So I missed my 1st anniversary of my entry into the blogging world. Oh well. I've been blogging since the 5th of March, 2007...time goes by quick. I think I've posted once every 6 days on average...I'll have to try and increase that this next year.
I performed my choir solo today...I didn't think I did too well, but apparently I did, cause the judge came up to our choir right after we finished, and told our choir director that I had "stolen the show"...I guess that's a good thing. :)
But, I must say, God should get the glory in this case, cause even with my head and sniffles, I was able to sing all my parts, where previously I hadn't been able sing them very well. Praise the Lord. I was soooo incredibly nervous. The only thing I could think about was "don't lock your knees...cause you'll pass out and fall over in a millisecond if you do." So I just be-bopped to the song and really got into it. :-)
So now all I've got to finish out with music is my piano solos tomorrow...that I still don't have memorized...so, instead of blogging, I bid you farewell. Until another time.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Ultimate Viewpoint
Our world is very interesting. Take for example, a person. We will call this person MaryAnn. From person A's perspective, MaryAnn is a ultra-conservative, elitist, shy kind of a person that is rather socially awkward. From person B's perspective, MaryAnn is neither elitist or shy, definitely not socially awkward, and by no means ultra conservative.
But both people could be telling the truth. Let us assume that both are correct. All the things mentioned DO apply to MaryAnn in every way. They also DO NOT apply to her in any way. Go figure.
"It depends on the situation," you might say. Well, perhaps, but it could also depend on the point of view of the one viewing.
So we've discovered that depending on what sticky situation a viewer is in, the view will change. Interesting....meaning that while short skinny people would call you fat and tall, Tall skinny people would call you short and fat...and while some may say I play the piano well, when looked at from the viewpoint of Chopin's abilities, I am a lowly beginner. So we also see that one does not have to adopt the view from their own sticky situation, but can also adopt the view of an entirely different persona, even one which is not even alive.
Also, if viewpoints depend on the situation, then are inherent character traits and vices really non-exsistent?? Since viewed from one way, they exist, and viewed from another, seem to disappear, then perhaps evil and good do not exist.
Ah, but we must factor in the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omnicient, God. Relativity finds it's stable base in the all-knowing viewpoint of the One who can be in every sticky situation and adopt all viewpoints at all times. So while the world viewed from our any human eye could potentially be classed as neither good nor evil, with no absolutely correct viewpoint, we discover that one must attempt to adopt the viewpoint of God, a nearly impossible feat, since one cannot know everything, see everything, and be everywhere at once.
But of course, this God knows that, and has provided a textbook outlining His viewpoint, providing a stable base from which to relate the rest of the world to. Even human eyes, viewing the world from this God-given text, will start to see the world through God's eyes, and will begin to change their own viewpoint to match that of this God. When viewed from an eternal perspective, their own sticky situation becomes negligable, and one can focus on what really matters.
The Cross of Christ.
But both people could be telling the truth. Let us assume that both are correct. All the things mentioned DO apply to MaryAnn in every way. They also DO NOT apply to her in any way. Go figure.
"It depends on the situation," you might say. Well, perhaps, but it could also depend on the point of view of the one viewing.
So we've discovered that depending on what sticky situation a viewer is in, the view will change. Interesting....meaning that while short skinny people would call you fat and tall, Tall skinny people would call you short and fat...and while some may say I play the piano well, when looked at from the viewpoint of Chopin's abilities, I am a lowly beginner. So we also see that one does not have to adopt the view from their own sticky situation, but can also adopt the view of an entirely different persona, even one which is not even alive.
Also, if viewpoints depend on the situation, then are inherent character traits and vices really non-exsistent?? Since viewed from one way, they exist, and viewed from another, seem to disappear, then perhaps evil and good do not exist.
Ah, but we must factor in the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omnicient, God. Relativity finds it's stable base in the all-knowing viewpoint of the One who can be in every sticky situation and adopt all viewpoints at all times. So while the world viewed from our any human eye could potentially be classed as neither good nor evil, with no absolutely correct viewpoint, we discover that one must attempt to adopt the viewpoint of God, a nearly impossible feat, since one cannot know everything, see everything, and be everywhere at once.
But of course, this God knows that, and has provided a textbook outlining His viewpoint, providing a stable base from which to relate the rest of the world to. Even human eyes, viewing the world from this God-given text, will start to see the world through God's eyes, and will begin to change their own viewpoint to match that of this God. When viewed from an eternal perspective, their own sticky situation becomes negligable, and one can focus on what really matters.
The Cross of Christ.
Federation
2 days till doomsday. But if I survive, then...um...I'll be a doomsday survivor, I guess. Okay, so it's not really doomsday, but about this time every year, it feels like it. There's this fine arts competetion called Federation. In general, you perform some type of fine art in front of a judge, and he judges you according to the guidelines set down for your specific art. In my case, I'm playing the piano this year. I have two songs that I've been memorizing over the last couple months. I'll play those in front of the judge, and he'll score me on rote memorization, dynamics, rythm, etc...I'm competing against myself, trying to do the best I can. You get a score from 1-5, 5 being the best. After you accumulate 15 points, you earn a gold cup. The quickest time frame you can do this in is 3 years, if you got a score of 5, 3 years in a row. Each 15 points accumulated earns you another gold cup, each one succesively bigger than the one before. This is my ninth competition, and in each previous event, I've received a 5. So if I get a five on Saturday, then I'll have a total of 45 points, a record of 9 perfect years, and my 3rd gold cup. Plus I could stop doing this competition and relieve a lot of stress out of my life. :)
I'm playing Maple Leaf Rag, by Scott Joplin, and Epilouge, by Stephen Heller. Epilouge has over 1600 notes. I counted all of them. It's not a long song, it just is quick-paced, and gets intense in some parts. It's definitely my kind song. Lots of dynamic changes, and a beautiful range of notes. It'll sound really good on the grand piano at the competition. I've been wanting to play it for my senior recital since I heard it 4 or 5 years ago at a piano recital. I can still remember how it sounded.
