Wednesday, February 16, 2011

An die Musik

Solo/Ensemble Band Contest was great last Wednesday! I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot, especially after our Jazz Band performance because the judge gave us tons of advises ;)

We got and 'E' for "Excellent" for both performances which is the second best/right in the middle:

'S'="Superior"
'E'="Excellent"
'G'="Good"

We definitely still had to work more on our quartet, but I feel a lot more comfortable now for the Night of the Stars than I did last week before the contest! Our director wasn't allowed to conduct so the main issue was staying all together in the same tempo. She is conducting for the Talent Show though and we went through it a couple times and it's going pretty well - we also had our sound check at the theater today.

I will sing 'An die Musik' (eng.: 'To music') by Franz Schubert for the Solo/Ensemble Choir Contest that's coming up and I had my lesson for that today. It was so funny to sing German, especially because I'm singing like an American and my (American) teacher had to tell me how to pronounce a couple things.
I really, really like that song and I'm looking forward to the contest.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Bad Day

I am sick again :(
My throat started to hurt again yesterday and now it's very sore (and annoying). It was completely okay for about three weeks after my cold - that I had during TCX - was gone. When I came home I took my temperature: 95.4°F/35.2°C but I thought because I just walked from the bus stop home, it probably wasn't really accurate since it was pretty cold and windy outside. I just took my temperature again and it was 96.1°F/35.6°C.

I have my Solo&Ensemble Contest in Big Lake tomorrow where I play Alto 2 in a Saxophone Quartet, so I guess I have to take some pain reliever before we start playing, because it wasn't that great when we practiced in school today. Please pray for me ;)

We also play the same song (All Breathing Life by Johann Sebastian Bach) for our Talent Show "Night of the Stars". We're playing it a lot slower than they are singing it in that version, but I can't find another one...
The Talent Show is Friday, February 18th and Saturday, February 19th in the Paramount Theater in Saint Cloud. I'm selling voucher tickets (as a fundraiser) for our TARGET club,  so the full money would go to the TARGET club. It's $5 for kids&students and $12 for adults. Otherwise the tickets are $6 for kids&students and $15 for adults at the doors.
The talent show is also for Tech Students and there are a lot of different acts, so not just music :)

Contact me if you're interested in tickets!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

All I Need

I bought my Purity ring last Sunday :)
Here it is:



Also here are a few (I think) pretty cool statements that we got during Sunday School this week. We also went over them yesterday in Bible Study again:

1. God had his second cup of coffee before I get out of bed
     → He is active and engaged.
2. God loves people more than I do.
     → He cares about people and wants to help them.
3. God wants to use even me to evangelize.  
     → He wants to grow my faith and show his unique work in my life.
4. A branch that doesn't stick to the vine won't bear fruit.
     → Evangelism is most enjoyable as an outflow of my love-relationship with God.
5. Evangelism is not solitaire.
    → I am part of a team effort to share the Gospel
6. I need my ears and eyes more than my mouth.
   → Evangelism is 9 parts listening, 1 part talking. I need to be listening to God and His Holy Spirit, to other Christians, to the situation, and to the person I'm talking to!
7. God's words are better than mine.
   → Speaking God's words is (approx.) 10,000,000X more powerful than speaking my own words.
8. People are snowflakes, not shopping carts.
   → Each individual has a unique story to share, a unique personality, a unique view of God, and a unique need for Jesus.
9. Evangelism is a PBJ.
   → The historical Gospel of Jesus goes with my personal Gospel story like peanut butter goes with jelly.
10. I get on God's train, he doesn't get on mine.
   → God is the primary evangelist, not me. He is working, striving, speaking, witnessing, fighting, birthing, praying... I get the privilege of joining His efforts.
11. Just ask.
   → God will allow me opportunities to share the Gospel if I want to.
12. If I climb out of the foxhole, I might get shot.
   → Satan will resist my efforts to evangelize.
13. Talk to listeners.
   →I need to be aware of the other person; usually, if someone isn't listening, I should stop talking.
14. People are people, not minute rice.
   →Evangelism isn't one conversation. It isn't about being "done evangelizing". It is process, a relationship, that will demand my investment. After talking with someone, I need to pray for them. Talk with them again. Invite them over for dinner. Listen to them. Talk with them again. Pray for them. Introduce them to my friends who like the same things. Pray for them again. ...
15. Don't leave the baby in the street.
   → My responsibility doesn't end when someone becomes a believer - it is just beginning! New believers have a host of need that demand spiritual parents and a supportive community of other people. I should buckle up for the long haul.
16. It's not about me.
   → I am sharing God's message by His power for His glory out of love for someone else.
17. Just start where I am. If I am afraid, I can tell God and ask for help. If I don't know any non-believers, I can ask God to bring me some, or bring me to some. If I don't love people, I can tell God and ask for help. If I don't see progress, I need to keep praying and waiting. If I don't experience God or am not excited about His Gospel, I can tell Him so, and ask for help. Remember, He WANTS to expand His Kingdom, an He wants to use ME!

Here are some Bible verses that go along with that ;)


     7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
               - John 15:7

     18If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world,  the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
              - John 15:18-19

      9And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people."
               - Acts 18:9-10

     16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
                - Romans 1:16

     11And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for even unto death.
                 - Revelation 12:11