"...Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."
Thank you to Mr. Forrest Gump (and his momma) for the above quote. When he compared the randomness of life to a box of chocolates, he certainly hit the nail on the head. Well, in my efforts to keep this blog original, I will compare the randomness of life to scrambled eggs. I chose scrambled eggs, because when you cook them, they rarely ever turn out the same. For example, sometimes they are the perfect, fluffy eggs we all love to eat. However, other times, they may be a little runny, or perhaps a little dry. It's really just a chance you take.
Life is a lot like that. It is filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, and everything in between. We are presented with decisions, that in the end, could affect our overall state of life. Sometimes, we are presented with a clear picture of what could happen, other times we are completely clueless. Most of the time, when we have that pretty picture of the future, it's easy to decide whether or not to pursue certain risks or desires. But, what about when we are in the dark? Typically, that is a huge hurdle to cross. I wouldn't think that anyone would want to knowingly screw up their life.
Life for me these past few months have really been like scrambled eggs. I have experiences the highs, lows, good, bad, and ugly. But, I decided to go out on a limb, and I applied for a position at Disney. I had no clue of how things would work out, if I even got the position, where would I live? I took a risk. Well, I am happy to report, I did get the position. I move into my apartment June 17, and I start training on June 22. By some stretch of the imagination, things that needed to happen, did. Everything has fallen into place, without too much aggravation.
So, as of June 22, I will once again be a Disney Cast Member!! My role (job title) is MKCSC Specialist ( that's Magic Kingdom Cast Service Center for all of you who don't speak Disney). My next goal, after getting settled into this position, is to start applying to graduate school again. But, I will post more about that later.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Lost and Found.
Isn't being lost one of the WORST feelings ever? Sure, there are others, but being lost can be a very hair raising experience. We've all probably experienced some sort of negative feeling associated with being lost.
Unfortunately, I've gotten lost, and I am not sure how to find my way back. No, I don't mean physically, or even mentally. I am talking about being lost spiritually. A feeling that is unerving to those who hold their faith as an important tenet of life. Please understand that I am NOT one of those bible thumping, hard-nosed, judgemental Christians that the media does such a wonderful job of portraying. I do have my beliefs, and personal opinions associated with them, but I don't allow my beliefs to cast out anyone. Christ didn't ostracize people, and why those are said to be followers of Christ do, I will never understand.
I've allowed influences to enter my life, to cloud my judgement, and numb me. I haven't felt God in quite sometime, so long that it honestly scares me. I've been in that place before, but it is not a place I care to revisit. It has been so easy to allow past mistakes, current situations, and future uncertainties drag me through the dirt. Had I maintained my spiritual relationship, these things would have been nothing more than things.
In any sense, there are some things that must change. Life isn't what I want it to be, therefore it is time to make things happen. Stay tuned for those changes.
Unfortunately, I've gotten lost, and I am not sure how to find my way back. No, I don't mean physically, or even mentally. I am talking about being lost spiritually. A feeling that is unerving to those who hold their faith as an important tenet of life. Please understand that I am NOT one of those bible thumping, hard-nosed, judgemental Christians that the media does such a wonderful job of portraying. I do have my beliefs, and personal opinions associated with them, but I don't allow my beliefs to cast out anyone. Christ didn't ostracize people, and why those are said to be followers of Christ do, I will never understand.
I've allowed influences to enter my life, to cloud my judgement, and numb me. I haven't felt God in quite sometime, so long that it honestly scares me. I've been in that place before, but it is not a place I care to revisit. It has been so easy to allow past mistakes, current situations, and future uncertainties drag me through the dirt. Had I maintained my spiritual relationship, these things would have been nothing more than things.
In any sense, there are some things that must change. Life isn't what I want it to be, therefore it is time to make things happen. Stay tuned for those changes.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Ch-Ch Changes.
Change is coming. Decisions are to be made. A plan will be in place. Motivation will be needed. Curious? Good, stay tuned for a few important announcements coming over the next few days!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thoughts on Valentine's Day
I must admit that I haver never been a huge fan of Valentine's Day. Despite my 'romantic' tendencies, I just don't see the point of this 'holiday'. Is it necessary to have one specific day out of the entire year to show love to significant others, friends, family, or whomever you decide to love? It runs along the same line as being in the giving spirit only during the Christmas season. Shouldn't we (especially those of us who are Christians) have the servant's heart all year? Why must everything be so commercialized? I mean we have cards and gifts for literally every occassions: births, deaths, weddings, the major holidays, and the 501100 little holidays. Even in a struggling economy, making a financial investment in the greeting card/gift bag/gift wrap industry, would probably yield a substantial profit. The point(s) of this soapbox about V-Day are this:
- If you love someone, you shouldn't need a specific day to show that love to them.
- There is no such thing as unconditional love. (Aside from God's love.)
- A 'Valentine' isn't limited to people in a romantic relationship.
- Be creative. Stop relying on the greeting card industry to show her/him/them how much you love her/him/them.
- Make sure your relationship is a healthy one.
