can cut your circulation off. Blood doesn't get to all the parts of the body when the leg or arm is bent for too long, and the foot falls asleep, or the whole arm goes completely numb (if you've never awaken with this, be grateful). You have to change something frequently in order to keep all of your body alive and functioning properly.
Change stimulates, invigorates, sometimes angers us. Usually it points out a weakness that we must, in turn, hand over to God to change in our lives. What happens when we let things get stale or cease to move in a forward direction? Dust collects. Circulation gets cut off. We stop growing and we begin to die.
Consider the bowl of water for my cat downstairs. If left unchanged for a day or two, the water will become stagnant and eventually a layer will form over top of it. Disgusting, isn't it? That's why the bowl has to be rinsed and refreshed at least once a day. Stagnant water is undrinkable. It's unusable for the purpose it was intended and must be thrown out.
In order to stay alive--and not just alive but growing--I have to undergo change. It has proven to be very painful at times. But I would rather take up my cross and follow Jesus, futher on and further in, than give into my fear of pain and remain here on the road, useless, stagnant, dead.
musings from the journey (a girl discovering grace)
12.27.2005
12.25.2005
What's a Christmas Gram? I want one! Pt. 2
I was reading the story of the Magi today in Matthew, and I read that the Magi were known for studying the stars.
Yeah, I know, that's nothing too deep. But picture this. Can you imagine three (or however many) guys who spend all their time studying the stars--they have a passion for it--and they know everything there is to know about stars...and then suddenly, a star that they have never seen before (after years and years of study) appears in the sky. And you gotta think that if this star indicates that Christ has been born, it's gotta be a pretty magnificent star. Think of how excited the Magi must have been. What a discovery! I imagine that their curiosity was beyond peaked, and the thrill of the unknown was reawakened in their very hearts. And because of their interest, their years of study, and their curiosity, they met Jesus and ended up protecting his very young life. Isn't that something?
I think it's cool how God used their interests to lead them to His Son. There are practical applications of this idea, but I'll leave that discovery up to you.
Merry Christmas.
Yeah, I know, that's nothing too deep. But picture this. Can you imagine three (or however many) guys who spend all their time studying the stars--they have a passion for it--and they know everything there is to know about stars...and then suddenly, a star that they have never seen before (after years and years of study) appears in the sky. And you gotta think that if this star indicates that Christ has been born, it's gotta be a pretty magnificent star. Think of how excited the Magi must have been. What a discovery! I imagine that their curiosity was beyond peaked, and the thrill of the unknown was reawakened in their very hearts. And because of their interest, their years of study, and their curiosity, they met Jesus and ended up protecting his very young life. Isn't that something?
I think it's cool how God used their interests to lead them to His Son. There are practical applications of this idea, but I'll leave that discovery up to you.
Merry Christmas.
What's a Christmas Gram? I want one! Pt. 1
Does holiday music make you feel just a teensy bit depressed? It does that to me. I refused to listen to any Christmas music on the radio until about 9:30pm on Christmas Eve night, as I was driving back from my church services in Summerville to my home in Mt. Pleasant. And even then, in the midst of the actual holiday bustle (not the preliminary stuff that seems to start in August these days), I felt a little bit of discontent.
Why? I think most of the songs written for Christmas (not including Christmas carols, of course) are geared toward romance of some sort. Even if the lyrics aren't romantic, the orchestration usually is. So if you're single like me, you may start thinking, "Hmmm. That sounds romantic. I hate it. Stupid, shmaltzy Christmas music." This holiday has NOTHING to do with romance! So why all the romantic music? The kind of music they play tries to make you pine for either someone or for a time that has ended or perhaps will never be. So let's boycott it!!!
That's depressing, huh? :) Sorry. I am actually in a pretty good mood. This has been a better holiday than most, and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. So...stay tuned for part 2.
Why? I think most of the songs written for Christmas (not including Christmas carols, of course) are geared toward romance of some sort. Even if the lyrics aren't romantic, the orchestration usually is. So if you're single like me, you may start thinking, "Hmmm. That sounds romantic. I hate it. Stupid, shmaltzy Christmas music." This holiday has NOTHING to do with romance! So why all the romantic music? The kind of music they play tries to make you pine for either someone or for a time that has ended or perhaps will never be. So let's boycott it!!!
That's depressing, huh? :) Sorry. I am actually in a pretty good mood. This has been a better holiday than most, and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. So...stay tuned for part 2.
11.29.2005
Things I really, REALLY don't like
Take heed...
-People coming up behind me and squeezing/rubbing my shoulders. I don't care who you are. If I can't see your face, please don't touch me.
-Beeping things--alarm clocks, cell phones with new voicemail, etc.
-Being one of the first people at a party.
-Things shifting around or falling over in my car while I'm driving.
-Meetings I am required to attend that have nothing to do with me or my job.
-Rush hour in the rain when I'm hungry.
-Sore throats.
-Local commercials.
-Sticky substances in inappropriate locations (i.e. honey between my fingers or some such nonsense).
-Purple clothing...on me.
-Sometimes, talking on telephones.
-Muzak.
-Most Southern Gospel music.
-Miscommunication
-Arrogance (in myself more than others)
-Change...
Now I run the risk of getting a little too serious with this blog. It's a lot more fun to dwell on what you like rather than what you don't, isn't it? Just a thought...
-People coming up behind me and squeezing/rubbing my shoulders. I don't care who you are. If I can't see your face, please don't touch me.
-Beeping things--alarm clocks, cell phones with new voicemail, etc.
-Being one of the first people at a party.
-Things shifting around or falling over in my car while I'm driving.
-Meetings I am required to attend that have nothing to do with me or my job.
-Rush hour in the rain when I'm hungry.
-Sore throats.
-Local commercials.
-Sticky substances in inappropriate locations (i.e. honey between my fingers or some such nonsense).
-Purple clothing...on me.
-Sometimes, talking on telephones.
-Muzak.
-Most Southern Gospel music.
-Miscommunication
-Arrogance (in myself more than others)
-Change...
Now I run the risk of getting a little too serious with this blog. It's a lot more fun to dwell on what you like rather than what you don't, isn't it? Just a thought...
11.28.2005
More poetry
One of my favorite poets is William Carlos Williams. He uses a very few words to create an incredibly vivid picture. Take "The Red Wheelbarrow":
~~~~~~~~~~~
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
~~~~~~~~~~~
And that's it! Isn't that something? He must have been trying something with the three-words-then-one technique.
You're probably thinking, "Uhhhh...right. I could write that. That's stupid. How is that poetry?"
Well, I have a question for you. How red is that wheelbarrow? Can't you just see it? A bright, shiny, fire-engine red wheelbarrow, just washed with rain, beside a bunch of stark-white clucking chickens. The moment is so vivid...and then, because I'm hungry, I think, "mmmmm...chicken....."
That's what poetry does. It creates a moment--just a moment. Sure, sometimes it takes several tries to understand it. But the poetry that is capable of making you feel like you've experienced something is worth taking the time and effort to understand.
Look at "This is Just to Say":
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A poem written on a post-it note. Brilliant.
~~~~~~~~~~~
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
~~~~~~~~~~~
And that's it! Isn't that something? He must have been trying something with the three-words-then-one technique.
You're probably thinking, "Uhhhh...right. I could write that. That's stupid. How is that poetry?"
Well, I have a question for you. How red is that wheelbarrow? Can't you just see it? A bright, shiny, fire-engine red wheelbarrow, just washed with rain, beside a bunch of stark-white clucking chickens. The moment is so vivid...and then, because I'm hungry, I think, "mmmmm...chicken....."
