Give Me Your Eyes

I was listening to a newer song by Christian recording artist Brandon Heath titled Give Me Your Eyes. The song is amazing. Not only are the instrumentals/vocals awesome, but the message that this song conveys is one that really got me thinking.

The song speaks of God giving man His eyes to look at the world; seeing in the spirit. While this is a great spiritual lesson and challenge, I took it one step further. As I listened to the song I had a lofty revelation.

What if I were to take a step out from behind my glasses and look at the world through someone else’s eyes? What if I considered other’s more and took a hard look at the world through their perspective?

This is hard for me to do partly because I believe everyone should be like me (insert laugh). I am of course joking. I would not want everyone to be like me. But as I dig into my thoughts (which could be a scary, crazy, neurotic, disorganized, roller coaster, A.D.D.-esque journey), I began to wonder what it would be like to, as Salamanca Hiddle suggested in the book Walk Two Moons, walk two moons in someone else’s shoes. Scary to think, right?

How would the world look through a homeless person’s eyes? A prostitute or stripper? A single, low income mother? An illegal alien? The elderly? Teenagers? A college student? A CEO? A fast food worker? Mentally challenged? Unchurched? Unloved? Outcast? Abused?

The list can go on and on forever!

It’s amazing to think that if we, especially as Christians, would look at others as images of God, how much better this world would be. Now, I am not excluding myself. I stumble. I pass up opportunities to display Christ’s love. I am not always the best witness for Christ. But is anyone for that matter? No, and why? We are human just like everyone else in the world.

The Zinc Gurney

Once again I found myself at the helm of a good book that I did not finish. Because of content and apprehension, I decided to abandon ship. The book is titled The Monster of Florence; a true story of a mystery that, to this day, remains unsolved. This book is a wonderful read if you have a strong stomach. But I am not doing a book review. No. Actually, a short paragraph in this book speaks volumes to how we should be viewing others around us. As a Christian, it challenged me to see people in a little different light.

Let me set the scene for better understanding. The setting is in the Medical Examiner’s (M.E’s) morgue after a brutal murder in the olive groves of Florence, Italy. The authors of the book, Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi (who is the Florentine reporter assisting the lead author) are talking with the M.E. while he is working on a dead body:

“This one? A brilliant scholar, a distinguished professor in the Accademia della Crusca no less. But, as you can see, tonight yet another disappointment has laid me low; I have just opened the head and what do I find inside? Where is all this wisdom? Boh! Inside it looks just like the Albanian hooker I opened yesterday. Maybe the professor thinks he’s better than her! But when I open them up, I find that they’re equal! And they both have achieved the same destiny: my zinc gurney. Why, then, did he tire himself out pouring over so many books? Boh!”

What is the difference between the scholar and the hooker beside social class? Nothing! They have the same mind with the same potential. They chose different paths to take and therefore the world esteems one and defiles the other, yet they are so vastly the same and ended up in the same physical place: the zinc gurney.

So many times we look at others in disdain and pure disgust. But what’s the difference? Skin color, gender. How about we start looking at the heart? What’s on the inside? Dig into the minds of others and take and interest. Find out what they’re all about. Love others without agenda. That’s so hard for us to do as humans. I’ll admit that I don’t always succeed. In fact I pass up a lot of opportunities to walk in Christ’s love.

It’s funny how God will remind you of things through the most unexpected entities, even if it’s the metaphor of the zinc gurney.

Nature's Great Mysteries

I was reading an article the other day on CNN. This article focuses on a collider, named The Large Hadron Collider, which will hopefully recreate some of the same conditions that were present during the “big bang.” Now, being the creationist I am, I know that God created the earth in six days and on the seventh day, he rested. Here is part of what scientist are hoping to discover:

“The collider will recreate the conditions of less than a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, when there was a hot "soup" of tiny particles called quarks and gluons, to look at how the universe evolved, said John Harris, U.S. coordinator for ALICE, a detector specialized to analyze that question (www.cnn.com).”

Did you catch that? “To look at how the universe evolved.” It’s amazing to me that scientists have not been able to prove the big bang therory; mainly because it’s just a theory. This is how scientist who study the creation of the universe keep job securtity and obtain millions of dollars in grants.

I found this exerpt to be quite interesting:

‘“When Columbus sails west, he thought he was going to find something. He didn't find what he thought he was going to find, but he did find something interesting,’ said Lykken, who works on the Compact Muon Solenoid, one of six experiments inside the collider complex (www.cnn.com).”

