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The first time I heard of John Mark McMillan was in high school, it was the song “Future / Past” off of his album “Borderland.” When I heard it, I immediately was captivated by his rich, emotional voice. After listening to this, I went and listened to the rest of “Borderland.” The songs were authentic and immersive and each line sounding meticulously constructed to send a clear message to the listener. Fast forward to now, John Mark McMillan has produced 4 more albums, which halfway through brought a drastic change in his sound. In 2017, he released his third oldest album “Mercury & Lightning.” The album was originally intended to be a worship album – something familiar to him and other music he writes. However, while writing the album, he came to the realization that worship music seemed ingenuine more often than not. This made him want to write other genres of music, and that’s exactly what we got. Now in present time, his newest album is a continuation of him exploring new music territory and pushing himself to step out of his comfort zone. “Peopled with Dreams” pulls from the sounds of 80s and 90s alternative rock and combined with his poetic and rich voice.

The album begins with “Christ Jesus.” The song immediately makes your ears perk up because of the single repetitive note played on the piano for the first 15 seconds. After an intro of just John and piano, the listener is introduced to the heavenly sound of a gospel choir singing along with him in the chorus.  We then move into one of my personal favorites, “Juggernaut,” which goes back to what his avid listeners know as his most familiar sound. The song talks about this ominous juggernaut that lurks around. John talks about how originally he was thinking of the juggernaut as death, but he realized that life is actually the unstoppable force coming at us, and life is what wins in the end, not death. The most musically open song is “Pilgrim.” The piano-based song carries a beautiful melody throughout as he talks about how he is just a pilgrim searching for the heavenly city, and he too often finds himself on the wrong side of where he wants to be.

The next big album shift is the song “Hammering Heart.” Do you remember in the end of Inception as they only have a few seconds to finish their mission and escape the dreams? That’s exactly what the last minute of this song does – a grandiose instrumental outro. It makes you feel like you’re living in a movie with Hans Zimmer writing the score for you. With the epic music, John delivers some heavy “hitting” lyrics (sorry I had to). In the verses, he poetically and elegantly talks about the earth and all of the beauty found on it. Then, each chorus is the sovereign reminder that the love of God can also come through judgement. After taking in the lyrics, you are left with the incredible outro that stays unresolved as the song ends. The song is then followed by “The Roads, The Rocks, and The Weeds.” It’s an authentic look at the path of John finding his way back to honest faith. He is crying for authenticity within himself and he eventually finds his way back to this foundation – being real with himself and with God.

The last two songs of the album are “Unbroken Horses” and “Ancient and Brave.” I love both of these songs too. John said that for “Unbroken Horses” he overcompensated on the pop rock instrumental to cover the fact he was singing about adulting, but the song is magnificent. Just like an unbroken horse, an unbroken spirit looks beautiful, but it is weak without having gone through any trials. True love doesn’t allow for this kind of avoidance of true growth. To have true love, you have to be able to sacrifice, which is why one line of the chorus is, “Love has come to slay us, love has come to lay us down.” What a beautiful picture this line paints! To find true love, we have to find the ability to sacrifice, and this is why Jesus sacrificed himself for all humanity.

I have heard mixed reviews from some on the album because of the new and unusual John Mark McMillan sounds you get with it. Personally, I have enjoyed listening to it these last couple months as it shows how he stretches himself musically throughout his career. After his crisis with “Mercury & Lightning”, John explored how to express Christianity and faith through other genres of music other than contemporary worship music. He uses his past experiences to piece together these authentic messages in every song that people are give people the ability to relate directly to him. I know it will probably be a good bit before we see another album or song from John Mark McMillan, but I already can’t wait for it! If you want the full experience of this album, I recommend going to his Facebook and using the synopses posted for each song before listening to them!

Sources

John Mark McMillan Facebook

John Mark McMillan Spotify

While being at home a lot more and not seeing as many of my friends as I typically would, I have tried to be much more conscientious about what I am listening to, watching, reading, etc. Because of this, I have been trying to find meaningful, thought-provoking sources of entertainment in every channel. While unwinding with a nice, little binge of The Office can be enjoyable after a long day, I found myself in a rut of passively consuming entertainment and not really trying to find things that could actually help me grow. We are affected by whatever we’re listening to or watching. Whether it’s something that doesn’t require much of our attention or reading a book that makes you think outside of your normal beliefs, everything we consume will have an effect. It’s very easy to slip into a passive consumption mindset because of the easiness of it. It’s much easier to watch our favorite TV show than to find a new book that makes us think critically in both introspective and extrospective ways.

