Pastor jack stands in front of the congregation, hands in the air, praying aloud for all to hear. Jeff stands in front of me on the stage (behind Jack) "noodling"* lightly on his guitar. To my right are our two vocalists, to my left are our guitar player and bassit.** Everyone in the room is unnaturally still and quiet save for Pastor Jack, still praying, and Jeff, bent over his guitar plucking strings. I sit on the semi-uncomfotable stool of my drum set, sticks in hands and anticipation rising along with the volume of Jeff's noodling.
Mr. Delphin stands in front of the graduating class, parents, faculty, and administrators, babbling on about something or another. I sit below him in the grass, trying to catch Stephanie's eye as she looks up at Mr. Delphin. My drum sticks sit waiting on my snare. To my right are all my fellow percussionists, staring blankly up at the principal. To my left are my senior friends, sitting in thier graduation robes waiting.
As Jack wraps up his prayer, Jeff's noodling shifts ever so subtly into the opening riff of "God of Wonders." Our guitarist comes in with him, layering on the melody. I can hardly wait for the few measures of intro to get over so that I can start playing, but I know that it's necessary in order to make the song sound good. Finally, I come in with a kick drum/snare beat. As Jeff begins vocals.
Boom
Crack
Boom Boom
Crack
"...graduated class of 2007!" Everyone applauds as Mr. Delphin wraps up, and Mrs. Bum gives me wild-eyed looked that warns me to take my focus off Stephanie and onto the music in front of me. I grudgingly begin to play "Recessional" as the graduates smile, high-five, laugh, joke, and throw beach balls. Then, starting on the far right, they begin to file out of their seats. I can't help but smile now as I look on - they did it! They're done! They've got their lives to start living! Huzzah! I try my hardest not to rush the beat of the song, fighting back the urge to yell and cheer and clap along with all the parents and teachers. There they go! Stephanie and John and Diana and Melissa and Michelle and Doug and Amy and Rachel and Dallas and Nicole and everyone else. Everyone I hung out with this year. Everyone I walked with, joked around with, shared laughter and tears. But I couldn't go this time, I realized. I couldn't partake in this. I had to stay back, watch, wait. I had been racing along with them, barreling towards the stoplight. But drawing closer, it had flicked from green to yellow. they pushed on, but I went to the brakes. And as the light hit red, they shot off unhampered. I sit at the line, waiting for it to turn again.
"And I spent last night,
tearing down,
every stoplight,
and stop sign in this town,
so I think there might,
be no way to stop me now..."
-Relient K, "I So Hate Consequences."
I force myself to stop thinking about other songs, as that will surely skew my beat. After the opening lines, I throw out the first crash of the song, and revel in the amazing noise of the finely tuned metal. I add eighth notes on the closed hi-hat as we get into the real feel for the song. The congregation stands and tentatively begins to sing along with Jeff and the other vocalists. I don't much like the feeling I get at this point - I've moved passed the opening (where I'm most excited and anxious,) and have got the 'ball rolling' on the song, but it's still not what it should be quite yet.
The night after graduation was, of course, Grad Night. That night was one of the most remarkable of my summer. I know only one person who would be reading this blog who fully knows how much it means to me, and I want to say, once again, thank you. I reveled in the amazing memories if that night through the next week. I didn't like Boys' State at first, because I had moved past the beginning of the summer - past all the excitement of the end of school and the anxiety of becoming a Senior. Summer just wasn't... summer... quite yet.
But as the tune drives on, Jeff comes in once again on vocals. This time he sings the chorus... the most remembered words of the song... I switch to the ride cymbal and just cruise along with the tempo, throwing out an occasional crash and snare accent. I always love these little add-ons... they're what turn a run-of-the-mill drum beat into an excellent-sounding rhythm. I close my eyes and let the overwhelming feelings of the song flow over me. Thank you, God, for this.
I finally got 'warmed up' to Boys' State and I actually had a lot of fun the last few days. Upon returning, I had a some time to rest before I hopped on my motorcycle and cruised across Nevada with my dad and uncle. Endless, painted deserts*** surrounded us as we raced through the sweltering heat of the ET Highway, piling miles onto our bikes as if they were layers of wax. After the ride I barely had time to wash clothes before I went to Hume Lake... the most remembered part of my summer... I want never to forget that blissful week. Worshipping God beneath a night sky that was blue like jazz,*** yelling at the top of my lungs "THORLAK! THORLAK!" Running around the foggy morning waters of the lake, holding Stephanie's hand in mine as we meandered together around the camp, getting creeped out by stumbling on a submerged pipe, shouting the words to "Salvation is Here" along with hundreds of others who love Jesus with all their hearts, sitting around a campfire listening to Robbie and Johnny lay down some major theological debates, muttering "aha, you fool" as I walk past David, staying up late (not watching TV or playing video games, but reading my bible with Aaron, Kenny, and David,) dropping my sister's camera while trying to get a picture of Stephanie making a funny face, ridiculous rec games that somehow got me laughing and frustrated at the same time, dipping my feet into the hot sand at the volleyball courts while watching Aaron spike the ball at Robbie, standing in line for lunch, having Stephanie sneak up behind me and throw her arms around me (I always love these little things she does. They're what turn a run-of-the-mill day into a truly excellent memory), Steve's quirky, sometimes annoying, sometimes convicting messages every night, and so, so much more. Thank you, God, for that.
