The Lenten Saga: Day 26

Such an eventful day! From singing twice at two churches, to participating in the Crop Walk, to even watching USC and Michigan State go at it. Unfortunately, my Trojans did not make it, but I think it is pretty safe to say that it was not a cakewalk for MSU. They earned that win, but it was no gimme. USC lost by 5. Duke is still in, YaY! And I will be watching the Villanova-Duke game with much interest. Now in my bracket I have Pitt and Duke going at it, with Pitt winning, but if Duke pulls it off, I will not complain!

Funny, this is where I usually do my Sunday thoughts, but it has been a very long and busy day. I do not even know how far I walked in the Crop Walk.... I just followed everyone else, but I had a walking buddy, a choir member from church. I was the only young adult from the church group there, so everyone else were my elder. Nonetheless, I had fun, and it was enjoyable.

I need to get up early tomorrow, so I am signing off now!

The Lenten Saga: Day 16

What a busy day!

Thursdays are my busiest day's out of the week. I guess it is because I have so much going on. In and out of work, with choir and working out... Plus running errands does not make the day any less busy. I got a lot done at work today but I still need to do more. Looks like I will be coming in on the weekend to get it all done! Such has been the way of things. Deadlines are tight, resources, tighter, time is a luxury no one seems to have... Wow, I have not even went salsa dancing in a long time! I will remedy that Saturday... wow, That is going to be a busy day too!

Well, I guess that is good, I am very active... No couch potato-isms here! Plus I am not in my apartment long enough to enjoy the craptacular one I have in my living room. Still looking at furniture for my new place... I want to get decent stuff... I will be here for awhile. I do want to live somewhat comfortably. Exciting times, busy times!

And somehow I survived 16 days of Lent! Hmm, have not received email about Caterpillar this weekend... I guess I will send out a reminder.

To day 17!

The Lenten Saga: Day 12

Another Sunday, gone! But it was a very eventful day!

It started with me picking up my nieces for church... Who forgot to set their clocks ahead one hour! But they got it together. And as always, today's church message was right on point. Basically, today's message can basically be summed up with one question: If God is for us, who can be against us? That is a very excellent question. God is always for us, despite what trails and tribulations we end up going through. Even when it seems like God is absent, to us. God is always for us regardless if a friend you know is against you (and I have many when it comes to Ohio State-Michigan, USC-UCLA, and Duke-North Carolina!), or whether it be your boss at work, or an advestary near or far. So far I have been blessed in terms of not having problems with people at work.... now when it comes to Ohio State, USC, and Duke.....? That is a different story. A lot of my (Carolina) friends are still puzzled as to why I root for them. Maybe I will reveal it in an entry one day. Anyways, as I am going through Lent, despite the challenges I have set for myself, somehow God sees me through. I want to succeed, and God sees my effort, but I was seriously tempted today! LoL! I remember a very interesting line in the movie "Devil's Advocate" that pretty much sums up what I am going through:

"Look, dont touch"
"Touch, dont taste"
"Taste, dont swallow"

LOL I am dying as I am typing this!

But again, I held my own. But it is getting HARDER!!!

Anyways, Duke lost today, so I am kind of bummed, but my Carolina friends do not seem to care about my emotional state due to the loss, so I have to find another way to cope with the pain. It is okay though, Duke will reign supreme when it counts. It is only a matter of time, and then I will have the last laugh! Geeheeahahahaha!!!

Anyways, me so hongry! I am going to go forage for food before hitting the sack! Gotta get up early tomorrow! Peace!

The Lenten Saga: Day 5

Sunday Thoughts...

So today, I had to play substitute teacher for a 2nd/3rd grade class after church. It was interesting... Before church I was told that the two regulars (these two beautiful young Christ-centered women) could not make it, and since I have already had limited exposure to this class, I was somehow the perfect candidate for the job. Now how could I say no to the lady in charge?

