Things That Make You Go . . . AH!

Some crazy lady has officially ghetto-fied my beautiful new car.  I was backing out of my parking spot after work today, and was getting ready to put it into into drive when a lady in a Dodge pickup backed out of her spot into the side-rear of my beautiful Corolla.  Not only does she do that, but then she insists that it is my fault.  And it's at that point that I begin wondering how it could be my fault when she was the only one moving.  Next she says that we need to call the police out, which of course they won't because it's a fender-bender.  Also, I see two guys I know from work (one being the the president of the company) standing there, so I walk over and ask if they saw what happened.  Only Bobby (the president) had actually seen it, so I asked him what happened.  He very matter-of-factly states, without any coaching from me, that she backed into me and said that she was crazy for wanting to call the cops out.  Well, I return to said crazy lady and tell her that I have a witness that states that she was in the wrong.  Do you know what her response was to that?  "No, no, I won't play that game."  I'm just standing there dumbfounded thinking, 'What game... the truth?!'  I very calmly reply to her stating that it didn't really matter what she thought, and then we trade insurance information.

To recap, 1) Lady backs into Scott, who is already all the way out of his parking space; 2) lady blames Scott for letting her hit his car; and 3) Scott has an eyewitness who is the president of a corporation, and who says that he will bear witness to the whole thing . . . Lady only has her own word.

We'll see what comes of this.

SUNBURNED SOUL

Apparently I won some sort of unspoken contest yesterday - "The Who Has the Reddest Sunburn, Scott or Me? Contest."  Yeah, I won that one a few separate times.  To clarify, I just got back from a weekend up in Texhoma of good old fashioned card playing, four-wheeler riding, gun shooting, and all around good-time having.  After the last couple weeks of craziness and composing/working/composing/working/etc., I really needed this weekend away with some good friends.  A few of us from our young adults ministry at the church decided that we just needed some time away together, so we did.  Anyway, so instead of yesterday being cool and overcast like what was forecasted, it was bright, sunny, and hot.  Sheesh.  Not a single person in our little expedition thought to bring sunscreen.  Nobody.  There are a lot of sunburned people today.

So I started thinking about all of this after my slightly painful shower this morning.  A sunburn, no matter how funny or painful or weird it can look on someone, is usually a sign of something specific - that you recently went out and had a good time of it out in the sun.  This is a sign that is rarely misunderstood.  People just know.  To me, that begs another question.  If a sunburn is a sign of coming away from a (typically) good time, then what is the best way for us to wear a good experience with Christ?  Shouldn't there be a tell-tale sign of His work in our life in the same way that a sunburn is immediate proof you got absolutely nothing productive done this past weekend?  I wish people would look at me (sunburn or no!) and just know that I have had time with the Maker.  Maybe something like Moses when he came down from the mountain of God.  The outward effect was so strong that the people made him wear a veil.  Now, I wouldn't want to go around having people ask me to put a bag over my head, but it would be amazing to have my relationship with Christ be as unmistakeable as my sunburn is right now.

KEEPING UP WITH THINGS

Hi all.  I thought life was busy while I was in college/grad school.  Well, let me tell ya, it certainly doesn't get any less hectic afterwards!  Life has been pretty good what with getting even more excited by the day about my trip to Louisville next month.  Sarah Jane has so creatively referred to the upcoming premiere as "11-11."  Which, by the way, you may all thank her for adding the final kick in the pants for me to get on here and update.  I've mostly just been busy with my basic life things like work, church (lots of it), choir, and composition stuff.  I'm actually working on finishing a commission in the next couple days for premiere the week after "11-11."  Neato, huh?  Today is an extra day off work because the good folks at StoneEagle have decided that we needed to take Columbus day off.  And I'll be quite honest, I needed it!  I woke up completely refreshed today for the first time in over two months!  That's very nice.

Well, I'm gonna have to keep this one short.  Got lots more things to take care of on my "day off."  Blessings to all of you, as always!

For all those interested, APOKALYPSIS: The Throne Room will be premiered at 7:30pm on November 11, 2006 in Margaret Comstock Concert Hall at University of Louisville's School of Music.

And also for anyone interested, here are the program notes:

Apokalypsis: The Throne Room

The Book of Revelation (Apokalypsis in the original Greek) is a collection of the Apostle John’s dreams and visions concerning the last days.  It is one of the most controversial books in the Bible due to its subject matter and the often confusing nature of the visions.  Many have attempted to decipher the meanings of the scenes; however, it seems that much of the wonder of these images is often lost in the wake of their various interpretations.  In light of the controversy, it is my interest to strip away the weighty interpretations and attempt to take a fresh look at the images themselves, at once beautiful, terrible, majestic, and awe-inspiring.

This piece is the first installment in a series, or cycle, of works based upon the different images found throughout the Book of Revelation.  The source text comes from the fourth chapter. At this point in the narration, the writer is swept up into Heaven where he enters a glorious throne room, the likes of which he has never seen before. 

Because the scene is described somewhat sporadically, in a series of more or less unrelated observations, I have decided to move a few of the lines in order to make an attempt to make the descriptions flow in what I believe to be a more linear (and musical) fashion.  For the most part, I have tried to capture the general atmosphere of each passage instead of depicting the individual lines.  The sections of text could be roughly divided and titled as follows:

          Introduction

          “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.  And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’  At once I was in the Spirit…”

          Around the throne

          “…and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on           them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.”

          “Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”

          Segue

          “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.”

          Glorification by the beasts and the elders

          “In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the           third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
                   ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
                    to receive glory and honor and power,
                    for you created all things,
                    and by your will they were created
                    and have their being.’”

(Texts quoted from the New International Version of the Bible, published by Zondervan Press)

Currently Reading Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality By Donald Miller see related

WHOAA!!!!!!!

I just got some of the best news of the year this afternoon . . .

My Master's Thesis, Apokalypsis: The Throne Room, has been chosen as the featured (former) student work during this year's University of Louisville New Music Festival!!!!!

My thesis is going to be premiered in November!!!!

AHEM!  I SAID my thesis is going to be PREMIERED!!!!    

So, anyone who might be around Louisville (or anywhere close by) on November 10th (or 11th . . . I'll get back to you) should come out and have their face rocked off.  Just kidding.  But really, it would be awesome to see people there.

I have to get the parts edited and sent out by the beginning of next week.  Sheesh, talk about a tight deadline!

Now, I gotta work on getting some time off to be able to attend my own premiere . . .