Messiah

For those of you who are unaware, I am a hopeless history, useless trivia, and music buff. So for some reading this in Blog Land, this will probably be a little bit boring, but I personally find it fascinating. 


As you know, I love just about any kind of music. This week, classical has really been speaking to my soul. I had the urge to listen to the Hallelujah chorus, so I pulled it up on you tube. When I entered in the search, it also pulled up countless other pieces from Handel's Messiah. 


I was first exposed to Handel's Messiah when I was 7 years old and the The New Young Messiah Tour came to the Kentucky Fairgrounds. It was a contemporary Christian Christmas Program that featured artists like Larnell Harris, Sandi Patty, Steven Curtis Chapman, Carman, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Steve Green, 4Him, Michael English, as well as many others. It was the first concert I ever went to, and I remember it very vividly. 


It was only as I got older that I learned that the reason they called it The Young Messiah was because the songs were modernized versions of the original Messiah composed by Handel in the 1700s. 


Everyone is familiar with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, but what many people may not realize, is that the Chorus is the Grand Finale to an entire Oratorio in two parts. An oratorio is basically an opera, but with a religious theme. Handel was given the idea for the Messiah by a libretto by Charles Jennens. A libretto is the text or the vocal aspect of an opera. The libretto was divided into three parts: the prophecies about the coming Messiah, the birth, life,  ministry, and resurrection of Christ, and lastly the End times with Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death. 


Handel was greatly touched by the reading of this text, as it was taken directly from the scriptures, and he was empassioned to compose music for the entire thing. He completed the entire score in just 24 days. The piano and vocal score alone is 250 pages and includes 20 vocal numbers and more then 30 solos and instrumentals. 


Handel's assistant is recorded as having found him composing the Hallelujah chorus with tears streaming down his face, and as saying, " I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very Face of God". To be able to compose such beautiful music to the words in the Hallelujah chorus, I have no doubt that Handel had to have had some kind of awesome experience with God. 


Did you know that the tradition of standing when the Hallelujah Chorus is played, began back in the 1700s when King George of England attended a program in which Handel's Messiah was the featured performance? Upon hearing the Hallelujah chorus, the king was so moved by the music and the words, that he stood, to recognize that the LORD God Jehovah was the King of all earthly kings. The tradition of the day was that when the king stood, no one else was to remain seated. So, when King George stood to honor the LORD, the entire audience in attendance, stood as well. And thus, the tradition began. 


Back in the days when Handel was composing this piece, the majority of the common people could not read and did not have access to the Bible. Handel was inspired to bring the story of Jesus Christ to them through his composition of Messiah. Every single one of the pieces in Messiah are taken directly from scripture, a large portion of them from the book of Isaiah. Some of the titles include the following: Comfort Ye, My People Saith God, Every Valley Shall Be Exalted, For Unto us a Child is Born, Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion, He was Despised and Rejected of Men, The Trumpet Shall Sound, and of course, the Hallelujah Chorus. 


After conducting a particular performance, Handel was congratulated for producing such a wonderful piece of entertainment. Handel was noted as replying, "Entertainment?! My purpose was not to entertain, but to teach them something!" 


Below, you'll find several links to a few versions of pieces from Handel's Messiah. I've included the original classical pieces, as well as, the modernized versions from The Young Messiah Tour in 1994. I hope you enjoy these wonderful pieces of music and let the words touch your soul.






For Unto Us A Child Is Born


Every Valley Shall Be Exalted: Classical


Every Valley Shall Be Exalted: Larnell Harris


The Trumpet Shall Sound: 4Him


The Trumpet Shall Sound: Classical

The Only Constant

Well Blog Land, my life is once again about to undergo a change. It has been said that the only constant in this life is change, and wow, I have found that to be oh, so true!


I'm happy to announce that I got a new job as a full time nanny and I will be starting on Thursday! I'm excited because I will once again be working with children on a daily basis and I'll be back on 1st shift! Which means that I'll have a life again. 2nd shift has some advantages, but...well...it gets real old really fast. Working on 2nd, I've missed parties, events, get togethers, the Young Adult Bible Study my church has, as well as, Wednesday and Friday night services.


