What's New?

Hey readers!!!

I wish I blogged more often.... why does life have to be so crazy sometimes??

Anyway, I wanted to give you guys a little update on my simplex life lately! 

• When I wrote that open letter to my past present, and future a few weeks ago, I was literally in the car on the way to a new city for a month! The family I work for decided to move up north and I didn't have any major summer plans so I said, "I'll come with you!" The blog post was a reaction and preparation for the coming month of new challenges and adventures
• I've spent the last three weeks making meals, playing games, taking photos, singing the same songs over and over again, drawing pictures, reading, rereading, and REreading "There's a Wocket in my Pocket!!"
• I've gotten to do video calls to home several times :D It's so cute to watch two two-year-olds video chat with each other on the phone!
• I've also gotten to go home several times! The drive from my home to this other city is around two hours but I can fly standby on a 30 minute flight to go back and see my family. 
• I went back for our baby foster girl's 1st birthday!! She is adorable, people. She can walk and clap and dance and babble and is just SO CUTE, GUYS.
• I also flew back for the 4th of July weekend. I watched fireworks with my family on Saturday. And on Sunday I went to see "Inside Out" with a few friends, then went to another friend's birthday party! It was such a fun weekend and I was reminded about how important it is for me to stay connected to my friends.
• The last flight back I've made (so far) was to spend Friday and Saturday at our homeschool convention volunteering! I wrote about last year's convention making my feet sore and it was definitely the same this year! I had a pretty fantastic time, although I came back up to work exhausted on Monday.
• I hate grocery shopping for myself. I can't handle that kind of responsibility! I go in thinking, "Okay, some fruits and veggies and healthy snacks!" and I leave with three different kinds of cookies. Seriously?
• I've been gearing up for school in ONE MONTH from now and I'm freaking out with excitement!!!!!!!!! My roommates and I are collaborating on packing lists and I'm checking out welcome week schedules, clubs and sports I might join in, and beginning to look for textbooks and supplies I'm gonna need. I CAN'T WAIT, GUYS.
• Related to school, I'm thinking of starting a separate blog for sharing my school adventures! If you guys want to read it, let me know!!!!!
• Why do I say guys so much???
• I dyed my hair purple again!!!!!! Well, just the bangs. :D

 



Of all of the photos I've taken this whole month, this one's probably gotta be my favorite (heart melts)

That's all I can think of right now!! I'm spending time with family next week, working the next two weeks, then coming home for a week to prepare (and pack!) for college!!!! It's going to be a crazy busy month, but may God be glorified in it all.
See you next time!
-M.

Hugs from Jesus

'Twas the day after Christmas, and one poor little blogger

was tired of presents, talking, eggnog or

wrappings and trappings and new things galore

when all she had wanted was to know her Lord more.

Merry Christmas, readers! M. here apologizing for the terrible poetry above, composed by yours truly. I was hoping it would combat the writer's block and help me to collect my thoughts a little better.

I've been thinking a LOT lately. I'm off school, so now I actually have time to think about what I want, when I want! I've been thinking about school next semester, scholarship options, job options, taxes and applications, living on campus, and all of that fun college stuff in my near future! I've also been thinking about Christmas (obviously) but I didn't really know how to explain what I felt.

This week, I was considering what I'd post about for Christmas time. This is the idea that kept forming in my mind: "Presents have been unwrapped, delicious food eaten, relatives welcomed, thank-yous yelled, babies completely spoiled with gifts, laughter and excited chatter heard through the house, new items tried out, gift cards and money spent, and at the end of it all I ponder these things in my heart... that Jesus is, and always will be. And He wants to know me."

Lately I've felt a pull on my heart like never before. I feel like Jesus wants to hug me! To literally embrace me and remind me that I am His, and I can never be taken away from Him. Yes, He loves me; He gives me hope and peace and joy, but at the end of the day, He just gives Himself. Completely, with no strings attached, He is there for me. 

