yeah . . .I have a blog

Discomfort

2010-12-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

Recently for a class, I gave my perceived life passion a “name” or maybe just put it in words.

“Making people uncomfortable, with the goal of becoming comfortable.”

I have so many stories that I want to share here, and such a long post that I could write.

I want to keep it short and simple:

I find a natural comfort and talent in helping people overcome some of their greatest fears. To do this, they must first become uncomfortable. With coaching and gentle encouragement, this sense of discomfort can quickly change to comfort, and this give me great joy.

This is all I am going to say for now, but I, as always, welcome your comments and stories.

Tyler

some thoughts from a college kid!

2010-12-04T02:35:00.000-05:00

To start this off, let me just say that being involved in college is amazing! But, you must not neglect yourself, and must not let things become more important than your time along with just you and God.

I must say that I have met many new people, and have opened my eyes to so many different situations through my involvement in college. However, at the beginning of the semester, I began to neglect my 'me' time, my time with God, time to reflect on the decisions that I made that day, and just time to stop and realize what happened that day.

I then did exactly what I thought that I needed to do - I sat aside time each evening to reflect and to pray. This however, is not what I needed.

Yes, I was praying. Yes, I was reflecting. But I was forgetting one very important thing that God calls us to do. Listening. I was praying all the time, telling God this and that, and thanking Him for what happened that day, but I still felt like something was missing...

I was not listening to what God had to say and was trying to tell me. When I sat down and listened, I was able to do what I thought I had been doing all along. I began to follow a command we are given in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) - "Pray continually."

Now, to pray continuously, we must listen to what God is saying, not just ask for Him to do something, but listen to what He is telling US to do!

Listening to God will help guide us through difficult situations and lead us to making the right choices. So when the going gets tough or when things just start to get really busy, slow down and take time to listen to what God has to say. You may not always want to do what you are told due to fear of failure or fear of rejection, but God has a reason, and it is all part of his plan for your life.

Well, I spent more time on that than I expected...

The next thing that I want to touch on is a completely different topic: Diversity Awareness. Something that until recently I completely disregarded.

Diversity is something that should be respected and never looked down upon. I am not perfect, and my traditions are not either. Therefore, I do not have the authority to tell you that your ways are wrong or inappropriate.

I have begun to look at situations with an open mind and trying to see them through another persons eyes. I may not always agree with what you are doing or have done, but I will respect your decision. It is your life, and yes, I would like every person to see things the way I do, but I know that this does not happen. I will always respect your right to make a decision, now, I may not support your decision, but I will respect you and not look down on you for the decision that was made.

This is something that I could only wish for everyone to do. I believe that respect for differing opinions is a key factor to gaining respect for yourself and gaining insight into others ideas and perspectives. If everybody could respect a decision, they could then take time to understand your reasoning for doing what you did.

Perspective. The number one cause of disrespect and disagreement between parties. Once people take time to view situations through other peoples perspectives, they can begin to respect the persons decision. This will then allow for more friendships among differing people, something we can never have too much of.

I wrote all of this very quickly, and hope that it makes sense! When I have something that I want to say, I get it out!

Feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated!

"......."

2010-04-17T07:25:00.000-04:00

Recently on facebook I have been compiling some quotes, and each of them mean something different to me, but all still have a great effect. They make me think about their true meaning.

Well, let me put a few out here and tell you exactly what I think they mean. This doesn’t mean that this is the only meaning; it is just what I take from them. Feel free to leave your comments on what exactly you think of them.

- “You need to be able to tell people when they are full of crap. If that doesn’t happen, you start churning out something that doesn’t offend someone, but also doesn’t make anyone fall in love.”

This one to me makes me think of life in general. You cannot go around living a false life just to please somebody else’s ideas. When the time comes, you MUST be able to tell somebody that what they are asking of you can simply not be done. If you cannot do this, then you cannot excel to your highest potential.

-“If you want to get someone’s attention, it’s silly to do exactly the same thing as everyone else.”

Many people go on day-to-day trying to be noticed by someone, but do nothing to make themselves stand out from the rest of the crowd. Each and every person is their own unique self, and must do their own things in order to be successful. Take a look at all of the world’s most successful leaders, and notice that every single one of them had to do something to surpass others. Fortune and fame did not simply track them down, the path to success is long and hard, but can easily be followed with a little perseverance.