In my search for finding new forms of entertainment that would push me to grow, I found The Porch podcast. The Porch is the gathering of over 3,000+ young adults every Tuesday night as part of the young adult ministry of Watermark Community Church. The podcast is usually recordings of the different sermons done mostly by their Young Adults Director, David Marvin. These sermons are designed to address many of the issues young adults in their 20s and 30s are facing each day, making every podcast relatable to college students. I was first introduced to this podcast a couple years ago through a series called Fantasy Dating. It was a three-part series, with the two other podcasts being Fantasy Guy and Fantasy Girl. The idea of these were to tackle misconceptions of what dating and marriage looks like when we truly are pursuing God through it. I will admit I was skeptical at first. The amount of relationship advice out there today is overwhelming, and a lot of times way over-complicated or simply not true. But I gave listened to all three of the podcasts on my drive back to Lynchburg, and I was surprised by the truth and depth that Pastor David brought. He didn’t try to spruce up concepts or complicate things. It challenged me to rethink the way that I would approach dating when the time came. It wasn’t until about a month ago that I begin consistently listening to these podcasts, but I have been challenged through pretty much everyone who speaks on it. The podcast also contains messages about anxiety and depression, breaking down biblical stories, such as Esther, and digging deep into how they can be applicable to challenges we face as young adults.

I really recommend The Porch, as I feel it is perfect for any college student seeking meaningful growth in their lives. I don’t want to steer you the wrong way – there are many concepts in this podcast that can bring growth, but we have to not fall into the trap of passively engaging it. In Acts 17:10-15, Paul and Silas have travelled to Berea, and the found Jews who were eagerly studying God’s Word and examining the scriptures to make sure what they were being taught was biblically true. This is what it should look like when listening to sermons today. Through actively studying what he teaches, I take the concepts I hear and have questions about and discuss those with my friends. Though we live in a society that tends to disagree in unhealthy ways (social media being a big platform for this), questioning and fact-checking are important in finding out the truth and helpful for personal growth.

So, if you’re looking for a podcast that will give you a chance to grow both spiritually and mentally, I highly encourage you trying this one out. You can find almost every topic you could think of pertaining to young adults. These podcasts will also help you critically think and can help give the chances for more meaningful and deep conversations with friends – something I love to have. Make sure you actively listen to these though! It is important when pursuing growth that you are actively consuming the culture around you by critically thinking about the concepts being presented to you. Down below you can find the link to this podcast through Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

Sources

https://open.spotify.com/show/3H0DFwAtyMDhOgfx8rEHSk

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-porch/id325418914

https://www.watermark.org/

It comes as a surprise to nobody that America is a country of excess. For just about any product you would want to buy here in the States, there are countless variations of said product made by several different suppliers. There’s constantly an abundance of different options to select which can be great for consumers, since that abundance drives down prices and minimizes shortages for a specific product. What many Americans fail to realize, however, is that this abundance has created a significant problem in our society today – food waste.

According to Feeding America, each year, around 72 billion pounds of food goes to waste in the United States. There are many factors that contribute to this gigantic waste of food. From farmers not being able to find a buyer for a portion of the crops they’ve grown, to the consumer throwing away unfinished or spoiled leftovers, waste happens at nearly every level of the food supply chain.

Nearly 40 percent of food waste in the US comes from consumer facing businesses like grocery stores. It’s strange to think that grocery stores, a place where food is constantly being purchased and shelves are constantly being stocked, can contribute so much to food waste, but that is the reality we face today. A huge reason why grocery stores are throwing out so much food is because consumers want to buy food that looks the most appealing or “perfect”.

We’ve all been there before, scanning over the produce section for that perfect Honeycrisp apple or the best looking red bell pepper, choosing them over their clearly inferior (and uglier) produce siblings. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this approach. You’re the paying customer who gets to decide which bunch of bananas you’re going to spend your hard earned money on, so obviously you’re choosing the best looking food items.

The only problem with this train of thought is that if everyone else thinks the same way (which they do) then perfectly good “ugly” food will waste away on the shelves and eventually be thrown out. When this consumer pattern is repeated, grocery stores pick up on the trend, and throw out that “ugly” produce before it even gets the chance to be purchased by a more thoughtful consumer.

