Reader's Choice: Magazines

This is my 3^rd blog post for Intro to Mass Communications.

Magazines have been a very popular means of media. In a strange way, they have paved the way for celebrity gossip TV shows, blogs, even Facebook and Twitter. I’m not an avid fan of magazines, but there have been a few that have stuck out to me. However, those magazines showed up in my life at different times.

First off are the Highlights/Weekly Reader magazines. Back in elementary school, we would get those magazines for free, and I was stoked about getting to read them and mess with the coloring and drawing activities within the magazine. I liked how the magazine would takes current events, even devastating ones like the 9/11 attack, and distribute the news in way that kids could understand and not be scared for their lives. I’m not sure if the school still does that; I know that my 8-year-old sister Makenna would really enjoy that. However, those magazines were some of the things that helped me strive for knowledge and excellence.

One day, I’m sitting at the dentist’s office waiting for my checkup appointment. There are a bunch of dumb magazines, but I pick one off the table and read it to kill time.  I really enjoyed reading Sports Illustrated at that point. It discusses none other than…wait for it…SPORTS! How surprising! It’s like if Sports was a magazine and took steroids. It’s very insightful on what all’s going on in professional sports, from football to baseball to even bowling and billiards. It found great success as a weekly magazine, but now it also gives instant updates online. I don’t read the Swimsuit Editions; I’m not a pig!

Online magazines have become more popular as of late, and I’ve recently stumbled across one. It’s called Hopecore Magazine. It gives information on Christian Rock, Hardcore, and Metal bands in the media today. Most of the articles give info on new albums and how God is working in the lives of the band members. A large portion of the bands mentioned aren’t popular in the mainstream, but there are some articles on popular Christian mainstream bands such as Switchfoot and Owl City. The online magazine isn’t as popular as Sports Illustrated, of course, but it’s very insightful of music and bands that I like, and I enjoy reading it when I can.

Magazine:   still kicking after all these years!!!

My Calling

Here's one of my independent blogs.

                I feel like God has called me to some type of ministry.  It is weird how He is working in my life and how all the small things have come together to make a massive structure.  When I was in elementary school, I had no plans for music.  In fact, I had no plans at all, being so young.  My mom forced me to join the band in middle school; because band would help me in college financially (I understand it now).  Over time, I got better at playing the trombone and interpreting music theory, still with no music plans.  Then in eleventh grade, the praise band at church was without a bass guitar player, but the church had its own guitar.  With the help of the amateur music knowledge I got from marching band, I basically picked up the bass guitar and performed with the praise band at church just four days later.  I was very excited to receive my own bass guitar for Christmas that year.  Then I received a 5-string bass guitar for Christmas during my senior of high school. 

I came to ICC with plans for Architecture/Civil Engineering, but I felt like there were some things telling me to choose a new career path (God, and crappy Calculus).  So I changed my major to Broadcasting.  That’s right; I gave up a life of $100K a year for God and to be happier with myself.  I’ve been told that I have a good Communications voice, but I felt there was more to my future than just running my mouth.  Then it hit me during a BSU Mission Trip to San Francisco.  At the seminary where we were working, I was eating lunch with several student ministers.  We had a pretty epic conversation.  They asked me about ministry, and I talked my interest in music ministry. I told them I didn’t want to be a typical worship leader at a church where people have already heard the name “Jesus,” but to take the love of Jesus where it needs to be taken.  Then one of those guys told me something I’ll never forget.  A PREACHER told me, “If you want to do that, then play in a bar.”

It’s so unlikely for God to use a minister to tell me something like that, but IT’S SO TRUE!  Matthew 9:11-13 talks about Jesus congregating with tax collectors and other sinners.  Like a doctor heals the sick and not the healthy, Jesus came to save the lost.  He doesn’t desire sacrifice, but mercy.  The Communications field and the music calling all finally fell into the same pot.  However, God’s still working on me.  I’m in several bands, and I’m currently teaching myself to play piano and sing harmony.  Now when I speak or perform in crowds, whether it’s 6 or 6,000 people, my stage fright suddenly vanishes.  I may be nervous before getting on stage, but once I’m holding a microphone or instrument, I feel a great peace and comfort, like I was meant to do this. Weird, right? So if that’s what God wants from me…so be it!