So the message from the church today was that as we are going through our lenten journey, we need to reaffirm our faith in the Lord, hear him, and let him enter our hearts. When we do this, we, well, grow. So that was one of the things I wanted to teach this class for the day. So instead of using the orange books, I challenged them to a word puzzle based off four words: God, Repent, Lord, and Word. I aligned it in such a way that when placed in a certain order, you see the word "GROW." The kids really had fun solving this puzzle. The activity for the day was the one where we were going to plant our seeds. So they had cups, dirt, seed, popsicle sticks, and instructions. 

The class for the most part was cooperative, except for 2 students, who were dismissed after repeated offenses; not showing courtesy or respect to the instructor or to fellow students. One of the two students that were dismissed, after repeated requests to stop playing around, spilled dirt on their clothes, chair, and floor. After they were excused, class resumed, and students were very courteous, and respectful. We learned about how to sow seeds and how to take care of our plants, and how to GROW in Christ.

Unfortunately, we did not get to the book lesson, but I hope that does not dampen the regular teacher's instruction plans. Overall, it was a fun experience. You learn patience, quickly. I found that being polite but firm was very effective for all but 2 of the students. And they like engaging in interactive activities. I would instruct again if given the opportunity. 

The lenten journey continues! I have not faltered... Lets see what Day 6 brings!

The Lenten Saga: Day 1

So today was a long day! From getting up early, to getting to church, and getting "ashed!" to several meetings, working out, fighting my electronic equipment in the lab since it wants to act crazy (I am slowly winning that battle! hehe), and then, get this... BACK to church to sing with the choir! 

Today marks the first day of Lent, a period of fasting and abstaining, calling to mind our sinfulness and our call to repent from our ways. So this year, I have decided to challenge myself way more than I have done in previous years. Now I will not go any further in terms of what I have given up, or what I have committed to, but it is a decent sized list. I know this: I would not have attempted this during the OSU or Southern Cal years, period! Since I have a normally routine schedule, I can establish a little bit more discipline, with ease. 

I really want to take this time before Easter and REALLY answer some tough questions, not only about the faith, but about my life. Where is it heading? Why am I single? What is my current assignments in my career preparing me for? Where are my friends? How badly do I want certain things? How long will I be here (Containment Area..... okay, Earth as well)? What better way to seek clarity, than to seek out the Lord and Savior in my daily devotions? So during this time, I will make a stronger, more concentrated effort (in addition to what I am currently doing), to deepen my relationship with Christ. With the help of the church, and those who wish to help me, I will either find my answers, or will be on the path to finding my answers.

So says this Yankee! Let the Lenten Journey Begin!

Sunday Thoughts: Forgiving, Forgetting, and God

So today was a very long day, but it was well worth it.

It started at 5:00 AM. I got up took a shower, ate breakfast, ironed out my clothes that I was going to wear to church, brushing my teeth, shaving, and getting out the door! By the time that was all over, it was around 7:00AM... But where did I go from there? To Church? Not quite! See, from last week's post, I said that my nephew would like to visit my church. So how could I say no to that? So I drove all the way up to Greensboro to get him. Then I went all the way back near the Containment Area to get my niece. Then we all attended church together. 

The message for this Sunday revolves around forgiveness. The forgiveness of sin and forgetting about the sin. This is very hard to do, because we are all human. I have not mastered the art of forgiving and forgetting, but I think I am far along than many others. In one of our readings, the Lord wipes out the sins and remembers them no more. The Lord remembers them no more because to the Lord, our God, there is no difference between forgiving and forgetting. From Mark's Gospel, there is a story about the paralytic carried by four men. And when Jesus saw the faith of the four, he said to the paralytic that his sins were forgiven and to pick up his mat, and go home. He got up and went home, in front of the Pharisees that accused him of blaspheming. 

We have all done it at some point in our lives. We have sinned, badly. And acts of sin was committed against us. Some worse than others. Some out of spite, some out of hate, some unintentionally. It is important that we forgive those who have wronged us, not for them, but for ourselves. I know right, easier said than done. It can be very hard to forgive, and even harder to forget what was done, especially if it was very painful. Especially at the hands of those you love. It is easy to misguide yourself into thinking that forgiveness always involves the other person. The road to a peaceful soul, starts with honing this ability. The Lord forgives and forgets. It is a concept that we should all try to master... It is a lifetime journey.

