Sit back, relax...

Wow.

2009-05-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Let's just say, Joanna Schupbach is the best woman in the whole wide world. And I can't believe I have the honor and privilege in marrying this woman. There are many reasons why I love Joanna, but I want to highlight one of them. Thoughtful. Yep, she is the most thoughtful person I know. This past Saturday, she surprised me with an early birthday party and an Angels game. I had no clue! Apparently, she started planning this whole ordeal for me since March with mass emailing. How did I not know about this? Needless to say, I can confidently say that not only did I feel loved, but I also am loved by this wonderful woman. Thanks Joanna. You're the best and I love you.

Here's the group in their element. Classic.

Thanks again for a great birthday!

The Engagement Story

2009-04-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! This is Joanna. Thanks for coming to Mikey's blog. I wrote this post so it's from my perspective. I hope you enjoy!

The Engagement Story:

Cast of Characters....

Groom to be: Michael S Wang Bride to be and Oblivious of What's About to Take Place at this Point of the Picture:

Joanna Kay Schupbach

Roommate Conspirator #1: Miss Katie Lovas

Roommate Conspirator #2 and Fashion Expert: Miss Kristine Maschhoff

Here's the long version of our story with as many details as I (Joanna) can remember....
Friday, April 10th, 2009 started off rough. I had a staff bible study (ETAWG or Extended Time Alone with God) at 11 and didn't wake up until 10:40. I had no time to get ready, gather my thoughts or do anything but get out of bed.
Despite the lack of a shower, the nasty t-shirt and jeans I was wearing (pretty sure i wrote a to-do list with do laundry asap on it that day. ew, it had been awhile) I had a good quiet time with the Lord. I read in Esther about repentence and I wrote this in my journal,
Repentance is not your punishment. It's your glorious right of daughtership. Your invitation to restoration. (from Beth Moore's Esther study)

Overall, it was an average day.
My two roommates, Katie, Kristine and I had made plans to do a "roommate lunch" that day. And so I was planning on just leaving my lowly state as it was except Kristine said, "I think you need to dress up because Literati Cafe is kind of nice."
Sometimes I wonder if my lack of fashion sense gets to Kristine but this was the first time she had vocalized her opinion... I was however a wreck and so i thought nothing of it. But since I was lazy, I told her, "You pick out my outfit cause you seem to know would be good." I was being a little stubborn about this. But I got dressed up and out the door. :)
The two roomies and I enjoyed a fabulous lunch and afterwards we decided to have some coffee. It was at that moment that Kristine started pulling a thick manilla envelope out of her package saying, "What is this? What is this? Who put this here?"
Now, I have to interrupt and tell you that getting engaged was a hope/thought I was trying desperately not to "go there". On Wednesday I thought I saw Kristine sneaking around our neighborhood and I had gotten my hopes up that Mikey was going to propose on Wednesday but nothing came of it. So I was a little weary of getting my hopes up so I was trying to remain as neutral as possible about all of this.
Kristine kept trying to give the package to me to open but I refused cause I felt weird about the whole thing.
Then I thought, "Okay, one of us has to and she seems adament that I do it."
So I took the package and started crying.
I said, "What's going on? What's happening? Is this Mikey? Is he here?"
"No, he's not here. Just read it." Kristine said.
Inside the manilla envelope was two cards and two journals.
The first card said, "You're always wondering what I'm thinking, so here's your chance."
So I started reading the journals which were paper clipped to specific pages.
The journals were the journey of Mikey's feelings and thoughts of meeting me, dating me, and trying to work through "what is love?" and "do I love Joanna?"
After those two journals I read the 2nd card which said, "Now go home because there is a package waiting for you."
Also, during this time my Dad called and asked if I read an email of his about a book he had sold. I was so surprised that he called me and a fear came into my heart that "ohmygosh? Did Mikey ask my Dad?" but I quieted that thought with, "No, if this is really happening, then Mikey called my Dad."
On the way home Kristine and Katie made me guess what I thought the package was... but I didn't want to say what I was really hoping/thinking. So I just said something silly. It was nerve-wrecking to wonder what Mikey was up to. I was also feeling silly for how ugly I looked and how I really wanted to shower!
When I opened up the apartment door, I saw rose petals leading into my room. On the bed there was two more journals and another card. There was also a RED ROSE which was the first time Mikey had given me a RED rose (the sign of love). The 1st card said to sit on my comfy couch and read while listening to music. Mikey had set up his ipod with speakers so that I could listen to my favorite music while reading his journey of our relationship.
I cried at one point specifically while reading... it was the part where Mikey realized that he loved me. Just seeing those words on the page were like the best feeling ever. I was freaking out. :)
After those two journals, the 2nd card said, "There is another package in your favorite color waiting for you but you have to climb some flights of stairs to get to it."
So I headed up to my roof.
In the corner of the roof was a little blue ring box.
I opened up the box and....
inside was $10 and a note explaining that I had won a snowboarding bet Mikey and I had. The note continued, "But we'll have plenty of time to go snowboarding in the future. What I want you to do now is look down towards the street cause there is someone you will see.... right... now."
While I was looking down, he came up behind me and said, "Well, I'm not down there. I'm right here."
Then he expressed his feelings for me and told me how much I meant to him. He said, "I have three questions for you.
1. Do you want what's supposed to be in the blue ring box?"
and I said, "uh, yes!!"
Then Mikey said, "I want to tell you for the first time that I love you."
And I just smiled (cause I was so nervous)
And he continued, "My second question is...."
gets down on one knee
and i start crying
"will you marry me?"
and I said, "ohmygosh! ohmygosh! ohmygosh! yes! yes! yes!"
And I started laughing (cause I'm nervous) and crying (cause I'm so happy) simulatenously.
Mikey said, "Now I haven't forgotten my third question. And that is... may i replace your promise ring with this ring!"
and with that, he pulled out the ring box and the real ring!!

And then we kissed for the first time ever in our relationship!!

So that's it. That's the story. :)
We're thinking a September 2009 wedding in Illinois.
Check back here for more details as plans get formalized. We'd appreciate any prayers you have for this time and for our marriage. :) We're thrilled to be engaged and to be living life together as husband and wife. I can't wait to be Mrs. Michael Wang. woo hoo!!

Vote!

2009-03-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sam and Tivian introduced me to Wired.com as they submitted a photo into their online contest. They're doing a "Fall" contest. I submitted a photo and it would be great if ya'll can vote for mine.

http://www.wired.com/culture/art/news/2008/09/submissions_fall

Check it out. There are some other good photos as well.
Thanks and enjoy!

Another good hymn.

