We always speak of it as the most expensive piece of paper one can obtain, but I don't think I've ever understood the meaning of a diploma until today.
Yes, it's official.
I am a college graduate.
Bachelor of Arts in Comprehensive Communication (Journalism) with minors in Theatre and Bible to be exact. What is surprising me is that I have not made a single comment in connection to the ironic "value" of that piece of parchment, but I can't help but sit here and experience my mind trying to grasp the enormous symbolic and literal change that just occurred in my life.
One side of me feels like I want to take on the world. Full-force. Just move somewhere away from the confining cornfields of southwest Ohio where I find myself now and pursue the dreams I've imagined all my life.
The other side of me is still focused on Cedarville. Focused on the friendships I've built, the actions I've set in motion, the possibilities at hand. I love Cedarville. Immensely. It has taught me so much, challenged me intensely, and has seen me through incredible undulations of life. So much of me feels as if I need to give back, to stay involved, to be able to encourage prospective students, current CU family, and alumni. I find so much excitement in imagining myself continuing to pour into CU, but my biggest thing right now is just the need to stop trying to weigh out every detail and trust God to make my way.
I am a planner. A visionary. A strategist. Sitting here, not knowing my exact direction and not entirely being in control is my most intimidating opposition. It's times like this that I find myself so torn. So tempted to weigh out pros and cons, make lists, make contrasting agendas etc. etc. while knowing I just need to stop, hand over all my concerns and confusion to the One and Only Sovereign God and just watch Him work it out.
Another thing about me... I think and feel and live so often through song lyrics. For example, I just can't keep certain lyrics from running through my head right now, a song I performed with OneVoice Ensemble this year..
A wave of Your hand can command the seas to hold their peace
If you can handle the seas
Then I know that You can deal with all my needs
So I will put every situation
Into Your capable hands
I don't have to know the plan
Because You are
You are the sovereign God
Bigger than all my problems
And every situation
There is nothing too hard
For the sovereign God
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly
Above all we ask or think
So take all your burdens and lay them at His feet
And watch Him meet the need
We have the victory
I hate being vulnerable. I've always felt that I need to remain strong, in control, and hide any evidence of not "having it all together," but I've learned more and more that it is through my vulnerable times that God shows me my need for Him. Through my lacking, He proves time and time again that He is my Jireh and my sustainer.
God is good, ya'll... Pray that I won't fail to see that at all times.
Congratulations Cedarville University Class of 2010. It's been unbelievable. I hope your time has been as stretching and as impactful as mine has been. Love you all!
Showing posts with label Graduation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Graduation. Show all posts
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
In the beginning...
Life.
While it's the antics and adventures within that that should have been inspiring me to keep up with a blog, it worked in a conflicting way. It's the non-stop, high speed, categorized chaos that wakes me up early, keeps me up at night, and would allow no time to make a tangible record of my endeavors.
Long story short... This girl is poolside, cannonball-in' into the refreshing waves of the blog world. I feel like this will in fact be rejuvenating for me. A little cheap therapy if you will.
I most definitely am a talker. In regards to entertaining others, talking through what I need to accomplish, or even talking myself outta trouble (occccccasionally :-P), words are kinnnnda what I do. Maybe that's why I went to college to study communications, to learn how to best sculpt this craft. What I've really learned? I'm just REALLY good at... not shutting up!
Ok- that was a side note. What I've actually realized more and more is how relevant keeping a blog is to my future in writing, journalism, PR etc etc so on. I have to admit, I kinda like it in a sense. I mean, I have learned how to write technically, formal skills, rules blah blah blah... but people out there in the "big people world" are starting to care more about uniqueness in writing styles and... dare I say it? PERSONALITY! Yesssss! Score one up for me! I def got one of those :-) If only all life's problems would be improved simply due to the fact you have a KICKIN' personality. Let's just say this past semester I wouldn't have gotten in an accident (not my fault! ha), my laptop wouldn't have died and caused me to go through the attorney general to fix the issue, I wouldn't have unauthorized charges on my credit card, and my housemate wouldn't have shown up with a baby chick in my laundry room! Well, that last one is quite an interesting story... maybe another day!