I believe this is called a serendipity, something fortunate that’s discovered while looking for something else entirely. No folks, not just a movie starring John Cusack. This is actual scientific terminology.

Personally, I belive that scientist will find a serendipity. I believe that they will discover how magnificant God’s creation is! I belive they will discover the vast mystery of God’s great universe! That would be quite the serendipity.

Dr. Laura's Dissapointment With Sarah Palin...Excuse Me!

I am voting for Sarah Palin! Not only is she a woman, but she has proved herself as a fellow conservative. The critics say she lacks experience. She has served as a Mayor and as a Governor; much more executive experience than Obama. But I am not writing to revel in her political accomplishments.

Dr. Laura is a well know conservative. You have probably heard her on the radio or seen her on television. I like Dr. Laura. But I am outraged at her statements about Sarah Palin. As a conservative, female, public figure, Dr. Laura, in my opinion, has disgraced herself with the following statement drawn directly from her blog (http://www.drlaurablog.com/).

“I’m stunned - couldn’t the Republican Party find one competent female with adult children to run for Vice President with McCain? I realize his advisors probably didn’t want a “mature” woman, as the Democrats keep harping on his age. But really, what kind of role model is a woman whose fifth child was recently born with a serious issue, Down Syndrome, and then goes back to the job of Governor within days of the birth?”

A woman that I want as second in command of this country! She is dedicated to her family and to her role as Governor. Can you imagine what she will do in Washington! Sarah called herself a pit bull; I think she’s more comparable to a polar bear. Beautiful from afar off, but fierce at heart!

I think McCain will eventually live in the shadows of his Vice President. And, if things go the way I would hope they would go, I pray that one day, we could see a hockey mom leading this country as Commander in Chief.

Working Mothers

I applaud working mothers. I admire their devotion to, not only their careers, but to their family. It makes me so proud to live in a country where women can take front and center. I smile when I see women in leadership roles who’s confidence and power shines forth from their mere presence. When they walk into a room, you know they mean business.

I am a relatively progressive thinker when it comes to gender roles. Now understand that I am not harpooning on men. I am a man myself. Given that, I do agree that men and women can hold similar, if not the same roles. If a man wants to be a “stay-at-home-dad,” I say, more power to you brother. If a woman wants to be President or Vice President, I say, you go girl.

I was raised in a home with a working mother and father. My mother tried to be a “stay-at-home-mom,” but failed boldly. She got bored. Does this mean she didn’t care for her family? NO! My mom is the hardest working, independent, strong-willed woman I know. At five feet two inches tall, she’ll “bust you up.”

She reminds me a lot of Sarah Palin, devoted mother and Governor of Alaska and now Vice Presidential candidate. Devoted to her career as Vice President of a multi-million dollar company that her and my father started, she also cared for her family. I remember when my brother and I were young we stayed with babysitters when we were not in school. When we were old enough, if we were sick, we stayed home alone while mom and dad were working.

I believe this promoted independence and the ability to take care of ourselves at a young age. I was washing my own laundry at age 9, as was my brother. We both learned to cook at a very young age, balance a checkbook before we even had bank accounts, and both had jobs before we could drive.

So you can see my opposition to critics of the working mom. I give a big kudos to those mothers who work. I also give the same kudos to fathers who work. But I give an even bigger kudos to single mothers and fathers. There is a large amount of respect that must be given to those individuals who have no choice but to balance family and careers and have to play both mother and father but in addition play career man/woman. I give you a standing ovation!

Letter to My Younger Self

I came across a show which, given the circumstances, suggested that a certain person write a letter to their younger selves. Write a letter to yourself? It seems so illogical and useless. But, alas, I decided to give it a try, more or less to say that I actually did it. If you have not thought about doing this, I strongly suggest taking some time to do it. My fingers just kept typing. Here is the end result:

Dear Younger Self,

You think all the time about your future. As a 13 year old, you have it all together. Your family is wealthy, you attend a private school, you live in a very nice home with parents that love you, you get good grades, you never get in trouble, and you have no worries or stresses in the world. You know that you want to go to medical school and study to be a psychiatrist (odd profession for a 13 year old to strive for but, to each his own). You have your whole life planned to the second. You will graduate and complete your residency, immediately followed by marrying the ideal wife, and a couple of years later, you find yourself a father. This time in your life is so carefree and exciting.

My advice to you: prepare yourself! You see, you have a brain tumor growing in your head that, unbeknownst to you, will start effecting you in the next five years. You will go to college after your first brain surgery and end up on academic probation due to lack of studying and partying. You will change your major at least 6 times before deciding on one certain path. You will flunk out of chemistry; twice by the way, and never end up in medical school like you planned.

