Recent Observations

chairs.

1. My hopes for spatial awareness is waning here in Singapore. I was carrying an injured friend towards the only bench in site at Hong Lim. Lo and behold a child (bless his heart) saw us coming and...in a quick flash of magnificent reasoning...proceeds to move "out of our way" right in front of the bench totally blocking our entry trajectory. It wasn't until we were about to sit my friend literally on top of this kid that he really moved out of the way.

2. The past few days have been really, really beautiful at night. I've slept like a baby..I mean rock hard. Ok sure, I've used my aircon too, but it tells me something: hot weather + me = oxymoron.

3. It's weird working at a Japanese school. I'm a foreigner in Singapore. Then, I'm a foreigner working at a Japanese school. A foreigner in a foreign school that is foreign to the country it's in. eh? Sometimes I look outside the fence from my school and see Singapore "over there." I leave one country to enter another when I leave work. Weird feeling. Now when people as me where I'd like to go on vacation I say, "Home."

4. I've come up with a new definition for what a blog is: a place where long-winded, heavy-handed, slow-speaking, way too wordy, pensive, wanna-be writer, too lazy to use a paper and pencil people can exercise their ability to be themselves for a little while. No wonder I think about things during the day within the context of, "hmm...I should blog about that." I created an online journal once when I was in America that consisted of church friends and other interested parties. We'd throw out a question to the group via email and everyone would respond either by email or on the group site (R.I.P MSN site). I still have print-outs of our discussions and they were looong and many. Oh, how I miss those discussions! If I had it my way, I'd love nothing more than to have a group of people to study, discuss, and deliberate on the Word of God all day, everyday. I suppose that's why Proverbs is my favorite book. What else really is there to talk about except Jesus Christ, His purpose, and our future homes...while eating pepperoni pizza and sippin' on ginger ale. :-)

5. People start acting really funny around you when you are slapped with the title of "boss" or "manager" or "head." I bet it's not unlike the feeling those teenagers got in that movie "Nightmare on Elm Street" when Freddy Kruger would show up. Yea, something like that...

6. I think one of the most difficult things to do in life is to be yourself. I think one of the easiest things to do is to misunderstand those who do so. A quote to consider:

We do not learn to know men through their coming to us. To find out what sort of persons they are, we must got to them. –Goethe

7. It's getting hot again as I type this...

8. Except for the expensive shoes, pressed shirts, and buckets of make-up, people are just like sheep when boarding buses and trains all over the world. The beeps when we get on the buses just crack me up even more. It's like an assembly line! I'm going to start carrying a sound FX machine and play some sheep sounds when getting on the City Hall MRT at 6pm...haha.

9. I just found out there is a new Subway shop opening really, really close to my house. I knelt down in front of it and said, "Thank you Jesus." (no really, I did)

10. It always tickles me when I see people googling at themselves in the windows at the MRT stations or wherever they can steal a glance at themselves. I always think, "What are they looking at? They've seen that their whole lives."

11. I miss my students of my first year teaching back in the states. I was thinking about them today and how we all got to the point where I felt comfortable telling them that I loved them. I mean, this was a public school. Teachers don't go around telling their students they love them. But I did. And they knew it. And they trusted me, and I them. We became a family in the grandest sense of the word. It was the most beautiful, profound, and challenging year in my life up to that point. I know for a fact...A FACT...that each and every one of those kids remember room #108 in 5th grade. There was nothing that could have come between us....nothing.

I end with this quote:

. . .if we wait for the moment when everything,absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.
-Ivan Turgenev

So you call yourself a Christian, huh?

See, that's God in the middle.

As the moon reflects the sunlight, so too should we reflect the Son's light.

Being that our God is perfect in holiness, ultimate in creativity, sovereign in action and absolute in character, it behooves us as his people to render unto him our best in all that we do. This not only applies to our prayers, offering, testimonies and praise, but also, and more emphatically, to our everyday lives. What we wear, where we go, how we speak, what we purchase, our church attendance and countless other taken for granted actions show to the world who and what God is. If we accept the title of Christian, as defined by scripture, then we know that we are commissioned to carry on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in our present world. And what was the work of Jesus except to show to all of mankind the nature of Almighty God?

It follows then that since we have Christ the Lord God within us, working and living in us, the life we lead shows forth to the world God’s attributes, personality, character, and holiness. Ultimately God’s holiness is the defining characteristic of His immortal being. It is His holiness that sets Him apart from any other being in the universe. His holiness is absolute in purity, righteousness, cleanliness, and power. There is none other like the God of Abraham, Jacob, David, and the church of Jesus Christ. He is self-sufficient, in need of nothing. His glory is manifested not only in the physical created world, but now through the people of his kingdom, namely, the church. The church is the express image, the imago dei, of God himself. It is common sense, or, if not, common consent that actions speak louder than words. No where does this truth ring more clearly than in the life of a redeemed man. He knows all eyes are looking to him and at him because his life is different. He lives under a different kingdom than the unredeemed man and, thus, is under not only natural eyes but also the spiritual eyes (angels, demons, and man’s own spirit) that lie behind and beyond the natural. They observe rightfully so. The Lord himself said we are the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hid. Thus, when one is quickened by the Spirit (receives salvation, that is), he is automatically placed in a position of being one who is no longer of this world. He is now a part of the kingdom that he was originally created for: the kingdom of God.

Consequently, his life will have changed and be set upon a new course of glorifying God through his newfound life. Because of this, unregenerate man cannot help but look and wonder at this quickened individual. If a candle is set in the midst of total darkness, no matter how small or weak the candle may be, the darkness surrounding it takes note and flees in all directions. So we see that by virtue of the man being saved he is, whether he wants to be or not, a representation of God on this earth. An ambassador who not only represents his God and God’s kingdom, but who, through his lifestyle and everyday actions, shows forth the very essence of God and what life is meant to be under God’s sovereign rule.

That being the case, it we profess to be baptized believers, filled with the Holy Ghost, then our lives should manifest our profession. "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ”, is a powerful testimony not ever to be taken lightly or for granted, but must be carefully considered by both speaker and listener. If we confess to be that which we are not in truth, then we become hypocritical, bringing the witness of our lives down to the level of the Pharisee who cleans only the outside of the cup while leaving the inside filled with filth and spoil. Jesus has called us to first clean the inside thus allowing the greater light to shine forth, believing that the outside will follow. Why must all these principles be taken seriously? An old adage comes to mind: “You are the only Bible some people may ever see.”

