My physical life is pretty good right now. Exams were last week (I did ok on them. There's room for improvement and motivation). This week is just problem-based learning stuff so it's pretty relaxed. Regular classes start up against this coming week so I thought I would make a significant post (most of my posts have to deal with my thoughts, not what's actually going on in my life) before things got busy again. So here's what's been going on for the past couple weeks:
- we had class elections. And for some reason, I felt compelled to actually run for a position. VP of Notes. We have a notes system that is student-run. There are 2 VPs. I got the position. It doesn't look good on a CV and it's a position that probably gets the most flack. Why did I run for it? God help me cause I don't know why...
- My mom surprised me and came early last week for moral support (she heard I was sick for the second time and her motherly instinct couldn't take it any longer even though I was better by the time she got there), to cook, to clean, and do whatever else I needed her to do. It was actually very nice to have a person to come home to...and i was able to study at home as well (I had been studying at the med school library with my friends usually).
- There were a lot of parties going on after the exams were finished. I didn't go to a single one...mostly because of fear. Shyness is a manifestation of fear...that's my conclusion.
- This past Saturday (after exams were over), I went with a group of med students (M1-M4) to help clean up one of the biggest African-American cemeteries in Memphis. Many civil rights leaders (ex: Ida B. Wells) are buried there but the cemetery has fallen into disrepair over the years for a number of reasons. I got to use a machete for the first time. For 2 hours. I was so sore the next day, I couldn't laugh without hurting. It felt good =).
- I have a Mormon classmate. His name is Jared. He's married and he once did missions in New York among the cantonese population there so he speaks cantonese. He likes to pick on me and I don't quite understand his humor...he's an interesting character and a quandary to me.
- The greatest thing I learned during the week of exams: Google text. Did you know that you could text message google (466453) with the name of a place, the city, and the state (or the place and just the zip code) and they will text you back (within 5 sec, I promise) with the address and the phone number (and you can call that number directly from the text message...kinda like a link). A friend over here exposed us all to it and it's SWEET!!! If the location is a chain with multiple locations, it sends you at least 2 text messages back with some of the locations. You can also get movie times for a specific movie by texting the movie name along with the city and state or moviename with the zip code. How freakin' AWESOME is THAT?!?! Maybe I'm a late bloomer and was late to catch on to this new thing...if I am, then I'm sorry for wasting so much space with my geezer-ness =P.
- I am currently reading Randy Pausch's book The Last Lecture (It's got everything he said in his last lecture and more). I picked this book up on a whim at a Fed Ex of all places (I had to mail some stuff this week ;)) and it couldn't have been better timing for me. He was truly a very inspirational man...
My thought life:
- As I was searching for that C.S. Lewis quote for one of my previous blog posts, I came across a blog that was written by a young Mormon who struggled with same-sex attraction. I was greatly intrigued and after reading a couple of entries, I came to the conclusion that he was probably born with that attraction. And I also came to the conclusion (after reading additional sources) that the LDS church also thinks homosexuality is a sin just like premarital heterosexual activity is a sin. It was interesting to read the blog because if you weren't paying attention, you would have thought a Christian wrote it...
- Often, when my friends are feeling down, discouraged, going through something, etc, my first instinct/response is to try and think of a bible verse that is encouraging or to try to come up with some "words of wisdom" for them. I have been recently convicted, however. To pray before I speak. Not just think about them or about my words before I speak (because I have been doing that...but not the right kind of thinking)...Not to pray about what I am to say either. Rather, I should pray for my friends before I speak. And if I do speak, it will be after I have prayed for them and their requests...that puts my heart in a position of humility and service. I do not have anything to offer...it is Him who sits on the throne, who does.
- Submission is a LOVE word before it is an authority word.
No comments:
Post a Comment