I, like many other Americans, never really thought about how my grocery shopping preferences can contribute to food waste. That all changed when I came across Misfit Market, a company dedicated to lowering the amount of food waste in the US by collecting these “ugly” food items, and shipping them directly to their subscribers. Through Misfit Market, I’m able to get most of the produce I would normally buy at the grocery store conveniently shipped to my door. The awesome part about this subscription is knowing that I will be using food that would otherwise be thrown out (alright, not having to make as many grocery runs is pretty awesome too). What really matters the most though is knowing that I’m helping produce less food waste, even if it is on a small scale.

It’s fitting that my mom was the person to introduce me to Misfit Market, since reducing food waste has always been something she has been very vocal about. This issue has always been close to her heart, due to the fact that she spent most of her childhood in a native Brazilian village where resources were more difficult to come by. So, for the first 18 years of her life, my mom’s family made the most out of every food item they had, creating little to no waste. Because of this early life experience, my mom raised me and my siblings to be more thoughtful of the waste we create in our own lives.

Eliminating food waste isn’t just an ethical issue either. There are pretty large environmental concerns the come along with getting rid of 72 billion pounds of food each year. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, China and the United States produce the most carbon emissions in the world. If global food wastage was a country itself, it would be the third largest carbon emission contributor. Additionally, nearly 21 percent of landfills in the United States is food waste. All of these number are staggering even before mentioning that there are 37 million Americans that still struggle with hunger today.

Obviously, I feel incredibly lucky to be living in a country where I’m able to buy foods from all over the world just eight minutes down the road from my house. I’m not condemning people for only picking the best looking foods. I’m still guilty of that at times. I would just like for you to consider doing your part to produce less food waste, and help shift our wasteful society to one that’s full of thoughtful consumers who use their abundance of resources efficiently.

Sources

https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/our-approach/reduce-food-waste

https://www.misfitsmarket.com/pages/faqs#1

https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/nr/sustainability_pathways/docs/FWF_and_climate_change.pdf

Wow, what a journey we’ve been on! Thanks for sticking with us these last 10 weeks as we explored some ways to stay engaged in our culture while at home. We’ve shared new music with you, cooking tips, ways to get outside, books to read, and more! Over 4,000 of you visited our blog over the last couple months, and we are so grateful for that. When we started back in March, we didn’t know where this time would take us – there is a lot of unknown in our world right now, but we wanted to provide a place to come and feel safe together. We wanted this to be a place to learn new things, interact with other students just like yourself, and to actively engage in the surrounding culture. Though our series stops here, there’s still much to explore. We’re going to keep up with our blog this summer from event updates to various reviews, so don’t drop us just yet as we’ll still be pretty active. In the meantime, there are a few places who provide incredible cultural content that I encourage you to also follow, including:

Christ and Pop Culture (they share a lot all across the entertainment industry) – https://christandpopculture.com

Christianity Today (‘Music’ section) – https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/topics/m/music/

Relevant (‘Culture’ section) – https://relevantmagazine.com/category/culture/

On another note, I’m sure by now you’ve seen that we released our fall calendar, and we’ve never been happier! Ending the semester of events early was a tough decision, but it is making what’s to come feel even more exciting. As expected, we’ll have our staples like open mic, movie nights, trivia, concerts, bingo, and more. A few new events have hit the calendar, and some of our favorites are back better than ever, including:

Block Party will kick off our semester on August 29 with live music, attractions, food trucks, and more! I can’t think of a better way to come together to celebrate the start of an awesome school year. Connect with us on social media as we announce all our artists next week (one a day, for five straight days… yes, that’s five artists jam packed into one night!).

SA Workshops is our new workshop series that provides hands on learning with a professional in various areas like planting, pottery, and cake decorating (all available this fall). These will cost $5 per person once registration opens and will have extremely limited space. You’ll even get to take home your new creations at the end of the night!

Homecoming is shaping up to be one of our favorites yet, taking place October 9-10. With events like our annual bonfire, a carnival, and the parade, we guarantee that this weekend will have plenty for all our current students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Registration for alumni will go live July 1 this year, so save the date!

Bandjoree is our newly revamped battle of the bands event. We are opening this up to all musicians and genres to take part – we’ll start with online voting and narrow it down to five bands who will compete live on stage on November 7. The winner will take home their own custom merch package (created and purchased for you to sell your own gear), a Lynchburg Music gift card, and get to headline a spring student concert ($1,000+ in prizes). More details early October.