That's what poetry does. It creates a moment--just a moment. Sure, sometimes it takes several tries to understand it. But the poetry that is capable of making you feel like you've experienced something is worth taking the time and effort to understand.
Look at "This is Just to Say":
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A poem written on a post-it note. Brilliant.
Something you may not have known...
I like poetry. Did you know that? I was driving back from Chapel Hill, NC, two days ago and I thought, "What can I put on my blog? It's been a while...Laura must be irked." So I thought, "Hmm, what about sharing some of my favorite poems? Surely people will find that interesting..." You see, I was an English minor in college (probably should have been a major--maybe it would have counted for more) and I actually LOVED reading and writing papers. That's part of me. So come, let me educate you in some fine literature.
This poem is called "Shine, Perishing Republic" by Robinson Jeffers. Published in 1963. It's a little morbid, but beautifully written. It's also one of the few I can quote.
~ While this America settles in the mould of its vulgarity, heavily thickening
to empire
And protest, only a bubble in the molten mass, pops and sighs out, and the
mass hardens,
I sadly smiling remember that the flower fades to make fruit, the fruit rots
to make earth.
Out of the mother; and through the spring exultances, ripeness and decadence;
and home to the mother.
You making haste haste on decay: not blameworthy; life is good, be it stubbornly
long or suddenly
A mortal splendor: meteors are not needed less than mountains:
shine, perishing republic.
But for my children, I would have them keep their distance from the thickening
center; corruption
Never has been compulsory, when the cities lie at the monster's feet there
are left the mountains.
And boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant,
insufferable master.
There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught – they say –
God, when he walked on earth. ~
Wow. What do you think?
This poem is called "Shine, Perishing Republic" by Robinson Jeffers. Published in 1963. It's a little morbid, but beautifully written. It's also one of the few I can quote.
~ While this America settles in the mould of its vulgarity, heavily thickening
to empire
And protest, only a bubble in the molten mass, pops and sighs out, and the
mass hardens,
I sadly smiling remember that the flower fades to make fruit, the fruit rots
to make earth.
Out of the mother; and through the spring exultances, ripeness and decadence;
and home to the mother.
You making haste haste on decay: not blameworthy; life is good, be it stubbornly
long or suddenly
A mortal splendor: meteors are not needed less than mountains:
shine, perishing republic.
But for my children, I would have them keep their distance from the thickening
center; corruption
Never has been compulsory, when the cities lie at the monster's feet there
are left the mountains.
And boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant,
insufferable master.
There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught – they say –
God, when he walked on earth. ~
Wow. What do you think?
11.02.2005
Fine, I'll blog.
Not a whole lot to say here except that I have just returned from Nashville, TN, where I worked a medical trade show with my dad. While I was there, I went on a date. A real, live date. With a guy named Jason. A stellar guy named Jason. (That's right, I said "stellar"--and I meant it too. I'm not exactly sure what it means, but it sounds appropriate.) As far as dates go, I think he has perhaps spoiled me for life...or at least for a good long while.
If you would like the details, I would be certainly glad to share them with you. But they will not be posted on this blog.
The end.
Oh, and I learned to line dance.
The end.
If you would like the details, I would be certainly glad to share them with you. But they will not be posted on this blog.
The end.
Oh, and I learned to line dance.
The end.
10.10.2005
10.06.2005
Pop Quiz
Whimsical title, huh?
I have been going along in life pretty steadily. Working hard, getting rundown every now and then, but things are pretty even keel. I sing songs about trusting God, and I mean them. "Sure! I trust You! How could I not? Things are great!"
And then...pop quiz.
It's cliche to say it's easy to trust God when everything's going well. I know this. But sometimes cliches have good reason for being popular sayings. It IS easy to trust God when all is quiet--or rather, it feels easy because we think we're in control. Things are going smoothly. I can plan my days and feel pretty confident that everything will work out the way I think they should. Is God in control in those times? Yes. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I think I kind of take over. "Oh okay, the water's pretty steady...I think I can steer now, God." It's when the storm suddenly comes and you realize you haven't the foggiest idea how to handle a boat in a storm that things get chaotic. But you've GOT to stay in control, or else you'll capsize! So you run around frantically, trying to keep the ship moving along while scooping the water out so you won't sink...that's a lot to do if you're just one person.
Maybe I shouldn't try to use metaphors regarding boats. I obviously know nothing about them. But I guess that's the point. We're surprised by the storm, and we realize that we can't control this thing that we actually know nothing about, but we worry and wear ourselves out trying to fix it. Fix the storm? That's pretty much impossible. But we try. Hold the boat together. Keep the water out. Steer the ship. And we get so tired that we let go of everything, the boat capsizes, and we start to drown. Too tired to swim. Too fed up with trying to save everything and everybody. What's the use? The storm's too strong.
We know that God's voice is over the waters (visit the Psalm 29 post for reference). So do we trust God to calm these waters? Do we trust Him to steer this boat, in still and rough waters? Can we trust Him enough to let go of the wheel and just work on staying afloat? Sometimes that's all you can do--stay afloat. Keep from drowning. Keep from sinking in the rough and dirty waters of unforgiveness, anxiety, fear. Stay afloat.
I received some news yesterday that is threatening to pull me back into those waters. I have spent too much time spluttering and floundering about in that mess over the last few years, and I don't want to jump back in. How do I stay afloat?
Also, how do I live out what I sing? Every week, I tell people to put ALL their trust in God; to surrender EVERY PART of themselves to the Creator Who is more than able to carry them through anything--am I living it out myself? When the pop quiz comes in my own life, will those same people find me a hypocrite? What will they see when the spotlight is turned off, when I'm just standing in line waiting for a salad, when I'm sitting at my desk? Will they be inspired or disappointed? How will I respond to the storms? Will I live out what I sing?
People just have to understand that everybody goes through stuff. Everybody grieves. Everybody reacts in one way or another to painful situations...worship leaders aren't any different.
Very dramatic. Not at all whimsical. And awful metaphors. But I'm staying afloat...no matter what it takes.
I have been going along in life pretty steadily. Working hard, getting rundown every now and then, but things are pretty even keel. I sing songs about trusting God, and I mean them. "Sure! I trust You! How could I not? Things are great!"
And then...pop quiz.
It's cliche to say it's easy to trust God when everything's going well. I know this. But sometimes cliches have good reason for being popular sayings. It IS easy to trust God when all is quiet--or rather, it feels easy because we think we're in control. Things are going smoothly. I can plan my days and feel pretty confident that everything will work out the way I think they should. Is God in control in those times? Yes. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I think I kind of take over. "Oh okay, the water's pretty steady...I think I can steer now, God." It's when the storm suddenly comes and you realize you haven't the foggiest idea how to handle a boat in a storm that things get chaotic. But you've GOT to stay in control, or else you'll capsize! So you run around frantically, trying to keep the ship moving along while scooping the water out so you won't sink...that's a lot to do if you're just one person.
Maybe I shouldn't try to use metaphors regarding boats. I obviously know nothing about them. But I guess that's the point. We're surprised by the storm, and we realize that we can't control this thing that we actually know nothing about, but we worry and wear ourselves out trying to fix it. Fix the storm? That's pretty much impossible. But we try. Hold the boat together. Keep the water out. Steer the ship. And we get so tired that we let go of everything, the boat capsizes, and we start to drown. Too tired to swim. Too fed up with trying to save everything and everybody. What's the use? The storm's too strong.
