Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Feels good to be a Hokie
But I would tell you that regardless of whether or not we were so amazing
ACC champs! Woohoo

Makes you really think about what it takes to be successful
We lost to a top 5 team, and we also lost to a bottom 5 team in the same year, actually, the same week
Yet, we've determined that our year was a success...
This leads us to the conclusion that it's not how you start but how you finish
We always say that
And now more than ever it holds true
Not only in sports, but also in life

More on that later I guess... i just really started to get bored HAHA
And by later i mean my next post...

Tek it E C

Victory!

There are few things in life that feel as good as feeling victorious

Crucifictorious anyone?

Haha... anyways
Yes, after tonight's victory over Georgia Tech, there was a feeling of joy that is almost incomparable to any feeling there is
Over the top?
Perhaps
But as I write this, all I can think about is the pain and despair that Georgia Tech has brought to me/us (Virginia Tech) the past few years and the relief that a win brings

Joy should come easier than that
I think recently a lot of joy has passed me by simply because I refuse to acknowledge it
I've taken for granted so many things that can bring me joy because I have basically taken joy for granted
It's so simple to just sit back and smile, to feel the joy of having that next breath of life, to have that next cup of coffee, whatever floats your boat
We've simply forgotten how to find joy in ALL things
We've become numb to how Great our God is.... and how much He desires for us to find joy in all of His creation

When's the last time I was able to just sit and enjoy all that He has to offer?
Being "jobless" right now, it's so hard to find joy in the little things
But honestly, it's because of those little things, that help me know that Big Things are ahead..
I challenge you to start finding joy in all things, whether it's victory, whether it's loss, whatever it is...
I used to feel so stupid when people told me I could probably sit by myself for hours and not be bored.. like that was a bad thing
Nowadays, I WISH i could just sit in silence and be totally happy
In this ADD world, we need to be entertained 24/7, we need information at our hands in less than a minute.... and when we aren't satisfied by what's in front of us, it's on to the next one
MTV gives us "reality" shows and we watch by the millions
We start to believe that what we are watching is the way all life should be... we begin to think that we have to live our life like Jersey Shore, or Real World, or heck, even the Office
Life is romanticized to the point where people have lost all reality of life
Irony at it's finest here ladies and gentleman

It comes down to simply finding joy in the simple things
The way that trees turn maroon and orange every football season (haters gonna hate)
The way hot chocolate melts away the cold
To constantly seek a rush is to constantly seek disappointment when we can't find it
To even seek joy in man's victory guarantees disappointment at some point

The pursuit of happiness overwhelms us, that's what we are constantly after
No one seeks sadness
Yet, that seems to be the result we tend to get when we seek selfish and worldly things yea?
There's only one solution yea?
Romans 12:12

It feels good to beat Georgia Tech, but that joy will be gone eventually and it will be replaced by something else that may eventually give me joy.... like this Milky Way bar I'm staring at that I'm sure will give me joy too... but that too shall pass, and then what? This Blowpop? Sure! and then what?
See my point?

Grab hold of real joy my friends... the temporary stuff is not worth it.
Find joy in all aspects of your life, it'll make your next step worth taking

With that being said, I will be extremely joyful if the Hokies can win a National Championship sometime soon.....haters gonna hate

Reminds me of those dancers we saw in Vancouver our last night out...there were these people just dancing in front of their home... we walked by and said good job... they must have been hearing negative things all night because all they said to us was "haters gonna hate"

I feel you hombre

I miss Vancouver... i miss the people.... i miss the japadogs...
I think people like the feeling of missing things... not like missing as in like u miss a basketball, or ur dog is missing, but like they enjoy the feeling of having something worth missing
I think that's how I feel about Vancouver, and other places
I've put all the emotions that I feel on these kinds of trips and put them on a pedestal because I know that I will never experience that exact moment ever again...
So sad..
But I'm over it...
Starting.....now
I mean ... NOW
Maybe tomorrow?
Ha... just kidding... I'm SOOO over it...for the most part.... hahaha

Let's laugh out loud at least once a day

Life is not a TV show

Life is not a TV show
As obvious as that sounds, it's a little more complicated than I had originally believed
Times have been tough these days and perseverance has been lacking on my part, and ironically, it's through these times that I'm realizing more and more how completely ridiculous it is compare our lives to TV and vice-versa.
Every show has an introduction to the plot of the show, and then there's the climax, and then there's a conclusion at the end. In that way, yes, life is kind of like a TV show, but that's about it.
We are all born, live life, and then pass away. That's where the comparisons end.