The super busy lifestyle I live makes me forget that. I forget how treasured I am and that there is a higher calling than just meandering through life, when life is actually a marathon. I need to be striving for the ultimate prize, like Paul talks about. I don't think I'm doing that for two reasons: a) I stink at sports, and b) most of the time, I don't mind settling for less than the best. The first one's just a joke (though I am bad at sports) but I truly struggle to remember that I'm not running the race for me, and it's worth every effort that I can give. That Jesus that I was taking about, the one who gives all of Himself to be my Father and my friend, He is the one I should run for. And the best part? He's the prize, too! (I hate this race metaphor sometimes, but I think it works alright.)

Through the presents, food, relatives, and rushing... Jesus is. He waits with arms open, for us to run to Him for an embrace...  yet we open another gift and say "Thank you." We eat more food and chat with more people and go to more parties, and still Jesus waits. Christmas ends, we go back to our lives, yet He's still there. Sometimes I imagine Him saying to the angels, "I can't wait to talk to M. today!" We miss a quiet time, then two, then months have gone by without us noticing. He's still there. He'll always welcome us.

Do you ever feel guilty after not spending time with God? Do you go back to Him hanging your head and apologizing? Or do you avoid Him because you're afraid of the lecture? Or do you grow callous and just run through the motions without emotionally investing? I've done all of these (A LOT). Guess what? He's still waiting! He still is overjoyed to spend time with us. 

Do you ever feel like God just tolerates you? Why?

Take a look at these verses. This time, read them out loud. I know that you're tempted to gloss over the Bible verse section. I do it all the time. READ. EVERY. WORD. OF. THEM. OUT. LOUD. (Colors added for emphasis.)

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

For this next set of verses, I've rewritten them (Go ahead, Bible thumpers; wag your fingers!) based on the 1 John 4:8 claim that God is love. I've also taken it out of stereotypical Bible verse format so that maybe you can see it in a new light.

God is patient.

God is kind.

God does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud.

He does not dishonor others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs.

God does no delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

God ALWAYS protects, ALWAYS trusts, ALWAYS hopes, ALWAYS perseveres.

God never fails.

The greatest of these is Jesus.

(Verses used: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13.)

Let me ask you again: Why do you feel like God just tolerates you? News flash: He doesn't!!! Stop believing the lie that you've been fed by your church, your friends maybe, and your own conscience. This lie you're hearing says that God thinks you're not worth His time if He's not worth yours. 

You are ALWAYS worth it to God. That's what Christmas is all about!! It's reminding ourselves that Jesus knew that it was worth it to give ALL of Himself to become a baby, to live, to die, and to rise again, because it meant that He could give us a great gift - a hug! And more than that, He could know us, and we could know Him.

Through this season and through next year, I want to follow the path God has for me. I want to trust in His love, because it's the love that truly never fails. I want to remember that God rejoices in me, when I obey Him and when I stumble. I want to be satisfied with Jesus, and with Jesus alone. 

Merry Christmas, everyone. -M. :D

50 POSTS!!!

50TH POST AUTHOR INTERVIEW-CELEBRATION-COOL-THINGY

(translation: I (M.) couldn't come up with a good title for the 50th post. You'd think we have this down by now, but noooo.....)

ACTION KEY:
(A word in this color means this author is speaking, acting, or being described)

M: purple

L: green

E: blue

M: Simplex is now a real word! I'm pleased to announce that "Simplex" has been officially added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary... Not really! We're not that famous. (and we probably never will be!)

L: BUT WE'RE AWESOME!!!

E: And so is the LEGO Movie!! (Breaks into song and dance) "Everything is awesoooome..... Everything is cool when you're part of a team!!"

M: (stares at E. with slight concern)

L: (begins to laugh hysterically)

M: And so begins our interview... and impending demise.

QUESTION 1: TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT ONE OF YOUR FELLOW AUTHORS.

E. M enjoys using parentheses in weird and crazy ways... (M ponders the opportunity(but doesn't do anything about it(or does she???)))

L: and E. never gets enough sleep! (E. yawns)

M: and L is secretly a pop star! (L breaks out in loud song)

QUESTION 2: DESCRIBE THE OTHER GIRLS IN ONE WORD.

M: L is pondering and E is Engaging.
E: M is a rainbow and L is twirly!

L: E. is Random and M. is thoughtful.

M: We make a make a good mix!

QUESTION 3: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD?

