Hi friends - just want to say that my blogging fever hasn't permanently ended. It's just on a short break while I catch all these plates that I'm juggling. Probably at the beginning of next week the posts will re-commence. I have a recital tomorrow and am playing for a masterclass on Monday. In addition to being a little overrun by accompanying (which is a good thing!).
I'm learning ways to handle my stress appropriately too. My parents told me to make sure that I'm eating enough iron to keep my energy levels up. Also, my Dad, when I told him I hadn't been sleeping well, very pointedly and lovingly asked me what I spend my time thinking about. Well, especially at night, my mind starts running - and worrying/stressing. So my goal is to spend my last waking moments every night meditating on Scripture. Instead of just saying I won't worry, I'm going to replace these disruptive thoughts. Also, since I also need a very practical thing to do as well, I am cutting out screen time right before I hit the pillow. No more ipod-ing right before bed :) Anyways, I hope that if you are struggling with stress that you will treat yourself well. Eat well, rest well, and be very intentional about re-focusing your thoughts.
Oh! And my roommate introduced me to the Book of Awesome yesterday. You should either check it our or create your own. It will totally make you appreciate the little things in life! Okay, have a great day everyone!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Candy and Rappers
Warning: this is a post written by a worn out person. (so it will be short)
What did I do today? I rode my bike to school, practiced, rehearsed, played for a lesson, class, my lesson, more rehearsal, then I came home to watch the voice with friends. But I am worn out from a long day and tomorrow is seeming ever more daunting.
I did learn something about myself today, though. When I am feeling weary and stressed all I want to do is lay on my bed and listen to rap music. Yes, unfortunately eminem is a little bit of a guilty pleasure. It kinda hit me today though that instead of letting rap music block out my exhaustion, I need to be seeking rest in Christ. I can't and never will be able to sustain myself, so why do I try. The beauty of the gospel is that God's power is made perfect in weakness. If I really believe that, it needs to affect how I live - and how I rest. Eminem is not going to give me rest and prepare me for the next thing I need to accomplish. It's going to suck me in and reinforce my selfish emotions. This is all breaking my heart. Rest is important to me - but laziness is something I really need to get rid of. And just the thought of that makes me a little more tired. Fortunately, I am not alone (and I'm not afraid, haha).
I also learned that there is an eminem m&m commercial. It's actually kinda humorous, though I was in a giggly mood so take that with a grain of salt.
What else was good about today? I had a sweet potato and broccoli for dinner. Can you say yumm?? Then I ate a bunch of m&ms because I was angry at commercials during the voice. Yes, yes, a dramatic day. Ok goodnight.
(I hope that you got my puns. I've been really puny of late - I'm not sure what to attribute that to. But maybe the coffee. I swore I would never be addicted...)
What did I do today? I rode my bike to school, practiced, rehearsed, played for a lesson, class, my lesson, more rehearsal, then I came home to watch the voice with friends. But I am worn out from a long day and tomorrow is seeming ever more daunting.
I did learn something about myself today, though. When I am feeling weary and stressed all I want to do is lay on my bed and listen to rap music. Yes, unfortunately eminem is a little bit of a guilty pleasure. It kinda hit me today though that instead of letting rap music block out my exhaustion, I need to be seeking rest in Christ. I can't and never will be able to sustain myself, so why do I try. The beauty of the gospel is that God's power is made perfect in weakness. If I really believe that, it needs to affect how I live - and how I rest. Eminem is not going to give me rest and prepare me for the next thing I need to accomplish. It's going to suck me in and reinforce my selfish emotions. This is all breaking my heart. Rest is important to me - but laziness is something I really need to get rid of. And just the thought of that makes me a little more tired. Fortunately, I am not alone (and I'm not afraid, haha).
I also learned that there is an eminem m&m commercial. It's actually kinda humorous, though I was in a giggly mood so take that with a grain of salt.
What else was good about today? I had a sweet potato and broccoli for dinner. Can you say yumm?? Then I ate a bunch of m&ms because I was angry at commercials during the voice. Yes, yes, a dramatic day. Ok goodnight.
