Ok ok so the sermon today was a continuation in the series of sermons about evangelism. Sadly, the word often carries with it the connotations of annoying, rude, belligerent overzealous Christian on the street forcing pamphlets on you that you will promptly throw in the bin. It really shouldn't be like that, however, because how on earth is that showing anyone the love of God?
"Evangelism is not salesmanship. It is not urging people, pressing them, coercing them, overwhelming them or subduing them. Evangelism is telling a message. Evangelism is reporting the good news" (Richard C. Halverson)
So, reporting back from Pastor Daryl: there are three tools, or 'weapons' that we can use in evangelism.
1. Prayer
Jesus always went away by himself to a lonely place to pray before going into the public eye. If he needed to talk with God before evangelising, how much more do we?
Prayer is the only thing we can do to invoke God. “God does nothing except in answer to prayer.” (Wesley) I don't know if that's going too far, but it does hammer the point home. Also, I can't remember who, but someone said that God does His greatest works through prayer. If you think you can't do anything to help someone, you're wrong. So get praying!
Prayer is our shield against the attempts of Satan to poke and prod us away from God. Through prayer we can turn any of Satan's weapons against him - if he uses fear, then we can pray to God in that time of fear. If he uses anger, we can yell out to God to help us. If he uses jealousy, monetary concerns, illness, grief - we can pray. And by using these wounds as a springboard for more urgent, genuine prayer, we can really piss Satan off.
It's not us, but God who will bring whoever you're evangelising to, to Himself. We can't do it. So pray for them, even (or especially!) if they're really negative towards Christianity.
2. Gospel
This is the grounds on which we base our faith. The gospel is our evidence, and a bloody good bit of work it is too. It's far more historically solid than most of the definitive 'historical' texts, but so many people don't know that. So do your research, read up, and with a really solid knowledge base, you don't have to flounder when people ask you questions. (Just me or does this sound like an ad?? o_____o;; )
3. Your story
People like stories. Advertising knows this. All I have to say is, 'charter boat'.
You can tell people as much as you like about the gospel, the bible, etc etc, but if nothing's changed in your life, or you don't talk about how God's ridiculous grace and mercy and love have affected you, then your argument is pretty poor. Your story is one of the most compelling tools, so get to know it, and be able to explain very precisely how God has worked in your life. Write it down. Take an hour and 750 words and start from the beginning (a very good place to start). Then have a concise (not concise in the way that the Concise Oxford Dictionary is concise, though. Really properly - maybe 50 - 100 words if that, or do that 25 words or less thing) version, in case someone asks you and there's no time to go through the whole thing.
Pastor Daryl had a story in which another pastor was just leaving this boat party his family had been invited to, and he had one foot on the ladder of the party boat, one foot in the dinghy he was going back to his houseboat his family was holidaying on, and these people poked their heads over the side and said, 'Oi, why Christianity, why not any other religion? Aren't they pretty much the same?'. He had one sentence: 'The difference between do, and done'.
In any other religion, it's what you have to -do- to earn forgiveness, heaven, eternity, nirvana, enlightenment, whatever the goal is. But with Christianity, our sins are already paid for, in the most shockingly, seemingly irrationally generous way possible.
Ok I'll continue this next time!!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Neglect
Alright so I've lapsed into my usual state of nothing happening in blog for a million years, then random whiney post, then nothing again. Sorry :( Here we go again...
I'm totally numb. I have no idea why, but I can't seem to feel anything about anything. I don't know whether it's just a low point generally or maybe I've thrown up all the walls subconsciously to try to protect myself from a breakdown, or maybe I'm cocooning, which is what Mum says I do when I've got a big performance up ahead. All I have, though, is a competition tomorrow night that I have no chance of winning anyway. It would take a hell of a lot of pain for me to decide I'd rather be numb than feel, so I don't know what's happening and it's worrying me a lot, in a sort of fuzzy, noncomittal way.
