In a few hours I will board a plane and be on my way to Colorado to be reunited with some of my best college friends. Friends have been a vital part of my life. I did not always get along with my parents and didn't communicate with them a lot growing up, and I depended on my friends for emotional support. I still do.
It's funny how friends come in and out of your life but the special ones just remain with you. The last time I saw Jamie was over 5 years ago. I get to see my friend Brian every now and then when I visit Boston, and my friend Milo I haven't seen in about 3 years. The last time all 3 of us were hanging out together must have been over 8 years ago, when I was a sophomore in college. 8 years is a long time, but I know as soon as we all get together we're going to be the stupid, crazy, moronic, idiots, laughing hysterically, those people that you look at like...uhhhh?, friends we once were and will always will be. A few goals I have for this weekend.
-Laugh till I'm crying
-Play with Grace and E (Jamie's kids)
-Climb a mountain
Friends
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A sweet story of how we should Love and being Third Culture
I've been reading The Monkey and the Fish by Dave Gibbons. This is a cool story he references in the book. Enjoy!
Not long ago, a story in the news enchanted people around the world. Every night, Julio Diaz, a thirty-one-year-old social worker, ended his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early so he could eat at his favorite diner. But one night, when Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and into the deserted station, something unexpected happened. He was headed toward the stairs when a teenager suddenly apperead and whipped out a knife.
When the assailant demanded Julio's money, he calmly handed him his wallet. Nothing so unusual about that. But as the young robber turned away, Diaz called out to him.
"Hey, wait a minute," Diaz said. "You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
The boy was dumbfounded. He looked at Diaz with a what-in-the-world look and asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Diaz told him, "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money."
Diaz told the boy that he was on his way to get dinner and said that if the boy was hungry, he could join him. So they went to diner and plopped down in a booth together, and when several employees came by to greet Diaz one of the regular customers, he kindly introduced the boy to them.
Stunned by the evening's turn of events, the robber asked Diaz how it was that he knew everyone there and remarked on how he was nice to everyone, "Even the dishwasher."
Diaz asked him if he hadn't also been taught to be kind to everyone. The boy told him he had, but he didn't think people acted that way in the real world.
The conversation turned a bit more serious when Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life.
The boy didn't express much of an answer.
When the tab came, Diaz told the teen he was going to have to pay the bill, since he had taken his wallet, unless he wanted to give it back, in which case, Diaz said, he'd be happy to pay the whole thing, his treat.
According to Diaz, the teen "didn't even think about it" and handed over the wallet. Besides treating him to dinner, Diaz gve him twenty dollars, just something to help him out.
In return, Diaz asked for his knife, and the boy, who'd threatened Diaz with that same knife not long before, quickly surrendered it.
Afterwards, Diaz said that treating people right, regardless of how they treat you, is the simplest and most promising prescription he knows to bring people hope and to make the world a better place.
Not long ago, a story in the news enchanted people around the world. Every night, Julio Diaz, a thirty-one-year-old social worker, ended his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early so he could eat at his favorite diner. But one night, when Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and into the deserted station, something unexpected happened. He was headed toward the stairs when a teenager suddenly apperead and whipped out a knife.
When the assailant demanded Julio's money, he calmly handed him his wallet. Nothing so unusual about that. But as the young robber turned away, Diaz called out to him.
"Hey, wait a minute," Diaz said. "You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
The boy was dumbfounded. He looked at Diaz with a what-in-the-world look and asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Diaz told him, "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money."
Diaz told the boy that he was on his way to get dinner and said that if the boy was hungry, he could join him. So they went to diner and plopped down in a booth together, and when several employees came by to greet Diaz one of the regular customers, he kindly introduced the boy to them.
Stunned by the evening's turn of events, the robber asked Diaz how it was that he knew everyone there and remarked on how he was nice to everyone, "Even the dishwasher."
Diaz asked him if he hadn't also been taught to be kind to everyone. The boy told him he had, but he didn't think people acted that way in the real world.
The conversation turned a bit more serious when Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life.
The boy didn't express much of an answer.
When the tab came, Diaz told the teen he was going to have to pay the bill, since he had taken his wallet, unless he wanted to give it back, in which case, Diaz said, he'd be happy to pay the whole thing, his treat.
According to Diaz, the teen "didn't even think about it" and handed over the wallet. Besides treating him to dinner, Diaz gve him twenty dollars, just something to help him out.
In return, Diaz asked for his knife, and the boy, who'd threatened Diaz with that same knife not long before, quickly surrendered it.
Afterwards, Diaz said that treating people right, regardless of how they treat you, is the simplest and most promising prescription he knows to bring people hope and to make the world a better place.
Friday, January 1, 2010
2010
A game that I would play with my Fellows friends during the end of a year and the beginning of a new one was to sum up the year that just ended in one word, and use one word that you hope to describe for the upcoming year.
I think the word that describes 2009 was "growth". I think I grew in several ways this past year.
