I miss making music

This past Saturday, Jess and I had the opportunity to play for a bluegrass party. It was fun and nerve racking in a way I haven't experienced in quite some time. The thrill of actually making music was something I used to experience daily. Now, rarely if ever do I actually perform anything. It's sad. That really needs to change. If you also feel like this, let's encourage each other to do something musically satisfying from time to time. Let's start a band. I'm looking for anyone to join my progressive folk collective. Cheers.

Plan Period Musings

I haven't experienced true silence in a while. It's quite nice. Though a small part of me wishes to blast "Roar" by Katie Perry, I'll refrain for my own good.

In other news, it's basketball season. This is mostly code for: How to deal with teenage girls 101. It's only been a week and a half and already I have had three crying sessions and two "we really need to talk" meetings. I know I have sinned and have fallen far short of the good Lords' glory, but this is a level of purgatory that no man should be forced to suffer. Alas, it's my cross to bear. 8 days before our first game. Here's to hoping for 10 wins and no more than 3 life ending break ups with moronic boyfriends. Thanks for reading. Cheers

I'm back, for now.

It has been a few...years. In missed this. Hard to say why I haven't been updating this, but in short...life has changed. We live in a desert. We own a Prius. I'm a grad student. We are both kind of a mess, but there's a lot of hope. 

I don't imagine my past followers will come back. If they choose to, I will be most grateful. Thanks for reading. It's nice to be with you again. Cheers

I hope this works

Just when you thought this blog couldn't get any better...

Cheers!

p.s.- I apologize for the darkness of my face, but not for the darkness of my face...get it?

We're stickin' around

For those of you who were wondering, "Hey, I wonder what happened with this whole California thing that Theron mentioned?" Well, let me take a moment to catch you up. After a very successful trip to Manhattan Beach, we knew we would have a tough decision to make in the coming weeks. We could tell that they really liked Jessica and what she could bring to the congregation. We could also tell that this "interview" was really a meeting that consisted of them trying to pitch the church to us. Not that this is a bad thing at all...it was just a little odd since we figured it would be the other way around. The people were very nice and of course the area was incredible. The pastor gave us indication that there was a 90% chance that they were going to call her (I guess they still had to make sure she hadn't murdered anyone yet), so it was just a matter of when the official call would come. That day came the Sunday before Thanksgiving. He called Jessica on the phone and told her that they were going to call her and within a flash, this situation became very real. Well, it was probably already pretty real for her...I tried my best to not do too much talking because I wanted her to decide if she would want to do the job before we talked too much about whether or not I liked the idea. In the end, we realized two things. 1. We want to teach. 2. We want to go to a church where we feel comfortable. We realize that we are pretty spoiled by having St. John in our backyard, but the idea of not opening a hymnal for a number of years just didn't sit well with either of us. We decided to turn down the call and wait to see what else God decides to bring before us. We have full confidence that the Lord will provide. He already has by giving us such an amazing community here in Seward where we been able to grow together. That being said, we look forward to the adventure that awaits us. Thanks for all the prayers from both family and friends as we have gone through this process for the first time. Cheers

p.s.- It's the most wonderful time of the year

p.p.s.- 4 more days...

Stay Tuned

I'm not dead

There is much to tell you

I promise to do so very soon

I hope you like video

Cheers

California Dreamin'

I'm currently sitting in our hotel in Manhattan Beach, CA wondering, "What the devil am I doing here?". Jessica is off with the pastor practicing for tomorrow's worship while I attempt to get some lesson planning done before we go out for supper tonight. So far, our trip has been very enjoyable. Nebraska was just dreadful yesterday. You know how Nebraska can be when it decides that it hates you...cold, wet, mean...like a dog who is usually loyal and then has a pee all over your leather shoes. I could really get used to the consistent 75 degree temperature and having the ocean just two blocks away. We met a lot of really nice people so far, in fact, I think people from California are really funny. They are always talking about how they are so relaxed here and how easy livin' is the way to go. They should visit Seward. I would certainly never call myself a small town expert, but I feel as though we in Seward understand easy livin' and relaxing. Anywho, we are very excited about the possible opportunity that God might lay before us. I know it's early in the game, but so far things seem to be going well. We will have a better picture of how we may or may not fit in after we worship with them tomorrow.

