Leading @ The Pursuit

The Pursuit

Wow... So it's been a super long time since I've blogged.  A lot has happened since leaving the internship in NYC and coming back to Miami.  I'm extremely busy with school, my assistantship and Cat 5 Music Publishing.  It's all good, but busy.  

One of the things that brings me back to the blog is my quest to raise support.  I have been invited to join The Pursuit Christian Church as a part time staff member.  I will be leading worship and assisting in the worship planning.  

As you may or may not know, The Pursuit is a very new church (9-10 months old) and does not have the resources to pay their staff.  So, I need to raise support to get paid.  If you are interested in supporting me, I would love to hear from you!  I have sent out many emails and have talked to a lot of people... and I will continue to do so until the support is raised.

Unlike other church planters/missionaries/(insert label here), I am only seeking support through May... which is when I graduate.  We will see what God has in store for me after that point, but I am only seeking commitments through May '09.

I will be posting videos and information from The Pursuit here as often as I can... so that you can remain updated and informed on what's happening in here in South Florida.

If you have any questions or are interested in becoming a financial supporter of our church, then please let me know!

Thanks for visiting! 

-Eric

Weeks 5-7: E-Pod Internship

With weeks 5-7 of the internship under wraps, and week 8 half done because of the holiday (4th of July), things at Epic have begun to slow down.  I'm still working on the two different street teams.  The Dedicated Crew seems to be going strong!  People are writing in almost every day to tell about the flyers they are handing out, the shows they are going to, etc.  They seem stoked.  We sent them a package which included stickers, a "mix-tape" CD, and some other goodies.  Package two will include more of the same and some I (heart) DC t-shirts.  The team is really into spreading good music and promoting whatever we give them.  On my end, this team has been kind of slow lately because we're just watching it grow, responding to emails, etc.  Other than cutting and copying from handbills, I haven't done a lot with this project lately.  

The street team for The White Tie Affair, via the management website of FanCorps, is interesting. The team sat stagnant for some time and nothing much was done.  The fans didn't have a lot of communication or information regarding what they were suppose to do, how to promote the band, etc.  Since Ryan and I have taken over the team , we've been trying to regroup everyone and re-energize them!  It's been hard.  We have seen record growth for membership over the past month, but people don't tend to do much once they join.  Part of our job is to send out "orders" each week that encourage promotion of the band in some way. We've also begun sending out emails to the team in hopes that some more communication from NYC will help get them motivated.  In the meantime, profiles have been checked and those members that have been inactive or have never logged in are being deleted.  We want the team to be as streamlined and productive as possible... unfortunately, this means cutting out those who haven't been involved.  Once the membership has been whittled down to those who actually want to help, then we might move to a model more similar to the Dedicated Crew for a more interactive experience.  Maybe that will help!  We're definitely trying to find news ways to excite and motivate.

Other than that, things have been pretty slow.  Not a ton of work, but I guess that happens when you're interning.  Because of that, we may start doing similar work for a new artist named Lenka. (Check her out!) 

More to come soon... It's hard to believe but I head back to Miami 3 weeks from today.  The weeks have flown and it seems like my time in NYC will be done before I know it.

Weeks 2-4: E-Pod Internship

Things got busy... and, as usual, I forgot to post. :)  So I'll do an update of the past 3 weeks in one post.  Actually, it's 2 weeks.  For week 3, I was sick and then travelled to Indiana... so I only worked one day. :)

As I said, the last few weeks have been very busy.  The E-Pod is almost at full capacity.  We've gone from 2 people in my first week to 8 people this week... and 2 more will show up next week.  It's a full crew; 5 of which are UM students! So it's been fun meeting new people and collaborating with some friends as well.

