Convicting Love

Well this ends the fourth week of school for me. This week was pretty crazy - filled with studying, papers, busy-work assignments, more studying, tests, lab reports, errands, and if I havent mentioned studying, well, that too. Not to mention the regular feeling like Im doing the wrong thing with my life and struggling with whether my classes and my occupation are right for me. Ive been wanting to blog, but I dont have any stories really to share, I dont feel like pouring out my heart, and I dont have a lot of inspiration on a subject of what to write. I have realized a large portion of my posts being with an unloading of school... Hum. Thanks for bearing through that with me - time after time.

February. Wow January is already over. And January is a fairly long month, with the full 31 allotted days a month is able to have. And now weve moved on to February. February is probably my least favorite month. For the obvious reason.

Now Ive been thinking about a possibility of writing about February: the Love Month for a while now. Long behold, my sister actually wrote about it. For those of you who read my blog, you probably read my sisters. So you have probably seen her blog about February, where she lists several things she loves. I was planning to take quite the opposite road than her... which is not uncommon with us. Jordannas lease on life is refreshing. Honestly. Both my mom and I think the same - its another day full of working/school, then coming home to clean/do homework then go to bed. Then wake up and start all over. My sister has the same type of schedule - wake up, feed and walk her pups, go to work, come home from work, feed and walk the pups, dinner, bed. However, she looks at each day as if it is different from the one before. Take any situation involving a frustration and, sure, my sister will be frustrated, but she will find something to be thankful for in the meantime. There is no other explanation for her view of life than refreshing.

Well this blog was no different. Regarding the month of February, (if you havent read it) she figured she should list a few things she loves: mornings, morning showers, breakfast, etc. Truly, she loves those things. They excite her. They bring her sincere joy. But I couldnt help but chuckle to myself. I hate mornings. I hate the sound of my alarm and I hate getting out of bed. I barely eat breakfast while Im at school because I stay in bed til the last minute... then am rushing to get out the door.

Anyways, before reading my sisters blog, I was planning to write about how I dont love February. I know Im in a different stage than my sister... Im not married - not even close. I bet if I was in some type of a relationship, my opinions on the subject would be a lot different. But, that is not the case. Ive been receiving emails from Godiva (chocolate) about "getting my special someone what they love (aka chocolate)." [They send me stuff cuz Im signed up with them.] But I would end up buying all that stuff for me. So you get where Im going with this. Lucky for me, my apartment is pretty anti-love. We talk about it. It helps with being anti-February. And then I hear a song like this:

You're nobody 'til somebody loves you
You're nobody 'til somebody cares.
You may be king, you may possess the world and it's gold,
But gold won't bring you happiness when you're growing old.
The world still is the same, you never change it,
As sure as the stars shine above;
You're nobody 'til somebody loves you,
So find yourself somebody to love.
The world still is the same, you never change it,
As sure as the stars shine above;
You're nobody 'til somebody loves you,
So find yourself somebody, find yourself somebody,
Find yourself somebody to love.

And I felt so much better.... right.... WORST SONG EVER. Although, I do have people who love me... just not the type of person they discuss in this song...

So I was going to focus on February as Black History Month. (And just as I type that, an Usher song came on...)

I think Black History Month gets overlooked... although, honestly, if they wanted the attention, youd think they would change it to a different month... Anyways. I was planning to celebrate February as Black History Month, rather than the Love month. (Lets face it, the Love month is so fun when youre ordering for one.) However, all of these thoughts were prior to reading my sisters blog. Well really, these thoughts were prior to yesterday, when I was thinking about them in connection with my sisters blog.

The two of us are completely different - this is the perfect explanation of how. But I decided rather than becoming a love hater (oxymoron!) I would try it her way. I was convicted of putting the word hate on things that really are a blessing. For example - mornings. Ok, I still dont love mornings. But I love having coffee in the mornings to wake me up, or just for a yummy taste. Without getting up, I wouldnt get my coffee. So mornings may not be my favorite thing, but they have perks. Im trying to catch myself before I look at something negatively and become a sourpuss. Im trying it the Jordanna way. Its not easy though. I give my sister props.

