I committed a travesty:

I didn't eat a stitch of turkey OR stuffing this weekend! :)

I was really excited about that, because I've never liked either one. Now, don't hate me for that, all you fans out there, everyone's entitled to their preference. But I had a great Thanksgiving, with a lot of reminders to be thankful for what I have. And to all at Grace College who are starting the long three-week haul left in school, you can do it!!!

I'm excited to be back from Thanksgiving to finish up strong. I have a performance in Opera Scenes next weekend, and vocal and instrumental juries the weekend after that, and then finals week. As for Thanksgiving break, I hope everyone had an amazing time with their closest relationships this weekend, and my wish is that you truly appreciate each and every minute you get with your loved ones. I'm from California, and my two younger sisters bought plane tickets with their own hard-earned money to come visit their siblings who all happen to be here in the midwest. It was such a treat, I LOVE YOU BECCA AND SARAH!!! :) We had a lot of fun and it makes me look forward to Christmas time even more.

People, I'm telling you, it's all about relationships...not education, not careers, not fame or success. The relationships I've made here in college, the ones I've kept from back home, the ones I continue to develop in my family, and the one I continually deepen with my God are the best gifts I could ever ask for. And so, this Thanksgiving, I am very thankful! Now finish strong to the end... :)

It's Turkey Lurkey Time!!

The title is an obscure reference from a musical (Promises, Promises). Please indulge me. I'm a dork.

After a full day of running errands and taking quizzes, I am proud to report that I am finished with schoolwork for Thanksgiving break!! It feels so good to get things accomplished. Tomorrow I'll be driving with my mom and her fiance to Ohio to spend the holiday with my brother, Tim, and I couldn't be more excited. He moved to Akron, Ohio to pursue a job and I've really missed having him around. I used to love meeting him for coffee at the Tree of Life on campus to chat about life over a warm carmel macchiato (almost as much fun to drink as it is to say). Wait. What is this? I don't write sentimental ramblings. I'm a comedy writer, dang it! Ummmm...once we were at a coffee shop and he set a napkin on fire with the candle centerpiece. Ahhhh. A tasteful anecdote. That's better. Anyways, I'm looking forward to my sister-in-law's fabulous cooking and some good ol' fashioned "quoting Chris Farley movies until everyone around is nauceous and violent" with my brother. In fact, isn't that what the holidays are all about?

In other news, I'm still trying to get things into place to move to Chicago in January. As of right now, I'm planning on being starving and homelss, since I haven't secured housing and have no idea how I will pay for food. People tell me the Lord will provide, and I believe that, but no one is specific. I haven't heard anyone say, "The Lord will provide a fully furnished penthouse downtown with a live-in cook and twenty hunky man-servants for a mere $50 a month!" What if God choses to provide a trashcan with a nice warm fire going inside and half a turkey and cheese Hot Pocket that was given to me by a homeless man, because he felt sorry for me? Please pray that it all comes together in time. In the meantime, I'll occupy myself building up a nice ulcer and crying quitety in the fetal position.

I suppose this is where I should write some kind of corny conclusion; some thoughts on what I'm thankful for that would leave an image in your head like a Norman Rockwell painting. I could write that I'm thankful for family and friends, health and happiness. Just to top it all off and make it personal, I could wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. I, however, have never been one to be conventional. In elementary school, we were putting on a Thanksgiving chapel for our families and we were told to come dressed as a pilgrim or an indian. I came as a turkey. This is a true story. That being said, I will leave you with some obscure reference unlike any you would see ending a Thanksgiving blog. You know what, what the heck. I'm a sucker for tradition. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

It has been awhile since I blogged also. Wow time flies, but in a good way. The semester is now coming to an end. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I’m not really sure if I see even a glimpse of that light yet but….things always get done. This past week has been exciting with Thanksgiving coming up. We will have a nice extended weekend where students are able to go home and enjoy food, family, and football. The 3 F’s. Grace Students always know Thanksgiving is just around the corner when we get that email from the dining hall saying “Thanksgiving Dinner Thursday.” My face smiles, my heart beats faster, and I am in a good ol’ fashioned good mood. I have not missed a Thanksgiving dinner at Grace in my three years here so far. You would be crazy to miss this meal. The employees of the dining common dress in turkey hats and cut the turkey. Plates are filled with stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and pies at every corner. The food is phenomenal, but that is not even my favorite part. The dining room is filled with students, faculty, and community members galore. I see the professors with their families, girls and guys eating with their hall mates, and everyone enjoying food and fellowship. It was at this moment I realized how THANKFUL I am for all that God has blessed me with since enrolling at Grace. Friendships that will last a lifetime, an education, and most importantly a stronger relationship with Christ my Savior!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone!

