Day 242 of 365: Good regardless

Everyone has their own flaws. That is the truth even if you don't like the sound of it. We are all human in that sin will always be in us. Even if you are a Christian, your body is still an item of sin. That's probably why we are told in the Bible that we will receive new and glorified bodies when we enter into the kingdom of God. Makes sense since our current bodies are not allowed to stand before the presence of God from Old Testament accounts. With that said, everything we do, in accordance to the world's standard, is a flaw.

Well, on a non-philosophical point of view, my parents are back from Singapore and it's great to have them back! There's going to be a lot of time spent with them and a lot of tales to share. We really have to treasure every moment with our parents and honor them as the Bible has commanded us. My parents are a good example of that as they honored their parents and i was there to witness it.

Another highlight was my second attempt to make Bak Ku Teh. i don't think it was as great as the first time, but it was good regardless. i'm glad the pork came out tender and juicy. Well, glad that Singaporean food is no longer an impossible cuisine to make in this country!

Day 241 of 365: Beautiful campus

A body born of sin will know only sin. A mind and heart born of the spirit will know righteousness. i can see that my physical self is quite flawed in many ways. In these ways, it would either be led to sin or cause discomfort for others. It's quite discouraging that you try to do all you can and it still does what it does. Can't help it most of the time...

Anyway, the drive back from Southern California was almost a breeze. Thank God for smooth traffic! i say about 5% of the time on the road was in traffic. Everything else was moving along at a decent rate. Praise God also for a safe trip! No injuries, but worn bodies. Sunday service was at a church called Mariners at Irvine, a church that Kristy wants to introduce us to. It's a cool church, but pretty much the typical mega church. Beautiful campus though and pretty convenient for UC Irvine students.

i need to start working out a little more this week. Hopefully i'll be able to pull through...

Day 240 of 365: Universal Studios

Well, i survived a day at Universal Studios. It was awesome! Enjoyable and fun, but only for one day, i think. Given that the park isn't big to began with, it's easy to cover all the main attractions. The Simpsons ride is quite a fun replacement of the 'Back to the Future' ride. At the end of the day, we've covered 'Jurassic Park the ride', 'Revenge of the Mummy', 'Simpsons the ride', and the Waterworld show. Oh, and the studio tours! Dinner was at a Korean restaurant called Tahoe.

Okay, time to shower and sleep. Really tired...

Day 239 of 365:

i'm here at Cypress California, almost lost a place to stay, but got to the county of LA in record time! Pretty much took a different route from the usual 580 route and the only traffic trouble was in the county itself. Just got back from an IHOP supper, ready for bed and a fun-filled adventure at Universal Studios! Pray that all goes well, but so far, God has been awesome! That's it for now. Kristy needs the wifi network.

Day 238 of 365: Jumping jacks

i just realized something on the eve of my road trip down to LA to pick Kristy up. If i can update my blog consistently every night, that means i'm either always at home every day or i'm outside with access to internet. In other words, life for me now is either home-bound or adventure-bound, boring or exciting. Well, i wouldn't say boring. In some way, i want to have this blog say what i did in my last year of being a single and if my children read this, they can see what daddy did before he married mommy. Kids, daddy's life is still pretty cool. Anyway, i'll always love you even before you were born!

Hey! Isn't that how God sees us? Before we were even conceived, He has a plan for us! We already had His love! Yeah! i can understand that in some way! And this is no lie! i do love my kids even before i know what they look like or what they will do and accomplish. For one, i know very well that they are my children. They are my family and i put family high up on the list of my priorities! i truly believe that God sees us in this manner, but perhaps in more ways than i can comprehend. Pretty sure that i only understood a fraction of what God sees.

Anyway, today was cool. i dedicated an hour and a half to do some exercises. Jumping jacks, the plank, push-ups and shoulder lifts. Feels great and i ate a lot less too! Hopefully, this is something i can continue to do.

Day 237 of 365: Great things

If there's one thing that God has showed me today, it is how dumb i am and how sovereign He is. For one, i thought i lost the Accord's registration sticker and panicked as i figure out how to get another one. When i grew tired of reading stuff on the DMV website, i started searching for the sticker again, which was probably the third time in this month and prayed a short prayer. Lo and behold, there it was, behind my computer under a stack of mail. At the back of my mind, i thought of how blind and dumb i was that i could not find it in the first couple times until now. God is definitely big on this since everything was in His hands and any human pride cannot overcome His power. Relieved? Yeah...but God shouldn't be the problem solver in our lives. That is, He shouldn't just be a problem solver only. He should be more than that. That's the relationship that we ought to seek and He will allow for us to find. After that, great things will happen. Humble yourself before the creator of all things!