As I mentioned before, I am working with the street team and radio stations.  The street team has taken over most of my time as the task has split into two areas.  The first is working with Josh on a tour-based street team.  We developed a small team consisting of music fans from across the nation.  We are taking things back and doing it "old-school" style... which means we are not mass-mailing people.  We are using one-on-one interaction to spread information about bands, shows, tours, etc.  We are interacting with our people and getting them excited about the music without bombarding them with junk mail.  On my end I've been doing a lot of the administrative work.  Creating the email address for our crew (the dedicated crew), compiling and organizing member info, sorting through emails, etc.  This week we completed a package to each of the people in the group which will ship out on Monday morning.  The package contains stickers, buttons, a "mix tape", tour dates, and a letter from me and Josh.  I think the response will be huge and will hopefully help the bands.  We will be sending out a second package in the next few weeks which will likely contain a few CD's, more stickers, and I (heart) DC shirts.  Overall, this is a fresh new way to approach things and we think the response will be most excellent.

The second facet to the street team is a website called FanCorps.  It's a management tool which allows us to post shows and distribute "orders" to the members.  I'll be working on growing this team which is specific to The White Tie Affair.  The goal is to recruit dedicated TWTA fans to join and promote the band at every opportunity.  Holding steady at approximately 100 members, we want to see it explode and expand to a larger number of active participants.  The more exposure for the band, the better.  This is also a great way for fans to become directly involved with the success of the band.  Without fans and a street team, it would be hard for the band to prosper.  Luckily, the band is good and there are some hardcore fans out there!  I think it's only a matter of time before the band experiences some larger growth.

On to radio... another part of my job has been comparing the radio stations that are currently spinning The White Tie Affair to their summer tour dates.  I've created a spread sheet which details all of the radio stations which fall near a concert city.  Now that the list is complete, I'll be contacting the stations to set up interviews and events for the band.  We're also looking for creative activities/events for the band to participate in... if you have any ideas, let me know! :)

Last, but not least, is the over-arching goal of "the big idea".  What is the best way to gain exposure for the band.  What are some new marketing ideas?  We're thinking huge, new, and out-of-the-box.  Again, any ideas are welcome!

That just about sums it up in a nut-shell.  It's been a busy couple of weeks.  Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending happy-hour in the conference room.  The event was held to introduce a new band signed by Epic.  There was food, beverage, and the band (The Script) did a three song, acoustic set.  They were pretty incredible.  You should definitely check them out.  They hail from Dublin and mix great vocal talent with R&B riffs.  It's a whole new sound that is really nifty!  www.thescriptmusic.com  While you're at it, check out the band I've been working on too... www.thewhitetieaffair.com

That about does it for this installment.  A lot has been going on and there's a lot yet to happen! Should you have any creative ideas for marketing the band, send them my way.  Until next time...  

Week One at Epic

The first week of my internship has come to a close and tomorrow morning I will begin week two. It has been exciting so far and there seems to be a lot to get done!  I'm lucky to be working on marketing and development for a band that has some good music.  If you haven't done it already, check them out:  www.thewhitetieaffair.com  Give me feedback and let me know what you think about them.  Any great or crazy marketing ideas are welcome as well! :)  Really! Throw some at me!

Anyway... as there are many aspects to a grassroots marketing campaign, we have a few different departments within the internship.  The five areas are:  1) Online Publicity/Blog Promotion; 2) Lifestyle Online Publicity/College Marketing/Online Radio; 3) Viral Marketing/Social Networks/Online Street Team; 4) Video/Content Promotion/Distribution; 5)Strategic Partnerships.  As of now, I will be working on two main things as the summer progresses: helping develop a national "street team" and coordinating contests with college radio stations in tour cities.  I'm excited to be working with Josh Madden on the street teams as he has a great amount of experience and knowledge when it comes to the music business.  I believe I'll be learning a lot from him; so that's definitely cool.

Overall, the internship seems like a great tool for knowledge, experience and networking.  I'm stoked to be a part of it and am excited to see what the summer will bring!  More updates soon! :)  

The Arrival: NYC

I realize it has been awhile since I've blogged, for that, I'm sorry.  I'm bad at keeping things up-dated.  So, a quick review:

My first year of grad school has wrapped up.  It seemed to fly by and I'm looking forward to starting (and finishing) my final year.  In the meantime, I'm in New York City for the summer working with Epic Records.  My hope is to keep an updated blog throughout my internship that will keep everyone up-to-date on what's going on.  I'll post as often as possible and will include as much as I'm able to.

