Happy Birthday to my lovely little blog!

Wandering Heart is one year old today, and it's unbelievable to think about everything that has happened in one short year! So many stories to tell, but only a fraction made it onto these pages. Over the next year, I hope to write many more!

For today, I just wanted to share part of a paper I wrote for a fantastic Leadership Communication course. This was from the Organizational Communication Study I wrote on the SVCC, with 9 sections totaling about 24 pages. However, the final section made my mother cry (which doesn't happen very often!) and she suggested I share it on here.

So, without further ado, here is what I truly believe about singing.

"Every area of life has been touched and transformed by the Creation, Fall, and Redemption, including the SVCC. We know that singing was a part of God’s perfect creation, because Adam quite literally sang the praises of Eve when he first saw her! In a slightly less factual, but nonetheless beautiful image, C.S. Lewis metaphorically describes Creation in his book, The Magician’s Nephew. “If you had seen and heard it...you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves which were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.” In the pure and perfect creation, the SVCC would exist just as those stars, singing to the glory of their Creator! However, man chose to rebel against God, leave His presence, and stain the world with sin. Our hearts are no longer in rhythm with God, and we vainly try to sing our own songs rather than the unique melody He wrote for each one of us. The Fall is clearly evident in the SVCC: directors leave, arguments occur, money is scarce, and notes are flat. However, the Fall was not God’s final concert. He orchestrated the most brilliant encore performance the world has ever seen by sending His one and only Son to live perfectly, die undeservingly, and resurrect triumphantly. To those who acknowledge their utter depravity and dependence on Jesus and His sacrifice, He gives us the gift of Redemption! Although sin still runs rampant in the SVCC, there are also countless glimpses of Redemption: a director who loves the Lord, our songs of praise to Him, the kindness and love between choristers, and so many more! Although many choristers are not believers, it is wonderful to know that there are several of us in the SVCC who are singing for an audience of One. I pray that we are lights in the darkness and that God might use us to bring His song of Redemption to our fellow choristers, leaders, and community."

~ Riley

Do life big.

It's the name of a song by Jamie Grace, and one of my particular favorites. She sings:

I came to give you life,

So spread your wings and fly!

I've got a secret to share,

You are enough to change the atmosphere.

I don't know about you, but I don't always feel like an atmosphere-changer. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of change at all. Change scares me. It's hard enough to change schedules, plans, leaders, or anything else. So the atmosphere?!? I don't know if I'm cut out for this, Lord...

But He knows that I'm a big scaredy-cat, and that's why He gave me a mother who isn't. :) My mother is always encouraging me to reach out, spread my wings, and try things that scare me. In fact, she gave me a challenge for my senior year of high school:

Do at least one new thing every week for the entire school year.

Now, I may not like change, but I do love a good challenge! I started a neat, organized notebook (Because who doesn't love the excuse to start a new notebook? Am I right?!) to keep track of my adventures. I won't bore you with the whole list, but here are a few highlights...

- Visited an antique mall. (I may or may not have almost gotten lost in there...)

- Baked a peach pie. I'm all about setting food goals...

- Finally found a promise ring that I love.

- Learned how to French braid my own hair. I've been trying since 5th grade. *sigh*

- Took the Myers-Briggs personality test. (ESFJ, in case you're curious.)

- Kissed a dolphin. Oh, happiness.

- Learned how to remove wallpaper. It's actually kind of fun, in my opinion.

- Waltzed my way through a private dance lesson with Ben.

- Used my first hashtag. I know, I know... #oldfashioned #whatcanIsay

- Planned a surprise party. Secrets are awesome, just sayin'...

There are many more, some big and others small. Each one, however, has been a new adventure and one step further out of my comfort zone. But the biggest item on this list happened just a few weeks ago, and I'm pretty excited to tell you guys about it.

I'm moving to Michigan. :)

But let me back up... 

