New Years Resolution

Hey Guys! As a new year rolls in, so do the resolutions! As for me, I've decided to do a project. A Project365 to be exact. This one will be of the photographic kind. My subject? People. My goal? To encapsulate a moment in time for each new day I live 2010. Well hopefully at least.

I'm hoping to take a photo of a different person everyday for a whole year. This is meant to improve my skills with my camera; as well as my composition and insight. I want to be able to simulate a different situation with each photo I take, and by doing this every day, I can be sure that I will improve in more ways than one.

Here's where you guys come in. Considering the fact that I don't have 364 other doppelgangers.. I must enlist your help! If you can find a time or an event where you would like your picture on a particular day, please email me. That way, I can schedule you properly and I won't get confused.

My email is: lcrolander@gmail.com

I hope this project will be fun and contain little to no problems. Happy New Year, God Bless you guys tenfold. Thank you for being a part of my life. I Love you all.

Roland

I'm back...

Oh how it's been a while. Remember me? I'm that guy? Yeah. Well I'll be updating this sucker soon so be ready!

excitement

ooh i'm so excited! 1 more day and then I'm DONE WITH THE SEMESTER!

I just wanted to make this post to solidify my procrastination and to point out to everyone that I'm not dead. Not that you guys wouldn't know if something catastrophic occurred but if we could only speak through the internet, and our phones somehow lost communication, then this would be the only way to share my thoughts with each and everyone of you.

OK! Time to kick this studying in the face...and hopefully the test as well.

Busy

Hey so I've been a bit busy with school and life in general, so I'd like to apologize in advance. I'll do my best to update later today.

God Bless

Ok

So I'm sitting in chick-fil-a blogging. This is awesome!

Now off to utsa for advice, lab, and workout

I love the iPod touch.

Just a little snippet for your viewing pleasure.

Here's an interesting comic I just so happened to pass by:

Thanks Obama.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Kinda Late

So It's 1:10 am and I should be sleeping.  I'm sincerily trying to sleep earlier/wake up earlier and so I will most likely keep this one short.  I just wanted to show you that Geneology can be used as a lesson!

Wow.  Who knew Christ was prophesied way back in Genesis?!? Awesome.

Have a wonderful night all

...So I guess I'm Selfish.

When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together in the same place. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment." -Matt. 22:34-38

Funny how simple it is. Jesus himself tells us that above anything else in this world, this is the most important commandment. I know Jesus was all about parables so just in case, let us break this down even further shall we?

Love God the mostest.

Confusing? If so, we may need to talk.

I have been trying to write this devotional for quite some time. This is an aggravating battle for me. I believed that if I had all the knowledge of all the laws or teachings, then I would be able to write. Or maybe if I had the right bible, with all the words and parables broken down, then I could be worthy enough to speak. Until then, my writing would be equivalent to someone cooking up a mean ramen; good effort, no substance.

I found myself comparing my devotions to that of my peers. Why can't I write novels and bring the word to the masses (Or in this case, you three people; you guys rock!). So rather than even trying, I let it go by.

Then last night, I read Van's blog (Check it out) and reread Matthew 22. in vv. 37-38, Jesus speaks about the greatest and most important commandment. Interesting Blog, I thought. Well, now time for mine. Be Amazed.

I pulled out two bibles, the Apologetics and Dakes, to Mark. Alright, I'm ready to be amazing. Now these two bibles are awesome; full of side information, breakdowns, and everything. Perfect, let the magic happen. But as I read, I just could not think of anything good to write about. Maybe the Dakes will help. Too bad it just confused the crap out of me. Frustrated and feeling defeated, I decided to call it a night.

I felt disappointed not being able to write anything. Lord, what am I doing? I am trying, but I feel so childish, so ignorant. I soon drifted to sleep. All I could think of was Matthew 22.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

I awoke to that verse. How foolish was I? All I could see was pride in my heart. All I could think about was how to show off my writing talents and my ability to read. Rather than trusting in the Lord's teachings, I relied on my flesh. How can someone who loves the Lord not even trust Him to speak?