2009-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

Oh the Deep, Deep Love

Verse 1
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of Your love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Your glorious rest above

Chorus
Oh the deep, deep love
All I need and trust
Is the deep, deep love of Jesus

Verse 2
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Spread His praise from shore to shore
How He came to pay our ransom
Through the saving cross He bore
How He watches o’er His loved ones
Those He died to make His own
How for them He’s interceding
Pleading now before the throne

Verse 3
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Far surpassing all the rest
It’s an ocean full of blessing
In the midst of every test
Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus
Mighty Savior, precious Friend
You will bring us home to glory
Where Your love will never end

Oh the Deep, Deep Love by Sovereign Grace Music

Download it.

Trust

2008-12-27T20:32:00.001-08:00

You would think that trusting God would get easier as you get older because of your life experiences. Yet I find that is not the case. Trusting God seems to be a life-long lesson and maybe God intends it that way. It's hard to trust God for the unknown, future fundraising, future career, and the list goes on. Yet time and time again, God reminds me to remember how He is faithful. For example, He has provided my financial support for 3 years, and so what makes me think He won't provide for the future financial needs?

I guess I'm not far off like the Israelites, who witnessed and experienced God's provision and freedom by crossing the Red Sea, but as they were in the desert for 40 years, they forgot to remember and trust their faithful God.

Trusting God = A lesson that never gets old.

Election Day Thoughts

2008-11-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at "The Nugget," which is CSULB's Pub and Grill, among young anxious students. I could see on their faces screaming the question, "Who's going to be the next president?" There was even a countdown for the electoral votes of CA, WA, and OR. I could hear the chanting: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... Then there was the new electoral votes for Obama and McCain.

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

I've never heard so much excitement in my life for a new president. Congratulations Obama for your victory.

BUT

What I found really interesting to me were people's excitement for Obama as President. People were calling and texting others to tell the "good" news. "YES WE CAN" chants were started. When Obama gave his acceptance speech, it was interesting for me to see people's faces and expressions. People were tearing, cheering, celebrating. They had facial expressions of hope, new change, and new life. It's almost as if Obama was their new hero or should I say their new Savior?

As I was walking home, I wondered what it would be like if Jesus was up there on the podium? Would there be as much cheering for Him as Barack Obama or even less? Or better yet, even more? When will Jesus receive the applause and accolade He rightfully deserves? I know one day it will come. I just wished it was sooner.

7 Weird Facts About Me

2008-10-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I've been tagged by my girlfriend Joanna. Here are 7 weird facts about me.

1. I can't sleep with loud ticking clocks in the room. If there is one, then I'll either take it to another room or I'll take the battery out of the clock. Loud ticking clocks are my nemesis.

2. Toliet paper has to flow over, not under. If I see toliet paper flowing under, then I have to change it or else it'll bug me.

3. Dolls freak me out. I can't imagine someone having dolls. They're so creepy. Their eyes never blink and they have this fixed smile. And if I stare at it, I feel like it's going to come alive walking like a zombie towards me. I mean no offense to girls who loved playing with dolls, but I'm so glad I played with Legos.

4. I've had braces twice and my teeth/jaws/oral cavity are still messed up. Plus I've had a wisdom teeth infection that hospitalized me for 5 days. My oral cavity history isn't so hot.

5. I love maps. I don't know why, but maps are so cool. It's interesting to look at and there's so much detail. Maybe that's why I'm good with directions.

6. I won $1715 at a poker tournament. I'm not good enough for the World Series of Poker though.

7. I can't stand PLS, also known as "Parking Lot Syndrome." It pretty much drags the leaving process. After hanging out, a group of people will form somewhat of a circle in the parking lot to say their goodbyes. But the goodbyes turn into another 10 minute conversation of what we're doing over the weekend, talk about the latest movie, and so forth. Then when we're about to finally say our goodbyes this time, somehow it turns into another 10 minute conversation. I say, don't PLS and hang out some other time!

Joe "The Plumber"

2008-10-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

There's been all this hype about Joe Wurzelbacher, or better known as Joe "The Plumber." He's famous on the media because of his views on tax cuts, mainly against Obama's future tax plans. Click the link to read more about him and the buzz.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081017/ap_on_re_us/joe_the_plumber_27

But after looking at Joe "The Plumber," I realized he looks like two people I know. He either looks like the venerable Jim Luebe without glasses and the beard OR Bryce Bouchard.

Jim Luebe

Bryce Bouchard

[UPDATE] After reading my friend's (Ryan) comment, I realized I missed another person. Joe Maschhoff. Man this is a tough competition.

Joe Maschhoff

What do you think?

A song I've been listening to lately...

2008-10-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

Glory Bound - The Wailin Jennys

When I hear that trumpet sound
I will lay my burdens down
I will lay them deep into the ground
Then I'll know that I am glory bound

I'll be travelin' far from home
But I won't be looking for to roam
I'll be crossing o'er the great divide
In a better home soon I will reside

Hallelujah

When I'm in my resting place
I'll look on my mother's face
Never more will I have to know
All the loneliness that plagues me so

So I'm waiting for that train to come
And I know where she's coming from
Listen can you hear her on the track
When I board I won't be looking back

Hallelujah

Ahhhhh....

2008-09-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

My roommate is obsessed with the Patriots...
And it's extremely annoying.
But hey, I like the fact Tom Brady is out for the season.
AND
They lost to the Dolphins today.
So, I guess the annoyance isn't too bad.

Jesus and the 12 dwarfs, I mean disciples.

2008-09-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

Recently, I've been reading through Mark and something struck me in chapters 6 & 8. In Chapter 6, Jesus had compassion on the multitude and asked His disciples to give them something to eat. His disciples responded almost sarcastically asking Jesus where were they going to get this food to feed these many people? Jesus asked, "How many loaves do you have?" And the disciples answered, "5 loaves, and 2 fish." It's interesting how the disciples didn't answer Jesus' specific question. Makes me think the added "2 fish" is a way the disciples were saying, "5 loaves, and oh Jesus, here's even 2 fish. What can you do with this?" But Jesus did the impossible and He fed 5,000 people simply with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. And in chapter 8, Jesus again fed a multitude of 4,000 people with 5 loaves of bread. Everytime I read about Jesus feeding the 5,000, I focus on what Jesus did, which shouldn't be glazed over at all.

But, what struck me were the disciples. They were with Jesus when He fed 5,000 people only with 5 loaves and 2 fish. They experienced this miracle. They saw the impossible become the possible.

