To say that 2009 has been a crazy year would be a bit of an understatement. It has definitely been filled with many happy moments; celebrating the "happily-ever-afters" of many friends and getting to do some truly fulfilling work in the professional sense. But it has also been marked by moments of sadness and shock; some weird health issues and just today, losing my Uncle Joe.
It has all been very unexpected. He was younger than my dad and in what seemed to be good health. Always the quieter one among his brothers and sister, he would always join in the family fun and laughter at gatherings. I remember moments, as a child, having him bring me on trips to McDonald's to get a Happy Meal. And as I got older, I never told him this (one of those moments of regret), but I was SO thankful that he was a faithful believer and hoped that we would be able to speak of God's Grace to our family together.
And so, 2009 has its permanent place in my heart. Rest in Peace Uncle Joe. I will surely and deeply miss you. I pray that the comfort of knowing that you are with the Lord in heaven will only bring Glory to God and also be used to draw our family to a knowledge of Christ's saving grace.
This is definitely not how I expected 2009 to end. I can only hope that 2010 will be filled with happy tears.
December 30, 2009
December 8, 2009
So as a 3L, this has been the most relaxed finals I've had. I'd like to think that its because I'm not longer frightened by the process but I have a sneaky feeling its because I no longer care. These grades won't affect my class standing and really, I'm more interested in hands-on experience at this point. Either way, its a major case of "senioritis". Or..."law school-itis"?
p.s.
My engineer friend, Josh, is making me test his geeky programming inventions. I'm posting this from this weird window on my desktop.
p.s.
My engineer friend, Josh, is making me test his geeky programming inventions. I'm posting this from this weird window on my desktop.
November 29, 2009
Silent Nights
Or maybe not so silent ones. It's been kinda crazy with Thanksgiving just past and Christmas coming up. It also reminds me that I started this blog two years ago, hoping to document my journey through law school and all the adventures in between my time with the books.
And what a crazy ride it has been. It's been not only intellectually challenging but I've had to grow so much on all personal levels. Once again, we're back to finals time. My second to last one. Although I find myself lacking serious motivation to put my all into the work I know I need to do, I also know that I must finish strong and not let go of the race the Lord has called me to. It is definitely not over yet as I have an internship in Europe to plan for next year, another jam-packed wedding season, and plans to take personal time for myself.
So, as I look forward to Christmas break and the beginning of yet another year, it is my hope that God will not only continue to equip me for all He has set out before me but that I will continue to rest in His provision and in the knowledge that He has so many more exciting things planned ahead.
Thanks for staying with me this whole time and wish me luck as I try to cram this knowledge into my very unwilling brain! :)
And what a crazy ride it has been. It's been not only intellectually challenging but I've had to grow so much on all personal levels. Once again, we're back to finals time. My second to last one. Although I find myself lacking serious motivation to put my all into the work I know I need to do, I also know that I must finish strong and not let go of the race the Lord has called me to. It is definitely not over yet as I have an internship in Europe to plan for next year, another jam-packed wedding season, and plans to take personal time for myself.
So, as I look forward to Christmas break and the beginning of yet another year, it is my hope that God will not only continue to equip me for all He has set out before me but that I will continue to rest in His provision and in the knowledge that He has so many more exciting things planned ahead.
Thanks for staying with me this whole time and wish me luck as I try to cram this knowledge into my very unwilling brain! :)
November 11, 2009
A Rude Awakening
So there has been tons of news out there lately. Everything from two juvenile life without parole cases (out of Florida) that the U.S. Supreme Court had just heard (I worked on a related document this summer) to Veterans' Day services. And of course, a blast from the past.
It was the 40th Anniversary of Sesame Street yesterday and they talked about it on the news. My mom's reaction when she heard that: "Oh, that should be about right. Alex is almost 30!" I was sitting right next to her. My response? "WHAT?!? DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!"
To say the least, I freaked out.
It was the 40th Anniversary of Sesame Street yesterday and they talked about it on the news. My mom's reaction when she heard that: "Oh, that should be about right. Alex is almost 30!" I was sitting right next to her. My response? "WHAT?!? DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!"
To say the least, I freaked out.
October 18, 2009
Mid-Autumn Musings
It is now the end of October. It seems like I say this more and more often but where has the year gone!?! They say time flies when you're having fun and it seems like the Lord has blessed me with immense amounts of it this year. I just came back from one of my favorite places, Disneyland, and I couldn't help but think of all the amazing things I've gotten to do so far in 2009 and the year isn't even over yet. God is truly amazing.
However, I do have a pressing matter needing feedback.
I'm attending a party at school that requires a costume. I was Minnie Mouse at my school's Halloween fair for the local school children last year so I can't do that again. I have no idea what to wear and I only have a week!! Help!
Suggestions? Be nice please!!
However, I do have a pressing matter needing feedback.
I'm attending a party at school that requires a costume. I was Minnie Mouse at my school's Halloween fair for the local school children last year so I can't do that again. I have no idea what to wear and I only have a week!! Help!
Suggestions? Be nice please!!
September 9, 2009
Analogize It
So my friend "Cheryl" is hilarious. (She made me change her name) We've talked a lot lately about how we really want to be good examples to our non-Christian friends and how we want to make more of an effort to reach out to them. Here are several analogies she's come up with.
"Cheryl": "Sharing the Gospel is like if I found out how to get free burritos. If I knew how to get free burritos, I'd be telling EVERYONE I knew how to do it. Why do I not do that with Jesus? He's better than free burritos!" [I'm paraphrasing]
"Cheryl": [her friend told her] "using IE (Internet Explorer) is kind of the same as being sexually active with people who probably have std's -- you're really just asking for it"
Her reply? "no NO ONE TOLD ME! BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I guess this is the kind of the experience of what would happen to all our non christian friends when they reach the afterlife. [Their reaction] 'Why didn't anyone TELL ME about Heaven!?'"
