Anyone need to hear a love song today?
No?
Just me, then?
Oh well. This hopeless (hopeful?) romantic will just sit and watch this then:

Just a Fifth...

My goodness, a whole lot has changed since I last posted anything on this blog! And honestly, it's not because I've forgotten about it, but more, "where do I begin?" or "I haven't really got time for this right now..." or "has my life really been that interesting lately to want to blog about it?"

So, the how to go about getting back into this? Perhaps list five some things that have changed since five years ago:

1. My first house. A down-payment, a mortgage, furniture, yard work, digging out of the garage on my own during a blizzard (all right, only 2 inches had started to accumulate on the driveway, but hey, this is Oklahoma!), the whole gambit. I love my house, and I love being on my own and having to be responsible for all of this, but occasionally there are moments when I start to wish I wasn't doing all of this on my own. Especially when I need to do laundry and mow the lawn and manage to put together a somewhat healthy meal instead of running out to Chick-fil-a and suddenly remembering that today's a Sunday. Many thanks must go to my dad, who somehow doesn't seem to mind coming over and working for food, and to mom for letting him.

2. Five years seniority. Yay! And then, I suddenly think "How in the world has time moved by so quickly that I've already been out of college and working at the same company now for five years?" Then again, that's nothing when compared to the tenure some of my coworkers have... 10, 15, 25,... 33... yep, barely a "fifth" of the time they've spent in this industry. I feel so young! What in the world am I doing at this place, thinking I'm smart enough to handle half of the work they're giving me, this young whipper-snapper? "Yup, I got it, no problem!"

3. New and old things to geek out about. "Lemme explain... No, there is too much. Lemme sum up." And bombard this post with a collection of weblinks:
Geek Out Podcast
Muppets!
Harry Potter
More Potter?
Doctor Who
Smallville
Chuck

4.Why did I give myself the goal of typing up five of these? I'm not really sure how to begin to describe much else, because I sort of feel I'm lacking the luxury of not having been absent from my own life over the past five years. There's likely been a whole lot of gradual changes... growth, maturity, physically, mentally, spiritually,... that I'm just not aware of in myself because I don't have an accurate image of where I was with all of those things five years ago... Do I feel like I've learned something more today than I did yesterday, though? Yes. But it feels like an impossible thing to label or categorize. Especially when it seems like there's so much to tell, or still more to go out and DO.

Guess I better get back out there, then. One for the road, please...
Movin' Right Along

One Step at a Time

I'm overdue for a new blog post. No point in making excuses, this blogging thing just has never really been a high priority thing, but more as a way to document milestones.

I always enjoy stumbling across (friend's? acquaintance's? complete strangers?) blogs that give me something to think about and learn more about who I am... and since I just posted over at one, I figured I'd share the link:

A Proposal of Evolution

I realize I left my response a little open-ended, but I'd rather the discussion continue than start to debate faith - which is impossible to do given the basic definition of the word (from m-w.com: faith - a firm belief in something for which there is no proof).

Don't get the wrong impression that I think of the Bible as a just another "story," or as something that is not divinely inspired by God - I do - it's just that I get frustrated when verses are taken out of context and applied to whatever subject suits the speaker's mood. The Scriptures don't work that way. I consider myself to have a very shallow understanding of Jewish culture and ancient history, and even I know that a lot of the "laws" that are quoted from the Old Testament are meant to be there more as a way for me to understand the New Testament and the importance of the New Covenant that God made, rather than just an additional list of rules that I am required to follow, because I am a Christian. Yes, there is definitely something to learn from those laws, because they cover issues that can lead to harm and hurt others (think adultery) or our own self (think of the "unclean" foods). But the consequences of disobeying these laws don't have to be carried out the same way any more - sure, stoning your son-in-law to death because you caught him with another woman might make you feel better, and would definitely keep him from ever doing it again, but did he get a chance to learn anything from it? Would YOU have learned anything from it, for that matter? Or would it be more effective to force him to LIVE with the consequences of his actions and witness the hurt he's caused his children or his wife? I suppose it ultimately shows the true character of that man - in how he chooses to live his life after his action is revealed - as well as the character of his family - in how they choose to accept or not accept him back into their lives, and how they heal or don't heal, from the feelings of distrust and betrayal.

I think "eye for an eye" and "turn the other cheek" may have a deeper meaning than the physical after all.

...

