Open Letter to the New York Boy

Dear New York Boy,
I've been to New York City three times, and the third one was by far the best. I've told a lot of people that, listing reasons like the snow, Carnegie Hall, the Phantom of the Opera, and the four story yacht, but what really made this last trip more exciting than the others was you. I risk sounding sappy on that, so I should add that those other things were incredible; you were just what pushed it over the edge.

TriCities Homeschool Band Hosts Fundraiser to Replace $12,000 Worth of Stolen Equipment

Kathy Lamb conducting Concert and Symphonic Band.

The TriCities Homeschool Band will be holding their first ever fundraiser, a $5 spaghetti dinner, this Friday, March 27th at 6:00 pm to raise funds to help replace the $12,000 worth of equipment stolen from them earlier this year. The dinner will be held at Cross Roads Christian Church in Gray and will come with a concert by their two more experienced bands.

The Juilliard School: Childhood Dreams Bashed and Stuff

Juilliard hats pictured from an angle that makes them look like Harvard hats instead.

Juilliard. I can see the name written in gold or silver or some precious metal. The most prestigious music school in the country. The school where 100% of students are guaranteed happiness and success. Or at least that's what I thought growing up.

Inconveniences and Flat Tires

Very flat tires.

Inconveniences are annoying. They keep you from getting done whatever it is you want to be doing right now. They put you on hold, make you stop and take a breather or refocus on something that you should have been doing the entire time. Inconveniences are bothersome, incongruous things that put kinks in your plans and tell you that maybe your plan isn't the absolute best one ever. Maybe, definitely, God's got a different one.

You know what's inconvenient? Popping a tire. Or maybe two. Not that that's a thing that happens every day. Oh wait, it does. Like today. To me.

Little Big Man: Danny Strong

Things you never knew about Gilmore Girls's Doyle/Buffy's Jonathan.

At 5'2", Danny Strong could definitely be considered small. He's known for playing smaller roles, like Doyle McMaster from Gilmore Girls and Jonathan Levinson from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And if he's got any kind of fan base at all, it's so small even Google can't locate it. But Danny Strong is a lot bigger than you'd think.

On Being Self-Conscious

Fear, fear, fear. Why so much fear?

I'm a high schooler at a reformed church and part of what I'd call a barely breathing youth group. We know all the answers, but we're not "on fire" for the Gospel. In Revelation 3:14-17, Christ calls out a church for being lukewarm. He calls us to be bold and passionate for Him.

So why don't we even have the courage to sing on Wednesday nights? You're in a circle of fellow believers. Sure, it might be small, but that's no excuse not to lift our voices to worship the One we call Our Lord.

Lord. Ruler. Master. You know, the One we pledge our allegiance to, above even our allegiance to the United States of America? That's kind of a big thing to say, don't you think? Yet we have trouble trusting Him in the face of our own self-consciousness.