Day 150 of 365: Bridal fair

So if someone claims that God doesn't exist, would you ask them if they made the effort to search for God? If they said 'yes', then it's probably a physical search of God through science. That's not how it works. In fact, even though God created all that we see and touch, we can't expect to find God there. Reason being is because we are fixated on looking for a physical God. And the whole time we are teaching about God as a spirit like the wind that we cannot see. Basis to prove that God doesn't exist? To the atheist it is, but to a Christian, it's the foundation of faith. Most people probably didn't make the effort to earnestly seek God out. Plenty of reasons why. Pride, fear of being ridiculed, fear of the revelation of condemnation, fear of being proven wrong, insecurity from a lack of control in life.

As Christians, the discipline of seeking after God is the way of getting an encounter with God. You can't discover something if you're not actively looking for it. So if you're not doing your devotions, praying or getting the godly fellowship, there is no way your heart is ready to fellowship with God. Jeremiah 29:13-14 speaks of this. The seeking and finding of God. Oh, Pastor Steve Korch covered this today at church. Very profound. Wakes you up if you're not active in your seeking of God. Want a great spiritual fellowship with God? Seek Him! If things are starting to fall apart around you, don't be discouraged! The way I see it, you are doing something right and the devil is trying to stop you! Remember Job! Ride the storm and you'll see the end of it. Give up and you'll be gone.

Anyway, about today. First session of pre-marital counseling. Piece of advice for the men out there. Women need emotional answers to their tough questions, not logical ones. I was slapped by Pastor Kingston saying that Annie doesn't need a logical assurance, but an emotional one. And I've been giving logical ones... Learn to be emotionally sensitive!

Talking about emotionally sensitive, I went to a bridal fair with Annie.

Day 149 of 365: Dumb thing

Evangelism. A tricky concept. It's...something that we need to do as a church because we need to share the Gospel, but when does the line separate sharing the Gospel and forcing an ideology? First off, you can't force someone to believe in Jesus. That's humanly impossible and is not our responsibility. That is all between God and the person. The Great Commission called us to MAKE disciples, not covert disciples. We are charge to build up the church in the way that Jesus built up His disciples. No way are we to take credit for someone that believes in Jesus, or else that'll be stealing from God. We take joy that a new believer found a new found fellowship with their creator and joy from eternal life. I firmly believe that I am called to build fellow younger brothers, not sisters because that's what older sisters are for, and see that they develop their relationship with Jesus in a sound and solid way that gives them an opportunity to raise disciples of their own. Evangelism is sharing the Gospel, not converting people.

Dumb thing today...i took a nap at a wrong time and i miss an event that i committed to go. i felt so very awful after waking up to a missed event... i don't know if i was that tired, but i should have at least went first and come back early to nap. It's really awful of me...

Day 148 of 365: Simple message

I read a news article about a riot in Berkeley. Pretty violent and it has to do, of course, with the tuition fee hikes. I don't know if it matters if they destroy public property, mobilize civil law enforcers, and get arrested when the government funds all these. Isn't that where the students don't want the money to go to? Have it invested in education instead? Well, can't say that because the government has their way of spending the tax dollars, but it doesn't make sense to me if students are violently causing the exact thing that the government is putting the money into. Where's the civility? And violence isn't the way? Isn't that what they preach too when addressing the wars in the Middle East? So no violence outside of the US, but it's okay within? I don't know...

Christians are called to be separate from the world in terms of where our desires stand. We are in the world and live it, but we are apart in thought and goal. We can't lie about our intentions. We can't claim one and do the opposite. That's not what we are called to be. The book of 1 John describes that in detail. If someone claims to be in Christ, they need to do the commands passed down to them, not just ignore it and "enjoy" the company of other fellow Christians (or take advantage). Serve one another. Leave none behind.

There was a youth pastor/director candidate today that spoke to both Jr. High and High School. Simple message as the kids said it was, but it was good that they learned it again. Separated and played games at the end. Phew...

Day 147 of 365: Our day

There's a reason why some people are so hard to love. In fact, it is in God's will that these people are hard to love. That reason: for the God's children to practice His word in loving one another, no matter how hard it is to love them. Jesus probably demonstrated this love in the best way that is difficult for a mere human being to replicate. It's easy for Him because He is God manifested in human form and we know that God is love. Regular people like you and me, however, are born in sin and therefore have that difficulty loving.

