I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me

How many of us like to run? I do. Apart from toning yourself and making your fitter and faster running has its perks. Like for instance, how many of us think while we're running? Those 10 - 20 minutes where you are locked in a cycle of menial activity just let your mind relax while other tough stuff get solved - like the theory behind female thinking. Anyways...I like running because it reminds me a lot of the semester. One moment, you're in the zone, seemingly unharmed. The momentum kicks in and you check the monitors and all is well. Then, in the matter of 5 steps, you get a stitch (hahaha!!) or you just get tired; and you wonder, "What happened to my energy?" Most people call that "The Wall" - when you start burning the good stuff, the fat. We have two choices when this happens: we can either keep running and finish, or we can call it a day.

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Many people agree that the "witnesses" refers to the names mentioned in the previous chapter. Let's look at a cloud...did you come back? Ok. When I hiked the Blue Mountain last summer, we walked through a couple of clouds. To be honest, I only realised I was in a cloud when I looked down and saw clouds below and none above us. When you are in a cloud you don't know. Same way it go so...lol. How many of us know that people are watching us?

I'm the only one who thinks I'm invisible. If I'm invisible then no one can see when I do wrong. If I'm invisible, then I don't have to do anything because no one will miss me. If I'm invisible, then I can do whatever I please because no one will notice and it wouldn't matter anyway. Yes, I'd love to make myself believe I'm invisible. But we're not invisible; not to ourselves, not to God and not even to others. On Wednesday I went to Financial Management. I always go there with "Last Class Syndrome". After 3 hours of maths and 2 of law, at 5pm my mind just goes "let's get it over with". While the corrections were being done I decided to talk to one of my classmates. I said, "Hey, we missed you last week."

She smiled and said, "I'm so flattered." We continue talking then she asked me what I study. I told her Maths and Accounting and after she gave me that look she said "You know I always thought you were a Law student." (I thought it was because I looked snobbish but she just thought so).

I came home and thought about it. Law students don't do FM. So it would mean then that she saw me before this semester. If she saw me, who's to say that every student at UWI doesn't have me profiled already? I had a talk with my mother (other) about this. Being a christian isn't so much about not making mistakes but does your life match up with what you preach? Obviously what you preach must also line up with the Bible. And that's what people respect. If I say that red shirts are bad, yet wear them all the time who will listen to me if I present the concept of evil?

That conversation made me note the importance of integrity. Going back to what I said about the cloud, I'll never know who's watching me unless they say so. So when I go to speak to people about Christ, I don't know the idea they have about me. Yes, people can read the wrong thing, but for the most part they interpret what you presented fairly correctly (especially if they talk to you).So what's my story? Now what does the pen write? I'm beginning to realise that most people don't read the book because of the author.

"Suggestions, questions
People want to know
Is there life after talk
Cause there's talk on the road." - TobyMac

March Madness

I've come to realise some things over this past month. If I continue writing about my week and nothing else I feel like I'm not doing justice to myself, my week or you. The stuff that happened this week were really good but I realised that I was not taking the time to rest. The Psalms remind us be at peace once more for God has been good to you. (Psalm 116:7). This is March. Tests and projects are the story of my life. Quizzes and other responsibilities make up its chapters. Its lines are phrased with revision and studying but there seemed to be no full stops.

Martin Luther, the  reformer, said "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." This does seem ironic, doesn't it, but it's true. I remember the times I had a lot to do and I decided to pray. Somehow, when your mind is at rest, time slows down; when you know how you are supposed to do things, order comes and there is time to buy the ice-cream (or whatever). 


In the foreseeable future I don't have much left to do. I did all of my projects and tests and life's good...LG. 

Three Tests and A Quiz

Do you remember last time we spoke about me having a long week ahead? Well that week is finished and I have another week of projects and stuff! XD It is said that if you want something done, look for someone who's busy.

I thought this semester had gone along pretty quickly and I had plenty energy left. Then I woke up on Tuesday. A team of college missionaries had come down from South Carolina during their Spring Break and some went to bible study with me. I sat at the table looking into their faces thinking "These guys look familiar." Well they were familiar. I met them last year. We looked at Paul and missions, and in the night we ate cookies and brownies! I met a couple more of the team that night and I am now officially a fan of Ultimate Frisbee!

It was really interesting because this time last year, as I was telling Keri, who was the first person I met, I was going to a test when we but up on each other. And this year I came from a test when we met each other. And we were wearing green. We wore the same colour twice that week, how ironic! We connected like Bluetooth.