But ultimately, I am so incredibly blessed. I have been given so much that I dont deserve. And every time I say, "I hate _____" or just am negative, I am taking that thing for granted. Well see if this will last or if it will even work. But I am blessed. And I should be more thankful for that.

I do love flowers, though. And flowers signify love. Which is the sole purpose of February.... Maybe February isnt completely bad. ;)

New Adventures Yield Unexpected Memories

I love spending time with my mom. I love doing things with her. One of the reasons I love to be with her is because we are so alike and we think very similarly. We have common, if not identical, opinions and beliefs. We understand each other in a way nobody really can. (Even my sister thinks were insane sometimes. ;) Love ya Sis!)

Today, we embarked on a new adventure. I found a small bakery in Encinitas while searching for something else online. This place had great reviews and looked pretty cute in its few pictures. So my mom, being the good sport she is, suggested we try it out. Today was our last chance to go, so off we went - dressed casually - for a delicious brunch and a new adventure.

While driving, looking for the bakery, we passed several people in exercise clothes, jogging along the road. We both chuckled to ourselves, knowing if we lived at the beach, our time would be spent under the sun, parked on the sand, not necessarily going for a run. We parked and walked around the corner to the bakery. We connected while sharing our anxiety of walking near a busy street. (I actually have gotten teased by friends for this before... it felt good to know I wasnt alone.) Then we arrived at the bakery.

Well, it ended up being a lot different that we had anticipated. The food really was good! But the actual place was not what I was expecting. First of all, the place was small, and packed with Encinitans craving a yummy breakfast. We lurked, along with others, for a table, ready to pounce when our moment came. Luckily, we found a small table for two in the corner. We ordered our food and sat down to wait. It was loud, extremely crowded, and - in a word - overwhelming. I pointed out that I was grateful for a corner table, since Im not a big crowd person and probably wouldnt be able to carry on a conversation because I would be so distracted by the people around me. I know some people thrive off of this atmosphere... My mom and I - not so much. So it worked! We finished our yummy meals, grabbed our coffees-to-go, and headed back to the car.

Before heading back home, we took a quick trip around the block, since, ya know, the beach was right there. I took a few pictures of some houses she loved and I would not protest to living in. Then we started back to good ole El Cajon.

We stopped at Marshalls and Target for some unexpected (though, some were expected) goodies. Encountered some interesting people who dont understand the concept of "youre not breathing air... youre breathing my hair..." [I know in some countries there is not an option of personal space; however Im pretty positive these people have lived in this country for a while, being given the privilege of a bubble.] My point being that the whole time, my mom and I were so on the same page.

Though the day didnt quite go how we had anticipated, we had a good time together. I doubt well remember what we ate, or even how to get to the place, but I think well remember the little spurts of random and connections we had. I am so grateful for having a mom who gets me. Who thinks like me. We supports me. Who encourages me. Who isnt afraid to speak up. Who will laugh with me. Who goes on adventures with me. Who humors me. Who wants to hang out with me. Whos honest with me. Who loves me.

[I would post some pictures to go along with this post... but my camera wont load on my computer... so I dont have any recent ones. Until I figure that out!...]

Real Celebrities are Heroes

Last night I realized something about myself.

I went to Ritas, a nearby Mexican restaurant last night with my friend, Katie. I immediately noticed a police car parked outside and figured we would encounter cops inside, since Ritas is a common hangout site for cops and fire fighters. Sure enough, across the room I spied two police officers sitting at a table, eating. One looked at me as I walked in and continued to watch me as I scanned the menu. I looked over at him and smiled - after all, we did make eye contact. He nodded and smiled back. I shyly looked back at the menu, like a child who just had a stranger say hi to them. I felt foolish, but this is where the realization kicked in. I tried not to keep looking over at them even though I was curious of what they had spread over the table. It was like I saw someone famous and I couldnt believe I was in the same area as them.

