For the past couple of Sundays, I've had to fill in for sermon portion of our Sunday youth service. I'm not particularly comfortable with speaking and it always seems like my mind goes off on some random tangent, so I'm not sure exactly how much the kids are retaining.
Fortunately for me (and probably for them as well), we've found a replacement youth pastor. He's a good friend and I'm really excited to see what the three of us (me, rick and the new guy) will be able to cook up for this upcoming year!
This is the time of year in which people make a resolution to improve their lives by dieting, exercising, or doing various other activities that will make their lives better. Usually people's resolutions fall in the following categories (categories from a website I found):
1. Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape - The battle of the proverbial "bulge" is a constant fight for Americans obsessed with weight. Americans spend $115 million on ab workout machines alone in order to attain the ultimate sign of physical health in today's obsessed and oft-deluded culture: the six-pack. However, despite the financial commitment to this supposed physical excellence, it seems that it has yet to translate over to the general population as obesity rates have doubled from 1980 to 2002, reaching the current rate of 32% of the adult population. That's alot of fat folks of which I'm sure half reside in Houston...
2. Stick to a Budget/Debt Reduction - If you're an accountant and want a bad case of insomnia, google National Debt Clock. We owe over $10 trillion as a nation! It makes you wonder, where in the heck did this money go to? I guess $10 trillion just doesn't go as far as it used to...
3. Enjoy More Quality Time with Family and Friends - I suspect that the people who make this resolution tend to be on the older side. I can't imagine some of my friends telling me, "Ya know, Josh, being awesome 24/7 at the night club scene just isn't cutting it for me anymore. I think it's time I settle down. I can just imagine it now. We'll play Cranium with other couples, watch romantic comedies, and sit down to the occasional scrumptious brunch. It'll be great!"
4. Find My Soul Mate - Matchmaking and online dating services is now a billion dollar industry. Every year, I hear people say, "<insert year> is gonna be the year I find <Mr./Mrs.> Right! I can feel it!!!" And every year, the people at e-harmony get a little richer and the optimism fairy gets a little sadder. BTW: I looked it up online and the average cost of a diamond engagement ring is $3,500 to $4,000. That's about the price of a pretty sweet plasma TV. Just sayin'...
5. Quit Smoking - While I applaud anyone who wants to make a change in their lives, it should be noted that studies have found that only 12% actually ever achieve their New Year's resolutions. That percentage is probably depressed quite a bit due to people in this category. Thanks alot, smokers. Not only are you giving us second-hand smoke cancer, but you're also depressing us with the afore-mentioned statistic! >___<
6. Find a Better Job - Someday, Lord willing, I will move up from assistant burger-flipper to cashier at McDonald's. I hear they get to wear a nifty hat...
7. Learn Something New - This can either end harmlessly with the book on how to learn French in 60 easy lessons lying unused in the corner when 2010 rolls around...or it can end quite not-so-harmlessly with the poor sap trying to serenade the crush of his life with the new "skillz" he learned playing the guitar and singing Extreme's "More Than Words"...badly...VERY badly. And no...I'm not speaking from experience. Really, I'm not. Why do you ask?
8. Volunteer and Help Others - Tip #148 on how to be world's best wingman: When your best bud says out loud to a girl, "Hey, I'm thinking of joining the Peace Corp"...it probably means that he's hitting on her. So, if you wanna earn your "wings" as wingman, it probably isn't the best time to bring up his vast collection of semi-automatic and slightly illegal automatic weaponry that he so proudly keeps. Seriously...not a good time.
9. Get Organized - I don't know why people would want to make this resolution. I mean, the floor IS the world's largest shelf, isn't it? It's MEANT to have that pile of day-old clothes on it! And if you're wondering if that shirt is safe to wear, just try Josh's Three-Sniff Test. Guaranteed to screen out the "WHOAH...what the heck was that?" from the perfectly wearable clothes...
I'm not exactly sure when I'll be getting internet back at home and so I thought I'd take this time to post some random last thoughts for the year of 2008. I don't know who reads my xanga anymore. I suspect that most who do read that don't comment are the few true remaining hardcore xanga-stalkers out there. For that...ummm...*ahem*...I commend you.
Haha...just kidding.
Anyways back to the random thoughts:
1. A transition year. There definitely was much scrambling around this past year. We've had alot of changes since the church moved into the new building. And with me going back to grad school, that was definitely a transition as well. There were some struggles in both areas for survival, but looking back on it now...I can see that it was a time of "seeding" that will hopefully bring much fruit in the year 2009. And for that, I'm very excited. I want to see a thriving church next year. I want to bring some financial stability (and independance) in my life next year. God willing...
2. Humility. It's been a "humiliating" year. It's not that it was particularly embarressing, b/c I'm not ashamed to share about my failures in life (and trust me...there are plenty of material to write about on this here blog)...but rather that I've had much to learn about true humility. Never take others for granted. Treat others as better than yourself. Respect yourself AND those around you. PRIORITIZE what is truly important to you...
3. Some things never change. I still eat as if there's no tomorrow. I still hate Mariah Carey with a passion. I love buffets. I'm still single. Dukboki is and always will be the pinnacle of human achievement (Mona Lisa? Nah. The Great Wall of China? Whatever. Dukboki? Oh yeah...that's what I'm talking about!). I still want my ten bucks back for the stupid Jackie Chan 4-pack movie package (long story). Oh yeah...and I'm still poor which I'm sure has some correlation to the previous sentence.
4. My holiday summarized. Six Flags was good. Learned lot bout guitar from friend. Guest speakers for church lined up and it was good. Seeing good ole friends was very nice. Eating wayyyy too much. Parents loved my gift (of course! ). Been watching way too much tv (House marathon is addicting!).
5. OH EM GEE!!! They're making a new Street Fighter movie, the story of Chun Li...starring Kristin Kreuk!!!
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