-“Strong opinions aren’t free. You’ll turn some people off. They’ll accuse you of being arrogant and aloof. That’s life. For everyone who loves you, there will be others who hate you. If no one’s upset by what you are saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough.

This statement here applies to situations that involve change. When any person, business, or organization comes to a time where they know that change is necessary, there will ALWAYS be hard feelings. People do not like change. They like for things to stay the same as they have always been. This is because people are afraid of what others may think when their change does not go as planned. There will always be a generation who is for change, but there will also be one who is wholeheartedly against it. If one generation does not make a necessary change, the next one will.

-“Change without vision is chaos.”

I have recently had to deal with a situation involving this very statement. A change was trying to be made in a very short time frame that would have a lasting long-term effect. It was later realized that the ideals presented in the argument were not given a vision, as they did not know what they wanted this situation to become, past the immediate future. So all in all, if you don’t know where you want something to go, then don’t change it. Wait until you know what you want.

Always look deeper into things than your peers do. This will set you well on your way to being a successful individual that can accomplish any and all of your dreams. No matter what people say, know how it applies to your life, and how it can help you to be the one to break out above the crowd.

2010, a New Year With a New Outlook

2010-01-03T23:05:00.002-05:00

I look back on the last few years of the past decade and see many mistakes as well as many triumphs. When I think about the decisions that I made, I also think about the outcome that they presented. I recognize many times that I have succeeded in the past 5 years, but more importantly, I want to think about the bad choices, the ones that still linger and cause me to second guess my self.

I challenge everyone that reads this post to think of the following:

In the last decade (or 5 years if you are younger) what are some things that you did that you are proud of? Think of these things and write them down, put them in a safe place and look at them again in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years. What have you done now that tops these things
Make a list of all of the bad choices that you made. Take one that bothers you most and think it out. Why did you make that choice? What can you do now to prevent that from happening again? Put these answers in a safe place and come back to them when you struggle with the same problems again.
After you do the two things above. Forget the past. It is likely that things happened that you would rather not remember. The loss of a good friend, a divorce, or the passing of a loved one. Forget these. Start new in a new year and a new decade.

I know that I made some horrible decisions in my past, but now I am going to put those behind me because there is nothing that I can do about them now. I will try my best not to make the same mistakes again, and to above all, put God first and follow the plan that he has for my life.

Legend

2009-12-30T00:03:00.002-05:00

Quick question to think about:

What makes a legend? What somebody did while they were alive? Or how they are remembered once they are gone?

I will post more about this soon.

My Blog Has Forgotten Me

2009-12-16T20:40:00.001-05:00

Wow, it seems that the hustle and bustle of this first semester of school has caused my blog to disown me. I will definitely have some more time to post here in the upcoming couple of months. So I hope everybody will check back soon!

HHHEEEELLLLLOOOOO

2009-06-25T22:55:00.002-04:00

Hello all, decided I shouldn't take another month long break from the blog again!

So here is a life update.

A few weeks ago, Me, Austin, Becky, and Ashley decided to work on the playground where the church did some mission work. We spent $50 and put up some new swings, fixed a suspension bridge, and and a few other minor things. I hope the kids like it!

I went to Brenner's Childrens Hospital on Monday for my hearing and the news was less than helpful. The doctor looked at me as serious as day and said "We have no clue what caused your hearing loss, and it may or may not get better." The he got up and walked out of the room . . . . Less than encouraging.

LAst thing here is kinda big, and kinda vague. If you know me well enough you can ask some details, otherwise-sorry. Today a certain person said some certain things that made me very uncomfortable. Really really wish that I could witness to this person, but right now, I can not seem to get up the courage to do so.

Ask.

I have also decided to make a conscious effort at becoming healthier. Me as well as a few other friends are riding everywhere from 25-100 miles a week on our bikes. I am hitting the gym a few times a week, and skipping meals and substituting protein shakes instead. Hopefully this will all pay off.

Other than that and working at subway, my life is pretty much boring. Somebody should talk to me :)

Tyler

You don't have a universe

2009-06-17T23:00:00.004-04:00

I am sure that everyone who is reading this has heard of the OnePrayer series where churches from around the world can listen to the same messages together through the use of technology. If you haven't, here is a little clip. (If you are reading this within the first few hours after I posted, the video may not be processed by youtube completely yet.)

Well, this week we had a special guest on screen from Simi Valley, California. Francis Chan. With Chan, we explored the topic of God is . . .Strength. Chan made very good points and used many tangible illustrations, but one thing stands out from that message, a quote by an age old pastor, J. Vernon McGhee.

