Europe.

I’ve been in Europe since September, and I only have two days until I go home. It’s been great here, but I cannot wait to get back to Louisiana for a few weeks. I miss Cajun food, and I’m excited to chow down on good bayou cooking.

Last Week of CSF, Y’all // Exciting News

Tonight will be the last meeting of Christian Student Fellowship. While I am very excited for summer, I’m sad that CSF is wrapping up. I’ve had the privilege of organizing worship at CSF for the past year, and it has been a huge blessing in many ways. I’ve slowly learned how to lead a worship team in practice and also lead others in worship. The Lord has been slowly teaching me what it means to “let the Word of Christ dwell richly in your hearts” and what it means to “preach the Gospel to yourself.”

It can be convicting to sing at times because the worship at CSF strives to be Gospel-rooted. That means that what we sing should reflect Christ and His word, and it just so happens that His word has a knack for cutting the sin out of my heart.

In the past few weeks I’ve started to realize how uplifting it is to sing to the Lord in the midst of all the craziness going on with school and work and relationships. God says over and over, “Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!” I’m thankful that he gives us the grace to do just that and to sing in the midst of trouble. I’m thankful for this year, and for the work that the Lord has been doing.

Singing Praises to the King

Today I learned that I have been accepted to go to Lacoste, France in the fall as part of SCAD’s study abroad program. The writing department is going, so that means that I’ll be able to take a bunch of required classes WHILE IN FRANCE. That’s pretty crazy. I’m excited about going, and I’m really excited about going out of the country for the first time. You should check out this link for more info about Lacoste. I’ll write more about Lacoste when I know more!

Hallelujah Block Pt. 2.

Today I pulled a pretty good proof of my hallelujah block. I plan to print it on nice paper later this week, but I wanted to give a preview of how the print is coming along.

A Nice Proof on Newsprint.

I’m really excited to pull a good proof of this block. Carving all of the text has taught me a great deal about my carving tendencies, and I definitely think I’ve become a much more proficient carver because of it. In pulling this print I also learned how to make and use a stencil to eliminate excess chatter. All in all, I’m really happy with how this print is coming along. Check out this detail shot of the proof:

The type provided lots of carving practice.

Keep your eyes peeled for further updates on the hallelujah block!

Hallelujah Woodcut.

Today I came closer to finishing another block for my printmaking class. I actually intended for this block to be my first project for class, but it was a bit too gutsy for my first detailed woodcut. Now that I have two other projects under my belt, I’m revisiting the hallelujah block.

Woodchips from an almost finished block cover my desk.

The block’s text is the first stanza of one of my favorite hymns. It reads:

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, Who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

I find it amazing to think that the Creator, the Lord of the Universe would be called a “Man of Sorrows.” Oh, how incredible to think that the Lord understands sorrow in the same way that we do! I really wanted to have the words of the first stanza up on my wall.

Here’s a closeup of the carving. (click to zoom-in):

Carving all of those letters was very tedious.

I’ll have a proof of my print within the next day or so, and I’m excited about it. I’m a fan of old posters and advertisements, and those served as inspiration for this print. Some of the letters got destroyed during the carving, but I think the happy accidents coupled with the woodgrain will prove to be quite beautiful.

Breaking Busyness

It’s week five here at SCAD, and I have no idea how four weeks have passed already. This has definitely been one of the heaviest quarters in terms of schoolwork/res life work/Christian Student Fellowship work/etc, but it’s also one of the most joyful quarters I’ve every had.

I’ve made is a point to actually take the past two Sundays off, and it’s been such a relief. It’s been amazing to say, “Hey, I know I have a ton of work, but I’m going to rest on this day.” I have been refreshed by learning to slow down, take time for myself, and defy the hustle and bustle of typical American life. It’s quite difficult to do, but I’m starting to learn how imperative it is to have down time and to take a day of rest. I find it funny how life is much better and more peaceful when you listen to the Lord when he says, “Hey, I’ve given you a day of rest. Take it.”

