Theater thoughts

It's amazing how time gets away from you, sometimes. I mean, here I am thinking that I'll post something new every few days... a week and a half after my last post, here I sit - looking at my screen with nothing to write. Bummer.

So, let's make something up and run with it. =) Ah, here we are...

I went to Liberty's Tower Theater tonight for a performance of Phantom of the Opera. I will spare you all from having to hear me gush about everything I loved about it. You can ask me if you wanna know that bad. This is what I will say, though. It still amazes me that there are people on this campus who do not take advantage of the incredible opportunity to attend the theater here. I realize that Liberty's theater program is not a theater with paid actors or anything like that, but goodness gracious, it's close. They do a fantastic job! Not only that, but the chance to go to the theater for only $7, especially with shows like Hairspray and Phantom of the Opera, is rare.

I know a lot of people don't really care for the theater. I get that it's a lot of dancing and singing, and some people really don't like that. What a pity. So many people have these preconceived notions of what musical theater really is. The thing about music is that it draws people in and connects them in a way that dialogue really can't. It's a connector. On a stage, there is so much to actually see when people are performing - sets, facial expressions, special effects - the spectacle of it all is fascinating. Not all theater is super campy, not all of it is cheesy, and there really is something for everyone (way to sound totally cliche, right? It's true, though.).

There are a ton of great reasons why people should go to the theater - at least once. It doesn't even have to be at Liberty - just go. Somewhere. Anywhere. For the sake of being more well rounded and expanding your cultural horizons, it's important to go. Do yourself a huge favor and go to the theater. You can thank me later. If nothing else, you can use it as a great date opportunity. ;)


 

Lessons in leadership

Sometimes, I'm amazed at everything I have yet to learn. Even after years of ministry with young women, there is still such a vast abyss of endless things to learn about what it really means to be an effective leader.

I was challenged this week in regards to what kind of leader I am for the girls that live under my leadership at Liberty. I have 30 girls who live on my hall. They see me every day, and I know that the girls who live in my quad see even more of the real me than even the girls on my hall do. Not only do the girls on my hall see me, but I know that there are other people on campus who are well aware of the fact that I am in a position of leadership at school. That's a lot of people looking to me as a leader. Crazy.. and scary. Very scary.

It was brought to my attention on Monday night that being in a visible leadership position at a Christian university (well, really... any place I am, but I'm in college for now) can't be only about being a good example of spiritual maturity. As a leader on the Liberty campus, I can't assume that being spiritually solid is really the only thing people will be looking at. If people look up to you as a leader, they're going to look at your whole life, not just one aspect of it.

People are not going to only look at my spiritual life. They will look at everything they can see in me.
- How I dress
- How I talk (or don't talk) about other people
- How I handle conflict
- How I treat my body in diet and exercise
- How I handle stress
- How I manage my time between school and friends
- If I do my homework on time
- How I respond to authority
- If I allow myself to rest or not
- What I watch on TV or what movies I watch

And that's not even the whole list! It could go on forever. What an incredibly humbling and sobering thought. I've spent the better part of two days really thinking through this. Some of the things listed are things I never would have considered being part of leadership. I've never taken the opportunity to sit down and ask myself how the movies people see me watch could possibly affect what they see as acceptable or right. I've never thought about whether or not I allow myself to rest would even be noticed by the girls who live on my hall. Oh my word, it's insane how much I had not considered these things.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I am doing great in all of these areas. That would be absurd and foolish... and a lie.  I fall incredibly short in a lot of these areas, but the really cool thing about awareness is that it breeds opportunity for change. With the realization that people will see even the minor details of my life, I get the chance to really reevaluate what kind of example I set to the students of this campus. Every day, I get to ask myself, "If I were someone else, would I see an example worth following in Danielle?". I only hope that as I have the opportunity to set a new example, that I don't let it go to waste.

Don't let your opportunity go to waste. <3

Well... here goes nothing...

So, after about a month or so of debating with myself, I've finally folded and created a blog. First, I fought tooth and nail against Twitter... that didn't work. Then I decided to try and resist creating blog... foiled again. So, here I sit at my computer, starting a new adventure. Fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

I guess this blog is just gonna serve as an avenue for all of my ramblings. I'm sure that sometimes it will be serious and sometimes it will be silly. In any case, it will always be from my heart. =)

Well, let's get started. I am certain that the more you read this blog, the more you will discover my deep love for all things Disney. In the spirit of that love, I find it only fitting that something fairy tale-ish should be brought up in my first post. I decided to spend my Saturday night in my pajamas, watching movies on the couch. How does this have anything to do with a fairy tale, you might ask. Well, I chose to watch Ever After: A Cinderella Story (I love me some Drew Barrymore), so my evening is full of fairy tales and happily ever afters. Granted, I'm only 45 minutes in, but I already have so many thoughts running through my head.

The thing that I love about Ever After is that Danielle (Cinderella, if you've never seen this movie) is SOOOOO not the Disney princess Cinderella. Disney Cinderella seems to be the standard for Cinderellas. Pity. Disney Cinderella is quiet, super emotional, and isn't ever willing to stand up for herself. The only thing that the prince falls in love with is a girl in a beautiful dress who danced with him for a couple hours. What an interesting foundation for love... barf. Who on earth would want to be like that? I would hope that I would never be such a girl. I love the way that  Danielle/Cinderella (I don't know how to make her not be confused with me haha) is made to be the heroine of Ever After. She is intelligent, confident, well spoken, and doesn't budge on what she knows to be true and right. The way that the prince falls in love with her has nothing to do with dancing or losing a shoe. Granted, she is lying to him about who she really is the whole time, but we will overlook that for now. They spend time together. They aggravate each other. They challenge each other. They confide in each other. I think the intimacy of sharing thoughts, secrets, and dreams is so much more romantic and special than any physical touch can say. What a lovely way to build a story. In the end of the movie, when Henry goes to rescue Danielle, he even goes so far as to say that instead of saving her, that she has saved him. What a charming thought. <3

The other thing I love about this movie is the way they speak to one another. I know that a lot of it is cultural, and the time for speaking in such old fashioned terms is far passed, but goodness gracious - it's amazing. Not even in the words they use, but the attitude behind it. There is such a formality and respect about it. There is a grace about their speech that is so lacking today. Now, everything is about how to hurry say what you need to say in the fewest words possible. Conversations are informal, and many times, people are so careless with the words they choose to say to one another. What a shame.

Well, I think I've shared enough of my thoughts for today, friends. Hopefully, my ramblings were bearable. Welcome to the beginnings of what should be an.... interesting journey. =) Love you! Bye for now! <3