The congregation begins to dissipate as Jeff pauses from the lyrics to bid them farewell and God bless, and then returns his attention to us as we begin to rock out to the buildup phase of the song. I start on a closed hi-hat, slowly working my foot off the pedal so as to let it ring more and more. Soon it's attained almost the same sound as the crash, so I lay down a fill and then shift to riding my crash cymbal. I never used to like riding the crash - I thought it was kinda annoying, since it was so loud and rang so much. But I also used to be (and I still kinda am,) a very conservative drummer, meaning I stayed quiet and left all the fancy stuff to the other instruments. But now I can really see the beauty of crash riding. I see how it's like a step above the hi-hat. I understand how it's full, loud sound perfectly compliments the furious strumming of Jeff's hands and the impassioned singing of the others. It's beautiful.
After Hume, I had about a month of doing nothing but running cross country, working, and going to "The Crave." It was during this time that God really began revealing to me something that's amazing beyond words. I had never truly believed in love, you see. I had been more than a little turned-off to the idea of love through endless school drama and people saying, "I'm in love!" Over and over to different people (sometimes not even a month apart...) I mean sure, I cared for Mom and Sarah and Jake and Dad and my friends, but I was confused and sceptical about this whole "love" shimdig. But then God blessed me with Stephanie. Donald Miller**** once wrote that "love is like Heaven in that you care for someone else more than yourself." Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. Every one's always talking about putting others' needs before your own. But I had never felt a passion to do that kind of stuff. I'd do things for people that inconvenienced me, but looking back, it was more to gain favor or a better reputation. Stephanie is 100% different. I would find myself going out of my way to do stuff that would make her happy. I didn't care what others thought or what I wanted, because... I dunno... because she meant more to me that myself. Crazy, huh? It was like God was coaxing my eyes open, whispering "Look, son. Now do you understand?" And I did. I saw that God is love. I saw His great love for us echoed through my own love for Stephanie. I understood what heaven will look like. I saw how love compliments God's brilliant, careful work and His people's impassioned actions. It's beautiful.
As only a few people remain in the audience now, I decide to try a little craziness. Fueled by the raw emotion of the song, I begin throwing in frequent fills and taking risks I wouldn't normally take if in front of a large audience (see? Told you I'm still conservative...) It was ridiculous fun. I was smiling now, and I looked up at Jeff to see him wide-eyed and mouthing "you're speeding it up! Slow down!" My stomach turned over for a second. I hate when I screw up the tempo, since that's, like, drummer 101. I lock eyes with Jeff as he bobs his head to what the tempo should be. Slowly, I work my way back down to "the groove" of the song. I was kinda annoyed, because I hadn't sped it up that much. But Jeff had noticed it, and that's what makes him a good musician - he sends us in the ways we need to go for the betterment of the band's sound, even in we don't understand why he does it.
The mission trip. We stayed in Vallejo, California, in the First baptist Church of Vallejo. It was, without a doubt, pure craziness. From the get-go, God was working in amazing and frightening ways. Not only were we out in the slums of San Fransisco handing out food and talking with homeless people, but we fasted for a day, helped barbecue food, unloaded and sorted through supplies for the church, and cleaned up the place. By the end of that day, we were all mentally, emotionally, and spiritually beat. It was something else, lemme tell you. And it was also during this time that God began to send me in a way that I don't understand. I had never been really, truly mad at God before. I had been having the "feel good" experiences with him thus far. The "worshipping under a night sky that was blue like jazz" moments. Now I was having a hard time. I didn't understand - I still don't. I was, well, pissed. "Why? Why, God? Why do these things to me? Why take these people away from me? Why allow this sort of pain into my life? This pain that makes me long for the pain I had when I cleanly snapped both bones in my wrist?" But that's what makes Him a good Father - He sends us in ways for the betterment of His glory, even if we don't understand why He does it.
As we head into the home stretch of the song, I get a peculiar feeling in my stomach. It's that feeling of mixed joy and dread that I get when I finish an excellent novel, or the feeling that comes en mass on the last day of school. The feeling that tells me it's almost over, but man has it been amazing. We enter the last bars of the song and I throw out a spectacular fill***** to end it, landing my final blow on the crash cymbal. My eyes are almost full of tears as memories of this summer blaze by me. I sit still and silent as Jeff smiles and thanks everyone for playing and as my mind races at mach 60. In less than 24 hours, I'll be back in school. I'll be a senior in the graduating class of 2008. I'll have a year's worth of awesome ahead of me, but man has this summer been amazing.
Thanks for reading,
Daniel K
*"Noodling" is where the guitarist plays melodic notes to give a background-type-feel to the ambiance.
