CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

So I'm not exactly new here (and if I'm honest, this should be going in the Leaving/Coming Back thread, kind of), but hi, everybody! I was just putzing around on the internet this evening and thought I'd drop by CAA to see how everybody's doing! I'm making one of "those threads," just shooting up a beacon to see who's around these days and how you guys are doing!

The last time I was really around this site was somewhere around here, so it's been well over a year now since I've been an active member, but yeah! I'm Radical Dreamer; I was on the site for about six years, and then I took some time off to take on my senior year of college in full force (happy to say, I survived, passed, graduated, all of the above! BFA achieved in Illustration, huzzah!). From there, I became an intern for the Fall 2012 semester at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, and lived for a good six months with no home internet access, outside of what I could find on my phone. I'm sort of in a waiting room right now, following God to whatever's next, but I do have internet access again, so I figured it couldn't hurt to see what's up! I doubt that I'll be around anywhere near as often as I used to be, but I'd love to hear from some of you to see how you've been if we haven't been in contact! A lot of you have joined since I left or right before I left and have no idea who I am or why you are reading this post right now, but for those of you who remember me, come say hello!

(And because some of you won't believe it's me, otherwise..."XD!")

[EDIT] ALSO. EVERYTHING IS SO DIFFERENT. Holy cow, you guys rearranged! It looks nice, Mith!

And here I was thinking you were never coming back. Interesting. Anyway, kind of welcome back I guess?

Yay! My friend is back!
And here's a jelly baby since I never got to give you one!

Well howdy, Corrie! Welcome back!

Elevation Church? As in *the* Elevation Church? I'm a little bit envious.

What's up for me? Well, I'm in my final semester of college, taking 21 credits, working two hours a week at my tiny college bookstore, and just barely surviving under my mountain of homework. For the next several weeks/months I have two papers due every week until the week I graduate in May, alongside bi-weekly journals and the occasional exam. I have three exams this coming month alone, which equals the overall exams I had last semester...so it's interesting, life is, to say the least.

Hey RD! I'm sooooo happy to see you here again. It's never fun when we have to see members leave for an undetermined amount of time, but we understand that they have to do what they must for their lives and such. That pretty much just makes the return though that much sweeter so it's awesome to see you back.

Just a list of random thoughts.
-Nice to see you were in NC.
-We missed our Grammar Ranger a lot!
-I can say for sure to you that the XD has not died on CAA. XDD
(Also BTW, in case you didn't know, you were the one who influnenced me enough to adopt XD as my official emoticon.)

Hi RD! Wondered where u went

Hey! It's great to hear from you guys!

Okami wrote:Elevation Church? As in *the* Elevation Church? I'm a little bit envious.

Yep, the very one! It's been my home church since 2010, and I've been volunteering there for a little over a year and a half now (including the time that I was a graphic design intern). Being a part of it has been super life-changing for me; I'm so glad you've heard of it!

What's up for me? Well, I'm in my final semester of college, taking 21 credits, working two hours a week at my tiny college bookstore, and just barely surviving under my mountain of homework. For the next several weeks/months I have two papers due every week until the week I graduate in May, alongside bi-weekly journals and the occasional exam. I have three exams this coming month alone, which equals the overall exams I had last semester...so it's interesting, life is, to say the least.

Dude, that's awesome! Also you are super brave for taking 21 credit hours. That sonds like a crazy heavy load; remind me what you're majoring in, again? Best of luck with your final semester; it's always a rough one, but it's worth it!

ADXC wrote:Hey RD! I'm sooooo happy to see you here again. It's never fun when we have to see members leave for an undetermined amount of time, but we understand that they have to do what they must for their lives and such. That pretty much just makes the return though that much sweeter so it's awesome to see you back.

Yeah, it's fun seeing those of you that I haven't kept up with since I left! And yeah, as far as I'm concerned, I still kind of live in NC; at least, I'll be heading back there once I find a job, I hope! It's a lovely state, and definitely home to some of my favorite places of all time!

Radical Dreamer wrote:
Yep, the very one! It's been my home church since 2010, and I've been volunteering there for a little over a year and a half now (including the time that I was a graphic design intern). Being a part of it has been super life-changing for me; I'm so glad you've heard of it!

I'm definitely a little bit in awe. I own one of their albums after hearing one of the chapel bands play Give Me Faith last year. That's really cool that you got to be an intern with them! I can't imagine being part of a church that big.

