I need to laugh...and based on how I'm feeling, this couldn't have said it better! =)

The power of POWER

{Side Note: I was going to post something else today (something silly I'll have to share later) and realized I had a few drafts saved that I've never posted....not quite sure what I was waiting for.  I wrote this particular one sometime in March after the Japan earthquake.}

It's terrifying and heartbreaking to listen to the news these days. Currently the world has their eyes on Japan as they deal with the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake, the tsunami, and now the threat of nuclear catastrophe.  As I was watching the events unfold on TV, tears began to well as they showed images of people and their lives washed instantly away with one shake of the earth and one wave of the sea. Powerful.

Nature is powerful and with these events we get jolted into remembering just how destructive and powerful its forces can be.  Just look at all the craziness planet earth has experienced in the past 10 years, the numerous earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, and so on.  But somehow I compartmentalize these massive powers of nature as something different or more than what the Lords power is....

Recently I was having dinner with a high schooler and she was telling me about some high school drama, and after suggesting prayer as a step to changing her situation, she said, "I don't see how God could possibly change all this and make things better." I instantly thought, "Seriously!?! You don't think God, the ruler and creator of the universe, could change this teeny tiny little problem you're having in school."  Thankfully I didn't say that out loud.

The truth is, I am guilty of thinking exactly the way she does.  I feel like with certain situations, I've gotten to a point where they feel so hopeless, that I don't see how God could possibly change things .....and as a result I stop praying about it.  And if I'm not asking, it's because I don't really believe that He can change things.  Then you see the stories about Japan, and Haiti, and Katrina, and so on and so forth. And you realize the wielding and unyielding power that God possesses.

Just how powerful do I really believe is God's power?  If I believe He's powerful enough to control these events in nature, why do I keep doubting and living like He's not powerful enough to change me, my sins, or my life.

Just as I chuckled when my high schooler was telling me about her woes, I have to believe that God is chuckling quite a bit at silly old me and my woes as well.

Quotable Quotes

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.

 - C. S. Lewis

Ramblings

Tomorrow's the 10 mile Broad Street Run,
And I feel like a student,
The night before a major exam,
Knowing I haven't studied/trained as much as I need to....
And now I'm desperately praying that by some small miracle,
God will give me the necessary smarts/strength to pull through.
That's what I'm hoping for.
What will actually happen?
I'm afraid He may decide to teach me a lesson,
One that I would rightfully deserve.
It's funny how I put my inadequacies and lack of work and diligence,
All on God's shoulders at the last minute,
As if He is supposed to make everything better.
And if by some small miracle I did well,
That would of course be due to my own talents.
Backwards thinking,
I do that to Him a lot.
Anyway,
Ready or not,
Race day is coming tomorrow...
Yikes!

Dulac Mission Trip

So this past week, my best friend and I were able to join some other people from around the country to do some rebuilding work in New Orleans. We were in an area about an hour south of New Orleans called Dulac which is mostly resident to a tribe of Houma Indians. Most of the homes and buildings there were severely damaged due to Katrina, but also due to the high incidence of flooding that occurs on a regular basis.

The whole trip was truly a great experience. Our day would begin at 7 am cooking breakfast, doing the dishes, working on the community center for 4 hours, coming back and making lunch, work for another 4 hours, shower, make dinner, and then hang out playing 28 or spoons till 2 in the morning (these games were intense =P). It was a blessing to experience the teamwork and camaraderie amongst us initial strangers displayed on practically every level.

Much to my surprise, I also loved the feeling of getting my hands dirty doing some hard core manual labor! We were putting up drywall, spackling, sanding, painting, etc. and at the end of the day we were covered in mud, paint, dirt, and sweat.....and it all felt very good. There was something very satisfying in the exhaustion we felt at the end of the day. Everyone who came was there to work and work we did.  In the end, it was really gratifying to see the tangible fruits of our labor.

I know what we did doesn't even make a dent into what needs to happen there, but the fellowship and friendships that were formed and what we learned of the Native Americans there, just made our world a little bit smaller in seeing the plight and hardships of other communities. I look at these projects, not so much as an opportunity to serve, but to observe how God works in other communities and to broaden my sometimes very narrow worldly perspectives.