Coffeehouse may be our most awaited event to host, due to canceling our spring production. Mark your calendars now for November 21 at 10:30 p.m. as we bring back Coffeehouse, which showcases the best talent Liberty has to offer. Theme and more details will be released in mid-September.

If you want to check out our full calendar of events, you can do so here. Concerts will be added as they go on sale, so check out our social media to be the first to know when events go live. You can find us on Facebook (Student Activities) or @LibertySA on Instagram and Twitter.

Thanks again for everything these last 10 weeks, we couldn’t have done this without you. Enjoy your summer, we miss you, and can’t wait to have you back!

The title says it all and it’s quite simple, we need to slow down. Right now, we are in a world where we are forced to rest, but why don’t we look at that as a blessing? John Mark Comer beautifully wrote a book entitled “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” which is a roadmap on how to stay emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world. Not only did this book convict me and my personal actions but it also gives us biblically sound ways on how to eliminate the hurry in our lives–we all struggle with the hurry disease. I would love to share some things that resonated with me that I think we all can learn from, so shall we?

The bottom line that John Mark Comer was trying to communicate is that HURRY is the great enemy of spiritual life today. So many people want success and are always on-the-go, which isn’t a bad thing, until it consumes your life. So much of our time is lost in the black hole of a device that we lose the concept of our entire day. Did you know each person touches their phone approximately 2,617 times a day? Assuming you sleep eight hours each night, that’s just over 163 times an hour!

So how can we learn to SLOW DOWN? Here are some of my favorite lessons pulled from this book:

1. Making time for silence and solitude brings PEACE
When I say solitude, I don’t mean to sit and look at a wall all day. I understand that lives are busy, and people have things to do. Jesus himself was a busy man but he always made it a priority to be silent with the Lord. Some people think that laying in their bed and being on social media is their form of “solitude.” Just because you are alone on your phone, doesn’t mean you are alone with your thoughts. Find time in your everyday life to make it a part of your routine. Wake up early to read a book, find time to sit outside and smell the fresh air. Find your version of solitude, and understand that it’s different then loneliness.

2. Having a sabbath improves PRODUCTIVITY and HAPPINESS
Humans need to recharge. Humans need to not be around work and stressful jobs. Even God himself took a rest after the sixth day of creation, so if He did why don’t we?
I find myself guilty of this, trying to do everything in my power to be successful and run to the next big thing. Not knowing the boundaries is a whole other issue, but I find myself struggling with the discipline of setting aside a day of rest. Sit back and appreciate your week and what’s to come. Thank the Lord you had a week to enjoy and spend time with your family and intentionally with the Him.

3. We are called to WALK with God, not run.
I don’t see anywhere in the bible where it says to run with God, do you? There is a reason why we hear the Lord so clearly in the silence, it’s because our minds and hearts are focused. 1 Thessalonians 4: 10-11 states, “We urge you brothers and sister…. to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.” This is what I encourage you all to live by in this time of rest we’ve been given. How can you intentionally have time with the Lord with a chaotic life? Hurry is the root problem.

I can’t stress enough of how convicting this book was. It is both an answer and a question. Are you and will you slow down? I encourage all of you to read this book and think about your own life, and ultimately, find rest for your soul.

Sources

Comer, John Mark. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World. Hodder & Stoughton, 2019.

Summer is finally here and that means no more classes, and more time to try your hand at new projects and interests. In seasons where I have more time on my hands, I find myself cooking far more often. With that being said, the past week in Lynchburg has been dark and rainy, which means I lose some of my enthusiasm for adventurous activities. This is the perfect time to bust out a big meal, with minimal clean up required. I would hardly say that I “developed” this recipe as it is a direct result of an almost empty fridge and a desire to have an easy meal, but the One Pot Chicken Curry is the answer to all your dreams.

This recipe works best if you have a Dutch oven or a large stock pot with a lid that can both go in the oven safely. If you don’t have an oven safe pot, don’t worry. We can still make this work and I won’t leave you behind. Start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees. I always find that prepping ingredients first is the easiest way to prepare yourself to have a stress-free cooking experience. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, and a 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger. Place your Dutch oven or stock pot on the burner and turn it up to medium heat and get your oil hot. Add the garlic and ginger and let them sizzle, stirring every so often to let the flavor open up. After about 2 or 3 minutes they should start to get some color and your kitchen is going to smell heavenly. When you get to this point add in 2 onions and 2 bell peppers. Stir every couple minutes and allow them to soften and cook down in size. After about 10-12 minutes they should be a ready to meet the spices.