To put thing in another light, that future you had planned will be shot to pieces. But remember, things happen for a reason. You will get your head on straight, but it will take a swift kick in the pants to get it there.

It’s alright to stand up for you. So often you become the doormat in other people’s lives, that you completely disregard your own wants and needs. People will think you’re selfish when you begin this radical transformation, but it is much needed to maintain an adequate level of sanity.

It is alright to be yourself. You do not have to be someone different because you want to “fit in.” Fitting in is not always the right road to go down. Believe me when I say, it will hinder you and keep you from rising to your fullest potential. You will look at those more popular than you, you will long for their lives, but after a few years, find out that you are happier not being them.

You will become a pro at putting on masks. Break yourself from this. This temporary flaw will bottle up unhealthy feelings and emotions. Learn to take down masks. Learn that showing emotion is vital to your well-being.

Learn from your parents. Eventually, you will focus so much on not becoming one of them, that you actually become the other. It’s inevitable. You were blessed with two of the best parents a child could ever want. Understand that in the times you feel like you hate them and have a strong desire to disown them. You are actually learning valuable life lessons and, truthfully, developing into them. You should study your parents. They are successful, driven, fiercely independent, generous, kind-hearted, opinionated, strong, and most of all smart individuals. You should respect them more and heed to their advice.

It will be your greatest asset to learn this. If you do not get anything from this letter, get this: you will go where your eyes go! You will never be able to master driving, but you will master one thing. If your eyes stray from the road, you will end up there.

Derek.

The Best Part of Wakin' Up

Once again I find myself gripped by the peacefulness of the country; where time seems to creep by at the pace of a leisurely walk. It must be stated, to facilitate my lack of interest in waking early in the morning, that there is something to be said about sitting with a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee on a picturesque morning gleaming with a silent sunrise that can make a guy feel so settled, it’s almost unsettling.

My typical morning begins in my second floor condo in the suburbs of Lexington, just minutes from downtown. I wake to the sound of a high-pitched alarm on my Blackberry that can make dogs cringe with irritation. Many mornings start at 5:15am for a morning run lit by streetlights and lighted retail signs. Then my morning routine of showering, dressing, biblical read, followed up by my 20 minute dawning visit from Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. The rush of my morning ritual seems like 5 minutes in total, when in reality its right around an hour.

Why do I never go and sit on my balcony? Why do I never take the time to relax in the morning? It seems like an oxymoron to relax when you awake in the morning. Maybe it’s my uninteresting view of other condo buildings and the neighboring small businesses and shops. Maybe it’s my lack of interest in the morning due to my “it’s a waste of time” mentality.

Whatever the reasoning behind my lack of interest, I believe it would behoove me greatly to take the time spent relaxing in the morning. I will admit it got my day off to a fascinating start. No television, no music, no computer. Just a newspaper, a cup of coffee, a porch, and a breathtaking sunrise to make me recant the Folgers slogan in that relaxation is the “best part of wakin’ up.”

Empowerment for the Powerless

I have recently begun to volunteer for one of our regional Hippotherapy Program. Contrary to headline, this is not rehab for hippos. Hippotherapy is therapeutic riding for mentally and physically disabled individuals.

Besides the obvious, physical benefits of the therapy, I have noticed a major benefit that, I feel, surpasses all other benefits of this type of therapy. A benefit that you can see in every eye of every rider: power and control.

For respect of confidentiality, I will refer to one of the riders I work with as Dan. I started working with Dan a couple of weeks ago. For routine purposes, the program attempts to put the same volunteers with the same riders. Dan and mine’s fist encounter was our introduction to one another. I got a little of his history, where he attended school and he also introduced me to his family who were present for our therapy lesson.

The next week, I saw exactly why people enjoy volunteering their time and energy toward the Hippotherapy program. After the first class with another rider, it was now time for Dan’s class to start. As soon as Dan’s eyes strayed in my direction, I saw a finger pointed in my direction and my name streaming from his mouth.

Immediately my heart began to sink. He actually remembered who I was. I walked over to where Dan was seated on a picnic table. He got up and gave me quite an embraced hug and verified that I was going to be working with him followed up with his extreme excitement in his voice.