If we are quick to become angry at situations, we show forth a God who is impatient and unapproachable; when we continually boast of ourselves and our abilities, we show forth a God who is arrogant and haughty; when we allow our worship to be half-hearted and haphazardly put together, we show forth a God who lacks integrity or purpose; when we fail to address the needs of our fellow brother and sister, showing a genuine concern for their well being, we show forth a God who is apathetic and uncaring; when we live a life that is not in sync with what God has commanded us to live as redeemed human beings, we show forth a God who is not God at all, but who is a mere man as we.

Is this what our God has called us unto? Is this the way we have come to understand and experience our great God? Do we serve an apathetic, prejudice, impatient, arrogant, lazy, inept, unholy God? Quite the contrary is true. Our Lord God is one of majesty, glory, perfect-ness, creativity, holiness, power, greatness, unmatched goodness and a host of other qualities not worthy of being embodied with words. Thus, we as his chosen people should embrace these very same attributes and characteristics in every part of our lives.

Historical Considerations
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” –Romans 12:1. In the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed by reasoning of a man’s sins. The Jewish people were commanded by God to sacrifice an animal without spot or blemish; one that was of the utmost health and ability, a strong body and clear eyes, one that had all the signs of the perfect sacrifice God demanded.

Of course, the person seeking the sacrificial animal had many to chose from (the nation of Israel was by nature a shepherding nation and therefore livestock was common). But they had to search and find the best sacrifice from the thousands of animals in their stock. How were they to go about this daunting task? What would set one animal apart from the others? How could they identify a most perfect representation of a sin offering unto God? The only way one animal was to stand out from the rest was by its life and actions. Those animals that were lethargic, diseased, weak and lacking in form were overlooked. Only those who were characteristic of God’s standards were chosen.

Today, we are the ones who must present ourselves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. When we exemplify the truth and power of the gospel in our lives, when we allow our hearts to be led by the Holy Spirit in every situation, when our actions show forth energy, vitality, pureness, righteousness, and love, when every iota of our being cries out, “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ!”, then and only then will we be fit for the Master's use as a willing living sacrifice.

-Duane T. Black

Match the Caption Activity Worksheet #52

Directions: Match the following captions with the appropriate picture above. Then, read sentences out-loud so your English teacher can actually hear sounds come out of your mouth that, if you're lucky, might be actual words. Please ask questions if help is needed. Refrain from having a blank expression on your face that says, "ubba ubba boo blork flagapoofenhoff." Instead, raise your hand, and say, "Teacher, I don't understand what to do." The teacher will understand if you are afraid to ask, but won't have mercy if you don't try. On the contrary, please make an effort to actually do this worksheet. In fact, if you at least make a sound your teacher will know you are alive and he will come rushing to assist you. In the meantime, don't smack your neighboor, but do block any incoming attacks. Good luck and always do your best! (Things this English teacher feels like saying sometimes...)

A. Different food + different people = different expressions.

B. "And in a shocking discovery, a black man was found to be related to the Miazaki clan hailing from Japan. He was found saying, "I always wondered why I had a fondness of raw fish..."

C. Sheesh..I can't play, can't sit, can't take my kid...what in the world is this thing for?! All I can do is stand? What a rip! I want my money back...I'm going to Disneyland...

D. Person A: "Did I turn off my oven?" Person B: "How do you work this contraption?" Person C: "What's that smell?" Person D: "..zzzz..." Person E: "This is Singapore Idol, right? Am I next? La la al al alll..."

E. "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US."

F: Keepin' It Real - the new fragrance from Singapore (by B&W)

Light, be! Kingdom, come! Faith, be! Thy will, done!

Look not to the shadow, look not inside,

Look to the light, in His glorious brightness hide!

Focus on His goodness, and then you shall see,

the truth of yourself, the truth of the shadow that shall be.
-db


Should I be bold enough to speak, in this moment?
A reverent heart must surely be, unbroken...

...with no regrets; should I be? lost in forgetfulness, with no regrets,
in my head.
Faithfully shed.

Should I be rich and poor and scattered, in my dreams?
While other figures that surround me, live unguarded...

...with no regrets, should I be? lost in forgetfulness, with no regrets,
in my head.
Faithfully shed.

And free, from the worry!
Free from the dark that lives in me!
Free to embark on the passions you've favorably fasioned in me...

...with no regrets, should I be? Lost in forgetfulness, with no regrets,
in my head.
Faithfully shed.

-Jennifer Knapp

But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be dung, so that I may win Christ and be found in Him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death; if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
-Paul (Phi 3:8-14)

The Soul's Paradox of Love

... The upward view on the way to morning prayer...

We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. 'No man can come to me,' said our Lord, 'except the Father which hath sent me draw him,' and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for he act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: 'Thy right hand upholdeth me.' In this divine 'upholding' and human 'following' there is no contradiction. All is of God, for as von Hugel teaches, God is always previous.
- Tozer

Photo Time

In this post, I am too tired to write. So, I'll let my handy dandy Sony phone camera do the talking...(with some captions...the writer in me can't help it)

I made the correct mistake of going to this place on Saturday. It was a piano concert at a local music school. All the little kids who were taking piano lessons were giving a mini-concert. To say I walked down memory lane and teared up would undermind the enormity of emotion I felt standing there... I doubt I could ever put into words what music and playing the piano means to me. Perhaps the only way to express it is through music itself...