There is hope though! By our faith and knowledge of our election by God, we come to know this love and in our goal to follow Jesus' commands, we learn to love one another. There shouldn't be any difficulty in loving others because if there is, it's the sin talking us out of our faith. That's a warning there. We can't allow our sinful bodies to dictate what our hearts aim to do. As the Apostle Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, we have to take control and do the will of God!

I know in my life, there are some that I have a hard time loving. I know God is tugging at my heart to love them. Revealed His Word to me so many times in sermons, BSF and radio programs on KFAX. What I need to work on is obedience and learning how to rebuke in love. Most of the time, it's because something didn't sit right in my stomach that stirs these negative feelings. Pray...

Well, the day was just another work day. The highlight was definitely my impromptu dinner date with Annie at that Japanese place on the corner of 16th and Irving. Good dinner. And we had dessert at 100%...on Clement? Pretty decent HK desserts. I like! That made our day for sure...

Day 146 of 365: Many flaws

i thought i would sleep in late today, but i only got a couple more hours of sleep from my usual wake-up time. Got out of bed at 8:30 and began the usual start-up procedures. Spent most of my morning working on a fellowship update for the congregational meeting and then made some Nutella sandwiches. Oh, i made a Nutella and Peanut Butter sandwich with the hope of a taste of Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Not the same.

Rather productive day. Went to Duncan to clean that place up. Killed all the bugs i could find there. Went blindly to Target, thinking i need to get something, only to realize that i didn't have to. Got some Jamba while i was there and stopped by Gamestop to see if there's anything good. Found a cheap game for $15. Happy. Headed for Ranch 99 after to get eggs and miscellaneous stuff. Did some posting after arriving at home and started to cook dinner before i have to head out to the TnT meeting.

Something struck me today, in terms of revelation, about myself. i am not as disciplined as i think i am. i can appear like i am, but in actual reality, i'm not. Shows some of the many flaws about myself.

Day 145 of 365: Crazy patients

Something from BSF struck me weeks ago, but it still had me thinking now. In John 13, Jesus washes His disciples feet and mentioned that a man who had a bath need only to wash his feet. Of course, this is speaking of our salvation and cleansing of our sins (bath) and the washing of the feet represents the confession of our daily sin. The thing that strikes me is that we will always be battling the sin in us. Though we are in Christ, we remain in Christ and fight our weak body to resist sin. It's hard especially for bad habits that has been conditioned into our mentality, but one good thing is that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit who guides and tugs our hearts to do the God-pleasing thing. Our focus in life is to please God and give glory in all things, good and bad, and that means to give glory to God by seeking Him when we failed. Only through Jesus can we have that relationship with God. Why? Because there is no other name by which we can be save, but the eternal name of Jesus. It takes a big wok to cook a big meal and our sin is huge!

Nothing special today other than a couple crazy patients and the rain.

Day 144 of 365: Awesome life

i've made an observation on how people behave in this country. Might not be a big deal, but i think it could build into one. Here it is: we are not honest enough. Why do i say this? Because we tend to be "courteous" about certain things so as to not appear too critical and discouraging even though there are some aspects of life that needed correction. i feel like i've been taught to be encouraging to others, but not taught to rebuke when it's necessary. When things go horribly wrong, we shut up and talk later behind secured doors while our false sense of encouragement fuels the wrong. Has the church forgot the concept of rebuking? Or has the church conformed into the world's avoiding "hate" crimes? Well, i think it's because of how the world tries to rid the society of racism, sexism and all that great "ism's" of our sinful nature. Truth is that these negative human nature will always be there. Tolerance can be adapted, but it's only but a cover, a mask, to temporarily seal away hate. Much like the fig leaves that Adam and Eve made to cover their nakedness, but it's not enough. Sin is still there.

As the church, we have been given a task too great for one man or woman to handle. That's why we are a church body! One works to support another to achieve a common goal. i believe that churches are losing that scoped view of giving God all the glory, taking the Bible seriously and loving others outside of our silly comfort zones.

We need to rebuke each other, out of love, because without drawing the line and being accountable with each other, it's like a person with poor hand/eye coordination. A task can't be done if one part of the body can't work with another.