Meanwhile, I've been lucky to come across a group of young adults that meets on Tuesday nights for group discussions on topics like the above and for fellowship, so I have something to look forward to every week. It is definitely helping to fill that need in my life right now - to connect with people my age and seek spiritual guidance together. I find it odd that I'm in the age group that is often the most likely to turn away from churches and the Church, and my home church was doing very little about it. Discussions with Nooma DVD's and Rob Bell aside, there's not much available to draw the college-age/20-somethings to church only on a Sunday morning.

Which is why I am VERY happy that someone finally got "the right people" - not just enough people, or the same people who have been asking for something like this for years - to get excited and start up a Saturday evening service. Once this gets rolling, don't be surprised if I am missing from your weekend party-stravaganza between the hours of 6pm to 9pm. And if this sounds like something you would be excited about too, please let me know and I will make sure that you are there with me!

Hope everyone is taking time to make this "Holy Week," well, holy!

Can I claim I've been a bit busy lately?

Hi again faithful readers.

So... a whole lot of stuff has happened since I last posted a long, thorough note of what is going on in my life. What follows is my attempt at trying to compile everything from the past 10 months into a few major highlights:

1. Position change at work! - A lateral move, but nonetheless, this was a good move for me as it has offered me many more responsibilities and opportunities for growth (where I was, I was somewhat like a glorified intern, though making way more $.) - Read this as "Em likes to be paid for what she's worth" not "Em was trying to see what she could get away with." It also meant a little more safety in my company, as our industry was hitting some rough times (if I had proof that I was handling the work of 2 people, TPTB were less likely to make me leave).

2. Terminus! Wizard Rock! Chicago! - Granted, we didn't see much of Chicago while we were there, but the whole thing was quite an adventure - from flying standby to finding roommates online to navigating the L (where we felt a bit like Arthur Weasley) to meeting some very friendly and strange people to all things Harry Potter.

3. Weddings! SO many friends got married during the Summer of 2008. A few resulted in road trips to see friends, and some I had already planned a trip in the opposite direction. Best wishes to all of you! (and add another year of celebrating the single life... however I may be deluding myself).

4. 180 degrees, or how having high expectations can lead to burnout - Well, maybe it's not burn out yet, but I was very overwhelmed this past Sunday at church with the level of tasks that had to be managed technically for the Sunday service... and I wasn't even scheduled to be the one responsible for handling everything.... Sadly, Sunday service hasn't been a worshipful experience for me for some time now... it's been a part time job I don't get paid for. Previous weeks it's just been loads of frustration, and last week ended in tears... in plain sight of everyone exiting the sanctuary. Yeah. So, I had a talk with our new music minister, with my Mom acting as a mediator/translator on my behalf, and I'm hoping that things are better after my weekend away.

Not wanting this to end on a sad note, I'm excited about the trip to OKC this weekend! Dancing, wrocking, and chillin' with friends should be awesome! I believe we shall have to do things like these more often!

Sermon Notes

I decided to be creative with my sermon notes today...
The youth pastor was speaking today, so I suppose it inspired my inner child.



Edit: I see the scan cut off the scripture reference, so here it is:
Matthew 13:31

Hello World - the tiny blue-green pea in a ray of sunlight

Call it crazy, call it a "God-thing," call it fate, but I'm always in awe of how some things just come together the way they do.

If you are reading this (and therefore procrastinating studying for your finals) note that after viewing the entirety of the video at the following link, 42 minutes and 30 seconds will have passed by. And if you can't spare that amount of time, or need a shorter break, I'll share a shorter clip (8 min 44 sec) further down.

I don't think that this guy is an amazing speaker. I think this is just a guy who knows how to speak to people to show them how amazing God is.

Indescribable - Louie Giglio

As it has been a long time since my last note, obviously a lot has happened since.

1. We now have a new worship team leader - he will be solely working at our church as of this next Sunday (the first Sunday in May). I would say Pastor George is what our church needs to get the "chosen frozen" moving, so to speak. He's certainly stretching everyone in the way we worship God, and I'm loving every minute of it.

