My heart on the 24HRMusical #24HR2012

I've been meaning to write this for a while, but after some previous conversations in the past couple of days, I have finally mustered up the motivation to get it onto the metaphorical paper of the internet.

The "success" of last year's event wasn't because of me. It was because of the incredible people I was surrounded by and the name in which we gathered. The unity we achieved as members of the body of Christ led to the Lord using his people to achieve the impossible. I constantly use dollar amounts and numbers to explain how much the Lord took our simple aspirations and multiplied them. While we are thrilled to have achieved what we achieved last year, the success was so much more than the money we raised or people we brought it. I know that our team's heart was truly changed in ways we weren't expecting. I've been blessed to create with all of my team members before last year's event. However, I have never felt such fulfillment as what we felt as we spoke to our cast before the performance. We were all crying. We couldn't believe we "made it". Intermission brought a similar moment. But thinking back on it I know that we weren't feeling a sense of pride or achievement...
We were so honored.
We were honored to have been chosen to lead that cast and experience that process. It was crystal clear to us that the event wasn't about an awesome show, it was about the process of creating for a divine purpose.

That's what the 24 HR Musical is about. It's about the process of creating. It's about sacrificing every inch of yourself for your craft. It's about understanding that no matter how tired, or cranky, or frustrated, or flawed you are, you're art has a purpose. It's knowing that your time to create is so LIMITED that you can't afford but pour yourself into it. On top of that, this art that is so soaked in passion and love and sacrifice... it is going to be used to change the lives of other people. In our case, that is the gift of fresh drinking water, ultimately... the gift of life. I admire Living Water so much because they are giving people the chance at a future. They are giving people a chance to attend school all year so that they can pursue secondary education and go to college and get degrees and be considered professionals in their field and sacrifice every inch of themselves to do exactly what God has created them to do. Do you see this cycle we have the power to start?

The 24HRMusical isn't the only way to do this. If you don't feel called to join this process, that is okay. However, in discussing the event with people I get many people who say they would love to but "don't think they could do it." If you are in that boat, I just want to encourage you that you can't! (Crazy twist!) That's the beauty of this project. The 24 HR Musical is a show process done with a heart of worship. I truly believe that is what made it succeed last year and will make it succeed this year. If a little part of your heart feels a tug to join us on this, I urge you to take a leap of faith and trust that the Lord will sustain all of us and provide for all of us.

I want to leave all of you with a beautiful image from the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus is walking back to Bethany with his disciples when he comes across a fig tree. Using only his words, he causes the tree to wither right before the disciples eyes. In Matthew 17:21-22 he says "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

We'd love for you to join us. Auditions close on June 21 at 11:59pm! Please feel free to contact me or any member of my team if you have questions. We would love to talk to you about it.

Be blessed,
Matthew Silar

The month of April

I know it's been a while, shhhh. Like a year... SHHHHH!

It's funny being away from home for the month of April. April just keeps becoming a bigger month for me and being 1100 miles from home certainly makes it interesting.

While I'm not really a homesick person, part of me definitely wished home was closer this week. I imagine a week from now I will definitely be feeling that again. It's not that I'm dying to see people, (though I love them!) it just feels weird not seeing some of the people I always see on the big days of this month. This year, every single person I saw on my birthday I had NEVER seen on my birthday... Think about that. I'm a sophomore in college and all of a sudden I'm spending my birthday with ALL NEW people. Not one person I saw this year has spent my birthday with me. And while there is an excitement in that as I know a lot of these people will be spending many more birthdays with me, you can't help but feel a little funny without all those people you're used to making that day special. I'm very blessed by my friends in Texas and my close friends did make me feel loved but birthdays with new people are always weird. So many people don't know you well enough to remember your birthday let alone what you like to do on it or how to celebrate it with you. It's not bad. Just different.

Good Friday is another big day. I can't remember the last Good Friday in which I wasn't at some friends house watching The Passion of the Christ. Even though we all kind of dreaded the whole thing, there was something beautiful about sitting down and experiencing a glimpse of the true level of sacrifice Jesus made for us on "this day". This year was the first year I didn't do that. Now, I don't think it's completely necessary to watch The Passion on Good Friday and I am definitely sleeping a bit sounder tonight without that icky little visual of Satan fresh in my mind. (I hate that part of that movie!) The fact of the matter is that it's just different.