"This is God's universe, and God does things his way. You may have a better way, but you don't have a universe."

I don't know about you, but that says something to me. I guess the point is, if you think that you can do something better than God, go make your own universe then give him a shout. You may think twice then!

Anyways, thanks for reading and peace out.

Tyler

Wow!

2009-05-24T15:53:00.002-04:00

Ok, so last Thursday I felt a little pressure in my left ear, having interned with the local ENT, I thought I should have it checked out, so I scheduled an appointment. I expected that the tympanometer would show that there was a lack of motility of the ear drum and that there was some fluid behind it. Boy was I wrong! I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Sensorineural Hearing Loss. The suspected that it was caused by a virus but are not sure. I wasn't too worried since he told me that the steroids he put me on would most like bring back at least 70% of it. I went back to him on Friday after my MRI expecting the audiogram to show that the hearing was coming back. Wrong again. There was a 10 dB drop from the 15 dB loss that was exhibited last week.

Good news is that the MRI indicated no tumor in the brain, and ruled out Acoustic Neuroma. But, since the hearing unexpectedly got worse even tho I was on the steroids and antibiotic, I have to go to the Otolaryngology specialist at the Brenner's Children's Hospital in Winston Salem.

I really hope that this clears up and gets better, but who really knows? I think that no matter what, I can adapt to it and that it will not have a profound effect on me. Hopefully!

On a completely different note, GOV. SCHOOL IS OVER! I made it through exams without too much brain death! Now I can relax and concentrate on some more important things, like my Harlem Renaissance in english. UGH.

Oh well, enough rambling for now. Peace out.

Tyler

Life Update

2009-05-13T21:44:00.001-04:00

So, in the past few months, the Governors School has seriously caused a bad BAD case of senioritis to set in early. I haven’t done anything productive recently. Now it’s exam time and I am afraid that I am going to feel my lack of preparation. But the one thing that I have acknowledged, is that it is my fault. I can not blame this on my teachers, and can’t ask God why he didn't bring me through. I slacked, now I am going to have to pay. My pastor post on his blog a few months back, something that I just kind of glanced over until just recently and this was the fact that you have to learn how to learn. Here is a little excerpt from that post:

During my senior year, one of my wise professors made the statement that “when you start a job, you won’t use 90% of what we have taught you. But we have taught you how to learn, and how to learn quickly.”

I think that I have just tried to breeze through the past couple of months and have not really been trying to learn to learn - If that makes any sense . . . . But I will be glad when the summer starts and I have time to clear my mind and really get some things taken care of. God has put some heavy things on my heart that I have been trying to avoid, and I know that eventually I am going to have to face them. It is truly going to be a relief to get them cleared up and have some time to do something FUN! Now I have to try to study for some final exams next week, so until next time, adios.

Scars, videos, friends, and other random stuff.

2009-03-29T20:58:00.001-04:00

Ok, so you all read my post last week about helping a friend, right?

Well, good news, everything has been going great with everything that we have been helping each other with! I do want to throw out there that I started out just holding him accountable for things, but in the past week, that has escalated to both of us holding each other accountable. We have both opened up to some problems that we know that we have and do not want to hide them. We want them fixed.

Ok, here is the reason that I am blogging tonight. At youth tonight we watched a video from lifechurch.tv and had a discussion afterwards . . . everything is I guess routine youth until this . . . . the discussion afterwards talked about some things that people should do if they know that they have a problem. The things that were suggested be done are things that my bud and I started last week. I guess that I decided to go tonight for a reason. I really needed to stay home and do homework, but I decided against and went.

Tonight’s discussion reminded me of one of the messages at Resurrection this year. Justin Lookadoo mentioned that if you are fully aware that you have a problem, you can NOT ask for someone to just pray for you and not know what they are praying about. You MUST have someone that you can tell and someone who you can confide in. He also talked about the process of getting a scar. You may have some things in your past that do not bring out your best features, but once you resolve your problems sure you will have scars, but you can then relate to other people with the same problem and help them through the same way that you were helped through it.

Well, now that my random babbling is over I will get to my main point, Tell someone if you have a problem. Tell somebody that you can trust and things will get better. A good friend is all that a person ever needs!

Number 1!

2009-03-20T21:25:00.003-04:00

Hola blogger amigos! Como estas?

