In t-minus 30 minutes, I'll begin my fling with Hale Library. Ibhave 15 pages due by 2:00 a.m..
On a completely different note, MySpace has crept back into my life. And in that, I've been finding so many old friends from high school. Its so strange/great/sad to see where people are and what they've been doing (or haven't been doing). In many ways, I feel like I completely ditched out on a number of people by moving to Manhattan... But if I hadn't, I guess I wouldn't be where I am now... and most likely nor in the position to share any sort of hope with them...
So, cheers to change.
It seems like there's a lot of pressure for one who blogs to write profound, pithy etc etc posts... Well... forget that. I'd just like to share that a few moments ago I realized how happy I was/am that I can type my first name with only my right hand... John.
So there ya go.
Ps: Know the longest word in the English language you can type with only your right hand? ... and for that matter, the longest with your left, and then the longest alternating hands?
Right: lollipop
Left: stewardesses
Alternating: skepticism
I'm working on an MA from Hope International University in Fullerton, California. Part of the degree program requires weekly posts to an online forum, per course. In that, this week's online discussion for one of my classes was posed this question: How do you want to be remembered? Are you making daily or weekly incremental progress toward creating that legacy?
I've been discussion this with a number of other students on the forum, but I'd like to share my most recent post.
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It's after 1:00am and I'm lost in Radiohead - In Rainbows... and I'm thinking out loud here...
It seems that most of the posts I've read here (mine included) are about how we all want to be remembered by our character etc.... but of all the historical people I can think of, very few are remembered for their character. It seems like the most 'remembered' people out there are remembered for what they did, rather than who they were. Nobody knows (or cares) if George Washington Carver was a great father/husband... but everyone knows he invented peanut butter (... maybe you didn't know that... but you should... and he figured out over 300 other uses for the peanut). Same with... well, anyone-- name 'em... George Washington, the First President of the US-- John Smith... dated a girl named Pocahontas.... You get my point.
Then we have people like Jesus, Ghandi and a few others who are remembered for both.
So what I'm wondering is this... is it shooting too low to only want to be remembered by something as... simple as being a great friend, or someone who smiled a lot?
Shouldn't we have greater goals as well? How do you define a 'selfless' legacy?
....
... and the deal with John Smith... I think that was just in the Disney movie... either way, great story ;)
Im sitting in the Riley County Health Department lobby. Its an awkward place. Its a square room, with circle tables and chairs strewn all over the place, outlined with random couches and single chairs. A few random plants stand against each wall-- some very canned watercolor painting prints on the walls. There's a 30 something mother who reeks of cigiarette smoke, pretending to pay attention to her cute 3 year old-ish daughter who is wearing snow boots (its March 27th...).
I'm sitting in the Riley County Health Department waiting for a Yellow Fever vaccination. Sam is receiving his now, and within 3 seconds of him walking out into the lobby I'll know how painful the shot is/isn't. Anticipation.
In the same way that the secrets of the island on Lost will never be discovered, no person will ever be able to explain what happens to time between 11pm and 1am. I think it has to do with gravity and quantum physics or something. I was just looking at my computer clock, reading a few blogs and before I knew, it was now... is now. And now it is precisely 2hrs and 2 minutes from the time it said 11:00. Anyways..
Today was a 'zero caffiene' day... which means a couple of things:
- less energy
- less motivation
- irritable
- pessimistic
However you look at it, when there's an absence of caffiene, my cognitive abilities are impaired. I unfairly approach people and situations slanted and my initial thoughts to anything are generally negative. I'm by no means pawning off responsibility for anything... just explaining the situation. In that, scripture is very clear that we are to use wise judgement and to be sober minded. We generally just assume that means not to drink too much alcohol (which it certainly does mean), but I dont believe we can compartmentalize what substances we allow to affect our cognition. Meaning, because caffeine is a socially acceptable addiction, that doesn't make it right. In the same way, 'puppy love' encourages irrational decisions, anger promotes words best left unsaid etc etc etc ... I think Paul has it dead on where he tells us to beat our body and make it our slave... And... that's all I've got.
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I wrote all this last night on my phone and forgot to publish it. So this is a day late... and there will be a new post tonight.
Early to Mid-90's anyone? Remember all the commercials about starving children in Somalia? You couldn't get through an episode of Where In The World Is Carmon Sandiego without seeing Sally Struthers chubby little face, holding 2 year old with flies all over her face, talking about the need to support/feed the hungry in Somalia. And amen for that.
I in no way am praising Sally Struthers in her humanitarian efforts, but she and whatever organization she was with certainly did one thing well: create awareness.
Awareness in and of itself isn't much, but it's the first step in creating action. And action saves lives, feeds people and changes the world.
Never before has communicating to the masses been so possible, as it is today. Thanks to YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and social networking sites like Facebook, anyone with a camera and computer can share with the world any thing she/he pleases. And in effect, I feel somewhat obligated to be a Sally- creating awareness... but for the purpose of action.
What a day. For most people in the church programming world, the Monday after Easter Sunday is much like the day after Christmas-- amazing. relaxing. relieving. etc.
I, however, am not a part of the aforementioned 'most.' Buuut, I'd just like acknowledge the fact that while most people are worried about how they'll look in their Easter dress, or dapper searsucker suit... those in the ministry, particularly church programming, have been planning this day/weekend for weeks, if not months, and feel more pressure to perform than any other time of year. So hats off to you, Mr. Church Programmer... xoxo.
That being said, today was great. The music & media went smoothly at UCC. Amen for great musicians and techies.
Sam prepared a HUGE Easter lunch dinner. It was fantastic. Thank you, Sam.
Anyways, that's about it. Be sure to check out www.WhatDoTheyNeed.net and look at the Journey page... we're working on it... should be up and finished by tomorrow evening.
time is a funny currency. Something that might be worth my time, certainly might not be worth yours. And this is a wonderful thing. Its the reason one person won't watch TV at all-- because its a waste of time. And its the reason I'll watch 3 hours of videos on YouTube. If there were absolutes in valuing time, we'd all be doing the same things, and not sing the same things. Anyways, something to think about.
In that, today Sam, Josh, and I drove to Edmond, Oklahoma to visit LifeChurch. 9 hours of driving time for a 1 hour service... and it was worth my time.
And one more thought... If you have a minute, read through Luke 15. After reading the first two parables, try putting yourself in the place if the shepard and the widow and ask yourself if you'd say looking for the sheep or coin is worth your time.
I feel obligated to post, but I'm too tired.
I woke up this morning and forgot to ask myself "What are you going to do to serve someone else today?" -- and more importantly, I didn't do anything for anyone else. Lame.
This will not be the case tomorrow. My alarm is set for 8:00 a.m., and after I hit snooze a couple times, I will be asking the above question. -- and more importantly, I will do something for someone else. Sweet.
.... and not "sweet," as in, "wow, it's hip to serve people and to do something selfless for humanity," but sweet as in "we're supposed to serve the people around us [period]"... and we're supposed to do what we're supposed to do.
Meh, I'm completely rambling. It's so late right now.
So I'll leave you with the question I'll be asking myself in five hours: How are you going to serve someone else today? (or tomorrow?)
ps: time stamp says something like 1 a.m., but it's really 3:17 a.m.
So about this time change... I love 'falling back' in November, and I love the long days in the summer. I don't, however, appreciate, enjoy, or cope well with 'springing forward' in March. I'm a wreck.