Day 236 of 365: Spiritual cleaning

Strangely energetic this morning, even though i only caught 6 hours of sleep. Almost rode my bike to work too if it wasn't for the rain. Well, either way, i had to move my Camry before Thursday came around. Not as planned, but it's okay. Really thankful for that car. It's not entirely mine, but i drive it like it is. Loving it as much as i can and treasuring ever mile i put on it. It's nothing special, but it is in my eye. Pretty much drove Camry's most of my life anyway... Can i really say that? Loving it anyway.

Today was productive. Managed to clean parts of the house and Amos and i will continue to clean tomorrow and through the rest of the week. One thing about cleaning is that it'll always be continuous. Like it or not, it will get dirty again and again. Makes me wonder if this life experience of cleaning is something that is reflective of our spiritual walk. Perhaps found in our confession of our sins. Our spirit stands in Christ, but our bodies are still born of sin. That is the old. So does that mean that we have to go through our own spiritual cleaning? Something to think about.

Day 235 of of 365: Necessary things

Some things are quite fulfilling at times, but most often when it's too involved in your daily life, it loses its appeal. i find myself less interested in my gaming, which is good. What i need more of is finding fulfillment in the other things that are far more worthwhile than superficial stuff. i guess i sometimes need moments of peace before i venture out to do anything else, but i can't get too comfortable or else nothing will be done. That's one of my worries. i'm afraid that it becomes too much of a habit to break, but knowing that God will always find a way for me to glorify Him, i would be able to break that mold and step forward to accomplish what i always want and like to do. At least for today, i managed a little more on the necessary things. Got a little lazy here and there, but i got some done. Even so, today doesn't feel like a day to be happy about. Something is always missing.

Day 234 of 365: Rain forest

Parents are very important. The problem with how things look today is that most people are not ready to be parents. Parents are the foundation of the growth of children and the children reflect the effectiveness of a parent's wisdom. If we have kids that are basically running around doing whatever they like, chances are that their parents are allowing them to do whatever they what without fear of consequences. No punishment for anything they did wrong, or the worst is that "bad" behavior is suppressed at home and anywhere outside of home is a release valve. Why am i saying all these? Because there is a burden in my heart that families appear to fall apart because parents are not stepping up to their responsibilities. Dropping them off to fellowship is not the most responsible thing to do since none of the leaders can fill that role. Being involved in your kids is the best thing you can do for them. Go watch their basketball game or walk through 'Forever 21', just anything to know what your kid likes and dislike, what is on their mind and be the parent that tells them that they can trust them. Of course, don't lower yourself too much to the point where you become the 'Friend' status. There is a need for balance and in all things, balance is good. A balance of diet and exercise, balance of relaxation and work. Being a good parent is two-fold: being a friend and an authority. There is no extreme or else you'll get a child that doesn't know what the other side of the spectrum looks and feels like. Parenting is not easy. It's delicate. Even one stone can shape the outcome of a rain forest, where each tree would grow and each seed will go. Balance is key and we need to trust God for strength in this.

Day 233 of 365: Crazy wind

Rummage sale happened today at the Gospel Center. Practically all day and we did quite well despite the lack of proper collection and advertising. It was great that even though the beginning part of the sale, we didn't have that much stuff, it turned out that more came after. Now my wish was that the kids that came learned some about how a business is usually run and hopefully got a taste of what it'll be like to speak to people in general. i'm just glad that those that came worked hard and had fun! One thing that the day could do without was the crazy wind that was blowing stuff around. The sun was up, but the wind was not forgiving. At the end of the day, i actually took a nap. According to Annie, it was a 2 hour nap. Crazy...and she was watching "Say 'yes' to the Dress" while i napped. After that, we watched "Angels and Demons" before heading out for a late dinner. The movie wasn't too bad, but it's not exciting enough to merit a second watch unless you didn't understand the plot or the dialogues. Today was quite a good day.