I don't know what I'm doing - or what it is I'm doing whatever it is I am doing things for. I've become supremely selfish, spending my whole day practising, and for what?? So that I can become better at viola. I get up, practise, go to rehearsal, laze around on facebook, have half-arsed conversations that I don't want to face anything big in, practise, eat the dinner my parents have prepared and that I'm 'too busy' to help with, then practise, then go to sleep and wonder why I'm feeling crap. I've become a really lame friend as well: I don't even know if I want to help my friends because I genuinely want to make their lives better or even just see them smile, or because I want to do it because it'll make me feel like I'm being a good friend. This post is selfish because come on, how am I helping anyone with this?? Sure I'm reading the bible and writing in my prayer journal, but is it because I want to or because I think I should? I don't know why I'm doing things. I want to show that Jesus is in my life but I'm doing a pretty shoddy job of it. And it's not like this post is going to help anyone but me, because it's really just an outlet for me to yell about how lame I am. I see people everywhere around me rejoicing in the work that they're doing for God, and in how they're spurring each other on and bringing people to Jesus, and making a difference in each other's lives, and FINALLY I can feel something, but I think it's just self-pity because, 'oh, I'm a crap person, boo-hoo'. I think to myself, I want to help!! But then either never get around to it because I'm busy bloody practising, or because I think they've gotten better when in fact it's just me not seeing the signs.
But of course, in these things, there are always things to be thankful for - just 10 minutes ago, God showed me a really practical way to help my friend, and it was something I'd been thinking about for a few weeks but never got around to doing. I need to make more time in my life for people.
Meh, sorry for the lame rant post! I shall actually update this thing more regularly and with not pooey angst from now.
I'm totally numb. I have no idea why, but I can't seem to feel anything about anything. I don't know whether it's just a low point generally or maybe I've thrown up all the walls subconsciously to try to protect myself from a breakdown, or maybe I'm cocooning, which is what Mum says I do when I've got a big performance up ahead. All I have, though, is a competition tomorrow night that I have no chance of winning anyway. It would take a hell of a lot of pain for me to decide I'd rather be numb than feel, so I don't know what's happening and it's worrying me a lot, in a sort of fuzzy, noncomittal way.
I don't know what I'm doing - or what it is I'm doing whatever it is I am doing things for. I've become supremely selfish, spending my whole day practising, and for what?? So that I can become better at viola. I get up, practise, go to rehearsal, laze around on facebook, have half-arsed conversations that I don't want to face anything big in, practise, eat the dinner my parents have prepared and that I'm 'too busy' to help with, then practise, then go to sleep and wonder why I'm feeling crap. I've become a really lame friend as well: I don't even know if I want to help my friends because I genuinely want to make their lives better or even just see them smile, or because I want to do it because it'll make me feel like I'm being a good friend. This post is selfish because come on, how am I helping anyone with this?? Sure I'm reading the bible and writing in my prayer journal, but is it because I want to or because I think I should? I don't know why I'm doing things. I want to show that Jesus is in my life but I'm doing a pretty shoddy job of it. And it's not like this post is going to help anyone but me, because it's really just an outlet for me to yell about how lame I am. I see people everywhere around me rejoicing in the work that they're doing for God, and in how they're spurring each other on and bringing people to Jesus, and making a difference in each other's lives, and FINALLY I can feel something, but I think it's just self-pity because, 'oh, I'm a crap person, boo-hoo'. I think to myself, I want to help!! But then either never get around to it because I'm busy bloody practising, or because I think they've gotten better when in fact it's just me not seeing the signs.
But of course, in these things, there are always things to be thankful for - just 10 minutes ago, God showed me a really practical way to help my friend, and it was something I'd been thinking about for a few weeks but never got around to doing. I need to make more time in my life for people.
Meh, sorry for the lame rant post! I shall actually update this thing more regularly and with not pooey angst from now.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
bah.
KATIE IS VERY ANNOYED.
very very very.
Apart from being Extremely Excellent at Everything (oh look at the alliteration, teehee), God's also an Interesting Chap. Today I found out I have... dun dun dun... cold sores. PAH. This is tres annoying because I can't open my mouth properly and I have a huge choral workshop this weekend! Perfect timing! But another thing about cold sores is, they kick in with massive ferocity when you are STRESSED or WORN DOWN. I think this may be something along the lines of, Katie you idiot you're going to hurt yourself properly being as busy for this half of the year as you were in the first half. NOW CALM THE FRICK DOWN.
I know I'm not the only one to fall sick around now with something that screws up your 5am - 12 pm timetable, and I suppose it's actually a really good reminder to say no to stuff and to generally take it a bit easier, but in the meantime. This is going to look and feel so gross.
