Tales From The Yellow Brick Road

Okay so I don’t think being at TMC is a rat race, but I do think that there is a certain feeling you get when, after a break, like Spring Break, which was las week, you realize that you are going back to the same dorm, the same room, the same friends, the same classes and the same daily routine and it all makes you feel like your just getting back on a spinning wheel.

I suppose that one of the major differences between us and rats is that our race is going somewhere. We have a goal in mind and prize to work for. Oh sure the guys in white coats dangle food in front of a rat to get going but God is no scientist conducting some experiment (any homeschooler here will tell you that God and science are incompatible ). God has laid out a race for us to run with patience.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
-Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)

I recently re-listened to a message I heard at the Truth And Life Conference a little over a year ago. It was entitled, “Fixing Our Eyes On The Cross” and it was preached by Dr. Art Azurdia from Western Seminary. It was encouraging after a long week of working through some tough family issues, to be reminded of three things I must do in order run the race well.

1. Listen to the testimony of those that have already run the race.

In order to do this I have to read my Bible and listen to the testimony of those who ran the race. Abraham, Joseph, Phinehas, Rahab and Ruth or some of my favorites in the Old Testament.

2. Divest yourself of everything that hinders you from running the race.

In order to this I must be mindful of the things that are holding me back and weighing me down from running the race most effectively. There is a long list of things that can hinder me and weigh me down, and not all of them are overtly sinful.

3. Focus on Jesus Christ who ran his race perfectly.

I cannot spend my time focusing or fixing my gaze on anything except The One who ran His race in complete perfection. He stands at the finish line, calling me to endure, to run well and most importantly… to finish. The sidelines are filled with those that have stopped running and have failed to complete the race and my focus must not be on them.

In the next few days I am going to be launching my Mom’s website. I am very excited about it and can’t wait to share it with you all. It’s based on the verse she holds most dear.

13I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me.
-Philippians 4:13

Today I’m on set all day doing green-screen work. I’m the DP for this project which is super cool and a whole lot of fun. This project is a product of our Video Production 2 class however I am not the director. Last semester we each were the director for our own project. This semester we all have to work as a team, each of us with our own responsibilities. We have a great crew in this class which is a relief. Last semester the class had a lot of first-timers and so I had to make sure I grabbed the more experienced people first. This semester the pressure is different but it’s still there. This time, if I screw up, someone else is screwed up too.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I have a huge test today, a huge quiz Wednesday and all for the same class! I’ve been studying non-stop for 2 days after the teacher put the fear of the Lord in us on Friday with his warning.

I also have a paper I’m working on that is past due and I just can’t seem to get the silly thing done. Spring Break is next week and there is a lot to be done before I go home to spend some much needed time with the family.

Anyways, I’m sitting here in the gym waiting for chapel to start so I guess I’ll look at me flash cards one more time.

I got together with some of my closest friends this weekend to celebrate my 28th Birthday that happened on Monday. Another year has passed and it would be easy for me to share with you a long list of things that have changed. Some of those changes have been good, some have not been so good. Although one person from that picture is missing (Andy got a phone call from us during dinner) I wouldn’t have wanted to spend a Monday night with anyone else. So let me tell you about the folks in that picture.

The guy directly behind me in blue is Marcus and the tall guy behind him is Tyler. Those two guys have come alongside of me these past few months during some very serious trials and have been a great source of Godly encouragement after many other friends were cut off from me. The guy on the far back left and wearing blue is Ewout and the guy next to him in black is Brad. Those guys are new roommates that I didn’t have last year. Both of them are from vastly different cultures (Ewout is from Holland and Brad is from Canadia) and both of them speak foreign languages (Ewout speaks Dutch and Brad speaks Canadian). The guy in the red hoody is Jeremy and he just got an internship at an Accounting Firm for the summer. He is also another guy who knows a lot about me and loves me anyways. They guy wearing a baseball cap backwards is Sam my RA. He is from Australia and I love him to pieces. He is the best (only) RA I’ve ever had. The only guy on the right hand side is Ian. He’s kind of shy but he’s a Chapel Media geek and I’m after his job for next year. The last guy in the middle that I’m hugging is Ryan. He is by far the most mature 18 year-old I’ve ever met. Their may be a decade between us but he is a great guy who loves Jesus and loves others better than most guys twice his age.

You’ll also notice that in this picture are some girls.* The girl on my right in the hat is Melody and she is dating Marcus. She’s a nice gal and very funny and especially patient with Marcus (I should have warned her). The girl standing at the end on the far right is Leanne. Leanne is dating Tyler and she is also a nice patient gal, especially with Tyler. In between Leanne and Melody is Brighton. She is a newcomer to my circle of friends and tonight was a great night for all of us to get to know her better. Brighton is wing mates with Melody and was also the understudy for Lady Bracknell in The Importance Of Being Earnest. Finally, the gal in green is Emily. Emily may seem quiet and shy but when you get right down to is she is one funny lady! She is good friends with Sam, Jeremy and she is practically a sister to Ryan.

And for the most part those are my friends. There are a few more that have I’ve recently gotten closer to that are from the Cast, but at least now you all have a better idea of the people that God has put in my life at this point in time. I think one of the things that I learned this past year is that my friends don’t belong to me. I don’t own them or have a special claim to them. They can be gone and out of my life at any moment that God wills. My responsibility is not to cling to them or place them on pedestals. My responsibility is to treat them like a brother or sister in Christ by loving them with His love and serving them as a slave.

As Dorothy once said,

“People come and go so quickly around here…”
-Dorothy Gale: Wizard Of Oz

*For those who remember, last year my theme verse for my birthday outing was Exodus 19:15b. This year it was Genesis 2:18a.

2:25pm - Well here we go for the matinée. Two of the understudies are performing because one of the lead actors has a baseball game to play in. At any rate I’m sure they will do a great job and get the energy going to set up the second Act.

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2:34pm - Here is a picture of the crowd. (I need to clean my iPhone!)

Our director told us we are half full which is pretty good for a matinee.

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3:06pm - OH MY GOSH! Our understudy for Algernon is OUT OF CONTROL! He is HILARIOUS! He is ad-libbing so much that if he keeps it up we may have to change the end of the play! I hope I can keep up with him! This crowd is picking up a lot of the subtle jokes as well. They’re laughing at parts that no other audience has laughed at before.

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3:39pm - My matinée curse is still strong… I had a bit of a melt down with my lines but fortunately the other person on stage covered for me. I hate it when that happens cause it zaps the energy and gets ya scared instead of relaxed and having fun. I think what happened was I looked at the audience and lost my concentration. Looking at the audience is about the same as looking down from a tall building if you are scared of heights. It disorients you and reminds you of what’s at stake if you screw up even a little.
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4:43pm - The matinée is over and I made it through the rest of the show without anymore line flubs. Glad those got worked out now instead of tonight.

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7:25pm - Well I had a wonderful birthday dinner with my Mom and Dad at Claim Jumper. The only problem was our waitress was… S L O W… She took forever to bring us our meal. I was suppose to be back by 6:45pm but didn’t make it back until 7:00pm. Oh well. I’m back, we’re pumped and ready to get this show on the road! We are sold out and there are still people trying to pay at the door for tickets we don’t have!!!

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8:48pm - Act 1 is over and so far so good! The energy was great the crowd is very responsive. It took them a while but they’re warmed up now.

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9:14pm - YES!!!! That was by far the biggest laugh I have gotten so far! Of course I was waaaay over the top but still, the crowd was roaring! I can’t believe this is the last time I get to do this…

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10:47pm - Well it’s all over… what a run of performances for this team. Everyone from the stage crew to the cast was so fun to work with. What a breath of fresh air from my High School days. I am so thankful to God that I had the opportunity to be a part of this.