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.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
To listen or not to listen to Christmas Music and reflection on my SoCal Winters...
So the industry standard to listen to Christmas music is after Thanksgiving. I've often broken this rule several times because of a certain song by Mariah Carey which I happen to believe should be listened to year round, yes this one... http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=-8rY0Fyws20
After living on the east coast for the last 9 years, a certain thing called snow, has also put me in a mood to start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. But what happens when it doesn't snow before Thanksgiving? Is it still ok?
I can't complain that it hasn't snowed yet because this years Western PA winter thus far reminds me of the cold, frigid, rough times of a Southern California winter. I'm not joking that we thought it was freezing in November, December and January. I distinctly remember going to school in a fleece and seeing other classmates in goose down parkas and Starter Jackets (You know what I'm talking about...I always wanted one, a Raiders one of course)
I also thought Winter ended in February and didn't know what being "Closed for the Season" meant until I went to college in Boston. I remember when I went home for Christmas break during my freshman year of college and I forced my high school friends to go to the beach. Anyways, I digress back to original topic, Christmas music.
Reasons to listen before Thanksgiving:
1. 30 days isn't enough to get your fix of songs that you can only listen to during one part of the year.
2. It helps you get into the Christmas Spirit. Not the Jesus is the reason for the season spirit, but the Buddy the Elf Christmas spirit that makes us feel all warm and goosey inside. (And yes maybe this is a reason to not listen to it because Jesus is the reason, but we often forget that)
3. Christmas decorations are up in malls and shops the day after Halloween so we might as well embrace it.
4. There aren't any Thanksgiving songs, except for Adam Sandler's "Turkey Song"
Reasons not to:
1. Some people don't like Christmas music. I will never understand this but I have friends who can't stand it.
2. You can't even say "Merry Christmas" anymore because it's PI, so why would you even think about listening to songs about it?
3. It's the same songs over and over, being sung by different people.
As for myself I have to admit I have sneaked in a little Mariah "All I want" and the Drifters "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas". I'm trying to ease myself into it. I haven't made a Christmas playlist on my itunes yet, but I think it's alright to want that Buddy the Elf feeling and you can only get it once a year, so you might as well try to get it going sooner rather then later.
After living on the east coast for the last 9 years, a certain thing called snow, has also put me in a mood to start listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. But what happens when it doesn't snow before Thanksgiving? Is it still ok?
I can't complain that it hasn't snowed yet because this years Western PA winter thus far reminds me of the cold, frigid, rough times of a Southern California winter. I'm not joking that we thought it was freezing in November, December and January. I distinctly remember going to school in a fleece and seeing other classmates in goose down parkas and Starter Jackets (You know what I'm talking about...I always wanted one, a Raiders one of course)
I also thought Winter ended in February and didn't know what being "Closed for the Season" meant until I went to college in Boston. I remember when I went home for Christmas break during my freshman year of college and I forced my high school friends to go to the beach. Anyways, I digress back to original topic, Christmas music.
Reasons to listen before Thanksgiving:
1. 30 days isn't enough to get your fix of songs that you can only listen to during one part of the year.
2. It helps you get into the Christmas Spirit. Not the Jesus is the reason for the season spirit, but the Buddy the Elf Christmas spirit that makes us feel all warm and goosey inside. (And yes maybe this is a reason to not listen to it because Jesus is the reason, but we often forget that)
3. Christmas decorations are up in malls and shops the day after Halloween so we might as well embrace it.
4. There aren't any Thanksgiving songs, except for Adam Sandler's "Turkey Song"
Reasons not to:
1. Some people don't like Christmas music. I will never understand this but I have friends who can't stand it.
2. You can't even say "Merry Christmas" anymore because it's PI, so why would you even think about listening to songs about it?
