I’LL HAVE A BLOODY MARY, A STEAK SANDWICH AAAND A STEAK SANDWICH
Easier than writing lots of individual emailsArchive for April, 2008
AND I QUOTE…
I have been mocked, by loved ones, about my voicemail outgoing message. However, my general manager beat everyone today. And I quote, “Sambo, I could’ve read War & Peace and it would have been shorter than the message that I just had to listen to. Just calling you back.”
Now, THAT’S funny stuff.
GOING FOR IT
Tonight will go down in history (in MY history book, at least).
SETTING THE SCENE
I had to drive to the Topanga Canyon area to pick up some jewelry that I recently had made (the jewelry turned out GREAT by the way!). A friend drove with me. We had to be at the pick-up spot at 6pm…perfect rush hour traffic for the drive back to SCV. In disdain, we decided to wait it out and grab something to eat. Here’s how the conversation went:
S (Sam): Where do you want to eat?
M: Wherever. Chili’s is right there. But it might be too fast there.
S: yeah, here’s the deal. I am resigned to the fact that we spend way too much money eating out. So, while we’re still going to spend money, my thing is that i, at least, want to spend it on something good. Not Chili’s or Claim Jumper
M: Yeah, I totally agree. Though Claim Jumpers is pretty good food.
S: yeah, but you know what I mean. If I’m going to spend money, I want to spend money on new things, variety, ya know?
M: Yep. (face lights up) you’ve never had sushi, right?
S: (terror fills my soul because my body rejects ALL things from water, except canned tuna) No, I haven’t, but …in the spirit of trying new things and wanting to like fish…let’s do it. Let’s go for it.
SO, we did it…he LOVES sushi and you should definitely have sushi, for the first time, with someone who loves it. I had a spicy tuna roll, another tuna thing, a LION roll (shrimp)… I have to say that the tuna ones were not bad, the shrimp ones got more gross with each bite. but, let’s remember, I ATE SUSHI!!!! God has shown His favor on me… I ate sushi (and didn’t hate it).
FACEBOOK OBSERVATIONS
OK, so, last July (?) I created a facebook account in order to communicate with one person who I met through the parole hearing that I was a part of. I had no intention of using it beyond communicating with this other person. In those last 9 months I’ve gotten requests from people, all of which I did not reply to, simply because I did not want to put the time into another netowrking site. Last week I caved due to a final straw. There was an ad for something that I wanted to know more about and the contact web address was Facebook…which was approx the 10th time I’d seen it used for advertising. I realized that it was another technological advance that i needed to embrace. So, I did. And, it is FAR superior to MySpace. Beyond the MySpace dominance, there are some other cool things about it…
Here are some observations
1) The power of ‘circles of friends’ and staying in touch. Wow. It’s cool to see who has remained friends over the years.
2) The far reaching benefit that my $75k education has is far beyond book knowledge. It is humbling to keep running across really amazing people that I know, solely from my time in college. I have wondered how many people would not have affected my life if I did not go away to college. I’m thankful.
3) The vast coolness of the body of Christ. It’s been really refreshing to see some people’s lives and to catch up and to learn of their devotion to God, especially as the years have passed and the challenge and temptation to fizzle out have increased. It’s been really encouraging. 
4) Some people over-share sometimes. The status update thing is cool (and often funny), but sometimes it makes me feel weird.
All in all, I’m glad I logged into my 9 month old in-active account. Maybe I was stubborn, maybe I was lazy, maybe I was just busy…whatever the reason…it’s cool to be a part of it now.
amen.
GOD IS INCREDIBLE! FOR REAL
I don’t want to give the impression that I have nothing but time. I actually don’t have much time.
However, I just finished this book…and whoa… you should read it and pray that you and I, like the families in this real life account, will prove faithful to God when the hardest moments of our lives hit (or have). INCREDIBLE. this book made me so excited and pleased to be in ‘the body of Christ’!!! i think throughout my read, I was brought to genuine tears of compassion, sorrow, joy, etc. at least 15 times.
AND, i saw the movie EXPELLED: no intellgience allowed. Fantastic in many rights. Do me a favor though, if you see it in the theatre, keep your comments to yourself. When I went, the theatre was filled with almost all Christians…I could tell they were Christians by the constant verbal scoffing and sound effects everytime an evolutionist made a claim or made a point. It was convicting, because I have been that person and it was a reminder to me how lame we Christians can be to the watching/listening world…even in the smallest ways like watching a movie about ‘Intelligent Design’.
So, in contrast to the above comendation to the body of Christ, our testimony has impact in the ‘inconsequential’ moments and in the tragic life altering moments. I just want to love God and love people…a MUCH higher calling than it sounds.
IN THE LAST 29 HOURS…
My life is cool. Not always easy, but certainly cool.
Here are the activities I’ve been involved in over the last 29 hours
1) Dinner at an Indian restaurant in Sherman Oaks. A) I loved it B) it was half off due to a coupon that was handed to me after we bought our movie tickets…we took a risk…it paid off!