So, today was the first day of the internship with the Epic E-Pod.  The team will be developing a grassroots marketing campaign for a new artist: The White Tie Affair.  Check em out at www.thewhitetieaffair.com  Most of today was spent researching sites and meeting with a few jr. execs  concerning contesting and street teams.  I think I'll learn a lot, develop some great relationships and get my hands a little dirty.  Very exciting! :) 

I'm staying with an old friend and roommate in upper manhattan in the Washington Heights area.  The train ride into the Sony building is a little long, but not too bad.  It was a good opportunity to people-watch, reflect, and listen to some tunes on the iPod.  The commute home was a little longer (at the height of rush hour) but still not terrible overall.

What to look forward to tomorrow: more work on "street teams" and radio promos.  I built a decent foundation today and will build upon that when I arrive in the morning. 

More later. :)

Matthew Eleven

yep, I'm falling a little behind... :( Sorry!  Hope to add more soon!

Matthew Ten

Verse: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."  - Matthew 10:34

Observation: This passage comes directly from Jesus as he is sending his disciples out to minister throughout Israel. He is preparing them for what is to come, how they will be treated, and how people will react to their message. When you think about it, they were spreading a radical message in that time... they were telling Jews that their Messiah had come at a time when many did not believe it. In verse 16 Jesus tells them that he is "sending them out like sheep among wolves."  This doesn't necessarily paint a pretty picture.  It shows us that the road will not be easy; it will be anything but easy. As a Christian and relatively peaceful person, I at times forget that Jesus didn't come to make everything better... to make us all get along.  He came because people were lost.  People were hurting.  He came to shake things up. He rattled people to their very cores and caused a TON of controversy. And for those that think being a Christian is easy and makes everything hunky dory... they are incorrect.  As Jesus plainly tells us here, the road will be long and hard. After all, he didn't come just to bring peace... he came to shake the world.

Application: While it might seem odd, it's kind of comforting to read this chapter of Matthew. It spells out danger as well as a tough road for being a Christian.  How is that comforting?  Maybe in a way it makes me feel that I'm doing something right.  If the road isn't always easy, and at times is downright rocky, then maybe it's okay.  In a distorted way it makes me feel like I'm on the right track at times.  Maybe there's something to that... maybe there's not. The chapter also makes me feel that I'm a little 'lax in my faith.  I mean, I'm not facing death, torture and prison because of my religion... not here in the US anyway.  So, maybe I could be a little more forward with my faith.  I don't wanna be up in peoples faces, because they won't listen... but I'm sure there are ways in which I can be more... dang, the word is flashing in front of my face but I can't grasp it... DELIBERATE (yay, I found it) about my faith. :)

Prayer: Father God, first I want to thank you that I live in a land where I'm not persecuted for my faith or beliefs.  I ask that you protect people all around the world who are.  Those that are beaten, imprisoned, hunted or even killed because of what they believe... I ask that you show them comfort when they most need it.  As for me, help me to be more deliberate with my faith. 

Matthew Nine

Verse: "She said to herself, 'If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.'"                                           - Matthew 9:21

Observation: This woman had so much faith in Jesus that all she felt she needed to do was touch his cloak and she would be healed.  She trusted so much in his power that all she wanted to do was touch a piece of his garments.  That's some pretty hefty and amazing trust and faith.  It's also an amazing testament to Jesus' power.  Luke's account tells us that Jesus felt the power go out of him and that when she touched his garments she was instantly healed.  The faith and power wrapped up in this small section of the Bible are amazing to me.  Because of her faith, she is healed.

Application: Sometimes I wish I had the faith that this woman had.  I confess it's hard at times to have that much faith and trust in something that I can't see; but I know it's there.  More often than not I trust that He's there... listening and directing, but at times it can be tough.  I wonder if this lady thought that too.  Either way, she didn't give up hope or faith... I need to be more like her and continue to hold the faith.

Prayer:  Much like the lady in this story, help my faith to heal me and nurture growth throughout my life.  Thank you for who you are and all you do.