2. We (the church technical crew) are now using a software program called EasyWorship during Sunday services. It's awesome; it makes putting everything together beforehand and running all of the media the day of SO much simpler - integrating videos, sermon note PowerPoint slides, song lyrics, moving backgrounds, fade-outs, special songs, etc. a BREEZE! One program up on the laptop instead of 50,000,000, and no annoying media player frame around the video clips and such. (Did I mention I love my (volunteer) job when no one even notices me in the back? That that's what makes this so fun for me - that I can somehow use my talents to make (a majority of) everyone in the room focus on the message of the worship, the message of the speaker, and just let them all give glory to God?)

3. Now that we are digitally recording the Sunday message (well, okay, this started way before the last entry/note), we are s-l-o-w-l-y moving to getting them online on our church website (still in the works, though the template pages are already visible out there at http://southparktulsa.com/Web/Home.html). Right now it feels a little awkward, as it seems we are screaming "we are a cool church, come and be cool with us!" when we are still far from it. I agree that we will need to make steps in that direction if we want to draw in new people who are hurting and seeking, but we still have some major hurdles to get over before we actually look and move like a "modern day" church.

4. I finished paying off all of my school loans. (Whooo!) The loans my dad took out to pay for college are another matter, but again, that's part of the arrangement of me getting to stay at home, and why I am paying "rent" - and more than enough to help supplement the cost of utilities and groceries and insurance (see item #5).

5. I bought and paid for my first car. As in no more car payments. Just insurance payments, and tag/tax. It slightly creeps me out that my dad can't even say that about his CRV. It's a Honda Fit, 2008 Sport model, automatic, Blackberry Pearl. And for those that care, I did my homework, and yes, it's fuel efficient and has low emissions. (Forget the silly hybrids that cost so much more it would take me 8 to 10 years to make up the difference in what I would save on gas money - even at an estimation of $4/gal.)

See photo. Or Google it.

The remainder of the money that went to saving up for the new car is now going toward future house plans. When the time comes, I'll be looking for a female house mate so I'm not a single young female in a big house all by my lonesome - college buddies have first priority. ;)

I say all this because I've been recently reminded how crazy it is that someone as small and insignificant like me could be watched over and taken care of by such an amazing God. It's unimaginable how different things might be if I hadn't given my sophomore Thermodynamics class, that I thought I was heading to fail, over to God, along with my major and all of the reasons I was at TU... if I would even be at the job I'm at today, making the salary I'm able to make, so that I can afford to pay off my school loans, so that I could buy my first car, so that I can give back to my church (and The Church - through missions, etc.), my community, and do so much more than I would have ever been able to imagine... I am too small to have thought it, and God's plans are too big for me to have dreamt it.

Know that He is the Creator of all things, and that He is holding you together, and that by Him, all things come together to glorify His Kingdom.

So, I just happen to get sent a video link via e-mail from relatives living miles away on the same weekend our church pastor starts a sermon series on God and our bodies...

How Great is our God - Louie Giglio

Time for a follow up!

For those of you who read my birthday post and were keeping me and our church in your thoughts and prayers, it's time for me to give you an update!

This past month we officially hired a new senior pastor! YAY! So that is a big answer to prayer, since it took 9 months for it to happen (and for those of my family dealing with pregnancies, that's the closest thing I'll experience to that unless until I meet "Mr. Right" and marry him... but that's a different prayer request. *wink*).

Tom Hopkins has been here several Sundays now, and his enthusiasm and ideas for our church's future are contagious. One thing he's mentioned to me as part of the tech crew is that he would like to see us have a little more media during the service (i.e. moving backgrounds, videos, and the like). Another plus is that he does his own slides for his sermon, which, if you know how difficult it is to try to take someone's notes and get into their head in order to have the "right" things shown up on the wall, you know that this is a blessing! (and Chris, I can't say I envy you your job... I really understand the amount of work you must put in every week!) Anyways, having Tom wanting to see us do more things is definitely one of the things I was hoping for - because I can see that we have the potential to do that sort of thing, but it's getting past the mentality of "this is the way it's always been done" that's hard to overcome... and when your senior pastor wants it to change, well, then that's a hurdle that's a little easier to cross!

We have also moved into the 20th century, as we now record the Sunday sermon digitally! Granted, we can't get CDs to folks until Wed, but being able to put them up on CDs or even up on the internet is a great improvement from the cassette tapes we were using. And we're going about it in probably the least expensive (and possibly not the best) way, as it gives the computer guy (me, or whoever is on that week) one extra thing to do before we can sit back and just listen to what's going on and what God has to say. But it gets the job done!

