"How are you doing today?"
This phrase works wonders. Every time I'm out and about either at a Starbucks, checking out at the grocery store, or addressing a hostess at a restaurant, I ask that simple question. It makes a world of difference. Instantly, a relaxed, thankful look from the eyes of the barista or checkout person becomes apparent.
It continues to blow my mind how fast-paced our society is, and how rude people can be. I get the fact that we all have 34091 things going at once, but really-- how difficult is it just to humanize the person that is helping you out by asking them how they are doing?
Today, my family and I went to the movie theater to check out Sherlock Holmes and as we pulled up we knew we weren't the only family with this idea. There were lines at the ticket office, and even inside to give the person your ticket. After we got our tickets, we went inside and waited in the next line. Before getting to the employee, I could tell he looked harried and somewhat overwhelmed. As I was handing him the tickets for my sister and I, I asked him how he was, and he looked absolutely shocked that he almost didn't know how to answer. The look on his face was priceless, in such an awesome way :)
In a way, there is a little bit of a risk in asking someone how their day is... from a crude point of view, I think some people don't ask how employees are doing as a way to better themselves and refuse to associate with someone 'lower' than them socially. That absolutely disgusts me, and I hope that case is not prevalent. In my opinion, I think people don't want to risk attempting to care for fellow human-beings. There's the risk of talking to a complete stranger, or that maybe the person will be honest and say they are having a bad day, or that maybe they will just blow you off. Despite these risks, we should ask how people are doing, because it serves a greater purpose.
As a Christ-follower, I believe we are all "Image-Bearers" as we were made in the image as God designed us to be... therefore, it should a pragmatic approach to ask how fellow image-bearers are doing. It only takes a second, and it could make all the difference for someone having a rough day.
Well that's enough ranting for now, I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, and best blessings for 2010 if I don't blog til then!
26 December 2009
25 December 2009
A Christmas Offering
I'm not sure what possessed me to wake up so dang early on Christmas morning, I halfway wonder if years of getting up at the crack of dawn on the 25th of December every year of my life has something to do with it. This literally is my favorite time of year, I absolutely love Christmas music, getting presents for loved ones (receiving isn't half bad either ;]), and just enjoying quality time with my family. Every Christmas, and now every time I come home to San Diego, I am left in awe of my family. I'm very blessed to have the family that I do. It really does blow me away. :)
Of course, the primary reason for the joyousness of the CHRISTmas season is the celebration of the birth of the Savior of the entire world, Jesus Christ. This same Jesus came to bring life to the lifeless, rescue the unsaved, and truth to the lost.
The power behind this story floors me... it is very much a paradox that the savior of the world came from the humblest of origins. Not only was Jesus human, meaning he was momentarily stripped of his deity as part of the three-in-one, but he was born to a bunch of nobodies. Yeah, Joseph was of the line of the legendary King David, but he and Mary were extremely poor. It boggles my mind that He would come down in the flesh because He loved us so incredibly.
It's crazy to think the savior of the world came here in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger to poor parents.
Yesterday, for Christmas Eve, my Dad and I went to the service at my church. My mom was in the choir, and it was great getting to see how happy she was to be apart of it. Singing really is one of my Mom's greatest qualities, and I really hope she has the opportunity to be apart of the worship team on Sunday mornings.
Services at Journey are generally pretty well organized and produced, and yesterday was no exception. In an action-packed 80 minutes, we sang about six Christmas carols, had a couple solo performances, a theatrical presentation of our regression to sin in the Garden of Eden to Christ's emergence in Bethlehem, and a message from our teaching pastor Ed Noble. All of the elements dovetailed perfectly to produce a truly immaculate service!
Ed's talk focused on Hope. The Christmas Story provides the ultimate story of hope. As the world was sinking, suffocating in sin, Jesus came to pick us up out of the muck and give us the breath of life. He was known as Immanuel, which means 'God With Us.' That's pretty dang cool. Essentially, Christmas is Hope showing up.
In the sermon, Ed identified three ways in which we can have more hope:
1. You don't have to be somebody to have THE somebody care about you, much less include you in His plans.
In the Christmas story there are a lot of "hopeless" people that play a prominent role. Back in the days of Jesus, shepherds were considered the among the lowest of professions, as people were shepherds only because they could not attain a better job. In addition, they were not allowed to testify in court cause they were viewed as lazy and undependable. Furthermore, the magi (3 Wise Men), were viewed as illegitimate by the Jews because they practiced Astrology. As I mentioned earlier in this post, Mary and Joseph weren't well off either.
All of these provide backing that God really does enfranchise the meek and repressed, and that He cares to know each of us individuality and has good plans for our life. Which leads to the next point.
