It just makes me angry how Republicans demonize democrats, like they are demonic. We need to stop looking at parties and see each other as Americans. I mean don’t get me wrong, Democrats mud-sling also, but in a more discreet fashion (just as bad). Because I maintain that both parties are essentially the same, looking out for the best interest of rich politicians. Whether it was George Bush in office bailing out the car industries or President Obama bailing out wall street. When it all comes done to things, the Republicans and the Democrats only care about their fat wallets and I sincerely think a lot of their disagreements are for show in order to distract us from the thievery they are participating in!
I wish my battery was charged on my good camera, but unfortunately I just had my Nexus One. I guess the photos are decent for a camera phone. Anyways I am not here to tell you how to vote, I believe that’s something that is left for YOU to figure out. But I will tell you not to buy all the news media or every politician. We have a country run by special interests; including foreign nationals, corrupt businessmen, and people who only care about destroying our freedoms. I just want you to think for yourself and be informed. Look outside the US for news, because FOX is overly bias for the Republican party and CNN is apparently in favor of Democrats. Listen to an outside voice (like the BBC) or listen to both Fox and CNN to make a balanced judgement. Anyways make sure to go out and vote! The Presidential elections are right around the corner (November 2012) and here in Fayetteville, early voting is opened now and the official day is May 8th for primaries! Go out and be a responsible citizen!

Abdou, Peju and I

Karen and I

Peju and Karen

Abdou Eating Cake

I am including a link to the rest of the photos that were taken at today’s ceremony. This link is for Peju, since your battery died! I wish my photos would have came out better, but as I said previously, I think its time for me to get a new camera! Album Link

The disappointing thing was that this was not really Hawaiian coffee… It has a very misleading name for a Japanese company. Though I thought it was pretty funny, lame humor I know. But perhaps Japan is claiming Hawaii like they are claiming Dokdo?! Too soon? Aww I love you Japan! (^o^)v

United Nations Conference Second Committee at the NCCIIE 2012 Conference in Greensboro North Carolina. It was definitely a pleasure serving with them.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was the country I was assigned with and even though I have nothing against the people of North Korea, the government really is a difficult country to represent. Though the country was extremely difficult to obtain allies with, it was still fun pretending to be the DPRK. The main event that caused my proposal and resolution to be ignored is because of the recent attempt of the North in launching a “satellite”. I am not sure whether it is a rocket, a missile or a satellite, but I can honestly say now that I am not representing the DPRK, that I am extremely unease about the North’s blatant defiance against UN regulations. I plan on posting plenty of more photos from the conference, but right now I am running on close to 5 hours of sleep within a two day period. I will definitely be posting more photographs later though!

This is my friend Peju, she is from Nigeria. Peju and I met through the International Education Center and she is teaching at FSU as a Fulbright Scholar. We have had many stimulating conversations and she has ministered to me probably more than she has realized.

The Martial Arts portion of the event was interesting. Some of the martial arts students came to perform, showing off the various different styles of kung fu, karate, etc.

This is Abdou who is a Fulbright Scholar from Morocco. Even though him and I are still acquaintances, he is still a really nice guy to speak with. I am currently taking a Ministry to Muslims class at Grace College of Divinity and Abduo has actually helped me understand bits of the Quran.

This booth is by my new friend Karen. I also met her through the International Education department and we may have the chance to hang out in Shanghai over the summer. I really loved her Qipao and I wish I was able to take a better picture of her beautiful dress. 我想她的旗袍很美！I wish more Chinese women wore those dresses.

This last picture is from my favorite event, the luncheon that featured various different international cuisines. There was food from Nigeria, India, Spain, Germany, the US and Jamaica. Needless to say free food, especially international food was definitely a good excuse to come to this event.

Two Basic Kinds of Callings God Has For All of Us.
God’s Collective Calling for Mankind
God’s Individual Calling for You

God’s Collective Calling Consists of

First Collective Calling on Our Lives
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

A couple of verses before this one in Genesis says that God created man in His image! So what is God really saying when it says “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”? God is telling us to get married have children, but not just that, there is something even more important here. God said we are created in His image, He is commanding us to take His image throughout the earth! He is asking us to multiply His image throughout the earth!

Second Collective Calling on Our Lives
25Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
26He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
27He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
28“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.” MSG Luke 10:27

This foolish man eventually tries to trip Jesus up by asking who exactly is my neighbor? Jesus then tells the story of the Good Samaritan. But this is not what I want you to focus on right now. The man did answer correctly in that we should love the Lord with all our soul, heart and might. God’s second collective calling on our lives is to worship and love Him with all our might.

Third and Last Collective Calling on All of Mankind
The Great Commission- some of the last words of Jesus- VERY IMPORTANT

 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them int the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ESV Matt 28:19

This is the opportunity that God gave us to redeem ourselves for messing up the first collective calling He gave us. You see we broke a covenant with God in the garden and handed over our authority to satan. This is God saying that our relationship with Him is broken, but we need to take His image to the ends of the earth! Instead of it being an easy process, now we have to really work hard and trust deeper on the Spirit to work on those individuals God is calling us to minister with.

Individual Calling
1. Finding/Knowing God’s Calling
2. Preparing for God’s Calling
3. Fulfilling God’s Calling

God doesn’t do this out of order. He always begins with a passion and helps confirms that passion or goal. We cannot fulfill or prepare for God’s calling on our lives if we haven’t started on the first two steps. This is a continual process, they build on one another.

