God brought me safely back. It's so great to see everyone. If anything, this is even better than I remembered. James picked me up from the airport, and is doing all he can to make this stay great. Smells do wonders on your memory. All the smells in India so much more.
Praise God, I don't feel much jet lag effects. For the 4 hours after we arrived until now, I was able to sleep very well. Waking up wasn't difficult either. I feel more awake now than I usually do when I wake up.
The flights weren't too bad, either. I got some really good reading done, as well as an outline for some chapters of a book Dad and I are writing.
The first book I read was James Altucher's "How to be the Luckiest Person Alive." James talkes about his life and how various practices he has done seem to create luck. He is a nonconformist with a unique perspective on the world. There is a lot we can learn from his methods. His goals don't resonate well with me (making money as the end). I'm reading to learn, not to judge. I learn what I can and ignore what I don't want to learn. Here are 3 methods I would like to implement:
- Give. Give your talents to help others. Try to make their lives better. His business philosophy is, "Improve people's lives enough that they are willing to part with their hard-earned money for it." Whether in business or in personal life, this is something I can always improve.
- Work out your creative mind each day. Treat it like a regular muscle. Every day, come up with a list of 10 ideas. The ideas themselves aren't important, what's important is the workout. (On the plane, I started making a list of ideas for things to do in Bangalore. The initial goal was 10. The list ended at 46. If I can do it, you can too.)
- Meet new people. The meet more new people. Get to know them. How they are different than you. How they are similar. Try to help them out.
The second book, one I'm working through right now, is The Ragamuffin Gospel. Here are some lines in there which are worth paraphrasing:
- Quoting Morton Kelsey "The church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners." (I need to be reminded of that. Frequently. I tend to put people on pedestals. Whether that person is me or someone else. We are all sinners saved by grace. While some of us may be better or more committed to ____, we are all in the same boat. The only one who we should be lifting up is Christ.)
- When asked what to DO to receive eternal life, Jesus turned to children. Not that they were perfect. But that they weren't WORKING to obtain. They knew what they received was given to them as a gift.
- Imagine a little boy trying to help his fater with some household work or make his mother a gift. The help may be nothing more than getting in the way, and the gift may be totally useless, but the love behind it is simple and pure, and the loving response it evokes is virtually uncontrollable. I am sure it is this way between our Abba and us. (Yes!)
Now time to eat yet another one of Auntie's awesome breakfasts. I've been sipping her awesome tea while writing this.
How 'bout them Hawkeyes?
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Back to Bangalore
Those of you who've known me in college might know that one of my best experiences during those years was when I went to India. The autos, the food, the history, the smells, the chaos. Great place to visit. The people there are the best part.
The southern half of the country is similar to the Midwest here in the States -- doesn't get lots of outside attention (all the restaurants here are north Indian, they have the Taj Mahal, Delhi, Mumbai), but a lot of genuinely great people. What's even better, though, is all the work God is doing there. From talking with people, to going to service, to hearing story after story after story, to be welcomed so warmly in home after home. Sometimes you can see God working in other cultures easier than you can see him working in your own.
Add all this together, and you can see why I'm very excited to be going back to Bangalore.
There's 4 different themes which I would like to explore during the next couple weeks there:
1. Reconnect with the people, being intentional about being an encouragement. When Nathaniel and I spent some time there with the "Summer of Service" program, JP frequently had to remind us, "If all you do is get a bunch of work done, you'll miss the point. Mom and Dad could easily hire someone to help with the work." This time, there is less work there, I probably won't be in an office all day. Which will be great. It will give me a chance to work through what this "ministry of presence" is we've been talking about at Park (church). So much of the time, people take short-term missions trips, which are great for sure. But the follow-up isn't really there. Following up is such a big deal, and can make the whole experience ten times better, both for you and for the hosts.
2. Setting up computer training modules for local pastors. Bringing an American to India for computer work? Yeah, I'm very replaceable there. That's a good thing. It will be nice to have something to do, though I'm not going to overdo it and spend too much time there.
3. Explore future options. Many of you have expressed interest in going to India yourselves. It is a great opportunity, and you really couldn't ask for better hosts to do it with. I'm looking forward to sitting down and talking with the locals to see what that might look like, and how we can do it without being a burden on them.
4. Have fun. Seth Currier is visiting Chicago and we're having loads of fun right now.
Support:
Prayer is always the most important aspect, and that remains true. Please pray. The abovementioned items could be topics of your conversation with God.
Finances are always mentioned here. Praise God that he has given me the opportunity to make this a self-supported trip. If you are sitting cash and are looking for ways to use it for kingdom work, the ministry is looking for people to sponsor audio Bibles.
