Bobby Musil

I am a man blessed to know someone so close to Jesus that he burns with His light. This an is a man after God's own heart. This man is the second most amazing and unique person I know, second to my savior. This man took a hammer and chisel, and carved value into my life. He taught me to live my life in a way that asks a question that demands an answer. He taught me that perfect people don't need Christ, and that everyone does. He has, on multiple occasions, uprooted my misconceptions with the simplest truths. I had been aimless before, unsure of my place in the Book of Life, and he grabbed me and showed me my gifts, my passions. He has also been a great friend, confidant, mentor, leader, and father. He is a man about whom I will ponder even to my dying day.

This man announced he is leaving my life today. I’m not sure what he was expecting, but he said he wasn't expecting the applause we gave him. I knew for a fact that God had, has, and will have the most incredible life planned for him, and I want for nothing else but to follow in his footsteps, to learn everything he does, to follow him, and be his disciple.

Sadly, I am being called to another channel in the road of life. I find it no coincidence that God decided for this man to be called to move on as I am graduating, along with many of my teachers. This month has thrown much change at my life, and I feel that God means to tell me that my roads are not to be always set in stone. My foundations on this earth have shifted slightly, and it disconcerts me just as slightly. I have a foundation made of God, though, working through this man to fortify said structure.

This farewell to this man is not, to me, a final goodbye. I have a feeling, call it divine intuition, that God will send the threads of our lives out, curving back to meet each other in a fantastic fashion. God's not done with me, and He's not done with Him. I will pray for this man every day, anxiously awaiting that moment in days future when we meet each other again/ When that day comes, I will be able to continue our relationship of mentor to student, except that I will be able to help him more greatly, and for this prospect I am humbled and pleased.

This man is my youth pastor. This man is of Him, and for His glory. This man is Bobby Musil, and I see only great things in his life. If I had another year, I'd write down his quotes and commit them to memory. Remember Bobby, the shadow proves the sunshine. Every day, in every way. Thank you.  

Dear Alma Mater

Dear Mount Pisgah Christian School,

I cannot say with complete honesty that my four and a half years with you were all enjoyable. For much of my high school career, I vehemently disagreed with many of your choices (including, but not limited to, poor computer lab condition (finally fixed this last year), changing of the schedule most every year (attempting to lessen the impact of the academia on the athletics), and general imbalance of athletics and academia, etc. ), and I am sorry I mistook your priorities. That is not to say you're going somewhere with them, but you shouldn't just misdirect me when you tell me what you are.

I also cannot say that this rebuke lands on the individuals that try to keep you afloat. You have several incredibly interesting and engaging people, and I nary see a moment when a classroom isn't occupied by students and teachers together, as friends. Sadly, there are those without this quality, and I must admit that, for some faculty, this remains a necessity. And still others are introverted, though there must be those ones, for this would not be a school if we were all friends.

I also cannot say that I hated everything about you. Many hours have been set of fire with Mr. Otieno, a man I consider much more of a friend than an authority. This is not to say that he is not a teacher; I have learned more in my few moments with him than the countless hours with any other teacher, second to God and my earthly father alone. I wish for many more years learning under him. Mr. Jones is fourth on this list.

I also cannot say that your student body is of God. I honestly cannot. There are several that have seen the light of God, but I cannot see that light. I am sadly counting myself in this group that shuts their faith when around you. I hope to said God that this problem of hiding faith goes away, because Mount Pisgah can be such a powerful force of faith. There are specific people I can name who have this force, but, as with gravity, one particle does not a star make.

Sadly, this is not a thing you can actively change. As is, I feel the student body is too inundated with the Gospel, and thus wrongly disillusioned and disgusted by it. When you accept non-Christians to your institution, you strike a liar's note when said non-Christian must sit and be assaulted by the propaganda of Christ for an hour. Try, instead of chapel, a study of the gospels, starting with John, then going to Romans, Timothy, James, and finally select chapters of Luke.

Mr. Jones taught me, in one of his last lectures to the class and me, about the Laffer Curve (picture a left-opening C), which describes how productivity increases with amount of effort put in, up until a point. In this case, student's interest in response to amount of Gospel message input. If you give too much gospel to the students, the point is passed, and the interest goes negative. If you go above this Laffer curve, the response will always be negative. Attempting to reduce the effort is understandably an extremely tough choice, and the return on the investment (or lack thereof) will undoubtedly take a long while to cash in.

At any rate, I wish you the best. I pray for the best. And I forgive and ask for forgiveness for the last four years.

Drive By (Shoot Me)

Today, i'm going to relate something to something else. I’ll start with humor, and hopefully end with much the same effect. I'm going to relate the band Train and trying to put out fire with gasoline.

The band Train flew onto my radar with their hit song “Hey Soul Sister”, which I grew annoyed of quickly. Recently, though, the seeming harmlessness of the band's lead vocalist turned sour with their new single, “Drive By.” The song related his love for a particular somebody with:

a “two ply hefty bag of love”,

a drive-by (which my friends all say “oh, it's just meaning to say, he's not just driving by, he's here to stay” – no. When I type in “drive by” on Google, the first four responses are all Train, then the next seven are: 3 drive by shootings, one drive by truckers, something about piracy, and a link to google images, which shows only burnt up vehicles. “drive by” in my book means, to drive by somebody while lighting them up. What am I supposed to think he means by “not a drive by”? He'll stay and make sure you're dead before making his escape?),

a “virus” or a widely popular and public fad that'll soon burn out (thus making his whole song moot) – amongst other things. I’ll digress if I go any further.

The point I’m getting at is, the lead singer forgot to put reality ANYWHERE in his work. I only listened to the first minute and a half before cutting back to something more calming and harmless: Marilyn Manson.

Now, I usually agree with subtle humor in music, and anyone who can throw in a few sexual jokes using such methods is a friend of mine. Let me show you what he put in as a whole half of a verse in his song (along with a critique to the side of each lyric):

Cause you moved to west L.A or New York or Santa Fe (okay, that's somewhat solid, good job listing things, buddy)

Or where ever to get away from me (back up. Try: “Or where ever you said it couldn't be”. Please.)

Oh but that one night (...)

Was more than just right ( uh... dude?)

I didn't leave you cause I was all through (you were all through? What? “i was through with you, so I didn't leave?”)

Oh I was overwhelmed, and frankly scared as hell (apparently she was too, she skipped town!)

Because I really fell for you (and the rest of the song seems a little rape-y)

You see? This guy deserves to be heavily medicated. I mean, I have no idea why his career is going up in flames this brightly. Someone pour gasoline, let's hope he burns brighter. Oh wait, that analogy doesn't work. Oh, my sources tell me he is not, in fact, going up in flames. Well, someone douse him anyway. And use matches.

I do not like Train.