 | You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins.
Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com |
Wednesday, March 16
100% Christian
Got this from bestestbud's blog. Oh, it feels so great to have time to do this kind of thing. Okay. Time for tennis. Just had a huge lunch at chapatis with Chieko... Indian buffet. Yum.
Tuesday, March 15
Everyone's going... going... gone.
Tuesday, 2:00pm. Residence halls and houses close.
It's certainly a strange feeling to be at Carleton after everyone has gone. Well, not everyone. That would be exaggerating. But the campus seems so deserted. I went to the snack bar today... and it was CLOSED! Wow.
I'm not complaining though. I am staying at the Hvass's until Thursday. Gary and Deb are just wonderful, wonderful people, and it's a blessing to be able to stay here and fellowship with them. I did however come in to the house at 4am this morning because by the time I had cleared out of my house it was almost 3am. And then I went to Rashika and Edaeni's to say goodbye. They were leaving at 4am to catch a morning flight to NY. Oh Sun Country Airlines. Gotta love it.
So today I had a minor shock. I ran into Erica on the way to the Cave where Exit is recording its latest album! Yeah. But anyway, Erica was kind enough to offer to clear out my locker at the rec (because this old man forgot to do it, and had no time today), but she told me my tennis racquet wasn't there! Apparently, they had cleared out all lockers on Friday and my racquet went missing. So we made the trek over to the Rec center, praying... praying... met the lady, who was not all that pleasant, but because I go often enough, and interacted with her before, and the grace of God, she took me to where they had all the stuff they had gotten from lockers and said she'd look again. So we went through the whole pile of stuff, and praise God, my racquet was at the BOTTOM of the pile! Yeah. :)
Anyway, that made me late for Exit recording session. I think I like Macs - garage band is a cool program! But anyway we worked on that for most of the day. And later in the evening, we went to The Ordway to audition! Yeah. There's a professional a cappella group performing there and they were auditioning groups to be the opening act! So we got invited to sing. It was more intense than I thought it would be. Having had only 3 hours of sleep the night before (I went to bed close to 5, and was supposed to meet Micah at 8 for breakfast - that didn't happen of course, I was late! haha), I took a nap on the way there, and when I woke up, half-dazed... we had to get security passes, sign waivers so that they could use images they capture for publicity (yeah going to be famous! haha), and then we were brought into a room to wait. They had water for us, and there were huge windows. Like one of those "dance academy" type things that you watch in movies. Anyway, it was all very professional, and I was impressed. But no time to be nervous, we were the first to sing. We sang two of the songs we sang at ICCA, including Accidentally in Love, and then they asked if we had any more. So we sang the third song we sang at ICCA. It was... a good experience I think. I wonder how it all fits in to God's plan..
So my friends in the Christian community (headed by Erica and Emily), threw a "surprise" party for Pam and I to send us off to Paris. It wasn't much of a surprise because Erica and Emily are the Christian community's worst liars. Which is probably a good thing. But it was a great time of fellowship. I definitely felt very loved. And Sam commented "I was struck by how much the community looks up to the both of you". And it hit me too. What a humbling experience and at the same time, an honor, to be serving the body of Christ here at Carleton. And to top it all off, Erica and Emily put together scrapbooks scattered with French symbol stickers, and everyone (well a lot of people) wrote messages for us in there. The weird part was how I was feeling. You know that homesick feeling you get when you leave home? I was feeling that. But this isn't home. And then I remembered what I had written in my CCST paper - it was a quotation: Home is not a place, it is people. And that is so true. To a certain extent anyway. So I'll miss you guys at Carleton. Especially the graduating seniors!
Yesterday was also Erica's birthday. Unlike her, I am a better liar and thus managed to pull off a surprise party for her. Last minute intervention from Mrs Kusunoki provided me a likely story! :) Happy Birthday, Erica.
Okay that's it from me for now. I need a shower! Oh thank God for time to blog.
It's certainly a strange feeling to be at Carleton after everyone has gone. Well, not everyone. That would be exaggerating. But the campus seems so deserted. I went to the snack bar today... and it was CLOSED! Wow.
I'm not complaining though. I am staying at the Hvass's until Thursday. Gary and Deb are just wonderful, wonderful people, and it's a blessing to be able to stay here and fellowship with them. I did however come in to the house at 4am this morning because by the time I had cleared out of my house it was almost 3am. And then I went to Rashika and Edaeni's to say goodbye. They were leaving at 4am to catch a morning flight to NY. Oh Sun Country Airlines. Gotta love it.
