From The Artist Who Is a Christian And Christian Who Is An Artist

I'm currently sitting on my couch watching the Golden Globes. And I can't handle myself. Speech after speech about the importance of people and the importance of creativity and the importance of getting up (not giving up) and the importance of dreaming and the importance of the arts. My heart is so full. So. Full. I've been planning to write this post for a long time, but I can't wait another second.

I am a Jesus lover--a Jesus follower--pursuing the arts as a career.

And here's the thing, that may not faze some of you. But others of you are wondering, "How do you plan on doing that?" Because, let's not ignore the obvious--when you watch these awards shows for movies, television, and music or head to Broadway up in NYC or watch a live musical concert, you may not see a ton of believers. Christians, you may not see people who share the same beliefs as you. You may see the arts and see a world with a lot of "darkness." And my arts friends, you may see Christians as people who are very different from you. You may see people who don't usually agree with you on a lot of things. You see, the two worlds sometimes don't seem to mesh.

But allow me to tell you about my experiences with the two worlds. Because I'm deeply rooted in both. And deeply love love love both.

My first love--before anything anything anything--is Jesus. Let me say that up front. But, the Lord has clearly given me a passion for the arts. I saw my first theatre performance when I was in kindergarten and was mesmerized by it all. I asked my mom, "When I'm older, can I do that?" And I never looked back. Each and every time I walk into the theatre, I am overcome with emotion. I love the theatre and the stories told there and the people who tell them SO much.

Theatre people have this unique ability to be raw. To be real. People think of theatre and think of either happy-go-lucky musicals where the world is perfect or dark, strange theatre where you don't really understand what is symbolically happening. But the stories we tell in the theatre are not stories of perfection. The stories we tell in the theatre are stories of hardship, of tears, of smiles, of love, of life. Telling these stories requires immense amounts of empathy. Theatre people love selflessly. They strive to find joy. They dream. They seek to put themselves in not only the shoes, but the minds, of people so unlike themselves. They live. They live lives far different from their own.

Music, similarly, captured my attention early on. I played in orchestra, I sang (and still sing) in choir. Music people understand unity, because they understand that unity requires being aware of the people around them. They breathe together. They know that for beauty to exist you need lots of differences--melody, harmony, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, guitar, drums, piano.

The arts brought me into contact with people so unlike myself, yet the arts taught me that we aren't so different at all.

Get it? I love the arts. A lot. A lot. A lot. I love the people in the arts a lot more.

And to me, when arts teach us all that, why would I, as a follower of Jesus Christ, not be all about that? Why would I ever leave a place where stories are told, when I know the Author and Actor in the story that has greatest power in the world? Why would I ever leave a place where I can share that story and the joy it brings? Why would I ever leave a place that challenges me to see and think like other people that our Lord created so beautifully and loves so deeply? Why would I ever leave a place where people strive for unity and find the beauty in all the different parts coming together (like the body of Christ does)? Why would I ever leave a place where there are people? People who don't look like me, don't act like me, don't believe what I do--who aren't me. Why why why would I ever leave?

So I didn't. I didn't leave because I believe that I was created by The Artist. The Artist that handcrafted this big, bright beautiful world. And I believe that if the God of the universe felt that creating was important, we should too.

So, to my Christian friends: Thank you. Thank you for loving me. For supporting me. For going out and pursuing the passions that the Lord gives you. I ask you, don't question why I'm in the arts. Don't ask me if I'm aware of the darkness that exists. Don't ask me if I really think I should be in a place where people don't believe what I do. If we stay where people believe just what we do, no one else hears about our Savior. If we ignore the passions that the Lord gives us, entire groups of people remain unreached.

And to my Artist friends: Thank you. Thank you for loving me. For supporting me. For welcoming me and for allowing me to love on you like Jesus does, whether you believe in Him or not. I ask you, keep welcoming Christians into the arts. Don't ask them to mute their beliefs. Listen to them. Learn from them. Tell them your story. Tell them your life. If we stay where people believe just as we do, no one learns about our past. If we ignore the passions to create (whether you think they're from the Lord or not), people don't hear our stories.

Tell your stories. Tell your stories. Tell your stories.

This is mine.

The Lord has called me deeper and deeper into the arts and deeper and deeper into community for Him at church and deeper and deeper into His beautiful, selfless, sacrificial love.

And, WOW, it is wonderful to follow Him into this space. This space of being exactly where He wants me to be. He leads us where He needs us. Sure, there are hard days. There are days where I feel lonely as a Christian in the arts world. And there are days when I feel lonely as an Artist in the church. But there is not a day that I feel lonely in the arms of my Savior.