*Disclaimer: "Cheryl" is not a mean person. Imagine these phrases being said very randomly. haha
"Cheryl": "Sharing the Gospel is like if I found out how to get free burritos. If I knew how to get free burritos, I'd be telling EVERYONE I knew how to do it. Why do I not do that with Jesus? He's better than free burritos!" [I'm paraphrasing]
"Cheryl": [her friend told her] "using IE (Internet Explorer) is kind of the same as being sexually active with people who probably have std's -- you're really just asking for it"
Her reply? "no NO ONE TOLD ME! BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I guess this is the kind of the experience of what would happen to all our non christian friends when they reach the afterlife. [Their reaction] 'Why didn't anyone TELL ME about Heaven!?'"
*Disclaimer: "Cheryl" is not a mean person. Imagine these phrases being said very randomly. haha
August 25, 2009
Welcome Back!
School officially started again this week. It is my third and final year of law school...and I'm busier than ever. How the heck did that happen!?! I only have three classes but lots of out-of-classroom obligations. Oh boy, let's hope I'm not in over my head and that the Lord will provide the strength and perseverance I will need to get through this year. :)
I had such an awesome end to my summer with counseling at CBM and traveling to the East Coast. I'm seriously so happy I did both and am so glad that God met me in so many tangible ways this summer. Truly, I am grateful.
Anyways, being the diligent student that I am, I was reading things people posted on Facebook instead of reading for my class tomorrow. And that's how I stumbled upon the below funnies from one of Joyce's posts.
It's pretty funny so I hope you can enjoy as well!
Random thoughts from people 25-35 years old...
-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're
crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
-There is a great need for sarcasm font.
-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.
-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
-How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.
- LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in'examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot.. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
- Bad decisions make good stories
-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
- Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?
-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
-When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking. [NOT applicable to me of course.]
-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
-It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastardbefore dinner.
-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?
-That's enough, Nickelback.
- A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
- Was learning cursive really necessary?
- I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."
-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my a$$ everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day " Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
I had such an awesome end to my summer with counseling at CBM and traveling to the East Coast. I'm seriously so happy I did both and am so glad that God met me in so many tangible ways this summer. Truly, I am grateful.
Anyways, being the diligent student that I am, I was reading things people posted on Facebook instead of reading for my class tomorrow. And that's how I stumbled upon the below funnies from one of Joyce's posts.
It's pretty funny so I hope you can enjoy as well!
Random thoughts from people 25-35 years old...
-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're
crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
-There is a great need for sarcasm font.
-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.
-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
-How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.
- LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in'examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot.. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
- Bad decisions make good stories
-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
- Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?
-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
-When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking. [NOT applicable to me of course.]
-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
-It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastardbefore dinner.
-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?
-That's enough, Nickelback.
- A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
- Was learning cursive really necessary?
- I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."
-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my a$$ everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day " Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
July 17, 2009
Mid-Summer Digressions
So almost a month has passed since my last post. I feel slightly obligated to update my blog although I really don't have much to say. It's been a lot of the same: internship, babysitting, and random hangouts. Despite the lack of "excitement", it has actually been a really good summer; I've enjoyed getting opportunities to relax and actually spend quality time with people. I've also been trying to watch/listen to the Sotomayor confirmation hearings and its amazing how much my legal education has enabled me to understand the Senators when they question her on her legal philosophies and judicial decisions.
Yeah, I know I'm a huge nerd.
So because I don't have anything witty to say, I have a video I want to share:
Several reasons why it's awesome.
1. They're dancing.
2. They've chosen to dance to kpop.
3. They're funny.
Of course, it's much funnier if you know the songs they're talking about. Unfortunately, I do..I have most of them on my iTunes. Hence, I was laughing my butt off when I watched this. Mind you, I watched it at work so I had to hide the laughter as coughing/sneezing. It was quite terrible.
Anyways, that's really all I have for now. If you're bored, check out some of their other videos. I recommend this series:
Aurevoir
p.s. as you can see, I spend wayyy too much time on YouTube. :)
Yeah, I know I'm a huge nerd.
So because I don't have anything witty to say, I have a video I want to share:
Several reasons why it's awesome.
1. They're dancing.
2. They've chosen to dance to kpop.
3. They're funny.
Of course, it's much funnier if you know the songs they're talking about. Unfortunately, I do..I have most of them on my iTunes. Hence, I was laughing my butt off when I watched this. Mind you, I watched it at work so I had to hide the laughter as coughing/sneezing. It was quite terrible.
Anyways, that's really all I have for now. If you're bored, check out some of their other videos. I recommend this series:
Aurevoir
p.s. as you can see, I spend wayyy too much time on YouTube. :)
June 23, 2009
A Wedded Affair
My life has been pretty routine recently. After the school year was done, I started my internship and began to hang out with friends again. But this past weekend was very special. I went up to Seattle for the first time to participate in my dear friend's wedding.
Jenny and I met six years ago when we were roommates on our missions trip with Campus Crusade with Christ. We had both gotten there a day earlier than everyone else and God sure knew what He was doing because on a floor with no one else there, the two of us found out we were actually roommates for the summer. She always tells everyone that her first impression of me was that I was really girly. I had set up my photo frames and colorful bed already by the time she got there. However, I'm not sure she knows what my first impression of her is. Here comes this girl into our room with a broken suitcase and half a room full of strewn around clothes. And as I began to ask her questions, I honestly thought she was older than me and very loud. Ironic, I know. And that impression was just confirmed when she found out that I could also speak Cantonese.
