It's my 250th post, and I've never, ever written about exercise.
That's because I don't do it much. It's one of those things that sounds nice, but in reality... well, it is nice. I just don't do it often.
Yesterday I went running for the first time in 6 months or so. Part of that is certainly due to the weather not being suitable for running. I bought new shoes last week and everything, just so I wouldn't have an excuse.
I ran with my neighbor, who set the pace, and I pretty much kept up, running 20 minutes almost all the way through. It was good times! Today my legs are a bit sore, but I am looking forward to running again. I like seeing progress.
As I heard in undergrad, when it come to exercise, Newton's first law of motion applies:
An object in motion stays in motion; an object at rest stays at rest.
Here's to motion.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Following Jesus
Here's a short essay for a scholarship application. It's on my favorite subject: Me. ;)
Following Jesus.
When I think of my call, and my goals for my life of ministry, those are the two words that come to mind. The voice of the writer inside of me yells, “That’s cliché!” But I like to remind the writer that the most resounding truth is never cliché, as long as it is well-supported.
It's been 10 years since I started leading worship. Really I was just playing guitar while students sang. Your average junior in high school isn’t well-versed in ushering believers into the presence of the one holy Lord of all creation. So, I would play guitar and we would sing. The more I sang, the more I became captivated. The more captivated I became, the more I wanted to learn about this God we sang of. I began to ask questions, to read books on worship and music. And I learned that singing is just one part of a response that Jesus desires from us, one part of the whole of our lives.
The years following led me to Judson College in Elgin, IL. This was a leap from my Orlando, FL home, both in surroundings and climate. But I find no matter where you are, music is still music, and God is still God. And when I ended up there, in the place I believe God had called me, I sensed God’s presence in a powerful way that carried me through undergrad, and back out into the world.
The sense of calling that swept me away to IL was accompanied by a desire to serve Jesus better. I knew I could play guitar and sing. But certainly there was more. I could learn to usher others into that wonderful presence. Just as importantly, as I would learn, I would discover bit by bit what it meant to follow Jesus with my whole life. Each day held opportunity for submission to my desires or those of Christ. (I’m confident I still don’t get it right each time, but the ratio is going up, I hope!)
Following Jesus.
Jesus calls us to follow in the everyday. Sometimes, it’s a bigger jump. After graduating Judson, I once again ended up in Orlando. And I once again sensed a calling to follow. So, once again, I packed up and moved to Illinois to attend Northern Theological Seminary, my hopes set on acquiring an M.A. so that I could teach at the university level. I had no interest to become a pastor. I simply wanted the education.
(Yes, those verbs in the last sentences are written in the past tense. It appears that when we follow Jesus, what we expected is not necessarily what comes to pass. Our desires and interests are constantly being formed and shaped. At least mine were.)
Two years into my program, when I thought I should be graduating, I was switching into the M.Div. program. During those two years I began working with a church plant, Living Hope Church, where I currently lead worship and co-lead the college ministry. The pastoral experience, especially with the college students, made me realize that I really enjoy pastoral ministry, much more than I would enjoy teaching. None of my fellow seminarians were surprised. In fact, they had waited for two years for me to “see the light”!
I guess I see the light now. It shines brightly, and it’s a lamp for my feet. Pastoral ministry is certainly in my future. Whether it is worship leading, college ministry, or wherever I may be taken, I am confident I am being prepared well for the journey.
While I’m in seminary I work 20-25 hours a week as a server at a local restaurant, work for my church, and play in a band. 2010-11 will be my last year in school, and I hope to spend a little less time working and a little more time investing in the future of my ministry. This scholarship would certainly help!
I’m looking forward to see where I’ll end up after this year. I’m not sure where my feet will land. But I am confident the path they’ll travel.
They’ll be following Jesus.
Following Jesus.
When I think of my call, and my goals for my life of ministry, those are the two words that come to mind. The voice of the writer inside of me yells, “That’s cliché!” But I like to remind the writer that the most resounding truth is never cliché, as long as it is well-supported.
