ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Social Media

Ever since the internet explosion, it had been plagued by trends. Whether it be cat videos, funny memes, or even people doing silly things (planking, harlem shake, milking, parkour, etc), the world has shared in them all. For the past few weeks, a new trend has been has claimed social media; the ALS ice bucket challenge.

At first, I wasn't sure what it was all about and thought it was another dumb trend. But after seeing a few and realizing it was all connected to fight ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), I began to enjoy it more and was happy when people were doing it. But then, the power of social media struck again.

Not everyone is going to like something even if it has good intentions or is for a good cause. Those who didn't and weren't afraid to speak their mind turned to social media to express their disapproval. It appeared in many ways such as people saying it was wrong to dump water on yourself rather than donate, memes of Americans being seen as stupid water wasters while others in third world countries are dying of thirst, videos bashing it because of unfortunate injuries or calling it a worthless trend, and even straight out cries for it to stop. My question is that how many people know the story behind it and all the facts?

To give a brief summary, the ice bucket challenge wasn't first linked to ALS, but rather other diseases (cancer being one of them). It wasn't until one man by the name of Pete Frates, a promising baseball player in college, diagnosed with ALS at the age of 27, decided to fight the disease. Not being able to move or talk on his own, he reached out to the Boston community and asked them to do the challenge to raise awareness for ALS. Like when the NFL and other professional sports go pink to raise awareness and funds, the ice bucket challenge was Pete's way to grab peoples' attention.

His friends did it first, then college, then Professional Boston athletes, and pretty soon the world followed suit. Since it began a month ago, the fight against ALS has raised $53 million because of this challenge. In one month! That's more than double what it raised all last year alone!

The major complaint is that some people are dumping the ice water to avoid donation and that's why they should stop. That argument only has a hint of legitimacy. Many people, including celebrities, are dumping and donating, the same as a race for breast cancer. But even if people dump water and don't donate, they have to nominate people. And as you can see, it began with one person, and thanks to social media, the world is now involved. There are many people who didn't want to be showered with water and they donated. In my opinion, awareness for ALS has gone through the roof and even if people don't donate but pour water, they are recognizing ALS and continuing the massive chain which will lead to more donations.

So whether you dump and donate, don't dump and donate, or just dump, thank you. You are putting aside your pride and supporting a fight for a disease you don't suffer from and making an effort to finding an end to this horrible disease.

Here's the link to Pete Frates' story. I urge you to watch.  http://www.refinery29.com/2014/08/73354/espn-als-ice-bucket-challenge-video-peter-frates

Words of Wisdom

My writing bug is itching bad...I mean really bad. Inspiration decided to open its flood gates upon my thirsty mind. This post is related to the wisdom that guides you throughout life whether you listen to it or not. You know how you listen to a song and like it because of the chorus or the instrumentals or because it sounds good and you don't really listen to the lyrics? I mean truly listen? That happened to me the other day.

I was listening to a Kenny Chesney song called "Where I Grew Up". For those who don't know, I love country music and Kenny is my #1 favorite country artist hands down. His music is so chill, so relaxing, and many of his songs relate to many aspects of my life. Anyway, this song has a phenomenal sound and so much raw emotion. But when I actually listened to the lyrics the other day, it struck a chord in me. The first part goes like this:

"There's still marks on the pantry door of that little house
Where Mama used to measure us
I'm proud to say that's my home where I was raised
But that ain't where I grew up


See, I gained a little on Father Time
The summer my Granddaddy died
The first time I saw Mama cry
Man, that sure was tough


Felt like I put on a few years
Watching Daddy wipe her tears
In my little coat and tie standing in that cemetery mud
That's where I grew up"

When most people ask "where did you grow up?" they are referring to your house, hometown, state, etc. But here he points out major moments that were turning points in his life that pushed him in the direction of being grown up.  In this case, a little boy experiences death and seeing adults cry. 

"My senior year, a case of beer out on the river bank
Getting a head start on twenty one
That's the place that made me feel just like a man
But that ain't where I grew up

See I gained a little on Father Time
That night I crossed that center line
I bet I rolled a dozen times

Next thing I knew I was waking up upside down
Praying God just get me out
Then I hit my knees beside what was left of my truck
Hey, that's where I grew up"

This second verse moved me a little more. We jump ahead to senior year of high school, where kids, yes kids, with bright futures do really really stupid things. As the lyrics show, he couldn't wait to be a "man" by the way of under-age drinking and then driving while under the influence. He again makes the reference that even though he felt like a man, he hadn't truly grown up. What got me here is that his mistake should have cost him his life. Instead it cost him only his truck. He realized that he was shown mercy by a Being higher than him and gained more than his life back.

