So the other day, I had to laugh at myself. The only other alternative was to be completely embarrassed.
I was trying to explain to someone where the Hancock building is, and I was 100% convinced that it was on the left side of Michigan Avenue if you're driving north. Except that by left, I actually meant right.
The really sad part is that I was completely adamant that I was correct, to the extent that I actually looked at the person trying to correct me as if they were stupid.
And then I realized that I don't know the difference between right and left.
So I've been forming an L with both hands lately in order to determine which hand is my left and which is my right.
You would think....at the age of 24.....that I would have this stuff down by now.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
...and all the random things...
The best random things that have happened lately...are as follows.
Tuesday one of my piano students gave me a tract. She said her mom told her to give it to me. It didn't even have pictures...just a lot of reading.
Harry Potter at midnight...at the IMAX...with Keith, Shelley, and JK. Being in public with one Keith Martinkus at any point in time is always an adventure, but his antics are heightened after 10:00 pm when in a theater full of mostly high school kids. Not to mention that they gave us 3D glasses...which provided a great deal of entertainment for all parties. Keith is most proud of his t-shirt...he walked proudly through the theater sporting a green shirt proclaiming "Snape Happenz." It was supposed to say "Snape Happens" but we only had one S in the packet....so we improvised. This was all in an effort to keep him from being in "the burnt orange zone" (on the anger scale from red to green, red being the most angry) due to a fiasco on Saturday to which he refuses to let go. This experience was also made more enjoyable by Shelley, the most flexible person I know, continually throwing her legs over the railing in various attempts at "sexy" poses as we took pictures in our 3D glasses. As we were in the first row at the IMAX, Shelley decided to test Keith's devotion to her by claiming she dropped her flip flop over the railing into the sloping pit at the base of the screen...he was not dedicated enough to their relationship to make the sacrifice and jump over the railing.
Sunday it was so hot that JK and I decided we needed to buy a pool. Pictures to follow. It is inflatable. And magnificent.
Several exciting pieces of information:
I bought a macbook and am currently blogging on it. I'm very excited.
I found out that I got accepted into the English graduate program at DePaul. What a huge relief!
Also, I am currently addicted to Scrubs.
Tuesday one of my piano students gave me a tract. She said her mom told her to give it to me. It didn't even have pictures...just a lot of reading.
Harry Potter at midnight...at the IMAX...with Keith, Shelley, and JK. Being in public with one Keith Martinkus at any point in time is always an adventure, but his antics are heightened after 10:00 pm when in a theater full of mostly high school kids. Not to mention that they gave us 3D glasses...which provided a great deal of entertainment for all parties. Keith is most proud of his t-shirt...he walked proudly through the theater sporting a green shirt proclaiming "Snape Happenz." It was supposed to say "Snape Happens" but we only had one S in the packet....so we improvised. This was all in an effort to keep him from being in "the burnt orange zone" (on the anger scale from red to green, red being the most angry) due to a fiasco on Saturday to which he refuses to let go. This experience was also made more enjoyable by Shelley, the most flexible person I know, continually throwing her legs over the railing in various attempts at "sexy" poses as we took pictures in our 3D glasses. As we were in the first row at the IMAX, Shelley decided to test Keith's devotion to her by claiming she dropped her flip flop over the railing into the sloping pit at the base of the screen...he was not dedicated enough to their relationship to make the sacrifice and jump over the railing.
Sunday it was so hot that JK and I decided we needed to buy a pool. Pictures to follow. It is inflatable. And magnificent.
Several exciting pieces of information:
I bought a macbook and am currently blogging on it. I'm very excited.
I found out that I got accepted into the English graduate program at DePaul. What a huge relief!
Also, I am currently addicted to Scrubs.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
details.
My roommate, Shelley, and I just took the shortest "vacation" imaginable. But it was great. We drove to South Carolina on Monday night/Tuesday, stayed 2 days with her parents, who live near Hilton Head, and drove back Friday. All day Friday. Here are the highlights.
I think all the trees that were supposed to be in the Midwest mistakenly got dumped in Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Driving through the Smoky Mountains was probably one of the best parts of the trip; miles and miles of green as far as you can see, fading to a blue haze in the distance.
The ocean is an awe-inspiring thing, even when you're there on a day the weather sucks. We decided to go to the beach on Thursday, but of course Thursday dawned overcast. We were determined, though, so we packed up and headed to Hilton Head Island for the beach. Even though we left with less of a tan than we had hoped, a little chilly, and covered with sand due to the extreme wind, I count it as a good day. There is nothing like the feeling of walking a beach, the sand squishing between your toes, the tide coming in and the water a pleasantly warm temperature swirling around your ankles.