And yet when it came to the second time in feeding the multitude, the disciples asked Jesus again where they were going to get such a surplus of food. They didn't understand. They forgot what had happened previously. They never learned. They didn't know who Jesus was. If the disciples knew who Jesus was and remembered what He did, then I believe the disciples would have responded differently in feeding the 4,000. "Jesus, we looked around and we only found 5 loaves of bread. Surely you can use this and do what you did last time with the 5,000 right?"

I don't know why the disciples didn't understand the first time what Jesus could do. But I know reading about this incident reminds me of who I believe Jesus claims to be and what He can do in my life. And I'm humbled because I don't think I'm too far off from the disciples. If I really knew Jesus and what He's capable of doing, then I believe some areas in my life would be drastically different. For example, my prayer life. Am I praying for "elephants" - the big things that require faith? Or am I praying for "peanuts" - the small things that require no faith? I believe prayer is a reflection of my perspective on God. I some times wonder why I don't pray for big things as often. Could it be that I don't fully know who God claims to be?

Yet I'm so glad Jesus was so patient and gracious to His disciples as they tried to figure Him out and His Kingdom. He stuck with them and never gave up cause He believed in them. Now that gives me hope; He'll never give up on me as I'm trying to learn about Him, His ways, and His Kingdom.

The past few weeks...

2008-08-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well, with the rate that I'm going, seems like I update my blog once a month. Hey, it's better than once every 3 months.

From Aug 9-11, I took a trip out to the bay area cause my high school friend, Josh Cheng, was getting married. I flew into Oakland International Airport from Colorado Springs, where I was doing some fundraising from Aug 6-9. I liked Oakland Airport's ticketing area cause it was nice and long. So I took a picture of it. The airport's terminals though I didn't like; it was too dark. They gotta change that soon.

Here is Josh and Rema with their first dance.

While at Josh's wedding, I got a chance to see old high school friends. Here is Justin. My favorite memory is jamming together on the guitar. He's probably one of the greatest guitarists I know.

Here is Gavin, Eddie, Me, Robert, and Henry. Henry is the next one to get married soon.

Here's Erina. She's on staff with Intervarsity at UC Berkeley. She also is very talented in music. I've always told her that she should lead praise music, and I'm encouraged that she has. Hopefully, she'll be leading music at the next Urbana.

Meet my new Long Beach Navs Staff team! From Aug 21-22, we went down to Carlsbad for a mini staff retreat. We had a great time getting to know each other, praying for the students and the school year, and enjoying the beach. I'm really excited for this school year and I'm trusting God will do great things. The reason why some of us were dressed up is cause we were going to Alice and RJ's wedding. Hence the next picture...

Alice and RJ got married at the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island. It was a great outdoor wedding. Before the ceremony started, there was a slight overcast. But right when the ceremony started, the sun peeped through the clouds at the right time. It was definitely a beautiful wedding.

It was good to see some old friends from college and the Navigators. Sam, me, Jon, Vic, and Justin. I was surprised to see Vic at the wedding. He just got back from Hawaii doing his dental residency. I noticed after the ceremony, he came back with his shoes and socks off, and rolled up khakis. I said, "You went to the beach, huh?" He answered, "Yea, I had to get my fix." Ha, that's what Hawaii does to you I guess.

Here is Joey, Ann, Katie, and Cody. Cody was my old roomie while I was in LA. Katie is his girlfriend. Ann is like my annoying sister who likes to "push all my buttons." And Joey is her stud-muffin.

I'm excited for two things next week...

One is CSULB finally starts next Monday! I've been itching for this day to come. I'm excited to meet new students and for the school year to start.

And two, Joanna is moving to Los Angeles next Saturday! I'm really excited to see her! Finally, we'll be in the same state, in the same metropolitan area, in the same time zone. Don't get me wrong, long distance has been great and taught us many things, but we're ready for a new change: Dating only 30 minutes apart! Woohoo!

John Lee

2008-08-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was July 31, 2008, which marks two years after John Lee's passing. It's odd to know that John's been gone for only 2 years when it seems he's been gone more like 20 years. I can't describe it.

Dave, my new roommate, asked me if I wanted to go meet up with John Lee's parents and Pil Ho at Signal Hill Elementary School, where John taught kindergarten for 10 years. I asked,"What's the occasion?" Turns out, the kindergarten teachers pooled in money to make a bench in memory of John Lee. What a great gesture of respect.

Here is the bench in memory of John Lee.

Here is the view of the kindergarten playground. You can see the bench slightly to the right. I was told that the location of the bench is where John Lee used to always stand when he watched the kids play.

I still think about John Lee once in a while. And when I do, I wish he was here to hang out with. A fun realization: After seeing the bench and going to John's grave site, John's parents treated us out to Korean BBQ. John's mom said, "If John were here, he would celebrate with a BBQ. John LOVED food." It dawned on me that I love food too and John's love of food made me think of his BBQ's at his place. Oh those were some good times. Here are a few pictures from the last BBQ I went to at John Lee's.

Cheers John. You're surely missed.

New Adventures

2008-07-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'm in Long Beach at Cha for Tea.

These past few weeks, I've been trying to find apartments in Long Beach. It's my first time ever trying to find an apartment and I must say, it takes a lot prayer, patience, perseverance, and more patience. What an experience. Yesterday afternoon, my new roommate Dave, called me up and told me he found a good apartment at a great location. There was no way I could drive down from LA cause of the horrible traffic at 5PM. Even though I wanted to see the apartment, I could only trust Dave's judgment. He emailed me the applications and I had to forward that to my other new roommate/teammate, Steven. After filling everything out and waiting for Steven to email me his application, I printed our applications, and drove to Kinko's to fax them in. Today, Dave called me and said we got the apartment. All I had to do was sign the lease. So, today I drove down to Long Beach from LA and signed it. I drove by the apartment to take a look at it cause I haven't seen it yet. After looking at it, I looked at Dave and said, "Good job friend." I'm pretty stoked about our apartment. It's about 1.5 miles away from CSULB and I'm glad I can walk/bike there. Truly a blessing from the Lord. Hopefully I can move in by next week. Here are some photos of the new pad.

My new 2 bed/1 bath apartment. It's on the second floor. In fact, the top three windows are part of my apartment.

Dave Wenzel. Caught him at an awkward moment as you can see.

Steven Crawford. He told me his staple diet is Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. That's going to change if he's living with me. Steven, you're gonna learn how to cook cause I'm all about cooking.

Colorado Time...