**Sorry, I'm terrible with names, and I don't remember our vocalist's, guitarist's, or bassist's.
***I wish I could take credit for these awesome terms, but they in fact belong to Donald Miller, the amazing author of "Blue Like Jazz," "Through Painted Deserts," "Searching For God Knows What," and "To Own a Dragon." Check him out sometime, because he's worth it.
****Same guy as mentioned above. He's the bomb.
*****I hope I don't sound conceited (not conceded) here... I just mean that it was the finale part.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Thoughts and Dreams
So I keep having this dream. And it's not you're typical night time, can't remember it, not important dream, either. It's one of those vivid, focused dreams that you remember when your awake. It's one of those that carry on into daydreams while your spacing off at work or while driving. Here's how it goes:
I wake up because I hear a door slamming. I sit up and glance at my alarm clock - 10:00am. I roll out of bed and almost trip over a pile of discarded clothes. I go and immediately use mouthwash to get that nasty "I ate Oreos before bed and forgot to brush and now they've grown mold on my back teeth" taste out of my mouth. I go over to my window and pull up the blinds. Muted, overcast sunlight meets my eyes as I look out over the campus. (Here's where the dream aspect kicks in, because everytime it's different...) Sometimes I see tall, stately oak trees lining the roadway up to my dorm. Sometimes it's the ocean lazily sliding wave after wave at the shoreline beneath me. Or maybe towering mountains covered in crisp snow, or a sprawling cityscape full of every shape and color imaginable, or rocky hills sprouting scrub brush and cactus.
I turn as the door opens again, and my roommate strolls over to snatch up his laptop which he apparently forgot. I smile and give a nod in greeting, which he returns before pulling an about-face and booking it for the door. Probably late for his study group or something.
"Tonight, 9:00 sharp!" I call after him as he whisks down the hall, not bothering to shut the door in his hurry. He calls an affirmative over his shoulder and dissapears into the elavator. I can't wait for that night for some reason - maybe we're planning a prank, or a run, or a visit to somewhere off campus, or what have you... either way, it'll be great.
I grab clothes from an open drawer and head for the shower - I have a class of some sort this morning, too. My mind wanders as I make my way through the halls of my dorm... my permanent hotel... my house. The passages and rooms are full of colorful characters from all walks of life. Brimming with a plethora of music, languages, hairstyles, interests, fashions, and expectations. I nod and smile at most, high-five some, avoid the gaze of others.
After cleaning up, I stroll back to my room and finish getting ready for the day. My iPod is a must, the headphones wrapped tightly around it. Next comes my wallet, boasting my snazzy campus ID and dorm-access card. I probably don't have a cellphone, because I don't feel like paying the bills. My keyring, now missing my Nevada house key and car keys, can stay on my bedside table because I won't be using my bike lock or motorcycle today.
I make my way downstairs (I'm not a fan of elevators,) unwinding and inserting my headphones as I go out to the front of the building. I make a detour past my motorcycle out of habit, though I know that campus security patrols the parking lots at night. Finally, books slung over my shoulder and "Made to Worship" being piped into my ears from my iPod, I head off into the unknown campus to attend some unknown class with an unknown professor at an unknown time, in an unknown city and in an unknown state.
It seems like everytime my mind drifts, it plays these few minutes of thought over and over and over. I can't wait, as most of you know. I don't want to sound like a jerk or a whining kid or anything, but I really can't wait to get out of Dayton. Don't get me wrong - it's been great. I love the freezing winters up at Mt. Rose and the scolding summers here in the valley. I love hanging out with all of my friends, learning and growing together through adventure after adventure. I love going to basketball or football games. I love (although I'll admit I'm not always great at showing it,) the teachers, the parents and my fellow students at DHS. I love marching in the band, making dumb math jokes, doing pranks, ghost hunting, watching Wayne's World in Miller's room, going to see movies at the crappy Carson Theater, sneaking texts in class, goofing around during lunch, singing "Build Me Up Buttercup," camping at the Dayton State Park, climbing old gross water towers, messing with cones during road construction, breaking curfew, worshipping at Crave, sweating my eyes out during sports practices, nailing all those fills during "Pretty Fly For a White Guy," and so much more.
But I just can't wait to move on out of Dayton and start my new life.
We recieved these little calendars at the Freshman orientation yesterday which are totally up my alley - they're about 5" x 5", and show the dates of every school day this year, as well as all of the days off for breaks and holidays. (Sweet!) So looking at it the other day, I came to a logical realization... I only have 25 square inches left of high school! As weird as that sounds, I'm so psyched!
Alas, (I don't get to use that word often enough,) I need to think here. I know God wants me to have hope and feel joy and love these things, but I need to be careful. I was talking with Robbie the other day, and I told him how weirded out I am. "I've dedicated myself to God's will," I explained, "but I'm not too keen on God's timing. I keep telling God, 'no, seriously... if you tell me where you want me to go to college now, I can get in my application early and start e-mailing people and all this sweet stuff!'" And Robbie said something awesome. He smiled and told me, "Yeah, but I bet God's up there going, 'no, you don't get it, because if I tell you this or that now, then you'll take your focus off this thing or that person, and that's not what I want.'"