We spent seven very blessed weeks together getting to know each other. She learned about my crazy hair and I learned about her very type A personality. And every night we would have a conversation in Cantonese about our day. It was sort of like our secret way of bonding. And when I left a few days earlier than everyone else, I missed her and our other teammates tremendously.
In the past six years, neither of us have ever lived in the same city as the other. She in Seattle, me in San Francisco. And then she in New York City and me in Washington DC. But throughout it all, she remained a loyal friend. Praying for me whenever I needed, sending me encouraging cards and notes whenever I had a birthday or occasion, and being there to laugh about all the crazy things I did. She truly turned out to be like a sister I never had and was, very truthfully, the very first friend I ever told I loved. And even though I have not always reciprocated in the same ways as she has chosen to treat our friendship, I do love her very much and am so very happy that she found a wonderful man (who loves both the Lord and her) to walk by her side.
And so to Andrew: thank you for taking care of my Sis, for treating her like yourself even when you were just dating, for giving her all the things she deserves in life and for being her best friend. I am so happy for you two and maybe one day, I'll even call you Bro. ;) May the Lord bless you with not only a happy marriage but a glorifying one.
The beautiful bride.
The girls all ready for the ceremony.
The boys hanging out outside.
All of us together.
Me and the lovely couple. :)
Congratulations you two. I love you guys.
Jenny and I met six years ago when we were roommates on our missions trip with Campus Crusade with Christ. We had both gotten there a day earlier than everyone else and God sure knew what He was doing because on a floor with no one else there, the two of us found out we were actually roommates for the summer. She always tells everyone that her first impression of me was that I was really girly. I had set up my photo frames and colorful bed already by the time she got there. However, I'm not sure she knows what my first impression of her is. Here comes this girl into our room with a broken suitcase and half a room full of strewn around clothes. And as I began to ask her questions, I honestly thought she was older than me and very loud. Ironic, I know. And that impression was just confirmed when she found out that I could also speak Cantonese.
We spent seven very blessed weeks together getting to know each other. She learned about my crazy hair and I learned about her very type A personality. And every night we would have a conversation in Cantonese about our day. It was sort of like our secret way of bonding. And when I left a few days earlier than everyone else, I missed her and our other teammates tremendously.
In the past six years, neither of us have ever lived in the same city as the other. She in Seattle, me in San Francisco. And then she in New York City and me in Washington DC. But throughout it all, she remained a loyal friend. Praying for me whenever I needed, sending me encouraging cards and notes whenever I had a birthday or occasion, and being there to laugh about all the crazy things I did. She truly turned out to be like a sister I never had and was, very truthfully, the very first friend I ever told I loved. And even though I have not always reciprocated in the same ways as she has chosen to treat our friendship, I do love her very much and am so very happy that she found a wonderful man (who loves both the Lord and her) to walk by her side.
And so to Andrew: thank you for taking care of my Sis, for treating her like yourself even when you were just dating, for giving her all the things she deserves in life and for being her best friend. I am so happy for you two and maybe one day, I'll even call you Bro. ;) May the Lord bless you with not only a happy marriage but a glorifying one.
The beautiful bride.
The girls all ready for the ceremony.
The boys hanging out outside.
All of us together.
Me and the lovely couple. :)
Congratulations you two. I love you guys.
May 26, 2009
A Time For Everything
and so Ecclesiastes 3 goes. And although God’s timing is often different from our notions of what is ideal, the sentiment remains true. There is indeed a season for each aspect of our lives. I think that knowing I am two-thirds done with law school and facing another birthday coming up very soon, I’ve been very contemplative about timing in my life lately. I think that never before has so many possibilities been open in my life and yet things are not quite happening the way expected. That self-reflection has also lead to not just comparing myself to others but also comparing different aspects of my life with each other.
One particularly plaguing issue is trying to find the balance between my admittedly stubborn streak of independence and the long-term desire to settle down. I have repeatedly voiced how much I would love to move to a distant city again and try my luck at practicing my chosen profession there. But that would seem to further exacerbate my inability (so far) to start a stable relationship. How do I find a healthy balance? And how do I learn to do enough but not too much so that opportunities for both will come my way?
And then there’s the issue of my self-motivation. I don’t think that I am one of those people who lack confidence in themselves. In fact, it has always been a difficult for me growing up, because I felt my family never really taught me about the importance of self-esteem and thus, I have had to fiercely make up for that. But I find that with age (I know I’m not that old. Just let me bemoan it for a bit), I also really don’t want to work too hard for things anymore. I often think about how nice it would be if there was someone to take care of all the things I would like to do for me. Or at the very least, a genie to give me the perfect job, perfect home, and perfect family so I wouldn’t have to work for it.
In the end, I think that these disorganized and jumbled thoughts on this screen are really indicative of my inner turmoil. Thanks for letting me rant for a bit.
p.s. Congratulations Anita and Scott. I'm so very excited for you guys. Just prepared for the havoc I might wreck. ;)
One particularly plaguing issue is trying to find the balance between my admittedly stubborn streak of independence and the long-term desire to settle down. I have repeatedly voiced how much I would love to move to a distant city again and try my luck at practicing my chosen profession there. But that would seem to further exacerbate my inability (so far) to start a stable relationship. How do I find a healthy balance? And how do I learn to do enough but not too much so that opportunities for both will come my way?
And then there’s the issue of my self-motivation. I don’t think that I am one of those people who lack confidence in themselves. In fact, it has always been a difficult for me growing up, because I felt my family never really taught me about the importance of self-esteem and thus, I have had to fiercely make up for that. But I find that with age (I know I’m not that old. Just let me bemoan it for a bit), I also really don’t want to work too hard for things anymore. I often think about how nice it would be if there was someone to take care of all the things I would like to do for me. Or at the very least, a genie to give me the perfect job, perfect home, and perfect family so I wouldn’t have to work for it.