Finding a new job has been difficult, to say the least. It's my faith in the Father, that keeps me motivated and not in Korea....
It's through this time that I really thought i was on a TV show of some sort.. a Truman Show kind of story (yes i know the Truman Show itself was a movie, but it was about a TV show...)
I felt like the story was going to be about me finding a job after going through different trials and tribulations, and after going through all of that, after having learned the "lesson of the day" that i was on my way to a happy ending... or death...whichever came first
But it's not that cut and dry
I'm reminded of an episode of scrubs (yes, i understand the irony of perhaps this whole blog)
A comedy writer is diagnosed with cancer, the hospital needs money, and all these other problems occur, we are then taken to a dream sequence, where the man who has cancer actually doesn't because they had accidentally gotten the names mixed up, the hospital gets the money they're looking for by having a talent show where the exact amount of money needed is the prize money, and of course, they win.
Reality then sets, and the man still has cancer and passes away, the hospital can't come up with the money so they have to let go of someone, and to get away from his problems, JD ends up just watching TV.
This episode is one of my favorite episodes of Scrubs.

What i'm trying to say is, so many times, i try to look at my life as a tv show, and so i convince myself that at the end of it, as long as i've learned a lesson, the show is over for the day and everyone goes home happy.
I don't think life works that way, definitely not that easily

I think a lot of us WANT our lives to be a TV show, a drama, where we can be the hero, where we can be the victim that wins at the end, where we can be that girl or guy who ends up with "the one"
We seek these things because our life is the complete opposite of what "life" should be on TV
I've caught myself believing that I was the good guy, that in the end, I'm gonna get the girl, i'm gonna get that happy ending, that i'm gonna get that crucial life lesson that makes me figure out the solution to that days problems and worries.
And then reality sets, God is not creating a TV show with our lives, there is no live audience watching our every step if i simply walk off stage
God has a plan for us to live out, we are to be a part of His will, not the other way around (whoa... life lesson... or is it?)

I feel like if my life were a TV show, i think i would have figured it out by now.

I think i broke the record for most times in a blog using the word "TV"
haha

Had a very encouraging lunch with a good brother today.... much needed time of hearing good words of wisdom and encouragement... need more of those in life...

Take care

Autumn

Who calls it "Autumn?"
I sure don't, but then again, i don't have the eloquence to pull it off
If i call it "Autumn" i'd probably come off as a pretentious UVA student.. haha suckers...
I only mention this because it's FINALLY starting to feel like fall, the only time VA is a more desirable place to be than almost anywhere else...
Football season is upon us, the weather is getting a whole lot nicer, and it marks a "new year" of sorts for students and working-folks alike....
January is technically when we celebrate a new year, but for me, it starts in September.
September is such a hectic month usually, my dad and sister have a birthday, for the first 22 years of my life it's when school is starting or about to start, then there's all the other September birthdays, and 9/11, and football season
But in the midst of all the craziness, there's something calming that comes from celebrating so many different things
I am grateful for all these things and I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead of me

These are the thoughts that have been stuck in my head for the past 2 hours..
Thank you

A New Dawn

Welcome back!
That's mainly for me. I'm gonna try to write a lot because something's wrong with my space bar and i'm trying to ease it back into working mode.
Hopefully this works.

This past week I was up in lovely Vancouver, B.C.
The home of Pastor Abe and his new wife Soo... Han? haha weird
It was a great wedding, one of the only places where so many different types of "love" are on display
Love between man and woman, between man and friend, between man and family, and between man and God
Where else are you going to be able to be in presence of so much love?
Anyways, yeah, this wedding was pretty sweet, Pastor Abe and the gang were so hospitable and welcoming in spite of the immense amount of stress i'm sure was surrounding them throughout that week
This week made me extremely fearful of marriage
But at the same time, I think one of the most memorable moments that I had this week was listening to all the speeches that were given (especially Pabe's brother Dan)
The central focus of family just felt so right to me listening to Dan and Soo talk about family and how they were all getting a new sister or brother, it was awesome
You can't fake that kind of excitement

Vancouver is such a nice city, great food, nice people, crazy environment
I tried Japadog for the first time and it was delicious.. 7 dollars delicious? not so much... u make it 3-4 dollars, it's probably one of the greatest creations ever
Actually had a lot of japanese food (sushi, ramen, Japadog)
Canadian people are so nice, u bump into someone, they're the ones saying sorry
I was told that there once was a pigeon on the road, and a man was turning into said road, and instead of continuing on, he brakes and starts honking at the pigeon to get off the road.. haha, that's such a fun story to imagine happening
Canadians are nice, but they are crazy.... one time we were walking the streets of granville, and we see these 3 people dancing on a balcony, we see them and start waving.. all they kept saying was "haters gonna hate"
I absolutely agree

