where does my joy come from?
living life in god's blessings is so great. moreover, the grace given to me, however undeserved, is something that i'm realizing increasingly as each day goes by. the problem with me, and maybe with most, is then taking that grace and extending it outwards towards those around us. as much as i'm making a conscious effort to be as jesus was when he was dealing with us and our pitiful human nature, i've also become more conscious towards this whole grace issue in others, both believers and non-believers.
case in point... tonite my family and i were all planning on watching charlie's angels (yeahyeahyeah....) at 7:50 at PP... so, after sunday surrender (which sorta ran a bit overtime), me n d rushed over to crc to meet the folks + brando the big bro + j for dinner. instead of kinda saying we need to get going, we all sit around till the last minute, and then make a mad rush to PP. brando went on ahead to get tix, but turns out there was only the front few rows, which none of us wanted. then they all go bananas! my mom was going off on brando for like mis-organizing (is there such a word?) the evening, and how he shoulda gotten tix way beforehand and how any one of us could have gotten them that afternoon... blahblahblah. her conclusion was that there must be something wrong with him and his brain. the point is that for the 100 times he's organized dinner n movies for us, i can count on 1 finger the time plans got messed up. so then, obviously, somethings gotta be wrong with him. after i said [to everyone], chill out, it's not a big deal.... my mom was like "don't make me out to be the bad guy/girl"! well - it's not an issue of good/bad, right/wrong. it's an issue of grace, on both the giving and receiving end. i mean - the joy of the moment had nothing to do with the movie - we could have done anything, as my mom said. however - what was said and what was acted out were 2 completely different things. it didn't, or shouldn't have, matter(ed) that me n d had to rush to eat dinner, or that j didn't get to really finish her wonton mein, or that brando couldn't get tix. if mom truly meant that it didn't matter - then we coulda just gone out for some dessert or coffee.. it was ruined by a lack of grace to the moment, with one person getting all bent out of shape, and then causing the other to respond in a similar manner. if this sounds familiar - just extrapolate the attitudes to a larger scale, and you have the middle east... you have eastern europe... you have china/taiwan... now, i'm not piously pontificating on my li'l soapbox, cause god knows that i'm far from satisfactory. god has really shown me what grace means, not only HIS infinite grace, but my own limited concept of grace.
psalm 16:11 says "in Your presence is the fullness of joy"... god's grace, god's spirit, is there for our acceptance. and with that acceptance comes joy unimaginable. it's not always this happy warm fuzzies joy that many seem to want to associate and stereotype christianity with (amongst other misconceptions), but rather the confidence allowed to us because of our secure knowledge that we have a salvation and a place in heaven with our one true god. i don't take this verse to only mean His presence in places like church or 180 or wherever... rather, i know that i always live in, and with, HIS presence. god has shown me too much to allow anything to rob me of that joy of living in his mercies and grace day to day. so yeah - ideally - being joyful entails happiness. tonight's fiasco in and of itself wasn't a happy moment, but it also wasn't a disaster. but because of the animosity towards the situation, it turned into just that. it didn't have to be - jesus taught us different. it was still a joyous evening, cause i know that despite the family - me, d n j walked away still with a smile and nothing but the joy of the lord. for that - i know His light still shines.
*i know where my joy comes from... do you? *
Jun 27, 2003
r&r
i'm so tired these days. i dunno why. just got back from beijing/shenzhen, on a whirlwind 2 days of meetings and travel. those that know me know that for some silly reason, while in indonesia, i developed this dislike of flying. at the worst time, it was downright fear, where i'd wake up in fits of sweat after having a nitemare bout crashing into a mountain, or stalling in the sky. anyway - travelling on old dragonair clunkers didn't exactly ease the discomfort. however, coming back, we did air china (the china run one), which was surprisingly good (and new planes too!). so now - i think i'm off to shenzhen (actually shekou) on wed to meet with a client, and then off to shanghai next week for prolly the whole week! woooohoooooooo.... and to boot - i still haven't even signed a contract!
last nite we had a great dinner at some korean place in time square. i love korean food - but nothing beats soon dubu in k-town. those were some good times - but now my boba buddy's gone to seattle! now - if i had a job with SQ in LA, i'm not sure i woulda gone! hehehe - nah - i think she made the right choice. i'm a bit biased towards LA cause the weather is sooooooooo perfect for year round CHEAP golf!
