The Empty Bus

Ahhh...rice. My grandmother's staple food on Sunday afternoon dinner's after church...as well as Asia's everyday. Took this shot while in Sri Lanka.



Haven't blogged in a long time. (dude...why does that sound particularly gross?...) So this one might be a wee bit long. Indulge me people...

So I'm at Suntec City today walking around after work. Went to go try and cancel a mobile plan that is under someone else's name. Dude...the mobile phones today are so cool. Email, web, mp3, mp4, storage, camera, video. Star Trek has nothing on this stuff. I'm thinking of buying one soon because I must get a new phone plan anyway. But no way am I signing my life away for 2 years. Fuget that mess.... the Lord has blessed me with an old handphone that someone gave me way back when so I have the freedom to wait until extra mula (that's "money" for the unlearn-ed).

Got on the City bus that just travels around the main city area of downtown Singapore. It was one of those double deckers with crazy amounts of space, air conditioning, and smoothness on the road. Well, I get on....and to my amazement I'm the only one on the bus. The first thought that came to my mind was "freedom". I dunno why...well, actually I do. My hometown in America was all about the open air, wide expanses of space in the mountains, trees, etc. You'd be hard pressed to have 20 or more cars pass by our neighborhood in one day. Masses of people are unheard of. 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning only heard the songs of the birds in the trees. blah blah blah...nostalgia to say the least.

So when I got on that empty bus (both lower and upper decks were void of homo sapiens) and we were driving around downtown...wow, I don't know how to describe it. I cherished every single second of that ride. I was praying and thanking God the whole time because the Lord was speaking to me telling me --> this is just like when I carry you through the midst of your storms in life. I'm your double decker and as long as you trust in me, let me do the driving, and stay onboard I'll get you to the destination I've planned for you. Yup...that's muh Jesus. AMEN!

As if things couldn't get better, the bus stopped at some park and the driver got out! At first I was like, "uhhh...what in the world?" But he told me it was change the busdriver time. So I was left alone on this huge bus (A/C was kicking too) for about 5 minutes. *sigh* kinda hard to express while blogging (*ahem*..there's that word again), but if I could manifest what peace was pulsing through my spirit at that time today....ahhh. I love Jesus so much because only He knows what makes each of us individually tick. And when He grants us situations that He knows will give us a little bit of peace, joy, happiness, etc. He does it so wonderfully. That's why those of you reading this are like, "Uhh..ok. Er, ya, sure...I'd love to be riding on a double decker bus alone. Yup, that'll make me feel great (while rolling eyes)" and I'm like, "Dad (Jesus), you are so awesome...thanks a bunch."

You know, that's why anyone who thinks they'll find their greatest contentment in a relationship (women or man) such as boyfriend/girlfriend/marriage, etc is in for a world of hurt. No man, no woman, no dating, no person can EVER match the contentment and fulfillment that the Lord can. That's why I believe people who are single need to first be comfortable with their position and place in life, in their devotion as a disciple of Christ, and need to have the right perspective about life before they even cast an eye to involving another person in their thought life. Only Jesus can touch that deep area of our lives that will bring lasting peace, joy, fulfillment, etc. Another person cannot. Material things cannot. Money cannot. Church cannot. Only God can. And when we seek His face (meaning His person, His character, His throne, His majestey, His kingdom, etc), then we will already have His hand (his blessings, His direction, His gifts that will fulfill the present voids in our lives, etc).

..how in the world did I get onto that?...haha. Ok, onto some lighter stuff....

http://www.flashplayer.com/animation/glassofwater.html

Ever known someone to blow something so small out of proportion? Yup..that's the moral of this story...haha. Got this link from a friend the other day. Ahhh...it's been a while since I've seen silly stuff like this. Scott! Tim!! Steve!! John!!! Where are you dudes?? My buds and I in high school were all into stuff like this. We made this kung-fu series once. Jumping into a pool of water and playing it backwards makes a cool effect of one jumping "out" of the water to fight all the bad ninja dudes.

Ok, time to say adieu to my computer...and now, the quote of the moment:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

How true...yet how unrecognized and un-practiced. Signing off people....peace.

Adages of the Moment

Yes, I love quotes. Maxims. Adages. Proverbs. Call them what you may, I luv 'em. And I don't know why. I suppose it's because as a child and teenager growing up my constant daily prayer was for wisdom. I can't remember a day where I missed praying for wisdom. You know how they say be careful what you pray for? heheh...*ahem*. They're right.

Adages are wonderful because they sum up a vast amount of experiences into short statements that have much power. If I had it my way I'd walk around only speaking adages, proverbs, or maxims. Of course, that'd be really weird. Can you imagine?...

Cashier: "Hi sir, welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order?"
Me: "All things are lawful to me, but I will not be mastered by anything."
Cashier: "Uh, yes sir. Umm..so did you want the combo meal 1 or..."
Me: "Nature gives you the face you have when you are twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty, but it is
up to you to earn the face you have at fifty."
Cashier: "Right. Er...so, um. Would you like fries or something?"
Me: "If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price."
Cashier: "No, prices only go up if you super-size it sir. Are you ok, sir?"
Me: "Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."
Cashier: "Thank you. Next..."

