colors and shapes

New Location!

2010-01-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

I moved my blog today over to a wordpress site!

http://zacharyhorst.wordpress.com

Go check it out!

Also, you probably will want to subscribe to it :D

ISO

2010-01-16T19:00:00.001-08:00

Okay, so here's what I learned about the ISO setting on a camera.

First of all, the ability to change the ISO on a digital camera is pretty much fake. I mean, digital cameras emulate the ISO of film cameras. ISO is basically film speed, and usually is 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, or 3200. A lower number means smoother pictures with less light let in, a higher number means pictures with more grain with more light let in.

Film is light sensitive on one side because of chemicals and microscopic silver particles. The ISO is the size of the silver particles. I thought that was really cool when my profesor told my class that. The lower number the ISO, the smaller the particles of silver, the smoother the picture, the less light the film takes in. The higher the number the ISO, the larger the particles of silver, the more grain the picture has, the more light the film takes in.

Interesting, isn't it?

My Week

2010-01-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

College has started! Here's a bit of how my week has gone.

Monday Night: (But I switched it to Monday morning because the night class had about a thousand people in it and the morning only had 8 people) Typography Traditional. Seems like it could be an interesting class. All about type and we are apparently going to eventually make out own fonts?

Tuesday Afternoon: Illustrator I. This class should be great. I will be learning the ins and outs of Adobe Illustrator, a program I have not yet had any teaching in and don't know much about.

Wednesday morning I had work from 5 to 9, then met Taylor Wilbur Concialdi at Chic-fil-a because I had barely seen her all break! We talked for a very long time about our lives and things to catch each other up and it was great. Thanks for the awesome conversation! I miss you Taylor!

Wednesday at 1 I had Design Fundamentals II, which will probably be interesting.

Wednesday night I went to JH ABS and I must say, I was impressed. Usually they are alll overrr the placeee, but they were actually really talkative (in a good way) and we had a great discussion about the Church. It was exciting, because they don't usually have as good of a discussion as they did Wednesday.

Today (Thursday) I had Digital Photography for Designers from 8 am to noon, and I'm really excited about it. The instructor is awesome and seemed ridiculously knowledgeable about photography. She explained what the ISO means (as in, what the number actually means instead of just what it does in a camera. It was extremely interesting. I may post a blog about it later just because it was very interesting. But yeah, very excited about having a photo class.

Thursday night from 6 to 10 pm I have Photoshop II (aka Digital Imaging II) which I am excited about because I just found out that I have the professor from the Thursday morning class for this one too! Very exciting because they professor for Digital Imaging I was not very organized, and this professor seems to be. Also, she has an MFA in Photography. FTW!

Later!

Mere Reflections

2010-01-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

Just in case you don't read Riley and Trey's blogs (since they already said this), we started a joint blog, and it's kind of come to life in the past week. Go check it out!

New Year

2010-01-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

If you don't care about my reading list (which I don't blame you for) just skip the first two paragraphs and begin at the third.

As part of my New Year's resolutions, I have decided to reread some of my favorite books that I haven't had the pleasure of reading for a while. I started two days ago, deciding to read The Chronicles of Narnia, which are perhaps my most favorite books. As evidence, I'm already part way through the second one (I'm reading them Narnia-history-chronologically, so that's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), and I am quickly rediscovering why I enjoy them so much. Every time I read them, I find more connections to Lewis' other books and more allusions to the Bible. And indeed, the end of each one of them is so beautiful. I won't discuss them now, because you may not have finished any or all of them (if so, put them at the top of your reading list!) and I don't want to ruin them, but they almost all end beautifully. Other's on my 'to reread' list are the Hobbit and LOTR, and possibly The Space Trilogy, maybe the Circle trilogy by Ted Dekker, and I'll probably end up reading The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters, too.

I also plan on reading for the first time The Cost of Discipleship (which I recently received for Christmas from AJ), and the prequel/sequel to the Circle Trilogy (weird I know), Green. I hope to read the books from Lewis' "signature" classics that I haven't already; Mere Christianity (how can I not have read that one, I know), Miracles (which I started once but had a hard time wading through, there's so much thought in each paragraph!), and The Problem of Pain. I also need to finish the GMac anthology that Trey lent to me, along with like a thousand other books that I've started and never finished.

In other news, I've all but decided to leave the Art Institute of Houston - North. I think most of you who read this have heard in some way or another, but I wanted to let you know what I'm thinking. First of all, I don't see me going to a college that isn't an Art Institute. Honestly, I've been far too spoiled by the lack of Gen. Ed. classes to switch back to taking math and english (which I pretty much have gotten all done with AP classes in high school to the ). I'll have to take a few history courses eventually, other than art history even, but I'm okay with that. I had originally considered checking out the art program at UT (which, if you know me, is hugely out of character, haha.) But in it you have to take something like 33 hours of Gen. Ed. classes and they don't really even have a specific Graphic Design program from what I can tell.

So, I will be staying with the Art Institutes. What's wrong with the one I'm at?

If you have asked me how I am liking school in the last few weeks, I have most likely told you that I am enjoying it a lot, which is true, but what I probably haven' told you is that I am not satisfied with the school I'm at. I love the subjects we're learning about (the adobe programs, color and design theory, drawing, etc.), but I don't think that I like the fact that my class is the pioneer class, as in, we are the first to take any of the classes, so we're the guinea pigs, we get all the failed methods. I'd prefer to be way down the line where we are the beneficiaries of the already refined teaching methods, if that makes sense.

So, this Art Institute leaves something to be desired, where will I transfer to?

There are two Art Institutes in my sights: The one downtown here, and the one in Austin. Basically, since the option recently came into sights to possibly find a place to live with Riley and JM (who are going to UT) in Austin, I'm majorly leaning towards that one, and if it works out, I will definitely go with that one. So the only way I would go with the one downtown is if it was for the quarter between this one and the one that starts in the summer. Otherwise, I will probably take the quarter after this one off and start at the Austin Art Institute in July.

The End.

What do you think?

Year In Review: Places

2009-12-30T09:38:00.000-08:00

Places I've Traveled to (in order chronologically, I think):

Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Barcelona, Spain. Paris, France. Disneyworld. Escape (Camp Tejas). Camp Buckner (Burnet, TX). Port Aransas. Austin. Belton. Dallas. Norman, OK. Shawnee, OK. Austin. San Antonio. Galveston.

Technojoy

2009-12-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, so let me just take a paragraph or three (or five) to talk about the fantastically thrilling state of technology. WARNING: This post contains geek levels previously unknown to this blog. Please enjoy. (and a note to Molly: I WILL be talking about cinematography. :)

Too often I forget how amazing all the technology we have is, and how recent it is, since it is fed to us over the course of time. But every once in too great a while I sit back and try to appreciate it all from the perspective of my junior-high-age self. What would myself eight years ago have said if I showed me an a touch screen phone? The state of 3D movies? The BBC's HD Planet Earth series? The size of my TV? The vast and virtually limitless amount of information I have in my pocket or within arm's length at literally any and every hour of every day?

I would be dumbfounded. Flabbergasted. My jaw would hit the floor.

I just got out of the 10:30 showing of Avatar IMAX 3D. Based on the quality of the CGI and the realism of the 3D by way of double-frame-rate digital film projection and non-red-and-blue polarized glasses, my brain could probably pass a lie detector test stating that I had, in fact, just spent 2.6 captivating hours on a planet called Pandora inhabited by 10 foot tall creatures called Na'vi, fighting for their lives and flying giant lizard bat things around floating mountains.

I didn't have a phone until eighth grade, when I was only allowed it for emergency use. I had a clamshell phone without internet or unlimited texting, without one touchscreen (let alone two), and without a QWERTY keyboard. Now I have a phone that can do basically anything I can fathom, and that's without jailbreaking it. No one even used cell phones until I was in junior high. Now with mine I can see any place on the planet, along with many not on this planet, I can download and play hundreds of thousands of games, many for free. I can order movie tickets, check and mess with my bank account, email, facebook, twitter, music, and TV shows.

My first game system was a nintendo NES, which played only in two dimensions and, less than one-hundred different colors. Now I can control three dimensional characters in millions of colors with a pointer at the end of my controller which isn't even connected to the console! (physically, anyway).

So yes, I am a geek. I love technology and it brings me joy to see isn't advancement and to contemplate what it will be in the future. I'm just trying not to forget to appreciate how ridiculously far we've already come! Isn't it mind-bending?!

Expect a future post on what I think about the future of 3D movies etc.!

That is all. :D

Science and Baking

2009-12-15T10:26:00.001-08:00

This is possibly the most random topic I will ever blog about, but I just wanted to point something out.

Baking is possibly the least precise practice on the planet.

I laughed at myself just rereading that sentence now, but I think about it every time I make food from a recipe. I find it hard to reconcile the baker in me with the ex-science-olympian. How can I put any trust into a measuring system that insists that every recipe on the planet uses the same intervals of flour that are so different from one cup to the next? If measurements mattered in the baking world, then you would have things like "recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of flour at [this amount] of density" instead of "recipe calls for 2 cups of flour."

Anyway, there you have it. Also, this is why I laugh at people who measure anything larger than a tablespoon by scraping the extra off the top.

Heaven & Scrooge

2009-12-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

You wrote a letter and you signed your name

I read every word of it page by page

You said you be coming, coming for me soon.

Oh, my God, I'll be ready for you.

Because I want to run on greener pastures

I want to dance on higher hills.

I want to drink from sweeter water

in the misty morning chill.

And my soul is getting restless

for the place where I belong.

I can't wait to join the angels and sing my heaven song.

I hear your voice and I catch my breath,

"Well done, my child, enter in and rest."