In light of trying to slow down I’ve also noticed how pervasive and deeply rooted my “I’m busy.” mindset is. Even on Sunday I find myself thinking of all the things I need to get done during the week, and I find myself noticing how that sort of thinking robs be of enjoying my day and enjoying my friends’ company.

I don’t want to be a slave to busyness, and I plan on fighting against that devil this quarter, even if it is one of the most hectic quarters ever.

Puzzle Pieces.

I am currently enjoying spring break and relaxing before spring quarter devours life. Spring break is a few days longer than normal this year because SCAD just opened a new campus in Hong Kong, and the longer break puts all of the SCAD campuses on the same schedule.

I spent the first week of spring break between South Carolina and Virginia. at one point I went to DC for the day. It looked like this:

Bike lanes point towards the Capitol.

It was a great trip, but I don’t intend to talk about it much here. I want to talk about the summer. I want to talk about Israel.

About a week ago I received a call from Calvin, my pastor, and he said “Hey, I’m putting together a team for a mission trip to Israel this summer, and I wanted to know if you’d be interested.” I said, “Maybe so, let me think it over more.” I’ve thought about it quite a bit ever since, more so than I expected.

My position in regard to missions in general is that you should do your best to serve where you are before serving elsewhere. I believe that God has a very deft hand in organizing life, and I want to try to serve wherever He happens to place me. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes it’s difficult. But I find that with the Lord ‘frustrating’ and ‘difficult’ can turn into synonyms for ‘uplifting’ and ‘strengthening’  even though it usually takes awhile for me to see those scenarios as such.

However, the fact that I recieved a phone call about Israel has really prompted me to consider it more than I would have if I had heard about the trip on a Sunday morning. I probably would’ve thought ‘Well, that’s cool, but I need to stay in Savannah and work. Also, I’m going to serve where I am.”

But the truth is that I do try to serve where I am. I serve at  Christian Student Fellowship, Bull Street Baptist Church’s college ministry at SCAD. I am rooted at Bull Street, and I love the community at CSF. So what’s holding me back from packing my bags and flying over to Israel?

I suppose that at the bottom of it, I’m just scared to say “Yes, pick me. I’ll go.” There is a considerable price tag to the trip, but that’s not really the issue because I know that I can raise money to do it. I suppose my questions fall more along the lines of, “So, what about my apartment when I’m gone?” and “Will I be able to take off of work when I’m gone?” Writing these questions make me feel like they’re trivial when compared to what I think about the trip itself. Here are a few of my thoughts in a nice list:

1. I’m excited at the prospect of leaving the country for the first time in my life.
2. I’m excited about being able to actually see the places that the Bible talks about.
3. I’m excited about having a context in which I can share my faith with my family.
4. I’m excited at the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and share the Gospel.

All of the above start with “I’m excited…” I’m nervous, but I feel so inclined to actually saying yes. I plan on meeting with Calvin to discuss the trip further within the next week or so. I need to have a decision soon because immense preparations must be made if I am to go to Israel.

I never foresaw any of this occurring when I came to SCAD, when I became a Christian, or when I started attending Bull Street. It’s not what I expected, and I find a comfort in that fact.

All I know is that this summer is set to be a winner however it turns out. And that’s that.

Spring Break.

This past quarter has been the most intense ten weeks I’ve ever experienced. Taking two writing classes along with an art history was not the best decision I could have made, but I’ve definitely gained some valuable insight about myself and where I’m going. I have been affirmed in my decision to drop my photography major and pursue writing. I have learned that I need to create visual art to balance out the weight of introspective writing. I have learned how valuable my friendships are and how weak I am without them. All in all, this quarter was definitely Stress-Fest 2011, but it was worth it. Here are a few highlights:

1. Seeing the Chariot in the ATL
2. Being selected for publication in Artemis, SCAD’s undergraduate literary journal.
3. Christian Student Fellowship at SCAD
4. New friendships and the strengthening of old ones

In a few short hours, I will be in South Carolina. Tomorrow I will be in NoVA. I’m hoping that spring break will allow me to post more frequently. It feels good to press out some words.

