My Life is Changed Forever!

Please take time at some point this week to watch this video. You can fast forward the first 20 minutes, but please watch this man's lecture. After watching this lecture I can say my life is changed.

Here is a man who is on the verge of death and his views really make me look at life a little different. He changes my faith. He gives me more of a desire to love, laugh, dream and love Jesus and people in a more brilliant way then I ever have. I would love to share more thoughts on this video but I want you to watch and see what you think.

Please let me know your thoughts and please know that I am not naive enough to believe that this will change everyones life, but since you know me, I think you would want to see something that changed me.

Love you all! By the way here is his website if you want to look at it!

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

So I live in the Culinary Mecca of the United States. I can eat at the most posh restaurants in the world right? Well, I sit on home on the premier night to go out and experience what San Francisco has to offer me. It's Friday night. Well, I decide I will find Chili's! Yes my friends I decide I want Chili's. Sounds dumb and yet so good.

Well, drove around for 2 hours trying to find Chili's. That was my Friday night. Finding the most un San Fran restaurant because I had a craving for the Onion Thing they make. To ease the suspense, I never found it. I have yet to eat at Chili's but I did find PF Changs and while there I scalded my hand in the bathroom sink. I have the report to prove it. Only Kurian would burn his hand in a restaurant sink.

So there you! A quick snap shot of Kurian's high living lifestyle in San Francisco. By the way if any of you know a Chili's around here let me know!

Time Flies!

After seeing this picture of my nephew I realized the harsh reality that we all face! TIME FLIES! What the heck! I can not believe how big my nephew is getting. I also can not believe that Lani is pregnant again! I am so excited for her and Rico. Please keep them in your prayers.

Well, this week has been one of those weeks where time has really escaped me. I can't believe that it is already Thursday! I also can't believe that I have been in San Francisco for 6 months! Absolutely crazy. In these six months I have learned so much, but I think the one thing I have learned is that no matter how hard it can be, living and being in God's will is simply life giving.

I knew that if I did not move to SF that I would be saying to God I did not want to follow his path for my life. I knew that I was being called by God to move specifically to SF. I did not understand why He would call me to such a Godless city. Well, after this week I now know why. I have been sick all week and have not been to work in 2 days. During this time away from work, I have received nearly 10-15 calls from people checking on me.

I noticed that these people are the reason I was called to San Fran. None of these people love or even know about the love of Jesus. They all have had pretty nasty views of what Christianity is. Well, after hearing these calls and the concern and love I got from these people I now know I can have a clear open door to share the love of Jesus. Share why i am how I am. So i ask that each of you would pray that time does not escape me. Pray that I take advantage of every moment I have with them. I want to so badly turn this city upside for Christ and I know I can start with the people in my office. A lot of these people are influential people in the city, so I am very eager to be faithful in sharing His love.

Thanks my friends! I can't wait to continue telling stories of God's perfect grace and love being saturated in this city. I also ask that you pray that I step out of the way so that God can move.

If any of you have advice let me know. I am always open.

Love yuo all!

The voices in my head

I realized today as I sit in my room that there are so many voices in my head. Does anyone else experience this? I sit in my room and hear voices that say "Mark be free" or "Mark allow yourself to live a life full of joy" but then I also hear voices like "You need to do this, or you need to be here"

Well, I sit here and I ask the question what voices shall I listen too? I want so badly to just leave my life and travel, eat and not worry about things that we all worry about. I want to go and just be okay with waking up at 5 am with no where to go but just wanting to see the sunrise, or eat lunch for 3 hours and just eat a sandwich, but get so involved in a book that it takes me that long. I know this sounds crazy but that is whats going on in my head right now.

If anyone has advice, let me know what it is. By the way I am in no way saying I am going to leave my job and just escape to a place in Europe, I am just posing the question, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD?

Michelle Visits SF!

Michelle Rigdon who most of you know came up and visited this last weekend. WE HAD A BLAST! It was cool to hang out with her. She is low maintenance and makes it so easy to have a guest. It was cool to explore new places with her, Sean and Jamie and I really enjoyed the the times of just relaxing, watching T.V. and vegging out. Michelle made like I said having a guest very easy and I thoroughly enjoyed having her here.

WIth that I am always looking for something I learned, a lesson if you will. My lesson from this weekend was how much of a challenge it is for me to be much more low maintenance than I am. I see such a value in it. I know most people are saying AMEN KURIAN! FINALLY YOU REALIZED IT! I want to be a person that people say he is easy to hang out with. So my major learning this weekend is that being low maintenance is something I need to become an expert in!

Condo for Rent!

I need to rent out my condo ASAP! If you know anyone please let me know. Here is a picture of it. I have added new carpet, new flooring in the entry, newly painted and have left all the appliances. I am asking $1600. If you know anyone please give them my name and number!

By the way I LOVE THIS BLOGGING THING! It's awesome! Thanks guys!

Kurian

My last email to the clan!

Hi friends and family!

Well, it has been a while since I have emailed. But I figured since before I moved I sent out a thousand emails I would hold off for a bit. Well, life has been crazy here in SF! It is a world all to itself. I have never experienced a place quite like it. It is the most beautiful city, with a ton to do and a ton of people to meet, but at the same time it is one of the most Godless cities I think in the world.

I have realized that people here unlike anywhere else do not have religion at all. It is a place where people truly believe in ideas like the big bang, or that at the end of our lives that is it. Well, it has been challenging in that regard, but at the same time it challenges me to live my life according to a verse I hold close to me. Act 17:6. It says(paraphrased) "when Paul and Silas turned the rest of the world upside down and now they are here disturbing our city" This verse has never rung more true or close to home in my life.

At work, people know me as the weird Christian but at the same time they continually let me know that they appreciate my attitude and zest for life. So it is neat to be able to be shining without trying. I think there are little things that make me stand out and it allows people to feel comfortable to come and talk to me. I have already had over 5 people come ask me questions about my faith, why I am how I am, and why it is that I believe the way I do. It is amazing! So that is the part I love about living in the city. It is challenging me to be a more aware Christian of who and why I consider myself a believer.

As for a church! I have found a great church that is so different than anything I am used too, but at the same time is very similar to Mariners in many ways. The pastor (Fred Harrell) is an anointed speaker, the worship is all hymns and it is unique and freeing to read a sinners prayer and the Apostles Creed as a community. I am meeting a bunch of people, I am finally in a small group and I can easily call this place my church home.

There is a link on my blog to the church, so check it out!

"WAIT DID KURIAN SAY BLOG?" Why yes I did! I now have joined the bloggers world! (http://kuriansworld.blogspot.com/) I think I am really going to enjoy this. I feel like it will be a good way to keep you all informed without inundating your inbox with my emails. So please go onto the blog and register. It is on the right side and that way you will be able to stay up with all that's happening. Thank you my friends and family for loving me through this journey and for continually praying for me. I love you all and I can't imagine doing this journey with out each of you. On my blog you will see specific prayer requests, but just in case you cant get there I will continue to send them via email if there is an urgent one!

So please email me with whats up in your life and if you can your home addresses! I need them for something special I will be sending in the next couple of weeks!

Love you guys!

Mark