Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Tag!
Apparently the game "Tag" is not physically confined to the playground...it has been carried over into the blogosphere! Over at the blog of Emily Ask, I have been recently tagged....and now I must list seven things that perhaps my readers do not know about me.
Where to begin....
1. I have hiked over seventy miles through the sierras and climbed Mt. Whitney all in one week.
2. I am an Eagle Scout
3. I like coffee more than tea (although earl grey and the english breakfast tea make for a good alternative sometimes)
4. I have already been sunburned THREE times this summer! (time to pull out the sunscreen!)
5. I love to read books, however, I often find myself torn between several books at a time because I want to read them all.
6. I lead worship for the high school group at my church a couple times a month.
7. And last but not least, I am far to competitive for my own good!
Where to begin....
1. I have hiked over seventy miles through the sierras and climbed Mt. Whitney all in one week.
2. I am an Eagle Scout
3. I like coffee more than tea (although earl grey and the english breakfast tea make for a good alternative sometimes)
4. I have already been sunburned THREE times this summer! (time to pull out the sunscreen!)
5. I love to read books, however, I often find myself torn between several books at a time because I want to read them all.
6. I lead worship for the high school group at my church a couple times a month.
7. And last but not least, I am far to competitive for my own good!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
The progression of life: Assimilating into the grown-up world
UGH! I am so behind in writing blogs and reading them! My most sincere apologies go out to those who continue to check my blog for new posts and are continually let down! It is amazing how one week of holiday will throw you off!
However, let not my absence make you think that my mind has been idle...far from it! I have been thinking about a lot of things lately and thought I would point out one observation that has been affecting me personally. That is (and everybody 18 and older can relate) growing up.
It is odd, as an 18 year old, to be working part time for the city with MEN who are old enough to be my father and yet treat me as a fellow employee. Up until now, men who worked full time always seemed so much more mature and "adult" like; people who I depend on but not relate too. Now I am making my way into the ranks of such men and soon little kids will be looking to me in the same way!!
I have, for most of my life, been one who resonates most deeply with Peter Pan. Growing up was never a reality that I looked forward too. I remember times as a little kid, having meltdowns about the over looming fact of having to grow up someday. It was a most frightful thought. However, as I continue into adulthood, I find that God truly is merciful. He allows for a time of adjustment as well as loving parents who help me out along the way. I think he knew that if the change was going to be abrupt I would die!
I am also finding that a proper understanding of one's identity is very important during this time of assimilation. However, I will save that topic for another post!
Perhaps my readers (assuming I still have some!) have more insight into the whole growing up process?
However, let not my absence make you think that my mind has been idle...far from it! I have been thinking about a lot of things lately and thought I would point out one observation that has been affecting me personally. That is (and everybody 18 and older can relate) growing up.
It is odd, as an 18 year old, to be working part time for the city with MEN who are old enough to be my father and yet treat me as a fellow employee. Up until now, men who worked full time always seemed so much more mature and "adult" like; people who I depend on but not relate too. Now I am making my way into the ranks of such men and soon little kids will be looking to me in the same way!!
I have, for most of my life, been one who resonates most deeply with Peter Pan. Growing up was never a reality that I looked forward too. I remember times as a little kid, having meltdowns about the over looming fact of having to grow up someday. It was a most frightful thought. However, as I continue into adulthood, I find that God truly is merciful. He allows for a time of adjustment as well as loving parents who help me out along the way. I think he knew that if the change was going to be abrupt I would die!
I am also finding that a proper understanding of one's identity is very important during this time of assimilation. However, I will save that topic for another post!
Perhaps my readers (assuming I still have some!) have more insight into the whole growing up process?
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Dr. JP Moreland has recently written a new book called The Kingdom Triangle. I have not read it yet but I have heard some very good reviews since its release. Here is a link to Dr. J.P. Moreland giving a sermon at his church, talking about his new book. Dr. Moreland himself calls it, "the most important book I have ever written." He presents some seemingly practical and yet very difficult ideas. After hearing his sermon, I am even more eager to read it for myself!
