Dear Diary.....

Well, lately I haven't really been up to much. I've put in a bajillion job apps. Or okay, more like 8. But still, that's quite a few. And I'm hoping that I'll get a couple of calls back. But if I don't, that's okay. I'll just relax and enjoy the summer and look forward to having a job in the fall when there aren't fifty bajillion other hghschoolers looking for summer jobs. But this break from busyness has really given me a chance to think about a few things.First of all, piano. During the summer, it seems like no matter how bored I get, the last thing I want to do is practice piano. Yet I feel like I'm like starving (not literally of course) if I don't practice. And on top of that, it's like hard for me to practice when I don't have a goal in mind. And okay, I do have the ultimate goal of being a concert pianist, but it's very difficult for me to think,"Oh yeah, in ten years, I wanna be at Carnegie Hall, so I better really start practicing and get my pieces down!" Secondly, I've been reflecting on this past year. I think that this has probably been the most difficult year of my life thus far, but I am really thankful for it. For one, I think that it has really matured me. And I don't say that with pride, but with thankfulness to the Lord for what, at the time, seemed like an endless black hole that I'd never make it through. And I was reading this devotion by Joni Eareckson-Tada on Wednesday. It was about the passage in Hosea 2:6-7. She wrote how she has learned to love her wheelchair and love the safety and borders of protection the Lord provides by it. She wrote that had she been able to walk on her two feet, perhaps she would be reaching for and running toward alot of wrong things. And I guess that is how I feel at times. Perhaps had this year been different, I would've turned in a direction that didn't please the Lord. But whatever the Lord's purposes were, I must be content in knowing that He knows what is best for me. And He is preparing me for whatever I will face in my future life. And then I'm thinking about college and stuff. And how weird it is that I will be applying to college in three months.And I already have a poster on my wall which has the cities Oberlin Conservatory is coming to hold regional auditions in January and February. And how really, these auditions determine my future. Or at least for the next four years if I do decide to do grad school. And yes, I am REALLY excited and overjoyed and prayerful and all yet, it suddenly seems like time is sorta going by faster. Like, second grade and those EASY long-division problems seem like they were just like last year or something. And how this year has seemed SO INCREDIBLY LONG, yet, now it's over and it really doesn't seem like the beginning of the school year was so long ago. It's really weird. Anyway, and then the past couple of days, I've learned a few things about Christian love. And thinking of the phrase "What Would Jesus Do?" Like it seems like a really lame question, but honestly, when you already have built up a wall against someone for whatever reason without completely getting to know them, is that loving? Is that what Jesus would do? And I've also learn that as I've gotten a little bit older, being fake isn't as easy as it used to be. At least not for an extended period of time. But I have realized that it's really not about being fake, but being loving. Doing what Jesus would do. And not just plastering a smile on my face, but praying to be loving toward the person who I feel like being fake to. And really, loving your neighbor as yourself isn't always as easy as it seems. Well, anyway, this is really really long and boring. Oh well. Later,
Rachel

Still nothing to write about.....

So here's another vid. This one is called Friend Like That by Hawk Nelson. And for Hawk Nelson, it's really really good.


Well, not much is new. I went to Georgia last week and had an awesome time until my sick little cousins decided to get all cuddly with me and pass their germs to me....but now I'm feeling alot better. I went to the Coca Cola factory while I was there, so that was pretty sweet. And I went to this thing called bootcamp 360, and they had this "competition" thing. The first excercise was running a mile. I ran it in 8 minutes and 33 seconds, and I was pretty happy with that timing because I haven't ran a mile with no break since Dokime! After that, we had the usual pushups. I did 21, and although the other guys (oh yeah, I forgot to mention it was a men's class....) got like 50-60 in 2 minutes, I was happy to get more than 2,LOL. Then there was the worm pushups. And the always dreaded lunges.And the even more dreaded frog jumps. And "cleaning the floor" which really wasn't as bad of an excercise as they made it out to be. And then there were wall squats. And I won that competition. I thought the guy said I held it for 5 minutes, but he talked to my mom and told her that I held it for over 15 minutes. But I paid for it. I could barely walk the following Saturday and Sunday. So never again will I try so hard to beat grown men,LOL. ;)And it was my first mother-daughter trip. And I think that my mom feels a little bit more comfortable traveling with me alone now. Like she was really nervous at first because she's never traveled ANYWHERE without my dad...but after I figured out the GPS system, she really wanted me in the car with her at all times,LOL. So hopefully our trip to NY in 6 weeks won't be so bad afterall. This weekend I will be busy because Aaron is graduating and has some "guests" coming from out of town, and I'm pretty excited for Aaron to graduate. He'll be getting his associate's degree, and he'll be the first grandchild on both sides of the fam to get a college degree and the first person ever on my dad's side, so I think that's pretty.....historic,LOL.Other than that, nothing is really new. Later,
Rachel

Hymn to the Fallen- Saving Private Ryan

This was apparently in Saving Private Ryan. I think it's such a beautiful piece. Too bad I didn't post it on memorial day.....

For all of you Relient K lovers!!! or um, haters.....

Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this song. It's called My Girlfriend by Relient K.



Ain't it awesome?!