So enough of church! Afterwards, I took my niece and nephew to PF Changs and we had ourselves a nice lil lunch! Then I took them to see Madea Goes To Jail (Again for me!). They absolutely loved it! And I was able to catch some new stuff that I did not notice from the first time I saw the movie. Then it was time for me to take my nephew back to Greensboro so he can resume his studies. During the trip, I let them talk to my mother and father, as well as my sisters. I think they had a pleasant conversation and everyone is eager to meet. I will do my best to make that a reality. So once, I dropped my nephew off, my niece asked to see where I would like to live once I put down my down-payment, so I showed her, and then we went to the grocery store and got some foodstuffs. Then dropped her off with her friends.

It was a fantastic day!

T-minus three days until Lent! 

The Caterpillar Challenge and More on Madea

So I have signed up with some of the young adults to take part in something called a "Caterpillar Challenge." It is an eight week (well now seven-ish) journey in getting back in touch with our faith, and fellowship with other young adults. Kind of like a bible study, except this series completely focuses on the Bible's book of Job. We have a book and a workbook that depicts modern day stories based off the chapters in Job. I think this is going to be interesting, especially since I could use a little more faith in my life, and with Lent around the corner, I am going to rely on a lot of faith after finalizing my "give up" list. I am in good company with the Young Adults here at Church (as well as the choir members). Besides the people that I work with as well as the people who work for the same employer as I but not 'with me,' they have shown me the only true kindness that I have ever known since my arrival months ago. That says a lot and means a lot especially since I started all over on the social and friendship fronts. It is not easy being the new person, but I will not use that as an excuse. So wish me luck as I add the caterpillar challenge onto my list of Lenten activities 2009!

Now about this Madea movie... I will try not to spoil it, but overall, I think it was an okay movie. I would rank "Why Did I Get Married" and "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" over "Madea Goes To Jail." The movie had good parts in it, but (SPOILER ALERT), Madea does not go to jail until, in my opinion, some point past the halftime point of the movie. I honestly thought it was going to be Madea giving prison women way more advice and insight on their situations and how to become better women, but there was only one instance of that... Would I go see it again, MOST DEFINITELY!!! It is still hilarious as I dunno what, so yea, I would see it again. Plus there are messages that should be shared by all audiences, regardless of ethnicity.

Staying in-house tonight. Was thinking about salsa, but I have new priorities. My nephew and niece would like to attend church with me tomorrow, but I would have to get my nephew from Greensboro early in the morning, so I need to be fully dressed and out the apartment around 7. So no partying tonight. But I think it is worth it, plus its been awhile since my niece and nephew saw each other.

Sunday Thoughts: Lord, if you will it!!!

So today's readings in church revolved around the lepers and how they were cast out because they were unclean. Basically they were treated unfairly. There is a story in the old testament as well as one in the new (it is the one where Jesus heals the leper and he tells him NOT to let anyone know he cured him..... like the leper was REALLY going to keep that information secret!)

Have you ever felt like an outcast because of something as trivial as, a strange mark on your body? the color of your skin? your hair (or lack thereof)? What about what you believe? If you believe one thing and you are surrounded by people who believe another, and they make you feel bad for believing what you believe? This happens everywhere!

I remember being told by a professor I once respected that the chance "schools like USC" will accept me into their graduate program are "slim to none" and that the only reason why I would get accepted "anywhere" was because "I was a minority." and even if I do get in, "the chances of me getting out with my masters was nonexistent."

But the leper said to the Lord that "if you wish, you can make me clean." and the Lord did that. Our pastor then went on to challenge us to say to Jesus, "If you will it you can (fill in the blank)." It was interesting because during the grad school application process, I actually did say those words:

"Lord, if you will it, I can graduate from USC with a Masters in Electrical Engineering."