Not gonna lie, my Spanish skills are awful so enough of that! So in case anyone was wondering, I have been extremely busy the past couple of weeks and have really not had any time to sit down and write (which I love to do). So I am sitting on a school bus heading to Ashland, VA for the state Science Olympiad tournament at Randolph Macon.

Introduction aside, I just wanted to talk about something great that has happened just recently. I have a really close friend that has been struggling somewhat with his spiritual life and he has confide in me to help in keeping him on track and holding him accountable to his quest to become closer to God. I will just start off my saying that I love this guy like a brother and wouldn’t want that to change for anything.

Ok, so we have class together everyday, I am a junior and he is a senior, and I just sit back and do my work like always but, I have started paying a little more attention to his actions and interactions with others. Now instead of walking up to him in the middle of the class and telling him “hey man, I heard that word you just said, you should be ashamed of yourself...,” I get online and chat with him every night. We discuss everyday things as well as some things that he might want to change to portray himself as a more Christlike person and to not let his mind stray from the true goal that he is trying to achieve, growing closer and making God his #1 friend. The biggest problem that I have noticed that we have addressed is the desire to fit in. I personally have never really been in the “in crowd,” but I am fine with this, I am my own person and am happy with this. However my bro here has a desire to fit in which does not always bring out the best qualities in him. We have addressed this issue together and discussed ways to change it, and I am already seeing a change for the better!

I really love sitting and talking to him because not only do I get to help him, but it reminds me daily that I too need to stay a fully devoted follower of Christ. I truly encourage everybody that really wants to accomplish something to confide in a friend that you can trust will keep you on the right track, as this motivation can be the driving force that keeps you moving in the right direction. Friends can be a blessing and can help you get through each day even during you most trying times. . . . Got Friends?

Hey if you are reading this bro, just know that I love ya man and hope that we can work through this together and achieve you ultimate goal!

some more randomness

2009-03-01T23:59:00.003-05:00

How are all of my blog buds doing?

Hopefully everyone is doing well.

I just wanted ti ket everyone know what is goin on in my life and catch up on some blogging.

Ok, to start off, right now the MACC season is going great, with the Science team ranked at 1st with 6 wins and 0 losses. As it looks right now, with only 2 matches left, I think that we will do good for the season!

I decided to take this weekend off from everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! I have sat at home the whole weekend and done absolutely nothing, and it has been absolutely amazing! Everybody should just take a day or two off from their lives and sit around at just have fun. I have played games on my computer, which I have not done since school started, and played some guitar hero! So needless to say it was a great day. Now after I ate lunch I decided that I would come home and take a nap, so I did! The good thing about not having any place that you have to be, and knowing that you don't have to go to school the next day, you really can think. Now, do not think too hard or too deep, because this can be dangerous. When really and truly pondering a matter, think beyond the level that you usually would, BUT not so hard that your mind starts making things up (which it will do!).

That last thought aside, let's make this next point simple. End the DRAMA! I have had some unnecessary drama at school lately with some things that were going on, and I have talked through some things with some of my really close friends about trivial matters that are causing hardships in their lives. Just please. Stop. End the drama.

If you have ever read my blog before, you will realize that this next item is a recurring topic. Friends. Talk with them. Laugh with them. Cry with them. You are friends with people for a reason: you need them and they need you. DO NOT bottle up thoughts, anger and other emotions, and let them affect your life, talk to a friend you can trust, whether it be a fellow class mate, a friend a few years older than you, or a parent 20 years older than you. Just talk to somebody and they will listen.

Be a positive influence. I realized over the last couple of months that many more younger kids that I realized look up to me. I don't want to sound conceited, but for some reason, younger kids cling to me. I have always loved being around these little guys, but sometimes I have caught myself acting like I don't see them or didn't hear them when they were around. Not good. If you know that you have a little kid around that looks up to you, even if you are a little busy, talk to them, chase 'em around a little bit, and let them know that they are loved. This can change a person's life. Trust me.

Ok, so that was my endless rambling for the night. Will post again soon!

Hmmmmm . . .

2009-02-16T22:47:00.003-05:00

It's late, so some of this may be a little jumbled, but here goes.

So, I have definitely had to make some very hard decisions over the last week or so, and these tough decisions have made me think, which is sometimes dangerous, about how I see other people.