(I hope that you got my puns. I've been really puny of late - I'm not sure what to attribute that to. But maybe the coffee. I swore I would never be addicted...)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Question and answer about awkward situations
I have strong feelings about awkwardness. I think most awkward situations can be avoided/diffused by friendliness - awkwardness is actually created by us, not by the situation. However, sometimes awkwardness can be augmented by your response. So, to address this issue, I am providing some answers to a few questions about awkward situations.
Q: when I have met someone once but see them around everywhere, how should I acknowledge that person?
A: I think you should smile real cutely then turn away real quick whenever you see them. Sometimes only half look in their direction. If they are of the opposite gender this is especially helpful to the situation.
Q: when someone I don't know comes to give me an unwanted hug, what do I do??
A: "embrace" the awkwardness and turn it into one of those super awkward side-hugs. That will send a loud and clear message.
Q: I'm a music student, and what should I do if I am rehearsing one-on-one with someone who doesn't really talk to me?
A: just be yourself and don't try to compensate for the other person's lack of vocalization. They are either socially unaware so you don't have to worry that they might think you are an awkward person. Or, they think you are just awesome and they feel so comfortable with you that they think you can read their mind.
Q: so I was talking with this girl and we didn't have enough interest in each other to keep up a conversation, so we quickly said goodbye. But then we ended up walking the same direction for a while. Can you say awkward! What should I have done?
A: in this situation, always mention how you are stalking them. Always.
In my real opinion, these situations can be delicately handled with friendliness. Be kind and gracious, knowing that they are probably feeling uncomfortable also and you can put them at ease. Then they will like you forever. What power!
Q: when I have met someone once but see them around everywhere, how should I acknowledge that person?
A: I think you should smile real cutely then turn away real quick whenever you see them. Sometimes only half look in their direction. If they are of the opposite gender this is especially helpful to the situation.
Q: when someone I don't know comes to give me an unwanted hug, what do I do??
A: "embrace" the awkwardness and turn it into one of those super awkward side-hugs. That will send a loud and clear message.
Q: I'm a music student, and what should I do if I am rehearsing one-on-one with someone who doesn't really talk to me?
A: just be yourself and don't try to compensate for the other person's lack of vocalization. They are either socially unaware so you don't have to worry that they might think you are an awkward person. Or, they think you are just awesome and they feel so comfortable with you that they think you can read their mind.
Q: so I was talking with this girl and we didn't have enough interest in each other to keep up a conversation, so we quickly said goodbye. But then we ended up walking the same direction for a while. Can you say awkward! What should I have done?
A: in this situation, always mention how you are stalking them. Always.
In my real opinion, these situations can be delicately handled with friendliness. Be kind and gracious, knowing that they are probably feeling uncomfortable also and you can put them at ease. Then they will like you forever. What power!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Roses are red
Today was such a welcomed day! I've needed the weekend since Wednesday, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I slept in (sorta) then enjoyed a fancy breakfast of chocolate Cheerios. Yum. I then had a burning desire to play cinderella so I cleaned the condo. In addition to vacuuming, I dusted the baseboards and mopped!! I felt like super homemaker. Then I practiced piano basically all afternoon. I have a nice stack of music to learn that is about 2 inches tall. I think I scared off a prospective student though. So I was in the practice hallway and there was absolutely no one around. The practice rooms were full, but everyone was being productive and reclusive. It was an audition day, so this girl who was dressed up came walking down the hallway with her parents. I decided to be friendly so I said hi super cheerfully and asked if she was auditioning. Well, no. I asked if "they" were auditioning then laughed and corrected myself. She said yes and I asked her what instrument. She answered but there was no smile from anyone in the party and they just kept walking, hahaha. "Jo goes crazy on caffeine" moment I guess.
Okay, so last night we had this girl's college event for church. We were at a lady's home and there were a bunch of us college girls and some ladies from the church. We had an awesome time of just listening to the ladies share their hearts and encourage us to seek Christ with our whole heart. One piece of advice that really encouraged me was about commitments. They strongly encouraged us to learn to say no. It is super important to have time for yourself to rest and think and build a relationship with Christ. But one lady also said to be careful to never be afraid to say yes to new opportunities. Don't remain in your comfort zone, in your box. While God can use you wherever you are, there is often something great lying just beyond a leap of faith. However, you will never be able to discern God's will if you aren't persistently praying for it. So, let this be an invitation to spend some real time in prayer, then follow God into a new and maybe scary place. There is so much good waiting for us!