We know that God's voice is over the waters (visit the Psalm 29 post for reference). So do we trust God to calm these waters? Do we trust Him to steer this boat, in still and rough waters? Can we trust Him enough to let go of the wheel and just work on staying afloat? Sometimes that's all you can do--stay afloat. Keep from drowning. Keep from sinking in the rough and dirty waters of unforgiveness, anxiety, fear. Stay afloat.
I received some news yesterday that is threatening to pull me back into those waters. I have spent too much time spluttering and floundering about in that mess over the last few years, and I don't want to jump back in. How do I stay afloat?
Also, how do I live out what I sing? Every week, I tell people to put ALL their trust in God; to surrender EVERY PART of themselves to the Creator Who is more than able to carry them through anything--am I living it out myself? When the pop quiz comes in my own life, will those same people find me a hypocrite? What will they see when the spotlight is turned off, when I'm just standing in line waiting for a salad, when I'm sitting at my desk? Will they be inspired or disappointed? How will I respond to the storms? Will I live out what I sing?
People just have to understand that everybody goes through stuff. Everybody grieves. Everybody reacts in one way or another to painful situations...worship leaders aren't any different.
Very dramatic. Not at all whimsical. And awful metaphors. But I'm staying afloat...no matter what it takes.
9.28.2005
One for the storybooks...
It's a funny thing...no matter how professional one is, the weirdest technical difficulties can happen to anyone. Experience does not matter. Experience will affect how you handle the difficulties, of course, but it will not keep the difficulties from happening.
I'm not saying that I'm Miss Professional or that I have years and years of experience, but I'm just saying--Even the best experience mad feedback sometimes.
Let me put a disclaimer here: I have the privelege of working with some of the most dedicated and diligent volunteers in the universe. Seriously. The band is fantastic, the tech team is wonderful and consistently cheerful, and I couldn't ask for a better group of people. This is not to speak badly about my team at all. My point is that even the best can experience the worst in technical difficulties.
So this past Sunday, we had more technical difficulties than ever. It was almost as bad as some of my Downtown experiences, and those are doozies. Another blog, perhaps.
To give you the whole picture, let's kick it off at 8am. I, of course, was running late, mainly because I just HAD to make a Starbucks run. While I'm going through the drive-through, I call my drummer Gale to make sure the sound guy knew where to put the keyboard. I was all proud of myself because I thought I was being super-diligent and a good leader. At that precise moment, my stomach decided that it was time to react to what I had eaten for dinner the night before. It was not happy, just to let you know. That became an on-going problem for most of the morning, which made everything that happened during that time so much worse.
I finally get to the church around 8:20, and not much is set up. We're supposed to start rehearsing at 8:30. Right. Turns out the main sound guy wasn't there, which is fine because the two back-up people are great, but this morning, for one reason or another, it was taking a lot longer. We didn't actually get powered up until 8:50. To add to the stress, I had not yet had a chance to rehearse the new song we were doing with the guitar player I had that day. So time was extremely limited and we had a lot of work to do--never a good combination.
At that moment, Geoff, Shawn, Josh and Jason arrive with about 12 pastors from around the country. I think God was laughing.
As they lined up in the back of the room to see how professional Summerville was during rehearsal, we finally got started. Things are going well, the song sounds good, and then--BOOM!!!!
The power on the left side of the auditorium (including the stage) shuts off.
Oh, the laughter heard in Heaven at that moment...
Then the sound people (KUDOS to Ron and Karen, by the way--seriously) somehow worked out the problem and at 9:10, we started working on the new song. This was a new worship song, by the way, that I had sent to everyone five days earlier. At 9:15 (15 minutes before the first service), we finished. Then I heard the tech lady in the back call out, "Was that a special?"--meaning that she had not yet entered it into the powerpoint so that everyone could read the words.
After my head spun around a few times, I calmly explained to her that, no, it wasn't, and I told her what I needed done.
It would be tedious to explain the rest, since it really just involved me on the verge of exploding (but holding it in rather well, I thought) after having person after person ask if I was okay. I hate that I wear everything I feel on my face.
The first service was rough, but then I got to play with little Nathaniel and the world was right again. After that, the second service went muuuuuuch better--Hallelujah!
At least I can laugh at those days now. I don't laugh during the actual event, but an hour or so later when I'm explaining it to my mom or Josh and it seems very, very funny.
Those are the times that determine your professionalism. And I think--I hope--I pray that we passed the test. Because I sure don't want those kinds of things happening often. Or ever.
I'm not saying that I'm Miss Professional or that I have years and years of experience, but I'm just saying--Even the best experience mad feedback sometimes.
Let me put a disclaimer here: I have the privelege of working with some of the most dedicated and diligent volunteers in the universe. Seriously. The band is fantastic, the tech team is wonderful and consistently cheerful, and I couldn't ask for a better group of people. This is not to speak badly about my team at all. My point is that even the best can experience the worst in technical difficulties.
So this past Sunday, we had more technical difficulties than ever. It was almost as bad as some of my Downtown experiences, and those are doozies. Another blog, perhaps.
To give you the whole picture, let's kick it off at 8am. I, of course, was running late, mainly because I just HAD to make a Starbucks run. While I'm going through the drive-through, I call my drummer Gale to make sure the sound guy knew where to put the keyboard. I was all proud of myself because I thought I was being super-diligent and a good leader. At that precise moment, my stomach decided that it was time to react to what I had eaten for dinner the night before. It was not happy, just to let you know. That became an on-going problem for most of the morning, which made everything that happened during that time so much worse.
I finally get to the church around 8:20, and not much is set up. We're supposed to start rehearsing at 8:30. Right. Turns out the main sound guy wasn't there, which is fine because the two back-up people are great, but this morning, for one reason or another, it was taking a lot longer. We didn't actually get powered up until 8:50. To add to the stress, I had not yet had a chance to rehearse the new song we were doing with the guitar player I had that day. So time was extremely limited and we had a lot of work to do--never a good combination.
At that moment, Geoff, Shawn, Josh and Jason arrive with about 12 pastors from around the country. I think God was laughing.
As they lined up in the back of the room to see how professional Summerville was during rehearsal, we finally got started. Things are going well, the song sounds good, and then--BOOM!!!!
The power on the left side of the auditorium (including the stage) shuts off.
Oh, the laughter heard in Heaven at that moment...
Then the sound people (KUDOS to Ron and Karen, by the way--seriously) somehow worked out the problem and at 9:10, we started working on the new song. This was a new worship song, by the way, that I had sent to everyone five days earlier. At 9:15 (15 minutes before the first service), we finished. Then I heard the tech lady in the back call out, "Was that a special?"--meaning that she had not yet entered it into the powerpoint so that everyone could read the words.
After my head spun around a few times, I calmly explained to her that, no, it wasn't, and I told her what I needed done.
It would be tedious to explain the rest, since it really just involved me on the verge of exploding (but holding it in rather well, I thought) after having person after person ask if I was okay. I hate that I wear everything I feel on my face.
The first service was rough, but then I got to play with little Nathaniel and the world was right again. After that, the second service went muuuuuuch better--Hallelujah!
At least I can laugh at those days now. I don't laugh during the actual event, but an hour or so later when I'm explaining it to my mom or Josh and it seems very, very funny.
Those are the times that determine your professionalism. And I think--I hope--I pray that we passed the test. Because I sure don't want those kinds of things happening often. Or ever.
9.25.2005
If you're gonna be a cover band...
When I was in Charlotte, we went to a place called Birkdale, which is basically an even preppier version of Towne Center--if you can imagine that. It's nice. Anyway, every Friday night they have a live band playing out on this little lawn area. This particular week, a band called "Reach" was entertaining us. They were playing some good oldies like "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" and fun stuff like that. And they were tight, too! 3 guitars, a bass player, drummer, keyboards, 3 vocals and a saxophone (could have lived without the saxophone, but oh well). For an average band to have so many instruments and be as tight as they were was impressive.
