Guitars and Soap Bars

Before I begin, due to some recent occurrences, all comments will have to be approved by me before they are posted. (If you're thinking, "Wait, what? Is that my fault?" it's probably not. This person will know exactly who he or she is.) Lame, right? I'm sorry, I really am. But, it's now kind of necessary, I don't want to go into details, but please don't let it deter you from commenting! I love all of you and I thoroughly enjoy all of your feedback. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the post :)

"So, a guitar this week?" Rachel asked before school as we all waited in the bin room for school to start. It was Tuesday. Because I'd worked three days in a row and I was sore, Jake and I had decided after school to practice with his fiddle and my guitar. This way, I didn't have to carry a huge honkin' stringed instrument all over the place and strain my back.
"Yeah. Maybe next week I'll bring my cello," I said.

I wasn't totally sure about practice this week since the time before when we'd played together, while it was fun, was just a tad bit awkward with just Jake and I. But, later in the day, Rachel had said she was staying, too, which was good, because I prefer larger groups any day!

That afternoon directly after classes, all of us changed out of our uniforms and headed over to the church building to set up. Only, now our group of three had grown to, I didn't know, eight, maybe. Kaleb was there, and so was Rebekah along with Tisha and her brother, Mark. Willis, also, hung around for a little bit before heading home.

To begin, I'd started playing "Hosanna" on my guitar, because it was one of the few songs I knew. And then Rebekah started singing along with me and harmonizing, which I totally hadn't expected. After that song, and multiple mistakes, we'd then started "Revelation Song" together. And it sounded really cool.

I've always wanted to start a band, and I though, gosh-darn; if both Jake and I can play guitar, I can sing with Rebekah, and if Brice plays the drums? we could actually make a pretty cool praise team. Rachel could even be our merch-girl and hand out fliers!

Bekah's dad came in to pick her up after a little while, and being the guitar genius he was, agreed to stay and play a couple more worship songs so his daughter and I could practice singing together before they left.

Afterwards, Jake eventually tried to play some fiddle stuff with me on guitar. Because my sound isn't what it ought to be, and my pick-strum pick-strum motions don't make the greatest noise, he quite literally took the guitar into his own hands.

Taking my pick and looking me in the eye, he asked, "Do you mind if I swear real quick?"

I hesitated, raising an eyebrow. "Um, why...?"

"No, just - can I swear really quick? It's not bad."

Rachel and I shared a look. "Um, sure?" I said.

"One of my teacher told me that it's supposed to sound like," he strummed and said at the same time, "'boom-sh*t, boom-sh*t, boom-sh-'"
"Jacob!" I exclaimed.

We almost died laughing.

Today, I brought Jake a bar of soap to wash out his mouth, which he carried around and bit periodically to make us bust out laughing during class and get weird looks from teachers.

So, I'm really feeling like I'm getting to know the people at my school a lot better. Rachel and Rebekah especially, and I'm beginning to have a lot more fun at school than I used to. It's amazing to think back and know that school used to be like a war zone to me, and now I actually look forward to attending. And aside from tucking in shirts, I don't even really mind having to wear uniforms!

Things just keep getting better and better. Next week, I'm planning on throwing a chick-flick party at my house after school. And on Monday, my Biology class is going to the zoo! (And Jake and I can take a picture by the elephant shrews for the Shrew Crew :)

I'm also doing a hammer-head shark presentation with Rachel, which is due on Tuesday, and I know that I don't need to be stressed out about it. I've got all of tomorrow and Sunday to work on it, and I've got a partner that isn't going to let me down. It's funny, that seems to be a huge difference with the people at this school - they all respect one another. I mean, what does it say about our society if the kids I used to know never respected the teachers or, for that matter, other students?

This is kind of a random tangent, but the absolute biggest thing I can now see is that the kids are a lot happier here at BWHS*. But at my old school, those who didn't have Christ living in them were always trying to fill their lives with things that would never satisfy. There's a hole inside everyone's heart which can only be filled with God's love. Kids will search for love in sex, drugs, alcohol, dating, possessions, and nothing will ever make them feel happy enough. No matter what they turn to, something will always be missing if they do not have Christ in their everyday lives. I ache for kids like that. They will look in all the wrong places and quite possibly never fill that desire for happiness.

One story from the Bible which comes to mind is in John chapter 4 when Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman by the well. He says to her in verses 13 and 14, "'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him like a spring of water welling up to eternal life'".

There is a great article I found about this, and the link is right here if you're interested.

I know this is the most quoted Bible verse ever, but it's also holds the most meaning to everybody.
"For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son so that whoever would believe in him," to acknowledge that Christ died to pay the penalty for your sins, "would not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Has anyone else noticed anything similiar in your schools? I feel like it's a big topic worthy of discussion.