It's been 10 years since I started leading worship. Really I was just playing guitar while students sang. Your average junior in high school isn’t well-versed in ushering believers into the presence of the one holy Lord of all creation. So, I would play guitar and we would sing. The more I sang, the more I became captivated. The more captivated I became, the more I wanted to learn about this God we sang of. I began to ask questions, to read books on worship and music. And I learned that singing is just one part of a response that Jesus desires from us, one part of the whole of our lives.
The years following led me to Judson College in Elgin, IL. This was a leap from my Orlando, FL home, both in surroundings and climate. But I find no matter where you are, music is still music, and God is still God. And when I ended up there, in the place I believe God had called me, I sensed God’s presence in a powerful way that carried me through undergrad, and back out into the world.
The sense of calling that swept me away to IL was accompanied by a desire to serve Jesus better. I knew I could play guitar and sing. But certainly there was more. I could learn to usher others into that wonderful presence. Just as importantly, as I would learn, I would discover bit by bit what it meant to follow Jesus with my whole life. Each day held opportunity for submission to my desires or those of Christ. (I’m confident I still don’t get it right each time, but the ratio is going up, I hope!)
Following Jesus.
Jesus calls us to follow in the everyday. Sometimes, it’s a bigger jump. After graduating Judson, I once again ended up in Orlando. And I once again sensed a calling to follow. So, once again, I packed up and moved to Illinois to attend Northern Theological Seminary, my hopes set on acquiring an M.A. so that I could teach at the university level. I had no interest to become a pastor. I simply wanted the education.
(Yes, those verbs in the last sentences are written in the past tense. It appears that when we follow Jesus, what we expected is not necessarily what comes to pass. Our desires and interests are constantly being formed and shaped. At least mine were.)
Two years into my program, when I thought I should be graduating, I was switching into the M.Div. program. During those two years I began working with a church plant, Living Hope Church, where I currently lead worship and co-lead the college ministry. The pastoral experience, especially with the college students, made me realize that I really enjoy pastoral ministry, much more than I would enjoy teaching. None of my fellow seminarians were surprised. In fact, they had waited for two years for me to “see the light”!
I guess I see the light now. It shines brightly, and it’s a lamp for my feet. Pastoral ministry is certainly in my future. Whether it is worship leading, college ministry, or wherever I may be taken, I am confident I am being prepared well for the journey.
While I’m in seminary I work 20-25 hours a week as a server at a local restaurant, work for my church, and play in a band. 2010-11 will be my last year in school, and I hope to spend a little less time working and a little more time investing in the future of my ministry. This scholarship would certainly help!
I’m looking forward to see where I’ll end up after this year. I’m not sure where my feet will land. But I am confident the path they’ll travel.
They’ll be following Jesus.
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Vocal Dilemma
You don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
It's true.
I sing.
A lot.
I'm in a band. I lead worship at church. I yell out random choruses during my work day to help the time pass. I sing when I'm frustrated. I sing when I'm excited. I just like to sing all the time.
I sing.
I used to sing.
Just like any muscles, the vocal chords don't react well to abuse. I suspect mine are reacting to poor treatment, because my voice has not been well for a couple of months now. Some weekends I would say I over-exerted myself, so a week off would do me well. And it would. Lately, it hasn't been as quick a recovery.
After pretty much any show, the next day my voice, or at least the parts that control my speaking/singing mechanism, is uncomfortable. I've lost a bit of my range. I'm straining to sing where I used to be comfortable. Talking gets tiring. I'm barely singing at church anymore. I don't sing in my free time. I don't know what to do when I'm frustrated. Or how to express joy.
It's incredible how what we do can be such a huge part of who we are. I, for the last 10 years or so, have been a singer. I've either fronted bands, led worship, or just been Dan with the guitar. Any occassion was an occassion to sing. Still, every occassion is one to sing. But I haven't been doing the singing.