We ate at a Jazz Club on Thursday night, which was possibly one of the most fun things I've done in weeks, maybe months. I hope everyone appreciates the skill level that jazz musicians have achieved. It was incredible. They played a 2-hour set before taking a break.
And on the drive home yesterday, I was bound and determined to stop at a Chick-Fil-A, since I love it, they serve sweet tea, and Shelley had never eaten there. Even though we had to go to a mall food court, it was worth the effort.
And I mustn't leave out the fact that I read aloud several chapters from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to Shelley while she drove. We are getting ready for the new movie and the new book, so since she hadn't finished book 6 yet, we were speeding the process along. Reading aloud is really fun. It made me realize how much I skip over when I'm reading silently, because it took forever to get through each chapter. And sadly, I can't do a British accent, so I'm afraid my version was less than authentic.
Of course, with much time to think come many new thoughts about life, my life in particular. These are still being processed and saved for another post. But God is beckoning me to let Him hold my heart for now, safe in the palm of His hand, and that His beauty is what restores my sanity.
Currently reading:
The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri
Orthodoxy--G.K. Chesterton
I think all the trees that were supposed to be in the Midwest mistakenly got dumped in Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Driving through the Smoky Mountains was probably one of the best parts of the trip; miles and miles of green as far as you can see, fading to a blue haze in the distance.
The ocean is an awe-inspiring thing, even when you're there on a day the weather sucks. We decided to go to the beach on Thursday, but of course Thursday dawned overcast. We were determined, though, so we packed up and headed to Hilton Head Island for the beach. Even though we left with less of a tan than we had hoped, a little chilly, and covered with sand due to the extreme wind, I count it as a good day. There is nothing like the feeling of walking a beach, the sand squishing between your toes, the tide coming in and the water a pleasantly warm temperature swirling around your ankles.
We ate at a Jazz Club on Thursday night, which was possibly one of the most fun things I've done in weeks, maybe months. I hope everyone appreciates the skill level that jazz musicians have achieved. It was incredible. They played a 2-hour set before taking a break.
And on the drive home yesterday, I was bound and determined to stop at a Chick-Fil-A, since I love it, they serve sweet tea, and Shelley had never eaten there. Even though we had to go to a mall food court, it was worth the effort.
And I mustn't leave out the fact that I read aloud several chapters from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to Shelley while she drove. We are getting ready for the new movie and the new book, so since she hadn't finished book 6 yet, we were speeding the process along. Reading aloud is really fun. It made me realize how much I skip over when I'm reading silently, because it took forever to get through each chapter. And sadly, I can't do a British accent, so I'm afraid my version was less than authentic.
Of course, with much time to think come many new thoughts about life, my life in particular. These are still being processed and saved for another post. But God is beckoning me to let Him hold my heart for now, safe in the palm of His hand, and that His beauty is what restores my sanity.
Currently reading:
The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri
Orthodoxy--G.K. Chesterton
Friday, June 15, 2007
thoughts on art.
I am an artist. I've known this for a long time, and a lot of you who know me would probably say you've known that for a long time too, but sometimes I forget.
I forget that artists are some of the luckiest people in the world.
I forget that a lot of people don't get art. A lot of people don't appreciate it or understand it, and therefore dislike it.
That makes me sad.
Art is one of the most beautiful things about life. I just spent the last 3 days at the Willow Creek Arts Conference. Their title this year? Hallelujah....What's Right with the World.
How appropriate.
Because not only are artists the sensitive, soul-searching types...we also can be cynics. I don't like to think of myself as a cynic. I would love to be able to say that I'm an optimist. But I'm not. And living in a world that disregards art makes being an artist discouraging at times. Being an artist who is trying to convey that art is not just about beauty, it's about God's beauty....is suffocating at times. Because the world, on the whole, doesn't get that.
And I don't get how you could NOT get that.
How can you look at a tree and not see the hand of God? Have you ever really looked at a tree? Try it. Look at a tree in winter. I love trees in winter (one of the few things I enjoy about the cold season). All the branches are exposed, revealing the intricacies of this plant that grew from a single seed. I love trees in spring, when the leaves are just starting to emerge. I love trees in summer when the leaves have burst forth, bright and full and a thousand different shades of the color commonly known as green. I love trees in the fall, stripped of their chlorophyll, revealing the colors that lie hidden underneath.