Tears of joy roll down my cheek

It's beautiful beyond my wildest dreams

I'm walking through the bright white gates

Breathing in and out your grace

All around me melodies rise

That echo with the joy inside

So I start to sing

But I can't sing loud enough,

I can't bow low enough,

I can't lift my hands high enough,

when I'm worshiping you my God.

Also, on a non-Phil-Wickham-song related note, I saw the new 'A Christmas Carol' movie today. It was really good. I was struck by the whole theme of it this time more than I usually am when I see a version of this story. The whole part about how Scrooge asks the guy collecting money for the poor on Christmas Eve, "Are there no prisons...And the Union Workhouses?...Are they still in operation...The Treadmill and the poor Law are in full vigour, then?" In the story it's obviously satirical, but how often do we hear things like this in the news? I know I've thought along those lines at times. And the part where Scrooge sees that under the robe of The Ghost of Christmas Present are the two emaciated children called 'Ignorance' and 'Want.' The whole thing just made me consider a how careless I am. How selfish I am. How can anyone, especially Christians, be this way?

And on that note, I shall leave you with an article by my favorite musician: Compassion vs. Consumption by Jon Foreman

You Should Probably Go Read This Article Right Now:

2009-12-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/shane-claiborne-1209

It's by Shane Claiborne. Apparently Esquire Magazine asked him to write a letter to non-believers and it has some really good points.

More on Thinking Styles and Synesthesia

2009-11-22T22:16:00.000-08:00

Bear with me! This is me working out how my brain works, ha.

Sometimes I feel the need to belt a song out as loud as I can, and if
I don't my stomach gets all into knots. I think it can be attributed
to me feeling a strong emotion about something.

Today Pastor Mark's sermon was about love. This is a subject I feel
very strongly about. I spent the entire sermon wanting to sing an old
song my mom sang when she was in the choir called 'Only Love.' (I also
really wanted to sing Your Love is Strong, Your Love is a Song, and
Love's Going To Last) But I spent the entire sermon feeling off
because of the response I was having to the subject. I wanted to be
able to express how I felt about the subject be singing any of those
songs at the top of my lungs, then I probably would have felt better.

This leads to a topic I posted about a
long time ago about thinking styles and synesthesia (which is
basically the connection of two unrelated senses in the brain, i.e.
hearing colors). I have come to the conclusion that I think very much
in sights and sounds, never in words (or should I say written words, I
hear the words I'm thinking or I literally see the text of the word in
my head, whereas my brother, AJ, thinks more in terms of information.)
I think that probably the only reason I can write poetry is because of
the rhyming aspect, because I hear the words being spoken in my head.
I've never been very good at writing an eloquent essay unless I have a
sort of writing style in my head to follow. Most of my sentence
structures I use I have stolen from sentence structures I've heard
repeted a lot around that time.

How does this description me myself differ from your thought style?
This subject intrigues me!

A Great Quote

2009-11-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

"My friend Anna works at a soup kitchen, a cafe downtown run by Catholics. I volunteered there one day, cutting celery, and there was another woman working who had a son who was autistic. Her son sat in a booth and stared at his hands, flicking his fingers in front of his face, watching them like flames.

The boy's mother said he was autistic and sometimes spaced out, staring at his hands, but because I didn't know what autism was, really, I figured he was more or less mesmerized by his existence. I was romanticizing the situation because the kid was probably distracting himself or daydreaming or something, but I thought maybe he was like Hamlet looking at his hands, thinking sincerely about what it means to have been born.

Back when I got out of high school, I used to think about stuff like that all the time. It was a phase, I think, but I used to suddenly realize I was alive and human. It felt like I was in a movie and had two cameras for eyes, and I'd swivel my head as if I were moving my cameras atop a tripod. I even wrote a poem about it and said we were 'spirit bound by flesh, held up by bone and trapped in time.' Back then I wondered why nobody else realized what a crazy experience we were all having. Back then I'd be lying in bed or walking down a hallway at college, and the realization I was alive would startle me, as though it had come up from behind and slammed two books together. We get robbed of the glory of life because we aren't capable of remembering how we got here. When you are born, you wake slowly to everything. Your brain doesn't stop growing until you're twenty-six, so from birth to twenty-six, God is slowly turning the lights on, and you're groggy and pointing at things saying circle and blue and car and then sex and job and health care. The experience is so slow you could easily come to believe that life isn't that big of a deal, that life isn't staggering. What I'm saying is I think life is staggering and we're just used to it. We all are like spoiled children no longer impressed with the gifts we're given--it's just another sunset, just another rainstorm moving in over the mountain, just another child being born, just another funeral.

[...] When Steve, Ben, and I wrote our characters into the screenplay, I felt the way I hope God feels as he writes the world, sitting over the planets and placing tiny people in tiny wombs. If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you.

I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgement. We don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to more and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants.

But I've noticed something. I've never walked out of a meaningless movie thinking all movies are meaningless. I only thought the movie I walked out on was meaningless. I wonder, then, if when people say that life is meaningless, what they really mean is their lives are meaningless. I wonder if they've chosen to believe their whole existance is unremarkable, and are projecting their dreary life on the rest of us."

--Donald Miller from A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

You really should give it a read. It's a fantastic book. Very inspiringly anecdotal. He tells stories inside the overall story that are so inspiring, it makes you want to get out and do something important.

2009-11-10T16:57:00.001-08:00

seperation anxiety
hidden from society
feelings mean nothing
without some variety
frequent confusion
believing an illusion
time is relative
especially in seclusion
theories aside
trying to abide
this entire thought process
is just an aside...

Lately;

2009-11-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

Oh goodness, my mind keeps telling me that it's tomorrow.

I'm so excited for this weekend! Friends I haven't seen in too long! Beautiful weather! (it's supposed to be sunny with a high of 70-75 all weekend in OK) :) Wonderful music! Oh, Jenny & Tyler.

On a non-related note, here's what I've been considering lately:

This is how I've observed life works: First, you aren't old enough to appreciate how wasteful you are, or how blessed you are. Then, at around late high school to college age, you realize that you throw away so much stuff every day, and that there are so many people who don't have on fourth of one half of on eighth of the stuff you have, so you try to fix all that. Then, you become disillusioned sometime after college. Is that how it works? That's the only way I can think of that explains why college people are so activistic, only to be content in 10 years. idk. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I hope that my desires to help others never leave.

This is kind of spawned from a debate I was having with a friend on facebook. But anyway.

Also, go listen to the new switchfoot CD! It's streaming on www.myspace.com/switchfoot. I did the 'pop out music player' thing and have been listening to it nonstop. I really love switchfoot.

Anyway, here's a morsel from the album:

"We lock our souls in cages, we hide inside our shells, it's hard to free the ones we love, when you can't forgive yourself!"

Also, you should go read Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years"

That is all.

2009-10-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about something that happened to me the other day.

I had lunch with a friend, and the subject of politics came up. My friend is admittedly very, very conservative, while I am admittedly more left-leaning.

We somehow got onto the subject of abortion, and this is where things get odd: my friend told me they are pro-choice, while I am whole-heartedly against abortion.

We began to discuss why/how we had come to have our beliefs, and it was really intense. My friend told me that they are pro-choice because when my friend's mother was pregnant, there was something wrong with the baby, so she decided to get an abortion. Well, my friend was conceived in the time between when the first baby was due and the time of the abortion, therefore making it impossible for my friend to have been born if not for the abortion.

Vice versa, when my mother was pregnant with me, I told my friend, the doctor told my mother that she should probably get an abortion because I very likely would have a birth defect. Needless to say, I did not have a defect and my parents did not decide to have me aborted.

It's difficult to think about, isn't it? We didn't continue the conversation any further.

Again, I am against abortion, but it's a weird situation to think about.

This Week...

2009-10-23T12:46:00.001-07:00

So, I've had a whole bunch of work lately! And actually, It's great. I really like working at The Container Store. The people all enjoy being there and try to have fun doing what they're doing. On Wednesday, I worked from 9 pm until Thursday at 5 am setting up the middle of the store for the Christmas thing they do called gift wrap wonderland. I must admit I enjoyed getting to see all the patterns of wrapping paper. There were a whole bunch that reminded me of 60s and 70s wallpaper, which was interesting. But I liked them. Like one looked like stylized woodgrain, and some had silhouettes of deer and trees. (Erin, you better not go into the container store anytime soon, because there are a HUGE amount of things that you would love. haha). But yeah, the graphic designer in me was saying "You should probably get all of this because you could use it! Eventually."

Anyway! Oh yes! Mrs. Sherri asked me to do the graphics for Christmas Café! I'm pretty excited. I'm working on a few designs for when I meet with her and Pastor Stu on Monday. One of them is kind of Container Store wrapping paper inspired. haha. But yeah.

The weather is amazing right now! It makes me THAT MUCH MORE excited to go visit Taylor and Marie in Oklahoma with Erin in November! gah! I'm really, really excited! :D

In other news, I'm currently debating in my mind weather or not the new Mac 'Magic Mouse' would be a good investment for me...It's SO COOL! It's like a laptop trackpad on top of a mouse body! I'm leaning towards getting it...

So yeah, there's my life lately. How are you?

This Weekend...

2009-10-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

...was wonderful!

Saturday I went up to Belton to visit Molly! It was a lot of fun. On the way there I listened to some indie bands: Grizzly Bear, The Decemberists, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was tight. I seem to have become an indie fan...haha. I've still got a whole bunch more to listen to...

