Planning and Doing

I spoke on the phone today with a good friend from Cal who was on her spring break at home. It was a long yet pleasant chat, talking about the stuff we are up to these days, what is coming up in the next few years, and how we feel about all these things. In the middle of a discussion about gathering friends to hang out, I suddenly had an epiphany:

When it comes to doing work, everyone wants to plan it but no one wants to do it. When it comes to having fun, it's really the reverse: everyone wants to do it, but no one wants to plan it.

Funny, isn't it? Either way, most people are looking for less responsibility - the easy way out. It bothers me because it doesn't seem right to walk away from the prestige - the opportunity to do good to others and reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9-10). I believe God does give us power to do His work and to do it well under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. All it really takes is for us to believe in Him and to go forth knowing He is always with us.

"Arise, let us go from here" ~ John 14:31

A Good Evening

Currently Listening Rush of Fools By Rush of Fools Undo see related

Wrapping up nine of 10 straight working days has left me drained and in the dire need of some rest and inspiration to make it to the weekend. While taking the freeway home, I heard the above song over 95.9 FM: "The Fish". I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was the good reminder that God wants us to run after His amazing grace that can restore us to Him. Or perhaps it was knowing that in His eyes, we are worth saving by His Son's sacrifice. But whatever it was, God pushed me forward and made a it a good evening for me.


I've been here before, now here I am again
Standing at the door, praying You'll let me back in
To label me a prodigal would be
Only scratching the surface of who I've been known to be

Chorus

Turn me around pick me up
Undo what I've become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, need Your help
I can't do this myself
You're the only one who can undo
What I've become

I focused on the score, but I could never win
Trying to ignore, a life of hiding my sin
To label me a hypocrite would be
Only scratching the surface of who I've been known to be

Chorus

Make every step lead me back to
The sovereign way that You

Chorus

Tip

I had lunch with a few co-workers today at a Thai Cuisine restaurant in a middle / lower class part of town. When it was time to pay for the meal, I handed over my part of the bill only to realize that I needed to put in one more dollar to cover the tip. I didn't have an extra dollar so I kindly handed over four quarters to the money tray. Then my co-worker picked up the coins and replaced it with a dollar he had in his wallet. I was confused and later asked him why did swapped my money. He told me that I should never tip with coins because people may begin to associate it with giving change to the homeless on the street, and the servers are not homeless. Even if you want to tip to the exact percentage of the bill (which usually ends up in some cents being added). he says to not do it and instead, always tip with bills.

Personally, I think he went too far on that second part, especially if someone doesn't have the $1 bills at the time. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to brighten a person's day with some greens than grays. =) What do you guys think?

Moving

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!


One of my friends came really, really close to losing everything on her laptop due to a computer crash. Fortunately, her father (likely a computer genius) was able to recover most of her music and pictures off the hard drive before completely ditching the wounded machine. So I took her advice and got me an external hard drive to back up all my stuff in case something goes wrong with my Gateway notebook.

Upon migrating all my files to a safer place, I found it was almost like moving from an old home. There are some documents and data of utmost importance which are quickly moved and secured. There are other things you can't believe you have kept all these years and find it a perfect time to chuck them. You also set aside some things to later decide what-in-the-heck they are and what to do with them. And of course, there are the photos and music which take you on a trip down memory lane.

It's funny how much has changed these last five years since having my own computer, and virtually filling it with all my parts of my life. Time is moving too fast.

Happy Pi Day 2007!

Apparently, no one really celebrates it around here. Darn.

Oh how I remember this day @ Berkeley three years ago, when I was walking back to my dorm only to find 1000 decimals of Pi on the ground from Evans Hall to Soda Hall....

Go and celebrate Pi!

"Madness? This is Sparta!"

Currently Watching 300 By Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender, Rodrigo Santoro, Andrew Tiernan, Andrew Pleavin, Tyrone Benskin, Mercedes Leggett, Jere Gillis, Greg Kramer (II), Dylan Smith, Tom Wisdom, Patrick Sabongui, Marcel Jeannin, Neil Napier, Marcello Bezina, Robert Maillet see related

Put "Braveheart", "Kill Bill", and "Zatoichi" in a blender with the setting at INSANE, and what you pour out would be the first blockbuster of 2007. "300" is as exciting and fun as the trailers and promotions depicted, in all it's guts and glory (literally). Gerald Butler ("The Phantom of the Opera") leads the cast as King Leonidas I, leading his 300 Spartans against the million-plus Persian army with impossible odds and sheer heart and determination. Despite somewhat off-tangent subplots with Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) back at the Spartan kingdom, the real strength of the movie lies in its battle sequences with such style and glamor, that you feel you are in the comic book it was based upon. Don't miss the witty movie quotes either. It's quite fun!

On a personal note, there was a scene in the movie where the antagonist offers everything to the protagonist if he surrenders. It quickly brought to my mind the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11, where Satan offers the Son of God the world if he would bow before him. It occurred to me, how much are we willing to sacrifice and resist? Not for us but for our God? No doubt will it be a lifetime fight to the finish.

Bottom Line: Visually glorious in every way.

Urbana '06 Night

Last night, the CEFC Urbana 06 team had the opportunity to share a glimpse of the week-long experience of Urbana 06 to the Friday night fellowship groups. I had the blessing of co-leading worship (my first time) with Daryl as well as share my personal testimony (another first!). One of the highlights of the night was when we introduced the Mandarin version of "We Fall Down" and the people responded quite well to it, giving it up to God as a worship. The video highlights from the Urbana website also provided people that night the hope and power of how God can use anyone to do His work. According to one testimony presented at Urbana, "we were not just rescued from, we were rescued for - for purpose, for promise, and for God's infinite glory."

Ultimately, God was in control and moving people's hearts last night. I only hope that we can rise up and let ourselves be used by Him to change the world.

More pictures from Urbana will be forthcoming on this entry. Check back soon!