All of this possible California talk leads me to the question, "Am I cool enough for California?". Do I have what it takes to be the Kobe Bryant of teaching? I'm going to pose that question to my students on Monday. This should lead to a very interesting discussion since they seem to think Mr. Jenkins spends his free time riding bikes, listening to Mozart, and reading history text books. Cheers!

p.s.- Remember the Toys R Us "Big Toy Book" that would come out around Thanksgiving? Those were the days...

p.p.s.- Google Fran Healy and listen to his solo release "Wreck Order". Quality

Hello World

Greetings. November is here already! Perhaps it is just me, but it seems as if October came and went like a flash in a pan. I really fancied everything that October had to offer. Educationally speaking, the month culminated with attending the Musical Arts Day concert last friday at Concordia. I had at least 30 or 40 of my students were involved in the concert and I was as proud as a mom watching her kids at the annual Christmas pageant. It was incredible to see them really enjoy a musical experience that they worked hard to produce. An added bonus was getting a chance to hang out with Chuck and Peter since a few of their students were also involved.

In other news, Jessica and I have received some great...well, news. Jessica found out that First Lutheran Church in MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA is interested in possibly calling her to fulfill the position of church musician. They are so interested that they are flying both of us out next weekend to visit. Even if nothing else comes of it...we will surely enjoy a free weekend trip to California. Keep us in your prayers as we await and see what God has in store for our future. November promises to be an adventure indeed. Hope all is well for you all out there! Cheers!

p.s.- This Saturday night is my first ever chance to direct a high school choir in concert! That's right...it's OPENING NIGHT! If you find yourself in Seward on Saturday night, you should check out some choral-pop music. I'm directing "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble and "Life in a Northern Town" by Sugarland. Be there...

Worst Brother Ever=Me

Let's all wish my young brother, Taylor, a happy 20th birthday shall we? I forgot to give him a shout out on the 16th when it actually occurred. Here's to hoping he gives up his desire to be a rapper this year.

Cheers

Fall Break...

Fall break is the simple truth that God really loves me. I woke up at 9 am last Friday!!! Well, it was more like 8:15, but I forced myself to stay in bed till 9. It was a great weekend. My battery needed a nice recharge and I accomplished just that.

In other news, I traveled down to Kansas City wif my wife to see out dear friend Rachel Micheel and also to see Sufjan Stevens in concert. It was a a nice little holiday. Rachel is just as vibrant about little kids as I remember and she is doing very well at her school. If I were a first grader, I would want Ms. Micheel as a teacher. Sufjan was incredible...simply incredible. His new stuff is a bit of a divergence from what we usually expect from him, but Jessica and I both agreed that he pulled off the "new sound". I love the way we crafts a song lyrically. I always find myself wanting to have a piece of paper with the lyrics on it as I listen to him so I can try and figure out what he is saying. Very deep that Sufjan is.

Now I am back at school, commencing the Student Teaching II phase of this experience. I like the nice groove I have discovered and I look forward to doing big things over the next 7 or so weeks. Cheers to those of you have who traveled to other places for your experience. I hope you made it safe and sound...and that some sort of big time adventure takes place while you are there. Health is going to be ever important as we move towards colder temperatures. I am hoping to keep using my bike to get to school at least till the end of the month. We'll see, my wife is urging me to use the car...but I'm much too tough and ignorant to do something like that.

ALSO....Eric Whitacre's new album, Light & Gold, was released today!!! Jessica and I listened to it while enjoying supper this evening. It's stunning. There were many occasions when we both looked at each other and thought...wow, what did we just experience. I aspire to move people with the music that I write. Studying and listening to his work always makes me want to scratch that creative itch which I have had absolutely zero time to scratch. Soon. I promise myself to write something soon. I have a brilliant idea about a choral operetta based on the conversion of Saul. Once I get a chance to put pencil to paper, look out!

Cheers

p.s.- I love you (I wept like a baby during that film)

Don't Wait...

