Wrapping Up the Semester...and filling you in on "Smoke On the Mountain"

Hello hello and hello.

It is now MAY FIRST. Can you believe it? This semester has literally flown by...and with the help of my digital camera that I got for Christmas, I have been able to keep a photo-journal of my semester. Though every semester here at Liberty has its unique and fun aspects. This semester has been especially enjoyable. I feel like every semester here I gain one new dear friend, make wonderful memories, and learn new things. Oh how weird it will be when I go on to the time of life where it is no longer my job to learn every day...that's all I've ever known...

Highlights of this semester are as follows: Pirates of Penzance, helping backstage with Into the Woods, Going to Orlando for SETC, Spring Break in Chicago (&Nashvillekinda), learning in theology class, learning in basic acting class, writing tons and getting inspired for magazine class, Traveling back to Nashville for dad's anniversary, my birthday, and
Smoke On the Mountain.

Smoke opened this past Friday night. And would you believe how nervous I was? We (somehow) put this show together in only 2 weeks. And it went off without a hitch. Duties regarding my role include playing guitar (see above, haha :-) acting and singing. The synopsis of the show goes a little something like this: 'Smoke On the Mountain' is a show that takes place in 1938 at a little mountain church in North Carolina, "Mount Pleasant Baptist Church." The preacher is trying to help the church (which is played by the audience) progress along and thinks that bringing a family of singers in on a Saturday night would help. So the Sanders family are booked for the first Saturday night sing at Mt. Pleasant. There are 6 Sanders. I'm Denise, the younger girl who is twins with (who else?) Dennis. The whole show is a little bit tongue in cheek, poking fun at some baptist traditions, with stirring and sobering monologues by each family member throughout the show. So, for this show not only did I have to learn and memorize dialogue, music, and a monologue, but I also had to learn how to play southern gospel/bluegrass music, learn how to act like a TWIN, and learn how to blend with 5 other people as if we have genetically similar vocal cords and have been singing together for our entire lives.
It's been interesting.
And hard.
And fun.
Oh, in addition, we have had to perfect the appalachian mountain dialect of the souther accent--which you can not confuse with anything like what one would hear in Nashville. It's a different thing. And kinda hard to do, surprisingly enough.
AND not to mention that my boyfriend is playing my DAD! And I have to refer to him as "daddy" about 4 times throughout the show...now, THAT is not easy. but it is kinda funny...

So, the past few weeks have involved alot of time and focusing of energy. But have been a lot of fun. I have a few days off before we do the show again on Thursday. Hopefully in the next few days I will begin to finalize my living arrangements for next year. Which is easily the most annoying aspect of this whole college experience. Anyway, so basically things here are good. And I leave to go to Ocala in a week and a half. My mind really hasn't wrapped around the fact that this semester is practically done. That this is the last week of classes. I sure am grateful for the way my life is going these days...I'm definitely a very blessed girl.

Fixin' To Rain

Summer Job Here I Come!

So I went for it.

I committed to a summer job last week.

I will be performing in a professional theater setting in Pigeon Forge, TN, in a show called “Fixin’ to Rain” at the Governor’s Palace Theater!
We start rehearsals 2 days after graduation.
It’s gonna be a doozy.

So week of finals will go something like this:
Monday-1 final
Tuesday and Wednesday-No finals
Thursday-2 finals and drive alllll the way to Nashville (500 miles)
Friday-Morning fly to Orlando, go to wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
Saturday-My friend Heather’s wedding where I’m singing an original song (I’ve still yet to write it,but don't worry heather :-)
Sunday-Fly back to Nashville from Orlando, drive 3 hours to Pigeon Forge, watch a performance of Fixin’ to Rain
Monday-Start rehearsals at 9 AM
10 Days Later…Start performing the show!!

Sound crazy?
Sure.
Sound exciting?
Definitely.

This summer is gonna be great. I have about 7 or 8 friends from here at Liberty that will be at the theater all summer with me. I’ll be working from May 14th-July 31st. Then I’ll have about 3 weeks before we get back to school. I’m so excited!! This summer is gonna be a great test drive for professional theater. I’m gonna find out if I still love doing shows after I’ve done the same one about 50 times. I’ll keep you posted… So for the next month my goal is to finish well in classes. 1 week from tomorrow our show “Smoke On the Mountain” opens. Things are crazy right now but I love it!

21...And Becoming Seasoned...or something...

So the birthday festivities went smashing-ly.
Who knew that turning 21 would really affect how old I felt?
It certainly has. I do feel older.
Makes me really wish my boyfriend's birthday would hurry up and get here...
19+21 is just awkward.
Well it is for me.
Anyways, if you're reading this and have a chance to say a quick prayer on behalf of my summer plans I'd really appreciate it!
I am in the process of choosing between a carefree summer at home or a musical theater filled summer in Pigeon Forge.
What to do...what to do...
Last night I went to T-Road to hear Dr. Caner speak about why he is not a "hyper-calivinist." It was a great sermon. I think I'm really starting to understand the difference between calvinism and armenianism and I think I understand and agree with aspects of both. But here's what I have come to believe as truth: God has all foreknowledge (He knows what's gonna happen, and what I'm gonna choose, simply because He knows ME) and yet He has given me all the free will and choice in the world; so i have the final say on whether I will commit my life to Him and believe what He says is true. (btw I've done that)
So there ya have it...Hil's theological thought of the day. :-)
Only one more month and then its summa time...and that sounds great to me.

Currently Reading:
"Patriarchs" by Beth Moore
The Bible
"An Actor Prepares" by Stanislavski
My Smoke On the Mountain script (show opens 2 weeks from Friday)
Also Currently Enjoying:
My new be-a-u-tiful leather bound journal. I love it I love it I love it.

I think I'm going to get a subscription to Writer's Digest.
I read it the other day and it had some amazing good advice and some inspiring quotes.
And we all know how I feel about quotes...
(i love them)
Angela Hunt spoke in my magazine class on Friday. She talked about how she first got into freelance writing b/c she wanted a job she could do while her kids napped in the afternoon. I mean, that sure does sound convenient...
Not that I have kids, but at some point I would love to...so sign me up.

If you called me on my birthday THANK YOU! (Especially you Shaunna, I do love you. I do I do.)

The Show Is On! (apparently)

Over a month ago I got cast in a new show at Liberty, "Smoke On the Mountain." I was excited from the get go, because I have a cute role (I play Denise, one of the twins if you're familiar) and I get to play guitar. But as time passed...and by time, I mean a MONTH of time, I wasn't totally positive this show would actually materialize...
But as of today....
IT'S ON.
We have 3 music rehearsals next week and then go straight into blocking and rehearsing more.
The show opens three weeks from this Thursday.
So we'll be rehearsing for 2.5 weeks.
CRAZY.
but
EXCITING!

And this Thursday is my birthday. 21. Whoot.

Updates...

