Sunday, August 7, 2016

MTC Week #136 - Achieving Through Passion

Today's spoken word was all about the Olympic athletes and what we can learn from them as the 2016 Summer Olympics begin. Quoting from Lloyd Newell:

"Every Olympic athlete is a living reminder that if we can rise when we fall, pick ourselves up when life knocks us down, and continue on when it seems easier to quit, we will see in time that winning is not as much about talent or luck as it is about grit and perseverance. Winners and champions just keep trying. This thought is expressed well in the Olympic creed: “The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.'"

Worthy message to ponder.


To add to the whole Olympic theme, one of the songs we sang this morning was "Call of the Champions", the Winter Olympics 2002 theme song as composed by John Williams. 

On the way home, I was asking my friend Ben if John Williams was still actively composing, and, how old he was. He did some internet searching and quickly discovered that he was 84 years old and still composing. In fact, he just composed the score to the 2016 film "BFG". 

I was amazed. Here's someone who is still so passionate about composing music that even at 84, he continues to combine what's inside him with inspiration from above to create these beautiful and amazing scores of music that benefit so many.

I personally, have never felt like I had a lot of passion towards anything. And maybe you feel the same way. But then I thought, "Well Ryan, what is it that you really WANT in life?" Maybe that's just another way to define passion. And what I want is to be a good husband, a good friend, a good dad and one who is kind to people. 

What is your passion? What do you really WANT in life? Are you succeeding?

Questions only you can answer and act upon.

Until next time, God be with you.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

MTC Week #135 - Europe Tour, Part 2

As mentioned last week, I wanted to devote this post to pictures I took in Europe and some concluding thoughts about the tour. So without further ado, here are some pictures to help you get a visual of things I saw and experienced. (Click on each for a larger version). And I just want to express, again, how grateful I was for the opportunity to go and share the light of Christ, through music, with so many people in Europe.

Getting off the plane during a layover in Amsterdam

Our hotel at our first stop, Berlin

The Brandenberg Gate in Berlin

Reichstag building in Berlin--historic government building



A uniquely designed holocaust memorial

A fun souvenir shop and a currywurst shop (Berlin)

One view of the Berlin Wall - the wall and below it








People just chillin' in the evening hours by the river (Berlin)

Another view of the Wall

A giant modern spire on top of the Reichstag (Berlin)

Our first performance at the Berlin Philharmonie

Inside the Philharmonie starting a sound check

Another view of the Philharmonie

Before our concert. Siope, Dennis (my great roommate), and me

Going to the restroom costs money!

 
One of the MANY outdoor restaurants/cafes (Munich)

A plate someone ELSE ordered. Ick!

A friend, Ryan Withers

Our second concert, at the Meistersingerhalle (Munich)

Dennis, Ben, and I enjoying the very yummy Magnum bar

Outside a Nazi indoctrinization building (Nuremberg)

A church member's unique bike (look close)!

Exit of a parking lot--trying to get one of those perspective shots

Site of a Nazi base camp. This shows THEN...

...and this shows TODAY (Nuremberg)

Another view of the Meistersingerhalle

Dennis and I took a run through an old cemetery (Munich)

The famed Glockenspiel on the Marienplaz (Munich)

Not sure you'd see a row of these sold in the US :)

A view of the Marienplatz (central shopping area)

Some guys dressing up in traditional clothing

The Graggenauer Viertel (mansion for the once elite royalty)
 


Beautiful gardens within Vienna

Votive Church seen from the center of Freud Park (Austria)

Hmmm, what's that poster in the background?

Where we ate dinner in Vienna. Yes, we were spoiled

The Musikverein - famous concert hall we performed at in Vienna

Some musicians in a restaurant (Munich)

Good friend Ryan Bateman and I having dinner (Munich)

Site of the Munich Olympic park

Olympic swimming venue

Some locals we met at the concert in Vienna

Gorgeous lake near Nueschwanstein Castle (outside Munich)

Valley near Nueschwanstein Castle

Nueschwanstein Castle

Nueschwanstein Castle in the background

Another valley near the castle. Pretty country!

Where we performed our 3rd concert - the Hallenstadion (Zurich)

Outside the Hallenstadion in Zurich

A side street in Zurich

Another view within the Hallenstadion (famous hockey arena)

A Hallenstadion employee helping with the concert

We found the filming site of one of the scenes from Willy Wonka! (in Munich)

Our concert venue in Frankfurt - the Jahrhunderthalle

Inside the Jahrhunderthalle

Closer view of the Jahrhunderthalle

Just returned from seeing off-the-beaten-path areas next to this hall

Click to zoom in and see who's performed at this famous hall

A photo before the concert at the Jahrhunderthalle
The Heildelberg Castle in the distance (outside Frankfurt)

Part of the Heildelberg Castle

A view of Heidelberg from the top of the castle

Our tour guide for the castle. A very sweet lady.
Dennis and I had fun almost being devoured at the German Film Museum (Frankfurt)
Our performance hall in Brussels

Our performance hall in Brussels

A poster in the lobby of the hall

The Grand Palace (I think) in the main square in Brussels

Had to try a Belgian waffle in Belgium! Yummm
Some canal boats in Amsterdam

A canal in Amsterdam

Locating one of the oldest homes in Amsterdam

Ah! A yummy crepe dinner.

Had to try McDonalds to see how it compared to back home

One of the oldest windmills near Amsterdam

The "Oude Kerk" or "Old Church" - founded in the year 1213!

Some stained glass in the Old Church
Outside the performance hall in Rotterdam

The De Doelen where we performed. The acoustics were incredible.

In some main city plaza in Rotterdam. Not quite sure about the baby structure.

Our sound check at the De Doelen.

Lining up to go on stage

Outside view of the De Doelen
Welcome to France!

A group of us having dinner at the Paris hotel

Notre-Dame Cathedral. Incredible.

Another view of the Notre-Dame Cathedral

One of several Eiffel Tower shots

This was taken after a group shot of the choir and orchestra

We did some filming for the Paris Temple open house, forthcoming

Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur

Sainte-Chapelle. Incredible stained glass detail.



Additional links of interest about tour: