I had this brilliant idea today for an incredibly witty, humorous post about writing a resume for all the single ladies to look at and see if it's a match made in heaven. I've decided though, I might need a few more weeks to bring myself to it. Eventually though. But here is a little food for thought to think about the next couple days. First off, how many minutes are in a day? In a week? In a year? 1,440 minutes in a day, 10,080 minutes in a week, and 524,160 minutes in an entire year!!! I understand that our lives are packed with appointments, dates, and deadlines. I'm in college. Trust me, I know. I'm going to post this 15 minute video for anyone to watch. I ask that if you are not ultra-religious that you will still take 15 minutes out of the 1,440 each day gives you to watch. If it pleases you than watch it for intellectual reasons. With these simple 15 minutes, you can see the true meaning behind Christianity. The real picture of what the church should be like. Not the image that culture creates for the Church. I really hope that you'll spend the simple 15 minutes it will take to watch a video that could possibly change a life, or at least educate you on the "real" meaning of Christianity. Enjoy.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Smokin' Textbooks
As I walk up to the second story of Village-F, the bitter wind crawls in between the frames of my glasses, as if seeking for an open pour on my exposed face to attack with its harsh reality that summer is months away. I firmly squint my eyes and tighten my skin. The naturally formed smile does not reverberate the tossing emotions on the inside. The thought of the substantial amount of Chemistry homework that needs to be finished overbears my normal sense of peace and spunk. But Chemistry can only be completed after I read 2 required chapters from my Biology book. Come on Dr. Marley, why do you purposefully make your lectures not based from book material so that we will be required to read to succeed on our exams? But the thought of the immense school work isn't the only war raging on. The continual absence of sleep intoxicates my functionless brain to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. "Could this day get any better?", I sarcastically question myself.
I fumble around in my pocket for a few moments trying to grab the keys to let me in my dorm. I'm unfortunately reminded that arctic gusts can inversely affect one's patience. I finally find the right key to let me in from my bitter enemy. I'm relieved to be met by the loving warm heater of my minute, cramped dorm room. The 600 thread count sheets scream piercing requests for me to lie down and sleep, but the devil's temptation must be avoided. There is too much to do with too little time. No thank you. I sit down at my desk and for the first time, pull out my green covered, 20 pound "Biology. 4th edition" text book that I rented from Chegg. This textbook that tormented a helpless college soul just weeks before was now staring me in the face with disregard of my feelings. She threatens me that if I do not read her than I will never obtain my goals in life. I start to build up motivation after 45 seconds of silent glaring at my new nemesis. Now I must open the first page and start my long endeavor. As I flip open the tattered cover I am met with a gargantuan surprise. A dramatic surprise. A near death unexpected situation...
With the opening of the cover the smell of overpowering cigarette smoke burns the hairs of my nostrils killing thousands of cells along the way as it makes its path through my entire respiratory system. I frantically shut the cover to catch my escaped breath. My only conclusion is that the last student who rented this text book must have found a great use for an ash tray holder. I refute the thought that maybe God is sending me a sign to already change my major. I must read this book to pass. So I do the only plausible option: grab my expensive cologne bottle. The nasty stench of smoke is defeated by American Eagle's True cologne. Every handful of pages are sprayed. Now my mission is complete. Now I can finally start to read this book. Wait.... My favorite show just came on... Maybe later : )
I fumble around in my pocket for a few moments trying to grab the keys to let me in my dorm. I'm unfortunately reminded that arctic gusts can inversely affect one's patience. I finally find the right key to let me in from my bitter enemy. I'm relieved to be met by the loving warm heater of my minute, cramped dorm room. The 600 thread count sheets scream piercing requests for me to lie down and sleep, but the devil's temptation must be avoided. There is too much to do with too little time. No thank you. I sit down at my desk and for the first time, pull out my green covered, 20 pound "Biology. 4th edition" text book that I rented from Chegg. This textbook that tormented a helpless college soul just weeks before was now staring me in the face with disregard of my feelings. She threatens me that if I do not read her than I will never obtain my goals in life. I start to build up motivation after 45 seconds of silent glaring at my new nemesis. Now I must open the first page and start my long endeavor. As I flip open the tattered cover I am met with a gargantuan surprise. A dramatic surprise. A near death unexpected situation...
With the opening of the cover the smell of overpowering cigarette smoke burns the hairs of my nostrils killing thousands of cells along the way as it makes its path through my entire respiratory system. I frantically shut the cover to catch my escaped breath. My only conclusion is that the last student who rented this text book must have found a great use for an ash tray holder. I refute the thought that maybe God is sending me a sign to already change my major. I must read this book to pass. So I do the only plausible option: grab my expensive cologne bottle. The nasty stench of smoke is defeated by American Eagle's True cologne. Every handful of pages are sprayed. Now my mission is complete. Now I can finally start to read this book. Wait.... My favorite show just came on... Maybe later : )
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Last Name Greatness
Sometimes we live our everyday lives without a single thought given to the legacy that we're going to leave behind. In most cases, the only time we reflect on our lives is the moment after avoiding a major car accident or while sitting in a pew at a funeral for a family member or friend. We often think, "If my life ended today, what would people think of me? Has my life made an impact on anyone? What will I be remembered for? What defines my short time here on earth?"
If you're like me, than these questions are usually met with disappointment. I usually get down on myself because I know that in my short 20 years of existence I haven't made the impact that my mind dreams of. I often have to remind myself that my circumstance or situation can't be used as an excuse to not make a difference. I can't tell myself I'm too young or too busy. I can't tell myself, "Well Stephen, you'll make a difference once you're finished with school. That will be your time to shine." But we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. The time to stand up is today. Right now.
What is that you want to be remembered by? “Oh man, when that girl was alive she had more friends than anyone I knew.”, “Man, that guy dedicated his entire life to making money. He sure accomplished his goal.”, “That woman only cared about what she looked like. It’s fitting she died before she got old.”, “That guy worked 60 hours a week. He built that company from the ground. It’s too bad he didn’t have any family at his funeral.” Is this what you want people to remember you by? Or something else? You decide. What imprint on this earth are you going to leave?
I have been given the privilege to call myself "Cliff". A last name that has impacted Oklahoma, Texas, Japan, Germany, and many other places. It's a name that honorably fought in WWII and the Korean War. A name that has ventured into new territories to establish new life and bloodlines. It's a name that has branched out into many professions to change the world in different ways. It’s served the military, the ministry, insurance, education, law, medicine, and technology. Almost any area in life you can find a Cliff making an impact. "Cliff" is correlated to hard working individuals who are known to never give up. "Cliff", to me, is a name to live up to. Shoes to fill. God has given us our last names with the benefit to set the standard. It's up to us how people will remember us. It doesn't matter what people may say about us, it is always up to us to defend our name. Many years from now, we will all pass away to another place and one of the only things left behind will be our gravestone. And what is the largest engraving on a tombstone? Our name. In 100 years, when people walk by our graves they will not be able to view a replay of our entire lives, but they will be able to see the one thing we leave behind: Our name. I’m ready to raise the bar. Ready to pick up my slack and change the world. So now it's up to you. Men: What legacy are you leaving your children with? What is your last name going to be remembered for? It's up to you. Women: Whose last name are you going to take on as your own? In this rare event, you get to choose your last name. Choose wisely. It can be life defining.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost
If you're like me, than these questions are usually met with disappointment. I usually get down on myself because I know that in my short 20 years of existence I haven't made the impact that my mind dreams of. I often have to remind myself that my circumstance or situation can't be used as an excuse to not make a difference. I can't tell myself I'm too young or too busy. I can't tell myself, "Well Stephen, you'll make a difference once you're finished with school. That will be your time to shine." But we are never guaranteed a tomorrow. The time to stand up is today. Right now.
What is that you want to be remembered by? “Oh man, when that girl was alive she had more friends than anyone I knew.”, “Man, that guy dedicated his entire life to making money. He sure accomplished his goal.”, “That woman only cared about what she looked like. It’s fitting she died before she got old.”, “That guy worked 60 hours a week. He built that company from the ground. It’s too bad he didn’t have any family at his funeral.” Is this what you want people to remember you by? Or something else? You decide. What imprint on this earth are you going to leave?
I have been given the privilege to call myself "Cliff". A last name that has impacted Oklahoma, Texas, Japan, Germany, and many other places. It's a name that honorably fought in WWII and the Korean War. A name that has ventured into new territories to establish new life and bloodlines. It's a name that has branched out into many professions to change the world in different ways. It’s served the military, the ministry, insurance, education, law, medicine, and technology. Almost any area in life you can find a Cliff making an impact. "Cliff" is correlated to hard working individuals who are known to never give up. "Cliff", to me, is a name to live up to. Shoes to fill. God has given us our last names with the benefit to set the standard. It's up to us how people will remember us. It doesn't matter what people may say about us, it is always up to us to defend our name. Many years from now, we will all pass away to another place and one of the only things left behind will be our gravestone. And what is the largest engraving on a tombstone? Our name. In 100 years, when people walk by our graves they will not be able to view a replay of our entire lives, but they will be able to see the one thing we leave behind: Our name. I’m ready to raise the bar. Ready to pick up my slack and change the world. So now it's up to you. Men: What legacy are you leaving your children with? What is your last name going to be remembered for? It's up to you. Women: Whose last name are you going to take on as your own? In this rare event, you get to choose your last name. Choose wisely. It can be life defining.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Spring Semester 2010
Well here we go again. Wasn't it just yesterday when I was begging for a much needed break? Yeah, I thought so too. Maybe working every day of my "break" contributed to it flying by. Who knows? What I do know is that tomorrow I start my journey towards my new future. New professors to deal with, new textbooks to buy, and probably new classmates to tutor... Well that isn't very optimistic way to start the year... New professors to gain valuable knowledge and insight from, new textbooks to thoroughly read for enjoyment and of course many new people to befriend! Difficultly wise, this semester will be my most challenging yet. But I'm much more motivated to destroy this semester, as opposed to just make it out a live (last semester). So here’s a run down on what will be keeping me extremely busy for the next several months:
Managerial Accounting: From what I hear this class is the easier of the two basic Accounting classes given at OSU. Very good news. The text book was written by the professor, which means I'll probably have to read it in detail to do well on exams. Yes, that was just an example of a college kid using reasoning and foresight : )
Macro Economics: Oh boy... I'm sure half of my semester will be listening to exactly why the American economy is in the situation that it is in. I'm sure I'll hear "exactly" how to fix it too. A wise friend told me once to never listen to a poor econ teacher tell you how to be rich. If these Econ professors have so many answers... then why are things not getting better? Class wise, I project it to be easier that the rest. Woohoo!
Marketing: I'm not sure what to think about this class yet. First off, it's the earliest class I've taken in 2 years... 9:00 am. Yes I understand all you working people thinking, "Oh please, that is NOT that early Stephen". When I'm home working, I totally agree. But have you ever tried to wake up that early on a college campus? That's what I thought. Morning starts about 10:00am in college. Anything before that is considered cruel and unworthy. My professor is considered by most to be the "grandpa professor" in the school of business. He's elderly and spends most of his class time telling interesting stories. Only crazy thing is he includes details from the stories on the exams... Very weird. It's a 400 point upper level class, similar to my Management class last semester. (If you're still wondering, yes I'm still very bitter of my 89.75% that was rounded to a B. Jerk.) I'm out for revenge...
Biology: Widely known as THE weed out class at Oklahoma State University. Of all the friends I know who have taken the course, I think maybe 4 have passed and over 15 have failed. The labs are 3 hours long and include 10 page post-lab reports due at the end of the week. But the professors name is "Marley", leaves me with good omen that maybe this guy could remotely be a cool science professor. I mean... he's named after the chillest guy to ever walk the earth....
Chemistry: Here’s the homerun. This class WILL be the most difficult course of the year for me. I've read multiple sights and heard from many students that the professor is an "evil man". Multiple people have referred to him in quotes as "the devil". I laughed at first, but after hearing the explanation now I am kind of cringing. This man’s common nickname stems from the fact that he makes his classes worth 666 points. He also requires that the class average on the exams be BETWEEN a 30%-50%. I've heard he gives one homework problem a week that even the chem tutors (PhD students) have difficulty solving. Unfortunately, He is the only professor who teaches this course. So I can't just switch out of it. Here goes...
Welcome back to college Stephen.
This is completely unrelated, but it got a laugh out of me. Enjoy : )
Managerial Accounting: From what I hear this class is the easier of the two basic Accounting classes given at OSU. Very good news. The text book was written by the professor, which means I'll probably have to read it in detail to do well on exams. Yes, that was just an example of a college kid using reasoning and foresight : )
Macro Economics: Oh boy... I'm sure half of my semester will be listening to exactly why the American economy is in the situation that it is in. I'm sure I'll hear "exactly" how to fix it too. A wise friend told me once to never listen to a poor econ teacher tell you how to be rich. If these Econ professors have so many answers... then why are things not getting better? Class wise, I project it to be easier that the rest. Woohoo!
Marketing: I'm not sure what to think about this class yet. First off, it's the earliest class I've taken in 2 years... 9:00 am. Yes I understand all you working people thinking, "Oh please, that is NOT that early Stephen". When I'm home working, I totally agree. But have you ever tried to wake up that early on a college campus? That's what I thought. Morning starts about 10:00am in college. Anything before that is considered cruel and unworthy. My professor is considered by most to be the "grandpa professor" in the school of business. He's elderly and spends most of his class time telling interesting stories. Only crazy thing is he includes details from the stories on the exams... Very weird. It's a 400 point upper level class, similar to my Management class last semester. (If you're still wondering, yes I'm still very bitter of my 89.75% that was rounded to a B. Jerk.) I'm out for revenge...
Biology: Widely known as THE weed out class at Oklahoma State University. Of all the friends I know who have taken the course, I think maybe 4 have passed and over 15 have failed. The labs are 3 hours long and include 10 page post-lab reports due at the end of the week. But the professors name is "Marley", leaves me with good omen that maybe this guy could remotely be a cool science professor. I mean... he's named after the chillest guy to ever walk the earth....
Chemistry: Here’s the homerun. This class WILL be the most difficult course of the year for me. I've read multiple sights and heard from many students that the professor is an "evil man". Multiple people have referred to him in quotes as "the devil". I laughed at first, but after hearing the explanation now I am kind of cringing. This man’s common nickname stems from the fact that he makes his classes worth 666 points. He also requires that the class average on the exams be BETWEEN a 30%-50%. I've heard he gives one homework problem a week that even the chem tutors (PhD students) have difficulty solving. Unfortunately, He is the only professor who teaches this course. So I can't just switch out of it. Here goes...
Welcome back to college Stephen.
This is completely unrelated, but it got a laugh out of me. Enjoy : )
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