Anyway, Belton was great! I got to meet Molly's lifegroup leader and her family, they were really nice! Sarah seems awesome for Molly, they're so alike! We watched the end of the OU/UT game and then Molly gave me a tour of Belton and UMHB which was great! There was a market going on in town and we got ice cream at this random place and went to a tiny free museum. It was cute, haha. Also, we went to we this lake and Belton Dam, which was cool. Then Molly gave me a (much shorter) tour of the UMHB campus. It's really nice. The weather was awesome! It was really quiet because it's their fall break.

THEN we went to the concert! After Edmund was really weird. They told us that they were from the future...which was odd. Also, they had one guy whose entire job was to sing into this vocoder. I must admit, that was cool. Also, they came out with glowing shirts, haha.

Tedashii was next, and I must admit that I was impressed. Though Jimmy Needham wasn't as impressive I thought.

Le Crae was really great. Though I don't really care for rap, Le Crae was so into the gospel! I mean, he spent more time preaching than rapping. It was tight. Oh! And Jessie Cook was there!

Then I drove home! haha.

After church today I saw Pippin! It was really good! It was a play about a group of actors performing a play. But yeah, Cy Creek always puts on great plays.

Then I hung out with Becca, Liam, and Renee at iHop, which was great.

Great weekend!

This is random, but...

2009-10-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

will someone please tell me if Stockholm Syndrome is good?

Another Poem.

2009-10-13T22:14:00.001-07:00

shine like stars

in the universe...

a staggering concept! It says:

be seen despite astronomical

distances!

a maddening precept! It begs:

remain bright long after

you're gone...

tell of something almost

unfathomable

incomprehensible!

...indispensable.

what's happening lately

2009-10-11T17:39:00.001-07:00

So, since my last post I have become 19! I've started my second quarter at AiHN, and I've had my first day where I had to go into work three days in a row.

Here's my new quarter's schedule:

Monday 8am - Noon = Perspective Drawing

6pm - 10pm = Concept Design

Tuesday 6pm - 10pm = Graphic Symbolism

Thursday 1pm - 5pm = History of Design

6pm - 10pm = Digital Imaging (which is Photoshop class)

It's going great so far. These classes are much more graphic design oriented, which is cool, because it means most of the people are graphic design majors. All the people I've met are really interesting! There are more people there who have been in other jobs or colleges before the art institute than just graduated highschoolers. Also, I was nominated Graphic Design student of the quarter! haha. It's pretty exciting.

Austin

2009-09-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

We saw this cool fountain, but it was off.

So, yesterday morning, Marissa, Liz, and I woke up really early and drove to Austin at 6:30 am. It was a freaking blast! The weather was really nice and we enjoyed it with the windows down like 45 minutes on the way there and like 20 on the way back. It was really foggy in the morning though.

So, we get to Austin and decide to eat at Kerbey Lane Cafe (which was great, I discovered Chocolate Coffee and had really delicious franch toast.) and Kyle Clarkson joined us after some confusion as to where exactly the Kerbey Lane Cafe was that we were at. Kyle ended up leading us around town for the day and we had a great time. We visited Lindsay Landry and had a (fairly awkward) visit with Megan Hanlon (awkward because Lindsay and I were the only ones who knew her, haha). The we walked down The Drag (which is apparently a shopping street in Austin, haha.) so that Marissa and Liz could look through the vintage-y clothing stores, which was pretty interesting. We went into the Co-op (big mistake) and drowned in the sea of burnt orange, only to go outside and be chased down the road by a mob of UT people rallying for the game yesterday.

Anyway, we had a LOT of fun and I hope we get to visit some other places on random weekends soon! haha.

BTW, I'm 19 on Thursday! There will be a party at my house Friday. Taylor, Molly, and Erin will be in town then! :D

peace.

Simplicity.

2009-09-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." Acts 4:32

In a feeble attempt to make something of this verse, what can I give you? Yes, you! You, reading this blog right now! Is there anything that you need? Anything that you want? I would love to share it with you. I'm trying to figure this verse out. So please, ask away! If what I have is truly not my own, I should be able to give it to you.

O Resplendent Light

2009-09-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

I could see borders in the sky, where light and rain fell side by side. They both came down like a tide; one as cleansing water, the other, illuminating the countryside.

This is finals week for me! I like art finals. Then I have a week off, which just happens to coincide with my birthday :D 19! Then the new quarter!

Molly, Taylor, and Erin are all going to be in town next weekend! I'm really pumped. Party at my house! I'm shooting for that friday, but we might have small group? I just remembered that. We might not, but I'll have to see. Otherwise, can anyone host a party that friday? haha.

David Crowder Band's new cd, Church Music is fantastic! I've already listened to it like 3 times. haha. I'm going to see them in concert for Brian's birthday (the 3rd) on the third! 'Twill be awesome!

I feel like there's more happening right now, but I can't remember it.

Thank God for good friends. And family. They are such a blessing.

How are you doing?

Books

2009-09-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is just a bunch of books that I have on my list to read (or reread) at the moment.

by Ted Dekker
Saint
Showdown
Renegade
Chaos
Lunatic
Elyon
Green

by Richard J. Foster
Freedom of Simplicity

by Andrew Murray
With Christ in the School of Prayer

By J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

This is going to take a while. I'm still reading Celebration of Discipline which continues to amaze me. It's a great read. I just finished Sinner by Ted Dekker, which was a great thriller, as most of his books are.

Names. NAMES! Names?

2009-09-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Let me just tell you something.

I have SO MANY stinkin' names to remember! It's crazy! I've gone through life up to this point where I had a database in my head of names that was at largest 400-500 names long. School, church, neighbors, relatives, family friends. It probably wasn't even that many. And it hardly fluctuated.

But NOW! Oh, let me tell you. I have SO MANY names to learn at once! I need to know the names of the people who attend college with me, the people I just started working with, all the Junior highers at the ABS I'm helping lead (did I mention that already? :). There are just SO MANY NEW NAMES! oh dear.

An Ode To Rain

2009-09-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

It's raining at my house right now, which hasn't happened for at least a month. So here is an Ode To Rain, (hopefully) for your enjoyment!

I was driving home from my piano lesson when it started, and I decided that the perfect background noise for Nickel Creek is rain and a bit of thunder. It just sounded so good with 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time."

Also, here are some pictures I took of clouds that were raining when I saw them a few weeks ago:

"It's falling from the clouds,

A strange and lovely sound.

I hear it in the thunder

and the rain."

And here are some other rainy-day pictures:

The world looks more saturated after a good rain. The colors seem richer in the grass and plants. I would love to go for a walk right now, but I have a class soon. Maybe it will rain tomorrow too!

Triumph

2009-09-03T00:09:00.001-07:00

Tonight, just as I was walking into my room I heard the Satan alarm
start to go off and I realize that I'm at that moment not in bed, not
almost asleep, and that all the lights are on--three things that have
never been the case before when the devil alarm has gone off. So, I
utilized my mobile status and found the demon watch and turned off the
horrible, horrible alarm. Finally. Triumph.

Legalism and Learning

2009-08-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

If at all possible, stop reading this blog right now and go get the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. I suggest reading it as soon as possible. It is full of things no one has ever explained to me before about being more like Christ.

Likewise, I started the book The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley today and it is also full (so far) of things no one has ever explained to me before. Also, I need to read Hebrews as soon as I get a chance.

Here is something I've been thinking about lately. Whose idea was it to read one or two passages a day of the Bible? Why do we not read the Bible like any other book? I've been realizing that my legalistic quotas of Bible-reading-time are not doing anything for me. I need to start reading the Bible like a real book. That's not to say that the Bible isn't a real book, but it's so much more than any other book that I should at least be able to treat it like all the other books I read! It just doesn't make sense.

Tolerance

2009-08-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a short post for you. Some interesting things that have coincided.

I'm reading this Ted Dekker book (Sinner) about the future where tolerance has made religion basically a secret.

On Monday in my College 101 class we talked about the goodness of tolerance. yay!

I was so conflicted!

How do I tell these people "Christ is the only way!" in a way that is loving? (And not "shoving down their throats"-ish.) That is a very popular stereotype of Christians.

I'm sure Driscoll or someone like that will tell me it doesn't matter when their souls are on the line, but I'm certain I can do this in a non-rude (and I say 'rude' loosely) way.

Oh the dabates that topics like these cause.

Things I Learned Today:

2009-08-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

A Starfruit

Riding a bike for a long distance is painful when you don't do it for a month.

Metal dog food can lids are can be very dangerous.

My house has four different kinds of medical wound cleaner. My dad was unaware of that fact.

Pizza Fusion is too expensive for too little not-good-enough food. Sorry Eric, I just don't see the benefit.

Zac Efron is a better actor than Matthew Perry. (via 17 Again)

Elise Rojo is a very good singer!

Macs do not have the capability of putting folders together at the top of a list of files. (but that negative is WAY outweighed by numerous positives.

How to eat a Starfruit, and that they smell like roses; but taste like a cross between a lemon and an apple.

The order in which to read a whole bunch of Ted Dekker's novels.

charity : water.

2009-08-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled upon this charity today and really like the idea. They give 100% of money they receive to fund water projects (such as building wells) in places that don't have clean water. They say that $20 will supply one person with water for life, and they sell 5 "charity : water" livestrong-esque bracelets for $20 here. If anyone wants to give me four dollars for one I'll order them and pay the shipping. And if nobody wants to, I probably will order them anyway.

Thoughts.

2009-08-13T00:05:00.000-07:00

I've decided that it's been far too long since I've read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I shall start again soon.

There's a watch somewhere in my room that has gone off at 2 am for at least three months. Usually I sleep through it, but I've been awake when it's gone off the past three nights! I need to fix my sleep patterns, especially since I have to wake up at 3:50 am friday morning for work. hmm...