I use curry paste and typically have a little can on hand for rainy days like these, but if you’re a fan of the curry powder seasoning that works too. If you’re using paste, add the whole can (4 oz). If you’re using powder, you’ll need 1 ½ tablespoons. Add this on top of the vegetables and stir it in to make sure it is well mixed. Let this simmer for a couple minutes and then add in your can of diced tomatoes with the juice, as well as your can of coconut milk. Let this all simmer for about 10 minutes and then add 4 cups of chicken broth. By this point there is a good amount of liquid. Let this come to a low boil and then cut your heat. Nestle in your chicken breasts in and make sure they’re submerged, place the lid on top and throw it in the oven. Let this cook for 25 minutes. By this point, everything in there should be cooked through, and the flavors are all getting to know each other nicely. Remove the Dutch oven and add 2 cups of rice. Make sure to mix this in, otherwise it will sit on top of the chicken and vegetables and not get cooked. Put the lid back on and place back in the oven.

If you’re unable to put your cookware in the oven, just put the lid on it and turn the burner down to medium-low to allow for a gentle boil. I know you want to keep checking on it, but I promise everything is still in there. Just let it be for about 25 minutes and you will be ready to add your rice in.

After 10 minutes the rice should be cooked and a lot of the liquid that was in there has been absorbed. If you like the consistency, you’re ready to eat. If it is too dry for you, add a little more chicken broth until you reach your desired consistency. This is easily enough food to have lunch for the rest of the week for one person, or to feed 4 hungry friends.

This meal is a life saver for low energy nights, as well as a low stocked pantry. If you’re feeling adventurous you can add in whatever you want. That’s the great thing about cooking, it isn’t an exact science like baking, so feel free to substitute the vegetables or curry that you prefer. At the end of the day, you are cooking for yourself. Once you get a handle on what things you like, have fun changing up recipes that you read!

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts – 4

Olive Oil – 4 Tbsp

Garlic – 3 cloves chopped finely

Fresh Ginger – 1-2 inch chopped finely

Onion – 2 cut into thick wedges

Bell Peppers – 2 cut into ½ inch wide strips

Diced Tomatoes – 28oz can with juice

Coconut Milk – 1 13.5oz can

Yellow Curry Paste – 4oz can or 1.5 Tbsp Curry Powder

Chicken Broth – 4 cups

Rice – 2 cups long grain

Back in September 2019, Bad Education premiered at the Toronto Film Festival to high praise from many critics. The film finally became available to the public in April on HBO streaming platforms. Bad Education is based on the true crime story of the largest public school embezzlement scandal in the United States. If you haven’t yet seen the movie, there will be plot spoilers below, so if you don’t wish to be spoiled, you should stop reading this post right now. You have been warned.

Appearance is everything for Frank Tassone (played by Hugh Jackman), the superintendent of the Roslyn school district on Long Island. This translates to everything in his life, from the suit he wears every morning, to his schools Ivy League admissions totals, to an eight million dollar sky bridge to make campus more attractive. Jackman shines in this roll; able to capture the charisma needed to play the part of a posh superintendent in one of the most affluent areas of the country.

Frank is clearly admired by parents and students at the start of the film, and it’s easy to see why. He maintains his charming persona which includes knowing everyone’s names, their relations to others in the district, and their respective fields of study or occupation. The parents mostly care that Frank has greatly improved Roslyn school district’s academic standing, resulting in a huge positive impact on the local economy and real estate.

All of this goodwill is put in jeopardy when the school’s auditor noticed a few questionable purchases made by the assistant superintendent, Pam Glucken (played by the equally excellent Allison Janney). These findings would prove to be just the “tip of the iceberg”, as a student reporter digs through years of files and finds millions of dollars of purchases made that were not made for the school district.

As the film progresses, the view of Frank slowly changes from questioning if he knew anything about the apparent larceny, to attempting to figure out how much he was stealing as well. When all was said and done, viewers find out that over eleven million dollars had been stolen by the district’s administrators.

The director and writers of Bad Education did an excellent job of turning this true crime story into a compelling comedic drama for the widescreen. Watching Frank and Pam, who seem to deeply care about their jobs (or at least they did), fall into a grave they dug themselves gives a surprisingly satisfying sense of justice.