I have found that when looking at other people, I always tend to see them the way that others see them, and not looking at them through unbiased eyes. I have really struggled with, but semi succeeded with the fact that I don't need to view people as being out to get me, or directing all negative comments at me. It is the tendency of the human mind when in an excited state to over think comments and turn them all into negative and demeaning comments toward themselves. This can be a good thing in a high risk situation, but also can be a bad thing in a casual setting when the person is upset.

I guess that what I am getting at, is that if you are upset or mad at something / somebody, don't get angry at the person, yet address the problem and try to resolve it in a friendly and Christ like way. Also, know that you can not always be expected to handle tough situations alone. TALK TO PEOPLE! You have friends and they do want to help you. Just ask.

I am speaking this from experience, and hope that everyone takes this advice to heart. Thanks to all of my friends and adults who helped me with my decision this past week. I love you all, and don't think that I could have made the good choice that I did with out you.

I heard a great speaker say onetime, that you may not know why God put you through what he did, but you will eventually, God will use your scars from your not so pleasant times to help others, and to better yourself

Tyler

Random thoughts from me.

2009-02-14T00:27:00.000-05:00

So I heard someone speak today, and the message really said something to me. The speaker said that if you do not forgive others of their sins against you, then why for should God forgive you of your sins? Whoa! hold up a minute. So does this mean that if I am holding a grudge, then this applies to me? Yup. So I think that I am going to make an honest effort now to try and make right things with some of my friends that I have not really been close with.

SO I think that this sounds like one of my plan’s that I stick with for a couple of weeks, then my passion to do this will fade away . . . . this is another problem that I see, I always seem to be gung ho about something for a while . . . .then it’s back to the same ol’ stuff. This is a problem that everyone has. If you do not have people to support you, then you will not be able to dredge along your path, which brings me to another point. Friends. I have said a lot about how much I love my friends, and how helpful they can be. I know, that no matter what the issue, time of day, or anything else, that I can confide in a good friend that will help me through. Just recently I had a talk with a friend and we both shared some personal things that well, nobody else knows . . . . friend . . . you know who you are . . . .THANKS!

So my ADD kicked in and got me off track, so here goes back to where I was. There are a couple of people that I have a strong dislike for that I need to forgive. This goes right back to where I was before, can I really stick with a plan long enough to let go of these hard feelings, and step closer to God? Truthfully, probably not. But am I going to try? Heck Yea! I don’t know how everything will play out, but God has a plan, and I’m just going to listen.

Never Been Unloved

2009-02-06T10:11:00.002-05:00

I was browsing through YouTube again, and found this video. It really has a great message if watch it all the way through.

Check it out!

OH, DON'T FORGET TO GO TO THE RESURRECTION DISCUSSION BLOG @ WWW.RESURRECTION09.BLOGSPOT.COM

How often do you view?

2009-01-27T16:48:00.001-05:00

Make a live audience poll at Poll Everywhere

Resurrection '09

2009-01-25T20:26:00.003-05:00

WOW. That is all that I can really say about what happened in Gatlinburg this weekend!

Justin Lookadoo was an amazing speaker, and probably the best one that I have ever seen at Resurrection. He really did seem to connect with the audience by not making things sound too good, and better than they really are, he just plain and simply said, that if you do this, that "you ain't right." But besides that, the message was very thought provoking, as well as interesting.

I took some notes on my handy dandy iPod touch, and here are some of the highlights that I got from it.

Commitment vs. Experience

We all know how when we have something that we want to do, that we go absolutely crazy and tell everyone about it and try to get them to come with us. This is an experience. Now after this experience, most of the time you will talk about how exciting it was for a couple of days and then it wears off.

Now when you talk about commitment, this is when after you try something that first time and you like it, you go and you constantly and continually spread your joy and enthusiasm about whatever it may be that enjoy.

This is what we should all do about being christians, don't be "luke-warm" and expect the "hot" or "radical" christians to do the talking for you. Don't just be excited about accepting Christ for a few days, actually live it out and tell everyone of his great love for you.

Are You a 100 Dollar Bill?

If you were there, this will make a little more sense to you. . . . . But, If you take a 100 dollar bill, and stomp it on the ground, spit on it, and crumple it up, is it worth any less? NO. Do you still want it? This is how God sees us, and it doesn't matter how many times that we do wrong, we are still worth the exact same amount to God. Still want the 100 dollars?

