I've been slowly trying to put together the micro-controller for my new robot at work... and I think I just finished..., but it doesn't seem to work for whatever reason. More diagnostics are needed to figure out what I did wrong I guess... sigh... how disappointing... my supposed new creation is still 'brain-dead' for the moment... Hopefully I can figure out soon what went wrong... I thought I followed the instructions pretty well...
Anyway, guess playing God isn't so easy after all! ;)
Today's proverbs talked a lot about how we must avoid adulteries! Of course I completely agree... it's just somewhat weird of me to actually dreamed about it just recently. I actually told wife about this weird dream... and in the dream I was actually recalling experiences of me had an adulterous affair and then actually shared the info with the wife... of course I was repentant of my 'sin'... and surprisingly wife took it very well and forgave me. I was like, 'wow'... my wife is so awesome! But then I thought more about it... and thought it was so foolish of me to share such info when she doesn't even know about it... Repentance to God should be enough, surely someday I'll regret such confession to the wife.... and then I woke up.
Wife agreed... the wife of reality was saying she was probably just being nice while plotting a revenge of some kind... hwahahah... Hmm... that was scary! ;)
Anyway, that dream was stupid but was kinda interesting cause I don't think I've ever had dreams where I can actually recall events in the fake 'past'! I don't really remember how I got involved in it nor the details of this adulterous affair, I just remembered that I had one and it felt bad. That was a pretty weird dream 'memory'...
Anyway, surely I hope in real life, I wouldn't be as foolish as I was in my dream and remember the words of the proverbs! So help me God! :)
(Prov 4-6, 174.6 lbs, $2.279)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Happy Birthday to us!
Wow, I'm 37!!! Wife and I celebrated at Raymond's on Sunday... and this is a picture of our free B-day cake worth $10!!! And yesterday, we went to Disneyland for free! (That's worth $140!!!) Can't believe how expensive Disneyland can be nowadays... anyway, we finished the day listening to some jazz at Steamer's.It was a pleasant and relaxed day... well, relaxing until I later found out at home that I gained a whole lot of weight!! ;)
I also got another S2000 as my Bday gift. It's almost an exact replica of my S2000... it's pretty cool! Wife's not so lucky though... I originally just wanted to sew her a new pillowcase as a gift..., but then figured that perhaps that new cat 'Romeo' would be a better gift..., but then again that plan fell thru... I tried extract the info of that cat lady from the Petsmart manager, but she just won't give that info up!!! And after scrolling thru a bunch of cat pictures online, I really didn't find any cat suitable either... so I quickly abandoned that plan... and figure I should give wife a real iphone... last year I gave her 'coupons' of iphone, but she didn't want iphones at the time because it's too expensive... well, now it's cheaper and better... I was just going to get one for her, but AT&T would disconnect her old line right away... so I couldn't really give it as a surprise... So anyway, upon asking her if she wants it... she's not that interested in that still... So in the end, I just had to go back to my original idea of giving her a pillowcase with her favorite cat's picture on it. ;)
I think the worst news for the wife on her birthday was that stupid Facebook de-activated her account because she's not using her real name!!! Hopefully they can re-instate her account soon... May God have mercy on FunkyThistle!!!!
Anyway, and a slightly better news, at the humane society, we also found another Cat named Sabrina who may be a good candidate for us to Adopt. We prayed that if she's still around and if there aren't any cuter cats around by Saturday, then we'll go thru with the process!!! So I guess we'll wait and see! If she's gone again, then I suppose it's really a sign from God that we shouldn't adopt another cat!!!
And lastly, I pray that God will be nicer to wife from now on! Of course I'd also pray that God will help wife deal better with these 'change of plans' better. I'm the kinda guy who's much better with 'rolling with the punches'..., I think I'm better at dealing with 'let downs'..., but anyway, most of all, I pray that God will continue to give me whatever it takes to be able to help make my wife happy I guess. I really have little control over all those other things of the world, but I can control myself, right? May wife be able to have a husband who can help making her truly happy... so help me God!!! ;)
(Pro 1-3, 176.0 lbs, $2.279)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Rebound!