Despite stealing millions from taxpayers, there was a moment in the film I empathized with Frank. After an over the top analogy to get a student to pronounce the word “accelerate” correctly, the student’s mother asks Frank “What’s your problem?” Frank responds, “My problem? My problem is you. It’s the people who trot their poor children out like race horses at Belmont; who derive some perverse joy out of treating us like low-level service reps. Do you remember the teachers who sat with you, who held you by the hand, who taught you to add and subtract, or showed you Gatsby and Salinger, for the first time? Mockingbird even? Do their names escape you? Are their faces a blur? You might forget, but we don’t. We never forget. Ever.”

As the son of an educator, I can confidently say that a lot of the time, teachers don’t get the credit, respect, or compensation they are due. I’ve heard/seen story after story of parents taking the selfless sacrifices my mom makes to help their own children for granted, and it is incredibly frustrating. Obviously, I don’t believe that’s a good reason to justify the theft of millions of dollars, but I do believe that it’s an incredibly important perspective to see, and I’m glad we got to see it in the film.

With the subject matter in mind, it’s easy to see a boring film being made to tell the story of two school administrators stealing a ton of money from the yearly budget. Thankfully, Bad Education is quite the opposite, drawing in viewers with excellent acting and storytelling; to the point you may even start to relate to grand larcenists.

Sources

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8206668/quotes

With the increased alone-time and isolation has come a weird pressure of 1) needing to stay incredibly busy and productive learning new skills, and 2) buying stay-at-home sweat suits and giving yourself a chance to unwind, reflect, and relax. While I think we can all say we have gained an appreciation for the simpler things in life, we have also put an expectation on “everything that’s been going on” (apparently how southerners refer to COVID-19 isolation) to figure out our life, try new hobbies, catch up with long lost relatives, find a better skincare routine, kickstart a new fitness routine (see results from said routine before this is over) and read books. Oh, not to mention FINISH SCHOOL. For you seniors, the good news is, you have officially made it through (shout out and congratulations to all of you!)

When choosing what to write this blog about, it was the beginning of quarantine, and I thought it would be nice as people try to learn new skills to have our marketing team provide some of their ways that they stay creatively motivated and inspired! That way, you too could be inspired and learn something new. Unfortunately, even talking about how quarantine has affected us is getting to be tiring, as we have all processed our feelings out loud over FaceTime with numerous audiences, not to mention, people we don’t even know on Instagram. Despite hearing messages of how we should be thankful, we need to relax, or we should be productive, maybe we could give ourselves room to do whatever suits us best and perhaps stop talking about it all so much (maybe this blog idea hasn’t aged so well…I should switch topics, no I’m too far in now and it’s due today).

I have personally found it incredibly hard as I fluctuate between the feelings of gratitude for a time to take a step back, and frustration because I may not be using this time alone as well as I “should” be. I think maybe the answer is to allow this shifting of emotions and reexamine our current definition of “productivity” in our lives. A “productive” summer for you may have originally held plans to secure a job post-graduation or to waitress and finally build some savings. As you are all beginning your summers, I would encourage you (based merely only my personal experience and opinions) to take some time and redefine what your definition of “productive” looks like. It’s important to make sure you have a balance and to know that this time won’t hold maybe what you planned, but it can also produce new discoveries.

Creating is one specific thing that has kept me afloat and connects us back to our first blog post that defined this ten-week series (Consume, Create and Cultivate). While creating may seem the opposite of relaxing, they actually can exist together in the same space. As you consume this week, I challenge you to create or cultivate something inspired from it. Maybe it’s a sketch of a quote from your favorite show or a recreating a meal that a character fixed in the novel you’re reading. This may not seem like the same productivity needed to finish classes and you’re right! I hope it leaves you feeling fresh, and inspired as you begin participating in other people’s creations and making them your own.

Below you can see how our designers, videographers and photographers have continued to feel inspired and creative. For some stepping away from designing has been the answer! If this feels at all daunting to unlock your creativity, I would suggest signing up for SkillShare! You get two months free to unlimited classes teaching anything from leather working to how to master a card trick.

Daniel Holcomb / Senior / Graphic Designer

Favorite Quarantine meal: Steak burrito bowl from Chipotle

Ways I’ve stayed creative: I find that spending time each day to keep up with keeping my room clean, spraying a room spray, and lighting candles helps me make every day feel new. Which is a huge undertaking given what’s been going on.