2. Hope may be small, but when it shows up, it can change everything!
Hope is not everything going my way, but hope is realizing that God has a good purpose in my life. I may be going through trials at any given moment, but I need to trust and have faith that He is going to lead me through it, and in these trials I can grow in closer communion with Him. It's crazy to think that God is for us!
3. Hope may be hidden, but it is there for those who choose to receive it (Him).
It is critical that we receive the hope offered from this story. Even though this takes place at the beginning of the first millennium, the hope persists to this very day. We just need to be intentional, and seek it with everything we have.
We can all use a little more hope, and this story provides more than we need. Thank you Jesus for all that you have given me, I pray that my life could be a living sacrifice to do your will, and you would equip me and grow me to do so. I thank you for living amongst us, and to exhibit a perfect relationship with the Father, and that I would take the hope displayed in this story and that I would apply it to my daily life to positively impact those around me. You were a friend of sinners, and I hope that you would provide me opportunities to be a friend to those around me. You are Lord of my life, and sovereign over all things, and I thank you that you do not go back on your promises for you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen!
Here's to Hope, Merry Christmas!
Of course, the primary reason for the joyousness of the CHRISTmas season is the celebration of the birth of the Savior of the entire world, Jesus Christ. This same Jesus came to bring life to the lifeless, rescue the unsaved, and truth to the lost.
The power behind this story floors me... it is very much a paradox that the savior of the world came from the humblest of origins. Not only was Jesus human, meaning he was momentarily stripped of his deity as part of the three-in-one, but he was born to a bunch of nobodies. Yeah, Joseph was of the line of the legendary King David, but he and Mary were extremely poor. It boggles my mind that He would come down in the flesh because He loved us so incredibly.
It's crazy to think the savior of the world came here in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger to poor parents.
Yesterday, for Christmas Eve, my Dad and I went to the service at my church. My mom was in the choir, and it was great getting to see how happy she was to be apart of it. Singing really is one of my Mom's greatest qualities, and I really hope she has the opportunity to be apart of the worship team on Sunday mornings.
Services at Journey are generally pretty well organized and produced, and yesterday was no exception. In an action-packed 80 minutes, we sang about six Christmas carols, had a couple solo performances, a theatrical presentation of our regression to sin in the Garden of Eden to Christ's emergence in Bethlehem, and a message from our teaching pastor Ed Noble. All of the elements dovetailed perfectly to produce a truly immaculate service!
Ed's talk focused on Hope. The Christmas Story provides the ultimate story of hope. As the world was sinking, suffocating in sin, Jesus came to pick us up out of the muck and give us the breath of life. He was known as Immanuel, which means 'God With Us.' That's pretty dang cool. Essentially, Christmas is Hope showing up.
In the sermon, Ed identified three ways in which we can have more hope:
1. You don't have to be somebody to have THE somebody care about you, much less include you in His plans.
In the Christmas story there are a lot of "hopeless" people that play a prominent role. Back in the days of Jesus, shepherds were considered the among the lowest of professions, as people were shepherds only because they could not attain a better job. In addition, they were not allowed to testify in court cause they were viewed as lazy and undependable. Furthermore, the magi (3 Wise Men), were viewed as illegitimate by the Jews because they practiced Astrology. As I mentioned earlier in this post, Mary and Joseph weren't well off either.
All of these provide backing that God really does enfranchise the meek and repressed, and that He cares to know each of us individuality and has good plans for our life. Which leads to the next point.
2. Hope may be small, but when it shows up, it can change everything!
Hope is not everything going my way, but hope is realizing that God has a good purpose in my life. I may be going through trials at any given moment, but I need to trust and have faith that He is going to lead me through it, and in these trials I can grow in closer communion with Him. It's crazy to think that God is for us!
3. Hope may be hidden, but it is there for those who choose to receive it (Him).
It is critical that we receive the hope offered from this story. Even though this takes place at the beginning of the first millennium, the hope persists to this very day. We just need to be intentional, and seek it with everything we have.
We can all use a little more hope, and this story provides more than we need. Thank you Jesus for all that you have given me, I pray that my life could be a living sacrifice to do your will, and you would equip me and grow me to do so. I thank you for living amongst us, and to exhibit a perfect relationship with the Father, and that I would take the hope displayed in this story and that I would apply it to my daily life to positively impact those around me. You were a friend of sinners, and I hope that you would provide me opportunities to be a friend to those around me. You are Lord of my life, and sovereign over all things, and I thank you that you do not go back on your promises for you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen!
Here's to Hope, Merry Christmas!
21 December 2009
A Forgettable, Yet Unforgettable Quarter
This title sounds like I'm on crack... but I think it is a clever little paradox. Fall Quarter is in the books, and academically, it is by far the worst of my life. Grades used to be my everything, now they seem like a footnote in my life. On a positive note, I don't have to retake any classes, but on a sour note, I just didn't apply myself that well this quarter. This was a good reality check, and I definitely learned my lesson that I'm certainly not unblemished.