Yesterday during lunch, I thought I'd go get a haircut... yeah, I think I look better with short hair than long... :)
Today I thought I'd skip lunch because I felt kinda full in the morning... usually that's an indication that I'm gaining weight! ;) Anyway, yet, at lunch time, I decided that I'm hungry again... so I thought I make good on the Carl's Jr. coupon before it expires... ;) The new steak sandwich is not bad, but I'm not sure I'll pay full price for it though. It's also interesting that almost every customer in there has a 'coupon'. Sign of the times I suppose.
Another interesting note is that I encountered a guy who wanted to wash my windshields at the parking lot. Of course he wanted money... for God knows what. So I told him no money, but I offered to buy him food if he wants. Most of the time those people just want money, but this one said, 'sure, I'll have one of them burgers!' The guy asked again if I want my windows washed? With my dirty old Civic... what's the point. So I told him it's okay...
So true to my word, I got out with a Famous Star with cheese for him. There was another older lady just coming in... and the guy also asked her if he can wash her windshields. She pretty meanly said, 'NO! And DON'T touch the car!'
Gee, does she have to be that mean?
Anyway, so I gave him the burger... he appeared thankful... and once again asked me if I want to have my windshields cleaned? Saying that it'll only take a minute!
So I said, 'well, if you really want to...'
And the guys said, yeah, I do... I just want to be useful...
The guy actually has a pretty good manners. Unlike most homeless dudes. I don't think he's crazy too... and he'll always say 'have a blessed day' whether people give him money or not. I sorta helped him out with food today, but I wish I can help people like that to really be more productive.
Quite often lately, I've been asking wife what she'll do if she wins the Lotto? I do that to help her exercise her imagination... and to dream dreams... I think she lacks this day dreaming ability... (I think she avoids doing it because she just doesn't like to be disappointed too much) of course I on the other hand may be too day dreamy! If my dream doesn't come true, so what? New opportunity to dream new dreams! ;)
Anyway, if I won the Lotto, I think I'd like to start a church filled with people like these. People that the society rejects... and hopefully able to rehabilitate them back to becoming really productive once again. Of course not all homeless people are healthy... surely some will be sick... so maybe also another hospital to go along with it... and maybe other businesses as well! Maybe my Lotto winnings won't even cover all of those costs!!!!
Sigh..., may God help all of us able to rebound out of the troubles we're in. I know I am pretty blessed already... yes, sometimes I don't get what I want... yeah, I couldn't find a good home to buy... couldn't adopt the cat that I want... and just recently found out that we couldn't go on the tour to Hokaido that we want..., but I'm assuming these things happened for a good reason.
The not house buying thing of course we now know was a good thing! We were glad it didn't go thru at the time now... because it's now helluva lot cheaper! Hindsight is always clearer... and since we humans have no real clear foresight, what can we do to rebound ourselves?
1) keep the faith in God...
2) positioning ourselves at the right place... keep on doing good without feeling discouraged...
3) be receptive, able to surrender our own preconceived ideas...(hand raising...)
4) block bad things(thoughts) out! (Use the armor of God)
Pastor Jim actually used basketball playing to explain this rebound process... that was pretty cool. He was saying the weirdo Dennis Rodman used to be a great rebounder for the Chicago Bulls. May we all able to become a great rebounder for God! :)
(Psalm 141-150, 174.6 lbs, $2.279)
Today I thought I'd skip lunch because I felt kinda full in the morning... usually that's an indication that I'm gaining weight! ;) Anyway, yet, at lunch time, I decided that I'm hungry again... so I thought I make good on the Carl's Jr. coupon before it expires... ;) The new steak sandwich is not bad, but I'm not sure I'll pay full price for it though. It's also interesting that almost every customer in there has a 'coupon'. Sign of the times I suppose.