*sigh* I suppose those who enjoy such statements must dwell upon them in the sanctity of their own mind, yet by all means and might live them out in life.

Here are some that pop into mind at the moment:

This is true in everyday life as it is in battle: we are given one life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our minds, or whether to act, and in acting, to live. -General Omar Bradley

All persons are puzzles until at last we find in some word or act the key to the man, to the woman; straightway all their past words and actions lie in light before us.
- Emerson, Journals (1842)

Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Remain steadfast.......and one day you will build something that endures: something worthy of your potential.
Epictetus, Roman Teacher, Philosopher 55-135 AD.

Ahhh....that last one is my favorite. Well, until next time.

Peace~

The Cost...

The following is quoted from Living Logos, Life of Christ 2:

"When we compare the cost of discipleship with what we receive by faithfully following Jesus, then the price seems small:

'...if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us' (Romans 8:17-18)

'For our light affliction, which is but for amomen, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' (II Corinthians 4:17)

Jesus Christ is coming back soon for His true followers, to take them to the place He has prepared (John 14:1-3). We shall all be changed, and we will have a glorified body, like His (Philippians 3:21). We shall live evermore in the presence of our Redeemer (I Thessalonians 4:16,17)"

In light of all this, this world becomes smaller and smaller everyday to me. Paul also said that if we have hope in Christ ONLY for this life, we are of all men most miserable. That lets me know that most of my focus in living life should be on heaven and my eternal destiny. Career, marriage, friends, settling down, financial goals, etc.....bleh. These will indeed come, but only when our focus is prioritized on the One who gave up EVERYTHING to give us EVERYTHING. I'm not saying these issues are of no value or concern...indeed, I pray about them. But to worry, concern myself, dote upon them would be to misplace my time, energies, and efforts. When the time is right for the things of this world then these things will flow from God's eternal purpose.

Better to focus on the things of the world to come...that is eternal.

~peace~

thought for the day: "We do not learn to know men through their coming to us. To find out what sort of persons they are, we must go to them." –Goethe

It's Gone...

I ate the apple...

The Apple on my bookshelf

So why is "apple" capitalized in the title of this blog? Because there is a particular apple that has been sitting on my bookshelf for the past 2 days. It's unique, it's important. There's no other apple like it. Thus, it gets the proper noun treatment.

Why, you might ask. Well, cause I keep forgetting to bring it with me to school. I washed it, polished it up...and always walk out the door without it. I come home and BAM...there it is. Moral of the story: we are creatures of habit. I used to eat apples during my breakfast (or bananas, strawberries, etc....this was during my "healthy" phase in Japan), but now I'm trying to eat more fruit outside of the house. At the rate I'm going this apple will become a permanent fixture on my bookshelf....

I'm so excited about the MCUBE, but also taking note of the fact that we are growing rapidly with many requests, demands, and things needing to be done. We just need to hang in there. God knows EXACTLY what He wants to accomplish through this ministry. Thus, I trust totally in Him to bring to pass whatever He has planned for us to do. Equipment, people, time....it will all be provided for us. My prayer is that everyone who is involved currently will continue to stick it out with us. Amen!

Can you say chocolate overdose? I thought I'd grab a quick snack today after lunch, so I bought Pokky Chocolate Sticks (ahhh...memories of Japan). But then what do my co-workers bring to our meeting today? Big, fat chocolate covered nuts, chocolate crisps, and fatty apple fritters. Yours truly just "had" to have a bite of each...and now my body is paying the price. Albeit unknowingly, that junk food is doing some pretty bad stuff to me. There was this movie I remember seeing called "Inner Space" with Dennis Quaid a long time ago. He was shrunk to the size of a blood vessel and placed in the body of people in order to help them. It was pretty cool...saw it like 5 times. I wish I could do that...get in a ship and travel through the body just to see this miracle called the human body that is made in the image of God. Hmmm...where would I go?....wait, how would I get inside? I forgot how he got inside...by injection I think. Why don't they make movies like that anymore. Hmmm....mankind is too foolish, fleshly, vain, and empty now. Wow....what were some of my coolest movies back then? (not so much favorite, but ones I thought were cool):

Tron
Inner Space
Weird Science
My Science Project (?)
The Breakfast Club
Aliens
The Last Emperor
Red Dawn (one of my FAVORITES)
Conan the Barbarian
Real Genius
The Goonies
The Dark Crystal
The Last Dragon (haha...my sis's favorite...must have watched it together like 20 times)
They
Platoon
Nausica

Ok, maybe I'll finish this list another time. It's 12:30am and my eyes have rolled into the back of my head, fallen out, jumped back in, and are now hopelessly lost in the ocean of pixels on my laptop screen.

Good night....