Many of you know that I am currently earning my college degree right now through CollegePlus. The student community is incredible, and I have met so many amazing people, both in person and online. Two particular students, Richie and Kasey Friske (Yes, they met through CP, got married, and are literally the cutest couple ever. But I digress...) live and work up at Friske Orchards in Ellsworth, Michigan, in the Charlevoix area. This incredible family farm produces over 5.5 MILLION pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables every year, and has been run by the Friske family since 1962. Besides the farm and orchards, there's also a market, cafe, bakery, children's play area and more! Needless to say, this operation needs many hands to keep the business running smoothly. That's where I come in...

I will be leaving Virginia in late June to go work/intern at the market until the end of October. I will be living with other CollegePlus students on the farm and building memorable friendships with them as well! This will be my first experience living away from home, and I am both excited and terrified. :) There are so many new experiences to be had, and I'm looking forward to tackling each one as it comes. I've never worked full-time before, but a four-month pause in my degree is welcome indeed!

Some of you may have heard this news already, but I know others have not. I wanted to let everyone know, however, why I will disappear at the end of June! (Although a top-secret government mission would be far more exciting to write about. Maybe next year...) The hardest part of this adventure will be leaving you all - my dear friends and family - for a while. However, I would absolutely LOVE it if anyone visited me over the summer. If you're up in the Northern Michigan area, please let me know and I will try to meet up with you! :) Friske's is a beautiful place, and we love our visitors!

So, my dear readers, that is how I am 'doing life big' this summer. :) I'm spreading my wings, taking the jump, and eagerly waiting to see where God takes me on this flight!

~ Riley

We visited my favorite place in the world last night.

At least, my favorite place in the world right now. Because I plan to see a whole lot more of this gorgeous globe, and I'm sure I'll find a new favorite. But I digress...  :)

My favorite place in the world is an outcropping of rocks.

Ooh. Rocks. Fabulous, right?

It's called Dripping Rock, which is quite appropriate since the massive grey slabs of stone seem to trickle all the way down the face of the mountain. To access it, you have to hike about 15 minutes through the forest. The path is rocky and hilly, and if you're not careful, you'll twist an ankle in no time.

But right as you run out of breath and start to wonder if you missed the turn, you turn the corner and feel a rush of something I can't even explain.

The view literally takes my breath away. You can see for miles, and everywhere you look there's something beautiful...

The town that I call home, and the ones that surround it.
The twinkle of a million lights as the world goes to sleep but not the people.
The mountains off in the distance, and the ones wrapped around you.
The clouds so close you can almost touch them.
The fields and lakes and forests and hills in our beautiful valley.
The moon and stars, just starting to shine for their nightly parade.

I could spend hours up there, and when I have more time on my hands, I plan to. :) I especially enjoy the view at sunset, when everything is bathed in a soft pink and orange glow. That's when we visited last night, and we stayed up there until the sun was out of sight. Then it was time to hike back to the car.

The forest was almost pitch black, with no moonlight. I slipped on my headlamp, pointed it at the ground, and started walking.

All I could see was the step ahead. And then the next. And the next. And the next. As I carefully picked my way along the path, trying not to kill myself, I was struck by the comparison to my own "walk" through this life.

Every day of our lives, we stumble along our paths, unable to see beyond the next second. We just have to trust the Lord and take the next step...and the next, and the next. When you're a 17-year old girl in her senior year, you feel like those steps are more like a sprint; look up to catch your breath, and you'll land flat on your face. :P

There are so many unknowns ahead (college, relationships, money, family, occupation, place of living, marriage, what I'm going to eat tomorrow, I mean, seriously?!?!...), and the control freak in me absolutely HATES that. I want to look down the path, see the obstacles ahead, and make a detailed, 40-page, illustrated guide on how to best navigate around them.

Sadly, life doesn't work like that. *sigh*

But you know what? It's OK. This is what God has called us to. Leaving the future in His perfectly capable hands. Trusting Him in all our "next steps," both big and small. Following the advice of this verse, so we all remain relatively sane humans:

"Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

Truer words were never written. :) I forget this verse so often, but last night was a fantastic reminder.

