The Guild

Well, here I am. Not packed, but pretty sure I'm prepared. I have this lingering feeling that something's about to happen and everything is about to change. Maybe not, but I might as well brace myself, right?

I leave early Sunday morning for New Paltz, NY to attend The Lamplighter Guild for Creative Disciplines. I suppose the reason I feel this way is because of how this all came about.

I don't know how, but somehow I'm on the email list for Lamplighter Publishers. Around the middle of this past school semester I received an update from them that particularly caught my eye:

"Calling All Musicians!"

I opened it. Turns out, Lamplighter was putting on this guild that would feature a focus on composition... and not just any composition, but the kind that I had described in every college application I had sent out: Music that conveys thought; melodies that intensify emotions.

Apparently, Lamplighter has taken over Focus on the Family's radio drama, and John Campbell composes most, if not all, of the music for them. I suppose film score is the closest thing I can compare this to, except, and I dare say, that radio drama is better cause there's more room for imagination. Anyway, this guy knows what's up. I get a 15 minute lesson with him, and also get to learn about voice acting, screen writing, and other aspects of production. To say I'm excited would be the skinniest understatement of the month.

And what better place than to have it here? Can you say inspiring??

I did my research AND THEN found the price tag... not cute. I started going back and forth with Christina, who has been coordinating everything and doing a fantastic job. I discovered there was some scholarship $$ available, but not enough. My family and I prayed about it, but there was no way I could afford this.

So I forgot about it.

Time passed. I got home from school. This was gonna be a pretty boring summer from the looks of my empty calender. Then I had a little chat with my dad... who, in short, told me that he had casually mentioned the guild to a friend in a conversation, and this friend called him back later and said, "I want Grace to go to this."

So, I'm going.

It's a trite statement, but a true one... God works in mysterious ways. I think the biggest lesson so far in this is that we all have dreams, and sometimes we have to let the dream die before God will bless it. I'm convinced that before the beginning of time, God determined that at 6:00am July 17, 2011, Grace Coleman would be on her way to New York, scared out of her shorts, but excited about what's in store. This will be the first time that I will have to do things on my own... talk for myself... lead worship, possibly just me and my piano... but it's no accident, and apparently not too much for me to handle. Thankfully God equips those whom He calls.

I'll be blogging every night to keep y'all updated, if you feel so inclined to know what I've be up to. Facebook is deactivated for now... and I won't be texting either, unless it's the case of an emergency. Maybe that technology cut is that *big thing* that I feel is getting ready to happen ;)

Would appreciate your prayers.