Jason Castro

So tonight I went to my real first concert, and it was a good one - Jason Castro at Jammin' Java!

He was there with Caitlin Crosby and Matt Hires - both great artists as well!

kinda awful pics... but memorable! haha

we were so close to the stage!!

Such a fun night!!!

Is God Really In Control?

chapter6.

"If you stop and think about it, you will realize that most godly character traits can only be developed through adversity. God in His infinite wisdom knows exactly what adversity we need to grow more and more into the likeness of His Son."

"We are almost insatiable in our quest for the "why" of the adversity that come upon us. But this is a futile as well as an untrusting task. God's ways, being the ways of infinite wisdom, simply cannot be comprehended by our finite minds."

"God's wisdom is fathomless; His decisions are unsearchable; His methods are mysterious and untraceable. No one has ever even understood His mind, let alone advised Him on the proper course of action. How futile and even arrogant for us to seek to determine what God is doing in a particular event or circumstance. We simply cannot search out the reasons behind His decisions or trace out the ways by which He brings those decisions to pass.

If we are to experience peace in our souls in times of adversity, we must come to the place where we truly believe that God's ways are simply beyond us and stop asking Him "why" or even tying to determine it ourselves. This may seem like an intellectual "cop out", a refusal to deal with the really tough issues of life. In fact, it is just the opposite. It is a surrender to the truth about God and our cirumstances as it is revealed to us by God himself in His inspired Word."

Jerry Bridges

a trip to philly with jenn and gerre.

2009 in photos

january

marchforlife

moving in with new roommates

february

first snow day

painting our red wall

my crazy roommates

and our guest housemate, fred.

once again, my crazy roommate.

march

carmen and i traveled to nyc

and saw Edi Gathegi (the guy on the left)

in nyc really late at night

pearl, my parents' new puppy

april

my grandpa passed away

jenn and i went to nyc

jean and i went to liberty u to visit kelly and cynth

in the tunnel that goes under the highway

may

blowing up groundhog holes at kelley's

photoshoot in west virginia

too much high school musical?

june

lena, carmen and i had a photoshoot in damascus and church

jimmy cone

july

reid passed away

june-august::camp

me as mike wazowski

rachel::british epic chest bump friend

hana:: british crazy dancing friend

hana and nicole, camp moms

jordan and i - the best camp moms EVER. (and the hottest)

michelle:my co-counselor. and our feelings about camp at the end.

august

carmen and i in our new apartment

jenn and i in our new room

september

aisle 5 at it's best

october

going trick or treating with a monster/witch/vampire named kelley

november

playing pranks on charity (and consequentially, lena)

december

aisle 5 realizes they're snowed in:

so we make the best of it

aisle 5 in the blizzard

aisle 5 snow reports in the blizzard

blizzard

new years eve at the kovlak's playing with her nice camera

A little late but here it is... 2009.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
go away to camp for the whole summer, almost fail a class (but i didn't)

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i don't usually make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no don't think so

4. Did anyone close to you die?
yes, i think this year could be described as the year of death.

5. What countries did you visit?
none. boo

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you didn't have in 2009?
a real job, money to pay the bills,

7. What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 5, June 15th, July 11,

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
getting thru camp, getting to my last year of school.

9. What was your biggest failure?
not trusting god, isn't it always?

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
not this year other than looking like i got mauled by a bear at camp.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a new phone? i dunno i really have not bought anything in the past year

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
my grandmas

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
hmm no one that sticks out. other than stupid tiger woods, but i don't really care about celebrities. they're always acting appalling.

14. Where did most of your money go?
bills, gas

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
going to camp, moving into aisle 5 with the girls

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Anything by Jason Castro, Hey Juliet and Reach for the Stars and any other camp songs, Love Game and other lady gaga songs haha, owl city!! can't wait to see him in concert!!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?: definitely happier
ii. richer or poorer?: so much poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
hmm i dunno

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
wasting time

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
spent it with my family

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
nope

23. How many one-night stands?
none

24. What was your favorite TV program?
law and order svu, reba, ER

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't think I hate anyone.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
don't think i discovered any really amazing music this year, but i love owl city now.

28. What did you want and get?
an awesome summer

29. What did you want and not get?
nothing i was expecting to get

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
This is it, the ugly truth, new moon was fun to watch with people but not a great film, probably other stuff but i can't remember.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i turned 22 this year and i was at camp. i had like 300 people sing our happy birthday song to me at flag raising then went about my day to find out reid was dying back home. i spent most of the day trying to decide if i should catch a ride home with elisha or wait a few days.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
it would have been more relaxing if i had sufficient money

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
camp clothes

34. What kept you sane?
at camp - charging into jordan's bunk and venting and then laughing about it in the end, this past semester - jenn and our long talks at night.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
michael jackson

37. Who did you miss?
my grandpa and reid

38. Who was the best new person you met?
jordan nicole and hana! camp mommies! fern from australia, rachel from england, and everyone else at camp. and then kira, dj, melaika, julie, ken and everyone else from work.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
be daring

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Oh the deep deep love, all I need and trust, is the deep deep love of Jesus"

"I can finally see that you're right there beside me.
I am not my own, for I have been made new.
Please don't let me go, I desperately need you.
I am not my own, for I have been made new.
Please don't let me go, I desperately need you."

Winter Storm 2009

Charity, Jenn, Carmen and I are snowed in up in Baltimore, so in order to enjoy the storm and share it with our friends we decided to create news broadcasts of the storm's progress. Here is one of the funnier reports... all the others can be found on youtube by clicking on this video.