So, before I start this new part of my life I've decided to take a few days off to get  a few things in order, clean house, and of course, relax. One thing that I've been doing to relax that has struck me as odd, is drawing and sketching like a fiend. When I was younger, I loved art class and even took a few on the side in elementary school. Since then, though, I had actually quite forgotten that I had the capability to draw and sketch pretty well. Lately, I've had an almost insatiable desire to draw. So, over the weekend, I went to the store and bought a sketch pad and an entire set of drawing pencils, complete with charcoals, sharpeners, a regular and kneaded eraser. The rest is history. In the last 4 days I've already filled up half of the sketch book. When I showed my sister some of my work, she was like...wow....these are really emo...should I be worried...haha. I hadn't really thought about it, but the recurring themes of a lot of the sketches were a little dark. I assured that there was no need for concern and that obviously my new need to draw was helping me to relax and cope with some of the craziness that goes on in my head on a daily basis. I'm my own worst critic, but maybe I'll share a few with Blog Land. Some of them are just my interpretations of something someone else had already drawn and some of them are original, straight out of my own head.


Anyway. That's what's going on in Rachel's Wonderland. Things are, as always, ever changing and ever an adventure!

I don't even know what to call this LoL
An Original by RT(c)

Pon and Zi
My Interpretation of the Comic

Musical World
An Original by RT(c)

The Broken Heart Flatlines

An Original by RT(c) 

Blah, Blah, Blah

It would probably be a good idea for me to get out of the bed and do something constructive with my life. Ok. I have been out of the bed, but that was just to make coffee and warm up some fried pickles. Coffee and fried pickles...I know. Anyway. Half way through my delicious cup of coffee, I found myself yelling into the mug, " WORK you stupid coffee...WOOOORRRKK" Lol. An hour later I'm still in the bed....it didn't work. 


Yesterday was my busiest day of the week since I had to work my 2nd cleaning job in the morning and then my regular full time job in the evening. I was supposed to get up and go to the gym this morning, but the day after Crazy Tuesday leaves me nearly comatose and apparently unable to move except to make coffee. 


So, I've been checking my email, reading my friends blogs, and looking at funny Pon and Zi pictures. I love Pon and Zi. They're these incredibly hilarious and angsty comics that this guy named Jeff Thomas created when he was in high school. Some of them are really emo and some of them are really cute...it's like they were designed just to match my ever swinging moods lol. Anyway...they make me giggle. 


I'm so over work. In a perfect world, I would not have to work, could go to school full time. However, as I am reminded on a daily basis, this is not a perfect world, and I must work to pay my bills and eat and such. Man, I would love to just lay in bed all day...


MUST. GET. OUT. OF. BED. 

Parties and Such

I had a crazy, awesome, amazing, stressful weekend!

My cousin K was celebrating her 16th birthday and my friend C and I are pretty much event planning gurus. K decided that she wanted to have a Bollywood theme and we have been scrambling for the last few weeks trying to make that happen. For those of you who don't know, Bollywood is India's version of Hollywood. Some of the movies are really corny and cheesy, some of them are very good, and there are a lot in between. What they all share, however, is beautifully bright colors and scenery, and random musical numbers. They're fun to watch.

My aunt, C, and I spent an entire Saturday evening talking about what we would eat, what kind of cake to buy, and how to decorate the place. We wanted it to look like something straight out of Arabian Nights and we wanted the food to be authentic. We decided to order real Indian food from an Indian resteurant called Shalimar. I went on itunes and downloaded the perfect bollywood party playlist, and we ordered a cake that followed the theme. The only thing left to do was to decorate the house the day of...and that's when it started to get stressful.

Have I mentioned that my dear friend C is a genius at decorating? I mean, I'm not bad at it myself, but her talent for it is at a totally different level. So...Saturday dawns, early and I make my way to my aunts house to get started. I wait for a little while when I get a phone call from C's husband....he briefly explains to me that she's having some stomach issues and is still at home, but he will be dropping the decorating supplis off, and that hopefully she will come a little later. I think my heart stopped for about a full 10 seconds...I had to tell myself to breathe. OMG. Curse that stupid Murphy's Law!  