How could you not see God in that?
How can you look at a waterfall, a rainbow, a thunderstorm, a mountain range, a desert, an ocean, a child's smile, a budding rose, the summer stars, a sunset, a dance, a painting, and not see beauty? And at the heart of that beauty, the essence of our Creator?
Call me crazy, because that's how I see the world. God is most present to me in the works of His hands. And the works of His hands are one of the biggest things RIGHT with the world. Definitely the biggest thing right with MY world.
It's been a trying few weeks. Life has this way of throwing things at you that you don't expect, and sometimes can't accept. No one expects heartbreak, but it catches up to all of us eventually.
Eventually is probably my least favorite word at the moment. Everyone always says that things will work out eventually, or that you will be OK eventually, or that they will do this or that eventually.....my friend Bob soothed my heart when he wished for me that he could make eventually be yesterday. Because then the eventual healing of my heartache would have already happened.
But the gut-wrenching beauty of this world....while it brings me to the verge of tears, a place I have been quite frequently since June 1st, it reminds me of my Love. And my Love reminds me that I am His artist. And that He created this beauty. For me. In my heartache, He gives me the devastating beauty of the world.
I love the song ALWAYS by Hillsong United for this reason....
Did You rise the sun for me?
Or paint a million stars that I might know Your majesty?
Is Your voice upon the wind?
Is everything I've known marked with my Maker's fingerprints?...
Can I feel You in the rain?
Abandon all I am to have You capture me again
Let the earth resound with praise
Can You hear as all creation lives to glorify one name?....
I forget that artists are some of the luckiest people in the world.
I forget that a lot of people don't get art. A lot of people don't appreciate it or understand it, and therefore dislike it.
That makes me sad.
Art is one of the most beautiful things about life. I just spent the last 3 days at the Willow Creek Arts Conference. Their title this year? Hallelujah....What's Right with the World.
How appropriate.
Because not only are artists the sensitive, soul-searching types...we also can be cynics. I don't like to think of myself as a cynic. I would love to be able to say that I'm an optimist. But I'm not. And living in a world that disregards art makes being an artist discouraging at times. Being an artist who is trying to convey that art is not just about beauty, it's about God's beauty....is suffocating at times. Because the world, on the whole, doesn't get that.
And I don't get how you could NOT get that.
How can you look at a tree and not see the hand of God? Have you ever really looked at a tree? Try it. Look at a tree in winter. I love trees in winter (one of the few things I enjoy about the cold season). All the branches are exposed, revealing the intricacies of this plant that grew from a single seed. I love trees in spring, when the leaves are just starting to emerge. I love trees in summer when the leaves have burst forth, bright and full and a thousand different shades of the color commonly known as green. I love trees in the fall, stripped of their chlorophyll, revealing the colors that lie hidden underneath.
How could you not see God in that?
How can you look at a waterfall, a rainbow, a thunderstorm, a mountain range, a desert, an ocean, a child's smile, a budding rose, the summer stars, a sunset, a dance, a painting, and not see beauty? And at the heart of that beauty, the essence of our Creator?
Call me crazy, because that's how I see the world. God is most present to me in the works of His hands. And the works of His hands are one of the biggest things RIGHT with the world. Definitely the biggest thing right with MY world.
It's been a trying few weeks. Life has this way of throwing things at you that you don't expect, and sometimes can't accept. No one expects heartbreak, but it catches up to all of us eventually.
Eventually is probably my least favorite word at the moment. Everyone always says that things will work out eventually, or that you will be OK eventually, or that they will do this or that eventually.....my friend Bob soothed my heart when he wished for me that he could make eventually be yesterday. Because then the eventual healing of my heartache would have already happened.
But the gut-wrenching beauty of this world....while it brings me to the verge of tears, a place I have been quite frequently since June 1st, it reminds me of my Love. And my Love reminds me that I am His artist. And that He created this beauty. For me. In my heartache, He gives me the devastating beauty of the world.
I love the song ALWAYS by Hillsong United for this reason....
Did You rise the sun for me?
Or paint a million stars that I might know Your majesty?
Is Your voice upon the wind?
Is everything I've known marked with my Maker's fingerprints?...
Can I feel You in the rain?
Abandon all I am to have You capture me again
Let the earth resound with praise
Can You hear as all creation lives to glorify one name?....
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Hillsong United....rock & roll....
So I know I don't blog about my job very often, but here's a job-related post.
