What Does It Mean to be a Christian?

Don’t give your literal definition of the word, really think about it.
Try to look past the horrible examples which have been set before you.
Try not to let the subversive Christians you've encountered, impact the perfection the Lord embodies.

Think about the sacrifices, think about the humility, think about the lifestyle, think about the love – think about the word's connotation.
From my actions, I can tell you what others may think it means…
”Oh, well it must mean indulging in your most basic desires without going 'too far'.”
“It must mean doing any- and everything except killing people, stealing, etc; you know, anything for which you could possibly be imprisoned.”
“Maybe it means appearing to be nice and sweet to others, while doing whatever you’d like behind closed doors.”
“Or maybe it means going to church, and participating in other religious activities, while still maintaining the entirety of your own individualism.”

In reality, being a Christian is something completely different.
Being a Christian means living love.
It means loving humanity enough to sacrifice yourself, your lifestyle, and your possessions, to draw those who are lost.
Being a Christian means making the ultimate sacrifice.
It doesn’t necessarily mean forsaking what distinguishes you from everyone else, but it does mean using those distinctions to serve God.
Ultimately, it is redefining the value you have as a person – trading what the world values in and about you for what God deems invaluable in and about you.

Now, beyond defining 'being a Christian', the true task is living it.

Please tell me, what is this thing called LOVE??

Geeze, what is this thing called love?
Love is this nebulous notion of extreme emotion.
It makes people do things completely uncharacteristic of themselves.
It makes people care, it makes people question their existence, it makes people question their purpose, it just makes people...

What is this thing called love?
How can something so abstract have such an impact on beings so far up the ladder of intelligent beings?
We even beat out cock roaches, ants, and chimpanzees.
How is it that something intangible can have so much control over us -
we are intelligent beings, who have evolved to withstand certain pathogens and infectious agents, we've made great discoveries and phenomenal scientific advances, we've created machines to do everything save thinking for us, but we can't do anything about love.
All we can do is succumb to its infinite power.

It alters our senses - makes food tasteless, sounds inaudible, sights invisible, and thoughts valueless.
It makes us zombies, walking in a straight line, arms outstretched before us, searching for love.

Love is greater than humanity.

Lucky for us, it has survived time, and even the most sordid events.
Unlike us, it needn't evolve to survive; it simply survives.
It seems so simple, somewhat mundane and insignificant, but don't tell love that.
When disrespected, love can leave you in quite the bond.

I find it so humorous that human beings think themselves superior to everything, yet love has us all under her foot - lifting and moving us like puppets.

We are but slaves to this thing called love.

Try, just try to control love.
Try to categorize it, and group it alongside some other emotion.

Please indulge me with the details of the turnout.

A Yearning for Something More...

Have you ever felt like there was something more?
...like, there has to be more to life than where you are and what you're doing.
Have you ever wondered what else could be done;
what more you could do with your talents and your unique abilities?
You are an individual.
There are specific things that you can do, that no one else on this earth can do.
The combination of talents and abilities that coalesce to form the intricacies of your existence, make you incomparable to any other person on this earth.
Your desires, your thoughts, your words, your form of expression, you mindset, your goals, you style, your sense of humor, your knowledge-base, your expertise, your beliefs - its all you.
These comprise the rudiment of your being.
You are who you are - not to be overlooked or underestimated, but to be exalted as an individual person.
The characteristics that distinguish one person from another are what make us alive.
They make us human.
Out ability to love, our ability to create, our ability to envision, our ability to dream makes us extraordinary.
Cast aside any desires to mesh with the crowd.
Abort any thoughts that nurture the notion of detesting difference.
God (yes, God) has made each of us different.
Your decision to believe or disbelieve this doesn't alter its truthfulness.
Embrace your differences.
Understand that God has created you with these distinct characteristics for a distinct reason.
To know your true purpose, to understand why you are, you must seek Him.
He does have the all the answers.
As mere humans, our knowledge has limits, our perspective has limits, and our understanding has limits.
Admit it.
Humble yourself under the Mighty Hand of the One, Who, even His boundlessness is infinite.

Letting Go...

Sometimes you just have to let go.
It's 12am on [date]
I'm at [internship location] lying in my bed, staring into the darkness
and I just let go.
It just hit me.
I wasn't surprised.
I was actually in denial (yeah, big surprise, huh?).
"We'll stay in touch."
"We're still 'good' friends."
"He doesn't really like her."
What was I thinking?
Even you can see that none of that stuff was true.

We were great together.
He was so so right for me.

Yes,
some things about him differed from me,
but so what!!
I didn't want a reflection of myself
I wanted my other half.

What's wrong with me?!
I had 'em.
He had me.
I messed up.
I really messed up.
One of those mistakes that doesn't just go away.
It doesn't just scar you for life,
It haunts you for life.
I'll always wonder what would've happened,
but I don't think I'll ever know for sure.

See, I didn't use 'never.'
I didn't say,
'But I will never know for sure.'
I'm trying to preserve my last bit of hope.