13 Things That Happen During The Olympics

1. The Opening Ceremonies make you emotional because they are beautiful.

Like, seriously. The world is coming together. There is music and dancing and all thing arts. The athletes are moved to tears (like this guy from Bolivia...dude, I'm crying with you). We are proud of our country and our athletes, but we realize that we are all human. We are all one.

2. You come up with brilliant ideas to make the TV coverage even BETTER.

Let's start a petition to get Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as commentators for an event. It doesn't have to be something like gymnastics or swimming. I'd settle for cycling or even rowing. But I mean, think about it...look at them. It'd be COMEDY.

3. You think about your amazing athletic abilities.

Katie Ledecky may be 19 and setting world records in Rio, but I can run to my fridge for ice cream at lightning speed during commercial breaks so...

4. You get to hear athletes respond to their success with humility.

Exhibit A: Steele Johnson and David Boudia. Keeping it classy.

5. You get awesome and hilarious pictures trending on Twitter.

#PhelpsFace never gets old.

6. Gymnastics inspires you to start gymnastics right now so you can make it to Tokyo in four years.

But then you realize you have no talent and just look like this.

7. You start to get really invested in the lives of all the athletes.

And therefore you find yourself calling Michael Phelps the "cutest little thing" when he's literally a 31 year old man who is 6' 4".

8. The TV consumes your life.

I may have a million and ten things to do, but the Olympics are still on TV. Therefore, I am still on my couch.

9. Events get renamed.

Like the individual medley in swimming is supposedly "butterfly-backstroke-breaststroke-freestyle"???? Well it looks more like "mature caterpillar-windmill-frog-ice cream scooping" to me.

10. Athletes get renamed.

"Nicknamed" is the correct term, I suppose. If you haven't nicknamed a couple of athletes, who are you? Like the women's swimming team...Dorado is totally Dorito and Ledecky is The Ducky.

11. You further involve yourself in the events.

For example, I play my own music for the men's floor routines because otherwise they're basically just dancing to an awkward silence (major deduction for that).

12. You discover the presidents of the athletes' fan clubs.

I'm not sure who is announcing swimming, but I'm 95.2% sure he's the president of the Michael Phelps fan club.

13. And best of all, the athletes moved to tears bring you to tears.

Like Simone Manuel, who just couldn't believe she had won the gold.

And Aly Raisman when she realized she'd won silver.

And Ryan Held, who just couldn't hold it together when on the podium. And just LOOK at his sweet teammates.

And one of those teammates, Michael Phelps, really gets it. Even 22 golds later.

Keep on making us proud and making us cry, Olympians. Oh, how I love the games.

Follow @rinrinnoel on Twitter for more insights on #Rio2016.

*Note: All origins of photos are linked in the hyperlinks below them.

A Million People, A Million Paths

Lately the Lord has been revealing to me the importance of allowing our journey to be what it is--of allowing ourselves to be who the Lord created us to be. Because there are a million different paths that He has for us, and I think a lot of times we forget that. Our focus is on salvation (as it should be), so we get fixated on this idea that there is ONE path to heaven, and that idea is 100% correct. That path is Jesus. It is open to all, but it is the only way. However, that one path of salvation does not mean that our lives are all going to look the exact same. We may have the same mission, but the way that God calls us to live out that mission is going to vary, and that is where we have to stand firm and listen to Him alone--not the cries of this world and the people in it. Over the past month or so, the Lord has led me to several different passages in the Bible that have spoken directly to this and my struggles with it.

God speaks to us differently. In Psalm 139, David talks about how the Lord knows us so incredibly deeply--far better than we could ever know ourselves. He says in verses 1-3,
 "You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways."
The whole psalm is just a reminder that He knows us so well (because He created us), and therefore He loves us better than anyone could and speaks to us clearer than anyone could. While He loves us all the same amount (enough to send His Son to die in our place), I think that He shows us that in different ways. He speaks, not only His love, but His promises and truth into our lives in different ways. He reveals Himself to us in different ways. In ways that speak to us in only the way that one who knows us as deeply as He does could. He speaks to us all through scripture directly, but I think He also reveals Himself in different ways. For me, it is through creation, through music, through metaphors. To others it is other things. But Psalm 139 and the depth of His love for and knowledge of us is proof to me that we are unique. Fearfully and wonderfully made. Reflections of Him. But unique.

We are tempted differently. In Matthew 5, we are told in verses 29 and 30, "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away." I had always just viewed these verses as "get rid of what makes you stumble." I still think that is what the verses are saying, but I read something about these verses that shed a new light on it. The different body parts are mentioned, because there are going to be different things we struggle with. We are each going to sin differently, and therefore we are each going to have to deal with that sin differently. Unique.

So, God was just revealing all over the place how unique we are and how different He makes us. All of this confirmation was leading up to the verses He sent me to in 1 Corinthians. Verses I knew well, but now know even better.

