West Coast Baptist College student
West Coast Baptist College
Round Two
Sep 3rd
Sometimes this summer as I would excitedly describe to people what God is doing here at WCBC, in the back of my mind I would wonder if perhaps I was exaggerating a little bit, especially as students from other schools would seem apathetic about where they attended.
As opening week winds down, I’m so glad that I can look back and realize that I could have been even more enthusiastic.
I came back to California after a couple weeks of R&R at home and got right back into college life with the revival services each evening and getting settled back in during the day. Monday and Tuesday, I got to play with Bro. Hopkins in the services, which was so much fun I’m not sure how to describe it!
Dr. R.B. Ouellette and Dr. David Gibbs preached powerful and challenging messages that helped to set the right spirit for the semester.
My roommates are great this year, and I have the opportunity of being more involved in my dorm soul winning group.
Please keep me in prayer, and I promise if you write, I’ll reply as soon as I can.
I’m writing this from Dodger Stadium at the game that the college attends each year. Go Steelers! (Wait… Is that the wrong sport? Can’t be. Go, my favorite sportsteam, go! Defeat them, soundly!)
Dr. Weaver and Dr. Goddard on the big screen
One year later…
May 6th
A year ago, college was way off in the distance, I was still a high schooler, and I was looking forward to the tour group from WCBC coming to my church. Wow, have things changed! Anyone who has talked to me has heard this I’m sure, so feel free to browse on if you wish, but I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned and what I get to do now.
This is finals week here, then Graduation Week starts in really just a few days. Tonight I’m accomapnying in the Senior Recital, tomorrow is the recital for Bro. Hopkins’ students, and then Saturday… I’m going to practice for Graduation Week! Keep me in prayer if you think to do it, I’d really appreciate it.
Visit the college website to see a schedule of the services and to watch them via live-stream. The tour groups will be singing and you may catch me somewhere in the Spring Concert on Monday night. 
Thanks for reading this year, maybe next year I’ll post some more pictures of school. If you want to keep up with me this summer, just keep an eye on the sidebar of my blog here for pictures in the photo album, or follow me on Twitter, also available on the sidebar.
God bless, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of you on the road this summer!
Things great men say
Apr 15th
As I’ve already written, the daily chapel services are a highlight here at West Coast, and of course, the men who come to speak bring their best messages, which helps to create the incredible atmosphere here.
I have made a habit of jotting down some of the best quotes that I hear, and of course I use a great piece of software to help keep it all organized, so click here to look through them all, or here to subscribe with RSS or to have them sent to your email.
Also, there is a new podcast of preaching from WCBC Chapel, if you’re into podcasts, I recommend it (and no, I don’t get paid to write this.) Subscribe in iTunes, or click here for other ways.
Hope these resources are a blessing and provide a little closer look at the ministry here at WCBC.
Thankful…
Mar 27th
The Bible declares in Psalm 136:1: O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good. Thankfulness has been my attitude for the last six months or so, now that I am in a new chapter in life, it’s so much easier to see how good the Lord has been to me.
I had a wonderful visit with my grandma and the relatives in PA last week and spend time reminiscing and finding some info about my Grandpa’s WWII service. It’s such an honor to know some of the heroes who kept us free (and the ones who supported the soldiers) in that era.
I was able to preach at my old church and play the piano at my Grandma’s church; it was such a blessing to serve over the break!
When I got back to school, I jumped right back in, and ended up playing background music and solo accompaniment for our music department’s presentation of that timeless biblical story: Cinderella. 
Click on the little photo viewer to the right to see some pics of the event. If you read the blog via email or rss you’ll need to click onto the site.
I don’t really know how to express this without starting to sound redundant, but I’m so thankful for the amazing life the Lord has given me. I have the best family, I go to the best college, I play the piano for the most amazing people, and I serve our indescribable Lord! Sure, there are some hard times, there have been disappointments, some of them in the last few months, but none of them are on Jesus’ part, and I can echo the psalmist from my heart: for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Thanks for reading my thoughts tonight, I hope you have a wonderful week serving God!
Celebration Sunday
Mar 14th
I’m writing this a couple hours after Celebration Sunday, and my heart and emotions are full. It’s hard to describe the spirit of the church tonight when we had given to the Lord’s work and heard the total of the offering, which is amazing in its own right, but especially in a year that’s been tough financially.
