... is the number of miles driven this time around to Cville and back.
19 May 2013. Another set of graduates from dear ol' UVa traipse across the Lawn to wear the honors of Honor. Unseasonably cool for graduation weather but it beats the heck out of the anticipated sweltering mugginess.
This is the 5th one I've been to (mine included) and I feel I have it down to a science. I know where to go, where not to go, when to go, when not to go, etc. etc. Even though I'm 3 years removed, it feels like I've never really left and things have stayed the same. At the same time, TOO much has changed. Newcomb has had an impressive face lift. More buildings have risen up and continue to rise. Faces don't look as familiar. It's a lot to take in and process...
Despite my first world grumblings, I never regret coming back to see old familiar haunts that I both hated and loved at the same time. I'm reminded every time I come back of TOO many people, places, and things that make me miss that school in the hills so dearly sometimes.
A bit bittersweet every time I leave but the next (when???) return is always much anticipated.
Many congratulations to the Class of 2013!
Wahoowaaa!
Monday, July 8, 2013
成了!
John 19:30.
Every now and then I'm amazed on how eloquent a phrase is translated into another language. This is one of those times.
At this year's Good Friday service, one of my pastors pointed out one of the last words of Christ as He hung dying on the cross in the sermon he gave.
"It is finished." Says the NIV translation, indicating a real sense of finality. In Chinese, John 19:30 is translated as 成了. Pastor mentioned that cheng le had a double meaning to it. It can be interpreted as what He set out to do was completed and that what He set out to do was successful.
It was successful?! That simple interpretation by Pastor gave me chills. Church going folks always mentioned that God had a plan. Hallelujah for that Plan!
Every now and then I'm amazed on how eloquent a phrase is translated into another language. This is one of those times.
At this year's Good Friday service, one of my pastors pointed out one of the last words of Christ as He hung dying on the cross in the sermon he gave.
"It is finished." Says the NIV translation, indicating a real sense of finality. In Chinese, John 19:30 is translated as 成了. Pastor mentioned that cheng le had a double meaning to it. It can be interpreted as what He set out to do was completed and that what He set out to do was successful.
It was successful?! That simple interpretation by Pastor gave me chills. Church going folks always mentioned that God had a plan. Hallelujah for that Plan!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
5
From a human perspective, it's still quite young. From a working perspective, it has some substance. Overall, there's still plenty of room to grow and evolve.
Too much and not so much has happened in 5 years.
Although it's more than a few days late, here's to another year of writing about everything I see fit.
Hurray, Yippee, Huzzah, Yay, Woohoo!!!!!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
building, no more
Hebrews 13:5.
Seeing a ghost is the closest thing I can say to describe what I felt leaving the place.
I got to work early one day and decided to walk around the downtown area before heading in. Many a fooding trip has lead me to a good chunk of the eateries on the block, but this time around I ventured into a strip of the downtown I haven't been to in years.
In doing so, I pass by a restaurant where I spent more than my fair share of weekends of my formative years. Countless hours were spent in this tiny place that my aunt used to work at on weekends.
Fast forward to present day, the joint is as empty and abandoned as imaginable. Upon peering into the place through the front door I noticed the ceiling falling apart and debris scattered here and there. Looking further, I could see the pick-up window, the only recognizable remnant of years past. I also spied the stickers that most establishments post to gently remind folks of the legal drinking age. 1983. Meaning 2004 was the last time business was done there.
9 years. It appeared whatever business was there last, went under and never looked back. Another unsettling assumption is that no other business has tried or dared to do something with the place. The apparent disrepair and neglect was, however erroneous the assumption, enough proof for me. This sudden realization gave me chills. In turn, the vibe of desolation it gave off made me feel all kinds of bewildered.
Given a lot of business fail but, what happened? But more nagging, why? There might have been a simple explanation for the vacant building, but I think what was unsettling was that it was on such a busy part of town.
