"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders. and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
And by God's grace, we have the joy of celebrating these things coming to pass in a most amazing way- many hundreds of years ago, His son came to earth as a humble babe, through a humble teenager, for a desperate world in need of a Savior.
John 14:6_ "...I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through ME."
With that in mind, have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light... let it also treasure the Light of the world who's birthday we're remembering.
Happy 9th of November! It's a very special day because... well, because it's another day of enjoying God's beautiful world, and the fact that we are, indeed, His. So let's not be discouraged as autumn slips into winter, as I'm often tempted to be.
In the meantime, I'm being kept busy with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Basically, I'm striving to write 50,000 words of a book over the course of November... whew! So far I've only got 9,046 words, so I'm a bit behind, but it is a thrilling and helpful experience, to be sure. It's a chance to shut up my nagging inner editor and just write. I also got a fresh new computer to do it on, as my other "new" one decided to quit on me (I didn't spill water on it this time, honest!).
Go outside, right now. Go on! And while you're out there, take a big snort of air. Close your eyes... smell the air again.
Do you get it? The scent of fall? Can you smell the crackling orange leaves, the bite of cold, the hint of apple pie baking in someone's oven? Can you hear the sound of notebooks being opened for the first time, their pages rustling with gleeful anticipation of being written on? Are you ready to pick apples from a tree, or select a pumpkin to carve from a field? Are you ready to go a hayride with friends, get lost in a corn maze, and prepare a costume for the Harvest Party? Are you ready to get fresh new textbooks, new assignments, new classmates and new teachers?
I am! I am so ready. Autumn is the best season of the year, dontcha think? The weather is usually perfect- a brisk chill that allows you to wear jackets and sweaters and boots without looking like Humpty-Dumpty (cough... winter). Also, I know it's cliche, but when you drive past some woods with their leaves ablaze with color, does it not give you a thrill?
True, fall hasn't really descended upon us yet. But I felt I had to do this post... I'm quite excited, as you can see.
I'll leave it here, with a question: what do you like (or not like) about this incoming season?
This is a tough one for me. I love so many soundtracks, and I'd love to do a top 50 list, but then I'm afraid I'll have lost you all ;) So here are my absolute favorite compositions from my absolute favorite film scores. I encourage you to, if you've a spare ear, listen to the pieces I'm posting here. They are amazing works of art.
10. The King's Speech
This is my own personal preference. You might not be a fan like myself, but there's something about Alexandre Desplat's score here that I really loved. The piece I've chosen to represent the film is rather obscure, but I took an immediate liking to it. It's just... pure happiness in music form. The piano and the cello always kills me, too. Such an amazing pairing of instruments.
9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
This is my official tip of the hat to the wonderfully creative Danny Elfman, who's composed many a great score. They are sometimes a bit too eerie for my taste, but this particular track for "Charlie" is brilliance, I think. It has the weirdness and almost techno-ness of Willy Wonka's factory, and the wonder that Charlie feels upon seeing it all. I like it especially near the end, whereupon it transforms into a lovely, heart-warming melody to represent the Bucket family, which was my favorite element of the film itself.
8. Finding Nemo
I dare you not to get a little misty-eyed while listening to this piece. The simple piano composition at the beginning, with the smooth, sentimental violins coming in softly... just beautiful. Simple and meaningful. Composer: Thomas Newman.
7. Harry Potter
Now, don't you shake your finger at me just yet. This is about music, remember. And there are two films in the series that really stood out to me in terms of the score. That would be the first one, and the last one.
This is called "Hedwig's Theme", although it's really the "Harry Potter" theme, in essence. It was composed by the brilliant John Williams, who captured the essence of this story perfectly, using large amounts of bells, brass, and spider-y strings. Mystery, merriness, and a little bit of magic.
Next up, two (I know! I'm cheating!) selections from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which hit theaters a few weeks ago. Both are kind of in the same boat: heart-wrenching, if you know the story; beautiful, slow, and sad.