Matthew Eight

Verse: "A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  'I am willing,' he said. 'Be clean!'  Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy."  - Matthew 8:2-3

Observation: A man had great faith that he could be healed by Jesus... if Jesus was willing.  Jesus reaches out, healing the man instantly.  I think a few things can be gleaned from this verse. First, Jesus does not have to do anything.  He is God in human form and is therefore perfect.  We are sinners and don't deserve anything, really... which leads me to the next point.  Jesus is willing and graciously heals the man.  So even though Jesus does not have to do anything, he does because he loves us, he is gracious, and he is merciful.  We truly serve a loving God... and all that he asks is that we accept him and have faith in him.

Application:  I think the take home on this one is just as I described above... to remember that Jesus is gracious and loving.  All we have to do is ask for forgiveness (to be cleaned) and he will grant our request.  The verse says that immediately the man was cleansed.  He can do the same for us if we just have faith, give it over to him, and ask.

Prayer:  Allow me to let go of the things I shouldn't hold on to so that I can be cleansed of my "leprosy."  Thank you for your grace and for loving me despite all of my flaws and weaknesses.

Matthew Seven

Verse: "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  - Matthew 7:2

Observation: Be careful not to judge others, because we will be judged through similar lenses.  It is very easy in today's culture to look at someone and make a snap judgment based on their clothing, the way they talk, how they look, what kind of car they drive, etc.  In reality, we know nothing about these people.  Who are we to judge?  We aren't... only one person has the power to do that, and it surely isn't anyone on Earth.  

Application: I admit that I can be quick, at times, to make judgments about people in my head.  This is something I work on daily and continue to grow in... I am thankful, however, that I normally do not let preconceived judgments cloud my head when actually meeting someone.  I enjoy getting to know people and have often been humbled when my initial "judgments" have been far from the truth.  I will continue to work on being non-judgmental.

Prayer: Help me to see through the outer layers and into the inner core of people without making judgments about them; continuously striving to look at people through your eyes and not my own.

Matthew Six

Verse: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  - Matthew 6:34

Observations: Do not worry... specifically about tomorrow and all that is to come. Jesus talks a lot in this chapter about worrying.  Verses 25 through 34 approach the subject.  In short he is saying that life is too short to worry about everything that may come about.  In verse 27 he says, "can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" I think Jesus is saying not to sweat the small stuff.  There are many things in this world that are beyond our control, so why bother with worrying... it doesn't help, it doesn't make us feel better, it often doesn't make others feel better.  In verse 34 I believe he's saying that we just need to live every moment as if it were our last.  Don't worry about the future and everything that we need to deal with... In verse 33 he tells us to seek the Kingdom above everything else... if you do that, there should be no need to worry.

Application: Don't sweat the small stuff.  Focus on the kingdom and everything else will be taken care of.

Prayer: Father, help me not to worry about what each day may bring... keep my eyes focused so that I can better see you and your plan.  There's no reason to get bent out of shape because it likely won't help... help me remember that. 

Matthew Five

So... last night, I will admit, I was exhausted and fell asleep in the middle of chapter 5.  So here is the post, a day late... 

Verse: "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."  - Matthew 5:42

Observations: This passage comes from the beatitudes where Jesus is teaching.  This section addresses "an eye for an eye" and how instead of getting even, you should turn the other cheek. In addition, Jesus is saying to always give more...

 Application: As I was reading, this verse stood out to me and I immediately thought of the beggars that are always at the 40th st/US 1 intersection... and throughout Miami.  While I don't often have cash on me, I'll admit I generally make sure my windows are rolled up and my eyes are diverted... which is dumb.  I mean, would eye contact be so bad?  I'm sure it wouldn't be, except to say I don't really have anything to give... and now I'm reminded of how much I have... and that in comparison I have plenty to give.  So why am I so uncomfortable?  I should be reaching out and giving more.  I've done it in the past, but I need to do it more when I'm able to help in some way.  I know this is a lot of rambling, but the point it... I, like most people, have a lot... and compared to the beggars and homeless that can be found out on the streets, I am very rich!  So I can start applying this verse by giving more.