EURRGGHHH.
D:
D:
k back on topic next post I needed to get that out of my system. blarrrrrghhhh if you see me wearing a swine mask then you know why :P
very very very.
Apart from being Extremely Excellent at Everything (oh look at the alliteration, teehee), God's also an Interesting Chap. Today I found out I have... dun dun dun... cold sores. PAH. This is tres annoying because I can't open my mouth properly and I have a huge choral workshop this weekend! Perfect timing! But another thing about cold sores is, they kick in with massive ferocity when you are STRESSED or WORN DOWN. I think this may be something along the lines of, Katie you idiot you're going to hurt yourself properly being as busy for this half of the year as you were in the first half. NOW CALM THE FRICK DOWN.
I know I'm not the only one to fall sick around now with something that screws up your 5am - 12 pm timetable, and I suppose it's actually a really good reminder to say no to stuff and to generally take it a bit easier, but in the meantime. This is going to look and feel so gross.
EURRGGHHH.
D:
D:
k back on topic next post I needed to get that out of my system. blarrrrrghhhh if you see me wearing a swine mask then you know why :P
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
TRALALALA.
Isn't it marvellous (yes. I said marvellous. In a serious context) when things that used to hurt start to not hurt? HOORAY. Things that used to sting and kind of gum your self or soul or whatever you want to call it (they don't quite bite because that would be going over the top, really now) start to stop doing that and just be. So you can lean back a little and look at them again and see hey now they're really not that bad.
TIME YOU ARE EXCELLENT.
I think it's time, anyway.
Although, if you associate that particular thing with a good time, which in my case is the case (oh my goodness I am incoherent. Apologies!), then you start to get a little bit of nostalgia for the pain. Is that masochistic? I'm not sure really XD
ANYWAY
after that rather nebulous start, let me apologise for not posting here in about a trillion years!!
A bit of hyperbole never hurt anyone :D
So. What's happened.
CAMP
was awesome. I learnt so many things. It made my everyday life seem kind of really busy and simultaneously really empty in comparison. While I was on camp, everything was about God, or somehow directly or nearly directly related to Him. It was amazing, seeing how different a huge group of Christians is compared to a huge group of non-Christians. Instead of snide gossip in the girls' toilets, there were snippets of singing, to which people would spontaneously join in, or happy chatter about how someone's day was or to do with the talks or how awesome Jesus is or something. That was one thing that really struck me. You can tell the difference :D
In relation to the talks, though, there were some really interesting, fundamental things that I learnt. They were mostly things I knew to be true already but hadn't realised. Eg! We are made in God's image. Yes. Simple. But it connects with everything that we are - and to keep to the topic of camp, the main one was that, because God is relational, so are we. We have this inbuilt desire to relate to people, to know them and to be known, properly, for who we are, and to communicate and connect with them. I don't know anyone who is a hermit. Even those who seem to not want to make friends or whatever, once you get to know them (thereby nullifying their not-wanting-to-make-friends thing), there lies that need. And therefore, whatever we do in our relationships with others, be they family or friends or definitely not friends or teachers or students or whoever, we are fulfilling this role that mirrors God's self. So we have to do it right, or we are changing what He intended. Because God loves everyone, so we must try our best to love everyone. It's not going to be possible all the time - we fail in everything else, so we'll definitely fail in this too. But it's really important to try as hard as we can to see the best in everyone, and also not to tear someone down for others - which we so easily and commonly do in gossip. I know for one that I am terrible at this for certain people: I won't have any preconceptions of people when I first meet them but if they give me a bad first impression, or if I hear a lot of negative gossip about them, it's really hard to change my mind if in fact they are a good person. And I further the gossip by needlessly bringing them up when there's a topic in conversation that relates to them.
I AM A BAD HAT, PEPITO.
However, on the flip side, when we do relationships right, then the results are amazing. By loving others, we are honouring God's creation, and therefore God.
Ummm I kinda lost track of my train of thought there. I FELL OFF THE TRAIN.
ai-yoh.
Well whatever, I'll start doing some of the talks in blog form next time :) More coherently, I promise!
TIME YOU ARE EXCELLENT.
I think it's time, anyway.