2008-06-16T19:47:00.001-07:00

I'm in Colorado, though the morning at LAX was quite trying. My flight departure was 6:20AM from LAX to Denver. I get to LAX airport at approximately 5AM and I couldn't believe how many people were in line for Southwest. What's even worse was the line for the security checkpoint. The line was at least a quarter of a mile. It was insane! So here I am waiting in line with an hour left before 6:20AM. I for sure was going to miss my flight. But, I kept on praying and asking God that I would get on my plane and my luggage would be on the same plane as well. I get through the security line at 6:10AM and now I'm hauling my butt to the gate. I've never ran so hard in my life. Fortunately, I board the plane, then I look out the window to see if my luggage is being placed onto the plane as I'm walking down the aisle to find a open sit. To the delight of my eyes, I see my guitar and carry on. Whew... What a morning I should say.

For the future, I have to really think through if I wanna fly Southwest again. Because they have cheaper flights, tons of people fly Southwest. But I realize if more and more people are going with Southwest, then lines will eventually be more horrendous.

On a lighter note, Joanna and Rochelle (Joanna's Sister-in-law), picked me up from the Denver Airport. We went back to her home where I saw Jordan (Joanna's brother), Waveland (Joanna's niece), and Banjo (Jordan & Rochelle's semi A.D.D. Golden Retriever). We chilled a little bit, but then we went for a bike ride at the nearby park.

Joanna and I riding bikes. Doesn't she look so attractive?

Jordan and Rochelle rockin' the tandem bike. Waveland's chillin' in the "Burley"

The family model pose.

Group shot.

Another group shot.

Here's Waveland. She's so cute.

This was her first serious interaction with grass. Apparently, she loved eating the grass. Maybe she's gonna be a Vegetarian?

Waveland loves being on Joanna's shoulders.

I also met Jeremy (Joanna's oldest brother), Alaina (Joanna's Sister-in-Law), and Edwin (Joanna's nephew). We all ate at a tasty burger joint called Cherry Cricket. It kinda reminded me of Fuddrucker's.

Tomorrow, Joanna and I are headed down to the Glen for the June Edge Summit.

Wowzers...

2008-06-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. I haven't updated my blog for almost two months. It's been a busy last few months with UCLA coming to a close just this past week. I can't believe I've been at UCLA for two years, and what an experience it has been. I have the summer now to process and reflect on what I've learned these past two years. That'll be for another future blog.

Other than processing my experience over the summer, you might be asking what else am I doing? Well, here is what I have planned so far:

June 13-17 - Joanna comes to LA (and June 13 is tomorrow!!! woohoo!!!)

June 16-21 - Colorado. Flying into Denver, and hanging out with Joanna and her brothers on June 16. Then helping out with June Edge Summit from June 17-21

June 22 - Victoria Lowe and Robert Marr's Wedding in La Jolla

June 29 - July 2 - Las Vegas. I'm helping my mother setup her showroom exhibit. (She has a silk floral arrangement business, in case you didn't know. www.jennysilks.com)

July 8-15 - Normal, IL. This isn't set in stone yet, but hopefully I get to visit Joanna and her parents in IL.

Late July - Moving to Long Beach.

August 10 - Josh Cheng and Rema's Wedding in Berkeley

August 30 - James Tsang & Liz Riedel's CA Reception in Alhambra.

So, I do have a packed summer already. It's gonna be crazy. But for the most part of my summer, I'll be fundraising. I've been given an exciting opportunity to continue on staff with the Navigators for the next two years at CSULB! Hence, that's why I'll be moving to Long Beach. With a larger budget to raise, I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed looking at the numbers. Yet, I serve a BIG God and He always provides in His way and in His timing. I agree with my friend Tim Lin, who is also raising support, that through my weakness, God's power and strength is made perfect.

But I end with some photos from this past quarter!

Spring Break trip to San Felipe, Mexico!

We caught more than 40 fish!

Navlympics, an annual Navigator sporting event against the California campuses. UCLA came in second overall for the 4 straight years...

Our end of the year party. The theme was Beauty and the Geek. Here's a picture with the staff and some of the student leaders. Don't you think we all long so handsome and beautiful?

Joanna visiting me in March. But soon, she's gonna be here tomorrow. I'm really excited to see her!

O Great God

2008-04-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've come across another great hymn that I listen to quiet often. This hymn has such powerful words that I long to say to the Lord continually. It depicts truth about myself and who the Lord is. If you want a recording of the song, then let me know and I'll email it to you.

O Great God
O Great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart;
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power.
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me;
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin,
Had no ears to hear Your voice;
Did not know Your love within,
Had no taste for heaven's joys.
Then Your Spirit gave me life,
Opened up Your word to me;
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That's dependent on Your grace;
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face.
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed;
O Great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your name through me.

A Bit Overdue...

2008-03-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I am a bit overdue in updating my blog, partly cause I've been distracted by a special someone. Yep, my girlfriend Joanna. She pretty much rocks. She's on a 10 day visit in Southern California to visit me and her friends. Here's an update of our life so far.

Before Joanna came to LA on March 12, I was corresponding with our Arizona friends about a surprise visit to Tucson. Joanna had no clue she was going to Tucson. Thursday morning, we went to Panera near LAX airport and ate breakfast. Afterwards, I started driving towards LAX. As we were driving, we were also praying. However, Joanna got so distracted by the LAX signs, she didn't know what to pray for anymore. She asked me, "Are we going to LAX???" Soon enough, I parked my car at the LAX parking lot and told her to open the glovebox. She found an envelope with 2 plane tickets to Phoenix!

The reason why we flew to Phoenix was because I found cheap tickets. So we rented a rental car and took a little "road trip" down to Tucson.

And we arrived in Tucson safely. Here are some of our AZ friends.

Ryan, me, Steven, and Mike doing fake smiles. Steven looks more like he's enjoying life and Mike is trying real hard to smile.

Our last picture with the AZ crew before we left back to Phoenix.

While I was in Japan, I really wanted to go snowboarding, but didn't have the chance. I made sure when Joanna came to California, we would go snowboarding. We went to my local mountain, Bear Mountain, and it was great! I must say, Joanna can shred the mountain.

I took Joanna to Literati Cafe, which is one of my favorite cafes in LA.

We sat near this wall and noticed there were books in the wall! We thought it was sooo cool!

We had a couple of double dates. Here we're hanging out with Eddie and Monica, who are happily engaged! We ate at Honda-Ya, a Japanese Yakitori restaurant. Oh how I miss Kirin draft beer.

We ate with Cody and Katie. Twas a fun nite at P.F. Chang's, partly cause Cody and I used our P.F. Chang's gift certificates. But of course what's more important, we were with our AMAZING girlfriends.

Oh yes. Here is Chris...enough said.