I wish i had been more active with my camera, unfortunately i thought it would be more of a hassle so i just kept it in the room
Speaking of which.. our hotel was sick... the Pan Pacific had such a nice view.. even from the side... it was amazing to see how many people we could stick in there.. hah it was like a clown car..

i've come to the realization that my space bar is probably never gonna get better, just need to wear it out...
Gotta love the MBP.. it has been an integral part of my life
I can't ever go back to PC
Yes, i said it....
Crap....
I'm a sell out
O well... well worth it

Finding good music has become more and more difficult
I hate having music that you can find on the radio on my ipod, i find it almost pointless
It's like visiting China and having McDonalds for dinner... yea it's familiar, and you can't go wrong with it.. but really? mcdonalds... in CHINA? get my point?
Unfortunately, it seems like less and less good music is becoming available and we are stuck listening to the same ol song over and over again....
Music just seems to be getting more and more repetitive... I honestly couldn't tell you the difference between a lot of "musicians" today... kid cudi, b.o.b., taio cruz, flo-rida, they all sound the same to me now...and that's just one genre...
Just like me, more and more artists are selling out to pop.. which is a shame when u consider why, you hope, many of these artists went into the business in the first place..

I can't lie though, that new Nicki Minaj song (Your Love) is BOMB
I think it has to do with the sentimental feeling i get whenever i hear that Annie Lennox song in the background (no more i love you's)

Congrats to all those who are getting married.. wow..

Futbol

Just what do say to this picture?
I for one HATE the Lakers, i respect Kobe, but i cannot stand for him or any other laker except for Shannon Brown..
It absolutely kills me that this fool has 2 more championships than Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and JJ Redick have combined..... man...

On a brighter note, World Cup has started and i could not be happier about waking up at 7 in the morning to watch those games! Even waking up at 5 or 6 would be acceptable
Thank God it's at 730 at least tho!
Man seriously, something about the World Cup just brings joy and excitement. The teams united by their country, it's something more than money and pride and I, for one, think that is beautiful

Sports have a certain beauty to it that just gets me so addicted.

That's all i wanted to share

See u all later

Summer Sunshine

I used to love hearing that song for some reason, it's so girly, and so... not manly... yet.. so refreshing...
The lyrics are so stupid, and yet so catchy, like all pop songs ingrained into our heads (tell me why, ain't nothing but a heartache....)
Made me really miss the innocence of being a child, singing along to songs that made no sense at the time, but when u look back at in now, mortify you because of the vulgarity of the song... for instance, there was a song called "c'mon ride the train"
I loved that song, it was so fun to pretend i was riding a train at the end of the song when they said "ride that choo choo"... i'll let u figure out what "riding the train" means to the "artist" that wrote this song.....made me sad
TV shows have so much sexual innuendo that just totally goes over your head until you're about 15-16.. don't even get me started on Home Improvement......tim allen was a perv

Nowadays, every word spoken by an adult is dissected for every possible meaning....
Michael Scott ruined it for everybody... that's what she said has totally changed the way we interact with each other...
I admit i take part in this little game, am i proud? no... but that's just the way life goes...

John Wall or Evan Turner?
I have NO idea... kwame brown or shane battier? believe me, it's about as similar as that scenario.. albeit the outcome may totally be different

Why do people always get so enraged when someone tells them to "chill" ??
Whenever someone tells me to chill or relax, i want to punch them in the face... but at the same time, i always think about why such a statement was ... stated...
There needs to be a comeback for the word chill that will make the user feel just as bad.....
I will figure something out

ok, i'm done with my rant for today...

April

It feels good to see this again!


Next up: Virginia Tech National Championship!!!!

and then.....

Back to the glory days!

It's been a pretty good month, sports-wise
This was the first Duke championship that i could truly celebrate. The first 2 championships i was too young to appreciate, the 2001 team was special but that team you just KNEW they were going to win (J.Williams, Boozer, Battier, Dunleavy Jr., Nate James, and .... DUHON, i mean c'mon who was gonna stop that?!! Maryland? Child...... PLEASE), this 2010 though, honestly i wasn't sure how good this team was.
They were fairly inconsistent until about january.. but even then, i feared that their lack of interior athleticism was going to hurt them... i'm sorry for ever doubting you Zoubek.
There, i said it.