I look at police officers as if theyre celebrities. I put fire fighters and all the men and women fighting for our freedom on the same level.

I have instant respect for these people in uniform. I still get excited when I see a fire truck and just recently stopped waving at police cars (I feel it might be a little strange, seeing as Im 20 now). I am always in awe when I come across them. Im always dumb-founded, wanting to say something funny so they have a funny story to tell their buddies back at the precinct, or firehouse. Typically, with fire fighters, my conversation starter involves my aunt, who works at San Miguel fire station. (Usually the trucks/fighters I see have San Miguel all over them.) That always goes over real well. They ask who my aunt is - they always know her - and then theyll talk to me, since shes kinda important and I am her niece! I dont usually talk to police officers. I get nervous that if I say the wrong thing they could get suspicious of me. I highly doubt that would ever happen, but the power they hold makes me extra cautious. My uncle was a San Diego cop for years. I should be a pro at talking to those guys. But I always hesitate before saying something.

Anyways. As I was acting like a child, afraid to talk to a stranger, I realized I looked at them in the same way someone would look at a celebrity. However, why do we get so excited to see a celebrity - an actual "famous" person? What have they done, really? [Im grouping here, of course... I know the following allegations dont apply to every celebrity.] They provide entertainment, sure. Shoot, give me a mirror and I can entertain myself for hours. I dont get any money for it, though. They provide "role models" for kids to look up to. Although most of these people take advantage of the privileges they dont deserve. They behave in a manner they should be ashamed of and are definitely not the people I would want my child to look up to. They give to good causes. Well give me millions of dollars to spare and Ill start my own charity. But are they risking their own lives to save others? Are they protecting citizens at the expense of losing their friends or their own lives? Do they ever ask themselves 'will I go home tonight?'?

So really who are the real celebrities? Dont get me wrong, I realize that every time I turn on the tv, there is some famous person that is providing me entertainment. But why do we put them on such a pedistool? Shouldnt we look at the real heroes and put them on a pedistool? Maybe it sounds foolish to view them in such a way, but ultimately, they just dont get the credit they deserve. They deserve to have people come up, asking for autographs. They deserve to have people want to take pictures with them. They deserve it... And they do all they do without expecting any type of gratitude.

Hope for Humanity

For several weeks, I have been debating what to blog about. I know youre all just itching to hear about what is happening in my life... I know I am such an exciting person. But I try to have points to my posts. I know I typically dont have a point and I end up rambling - which could happen in this blog, too. I still dont have a system of what I want to talk about. I would upload some pictures, but my camera wont connect with my computer and upload my pictures for some reason. As soon as I get that figured out, maybe Ill have more of a story to tell. Pictures say 1000 words, but I can easily add an extra thousand actual words. =)

Well yesterday turned into much more of an adventure than I had planned. Yet, it provided a moment of gratitude, and hope, that humanity might not constantly turn on each other. Without going into explicit detail of what occurred, Ill provide a short version.
My mom and I had to travel to the post office to pick up a package... I know what youre thinking. The post office?? Two days after Christmas?? Youre insane! And maybe so, but I had to do what I had to do. So we forced our elbows out, ready to plow down whoever stood against us with a problem.

Although really, we didnt expect a problem. We knew, more than anything else, it would be time consuming. It would be a test of patience. It would determine whether we could handle the busy street of Fletcher Parkway afterward, packed with cars heading to the same place we were - wouldnt you know?! But a problem did occur. And not only that... it escalated.

It began when a woman entered the parking lot going the wrong direction. If you know the El Cajon post office, Im sure youre already rolling your eyes and letting out a sigh of "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" (Even if youre not familiar with this particular parking lot, you understand the image and how irritating this is.) But it gets better. This woman began to back out, giving us all a little relief... only until we realized she was parked waiting for a spot from a leaving car... about to compete with the car directly in front of us - who was going the right way and following the rules. I know, I know. Well the dumb wrong woman won that battle. Obviously she was willing to fight a little harder.