Well, that's my thoughts of the day. What happened today? Work, lunch, work, home, chill, dinner, laundry, movie, laundry, ANNIE, blog, sleep. Awesome life!

Day 143 of 365: Puny pipsqueak

I really like Pastor Steve Korch! Not only is his style of teaching to my liking, he's teachings are just solid and memorable. Some pastors just come out dry, to be bluntly honest, but this pastor has it down! Firm biblical applications with great stories to back it up! Today was about 1 Peter 4:7-11 and the focal point was about love in the church. The part that was intriguing to be was how he used 1 Corinthians 13.

Pastor Korch pretty much broke the whole chapter into 3 parts:

1) When we choose to act in love, we don't behave like jerks towards others
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

2) When we choose to act in love, we love others even if they are jerks towards us
(1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

3) When we choose to act in love, i see the best in you
(1 Corinthians 13:8-13)

Honestly, i've never seen this passage in this way before, but the fact of the matter is that we are often blind by our fat ego that we are quite unloving towards each other. When does a joke turn into something that is completely out of line? Out of pure pleasure, we sacrifice someone's self-esteem, or self-confidence, in order to just feel good among our friends. The word, "jerk", was sort of a nudge in the direction of how i should hold myself at this age as an example and a leader. What joy that is meant to please me should not be from the results of another person's downfall, but rather from the joy of a creator God that rejoices in the light of His servant completely a task faithfully and in line with His glory.

Another passage that i like, that Pastor Korch shared, is found in an obscure and minor prophet of the Bible, Zephaniah. In Zephaniah 3:17, it speaks of the joy of God over us. The joy of a mighty God over a puny pipsqueak that deserves nothing more than a boot's bottom. Wow! What description of the love of God!

In other news, Annie and i went cake tasting, Target shopping, dumpling making and honeymoon planning.

God is great! Amen!

Day 142 of 365: Spam musubi

My voice is still shot, but it's not as erratic as last night with its variety of pitches and tones. This time, it's deep, but with cracks here and there. Getting the extra hours in sleep really helped out a lot. I managed to rest as much as I could even with a painful, dry throat. Regardless, it was a good rest.

It was a day of meetings for the day. One for the mission trip in the summer and another with the wedding caterer. Both went well and were brief. In between both meetings, I had lunch with some of the fellowship leaders at Americana. Sucks to not be able to eat fried food...or a hamburger steak...

Anyway, after all those meetings, Annie and I went to Old Navy to check out their sale. It was jeans for $19 and shirts for $5. Not bad. Got a couple of new jeans and a "dri-fit" shirt. After that, we went back home and chilled for a while before heading out to buy groceries. Made Spam-musubi for dinner. Good stuff! I love spam...not the spam emails...

We finished some pre-marital homework after that and then sat back and watch 'Star Trek' (the new one). Pretty cool day, I must say!

Day 141 of 365: Carpenter's tools

My voice was completely gone today. Completely! I went to work anyway and my supervisor was shocked. I felt fine, but it just that I can't do much without my voice because I answer phone calls. I told her I'll try, but of course I had a hard time getting my voice to cooperate. At the end, my day was sliced in half and got off at 1pm.

I went for my haircut after that and when that was done, I got some Vietnamese spring rolls for lunch. Not long after lunch, I drove Annie to the auto body shop to pick up her car. Did everything fairly quick and I found myself back at home making an attempt to finish BSF homework. Ended up with one day left, which is a short one, and calling in "sick" for the meeting on Saturday morning. That means sleep-in for me!

Anyway, Friday fellowship was filled in with a concert done by CTI Music Ministries. CTI stands for Carpenter's Tools International. Good concert, but sucks because I can't sing. Had fun though. I'm definitely not at their level of musicianship... I wish I was, but music isn't something that I plan to professionalize...

Day 140 of 365: Wanton mee

Official entry...instead of the one that Annie logged... Aiya...at least she took joy out of it, but this is entry is the official one that came out from my own thoughts.

Half day of work today because my boss wanted me to rest up. Good thing too since I wasn't feeling a 100% yet. Sucks to get sick. Can't work at efficiently as before, but it's good to know that I'm not always sick. Thankful for good general health.

