Musings of a Music Major

November Leaves

2015-11-01T20:07:00.004-08:00

The start of a new month means a new Monthly Mixtape! Here's what I'll be jamming to this month.

November is one of those filler months for me. So close to Christmas (though I haven't included any Christmas songs on this list...just yet. ~~And no Whitacre either surprisingly~~) but nothing extremely exciting takes place. But I still have a lot of new songs I'm listening to until it's more widely acceptable for me to play Christmas music.

End notes:

Pentatonix - Listen to this album. It's all a cappella and don't let that scare you because you forget that they don't have a band under them. But then you remember and it blows your mind.
Lauren Aquilina - Her voice is so smooth and rich. Her lyrics are well thought out. She's fabulous and is worth a listen.
Ben Howard - He makes another appearance on one my playlists. Can you tell I like him?
John Mayer - My Stupid Mouth has always been a favourite song of mine and hearing the demo sealed the deal for it remaining so.
Ed Sheeran - This song was a bonus track on his first album and it may or may not have made me cry when I first listened to it.
Demi Lovato - Hear me out. She's not just that Disney girl. She's really, really good and this song is super emotional and is worth listening to.

October Winds - Monthly Mixtape

2015-10-01T21:10:00.001-07:00

The start of a new month means a new Monthly Mixtape! Here's what I'll be jamming to this month.

October is my favourite month, and being in the Blue Ridge Mountains causes me to love it even more. That being said, this month has a lot of acoustic pieces.

End notes:

Ryan Adams - His interpretation of Taylor Swift's album is amazing! And this song is one of my favourites
Labrinth - My friend Sydney introduced me to this song a few weekends ago. It's simple. It's heartbreaking. It's beautiful. <3
Passenger - His voice is so southing. And this acoustic cover - Spot on!
Sufjan Stevens - Cam The Yam introduced me to this song. You should check him out.

You should also check out my Sister's YouTube Channel. She's pretty fantastic.

Eric Whitacre - My favourite composer wrote a piece about my favourite month. Enough said.

What music are you currently listening to? I'm always looking for new music.

On My Mind This Week - September 21st-27th

2015-09-27T19:43:00.001-07:00

A very brief installment of my series of what went down this past week during my last semester at LU.

Music
Basically if you haven't listened to Ryan Adam's cover album you need to do that right now. It is wonderful and gives a whole new meaning to Taylor Swift's 1989 album. It was the album of the week for me. Got me through a rainy Monday when it was released and now it's my go to album.

TV
I'm not a big TV watcher when I'm at home. I mean, I do I watch TV, but I don't have any shows I must watch over the summer. (Well a BBC show here and there.) But this week TGIT is back on ABC which means a two hour break with Dara, Leah and Madison to watch Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder! This is one of the few times a week where I have a chance to catch my breath and relax with some of the best people I know. (Also Scream Queens is pretty fantastic so that might be my new show

Thesis
This week I worked on fixing some things in my thesis. As you may have already guessed, this thesis is the main project of the semester. It's going well, I think. I'm at that point where I've read it too much to know anymore. But I'll have my name on a book at Liberty forever so that's pretty cool.

Post thesis revision Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Sickness

I've been avoiding the sickness plaguing campus. Still trying to get this semester illness free *knocks on wood* Hopefully I've been washing my hands enough to prevent all that from happening cause with a Senior Recital coming up.

Anywho, that's all for this week!

On My Mind This Week - September 14th-20th

2015-09-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Another, short, installment of my series of what went down this past week during my last semester at LU.

CFAW
This weekend I worked CFAW. Spent Thursday night in heels with blisters all over the sides of my feet telling high school Students about the School of Music. It was a good night and I enjoy my job but my feet are not happy with my choice of shoes.

Then Friday and Saturday I went to most of the events and promoted the SOM again. I met a lot of wonderful people who are interested in this school.

School

This was one of my less busy weeks at LU but because of CFAW it wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped. Although I did get a few moments here and there to sit down and just relax with a Chai Tea Latte.

(FYI: That's not a tattoo)

Despite having a few hiccups with different situations, it looks as if they are being handled and taken care in a more timely manner now which is making the my stress level subside a little bit.

Convo

This week at Convo the student body heard from Democrat Bernie Sanders and Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson. Many people at this school have expressed their distain for Senator Sanders coming and speaking to a Christian group, but I have found his comments to start discussion. If we can not hear opposing views and civilly discuss them, then how can we really engage the culture who disagrees with us? Though I disagree with him on many issues I find his thoughts on others to be worth discussing, especially the issue of paid maternity leave. However that one issue is no the most important issue facing this nation and won't be the reason I vote for one political candidate.

Sadie Robertson's convocation on Friday was one full of laughter. I love this girl and if I had the opportunity to meet her I think we would be friends. She has such a heart for God and her love for people is inspiring.

Bernie Sanders Speaking at Convocation On Monday

Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson Speaking at Convocation On Monday

Burnout
This week I've been feeling everything from the past 4 weeks. I've been stressed and overwhelmed with everything that I have to do. I'm just ready for a break and I know that it's coming really soon but I just want it to be here now. I've actually taken my first "day off" and have done absolutely nothing except sleep and watch Downton Abbey today, Sunday, and it was beautiful and something I definitely needed. Hopefully I will be rested and refreshed for the week ahead.

Anywho, that's all for this week!

On My Mind This Week - September 7th - 13th

2015-09-13T21:26:00.001-07:00

Another installment of my series of what went down this past week during my last semester at LU.