Dude, that's awesome! Also you are super brave for taking 21 credit hours. That sonds like a crazy heavy load; remind me what you're majoring in, again? Best of luck with your final semester; it's always a rough one, but it's worth it!

It was somewhat accidental. Due to the way my schedule fell, the electives I've chosen throughout, and a switch I made in the way certain credits were placed on my record, left me with this insane semester. It was originally supposed to only be sixteen, but nothing I can do about that now. I'm double-majoring in Bible/Theology and Psychology/Counseling. I'm doing all I can to stay afloat.

Welcome back!

Wow! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I'm not sure if you remember me, but I do remember you. I'm glad you're doing so well.

Welcome back, Corrie! It's good to see you! I've missed talking with you as much.

Hi!

Okami wrote:I'm definitely a little bit in awe. I own one of their albums after hearing one of the chapel bands play Give Me Faith last year. That's really cool that you got to be an intern with them! I can't imagine being part of a church that big.

Ah, awesome! I'm super pumped about the new album they have coming out in February; it's gonna be fantastic. And yeah, the size was a little overwhelming at first (I started going when they were averaging about 6,000 people on a weekend--now it's usually over 12,000), but once I got involved with a volunteer role and their small groups, the size really didn't matter! Do you ever keep up with the sermons on the network/app?

It was somewhat accidental. Due to the way my schedule fell, the electives I've chosen throughout, and a switch I made in the way certain credits were placed on my record, left me with this insane semester. It was originally supposed to only be sixteen, but nothing I can do about that now. I'm double-majoring in Bible/Theology and Psychology/Counseling. I'm doing all I can to stay afloat.

Holy cow, that's unfortunate. It's great that you're keeping up with all of that, though! You chose some pretty solid majors, but I can definitely see how that would get overwhelming really quick with all of the reading and writing. Keep it up!

mysngoeshere56 wrote:Wow! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I'm not sure if you remember me, but I do remember you. I'm glad you're doing so well.

I totally remember you! Good to see you around!

Roy Mustang wrote:Hi!

Hiiiii! (caught this thanks to the new feature that notifies you of posts that have been made since you started writing...so dang fancy!)

Welcome back RD.

Go post in the Doctor Who thread so I can hear your thoughts on season 7-so-far and the Christmas ep.

I would talk more about what is going on in my life, but I don't post it here at the boards anymore. It is better to PM or just send a FB message to me.

Radical Dreamer wrote: Ah, awesome! I'm super pumped about the new album they have coming out in February; it's gonna be fantastic. And yeah, the size was a little overwhelming at first (I started going when they were averaging about 6,000 people on a weekend--now it's usually over 12,000), but once I got involved with a volunteer role and their small groups, the size really didn't matter! Do you ever keep up with the sermons on the network/app?

Ooh, I hadn't been keeping up on details of new music. I've been sort of sectioned off since I got into Bethel Music. XD Yay! :> I can imagine things do get better/more personal once one gets involved in small groups, and the "mega-churches" I've been to often speak of small groups and such, but it's like...whoa, where do I even BEGIN? I guess that's where I'd get lost. I can't say I really have kept up with Elevation's sermons - it can get pretty tricky trying to keep up with my own churches let alone the ones I follow musically - Elevation, Bethel, and Hillsong specifically coming to mind.

Holy cow, that's unfortunate. It's great that you're keeping up with all of that, though! You chose some pretty solid majors, but I can definitely see how that would get overwhelming really quick with all of the reading and writing. Keep it up!

Yeah, it's absolutely incredible in a sort of neutral sense - incredible in the negative that it's SO much work to keep up with, and incredible in the positive that it's a lot that I'm learning and processing and fascinated by. It's exciting, certainly never a dull moment! Bible/Theology is a "required" major for attending my college, but I've felt called to "heal" since high school (which is funny now that I think about that, as the denomination my college associates with doesn't give much credit to spiritual forces like that. It's a little too Pentecostal for them. XD) and I've always taken healing in a counseling sort of prospect...but have recently, in the past year, come to this given idea that possibly God could be calling me to healing beyond the sense of counseling into a sort of spiritual gifting. I really want to use this degree for the help of others, regardless of what form and shape that comes to be in the end.

Welcome back!