Prayer: I pray for a softened heart and greater kindness and patience when coming across people who need help and allow me to be able to give to those who ask.

Matthew Four

Verse:  "News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them."   -Matthew 4:24

Observations:  News about Jesus was spreading because of his ministry, works and miracles.  (Good news spreads fast, eh?)  People all over the place knew about him and what he could do.  In this passage it says that people with sickness were brought to him... In this day and time, who knows how far they had to travel.  This shows the extreme faith people had in Jesus... that they were willing to travel, and risk getting worse in their sickness, to see the one who could heal them.  And what happens?  Jesus heals them all.  So I see a lot taking place in this one, small passage.  Sickness, faith, hope, compassion, healing.  The passage also shows the power that Jesus has.  He isn't curing colds here... he's taking away chronic pain, drawing out demons, making the paralyzed walk... that's power!  

Application:  So... if all of these people were willing to risk their lives just to catch a glimpse of Jesus, or get a chance to be healed by him, why do we/I have such a hard time taking leaps of faith?  The faith these people had is something I can learn from.  Also... I've mentioned before that I have a hard time handing things over because of my own stubbornness and wanting to do it on my own... for goodness sake... this man is making paralyzed people walk.  There is nothing in my life he can not do!  So why is it so hard to let go and acknowledge that?

Prayer:  Allow me the faith of the people in Syria... that I can let go of my control and recognize your amazing power.  Help me to move out of the way, letting things happen in your way... not mine.  Heal me from my short-comings.

Matthew Three

Verse: "John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey."                                                                            - Matthew 3:4

Observations: John was wearing very simple and "poor" clothing made of camel's hair... which I assume is not the best.  He is also eating locusts and wild honey for his meals.  It shows the life of a very simple man who does not need a lot of essentials for living.  He gets by on what he can utilize; not rich, material objects.

Application: I think it can be easy for us to get wrapped up in materialism... wanting this, wanting that, thinking we need this or that.  In reality, it's just a wanting of more things to fill up our life.  John doesn't seem to have this need for large, flashy objects to gain social status. In my life I think I need to think twice before making purchases and asking myself if it's really necessary and if I can go without the newest thing out there.  I know I don't struggle with this too much, but sometimes those impulse purchases get me...   why fill my life with stuff when I already have everything I need?

Prayer: Help me to realize the things in life that I truly need and those that I just want and can go without.  Help me to see that I have been blessed beyond measure and don't actually "need" more stuff.  

Matthew Two

Verse: "...'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him."                                                                                   - Matthew 2:2-3

Observations:  The Magi were traveling to find the king of the Jews and met with King Herod first.  When Herod realized that they were looking for a different king, he became disturbed. Why was he disturbed?  My guess is that it was pride.  Herod was the king, not someone else... and it shook him to the core that someone else might steal his title and not worship him.  Too much pride! 

Application:  I have no application here because I have no pride... NOT! haha  For my own life I definitely need to work on wiping out some pride.  The largest area where I carry pride is when I think I can do things on my own, without the help of God.  I can be very stubborn and prideful in this area.  What I need to do is hand my struggles over more easily and focus my worship on Him, not on other things.

Prayer:  Father God, help me to be less prideful in thinking I can do everything on my own.  In reality, I can do nothing without You.  Help me focus on that... More of You and less of me.

Matthew One

Verse: "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." - Matthew 1:19

Observations: The first thing that popped out at me was that Joseph was righteous.  I'm sure when he found out that Mary was pregnant, many things went through his mind.  But even so, he did not want her to be ridiculed.  He wanted to take care of things quietly so that no one would notice or know what had happened.  It shows great and admirable character. 

Application: At times I need to be more careful about "calling people out" for their flaws or short-comings... after all, who am I?  I need to be more righteous all around.

Prayer: Lord, mold me more to Your image; to be more righteous and aware of myself and those around me.  Allow me to see through different lenses instead of the ones that can at times lead me to be too critical.

The Matthew Challenge

On Sunday morning at the Pursuit, Matt issued a challenge to the church.  As there are 28 days until Easter, and as the book of Matthew has 28 chapters... read a chapter a day and find a verse that sticks out and apply it to your life.  I invite anyone reading to join in!  After reading your chapter, do the following:

*Pick out and write one verse that stands out to you.