Okay, so last night we had this girl's college event for church. We were at a lady's home and there were a bunch of us college girls and some ladies from the church. We had an awesome time of just listening to the ladies share their hearts and encourage us to seek Christ with our whole heart. One piece of advice that really encouraged me was about commitments. They strongly encouraged us to learn to say no. It is super important to have time for yourself to rest and think and build a relationship with Christ. But one lady also said to be careful to never be afraid to say yes to new opportunities. Don't remain in your comfort zone, in your box. While God can use you wherever you are, there is often something great lying just beyond a leap of faith. However, you will never be able to discern God's will if you aren't persistently praying for it. So, let this be an invitation to spend some real time in prayer, then follow God into a new and maybe scary place. There is so much good waiting for us!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Chocolate Kisses
Hi! I've had an awesome day. I'm dead tired, so I will try to catch typing mistakes (I've already made some) but no promises. Why am I tired, you ask? Because I have been staying up late reading the Hunger Games. I knew that they were hard to put down, but oh man I underestimated them. Even though I finished the first book this morning, I'm still hanging on a cliff. Anyways, I want to share with you some facts about my day.
What I am learning to love: overcast days! Today was a little gray, and I have learned to not be depressed by the weather. When it's gray outside, there are so many more people to cheer up! I don't think I cheered any body up today, but I made some people laugh. Oh dear, I have been in a silly mood today.
A new game I learned: Okay, I want you to count to 100. When you get to 61 read the next sentence. What is the first color that comes to your mind? Okay. Once you get to 100, post your color in a comment.
Struggle of the day: Today, I was in a really good mood. BUT I was still a terrible person. Apparently I have a mind problem because I caught myself calling me names all day long. Seriously. I took the wrong path to my class and ended up thinking about how much of a bumbling fool I was. BECAUSE I TOOK THE LESS DIRECT ROUTE! Oh dear. I was like a dumb blonde - swinging my head back and forth, stupid smile on my face, singing about being a bumbling fool. Okay, tmi.
Most intellectual moment: On one of my walks between classes I had a really in depth little think about language and how our brains understand language. I'm studying arabic and was thinking about words as labels and how sometimes I think that the arabic word means the english word, but really the arabic word means the thing that it is. If that makes sense.
And finally...goodnight
What I am learning to love: overcast days! Today was a little gray, and I have learned to not be depressed by the weather. When it's gray outside, there are so many more people to cheer up! I don't think I cheered any body up today, but I made some people laugh. Oh dear, I have been in a silly mood today.
A new game I learned: Okay, I want you to count to 100. When you get to 61 read the next sentence. What is the first color that comes to your mind? Okay. Once you get to 100, post your color in a comment.
Struggle of the day: Today, I was in a really good mood. BUT I was still a terrible person. Apparently I have a mind problem because I caught myself calling me names all day long. Seriously. I took the wrong path to my class and ended up thinking about how much of a bumbling fool I was. BECAUSE I TOOK THE LESS DIRECT ROUTE! Oh dear. I was like a dumb blonde - swinging my head back and forth, stupid smile on my face, singing about being a bumbling fool. Okay, tmi.
Most intellectual moment: On one of my walks between classes I had a really in depth little think about language and how our brains understand language. I'm studying arabic and was thinking about words as labels and how sometimes I think that the arabic word means the english word, but really the arabic word means the thing that it is. If that makes sense.
And finally...goodnight
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The day after valentines
You know, I don't know what the day after love day is supposed to be. Is it like black Friday or boxing day? Or is it really just uneventful. Probably the latter, haha.
Except that the singles are still a little depressed - this I had to witness first hand. I tried to cheer my roommates up, but they only looked at me and told me I was being weird. Apparentlyu giggling, acting hyper, and telling funny stories isn't typical dinner behavior. Oh well.
