Double Duty Part 1

Well, since Thursday's long work day led me to absolutely crash and pass out on Friday, I'm going to have to do a double entry to make up for me sleeping through my blog hour from yesterday.

With that being said, this was kind of a normal week. I realize that as a young man, sometimes I do not look before I leap. The biggest thing on my mind throughout the week rests with an initiative I tried to show to the choir. I had my niece video-record one of our songs for a couple of reasons:

1. To see how well my camera (it is a (semi-pro) still camera with recording capabilities) can record from her vantage point. 

2. To actually get a shot of the choir in action....... With ME in it. All throughout last year, I took pictures and video snippets of the choir, and although I was a part of the choir, since I was on the other side of the camera, no one could really see me in action... Hey, I want to smile and show my involvement too! :-D I took the best pictures and video snapshots and created a nice little dvd for the choir members. 

When I viewed the video, the light from the window behind the choir blinded many people... Yankee included! So most likely, I will not be able to use the video portion for anything, unless I use some special effects and just use the video(no audio) only for whatever... The audio, however was a different story. Personally, I thought it was great! 

Then I thought of something the choir director asked us to do weeks ago: come up with ideas to promote the choir concert this spring. I thought to myself, "hey yankee, you are good with camera's photography, promotion, and you have a little web savvy, lets see what will happen if I upload this to youtube, email the choir, and get their thoughts... Maybe we can use this as a way to get our event out there..." Me and my young thinking :-D So I did just that...

I was so amazed by the overall mode-of-thought from the young people.... to the younger. (hehe see how I was very careful in my choice of words :-D). 

To the young people, I should have asked for permission from the choir. It was possible that what I uploaded could have been copyrighted, and if it ever got traced, there could be legal issues. To make light of the situation, the choir gave feedback of their performance. Very humorous, there were a lot of laughs, and I am pretty sure that they knew that I did not mean any harm by posting this on the internet.

FYI: I did take the video down. I try to do what is right, and even though I got plusses and minuses from all sides, taking this video down solved more problems than it created.

The young people of course are correct. In my attempt to present this idea, their view did not cross my mind. Proof, that even though I try to think a lot of things through, I make mistakes also. 

The younger people however, saw something completely different!!! We did not think about the possible legal implications... at all! We saw it, we were amazed by it... The prayer group used it as an opening song to start our study. People emailed the yankee and (positively) commented the video on Facebook. One of my peers even teased me saying that "you must be the brightest one in the front..." It stimulated enough interest to create a buzz for my generation/age group.

Nonetheless, I learned a lot that night. In addition to all the above, I learned that I can take my lumps, and take them like man! LOL! Guess I am back to the drawing board for helping the choir out in this particular area/initiative. All I can do is try!

Later on, I will talk about this Med-School Prom thing that one of my church friends has invited me to! This should be interesting!

My Thursday Formula For a Disasterous Friday

What do you get when you add...

work at 8:30 AM
plus
work through lunch
plus
leave work at 6:00 pm
plus
choir practice at 7:00 pm
plus
going back to work around 9:00 pm
plus not getting back home until like, geez, I dunno, I dunno... Maybe 10:30-ish (and that is if everything I need to do back at work gets done correctly)

equals.... Drumroll Please..................

ME NOT GETTING UP AT 5 AM!

Remember last week, with the whole chain of events that just knocked me out of sync? Well, this week, it is not as bad, and only Friday will be affected... Giving me Saturday and Sunday to recuperate!

We will see what unfolds...

Okay, What is up with this 25 Random Things on Facebook!?!

Yo!

You have no idea how many people tagged me in this "25 Random Things" On Facebook. I personally think it is a virus! ;-) Do not get me wrong, my peoples, I absolutely LOVE telling people facts about me..... I just like doing it in person. Because my new years resolution included blogging everyday, I do not consider it a "fact about me" session. I talk about everything pertinent to my world! "Anywho" I do not like divulging information that easily just for anyone to see. I need some level of trust first (why do you think I do not talk about people by name, or directly name places I have been etc...). 

Look, if you are one of my best friends, you already know a lot about me. I would actually have to work hard to find 25 new things that you may or may not already know. 

If are someone that I befriended on Facebook, but we do not have that close connection (I mean, yea we might have met during undergrad/grad school once or twice and maybe hung out once, but thats about it.......), and you REALLY want to have one with me, depending on your gender here are some things you can try:

Male: Hang out with ya boi! FOOTBAL!!! Basketball, baseball, bowling, bible study, trip to the bar (a drunk man tells no tales), invite me to a sunday/monday/tuesday/wednesday/thursday/friday/saturday night football event, poker night, etc... You want to know 25 random things, you will know them then! And we will have fun discussing women and flirting with them... 

I know... I am such a guy... DuH!!!