So, although we don't have a worship leader on staff yet, I'm already starting to feel like a burden's been lifted off of me - I've been wanting to see something like this happen for a long time, but "just me" and my lack of tact isn't going to make that sort of change. I'm really excited about where this could go, and am now thinking that prayers need to shift slightly to us getting a few more "tech savvy" folks (or at least those who can learn computers and software programs quickly and can control their ADHD for a few hours) on rotation... we have willing workers right now, but they will need a little training and continued coaching to keep things running smoothly if we are going to start changing things... or maybe a few more people who can work together when we have a Sunday with just a few more visual requirements than in other weeks.

Seriously, I'm excited about the changes that should be coming in our church soon, and I think I can hold off on wanting to do a major Christmas production like we did in years past for another year or two!

The Bible is a Banned Book too!

Wow. I really had no idea that my little postings would lead to such discussion! (and here I thought no one was even reading this!)

And since the comments offer limited space to respond to all of those very thoughtful comments, I have an excuse to write another note! (and now I realize how much time it will take for all of the thoughts I have on the HP series to get old... yeesh, seems it will never end! *in a good way*)

I totally see the satire in the original letter now, and I think I had the right feeling early on about how the logic in the writing seemed too skewed to be an accurate account. And yet, I know some very logical people who have never read THAT article, but because that account (or similar ones) spread through the Internet so rapidly, it has weaved its way into the chain of reasoning behind removing the Harry Potter series from bookshelves. I think they've probably never read that exact chain e-mail, but as Christians we are sometimes quick to avoid books, movies, people, events or ideas that contain elements that represent something against our beliefs. Without knowing the full story, we condemn it before doing all of our homework, and, as we are human and stubborn, we are slow to change our thinking if someone tries to share the views of the other side of the argument.

The first week of October was Banned Books Week, for those of you who may not have known, and as part of that week, I found it interesting that Harry Potter was brought up in many discussions and articles as one of this decades' most controversial books. For some reason, it was at the same time suddenly becoming as hot of a topic among those who are against the books. And even though I've come across some books that I felt inappropriate to be reading while in school, I've somehow always felt that it was important that those books were out there to be read, that as much as I disliked having to discuss one particular scene from a story - much less read that section - I perhaps did learn something from the story - and surely someone else may learn even more from it than I did. And when I came across the previously mentioned posting where fellow "Christians" were condemning the Harry Potter series, I suddenly felt compelled to share some of my own thoughts - that, as much as we may object to a particular theme or idea, they do have the right to share that idea, and we have the right to either ignore it, or listen to their idea and see if there is anything we can learn from it.

Granted, not everyone is sharing messages that we will find informative and/or uplifting... some of the stuff out there is garbage... but if we only let one person - one human who has flaws just like the rest of us - determine what we will believe without taking the time to do our own research, then we don't learn anything at all (even if all we learn is that it was garbage). As much as I hope I've presented my reasonings to others to encourage them to keep an open mind about other viewpoints, ideas, books, etc., I do think that there will still be many people whose minds will not be changed, no matter how loving and sincere we try to come across to them. But part of me hopes that, at the very least, people will think to do their homework before jumping to condemn a book, person, or idea (though I think it's perfectly fine to have reservations about it, and just avoid the topic if you feel uncomfortable about it).

One thing I've come to appreciate about Harry Potter is how it has brought about so much discussion between family members and old friends and new friends. It seems a little crazy to become so frenzied over a book that we run to the library and movie theatre to hang out with people (mostly strangers) who all share that same energy. Though I'm sure there are worse things that could bring groups of people to gather together. But still I think that it is important that we as Christians don't let ourselves get too swept away in this world that is all in our heads. We can be looking for good in many places outside the Church and what is considered Holy - yet we also have to keep a discerning eye out for those things which may cause us to stumble. We have to remember to separate what is true and what is fake, what is good and what is evil. And in any story, it's important to go over what mistakes the characters made and what they learned from those mistakes (and hopefully, learning to avoid what got them into those tough situations in the first place). Lots of people in the Bible made mistakes (and some phrases and stories in the Bible even seem to touch on risky *or risque* topics...) and yet there are many lessons we can still learn today. It's amazing the sorts of things that a book can do - the marks that they can leave on the world. It's that sort of revolution that I mentioned in that previous post - even the sort that start with a few disciples who wrote about amazing things that happened and caused many to turn away from teachings that were widely accepted as proper and in accordance with being obedient to God to follow the teachings of a carpenter. No wonder it's banned in so many places around the world.