Ahh! My 15 minutes of fame has arrived! So I did this job for someone to record people coughing for their cough medicine advertising campaign. Gladly, I went around recording various people trying to cough. One things for sure: one never sounds as fake as when trying to feign a cough one doesn't really have. Anyway, after I got the job done my client (hehe...I like the sound of that) put up ads ALL OVER SINGAPORE like in the picture above. Now, what you don't see is that to the left of this picture is the bus stand with speakers attached above. When someone walks by this advertisment...voila!...my coughing recordings begin to sound. Now, my work is being known throughtout Singapore! I will become great in the long history of mass media masters! People will throng to the stores because they heard me and 3 of my friends cough at them while they were waiting for the bus! Hmmm...if this is so good, what's next? An anti-burping medicine? I'd love to record those... :-)

....I gotta keep reminding myself about this one... (minus the 3 cities underneath)

Praise our God, all nations; let your praise be heard. He has kept us alive and has not allowed us to fall. You have put us to the test, God; as silver is purified by fire, so you have tested us. You let us fall into a trap and placed heavy burdens on our backs. You let our enemies trample us; we went through fire and flood, but now you have brought us to a place of safety. I will bring burnt offerings to your house; I will offer you what I promised. I will give you what I said I would when I was in trouble.
(Psa 66:8-14)

I love my sister

"Ahh...the joy of public transportation. Who needs a car? Feast your eyes on the joyous expressions of those who say, "Taking the bus is very cheap, so it's good." I say if this is your retort to stories of transportation liberation (a.k.a DRIVING YOUR OWN CAR and GOING WHEN and WHERE YOU WANT TO), then one should have joy abundantly while waiting an insanely amount of time for the bus to come transfer you from one place to another which, in a straight line, would take all but 10 mins but because everyone else in the entire nation is going to every other place in-between where you are and where you want to go it takes more like 30mins...with, I might add, the wonderful range of human body odor unbeknownst to the common man. Rejoice! Rejoice, I say, and again I say, rejoice!"

-Duane T. Black, while unsuccessfully trying to cheer the people in the above menioned picture.

Here's a quote from my one and only sister:

"If I was able to be a table....I'd have dinner."

If you don't understand, dear reader, that's ok. We do....

What is a person who...

...does that which they desire not to do because of the path their life has taken them on for the sake of a higher calling which they cannot see yet know and believe to be there although it is a darkened path barely lit by the future destiny waiting to be revealed who must live behind the veil of who they are presently so as to fulfill "...coming to the kingdom for such a time as this..." while all the while waiting, believing, and fervently trusting that that which they were birthed for will one day be made manifest to themselves and others so that they can be a good steward and redeem the times so as to have a sense of purpose and reason for existing that one day will hopefully be realized?...

...I don't know what you'd call that person, but I know there's a few of us running around this earth. Thanks be to our Great God who is at the finish line, calling us home...our home beyond this world. A home eternal, a home destined...our home.

Everyone likes to hear the peaches and cream of living. Here's a little something to put on the balancing scale...

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
(1Co 15:19)

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
(Mar 8:34-35)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
(Joh 12:24-27)

Shakespeare needs to reword his famous tagline: "To be, and not be. What's up with that?"

~peace~

My War Cry

What up, whassup? Some of my boys back in Osaka, Japan. We went to Universal Studios that day. haha...they still had to wear their school uniform while going on the rides.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arean; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

-Theodore Roosevelt

Brothers from a Different Planet

I took a picture of them...They took a picture of me...Oh, the joy of the simple pleasures in life... ;-)

Choose Milk! God wants you to...

The ultimate purpose of all mankind is to worship the Lord. This includes loving him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Only then will our life be fulfilled. The Creator (God) and creation (us) will be in intimate communion with one another and, because of this, the creation will have attained its perfect and absolute purpose.

Unfortunately, because of original sin, all of mankind has been separated from the holy God who created us. Thus, God is calling all men to repentance (a turning away from our ways to His ways) before the final judgment that is coming upon all men who ever lived and ever will. Since God is holy, pure, and just, He by necessity will make sure evil ultimately loses and good ultimately wins. For us, it’s just a matter of making a personal choice as to what side we’re going to be on when our end comes. We have from the time until we are born until either we pass away or God returns to make that choice. What happens between our birth and either of those 2 endings is called life…our decision making time.

Even though God is all-powerful and all things go according to His will, He also created us with freewill. Thus, we are free to choose whatever course we desire our life to take. He does not decide our choices, only the consequences of them. For example: I pour milk in one cup, Pepsi in another. I teach you and tell you that it is my will for you to drink the milk. I do everything in my power to show you and lead you to that cup of milk, but never force you. 1. So you choose the milk. You chose the milk out of your freewill and, as a result, will receive the consequences of that choice (whatever I designed them to be). …or… 2. You choose the Pepsi. You chose the Pepsi out of your freewill and, as a result, will likewise receive the consequences of that choice.

Maybe during your life people or situations came into your life where the milk looked really, really good. Maybe you were hurting, or troubled, or happy and something made you consider the milk. Destiny? Fate? No, it was your choice in the direction that was God’s ultimate purpose. It was His will guiding you towards the blessing that will come from choosing milk. Perhaps there were times in your life where Pepsi looked very desirable. So, you drank it and reaped the consequences of that choice. Destiny? Fate? No, it was your choice in the direction that was not God’s ultimate purpose. (For a more specific example, the “Pepsi” represents sin à our own ways, our own will, etc. It always looks more desirable because our sinful nature naturally caters to the Pepsi…it attracts and is attracted to its own. Thus does the Pepsi continue to be desirable and the milk not so desirable during our lifetime…until we taste the goodness and power and truth of the milk!)
Ok, so what does God want all of us to choose? Why do “things” happen in our life?

Let us refer to these scriptures as in introduction…
· Acts 17:24-31- The God of heaven and earth is calling all men everywhere to repent
· Matthew 4:17 – Jesus begins preaching his message. What was it? Repentance.
· Matthew 1:21 – The purpose of Jesus being birthed…to save people from sin
· John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He gave…for the purpose to save all of us and give us eternal life.
· 2 Peter 3:8,9 – God is not slack with regards to His decision to judge righteously and destroy all evil, but He’s
longsuffering (patient) because He wants to save us from the consequences of sin…He wishes all men to repent
and turn to Him!
· Romans 5:6-8 – Christ loved us so much that even when we are in our sin, He still died and took the penalty for
sin that we deserve
· John 20:30,31 –The purpose of the entire bible: to know God and have eternal life…our ultimate purpose.
· John 4:4-26 - What will happen if we drink the water (the truth) that God gives?
· John 14:27 - Jesus promises peace…true peace.
· Matthew 11:28-30 - Heavy laden? Burdened? Come to Jesus.

Life Lesson #2

...Confessing faults is a good thing...

This event happened in high school and was my first real "hit in the face" experience with true confession and the pain one goes through when doing it.