Alright friends, I know it's been awhile--and I mean aWHILE since I've written. March has been one unique month, since I've flown to various cities each of the 4 weekends in the month. It is now March 31, noon, and I am sitting on my bed, cup of starbucks on the table next to me, snowflake pajamas on, with a little vh1 in the background, reveling in the fact that I don't have to go anywhere or even see anyone today if I don't want to. So a little review of what I've been up to? I'm glad you asked. :)
March 1-5 I traveled down to Orlando, Florida to the Southeastern Theater Conference. Hundreds of college students from the southeast go to SETC every year to audition for professional theater jobs, whether they be only for summer commitments or year-long contracts. The exciting thing about SETC is that you have to be passed through a state screening to even get to go. So last fall we went to the Virginia Theater Association to audition to even GET to audition at SETC. Thankfully I got passed through so I got to go audition at SETC. SETC was a total learning experience for me. One big thing that I really clued in to is the fact that casting directors are on your side and want to see you at your best. There's no need to be intimidated or nervous at an audition because these people are dying for you to be their next Jean Val Jean or Belle! Noone is hoping you do not succeed. Secondly, I learned how important it is to really be a triple threat. (That's a singer/dancer/actor for those not familiar with the term :-) And if that's absolutely impossible for you, you need to have atleast 2 competing strengths. Be a singer/dancer. Or a singer/actor. But never just be a singer. or an actor. or a dancer. Not if you want to do musical theater. It's just not an option. I mean, not if you want to get jobs anyway...
So, I auditioned on March 2nd. I certainly wasn't at my best but at least 8 companies seemed to think I had something that they might want. So I got callbacks from theaters in Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Montana. It was exciting. Exciting to think that they might want to pay me to do what I love.
So as for this summer, none of these jobs will work out b/c in order to graduate in May '07 I have to complete an internship for communications this summer. Which means, I'm 95% sure I couldn't commit to one of these theaters. But for next year, WHO KNOWS. I'm excited to see where the Lord might want me next after college. Because I certainly have no idea.
Ok, then a week after I got back to Lynchburg from SETC 3 of my friends and I (see pictures below) trecked down to Nashville to catch a flight to Chicago. What a fuuuuuuunnn week. I count myself so blessed to have godly, fun friends. These are people that I can do nothing with and still feel like I've had the best time of my life. And they're all people that I'm excited to see God use in the future. Justin is a psychology major and feels totally called to go into counseling. I can't wait to see how God will bless those efforts and his passion for people. Leslie has already interned in the office of Kentucky Senator McConnell and she's headed back there this summer. She's graduating next May and is totally committed to the idea of committing herself to causes in Washington. She, for one, is a person who is not scared to peace out from the comfortable, often lazy, college life. She knows that there is life to be lived outside of college. And that's just cool. And as for Josh, he's bound to either stumble into stardom on Broadway or be a brilliant communications officer for some big company...either way I'm certain he's going to be a successful, dependable father and husband. He totally looks forward to the opportunity to be a dad one day. I thought i was the only one who got excited about parenting at an unnaturally early age...but alas no. But don't get worried...no rash decisions aaaannnyyyy time soon. :-)
This past weekend we flew home (Ashli, Matt, Josh, Me) to help celebrate my dad's 20th anniversary at Two Rivers (see link "church where i grew up in"). Friday night there was a really nice dinner at the Springhouse golf club (not sure what its called now) and dad's friend, Jay Strack, mc'd it. There were videos from all kinds of accomplished men that my dad is friends with. It was pretty neat. Among others, Paige Patterson, Chris Matthews, and Senate Majority Leader Frist all sent their congratulations. Saturday, Josh and I ventured down to the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville to watch a matinee of the musical, the Fantasticks. It wasn't a stellar performance by any means...but it was fun to see the stage version of the show. Sunday there was more celebrating and Sunday night Dr. Falwell preached. The fun/exciting/slightly ridiculous part is that after the service was over the 4 of us got to fly back with him and his boys in his jet. Like, private jet. It was sooo fun and silly feeling. We made it all the way back to Lynchburg in 50 minutes. The longest its taken me to get back here was about 10 hours. The shortest to date? Was 3 hours (due to layovers and such). This was definitely a record and sooo fun and glamorous feeling. I think we giggled the whole way.
In addition to all my globe-trotting I've also signed up for classes for next year and been trying to secure an internship this summer. The classes are: Jane Austen Seminar (sooo exciting), News Writing, Musical Theater, Playwrighting, Economics, Voice, Newspaper Practicum. It looks like the one that is most likely to work out is a marketing internship with Fee Hedrick Entertainment in Pigeon Forge, TN. I'm also gonna be editing transcripts of two of my dad's sermon series and turning them into books to be published. In addition to that I'm going to be taking an online Biology course so that I can complete my 3 minors upon graduation. A little over-achievingish? Nah. A little indecisive? Definitely.
Sidenote, my job is going great for libertyu.com and it's so fun. Its great b/c it totally works within my schedule and time constraints, and I get to do what I enjoy. I wouldn't be shocked if I end up working for the Residential Marketing office for a bit after I graduate. It'd be a greeaat way to pay for grad school. Ok, ok. We'll see.
5 weeks left in the semester. Crazy...

One of My Favorite Night's Of My Life

I won the Wicked lottery last week when we were in Chicago for spring break, so Josh and I got to sit on the front row of last Wednesday's matinee. I sat on the edge of my seat, mouth gaped open, laughing, crying, and thorougly enjoying those 3 hours. It felt like a dream :-) 

We were excited to be in Chicago... 

Spring Break

My sister's wedding shower was at the Cartee's house...Amy and Vince live across the street. :-) 

Possibilities Every Morning

Right now I'm supposed to be working on my profile of Linda Cooper, for my magazine writing and editing class. But I just came across a great quote that I wanted to put on here...if for no other reason then that I might remember it. There's a lot of catching up for me to do in the next couple days...what with my random vacation to Orlando. There's something great about getting a way to warm weather and no thought of classes...helps to rejuvinate and re-inspire me to get back to the grindstone. So anyway....here's that lovely quote.


"The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there."
--Monica Baldwin

*Sidenote: I would love to do professional, non-cheesy, Christian theater.

Inspiration Comes Randomly

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."

-C.S. Lewis

I had an amazing conversation with my director last night. A conversation that surprised me, inspired me, and spurred me on to think about things more deeply.

I got cast in a show! Smoke On the Mountain. I am resolving to not 'care twopence' how people have played my character in the past. Maybe I'll make it an original. :-)

One thing Mrs. Cooper told me was that her parents raised her in a deeply spiritual, Christian home, but it was also a home where she had all the freedom in the world to be creative and expressive. "Bohemian" is what she called it. I think I want to have a home like that one day...

Life is never perfect is it? So many aspects of life can be going so well...but there's always some aspect of reality thrown in there. I'm thankful for that though...reality is what we learn from...not perfection...

Snow!

It snowed today. :-) And because it's the Saturday after coffeehouse, we didn't make it out until nightfall. Virginia is for lovers. Saturdays are for rockstars. And snow? Well, it's for great pics. 

Stuff I'm Learning (about acting, and a little about life too)

So tonight I went to a rehearsal of "into the woods," that show that I'm not in. I've been going the past couple nights, just to watch, soak in the direction, and learn a bit about acting. Tonight I helped with stage managing, because the head stage manager, chad kennedy, my great friend, was tied up elsewhere.
I'm learning more and more that acting has so much to do with expression. You may believe you're in the story 100% but if the audience doesn't see it on your face, it doesn't communicate. And 99% of the time, when we think we're being really expressive, we're not being as expressive as we assume we are. I also observed tonight the importance of always believing in your character and what's going on with them, 100% of the time. There were moments where there were 19 people on stage, and I guarantee you that the random girl in the back didn't really think about anyone watching her...but I sure was. And you know what else? When there are a handful of people going all the way in their commitment to a character, when they're thinking about every lyric they're singing and every movement they're making...and the rest of the cast is simply singing the words and thinking about the blocking that is coming up, it shows. The few SHINE. And you know what else I'm learning? That you can never do excellent musical theater, without experience in acting, without studying it. There are a million beautiful voices out there. But out of those voices, who can act? Who can become a character? Not many people. In order to do excellent musical theater, you have to be able to act. And the idea of growing in that art, that craft, sounds exciting to me. I'm up for the challenge.
Oh, why have I figured out so late what I would have loved to major in? If I could go back today I would double major in English and Theater. Easily. Oh well. I guess not many people do what they majored in anyway.
To be honest, I just want to do what will really bless the Lord. And He gave me certain passions and talents for some reason...what a humble blessing it would be to be able to use them in the future...

musing on friendship...