"Courtyard Apocalypse". The drums at the beginning. The determined, steady melody of the low strings coming in, paired with the almost despairing high strings, as if even the music is losing sight of all hope. (Sorry for all the drama... I feel the music, okay?) Composer: Alexandre Desplat.
Next, a piece that didn't actually make it into the final cut of the movie, but that I completely love. This would have gone along with one of my favorite bits in the book, and the most moving for me. Harry realizes, at last, what he has to do. And he comes to terms with the truth in the way of a true hero- he doesn't run away or think of himself before others. He stands, however shakily, to confront what's coming. This music captures that beautifully, I think. Also composed by Alexandre Desplat!
6. The Incredibles
I love, love, LOVE the 60's brass. It just... makes you want to go out and have some jolly old-fashioned car chases with a superhero, yeah? This composition holds that feeling to a thrilling perfection. I mean, c'mon, how can this not put a smile on one's face? Composer: the amazing Michael Giacchino.
(Quick note: I highly encourage you to listen to the composition below. I didn't originally include it because it wasn't really the "Incredibles" theme. But this one, called "Kronos Unveiled", is so unnerving, and yet quite gorgeous in its own way, slowly getting faster and more intense. The flute is creepy and beautiful at the same time. Listen listen!)
5. Pirates of the Caribbean
Come on, you knew Hans Zimmer was going to make it onto this list. Repetitive though he may be, the stuff he produces is incredibly addictive and it makes your heart race with enthusiasm. This "Pirates" theme is a theme that people will always remember and hold dear. It's swashbuckling, adventurous excitement in the music form. Makes me want to go sword-fight Davey Jones on a mast of a ship in the middle of a storm, all the while exchanging witty banter with my slimy opponent.
Music is, after all, the universal language. ;) Enjoy.
4. Henry V
I must admit that I've never seen the movie in full, although my dad loves it, but I had to include this breathtaking composition by Patrick Doyle. I won't say anything more... just listen. It's glorious.
(Honestly, if you didn't listen, you're missing out on something special.)
3. How to Train Your Dragon
This soundtrack blows me away. When I watched the movie for the first time, I could hardly concentrate on the actual story, I loved the music so much. It's epic, but with a Celtic flare. The fiddles, the subtle horns, the soaring violins, all together in perfect harmony. I'm listening to it right now, and I'm literally getting goosebumps. I've selected two tracks from the score, even though I love them all. It's my dream to play these pieces in an orchestra someday.
Okay, now I'll shut up and let them speak for themselves. Composer: John Powell.
"This is Berk"
"Forbidden Friendship"
2. Star Wars
I was this close to putting Star Wars at no. 1, honestly. The sheer awesomeness of John Williams is hard to beat.
The Star Wars theme is one that I think will stand the test of time, and that will always go down as one of the most inspiring pieces of music ever written. It's just... the epitome of epicness. It soars. When I listen to it, I do feel as though I'm in the Millennium Falcon, going at light-speed. Again, pure brilliance.
1. The Lord of the Rings
When I said I wanted to play the "How to Train Your Dragon" score in an orchestra, multiply that want by about 100, and that's what I feel about the LOTR soundtrack. It is my favorite film score ever, and it holds a very, very special place in my heart. I basically grew up with LOTR surrounding me. I've read the books, watched the movies countless times, have seen all the behind-the-scenes footage that's out there, probably (I can tell you the names of all the actors, then right down to the producers and set designers), and have been practically saturated with the music from the movies. Howard Shore... what a mastermind/genius he is. His compositions held the films together, gave them another layer of intensity, culture and grandeur. He captured the essence of Lord of the Rings in these tracks, and I want to share them with you now.
"The Breaking of the Fellowship"... beautiful beyond belief. I love this one so much.
"Isengard Unleashed"... there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo; and it's worth fighting for.
"Samwise the Brave"... again, it almost makes my ears ache, it's so gorgeous.
