Work, School, and Rock Climbing

Okay, so I completely failed in actually posting as often as I wanted to this summer. I do have a lot of things I would like to eventually write about, but priorities are priorities, as evidenced by my last post.

Work- I have been working quite a bit between my two jobs. Now that I'm back in school, it is still about 40 hours a week. Which leads me to my next subject.

School- I am taking 6 credits (plus orchestra; not counting that credit as it isn't counting towards my graduation requirements). I am taking Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology. Both are more paper/project oriented classes, so this will allow me to continue working since I only need to study for tests and do my projects/papers (try to get some work on them done each day so it won't be quite so much later). Once completed, I will have 38 credits left (not counting student teaching).

Rock Climbing-






As you can see, we had a lot of fun at Devil's Lake. Unfortunately, this will be our last real get together now that the semester is fully on its way. Oh, well. There's always right after Project Due Date (afterall, it's not like you got anything better to do...except to study for finals....)!

Teen Mission Trip 2007 - South Dakota

Tomorrow, Bible Baptist Youth Group will be leaving for South Dakota. When I get back, I'll be making some posts regarding the day to day activities of the trip. In the meantime, please pray for us. There are many things that need to be changed in each of the lives of all who are going (I include myself in this). Pray for us that God would not only use us to be a blessing to the missionaries (The Pikes) in Mclaughlin, SD and to those on The Reservation, but that He would also do a work in each of our hearts, allowing us to make Him more of our treasure. Be back in a week!

Congrats to Jon and the blessings of God

Well, for those that do read this blog, you should make it a point to congratulate Jon. He's now graduated with his Master's from MBBC. He has a Master's degree before I've even completed my undergrad (given we came in together as Freshmen, this is quite hilarious to us all of us here). :-)

During Memorial Day weekend, Jon and his wife moved to MN, where he will be attending Seminary at Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Needless to say, I'm excited as his friend to see how God is going to use this next step of training in his future ministry. His aunt and uncle came over Friday morning to help us load up the truck. They've moved a few times over the years, and their experience was very helpful in making sure that we had everything packed in the truck nicely. Loading up the truck took us just under 2.5 hours. They were a great help in the process.

Mutual friends of ours who live in the apartment above Jon and his wife drove over with us to MN to help them move in, also. It was great being able to spend some time with Aaron and his wife. I haven't been able to talk with Aaron to any great depth at all in at least a year, so it was good to catch back up with him and hear about some of what God is doing in his life.

The traveling was safe. The only complaint to be had was that the cruise control on the moving truck didn't work. Otherwise, situation normal the whole way there. Certainly, this was not to be taken for granted.

We got there about an hour or so before some people were supposed to arrive from the Seminary to help us move them in. I was expecting maybe 3 or so more people to show up. Thanks to Pastor Gottzman (Jon's youth pastor back when he was a little tike) and his family, as well as the Bauders (yes, as in THE Bauders, at least his wife and their son were able to make it that afternoon, which was really cool meeting them for the first time), the Browns (Dr. Brown, if I remember rightly, teaches the practical theology classes), and the Kings, as well as a student from the Seminary named Chris, all came to help. The truck was unloaded efficiently in no more than 30 minutes. Thanks to everyone for all the help!

Last, but certainly not least, Jon's wife's best friend was there also (she and her mother attend Fourth Baptist) to help unpack (and she brought items to make rootbeer floats as refreshment was desperately needed while we unpacked). Mrs. Gottzman and one of their daughters (who attends MBBC, also) also stayed to help unpack. Jon, Aaron, and I took care of trying to get all the furniture in place, which was fun working around all the boxes. lol In all seriousness, it was a blast helping them move in. Tiring, but way better than a normal day's work!

I stayed with a family from Fourth Baptist in the evening (there was no room in the "inn"; there was barely room for the air mattress that Aaron and his wife used, from what I heard and saw the next day). The Steeles were a lot of fun getting to know. If the Symphonic Band ever goes to Fourth again before I graduate and I get to somehow pick who I can stay with, it will be a hard choice between either them or the Mohanani's. Also, thanks to Ben (a Seminary student that Jon met while on a mission's trip to Nova Scotia several years ago) and his wife for opening up their apartment to us and providing Papa Murphey's for us for dinner.

Sunday morning, we were unable to get directions to the church that Jon wanted to go to, but that was all right, because despite it's size, Fourth Baptist is one of the friendliest churches I have ever been in (Aaron and his wife drove home Sunday morning so they could be back for services here. As I didn't hear otherwise, I would assume that they were provided with uneventful travels on the way back). We were invited over for lunch with Jon's wife's friend and her mom. The chicken was very good, and I don't remember the recipe for the coleslaw, but that's some of the only coleslaw I've ever had that I liked! After lunch, we did some shopping to get a few items for the apartment, and then returned thinking about getting a small nap before church. Instead, we got right back to unpacking. Evening service at Fourth Baptist was good, also. The Bauders invited us over for ice cream afterwards, but due to tiredness and a desire to finish unpacking the 5 or so boxes that were left, we had to decline (If you're in town, I do hope to take you up on that the next time I visit, though!). When we went to bed in the evening, they were unpacked. A few items needed to be moved around before Jon and his wife would be thoroughly satisfied with their placements, but it was good enough. They had no unpacking to look forward to when they came back once his wife was done teaching.