Female: Go out on a date and spend time with me! Although that is all you have to do, be respectful in how you treat our time together. The more time you spend with me, the more you will know... You might just actually start to like me! Telling you stuff on facebook, myspace, gchat, email, txt msg is too easy and not worthy of my energy. I would rather you ask me in person (after I offer a date, and you agree!) and find out with you on one side, and me on the other looking into those beautiful eyes of yours and smiling, all the while, having good conversation and fun.

Or you can go through this blog and find 25 things about me you may or may not have known about...

Tuesday Night Lights!!!

So I am on my way home from tutoring my client, and when I get off of 540, I go down a particular road. Everytime I drive by this certain lightpost, at night... It always dims...... ON ME!

No one else.... Just ME!

Tonight, 3 cars went right past it before I got to it, but as soon as I drove by, darkness!

Has this ever happened to you? Because I have been noticing lights going out everytime I drive by them... Now I know these lamp posts have timers. But I refuse to believe that they all go off everytime I drive by them.

I remember this one time, (at band camp, lol, no seriously), I drove down a road in the containment area, and as I drove by each lamp post, every light went out, one by one... Coincidence? I dunno. But that was scary, especially since it was around 9 at night when this happened. 

I guess it is "The Man's" way of keeping me in the Containment Area... lol! 

Monday (not) Madness

Still in a state of Euphoria after the superbowl win, but Monday was 'business as usual.' Pretty boring and predictable... Work, eat, workout, eat, etc... I really have nothing better to write. So I think I will just stop here. Plus I am tired, period. I need some sleep.

Heres to a better Tuesday!

Sunday Thoughts

Somebody sought me,
When I was wondering,
Out in the desert,
Laden with care,

Somebody folded me close,
To his bosom,
Called to me gently,
Saying "Child come home,"

Somebody saved me,
When I was sinking,
Somebody rescued my soul from the grave,

Somebody lifted my sins with compassion,
Oh it was Jesus,
Saying "Child, come home,"

- Lyrics from the Gospel Song, "Somebody Sought Me."

First, let me just say... HOW BOUT DEM STEELERS!!! Pittsburgh won the Superbowl, and to me, it was one for the ages! Might I add that the MVP, Mr. Santonio Holmes, is from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY!?!?! Big Ups to the Bucks!!! :-D

Today, in church, we learned about authority. Who is our authority? In the old testament, the Lord God was our authority, and the Lord spoke through the many prophets. You know, like Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc... In the new testament, our authority became the word-made-flesh, in the form of Jesus Christ. In Mark's gospel, we read about how Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit at the synagogue in Capernaum. Those who witnessed were amazed at the sight of Jesus commanding the demon out of the body of the infested man. 

"What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."

- Mark 1:27

We also read out of Corinthians about how unmarried men are about the things of the Lord and a married man is about the things of the world... you know, like pleasing one's spouse, and vice-versa for women...

Reality check: How many unmarried men/women are about the things of the Lord? LOLOLOLOL!!!!! But on the flipside, how many married men/women realize that their marriage is a part of their vocation to God?  

Our pastor then went on to talk about how a lot of single (young adults), claim that they are their own authority... How they can do whatever they want. I am sure some of you know people like that... Maybe at some point in your life, you were like that... 

I wonder if I was ever like that (eyes gazing at the sky with a sadistic grin)... Hehehe! If you are curious, here is my answer to that question: 

"I had my moments, not many, but I did have them."

Declaring one's self as their own authority can come in the form of not recognizing: your parents authority over you as a child or teenager, men/women who enforce our local, state, and national laws, or other figures of authority. I remember students at Ohio State challenging professors thinking that they were smarter than them, at the expense of annoying EVERY OTHER student (myself, DEFINITELY included) trying to learn from the man or woman with the PhD.

The problem, our pastor explained, with claiming that you are your own authority is that your wants and needs change, and that really stuck out to me. What you want to do now, might not be what you want to do, one year from now. How you think/act towards a certain philosophy, due to someone's influence over you can change if another person succeeds in altering your view, and so on and so forth... Those who go on the path of being their own authority can/might/will lead themselves on a path of confusion. I have witnessed the disastrous effect of rebellion between a child and a parent firsthand, with the child not acknowledging the authority of the parent. 

The Church teaches us that Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, is the authority by which we should live our lives. Through him, we learn how to live (our lives), and through him, we learn how to treat others. There are times where by his authority, that we might be called to do something unpopular in the eyes of the world. Taking on Christianity is not an easy task. As a matter of fact, Christians were persecuted by the Romans for following Christ. It was not until Constantine's Reign that Christianity became the state religion in Rome. When the Edict of Milan was signed in 313, Christian persecution came to a screeching halt. 

So be proud Christian brothers and sisters, but also be aware of the lifelong task you have ahead. It will not be easy, and there will be times you will be challenged. If you believe in the Lord as I do, Christ will not put more on you than you can bear, so take up your own cross, and follow him, your true authority, now and for ever.

Good night!