Wednesday, December 24, 2008

personal challenge

so much for attempting to post something at least once a week. while a lot has been going on, i just haven't had the desire to write or share about anything. also, the abundant time i used to spend online was increasingly replaced by more hours at work, which is a good thing and very grateful for it. aside from growing and developing amazing relationships with customers and team members at Apple, i've also been just going through some personal stuff that i wish would just stop re-surfacing. i'm putting all my effort into focusing on other things right now. 

for weeks, i've been meaning to blog about my thoughts on the holidays and my friend ansley's missions in Chad...

as time allows, i try my best to catch up with Ansley's stories and experiences in Chad (howeareyou.blogspot.com). when i reflect on the timeframe between when I was in Peru to now, I've come to the realization of how easy it's been for me to quickly forget the needs of the world. I'm saddened by how easily I've allowed myself to become wrapped up in what I want, in my goals and ambitions rather than thinking about what I can do for others with my [current] talents and resources. I thank and admire Ansley for her courage and dedication during this year-long mission because she reminds me of what's truly important -- especially during this commercially driven holiday season. 

I wish I did not have to be reminded this lesson so often, unfortunately that's the reality of the human mind and time. Time is unforgiving and sometimes selective with our memories. If we don't strive to exercise/live our convictions daily, time will do it's natural course and will slowly become just merely memories. 

so, this is more a challenge for myself but i encourage you also to find a small way that you can make a difference in someone else's life this season. it can be as simple as being a listening ear, offering someone a ride who's walking through a snowstorm, or reminding the people in your lives that you appreciate and love them. this Christmas let's dig deeper beyond the checking accounts and credit cards.

1 comment:

Matthew said...

Karen, concrete is great. Kudos and aja-aja your way!

The coat is Andrew's mom's. Haha, I knew I wanted to try it on when I saw it but was afraid. Then I did, and Andrew took a picture. As soon as I put it back on the chair, Andrew's mom came down the stairs. She almost saw me, almost.

Congrats on Apple, I'm not sure I verbalized that. It's true, I feel the whole long, long-term planning is so...(pre-)college. The whole: where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? I mean, yes, have plans and goals and desires but learn and experience and live, in the moment as much as possible, too.

I'm kind of learning that, possibly using it as an excuse to settle/be settled... I'm not sure I would have said this before, but I enjoy stability.

I just need vices/catalysts to propel me forward as well, apart from that which grounds me.

Come visit! I should clean the apartment today but probably won't. But then will have to next weekend. You should join whatever next event/party thinger that consists of the Tams/Nades fun-ness and also bring up Hugh/Ellen, yeah?

This comment is an entry in itself.

Enjoy and keep on a bloggin'!

Shorter entries, more visuals.

I hear it's a guy-thing.