Thursday, July 28, 2011

What makes a Melody?

We are all different and unique, and that's what makes this world an amazing place to live in: no two people are exactly alike, not even twins!

I know I often write about things that I observe, but there are some things that I do that I don't understand, so have fun with this! This will be redundant for people really close to me, but hey, you might've forgot something? (Unless you're my sister).

1.) I'm obsessed with having clean ear canals. 
My sister knows this well, because I think we have the same problem. I clean my ears probably twice a day, and I'll bet my apartment runs out of Q-Tips faster than most family residences. It seriously bothers the heck out of me if I can feel earwax. I'm not afraid of it by any means, just can't stand it like I can't stand a runny nose.

2.) I cannot sleep without socks on.
Even in the heat of summer, I need socks on. My feet (and hands) get oddly cold while the rest of my body stays warm and toasty, and basically always need something to help insulate my toes. I am super skinny with low amounts of body fat so I don't have a natural insulation that keeps me toasty at night. It stinks.

3.) I claim to hate anime, but...
In sixth grade I used to get up a half hour earlier than I needed to because I wanted to watch Sailor Moon while eating breakfast. I'm pretty sure I missed the bus a few times because I spent more time watching her episodes than getting ready for school. What makes this especially weird is that I find Serena/Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon EXTREMELY annoying. She is such a whiny crybaby, but I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I recently was reunited with the show this past year using Veoh.com, and discovered a whole other season that never aired in the U.S. because of it's controversial content. I now know that several characters had their genders changed in the English versions because there's a lot of exploration in homosexuality and transexual characters. Interesting, huh? It's not a kids show in Japan!
Not gonna lie, I want to be one of these characters for Halloween this year. (shhh...)
And, of course, my favorite make up guru Michelle Phan has a Sailor Moon make up tutorial (which could be used for any of the characters!)
To see her latest make up transformations, check out her website:

4.) I'm obsessed with high heels.
And I'm just about 5'10'' or 177.8 cm standing barefoot. Problem? For some. I'm no super model, but I did take some modeling classes which made me practice walking a runway in high heels. I love the way my legs look in them, it just also makes me a foot taller than half of the male and female population in Missouri. I get lots of funny looks when I wear them, and people ask me things like "Aren't you tall enough?" Well, yes, I guess technically I am. But you'll have to deal with it.

**Some shoes I designed (but can't afford yet!) on http://www.shoesofprey.com/designer. You can design shoes that will be hand created using only the best materials like Italian leather and silk, but keep in mind that top quality and hand sewn shoes are pricey!

5.) I'm more than a little obsessed with cats.
But I also have a conscience. Just because I see adoptable cats doesn't mean I'm going to take them all home with me. I do try to pet nearly every cat I see, but I have a policy that there needs to be a proper ratio of cats to humans in the house to make sure all are getting proper love and attention that they need. I think the ration is 2-3 pets per person. Since I live by myself, I have capped it at 2 cats, although I am trying to find homes for kittens at my boyfriend's farm and DESPERATELY want to keep one for myself! 
Kitten (Oreo) I recently rescued and found a good home for!
The little boy kitty I want to take home with me! He's such a fluffy sweetheart! Any ideas for a possible name?

5.) I'm left handed.
According to wikipedia, approximately 10% of the world's population is left handed. Which I think may be less, since many countries and people in general discourage it. When I volunteer with Chinese students and need to write something, a lot tell me "You write with the wrong hand!" Well, no, it's not wrong, but it's not right, either. It's left. :) The only downside is that the side of my hand often gets smeared in pencil lead and ink when I write a lot, so I'm glad that I've become a faster typer; no ink to worry about!

6.) I do not consume caffeinated beverages.
Technically many things I love have caffeine in them, like chocolate, but I do not like coffee, tea, soda pop, or energy drinks. I used to drink grape soda as a child, like when my parents took us to the laundromat,  but I pretended to like the burn because I liked grape flavored things. Now I don't even bother. I hate the way carbonation burns. So why don't I just drink coffee? Well, I think it smells amazing but tastes rather disgusting. My sister used to have a terrible Mountain Dew addiction, but switched it over to coffee, and now she and her husband started blogging about their coffee critiques. http://chybowskicoffeecritiques.blogspot.com/ I can't say I NEVER drink tea, because once in a blue moon I drink chai tea latte, but more for the soothing treatment of a sore throat or an overused singing voice rather than alertness or focus. I also like hot chocolate because it tastes amazing. Apparently there's caffeine, but I wouldn't know.

I thinks that's about all I have time for today. :) Maybe you learned something, maybe you didn't, and maybe you don't give a fryin' fish either way. :) God bless you and yours always. <3

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Prayers for a BIG Adventure

One of my very best friends, Laura, recently embarked on one of the bravest adventures I've ever known someone to do; she moved to another country by herself to teach English. Not just any country, either: Korea.