Another interesting note is that I encountered a guy who wanted to wash my windshields at the parking lot. Of course he wanted money... for God knows what. So I told him no money, but I offered to buy him food if he wants. Most of the time those people just want money, but this one said, 'sure, I'll have one of them burgers!' The guy asked again if I want my windows washed? With my dirty old Civic... what's the point. So I told him it's okay...
So true to my word, I got out with a Famous Star with cheese for him. There was another older lady just coming in... and the guy also asked her if he can wash her windshields. She pretty meanly said, 'NO! And DON'T touch the car!'
Gee, does she have to be that mean?
Anyway, so I gave him the burger... he appeared thankful... and once again asked me if I want to have my windshields cleaned? Saying that it'll only take a minute!
So I said, 'well, if you really want to...'
And the guys said, yeah, I do... I just want to be useful...
The guy actually has a pretty good manners. Unlike most homeless dudes. I don't think he's crazy too... and he'll always say 'have a blessed day' whether people give him money or not. I sorta helped him out with food today, but I wish I can help people like that to really be more productive.
Quite often lately, I've been asking wife what she'll do if she wins the Lotto? I do that to help her exercise her imagination... and to dream dreams... I think she lacks this day dreaming ability... (I think she avoids doing it because she just doesn't like to be disappointed too much) of course I on the other hand may be too day dreamy! If my dream doesn't come true, so what? New opportunity to dream new dreams! ;)
Anyway, if I won the Lotto, I think I'd like to start a church filled with people like these. People that the society rejects... and hopefully able to rehabilitate them back to becoming really productive once again. Of course not all homeless people are healthy... surely some will be sick... so maybe also another hospital to go along with it... and maybe other businesses as well! Maybe my Lotto winnings won't even cover all of those costs!!!!
Sigh..., may God help all of us able to rebound out of the troubles we're in. I know I am pretty blessed already... yes, sometimes I don't get what I want... yeah, I couldn't find a good home to buy... couldn't adopt the cat that I want... and just recently found out that we couldn't go on the tour to Hokaido that we want..., but I'm assuming these things happened for a good reason.
The not house buying thing of course we now know was a good thing! We were glad it didn't go thru at the time now... because it's now helluva lot cheaper! Hindsight is always clearer... and since we humans have no real clear foresight, what can we do to rebound ourselves?
1) keep the faith in God...
2) positioning ourselves at the right place... keep on doing good without feeling discouraged...
3) be receptive, able to surrender our own preconceived ideas...(hand raising...)
4) block bad things(thoughts) out! (Use the armor of God)
Pastor Jim actually used basketball playing to explain this rebound process... that was pretty cool. He was saying the weirdo Dennis Rodman used to be a great rebounder for the Chicago Bulls. May we all able to become a great rebounder for God! :)
(Psalm 141-150, 174.6 lbs, $2.279)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Self reflecting...
Couldn't finish writing the blog yesterday... so here I go again today! ;)
Anyway, besides driving the Porsche, Tigran also 'bragged' about making it I guess... Yeah, after all, he has now become a partner in his firm, the only way left to go now is down! ;) But amazingly he said he's not worried. He said it doesn't matter if he lose his job... or car... or house... or even wife!!! Well, Gregory would be the only exception... he said even if he were to lose them all, it'd be okay for him... I guess that's the prize you win for making it... it builds your confidence! Of course he does admit that he's still not 'happy'... in a way we'll never really be truly happy! Being a partner also has it own kind of pressures too!
It's just that in his firm, there are mostly Harvard grads with top grades..., here comes a Loyola grad with so so grades, doing just fine in the firm! I still remember Tigran was all scared and thinking that he wouldn't be able to find a job and this firm is not going to hire him..., I encouraged him at the time. I even made a bet with him on his birthday that, hey, I'll rent the S2000 as his birthday gift and if he's hired, then he'll rent me a Ferrari on my birthday! Of course he has been slow at delivering his promise..., but I can understand I suppose, after all, S2000 costs only $200/day, but Ferrari would cost about a thousand more! Anyway, I guess I still got to drive a pretty awesome car after all. Porsche is not a Ferrari, but it's still pretty good! ;)
During lunch, we were also joking that Harvard grads really should be presidents or supreme court justices... those Harvard grads in his firm are actually kinda like 'losers' compare to Obama! ;) Anyway, just as long as Tigran doesn't become too 'cocky', I suppose confidence is always a good thing to have.
