The day after Christmas

So... I'm sitting in an airport, getting ready to go to Hawaii and life doesn't feel real right now. It's a gorgeous day today and yesterday was one of the best Christmases ever. I wasn't planning on blogging but I accidentally brought my computer in my carry on. Ha! Everything happens for a reason! I really like airports. I love seeing new faces and guessing.. "family vacation.. business trip.. etc." It reminds me how big the world is and how small I am. You hardly ever see people you know in places like this it's really astounding to imagine that each person has his or her own story and individual life focused on themselves or something greater. I feel so incredibly blessed and so incredibly inspired and have so often lately. I have a great family and friends and the blessing of being known by a great God. I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm boarding the plane..

-bobby

I'm back home in Arkansas for Christmas break and It's nice. I missed my family and friends and it's good to be back for a while : )

I've had some free time so I finished Christmas shopping and finished "The Four Love" by C.S. Lewis. I won't put an entire review of the book on this blog but I will say that it changed the way that I look at love and the relationships that I have with people. This book really caused me to read, focus, and re-read (and pull out the dictionary a few times). I'd recommend "The Four Loves" to absolutely anyone. C.S. Lewis categorizes love into four parts. Affection, Friendship, Eros, and Charity. Notice, Endure, Smile, Enjoy, and Appreciate (the title of this blog) are the five stages of Affection. I think I need to let what I've read sink in a little before I say too much about the book but if you've ever thought about love in any form, please read "The Four Loves".

I'm extremely tired so I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book..

"No sooner do we believe that God loves us than there is an impulse to believe that He does so, not because He is Love, but because we are intrinsically lovable".

Ok.. I've got to include one more quote because it really opened my eyes.

"There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping in intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. it will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. the only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell".

Goodnight.

-Bobby

puppies and metronomes..

Sorry, I forgot to title that last blog.. Let's call it "puppies and metronomes"

Well.. It looks like I'm doing it again. I have 3 papers due tomorrow and I'm postponing them until after I write this blog.. I'm not mad about it though. I like to write and I won't be able to focus on anything school related until I get this out of my head..

Tonight was my very last Christmas at Belmont! It's definitely bittersweet in the way that I'm thankful for being allowed to be a part of it but, at the same time, happy that it's over. Belmont has been an incredible place for the past 3 1/2 years and I wouldn't trade these times for anything but I know it's about time to move on. I won't get into that now! That isn't even what I had planned on blogging (<--- I think that's a funny term) about so I'll save it for closer to May.

My dad and grandmother came from Arkansas to see me sing in Christmas at Belmont tonight. My grandma, or Gan as I affectionately named her (being the first grandchild), decided to go back to the hotel early and get some sleep, so my dad and I went out for some tea and ended up talking for a few hours... keep reading..

You're going to think I'm straying from the topic but this is just how my ADHD mind works.. Do you have someone in your life whose opinion you really respect? For me, my dad is one of those people. Somehow, every time we have one of these 2 hour, late night, tea-drinking conversations, he ends up giving me advice on something that I'd been praying about but didn't talk to him about in advance. I so believe that God often uses my dad to say the words I need to hear. I know that's because he prays for me constantly and is truly seeking the Lord.. Shoot.. I should have saved this blog for fathers day. Juuuuust kidding.. I should definitely thank my dad more for what he does and give him a little more credit for the advice.

So, one of the things that was on my mind tonight was timing. I was driving home late and literally laughed out loud at the fact that I seem to have some of the worst timing imaginable. I always want instant gratification and I think that's something that I've grown used to in this world. Everything I could ever want seems to be so accessible and when it's not, I'm surprised. I have to remind myself that things worth having are worth waiting for and working for. I find myself looking into the future and seeing the things that I'd like to have and thinking that because I want them now, it must be the right time. NOPE, that's probably just MY ideal timing instead of the timing of the Author of my story. I think I'm just reading ahead. The funny thing is, I don't know if I skipped pages, or chapters, OR if I'm even reading the right book anymore! Example: I want a puppy, more specifically a Siberian Husky.. Problem is, I live in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs and I have no yard. Would it be fair to this very big puppy to keep him cooped-up in a tiny apartment when he needs to run and grow and sniff everything he can sniff? I don't think so.. My dad and I talked about this.. he's all for me getting a Siberian Husky in the right timing, when I graduate and move into a house with a yard. I WANT THE SIBERIAN HUSKY NOWWWWW!!!!

...but I know it wouldn't be fair to the puppy or to myself if I got it now. BUT, someday.. That Husky's mine ; )

Sorry, that was all kind of wordy and strange. I hope you're following along..

Timing is everything when it comes to puppies, life, love, interests, making tea, and metronomes and I guess I'm just going to have to learn to be patient.

Thanks for reading

-Bobby

Is it just me or does RedBox decide when you can and can not rent what you want to rent??

Good Morning!

Ok.. This is definitely a good morning. It's just one of those days I feel blessed to be alive. I have no reason to worry or stress about anything, I only have 12 days of school left, and there are only 22 days until Christmas!!!