Skipping some parts of the story, we were lucky to pull into a newly opened spot and walked into the post office, appalled at what we had just witnessed. Unfortunately the girl was two people in front of us, clutching her young son, looking around as if she was about to get jumped. You heard me, she knew she was in the wrong and she knew someone was gonna call her on it. I was proud that that person was my mom.

She looked directly at my mom, who took that moment to tell her that move was flat out rude. Not a microscale of remorse showed on that girls face as she began to argue with my mom claiming shed been waiting for 15 minutes and had no other choice but to enter the wrong way. My mom wasnt distraught or escalating, just putting her on notice that there are other people waiting, too. Not five seconds later, the woman who had been cut off, walks by and mentions how rude that was, then walks out of the building.

I had overheard a man saying he heard the wrong girl laugh when she got out of her car, as if to be proud of herself and stick it to the right car. All the while this girl was defending herself to my mom, he stood at the entrance, listening to what she was saying. Finally, he broke his silence. I wont give detail of what he said, but he put a cement foot down... hard to move.

[This story is turning longer than I had anticipated, but arent you captivated?!]

Needless to say, she ended up leaving, chasing the guy outside to have the final say. She never came back in and decided to do her business elsewhere. It was truly one of the most ridiculous things Ive ever seen - her not taking responsibility for being in the wrong, not apologizing, trying to justify her actions, arguing with someone who was older than her and therefore had more authority... It was terrible.

But the entire experience was exhillerating. It gave me hope. People, who were not directly involved in the situation, joined forces to stand against an injustice. I know its a simple situation, compared to the massive issues we face today, but its a symbol that people still recognize right and wrong. And that people arent afraid to stand up for someone. It was exciting. If people will stand together against something like this (which, honestly, it was extremely rude) then theres no doubt in my mind well be able to stand together in the future, against the tough stuff and the simple stuff that still needs to be brought to light.

I know we still need a lot of help.... but for now, Ill cling to that situation. Ill hold on to knowing that there still are people out there who will be honest and uphold what they know to be right. Cuz after all, where would we be if we all were constantly against each other? We all need somebody to lean on...

The Meaning of Flowers

I feel I often begin my blogs with apologizing for the lack of posts I provide my readers... this one shall be no different. I am sorry, to all my readers, for slacking on the blogging process. Ive so desperately been wanting to blog, to tell a funny story, to share about whats been happening. But I feel as if I have nothing of importance to relay to my audience. So I choose to not say anything. Besides the fact that school is taking over my life.
However, I feel I should break my silence with something to give you to read. The past few weeks have been incredibly insane. School, as I mentioned, is TAKING OVER MY LIFE. But the past week has been one of lessons for me. Mostly, they have been lessons of listening - listening to others around me and being silent, as sometimes a listening ear is all that is needed.
What is also interesting is that Philippians 2 has been brought to my attention several times this week. [This is related to the listening thing...] My wonderful sister blogged recently, and encountered herself in the same predicament Ive found myself in - not knowing what to write about. But instead of random ramblings, she chose to share the Word... something I wish I did more. What exactly did she share? Philippians 2... I know... I told you! Its been on my mind. And its convicting.
Philippians 2:1-4 says, "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others."

This week I had several friends share struggles theyve been faced with in the recent times. One friend broke up with her boyfriend. This friend planned on marrying him... Amongst other hardships shes dealing with, shes one of the leads in the new play here. I decided I needed to be there for her - I needed to be there opening night to encourage her. She needed a smiling face, cuz lets be honest, those smiling faces sometimes help. I needed to look into her interests, rather than my own. (Im not saying Im a saving angel right now, just telling the story.) Before the show, I went to search for flowers for her. I figured it was a common gift for actors in plays. But more than that, I know how I feel when I receive flowers.