So today I had a minor shock. I ran into Erica on the way to the Cave where Exit is recording its latest album! Yeah. But anyway, Erica was kind enough to offer to clear out my locker at the rec (because this old man forgot to do it, and had no time today), but she told me my tennis racquet wasn't there! Apparently, they had cleared out all lockers on Friday and my racquet went missing. So we made the trek over to the Rec center, praying... praying... met the lady, who was not all that pleasant, but because I go often enough, and interacted with her before, and the grace of God, she took me to where they had all the stuff they had gotten from lockers and said she'd look again. So we went through the whole pile of stuff, and praise God, my racquet was at the BOTTOM of the pile! Yeah. :)
Anyway, that made me late for Exit recording session. I think I like Macs - garage band is a cool program! But anyway we worked on that for most of the day. And later in the evening, we went to The Ordway to audition! Yeah. There's a professional a cappella group performing there and they were auditioning groups to be the opening act! So we got invited to sing. It was more intense than I thought it would be. Having had only 3 hours of sleep the night before (I went to bed close to 5, and was supposed to meet Micah at 8 for breakfast - that didn't happen of course, I was late! haha), I took a nap on the way there, and when I woke up, half-dazed... we had to get security passes, sign waivers so that they could use images they capture for publicity (yeah going to be famous! haha), and then we were brought into a room to wait. They had water for us, and there were huge windows. Like one of those "dance academy" type things that you watch in movies. Anyway, it was all very professional, and I was impressed. But no time to be nervous, we were the first to sing. We sang two of the songs we sang at ICCA, including Accidentally in Love, and then they asked if we had any more. So we sang the third song we sang at ICCA. It was... a good experience I think. I wonder how it all fits in to God's plan..
So my friends in the Christian community (headed by Erica and Emily), threw a "surprise" party for Pam and I to send us off to Paris. It wasn't much of a surprise because Erica and Emily are the Christian community's worst liars. Which is probably a good thing. But it was a great time of fellowship. I definitely felt very loved. And Sam commented "I was struck by how much the community looks up to the both of you". And it hit me too. What a humbling experience and at the same time, an honor, to be serving the body of Christ here at Carleton. And to top it all off, Erica and Emily put together scrapbooks scattered with French symbol stickers, and everyone (well a lot of people) wrote messages for us in there. The weird part was how I was feeling. You know that homesick feeling you get when you leave home? I was feeling that. But this isn't home. And then I remembered what I had written in my CCST paper - it was a quotation: Home is not a place, it is people. And that is so true. To a certain extent anyway. So I'll miss you guys at Carleton. Especially the graduating seniors!
Yesterday was also Erica's birthday. Unlike her, I am a better liar and thus managed to pull off a surprise party for her. Last minute intervention from Mrs Kusunoki provided me a likely story! :) Happy Birthday, Erica.
Okay that's it from me for now. I need a shower! Oh thank God for time to blog.
Saturday, March 12
Random rambles... schizophrenic saunters
Christmas carols make me feel sentimental. Something about the Christmas song. And have yourself a merry little christmas. Sigh. I think it's the chord progression. If I ever made a CD I would definitely want a lounge piece in it.
God is moving in powerful ways here. Spiritual warfare is taking place. And I'm excited. Last night, spent 3 1/2 hours in intercession and worship with Pam and Soo Mie. That was SO POWERFUL. So many things to say about this... but...
I have French finals tomorrow. Ahhh. But I scrunched the class. So I'm not too stressed out over it.
Speaking of France... PARIS! 17 days and counting!!
But first, there's spring break. Going to go to Nashville, TN. Staying with Charles Curtis. Looking forward to it. Before that I'll be spending two days at the Hvass's. They are such awesome people. And Gary offered to drive me to the airport. All I did was present my request to God... and He took care of it for me. He's so cool that way. God. And Gary too.
And Deb. Can't forget the women. That's something I've learnt from Erica. Hahaha.
Wow it's 2:38 already. Soo Mie made an scrumptilicious dinner for us. Should have taken photos. Soo Mie is awesome. I'm going to miss her so much! She made mashed potatoes, corn.. stuff, vegetables and oh-so-yummy baked chicken! And the fellowship was so great too. I was even unintentionally punny!
Sam is reading from Webster's Dictionary (which by the way is RACIST. for the "chopsticks" entry they have the most stereotypical image of an Asian with a rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks as an illustration. 1984. "not the greatest year for asian-americans" haha.) He reads some obscure word.. no one knows the meaning except...
Chrissie: It's a type of rock
Sam: It IS a type of rock. How did you know?
Chrissie: I'm a geology major
Josh: (in awe) Chrissie, you ROCK!
Yeah. Ok whatever. :) It was great though. Just sitting around, talking about nothing in particular, listening to music... John Mayer haha... the night before finals.
Finals. Ah, finals. This time around it's not as stressful. Just the one final. Scrunched at that! Can't wait for it to be over though. The Craigs are having Pam and I over for dinner. Yum! They are such great people too. And i love their two boys.
Kids. Coach Brand (?) our house advisor came over with his wife and two 13-month old boys, Caden and Pierce. So I was struck with how alike their big blue eyes were... and then both of them turned to look at me and I was like "THEY ARE THE SAME!!" Yeah, turns out they were twins. Haha.
Paris. Oh Paris. And Berlin. And Geneva.. or Switzerland at least. And the French Alps. Chambery... to visit Janvier and Claudine! And Barcelona. And England. And Ireland. Oh.... :) Can't wait.
But for now, it's back to my butt book. Sigh.
God is moving in powerful ways here. Spiritual warfare is taking place. And I'm excited. Last night, spent 3 1/2 hours in intercession and worship with Pam and Soo Mie. That was SO POWERFUL. So many things to say about this... but...
I have French finals tomorrow. Ahhh. But I scrunched the class. So I'm not too stressed out over it.
Speaking of France... PARIS! 17 days and counting!!
But first, there's spring break. Going to go to Nashville, TN. Staying with Charles Curtis. Looking forward to it. Before that I'll be spending two days at the Hvass's. They are such awesome people. And Gary offered to drive me to the airport. All I did was present my request to God... and He took care of it for me. He's so cool that way. God. And Gary too.