I just got back from having a great conversation with a buddy (Keegan Bloomfield) of mine as I was biking back from the music building. We both are currently applying our trade of teaching at Seward High School and each lunch together everyday. We were reflecting on how much of a blessing it has been to go through this experience together and share stories. We shared how we are both still unsure about teaching as a career. It's so easy to just get stuck in a routine and not actually feel like you are doing something that matters. We both talked about how important it will continue to be to have other like-minded teachers on staff when we get out first gigs teaching. Just having a mentor to keep you focused on WHY you are teaching in the first place would be monumental in terms of our growth in ministry. Because that's what it is right? Isn't teaching a ministry? Didn't we decide to go into this profession because we wanted to impact young lives? So what are we waiting for? How come we look forward to the final bell of the day just like the students? Are we becoming complacent? I think that's part of it. You see, as a student teacher, you are just trying to make it. We don't really know what we are doing half the time and we find ourselves clock-watching the other half. Keegan summed it all up tonight when he said, "The devil feeds off of complacency". It's so true. I found myself becoming complacent. I found myself just filling time instead of actually planning something meaningful. We both recalled out amazing experience meeting the team of teachers from Orange Lutheran and how passionate they were about their ministry. I think I need to be in that type of environment. Don't get me wrong, Seward is a great place...but it's tough when you can't talk about the very reason you got into the job in the first place. Without that daily reminder of WHY, I and many other teachers turn ministry into a 9-5. There is too much work to be done.

I feel better now. Perhaps rejuvenated is the correct word for it. Whatever it is...this is how I want to feel once the school day is over. Is teaching hard? Yes. Is it extremely exhausting? Yes. Do high school kids make me want to bang my head against a cement wall sometimes? Ya you betcha. Is it worth it? That's up to you.

Cheers

p.s.- The mixed chorus kids are making sounds they never thought possible

p.p.s.- I love the fact that they don't even realize it yet

Fortune favors the brave

Before I begin...get your arse to youtube and check out Daler Mahendi. The songs " Tunak Tunak Tun" and "Bolo ta ra ra" will consume your soul and force you to do ridiculous dances that you didn't even know were possible.

In other news, I'm scared my friends. I already feel as though I am reaching the doldrums of student teaching. This past week was incredible since it was a short week and I had a great workshop to look forward to (By the way, Orange Lutheran High School is still blowing my mind). This coming week as well as the one that follows will be full and will separate the men from the boys. I have a great deal of planning to do and I am just hoping that something meaningful comes out of it for these kids. I had my first setback last Thursday while I was grading tests for the first full chapter that I taught. So many of them failed! I felt like I failed as well. I'm not sure what I need to change for this coming chapter to make sure there is more success, but after giving my pre-assessment...it's gonna be a long road. Most of my students are under the impression that the system of checks and balances must have something to do with financial success. Wish me luck!

I do have something sweet to look forward to this week. First of all, FIFA 11 comes out on Tuesday. Secondly...GLEE! When the rigors of the work week become too much to bear, find a mind-numbing video game and or television show and remove yourself from reality for an hour or so.

This week, I'm gonna inspire my choir. They are gonna get some serious excitement from Mr. Jenkins. If they thought I was weird before...they have no idea. Cheers!

Sunday

First of all, I'm not ready for the cold weather. Jessica and I learned the hard way that living in a house made entirely of wood is not conducive to staying warm when the temperatures drop. It has been a steady 65-68 degrees all day long...which really isn't all that cold, but it certainly is not warm. Anywho, cold or not, it is still the weekend and I still have yet another day off before I go back into the zoo that is Seward High. Yes, tomorrow is a "professional work day" (aka. It's Homecoming week and nobody wants a full five days of that sort of madness) so I will not being teaching. Rather, I will make a trip to Lincoln and apply for my Nebraska teacher's license. Jessica and I are planning on making a day of it with lunch somewhere and perhaps a bit of shopping. I am currently writing lesson plans (slash watching football) and wondering how I can possibly make the Articles of Confederation remotely interesting for sophomores.

In other news, I am realizing more and more that I am much funnier than I am given credit for. I make jokes all the time in the classroom and those kids eat it up like candy. Take that Bethany Kuhnle, I told you so (I'm also destroying you in Fantasy Football).

By the way, for all you choral music enthusiasts out there, Eric Whitacre is just weeks away from releasing the first album with his newly formed Eric Whitacre Singers. The cd, Light and Gold will feature many of his classic works, but recorded for the first time under his direction. I for one and stoked beyond belief. I love having new cd's to look forward to and this new release will definitely break up the monotony of student teaching. I hope all is going well for all of you. Keep living the life. Cheers!

Questions my students like to ask

Kody: Mr. Jenkins, what's being married like?