Can I say "Wow"? I never thought that someone could move to a foreign country of a different language without any family or friends moving with her. The idea just sounds terrifying to me. Granted, she does have friends who live in Korea, but it's not so likely that she will be near them or get to see them much. Laura has a a personality that is just so inviting, she has befriended international students from all over the world.  But moving to the other side of the world into a different culture, and different way of thinking and living? Not for the faint of heart.

She has been such a blessing in my life since I met her 5 years ago during freshmen orientation at our University. We knew we were both majoring in music and decided to become best friends right then and there.
Our first picture together. :) It was SO bright that day!

This is just such a huge step for any person to make and I just ask that my friends pray for her with me, that she have a blessed experience in Korea. She arrived just a few days ago, and I know that she is already making friends and blessing others with her love and compassion. She is currently attending a university to learn the Korean language for an intense couple of weeks, and then she'll be off on her own teaching English.

I can't express how proud of her that I am, or how selfish I feel for wanting her to come back so I won't be missing her, but God gave her a path, and she followed it without turning back. :)

Laura, Madison, and myself
Madison, Laura, myself (yes, with pink hair!)

Laura and I at her farewell dance party :)

She is such an amazing girl, and I'm so happy for her. Follow her updates through her blog, http://misslauritaliz.blogspot.com/ (the story of her dining hall faux-pas is quite hilarious). :)

Friday, July 15, 2011

Dreams and Goals: 2011-2021

I recently decided that it could be fun to once a year post all my goals for the upcoming year, 5 years, 10 years, etc. Now 5 to 10 years from now, I could reread these and find them extremely depressing, hilarious, or just sit and wonder "WTF was I thinking?" but it's the middle of a very hot day, and I can't think of anything better to do.

Within 1 year, I hope to...

1.) Travel outside of the country. I recently accepted a Graduate Assistantship with my choir department, and one perk of being in the top choir is that trips are half paid. So in May of 2012 (if all goes well) I will be in Germany and France singing and touring for 10 days.




2.) Finish my thesis. I know I just started my Master's program this past spring semester, but I feel that I can get through it quickly, and hopefully, I would be able to graduate either in the spring or summer of 2012 if I plan well. I think it would be slightly annoying to graduate in December again, and then actually deal with moving in snow and ice.

3.) Landed a job/internship that I enjoy. I know that sounds a bit of a stretch, but I'm open to a lot of different things at this point in my life. I have a degree in Music Education that certifies me for choral and instrumental programs, I will have a Masters in vocal pedagogy, and lots of options to either move or stay in the local area.  My ultimate dream would be to spend a couple years performing, like on a cruise, like with Disney. :)

I think that's a pretty good start for 1 year goals.

Within 5 years I hope to...

1.) Be working a full time job that I love. :) Right now I don't care if that means being a music teacher in an elementary, middle, or high school, or if I'm giving lessons in either a private studio or at home, or if I'm still performing somewhere. The skies the limit, so long as I am happy.

2.) Buy and own my first car. I have always driven family vehicles, which is great, because it's on my parents insurance and if any repairs were needed they paid for it! Starting this next week or so I will be driving a vehicle that belonged to my best friend who is going to be living in Korea teaching English for at least a year, so I'll get a little experience in responsibility, but still will be on my parents insurance. In five years I hope to be established to the point that I can afford to choose and buy my own vehicle. With a lot of luck, maybe something cool and eco friendly, like the new Toyota Hybrid Coupe...
3.) Live and support myself on my own! I do not want to be 28 and living with my parents unless there are extenuating circumstances that I'd rather not think about at the moment. If I was in a tough spot financially, then I would have to humble myself into living with them, but right now I just don't want that to be a possibility.

In 10 years I hope to...

1.) Be married. I almost put this in the 5 year category, but I am really starting to realize that there is no rush, unlike what southern Missouri seems to think. 23? It's not on the top of my priority list. 33? I would hope that someone would think me a good catch to marry by then. On a side note, I would love to have my wedding photos done by Katie Day, a personal friend and brilliant photographer. If you don't know her work, you are seriously missing out! Her blog posts and her galleries simply give me tears of joy.


2.) Have (a) child(ren). For years and years I never wanted to have any children that could grow up and hate me, but I guess getting older means getting wiser, and knowing that I want to be a mom someday. If you follow my blog, you know that my two cats are currently my children, but someday I would like one that will grow to be tall like me and not shed hair all over my black clothes.

3.) Sponsor a child in a 3rd world country, and visit them. Yeah, this one is tough to put in a category. I would like for it to be a 5 year goal, but I'm not sure how much travel I'll be able to afford after graduating, looking for a job, and paying for the dreaded student loans. If I sponsor a child, I don't want my heartless money to go there, though I know it's needed, I want to actually establish a relationship and be there for that child.


4.) Stay happy and thankful for God's overwhelming blessings in my life. I can never repay what He's done for me, but I want to be a fountain of love and compassion for others. Through Him, I can accomplish ANYTHING!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Love Thy Neighbor

I went to two very different church services today, and I've been pondering the words of both ministers/pastors/brothers (whichever you prefer).

