With the holiday seasons around the corner, it'll be time to revamp the technology in my neck of the woods for the following semester. I always love this time of the year because it gives me a chance to re-evaluate how I'm going to work, as a student. I'm transferring to the University of Texas at Arlington in the Spring to pursue my business degree in Information Systems. I hear it'll be tough, but I've devised a game plan!
Key elements to surviving in the college of business:
- Laptop
- Word processor, a la Microsoft Word
- Spreadsheet application, via Microsoft Excel
- Super organizational notepad (read below!)
2008 is going to be the best year yet in my academic career and I can trust Microsoft Office to make my life easier!
This blog is part of the Microsoft “The Ultimate Steal” Blogging Contest. Go to www.theultimatesteal.com for details.
I'm the local IT guy. Whether it's for community or for proprietary, I'm the guy they call around these parts. But I find myself easily overtaxing myself with requests. I need to learn to say no, and then I found this:
10 Absolute "No's!" for Freelancers
Oh man. Almost every single one of those applied to me. It was hilarious at first, but I think I will keep those tips to help me in the future :D!
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”- 2 Chronicles 7:14
I was just reading over BibleGateway's Verse of the Day.
Does anyone know how to pray? When I do it less, I tend to forget. I ought to remember who I'm praying to. He's the same God that watched over me as a child. He's the same God that kept me safe from harm, time and time again. I can recall moments where accidental flicks of my wrist should have resulted in impaling scissors into my eyes. God protected me by placing glasses upon my face. The same God that loves me and guides me ... how can I forget Him?
Only into His word may He reveal Himself to me on this special day. Time to get started; here is my song.
A psalm of David:
(Psalm 4 - TNIV)
1 Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you men turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
3 Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the LORD.
6 Many, LORD, are asking, "Who will bring us prosperity?"
Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
-- I thought of a tune while singing it :D
Points to realize in James 2:- Don't show favoritism
If a man walks up and looks all scraggly and stuff; don't shun him off. If a man is less attractive, or only shows rudeness -- while showing much need and desire for growth, don't oppose him. Treat the man equal with the rich people who sit among you.
- Let your deeds be an open expression of your faith
Christ's will is not a spectator sport. Do you love Christ? He died for you; is it unreasonable to show him your love in return? Let your deeds be an expression of your love for Christ and your faith -- because it certainly will not save you.
Meet Johnny:
His typical day starts off with a short, but consistent buzzing. Is it the alarm clock? No. It's the sound of his trusty cell phone. Incoming text messages enter the morning with a buzz and chime that seem almost welcoming.
Rolling over and throwing his arm out, he stretches for the sound; and picks it up almost with repetitious memory.
"Good Morning, honey." the text message reads, as he slowly peaks the first views of the day from his eyes.
"Ahh, Christina -- my trusty partner in crime," he begins to explain to himself. "This is the girl I've fought for ever since that one faithful morn--"
"MOM!!! I TOLD YOU TO WAKE ME UP!!!"
"NO!! YOU WAKE YOURSELF UP, YOU'RE ALMOST AN ADULT!!!"
"I HATE YOU!!! WHY CAN'T YOU EVER COOPERATE?!"
The sounds begin to drown out in normalcy.
If my life was a sitcom, a movie, a television documentary, this is when the director would play the intro music. Getting up in the morning isn't necessarily the hardest thing to accomplish, but it seems so much more simplistic the night before when I make those plans. You see, I have a mind problem. It may be psychosomatic, but -- I really do struggle with retaining memories. Unless the memory is monumental, I can't seem to hold onto anything. I make so many plans the night before, in which if they were carried out -- I may actually get somewhere with my life.
But then the morning rolls around. And when I roll out of bed, it seems like a literal new day, with a new life, and a new girl by my side (via cell phone). Everything's fresh, but at the same time, everything is the same; So bland, and without color. An ideal life ... but only for the idiot savant.
As my day begins, I choose to consciously reinvent my 'todo' list, if you will call it that.
Wash clothes.
Take shower.
Work math.
Teach children.
Sleep.
A simple day, as they come every so often. I begin to approach the maternal figure:
"Hey, do you know where my basket is to separate clothes?"
"Just make piles on the floor and walk it down," she replies.
"She never answers my questions," I think to myself, but at this point -- it's not worth bickering about. I make my piles: jeans, dark colored shirts, light colored shirts, underwear, socks. As soon as I get down there though, the room stenches of death. It appears as though the water has stunk up the house downstairs, again.