We had dinner with my parents. I'm so glad that Joanna had the opportunity to meet my parents. We had a fun time eating Chinese food and getting to know each other better.

I had the chance to meet Joanna's friends: Tim and Kimbra Noxon. They were pretty fun and really fun to get to know.

Clara loving her pink-snugged chair.

Overall, we are enjoying each other. She loves to put her finger in my nose and I love to make hideous faces. We make a fun couple.

The Story Continues...

2008-02-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

So, you're wondering how in the world did Mikey win a 1967 Ford Mustang? Here's the story.

My friend Abby sent out an email about how her church in Riverside was doing a fundraiser for a proposed church plant out in Temecula area. Her church and few other churches around the area came together in this project. To fundraise for the church plant, the churches sold raffle tickets $250 each. The money obviously went to the church plant, but the raffle tickets went toward a 1967 Ford Mustang.

Abby asked me if I wanted to buy a raffle ticket with her. She would put my name on the it. I told her I would think about it. For some reason, I had the lingering thought to go in on the ticket. So I emailed Abby telling her I would buy half a ticket with her.

The raffling was this past Sunday (2/3), which I didn't know about. I get a voicemail message from Abby saying that I won the Mustang! Initially, I thought, "Ha! Yea right. I never win raffles." I called Abby to make sure this was for real or not. The reality of my win gradually sank in as she said, "Yep, you won." I couldn't believe it. She told me when my name was drawn, she was the only one who yelled cause no one else knew who I was. I thought that was pretty hilarious. I picked up the Mustang on Monday and drove it around. Boy, does that car ROARRRR.

To tell you the truth, I'm more stoked that I actually won a raffle. I mean, who wins a raffle? Seriously? I never win raffles. But I can't complain about winning a car. That's pretty cool.

What's funny is I remember receiving my raffle ticket stub from Abby's church in the mail. Attached to it was a fact sheet about the church plant and a photo of the Mustang. After looking at the Mustang, I remember thinking, "God, that would be funny if I won this car." God is definitely humorous.

I have a 1967 Ford Mustang now. Neat.

I Never Won A Raffle Before...

2008-02-05T00:40:00.001-08:00

But at the age of 24, I managed to win a raffle for this 1967 Ford Mustang!

The story and details to be continued...

The Love of God

2008-02-03T01:27:00.000-08:00

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin

When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God's love so sure shall still endure
All measureless and strong
Redeeming grace to Adam's race
The saints' and angels' song

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song!

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky

Oh the richness of words in hymns!

What's your favorite hymn lately?

Recap of my 3 day weekend...

2008-01-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

In order to start off the weekend right, snowboarding had to fit in the picture. I went to Mt. High with some UCLA friends. We had a great time and I was impressed with their snowboarding, considering it was their first time.

From left to right: Eddie, Harry (Eddie's twin brother), Tony, Me

While I was home in Orange County, I went on a little hike in Irvine. I was hoping to catch the sunset. And what a beautiful sunset it was. But I would have never imagined to see the moon and the sun both at the same time.

Here I'm facing west towards the sun.

Here I'm facing east towards the moon.
How crazy is that?

This past Sunday was my Mom's birthday. I asked her how old she was. She told me, "55." I must admit, my Mom still has a young look for her age and I forget that she's "over the hill." I still think she's in her forties. But, when she said she was 55, I was a little distraught cause I couldn't believe how old she was. Regardless of her age, I am truly grateful for my Mom. I couldn't ask for a better Mom than her. She always supports me and I always feel cared for. She is a huge blessing from the Lord. Thanks Mom! You're the best!

Thanks to my Mom and her floral business, I feel like I've developed some kind of taste in flowers. I wanted to get my Mom some nice, beautiful flowers, so I went to Trader Joe's. They always seem to have good looking flowers. Tulips were the flowers I had in mind and the minute I saw these, I knew I had to get them.

I am amazed at all the vibrant colors I get to see now on earth. But sometimes I wonder in heaven, if there will be a whole new set of different colors. Colors that I've never seen before. Colors that God kept secretly so He could surprise me one day. I wonder...

Depend on Me...

2008-01-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

where are you?
where are you going?
i feel so lost right now
helpless like a newborn babe
i don't like this feeling
of being so inadequate
you love the blind?
you love the weak?
you love the broken?
you love the humble?
are you sure?
are you sure?

i don't understand
can this be true?

"Heaven is my throne
and the earth is my footstool
for My hand made all these things
thus all these things came into being
but to this one I will look
to him who is humble
and contrite of spirit
and who trembles at My word."

do you trust?
do you believe?
I'm looking for people like these.
call to Me
and I will answer you
all I ask is that you trust Me
you can depend on Me

"Delayed"

2008-01-01T22:19:00.000-08:00

Just as I had a 2.5 hour plane delay when I left Japan, so has my update on my Japan trip. Sorry! I can easily tell you that I had a great time in Japan visiting not only Joanna, but also the staff team and my Japanese friends. I enjoyed it so much that I would love to go back again. If you know me, I like expressing myself through photos. So here we go!

Yea, we were pretty much excited to see each other. I couldn't believe I was in Japan, even after a couple days. I had to pinch myself to see if this was real.

We went on a double date with Keigo and Ayumi. Keigo wanted to take me to eat the best sushi, so he took us to Sushi-Dai in Tsukiji, where the famous fish market is in Japan. Here we are arriving at the Tsukiji station.

There was a wait at Sushi-Dai, so the girls were kind enough to stand in line while Keigo and I explored the fish market. Unfortunately we got there when all the shops were closing. The fish market opens at 3AM and closes at 1PM! Crazy hours, don't ya think? Well, Keigo and I decided to still look around and we came to one fish shop. The owner was very nice, so nice that he even gave us hot tea! Keigo told me that never happens. The owner invited us to walk towards the back of the shop to show us that huge bluefin tuna head. And I mean, it was HUGE! Just use my head as a scale and then you can figure out how big the fish's head is.

After waiting 1.5 hours, we finally get a sit. Boy, it was sure worth the wait. I have never eaten such good sushi before. I can honestly say, Sushi-Dai's sushi is the best. Everything they served was fresh. Each sushi I ate would just melt in my mouth. WOW.

Here's one of the 11 pieces of sushi we ate.

Then we went to a coffee shop to have some dessert. There was Tiramisu on the menu, so I definitely ordered it.

Tokyo BEST club had their annual Christmas party. It was great to be a part of it. Jennifer prepared a delicious turkey. One man from each table had to cut some turkey meat for his table. Yasushi and I tried cutting it Samurai style and it didn't turn out too well. Just kidding on the Samurai style cutting.