My heart and mind were immersed elsewhere-- Leading a bible study was quite time consuming, but I think a worthy sacrifice. I didn't do a fantastic job this past quarter in that regard, but it is a learning process and I'm enjoying it with each passing week. But I need to have the right perspective... this break is definitely needed to get back on track. I have about the next 9 days or so to do some substantial soul-searching and life-planning.
There's only 10 days left in this decade... friggin crazy how a mere ten years ago people were freaking out about the "Y2K" virus. I don't even know if I knew what a virus was back then. Things were wayyy different then, and I'm sure in the next decade there will be plenty of crazy, crazy stuff going on.
Well that's all for now for my AM musings, I'm sure there will be a post or two to come in the next couple days. Cheers!
My heart and mind were immersed elsewhere-- Leading a bible study was quite time consuming, but I think a worthy sacrifice. I didn't do a fantastic job this past quarter in that regard, but it is a learning process and I'm enjoying it with each passing week. But I need to have the right perspective... this break is definitely needed to get back on track. I have about the next 9 days or so to do some substantial soul-searching and life-planning.
There's only 10 days left in this decade... friggin crazy how a mere ten years ago people were freaking out about the "Y2K" virus. I don't even know if I knew what a virus was back then. Things were wayyy different then, and I'm sure in the next decade there will be plenty of crazy, crazy stuff going on.
Well that's all for now for my AM musings, I'm sure there will be a post or two to come in the next couple days. Cheers!
30 November 2009
The End of An Era
So... today is my last day as a young dude that's managed to dodge the constant hurdles of being absolutely surrounded by alcohol. It's crazy, and I'm tripping out. I'm turning 21. With this new "legal" age, comes great responsibility.
I've been super excited for this day, I've been keeping a countdown for the past 6 months, and its all coming near the end. Although now, I'm just as anxious as downright frightened. The one thing keeping me away from alcohol was the arbitrary nature of my age.
Since last year, I've been questioning why I've had this drive to keep away from alcohol, and what is my ultimate motivation for waiting this long to drink. I don't have one straight answer, perhaps a multitude of answers. To a certain degree (I'm almost ashamed to say) I've held out this long to say that I did it the way it is supposed to be done. However, I'm not going to brag about it, cause that would defeat the purpose. But I do think it's amazing, and this definitely proves to me that there is something greater than me.
This willpower, strength, and desire to remain free from the influence of alcohol came from something outside of me. For whatever reason, God has provided me a decisive victory over any desire to drink before I am 21. Now that the time has come, I feel I'm on the brink of obscurity. I don't know what to expect, I'm a little excited for it though. I've been praying that I live up to the scriptures, and lead a life that is filled by the spirit, not one that is ruled by alcohol.
My views of drinking have changed substantially over the past couple years, and now I feel that if you can be responsible and keep it in moderation, there is nothing wrong with drinking. My parents raised me to be responsible, and I intend to uphold that for the rest of my life in all things.
So we'll see how it all ends up. Crazy to think I've been on this earth for 21 years already. What an adventure its been, and with the end of one era, comes the beginning of a new one.
I've been super excited for this day, I've been keeping a countdown for the past 6 months, and its all coming near the end. Although now, I'm just as anxious as downright frightened. The one thing keeping me away from alcohol was the arbitrary nature of my age.
Since last year, I've been questioning why I've had this drive to keep away from alcohol, and what is my ultimate motivation for waiting this long to drink. I don't have one straight answer, perhaps a multitude of answers. To a certain degree (I'm almost ashamed to say) I've held out this long to say that I did it the way it is supposed to be done. However, I'm not going to brag about it, cause that would defeat the purpose. But I do think it's amazing, and this definitely proves to me that there is something greater than me.
This willpower, strength, and desire to remain free from the influence of alcohol came from something outside of me. For whatever reason, God has provided me a decisive victory over any desire to drink before I am 21. Now that the time has come, I feel I'm on the brink of obscurity. I don't know what to expect, I'm a little excited for it though. I've been praying that I live up to the scriptures, and lead a life that is filled by the spirit, not one that is ruled by alcohol.
My views of drinking have changed substantially over the past couple years, and now I feel that if you can be responsible and keep it in moderation, there is nothing wrong with drinking. My parents raised me to be responsible, and I intend to uphold that for the rest of my life in all things.
So we'll see how it all ends up. Crazy to think I've been on this earth for 21 years already. What an adventure its been, and with the end of one era, comes the beginning of a new one.
26 November 2009
Thanksgiving: A Verb, Not a Noun
In this life, I truly have a lot to be thankful for. I have an awesome family, great friends, a roof over my head (2 actually), and I have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe. During this time of the year, I am genuinely overwhelmed with how good it is to live the way I do. I am surrounded by friends and family constantly, Thanksgiving is always great, Black Friday is crazy, my birthday is soon, and then after that is finals and then three weeks of home-cooked meals with Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years.