I've been considering buying a moleskine or using one of the blank ones that I keep buying because I like them so much to use for a sort of illustrate-my-way-through-the-psalms type thing. I don't know though. Thoughts?

So far my experiments with the new cameras are going great! I've put up to albums of them on my facebook page.

I'm just trying not to think about people moving away and/or my own uncertainties at this point.

Trey wants him, Riley, Eric, and I to start a Thinklings-type blog. I really like the idea. We're working through names.

Ai is getting better and better.

James Roberts has asked me to consider helping lead worship with him for the college and young singles group at church on Sunday mornings, but I don't know if I should. That possibility has been bouncing around in my head for a week or so. I would love to do it, but I don't know if I'm willing to commit to being there every week yet. I was considering visiting some other churches this semester-not because I'm looking for a different church, but because I'm curious about how other churches do things. Then again, I think I would really, really enjoy it. I will have to pray about it.

...What piano would I use though?

"I will not let go 'til you are."

2009-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm fairly certain that after this week everything will officially have changed.

This weekend has been a much needed chill-out time with my family and favorite cousin, Melody :) We're staying in a condo/hotel thing on the beach in Port Aransas (by Corpus). Our room is on the 8th floor and has a fantastic view of the shore:

I haven't taken a ton of pictures, but I plan on going on a walk a little later and photographing a bit of the town and beach and stuff.

Tomorrow we get back.

I feel like this week is going to be ridiculous.

Monday I've accidentally half-committed to do a whole bunch of different things with different people. I told some friends from school that I would have dinner with them at the Crepe Paris Cafe on Louetta and Steubner Airline, but I don't think that's going to happen because they haven't said anything more about it and I'd rather do the other things I have planned. I planned to do a photo shoot with Taylor so I can get some color stuff done with my new cameras (which I am excited about), also I'm playing volleyball with some people tomorrow (which I'm also excited about!). But it's also Melody's last night here :(

So yeah. Lots planned for tomorrow! Hopefully we'll get back early...haha.

I'm already looking forward to J&T in November!

I Am Understood?

2009-08-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's embarrassing to talk to you

To hold a conversation with the only one who sees right through

This version of myself

I try to hide behind

I'll bury my face because my disgrace will leave me terrified

And sometimes I'm so thankful for your loyalty

Your love regardless of

The mistakes I make will spoil me

My confidence is, in a sense, a gift you've given me

And I'm satisfied to realize you're all I'll ever need

You looked into my life and never stopped

And you're thinking all my thoughts

Are so simple, but so beautiful

And you recite my words right back to me

Before I even speak

You let me know, I am understood

And sometimes I spend my time

Just trying to escape

I work so hard so desperately, in an attempt to create space

Cause I want distance from the utmost important thing I know

I see your love, then turn my back and beg for you to go

You're the only one who understands completely

You're the only one knows me yet still loves completely

And sometimes the place I'm at is at a loss for words

If I think of something worthy I know that its already yours

And through the times I've faded and you've outlined me again

You've just patiently waited, to bring me back and then

You looked into my life and never stopped

And you're thinking all my thoughts

Are so simple, but so beautiful
And you recite my words right back to me
Before I even speak
You let me know, I am understood

The noise has broken my defense

Let me embrace salvation

Your voice has broken my defense

Let me embrace salvation

--"I Am Understood?"

from RK's Two Lefts

There is so much I relate to in here. "Through the times I've faded and you've outlined me again."

"Before I even speak, You let me know, I am understood."

I love that concept. God knows our problems and our praises. He knows our hearts. Our sinful selves try to get away, but he continually draws us near to him.

"Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

Lomography? Yes.

2009-08-01T16:44:00.001-07:00

35mm Fisheye Camera

This camera basically takes a picture in a circle format

instead of a rectangle.

Examples:

So tight!

35mm Action Sampler Camera

Basically what this camera does is take four pictures

on one negative over the course of 1 second.

Here are some interesting (albeit cute) examples:

Okay, so only one of them is cute, but still. haha.

I bought these two cameras yesterday from amazon and I'm really excited to get them in! :) These will be great to have for future experiments with Eric on Intentional Accidents!

I HAVE SO MANY MEMORIES!

2009-07-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

This is a list of things that I've done or seen lately that have made me sad that some of my best friends are going off to college so soon. But they've also made me happy for all the great experiences we've had together!

Wearing my JH Band shirt today.

Finding my tickets to the Nickel Creek concert and the RK/Sherwood concert.

Not being in the band anymore.

The plastic grapes Taylor, Molly, Allison, (and Riley?) got me from the dollar store for my birthday one year.

Thinking about the trip to Austin last summer.

Going to Kids Camp.

'Tainted Love' the song, which came on in the container store the other day.

It won't be long until the Weather Clears and the Sun Shines Bright! We'll see it all then...

2009-07-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Eric and I have started a photography blog! Check it out at www.intentionalaccidents.blogspot.com

In other news, I've been really busy.

Kids camp was last week, Thursday through Sunday, and it was wonderful. I was sad that Taylor, Riley, Nathan, and Ryan didn't get to go this time, but it was still really cool because Molly and I got to switch off playing piano and both sung harmonies with Robby. Also, we did Days Of Elijah, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Of course Nick said his favorite song was the one time we did Superhero, but what can I say, that song is a Grade A classic. Also, Danielle was there! Which was exciting because I don't hang out with DG that often. The 5th Grade party was epic! 80s Prom themed, Molly looked even more like Elaine from Seinfeld than she usually does ;)

One of the days Molly, DG, AJ and I climbed the huge hill that the cabins are at the base of which is something I've always wanted to do. It was really tight because we basically started at the base of one side, climbed diagonally up to the top, the went diagonally down the other side. We passed behind all the cabins and ended up at the archery range, while we started at the ropes trail.

College is going well! I've decided my favorite classes are Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 to 5. They're with the same teacher (professor?) who I really like. They are Rapid Visualization and Observational Drawing. I'm liking OD the most I think because it's more of a drawing from still lives and stuff kind of thing. It's very relaxing. Today after the teacher was done lecturing and we got to drawing these four smaller compositions from the still life she had set up I hooked up my headphones and sketched for about an hour while listening to Brooke Fraiser, who I've found is really amazing. I love the combination of the fluid piano and the earthy sound the snare in the drum kit makes in most of her songs. In the Rapid Viz. class we're doing this project where we draw a specific thing in a whole bunch of different styles. I'm drawing birds and I think it's turning out well. I think birds are so interesting to draw because their bodies are very streamlined. All the lines are kind of congruent. I don't know if that makes sense, but it does in my mind. haha.

I was talking to Melanie tonight about the new bands and it was very bittersweet. :/ I think that they are going to be SO GOOD this year! I'm just a little sad to not be a part of them. I hope that if they ever need a fill in keyboard player or vocalist they will give me a call. But yeah, I'm really excited to hear them this Sunday!

I have Color Theory tomorrow...which I skipped last week to go to Kids Camp...hmmm.

Tubing Friday :D

I Wanna Lose It All For You

2009-07-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

"Oh-oh, oh oh oh."

So. ROF n' BOF.

It went so well! I have so much respect for all of the guys in Rush of Fools. They were so gracious and kind about everything! They insisted we (BOF) go first when getting our lunch, they had nothing but compliments to give us, and they were very willing to talk to us and answer questions. It was really exciting.

The actual concert was realllyyy good as well! Our part went by much faster than I expected it would. All of the sudden we were playing the second to last song. It was bittersweet because it was my last set ever to play with the bands, and after three years I don't know what to do next, but I'm excited to be moving on to better things. Plus, the last song we played (Hosanna) has the chord 'Gsus' in it! I was really excited, haha. (favorite pun)

Ps - I'm on my way to Kids Camp! I'm so excited, though I'm going to miss the rest of the band that usually goes :( Molly and I will just have to make due.

A Thought

2009-07-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

This just kind of fell into my head.

I'm in the industry of superficiality
Destined to fade into that reality
I'm so selfish for thinking it's about my exterior
The truth is that you are the truth and I am the inferior.

I'm in the Right Place.

2009-07-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Today in my Observational Drawing Class we were talking about why you lose track of time sometimes when you're drawing and I asked everyone if they are also annoyed by the question "How long did that take you?" And they all said something along the lines of "YES! I know EXACTLY what you mean! I don't know how long it took me! Do you think I time myself or something?"

They understand me!

haha. I thought it was funny.

College + random other things.

2009-07-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some random art supplies:

So, I'm officially a college student. It feels weird because I haven't moved or done anything really different between High School and now. (Though I will not be looking back to Cypress Creek, ehh.) Anyway, here's my schedule:

Monday - College 101 from 1 to 3 pm and Computer Applications from 3 to 5 pm.

Tuesday - Rapid Visualization from 1 to 5 pm and Design Fundamentals from 6 to 10 pm.

Wednesday - Observational Drawing from 1 to 5 pm.

Thursday - Color Fundamentals from 6 to 10 pm. Which means no more Throwdown :(

So far my classes are going well. There are more people who are older and returning to school than I expected there to be. Also, there are only like 90 students at Ai! Isn't that weird? I guess that's what happens when you go to a new school.

I saw the new Harry Potter movie as an advance showing last night at Silverado 19! It was much better than the last one. They stayed with the story line for the most part. But I won't say anything else. Don't want to ruin it! But yeah, go see it.

Go read Molly's most recent post on her blog if you haven't. She says some good stuff about dating.

Anyway, Rush of Fools this weekend! Then Kids Camp! I'm excited, but I'm going to miss Taylor, Nathan, and Riley being there. :( And Ryan, too! But she wasn't going to go.

