Yesterday, Wednesday July 1st, I lead worship with three other OMS interns at a prayer service. The service was live streamed which allowed OMS missionaries from all over the world join us digitally as we praised and prayed. Our set starts at 9:30 in the video.
It's amazing what we can do nowadays with our fancy technology.
Yesterday, Wednesday July 1st, I lead worship with three other OMS interns at a prayer service. The service was live streamed which allowed OMS missionaries from all over the world join us digitally as we praised and prayed. Our set starts at 9:30 in the video.
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“Oh, I don’t know if I could do that ... I’ll have to think about it,” I said to my youth pastor about a month ago. That was the last I’d spoken to him until yesterday afternoon about sharing a message with his youth students. Over the past year, I’ve been working with my church’s middle school youth group and have formed some meaningful, life-giving relationships. I remember making similar connections as a middle schooler with people who continually encouraged and helped me in ways I strive to do now for these students. To be able to talk to them about life and God would be a complete blessing. I truly do want to speak, but I was hesitant. My mind immediately flooded with lies: “You don’t speak well in front of people. You have nothing to offer them. Who are you to teach anyway?” As a naturally shy and submissive person, I’ve never thought of myself as a “leader,” which is why the question frightened me. However, I am beginning to rethink what leadership truly means. Last Monday, Angie Ward, a special assignment missionary with One Mission Society, led a training session titled “The Art of Leadership” at OMS’ Greenwood headquarters. Angie is a professor of leadership, education & discipleship at Capital Seminary and Graduate School, with a Ph.D. in leadership from Southern Seminary. During the hour-long session, she spoke about the qualities and responsibilities of effective, moral leaders. I was surprised by the simplicity of her eloquent, poignant message, as well as what it would come to mean to me. A week before I left for Indianapolis I got to spend a very special day on the lake with some great friends. I'm so glad I took so much footage of this sunshine day.
While studying abroad in Tanzania last semester my classmates and I learned a lot about international development and aid. We saw first-hand that providing aid is a complicated topic involving moral codes and cultural sensitivity. Relief work can sometimes cause more harm than good.
b&w photographs courtesy of Steven Schultz Photography Good Fiction, the dynamic, alternative rock trio, is taking Upstate New York one venue at a time. From the Fuze Box in Albany to Troy's RPI Union to Upstate Concert Hall of Clifton Park, Good Fiction has spent this season electrifying the Capital Region with their garage rock feel and compelling live act. The band consists of members Patrick Grace (Vocals, Drums), Alex Wollyung (Guitar), and Taylor Abbitt (Bass). Their sets include novel covers of The White Stripes, Alt-J, and Black Keys as well as several satisfying originals (most notably "Bassline", the band's first single, which can be found here). The band's most recent performance occurred at The Hollow + Kitchen where they opened for Mirk. The Venue- The Hollow Despite its numerous competitors on N Pearl Street, The Hollow has become one of Albany's brightest nightlife locations. This versatile spot hosts a bar, restaurant, and music venue (called The Low Beat) as well as modest prices and friendly staff. The wooden front room is accented with black trim, metal signs, and mason jar-ed light bulbs for a modern take on homey ambiance. Beyond the dining and bar sections is a small room coated in black which holds a billiard table, bar, and rugged stage. Colored lights pop on exposed pipelines and play across musician's faces as they perform. Fairy lights strung above the bar soften the night club vibes as bands like Good Fiction command audiences of up to 200 people. The Show- June 13th, 2015 Electric player, Alex Wollyung, impressed with his quick, accurate finger work, string-bending wails, and fondness for the whammy bar. His use of pedals and placement embodied the desired tone and filled the stage with vibrant musical lines. Wollyung played with intense fervor, conquering zig-zaging themes intently and without mistake. Screams erupted from the audience as Wollyung concluded particularly intricate sequences. The complexity of his playing makes you wonder how he manages to take up only the optimal amount of melodic space. Wollyung's playing showcases his abilities while simultaneously complimenting those of his bandmates'. OMS Summer Interns 2015 photo courtesy of Susan Loobie https://onemissionsociety.org/blog/post/leadership-and-empowerment-through-christ
This summer I am interning with One Mission Society as a journalist in their communications department. The missionaries I work with at OMS headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana (only a half hour drive from Indy!) have all been so kind to me. One even bought my first batch of groceries. Everyone I have met has reached out to me and made me feel like a valued, necessary team member. Coming into this internship I knew basically nothing about what I would be doing. I had no idea that being a part of the comm department would mean learning from, and working with, experts in writing, editing, graphic design, audio engineering, videography, and photography. I did not know I would have the best office-intern-mate ever who would adventure to non-profit coffee shop for brainstorming sessions and sneak off with me during coffee break to play piano and sing. I didn't expect the huge desk and work space or the lovely little apartment I get to share with an even lovelier roommate. You can't imagine my surprise when our neighbor's door opened to reveal a fellow Houghton classmate that I have always desired to know and now had the opportunity to while getting lost driving all over Indianapolis without a GPS (those streets are so tricky!) I never could have anticipated any of the blessing that this week has unveiled. The work is challenging and satisfying. The people are kind and honest. The lifestyle is simple and focused. At night I am tired and in the morning I am excited. If I'd known how great this would be I would've done it years ago. This Spring I studied abroad in Tanzania, Africa. As a part of the program I stayed eight nights in a remote village called Itete with a host family. Though we struggled with language and cultural barriers lasting bonds were formed. By the last day leaving Itete felt like leaving New York. In a way my Elsewhere became anything but that- it became home. This song was written two weeks before my stay and it could not have recorded in a more apt place.
Elsewhere (lyrics) Elsewhere has always been out there But never somewhere I call home But I’ve been tryin’ Been runnin’ and flyin’ To get where I can find a way to go
Let’s get real for a sec. It’s the night after a breakup. You hid under your covers with Room for Squares, Continuum, tissues, Oreos, and a gallon of chocolate ice cream. Alternating between cookies and dairy, modern Mayer and early work, you cried inconsolably and uncontrollably. It’s fine. We’ve all been there at one point, I get it. But just because your relationship is a hopeless mess doesn’t mean your breakup soundtrack has to be.
Lose the Mayer and listen to something varied and refreshingly resonate. Below is a compilation of great breakup songs ranging from pop to grunge, Jack White to Billy Joel (staples of virtually any collection), somber realization to bitter hate to contextualized hope. Next time you’re in tears over a lady or lad give these songs a listen. And remember- There are plenty of fish in the sea, but fish are members of a paraphyletic group of gill-bearing, aquatic, craniate organisms and we are humans. So don’t date fish. That’d be really weird.
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November 2015
AuthorLaura Johnson is a junior writing major at Houghton College. Laura writes for The Houghton Star, Mousailink, and One Mission Society. This virtual space is a journal of things that matter to her; tales, musings, wanderings. |