Me: Now is not the time to talk about that, finish your test.

Trevor: Dude, can I call you Master Jenkins?

Me: Tomorrow

This next one occurred today while I was using my cellphone as a stopwatch for the activity

Curtis: Nice phone Mr. J (I let that one slide), is it an iphone?

Me: No

Curtis: Can I see it?

Me: Is your group done?

Curtis: No

Me: No

Curtis: Can I see what type it is?

Me: Can you tell me what the Stamp Act is?

Curtis: Touche

Mary and Curtis are laughing in the back of the classroom after I assigned a short reading for them to do.

Me: Is something funny in the reading?

Mary: Giggle...No...Giggle

Me: What's going on then?

Curtis: I asked Mary if she would kiss George Washington and she said no.

Me: Why is that funny?

Curtis: Then I asked her if she knew who George Washington was

Me: And?

Curtis: Think about it...

Me: Touche

These are all true stories

Cheers!

Happiness is...

Now that I am living life on the other side of the desk, I realize how important the weekend is to my overall well-being. The simply joy of waking up at 8 rather than 6:30, the countless time spent not standing, and of course...NO 10th GRADERS! I loved weekends before, but they are vital now. This one in particular is important because I start teaching for real tomorrow. I'm talking about making my own lesson plans and teaching from the start to end of the school day. It should be a gas. My main goal is to still have the desire to teach once this is all over. I have some great kids...and a few...well...children who could use some guidance. I guess that's why I got into this gig right? We'll see how it shakes out. I promise to do a better job at keeping you all updated. Cheers!

p.s.- Happiness is...homemade meatloaf from my wonderful wife

p.p.s.- Go Ravens!

It's been awhile hasn't it?

Friends, Romans, countrymen...lend me your eyes. A lot has happened since last we spoke. Most importantly, I now have a lifelong companion! About three weeks ago, Jessica and I made our vows in front of God and many loved ones. It was a wonderful day that capped off a truly wonderful week. And surprisingly, I didn't cry nearly as much as I anticipated. Don't get me wrong, I cried a ton...but that is why we have handkerchiefs. I think my wife and I would both agree that the ceremony was stunning. We were both surprised with music that was not planned by either of us. That Pastor Blanco is always scheming. It was brilliant, magical, worshipful, lovely...perfect. I won't forget that day for the rest of my life. The reception was an outright dance party, which was right up my alley. Special thanks to Nick Lee and Michael Palomaki for putting together the perfect dance mix. I guess there was even an after party once the reception was over.

In other news, Jessica and I went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for our honeymoon. It was just what the doctor ordered after the wedding festivities. As a matter of fact, I think everyone who gets married owes it to themselves to go away somewhere for a week. There is nothing like waking up everyday at noon, going to the beach, and going out to dinner every night. Here's to you "inventor of the honeymoon". It was also nice to meet up with my uncle down there towards the end of the trip. He showed us many incredible sights and even took us down to Miami before we left. We look forward to a return trip at some point.

We eventually made our way back to Seward to begin "real life" as a married couple. It took a while to get completely settled (we still aren't totally finished), but the house is looking more and more like a home by the day. Our schedules are beginning fill as the weeks go on. I am student teaching now and Jessica is kindergarten aiding at St. John (and accompanying you choir, giving piano lessons, playing at a church in lincoln, and being a wonderful wife). I am very excited to start our life together here in Seward where we have such a strong support system. Hopefully a teaching call is extended out way in the coming year, but we will make the most of the opportunities that God presents to us here in this town. Here we go! This is gonna be a wild ride. Cheers!

p.s.- Thanks to everyone who made our wedding day so special. The prayers, well wishes, and everything else mean so much to us and we would not trade friends and family like you for anything. God bless

Change of scenery

Here I sit. The last Saturday in my current living quarters after the last Friday night as a bachelor. I went out with a couple of my mates to Lincoln. The night ended with a massive sandwich from Jimmy Johns...perfect. Rumor has it that Sunday will see the arrival of a few friends. It's not really a rumor though. Anywho, as I get ready to leave this house for good, I must warn that internet access will be gone for the next week or so. Due to the lack of internet connection and the overall craziness of the coming week, I will most likely be taking a break from blogging. Don't worry, I will return...with some pictures! I can't wait to see all of you who are coming into town this week, we are gonna have a wicked time. Cheers!

p.s.- Say a prayer or two for me this week. Heart, thy name is anxious.

