Tales From The Yellow Brick Road

Alright party people! Here is the final version of that Music Video I told you about where I was the Director of Photography. Thanks to my friend Cesar, who trusted me with the camera and with this project.

Enjoy!

Today I am flooded with all kinds of emotions.

I finished my last final this morning around 8:30am. Instead of celebrating with my friends, I packed most of my stuff in my car and drove 50 miles south to Green Hills Cemetery to be with the friends and family of my dear friend Alese Coco. Today marks one year since she passed away from complications due to Hodgkin’s Disease.

I am still bothered by the fact that she was so young, had so much that she could have done, and yet people tell me that “God chose” to take her home to be with Him instead. Right now, I think that was pretty selfish of Him.

I wanted to have more time with Alese. I wanted to sit in front of the TV with Alese and imitate our favorite characters. I wanted to go to a restaurant and instead of waiting 2 hours like everyone else, waiting 2 minutes while Alese sweet talked her way to the best seat in the house. I wanted to have another laugh-so-hard-you-cry moment with Alese as we both made disparaging comments about each other’s style of clothing at almost the exact same time. There were many more moments that I wanted to have with this girl who made me feel like I was her big brother and she was my little sister.

Which is something that haunts me all the time. You see Alese and my sister were born the same year just a few weeks apart. It’s hard to think about Alese because I realize that it was only by “God’s sovereignty” that it is Alese instead of my sister in the grave. That could have been me and my family out there today, marking one year since we lost someone we love. In fact, with the way things are going with my Mom’s condition, it may be us standing by the grave of a loved one sooner then we’d like. It may be us, listening as a Pastor preaches on the “storms of life” and insists that there is a moment when “the sun bursts through the clouds” and there is a happy ending. It may be us listening to the sound of worship songs being sung through tears of sorrow and pain. It may be us that look toward heaven and ask, why couldn’t we have had one more day, one more month, one more year… one more lifetime.

Today has been another hard day, and right now, I’m not sure why I’m gonna get up tomorrow.

But I will get up tomorrow. And I’ll hug and kiss my Mom. And I will will do everything in my power to stand beside her and help her Fight2Win. From here on out, it may be the only thing that keeps me going.

Links:

AleseCoco.org (Alese’s homepage and journal)

Fight2Win.org (launched today in order to fund a cure to fight and win the battle against Hodgkin’s Disease)

DeborahAmes.org (my Mom’s homepage and journal)

Here are two projects I did this semester. The first is an editing project. The second is a short film I did for one of my comedy calsses.

Dravn Training

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A Day On The Lake

Today at 12:40pm I was officially finished with my last class at TMC for a while. What a semester this has been. Filled with a lot of unknowns and a lot of curve balls. In fact, this whole entire year has been about adaptation and the art of learning how to cope with the unknown and unexpected. I know that I will never forget this school year as long as I live. It has by far been the hardest, but then again I only have one other year to compare it to.

Just to let you know, the semester recap won’t be for a while. I have some work that I’ll be finishing the next few weeks even though finals are next week. Obviously because of the extenuating circumstances it has been impossible for me to complete all my work this semseter. For two of my classes I will be turning in work after finals are over, which will adjust my grades accordingly. All of my professors this year have been very gracious and very supportive as I have wrestled through some tough times.

I have two finals next week. I have plenty of time to study for both and should be able to do pretty well on one, and do well enough on the other. I will not be putting off making the necessary flash cards and study guides. This weekend I will be very dilligent and dedicated to allowing these finals to be a good experience.

I heard the Women’s Chamber Choir here at TMC sing this awesome song tonight. It was a great reminder of some things that I need to be focused on right now.

Here is a link to a recording* that was done for the TV Show “Life” on NBC. It only has the first and last verse but it’s a great version and a very pretty voice.

“Sweet Hour Of Prayer”
Words: William Walford

Music: William B. Bradbury

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Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father’s throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

-

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

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Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

*LINK FIXED

Wow this year has gone by quick! There are about 20 days left until this semester is officially over. Of course, this time of year the weather is nicer and folks are anxious to be free from the burden of reading, papers and projects. For me personally this semester has had its ups and downs, highs and lows, triumphs and trials. But overall, my classes have been great, and once again I have proved to myself that this school thing isn’t just about getting good grades. That it’s about growing and learning how to keep growing for the rest of your life.

Registration for next year has already been going on for a few weeks and I’m still putting the finishing touches on what classes I’ll be conquering next semester. A few of the faculty here are trying to rope me into their classes and although it would be fun to take them, I can only be in so many places at once. Among the potential classes I will be taking next year are Poetry, US Church History and Christianity And Film. If my schedule allows, and I don’t have to take more than 18 units, then I’ll give them a whirl.