I pasted the link below to an article written about our trip in their local newspaper....some of the facts in it are wrong but you'll get the gist of the mission that's run there =)

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100416/ARTICLES/100419562?p=1&tc=pg
Bond attracts Indian Americans to Dulac
HoumaToday.com

DULAC — A couple of times each year, a kindred group of volunteers visits Dulac to help rebuild the bayou community from hurricanes and flooding.

Nightmares Becoming Reality

I came upon this "interesting" story and all I can say is ugh! I don't know why I'm deciding to post it, but I am.  It's just one of those bizarre things you come across and read and wonder what are people thinking?

Warning: my first reaction was to gag.

The title:         Bizarre Ways to Beat Stress and Unwind

I've had one recurring nightmare for as long as I can remember and it involves snakes and picturing something like this.....and now this is a way to unwind?? A snake massage! I don't think so.  Just looking and thinking about it makes the anxiety level go up a couple notches.

If you want to read the article and even see the video (yeah, that's right, there's a video)....go ahead, enjoy
http://health.msn.com/mind-body-connection/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100256034&imageindex=2

Weird, just plain weird!

A Perfect Saturday

Yesterday,
A Saturday off from work,
The first day of Spring,
Beautiful, sunny, and 75 degrees,
A group of girlfriends,
Starting the day with a morning bike ride along Kelly Drive,
Followed by a great brunch in the city,
Then some leisurely walking and window shopping,
And ending the evening with some desserts from Philly Cupcakes.

I'm thankful for these simple pleasures and the people I can enjoy them with...a perfect Saturday it was indeed =)

50 Random Questions

Just because it's late at night, I can't sleep, and I need to find more ways to waste time . . .

1. Where were you 3 hours ago? - At the pharmacy
2. Who are you in love with? - No one, next question
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? - Don't believe I have
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? - A pink bottle of pomegranate and mango hand and body lotion
5. When is the last time you went to the mall? - Today, Unfortunately I work there
6. Are you wearing socks right now? - I am
7. Do you have a car worth over $2,000? - I hope so, I just bought it 4 months ago
8. When was the last time you drove out of town? - Probably NYC
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? - Nope
10. Are you hot? - Nope
11. What was the last thing you had to drink? - Water....mmmm, delicious
12. What are you wearing right now? - PJ's
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? - Let the car wash do it
14. Last food that you ate? - Popcorn, I'm not proud of it
15. Where were you last week at this time? - Probably at home
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? - I haven't, I've been good lately
17. When is the last time you ran? - Yesterday....5 miles...wohoo!
18. What's the last sporting event you watched? - Went to a sixers/knicks game on Monday..didn't know a darn player on either team
19. What is your favorite animal? - Animals and I have a sorted past, we don't seem to mesh well, it would be a lie if I answered this question
20. Your dream vacation? - Greece or Italy or Thailand....I'm not picky, any one will do
21. Last person's house you were in? - N's apartment
22. Worst injury you've ever had? No broken bones ever, can't think of anything serious (knock on wood)
23. Have you been in love? - Nope, next question  
24. Do you miss anyone right now? - I miss random people at random times
25. Last play you saw? - The Lion King on Broadway
26. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? - Oh gosh...lure? secret weapon? really?
27. What are your plans for tonight? - You're looking at it
28. Who is the last person you sent a MySpace message or comment? - I don't have MySpace
29. Next trip you are going to take? - New Orleans
30. Ever go to camp? - Nope
31. Were you an honor roll student in school? - Yes I was
32. What do you want to know about the future? - That everything's going to be allllllll right
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? -Yes, Usher, don't laugh
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit? - More appointments than I care for, the joys of getting older
35. Where is your best friend? - At home
36. How is your best friend? - She's great
37. Do you have a tan? - Yes, the natural kind (it's called being Indian)
38. What are you listening to right now? - U2
39. Do you collect anything? - Personal mementos, things that carry memories
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? - Now if I answered that, wouldn't I be the gossiper?
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? - July 2001 for a speeding ticket..I don't know why I remember the date
42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? - Yeah, why? Is that bad?
43. What does your last text message say? - "Ha ha....don't be chicken"
44. Do you like hot sauce? - The spicier the better
45. Last time you took a shower? - This evening
46. Do you need to do laundry? - Already done
47. What is your heritage? - Indian
48. Are you someone's best friend? - Yup
49. Are you rich? - Nope, but I'm not poor...My life is rich in a non-monetary sort of way
50. What were you doing at 12AM last night? - I'm old, I was sleeping

