I honestly don't remember much from last semester. I know that I did very well in all my classes with only one B. I remember this one time that I got completely confused and forgot to go to a class till it was half over. At my voice jury (final) I forgot to bring judging sheets. That scared me so bad but I managed to push it from my mind till after I got through my two songs. They were "American Lullaby" by Gladis Rich and "La Pastorella" by an Italian guy who's name I can't spell. Both went very well and I actually enjoyed singing on the Admin stage.
I remember that this semester was alot easier then the first semester. I was taking just about the same classes but there were more breaks and it was Spring time, so everything was better.
I'm looking forward to next school year but am rather scared because it is going to be a very hard semester for many reasons.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Song
I really wish I could compose a melody line for a song. But I can't. I can write lyrics. Here is the start of something. I really like the ideas I have, but it's not a stand alone poem. It would need music and major revising to be anything really good. For now, it's just a rough draft.
Father,
I tested positive today.
One night I drank too much,
That boy across the room
I thought he was the only one who cared.
And so I tested positive today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.
Father,
I lost my hair today.
Blond curls on my pillow case,
I thought the doctors said this would help,
But I feel more pain.
And I lost my hair today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.
Father,
My plans were crushed today.
Two years was not too long to wait,
I thought he would never leave me,
But I trusted in lies.
And my plans were crushed today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.
Father,
I woke up today.
Went through my life like always,
But I thought before I choose a path,
For desires always have consequences.
So I woke up today.
This is how it's supposed to be,
This is reality,
I give it all up to You.
Father,
I tested positive today.
One night I drank too much,
That boy across the room
I thought he was the only one who cared.
And so I tested positive today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.
Father,
I lost my hair today.
Blond curls on my pillow case,
I thought the doctors said this would help,
But I feel more pain.
And I lost my hair today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.
Father,
My plans were crushed today.
Two years was not too long to wait,
I thought he would never leave me,
But I trusted in lies.
And my plans were crushed today.
It's not the way it's supposed to be,
It's just reality,
So I give it up to You.
Father,
I woke up today.
Went through my life like always,
But I thought before I choose a path,
For desires always have consequences.
So I woke up today.
This is how it's supposed to be,
This is reality,
I give it all up to You.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Bodies
This post (like all my blog posts) was written in one sitting at a spur-of-the-moment impulse, and posted without editing. Forgive ahead of time any grammatical errors, random flow of thought, unfinished thoughts, illogical structure, and all other forms of mistakes that editing would fix.
I was talking with a couple friends the other day and one of my friends was talking about possible controversial paper topics. She joking said she should write about nakedness. She then went on to wonder why people thought the naked body was "disgusting and gross." The conversation went on to other paper topics but it got me thinking. How do I view a naked body? Why DO we wear clothes? I know it sounds weird but it was a interesting thought.
We wear clothes because people always have. It's considered proper and correct to do so. But is there another reason we wear clothes? Do we wear clothes because we view the body as disgusting? Or do we wear clothes because the body is something too beautiful to view all the time? Or is there something else?
Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree they realized their nakedness, were ashamed, and covered themselves. Christian women are called to dress modestly and cover themselves so they don't arouse lustful thoughts in their Christian brothers. Our bodies are temples of the Lord and we are called to take care of our physical appearance. Husbands and wives are encouraged to revel and glory in the beauty of each others bodies.
Is the naked body so disgusting and revolting that we wear clothes? If people started walking around naked I would be disgusted. I don't want to see anyone naked! Yuck! But I don't think my body is disgusting. I don't think bodies are disgusting in general. Spiders are gross, mushrooms are gross, dead rotting carcasses are gross, the body is not gross.
But if the body isn't gross, why is the thought of seeing naked bodies appaling? Is it because it is a social norm to not see people naked? Is it because we associate nakedness with sex and thus with either husbands and wives in covanant or the porn industry? Does the sight of a naked body translate as porn, lust, sin and thus something to not be seen?