School

This was one of my busier weeks at LU and because of that I had limited sleep and multiple cups of coffee - did I mention limited sleep. Despite working upwards of 20 hours part time I wrote the first draft of my thesis, completed 4 projects and gave a presentation. It was crazy. But it's done! 🙌

Until draft 2 but I have time to relax a little bit.

FoamHenge

I love Virginia. It has a lot of cool places and the scenery is beautiful but this weekend I went with a few friends to FoamHenge. FoamHenge is an exact, full-size replica of Stonehenge made entirely out of styrofoam in Natural Bridge, Virginia. It is super weird but also kinda cool. Not something you'd expect to see in the middle of the mountains.

Here are some photos from that trip

Friends

I've been so blessed to have found so many wonderful friends at my time at LU and this week I've noticed again just how wonderful they truly are. I can't say enough nice things about these people. They've kept me sane, made me laugh, kept me grounded, and pointed me to Christ. They are such amazing women and men of God and I'm SO thankful for them!

Voice
My voice has been in a really good place this week. I've avoided any sicknesses traveling around the music buildings *knocks on wood* and I'm really pleased about how far I've come since starting at LU 4 years ago. That being said I'm still waiting hear back about a few things regarding graduation and such. Hopefully that all gets worked out soon so I can focus on my Senior Recital. (GAH!!)

That's all for this week!

On My Mind This Week - August 31st - September 6th

2015-09-06T20:55:00.004-07:00

I know what you're thinking, "Wow another post? This hasn't happened in months!"
I hear you and I agree. It's odd for me to use this platform of blogging for anything other than the random post once in a blue moon.

So I thought this would be a good way to share what's on my mind over the course of every week. Short little thoughts I've had about different things. Not always a list of favourites, but just things that have been on my mind over the past week.

Opera
This year I have the amazing opportunity to be a part of Liberty University's School of Music Opera production of The Marriage of Figaro (Figaro's Wedding). This is my first time being able to be a part of LU's opera production on stage and I'm super excited. Since about 16 I fell in love with opera and the art form and to have the opportunity to share that love on stage is such a blessing.

Wallis Giunta

Continuing on the opera track, for the past year or so I have been following the career of fellow redheaded, Canadian mezzo-soprano, Wallis Giunta. She's absolutely fabulous and has been one of the main reasons I'm considering opera and vocal performance for my Masters. Her voice has such a smooth quality to it and her stage presence is so captivating. Under 30 and she has already made her Metropolitan Opera debut and will be making her German debut as Cherubino at Oper Leipzig this fall. She's fabulous and such an inspiration.

Voting

This year while one of my countries figures out who they want to be the nominee for both Republican and the Democrat sides, the land where I was born, Canada, is having it's own election. So this week my sister and I sat down and voted with our special little ballots. It was her first election and my second election but since we aren't physically there to vote we to figure out how to make our votes correct and count. Lots of fun!

Thesis

This is going to be the thing I'm most proud of yet the thing that causes the most stress this semester.
Right now things look pretty good but once I get my first draft picked apart it will probably be another story.

Allergies
Every year I get allergies. This year they are driving me insane. And I've been forgetting to take allergy pills every morning before heading to work so it's been sneeze city for me the past week.

Work
Speaking of work, I have a job this semester! I design all the posters and convo slides for upcoming School of Music Events! I love going to work and the people I work with. The whole office and SOM are so kind and helpful to this newbie and I greatly appreciate all they are doing to help me do my job. And since this poster has been printed and is around campus I can finally share it here! (P.S. You should totally come!)

That's all for this week!

My September - Monthly Mixtape

2015-09-01T19:39:00.004-07:00

September is upon us. Soon the leaves will start changing and it will be difficult to get away from pumpkin flavored everything. Sweater weather is almost here.

Since music is such an important way for me to document things in my life, example: when I hear Taylor Swift's album Red I think of my Freshman year of University when I walked over to Walmart to buy the album with a freshman named Amy who would then become my best friend.

I thought I'd start this new series for the beginning of each month with songs that fit into my life at that given moment. Here is what I'll be bopping around campus to this month:

End notes:

Gabrielle Aplin is fantastic and this is the perfect "walk to class like you own the world/are in a music video" kinda song
I jumped on the Florence + the Machine bandwagon way back before Dog Days blew up 6 1/2 years ago. ~~Gosh I'm so old now.~~
James Taylor + the Carpenters are my go to my de-stress kinda music. Their voices are so calming and peaceful.
JP Cooper is so nice he needed to be included twice. Just listen and you'll understand why.
Eric Whitare is my go-to thesis writing music. Calming, beautiful choral music that blows minds.

What music are you currently listening to? I'm always looking for new music.

Cold Brew Coffee - Recipe Monday

2015-06-15T17:22:00.002-07:00

This week on Recipe Monday I will be sharing with you my Cold Brew coffee recipe.

Cold brew coffee is when coffee grounds are steeped in room temperature, filtered water for an extended period of time. It is then strained and stored for up to two weeks. This method of making coffee has multiple benefits as it lasts a long period of time and the coffee has a sweeter taste due to its lower acidity.

What You'll Need - Ingredients

How To Make It - Directions

The steps to make cold brew coffee are really easy. For every cup of ground coffee you will need one litre of filtered water. If you want your coffee to have any flavour, such as vanilla or hazelnut just add a few tablespoon of your choice flavour extract. This step is completely optional but it adds a different dimension of flavour to your morning cup.

