Live for Christ

They did it again...

Live For Christ from Dexter Evans on Vimeo.

Move

It's that time again. Mission trip, I mean.

This year is crazy! Read: 88 high school students, 61 middle school students, and 26 adults.

We have prepared, and we are ready (check out my design for the cover of the worship booklets above)! Now it's your turn.

PRAY. Pray for love, good work, attitudes, worship, safety, and anything else you can think of. Lord knows we'll need it.

Check it Out!

Today I am releasing a website, www.hillbarnard.com,

Pass it on! All of my portfolio and services are there...and I need some new projects!

Go now:

http://www.hillbarnard.com

To my Twenties

Today I turn 22. I don't feel different, more empowered, older...I just feel weirder. In a strange sense, it makes me sad. Another year, another reason to look back on the past 365 days and examine where you were, are, and are going. I guess that since I am an idealist, that usually makes me sad and disappointed. Even though I'm closer than I was a year ago, I'm still far away from who I want to be.

Today, the women I had brunch with were talking about where they were when they were 22. And then they all talked about how they would never want to go back there. I hope that, in ten years, I look back at 22, 23, 24, etc., and I say this:

How lucky that I ran into you
When everything was possible
For my legs and arms, and with hope in my heart
And so happy to see any woman--
O woman! O my twentieth year!
Basking in you, you
Oasis from both growing and decay
Fantastic unheard of nine- or ten-year oasis
A palm tree, hey! And then another
And another--and water!
I'm still very impressed by you. Whither,
Midst falling decades, have you gone? Oh in what lucky fellow,
For the moment in any case, do you live now?
From my window I drop a nickel
By mistake. With
You I race down to get it
But I fund there on
The street instead, a good friend,
X---------- N---------, who says to me
Kenneth do you have a minute?
And I say yes! I am in my twenties!
I have plenty of time! In you I marry,
In you I first go to France; I make my best friends
In you, and a few enemies. I
Write a lot and am living all the time
And thinking about living. I loved to frequent you
After my teens and before my thirties.
You three together in a bar
I always preferred you because you were midmost
Most lustrous apparently strongest
Although now that I look back on you
What part have you played?
You never, ever, were stingy.
What you gave me you gave whole
But as for telling
Me how best to use it
You weren't a genius at that.
Twenties, my soul
Is yours for the asking
You know that, if you ever come back.
- Kenneth Koch

Sittin on the dock of the bay, wastin time...

I feel that it's appropriate that the first blog of the new year be on the first day seeing my future residence, San Francisco, CA.

I arrived today in the city, and I spent the afternoon and evening strolling around. Actually, scratch that. It was more like I spent the afternoon working my ass off trekking it up and down these hills. Bay Area geography will be very good for my body fat content. I guess there are always hidden advantages...ha.

After passing through the super-trendy area (which I, of course, am now dying to claim as my home), I made my way across town to Union Square, thanks to BART. I had a huge dinner in the 30-degree corner table of a restaurant called Cafe Michelangelo. It is Tova's favorite from when she lived here, and I always get a good laugh out of her Texan pronunciation (sounds like Mee-Kell-Aynge-ello). Aside from my salad and entree, the truly Italian lover-boy waiters kept bringing me more and more little appertifs, and Franco, my Florentine server, even brought me a complimentary after-dinner drink. For a party of one, I was a blast. This city is looking good so far!

San Francisco is actually a lot like Orvieto to me. Ridiculously hilly, super nice locals who are welcoming to newbies and travelers alike, and-most of all-it looks and feels exactly as you would expect it to. Both cities are perfect matches to their descriptions.

I have confidence and reassurance knowing that i could never ever be bored here. However, to quote Sara Bareilles' beautiful "City,"

"In these deep city lights, Girl could get lost tonight. I'm finding every reason to be gone, There's nothing here to hold on to...Could i hold on to you?"


To be honest, I feel like I'm on the verge of losing myself right now, and getting lost in these city lights would be a whole lot easier than that.

Enter the Story: Advent Conspiracy

I'm making my presents this year. Are you?

When it rains, it pours.

I retract all my previous statements about not being able to get a job. Apparently, I can.

San Francisco, CA.

Branson, MO.

Dallas, TX.

Baton Rouge, LA.

All cities in which I have potential job opportunities. Let me explain. I was placed in San Fran with Teach for America teaching k-8 grade. I am interviewing in an hour for a graphic design position with Kanakuk Kamps. I may have a full-time job at HPUMC. I am flying to FUMC Baton Rouge to interview for the associate youth pastor position in a week. Evidently, I actually do have a lot to offer.

Now it's decision time. I have until December 5, which means I have to shut away all of the distractions and get on it. In the meantime, I'll continue being 16-year-old-girl-ish and crying at practically anything. Yeah, all this, albeit exciting, is incredibly overwhelming. But did I mention exciting?

YIKES.