That is probably my most girly quality - I love being given flowers. I love roses. I love colorful arrangements. I just love flowers. And I realize how significant flowers can be, and how much they can say. Flowers appear at the most important events of our lives: weddings, births, illness, celebratory events, funerals... I believe flowers speak to people, they signify someone was thinking of you, someone wanted to make you smile. And flowers are beautiful! They are an amazing creation...
Anyways. I found a gorgeous, colorful arrangement and decided they were perfect for my beautiful friend. Monica and I went to the play, ready for anything. The play was great... But my friend was fantastic! She was incredible. And knowing the struggles behind the acting, I admired her for remembering every line, singing wonderfully, and just getting up there. I was so proud of her. After the show, we waited for our star to make her appearance in the lobby. She came out and made a beeline to us. I gave her the flowers and she grabbed me for a hug. She explained how her boyfriend would always get her flowers on opening night and she was dreading the end of the show because that wouldnt be there... But she didnt have to face it... And she was so grateful and she shed a few tears.
Im not a cryer, but I had a hard time staying strong with an encouraging smile on my face. I wanted to break down with her. But I knew it wouldnt help, so I held her and maintained my smile. It made me realize, even more, how much flowers can mean to people. Sure, they die. But even when theyre dead, they can be just as beautiful as when they are alive. Right now, we have two different dried bouquets of flowers hanging on the walls in our apartments (both were given to me). But its what they mean. And she could not have understood their meaning better.
I included a few pictures of some beautiful flowers that played a part in my life. One picture is of arrangements from my sisters wedding - symbolizing new beginnings and celebrations. Another picture is of an arrangement Monica gave me for my birthday, because she knows how much I love them. (This was obviously to celebrate one of the greatest births on the planet! ;)) And finally - a picture of the gorgeous flowers leading to my house, symbolizing my most favorite thing - home.

Moments... or maybe Hours...

Whew. Its the weekend. Thank the Lord.