And that's it! Stick that jar on the counter with a cloth or light lid on it and wait 18+ hours. I wait about 24 hours so the cold brew coffee is a little stronger.

After the coffee has steeped for the amount of time you want it to it's time to strain it. I strain it twice - once to get rid of the big stuff and a second time through a paper towel to get the little stuff out. It may seem silly to strain it twice but trust me once you see the paper towel covered in coffee grounds you'll appreciate the second strain.

After you strain your cold brew coffee pour it into a sealable container, such as a mason jar, and store your new coffee in the fridge.

This recipe will make one and a half mason jars of cold brew coffee. You only need about 4-5 tablespoons for a cup of coffee in the morning and fill the rest of your mug with hot water. This will be the first time your coffee will come in contact with hot water and because of that you won't have the acidic taste. You may find that you don't need any cream or sugar with this since the coffee's natural sweetness will be shining through.

Now pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy your amazing, homemade cold brew coffee!

(And if you are looking for something to eat while drinking your morning cup of coffee, why not try some homemade donuts!)

National Donut Day - Recipe Monday

2015-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've decided to share my love of cooking with a new weekly series: Recipe Monday! Every Monday I will be sharing a recipe with you - my lovely readers - of something I've made over the past week.

Since this past Friday was National Donut Day and because Donuts are some of the best treats ever, I decided to make some.

// In honor of National Donut Day I made homemade donuts. (via Instagram)

Most donut recipes call for yeast but I'm kinda impatient and wanted donuts so I used baking powder instead and I think it worked out pretty well. This recipe makes about 2 dozen donuts (or a lot of Timbits)

(Click here for a printable version for your recipe box)

What You'll Need - Ingredients
Donuts
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
2 1/2 tablespoon of butter
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 1/2 cups of sifted flour
Oil for deep frying - I used vegetable oil

Glaze
1 1/4 cup of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2-4 tablespoons of milk

How To Make It - Directions
Donuts

In a mixer combine sugar and butter. Add each egg separately and continue combining.
In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Gradually add flour mixture to the liquid mixture beating vigorously.
Lightly flour your work surface and knead lightly. If needed keep adding small amounts of flour to keep dough from sticking.
Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Use a doughnut cutter (or a glass and egg cup) to cut dough.
Fry small batches in hot oil being super careful since the oil will splatter.
When the sides of the doughnuts are a golden brown flip. Drain doughnuts on paper paper.
Dip in glaze and let glaze harden for about 5 minutes.

Glaze

Mix together icing sugar, vanilla, and milk together until smooth. Add more milk if too thick or icing sugar if too thin.

Enjoy! And try not too eat too many in one sitting! :)

At The Cottage - A Summer Playlist

2015-05-24T16:59:00.001-07:00

As you might have guessed by the title of both this post and my blog, I love music. And considering I have yet to discuss music things on this blog I felt it was about time to do so and what better way to start by sharing my go-to At the Cottage Summer Playlist!

This playlist is split into two sections - the upbeat and the laid back.

The Upbeat

1. Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon
This is the song of the summer. I'm calling it now before Ryan Seacrest does. It's catchy, sounds like a song from the late 80s and makes you want to get up and well dance.

2. You Make My Dreams - Hall and Oates
If you can listen to this song without picturing yourself dancing in a music video then you must not be that fun at parties.

3. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
See my notes on number 2.

4. You And I - Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is actually a really great vocalist and this song is super upbeat and gets your foot stomping.

4. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
It's Billy Joel, no explanation needed.

5. Sugar - Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is always a good choice but this song is a good swimming at the lake kinda song.

6. Southern Comfort Zone - Brad Paisley
Brad is the King of Country music. Enough said.

7. Kerosene - Miranda Lambert
Laura and Sydney reintroduced me to Miranda last year and this song is the perfect driving down a backroad with the windows down.

8. House Party - Sam Hunt
An upbeat party county song.

9. Daft Punk - Pentatonix
Pentatonix. Avi's low notes. Enough said.

11. Bloodstream - Ed Sheeran
This song is awesome and performed solely through looping and that fact alone makes my little music major heart really happy. Also, my little sister surprised me with tickets to see Ed this summer and this is the one song I'm the most excited to hear performed live.

12. Riptide - Vance Joy
Honestly, this song could probably fit either section of this playlist. It's a nice summer song and makes me smile.

The Laid Back

1. Go - Grant Terry
This song is the segue song from upbeat to laid back. It has a beat but not super upbeat to make it on the first half of the list.

2. Overdue - Jillian Jacqueline
Country but classic sounding country. Jillian Jacqueline is about to get real big in the country music scene and this song is why.

3. Caroline - Jon Forman
Harmonica, acoustic guitar, and Jon Forman's voice. Enough said.

4. Please Don't Say You Love Me (Studio Session) - Gabrielle Aplin
This song is probably my favourite song. Her voice and the guitar is so calming. She's also British and that makes her voice even enjoyable to listen to.

5. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
This song reminds me of listening to the radio driving to grandma's in the late 90s though I don't actually know if that scene actually happened. ~~But it did. In my mind.~~ My lovely friend Laura reintroduced this song and Tracy Chapman to me about a year and a half ago and I'm so glad she did.
(I'm learning how to play it on the guitar)

6. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (The Village Sessions) - John Mayer
It's John Mayer. But this version is super relaxing, only John Mayer and his acoustic guitar. It's perfect for an evening watching a sunset over the lake.