I used to sing.
I want to sing.
I'm hoping that some exercises and better treatment will help me get through the next few months, and that some sort of substantial healing will take place. I know I need better technique. (I have the knowledge, I just don't use it. Smart.) I need better breath control. I need to learn how to sing while holding a guitar. There's a lot of re-training to do.
Being unable to sing makes me realize how much I enjoy it. And how much of myself I put into it. I don't just sing. I am a singer. I am a vocalist. I am a harmonizer. I create sound for the sake of art, and for function. sddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddds,mm, cxx
Someone fell asleep at the keyboard.
I want to sing.
It's true.
I sing.
A lot.
I'm in a band. I lead worship at church. I yell out random choruses during my work day to help the time pass. I sing when I'm frustrated. I sing when I'm excited. I just like to sing all the time.
I sing.
I used to sing.
Just like any muscles, the vocal chords don't react well to abuse. I suspect mine are reacting to poor treatment, because my voice has not been well for a couple of months now. Some weekends I would say I over-exerted myself, so a week off would do me well. And it would. Lately, it hasn't been as quick a recovery.
After pretty much any show, the next day my voice, or at least the parts that control my speaking/singing mechanism, is uncomfortable. I've lost a bit of my range. I'm straining to sing where I used to be comfortable. Talking gets tiring. I'm barely singing at church anymore. I don't sing in my free time. I don't know what to do when I'm frustrated. Or how to express joy.
It's incredible how what we do can be such a huge part of who we are. I, for the last 10 years or so, have been a singer. I've either fronted bands, led worship, or just been Dan with the guitar. Any occassion was an occassion to sing. Still, every occassion is one to sing. But I haven't been doing the singing.
I used to sing.
I want to sing.
I'm hoping that some exercises and better treatment will help me get through the next few months, and that some sort of substantial healing will take place. I know I need better technique. (I have the knowledge, I just don't use it. Smart.) I need better breath control. I need to learn how to sing while holding a guitar. There's a lot of re-training to do.
Being unable to sing makes me realize how much I enjoy it. And how much of myself I put into it. I don't just sing. I am a singer. I am a vocalist. I am a harmonizer. I create sound for the sake of art, and for function. sddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddds,mm, cxx
Someone fell asleep at the keyboard.
I want to sing.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Decision Disorder
Turns out I have trouble with choices.
I went to Express one day to buy a shirt. I found a design I liked, and a color. But there were three different "cuts." Overwhelmed by the choices, I didn't buy any.
I get into reading moods. I'll look at my bookshelf and see plenty of great books. But since I can't decide which one to read, I don't read any.
I have a week's worth of Spring break. I had almost resigned myself to not go anywhere because of my inability to decide what to do, which would have yielded me zero away time, which I desperately need. Would I pick any?
Thankfully, I picked Indianapolis. So, I'll go hang with Rach for a day, and get that much needed away time.
And I'll have decided something, which makes me feel pretty good.
I went to Express one day to buy a shirt. I found a design I liked, and a color. But there were three different "cuts." Overwhelmed by the choices, I didn't buy any.
I get into reading moods. I'll look at my bookshelf and see plenty of great books. But since I can't decide which one to read, I don't read any.
I have a week's worth of Spring break. I had almost resigned myself to not go anywhere because of my inability to decide what to do, which would have yielded me zero away time, which I desperately need. Would I pick any?
Thankfully, I picked Indianapolis. So, I'll go hang with Rach for a day, and get that much needed away time.
And I'll have decided something, which makes me feel pretty good.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Ode to Erin
Okay, so it's only been a week since last post.
But, seriously?
I was doing so well!
Erin, I need you.
I need the indwelling sense of pride you give me.
I need the irrational motivation to scribble random thoughts before bed.
I need the panic of waking up, thinking, "Did I blog yesterday???"
Without you, I forget. Or remember, but to no end.
