Well, basketball season is officially over for me, I played my last game of the season on Saturday, and I think I had my best game. I actually scored some points too. I think I am finally contributing to the team a little. I hope my knee stays intact for next year. I don't know if I'll play soccer, I might drop it to protect my knee.
I have a debate today, along with piano stuff. I am preparing for the competition on this Saturday and the honors recital on Sunday. Since I have been performing a lot recently I don't really have any fear of it anymore. I used to be a mess two weeks before a recital just worrying and getting all worked up about nothing. I normally was so worried that I ended up making mistakes in the performance anyway. But there were a coupe things that drove me on to do it again. First the glory of the performance. Once you've experienced it, it never leaves you. When I am performing I am in a completely different world, and all realities and problems and thoughts and everything pretty much leaves me. The second thing is satisfaction. You feel a sense of relief and then a sense of extreme perseverance. Right after a good performance, I'll dream of doing it again and I'll already be thinking of pieces I'll want to play. And then a couple weeks before another recital or something I would find myself saying, "what possessed me to get myself into this!" And then I would remember the performance and everything and the cycle would repeat over and over again. But now, I am at the point that, it really isn't a big deal at all, as long as I feel comfortable with the piece then I don't worry at all. It's the same with debate and speech. I've done it enough to not feel stressed about it. Like the debate today, I didn't spend hours last night trying to prepare. My mom told me I was debating tomorrow and I was like "ok", as if she had asked me to sweep the floor or something. So my advice to you aspiring performers is, if you feel really really stressed out about performing, keep with it, and you will soon find performing in front of a crowd to be no different then speaking in front of your friends. And with that, I will prepare my self for my debate...take care

Almost done...

I have one more basketball event and then I am done with the season. I have tournament this weekend up in Danville...wherever that is...We'll be playing against some small Christian schools. We also have a tournament in Indianapolis but that conflicts with the honors recital. With basketball coming to a close, I have been looking back and evaluating the past season and it's ups and downs. I have been tempted to think of my injury as a big setback with no advantages and just a bunch of waiting and unproductivity, however God has shown me several things through this season. First of all, I have had to exercise some form of patience. A lot more then I wanted to ever have to. I can't count how many games I had to sit through and watch everybody play. For a while I couldn't even practice with the team. But through all the waiting God showed me how important patience can be especially as I get nearer to my senior year.
Second because I was out of shape for so long I had to practice the basics all over again to strengthen my knee. Later as I started playing again, I found that through the whole year I haven't caused on turnover. Going back to the basics really helped me. Finally I was able to meet some very cool, people and form some really good friendships. So all in all, this season is one that had done me a lot of good, and I will look back on it as a season that was preparing me for my final year of basketball.

On that note, this last Tuesday we had one of our best basketball games. We played Faith Christian School, and for those of you who know Stephen Long and Jordan Kessler, we played them. It was another nail biting, edge of your seat kind of game and it was that way throughout the whole thing. Faith held the lead for the majority of the game but we hung in there not drifting very far away. Finally in the closing seconds one of their big guys was fouled and put on the line. He made both of his free throws which put them ahead by 3 points with 4 seconds on the clock. We took the ball out of bounds and threw it in to one of our big guys. Then the ball was miraculously passed to the same guy who bailed us out in Kokomo's game. He turned around and threw up a crazy 3-pointer which looked like it was way off. However as the ball got closer and as time expired the ball banked in and we were in overtime! We ended up pulling out the victory in the end by three points. Interestingly enough the guy who put up the buzzer beater graduated this year, and that was our last home game of the year. I mean talk about a way to finish off the home season! Well, I think with our great home win, I think our team is well off for our upcoming tournament. Well, I think I will invest my time in other affairs, see ya all later,

I'm IN!!!

My auditions went really well today and I am in the concert!! So I have a crazy two weeks ahead of me, with the Honors recital and the Hoosier auditions. I also have a speech and debate tournament in March as well. So I will be keeping busy enough. I am desperately trying to keep myself from getting swamped in school subjects along with all the other stuff I am trying to do! It gets real complicated real fast!! We are all soo busy. It kinda feels like no one is ever home around here, because my brother, being a college student, is always running around at random times of the day going places I usually have never heard of, and my sister is swimming and taking ballet, and my mom just now got a part time job, and I have basketball, and piano and co-op, and youth group, and actually my brother is going to Germany, Greece, and Cyprus on a spring break trip for Purdue, so really, no one is ever home!! Well, I really need some sleep so I should probably hit the sack early tonight...see ya guys later...

Shoulda been televised...