So I just got back from eating lunch with one of my dearest friends, Lindsay. Lindsay and I met the second day I experienced life at Liberty. Her home happened to be located just on the other side of a concrete wall in our ghetto dorm our first semester. (Dorm 28…I can’t believe I lived there for 3 months…)
I knew I liked her when I first met her. I was mildly intimidated by her because she seemed so poised and well-adjusted to this whole college thing…but I also knew she was one of the few people on that weirdo hall that I actually saw that I might have something in common with.

And did I.

Lindsay has been one of those rare finds of a friend that I can talk to about anything. She’s transparent, vulnerable, and real with me, no matter what’s going on. We’ve made some stupid decisions together, cried together, had a million analytical conversations, and laughed together more times than I could count.
These days our daily routines don’t really include one another. She lives in a house with 3 other girls, is a family and consumer science major, and works all the time waitressing. And me, well I live with a girl that she doesn’t even really know, I’m a communications major, and I’m involved in things like music and theater at Liberty. It’s sort of weird, because we used to have allll the same friends, hang out 24/7, and be ridiculously socially involved with one another.
But today it was really cool. We verbally acknowledged the fact that our lives have changed. We have different friends, are headed in different directions…But, our friendship, our appreciation for one another, our understanding…hasn’t changed one bit.
She even took a moment and thanked me for being a “constant” in her life. A friendship that never changes as far as depth and appreciation…even though time together has become more scarce.
The older I get, and the more life I experience, I’m starting to recognize and embrace the fact that situations and relationships are ever changing and evolving. And rather than hang on to the past, or be depressed about life changing…it’s better to simply smile on that time of life, and be thankful for it. Recognize the fact that someone has walked through your life, and changed you for the better…or contributed to memories that you’ll treasure for life. Life changes. I’m thankful for the blessings of memories and real moments. I’ll not soon forget even one of them.

Why I'm Happy Today

by Hilary Sutton

• God is teaching me an old(er) lesson in a new way. I never really thought that all of a sudden in the Spring of my junior year of college I would not get cast in a musical. But the Lord is really using it to give Himself more glory. What sometimes feels like sorrow just strengthens my affection and dependence on Him.

• I just finished my first voice lesson of the semester. I haven't taken voice since last Spring, and I have a renewed focus and passion. Singing is a beautiful treasure that the Lord blesses some with. I need (and want) to make the most of it. What if I practiced consistently? What if I actually put effort into this fun thing?

• As I was casually strolling through Barnes today, I happenned upon a book that I instantly knew I needed. It's called "Letters to a Young Artist" by Anna Deavere Smith. Ms. Smith has won Tony's for playwrighting and acting. She actually has done a series of 1-woman shows where she plays up to 50 characters in one evening. Enchanting, no? The book is a series of letters to "BZ". "If youare an artist of any age, if you are learning the ropes of your art form, and if you want to learn more about the rules of the road in the business of making and selling art, BZ is you.

Therefore, I am BZ. I guess.

• In addition, I bought a membership to the Writer's Market website today. This is a website that has the inside scoop on marketing and selling writing.

I still haven't narrowed down what I want to do in life...but the longer time passes...the more I feel like I don't have to. :-)

That's all for now...

Democracy's Literary Method...

"If you're a supremely talented artist and you hit a very lucky day, then maybe you can write a poem or story or chapter or a novel that needs no revision. If you're a regular writer with your appointed portion of esthetic luck, you'll need to come at the piece again and again. I like to think of revision as a form of self-forgiveness: you can allow yourself mistakes and shortcomings in your writing because you know you're coming back later to improve it. Revision is the way you cope with the bad luck that made your writing less than brilliant this morning. Revision is the hope you hold out for yourself to make something beautiful tomorrow though you didn't quite manage it today. Revision is democracy's literary method, the tool that allows an ordinary person to aspire to extraordinary achievement."
--David Huddle New York Times Book Review

Huddle was quoted in my textbook for my feature writing class. Call his take on editing idealistic...but I like it...I wish that theater and vocal performances could be revised like writing can...but I guess once you put it out there, you can't take it back...

My New Apartment!!!

Josh, me, Leslie, and Kristin my roommate! This is from when we hung out on my inaugural night in the new place. :-)

View of my room from the doorway... 

My fabulously big closet!!! 

This is my room!! I still need to put some more pictures on the wall, but I'm doing moving in, other than that. I'm not sure what is going on with the tv... 

The Bathroom! (enough counter space for us to both be in there doing makeup...perfect) 

The Living Room...those couches are amazing... 

 

The Kitchen...see all that counter space?? And it's so clean! (bliss) 

kitchen... 

Living Room...my roommate is leaving the Christmas tree up until her mom visits in February...she's really, really proud of of it...

Inspiring Professors, Shows, and Slogans

So, I decided to post my latest blog entry from the libertyu website, so you can see what types of things I write about. It's generally much less personal, because its for school...I'm having a great time doing it...I wrote this one yesterday....

Well, it is now Friday morning of the first week of class. I’ve been back in Lynchburg a week now. It may have been one of the fastest weeks of my life! I’m very excited about going back to classes again today. Does that sound nerdy? Basically, I have an infatuation with all my professors. They all have incredibly qualifying credentials, are all well-spoken, and are all thinkers. Like, my grammar class (that I thought was gonna be bo-ring) my professor, Dr. Muller had my attention wrapped the entire time! Not only is he knowledgeable about grammar, but he made tons of references to operas, artists, and philosophers. He is obviously a person who never let his education end once he finished taking classes. I love that!In other news, we had opening night of “Pirates of Penzance ” last night. It was so fun! The whole operetta is a comedy, and though I thought there were funny moments, I had no idea the audience would crack up as much as they did. You really never know how a show will go until you have an audience before you. And they seemed to love it! So I hope if you’re in the area, you come J Oh and a final thought, to help with my make straight A’s goal, I came up with a theme-type thing for the semester. Ready? Where effort meets intelligence. This means that I’ll try just as hard as I am intellectually capable. I think the moment we are disciplined enough to engage all of our efforts, that is when we achieve excellence. Until next time…

big news...BIG NEWS...

I’m moving!!!

When you ask? Tomorrow.
When did I decide, you ask? Today.

I’m so excited!! My new place is in Holly Run townhomes, off of 501 North (“7” minutes from Liberty apparently) where I will enjoy nice new carpet, cable tv, wireless internet, a kitchen big enough to do cartwheels in, and a backyard.
Plus one roommate—which equals 75% less trash and dirty dishes.

I’m so excited!

It’s all quite random how it worked out. So random though, I feel the Lord must have worked it out.

This may indeed be the last place I ever live in Lynchburg.

No more moving in and out of dorms and apartments here??

I’ll take it.

More to come…

The Return: 3 days and counting

I'm so excited to go back to the burg!!!

Not because I'll be in the burg, but I digress...

I'm so excited! Every semester proves to bring new surprises and be completely different. What will this semester bring? For that matter, what the heck will April bring? Usually I have a month-by-month idea of what my semester will be like due to shows and trips and such...but this time, there is no show in April, so what the heck will be going on?!?


Time will tell.


Here's what I know will be going on this semester for me, for sure:

• Pirates of Penzance (the first two weekends of school)
• A Valentine's Day worth celebrating (heck yes...)
• Watching Josh steal hearts in "Into the Woods"
• Learning alongside Mel
• Hanging out with Jenn (for it is her last semester in Lynchburg)
• Hanging out with my sister (for it is her last semester unmarried)
• Voice Lessons
• Acting Class
• Auditioning at the Southeastern Theater Conference (for over 100 companies, yowza) which segues into the next thing...
• Taking a trip to Orlando with 10 or so of my friends to go to SETC
• Spring Break in NYC
• A trip back to the Nash for my dad's 20th anniversary at our church (falwell's gonna come too i think...maybe we'll carpool...whoot.)
• Taking a magazine writing class...which hopefully will help me determine if I'd ever want to do that for a living
• Turning 21

Hopefully this semester will include the following: deepening relationships with those important to me, lots of learning and growing, GREAT grades, more money, improved acting chops, and an abundance of traveling.