Anyway, I got some jook and dim sum for lunch. Might have made a mistake of ordering Ha Cheong, but it's okay. I was full for the most part, but it might have triggered my cough. (Oh, it was cool that one of the nurses at work gave me some lozenges for my throat. Helped me a lot during the morning.) I took a couple of naps during the day and drank tons of water. I had to get out of bed a couple times to pee during my nap until I got tired of getting up and decided to remain up. Playing around with my computer for awhile and my XBox until I got tired again. Napped for another 2 more hours.

Annie got me some Wanton mee for dinner. So cool of her to do that. We chat while I rested and did some of my BSF homework. So behind on it...

My proclaimation

I love Annie because she's so beautiful in so many ways. She is the apple of my eyes and my cuppy cake. She is the woman of my dreams and I think about her all the time. I hereby proclaim to the world that I will buy her a BIG three-stone diamond ring, accompany by a diamond necklace and ruby earrings, representing my undying love for her. I shall also fulfill her wish of naming our kids Lefty and Righty and they shall be ambidextrous.

Day 139 of 365: Feel bad

I managed to get to work today, but my boss let me sign out early. Still not feeling completely there, yet I'm able to work on the usual stuff. I'm just glad that it wasn't as busy.

The moment I got off work, I went home and rested my head. There was a headache that was building up from work and it was annoying the goodness out of me. Soon after I felt like I could do things, I put together a package for Kristy per her request. I don't know if it was insane of me to walk to the Parkside post office, but I guess it beats looking for parking. Got myself a fruit juice with Vitamin C to help my immune system while I make my way down. Always feel like I get temporary relief from that sometimes.

Anyway, got safely and chilled for a while. Drank a lot of water and just stayed in my room. Not long after, it was dinner time and I made dumplings. Amos was asleep at this time. Kinda feel bad that I didn't make anything for him...

Day 138 of 365: Beyond belief

I woke up several times during the night. Couple times between 1 and 2am, and once every hour after. I don't know why, but I just went back to sleep after. At 6:30am, I decided to call in sick. I could feel my body breaking down and my mind feeling sluggish. I'm starting to dislike sickness... Thankfully, I have sick leave, so I still get a day's worth of pay. Too bad that I had to use most of it, but the way I see it, it's worthless.

So I slept in longer. Until 11am. That's good. Got myself a bowl of cereal and chilled for a while until Amos got home. He made some lunch, which I'm glad that he's taking the initiative. Made some for me, which makes it better. Pretty much ate with him while watching 'Get Smart'. Pretty funny movie. Not too long before the movie end, I decided to sleep for a while longer. Only an hour though.

To sum my thoughts for the day, I really don't like to skip work, don't like to be sick and don't like to feel crap. But, hey, that's life and we have to take it as it gives. Just thank God that we are blessed beyond belief.

Day 137 of 365: Rental car

My throat is not feeling too good today. I can feel it slowly getting sore. I hope I'm not going to get sick, but if I do, do it quickly. I have a busy week coming up. I just finished drinking a cup of warm water too, so I hope it'll help in some way.

Anyway, quick update on today. I didn't cycle. I just sleep a little more. Woke up to breakfast and just waited for Annie to get back. She got in around 12ish and that's when we went to lunch at Tofu Village. Helped her return the rental car and we headed home to chill and relax before the New Year's dinner.

That's pretty much the bulk of the day. And now, I'm heading to bed. Hope the sleep will help.

Day 136 of 365: Recuperation day

The retreat is done! The last retreat as a single! Thank God too because that means I'm a weekend closer to the wedding! Another thing that hit me is how much I miss Chinese New Year in Singapore. A genuine Singaporean New Year's dinner with that crazy Chinese salad that everyone digs into and tosses. That has to be one of the most memorable parts of Singaporean Chinese New Year... Oh, man... Being alone at home is starting to feel...dull. At least if I know that someone's around, I wouldn't feel too bad. It's just so quiet... Well, too many thoughts... I'm going to try to do something active tomorrow. Clean the house or cycle Lake Merced or ready up some errands to do. Today, however, was a recuperation day. Too much Jr. High for the week...