"The Ride of the Rohirrim"... again, the Celtic influences really have me sold on this one. :)
(Besides the fact that it's completely epic, yaknow.)
"Shelob's Lair"... so delightfully different from the rest of the pieces here. Shrilly violins are always disturbing.
"The Grey Havens"... I'm sorry to have to repeat myself, but just listen. If you don't listen to any other track I've posted, listen to this one. I think it's my favorite piece of music ever.
On that note, I bid you goodnight. I hope you've enjoyed the music I've listed.
I was listening to the Newsboys song, 'I Am Free'. Yeah, remember them? Those were the good times :)
Anyway, AWESOME song. There's a line in there I wanted to share with you. It's quite short, but incredibly profound.
"I am free to live for You!"
That's it. How amazing!
We've been freed from such a deadly peril: a life of sin and hopelessness, an eternity in hell. We're no longer enslaved to sin, no longer a prisoner of Satan!
We've been given forgiveness and have been born again as a child of God... so what do we do with that? Enjoy life here on earth then head straight for heaven? Nope.
We have been freed to live for the Lord. We have been freed to proclaim God's goodness to the world. Sounds weird to somebody that isn't a Christian, probably. Aren't we just being subjected to another kind of oppression? Well, John 14:15 says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Which means it must be a joy for us to serve Him, and an exciting goal to strive towards. That doesn't mean it's easy, of course. But He has poured out His grace on us, and promised that He will never leave us, nor forsake us.
Summer... summer, summer.
It has officially started (for me) today. I'm excited. I'm ready to go out into the world and be a spontaneous (yet discerning) teen. Woohoo!
...I must tell you the truth, now. I've never liked summer much. I mean, sure, it's great to have a break from stress for a couple of months. But it's hot, and it's sticky, and it's head-ache inducing. And I get bored. If I don't have a goal I'm striving towards, or a project I'm working on, or school work to spend late nights on... I feel listless. I'm not much of a party girl, so that's not a valid solution for me.
However, I was wondering... do you have any ideas? Something I could have to do during these long, hot days? I'd love to hear suggestions, however wacky :) Hit me up with a comment!
It's about 2:30 in the morning right now, but I'd been lying in bed feeling a bit overwhelmed with emotions. I came to listen to this song we sung earlier today in church, called 'You Are Stronger', by Hillsong.
And... wow. I was hit with something, really hard. Here are the lyrics:
No beginning, and no end You're my hope and my defense You came to seek and save the lost You paid it all, upon the cross
You are stronger
You are stronger Sin is broken, You have saved me It is written, "Christ is risen." Jesus, You are Lord of all
So, let Your name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher! Be lifted higher!
I've been thinking about evangelism a lot lately- how Jesus commanded us to go and proclaim the glorious Truth to everyone. And I've been feeling hopeless. After all, I'm thinking, there are so many unbelievers, all over the world. Most are firmly planted in what they believe- whether it be another religion, or science, or nothing at all. It is such an impossible task. How can I ever do this?
So I listened to that song again. And the lyrics struck me, reminding me what was wrong with that anxious thought I have.
He paid it all, upon the cross.
He broke off the chains of sin.
He conquered death.
He is stronger.
I am not strong. I am weak, selfish, and afraid. I haven't done anything. Christ has done it all- He is the authority!
To paraphrase a point from one of Mr. Harris' messages the other week: When we tell people about the Gospel, we're not telling them what we've done. We're telling them what Christ has done!
"Look! See what Christ has done for me? He wants to do the same for you!"
It's not about us. We needn't rely on our own strength- because we lean on Christ.
Jesus Christ is stronger. He is stronger than doubts. He is stronger than the most stubborn person. He is stronger than addictions. He is stronger than temptation, than the Devil.
Christ is stronger. Let us lift His name higher, by His grace!
Tonight was my last concert with the Intermediate III ensemble. It's really very sad.