In the end, I think that these disorganized and jumbled thoughts on this screen are really indicative of my inner turmoil. Thanks for letting me rant for a bit.
p.s. Congratulations Anita and Scott. I'm so very excited for you guys. Just prepared for the havoc I might wreck. ;)
April 19, 2009
Biblical Perspective
So lately, I've been diving into the Word more often. It is DEFINITELY refreshing and I'm so grateful to have a chance to rediscover the Lord in this way.
Anyways, rather than a long story about all the many things I'm learning and relearning, I've discovered that I've fallen in love with some Biblical names.
For girls: Hannah and Rebekah.
For boys: Theophilius (Theo)
It's kinda funny really. I've never particularly liked "old-fashioned" names but these have struck my fancy for some reason. haha :shrug:
Wait.
I DO have a story from school though. We had a Christian group meeting on Thursday where we enjoyed some food from Burma Superstar and played some Bible trivia. It was my first time making it to a meeting all semester. Towards the end, the class that was starting after our meeting filed in. I realized that I was gripped with an unreasonable fear. I feared that I would be judged.
Some of the people in the class were my friends and I realized the implications of them knowing that I was Christian and that I was even active in my faith. I kept thinking about how I was afraid of how they would react and if they would immediately jump to conclusions about my beliefs and positions on things.
And afterwards, I felt ashamed. The Lord had said we had nothing to fear in the world, neither life nor death because of His sacrifice for us. It's funny, even after a decade of being a Christ follower, I'm not brave enough to really shout His Name from the mountaintops. I'm reluctant to have others not like me because of Jesus in my life, especially those I have to see everyday, and I lack the strength to hold my head high sometimes.
I can only ask for forgiveness and see that there is so much more room to grow.
I will not be ashamed.
Anyways, rather than a long story about all the many things I'm learning and relearning, I've discovered that I've fallen in love with some Biblical names.
For girls: Hannah and Rebekah.
For boys: Theophilius (Theo)
It's kinda funny really. I've never particularly liked "old-fashioned" names but these have struck my fancy for some reason. haha :shrug:
Wait.
I DO have a story from school though. We had a Christian group meeting on Thursday where we enjoyed some food from Burma Superstar and played some Bible trivia. It was my first time making it to a meeting all semester. Towards the end, the class that was starting after our meeting filed in. I realized that I was gripped with an unreasonable fear. I feared that I would be judged.
Some of the people in the class were my friends and I realized the implications of them knowing that I was Christian and that I was even active in my faith. I kept thinking about how I was afraid of how they would react and if they would immediately jump to conclusions about my beliefs and positions on things.
And afterwards, I felt ashamed. The Lord had said we had nothing to fear in the world, neither life nor death because of His sacrifice for us. It's funny, even after a decade of being a Christ follower, I'm not brave enough to really shout His Name from the mountaintops. I'm reluctant to have others not like me because of Jesus in my life, especially those I have to see everyday, and I lack the strength to hold my head high sometimes.
I can only ask for forgiveness and see that there is so much more room to grow.
I will not be ashamed.
April 1, 2009
Breaking News
!!!!!!
Ok, so not really but I figured that if all the media outlets are going to mess with you guys today, I can put a somewhat facetious title on my blog.
First of all, Happy April Fool's Day! And for those of you in California, Happy Raise State Sales Tax by 1% Day! I'm not sure either one is to be celebrated but what the hey...
So my news certainly is not as ground breaking as the G-20 Summit in London where President Obama is rumored to have given the Queen a gift upon their meeting. (Don't trust ANYTHING you read today!). BUT I did have a personal historic moment today.
I visited Little Lucca's sandwich shop in South San Francisco!
Here's the yelp reviews and a photo:
(It's no longer green though. More of a brown.)
So this place is famous for cheap, delicious and HUGE sandwiches.
I had actually never tried the sandwiches which is a shocker considering I live literally 8 mins down the road. I know, I'm lazy.
Anyways, after having been warned by multiple people that the line for this place is really long, I headed out at around 11:15 to get to the place. The wait wasn't too long actually. It's this tiny little shop and about halfway through the wait, there were about 15 ppl in this snaking line and all of them except me was a man. It felt weird; like they were all staring at me and wondering how the small little Asian girl was going to finish the sandwich. But 20 mins later, I was cradling a sandwich the size of a newborn baby out the door and headed home.
Here's proof:
That's my hand next to it. And my hands are pretty big. Can you imagine how you could cradle that thing??
Here's it unwrapped. Still HUGE. Can you believe that sandwich is $5.50?!?
Here's a side view. Yum!! It's the Little Lucca Combo: Mortadella, Provolone, and Salami. :)
Me, eating my sandwich. It doesn't fit in my mouth.
The aftermath. I CAN'T finish it!! ahhhhh.
So that's the end of my lunch adventure. Back to studying! :)
Ok, so not really but I figured that if all the media outlets are going to mess with you guys today, I can put a somewhat facetious title on my blog.
First of all, Happy April Fool's Day! And for those of you in California, Happy Raise State Sales Tax by 1% Day! I'm not sure either one is to be celebrated but what the hey...
So my news certainly is not as ground breaking as the G-20 Summit in London where President Obama is rumored to have given the Queen a gift upon their meeting. (Don't trust ANYTHING you read today!). BUT I did have a personal historic moment today.
I visited Little Lucca's sandwich shop in South San Francisco!
Here's the yelp reviews and a photo:
(It's no longer green though. More of a brown.)
So this place is famous for cheap, delicious and HUGE sandwiches.
I had actually never tried the sandwiches which is a shocker considering I live literally 8 mins down the road. I know, I'm lazy.
Anyways, after having been warned by multiple people that the line for this place is really long, I headed out at around 11:15 to get to the place. The wait wasn't too long actually. It's this tiny little shop and about halfway through the wait, there were about 15 ppl in this snaking line and all of them except me was a man. It felt weird; like they were all staring at me and wondering how the small little Asian girl was going to finish the sandwich. But 20 mins later, I was cradling a sandwich the size of a newborn baby out the door and headed home.
Here's proof:
That's my hand next to it. And my hands are pretty big. Can you imagine how you could cradle that thing??
Here's it unwrapped. Still HUGE. Can you believe that sandwich is $5.50?!?
Here's a side view. Yum!! It's the Little Lucca Combo: Mortadella, Provolone, and Salami. :)
Me, eating my sandwich. It doesn't fit in my mouth.
The aftermath. I CAN'T finish it!! ahhhhh.
So that's the end of my lunch adventure. Back to studying! :)
March 27, 2009
AZN pride
So to piggyback on my last post, I will reveal (ok ok :cough: reaffirm :cough:) why that ad was in fact probably appropriate for me.
If you are my friend, I think I don't hide the fact that I'm pretty fobby. In fact, I might have scared you at some point or another on just how "in touch" with my Asian side I am. Please forgive me for this character flaw.
Now, to remind readers on what "fobby" entails. "Fobby", in its essence, means that you display the symptoms of being a F.O.B. aka Fresh Off the Boat. This, of course, is a historical reference to a time when our ancestors still immigrated to America/Canada/the UK on a boat. Now, they just grab their passports and get on a plane. But I digress. The point is that their behavior was marked to be "fobby." This is characterized by bad pronunciation of English (where they cannot pronounce the "L" for the life of them and it just comes out as Engrish), weird combination of clothing (skirts over pants with high top sneakers...you know...), and most notably the fob fingers. Here:
Anyways, there you have it, a brief run through of the term "fobby".
I think the most ironic part of me being in such a state is that I was born in the United States, raised and educated here, and can be quite eloquent with the English language if I do say so myself.
*disclaimer* you might want to stop reading at this point if the picture of my chubby face was enough to give you a laugh.
Moving on.
Let's go easy first. I learned about this bag and now I really want one. I don't do brand names. Really, I don't but I thought this was super cute:
"Miss Marc Flat Hobo" by Marc Jacobs
Too bad it doesn't seem to be in stock and I don't have that kind of cash to burn on a bag.
Now onto the embarrassing stuff.
So lately, I've been caught up in the hype that is the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango aka Boys Over Flowers. It's a Japanese manga story. If for some reason, you have a dying need to know what it is about, just read the link. I don't read the manga version, I just watch the tv adaptations.
I've seen the Japanese version and absolutely LOVED it. Although I don't find the cast particularly attractive in a subjective sense, their acting was superb and I thoroughly enjoyed their whole series. (Oh please, don't tell me you've never watched a tv show because it had a lot of pretty people.) The two main characters were particularly good and had great chemistry with each other.
It also gave me an excuse to practice my rusty Japanese.
So when I heard that they were going to come out with a Korean version, I initially balked at watching it. I didn't want to ruin my happy memories of the story. However, being no stranger to Korean dramas, I got sucked in. MAJORLY. I am now waiting impatiently for Monday and Tuesday to come so I can finally finish this wretched story and have it over with. Although the acting, in my opinion, is sub par, I think the cast and set in this version is much prettier. hahaha
Especially him. I'm pretending I'm still 18 when I watch it. hahaha
Ok. So that was my bit about my terrible terrible tv obsession.
Now for music. I recently found this song and I actually ended up liking a lot of this group's songs. Admittedly I don't understand it. Maybe it's because for all my wannabe-ness, I'm not Korean. But give the song a chance. Especially you hip-hop fans. (Will it help if I told you that their lead member graduated from none other than Stanford?!?) Here:
:whew:
I think I'm going to stop here before I kill you with the length and topic of this post. Oh, and you can stop rolling your eyes now.
It just seems appropriate that I end with this: ^____^Y
If you are my friend, I think I don't hide the fact that I'm pretty fobby. In fact, I might have scared you at some point or another on just how "in touch" with my Asian side I am. Please forgive me for this character flaw.
Now, to remind readers on what "fobby" entails. "Fobby", in its essence, means that you display the symptoms of being a F.O.B. aka Fresh Off the Boat. This, of course, is a historical reference to a time when our ancestors still immigrated to America/Canada/the UK on a boat. Now, they just grab their passports and get on a plane. But I digress. The point is that their behavior was marked to be "fobby." This is characterized by bad pronunciation of English (where they cannot pronounce the "L" for the life of them and it just comes out as Engrish), weird combination of clothing (skirts over pants with high top sneakers...you know...), and most notably the fob fingers. Here:
Anyways, there you have it, a brief run through of the term "fobby".
I think the most ironic part of me being in such a state is that I was born in the United States, raised and educated here, and can be quite eloquent with the English language if I do say so myself.
*disclaimer* you might want to stop reading at this point if the picture of my chubby face was enough to give you a laugh.
Moving on.
Let's go easy first. I learned about this bag and now I really want one. I don't do brand names. Really, I don't but I thought this was super cute:
"Miss Marc Flat Hobo" by Marc Jacobs
Too bad it doesn't seem to be in stock and I don't have that kind of cash to burn on a bag.
Now onto the embarrassing stuff.
So lately, I've been caught up in the hype that is the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango aka Boys Over Flowers. It's a Japanese manga story. If for some reason, you have a dying need to know what it is about, just read the link. I don't read the manga version, I just watch the tv adaptations.