So here I am speaking to you guys about what Jesus wants in our lives. He wants us to put God first and foremost! So anytime you feel stressed, sad, or angry, remember the first commandment. If you follow the first commandment, you won't ever have room to feel anything else.

Sorry for such a long entry, but I think I'll leave you with this:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! -Philippians 4:4

YES

So I exercised today... Nothing special, just a mile or so. But I am planning on more. Eventually. I've got a log an everything. It's awesome.

Reflections

March 15, 2009. The last day of Spring Break. While we may not have gone anywhere in particular, I must say this week has been the most fun-filled vacation I've had. I relearned how to skate (no falls. Awesome), I learned how to set up music equipment and set tracks down (uh career imminent?), I learned to break dance (figured it out, no actual breaking involved!), and I realized how much I love the people around me.

Now don't get me wrong, I know the value of friendship. I have had conversations before pertaining to said value. Though they beat me, chastise me, hurt me, laugh at me (I still think it's with me by the way), I could not ask for more.

So many things have happened and for those that got to share it with me, thanks. I met new people, rekindled old friendships, and done things I never would have expected (platelets anyone?).

As for my quest on learning said languages, they have turned out well for the most part. I have started exercising again (more so now that I want to be better at breakdancing). I am reading my bible again. I have learned new songs and I plan on recording eventually (now to write some sick lyrics...suggestions anyone? Old McDonald? No? Copyright Infringement? Alright). Unfortunately, I haven't been learning Tagalog but I have been practicing with my parents so I guess that counts. I just need to get used to thinking Filipino rather than American. Musically I've gotten a little better; I still need practice with the piano. In the near future, I am probably going to hire a private coach just to expedite the process.

So yeah, this week has been amazing.

Languages

Hello all. As some of you know, I'll be going to the Philippines this summer. I'm really excited for this opportunity to go home and I really hope I can pick up the language before I get there. It turns out that Rosetta Stone is a lot harder than I expected. I'm having difficulty learning. The problem I have is that the language just isn't spoken in the same way as they teach you. I don't need to know what elephant is (it's elepante btw). I need to know greetings and what not. Maybe that's a later lesson but I gotta keep truckin' I guess.

This got me to thinking about other languages. No, not spoken language. I'm talking about skilled languages such as music. I've come to realize that I don't need to know how to play certain instruments. What I need, is to learn its language! I was looking at a piece on the piano and I started to look at its interior. What makes it that note; why is it placed there. It's a slow process but I think it'll help in a huge way to unlocking its secrets.

I don't want to keep this post too long because I'm tired but I'd like to share with you the languages that I plan on learning this year:

The Language of Tagalog
The Language of Piano
The Language of Voice
The Language of Guitar
The Language of Exercise (I can probably break this sucker down as well!)

So please guys, help me unlock the secrets to these languages. We can even learn together. Have a good night.

P.S. I want to write more often. I think this is a good time. So, I plan on blogging every Monday as much as possible

My, has time passed.

For those who don't know already, tomorrow is February 21. It also marks the day of the anniversary of Lynette's passing. There has been so many things that have come and gone since then and I can't help but think how things could've been different.

My, has time passed.


This thought continues to pass through my head. Cliche as it sounds, time has come so fast. I still remember working so late at Target and hearing the news from my dad. I still remember going and leaving the hospital amazed at how surreal life looked. I still remember being in the room with the family I've known most of my life; watching a sister that I grew up with depart. Yet two years have almost come since.

My, has time passed.

I still think of the people I met that day. Strangers at face value, I quickly inherited friends and family. There are so many people in here, I thought. I felt joy, laughter, and sadness all blended together in this room of strangers.

So many memories.