The southern half of the country is similar to the Midwest here in the States -- doesn't get lots of outside attention (all the restaurants here are north Indian, they have the Taj Mahal, Delhi, Mumbai), but a lot of genuinely great people. What's even better, though, is all the work God is doing there. From talking with people, to going to service, to hearing story after story after story, to be welcomed so warmly in home after home. Sometimes you can see God working in other cultures easier than you can see him working in your own.
Add all this together, and you can see why I'm very excited to be going back to Bangalore.
There's 4 different themes which I would like to explore during the next couple weeks there:
1. Reconnect with the people, being intentional about being an encouragement. When Nathaniel and I spent some time there with the "Summer of Service" program, JP frequently had to remind us, "If all you do is get a bunch of work done, you'll miss the point. Mom and Dad could easily hire someone to help with the work." This time, there is less work there, I probably won't be in an office all day. Which will be great. It will give me a chance to work through what this "ministry of presence" is we've been talking about at Park (church). So much of the time, people take short-term missions trips, which are great for sure. But the follow-up isn't really there. Following up is such a big deal, and can make the whole experience ten times better, both for you and for the hosts.
2. Setting up computer training modules for local pastors. Bringing an American to India for computer work? Yeah, I'm very replaceable there. That's a good thing. It will be nice to have something to do, though I'm not going to overdo it and spend too much time there.
3. Explore future options. Many of you have expressed interest in going to India yourselves. It is a great opportunity, and you really couldn't ask for better hosts to do it with. I'm looking forward to sitting down and talking with the locals to see what that might look like, and how we can do it without being a burden on them.
4. Have fun. Seth Currier is visiting Chicago and we're having loads of fun right now.
Support:
Prayer is always the most important aspect, and that remains true. Please pray. The abovementioned items could be topics of your conversation with God.
Finances are always mentioned here. Praise God that he has given me the opportunity to make this a self-supported trip. If you are sitting cash and are looking for ways to use it for kingdom work, the ministry is looking for people to sponsor audio Bibles.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Blackhawks
Game 6 of the Cup finals is today. The 'Hawks have taken Chicago by storm. Everywhere you look, the city is red and black.
While I'm not a lifelong hockey fan by any means, living in a city with an event this big is exciting.
While I'm not a lifelong hockey fan by any means, living in a city with an event this big is exciting.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Chicago Dogs
If you have never been to Chicago, these dogs should be on your list of foods to try. Particularly delightful in the summertime, the Windy City turns scrap meat into an art form. Each ingredient is carefully selected and placed on the dog, resulting in a pleasurable combination in every bite.
Here is my humble attempt. (Note -- for a true dog, the relish should be bright green, and there should be peppers on top.)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Tetelestai!
Think back eight years. What were you doing then? How has life changed for you in these past 8 years.
My past 8 years has included most of high school, all of college, and a year in the real world. Talk about a life-changing experience! Yet through these past 8 years, the burden of The Exam has been on me. It hasn’t always been a heavy burden. But it comes and goes. Sometimes in the back of my mind, sometimes in the forefront, sometimes taking it over entirely and running with it the subject of a different blog.
But now the exam is done. Words cannot describe the elation I felt. At least in English. The Greek tetelestai (te-TELL-es-tie) fits aptly. Someone famous used that phrase once – what he went through before uttering the word makes my 5 months of stress seem like heaven. Even that word couldn’t start describing the elation he went through when “It is finished” (the English translation of the 3rd person singular, perfect active indicative of teleo).
The small group crew went out to eat afterwards to celebrate. Walking across town felt so freeing – I’m not doing flash cards now. And God knows if I’ll ever have to do them again. The weather felt like it would storm – so what? The exam is done! I don’t know exactly where this eatery is – so what? The exam is done! That mantra became my response to any problem encountered. A couple weeks later, some of the adrenaline has worn off. But the joy hasn’t. What if, as Christians, our response to personal difficulties would be – so what? Christ has died for my sins and I’ll spend an eternity with him!
Many people have asked me what I’ll do with myself after the exam is over. That is a very legitimate question. As much as actuaries might sometimes dislike taking exams, they do provide discipline and order to one’s life, a sense that one’s time is spent in a worthwhile endeavor. My initial response mentions the 50-item list of “opportunities after exam” formerly called “to-do list after exam,” but that title was too discouraging. This fairly broad list, created sporadically and wishfully throughout the study process, encompasses a wide array of activities, from taking classes to reading books to visiting people to blogging.
