Personal Views on Journey to the Grave- Kendra

Wow! Life after death…every time I said this before we started our senior project it brought chills down my spine. Now…life after death has become an afterthought and I feel no emotion when I think about it. This has indeed been a journey and one that I have felt like I was a part of the whole entire way. I never would have imagined myself along with three other young ladies filming a documentary on life after death or death at all. 


When we first came up with this topic I was a little sketchy because this is a sensitive or should I say strange topic to do a documentary on. Unsure of how things would turn out we dove into this project with high but unsure hopes but things came alone well. We changed topic’s within this topic at least a thousand times but finally decided to go with the concept of talking about the life cycle and what happens once one crosses over. I did things in this group that I may have never done on my own. I had the opportunity to meet with a psychic/medium…shout outs to Sammie Jo and her mom, learn final cut pro to the TEE well at least I feel like I did, meet some of the most interesting people, and learn some serious leadership skills and time management skills. 


This project has changed my view on life and death. I’ve learned to value every hour, minute, and second of my life. I’ve learned to love those around me and treat everyone like tomorrow isn’t promised. I’ve learned to not be so scared about death. No need to worry about something that I have no control over. Live your life for tomorrow is not promised…see you on the other side


-K

Joy Ngoma: My personal views on life after death and the cycle of life

Firstly, I would like to say that this is a topic I rarely discuss so when the opportunity presented itself to do our short documentary on this topic, I was overly excited . I guess , not necessarily because its a great topic but because I want to know what other people's views on life after death are or where they stand .
Personally , I was brought up to believe that there is a heaven (which is the place one goes to if you lived your life in the good ways of the Bible -follow in Jesus's footsteps AND do no evil ) also to believe in  Hell (which is the place I was told one goes to if they didn't surrender their soul to the lord .)
I was brought up to believe in the after life , from a young age i was told  that heaven is the place  where I will get to be whatever I want , eat whatever AND not to have to worry about a thing , I'll be able to meet angels , touch them and talked to them , play with animals - AND that is what they call "eternity " 

But if I don't do what the bible tells me to do , or what my sunday school teacher taught me about the bible ,Jesus, the Holy spirit and God , that i was  pretty much paving my road to hell (that's where the devil is , I will burn in a dark hole and not have fun at all ) that is the beliefs from the younger me .
 Now that I am older - and can read the bible , evaluate and connect with the stories in a way that fulfills my heart AND not having to worry about judgement day .
I have my own version of what heaven should look like - I do believe that when one dies , there is a higher place that they go to - a place of peace and harmony and in some way I do believe that their spirit is still connected to the living .
I like to look at myself as a spiritual instead of religious individual. Yes, I DO go to church and yes I do read the bible but I am also aware that there's different ways of reaching enlightenment and there is  no wrong or right way of getting there . I live my life consciously AND try my best to be present in this life .

I don't want to walk around with a chip on my shoulders that whatever I do will get me to heaven for sure. But I do want to do things that will allow me to sleep at the end of the day - I want my actions to represent my conversations with God , as i believe my prayers are my actions . I can not curse out my brother or sister begging for money in the middle of the street and treat them less than an animal in the  Jungle seeking for survival ...AND then run to the alter on Sunday to Ask for forgiveness because I want the golden gates to be open for me when i crossover.
I want to be that person who is conscious in my life because that will allow me to treat people the way I would like others to treat me . I want it to be a natural action ,to be of service to others with empathy, respect and compassion,  as natural as blinking ..

Coming back to the topic of life after death - yes I would like to keep the belief that a person has different lives , that when I die - it will not be the end of me -that I will have another life after I have crossed over . Do I want to know how that life looks like ? Nope . Do i want a glimpse of that life through other people who claim to have crossed over and came back? No, But i do respect those who seek for answers and their thirst for the after life experience.
 I have faith that it is there, and that is all i'm content with  ....and maybe I am living it right now- who knows! ...maybe my heaven is somebody else"s hell and somebody else's hell is my heaven ....its not doubt or lack of imagination , but it is what it is,  what it is-   until the day my spirit leaves my body i will continue to believe that my spirit will continue to live long after my body has turned into dust 
The mystery of Life, Death and the after life does not bother me at all - because it is part of who i am, its nature and a puzzle that has all the pieces but no need to be solved just yet.  


-J

Personal Views on Journey to the Grave- Cassie

When you first hear the topic "Journey to the Grave," what's the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s a closed casket buried 5 ft underneath the ground. The second thing that comes to my mind is a long and complex journey that one must take all by themselves. With that being said, my views on this project when we first started it were all over the place. I was scared at the beginning when we decided to center our whole project on a funeral home. This is mainly because death is something that just kind of happens naturally…and never really discussed because nobody “really” knows what happens afterwards.

