Sunday, December 12, 2010
Again?
Any rate, I am needing to kind of rant tonight.
I'm not stressed out, but I am upset. Last year, I had one roommate who transferred at the semester and then I had another roommate for the spring semester. I thought I found the perfect solution with Tabitha, but I guess I was wrong.
I have been blessed with a wonderful roommate this semester. She hasn't been the cleanest person, but she is a music major and knows what I'm basically going through. We get along really well and we work together as band manager and librarian. She has a fiance who is letting her borrow the couch which is in our room right now and the rug which is on the floor. Not to mention, she has the nice tv and dvd player which is in our room.
She is moving out because she found an open room that will give us both single rooms. She said this won't effect how much we are paying (and it better not). I'm just upset that I haven't been able to keep a roommate for more than a few months. Until college, I lived in my own room, but when I got here, I have had a roommate and loved the experience of having a roommate (except Bethany, but she is an exception). She insists that it isn't because of me, but more of a last minute decision. I feel like it has more behind it though.
One optimistic thought is that my fish could probably come back. I'm bummed out.
I guess I will just have to worry about finals and then Christmas. At least I had a gig this weekend that paid me enough for Christmas presents.
Merry Christmas.
Seale
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Long Due Update
It's been quite some time since I have written a blog post and I feel that it has been too long, so I thought I would write one now!
First order of business: I just mixed Sprite with have a bottle of grape Powerade and it is quite delicious. I don't really know why I decided to do it, but I thought "why not try something new?"
I have been working at a hotel as a front desk clerk and I like it. I do meet some very interesting people! I don't like having to get up so early so I can be there at 7am, but I get off at 3 so I still have an evening which is nice. I only make minimum wage, but I don't mind. It's a paying job that gives me enough hours to survive on. That's all I'm asking for. Plus, I get to work with my grandmother so I get to see her often and make sure she's alright.
I can definitely say I'm ready to go back to school. It's going to be busy and trying, but I can handle it. I'm taking a lot of hours plus playing a sport with a few music ensembles. That's going to be a big workload, so I am going to warn you that I may not have a whole bunch of time to blog, but I will certainly try!
(I'm having issues with ants trying to crawl on my screen. It's getting annoying seeing how I am in bed while writing this.)
Other that work, I haven't been doing much. I did go on a mini vacation to Kentucky to visit some family and it was nice and well needed. I love my family in Kentucky. Heck, I love Kentucky. The food's great, the landscape is gorgeous, and the people are awesome.
Sorry for a short, all over the place blog post, but I wanted to give you a brief update on me. :)
Britt
Monday, May 3, 2010
Truly, Life’s Mysteries Unfolding to a Simple Mind
I am debating on what to do. I want to teach, that is certain. The question is what and who.
What: I have been adamant about teaching music because of the importance, but is that really what I'm being called to do? This question is still being processed in the inner works of my brain. So until I know how to further this question, I will move on to the next part of the first question.
Who: To get the sarcasm out of the way: KIDS!!!!! Focusing on grades is what this question is referring to. I have felt that I want to be able to work in the advanced studies of music with high school age students, but recently, I felt that maybe I need to explore the idea of teaching elementary age kids. I have enjoyed working with grade school kids in the past with teaching vacation bible school at church, but is it really what I want to do? Is it what I'm being called to do?
I have been really pondering this part of the question lately because of my involvement in M.E.N.C. (Music Educators National Conference) Lately, they have brought elementary education speakers and their attitude towards the kids they teach has inspired me about working with kids that age. They are so influential in these young lives, but this isn't the main reason I want to teach. It's not about me, it's about these young humans that are the future of the world. These kids are at the age that they are developing their brains and can learn more efficiently then starting programs at older ages. Take foreign languages for example. There are studies that prove that if you start learning a foreign language at an early age such as those in Pre-K to 2nd or 3rd grade (approximately so don't quote me on it) that they retain the information more than starting to learn a language in high school or college. To teach the basics of music at such an early age would benefit their lives as a whole. For instance, I wish I would've learned solfege more consistently in my education than just starting to grasp the concepts of it now. Even learning it now, I realized that I could learn it better by implementing hand motions to the solfege than just by learning the verbal syllables.
The guest speaker tonight talked about the Kodaly method of education and quoted him with a quote that engraved itself in my mind.
"Only the best is good enough for children."
