Thoughts about 2015 and Moving Forward… Nick Alexander

Thoughts about 2015 and Moving Forward…

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Is it too late to talk about the impact of 2015?

The events of the past year, for me anyway, have been… well…  I am undergoing a “period of adjustment.”  Some good changes, some unfortunate ones.  I’m not complaining; if anything, I’m grateful for the clarity.  I’m even more resolute than ever to provide quality content–both in helpful materials to foster spiritual growth, new worship, and funny/insightful parody songs.

Over the last year, my beloved parish priest was transferred out (a promotion).  Both of my children had unexpected visits to the emergency room (they’re both fine).  My vehicle had unexpected issues.  Most of my extraneous finances, that would normally go to trips to NCYC, went here instead.

On top of that, I’ve written about the loss of the Charismatic Renewal Office that occasionally gave me opportunities to serve.  I’ve emerged as a crossing guard for my daughter’s school, only to give up the position when other issues came to front.  My children received their First Communion.  I got to see the Pope and the relics of St. Maria Goretti within a week.

I got healthy, then fell off the wagon, then got healthy again, then fell off again.  I improved my guitar playing.  I am continually my mastery of combining of Gregorian Chant to Praise & Worship, finding new possibilities.  I have read like I’ve never read in my life, more than 50 books, partially due to my discovery of Amazon Unlimited, to my public library, and to a device (Kindle Fire Phone) that they is no longer being made.

In terms of movies, I’ve grown to appreciate more of the classics from Fellini and Kurosawa, got to see *Jurassic World* and *Star Wars: The Force Awakens* in theaters, and, in the best cinematic experience of the year, got to finally get the whole family to the drive-in (*Minions*).  Yay.

For years, I’ve subscribed to a missalette company to bring something to accompany me to liturgy.  I’ve since stopped.  The materials they provide were lacking in key areas, and I’ve since learned to craft my own one-pager helps for getting more out of the liturgy.  This includes the printing of music from the Roman Gradual based off the introits and antiphon texts, based off of Scripture.  Learning these songs, and finding avenues to have the text jump out and ride the melodic roller-coaster, well, this has been a blessing for me.  I suspect that finding ways to translate this to a singable, congregational-friendly setting would be an ideal goal of mine for the next few years.

And perhaps the biggest shift of my ministry was my building of a video studio that… for all intents and purposes, the results of which have not reared its head, not just yet. For this, I claim the excuses “learning curve,” “research,” and “preparation for gigs.”  I apologize.

Along these lines, I had come to a realization that my old approach for ministry, simply may have been unsustainable, for me and for my family.  I am currently enduring growing pains as I charter a new path to pursuing maximum impact on where my talents are sorely needed. And this includes…

… the creation of specific online courses that will address your very needs with the talents and insight I’ve been blessed to obtain through the years.  I will shortly be putting up some pages on my website that will invite you to hear what I have to say on a number of issues.

Furthermore, one of my goals for last year was to write a few more parody songs.  Succeeded. Only, up to this point, I’ve only revealed these new parody songs in a public performance.  Now that I have a video studio, and now that I had gotten my audio studio up to snuff in past years, I am leaning towards putting these up on YouTube.  But I want to make sure these pass muster.  My first attempts were clunkers.  They will get better.  So I’m working on that.

I am going to include a page for anybody wishing to join a Mastermind group.  I think these will prove to be helpful.  I think that there is a need for a Mastermind group for the faithful Christian who feels alone in the world, unable to find their place in their parish or their community.  More to come.

Once the online courses are up, and once I am able to craft these videos, then I will create more podcasts–both the Prayer Meeting Podcast and the Nick Alexander podcast.  I will focus my blogs on these issues.  For too long, my biggest goals have been curtailed by these smaller endeavors, which, were real good, but were keeping me from completing this.

So I look back at 2015 as a year of major personal breakthroughs, only some of these breakthroughs were transitional, and to be honest, a little sobering.  I appreciate all your support for the past year, and I have every intention of making entertaining, viral content that you and your friends/students/children would benefit from, intellectually, spiritually, and evangelistic-ally.  I fully intend to live up to my slogan of providing worship, wisdom and wit.

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