2 Years Later, I got my diploma! I am really learning a lot from my church pastor. He has a very unique way of tying in all the readings, the songs the choir sings, with the message that we need to to carry us through the week. 

I also went up to Greensboro to spend a little time with my nephew. He is a rising student at North Carolina A&T State University. I treated him and his girlfriend out to dinner for his birthday and gave him some uncle-nephew advice. I like spending time with my nieces and nephews. I wish I could do it more often. He also asked me about attending church next weekend. How could I say no to that? So it looks like the church community will get to know another member of my family! 

Happy St. Valentines Day!

Hello!

Happy St. Valentines Day.... to YOU!!!

This year, the Yankee does not have a valentine to call his own. I know, sad right? But did that stop me from spending the money I would have spent on a lucky lady on me? Nope! This yankee, treated himself to:

a manicure/pedicure - Yes I (regularly) get them and you can thank a NSBE Men's Workshop back in the day for pushing me over the edge on this one. Plus I want to test out the theory that women love men with crusty toes, heels, and crackled hands. First I will start and see how women react to the fact that I get these just to show them that I not only take care of myself, that it is the least I could do since all you ladies get your hair done, lip gloss poppin, make up, etc..., just to look attractive to the fellas. Then I will stop getting them and see how many more women are attracted to my weathered extremities.

a deep tissue massage - After doing all this weight training, the masseuse tried to murder me! okay, my shoulder muscles were really tight and knotted! but that massage was one for the ages! 

a haircut - gotta get the fresh going!

a little clothes shopping! - Well, I have to get new stuff since half of my old clothes no longer fit me!

dinner! - I even took myself out to dinner.

dancing! - Thats later on tonight!

Now, did I honestly want to be alone on V-Day? Of course not! This is the first time in a very long time, I did not have a valentine. Recession or not, I would not mind treating someone who deserves it out to what I treated myself to. Of course, the key phrase here is 'someone who deserves it.' Not some gilsy who does not know how to treat a man, but a classy lady who knows how to handle herself and treat me right. My are they hard to find in the Containment Area. 

Then again, I can boldly say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than a woman out here to treat this man with the respect he has earned! I think I got that camel, eye of the needle, thing from a book somewhere.... I just can not remember where I read that! LOLOLOLOL ;-)

Later on, I went to church and spent time with one of the elders (a choir elder), getting to know her, and telling her about some of the things that I have been noticing and going through since coming here. As we talked and talked I helped her set some tables and whatever else she needed. I told this lady that 'I love chasing women... BUT I can only go so far.' That is a true statement. As a man, it is my role to come after you, but there are limits to the pursuit. I have limits not because I do not like you; of course I like you, otherwise I would not chase you, but you people (women) do things to let me know that you are not interested. So why would I continue to chase you further, make an idiot out of myself, and give you ammunition for gossip among you and your 'friends?' 

That makes absolutely no sense to me. I will give you an example (this is what I told the elder). Let us say I meet a woman, and I work my charm (lol, charm), and we exchange numbers. A few days later, I call and I get the voicemail. That sucks, but I guess hearing that voice is better than no voice. So what do I do? Because I do not know you, and we made a nice connection (trust me, if we did not hit it off, I would not be calling you!), I want to keep that momentum going... So I ask you out (a fun date), because I want to spend time with you. 

Why? I know nothing about you, and I am a curious person. I strive to not judge anyone I date. I know what it is like to be condemned from the very beginning (i.e. a woman told me that she would 'treat me like (such and such)' because all these other guys did x-y-z to her and it was most likely that I would do the same) 

You could be the greatest woman to have ever walked into my life, or you could be the next sex-starved convict waiting to make 'unwanted sexual advances' towards me ;-) Either way, your actions (or inactions) dictates my responses.

Lets sidebar for a second since I am an Engineer:

***Start of sidebar***

24 hrs = 1 day 
2 hrs = 8.33% of your 24 hour day

24 * 7 = 168 = hours in a week.
2 hrs = 1.19% of your week (less than 2% of your week)

***End of sidebar***

And after I chase you (once), call you (once), leave a message (once)....... drumroll please......