Yesterday we had an amazingly intense thriller of a basketball game. We played the Kokomo Kash Eagles all the way into overtime. It was crazy!! We lead for the whole first half and the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, however, Kokomo came back from 10 points behind and got it tied up close to the end. The lead bobbled around for a while until we were up by five with 40 seconds to go in the game. Somehow, (I still don't really know how they did this...) they got within 1 point and then sank a 3 pointer with 4 seconds to go. We took the ball out of bounds and chucked it to one of our best shooters down the floor. As time was expiring he shot a 3 and got fouled in the process of shooting! So now, with 3 shots, he could tie or even win the game with 0 seconds on the clock!! Imagine the pressure, I was glad it wasn't me!! Either your the hero or the...well, Anyway, he did make 2, through the pressure and all, putting us in overtime. We ended up losing by two points in overtime. Overtime was a mess of action and mistakes couple with an extremely loud gym. It was a disappointing game but, we gave the audience a pretty good evening of entertainment!! There was a rumor that the local TV station would come and do a report. We were all like, "Not only should they have done a report they shouda televised it!"

Well I have a big recital audition type thing coming up this Sunday. If I play well enough I will be able to play in an honors recital at Purdue. I am playing the first movement of one of Beethoven's sonatas, I really don't know which one, I just looked up one and thought it sounded cool, so I decided to play it! I hope I keep some form of sanity because 2 weeks after the auditions for the honors recital, I have an Audition for another state competition, and then I have the actual honors recital...if I make if of course!! So it will be a crazy couple of weeks coming up. I won't be bored at all for a while at least!! A little excitement here and there never hurt anyone...I think...

Well, the more practicing I do the better my chances of success...take care ya'll

Back in Action!!

My brace finally came yesterday!! I can actually play basketball like I mean it!! I normally just sort of play around in the scrimmages because my knee couldn't take very much stress. But now, this huge brace which has metal hinges, and all kinds of stuff, keeps my knee very tight. The tightness does pose some problems though. It will take me a while to get used to it. Yesterday in practice, I was running sideways for one of the drills and I tripped and literally went flying, rolling head over heals because of the weird feel of the brace!! It also is throwing all my shooting off because it's so different bending my knees. But at least I can play in the games now! We have a game tonight and a game tomorrow down in Indy playing the wildcats. This time I am going to be playing and Joel is sitting on the bench...what a coincidence...Anyway, I am very happy to be able to finally after almost 5 months of no basketball to be able to actually play in the games! Well, with no running for a couple of months, I am really out of shape!! I guess I'll just have to live with that for a while.

Yesterday the core group for the Westside church plant had another meeting. Everything is running smoothly...for now at least!! It's interesting because we are pretty much brainstorming about EVERYTHING!! Such as, the name of the church, what ministries to have, what schedule to have on Sunday mornings, whether we should have hot drinks, or Starbucks coffee...(that was my dad's suggestion, lol!!) and all kinds of stuff. Also, the families in the group are coming closer together. I am really excited about what is going on, and if nothing else it will be a great time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord and each other through all this planting work.
Well, that's all for now, take care everyone...

Concerning Edomites and other affairs...

Ok, if any of you want to become an edomite just go to their web page and post a comment about your interest. Then one of us will invite you to join. It's that simple! There are only a couple of "rules" or "regulations", you have to have a blog (duh!) and you have to comply with the creed, but that is about it.
By the way, you all should check out Maria's blog here, she just posted a masterpiece about their adventerous escapade to Australia so take a look, and give a comment.
Really short post for now, but you never know, this post could save someones life...maybe...well, i am being summoned, unfortunately, so have a great day...or two...

Of and concerning commentation...

For those of you who commented on my blog with disappearing comments, don't worry because I have them!! All comments are sent to my e-mail address so even though they did not appear on the blog I still got them! I believe the comments are working as smoothly as...as...well, nevermind!!
Ok, enough of that! The competition went well yesterday. Kathryn and Peter both got first place in their rounds so I have a good record for accompaniment...for now at least...and I found my way around the school...somehow...
Well, I think I will allow the use of this fascinating machine (the computer...) to some other respectable members of this household and, I hope you all have a great week!!

THE accompanist...

Tomorrow some friends of mine are competing in a competition for public schooled kids, and believe me, when I figured out that home schoolers were not allowed, I was not happy! Well, that's beside the point, they chose me (for some reason I am still trying to find out) to accompany them. And of course I was most obliged to indulge their requests. Ok, enough poetic language! The competition is tomorrow morning, (morning competitions are, OK I guess, but my fingers don't like to cooperate especially in the mornings...If you play piano, you know what I mean, if you don't play piano...don't worry about). I am pretty sure we are all prepared, but, we will definitely know that tomorrow morning! One of the soloists I am accompanying is Kathryn Held. This is her first French horn solo performance and for those who know her...well...let's say that she is a little nervous! If you could pray that she would have a glorious first performance and that she is calm and that I accompany well, it would be much appreciated! Well, I think I will place my precious time into other affairs, and I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!