If you guys remember from my Meet the Interns blog, last term (July - September) we had a young married couple as part of our group - Chris and Jenny Telfer. In the blog, I nicknamed Chris as the Music Man for his obvious talent and skill within the music realm. Over the course of the semester, we got the privilege to hear Chris' musical genius on a regular basis, whether it was strumming quietly for fun while we were all studying, singing out over someone in prayer, practicing a new song, or leading a worship night for our house.
Before I came to G42, Jenny had posted on their blog a video (below) of Chris singing a worship song that I know quite well. I remember listening to it and thinking about what an awesome voice he has and how exciting it was going to be to have him lead worship for us (which it certainly was!). I even briefly considered for a minute that it would be really cool to be able to sing back up for him sometime, but with no expectation of that ever happening.
Chris spent a lot of time throughout the semester writing new songs, recording them in a back room in his apartment with his recording equipment, and even making some music videos for the songs with the help of other interns. One day, he approached me and told me about a new song he was working on. He had planned to have Grant film a music video for him, but unfortunately circumstances changed when Grant had to leave early because of his mom. Much to my surprise, Chris asked if I would consider filming the music video for him.
Let me tell you - I have never made a video in my life, let alone a music video for an artist who is diligently working to boost his music career. I had no idea why Chris would ask me of all people (I have photography experience... not video!), but I was thrilled at the idea and thought it would be a great learning experience for me, plus I loved the thought of being able to help him out.
I happily agreed, with a warning that I would definitely need some help and instruction along the way, which Chris and Jenny were fully able to give as Jenny is an experienced photographer and Chris has a secret skill of editing in Final Cut Pro. That meant all I had to do was film, and Chris would take care of editing it and putting it all together.
Plus.... Chris wanted some backup vocals for the song, which even more surprisingly he asked me to do as well. And I must say, it is certainly a privilege and an honor to sing with a musician as talented as him!
So we recorded our parts and headed up one afternoon to the top of our street to spend an hour or so filming the music video. It's simple, but it was a great experience and we had lots of fun! I really had no clue what I was doing, but Chris and Jenny did a great job helping me, and I learned tons of new techniques about filming.
Here it is. Hope you enjoy! :
Chris and Jenny graduated from G42 in September and are now back at home in Texas trying to work and save up money before they come back to serve as leaders at G42 for a few years. Chris is in the process of starting his own recording studio, with the hope of using the money to fund his and his wife's dream of starting orphanages in India someday. Like the sign in the video says, Big Dreams - Need Support.
If you like the song, you can buy it here, along with other original songs by Chris Telfer.
I started my Italian visit in the city of Rome to spend a few days visiting some of my friends there. If you have read any of my past blogs about Rome, you are certainly aware that it’s not exactly my favorite city in Italy. After only a few minutes there, I’m already overwhelmed by traffic, congestion, and tourists everywhere. However, a few adventures on my trip this time around may just have redeemed a small bit of my slight hostility towards the city.
The first thing I learned is that Rome is an entirely different city at night. When it's dark and everyone is safely tucked away inside their homes, there are no tourists walking out in the town, no cars driving all over the streets, no mopeds zipping past, and definitely no African men yelling at you trying to sell something. It's quiet, and all the city's ancient beauty that is drowned out by the congestion and noise of the daytime comes alive and shines in the magic of the moonlight.
I got to experience Rome in this magical way, sitting atop a balcony overlooking a classical piano concert below that was being held in the shadow of a 2000-year-old building. This building, the Teatro di Marcello, had once served as an amphitheater during the time of Emperor Augustus and was now, once again, providing a majestic stage for the resplendent notes coming from one single woman on a grand piano.
The concert was short, only an hour, but the enchantment of the night was only just beginning to unfold. As the evening wore on and darkness enveloped the majestic remains of the ancient world, a thunderstorm began to brew above. For a first row seat, I accompanied a friend of mine on a midnight moped ride through the prohibited gardens of the Villa Borghese to sit, perched on a ledge, overlooking the twinkling Piazza del Popolo below. Clouds enshrouded the moon, leaving the city lights below to illuminate the night sky in between flashes of colossal lightening. Thunder boomed above our heads and the cool of the night filled the air. Everything was still, except the violent call of nature expressing itself in grandeur all around us.
Without the cars, without the people, without the noise, the ancient splendor of the eternal city gleamed brightly in the magnificence of the brewing storm.
But of course, with any thunderstorm, rain is sure to come at some point. Unfortunately, this thought had escaped our minds in the midst of the city’s beauty until it was already too late. The drops started to slowly fall. And so began the adventure.
Before I knew it, the empty streets of Rome were suddenly filled – with rain drops, water, and puddles, showering down upon us as we cautiously and quickly steered the moped through the rivers that were forming on the cobblestone streets. All hope was lost for staying dry. The downpour engulfed us, with nothing but the helmets on our heads as protection from the wet.