And Deb. Can't forget the women. That's something I've learnt from Erica. Hahaha.
Wow it's 2:38 already. Soo Mie made an scrumptilicious dinner for us. Should have taken photos. Soo Mie is awesome. I'm going to miss her so much! She made mashed potatoes, corn.. stuff, vegetables and oh-so-yummy baked chicken! And the fellowship was so great too. I was even unintentionally punny!
Sam is reading from Webster's Dictionary (which by the way is RACIST. for the "chopsticks" entry they have the most stereotypical image of an Asian with a rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks as an illustration. 1984. "not the greatest year for asian-americans" haha.) He reads some obscure word.. no one knows the meaning except...
Chrissie: It's a type of rock
Sam: It IS a type of rock. How did you know?
Chrissie: I'm a geology major
Josh: (in awe) Chrissie, you ROCK!
Yeah. Ok whatever. :) It was great though. Just sitting around, talking about nothing in particular, listening to music... John Mayer haha... the night before finals.
Finals. Ah, finals. This time around it's not as stressful. Just the one final. Scrunched at that! Can't wait for it to be over though. The Craigs are having Pam and I over for dinner. Yum! They are such great people too. And i love their two boys.
Kids. Coach Brand (?) our house advisor came over with his wife and two 13-month old boys, Caden and Pierce. So I was struck with how alike their big blue eyes were... and then both of them turned to look at me and I was like "THEY ARE THE SAME!!" Yeah, turns out they were twins. Haha.
Paris. Oh Paris. And Berlin. And Geneva.. or Switzerland at least. And the French Alps. Chambery... to visit Janvier and Claudine! And Barcelona. And England. And Ireland. Oh.... :) Can't wait.
But for now, it's back to my butt book. Sigh.
Monday, March 7
Rescue
I'm swamped. With work. With responsibilities. With meetings. With emails to send. With clutter. With obligations.
I'm tired. Of not having time for God. Or myself. Or to just chill. Of Cognitive Science. Of classes that swamp me with work. Of not getting enough sleep.
I need. God. I haven't been spending time with Him. And the first "red flag" for me is always irritability. I get annoyed with people around me. I react without grace. God I need you. To be in you. Then I am a new creation.
I know. That He will get me through to Thursday. That this is not the end of the world. That I'm definitely in a valley place now. That people are praying for me. That I thank God for that. That He will guide my every step if I commit my ways to Him.
So I do that now. I commit my ways to You. I give You my life again.
i need You Jesus
to come to my rescue
where else can i go?
there's no other name by which i am saved
capture me with grace
i will follow you
I'm tired. Of not having time for God. Or myself. Or to just chill. Of Cognitive Science. Of classes that swamp me with work. Of not getting enough sleep.
I need. God. I haven't been spending time with Him. And the first "red flag" for me is always irritability. I get annoyed with people around me. I react without grace. God I need you. To be in you. Then I am a new creation.
I know. That He will get me through to Thursday. That this is not the end of the world. That I'm definitely in a valley place now. That people are praying for me. That I thank God for that. That He will guide my every step if I commit my ways to Him.
So I do that now. I commit my ways to You. I give You my life again.
i need You Jesus
to come to my rescue
where else can i go?
there's no other name by which i am saved
capture me with grace
i will follow you
Friday, February 25
Definitely not nerdy, you are probably cool
So I took the nerd test that Joel took. Haha. The results... *drumroll*
Oh well, the fact that I took the test probably disproves the results.
Oh my gosh. Thank God it's Friday! I made it through this week. And I'm feeling much better. Trying to take care of my voice. Heavy singing weekend coming up.
Oh yes, so my "totally wiping out" story... So we were in the cities last weekend. And after having dessert at Zeno's we were in the parking lot, about to leave. While Sam was in the bathroom, we took Christine's keys out of his pocket to trick him. So Erica asks: "Sam, don't you have Christine's keys?". Pam forgets that we're playing Sam, and she blurts "No he doesn't..." and then catches herself.
Of course, I wasn't going to let that slide, so I proceed to kick snow at Pam. Except, when I try to kick the snow, I inadvertently wipe out. Think those cartoon shows where people skid on a banana peel? Yeah, that was me. So one moment I was standing, the next I was horizontal on the parking lot! Thank God there was snow to cushion my fall. I then proceeded to make snow angels... and said: I meant to do that.
Ahh. Famous last words. :)
TGIF!
Oh well, the fact that I took the test probably disproves the results.
Oh my gosh. Thank God it's Friday! I made it through this week. And I'm feeling much better. Trying to take care of my voice. Heavy singing weekend coming up.
Oh yes, so my "totally wiping out" story... So we were in the cities last weekend. And after having dessert at Zeno's we were in the parking lot, about to leave. While Sam was in the bathroom, we took Christine's keys out of his pocket to trick him. So Erica asks: "Sam, don't you have Christine's keys?". Pam forgets that we're playing Sam, and she blurts "No he doesn't..." and then catches herself.