7. Let it Go - James Bay
Like John Mayer this song is guitar driven and beautifully rhythmic and James voice is so calming. Basically you just need to listen to it.

8. Naive - Sleeping At Last
Ryan O'Neal's voice is calming and the piano is the perfect background music when reading on a porch.

9. Holocene - Bon Iver
Bon Iver is always a good choice for any occasion but during a campfire by a lake he's the perfect choice.

10. Forever Blue - Kina Grannis
If you haven't heard of Kina Grannis then you need to listen to this song. Her voice is so calming and her soft acoustic guitar playing is lovely.

11. Chasing Cars - Sleeping At Last
Again Ryan O'Neal's voice is so relaxing that he needs to be on this list twice.

(Two Honorable Mentions)
Fast Car - Boyce Avenue feat. Kina Grannis
This cover is needs to be mentioned because it's almost as good as the original.

All About Me - Hilary Duff
Yes Hilary Duff gets an honorable mention. Yes I know Hilary Duff is not considered by most to be "real music" but this song is actually pretty good. Maybe it's just the banjo but it sounds summer-y.

Did I miss any of your favourites? What songs are on your summer playlist? Comment below and let me know.

My Firm Foundation

2015-04-25T10:21:00.001-07:00

This time every year something happens. Something that rocks my world.
Last year it was the end of a good friendship and the death of my grandmother.
This year it will most likely result in the end of another really good friendship (thankfully no deaths)

Now I'm not naive to think that I did not play a part in these friendships ending. The one constant in both those events was me. I can't blame another for my actions or lack of actions. I made mistakes in my friendships with those people and I must live with the consequences of those mistakes. It sucks because they probably would've been life long friends and we both messed them up.

But despite all these friendships ending, I am realizing more and more that I need to rely on the one thing that won't fail me.

Christ.

People come and go in our lives, but Christ is constant and He alone is my firm foundation. (Psalm 62) He is the only one that won't leave me. He won't treat me like a toy. He won't get bored and find someone better. He calls me His beloved (Romans 9) and because of that I do not need to worry about what others think of me or how many friendships I have.

I'm not going to lie about it and say losing friendships isn't difficult and that I haven't cried about it. I got off the phone with my mum today crying for almost an hour about the most recent friendship that's ending. It's difficult, it's painful, but it's also sanctification. And though I know the end result will be more beautiful then I could ever imagine, the process is still extremely difficult.

One of the things that is getting me through this process is the songs on this EP by two of the most talented people I know at Liberty, Kyle Smith and Lauren Sweeney. Though all these songs have helped me through this process I would encourage you to listen to the songs Psalm 62 and You Give Me Life and purchase their EP from iTunes. They are such Spirit filled songs and I hope they will be a blessing to you just as they are a blessing to me.

We Are Clean!

2015-04-05T11:15:00.002-07:00

On this Easter weekend I am reminded of many things. The sacrifice my Savior made so that I may be wiped clean from all my guilt and shame. The excruciating pain that my Creator placed upon His Son that was mine to endure. The fact that I may now freely approach the throne of an Almighty God and be embraced by Him and to be called His daughter.

A lot of things have been going through my mind this Easter Weekend.

It might seem odd, but I get it now. I get Easter. It took me almost 22 years of being in the church to actually understand it. Easter is not an excuse for me to eat those delicious peanut butter and chocolate Reese eggs or Cadbury Mini Eggs. Easter is about something much, much bigger.

A few days ago I was looking through an old journal from my time in the Middle East three years ago and found the words of 1 Corinthians 5:54-55 messily written across the page

"Death is swallowed up in victory.

Oh Death where is your victory?

Oh Death, where is your sting?"

(I've written an entire blog post on the song inspired by those verses last year which you can read here if you're so inclined)

Those verses have always been quite powerful to me. Christ's work on the cross has removed all the power that death had over us. Because of His death we no longer die. Yes we die to sin, and yes are to die to our old habits and sinful ways but we no longer have to fear death. Because of His death and because of His resurrection three days later and because He is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father we are no longer dead but alive and we can face tomorrow with that assurance.

Because of Christ's work on the cross our sins are no longer remembered by the Father. They are blotted out from God's mind. Our slate is wiped clean. We are no longer seen as worthless, filthy rags but as beautiful garments worthy of the King.

We are clean!

Take a minute and rest on that truth. We are clean.

Think of all the horrible things you've done in your life. I know for myself I don't have to think that hard. We all have those horrible things that we regret. Those things that if we had the power we would not hesitate to undo. But we no longer need to be ashamed of what we've done and how we've failed. The Father no longer sees us like that. We are as clean as Christ when He walked this earth two thousand years ago.

We know how the story ends. Christ has won! We know that He is not in the tomb as the angel told the women who went there, "He is not here, for he has risen!"

He has risen indeed!
He is alive!
Death has no sting. Death has no victory.
We are no longer bound our sin. We are clean.

The First Name That I Call

2015-01-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

*Written January 16th 2015. Posted January 28th 2015*

This is my final Spring semester at Liberty University. That's really weird to think about. I feel super old yet that I'll be done so soon and entering the real world outside the Liberty bubble. But I also feel really young. Didn't I just have my ballet birthday party a few years ago?

Last semester stretched me in ways that in all honesty I didn’t want to be stretched. I failed greatly at things I didn’t think I would ever fail at. I lost people I didn’t think I would lose for a long time. I relied on my own strength to deal with things that I could not deal with alone. In short, it was not the greatest year.