For the last few weeks, Pastor Chappell has placed an emphasis on stewardship and supporting the expansion of the auditorium and campus improvements. The church building has been filled to capacity for months now, so this project is desperately needed, and a good portion of it was given or promised tonight.
Dr. David Gibbs Jr. preached today as he does nearly every year, and both of his sermons were powerful encouragements to support the ministry. Tonight he preached on giving to the Lord because of our love for Him, and by the time he was done, there weren’t too many dry eyes in the auditorium.
I was able to play for a piano-violin duet and for a quartet while the offering was being counted and then after the service. I haven’t had too much stage fright, once I’m up there I’ve been able to focus on the music and forget about the crowd. I think it helps
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That I don’t have to look at the crowd.
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That you pray for me.
Please keep it up, I need all the prayer that I can get!
I’m leaving on a red eye tomorrow night, see you back here on the blog after Spring Vacation!
Wow, it’s busy!
Mar 10th
Thanks for sticking around and reading the blog, I have resolved so many times to write more often, but those commitments have gone the way of my New Year’s resolutions to gain weight.
I get to teach 11 of the best piano students, and right now they’re working on pieces for their recital in May. It’s such an encouragement when they put everything they have into the piano, and it will definitely show on recital day! Yesterday I asked one of them how much he practices and he looked a little embarrassed and said “Forty-five minutes or an hour… Is that enough?” I wish that all of them thought that much was too little!
A couple of weeks ago I got to be in a smaller meeting with Pastor Chappell, and it was so wonderful to get to know him and find out what he expects from us on summer tour. If you ever get the chance to meet him in a smaller setting, jump at the chance, it was incredible!
Thanks to a bunch of friends who ask me to play the piano for them, I get to play the 9′ Kawai pianos in the auditorium, and I’m appreciating them more and more (the pianos, not my friends. Just kidding). I think Steinway is still my favorite piano, but these have an amazing touch and sound… so much fun to play! The college orchestra is working on a musical that has no piano part, and since I can play by ear, guess who got asked to come up with piano accompaniment? Pray for me, I’m busy.
Spring Vacation starts next week, and I’m going for the week to see my Grandma in PA. I’m looking forward to seeing all of the family and relaxing for a week, then coming right back into the swing of things, May is coming quickly!
Music this semester
Feb 22nd
As promised, here’s an overview of what I’m getting to do musically this semester. (Disclaimer, this sure does reek of self-promotion to me, so take this with a grain of salt.)
Chapel piano is the best. I mean really, I get to play a 9′ piano while almost 1,000 people sing some great hymns! I remember the first time I played in chapel last semester, I was on second piano (the one that doesn’t matter and that no one can hear) playing with a senior, and I was more nervous than when I played my first special in church ten years ago! Even though I told everyone I played “chapel piano,” I really only played about 4 times last semester. (Like I said, watch out for my self-promotion.) This semester, I really do get to play first piano every other week, and just doing that has stretched my ability and made me work harder. When the line of college administration walk onto the platform behind you and head to their seats, they’re not stopping, and nothing will stop Bro. Wall (not height, nor depth…), so you’d better be ready! There’s a song called Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus that has come to be so real to me after playing in chapel. When Bro. Wall gives that preparatory beat, if my eyes are anywhere else but on him, I will ruin the song; if I block everything else out though, and focus on his hands, I will play the song perfectly. It’s not unlike our relationship with the Lord, and it was a great illustration to me.
I also play for two tour groups and some various soloists and small groups, all of which combined, keep my schedule hectic and my music binder full. I have been able to travel with one of last year’s tour groups to some churches near us for the last couple of weeks. The group is awesome to be with, and I’m glad that I’m getting some experience this spring without as much pressure as we’ll have this summer. Practice with my summer group is going well, and they’re singing in chapel for the first time tomorrow! One of my good friends asked me to accompany him in church the other Wednesday night, and he did a great job with a song called It’s Real, you can watch it on YouTube here.
Last bit of informative news: I also get to teach nine piano students from the Christian school here, they are doing very well, and we’re starting to work on pieces for them to do for the recital in May. Speaking of… I take lessons too, from Bro. Hopkins, who is, in my opinion, the best. We’re working on some exciting things this semester, can’t wait for you to hear those!