I remember the stuff we shared. The laughter, the advice, the love that I've never felt before; a sisterly love that can only come from someone that actually cared about what I had to say, understanding that no one else could relate to. We were the same age, we had gone through the same schools, we both had relationships. The only female I could confide in without judgment that I knew could understand.

I remember the awesome randomness that she brought into my life. The times she would bring cheese from home just to make grilled cheese sandwiches. The random thoughts that I never could expect come out of a woman. Few women have come close to the randomness that was Ling.

Oh Lord, Thank You.

I was so confused at first. Why her? What's going on? A million thoughts ran through my head. Lord, this doesn't happen to us. We've got too much on our plate already, why this? I've never been involved in something as serious as this. I grew fearful of what was going to happen. But I knew the Lord was in control. He gave us strength to go on, wisdom to grow in adversity, peace where there was none. He led me to people I would never have known had we not met in the hospital (Jake, Angelo, Candy, Jason I love you all). I learned more about friendship (Louise, Karen, Candy, Kit, Lyndse, Jonie, Lisa, Becky) and brotherhood that I couldn't have imagined (Van, Ruy, Lyndon, Kot, Josh, Just, Jasper, Jason, Jake, Alec, thank you guys for always being there for me. Through the thick and thin, you guys lived it with me and I'm eternally grateful). I grew closer to the friends who've accepted me into their family (Lyndon, Lyndse, Josh, Justin, Kit, and Kot, you guys are the best bros/sis(es? does that work?)/cousins I know. You guys don't know how much you mean to me. You guys are the closest people I have to siblings. We've shared a lot and I'm so grateful.). I've even grown in my faith (God, who knew that I could actually talk to people. Oh duh, you. *end cheesy monologue*). All of this is because of You Lord. Thank You for everything.

My, has time passed.

Two years have passed and I can't believe how things have changed. The family has grown closer and I've definitely have become more open to my emotions. I look back at just these past two years and I can't help but thank you Ling for helping me get to the person I am today. It's good to reminisce once in a while, but I'm ready for what the future holds. The memories I will cherish forever. Thank you.

Side note:
If I've forgotten anyone, I am so very sorry. It's almost 2 am and I just gotta write this before I go to sleep. You guys are all so special to me and I'm so grateful that God's graced me with yall's presence. I've gone from having no friends to being in abundance and I know that's got nothing to do me. I love you guys and I can't wait to experience the rest of our lives with all of you.

Reorganization...

Ok so I'm terrible at organization. I have this tendency to create this elaborate plan for my life that will get me to do everything humanly possible. Everything works out until I realize that I'm a bit lazy and I fail to do half the things that I've listed. This in turns causes me to get discouraged and I eventually drop said plan for another plan. And so the vicious cycle continues.

For those who know me, my schedule has become quite busy as of late. I've started to work more hours in order to save up for this summer. Unfortunately, this has caused me to lose out on quite a number of important things (sleep). So, I've decided to get a new plan.

Well honestly, it's not really a "new" plan. It's still my old plan but implementing it was extremely difficult. I tried to do too many things all at once, with only a few hours in between to do them in. So I'm starting them one by one.

Here are the "phases" that I'm going to be going through. This may be interesting. Or just plain boring. I don't care haha. I need this.

Phase 1: Finances (Budgeting, Itemizing, Building Credit, Spending (I got this part down))
Phase 2: Sleep (I need to wake up at 6-7 am so I can get all this done in one day)
Phase 3: Devotions (I would like to couple this with the sleep so I can start reading consistently)
Phase 4: Studying (Ok, I've struggled with this for years...probably since they invented it)
Phase 5: Exercise (Abs for my birthday anyone? It's a year late)
Phase 6: Tagalog (Sigi na...Pilipino ako!)
Phase 7: Life. (That's probably automatic.)

So yeah I've already started on this plan but it's gotta come one at a time. For those who read this, feel free to help me out. I need all the help I can get.

*insert cool ending line*
End.