"See, I gained a little on Father Time
When me and her, had our first big fight
I said some things, I made her cry
She packed all her stuff


The boy in me said let her go
But the man in me said pull her close
It was time to find out which one I was
Standing in a doorway holding on to love


That's where I grew up
Oh, that's where I grew up".

This last part is my favorite. He now touches one of the most important parts of our lives...human relationships. There is no conflict free relationship. Everyone fights, it's just how life is. But it's how you handle it that really matters. A boy can win a fight, but it takes a man to say he's sorry. He realized that love was more important than a fight and now he had grown up. 

A lot of wise stuff like this has helped me navigate this maze we call life and as a bonus, I've compiled thoughts below whether they are from me or someone else.

"Your friends and family will be there for you when you are sick or down. Your job can't"

"What comes out of the mouth, proceeds from the heart."

"If your going to get drunk, get drunk only on the love of the person you fell in love with."

"If your going to cheat, cheat death and nothing else."

"BS may get you to the top, but it won't keep you there for very long."

"Chivalry is not dead, only a select few are chosen to wield it."

"Two little words can end conflict and three will  prevent a war."

"Cherish the time you have with those you care about because time can be a thief and will rob you blind."

"Time can also heal wounds, use it wisely."

"You can lose everything. Nothing is guaranteed. Your job, degree, car, money, people, and even your life."

"Boys do stupid things, make immature decisions, cross the lines, but a man learns from his mistakes, makes wiser decisions, avoids the lines, and says he's sorry. And yes a man cries."

"Give God the glory, realize there is a Creator and you are a creation, strive for that life, and surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life."

Thoughts, Musings, and The Season We Call Summer

I have a confession to make...I have been cheating. Now before y'all get in a uproar, let me explain myself. A writer is not like an average person (if one truly does exist) in that they must enjoy every option available to them. So the truth is...I have been cheating on my blog with my journal.

Call me old fashioned, but I like writing with a pen, paper, and in cursive. Sadly cursive is a dying art because it is slowly being eradicated from public schools along with many other things, but that's another topic for another time.

I've been journaling since I was a kid, but have taken a long hiatus because of my 154 word document page story I wrote throughout the my beginning college years, poetry as inspiration comes, some memoirs, and this blog. I picked it up again because I realized how much I missed it and because the passing of two friends, back-to-back years, both the same age, just got me thinking a lot. So much that I needed a private outlet to empty my emotional bank into when their dam had been breached.

Not all of it holds sad, heavy, writing, however. One is filled with poetry and happy, personal thoughts and the other pays tribute to life, love, and friendship. These, however, are not yet fit to be shared beyond myself and may never be.

Yesterday I found myself on the shore of Lake Erie at Lakewood Park. If you haven't been there, it's a beautiful place to be. Watching the sunset there made the list of Top 100 Things to Do in Cleveland on Cleveland.com. I tend to be less in the park and closer to the shore because to me, Lake Erie is like the complicated relationship I never had. Some days, the lake is so calm that the water is like glass. You almost don't want to touch it for fear of causing a Wrinkle in Time. I can lie on the beach and listen to her waves or sit on the barrier wall and gaze across her while catching a spectacular view of the Cleveland skyline. Some days, she gives up her haul of fish. Then, without warning, she'll turn into utter rage, sending rogue thunderstorms or chaotic snow that dumps in a confined area or even withholds her treasures from me.

Looking out over the lake in the summer, puts your whole world into a new perspective. To see the sun set, with a vast array of clouds, coupled by the various birds and a strong wind, is just an amazing picture of how the Artist Himself saw beauty and created this earth to compliment that beauty...man. To us, we see other people as ugly, worthless, inferior, hopeless, weak, and complete failures. But God put His hand into the blackest of voids and created something beautiful, more beautiful than beauty itself. Even if He was satisfied with Adam alone, the whole earth was already created for him. The same goes for all of us. If each of us was the only person God created, the Grand Canyon would still be grand. The Northern Lights would still be majestic. The Alps would still glisten with wonder. And the sun would still shine from sea to shining sea.

On a final note, Mountain Top begins in 7 days. Get Ready!

Celebrating Life: A Double Tribute

Today my mind has had no rest. Today is David Kim's birthday. For those of you who never knew him, he was a man of Christ. Nearly a year ago, we lost a dear friend too soon. But his life, as short as it was, was rich and full. His journey on this earth ended, but a fresh new life in eternity began. I didn't know DK as well as I would've liked, but I knew him enough to call him a friend and a brother. Birthdays are days to celebrate life, so this is not of mourning but of celebration of a life full of happiness, hope, and Christ.