Let adventure part 6 begin....

Passion, Weddings, Change of Plans

Hello and Hello,

I've figured out this perfect christmas break schedule for myself to get things done for my new job at libertyu.com. I generally stumble out of bed between 9 and 10, go pour myself a hot cup of coffee, flip on the tv and get to work here on our family's computer. It works great for me. Then I don't miss the blessed "View" (back off, I don't even have a tv at school) and I still get the things done that I need to do! Lately I have been writing 100-word(ish) summaries for some different aspects of Liberty life. I've written about convocation and student life so far. Right now I'm working on commuters (I mean, what is there to say really?) and soon I'll be working on "drama/theater" (that should be a bit easier :-) and the Career Center. Have I mentioned that if I could have an adult version of this job in a couple years, I would love life? There's something great about not having office hours...or an office for that matter. :-)
This week I was supposed to go with Bonnie down to Birmingham to visit with friends and eat at one of my fave restaurants--California Pizza Kitchen. But alas, I guess it was not meant to be as the plan included coming back on Friday and I have to work all day Friday and Saturday. But would you like to hear the good news??
My friend Mel is in town for the Passion conference and found out that her group has an extra band (the thing you have to wear to get in) and so tomorrow I'm going to go to the thing all day (I think) and get to hear some great bands and great preaching, and for the low, low price of nothing. yessss.
So ya know, it all works out.

In other news, my friends Laura and Dar are getting married Saturday in New York. I so wish I could be there. They are such a sweet couple. But you know what's weird? Laura and I are basically the same age. And she's getting married. Forever. Like, hello the rest of your life, here it is...I'm not sure I'm ready for that...

Terranova 2005

At Terranova they had all of the crew dress up in random clothing we found at the church for a intro video. Of course we have plenty of these so called "biblical" costumes. Bonnie's hat is well, not so biblical...but does conjure up images of Downtown Julie Brown. Ya know?

On a more legit note...tonight we had our intro session with the group. One of the main themes of the week is for students to have a real, deep conversation with God. Maybe for the first time even. To help foster this, we set up 4 points of conversation in the room. One in each corner: yielding, communion, prayer, and expression.
Tonight I helped explain the expression corner. The corner was filled with paints, clay, blank pieces of paper, colored pencils, canvases, and markers. We encouraged the students to freely express themselves to God...their heartbreaks, joy, confusion, hope, dreams, disappointments, and fears. The point was to just be real with God, to honestly express themselves to God.
I remember when I first grasped this whole "be real with God in an intimate, real relationship" thing. I was 16. And it was life-changing. I pray someone else's life is being changed this week... 

Youth Conferences, Home Alone, and the Future

So my sister, Matt, and parents peaced out of town today to go down to the once-a-year family gathering in the dirty, dirty south (Mobile, Alabama). I stayed here to help with Terranova and to work at B&N. It's not all bad staying here without the fam....I ate a delicious dinner at PF Chang's tonight, went to my all time favorite coffeeshop (Fido's in Hillsboro Village) and am getting ready to pop in Phantom of the Opera. The end of the year is quickly approaching (like in 4 days) and I'm finishing up compiling my list of "Why 2005 was the best year I ever had." I'll post that sometime in early '06 (like Sunday or Monday or something). So basically, not much is going on in my life these days...but I am so ok with that...
I've been thinking a lot lately about post-college plans...it's coming up sooner than I'm ready for... When people ask me what my plans are I say oh I may get my masters in english, or I may move to New York, or I may get a masters in communication, or I may blah blah blah...the truth is I have no idea what I'm going to do. I just want to know that I'll eventually make money doing something I'm passionate about.

IS THAT A CRIME???

get back to me...

ps. my hands smell like cappucino...

And this is why I do theater...

I've had this dream since I was a wee one of having flowing black locks...I got to sport this hot wig during the "Havana" number in which Josh tossed me around like a rag doll...dream come true? In more ways than one ;-)

So dramatic...

This is another pretty dramatic picture from backstage of "Guys & Dolls." This my friends is THE Justin Petrochko...and he actually took this picture of us with his own hand, talented bloke, eh?

New(er) Pictures!

This is a pic of Josh and me from "Guys & Dolls." The blonde on the left is me...I had to wear that ridiculous bow (the one he's wearing) in one of the numbers, so we swapped hat for bow backstage for this glamorous pic...

Here's What's Up

My new job is fun! Kinda. People shopping right before Christmas can get kinda crazy. But something about coffee and cheesecake make them feel better. And you know what makes me feel better?
A pay check.

So Christmas season tends to be a great time for people to propose. So far I've had 2 sets of friends get engaged.
Congratulations to Cameron and Shannon.
And congratulations to Grady and Anne.

Next week I'm helping out at a youth conference called "Terranova" that my church is hosting. And I may go to Atlanta for New Years Eve. Then comes Passion in Nashville where I get to hang out with the Longbrake and Mel, then comes a visit from Jenny, then comes going back to the Lynchburg, seeing that fabulous boy, and being in an opera.

Pirates of Penzance: opens January 19th.

Oh life keeps chugging right along...

I got the job!

I saw Narnia. Wow.

"Home" Again

So as of 10:30 last night I'm back in Nashville for Christmas break. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, we college students tend to forget (due to a lack of reminders) that the Christmas season is in full swing, and we are simply tucked away in dorms and classrooms oblivious to it all. So here I am, finally free of thoughts regarding shows and studying, and we're 1 week out from Christmas. 1 week out, and I've got nothing to show for it. So, objective 1 of this week: find some Christmas presents. Objective 2 is to get hired by the Cafe in Barnes and Noble. I have an interview with them on Monday. Wish me luck! Objective 3 is to spend some time reconnecting with old friends, and the fam. I realized yesterday that this month ahead of me is the longest I've been at home in Nashville at one time in a whole year. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I've already been asked about helping out with some creative and music-type stuff at my church and a local ministry so I'm excited about that. I'll also get to hang out with some LU friends when they come down for "Passion '06." That's all for now...

Well hey...

So I started my new job this past week and it is both pimp and easy. The website that I write for is www.libertyu.com My job description includes writing whatever I want once a week, looking at Liberty's webpages that pertain to aviation, center for worship, and fine arts, and attending events that fit in somewhere under the fine arts umbrella. So, tonight I'm going to the theater with friends to watch the acting class perform scenes from the playwrighting class's work, and I'm getting paid to do it. It's a wonderful life...

We decided to add the aunt and the grandma for one fabulous pic in my mom's room...cute from age 8-73, right?