I've seen the Japanese version and absolutely LOVED it. Although I don't find the cast particularly attractive in a subjective sense, their acting was superb and I thoroughly enjoyed their whole series. (Oh please, don't tell me you've never watched a tv show because it had a lot of pretty people.) The two main characters were particularly good and had great chemistry with each other.
It also gave me an excuse to practice my rusty Japanese.
So when I heard that they were going to come out with a Korean version, I initially balked at watching it. I didn't want to ruin my happy memories of the story. However, being no stranger to Korean dramas, I got sucked in. MAJORLY. I am now waiting impatiently for Monday and Tuesday to come so I can finally finish this wretched story and have it over with. Although the acting, in my opinion, is sub par, I think the cast and set in this version is much prettier. hahaha
Especially him. I'm pretending I'm still 18 when I watch it. hahaha
Ok. So that was my bit about my terrible terrible tv obsession.
Now for music. I recently found this song and I actually ended up liking a lot of this group's songs. Admittedly I don't understand it. Maybe it's because for all my wannabe-ness, I'm not Korean. But give the song a chance. Especially you hip-hop fans. (Will it help if I told you that their lead member graduated from none other than Stanford?!?) Here:
:whew:
I think I'm going to stop here before I kill you with the length and topic of this post. Oh, and you can stop rolling your eyes now.
It just seems appropriate that I end with this: ^____^Y
March 23, 2009
The World of Social Networking
This seems a bit pathetic but I'm going to blog about it anyways.
I'm sure almost everyone that would read this has a Facebook page; the social networking phenomenon that used to be overshadowed by MySpace and Friendster.
*update: speaking of, watch this (thanks Ning):
Ok, back to Facebook. I am proud (or should it be ashamed?) to say that I've had one since 2004 and I've stuck with it through all the crazy interface changes. The current design is sort of annoying though. I wish they would quit changing it so often.
Anyways, so usually I ignore all the advertisements to the right side of the screen. I mean, who really clicks on them anyways right? However, there is one ad that has caught my eye. It's titled (in exact replication below):
"World Wide AsianZ
:picture of some guy who looks like Rain:
Make friends with people in
your country and beyond at
the free social network for
Asians"
I have several things to say about that.
1. Did it show up on my page because I'm Asian? Will it show up on everyone who is Asian or is it non-discriminatory?
2. Was it really necessary to use the "Z" at the end of Asian? I mean, why didn't they just say AZNs instead if they wanted to use the "Z" more "traditionally"?
3. Do they think the picture of the Rain-imitator will draw me into the site?
I'm confused. Does anyone have any thoughts?
I'm sure almost everyone that would read this has a Facebook page; the social networking phenomenon that used to be overshadowed by MySpace and Friendster.
*update: speaking of, watch this (thanks Ning):
Ok, back to Facebook. I am proud (or should it be ashamed?) to say that I've had one since 2004 and I've stuck with it through all the crazy interface changes. The current design is sort of annoying though. I wish they would quit changing it so often.
Anyways, so usually I ignore all the advertisements to the right side of the screen. I mean, who really clicks on them anyways right? However, there is one ad that has caught my eye. It's titled (in exact replication below):
"World Wide AsianZ
:picture of some guy who looks like Rain:
Make friends with people in
your country and beyond at
the free social network for
Asians"
I have several things to say about that.
1. Did it show up on my page because I'm Asian? Will it show up on everyone who is Asian or is it non-discriminatory?
2. Was it really necessary to use the "Z" at the end of Asian? I mean, why didn't they just say AZNs instead if they wanted to use the "Z" more "traditionally"?
3. Do they think the picture of the Rain-imitator will draw me into the site?
I'm confused. Does anyone have any thoughts?
February 19, 2009
Procrastination At Its Best
So I've been tagged for the "25 Random Facts About Me" thing on Facebook like 10 times. I'll update it here.
1. My favorite foods include "shao lung baos" (aka Shanghai dumplings) and chips. I really think I could eat either every day.
2. I have a teddy bear I've had since I was 1. He hangs out in my room and his name is "MoMo" which means "furry" in Cantonese.
3. My earliest memory is from preschool and its about how we got a "Scratch-N-Sniff" sticker every day after school.
4. I love law school except for the reading part.
5. I've had a passport since I was four. That love of travel has only intensified in recent years. I really really want to go to South America next.
6. I didn't get a license until 19 and even after that I never drove in college. My friends were the best to give me rides every where.
7. I started watching Korean dramas a few years ago and since then I've watched more Asian dramas than anything in English.
8. My cell phone is almost four years old. I refuse to get an iPhone or Blackberry because I don't want internet everywhere I go.
9. I went to law school because I want to fight for International Human Rights. Surprisingly that still hasn't changed yet.
10. I'm an only child but I don't feel like one because I hang out with my cousins a lot. Happy early birthday Colin!
11. Two of the best decisions I ever made was to work across the country and study abroad in Europe.
12. I love to read. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I got sucked into "Twilight" lately.
13. Usually my friends can tell if I'm around because they can hear me down the hall. And that's my "indoor" voice. I think "loud" is a very minimal description.
14. My mom never took me to do any of the activities that Asian kids always have to do. I never had Chinese school, music lessons, or ballet.
15. My dream job is to be either 1. the Secretary-General of the UN or 2. the US Secretary of State.
16. I hate make-up. I don't know how to use it and I hate the time it takes to put it on.
17. I didn't learn to bake or use a dishwasher until college. I wouldn't say I'm proficient in either now. hahaha
18. I would say that I'm slightly OCD. I shower at night only and I won't sleep in my bed if I haven't. I could also tell if you moved something on my desk or in my room.
19. If I were to choose a name for the kids I'm not sure I will ever have, I'd give them gender neutral nicknames like Sam (short for Samantha).