This was David.

I was debating on continuing this post, but I felt the need to. Today I found out a childhood friend who is my age, has passed away. It came as a brutal shock because in my elementary years we were like bread and butter. Whenever our mom's dropped us off with the teachers during "Mom's Group "I never felt alone with her around. I remember crying on the last day because she wasn't there and I didn't know how I was going to make it through the day. During my middle school years, her father's job moved them to Germany for five years and it was a long five years. We did write back and forth a little, but not much. Then, not long after they returned, it was my turn to move. I left PA after 10 years there and made my way to Cleveland, OH. We both grew up and lost touch, until one family trip back to PA three years ago where I got to reconnect if only brief. We swapped friend requests on facebook, but our communication still lacked. I tried to see her when I was there for a gospel trip two years ago, but plans fell through. Last year I dug out the pieces of a sourdough christmas bell ornament she had made me when we were three. I couldn't let it sit in that condition any longer so I supper-glued it back together and it still looks new. On the back written is permanent marker it says "To: Josh Love: Elise, December 1993." It still proudly hangs in my room. I also say this, it was a bright ray of sunshine to log in to facebook and see her posts. She was one of the few people who rarely (if never) posted negativity, was rarely without a smile, and was a person who knew how to enjoy life. Most importantly, she loved Christ and He loved her even more to the point where He called her home.

This was Elise.

This may continue to hit me like a brick wall for awhile, but I have peace knowing that she's in a better place.

This is why I make time for people, especially ones who I haven't seen in awhile. If any of you fall into the latter category and are reading this, I think about you quite often. To my friends who put up with me whenever I bring up my beliefs, thank you. I do it because that's how much I care about you and want you to share in the joy that I have. If I ever stop asking, then there may be something wrong with me. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. No one. Why waste life on temporary, worldly pleasures when something grander awaits? "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Consider the lives these two lived. Happy. Adventurous. Loving. Full. Christ. Until we meet again. 

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."~Revelation 21:3-4

Creation's Beauty and the Great Outdoors

I have a confession to make. I have an untamed beast inside me. That beast is is known as adventure. If not fed often, he can get real mean and restless. As a kid, the beast was a puppy. Willing to explore everything within the boundary of home but no farther. I climbed every tree I could, crawled into small dark places, snuck over to the country club and explored the 18th hole, and even played in a graveyard near our house so much that we new most of the names on the tombstones. However, this puppy had a leash. That leash was a painful one...anxiety.

I knew not these chains until one summer in the mid 90s. I was at a church camp in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay. The children's service was held in a gym across the field from the meeting place. Since it was summer, it was hot even in the early evening. The adults serving the kids opened the giant garage doors on the gym to let the air in. Now there were maybe 5-8 adults watching 30+ kids running, screaming, and creating chaos. With the doors being opened, I could see the sky getting black and not from the setting sun. A storm with a drop of God's wrath was brewing. Now being a young kid, I disliked thunderstorms, especially ones that brewed over the water. Being far away from home and not near my parents, I didn't feel safe. I had made up my mind that if I could get out of site, I would make a mad dash to the meeting building and find my parents.

My plan was simple; casually step outside, pretend like I was going to buy a soda (Pennsylvanians call pop soda and since I am recalling this from my childhood, it is presented as I saw/spoke/did it), and when I had the perfect moment, I was going to take off towards the meeting building and not even look back. There was one problem...my plan worked perfectly. I took off and didn't look back. The adults in charge never knew I had left. That thought made me feel insecure about strangers or people in charge of me who weren't my parents. To make matters worse, the storm eventually hit full force and knocked the power out. That was the night the anxiety took over.

For the next seven years, this force of evil controlled me. It made me miss out on a lot of things in life and I hated it, but I couldn't shake it. Finally, someone offered me an herbal remedy to help control nerves and stuff like that. Now I hate taking medicine because to me that means something is wrong and my body can't overcome it on it's own. To me, if I took that herbal remedy, it meant that I had a problem/disease. I didn't want that label and told myself there was nothing wrong with me. I began to branch out and do things that anxiety once controlled. Not long after, the anxiety was gone. In it's place a new animal was birthed. Adventure.

You who have read my past blog posts should know by now my desire to travel. I think the desire is at an all time high now because I am entering my mid 20s, going to be done with college soon, single, not tied down to a job, and have an urging to gain back what the anxiety robbed from me. But there is one thing that supersedes all other reasons...the utter beauty of God's creation.