God has provided so many opportunities in life. Perhaps he will stick something in my face and ask me: “Go, do this.” Sometimes he works that way. Oftentimes, though, he gives us opportunities and it is our responsibility to initiate and pursue them, actively seeking his will.
Readers, I have some questions and a request for you. Most of you haven’t taken these exams, but maybe you are wrestling with some of these same questions. What have you come up with? How do you balance leisure and productivity outside of a highly-structured environment? How do you seek relevant ways to serve the Kingdom while making time for friends and family and having fun?
The request has to do with accountability. While I am attempting to wrestle with these dilemmas, actively engaging in life, there is also something in me which wants to plop down on the futon all evening, doing nothing, thinking about nothing. So as readers who also know me in real life, you are not only welcome but encouraged at any point to ask me how I’m doing with this, what I’m going through now, etc. Regardless of how it’s actually going, I’ll probably figure out a somewhat honest answer which will make you happy. But the shrewd ones among you are, well, shrewd.
Speaking of shrewd, can you spot my newly-graduated sister in the crowd?
My past 8 years has included most of high school, all of college, and a year in the real world. Talk about a life-changing experience! Yet through these past 8 years, the burden of The Exam has been on me. It hasn’t always been a heavy burden. But it comes and goes. Sometimes in the back of my mind, sometimes in the forefront, sometimes taking it over entirely and running with it the subject of a different blog.
But now the exam is done. Words cannot describe the elation I felt. At least in English. The Greek tetelestai (te-TELL-es-tie) fits aptly. Someone famous used that phrase once – what he went through before uttering the word makes my 5 months of stress seem like heaven. Even that word couldn’t start describing the elation he went through when “It is finished” (the English translation of the 3rd person singular, perfect active indicative of teleo).
The small group crew went out to eat afterwards to celebrate. Walking across town felt so freeing – I’m not doing flash cards now. And God knows if I’ll ever have to do them again. The weather felt like it would storm – so what? The exam is done! I don’t know exactly where this eatery is – so what? The exam is done! That mantra became my response to any problem encountered. A couple weeks later, some of the adrenaline has worn off. But the joy hasn’t. What if, as Christians, our response to personal difficulties would be – so what? Christ has died for my sins and I’ll spend an eternity with him!
Many people have asked me what I’ll do with myself after the exam is over. That is a very legitimate question. As much as actuaries might sometimes dislike taking exams, they do provide discipline and order to one’s life, a sense that one’s time is spent in a worthwhile endeavor. My initial response mentions the 50-item list of “opportunities after exam” formerly called “to-do list after exam,” but that title was too discouraging. This fairly broad list, created sporadically and wishfully throughout the study process, encompasses a wide array of activities, from taking classes to reading books to visiting people to blogging.
God has provided so many opportunities in life. Perhaps he will stick something in my face and ask me: “Go, do this.” Sometimes he works that way. Oftentimes, though, he gives us opportunities and it is our responsibility to initiate and pursue them, actively seeking his will.
Readers, I have some questions and a request for you. Most of you haven’t taken these exams, but maybe you are wrestling with some of these same questions. What have you come up with? How do you balance leisure and productivity outside of a highly-structured environment? How do you seek relevant ways to serve the Kingdom while making time for friends and family and having fun?
The request has to do with accountability. While I am attempting to wrestle with these dilemmas, actively engaging in life, there is also something in me which wants to plop down on the futon all evening, doing nothing, thinking about nothing. So as readers who also know me in real life, you are not only welcome but encouraged at any point to ask me how I’m doing with this, what I’m going through now, etc. Regardless of how it’s actually going, I’ll probably figure out a somewhat honest answer which will make you happy. But the shrewd ones among you are, well, shrewd.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Avoid all extremes
The year is half over. Thank you all for putting up with me these past 5 months. I haven't been myself much lately.
Studying for actuarial exams is quite a bit more difficult in the "real world" than in college or even high school. The strain was compounded by isolation. The Kohelet (Teacher) writes: "Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-- why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)
Hopefully in reading this, you can prevent my errors from coming up in your life. Or, maybe more realistically, if someday you find similar symptoms within you, you will have a frame of reference for processing your situation.
I really wanted to pass this exam. Getting it behind me, the rarity of passing all the actuarial tests the first time, a big FSA raise, moving on with life, personal accomplishment -- what's not to like? A certain very wise man often said, "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly."[sic]Hey, just because someone is wiser than I can ever hope to be, it doesn't mean everything they say is divinely inspired. If you know me, you know that isn't my philosophy. I can be rather forgetful at times, but if I put my mind to something, it better be done well. That personality trait can be both a blessing and a curse.