ANYWAY- I am contemplating giving ya'll an insight on what has brought me to this point. Not necessarily THIS point as in 8:58 pm April 22,2010, but moreso a soon-to-be college grad who has had the blessing to experience so much, see so many beautiful parts of the world, has so many interests and so many unique ...borderline obsessive amusements... but... I'm leaning toward a snapshot of what's on my plate right now and I'll catch ya up later. Deal? Game on.
ELLIV (pronounced E- LEAVE) is the HUGE award show put on annually at Cedarville University right before summer approaches and the 3,000+ students escape the midwest cornfields to return home, in most cases, to more exciting home bases. ELLIV (www.elliv.com) combines dialogue, skits, videos and more that bring to center stage highlights and humor from the year and we combine it with top-notch performances of musical favorites and extensively choreographed dance routines. (:::BREATHE:::) Continue...Oh yah- and then we give out awards to the year's best, like "performing artist," "student worker," "visual artist," "athletic accomplishment" and so on. A red carpet leads nominees and performers into our ministry center here on campus to the chapel, where an extravagant set is assembled to house the talent and technical surprises for the 3,000 onlookers.
After 3 years of performing in the show and choreographing numerous acts from a jazzy Michael Buble number, a throw-back 90's MMMbop act full of nostalgic fun, and even a full-out, high energy Broadway quality version of "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray (I'll have to post the vid sometime!), I was put in charge of ALL the talent this year This includes coordinating 120+ singers, dancers, beatboxers, instrumentalists la la la...all on an elaborate stage equipped for some crazy action PYRO! Yes... all this happens at a small, midwest Christian college... we are that cool.
It all goes down Saturday. 2 days. WHATTT!? I've been planning and orchestrating this event since LAST April and it's now here. It's gonna happen. After months of planning logistics, weeks of auditions, HOURSSS (probably DAYS) of choreography prep, 4 months of rehearsal... "E-DAY" is fast approaching. There is no turning back... (not that I'd EVER want to...I LIVE for this stuff! :-P) Today, a colossal truck brought in the stage, rented intels, pyro and such and we spent the afternoon turning our chapel into a space ready any A-list performer :-)
So, that has been chomping on my life and transforming my usual "plan-ahead know-where-my-life-is-going" self into a "tunnel-visioned-event-planner" that easily overlooks the fact that I'll be crossing the graduation stage in 9 (OH DANG!) days. Talk about a smack from reality. And not just a friendly brush... I'm talking a cocked back, flat handed impact... spit flying out like in the boxing ring and all. Well, maybe not the saliva section of that... I'm lady enough to contain that! haha!
I think this is where I'm calling it a night for now. I feel like I sufficiently tested out my blog waters, checking my water wings at the door. HAHA... I just had the vision of Mary Catherine Gallagher from Superstar in the opening scene of the movie... C'mon, you know what I mean! The cumbersome, almost uncomfortably awkward little girl... overly tight Rapunzel braids, out of style glasses, buck teeth and all talking about how to enter a pool. She explains 2 ways. Dipping your foot in and adjusting to the water, or, as she would encourage, just JUMPING IN!
I've never really been one prone to timidity, so I guess as I look to the future, I'll be working on perfecting my dives :-)
*Katy :-)
While it's the antics and adventures within that that should have been inspiring me to keep up with a blog, it worked in a conflicting way. It's the non-stop, high speed, categorized chaos that wakes me up early, keeps me up at night, and would allow no time to make a tangible record of my endeavors.
Long story short... This girl is poolside, cannonball-in' into the refreshing waves of the blog world. I feel like this will in fact be rejuvenating for me. A little cheap therapy if you will.
I most definitely am a talker. In regards to entertaining others, talking through what I need to accomplish, or even talking myself outta trouble (occccccasionally :-P), words are kinnnnda what I do. Maybe that's why I went to college to study communications, to learn how to best sculpt this craft. What I've really learned? I'm just REALLY good at... not shutting up!