Year after year, people pay good money to flock to places like the Grand Canyon, Mt. Everest, Angel Falls, the Amazon Rain forest, the Great Barrier Reef, the safaris of Africa, etc. You hear about them and learn about them, but until you see it for yourself, you won't be taken aback that you have to just stop and be still. I want to share with you four examples that I've experienced and you'll maybe see why I crave to see the grandeur on a larger scale.

#1) One summer I was at a cabin on Lake Erie. The sun was slowly calling it quits on the day and I wanted to get in one last Jetskii run. Now if you've never watched a sunset over a large body of water, I highly recommend it while being silent; it's truly magical. I hopped on the Jetskii and roared out onto the lake. I found myself pushing it to it's limits while chasing distraught seagulls for the pleasure of doing so. As I took in the scenery around me, I noticed how beautiful it looked and completely turned the Jetskii off. I sat there adrift as the sun sunk beneath the waters under a golden sky to my right and the moon had risen with the stars in a navy blue sky on my left. It was like the edge of two worlds coming into harmony. Something so beautiful was also powerful enough to make me stop everything in the middle of an adrenaline rush.

#2 and #3) In 2012, I had the pleasure of experiencing how amazing a night sky in the country can look...twice. The first came in January when I had gone down to North Carolina. We were playing a game of manhunt in Cody's backyard. I decided my hiding place would be on the ground behind the garden box. As I laid there, I gazed at the moon and all the stars. I began to reminisce on my childhood and how that was the same moon I had gazed upon all those years ago while playing hide-and-seek, waiting for fireworks on the 4th of July, and even after a Saturday night out on the town. I didn't even care anymore whether or not I would be found. I just enjoyed the scene. Then, in the late summer, I was up in Northern Wisconsin visiting family. It was 11:00 PM and I had left the bunkhouse to bring stuff in from the dock. As I was walking back, I heard the sounds of critters in the night and glanced at the sky. I had to stop dead in my tracks because I couldn't believe how many stars were visible to the naked eye. I live in the city where there is a vast amount of light pollution that blocks out the light of many stars. But here I saw millions of them, twinkling, shining, illuminating the blackness of night. I could see the many constellations I learned about as a kid and imagined myself floating among them. I could've stayed there all night just watching them shine in the vast dimensions of space.

#4) October 2011. I was nearly two full months into my year long Christian internship. We (Ann Arbor, Buffalo, and Cleveland) were asked to make a trip to Fayetteville, WV. I had been there two years before for Bridge Day, but this time around was a little different. After a couple of days in the Gospel, we were given the opportunity to go hiking in the WV mountains. This was the perfect time to go because it was Autumn and the trees were draped in color. We walked up a trail littered in leaves and saw the beauty of a mountain forest. Eventually we went off trail, climbed over large rocks, shimmied up trees and squeezed through tiny crevices until we reached an overlook point. You couldn't help but sit there in awe of the colorful mountainside, the dark blue river that ran through the mountain, and the nature that surrounded it. West Virginia is a wild and  wonderful state.

From a sunset/moon rise on an Ohio shore to two midnight skies in NC and Wisconsin to the Autumn mountains of WV, you can see the brilliant artistry of God's hand. The kind that you have to pause and be still at. The kind that takes your breath away. The kind that just makes you appreciate the Lord's love for us. I cannot wait to see where adventure leads me next.

Memorial Day: A Day of Honor, Sacrifice, and Remembrance

This time every year kicks off the summer holiday season, the BBQs, the beach-going, and the summer fun. Sometimes amid all this joyous  celebration, the true meaning is lost.

Now as many of you know, I am extremely patriotic and as proud to be an American as they come. If I ever were to ever (and that's a big ever) get a tattoo or two, I'd have the Stars and Stripes on my left shoulder and bald eagle on my right. The question asked is, would I then be willing to serve my country. To drop everything and defend this nation from all enemies that attack her. Right now I honestly could not because I feel that that is not my calling. My calling is that of Christ. My family and friends are more important to me than defending the good ole U.S. of A. But if war came to this land and every man had to pick up arms, I would not cower from that duty.

Many great men forged this country through many conflicts, battles, and wars. Through courage, will power, and faith. We know many of these men well. George Washington, Jon Paul Jones, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, to name a few. None of these great leaders could have done what they did without the willingness of thousands of men fighting for or with them. American soldiers. Brave men and women who answer the call of duty and face hell for the purpose of keeping this nation free. All the pleasures, privileges, and freedoms we as U.S. citizens enjoy is due to the sacrifice of millions. You can dive deep into history and find many instances where a single battle or event could've changed the course of history and the way to we live today. Imagine if George W. Bush didn't take action against terrorism when they attacked American soil. If the eight presidents during the Cold War let communism run wild. If FDR decided to stay neutral and let Hitler and his brainwashed Nazis claim Europe. If Wilson didn't stand up to fascism. If men like Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Paul Revere, Jon Paul Jones, all decided fighting wasn't an option. Or if George Washington and the men he commanded decided servitude to the British was easier than sacrificing everything for the price of freedom.