The speaker also talked about how he required his teachers that taught music in the elementary age to have degrees in Music Education, Elementary Education, and Conducting because "Only the best is good enough for children." I have never really had the passion to go onto grad school, but now I see the opportunity to instead of pursuing a single course all the way to the doctorate level (which would be cool), but more the way of rounding out my education so my students will receive the best instruction I have to offer. I would rather have 3 degrees rounding out my education than only have all the experience applied towards a doctorate degree. I don't mind being just Ms. Seale rather than Dr. Seale (although it has a ring to it :P).
I guess I need to focus right now on what God is calling me to do and surely he will give me the guidance on where I need to be. I will be (hopefully) a good example of his love and like Koday said, "Only the best is good enough for children."
Thank you for taking the time to read this and as a reward, someone should give you a cookie. J
Best Regards,
Seale
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Insert Blog Title Here :)
How many people use the Gatorade dispenser?
Why is everything fried here?
Why is no one here in the morning?
How long have the apples been here?
Why am I cold? (well I know the answer to that, I'm chewing ice)
Why is the exit door always locked?
How many people are addicted to the ice cream? (I secretly want to quit)
What are in the "slush puppies"?
Is the Slush Puppy mascot really a puppy? Or is it a dog?
Here are my ramblings and I hope you enjoyed them. Maybe someday I will find out the answers to my questions. It truly is "Life's Mysteries Unfolding to a Simple Mind."
Seale
Monday, March 22, 2010
Arena(known to self and others) kind, modest, silly, spontaneous, trustworthy | Blind Spot(known only to others) accepting, calm, caring, cheerful, clever, complex, confident, dependable, energetic, friendly, happy, helpful, ingenious, intelligent, introverted, knowledgeable, mature, observant, reflective, religious, searching, shy, warm, witty |
Façade(known only to self)
| Unknown(known to nobody) able, adaptable, bold, brave, dignified, extroverted, giving, idealistic, independent, logical, loving, nervous, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, relaxed, responsive, self-assertive, self-conscious, sensible, sentimental, sympathetic, tense, wise |
All Percentages
able (0%) accepting (11%) adaptable (0%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (11%) caring (44%) cheerful (22%) clever (11%) complex (11%) confident (11%) dependable (11%) dignified (0%) energetic (22%) extroverted (0%) friendly (33%) giving (0%) happy (11%) helpful (11%) idealistic (0%) independent (0%) ingenious (22%) intelligent (22%) introverted (11%) kind (33%) knowledgeable (22%) logical (0%) loving (0%) mature (11%) modest (33%) nervous (0%) observant (22%) organised (0%) patient (0%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (0%) reflective (11%) relaxed (0%) religious (11%) responsive (0%) searching (11%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (11%) silly (44%) spontaneous (33%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (33%) warm (11%) wise (0%) witty (22%)
You can make your own Johari Window, or view Brittany Allene's full data.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Coloring Song
Red is the color of the blood that flows
Down the face of one who loves us so.
He's the perfect man,
He's the Lord's own Son
He's the Lamb of God. He's the only one
That can give us life,
That can make us grow,
That can make the love between us flow.
Blue is the color of the heart so cold
That it will not bend when the story's told.
Of the love of God for a sinful race
Of the blood that flowed down Jesus' face
That can give us life,
That can make us grow
That can keep our hearts from growing cold
Gold is the color of the morning sun
That shines so freely on everyone
It's the sun above that keeps us warm
It's the Son of love who can calm the storm
He can give us life that can make us grow
That can turn our mornings into gold
Brown is the color of the autumn leaves
When the winter comes to the barren trees
There is breath there is death
Yes there is a plan
For there's just one God and there's just one Man
That can give us life that can make us grow
That can make our sins as white as snow
That can turn our mornings into gold
That can keep our hearts from growing cold
That can make the love between us flow
Red is the color of the blood that flows…
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Day of Silence
No, I was not supporting something or raising awareness. I was not mute. I was trying to understand the tongue and it's effects on our everyday lives. So my earlier answer was true about this experiment, but there is a deeper meaning to this experience.
In scripture, the tongue is often spoken mentioned. When I was looking up verses on the tongue, my results on http://www.youversion.com came up with 135 results. Granted, not all of these were direct results of what I was looking for. I found verses that spoke about praising God with our tongues and also how wicked and deceitful our tongues are. James 3:9 states "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness." It is puzzling to me why the tongue has the ability to do this. Even though James 3:8 says "but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.", I wanted to see what it was like to silence the tongue, at least for a day, and if God's presence and the ability for me to hear what He is trying to say was easier with silence.