After numerous amounts of research, spending time at the funeral home, and discussing death out loud, my views on this subject matter slowly began to change. Along with the direction of our documentary due to circumstances beyond any of our control.

I can honestly say that doing this project has definitely been and interesting journey. I got to see the behind the scenes of what goes on in an actually funeral home, as well as talk to a real live psychic! It was very eye opening for me to here everybody's opinions on our documentary's subject matter; especially Sammie's since she claims that she knows what goes on after one's life is over in this world. She even told me some things about myself that I did not tell her before meeting her for the first time. Sammie even went on to tell me about what my future has in store for me for the next 4 years. Whether she is right or wrong, I am extremely glad that I have a strong faith in God. As long as I have him on my side and believe in his word, I can get through and achieve anything :)

-C

Personal Views on Journey to the Grave- Ashley

When first going into this project, we had a map and a plan for what we wanted...a Journey to the Grave and our main feature being on the details of a funeral home. I wanted to go inside and find out what it was really like for the people working in there. I had stereotypical views at first but all that was put to rest. When we didn't get the access like we were supposed to our project took a turn. Now turning it into the cycle of life viewing different interpretations on life and life after death. The turning point in our project was expected because I mean it is a documentary. 


Personally, this physical Life is beautiful to me, I think people NEED to take time to seize the day but not get caught up in spontaneity. Life needs structure in order to achieve your dreams and have purpose and that is where hard work comes into play. Everyone should also take time to go for what they love, even if they fail. I believe we are all working for a higher purpose in life so make the best of it. I have my religious views also when it comes to life and life after death but I am more in touch with my spiritual side than religious side. I believe with this entire universe and everything that's in it there just HAS to be a higher being and God/Jesus is the person I believe is that higher being. I believe the heaven we're going to is the one God made for us and get a lot of my views from the Bible.  Life after death is just that...LIFE. We're living now in a physical presence but we don't know what living is until we die because that's forever. 


This project has opened my mind a bit more and made me think about what's ahead and death itself. When it comes to death, I believe what I've been taught since I can remember. I believe in preparing yourself for the afterlife...that means living your life according to how God wants you to. Everyone has a path and they may swerve off plenty of times but at the end of the day God knows where your heart is and will help you as much as he can to get on that path that he set out for you. When it's my time to go I have faith that I'll be on that path.  It's your choice if you want to continue on that path or veer off completely. God gave us free will...take advantage of it, that can be interpreted positively or negatively...your choice. 


Coming towards the end of this project leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth. All these thoughts on life and death drive me crazy because there's so many unanswered questions and so many different views. But hey, we aren't meant to know everything. I guess I'll find out on the other side...see you there?


-A

The End of a Journey

We're nearing the end of what seems like a never ending journey.  This project turned around in so many ways and we came across so many late nights. Mentally, we are all worn out. But as we end we take with us so much. New thoughts about the life cycle and life after death leave us pondering and wanting questions answered. We'll each tell you our personal views on this entire project and our views on life and life after death. Stay tuned.


-KCAJ 

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.

~ Wendell Berry ~

Life After Death?

Is there a life after death? If so...what is it like? Heaven? Hell? Jesus? No one? What are your views on life after death? We found some interesting videos discussing life after death...from a Christian and Non-Christian point of view, atheist, Bishop Tom Wright and Muslim point of view. Feel free to comment after watching or leave suggestions for other videos or readings.

-KCAJ

True Life | I Have A Paranormal Ability

Do you believe in psychics? or psychic mediums? Well after our interview with MTV's True Life personality, Sammie...we have no doubt in our minds about that question anymore. Sammie is a psychic medium from Tennessee. She has the ability to see and speak with our loved ones that have passed away. During our interview with Sammie, she gave us insight and in depth answers to our wondering minds. It's so hard to wrap your mind around the after-life if you believe. It makes our brains hurt honestly. Some questions are not meant to be answered but Sammie gave us really something to think about. Check out her episode of True Life (pink link below) and we'll keep you updated on the interviews and our thoughts after speaking with Sammie.

-KCAJ

True Life I Have A Paranormal Ability: "Brooke, Chris, and Sammie Jo are young people with psychic gifts trying to lead ordinary lives while developing their abilities to communicate with the dead."