1 Corinthians 12. I've heard and read this chapter many times over the years, but about a month ago the Lord brought it to my attention again, and it really spoke to me, summing up everything else that He'd been showing me.

"12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body."

There's a lot lot lot of good stuff there, but I'm going to condense what my thoughts were/are.

We are one body. We have one same mission, as I mentioned before. That unites us all as the body. But if the body is going to work, we have to be different. And that's where all our different paths come into play.

I'm going to be honest, this post and all the places that God led me in scripture came from a point of insecurity and uncertainty in my mission. Over the last year, the Lord has molded me and my desires and passions a lot, and I have come to find how interconnected my artistic passions are with my passions for Christ. He has created me in a unique way, with unique passions, and if those passions are from Him, they absolutely coincide with that one mission that we as believers share.

I have felt very called to be reaching people in the arts world, specifically theatre. So this summer, I spent my time (a LOT of my time) at a theatre, rehearsing for a musical alongside a large cast and crew. And I'll be honest, at first I felt like I was wasting my summer. I believe comparison is something that the enemy uses to hurt the body. I found myself wondering if I could really be serving God as well as the people who spent their summers working camps, working at church, performing in worship bands, going on mission trips, and doing whatever else they might be doing. The answer was a resounding, "YES!" from my Savior.

He needs people at camps, at church, in worship bands, on mission trips, and everywhere else He may call them. But He needs me at the theatre in the same way. He needs me there, pouring His love and truth into those people. What I've learned is that anywhere there are people to be reached with the Gospel, He needs people to take it there. It isn't about which place is "best." Because not a single one is better or "more Christian" than another. It is about listening to His voice and following where He leads. And celebrating each part of the body that is doing what He has called it to. Our community as the body of Christ needs to run deep, and we need to cultivate the grace and truth that can then be carried out in love to the places He leads us to.

So, today I celebrate you. Wherever He has called you to--a camp, overseas, your school, your summer job, the theatre--wherever--be all there. Submerge yourself into His mission and live it. Impact people and allow the Lord to pour into you and overflow into them.

Thankful today and everyday that He leads us where He needs us.

With a Broken Heart

This summer has been one of tragedy for our nation. I don't want to just "be sad" anymore. I don't want to just "be angered" at the politics and political response anymore. Neither one of those things is going to solve anything.

I want to have my heart broken.

It is in the tragic times that Christians often say, "I'm praying for you." And I think those prayers are important, but there's another prayer that I've been praying over these tragedies.

"Break my heart, Lord. Break it in two."

Because here's the truth--we can pray for peace for the people involved in these tragedies, but it isn't until we change that we will see change.  I can pray for these people, but it isn't until the Lord breaks my heart for what breaks His that I will have compassion and true love.  Until He breaks my heart, I won't see human life as He does.

So many of us try to say that we understand the oppression of the minorities in this nation.  So many of us try to deny the hurt that these people face, saying that "things have gotten better."  We are sympathetic in tragedy, but it is to be empathetic for which I strive.  But I can't be.  Not unless I have the eyes of my Lord.

So, I will pray for peace and comfort for the victims of these acts of violence, as well as all of those hurting because of it.  I 100% believe that those prayers, when prayed with a sincere heart, are important and valuable and effective.  But I'm also praying for the Lord to break my heart.  I want to see people like He does.  And from what the Bible says, He sees every single person as person that he LOVES.  So much that He would send His only son to die in their place, and in my place.

I want to hurt and mourn alongside of the LGBTQ community.  Alongside the black community.  Alongside the Dallas police.  As innocent lives are taken, our Lord weeps, because He values those lives.  I want to weep with Him.  He cries over the hearts He created and chases after, even if they are running the other direction.  But He also, in the midst of the darkness that is sweeping our nation, sees the potential.  

I happened to be reading Isaiah 35 the other day, and it showed me this--how the Lord sees potential.  He is the King of making beauty from messes.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;

    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;

    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

[vs. 1-2]

...

And a highway will be there;

    it will be called the Way of Holiness;

    it will be for those who walk on that Way.

The unclean will not journey on it;

    wicked fools will not go about on it.

 No lion will be there,

    nor any ravenous beast;

    they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,

       and those the Lord has rescued will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

    everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

[vs. 8-10]

When He looks into the eyes of each human affected, He sees potential.  He sees a future with Him.  He sees a transformed life.  He sees a life full of joy.  And I want to see that too.  

Break my heart, Lord.

I want to live this life with a broken heart, because when my heart is broken the way His is, truth and grace will balance as love and overflow from my heart.

Break my heart, Lord.  Break our hearts.

