smiling through the wrinkles
i've said it once, and i'll say it again -- i have the best friends in the world.

thanks so much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, gave me bday licks, got me a card, made a video for me, or took part in the "surprise" party tonight. i didn't deserve all that, but if anything, i came away with a renewed appreciation of God's overflowing love for me. i truly cherish each of our friendships, and i can only pray that i will be able to live up to all the love that i felt tonight.


and thank you God for helping me keep all of my tears in. or at least for hiding the few that got squeezed out in the dark.

You are

You are the love of my life
You are the hope that i cling to
You mean more than this world to me

i wouldn't trade You for silver or gold
i wouldn't trade You for riches untold
You are, You are my everything
God, thank you for being with me these past 20 years. please continue to mold and transform me in the years to come. You will always be my everything.

thank you, God, for providing me with amazing friends..

..and thank you, friends, for being loving examples of men and women following after an amazing God.


my face is still sticky and there's still cream up my nose, but it's all good. thanks again, chums -- this is a birthday that i will never forget =)

the little things
now that i'm nearly an old geezer, i suppose i'm entitled to some self-reflection time. i've found that it's the small, simple things in life that i find the most joy.

in the past week, i've thought long and hard about the "simple" things in life that mean so much to me. no, not the friendships and relationships that i hold dear, but the daily things that i seemingly take for granted. however, i really can't imagine how dull life would be without them.

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.
- Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

first on my list would have to be smiling. over the weekend, while i was studying for my management test, i came across the phrase "emotional contagion," which means that people can "catch" one another's bad mood or displayed negative emotions. while this is true, i believe the reverse is true as well.

smiling is contagious. you should really try it sometime. seriously. try it at a j2 lunch line before you tell the person what gunk you want on your plate. try it on the stranger in the elevator instead of going up 5 floors in awkward silence while you stare at the numbers blink one by one. this stuff really works!


second would have to be laughter. honestly, i doubt i could go a day without laughing, even if there was a million bucks on the line. other than being a good ab workout and it's ability to add years to your life (is this true?), it is the best creator of long-lasting memories.

think back on this past year. what events do you remember the most? most likely, many of these events consist of long, tummy-hurting bouts of laughter, the kind where your eyes start watering, but you're laughing so hard you can't wipe your eyes because you're holding your stomach.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
- Irish Proverb

this brings me to my final item -- sleep. now who doesn't like to sleep? it's so relaxing, yet none of us seem to get enough of it. one of the best feelings in the world is going to bed at night knowing that you don't have to get up at a set time the next day. you ever sleep for 16 straight hours? you should try it sometime.

The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.
- John Zabat-Zinn

the P-word

A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you.
- C S Lewis

you guessed it -- the "P-word" is pride, mankind's number one problem. well, you know, other than OU.

being a guy, i can only offer a guy's perspective, and i must say that in my opinion, all guys struggle with pride. it's pretty much inevitable. i think it's just the way we are. well, just the way society has wired us, anyway.

i believe pride really starts to come into effect in the innocent days of elementary school. well, at least that's when i think mine did. i remember the very first time that i was PICKED FIRST to play a game of basketball. funny how it almost always comes down to sports for guys.

but i guess what it all comes down to CONFIDENCE VS. PRIDE. you know, you always hear it: "i'm not proud/cocky/arrogant, i'm just really confident!"

so when does the issue of pride most often show up? on the basketball court. the other day, justin said something that has really stuck in my mind: "if you want to see a guy's true colors, watch him play basketball."

i think, to some extent at least, this is very true. when i'm playing ball, i go into any game with the mindset that my defender can't stop me. honestly, i think that's the only way to go into a game. however, basketball is not basketball without plenty of emotion.

i used to always look mad while playing ball. call it my game face, if you will. and if i do become somewhat agitated, it's because i'm disappointed in myself. you know, with every missed layup, turnover, or bad defensive play, i beat myself up and try to step my game up a notch. i guess i'm just a perfectionist when it comes to basketball.

so where can you draw that line? i guess the best advice that i can give is the one that i always tell myself: just keep things in perspective. sure, it's okay to have some emotions out there on the court, but just don't forget that it is, in fact, just a game.

and as an extra reminder, i will leave you with this:

The North American public service campaign "Relax, it's just a game" was designed to raise awareness and promote discussion about the continuing problem posed by adults (parents, coaches and fans), who put too much pressure on young players involved in amateur hockey and other sports.


listen carefully because this may be the only time you will ever hear me say this: LISTEN TO THE CANADIANS THIS TIME.

dream job
i have had 5 tests in the last 5 school days starting on tuesday. it's been an extremely long and draining week, but now i can't think of anything more comforting than just..writing.

i've been thinking about my major/minor as of late. right now, my major is just plain old business honors, but i'm kinda gravitating toward the PPA program. however, i recently came across this quote:

Whenever it is in any way possible, every boy and girl should choose as his life work some occupation which he should like to do anyhow, even if he did not need the money.
- william lyon phelps

i'm not saying i hate accounting, but at the same time, i can't really say that i love it either. well, not yet, anyway. but if you were to ask me the one thing that i would like to do out of pure interest (other than professional sports), it would probably be journalism.

just the thought of having my own column in a newspaper or a magazine seems so exciting. i mean, it would just be like blogging, except i get paid for it too! unfortunately, i don't really have a distinct style of writing, and i'm nowhere talented enough to realistically run with the idea, but hey, i can dream, can't i?