Monday, we finished moving a few things around and drove back home. It was a gorgeous day for driving and once again, God provided us with safety coming back.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. Thanks guys for letting me tag along to help you move. I only wish I could've had some time to spend with you guys during this year that I was out of school. I will definitely have to make it a point to come and visit you (during the summers while you're not taking classes, of course). ;-)

God is good all the time. This weekend it was VERY easy to see that. Sorry for no pictures, neither of us thought to bring our cameras along (well, Jon's was there, but packed...somewhere). Hopefully we'll get some shots once they've completely moved in and gotten stuff hung up.

Ravinia and Fellowship

This Friday and Saturday, I went and visited a former student at Maranatha who was my roommate about 3 1/2 years ago. We hadn't seen each other in about 3 years, though he has visited Maranatha a couple of times since deciding to go to college locally (Chicago-ish). We had a blast this weekend just hanging out, talking theology, music, ecumenicalism, as well as getting to see his heart and passion for the salvation of souls.

I also met his wife. They've been married for about 7 months now. I'm so glad to see all of my friends with good, godly wives. It was a joy to meet her, talk to her, find out about her life and how God has brought her to the place she is currently at, spiritually. She is very much perfect for my friend.

While there in Chicago, my friend's dad, through another family at his church, was able to procure tickets to go the Ravinia Music Festival, held nightly by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra throughout the summer. On our particular evening, the music presented was Shostakovich- Symphony No. 15 in A major and Tchaikovsky- Symphony No. 5 in E minor. This was the first time that I have had the opportunity to hear an orchestra of this caliber live (MBBC takes trips every semester to see the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, but I have always needed to work, instead).

Shostakovich's piece was not one which I was familiar with. It had some very complex meterical ideas in the last two movements. The thing that surprised me the most however was how tonal it was. I have heard and played other works by him and have had a hard time enjoying them, but this piece was readily enjoyable upon the first hearing of it. Like the previous two symphonies before it, Shostakovich is preparing musically for his impending death, due to failing health. However, unlike the other two symphonies, this one was less macrbre in sound (at least, according to my program notes as I have not listened to either of those symphonies...yet). It seems as though Shostakovich was more positively looking towards death in this symphony, based on my hearing of it. With quotes from William Tell Overture in the first movement and Tristan and Isolde in the fourth movement, it was quite a fascinating piece to hear.

As for the Tchaikovsky No. 5, hearing this piece brought back a host of memories from almost 2 years ago now when the MBBC Orchestra did the Night of Russia concert, featuring the works of Tchaikovsky, of which Symphony No. 5 was but a part. Most memories were pleasant, until the Chicago Symphony Orchestra started the third movement, of which I am still unable to play to this day. Though I wish we could have, the woodwinds were too exposed and I was too faulty in my playing of that movement for us to play it in our Night of Russia concert. Needless to say, I was wishing I currently had the ability to play it as the professional 1st chair bassoonist had. This next sentence is to my friends who play french horn: you would have much enjoyed the solo in the second movement. By all accounts, my ear claims it was played perfectly, if not near to it. The tone of the professional french horn player was someting that every french horn player at MBBC would be drooling over.

Saturday morning, I went to a prayer/ breakfast meeting with my friend, who is a member of the Gideon Bible Society. The prayer meeting and breakfast were both very encouraging. It was a spiritual blessing to talk with these men and to see their passion for lost souls and the need to get God's Word out to those who are stumbling in the darkness of this world. I have to admit some concerns about the more ecumenical nature of the Society, which I would be uncomfortable with if I was a member. On a personal level, however, these were good, godly men who I have no problem counting as my brothers in Christ. It was a blessing to pray with them and to talk with them about our Great God.

While out and about at Target on Saturday, we had the opportunity to pass out some Tracts/ Gospel of John booklets to the those at the registers taking our money. I'll be honest with you, given what I've seen here in Watertown as far as response to tracts, I didn't really expect much as I handed mine to the lady that took my money. We got to the registers, and I just went straight to the first line that seemed the shortest, and just as the lady was cashing out the order in front of me, I noticed another lady a line over who looked bored out of her mind. So, I went around to her line and had her ring up my order. As she took my signed receipt from my debit card, I asked her if she'd like something to read in her spare time, and she said sure. She took it, and no sooner was I by the exit doors waiting for my friends, and she was reading it. But, as she opened it, I noticed her bend down closer to the book and it appeared as though she was intensly reading what was before her as she opened the book to the page asking if she knew the meaning of her life (which then leads into a Gospel presentation). I went ahead and left with my friend's wife, as she checked out of her line next, and we walked to the car. When my friend came out five minutes later, he said that as he walked out of the store, she was still reading it. PRAISE THE LORD! I don't know if that woman accepted Christ or not, but we determined on the way home that something should be put in the back of the booklets so that someone could call his church after reading that literature. This would allow someone who's read it to get plugged in to a good godly church, should they receive Christ as Savior. If nothing else, maybe they'll visit the church after reading the material and receive Christ as Savior after hearing God's Word preached at church.

All in all, it was a very fun, enjoyable weekend. Spiritual blessings abounded both Friday and Saturday as we spent time together. Though I hate the fact that I lost out on a lot of money by not working this weekend, the eternal blessings I recieved were worth far more than what I lost out on monetarily. These memories will stick with me for the rest of my life. As a believer, I always enjoy hanging out with my friends far more than working in the world.

Once my friend's wife has the pictures developed and sent to me from her camera (I about kicked myself several times throughout the trip for not bringing my own), I will post a group picture of all of us at Ravinia.