Our bodies are made in the image of God so there is something amazing about the body. It's something so wonderful that we cover it. Our bodies are beautiful creations that we are to guard and take care of. Clothes are a means of guarding that beauty. Our bodies are saved for our spouse and if we walked around naked there would be no glory to be uncovered or saved for one particular person. The body would loose all glory and marriage would loose that aspect of wonder and beauty.
Because of sin, the body has been turned into an object that is seen to encourage lust and sin when viewed wrongly. Clothes are a way to help protect from this sin. Women dress modestly for the sake of men. We cover ourselves to discourage the sin of lust. Walking around naked would encourage the sin of lust, and so we wear clothes.
Before the fall there was no sin. Adam and Eve wore no clothes and never thought to sin after each others bodies. They were purely objects of glory. After the fall they wore clothes because they were ashamed to be naked. The sin of lust came after the fall. In a way clothes are a reminder of the fall and the sin of the human race.
So why do we wear clothes? I think it's because they are a protection and a reminder. The human body is a beautiful thing. Clothes protect that beauty and preserve it. Clothes also serve as a reminder of the fall; without the fall there would be no clothes. The fact that we have clothes that compliment us and enhances our natural beauty is a sign that God still loves us and gives us wonderful things.
I was talking with a couple friends the other day and one of my friends was talking about possible controversial paper topics. She joking said she should write about nakedness. She then went on to wonder why people thought the naked body was "disgusting and gross." The conversation went on to other paper topics but it got me thinking. How do I view a naked body? Why DO we wear clothes? I know it sounds weird but it was a interesting thought.
We wear clothes because people always have. It's considered proper and correct to do so. But is there another reason we wear clothes? Do we wear clothes because we view the body as disgusting? Or do we wear clothes because the body is something too beautiful to view all the time? Or is there something else?
Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree they realized their nakedness, were ashamed, and covered themselves. Christian women are called to dress modestly and cover themselves so they don't arouse lustful thoughts in their Christian brothers. Our bodies are temples of the Lord and we are called to take care of our physical appearance. Husbands and wives are encouraged to revel and glory in the beauty of each others bodies.
Is the naked body so disgusting and revolting that we wear clothes? If people started walking around naked I would be disgusted. I don't want to see anyone naked! Yuck! But I don't think my body is disgusting. I don't think bodies are disgusting in general. Spiders are gross, mushrooms are gross, dead rotting carcasses are gross, the body is not gross.
But if the body isn't gross, why is the thought of seeing naked bodies appaling? Is it because it is a social norm to not see people naked? Is it because we associate nakedness with sex and thus with either husbands and wives in covanant or the porn industry? Does the sight of a naked body translate as porn, lust, sin and thus something to not be seen?
Our bodies are made in the image of God so there is something amazing about the body. It's something so wonderful that we cover it. Our bodies are beautiful creations that we are to guard and take care of. Clothes are a means of guarding that beauty. Our bodies are saved for our spouse and if we walked around naked there would be no glory to be uncovered or saved for one particular person. The body would loose all glory and marriage would loose that aspect of wonder and beauty.
Because of sin, the body has been turned into an object that is seen to encourage lust and sin when viewed wrongly. Clothes are a way to help protect from this sin. Women dress modestly for the sake of men. We cover ourselves to discourage the sin of lust. Walking around naked would encourage the sin of lust, and so we wear clothes.
Before the fall there was no sin. Adam and Eve wore no clothes and never thought to sin after each others bodies. They were purely objects of glory. After the fall they wore clothes because they were ashamed to be naked. The sin of lust came after the fall. In a way clothes are a reminder of the fall and the sin of the human race.
So why do we wear clothes? I think it's because they are a protection and a reminder. The human body is a beautiful thing. Clothes protect that beauty and preserve it. Clothes also serve as a reminder of the fall; without the fall there would be no clothes. The fact that we have clothes that compliment us and enhances our natural beauty is a sign that God still loves us and gives us wonderful things.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Metaphore
My voice lessons and studio have taught me a lot about singing this school year. I am told over and over again to stand grounded and open, relax every muscle, let the breath in, expand everything, move air, and then tell the story as the sound flows freely. Never force anything. Never push the air out, never strain the sound, never sing through the pain. Relax, have confidence, know you will do well, and sing. The amazing thing is that all this actually works.