Of course, I wasn't going to let that slide, so I proceed to kick snow at Pam. Except, when I try to kick the snow, I inadvertently wipe out. Think those cartoon shows where people skid on a banana peel? Yeah, that was me. So one moment I was standing, the next I was horizontal on the parking lot! Thank God there was snow to cushion my fall. I then proceeded to make snow angels... and said: I meant to do that.
Ahh. Famous last words. :)
TGIF!
Wednesday, February 23
60 Seconds with Josh
Hello again. Welcome to another edition of 60 seconds with Josh. Yes, Josh has about 1/2 an hour before he has to run again. So this will be a quick update. First of all, yes, I am sick. But God heals... so pray for me! On Monday, I felt kind of sick... and my throat was totally crappy. And I had to lead Mustard Seed. But God, in his infinite grace, proved himself strong on my behalf. The verse his strength is perfect in your weakness really came to life for me. Anyway. This won't be a preachy blog. Because I don't have time to organize thoughts... suffice to say, that God showed up. And in power. We had a moment of stillness before God. And that led to an outpouring of joy. People were DANCING before God! How awesome is that? (For FGA people, that's nothing new... but here in the middle of the midwest..hmm..).
This is what I had. Yummmmmm...
This is what we did... Emily trying to defy gravity.
Steph trying...
And finally Sam. The conclusion? White people have long tongues. Erica and I, representative of the Asian population, were unable to touch our noses with our tongues... ahhaa
But more than the wackiness and awesome food... it was the company that made the dinner such an enjoyable and memorable one. Steph, Emily, Sam, me, Erica.
After church we went uptown... to Zeno's! Yum. I splurged. Had an Italian grinder panini, creme brulee and... cafe baileys (shhh... don't ask! :) This is the crew: me, Erica, Emily, Pam, Sam and Christine.
My yummy creme brulee... mmmm...
Sam (with his "normal" face) and Christine..
yeohjo and muileung
em and pam...
So that's about it. Just a couple more things.
- I'm leading worship at Rejoice! this Sunday. Please pray for me!! :) I'm really excited though.
- This Saturday, Exit 69 concert.
- I need my voice and health back!!
- Lots of finals projects and papers coming up. Phew.
- Going to Nashville, TN to visit with Pastor Charles and family!!!
- PARIS!!!!
- EMAIL ME!!! Love you all.
Macaroni Grill
Anyway, quick update time. Last Friday, went to Macaroni Grill in Burnsville. Had an awesome time with Erica, Sam, Steph and Emily. This was what we did on the table.. yeah, they have paper and crayons... for ADD people like me! :)
This is what I had. Yummmmmm...
This is what we did... Emily trying to defy gravity.
Steph trying...
And finally Sam. The conclusion? White people have long tongues. Erica and I, representative of the Asian population, were unable to touch our noses with our tongues... ahhaa
But more than the wackiness and awesome food... it was the company that made the dinner such an enjoyable and memorable one. Steph, Emily, Sam, me, Erica.
Substance
So the trip to Burnsville wasn't enough. Saturday. We went up to the cities to visit Christine (a senior who graduated last year) at her church - a new church called "Substance Church". It's a small, but growing church. Had a good time.
After church we went uptown... to Zeno's! Yum. I splurged. Had an Italian grinder panini, creme brulee and... cafe baileys (shhh... don't ask! :) This is the crew: me, Erica, Emily, Pam, Sam and Christine.
My yummy creme brulee... mmmm...
Sam (with his "normal" face) and Christine..
yeohjo and muileung
em and pam...
Lifebytes
So that's about it. Just a couple more things.
- I'm leading worship at Rejoice! this Sunday. Please pray for me!! :) I'm really excited though.
- This Saturday, Exit 69 concert.
- I need my voice and health back!!
- Lots of finals projects and papers coming up. Phew.
- Going to Nashville, TN to visit with Pastor Charles and family!!!
- PARIS!!!!
- EMAIL ME!!! Love you all.
Monday, February 14
Make like time and fly
So many things have happened this past week. And I'm behind so many deadlines. But it's all good! I thought I should take a half hour or so and journal how amazing this past week or so has been to give glory to God and to keep YOU informed! Because I know you're DYING to find out what's up with Josh, right? (Yeah, that's why I get SO many emails from home... NOT!!)
Flo and Laurie live in a beautiful log cabin... and they have big fat goldfish. This is me and Angie. I was explaining how cute goldfish poop is because it just sticks out and strings about...
Stephy Dodge!
Micah and me
Feel the love... David, Pam, Steph, Patty, Micah, SooMie and me
We had all the angmohs over for CNY dinner because all the Chinese PPK. :) And there was another dinner on Friday but I couldn't go because of ICCA... more on that later. But this is Steph and Cheryl. And yes, we, Tyler and me, taught them to use chopsticks. And they ate cuttlefish too! Then ... tom yam! mmmm...
And this is Exit 69 at Millikin University, Decatur, IL. We didn't advance... but oh well. Stiff competition!
Steph making a big snowball... avalanche!!!!
Tada!! Meet Jonah. Our big snow fish. Unfortunately... today it was really warm. So now Jonah is a pile of leaves. Let's just call it abstract art.
And of course, the boys had to reciprocate... to thank the girls. Someone say SPA FOOT MASSAGE!
And then the best part of the night... Mustard Seed. Where Erica and I got to worship the One that we both loved more than each other... JESUS. It was a powerful time of worship focusing on ... what else? LOVE! Laura and Erica in deep contemplative conversation.. haha!