All of these things converge into one mass that truly blows my mind. How did I get so lucky? God is good, and yes, it is certainly easy to say that when things are good, but when things are bad, we can truly press into him and learn more about his character and his unceasing love for us. Crazy!
There was a message at a church called Reality down in Carpenteria, about 20 mins south of Santa Barbara, titled "Thanksgiving is a verb." I listened to the Podcast today on my way down to the desert to have our Thanksgiving dinner with my grandma.
This message was powerful, the pastor, Britt Merrick, is truly an awesome pastor that really has the spirit speaking through him. If it wasn't so far away from my house (about 48 miles round trip) I probably would go more often.
Anyway, we as human beings are messed up (duh!), and it is very difficult for us to continually submit to God and give him praise and thankfulness for giving us another opportunity to grow closer to him and learn more about his love for us.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul writes "...in everything, give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Colossians 3:17 says "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Both of these scriptures are pretty dang cool. By giving thanks to Him in all things, we are putting him in the right place in our lives--by keeping him above us, as we submit to Him. By default, it keeps us in our place by remaining submissive to Him as Lord of our lives.
I hope and pray that each day I live, not just the fourth Thursday of November, I actively and intentionally give thanks in all things. Happy Thanksgiving! Keep it a verb and not a noun!
All of these things converge into one mass that truly blows my mind. How did I get so lucky? God is good, and yes, it is certainly easy to say that when things are good, but when things are bad, we can truly press into him and learn more about his character and his unceasing love for us. Crazy!
There was a message at a church called Reality down in Carpenteria, about 20 mins south of Santa Barbara, titled "Thanksgiving is a verb." I listened to the Podcast today on my way down to the desert to have our Thanksgiving dinner with my grandma.
This message was powerful, the pastor, Britt Merrick, is truly an awesome pastor that really has the spirit speaking through him. If it wasn't so far away from my house (about 48 miles round trip) I probably would go more often.
Anyway, we as human beings are messed up (duh!), and it is very difficult for us to continually submit to God and give him praise and thankfulness for giving us another opportunity to grow closer to him and learn more about his love for us.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul writes "...in everything, give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Colossians 3:17 says "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Both of these scriptures are pretty dang cool. By giving thanks to Him in all things, we are putting him in the right place in our lives--by keeping him above us, as we submit to Him. By default, it keeps us in our place by remaining submissive to Him as Lord of our lives.
I hope and pray that each day I live, not just the fourth Thursday of November, I actively and intentionally give thanks in all things. Happy Thanksgiving! Keep it a verb and not a noun!
18 November 2009
Just a Glimpse...
I'm in the library right now, for the second day this week I'm going to be in here for about 6 hours. Yayyy for procrastination!
Two years ago, the thought of going in the library for that long was so foreign and crazy to me. Now after a few marathons under my belt, I'm ready for it. My backpack essentially becomes both a grocery store and a drug store at the same time. Right now I have an apple, three granola bars, a sandwich bag of cheerios, a sandwich bag of trail mix, and two bottles of water with a big thing of Gatorade. I also have some Tylenol and Excedrin to keep me (and my head) company.
Oh well, the bible says to rejoice in all things, and all this prepping makes me laugh, so just trying to keep it positive :)
Here's a few pics of a sunset about 2 weeks ago-- Enjoy!
Two years ago, the thought of going in the library for that long was so foreign and crazy to me. Now after a few marathons under my belt, I'm ready for it. My backpack essentially becomes both a grocery store and a drug store at the same time. Right now I have an apple, three granola bars, a sandwich bag of cheerios, a sandwich bag of trail mix, and two bottles of water with a big thing of Gatorade. I also have some Tylenol and Excedrin to keep me (and my head) company.
Oh well, the bible says to rejoice in all things, and all this prepping makes me laugh, so just trying to keep it positive :)
Here's a few pics of a sunset about 2 weeks ago-- Enjoy!
15 November 2009
Focus, focus, focus
With great ability comes great responsibility. And with great responsibility, one needs to have the supernatural ability to focus.
Unfortunately that is something I do not have!! My Sunday morning is going to be spent working on a project I have for my gender comm class, due Tuesday. I've waited until last night to really start working on it. Ughhh.
I don't really have all that much ability, but I definitely have a lot on my plate! But what I do know is God is good and He'll see me through this!
I'm listening to "You Hold Me Now" by Hillsong, its beginning to be one of my alltime favorite worship songs. The lyrics at one point really were speaking to me a few minutes ago:
"All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When your love is all I need
And forever I am free"
I can be free from this worry that I have for my project, as I'm writing this I'm feeling a little bit more confident... just a pinch. I'm going to use this time to glorify Him this morning, and there is comfort in knowing He's here with me, every step of the way :)
Unfortunately that is something I do not have!! My Sunday morning is going to be spent working on a project I have for my gender comm class, due Tuesday. I've waited until last night to really start working on it. Ughhh.