Once I get past this week...things will get so much less stressful. I can't wait. Okay, I'm bushed, or I'd write something a little more spiritual. But right now, I'm afraid I'd say something completely opposite of what I mean, so I'll refrain from typing any longer.
I'm playing Maple Leaf Rag, by Scott Joplin, and Epilouge, by Stephen Heller. Epilouge has over 1600 notes. I counted all of them. It's not a long song, it just is quick-paced, and gets intense in some parts. It's definitely my kind song. Lots of dynamic changes, and a beautiful range of notes. It'll sound really good on the grand piano at the competition. I've been wanting to play it for my senior recital since I heard it 4 or 5 years ago at a piano recital. I can still remember how it sounded.
Once I get past this week...things will get so much less stressful. I can't wait. Okay, I'm bushed, or I'd write something a little more spiritual. But right now, I'm afraid I'd say something completely opposite of what I mean, so I'll refrain from typing any longer.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Ice, Ice, go away, don't come again another day.
Back from vacation, and feeling blah. I think I stayed up too late and ate too much junk while away from home. I got my school eked out today, but just barely. My stomach's felt bloated all day long, so it makes it hard to concentrate.
Hearing the rain last night makes me long for spring and summer to come. I love the sound of rain. But alas, it's all icy and snowy now. Ah well...I live in the Ozarks, what do I expect?
Jessi made some wonderful clam chowder tonight...even though it didn't sit well on my stomach, it still tasted pretty good going down.
I was asked to play the part of one of Jesus' disciples in our church's Easter Production. How very lucky I am...I've been Jesus' father, and now I'm about to be one of His famed disciples. The first practice was this last Saturday, but since I was in Branson, I had to miss it. Only 3 weeks of practice left, and I've still got no idea what I'm doing. :P
Hearing the rain last night makes me long for spring and summer to come. I love the sound of rain. But alas, it's all icy and snowy now. Ah well...I live in the Ozarks, what do I expect?
Jessi made some wonderful clam chowder tonight...even though it didn't sit well on my stomach, it still tasted pretty good going down.
I was asked to play the part of one of Jesus' disciples in our church's Easter Production. How very lucky I am...I've been Jesus' father, and now I'm about to be one of His famed disciples. The first practice was this last Saturday, but since I was in Branson, I had to miss it. Only 3 weeks of practice left, and I've still got no idea what I'm doing. :P
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The Legacy
So I'm sitting on a couch in a luxury vacation house just north of Branson. It's located on a 850 acre ranch that some friends of my family own. The house is called the Legacy. Normally it's rented out to groups or families on vacation. It's got a fully equipped kitchen, pool table, foos ball, a bunch of bedrooms, a 6-person hot tub, a big screen TV, and it's in the country. Check it out here, and here. Anyway, our friends called us and said they didn't have anyone coming to stay in it this weekend, and told us we could come down and use it for free if we wanted to. Right after orchestra ended on Friday evening, my family and Owen drove down here. We stayed up and played pool for hours.
Then Saturday evening, we went to the Symphony concert. They played Handel's Water Music Suite No. 2 and Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Some of the most famous pieces of music ever written, Handel's Messiah exempted. They had a 200 voice choir singing with them. The choir was composed of several different area colleges, and they were amazing.
After the concert we picked Grace up from C of O. She spent Saturday night here at the Legacy with us. In fact, as I write this, she's sitting across the room from me reading something...hi Grace! *waves*
We'll go back home sometime this afternoon. Mom and Dad will come back down here for a couple more days to celebrate their 20-something anniversary.
So I'm in this homeschooled High School Choir. We have a competition coming up this next Friday. One of the songs we are singing is a rather upbeat Gospel song called He Never Failed M Yet. There is 3 solos in it. We were told to be ready to try out for 2 of the solos this last Friday. I tried out for the first one with several others and royally bombed it. So I asked if I could try out for the 2nd one too. Our choir director said yes, and so I tried out for that one too....turns out no one else was going to try out for the 2nd one, and so I got the part by default. :P
Then Saturday evening, we went to the Symphony concert. They played Handel's Water Music Suite No. 2 and Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Some of the most famous pieces of music ever written, Handel's Messiah exempted. They had a 200 voice choir singing with them. The choir was composed of several different area colleges, and they were amazing.
After the concert we picked Grace up from C of O. She spent Saturday night here at the Legacy with us. In fact, as I write this, she's sitting across the room from me reading something...hi Grace! *waves*
We'll go back home sometime this afternoon. Mom and Dad will come back down here for a couple more days to celebrate their 20-something anniversary.
So I'm in this homeschooled High School Choir. We have a competition coming up this next Friday. One of the songs we are singing is a rather upbeat Gospel song called He Never Failed M Yet. There is 3 solos in it. We were told to be ready to try out for 2 of the solos this last Friday. I tried out for the first one with several others and royally bombed it. So I asked if I could try out for the 2nd one too. Our choir director said yes, and so I tried out for that one too....turns out no one else was going to try out for the 2nd one, and so I got the part by default. :P
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