Outpouring of Quotes, Articles and Other Things My Mind Enjoys

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare composed poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'" --Martin Luther King Jr

Millionaire Gives Away Fortune Which Made Him Miserable

Austrian millionaire Karl Rabeder is giving away every penny of his £3 million fortune after realising his riches were making him unhappy. (Click on heading for the whole article)

"No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath... We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?"

--Donald Miller

I'm not the only one who hopelessly trying to become a Youtube sensation:

Saga of My Life Pt. II

As last time I shared about my life so far, this is what I plan to do with my life after I graduate college:

After arriving to Lee University, I decided to become a Middle Grades Education Major, so that I can bless the younger generations with my presence and instill in them greatness. I plan on finishing my novel while here at Lee as well as directing a future award-winning movie.

However, my plans after graduation aren’t as clear. As one who has achieved such greatness so young, the future holds many opportunities. After I win an impressive amount of money on Jeopardy, I will use the winnings to provide housing to an entire village in the jungles of Guatemala, then travel around the world going on many adventures, zip-lining through the Jungles of Thailand, canoeing down the Amazon, reenacting the Circle of Life in Africa and hang-gliding with eagles.

After winning the Nobel Peace Prize, I plan on settling down and running a foster home for children and youth and inspiring them to lead fantastic lives like I have. But settling down will not signify that my life will become the least bit dull. By the time I reach my middle-aged years, I will have completed learning ten different languages fluently and fixing the age-old problem as to why hot dog buns are sold in packs of eight and hot dogs are packaged in packs of ten.

I don’t want to set my future into stone, but I know that my life will be well-lived out. I plan on meeting many interesting people and hearing their stories. I will create memories and go to bed at night happy about all that has been done that day. I will do great things and yet still make time to go out of my way to step on a crunchy leaf.

Then, after I have figured out the last digit of pi, I will live out my last days living on a space station eating space ice cream.

The Saga Of My Life

I had to write a biography of my life for a class to introduce myself to the teacher and figured some of you would like to know about how I became so great:

The world was blessed on February 27, 1990, the day I was born in Anaheim, California. My presence was bestowed upon some blessed people known as my parents and my older sister and their lives were filled with an incredible joy as they watched me grow throughout my formative years. It soon became apparent, however, that my fan base in California was growing too demanding and my family made the decision to move to a rural town outside of Nashville so that I could try and live a “normal” life.

Obviously, their attempts for me to live a normal life failed as even living in the middle of nowhere could not suppress my outstanding talents. Nevertheless, because I was also gifted with utmost humility ever, I decided to keep out of the spotlight of the news and tabloids. My world came to astonishing climax, however, when I realized that I was not the most perfect person in the world. But, when I sat down and looked at the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, I realized that He was the greatest being to grace this world and I submitted my life to Him to follow His ways.

Together, we have continued to leave an imprint on this planet as I learned about serving others through missions and was able to extend my fan base to places such as Nicaragua, Chile and Mississippi. I learned that I loved serving people and have since committed most of my life to trying to make other people’s lives better.

This tale of my epic life cannot be told without mentioning that even superheroes have trials. When I was fourteen, my father departed from earth and went to hang out with Jesus in heaven. It was rough but with the support of Jesus and friends, I pulled through a gloomy time and continued on the extraordinary adventure of life.

When I was eighteen, I graduated high school and went through the decision of pursuing a Nobel peace prize or writing a award-winning screenplay. However, one morning I woke up and realized that I had never been to college before, something I had heard was a fascinating era of many people’s lives. So I enrolled in Lee University, where my biggest supporter and PR manager, my sister, went to school as well. I decided to major in Middle Grades Education so that I can bless the younger generations with my presence and instill in them greatness.

HOLA 2010!

This New Year's I was invited (or dragged) by the mother to a New Year's party with Chilean people. (There are about 30 of us in the Nashville and surrounding areas in case you were wondering).

I had never met any of these people and figured that this was going to be another "adult party" where I was surrounded by the 50+ crowd and end up celebrating the New Year bored and in a corner.

Fortunately for me, this was not the case.

How Chileans Celebrate the New Year

1. Show up to the party around 10 (it doesn't matter that the party was scheduled for 9, everyone shows up at 10)
2. Get kissed and hugged by every person present (doesn't matter that you've never met them before)
3. Eat a ridiculous amount of food nonstop for about two hours (I tried cooked red cabbage--interesting)
4. Ten minutes before Midnight: Learn about different Chilean traditions of ringing in the New Year
***First, kiss the cheek of the first man you see (unfortunately, there were no cute single guys there)

***Eat a spoonful of lentils (for good luck)

***Eat a spoonful of black beans (more good luck)

***Eat 12 grapes (because Chileans like good luck)

***Drink champagne

***Be wearing yellow underwear (so that you'll find your true love in the next year--also why I'm still single)

***And my favorite tradition: Run around the house carrying a suitcase (to bring good luck on your travels--duh.)

5. Play ping-pong and other various games until the wee hours of the morning

This was possibly one of the most hilarious and cheerful New Years parties I've been to and next year if you invite me to your New Year's party, maybe now you'll know why I'm bringing a suitcase

Goodbye 2009!