Day 135 of 365: Relaxing rest

Thank God that I could update! Thanks, Ben! I'm using a Mac and it's disorienting. The full day of the retreat was relaxing for the most part. I sort of blurred out at the evening set and I couldn't read the chords or the lyrics. Sucks, but I'm thankful either way. Shows how badly I haven't practice. Anyway, keeping it short and brief, it was a relaxing rest for myself.

Day 134 of 365: Good one

I might not be able to update tonight, so I'll update on what I think might happen. Well, a couple things happen already. Small mistake in the retreat folders, Lia is too sick to come tonight and who knows what's next! For now, I'm going to head out to Costco to get supplies for the retreat and most likely be out for the entire day. Pray for a good one for both TNT and PRAISE!

Day 133 of 365: More practical

Had an early Chinese Year Eve dinner with Annie's parents plus one of Annie's friends. Lots of really good food! Pretty much banquet quality food by my taste buds! It was awesome! Annie's friend bought a...fruit tree...??...and it was a cool one! Kinda made my Tangerines look like nothing, but it's okay, she had a good reason for it.

Anyway, I'll put in another short entry for tonight. Lots of retreat stuff to take care of. You know...come to think about it, I might not be able to update for the next couple of days...but we'll see how it goes. Now I wish I had an iPhone...or a Blackberry... Blackberry seem more practical though...

Day 132 of 365: Enjoy life

New change for worship sets! Use lower case "I" instead to emphasize how small we really are in comparison to God. Of course, upper case every word that describes God. Yes, most of my time today was spent working on retreat stuff. There's a lot to do and I am happy that I got most of it down. I just have to put set 3 and 4 and I'll pretty much be done. Put everything together in the folders and voila! Half of me can't wait for the retreat. The other half can't wait to rest. Either way, I still love to serve.

Music has definitely been something that I am either too over-confident in, or something that I neglected for too long. It doesn't hurt to play because my fingers are already callous from playing bass. It's just singing in key and such. I'm thankful that my strumming is still there, but I could use new patterns. maybe double strum, but that's something to practice on.

Man, feels like the days are just zipping by. Next thing I know, I'm sending my son/daughter to kindergarten. I hope I'm not too tired to enjoy life with those that I love.

Day 131 of 365: Delicate balance

If there's one thing that I learned today, it's the power of an effective ministry. Why I say this? Well, put it this way, ministries in a church are like any other organizations in the outside world. There are some that are well-coveted because of the benefits and promise that it has for advancement, progress and passion. Some other organizations, however, fall into the struggling ones. If a ministry is struggling, who would naturally volunteer themselves to serve in it? Of course, this is coming from whether the ministry itself has competent leaders and a clear direction. Without it, there is almost no progress.

Why am I saying this? I feel like I've seen a lot of ministries that are struggling to keep up. Most of the time, it's because of too few willing players in the congregation. Not enough members to share the same passion for the ministry and because of that, any ministry can suffer from lack of leadership. The best is when there are members that courageously and prayerfully step up to the calling. These are the ones that have the passion and the clarity of their purpose in ministry. My heart still longs to serve in youth ministry at church, but for some other ministries, I cannot have the same passion for reasons that are complicated. In any case, there is a need for a delicate balance of active service and rest.

Day 130 of 365: Forza 3

I woke up crazy late for work today. Woke up to a clock that read 8:06am. I felt so bad when I called work to say that I was coming in late. I'm glad my supervisor was in a good mood and was completely understanding. I managed to get in at 8:30am. Not bad considering I have to find parking. Well, the day itself was manageable...but a couple of nuts here and there. What can I do, but to remain calm and not let them get the best of me?

So after work, I was thinking about getting Indian food. I didn't want to go out, nor did I want to order and pick up, so I decided on delivery. Found a place for it nearby that had an online ordering system. Think of it as ordering something on an online retail store. You pay online and they deliver. The food isn't all that bad either. Loved it!

Oh, Amos got me Forza 3 for my birthday. Awful cool of him to do that, but I spent the majority of the night doing premarital homework. Didn't think it'll take so long...