I went to a recital tonight! It was actually quite nice. I was reminded how much I enjoy the music of Muczynski. He is just pretty awesome. And I decided to do late night at the music school since piano pressure is a little intense at the moment. I grabbed my music and dark chocolate chips from my locker and practiced away. Yes, buying a bag of chocolate chips for my music locker was one of the best decisions I've made in a while. Oh dear. But sometimes chocolate is just what you need to get you through a practice session. Or a Starbucks, but that is a whole different problem of mine...
Except that the singles are still a little depressed - this I had to witness first hand. I tried to cheer my roommates up, but they only looked at me and told me I was being weird. Apparentlyu giggling, acting hyper, and telling funny stories isn't typical dinner behavior. Oh well.
I went to a recital tonight! It was actually quite nice. I was reminded how much I enjoy the music of Muczynski. He is just pretty awesome. And I decided to do late night at the music school since piano pressure is a little intense at the moment. I grabbed my music and dark chocolate chips from my locker and practiced away. Yes, buying a bag of chocolate chips for my music locker was one of the best decisions I've made in a while. Oh dear. But sometimes chocolate is just what you need to get you through a practice session. Or a Starbucks, but that is a whole different problem of mine...
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
To celebrate valentine's day, I'm going to let you laugh at me
Okay, so I have a test in a couple hours and I have to bring notebook paper. But I'm out of notebook paper, so I have to rip some out of old notebooks. But in the back of one of my notebooks I found some hilarious stuff. Apparently I had it with me once in a concert and was writing stuff to occupy myself. So I am going to share what I found, because I am laughing and maybe some of you poor unfortunate single souls would like a laugh today. (hey, don't be sad. If you had a valentine every year, it would get less fun. Plus, it's a blessing to be single - it's in the Bible. Sorry for the Jesus juke - is that what it's called?)
NOTE: everything in parentheses I wrote today, it's not part of the original
First is this one sentence written 7 times: I want to work out and I want to call mom. (yes, it is written seven times)
Then: I can't see and it's really annoying. But our friend Bryce is here and it makes me happy. Or maybe the other one is Bryce. This is the blonde kid. Last night he looked like he had shaved his head, but he has hair now; of which I am glad, I didn't like the shaved look. (what was I thinking? I have no idea. And I have no recollection of writing this at all, but it's in my handwriting....scary)
And finally, my soliloquy on music: I am in a recital and I am writing to keep my motor self (what in the world?) working. I can only sit still for so long. Listening to music is not an "awake and functioning" activity (again, what??). Maybe it should be? Should music be engaging more of my brain than it is? Maybe I should start solfegging the melody, ha (omgosh - I was a weird person). What is a bolero? I have never heard of that kind of music. It's not very happy. I keep thinking of those weird cowboy neck tie things. Are those boleros? hmm...I'll have to find out (turns out, no, that's a bolo tie). I like that this recital will end with the "Heroic" Polonaise. Good closing piece choice, sir. Wooden birdy
Wow. I am cracking up at myself. Wooden birdy? I have no idea where that came from. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my mind. Obviously I need some help, haha. Happy valentines day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOTE: everything in parentheses I wrote today, it's not part of the original
First is this one sentence written 7 times: I want to work out and I want to call mom. (yes, it is written seven times)
Then: I can't see and it's really annoying. But our friend Bryce is here and it makes me happy. Or maybe the other one is Bryce. This is the blonde kid. Last night he looked like he had shaved his head, but he has hair now; of which I am glad, I didn't like the shaved look. (what was I thinking? I have no idea. And I have no recollection of writing this at all, but it's in my handwriting....scary)
And finally, my soliloquy on music: I am in a recital and I am writing to keep my motor self (what in the world?) working. I can only sit still for so long. Listening to music is not an "awake and functioning" activity (again, what??). Maybe it should be? Should music be engaging more of my brain than it is? Maybe I should start solfegging the melody, ha (omgosh - I was a weird person). What is a bolero? I have never heard of that kind of music. It's not very happy. I keep thinking of those weird cowboy neck tie things. Are those boleros? hmm...I'll have to find out (turns out, no, that's a bolo tie). I like that this recital will end with the "Heroic" Polonaise. Good closing piece choice, sir. Wooden birdy
Wow. I am cracking up at myself. Wooden birdy? I have no idea where that came from. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my mind. Obviously I need some help, haha. Happy valentines day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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