Happy Thanksgiving...from the Suttons

So, my aunt was wanting to take some pics of the fam creatively...she thought it would be cute if we piled in my bed...I thought it'd be cute to show you all my new yellow room, my new purple bed, and that amazing picture of Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods. :-)

My Thoughts on "Rent"

With the opening of the film-version of the wildly popular stage musical “Rent” occurring the day before Thanksgiving, many happy go-lucky Americans are being exposed this holiday season to themes, ideas, and life situations that they have never before weighed or experienced. VH-1’s tongue-in-cheek “Best Week Ever” which reviews the weekly happenings of popular culture joked that “Rent” trailers and commercials make the movie appear to be a colorfully fun, exhilarating, song and dance to lure naive audiences to a movie that deals primarily with heavy topics such as drug abuse, poverty, and AIDS. Whoo. Merry Christmas, right?
While an easy answer to the question: “should Christians go see this film?” would be a simple “no” I want to delve deeper into the themes and content of this film. Though there is certainly content that I would quickly label trashy, unnecessary, and sinful, I wonder if the best answer is always to simply not view the material. Perhaps it is better for thinking Christians to observe the lifestyles of the lost, in order to gain perspective, and begin to grasp how those outside of the Christian subculture live. As I sat and watched this film, there was no doubt, quite a few times that I squirmed in my seat while I was watching a screen full of proud, flamboyant homosexuals. But moments later, I was confronted with the heartbreaking image of a support group of people slowly dying of AIDS, none of which professed to have hope or “peace that passes understanding.” More than leaving me offended at the sinful ways of the world, the film broke me and reminded me that there is a world out there that desperately needs to know the hope of Jesus Christ, a world that is searching for any grain of fulfillment. It is no coincidence that those who make life choices that are directly contrary to the guidance offered in scripture often end up in poverty, or die young. I am reminded that God did not give us “rules” to simply boss us around, but just as loving parents tell their children not to play in the street for their own safety, our Heavenly Father encourages us to live in purity and with integrity because sin does ultimately lead to destruction, whether it’s emotional or physical.
I want my readers to understand that I am neither condoning nor recommending this film to anyone. I know for some people viewing sin can do much more harm than good. But for me, viewing “Rent” was simply a reminder that Jesus Christ died for the world. Those who would choose to embrace Him and those who would choose to deny Him. And who’s to say that if the characters of Rent: Collins, Maureen, Mimi, Joanne, Roger, Mark, Angel and Benny had a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ, that they would not accept Him. Simply put, this film did not make me feel good. It did not leave me walking out of the theater with a smile on my face or an uplifted spirit. But rather, it reaffirmed in me, the passion to be a vessel for Christ to use to pour out His love. When I was 12 years old, my uncle died of AIDS. I have another family member living with HIV. It is real and it is painful for everyone connected to those people. “Rent” reminded me to love. Simply because I may be the only Jesus some people ever encounter.

Five Lessons to Learn from Mr. Darcy

This was the title of the small article I just came across while looking through my mom's "Real Simple" magazine. It is of particular interest to me because this past weekend I finished reading my new favorite book, "Pride and Prejudice." I thought these tips on salvaging a bad first impression were worth noting...

"The original title of Jane Austen's classic 'Pride and Prejudice' was 'First Impressions.' That's because practically every character in the book makes a bad one--none more so than Mr. Darcy, who spends the rest of the tale trying to overcome his. Some of his lessons along the way to a happy ending apply to nonfiction life as well.
1) Don't be rude--you never know who might be listening. Arriving at the ball where he first meets Elizabeth Bennett, Mr. Darcy is in a foul mood. When he complains that none of the women are fit to dance with, Elizabeth overhears--and is, of course, offended. Had Darcy kept his ill humor to himself, he wouldn't have prejudiced Elizabeth against him. Then again, Jane Austen wouldn't have had much of a book.
2) Beware of your body language. While Darcy is forever coming off as stodgy and snooty, he is, in fact, uncomfortable. Paying a little attention to that scowl would have done him a world of good. Nota bene: When you're quiet, your body language speaks for you.
3) Be honest about your feelings. The more Darcy tries to cover his up, the worse things get. Though a first attempt at complete honesty goes disastrously wrong (delivery does count), it is the truth--along with a few behavioral modifications--that mends his relationship with Elizabeth. People appreciate honestly and can sense deceit. Come clean.
4) If you have trouble explaining yourself, write it down. Following his blow-up (and an ill-considered speech delivered in the heat of passion), Darcy writes Elizabeth a polite, carefully thought-out letter that clears up the misunderstandings that have stood between them. An e-mail, though less elegant, may work, too.
5) Persevere. Time can tip the scales. It takes a year, but eventually Darcy manages to win Elizabeth over. If it's important, keep trying. Invite the person to coffee, a cocktail party. What have you got to lose?"

I'm So Excited (And I Just Can't Hide It)

I feel I must shout this from the rooftops...or, ya know, from this blog...

I'm going to see the national tour of "Little Women" tonight at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center!!!

This is potentially the best option for Saturday night entertainment that my mind can even come up with.

I haven't seen any national tours or Broadway shows since I've been doing college theater. I'm so excited to not only be swept up in a story, but to view it from a new perspective. Ohhh I'm so excited!!

I used some music from "Little Women" to audition at the Virginia Theater Association. I guess they liked it, because they passed me through.
Here's what I sung:

Here I go
And there's no turning back
My great adventure has begun
I may be small
But I've got giant plans
To shine as brightly as the sun

In other news...I've just been hired for my first writing job! Like, not just a one time thing...like a year long commitment! I'll be a paid blogger for a new LU site called libertyu.com...I'm so pumped...sitting around doing THIS and getting paid? SIGN. ME. UP.
Oh beginning of the rest of my life, here I come...

2005

This has been the best year of my life.

No comparison.

I'll expound later.

For now I need to finish packing in order to make the trek to Nashville this afternoon/evening.

OH how I'm excited...fires...big comfy couches...newly decorated bedroom...mom...dad...bonnie...eleven:01...pf chang's...church family...thanksgiving meal...days off of school...green hills mall...fido's...bring. it. on.

Latest Champion Article

Reconciling Christianity and Art
By Hilary Sutton

Christianity and art are two of the most difficult concepts to intertwine. Questions often arise out of the ambiguous fog of Christian art regarding appropriate concepts to express, display, and portray. The idea that “Christian art” can also be considered “good art” is foreign to many people who equate the concept of “Christian art” with bad movies and trite bumper sticker slogans. Seemingly conflicting ideas are often embraced by Christian communities: art should be done with “excellence” yet should not “offend”; art should depict “truth” yet not paint Christianity or the Church in a “bad light.” These contradictions can leave the Christian artist in a state of confusion, wondering how to go about producing credible art. Christian artists must first recognize that according to the scriptures anything they produce must be done with excellence.

Excellent art begins with the artist consistently using his or her God-given talents. Just as the farmer is displeased with his servant who hides the talent entrusted to him in Luke 19, God is displeased when He has entrusted His people with abilities to glorify Him in creative ways, and we choose to let them lie dormant. Rather than ignore our gifts, artists should cultivate their creative yearnings to point more people to the beauty of a life in Christ.

The scriptures admonish in Colossians chapter three, verse seventeen that we (Christians) are to do everything we put our hand to as unto the Lord and not to men. Not only does this mean that Christians should live a life that is honoring to God, but everything we do, namely the art we produce, should also be completed as if it is a gift to the Lord. Regarding why mediocre art is so prevalent today, Francis Schaeffer Jr. answers, “Simply because man, Christian or non-Christian, is created in the image of God, and a vacuum, formed in his soul by denying the God-given arts their proper place, has to be filled with something. But without the proper base, man fills the void with only twisted, pale shadows of what art could be.” Though producing truly excellent work takes discipline and effort, bringing glory to God through obediently giving talents back to Him is not only deeply satisfying, it is of eternal value and well worth the labor.
A foundational aspect of creating excellent art is familiarizing one’s self with contemporary standards of excellence. Interestingly, the importance of being relevant to the current age is not a concept that originated with recent postmodern discussion. In 1966, Hans Rookmaaker, professor of art history at the Free University of Amsterdam, Holland expounded on artistic relevance: “He [the artist] has to make art that is relevant to our day[…]And, in order to gain from all that is good and fine today and yet avoid being caught by the spirit of our age and its false principles, he must study modern art in all its different aspects deeply and widely.” For art to make any sort of impact on society, it must be respectfully done with excellence.