Although, if you associate that particular thing with a good time, which in my case is the case (oh my goodness I am incoherent. Apologies!), then you start to get a little bit of nostalgia for the pain. Is that masochistic? I'm not sure really XD
ANYWAY
after that rather nebulous start, let me apologise for not posting here in about a trillion years!!
A bit of hyperbole never hurt anyone :D
So. What's happened.
CAMP
was awesome. I learnt so many things. It made my everyday life seem kind of really busy and simultaneously really empty in comparison. While I was on camp, everything was about God, or somehow directly or nearly directly related to Him. It was amazing, seeing how different a huge group of Christians is compared to a huge group of non-Christians. Instead of snide gossip in the girls' toilets, there were snippets of singing, to which people would spontaneously join in, or happy chatter about how someone's day was or to do with the talks or how awesome Jesus is or something. That was one thing that really struck me. You can tell the difference :D
In relation to the talks, though, there were some really interesting, fundamental things that I learnt. They were mostly things I knew to be true already but hadn't realised. Eg! We are made in God's image. Yes. Simple. But it connects with everything that we are - and to keep to the topic of camp, the main one was that, because God is relational, so are we. We have this inbuilt desire to relate to people, to know them and to be known, properly, for who we are, and to communicate and connect with them. I don't know anyone who is a hermit. Even those who seem to not want to make friends or whatever, once you get to know them (thereby nullifying their not-wanting-to-make-friends thing), there lies that need. And therefore, whatever we do in our relationships with others, be they family or friends or definitely not friends or teachers or students or whoever, we are fulfilling this role that mirrors God's self. So we have to do it right, or we are changing what He intended. Because God loves everyone, so we must try our best to love everyone. It's not going to be possible all the time - we fail in everything else, so we'll definitely fail in this too. But it's really important to try as hard as we can to see the best in everyone, and also not to tear someone down for others - which we so easily and commonly do in gossip. I know for one that I am terrible at this for certain people: I won't have any preconceptions of people when I first meet them but if they give me a bad first impression, or if I hear a lot of negative gossip about them, it's really hard to change my mind if in fact they are a good person. And I further the gossip by needlessly bringing them up when there's a topic in conversation that relates to them.
I AM A BAD HAT, PEPITO.
However, on the flip side, when we do relationships right, then the results are amazing. By loving others, we are honouring God's creation, and therefore God.
Ummm I kinda lost track of my train of thought there. I FELL OFF THE TRAIN.
ai-yoh.
Well whatever, I'll start doing some of the talks in blog form next time :) More coherently, I promise!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Italian hot chocolates
are awesome. I thought I should let you know that. It is my dream to make one someday. I make sure my dreams are achievable sometimes :D
[EDIT: wow ok apparently blogger deleted half of my post.. bleh!]
So I have been on tour for the last few days!!! An interesting time. It was only from Sunday till Tuesday, starting with a lovely 3:30 wakeup call to get on a 6:00 flight which was delayed by an hour. Oh Jetstar, how I love thee. XDD As it was, we got to Newcastle mid morning and went to a farmers market which was really lots of fun and lots of food :D:D:D I got some tea!!! Yay!! The concert that afternoon was as a part of a choral concert so we got some audience, which was really good, and I think it went really well too. After the concert all three choirs went to the pub for dinner and two of the guys from Sola managed to spend $80 on drinks and wake up bright and cheery the next morning. Well bright and cheery is overdoing it but, without extreme pain at Katie and my loud wakeup calls.
Next day we drove to Sydney, stopping at some rather odd places (a closed wildlife park and a very small port/rubbish tip of sorts), thanks GPS. Sydney is amazing, there's so much to see and do and EAT. Hom nom nom. Our hotel was INCREDIBLE so so so posh!!! We were sharing 6 to a room so we could afford it XD;;; And we were right next to a ramen shop so that was awesome too :D Our concert was in a beautiful Anglican cathedral in the CBD, but was extremely cold and because we don't know a lot of people down there, there was only a small audience XD That was ok though, it was an intimate concert... XDDD The performance didn't go quite as we had expected but the audience seemed to enjoy it, which is the main thing :) After, instead of going drinking, we all went back to the hotel and played games until 2 am which was EXTREMELY WIN. Although I am not so good at them it was so fun anyway!!