I, on the other hand, still don't think I've really made anything yet. The other day, on the "Mr Kang and Ms Xi show" also show a bunch of 40 somethings to interview how they've made it and now going down hill... in a way it's kinda scary because I'm nearing 40 and although I'm not doing too bad, but what exactly have I accomplished?
I've always been kinda slow while growing up I think. Whether on an acadamic level... or in terms or emotional maturity or socially...(I think driving would be the only exception... where I'd end up usually going too fast!) Anyway, at least there has been a steady progress along the way in those other areas of my life. I can only hope that God will continue to help my steady progress even while pass the supposedly prime of my life! Lots of bible characters got better and better as they ages, surely I can too! ;)
Wife sometimes would comment that I live in my own little world... well, I hope that world is aligned with God's world! Yes God, help me dream more dreams and see more visions as you did with Joseph... and also grant me to wisdom and courage to be able to realize those dreams too! Thank you! :)
(Psalm 126-140, 174.8 lbs, $2.279)
Anyway, besides driving the Porsche, Tigran also 'bragged' about making it I guess... Yeah, after all, he has now become a partner in his firm, the only way left to go now is down! ;) But amazingly he said he's not worried. He said it doesn't matter if he lose his job... or car... or house... or even wife!!! Well, Gregory would be the only exception... he said even if he were to lose them all, it'd be okay for him... I guess that's the prize you win for making it... it builds your confidence! Of course he does admit that he's still not 'happy'... in a way we'll never really be truly happy! Being a partner also has it own kind of pressures too!
It's just that in his firm, there are mostly Harvard grads with top grades..., here comes a Loyola grad with so so grades, doing just fine in the firm! I still remember Tigran was all scared and thinking that he wouldn't be able to find a job and this firm is not going to hire him..., I encouraged him at the time. I even made a bet with him on his birthday that, hey, I'll rent the S2000 as his birthday gift and if he's hired, then he'll rent me a Ferrari on my birthday! Of course he has been slow at delivering his promise..., but I can understand I suppose, after all, S2000 costs only $200/day, but Ferrari would cost about a thousand more! Anyway, I guess I still got to drive a pretty awesome car after all. Porsche is not a Ferrari, but it's still pretty good! ;)
During lunch, we were also joking that Harvard grads really should be presidents or supreme court justices... those Harvard grads in his firm are actually kinda like 'losers' compare to Obama! ;) Anyway, just as long as Tigran doesn't become too 'cocky', I suppose confidence is always a good thing to have.
I, on the other hand, still don't think I've really made anything yet. The other day, on the "Mr Kang and Ms Xi show" also show a bunch of 40 somethings to interview how they've made it and now going down hill... in a way it's kinda scary because I'm nearing 40 and although I'm not doing too bad, but what exactly have I accomplished?
I've always been kinda slow while growing up I think. Whether on an acadamic level... or in terms or emotional maturity or socially...(I think driving would be the only exception... where I'd end up usually going too fast!) Anyway, at least there has been a steady progress along the way in those other areas of my life. I can only hope that God will continue to help my steady progress even while pass the supposedly prime of my life! Lots of bible characters got better and better as they ages, surely I can too! ;)
Wife sometimes would comment that I live in my own little world... well, I hope that world is aligned with God's world! Yes God, help me dream more dreams and see more visions as you did with Joseph... and also grant me to wisdom and courage to be able to realize those dreams too! Thank you! :)
(Psalm 126-140, 174.8 lbs, $2.279)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Have you driven a Porsche lately!
Yes I have! :)Had lunch with Tigran yesterday and he drove his new Porsche to show off! He was also nice enough to let me drive it... I was kinda surprised! ;) He also paid $300 for an old useless printer of mine because his firm needs it for a case. Oh, and he also paid for the lunch too!