I've never thrown a party without C's help. I've never decorated for one without her. She's my partner in crime....OMG. I think I just sat in the same spot for about 10 minutes without moving with a horrified expression on my face. While all the ideas we had discussed ran through my head, and I tried to figure out where to start first. Her husband showed up with the supplies a little while later, and I pulled myself out of my panic induced stupor and forced myself to get to work. 

As I began decorating and the day wore on, I talked to C and it became obvious that she had caught one of those 24 hour stomach bugs that sweeps in unexpectedly and knocks you flat on your tail. She would not be coming. Jesus help me. 

Gradually, the room began to look more and more like a scene from a Bollywood film. My aunt went to pick up the food, I drafted my sister to pick up the cake and by 4:45, 15 minutes before party time, I was in the bathroom taking a quick shower, and trying to calm down and get my bearings. 

20 minutes later I was pressed, dressed, with hair done, and definitely feeling a little more tranquil and serene than I had in hours. By the time I went downstairs there were already about 10 girls there. We ended up with 15 by the end of the night. 

We had laid long pieces of material all over the living room, along with scarves, and my sister showed them how to drape a Sari around them. They had a blast dressing up like real Indian women. We played several games, explained the different Indian dishes, ate till we were bursting, listened to Indian music, and had cake. All in all, it was a huge success and they had a blast! 

And C, I ain't mad at ya! :)

At My Expense

I thoroughly enjoy poking fun at random people and the weird things that I see them do. I've discovered that a lot of people love to make jokes at the expense of others, but when it comes down to it, they can't take a little joke aimed at themselves. Ha.


I, however, am not one of those people. 


So, I would like to share with Blog Land some of the crazy, silly, and dumb things that I have done just this past week.


1. Ahead of the Game....Or am I?
This week has been an extremely busy one for me. My school work is taking up more and more of my time, I've added a new workout regimen to my daily routine, which means less sleep on a daily basis. I'm scheduled to teach in our middle school youth ministry this Sunday night, and my friend C and I are also helping my aunt to throw a Sweet 16 birthday bash for my cousin...frankly, my mind is 50,000 places at one time. Because I knew this weekend was going to be packed full of other activities, I decided to make sure I had gotten most of my homework for my law office technology class by Thursday evening. I happily finished reading the chapter and with a great sense of accomplishment, set out to do the weekly discussion board assignment. The post was due on Thursday by midnight, so I was very surprised to find that no one  had posted anything yet. I shrugged and set to work on writing a 250 word post about electronic spread sheets. I finished and clicked the link to paste my words into the box. Before I hit the submit button, I decided that it was really strange that no one had posted yet. I clicked back a few pages and quickly discovered the reason why. Electronic Spreadsheets is NEXT week's assignment. So...I read the wrong chapter. And wrote a post for the wrong week. *Sigh* So much for being ahead of the game. Haha. 


2. What Was I Doing?
My least favorite aspect of my housekeeping job is taking out the trash. It involves rolling huge barrels of trash out to a dumpster and then attempting to hoist the bags into the dumpster,  while trying to avoid the trash juice that sometimes bursts through the big black bags. Usually by 11:45 p.m. I'm so over work and ready to go home, that it's all I can do to make that last trash run. The very last thing I do before going home at night is to empty the ash trays from the smoking area into one of the bags before tying it up and hoisting it into the dumpster. Usually by about midnight there isn't anyone out there, but a few nights ago there was one lone smoker. I smiled at him as I went from ash tray to ash tray emptying the contents, while trying not to inhale the smell of nasty, stale cigarettes. As I did this, my mind was on all the things that I had to do once I got home. I finished emptying the trays and started to make my way back into the building. I stopped about half way because I realized that the trash can was still heavy. I looked down and discovered that I had left the bag in the can. Um...what was I doing? Oh right...taking out the trash. So...it would be helpful then if I put it into the dumpster instead of taking it back inside with me, eh? I paused for a second and turned back towards the dumpster. I felt my ears and my cheeks heat up as the smoker guy looked at me with this little smirk on his face. I smiled and rolled my eyes. How embarrassing...lol...and funny. Who goes all the way outside to empty the trash and then forgets to empty it? Um....I guess that would be me! Haha. 