The next morning we got up and went to a Chinese bakery that Katie knew about (btw this is not me speaking in the third person, there is another Katie in the choir :P) and got delicious cheap breakfast and then split ways. I went off to the northern suburbs to look for a viola bow, and ended up walking like 5 k because a store had moved without me knowing! That was fun... Ahhh Sydney transport is so expensive *A*;; $17 for a daily ticket... ouch. Still. The trains are so so convenient and the buses aren't half bad.
***READ FROM HERE FOR LESS RAMBLE :D:D
For some reason I didn't feel like the tour was quite long enough... Usually tours are really good times to get to know each other better, and I got a lot closer to Ruby and Katie and Lana, but it would have been good to have a few more days. Also what was interesting is how tiredness and stress and whatnot affect people - some of them retreat inside themselves and become quiet, some pretend it's not happening and try to go about as they usually would, and some lash out. I think I might have been on the receiving end of one of the attacks, and I think it's kind of sad how people don't realise that they're doing it or how it makes the other person feel. Although you realise that it's probably not that you're a bad person, it still really hurts. I guess maybe I have an inferiority complex or something, but I was made to feel really really small and stupid, and it was probably half me anyway because I was also tired, but I realised that I've been doing this to other people as well and I'm really really sorry - to anyone who I've made feel like this, I definitely do not mean to do it and I'm trying super hard from now to think about things before I say them, especially when I'm tired or hungry (I get really grumpy when I'm hungry!!).
Lately I've been reading 1 and 2 Corinthians, and a few things really resonated with these kinds of situations:
1 Corinthians 16:13 "Do everything in love" and 2 Corinthians 5:16 - 17 "So from now on, regard no one from a worldy point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
The first one is self-explanatory. If you're going to do something that's going to impact on someone (which is pretty much anything), think about it first. Think about whether it's going to help them at all, or comfort them, or give them what they need, whether it be strength, encouragement, guidance, support, or a reality check, or anything else. And then think about how you're going to do it, so that if it's something that might hurt them at first, you present it in the gentlest way possible, without losing the message.
The second one is something I hadn't thought about before I read this. Yes, people have faults. Everyone has faults. But if God, if Christ can forgive them, then how much more should we. We shouldn't even expect people to not sin against us, because we are on the same level as everyone. I know I have trouble with this because I assume the best in everyone at first, and when I'm badly hurt or disappointed I can't get that out of my head. Pretty much, rather than communicating and behaving around people according to their sins, behave as you would around someone who's been reconciled with Christ, who's been forgiven by the dude who made the universe and everything and is super enormous and awesome and can I please have your signature?
Anyone who's reading this, I challenge you to go out and do everything in love, and not act towards people's weaknesses but their strengths. Ou!!!
[EDIT: wow ok apparently blogger deleted half of my post.. bleh!]
So I have been on tour for the last few days!!! An interesting time. It was only from Sunday till Tuesday, starting with a lovely 3:30 wakeup call to get on a 6:00 flight which was delayed by an hour. Oh Jetstar, how I love thee. XDD As it was, we got to Newcastle mid morning and went to a farmers market which was really lots of fun and lots of food :D:D:D I got some tea!!! Yay!! The concert that afternoon was as a part of a choral concert so we got some audience, which was really good, and I think it went really well too. After the concert all three choirs went to the pub for dinner and two of the guys from Sola managed to spend $80 on drinks and wake up bright and cheery the next morning. Well bright and cheery is overdoing it but, without extreme pain at Katie and my loud wakeup calls.
Next day we drove to Sydney, stopping at some rather odd places (a closed wildlife park and a very small port/rubbish tip of sorts), thanks GPS. Sydney is amazing, there's so much to see and do and EAT. Hom nom nom. Our hotel was INCREDIBLE so so so posh!!! We were sharing 6 to a room so we could afford it XD;;; And we were right next to a ramen shop so that was awesome too :D Our concert was in a beautiful Anglican cathedral in the CBD, but was extremely cold and because we don't know a lot of people down there, there was only a small audience XD That was ok though, it was an intimate concert... XDDD The performance didn't go quite as we had expected but the audience seemed to enjoy it, which is the main thing :) After, instead of going drinking, we all went back to the hotel and played games until 2 am which was EXTREMELY WIN. Although I am not so good at them it was so fun anyway!!