Steph, me and Soom...
Sam... being Sam :)
And my awesome group of friends and brothers and sisters in Christ... Mustard Seed! YEAH. That's it for now... hope you enjoyed the pictures! Write to me... love you all.
Midwinter Ball
Midwinter ball was the weekend before last. Saturday of midterm break, Great Hall, Sayles and Sevy Tea Room are transformed into dance spaces with live bands including the Roseville Big Band... which is just heavenly!Anyway, this year, midwinter ball was even more special than it already is because of the honor of taking a very special girl to the dance. So this was how the night unfolded:
7:00pm
David (big guy, football team captain, can pick me up like I'm a sack of potatoes... a very small sack of potatoes, strongest man on campus who could probably squash me to a pulp with his pinky) and I went to pick up our dates - Laura and Erica (respectively, of course) - who have been getting ready since 5:00! Girls. And of course, they're late coming downstairs. So there we are, me with a gerbera in hand... waiting... and waiting... watching some TV in the lounge... waiting... and finally they come down. And it's all worth the wait. Because she looks gorgeous!
We drove to El Tequila's (Mexican food) for dinner and had a great time. Great conversations. Great company. Great double date! :) When we were done, it was still early so we decided to go to Blue Mondays for coffee. Or chai in my case. It was just a great time spent with two awesome people and a super-awesome girl. Here are some snapshots from the coffee place...
Goofy boy and girl...
Then it was on to the ball where we would dance all night.. but not before doing the celebrity snapshots. Red carpet. That kind of thing. With everyone decked out in their finest (and at Carleton, it's a rare thing)... I couldn't miss this Kodak opportunity. So here's us with Chieko and Tyler...
... and with Erica's best galpal from home, Andrea and her boy Jeff...
... me and some awesome FISHie women (L-R) Pam, me, Emily and Chrissie...
... with Amenah, Rashika and Edaeni...
So we danced all night. We cha-chaed and fox-trotted and waltzed and rhumba-ed till my toes were going to fall off... and then the clock struck twelve. And I turned into a pumpkin. Haha. No... we didn't stay till 1 when it ended, because I had to get up early to play in church the next day. But that was midwinter ball. 
When dinner is lunch and supper is dinner
Flo and Laurie invited us to their house for dinner. Which is really lunch. Once again, we were immensely blessed by their generosity and hospitality. They went all out to give us a fantabulous meal... look at the ham! uuuummmm.... *drool*
Flo and Laurie live in a beautiful log cabin... and they have big fat goldfish. This is me and Angie. I was explaining how cute goldfish poop is because it just sticks out and strings about...
Bowling for... Carleton
Then there was bowling. Yeah, midterm break MAH! Most of Mustard Seed (except some bad people who didn't show up) went to Jesse James Lanes for an intense game of bowling. Yeah. You know... musicians. :) This is Emily my workout buddy (we're both in Cote Fitness) bowling... she said she needed bumpers... but she bowled well. Strikes even!
Stephy Dodge!
Micah and me
Feel the love... David, Pam, Steph, Patty, Micah, SooMie and me
Tong tong chiang
Then there were Chinese New Year festivities. Thank God for the chance to have steamboat. Man, i miss being home so much! Especially since I didn't get ANY cards this year! Except Fran's e-card. Even that... hmmph. hhehe. Anyway. Look at the food. Yum!
We had all the angmohs over for CNY dinner because all the Chinese PPK. :) And there was another dinner on Friday but I couldn't go because of ICCA... more on that later. But this is Steph and Cheryl. And yes, we, Tyler and me, taught them to use chopsticks. And they ate cuttlefish too! Then ... tom yam! mmmm...
International Championship of Collegiate A cappella
Then this weekend, I went down to Decatur, Illinois to participate in the ICCA with Exit 69. It was a big first step for us. Anxious at first. Much prayer. God came through. As always. He's faithful. Had a great time! And no one was drunk. Ha!! :) This is me and Sophia.
And this is Exit 69 at Millikin University, Decatur, IL. We didn't advance... but oh well. Stiff competition!
House bonding
When I came home, my housemates clapped their hands. I felt so loved! hehe. Anyway, at 11pm I decided we should make a BIG SNOW FISH in the yard since the snow was big, fat and wet and sticky. This is me and Chrissie making Nemo... I mean Jonah. We named the fish Jonah.
Steph making a big snowball... avalanche!!!!
Tada!! Meet Jonah. Our big snow fish. Unfortunately... today it was really warm. So now Jonah is a pile of leaves. Let's just call it abstract art.
V-Day
Then there was Valentine's day. I won't go into details because this is a public forum. Although I do go into details very often... don't I? Okay. it's late. But suffice to say it was one of the best days ever! Thanks, Erica. You ARE the most awesome girlfriend a guy could ask for. So this is us and erica's roommate, Jessie and her boy Paul at Paul's apartment... where Jessie and Erica slaved the afternoon away to prepare a yummy V-day dinner for us.
And of course, the boys had to reciprocate... to thank the girls. Someone say SPA FOOT MASSAGE!
And then the best part of the night... Mustard Seed. Where Erica and I got to worship the One that we both loved more than each other... JESUS. It was a powerful time of worship focusing on ... what else? LOVE! Laura and Erica in deep contemplative conversation.. haha!