Scars

The process of getting a scar is usually not the most fun thing that you can do. But, after you get one, you can go around and show it off and tell everyone exactly how you got it. This is the same way that God uses the less than admirable events that we experience. You might have just recovered from being an alcoholic, and from now on, just by looking at a person and talking to them for less than a minute, you can immediately tell if they are in the same boat that you were in. Knowing this, you can reach out to and minister the the people that you can connect with.

This ties in a little with the scaring . . . You did not get where you are at right now overnight. Do not expect that as soon as you accept Christ, that you will automatically wake up the next morning and everything will instantly be better and all problems will be gone. You have to live with some of the consequences of your actions.

Weak Character

Shoot a window with a bb gun, once, doesn't break. Twice, Doesn't break. Three, Four, Five, Six. Still no break. Seven . . .CRACK! One bb alone is not enough to cause the window to break, but each one causes the glass to become weaker, eventually causing it to break. This can also be applied to our character. Say that you are 15 minutes late getting home, and your parents are in bed, the next morning, you tell them you were there right on time. . . weak spot. You order water with your meal, and go to the soda fountain and fill up with whatever you want. . .weak spot. These little things continue to add up until something big goes wrong. It is the little flaws in our character that causes for the eventual break.

This is all that I have for right now, as I am still processing everything that Justin said. The will probably be more to come here soon.

Comment Please!

New Look

2009-01-17T23:18:00.002-05:00

Check out the new look for my blog!! I thought my other setup looked a little childish, and this one just seems to be a little more organized. For more info on how I did it, just comment me.

FRIENDS

2009-01-17T22:32:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been thinking about some things recently, and realized that I have some absolutely amazing friends that I can talk to and share my feelings with. Everybody on earth should have at least one or two close friends that they can talk with about things that they are going through and also be there for their friends when they are in their times of need. All that I can say is if you are one of my friends and you are reading this, thank you. Thank you for being there when I needed to talk, and thanks to all of the people who said that they were there for me.

Open your eyes.

2009-01-10T23:58:00.003-05:00

I just watched a Re-run of Idol gives back 2008, and it was a really informational show on how hard some kids in africa and other countries have it. I had an argument with my mom today because she took my car for the day. I now realize after reading up on some statistics in Africa, how trivial a matter that no car for a day is.

One of the examples of the hard living condition that I saw, was in a small village in africa. A young 6 year old child had to lead his blind dad around town, just so he could make enough money to survive. On top of having to do that the young boy had to sleep on a small piece of foam that looked to be about 3 feet wide. This is itself is bad enough, but he has to share it. With 2 other siblings.

I think what this taught me was that I really don't need to get in a tussle over such trivial matters. Think about it.

Take a look at this video.

What I Use

2008-12-31T16:52:00.008-05:00

I was about to do this before my MacBook Pro's hard drive was erased last week, but now that I have finally reinstalled everything, I guess I will do it now.

MacBook's are absolutely amazing, and have some pretty neat software to go with them. Here is what I use

For my Twitter, I download a pretty neat little client from www.tweetdeck.com called . . .well . . .TweetDeck
It allows you to do all of the functions of Twitter in a handy little desktop application.

I also found this little app that allows you to rip movies from DVD and save them to your hard drive as well as burn to DVD call MacTheRipper.

Now for pure entertainment, I found something called MacSaber that when active, you can move the whole MacBook around and it will respond by making light saber noises.

This last little widget is an amazing piece of work called iAlert U. This lets you arm your laptop with a password, and if someone tries to pick it up, remove power, close the lid, connect a device, or anything else of the sort, an alarm will go off, and the buit in iSight camera will take their picture and email it to you.

Mac computers are great!! If you have any software suggestions for me please leave them in a comment!!

Windows . . . .like a closed door.

2008-12-29T20:45:00.002-05:00

Well the day after Christmas, I was trying to install the Windows XP OS on my new MacBook Pro. To say the least, Microsoft has lived up to its reputation . . . .AWFUL. So in the midst of installing, the windows BIOS got into an endless loop of restarting . . .for NO reason. Hours later after troubleshooting with Apple Support, which by the way is AMAZING, I found out that windows overwrote my Mac OS, and delete all of my data. Now I have to go to the Apple Store tomorrow and have my hard drive replaced.

Lesson learn????? DO NOT USE WINDOWS.... EVER !!!!

GEEK

2008-12-24T20:51:00.001-05:00

Do good this holiday season . . . . befriend a GEEK ! ! !