So processing that, I've decided that I don't want to miss out on the opportunities before me. I can't take my focus off the people or places around me this school year. I can't blow off everyone in Dayton for hopes of the people in Colorado or Oregon or California or anywhere else.
Some songs came to mind while thinking about this...
I wake up because I hear a door slamming. I sit up and glance at my alarm clock - 10:00am. I roll out of bed and almost trip over a pile of discarded clothes. I go and immediately use mouthwash to get that nasty "I ate Oreos before bed and forgot to brush and now they've grown mold on my back teeth" taste out of my mouth. I go over to my window and pull up the blinds. Muted, overcast sunlight meets my eyes as I look out over the campus. (Here's where the dream aspect kicks in, because everytime it's different...) Sometimes I see tall, stately oak trees lining the roadway up to my dorm. Sometimes it's the ocean lazily sliding wave after wave at the shoreline beneath me. Or maybe towering mountains covered in crisp snow, or a sprawling cityscape full of every shape and color imaginable, or rocky hills sprouting scrub brush and cactus.
I turn as the door opens again, and my roommate strolls over to snatch up his laptop which he apparently forgot. I smile and give a nod in greeting, which he returns before pulling an about-face and booking it for the door. Probably late for his study group or something.
"Tonight, 9:00 sharp!" I call after him as he whisks down the hall, not bothering to shut the door in his hurry. He calls an affirmative over his shoulder and dissapears into the elavator. I can't wait for that night for some reason - maybe we're planning a prank, or a run, or a visit to somewhere off campus, or what have you... either way, it'll be great.
I grab clothes from an open drawer and head for the shower - I have a class of some sort this morning, too. My mind wanders as I make my way through the halls of my dorm... my permanent hotel... my house. The passages and rooms are full of colorful characters from all walks of life. Brimming with a plethora of music, languages, hairstyles, interests, fashions, and expectations. I nod and smile at most, high-five some, avoid the gaze of others.
After cleaning up, I stroll back to my room and finish getting ready for the day. My iPod is a must, the headphones wrapped tightly around it. Next comes my wallet, boasting my snazzy campus ID and dorm-access card. I probably don't have a cellphone, because I don't feel like paying the bills. My keyring, now missing my Nevada house key and car keys, can stay on my bedside table because I won't be using my bike lock or motorcycle today.
I make my way downstairs (I'm not a fan of elevators,) unwinding and inserting my headphones as I go out to the front of the building. I make a detour past my motorcycle out of habit, though I know that campus security patrols the parking lots at night. Finally, books slung over my shoulder and "Made to Worship" being piped into my ears from my iPod, I head off into the unknown campus to attend some unknown class with an unknown professor at an unknown time, in an unknown city and in an unknown state.
It seems like everytime my mind drifts, it plays these few minutes of thought over and over and over. I can't wait, as most of you know. I don't want to sound like a jerk or a whining kid or anything, but I really can't wait to get out of Dayton. Don't get me wrong - it's been great. I love the freezing winters up at Mt. Rose and the scolding summers here in the valley. I love hanging out with all of my friends, learning and growing together through adventure after adventure. I love going to basketball or football games. I love (although I'll admit I'm not always great at showing it,) the teachers, the parents and my fellow students at DHS. I love marching in the band, making dumb math jokes, doing pranks, ghost hunting, watching Wayne's World in Miller's room, going to see movies at the crappy Carson Theater, sneaking texts in class, goofing around during lunch, singing "Build Me Up Buttercup," camping at the Dayton State Park, climbing old gross water towers, messing with cones during road construction, breaking curfew, worshipping at Crave, sweating my eyes out during sports practices, nailing all those fills during "Pretty Fly For a White Guy," and so much more.
But I just can't wait to move on out of Dayton and start my new life.
We recieved these little calendars at the Freshman orientation yesterday which are totally up my alley - they're about 5" x 5", and show the dates of every school day this year, as well as all of the days off for breaks and holidays. (Sweet!) So looking at it the other day, I came to a logical realization... I only have 25 square inches left of high school! As weird as that sounds, I'm so psyched!
Alas, (I don't get to use that word often enough,) I need to think here. I know God wants me to have hope and feel joy and love these things, but I need to be careful. I was talking with Robbie the other day, and I told him how weirded out I am. "I've dedicated myself to God's will," I explained, "but I'm not too keen on God's timing. I keep telling God, 'no, seriously... if you tell me where you want me to go to college now, I can get in my application early and start e-mailing people and all this sweet stuff!'" And Robbie said something awesome. He smiled and told me, "Yeah, but I bet God's up there going, 'no, you don't get it, because if I tell you this or that now, then you'll take your focus off this thing or that person, and that's not what I want.'"