20. The secret talent I wish I could have is to be able to dance like the people on "America's Best Dance Crew."
21. An alternate career I would consider is being a professional translator. But I need to add to my arsenal of languages first.
22. One luxury I want in my future home is a pool. Or to live right next to the ocean. I love water.
23. I once lied to someone and told them I was a quarter African-American. They believed me after they saw my hair after I had just washed it and let it dry in humid air. You would know if you've ever lived with me.
24. My favorite musician is Wang Lee Hom. Read the Wikipedia...he's not that fob.
25. It was really hard to get to 25.
1. My favorite foods include "shao lung baos" (aka Shanghai dumplings) and chips. I really think I could eat either every day.
2. I have a teddy bear I've had since I was 1. He hangs out in my room and his name is "MoMo" which means "furry" in Cantonese.
3. My earliest memory is from preschool and its about how we got a "Scratch-N-Sniff" sticker every day after school.
4. I love law school except for the reading part.
5. I've had a passport since I was four. That love of travel has only intensified in recent years. I really really want to go to South America next.
6. I didn't get a license until 19 and even after that I never drove in college. My friends were the best to give me rides every where.
7. I started watching Korean dramas a few years ago and since then I've watched more Asian dramas than anything in English.
8. My cell phone is almost four years old. I refuse to get an iPhone or Blackberry because I don't want internet everywhere I go.
9. I went to law school because I want to fight for International Human Rights. Surprisingly that still hasn't changed yet.
10. I'm an only child but I don't feel like one because I hang out with my cousins a lot. Happy early birthday Colin!
11. Two of the best decisions I ever made was to work across the country and study abroad in Europe.
12. I love to read. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I got sucked into "Twilight" lately.
13. Usually my friends can tell if I'm around because they can hear me down the hall. And that's my "indoor" voice. I think "loud" is a very minimal description.
14. My mom never took me to do any of the activities that Asian kids always have to do. I never had Chinese school, music lessons, or ballet.
15. My dream job is to be either 1. the Secretary-General of the UN or 2. the US Secretary of State.
16. I hate make-up. I don't know how to use it and I hate the time it takes to put it on.
17. I didn't learn to bake or use a dishwasher until college. I wouldn't say I'm proficient in either now. hahaha
18. I would say that I'm slightly OCD. I shower at night only and I won't sleep in my bed if I haven't. I could also tell if you moved something on my desk or in my room.
19. If I were to choose a name for the kids I'm not sure I will ever have, I'd give them gender neutral nicknames like Sam (short for Samantha).
20. The secret talent I wish I could have is to be able to dance like the people on "America's Best Dance Crew."
21. An alternate career I would consider is being a professional translator. But I need to add to my arsenal of languages first.
22. One luxury I want in my future home is a pool. Or to live right next to the ocean. I love water.
23. I once lied to someone and told them I was a quarter African-American. They believed me after they saw my hair after I had just washed it and let it dry in humid air. You would know if you've ever lived with me.
24. My favorite musician is Wang Lee Hom. Read the Wikipedia...he's not that fob.
25. It was really hard to get to 25.
January 28, 2009
Life Goes On
It's been interesting lately.
Today I heard a phrase that sort of summed it up nicely. "The process is ahead of where I am at." That's sort of how I feel. The process of adulthood has caught me unawares and I'm not really prepared for it right now.
I find myself constantly worrying recently.
Life is moving a bit fast and I'm painfully aware of the fact that I don't have a job, much less a career, or a relationship. Whereas I look around me and I am always reminded that many of my friends have at least one if not both of those things.
And yet,the Lord has said:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27
Perhaps that's what it really is.
The lack of basics. My faith and my relationship with God has changed so much in the last 2 years. It's good in many ways but also seriously lacking in so many others. I no longer know where that childlike belief is and I'm afraid it's been partially replaced by a rather calloused world-view.
So here it is, my New Year's resolution late:
Back to Basics.
Back to the reasons I started on my journey.
Back to the purpose for where I am.
Back to a life that CENTERS around the Lord's will for my life rather than what is good in the moment.
And back to LOVE as the reason for all that I do. Love being the motivator, the encourager, and the strengthener. Because He loved ME first.
Today I heard a phrase that sort of summed it up nicely. "The process is ahead of where I am at." That's sort of how I feel. The process of adulthood has caught me unawares and I'm not really prepared for it right now.
I find myself constantly worrying recently.
Life is moving a bit fast and I'm painfully aware of the fact that I don't have a job, much less a career, or a relationship. Whereas I look around me and I am always reminded that many of my friends have at least one if not both of those things.
And yet,the Lord has said:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27
Perhaps that's what it really is.
The lack of basics. My faith and my relationship with God has changed so much in the last 2 years. It's good in many ways but also seriously lacking in so many others. I no longer know where that childlike belief is and I'm afraid it's been partially replaced by a rather calloused world-view.
So here it is, my New Year's resolution late:
Back to Basics.
Back to the reasons I started on my journey.
Back to the purpose for where I am.
Back to a life that CENTERS around the Lord's will for my life rather than what is good in the moment.
And back to LOVE as the reason for all that I do. Love being the motivator, the encourager, and the strengthener. Because He loved ME first.
January 16, 2009
H-Y-P-E
Things that get hyped up usually have a bad reputation for not living up to it. Afterall, what your 52-year-old father thinks is great would most likely not be what your 25-year-old best friend thinks is wonderful. So there's bound to be people who will not like the latest fad in fashion, gadgets, and entertainment that is out there. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
I admit, I Wikipedia-ed the movie before I watched it so I knew the plot details. However, the first 10 minutes still managed to grip me and I was fascinated for the entire 2 hours. Movie critics around the country, heck around the world, have already reviewed it to bits. I just have to say that it's definitely worth watching and perhaps warrants a little thinking about afterwards as well. Besides letting the ending give you hope, perhaps also let the process and the story as a whole give us a little more perspective on the world and the fate of its humanity. There are a whole lot of implications other than just what happens to Jamal but also the everyday fate of India's people. Maybe its more than just a movie afterall.