Reorganization

Ok so this isn't working out the way I thought it would go down. It's become a bit cluttered so I've decided to reorganize... by making an entirely new blog! Yay! So now I have two blogs: one to keep my random babble and various tidbits that I'm sure you all would love, and another to maintain my devotions (or lack there of). Believe me, I love a good word...as a matter of fact that's my new blog! so come check it out.... probably to your left somewhere. K Thx Bye.

Apology and 1st reading! Psalms 1-2

Hey guys.. sorry. I got caught up in work and laziness that I failed to post the other night. Today I'm starting a 1 year bible reading with fellow friends of mine. For those who didn't know, I'm starting this 1 year bible plan as a way to read through the entire bible. It's not very long and it's interesting because it gives you a little bit of everything everyday. If you guys want to join me, feel free to pick up wherever I'm at or start over, but please be sure to post comments/your own devos as well so we can start discussions. Anyway let's go! Oh and I'll be reading from my Apologetics Bible. I believe it's the Holman version.

Psalm 1 - The Two Ways

1. How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers!
2. Instead, delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
3. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bear its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5. Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.
6. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
   

Wow! What a way to start off Psalms. This psalm details what a Christ follower should and should not be. How happy is the man that does not follow the advice of the wicked (vv 1)...those that only seek in the Lord will find salvation! Otherwise, we're just chaff or dust in the wind...blown apart by what the world has to offer. So frail and so easy do our values break when following those of man. Only by delighting in the Lord (vv 2) and meditating on Him daily, do our voice strengthen and bring miracles into our lives.

Psalm 2 - Coronation of the Son

1. Why do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain?
2. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and His Anointed One:
3. Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraints.
4. The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them.
5. Then He speaks to them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath:
6. "I have consecrated My King on Zion, My holy mountain.
7. I will declare the Lord's decree: He said to Me, "You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.
   
8. Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.
9. You will break them with a rod of iron; You will shatter them like pottery."
10. So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11. Serve the Lord with reverential awe, and rejoice with trembling.
12. Pay homage to the Son, or He will be angry, and you will perish in your rebellion, for His anger may ignite at any moment. All those who take refuge in Him are happy.
    

Coronation - the crowning of a king. How does that fit in this time and period? I find it so interesting that though this book was written thousands of years ago...these words have such meaning even today. In this passage, it details who we should worship. Though kings may rule this earth, only One will rule them all. Sounds like Lord of the Rings. I know. It's late. My bad.
In any case, I love this passage, "Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession (vv. 8). All you've got to do is ask. Sounds simple no? why not? It changes things when you've taken your eyes off of Him (remember Psalm 1?). Well remember to always keep your eye on the Lord. Delight in Him! Enjoy every moment you spend with your God. Well I guess I'll leave it at that. Anyway, stay safe and enjoy reading my long post

Ok then.

Hello all. I would honestly love to put down my life story right now, but unfortunately for me, work beckons. To be honest, I have been having trouble starting my devotionals. It feels like I am unable to find the time to sit down and read. I work all the time, and if I am off, I am out of the house for church or hanging out. I am sincerily trying to wake up early to start studying/reading/blogging, but I am having difficulty doing so. It's that darn bed...must it be so comfortable? Well I will definitely be posting tonight with my devotionals. As for now...why not tell you guys where I am starting?

I have been doing this 1 year bible for about a month now (not really since I've stopped for like a week and 1/2... sadness). I could just start where I left off but I feel like this is a new start. As they say... 2009, time to shine! *cough*. So I've decided to start over kinda. I'll probably speed through the stuff I've gone through so I can catch back up.

In any case, don't you think a good way to start a 1 year bible is to go through Genesis, the first book of the bible?!? Written in approximately 1600 B.C., Genesis actually means, "The Beginning." You probably already know this but eh whatever, it's my blog.

Well, I'll leave it at that for now. I'm going to do, you know, work or whatever..