For a more in depth review check out this blog.
For a more in depth review check out this blog.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Music and Me Part II
To conclude this mini two part series, I thought I would share some of what I have learned from not listening to music.
At work, I work alone. As far as I can tell, nobody supervises me (except for when they come to check my work when I am not there) and therefore have quite a lot of time to myself. A couple of months ago, when I first heard about what my job would entail, I immediately thanked God for the invention of the Ipod! The first couple of weeks I did the cool teenage thing....I stuck headphones in my ears and listened to music throughout the work day. However, I soon became bored with the same ol' tunes over and over again and thought, "Certainly, I would benefit from books on tape!" And so I did. I listened to Paradise Lost, The Hobbit, Shakespeare, Of Mice and Men etc.
However, during this time, I had been talking with some friends about some of the trends of our culture; one of them was how we seclude ourselves from reality and from other people through recent technology. This of course brought up Ipods and the constant distraction they offer from ourselves and from other people. The observation finally hit home that day I was in the book store and the kid in front of me never removed his headphones as he paid for his item.
The next day at work I decided to leave the ipod in the car and venture to hang out with God and myself.
I suddenly became aware (in the strictest since of the word) of my thoughts and how they roam. They roamed not only amongst themselves but through my emotions and feelings untamed. I could not maintain any continuous thought pattern much less pray. It felt as if I were following a toddler around telling him, "don't touch that!" or "put that down!" My sanity seemed to be fleeting as I desperately tried to maintain control! What appeared to be my identity became more and more ambiguous.
Of course, it was during this time that I asked myself, "Why?" Why should I continue to put myself through this? Isn't music a good thing? Why should I deprive myself of it?
To start with the second question; music is a good thing. It is so good in fact that even Plato considered it to be one of the highest forms of art. When somebody plays a piano piece, they must pour into it their knowledge of theory as well as their passions/emotions. Their head (the knowledge) must be just as proactive in the process of creating the music as their heart (the passions). The result is a manifestation of some of the deepest human experiences one can offer. In so doing, music does affect/influence its listener in some way or another. However, music has turned into such an outlet for emotion that artists no longer have to know the structure of scales and chord patterns but merely need to have strong emotions. Because of this, music that is creative and requires both thought and feeling has been diminishing. It is by no means extinct but stereotypically one mostly meets elderly people at the community opera house. To allow music only to affect your emotions is BAD, because a lot of music has bad emotions! Thus to only allow music entrance into your emotions, can result in a fake perception of the song itself and reality (i.e. Love).
On the other hand (the hand I tend to be guilty of), is to over analyze the music to the point that it has no affect on your emotions at all. Suddenly it becomes a thought project instead of an experience. Certainly I am keeping myself safe from the pitfalls of being overly emotional but now it has become detrimental. I become entirely separate from the music itself and I am incapable of experiencing the part of reality the composer is relaying. Although I may understand the mechanics of the music and perhaps the message the music is relaying; I cannot come to understand it holistically. What do I mean by that? Well, for example; there is a difference between understanding who a person is on paper (i.e. eye color, hair color, likes and dislikes etc.) and knowing the person. There is a distinct personality within each person that cannot be extracted through the analysis of their chemical make up. In the same way, music cannot be known solely through intellectual endeavors but also through experience of the music itself.
Whew! Glad I got that off my chest! However, you might be wondering what this has to do with refusing to listen to music for the past month or so. And rightly do you wonder! My answer is this; that through the constant noise we surround ourselves we become too much head or heart. We are so fragmented, that when we are finally forced to put together both our intellect and our passions it appears to be nearly impossible. However, if we continue to live as if we were one or the other the manifestation (our hands) results in an unprofitable and dissatisfying life.
At work, I work alone. As far as I can tell, nobody supervises me (except for when they come to check my work when I am not there) and therefore have quite a lot of time to myself. A couple of months ago, when I first heard about what my job would entail, I immediately thanked God for the invention of the Ipod! The first couple of weeks I did the cool teenage thing....I stuck headphones in my ears and listened to music throughout the work day. However, I soon became bored with the same ol' tunes over and over again and thought, "Certainly, I would benefit from books on tape!" And so I did. I listened to Paradise Lost, The Hobbit, Shakespeare, Of Mice and Men etc.