  It's been awhile. Oh the joys of technology : ) It's been a pretty standard week. Classes are starting to get a little more intense as the end of the semester nears. I realized how much time is left before all the lovely due dates for final projects and exams. Yikes! I think I will avoid the reality of the end of the semester for just a little bit longer or at least until after Thanksgiving.

There were two strong highlights this week. One was a concert by AG Silver that took place Tuesday night. The band led worship during chapel earlier that day and shared about the project they are working with called Blood:Water Mission. On their tour, AG Silver sells water bottles for one dollar. That one dollar goes directly to the mission and provides one African with one year of clean water. How cool is that? The concert went really well and it looked like everyone enjoyed it. I don't remember how much money was raised, but I know it was a good amount. 

The other highlight of the week was Thanksgiving dinner in Alpha Dining. It's probably the biggest dinner of the year. Dinner doesn't start till 4:45 p.m., but people start lining up at 4:30 p.m. and within a couple minutes the line is out the door! The traditional food items are there like turkey, ham, potatoes, gravy, cranberries, rolls and salads, along with some non-traditional items like mac n' cheese. It was really yummy! Our hall decided to eat together. It was really cool to be able to sit with other girls from my hall and share and eat way too much. With how crazy our lives can get it was nice to sit and engage with the girls. 

Only a couple of days are left before heading home for Thanksgiving break. I must admit I am looking forward to being home again. I love living here in the dorms and I love the people I live with. At the same time, I love my family and being with them. Being away from home makes it all the more special when I am able to be at home. Hopefully the weather will be friendly this week so we can all make it home safely. Have a great weekend!

Give thanks to God the Father...

HELLOOOOOOOO! Whew, it sounds like everyone is apologizing for their lack of blogging. I'm right in line. However, I had such an excellent excuse!

The madrigal dinner I advertised here a few weeks ago HAPPENED this weekend!!! What hard work, but a ton of fun. :) The turnout was really decent every night, and people laughed their faces off and had an awesome time while we entertained them. It was a great experience, and I am so proud of Grace College for putting on such a cultured affair as a full-blown Madrigal Dinner. Now that it's planned to be an annual event, I hope word of mouth about this year makes it completely sell out next Christmas! The dinner was meant as a fund-raiser for the Grace School of Music Chamber Singers' ministry trip to S. Korea this December...I'm not sure how successful we were in the making money part yet, but if there's one thing I've learned since starting college: God is Faithful, always, and I know this trip will happen!

Actually, if I could put a prayer request on such a public forum: I'm not sure what you believe about spiritual warfare, but on my end I've had a couple experiences with it (loooong story in and of itself, if you really want to know you can email me!:) and I know that we are experiencing it right now in our Chamber Singers' group. There are many struggles, spiritual and emotional, effecting us individually and as a team right now making it hard for us to unite together as this international trip comes up. And I know that what dims the light of Christ's love most is division among his people. I just feel like this trip holds some challenging and important things for us, and there are powerful spiritual hindrances trying to keep this trip from happening. PRAY for us, please!!! I and the other singers would so much appreciate it!

And though weariness sets in, and toes have frostbite from the Indiana cold, and freakouts occur over how little time is left to do homework...

May the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Second Semester with the Second City...Be Still My Beating Heart

Hey all! So much to write about. Well, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. (That was a cheap Sound of Music joke. Ba dum cha!) Anyway, the play, Flowers for Algernon opened this weekend! We've had a good run so far, with only a few minor hitches, but those are the things that keep us on our toes, focusing on making each show better than the last. Although I don't get much stage time in this show, the costuming has kept me very busy. Up until tech week, the guys were going to have to go on stage in their boxers, as I had nothing for them. As always happens, though, it all came together just in time, and I'm really proud of the outcome. I'm sure next weekend will be just as good, or better!

Next order of business: I GOT INTO THE SECOND CITY COMEDY STUDIES PROGRAM!!! Let me explain. I'll be moving to Chicago for the Spring semester to study comedy with the infamous Second City. I'm so excited and absolutely terrified. It will be very hard to leave Grace though. I have a lot of senior friends and it is sad to know I will miss their last semester here. Until last night, I had always thought of this adventure as "going to Chicago," not "leaving Grace College." I'm definitely struggling with missing my friends, but I can't pass up an opportunity like this. Many big names in comedy have come out of Second City and the experienes and networking I will get while in Chicago are unlike any I could get elsewhere.