Plans...

Ok.. so its pretty late (3:25 am). I just came back from hanging and helping out at Ami's home and I can't really sleep so how about another blog post?

So I'm really hoping to be as active as possible posting different things (Devotionals, Thoughts, maybe even some Tagalog lessons of the day???) and unfortunately I may not have the time that this endeavor ultimately requires.

Here is a tentative list of the things I want to put down on this blog:

• I've started a 1 year devotional that I plan on listing here as I write them
• I am going to the Philippines in the summer and I need to learn as much Tagalog/Visaya as possible... This requires some work... Rosetta Stone anyone?
• After my injury, my will to exercise has diminished entirely (does pushing buttons count? Maybe not.) I need to start exercising on a regular basis.
  
• Random thoughts about what's been going on and what not

So I definitely have a couple things I want to regularly update on. Unfortunately with my schedule being as it is (school, 2 jobs, ministry), I do not have all the free time that would warrant a regular blog.

Here's a short list of my weekly duties

• Monday: A & P II 9:30 - 12:00; Cell Group 7:30 - 10:00
  
• Tuesday: Clinic 10-7
  
• Wednesday: A & P II 9:30 - 12:00; Clinic 1 - 4; Meeting 5 - 5:30; either AT&T 5 - 10:30, or
  Church 7 - 10
  
• Thursday: Clinic 10 - 7
  
• Friday: Microbiology Lab 8 - 10:45; Clinic 1 - 4; sometimes AT&T 5 - 10:30
  
• Saturday: Sometimes AT&T 5 - 10:30
  
• Sunday: Church 10 - 12

Crazy no? You know, one way to know God is on your side is when even though you are busy, there is still time for the important things in life (God, Family, and Friends). Honestly, the only breaks I have are on the weekend. Maybe Monday but even then I'm strapped for time during the morning.

Tentatively, this is the schedule I would like to follow:

• Devotionals: Daily
  
• Exercise: Every Monday
  
• Tagalog: Saturday, Sunday, Monday (or maybe Tues, Thurs, Sat?)
  
• Musings: When I feel like it

That's my plan and knowing me, it will probably change.

Thanks for reading everyone. Comment me about how awesomely busy my life is! :-D

1st Post!

Ah another blog. I have had so many: Xanga, Myspace, Facebook, 1Up... probably more so. I enjoy sharing my thoughts, my beliefs, and other general things I can throw out there. Though my vernacular could always be better, I enjoy standing on the digital soapbox every once in a while.

So how about a mini biography eh?

My name is Roland, I am 20 and currently a student of University of Texas San Antonio. I am aspiring to be a nurse, and have taken the steps to do so within the next couple of months. I love music, and have dabbled in piano, voice, and guitar. I love playing basketball, video games, and meeting the many people that populate this earth. I've been blessed with an easy going personality that has enabled me to meet and keep many friends.

One thing I have secretly enjoyed is writing. It is one of the most primitive and yet most advanced technology we have. Ever since people discovered surface and something to write with (probably blood or berries of some sort), they have recorded billions of documented words to spread the news across the known globe. Why else would God choose people to document history? Why not tell them, "Hey so you know remember all this stuff. It's gonna be good!" No, He put people to task to document these events, so that now when we come to read His word, we understand and know the truth behind it. Word of mouth just does not cut it. That is why I love to write. There is a truth about it that I love. Vocal word has a tendency to be twisted and distorted. Granted, intentions can cause fallacy in writing but the words, if used properly, can bring freedom.

I, of course, am not a writing savant. My skills are limited only by my imagination, which never seems to reach far enough. I hope that through blogging, my ideas will be unlocked and my prowess will continue to increase.

I believe I will end this blog now. I am planning on using this deal to share my thoughts on what I have read. It will be a way to stay consistent, which is something I've been working on for years. Of course, who is to tell? As my title reads, it is too soon to tell.