IN and not OF this world (Thank God for Harry Potter)

Shame on me for trying to speak up in an opposing camp on this issue...

I stumbled across a blog the other day where they posted a story of an individual who was involved with witchcraft and sees the Harry Potter series as evil and a means to introduce the occult to young minds. For some strange reason, the chorus of approval in the comments gave me a bit of a sinking feeling. And then I felt a strong urge to respond:

Interesting post…
I think the line that hit me the most was the following: “Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.”
From one who has read the Harry Potter books, I find this statement a bit confusing… I couldn’t help but wonder what’s so wrong about children getting away from TV and video games to read a book… especially considering what they are putting on TV these days!
One problem I see in the logic here is that the person who made this statement came from a background of already being involved with witchcraft - so of course her/his first reaction would be to recognize similar names or see a reflection of what s/he already knows so well…. Most kids are not going to know of these references, many which are actually names from all sorts of literature and myths - and not necessarily having anything to do with witchcraft. I mean, no one thought it was a bad thing to teach my 4th and 5th grade class Greek and Roman mythologies when we were learning about those ancient cultures… and I don’t know a single person from my class that is now going around believing that Zeus is god.
So what’s wrong with Harry Potter? I think it’s going to cause a revolution in reading. And who’s to say that’s a bad thing?

Needless to say, my post was soon followed by comments from a series of individuals who will be praying for my soul until Kingdom come. At least the original blogger had the courtesy to explain a bit of their personal viewpoint - they themselves had dabbled in witchcraft when they were younger and saw the HP series as something that would cause them to stumble as a follower of Christ. Alright, so they didn't say that outright, but that was the impression I got. But just to calm the fears of some of the other posters, I followed up:

Thank you for sharing your own personal story, and I thank God you were guided away from the occult. I suppose it is difficult for me to understand how some people make the jump from make believe to finding aspects of it in the real world, especially when I grew up in a loving Christian home where we would sit down as a family and read stories like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, and JRR Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, all of which take place in magical worlds, but tell stories with good morals.

Hearing your story only confirms an idea that I’ve had on children’s literature in general: that it is important for parents to read to their children and get involved in discussions with their children when they read stories that might bring up tough questions. If parents can guide their children to understand the difference between what follows God’s plan and what may not be God’s will for them, then they will not stray from that knowledge when they are older. (Proverbs 22:6) As you spend time with your children, you may discover that they DO know the difference, and then you can decide if they are prepared to handle more difficult topics or stories to prepare them for the things that the secular world will show them. They can be the ones who are lights in dark places by sharing Christ’s love to their non-Christian friends, all because they may have read the same stories growing up.

I hope that you continue to fight the good fight and keep our changing world in your thoughts and prayers.

I probably won't post again, as I've noticed a continuation of the worrying about what I might be risking by sharing this with my [future] children. And I think what I read explains my gut sinking feeling - "we will only read, view and talk about the Lord…for that is all they need to know." - as much as I hope for my family to know the Lord and know the Word well enough to stand up for what is right and defend themselves from evil, I know from my own experiences that solely a knowledge of the Bible is not enough when faced with people who believe just as strongly that it is completely fiction. If you are going to be "in" the world and trying to reach to them and share Jesus to them, you've got to be able to speak the language. This does not mean that you become a part "of" the world as in worshiping the gods they serve. If you completely isolate yourself from the world and don't find a way to stay connected to the "unreached" part of the world, then you risk becoming a cult. (There, I said it.)

In other words, it is completely alright to dislike elements of today's secular world and culture and not participate in them - I have no problem with people who choose not to read Harry Potter because they're worried about the themes of magic and fantasy and how they may respond to that. I myself don't like to read romance novels, and am hesitant to watch most movies with sexual themes, because I know that I can start down a path that is not healthy for me in my walk with God and causes me to dwell too much on what I want in my future rather than wait for His plan to unfold. I have several friends who won't touch alcohol (even though they are of age) because they have a family history of alcoholics and don't want to take that risk.

But what it all comes down to is not so much a matter of what you are risking by stepping outside your door and mingling with the secular world, but what you are gaining by developing relationships with those who may never see the inside of a church building - but they have met you, who, although human, is doing their absolute best to show Christ's love to them.