I don't really have all that much ability, but I definitely have a lot on my plate! But what I do know is God is good and He'll see me through this!
I'm listening to "You Hold Me Now" by Hillsong, its beginning to be one of my alltime favorite worship songs. The lyrics at one point really were speaking to me a few minutes ago:
"All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When your love is all I need
And forever I am free"
I can be free from this worry that I have for my project, as I'm writing this I'm feeling a little bit more confident... just a pinch. I'm going to use this time to glorify Him this morning, and there is comfort in knowing He's here with me, every step of the way :)
13 November 2009
"Untitled"
I'm just going to start writing, kind of a freestyling, but with no rapping I hope.
I purposely didn't put a subject to begin writing tonight because I just need to get my thoughts down via this blog. Crazy how technology enables us to communicate our thoughts for all the free world to hear. I can read people's blogs from back home in San Diego, or friends traveling abroad, or even people I've never met but follow their blogs anyway due to their rich content that is God-focused. Its nuts. Maybe i've got patrons that read my blog that have never met me. Crazy right?
Life is so weird. There have been times in my life when I feel I've got something all planned out... and then it comes crashing down. This week has been interesting in that way. I've hit a wall I think. Sometimes I feel convicted that I've been going through the motions of life and not really committing myself to His will... a better word would be submitting to His will. I have no clue what I'm doing after college. That is about the only certainty I have right now. Ironic isn't it?
I've been praying lately a simple prayer: "Lord, I want to do your will and your purpose." Really simple... yet decidedly difficult to act upon. Just writing this right now something has dawned on me... I'm not praying for action, I'm not praying for Him to build me up and equip me to do His will. Maybe that's why I've been feeling a little stagnant? Only He knows fully.
I feel as though this post has a bit of a negative tinge to it, but that's not the case at all. Throughout my internal wrestlings of uncertainty, I feel as though God is really working in my life with the simple things. Everything needs to go through Him. Everything. It's hard though. I think recognizing it is vital, but putting it into action is even more so.
One of the blogs I enjoy reading recently had a post concerning if today was our last day on earth and if we knew that, how radically different our days would be. Can you imagine that? I know I would tell my parents I loved them again and again and again and because of their influence I can be the man that I am today, I would tell my sister she is absolutely precious and I love love love her sooo much, I would say thank you more often to people helping me at the grocery store or if someone helps me out at work, I would be so, so much more thankful about who God placed in my life to lead me spiritually, and most of all, I would be thanking God for the gift of being put on this earth. If today was my last day, I would want to glorify God to the fullest... but shouldn't that be something of a priority everyday? Luckily He loves me regardless, but I've been praying for his spirit to just wrap me up and take me where He wants me to be.
Just as spontaneous as this post began, it will continue to be so as it is now coming to a close. Love you all so much!
I purposely didn't put a subject to begin writing tonight because I just need to get my thoughts down via this blog. Crazy how technology enables us to communicate our thoughts for all the free world to hear. I can read people's blogs from back home in San Diego, or friends traveling abroad, or even people I've never met but follow their blogs anyway due to their rich content that is God-focused. Its nuts. Maybe i've got patrons that read my blog that have never met me. Crazy right?
Life is so weird. There have been times in my life when I feel I've got something all planned out... and then it comes crashing down. This week has been interesting in that way. I've hit a wall I think. Sometimes I feel convicted that I've been going through the motions of life and not really committing myself to His will... a better word would be submitting to His will. I have no clue what I'm doing after college. That is about the only certainty I have right now. Ironic isn't it?
I've been praying lately a simple prayer: "Lord, I want to do your will and your purpose." Really simple... yet decidedly difficult to act upon. Just writing this right now something has dawned on me... I'm not praying for action, I'm not praying for Him to build me up and equip me to do His will. Maybe that's why I've been feeling a little stagnant? Only He knows fully.
I feel as though this post has a bit of a negative tinge to it, but that's not the case at all. Throughout my internal wrestlings of uncertainty, I feel as though God is really working in my life with the simple things. Everything needs to go through Him. Everything. It's hard though. I think recognizing it is vital, but putting it into action is even more so.
One of the blogs I enjoy reading recently had a post concerning if today was our last day on earth and if we knew that, how radically different our days would be. Can you imagine that? I know I would tell my parents I loved them again and again and again and because of their influence I can be the man that I am today, I would tell my sister she is absolutely precious and I love love love her sooo much, I would say thank you more often to people helping me at the grocery store or if someone helps me out at work, I would be so, so much more thankful about who God placed in my life to lead me spiritually, and most of all, I would be thanking God for the gift of being put on this earth. If today was my last day, I would want to glorify God to the fullest... but shouldn't that be something of a priority everyday? Luckily He loves me regardless, but I've been praying for his spirit to just wrap me up and take me where He wants me to be.