Story time: I was at RedBox last night trying to get "My Sister's Keeper" because I hear it'll make me cry. We'll see.. I'm not a cry-er. Has anybody noticed that the card scanner at RedBox requires you to bend your debit card to fit it in the slot?? This is strange to me. So, I was standing at 'the box' sliding my card for several minutes when random people walked up and a girl with a sympathetic look and compassion in her eyes stared at me wearing basketball shorts (in 40 degree weather), high top Pumas and a down jacket that is older than me with a hole in the sleeve and sometimes loses goose feathers and said (as if I was a child who lost his mother or a homeless man who thought 'the box' was a snack machine), "excuse me, do you need some help with that"? I think I said something along the lines of, "Um, no. I'm just going to go home." Then I gave up and went home. Epic fail. Ha!

The moral of the story: Sometimes you just aren't supposed to be able to use modern technology to obtain what you want and you should go home and write a paper instead.

Have a great day!

-Bobby

Because I don't have enough social networking sites to update..

I should mention.. Reading this blog may be as much of a commitment as writing it. I, more often than not, lose myself when I'm writing and go on for pages. Best of luck!

Also, I stole a few blog ideas from a very good friend who inspired me to start a blog : )

I think my first blog entry should be dedicated to explaining WHO I am, WHAT I do, and WHY, I do those things.. These things are all woven together in one way or another so I'll try to be coherent! This seems a bit narcissistic but I suppose that's part of what blogging is all about. I also hope I can encourage someone and maybe even make a few people smile. Follow if you're feelin' it and read if ya like!

I'll start with the WHAT.. I'm Bobby Banister, I'm from Conway, Arkansas and I am a student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. I'm a Commercial Music major and I'll graduate in May 2010. Craaaaaazy how time flies.. I'm pretty sure it was yesterday when was 7 years old jumping on a trampoline and thinking about whether I wanted to grow up and be a professional soccer player or tennis player. Now I'm about to be in the "real world". Ha! That's another blog entry for another day..

I love to sing and make music. It's best when people are listening and enjoying but I do it all the time anyway! I play a few instruments and write every time I feel inspired. I love all kinds of music and I'm in a pop/punk band called Half Priced Hearts (we just finished the EP and we're going to release it early 2010 - look for it!). A few years ago, I started a clothing line called Two Birds Clothing. 2birdsclothing.com <--- Check it out!

Two Birds Clothing helps people give to people. When you buy a shirt, we give that same shirt to someone in a 3rd world or developing country. I've been so blessed to get to do two shirt drops in 2009 in Honduras and Jamaica because of the generosity of everyone who bought a shirt! If any of you are reading this, I can't tell you how thankful I am for YOU! Matt. 25:40

^^Those are some of the "WHAT'S" that I do. If you want to know more just ask!

Now for the WHO'S.. I believe (at least I hope) that who I am is a reflection of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If I'm honest, I don't think anything else really matters a whole lot. I'm learning constantly that there is no reason to stress of worry about anything because the story has already been written.. We're just reading it for the first time (Thanks C.S. Lewis). Did I just cite a source in a blog!? I've gotta get out of college. Ironically enough, I'm putting off writing a paper that's due at 8:00 a.m. right now!

I'm extremely ADHD but I kind of like it ; ) LOOK, a bird!!

I had envisioned this WHO section as a lot more comprehensive but I pretty much summed it up in a few sentences. I think the only way to explain who I am in more detail is to talk about some of the things I love.

I love my family and friends (my other family). I can't explain how thankful I am to have been blessed with such incredible friends who like me just the way I am but encourage me to be a better version of myself.

I love being around people who make me feel alive. I think we spend too much time just living life without actually Feeling it or Enjoying it.

I love music. I really, really do. I love listening to, performing and singing playing and writing music. I can't see myself ever losing that passion.

I love playing soccer and tennis.. actually pretty much any sport but those are my top faves. I just really like to sweat. There's nothing like that feeling of endorphins on a hot day.

I love being outside. God made some incredible stuff. Some of the things that we take for granted most are the things that we enjoy most in the moment. Ex. Sunrises, sunsets, the sky on a clear night, the vastness of the ocean, the greatness of mountains, etc.

I love a good adrenaline rush (it makes me feel alive!) Wake Boarding, Snow Skiing, Cliff Jumping, Rock Climbing, etc.

I love to laugh. My mom always said that you have to be able to laugh at yourself. I feel like I do that several times a day!

I love learning about something that interests me. I really enjoy reading books.

I love seeing new places. I literally want to see every part of this world. I'm absolutely fascinated by new experiences and meeting new people. Again, it makes me feel alive.

I think I could go on forever but I really should get to that paper..

Finally, WHY -- This part is pretty simple.. I kind of do what I want. Yeah... I know, that sounds bad but it's not like I don't have any rules. The things I want to do just happen to be within those boundaries. I think I have a rebellious personality but I'm definitely a believer in "freedom in Christ" (Romans 8:1-11).

I guess that should do it for tonight! Thanks for reading!

Another thing.. I don't edit what I write so I apologize for any typos.

-Bobby