Life gets hard, but God will always light the way.
One step at a time.

~ Riley

Goodbye, my beautiful plaid vest. Goodbye, my perky little bow tie.

I'll miss you so very much. SVCC just won't be the same without wearing you for every concert. I don't think I'll feel quite as professional without you wrapped around me as I sing.

I've learned many lessons from you. You were a faithful companion as I grew from a shy middle schooler to a confident senior...

You taught me to always be professional, whether on stage or off.

You taught me to make new friends, but always keep the old.

You taught me to branch out, and try things that scare you.

You taught me to appreciate all kinds of music.

You taught me to work hard, especially when I don't feel like it.

You taught me to appreciate my fellow choristers, and help them grow.

I'll always remember you.

*deep breath*

Hello, new red vests. Hello, little floppy ties.

Welcome to SVCC. Welcome to a stage of beautiful singing children. I hope you're ready to work hard, and make us look spiffy.

You have some pretty big shoes to fill, but I think you can do it. I'm excited for the lessons you'll teach me in my last year of choir. I have some requests, if you don't mind...

Please teach me to sing like never before.

Please teach me to reach out and welcome new choristers.

Please teach me to be a leader, both in my music and my choir friendships.

Please teach me to be a chorister that people can look up to.

Please teach me to bless those around me with my music.

I can't wait to meet you.

~Riley

Do you ever have those moments when God pulls back the curtain of glory just a teensy bit, and allows you to glimpse His ENORMOUS power? Those moments are incredible, and I got to be a part of one last night.

And He did it using a broken family, me on headset, and a LOT of lemonade.

I work at Chick-fil-A, and one of the things I love about my job is our outreach to the community. Not only do we provide great food in a safe, family-centered environment, we go outside of our four walls to bring hope and healing to all kinds of people and organizations. And our current focus is a family that truly needs hope.

Steven Short was in a tragic mountain biking accident about a month ago, and after seven days in intensive care, passed away. He was a husband and father, and leaves behind three very young kiddos. My heart just breaks every time I think about what they must be feeling right now...to lose a father, husband, friend, brother, and son. I can't even imagine.

So our store is trying to help ease the burden just a little, and during the month of June, part of the proceeds from every Frosted Lemonade we sell goes straight towards the Short family. But that means I have to get out of my comfort zone (gasp!) and ask each customer at the end of their order. But God says that He uses our weaknesses to show His strength, and I saw that SO vividly last night.

I started out tentatively, asking in rather awkward times, and feeling horribly inadequate. But then people started to say YES. And that was pretty awesome. Sometimes they'd even ask who the Short family was, and I would get to explain what the family was going through.

Our goal for the evening was 85, and the deadline for the shift was 8:00, when I was scheduled to leave. It was about 7:00, and we only needed about 20 more to reach the goal. I was still shocked that I'd managed to sell ANY, but I was praying in between orders that people would continue to say yes, and love on this family.

Now here was the seriously amazing, totally unexpected God moment.

We were down to the last few, and I was getting excited. But the cars were becoming more sparse by the minute. Someone ordered an extra Frosted Lemonade, and then decided they didn't want it, so it was quickly melting. AND it was a diet. And nobody orders the diet ones (I mean, who would want to? :) More sugar, or less sugar? Easy choice there...). I knew it needed to get sold, and fast. As I'm sending up a prayer, the next car pulls up.

"Hi, can I please get a number two, with a Sprite?"

Oh well. Not this car.

"...oh, and a Frosted Lemonade? And go ahead and make it a diet. Thanks!"

*jaw drops*

Guys, we serve a powerful God! He sees our needs, big AND small, and blesses us beyond our wildest imagination. 

"Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" (Psalm 116:2) 

I was privileged to see that verse in action last night, and was inspired to reevaluate my prayer life. Do I pray about all things, regardless of their size? Do I trust that He will answer in His own way, not my own? Do I trust Him with all my hopes, fears, and crazy dreams?

