tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53776092011-04-21T17:38:20.860-04:00I type faster than I can write.Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.comBlogger341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1176230938961894732007-04-10T14:48:00.000-04:002007-04-10T14:48:58.970-04:00

...to rushyama.com.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1166118508172206652006-12-14T12:20:00.000-05:002006-12-14T12:48:28.183-05:00

For the past couple of months, my church in Seattle, Living Hope Bible Church, has been pursuing the purchase of a church building. A little bit of background: LHBC has never owned a building; we've met in a public elementary school for the past 15 years. Land in our area (it's Microsoft-town) is neither readily available nor particularly affordable. We've pursued other properties before, but

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1158092232599163992006-09-12T16:12:00.000-04:002006-09-12T16:17:12.610-04:00

"So intimate is the connection between the head and the heart and hand, indeed, that it is not unfair to say broadly that if undue intellectualism exhibits itself in those preparing for the ministry, the fault is relative, not absolute: that, in a word, there is not a too muchness in the case at all, but a too littleness somewhere else. The trouble with those whom a certain part of the world

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1158086976161841732006-09-12T14:41:00.000-04:002006-09-12T14:49:36.183-04:00

Well, the place is still in a bit of disarray...but here it is!

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1157651031107323232006-09-07T13:35:00.000-04:002006-09-07T13:43:51.120-04:00

Summer went fast, and blogging did not happen. There is much I could write about, but at the moment I am tied up with school orientation and moving into my new place (thanks to the HWC folk who housed me/helped me move!). :) This summer was full of many uncertainties; and even as a new school year starts next week I am not sure what to expect. Although I am a planner by nature, I am grateful

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1153686555430509442006-07-23T15:48:00.000-04:002006-07-28T11:23:30.846-04:00

My lack of posts is indicative of how much I've been enjoying my (perhaps last?) summer vacation. I recently returned from a weeklong family vacation in Boston, a city new to us all. It was a good trip (though punctuated by weather extremes ranging from hot humidity to thunderstorms). Rather than renting a car or joining a tour group, we explored Boston on our own via walking and the rather

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1151939531666328082006-07-03T11:07:00.000-04:002006-07-03T11:12:11.706-04:00

While cleaning out my old files, I came across this old animation project, done the good old fashioned stopmotion way (move a millimeter, take a picture, move another millimeter etc.). Apologies for the terrible picture quality.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1149701749150363242006-06-07T12:10:00.000-04:002006-06-08T10:27:11.980-04:00

As a harpist, I really dislike stairs. I would rather wheel my harp half a mile on flat ground than down a flight of stairs. Sometimes, however, stairs just cannot be avoided. Back in highschool, I played in a youth symphony that rehearsed in the sub-basement of the University of Washington's School of Music. It was not, shall we say, wheelchair-accessible. The elevator did not descend that

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1149425159511100742006-06-04T08:37:00.000-04:002006-06-04T08:52:10.400-04:00

Here is a great article on recovering true entertainment. The author also refers to C.S. Lewis' The Weight of Glory, a work that profoundly affected me when I first read it (a few thoughts are posted here). Time to read more Lewis. (HT: Between Two Worlds)

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1149185204002431772006-06-01T13:35:00.000-04:002006-06-01T16:38:11.243-04:00

One of the biggest challenges of being a gigging harpist is transportation. I think the only musicians who can truly understand our pain are percussionists. (There's also this glass armonica player who probably has it pretty tough, but that's what he gets for choosing such a weird instrument.) Back in Seattle, harp transportation isn't too bad because my family has two harp-friendly vehicles

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1148999864959376502006-05-30T10:33:00.000-04:002006-05-30T10:37:44.970-04:00

Hallmark definitely does not employ a harpist, as evidenced by this commercial. Harp lesson for the day: the harp goes on the right shoulder, not the left!

