A post over 18 months in the making

Wow, I am possibly the worst blogger that's ever existed. I was planning a long time ago (like over a year ago) to post something as a wrap up to this blog as it related to my journey at Point Loma but kept putting it off and then forgot about it (I learned to be a good procrastinator in college as you can see). I'm sure by now, hardly anyone will even see this post but I think just for the sake of closing out what this blog was intended to be, I'll offer a closing post, at least as far as my time in college is concerned. I might use this blog for other things later - but let's be real, I haven't blogged in over a year so this will probably be the last thing I post for a while.

My last post was from March 2014, which was from my last semester of college about Spring Break. As a wrap up to that story, yeah, I took some flights and traveled for the week and it was so much fun. I went from San Diego to San Francisco to Seattle to Houston to Phoenix to Orange County and there were a ton of stories along the way. I had to take advantage of what was my last "break" from school and I'm so glad I did. Adventure is a good thing. I experienced a lot and I learned a lot. Here's just a couple pictures from the trip:

Pier 39 // San Francisco, CA // The real home of the sea lions

Space Needle, Seattle, WA // A really tall thing with a cool view

Point Loma Nazarene University // San Diego, CA // The greatest view to return to

Also, that last semester, I was able to reunite with the freshman band I was apart of at the beginning of school - I wrote about that back in 2010 (that was so long ago, wow!) Here's a little transformation Tuesday picture:

After all that and a ton of other things, I graduated college, which is a huge deal but since this post is so late in the game, this feels like less exciting news to share. Here's a picture of me at graduation taking a selfie with the president, lovingly known as Bobby B:

May 10, 2014 // The day I graduated college

My time at Point Loma Nazarene University was the greatest four school years of my life and I would say the greatest season of my life in general. I learned a ton. I met a lot people who I hope to be friends with for a very long time. I discovered my passions and my strengths in a new way. I learned about my weaknesses. Point Loma was so, so good to me. It absolutely had it's hard times as well, but I'm better because of it. The Orin that came into PLNU as a freshman was not that same one that left - and for that I'm grateful. God used the people at Point Loma to grow me into who I am today.

Point Loma's mission statement is "Teach, Shape, Send" and the students and staff did just that. I was taught: from information about academic subjects, to real life lessons, to how to view the world not only from my own perspective, to so much more. I was shaped: people spoke into my life and helped me to grow in a way that I can't truly express with words, showing me by words and example of what it means to look more like Jesus. I was sent: my time as a student is finished but I left school equipped more so than ever to handle what life would throw at me next.

Lastly, as a quick post grad update, I stuck around in San Diego after graduating and I'm currently living with a group of Point Loma guys just about 10 minutes from campus. There's no better place for me than San Diego, CA. As far as what I'm doing, I'm still leading worship around the San Diego area on a somewhat sporadic basis but I love it. God has been so faithful to open doors and let me continue my journey with music and I hope to be doing it for as long as my hands and my voice work.

That is all.

Spring Break

It's been far too long since I've updated this blog. My many apologies.

But anyway, it's currently Spring Break. My last one at Point Loma since I'm graduating in May (what the heck don't make me leave)!

I was feeling really spontaneous so I actually just bought some plane tickets and I'm going to be flying around and visiting places. I left San Diego this morning to head to San Francisco. I'm in LA waiting for my next flight. And then who knows where I'll go from there! I don't know where I'm even going to be staying every day I'm gone but I'm trusting the Lord's provision and guidance!

I plan to update the blog again when I finish my adventure! Hopefully I'll have some stories to share! :D

Well Here It Is

This is the night before the beginning of my 8th and final semester at PLNU. I have all sorts of mixed emotions that I can't even put in to words. I'm excited to be done with the school aspect of school (namely, homework and assignments), but I dread leaving this place (namely these people and opportunities). It doesn't feel real. I feel like I've been here my whole life. This feels like home. These people are my family.. How could I ever leave?

Maybe I'll just never leave. There's that.

Here's to one more semester.

That is all.

Homecoming!

Homecoming weekend was just a week ago from today and this was probably my favorite one of the 4 I've been here for. Being a senior probably made me enjoy it more for sure but there were a bunch of reasons why it was more incredible this year than other years too!