- When she/he is with their friends or whatever, DON'T call or text the entire time. It shows that you don't trust that person. A relationship not built on trust is nothing.
- Last but not least, make sure your realtionship is honoring God.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
As one of my favorite taglines, the United Methodist Church gets a thumbs up for creating such a catchy, yet accurate tagline. Of course the purpose of this entry goes beyond the advertisement for the United Methodist Church. It came up during a casual conversation with a friend tonight. This particular friend seems a little down about the next step in life. Naturally, being a pro at that sort of feeling, I felt I could give said friend a bit of advice.
I feel that the most important thing that we can do in any situation is remain open. This is especially true when examining life and trying to figure out what's next in God's plan. Often times we back ourselves so far into a corner, it doesn't seem that we'll ever find our way. Luckily we serve a God that can light even the darkest of paths. But, with that being said, why do we back ourselves into these dark alleys? Why is it that we intentionally seperate ourselves from "others"? For example, church politics, they're big, ugly, and everywhere. But seriously, what sort of purpose do they serve aside from isolating people? Are they REALLY necessary to maintain order in the church? What happened to people just coming together to worship God?
Open hearts:
We should open our hearts to God. This can mean various things, but a few things are general enough to apply to every situation. Opening your heart to God means allowing God to enter in, do some spring cleaning, and make a residence inside of you. After all, that is sort of the point. In order for that to happen, one must be willing to allow such events to happen.
Open minds:
Once we've allowed God to make a dwelling insde of us, we must keep our minds open. According to the Bible, we as God's children have plans designed for us by God, our Heavenly father. However, unless we remain receptive to following the plan, the rest is pointless. Yes, God's plan isn't always our plan. But, remember from the tv show (and Jeremiah 29:11); father knows best. Speaking from experience, one can fight and run from the plan. But, eventually one gets tired of running. It is much easier to be open in the beginning, rather than facing trials and tribulations that may have been prevented in the beginning.
Open doors:
This last part, provided the first two have fallen into place, is fairly simple. Part of following God's plan is to allow God to close certain doors, only to open new ones. In order for the purpose of these new open doors to be of any use, one must walk through them. With the above rules in mind, cross over anything in your way, so that you may enter into greatness with God.
With the end of this entry, I leave you yet one more thing to ponder. A quote in the form of a question that my anam cara presented to me: "I just want to minister to people. Is that too much to ask?"
I feel that the most important thing that we can do in any situation is remain open. This is especially true when examining life and trying to figure out what's next in God's plan. Often times we back ourselves so far into a corner, it doesn't seem that we'll ever find our way. Luckily we serve a God that can light even the darkest of paths. But, with that being said, why do we back ourselves into these dark alleys? Why is it that we intentionally seperate ourselves from "others"? For example, church politics, they're big, ugly, and everywhere. But seriously, what sort of purpose do they serve aside from isolating people? Are they REALLY necessary to maintain order in the church? What happened to people just coming together to worship God?
Open hearts:
We should open our hearts to God. This can mean various things, but a few things are general enough to apply to every situation. Opening your heart to God means allowing God to enter in, do some spring cleaning, and make a residence inside of you. After all, that is sort of the point. In order for that to happen, one must be willing to allow such events to happen.
Open minds:
Once we've allowed God to make a dwelling insde of us, we must keep our minds open. According to the Bible, we as God's children have plans designed for us by God, our Heavenly father. However, unless we remain receptive to following the plan, the rest is pointless. Yes, God's plan isn't always our plan. But, remember from the tv show (and Jeremiah 29:11); father knows best. Speaking from experience, one can fight and run from the plan. But, eventually one gets tired of running. It is much easier to be open in the beginning, rather than facing trials and tribulations that may have been prevented in the beginning.
Open doors:
This last part, provided the first two have fallen into place, is fairly simple. Part of following God's plan is to allow God to close certain doors, only to open new ones. In order for the purpose of these new open doors to be of any use, one must walk through them. With the above rules in mind, cross over anything in your way, so that you may enter into greatness with God.
With the end of this entry, I leave you yet one more thing to ponder. A quote in the form of a question that my anam cara presented to me: "I just want to minister to people. Is that too much to ask?"
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Life Unexpected
Life these past few weeks has been a little full. From starting my seasonal job to preparing to start school in February; time for blogging has been rather scarce. As I sit here looking out my window with my cup of java beside me, I see the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. I see a blanket of white that has left no object untouched.
Enough of the mooshy stuff, lets get down to business. As we close out the first 31 days of 2010, I figured a recap was in order. I have nothing of real substance at the moment, so a list will have to do.
Enough of the mooshy stuff, lets get down to business. As we close out the first 31 days of 2010, I figured a recap was in order. I have nothing of real substance at the moment, so a list will have to do.
- I start graduate school tomorrow...well if I am able to get out. The white stuff has a way of holding one hostage.
- Never trust Mapquest directions...ever!
- I never thought I would say this, but I miss Mount Olive College.
- I am BEYOND ready for spring.
