SPRING BREAK

It feels like a million years since the last time I've posted anything on this. Mostly because...

Several days after talking to Ben (refer to the previous post), I got a teaching job in the Ludington Area School district for the rest of the year. It's only one class at the middle school. But it's definitely a start, and if it dovetails into a teaching job either in Ludington or somewhere else, it'll be great. And I've had a chance to dip my feet into the water of working with students in middle school drama, middle school choir, and high school choir. It's been an absolute blast. Plus, I get to go with two of the high school singers who will be singing at State Solo & Ensemble in April. So I get a little bit of experience coaching/accompanying them like a voice instructor. My work really is a little bit of everything!

It's had its challenges, working mostly with middle school students, but I enjoy my job.

And on top of that, I had the wonderful surprise of working the final Quiz Bowl meet down in Newaygo. I was a little bummed that I didn't get to moderate, but in working Jordan's room, we made it like the WSCC tourney. Awesome. Plus a little extra cash is nice.

In other news, life in church music never fails to take its twists and turns. "Unfailing Love" with the Paynes was awesome. So was "All Because of Jesus" with Nate & Bob. I'll admit I was a bit frustrated with "Glory" and doing that with Lifted Voice, but it seemed to turn out well. I'm SERIOUSLY looking forward to the planning process/putting together "Desert Song" with the Paynes and everyone else involved. Hopefully it'll be fairly smooth, sound amazing, and most importantly, glorifying to God and minister to everyone who hears the song (yes, I'm geeked!)

And I might be headed to Center Lake for the weekend in April (maybe?!)

Life is good.

Oh how life changes in a week

I was talking to Ben just on Monday night. It was awesome because,

1. I miss my friend. College relationships are a blessing and a bummer. I love them, hate them, love to hate them, and thank Jesus for them so much.

2. We got a chance to ask each other how we could pray for one another. I mentioned stuff on my end about, amongst other things, teaching and finding a job.

Two days after that, I get a voicemail related to a part-time job at LUDINGTON. Two days after THAT, I actually HAVE said job. Two days from now, I start.

I couldn't be more thankful to, first of all, be WORKING, and second, in MUSIC EDUCATION, for the first time in about two years. It's such a great feeling to say, "HEY! I'm WORKING. I'm a TEACHER!" If this dovetails into a real, honest-to-goodness "big person" full-time job, it'd really be my dream come true.

But for now, I'll be thankful for what I do have. God answers prayer. (And I have to lesson plan REALLY FAST!)

Absalom, Absalom!

Being sick is no fun. So I attack it aggressively with sleep, hydration, lozenges, vitamins, blueberry-infused tea (with LOCAL HONEY!), and finishing up II Samuel.

Eric Whitacre joined me today, too. The end of the story of Absalom and King David mourning him (to the point of forgetting his job of being king) takes on a whole new dimension when you listen to "When David Heard." So does the song when you read it in the Bible while listening.

Now onward to lots of kings of Israel and Judah!

This reading through the Bible stuff is HARD. But SO COOL.

So I need to update so far on reading through the Bible in three months.

I'm a bit behind (today's date has me in about Nehemiah - I'm around the tail end of I Samuel). Getting there. And I still have a goal of being done by early May.

After talking to Ben tonight, who described reading through the Bible this fast as, "a blistering speed," I'm still musing at how much I've still gotten out of reading through the Bible at such a rapid pace.

1. The cool thing about reading through the Bible this fast, instead of a little study over three months, is exactly what it sounds like. I like to describe it like how Dr. Richmond sometimes describes things: "You get the whole pie." In this case, reading the Bible this has cast the taking of the Promised Land, the rebellion under the Judges/request for a king, and Israel as a nation pretty closely against the backdrop of creation, the Patriarchs, Exodus, and the Law. Reading the WHOLE Bible that fast gives you that, "JUST-READ for maximum freshness!" I'll be around the major prophets in a matter of weeks, the Gospels in April and the Mosaic Law was on the calendar about three weeks ago. Now THAT'S setting everything into context!

2. The Torah is FASCINATING. I loved it. I can't imagine being a boy "back in the good old days" of ancient Mesopotamia who would memorize the first five books of the Bible for his teachers by his bar mitzvah. Reading through them is lofty enough. That said, there's a lot of very interesting stuff in there. And the overarching themes I've noticed are,

• How people lived their lives and why actually MATTERED. It's so important.
  
• The Law gets repeated several times. I bet it matters.
  
• There's relevant content today, so this stuff is STILL worth knowing, even though we don't sacrifice cows, goats, sheep, and birds because of Jesus being the perfect sacrifice. It isn't wise to purposefully ignore this, and *I* think it's interesting.
  

3. Through some assistance from the notes in my study Bible, there were hints toward Jesus long before the major prophets, WAY at the beginning. It's left me speechless to read it again for myself (I haven't read some of this in TOO long). The prophets talked about Jesus coming too, but I love the little clues in the earliest books of the Bible.

One final note: after reading a few songs in the ESV, I'll confess: I'm SERIOUSLY getting geeked for Psalms. The composer in me might reawaken. :-)