Ok- that was a side note. What I've actually realized more and more is how relevant keeping a blog is to my future in writing, journalism, PR etc etc so on. I have to admit, I kinda like it in a sense. I mean, I have learned how to write technically, formal skills, rules blah blah blah... but people out there in the "big people world" are starting to care more about uniqueness in writing styles and... dare I say it? PERSONALITY! Yesssss! Score one up for me! I def got one of those :-) If only all life's problems would be improved simply due to the fact you have a KICKIN' personality. Let's just say this past semester I wouldn't have gotten in an accident (not my fault! ha), my laptop wouldn't have died and caused me to go through the attorney general to fix the issue, I wouldn't have unauthorized charges on my credit card, and my housemate wouldn't have shown up with a baby chick in my laundry room! Well, that last one is quite an interesting story... maybe another day!
ANYWAY- I am contemplating giving ya'll an insight on what has brought me to this point. Not necessarily THIS point as in 8:58 pm April 22,2010, but moreso a soon-to-be college grad who has had the blessing to experience so much, see so many beautiful parts of the world, has so many interests and so many unique ...borderline obsessive amusements... but... I'm leaning toward a snapshot of what's on my plate right now and I'll catch ya up later. Deal? Game on.
ELLIV (pronounced E- LEAVE) is the HUGE award show put on annually at Cedarville University right before summer approaches and the 3,000+ students escape the midwest cornfields to return home, in most cases, to more exciting home bases. ELLIV (www.elliv.com) combines dialogue, skits, videos and more that bring to center stage highlights and humor from the year and we combine it with top-notch performances of musical favorites and extensively choreographed dance routines. (:::BREATHE:::) Continue...Oh yah- and then we give out awards to the year's best, like "performing artist," "student worker," "visual artist," "athletic accomplishment" and so on. A red carpet leads nominees and performers into our ministry center here on campus to the chapel, where an extravagant set is assembled to house the talent and technical surprises for the 3,000 onlookers.
After 3 years of performing in the show and choreographing numerous acts from a jazzy Michael Buble number, a throw-back 90's MMMbop act full of nostalgic fun, and even a full-out, high energy Broadway quality version of "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray (I'll have to post the vid sometime!), I was put in charge of ALL the talent this year This includes coordinating 120+ singers, dancers, beatboxers, instrumentalists la la la...all on an elaborate stage equipped for some crazy action PYRO! Yes... all this happens at a small, midwest Christian college... we are that cool.
It all goes down Saturday. 2 days. WHATTT!? I've been planning and orchestrating this event since LAST April and it's now here. It's gonna happen. After months of planning logistics, weeks of auditions, HOURSSS (probably DAYS) of choreography prep, 4 months of rehearsal... "E-DAY" is fast approaching. There is no turning back... (not that I'd EVER want to...I LIVE for this stuff! :-P) Today, a colossal truck brought in the stage, rented intels, pyro and such and we spent the afternoon turning our chapel into a space ready any A-list performer :-)
So, that has been chomping on my life and transforming my usual "plan-ahead know-where-my-life-is-going" self into a "tunnel-visioned-event-planner" that easily overlooks the fact that I'll be crossing the graduation stage in 9 (OH DANG!) days. Talk about a smack from reality. And not just a friendly brush... I'm talking a cocked back, flat handed impact... spit flying out like in the boxing ring and all. Well, maybe not the saliva section of that... I'm lady enough to contain that! haha!
I think this is where I'm calling it a night for now. I feel like I sufficiently tested out my blog waters, checking my water wings at the door. HAHA... I just had the vision of Mary Catherine Gallagher from Superstar in the opening scene of the movie... C'mon, you know what I mean! The cumbersome, almost uncomfortably awkward little girl... overly tight Rapunzel braids, out of style glasses, buck teeth and all talking about how to enter a pool. She explains 2 ways. Dipping your foot in and adjusting to the water, or, as she would encourage, just JUMPING IN!
I've never really been one prone to timidity, so I guess as I look to the future, I'll be working on perfecting my dives :-)
*Katy :-)
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