How To Install Love

A call comes through the customer service line....

Customer Service Rep:  Yes, Ma'am, how can I help you today?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install divine love.  Can you guide me through the process?

CS Rep: Yes, I can help.  Are you ready to proceed? 

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready to install now.  What do I do first?

CS Rep:  The first step is to open your heart.  Have you located your heart ma'am?

Customer:  Yes I have, but there are several other programs running right now.  Is it okay to install while they are running?

CS Rep:  What programs are running ma'am?

Customer:  Let's see... I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOW-ESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM

CS Rep:  No problem.  LOVE will gradually erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system.  It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs.  LOVE will eventually overwrite LOW-ESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own call HIGH-ESTEEM.EXE.  However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM.  Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed.  Can you turn those off ma'am?

Customer:  I don't know how to turn them off.  Can you tell me how?

CS Rep:  My pleasure.  Go to your start menu and invoke  FORGIVENESS.EXE.  Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.  

Customer:  Okay, done.  LOVE has started installing itself automatically.  Is that normal?  

CS Rep:  Yes.   You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your heart.  Do you see that divine message?

Customer:  Yes, I do.   Is it completely installed?

CS Rep:  Yes, but remember that you have only the base program.  You need to begin connecting to other Heart's in order to get the upgrades.

Customer:  Oops... I have an error message already.  What should I do?

CS Rep:  What does the message to say?

Customer:  It says "ERROR 4:12 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS"  What does that mean?

CS Rep:  Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem.  It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external Hearts but has not yet run on your Heart.  It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means that you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE" others.

Customer: So what should I do?

CS Rep:  Can you pull down the directory call SELF.ACCEPTANCE?

Customer:  Yes, I have it.

CS Rep:  Excellent.  You're getting good at this.

Customer:  Thank you.

CS Rep:  You're welcome.  Click on the following files and then copy them to the MYHEART directory:  FORGIVE-SELF.DOC, REALIZE-WORTH.TXT, and ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS.DOC.   The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any programming.  Also you need to delete SELF-CRITIC.EXE from all directories, and to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back, you will need to empty your recycle bin.

Customer:  Got it!  Hey!! My Heart is filing up with new files.  How divine it is now!  SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows PEACE.EXE and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my Heart.  Is this normal?

CS Rep:  Sometimes.  For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets downloaded at the proper time.  So, LOVE is installed and running.  You should be able to handle it from here.  One more thing before I go.

Customer: Yes?

CS Rep:  LOVE is freeware.  Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet.  They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some similarly cool modules back to you.

Customer:  I will.  Thanks for your help.  By the way, what's your name?

CS Rep:  You can call me Divine Cardiologist, also known as The Great Physician.   Most people feel all they need is an annual check-up to stay heart healthy, but the Manufacturer suggests a schedule of daily maintenance for maximum efficiency...

(from www.lovethissite.com)  

It's my last day here.   Amazing, heartbreaking and truly humbling trip.

I'm ready to come home though.  

And not just because....

My camera along with all of my pictures was stolen today.

I'm pretty upset, but trying to keep a humble perspective.   

It was a tangible item. But, compared to the obscene poverty I have taken in this week losing a camera is nothing.

But it still sucks.

I have more stories once I'm stateside.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!  For HE is GOOD.

Checking In

It has been a great week in Phnom Penh.   I came down with a cold on Wednesday but seem to be battling back.   I think I pretty much just sweated it out.

I had the opportunity to stop by the Partners In Progress house and catch up with some of the staff and teachers I worked with here last year.  It was great to see them.   They are hard up for teachers at the moment, and I have to admit I briefly entertained the idea of staying a bit longer...

We arrived in Siem Reap today at 7:40 am and immediately took off to the temples to begin filming.  According to the film maker the light was beautiful this morning.  

It is now mid-day, meaning its too hot and the light to bright to shoot, so we checked into the hotel and will start back up again around 2:30.  

Our tour guide is fabulous.  He is a young man in his early 20's studying to be a teacher here in Siem Reap.    He of course is eager to practice his language skills and learn some slang.   He also has a great sense of humor, so the day has been quite enjoyable with him.

We'll be in Siem Reap until Sunday, when we leave for Pursat.  It is a 4-5 taxi ride.   I have never been to that particular Province, but form what I have learned it is fairly rural compared to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.    Squatty potty here I come!!  

There's your quick update.  I'm off to ring out my sweat soaked clothes  and sit under the Air-Con for a bit.

Thanks for the continued prayers. 

Facebook vs. Blogger

I figured out a way to get my photos off my camera.  So, while blogger would not let me upload photos here, Facebook was more than willing to cooperate!!   If you are on Facebook feel free to check out what my first few days of Cambodia has been filled with.  

:)

I had the opportunity to spend yesterday evening hanging out with this organization and their kids.  It is such a great program here in Cambodia.   Please take a moment to check out the YouTube video and link.

Tiny Toones of Cambodia 

Which would you like first?...

Good news or bad news?

How about the good news......

I'm here safe and sound.  Luggage arrived successfully,  hotel is great, weather is hot but manageable and the mango still taste as delicious as ever.    The transition was easy, now that I know what to expect and where to find things.

The bad news.....

I forgot my camera cord.   So no pictures to download.    I think I might know where to purchase one, so keep your fingers crossed.

I had a great day exploring the city yesterday.  I went to both of the major open markets and a few of the local temples. 

We begin shooting today and are pretty much jam on it for the rest of the week.   

I'll try to be a bit more descriptive tonight.

Thanks for the continued prayers!!!!

Same Song... Second Verse...

With my trip to Cambodia rapidly approaching I have had little time to stop and reflect that I am indeed going back there, but last night as I began to get my documents in order and start the packing process, I found myself being pulled back into memories and emotions of this time last year.

It's hard to believe that a little over a year ago had you asked me to point out Phnom Penh on a map it would have taken me a bit to even find what country it was located in.  

For many different reasons I am looking forward to this trip.  I feel like I'm so different than who I was last year.    As I look back to where I was at my life last year, I can see that I was living as a shell of a person.

Comparatively, everything about me last year seemed desperate, broken, and weak.

My faith was desperate.  My heart was broken.  And any hope for the future was weak.

Its hard to think back to that.   To remember why, and how.  

But this time, this trip, I have such different expectations.   

God's hand totally led the way last year.   While my faith was desperate, His was firm.  While I thought my broken heart would hurt forever, He had already begun the healing.  And my future while unknown (and still is) had (has) already been planned with eternal love.  

Its awesome to be able to have the opportunity to revisit a defining chapter in my life.   To look back and see the poetic "footprints".

I can't wait to see what God has planned for this trip :)!!!

ps.  I went to the Cardinals game on Saturday - IT WAS AWESOME!!!  My feet rested on the dugout - unfortunately the batteries in my camera died :(