Getting back to the exam -- studying was going well. I was putting my 20 hours (Edit: per week) in (addition to work, of course). The exam is getting closer -- let's try for 30 hours. Only a couple more months -- let's try 40. It's only a month now -- can we get 50? You can probably see where this is going. In the thick of it all, I couldn't. I started getting irritable. Multiple people asked me: "Ben, is that really you? Did you just say that? That doesn't sound like you." Studying started becoming less efficient -- I would stare at a page and realize an hour later that I wasn't any further along. Drifting away from my support system -- family, Northwestern, small group, close friends only served to compound the struggles. Feet issues which kept me indoors (rather than memorizing flashcards walking down Lake Michigan) didn't help either.
So what do you do in a situation like this? Even upon coming to a realization that something might be going wrong, I didn't have much time to think about the problem. There was The Sacred Study Schedule. And not extra time in the day to sit and think. Even if there was time, I was already stressed out and my mental facilities were taxed so as to render judgment difficult.
God gives us many blessings in life. Good friends. Psychology experts. Fellow actuaries who have been-there-done-that. All these people provided much needed advice. Take a break (I took an evening off and went to Devon to eat Indian with a friend, skipping over that day's Sacred Study Schedule entirely). Break the walking up to keep your feet happy (walking for 5 minutes then sitting for 5 minutes is still 10 minutes of flashcard time, and the fresh air did me well). Don't get too caught up in your study schedule and memorizing everything (you mean if I don't quite memorize my 4 pages per day, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll utterly fail?).
The exam came and went, and it went well. Real well. But that is a different post.
Reader feedback has indicated a desire for more pictures. So if you've been able to plow through all this text, here's a picture for you. It is at a Twins game at US Cellular field, during one of the study breaks.
Studying for actuarial exams is quite a bit more difficult in the "real world" than in college or even high school. The strain was compounded by isolation. The Kohelet (Teacher) writes: "Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-- why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)
Hopefully in reading this, you can prevent my errors from coming up in your life. Or, maybe more realistically, if someday you find similar symptoms within you, you will have a frame of reference for processing your situation.
I really wanted to pass this exam. Getting it behind me, the rarity of passing all the actuarial tests the first time, a big FSA raise, moving on with life, personal accomplishment -- what's not to like? A certain very wise man often said, "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly."[sic]
Getting back to the exam -- studying was going well. I was putting my 20 hours (Edit: per week) in (addition to work, of course). The exam is getting closer -- let's try for 30 hours. Only a couple more months -- let's try 40. It's only a month now -- can we get 50? You can probably see where this is going. In the thick of it all, I couldn't. I started getting irritable. Multiple people asked me: "Ben, is that really you? Did you just say that? That doesn't sound like you." Studying started becoming less efficient -- I would stare at a page and realize an hour later that I wasn't any further along. Drifting away from my support system -- family, Northwestern, small group, close friends only served to compound the struggles. Feet issues which kept me indoors (rather than memorizing flashcards walking down Lake Michigan) didn't help either.
So what do you do in a situation like this? Even upon coming to a realization that something might be going wrong, I didn't have much time to think about the problem. There was The Sacred Study Schedule. And not extra time in the day to sit and think. Even if there was time, I was already stressed out and my mental facilities were taxed so as to render judgment difficult.
God gives us many blessings in life. Good friends. Psychology experts. Fellow actuaries who have been-there-done-that. All these people provided much needed advice. Take a break (I took an evening off and went to Devon to eat Indian with a friend, skipping over that day's Sacred Study Schedule entirely). Break the walking up to keep your feet happy (walking for 5 minutes then sitting for 5 minutes is still 10 minutes of flashcard time, and the fresh air did me well). Don't get too caught up in your study schedule and memorizing everything (you mean if I don't quite memorize my 4 pages per day, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll utterly fail?).
The exam came and went, and it went well. Real well. But that is a different post.
Reader feedback has indicated a desire for more pictures. So if you've been able to plow through all this text, here's a picture for you. It is at a Twins game at US Cellular field, during one of the study breaks.
How to tell if you need a new computer
- The "new" hard drive has crashed.
- It takes about 4 minutes to boot.
- The power cord buzzes.
- The operating system is 2 versions behind the current technology.
- The low battery light is flashing -- even when it's fully charged.
- Your suitcase is lighter than your computer bag.
- You find yourself exclusively using your cell phone's internet because even that is quicker than the computer.
- Edit You re-read your 2-year old post on getting a new computer, and you are still using the old one.
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