i really don't have anything else to write about. my job.... that's like the new new thang for me right now. i love most aspects of it. but i still can't help but wonder about the financial services side.... i guess that's where my comfort zone is. i love research, but not necessarily sell side reporting and writing. i love investing, but not necessarily mutual fund investing style. so - hopefully - i can build up this other part of my biz, which will be investment advisory, focusing on the real estate sector. i think that will be extremely good biz in the coming years.... anyway - no point speculating... i think i'm going to start an investment/investing research section of this blog.....
so silly.... and it's 'just for fun' too...
i'm so tired these days. i dunno why. just got back from beijing/shenzhen, on a whirlwind 2 days of meetings and travel. those that know me know that for some silly reason, while in indonesia, i developed this dislike of flying. at the worst time, it was downright fear, where i'd wake up in fits of sweat after having a nitemare bout crashing into a mountain, or stalling in the sky. anyway - travelling on old dragonair clunkers didn't exactly ease the discomfort. however, coming back, we did air china (the china run one), which was surprisingly good (and new planes too!). so now - i think i'm off to shenzhen (actually shekou) on wed to meet with a client, and then off to shanghai next week for prolly the whole week! woooohoooooooo.... and to boot - i still haven't even signed a contract!
last nite we had a great dinner at some korean place in time square. i love korean food - but nothing beats soon dubu in k-town. those were some good times - but now my boba buddy's gone to seattle! now - if i had a job with SQ in LA, i'm not sure i woulda gone! hehehe - nah - i think she made the right choice. i'm a bit biased towards LA cause the weather is sooooooooo perfect for year round CHEAP golf!
i really don't have anything else to write about. my job.... that's like the new new thang for me right now. i love most aspects of it. but i still can't help but wonder about the financial services side.... i guess that's where my comfort zone is. i love research, but not necessarily sell side reporting and writing. i love investing, but not necessarily mutual fund investing style. so - hopefully - i can build up this other part of my biz, which will be investment advisory, focusing on the real estate sector. i think that will be extremely good biz in the coming years.... anyway - no point speculating... i think i'm going to start an investment/investing research section of this blog.....
so silly.... and it's 'just for fun' too...
Jun 24, 2003
leeeeeaaaaavvviiinnn' on a jet plane........
circuit again at the point yesterday.... ouch... ouch... ouch... one of the 16 threw up (moof - i won't tell it was you). i felt like throwing up, but cause i slacked on cardio (not my fault but my faulty knees!), i was able to hold it all together! but man, did it feel good! so my masochistic nature once again surfaces, and i'm soooooo liking it! i'm hooked!
right now i'm getting ready to fly to beijing. i'm still awestruck at how blessed i am to have this job... even tho i'm still completely clueless as to what my role is going to be in these meetings. if someone asked me what i do for a living, i'm afraid i wouldn't know how to answer! i don't even have a job title yet? but then again we aren't measure by our title, eh? still - it'd be good if i had an answer ready for, "so, what's your position with NAI-APP?" um... uh... another *sigh* thing - i just found out i gotsta takes a real estate exam to get a license. turns out i can't direct or advise on any transaction, due diligence, or sale, investment or otherwise, as a 'property' person, w/out a license. i guess it makes sense, but i thot i was done with the schooling/exam thing last year.... oh wells... off to beijing i gooooooooooooo!
circuit again at the point yesterday.... ouch... ouch... ouch... one of the 16 threw up (moof - i won't tell it was you). i felt like throwing up, but cause i slacked on cardio (not my fault but my faulty knees!), i was able to hold it all together! but man, did it feel good! so my masochistic nature once again surfaces, and i'm soooooo liking it! i'm hooked!
right now i'm getting ready to fly to beijing. i'm still awestruck at how blessed i am to have this job... even tho i'm still completely clueless as to what my role is going to be in these meetings. if someone asked me what i do for a living, i'm afraid i wouldn't know how to answer! i don't even have a job title yet? but then again we aren't measure by our title, eh? still - it'd be good if i had an answer ready for, "so, what's your position with NAI-APP?" um... uh... another *sigh* thing - i just found out i gotsta takes a real estate exam to get a license. turns out i can't direct or advise on any transaction, due diligence, or sale, investment or otherwise, as a 'property' person, w/out a license. i guess it makes sense, but i thot i was done with the schooling/exam thing last year.... oh wells... off to beijing i gooooooooooooo!