The next morning we got up and went to a Chinese bakery that Katie knew about (btw this is not me speaking in the third person, there is another Katie in the choir :P) and got delicious cheap breakfast and then split ways. I went off to the northern suburbs to look for a viola bow, and ended up walking like 5 k because a store had moved without me knowing! That was fun... Ahhh Sydney transport is so expensive *A*;; $17 for a daily ticket... ouch. Still. The trains are so so convenient and the buses aren't half bad.
***READ FROM HERE FOR LESS RAMBLE :D:D
For some reason I didn't feel like the tour was quite long enough... Usually tours are really good times to get to know each other better, and I got a lot closer to Ruby and Katie and Lana, but it would have been good to have a few more days. Also what was interesting is how tiredness and stress and whatnot affect people - some of them retreat inside themselves and become quiet, some pretend it's not happening and try to go about as they usually would, and some lash out. I think I might have been on the receiving end of one of the attacks, and I think it's kind of sad how people don't realise that they're doing it or how it makes the other person feel. Although you realise that it's probably not that you're a bad person, it still really hurts. I guess maybe I have an inferiority complex or something, but I was made to feel really really small and stupid, and it was probably half me anyway because I was also tired, but I realised that I've been doing this to other people as well and I'm really really sorry - to anyone who I've made feel like this, I definitely do not mean to do it and I'm trying super hard from now to think about things before I say them, especially when I'm tired or hungry (I get really grumpy when I'm hungry!!).
Lately I've been reading 1 and 2 Corinthians, and a few things really resonated with these kinds of situations:
1 Corinthians 16:13 "Do everything in love" and 2 Corinthians 5:16 - 17 "So from now on, regard no one from a worldy point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
The first one is self-explanatory. If you're going to do something that's going to impact on someone (which is pretty much anything), think about it first. Think about whether it's going to help them at all, or comfort them, or give them what they need, whether it be strength, encouragement, guidance, support, or a reality check, or anything else. And then think about how you're going to do it, so that if it's something that might hurt them at first, you present it in the gentlest way possible, without losing the message.
The second one is something I hadn't thought about before I read this. Yes, people have faults. Everyone has faults. But if God, if Christ can forgive them, then how much more should we. We shouldn't even expect people to not sin against us, because we are on the same level as everyone. I know I have trouble with this because I assume the best in everyone at first, and when I'm badly hurt or disappointed I can't get that out of my head. Pretty much, rather than communicating and behaving around people according to their sins, behave as you would around someone who's been reconciled with Christ, who's been forgiven by the dude who made the universe and everything and is super enormous and awesome and can I please have your signature?
Anyone who's reading this, I challenge you to go out and do everything in love, and not act towards people's weaknesses but their strengths. Ou!!!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Children/Adults
Ok just had to administer some intense damage control then. Dad's overseas so Mum has to do all this stuff on her own, including looking after her own parents and also Popo (Dad's mum) and Guche (Dad's sister) and her son Timmy pretty much as well as us, so she has a big job. She doesn't get mad too much but when she does, she goes there all the way. No half-arsed blowouts. The thing that gets me most when she does blow her top is that she becomes really, really unreasonable. She says things over and over and when you can't come up with a new, innovative way to answer it, she gets mad at you for that. Then moves the topic onto some other random thing, and you just can't stop the flow. And it made me think that, even the adults I respect and look up to most can act like children sometimes. Today she slammed the door in my face when I suggested that talking behind people's backs when you know they can hear you might not feel so good for them. Even I, the most juvenile of people most of the time, haven't done that. I think that the best thing to do, at least for Mum, is to DEFINITELY NOT TRY TO GO AWAY AND LET THEM COOL DOWN although that's what I would like in her situation. For Mum, the best thing to do is to show her love. To tell her, in a low, soothing voice (lol) that we're sorry and we make mistakes and that we're just not good at this being good children thing, which is true. Lying will just make it worse. Then once she's calmed down go give her a hug.
