Had my first algorithms (CS 170) lecture this morning, but was done with classes as 11am. From there, I walked over to the Y, where the juniors were supposed to meet for something. Afterwards, I spent some time at home before walking back to campus to see if I made the cut for documentary photography.

When I got there, I found that the list wasn't posted on the door like the professor said it would be. I walked around the building and then up to the department office, where I ran into the professor. She told me that the list would be available tomorrow.

Since I didn't have the prerequisite for the class (college level photography course) satisfied, I was required to submit to her a portfolio of photographs. Other people submitted theirs in huge folders with large prints, but she said that since I didn't have prints I could just email her some. I emailed her 12 photographs last night.

In the evening at 7:30, joseph, ditha, and I walked over to wei wei's apartment to celebrate her 21st birthday. We played the game "rock band" for a while, talked, ate dinner, and had cake. Twas a fun gathering. Joseph and I scared ditha pretty badly twice tonight, once before the party and once afterwards.

Before the party, I jumped out of the shadows at the bottom of her apartment while joseph was filming a video of it on my camera. After the party, joseph, serena, and I followed her down a really dark road when she thought she was walking alone. When she walked down an exceptionally dark and empty sidewalk, I started running at full speed at her from behind. When she heard the loud sound of someone running at her from behind, she turned around, started screaming, and ran into the street. Joseph and Serena were around the corner behind us, and informed me later that a few strangers walking on the sidewalk suddenly stopped when they heard the screaming and were looking towards the corner. We all had some pretty good laughs (ditha included).

Devotion time notes:

Romans 15

We are called to help one another bear burdens in times of suffering, difficulty, and need. If we are "strong" in any way, we should not use what we are blessed with for our own benefit, but for the benefit of those who are "weak" in that way. If we are blessed with wealth, we should use it for those who are poor. We should also use our gifts in this way to serve God and fellow believers.

Rather than please ourselves, we should please our neighbor for their good and not ours. Our lives should be lived in a way that reflects how Christ lived his. He did not have a nice place to lay his head, even from birth, yet he did not strive after these things. His life was devoted to God and to others, and ultimately he literally laid down his life for all of us. This is how we are called to live: a sacrificial life with God in the center, lived for others and not ourselves.

This first section also argues against the "lone ranger" Christian idea: that a person can "be a Christian" by themselves without a church and community of believers (if possible). Of course, in certain situations it might be impossible to be part of a church, but for everyone else, we're commanded to be part of a body of believers. Paul prays that the same God who gives endurance and encouragement also provide unity among believers so that the church can glorify God with one heart and mouth.

Just as Jesus demonstrated acceptance (as long as people would abandon their lives of sin), we too must be accepting towards one another, in order to glorify God.

continued tomorrow...