#38

My Job Shadowing was AWESOME.  I shadowed the Youth Leader at my church, West Side Christian Church, who is AWESOME.  What I really want to do with my life:  I want to work for Christ in Youth, CIY.  This is an organization that puts on multiple Church camps that are geared for middle-high school students.  CIY Move is one of their summer camps that is a week long and is THE BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE every single summer.  It is where kids get on fire for God, where teenagers get that week of clarity that can, if they choose, ultimately change their life for the better.  I want to give kids that clarity, set them on fire for God, and keep them that way.  The CIY head quarters are located in Joplin, Missouri.  That is also where Ozark Bible College is, which is were I plan to attend.  Sadly, I was not able to make the trip 7 hours south just for a job shadow, no matter how badly I wanted to.  A youth leader is huuuuge part of CIY, though.  So it was pretty close!  Through out my day, I got to see an inside look at how a church works, and more specifically, my church.  I met pretty much all the staff and got to see how intricate and meticulous a church service can really be.  I also got to see how Fusion, the Youth group at my church, works too.  It is craaaaaaazy how intricate it is! I never imagined that much thought could possibly goes into what I see every Wednesday on the stage.  I also got to discuss with my Youth Leader, Josh, about upcoming events and past events to give my input.  I also got to go home with him and eat lunch with his family, which include a four year old and a one year old.  They may or may not be my favorite kids in the whole world.  SO CUTE.  I also know where he lives now, too...I think being a Youth Leader would be an awesome job, and an awesome job for me too.  But I want to be more than that.  I want to be there when kids really see that God is the only way.  That this is what living a like for Christ is like.  I want to help plan the events that kids get to experience and never ever forget.  I want to help be the force that shows kids what a life of Christ is and I want to be part of the force that keeps kids living a life for Christ.  So in summary, my day was awesome, I loved it.  I do not want to be a youth leader, but I went into the day knowing that.  

Journal #37

What do I see while listening to Blue Monk?  Initially I visualize a bald monk in blue robes playing the saxophone.  The saxophone is shiny and the monk is getting into it.  He is wearing ray bans that are black and you cannot see his eyes.  I'm sure they would be absolutely crazed if we could, though.  I also see one of the Blue Monks friends playing the drums.  Although he is the Green Monk.  He is wearing green monk robes but has a full head of hair because he is a rebel.  He has light sabers for drumsticks and is playing an all white drum set.  They are friends, but not too good of friends.  They like to hang out with all of the other monks together, but usually they don't hang out just the two of them, UNLESS they are playing music together like right now.  Otherwise it would just be weird.  They are now in a park.  It's a day much like today.  About 60 degrees with lots of sunshine and perfect weather for a hoody and shorts.  Although they are in robes, so it's a tad hot, but they don't care because it's just them and the music right now.  Both musicians have shed their sunglasses now and we can finally see their eyes, which is the window to the soul.  We can see that both want to break free from the monk life.  They are not meant to be monks, but jazz musicians.  They are yearning on the inside to break their vows and take up what they truly love.  They made vows, though, and breaking them would be simply unbearable no matter how much they want to. Right now, they aren't thinking about that, though; At least not consciously, maybe subconsciously.  They're just playing the music.  They are one with the music. Now enters a bass!  This monk is very plump.  He does not wear sunglasses, but rather uses his eyes as a tool, using them to convey his feelings while he plays, too.  All three monks are playing as one, now.  I can see them in the park, the drummer sitting down, the saxophone standing and rocking out, the bass just chiliin and being all cool, and a pianist sitting to the side embracing the moment.

Journal #36

Why is important to be yourself?  There are many many reasons for this. I recently saw a funny picture somewhere of a little girl in a pink tutu, rocker boots, and she was standing in a stance that radiated attitude.  Next to her it said "What is more BA than being yourself?"  I don't agree with the language, but I do agree with the sentiment.  If no one was themselves and we all wanted to be and do the exact same thing, what fun would that be?  For example, I have a friend from a different school and she struggles with maintaining her own opinion.  She is one of better friends.  She wants people to like her so bad that she will always, with out a doubt agree with whatever anyone else says.  If even for one instance she says something that someone doesn't agree with, she will immediately change her opinion as to be just like everyone else and so everyone likes her.  If everyone had the same opinions like this, what would society be?  The exact same thing everyday, for eternity.  That's what.  This reminds me of the book 1984.  In this book everyone is forced to do just as the government wants no questions asked.  You must think like this, talk like this, etc.  I think they even had a way of reading your mind too.  Imagine if our society was like this book and no one was themselves.  No one broke out of the box and tried to just be themselves...that would not be fun.  It is very important to be yourself because no one is just like you.  No one is an exact clone of you, so why let that go to waste?  Why be like someone else when you can just be you?  
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
― Dr. Seuss

"Dr. Seuss." Goodreads. Goodreads, 2005. Web. 05 Mar. 2013.

Orwell, George. 1984: A Novel. New York, NY: Published by Signet Classic, 1977. Print.

Journal #35

This blog is to be about how I have evolved over the school year as a scholarly writer.  The two blogs that we are comparing is our blog on Propaganda and Faulty Logic from back in September and our most recent blog about Whitman's use of Self in his poetry.  I have skimmed over both and honestly I have noticed little change...What is still consistent:  I still, no matter what I am doing or what class, write sooooooo much.  No matter what I am doing I always end up turning in waaaaay more than what is expected.  This can be a good and bad thing.  In both blogs, I am a humorous writer.  "Another type is called glittering generalities.  Yes.  It is actually called 'glittering generalities'.  Sad, I know."  This is from my older blog.  "What is Self, Capitol "S?"  The dictionary describes self as "a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality: one's own self" (Dictionary).  What does complete individuality have anything to do with some poet of the street who may or may not have been pretty scandalous for his time?  Absolutely everything!"  This is from my more recent blog about Whitman.  Honestly, I think I might have begun to use even more humor through out my criticism's as times gone on.  One big difference I do notice between the two that can be counted as an improvement:  what person I am talking in.  I finally stopped using first person in my posts.  Well at least I'm trying...It's quite hard I've realized.  My citations and back up has also improved dramatically.  In past years I've been able to get by with maybe throwing in a URL and ignoring parenthetical citations, but this year it's a must.  I've evolved into being able to use the criticisms much better and incorporate them in a scholarly and, to be frank, useful way.  I don't just use them because it's a requirement.  The actual core of my writing is still very much the same, but I have gained my useful techniques and characteristics, as well.