Nothing happens!

No call back...

Not even a text message (as shallow as txt messaging is when someone CALLED you)...

Nothing.

This is an okie-dok, and I will address it in further detail in my next Social Dating Note (because I know you love em!), but if there was no response, no matter how which way you want to slice this (and I love it when people make all the excuses in the world, but the bottom line is what I am about to say next): 

I was not worth a 30 second call from the lady to tell me, yes or no, period. To me, you were worth me making an honest attempt of trying to get to know you, by calling you and trying to spend time with you.

So not only was I not worth a 30 second call back to tell me yes or no. To this person, I was also not worth:

2 hours (8.33% of one of her 'days') or (it gets even better)

2 hours (1.19% of her 'week.')

Math is so powerful! I was not even worth less than 2% of her time. 

You are essentially telling this brotha who has all the tools to make a great life for himself (education, religious foundation, home training, career oriented, successful, pays his own bills, etc.. etc...) who would love to celebrate his success with you, that I was not worth 30 seconds out of your time to tell me yes or no.

***Sidebar 2
As an exercise calculate the percentage 30 seconds constitutes to your day, and repeat for a week. You will find that-that number is very small.
Your final answer should be in the following form: 30 s = (some percent) of 1 day or (another percent) of 1 week.
They should be VERY small percents!
***End of Sidebar 2

Guess what ELSE-YOU are essentially telling this brotha: I am not worth spending less than 2% of your time out of your week with. To the players of the world, they will keep trying, they will pursue, pursue, and pursue further thinking you are playing hard-to-get when essentially slapped them in the face (and you do this to the good ones too that are not trying to play you).

To me, that was a slap in the face, and I do not like getting hit! So Guess what? If I was not even worth a response, or 2 hours of your 168 hour week at that point in time, what makes ME think that I will be worth 4 hours? 8 hours, 1 week (that is a vacation we could take together), 1 year (that is a relationship), 20, 30, 40 years (in a marriage) in YOUR world, in the future?

I told the elder that when women do not respond, that it is worse than a 'no,' and at that point, there is not much I can do! The chase is over, why beat a dead horse? She did not want to spend time with me, and I am not going to torture myself and try to ask her out again! Yes I want a meaningful relationship with a quality woman, but not at the cost of losing my hard-earned dignity in my sea of humility. The only thing left for me to do at that point is to delete the phone number, and move on.

I hope this answers any questions regarding if I am a 'player' or not.

I told her that I would rather get hurt by a thousand women once, than get hurt by one woman twice. As I was walking her to her car and opening her door, she looked at me, smiled, and said, "They do not make young adults like they used to. You are very well grounded for your age. How old are your parents?" When I told her that they were both born before the 1950's, she said "That explains everything, how you were raised, how you treat people, and how you expect to be treated back." She also told me to not give up, and that someone 'of worth' will see 'my worth.'

I concur! Happy St. Valentines Day, Elder!

Church just keeps getting

Better and Better!

I am beginning to hear the word of God more and more clearly in my life. Being active in the choir allows me to explore a ministry of church that I have never explored before. Our pastor has a way of explaining our readings in the historical and modern sense. I think it is very important to know what the mentality of the readings were back then, and once you connect the bridge of the past to the present day, it makes the message even more clear and more sensible. Some sermons, homilies, whatever you wish to call them, can be very dry. Some can be even technical, but when you throw the human element into it, the present day story of society, and how you can connect what is going on to what the 12 disciples and Jesus encountered, it makes it very easy to see, hear, and experience God's message. 

That and singing Lift Every Voice and Sing at the end of our gathering now has new meaning not only to me, but to many people. :-D

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!