Divine Romance

To all the single ladies(and gentlemen) in the world, Happy Valentines Day...or as I like to call it, Happy Singles Awareness Day. Teehee. 

For many single people, today is a great and often depressing reminder of what they lack in their lives...a significant other. 

Although I can get into a depressive slump pretty easily, Valentine's Day has never sent me into such a slump. When I was younger, my sister and I always looked forward to a card and some chocolates and those nasty little hearts that are more fun to read than to eat. What are those candies made out of anyhow? Flavored chalk? Anyway. My mom and dad always made sure we had something special waiting for us. 

Nowadays, however, I'm pretty much left to my own devices for the day of loooove. Me and my bestie J, usually try to go out to lunch or dinner but this year our schedules are just too busy. So today will be like any other Tuesday for me, trying to finish up some homework before running into work. 

To those of you who may be a little sad, I encourage you to remember all the things that you do have in your life that make it fulfilling. Wouldn't you rather be happy and content alone, than in a relationship or married and miserable? I know I would. 

So let today be a reminder of the blessings you have in your life and of the love that Jesus Christ has for you. What could be better than a divine romance?!

Lazy Daze

There is just something so glorious about a semi-sunny Saturday morning. 


My cup of coffee is sitting on the night stand beside me, I've had my devotional and prayer time, and now I'm just sitting in the bed with my faithful Oliver lying next to me, deciding what I want to do today.


There is, of course, the ever present homework that must be finished. But I think I'll push that back for at least a few more hours. We are running out of towels and washcloths, so laundry should be a priority. The sink is full of dishes. I think I'll push that back a little too. Ha. See? That's the beauty of a Saturday with no commitments. You can either go hard all day long and get things done, or you can lie around and do things at your own pace, or do nothing at all. 


I finished the book The Hunger Games just a few weeks ago, and finally got the next book in the trilogy, Catching Fire. It's sitting right beside my cup of coffee and is calling out my name. Ha. I'm afraid, however, that if I start it, I won't be able to put it down...and before I know it, it'll be 8 o'clock in the evening and I'll still be in bed with my PJs on, having accomplished absolutely nothing. Yes...that's actually happened before. LoL. 


Reading does for the mind what exercise does for the body. 


Maybe what I really need in my life is just a day spent in the bed reading, relaxing, and drinking coffee. Hmmm...that's sounding better and better the more I think about it...


I'll just read the first two chapters...




Happy Saturday! 


*****If you're looking for a good read, check out the Book Nook tab!

Tick-Tock...the Clock Has Stopped

I think I'm losing my mind.


On a busy day, my job is home to about 1,000 people. At just about every corner that I turn, there is a pregnant woman. Some of them are newly pregnant, their baby bump just barely showing, some have a very cute little basketball belly, and others are about ready to pop. Whatever stage of pregnancy these women are in, I have found the sight of them increasingly beautiful. 


This morning, when I rolled out of bed and went into my sister's bedroom, she was awake and watching the movie, Father of the Bride 2. I walked in on the scene were both the mother and the daughter had just gone into labor. It's a hilarious scene, as George(played by comedian Steve Martin) is practically passed out from some non-FDA approved sleeping pill that Frank (pronounced Fronk) had given him. As the movie proceeded and the babies were born, I felt myself getting teary eyed as I watched George hold his new born daughter in one arm, and his new born grandson in the other. 


I want one!


Like I said...I must be losing my mind.


I have worked as a child care provider for many years, half of that time spent with toddlers, and the other half spent in the nursery with the babies. So, I am no stranger to the enormous amount of work that children entail. Still...I have increasingly found the idea of having children of my own, sooner rather than later, less and less repulsive. 


