most people don't know this-only the people who have gone for tea with me or have gone to the great extent of driving to la and back to sd-know that i have a fanatical obsession with apple black tea. and its not just any apple black tea either, it has to be from tenrens. to me, a trip back to la is never complete without apple black tea. there's something about it, i don't really know how to explain it. i swear, i'm such a tea addict. D:
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something else people might not know about me is that when i go back to la on friday nights, if time allows, i will attend a church group. i know right, connie, going to a cell group, on a friday night? what happened to the parties? but i've come to realize that the lessons i've learned there are more rewarding then going to any party. today, eric shared his thoughts about a specific passage in the purpose driven which is a book that has many life lessons that can take a person a lifetime to learn. today, he mentioned a topic that really describes what i really see friendship as, and i wanted to share it with whoever bothered to read my blog.
"when you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. in america, tomatoes are usually picked unripened, so they won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Thus, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with carbon dioxide gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly." such is the same with friendship. you can never "speed up" the process of friendship and expect it to bear the same sweetness as a friendship that is aged with time. friendships that are formed because of material gifts is like spraying a tomato with carbon dioxide-of course, there will be some sort of relationship formed, but friendship that is formed through fond memories, laughter, smile and time is sweeter than any fruit, better than any aged wine, and worth more than anything money can buy. the importance of things can be measured by home much time and patience you are willing to invest in it. time is the most precious gift you can give someone, because there is a limit to it. you can make more money to shower gifts--but time is something that you can never get back. today, ty mentioned that we may think that we have an endless supply of time-but in reality, we really don't have that much time. if you sleep 8 hours a day, (i know most of us don't know, but its what we're supposed to get) by the time you're 60 years old, you will have slept away 20 years of your life. that leaves you with only 40 years left to play, to relax, to work, to go to class, to eat, to spend with others...although 40 years can sound like a lot, if you really do that math, its really not that much. in addition, how can you guarantee that you will live beyond 60? if its really you're time to go, its your time to go. it doesn't matter if you're 102 years old, or if you're only 23 years old. the unexpected happens--when it happens, you can't do anything to extend the time you have left. (of course there are medicine and medical procedures, but eventually, when its your time, you can't do anything about it-technology can only bring you so far.) you don't know how long you'll have the opportunity to love-circumstances change-people die, children grow up. there is no guarantee of tomorrow. if you are going to love, you have to do it now. the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves. when you give your attention to someone else, it means you value them enough to give them your most precious asset-your time. time is the most precious thing we have to give. it can not be measured in monetary amounts. time is the most limited thing we have. you can give without loving, but you can not love without giving. love that is ripened through time is far above anything that we can possible have. it doesn't matter if that love is given to friends, a significant other, or family-if you spend the time to give your attention to someone, then they have receive the greatest thing you can give to them. "let love be your greatest aim, for a life without love is truly worthless."
don't procrastinate in giving your time and love to others-you never know if you'll have that chance tomorrow. time is too precious to leave unused, for love leaves a legacy that cannot be compared to anything.
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well THAT was a handful. but there's something else i must address. people seem to think i've gone emo or something. :x yes, my blogs may be slightly depressing, and my status on msn may have something depressing, but it might just a song stuck in my head :D maybe its just a way for me to express things that are stuck in my mind. my blog is a place for me to speak from my heart and the things that you might not see when i'm in person, being happy happy and all. however, i can see why people act emo all the time when they really don't have to be, getting the attention of friends that really do care for you is truly heartwarming. but, i'm not the person to really express everything-i try not to be an open book because i don't want everyone to know what i'm really thinking-sometimes, it's just be a burden that i did not wish for others to bear. concerning the emo posts, its just stuff thats been in my mind and the stress from daily life (ie finals) was getting to me and i needed to express it. :P normally i have happy things in mind, its just recently there's just been a lot of stuff going on. :D i love you all though, all my emo blogs and stuff makes me feel like an attention whore because you guys are all like "omg connie, don't be sad!" kiss kiss love love. hahaha. really, i'm fine. xD <3