Retaliation

For my last post of the crazy semester, I had no clue on what to make the topic of this blog.  I thought of all my other blogs to try to think of something, and then I remembered.  Way back, I blogged about how my dream is to go on the reality TV show Survivor.  Honestly, I thought this was one of my better blogs because it was about an interest of mine.  But Professor Leeper had a separate opinion.  When I arrived to class, I was verbally assaulted for making a reality TV show my dream.  Okay, I exaggerated, I was not verbally assaulted, but he did tell me to "Dream Bigger." He has a point, but I am still sticking to my guns. Life is so short. I have always been told that if something brings a smile to your face, never let go of it.  Survivor is that thing for me.  Obviously, I hope I accomplish bigger things in life than winning Survivor, more meaningful things, but that does not mean I have to give up this dream.  I plan on doing big things in my life, why should there be a limit to what I want to do? Maybe a reality show seems foolish to some, but it adds spice and adventure to my life, and there is so much value in that alone.  I would be traveling to a sweet country while competing for 1 million dollars with millions of people watching me. That is a dream. You never know, maybe I win Survivor and walk away a millionaire.  I could use this money to pursue my other dreams that "actually matter."  My life is going to be filled with surprises, adventure, and Jesus, and no one's opinion is going to change that.  And with that, I am out of here for good.  Catch me on the next season of Survivor, and I might give all of my fans a share of my winnings. God Bless.

Why I Now Appreciate DMA

I will be honest with you all. I was never a fan of this class. My adviser forced me into this class and I dreaded the thought of being surrounded by DMA majors talking about the latest video equipment while I sit there with my head buried in my phone.  I listened to the stereotype of this class and this impacted my initial perception of this class.  Then we started to get into the good stuff.  I caught myself looking less at my phone and more at the films being screened.  In my dorm room, I caught myself searching the movies or films we watched in class to either watch the rest of it or just watch it again.  Sometimes, I poured myself into my blog posts as if I was an actual blogger who had an actual audience.  My strive to get my thoughts across was pure and I was hoping each day Professor Leeper would bring up my blog in front of the class so I could grasp the smallest piece of fame.  When I watch movies now, I first analyze before I open up myself to the entertainment the film has to offer. I find this habit extremely annoying especially when I just want to lay back and enjoy the film, but this class has trained me differently.  I wish this class was a little later in the day and a little smaller so I could be completely invested in the work.  Also, I am thankful that I can finally converse (at least a little bit) with DMA majors.  Usually, everything they say is directly over my head, but now I have some exposure to this alternate universe.  I promise this information will come useful in my life someday.  Maybe my kid develops a passion for digital media, or maybe I even marry a DMA major. Life is full of unexpected occurrences, but this class has prepared me for some of the potential ones.

Do I regret HU?

Strict drinking laws. Horrible meal plan.  Boring and mandatory chapels.  Tiniest school in Indiana. Liberal Arts education.  Parking tickets flying everywhere. No football team.  All of these are challenges that I have to encounter every day at Huntington.  Do I regret coming here? Absolutely not.  I will never find a college where I agree with every rule and every decision that the school makes.  The good at Huntington far outweighs the bad in my opinion.  I am obtaining a quality education at a reasonable price.  We do not realize what kind of privilege this is.  Many people do not have the money to attend school, and we all get to attend a private institution with a successful history.  Personally, coming here completely changed my life and my direction of life.  Huntington University is where I developed a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior.  There is absolutely no better feeling that this.  If this was the only positive thing that happened since I came to Huntington, I still would not regret my decision.  This university fills me spiritually and academically, and I really would not get this at any university.  Along with this, I have also met some friends who will last a lifetime.  Community is so strong here and I am constantly learning about life because of the brothers around me.  I am exposed to different cultures everyday because of all the different countries represented on my soccer team.  Since I am currently about 6 hours away from my home, I have had to adjust with living on my own for extended periods of time.  This has allowed me to grow as a man and become independent.  If I had to make the college decision again, I would not even consider anywhere else.  Go Foresters.

The Nutcracker

Tonight, I went to the Nutcracker put on by a Moscow Ballet.  I really did not know much about the Nutcracker before tonight, and now I know why.  My only experience with the Nutcracker was in my pre-school class when we watched the Barbie Nutcracker.  Honestly, I have absolutely no clue what happened or any information about the story line.  From what I got from it, there were a lot of dancers who liked to spin around and travel to different countries.  I was more interested in the design of the Fort Wayne Embassy ceiling.  Whenever they kept spinning around, I started to get queasy and had to look at the ceiling again.  Also, I enjoyed watching the usher yell at all the people in the audience who were taking pictures with their flash on.  There was a dancer dressed up in a Nutcracker costume, but it looked like he died or something and the costume vanished and he turned into a regular good-looking man.  My favorite part of the ballet, besides dressing up in my best attire, was definitely when the 6-year-old girl dancers stole the show.  They were not the best of the bunch, but they were definitely a breath of fresh air.  It wasn't the worst of times, but it definitely was not the best of times.  Luckily, I was sitting next to a guy who was also being dragged against his will to sit through the show for 3 hours.  My major issue with the ballet is the tightness of costumes.  All of the men in the performance had tights on and it was extremely uncomfortable for the audience to witness. If anyone has the desire to watch this ballet, bring snacks and a GameBoy and you will be in my prayers.  To be fair, I was incredibly impressed with how they danced. I could never do any of the moves they did and I am not even going to pretend that I could.  Some of those dancers stayed on their tip-toes for the entirety of the performance.