Jun 21, 2003
*for i know the thoughts that i think toward you, says the lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.* jer 29:11
today is the start of a new future. i just verbally agreed to a position with this company asia pacific properties. they specialize in tenant relocation, primarily for residential. i'll be brought in to build up the corporate division, and prolly start up the investment division. so, i only just verbally agreed 3 hrs ago... and now i find myself booked on a flight to beijing on tues morn (at 8am!!!! ew) for a meeting on wednesday, and then off to shenzhen wed nite for a thurs meeting... and then finally back on thurs nite! i wonder if i get a pro-rated 1 week salary? hehehhe i don't think i start until july 2nd?
anyway, praise the lord. i honestly didn't want to go back into banking n finance.... but really had no clue where else to go... this job came to me from my friend from my church in jakarta. we actually became christians at the same time, and he's become a great brother. so APP's corporate division will be partnered with this global co - NAI (so we're actually NAI-APP) - and he's the head of asia pacific for NAI. it's such an interesting proposition - and the opportunities are exactly what i'm looking for... lotsa responsibility and lotsa potential for quick vertical movement... and lotsa travel to beijing/shanghai/shenzhen... gotta work on the mandarin! the other great thing.... GOD has delivered me from egypt!!!! hehehehe i've actually gotten real used to living here... it's a bit far at times when i come home late, but it's relaxing. i like the greenery, and the farms n all... it's so much more aesthetically pleasing than the concrete jungle of the island. i imagine tho - with all the trips to shenzhen i'm expecting, i'll still get to spend somenites at home!! hehehe :)
today is the start of a new future. i just verbally agreed to a position with this company asia pacific properties. they specialize in tenant relocation, primarily for residential. i'll be brought in to build up the corporate division, and prolly start up the investment division. so, i only just verbally agreed 3 hrs ago... and now i find myself booked on a flight to beijing on tues morn (at 8am!!!! ew) for a meeting on wednesday, and then off to shenzhen wed nite for a thurs meeting... and then finally back on thurs nite! i wonder if i get a pro-rated 1 week salary? hehehhe i don't think i start until july 2nd?
anyway, praise the lord. i honestly didn't want to go back into banking n finance.... but really had no clue where else to go... this job came to me from my friend from my church in jakarta. we actually became christians at the same time, and he's become a great brother. so APP's corporate division will be partnered with this global co - NAI (so we're actually NAI-APP) - and he's the head of asia pacific for NAI. it's such an interesting proposition - and the opportunities are exactly what i'm looking for... lotsa responsibility and lotsa potential for quick vertical movement... and lotsa travel to beijing/shanghai/shenzhen... gotta work on the mandarin! the other great thing.... GOD has delivered me from egypt!!!! hehehehe i've actually gotten real used to living here... it's a bit far at times when i come home late, but it's relaxing. i like the greenery, and the farms n all... it's so much more aesthetically pleasing than the concrete jungle of the island. i imagine tho - with all the trips to shenzhen i'm expecting, i'll still get to spend somenites at home!! hehehe :)
Jun 19, 2003
close call?
well - i know i'm opening myself up to a whole bunch of whoop-a$$ for this one, but what the heck. i wouldn't be true to myself or my page if i didn't write about this, being as how i think it's soooooo funny yet relevant. anyway - shock effect is always good and the lemmings reading this will be predictable in response (if any :p)...
'and these words which i command you today shall be in your heart. you shall teach them to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.' deut 6:6-7
so my mom was flipping through newsweek magazine a couple days ago, and came across this article about arnold friedman. he was the subject of this documentary, 'capturing the friedmans', that won best documentary at the sundance film festival. i had no clue who arnie was, so i completely ignored her oohs and aahhs... then she told me the story. arnie was a science teacher in great neck, ny - where i lived from 7-10 yrs old. he also taught computer classes at his home on the weekends, which my older bro and i attended, amongst 5-7 others. turns out - this dude was arrested along w/his eldest son for sodomizing computer students in his 'pornographic-filled' basement! ewwwwwwwwww! it's real horrible for any man (or woman) to be involved in something like this; but, might it be doubly worse when your son is involved with you? how sick is that? how in the world could a father teach something like that to his son? this just shows how much more important is the grace of god. many have the words of god in their minds, but like god told moses, the words HE commanded us 'shall be in your heart'. and from the abundance of the heart, the mouth overflows.....