So it wasn't a bad business transaction I suppose. It was a good lunch! ;)
(To be continued...)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New President!
W is gone and we now officially have a new president!His speech was pretty short compared to other president's speeches... he also stumbled a bit during his actually swearing in... maybe he was too nervous too! ;)
Anyway, given the challenges facing him in the years ahead, for sure he has the potential to become one of the greatest presidents ever.... (Assuming that he can lead America out of her current troubles!) Well, the guy has the audacity to hope... and I'm hopeful too! May God make His face shine upon him and upon this nation... and may this nation really learn to love God and one another more and more...
Stock market actually went down today. But anyway, success of our nation really shouldn't be measured by stock market alone. As we lift up our eyes to the hills— where does our help come from? Our help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth! :)
(Psalm 121-125, 174.8 lbs, $2.239)
Monday, January 19, 2009
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
We saw Romeo the cat a while back in the Petsmart adoption center. At least based on our first look at him, wife was able to deduce that he's a pretty smart kitty... at least smarter than the rest! Anyway, over time as we go shop for cat food, we continue to see Romeo there... just sleeping in his cage... noone seems to want to adopt him for whatever reasons. So on Saturday, we kinda want to talk to the lady in Charge the next day regarding adopting Romeo. We actually prayed about it... hoping that it's a good idea... and if not, then may God stop us! And to make long short, when we went back to petsmart on Sunday, the whole freaking adoption center's empty!!!
Supposedly the lady just quit earlier that day and took all her cats home. Romeo has been there probably for months... and then all of a sudden, they're all gone without a trace!
I guess it just wan't meant to be.
Anyway, at least the other highlight of the weekend was that i was able to find a pair of Levi's jean for only $6!!! ;) MSRP was $56... marked down to $10 and I was able to get additional 40% off! Amazingly every retailer on 3rd St at Santa Monica is having a 75% sale. Economy is really pretty bad I guess! But I suppose I tried my best trying to pump $6 into the sagging economy! ;)
Wife probably had a super disappointing weekend. She didn't find anything she wants while shopping... and she really had her hopes up for getting Romeo, but what a surprising let down. Oh well, at least she still has God... and me... and Hades! ;) Yeah, Pastor Jim preached about how we ought to be content whatever the circumstances! It's the 2nd and last series on Barnabas. Bible taught that the dude is not only filled with the Spirit, but also full of faith and wisdom. It's not just about speaking in tongues and be crazy and have the heart for God, but we also have to use our brain and be sensible sometimes! Very much like Christ, who's full of grace and full of truth! We gotta be balanced! Barnabas is also not very keen on seeking personal glory and had not problem sticking his neck out for whoever he think is right for the job! Whether it's Saul or Mark... When the church at the time didn't want to believe Saul/Paul, Barnabas believed in him and stood by him. When Paul didn't believe in Mark, Barnabas believed in him and stood by him. Barnabas really got very little credit or fame over the years, but fact of the matter is that Christianity owes much to him... without him, Gospel of Mark probably wouldn't be around... nor would any of Paul's letters... which is a significant chunck of the New Testament Bible!!!
How can I be more like Barnabas and advance Your kingdom somehow?
Psalm 119
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
(Psalm 116-120, 174.6 lbs, $2.239)
Supposedly the lady just quit earlier that day and took all her cats home. Romeo has been there probably for months... and then all of a sudden, they're all gone without a trace!
I guess it just wan't meant to be.
