Revisiting an old friend
So 4 years since my last post, but who's counting? This is definitely not an ongoing blog, and has died out. However, I wanted to write something in it. After visiting this journal, I'm experiencing first hand the fact that what we post on the internet will always be there. I know 4 years is definitely not a lifetime, and in the whole scheme of things, it's really not a long time either. But with the ever-shortening lifespan of new technologies- meaning that new things become "old" quicker and quicker - 4 years makes livejournal and my first laptop (a Dell Inspiron) ancient history. But what about the permanence of it all? When, (or if) facebook reaches an end, where will all our pictures and wall posts go? How long will these livejournal posts stay on livejournal? It doesn't seem too popular anymore, but it's not going anywhere.
Here's a quick snapshot of what's going on in my life right now: I'm staying up late at home on a Saturday night. Late for me has now become 1:00 am. I work full time, but it's a temporary job. I'm teaching at Vestavia Hills High School. I graduated from The University of Alabama in December with a degree in music education, and - bah dah bing! - the choir director was with child and was expecting - lo and behold - in February. The timing couldn't have been better. I went straight from an awesome student teaching experience at Mountain Brook High School into a real job - at my Highschool. I'm teaching at MY highschool, now living at home with my parents again, sleeping in my old room. You see the good and the bad of the situation, huh? Is this job solid on a resume? Cha-ching. Are there lots of teaching jobs available next year in Alabama? Nope, so resume doesn't matter that much. Am I doing a good job at Vestavia? That's what they tell me. Does that mean I'll get hired there as assistant director? With budget cuts, not happening. Do I feel like a loser living at home and watching either American Idol, Lost, and the Office with my parents every week night? Absolutely not. But hey, it's a small island of time. And this, too, will pass.
Oh yeah, guess what else I found out? Teaching is fun, but it's hard! Man oh man!!! I remember sitting in that same choir room, as a student, smugly thinking to myself: I could do a better job. If I could just take over this program...
Little did I know this would actually happen. And here I am: 4 years of schooling, a Summa cum Laude graduate, near the top of my class, a deeper knowledge of music, plenty of clinical experience, and guess what? It's still hard to do!!! But I'm growing, I'm loving it, the kids are a hoot (most of them), and sometimes we actually make some music!
So past all that stuff I'm DOING, I want to write about who I am.
So here's the deal: I'm a broken, wretched sinner who is inclined to rebel against God and spit in His face every day. God loved me so much, even in the midst of my sin, that He came to earth, and bore the entire wrath of Himself that was stored justly for me. Because Jesus took God's Wrath, God sees me as His son and has adopted me as His child. In college, though there were tough times, party times, and times I screwed up, God showed me brokenness, love, and provided me with friendships that I never thought could go so deep. I truly have brothers in Christ, and I love them. In this passage, check out everything we do vs. everything God does for us:
1(A) And you were(B) dead in the trespasses and sins 2(C) in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following(D) the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in(E) the sons of disobedience- 3among whom we all once lived in(F) the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and(G) were by nature(H) children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But[b] God, being(I) rich in mercy,(J) because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even(K) when we were dead in our trespasses,(L) made us alive together with Christ-(M) by grace you have been saved- 6and raised us up with him and(N) seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable(O) riches of his grace in(P) kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For(Q) by grace you have been saved(R) through faith. And this is(S) not your own doing;(T) it is the gift of God, 9(U) not a result of works,(V) so that no one may boast. 10For(W) we are his workmanship,(X) created in Christ Jesus(Y) for good works,(Z) which God prepared beforehand,(AA) that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2, ESV)
And this verse pretty much encouraged me all the way through college: Hebrews 4:15, 16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin... (so Jesus not only paid our penalty, he knows exactly what we are feeling like when we are tempted)
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (not only will God be merciful to us -I mean, he knows exactly how we feel since He experienced this Himself- God will also give us grace- a boost, a nice grip on a climbing wall, to help us move forward).
Here's a quick snapshot of what's going on in my life right now: I'm staying up late at home on a Saturday night. Late for me has now become 1:00 am. I work full time, but it's a temporary job. I'm teaching at Vestavia Hills High School. I graduated from The University of Alabama in December with a degree in music education, and - bah dah bing! - the choir director was with child and was expecting - lo and behold - in February. The timing couldn't have been better. I went straight from an awesome student teaching experience at Mountain Brook High School into a real job - at my Highschool. I'm teaching at MY highschool, now living at home with my parents again, sleeping in my old room. You see the good and the bad of the situation, huh? Is this job solid on a resume? Cha-ching. Are there lots of teaching jobs available next year in Alabama? Nope, so resume doesn't matter that much. Am I doing a good job at Vestavia? That's what they tell me. Does that mean I'll get hired there as assistant director? With budget cuts, not happening. Do I feel like a loser living at home and watching either American Idol, Lost, and the Office with my parents every week night? Absolutely not. But hey, it's a small island of time. And this, too, will pass.
Oh yeah, guess what else I found out? Teaching is fun, but it's hard! Man oh man!!! I remember sitting in that same choir room, as a student, smugly thinking to myself: I could do a better job. If I could just take over this program...
Little did I know this would actually happen. And here I am: 4 years of schooling, a Summa cum Laude graduate, near the top of my class, a deeper knowledge of music, plenty of clinical experience, and guess what? It's still hard to do!!! But I'm growing, I'm loving it, the kids are a hoot (most of them), and sometimes we actually make some music!
So past all that stuff I'm DOING, I want to write about who I am.
So here's the deal: I'm a broken, wretched sinner who is inclined to rebel against God and spit in His face every day. God loved me so much, even in the midst of my sin, that He came to earth, and bore the entire wrath of Himself that was stored justly for me. Because Jesus took God's Wrath, God sees me as His son and has adopted me as His child. In college, though there were tough times, party times, and times I screwed up, God showed me brokenness, love, and provided me with friendships that I never thought could go so deep. I truly have brothers in Christ, and I love them. In this passage, check out everything we do vs. everything God does for us:
1(A) And you were(B) dead in the trespasses and sins 2(C) in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following(D) the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in(E) the sons of disobedience- 3among whom we all once lived in(F) the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and(G) were by nature(H) children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But[b] God, being(I) rich in mercy,(J) because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even(K) when we were dead in our trespasses,(L) made us alive together with Christ-(M) by grace you have been saved- 6and raised us up with him and(N) seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable(O) riches of his grace in(P) kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For(Q) by grace you have been saved(R) through faith. And this is(S) not your own doing;(T) it is the gift of God, 9(U) not a result of works,(V) so that no one may boast. 10For(W) we are his workmanship,(X) created in Christ Jesus(Y) for good works,(Z) which God prepared beforehand,(AA) that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2, ESV)
And this verse pretty much encouraged me all the way through college: Hebrews 4:15, 16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin... (so Jesus not only paid our penalty, he knows exactly what we are feeling like when we are tempted)
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (not only will God be merciful to us -I mean, he knows exactly how we feel since He experienced this Himself- God will also give us grace- a boost, a nice grip on a climbing wall, to help us move forward).