Day 232 of 365: Old man

Feels good to not worry about BSF meetings tomorrow. Feels good to not wake up so early! i bet it'll be weird. Like it's any other work day. Wouldn't make much of a difference, i guess. Well, here is the next worry! Junior High... i don't know if i'm either annoyed by the lack of manners and principles or i'm getting too old for it. i really hope it's neither, but the sad truth is that kids these days are lacking a lot that their parents need to teach. Not greeting, interrupting when someone is talking and walking out whenever they like... i mean, i still love youth ministry because i want to shape them up, but i am not the parent! Parents' responsibilities are important in raising children! Ignoring that is to spell destruction in society in general! What happens if kids that don't learn manners grow up and disrespects everyone around them and do whatever they like? Where is the moderation and consideration? And who would be there to keep that in check? Oh, man... this has to be the best post ever because not only are kids losing their manners, i'm complaining like an old man! IT IS BOTH!! 'Sigh'... Okay, now i need to pray that i don't grow up to be a grumpy old man... At least i'll teach my kids to be straight and proper... God willing...

Day 231 of 365: 'Aim' toothpaste

i have a love/hate relationship with the Dollar Tree store. Sometimes, i find what i need, but other times, i don't. The love part is mostly on the fact that most items are a dollar or less. Am i cheap or just being cost-effective? i know the products that they offer aren't great, but if it works, it works. Of course, other things i see like chicken breast, milk and Sunny D are items that require me to think twice before buying and ask the question: why is it a dollar? i did check the expiration date on the Sunny D and it's this year, October. Still good? Yeah, but at what means did the Dollar Tree go to get this Sunny D and still make a "profit" out of it? Gosh, did they steal it or bargain it down to get a 200% profit? Well, either way, there are good items there to get. Things like poster boards, stickers, cups or markers, which are surprisingly good. Oh, back to the unappealing items, i did find it amusing to find different brands of toothpaste that i never heard of. Anyone saw tubes of 'Aim' toothpaste at the local Safeway? If you did, i must be blind...

Okay, so God did show me that i can know how to save some money with things that i like to make. That's awesome and that shows that God always provides for the things we need. In a sense, i'm glad that i managed to do some personal bible study at work today. More details on that tomorrow. It's the lesson for TNT!

Day 230 of 365: Therapeutic activity

Annie said i'm missing the events of the day after writing so much about what God revealed to me each day. In a way, what she said is true. This is for the purpose of recording the last days of singlehood. Well, i could do both. No harm in that. Good to write about what happened anyway. Just in case i lost my memory or for my kids to read about daddy's last year of being single. i'll just highlight one big thing: pasta.

Pasta is something that has gone from an easy dinner to a boring cuisine. i say boring because most of my pasta dishes have been marinara sauce and meatballs or pesto and penne. Nothing special, but something to fill the tummy. Tonight, i decided to step my foot back into the pasta arena and try to make something different. What do God revealed to me? Sauteed prawns cooked in butter and garlic and a dash of white wine. Sauce? Vodka sauce that i have in my fridge, but with some cream that i had left over. Pasta? Shell and bow tie pasta. Different? Yeah, but it gave me the cravings for mussels cooked in white wine. Came out pretty good either way. Glad i did that, but soon, i might have to experiment and come out with more flavors.

Cooking is fun. Another therapeutic activity of mine that is starting to be more appealing than video game, which i saw featured on 'True Life'. Slowly shifting myself to do more DIY projects and other more productive activities in comparison to gaming. That's good. i do have a lot of projects on the car and some gardening on the side. Oh, gardening! i'm growing laksa leaves and trying for strawberries. Awesome...

Day 229 of 365: Free will

No Christian should ever be in a position to receive glory for himself. Not one ounce. With that said, how does a Christian take a compliment? Even in a secular world, I think we can still shine in our faith by pointing to the one that gave us the ability to do what we do. There is no way in which we can be effective in the things we say and perform on our own. There is a source for it and if given to ourselves, our own free will would be doing something else instead, given the thought of the human, sinful nature. All things good in the sight of the Lord comes from Him only. All others has to come from sin. The line is clear between God and sin and we stand on the side of God.