However, when I finally stood still and listened, I realized they were doing something a little odd. They were on the song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder, but here is what they were actually singing:
"Here I am, Jesus
Signed, sealed, delivered,
I'm Yours."
And on "Give Me the Beat, Boys," they sang:
"Give me the beat, Lord, to free my soul
I want to get lost, let myself go and drift away..."
Then they said their name was "Reach" and it all became clear. The funny thing is, they were good enough that they could have just done the songs like normal and it would have been fine. I realized that if I ever had the chance to do that with the band I work with, we probably would have just done the songs like they were written. I don't know how I feel about the changed lyrics--I understand what they were about, but singing "Here I am, Jesus...signed, sealed, delivered..." just seems odd to me.
But either way, kudos to "Reach". You highly entertained me, although perhaps in ways that you did not intend.
However, when I finally stood still and listened, I realized they were doing something a little odd. They were on the song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder, but here is what they were actually singing:
"Here I am, Jesus
Signed, sealed, delivered,
I'm Yours."
And on "Give Me the Beat, Boys," they sang:
"Give me the beat, Lord, to free my soul
I want to get lost, let myself go and drift away..."
Then they said their name was "Reach" and it all became clear. The funny thing is, they were good enough that they could have just done the songs like normal and it would have been fine. I realized that if I ever had the chance to do that with the band I work with, we probably would have just done the songs like they were written. I don't know how I feel about the changed lyrics--I understand what they were about, but singing "Here I am, Jesus...signed, sealed, delivered..." just seems odd to me.
But either way, kudos to "Reach". You highly entertained me, although perhaps in ways that you did not intend.
To Charlotte and back
This weekend I went to Charlotte to visit my friends on the Mosaic team. It was an action-packed 28 hours, let me tell you. In that time span, I sat in on a web design meeting/argument, went to Red Rocks with Gil and had pumpkin cheesecake, watched a pathetic hour of 7th Heaven, went to dinner at Jackelope Jack's, saw "Flightplan", explored Birkdale, shopped for five hours at North Park mall (sweeeeeet!), and watched "Wayne's World." Oh, and I also saw where everybody lives/works (for amy, it's the same location) and what's cool is that they're pretty much all within a one-mile radius of each other. The actual city of Charlotte (the business district, I guess) is very close, and there are all sorts of other places to go...reminded me a bit of Nashville. And I've come to the conclusion that...Charlotte is a pretty cool place to start a church.
However, I have heard that starting a church is the number one hardest thing you can set out to do. It's never what you expect it to be...it certainly isn't glamorous. Right now, it's five people squeezed into a little bedroom/office in an apartment with really big post-it notes on the walls, each containing a long list of to-dos--and none of them are easy! For instance, on Gil's post-it list, it says "Find 1st and 2nd string musicians". Do you know how hard it is to find good worship musicians in the first place? Musicians aren't that hard to come by, but musicians that are also worshippers--now that's tough.
So work is very hard for all of them--and this isn't even their "job" persay. This is almost volunteer for a lot of them.
But morale is good, dedication is high, and God is moving. Keep at it, my friends. I'm proud to know you. See you soon.
However, I have heard that starting a church is the number one hardest thing you can set out to do. It's never what you expect it to be...it certainly isn't glamorous. Right now, it's five people squeezed into a little bedroom/office in an apartment with really big post-it notes on the walls, each containing a long list of to-dos--and none of them are easy! For instance, on Gil's post-it list, it says "Find 1st and 2nd string musicians". Do you know how hard it is to find good worship musicians in the first place? Musicians aren't that hard to come by, but musicians that are also worshippers--now that's tough.
So work is very hard for all of them--and this isn't even their "job" persay. This is almost volunteer for a lot of them.
But morale is good, dedication is high, and God is moving. Keep at it, my friends. I'm proud to know you. See you soon.
9.22.2005
Dear Anonymous Bloggers,
Whomever you are, please do not leave your unsolicited advertisements on my blog. Though you begin your messages very nicely, I do not believe that you enjoy reading my blog or that you read it at all. I will not ever click the hyperlinks you post, so please do not think that you are obtaining more business. Your comments are only annoying me, as well as the "real" readers of this blog, and will quickly be deleted.
Best wishes to you, whomever you are, and here's hoping you find a better place to advertise.
Yours sincerely...
Best wishes to you, whomever you are, and here's hoping you find a better place to advertise.
Yours sincerely...
9.21.2005
Right now I am thinking...
Lately I've been having some trouble with my voice. I am going hoarse very easily. It took me a week and a half to recover from First Wed/Thurs (singing at about six more services and acting as a referee at the Kickoff during that time period didn't help), and once I got my strength back, I did Groundswell. Thought I was all healed up and ready to go. But during rehearsal, I went hoarse again!!
What am I going to do if my voice goes hoarse everytime I sing? This frightens me. I had this problem long ago when I first started at the annex...then I took some vocal lessons during my last semester in college and that seemed to help. Now I'm using the info I got from the voice lessons (or at least what I can remember), but I'm having this problem again. What to do, what to do.
I would go back to that voice teacher, but I don't think she likes me anymore... (looong story. it's not because I was a bad student. really.)
It just occurs to me that if something happens to my voice, like getting nodules or something...that's pretty much it. I mean, this is what I do. This is what I love. I do other things, yes, but this is the main thing. It's scary that I could be singing wrong or doing something incorrectly now that will negatively impact my voice for the rest of my life. Same thing goes with having distortion in my in-ear monitors by accident, which may cause future hearing loss.
Perhaps I'm being paranoid?
I don't know. If anybody has some advice, please share. I will use "vocal-Eze" spray, call my voice teacher, drink more tea with honey instead of coffee...
I have to be proactive with this, I guess, which stinks for me because I'm so lazy. ;)
What am I going to do if my voice goes hoarse everytime I sing? This frightens me. I had this problem long ago when I first started at the annex...then I took some vocal lessons during my last semester in college and that seemed to help. Now I'm using the info I got from the voice lessons (or at least what I can remember), but I'm having this problem again. What to do, what to do.
I would go back to that voice teacher, but I don't think she likes me anymore... (looong story. it's not because I was a bad student. really.)
It just occurs to me that if something happens to my voice, like getting nodules or something...that's pretty much it. I mean, this is what I do. This is what I love. I do other things, yes, but this is the main thing. It's scary that I could be singing wrong or doing something incorrectly now that will negatively impact my voice for the rest of my life. Same thing goes with having distortion in my in-ear monitors by accident, which may cause future hearing loss.
Perhaps I'm being paranoid?
I don't know. If anybody has some advice, please share. I will use "vocal-Eze" spray, call my voice teacher, drink more tea with honey instead of coffee...
I have to be proactive with this, I guess, which stinks for me because I'm so lazy. ;)
9.05.2005
9.02.2005
The Progress of a Pilgrim
I went for a walk on the beach the other night. I don't do that often enough anymore...and I had a deep thought. A very deep thought.
I realized that I have been guilty of the "I'll be happy when--" syndrome. You all know what I'm talking about. The thought that lurks somewhere in the back of your mind (or perhaps right in the forefront) that says, "When _______ happens, I'll be much happier/things will be better/God will REALLY be able to use me." Insert whatever into the blanks, like dating, marriage, better job, bigger responsibilities, fewer responsibilities, more friends...