So I wrote on her book, “ Susie likes Dan.” In our high school English class Susie was handing in her homework assignment. We were good friends for many years and I thought I’d tease her a little. I mean, she did like Dan. So I, in typical high school boy fashion, teased her by writing the evidence on her textbook cover.
When she came back all the Fury of Girl came forth from her mouth, body, expression. She demanded, “WHO WROTE THIS??” over and over. I was totally shocked at her reaction. She looked really hurt and vulnerable. It was the first time I had seen her this upset…and I was the cause of it even though I meant no harm. Looking around the room she came full circle and asked me point blank did I do it.
“No.”
Wonderfully, that got me off her radar screen. If I remember, tears did come down her face after that. I couldn’t believe it, I was flabbergasted the rest of the day. Not only had I upset a really good friend, I had sinned against my God by blatantly lying. The guilt was pressing on my chest heavier and heavier as the day went by.

That night I cried and cried. I was so upset at myself for doing it, but more upset...and ashamed..that I had lied point blank! Ahh...the lie of convenience. There was no way out of this one. There were no alternative stories I could tell. In fact, none of these thoughts even came to my brain. The only thing that haunted me was that I had injured my Lord Jesus. My life belonged to Him and I was His servant. That day I fell short of His glory. I determined in myself that regardless of the outcome I would confess to Susie the next day when I saw her. Sure, it was easy after the tears dried up to feel resolute, to feel like "Yosh! I'm going in!" But then the next day came....

...and guess who the first person I saw when I walked in the doors: Susie. I had NEVER seen her first thing in the morning the entire school year. But today, there she was. Note: when you lie to someone it's very hard to look at them. I walked right up to her, having crucified my flesh the night before and all morning, and said, "Hi Susie. Listen, I just wanted you to know that I was the one who wrote that message on your book yesterday. I lied and I'm sorry." I expected the Wrath of Girl II: The Second Coming to come pouring down on me and I was ready to accept any reaction she had. I mean, homegirl was about to punch someone the other day. This is what she said:

"Thanks Duane, that's all I wanted to know. See ya..."

...dude....

I was shocked. I was floored even. Now, some of you reading this might think, "whoa..he got off the hook big time." no no no...oh ye of simple minds and placated hearts! In hindsight I believe that if Susie had reacted negatively and laid the smackdown on me, then that would have given my flesh opportunity to rise to bitterness, anger, or a host of other things. Nay, my punishment began the moment I lied and ended the moment I confessed. You see, when the Holy Spirit convicts it pushes you towards repentance. This repentance, if truly from the Lord, will unalterably push you to action to right the wrongs you've done. If not, then you should question the authenticity of your so-called "repentance/confession." It was more unbearable for me to carry around the lie and the truth of me telling the lie than facing my good friend. I was prepared for anything...my future relationship and witness (everyone knew I was a Christian) lay in my God's hands.

When our attitude towards a situation is right, then God will be glorified and we will grow. Had my attitude been one of greater fear of my friend's reaction than God's judgment, I dare say the outcome would have been a world different. But only by the grace of the Lord did I make my sin God centered. In other words, guilt and repentance came from a heart desiring to be right with God because he was the center of my universe. Thus when I walked away from my "center", I was walking away from my God. It did not come from a desire of me wanting to be right in the eyes of my friend. Consider what the prodigal son says:

And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, and am no more worthy to be called your son.
(Luk 15:21)

The son realized against whom he really did sin. He wasn't so concerned with his actions against his earthly father as he was with his actions against his heavenly Father. So too should we be. When we sin, we should not feel guilty because we got caught, or because our reputation might go down the drain. But rather, we feel godly sorrow because we've disappointed the One who loves us so...the one who poured out crimson rivers to wash away the evil we just committed. And when we do this:

But the father said to his servants, Bring the best robe and put it on him. And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf here and kill it. And let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
(Luk 15:22-24)

Jesus will welcome us with laughter, joy, and love.

Thanks Dad...

...yurusu...

INSERT PICTURE HERE --> <--

(what's up with this blogger thingy? acting like my next door neighbors...weird.)

"He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lost heart." (Galatians 6:8,9)

The Lord continued. "In My greatest hour of need, My closest friends deserted Me. Judas betrayed Me, Peter denied Me, and the rest fled for their lives. Only John followed from afar. I had cared for them for over three years, feeding them and teaching them. Yet as I died for the sins of the world, I forgave. I released all of them - from My friends who had deserted Me to the Roman guard who had crucified Me. They didn't ask for forgiveness, yet I freely gave it. I had faith in the Father's love. I knew that because I had sown love I would reap love from many sons and daughters of the kingdom. Because of My sacrifice of love, they would love Me."
- John Bevere (The Bait of Satan, 2004)

Oh God, help me to forgive! Oh God, help me to love with agape love! Oh God, refine me in the fire that the dross of the flesh may rise to the surface, leaving only the soft gold that awaits your purposed intention! Oh God, protect me from myself! Oh God, let me love my brothers and sisters with the unconditional, tireless, unwavering, and divine love that so characterizes Your being. Oh God, my life I give upon the altar of sacrifice morning by morning so that you may have your way within this temple as you please...

...amen...

yurusu = "forgive" in Japanese

The Joy of Being

Tis a path we all must travel...

Bruce Wayne played by Christian Bale

(Batman Begins)

I'm a believer that actions speak louder than words. Except, of course, when you are God. God speaks His words and they become action. He spoke "Light, be!" and light became. I speak "Pepperoni pizza with extra pepperoni, be!" and nothing happens. Hmmm....

Would to God that I could be the same! But then life would lose its factor of interest. I think the struggle to be true to oneself and to make one's actions match their person & words is one of the great struggles of life. I'm always intrigued by how my words or actions effect others. Sometime I mean my actions or words for good, but others receive it negatively. Other times (I don't MEAN for my words and actions to be negative) I'll act or speak in a way that is based on my tiredness or frustration, but miraculously others perceive and recieve goodness from it. Actually, I think it's because they are being compassionate.

It is something I think all human beings should do, having a spirit of understanding and compassion that is. There were times when I knew adults in my life were having a rough day and they acted very stressed out (perhaps from the rough day? duh...). So when they dealt with me and my co-workers or friends, their demeanor was a little...well....rough. Did I fault them for this? Did my opinion of their character fall off the Niagara Falls? Did they transform into some untouchable beast that we could never reach again?

Of course not.

They were human. In fact, seeing the people who I look up to in life (and even those younger than me) has helped me to realize that we're all in this thing called life together. And we need encourage one another along the way. Now, encouragement doesn't always come from words. Let us remember the parable of the 2 sons and the father. One said he'd go and work, but didn't. The other said he wouldn't work, but he did. Point #1?....