Don’t get me wrong - a lot of wonderful things happened last year but when you look at it on a scale of the good and the bad, the bad kinda out weighed the good.

However today, January 16 2015, at Convocation we sang the song Let It Be Jesus by Christy Nockels & Passion Band which is one of my new favourite worship songs. The last time we sang this song as a school was during Jon Gregoire’s memorial service.

Let it be Jesus
The first name that I call
Let it be Jesus
My song inside the storm
I'll never need another

For me, to live is Christ
For me, to live is Christ
God I breathe Your name above everything
Let it be, Let it be Jesus

Should I ever be abandoned
Should I ever be acclaimed
Should I ever be surrounded by the fire and the flame
There's a name I will remember
There's a name I will proclaim
Let it be, Let it be Jesus

This song reminded me of what I am striving to be. A women who calls, not on her mother, sister, roommate or friend when I'm going through struggles (though those people are important and I should be in communication with them when I'm struggling) but calls on Jesus.

As much as my parents, siblings, or friends might want to save me from things in my life - they really can't. Only Christ can completely save me. Only Christ can save me from my stupidity, from my sin, from my hateful actions. Only Christ can save me from me. Which is something I will never be able to fathom cause I do a lot of stupid things. A. Lot.

But as the song says:

“Should I ever be abandoned or acclaimed.
Surrounded by the fire and the flame.There’s a name I will remember, there's a name I will proclaim.
Let it be Jesus."

Even when I don’t deserve it - which lets face it, is all the time - Christ looks at this messed up person and says “I want her." Even when I don't want Him - which is crazy because I should only want Him - He still wants me.

And the love Christ has for me is not dependent of anything I do (thank goodness!). So when I choose not to call on Christ and rely on my own strength, he will still love and embrace me.

It reminds me of a J. D. Greear quote someone posted on Facebook recently which I will end with.

"God, I thank You that I'm not saved by the warmth of my love for You." - J. D. Greear

Authors Note: I understand that this post is very discombobulated however I have left it as I found it in my draft folder.

For Me To Live Is Christ

2014-11-12T17:09:00.001-08:00

This past weekend a Liberty student passed away in a tragic accident. And while I did not have the pleasure of knowing Jon Gregoire personally, I have learned a few things from this young man of God.

I have been reminded that our lives are so short. We don't know what tomorrow will hold. We don't know what 10 years down the road will look like, let alone 10 days from now, or 10 hours from now. We have no clue when our days on this earth will be over.

We just know that we have this moment - this exact moment which God has given us - to do something to further His kingdom.

With Jon Gregoire's passing I feel compelled to make every day, every moment count. I can't help but think of a song I used to hear on my way to school as a child by Nichole Nordeman called Legacy. The lyrics of the chorus go:

"I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering..."

I was not blessed to know Jon personally, but I have been touched by his unapologetic love of his Savior. He has touched so many lives and he is continuing to touch lives and point them to Christ.

You will be missed Jon. Thank you for continually pointing us to Christ.

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. - Philippians 1:21

(Originally posted on my Instagram)

Don’t Idolize Your Leaders

2014-10-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

First, let me take a moment to thank you all for reading my previous post on the changes at Liberty. The fact that 600+ people have taken the time to read my words means so much to me. Thank you!

Don’t idolize people.

Ever.

People mess up. People will fail you.

Don’t idolize Billy Graham. Don’t idolize Tim Tebow. Don’t idolize the Republican nominee. Don’t idolize Obama. Don’t idolize Stephen Harper. Don’t idolize John Piper, Francis Chan, Alistair Begg, Joel Osteen, or any notable pastor.

Don’t idolize Justin Bieber, Harry Styles, Emma Stone, or any other movie/music stars.

Don’t idolize your favourite sports team or athletes.

Don’t idolize your significant other.

Don’t idolize your pastor.

Don’t idolize Johnnie Moore, Justin Kintzel, or President Jerry Falwell.

Also, don't idolize dead humans like Ronald Reagan, C.S. Lewis, or A.W. Tozer, either.

Don’t idolize people.

They're sinners. They've messed up. They've done things they aren't proud of. Things, that to this day, they are ashamed and embarrassed about.

Your idolatry will destroy them and limit their impact for the Kingdom of God.

Remember that the goal of every Christian leader should be to point others towards Christ.

As Christians, when we reduce Christianity to our favorite speakers or worship leaders we’ve missed the whole point. Those gifted leaders are not in their position for their own benefit. They have felt called by God to do what they're doing. They should not want us to be their biggest fans - they want you to be pointed to Christ. They want you to be Christ’s biggest fan. They should never be focused on being well known. They want to make Jesus known!

When you idolize your leaders and say things like this,

"Justin Kintzel was the only person who could lead me to worship Christ."

"Justin Kintzel/Johnnie Moore were the only people who can lead Convo. I don't want to go anymore now that they're gone."

When you say those things you are placing those people above the One who created them and blessed them with the talents they possess.

One thing that I know is that no matter how talented or smart a person is - they are absolutely nothing but instruments of the Almighty and should not be placed above Him. He has blessed them with their gifts and talents. God can take those gifts and talents away at any moment.

By idolizing someone, you are placing a TON of pressure on them. I would hate to have that kind of pressure to maintain a certain level of perfection in order to please everyone else. I place too much pressure on myself as it is. Would you want that added pressure on yourself? I think it’s safe to assume you would not.

Please, by all means keep honouring, loving, respecting, and learning from your leaders, but don’t idolize them. Doing so keeps you from seeing the reason for their existence - to bring Glory and Honour to our heavenly Father.