L: The fact that He knows us perfectly and still loves us perfectly!

M: The way He has a perfect plan for everything; how His story is woven through all aspects of our lives!

E. HIS SENSE OF HUMOR!!

QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO POST ON THE BLOG?

M: I like writing about Simplexities or something creative, fun, and engaging.

L: Well, I haven't posted much yet but I enjoy writing stories!

E: I enjoy posting my drawings and funny wallpapers.

M: For example, the picture to the right was drawn by E. during the early stages of the interview, in 5 minutes, on a simple dry-erase board. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is called talent!!

QUESTION 5: WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO?

L: Simon Peter. He messed up pretty bad, but Jesus forgave him and he did some pretty bold stuff for the gospel.

E: Donald Duck. No further questions.

M: Well, most of my friends are taller than me. My neck gets sore sometimes.

QUESTION 6: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BLOG POST UP TILL NOW?

E: Creative Writing Prompt #6 or #15.

L: "A Lot can change in Two Weeks."

M: Creative Writing Prompt #13. (but now, probably this 50th post!!)

(Pause of awkward silence, but only for a moment...)

E: Moo, I'm a cow, and you can't do anything about it!!

M: Wow, ok....

E: MOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

L: I like M.'s responses to E.

M: It's getting late, can you tell?

L: In other words, I love you both.

M: AWWWWW!!

E: .......moo?.......

CAN WE GET TO THE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU THREE GO INSANE?

M: Too late! 

E: (rises and begins to walk around the room like a penguin)

M: (sighs dramatically) We are all insane already.

E: Moo.

L: (Laughs at everyone in the most loving way possible)

THE LAST QUESTION: (FOR THIS INTERVIEW, ANYWAYS)

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE, SAGE WORDS, WISE WORDS, HUMOROUS WORDS, WORDS OF QUESTIONABLE INTENT, OR OTHER WORDS YOU WISH TO IMPART TO THE READING AUDIENCE?

L: Jesus loves you!!! M. and E. are awesome! And eat more Pizza.

E: Don't get brain freezes reading the blog. And doughnuts are good.

M: Paperclips. 'Nuff said.

Another point of view

Hey All!
 L. here. This is a really long one again. After reading M.'s post about the last 2 weeks of May I want to share about  them from my point of view, as well. I'll be starting on Wednesday the 21st:

My oldest brother came home for a one week visit, arriving at the airport around 10am. I also went to my last Spanish class of the school year.

Thursday May 22nd
 I went to see Disney's Million Dollar Arm with my family  in the morning And had a great afternoon with M. and E. Then my brother picked me up from M.'s house on  the way to dinner with some other friends.

Friday May 23rd
 My sister graduated with M. so I went to the same ceremony and party that night and really appreciated getting to spend time talking and dancing with the people there.

Saturday May 24th
 This day was crazy! I got to sleep in until about 10am before going to one graduation party and helping with preparations for and a party shared by M. and my sister. During the party I chatted with friends, ate snacks, and  helped take photo booth pictures and gather and guide people for boat rides. Over all it was an enjoyable but hectic party. When it was over I went with M. and a few of her siblings to another grad party for a mutual friend of ours while my brother's collage graduation open house started back at the club house. It was a nice chance to relax for a bit and enjoy some smore's.
I got back in time to help with some clean up from my brother's party. Thanks to everyone who helped by the way! It would have taken forever with out you.
Anyway that's enough about Saturday.

Sunday May 25th
This was my official rest day between Graduation and Camp though it was still pretty busy. We missed Church:( cause we were all so tired after the graduation parties but we went to two more that afternoon then had a few friends over for dinner. That may sound crazy but I actually thought it was rather relaxing.

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Camp week

This was a 5 day 10:00-7:30 Christian Music and Dance Camp that was truly different from any other. Our director put together the theme "Masquerade" for our concert and devotionals. You'll learn more about it as you read.

 Monday, May 26th

We excitedly greeted old friends, met new ones, heard from our director and did an ice breaker. Then we stretched and learned some basic ballet and Jazz steps. We learned some of our choreography and music for the concert and had a devotional in the evening where we learned about different kinds of masks and I realized what kind I wear the most. 