Day 129 of 365: Slap bass

Music has some sort of magical, if not spiritual, element to the soul. I was almost envious of the worship team today. Almost because I wanted to play, but I know I want a break too. I went to Guitar Center to get a couple of capos for the retreat and while I was there, I played a couple of acoustic guitars and a bass. I was happy. I picked up one of the bass guitars that were hanging in the showroom and plugged it in and I discovered slap bass! That one style of bass that I was looking for (think the Seinfeld theme song)! After playing around and pondering about it, I decided that my current bass was not built for slapping. I still love my bass, don't get me wrong, it's just limited to deep frequencies. Slap was fun! Now if I want that sound, it would cost me. As for the acoustic, though I found cheaper alternatives that sound equally great with those that are more expensive. Anyway, I just bought what I needed and left. Music, however therapeutic, is, and will always be, expensive.

I went over to Annie's to hang out and who would have thought that I would be watching the Super Bowl? Well, mostly for the commercials, but I was entertained by the game either way. I watched it with Annie's Dad and I found that my Cantonese still needs work. That is, of course, if we were to talk about sports. Thank God Annie speaks English! Hahaha!

There was a leaders appreciation dinner that took place at church. I went because I don't participate enough. I ended up serving the food, which isn't bad. I love to serve and serving in this capacity is different from serving in youth ministry. The need is different and the interactions are more mature. I enjoyed it!

Day 128 of 365: More rest

I was...tired...again...this morning. I think I almost fell asleep during discussion time, but that was for about...5 seconds? Call it resting my eyes. Or praying, but I'll be honest and say I was resting me eyes. The meeting overall went well except the Teaching Leader got sick, so the Sub had to take over, which, by the way, was Uncle David Hau!

Assembly for the Saturday school wasn't much. Most of it was storytelling of Samson. Shared my thoughts about Samson, but it's really hard to get something applicable from this character without asking questions about the story's purpose. It's quite an awkward story with this guy that beats people up and such. I didn't want to go into too much theological study on this because of time and the fact that the crowd wasn't the right one. Then again...God has His ways...but maybe not this time.

There was a parents workshop after lunch. Good seminar for the parents! A little long (2.5 hours), but there was a lot of information in this session that helped the parents. Annie, Ben and I were the only non-parental people there, but I believed we benefit from it anyway. Good info for the future.

Annie and I went back to my place to chill, but it was mostly nap time for me. I was just exhausted... I really should get more rest, more exercise and more time to relax. The nap actually didn't feel like a comfortable nap. Felt like I was constricted somehow. Annie thought it might be the vest that I was wearing.

We went to this Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant for dinner because I wanted to try it. Want to know how it went? Read my Yelp review on it! Ha!

After dinner, we decided to call it a night. Both of us are tired and need rest. Soon, I don't have to drive Annie home. Well, I still would, but it'll be OUR home.

Day 127 of 365: The stuff

Kaiser came by today to filming the clinic in "action". Mainly used our staff to pose as patients. I had to sign a waiver to disclaim something. I was too busy at the moment to read everything, so I skim through it. While they were filming, I had to take a call. Has to be my most natural acting ever! Anyway, work was typical... Lunch was hummus... I'm starting to like that stuff. Surprising, given I use to think it's nasty.

There was a clinic dinner for one of our coworkers, whose last day was today. He's moving on to greener pastures, or calmer ones... That means more work for everyone else. That'll make next week interesting...

Fellowship was refreshing despite the fact that I was tired and drained. I taught a short lesson on contentment. Simple, but too the point. I hope the kids got something out of it... Hope God got them to take something from it...

Okay, I don't want to stay up too late. Got to finish some BSF stuff... Yeah, that's the stuff...

Day 126 of 365: Great night

So drained out from work because it was non-stop interaction with some many different people. Every day is slightly different and each day there has to be one patient that ticks me off. Of course, I can't blow up...that's reserved for paintball.

I had to drive to the downtown area to pick up BSF material from a leader that step down. The drive there wasn't too bad, it was the drive back. I got confused at one point, but I managed to get on Market and zip through Twin Peaks to get back home. I picked Amos up and we headed out for my meeting with my groomsmen.

It was a night of multiple celebrations and my birthday was the least of it. I was just glad to share a great meal with the guys at Bobo's. Man, it is the best steak I ever had! The crab was okay. Made me thirsty, but the Filet Mignon was the bomb! Next time, any Filet Mignon must be bone-in for extra flavor! Either that or Bobo's does it right!