I guess I don't really understand because I never really yell at people, except Ben and Hsieh (sorry guys!!! I know I'm bad at this and you totally don't deserve it nearly every time >.<) and I'm trying to not do that because it's just silly! I tend to shut up, walk away, then either fume to myself, this blog, or the dogs, work it out and try to see it from their perspective, then go and say hey can you do this a different way, or say nothing at all. The latter probably is a really stupid thing to do because it doesn't change anything. When it's something that really matters, I usually don't get angry, I get sad instead, or I get super super mad/frustrated/despairing at myself. Sadness is good in a way because it doesn't hurt the other person, which is why I'd prefer to be sad rather than angry, but it's also a passive emotion - it doesn't get anything done, and if you let it go too far you start to do this whole stupid self pity thing which is SO LAME. It's cyclic and has pointy teeth that it likes to nip you with at random times and you're like oh sorry peeps, gotta go mope for a bit, brb. /you get into a rhythm of feeling like crap at a certain time when you know you're not going to be around people. It's really lame. Don't do it. JUST SAY NO.
Well whatever. I went to see Patricia's concert AND IT WAS AMAZING I WANT TO BE LIKE HER WHEN I GROW UP. maaaaaan. She's so awesome. And when I went to congratulate her afterwards she got in first and the first thing she said to me was, Katie your recording was great!! Seriously. Who does that. She just pulled off an incredible concert and you don't even say, 'did you like it?'. SELFLESS TO THE EXTREME CUBED. She was giving a talk to the MOST (musically outstanding students t-something) kids on Monday night and she asked me to play a bit of Bach to them which I did and it was reaaaally weird. It was in the dining room so it was kinda like playing to kids at camp when they're tired/hungry. They were a really good audience but I still got super nervous!! haha. AND THEN IT WAS FONDUE NIGHT AND WE ATE LOTS OF CHOCOLATES AND WATCHED ENCHANTED AND IT WAS AWESOME.
<3 you girls!!!!
So-La tour on Sunday, yay can't wait!!! :D:D:D
I guess I don't really understand because I never really yell at people, except Ben and Hsieh (sorry guys!!! I know I'm bad at this and you totally don't deserve it nearly every time >.<) and I'm trying to not do that because it's just silly! I tend to shut up, walk away, then either fume to myself, this blog, or the dogs, work it out and try to see it from their perspective, then go and say hey can you do this a different way, or say nothing at all. The latter probably is a really stupid thing to do because it doesn't change anything. When it's something that really matters, I usually don't get angry, I get sad instead, or I get super super mad/frustrated/despairing at myself. Sadness is good in a way because it doesn't hurt the other person, which is why I'd prefer to be sad rather than angry, but it's also a passive emotion - it doesn't get anything done, and if you let it go too far you start to do this whole stupid self pity thing which is SO LAME. It's cyclic and has pointy teeth that it likes to nip you with at random times and you're like oh sorry peeps, gotta go mope for a bit, brb. /you get into a rhythm of feeling like crap at a certain time when you know you're not going to be around people. It's really lame. Don't do it. JUST SAY NO.
Well whatever. I went to see Patricia's concert AND IT WAS AMAZING I WANT TO BE LIKE HER WHEN I GROW UP. maaaaaan. She's so awesome. And when I went to congratulate her afterwards she got in first and the first thing she said to me was, Katie your recording was great!! Seriously. Who does that. She just pulled off an incredible concert and you don't even say, 'did you like it?'. SELFLESS TO THE EXTREME CUBED. She was giving a talk to the MOST (musically outstanding students t-something) kids on Monday night and she asked me to play a bit of Bach to them which I did and it was reaaaally weird. It was in the dining room so it was kinda like playing to kids at camp when they're tired/hungry. They were a really good audience but I still got super nervous!! haha. AND THEN IT WAS FONDUE NIGHT AND WE ATE LOTS OF CHOCOLATES AND WATCHED ENCHANTED AND IT WAS AWESOME.
<3 you girls!!!!
So-La tour on Sunday, yay can't wait!!! :D:D:D
Saturday, June 27, 2009
A new Chopin Liszt, Ysaye.
Ok so that was surpassingly lame.
Anyway this is going to be a fairly boring post intended to remind me what I have to do NOW THAT I AM ON BLISSFUL HOLIDAYS.