Paul says what I want to say even better: (1 Corinthians 10, The Message Bible)
23-24Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.
25-28With that as a base to work from, common sense can take you the rest of the way. Eat anything sold at the butcher shop, for instance; you don't have to run an "idolatry test" on every item. "The earth," after all, "is God's, and everything in it." That "everything" certainly includes the leg of lamb in the butcher shop. If a nonbeliever invites you to dinner and you feel like going, go ahead and enjoy yourself; eat everything placed before you. It would be both bad manners and bad spirituality to cross-examine your host on the ethical purity of each course as it is served. On the other hand, if he goes out of his way to tell you that this or that was sacrificed to god or goddess so-and-so, you should pass. Even though you may be indifferent as to where it came from, he isn't, and you don't want to send mixed messages to him about who you are worshiping.
29-30But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it!
31-33So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you—you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.

Eating with sinners and tax collectors? Being invited over to a non-believer's house for dinner? Developing a friendship with a stranger all because you both read Harry Potter? Why shouldn't God bless these things?

WRock Chicago

Terminus 2008, here I come!

I have no clue what I'm thinking, but it's done. No backing out now! My registration is in, and I am very excited about what will be my first time seeing Chicago. This most likely rules out Portus for me, since it would be really difficult for me to take off that much time from work during the summer and still have vacation days left for family trips. I mean, I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone on a trip with no family involvement - and both of those were school related.

So, anyways, I'm excited! So much fun it shall be! And PotterCast, too! I'll have to think how to carefully pack my LeakyMug to take it along!

Did I mention I was excited?

More Ponderings on Potter

Okay, this may be getting old to some people, but I can't get it off my brain.
I'm still feeling a bit of a Pottermania vibe, and it's a habit I just can't kick. Eventually, I'll get to writing about my thoughts on the Harry Potter series from my viewpoint as a Christian. Right now, if you're really curious and just dying to read something on this particular topic, there are loads of articles out on the Internet, some praising the books, some condemning the books, and some taking the middle ground and saying that each individual is responsible for what they get out of the series. I hope to get back to this at some point, but for now, let me just say that I agree that each person will have a different perspective on the series, and that I personally love the books - and before anyone worries that this may becoming too much of an obsession, I went through a similar cycle with all of my favorite books - the one difference here is that this is the first time that a series ever finished within my lifetime, with a fan base to rival Trekkies and Ringers.

Meanwhile, I've discovered that there are two Harry Potter conferences taking place next year/summer: Portus and Terminus. I think I've made up my mind that I really want to attend one of these, but for various reasons, I'm finding it extremely difficult to make up my mind on which one I should attend, or if I should cave and do both.

Portus has its pluses in that it's close to home and I know of two friends from high school already planning to attend - which means rooming buddies and therefore shared hotel fees, and also the fact that I will actually KNOW someone before I set foot in the conference - which, as someone who only recently stuck her baby toe into the waters of fandom, is a welcome thought! They'd be my guides to a completely strange new universe.

Terminus, on the other hand, though taking place in a city much further from home (and one I've not visited outside of seeing the airport) seems to have a whole lot more going for it - which I've mainly noticed due to their great website and the loads of information they've been pouring out over the past month. So far, they seem to have the "feel" of the HP world down - by sorting attendees into houses (something Portus seems to be avoiding) and sharing weekly posts about the "history of the school" for the conference. And then, there's the fact that they've already penciled in a live PotterCast show in the schedule - something that Portus has not yet nailed down. To add another reason for me to be heading north to Chicago rather than south to Dallas, I saw this post today: Wrock Chicago. Wow. And just when I'm starting to get into the whole idea of Wrock or "Wizard Rock" as it's called (rock bands who incorporate themes/plotlines from the Harry Potter books into their music).

I'm in a pickle (no pun intended, for those of you who know the reference), and need some feedback. Thanks! - Em

How I know that the HP fandom will not die out.

Today at work, as I was walking through our workshop floor and I saw someone reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (just in case any one's wondering, it's a union shop, so he was on break and not doing this when he should have been working).