I actually already do wonder
how it would have been.
What it would be like to be his.
How we would be together,
how the we would affect our individual lives - relationships with God, school, and family.
None of that matters now, though.
At least not to me.
It matters to the lovely young lady with whom he has chosen to spend his time.

I forgot her name.

She has to be someone special
to have the privilege of being his girl;
but at the same time,
she doesn't deserve him.
Nothing she could do or say
would make her deserve him,
because no one really deserves him.
No one.
We ladies can only be ourselves
and hope
that we are remotely worthy
to walk at his side,
to be graced by the wonderful man that he is,
and
to be called
his.

Reviling Friends??

It's funny how the people closest to you can say the most hurtful things.
Maybe its true that if the same words were spoken by a stranger they wouldn't have such a severe sting.
Maybe it hurts so badly because it comes from someone you supposedly trust; someone you would never intentionally hurt.
Because of the type of person you are, you would never spew verbal abuse.
You would never use hurtful words to entertain some at the expense of one.
You wouldn't even reciprocate the harsh revilement of which you are periodically victim.
You would never purpose to be the cause of someone else's pain.
Since you would never purpose to bring someone else pain and embarrassment, why do people put so much effort into bringing those things upon you?
What have you done to deserve such taunting and disdain?
Really,
that's no friend at all.

Without Pain

Where would we be without pain?

Where would we be without the defining moments that are those difficult decisions and seemingly insurmountable issues?

What type of person is shaped from a mold that strictly follows the perfect blueprint to greatness – a mold that has never been tested for strength and ability to withstand pressure?

It seems as though the outcome, regardless of the composition or type of mold (i.e. regardless of the person), would be a pansy.

Maybe my perception is constricted by exposure deprivation, but I’ve never know pansies to have a reputation of resilience; they’re know for their instability and ‘softness’.

It’s the sissy of flowers.

Think back to an obstacle in your life’s progression.

How did that obstacle affect you?

How did you react to that change in pace?

Did you ignore the event, because that was the only way for you to cope with it?

Did you learn a valuable lesson about yourself or about life?

Did you apply the lesson-learned to a similar situation encountered at a later time?

Your answers to these questions reveal a great deal about you, and your outlook on life.

I believe a great differentiating factor amongst mankind is how people react to life’s obstacles.

You can’t judge a pedophile, murderer, thief, or Enron executive for how they’ve reacted to hard times in their lives.

Some people just haven’t learned the varying situations they may encounter, and the appropriate ways to address each of those situations.

Use what life hands you, because you never know who admires you, and who has chosen you as their person to emulate.

Of course, you shouldn’t live your life for others, but you should live as the example you’ve inevitably become.

In today’s society, youth need examples.

Be that example.

It’s selfish to neglect the role you hold in society as the example to those who are to follow, just to ‘be your own person.’

Life is about what and how much you’re willing to give – that includes how much of yourself.

Remember, you reap what you sow.

Be an exemplary model for those who need one, and in the days when your children will seek advice from their peers and not their parents, they’ll have the equivalent of the example you became for someone else.

Our next Chief of State

We are in the midst of breaking history.

Will our country be bequeathed to the oldest person to be sworn in for his first term, or the first African American candidate?

Will racism and perceived inexperience prevail over a wistful yearning for change?

This election has been a pivotal one in that it has resurrected memories of historical events that many considered permanently buried in a deep grave of equality and civil rights.
I've seen more racism and hate in the news and in the eyes of strangers in the past few months than I've ever seen in my life.

Tonight will be an evening filled with emotion.
Supporters of the losing candidate will be enraged, while supporters of the winner will be elated.
My hopes are that events remain at a controlled, safe level.

Regardless of the outcome (I've already voted, and there's really nothing more that I can do), I am eagerly awaiting the end of this election, because the commotion that has accompanied it has been extremely exorbitant.

Tonight is the night.

Obama or McCain, tonight is the night.

Things to do in the next 12 months...

So I'd like to do these things in the next couple of months. The following list is in no particular order and may be augmented or abated at any point in time, but here goes:

1. Take at least 2 trips whose destinations lie outside the continental US.
2. Rock climb
3. Get a pet (it has to be able to respire and digest - no rocks or plants allowed)
4. Read 50 books on any subject (cover to cover, no skipping around)
5. Go to a ballroom dancing competition
6. Get at least 50 pages into my book
7. Score at least 30 on the MCAT or 1300 on the GRE
8. Apply to 8 MD programs or Grad programs
9. Buy a new car (this is extremely difficult considering my allergies to saving $$)
10. Have a child
11. Just kidding!!!!
12. Each month try at least one recipe representing a different country
13. Read my Bible daily (daring, I know)
14. Stay single, and focused on me (unless God intervenes)
15. Accumulate 250 volunteer hours
16. Save $3 grand
17. Ride a mechanical bull
18. Take a dancing class.

I think that's it for now....but the list grows often, so ya gotta keep up!