The whole Easter weekend was much later last year. I remember because it was a week after Christian had passed away and it was after his funeral. I think his passing has had a little umbrella over this first week of the month too. That anniversary is drawing so near and it is just crazy to think it has been a year without him. I'm anxious to see how April 15 will feel without any of my Illinois friends around....

And finally, the anxiousness of knowing that school is almost over. Part of me is overjoyed at the very thought of a break on the horizon. I've loved this year so much and am really proud of the work I've done and I'm beyond grateful for the plans God has made clear to me here and how he's loved me through all the adjustments and growth. Still, the other part is already mourning the fact that I'm most likely going 3 months without seeing my ACU friends. I hate the fact that summer is going to be like all of the Fall with missing people. Being far away from school makes going home a little sucky because when I'm home, I miss my life at school, and vis versa. I know next year we'll be great and we'll all stay in touch. I'm sure I'll see a few of them. It's just a bummer to know that right now, my friendships/families are ONE or the OTHER. It makes me want to savor these last 5 weeks of school for the simple fact that a third of my way into the summer, I'll be dying to get back to this tiny Texas town.

Blah, this whole post was much more organized and poetic in my head. But at least I got it out. I enjoy reading my blogs so I'm hoping I'll be looking to blogging a lot more. I always love writing, I just don't practice it nearly enough to feel like I can adequately express myself through words.

We'll see if this holds up.

formspring.me

I mean, I am the most bored. http://formspring.me/improvnewsie35

School, Chitty, and other updates.

So I was inspired to post an update and I decided I would follow it.

First off, started second semester at Judson. Going well I suppose. My classes are fine, not too overwhelming. I am coming to the acceptance that I will be spending this semester in a major I am not passionate about and at a school I am not going to stay at but I know it's where God wants me to be right now.
And hey, it is nice to be learning some of the things I am. Worship Arts has some school stuff I am happy to learn. At the very least, this will be quite a lesson in perseverance and working hard because I want to reflect CHRIST in my work ethic, even when I don't love the project. It's easier to reflect Christ when I am working on something I love, I plan on using this semester to prove I love Christ by working hard on something I don't.
Also, this semester is made harder by the fact that Mon-Thurs just feel in the way of a certain project I AM excited about...

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG!
First weekend of rehearsals was this weekend. It felt like it took forever to get here.
May I just say I don't think I have been this excited about a show since... maybe Peter Pan?

If you didn't already know, I grew up on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I have loved this story and this music long before I even knew the show was going to happen for amateur companies.

I learned YOU TWO and Toot Sweets this weekend. Two of my favorite scenes from the movie and actually getting to sing them is pretty sensational. Looking at the schedule, every rehearsal gets me excited. I just can't believe I get to work on a show that is so near to my heart.
Watching Nathan and Grace (Jeremy and Jemima for the one of you who didn't already know that) (yes the one out of the five of you who read my blog) do the opening while racing "run down Chitty", you would have sworn I was their actual father with how happy I was. It just is setting in, I get to share a story that raised me with this new generation and I can't wait.
This may sound over board, I promise I am still level headed about it. I know it's not perfect, I know it's just a show...
but...
the thought of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang just fills me with joy. I feel incredibly blessed to get to sing these songs and that's just a really nice feeling. I know alot of people won't understand, but I don't really car. I'm just happy and, I like it.

So just an update on how I'm feeling about the most recent changes in my life.
I'm really really blessed right now. God rocked my world at New Years and I feel like I had another starting over point with God and him and I are doing really well. I am choosing joy and it's great! I hope you are doing incredible too!

How can I pray for you?

"You can take ______'s place!"

I want to write a book called "Memoirs of the Replacement Family Member". Allow me to explain...
Many a time, I have attended a "family dinner" with myself and a friend's family. At most of these events, I have been dubbed the stand in for some sibling that is away at school, married, or something such as that. Now, I am super blessed with these families. I feel like I have multiple sets of parents and I love having a friendship with my friend's siblings as well.

But, sometimes it kinda sucks not having any friends over for family dinners with MY family. I don't mean to sound dramatic or depressed, cuz I'm not upset, it's just not an experience I ever really get. I don't need to, nor will I get into a big explanation of my family life. I think most people know the unique situation my family is, and I love them. I really, really do. But in all honesty, I do get a little jealous of a lot of the families I know.
I know all of my friends "hate" their siblings at times or get tired of having their parents around all the time, but I also have heard those same friends share how much they love their family, and how their siblings are their best friends.