I can honestly that God is great and amazing. He used today to tell me to look at my surroundings, his gifts to us and simply enjoy without complaining. I noticed leaves that usually my eyes just past by. I noticed animals and specifically how beautiful birds can be. I noticed the playfulness of a cat climbing up a tree. I noticed the grass was growing green again. Usually, we get caught up in what we are doing and what to say and overlook the beauty of God's creation. My day of silence enabled me to "stop and smell the roses" while carrying on with my day. I wasn't worried about what to say or when because I chose to be silent. In this case silence truly is golden.
Communication wasn't completely shut off though. I still had to communicate in the classroom and with puzzled friends. I thought it was kinda ironic that we have been studying non-verbal communication in speech. Being silent for a day helped me understand truly what we were studying! I still sent text messages, I still wrote on Facebook, and I still was able to right my thoughts on paper so a puzzled friend could understand me. I noticed today though that vocal majors were the best at reading lips. I still "put a muzzle on my mouth" as quoted from Psalms 39:1 and lived to tell the tale.
Another aspect of the tongue is the ability to praise God with it. There are tons of verses of praising God for example
I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
Psalm 66:17
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long...
Psalm 71:24
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure...
Psalm 16:9
My tongue will speak of your righteousness
and of your praises all day long.
Psalm 35:28
After my day of silence, I want to be able to speak of my God more frequently. I feel my tongue has not been concentrating on praising but rather harmful words. Through my day of silence, I realized this issue, but I plan to resolve it.
A day of silence isn't that hard. I still had exceptions like being called on in class and the listening lab (which required me to talk because I simply could not get my intentions through). After listening lab, I immediately silenced myself. I would recommend a day of silence for anyone because I feel it is important to hush and listen. An anagram of silent is listen. I think that's a clue! I was positive.
If you are one of my puzzled friends who wanted to know more about my day of silence, I hope this blog has told you the answers you were looking for. I would recommend the book of James. It is relatively short and able to be read in one sitting. I pray these words speak to you.
Seale
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
To My Band Directors at Broken Arrow Public Schools.
I want to first start out with a huge thank you, but I want to dive deeper into this thank you and I will by writing this blog.
I have been wanting to say thanks for quite some time now, but I feel this is the moment where my heart will be most compassionate towards the subject.
At Oklahoma Baptist University, we are playing Perthshire Majesty by Samuel Hazo. As Beth handed out this piece, I felt an emotion that can only be described as great gratitude. This gratitude goes out to the wonderful band directors not just at the high schools but to the middle schools and elementary schools as well.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Betsy
Thank you Betsy for being so amazingly awesomely cool!
Seale
Peru
I have been praying about this ever since I heard about it in my college and career class. The trip is expensive with an overall cost of $3,100. That includes travel, deposit, and specific supplies I would need. I used this as an excuse not to go. But, because I have been praying and seeking God, I was asking about this and money.
I got an email from my pastor asking me if I had thought about the Peru trip and if I committed to raising money, my church and pastor would help out too.
God answered my prayers. I felt helpless about raising that much money all by myself, but God has given me the opportunity to go if I committed myself.
You may be asking what on earth am I talking about. Well, here's the answer. I have been talking about going on a mission trip to Peru the first two weeks of June. Our church is joining college students from around the nation to go to Trujillo, Peru.
Oh Boy am I excited! I have to pay a $200 deposit and I have that already. I just need support from my family and my friends. I believe this is a big deal and I want to make the most of it for God.
I have been studying Paul and how he preached the gospel and how he found great joy in it. I want a piece of that.
Anyrate, I have to apply for a passport and all that stuff, plus I need to actually tell my parents. So mom, if you are reading this, great! Call me and we can talk about it.
Until later,
Seale
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Nights Like These
I have never had relationship with a member of the opposite sex, but never in my life have I had the want to have one so bad. The only thing though, is I realize that I am not ready for one.
If I were to be in a relationship, I need to be firmly planted in the Lord and have a strong relationship with Him first before a human. I don't feel that I have that strong relationship and it hurts. Ever since the plague hit, I can't seem to get back on track. I know what an awesome feeling I had when I was with the Lord. It was indescribable. Spiritual highs are so much better than other ways of getting high whether it be drugs or what I know, music.
Sometimes, I think that God is punishing me by not letting me have a guy, but I know that He doesn't punish me for not having a strong relationship with Him. It's more like He is my loving Father who is looking out for me.