At that moment, the compartment on the back of the moped (that happened to be holding my purse and, consequently, camera) flew off the back and landed with a thud in the middle of the wet road. I watched from the back of the moped as the compartment popped open and my purse rolled out onto the ground, growing ever smaller as the distance between us and it continued to increase while we hurriedly tried to slow down.
A man was standing on the road nearby where it fell, and looked at us incredulously as we rode back, picked up our things from the middle of the road, and assessed the damage. He yelled something in Italian and while I have no idea what, I had no problem interpreting his astonishment at our helpless and slightly ludicrous situation.
All I could do was laugh. My camera was a little banged up, but it survived and was fine. Ultimately I just found myself laughing at the situation and thinking, “What in the world were we thinking taking a moped ride in the pouring rain in the middle of the night in Rome?” But oh the adventures you find when you’re willing to do something crazy!
The rain continued to pour down on us the rest of our journey towards shelter, but I didn’t mind at all. We whizzed through the streets as the Colosseum, ancient walls, and ruins loomed prominently in the night sky, amidst torrents of water. It may have been the most beautiful Rome has ever looked.
By the time I got home, I was soaked from head to toe. And I absolutely loved it. :)
At the age of 12, a young boy named Herman Haan found himself caught up in the world of drugs and alcohol after enduring intense family altercations and abuse, eventually landing him on the streets of Holland where he lived for the next few years. During his time on the streets, Herman adapted to the lifestyle that often accompanies life on the streets and became involved in burglaries, street crimes, and other activities that would leave behind years of regret. By age 15, Herman had earnestly sought out meaning and purpose in life, even trying to find "God," but his unsuccessful attempts only led him to plan to commit suicide with one of his friends one weekend. Wandering the streets only a few days before the plan was to be carried out, he heard some interesting music coming from a group that was singing and performing on the streets. As an avid music lover, Herman couldn't help but drift near the melodious sounds to figure out what it was.
Herman soon found out that his interaction with that group would change his life forever. They were a group of church students out doing ministry on the streets, and when the students gathered around Herman and prayed for him, he had a heavy encounter with God that set him on a brand new journey into an incredible life he had never imagined.
Tragically, Herman's friend went on to commit suicide that weekend, but Herman continued on, looking at his life with new vigor and passion. Thirty five years later, Herman Haan has now lived a full and abundant life, doing more things than I thought were possible for one person to accomplish in a lifetime. After marrying one of the girls in the group he met on the street, Herman went on to attend Bible school and later become the director of his own Bible school specializing in the creative arts. At 24, he started pastoring a Pentecostal church that saw huge revival and complete life-change of over 200 drug dealers from the streets and surrounding areas. As a talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Herman was also a member of a Dutch band that toured across Europe with much success and fame. In addition, he has become a wine sommelier and owns and runs his own vineyard, as well as working as a chef, restaurant owner, and TV host of his own cooking show. If that's not enough, Herman has also written five books and is presently working on his sixth. He currently works as a video journalist, filming documentaries for HBO and one of the biggest TV networks in Holland, which has sent him traveling all across the world to places like Pakistan and Haiti. Along the way, he's had the opportunity to interview some pretty important people and be in some pretty important places, like being the first European journalist on site at Ground Zero on September 11. Overall, Herman has created over 400 programs and 40 documentaries, several of which have won national awards and acclaim.
So who exactly is this man and why am I telling you about him? Herman Haan was our guest teacher last week here at G42 and we had four incredible days of soaking up all of the life wisdom that he came to share with us. As I mentioned before, last week we were stretched beyond what we believed we were capable of and got to see a new side of each other that we hadn't shared with each other yet. This all happened because of the gifting and prodding of Herman, who was able to keep us on our toes at all times in anticipation of the next challenge that he would throw at us on the spot. Sometimes he'd call on a person and tell them to immediately speak encouraging words to the person across from them, sometimes he would have us a write a story based on an action or short skit he demonstrated, and sometimes he would have us write a poem on the spot. We analyzed the lyrics of a meaningful song, sang together, wrote poems and short stories, performed one minute skits with no words, learned interview principles, held mock interviews with a "famous author," watched documentaries, studied the Bible, and discovered all sorts of creative talent within us that surprised the whole group. Herman's teaching style made me realize how much potential exists within each of us and how much we are capable of doing (even when we are convinced we just can't do it) when we are challenged and stretched a little bit further than we would normally go.
Needless to say, it was an awesome week, and I'll soon be sharing with you another one of the creative works I somehow produced through the encouragement and nudge of someone who truly knows that the impossible is possible!