I've been listening almost exclusively to Jenny & Tyler lately. They sound so great! Their harmonies, jazzy piano, mandolin, guitar all meshes so well! Jenny's voice sounds so good with Tyler's! It's literally music to my ears.

time

2009-07-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

I talked to time the other day

It shared with me many a way

To live long or short and diem, carpe

It told me how to bend and warp

The speed and direction, turning sharp

Toward the future and before the start

What I've Been Learning/Considering Lately

2009-07-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

At camp Luke talked about offering God yourself daily, and that is something that has really stuck with me since he said it. In the morning it is refreshing and helps my confidence in dealing with sin in my life to offer myself to God.

I've been genuinely afraid that I'm going to fall into the same sinful routine that I was in before camp that I was convicted of. I've failed so many times before. Please pray for me.

I need to be content. I worry too much about the future and social things and other pointless human problems like that. I should be focusing on loving like I'm called to do, worshiping like I'm called to do, and sharing like I'm called to do.

Life can and probably should be so much simpler.

Just because I reach a conclusion on everything doesn't mean that it's the correct one. I make so many mistakes!

Things I'm guilty of knocking before I've tried them: Christian rap. The Shack.

Random Tangent: We we're talking tonight at the TNT afterparty about how The Chronicles of Narnia are okay allegorically while The Shack isn't. I was just thinking about all the things that are sketchy in Narnia (but I still love it). Lucy and Susan definitely party with Aslan and Baccus (basically the god of drunken partying), at the end of The Last Battle, a Calormene soldier goes to 'Heaven' because he lived like a follower of Aslan would live, even though he did all of those things in the name of Tash (basically the Narnian version of satan). Basically: There's a reason it's called fiction.

Thoughts on any of this?

Love's Gonna Last Forever!

2009-06-29T21:18:00.001-07:00

Love's gonna last forever!

Love's gonna last forever and ever!

Oh, Jenny and Tyler! You two treat my ears so well with your blissfully complementary voices and plethora of songs about love. Such a great band!

But, to change the subject: I'm worried.

But it's not really about anything majorly important, I just don't know how I can not lose my voice at camp! I mean, it's obvious, I just won't scream, but have you met me?! It won't be difficult except for the whole rec thing... I'm going to feel like crap not screaming my face off at rec!

I need alternatives! Should I just be the cheer-maker-upper? Or should I bring noisemaking devices? bah! Any suggestions, my friends? Yes, even you, person who I don't know reads my blog! What should I do?

I've Been Learning How to Die

2009-06-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna miss you,

I'm gonna miss you when you're gone.

She says "I love you,

I'm gonna miss hearing hearing your songs."

I said, "Please. Don't talk about the end!

Don't talk about how every living thing goes away."

She said, "Friend,

All along, thought I was learning how take,

How to bend not how to break,

How to laugh, not how to cry.

Really, I've been learning how to die.

I've been learning how to die."

Hey everyone! I've got nowhere to go.

The grave is lazy...He takes our bodies slow-ly.

I've been learning how to die.

I <3 love.

2009-06-26T22:10:00.001-07:00

I was just thinking about it, and I'll admit it: I really am a sucker for a good love song/story.

Despite the fact that I argue that Moulin Rouge is about a prostitute (which it is), Elephant Love Medley is a great song. I really liked the book The Notebook, though I have no plans to see the movie. I like it when my books have a love story somewhere in them that ties into the main plot. (And I'm talking legit love story, not like in Harry Potter where everyone decides to randomly make out.) Ted Dekker always has good love story sub plots. Jon Foreman has great love songs.

But I still don't like Taylor Swift's 'Love Story.'

Nope!

That is all.

Whirlwind

2009-06-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Rewind: Play starting Thursday.

Group interview at the Container store. It went well I think!

TNT was great. Riley, Tyler (Stamps), and I spent the night at Trey's house afterwards so we could leave early the next morning for Trey's grandpa's property like 4 1/2 hours north of here. It was great! I love camping with those guys (We all missed Eric and Brian!) We hiked a bit, scaled this tree by our tent, played around with Trey's baby Taylor and practiced our shooting (which was exciting, though I'm not a huge fan of guns) Friday and Saturday were really hot, but they were good for camping.

Saturday I got home and went out to eat with my parents and AJ (nick went to a friends house) for the 'last supper' before AJ leaves for Stanford in California.

The next morning (Sunday) I wake up early to take my parents and AJ to the airport. On the way back I run out of gas right before the Cypresswood exit on 249 and just kind of drift down off the highway with my four-ways on to the Lowe's parking lot where I got Tyler (Yates) to pick me up for church.

Steven Welch filled in for JM on drums and did a great job! I was really glad he played with us.

I painted a canvas while Darren was speaking on the stage and I think it went well. haha, I think all the adults were like "what is that disrespectful kid doing?!" in big church since I had my paint clothes on. I definitely enjoyed painting. Thanks, Darren!

I got home and napped. When I woke up I got on my laptop and then the power went out. lame. But I couldn't even tell it was raining, so I go look outside and it's raining CATS AND DOGS! My first thought is, the JEEP has NO WINDOWS! So I run out of my house to put the windows on (I couldn't open the garage door cause the power went out.) and I'm getting drenched and can't see very well cause there are water drops all over my glasses when I hear this CRACKTHUNK. I look over and see that the awning on the back of our house has broken off and covered the back doors. It was crazy.

Then it stops raining and I get Taylor to take me to get my car back from the Lowe's parking lot, which was a whole 'nother ordeal because my gas can didn't have the right nozzle and we had to get Taylor's parents to bring us a funnel. It was crazy, but we got my car back. Thanks Taylor/Taylor's Parents!

Then the Weises kindly offer to let me spend the night at their house because I still don't have power at my house (because my house always loses power for like twice the time as all the other ones.) They are so great! I they all called my within 30 minutes to ask if everything was alright with my car. It was kind of funny. But I definitely appreciate it. Thanks Weises!

The next morning I had a one-on-one interview for the job at the container store which I also think went well.

I got Nick back from his friends and we go swimming with Allison Short and then get Tyler, Kyle, and Nathan to come play Brawl, which was exciting.

This morning I got a call from the Container Store. I got the job! :D I am now a merchandise processor for the Container Store.

Piano lesson next!

Sine Wave

2009-06-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today when I signed up for my classes, I wasn't thinking and scheduled one on Thursday evening, which means I'll have to miss most of Throwdown starting the week after camp, because the Art Institute starts on July 13. But I'm still excited to be starting classes soon!

Tomorrow I have an interview for a job at the Container Store that Taylor's mom has helped me get. We'll see how this plays out, because the job is from 5 to 10 am in the morning... and I'm definitely not a morning person. haha.

Random observation: I feel like a sine wave. Up, Down, Up, Down.

What a nerdy way to put things.

oh, and, 3.0! I heart sideways texting. Riley's right. I'm more excited about being excited than anything else. haha.

Random things I've been pondering:

1. I think I focus better when someone is speaking when I have my eyes closed. I'm too much of a visual person to focus on what a person is saying when they are wearing clothing with weird patterns or have a weird body type or something. I'm always trying to figure out how a clothing pattern repeats or where lines on something would meet if they extended farther.

2. I very rarely do things accidentally. Like, I pay attention to how I dress so much (and how other people dress) that it's more work for me to try to not think about what I'm going to wear than to just think about it.

3. I'm fairly certain I will never be able to play the guitar very well. There are too many places to put your fingers and they aren't grouped visually or anything like on a piano.

Apparently I'm a visual freak. Well, welcome to my life.

ps - my trial version of Adobe Fireworks CS4 expired. :(

The Jesus Painter

2009-06-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jesus Painter Example

Okay, so if you haven't heard about this guy, then you can check him out by clicking here.

He's this guy that basically paints giant pictures of Jesus with his hands and sometimes paintbrushes on stage at churches and stuff.

Well, a couple of months ago, Darren asked me if I would be interested in doing something like that one Sunday in 249 and I thought it sounded like it would be interesting, so I agreed. Today he asked me if I'd do it this Sunday on the high school side. Exciting!

We'll see how this turns out...

Love.

2009-06-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

How can I love God and others better?

It all comes down to that question.

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." Deuteronomy 6:5-8

I pray that I can love God and love people as much as possible.

I hope that we can all make that our prayer.

The next time I have an inclination to be rude or hateful I pray that I remember these verses.

The next time I feel the need to sin, I pray that I remember these verses and that I can remember that God will not let me be tempted more than I can bear.

Does anyone have any verses or things they do that help them love God and people? I'd love to hear them.

mmhmm

2009-06-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

^"It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

"Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing."

Ephesians 2:1-10 (The Message)

Nostalgia

2009-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

These past 13 years of school have been good to me.

That is why I would take a little bit to reflect on some important people and events that have affected me since I've entered grade school and exited it again a much different and better person.

(These are in no order)

First of all, I have started my relationship with God since starting school, and I have learned so much that has become invaluable in that relationship. And although I have so, so, so much more to learn about love and life and death and God, and although I have sins to overcome, nothing has brought me more joy than being able to worship the God of the universe and love and be loved by him. May I focus the rest of my life on him. May I be able to worship Him with my whole heart and mind and soul.

I don't think I can put into words how much my parents have selflessly done for me and my brothers during my school experience. They have not only helped me with homework, but they have taught me so many life lessons that I don't know how I could even function without them.

All of you reading this have done so much for me too. I still have a thing of fake grapes in my room from that dollar store present for my birthday freshman year :) And I have so many concert tickets for Relient K, Nickel Creek, Switchfoot, David Crowder Band, etc. You have all been so exciting and fun. I'm so glad we got to have each other through the laughter at parties and kick the can ventures and making music together, and through the tears when things had to change and when things weren't working out; but they always worked out in the end. Thanks for all the leadership and random talks at Starbucks and at lunch on Sunday. I will never forget these times.

