Looking beyond the surface...

I've had this post percolating in my mind for a few weeks. The thought is this...What do we look at all the time but never actually take the time to see? I'm in a photography class this semester and the other day our lecture addressed this issue in regards to taking pictures. My prof talked about how we go through life looking at things from eye level. How would it change if we looked from down low or up high? Now while she was talking about our physical world I think that statement could be applied to other aspects of life as well.

This weekend my family and Wyatt went to Brady to celebrate my grandmothers birthday. She turned 84 and we decided (actually I think Sara and Jonathan decided) to put ALL 84 candles on her cake! Let's just says that lighting them all was quite the experience and I came away from it with singed hair and a great memory ;)

After lunch and cake all us kids decided to go hiking. Now you must remember that winter in Texas just means that everything is brown and dry. All the nice landscape scenes are rather bland and ugly.... or so I thought. That day in my photography class my prof quoted a poster she has hanging in her office that says "We don't need new landscapes, we need new eyes." That thought really struck me and I thought of it again as we were hiking. As we started the hike and even before as I had driven to the ranch I noticed how bare, brown, dry and rather non attractive everything looked.

Sara looking out

We decided to hike around the rim rock and find a good place to turn down into the canyon to hike to the bottom and then were planning to hike back up another canyon to where the prayer blind sits. As we hiked along we never found a place that was clear enough to hike down easily so we finally just decided to bulldoze through the brush and boulders and make an adventure out of it. The minute we turned down the mountain and got into the brush I noticed how everything was suddenly different. While when looking at the landscape from the top it looked dusty and colorless once you got into it it was full of color and beauty. The orange and red fall leaves carpeted the ground. The trees added texture to color with their differing cloaks of bark. There was mistletoe and algeritia adding green to the mix. The boulders and trees created an intriguing and mysterious trail affect. I don't know it just made me start thinking about how much I would have missed had I not gotten into the landscape. It also made me start wondering how often we do that with people. We see them a certain way and never take the time to look beyond the surface at qualities or attributes that are hidden beneath the surface. This could go the other way as well. We often look at people who are beautiful or talented on the outside and don't notice the shallow or immature character of the inside.

I also thought about people who I've known forever but don't actually really know. Ya know like those people you've worked with for years, or gone to church with or whatever. Have I, as a person, gotten to where I just see the same landscape and never get to know who they really are inside?

Here's another thought...Life is all about perspective, right?! Most pictures or snapshots people take are from eye level but what happens when you decide to get a shot from a new angle. Often pictures can be created that are very captivating or just simply eye catching. I liked both of these pics a lot.

Wyatt

Looking at Porcupines

Again something that can be demonstrated with the physical is often a much deeper truth. What parts of my life do I need to look at from a new angle? How can I choose to veiw my life and who I am that will enable me to see God working in a way I've never seen before? I don't know but its something to ponder...

I'm a "Professional" :)

So today I'm making another trek to the great West Texas city of Lubbock to coach a gymnastics meet. I'm super excited, not about making that ugly drive again but to coach as an official USA Gymnastics (USAG) Professional Gymnastics Coach. Sounds pretty spiffy huh? I've coached a couple meets before but wasn't actually supposed to be on the floor and would have been kicked off if they had checked. Those were small meets though where no one really cares. Now I have obtained my USAG professional coaching number and completed safety certifications and background checks. I'm super excited because this is really what I love to do! I mean who could ask for a better job than get to teach children how to do skills that could potentially kill or really hurt them and do to them well. (ok that might be slightly exaggerated but it sounds cool...many skills don't have the potential to kill them ;) Then get to go to a meet and help them prepare and preform in front of very critical judges and a large audience!

Here's to going for the GOLD!! haha

the power of music...

So this is something I've been wanting to write about ever since I saw Wicked in London this summer but as most of you understand life happened and I never got around to it :) Well... I attended a Brad Paisley concert last night (which was AMAZING) and was struck with the same thoughts and feelings as when I saw Wicked so I decided I needed to just start this thing and write!

When I saw Wicked, I remember being blown away by the musical talents of the actors. I remember getting goose bumps several times as the lead actress reached the climatic points of several songs. I felt myself being drawn into the music in a way that was strong and stirring. Captivated by the ebb and flow of the musical rhythms and melodies and drawn into the story I felt myself strongly moved by what I suddenly realized is a FICTIONAL story. Now obviously I knew it was a fictional story going in but the realization that I could be so affected by something that wasn't even a real event started stirring thoughts in my head. It made me start thinking that if I could be so strongly moved and effected by a group of people acting and singing about fictional happenings how powerful the Lord must have created music to be. Also, most of the actors would dance while they sang, creating patterned effects across the stage full of color and energy that allured the eye and complimented the rhythms and sway of the music. These also seemed to speak to me and draw me into another place.

As the musical progressed I started thinking that God has created humans to be effected, sometimes to the point of change, by music. All throughout the Psalms, David talked about singing songs of praise to the Lord and playing instruments of worship towards the Lord. He had thousands of musicians creating music honoring the Lord. Music somehow seems to transfer us to a new of different place where we can worship the Lord in a sanctuary of beautiful sounds undisturbed by chaotic "noise." It can take us to a place where we can be changed and molded.

Last night at the Brad Paisley concert, I begin to think of this again as Dierks Bentley was preforming. His lead guitarist started playing some sweet guitar solo and I felt myself once again being drawn into it with a seeming invisible yet powerful force. The notes seemed to somehow resonate on my heart and I felt myself being pulled into the music. As the concert progressed, Brad came on and put on a great show using over 10 guitars!! I started to think about this concept of music again and how it can lure people's heart into itself. Many of Brad's songs are goofy, pointless, or "unchristian" and yet because of his and his band's very talented musical skills, the songs all seemed to pull on my heart. I started thinking about how if a fictional musical or a country music singer's music can have such a power over me even if for a brief period just how powerful music can be.

During the concert I was reminded of how I had felt at Wicked. How I was amazed that something that really has no lasting meaning or effect on my life (plays, concerts etc) can be so powerful and somehow stirring. The music at these two events and at others as well, has an ability to capture my heart and draw me in. This made me start thinking about worship and how the Lord has designed a part of worship to include music. Its like He has created us to be musical beings (even those who have no musical ability can enjoy and be affected by music) who can be changed and allured into this place of melodies and notes. That He has created or designed a way for us to bring honor to Him while being drawn to Him using a catalyst of music. While singing or listening to music with the Lord in mind it is so easy to be drawn into a deeper place with Him where your heart becomes clay in His hands. Music also has a way to stir my heart up where I seem to notice and want to honor Him more. To notice and be captivated by the beauty of harmony!

While I'm not sure if this will resonate with anyone else's heart I felt compelled to write it simply as a way of examining it more thoroughly and to "get it off my chest" so to speak :) So, as the title suggests, I have come to a deeper understanding lately of how music is powerful!