Power and control is felt by the riders upon mounting the horse. Many times in society, this population is looked at as powerless. But, as I saw in the eyes of Dan, he has complete control when he is on the horse. He has a sense of power that no human can give him. He builds his confidence every time he tells the horse to walk, trot, or takes the reigns to steer the horse. You can see the self-assurance flowing from the riders, and it’s in that moment, you humble yourself and realize, it’s not about your own selfish agenda to be a “good person,” but it’s about giving that sense of empowerment that, all too often, we take for granted

Diet of Champs

I’ve seen it on CNN and I’ve heard it on the radio. Michael Phelps’ diet consists of 12,000 calories per day. 12,000!!!! Now, I attempt to leave my caloric intake at 2,000 and sometimes with the hustle and bustle of certain days, I may average out at 1,500 if I’m lucky. Today, my totally caloric intake is approximately 1,150.

How does one begin to eat 12,000 calories? How much could one eat before that dreaded, dry heaving begins? How could you withstand that feeling of explosion? I have to assume that a life of eating, sleeping, and swimming can account for the sizeable amount of calories on person can ingest in a single day.

Let me start by informing readers of what exactly Michael Phelps eats on a daily basis:

Breakfast:
- Three fried-egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayonnaise
- Omelet containing five eggs
- One bowl of grits
- Three slices of French Toast with powdered sugar
- Three chocolate chip pancakes
- Two cups of coffee

Lunch:
- An entire packet of enriched pasta
- Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread
- 1,000 calories of energy drinks

Dinner:
- Another packet of enriched pasta
- An entire pizza
- 1,000 calories of energy drinks


I will start by describing, in depth, the calories in which I fulfilled today with my daily intake.

Breakfast:
- One cup of coffee
- One packet of oatmeal

Lunch:
- A flatbread panini prepare by Lean Cuisine
- A handful of low fat Wheat Thins
- A bottle of water

Dinner:
- Half a peanut butter sandwich
- A glass of merlot

I will say, Michael Phelps’ diet seems non-comparative to my personal diet. As far as I am concerned, 12,000 calories is an unreachable endeavor. I have come to the conclusion that there is no mode to which I can even begin to imagine what I would consume on a daily basis to equal 12,000 calories. But it’s assumed that if your daily activity consist of eating, sleeping, and swimming, one can afford to splurge on a, what I am deeming, a “Diet of Champs.”

An Artful Expression

I find it very interesting the ways in which we can express our creative sides; how many avenues can be traveled to articulate just that one, seemingly pointless wave of inspiration to the world around us. I saw a photograph taken by an ostensibly well known artist in his field of skill. It’s that cityscape of Seattle in that photograph that I evidently can not bring myself to critique; so awe-inspiring, I have posted this facet of artistic flair in a location by which I can stare with passion and utter amazement. I can feel that I am there. I can feel what the man behind the camera must have been feeling at that moment and in that setting. This brings me to my epiphany.

I was running in the country. It was dusk, just before the moon was visible. I decided on this run to go without the company of an ipod. I have rarely taken part in the ritual of “just you and the road” being that I reside in the city where traffic is pretty heavy. Typically I have companionship of The Afters, Ferras, John Mayer, Norah Jones, and a compilation of other popular artist. This made for a rather inspiring experience. No melodious symbol of pop culture blaring through the minuscule earphones setting a pace and the mood for my run. I am not accustomed to running in the country at dusk.

I start my run. I’m a little uneasy due to the rarity of being without my cardio cohorts. Then a sense of peace begins to manifest. Suddenly I realize that the music that I am hearing is locusts in the trees, a distant dog bark, and the sound of my shoes hitting the pavement. Stillness is all around almost as a perturbed sense of oneness. It was nice and all the while atypical for my taste.

As I am thinking about how the sky is a picturesque visual addiction to which I can’t take attention away, I am intrigued by a dark speck on the horizon next to a large reflecting pond. I get within clear viewing distance of the mysterious speck that invaded my concentration on the sky. It was a girl; a girl expressing her thoughts in an artistic manner. Aided by a sketch pad and a pencil next to the pond in the midst of overgrown grass and weeds was one of the rarest forms of artistic display I have encountered with my own eyes. It was obvious she wanted to be left alone. I thought about this scene I had encountered the rest of my mile and a half run. What must she have been thinking at that moment and in that setting? Was she seeing what I was seeing? Was she drawing something I was not aware of? Was she alleviating the stressed of her day on a sketch pad?

I’ll never know. I don’t want to know. That’s the beauty of art. One does not have to explain themselves no matter the type of artistic avenue they choose to travel. The important thing to remember is art is art. Writing, drawing, painting, photography, music, dance, it’s all art. And there is no need to question.