I've been part of the Music Academy for 5 years now. I've worked my way up from the beginner group, when I could barely play a G major scale all the way through. I've played with mostly the same people- it's like we've grown up together through music. Yes, that was cheesy. But it's true. We've had the best director ever, Mrs. Rachael Boer. She's been so caring and encouraging, and has always striven to give the glory back to God through our playing. I most likely wouldn't have stuck to it if it wasn't for her.
Sarah, Elisabeth, Chichi, Maddi, Charlotte, Emily, Julia, and Bekah: I love you all muchly. Thanks for the wonderful times!
School is nearly over. By the beard! Can you believe it? I certainly can't. This year has, to borrow the cliche term, really flown by. My first year in highschool, gone in a flash. Yet it was a beautiful flash. I've learned so much these past 8 months, and I don't just mean school-wise.
The Lord has spoken to me in so many ways, and through lots of wonderful, caring people. He's given me a joy in Him that nothing else can satisfy, and He's shown me His power and mercy countless times. Oh, how we ought to praise Him.
This year, other things have happened as well- I've found a passion for music and for playing my violin that I didn't have before, and a passion for writing that I didn't have before. I've taken my first outside classes, and loved them (nerd alert!). I've taken a dance class, and failed (nonathletic nerd alert!). I've gotten contact lenses (aha! I'm becoming less of a nerd now).
And more... but that's all for now. The point is, it's been a packed two semesters.
However, I'm ready for summer. Are you?
p.s. As I won't be a 9th grader much longer, I'm going to be a bit of a pain and change the URL for this blog again. I'm awfully sorry! It's now watchlistenwrite.blogspot.com :)
Okay, so, I'm fairly new to this going-to-the-movie-theater business. As a kid I grew up watching the same movies, pretty much; Disney, mostly. Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Toy Story. We loved musicals (Sound of Music) and Jane Austen (Pride&Prejudice, over and over). Awesome movies, of course. But now that I'm older, I can also look forward to movies coming up! :) I thought I'd share my thoughts on some of the ones I'm particularly excited about.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Johnny Depp is brilliant. We all know this. I'm a huge fan of the 1st Pirates movie, and mostly it's because of Johnny. I really didn't like the 3rd movie, and mostly it's because of Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly. So guess what? They're not in this one! Which means with a good script, it could be just as good- or better than, Curse of the Black Pearl.
4. The Muppets
I don't know much about this movie in particular, but I do know about the muppets. Kermit the Frog's gonna be in this one, thank goodness, and that's all I need to know! It'll be released in November, though, so that's a while away.
3. Winnie the Pooh
I love Winnie the Pooh. I even wrote a post about it, as you may have seen. Now, this has the potential to be really good or really bad. So far, what I've seen is really good. It looks to be a bunch of stories from the books wound together to make an epic plot. Fingers crossed!
2. Cars 2
Of course. Pixar is amazing. But for me, Cars 1 wasn't that amazing. A sequel? Ehh. But hey, I said that about Toy Story 3, and it turned out to be my favorite Pixar movie. So I'm highly anticipating this film anyway!
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
There's a certain crowd of people who are really looking forward to this one... and I'm in that crowd. It's the final film in the series, and a long time coming. There's been some ups and downs, but so far the movies have been pretty good. Deathly Hallows looks like it'll be the best yet. Can't wait!
As you can see, I'm a pretty mild movie watcher. Not a big fan of thriller/action movies. Oh well :)
As you may already know -although the odds are that you don't, which is why I'm telling you- my computer sort of... crashed. I could lie and say it did this of its own accord; however, the truth is that I was an idiot and spilled a large amount of water all over the keyboard.
Dang it.
That being said, I have discovered something that perhaps I had known beforehand, but had never really experienced. Here it is:
You can get a lot more work done in the absence of a computer! I know, I was as shocked as you ;) It's amazing how quickly a math lesson goes by without gmail or online tv episodes. Ha.
There is a severe downside to this predicament. I can't write my book, as it's exclusively located on my computer. That was a stupid decision, in hindsight. Fingers crossed that we can get it fixed!