I grew in my academic knowledge. I have never been an academic and always hating thinking philosophically. I always wanted black and white answers, but the more and more I live my life, the more I realize that it's pretty rare that things are black and white, there is always some sort of gray and in order to respond and be prepared you must always constantly wrestle within the gray. For the first time in my life I have enjoyed reading the texts assigned to me in classes, I have enjoyed going to class and discussing, and after writing a paper I actually think to myself, "wow, that was actually kind of fun." Yes, what is the world coming to, Scott Hwang said he just liked writing papers.
I grew in my relationship with my parents. A big part of this step was having them come out to Summer's Best for a term. As usual it was not all peaches and cream and for most of the first week that they were there, I asked myself why I had asked them to come. But in the end I am so thankful for the experience. My parents got a first hand experience of the ministry that has changed my life. A ministry that I have been a part of for 5 summers and counting, where I have grown spiritually, physically and mentally. A place where I have met some of the greatest people in the world, and where God is so present. I feel like the experience my parents had, gave them a better understanding of who I have grown into, and that would not have been possible if they had not been able to experience it with me at camp.
I grew spiritually. My trust in God is a daily battle and it is hard to wake up everyday and try to use it to advance God's kingdom, especially when you are dealing with (fill in the blank). For me this past year the blank was often, not getting enough sleep, dealing with discipline issues, not being grateful for the many blessings I have been given, issues in relationships with friends and family, and so many other things. But when I look back, I can honestly say that the good outweighed the bad in 2009 and I grew from all the trials and tribulations.
I can laugh and smile at the many good times I had. Some of my favorite times in 2009 were in no particular order:
-AK 2009 Spring Break mission trip
-Trying to kill wasp nests in main assembly with Rocco
-"Yelling" at Dougie Fresh for leaving mountain bikes unattended. "If this was LA Fresh, those bikes would be gone in 10 seconds!"
-Easter in Massachusetts (Jumping Pictures on the beach)
-Watching U2 live and seeing so many awesome friends in C-Ville
-Rediscovering the joy of leading worship
-Playing Halo with a random group of girls
-One on one's with so many sweet students at Geneva
-Hearing David Gibbons speak at the Leadership Summit
-Chilling on a beach in Carpenteria with old college friends
As for 2010, I think I want my word to be "intentionality". I want to be intentional with my time, my money, my energy etc. I think I get too caught up in the grind and do things in habit rather then slowing down, taking a step back and really trying to make the most of all situations. We'll see what God has in store.
I think the word that describes 2009 was "growth". I think I grew in several ways this past year.
I grew in my academic knowledge. I have never been an academic and always hating thinking philosophically. I always wanted black and white answers, but the more and more I live my life, the more I realize that it's pretty rare that things are black and white, there is always some sort of gray and in order to respond and be prepared you must always constantly wrestle within the gray. For the first time in my life I have enjoyed reading the texts assigned to me in classes, I have enjoyed going to class and discussing, and after writing a paper I actually think to myself, "wow, that was actually kind of fun." Yes, what is the world coming to, Scott Hwang said he just liked writing papers.
I grew in my relationship with my parents. A big part of this step was having them come out to Summer's Best for a term. As usual it was not all peaches and cream and for most of the first week that they were there, I asked myself why I had asked them to come. But in the end I am so thankful for the experience. My parents got a first hand experience of the ministry that has changed my life. A ministry that I have been a part of for 5 summers and counting, where I have grown spiritually, physically and mentally. A place where I have met some of the greatest people in the world, and where God is so present. I feel like the experience my parents had, gave them a better understanding of who I have grown into, and that would not have been possible if they had not been able to experience it with me at camp.
I grew spiritually. My trust in God is a daily battle and it is hard to wake up everyday and try to use it to advance God's kingdom, especially when you are dealing with (fill in the blank). For me this past year the blank was often, not getting enough sleep, dealing with discipline issues, not being grateful for the many blessings I have been given, issues in relationships with friends and family, and so many other things. But when I look back, I can honestly say that the good outweighed the bad in 2009 and I grew from all the trials and tribulations.
I can laugh and smile at the many good times I had. Some of my favorite times in 2009 were in no particular order:
-AK 2009 Spring Break mission trip
-Trying to kill wasp nests in main assembly with Rocco
-"Yelling" at Dougie Fresh for leaving mountain bikes unattended. "If this was LA Fresh, those bikes would be gone in 10 seconds!"
-Easter in Massachusetts (Jumping Pictures on the beach)
-Watching U2 live and seeing so many awesome friends in C-Ville
-Rediscovering the joy of leading worship
-Playing Halo with a random group of girls
-One on one's with so many sweet students at Geneva
-Hearing David Gibbons speak at the Leadership Summit
-Chilling on a beach in Carpenteria with old college friends
As for 2010, I think I want my word to be "intentionality". I want to be intentional with my time, my money, my energy etc. I think I get too caught up in the grind and do things in habit rather then slowing down, taking a step back and really trying to make the most of all situations. We'll see what God has in store.
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