...sometimes we have to give people the benefit of the doubt.

The second son probably had an attitude when his father asked him to do work. "What??! Dad, why do I always have to do it? *arg*....I'm tired...can't I do it tomorrow?...no? blah blah blah" No where do we read the father getting angry or replying to the son. All we know is that later, the son did it. And Jesus justified the second son rather than the one who gave lip service. Point #2?....

....don't always judge or react to people based on their words or countenance.

They may be tired or stressed, but if they are doing and working, leave them be. I mean, can you imagine people saying to Jesus, "Boy, you look tired and stressed, Lord. You should rest more," as he was carrying the cross to Golgotha? When Jesus overturned the tables in the market because of the selling and buying, would anyone dare say, "whoa, whoa, there Jesus! Just calm down, Lord. Relax, la..."

I've seen people in churches I've been to who were such hard workers that they always looked stressed or "frantic". But they did the most extraordinary things....with love, with diligence, with a heart of worship to the Lord. Others would say to them, "Hey there, why are you so stressed? Take it easy, blah, blah, blah," and I'm sitting there thinking, "why don't you help if you're so concerned." That's why when someone looks busy, either I help or stay away...they know what they're doing. Sometimes too much help doesn't help either. Yup...learned this the hard way. So, ladies and gentlemen, what's Point #3?....

..."Doubters do not achieve, Skeptics do not contribute, Cynics do not create." - Calvin Coolidge

*sigh* So many points, so little time! The time fails me to adequately express that which I find so interesting about human nature. So, yall who are reading this, take this to the bank with you: give people the benefit of the doubt when they act out of character, when they speak out of frustration or tiredness, when their actions are doing the task at hand even though they may be stressed out, and recognize when they need a helping hand. Help not with your mouth only, but with the hand. Let your prayers and words be matched by your action and compassions...we are all under construction.

...Sore dewa, ima kara mo minna san isshouken mei ganbatte kudasai... Kami-sama ga ZEHI kuru...zehi.

Guessy, Guessy

5 points to anyone who can tell me where this is in Singapore. (Not you Kelvin....too much chocolate dude.)

When there is no way...

Rats! And I wanted to bring my peanut butter and jelly sandwich along so they could sample chicken rice. My sandwich was really hungry too....oh well, I'll have to find a stall that allows food to eat.

"Either I will find a way or I will make one." - Sir Philip Sidney

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(Phi 4:13)

Black is Good

Issac Blackman

...My favorite gospel artist who a musical genius, as far as I'm concerned...

www.gospelreggae.com/browse/albums/78da4b34010000f80096/ Isaac+Blackman/In+Your+Eyes.html

Good News x 4.5

Another collage I did for my taiko group back in Japan. This baby took me almost 3 months.

Yes!

I got my second photo lesson back from my professor in the states. Haven't listened to her yet, but she jotted down on my folder that, "...love kitten photo...could be published!"

(insert red-cheeked Bugs Bunny expression...haha!)

I need to get on the ball! There are so many photos I have that could potentially be published. Here in Singapore I've learned that people are actually animals. Yes, it's true. Some are beavers, others are golden retrievers, others are otters, and still others are lions. These 4 animals make up the entire human race. Never knew this until I came here, these interesting ways of classifying people. (silly me thinking that people were of a higher order of consciousness) While I'm not one who readily buys into "classifying people" (cause I believe in self-fulfilling prophecy...you say or believe you are something...then you naturally start to fulfill that role), I suppose it does help one in becoming one with who they are. Anyhoo, I took this animal test and found out that I am all animals at about the same level. So, I guess you'd call me a "begoreotton." (sounds like something out of a Harry Potter movie...haha) Not being a strong beaver, I think my lax attitude of getting some of my work published (both photos and music) comes from the otter part of me while the frustration of not doing it hails from my beaver-ness. Then the golden retriever kicks in and has compassion on both these two, while the lion says, "Get a grip...to work you weaklings!" It's a hard-knock life being everything at once. Actually, I don't really believe in only 4 animals...there should be a fifth! Lion, Golden Retriever, Otter, Beaver, and maybe a cow. Cows always have this funny expression on their faces that seem to say, "Dude, whatever..." while chewing some hay for an inexplorably long amount of time. So while the four animals fight inside, the cow can sit there and be like, "dude, whatever..."

(insert sound of low level chewing of cud)

She also said that I need to "slow down to see what the camera sees." Interesting...I'll have to listen to the tape to see exactly what she meant. I also just completed my first photography lesson with some of the greatest kids this side of equator at church (tanks a bunch me faithful assistant!) One of my points was that your eye is the most important tool you have in photography because the camera has no brains. Now my professor is telling me to see what the camera sees. I'm confused...have I unalterably warped the young impressionable minds of future TJPEG members forever? Will they grow up thinking that cameras are dumb pieces of metal and plastic whereas my professor is saying they have a mind (and eyes) of their own? *sigh*...what have I done!??

(insert highly dramatic orchestrated music of Star Wars caliber...)

Naw, they'll be ok.

More good news!... my roomate and I stayed up crazy late last night talking, watching TV, and playing some XBOX. Talking is always good, especially when you're so tired that words start to become slurred and the conversation becomes funny...not so much because of the content, but because of the slurred words. TV was great because we watched an episode of "Friends". Haven't seen that in a long while. Suffice it to say it was quite refreshing to be able to laugh and watch something that I could relate to. I used to watch American movies when I lived in Japan for 2 years just to stay sane every now and then... haha. I'd watch movies and see cars drive on the right side of the road and be like, "Hey...that's weird. Oh wait, no it isn't. Dude..." Playing XBOX was very cool because I'm teaching my roommate the fine art of receiving multiple smackdowns. He has much to learn... ;-)

(insert sound effect of roommate's character getting knocked down...)

So, what's the 0.5 other good news? --> "The other day I saw...."

(Yup, that's 5 words which is exactly half of the rest of the sentence which is exactly 10 words which yields the 0.5 good part of the news.)

It reminded me of my mountain that I used to climb up every now and then back in America. I'd talk to God up there for quite sometime...just Him and me. Talking to God with nothing but pure nature around is a matchless experience. Think Eden...

Someone said I look like I'm 23 and act the same too. So, what do I believe? My birth certificate, people's perspectives? haha...when I was 15 people said I acted too serious for my age, like I was 25 or something. That's cool...at least now I'm younger....

