First-ever Guest Post: The Good Now Days by David Carpenter

My sixteen-year-old brother, David, wrote this piece yesterday after watching the finale of the TV show The Office. I enjoyed reading his perspective and hope that you will as well.

The Good Now Days

by David Carpenter 

Over the last few months I've been watching The Office from pilot to finale, and as the one of the most beloved sitcoms in history came to its beautifully climatic and emotional end, Andy made the statement, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." This quote made me think. At 16 years of age many people think of these, the days I live now, as those ever elusive "Good Ole Days". Yet, if you were to ask those my age of when those days transpired they would tell you of much earlier days in elementary and middle school. 

Some would tell you the early days of their marriage before the stresses of life interfered with the wonderment of true love. Ask others however and talk of their children's early, middle, and yes, even teenage years, and wishes of more time spent together as a family. A person might think back to those “good old days” before their retirement, a certain desk mate or boss might bring a tear to their eye... but, who am I kidding?  

Ultimately we miss those days gone by because we fail to realize the beauty of the time in which we live now. I daily spend time talking to friends where often our conversation goes to how we can't wait to get out, go to college, become independent. Yet we spend so much time thinking of our destination that we completely miss the journey. Young married couples are so caught up in careers and futures that the beauty of pure love is lost. Parents are often to busy for games of catch, a push on the swing set, or a quick trip to get a burger, yet those are the moments that you will remember years later. We often rush to our places of work, struggle through the day and hurry back home, never taking a look around the room to see those around you and what one day you might even miss. 

As you go into 2014 consider this... THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS!! You're living in them now. In 2014 millions of people will be married, even more become engaged. Millions of babies will be born, and every one who is here in a year will have turned a year older. Whether you are 6, 16, or 65, age doesn't matter.  Appreciate what and whom you have because you never know when you'll be wishing you could have them back. Thank you Dunder-Mifflin Scranton, you've made me realize that these are the days of my life, and thank you Andy Bernard, because I Will Remember You too! 

Please Stop Trying to Win Christmas

Over the last few days as I have scrolled through social media newsfeeds, I have seen many statuses about family time and thoughtful gifts, and many pictures of food, presents, festive scenes and holiday decorations. And honestly, I have enjoyed it! It makes me happy to know that my friends are having a good Christmas season.

But it seems that for a few people, the goal of posting a picture is not to share their joy with others but to validate themselves.

If I have a simple and sweet Christmas morning, but don't post about it so that at least 20 friends can "like" my picture or "favorite" my tweet, did it really happen?

It seems that there is an unspoken spirit of competition on social media in general that escalates around the holiday season. One person posts a picture of a Christmas tree, so the next posts a picture of their tree next to a blazing fireplace. The next person posts a similar picture but includes a cup of coffee; the next person notes in the caption that his coffee is from Starbucks and makes sure that the mountain of presents under the tree is obvious in the picture. And so we one-up each other all down the newsfeed.

We find ourselves moving furniture, setting up a scene that doesn't even exist in real life just to get the perfect shot. Then the coffee grows cold while we flip through every filter until we get it just right, post the picture on instagram, and share it to facebook and twitter. We wait on the edge of our seats for the "likes" to start coming in - on a picture of an artificial event that never took place.

Parents go into debt to buy their children extravagant gifts. They forego giving simple, lovingly chosen gifts and stand in line to buy an iPad Mini instead, not because they want their child to have one but because it's what the other parents are getting and they fear their children will not be happy unless they get one too.

When we do this, we sabotage our own joy. We don't consider our real experiences, the simple joys of the Christmas season, to be worth posting. We fear that our picture, our story, our family, our decorations won't measure up to others'. Suddenly, the season of joy has become a season of comparison and jealousy.

So please stop trying to "win" Christmas. I'm not saying that we ought to quit posting pictures or statuses, or that all who do so are presenting a false reality. But should you find yourself wondering if your picture is "good enough" to post, if you realize that you are struggling to craft a status that says "Merry Christmas" in a completely new way because you are afraid it won't be unique, then you may need to take a step back.