What's New at LU - A LOT of Things

2014-10-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

This year has been one of change for the student body at Liberty University. Elmer Towns, co-founder of the school, retired. Johnnie Moore, Former Vice President for Executive Projects and Media Relations and Campus Pastor of Liberty University, has moved to Hollywood to work with producer Mark Burnett, and today Justin Kintzel, Worship Pastor and Campus Band Hero has stepped down from his position at the school.

Amidst the change of key figures of the University stepping down and moving forward in their careers as they feel God is directing them, we have been blessed with a new Campus Pastor and Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development, David Nasser.

With all this change, many people within the school have voiced their opinion about the situations taking place at Liberty.

Here are just a few comments that I have personally seen on various forms of social media about these changes.

Written while David Nasser was on his 20th anniversary vacation with his wife:

"Sure, he said the same thing for every convo introduction. But at least Johnnie Moore showed up for work. #‎Comeback‬"

Written in the comments of the previous post:

"I couldn't say that I respect him as my leader..."

Written after David Nasser spoke asking students to wait till they are dismissed before leaving Convocation:

"If Nasser wants me to stay and listen to him, he should say something worth listening too. ‪#‎BringJohnnieBack‬"

Written about Justin Kintzel after he posted his goodbye letter to Liberty:

"He didn't really quit. Nasser pushed him out the door. Sad to see."

Now I can totally understand people being upset that Johnnie Moore has left Liberty University to pursue other things. Every once and awhile I miss His "two things” rant in Convo, but I do not wish that he had stayed nor do I wish his successor any less success then what Johnnie had. God is in control and God has a plan for our school.

The same thing is to be said about Justin Kintzel and his successor. I want him or her to be welcomed into the Liberty community with open arms and flooded with encouragement - not the way that we have publicly shunned and put down David Nasser.

We are Liberty University: the Largest Evangelical University in the world. We are supposed to be Champions for Christ - We have the opportunity to build each other up or put each other down and at this point in time we are putting our leaders down because we don’t like change.

This reminds me of my church a few years ago. We were making a transition from having two different services with the same message but two different styles of music. One strictly hymns, choir, and the organ - maybe the piano. The second, more contemporary with drums and electric guitar. God then blessed us with a new Pastor who felt that we should be one body, not two separate churches sharing a building. We merged the two worship styles and at one point we had only one service then due to the growth of the church we had to move back to two services but with the same mixed worship style in both. We did have many people complaining about the changes taking place and how it was not “good” and that "we have always had it one way so we should keep it that way."

However my pastor reminded us that when we take our eyes off the big picture of where we are going as a church we miss what God is doing in the little things.

When we focus on the small things we forget that Gods glory is the ultimate priority of the church and in our case Liberty University.

We, as a school, should be continually lifting up our leaders in prayer and encouragement. We should not openly attack the leaders God has placed over us. We can disagree with them, but when we do we need to be respectful of how we go about doing it (John Wesley Reid has an excellent blog post on that subject on his blog which is worth the read)

One thing that rings true over all the change that has taken place over this past year is a biblical truth we sing in Convo a lot.

"After all You are constant, After all You are only good, After all You are sovereign & not for a moment will You forsake me."

After all this change, God is still in control. After all this change, God is still being glorified. After all this time, God is still working in the lives of Liberty students.

After all this change, God will not forsake Liberty. God has not forsaken Liberty University. He never has - and if we focus our hearts and minds on Him - He never will.

Senior Year

2014-09-09T22:06:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that I'm a 1/4 of the way through the fall semester of my last year at Liberty. It seems like I just came here yesterday as a little freshman. Everything's been moving so fast.

This is basically an update on how I've been for the past 5 weeks at Liberty. (Follow me on Instagram if you want to see more pictures)

1) I'm living on East campus now. So I have my own kitchen and common area. I have the most incredible view out my window ever. And I am also on an amazing leadership team. I am so blessed to have these women in my life this year. I wish I could put into words how much I love these young women of God.

My New Home

The View

My Lovely Leadership Team

2) I looked into joining Liberty's Crew team.
This was a spur of the moment thing and I kinda knew I wasn't going to make it on the team considering the last time I exercised consistently was back in 2007/2008 when I did 8+ hours a week of ballet. But I still really enjoyed going to the gym and working out for a long period of time with the team. I learned that if I push myself I can be surprised with the results. I've discovered that I can complete 5,000 meters of rowing straight in under 27 minutes and complete 2,500 meters in just over 10 minutes. Legs of Steel are coming!

One of my new favourite places now

3) I'm continuing to learn that I'm held and known by a God who cares for me deeper then I could ever know.
I'm always in His hands and that I can never, ever do any thing to change the love He has for me. In the valleys and in the mountains I am held by Him and he will NEVER let me fall from His hands. I am His. He has rid me of the shackles of my sins and I am now clean in His eyes. He tore the veil for me to come close.

4) I've been listening to this song on repeat a lot the past few days. If you read number 3 you'll know why I love the song so much.

So far this semester has been going really well and I'm learning so much but I also know that it's only going to get more difficult. So please keep me in your prayers as I continue to complete my studies this year.

I Am Canadian! And American!

2014-07-05T08:47:00.002-07:00

It's not as complicated as it sounds.

Since it's both my countries birthdays this past week I thought I would clarify something that has made some of my (American) friends a little confused.

I'm a dual citizen of Canada and the United States of America.