3. It's the same songs over and over, being sung by different people.
As for myself I have to admit I have sneaked in a little Mariah "All I want" and the Drifters "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas". I'm trying to ease myself into it. I haven't made a Christmas playlist on my itunes yet, but I think it's alright to want that Buddy the Elf feeling and you can only get it once a year, so you might as well try to get it going sooner rather then later.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Jon Foreman- Your Love is Strong
Heavenly Father
You always amaze me
Let your kingdom come
In my world and in my life
You give me the food I need
To live through the day
And forgive me as I forgive
The people that wronged me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one
I look out the window
The birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune
Or out of place
I look at the meadow
And stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl
On her wedding day
So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
The kingdom of the heavens
Is now advancing
Invade my heart
Invade this broken town
The kingdom of the heavens
Is buried treasure
Will you sell yourself
To buy the one you've found?
Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes, you love me
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Our God in heaven
Hallowed be
Thy name above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us wicked sinners
Lead us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons
You always amaze me
Let your kingdom come
In my world and in my life
You give me the food I need
To live through the day
And forgive me as I forgive
The people that wronged me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one
I look out the window
The birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune
Or out of place
I look at the meadow
And stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl
On her wedding day
So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
The kingdom of the heavens
Is now advancing
Invade my heart
Invade this broken town
The kingdom of the heavens
Is buried treasure
Will you sell yourself
To buy the one you've found?
Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes, you love me
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Our God in heaven
Hallowed be
Thy name above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us wicked sinners
Lead us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons
Sunday, October 25, 2009
My Philosophy of Multicultural Affiars in Higher Education
Ok so here was my final assignment for my Philosophical Foundations of Learning and Knowledge Class...
The purpose of higher education can be defined in several various ways, but whatever the motivation for a college degree, the primary objective is to learn. An idealistic hope for those who work in higher education would be for students to gain knowledge to be a better well-rounded individual who with her talents can help further society. College is a unique time where students can figure out who they are, what their likes and dislikes are, what their gifts and talents are, and also what they are passionate about. It is also a time where students will be pushed and molded. Students will not always get what they want, even though they feel entitled to it and will learn from discipline and difficult trials. Knowledge is acquired in the classroom and also outside the classroom by everyday social interactions, and individual decisions. Professionals in student affairs are put in place to help with the knowledge gained outside the classroom.
It is a daunting feeling to realize that you don’t know everything, and that you are one individual in a very vast and diverse world. This realization is the first step in becoming open minded and progressive to new and foreign ideas. Individuals are prideful, which leads to hurt and suffering. This mentality leads people to believe that their own opinions and beliefs are superior to others. Unfortunately no one likes being told what to do, how to think, or that there belief in a certain political party is inferior to another’s. The knowledge gained of taking in another person’s perspective on politics is an example of a social interaction that helps the process of an individuals learning outside of the classroom. How the person uses this experience is a different story.
My passions lie in racial reconciliation. My hope for students who come to college is for them to experience the joys and pains of human culture. As a student learns more about themselves, it is important for them to never stop being satisfied. This is not a call to be negative and pessimistic about everything, but a call for students to not give up on the unanswered, not to lose their inner childlike mindset of curiosity, and to never stop learning. The moment you stop learning and decide that you know everything is the moment that you stop living. No day is the same, and if you spend most of your energy trying to make it comfortable and safe, you miss most of the great things that are passing you by.
It is important for students to relate to others, realize their own gifts and abilities and care for others. These ideas are based off of learning theories of various philosophers, teachers and psychologists. The idea of relating to others is taken from Pablo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. Freire believed that meeting people where they are would help bridge the gap that individualism creates and the end product would be far more productive. The realization of gifts and abilities is taken from Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”. Gardner believed that each individual has different intelligences whether they be mathematical and rhetoric or musically and spatially. If each person uses his or her intelligences and talents then the world would be a better place. The idea to care for others is taken from Nell Nodding’s “Feminist Learning Theory”. Nodding believed that every person needs to be cared and loved for. This is shown in different ways, but if a person is cared for then the idea is that she will then pass that love to another person, and in turn would cause a domino effect on society.