Christmas isn't about competition. Christmas isn't about the fear of missing out. Christmas isn't about feeling inadequate. Christmas isn't about jealousy.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ our Saviour. Christmas is about traditions - your traditions, and whatever they are, your traditions are good enough. Christmas is about giving, whether the gift is large or small, out of a heart of love. Christmas is about being thankful for what we have.

Stop trying to win Christmas. Forget about impressing others and be thankful for every precious moment. I wish you a merry Christmas: a happy time with those that you love, rest, celebration, tradition, beauty, and joy.

I didn't miss November!

I'm posting today in part because I don't want to go the entire month of November without posting. I can't believe November will be over after today! The Christmas season just sneaked up on me - but here I sit with a cup of coffee, listening to my Pandora Christmas mix.

I've added a sidebar (it should be over there -----> somewhere) with my twitter and Instagram info. I update those sites more frequently, so follow me there!

While on Christmas break (14 days from now!) I will be playing piano at several restaurants/hotels in the Mobile area. I'm really excited about this opportunity to earn money while doing what I love.  Let me know in the comments what songs you would request if you were able to hear me play!!!

Last night, I attended my second Fine Arts program, PCC's production of The Girls in 509. The play is a hilarious political comedy about a staunch Republican aunt and niece who barricade themselves in a New York hotel after FDR wins the 1932 election. Twenty-six years later, they respond to the changes in politics and in the world - and literally "catch" a few men along the way.

I hope that all my readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you will have a great Christmas season.

Take a Deep Breath

Wow....

Classes are crazy. I did survive midterm week, and I'm actually pretty happy with my grades. Of course, there's always room for improvement.

I have enjoyed getting to visit my parents and brothers in Mobile. Last Friday, I was able to see David's football game, and on Saturday, we watched Will perform in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. I'm so proud of both of them....even if they kind of make me look like a slacker for not being in any extracurricular activities.

I have been working a lot out of class. I teach English online to students from all over the world, and I'm really enjoying it. Often, I even get to learn a few words in other languages! I love teaching, and I am SO blessed to have a job doing what I love. So y'all keep praying that I will have lots of lessons!  The other major bonus is that I teach mainly in coffee shops, so I get to drink good coffee every day - especially from the Drowsy Poet Coffee Company here in Pensacola.

From my facebook feed, you'd think all that I do is teach, drink coffee, practice piano, go to class, and study. Actually, that's about right. I'm busy, but I'm loving it.

Going to study for my history test now!!!

A Good Day/First Campus Post article published!

Hey everybody! This has been a hectic week as we gear up for midterms. I've had three tests this week as well as a performance in vocal class. I'm already working on study sheets for midterms.

Today has been an exceptionally good, though busy day. I still have quite a bit of work to complete before I go to sleep. It's a beautiful, hot and humid day outside, even though a tropical storm is predicted to hit tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow is our first Fine Arts program. Twice a semester, all PCC students attend a formal event - usually a musical program or play. Tomorrow night we will hear Canadian Brass play. I'm really excited!

My first Campus Post blog entry was published today! You can see it at:

http://www.pensacolachristiancollegeblog.com/index.php/2013/10/04/a-new-adventure/

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Small Update, Big Announcement

Just a short update for today. I haven't been off campus to post recently, but I'm hoping to be able to put up a post next week.

School is still keeping me busy! As well as my assignments and required practice for my music classes, I've been doing things like helping my music theory teacher by passing out programs at her piano recital on Tuesday. I got drenched by a crazy rainstorm on the way to the recital hall, but the concert was worth it!

Here's the big news: This semester, I will be blogging at the Campus Post, a blog on the Pensacola Christian College website! I was so blessed to get this opportunity to improve my writing skills and gain experience. I do ask for your prayers as my writing will be read by  thousands of people - that makes me a little nervous. You can find the blog at pcci.edu. I'll put up a link when my first post is published this week.

Stay tuned for continuing adventures!

Changes, Part II

Happy Sunday, everyone!

My last post focused on the big changes of my life -- changes that have, in turn, changed almost every little detail. (It's always been fascinating to me how one change in life can affect so many other things. If the balance of life can be so drastically shifted by things we would consider insignificant, how much more the direction of life as a whole can be changed. The events of a single day, a single hour, a single moment can affect every day of the rest of a life.) But many of you have texted/e-mailed/messaged me asking for more about the details. So for this post, I'll try to catch you up on the things that have made up my life over the last few weeks.