That's Colt Brennan by the way. I truly believed he was the future.....kick holder......
Now Donovan McNabb is in charge of that jersey, good for him.
I'm gonna hold off on football analysis until the summer, just because i'm lazy and i don't use this thing much

One thing i've noticed about myself is that when motivated, i am able to do a lot of different things.
Unfortunately, motivation does not come easily
I feel the need to challenge myself. If i continue on the same path that i am on right now, i will be 40 and still be writing a blog and talkin about sports... which i wouldn't mind.... if i were getting paid to do it...
So here we go... motivated to improve my life, as well as the lives around me... starting.........................................NOW
Each . represents a week from the day i posted this blog
Haha, just kidding

I love listening to the radio sometimes because i feel like most radio DJs have the gift of gab
Hearing people talk about anything and everything, mostly irrelevant to our daily lives takes my mind off things (mainly) driving
I have come to enjoy some of the songs that they play on the radio, until they start overplaying the song to the point where u've actually memorized all the words to a song without having ever read the lyrics... crazy....i think all school books should be made into songs... if our calculus formulas were taught over a timbaland beat with justin timberlake providing the hooks, i mean... there are probably millions of people who would totally buy in to that...
i'm learning calculus... yup!
im tryna find, the derivative... yup!

and so on, i apologize by how rediculous that was..... and yes i spell it rediculous.. if u don't kno why... just ask....

but yea... i think all people our age are looking for a "get rich quick" scheme that they believe will take them to the top
People think of so many creative ways to make money it's not even funny anymore, it's inspiring yet saddening...
This pursuit of happiness through money and power is what got us into this mess, how are we gonna be any different than those before us?
I clearly don't have a solution to any such problems, but i mean... the solution can't be in continuing to be like those that have come before us right? To love and in return be loved is the true pursuit of life yea? and everything else should just fall into place...
Iono, i think that's one of the things that i've learned throughout the months
If i were simply looking for a career path that made me rich, i'm sure i would have stuck to business school, but i kno God had a different purpose for my life... that's y i still sit here patiently waiting for His calling.... some say i'm being worthless, or that i have to accept the realities of this world, but i can't, i'm all in baby!
If God is for me who can be against me?

anyways

I have allergies, they suck, but these allergies have given me cold symptoms... which totally suck...i always cough and there always seems to be something in my eye...
This is what i get for always mocking those who had allergies...
To those i offended by always taking a deep breath through my nostrils, i apologize, what goes around seems to come around.. or that's what justin timberlake told me... or us.....

ALLERGIES SUCK

that is all

Enjoy this weather, we only have about 2-3 weeks of GREAT GREAT weather in Virginia before it gets gross.. and then we have fall!!

Shutterbug

Happy New Year!!

It's the new year!!

2009 went by way too quick

But it's all good, i'm glad it happened the way that it did...

I think about all that's happened in the past year and realize just how blessed i really am

I got my first job

I got to travel all across the states! (Jack Stack!!)

Meet some new people

Sleep

Read

I don't know, i feel like there's so much more that I could have done

But in the end, it's about learning from our mistakes right?

I think this past year was a lesson in hope

Being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see

I think as believers, there's too much focus on what we can do, on how we can better ourselves, how it's on our shoulders to make ourselves better.

Or in other words.. The Lord helps those who help themselves....

If that were really the case, there'd be a lot more helpless people out there...

For instance, I've been "hoping" for a full-time job now for a little bit now

But the more i think about why i seek that kind of job makes me realize how worthless it seems

The pursuit of happiness lies in the fact that we do things in life that make us feel... alive

What makes me feel alive?

And i'm not talking about alive in the reckless sense, but rather, alive in the way that makes us feel like all things are possible

I believe that God will provide me with something that will make me feel alive

I'm not looking to be a millionaire, i'm not looking for stature or fame or anything of that sort

My selfish desires make me want those things, but in the end, those things are so temporary....

It's hard to think about my future and wanting those things, and perhaps those things aren't that bad.. but if that's simply the only things that we desire.. i think that's when we start hating our job, it's when we start getting angry and it's then that we start questioning who we are as people

I don't do new years resolutions, simply put, i don't want to... haha

But something i've learned in the past months is this: seek happiness.. get on that pursuit of happiness

I want that to be the goal that i set, not only for the new year, but for the rest of my life

To please Him

True joy comes from the Father

The Joy of the Lord is my strength

p.s. The redskins suck!!

But... there's always next year!!!

Here are some songs that will cheer you up!!

Usher- I love you 2

30 Seconds to Mars- Hurricane, This Is War

Wale- Attention Deficit (the whole cd)

Anything and EVERYTHING by the cast of Glee!!