One this morning made his viewpoint very clear about how he sees people from other religions, how they need the word brought to them but he doesn't even want to associate with them. That the way for this church to grow is to do everything possible to get butts in the seats.

I just felt rubbed the wrong way about those statements. This was one of several tiny churches in a tiny town. Maybe the reason the seats aren't filled in this church is because they're filled in another. Maybe they are getting the word, just not in here. Or maybe, just maybe, people of the community have been rubbed the wrong way and don't want to come to this church anymore.

I'm not saying I dislike this church. There are a lot of good, wonderful brothers and sisters of Christ in there. But if the pews are empty, then there is probably something that isn't going well within the group. I'd much rather focus on taking the word out to the community and inviting them into the church home, but I don't think the ministering needs to be in the church. What about going out to the disabled, and the homeless? What about hosting community events to bring people of all walks of life together? We don't need a church building. Nobody does. If you think you do, try being an evangelist in a third world country. You'll probably have a big wake up.

I think what bothered me most was what was said about other religions. The religion in question was Islam, and Muslim people being an enemy of God. The kingdom of God belongs to God alone, and there is no way that I can ever understand the greatness of his power. The only people I know who could be enemies of God are the ones who denounce His existence, and even then they aren't even enemies, simply part of his lost flock. The point is, I don't believe that athiests, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindis, etc, are my enemies. They are my neighbors. Many are my friends. As much as I dislike certain Christian organizations, the Jed-heads and Westboro Baptist church family are my neighbors as well.

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus reiterates some of the laws of the Lord that were given to Moses.


“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”


In my second church service today, we talked about the parable of the Good Samaritan found in the Gospel of Luke. I knew from the childhood Sunday school stories that Samaritans were thought of by the Jews as bad people, and accepted it simply because that's how it was explained to me.

I learned in my house church, however, the background story of how Samaritans came to be. If you read in the Bible, there is quite a recurring theme of kings who trust in the Lord followed by kings who do wickedness in the eyes of the Lord, and then the people of Israel get captured and turned into slaves (happens in Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria [Syria], and Rome just to name a few), but in one such case with the Babylonians/Assyrians, many of the leaders of the Israelites were taken from their homes in Israel and Judah, and after years and years of slavery they were finally released and allowed to come back. What the new leaders found was that the Babylonians and Assyrians who had resided in the land of the Israelites intermarried with them, and so there were lots of 'half-breeds' running around. There became a new law banishing these half breeds from the town, treating them as though they were sub-level creatures of the Earth. The Samaritans, as they were labeled, continued to believe that God blessed them, and worshiped mostly at a nearby mountain. (Giving quite a general overview here, I apologize). 



So back to the parable of the Good Samaritan. The context is that Jesus is approached by a man of the law who wanted to test Jesus, and asked him how to acquire God's favor and eternal life. I'll copy and paste the passage from Luke 10:25-37 :Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath


On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."




Now, with my new understanding of Samaritans, this story takes on a new realm. This Samaritan, in the 1st century Jew's eyes, would never be the 'good guy'. Samaritans were evil. Half breeds. Not even close to God's love. There is so much disdain for them that the expert in the law will not even answer Jesus that the Samaritan was the neighbor; he answers 'the one who had mercy on him.' The Jews believed that the Priest, the head of the Temple would. Well, he must've had his reasons why not. The man was probably unclean! Well the Levite would! They have always been a favored family of the Israelites. Well, I'm sure he didn't want to become unclean either. Both of these men, who were clearly in God's favor, did nothing to help their fellow Jew. Instead, it was the unlikely half breed. The Samaritan felt compassion for him.


Imagine telling a modern example of this parable to a former slave owner post civil war; that if he lie dying on the ground that neither his white slave driver or his white retired Confederate neighbor would stop to help, but a newly freed black man. Say, what? 


Everyone is your neighbor.Westboro. Brother Jed. The Hindu family from India that just moved into your apartment complex. The homeless man that collects aluminum cans from your garbage. The perverted guy who hits on you at the bar. The drunk sorority girl who skips class. The campus minister that preaches things you really don't agree with. Members of Al Quaida. All of these people are my neighbors. Do I treat them as I should?


No. I will admit it. I have lied to beggars, saying that I have nothing. I have ignored the homeless in my backyard. I have talked badly about fraternity guys and sorority girls and their immoral habits. How am I being a neighbor to them? I'm not.


I need to love all of these people as myself. That doesn't mean that I should give all my money to a homeless woman strung out on drugs that swears she's just hungry. What I could do is buy her a meal, though. To offer her a sweater I don't need to keep her warm. 

I want to become a better person. I need to love these people. I need to pray for these people. I think the first step is opening my eyes. I don't know what my plan of action is, but I think I'm making baby steps in the right direction.                                    

Give me your eyes for just one second.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNS7GclZ7vg&feature=view_all&list=PLC78F3C1164E6281B&index=3