I realized that somewhere in my head, there's been a sense of anticipation that this is not all there is. "There's more out there," "I'm moving on to something bigger and better," etc, and the result of those thoughts has been a general feeling of discontent. I begin to feel unsatisfied with my current situation (which is not at all a bad one, by the way), and I start to think that I'll feel much better when the situation changes...that I'll be more effective for the Kingdom when I'm really doing what I'm good at doing, and none of this extraneous, boring stuff...
Wrong-O.
Philippians 4:12--Let's read this one out loud together, shall we?
"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
Have you ever thought, "Yeah, yeah," when hearing that verse? I don't mean that in a bad way--I just mean that it seems so impossible sometimes! So don't get the idea that I've got this one figured out...it's a very difficult concept to really embrace and live out. The point is, I need to be content right where I'm at. God can use me just as much here as He can somewhere else--just in different ways than what I was planning on.
Sometimes, because of my love for performance that creeps in every now and then, I judge the effectiveness of my ministry based on how many people are standing in front of me. However, I don't think God looks at how many people are listening to me. I think He looks at whether or not I'm ministering to people, no matter where I am or how many there are. You can do more good encouraging one coworker sometimes than singing a song in front of a thousand people. Wherever you're at, are you ministering to people?
God knows the desires of your heart. He knows them intimately and He cares about them. But no matter where you are, there's always going to be the "dirty work" that you don't want to do--the boring, tedious, management stuff that you just have to do. So suck it up and do it.
Back to my feeling of anticipation. I don't think this is a bad thing. Psalms 84:5-7 refers to people who "have their hearts set on pilgrimage...[who] go from strength to strength, til each appears before God in Zion."
We should always be moving onward spiritually. We should always be changing, by God's hand. We should be moving from "strength to strength" and have our hearts "set on pilgrimage"--to the next thing God is going to do in our lives! That does not necessarily mean that we're always waiting for God to bless us or give us more. I think it's more like we're anticipating God to use us again--soon! Some people have visions of the new places, be them literal or spiritual, that God is calling them to. Naeem did, and now he's following that call to start a church in Charlotte.
So, we must be content with where we are now, but we also need to be ready for God to uproot us from our comfort zones and move on to the next "strength". How do we do that? Where is the balance?
Who knows. But here's a great quote from Jim Elliot: "Wherever you are, be all there."
Wherever God has placed you RIGHT NOW, be all there. Work at it "as unto the Lord". Be content until He moves you onto the next thing.
I've got a sense of anticipation...but I'm here to stay until God moves me on.
I realized that I have been guilty of the "I'll be happy when--" syndrome. You all know what I'm talking about. The thought that lurks somewhere in the back of your mind (or perhaps right in the forefront) that says, "When _______ happens, I'll be much happier/things will be better/God will REALLY be able to use me." Insert whatever into the blanks, like dating, marriage, better job, bigger responsibilities, fewer responsibilities, more friends...
I realized that somewhere in my head, there's been a sense of anticipation that this is not all there is. "There's more out there," "I'm moving on to something bigger and better," etc, and the result of those thoughts has been a general feeling of discontent. I begin to feel unsatisfied with my current situation (which is not at all a bad one, by the way), and I start to think that I'll feel much better when the situation changes...that I'll be more effective for the Kingdom when I'm really doing what I'm good at doing, and none of this extraneous, boring stuff...
Wrong-O.
Philippians 4:12--Let's read this one out loud together, shall we?
"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
Have you ever thought, "Yeah, yeah," when hearing that verse? I don't mean that in a bad way--I just mean that it seems so impossible sometimes! So don't get the idea that I've got this one figured out...it's a very difficult concept to really embrace and live out. The point is, I need to be content right where I'm at. God can use me just as much here as He can somewhere else--just in different ways than what I was planning on.
Sometimes, because of my love for performance that creeps in every now and then, I judge the effectiveness of my ministry based on how many people are standing in front of me. However, I don't think God looks at how many people are listening to me. I think He looks at whether or not I'm ministering to people, no matter where I am or how many there are. You can do more good encouraging one coworker sometimes than singing a song in front of a thousand people. Wherever you're at, are you ministering to people?
God knows the desires of your heart. He knows them intimately and He cares about them. But no matter where you are, there's always going to be the "dirty work" that you don't want to do--the boring, tedious, management stuff that you just have to do. So suck it up and do it.
Back to my feeling of anticipation. I don't think this is a bad thing. Psalms 84:5-7 refers to people who "have their hearts set on pilgrimage...[who] go from strength to strength, til each appears before God in Zion."
We should always be moving onward spiritually. We should always be changing, by God's hand. We should be moving from "strength to strength" and have our hearts "set on pilgrimage"--to the next thing God is going to do in our lives! That does not necessarily mean that we're always waiting for God to bless us or give us more. I think it's more like we're anticipating God to use us again--soon! Some people have visions of the new places, be them literal or spiritual, that God is calling them to. Naeem did, and now he's following that call to start a church in Charlotte.
So, we must be content with where we are now, but we also need to be ready for God to uproot us from our comfort zones and move on to the next "strength". How do we do that? Where is the balance?
Who knows. But here's a great quote from Jim Elliot: "Wherever you are, be all there."
Wherever God has placed you RIGHT NOW, be all there. Work at it "as unto the Lord". Be content until He moves you onto the next thing.
I've got a sense of anticipation...but I'm here to stay until God moves me on.
8.24.2005
Things I Love
I love flipflops.
I love "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns on TBS. Is marriage really like that? I'm learning a lot.
I love warm chocolate chip cookies--but doesn't everybody?
I love Billy Joel! Only I didn't know it until a few weeks ago. Have you heard "The Entertainer"? There's about 20 seconds of absolutely brilliant piano-playing in that song.
I love coke floats with chocolate ice cream.
I love being near water--any kind. The ocean, lakes, that river thing at Palmetto County Park (what exactly is that, by the way?)...
I love brownies.
I love Appletizer soda--made only in England, apparently. Next to that, sparkling apple or grape juice. Oh yes.
I love watching the Academy Awards. Seriously.
I love pretty much anything my mom cooks, but especially sweet potato biscuits.
I'm growing increasingly affectionate toward club soda with lime...
I love Animaniacs...especially their many-worded songs and the cartoons with the Jerry Lewis character. Froinlaven!
Speaking of which, I love Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin comedy routines.
I love the underdogs in movies--the supporting character who usually gets killed halfway through the movie. And then I cry.
I love hearing my band do an impromptu jam...and I love it even more when I can play along with them.
I love Stevie Wonder.
I love playing piano on special songs at church, like when we do Billy Joel or James Taylor. Makes me feel like a real piano player.
I love playing classical music. Makes me feel like a real pianist (which, in my terminology, is different from a piano player).
I love hearing orchestral music, and I love playing it on my oboe, although it's been a very long time.
I love jazz drummers.
I love the cavemen Geico commercials.
I love the first few seasons of the West Wing...because I love Josh Lyman.
I love it when someone says something funny that catches me so off-guard that I laugh until I cry and can't breathe.
I love Paul Simon.
I love Mr. Burns.
I love canasta. (card game)
I love going to Chapel Hill, NC, and doing nothing but sitting at Grandpa's house with my family. Sometimes we play cards (gin rummi). Sometimes I play with my cousins. Sometimes we watch professional poker tournaments on ESPN. It's all good.
I love DisneyWorld!
I LOVE having my back and arms scratched--or "tickled," rather.
I love this one pair of jeans I got as a hand-me-down from my younger (but much taller) cousin.
I love thinking about when I'm going to get married, although sometimes it bugs me.
I love re-reading Jane Austen novels.
I love going to the movies.
I love reading movie reviews on Focus on the Family.