People are generally funny...generally. :-)

(insert sound effect of Looney Tunes "That's All Folks" ending music)

The Many Faces of Many Faces

Some pics of people I know...

Don't know why, but I love collages of people...been making them since I was a kid. Hard thing is when I want to take pictures of people they throw up a hand (strangely enough their right one....) and shy away!

This happens wherever I've been...America, Japan, Australia, and other places. Of course, not everyone has the "shy-n-fly" reaction, but it's nonetheless interesting that personality types transcend countries and culture. Usually I end up making some dopey excuse in order to take their picture. It's the hardest thing for photographers I've learned (and read about)...taking pictures of people. I asked Michael Yamashita (of National Geographic fame) about this very thing and he gave me an answer that was, well, unoriginal. "Try to be as kind and polite about it. Ask their permission and get comfortable with them...then, shoot away." Or something like that... I guess this is better than shoving a camera in someone's face and clicking.

The other day I was eating lunch at a hawker center (food court for the uninitiated) and I saw a cockroach chilling out right next to me on the ground. It didn't phase me. I kept eating. Before this I had ordered Chinese mixed vegetables from a stall with a man who served me my food from his wickedly bandaged hand that looked like it had been burned...the blood and pus was coming through his bandages so bad it was as if he didn't have any bandage on at all. And he was serving people the entire lunch with that hand.

I hope I'm not losing a sense of general hygiene, but I'm becoming numb to another perception and/or interpretation of what cleanliness means. For example, I never imagined that spitting on a bus (especially while sitting next to someone) would be considered fine. Or even blowing one's nose onto the street (yes, you read that right...onto) is quite ok. Sure, in America we blow our nose in public, but usually "it" ends up in a tissue. Suppose the ground is as good as any other place...haha. In Japan, brushing one's teeth after a meal in the kitchen sink (the common office or school sink, mind you) is normal, as is clipping one's toenails in the office. In America and Singapore you can start eating anytime you get your food when you're at a restaurant or something. In Japan, no one touches the food until everyone has been served. In Singapore, lots of young guys have mohawks for hair-dos. In America, that's just plain weird.

Having experiences like this does not allow one to live as though their way is right or another's way is wrong. People are different. I've had the priviledge to sit in the company of many different people from all over the world and it's so interesting: everyone thinks their way of doing things is either the best or the only way of doing it. At times I try to throw in how I or another friend of mine thinks or does things. The reaction is usually the same...one of raised left-eyebrows. I grant people their right to have such opinions because, for the most part, if you haven't traveled or lived outside of your "environment" then of course your viewpoint will be one-sided. This too has been something I've learned to accept about people over the years. Interestingly, many of my Japanese friends who had traveled outside of Japan for several years saw life and Japanese culture in a totally different light than those who've never left the island.
It's like the public transportation here in Singapore. I try in the wisest manner to explain the joys and freedom of having one's own car as opposed to having to wait and take a bus or train...but more than naught I stop the conversation prematurely. If you don't even know how to drive, how could you appreciate it?

Sooo...what's the moral of all this rambling (when I should be working on my photography lessons for the kids!)? Respect, respect, respect. Adjust, adjust, adjust. Accept, Accept, Accept. Uphold, uphold, uphold.

Respect others as you would want them to respect you.
("I don't want people to clip their toenails in front of my face while eating lunch, so I don't do it.")

Adjust your perspective and/or actions IN LOVE based on whatever situation you find yourself in.
("This isn't my house or culture, so go ahead and clip until your heart is content! I'll even get the garbage can for ya...")

Accept people and their ways even if you don't have the luxury of understanding.
("Hey, I have toenails too...I know we all need to let them know who's boss now and then...even if that means clipping them as loud as you can...")

Uphold your own personal convictions and standards regardless...do not compromise those values and standards you feel are a part of your person. ("...but I still ain't gonna clip those babies in full view of everybody in the office.")

Well, this isn't really well written...at least not as much as I want it to be. I'm rushing...back to work!

peace-
-db

Adages of the Moment

The carousel in the mall near my house back home.

Kinda symbolizes life at times...fast.

In times of uncertainty, wait. Always, if you have any doubt, wait. Do not force yourself to any action. If you have a restraint in your spirit, wait until all is clear, and do not go against it.

Medicine is the only profession that labors incessantly to destroy the reason for its existence. –Bryce

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. –Thoreau

He who has suffered you to impose on him, knows you. –Blake

His soul will never starve for exploits or excitements who is wise enough to be made a fool of. To be “taken in” everywhere is to see the inside to everything. –Chesterton

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. –Spencer

Protest long enough that you are right, and you will be wrong. –Yiddish Proverb

People may come to do anything almost, by talking of it. –Dr. Johnson

A man never reveals his character more vividly than when portraying the character of another. – Richter

peace---

Home is where the heart is. My heart's in heaven already

Ahhh...the strait and narrow way to a city called heaven...

...be sober my friends.

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory! - old spiritual hym

It'll [heaven] be sweet like raisins kissed by the suns rays when we praise the raised Son all because the Son raised.
-Phanatik (Cross Movement)
http://www.crossmovementrecords.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=8332&columnid=1321

Center me, O Great Friend...

One can only reach new shores by leaving one behind...

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. " -Paul

(Phi 3:12-14 MKJV)

haha

Say hello to Frank.

I just went to my first Singaporean wedding this past weekend.

We had sea cucumber at the dinner. Also shark fin soup. There was chicken too...head and all. Yea, that's his head up there. I named him Frank. Seemed appropriate...he looks like a Frank.

I don't remember where I saved these from, but they sure are a riot to read...especially after going to that wedding last week....have a ball.


ROMANCE MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need.

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can
spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him
a little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to
understand her at all.

LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a
lot more willing to die.

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she
does.

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs
and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started
doing the same thing to them at funerals.

Can someone please explain this?

I saw this ad outside of a doctor's office the other day. I don't know what to make of it..

I can't even think of what to write about it...

"....."

Life Lessons #1

I started a journal many years ago entitled "Life Lessons: The Classroom of Life" In it I've been writing about experiences and observations I've come to develop certain conclusions on. For the past 2 or so years there has been no new entry. Shame on myself. Growing up as a teenager and college student I was a prolific writer. Yup...got tons of notebooks and documents filled with a smattering of topics, lessons, ideas, and thoughts held together by nothing more than an underlying current of "Dude...I gotta write this down." Yea...that's about it. One day I hope to put some kinda order to them all. Here's a start I think...

