February 2011
31 posts
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“…you can imagine the irony I felt as an American citizen visiting...”
– Dr. Jerry L. Jaccard from “Moral and Spiritual Education Through Music in a Secular World”
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“Music is your own experience, your own thoughts,...
sexysaxophones:
- Charlie Parker, saxophonist
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Sometimes I find it interesting how people view my decision to sacrifice a year to do the discipleship program I'm currently involved in. It wasn't part of my plan for life, but God said do it. The last time I didn't listen to God I had to get knee surgery (but that's another story), so I did. But it was my choice, not my fallback. Yes, I wanted to be teaching this year, but the program has been very good, and I am happy I did it. It's just funny how people, Christians, question this choice. I've gotten a lot of questions from mentors and [extended] family, and the underlying question they're all asking is, "Why? How does this benefit you?" Wait a minute, I'm confused. Is doing ministry supposed to benefit me? Yes, I have been greatly blessed though doing ministry, but isn't the purpose to benefit other people?
I got a facebook message from my Grandma the other day. She asks me and my parents every time she sees us to explain exactly what I'm doing at the church. My Christian grandma cannot comprehend why I would (in her mind) give up a successful and prestigious career as a teacher for ministry through the church.
Grandma: What are you up to? This looks like chocolate.
(I think she was referring to my profile picture in which I'm holding a lovely dessert.)
Sharayah: Yes, this picture was from a girl's night a few weeks ago. We went to dessert up in Portland, and I had tiramisu. Things are going well at the church. We just finished volunteering at Love, INC. and I really enjoyed the opportunity to help people where they're at. Now we're working with youth and we'll be starting to help out at Open Bible, I think till the end of the school year.
(I'll admit, sometimes I'm a little bit of a smart-ass. I brought up volunteering because I knew it wouldn't fit in with her expectations for my life. But in all honesty, it was also one of my favorite things I have done this year.)
Grandma: What's tiramisu?
(The usual refusal to acknowledge what doesn't fit with her expectations)
Why is it so hard for Christians to accept the answer, "Because God told me to."? Can't we rejoice when people are following God even and especially when it involves sacrifice? Sometimes it's frustrating. But I'm learning that I need to let go of others' expectations of my life. And it's hard. My biggest fear is being a disappointment. Especially when it comes to to those who have invested in my future. But following God requires risk and trust. And I think that maybe the perceptions of my choice are in preparation of what comes next. I don't know where my life is going, but I have a feeling it won't be according to my plans. It will require complete trust in God and a willingness to risk everything, especially being a disappointment.
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Thanks for the follow, put-put!
P.S. I love you. ;)
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“The essence of art is not technique, but the soul.”
– Zoltan Kodaly
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I was trying to make tea at church on Sunday, spearmint tea, my favorite, but instead of putting hot water in my mug, I accidentally put in a little coffee. My brother, who witnessed the whole thing, laughed at me. Since I have a pretty big mug, I filled the rest with hot water, hoping it would cover up the coffee taste. I went to take a sip of my tea, and it smelled awful.
Sharayah: I dare you to smell this.
Christian: *sniff* It's not that bad.
Sharayah: *raised eyebrow look*
Christian: I live with ten other guys. Going to the bathroom, alone, is taking your life in your hands.
Sharayah: *concerned* You don't normally go to the bathroom alone?
Christian: *facepalm*
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“It is an old war that is coming more and more out into the open. It is the war...”
– Dr. Jerry L. Jaccard from “Moral and Spiritual Education Through Music in a Secular World”
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Why I Love Teaching High School Band
The students are so incredibly smart and creative, even if they use their powers for evil, not good.
One of the favorite lunch activities in the band room was stool racing. This is when two band kids flip over the trombones’ bar stools and sit on the rungs in between the legs of the stool. Then using a hula-hoop-type motion, they spin as fast as they can. When someone says,...
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Anaisbetter, thanks for the follow!
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Pray for Libya
Reposted from jesuswept.blog.ca
Hey all, I know I had said we were going to start into Acts today but there has been a change of plans. The world around us is changing, quickly. Goverments are starting to fall one at a time in something that looks like a domino effect. Unfortunately, in Libya the trend is starting to change. What shaped and formed the protests of Tunisia and Egypt was the...
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Someone In Egypt Ordered a Pizza For the... →
yeh-dooriyan:
fracturesintheframework:
bradicalmang:
crustyriotqueer:
starblanketriverchild:
Ian’s on State Street - a small pizza place near the Capitol - has been fielding calls from citizens of twelve countries and thirty-eight states looking to donate free pizza to the Wisconsinites who have congregated to protest Scott Walker’s proposed legislation reducing the rights and pay of...
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Ritard
To continue the student teaching stories, I learned the hard way that sometimes proper musical terms are too much for the maturity level of middle schoolers. All I said was, “At [whatever measure number], not so much of a ritard there”. I lost the class for a good 2 minutes. Oh well, live and learn.
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Thanks for the follow, barefootpercussionist!
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Martyrs of the Egyptian Revolution →
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Concubines, Community, and Benjamites
I just recently finished reading through Judges, and the story found in chapters 19-22 has stuck with me. I’ve never really spent a lot of time in Judges before, but this time it has been a very interesting read. Not only are there some bad-ass women, but the stories capture who people were. I think sometimes we get caught up in finding a moral lesson in every scripture story that we...
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Why I Love Teaching Jazz Band, Part 1
Last year I was doing my full-time student teaching at the high school level. This meant an hour commute one-way, and because I was studying to be a band director, I had to be there for zero period jazz band. I got up before 5am every morning, and needless to say, I was tired when I got to school. But really, jazz band was such a great way to start my day. Music I love that's fun to play, students that were fun to teach, and it's pretty loud. One day we were setting the room back up after rehearsal; it wasn't even 8am yet. And one of my trombone players comes up to me after class. This was one of the first times I ever heard this kid speak.
Trombone Player: Miss Bodnar, what's necrophilia?
Miss Bodnar: *stunned*
Guitar Player: (In passing and completely unfazed) Sex with dead people.
Miss Bodnar: *still stunned* Trombone Player, why are we talking about this?
Trombone Player: Other Trombone Player said it, and he told me to ask you what it means.
Miss Bodnar: It's too early to be having this conversation.
This is probably one of my favorite student teaching stories. More to follow.
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“When you’re young you’ve got these big plans for life. Maybe when...”
– George Verwer at Mission Connexion Northwest 2011
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Thanks to musingsandmullingsover for the follow!
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“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and...”
– Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life (via thisiswhatyoudo) (via airshipsandwaves) (via meestarman
We DO need it. More than we know.
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