*Write a few observations about the verse.

*Write a few sentences about how you can apply the verse to your life.

*Write a prayer to God and listen to what He might be saying to you.

I tend to be terrible at sticking with things such as this.  So, as a method of accountability, I'm going to post my thoughts each day.  I actually did start yesterday, but just decided to blog about this tonight... feel free to join in on our (and my) "pursuit" through Matthew.

You can also check out the staff and their thoughts through the Pursuit webpage.

What a night!

Tonight, I have more to write about. :)  So after IU's amazing win over Purdue last night, I got to watch Miami take on Duke here in Coral Gables.  Granted, I should have been at home studying for the ridiculous midterm I have tomorrow, but alas... I could not stay away from a basketball game, especially when it features 4th ranked Duke.

My friend and I arrived early so as to assure our spot in the student section.  Not long after being there, she got a text from her friend... who asked us to join her in her family's suite.  So, the night started well.  A basketball game, in the suite, free food, beverage, etc.  The view was amazing and the basketball was WELL worth skipping my study time.  UM has had a rough time since starting conference play... we're also on the bubble for the tournament after starting the season at 13-0.  If you watched the game or saw highlights, you know that UM held a 10-20 point lead for a good portion of the game, only to see Duke chip away and make a come back.  The game was intense and close at the end... BUT, we were able to pull it out!  UM beats #4 Duke by 1pt.  (Would have been 4 pts except for an end of the game, half court shot that went in by the Duke player... thank goodness we had the 4pt lead!)

So, the game was amazing!  The view was great!  Box Suite was great (thanks Allison!)... and the company was a lot of fun too!  How could it get better?   Oh, by being offered two COURT SIDE SEATS for Saturday's game against Maryland.  How fun!?!?!  The seats are literally on the sideline practically right under the basket.  So, if you watch the game Saturday, look for Jaime and I... hopefully I won't look bloated! HAHA  

What a night!  Hopefully I'll have something more insightful to post soon... until then... GO CANES!

Indiana, Our Indiana...

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted... so I thought I would take this short break to say how exciting it was to watch IU beat Purdue tonight.  What a great game!  I love it when IU beats Purdue at, well, anything! :)  GO IU!

Jan 27th - Praising God and turkey legs

Today was VERY eventful.  Two major things happened which could not be more separate from each other. :)

First, after months of planning and hard work from the Pursuit staff (Matt, Janie, Alex and Erin), local volunteers and out-of-town volunteers, and prayer partners, the Pursuit Christian Church opened the doors for it's very first church service.  It was really amazing!  Having been involved with the Pursuit since it's beginnings in Miami, today was just great!  To see everything that we've been planning, everything that we've talked about, and all of the dreams come to fruition is something truly awesome.  I think God worked in amazing ways today to reach every person who came, worshiped and participated in what was the first of many services to come.  As I sat there listening to Matt preach I couldn't help but feel that God has some amazing plans for the church and the city of Miami.  The energy, emotion and fullness of God filled that place today.  I can't describe the excitement. :)  I'm super stoked to see what the future holds.

After church, my friend Jaime and I met up with a few others from our University program and went to an outdoor concert.  Once there, I had no choice but to label the concert for what it was... the South Florida Caucasian Convention... aka... the Kiss Country Chili Cook-off and Concert.  I really didn't know how to act... I'm pretty sure every caucasian person in South Florida was there!   All kidding aside, it was actually a lot of fun.  I'm not a big country music fan... but the live music, fair-style food (I ate my first whole turkey leg.. and it was AMAZING!), rowdy atmosphere and gorgeous day made for a lot of fun.  We spread out some chairs, blankets and just took in the scene.  It was different for me, but fun. :)  Who knows, maybe my next step is gettin' a cowboy hat and a big truck... ok, maybe not! 