Many students don’t realize that racism and prejudice opinions still exist in the United States of America. The problem definitely exists, but is somewhat socially accepted through different cultural jokes and undertones. The root of racism is ignorance. Ignorance towards not knowing much about another culture and believing that one’s own culture is superior to others and ignorance that learning of other cultures and ethnicities is unnecessary. It is necessary that students in college learn the importance of culture and ethnicities, while their minds are being shaped, molded and influenced by new thoughts, ideas and concepts. One of the most important ideas that is not being embraced, is multiculturalism. Multiculturalism can be defined in several ways, but my definition of multiculturalism is to understand, and respect different cultures and ethnicities. The biggest deterrent for multiculturalism on campuses is that students do not want to learn and embrace the idea, because as stated before they see no importance in learning about other cultures and ethnicities. As our society becomes more technologically advanced, and communication with other countries becomes more of a regular thing, as our economy continues to struggle and new creative ways of outsourcing products to different business across the world, students better realize that the world does not evolve around the United States of America anymore. Student Affairs must provide opportunities to learn the concept of multiculturalism. If students do not embrace the opportunities then the fault is placed on them, not the faculty and staff.
The purpose of higher education can be defined in several various ways, but whatever the motivation for a college degree, the primary objective is to learn. An idealistic hope for those who work in higher education would be for students to gain knowledge to be a better well-rounded individual who with her talents can help further society. College is a unique time where students can figure out who they are, what their likes and dislikes are, what their gifts and talents are, and also what they are passionate about. It is also a time where students will be pushed and molded. Students will not always get what they want, even though they feel entitled to it and will learn from discipline and difficult trials. Knowledge is acquired in the classroom and also outside the classroom by everyday social interactions, and individual decisions. Professionals in student affairs are put in place to help with the knowledge gained outside the classroom.
It is a daunting feeling to realize that you don’t know everything, and that you are one individual in a very vast and diverse world. This realization is the first step in becoming open minded and progressive to new and foreign ideas. Individuals are prideful, which leads to hurt and suffering. This mentality leads people to believe that their own opinions and beliefs are superior to others. Unfortunately no one likes being told what to do, how to think, or that there belief in a certain political party is inferior to another’s. The knowledge gained of taking in another person’s perspective on politics is an example of a social interaction that helps the process of an individuals learning outside of the classroom. How the person uses this experience is a different story.
My passions lie in racial reconciliation. My hope for students who come to college is for them to experience the joys and pains of human culture. As a student learns more about themselves, it is important for them to never stop being satisfied. This is not a call to be negative and pessimistic about everything, but a call for students to not give up on the unanswered, not to lose their inner childlike mindset of curiosity, and to never stop learning. The moment you stop learning and decide that you know everything is the moment that you stop living. No day is the same, and if you spend most of your energy trying to make it comfortable and safe, you miss most of the great things that are passing you by.
It is important for students to relate to others, realize their own gifts and abilities and care for others. These ideas are based off of learning theories of various philosophers, teachers and psychologists. The idea of relating to others is taken from Pablo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. Freire believed that meeting people where they are would help bridge the gap that individualism creates and the end product would be far more productive. The realization of gifts and abilities is taken from Howard Gardner’s “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”. Gardner believed that each individual has different intelligences whether they be mathematical and rhetoric or musically and spatially. If each person uses his or her intelligences and talents then the world would be a better place. The idea to care for others is taken from Nell Nodding’s “Feminist Learning Theory”. Nodding believed that every person needs to be cared and loved for. This is shown in different ways, but if a person is cared for then the idea is that she will then pass that love to another person, and in turn would cause a domino effect on society.
Many students don’t realize that racism and prejudice opinions still exist in the United States of America. The problem definitely exists, but is somewhat socially accepted through different cultural jokes and undertones. The root of racism is ignorance. Ignorance towards not knowing much about another culture and believing that one’s own culture is superior to others and ignorance that learning of other cultures and ethnicities is unnecessary. It is necessary that students in college learn the importance of culture and ethnicities, while their minds are being shaped, molded and influenced by new thoughts, ideas and concepts. One of the most important ideas that is not being embraced, is multiculturalism. Multiculturalism can be defined in several ways, but my definition of multiculturalism is to understand, and respect different cultures and ethnicities. The biggest deterrent for multiculturalism on campuses is that students do not want to learn and embrace the idea, because as stated before they see no importance in learning about other cultures and ethnicities. As our society becomes more technologically advanced, and communication with other countries becomes more of a regular thing, as our economy continues to struggle and new creative ways of outsourcing products to different business across the world, students better realize that the world does not evolve around the United States of America anymore. Student Affairs must provide opportunities to learn the concept of multiculturalism. If students do not embrace the opportunities then the fault is placed on them, not the faculty and staff.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
So you just have to hope...