Day 228 of 365: Rain beat

Oh the rain...Good and bad. Good, it's comfortable and relaxing. Bad, it's too comfortable and relaxing and i couldn't get much done... Hopefully, tomorrow will be better. Actually, now to think of it, most people probably hate the rain, but what is promising about the rain is the fact that it is a symbol of blessings. Rain is needed to bring life to the land and fill our reservoirs with much needed water. i remember times in the Army when it rained and i had to be outside. It was more discouraging when you're training in it, but when you can relax, it's awesome to have the rain beat down on your face. Almost miss that. Well, God brought the rain, i'll be thankful for it! For the rest, for the lovely beat i hear when it comes down on the windows and skylights. i guess it's not all that bad. Now i'm thinking about the parallel between grace and rain... Todd Agnew's song, "Grace like rain" (i think)...

Day 227 of 365: Psychology theories

Today has to be the busiest Sunday thus far. Meetings, ceremonies, training, wedding stuff, shopping and driving. At least the upside to this is that plenty was accomplished. i was surprised that i wasn't as tired from all the walking and talking i did all day. Annie was the tired one though, but she did a lot all weekend. i guess that's why God wants us to rest. He cares for us to know that we do have bodies that require time to rejuvenate strength for the next day, but to think that God has the Jews set aside a whole day to do nothing is quite amazing. Could you not do anything all day? What might be worse is the specifics. Can't do laundry or tie a knot (shoe maybe). Good thing that it doesn't apply to us in that particular way, but the general idea of rest is a keeper. We all need rest and we take rest in various ways. Each of us might enjoy a good book and some peace and quiet while others love the company of friends to share the moment of rest. Introverts and extroverts, according to psychology theories. Either way, rest is good.

Day 226 of 365: Short term

Last BSF meeting! No more 6:55am meetings! That means i have more time to rest on Saturday! Anyway, this is not the end of my studies with BSF. Still going to join them for the regular classes, just without the responsibilities. i also figure that i won't want to have too many responsibilities in ministry. Only the ones that i know God wants me to be a part of. One thought that i had was to try to get a English Youth committee going in place of a youth director. A group that will assess the needs of the students and present the appropriate material for each ministries. In this church, manpower is not one of the greatest resources and i fear that the best resource, experienced leaders, will be wearing thin. One thing that every church needs... On top of that, we can't always rely on the leaders that have a short term commitment, even though they may be great. So much that this church needs...but there is a lot that it needs to work on...

Day 225 of 365: Unique paths

Good passage from Dexter's talk tonight. About abiding in Christ and those that aren't abiding in Him can do nothing. Most of the evening was spent debating what this nothing is. It's not like Christians and non-Christian have materially different things, or doing different deeds. All men and women have unique paths in their lives, but what Jesus meant to say in this passage was that His character won't be reflected on our lives if we are not dwelling in His word. A lot of the students were confused and stuck at the tangible instead of the things of the spirit. Well, save some that are completely well-versed in bible, but the others needed some time to digest. Good conversation between two sides though there are times where interruptions are less appreciated...

Day 224 of 365: Demand attention

Feeling the crunch? Of course. So much to do with a short amount of time and i have to think about other things in the future. At the end, it will be worth it. Only difference is that this is not something that has a expiration date. Not like the army where i could count down to the days of freedom. This is different. This is the real life and there are things that i need to go through just as my parents did at my age. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says that there are two sides of a person's maturity: Childhood and manhood. A grown man does not act like a child, but leaves it when he is ready to see things in light of a mature perspective. i hope i'm not taking this out of context, but it's true in a sense that after a while, things that were fun as a child just does feel the same when you're older. It may be nostalgic, but you won't react the same way as you did. The time of my carefree days has come to an end a while back. There are bigger things that demand attention. Things that the mature can handle, especially one that is mature in the word of God. i don't know where i am, but i know that my Savior knows all things and He know where i am. And i trust Him.

Day 223 of 365: Child's imagination

i need to reduce my coffee intake for this week and drink orange juice instead. Build up my immune system. Well, continue to eat healthy at least. Really can't take my health for granted. Seeing others with shaky health issues because of their earlier food binge isn't exactly encouraging for someone that love to eat. Someone like me. Yeah, i'm relatively healthy, but that's only if i manage it. So far, if i can get sick twice in the same year, it's something to question my eating habits. Lots of water, vitamins and natural stuff. Oh, plus exercise! Can't stay healthy without exercise since the body has to use the energy we store up anyway.

i was watching the "Lord of the Rings" while folding laundry and i wonder to myself if my kids will watch this. It would probably be like how i watch the "Never-ending story" or "Krull". Fantasy movies and stories always have an impact on a child's imagination. Something i hope i can inspire.