However, during this time, I had been talking with some friends about some of the trends of our culture; one of them was how we seclude ourselves from reality and from other people through recent technology. This of course brought up Ipods and the constant distraction they offer from ourselves and from other people. The observation finally hit home that day I was in the book store and the kid in front of me never removed his headphones as he paid for his item.
The next day at work I decided to leave the ipod in the car and venture to hang out with God and myself.
I suddenly became aware (in the strictest since of the word) of my thoughts and how they roam. They roamed not only amongst themselves but through my emotions and feelings untamed. I could not maintain any continuous thought pattern much less pray. It felt as if I were following a toddler around telling him, "don't touch that!" or "put that down!" My sanity seemed to be fleeting as I desperately tried to maintain control! What appeared to be my identity became more and more ambiguous.
Of course, it was during this time that I asked myself, "Why?" Why should I continue to put myself through this? Isn't music a good thing? Why should I deprive myself of it?
To start with the second question; music is a good thing. It is so good in fact that even Plato considered it to be one of the highest forms of art. When somebody plays a piano piece, they must pour into it their knowledge of theory as well as their passions/emotions. Their head (the knowledge) must be just as proactive in the process of creating the music as their heart (the passions). The result is a manifestation of some of the deepest human experiences one can offer. In so doing, music does affect/influence its listener in some way or another. However, music has turned into such an outlet for emotion that artists no longer have to know the structure of scales and chord patterns but merely need to have strong emotions. Because of this, music that is creative and requires both thought and feeling has been diminishing. It is by no means extinct but stereotypically one mostly meets elderly people at the community opera house. To allow music only to affect your emotions is BAD, because a lot of music has bad emotions! Thus to only allow music entrance into your emotions, can result in a fake perception of the song itself and reality (i.e. Love).
On the other hand (the hand I tend to be guilty of), is to over analyze the music to the point that it has no affect on your emotions at all. Suddenly it becomes a thought project instead of an experience. Certainly I am keeping myself safe from the pitfalls of being overly emotional but now it has become detrimental. I become entirely separate from the music itself and I am incapable of experiencing the part of reality the composer is relaying. Although I may understand the mechanics of the music and perhaps the message the music is relaying; I cannot come to understand it holistically. What do I mean by that? Well, for example; there is a difference between understanding who a person is on paper (i.e. eye color, hair color, likes and dislikes etc.) and knowing the person. There is a distinct personality within each person that cannot be extracted through the analysis of their chemical make up. In the same way, music cannot be known solely through intellectual endeavors but also through experience of the music itself.
Whew! Glad I got that off my chest! However, you might be wondering what this has to do with refusing to listen to music for the past month or so. And rightly do you wonder! My answer is this; that through the constant noise we surround ourselves we become too much head or heart. We are so fragmented, that when we are finally forced to put together both our intellect and our passions it appears to be nearly impossible. However, if we continue to live as if we were one or the other the manifestation (our hands) results in an unprofitable and dissatisfying life.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
For those who can't wait!!
Update:
Spiderman 3 is coming out next Friday! (not Saturday)
I have some pretty high expectations for this third installment of Spiderman. I must confess however, that I was not entirely thrilled with the first two movies.... but they seem to be getting progressively better. I am hoping this trend will continue. And from some of the trailers I've seen, it promises to be a good one!! Check out this exclusive trailer and let me know what you think!
Spiderman 3 is coming out next Friday! (not Saturday)
I have some pretty high expectations for this third installment of Spiderman. I must confess however, that I was not entirely thrilled with the first two movies.... but they seem to be getting progressively better. I am hoping this trend will continue. And from some of the trailers I've seen, it promises to be a good one!! Check out this exclusive trailer and let me know what you think!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Music and Me Part I
Just the other day while I was on campus, a friend of mine was going to be playing a couple piano pieces for a music class and asked if I wanted to come. Being a big fan of music (especially classical) I couldn't refuse.