Resources that inspire me: Pinterest has been an obvious one, I’ve come to the point where I’m making boards for quite literally everything. My weekly Target trips have been a no-go, so I’ve been exploring online shopping. I find that shopping not only cools my nerves, it helps me to incorporate multiple schools of design into my work, and draw inspiration from other disciplines. I’ve incorporated textile, packaging, and even furniture designs into my work before, so shopping is surprisingly helpful.

Jon Roberts / Junior / Digital Media Creator & Videographer

Favorite Quarantine meal: That thing where you order a large pizza and it feeds you for a whole weekend.

Ways I’ve stayed creative: It’s difficult for me to stay motivated when I’m home alone, so I really try to buckle down and get as much done when I’m at my most caffeinated in the morning. I avoid habits that keep me in a rut and if I feel myself falling into misery, I take a walk. This helps my eyes focus on something other than a screen as well.

Resources that inspire me: Recently just discovered Pinterest. Who knew it was this neat? The entire first season of Abstract constantly inspires me and Chef’s Table is just so appealing to the senses (both can be found on Netflix). Also, Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Radio on YouTube has saved my life more than a few times.

Kate Saxon / Junior / Graphic Designer

Favorite Quarantine meal: Creamy tomato parmesan pasta with salmon! My specialty *chef’s kiss.* Although takeout from P.F. Chang’s and my favorite Mexican restaurant have been making quarantine a little happier too.

Ways I’ve stayed creative: I’ve been so caught up in this semester that sometimes I forget that we’re in quarantine. It’s been a heavy semester in terms of workload, and my four design classes take up nearly all of my time, leaving little room for me to do anything creatively for myself. I have gone out and taken photos a few times, however, and taking the time to edit those for myself is something that I really enjoy and look forward to.

Resources that inspire me: I recently made a dribbble account, and oh man, I love scrolling through there and seeing what other designers are up to. So much talent!

Ashley Brei / Senior / Graphic Designer

Favorite Quarantine meal: Homemade Naan Bread Pizzas

Ways I’ve stayed creative:  I have been learning how to make some of my usual meals I eat even better. I’ve enjoyed trying new ingredients and adding a little pizzazz to some old recipes. I also have been enjoying taking daily walks around my neighborhood and seeing all the springtime blooming and historic architecture. (also temporarily dying my hair pink).

Naomi Bower / Senior / Marketing Lead

Favorite Quarantine Meal: Red Chile chicken enchiladas

Ways I’ve stayed creative: I cook and try new recipes (some a little out of my comfort zone) every day. I have always loved cooking, but I don’t think I’ve ever done it so much. I mostly look to Pinterest to find recipes but have also flipped through some cookbooks that my family has had for years.

In most of us, serving was likely something instilled in you at a young age by your parents, teachers, coaches, or other form of a leader or mentor in your life. In an article by The New York Times, they talk about the innate instinct to want to help others. In the article, they cite a study by Dr. Michael Tomasello, a developmental psychologist and co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, which discusses his findings when observing infants and their inclination to help. In his book Why We Cooperate, he writes, “When infants 18 months old see an unrelated adult whose hands are full and who needs assistance opening a door or picking up a dropped clothespin, they will immediately help.” So, if God has designed people with this inclination to help others, why do we typically treat volunteer work like a chore that has to be done?

Obviously, while at Liberty in an undergraduate program, you are required to complete CSER. As most of you know, this means doing 20 hours of volunteer, unpaid work in a community per semester. I don’t want to debate the CSER requirement as being part of the degree completion program. I think that community service, required or voluntary, has had a positive impact on the Lynchburg community and other parts of the world where CSER has been completed. I think the question of whether it should be a requirement doesn’t get to the root of a lack of motivation to serve. Instead, I think the bigger questions are ones of the heart. Would you serve to the same capacity you are now if it wasn’t a requirement? Would you serve without complaining or a negative mindset? These are the questions that we have to ask ourselves. I think that if you can honestly answer yes to both of these, a serving requirement would be nothing to you, and you’d actually be excited for the opportunity. With a proper motivation, I think that serving in the community can be one of the best things for any person, and it’s not just me that thinks that. Western Connecticut State University says, “Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together.” I could not agree with this more. The idea of gathering together a diverse group of people to help the needs of others with nothing in return is one of the best acts of selflessness. Yet, there are still a plethora of intangible and invaluable benefits to community service.