Day 222 of 365: Constant fellowship

Oh man! Final class of the BSF year! Well, at least for the children side of it. And it's not like i don't like BSF. i just want to know what it feels like to be one of the regular guys that come. And the crazy thing is that i've been at it for 3 years. The next study will be my 4th. That's time going by fast! i just pray that the study of Isaiah will be as rewarding as the other studies.

Still feel a little sickly, but it's not that bad today. i think i'm more tired than sick and my sore throat comes on and off. It's still there, but i'll be taking something for it. And lots of water!

On other things, i believe that God helped me out a little today! Finding things that were previously difficult to find yesterday. Prayed that i don't want to use Him as a lucky charm or a means to get my way. Rather, i should be desiring a relationship and be in constant fellowship with God. That's more meaningful than to simply ask God for things...though some occasions called for desperate...

Day 221 of 365: Big task

Oh man...i hope i'm not getting sick...again? In one year? That's almost unheard of. The usual cycle is about a couple of years in between sicknesses, if not, a year. Better boost my immune system. Vitamin C and plenty of water! Goes back to the whole talk about feeding good stuff to your system and avoiding the bad ones. Did i eat something back? One too many root beer floats? Doesn't matter. What matters is what happens now and what you do in the future. If one would continue the binge of sin, what would another person think might happen? Bad and unnatural always leads to some form of downfall.

Well, today was one of those crazy rain days. It's like someone literally did the rain dance every 30 minutes. At least i managed to get some things done and had my time to relax. Kinda disappointing that i didn't finish one big task...yet. Tomorrow, i must finish. Need it for the evening...

Day 220 of 365: Specific purpose

Some times, i miss days of youth where you can almost be care-free and finances are nothing more than something you trade to get other thing bigger (or smaller). Now as you grow old, you get more responsibilities and it's not that i don't enjoy being responsible for some things, others are some times a drag. Maybe if it was an enjoyable hobby or a new experience that is enriching, then maybe it wouldn't be a drag. i guess that's why we have specific gifts. We can't always enjoy every single thing because a guy definitely would have trouble shopping for curtains versus shopping for TVs. Or a girl would have trouble choosing the right oil for her car versus the right rose for her garden. Or something even more specific: gifts and talents in ministries. i know i can do some stuff well, but there are other things that i am not good at. Likewise for someone else that is good with the things that i'm not. Hey, this could be a good illustration of how God made all things for a specific purpose to benefit the whole. Amazing...

Day 219 of 365: Job interviews

Despite the fact that i'm going to be jobless soon, i'm starting to feel strangely at peace. Faith kicking in? God working in me? i wouldn't know exactly, but i still need to do what i can and work my way to doing something about my current situation. It's like that story of the stranded man on top of his house when the flood hits and he prays for salvation. Boats and helicopters come, but if we don't act on that faith and faith alone, it's probably not going to take us very far. Well, maybe the proper lesson here is discernment. Knowing when God is sending help your way. If there's job interviews that are open to me, i should just act on it? Maybe not, but i ought to go for it anyway and pray for a clear cut path that i can follow. There is always a way.

Day 218 of 365: Prayer time

Being honest here, but i am feeling almost lost in what i want to do in my life. i have a goal to get into physical therapy, but i feel like i can't because i'm not in a right situation for it. It's not because of the wedding, but rather the responsibility in my family. There is a strong desire to want to just get a full-time job, if there is any, and work to help the family's finances. On top of that, i want to be able to provide for my own family. It's a dilemma that i can do so much in and i really need to depend on God for the rest. It's frustrating to know that my current job is not stable and that i know when my last day is. This feeling was once a joy that i felt in the army, that i am no longer tied down to "forced labor". Now, it's dread that i have to find another job and i don't like the idea of job hunting. It's like hitting the reset button. What sucks, in my mind, is my degree. i'm happy that i have a degree, but it really feels like a pretty piece of paper. Can't do much with it, yet it's all around me... Prayer...it really is prayer time for this part of my life...

