Just Live Your Life

I really appreciate everyone keeping me in your thoughts and friends constantly giving me encouragement, but this week something seemed to bother me a great deal. Over and over again I have been thinking of the work that I'm doing and continue to ask myself what makes me different? What makes me special? To answer this question as plain and directly as possible I will have to say nothing. I'm a pretty flawed individual who at one point or another will show himself to be. I don't have any extra-ordinary talent and I really don't feel like I have one thing that I'm destined to do professionally. I'm just living my life and sharing it with others. Getting to know people and just telling them about the most important thing in my life. I say that because this past week followed the same theme.

Well this past week I was spending time getting to know my new area of living and I went to get something to eat. I hadn't met anyone in this area but I was really hungry so I decided to go to Kabab Manor. When I was in line I met two guys who were curious about were I was from. We talked and that led to eating dinner with them and getting to know them. I got to find out there background and tell them about myself, and what is important to me. I was pretty awesome to meet random people then become friends over dinner.

Saturday was pretty amazing too. First, I met some friends at the mall and went bowling. Since I love bowling and am pretty good at it (thanks to bowling classes at UTA...holla) I figured that I'd kick butt. That day I got a piece of humble pie, (I been getting that a lot lately) and got my lowest score in the past two years with a 108. To make matters worst I got a 102 on the next game. After that humiliating feat, I ate at Taco Bell, then went with my buddy to the music store to look a guitars. We had fun playing and trying out all the new instruments and annoying the Store clerk who asked if we were looking to buy anything. That doesn't change anywhere you go.

As I was attempting to teach my buddy how to play "Cannons", a young boy came in the room. He ask me where I was from and then he and his sister ask me to play a song for them. So I played "Cannons" for them an suddenly it became an impromptu concert with a crowd gathering. Just to see the joy in his eyes really got to me and just being able to tell him why I sung that song to my Father really got to me. He then thanked me and left. After we left the mall I prepared my message for Sunday morning and went to the coffee shop.

Nothing eventful happen, but on the way home a bike (motorcycle) zoomed past me as I tried to get past an alley way. The biker then stopped me an said, "You can't go that way, It's blocked." He then asked me where I'm from and we began chatting. I offered to give me a ride on his bike home so we went. (Brenda & Mom don't kill me.) After that we chatted for a few more minutes exchanged numbers and hopefully we can meet up for dinner and share.

This part is an encouragement and a challenge for friends back home. We eat all the time but we rarely pay attention to people around us. We rarely try and meet new people or learn about new surroundings because we get comfortable. We go to the mall and have fun with friends. We play music and we get coffee at Starbucks or you favorite local shops. These are all common practices that we do, yet we get in a protective shell once we're out of our element.

How many people have met someone from a different country. How many have talked to those same people able something more that passing conversation? How many of you have a "true friendship" with them? It's a hard question, but as I'm a foreigner here so are so many back in the States. I challenge you to get to know people, welcome them and love on them and you'll be surprised at who is drawn to you.

South Asia is truly a unique place with so many different beliefs, costumes and values and truly I've learn that to drawn people to you it's not so much what you say but how you live. People are naturally drawn to Americans. They're different and live there life differently. They see American movies, television, music videos and WWE and assume that all Americans are like that. Americans are also see as people too worried about themselves to care about others. By actually loving people and getting in the culture they see the difference. Seeing is believing and if you live you life the way Father meant for us to live, you will draw people to see his heart. And that is universal!