And here, the most epic blooper of the day:

Bodies Without Faces (Women’s Fight for Equality in Media)

This semester I am in a Women and Theatre class and our final project for the year is to be an activist. We had to choose a topic related to Women in the media and raise consciousness about it. I’m here to start discussion on the way women are portrayed in music videos. Please feel free leave comments whether they are negative or positive. I want to hear your thoughts and I want to get people thinking about this. Thanks!

I would like to argue that the sexual way women are portrayed in music videos is just a form of prostitution and should be stopped. Yes, this may sound extreme, but I don’t think people realize what a strong statement these images are sending out to the world. We become numb to it, even if we know it’s not right, but becoming numb isn’t making it go away. Can we do something to make it stop?

Think about the music videos you’ve seen, especially with male artists, and what images of women you see. Women are flaunted, not given any sort of character, used as sex symbols, and in some they are taken advantage of but seemingly enjoy it. What example does this set for society?

Women are represented without character or personality, as if they are just objects for men to enjoy. They are bodies without faces. In most music videos, a woman is only shown in part, rarely is her whole body in view, especially her face. Who are they? What do they enjoy? Who are their friends? Do they really enjoy being victimized? Are they representative of real life women? Is this what they are really like when off the set?

Girls, can you relate to women you see on TV or in movies or music videos? Do you want to be treated like that? Guys, do you actually view women this way and if so, does it make you feel more macho to look down on women and see them as only a source of pleasure?

Think about what you are supporting when you buy that magazine, watch that movie or music video, and think about what your money is really going towards.

Interesting Facts: 1 in 5 college females will be the victim of rape or attempted rape and a sexual assault occurs every 2.5 minutes in America. How sad is that? What is truly scary is that in 2000 a riot occurred in NYC, and the images of the men mobbing around the women in the crowd looked parallel to the images shown in music videos. In the music videos, the women encouraged it and enjoyed it, as if all they were created for was sex. In real life, they were scared, hurt and victimized. The men may have thought real life women enjoy it because they see it played out in music videos all the time.

What are music videos teaching us? In psychology I’ve learned about observational learning and how we imitate that which we see. It only makes sense then that when men repeatedly see how women are portrayed on tv, that they would think that is how women actually want to be treated and also that that is how they are supposed to act towards women, as if they enjoy it.

Why is the media stuck in archaic times and still mandating what women should be like?

Take a look at this short documentary on youtube: Dream Worlds 3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6LHg_OFFRY&feature=PlayList&p=A399EA02C4F7C366&index=0

It’s a compelling look at what music videos are REALLY saying, and the impact they have on real life situations. Warning, it is very graphic, but the message it is sending is crucial and disturbing to hear.

Also, for younger kids, take a look at this site deconstructing Disney movies and the way women are portrayed to children. www.myspace.com/babesintoyland09

Girls: Just because women on TV and movies act this way does not mean you have to. Be strong and be yourself, and don’t let men disrespect you because they think they have that power over you.

Take action! Don’t just agree and do nothing, talk about it with others and try and spread knowledge. Change can’t happen without people getting up and doing something. I urge you all to think about these things carefully and I would love to hear your thoughts.

Fireball on aisle 5

Jenn made a birthday cake for some guys with birthdays over the past week. The top was sprinkled with powdered sugar. When Johnny went to go blow it out the fire lit the sugar and blew a fireball out the other side. So cool!!

halloween

went trick or treating with Kelley and Susan. Got loads of candy. I don't even like candy that much haha but it was fun times

Michael Jackson - This Is It

If you have not seen this go to the theater right now and watch it. It. is. amazing. I walked out of the theater floating on a cloud high in the sky in complete awe.

fire on Aisle 5

The Last Words of David by Randall Thompson

My choir is singing this song and it's amazing and beautiful and straight from scripture.

This video isn't good quality but it's the best version I can find on youtube that the choir actually sings with dynamics and annunciation.




He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining, after rain. Alleluia, Amen.

a typical night on aisle 5.

Don't mind my awful pitchy voice. It was not done for quality. :)

Is God Really In Control?

"God's providence is His constant care for and His absolute rule over all His creation for His own glory and the good of His people. Again, note the absolute terms: constant care, absolute rule, all creation. Nothing, not even the smallest virus escapes His care and control.
But notice also the twofold objective of God's providence: His own glory and the good of His people. These two objectives never work against each other; they are always in harmony. God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His external purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together. What comfort and encouragement this should be to us!"

"The providence of God is not a now-and-then operation, as though God were watching from a distance, constantly surprised by accidents, darting in once in a while to fix things after the fact, regularly frustrated by His unruly and out-of-control creation."

"He never permits [people] to act contrary to His sovereign will, which remains incomprehensible to us"

"No one can straighten what He has made crooked or make crooked what He has made straight."

"Did another driver go through a red light, strike your car and send you to the hospital with multiple fractures? Did a physician fail to detect your cancer in its early stages, when it would have been treatable? Did you end up with an incompetent instructor in a very important course in college, or an inept supervisor that blocked your career in business? All of these circumstances are under the controlling hand of our sovereign God, who is working them out in our lives for our good."

"To believe in the sovereignty of God when we do not see His direct intervention - when God is, so to speak, working entirely behind the scenes through ordinary circumstances and ordinary actions of people - is even more important, because that is the way God usually works."

"The sovereignty of God is often questioned because man does not understand what God is doing. And, because He does not at as we think He should, we conclude He cannot act for our best."

"Even in this invisible war, God is still sovereign."

"But what should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an all-powerful and all-loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God's eternal plan, and He brings or allows into our lives only what he for His glory and our good."

Jerry Bridges

Check out my brother, Dewie's youtube page with the movies he's making. They're hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/user/6Jim101

Especially:
Ugly!
Hatin on Alarm Clocks
Jeremy Alone in Men's Room

can't vouch for the other ones haha