TNL Fillers!

I know I've been slacking off on the blogging lately... but I wanted to get a quick post out to let everyone know that the TNL Fillers will be uploaded to my YouTube channel every week (hopefully by Wednesday night.)  So... head on over and check them out and leave comments!  Comments are always good!  

For those of you who don't know what a TNL is or what a Filler is... here's a quick synopsis.  TNL stands for Tuesday Night Live.  It is an outreach we do at our BCM every Tuesday night.  It's basically our own version of Saturday Night Live only on Tuesday's.  In a typical week for TNL, or crew writes three sketch comedy skits, casts them,  rehearses them... writes, records, edits, and produces two fillers (basically our own version of SNL's Digital Shorts)... and our band selects and rehearses two songs (usually covers of popular rock songs.)  Then, on Tuesday Night, it all hits the stage at 9 o'clock.  So... if you go to MSU or happen to be in Morehead on a Tuesday Night for some reason, head on over to the BCM/342 and check out TNL... you won't be disappionted.

Valkyrie

I saw Valkyrie tonight.  Excellent movie, both film making quality and story.  A definite “purchaser” for me.  For those of you who don’t know… Valkyrie is a new film staring Tom Cruise.  It’s a true story about an uprising and assassination attempt by high-ranking soldiers against Adolf Hitler.  Now if you know your history, you know that this uprising obviously did not succeed and that Hitler was not assassinated.  There… I just ruined the end of the movie. Now many of you may know… or at least assume what I’m about to tell you, but incase not, I’m going to throw in a quick SPOILER WARNING! DON”T READ ON IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE STORY AND PLAN ON SEEING THE MOVIE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.  ONCE YOU SEE IT FINISH THIS POST.  Anyway, at the end of the movie, Nazi soldiers execute many of the men who were involved in this attempt by firing squad or hanging.  This prompted a thought in my head that I’ve had before about both soldiers and radicals.  It may seem simple but I hope you’ll see the truth in it.  Everyday, people are willing to give their lives for different causes.  Some noble, some not so much.  Take for example: soldiers, police officers, suicide bombers, the 9/11 hijackers, firemen, search and rescue teams, drug dealers.  Get the idea?

Take this for what you want… we, as followers of Christ, live for the most noble cause in the history of the world.  Matter of fact… our “cause” is the whole reason the world exists.  Early followers of Christ risked their lives daily just by unashamedly living for that cause.  People in 51 countries around the world today live a life committed to Christ despite their nation’s commands.  We as American’s have been blessed with such a great freedom to be able to worship and make our Savior famous… yet how often do we do it?  How often do we tell our friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. about the cause we’re living for. 

We won’t even speak… they were willing to die. 

Now I realize this may seem to you to be hypocritical, judgmental, and one of those plank in my eye speck in yours situations… and I agree.  So I write this not to judge… but to get all of us thinking for the edification of the body of Christ.

the old has gone, and the new has come

2008 is officially over.  I challenged the play, but the officials said that the memories of 08 are memories for good and it's time to move on.  Let's talk a minute about these memories...

This time a year ago I was probably getting ready to start my second semester of my Senior year.  Oh what a year that was! By far, the best year of high school.  So many friendships and memories.  The CCS class of 2008 was by far the best graduating class on the face of the Blue Planet.  I say that with no hesitation.  In 2008 we saw our last Spirit Week, our last high school Spring Break (during which I went to New York... awesome!), Senior Trip (best week of high school), and Graduation.  There was possibly no better feeling than walking across that stage and realizing I had completed my 13 years spent at CCS.  At the same time, it was a very sobering feeling, because I knew that while I would hold on to my best of friendships for the years to come, many of those other relationships would be severed and forgotten, and while I would joyfully move on to an exciting new future, some things that I loved would never be the same.

I've always said that my youth group at Calvary Baptist Church has played one of the most significant roles in my life.  It is part of my past now.  I was both ministered to, and had great opportunities to minister to others.  Mr. Dunlap, Pastor Mark, Pastor Jeff, and all my youth leaders: I would like to say thank you so much for encouraging me to living a life closer to Jesus and for giving me the opportunity to discover my passion in worshiping the Great I AM.  All six years that I was involved in youth groups at Calvary, I was in some fashion involved in the "praise band".  Some of my most precious memories have come from the times we've played music together... from the three Winter Advances, to Trunk-O-Treat, to Christmas chapel '07 and Senior Chapel (that was the school band... but still... music.)  The capstone of my years in praise band came just 6 months ago in a small town in Pennsylvania.  We (the Vertical Praise Band) were asked to go along with Pastor Jeff to play at the youth division of the ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) Missionary Enrichment Conference.  We were able to play several sessions for these missionary kids from all around the world.  This week blessed our lives so much as we were able to worship with people from many different countries... some who were even risking their very lives for the advancement of the Gospel.  Not to mention English accents at Hershey Park and our encounter with a certain electric guitarist.  This was by far the best experience I've ever had in a "worship leading" capacity.

The summer also included possibly the best event of my life, and I mean that with all sincerity.  Along with 15 other students and 3 leaders, our youth group went to Porto Alegre, Brasil to minister to and with Jon and Jen Trott and family.  The stories and "God moments" of this trip could go on forever, and I've written a previous entry about this trip... so I'll keep this short.  Basically on this trip, I realized why I was alive, why I breathe each breath I breathe.  My mission in life is to see the hurting healed, the broken restored, to bring the glory of the Gospel of God to lost people.  God showed me this on that trip and I will never forget it.

"Where there is pain

Let there be grace

Where there is suffering

Bring serenity

For those afraid

Help them be brave

Where there is misery

Bring expectancy

And surely we can change

Surely we can change

Something"

-DC*B

After the awesome summer that 2008 brought I experienced probably the biggest change to this point in my life... I went to college.  On August 15th I moved into Butler 304 at Morehead State University.  The first couple weeks were somewhat rough, but I've come to love my Eastern Kentucky city and all of the people I've met there.  I thank God so much for the great friends, encouragers, and mentors he's put in my life in Morehead.  I've made a lot of great new friends and I'm looking forward to the next 4... well 3.5 (hopefully) years I'll spend there.  I'm currently double-majoring in Production and Business Management... I'm not sure if it's going to stay like that, but that's the plan for now.  

Well, that pretty much wraps up the great year that 2008 was and now as I look forward to '09 I want to briefly mention some goals for the new year.  I gave up on "New Year's Resolutions" a while ago because I always seemed to give up on them by the end of January.  However, looking into the new year there are some general things I would like to see happen in my life.  First, and most importantly, I pray that when I look back at 2009 this time next year, I will have a deeper, more real, more personal, and still growing relationship with my Savior than I have today.  I would also like to read a lot more.  I think I'm starting to develop a new love for books (something I may write about later)  and I would like to see that love grow and begin to read more.  I would like to keep writing music and possibly get some recording done (of myself and others) and search for opportunities to play.  And lastly, I want to simply grow and mature as a human being and continue to develop my own convictions and beliefs based on God's Word.

I apologize for the length of this article, but if you've made it this far, thanks so much for reading, and I'd love to hear any feedback you have!  Happy New Year!