 

Surgery Update

It's been awhile since I posted an update, so here goes:

Since about Thursday of last week I've been feeling much better with each day.  The process was painfully slow for the first week or so as it seemed there was little to no improvement each day.  Thankfully, that's not been the case for the past few days.  Each day brings some good progression and healing for the throat.  I'm still not at 100% and my throat is still sore, but it's MUCH better than where I was as of the middle of last week.  

I can now generally equate the pain with a really bad sore throat or a bad case of strep throat.  The only difference is that I can still feel some pain/pressure from the back of my throat to my ears.  Even still, it isn't too bad.

I've noticed that if I talk too much in a given day, my throat gets more sore... I think thats a mixture of still healing and not having used those muscles very much over the past week and a half... so I am still trying to keep speaking to a lower level than normal.  

I have an appt on Wed with the surgeon who will hopefully tell me that everything is healing nicely... if thats the case, it means an end is in sight for the soft food diet. :)  It's been a lot harder than I thought it would be... eating soup, ice cream and jell-o for two weeks.  But, I've also lost about 8 lbs... so thats nice. :)  Maybe I'll lose a few more before Wednesday to make it an even 10!  haha  Lets just hope that I don't gain it all back when I start to eat again... :(  C'est la vie.

So thats where I currently stand.  :)  Remember to have your pets spayed and neutered... good-bye everybody!

Ed Young and Fellowship Church

Last month I created a post about my visit to Fellowship Church in Miami and it's pastor, Ed Young.  Mainly, the post was about Ed Young.  Being new to blogland, I never imagined that my post would reach beyond a few people.  I also did not feel that the post would be considered controversial, if those who read my blog knew me.

I was proven wrong on two accounts.  1) somehow my post reached many people and 2) most of them do not know me and therefor do not know the spirit with which it was posted... how could they?  Items written on the 'net are purely open to translation... I can't expect people to understand what was meant when written.  

With that in mind, I want to apologize to Ed Young and the members of the Fellowship Church that my blog may have affected or offended.  My intention was never to be malicious, judgmental or harmful.

In the end, my goals and Fellowship's goals are the same... to reach people for Christ.  And ultimately, that's all that matters.  When the world sees Christians fighting with each other; it only hurts our ultimate cause.  And my intention was not to initiate a rift or fight among brothers and sisters.  For doing that, I am sorry.  

Days 6 & 7: a hint of light?

Not too much to report... Days 6 and 7 were similar for the most part.  I think day 6 was slightly better, but I didn't leave the house.  Overall, the pain is still fairly constant, though it may be lessening slightly... emphasis on slightly!  I'm sleeping better, which is good... I think that will help promote healing.  :)  I attempted going to class on Tuesday.  It made me pretty tired, but I was able to endure.  Hopefully I'll be able to attend classes on Thursday and not fall too far behind.  To date: I've lost about 6 pounds and have one more week of eating nothing but soft/luiqidy foods... I guess it's good that I'm losing weight. HA  

Days 4 & 5: It's all a lie!

I'm sure most of you are waiting in anticipation since I didn't create an entry yesterday... yea right.  Well, at the end of day 5 I have come to one simple conclusion.  The promise that things will get better... is a lie!  I'm fairly certain that I'm never getting better and will continue in pain and soft foods for the rest of my life.

Ok, thats a little dramatic.  Surely it will all end sometime, but I'm not sure when.  Day 4 was really hard because I was really hungry but it hurt to even eat Jell-O.  So, I took some pain meds hoping that would allow me to eat.  Wrong.  Since I hadn't eaten anything, it made me nauseous.  So Day 4 was this terrible battle of needing to eat in order to take pain meds, but things hurting too much to eat.  Boo!  Today, Day 5, was better because I forced myself to eat some eggs when I woke up and then took some pain meds... so today was slightly better because I have consistently had narcotics in my system. :)  But, I'm still slightly nauseous, which isn't cool.

As far as getting better... I hope I am.  I hear that things get better after day 5; I hope that's true!  I need some sort of light at the end of the tunnel.  I've researched and read things online that would indicate I could be feeling much better any time between now and in another week.  It really varies for everyone... we'll pray that it's sooner rather than later.  I'm pretty hungry, tired, and bored out of my mind!  