So processing that, I've decided that I don't want to miss out on the opportunities before me. I can't take my focus off the people or places around me this school year. I can't blow off everyone in Dayton for hopes of the people in Colorado or Oregon or California or anywhere else.
Some songs came to mind while thinking about this...
"Shine your light
and let the whole world see,
we're singing
for the glory of the Risen King."
-Mighty To Save
"Lift my hand and spin around,
see this light that I ave found
Oh the marvelous light, marvelous light,
it's Christ in me"
-Marvelous light
This year, I want to be that beacon of Jesus' light to those around me. I want to give hope, comfort, joy, conviction, whatever. I want to use my music, my writing, my speaking, my actions, and so much more to reflect Jesus. I've had the most incredible 6 months in my life, and it's all because of Him... It would be amazingly selfish of me to keep that inside.
Please, please, please, hold me to this. I know I'll stumble and fall flat on my face. I know I'll screw it up and say something wrong. I know I'll pull a Daniel and do stupid stuff in front of the wrong people. I know I'll be discouraged, disheartened, shot down, told off, and what have you. I know this because it's who I am - who we are. But I know that the most beautiful thing of all is this: when I trip and eat it into the dirt, God will be there to pick me up and dust me off. He'll be there when no one else is. He'll be there to wipe every tear from my eyes.
Praise God!
And then after this year - college! :)
Sunday, August 19, 2007
My Downs, God's Ups
Well, that just about describes how it works, huh? I get all down because of my family situation or my money or my... whtever. Then God swoops in and takes me to new heights. Awesome.
I just got back from the CVC Dayton service, and Pastor Jack told a story that went something like this:
"There was this pastor at a church and he had arranged to package up crates full of supplies to send to a missionary in Africa. So he and his congregation met one morning and spent the whole day nailing crates together, packing them, sealing them up, and sending them away. After a long day, they finally sealed up the very last crate and sent it off. Everyone left, and the pastor locked up the church before heading out to his car. When he strated it up and began to back out, he made a startling discovery - he could hardly see because wasn't wearing his glasses. So he went back into the church and searched forever for them, but couldn't find them. And it was then that he remembered - he had taken them off and rested them on a crate earlier that day. So the glasses must have been sealed up in a crate and sent off to Africa! Well, the pastor wasn't very wealthy, and because he needed such a strong perscription, the glasses were very expensive. So he went back out to his car and began to question God. He yelled and screamed, asking God, 'Why? Why would you take them from me when I need them and they cost so much and I barely have enough money as it is to keep food on the table for my family?' About two weeks later, the missionary from Afric showed up at the church to talk about his experiences. At the end of his story, he thanked the church for thier generous donations. He said, 'I would especially like to thank you all for the very personal gift. You see, a few weeks ago, bandits and vandals came into our village and tore apart everything. They looted even the inside of the church, and during the process, they smashed my glasses to smitherenes. Without them , I am practically blind. But when your crates arrived, the very first one we opened up had a pair of glasses in them, resting on top of a blanket. I put them on, and they were the exact persciption I needed. I wanted to thank you so much for the glasses.' The pastor of the church was standing in the back of the congregation with tears running down his face, because he now saw that depite how things look, God is always in control and His plan is more genius and amazing than any we could come up with."
Luke Everett calls them "Godincidences." A good friend* and I still call them "coincidences," but with this kinda emphasis on the word which denotes our disbelief. I've had a tough week... well, a tough couple of weeks... dealing with this stuff God's doing in my life. But who am I to get mad or frustrated at God's plan? Not only did God have a hand in that story, but He also shaped it into my life by giving me hope when I so deperately needed it. I was sitting in the cold, hard, foldable chairs in the Sutro gymnasium when I felt God smiling down at me. It's that indescribeable joy and peace that He graces us with from time to time... the kind I experienced for the first time one night on March 23rd in the Capitol Grounds at Carson City.
I just wanted to say sorry. Sorry, God, for getting so bent out of shape at these things you do that are, eventually, for the better - for Your glory. I'm begging your forgiveness.
I also played today at the service**, which was awesome. We did "Beautiful One," "Only You," "King of Glory," and "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises." I love that God's gifted me with the skills to worship Him so freely and with such intensity. Playing through the songs, I can finally (if even for a little while,) just let go of my "baggage." I can stop caring about what time I have to be at work, or how much gas is in my tank. I can forget about how tired or hungry or thirsty I am. I can just let the rhythms roll off my sticks, let my spirit dance, and let my mind focus completely on God. It's spectacular.
Well, I've got to be going now. No telling when I'll be able to do my next blog entry, since we're taking the computer from here (the old house,) to there (the new house,) tomorrow, and we don't have internet there yet. Hopefully I'll get back online before school starts, though, because I want to unpack some of the crazy stuff God's done in me or through me this summer.
Thanks to everyone who's still reading my blog!
Later,
Daniel K
*Sorry, I meant to put "The best friend God could ever give me."