Perhaps it's my age. I mean, I will be 25 this year. In the past, I had always said that I wanted to be married by the time I was 25 and finished having kids by the time I was 30. Haha. With a husband no where in sight, my infertility diagnosis, and my upcoming birthday, it looks like the chances of that happening are slim to none. 


For those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure when I was a teenager. At age 16, my biological clock stopped ticking, and I was told that I had about a 4% chance of conceiving a child on my own. Even though I was only 16, as you could imagine, I was quite devastated. 


That was almost 10 years ago. I've learned to accept the disorder, and I've taken the time to talk with my doctor about alternative options.  I could always get an egg donor and try In Vitro fertilization. But the costs of that are astronomical and not guaranteed to work. There's also always adoption. 


Still, I find that there's just something so beautiful about actually growing a child inside of your own body and giving birth. The entire process is miraculous and amazing. However, God may have different plans for my life. Whether he heals my body and allows me to conceive, or whether he places a child in my life to adopt...I am looking forward to being a mom. 


Wow. I can't believe I just said that! Ha. I must be insane! 


If you would like to learn more about Premature Ovarian Failure, follow the link below:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_ovarian_failure 

If It's Important...

The walls at my job are full of inspirational posters...I honestly don't know why. I mean, I know why, but to at least 80% of the people there, it is just a job...a means to an end, not a long term career choice. Translation? It's not that serious. LoL.

But anyway, one of the teams actually made their own banner. It was very well put together and used beautiful  colors. It said, 

If it is important to you, you will find a way. 

If it is not important to you, then you will find an excuse.

I don't know who the originator of the quote is, but I find it to be quite true. When something really matters to you, it doesn't matter what it takes, you will find a way to make it happen. 

It reminds me of my decision to go back to school. Up until the point where I made that decision, it was not a priority for me. So, whenever people would question me about when I was going back to school, out would roll the excuses..." I don't have time. I don't have the money. I'm not ready." Blah, blah, blah. But guess what? When finishing my degree became important to me, the excuses went bye-bye. I still work full time, but I'm making the time. I applied for financial aid, and guess what? 100% of my tuition, including my books, is covered. 

I guess I said all of that to ask, "What is important to you? What are you making excuses for?" What in your life has taken the low place on the totem pole, that should be a little closer to the top? 

What do we (myself included) need to stop making excuses about and get out there and accomplish, whatever it takes?

Just a little food for thought for you, Blog Land, on this dreary Wednesday afternoon. 

Old Dog...New Tricks

One of my new year's resolutions was to be a better pet owner. 


When I first got Oliver, 3 years ago, I was a dedicated mommy. I took him to the vet to get his shots regularly and enrolled him in a puppy obedience training course. During that time, I wasn't working, so until he was about 6 months old, I was home with him all the time. We worked on sit/stay, come, down, and leave it on a regular basis. He learned how to walk on a leash the proper way. 


But that ladies and gentlemen of the world, was 3 years ago...and a lot has happened in that time. Oliver no longer demands as much attention and is finally house trained and knows, in general, what behaviors are acceptable and are not. Because of my fluctuating financial status over the last 2 years, I have slipped in making sure that his medical needs are attended to...I decided it was time to do better. So, today, we made the first trip to the vet since 2010. 


Courtesy Pedicure: $0.00
Full Physical Exam/Office Visit: $38.75
Corona Virus Vaccine: $19.50
Rabies Vaccine: $16.20
Fecal Exam: $16.80
Heartworm/Lyme/E.Canis Test: 32.60
HeartGuard Plus: 6.97


Grand Total? $130.52


*Sigh* Ouch. Well, you know that old quote, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."


So now that he's all squared away in the medical department, we are now addressing the behavioral aspect. The top issue is that he thinks he is the Alpha dog in the house. Well...he thinks that because, in reality, he is. I can blame no one but myself because I've enabled his behavior. 


My problem, and many other dog owner's problems, is that we tend to humanize our dogs. Treating them as our babies because it fulfills us emotionally, all the while forgetting that this dog is a creature with instinctual needs that must be met. 