I admit, I Wikipedia-ed the movie before I watched it so I knew the plot details. However, the first 10 minutes still managed to grip me and I was fascinated for the entire 2 hours. Movie critics around the country, heck around the world, have already reviewed it to bits. I just have to say that it's definitely worth watching and perhaps warrants a little thinking about afterwards as well. Besides letting the ending give you hope, perhaps also let the process and the story as a whole give us a little more perspective on the world and the fate of its humanity. There are a whole lot of implications other than just what happens to Jamal but also the everyday fate of India's people. Maybe its more than just a movie afterall.
January 7, 2009
Hot Off the Presses
Ok, maybe not exactly hot anymore since we're now a little more than a week into a new year. Many people think a new year is a new lease on life. And while hopefully that will become true with the way that the past year has gone, it would be an understatement to say that we're all probably still carrying baggage from 2008 with us (recession anyone?). However, I DID manage to do something different this year for New Year's Eve.
First of all, I never usually celebrate New Years. Truthfully, I'm usually home or at a friend's house just watching tv and chatting. But this year, I headed south hoping to get in better weather and some fun. Well the better weather never emerged since it seemed like I took San Francisco fog with me to Los Angeles (it was freezing!) but the fun was definitely to be had at the "Happiest Place on Earth". You know, in recent years, I've become quite a Disneyland fan having gone to two others around the world. So ,when the opportunity came for a little jaunt to the original one in Anaheim, I took it. Here are the results:
Joanna and I got on Southwest after an hour's delay and headed down to LA! We're so excited.
We joined Laurie, Dale, Jen and Alan in Downtown Disney that night to wait for the NYE fireworks. This is us happily anticipating the show.
However, a few hours later and with some massive weather problems, all we got was some colored fog and sound of fireworks. We were so disappointed we didn't see anything
We spent the next two days hopping between the parks so I'll just post highlights of each one.
Here I am with holiday Goofy in front of California Adventures! :)
We also got on the new Toy Story inspired ride, Midway Mania, twice. Mr. Potato-head kept everyone entertained with silly jokes while waiting in line. haha
We also watched the Aladdin show. We waited to get seated on the Mezzanine level which gave us great views of the flying carpet part.
And of course, we dropped in at the Tower of Terror (harhar...bad pun). Stupid lady in front of me blocked my face.
We also did Disney's Animation Studio where we learned to draw Winnie-the-Pooh! hehe
I just wish our Golden Gate Bridge really was this decorated for the holidays.
And in Disneyland, we also saw tons of holiday inspired stuff.
This is just waiting for the "It's a Small World" ride.
And the inside was equally decorated. hehe. I sorta went picture crazy on this ride if you must know.
If you can't handle crazy lighting, you might not want to look at it at night. They also did a fun light show on the building at night with all the lights off.
They also completely changed the Haunted Mansion to a holiday theme with "The Nightmare Before Christmas" characters. I really really liked it.
And of course, the castle at night was awesome.
And we managed to watch the fireworks show both nights. Can't miss a Disney classic!
It was two really long days (16.5 hours and 15 hours respectively) at the Disney parks but it was well worth it. I think I might be addicted to Disneyland now. :)
First of all, I never usually celebrate New Years. Truthfully, I'm usually home or at a friend's house just watching tv and chatting. But this year, I headed south hoping to get in better weather and some fun. Well the better weather never emerged since it seemed like I took San Francisco fog with me to Los Angeles (it was freezing!) but the fun was definitely to be had at the "Happiest Place on Earth". You know, in recent years, I've become quite a Disneyland fan having gone to two others around the world. So ,when the opportunity came for a little jaunt to the original one in Anaheim, I took it. Here are the results:
Joanna and I got on Southwest after an hour's delay and headed down to LA! We're so excited.
We joined Laurie, Dale, Jen and Alan in Downtown Disney that night to wait for the NYE fireworks. This is us happily anticipating the show.
However, a few hours later and with some massive weather problems, all we got was some colored fog and sound of fireworks. We were so disappointed we didn't see anything
We spent the next two days hopping between the parks so I'll just post highlights of each one.
Here I am with holiday Goofy in front of California Adventures! :)
We also got on the new Toy Story inspired ride, Midway Mania, twice. Mr. Potato-head kept everyone entertained with silly jokes while waiting in line. haha
We also watched the Aladdin show. We waited to get seated on the Mezzanine level which gave us great views of the flying carpet part.
And of course, we dropped in at the Tower of Terror (harhar...bad pun). Stupid lady in front of me blocked my face.
We also did Disney's Animation Studio where we learned to draw Winnie-the-Pooh! hehe
I just wish our Golden Gate Bridge really was this decorated for the holidays.
And in Disneyland, we also saw tons of holiday inspired stuff.
This is just waiting for the "It's a Small World" ride.
And the inside was equally decorated. hehe. I sorta went picture crazy on this ride if you must know.
If you can't handle crazy lighting, you might not want to look at it at night. They also did a fun light show on the building at night with all the lights off.
They also completely changed the Haunted Mansion to a holiday theme with "The Nightmare Before Christmas" characters. I really really liked it.
And of course, the castle at night was awesome.
And we managed to watch the fireworks show both nights. Can't miss a Disney classic!
It was two really long days (16.5 hours and 15 hours respectively) at the Disney parks but it was well worth it. I think I might be addicted to Disneyland now. :)
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