**And it should be noted that I tried my very hardest not to look nervous, even when I bobbled the beat or stumbled over a fill on occasion. :)
I just got back from the CVC Dayton service, and Pastor Jack told a story that went something like this:
"There was this pastor at a church and he had arranged to package up crates full of supplies to send to a missionary in Africa. So he and his congregation met one morning and spent the whole day nailing crates together, packing them, sealing them up, and sending them away. After a long day, they finally sealed up the very last crate and sent it off. Everyone left, and the pastor locked up the church before heading out to his car. When he strated it up and began to back out, he made a startling discovery - he could hardly see because wasn't wearing his glasses. So he went back into the church and searched forever for them, but couldn't find them. And it was then that he remembered - he had taken them off and rested them on a crate earlier that day. So the glasses must have been sealed up in a crate and sent off to Africa! Well, the pastor wasn't very wealthy, and because he needed such a strong perscription, the glasses were very expensive. So he went back out to his car and began to question God. He yelled and screamed, asking God, 'Why? Why would you take them from me when I need them and they cost so much and I barely have enough money as it is to keep food on the table for my family?' About two weeks later, the missionary from Afric showed up at the church to talk about his experiences. At the end of his story, he thanked the church for thier generous donations. He said, 'I would especially like to thank you all for the very personal gift. You see, a few weeks ago, bandits and vandals came into our village and tore apart everything. They looted even the inside of the church, and during the process, they smashed my glasses to smitherenes. Without them , I am practically blind. But when your crates arrived, the very first one we opened up had a pair of glasses in them, resting on top of a blanket. I put them on, and they were the exact persciption I needed. I wanted to thank you so much for the glasses.' The pastor of the church was standing in the back of the congregation with tears running down his face, because he now saw that depite how things look, God is always in control and His plan is more genius and amazing than any we could come up with."
Luke Everett calls them "Godincidences." A good friend* and I still call them "coincidences," but with this kinda emphasis on the word which denotes our disbelief. I've had a tough week... well, a tough couple of weeks... dealing with this stuff God's doing in my life. But who am I to get mad or frustrated at God's plan? Not only did God have a hand in that story, but He also shaped it into my life by giving me hope when I so deperately needed it. I was sitting in the cold, hard, foldable chairs in the Sutro gymnasium when I felt God smiling down at me. It's that indescribeable joy and peace that He graces us with from time to time... the kind I experienced for the first time one night on March 23rd in the Capitol Grounds at Carson City.
I just wanted to say sorry. Sorry, God, for getting so bent out of shape at these things you do that are, eventually, for the better - for Your glory. I'm begging your forgiveness.
I also played today at the service**, which was awesome. We did "Beautiful One," "Only You," "King of Glory," and "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises." I love that God's gifted me with the skills to worship Him so freely and with such intensity. Playing through the songs, I can finally (if even for a little while,) just let go of my "baggage." I can stop caring about what time I have to be at work, or how much gas is in my tank. I can forget about how tired or hungry or thirsty I am. I can just let the rhythms roll off my sticks, let my spirit dance, and let my mind focus completely on God. It's spectacular.
Well, I've got to be going now. No telling when I'll be able to do my next blog entry, since we're taking the computer from here (the old house,) to there (the new house,) tomorrow, and we don't have internet there yet. Hopefully I'll get back online before school starts, though, because I want to unpack some of the crazy stuff God's done in me or through me this summer.
Thanks to everyone who's still reading my blog!
Later,
Daniel K
*Sorry, I meant to put "The best friend God could ever give me."
**And it should be noted that I tried my very hardest not to look nervous, even when I bobbled the beat or stumbled over a fill on occasion. :)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Round two.
Sweet, I'm back in blogging action!
Well, yesterday after my last entry I did indeed head into Carson to pick up "Five Score and Seven Years Ago." John and Hans accompanied me, and then we spent some time goofing off around Wal Mart before heading home. "Five Score" is an awesome CD, and I highly reccomend it. So for my favorite song is "Must Have Done Something Right."
After that I had a long-awaited phone conversation with Stephanie*, then I went back to the old house (AKA The one with this computer still in it,) and AIM'ed until my family got home from Six Flags.
What an ordeal that was... Turns out my mom told me last week that we were doing a lot of the heavy-duty moving "this weekend." She didn't specify which day/time/anything, so I went about scheduling as normal... As it stands, I don't have any time before 9:30pm on Saturday, which is the day we're hauling all the furniture and stuff over. So when mom found out, she more or less got super pissed at me. Whatever.
Sometimes I just don't understand why God puts all of this junk into my life. Why three of my best friends in the world are moving/have moved away, why Mom and Dad split up, why we're moving again. I think that's a problem a lot of people struggle with. After another conversation with Stephanie, I sat down in my room and thought through my week at Hume this Summer. I remember one day in particular, where Steve talked about how we should not worship God purely because of situational things (like families or cars or jobs or anything material,) but rather we should worship Him because He is our Savior, our King, and our Lord.