Christians who are involved in the arts must remember that the only way for art to be produced in a God-honoring way is to continually give Him the credit for what is produced. Mixing Christianity and art has long been an arduous task. Because of the frailty of humans, both the Christian name and art have been corrupted. Thankfully the Scriptures offer insight and guidelines into living a life that brings people to Christ. Excellence, humility, purpose, and authenticity, are vital in approaching art. Madeleine L’Engle comments, “to be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda, nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.” Our lives and our art proclaim the glory of God when things are done with such humility and authenticity that there is no explanation other than a life transformed by an encounter with Christ. Christian art is about much more than attempting to pacify people and giving certain artists empty recognition. It is about using the creative gifts and talents God has blessed us with to live a life of worship.

The Girl In the Shadows

I wrote these lyrics months and months ago...found them today...may try to write them into a song over Thanksgiving break...

Please don’t love me
I don’t want you to compare me
To this new girl your girl
I can’t take this confusion
This swirl of emotions
Right and wrong blending together
Confusing perplexing me still

Cause I had things figured out
I knew what I wanted
I knew where I was going
I know where I’m going
And you’re alright
You’re great a great man
But you’re not mine
And you can’t ever be
Your someone else’s

She’s so perfect
Adored by so many
I’m the girl in the shadows
But you stand and face me still
I can’t understand this
When I know I’m not the one for you no
You belong with someone else
I belong with someone else too

You can’t see me perfectly
Yet you gaze all the while
You sit focused trying to see me
Have your idealizations filled

Lord knows we’ve been through this
Trying to put these pieces together
Why do we connect
Why do we seem to fit
But wind up clashing still

You should try to make it work with her
You never know what you’d be missing
I’m your friend and I’ll always be
You need to learn this lesson

A Friendly Update...

(The following post was begun Friday morning, November 11...but was cut off quickly due to getting kicked out of the computer lab for convo...it shall be resumed on the next one...)

Hello all, I hope that your autumn is going well. Things are busy here (who's surprised...) but good. One week from today I'll be making the long journey home for a relaxing 10-day Thanksgiving Break. I'm definitely looking forward to it. So what's been going on in life here lately? I'm glad you asked....

Tonight is Opening Night of "Guys & Dolls" here at Liberty. In this show I'm a part of the ensemble and I'm loving it. It's a less stressful thing alternating between principle roles and ensemble roles...If that's the way things go for me the rest of my time here at LU I definitely won't mind. As fun and exciting as being a lead is, there's a lot of pressure that comes with it. Looking back on "Once On This Island" I've definitely resolved to make sure I take the time to have fun with roles in the future. It's a shame to let yourself get worked up about measuring up to others and doing "a good enough" job. Theater is supposed to be fun! So anyway, in "Guys & Dolls" I'm a hotbox dancer. 90% of the show I sport a blonde-Marilyn-Monroe-esque wig and for one scene I have a long dark brunette wig. Surprisingly I've been told I can pull off the blonde wig pretty well...people aren't quite as big a fan of the dark...Oh well...though it is my dream to be a mysteriously exotic brunette, I guess I wasn't made for it...

Conclusions on Heart-Guarding...

“Be sure to guard your heart.”

What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? For many Christians in our generation, we instantly think about dating, or for that matter—kissing it goodbye. It reminds us that we shouldn’t give our hearts away too quickly, because the possibility of someone unmercifully breaking or trampling them is an unfortunately great possibility. Joshua Harris, author of “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” put this new spin on the phrase when he preached that young people should guard their hearts by not giving them away to a member of the opposite sex prematurely. Since the book, published in 1995, swept the nation’s youth and singles groups, young people have clung tightly to Harris’ advice. With over 800,000 copies in print, a generation of college students now exists that have been firmly taught to “guard their hearts” and in so doing may reap the consequences of fear and inability to be transparent in developing relationships.

The concept of “guarding your heart” has become so engrained in us that we assume the idea of protecting ourselves is naturally rooted in the Bible. Interestingly, the Scripture commonly used to support this ideology is completely unrelated to the idea of self-protection. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” Read alone, the Scripture might be interpreted as: be on guard not to let yourself get carried away in your emotions, because everything else in your life will be affected. But if one chooses to read on in the passage, one can see verse 23 in its context. Solomon writes verses 24-27 in exhortation to his son. “Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.” Proverbs never discusses guarding your heart because it is fragile and can be easily broken. It discusses guarding your heart because of its true nature. This is observed in Jeremiah 17:9: “the heart is more deceitful than anything else and desperately sick—who can understand it?” Solomon firmly pens the words “guard your heart” to encourage his son to guard his heart from sin, not from emotion. Because the heart is “desperately wicked” Christians must be constantly vigilant of the sin that can creep up in our hearts, where no one can observe it except the Lord and ourselves.

Unfortunately, the challenge to guard the thoughts and motives in our hearts has been replaced by the warning to guard ourselves from opening our hearts to receive the possible disappointment inflicted by others. By studying Harris’ idea even more, one can see how it is contrary to the very nature of God. Harris’ ideology purports that it is biblical for people to isolate themselves in fear under the guise of “guarding their hearts.” Scripture clearly teaches that no child of God should be living fearfully as we are to put our trust, dependence, worth, and expectations on Him alone, which in turn frees us up to love others without condition. Decades before 21-year-old Harris penned his advice, theologian, author, and educator C.S. Lewis expressed his thoughts on “guarding your heart” in his classic collection of apologetics, “Mere Christianity.”

“If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

So before passionately implementing the idea preached by the next popular Christian dating book, I encourage you to find your worth in God. Do not fear the future. Open yourself up to someone. And try not to let another one of Solomon’s proverbs become a distorted Christian slogan.

Oh, and a question...

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the topic of "guarding your heart." Growing up in youth group, reading books like "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" I had always heard that young people should "guard their heart" in relationships....and not just "give it away." This past summer when I was studying at Focus some of my professors were adamantly against this "guarding your heart" that Joshua Harris and his cronies speak of...seems that C.S. Lewis agrees with my professors: If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. --C.S. Lewis
Lately I've had a solid 5 or 6 people implore me to "guard my heart." What are your thoughts?

Oh Hey...

So there's probably like .05 people out there who still are optimistic enough to even see if I've updated this silly thing...I'm so sorry! Life has been busy, blah blah blah. You don't really want an explanation. Here's what's been going on with me:

Last weekend we wrapped "Once On This Island," the musical in which I played the goddess of earth...you kind of have to see the show to understand my role, but maybe I'll be able to post some pictures some time... Everyone in the cast are storytellers, and we each take on characters as the show develops. 4 of us "gods" are the main story tellers (Mother of the Earth, God of Water, Goddess of Love, and Demon of Death) who describe the main character's plight to prove that love conquers death.
Island was definitely the most difficult show I've ever been a part of. Constant singing (belting) and dancing... I was on stage a solid 90% of the show. I also sported some crazy sparkly green lipstick...supposedly under the stage lights it looked cool. One of my roommates, Jonea Vanlandingham, designed and built all the costumes herself. She actually received an Irene Ryan nomination in costume design for the show. It was definitely well deserved.
As soon as Island opened, we started rehearsals for "Guys & Dolls" which is proving to be soooo much fun. My role is much less time consuming (I'm basically in the ensemble) and there's a lot less pressure and expectations to meet, so its nice to have a trade off in that way. There's also quite a bit of partner dancing and flipping around...AND I get to wear a blonde Marilyn-Monroe-esque wig for part of the show, and a long black wig for part of the show...both hair colors that I would never be able to pull of in real life...woohoo! Also, Halloween is coming up and some of my friends from theater are hosting a party where you have to come as a character from a show...ideas are being tossed around currently...don't want to give anything away. For now I need to rush off and work on the second half of "Pride and Prejudice" (due Tuesday for my English Novel class) before Guys & Dolls rehearsal later this afternoon. Hope this little update has sufficiently quelled your inner longings of knowing what's going on in my life. ;-)

Everyone has their story.

As submitted to the Liberty Champion...


Everyone has their story.