All that being said, I have no intention on lamenting the loss of my high school days. I look forward to finding new ways to love and worship God, to grow a family of my own and have giant Horst family gatherings, to create new memories with my friends and make new ones! As cliche as the subject of this whole blog is, I hope that I can equally appreciate my past and enjoy the present and not worry about what the future holds. Please try to pray for me as we all continue with our lives and I will try to pray for you.

ON TO THE REST OF MY LIFE!

that is all.

A Random Update

2009-06-04T22:40:00.000-07:00

I'm so close to college I can almost taste it. And it tastes of paints, pencils, and macintosh computers. I'm so excited about going to the Art Institute! They were supposed to call me Wednesday to find out when to sign up for classes, but I never got a call, hmm...

I haven't read any fiction in a while so I went on down to the Harris County Public Library off of Jones Rd and picked up the first two books of Ted Dekker's 'the Lost Books' series, which stems off of the Circle Trilogy. I must say, they're really good so far. I always love and get something out of Dekker's books. If you haven't read any of them let me know so I can lend you a few.

Speaking of books, Nick started the Harry Potter series today! I'm so excited for him! :D

In other news, Obama's speech today 'to the muslim world' was really good. For what it's worth, I'm so glad we have an eloquent president.

I leave for Disney World on Sunday! Eeeee! I've never been, so I have no idea what to expect, but I'm sure it will be amazing.

Oh, also, I got the Sims 3 on Tuesday, and it has been eating a lot of my time. I've always loved the Sims games, and they just keep getting better! I'm currently working on a mansion for my sims (Yes, I used the money-getting cheats, but I like building the houses more than anything else in the game!)

College people are back in town! yay!

Something I Found; Something I Should Remember

2009-06-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

I love this sketch.

2009-05-28T10:09:00.001-07:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpgJMlfAzTc

Ramblings of a Delerious Person

2009-05-24T03:14:00.001-07:00

I'm on the bus back from SNAP, so I shall blog to keep me awake.

It's really weird experiencing the last event of my senior year with
people that I have known since elementary school. It's like, we've all
spent the last 12 years getting to know each other and I probably
never see 98% of them ever again after next week. I am really exciting
to be getting off to college, it's just going to be so different,
which I guess will probably be good.

On a completely different note; I watched all the important parts of
the iPhone OS 3.0 preview on Apple's website on Saturday and it is
amazing what they're doing. Apple is essentially creating the first
computer that is truly, completely portable while still being
convenient. I really don't see how any other smartphone could compete.
If you get a chance, go watch the preview of the 3.0 software at
apple.com, it's amazing.

I used to see all these futuristic all-purpose gadgets of tv shows and
movies, but none of them have ever been as practical as the iPhone
seems to be.

More About Different Thinking Styles

2009-05-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

This us just something I would like to add to the blog I posted the
other day about the different ways people think.

I wanted to address two very specific thinking styles that are
extremely opposite, and that just happen to be evident in my family
members. One thought process is Doing Things Because They Are Right.
My brother, AJ, and my dad both posess this thinking style naturally.
The other one is Doing Things Because They Are Beneficial. Now, this
is a kind definition for this thought process that both my mom and I
posess, because it sounds much more moral than it is. But we--and I'm
mostly speaking for myself in this post, though I'm pretty sure my
family would agree with my assessment--both feel the need to do things
that will benefit ourselves, despite their moral standings (within
reason). Being moral is something that I have had to learn through the
grace of God and from my brother and dad.

I felt the need to share this, because it is another great example of
different thinking styles in different people. I think it's
interesting to consider that we don't all think the same way about
morals naturally.

Also, this strengthens the concept for myself that we are saved by
grace alone, because sometimes I jest feel like, since AJ naturally
feels the need to be more kind and generous etc. than I naturally
feel, I'm not good enough. Now, that's not to say I blame all my
problems on my thinking and reasoning styles, because I don't. I have
learned to be a better person, and becoming a Christian has definitely
altered my thinking and reasoning. It's just reassuring that we are
saved by grace.

Laughs

2009-05-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

2009-05-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

I am Discouraged.

Opposites continue to fulfill each other, and

Time persistently continues to be relative.

Why can't enjoyment go fast, while boredom goes slow?

I just hit my knee really hard on my desk.

I'm working on painting my second pair of shoes today, the first were my new tom's shoes, the second are Liz Cornett's that she gave to me to paint like a month ago, but I won't finish tonight.

My parents have let me use our old office for the time being as a studio which is really cool. I brought all my art junk down from my room and just piled it everywhere. It makes it feel legit.

I know where I'm going to college!

The school year is winding down!

Wow, I'm being very stream-of-consciousness-y tonight.

Sleeeeeeeeeep!

TECHNO LUST.

2009-05-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

The HASSELBLAD H3DII-50

50 megapixels of phenomenal sensitivity.

WANT.

(to bad it costs more than a year of college)

I'm swearing off Bible-In-A-Year Plans.

2009-05-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

Bah! I'm ruined!

I've decided that I will never ever attempt a bible-in-a-year plan ever again! Ah!

I'm so mad at myself! I just can't deal with the stress of them. Reading the bible should be something that you can feel comfortable doing. But every time I try one I just end up feeling like crap because I can't keep up with it and I just get more and more behind until I don't even think about it because it stresses me out. Then it takes me forever to get back into a groove reading the Bible and it effects the rest of my life.

The End.

Now to find a non-calendar-oriented Bible reading plan. Or maybe I'll just make one. gah.

Thought Processes

2009-04-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

I really want to know how different people's brains work. Would you mind sharing?

ex: I always view things in my head. I see the calendar year as a circle going clockwise. a week is a wide rectangle with gray marks signifying school, ABS, etc.

Just to make it easier, how do you view time in your head? Or, how do you think about things? Pictures? Sounds? Words? Sounds? I would love to know. I've been contemplating this subject a lot lately.

This Weekend

2009-04-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

I dyed my hair today! It's been a while, but I've finally done it again.

And--Even better--I ACTUALLY APPLIED TO A COLLEGE!

Yesterday I went to this open house at the Art Institute of Houston-North and it was perfect. It just was. More later. Or ask me a question about it some time!

I am have senioritis worse than ever before, and that's saying something.

I hate my english class. I took K level English so that I wouldn't have to deal with AP nonsense, but no, of course it's just as much if not more work than AP English was last year. Oh well, good thing I'm going to be an art major! :)

Actually, I will have a Bachelor's in Graphic Design. Fancy fancy! Anyway.

Ah! I'm so excited that I have the next few years of my life finally in my head as more than a grey cloud!

I started the online registration and crap for my AP 2D Art Portfolio on Friday. I'm excited to put it all together.

Molly's senior pictures turns out really great and she's happy with them which means that I am happy with them :)

twofer

2009-04-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

hypocrisy.

it's everywhere! we all partake in it! you. me. That Guy Over There.

I guess I'm not in a good mood. I would've gone to bed at 9:45, but alas. Not tired! What is this nonsense? Not tired after only 5 hours of sleep last night? I feel a rant coming on.

I don't see the problem with being a Christian and supporting a liberal President.

What I do see a problem with is Christians harboring so much hatred for a person. Liberal or otherwise. But again I say, hypocrites! (of whom I am the worst)

but I digress.

I haven't Blogged in a long time

2009-04-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

But so much has happened in the last month that I don't even want to think about putting it all up here...

Let's try a new method: Stream of conciousness.

"Europe! Paris and Barcelona = best week ever. New Friends. There are alot more interesting people at creek than I realized. Breakup. I'm single! Problems. Solutions. More problems. Music Festival! Clarinet Concerto in A Major. Easter Sunday power outage = x5 amazing. Crepes. NUTELLA! NHS officers :) NEW nhs officers. Piano. I've been hard on myself lately. Confusion. Stupidity. Disappointment. The Wasteland is amazing. Heart of Darkness? Haven't started. Tea parties? nooooo. Idk about you, but my paycheck this month had less money taken out for taxes, sillies. Freedom. I got a giant sketchbook. Hey man, I'm glad I talked to you, I was not happy with you, but I guess that's what happens when you make assumptions. Molly's senior pictures tomorrow! (Hoping for sun!) 70% chance of rain = :( Eiffel Tower! Sacre Coeur! La Rambla! La Sagrada Familia! The band is being weird, I never know what to expect! Technical problems. My short fuse. Will I go to Prom? Is there a Group? Alone or Date? Fun? yes. Yes! long story? YES. Summer, where are you?"

*Super Smash Bros. Voice* Success!

what a weekend

2009-03-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

After school Friday and all day Saturday I spent with most of the Shindig group camping at Martin Dies Jr. State Park, which is near Jasper, TX. It was really great. Eric and I tried to get some long exposures of the night sky to see more stars than were visible, and we got some good ones, but the sky was cloudy most of the night. The moos was almost full, too, which was really cool, because it meant we could go without flashlights most of the time. We all almost were killed by Tyler Stamps, who is a freaking beast. And also, I fell out of a tree (well, I guess the tree fell with me...) into a river, which was really exciting, and canoed for a few hours. Overall it was really awesome.

Sunday was really different. The sound system currently does not work in the junior high side, so somehow we ended up playing a very acoustic set outside in the YMCA parking lot. (I got to use a shaker! FINALLY.) I think it was really cool, even if the jh'ers didn't sing as much as I'd like them too. I came home and slept for a few hours, because I was exhausted from camping, then went back up to the church for ministry night, which wasn't as productive as I would have liked it to be, but there's not much you can do when the paint's still wet...

