Being home this weekend, I get some time to spend with my niece. She’s 14 months old and the cutest baby you’ll ever meet. She’s pretty smart too. She has a bunch of things she can do and say that’ll make you just want to hug and squeeze the life out of her. Right now she’s in the phase of life where she is learning to walk. She’s pretty good at it too, except for one thing: she can’t walk on her own yet. She has to constantly have at least one hand grabbing onto something otherwise she won’t move any further.
One thing she likes to do a lot is to stand up next to the sofa and walk along grabbing whatever she can until she gets to the end. As I was playing with her today and walking with her, I thought there were some good lessons I could take away from it.
As I watch my niece walk, I realize she’s very afraid of falling. She doesn’t budge when she wants to go forward but knows there isn’t something to hold onto. She’ll just turn back and be happy with how far she’s already gone, not wanting to go a little farther. Similarly, as she walks along grabbing different things, she would rather hold onto unstable shaky things (like a coat hanging on a hanger) instead of grabbing onto my hand. Even though by now, she realizes that when she holds onto my hand I won’t let go of her, she still chooses to hold onto the shaky things. Only when she goes as far as she can on her own does she finally grab onto my hand. I think that in her mind, she believes I am the one that causes her to wobble when she stands. In reality it isn’t me, it’s her! She is the one still learning how to balance herself but she doesn’t realize it yet.
I think God must see us in a similar way. How many times do I choose to walk on my own, holding on to the things I think are secure when the most secure thing is God himself. He always has His hand out wanting us to walk with Him yet I continue to only go to Him when I run out of options, when I “come to the end of the sofa.” Rebuked by a baby. sigh.
I’m back on campus for most of the rest of summer. A lot of people have been asking me what I’ve been up to. Well, beginning today, I started studying. For what? The CPA of course. Before I begin work at the end of July, I plan on taking two parts of the CPA exam. I originally planned to take all four parts before I started work but things changed. I didnt want to kill myself before working.
I have my first one on May 22nd and another on July 11th. The one in May is supposed to be the easiest of the four parts. But after my first full day of studying, I realize I have a lot of stuff to go over. None of it is new, everything has been taught or has been seen in the past 5 years of college at one time or another. It’s just a matter of looking it all over and committing it to memory and then applying it. It’s gonna be tough looking at the overwhelming amount of material but I think it can be done. I have about 8 full days to do it; 9 days including today. (I’m told you need about a week of good studying to be ok. But the review book I’m looking at says 11 weeks. Hopefully its the former and not the latter)
After my first day of studying, I realize one thing. First session on campus pretty much sucks. There’s not really anything to do. There’s not really anybody around. And it’s not too fun if you spend most of your days studying. It’s worse when you go to the union and the only people around are loud and noisy fobs. (not that fobs are terrible people….) Suddenly I’m more thankful for the school year and even having people around. Second session can’t come soon enough.
Well, I guess this is just me venting. I can already feel the toll that studying is taking on me. For the rest of my days leading up to the exam, I plan on having an afternoon and evening study session with each being about 3 to 5 hours long. I hope I can do it and not go (too) crazy in the process. Please pray for me if you can. That would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
So I’m in Houston until Sunday for my cousin’s graduation. Here are a few observations:
It’s pretty hot right during the day, about 90 degrees (though it feels like 100). It’s only May, I wonder what it’ll be like in July and August.
There are definitely more restaurants than anything thing else here. Its no wonder, the city is one of the fattest in the country (Chicago is in the top 5 as well).
At the same time, the food is amazing here. I can’t complain. This is definitely a place you never have to worry about starving.
There are many overweight people. :X
There’s construction everywhere, either for new restaurants, new condos, new businesses, etc. The city is growing more now than it has in the past few years.
Speaking of growth, the Chinese or Asian community here has had a boom within the last year. There’s a street that goes for miles with various Asian restaurants and shops.
I haven’t seen anyone carrying a gun or wearing a cowboy hat yet. There are however, many people who say “y’all.”
Joel Olsteen’s church is massive. MASSIVE. It’s the old Compaq center (the place where the Houston Rockets used to play).
That’s it for now. I may or may not add more things later.
This is currently my favorite commercial. I know it’s been out for a while but I haven’t had much time during the last few weeks due to school and other things. I need to stop making excuses.