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1148912624214457162006-05-29T10:16:00.000-04:002006-05-29T10:23:45.693-04:00

The bizarre music story of the moment involves a $6.5 million dollar viola, missing for 26 years, showing up in...a haystack. Read about it here. (Some would say that considering it's a viola, it would have been better if it had remained lost...)

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1148749512367740862006-05-27T10:45:00.000-04:002006-05-29T00:15:24.246-04:00

A number of people have asked what I have been doing since finishing school last month. Other than getting ready for my move in August and letting the reality of, "One degree down!" to sink in, I've been blessed with actually getting a bit of work in the discipline which I studied. Gigging is a funny business, one that I didn't particularly like at first. Many of my first gigs involved

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1146916858625753922006-05-06T07:54:00.000-04:002006-05-06T08:00:58.640-04:00

Recently I've begun listening through some of the lecture series on BiblicalTraining.org. It's quite a resource -- free Bible/theology classes on both lay and leadership levels taught by many excellent professors. I was challenged to examine the way I think of God through these words by Bruce Ware (lecture on the doctrine of God, Systematic Theology): There is a tendency in the history of the

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1146857114101485582006-05-05T15:14:00.000-04:002006-05-05T15:25:35.906-04:00

I got a good laugh out of this bit of satire, especially #7. (HT: Pyromaniacs)

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1146536660629650142006-05-04T11:26:00.000-04:002006-05-04T11:18:35.953-04:00

Studying Luther, Calvin, and their views on music was easily the academic highlight of this past year. Music of the Reformation is a topic worth researching within the context of music history alone. But as a Christian musician, I found the study even more meaningful because of the opportunity to learn more about these great Reformers and how they applied their theology practically. Although

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1146656291947327102006-05-03T07:32:00.000-04:002006-05-03T07:38:11.960-04:00

This sounds like an excellent book. Certainly, from personal experience, I'd agree that "false assurance, apathy towards grace, and enchantment with the world" are three of the greatest battles that churched-for-life kids in particular face.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1146053018521288212006-04-26T08:00:00.000-04:002006-04-26T08:03:38.530-04:00

Mark Dever and Al Mohler over at Together for the Gospel mention some of their favorite classical music. Late Beethoven? Ives?? Gorecki??? These are some serious classical music nerds.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1145974847936716112006-04-25T10:10:00.000-04:002006-04-25T10:20:51.490-04:00

John Calvin belonged to the Swiss Reformation, which developed independently of Luther under the leadership of Ulrich Zwingli. However, the French-born Calvin, being greatly influenced by Luther�s teachings, also considered himself a disciple of the German reformer. Calvin is remembered as one of the great theological minds of the Reformation. Whereas Luther�s main role in the Reformation

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1142608481778627872006-03-17T10:13:00.000-05:002006-03-17T13:14:51.746-05:00

Martin Luther is generally considered the Father of the Reformation; for it was his nailing of the 95 Theses, arguments against the Roman Church�s selling of indulgences, on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517 that set the Reformation in motion. At the time of his writing of the theses, Luther was both an ordained monk of the Augustinian order and professor of Biblical

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1140183747019095092006-02-17T08:33:00.000-05:002006-02-18T11:55:12.296-05:00

Well, we made it down to Chicago and have been enjoying the city and its surrounding suburbs for the past few days. I've always loved Chicago -- granted, my visits have been few and short, but there's something captivating about the city. It has a special down-to-earth character, and so much of the architechure is beautiful. It's also distinctly American somehow, which makes me feel at home.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1139942572195033992006-02-14T13:02:00.000-05:002006-02-14T13:42:52.246-05:00

Since Sunday I have been in Cleveland, OH, as part of my first collegiate ROAD TRIP. It's my school's Reading Week (for my fellow Americans, it's like spring break...in February) and my harpist friend Alisa had scheduled auditions in Cleveland and Chicago. So I thought I'd tag along...you know, for moral support. :) We've been staying with Joy, an old friend of Alisa's who goes to Case

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1139712976485289612006-02-11T15:55:00.000-05:002006-02-11T21:56:16.550-05:00