Tell you the truth, that was kinda eye-opening. I was frustrated because things weren't going my way? What? How childish is that? I felt ridiculous. I looked through my Bible, reading about all these disciples or prophets who suffered immensly more than I have, and yet were still dancing because of God's great mercy. Ouch. So I prayed to God, worshipping Him because He is everlasting, neverending, all-knowing and all-powerful. I concentrated on worshipping Him because of who He is, rather on what He's given me. And it felt... right. It was strange, because thanking Him for giving me things doesn't feel wrong, but thanking Him for being who He is feels right. Maybe that just reaffirms that fact that it's awesome to thank God for giving me stuff like amazing friends or an iPod or a motorcycle, but that shouldn't be the end of my worship, or even the majority of my worship.
I went to bed late last night (as is the norm now,) and woke up early today (again, the unfortunate norm for me...) At cross country practice, we ran the water tower run, which is about 3.1 miles, which is about the length of a varsity course. Everyone did really well, with all the girls well under 30 minutes and all the guys a lot better than this time last year (I was four minutes faster! Woo-hoo!) So we stretched and then headed our different ways.
Except Hans and I... we headed the same way. You see, my aunt and uncle visited us last week, and they left their quads up here while they returned to Vegas. So after asking permission, I decided that a good 'Ol quad ride would be super-fun! (Unfortunately, I only had two helmets so I couldn't invite a third person to come with us...) We went through the valley and over into Moundhouse, where we met up with John. So the three of us spent today roarin' around the mountains behind Moudhouse. It was awesome, and we even found this sweet spot to go camping someday. It's up in these trees on your way up Radar Mountain** and it's full of tree-stands and campfire pits and such... I can't wait!
Now I'm home, waiting for Mom and Sarah to show up so we can get to packing and moving. So I'll say goodbye for now, and thanks if you're reading this!
Later,
Daniel K
*It should be noted that Stephanie is not a jerk in any way, shape, or form for suggesting that I start this blog. In fact, she's awesome. If you haven't high-fived her yet, do it now.
**This isn't the actual name of the mountain, I just felt like calling it that since it's got a bunch-load of radars and antennas and junk on top of it.
Well, yesterday after my last entry I did indeed head into Carson to pick up "Five Score and Seven Years Ago." John and Hans accompanied me, and then we spent some time goofing off around Wal Mart before heading home. "Five Score" is an awesome CD, and I highly reccomend it. So for my favorite song is "Must Have Done Something Right."
After that I had a long-awaited phone conversation with Stephanie*, then I went back to the old house (AKA The one with this computer still in it,) and AIM'ed until my family got home from Six Flags.
What an ordeal that was... Turns out my mom told me last week that we were doing a lot of the heavy-duty moving "this weekend." She didn't specify which day/time/anything, so I went about scheduling as normal... As it stands, I don't have any time before 9:30pm on Saturday, which is the day we're hauling all the furniture and stuff over. So when mom found out, she more or less got super pissed at me. Whatever.
Sometimes I just don't understand why God puts all of this junk into my life. Why three of my best friends in the world are moving/have moved away, why Mom and Dad split up, why we're moving again. I think that's a problem a lot of people struggle with. After another conversation with Stephanie, I sat down in my room and thought through my week at Hume this Summer. I remember one day in particular, where Steve talked about how we should not worship God purely because of situational things (like families or cars or jobs or anything material,) but rather we should worship Him because He is our Savior, our King, and our Lord.
Tell you the truth, that was kinda eye-opening. I was frustrated because things weren't going my way? What? How childish is that? I felt ridiculous. I looked through my Bible, reading about all these disciples or prophets who suffered immensly more than I have, and yet were still dancing because of God's great mercy. Ouch. So I prayed to God, worshipping Him because He is everlasting, neverending, all-knowing and all-powerful. I concentrated on worshipping Him because of who He is, rather on what He's given me. And it felt... right. It was strange, because thanking Him for giving me things doesn't feel wrong, but thanking Him for being who He is feels right. Maybe that just reaffirms that fact that it's awesome to thank God for giving me stuff like amazing friends or an iPod or a motorcycle, but that shouldn't be the end of my worship, or even the majority of my worship.
I went to bed late last night (as is the norm now,) and woke up early today (again, the unfortunate norm for me...) At cross country practice, we ran the water tower run, which is about 3.1 miles, which is about the length of a varsity course. Everyone did really well, with all the girls well under 30 minutes and all the guys a lot better than this time last year (I was four minutes faster! Woo-hoo!) So we stretched and then headed our different ways.
Except Hans and I... we headed the same way. You see, my aunt and uncle visited us last week, and they left their quads up here while they returned to Vegas. So after asking permission, I decided that a good 'Ol quad ride would be super-fun! (Unfortunately, I only had two helmets so I couldn't invite a third person to come with us...) We went through the valley and over into Moundhouse, where we met up with John. So the three of us spent today roarin' around the mountains behind Moudhouse. It was awesome, and we even found this sweet spot to go camping someday. It's up in these trees on your way up Radar Mountain** and it's full of tree-stands and campfire pits and such... I can't wait!