If not, I was thinking about getting an iPad. Thoughts?
Ahem. Now that that's off my chest, I'd like to make a music recommendation. Being the film score nerd that I am, this piece is right off a soundtrack. Perhaps you've seen 'How to Train Your Dragon'. This is a track from that, and ohh my gosh. Just listen to it. I love it, the Celtic sounds, the time changes, the hybrid of exciting themes. ...Yes :)
"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand... I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
"What are we holding on to, Sam?"
"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."
I love black&white photographs. I love old books. I love plush toys. I love the color red. I love music. I love christian bale ;) I love words. I love sentences. I love notebooks. I love pencils. I love ideas. I love peach pie. I love guitars. I love sleeping in. I love autumn. I love violins. I love quoting movies. I love singing broadway songs. I love cats. I love tiggers. I love baggy sweaters. I love the smell of spring. I love narnia. I love freddie highmore. I love samwise gamgee. I love 50's tv shows. I love 60's musicals. I love chalkboards. I love new england, and I love ireland. I love my family, I love my church, I love my Savior.
"One day when Pooh Bear had nothing else to do, he thought he would do something, so he went round to Piglet's house to see what Piglet was doing."
~The House at Pooh Corner
So begins the first chapter of the last Winnie the Pooh book that A.A. Milne ever wrote.
I finished reading it a few days ago, and I can tell you that I enjoyed each sentence and every passing of witty dialogue immensely. Although I had never read it before, it carried this feeling of sweet nostalgia for me. Now, I know you may be thinking several things right now.
a) You are not familiar with the Winnie the Pooh gang.
b) You think it's silly and childish, and why on earth would I be writing a post on it?
If the former, I am sorry. You're dismissed. If the latter, come now! Do read the books or watch one of the movies again before you make a final judgement. Then tell me you weren't at least charmed by the pure honesty and simple nature of the stories. The way in which Milne writes is SO incredibly original.
I guess the thing I love most about Winnie the Pooh are the characters. In the first book you have-
Pooh Bear: 'The Bear of Very Little Brain'. He's Christopher Robin's favorite, and the sort of leader of the gang. He loves making up poems and songs, and despite having only fluff for a mind, he's quite thoughtful.
Piglet: "Oh, d-dear..." Pooh's sidekick, if you will. Piglet admires Pooh greatly, and while very fearful most of the time, he tries to show the others that he can be just as smart and courageous.
Eeyore: Aw, Eeyore. The constant downer. Always convinced it's going to rain, that the others dislike him, or that their plans to cheer up Tigger will most definitely go horribly awry. Still, he's adorable.
Tigger: "They're bouncy, flouncy, trouncy, pouncy, fun fun fun fun fun!" Okay, okay, I have a favorite. I mean, come on! He's so hyper, so clueless, so... orange. I love Tigger.
And then there's Rabbit and Owl and Kanga and Roo.
They're cool too.
So, yeah. I guess those books just sort of... inspire me, somehow. I'm all into the whimsical/magical type thing at the moment.
Here's the last bit of House at Pooh Corner. It made me cry. Mmhm.
"So [Christopher Robin and Pooh] went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."
Here's a random musing. [I don't keep a journal, but if I did, this'd probably be the sort of fascinating entry I might jot down.]
About mirrors. They show us what we look like. They hang on our walls, they come with make-up kits, and they attach themselves to bathroom cupboards. We check them constantly to see if we look as good as we did a couple of minutes ago.
But what if they hadn't been invented? There'd most likely be a lot less vanity in the world.
However, how would we know what we look like? I suppose we could use the reflection of water, though that's fairly unhelpful.
Just imagine not knowing what your face looks like, or how white your teeth are. How would that effect our thinking, I wonder? Perhaps we'd be less focused on if our hair is perfect, and on the more important things.
Like I said, a random thought.
P.S. What a disappointing excuse for a snowfall, eh? Still, there's hope it will snow bucket loads overnight, and we'll all wake up to the treetops bending over with the weight of it all.