P.S Do not show my date this post, she would not find it too funny

Christmas Wins

Holidays are wonderful.  Most are filled with food, family, and fellowship.  Each holiday is filled with its own traditions, settings, and spirit.  The romantic would probably side with Valentine's Day, while the lone soul would side with any other one besides Valentine's Day.  Food lovers would prefer Thanksgiving over the others, but the Turkey Rights activist would rather celebrate any other holiday.  Easter and Christmas are valued because of their religious factors, and New Year's and Halloween have special entertainment factors involved.  All of these are meant to bring people together and spread positive vibes.  In my opinion, Christmas wins out every single time.  Disclaimer: This is coming from a Huntington University college student.  By the time Christmas rolls around, finals are over.  There is no homework looming directly over our heads.  We get to return home to our families and focus on them only, no homework whatsoever. Life is easier.  Now where shall I begin on why I enjoy Christmas above all else?  Let's start with the music.  There are a plethora of songs devoted just to this holiday.  You really do not see that with any of the other holidays.  Song of which are filled with love, joy, and plenty of spirit to go around.  Also, the religious reason for Christmas is definitely something to get excited about.  We are talking about the birth of Jesus Christ by the virgin Mary.  Besides Easter, this is one of the biggest days for believers, our Savior was born!  Let's just to Christmas Day.  The tree is up, presents are under the tree, the stockings have little gifts inside, and everyone is wearing a huge smile.  No one is ever in a bad mood on Christmas, it is almost impossible.  That morning is spent by giving and receiving, thank you's and you're welcome's, and a whole lot of love.  That is what Christmas is all about.

Liquid Church

This morning, I decided to visit Liquid Church in Fort Wayne with a couple of friends just for the experience.  Liquid Church is incredibly non-conservative, non-denominational, and purely dependent on the Holy Spirit. My experience this morning was definitely unforgettable and I love the atmosphere of Liquid.  They worship in such a freeing fashion that it may seem chaotic to some, but pure freedom to praise God to others.  During worship, the people either painted, laid down, jumped, prayed, prophesied over people, or just meditated.  It was amazing to witness the Holy Spirit at work through some of the people.  Liquid understands their connection to God.  Everyone connects to God in a different way, and some church restrict the church members from worshiping God in the fashion they are used to.  Not Liquid.  Here, nobody judged.  There were absolutely no rules, and they just invited the Holy Spirit in and let the Holy Spirit go to work.  The power of prayer was definitely evident right off the bat of the service. Some people just walked around and laid their hand upon random strangers and prayed for them.  That was purely God working through them.  Healing occurred, chains were broken, and revival burst through.  Personally, I have been to several churches that were very strict on how to dress, how to worship, and how to participate in the service.  This strategy for a church service seems to be the most effective for me.  In this way, it is purely a heart thing, between you and God.  No restrictions, just being in the Lord's presence.  Also, the pastor barely prepares for his service. He just speaks what the Holy Spirit lays on his heart, and he trusts God in what he delivers to the congregation.  Basically, I'm going back next week. It was good. 

Tragedy in Brazil

It is a sad week in soccer, and the whole world is feeling it.  A soccer team from Brazil, Chapecoense, was traveling to Colombia and the plain crashed in Rionegro, killing 71 of the 77 people on board.  This was a tragedy, there is no other way to put it.  As a soccer fan, I just can't help but feel for the country of Brazil, especially the families of these soccer players.  Chapecoense was on the verge of a cinderella-type season.  They were about to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final.  Chapecoense's season this year was easily the most success they have ever experienced since the club was founded.  This team had all of Brazil's support as they were the obvious underdog in the majority of their recent matches.  Life is too short.  A team and a country went from celebrating an incredible win to a time of mourning.  The whole situation just seems impossible, like it just can't happen.  It is impossible to believe that the plane crashed due to a fuel shortage.  It is impossible to believe that 71 people, 71 helpless people, lost their lives.  They left their families without saying goodbye.  Human beings, just like all of us, no longer have the chance the enjoy the wonderful gift of life.  Heaven just gained some incredible soccer players.  Peace be with their families, peace be the club, and peace be with the country of Brazil.  God Bless.    

Hallmark: Corny or Genius

As I was home for Thanksgiving break, my family was officially transitioning into the Christmas spirit.  For as long as I could remember, my parents always watched Hallmark Christmas movies while I effectively tuned out the television for 2 hours.  I never gave them a chance until this year, I was feeling quite adventurous.  After watching two Hallmark movies, I have come to the conclusion that Hallmark is brilliant with their Christmas movie trend.  Before I get into that, I will say that these movies are incredibly cheesy.  There is always a girl who either needs a new husband, or is ready to find love.  Somehow, with a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, the girl ends up finding the man of her dreams and they live happily ever after.  Every single time.  But I am pretty sure that Hallmark knows this, and this strategy is proving to be effective.  Hallmark came out with 21 new cheesy movies for this Christmas, and they plan on coming out with 29 more before next Christmas.  ALSO, they just signed Mariah Carey to a contract for three years, which will inevitably attract more viewers.  These movies are meant for those people who believe in true love and Christmas cheer.  Hallmark Christmas movies are not out to win any kind of award.  It is filled with poor acting and sub-par settings.  Where they get their recognition is the feeling the audience gets while watching the movies.  Most audiences are curled up in a blanket with hot chocolate expecting a feel-good movie.  Hallmark delivers on the feel-good part.  They blend Christmas and love into one predictable but satisfying plot.  The whole family of all ages can gather in front of one screen to emotionally prepare for the holidays.  Even grandma can join the party because these movies are so old-fashioned that they could have been produced a half a century ago.  Also, I doubt these movies are spending a crazy amount of money.  They have the same actors in many of the movies and the sets seem to be simple.  If you're still not convinced, go grab some hot chocolate, sit back, believe, and watch the magic happen.  Maybe, just maybe, a Christmas miracle is awaiting you this year.  Happy Holidays.