Riding on how overtly maudlin and maybe too much of stretch, it reminds me of how people are the same way. Once sprawling and full of life. Then it was met with a hardship. Now it's empty on the inside and unable to bounce back. It's scary that folks end up like this, but a hard matter of the fact is, sometimes they do. The question now then is, how do we bounce back?
I pray that I'd be able to, however rough the waters.
Seeing a ghost is the closest thing I can say to describe what I felt leaving the place.
I got to work early one day and decided to walk around the downtown area before heading in. Many a fooding trip has lead me to a good chunk of the eateries on the block, but this time around I ventured into a strip of the downtown I haven't been to in years.
In doing so, I pass by a restaurant where I spent more than my fair share of weekends of my formative years. Countless hours were spent in this tiny place that my aunt used to work at on weekends.
Fast forward to present day, the joint is as empty and abandoned as imaginable. Upon peering into the place through the front door I noticed the ceiling falling apart and debris scattered here and there. Looking further, I could see the pick-up window, the only recognizable remnant of years past. I also spied the stickers that most establishments post to gently remind folks of the legal drinking age. 1983. Meaning 2004 was the last time business was done there.
9 years. It appeared whatever business was there last, went under and never looked back. Another unsettling assumption is that no other business has tried or dared to do something with the place. The apparent disrepair and neglect was, however erroneous the assumption, enough proof for me. This sudden realization gave me chills. In turn, the vibe of desolation it gave off made me feel all kinds of bewildered.
Given a lot of business fail but, what happened? But more nagging, why? There might have been a simple explanation for the vacant building, but I think what was unsettling was that it was on such a busy part of town.
Riding on how overtly maudlin and maybe too much of stretch, it reminds me of how people are the same way. Once sprawling and full of life. Then it was met with a hardship. Now it's empty on the inside and unable to bounce back. It's scary that folks end up like this, but a hard matter of the fact is, sometimes they do. The question now then is, how do we bounce back?
I pray that I'd be able to, however rough the waters.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
my flesh and my heart
"The brain decays but muscle memory remains."
Spoken about a patient with dementia while they played the piano. While playing the piece from motor memory, the elderly patient believed she was practicing for an audition with Juilliard.
Although this is a fictional account from one of my favorite television shows, this was the saddest thing I'd heard all week. To think that in life, whether it be real life or imagined, dementia robs countless people of memories.
The very moments that define us as people can disappear into nothingness at the hands of such a heinous condition. It pains me to think that it could happen to anybody near and dear to me, myself included.
If this terrible inevitable should occur to me, I hope that I remember this.
Psalm 73:26.
Spoken about a patient with dementia while they played the piano. While playing the piece from motor memory, the elderly patient believed she was practicing for an audition with Juilliard.
Although this is a fictional account from one of my favorite television shows, this was the saddest thing I'd heard all week. To think that in life, whether it be real life or imagined, dementia robs countless people of memories.
The very moments that define us as people can disappear into nothingness at the hands of such a heinous condition. It pains me to think that it could happen to anybody near and dear to me, myself included.
If this terrible inevitable should occur to me, I hope that I remember this.
Psalm 73:26.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
life in excess
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Matthew 6:19-20.
Sometime ago, my cousin told me about a house up for auction around the neighborhood she worked in and wanted me to go along with her to take a look.
I'm not in the market for one, but it couldn't hurt to look, right?
Man, was I wrong. As I followed the arrows that pointed me towards this house, each house that we passed on the way to the mystery house seemed bigger and grander than the last. I don't know why, but it pained me to think about how much each of these houses might have cost. After much heartbreak later, the white whale was spotted.
This white house was all kinds of something. Think of every synonym for the word "ridiculous" and use it on this house. From the looks of it, the house had a very 80s-esque feel to it, inside and out.
First things first; Ocean. Front. Property. Moby Dick had white carpet. EVERYWHERE. 4 bedrooms. A land line telephone connection in each of its 6 full bathrooms. 2 laundry rooms. In-home gym. An office space. Two entertainment/game rooms. In-home hot tub. A gazebo/cook out area. AND a pier to a boat house with a BOAT!