100th Anniversary! Or so I wish.....

Yay! I'm gonna copy Mos and rejoice over my 100th post,lol. Well, things are starting to REALLY slow down for me, but that's all good. I know that next year will be insane again so....I will be thankful for the upcoming six weeks of peace,LOL. First off, everyone in the graduation was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G on Friday!! Seriously. And I loved seeing Antigone again. And seeing you guys again,LOL. I was sorta sad that I had to leave so soon, especially seeing that the competition on Saturday really did not go too well. I didn't place. And usually, I'm not surprised if I don't place because there have to be a few losers behind the winner(s). And usually I have some pretty stiff competition. And I realize that part of life as a musician (or really, in any career) is being rejected and recovering from that rejection and simply giving each opportunity your best shot and doing it to God's glory and all. But what was discouraging is the fact that my teacher informed me that she stayed for the Honor's recital. And the girl who won in my category really wasn't that great. Plus, apparently she had given the competition people the key to the 10 foot grand backstage, but they saw the much smaller baby grand (I think it's between 5 and 6 feet) which was untuned and decided to use that since it was already out onstage. So, everyone who competed in the high school category had to use a small, untuned piano, which really isn't easy because it's hard enough to fill up the recital hall with sound even with the 10 foot grand, muchless a piano half its size. Plus, it didn't help that I was one of the first in the morning to compete, so the untuned piano wasn't even warmed up by then. But regardless, it's providential. And like my teacher said, I can't let one bad competition ruin my love for music. So yeah. Anyway, I was really encouraged yesterday by my Sunday School class. It was a Q/A time and many questions came up. One was the question of how to deal with someone who doesn't fit the mold of what the average "Christian teen" today should be like. And I LOVED my youth pastor's response. He reminded whoever wrote that question of who they were even before they became a believer and that it really doesn't matter what your standards of the "average Christian teen" are, but that all that matters is how that person lives for Christ. And it was comforting to me because so often, I feel that I don't fit the quota of people's standards in ALOT of arenas. I'm not the girl who goes to every church function there is. So I don't really fit with the church crowd. And I don't listen to classical music 24/7 or practice piano 8 hours a day on an average day. So I don't really fit in with the "classical musician" clique. And I'm not in a homeschool group and I don't really put homeschooling on a pedestal, so I don't really fit in with the homeschool clique. But....I am who the Lord has made me. And it's a comfort to know that although I don't fit in with any earthly cliques or groups, I'm in the Lord's group. And that someday in Heaven, there won't be any cliques. And there won't be any people snubbing people who don't fit in their cliques or asking "how to deal" with people who don't fit in their cliques as if they're some unidentified species of people,LOL. Anyway, I'm going to Georgia on Thursday, and I really need to finish my packing today. Later,
Rachel

It's ALLLL good.....

Well, on Friday, Josh came home, so now I'm happy. Because I REALLY enjoy having Josh around. And it's really cool because it's like now that he's like been gone to college and coming back, I'm not so awkward when he comes home. Like the first time he came home, I was acting like he was a guest or somthing which was REALLY awkward. But anyway....then on Saturday, I had an awesome day at home. Which was weird. Because usually, I go places to do stuff with friends because I don't think that I can find anything to do at home. But regardless, I had fun. Yesterday was pretty awesome too. We had company over (although I admit, I feel bad because I TOTALLY forgot to get my mom a mother's day gift until Saturday, and then told her that I wanted to get one, but she said that it wouldn't be worth the gas so....ah well). And the company was fun. I tried spotting one of the girls on her backhandspring, but...well, it didn't turn out too great. See, I have like NO arm strength whatsoever, and she had never done one before. Sooo.....I ended up straining my arms (mainly my right arm) to flip her over. And even once I flipped her over, her arms collapsed. But oh well. Now I'm stuck with a sore arm. And I need to practice. So I better get off. Later,
Rachel

New Post

Okay, so....I haven't written anything in over a week, so....this will be a lame post, but whatever. So....today I went to see Iron Man. It was okaayyy, but I prefer Spider-Man. Like....Spider Man is just an overall better role model. For example, he's not a flirt. He has his ONE high school soulmate who he is in love with and wants to marry. Also, the things he does aren't for the gain of money or fame, but for the good of others. But I won't over-analyze the movie. Overall, it was good. Anyway, last week I got my ACT scores back and I'm really thankful because I did way better than I expected which is a huge blessing. And then my parents made flight reservations for camp, so....they are pretty certain that I'll be going. Which makes me very excited and thankful. And this camp will be alot more intense musically than last summer. According to the coordinator of the summer programming, they treat you like adults at this camp. Soo....there's alot more responsibility. Plus, I'll get voice lessons. Which...sorta brings up another thing. Last night my dad asked me for the first time in like a year would I still like to make a Christian cd. So....I guess I'm once again praying about my career path. Like I am certain that whatever direction I go, I will use piano. And I have been certain for like two or three years that I am GOING to be a concert pianist. But...I just need to pray about whether or not I should take the path of singing or being a classical pianist. And if I do, then I'll probably minor in voice in college. So....I just don't know!! Anyway, it is an absolutely gorgeous day and I'm gonna go enjoy the rest of it. Later,
Rachel