Just as spontaneous as this post began, it will continue to be so as it is now coming to a close. Love you all so much!
06 November 2009
Halloween
Well its taking me about a week to post about Halloween because it has taken me almost that amount of time to recover... totally kidding!
Anyway, last weekend was Halloween in IV. It is a surreal experience. Last year over 40,000 people packed the streets of IV. Thankfully, that number was only limited to a paltry 25,000 revelers. Another good note, there were no deaths this Halloween. Sadly, people have died before on Halloween in IV, as they go for the glory of relieving themselves off the side of the cliffs, or OD'ing or alcohol poisoning.
However, the reality of the weekend hit me like a bus in the street--
People get drunk. Guys get hit. Women are abused.
It pained me to see the things that i did, like girls wearing virtually no clothing and guys saying pretty disgusting things to them in a cry for attention. I'm glad its only once a year.
After leaving a Real Life Dance Party on the outskirts of IV, I was walking back toward my house and heard the dull, thunderous roar of the raucous crowd on DP. It was a trip. I felt so insignificant, so small. But then I remembered, God is so much bigger than any of this! I was reminded of a daydream I had a couple days prior, it was Jesus walking amongst the crowds of IV, dressed in glowing white, and as he walked, the crowds were propelled back on all sides, knocked senseless by his presence. Man, did I want that to happen during the weekend! How trippy would that have been! I get chills thinking about it.
I like being positive though, and this time of the year is a good time to meet new people. I got to take some cool timed exposures from my balcony, and had like 10 people over to come watch the madness with me, so that was pretty cool and entertaining. I was able to meet some transfer students that are third years, and was able to love on them and give them a cool place to hang out for their first Halloween in IV!
Here's some pics of the madness... Enjoy!
Also I got to see some crazy, crazy outfits! Guys tend to be more creative when it comes to costumes, cause the ladies just take clothes off. Here are some of my faves: Waldo (Waldo! I found you!), The Mask (Somebody stop me!), A guy with a beer pong table on his chest (that one was interesting), A Guy in a Shower pretending to flash girls, and the one that took the cake... a giant walking robot! Here's a pic of it!
Anyway, last weekend was Halloween in IV. It is a surreal experience. Last year over 40,000 people packed the streets of IV. Thankfully, that number was only limited to a paltry 25,000 revelers. Another good note, there were no deaths this Halloween. Sadly, people have died before on Halloween in IV, as they go for the glory of relieving themselves off the side of the cliffs, or OD'ing or alcohol poisoning.
However, the reality of the weekend hit me like a bus in the street--
People get drunk. Guys get hit. Women are abused.
It pained me to see the things that i did, like girls wearing virtually no clothing and guys saying pretty disgusting things to them in a cry for attention. I'm glad its only once a year.
After leaving a Real Life Dance Party on the outskirts of IV, I was walking back toward my house and heard the dull, thunderous roar of the raucous crowd on DP. It was a trip. I felt so insignificant, so small. But then I remembered, God is so much bigger than any of this! I was reminded of a daydream I had a couple days prior, it was Jesus walking amongst the crowds of IV, dressed in glowing white, and as he walked, the crowds were propelled back on all sides, knocked senseless by his presence. Man, did I want that to happen during the weekend! How trippy would that have been! I get chills thinking about it.
I like being positive though, and this time of the year is a good time to meet new people. I got to take some cool timed exposures from my balcony, and had like 10 people over to come watch the madness with me, so that was pretty cool and entertaining. I was able to meet some transfer students that are third years, and was able to love on them and give them a cool place to hang out for their first Halloween in IV!
Here's some pics of the madness... Enjoy!
Also I got to see some crazy, crazy outfits! Guys tend to be more creative when it comes to costumes, cause the ladies just take clothes off. Here are some of my faves: Waldo (Waldo! I found you!), The Mask (Somebody stop me!), A guy with a beer pong table on his chest (that one was interesting), A Guy in a Shower pretending to flash girls, and the one that took the cake... a giant walking robot! Here's a pic of it!
26 October 2009
God polishing his watercolor skills...
The following pictures were both among the greatest I have taken in my time in SB, but also one of the most costly. It wasn't costly in terms of time, it was priceless to watch nature's beauty unraveling right before my eyes... but in the three locations that I moved to snap some pictures there were pesky mosquitoes to keep me company. Three days later, I'm still periodically itching my legs and arms. But hey, it was totally worth it.