I think I mentioned in my last post that I had gotten nominated to be on the Homecoming Court for this year so that added a lot to my enjoyment of the week.

On Friday last week, we had the 2013 Homecoming Variety Show and  Coronation where they honor those on the court and then reveal the winner out of the seniors who win "king" and "queen." My parents came to the show to see me and took some pictures. (The spotlights were so insanely bright it was really hard to see!)

 Me and my walking partner and fellow senior, Hayley, as we were being introduced.

 The whole court! Freshman prince/princess, sophomore, junior, and then the 3 senior nominees.

Then we got to ride on the rotating stage as it turned around and the variety show started. (by the way, being on the rotating stage was one of our favorite parts of being on the court. A lot of people have that on their Loma bucket list and we got to do it!) It’s so cool that there have been so many talented people to come through Point Loma. From guitarists, to singers, and overall great people, Point Loma has exported a lot of talent!

So anyway, after the variety show, the court got to ride the stage around one more time! We danced as it spun and that was a blast. So then they introduced the 2012 (last year’s) Homecoming King and Queen because they were going to crown the 2013 (this year’s) King and Queen after the results were revealed. But before the results could be revealed, they got the 1983 (30 year’s ago!) Homecoming King and Queen to bring out the envelope!

They announced the king first.

“Your 2013 Homecoming King is… Orin Mozon!” (that’s me just in case you didn’t know who was writing this).

How exciting! It was a pretty surreal experience to win something like this for me. I was nominated to be on the court the last couple years but never made it past the questionnaire part. And then, my senior year, they let me in and I won! I was pretty excited!

 

And then the moment everyone was really waiting for, the Homecoming Queen! And it just so happened to be my walking partner, Hayley! I was super stoked about that too!

After last year’s royalty crowned us, they played that one song that goes “Celebrate good times come on doo doo doo do do do do doo.” We had rehearsed walking out formally, but when that song came on, Hayley and I decided to dance our way out so that was exciting too.

This was definitely an experience I’ll always remember.

Then to top it off, the next day, both PLNU men's and women's basketball won the homecoming game. The men's game went into overtime and I think it was the loudest game I've ever heard in the gym. The students here rock.

Man, I love my school. I'm so blessed to be here.

That is all.

Senior Year: Month 2

This year has been absolutely amazing. I wish I could accurately and briefly describe how great things are going here at Loma. From meeting new people, to deepening relationships I've already had here over the years, I am constantly reminded that I am in the right place. I never want to leave! Seriously. I have to find a way to not leave. Maybe I'll fail just one class so I have to stay an extra year... Parents probably wouldn't be happy about that though...

Well, what to say. In the last month from my last blog up to this, quite a lot has happened I suppose! Life has been great overall and I'm really thankful for that.

A cool thing about social media is that as you post things, they save so you can look back on the past and see what happened that was social media worthy and then track what you've been up to. So that's what I did. Here's some of the things that have happened within the last month!

• Stayed up all night studying for a music history test
• Burrito run for a study break
• Stayed up all night two days after that for a psychology test
• Had Lucky Puffs (one of the many Caf creations that keep the Caf exciting)
• 1am McDonald’s run
• Burrito run
• Multiple jam sessions with friends who are way better musicians than I am
• Went to a spoken word event in North Park
• Real talk with good dudes
• Got persuaded to drive freshmen girls that live in my dorm to a Jason Aldean concert even though I really don’t like country
• Actually had fun at that concert
• Packed 12 freshmen in my car that seats 5

• Movie night by myself all night to help me stay awake and finish mounds of homework
• Discovered that my social psychology professor is super cool and frequently browses reddit
• Fall break and Fall Festival at Point Loma (PUMPKINS EVERYWHERE)

 

• Tried my first ever pumpkin spice latte and really liked it
• Had another one the next day
• Heard that President Obama is apparently releasing a rap album this year (should probably be called The Black House

• Led worship at the Time Out service and it was awesome
• Burrito run
• Went to an ASB event on Halloween night that was a ton of fun (see string of pictures from the photo booth below)