Steph, me and Soom...
Sam... being Sam :)
And my awesome group of friends and brothers and sisters in Christ... Mustard Seed! YEAH. That's it for now... hope you enjoyed the pictures! Write to me... love you all.
Monday, February 7
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
So it's Chinese New Year. And this is the second time I will NOT be celebrating it at home. And this year I won't even get to celebrate it over the weekend like how I did last year because I am going to go to Decatur, Illinois. Decatur! Of all places. For an a cappella competition. ICCA. That's exciting. But aiyah.
Gong xi fa cai anyway. Think of me when you sink your teeth into the jiu hu char. Or the gu bak koay teow. Or the kiam chai ark th'ng or the tu tor th'ng. Or the yummy new year cookies. :(
Gong xi fa cai anyway. Think of me when you sink your teeth into the jiu hu char. Or the gu bak koay teow. Or the kiam chai ark th'ng or the tu tor th'ng. Or the yummy new year cookies. :(
Saturday, February 5
Psalm 1
BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest]where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
I remember analyzing this passage with my cell group back home once upon a time. Re-reading this in the Amplified, I was struck again by how easily it is to walk down the road to destruction.
Blessed is the man who walks (and lives) not in the counsel of the ungodly...Mr. Godly meets Mr. Ungodly and starts walking with him... chatting about the events of the day... nothing harmful right? They're just walking together...
It always starts with walking with someone. Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? (Amos 3:3) Too often I see people who give up God's "best" and settle for "good". Tommy Tenney says that "good" is often the worst enemy of "best". How true. At this age, and I'm sure for the years ahead, my peers will be embarking on new relationships - some sooner than others.
But the fear or being alone is a very real one. And this is what makes people cop out and settle for the present, and not place their hope and trust in what God has in store for them. Too many people settle for what is there and don't pursue what God has in store for them. How can a believer and an unbeliever walk together, be yoked together - if one is headed towards destruction, and the other towards Christ? How can one walk in disobedience towards Christ and yet say he loves Him?
nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk... then they stop for a while. Hang around. They're just chillin'. Mr. Godly sees things that Mr. Ungodly is doing, but doesn't call him on it. No, don't mess with the status quo. Close one eye. Turn the other way. Everyone else is doing it.
Standing submissively. Inactively. In the face of sinners. How often do we as Christians feel embarassed to speak up against sin? To expose sin for the dirty despicable thing that it is? Political correctness has infiltrated the word of God. People are hesitant to declare truth because they are afraid of offending people. But the Word of God has been offending the sinful long before we were born. The pharisees didn't like Jesus. Neither did the Sadduccees. And all the other ees. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor 1:18).
nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.. Finally they are "friends". Mr. Ungodly invites Mr. Godly into his home. Just to have dinner. Fellowship together. Nothing wrong, right? Wrong.
I'm waiting for God to tell me otherwise. I feel like I'm being called to bring person X to Christ. I'm praying about it. About my non-believer girlfriend / boyfriend. Waiting for God to tell me otherwise??? Praying about it??? What??? How much clearer do you need to hear from God than from the very Word that proceeds from the mouth of God? Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Cor. 6:14.
His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. If you are reading this and this has struck a chord in your heart. Then you know what to do.
Soy Bean Milk
This is momentous enough that it warrants a mini-blog.
Today, I made my very first batch of soy bean milk. Ever. In my life! It was an amazing experience! I needed a strainer, but not having one (or cheese cloth, whatever that is), I was forced to be resourceful. Felt like MacGyver!
So I got a face towel and used that as my sieve. It was a messy ordeal - all that blended soy beans. Then, had to heat up the milk. And there was a strong smell. I remembered reading somewhere that if you throw in some orange peel it takes away the smell. So I had a clementine. And threw in the peel. And it worked!
Anyway. Tomorrow I'll drink my first cup. Oh yeah, I also used maple syrup! haha. Because it said I needed palm sugar. And I don't know what that is. And no one here knows what it is. So I'm assuming you can't get it here. So... maple syrup! haha. But it tastes so good.
Anyway. Not very milestone-ish? It is! My mom would be proud.
Today, I made my very first batch of soy bean milk. Ever. In my life! It was an amazing experience! I needed a strainer, but not having one (or cheese cloth, whatever that is), I was forced to be resourceful. Felt like MacGyver!
So I got a face towel and used that as my sieve. It was a messy ordeal - all that blended soy beans. Then, had to heat up the milk. And there was a strong smell. I remembered reading somewhere that if you throw in some orange peel it takes away the smell. So I had a clementine. And threw in the peel. And it worked!
Anyway. Tomorrow I'll drink my first cup. Oh yeah, I also used maple syrup! haha. Because it said I needed palm sugar. And I don't know what that is. And no one here knows what it is. So I'm assuming you can't get it here. So... maple syrup! haha. But it tastes so good.
Anyway. Not very milestone-ish? It is! My mom would be proud.
Monday, January 31
Losing control
Last night was rough.
I felt like my life was completely spinning out of control. It's been something that has been gaining momentum. I know that God has been teaching me about time and priorities this term. I knew that from the onset. But I just felt like I was failing. And flailing.