For now, I'm calling it as I see it... the light at the end of the tunnel is a myth.  A farce.  A lie.  Hopefully tomorrow will being a different point of view! :)

Day 3: halfway healed?

Today, by far, was the most painful day.  I think a lot of the throat pain came from sleeping with my mouth open and drying out last night... though the pain continued through most of the day.  It was MUCH harder to eat or drink anything today... though I've managed to take a good amount of liquids.  Also starting today was some intense ear pressure and pain.  I had read in some other blogs that this might happen on day 4 or 5... but for me, day 3 it is.

After emailing one of the ladies at the ENT office, I have learned that the ear pain, while unpleasant, is a good sign.  She said that this will occur when I'm approximately 50% through the initial recovery... apparently the pain is caused when the tonsil muscles heal and begin to spasm and contract.  She said this could last for another day or two, but hopefully the pressure will lessen soon!

Time to get some rest and take some pain killers!

Day 2: the first steps to recovery

Day 2 and it's a little worse than yesterday.  I think that yesterday was not bad due to remaining drugs and whatnot that were still in my system.  The throat pain is a little more today, and things seem a little more swollen and odd.  My tongue is swelling a little and the uvula is definitely still swollen, creating an odd sensation in the back of my throat... I'm noticing the difference with the tonsils and adenoids missing.  Breathing seems to be easier with all of the additional room... but when I talk air is forced through my nasal cavity making some odd noises.  I read that this may occur and should go away after a month or so when my body adjusted to the extra room.  Hopefully it won't take that long! :)

I'm a lot more tired today... and this whole soft food diet thing is a drag.  I'm hungry! haha  But, my mashed potato dinner was tasty. :)  I think I need some ice cream now; orange/vanilla. Mmm!

Day 1: surgery

At 530am this morning I headed to the South Miami Medical Arts Surgery Center to have my tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in each of my ears.  As I have nothing else to do, I think I'll attempt to keep a log of each day's progression.

Apparently there are several different ways to have your tonsils removed.  The method used on me was called coblation.  The wand uses radio frequency energy to break down molecules... kinda cool.  Here's the link to further information: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/13677.php

I went under around 7am this morning, woke up in recovery a few hours later and was home by 1030am.  I was a little woozy and what-not from the anesthesia, IV, and meds that they gave me.  So I came home, laid on the couch and got some sleep.  I got some good drugs from the doc, so I took those once I woke up.  

Overall, I'm felling much better than expected.  I've been able to drink a lot of fluids and stay hydrated and I've been hungry for soup, popsicles and yogurt.  Downfall: the doctor has requested that I stay on a soft diet for 2 weeks regardless of how I'm feeling.  Upside: he said that I might lose 15-20 pounds because of that... I will welcome the weight loss! haha  But it's a drag being on a soft diet... I'm already craving chips and salsa!

So, other than the discomfort of having my throat cut up, a still slightly swollen tongue and a ridiculously swollen uvula... i'm feeling fairly decent.  I'll take some pain pills before bed tonight and hopefully get some great rest!  I've read on some other blogs that day 3 can be the worst, but that was with a different method... so hopefully I'll be getting better with each day!  

Pushing forward...

After a small hiatus only one thing could bring me back to the blog... the return... of American Gladiators! I remember watching this show with my family as a kid.  I LOVED the American Gladiators; now they're back.  I'm uber excited.  I'm finishing up the first hour of the show's 2-hour return... the ladies just finished the Eliminator.  Now, if you have been watching, you know that the Eliminator was not easy for the ladies.  They literally looked like they were going to drop dead.  Exhausted. Out of breath. Pain coursing through their bodies... yet they kept going.  They never gave up!  They continued pushing forward with complete disregard for how they were feeling.  And for what?  The prize at the end...  knowing that they've finished the race and done all that they could to finish as strong as possible.

It makes me wonder... what if we all continued pushing forward, continuously reaching toward the Prize just like the contenders on American Gladiator.  What if we raced for the finish line with reckless abandon and disregard for how we feel; knowing that the prize at the end is well worth the work?  What if...?