Dogs are pack animals. That is their God given nature, and in a pack there is only 1 leader...the Alpha. He leads and the pack follows. When we first began training Oliver, we used Cesar's Way. Cesar Millan is a famous dog psychologist, also known as the Dog Whisperer. Cesar's way is based upon the notion that the human, must be the pack leader, or else your little precious poochie will be running the house before you know it. 


You may be asking, "well, how do I know if my dog is exhibiting dominating behavior?"


Here are some signs:
Stubbornness
Pushing a toy into you or your hand in order to get you to play with them
Sitting in high places and looking down on everything
Barking or whining at humans
High pitched screams in protest of something the dog does not wish to do
Persistence about walking in front of a human when on a leash
Persistence about going through doorways first
Not listening to known commands
Standing proud on a human lap


You may be thinking, "Oh, those are just cute little quirks dogs have." Uh, would you be saying that if you have a big rottweiler, and he pulls you down the street every time he's on the leash? The fact is that we have to stop relating to our dogs on a human level. They are NOT people! Don't mistake me, I'm not saying that in order to establish dominance that you have to be mean to your dog. What I am saying, however, is that just as a dog in the wild has respect for their pack Alpha, they should also have the same respect for you. Firmness, consistency, confidence, patience, and love are the keys to having a dog who is a happy member(not leader) of your family pack. 


If you're interested in learning more about dog psychology and learning how to better manage your dog's behavior, below are some links you might find helpful.


It's never to late for an old dog to learn some new tricks!

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dominatebehaviorsdogs.htm

http://www.cesarsway.com/

Head Bangin'

Have I mentioned that I'm clumsy?


With age, my tendency towards gracelessness has, thankfully, lessened. However, every couple of months I seem to got through a phase of heightened clumsiness. It usually starts with one event, and after that the clumsiness just snowballs. 


The last time this happened was back in June. My friends and I were throwing a Bridal Shower for one of our friends, and in an effort to be helpful, I decided to take the overflowing trash bag from the kitchen to the trash cans out in the garage. I made my way to the garage and was walking down the steps when all of a sudden I found myself on the ground, and in a pile of random stuff on the garage floor. My first thought was, "How in the world did I get here?" Haha. I sat there for probably a good minute and a half cracking up at myself. I was laughing so hard I was crying. When I finally got myself up and walked back into the house, I realized that my elbow was bleeding and it hurt like the dickens. But I couldn't stop laughing. I probably could've played it off without any ever knowing what happened, but my friend J caught me as I was coming in the house and, said, "What happened to you?!". Teehee. 


After that episode followed a string of clumsy incidents. Most of which included me falling on or hitting that same elbow. It took forever to heal.


So, the other day at work, I was going through my end of the night routine. This is the same routine that I go through every night, the same one I've been doing for 3 months. So, la-la-la, I'm cleaning the women's restroom, humming a little tune to myself, when I bend over to pull some trash out of one the trash cans. As I come up, BANG! I hit my head on the feminine product dispenser that's right above the trash. I promise I saw stars. Ha. I quickly looked around to make sure no one had come in to see my graceless act. " Are you serious?!" I said to myself. Then I chuckled. That dispenser has been there the entire three months. It hasn't moved...the trash can hasn't moved....Wow!


I continued on with my routine and moved to the next bathroom. In this next one, I once again bent down to retrieve trash from the bottom of one of the cans, and as I come up, BANG! I hit my head on the paper towel dispenser that is above the can. Yes, ladies and gentlemen...I did it again. I will once more say that the dispenser has been there the entire 3 months. It hasn't moved...the can hasn't moved....Double WoW!


Fast forward to the next day. I had only been at work for about 15 minutes and into my first round of cleaning bathrooms. I hadn't even thought about the head banging events of the day before. As I exited the restrooms, I bent over to get the trash....Yes...you guessed it...BANG! I hit my head on the feminine product dispenser...AGAIN. 


Unbelievable.


Maybe I should start wearing a helmet to work???