No Good Deed

2008-12-11T22:50:00.002-05:00

One question haunts and hurts
Too much, too much to mention:
Was I really seeking good
Or just seeking attention?
Is that all good deeds are
When looked at with an ice-cold eye

What is a good deed? The quote that you see above is from the song "No Good Deed" from the broadway musical WICKED. When you look at a deed that someone is doing with an unknowing perspective, it is easier to tell if what they are doing is actually an honest deed. When we do these things ourself, it is easy to make ourselves believe that it is a good deed when it really is not. When I heard this piece of the song, I really had to think about my perspective on good deeds. In our busy lives now it seems like we can get too easily caught up in the hustle and bustle of things and not realize the real meaning of what we are doing. So from now on, look at the activities that you do with open eyes, and truthfully ask yourself this: am I doing this for good or for good attention? Stop. Think. Do Good.

Once again, like I have said in a few of my other post's, just listen to what is going on around you and spread the true meaning of life in everything you do.

Any Clues???

2008-12-09T21:12:00.004-05:00

Does anyone know the name of the font used for the text "unlikely heroes" in this picture?

Never Been Unloved

2008-12-03T23:13:00.001-05:00

I was browsing through YouTube again, and found this video. It really has a great message if watch it all the way through.

Up for a smoke??

2008-12-02T00:06:00.003-05:00

Many times in life, as well as just a few minutes before I started writing this, I have been a victim of peer pressure. I looked through my bible just now and found a few different examples of peer pressure. The first being 1 Corinthian 15 33-34. It reads

Do not be misled:" Bad company corrupts good character". Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God-- I say this to your shame.

This really says to me that peer pressure is not a new thing. In my case, I was asked to do something that I highly disprove of. The next example that I found, was the apostle Peter. Because he was with the wrong group of people, he denied any knowing of Jesus. I pray that youth would look to the bible for inspiration and motivation in every day life. God can help us in our times of stress and confusion, and will always lead us to make the deciscion that in his eye is the correct one. This blog is my way of expressing my feelings and thoughts, and I would encourage others to not be afraid to voice their thoughts and feelings.

Teamwork

2008-11-26T17:38:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, you should really check out this video about teamwork, If you have ever done anything in music, you will understand exactly how important it is for people to work together.

Let me know what you think!

Superman

2008-11-22T23:16:00.003-05:00

Well, this kinda flows with the post I wrote on hero's, but anyways.... I was watching Superman last night and was struggling to maintain consciousness since I was so tired, but that is beside the point, I did however manage to stay awake long enough to see Clark Kent's dad look at him and say

"son, you were put here for a reason, and it was not to score touch downs..."

Well when I woke up this morning, I thought about that quote and realized that I am still not very certain what I am here for (although I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with football!). There have been a couple of times that I thought I knew my purpose but was wrong. I don't know if people ever truly and completely know or understand what their purpose in life is. I would just really hope that whatever my purpose is, that it is something that I like and could enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I guess for right now, I will just keep doing what I am doing, and continue to search as well as listen for what God has in store for me.

So, sometimes my inspirations in life come from everyday activities and tasks. But as you can see this one come from a movie, which lead to a very thought provoking time..... I guess that everyone should just listen more and try to comprehend more of what they hear on a daily basis, as it can really lead to an eye opening experience. Talk to you all again soon.

English Project

2008-11-20T13:13:00.001-05:00

So, right after I post all of the tips for a successful presentation, I realized that I didn't even follow a few of them! The problem that I found, is that even if you think that you know your audience . . . . .you don't! Some of the jokes that I implemented into my presentation that I thought were funny, were seen by others as a sort of lame joke……. So needless to say the first few minutes did not go well. Some of the other aspects of the project went well, some better than I expected!

I think that the reason for this was that all of the other projects that I have done have concentrated more on specific content versus actually entertaining and educating the class, and I have actually practiced these skills and fine tuned them to satisfy the needs of the class. So I think that the point of this is to say that no matter how good you think you are at presenting, presentation skill should always be practiced beforehand to a practice audience to be sure that you are both effective and well… humorous!

So everybody should leave comments for me since I just added Disqus to my blog!!!

Effective Presentations (not as easy as it sounds)

2008-11-18T17:08:00.000-05:00

So, I have been working on a PowerPoint for my English class, and realized that the content of it is not all it is about. I googled for some "successful presentation tips," and found some very interesting and helpful information, so before presenting anything, always do the following.