(There is a figurative and metaphorical cookie at the bottom for those of you who read through it, or just scroll down. Whatever floats your boat :P)
1. Clean my room. Properly. Namely, emptying everything out of everywhere, tossing everything I don't need/really want, putting all the rest of the stuff in boxes, figuring out which bits of furniture are broken beyond all hope of repair by use of gaffa tape, and putting it back.
2. Practise for, and record Bach for the Harmer. Write application and get references.
3. Arrange a gazillion lots of gig music.
4. Alter/fix clothes that need it.
5. SLEEP.
That's pretty much it!!! Yay!!!!!
Ok so cookie. For those of you (see: anonymous) who aren't Christian this is going to be a let down :P
OK SO KATIE ANALOGY TIME. I'm kind of embarrassed to be seeing all these analogies everywhere but whatever. They're kinda cute.
Today I spent most of my time doing one of playing viola, driving somewhere, running somewhere with food that I don't have time to sit and eat in my mouth/falling out of my mouth, getting lost, or pulling over to the side of the road to consult my refidex with a healthy soundtrack of profanity. I think I've sworn more today than I have in the last 6 months .____.;;; Either way. I was thinking, in one of the rare times in which I knew where I was going, that God is kind of like a map. As opposed to a GPS. Because He doesn't tell you everything exactly as it's coming up, in a super annoying electronic voice, accompanied by conveniently colour coded graphics and little arrows. And reminders every 500 m that, in 1580 m, turn left at Greenwood Rd. He lets you get lost, He lets you get frustrated and pull over and say where the hell am I??? And He is a WHOLE FRICKIN LOT BETTER THAN STUPID GOOGLE MAPS. If you just look, you'll find where to go. It's ok to keep pulling over to see if you're on course. And He won't give you stupid directions that send you wiggling around in weird wormy paths when in fact you could just be going along one road for the whole way instead.
Yeah.
Extended metaphor, fin.
Going to early session of church tomorrow, wonder what it'll be like! Also Patricia's having a concert WHICH WILL BE AWESOME and I'm going to give her banana bread that I made :D:D:D
Tralalala holidays!
Anyway this is going to be a fairly boring post intended to remind me what I have to do NOW THAT I AM ON BLISSFUL HOLIDAYS.
(There is a figurative and metaphorical cookie at the bottom for those of you who read through it, or just scroll down. Whatever floats your boat :P)
1. Clean my room. Properly. Namely, emptying everything out of everywhere, tossing everything I don't need/really want, putting all the rest of the stuff in boxes, figuring out which bits of furniture are broken beyond all hope of repair by use of gaffa tape, and putting it back.
2. Practise for, and record Bach for the Harmer. Write application and get references.
3. Arrange a gazillion lots of gig music.
4. Alter/fix clothes that need it.
5. SLEEP.
That's pretty much it!!! Yay!!!!!
Ok so cookie. For those of you (see: anonymous) who aren't Christian this is going to be a let down :P
OK SO KATIE ANALOGY TIME. I'm kind of embarrassed to be seeing all these analogies everywhere but whatever. They're kinda cute.
Today I spent most of my time doing one of playing viola, driving somewhere, running somewhere with food that I don't have time to sit and eat in my mouth/falling out of my mouth, getting lost, or pulling over to the side of the road to consult my refidex with a healthy soundtrack of profanity. I think I've sworn more today than I have in the last 6 months .____.;;; Either way. I was thinking, in one of the rare times in which I knew where I was going, that God is kind of like a map. As opposed to a GPS. Because He doesn't tell you everything exactly as it's coming up, in a super annoying electronic voice, accompanied by conveniently colour coded graphics and little arrows. And reminders every 500 m that, in 1580 m, turn left at Greenwood Rd. He lets you get lost, He lets you get frustrated and pull over and say where the hell am I??? And He is a WHOLE FRICKIN LOT BETTER THAN STUPID GOOGLE MAPS. If you just look, you'll find where to go. It's ok to keep pulling over to see if you're on course. And He won't give you stupid directions that send you wiggling around in weird wormy paths when in fact you could just be going along one road for the whole way instead.
Yeah.
Extended metaphor, fin.
Going to early session of church tomorrow, wonder what it'll be like! Also Patricia's having a concert WHICH WILL BE AWESOME and I'm going to give her banana bread that I made :D:D:D
Tralalala holidays!
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