Day 217 of 365: Music...drives

Why is music so uplifting? Or even thought provoking, or funny? It's sound mixed with more sound and maybe some witty lyrics, but why is this creation so...enticing? God truly made a great thing here and for man to discover it and be inspired to make music that can heal, bond and relate. What a night! Oh, if you're wondering, Annie and I (with the college folk) went to Sarah's last concert of her High School years and they brought out the music from the 60's. Now i'm not one to really want to live in the 60's, but many great things came from this era. The Jackson Five, '69 Chevy Camaro, to name some i like. It just reminds me of music that i heard when i was a kid, or when they play some of these tracks in movies. i can honestly say that i love the music in the past more than the music of today. Today is too much violence, sex and money, or rather too much exaggeration on it. i say this because some music of the past has all these, but there are those that are purely honest and, in some way, romantic. It's fun too! Music...drives the soul to wonder many things in life.

Day 216 of 365: Firm relationship

Prayer is so important. It should be as essential to us like breathing is to the body. Without prayer, how could you maintain your faith and relationship with God? How could you build a relationship with someone if you don't talk to them? If you don't compliment them for their good works and gentle character or share what bothers you and how they could help to make you feel better or even to talk about random stuff? God is important. It's more important than all things and it ought to be a prior for a believer to spend some time in prayer with Him. Even if it's for a 5 minute prayer, i would think that God would appreciate that. It's almost like how my parents would appreciate a talk over the phone, even though it might be short, just to talk about what's going on. God just wants to be involve in your life. He wants that relationship and if you don't talk to Him, there will be no firm relationship with Him.

Day 215 of 365: Slight variation

Man, how tired was i? i am completely incompetent in a few ways and i don't know if my lack of clarity and energy is to blame. First off, i worked the wrong hours (how can that happen?!), i fell asleep at home when i should be working on stuff, and i'm forgetting things. i know i had days like these earlier in life, but i thought it wasn't as frequent as before. Hope it's not coming back.

Well, interesting twist to this is how we are definitely short of God's glory. There is no way we can meet God's standard if we can't even remember to do some simple task. Everything we do can be improved, but it was never good in the first place. When will you find someone that is able to accomplish a task perfectly well the first time? Even for those that do it well, it's still not the best. There is always a slight variation to what is ideal. Thank God for Jesus' work on the cross because the creator of heaven and earth can not be held back by limitations of man. If it were so, there is nothing around us that will hold together.

Day 214 of 365: Eternal comfort

Life is really too short, but does it take a big splash in the puddle to make us aware of how short it is? Can we afford to take life for granted? It's hard when everything is going fine and easy to let things slide. Life don't always go under normal circumstances. Some times, it cuts short and other times it's stretched out long. For whatever path is planned out, there is always a reason for it. It is unfortunate that we can't understand the reason immediately and have to wait in patience for answers. What matters most is where you stand before God. You will never know when things take a turn for the worst, but the eternal comfort of knowing where you'll be after your last breath does give some comfort. Drawback is those you leave behind. That's a pain that can't be...relieved.

Day 213 of 365: Farmer's tan

Something about workouts and an active lifestyle that makes me feel...sleepy. Of course, that's after the workout. i'm feeling really tired after playing soccer and ultimate Frisbee. Should be since i haven't been active for a while. Sure, i walk, but i haven't been intensively working out. And what is up with this bloated feeling? It's going to be a bit bothersome for now, but i hope it relieves itself soon. Well, either way, i'm glad that i was able to be active and run around for a bit. It's definitely good for me and the fact that the sun was out strong, i hope that i even out the farmer's tan... Really annoying tan line... Okay... i'll end it short. I'm really tired out...

Day 212 of 365: Perseverance develops

It's May and there's a lot to do before the wedding. Some things are fairly manageable while others seem more like a test of faith than anything. Figures that the only real way to practice our faith is through trials. That's what most manufacturing companies do, yeah? Test to make certain that things work as they should. God does the same thing, i guess. Works on us and tests us on certain occasions to make sure we are working as we suppose to. We don't and we'll get corrected. Discipline in some way. i hope every real Christian understands the journey set before them. Some times it's hard, but that's where perseverance develops and like any other piece of metal that gets heated and banged on, we become stronger. No metal that is refined and worked on gets worse. It may dull, but the quality still stands.