8.28.2011

Perseverance Must Finish Its Work

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

This new found stress of college life drove me to God's Word today. It's not the moving into the dorm, the driving, the registration process, or the financial obligations that are stressing me out. It's my family, fiancee, and best friends being three hours away that hurts, at times. Oh yeah, and I have that "oh-god-it's-like-the-first-day-of-highschool-and-I-don't-know-anyone-that-I-can-sit-with-at-lunch" feeling. That sucks.

I must let perseverance finish its work. That's the word that the Lord gave me today. Yes, I'm homesick. Yes, I'm unsure about a lot of things. Yes, this is all new and a little unnerving. Take heart, these are things that the Lord will touch with His Grace. If I choose to persevere, they'll turn from trials to tools that He'll use for my good and His Glory.

I'm unsure as to where this blog finds you today. You may be in a similar situation. You may be worse off. I spur you on with the words of James; let perseverance finish its work. Don't bow out early. I promise you that God is using everything we face in our lives as a transformating agent. Lord, give us faith to trust you in times of trial. Forgive our unbelief, and give us grace to do you will. Today, I leave you with the words of my favorite person in the whole world.

John 16:33

New International Version (NIV)

   33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - JESUS

-END-
Judging from the pictures below, I'm obviously not the first one that has felt a tad bit awkward at school. What do you think? Leave a comment below! Do you have any advice or testimonials from your scholastic experiences?

Awkward School Photo #1

Awkward School Photo #2



Awkward School Photo #3


8.27.2011

Southwestern Days & Southwestern Nights #1

Son,
Oh yeah. I downsized.
     As I sit here on the threshold of the rest of your life, I can't help but to reminisce-- to remember the little boy who grew into the man you have become. Even as a little boy, you were mature. You seemed to have always seen five years into your future and made sense of it.
     At four years old, you knew to have your brother lie down on the floor so that you could place your hands on his tummy and pray for his tummy ache. A while later that year, you came into our kitchen and pointedly told me that you no longer needed the allergy shots that you had been taking for almost two years. I wanted to play along, so I asked you how come. You looked up at me, squared your shoulders, and said, "God told me I was healed." You never again had an allergy shot.
     Son, you were my sounding board, and your endurance, without complaint, healed my spirit. You never gave your opinion without permission. Your early days were composed of songs, dance, and laughter. I always thought of you  as funny. Looking back, you colored your world with laughter.
     I am anxious to see your family, but they can wait. Enjoy this new chapter in your life. I'll always be here with your father, side by side. We'll be here for you. I love you, Joseph. Get set, ready, GO!

Love,
Said "dinky" microwave.
Mom

This is the letter of blessing that my parents gave to me. It's the first two pages of a journal that I plan to fill. I could fill this first "SAGU" post with the in's and out's of university life, but why? That can wait for the next post. My parents are a source of godly strength and wise counsel. My heart aches when I think about being away from them.

However, I take comfort in the Lord. There is nothing as reassuring as being confident that I'm right where the Lord wants me to be. Sitting here, on this twin bed, I look around my dorm room. There's a dinky microwave with the diet cokes I bought sitting on top, my desk with my keyboards, and my clothes stuffed in a closet that will most likely proof to be to small. But there's something else here too-- the Spirit of the Lord. It's like His hand is over my heart.


'Ole Faithful in her new home.

I feel like crying right now, but I feel like that would break the divinity of this moment. I'm drawn to Genesis. (How poignant?) "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:1). I don't know what my future holds. It seems obscure and confusing. I'm very tempted to panic. . . and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

This song, "Hymn", by Brooke Fraser has been pretty spot on as to how I'm feeling. Give it a listen. Be silent. Worship. Trust me, it'll be fun.

8.19.2011

Come What May

There are seasons in our lives of great change. I'm in one such season. The great thing is that it's all accompanied by peace. There is such a sense of "this-is-the-Lord-at-work" that it's easy to just buckle up and go for the ride!

This last Sunday was my last time to lead worship at Gateway Church in Shreveport, LA. I feel like it was the best Sunday that we've ever had, as a band, and that we got to end on a very high note. (No pun intended.) Spiritually speaking, everything was incredible. It didn't just feel like I was worshiping with an assorted group of like-minded people. I wasn't leading random people. I got to worship with family. This past year and a half has been something that I'll never forget, and something that I hope I never took for granted.

I've turned in my work keys, sent my final e-mails, and have helped Gateway Church's new worship pastor get settled. It's the end of a very special chapter. Although I am leaving Gateway Church, she'll always have a place in my heart, and, with most certainty, I can say the feeling in mutual.

Now, I have a brand new chapter! Next Friday, I will be moving into R416, Bridges Hall at Southwestern Assemblies of God University! There, I will be finishing my bachelor's degree in Music Ministries and an associates degree in Media Production. I can't wait to get involved in the SAGU music department. Campus life, music theory course, chapel, and unemployment are going to be unique changes, but I think I'm up for a good challenge!



I'm hugely excited about "I Serve A King"-- the worship album! It's been on my heart to do for a while, and I finally feel like I'm at a place to give it the effort it deserves. I'll be recording with Harbour Lights Creative, a studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 12-19. Please learn more about the project here. I encourage you to pray about how you can get involved! I am raising money to help make this album happen. Oh course, I'm not going to take up your time on this site. Click here to learn more!

ONE OF THE BIGGEST WAY YOU CAN HELP is simply spreading the word. Seriously, getting the word out is the hardest part! Like my Facebook music page, tell you friends about it, follow me on Twitter!

Yes, there are a lot of new, exciting things going on in my life. Come what may, I'll keep my eyes on Jesus. Always. It's about His fame, His glory, His purposes on this earth!

How has the Lord ministered to you in seasons of change?
Do you have any must-know college tips for me?
Leave me your comments below! I need all the help I can get!

8.12.2011

Haints & Meisner: New and Goods

Mary Thoma of TASA Studio
This has been such an awesome season in my life. I've had the opportunity to study acting more and grow! Some of you may not know that I have been studying the Meisner technique these past 13 weeks with Mary Thoma at TASA. Well, I have! It's been amazing. There hasn't been a time before this when I've had more fun, learned more, and grown more as an actor. The cherry on top is that I've met some beautiful people. All in all-- a great season.

My last acting class is this Thursday. It's bittersweet. On one hand, it's marks an accomplishment as an actor. I've studied. I've tried. I've failed. I've succeeded. On the other, it's the last class. It feels like the last day of 5th grade. The time with your favorite teacher and all your new friends is coming to a close, and you can't help but feel bummed. Such is life.

On a slightly different note, I have something brand spankin' new to be excited about! I'll be joining the cast of "Haints" in Season 1, Episode 4. Part of me feels like the new kid on the block, and I'm a little nervous. But, it's definitely overshadowed by excitement! My role is pretty inconsequential, but I still get to hang out with the cool kids-- so I'm good. When I hear any word on a release date, I'll let you know!

If you want to know more about "Haints", click here to read a blog I wrote recently when I discovered the project.

8.06.2011

New Posts Coming Soon!

Hey Everyone! Thanks so much for reading and being a part of josephdrinkard.com! Life has been really busy with getting ready to move off to school. I can't wait to tell all of you about what's been going on!

On a random side note, I watched "The Diary of Anne Frank: The Whole Story" with my dad today. It was a three hour emotional roller coaster. I really need to watch a comedy, soon.

Leah told me last night that her and my soon-to-be mother-in-law have narrowed her wedding dress down to four designers. And there's more...

See! I have a lot to tell you about, just no time right now. I'll do my best to publish something soon. Until then, just pretend you're interested. ok?