Seasons (of Life)

Today was beautiful: bright sunshine, a cool breeze, and not a cloud in the sky.

It was the first day of spring-like weather after experiencing many days of rain and gloominess (and being able to spend the day outdoors provided some much needed energy for the soul and body).

Funny how life can be the same way: first we have to weather the storms to truly appreciate the beauty that comes afterwards.

How do you gauge...?

How do you gauge how well you’re handling life?

For example…
Physically I know I’m doing well if my blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, etc. are all in check.
Financially I can gauge things based on my bank accounts or debts.
Socially I can base things on the quality of my relationships.

But how do you tell how things are going mentally, emotionally, or spiritually with yourself? Human feelings can be so fleeting and fickle: happy one moment, not so much the next.  It’s not something that’s so easy to gauge, is it?

Just something I‘m pondering tonight.

2010 International Philadelphia Flower Show

We got an early taste of spring while attending the Flower Show this year.  This year's theme was "Passport to the World". The flowers and arrangements were of course beautiful, and the frangrance was even more divine....

                                               

Remind me to live here :)

http://www.theflowershow.com/ShowInfo/index.html

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

One for the record books...

It’s the second biggest snow storm of all time in Philly (28.5 inches).
It’s the second major snow storm of this winter season.
It’s the second time we’ve had to shovel about 2 feet of snow.
It’s the second time we’ll be stuck indoors for 2 days straight.

I love the snow, but I SECOND the decision to end the winter weather already and bring on the springtime warmth and sunshine….one can dream, can’t they =)

PS - Oh and I forgot, there’s another major snowstorm scheduled for this Tuesday…..eek!

Groundhog's Day

In my 4th yr rotations, the stars were aligned and I happened to be working out in the boondocks of Punxsutawney on Groundhog’s Day one year. I was kinda excited to be around Gobbler’s Knob because apparently they celebrate this "holiday" hardcore and it’s considered a BIG deal in that city.

Can I just tell you, the whole thing was a bit weird…a little freaky actually. When I had some down-time that day, I stepped out of the office to see all the hoopla. It was like a carnival atmosphere in frigid cold weather complete with ice sculptures, carnival booths, people with groundhog’s hats and big flasks of beer walkin’ around drunk and happy….all for a rodent!

I guess I can’t blame them, there’s not much else going for Punxsutawney, PA. =P

So the prediction was:

Happy Groundhog's Day!

S-l-o-w-i-n-g Down

It's been a busy week....and sometimes I come to the end of a week and wonder, "How did I get here?"

How is it already Sunday?
How is it already the end of January?
How is it that it's actually 2010 already!?! (I could of swore I was just listening to Prince's Tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999 and wondering what that would be like ...sheesh!)
Where did this week, month, year, decade go?

Sometimes I just need to slow down...not necessarily in what I'm physically doing, but in my mind and thoughts.  My mind has a tendency to race through life, and when I do that, I run the risk of missing all the great things happening along the way.  I need to slow down enough to really savor the many moments that make me smile and pay attention to the things that make living this life so worth-while.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,

Or listened to rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,

Or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down,

Don't dance so fast,

Time is short,

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down,

Don't dance so fast,

Time is short,

The music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,

And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,

'Cause you never had time to call and say "Hi"?

You better slow down,

Don't dance so fast,

Time is short,

The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It's like an unopened gift...thrown away.

Life isn't a race,

So take it slower,

Hear the music,

Before your song is over.