If I were to have significant other in my life and He wasn't a godly person, I know that I would fall deeper into a rut that has been in my life for two years now. Yes, two years. As I am laying here writing this, I realize it's been that long and it amazes me. Wow.
I'm listening to music right now and I realize that God gave me music to satisfy myself and I am being too greedy and wanting more. I feel selfish, but my heart yearns for someone to share my secrets, laugh with, keep me warm at night while watching a movie, and all the things a life partner and friend would give. Music doesn't do that. I feel like I can't have what I want, and it makes me feel selfish, and I realize how bad I sound.
Someday maybe I will be with a certain someone, maybe not. But Lord, if you are reading this (which is kinda a silly pondering to ponder) please, please?
I'm sorry, I needed a place to share my thoughts and my blog is my own personal spot to do that. Thank you for reading my rants and rambles and everything else in between. You deserve a cookie.
Seale
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
God’s Use of Media
It has been awhile since I've posted last, but this one should be pretty good.
I was watching one of, if not my favorite, tv shows tonight and when I was done, I got curious. Now curiosity is a tricky emotion. The known saying of "curiosity killed the cat" (by the way my cat finds this very derogatory, although she is very curious and seems like she is getting into sticky situations all the time) has proved itself to be untrue in some definite situations. For instance, what I am writing about tonight: can God use media to arouse curiosity about Him and His mysterious ways? I believe He does. I say this because I feel like he has used multiple ways to get my attention and focus on Him. Unfortunately, I don't always keep my curiosity which leads to a path of loneliness and fear. But what has God done to prove that He does use media? I have a definite example.
October 2008.
I started reading the series "Left Behind" and got deep involved. Little did I know that the story of Buck and the end of the world would change my habits and thoughts. "Left Behind" starts with the rapture. The rapture is when God will (and I mean it) taking his followers and protect them from what is to come after that. After the rapture, is to become a period of complete chaos and destruction.
"When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword."
This passage is from Revelations, the last book in the Bible. It only describes a tiny piece of what will happen. Any rate, "Left Behind" gave descriptions of what was happening, and it made me wonder if this was really going to happen. Was the earth really going to go down like this?
I started reading Revelations and other passages that would give me answers. I started taking more interest in God, more than being just a "Sunday and Wednesday" Christian. I would sit in my car in the parking lot of the park near my house after work and listen to Casting Crowns, read, pray, and totally break down before my Lord. I found myself in Him, just because I got interested from a book series.
Now
I feel like it's happening again, this time with a television series "Supernatural." Yes, I can realize the definite fiction parts of the show, but they use vivid imagery of how the end of the world may actually come about. Tonight, I watched an episode where the very passage I mentioned above came to life. Now the red horse was a sweet cherry red mustang. The owner of the mustang was reeking war on this town, causing hallucinations and doubt. They even use passages from Revelations!
There are other examples of God using media to draw people back to Him. I listen to the radio all the time with people stating the music helped them come closer to God.
I believe God has a purpose for everything and everyone. He uses our own devices to bring us back to Him.
He is an awesome God, and I wish everyone else would see that. Peace.
Seale
Here's it again!
So stop wasting your money and start renting from Chegg.com. I’m on the bandwagon and I’ve saved enough to buy all my term papers! Not really, but I have saved some serious cash by Chegging my books. I have a promo code that will save you an additional 5% off your total order, useCC111321.
Want proof?
Essential Biology by Campbell, Reece & Simon is $83.18 if you buy it on Amazon.com. If you rent it on Chegg.com, it’s only $11.78. That’s a savings of over $71!
It’s so simple, just search for the books you need and place your order. Chegg will ship them to you fast and at the end of the term you ship them back for free. What’s really cool is that they plant a tree for every book that you rent.
Don’t forget to visit Chegg.com and use promo code CC111321.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Amazing Website Called Chegg!
So stop wasting your money and start renting from Chegg.com. I’m on the bandwagon and I’ve saved enough to buy all my term papers! Not really, but I have saved some serious cash by Chegging my books. I have a promo code that will save you an additional 5% off your total order, useCC111321.
Want proof?
Essential Biology by Campbell, Reece & Simon is $83.18 if you buy it on Amazon.com. If you rent it on Chegg.com, it’s only $11.78. That’s a savings of over $71!
It’s so simple, just search for the books you need and place your order. Chegg will ship them to you fast and at the end of the term you ship them back for free. What’s really cool is that they plant a tree for every book that you rent.
Don’t forget to visit Chegg.com and use promo code CC111321.