These past few weeks have been absolutely insane. From tests to quizzes to papers to article reviews to studying to presentations... I feel as if my head is spinning from everything my professors thrust upon me. I feel its too much, but I know its only the beginning of my very long, very difficult road. Ive been trying to keep my head above the water (no pun intended - as I am in Lifesaving) but I feel as if Im having a hard time... I need someone to save my life! Joke joke. And in the midst of all the academia Ive been trying to accomplish, Ive dealt with other obstacles I did not expect. Needless to say, this semester was not how I dreamed it would be. But I have been trying to keep a smile on my face. I have been trying to maintain a positive attitude and take out my stress in a constructive way. This, for me, is not an easy task to succeed at on a daily basis. Its been a struggle, but Ive been trying.
Well though it seems as if I just want to complain about my week, I had little things each day that proved to be God working, telling me to take a time out, if you will. Each day brought a good conversation, a new revelation, a reason to praise our amazing God. Though I dont keep a journal of each days' events, therefore I dont remember the exact date and time of each thing, I remember that they meant something to me. Recognizing the little things has been something my mom always mentions. And now I read my sisters blogs, which are often celebrating the little moments, or blessings, we should cherish.
I saw an acquaintance who became a good friend during the conversation. Actually, this happened with two people.
I saw one of my all time favorite people and ra (theyre the same person) a few times this week and was able to connect, yet again, with her. She is one of the cutest people I know and is always uplifting, even if its just a quick hug.
I hung out with my roommates several different times this week. I feel weve been bonding and I really appreciate it. I think living with them has been a huge blessing. God has a plan for it all along. (Obviously...)
I find myself being so incredibly grateful for the people who surround me in my Microbiology and Organic Chemistry classes. And theres a lot... Im making lots of friends in there - we connect on the basis of feeling as if were victims. Anyways. Grateful for people. Especially my two guy friends (who both have girlfriends, just as a clarifying statement). They have been encouraging, without even realizing it, Im sure. They have provided me with some laughter when I just really needed a laugh.
[I would like to make a disclaimer that I really am not the most "people oriented" of people... I manage to keep to myself a majority of the time. But I think in the midst of trying to focus on what I needed to accomplish and stressing out about various assignments and tests, God put these people in my life at these times as if to say, "You are not alone. People understand." Or something like that. Relationships with people are important... even though I may feel as if I could live with my bunches of dogs and be totally fine... people relationships are important.] Anyways. Continuing on.
Somehow I got everything done. I dont know how. I felt as if there just arent enough hours in the day to complete everything that needs to be done, but somehow everything got completed to turn in. I may or may not have stayed up until 230 last night/this morning to finish some things, but the important part is that my brain stayed awake with me. Thank you Lord!
I made a conscious decision to miss my creative writing class on Monday. First class I missed all semester... This professor is extremely strict on his attendance policy, so I skipped with a twitch and worked on my short story (which was supposed to be done... which was why I didnt go to class). Wednesday, I went to class, but nobody was there. Knowing there were conferences all week during class times for our short stories, I figured we would share in our groups what we had while he talked with people... I guess class was canceled. And my USC football friend, who I saw later that day, informed me class was indeed canceled unless you had a conference. (And he was excited to see me! Ive realized I get excited when people get excited to see me. It makes my day.)
I wrote a huge majority of a short story for my creative writing class just in time to send it to my professor before we met to discuss it today. I didnt finish it, but I didnt know how. I expected him to be encouraging, but also be a little disappointed I didnt finish it. Instead, he showered me with compliments of how impressed he was and how good my story was. Hallelujah! Especially after 4 false starts on stories...
I FINISHED my Science and Faith class! Last class was last night and I even feel as if my presentation I gave on my abortion paper (due last week) went pretty well! That was quite the relief.
Im sure there were a few other little things Im forgetting. I wasnt expecting this blog to be this long though, so Im sure youre getting anxious to potty or something... Sorry. Now its the weekend. And I am so thankful for that. Even though these 2 short days will be compacted with studying for a Micro exam on Monday, I am grateful for the break from classes and waking up early.

Thank you, Lord, for getting me through this week... We got more work though! Lets GO!