Needless to say, I felt the need to approach him and start up a conversation on the series. He was only a few chapters in, so I was very careful not to spoil anything for him, but merely stated how much I enjoyed reading it and hoped that he found the story as exciting as I did. He thankfully, had not been spoiled of the ending and told me how much he had enjoyed reading the series and seeing the movies, and shared his disappointment at the series coming to an end. He and I both share a similar view in that we can't believe that the series is coming to a close, and share the hope that we will continue to see the release of additional books, whether they be parallel stories, prequels to Harry Potter's saga, or *crosses fingers* an Encyclopedia of the magical world that JKR has introduced to us. I went on to share how unusual it felt to think that there are fans of the series that are so interested in these books that they will spend hours discussing the details of the series and even meet up at conferences and find ways to bring the stories to life. For "true fans" that may read this, please know that I am only a few mouse clicks away from succumbing to fan/peer pressure, as I'm finding myself interested in attending a conference to be held next year. As hard as is is for the rational, skeptical side of me to believe, I am finding myself drawn further and further into the world of a young wizard that has united so many different people from so many different walks of life.

For the longest time while reading and enjoying the series over these many years, this was one of the first times I had met someone who seemed to be less of a "fan" than I was, although 6/7 months ago I would have considered myself to have been in the same situation of fan-limbo-ness (if you can call it that) as he still is. But with the hype of the DH release and the OOTP movie release, and going back and listening to the podcasts from PotterCast and MuggleCast leading up to the release dates, I can't help but realize that my obsession with "Potter-dom" has grown in leaps and bounds.

I can remember just this past Christmas when I was talking to a cousin who had been hesitant to read the series due to all of the negative Christian feedback that the series has received and feeling that I had merely expressed myself as someone who enjoyed the books and movies on their own merits - as a story that showed a "coming of age" for a young boy and how he struggles with a battle of good and evil, and only uses magic as a method of telling the story, comparable to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Madeleine L'Engle.

And here I am, writing filks and actually sending them out to a podcast that the whole of the HP fandom may hear it and spending so much time thinking about HP that I feel the need to share it as a part of something that has become something more than just a good book I once enjoyed - HP is becoming infused with my life!

Well, anyways, from personal experience, seeing that it has been 2 months since the OOTP movie release and just short of 2 months since the DH book release, seeing my own reactions to the series continuing to grow, and realizing that there are still many people in the world who have not yet been spoiled of Harry Potter's fate (which of course will continue as long as HP fans introduce younger generations of readers to HP) that we are looking at a love for a book/movie series that will not die out. After I go talk to one of my friends who started reading HP and squee-ing over the excitement of new book releases long before the movies sparked my own interest in the series, I might just be meeting up with even more dedicated fans at an upcoming conference! Oh, the insanity! But this is normal to some degree, am I right? *go hufflepuff!*

Blogging is the new mode of procrastination

How silly of me to start up a blog and never update it!

I guess part of my problem is that I only want to send out into the space of the web somewhat clear and coherent thoughts that have come up in my mind recently, which of course happens all of the time, but because I have such a crazy attention span and ... ooh look! Kittens!

Sorry. What I mean, though, is that I really do have a lot of things I can share, but I can't keep up with all of them, and somehow type them all up and keep each post on one particular topic....
So hopefully I'll have an update soon, since I've been needing to file some of these ideas away some place safe to come back and look at them later.

Later!

Happy Birthday

Uh, anyone know who I should talk to about this whole age progressing thing? Because I don't look or feel any older. It does seem weird to think I've been out of school for a year now, and working full time and such, but other than feeling like I really know what I'm doing now, I don't really notice much difference.

Wait, all right, there is one difference between this year and last year, and I suppose those of you who REALLY know me, you'd understand how important and yet also how silly this seems at the same time. I almost find it too embarrassing to type here, so suffice it to say you'll finally get to see me around more often, of which I am very excited about now as well. If you're still clueless to what that means, comment or e-mail and, if I'm feeling masochistic I'll share with you. (Just kidding!)

On to other topics, my musical theatre kick has finally progressed off of TV reality shows. I scanned through the library videos to find various musicals I either hadn't seen before or hadn't seen for some time (I know, I was deprived!). Some were movie versions of musicals, while others were stage productions/ tapings of concerts of musicals. I also looked for cast recordings on those I couldn't find a video to (or at least there isn't one available yet. If you really want to see all of the musicals I've now watched or listened to within the past few months, you can check the list below. I even spent some of my hard earned money and bought several cast recordings as well.

South Pacific, Miss Saigon, Spring Awakening, Wicked, Into the Woods, Funny Girl, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!, Wizard of Oz, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, RENT, Damn Yankees, My Fair Lady, Cinderella, Sound of Music, West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, Guys and Dolls, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar...

