His message: "You look good in red." At the time, I was wearing my Target outfit, as I just came from work and was wearing a red shirt.
My message #1: "There's no excuse not to dream." Rather encouraging, I'd say.
Message #2: "If they can do it, you know you can." Few truer words have ever been spoken.
To conclude, my chocolate loves me. Does yours love you?
I was going to post Jakob Duehr 202, but I have decided to delay that blog as something else has been on my mind.
I have seen it posted on people's MySpaces and elsewhere that "Happy endings do exist." However, as I have come to think of it in my life and in the lives of others around me, I sort of believe that the term is relative. I think that one person's happy ending can be another's ultimate defeat. For instance, a wedding (or even a high school prom) can be the happy ending for the groom (guy) but the last defeat for a guy who really loved the bride/girl (and arguably was better for her).
This Wednesday on American Idol, someone will receive a happy ending in the form of the title and a recording contract. But what of those who have lost? Elliott Yamin has the vocal skills to net himself a record deal, but since he didn't win, will someone else's happy ending be his ultimate defeat?
In life, those of us who are believers in Christ find solace in the assurance that He is coming again some day to redeem us. But in that day of happy ending for us, even that marks the ultimate demise of those who did not make the choice that we did.
After thinking about this, I have concluded that I no longer wish to live for the happy endings in lives. They're too relative. Instead, I'd rather live to be The Best Jakob Money Can Buy. Endings are what they are. I can do my best at something and still lose. I can't really worry about all the end results but rather the road I took to get there.
I have come to the realization that though you might "know" me, you really don't know too much about me unless you have been in my circle of friends and confidants over the years. Therefore, I am beginning a new series of blogs to hopefully aid you in understanding me. This is the first blog in the series, titled JD 101: Introduction and Basic Information.
Personal Information
Birthdate: April 4, 1987
Hometown: Tinley Park, IL
Family: Father (Dan), Mother (Lynn), 17 year old sister (Heidi).
Educational History
Stone Church Christian Academy (1992-2001)
Tinley Park High School (2001-2005)
Olivet Nazarene University (2005-)
Work History
Super Target in Tinley Park (9/2005-current): Sales Floor Team Member
Favorites
NBA Team: Chicago Bulls
NFL Team: Seattle Seahawks
NHL Team: Ottawa Senators
MLB Teams: Chicago (AL and NL)
Movie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Color: Blue
Number: 31
Car: My 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
TV Show: American Idol
Activities
SCCA Basketball (1999-2001; MIP given in 2001)
Drama Team at Palos Bible Church (2001-2003); part of IFCA National Champion team in 2002
Class Officer (2002-2005)
NHS (2003-2005)
Newspaper (2003-2005)
Black belt in tae kwon do from 21st Century Martial Arts (1995-1998)
Piano player (1992-1998; still occasionally plays)
Well, that's just intro level stuff. Check out upcoming blogs to dig deeper into me.
Hey, it's that time again. I actually have a great deal on my mind, so if you'll bear with me, I hope it will be thought provoking.
Well, to start it off, there have been a couple of phrases that have been stuck in my head as of late. The first is "Optimal is imminent," more commonly stated as "The best is yet to come." I hear people saying that all the time, and I began to think if it was true or not. In my own life, in looking back to 2000 and 2003 (and to a lesser extent, 2004), I began to wonder if my best was behind me. In looking in the mirror, certainly my physique has seen better days. Or what if I am currently seeing the best days that I'll ever see? I was left pondering this for a couple days until I reached a conclusion.
These thoughts drew me to one conclusion: the best is behind us; the best is with us; and the best is ahead of us. I believe all our steps have been ordained before our time so that each day we are living in the optimal situation for our lives in our personal development. What, then, of the saying "The best is yet to come"? I came to this conclusion: I do not think that the statement fully grasps what people's true desires are. When they are making that statement, they are holding out hope that the "most appealing" is imminent in their lives. However, I do not believe that the "most appealing" is the best. There are trials in our lives that we must face in order to become the people whom we are called to be. Therefore, we have lived our best days, are currently living them, and will continue to live them until our time on earth is complete.
The second statement was actually a statement I made in an instant message conversation: "In due time, I'll take what's mine." I have actually received many questions about that phrase in the last week that I have used it as my away message. I have come to the conclusion that there are times in life that we need to be proactive in achieving our desires. However, I believe in such a thing as appropriate proactivity. Not all our desires can be or should be fulfilled immediately. There are externalities that should be taken into consideration before we act upon our own desires, because sometimes what we feel to be best for ourselves can cause undue harm or pain to another. I believe that our desires should be considered thoughtfully and prayerfully, then we should move when the time is right. Just like anyone else, I have desires for myself and for my life, and I know to fulfill these desires I need to be proactive. However, it's not the due time. When it is the due time, you can be sure I'll do what I can to take what I hope to be mine.
Well, that's been what I've had on my mind as of late. I hope I provoked thoughts within you and that it was a relatively interesting read.