This is a truth I thought I had really grasped a while ago. In high school I had the privilege of being a part of a youth ministry that welcomed people who had been blessed enough to have grown up in a loving Christian home as well as teens who had been through any number of difficulties: struggles with homosexuality, pregnancy out of wedlock, drug abuse, sexual abuse, running away, etc. I’ve always been thankful that God saw fit for me to have seen a lot at a young age. When I was 8, my parents sat my 10-year-old sister and me down and told us that a man we knew well had made some poor choices and that he was dying of AIDS. 4 years later before I had even made it to middle school the disease had taken his life. When I was 15, a girl in my youth group that was only 12, called me crying because a boy down the street had just convinced her to lose her virginity. When I was 17 I prayed with a girl who had been molested for years by her father —a man who happened to be in the ministry. I think that these relationships gave me enough insight to know that I was immensely blessed for having never experienced these things myself. For some reason God let me see these wounds in others, without having to go through the pain and scarring these experiences leave on their victims.

Here at Liberty, it is easy for us to put our peers in categories. “Oh he went to public school.” “She’s from one of those legalistic churches.” “He didn’t get saved until he was 19—he probably partied like crazy.”
Many times people who have seen less, or who consider themselves to be ‘conservative,’ or ‘deeply spiritual,’ or who are avid loyalists to the ‘Liberty Way,’ take a “stand” by making sure they are disassociated with people who may appear to have different values than them. These people who are deeply committed to Christ-honoring behavior are generally well-respected on campus, and for good reason. I have no doubt that the Lord smiles on those who take delight in His commandments. But he also takes delight in those who are actively loving the broken—which is also commanded. There are people every where on this campus who have been through painful, scarring experiences. Some of them have been victims who had no choice. Others are simply victims of making bad choices. Either way, these people should not be placed in the category of “rebellious,” “trouble makers,” or “anti-authority.” People begin to act out the titles put on them. If someone is constantly referred to as disrespectful, or disappointing, soon he or she will begin to act the part and believe there is no opportunity for change.

These are precisely the people who need those of us who have been spared from things like abuse and addiction to pray for them, love them, and help carry their burdens. Just as Romans 12:15 tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”
We, the blessed young people who have been spared from abuse and painful experiences, must remember that we were born with a sin nature as well and would be just as capable of having made wrong choices had we gone through the experiences others had gone through. For clarification, I am not saying that any one has the right to blame poor choices on being a victim. I am simply saying that those who have not made poor choices should invest not only in people who have grown up under similar circumstances to their own, but also those who have a rocky history.
Everyone is a culmination of their past experiences and the transformation that Jesus is completing in their lives. Everyone has their story.

passion...

My life is full these days. Full of people. Full of memories. Full of changes. Full of theater. Full of life.


So we opened “Once On This Island” last weekend and despite a few technical difficulties it went great! There’s simply nothing like performing on a stage and telling a story. My roommate was so touched by the plot that she cried twice throughout the performance. It is so amazing to take part in an art form that can move someone in their core. For me, musical theater is that thing that I would rather do more than almost anything else. For some of you it’s playing guitar, for others of you it’s graphic design, or getting lost in a book…doing that which you are passionate about. I had a bit of an epiphany regarding my passion for theater when I had 3 friends go to New York and sit on the front row to watch “Rent.” Being fully conscious of the fact that they had an extra ticket and a spare seat, I knew that more than going to watch a show, I wanted to be in one. I would rather go to a rehearsal than to see a Broadway show. I think that’s passion.

My parents came in town this past weekend to hear the Chamber Singers sing and see the show…I love them.

And It's Friday.

Well, the week of simplification has come to a close. I definitely feel like I am a little more in control of my life (you know, in a sense) but this week has still been crazy, and flown right by. It’s weird…over the past 6 days I’ve had 4 relatively new friends of mine confide in me about very personal things…things that only a handful of people in life know about them…I’m pretty honored.

John said I have this way about me where I extract people’s souls and force them to have a heart to heart.

I think I just like being real. And people like being real back.




Extra Thoughts/News: 1) Once On This Island opens one week from tonight...yessss. 2) We're performing a number from the show in convo on Monday. Be there. (Or watch it on tv.) 3) My mom is hearing Beth Moore speak this weekend...jealous much? 4) I wrote an article for the school newspaper and I hope they publish it. 5) I forgot to eat lunch today...

Simplification

It has come to my attention that my life has been a bit out of control lately. Putting certain responsibilities on the back burner. Making no time to be quiet and alone. Draining myself of recoup time. So, this week I am simplifying. No hanging out, unless it's for meals. No internet, except email because of classes. And no tv, because well, we don't get any channels. :-) No, but seriously I need to get my priorities and responsibilities in order. And to do that, I need to say N-O a lot more often. So, if you want me to post anything on here before Friday...no! Have a great week!

Reflective Thoughts TBA

Reflective thoughts coming soon...for now, here's what has occupied my time and has hindered me from writing reflective thoughts...

• Reading the book "Pamela" for my English novel class
• Learning choreography, songs, blocking, and lines for "Once On This Island" (which opens 2 weeks from Friday people)
• Doing the Bible study "A Heart Like His" for girls ONLY Wednesday nights 9:15 at my apt...
• Going to Charlottesville
• Going to Roanoke
• Learning a dance to 'hollaback girl' (ok maybe not the most productive use of time, but it is fuuuunn)

So, now you know why I haven't written in a while...it'll pick back up soon enough I'm sure. Question to leave you with though (perhaps regarding my next post, eh?):

Why do you like to read?

Jenn and Me

For those who need explanations for everything...this is Jenn and me at the reception last Saturday. She's one of my favorite people. And I love her.

Josh and Jenn Philpot

I Can Hear the Bells...

It is now 1:34 AM on Sunday September 4th. I’ve just returned from an 8-hour trip with my roommate Hannah back from New York where one of my closest friends in the world, Jenn McCarron, got married to Josh Philpot. The weekend was surreal and amazing and unbelievably fast. Hannah and I left Lynchburg Thursday afternoon at 3 pm and arrived at the McCarron’s in Port Jervis, NY at midnight that night. Somewhere around 36 hours later we were on our way back. 900 miles in 3 days. Daannnggg.

But the weekend was wonderful. I was able to run around with Josh and Jenn a bit on Friday taking care of this and that. Hannah and I actually got the privilege/duty of decorating the church. Our friends trusted us with the backdrop to their wedding…mind you, the only wedding they’ll ever have in life. Whoa. I thought it was pretty trusting myself. :-)

The wedding party was a bit of a big one with 7 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen. 4 of the groomsmen I already knew personally because they’re either graduates of Liberty or currently attend (Neal Phillips, Justin Petrochko, Daniel Million [Josh’s cousin] and Scott Windham, who was my camp counselor back in the day). The bridesmaids were Jenn’s 3 younger sisters (she’s the oldest of four), her mom, me, Hannah, and Nikki Windham. A handful of Josh and Jenn’s close friends who weren’t in the wedding party also came. Among my favorites: Felipe, Abbey Smith, and Nathan.

The rehearsal was pretty snappy and the rehearsal dinner was wonderful. We went to this German restaurant and were served up some guh-reat food. Finished the evening off with ice cream and coffee. I’ve decided that there’s nothing more enjoyable and relaxing to sit at a table quite satisfied, having great conversation, and sipping on some coffee. Yep, that’s definitely in the top 100 favorite things in life.

The wedding itself was simple and beautiful. I sort of thought I might not cry…but that all ended when Neal began to sing. I’m not sure if it’s his voice, or that the wedding was starting, or the words to the song…maybe all of it. This is the chorus of the song he sang:

Your grace still amazes me
Your love still a mystery
Every day I fall on my knees
Cause your grace still amazes me

Nikki Windham sang “There You Are” beautifully as we were walking down the aisle. It was an amazing moment when the doors swung open and Josh saw Jenn for the first time. He says he wasn’t emotional but there were deeefinitely tears in his eyes. All the bridesmaids were kind of a collective basket case. Hellooo!! Jenn was walking down the aisle!! What did you expect??