I decided to post some of them from time to time on this blog-o-mine because I know many of you back home (hey yall!) , some in Japan (o-hisashi buri desu ne?!) , and a few here in Singapore sometimes stop by this little speedbump on the information superhighway. No man is an island. What good is life if one doesn't share experiences one has been through? A friend once told me that blogs and things like it are for people who are lonely or need reassurance for their ego. Well, that just about wipes out the entire genre of autobiographies, self-help books, The Diary of Anne Frank...yea, I'm sure she really had to stroke her ego big time. haha...so silly lah! (had to give props to Singapore there)

My mom just published her first book last year based on ideas and journal entries she's had over the past 5 or 6 years. I hope one day to do the same. Not exactly sure what I'd write about, but comments from people since I was a teenager until now are pushing me to realize that it's time to, "...cowboy up." (in the words of my roommate)

Hey, we're all human and we all have very real issues in life! As I was reading over some of these entries I myself was tickled silly by some of the things I've said...and I still agree with the comments even after all these years. Wow...I was real serious at times when I was growing up. Funny, not much has changed...except that I find myself liking bananas a lot more these days.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'VE LEARNED:

Meeting old friends is always an interesting encounter. The conversation usually takes on the tones of where, what, how, and with whom we’ve been spending our last couple of years (or however long we’ve been apart.) I’m never sure if the person I’m talking to is really interested in knowing the answers or if they are just asking to be asking. Me, I wouldn’t say I’m interested, nor would I say I’m not interested. It’s just a way to keep a conversation flowing with someone who has a history with you. Depending on how well we knew each other in the past determines our level of interest, I guess. So for some friends I’m really into the conversation – their marriage, college years, jobs, etc. Others I have bumped into cannot produce a name with the face I’m talking to. Yet and still the surface feeling is the same.

It is the ending of these passing conversations that are the most painful. It makes my mouth go dry just thinking about it. The reason is that almost always people end up saying things like the following: “Let’s keep in touch,” “I’ll call you sometime,” or my favorite, “We should get together sometime.” Of course, none of these happen unless there is some great business, profit, or mutual gain to be had. Get together? Sometime? Uh, I haven’t seen you in the past 8 years and now all of a sudden we’re going to “get together”? What, to have the same awkward conversation that we are now having? Hmmm….I think not. Keep in touch? And the reason is…? The one that really makes me feel sorry for the other person is when they say they’ll call or they’ll keep in touch. Do you think I ever hear from them after that? Ha! Now all of this is from their perspective. What of mine?

I used to make statements like those. But not because I really meant them, but because that’s what seemed like the right thing to say. You know, it kept the peace. But then I realized it’s not that I don’t want to keep in touch or get together (except for the privileged few who earn that I-really-don’t-want-to-see-you-again status…heh.), but I have no interest in doing so. What would be the point? For me, there would be none unless we are working together towards some goal of sorts, some common job, club, activity, etc. I am not a chit-chatter, a small talk person. During these brief encounters that is what they are all about. So, I’ve learned not to say things like that…things that I don’t mean. Because usually if I say I’ll give someone a call, I will. Why? My goal is to say what I mean so that I will always mean what I say. Any less is hypocrisy. Am I good at it? No, everyday I challenge myself to do it. But then I’ll meet a long-lost school or job or church acquaintance and say to myself, “Here we go again.”

Now, the point is simple: I really like meeting people from my past, I enjoy talking about things that happened (“Do you remember when….?”). It is the promises, the things said, the intentions revealed during or at the end of the conversations that get me. It is better to say things such as, “It was good seeing you again. Take care.” “Have a good one.” “Tell your family I said hi!”

These are all safe, kind, and peaceful endings to chance encounters like these. They do not leave feelings of regret at having promised something knowing all the while that it would go undone. I’ve known many a friend who feel the same way. They say they hate saying “We’ll keep in touch…let’s get together” because they know that they never will. Why say these things?
Hard as it may be, when a person says to me, “Let’s keep in touch.” I purpose in my heart and mouth simply to smile and say something like, “Ya, maybe I’ll see you around! Take care.”

Sometimes this throws the other person off…they are expecting a mutual response to their suggestion. But hey, this is my heart, my life, my honesty I’m trying to uphold here. Sorry if your conscience is bothered. I want to sleep in peace tonight.

Lesson Learned: Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Skilled Barbers, Rancid Meat, and No More Rain

I found this hair gel ad in a magazine. As if our days aren't messed up as it is, now we can put gel in our hair to stay messed up all day! Just what I've been wanting!! What will man think of next...this?

Or maybe this...

Well, at least it comes in 3 different colors...

STORY #1

So I went to the barber today to get my hair cut. Little did I realize that this particular Malay barber had other plans for my head...

Like a master craftsman, he took to my forehead with fierceness in his eyes! Blazing through the deep forest of knotty tangled mess, I witnessed my hair fall to the ground in chunks as if they were boulders. How could this man cut in such a way that even hair "rolls" to the floor? This guy was serious...

All was well until the razor came out. Fierce eyes turned into blood soaked focus as he practically engraved every stroke into the back of my neck. Not once, not twice...not even 5 times...but not until he had managed to destroy every little itty bitty piece of hair from the back of my neck and sides of my head did he stop scraping with that blade. I thought I was losing brain cells he scraped so much...I did fade in and out for a hot minute there.

Luckily, after I gained conscienceness, my head looked quite alright.


STORY #2

I don't know what in the world they are cooking, but there is a family that lives somewhere in the air-rea around our apartment that loves to cook what smells like 10 month-old rancid meat. At least that what it smells like. My roommate and I will be peacefully studying or doing something in the house when something knocks the wind out of our nostrils. We bolt to the windows to block the invading odors from coming any further into our domain. Maybe one day they'll make scratch-n-sniff blog sites...cause I really want you to smell this. Cause, like, I know you really want to....


STORY #3

The rainy season is over. My brief moment of enjoying doing things is somewhat over. It's fun in the sun again. Like one of my co-workers said today, "Man, it's hot."

Time for bed...

...heiwa (peace in Japanese).

The Price of Leadership

I've put this pic up before, but it seems fitting for this entry today.