Music is a funny thing. The effects of music on my emotions and often times on my thoughts can sometimes be very subtle or outright grueling! I will attempt to describe some of the experiences I had that day.
As she played through her first piece by Chopin, I felt as if I were in a fairy world. Not a cheesy fairy world that inevitably pops up into every ones mind when the word is mentioned, but a far more interesting world. In fact, I think that "interesting" is the only word which describes the experience. It didn't seem to be good or bad....just interesting. Much like the fairy world George MacDonald talks about in "Phantastes" (although not quite so dark).
This all changed as soon as she began her Rachmaninoff piece. The disturbance of Rachmaninoff's soul translated so tangibly through his music it even makes the listener begin to feel his anger and strife. It felt as if my insides were being torn to shreds! I wanted to stand up and shout and run around like a mad man! This of course was a good feeling because it meant that she was playing the song well....weird, but true! :~)
And then finally there was Bach. The man who was forced to play by all the rules. When I listen to Bach, I often feel as though I should be sitting up straight and controlling my breaths for fear of being heard. It is like the feeling one reads in stories about school children who attended the old boarding schools. They have to wear the stiff collars, itchy jackets and uncomfortable trousers while sitting up straight in a hard back chair for hours on end. This is not to say that all of Bach's pieces are so hard to listen too (i.e. Jesu, Joy of a Man's Desire) but the majority does tend to be difficult at times.
This analysis seems to beg the question, "what then is the importance of music and should it be taken lightly?". As of late, I have literally gone on a fast from music. I have not been listening to it while in the car or on my ipod while doing school. Everywhere I look people have headphones in their ears. And it has begun to annoy me!! For example, one day while at school I was in the book store waiting to pay for some scantron forms. The person in front of me had his head phones in and was pretty much dead to the world. I began to watch him as we came closer to the front of the line and wondered if he would take them off. Although I was not surprised, but still just as shocked, he went through the whole purchasing process with his head phones in; never making eye contact with the cashier! Needless to say I was terribly annoyed and was tempted to reach out and pluck the head phones from his ears. (fear not, I was able to restrain myself!)
Music appears to have become such a noise maker for our society that I wonder if we have forgotten what it sounds like. Much less forgotten how to listen to it.
Thus, partly out of spite and partly because I want to relearn how to listen to music, I have been taking a fast from it. And until you actually try it, you won't realize how hard that is! I find myself suffering from withdrawals as I itch so habitually to turn on a CD and make some noise in order to distract myself from myself.
"Distracted from distraction by distraction" ~T.S. Eliot
(That still doesn't make sense, but it sounded like it fit! :~)
What I have learned from this I will explain in the next part of this two part series.
Music is a funny thing. The effects of music on my emotions and often times on my thoughts can sometimes be very subtle or outright grueling! I will attempt to describe some of the experiences I had that day.
As she played through her first piece by Chopin, I felt as if I were in a fairy world. Not a cheesy fairy world that inevitably pops up into every ones mind when the word is mentioned, but a far more interesting world. In fact, I think that "interesting" is the only word which describes the experience. It didn't seem to be good or bad....just interesting. Much like the fairy world George MacDonald talks about in "Phantastes" (although not quite so dark).
This all changed as soon as she began her Rachmaninoff piece. The disturbance of Rachmaninoff's soul translated so tangibly through his music it even makes the listener begin to feel his anger and strife. It felt as if my insides were being torn to shreds! I wanted to stand up and shout and run around like a mad man! This of course was a good feeling because it meant that she was playing the song well....weird, but true! :~)
And then finally there was Bach. The man who was forced to play by all the rules. When I listen to Bach, I often feel as though I should be sitting up straight and controlling my breaths for fear of being heard. It is like the feeling one reads in stories about school children who attended the old boarding schools. They have to wear the stiff collars, itchy jackets and uncomfortable trousers while sitting up straight in a hard back chair for hours on end. This is not to say that all of Bach's pieces are so hard to listen too (i.e. Jesu, Joy of a Man's Desire) but the majority does tend to be difficult at times.