well, i KNOW i was never in no pornographic basement... i dunno bout brandon tho [?] hehehe it's disturbing to read, especially as i was right there! i remember a room full of apple comps - and we used to write li'l programs that made stick figure men do jumping jacks on the screen. little did i know he was priming the pump to lure unsuspecting young pups into his basement for some advanced programming! (i mean, can you imagine it? 'hey kid, if you think jumping jacks are cool, i can show you something that will blow your mind!' ... no pun intended) well - as most of u know - i was/is/will never [be] anything close to resembling a techno geek anyway, so i missed out on the extra sessions and instead went to the park to play ball... baseball, that is....
well - i know i'm opening myself up to a whole bunch of whoop-a$$ for this one, but what the heck. i wouldn't be true to myself or my page if i didn't write about this, being as how i think it's soooooo funny yet relevant. anyway - shock effect is always good and the lemmings reading this will be predictable in response (if any :p)...
'and these words which i command you today shall be in your heart. you shall teach them to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.' deut 6:6-7
so my mom was flipping through newsweek magazine a couple days ago, and came across this article about arnold friedman. he was the subject of this documentary, 'capturing the friedmans', that won best documentary at the sundance film festival. i had no clue who arnie was, so i completely ignored her oohs and aahhs... then she told me the story. arnie was a science teacher in great neck, ny - where i lived from 7-10 yrs old. he also taught computer classes at his home on the weekends, which my older bro and i attended, amongst 5-7 others. turns out - this dude was arrested along w/his eldest son for sodomizing computer students in his 'pornographic-filled' basement! ewwwwwwwwww! it's real horrible for any man (or woman) to be involved in something like this; but, might it be doubly worse when your son is involved with you? how sick is that? how in the world could a father teach something like that to his son? this just shows how much more important is the grace of god. many have the words of god in their minds, but like god told moses, the words HE commanded us 'shall be in your heart'. and from the abundance of the heart, the mouth overflows.....
well, i KNOW i was never in no pornographic basement... i dunno bout brandon tho [?] hehehe it's disturbing to read, especially as i was right there! i remember a room full of apple comps - and we used to write li'l programs that made stick figure men do jumping jacks on the screen. little did i know he was priming the pump to lure unsuspecting young pups into his basement for some advanced programming! (i mean, can you imagine it? 'hey kid, if you think jumping jacks are cool, i can show you something that will blow your mind!' ... no pun intended) well - as most of u know - i was/is/will never [be] anything close to resembling a techno geek anyway, so i missed out on the extra sessions and instead went to the park to play ball... baseball, that is....
Jun 18, 2003
...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto JESUS, the author and finisher or our faith..." hebrews 12:1-2
i had trouble sleeping yet again... i hate sleeping at like 2, and then not able to stay asleep past 6:30. so, i was catching up on the daily market happenings in the US when i came across this article. the story's about this hospital in boston, massachusetts, where one of its windows now display what some poor lost souls insist is the blessed madonna:
so the hospital says that some years ago, the seal broke on the window, and some chemicals [fumes, i presume] are caught inside the pane, resulting in this oily splotch. immediately, people have said that it's the madonna herself, so they started bringing flowers, and have created a shrine. one lady brings her handicapped child so he can touch the wall. *sigh*
it's like a rorschach ink blot, reflecting what people want to see. judging from the dozens of flowers placed at the base of the wall - i'd say that there are many that really want to see the light, the truth. christ said after his resurrection - blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed... HE is the author and perfector of our faith, not some silly oil stain on a window. it's sad that so many people need to have that tangibility in order to believe, which subsequently leads them to this window. i doubt highly that the stain will [or can?] intercede on that lady's request for healing for her child. the church should tell her that she just needs to fall to her knees and repent to JESUS, and HE will set her free. the ironic thing is that the archdiocese of boston, coming fresh off their child molestation indictment, need to have an official 'ruling' on the matter!!!! what's more, a spokesman actually said that if it leads to an increase in faith, then it's a good thing. i can't believe that came from the catholic church. so according to them, worshipping and idolizing just about any object is ok (as long as it bears a 'pious' image) - never mind that i wouldn't be able to count the number of scripture directly against that. amazing.... it all kinda reminds me of the cake my mom baked this past father's day sunday, and i insisted i saw mother teresa on it, but janice told me it was more like the beast from beauty and the beast.... i think i'll have to contact the bishop zen, master of the secular world concerns, and outspoken bishop of the hong kong catholic church, and see if he can give me an official ruling. but alas, such is not possible - half the cake has been eaten!
