Music....or MUSIC?

I think one of the funniest things about modern culture is how we classify music. This fact doesn’t impact the lives of the average person, but to those of us who live and breathe music, we encounter it daily. Now knowing what genre your music is CAN be a problem at times, but some people go a tad over in their classification. For example, just today I was searching for some rock music. It asked me to narrow my search, so I opened the window of sub-genres and was almost knocked over by all the possibilities! If I was happy, they had some music for it. If I was sad, they had some music for it. If I was an eco-friendly vegan that disliked the color yellow and was currently going through a break-up, they had music for it! Maybe it’s time we stopped defining everything in such a detailed way. What would happen if we just started making lists of “good” and “bad” music?*

*Yes, I know that would be stupid and we need classification in order to find things. In fact I enjoy classifying music. I’m just making a fun point J

Inspired

This blog entry is inspired by a conversation I had this afternoon with a friend of mine.

As we were walking back to our dorm, the topic of illegal music downloading was brought up. This led into other topics, and before we knew it we were standing in the parking lot in a deep religious discussion. We are both professing Christians, and got talking about how we are supposed to be “salt in the earth” and “light in the world”, we are to be “not conformed but transformed” by the world. This led to a deeper examination of our lives. Are we really being transformed? Are we truly being a light in the world? More often than not we become conformed anyway. It may be in just the small things in life, things that we try to justify because they “aren’t a big deal” or they’re “done by everyone else.”  And that is where we miss the target. It doesn’t matter if it is a big deal or not, any kind of deal is wrong.  Just because everyone else is doing it should be more of a reason to NOT do it than to follow along. How can we be set apart from this world and be beacons of hope and love if we are just mixed in among the crowd? My life is going to be put through some serious scrutiny. Hopefully I can become a beacon.

Types

I think Christians are funny. Do other religions try to show such solidarity on the outside, while questioning and fighting each other on the inside? Is there any other religion that is so splintered into separate denominations? This question has been on my mind this weekend. Saturday night I went to a concert of some bands that I’m friends with.  They are all professing Christians, and show the love of Jesus any way they can. But as one of them put it “Nobody believes they’re really Christians because of the way they look.”  When you walk into some churches, you are met with calm, quiet music and people dressing to impress (WHO they’re trying to impress is still a question). Other churches are full of loud, excited praise of the true God and young people who are tired of normal “religion”. The main thing to remember is that churches are made of people. People come in all different types and styles. I can understand how someone who has been raised with the same “type” of people all their life can look at the “type” of people my friends are and have trouble believing that they’re Christians; not a lot of Christians have tattoos all over they’re body, metal through their noses, and earlobes you can see through.

Choices

Life is funny, and at times ironic. This has been shown to me in the past couple days.

Even though I am able to join, I am not a member of the Sons/Children of the American Revolution. Instead, I became a re-enactor. Now a couple times I had wished I was a member, especially with the available scholarships. But with the decision that I made, I think it proved more beneficial. I haven’t gotten to wear suits and go to wreath laying ceremonies, but I helped to make history come to life for people, and educate them about their past. The ironic part in all this is that in a couple weeks, the Children of the American Revolution are going to go on a tour of a Historic Site and interact with a Revolutionary War soldier. Guess who that soldier is going to be? ^_^

Arts and Crafts time

I think that the only thing that can save us Americans from economic destruction is craft time. We must realize the value in handmade goods or be lost to consumerism. One day, go through some of your possessions are made in some foreign factory. Then compare that number to how many things you have that were made with skill and art, made from the heart, made out of a love of the craft rather than a desire for money. As I type this, my sister is making me something with her own hands. I just came from my workshop filled with leather pieces and sewing tools. If we are to once again see the beauty in creating something, we must learn from an early age that creation is better than destruction. The best way to do this: more arts and crafts time for our kids, and for everyone.

I can fit!

Why are the seats in chapel so close together? Is it to save space? Is it to cram as many people as possible into the house of the Lord? I don’t know why, but I know that it is uncomfortable. Now all seats are not created equally. During the Student Led Renewal services I sat down towards the front. I had leg room! I could actually sit comfortably and kind of cross my legs. But sadly when regular chapel rolled back around, I found myself confined to my seat; all the way back and left. As I sat there this morning, I did everything I could to make myself comfortable. Well comfortable is not the best word. I was trying to fit in my seat. For weeks I have been plagued with the problem of my knees extending about 4 inches past the seat in front of me, and I finally found a solution. The key to fitting comfortably and being able to pay attention to the speaker is to sit sideways! This solves everything. By placing myself at a 90 degree angle to the stage, my knees fit and I can focus. Of course my neck kills me from watching at that angle, and the chapel monitor people think I’m doing something I’m not supposed to, but who cares? I can fit.

Was that for real or just reel?

As members of today’s society, movies play a large part in our lives. No one can deny this, for even in college classes and lectures we are finding references to the latest blockbusters. Everyone loves movies. The question if those movies are accurate portrayals of life, however, is another matter.

It seems that history enthusiasts, professional historians, re-enactors, history teachers and students all love to sit and discuss the accuracy of the newest historical movie.  Every scene and detail is placed under extreme scrutiny, and if found wanting, either rejected as garbage or made subject to jokes and ridicule. No movie it seems has had more than its fair share then Mel Gibson’s The Patriot. Sure it looks good, makes you feel involved as all good films should, but as far as historical accuracy goes, the writers missed their mark.

Now don’t get me wrong, it is a wonderful movie and one of my favorites. I wouldn’t suggest it for its accuracy, but it gives a glimpse into life in that time. If you want to see the WORST Revolutionary War movie of all time (in my opinion), then I would recommend Revolution with Al Pacino. This movie was so bad that I only watched it once, and years ago, and have never had the desire to view it again.

Going the opposite direction, Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day-Lewis is probably the best movie in my library. With its realistic battle scenes, accurate uniforms and weaponry, and showing the mindsets of the people involved, this movie really lets you see the Seven Years War in upstate New York.  Sure, it doesn’t stay as true as it could have to the original work by James Fennimore Cooper, but it is entertaining along with its information.

So if you’re looking for a great film that portrays the people of the 1750’s, Last of the Mohicans all the way. If you just want to be entertained and not really learn anything, then The Patriot. And if you just want to waste a couple hours of your life or take a nap, Revolution is your pick.

I Love You North Greenville University!

                Well, today I experienced the experience that all North Greenville Freshmen long to experience: their very first room check violation. Oh how my heart leapt with joy when I saw that beautiful pink paper, handed to me by my roommate. Words cannot describe the thoughts in my mind at that moment, so full of glee and ecstasy they were. Oh wait, can I think the word ecstasy on campus? I probably shouldn’t. It’s okay though, I really did not need or even WANT those twenty dollars. I’m just glad that my money can go towards buying quality school equipment like new desks that don’t fall apart (hey wait, mine fell apart today and I had to change seats.) I know it must’ve been a misunderstanding, NGU cares too much for me as a person to treat me like just another fish that payed thousands of dollars, right?