I can vote in both countries and get a job without a green card or all that jazz. I have two passports Canadian and American; though my American passport has a better picture. I can, and have been called for jury duty - although my Canadian home address was probably why I was never summoned.

"How is this possible?" "You're not really American!" "I'm more American then you are or ever will be!" These have all been said to me during my time at school. Seriously Americans...

How is this possible? - My dad's American, my mum is Canadian. They met at University, fell in love and got married. My grandmother on my mum's side was diagnosed with skin cancer so my dad said "Let's move to Canada" and they did. Such a nice guy.

You're not really American! - Hmm....I'm pretty sure my Certificate of US citizenship and US passport proves otherwise. I also am a Daughter of the American Revolution and I get really excited when it's Military Convocation at LU.

Military Appreciation Convo last year (via Instagram)

I'm more American then you are or ever will be! - Yes, I haven't lived in America my whole life like most people I go to school with, but that has nothing to do with my American-ness. I have just as much rights as you, well technically more since I have citizenship to two countries. Furthermore, I think it's unfair to say that someone who was born in the US is more American than those born outside of the US. What about Americans who are born in the Middle East because their parents are in the military? Are they less American because they were born in, say, Iran? That logic doesn't work. You can still be American if you weren't born in the US just as you can be Canadian if you weren't born in Canada. I just happen to be both American & Canadian.

However, I will say that I feel more at home in Canada. I feel safe in the US but when I walk through the gates that say Welcome to | Bienvenue au Canada I get really happy. I think this is the same for anyone when they enter their home country after being away for a long period of time.

One of my favourite things to see. (via Instagram)

So to clarify, I'm am Canadian. I am also American. I love both my countries and am extremely blessed to be citizens of both of them.

Happy Independence Day and Happy Canada Day!

21 Things I've Learned From My Daddy

2014-06-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

In honor of Father's Day here are 21 things* I've learned from my father.
*I say 21 not because I only have 21 things but because then it's one for every year I've been alive & seemed like a good place to stop.

1. "You can do anything!"

2. "Put your cream in your coffee mug first. Then you won't have to stir it."

3. That history repeats itself, learn from your mistakes.

4. "Sarcasm - It's a beautiful language!"

5. That you should always dance like no one is watching. (Even when everyone is watching)

6. "We can't forget Spurgeon, now can we?"

7. That you can never tell someone you love them enough.

8. Family is ALWAYS important.

9. To never take yourself too seriously - especially when it comes to your fashion choices.

10. That complacency is the enemy of excellence.

11. The importance of music. - Can't thank you enough for this one.

12. That you can always play a mean boom box if you can't play anything else.

13. That it's not *technically* hoarding if your kids made it for you.

14. That teaching is not always fun and games. Sometimes you learn how to use ladders.

15. And sometimes you need to be reminded on how to use the ladders.

16. For reminding me that God supplies over and above what we need or deserve.

17. Tat gramrz & speallingz r inporetant tingz.

18. That you can be patriotic for both your countries but know who to really cheer for during the Olympics.

19. That countdowns can never be started too early nor can they go on too long.

20. "Don't be upset with the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do."

and number 21. Family ALWAYS comes first.

Happy Father's Day Daddy!! Love you more then you'll ever know!

❤️❤️❤️
Your curly little red head girl.

Green Smoothie & Music

2014-05-25T11:11:00.004-07:00

Sometimes you just need a smoothie and sometimes it just needs to be green.

Ingredients

1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Lemon or 2 Limes
Grated Ginger (To taste)
1 C. Kale
1 C. Almond Milk
1 C. Ice Cubes
Honey (I just kept tasting till it was sweet enough)

Instructions
1. Cut & core (also peel if you like) apple into 1 inch pieces.
2. Rip the kale into smaller pieces.
3. Roll and squeeze the juice from the lemon/limes.
4. Stick it all in the blender and blend it up!
5. Taste it and make adjustments till it's to your liking.

Before blending.

Halfway through the blending process.

The finished product

This smoothie is super yummy, and because of the Kale is full of Vitamins A, C, and K and iron so it's really good for you. Though kale is an acquired taste in this smoothie the honey and apple mask it's earthy taste creating a crisp, acidic, yet sweet taste.

Lately I've been listening to this playlist by my lovely friend Melodie all the time. It's upbeat without being obnoxious. It's calming without putting you to sleep but still upbeat that it can keep you focused on what you need to do.

A (School) Year in Review

2014-05-21T21:38:00.001-07:00

How do you continue a blog when your previous (and only) blog post was used as a sermon illustration? I'm not entirely sure, but I felt it's time to get back into the swing of this thing called blogging...

I've been really busy since I last posted (well who hasn't) but now exams over and I'm back home in Toronto! I am SO happy to be home and have a chance to relax. (Although not really, since I'm taking 16 credits over the summer)

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"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

This semester marked the end of many seasons for me. The end of living on Main Campus (Yay!), the end of rooming with my best friend Amy (Boo!), the end of undergraduate Music Theory and Conducting classes (Amen!), & the end of some friendships (Hey, it happens) just to name a few of the things that happened in my life this past semester.

So lets start with the end of living on Main Campus:

This past fall I applied to be a Resident Assistant (RA) and was made it through the second round of cuts. This was a great learning experience and I really do appreciate being able to go through that process. However, I was not accepted to the position and though I was upset at the time, it was part of God's plan. Now I am going to be a Prayer and Life Group Leader on East Campus and I'm super excited for what He has in store for me next year.