well - this other lady there said it best - 'an eye doctor works in that office. the madonna is trying to tell us to open our eyes'... yeah - open your frickin' eyes! the blot is actually the emperor from star wars! he's trying to tell you that he IS senator palpatine! the secret has been revealed!
i had trouble sleeping yet again... i hate sleeping at like 2, and then not able to stay asleep past 6:30. so, i was catching up on the daily market happenings in the US when i came across this article. the story's about this hospital in boston, massachusetts, where one of its windows now display what some poor lost souls insist is the blessed madonna:
so the hospital says that some years ago, the seal broke on the window, and some chemicals [fumes, i presume] are caught inside the pane, resulting in this oily splotch. immediately, people have said that it's the madonna herself, so they started bringing flowers, and have created a shrine. one lady brings her handicapped child so he can touch the wall. *sigh*
it's like a rorschach ink blot, reflecting what people want to see. judging from the dozens of flowers placed at the base of the wall - i'd say that there are many that really want to see the light, the truth. christ said after his resurrection - blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed... HE is the author and perfector of our faith, not some silly oil stain on a window. it's sad that so many people need to have that tangibility in order to believe, which subsequently leads them to this window. i doubt highly that the stain will [or can?] intercede on that lady's request for healing for her child. the church should tell her that she just needs to fall to her knees and repent to JESUS, and HE will set her free. the ironic thing is that the archdiocese of boston, coming fresh off their child molestation indictment, need to have an official 'ruling' on the matter!!!! what's more, a spokesman actually said that if it leads to an increase in faith, then it's a good thing. i can't believe that came from the catholic church. so according to them, worshipping and idolizing just about any object is ok (as long as it bears a 'pious' image) - never mind that i wouldn't be able to count the number of scripture directly against that. amazing.... it all kinda reminds me of the cake my mom baked this past father's day sunday, and i insisted i saw mother teresa on it, but janice told me it was more like the beast from beauty and the beast.... i think i'll have to contact the bishop zen, master of the secular world concerns, and outspoken bishop of the hong kong catholic church, and see if he can give me an official ruling. but alas, such is not possible - half the cake has been eaten!
well - this other lady there said it best - 'an eye doctor works in that office. the madonna is trying to tell us to open our eyes'... yeah - open your frickin' eyes! the blot is actually the emperor from star wars! he's trying to tell you that he IS senator palpatine! the secret has been revealed!
Jun 17, 2003
if at first you don't succeed, keep at it until you lose your hearing
that's the moral of the story. yesterday, when i was enjoying my scrumptious beef/chicken yoshinoya combo after circuit, i remarked that i had this intense ringing in my ears from the workout. however, it wasn't so intense that all hearing was blocked out. so today i decided to finish the job proper and frag my eardrums completely with some more gym n workout. well - the ringing in the left ear is kinda intense, but the right is pretty clear, which is causing some serious equilibrium imbalances. however, ain't nuthin a [somewhat] healthy club sammich can't conquer. working out is actually pretty fun....
isaiah quipped of the lord:
"heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. what house will you build for me? says the lord, or what is the place of my rest? has my hand not made all these things?" acts 7:49
so, stephen reminds us that the Most High does not reside in temples made with hands.... well - then if my body is a 'temple' to god - this is what i want to present to him: rock hard, chiseled 6-pack abs that grate cheese; pectorals with such symmetry that instrumentation will model its calibration from them; deltoids that resemble volleyballs rather than tennis balls; biceps so cut and molded that even da vinci would have to admit perfection; lats so wide, that when preachers preach forgiveness of sin, they use my back to illustrate the distance that is as far as east is from the west; buttocks so firm and tight that if i placed a piece of coal in between and squeezed with all my might i'd have a 3-carat diamond; quads that even surpass the might of charles atlas; and calves so formed that a new profession of 'calf model' will birth from the beauty of my legs.