- David L. Weatherford

Adele - Chasing Pavements

Listening to some real soulful music tonight. . .
Love the sound of her voice and the song:

Patient Encounters

A couple days ago on a busy workday, I had a 23 yr-old patient come in for a routine eye exam.

He looked a little rough around the edges, didn’t crack a smile, and clearly wasn’t interested in engaging in any sort of conversation when I attempted to make small talk.

About halfway thru the exam he suddenly speaks and asks,
“How old are you anyway?”

I look up from writing my notes, probably appearing slightly annoyed by the question and hesitantly answer, "I’m 30."

At which he says, “you look like you’re 23 or something.”

I started laughing…..he still didn‘t crack a smile.

At a time where I’m feeling every bit my age, and contemplating the expectations I have and haven’t met in my life, I needed to hear that on that day.

Yes, age is but a number...and lately I’m being reminded that it’s not about HOW LONG I’ve been living on this earth, but HOW WELL I’m living on this earth.

Didn't think this kid would give me something to think about, but he did.

Nice kid.

Vision

The eye really is a beautiful creation.

When I look in to examine all the intricate structures of the eye, I sometimes forget that there’s a soul looking back at me.  That patient is a person, sitting in my exam chair, whose past experiences and relationships significantly color how they see and perceive the world.

Vision is so much more than just 20/20, it’s about processing what you see against what you know.

Quotable Quotes

To regret one's own experiences is to arrest one's own development. To deny one's own experiences is to put a lie into the lips of one's life. It is no less than a denial of the soul.
-Oscar Wilde

Spring Reminder

I took this shot with my cell phone a couple months ago because it was too pretty to pass up.

Just a reminder of spring and newness and life amongst the bitter cold of today.

2009 in Rewind

Seriously folks, where does the time go?  Looking back, this year has been an emotional one, filled with milestones along with some twists and turns, but through it all God has been good and gracious and I thank Him for bringing me to where He has at the close of 2009.  I have to say I’m looking forward to 2010 and seeing what the Lord has planned….for me and for those I love.

Year in Review

1)   Ringing in 2009 (Moroccon style) with some of my oldest and closest of friends

2)   Hosting the Leadership Conference in Philly

3)   Having dinner at Morimoto’s

4)   Seeing both my parents retire after 30+ years of working and enjoying the fruits of their labor

5)   The birth of so many new babies, both of friends and family alike
6)   Continuing with a great group of people into our 4th year of the Romans Bible Study  (and yet we’re still only on Romans 8...we may just be the slowest readers ever =P)
7)   May 2009 being 5 years of practicing optometry
8)   Taking my 8th trip to India with both my immediate and extended family and trying out some new adventures like houseboating
9)   Seeing my 2 younger cousins get married and celebrating with them in their joy (engagements, bridal showers, weddings, etc)
10) Taking a trip to Spain with my best friends to celebrate a new decade of life
11) Turning 30 along with the rest of our 6 (wo)man crew, aka “the Boyz”, and being able to celebrate with most of them
12) Starting a blog!!!
13) Finally getting to see The Lion King on Broadway
14) Watching the Phillies get to the World Series
15) Getting a new Bible (ESV) that’s changed the way I learn Scripture and motivating me to really learn on my own
16) Buying my first car =), and saying goodbye to my Forrester of 9 years (you don’t understand, it was emotional, we’d been thru a lot together)
17) Taking part in the Philadelphia Marathon by running and training for my first 8K
18) Cooking and hosting another Thanksgiving meal
19) The always fun and festive "annual" K White Elephant Christmas party
20) Digging out of the 2nd largest snow storm of all-time in Philadelphia (23.2 inches to be exact)
21) My friend S running a third successful Host-A-Christmas Drive
22) And finally….God bringing people to intersect my life and teach me things about the world and myself, people that have stayed awhile, some that haven’t, but both having an impact and challenging me in ways that have brought me closer to the Lord.

Have a Happy New Year everyone and may 2010 be filled with warmth, kindness, and joy for all of you.