At the end of the party, we had a Christmas gift exchange. I had so much fun seeing everyone's facial expression. Kon (the guy with his back facing us) got a card saying "I owe you a dinner sometime." Everyone was laughing as you can see.

I had the chance to visit Yokohama!

This is downtown Yokohama. It was such a beautiful sunny day, but super cold and windy!

Some friends I hung out with while in Yokohama.

I met up with Kuniyasu and I finally met his girlfriend, Yuka! It was great to see him again.

So Joanna, Mary, and I went to Costco at Minami-osawa. We were walking around the wine section and Joanna saw this wine bottle. Joanna was so excited that she wanted a picture of it.

We got the chance to go to Tama Zoo! We're in the lion bus, can't you tell?

On the side of the bus, there were pieces of meat for the lion to eat. I'll admit, it was kinda scary. I was just waiting for the lion to growl and try to break into the bus. Dunno how, but I just felt like it was going to happen anytime....

This little baby chimp was playing with sticks. He was trying to get the sticks through the small hole and get the leaf out. The chimp was fun to watch cause he was simply "being a kid."

Joanna took me to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which is the tallest building in Tokyo. It was pretty cool to see an aerial view of downtown Tokyo.

I've realized that I love aerial views because I get to see so much more around me. When I'm surrounded by vastness, my viewing perspective changes. I'm just one person, and there is so much more out there.

Joanna and I also had a double date with Kyle and Jennifer. We ate Chinese hot pot, which is kinda like Nabe or Shabu Shabu. Hands down, we all craved the shrimp!

It was my last day at Tokyo and some of my friends sent me off. I think they're great and I miss them.

Keigo (sticking out his tongue) and Masashi (hands in the air), they are one of a kind.

Keigo and Masashi even ran with the bus I was on! Good friends I tell ya.

Our last picture in Japan at Narita airport.

As I often think and reflect upon my trip to Japan, this picture pretty much sums up my thoughts and feelings. Even though two weeks was short, I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks Joanna for everything! You're the best!

Another Celebration...

2007-12-31T02:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Sam and Tivian!

It was great to see Tivian walk down the aisle this past Saturday. As I saw her in a wedding dress, I thought to myself, "Wow, she is all grown up! She is definitely a gem." Tivian, it's been great to see how much you've grown ever since I first met you in high school. You have a beautiful heart, a beautiful personality, and a beautiful spirit. I still can't believe you're married! But I'm so glad you have married a great quality fella, Mr. Sam Nguyen. Sam, you're a man of God who seeks the Lord with all your heart, so I know that you will love and lead Tivian well. I'm excited for you two! You two are a testimony of how love is patient. I believe you have exemplified that attribute of love to the utmost in the midst of difficult trials. Thanks for allowing me to serve you with your wedding. It's been an honor to help you out. May God bless your life together with His abundance of love, grace, and joy. Congrats!

Some things I'm looking forward to while in Japan...

2007-12-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

Sushiro - 105 yen sushi

And Sushiro pudding. I can't forget that.

Ah yes...Haagan Dazs Tiramisu, how I miss thee.

Never been to Nagano in the winter...

So hopefully I'm looking forward to some of this in Nagano!

The last time I went to Tama Zoo, I only could go for one hour. This time I hope to have more than one hour to see all the animals. I hope they aren't hibernating.

Okonomiyaki is delicious.

Riding the Shinkansen. One of the coolest trains invented.

Kirin draft beer. Japanese beer tastes so much better on tap.

Ichiran - aka "Peep Show Ramen"

Seeing my Japanese friends and Tokyo staff team.

Last, but not least, spending quality time with this wonderful gal, Joanna!

Japan, here I come! Yatta!!!

A Month Recap...

2007-11-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I haven't updated my blog since October 8. Here's a little recap of the past month in my busy life.

Every year, the Sunland Navigators have a Road Rally. The purpose is to "Go somewhere with some friends and do something for someone else." This year, we went back to Las Vegas again and helped several non-profit organizations. Even though University of Arizona and Arizona State University didn't participate with us, the California schools (UCI, UCLA, UCSD, SDSU, CSULB, and Cal Poly SLO) had a blast serving the Las Vegas community.

Most of the UCLA students and 1 CSULB student served New Life Christian Center. We helped them shampoo the carpets, mop the floors, organize many shelves and storage rooms, dust, vacuum, clean the kitchen, pick up trash, and the list goes on. Even though some students expected to help feed the homeless, I was encouraged by their attitudes in serving this local church by doing some "fall cleaning."

We all slept in a local church's worship center. The guys slept on one side, the girls on the other. It's a Navigator event, we gotta make sure we regulate. =)

Masashi is a UCLA foreign exchange student from Japan. He's been coming out to Navigators and he really enjoys meeting new people. I was encouraged that he wanted to come to Las Vegas. He said even though he didn't help the homeless, which he really wanted to do, he had a great time meeting new people from different schools. I really enjoy his friendship and I hope we will continue to know each other better.

James Tsang is the fearless UCLA campus director. He has been stretched so much in taking on this new role as campus director, yet I trust that the Lord is teaching him how to lead well. One day, we so happened to wear similar clothing. Yuck.

Peter (left) and Cody (right) had their first experience in eating Korean BBQ. Even though Cody has a serious face, he really did enjoy his meat feast. I know I did. Meat is good.

I was in St. Louis for a week for my Edge Summit and the Navigators National Conference from Oct 29 - Nov 5. Of course I saw the infamous 630 ft. Arch.

The first couple of days, I had my Edge Summit and it was good to see my fellow Edge classmates. Can you find me?

While being in the Midwest, I finally realized that Southern California lacks seasons, especially fall. I never saw such beautiful colors from tree leaves. All I see are green or brown leaves in Southern California. But in the Midwest, I see not only green, but red, orange, and yellow. I miss the Midwest/East because of its fall colors.

Keigo and Ayumi came to visit California this past week and it was fun to see them. Unfortunately, I only got to spend time with them on Monday and the weekend. I wished I could have hung out with them the whole week, but I had a busy schedule at UCLA. We're at Coffee Bean early in the morning before going to LAX on Sunday. They are currently in Arizona, hoping to see the Grand Canyon. Then they're visiting New York for several days.

Not only did Keigo and Ayumi visit, but also some Arizona friends. Ariel, Mike, and Meaghan. It was good to see them as well. Ariel and Meaghan were on my SIJ team for the summer in Japan and these two are quality women. I'm glad they have quality boyfriends who know how to lead and pursue them well. Mike went to Japan last summer with SIJ as well. He's a quality guy too.