We went to Starbuck's at Laurel Heights for a quick coffee and just stood outside and chat. Talked about the crazy things we did in the past and about cars. Haha! Most of the conversation revolved around cars...we're men, what can you expect from us?

It was a great night....

Day 125 of 365: Bible man

Who would have thought that a walk to the clinic was refreshing? Well, what about 2 hours worth of walking? It wasn't tiring, but it did take 2 hours. One hour walking with the walking class group, and one hour to get to the clinic and back home combined. At least it's some form of exercise. On the way back, I got something to eat since I started the day empty. So that snack of char siew bau was my brunch.

After that, I picked Annie up so we could do some measuring at the church we'll be getting married in. It was productive at least. Got a lot of good information to get the planning process moving again. About an hour in, we were done. That's where I went to meet up with a paintball friend to pick up a part for my 98. It'll be useful, but not what I expected. Apparently, it's another version. I could still use it anyway.

I drove Annie to the airport to pick up her rental for the week. Almost didn't know where to go, but we always manage. Thank God! On the way back, I almost went to Target, but instead I was at Gamestop for a while. Soon after, I thought about going over to Annie's to pick up soup from her Mom. And that I did. Not too long after, I was home and planning to watch 'Book of Eli' with Amos. Vincent was there, so he joined in.

We had dinner at Carl's Jr. Ordered the Fish Tacos there. Two words: "Never again". I think the phase of Carl's Jr, or fast food in general, is over for me. In-N-Out is the exception, but fast food just isn't cutting it. I'm not satisfied at all. Full, but not satisfied.

The movie was not what I expected. Very slow paced, but it was daring in a sense that Denzel Washington's character was praying and quoting verses. No theological stuff in it, but it was a daring attempt to add Christianity into a movie. That actually triggered a thought in my head.

The Word of God and all its aspects cannot be twisted into what Hollywood, or the world, sees it as. They could make it look bad, by adding characters that are "Christians", but are completely self-serving, or they could make it look cool, like the up-coming movie, "Legion". Regardless of what the world tries to do, we can't make God fit the movie. We have to fit it. That's why adaptations of making Christianity cool like 'Bible Man' (I'm serious) can't entertain the public because God is not there as entertain. We can't adjust what we think about God to fit our lives, we have to adjust our lives to fit His will. Such examples are like the "Ten Commandments" movie. That was us telling the story as it was told in the Bible, though I thought that some parts weren't as accurate, but it's the world we live in...

Day 124 of 365: Short entry

I got quite a scare today! I won't say what it is unless I have authorization to do so, which I haven't ask. Either way, I saw how God was able to see through this and my faith in Him was working. Thinking beyond this event, I hope that God will grant His grace in whatever it is that could happen. Grace to overcome the obstacles.

Other than that, today was rather...uneventful. Routine, routine, routine... I do have a lot to work on, so I'll try to get to it now. Hope I can finish... Anyway, this is another short entry!

Day 123 of 365: Another balance

Monday...what a day... Finished a lot at work today, but it felt numb. I have little memory of what I did other than what I had for lunch, which was leftovers from the day before. At least things were done... Oh, is it me or people are slowly turning into psychopaths? Seriously, I tried to help a patient that had seem to think that the whole world is against him. If I used one word that was not of his liking, it'll trigger an explosive reaction of emotions. Crazy...

Anyway, enough about work. I didn't know what to do for dinner. Annie helped with the brainstorming and I ended up in Sunset Super, walking and thinking about what I could make. At the end, it was grounded pork, long green beans and eggplant. I think it came out alright, though there is plenty to improve on. Something to try for next time.

For the rest of the evening, I tried to do several things, but ended up doing that which is most important and had the highest priority: Premarital counseling homework. I really had to put a lot of thought into it for the first half and the second half needed less time, but there's a lot of them.

There was a revelation in my thoughts about marriage. Happiness is not one-sided. It's not just the husband doing things to make his wife happy or vice versa. It's both ways. Both husband and wife have to work together to fulfill each others' needs. If one has to compromise, then that's the step to take, but the other has to do the same. It's another balance that could be more delicate. Then again, anything you balance is delicate... That's why there's good and evil. Landing on either sides is easy. A balance between the two is challenging.