I'm in the war of my life

Saturdays in Seward this summer mean one thing and one thing only...work...with the prospect of getting done early. Perhaps you noticed my status a few days ago in which I expressed my disdain with the current situation at work. Let me first take a moment to let everyone know that Michael Palomaki and I are just fine. I harbor no ill will toward him and he knows that. He also knows how it makes me feel when he ignores me at work because he is busy texting everyone in his phone book. But alas, I digress. Today was exponentially better in terms of how I was relating to our boss. She caught me reading the architecture magazine Dwell and asked if I had found anything interesting. Well in fact...I did. I showed her this really cool article about an architect in Poland who built a home that had a 7 inch layer of sod for a roof...I know, awesome right? I took the liberty of finding the article online for you all to check it out:

http://www.dwell.com/articles/highly-sod-after.html

Anyway, boss must have been impressed with my limited knowledge of architecture because she sat there next to me whilst I paged through the rest of the magazine, commenting here and there on various structural things that interested me. This is progress my friends. I guess the lesson learned is that the path to impressing your boss is getting really geeked about something that you aren't even an expert about. Hopefully the trend continues. The fight to gain boss's approval might be a long battle, but I can't just sit back and let Michael be the favorite because he knows how to get out of trouble better than me. Oh, and we did get out of work early...by two hours!

In other news, the house has carpet now! Let the furniture transfer begin!

Cheers!

p.s.- After a brief bout with Bieber Fever, I feel as though I am finally getting well again.

Movies of Myself

Do you ever play that really sweet game with yourself where you listen to music on your headphones while doing something else and pretend that you're in a movie? (Imagine that I just said that sentence with the voice of a 16 yr old girl). I played today at work and it was epic. The scene was as follows: A young man standing in his kitchen (which was an actual kitchen display at the furniture store), he stares aimlessly outside the window (which was really a mirror), wondering how things went so wrong with his relationship (Cue "All we ever do is say goodbye" by John Mayer). The movie clip didn't last too long, but needless to say...it was heartbreaking for all of the imaginary people who were watching. My favorite part about this scene were the flashbacks that my imagination created whilst the song played and I lamented the lover who left me once again. The most emotional part is during the chorus when the layered harmonies of John and himself singing "All we ever do is saaaaaaaaaay goodbye"....just painful. As a matter of fact, go listen to that song write now...I dare you to keep your heart from breaking.

In other news, I started moving things into the home where Jessica and I will be living in exactly two weeks from today. It's a cozy little spot the seems more like a scene from a pioneer movie than an apartment. Everything is wooden. I like it for the most part, minus the weird smells that we will have to eradicate as soon as. So far the bed is set up. Once I get some carpet laid down in the living room, then the real moving will begin. Exciting times indeed. I look forward to showing it off to those of you who will be in town in a fortnights time. Cheers!

Coincidence or Fate? You decide

Today at work, I found myself in the peculiar situation of being at work in the warehouse while Michael was running errands for our boss. I had my ipod with me so I decided to listen to some tunes while I swept and walked about the warehouse. I had a really cool moment when John Mayer's "Perfectly Lonely" came on while I was dancing around. I sort of had this weird "Hey, that's nuts" moment when I realized that I was perfectly lonely while listening to "Perfectly Lonely". On a slightly related note, I'm a sucker for a well written song. Anyone who knows me is well aware that words are the most important part to any song I listen to for the most part. I guess that explains why I love the clever songs of Jason Mraz and John Mayer to name a few. As I was listening to John Mayer's latest album, "Battle Studies", I found myself really listening to the lyrics of his songs and thinking, "This guy is an absolute genius!". Whether it's weaving together a painful love ballad or relating himself to an assassin, he has this amazing gift to wrap my attention with his use of words. I love it.

Anywho, Michael eventually showed up so I stopped listening to music for a while. However, the damage was done on my mind and I could not stop thinking about how great it would be to live as a song writer. Imagine making a living simply writing beautifully crafted songs? I for one would love it to the max. Now that I think of it, there are fewer things that bring me more joy than listening to a great song with great words and then listening to it over and over trying to figure out what the artist was thinking of or applying it to my own life.

Uh oh...it's time to go to the taste test for the wedding reception...I have to cut this post short!

Cheers!