greatness is in the eye of the beholder

What does it mean to be great? to some, it is to win a noble peace prize, an olympic medal or an oscar. to some, it is to be the CEO of a giant corporation or perhaps the leader of a nation. But cannot even the person with the simplest life be considered great. what about that mom who drives her son to football practice every afternoon? or the father who looks his daughter in the eye and says, "yes, you are beautiful. don't let any boy tell you otherwise." What about that person who stands behind a table passing out blankets and food to the homeless? we may never know their names. we may never see their faces, but they are great just the same. greatness is not found in our achievements, but in the lives of the people that we serve and inspire along the way. It is found in the struggle. If, at the end of my life, i may look back and say, " i served my family, my nation, and my world in the best way i knew how," then yes, my life will have been great.

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the  most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." ~ Olympic Creed

"But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  ~Mark 10:44-45

just stop and think

Just Stop and Think

**Scott Ayres** | MySpace Video

snow-the stuff lives are made of

My world has become a snowglobe. flakes drop and swirl outside, changing the once grey streets of oakland into a world of white. Some find this annoying. many have used the expressions of "gross, i HATE snow!" and the like. but as it is 11 pm and i have no place to be, i find this sudden deluge quite enjoyable. i mean, there are boys snowboarding down my street. that in and of itself puts a smile on my face. but as i was walking home this evening, i watched as God decorated the trees, cars and homes of my friends and stood in glee, taking in the beauty of the sparking dust. The most wonderful thing about a blizzard? the whole world gets kinda quiet. you can sit and look, and for a few brief moments, my life is simple. The air smells fresh, like rain, and every problem just goes away. i can pretend like i'm six-years-old and play in the snow. in fact, tomorrow i think i will do just that. i will pull on my parka, and camp out in the park, building snowmen and making snow angels. those are the moments the lives are made of. twenty years from now, i wont look back at january of '10 and think about that test i had to study for, or that monologue i had to work on. what i will remember is that day when my friends and i built a fort and had an epic snow ball fight. i will remember coming home, making hot chocolate and watching girl movies. yes, those are the moments that my life will be made of.