Check it out... the last couple pictures probably explain why I posted this as God touching up on his watercolor, it was absolutely amazing. Looking at this stuff all but confirms my belief in an awesome, powerful, sovereign God that created us in his image and loves us unconditionally despite our sinful nature. Heck, he came down in the flesh to live amongst us, see these spectacular masterpiece sunsets from the ground, and ultimately bore the brunt of ALL sin so that we could have everlasting life. It absolutely blows my mind just writing this.
I can only wonder, conjecture, and muse to how spectacular and awesome sunsets are going to be in heaven...
Enjoy!
Check it out... the last couple pictures probably explain why I posted this as God touching up on his watercolor, it was absolutely amazing. Looking at this stuff all but confirms my belief in an awesome, powerful, sovereign God that created us in his image and loves us unconditionally despite our sinful nature. Heck, he came down in the flesh to live amongst us, see these spectacular masterpiece sunsets from the ground, and ultimately bore the brunt of ALL sin so that we could have everlasting life. It absolutely blows my mind just writing this.
I can only wonder, conjecture, and muse to how spectacular and awesome sunsets are going to be in heaven...
Enjoy!
A Bitchin Bike from Bitchin Parents :)
To celebrate my 20th birthday, my mom and dad fulfilled a lifelong dream I had and got me a beach cruiser! When I went home for Thanksgiving last year, my dad took me down to Pacific Beach to look at them and I fell in love with the one I have now the second I saw it. First of all, I love the color of the bike... very similar to the color jade don't you think? The handlebars look way cool, and to top it off the logo of the company has a skull with rifles! Who wouldn't dig that?
Anyway, to commemorate its off-roading prowess going where no beach cruiser has gone before, I took some pics of it during one of the sunsets from last week.
I wonder what my parents will get me this year? My birthday is only 5 weeks away... I wonder if they'll get me some fine wine and classy wine glasses... I can dream can't I?
:)
Anyway, to commemorate its off-roading prowess going where no beach cruiser has gone before, I took some pics of it during one of the sunsets from last week.
I wonder what my parents will get me this year? My birthday is only 5 weeks away... I wonder if they'll get me some fine wine and classy wine glasses... I can dream can't I?
:)
Pics from the week
Well right now I'm in the library, getting ready to gear up for some intense hours of studying, and I'm thinking I'll probably have to blog more often in here, I just posted 3 pictures up in less than 30 seconds. At home, this would take about 5 minutes. Haha.
Overwhelmed
This past week has been quite overwhelming. I had such a fantastic last weekend down in Long Beach, I was able to bond with a couple of my guys and meet tons of new, cool people!
But after the awesomeness of the retreat, I was pulled back into reality. I had a midterm on Monday, that didn't go all that great, and then was swamped with work and bible study and other engagements. Before I knew it, it was Friday, and I'm was totally not ready for my three midterms coming up this week.
Now its Sunday, and unfortunately I'm falling in that same predicament. On Tuesday I have a midterm at 8am, for my history of photography class, which I have to have 80 slides memorized by year and photographer. Then at 3:30, I have a second midterm for my Gender Communication class. I'm feeling fairly confident for that one, as I've outlined all the lectures and done the readings. Then Wednesday I have my Persuasion Comm class... which is going to be pretty difficult I think.
I've been falling into the pit lately... thinking that even if I fail to adequately prepare for my midterms God will still love me unconditionally. Yes, this is totally true and it really has transformed my life. However, I am using that as an excuse not to study very well... which (to me) isn't a good thing. I'm using God's unconditional love for me as an excuse to do poorly.
My housemates have this philosophy and I always scoffed at them last year when they would be content with just barely passing classes. Maybe they have a point, maybe I'm too prideful in my schoolwork and God is trying to humble me a little bit. Or maybe they're using God as an excuse too? Did Jesus die on the Cross for us to just do the minimum to scrape by in our responsibilities? In my opinion, I think we're not bringing him glory if we're using that as an excuse.
There's a lot I don't know and that I am unsure about, but what I do know is that I'm going to have to kick it into high gear tomorrow with no screwing around.
I wish I had more time; I miss blogging and I've taken some awesome, awesome pics over the past week. I'll try and post them sometime in the coming week. Freedom for me is Weds afternoon. Then after that it's Halloween Time in Isla Vista. The Craziness beckons...
But after the awesomeness of the retreat, I was pulled back into reality. I had a midterm on Monday, that didn't go all that great, and then was swamped with work and bible study and other engagements. Before I knew it, it was Friday, and I'm was totally not ready for my three midterms coming up this week.
Now its Sunday, and unfortunately I'm falling in that same predicament. On Tuesday I have a midterm at 8am, for my history of photography class, which I have to have 80 slides memorized by year and photographer. Then at 3:30, I have a second midterm for my Gender Communication class. I'm feeling fairly confident for that one, as I've outlined all the lectures and done the readings. Then Wednesday I have my Persuasion Comm class... which is going to be pretty difficult I think.