Tuesday, May 27th
I remember feeling stressed and empty. I wanted God to work in a big way at camp and I was afraid He wasn't going to.  I love to dance and its been a really cool form of worship for me but on Tuesday morning when we were told to try dancing during our worship time I didn't want to. For once I didn't feel an urge to dance like I normally did and for another our director had said to keep our eyes closed so that no one would be embarrassed so I was afraid of hitting or kicking someone if I moved too much. After an improve dance lesson later on though some of us danced freely around to our songs for the concert while our instructors prepared for our next session. For one moment as I spun in circles to "Oceans" by Hillsong United I thought I felt God for the first time in a while; just for a moment; then I let it go.

Wednesday, May 28th
Because most of you were probably there or have read M.'s other posts about it I'm going to focus on my perspective of the Cross time. When Eden told us to pray about and then give to God whatever we needed to I didn't know what that would be for me. As I started praying I thought I had an idea but then it became clear. It was the root of my masks that I needed to give up. My desire to be the one everyone could depend on; the one who was friendly and likable and always knew what to do. I was actually excited to give this up. I thought I was ready to let God take the lead and just be His. I knew He could use that surrender in big ways and I finally thought I knew how to let go. 
  So I went up to one of the alter, "gave it to Him" and went back to my seat. I must admit I felt awkward waiting there. Some girls like me had been ready quickly and gone up to the alters, others were talking through things with each other or our instructors, and a lot of girls were crying.  One of them was M. sitting two seats away from me. I could see how much it hurt her to think of giving up her mask as she held her beautiful prop mask in her hand and I could almost see desperation in her eyes. I wanted to do something but I was afraid she wouldn't want my help. I wanted to show I cared but thought giving her some space might be the best way to do that. Our Music director went up again and told the girls who had already been to the alters to pray with each other that this wouldn't just be a "spiritual high"  but that we would continue to leave the things we had given up in God's hands. I prayed with a good friend of mine who sat farther down the row and had also noticed M.'s tears so we prayed for each other and M. then went back to our seats again.

 Thursday, May 29th
 Was an exhausting tec day where we also learned one more song! You can read more about it in M.'s posts.

Friday, May 30th- Concert Day :D
Not what I expected. We Practiced, watched Skit Guys videos, messed up our hair and put on our ripped  jeans and black T-shirts. If you want an idea of what our hair looked like, the 8ish year old boys in the other Choir said we looked like we had just gotten out of prison or been through a fire.
After our pre-show meeting we went out to the lobby to greet people and open doors. I think everyone was a bit taken aback by our hair and jeans but It was nice not having to worry if they were pretty enough because they weren't supposed to be.
As we waited backstage I danced my nerves out and tried to comfort other nervous girls that even if we messed up it would be okay and God could use even our mistakes for His glory. We got to see that first hand.
I was the one who couldn't find my mask when it was time to go on stage but my dance partner for the first song grabbed an extra for me and we made it to our places just a little late. I tried to use the mishaps and even my feeling about them to our advantage and I knew that God had let them happen and was going to use them for his glory. But then our director stopped us in the middle of the first act. She confessed that we'd had more then a few technical problems and she wanted to check on us and give us a quick breather. I was a little annoyed but we went on and my singing became more and more truly from my heart. The last song in the first act was Power of the Cross by Natalie Grant and as we went through the song girls hung there masks on the cross and went back stage. Because I had the ending solo I was the last to leave the stage so I sang these customized lyrics out to myself as I prepared to get the ugly mask off my face.

That's he Power of the Cross; see the Fear fall

That's the Power of the Cross; see the Shame fall

That's the Power of the Cross; see the Hate  fall

That's the Power of the Cross; see the Greed fall

Then I took the mask off revealing the tears that were streaming down my face and sang to the audience with a sort of peaceful joy.