2) Saw the movie YOUNG@HEART ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3uOOhm8Fj8&feature=related ) at the Sherman Oaks Arclight!!! You MUST see this movie! no matter who you are.
3) Attended a very cool bridal shower for Sarah Dyer (hosted by Mandy R & Becka B)
4) Ushered at the PAC for legendary SECOND CITY. They were pretty hilarious. I laughed out loud, by myself, at least 25 times.
LIFE’S LITTLE LUXURIES
I just kind of noticed an almost constant pattern that’s in my life. Often, I restrict myself from lots of things, for as long as possible (especially in this slower economy), things like more clothes, pedicures, high end hair care products…things that I consider luxury items. However, I’ve noticed that I will almost always get a pedicure upon a successful close of an escrow…well, about 80% of the time. Huh. I got a pedicure today and realized it had been a while (I didn’t get a pedicure for the last couple of closings…I guess there’s the other 20%).
I chose deep red.
Who cares?
THERE’S SO MUCH OUT THERE
I’m working on paperwork for a client. LOTS of paperwork. I have National Geographic on in the background…the show: The Freemasons. Whoa…there are so many interesting things going on out there in the world (well, Freemasons are predominantly in the US these days…or so says NG).
Oh, and the LORD allowed for a closed escrow yesterday (we started the home shopping in January!). Yay! I’m thankful that my client is happy and that the deal is completed. Now, I’m trying to prep all the paperwork for one that I’m opening tomorrow (LORD willing).
If you’re a potential buyer, now is a GOOD time to get your groove on!
Call me or write me if you need assistance!
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
So, for lunch today, I BBQ’d. It was nice to be outside for those few minutes…to get a break from paperwork, zillions of thoughts, voicemails, emails, etc.
As I finished examining my tri-tips’ progress, I glancedat the the side countertop of the BBQ and saw something so small and tender and sweet…something I couldn’t remember seeing since 3th grade: a polka dotted lady bug. It actually stopped me in my tracks and I smiled as I remembered frolicking in the huge field at recess at Tabernacle Baptist Church & School covered in lady bugs and butterflys. I bent down and just looked at it up close until it flew away.
I know I am usually sarcastic, but I’m actually not joking about this. It was such a great memory that brought lots of mental space for a quick moment in a busy day.
It was cool and I was thankful to God that He made such creatures and that He allowed them to be associated with more carefree times in my life…I guess it was the equivalent to a ’stop and smell the roses’ life-moment.
KEYWORD SEARCH: DOUG BOOKMAN
Ok, so in my Dashboard, I am told what words people use to find my blog. ‘Doug Bookman’ is in the top 3 ALL the time. Then, I have people write me and want his contact info. In an effort to give you current info about Bookman and to cut me out of the ‘matchmaker’ role, if you’re looking for Bookman, here is his website http://www.bookmanministries.com/
-For those of you who know him, enjoy your reconnecting AND his website. Both VERY cool!
-For those of you who don’t know him, you need to. He is one of THE most influential people in my academic (biblical studies) and therefore spiritual life. Read his stuff, try to find messages on-line…while he’s a hilarious genuis about almost all things Bible, he is a truthful, compassionate and curious expert on the life of Christ.
Folks, I say all that to say this…
Can I get an ‘amen and amen’?
FRIENDS, LIFE, FREEDOM
Whoa…so, I can’t remember the last time I posted, but MUCH has come and gone since the last one, I’m sure.
As is my style, here are bullet point highlights
1) 3/29:Ushered a fantastic show called ‘SHIDARA’ a Taiko drum group. OUTSTANDING!
2) 3/30: Attended a show called ‘A Mass For Peace’ put on by the master chorale and local highschools. Incredible music put to piongant media, all depicting the vast sorrow and need for war and peace. It was amazing!
3) 3/31: Subbed at La Mesa Jr High in the Special Ed class…I’ve done it before and, as always, was humbled and amazed by the human spirit and the need for Christ to make sense of life that looks ‘wrong’
4) 4/1: Subbed at Valencia High School for Jennene’s classes. Mostly GREAT. Some funny and cool discussions, some students earning dismals from my class, etc. The usual.
5) 3/31-4/7: Jai Anderson in town!!!!!!! Our time began on Monday, but our road trip began on Wednesday. Check Points were Santa Clarita, Corona (Spansels, Burns, Flowers), San Diego (Scott and Mike)!. We had a GREAT time: laughed a lot, talked alot, learned alot, ate a lot of diverse foods (Jamaican, Peruvian, Roscoes, the best Carnitas ever, etc), laughed alot, pondered alot, talked alot, enjoyed the ocean alot, were humbled alot, wrote down a lot of quotes, enjoyed … alot! Enjoyed God’s grace …alot!
6) Got home and read the following email about my uncle George: “THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ACTING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES”….has approved the recommendation to promote George to the rank of Captain! So, another HUGE congratulations (and ‘I’m glad he’s on my side’) to George!
There’s always more, but I am on to the next thing for the day!
Hope everyone is doing well.