- It is a strong possibility that I will be returning to Florida for the summer!
- Parmesian cheese is good on things other than spaghetti and pizza.
- I am looking to re-vamp the blog, but am clueless as to where to start.
- Gardner-Webb is quite possibly one of the prettiest college campuses that I have ever seen. Elon is still at the top, but I think G-Dub gives Virginia Tech and Duke a run for their money.
- Sledding can be quite dangerous...especially on a giant hill with trees!
- I promise to post something a little more substantial soon!
- Ideas for posts are also appreciated.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Goodbye 2009.
With only a few hours remaining in 2009, I can't say that I am sad to see it go. This year has been filled with many different things, some of them that couldn't possibly be explained with words. However, during this reflective moment, I will try to examine life in 2009.
Like that of a rollercoaster, 2009 has brought hills, dips, loops, highs and lows. Parts of life have new meaning, while other parts have yet to be discovered. One such area of new meaning is my relationship with God. During 2009 I have been able to reach certain milestones in my faith, some of which I would never imagine taking place. Through faith, people, servitude, and an open mind; I've realized several things: (in no particular order)
*I am a college graduate. I finally finished my undergraduate degree, earning a BA in English-Communications. That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me. I am the first (and only so far) person in my family to attend college, much less graduate.
*Being a Christian is more than a label or a lifestyle. It is a relationship. While the lifestyle is important too, it is impossible and pointless to live the life style unless you have a relationship with God. I probably learned that the hard way.
*God has a calling on my life, a calling that I've known for a while, but refused to listen. God has called me into full-time ministry. As of right now, I don't believe it is the traditional preaching role, although I am sure that area of ministry is not off limits. I believe that I am to use my passion for education, love of the future generations, and my gift of music to students. While "students" seem pretty general, God will place me in front of open doors.
*Most importantly (relating to the above), I surrendered to God's calling in 2009. I will be starting graduate school, earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in English Education. It will not be a cake walk, but I have not been placed into a situation that I can't possibly succeed.
While the first part of 2009 was great, the last part is certainly been tough for me to swallow at times. Certain things such as difficulty finding a job, moving back home, leaving the only church I ever really felt comfortable in, and lack of success in the relationship department; have made me realize that there are still areas of life that have yet to be discovered. I realize the old saying, "Good things come to those who wait." Being very impatient, waiting is not something that I typically handle very well. I get that life involves waiting (which is especially true when serving the Lord), but I can honestly say I am beyond tired of waiting. Impatient flew out the window several months ago. Now, I battle a sea of emotions ranging from anxiety (yes-anxiety) to confusion on to worthlessness and even anger. So, with that said, I will say so long 2009. I am ready to hit 2010 head on. I want to build new relationships, strengthen existing ones, serve God, and be an example for the whole world to see.
Welcome 2010. May you bring peace, love, and happiness. May you fill the cups of those who are empty. May you reveal things yet to be discovered about life.
Like that of a rollercoaster, 2009 has brought hills, dips, loops, highs and lows. Parts of life have new meaning, while other parts have yet to be discovered. One such area of new meaning is my relationship with God. During 2009 I have been able to reach certain milestones in my faith, some of which I would never imagine taking place. Through faith, people, servitude, and an open mind; I've realized several things: (in no particular order)
*I am a college graduate. I finally finished my undergraduate degree, earning a BA in English-Communications. That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me. I am the first (and only so far) person in my family to attend college, much less graduate.
*Being a Christian is more than a label or a lifestyle. It is a relationship. While the lifestyle is important too, it is impossible and pointless to live the life style unless you have a relationship with God. I probably learned that the hard way.
*God has a calling on my life, a calling that I've known for a while, but refused to listen. God has called me into full-time ministry. As of right now, I don't believe it is the traditional preaching role, although I am sure that area of ministry is not off limits. I believe that I am to use my passion for education, love of the future generations, and my gift of music to students. While "students" seem pretty general, God will place me in front of open doors.
*Most importantly (relating to the above), I surrendered to God's calling in 2009. I will be starting graduate school, earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in English Education. It will not be a cake walk, but I have not been placed into a situation that I can't possibly succeed.
While the first part of 2009 was great, the last part is certainly been tough for me to swallow at times. Certain things such as difficulty finding a job, moving back home, leaving the only church I ever really felt comfortable in, and lack of success in the relationship department; have made me realize that there are still areas of life that have yet to be discovered. I realize the old saying, "Good things come to those who wait." Being very impatient, waiting is not something that I typically handle very well. I get that life involves waiting (which is especially true when serving the Lord), but I can honestly say I am beyond tired of waiting. Impatient flew out the window several months ago. Now, I battle a sea of emotions ranging from anxiety (yes-anxiety) to confusion on to worthlessness and even anger. So, with that said, I will say so long 2009. I am ready to hit 2010 head on. I want to build new relationships, strengthen existing ones, serve God, and be an example for the whole world to see.
Welcome 2010. May you bring peace, love, and happiness. May you fill the cups of those who are empty. May you reveal things yet to be discovered about life.
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