See the grace

 your Masks fall

I half walked, half bolted down the center aisle and around to back stage where I broke down and hugged a friend as i shock with tears. A few other girls gathered around us for a sort of group hug and M. prayed for us. I felt a mixture of shattering disappointment and overwhelming relief. I was done trying to do my best and trying to put my mask back on now would just look silly. Everyone backstage and in the audience knew I was a mess. During the second act I was real and free to worship God for what He had done and was doing that night. It was amazing how well the story in our performance fit so well with what God was really doing in my heart. At one point before I went on in a small group for one of the songs one of the girls said "we've got this" in an effort to encourage us.  "He got this" I said pointing up. If there was one thing this concert thought me it was that. We didn't have it but God did. I got to share some of this in a testimony time at the end of the concert so I hope God uses it in the lives of those who heard it there as well as those who read this post.
Thanks for reading!

-L.

A Lot can Change in Two Weeks

WARNING: THIS POST WILL BE VERY LONG. (LIKE, EXTREMELY LONG)

I'm back! Did you miss me? M. here with apologies for all but abandoning my readers, but E., L. and I went to camp together last week! (More details below) Now let me tell you a day by day account of the past two weeks. :)

Sunday, May 17th - First camp practice! I blogged the story on the STELLO blog. Find it here. After practice, I went to a friend's house to study for finals on Friday. We had a blast, and it was a great start to the week!

Monday, May 19th - The last Monday at work. I had to say goodbye to the kids in my classes, which was super sad. I didn't study much, though I should have. I was not in a great mood. Then as I was reading back through my journal, I found an entry from a year ago. That was the day one of our foster girls left. She had become my buddy and I still miss her so badly. All in all, not a great day.

Tuesday, May 20th - I coached swim lessons in the morning, studied a little, said goodbye to another class at work, and kinda just chugged through the day. Again, not the happiest day. I was starting to get really tired and wanted the week over.

Wednesday, May 21st - A full circle day. If you haven't noticed, dates are important to me. I look back on where I was a month, two months, three months ago; you get the idea. My "monthly anniversaries" for the 21st went along these lines: I got a part in my senior play, had to deal with my choir dissolving, performing in my senior play, and starting a bible study. This month, it was my last day of working at the gym for the summer. I studied almost the entire day and stayed up late to keep studying.

Thursday, May 22nd - What a day! I had my final in the morning. I felt like I did my absolute best on the questions. It felt good to work hard and be done. Then E. and L. and I went out to lunch together and hung out at my house for the afternoon. I had a wonderful day talking, singing, and growing closer to them. (Right now, I'm listening to "Life is Beautiful" by the Afters and it's a perfect description of what I felt that day)

Friday, May 23rd - GRADUATION DAY!! I had the morning to do my nails and get my things together. I had rehearsal in the early afternoon and then a few hours to do my hair and makeup. It was kinda stressful but also really fun. Then we got to actually do the ceremony that evening. It took forever, but it eventually ended and I got to exchange hugs and smiles with the friends who had come to watch. After that I went to a party with my friends and we talked, danced, had a fun night in general. I got to bed about 2:30. :)

Saturday, May 24th - Graduation Party! I shared a party with two of the other graduates and we had a beautiful event in the afternoon. There was delicious food and lots of friends. One of the graduate's older brother was giving boat rides out on the lake outside the clubhouse, which was super fun. I also got to go to a second party later in the evening.

Sunday, May 25th - I crashed, finally. :) My mom and I had a vendor event for the morning and afternoon where we were selling our Jamberry nail wraps. I was so tired from the weekend that I fell asleep super early after we got home! Before I went to bed I read the devotional for the start of camp the next day. I thought about my "mask" and it all kind of hit me that evening. I was tired and stressed about the week ahead.

Monday, May 26th - First day of camp!! We stretched, danced, sang, talked, and got to know new friends. I tell the whole story here. Each night of camp, I stayed up and blogged about how the day went, then I frantically tried to gather everything for the next day. SO, though I don't talk about that on the other blog, I entered the week already tired and got even more exhausted as the week went on.

Tuesday, May 27th - I started asking the girls what they thought of the day in one-word descriptions and shared their opinions on the blog along with mine. It was cool to get other perspectives. Tuesday, we ripped up our jeans, where each mark was added to represent an imperfection in our lives. It was a really reflective night for me, but not necessarily in a good way. One of the highlights of the day was getting to dance freestyle to a few songs. It opened up my mind in a new way and though I'm sure I looked awkward, for just a little bit, I didn't feel like it!