Of course, PCC (Pensacola Christian College) is different from Hyles-Anderson. Please don't ask me which one I "like better"; there's really no way to compare. And I'm trying to make my life more about what God wants and less about my personal likes and dislikes anyway. :)

A lot of people have wondered if the rules are different. Actually, they are almost identical, much closer than I expected. I was SO impressed by something the president of PCC said in chapel last week: he said that the administration realizes that all of the students come from unique backgrounds, but that all staff and students have chosen to abide by the same rules while on campus. I really appreciate the attitude of care, humility, and helpfulness that so many of the staff have exhibited.

The food at PCC is fantastic! I can choose to eat in Four Winds or the Varsity; Four Winds is "home-style" food while the Varsity serves chicken fingers, pizza, or deli sandwiches. Both have ice cream machines, which I have enjoyed already. There is also an ice cream vending machine a few floors beneath my dorm room, but I have been able to resist temptation on that front so far.

The campus is so clean and beautiful. I've already found myself sitting under a palm tree while waiting for a meeting to start. (Follow me on instagram @saraplayspianotoo for the pic and more of my college life!) I have gotten lost on campus a few times - it's much bigger than I'm used to! 

The bell tower at the center of campus has already become a huge part of my life. It sounds every 15 minutes from 7 in the morning until 11 in the evening. I was almost late to class one morning last week because it didn't go off and I lost track of time without the reminder! There's a bell for everything at PCC - it can get a little annoying, but I do appreciate everything being so punctual.

I'm very happy with my dorm and my roommates. I've been so blessed to have good roommates all through college. I live on the eighth floor of Bradley Tower, and I try to take the stairs rather than the elevator at least once a day. There are piano practice rooms on the ground floor, and I spend so much time there that sometimes I feel that it might save time to just move my mattress down. 

I've been working really hard on assignments, and I have two classes that require me to practice daily (piano and voice), so I've been busy! I have very limited internet access at the college, so I apologize to anyone who has been trying to reach me. I'll continue to blog as much as I can!

Changes

Hi, everybody. I'm starting this post with a sheepish face and a hopeful heart. I know it's been forever - almost a year, to be exact - since I posted here. I'm not even going to go into reasons or excuses, because I have too many other things to talk about. I have limited internet access right now, but I'm hoping to catch y'all up on my life in the next few posts.

So we all know that life changes, especially when one is 20. Change seems to have been my life for the last year. Sometimes, I feel like my whole world has changed - melodramatic, I know, but it's how I feel. That's a lot of why I didn't post for so long - just when I would decide to post, another thing would change. My "college adventures" have become much bigger adventures than I ever could have imagined.

To jump right in, the biggest and most recent change is a change in location! I'm now attending Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida. And "home" isn't Cahokia, Illinois anymore. My "home" is - technically - the house next door to my grandfather's house in Mobile, Alabama, though I've only been in the house once. My family moved to Mobile in early August, but they weren't able to move in to the house until after I left for college. I'm very excited about going home next weekend to see the new house!

Doesn't that kind of remind you of a Christian's home in Heaven? Heaven is already our home; it is paid for and furnished for us, and inhabited by those that we love. However, we haven't seen it yet, and we are not yet able to live there. 

One thing that hasn't changed is my major. I'm studying the same thing, just said a bit differently. Since I'm still meeting new people, I am asked what my major is every single day. If I were to give the full answer, it would be quite a mouthful: "Mathematics Education, second teaching field of Music, keyboard emphasis." Usually, I just say "Math Ed." 

Everyone seems to want to know why I transferred - to make a long story short, PCC is accredited and it's closer to my family's new location. I know that I want to teach; I believe that it is God's will for me to teach one day. My goal right now is to have a degree that will prepare me for wherever He sends me. 

I want to get back to posting regularly, so I'll leave some things to talk about the next time. Right now, I want to close with the statement that God has been very good to me. He is the Constant in any change, the one Friend who has never forsaken me, my Rock when I stand on shifting sand. And I believe that with Him, I have no reason to fear the future. He has never left me, and He will be with me in whatever adventure comes next.