My first introduction to Katy Perry didn't go so well. I heard her infamous song, "I Kissed a Girl," and was completely disappointed that people in our society were encouraging such behavior. I wasn't too keen on the next few songs that came out by her either, but by the time "California Girls" came around, her catchy tunes and energetic melodies had sucked me in. All that to say, I've been a closet Katy Perry fan for awhile now - mostly because I think her songs are fun and catchy, although I do admit they really don't have the best message most of the time. However, I heard a song not too long ago by her that really caught my attention. I remember sitting in my car, listening to it all the way through for the very first time, analyzing whether I liked it or not. It immediately grabbed my attention and set in me an almost uncontrollable desire to dance. I listened to the words and thought about how cheesy they were and wondered what in the world they actually meant.
A few months later, I came across this song once again. I don't even remember how, I just remember immediately being obsessed with it (I think it has something to do with that uncontrollable urge to dance every time I hear it!). I still didn't know what the words meant, but I thought the song was fantastic so I listened to it over and over and over.
It's called Firework. I'm sure you've heard it. And it became my theme song for my wild New Year's Eve when I found myself in a war zone of fireworks in the center of Rome.
After jamming out to that song on repeat for several days (accompanied by some really awesome dance parties - starring me), I decided to watch the music video online. It's absolutely amazing. I feel like I'm watching my lifelong dream unfold before my eyes while I'm watching that video. Katy Perry is standing in the middle of a palace square in Budapest, dancing her heart out with 250 other Europeans joining her, fireworks booming all around. Seeing it and thinking about it brings a complete rush of liberation and freedom; I can only imagine how incredible it must have been to be a part of such a neat experience - dancing with hundreds of other people in a piazza in Europe to one of the most exciting songs ever! I really can't even find the words to explain how cool I think that is and how badly I would love to be a part of something like that.
But that's not even why I am writing this blog. The reason I find this song worth writing about is because not only does its music inspire me and liberate me, but so do the words. After hearing the song dozens of times, I one day decided to listen to the words, and I was, once again, absolutely amazed. The song has absolutely nothing to do with sex, as one person warned me, or anything else crude or inappropriate. In fact, it is quite the opposite and has an unbelievably positive message. When you watch the music video, it's pretty clear what the song is all about: not letting the odds that are against you hold you down. The song is about people who have struggled and come up against obstacles, people have every reason to give up and let go and fall into failure. But it encourages people to be who they are, to get up again, to take a risk, to try something new, to be free - and when they do so, it is represented with a firework. They are letting their colors shine, they are becoming a spark for other people, an inspiration for those around them. The girl who is embarrassed about her body at a pool party finally learns to embrace herself and her own beauty. The children who have to constantly listen to their parents fight and hurt each other finally gain the courage and strength to stand up to them and put a stop to it. The little girl who is dying of cancer finally dares to walk beyond the hospital walls and finds life in a newborn baby and freedom through the energy and enthusiasm of youth running by. And everyone all comes together in an epic moment jumping, celebrating, dancing, sparking - fireworks shooting off in every direction because everyone has embraced their true selves and has overcome whatever obstacle was in their way.
Maybe you think this song is silly, but it totally inspires me. The words are simple, but yet I find myself constantly relating to them... "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?" At this point in my life, a college graduate with no professional work experience and no future career aspirations, I often find myself feeling like I'm just drifting through life, getting nowhere. But this song reminds me that there's still a chance for me, because I'm someone unique and I have something special to offer to this world that no one else can. I'm not a waste of space, I'm not unimportant, I'm not unoriginal, and I'm not just hidden in the shadows. Even when I feel like I can't achieve, I need to remember that I am uniquely created by God and have the ability through Him to overcome the obstacles that I will face in my life. Doors slam shut in my face... but no need to worry or be discouraged. It is God's wonderful way of leading me to the perfect road that He has designed for me, and I will find this path when He leads me to it.
I took some time to watch the Making-Of video for the Firework music video, and I'm even more encouraged now. Katy Perry put out a contest all over Europe to find the youth who have a "spark" - teens who have disabilities and overcame them, kids who have faced their fears, students who aren't afraid to be themselves, and hundreds of others who have similar inspiring stories. Two hundred and fifty of these inspirational youths got to join Katy on site at her music video and... you guessed it!... dance alongside Katy as "sparks" in her music video. Knowing who these people are just makes the video that much cooler - suddenly being aware that it's not just professional dancers or actors in the video, but youth who have actually made a difference, who have taken a risk, who have not been held down or discouraged by their trials. I'm completely inspired by these people who have made something of themselves, against all odds, and who have not given up even when they had every reason to.
So I have to bring myself to say it: Thank you, Katy Perry. You've created quite an inspiring, liberating, and encouraging song, not only musically but lyrically and thematically as well. I'm glad I can have a song like this as a reminder when I start to feel like I don't matter or that I'll never make it through. I can make it, I can do it, and I can be a spark. And you can too.
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind Wanting to start again
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in
Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework Come on show 'em what you're worth Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down
You don't have to feel like a waste of space You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe"
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through