Erin and I are no longer dating. We met Sunday night and I ended the relationship. Don't worry, we're still friends, but it would be great if you could keep both of us in your prayers. Sorry if I sound short, I just don't want to post a lot about it for different reasons. I appreciate all the people who have shown us support, it definitely means a lot.

Countdown

2009-03-02T13:42:00.001-08:00

I will be on one of the most amazing trips of my life in less than 2 weeks. Barcelona! Paris! I can't even believe this is actually happening! ("THIS IS HAPPENING!") Who wants souvenirs? :)

My parents got back from their anniversary cruise trip to Cozumel today! I'm glad they're home, I missed them! I'm still waiting to hear all about it. THEY BROUGHT ME LEGIT MARACAS! hmm...They may have to pop up somewhere in the acoustic set Sunday ;) muhaahhahha!1!!

Today my art teacher decided that she wanted to yell at me. I think I handled it relatively well, but I don't know. At the beginning she asked me to tell her what I "really think about the her." Not a good invitation. I told her I wasn't going to, because I try to respect my elders, then she started walking away and I said, "and I would expect some respect in return." Which made her decide we should talk in the hall. ohh dear.

Anyway! Europe in two weeks! I'm already wearing my cheap watch and I'm stocking up on film :)

General Update

2009-02-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

Most prominent news to date: Saturday I became the proud owner of a brand new 16GB iPhone. This comes with much joy and some random negativities. The joy -- This phone is of course something I've been wanting for a very long time, and there's something really exciting to me about knowing that I can connect to the internet anywhere - at school, a restaurant, in the car. Also, it significantly reduces pocket space. I've now combined my iPod and phone into one thing that is smaller than my previous phone. I got to give my old iPod Touch to Erin. (I really like giving people stuff, it's just one of those things.) The the random negativities -- I want to express my excitement to others without it coming off as bragging, which is pretty much impossible. So, I always feel bad after talking about it, but I guess I just shouldn't talk about it...I don't know. Also, having the constant internet connection makes it feel like I am dependent and should go join an IA group (Internetters Anonymous).

Anyway, I had two other vivid dreams since my last post that both involved really bright colored flowers that I've never seen before that I immediately had the urge to pick. These dreams have prompted me to put a pen and paper at the head of my bed, but alas, no dreams since the pen and paper have gone into place.

Last weekend I attended Cheer Banquet with Erin and VASE (I have no idea what it stands for, but it's an art competition) I entered a photo and a mixed media piece of mine. They both got 4s (which is good) but neither of them went to state. I think my drawing and painting teacher entered me into division 3 instead of division 4 (which I should've been in) illegally...she told me I'd definitely go to state if she did... hmm... shady business. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to putting together my AP art portfolio.

Finally, I'm going to start trying to put together an actual website at zachhorst.com, that should prove to be interesting, but I'm not sure how much time I'll have, what with all the nonsense I have to be doing for my research paper over the next few weeks. I swear Mrs Clarke is trying to kill us.

PS: I've been feeling really pessimistic lately, I don't know what's up.

A B Yes!

2009-02-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight ABS was really great.

This is saying something. Usually, I'm not all that excited about going to it, but this week it was really good! It was a lot smaller than it usually is, but it was like, all the people that care were there, so there wasn't any of the awkwardness that there usually is, and I was just really into it tonight. Also, there were only two senior guys, so we went with the junior guys, which was also cool, because they care so much more than most of the guys in our usual small group.

On another note, I now have a legit graphics editing program! This is amazing news! Woohoo! I may have to hook back up my 'bamboo fun' Wacom nonsense (:

I've been having really vivid, weird dreams lately. Last night was about a wedding. The night before was about hurricanes and Shindig, and the night before that there were two; one was about San Antonio, old neighbors, and moving, and the other one was about a mansion. (The mansion is a recurring setting for dreams of mine. But usually it's someone else's mansion, this time it was my family's house? weird.)

Later!

Zach

Just Some Thoughts

2009-02-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

I think that many of the problems of high school could be solved if it started an hour later, or even just 30 minutes. I personally would be more awake during the school day and more likely to do other things than just roll out of bed and go to school. It would allow students more time to eat breakfast, which always helps. I was just thinking about this the other day.

Also, I've noticed lately that I'm more likely to not do anything I need to do than I am to do some of the things I have to do to completion while leaving other things unfinished. It may seem unreasonable, but that's just how it usually ends up working.

This seems really cliche (never mind pessimistic), but I've seen plenty of clouds without silver linings. (Literally and metaphorically).

Erin, Marissa and I went to some thrift stores today and walmart (wait, I already said thrift stores) and it was really exciting. I got a cool shirt for some record label I've never heard of and a leather belt that is monogrammed on the back "C. J. C." haha. It also has eagles and trees and I'm really excited about it. Then we went to see Comedy Sportz which was ridiculously amazing. I'm actually mad that I didn't know about it until this year, otherwise I completely would have tried out for it a long time ago.

Reinvention

2009-02-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

People keep randomly asking me if they can pray for me, and I keep not knowing what to say. And since most of those people read my blog, here is what you can do:

Reading Marissa's blog made me realize that I really need to reinvent myself. Or rather, I need to do a whole bunch of things that I need God's help with, and I would appreciate it if you would pray for me.

Thank You,

Zach

Something Read and Something Written

2009-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

I read this today:

"Lady, better a sculptor far

Chiselled those curves you smudge and mar,

And God did more than lipstick can

To justify your mouth to man."

I thought it was interesting and well written.

Now to write something with that cool rhyming scheme:

The Satellite

Floating out forgotten in Space

There is a wayward satellite

With no regard to Time or place

It's seen many an elusive sight

Galaxies that are colliding

White dwarves in endless night

The Pleiades' glow, always shining

Nebulae that hide planets and stars

Meteors between are diving

This neglected mass of metal parts,

Now caught by unforgiving gravity,

From it's leisurely stroll departs

Breaking through the sparse canopy,

The planet's atmosphere, a dent is made

In the heart of unknown land, swampy

Creatures venture out of the shade

No human ever knows.

Letting You Know

2009-02-05T20:12:00.001-08:00

I am a shameless Book Cover judger.

I am probably about 75% more likely to pick up a book or check out a CD on iTunes if it has a cover that is visually stimulating.

Dante Alighieri Knows What's Up

2009-02-01T21:27:00.000-08:00

I can't bring myself to do everything that I need to be doing right now. It's just not happening. Maybe I need a job. Maybe I need some medicine. Maybe I'm going about this in all the wrong ways.

In other news, I'm reading The Inferno right now and apparently in the original Italian, the rhyming style was aba bcb cdc ded efe... and so on. I want to write something using that pattern. We'll see.

I was watching The Biggest Loser this evening and decided it's only good for my self-esteem intil about two of three episodes from the finale when all the formerly-obese people get lower BMI's than me. It's like, while I'm sitting here weighing the same I've weighed for a while, they're out there losing my entire body weight in fat. haha.

On a slightly related note, I'm considering starting to run. The Moore Elementary track seems reasonable.

I wish I could be humble. It always makes me mad when people are down on themselves for stupid reasons, so I say to myself, "Okay, Zach. Don't be like that. You need to be sure of yourself so that someone is." There are just so many people who hate themselves, or are always so critical, I feel like I have to be confident, or else everything will be depressing all the time. But it's hard to be confident without being arrogant. And we all know where I fall on that scale.

Finally, I'm really enjoying The Message Remix translation of the Bible lately. I know that it's only like 163% less 'accurate' than the ESV, but I pay so much more attention to what I'm reading and retain it more when I read the message. Especially the Psalms. They are always so beautiful in the message version. What ho! The poetry is poetic! Forgive my sarcasm, I really think a person should find the translation that they can read and understand the best, then stick with it. I'm sure the writer of the NKJV is somewhere feeling a disturbance in the force.

"In simple humility, let our gardener, God, Landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." from James 1:19 (The Message)

Exclamation!

2009-01-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today was a photographer's dream come true. On the way home form school, Callie Sheehan told me that she and Allison went on a walk through the woods behind the park on Cypresswood and saw a couch. My immediate reaction was, "What a cool idea for a photo shoot!" But, it was seriously better than I imagined. I got Erin and Marissa to accompany me and to sit on the couch for the pictures. We set off on the trail in search of the elusive couch, and we discover all these trails that go along the tops of hills, which was really, really exciting. When we get to the top of one, I look down into the creek to see that the couch is actually halfway in the water on the opposite bank from us. Twenty minutes and two bridges later we are at the couch. And it was as if God had placed the couch in the perfect position and the sun at just the right angle to make it look like the couch was perched on a stream in Rivendell. It was amazing. I took some photos with my aforementioned Holga camera and my 2 mega-pixel phone camera and then called my dad to bring me my digital camera. By the time he got to us the sunlight wasn't good anymore, so we're going to try again later. But it was so cool! I'm very excited to develop the film tomorrow and see how they turn out!

Photography

2009-01-24T20:52:00.000-08:00

behold!

I am loving the medium format holga camera right now.

No batteries. Minimal focusing, hardly any worrying about SS

and F-stop. This one has a flash, but mine doesn't.

Bliss!

The Kiss - Robert Doisneau

from Roadside Ghosts - Dave Anderson

(medium format = mmhmm)

Jerry Uelsmann in general

(I'm pretty sure he's magic)

His photography is extremely

well done, but some of them contain

objectionable material, so I'm sorry

in advance.

On a different note, I convinced my english teacher to let me read The Great Divorce in conjunction with The Inferno! What a great day it is when I can read Lewis for English class.

Small Update.