First, there is the connections you get to make. When you sign up to volunteer somewhere, you most likely are going to be working alongside people you have never met and who may come from a different background. This is an amazing opportunity to meet new people, possibly form new friendships, and help build up social skills. By interacting with a diverse group of people, you can be awakened to new ideas and realities you may have never encountered. Am I saying that all of these ideas and beliefs should always be taken as truth? Absolutely not. Although, hearing differing ideas and beliefs will challenge you to look at your own and critically think and research whether the beliefs and ideas you hold are valid.

Volunteering is also good for your personal health. It can increase your self-confidence tremendously. When you are able to serve someone else without expecting something in return, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It can also give you a sense of identity in what you’re doing. Obviously, if these become the main driving factor, you need to back up a bit and realign who you are ultimately trying to give the glory to. It can also help combat mental health – especially depression. As stated in the first reason, volunteering will put you in a community with others serving. This community combats self-isolation that can be found in so many adults. If you find yourself having a lot of down time that you spend by yourself, I would try and get plugged in to serving in the community.

There are numerous other reasons to why community service is beneficial to you, but it would take a whole dissertation to explain them all. At the end of the day, the ultimate reason we must serve is to serve God. Sometimes, myself included, it’s easy to complain about having to serve whether required or not, but if you keep the motivation grounded in God and not in other reasons, you will find yourself feeling much more positive and fulfilled. In Proverbs 22:9 it says, “When you are generous to the poor, you are enriched with blessings in return.” When we are willing to help others, we do receive back, but it isn’t usually in something physical. It’s usually through His own blessing which are more valuable than any object. If you are interested in serving in your local community, in Lynchburg or your hometown, it’s not hard to find a place to get involved with. You can either search for different non-profit and volunteer opportunities on Google or go to Liberty’s website which will have a list of opportunities to serve in the LYH community.

Sources

https://www.wcsu.edu/community-engagement/benefits-of-volunteering/

https://palofswwa.org/the-importance-of-serving-your-community/

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html

For artists like Adele and Rihanna fans seemingly have to wait long periods of time in between music releases, which only builds the anticipation. With Sleeping At Last, fans rarely have a drought in between releases. Having released 8 album and countless singles since 2015, the Chicago-based band astounds fans with their unprecedented non-stop creativity. Following the release of the first four major projects, bassist Dan Perdue and drummer Chad O’Neal left the band to pursue other interests, but Chad’s brother Ryan – the lead singer and guitarist for the group – continued to make music while still utilizing the band’s already recognizable name.

Commonly heard as the background music on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds, Sleeping At Last’s cover albums have made them a household name, with iconic emo renditions of classics like The Proclaimer’s “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”, Willie Nelson’s “Rainbow Connection”, and Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”. In this blog post we will be looking at some of their covers from their 2020 release “Covers, Vol. 3”. Their newest release, “Astronomy, Vol. 1” was released after this article was written, further evidencing Sleeping At Last’s frequency of production.

“10,000 Miles” by Mary Chapin Carpenter, which was featured in the movie “Fly Away Home”, begins the album and keeps the same emotion but drives in the lane right beside the original in terms of sound. Sleeping At Last’s cover almost sounds like it could be in Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack for Disney-Pixar’s “Inside Out”. A good cover makes the song unique to the one covering but keeps some of the original elements and Sleeping At Last begins their album doing so in iconic fashion with this muse from 1989.

Arguably the most noticeably different from the original song on the album of covers is “Young Folks” performed originally by Peter Bjorn and John. The original is rcognizable from its popular usage in commercials and easily memorized whistling but Sleeping At Last’s cover strips away some of the most memorable parts and puts its own emotional spin on things. Taking a slowed down approach to Wet Wet Wet’s “Love Is All Around”, Sleeping At Last explores music from multiple decades, taking the 1994 hit and turning it into the type of song you want to cry in the car to. Covering female artists Tegan and Sara, “Where Does The Good Go” on the album is completely reimagined from the rhythm to the core sound. Sleeping At Last could probably take the most joyous song in the word and make it sad for the listener, which is sometimes welcomed depending on the season of life.

Ending with a somehow even more heart wrenching version of “Amazing Grace”, Sleeping At Last ends on a theologically-rich high note that reminds listeners of not only Sleeping At Last’s roots in Christianity but also the beautiful truth of the grace that was poured out for us, the wretches. As the lyrics say, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun” which thrills me for multiple reasons – we will be in awe of our Lord and Savior, eternally singing praises that will never run out, but as a little side bonus I know that Sleeping At Last will be there alongside me, which judging from their melodious sound, makes me anticipate the glorious choir’s harmonies even more.