The other issue is that this calling is much more personalized and geared more to you as an individual. The Individual Calling on your life is much more difficult to define.

The world is trying to Influence you to be someone else who God doesn’t want you to be,
Example- Lady Gaga (I Was Born This Way), Katy Perry ( I Kissed A Girl), Pussycat Dolls (When I Grow Up), David Guetta (Sexy Chick)

Finding/ Knowing God’s Calling for You!

God already knows your calling, just like He knew you before your born.
In order for us to know what is our calling we need to trust in God, talk with Him about it and read His Word. God has told us that He will answer our cries.

So ASK Him!!!!

Matthew 7:7
7 ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Talk about if these kids do not have the initiative to work at their dreams and trust In God, then they may not realize their dreams or God’s calling on their lives.

It’s okay if you don’t yet know your calling, just remember that you need to start asking God.

Preparing God’s Calling

Noah Ark

Preparing for God’s calling is not going to be an easier thing. It may take a while. Just like Noah and the ark. Once you know God’s calling on your life, you cannot simply fool around all the time because once that day comes, you will need to be ready.

So if God is calling you to be a doctor, STUDY! There is no way your going to be accepted into med school if your grades don’t reflect it. If God is calling you to be a missionary to Nigeria or Kenya and you cannot speak Yoruba or Swahili, then how are you going to properly reach the natives of those countries? We have to begin to prepare for God’s calling on our lives.

Fulfilling God’s Calling

C.S. Lewis
Rachel Scott
Billy Graham
Jacky Pullinger

So why did I list these four names? We need to constantly look over our lives to see if we are acting to fulfill God’s calling or what we think is our calling. We live in a busy world and it is easy to get sidetracked.

 ”For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:43

Jacky Pullinger began to doubt the reason God called her to Hong Kong. God’s calling on our life is not always going to be easy. Sometimes we are going to have to strive and work hard for it. God’s hand will definitely be in it, but we still have to have the initiative. Jacky Pullinger began to reevaluate her life and God’s Word. She came to the conclusion that she was not showing God’s example in a realistic way. Once she did this, her ministry began to flourish throughout the Walled City.

Pray for God to incorporate this simply plan more into your plan, including my own life.

God was definitely working throughout this message, because I referred to my notes twice. Most of the sermon is kind of a blur, but I could definitely feel God’s presence there with us. My prayer for those of you who are reading this is that God will reveal Himself and His plan to you. Remember to seek after His response diligently and He will answer you! God bless you all!!!

Some people go to Cancun for their Spring Break, I on the other hand substitute teach at my old high school! I really need to get out of Fayetteville! I am actually only joking, I have been having a blast here substitute teaching and today has been pretty fulfilling. I think at first it was a little difficult substitute teaching at my old high school because most of the students here still remember me back when I either graduate in 2007 or I spend time with in the youth group. I thought it was going to be easier because the students knew me, but I think it took them a little bit to see me other than a friend. The students are beginning to see me more as a teacher, while maintaining their friendship with me. The only difference is they are classifying our friendship differently I think now. This different classification is not terrible or anything, but I am sensing more respect. The kind of respect I remember showing my teachers back when I was here.

These past few weeks of substituting have definitely confirmed the calling I have on my life about teaching. I am excited to start my student teaching in the fall and once I finish this part in my collegiate studies, I will obtain my license to teach FULL TIME! After I graduate I probably will stay here until May of 2013 and work off some of the debt I have collected throughout my college years. Thankfully a couple of months with pulling the belt tighter will definitely pay off these debts. During the summer of 2013, I have plans to travel to either Hong Kong, South Korea or Japan. More than likely I will end up in Hong Kong because I feel a strong pull there, as well as a feeling of HK being my second home. Well I know this post is more serious, but I just wanted to say how much I have been enjoying this opportunity to work with my future profession, up and downs included. 

The second flag I thought was interesting is the photo above, it is from the country of Dominica. I thought that a parrot was an interesting bird to use for one’s flag. I also thought it is cute how this parrot is portrayed as a cartoony kind of parrot.

The next flag is from the country of Martinique, which is apparently founded around the Galapagos Islands and is French territory. I really hate snakes and I think most countries portray snakes as deceptive/ evil creatures. I thought it was interesting that of all the beautiful animals in the world, why would you chose a SNAKE?!
I thought it was weird how people were present on this flag and two people with what appears to be weapons. Apparently the country of Belize chose this image as a reminder of the oppression they encounter under the British.

This project of organizing and labeling flags was very interesting and I learned a lot about the different countries in the process! If anyone has some flags that they think are interesting, please leave a comment describing it!

This is the one I purchased

Wearable Technology

Technology has always been a hug interest of mine and even though I am not as big a geek as I once was, I still appreciate unique things. Most of my gadgets are not microUSB compatible, but once I saw the iPod convertor, I was sold. Mohzy is apparently a Canadian company but as of now, they are not offering this accessory in North America. If you are interested in buying one I highly recommend you head over to YesAsia for now. Hopefully within the next few months, Mohzy will begin offering shipment inside the US. The convergence is happening and I am excited to see how technology is being incorporated in fashion. This will be the second piece of wearable technology I own, the first being a wristwatch I purchased in Hong Kong that has a wireless octopus card (HK Debit Card) built in, though I cannot use that functionality here in the USA. Anyways I thought this was cool and I wanted to share this cool microUSB bracelet with you my readers. (^.^)v

Mohzy’s Website
YesAsia.com