Wednesday, May 28th - Everyone laughs when we talk about Wednesday now. It was a turning point for a lot of the girls. Early in the afternoon, our director brought the wooden cross to the center of the stage and told us that we had the chance to take our mask off. Not our prop masks, the real ones in real life. She told us that when we were ready, we could go pray at the altar then hang our mask on the cross. Then she walked away and let us pray while the lights were lowered and some music was playing over the speakers.

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I didn't fully share my perspective on the other blog post, so I'll tell it here. I was caught off-guard when our director set this all up. I wasn't surprised, but I didn't really feel ready. I sat in my seat, frozen with fear. Taking my mask off would mean changing my life drastically. L. was sitting near to me and I knew she saw me wrestling with this decision. She later told me how she wanted to help me, but she was also afraid. In that moment, I guess I felt abandoned; alone in that room full of friends. Several songs went by and our director walked forward again. She told the girls who had already hung their masks up to pray with each other. She gave us a little more time and I finally felt ready. I slowly and tearfully stumbled up to the cross, hung my pretty purple mask up, and tried my hardest just to not collapse on the stage. I barely got back to my seat before one of my friends wrapped me in a huge hug. I lost it. I didn't even know who it was, but I finally didn't feel alone anymore. I clung to her and she sat with me for the next several minutes. We didn't have to say anything; we didn't have to hide anymore. Then our director walked back up with the most joyful smile. As I brushed the tears from my face, I realized that apparently the same thing I was experiencing was happening in the whole room. The director saw the love of Jesus being spread in an extremely genuine way, as many girls who didn't know each other just a few days before prayed together, embraced each other, cried together, and were being unconditionally real with each other. The masks were off. It's one of the moments I'll remember the rest of my life.

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Thursday, May 29th - Tech day! We ran through the concert twice that day, learning the places we needed to be and trying to tweak stuff so that the concert would go smoothly. The coolest moment for me on Thursday was watching this video and listening to this song. When the girl in the video cried out that Jesus is alive, I felt so freed! The song breathed some life into me and brought the biggest smile to my face.

Friday, May 30th - Concert day. Where do I start? We got ready throughout the day and practiced songs in little blocks. Early in the afternoon, our director told us that we were doing our hair too pretty. The goal for the concert was to show that we aren't perfect, but God uses us when we take the masks off and just be real. She helped us basically destroy our pretty put-together hairstyles, till we looked like we just woke up. When only one girl had her hair really messy, it looked funny, but as a choir (along with our ripped jeans and masks) we looked pretty intense.

Right before the concert we sat down and prayed. We listened to "Let Them See You" by JJ Weeks, which was another one of those full circle moments for me. Just a few weeks ago, I played and sang this song for our voice recital, and I've been learning to live it out this semester, too. It brought my focus back to Christ's glory.

Concert time came. Some girls couldn't find their masks. Microphones weren't working. People forgot lyrics. Some of the girls had breakdowns. I felt like we were in a battle. The devil did not want this night to go over well. He saw where our hearts were and did everything he could to stop us. The first act was tough to get through, but we did make it. During intermission, many of the girls finally cracked and were crying backstage. I prayed with several girls, then our director cut the intermission short and asked us to go sit on the stage. She asked the audience to come lay their hands on us as she prayed. That moment showed me a glimpse of eternity. What other concert do you find that kind of thing? Anyway, the second act was one of "genuinality" and we truly left it all on stage, singing in awe of God's wonderful power. We didn't have any more tech issues that I knew of and the rest of the concert was much more peaceful.

Overall, graduation was an exciting week turned stressful turned wonderful! Camp was intense, freeing, and simply a God-encounter experience! However, after the concert, if kind of finally hit me that this was my last concert as a student with this choir. I floated through the rest of the evening in a sort of a daze. I still don't really think I've accepted it.

The past few days have been a similar daze. I've slept a lot! But let's be real. Camp was about being real, right? I didn't live "happily ever after." I'm confused and tired. I want to say that I know God's got it under control, but I don't know if I truly believe that at this point. For now, I'll leave you with the lyrics to my favorite song from the concert:

Thanks for reading!
-M.