I've been falling into the pit lately... thinking that even if I fail to adequately prepare for my midterms God will still love me unconditionally. Yes, this is totally true and it really has transformed my life. However, I am using that as an excuse not to study very well... which (to me) isn't a good thing. I'm using God's unconditional love for me as an excuse to do poorly.
My housemates have this philosophy and I always scoffed at them last year when they would be content with just barely passing classes. Maybe they have a point, maybe I'm too prideful in my schoolwork and God is trying to humble me a little bit. Or maybe they're using God as an excuse too? Did Jesus die on the Cross for us to just do the minimum to scrape by in our responsibilities? In my opinion, I think we're not bringing him glory if we're using that as an excuse.
There's a lot I don't know and that I am unsure about, but what I do know is that I'm going to have to kick it into high gear tomorrow with no screwing around.
I wish I had more time; I miss blogging and I've taken some awesome, awesome pics over the past week. I'll try and post them sometime in the coming week. Freedom for me is Weds afternoon. Then after that it's Halloween Time in Isla Vista. The Craziness beckons...
15 October 2009
Busy busy week!
Well, I'm predicting this is going to be my last blog for awhile. I've got a lot on my plate with a small spoon at my disposal. Lame metaphor I know, but hopefully you get the idea.
This week I've been busy planning bible study, leading a bible study, and being in a bible study. On top of this, I've been meeting with friends to have coffee, I've worked at my video camera job, and I've gone and taken pics of the sunset; some of which I'll post on here.
In the next couple days, a plethora of stuff needs to be accomplished. I have class at 8 tomorrow (Thursday), and 3:30, so I'll have a nice gap to study for my midterm on Monday for my Comparative Politics class on Political Violence. I'll also be doing other readings so not to fall behind. Why all this ambition to study and get ahead you ask? Well, on Friday, I'm going to Long Beach for a Campus Crusade retreat. It's going to be tons of fun to connect with a bunch of new freshmen and transfer students. I'm stoked for it; but two weekends in a row with little or no work is not good!
Well that's it for now, this should be my last blog til Monday or Tues, but its all good! Here's some cool pictures of a sunset, its the first we've had in a couple days cause we've had constant rain!
Enjoy!
This week I've been busy planning bible study, leading a bible study, and being in a bible study. On top of this, I've been meeting with friends to have coffee, I've worked at my video camera job, and I've gone and taken pics of the sunset; some of which I'll post on here.
In the next couple days, a plethora of stuff needs to be accomplished. I have class at 8 tomorrow (Thursday), and 3:30, so I'll have a nice gap to study for my midterm on Monday for my Comparative Politics class on Political Violence. I'll also be doing other readings so not to fall behind. Why all this ambition to study and get ahead you ask? Well, on Friday, I'm going to Long Beach for a Campus Crusade retreat. It's going to be tons of fun to connect with a bunch of new freshmen and transfer students. I'm stoked for it; but two weekends in a row with little or no work is not good!
Well that's it for now, this should be my last blog til Monday or Tues, but its all good! Here's some cool pictures of a sunset, its the first we've had in a couple days cause we've had constant rain!
Enjoy!
13 October 2009
Pics from the weekend!
Now that I'm struggling adjusting to reality (aka schoolwork) I figured it would be fun to reminisce about this past weekend and post some fun pics. Enjoy!
This was taken our first night, it's a fountain at the new attraction Pixie Hollow. Yes I know that's girly, but I think it looks pretty cool. I used a color accent and I think it looks cool; granted, I may be biased.
I have a picture of the entrance to Adventureland with no people! What a marked accomplishment right? Well not really. On Saturday we got into the park at 7:00 and we were able to ride some rides in Tomorrowland, but they have Adventureland/Frontierland and the others connected to it closed. We made sure we were there early, cause we wanted to ride the Haunted Mansion before the crowds. During Halloween they deck it out with stuff from nightmare before christmas, and its pretty much one of the coolest things ever in my book (although don't tell my sister that cause I'm not a Disney nerd :P)
My mom and sis on the Matterhorn, the ride is always pretty bumpy, but it also always is a good time!
Like I mentioned in my last post, this trip was set at a leisurely pace. This pic was taken on the Mark Twain Riverboat. I just happened to look down at the top of the railing and saw all our faces! Kinda weird and artsy I guess.
The two pics down below are part of the revamp going on at California Adventure. They've considered the park a failure apparently and they are trying to boost its popularity by changing the look of the park. The Ferris Wheel looks pretty unique, better than the awkward Sun they used to have on there.
My last pic I took with my Mom and sis, this was on the double decker bus! We've been going to the park for years, but had never gone on the bus before. It was cool looking at Main St. and the rest of Disneyland from the second story of the bus!
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