yeah....whatever.... anyway.... needless to say i'm no gym rat. i'm ready to go to mcd's now and get me some mcflurry. anyone else in?
that's the moral of the story. yesterday, when i was enjoying my scrumptious beef/chicken yoshinoya combo after circuit, i remarked that i had this intense ringing in my ears from the workout. however, it wasn't so intense that all hearing was blocked out. so today i decided to finish the job proper and frag my eardrums completely with some more gym n workout. well - the ringing in the left ear is kinda intense, but the right is pretty clear, which is causing some serious equilibrium imbalances. however, ain't nuthin a [somewhat] healthy club sammich can't conquer. working out is actually pretty fun....
isaiah quipped of the lord:
"heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. what house will you build for me? says the lord, or what is the place of my rest? has my hand not made all these things?" acts 7:49
so, stephen reminds us that the Most High does not reside in temples made with hands.... well - then if my body is a 'temple' to god - this is what i want to present to him: rock hard, chiseled 6-pack abs that grate cheese; pectorals with such symmetry that instrumentation will model its calibration from them; deltoids that resemble volleyballs rather than tennis balls; biceps so cut and molded that even da vinci would have to admit perfection; lats so wide, that when preachers preach forgiveness of sin, they use my back to illustrate the distance that is as far as east is from the west; buttocks so firm and tight that if i placed a piece of coal in between and squeezed with all my might i'd have a 3-carat diamond; quads that even surpass the might of charles atlas; and calves so formed that a new profession of 'calf model' will birth from the beauty of my legs.
yeah....whatever.... anyway.... needless to say i'm no gym rat. i'm ready to go to mcd's now and get me some mcflurry. anyone else in?
Jun 16, 2003
*pain.... it gives you confirmation you're still alive*
one of the coolest opening lines in a movie belongs to kiefer sutherland in flatliners: 'it's a good day to die'.... that's how i feel now. after putting off circuit training at the point, i finally decided to go. why? b/c yesterday for father's day, we had this humongous feast the entire day, and i was so bloated. circuit was one of the most harrowing experiences. i don't think i've ever felt so exhausted during/after a workout. ok - so maybe that means i didn't push before - but man - something gotta be said [against] having u'r heart go a constant 301bpm for almost an entire hour! and then during the stretches at the end, where jacinta does weird body contortions, i just couldn't do it cause to move in any strenuos manner probably would have caused me to hurl chunks. but all told - it was good to do it. i think i'm going to do it again next monday, only cause i got that obsessive self-mutilation by torture thing going.
one of the coolest opening lines in a movie belongs to kiefer sutherland in flatliners: 'it's a good day to die'.... that's how i feel now. after putting off circuit training at the point, i finally decided to go. why? b/c yesterday for father's day, we had this humongous feast the entire day, and i was so bloated. circuit was one of the most harrowing experiences. i don't think i've ever felt so exhausted during/after a workout. ok - so maybe that means i didn't push before - but man - something gotta be said [against] having u'r heart go a constant 301bpm for almost an entire hour! and then during the stretches at the end, where jacinta does weird body contortions, i just couldn't do it cause to move in any strenuos manner probably would have caused me to hurl chunks. but all told - it was good to do it. i think i'm going to do it again next monday, only cause i got that obsessive self-mutilation by torture thing going.
Jun 12, 2003
what a day. i think i managed to completely piss of the leader of my group tonite... i'm just in a horrid mood. that time of month, i guess... hehehe... it's more that i feel that some people have a hard time viewing perspectives from anywhere outside of their own (and that's totally not meant in a over-criticizing way). so then you get conversations/discussions like: Q:"so why are there green and red apples?" A:" well, I came to like red apples because I found that they are sweeter.".... completely misses the question - and calls to question whether the original question was heard at all.... hehehe... get my drift? don't ask me why we were talking about the color of apples...
otherwise - it was a great nite and good discussion. grappas is getting more and more full. i wonder what all the people at the bar were thinking, especially during the talk.
i'm still undecided whether to take this one offer or not. how frustrating. i mean - sometimes i think i wanna work for other people, and other times i feel like i don't. i prefer the times when i don't, cause i so love being my own boss (well - other than the other dude, namely the father... hehehe). anyway - this stall in the china project is so frustrating. if not for sars, i have a feeling we would have closed on one if not both of them. well - i guess i just gotta keep on praying, and seeing what the good plan is for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
otherwise - it was a great nite and good discussion. grappas is getting more and more full. i wonder what all the people at the bar were thinking, especially during the talk.