I love scrapbooking, although now I'm so out of the habit that I'm a few years of pictures behind and overwhelmed at the idea of trying to catch up. So I've pretty much given it up. But I do enjoy it.
I love cheese.
I love going to sleep...which is what I'm going to do now.
I love "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns on TBS. Is marriage really like that? I'm learning a lot.
I love warm chocolate chip cookies--but doesn't everybody?
I love Billy Joel! Only I didn't know it until a few weeks ago. Have you heard "The Entertainer"? There's about 20 seconds of absolutely brilliant piano-playing in that song.
I love coke floats with chocolate ice cream.
I love being near water--any kind. The ocean, lakes, that river thing at Palmetto County Park (what exactly is that, by the way?)...
I love brownies.
I love Appletizer soda--made only in England, apparently. Next to that, sparkling apple or grape juice. Oh yes.
I love watching the Academy Awards. Seriously.
I love pretty much anything my mom cooks, but especially sweet potato biscuits.
I'm growing increasingly affectionate toward club soda with lime...
I love Animaniacs...especially their many-worded songs and the cartoons with the Jerry Lewis character. Froinlaven!
Speaking of which, I love Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin comedy routines.
I love the underdogs in movies--the supporting character who usually gets killed halfway through the movie. And then I cry.
I love hearing my band do an impromptu jam...and I love it even more when I can play along with them.
I love Stevie Wonder.
I love playing piano on special songs at church, like when we do Billy Joel or James Taylor. Makes me feel like a real piano player.
I love playing classical music. Makes me feel like a real pianist (which, in my terminology, is different from a piano player).
I love hearing orchestral music, and I love playing it on my oboe, although it's been a very long time.
I love jazz drummers.
I love the cavemen Geico commercials.
I love the first few seasons of the West Wing...because I love Josh Lyman.
I love it when someone says something funny that catches me so off-guard that I laugh until I cry and can't breathe.
I love Paul Simon.
I love Mr. Burns.
I love canasta. (card game)
I love going to Chapel Hill, NC, and doing nothing but sitting at Grandpa's house with my family. Sometimes we play cards (gin rummi). Sometimes I play with my cousins. Sometimes we watch professional poker tournaments on ESPN. It's all good.
I love DisneyWorld!
I LOVE having my back and arms scratched--or "tickled," rather.
I love this one pair of jeans I got as a hand-me-down from my younger (but much taller) cousin.
I love thinking about when I'm going to get married, although sometimes it bugs me.
I love re-reading Jane Austen novels.
I love going to the movies.
I love reading movie reviews on Focus on the Family.
I love scrapbooking, although now I'm so out of the habit that I'm a few years of pictures behind and overwhelmed at the idea of trying to catch up. So I've pretty much given it up. But I do enjoy it.
I love cheese.
I love going to sleep...which is what I'm going to do now.
If I had a rock band
One of my favorite things to do is think of names for my imaginary future rock band. Usually these names are created when I hear something in a random conversation...Here are some such names.
ANGRY CANDY
ANGRY CANDY
donkeypants
Sticky Wicket
OR
The Sticky Wickets
And my personal favorite,
Lumbar of Dawn.
So...what do you think? I had some other really good ones, but I can't remember them. I should probably carry around a notebook so I can keep a record. Seriously, one of these is going to catch on. If "The Smashing Pumpkins" can sell, surely there's a future for "Angry Candy". Contact me for royalty information--I'm sure we can work something out.
8.20.2005
The Mountain
I wrote a song once when a good friend of mine left for Europe for an undertermined amount of time (turned out to only be about 3 weeks, but could have easily been 6 months if things had worked out). Now she's going to Slovakia for a full year as a missionary...
I have two other friends (actually, more like 15) moving to Charlotte, NC, this week to start a church. It saddens me that they won't be living near me anymore, but I know God's got amazing things in store. And besides, 3 hours is not that far (certainly not as far as Slovakia. I mean, come on!). But it's still hard to see friends take a different path from you, even if you can clearly see God's hand in all of it...
Well, back to that song. I'm just going to share a brief part of it, because it's really kind of melodramatic, even if it is BRILLIANT musically. ;)
Here it is, and this goes out to all my friends following God's direction in their lives:
"Every day it's been a joy just to know you
Your kindness has touched my heart
And I would do anything for you
But I don't know where to start
So keep me in your heart, 'cause you're always in mine
And keep me in your prayers, as I carry you to the Father
I can't wait for the day when you spread your wings and fly
When you find out what's on the other side
Of the Mountain
God's grace cover you everywhere and
God's peace guard your precious heart
And keep you right where you belong"
The Mountain! Isn't that exciting? Climbing the heights that God has called you to...I know God has called me to certain heights as well--although probably by a different path than yours--but I think eventually we'll join paths on the other side of that mountain.
"Just spread your wings and fly
'Cause you'll see me up on the other side
Yeah you'll find me up on the other side
Of the Mountain"
God's calling you. God's calling me. And it's all for one purpose: to build the Kingdom of God. Sisters and brothers in Christ, I commend you for following His voice; for taking up your crosses; for trusting in our Creator that His plans for you are good and worth giving everything you held as secure for a life where all you can do is grab on to His hand and hold on. Your courage and examples are an inspiration to me.
Much love.
I have two other friends (actually, more like 15) moving to Charlotte, NC, this week to start a church. It saddens me that they won't be living near me anymore, but I know God's got amazing things in store. And besides, 3 hours is not that far (certainly not as far as Slovakia. I mean, come on!). But it's still hard to see friends take a different path from you, even if you can clearly see God's hand in all of it...
Well, back to that song. I'm just going to share a brief part of it, because it's really kind of melodramatic, even if it is BRILLIANT musically. ;)
Here it is, and this goes out to all my friends following God's direction in their lives:
"Every day it's been a joy just to know you
Your kindness has touched my heart
And I would do anything for you
But I don't know where to start
So keep me in your heart, 'cause you're always in mine
And keep me in your prayers, as I carry you to the Father
I can't wait for the day when you spread your wings and fly
When you find out what's on the other side
Of the Mountain
God's grace cover you everywhere and
God's peace guard your precious heart
And keep you right where you belong"
The Mountain! Isn't that exciting? Climbing the heights that God has called you to...I know God has called me to certain heights as well--although probably by a different path than yours--but I think eventually we'll join paths on the other side of that mountain.
"Just spread your wings and fly
'Cause you'll see me up on the other side
Yeah you'll find me up on the other side
Of the Mountain"
God's calling you. God's calling me. And it's all for one purpose: to build the Kingdom of God. Sisters and brothers in Christ, I commend you for following His voice; for taking up your crosses; for trusting in our Creator that His plans for you are good and worth giving everything you held as secure for a life where all you can do is grab on to His hand and hold on. Your courage and examples are an inspiration to me.
Much love.
8.17.2005
Pics from the world's greatest vacation...
So here we have the Molter family (very top). This would be my father's extended family. There's Grandpa in the middle there, my 7 aunts and uncles, their spouses, and 20 or so grandkids (just below the very top). Below, you have the cutest two-year-old the world has ever seen (besides my nephew Aidan, of course, who is only 4 days younger than this boy). His name is Spencer, and his favorite game involves running full speed into a pillow that I hold in front of me. If any of y'all don't think you could spend an entire week with your extended family, you need to come to Thanksgiving in Chapel Hill with me. More on this later!!
8.04.2005
The Candy Corn Story
Is anybody actually reading this thing? I guess we'll find out...