1. Know your audience. Knowing them can really give you a heads up on their views and how to present your info to them.

2. Open with confidence. If you open with confidence, then you will give the audience a good impression of your confidence in what you are going to teach them. If you start out unsure of yourself then you have already lost the attention of the audience.

3. Do NOT memorize. Use notes, your are not superhuman. People will always forget something under pressure, so when presenting memorize to an extent, but also have note cards. Note cards are good to keep you on track during your presentation, but not being so large (such as a full sheet of paper) that it is blatantly obvious that you do not know the material.

4. Make it worth while. Just get to the point and say "the point is" and other phrases similar to this so that your message is conveyed, and also so that people will remember what you said after they have left.

5. Do not talk excessively. Simply stated, don't talk while people are taking notes, and go slow enough for notes to be taken.

6. Have a strong ending. Personally I (as well as others) always tend to remember the last thing that I hear. Make your closing statement a memorable one that can be recalled after you are finished.

Overall, it is important for you to be able to grab the attention of, as well as entertain your audience, while getting the message across in an effective way.

So this post was definitely different that the others, but the purpose of this blog is to give insight and interpretations on things I have done and on the way I feel towards certain matters. (if you can't tell, I ususally put little personal messages in italics!)

Unlikely Hero

2008-11-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

OK, so I guess that this is going to be a "post whenever I want to blog" so there may be times that I don't post for a week or so or maybe more than one a day. So here goes.

"Hero." What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the word hero? Superman, Batman, Captain Underpants??? What is the true meaning of the word hero? The definition of the word hero can vary greatly, with the most accepted being "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities." Now read through that definition again. Who can you think of now that fits under that definition? Jesus. Jesus was most definitely and hero, not necessarily unlikely (he doesn't change in a phone booth : ) ), but all in all just think about it. Distinguished Courage.....Ability.....Brave deeds.....Noble Qualities. It would take too long to sit here and name examples, so I will let you go and do that on your own.

The point of this is to make everybody realize that you do not have to have x-ray vision or rock hard abs to be a hero! An unlikely hero can be somebody who just sits down and talks with you, or puts their arm around you to pray, any way that you look at it a hero is a person who making a difference in the lives of others, whether it be through pulling you from a burning building, or just touching your life in an unusual way. Whether or not you have a six pack or a whole keg, a hero is someone we should all look up to.

Well . . .here is a little more.

2008-11-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

So, I haven't decided if this is going to be a daily weekly or whenever I feel like it blog, but here is my post for today.

After getting some feedback from my post on Sunday, I thought that I should make an ammendment . . . Although the way you live your life if different in every culture, location etc... The one main focus is always to live a fully devoted life for God. Everyone, no matter of who or where they are should always put God as their number one priority.

So, I keep on thinking about the message that Mark Matlock gave at Planet Wisdom, and how we can all be an unlikely hero. . . .maybe that will be the next post . . .

Meaning of Life ?????

2008-11-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

I was in a show one time, and one of the scenes started out with a very puzling question, "what is the meaning of life?" This got me to thinking, what really is the meaning to life. Well, I dont really know how to explain, but here goes. First off, your life should be fully devoted to God, and you should be fully engaged with your friends and family. As for myself, I know that I have not always done either of these, which makes me wonder if I have truly been living my life the way that it was meant for me to live it. But overall I think that the meaning of life differs from person to person, depending on their religious views, culture, and geographical location.

I think that the meaning of life to me is this:

1. Be fully devoted to God. Always trust in what god tells you, he always know what is best for you and will never tel you wrong.

2. Friends. Good Friends are ones that will stick with you when times are tough and in your times of greatest need.

3. Live By Example. Be useful in the everyday day life of yourself and others. Use yourself as a positive example in everyday activities. People look up to you way more that you may think, I have had parents of kids on the swim team tell me of their kids who look up to me see me as a role model.

4. This is probably the most important point. . . Be the change that you want to see in others. I think that if you want to make a difference and see a change in your society, then you should live by example and change yourself before you ask for a change in others.

I dont know what other poeple think and personally i do not like to but in to other people's buisness and ask. So, if anyone would like to comment, please feel free to. I hope everyone likes this post, and please give feedback.

First Attempt

2008-11-09T20:20:00.000-05:00

So yeah, this is my first attempt at a blog so. . .I guess I will have to think of some things to post, so probably nothing much tonight. Try to check back later in the week to see what im thinking.