Death be not Proud

Death be not Proud: Journey to the Grave
By: Joy Ngoma


He lay in the well‐fitted dark rectangular box
Eyes shut, both hands nicely placed in front of his lifeless body
Legs stretched out, A peaceful sleep indeed
No bells ringing
No lightning in his view
No thunder rumbling
Just his body content to the unknown journey of death
Soul floating in the clear blue sky
Spirit moving to the rhythm of an open field
It is not a battle of survival
It is not a battle of mortality
It is a peaceful journey
A journey once taken by his stretched out feet.
A tender voice whispers, “Walk no more soldier it’s time to rest”
A one‐way road with no return
A defeat in the death‐boxing match
Peace has taken over his body
No chaos in this box‐ just a peaceful shelter
Those who knew him cried of a loved one lost too soon
Those who loved him cried of a treasured soul lost
His soul no longer yearning
No tears to be shed
Just a peaceful soul to be celebrated by those left behind
It’s a journey to the grave, destination unknown
Only the afterlife awaited him
Free birds waiting at the golden gates for his soul
They call it a home
Eyes shut, both hands nicely placed in front of his lifeless body
Legs stretched out, A peaceful sleep indeed
No bells ringing
No lightning in his view
No thunder rumbling
He calls it home.

The Undertaking

We thought this documentary was pretty cool...it explains the ideas about what we want for the core part of our film. The basic synopsis is about a funeral director loacted in a small town in Michigan. For years him and his family have cared for the dead and allowed cameras to take a look into their world for the first time in three generations. It's worth a click, we promise. Check it out.   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/undertaking/view/

-KCAJ

Behind the Scenes Pics

Cassie, Kendra, and Joy getting some footage of just a regular day at New Generation

What is Life?

"Life is a multi-faceted concept. Life may refer to the ongoing process of which living things are a part; the period between the birth (or a point at which the entity can be considered to be living) and death of an organism; the condition of an entity that has been born (or reached the point in its existence at which it can be established to be alive) and has yet to die; and that which makes a living thing alive. It may also be a characteristic state or mode of living; "social life"; "city life"; "real life". It is the organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms from nonliving ones."

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. 

Ben Stein

Interesting Life quotes

Day 15...or 100

So by day 15, we are pretty worn out...and pretty immune to the thought of death, hence the behind the scenes videos. If this is the last stop before the grave...it's pretty stressful. We have to commend the staff...this job can take a toll on you. Interviews and behind the scenes pictures  to come. Stay tuned.


-KCAJ

AD-behind the scenes

Joy Ngoma-Behind the scene

Day 15...Kendra's first Confession

New Generation Funeral Home

We are doing our project out of New Generation Funeral Home located in Antioch, TN. Our first thoughts?: CREEPY...but that's expected because not everyone faces death every single day. Walking in, we had an eerie feeling but all those feelings were thrown out as soon as we saw the atmosphere. The home was very well...homely. The interior design made you feel at home and comfortable. We almost forgot where we were. New Generation Funeral Home is a diversified funeral home owned by Tonya Scales Haynes and Pastor Derrick Jackson  that humbly serves the diverse families of Davidson County, Rutherford County, Mount Juliet and surrounding areas. Humble is an understatement when first meeting the staff. The staff seemed very open and sincerely happy about us doing our project on their workplace. They seemed like just regular people...Well most funeral directors are, we always stereotype what we think they would be like: lonely, creepy, crazy, etc. These people had a sense of humor, always had a smile on their faces, professional, down to earth, compassionate, and sincere about the work they do. 

-KCAJ

Life

So we want to know…what does the cycle of life mean to you? It can be as simple as the biological meaning or it can be something deeper. Come on…share your thoughts, feedback guaranteed.

-KCAJ

KCAJ?

So we go by KCAJ…that’s Kendra, Cassie, Ashley, and Joy. Here’s a basic run down on each of us…

Kendra:

Age: 22
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Major: Mass Communications concentration in Public Relations/Broadcasting/Radio

Cassie:

Age: 21
Hometown: Lithonia, GA
Major: Mass Communications concentration in TV Broadcasting

Ashley:

Age: 22
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Major: Mass Communications concentration in Radio/TV Programming and Broadcasting

Joy:

Age: 24
Hometown: South Africa
Major: Mass Communications concentration in Film

It's a bumpy "deadly" ride

While reading our blog, do keep in mind that the four of us are not experts in this topic. We are just four young women who came together , out of curiosity (that might have killed a cat) so we hope to take you step by step as to how the cat ended up dead…….its a metaphor folks, it might not be the best one but i think its darn close to understanding this journey.

Its going to be a bumpy road, as we scramble for information on this topic. Stick around and enjoy the ride.

-KCAJ

Introduction

Journey to the grave…sounds kind of creepy huh? Well it’s not as bad as it sounds. We are all living our own legacy, we are here to take you through the basics of life. And then BOOM, you’re dead…can happen at any moment, we are here to look at everyone’s life after they die; the process for the most part. You don’t just get thrown into the ground (hopefully not), there’s one last stop you have to make before then…we are here to take you through that in depth journey of what happens before you take that trip six feet under. Stay tuned.

-KCAJ