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!*
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
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!
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!
Monday, July 16, 2007
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.
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!
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!
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