Try as I might, I could not seem to organize my life in a way that reflected where my heart's priorities lay. I spend copious amounts of time on school work, and am not seeing fruit. In fact, I think I've been working / reading more than I ever have in my Carleton career and I feel as if I'm doing as badly as I ever have here. I have wanted to spend an hour a day with God. Not because it's a formula, not because God can't work otherwise. But for the simple fact that if I can't give God one hour of my day, then what does that say about my priorities? What does that say about where I'm investing my time?
So following a late night conversation with bestestbud, I got real with God. Francis told me before we stopped chatting to "cast your cares on the Lord". So I did. And He responded instantly. INSTANTLY. With one way of reorganizing my time that would free up something like half my afternoons. Talk about an instant answer to prayer.
Today was a turning point, too. A five minute walk became a fifteen minute walk as I talked to God. And He dropped this question into my heart:
Are you going to let your circumstances affect your joy, or your joy affect your circumstances?
It was both humbling and exciting at the same time. There it was. Not a "giddy optimism". But a steadfast knowledge in knowing that the Creator of the Heavens and the earth cared for me. Who am I that You are mindful of me? And still you know me. You know the inner turmoil of this tiny speck of dust.
Tonight Mustard Seed was a blast. It was my first time leading Mustard Seed "proper" - meaning at the Cave - this whole term. But it wasn't because of that that I was excited. It wasn't because we had had great practices, or a new drummer, or that a whole bunch of St Olaf people were there. I was excited because I knew who I was in God. I knew that I had a joy that was not affected by my circumstances. A joy that the world cannot take away and that the world cannot understand.
So, I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to make it through the rest of this term. It's 5th week. I'm about halfway there. It's going to be challenging. And exciting. And I want to be able to truly say that I count it all joy when I fall into various trials because the testing of my faith produces patience. "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
I don't know what the next five weeks hold. But I do know that God has reached down from eternity and repositioned me so that I am looking at His face and not my own problems.
See, maybe to lose my life is to gain it. And if I'm going to be losing control, who better to lose it to than Jesus?
I felt like my life was completely spinning out of control. It's been something that has been gaining momentum. I know that God has been teaching me about time and priorities this term. I knew that from the onset. But I just felt like I was failing. And flailing.
Try as I might, I could not seem to organize my life in a way that reflected where my heart's priorities lay. I spend copious amounts of time on school work, and am not seeing fruit. In fact, I think I've been working / reading more than I ever have in my Carleton career and I feel as if I'm doing as badly as I ever have here. I have wanted to spend an hour a day with God. Not because it's a formula, not because God can't work otherwise. But for the simple fact that if I can't give God one hour of my day, then what does that say about my priorities? What does that say about where I'm investing my time?
So following a late night conversation with bestestbud, I got real with God. Francis told me before we stopped chatting to "cast your cares on the Lord". So I did. And He responded instantly. INSTANTLY. With one way of reorganizing my time that would free up something like half my afternoons. Talk about an instant answer to prayer.
Today was a turning point, too. A five minute walk became a fifteen minute walk as I talked to God. And He dropped this question into my heart:
It was both humbling and exciting at the same time. There it was. Not a "giddy optimism". But a steadfast knowledge in knowing that the Creator of the Heavens and the earth cared for me. Who am I that You are mindful of me? And still you know me. You know the inner turmoil of this tiny speck of dust.
Tonight Mustard Seed was a blast. It was my first time leading Mustard Seed "proper" - meaning at the Cave - this whole term. But it wasn't because of that that I was excited. It wasn't because we had had great practices, or a new drummer, or that a whole bunch of St Olaf people were there. I was excited because I knew who I was in God. I knew that I had a joy that was not affected by my circumstances. A joy that the world cannot take away and that the world cannot understand.
So, I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to make it through the rest of this term. It's 5th week. I'm about halfway there. It's going to be challenging. And exciting. And I want to be able to truly say that I count it all joy when I fall into various trials because the testing of my faith produces patience. "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
I don't know what the next five weeks hold. But I do know that God has reached down from eternity and repositioned me so that I am looking at His face and not my own problems.
See, maybe to lose my life is to gain it. And if I'm going to be losing control, who better to lose it to than Jesus?
Thursday, January 27
Hamsters, Fallen Angels and everything in between
If you have ever owned a pet hamster, or seen one in those little tiny cages, you'll know what I mean when I say that I feel like I'm running on the wheel and I can't get off. It's not that I don't want to, but it's almost as if you're driving really fast on the freeway and you keep missing your exits. Okay, so those two analogies don't particularly mesh, but you get what I'm saying, right?
This was where the singers stood:
The piano I WOULD have played... except it was tuned slightly lower than everyone else. And that would have messed with perfect pitch. Not that I have it. Anyway, all's well that ends well - it would have ended up feeling to "Don Moen-ish". And that's not good. :)
So, instead it was back to the trusty S-90. Yes, that's me. That obscure form in the foreground.
There was even an M-3!! The baby brother of the B-3! (It's an organ...)
And here are my loyal fans who came to support me :) Chieko, Jon and Erica. Oh wait... where did the other one go?
There he is.
The night was amazing. It was just totally music and worship... and prayer... and giving... and most importantly: GOD. It was thrilling to be a part of a "big project" again... I miss that about FGAC at home. So this was definitely a treat. I was blessed to be able to sing "Who Am I" - Casting Crowns, "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)" - Chris Rice and "Rescue" by the Desperation Band (my favorite!!). This is a picture taken during a prayer time for healing. Powerful huh?