I really hope that God has a nice sized family planned for my future. I want my kid's to have parents who are friends with their parents. I want my whole family to be invited over to another families house every once in a while. I want my wife to be able to say "The (last name)'s are coming over for dinner this Sunday".

I've been sitting on this post for a while. My mind has just been really focused on family since Thanksgiving was so great with my siblings and their families in California. I really hate that I never get to see them and Thanksgiving was such a blessing getting to have a big family time and then my Christmas was just, pretty small.

Don't get me wrong. I love my family, and I am really blessed. I have two great sets of parents and 6 awesome siblings. I hope that when I have a family, my kids will get all that too, but just at the same time. Sometimes having a big SEPARATE family gets to me a bit more than usual, especially around the holidays.

"That's what Christmas memories are made from, they're not planned, they're not scheduled, nobody puts them in their Blackberry, they just happen."

HOLIDAY FILM #2: Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls came out in 2006 and gained little attention.
Talent includes Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Perhaps it is my love for the holidays that creates my naivety in what makes a good film, but I love these crummy movies that come into theatres for Christmas. (I can hardly wait for Little Fockers... which seems to be the only crummy holiday film this year. sad day.) They are low budget and often times lame comedies that all of have same moral- "Christmas is about love... not stuff".
SUMMARY
While all the above negative aspects are indeed true, I just love these films, namely, this one. The films centers around two familes who are new next door neighbors. Buddy Hall (DeVit0) is tired of feeling invisble. After discovering his house was the only house on the block not visible by MyEarth (basically the way around calling it GOOGLEearth) he decides the ultimate Christmas display is the only way to get noticed.
His neighbor, Steve Finch (Broderick) has lived in the town for years and has Christmas down to a science. The same thing happens every year to make the "perfect Christmas". When Buddy's lights and unconventional Christmas ways take off, a comical rivalry is sparked between the two. All the while, the men's wives and children are growing quite a strong friendship. Eventually the two men's obsessions (one over the perfect display, one over driving the other crazy) cause them to lose sight of Christmas. Leave it to the rest of the families to leave Christmas eve and refocus the men's sights. Do they change and realize family is what Christmas is really about? Watch and find out. (hint: duh)

I love the decorations of the holidays so ny movie that focuses on that is a win to me.
Honestly, it's just a feel good movie. There is no scene that is the same so it hardly get's boring. It's nice a short! (I hate long movies... if it's 1hr and 30min in and you tell me I am only half way through....so help me)
This is also film prior to Kristin Chenoweth becoming a gimmick... so that is always nice.

It's a simple movie so I don't really have much to say other than this movie just makes me happy. If Bewitched was a Christmas movie... this would be it.

Andddd I own it from Blockbuster... as in we rented it... and we just didn't give it back. (Yes, we payed for it eventually. Don't worry)
Deck the Halls is just a nice easy to watch Christmas film.

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

HOLIDAY FILMS

I have decided to watch and BLOG about as many Christmas films as possible this year!
Starting off with my all time favorite!


HOLIDAY FILM #1: ELF

As I said, this is definitely my favorite movie of the holiday season, so it is only fair that it is the first.
I never really feel in the spirit until I watch ELF all the way through and tonight I finished the 2/3rds that were left from starting it yesterday.

What is not to love about this winner? I know it isn't quite a "classic" yet but something about ELF just feel Christmas to me. In my opinion they have yet to come out with a better Christmas film since Elf came out in 2003.

I think ELF will always hold a special place in my heart because I was in my prime Christmas enjoying years when it came out. I was definitely old enough to appreciate the brilliance but still had the childlike joy of Christmastime to hold on to.
The character of Buddy is so wonderful, a guy who never stopped enjoying the most wonderful time of the year and I mean... he saved Christmas!

The humor is hilarious and appealing to both younger and older audiences.
The content is minimal which makes it perfect for a family Christmas film.
The sensational score by John Debney is just as crucial to the films success as the beautiful visuals of the North Pole and Christmas in NYC and the hilarious dialogue.

I really just think ELF is a fun holiday film. To me, it's an in-your-face "I LOVE CHRISTMAS" movie... so obviously it has to be at the top of my list.

Now... what should I watch next? Thoughts?