Winter Quarter 2011.

What just happened to me?

Pulling Teeth.

Today I had the grand experience of having my wisdom teeth pulled. During the past week, my friends  told stories both awful and awesome concerning oral surgery, and I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it when I sat in the doctor’s office today.

I became very nervous almost immediately after I sat in the operation room chair. Shortly after I became nervous, the nurse stuck me with an IV. IV injections don’t really give you time to feel nervous, so I quickly floated off to sleep. However, I was able to ask the nurse to keep my teeth before I became unconscious. I want to take pictures of them at some point.

When I woke up, the nurse helped me work my way out of the back door so my friend Chris could drive me home. A mouthful of gauze makes it incredibly hard to talk. We went to CVS to get my prescriptions filled and then drove over to Kroger so I could get soft food, namely yogurt, soup, and ice cream. Even though I was still waking up, I did manage to pick good flavors for all three items. In my woozy state, I decided to get coffee flavored ice cream because I realized that I’d have to lay off of the hot liquids for a few days. Yes, I know iced coffee exists, but I’m not always a fan of it. Iced chai is much better.

Anyway, since I wasn’t in a position to interact with a cashier, I opted to use self check out. My thought process went something like, “What? Eighteen bucks for that stuff?…scans Kroger card…Wow…Well whatever”

“Select method of payment,” the autonomous voice instructed. I pushed the ‘Credit/Debit’ button, slid my card and entered my PIN.

“Thank you for shopping with us,” the machine beamed. I pulled my receipt and thought, “What, I only saved a dollar with my Kroger card? Not awesome.” I was most definitely still waking up. I didn’t think about penny-pinching long though, because Chris and I headed for my place, and I knew that meant a cozy couch.

As I sit in the apartment, I’m nearly pain-free and glad to have taken care of that. Today was full of mumbled and written conversations with Chris as well as a ridiculous amount of sleep, but I am sure that tomorrow will prove to be much more productive. And although I won’t be able to eat a burger from Five Guys for a few days, I am actually a big fan of both soup and yogurt. Thankfully this sudden shift in diet won’t be like pulling teeth.

Sometimes I Fall Off the Face of Planet Earth.

It has been nearly four weeks since my return to Savannah, and my desire to write a blog was quickly placed upon the back burner within the first week. My life became significantly livelier than it had been during my time in Louisiana. Now I’m not saying that those three weeks in Louisiana were boring, I’m just saying that they weren’t really filled with people.

One of the things I love most about Savannah is the ongoing conversation. I’ve got few great friends here, and I can usually find someone to shoot the breeze with whenever I feel like it. It’s pretty liberating to talk to someone else about the stuff you ache for, the scars you’ve accumulated, and where you hope to hend up. I feel that when hearts aren’t being opened and yarns aren’t being spun, life isn’t so grand. Conversation is an elixir. Not a perfect one, mind you, but an elixir all the same.

Today I started reading A Million Miles in A Thousand Years by Donald Miller. I plowed through over a hundred pages today and will probably finish it tomorrow. That’s not very important. However, what is important is that the book is making me think more about what the heck I’m doing with my life. I told my English teacher about my blog, and she said, “Why do you need to write a blog?” I sort of fumbled through my reasons for writing, and she went on to say that she felt that blogs are too focused on the self. Although I don’t think she knew it, she had nearly lent a deathblow to my blog.

The second punch came from my end. As my schedule started being filled with things like ‘work’ and ‘errands’ and ‘hanging out’, writing a blog seemed less important. Why write when I can live? Rest assured, I do plan to continue writing, but it may be time to rethink how I do so. Donald Miller systematically explores these thoughts more thoroughly than I will in this space. Essentially he comes to realize that the life he’s living is not the life he wants to live, and he begins to take the steps to rectify his dilemma.

I’d like to live something real. Something that is both painful and beautiful. Something that gives me something to talk about other than the books I’m reading or the blog I’m writing. Let me make some mistakes and blaze a trail. Let me throw away the map and chart a new course.