Altogether it was 3 floors worth of a labyrinth disguised as a house. After wandering this contraption, 2 thoughts came to mind; This place was too much and what did this guy do for his house to be put up for auction?
By the time that this entry has been posted, the house should have gone to the highest bidder. Whether it was sold/bought or not, even now I still can't get over the excessive nature of the leviathan.
But, why all that house? Yes, I've dreamt of living in a big house myself, but the voice inside my head was screaming: This is TOO MUCH! How many hours and money was spent on this house? How many people were lied to, cheated on, and I daresay robbed to get it? I realize I'm being excessive in writing such hater-like statements BUT, as I continue on my high horse...To put so much time, money, and effort in keeping this house leads me to think about what kind of void was the owner(s) trying to fill?
Given, we all have voids we try to fill. Some folks have more resources in attempts to fill it. Others spend their whole lives finding ways to do it. Countless others have died trying in vain to accomplish it.
After encountering this house, I've begun to question once again what void am I trying to fill? At what costs will I take to do it? Time and time again, I've been told that only He can fill this void. Time and time again, He has done so on my behalf. However, for whatever reason, I still feel a void.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 comes to mind every time I think about this void, and I believe it is these words and this very reason why I'm still seeking something to fill me infinitely. Hopefully and waiting ever so impatiently that when I see my Maker that this void will be no more.
Matthew 6:19-20.
Sometime ago, my cousin told me about a house up for auction around the neighborhood she worked in and wanted me to go along with her to take a look.
I'm not in the market for one, but it couldn't hurt to look, right?
Man, was I wrong. As I followed the arrows that pointed me towards this house, each house that we passed on the way to the mystery house seemed bigger and grander than the last. I don't know why, but it pained me to think about how much each of these houses might have cost. After much heartbreak later, the white whale was spotted.
This white house was all kinds of something. Think of every synonym for the word "ridiculous" and use it on this house. From the looks of it, the house had a very 80s-esque feel to it, inside and out.
First things first; Ocean. Front. Property. Moby Dick had white carpet. EVERYWHERE. 4 bedrooms. A land line telephone connection in each of its 6 full bathrooms. 2 laundry rooms. In-home gym. An office space. Two entertainment/game rooms. In-home hot tub. A gazebo/cook out area. AND a pier to a boat house with a BOAT!
Altogether it was 3 floors worth of a labyrinth disguised as a house. After wandering this contraption, 2 thoughts came to mind; This place was too much and what did this guy do for his house to be put up for auction?
By the time that this entry has been posted, the house should have gone to the highest bidder. Whether it was sold/bought or not, even now I still can't get over the excessive nature of the leviathan.
But, why all that house? Yes, I've dreamt of living in a big house myself, but the voice inside my head was screaming: This is TOO MUCH! How many hours and money was spent on this house? How many people were lied to, cheated on, and I daresay robbed to get it? I realize I'm being excessive in writing such hater-like statements BUT, as I continue on my high horse...To put so much time, money, and effort in keeping this house leads me to think about what kind of void was the owner(s) trying to fill?
Given, we all have voids we try to fill. Some folks have more resources in attempts to fill it. Others spend their whole lives finding ways to do it. Countless others have died trying in vain to accomplish it.
After encountering this house, I've begun to question once again what void am I trying to fill? At what costs will I take to do it? Time and time again, I've been told that only He can fill this void. Time and time again, He has done so on my behalf. However, for whatever reason, I still feel a void.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 comes to mind every time I think about this void, and I believe it is these words and this very reason why I'm still seeking something to fill me infinitely. Hopefully and waiting ever so impatiently that when I see my Maker that this void will be no more.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2013
It's here.
Like most people in the world, I always anticipate what kind of something will happen this year. Yes, you read that right.
Happy New Year!
Like most people in the world, I always anticipate what kind of something will happen this year. Yes, you read that right.
Happy New Year!
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