But do you know who I'm really excited to see in December for two weeks? This silly girl. Yep, I'm gonna go to Japan and visit Joanna during the winter break. I'm pretty pumped about it. I can't wait! You can call me crazy for flying to Japan to see her, but Joanna is worth it. She has truly been a blessing in my life and I can't tell you how wonderful she is. I've never met someone so gracious, thoughtful, considerate, and understanding as she is. God definitely hooked me up with a sweet gift that I don't deserve. Joanna, you rock my socks off!

That's my update, and hopefully it doesn't take me another month or so to update again. If it does, then sorry in advance. =)

Jesus, I Come to Thee

2007-10-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into thy freedom, gladness and light,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of my sickness into thy health,
Out of my wanting and into thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into thyself,
Jesus, I come to thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into the glorious gain of thy cross,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of earth's sorrows into thy balm,
Out of life's storms and into thy calm,
Out of distress into jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come.
Into thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of myself to dwell in thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward forever on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come; Jesus I come.
Into the joy and light of thy home
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of thy sheltering fold,
Ever thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to thee.

I heard this hymn in church this past Sunday and initially I was excited cause it was hymn. I've been liking hymns a lot more these days. I liked this hymn so much that I was trying to find a recording of the song so that I wouldn't forget the tune. Fortunately I found a sample recording. When it comes to music, I generally listen to the music first, then the lyrics. Some people look for lyrics first when it comes to music. For me, the tune is something that attracts me first.

But after hearing this song over and over, I realized that the lyrics were more beautiful to me than the music (granted I think the music is great). This hymn beautifully portrays the truth that there is freedom in coming to Jesus. I'm free from performance, free from making myself look good, free from cleaning myself up. I don't need to prove anything to Jesus. I never did. He just asks me to come and He'll take care of the rest. Only when I come into Jesus with brokenness and humility, will I ever experience the true freedom He graciously lavishes upon me.

Jesus, I come to Thee...

A Good Reminder

2007-09-01T23:33:00.000-07:00

During my senior in high school, my friend (Justin) and I were student aides for the special education class. I got to know one student named Sasan, who's in the picture above. Couple days ago, I was walking towards Office Depot and I saw Sasan out of the corner of my eye. I glanced at him for awhile just to make sure it was him. It definitely was. I remember thinking if I should go out of my way and say hi to him or not. I almost gave into what most people would do; just notice someone they know, then just walk away. But, I'm really glad that I was able to give up what I was doing and say hi to Sasan. I was really surprised that he actually remembered me. Just seeing him smile made me smile as well. I remember feeling like I was valued by him cause he asked questions about me. He was relational. He was genuine. He was real.

I wonder how many people walk by him and think he's under-privileged, physically challenged, or sadly to say, mentally-retarded? I am convicted of how I can be that person, how I can be quick to judge someone by "the cover of his/her book." Sasan was a reminder for me that some of the coolest, most genuine people are those I immediately cast judgment or brush away cause either they look differently, act differently, or think differently than me.

I am so glad I saw Sasan. It was good to see him. I remember walking away filled with joy. I was satisfied. I could tell that his physical condition didn't slow him down or discourage him. He's 22 wanting to pursue art, photography, and travel at the same time. So possibly he wants to work for National Geographic. He's definitely enjoying life.

Thanks Sasan for teaching and reminding me of these valuable lessons in life.

I give you...

2007-08-28T02:23:00.000-07:00

The Planet Earth Groupie

Anybody is welcomed to join.
The more, the merrier.
Come join the fun.

Everything's Right - Matt Wertz

2007-08-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

This song I've been playing non-stop and definitely a car song. I don't think I'll ever get sick of it. It's so beautifully composed and all the instruments gel together. The electric guitar and drums are not too overpowering. The keys dance lightly in the background. The bass gives the deep richness. The background vocals fill in the gaps. The clapping keeps the groovy beat goin'. Indeed,

Everything's Right

Windows down as the night blows in
Tap the beat on the wheel as the tires spin
Until we're there crank the radio
We'll join in with the songs we know
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Smiles light up as we walk in
Old conversations begin again
Nostalgia's thick as the August air
It takes us back to a time when we didn't care, we didn't care
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Oh, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Hey, everything's right, said everything's right tonight
Everything's right...

Favorite Image

2007-08-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished the whole series of Planet Earth and there were so many quality images and videos. But my favorite one is this:

This is a Great White Shark hunting for a seal and usually the attack only lasts for a second. I watched the diaries section how the camera man was able to delay the Great White Shark's one second attack. He used a special camera that would explode the one second attack into 40 seconds. I could see everything: the shark jumping out of the water, the water splashing, the shark widening its mouth, the seal flying in the air, the shark catching the hopeless seal with its jaws, the shark diving back into the water, the water splashing again. This was probably the best film footage of the whole series cause everything was slow-mo, which depicted every detail in one second. How cool is that!

Last Saturday I helped my Mom with her sale to the public. If you don't know, she's been in the silk flower business for about 20 years. (www.jennysilks.com) She's a trooper. I met one of her employees and his name is also Mike/Michael. So, my Mom doesn't call me Mikey, she calls me Michael. Since we both had the same names, she asks Michael (not me) if he has other nicknames. He said people call him Mickey, but only family. Then my Mom decides to call him Mickey out of the blue. I look at him, he has a smirk, then I start laughing. I guess my Mom decided for herself that she is family as well. So everytime my Mom would call for "Mickey," I would laugh. I forget that my Mom can be hilarious at times, especially when she doesn't mean to be funny. Those are the best.

I got to know Mike a little bit and I found out that he snowboards. So we talked about that for awhile and he goes to Big Bear for snowboarding. I shared with him about how I worked there part time for the past 2 seasons and mentioned he should do it. I hope to snowboard with him, that would be fun. But after talking with him about snowboarding, I've been longing for snow in the midst of this hot weather. I've been longing to go on the slopes and just shred the mountains. I told Mike, "Man, you make me wanna go snowboarding now."

Eagerly waiting....

Nature Boy At Heart

2007-08-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

I've always loved nature. There's something about nature that connects you with the supernatural. Yet ever since I got back from Japan, I've been more in tuned with nature than ever before. I've been wanting to buy the dvd series of Planet Earth. So as I was waiting for my pictures to be developed at Costco, I started browsing around inside. And there she was:

I ended up buying the dvd series and I've been blown away of how beautiful and how rich the earth is. It's AMAZING. God is such a unique and talented Creator. He is SO creative. There are places that I'd never imagine existed and so many, I mean so many cool looking animals that make me say, "WOW, no way!" and "Yea, Evolutionists, try explaining this animal!"