Let's go back to my junior year of college. One day--I think it was a Tuesday--I was sitting in English class, zoning off as usual. There was something special about this day, though, because I was enjoying some candy corn that my dad had bought for me the night before. I don't eat candy corn much, so this was a treat. And because I don't eat candy corn much, I was not familiar with what stale candy corn tastes like. It's hard and chewy, unlike the fresh kind, which is soft and dissolves pretty easily (I am now quite knowledgeable about this subject). Well anyway, there I am, practically crunching on candy corn, and I take a sip of water. Then I choke on the water. (This is NOT out of the ordinary for me...)
Well, now I'm embarrassed because I've just choked on water in front of thirty people (CSU is a very small school). So I'm recovering myself as quietly as possible when I notice that there's an uncomfortable sensation in my nose. It felt like one side of my nose was pinched--but not in my nostril. Up in my sinuses. And I literally thought to myself, "I have a piece of candy corn lodged in my nasal passage."
My first thought was to go to the bathroom and see if I could dislodge it by blowing my nose. No good. Meanwhile, that side of my nose started to run and my sinuses really started to hurt. But what could I do? So I went through my day, delivered a monologue in class, ran errands and then thought, "Well, maybe if I use some nasal spray, it'll open up my sinuses and the piece of candy corn will just fall out."
So I go to the Publix pharmacy. But I figured maybe I should ask a professional to see if my instincts were correct, so I went to the ladies at the pharmacy and proceeded to tell them the story. They looked at me like I was nuts. Apparently saying "I've got a piece of candy corn lodged in my nasal passage" indicates that I have physically shoved it up my nose.
Well, the pleasant pharmacy people told me that, no, I musn't use nasal spray, because that would push the candy further up my sinuses and cause an infection. And, they said, the candy will NOT dissolve in my sinuses (this is important info for later). They said I do not have the enzymes in my nose that are needed to dissolve things. "So you'd better go to the emergency room!" they said. Yeah, right.
So then my dad suggested that I visit the local family physician, whom I had never seen before. I rolled in at 4:45, just as the receptionist was locking the door. I rushed to the door and began to explain the situation, and she, seeing my age and the fact that I wasn't joking about what I had done, burst out laughing. She was almost at the point of tears by the time she put the key back in the door to go call the doctor. She gets on the phone with him and says, "There's a girl here who---BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!" She finally communicated that there was "a girl" who had "got candy corn stuck up her nose", and the doctor turned around from his trip home to come look at me. (By the way, kudos to Dr. Ewens. A very good sport.)
The doctor arrives and sees the two of us (the only ones there) standing at the receptionist desk. He greets me and then looks around, saying "Where's the child with candy corn stuck up her nose?" "That'd be me," I said. The laughter commenced once again.
He takes me back to the examination room, where he proceeds to shove that pointy flash-light nose thing up my nose, of course assuming that I had SHOVED THE CANDY UP MY NOSE. I had to explain again how it actually happened. Then, after we vetoed an unnecessary, uncomfortable, and ridiculous procedure he has had to do on a few kids in similar situations, he said, "Well, just go get some nasal spray. It'll either fall out or dissolve. You have enzymes in your sinuses that will dissolve things anyway."
Somebody needs to talk to those pharmacists.
So I bought some nasal spray, used it, and promptly got a cold. The candy corn went away within 18 hours or so.
And that is the candy corn story. If you would like verification, email Todd. ;)
What's the moral? Who knows. Just please, don't give me stale candy. My body doesn't know what to do with it.
Let's go back to my junior year of college. One day--I think it was a Tuesday--I was sitting in English class, zoning off as usual. There was something special about this day, though, because I was enjoying some candy corn that my dad had bought for me the night before. I don't eat candy corn much, so this was a treat. And because I don't eat candy corn much, I was not familiar with what stale candy corn tastes like. It's hard and chewy, unlike the fresh kind, which is soft and dissolves pretty easily (I am now quite knowledgeable about this subject). Well anyway, there I am, practically crunching on candy corn, and I take a sip of water. Then I choke on the water. (This is NOT out of the ordinary for me...)
Well, now I'm embarrassed because I've just choked on water in front of thirty people (CSU is a very small school). So I'm recovering myself as quietly as possible when I notice that there's an uncomfortable sensation in my nose. It felt like one side of my nose was pinched--but not in my nostril. Up in my sinuses. And I literally thought to myself, "I have a piece of candy corn lodged in my nasal passage."
My first thought was to go to the bathroom and see if I could dislodge it by blowing my nose. No good. Meanwhile, that side of my nose started to run and my sinuses really started to hurt. But what could I do? So I went through my day, delivered a monologue in class, ran errands and then thought, "Well, maybe if I use some nasal spray, it'll open up my sinuses and the piece of candy corn will just fall out."
So I go to the Publix pharmacy. But I figured maybe I should ask a professional to see if my instincts were correct, so I went to the ladies at the pharmacy and proceeded to tell them the story. They looked at me like I was nuts. Apparently saying "I've got a piece of candy corn lodged in my nasal passage" indicates that I have physically shoved it up my nose.
Well, the pleasant pharmacy people told me that, no, I musn't use nasal spray, because that would push the candy further up my sinuses and cause an infection. And, they said, the candy will NOT dissolve in my sinuses (this is important info for later). They said I do not have the enzymes in my nose that are needed to dissolve things. "So you'd better go to the emergency room!" they said. Yeah, right.
So then my dad suggested that I visit the local family physician, whom I had never seen before. I rolled in at 4:45, just as the receptionist was locking the door. I rushed to the door and began to explain the situation, and she, seeing my age and the fact that I wasn't joking about what I had done, burst out laughing. She was almost at the point of tears by the time she put the key back in the door to go call the doctor. She gets on the phone with him and says, "There's a girl here who---BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!" She finally communicated that there was "a girl" who had "got candy corn stuck up her nose", and the doctor turned around from his trip home to come look at me. (By the way, kudos to Dr. Ewens. A very good sport.)
The doctor arrives and sees the two of us (the only ones there) standing at the receptionist desk. He greets me and then looks around, saying "Where's the child with candy corn stuck up her nose?" "That'd be me," I said. The laughter commenced once again.
He takes me back to the examination room, where he proceeds to shove that pointy flash-light nose thing up my nose, of course assuming that I had SHOVED THE CANDY UP MY NOSE. I had to explain again how it actually happened. Then, after we vetoed an unnecessary, uncomfortable, and ridiculous procedure he has had to do on a few kids in similar situations, he said, "Well, just go get some nasal spray. It'll either fall out or dissolve. You have enzymes in your sinuses that will dissolve things anyway."
Somebody needs to talk to those pharmacists.
So I bought some nasal spray, used it, and promptly got a cold. The candy corn went away within 18 hours or so.
And that is the candy corn story. If you would like verification, email Todd. ;)
What's the moral? Who knows. Just please, don't give me stale candy. My body doesn't know what to do with it.
8.01.2005
Psalm 29, part one....
I could write at least 3 blogs on this Psalm, and I probably will, but I want to take a minute to specifically encourage some of you who are in the waters of life. What do I mean by "the waters"? (No cheating, Mac.)
Think of some Bible stories that involve the ocean. Then think of the circumstances surrounding these stories. For instance, let's look at Moses and the Red Sea. The Israelites are running for their lives, and all of the sudden they come to this ocean. Then they turn around and see an army of Egyptians coming to kill them. And we think a lot of paperwork is stressful...But then Moses obeys God's voice, raises his staff and parts the sea. Then there's Jonah on the boat with the sailors. Everything's going great, and then this horrible storm comes up. Apparently, the only solution is to throw Jonah into the water, and then God calms the storm. And then there's Jesus in the boat with the disciples, and another storm rages, and Jesus says, "Peace, be still." And the storm quiets down...