A Humbling Moment

I am enrolled in a Creative Writing class. Though another English class is a requirement for me, I chose to wait for a fall semester when this Creative Writing class is offered. I like to write, though I dont usually have a whole lot of structure or point to my stories, I sometimes get a bug where I feel like writing. So anyways, I thought it would be good for me. Its also my "release" class. All my other class (with the exception of Lifesaving) are pretty tedious (and Im using the word "pretty" VERY loosely).
And so far, it has been my release class. This week, more than any others so far, has been crazy. And if I do say so myself - just a bad week. I had 2 tests, each in my more difficult classes. Neither of which I felt prepared for. I had 2 different article reviews to type up, having to find the articles on my own too, (which if you dont know, is just a hassle in itself). I had a partner presentation in my night class, which we had to put together, then prep for, then present Thursday night. I had a quiz in another class. I also had a lab report due in one class. Study sessions all throughout the week. Plus trying to get all my homework done. Needless to say, it was just a very stressful, very trying week.
But Creative Writing is my class where I didnt have anything that was mandatorally due (yes I believe I just made up that word). Creative Writing was my class where I got to sit, listen to people around me speak, listen to my professor talk, read different poems (which arent my favorite, but at least its not formulas in Organic Chemistry), and take a few deep breaths. I even had to turn in my journal last week and got it back from my professor on Monday - he had good things (and bad things) to say. He was encouraging and thought I was entertaining and have a lot of ideas. (He didnt read most of it though, cuz they were short stories and we are focusing on poetry right now.) But he was encouraging.
Anyways. In the midst of all this hecticness of the week, we got in our groups in Creative Writing on Wednesday. Though none of us had written anything, we sat and just chatted with each other anyways, getting a better idea of who each of us were.
Let me paint you a picture. Theres me, two other girls, and a guy. Were all different from each other, but we each bring something to the table. The one guy is mildly short and wears black a majority of the time. Hes not scary, but at the same time, hes not a small guy - hes tough looking - I wouldnt mess with him. The first day we got in our group I thought, hmmm this will be interesting. Not knowing what to expect, but already forming my own opinions (which is normal for me). I knew he must have a soft spot though, because he was wearing a Mickey Mouse watch. The first poem he read to us, that he had written, was a prayer to God, thanking him for the things he had given him. It was completely unexpected, but I was intrigued. I knew at that moment I had him all wrong. I still wouldnt pick a fight with him, but I knew he had a story, a passion for his Lord.
So Wednesday, in our groups, we began sharing how we came to CBU. I am the only one who didnt transfer, so my story ended up going last. David went first. It began by a comment made by another girl about him and he began asking us what our impressions were of him. I said, "You seem hard core to me." His response? "Why? What do you mean??" In my head, I feel like, I know Im not the least intimidating person. But Im not surprised when people tell me that. Why does this comment surprise you?? But I continued to explain that I wouldnt mess with him. Still confused, I elaborated. "Ok. If I had to walk down a dark alley and needed someone to walk with, I would walk with you. I would feel safe with you. (Which, to you readers, is not something I feel with a lot of guys.) I wouldnt want to walk with a guy who I feel I would have to protect." He laughed and understood. So anyways. Back to the story.
He began telling us he transferred from USC. Obviously, transferring out of USC is a bit of a big deal, seeing as so many people want to go there. We asked him why he came to CBU and he said, "Religious reasons." He really didnt want to reveal a whole lot on his own... I found out why a short few sentences later. We continued probing him, asking him why he left. Finally he said, "Well, I played football there... I just wasnt a playboy. All the guys on the football team had women all over them and would drink and I dont do any of that. At all. I would never do that. So it came down to I didnt want to be around that anymore." Hold up... Back up. "You played football at USC???" He kinda laughed and nodded. I really dont know a whole lot about college sports, but I know that USC football is a BIG deal. No, its a BIG deal. Come to find out a bit later - he was not only on the football team, he was a starter. Think you know cool people? Lets compare stories.
I was completely and totally amazed. He told us his dad and grandfather were pastors and that was always his calling but decided USC was for him. After some time, he and his dad decided it wasnt for him. And he came to Cal Baptist. He wasnt all roses though - he admitted sometimes he misses it. Misses that, but knowing where he could be right now, terrifies him and hes more than happy he navigated away from it and towards God. Its also bittersweet for him because hes going to have a lot of debt once he graduates from here, so knowing he had a full ride for football at USC was comforting. WHAT?! Who the heck is this kid??
And the whole time he shared with us, he continued to say, "Please dont take this comment as if Im arrogant, because I really am not and I strive not to be." Knowing how many guys are walking around campus, with their chests puffed out because they play on a good intramural flag football team, or something like that, is appalling. Knowing where this guy comes from and the fact that he goes about his business and doesnt even wear his UCS FOOTBALL shirts is inspiring.
Further talk came to reveal he is from East County and went to West Hills, a high school that is in my high schools district. It is such a small world... even with over 6 billion people living in it.
I hope you were as amazed at this guys story as I was. I seriously am in awe. He came from the cool of the cool. I feel like football players at USC often get drafted into the NFL... but I could be wrong. His life could have been so different. He could have had anything he wanted. He could have gone to school for free. He could have a huge ego. But he didnt. And he doesnt. He is cooler than a lot of guys I know. Sure, because of what hes done, but mainly because of the decisions hes made. He gave up everything to come to little Cal Baptist, who lacks a football team, and will now be in debt, all because he wanted to serve the Lord and pursue after Him with everything he had. I dont know about you, but in my opinion, that is very humbling.