Last night we had our first good snow. It was beautiful, so my roommate and I walked across campus to the mailroom. After doing so, we decided it was more beautiful from the window of our warm dorm room. This campus is so pretty on winter nights, watching the snow blow past the lampposts that line the sidewalks; very Narnian. I think I made a pleasant sentence very nerdy just then. I'm over it. Well, I must be off. I still have many things to do, places to be, and people to facebook stalk. Have a lovely day! Keep on truckin'!

We meet again.....

Why hello everyone,

As promised, I'm back. But, a lot has happened since I last wrote. The biggest of these was.....HOMECOMING!! Wow, what a great time! Being in SAB (Student Activities Board) it was awesome to be able to help in the planning of the dinner and variety show. It was a ton of fun! So that basically consumed my entire last week and weekend. I am so happy everything went well, and slightly relieved that it is over. haha.

Well, tomorrow is Day of Worship. All of the hard work in putting together a choir and performing will finally unravel. The choir sounds FANTASTIC! Not only will the choir be singing/performing a song with an accompaniment track, but there are 3 other songs they will be singing along with the chapel band....in 3 part harmony I might add! I am really excited for the whole day in general, though. There are some GREAT people heading it up this year, and I know that our God is going to be so present. I'm really looking forward to seeing where God will move. I know that God wants to do something amazing on this campus, and I can't wait to see what it is, and to know how I can be used in that process.

Until next time:

Josh

Campus Atmosphere

What a great time in chapel yesterday and today. Hearing God through Knute Larson, pastor of The Chapel in Akron, Ohio was inspiring and encouraging!

I was also thankful for how the students connected with this senior pastor. God is doing a great work on campus through our speakers and students.

Let them eat cake!

As often happens at this point in the semester, all the projects that you've put off are finally coming due and you feel guilty eating or going to sleep at night, because you know there's work to be done. Did I say "you?" Because, by "you" I totally mean "me." I feel like I have weeks of assignments to catch up on, I'm directing my one act, and the fall show is coming up in less than two weeks and I still have to put together about half of the costumes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to pull all my hair out. On the plus side, I can use the time I used to spend doing my hair for more productive activities. I guess the best way to handle this is one step at a time...and giving myself frequent breaks for snacks and Youtube.

On a lighter note, the Westy Masquerade was on Friday and I won the costume contest with my headless Marie Antoinette costume. My friend and I built it from scratch. I made the dress and did the make up and he made the body and the wig. It was pretty awesome. I love being the center of attention and it was really hard for people not to stare at me.

Also, my birthday was yesterday and I had a wonderful time! My mom took me out for lunch and my friends took me out for dinner. After dinner my friends took me over to a friend's apartment where they had a banner up and had made my favorite kind of cake. I really appreciate them going out of their way to make me feel special. Speaking of cake, I've been on the diet for going on 6 weeks now and have lost about twelve pounds. I cheated on my birthday, but I'm right back on the horse...that miserable, sugar free horse...*sigh* Oh well, I look forward to getting slimmer and feeling healthier. Well, I should go get more accomplished. So much to do and no where near enough time to get it all done in.

I wish you all a lovely day. Keep on truckin!

Crazy Love

“You will change a lot in college,” everyone always told me. Well, I had no idea! One of the most recent ways I’ve changed is in my view of reading. I’m embarrassed to say it, but I used to hate to read. The only time I would read was when I was forced to. I never realized how much I was missing until I read an amazing book called Crazy Love. I can honestly say this book has changed my life as a Christian. Much of my life has viewed Christianity as just a “religion.” I went to a Christian college, had Christian friends, and went to church, and therefore, I was on track. I knew I was supposed to read my Bible and pray, but this was routine and often not a priority in my life.
The book Crazy Love by Francis Chan helped me see how Christianity is not merely a religion but a relationship. It emphasizes truly developing a loving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. It hits on how many Christians today are lukewarm, doing as little as possible in hopes to one day receive eternal life in heaven. I was very lukewarm in my faith and the book discusses how lukewarm is not an option as a believer. Revelation 3:15-16 says that God spits out the lukewarm, and I’m thinking spitting out is not a good thing! I could ramble on about this book forever, but I truly believe every Christian should read it. You can even get it at our bookstore! Again, it’s called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Happy reading :)