Also, next year holds many changes for the campus as a whole, as well as for me personally. In campus-wide news the two off-campus dorms for guys are closing down, which means those guys will be living on campus next year. I know it is a big change for them, and most of them are a little disappointed that they are loosing some of their freedoms. For those of us on campus, things are going to be quite cozy around here since we’ll need to make way for 60+ guys.

For me personally I have accepted a position on Servant Leadership Staff as the Media Production Assistant for Chapel Media. For those of you who don’t know, Chapel Media is not only responsible for all the media shown in Chapel, but they are a team of Master Story Tellers. From weeks before the first new students arrives right up through finals week these guys keep busy taking videos and pictures to record God’s work in and through this campus. They are at almost every event doing their best to leave their digital mark on future generations. And now they have added one more weapon to the team!

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.

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.

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.

8:02pm - Well it’s a few minutes before round two! We’re back in the green room putting the finishing touches on everything. There’s a rumor that John MacArthur will be here tonight… YIKES! Anyways, time to prepare and get the energy going.

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8:30pm - First Act is almost over! Here is a picture of Lady Bracknell giving Mr. Worthing the third degree…

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9:06pm - THAT WAS AWESOME! I got a big laugh and slight applause on my first entrance! They are never ready for my ridiculousness! It so cool to hear people laughing and enjoying themselves. I have some down time before my next section so I’ll see if I can get some research done for a project.

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9:53pm - Another great night! This crowd was the best ever! They laughed at parts that the last night’s audience missed! I found out we had about 15 seats left which is still almost a sold out crowd. Well I am going to get some much needed sleep… got two shows tomorrow and I gotta keep the energy up!

7:48pm - Well it’s a little less than 20 minutes before the play begins. The doors opened 11 minutes ago. From what I’ve heard, people have been out there since 7pm. I’m in the green room. Makeup is still being applied, hair is being sprayed and there is an air of excitement.We had a close call earlier today. Dr. Jones, who plays Lane the Butler in the first act, is a professor in the science department and today in a lab something exploded on him and hit him in the eye. Fortunately, he was able to flush it out right away and his vision is not affected.

Well gotta go… time for company call… I’m going to be sharing a verse tonight.

36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
-Romans 11:36

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8:09pm - It’s On! Professor Horner is doing the intro!

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8:42pm - Intermission! The crowd was eating it up. I’m not in the first act and I can’t wait to get out there!

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9:11pm - My first section went well! I have a long break and then my ridiculous part begins!

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9:24pm - Getting ready to go on for the second part. The audience is NOT ready for this!!! I’m on for the rest of the play so I’ll give you the wrap up once it’s all over.

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10:30pm - Wow! What a great first night! I found out that we only had six seats left at the end of the night! What a great way to start this series of performances. Our Director was so happy and so proud of us. A lot of the guys on my wing came tonight. It was great to feel so supported. Several of my professors came up to me afterwards to let me know that they had a great time seeing me make a complete fool out of myself… even more of a fool than usual that is!

After a 10 year absence from the theater I am once again in a play.

The Importance Of Being Earnest was written by Oscar Wilde and has been made into several movie versions. It is a pretty funny play and I am lucky enough to have a minor role. I am playing Dr. Canon Chasuble, a priest who’s interests lie not just in studying the Good Book but in the fair haired Miss Laetitia Prism.

I have had so much fun preparing for this role and working alongside some very talented actors. Our Director, Tricia Hulet, is (to use one of her words) fabulous! Not only have I had the opportunity to play a part, but I’ve also been helping out with the graphic design as well. I made the above poster and will be helping out with the program as well.

If you’re in the Santa Clarita area, and would like to see the play, call the number on the poster above and order your tickets soon!

Well it has been a long first week here at school. There hasn’t been as much syllabus shock for me… I knew I was in for a tough ride this semester. It’s all boiling down to this:

-18 Units

-School Play

-Announcing For Baseball

-Communications Department Newsletter

I’ll go into more details about some of those as the weeks go on but for now all you need to know is that I am going to be a busy guy…

Follow Me: Session 5
Dr. David Wells
“The Character Of Authentic Discipleship”
Titus 2:11-14

Dr. David Wells is an amazing theologian. He is way smarter then I will ever be… ever! Tonight’s message was one that was defiantly on another level of thinking way above mine. Sorry for the vague intro but here is what I could get down for notes.

Notes:

4 Consequences Of Moving Out Of A Moral World

1. We have moved from thinking about virtues to thinking about values.
2. We have moved from thiking about character to thiking about personality.
3. We have moved from thiking about human nature to self.
4. We have moved from guilt to shame.

Why Should We Do What Is Right?

Because of the two comings of Christ:
1. The Grace of God that has appeared
2. The Glory of God that will appear

This concludes the Truth And Life Conference Recap