One of the things I am most passionate about in my life is worship through music. I know there are lots of other ways to worship, but I connect to God best through music. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that God genetically engineered me as a musician, who knows.
So last night, a whole bunch of our arts teams from various CCC campuses went to see Hillsong United in concert. They are a kickin' worship band from Australia. We have been introducing their songs left and right in the past eight months or so, which means we have officially shifted from Crowder Community Church to Hillsong Community Church. In fact, we finally planned our first service with ALL Hillsong United songs this past week. It was quite an accomplishment.
I didn't take any pictures....because they told me not to. The big screen said no cameras or video recording devices. But if you would like to experience a little bit of the concert, check out Bill Carroll's blog (www.multisitearts.com). Apparently he didn't follow the rules. He also posted several pictures of Lucas with his hands way in the air....I don't know why he is so weird. But I did inform him that his shirt was clearly not up to stage standards, because you're supposed to do the arm check before you leave the house. If you raise your hands and your stomach is showing, you are not dressed appropriately to be on stage. Good thing we were just in the parking lot.
It was a great show. Great company as well. We didn't get home until after midnight due to a post-concert stop at Steak 'n Shake because we were all dying of hunger. It's been a while since I'd been to a worship conference...as a worship leader, it's nice to be able to go to a worship service and just relax instead of analyzing everything to death.
Thank God for youth group bands from Australia who write really catchy songs with great instrumental hooks.
One of the things I am most passionate about in my life is worship through music. I know there are lots of other ways to worship, but I connect to God best through music. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that God genetically engineered me as a musician, who knows.
So last night, a whole bunch of our arts teams from various CCC campuses went to see Hillsong United in concert. They are a kickin' worship band from Australia. We have been introducing their songs left and right in the past eight months or so, which means we have officially shifted from Crowder Community Church to Hillsong Community Church. In fact, we finally planned our first service with ALL Hillsong United songs this past week. It was quite an accomplishment.
I didn't take any pictures....because they told me not to. The big screen said no cameras or video recording devices. But if you would like to experience a little bit of the concert, check out Bill Carroll's blog (www.multisitearts.com). Apparently he didn't follow the rules. He also posted several pictures of Lucas with his hands way in the air....I don't know why he is so weird. But I did inform him that his shirt was clearly not up to stage standards, because you're supposed to do the arm check before you leave the house. If you raise your hands and your stomach is showing, you are not dressed appropriately to be on stage. Good thing we were just in the parking lot.
It was a great show. Great company as well. We didn't get home until after midnight due to a post-concert stop at Steak 'n Shake because we were all dying of hunger. It's been a while since I'd been to a worship conference...as a worship leader, it's nice to be able to go to a worship service and just relax instead of analyzing everything to death.
Thank God for youth group bands from Australia who write really catchy songs with great instrumental hooks.
Friday, May 25, 2007
finales...etc.
Thank God for DVR....sometimes. It helps when you remember to set your favorite TV shows to record.
So Wednesday night, we watched the whole 2 hours of the American Idol finale...except for the last 5 minutes where they actually told us who won. Because our DVR cut it off.
And then to my extreme disappointment, we forgot to record LOST. So I had to wait a whole day to see the LOST finale. Which was well worth the wait. It was a brilliant episode. Oh man.
Heroes was a little bit...disappointing. I mean, they built it up to this big moment all season, and then...it didn't happen. Which I guess was good. But still a little anti-climactic. And of course, the villain got away. The villain always gets away.
Oh, and don't even get me started on Grey's Anatomy last week. The fact that they left almost every relationship or possible relationship on the show in shambles....as the finale??....is just plain irritating.
But the good news is that my blog will (hopefully) consist of more than talking about TV for the next few months.
Speaking of finales, we had our recital for School for the Arts last week, and it was madness, I tell you. The thing that I love/hate about recitals is how nervous all my students get. I love it because it's good for them to feel that pressure, but they get nervous and they don't play as well. Almost all of my students played better in their lessons that week than they did at the recital. But nevertheless, I was proud of them all in the end. It was kind of a long semester, and today is our last day of lessons.
I still feel like I deserve a summer break. Anyone else sympathize? I feel like I don't want to do as much work during the summer. I want to be lazy. And go on vacation. Even though I've been out of college for 3 years. Alas, the joys of being an adult....
So Wednesday night, we watched the whole 2 hours of the American Idol finale...except for the last 5 minutes where they actually told us who won. Because our DVR cut it off.