Nope. I stumble in this area again and again. But thankfully, His mercy is right there to pick me up. He simply calls me to pray as long as I have breath, and leave the rest to Him.

So I shall call this the "Lesson of the Lemonade" (don't judge...names help me remember things) and will never look at a Frosted Lemonade the same way again. Which is probably what God intended all along.  :)

~Riley

I really love nail polish. The myriad of colors, the pungent smell, and the way it shimmers after a fresh coat. *happy feeling* It's just a fun, girly thing that I enjoy. However, there is one rule: I only wear it on my toes.

Yup, I hate wearing nail polish on my fingers. This fact was recently confirmed when I had to wear bright coral nails for our play production. After having it on for about a week, I started to realize some of the reasons I dislike it on my fingers so much.

#1 - It feels so weird. I think I have pretty sensitive hands, so the extra millimeter of weight and texture just really bothers me. I thought the feeling might go away after a day or two, but it still felt peculiar. Thankfully, I never feel it on my toes. :)

#2 - I can't ever get the two hands to look the same. And being a symmetrical perfectionist, that bothers me. It probably shouldn't...

#3 - And this one is the most significant. When I have nail polish on my hands, I become too focused on MY hands. The flash of color constantly draws my eyes down. I become focused on ME. "Oh dear, they don't look perfect. Oh no, there's another scratch I need to cover. Darn it, I chipped the corner off..." And on and on it goes. I become more obsessed with how my hands look than what my hands are doing. I hesitate to reach for things, clean dishes, untie pesky knots, haul boxes, play with the dog, etc.  All kinds of normal things that take a split second longer to do, because I'm too worried about messing up my hands. And I don't want to be that kind of person. (Side note: Please don't think I'm bashing people who wear nail polish...it's just something that trips ME up personally!)

As I finally scrubbed off the bright pink at the end of the week, I thought about what a week in nail polish had taught me. God uses the funniest things to get our attention, doesn't He? :)

I began to see a correlation between my hesitations to work with my hands, and my hesitations to work with my heart. Just like I was afraid to scuff up my nails, I tend to be afraid of scuffing up my 'image'.

- I don't reach out to certain people, because I'm afraid of what others will think.
- I refuse to ask for help, because I don't want to seem weak or incapable.
- I shy away from new opportunities, because I'm afraid to fail.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg. So often, I look down at myself and forget to look up at Him! He alone will give me the strength, the courage, the humility, and the grace that I can never supply myself. All I have to do is ask.  :)

Who knew that nail polish could be so thought-provoking? I certainly didn't. :) So this week, I pray that I will reach out more, love more, get messy more, and grow closer to the one who gave me my hands and feet to bless others. But for now, please excuse me while I go paint my toenails... :)

~Riley

College Plus: My UNBOUND Story

Aubry’s post flashed across my screen: “UNBOUND! Tell YOUR story!” I ignored it and continued scrolling. There really wasn’t any story to tell, I convinced myself.

My unbound story isn’t flashy. It doesn’t have a creative title, or an exciting backstory. I’m not studying in a foreign country, interning with politicians, or helping film a movie.

It’s just me, little Riley Maas, who sings in the choir, loves math, and is the “advanced learner” with 63 credits in her junior year of high school. What story could I possibly have to tell? A little voice inside whispered, “Everything.”

UNBOUND means that even if I’m not doing anything flamboyant, I’m slowly but surely knocking out my credits. UNBOUND means that I’m done with high school a year early, ready to tackle my remaining CP courses head on. UNBOUND means that I am learning how to learn, so I can explore any topic imaginable! But most importantly, UNBOUND means that I will be ready for whatever God does with my life! I will be UNBOUND from a campus, UNBOUND from debt, and UNBOUND from society’s view of what truly living life means.

So really, my UNBOUND story is just beginning. And I can’t wait to see what happens next.

~Riley