An actual post might come later today, depending on how much stuff I get done. I'm almost done with ALL my work for the quarter! I'm pretty excited. I could have been done by now, but I kinda did nothing for one class the past month, so now it's all catch-up work. Bah.
Procrastination seemed like a good idea.
But, seriously?
I was doing so well!
Erin, I need you.
I need the indwelling sense of pride you give me.
I need the irrational motivation to scribble random thoughts before bed.
I need the panic of waking up, thinking, "Did I blog yesterday???"
Without you, I forget. Or remember, but to no end.
An actual post might come later today, depending on how much stuff I get done. I'm almost done with ALL my work for the quarter! I'm pretty excited. I could have been done by now, but I kinda did nothing for one class the past month, so now it's all catch-up work. Bah.
Procrastination seemed like a good idea.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Community Car
Yay for roommates!
A couple weeks ago one of my roomies totaled his car. That sucked for him.
Thankfully, there are three of us, with three cars. Well, two cars. But we're making do quite well. Sometimes I loan my car to my uncarred roomie, and sometimes I borrow the other's car. It all works out nice and smooth.
I wonder how things would be if we did that with all of life. Like, if your neighbor needed something, and you could always be like, "Yea, here ya go." That'd be pretty great.
(TV has a baby with a ventilator. That scares me.)
Now my car is back. So, I'm leaving. Where to? Not sure. But I've got a lot to do, so I'd better get out of here.
A couple weeks ago one of my roomies totaled his car. That sucked for him.
Thankfully, there are three of us, with three cars. Well, two cars. But we're making do quite well. Sometimes I loan my car to my uncarred roomie, and sometimes I borrow the other's car. It all works out nice and smooth.
I wonder how things would be if we did that with all of life. Like, if your neighbor needed something, and you could always be like, "Yea, here ya go." That'd be pretty great.
(TV has a baby with a ventilator. That scares me.)
Now my car is back. So, I'm leaving. Where to? Not sure. But I've got a lot to do, so I'd better get out of here.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Least Likely Places to Meet New People
1. In my room.
2. On my couch.
3. In the kitchen.
4. In my apartment building.
5. The Thai food place on Roosevelt.
6. On my blog.
2. On my couch.
3. In the kitchen.
4. In my apartment building.
5. The Thai food place on Roosevelt.
6. On my blog.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Grocery Shopping
Who loves grocery shopping?
I don't.
However, I recently realized my financial situation, and I have to prioritize it again.
Any strategies you guys use? I'm sure planning ahead is key. But uh...
Help?
I don't.
However, I recently realized my financial situation, and I have to prioritize it again.
Any strategies you guys use? I'm sure planning ahead is key. But uh...
Help?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Idol Agenda
I am so upset right now.
Every once in a while, I suspect a serious amount of hidden agenda on American Idol. Tonight's one of those nights. Arguably the best performance of the night (definitely top 2, next to Casey James) was Andrew Garcia.
Did you see it? Good night. It was so good. He reminds me of Israel Houghton a ton, but in a good way.
Anyway, they basically said it wasn't good enough, and he wasn't the "fun," "quirky" personality they saw before. (He sang Paula's "Straight Up" during Hollywood Week.) But they told Lee Dewyze that they loved his tone (which killed me), and barely mentioned his serious pitch issues?
Seriously, what's their agenda? Was anyone else bothered by this, or has anybody noticed this before?
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Visual Thesaurus
What's another word for nerdy amazingness?
VisualThesaurus.com
I'm not going to explain it. I'll just let you see it. Unfortunately, you have to subscribe if you want to use it a lot. But it'll let you play with a couple words. Float the arrow over the dots and such. It's pretty sweet.
Go, word-smiths, go!
VisualThesaurus.com
I'm not going to explain it. I'll just let you see it. Unfortunately, you have to subscribe if you want to use it a lot. But it'll let you play with a couple words. Float the arrow over the dots and such. It's pretty sweet.
Go, word-smiths, go!
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