So what's the common denominator?
Check out Psalm 29:3--"The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters."
The voice of the Lord is over the waters. In each of these stories, when everyone is surrounded and death seems imminent, the solution-the salvation-is the same. This truth is proved over and over...
So where are you right now? Are you in the waters of life? Are you surrounded by stress, fatigue, sickness, or are you just in an inexplicably BAD situation? I can tell you this from experience--the voice of the Lord is over it. He knows about it. He's in control of it. He's got a plan for it.
If you get a chance, read the rest of this Psalm. It illustrates the power of God's voice over all of creation...I've always found it really encouraging in times of confusion, stress, or sorrow.
Take heart, dear hearts! "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood" (v. 10).
My thesis on the oaks and cedars to come...
Think of some Bible stories that involve the ocean. Then think of the circumstances surrounding these stories. For instance, let's look at Moses and the Red Sea. The Israelites are running for their lives, and all of the sudden they come to this ocean. Then they turn around and see an army of Egyptians coming to kill them. And we think a lot of paperwork is stressful...But then Moses obeys God's voice, raises his staff and parts the sea. Then there's Jonah on the boat with the sailors. Everything's going great, and then this horrible storm comes up. Apparently, the only solution is to throw Jonah into the water, and then God calms the storm. And then there's Jesus in the boat with the disciples, and another storm rages, and Jesus says, "Peace, be still." And the storm quiets down...
So what's the common denominator?
Check out Psalm 29:3--"The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters."
The voice of the Lord is over the waters. In each of these stories, when everyone is surrounded and death seems imminent, the solution-the salvation-is the same. This truth is proved over and over...
So where are you right now? Are you in the waters of life? Are you surrounded by stress, fatigue, sickness, or are you just in an inexplicably BAD situation? I can tell you this from experience--the voice of the Lord is over it. He knows about it. He's in control of it. He's got a plan for it.
If you get a chance, read the rest of this Psalm. It illustrates the power of God's voice over all of creation...I've always found it really encouraging in times of confusion, stress, or sorrow.
Take heart, dear hearts! "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood" (v. 10).
My thesis on the oaks and cedars to come...
7.29.2005
Who's leading this thing, anyway?
All right. This will be my first really introspective blog, so get ready. Are you ready? You don't look ready.
Leading worship is an interesting thing. Being a worship leader with a performing artist's personality is even more interesting...recently, the band in Summerville did a special appreciation dinner/concert for all the volunteers at our campus. We did different stuff, like a Tom Petty song, "Ain't No Sunshine," "I Will Survive"--the whole works. At the end we did a few really fast, peppy praise songs ("No One Like You," "Not To Us," "My Glorious") that we don't normally do and the people went CRAZY. I mean, they were jumping up and down, cheering, genuinely getting excited about praising God...and I gotta admit, the band had more energy than probably should be allowed. ;)
Now, doesn't that sound like something we should be doing ALL THE TIME? And yet, on Sunday mornings, we are all much more reserved. We're careful to do a seeker-oriented service, but sometimes we tend to hold back the necessary amount of energy we need to: A) engage the people, and B) engage ourselves!!
The people are still talking about this event. Why is that? Why did they respond like that?
It's because that night, they saw life. They saw a band who was having a blast and enjoying what they were doing. Not to say that our congregation doesn't see life every weekend, but a lot of times, we get bogged down with the fact that this is work--and it is! It is not an easy job. The point is, that night our folks saw a different kind of energy that they don't usually witness in us every Sunday. And my challenge to myself (as I think I am the only campus worship leader on this thing currently) and my band is to translate that energy to the weekend. That no-holes-barred, we're-going-for-it energy that people love.
We get scared by the unresponsive faces in the crowd: the coffee-drinkers, the late attenders, the people with crossed arms and blank looks. We think that we have to monitor our energy by the moods that certain members of our congregation are in. But listen up here---WE are the leaders!!! We can only take people where we've already been and where we're currently going. Meaning, we can't get up there on the stage, half-heartedly and intimidated, and expect the people to be excited about following us. We have to say, "We are going full-blast into the presence of God, and we are excited to worship Him! You can either come with us or you can stay there, but we're going."
People respond to life. They respond to energy and excitment. We are the leaders here, and they're ready to follow. Let's take them somewhere!
Leading worship is an interesting thing. Being a worship leader with a performing artist's personality is even more interesting...recently, the band in Summerville did a special appreciation dinner/concert for all the volunteers at our campus. We did different stuff, like a Tom Petty song, "Ain't No Sunshine," "I Will Survive"--the whole works. At the end we did a few really fast, peppy praise songs ("No One Like You," "Not To Us," "My Glorious") that we don't normally do and the people went CRAZY. I mean, they were jumping up and down, cheering, genuinely getting excited about praising God...and I gotta admit, the band had more energy than probably should be allowed. ;)
Now, doesn't that sound like something we should be doing ALL THE TIME? And yet, on Sunday mornings, we are all much more reserved. We're careful to do a seeker-oriented service, but sometimes we tend to hold back the necessary amount of energy we need to: A) engage the people, and B) engage ourselves!!
The people are still talking about this event. Why is that? Why did they respond like that?
It's because that night, they saw life. They saw a band who was having a blast and enjoying what they were doing. Not to say that our congregation doesn't see life every weekend, but a lot of times, we get bogged down with the fact that this is work--and it is! It is not an easy job. The point is, that night our folks saw a different kind of energy that they don't usually witness in us every Sunday. And my challenge to myself (as I think I am the only campus worship leader on this thing currently) and my band is to translate that energy to the weekend. That no-holes-barred, we're-going-for-it energy that people love.
We get scared by the unresponsive faces in the crowd: the coffee-drinkers, the late attenders, the people with crossed arms and blank looks. We think that we have to monitor our energy by the moods that certain members of our congregation are in. But listen up here---WE are the leaders!!! We can only take people where we've already been and where we're currently going. Meaning, we can't get up there on the stage, half-heartedly and intimidated, and expect the people to be excited about following us. We have to say, "We are going full-blast into the presence of God, and we are excited to worship Him! You can either come with us or you can stay there, but we're going."
People respond to life. They respond to energy and excitment. We are the leaders here, and they're ready to follow. Let's take them somewhere!
Meet Aidan
This is my nephew Aidan. He is wearing a cow suit. Aidan is very excited to be wearing a cow suit. He is strutting around the house in his cow suit.
How cute is he? I mean, really. He will be two years old in a few weeks...Bet you didn't know I even had a nephew, did you? He is learning to talk now...if I could figure out how to put video on here, I'd show everyone with great pride as Aidan responds to my sister's question of "Where's Grandma?" with "I NO NO!" ("I don't know.") If somebody thinks they know a cuter 2-year-old, I'll be glad to fight with you.
7.28.2005
I have no idea what I'm doing
Well hi everyone! This is my very first blog, obviously, and I really don't know what I'm doing. So, let's do this as if it were me checking the microphone before a service...testing, one two. check. check. sivilance. sivilance.
Have you ever had to sound check a microphone? You can be the most talkative person in the world, and suddenly, all you can think to say is "check. check." and then you make sure you remember how to count, so you go "one. two. three. four. uh......one."
Brilliant! How'd I do on my first blog? Let me know. :)
Have you ever had to sound check a microphone? You can be the most talkative person in the world, and suddenly, all you can think to say is "check. check." and then you make sure you remember how to count, so you go "one. two. three. four. uh......one."
Brilliant! How'd I do on my first blog? Let me know. :)
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