My Minivan: 10 Things that Happen When You Drive Presidential Candidates

With five crazy presidential hopefuls in the backseat of a minivan, there are bound to be crazy things that happen.  Here's 10 things that happen when you drive around Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders the summer before the big election.

1. Jimmy Fallon laughs a lot.

Because let's be real...isn't hanging out in a minivan with three crazy presidential candidates a comedian's dream????

2. Justin Timberlake sings along with the radio.

I mean, it's literally Justin Timberlake.

3. The paper heads that are on the seats fall down, particularly Donald Trump's.

It's like these people have big heads or something.

4. Donald Trump gets frustrated.

Which isn't surprising in any situation. It's just worse because he's crammed in the backseat between two of his Democrat rivals.

5. Bernie Sanders falls asleep.

Leave him alone. He needs a nap. I'd be sleeping too if I was sitting near Trump and Hillary for a car trip.

6. Hillary Clinton throws some shade.

She's the queen of this even when she's not surrounded by her competition.

7. Jimmy Fallon tries to interview people.

Why not get some fresh content for the show?

8. Donald Trump tries to steal Bernie Sanders' food. 

...and it usually doesn't go well.

9. Justin and Jimmy have a dance party.

Frequently.

10. Donald Trump tries to selfie.

I guess we'll never know how those turned out for him.

Overall, each trip is an adventure. I go from annoyed to laughing hysterically in a number of minutes, but it is clear that these moments are going to be ones that stick with us for a long while.

[As always, if you'd like to help be a part of the #ErinDrivesAMinivanToTheTonightShow journey, feel free to use that hashtag, share my original Facebook post, retweet my original tweet, follow @presidentialpassengers on instagram, share this blog, or just keep following my adventures with the squad this summer!  More to come...]

My Minivan: Meet the Passengers

I've featured each of the summer passengers of my minivan on the Your Story Your Song Facebook page, but it only made sense to put all of those introductions in one blog post...so, here it is!

This is Jimmy Fallon. 
He frequently writes thank you notes to the candidates in the backseat.

This is Justin Timberlake. 
He sings along with the radio, especially to his own songs.

This is Hillary Clinton. 
She thinks should be the one driving the car.

This is Donald J. Trump. 
He wants to build a wall around himself in the backseat.

This is Bernie Sanders. 
He was 42 years old when the first modern minivan came out in 1983.

As always, if you'd like to help be a part of the #ErinDrivesAMinivanToTheTonightShow journey, feel free to use that hashtag, share my original Facebook post, retweet my original tweet, follow @presidentialpassengers on instagram, share this blog, or just keep following my adventures with the squad this summer!  More to come...

My Minivan: Introduction

It's summer which means that I am home and that my sister and I are sharing a car again (the one that she's had all school year).  Sharing a car is tricky, so my parents really wanted one of us to drive our old minivan.

My mom made me drive it one day and was trying to get me on board with driving it all summer (what college kid really wants to drive a minivan???).  She said something to the effect of, "You could make it your own and have fun and drive your friends around."  And I responded jokingly, "Yep, me and my six closest friends, driving around in a minivan."  But then ideas started brewing...what if my six closest friends could be celebrities???

I'm a huge Jimmy Fallon fan, so of course he was going to be on board.  Then I had a vision of Trump in the middle of Bernie and Hillary stuck in the backseat of a minivan, and that literally cracked me up.  Me and my siblings stuffed in the backseat is bad enough...put three presidential candidates back there and chaos will ensue.  Then it came together.  Because someone/the internet started this "Fallon Timberlake for president" movement.  So, naturally, Timberlake was the final piece of the puzzle.

The thought of me driving a minivan with random heads in the back was cracking me up (and my mom and dad and siblings), so that settled it.  I would drive the minivan when absolutely necessary, but only as a chauffeur for potential future presidents.

Then I took to social media.  Keep following my blog and social media posts, because the minivan and its passengers are going to go on some fun(ny) adventures this summer, and those will be documented and shared, in hopes that they bring laughter to y'all too! (For example, I think Bernie needs to hit up Graeters again like he did when he was in Lex a few weeks ago!)

I was only half-kidding about meeting Fallon and Timberlake and being an intern at the Tonight Show.  On my bucket list is meeting Jimmy Fallon (Justin Timberlake, I'd be happy to meet you too...maybe even you people in the back...but I'm not sure about that...), and one of my college/career dreams is interning with the Tonight Show, particularly in social media (because the Fallon Tonight bloggers are STELLAR at what they do).  As an Arts Administration major with minors in Theatre and Media Arts...what could be a cooler internship????

If you want to help me out, feel free to share my original Facebook post, retweet my original tweet, follow @presidentialpassengers on instagram, share this blog, or just keep following my adventures with the squad this summer!

Stay tuned, my friends...