A few years ago, I was challenged by a teacher to make 100 New Year's resolutions for the next year, they don't have to be big or intense, but to do small things that make life more interesting. (Here's 2008 in case you were interested)

2009

1. Buy the Lion King [X]
2. Try out for the Amazing Race (not possible but it’s ok)
3. Play cards with the family [X]
4. Work with Acquire the Fire [X]
5. Go on a spontaneous roadtrip [X]
6. Go to a zoo. Anywhere (I went to an aquarium. It counts) [X]
7. Play more Ultimate [X]
8. Have an awesome message at Starlite [X]
9. Go on Urban Outreach again [X]
10. Watch the Hannah Montana Movie [X]
11. Make a music video [X]
12. Eat at Pancho’s at least 20 times [X]
13. Go to Beach Week
14. Go on a mission trip [X]
15. Spend a quiet time with God at least 2x a week [X]
16. Exercise often [X]
17. Spend less time on the internet and TV [X]
18. Watch the stars [X]
19. Dance in the rain [X]
20. Make dinner for people in my hall [X]
21. Spend more time with my roommate [X]
22. Strengthen new friendships [X]
23. Maintain old relationships [X]
24. Call extended family
25. Go to a Chinese buffet all day
26. Go on a scavenger hunt [X]
27. Watch sunset and sunrise on the same day [X]
28. Buy something off an infomercial
29. Get a piñata [X]
30. Buy something from a lemonade stand
31. Make an unexpected friend [X]
32. Order pizza with a ridiculous accent
33. Learn how to street drum
34. Learn to break dance
35. Have a dance party [X]
36. Do karoke [X]
37. Learn to count to 10 in 10 different languages (I’m at 4)
38. Hang out with homeless people [X]
39. Go to a concert [X]
40. Drink 100 oz. of water a day [X]
41. Color in my coloring book [X]
42. Write letters, not emails, but old school 42¢ letters [X]
43. Go hiking [X]
44. Fly a kite
45. Read in my Spanish Bible [X]
46. Make an art book! [X]
47. Have a waffle night [X]
48. Play board games with friends [X]
49. Be more encouraging [X]
50. Talk to Paul Conn [X]
51. Apply for Deer Run [X]

The following were at Deer Run

52. Create lasting relationships [XX]
53. Catch a fish with my bare hands (heck yeah I did!) [X]
54. Conquer fear of heights on ropes course (faced fear yes, conquered no)
55. Go canoeing [X]
56. Change lives [X]
57. Grow as a leader [X]
58. Grow in my relationship with God [X]
59. Have an amazing summer! [XX]
60. Go fishing [X]
61. Stare at the stars all the time [X]
62. Find the albino deer! [X]
63. Pet a deer (next summer…)
64. Blob somebody
65. Play paintball! [X]

66. Find a church in Cleveland [X]
67. Get involved in said church
68. Hang out with my brothers and sisters more from TSC [X]
69. Have movie nights [X]
70. Call more people [X]
71. Eat more vegetables
72. Spend less time on facebook
73. Read a really great book [XX]
74. Learn to play racquetball
75. Go on more walks with Diamond [X]
76. Get to know my neighbors (ehh not as well as I would have liked)
77. Watch David Crowder in concert (*sigh* one day…)
78. Write encouraging notes to girls on my hall [X]
79. Finish reading through the Bible [X]
80. Donate Blood [X]
81. Break some rules [X]
82. Climb to the top of a roof [X]
83. Go cliff-jumping
84. Stop procrastinating
85. Go to bed at a decent hour (seeing as I’m doing this at 3 a.m.? fail.)
86. Figure out what’s going down in life
87. Complete counseling [X]
88. Go on some more Jesus walks [X]
89. Get good grades
90. Spend a day in my PJs [X]
91. Go to the public library and read in the Children’s section [X]
92. Do a random act of kindness [X]
93. Sleep in my hammock [X]
94. Become a floor leader [X]
95. Have a reunion with my imaginary friends [X]
96. Have family time [X]
97. Giggle [X]
98. Become a Youtube sensation [X] (I think so!)
99. Be awesome [X]
100. Complete most of the items on this list (77 completed!) [X]

Broken (End of the Year Pondering)

"You Think" by Jenny and Tyler

‘cause what will the think of me

when they finally see

this little girl they know

doesn’t let her bruises show

it’s not what they think

it’s how You think of me

This semester has been one of the most ridiculous stages in my life. And when I say “ridiculous,” what I mean is “excruciatingly hard and challenging.” These past five months have been a journey, a journey into brokenness.

My life had been going fantastically, I had wrapped up three of the best months of my life at a summer camp, and was so excited for another year of college as great as the one before.

Then I had an old friend pass away. I hadn’t seen or talked to this person in a long time, we had grown apart throughout the years and became more like acquaintances, yet it was still a blow, one harder than I had expected as a young life is always harder to accept.

In a very short amount of time, I had experienced the deaths of more than ten loved ones. Over time, although I did not become completely hardened from the grief, I did become numb to the pain.

This semester was all about coming to terms with the pain, realizing it would never fully fade away, but learning how to deal with life in general. It was a wave of exhaustion as pain didn’t come in a small trickle but in a steady downpour.

Through it all, I did nothing but question God and ask Him why the pain was still coming.

We call God the potter and see ourselves as the clay, ready to be formed into a masterpiece. I always picture God sitting in a workshop, gently forming me into something great. But I always tend to forget that any good artist must first knead the clay so that it’s soft, beating it until I can finally be formed into something.

This season of my life has been about being beaten so that I can be ready to be formed.

I’ve hated absolutely every minute of this growing exercise God puts us through. Routinely, I’ve managed to call God a jerk for doing this to me without being struck by lightening.

But I’ve also learned a lot about accepting the brokenness, being tired to the point of exhaustion.

Like it’s okay to admit that I’m hurting.

The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. I will speak to you while you are there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again. Then the LORD gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. Jeremiah 18:1-6

Oh Family!

Family, oh family

When we're together for too long

Things get interesting...

I can't really describe you to what's going down in our household

But this is almost an exact representation of my life