This analysis seems to beg the question, "what then is the importance of music and should it be taken lightly?". As of late, I have literally gone on a fast from music. I have not been listening to it while in the car or on my ipod while doing school. Everywhere I look people have headphones in their ears. And it has begun to annoy me!! For example, one day while at school I was in the book store waiting to pay for some scantron forms. The person in front of me had his head phones in and was pretty much dead to the world. I began to watch him as we came closer to the front of the line and wondered if he would take them off. Although I was not surprised, but still just as shocked, he went through the whole purchasing process with his head phones in; never making eye contact with the cashier! Needless to say I was terribly annoyed and was tempted to reach out and pluck the head phones from his ears. (fear not, I was able to restrain myself!)
Music appears to have become such a noise maker for our society that I wonder if we have forgotten what it sounds like. Much less forgotten how to listen to it.
Thus, partly out of spite and partly because I want to relearn how to listen to music, I have been taking a fast from it. And until you actually try it, you won't realize how hard that is! I find myself suffering from withdrawals as I itch so habitually to turn on a CD and make some noise in order to distract myself from myself.
"Distracted from distraction by distraction" ~T.S. Eliot
(That still doesn't make sense, but it sounded like it fit! :~)
What I have learned from this I will explain in the next part of this two part series.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
First of Many
Update:
I am offically putting up my first post from my new laptop! It came in the mail the other day while I was at school! Needless to say I was excited to get home and play with it. It is the perfect size and weight for when I am carrying it around school! And what is even better...my neighbor was able to load up Microsoft word and Excel so I do not have to use Microsoft works!
....now if only I could figure out how to use the new Windows Vista!!
I am offically putting up my first post from my new laptop! It came in the mail the other day while I was at school! Needless to say I was excited to get home and play with it. It is the perfect size and weight for when I am carrying it around school! And what is even better...my neighbor was able to load up Microsoft word and Excel so I do not have to use Microsoft works!
....now if only I could figure out how to use the new Windows Vista!!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Bomb Drop!
Last night I went to spanish class feeling fine...and perhaps a little excited about going. However, that was not the case as I was heading for the parking lot on my way out!!
My teacher had mentioned earlier this semester that there was going to be an oral exam..she even put it in the syllabus (which is saying a lot compared to my other teachers!). I wasn't so appalled at the idea.... because I assumed I was allowed to read from a paper I would write.
Little did I know....
She decided to unveil all of the gory details that night! Caught off my guard, she said that the oral would be strictly an oral! There is no reading from a paper or even notes...she just wants us to get up in front of the class and ramble on about a subject concerning the spanish culture for 5 minutes!
ME! A gringo! She said she doesn't mind mistakes as long as we are up there for 5 minutes...my question is whether or not she minds a weird awkward silence for 5 minutes. :~)
Hopefully it won't be so bad....seeing as I have a wonderful friend who helps me in my time of need! The saviour for all gringos who dare to delve into the spanish language! And perhaps, once more she will save me from such a terrible predicament (possibly the worst yet!).
Gracias Señora Cuqui! Soy agradecido para su ayuda todos!
My teacher had mentioned earlier this semester that there was going to be an oral exam..she even put it in the syllabus (which is saying a lot compared to my other teachers!). I wasn't so appalled at the idea.... because I assumed I was allowed to read from a paper I would write.
Little did I know....
She decided to unveil all of the gory details that night! Caught off my guard, she said that the oral would be strictly an oral! There is no reading from a paper or even notes...she just wants us to get up in front of the class and ramble on about a subject concerning the spanish culture for 5 minutes!
ME! A gringo! She said she doesn't mind mistakes as long as we are up there for 5 minutes...my question is whether or not she minds a weird awkward silence for 5 minutes. :~)
Hopefully it won't be so bad....seeing as I have a wonderful friend who helps me in my time of need! The saviour for all gringos who dare to delve into the spanish language! And perhaps, once more she will save me from such a terrible predicament (possibly the worst yet!).
Gracias Señora Cuqui! Soy agradecido para su ayuda todos!
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