2009-01-21T20:40:00.001-08:00

LOST is back. The second semester has officially begun.

Spicy!

2009-01-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

I'm eating a red hot, but I don't know why, because I don't like red hots...

Furthermore, I have sharpie on my hand, and I think that it has transferred to the side of my face. There are so many things that I've been thinking about lately, and I don't know how to put any of them into words as well as I would like to. I want to tell people things, and I don't know how to go about it. This red hot isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Remember that old lame myspace thing where you write things down about people and then number them so that people have to guess if it's about them or not? I hate those, because I'll se negative things and wonder if they are about me. It's annoying, but I feel like I want to do one of those things right now, but I'll leave out all the guessing...

Marissa, I've been reading all of your blogs. Just so you know. I enjoy reading them and I want you to know that I think that you don't give yourself enough credit. I think that you are a very interesting person and I enjoy your company a lot. Marie, I also have been reading all of your blogs (and for some reason am now going to eat another red hot) and I am so glad that you are coming back to Texas! I was kind of hoping you would since we just actually became friends over the summer. Erin, I love being your boyfriend, just in case I haven't told you enough, and am so looking forward to your birthday and going to LaserQuest on Valentines Day! I really can't imagine dating anyone else. Lindsay, I feel bad for winning the T-shirt contest, probably because I don't like making you feel bad, you're one of the most fun people I know. Riley, it seems like we haven't talked to one another since school started. I feel like I have to try really hard to get anything out of you. You are so distracted by school and stuff. (aka, why I recommended not taking American Studies. It's a life sucker.) Why am I writing all this? I don't know. I guess I'm relieving some of the nonsense bouncing around around in my head. Molly, I feel really bad afterward when I get fed up with you and yell. I'm sorry. I wish that wasn't the first thing to come to your mind when we mention problems with people working together in the bands. I do think you are possibly the most naturally musically talented person I know and I enjoy working with you. Callie, I am so thankful you joined JLT this year, it's been really wonderful working with you, you have a beautiful voice and more talent than you give yourself credit for. The CD you recorded is amazing. Thanks for giving me a copy. Taylor, I do not know what I would have done if you didn't rejoin the band last year. I completely need our remedial chats after practice last year. Remember that one time you, Riley and I went to Starbucks? That was (slightly unrelated, but) wonderful. I'm glad you and I think similarly, it has given me some confidence that I otherwise wouldn't have had last year when we (for all intensive purposes) didn't have a leader. Speaking of which, Robby, you are possibly the best thing to happen to our band. You have taught us so many things and helped us come a very long way from the first time your heard us play. Tyler, I'm glad you're in the band this year, otherwise I would still think of you like I did when we were all in junior high. (I'm going to eat another red hot, I think I night be addicted now...) Trey, we really need to get together to work on that Narnia song, I really like how it's gone so far. Also, thanks for inviting me to be a part of shindig this year, it's been really good for me, and I'm getting a lot out of it.

I had a dream about a month ago in which my mom died, it was horrible, I don't remember the dream, I just remember sobbing after whatever happened happened in the dream, and then waking up and sobbing for real. I stayed like that for like 10 minutes and then went back to sleep. I haven't told my mom because I don't know how I would (does she read my blog? I guess I'll find out soon) but I went up to her and my dad the next morning and gave them really long hugs because I'm so thankful for them. I don't know what I'd do without them. Speaking of which, Marie, I'm going to read A Grief Observed soon, because I've been meaning to and you said it is so good. I'm praying for you, Marie, which reminds me, if anyone has anything they would like prayer for, feel free to ask, because I would love to pray for you.

Whew, this is becoming quite long, I apologize! (Red hot time, again.) I've been so nostalgic lately. For kids camp. For junior high camp. For high school camp. I'm really ready for this weekend, because as much as Jeremy and Darren are pushing this as a non-christian-oriented weekend, I really need a refocusing time. Hopefully I will be able to do the whole re-focusing thing on my own time when I lose the necessity of having retreats and camps to go to. Maybe that is why I keep hearing of 249 alumni not faring so well? I don't know. I keep telling myself that I will be better than the old 249ers that went off and made bad decisions, and I have no idea how I could stray from Christianity, but I'm sure I have no idea what will push against my faith in the coming years. I hope and pray that I can stay faithful and thankful and loving to God. God did, after all choose the foolish things to shame the wise and the small things to shame the strong. I guess it's good, then, that I'm not particularly wise or strong... (btw, I probably just completely missed the actual purpose of that verse. It's more like, we're all nothing before God, we have nothing to boast for except the redemption of Christ.)

(I am now going to eat another red hot, thank you, Ben and Erika, for introducing me to the joy that is red hots!)

Lately (as in the past year and a half) I've been painting/drawing sunrises/sunsets on almost everything that I've created for art class or in my sketchbook. I can think of 5 at least. And I've also been painting a lot of landscapes, which is weird for me because I am more of a design person than a realism person. I guess I'm going through a phase or something. But I really think it's deeper than just happening to draw landscapes and stuff for fun. I would like to think of it as what one of the angels says to the artist in The Great Divorce by C.S Lewis. As the artist expresses to the angel how much he desires to paint the wonders of heaven that he is seeing, the angel replies: "When you painted on earth--at least in your earlier days--it was because you caught glimpses of Heaven in the earthly landscape. The success of your painting was that it enables others o see the glimpses too," and later tells the artist "Light itself was your first love: you loved paint only as a means of telling about light." Ah! I've just been distracted. I suggest reading The Great Divorce if you haven't, and re-reading it if you have. What a wonderful book. It is to my great dismay that the artist goes back to hell after his conversation with the angel is over. Probably because I see a bit of myself in him. The angel tells his that everyone is famous and known in heaven, but also equal and everyone is like "light and mirrors" reflecting the light of God. When the artist asks him if he could meet Cezanne, or some other famous artist the angel tells him that he doesn't know if they are in heaven for that reason and he doesn't deal well with that.

Well, now it's time for bed. If you read this whole blog you deserve a red hot. Ask me if I have any next time you see me and I probably will, since I now love them.

Blathering over,

(for now)

Zach

Whirlwind morning

2009-01-04T15:24:00.000-08:00

So, on the coattails of recovering from vomiting all over the place on Friday, this morning was very interesting. Though I felt great last night, this morning my stomach was not cooperating. I attribute this to several random factors:

1. Diet Coke has caffeine; caffeine = no sleep. Last night I went to Burger King with Erin, AJ, Melanie, and Marissa and had cheesy-tots (food for the gods, forget nectar and ambrosia) I stayed awake in bed last night until I don't know how late, but somewhere in there I came to the realization that I didn't even consider the caffeine content of diet coke, which I now horribly regret.

2. Waking up at 7:00 am. The only time I wake up early happily is on Sunday. But this, coupled with the lack of going to bed early, yields bad results.

3. Work and stress. JLT (Just Like Thomas, which is the name of the band I'm in at hwy 249) was alerted in the middle of the week this week that we were switching back to the JH side a week early to accommodate a new, month-based, system of switching sides (which I don't understand why) instead of the old system where we switched every four weeks. This means that we, with no real access to the 249 buildings during the week, must move all of our instruments and other nonsense at 7:30 in the morning, set it all up, have a soundcheck, and practice our set for the day. This leads to all of us with short fuses and negative-leaning attitudes, and...there was no air conditioner in the junior high side while this was going on.

4. Singing. Singing uses diaphragm muscles and this caused my stomach discomfort, I found somewhere to lay down during the first service.

With all that said, Robby was out today with the stomach flu, Tyler was out with strep throat, and Allison was having abdominal pain. But, despite all this, the set went very well. Through what I can only attribute to the protection and grace of God, we all made it: I didn't have to run off the stage to barf, there were no major mishaps in the songs, and the junior-highers were paying attention.

Thank you, God!

In other Sunday news, the simple musical part of the adult worship service where shawn and kristi myers sang together and shawn played piano was fantastic. It was a simplicity that was so sincere. It was a great. I was really sad that my stomach was distracting me. :(

Somewhere Picturesque

2009-01-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

striking blue

a faint grey line

then white, too

then purple, divine

gold and green

intermingled

again, blue

thin, single

the landscape stretches

across my view

forever in either direction

I could run for a day or two

and not reach another section

fie;d, stretching

shining stream,

a stirring country

perfect, a dream

color leaps and bounds today

away and back

all over, parade

while still and quiet

unheard music plays

blown along through the field

a dry fragrance throughout the day

the music of living things

growth and praise

praise to the Creator in every way!

the solar lamp magnifies

edges of the mountains rise

not a cloud overhead flies

it is a feast for humble eyes

Metaphors

2009-01-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a mirror in disguise

My clothes and skin are all a guise

Despite how I look I will continue to reflect

What goes on around me is what I project.

I am a magnet, but no one knows

Think what you might, it's probably a show

Opposites attract, moon chases the sun

But that works in more ways than one

I am a billboard wrapped around bones

Feast your eyes, I'm not alone

New! Buy! Fancy! Stuff! Look at me!

This is the way that leads to misery.

I should be a window, clear and clean

I, transparent, the other side is to be seen

Someone else more existent to be seen though

I shouldn't be noticed, there's something bigger to look to.

The Secret Life of Friends

2009-01-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

So, apparently everybody is capable of being way more deep, funny, and personal than I was aware of (no offense), and feels the need to share it with the whole entire world of the internet. I have no problem with sharing, but I do lament the fact that I've learned more about all of my friends in the last five minutes reading their blogs than I've actually talked about with them in the last five months. I guess that means, then: Here's to impersonally discussing all of life's problems and joys through the wonder of blogging.

But seriously,

I want to talk to you in person.