i'm still undecided whether to take this one offer or not. how frustrating. i mean - sometimes i think i wanna work for other people, and other times i feel like i don't. i prefer the times when i don't, cause i so love being my own boss (well - other than the other dude, namely the father... hehehe). anyway - this stall in the china project is so frustrating. if not for sars, i have a feeling we would have closed on one if not both of them. well - i guess i just gotta keep on praying, and seeing what the good plan is for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Jun 9, 2003
"i know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. i could wish you were cold or hot. so then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, i will vomit you out of my mouth"
- revelations 3:15-16
what a great past few days. the alpha w/end was an awesome time of fellowship - and the last talk we had was so spirit-filled that it was completely draining from the excitement. a few peoples gave themselves to christ that day, and a couple were just blasted by the spirit and received their respective gifts! man - good times. i was really moved that afternoon, but needed more energy for 180 at nite (180 is the 'young adults' fellowship on sat nites). bob in all his infinite and timely sense of humor surprised me when he called me on the spot to do a testimony. w/out prepping - i was like.. 'duh?'... so i just let the spirit guide me - and the first words that came out were the ones i ran with. ended up being a testimony of me n derek. the power of prayer and patience. b/c i really had no idea what i was gonna say, and pretty much wat i was saying that whole time - i just felt so overwhelmed. god reminded me at that time what it meant to trust in him, but also to have a burden for the lost. the spirit also hit me at that time - all the emotion from nites of heartfelt prayer with groups from indo, hk, and LA. and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the lord will raise him up. and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed." - james 5-15-16.
derek followed that up with a truly powerful talk on sharing the gospel. he really challenged the group - to live on fire for god 24/7. be on fire - be hot. god says be hot or cold, but not lukewarm. there ain't no such thing as a halfway christian. last nite, i had dinner with kelvin - my friend and bible study leader from indonesia. he said the same thing. he told me the one thing he can't stand is the contented christian, the w/end christian. god says he 'vomits' out the lukewarm. no kidding. it such a bad testimony to only 'live' as a christian on sunday, tell the world u'r a christian, and then go and party out and live unedifying lives the rest of the week. it's sad (i'm guilty too :( , so i also accepted his challenge ). anyway - i know many that nite were touched and received the challenge, so i'm looking forward to seeing the fruits from that!
- revelations 3:15-16
what a great past few days. the alpha w/end was an awesome time of fellowship - and the last talk we had was so spirit-filled that it was completely draining from the excitement. a few peoples gave themselves to christ that day, and a couple were just blasted by the spirit and received their respective gifts! man - good times. i was really moved that afternoon, but needed more energy for 180 at nite (180 is the 'young adults' fellowship on sat nites). bob in all his infinite and timely sense of humor surprised me when he called me on the spot to do a testimony. w/out prepping - i was like.. 'duh?'... so i just let the spirit guide me - and the first words that came out were the ones i ran with. ended up being a testimony of me n derek. the power of prayer and patience. b/c i really had no idea what i was gonna say, and pretty much wat i was saying that whole time - i just felt so overwhelmed. god reminded me at that time what it meant to trust in him, but also to have a burden for the lost. the spirit also hit me at that time - all the emotion from nites of heartfelt prayer with groups from indo, hk, and LA. and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the lord will raise him up. and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed." - james 5-15-16.
derek followed that up with a truly powerful talk on sharing the gospel. he really challenged the group - to live on fire for god 24/7. be on fire - be hot. god says be hot or cold, but not lukewarm. there ain't no such thing as a halfway christian. last nite, i had dinner with kelvin - my friend and bible study leader from indonesia. he said the same thing. he told me the one thing he can't stand is the contented christian, the w/end christian. god says he 'vomits' out the lukewarm. no kidding. it such a bad testimony to only 'live' as a christian on sunday, tell the world u'r a christian, and then go and party out and live unedifying lives the rest of the week. it's sad (i'm guilty too :( , so i also accepted his challenge ). anyway - i know many that nite were touched and received the challenge, so i'm looking forward to seeing the fruits from that!
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