A notable speaker from America has come and preached about how 2005 was a year of switching hands, of how angels have been talking about the people of God, of how our experiences in life reveal to us our destiny that God has preordaind for us to live out.

A post from a friend's blog:

"The higher one goes up the leadership leader, the more one sees and the greater the view becomes. Along with it, comes more dilemmas, contradictions, and difficult decisions to make. Knowing what the leader knows, he has to make unpopular decisions with the faith that it is for the good of the people. He relinquishes his rights to always be able to explain his decisions. He gives up the place to be always understood and symphatized. He finds fewer people around him now who truly appreciates him for what he does.

Ask me again and I will tell you what the price of leadership is. It is loneliness."

Unless a leader has peers to whom he or she can relate to (and thus silence the gap between those he or she follows and those he or she is being followed by), my friend's last statement above strikes true ever so clearly...

It's interesting that our pastor recently said that most of the psalms of David are psalms of lamentations...I've always known that although no one I've met seems to acknowledge it. till now at least. Leaders who act as if they have it all together and are like "super-power never weak" - stay clear of 'em, I say. I once was told that men shouldn't cry. Dude...King David's bed was tears many nights. Don't tell me that foolishness!

It's even more interesting that quotes like the ones below have found special nooks in my heart that have kept my engine running long after the gas has run out. Having lived and worked in so many different churches and jobs where, if not explicitly than implicitly, I have been humbled to take on a role of responsibility (sometimes before any type of foundation of relationship is built with people which, IMHO, isn't wise), I have found the following quotes to be quite true of one in a leadership role. Take heed, friends. Take heed not for fear, but for reality's sake...



It is a luxury to be understood.

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life is rarely exactly as we would like it to be.
Instead, life is exactly as it is.

All persons are puzzles until at last we find in some word or act the key to the man, to the woman; straightway all their past words and actions lie in light before us.
- Emerson, Journals (1842)

When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt. - Henry J. Kaiser

Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.
- Socrates

We all wage battles, yet the sound of the fight, in all of its glory and heartbreak, often echoes no farther than that space between our temples. -MD

People can be divided into three groups:
1. Those who make things happen.
2. Those who watch things happen.
3. Those that wonder what happened.

Bear Bryant, a famous football coach said, “If
anything goes bad, I did it. If anything
goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything
goes real good, they did it.”

Think, when you are enraged at anyone, what would probably become your sentiments should he die during the dispute. – Shenstone

His soul will never starve for exploits or excitements who is wise enough to be made a fool of. To be “taken in” everywhere is to see the inside to everything. –Chesterton

People who feel themselves to be exiles in this world are mightily inclined to believe themselves citizens of another. –Santayana

Man is a gregarious animal, and much more so in his mind than in his body. He may like to go alone for a walk, but he hates to stand alone in his opinions. –Santayana



Ahhh...but what is the hope of the leader? What is the joy of he or she who at times may have their good evil spoken of? What is the peace of he or she who has not the luxury of being able to explain themselves to those whom they love dearly? What is the victory that overcomes the price of having to make hard decisions? What is the satisfaction of he or she who obeys the Lord their God in spite of it seeming like foolishess to those following?

Is it not Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame? (Hebrews 12:2) Is it not Jesus, who gave us His peace that passes all understanding, not coming from this world? (John 14:27 / Philippians 4:7) Is it not Jesus, who has overcome this world and death itself? (John 16:33) Is it not Jesus, who is the portion for those who make Him alone their refuge in the storms of life? (Psalm 73:26)

I used to watch this show in America called the director's chair or something like that. They would have famous actors or directors come to this acting school and on stage a man would ask them questions about their life and other things. Totally no script and BAM live. The last question this guy would always ask was about when they reach heaven. There was an actor who once said something that has stuck with me ever since.

Q: "When you reach the pearly gates, what do you want God to say to you?"

A: "(your name here), I understand."

Like I Films

How come some of the best movies have the cheesiest covers? Like Willow, for example. What in the world kind of pose is that? Ghetto fabulous? The "bling, bling" pose? Oh well, thank God the movie redeems it. Obviously I have low "formatting the pictures correctly on the screen" skills... :-)

Was reading over some of my old blog entries today and realized I forgot to finish, or continue, my "favorite movies back in the day" list. So, here goes: (with some current ones)

The Little Princess (the new one...great color saturation)

Escape from New York

Saving Private Ryan

Willow

The Black Hole

Le Chateau de ma mere (French)

Au Revior Les Enfants (French)

Dreams (Japanese)

Raise the Red Lantern (Chinese)

To Live (Chinese)

Young Guns

Snow Falling on Cedar

The Last Emperor

Hamlet (the one with Mel)

Ride with the Devil

The Mission

The Color Purple

The Professional

Yup, I'm sure there are more, but can't think of any now. Wow...come to think of it I used to watch lots of movies. No time now, plus the motivation to watch has somewhat changed over the years.

As one grows, one changes. Old likes turn into dislikes, old habits fade away while new ones arise. We are creatures of change alas...

The weather has been UNBELIEVEABLE the past 2 weeks. My roommate and I are in heaven. We actually enjoy going out, eating, coming back home --- all without breaking a sweat! Yes, it is possible. I mean, I was cooking soup the other day and actually enjoying it for the first time since I've arrived here. Why? No sweat! No oppression! The stove was actually hotter than the room for once! And sleep is once again a comfortable thought.

haha...

Well, that's all folks. Oh, one more thing to the list:

Looney Tunes

The coyote in the road runner is my favorite. Poor guy, can't seem to catch the little thing...

peace-

The Great Quiet that is God

But is it our business to pray into what may happen tomorrow? It is a difficult and painful experience which saps the strength and uses up the time given us today. Once we give ourselves up to God, shall we attempt to get hold of what can never belong to us - tomorrow? Our lives are His, our times in His hand, He is Lord over what will happen, never mind what may happen. When we prayed, "Thy will be done," did we suppose He did not hear us? He heard indeed, and daily makes our business His and partakes of our lives. If my life is once surrendered, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!

- Elisabeth Elliot (Keep a Quiet Heart)

Can I have your autograph?

"With the wonder and simplicity of a child does my heart long to faithfully worship you, O Father..."

"Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58)

"Every job is a self portait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence."

"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest pride. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway. What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. Give the world your best." -Reader’s Digest

Have a good year everyone...