• Started this thing called The Burning Hearts Challenge that a lot of people have been doing on campus
•  Loma rainbow

• Became obsessed with this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpu0TIXzI1w
• Late night In-N-Out run
• Went to LA for the first time and saw a really amazing gospel choir competition/gospel concert
• Loma unicorn

• Got nominated for homecoming and made it in to the top 3 so I’ll be on homecoming court later this month!
• Led worship in chapel yesterday and a had a ton of fun. It was a preview day too so there were a lot of students and parents on campus that had never been on campus before which added to the excitement
• Burrito run
• Hung out in the Caf for 3 and a half hours because I just love the Caf so much and there is awesome food and so many great people to hang out with
• Got a yellow card from the stands at the girls’ volleyball game for yelling at the ref. Oops.

As you can see, there are tons of things happening in my life and on campus (mostly burrito runs). This is only a glimpse!

I’m loving life and am so blessed to be where I am.

That is all.

SUPER LATE FIRST BLOG OF THE YEAR BLOG

Well, I'm a month into my senior year of college here at PLNU. It's been an incredible month. The best month of school I've ever been a part of. Coming off the greatest summer I've ever had, this year has been far greater than what I expected. I'm a season of joy and excitement right now in my life and I want to live here as long as the Lord will allow.

A lot has happened in a month here but I will try to cover a few major things briefly.

First, NSO. New Student Orientation. Always a good time welcoming in the new class of freshmen and transfers. It is seriously such a joy to get pumped about new people coming to the school and trying to help them be pumped up as well. I met so many of the incoming freshmen and transfers (even if I couldn't remember their names) and it was so much fun. I was so glad I got to be a part of it.

And then school started. And it started off so great. The first day of school I only had 2 classes so that's definitely nice. And then after that I got to hang out with a couple good friends and talk about what God had been doing in our lives and then pray together. That's always a good time.

I got to lead worship at the first Time Out service of the year later that night too and it was so so SO much fun. It was really cool for me because everyone was excited to be back and be together again so energy was high and it seemed like people really enjoyed worshiping together as a Point Loma community again.

The night day though, I had a bit of a senior crisis after sitting in a Social Psychology class. It was SO great. And it made me doubt why I had been a music major this whole time. But after thinking about it and talking about it for a while with some friends, I was able to talk myself down a little bit, realize I couldn't just change my major senior year, and then figured out a different way to resolve my crisis. I knew when I came here that I was supposed to be in the major I'm in, but I had gotten tired of learning the same thing. So having a psych class really opened my eyes to how fun learning can be when you're learning things that are interesting to you. I'm a music major, but I'm not that into classical music, which is a big part of what the music department deals with. I'm a people person, which is a HUGE part of what psychology deals with. So I felt at home because we'd be talking about people. So I ended up moving my schedule around so that I could take an Abnormal Psychology class and have 2 psych classes this semester. That's been going great; I look forward to going to class and it's awesome.

On another note, I'm living in a freshman dorm this year (again) and I love it. These freshmen are so excited about being at Point Loma and their excitement makes me realize how blessed I've been to be here the last few years. It's been such an experience meeting them and living with them. One word of advice I have after seeing the differences between my friends that I have that are seniors and the new friends I've been making that are freshmen is to never lose your excitement. About school, about God, about life. There's always so much enjoyment to be gained from life and especially being at Point Loma.

That leads to my final thing I wanted to write about. There has been so much excitement and stuff all over campus this year. God has been doing a lot of things in students lives (as He always does) and so many people are seeing how He's working and growing so much in their faiths and in their relationships with each other. I wish I could share all the stories I've been hearing about and seeing, but there's far too many and I know I haven't even begun to hear them all.

So to summarize, I'm so excited to be here at Point Loma for year 4. I don't ever want to leave.

That is all.

Here's My Heart

Hey so remember that one time I said I was recording some music that I had written. Well, I did. And I posted it. So... these are some songs that the Lord has placed in me over the past 3 and a half years. I'm really nervous about sharing them, but here they are anyway. It's not perfect sounding, but here's my heart, if I were to put it in to music.

A lot of this was written during my journey at Point Loma, so that's why it's relevant to this blog.

That is all.