So, anyways, I'm starting to feel normal and not obsessed about any one particular show or actor just because I fell in love with the show, or that actor's looks/voice/acting talent/etc. Instead I'm now very much aware of how much I miss that my church is lacking a music/worship director/minister right now.

See, last December, our senior pastor resigned from his position and his wife, who was our church's worship minister, also left with him. Right now, I can't say I have much to complain about when it comes to missing our senior pastor - he was a great guy, but since then, one of my best friends has come back to our church as our youth minister - and he is an awesome speaker - God has given him a great gift of being able to speak in front of people and share His Word through him - and we've also had some absolutely amazing guest speakers who I feel God is using to reach to our church. There are lots of people who need to hear what these speakers have had to share, and I feel I've gotten more out of these past few months than I got in the last 4 years with our senior pastor.

Ever since I had gone to college, I started to feel like our church body was getting stuck in a rut, doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. It was even more obvious to me by my senior year, since I had come across such wonderful, vibrant Christian ministries at school, and here I was, one of the only college-age attendants, with absolutely no group to participate with since there had always been this huge gap between youth and young marrieds. It was almost like they expected that once you ran off to college you would lose everyone, and then when they finally settled down and start to have kids would they finally come back to church. Granted, there was also a rather large age gap between me and the next graduating class, so I would have had to bring all of my friends from school to even have a college age or young singles group going - and pretty much any friend I felt would be "ready" to invite to church (saving that discussion for another topic) was already attending another church in town.

Since June of 2006, as there were (finally!) a large number of youth graduating from high school and heading off to college (many still attending college in town) we now have a college/young singles group going. We now have about 10 regular attending college freshman and sophmores, and I'm the one young single. I claim to bring a bit more experience to the group. *wink* We have two couples leading our group - one with teenage boys (the oldest in college) and the other with preschool kids, and we chase a lot of rabbit trails with our discussions, but the topics are relevant and we always make sure to have food - we even make breakfast in Sunday school, just to get people to show up at 9:00 am! And as much as I heard it while I was at school, I can still see it among this group of students - that this is definitely a generation that will shake up our church as we know it (at the very least, my church, if not THE Church!) We're all ready to get out of this "rut" we feel we're stuck in (and I feel may be one of the reasons we no longer needed a senior pastor for the time being) and having these great guest speakers coming in is one of the key things our church needs to stir up tension in some people and motivate others to take action and start making changes. We may see a loss of numbers as there will be some people who will be offended and unable to see the need to lose some traditions that are holding us back from reaching our community and becoming relevant to those around us. But I think that God wants everyone who plans to stick around through this time to grow and come to realize that the church does not depend on rules and boundaries to keep it together, but is dependent upon a people united in one purpose - our Shema - to love God with all our hearts, souls, and strength and minds and to share that love with those around us.

So I'm ecstatic about what God is doing in my life through what is happening at my church and what is stirring in the hearts of those around me - great things are about to happen, and I only hope that we are able to break through all of the naysayers and obstacles that may prevent us from taking action and setting things in motion.

Really, the only thing I've absolutely missed through all of this is not having any kind of drama team or productions to participate in. I've looked forward to Christmas every other year since my freshman year in high school, as my church put on various musicals to draw in visitors and grow our church body closer together as those who participated in some form were always changed in someway through just being involved with the productions - many hearts were healed, some marriages were saved, new relationships began, all because God brought together a talented group of people to go through an experience together. Last December would have been one of those years, but, for obvious reasons, we went without a musical production. And since I feel really strongly that God has given me an ability to work with lighting and sound and technical equipment and work behind the scenes, and since I've just recently been plunged fully into musical theatre again, my heart is aching to have a chance to participate in a big production this year, and not just be content with working lights and sound and video during weekly services. So the hardest thing for me to do lately is resist asking the team of volunteers who are currently struggling to keep the worship team going and planning out Sunday services and such to start planning for a larger scale production. 7 months is a long time to be running things that required a full time position when you are volunteering your outside time and working another full time job. My wish is that I could be as confident in our church having the ability and opportunity to get involved in large scale productions and attain an awesome, powerful worship experience every Sunday as I am confident that God will send the right person to step in as a senior pastor when our church is absolutely ready for that time!