As much as I like to rag on my brothers in real life, I have to say they are pretty smart. My brother Steve and his debate partner just accepted a bid for the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence because they are ranked as one of the top 32 (#23 to be exact) teams in the nation. Steve's currently enrolled in the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University and is majoring in business

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1139586220697927252006-02-10T10:30:00.000-05:002006-02-11T13:04:24.626-05:00

Because of a pending music history paper, I've been reading up on different reformers' (namely Luther's and Calvin's) views on the role of music in corporate worship. It's turning out to be a very fascinating study. Especially interesting is how different their views in this area were. While they both agreed on fundamental theological issues such as the authority of Scripture, justification

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1138049156641080202006-01-23T15:41:00.000-05:002006-01-23T15:45:56.650-05:00

Ian has some entertaining pictures and commentary of a recent Holy Word fellowship group meeting. Back in Super-Bowl-Happy-Country, Living Hope Bible Church (AKA my home church) has unveiled a very cool new website, thanks to the hard work of my friend Edo. Enjoy.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1137765253776328382006-01-20T08:44:00.000-05:002006-01-20T08:55:57.520-05:00

This paragraph from J.I. Packer's Knowing God brought me great encouragement this morning: "God was happy without man before man was made; He would have continued happy had He simply destroyed man after man had sinned; but as it is He has set His love upon particular sinners, and this means that, by His own free voluntary choice, He will not know perfect and unmixed happiness again till He has

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1137185485299164602006-01-14T13:21:00.000-05:002006-01-14T13:32:45.483-05:00

Before Christmas I posted a few of my thoughts on the arts, and mentioned that Christian artists/musicians (including myself) often face overwhelming temptations to separate vocation from religion. After further thought and study, I've found that for myself, much of this stems from a rather blurry understanding of biblical worship. So often artists and non-artists alike equate music/art and

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1136216202758326382006-01-01T10:34:00.000-05:002006-01-02T10:37:41.933-05:00

I�m writing this while in the air bound for Chicago (the first leg of my trip back to Toronto). The holidays, as always, flew by; and while I was sad to leave home, it does feel like time to get back to business. Some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head over break� One of my favorite parts about the holidays is the emphasis on light. Christmas lights, firelight, starlight,

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1135501124242815632005-12-25T03:54:00.000-05:002005-12-25T03:58:44.256-05:00

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Praying that this Christmas we might rejoice in Christ's birth while becoming increasingly eager for His return!

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1135060809203086822005-12-20T01:04:00.000-05:002005-12-20T10:32:02.113-05:00

My flight back to Seattle was incredibly smooth. My bags weren't searched, I got to keep my shoes on, AND the plane landed early. A few observations since returning... I will probably become the shortest kid in my family sometime next year. I think my youngest brother grew half a foot since August. And his voice is changing. Ah, the joys of puberty. The kids I used to babysit are now old

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1133727192111568252005-12-04T13:26:00.000-05:002005-12-05T15:30:26.210-05:00

Recently I've been reading through Hosea as part of my church's newly adopted Bible reading plan, and found this passage particularly thought-provoking: And now they sin more and more, And make for themselves molten images, Idols skillfully made from their silver, All of them the work of craftsmen They say of them, "Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!"

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1133494982213224272005-12-01T22:31:00.000-05:002005-12-04T22:50:48.960-05:00

Ian is proposing a Toronto Blogger's Brunch. That is all.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1132141831931661982005-11-16T06:20:00.000-05:002005-11-16T18:30:09.946-05:00

In his sermon The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis observes, "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377609.post-1131625844453998702005-11-12T09:48:00.000-05:002005-11-12T13:35:46.010-05:00

Lately I have been thinking on the topic of anxiety, because it seems to be something I battle on a daily basis. Being a student in the performing arts has made me even more aware of the reality and effects of stress in life. In fact, part of my required coursework last year included a class called "Performance Awareness," which dealt largely with performance anxiety. Staring at candles,

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07620608085046501115noreply@blogger.com5