Another amazing thing is how closely singing resembles life in this situation.
Last semester was horrible for me. I hated school, I hated where I was in life, I wanted things to be different. I wouldn't accept things as they were. I tried with all my brain power to manipulate things and possibly make them different. I wanted time to go faster. I wanted more then I could have. I wanted a set plan for what was going to happen and when it would happen. I can't count how many times I cried that semester, all from my frustration with life and people.
And then break happened, and then school started again. But something was different second semester. I had finally learned to accept life as it was and where it was. I wasn't nearly as upset as I used to be. Granted, like any girl, I still had mood swings. But I had learned how to be content. Reading my Bible more definitely helped with that one. I'm still learning and trying to be happy and content, but I've come a long way since first semester.
The principals of singing apply to the principles of life. When you sing, you stand in a way that allows your body to produce the best sound. In life, you set yourself up with the stance and grounding in God's word. When singing you relax everything and let the breath in without forcing anything, and then let the song and story flow out. In life, you open up to opportunities, people, things and allow them in. You then live out the story of your life. In singing, forcing things never helps anything. In life, forcing things and stressing out and trying to make everything happen your way never does any good. The goal of singing is to get your best sound, every time, with relaxation. The goal of life is to live every moment to the glory of God, be your
best, and enjoy it.
The best way to prepare for singing on stage is to ground your stance, relax, allow the breath, open the sound, pump the story full of energy, and know that your voice knows the song, and trust that everything will go fine. The best way to prepare for life is to ground yourself in the Bible, open yourself to people and opportunities, live your life to the fullest, know that God is in control and you are doing what He has planned and His plan is a good one.
This is hard to do. I know. It takes time and practice and you have to work on it until it comes naturally. It's hard to let go and just trust that you will hit that high A. It's hard to stop trying to figure out exactly how your life will go or how you will overcome the next trial. It's hard to trust that God will see you through anything and everything if you will just let go and trust Him. I'm practicing to sing and I'm practicing to trust God.
Stand, breathe, let go, trust in God, sing, live.
Another amazing thing is how closely singing resembles life in this situation.
Last semester was horrible for me. I hated school, I hated where I was in life, I wanted things to be different. I wouldn't accept things as they were. I tried with all my brain power to manipulate things and possibly make them different. I wanted time to go faster. I wanted more then I could have. I wanted a set plan for what was going to happen and when it would happen. I can't count how many times I cried that semester, all from my frustration with life and people.
And then break happened, and then school started again. But something was different second semester. I had finally learned to accept life as it was and where it was. I wasn't nearly as upset as I used to be. Granted, like any girl, I still had mood swings. But I had learned how to be content. Reading my Bible more definitely helped with that one. I'm still learning and trying to be happy and content, but I've come a long way since first semester.
The principals of singing apply to the principles of life. When you sing, you stand in a way that allows your body to produce the best sound. In life, you set yourself up with the stance and grounding in God's word. When singing you relax everything and let the breath in without forcing anything, and then let the song and story flow out. In life, you open up to opportunities, people, things and allow them in. You then live out the story of your life. In singing, forcing things never helps anything. In life, forcing things and stressing out and trying to make everything happen your way never does any good. The goal of singing is to get your best sound, every time, with relaxation. The goal of life is to live every moment to the glory of God, be your
best, and enjoy it.
The best way to prepare for singing on stage is to ground your stance, relax, allow the breath, open the sound, pump the story full of energy, and know that your voice knows the song, and trust that everything will go fine. The best way to prepare for life is to ground yourself in the Bible, open yourself to people and opportunities, live your life to the fullest, know that God is in control and you are doing what He has planned and His plan is a good one.
This is hard to do. I know. It takes time and practice and you have to work on it until it comes naturally. It's hard to let go and just trust that you will hit that high A. It's hard to stop trying to figure out exactly how your life will go or how you will overcome the next trial. It's hard to trust that God will see you through anything and everything if you will just let go and trust Him. I'm practicing to sing and I'm practicing to trust God.
Stand, breathe, let go, trust in God, sing, live.
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