Remember when I was accused of always saying that my maths tests were hard? Well I had two, Monday and Wednesday. The Differential Equations one was hard but I got through and so was the Linear Algebra one. We had a question that messed up pretty much the whole class. But that's university for you. Can't be easy, then it probably wouldn't be worth it. (The amount of stress is arguably unnecessary though). Then the Financial Accounting II mid-term came. *Queue dramatic music*...I came into the test with reasonable confidence that I would make up for a pathetic mid-term performance last semester. I studied harder than usual and I was ready. I read the paper thinking, "Ahh boy, 28/30 for me!" then I began the paper. When the invigilator said, "You have 30 min remaining I realised I was at question 16!" That doesn't sound bad does it? Well it was. I had started from question 30, which I skipped, and missed out on 5 other questions giving me a total of 9 completed questions. I thought, "You are not serious, what the heck is going on here?" It was truly terrible but it got better from questions 13-1. Well that's over.

The Quiz on Friday went well! The turnout was great and the excitement was high and people told me to watch out for their teams. My team got murdered for some strange reason, and the teams that told me they were not ready were actually ready and did very well. I was pleased with them and I'm looking forward to the bragging rights edition. That left me strung out and very tired.

So that's it. Three tests, a quiz and a missions team. There are five weeks before exams, or as I prefer 2 projects before exams lol. I'll see you in the coming weeks. Until next time, have a good and Godly week. For of what lasting value is a good week if it is not a godly one?

Like Sand Through The Hourglass...

There is one thing at UWI that always works. Year after year, semester after semester, at every sixth week fear is driven into the hearts of the unprepared. For those who do not care, the posting of the exam timetable has little to no effect. It is a timely reminder that vacation is coming soon.

This is week 7! As the hour draws near to take my first test I am definitely sure that I'm ready to end and on all those waves I yern to ride. I'm sure I want to see what awaits me on the other side.

This week I spent the last day with great friend (some may even say sister). There is something really interesting about the beach. Being in its presence takes a troubled mind that has been running around and stills it; like a an angry person in the arms of someone he/she trusts. The beach is patient. It allows you to rant and rave on until you have run out of steam and collapse in your puddle of confusion and as the smoke clears and the dust settles, you see a silhouette standing, smiling, as if to say, "I'm still here". Sounds a lot like someone I know (who created the beach). So we went to the beach and spent the evening talking and getting our non-beach clothes soaked like true Bajans. Then I went home. Most of it is still hard to digest, especially at this time of the semester but one thing I've assimilated is when you have the time, spend it with someone. Life is dynamic and people morph and our lives intersect only for a fleeting moment. It was once said to me, "The opportunity of a lifetime must be taken in the lifetime of the opportunity."

On Tuesday we looked at suicide in bible study. This was a very heated war as those who were there battled it out. We defined "suicide" as "taking your own life". What was really interesting (and I will leave it open) was that it was asked what we think about people who commit suicide and where do they go when they die (with God or without God).

Fun reigned the Science Lecture Theatre as there was a civil war in Linear Algebra. The lecturer came in and said "I would like to have the test on Wednesday (March 10) so we can continue our next topic." "But sir," a voice called out from the back, "I have 3 tests that week. How about the Wednesday after that?" He replied, "If we push back the test it will have theoretical questions." "HELL NO!" a voice cried out from the front, "Put the test Wednesday!"...then the war started. The back of the class wanted the test in two weeks and the front in one. Quite frankly I did not care when the test was and I figured that if you were going to fail, pushing it back a week only makes it worse. So when I thought there was peace in the camp a hand rose from the middle. "Sir, can we take another look at the test date? I think that you should not decide on a date because one person has three tests that week." "But I have three tests too!" shouted the back section. Then the war continued until the end of class. (Well actually beyond the end of class because there were still some complaining about how unfair the front of the class is very selfish and does not care about the other classmates, etc etc). When it was all said and done, the front had their way. So I have 3 tests this week.

On Thursday there was a lecture on the church's impact on western civilization. I left class early to go to it and it was fun. The only bad thing was we only had an hour so I couldn't throw questions at the lecturer. At the end, the challenge was given to take our God-given talents and "As we go, make disciples of all nations" teaching them to obey all that Jesus taught us.

So those were the hot points in my week. Other stuff included Saturday when I had 2 meetings and a production to attend and another hot quiz practice in which I had to play referee and official, judge and jury. This week seems like a pretty interesting one already. I have 3 mid-terms and a quiz and on top of that a team from South Carolina came in on Saturday to work with Campus Crusade for Christ.

So until next week...I'm out!

Life's Cool

I can't believe a week has gone already! Mid-terms are coming up pretty quickly. I don't mind it sometimes because it means that vacation is coming! As scientist have shown, time does not exist by itself (but it does exist in a vacuum). Obviously, if schools ends quickly, then vacation will end quickly and we will get old quickly and time will end quickly. This is not as bad as I may have made it seem.

Tuesday I got shamed by my lecturer in class. He wanted someone to go on the board and do a question. Finding no 'human sacrifices' he called my name. I said, "Sir, Shari wants to do it." "No, you first." "But sir, in our culture it's ladies first." "I know," he said, "but not today."

This week has been pretty much a scaled down version of last week. I thought a lot but not to the deep level that I'm known for. It's good to give your brain a rest at time. In the words of Marcus King, "Life's cool"