10:10-11:55 Cognitive Science
12:00-1:00 Lunch with Micah
1:15-2:20 Cote Fitness (ooh! so many good stories about this. But we'll save it for another day... but it definitely involves me discovering the sensation of wearing a bra!)
3:00-3:30 Voice make-up lesson
5:00-6:00 Meet Gary
6:00-7:00 Dinner at Hvass's - microwave coming!
7:00-8:00 Mustard Seed practice
8:00- Heave a sigh of relief, and start reading 50 pages of French, and Cross Cultural Studies.
So this is why I am blogging now. At 3:30am. Thursday morning. To get off the wheel, if only for a while, to pause and reflect, and to recalibrate my life with His will!
"He sings for the Lord"
So many awesome things have been happening lately (it's not like I'm being overwhelmed with bad things...), and one of them has been the Rejoice! Benefit Concert last Monday. It was held at the spanking new facilities of the Northfield Middle School. I was blown away with the auditorium - the lighting, the acoustical design... here's a picture:
This was where the singers stood:
The piano I WOULD have played... except it was tuned slightly lower than everyone else. And that would have messed with perfect pitch. Not that I have it. Anyway, all's well that ends well - it would have ended up feeling to "Don Moen-ish". And that's not good. :)
So, instead it was back to the trusty S-90. Yes, that's me. That obscure form in the foreground.
There was even an M-3!! The baby brother of the B-3! (It's an organ...)
And here are my loyal fans who came to support me :) Chieko, Jon and Erica. Oh wait... where did the other one go?
There he is.
The night was amazing. It was just totally music and worship... and prayer... and giving... and most importantly: GOD. It was thrilling to be a part of a "big project" again... I miss that about FGAC at home. So this was definitely a treat. I was blessed to be able to sing "Who Am I" - Casting Crowns, "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)" - Chris Rice and "Rescue" by the Desperation Band (my favorite!!). This is a picture taken during a prayer time for healing. Powerful huh?
Someone hit the PAUSE button!
Yeah, so other than that. Life's been going on fast-forward. Just as an example, tomorrow's schedule looks like this:10:10-11:55 Cognitive Science
12:00-1:00 Lunch with Micah
1:15-2:20 Cote Fitness (ooh! so many good stories about this. But we'll save it for another day... but it definitely involves me discovering the sensation of wearing a bra!)
3:00-3:30 Voice make-up lesson
5:00-6:00 Meet Gary
6:00-7:00 Dinner at Hvass's - microwave coming!
7:00-8:00 Mustard Seed practice
8:00- Heave a sigh of relief, and start reading 50 pages of French, and Cross Cultural Studies.
Yeah. That's just ONE day in the life of me. Imagine five days in a row. And imagine that you have a French midterm that you don't know diddly-squat about on Monday. An interview paper, a Cog Sci midterm, oral presentations, etc... okay. Reminder to self. Purpose of this entry was to step OFF the wheel. :)
Just being this overwhelmed drives me to God. I remember all the sermons about building margin into my life. So Saturday, my PDA says: "No Appointments!" What a blessing. Except I probably have to play my tennis match then. But that's okay. That wll be fun.
Seriously though, putting things in perspective...
But I am definitely thankful to be here at this time. Sunday, there will be a leaders meeting... and I know in my spirit, that it is TIME. God is going to start something that will set many wheels and cogs in motion here at Carleton. I pray that we will be willing to pay the price. We all want the fire, but where's the fuel on the altar? Romans 12.
Been very encouraged by an awesome brother in Christ - Sam - too. For the first time in a long time, fellowshipping with him, I felt like I was back in Penang... I was excited about what God has been revealing to Sam. You know, there's nothing more exciting than to talk about, and to experience first-hand what God is doing... his marvelous deeds!
And there's Erica. Who is a constant encouragement and friend. What a terrific listener. And seeing her seek after God's heart and pursue His will for her life and how she is growing into the leader that God has called her to be... blesses me so much!
And there are crazy Cub-Foods runs with Steph and Alex (who goes about in a hoody... and it was pretty cold today! He'll die of frostbite haha). And explorations to the nether regions of Northfield... no really, Quarterback Club is so close by... and yummy. And there are God-opportuned conversations with Ben the voice teacher about ministry opportunities.. in Tanzania no less. And Mustard Seed... I'm leading for the first time this term. And my bed. Oh my bed. It's almost 4! Oh my gosh. Time to go to sleep. Good night, all. Good night, God. He who does not slumber nor sleep. Wow. I should be like that. Think of the time I would not be wasting! Ha. No... time to go to sleep. But not before saying... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! ... and DAD (belated though... don't worry, I called home! - LOVE YOU!)
A la prochaine
I leave you with a picture of my good buddy Steph... Tyler and I sabotaged her. Lured her out of the house on the pretext of taking a picture of Tyler and me... and knocked her into the snow, after which she started flapping her arms and legs like the madwoman she is... to make a beautiful snow angel. So we have snow angels surrounding FISH house. It's great. Except because they're all lying there, it looks like a cemetery of fallen angels.. ha. Morbid. What a wonderful way to end my entry! :) From hamsters to fallen angels. That will be my title. 