Even with all these great heroes, we must still remember that anyone who has answered the call, fought for this country, bleeds Red, White, and Blue, or has died for this country is a true American hero.  Gone but never forgotten. Happy Memorial Day!

Today's Children are Being Robbed

I hope the title of this post caught your attention. I hope the title even got you stirred up so much that you actually begin to think about your kids, your friends kids, or even your future children. This has been on my mind lately and it see it almost daily. What am I referring to? Plain and simple: technology and how it is robbing today's kids of important parts of their childhood.

It's bad enough with teenagers in high school and even adults that can't seem to set that phone down, but to see elementary school and even pre-school kids with their attention zapped by hours on end with a tiny little thing known as a smart phone, iPad, and even a hand-held gaming devices pains me inside.

When I was a kid, none of this technology existed, except for video games (and I will get into that a little later), so I didn't have the opportunity to have my attention stolen by such things. I spent my summer days racing my brand new Huffy bike over hills, through the woods, and even down the street. I climbed trees to the very top and gave some on-lookers the sting of fear. I played soccer with trees for goals, I had a tree swing that I spent hours on, I built tee-pees out of giant branches and old blankets, I invented games only to have them banned by my parents because someone got hurt or something got broken. I raced my Radio Flyer wagon with the neighborhood kids, I built forts out of logs, flew kites with ease, raced remote control cars with my friends, played hide-and-seek until dark. I imagined I was a battleship captain at war with pirates, a lone knight who conquered castles and kings, a brave soldier who fought many wars, and even the hero of the football team who scored the winning touchdown when all hope was lost. That is only a taste of what I did in the summer. All of this before I was thirteen.

Like any other kid, the technology still drew me. I grew up playing the original Nintendo, Atari, Super Nintendo, and the N64. I was able to do this because I had cousins who owned these systems and once a week we would go to my grandparents and play them with each other. Now my parents were very strict and didn't allow us to have any of these systems because they saw something that we kids didn't. They saw how little effort it took to play and how much precious time was lost into those games. I remember one time crying and screaming at my mom at the fact that all my friends had video games and I didn't. She didn't budge but in a calming way reminded me that not everyone can have everything and that I may understand why down the road.

It took me awhile, but I had to experience things on my own. We didn't get a game system until 2004 when in was given to us as a gift. Now my parents weren't ones to refuse gifts, so they told us we could keep it but were limited to 15 minutes a day. Then when I was 15 and in high school when I bought my first system with my own money (there's a long story behind that one, but that's for another time). At one point I owned four video games systems. Now I only own one and I hardly ever use it. The reason for this is because video games have lost their allure for me. I look back on my life and my childhood and see that my parent's didn't rob me of something cool, but they gave me a chance to imagine, explore, see the world in all the beauty God put into it and really be a kid. I look at now and seeing all my friends grow up and begin to graduate college, get real jobs, and get married, I know how precious time is to be with them and so I try to spend as much as I can hanging out with them.

That's why it pains me when I see 3-6 year-olds hidden behind a smart phone or iPad, navigating it with ease and given no restriction on it at all. Or 7-12 year glued to the screen so as to get out of their parent's hair or even sitting in the same room and having no human interaction because they are communicating through this technology.

Don't get me wrong, this technology is wonderful and keeps us connected as well as makes our lives easier, but sometimes we abuse it and miss what really matters. Also, I am not telling anyone how to parent their child and I have no place to seeing as I don't have kids of my own. But I realized now the true value of not having this stuff as a kid and for me I am glad my parents refused me that privilege. My little sisters are a prime example. I almost never let them play games on my phone, and sure we let them watch a movie a day and even sometimes they play video games with us, but I see Lydia with her nose buried in books, opening her imagination. I see Hannah playing with her dinosaurs and bringing them to life. I see them both excited to ride bikes, play basketball (Lydia's favorite sport), and go outside and play, not even caring that they can't play video games. They are being children and living their childhood that so many kids are missing out on.

I even admit that I spent a lot of time on video games throughout high school and even early on in college. Not all of those times were wasted because I enjoyed my friend's company and made many memories of our greatest games, but we still did other things and realized that having human interaction was way more important than just clicking a mouse or pressing a controller button (most of the time). I also admit that sometimes I need to put the phone down too, because if it doesn't start with an almost college grad or parent, how are today's kids going to take a break? Life is too short to miss out on what really matters.