Photo: RA Training week February 2014

Photo: My new home next semester! (photo taken by Johanna Hatt)

The end of living with my best friend. No, we didn't "break up" or have a horrible experience being roommates (at least I didn't). We just reached the end of our time being roommates. Things change, life goes on and I have no regrets rooming with Amy at all. We just felt it was time to not room together. No fights, no weirdness, we parted ways well. We'll always be best friends. It was just time to not room together.

BFFS (photo taken by Johanna Hatt)

The end of my undergraduate* Music Theory and Conducting experience. This is one of the biggest accomplishments to completing my degree. 2 years of music theory and 1 year of conducting. The music theory was actually entertaining and I learned a lot from Dr. Wellman AKA Captain Counterpoint. From graphic notation to twelve-tone music, Dr. Wellman has taught it all and his way of bringing music theory to life was amazing and I'm going to miss having him as a professor.

*I say undergraduate because I'll most likely pursue a masters degree in music and will then have to take more music theory classes.

Photo: Last day of Music Theory, Spring 2014 (photo taken by selfie master Okawa Tan)

Photo: From when I conducted the LU Wind Ensemble (photo taken by Johanna Hatt)

The end of some friendships. This one is harder to talk about because the people I was friends with I considered them to be my closest friends at Liberty. But things change, and people change. These people for whatever reason felt that we should no longer be friends. I may disagree with these reasons but it is all for the best. But I know God is good, I know He is in control and I know He has better things in store for me and for those people. Sometimes you just have to pack your bags and move on.

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But with ends come beginnings and nice things so here is one of the nice things that happened this year/semester.

"The Sassy Corner." These four ladies, Amber, Leah, and Dara (who also has a blog and you should probably go follow it) helped get me through Music Theory, Elementary Music Methods, & Instrumental Conducting. They were all there when my grandmother passed away suddenly. They helped keep me sane while studying for music theory and conducting exams. I'm truly thankful for the friendship I have with these three lovely ladies and that God has placed them in my life.

Photo: Sassy Corner at La Carreta (photo taken by Leah)

Anywho, this post is already long enough, but that's the kind of year it's been.
(I am going to try to blog at least once a week over the summer. I want to make it a habit of writing more.)

Rise Up From The Grave

2014-03-06T04:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite worship songs to sing is to myself is "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher. I don't know if it is the simple chord progressions or the way it builds at the end of the song but one thing that I do know is the first line always gets me.

Let no one caught in sin remain, inside the lie of inward shame...

It doesn't matter when I hear it. Whether when it comes up on my iPod while walking through an airport or at Liberty convocation with Justin Kintzel leading 12,000 students on a gloomy Monday morning. Almost without fail I cry, and lately I've been thinking about why I cry when I hear that line.

Short back story: I was first introduced to "Christ is Risen" in 2012 while preparing to go to Turkey on a mission trip with a few friends from my young adult group. I instantly fell in love with the song when I heard it. It's rare that I love a new worship song as much as I enjoyed this one. It was simple yet profound and full of Spiritual truth, just what a worship song should be. Not fluff but rooted in the gospel.

That one line is so powerful and has impacted me so much. So lately I've been thinking about why that line has impacted me as much as it has.

I'm a very quiet person. I don't like letting people in. It makes me feel vulnerable and I don't like that feeling. I have my box and my box is safe. I don't want to have to open up and let people in my box because it's my box. If someone I know if having a problem I am hear to listen but as soon as I'm having a problem I go into my box and try to deal with it by myself, in my box.

That being said when I mess up, and I believe me I do mess up, I don't share my problems and sins with others. I keep them to myself and dwell on them, becoming consumed with shame and self-loathing. I question Every. Single. Action. And Every. Single. Thought. that led up to me messing up and what I should have been my response. I over analyze everything that happened and everything that was said or down. And then I apologize and pray repeatedly that God would forgive me for my past failures. (I don't do this just with God, I apologize to my friends all the time. They can attest that I'm constantly apologizing. Rarely does a conversation go by without me repeatedly apologizing for the same thing.)

The thing is, I know Christ was put on the cross for my sins. For every impure thought I've ever had, for every rude sarcastic comment I've ever said (and will ever say), for every time I've blatantly ignored someone who has asked for my help. God has forgotten it all. He will not remember my sins. His Word tells me this in Isaiah 43:35.

"I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."

I think that's why that line has always hit me. Every time I hear that line I am reminded that I don't need to be living in the shame of my sins. They are forgiven. I have been forgiven for them. Now that doesn't mean I need to forget them and keep sinning. In Acts 3:19 we are called to:

"Repent and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out."

Our sins are not remembered. They are blotted out from God's mind. All we are asked to do is repent and turn from them.

As Christians, we no longer need to be living in the shame of our sin. Yes, we may have to deal with the worldly shame that comes with our sins. And yes, the world will condemn us for our mistakes. They will always look down on us for messing up. But the thing is, we are loved by an Eternal, Sovereign, Gracious, Loving, Forgiving God who will not shame us. He is not surprised that we've failed. He sent His Son because He knew we were going to mess up.

This is why I'm thankful the song doesn't end after the first line. It continues:

But fix your eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely you bled, for us

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

.....

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with Him again

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave!

We no longer need to live in the shame of our sins. He has forgiven us and we are His.

Don't remain in the shame of your sins. They have been forgiven. They've been covered by Christ's blood on the cross. Rise up from the grave.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." ~ Psalm 103:12