DTH and Tutoring

So from yesterday, I went to the Carolina Theatre and saw the "Dance Theatre of Harlem," (DTH) perform. Dance, of course is one of the more beautiful forms of the arts, but since I am a former instrumentalist (one day I will return), I would have to rank music above dance (hehehe). I would even rank music above vocal (and I am in the gospel choir at church). Anyways, the group performed a variety of classic, modern, and neoclassical styles, and there was even an interactive piece where audience members could interact with the dancers. There was a musical (no dance) performance before the intermission by the pianist (I can not find my program, so I can not tell you his name), that was so beautiful and unique that one could not help but to be mesmerized. You know how some musical compositions definitely belong in an orchestra, and how some could be used in a musical? This artist made up his own composition, and I can easily see it go either way. I would not be surprised if his piece was used in a musical at some point in the future, and if it is, he will get an award!

More information about DTH can be found HERE. 

So my freelance tutoring adventures continues. My client is getting her knowledge together. So far she is acing all of my quizzes and lectures and is understanding my material. I am beginning to show her more advanced ways to solving the same common problems. Since I have started tutoring, she has shown more confidence in her math ability. 

I know how to bring out the best in people ;-) partially because the drive to succeed is buried deep down inside of us. All I do is bring it to the surface. With a lot of positive reinforcement, motivation, and patience, there is no limit to what you can do!

Bedtime! Before I go to bed, I am going to find my old notepad and start taking notes at church. There are a lot of wisdom in our Sunday 'messages' and I want to be sure that I can share it with you guys!

Good night! 

Sunday Thoughts: We Are Called!

The Road Is Rough,
And The Going Gets Tough,
And The Hills are hard to climb,
I started out, a long time ago,
There's no doubt in my mind;
I have decided, to make Jesus, my choice.

- Lyrics from "I Have Decided To Make Jesus My Choice"

So today at church, we learned that we are called by the Lord to do his will. When the Lord called out to Samuel, he thought that Eli was calling him. And after several 'callings' Eli realized that it was actually the Lord that was doing the calling. So he tells Samuel to say "Speak for your servant is listening" the next time the Lord spoke to him. And when he did, he grew.

As a Christian man, I realize that the Lord calls out to me all the time. Sometimes I hear and sometimes I do not. Sometimes when I hear, I choose to ignore. Sometimes, when I hear, I do the Lord's will. I am not a perfect man, and the only one I am aware of lived 2000 years before I was even thought of.

So I try hard to listen to the Lord, and usually he speaks to me at the oddest occasions, at the weirdest times, in the most unusual ways. Most of the time, it is not in the most obvious of places that I hear his message. Sometimes I hear it at church, sometimes I do not. Even when Elijah was told to go to the mountain and wait for the Lord, he heard the Lord's voice, in the whispering sounds, and not in the obvious: the wind, the earthquake, and the fire.

So I feel like I am called to share my gifts with others, and I have started doing that. I have a knack for photography, and my choir-mates have seen first hand some of my ability. I know a lot of math, and I have a lot of time, so I tutor and help kids. I know what it was like going through 7-12 grade struggling through math. But I have overcome those obstacles--I studied in a major that is extremely math-intensive. It is an edge I do not want to relinquish. The best way to maintain is to continually exercise. therefore, when I get new tutoring clients, I am keeping my skills fresh.

Socially (dating-wise), I have PLENTY of gifts and talents ;-) but I must be careful when it comes to sharing those gifts. 

The most precious and basic gift I give to every woman who walks into my life, is my time.

The most precious and basic gift a righteous woman can give me, is her time. 

Trust me, it is a GREAT gift and I will treasure it!

And speaking of time. I am getting better at sharing my gift of time with members of my own family. For instance, not only did I spend time with my nieces yesterday, but I offered (and they accepted) to come with me to church today. I feel that they really enjoyed what they observed: a sense of community, family, worship, prayer, singing. One of my nieces just loved it when the choir director used the "piano" sounds on the keyboard for one of the songs. I would love for them to join me every Sunday, but I will not force them. Having family around is a true blessing. Spending quality time with your relatives is time well spent.

I feel that I am called by the Lord to share my gift of time with others. So far I have given time to church, students, (deserving) women, and family that are local as well as abroad. I have a lot of time to share with others and still have more than enough for myself.

 I will always look for new ways to use it constructively.

Bedtime now. Good night!