Now I'm home, waiting for Mom and Sarah to show up so we can get to packing and moving. So I'll say goodbye for now, and thanks if you're reading this!
Later,
Daniel K
*It should be noted that Stephanie is not a jerk in any way, shape, or form for suggesting that I start this blog. In fact, she's awesome. If you haven't high-fived her yet, do it now.
**This isn't the actual name of the mountain, I just felt like calling it that since it's got a bunch-load of radars and antennas and junk on top of it.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Wait, wait! Let me explain!
She made me do it! She forced me to, with her newly-acquired college attributes and whatnot! It wasn't me, I swear! She made, she made me, she made me!!! (Though I can't say I'm not a tad bit excited she did.) Yes, most of you can probably guess who I'm talking about right now. She started her blog and then threatened me with many chokeholds, prison shanks and phone conversations* that she wouldn't continue hers unless I started mine. She's tricksy that way :)
So here I am, trying to think about what to write... Okay, enough thinking.
Today I ran cross country and then drove as fast as my mobile would go back to my house for a quick shower before heading into Reno. (My bad if anyone, I dunno, was trying to, like, talk to me on the phone or anything as I went up Six Mile, because it didn't work quite as I planned...)
In Reno, I visted Prestige Portraits and got my senior pictures taken. What!? Senior pictures!? Dude, five and a half weeks ago I was getting my freshman band pictures taken!** Wow, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that we've got one more year left at Dayton High... and harder not be elated by this realization. Oh, and as it happens, photo shoots are ridiculously awkward. I was in this darkened room with a spotlight on me as I contorted my body into crazy shapes while trying to shift from smiling to seriousness on a regular basis. Apparently not one of my fortes. But the craziest thing about it all was that afterwards when I viewed the pictures, I looked like I was in totally natural, casual poses. Weird.
Anyway, Next I decided to kill some time and visit Freedom Riders of Reno, AKA the Triumph dealership. Turns out I'm looking into buying a new motorcycle helmet. Mine's kinda old and gross, plus I'm looking for one that I can hook up my delicious iPod to and then rock out to Relient K or Chris Tomlin as I'm flying low through Washoe Valley. The helmets themselves run from $250 to $350, and then the speaker system is about another $100 to $150, so I've got some saving up to do, I guess. But it'll be pretty sweet when (if) I get it!
Then I met my good friend Robbie at Red's 395 Grill and we talked over lunch for about and hour and a half about God, humans, and everything in between... (ie a lot.)
Well, there it is - my incredibly interesting day*** as of about an hour ago. I think next I'm going into Carson again to pick up Relient K's CD, "Five Score and Seven Years Ago." (I'm sure Stephanie'll be thrilled,) then introducing myself to my new neighbors and getting to bed early for the first time in about a week.
Farewell for now!
Later,
Daniel K
*She actually only used on of these methods... You guess which.
**It wasn't actually five and a half weeks ago. I may have told a falsehood.
***I realize that it was neither incredible nor interesting.
So here I am, trying to think about what to write... Okay, enough thinking.
Today I ran cross country and then drove as fast as my mobile would go back to my house for a quick shower before heading into Reno. (My bad if anyone, I dunno, was trying to, like, talk to me on the phone or anything as I went up Six Mile, because it didn't work quite as I planned...)
In Reno, I visted Prestige Portraits and got my senior pictures taken. What!? Senior pictures!? Dude, five and a half weeks ago I was getting my freshman band pictures taken!** Wow, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that we've got one more year left at Dayton High... and harder not be elated by this realization. Oh, and as it happens, photo shoots are ridiculously awkward. I was in this darkened room with a spotlight on me as I contorted my body into crazy shapes while trying to shift from smiling to seriousness on a regular basis. Apparently not one of my fortes. But the craziest thing about it all was that afterwards when I viewed the pictures, I looked like I was in totally natural, casual poses. Weird.
Anyway, Next I decided to kill some time and visit Freedom Riders of Reno, AKA the Triumph dealership. Turns out I'm looking into buying a new motorcycle helmet. Mine's kinda old and gross, plus I'm looking for one that I can hook up my delicious iPod to and then rock out to Relient K or Chris Tomlin as I'm flying low through Washoe Valley. The helmets themselves run from $250 to $350, and then the speaker system is about another $100 to $150, so I've got some saving up to do, I guess. But it'll be pretty sweet when (if) I get it!
Then I met my good friend Robbie at Red's 395 Grill and we talked over lunch for about and hour and a half about God, humans, and everything in between... (ie a lot.)
Well, there it is - my incredibly interesting day*** as of about an hour ago. I think next I'm going into Carson again to pick up Relient K's CD, "Five Score and Seven Years Ago." (I'm sure Stephanie'll be thrilled,) then introducing myself to my new neighbors and getting to bed early for the first time in about a week.
Farewell for now!
Later,
Daniel K
*She actually only used on of these methods... You guess which.
**It wasn't actually five and a half weeks ago. I may have told a falsehood.
***I realize that it was neither incredible nor interesting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)