The Cold before the Sun

So before I leave to go Phoenix for the week where it's 75 degrees I thought I'd be sure to get some snow pictures, which also happen to be birds in flight pics, so that I don't forget what snow is like. It was requested that I try and bring back some sun. The only thing I can think of is a picture so for those of you stuck in the North East, assuming I can find internet access, you will be able to view real live pictures of the sun everyday starting Sunday.

Enjoy!

Passion

Today I went to see the RIT orchestra play and enjoyed it quite a bit. If the chairs had been more comfortable for reclining I would have appreciated it but maybe it's better how it was.

Anyways so I was noticing a student playing second violin on the very end close to us. He and his dad were both in the group. It was cool to see how totally into his playing he was. Very dramatic and excited to a point that most people wouldn't see as socially impressive. The point of this isn't to make fun of him.

I was brought to thinking about how much I pay attention to my appearance and how people view me. But how appropriate is it to be so passionate about what we do that we don't heed social standards and pay no attention to what people think about us. We get so excited about our purpose (whether that be a short term or a long term purpose doesn't matter here) that we don't mind looking like a fool to other people for it.

Maybe it just depends a lot of what it is we're passionate about and what the goal of our life is. For our violin friend, I'm glad that he has found music to appreciate and really get into. If being a little awkward about it helps him enjoy it more then I suppose he should just weigh out the trade offs. Maybe he'll miss out on some friends. Maybe those aren't friends worth having though.

Now that that's thought through, it's relatively simple. What about being a Christian though? Aren't we supposed to be so in love with Christ that we'll do anything for him and we shouldn't let those around us influence the way we act? I might be misquoting but I think Paul talks about being a fool for Christ. What does that mean? I know there are plenty of people that totally live that out and praise God with no regard for the opinions of those around them. I believe that that's generally honest and not just a show. God will bless it but is that what God has for us? Aren't we also reaching out to those around us? Isn't our purpose here to share the gospel with the world. We want to see students and faculty transformed and campuses renewed. How are we supposed to do that if people just think we're weird, that we're fools, that we don't know anything? People don't listen to people they don't respect. Should we be striving to earn the respect of the world? but while living by a system totally contrary to what the world admires? How's that work? Are we supposed to find a balance somewhere? Where is it? How do we decide when we care to much about what people think? How do we realize when we're ignoring the people around us? Maybe it's impossible? Maybe that's why we need Christ to change hearts? I know it's not us that does the changing but God wants us to give our best... So does our best mean being a fool? or does it mean being able to be accepted, then to connect, and be there with people... are those two things contradictory? I guess I really don't know but I'd like to know. Is there a hard line somewhere? or is this all gray? I want to be full of excitement and passion for Christ and doing his will, I just don't know how to walk that out. I'm losing myself to rambling now but I think I've shown where my confusion lies and that's the point.

Should I be an awkward excited violinist for Christ? ...

...or smooth, but with Christ not being quite so obvious at first sight? Are those our only two options?

The Vandal

I don't really know if this was vandalism or things just falling apart but I like it. I wish the snow could catch on fire. It would also be cool if this was how our eyes really saw things, you know with the beam of light blasting horizontally across the screen. Yeah cool. It's like a happy birthday gleam of glory?

Amazing Grace

Each and Every passing day is becomes clearer and clearer how faulty we are. We can't even walk confidently in our good intentions without royally messing something up. The king of the Heavens cared for me and made my life worth living. There is hope and love in him alone so I will give you all of my heart, soul, and strength.

Beautiful Colors - By Tim and Prisca

So we're not allowed to put consecutive colors next to each other, but usually Prisca and Tim are rebels and do it anyway because they have trouble developing patterns at 8:30 on Sunday mornings.  This morning thought I was shocked to walk in and see this.  Congratulations, que Hermosa.

Geometric Sunlight

If Rochester always had sun it would be so much easier for people to have beautiful pictures all the time, and being a photo major would probably be easy as ever.  As it is... not so much.

Look at all that nice long dark curly hair.  Now imagine if those three heads had rattails subtly protruding.

'twould be so beautiful...

Atmosphere

So after church there was still a lingering sense of what was there, of the spirit of God left dwelling, resting there in the room.  It was an empty room, tired to the ordinary viewer.  But after going through this morning and living through the love that was in that room and the people that so long to serve God with all their hearts, even though it hurts sometimes and is difficult... after that I could look into the room and feel a strong sense of what was.  I want to learn to not only sense what was, but look at a room, or a city, or a classroom and have as strong of a sense and understanding of what could be.  I guess that's vision, and it's from God.  I'd like to have that.

The Math Wall

I feel like this wall perfectly belongs in my Calc classroom (it is my calc classroom in case that's ambiguous). It's like Math, straight lines that fit together in an orderly efficient way with colors that coordinate in a simple sort of organized way, but at the same time it's an ugly cement wall with an upside down outlet? Maybe that represents a Laplace Transform or some other gross mathematical concept :P Maybe I should think of something else to think about.

The Plaque Wall

So there are these walls of plaques all over the place. It would be real sweet to do something deserving that but on the other hand does anyone actually care about any of the people on this wall? I'm sure it was a delightful ceremony when each one was added and the people recognized felt honored and then... that is the result. A little spot in the corner of a lounge on the second floor of building 9 on the academic side of a Campus in Rochester, NY. Hmm, whatever I do with my future I want to make sure I'm touching the lives of individuals and not Institutions. It would be so much cooler to have a plaque in someones house, to matter to someone personally. It just looks like a sad picture of people who came and went. We should make sure we honor those in our lives that deserve plaques with something a little more affective. It does make a nice decoration though...

The Purpose Behind it All

So here's where I'm at, Life is crazy. Yeah you know that. It's the case for everyone I'm sure, so in light of 21 credits next quarter I want to make sure I take time out to think, let my mind spin, rest, recognize the beauty around me, and not burn out chasing after things that don't satisfy. So here it is and will be. I'll post pictures, thoughts, questions, ideas. Maybe people will read it, maybe they won't, either way here I am, observing, thinking, and seeing, making sure I keep sight of what's important in life.

To be warm on a bitter night