And then to my extreme disappointment, we forgot to record LOST. So I had to wait a whole day to see the LOST finale. Which was well worth the wait. It was a brilliant episode. Oh man.
Heroes was a little bit...disappointing. I mean, they built it up to this big moment all season, and then...it didn't happen. Which I guess was good. But still a little anti-climactic. And of course, the villain got away. The villain always gets away.
Oh, and don't even get me started on Grey's Anatomy last week. The fact that they left almost every relationship or possible relationship on the show in shambles....as the finale??....is just plain irritating.
But the good news is that my blog will (hopefully) consist of more than talking about TV for the next few months.
Speaking of finales, we had our recital for School for the Arts last week, and it was madness, I tell you. The thing that I love/hate about recitals is how nervous all my students get. I love it because it's good for them to feel that pressure, but they get nervous and they don't play as well. Almost all of my students played better in their lessons that week than they did at the recital. But nevertheless, I was proud of them all in the end. It was kind of a long semester, and today is our last day of lessons.
I still feel like I deserve a summer break. Anyone else sympathize? I feel like I don't want to do as much work during the summer. I want to be lazy. And go on vacation. Even though I've been out of college for 3 years. Alas, the joys of being an adult....
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
the few. the proud. the viewers of LOST.
So let's take a moment to review my current TV habits.
The American Idol Season Finale is next week, so I will have 2 nights of my life back. And I don't know who's going to win. Honestly. It could go any way right now, that's the mystery of it all. What will happen? Who can say?
But it's spring, so everyone is ready to wrap up their seasons. I am also eagerly anticipating the end of Heroes next Monday, because they have promised to answer many of my questions, and we finally get to see who blows up New York City, or doesn't, whatever the case may be. It will all be resolved, and a new conflict will start next season, and I will buy the first season on DVD and watch all of the episodes in a row, back to back to back....maybe not.
But speaking of wrapping things up....the classic show that refuses to wrap things up is once again one of my favorites. That's right, I am part of the few, the proud, the loyal fans of LOST. I never stopped watching, even when the beginning of this season totally sucked and it seemed like the writers didn't have a clue what to do (oh wait, I still think they don't have a clue). They came back with a vengeance after their 2-month hiatus in the winter, and now I can't stop watching. It's like the first season again--the mystery, the questions, the chaos and confusion...LOST is back, people. Start watching again. But they have signed on for another three seasons at least, which means that my questions will not be answered in the coming weeks, months, years...maybe ever. But I keep watching in the hope that eventually...all the stuff that doesn't make sense....maybe, just maybe, it will. Someday.
And as for my own long hiatus from blogging, that can best be explained by the fact that my laptop (my free laptop from the church that was several years old) has died. The hard drive crashed. Which sucks. And my desktop? It won't connect to the internet. So the only computer available at home (which is usually where I do my blogging) is Shelley's laptop, which is in use most of the time due to its being the only working computer in our house...and there are still 4 of us who live there.
The American Idol Season Finale is next week, so I will have 2 nights of my life back. And I don't know who's going to win. Honestly. It could go any way right now, that's the mystery of it all. What will happen? Who can say?
But it's spring, so everyone is ready to wrap up their seasons. I am also eagerly anticipating the end of Heroes next Monday, because they have promised to answer many of my questions, and we finally get to see who blows up New York City, or doesn't, whatever the case may be. It will all be resolved, and a new conflict will start next season, and I will buy the first season on DVD and watch all of the episodes in a row, back to back to back....maybe not.
But speaking of wrapping things up....the classic show that refuses to wrap things up is once again one of my favorites. That's right, I am part of the few, the proud, the loyal fans of LOST. I never stopped watching, even when the beginning of this season totally sucked and it seemed like the writers didn't have a clue what to do (oh wait, I still think they don't have a clue). They came back with a vengeance after their 2-month hiatus in the winter, and now I can't stop watching. It's like the first season again--the mystery, the questions, the chaos and confusion...LOST is back, people. Start watching again. But they have signed on for another three seasons at least, which means that my questions will not be answered in the coming weeks, months, years...maybe ever. But I keep watching in the hope that eventually...all the stuff that doesn't make sense....maybe, just maybe, it will. Someday.
And as for my own long hiatus from blogging, that can best be explained by the fact that my laptop (my free laptop from the church that was several years old) has died. The hard drive crashed. Which sucks. And my desktop? It won't connect to the internet. So the only computer available at home (which is usually where I do my blogging) is Shelley's laptop, which is in use most of the time due to its being the only working computer in our house...and there are still 4 of us who live there.
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