Even though the dvd series cost me $51.99, it was worth every penny. If you're looking to invest in something, then invest in this dvd series. If you don't, then I guarantee you'll regret it. If you're a visual person like me, then without a doubt, you'll love this beautiful documentary of the earth. It's breath-taking.

Speaking of nature, I saw this beautiful sunset as I was driving back home from Costco. I had to take pictures of it cause sunsets like these don't happen everyday. (That's why I always take my camera with me cause I don't like missing opportunities of capturing/savoring the moment) So I parked my car on the side of the road with my hazards on and stood on the sidewalk watching the bright orange-yellow sun slowly disappear into the horizon until the sun was no more. Simply captivating...

Kids

2007-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Something that I'm starting to do is to writing down highlights of my day. It helps me remember the good memories.

I thought I'd share one highlight from last Friday.

Today as I was spending time with the Lord and journaling, I remembered Allison Lee at Beracah and Rachel's wedding. After the ceremony, everyone was hanging around. I was sitting in the front row talking with my friend, Janet, about Japan and out of my peripheral vision, I see Allison on the stage. She grabs the communion cup on the mantle, but she doesn't realize there's white grape juice in it. So she totally spills white grape juice all over her white dress. I immediately go over and look around for a towel. Good thing there was a small white towel on the mantle. As I was helping her dry off I said to her, "Yea Allison, you didn't know there was grape juice inside huh?" She looked at me and said slowly with a smile, "I like grape juice." I chuckled a little. That just made my day. I don't know if she said that cause she knew she might have been in trouble or if I was going to correct her. Regardless, it was cute.

I think I'm coming to like kids between the ages of 3-5 more cause they say the funniest things at the right times or when most needed. Though kids can be annoying or irritating at times, they are so precious. Kids make me remember how Jesus loves little children and I wonder why? Why does Jesus say little children will inherit the kingdom of heaven? Why does Jesus say that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all? I have some thoughts, but I'm curious to know what others think about this. I'm all ears.

One Wedding Down....One More to Go...

2007-08-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Rachel and Beracah!!!

Alright, so I arrived back in America August 7 and I knew I was playing music in Beracah and Rachel's Wedding on August 10. I was told that I was playing with Beracah's friend, Jesse Davy, but I never met him or practiced with him before. So, with that said, I was feeling a little eerie if the music was going to flow well on the wedding day.

I met Jesse, a fellow Nebraskan, on Thursday (August 9) for the wedding rehearsal and I remember saying, "Well, shall we practice a little?" And the moment we began to play guitar and sing together, it was bliss. Man, Jesse was a gift from God. I never felt so refreshed musically in a long, long time. It was just fun jamming with him. We had this groove connection that words can't really describe or explain. Only the music can. I almost thought of asking him to quit his job and we should pair up and perform in weddings. Ha, it's crazy that I even thought of it. For meeting Jesse this first time on Thursday and performing music with him the next day, I was very impressed. Thanks Jesse for being a refreshment to my soul. You were very much needed.

Then how can I forget my good friend Justin Wong, the violinst. It was good playing with him again; it reminded me of the good ole times playing together at Sunland Navigator Conferences. I've learned to appreciate the violin cause it adds this soothing aroma to music. I regret not continuing with the violin cause I thought it wasn't cool.

The songs Jesse, Justin, and I played were: For the Love of God (we had some sweet harmony,) I Will Not Take My Love Away, Your Love Is Deep, and In Christ Alone.

It was my first time in awhile seeing the Lee kiddos. When I saw Abby, I couldn't believe my eyes. She grew up FAST. I looked at her and thought, wow, I'm getting old cause Abby's all grown up. But, Abby Lee reminded me of Abbie Rood. I miss the Rood kiddos. I hope Abby and Abbie will meet one day face to face.

I like this picture of Allison aka Allie. She looks like she just took a bunch of Dramamine.

The reception took place in Balboa Park at the Japanese Friendship Tea Garden. I thought it was ironic that I came back from Japan and now I'm in some Japanese Tea Garden. It didn't look like Japan though, that's for sure. It could never capture the beauty of Japan. But I'll give an E for effort to whoever designed this garden. I saw some water and thought there was an onsen. Turns out it was a pond full of fat Koi fish. I still wanted to jump in though.

As I was leaving the reception, I took this picture and for some reason, I think it captures where I am at the moment. Since being back, I feel like this white linen-clothed table. I feel like not spending the energy to initiate with people. I just want to be alone some times. Everything around me seems so black, so foreign, so different. I find myself so quick to judge the American culture or people around me cause I've been used to the Japanese culture and people. Right now I'm not feeling excited to go back to LA. Right now I'm not feeling excited about UCLA ministry. Right now I'm not feeling excited about fundraising. I hope my attitude will change soon, Lord willing. I wish my excitement for UCLA and fundraising would change right now as I type, but that's not most likely going to happen. If you remember, please pray that I will adjust to life here in California smoothly and quickly. If you have been praying, then thanks. I appreciate them a lot.

I'm back in California...

2007-08-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

but it feels so weird. I feel like I'm visiting LA, then going back to Japan in a couple of days. I miss my Japanese friends, my team, the staff. I miss everyone right now.

John Lee

2007-07-25T16:56:00.001-07:00

As I reflect back on my Ooshima trip last weekend, I am completely encouraged. On Saturday night, we had the opportunity to share anything about John Lee. I felt that I learned more about John from what other people shared than what I shared, especially the Japanese students who witnessed John's death. But in particular, I enjoyed what Ariel shared. Why? Because even though she never met or talked with John before, she felt like she knew him through a good friend. I was encouraged, probably more impressed by the fact that John influenced Ariel through a mutual friend. And that got me thinking of how I want my life to be like that. For me, a full life is of many things, such as being with Jesus, living out His Kingdom, cultivating good relationships and friendship, and taking risks. But I think there is another important value I am continually growing in, and that is to be influential or impactful towards other people, to have influence in people's lives, to speak into people's lives. As I think about John, I believe he lived that life, a life of influence. When I see John, I see Jesus and the Kingdom of God displayed. I'm not expecting to be like John, and I don't want to. There will only be one John Lee, but there are things I can learn from him, such as servanthood, generosity, and chivalry. John Lee was indeed a good man. I sure do miss him. I miss being around him, enjoying his company, eating Katsu curry at his home, snowboarding together, fishing together. John just knew how to have a good time. But, he is at a better place now. He is dwelling with the God of the Universe forever. He is forever protected from the Enemy. He is made complete. His joy is fulfilled. I long to see him soon one day.