You see -- my family really takes recycling to heart. That dirty laundry water pipe was torn out of the wall and it now redirects to a bucket, which is used to feed plants. Those poor plants. I pray their God gives them much mercy for the hardships they endure on our behalf. That is surely something to groan about.
I enter the laundry room, after creating my piles -- and there my mother is. She kicks me out, stating that I am wasteful for washing so much laundry and that a little stink isn't worthy of washing. She then proceeds to blab about the use of common sense, a concept of which I do not believe exists, and how I have none of it -- therefore making me inferior to society and humankind.
In logical effort, I suggest to remove the dirty water, which is smelling up the downstairs, and she agrees -- with one difference. She kicks me out and desires no help, what-so-ever, thus removing all legitimacy and logic from whatever it is she's wanting me to learn.
Typically, I've grown to be patient in such situations, but I am in a hurry -- particularly because I want to shower, and I'm absolutely out of decent clothes to wear. This poses a huge irritating problem. Four hours later, perhaps a resolution will be made.
Scenes like this cause my stress levels to rise, it gives me reason to believe that marriage is a viable solution to this problem; So I can wash my own clothes.
Good or Whack?
And by era, I mean month. In retrospect, this is the morning after my 4 month anniversary with ms. Christina L. Fiallos. The time together has been amazing, and I am in awe at how much we've grown. God's story in our lives would leave me on the edge of my seat -- if we were a movie. Now though, is time for even more growth.
Four months ago, the day after Christmas -- I finally had enough courage to take the plunge and make it official. Where we were once just contemplating ideas, we finally had our desired result: doin' it (entering a monogamous relationship). I'll be honest, I was a little afraid initially. I was afraid that once I made things official that it would really test our friendship. That means though that we were really going to see if what we desired was real or not; whether or not this was just a fling, a phase, or something more. I was always hoping it was something more ... and by God's leading, there's nothing less than that from what I can perceive right now. I love it.
Today I fast from her, so my direction may be focused upon God. No eating, and no contact with the chicklet. In place I put Bible, Prayer, and Studying. The next four months, I desire to lead her into a place of maturity; not to say that we haven't been mature already, BUT -- this has been the time of butterflies and sweet little lovey dovey kisses. Next up, our focuses reshape to view the decisions we need to make that will affect the rest of our lives -- together, or apart. We'll be encouraging each other to focus on education, work, studying, and a lot of other things that require diligence. It's in this time that I can really customize her to be the one I'm waiting for, and vice versa.
Things are very convenient right now, but as with all relationships -- emotions are cyclical -- and I expect our journey to be both high and low. Regardless, I heart this chicklet, and so I choose to grow more with her :D! The pursuit is still on!
--
Bible:
James (The Message)
Faith Under Pressure
" Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at
you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is
forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out
of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and
well-developed, not deficient in any way. " ~ 1:2-4
" Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. " ~ 1:10
" Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. " ~ 1:12
"
Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown
of all his creatures. " ~ 1:17-18
" But whoever catches a
glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the
corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain
but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and
affirmation in the action. " ~ 1:25
" Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. " ~ 1:26-27
--
Give this a read and we'll discuss sections in comments, let's grow together!
Acrostic - "Poem in which the initial letters or initial and final letters, of each line spell out a word." ~Google Result
I was reading up Proverbs 31 today, preparing to make my facebook note, when I noted a little footnote at the beginning of verse 10. It said that verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem in the Hebrew language, so I'm up on blue letter bible now searching for how this acrostic comes out. I want to know what word it makes. If you've never read Proverbs 31, then you may want to. It's wisdom about a finding a quality woman! Hebrew is written, and read Right-to-Left, against how our culture reads things today in English. So, hopefully I pick out the alphabetical letters the right way :D Let's discover together!
Here's a little map for reference from hanefesh.com:
Alright, let's begin --
Found in the word: 'ishshah which means, woman?
(Verse 31:10)
(Verse 31:11)
I'm noticing a patter here: They seem to be going in successive order ... Without going into further detail, it appears as though it each verse uses the next letter in the hebrew alphabet.
In context, I must conclude that these are the Hebrew ABC's of a noble wife.
Hey everybody.
I want to work on a script for a graphic novel. The purpose would be to bring God glory. The idea, is to let it be inspired by the Bible. I'm gonna start with God, End with God. It'll be for adults. An adult graphic novel, none of that kiddy comic stuff. So expect blood, and gore, and many portrayals of depravity -- but, without being tasteless. Although it most likely won't be 100% accurate with the Bible, it will portray common themes. Once again, it's gonna be a portrayal of God's story, to bring him Glory from it all.
Thanks for your support,
--Johnny