I am currently taking a Philosophy of Education class and have come to a conclusion that anything that we do, any job that we have, anything that we're passionate about, we're never going to see it fully come to fruition. For example, my passion for racial reconciliation, and racial harmony will probably never be accomplished in my lifetime. It's daunting to look at the big picture (society). It's depressing to look at my immediate surroundings on a Christian college campus. You would think that Christians would be setting the example and loving each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, but we're just as broken and sinful as secular schools. Nevertheless I can't focus on the negatives, all the hoops and the politics. I can't say, "what's the use..." and give up. It's the little battles, the conversations I have with students, coworkers and friends. The blessing to see a persons views change for the better. The grassroots effort to be good stewards of the earth and live in a redemptive state. There is always going to be something wrong, and no matter how many times I achieve the next step, nothing will ever be good enough. Except for God.
At this point in my life I can see 2 stages. The first stage of life is experiencing, growing, and learning about yourself. You try to figure out how God has uniquely wired you as an individual and how you can impact the world with your talents, gifts, and passions.
The second stage of life is trying to figure out how to do what you're passionate about. Even if you are put in a position where you can do what you're passionate about, there will always be trials and tribulations. There will always be hoops and hurdles, and there will ALWAYS be politics. It seems sometimes that we spend 90% of our time fighting the logistical/political brokenness so that we can have the 10% of time to do what we truly love. I just recently had a conversation with my friend Lance. He is going through some political stickiness at work as a youth pastor. With all of the circumstances, only one student showed up to youth group. I told him, "you know what Lance, it's easy to be discouraged by that. But the sweet thing is that one student showed up, which means you got to do what you love and what you're passionate about. You got to love that student and teach him about Christ."
It is SO easy to focus on the negatives. I think it's because we spend the majority of our time focusing on and trying to fix the bad. But we are called to so much more. Think about your life. Think about it as a pie chart. How much of the pie can you fill with blessings, and positive things that are going on in your life right now? I would say the majority of the pie is positive and only a fraction of the pie is negative. We can't let the dark effect the light....the LIGHT always outshines the dark. We only think that the dark outweighs the light, because we're human, sinful, and we don't trust God.
At this point in my life I can see 2 stages. The first stage of life is experiencing, growing, and learning about yourself. You try to figure out how God has uniquely wired you as an individual and how you can impact the world with your talents, gifts, and passions.
The second stage of life is trying to figure out how to do what you're passionate about. Even if you are put in a position where you can do what you're passionate about, there will always be trials and tribulations. There will always be hoops and hurdles, and there will ALWAYS be politics. It seems sometimes that we spend 90% of our time fighting the logistical/political brokenness so that we can have the 10% of time to do what we truly love. I just recently had a conversation with my friend Lance. He is going through some political stickiness at work as a youth pastor. With all of the circumstances, only one student showed up to youth group. I told him, "you know what Lance, it's easy to be discouraged by that. But the sweet thing is that one student showed up, which means you got to do what you love and what you're passionate about. You got to love that student and teach him about Christ."
It is SO easy to focus on the negatives. I think it's because we spend the majority of our time focusing on and trying to fix the bad. But we are called to so much more. Think about your life. Think about it as a pie chart. How much of the pie can you fill with blessings, and positive things that are going on in your life right now? I would say the majority of the pie is positive and only a fraction of the pie is negative. We can't let the dark effect the light....the LIGHT always outshines the dark. We only think that the dark outweighs the light, because we're human, sinful, and we don't trust God.
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