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was getting to spend some time with Scott and Nikki Windham. They both graduated and were gone from the LU theater department by the time I came along. They got married back in December of 2003 and actually met through theater at Liberty…awwwww… As a younger ‘theater person’ there are few phrases that I have heard with a reminiscent tone than “Scott and Nikki….” So I really wanted to spend some time with these 2 who definitely left their mark on the stage and backstage of this theater group. I was definitely not disappointed. They were both warm and just great to have around. I now understand what everyone is talking about when they say how much fun it was having them in shows. Hooray.

So I guess I’ve officially been awake 19 hours now. Our hair appointments started around 6:30 this morning. I didn’t sit in the chair until about 8. But with an 11 AM wedding we had to get movin! I’ve never quite had so much hairspray and sparkles in my hair before…it was a new experience. But definitely not one that I hated…and I pretty much thought I would. I guess the whole crunchy, sticky, unmovable look is pretty sometimes…it’s just funny now that I took out all the bobby pins…I only look a little electrocuted…I’m toying with the idea of showing up at rehearsal tomorrow looking like this…hmm…

This morning though things were crazy rushed (we were still at Jenn’s house at 5 after 11) the Lord did provide us with a window of time to pray with Jenn. What a sweet time. I have been so blessed to have shared part of life with her this past year and a half. Few people in my life have inspired me so much, encouraged me so much, and challenged me so much. Jenn truly is the woman that I want to be in my next phase of life. Her story is definitely a unique one…college for 2 years in Chicago…diagnosed with lime disease…virtually on her deathbed for 2 years…recovered and went to Liberty…graduated, started grad school…married Josh at 27…Her life just confirms to me over again that those who seek the Lord are blessed. Everyone’s journey is different. There are trials. There are moments that don’t make sense. But all of it is part of the Lord’s plan. “All things work together for good for those who walk according to His purposes.” What a joyful thing it was to witness the joining of two lives today that earnestly seek to live for Jesus Christ. They have remained pure, they have sought God to direct the paths of their lives, and now they’re enjoying His plan unfolding. Here’s to Mr. and Mrs. Philpot…


(pictures coming soon I think)

promised announcement...

I said in the previous post that I would disclose what shows I'm in and such, just as soon as that was disclosed to me. It was disclosed:

In "Once On This Island" I play "Asaka" goddess of the earth. You may also call me mother earth. You know. Whatev.

In "Guys & Dolls" I play a "hotbox girl," which is simply a more descriptive term for "ensemble."

"Pirates" cast should be posted soon.

Hooray!

Oh and by the way..."Once" opens 5 weeks from tonight (or last night?).

Get crazy.

Stream of Consciousness/just want to be an 8th note in the Symphony

So as of today I have been back in Lynchburg 3 days. I have attended all but one class (theology. caner. next tuesday.) And I have auditioned for 3 shows. Count em—3! They are as follows: Once On This Island, Guys & Dolls, and Pirates of Penzance. I’ll report the results soon. The cast lists are supposed to go up tomorrow. So yeah, this week I have begun my Junior year of college. Although I’ve experienced soooo much over the past 2 years of school, I still feel like it’s flown by. I can still empathize with the scared/lonely freshmen. I can still remember what it was like to be the super-idealistic Hil that came to Liberty mountain thinking she would be BFF with everyone in sight. :-)
I’ve been blessed enough to grow deep and meaningful friendships with a number of people here. I have actually gotten to spend solid one-on-one time with two of them this week: Maura and Mel. Both of these girls are so encouraging to be around. They’re optimistic, trusting the Lord daily. I love being around these girls who are more focused on the Lord than on their own needs and desires.
It’s been sort of a weird thing coming back to LU after this incredible summer that I had, having no one around who even truly knows what it was like. I feel like I’m viewing LU, my studies, people, theater, family, and virtually everything else in life through a new set of lenses. More than recognition, popularity, or happiness, I want the Lord’s will done in my life. I want to be an eighth note in his symphony. I just want to seek Him and be a part of this amazing plan He has. And I’m not sure how He wants to use me this semester…I pray that He’ll see fit to let me be some sort of encouragement to those in my circles of influence. I keep on coming back to the concept that God has given us each an extremely unique role to play in His show…for such a time as this…

since i haven't written in awhile...

Hi friends, so tomorrow I'm leaving to go to the beach for a few days with my parents and Bonnie (the best friend). Bonnie and I both really pushed for this trip (we were even willing to go by ourselves (sans financial help from the parents) but my mom and dad were (hooray!) up for it. So tomorrow we treck down to Gulf Shores where we'll stay until Saturday. Then we'll book it back up to Nashville for Ashley Clayton's wedding Saturday night. Then, oh happy day, Jenna Smith (who I met at Focus this summer and is in Bonnie's sorority at Samford) is coming to stay until Sunday afternoon. Then I pack up the cute little--and newly shiny I might add--Avenger and head back to Lynchburg! So much has happened over the summer although it seems that mid-May goodbyes were only seconds ago...funny how time marches on. But yeah, so Wednesday I start College-part III. Craziness. This is the year of purpose. I just completed the summer of self-improvement...and now this is the year of purpose. Who knows what life will look like...ah, possibilities...I love them. Also, on another note...I discovered the other day that I will one day be an Aunt Hil. Now say it out loud. Now say it out loud with the emphasis on Aunt. Oh the beauty of never having to sign a birthday card to future nieces and nephews...instead I can just use my amazing artistic skills to draw a little ant hill...that's all for now.

Last view of Colorado

This was part of the view from the last hike I went on in Colorado. Thought you might enjoy.

"Beautiful people are the bane of my existence." --Kathy Griffin

Oh Kathy, what a sad life you must lead. Ms. Griffin announced this statement to the ladies of "the View" while I was watching the show this morning. I can't help but wonder what an inch-deep life characterized by that statement would be like to experience on a daily basis. Indeed, there have been times in my life where I longed to be a bit tanner, a bit skinnier, a bit taller...but to call any of that "the bane of my existence" would be nothing short of a lie. In truth outward beauty is something that I've devoted a portion of my thoughts to this summer. I made the decision earlier on this summer to become the healthiest physically that I could possibly be, sort of like as a science experiment. But it has turned into something I've enjoyed quite a lot. Exhibiting the discipline to ingest only healthy(ish) food and to run regularly have been nice additions to my life. The sense of accomplishment that comes along with running further than I ever have before is quite fun. I wouldn't trade it in for a slush at Sonic or a TCBY parfait. So, I guess this whole "outward beauty" thing has been sort of tripping me out lately. See, I sort of got skinnier this summer. Well ok, I didn't "sort of" I just did. I hate the phrase "lost weight" so I'm refraining from using that here. But it's what happenned to me. Anyway, it's a weird thing to be on either side of the skinny train and then to switch to the other side. I mean granted you have a little extra boost of confidence as you're walking through the mall, but you also get 200% more catcalls (for me that's two) than you did before...which really doesn't seem to be worth the hassle. Anyway, for me I'm glad I got healthier. I have a little more energy. I have more endorphins truckin through my system. And I have a disciplined life. And though I definitely wouldn't characterize myself as a BP, they aren't the bane of my existence either. Life is about so much more than sizes and sweat or dessert and pudge. So though I'm an advocate of doing all things in life with excellence, becoming a BP is not on my to-do list, but neither is becoming a couch potato.

To Whom It May Concern:

Lynchburg is definitely becoming the newest home to three fabulous institutions: Starbucks. Panera. And Coldstone. All right in a row. Glorious Day.