Anyway, at least the other highlight of the weekend was that i was able to find a pair of Levi's jean for only $6!!! ;) MSRP was $56... marked down to $10 and I was able to get additional 40% off! Amazingly every retailer on 3rd St at Santa Monica is having a 75% sale. Economy is really pretty bad I guess! But I suppose I tried my best trying to pump $6 into the sagging economy! ;)
Wife probably had a super disappointing weekend. She didn't find anything she wants while shopping... and she really had her hopes up for getting Romeo, but what a surprising let down. Oh well, at least she still has God... and me... and Hades! ;) Yeah, Pastor Jim preached about how we ought to be content whatever the circumstances! It's the 2nd and last series on Barnabas. Bible taught that the dude is not only filled with the Spirit, but also full of faith and wisdom. It's not just about speaking in tongues and be crazy and have the heart for God, but we also have to use our brain and be sensible sometimes! Very much like Christ, who's full of grace and full of truth! We gotta be balanced! Barnabas is also not very keen on seeking personal glory and had not problem sticking his neck out for whoever he think is right for the job! Whether it's Saul or Mark... When the church at the time didn't want to believe Saul/Paul, Barnabas believed in him and stood by him. When Paul didn't believe in Mark, Barnabas believed in him and stood by him. Barnabas really got very little credit or fame over the years, but fact of the matter is that Christianity owes much to him... without him, Gospel of Mark probably wouldn't be around... nor would any of Paul's letters... which is a significant chunck of the New Testament Bible!!!
How can I be more like Barnabas and advance Your kingdom somehow?
Psalm 119
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word. [i]
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.
(Psalm 116-120, 174.6 lbs, $2.239)
Friday, January 16, 2009
For love...
Yeah, I've officially become a seamster, or tailor! Yes, I've successfully altered an $8 dress wife got on sale from Ross. It was a little too big, but wife likes it... so it became my first experiment! I can't believe I'm so good... so now it fits her pretty well! Awesome! :) My very first attempt at this was on my jeans... trying to shorten them. Guess jeans are designed for long-legged folks I guess... my legs aren't short, but their jeans are still too long. So my very first attempt actually ended up with one leg longer than the other, but I was able to fix it luckily... Anyway, so with my dress and jeans altering works that I've done... I think the $75 sewing machine has been a good investment.
Now, I just can't wait for my robot parts to arrive so that I can start messing with that! Another cool accomplishment from last nite was that I was able to shave 2 seconds off of my time driving the Ferrari F-1 car at Suzuka! It's my personal best, but according to some youtube videos, I'm still well off the pace(by 10s or so....) My best is at 1:35 flat, but there are folks going at 1:25 per lap!!! They must be driving using stickier tires or something... anyway, something to shoot for later on! ;)
Last night wife and I also talked a bit of theology actually... regarding why God has to 'choose' certain folks. Why wasn't there a chinese version of the Abraham? Why must it be thru the Jews? Of course I don't really know the answer, we can only guess why God did what He did. But it is pretty clear that the Chinese were not entirely clueless... our emperors had always been called the 'son of God' and chinese emperors regularly sacrifice offerings on idol-less altars to the heaven! This 'tradition' must've came from somewhere, right? Of course eventhough God didn't choose the Chinese, it doesn't mean China had been totally Godless. Just because God didn't choose us to do certain things, it doesn't mean God must not be with us. Of course the reverse might be true too. Eventhough God has chosen the Jews to be His people, it doesn't mean God will always be with the Jews no matter what. Besides election, we must also respond in faith as well. This is where Abraham did so wonderfully.
Also, I can understand why God chose to have a single point entry into the world. Only thru this method can ensure the entire world end up reading the same Bible. If Christ had to be born and killed in every single nation over and over again, not only would it be painful for Christ, but it'll for sure cause MORE religious wars. As it is, Jews, Christians and Muslims, all believe in God of Abraham, can hate each other to the point of wanting to kill one another. Imagine if those 3 religions actually have different roots, wouldn't things be even worse?
Anyway, debating theology is pointless I think. Of course it can be fun and eductional sometimes, but if it'd cause people to stop loving one another, then for sure the point is lost. Without love, what's the point? Even sewing is boring. Building robots can be boring. Driving a fake F-1 car around a track over and over again is boring as well. Marrying another person for a whole lifetime can also be super boring. As Solomon said, everything in this world is boring and pointless... without God... or without love.
More love please! For You and for those around us! Thanks! :)
(Psalm 111-115, 174.6 lb, $2.199)
Now, I just can't wait for my robot parts to arrive so that I can start messing with that! Another cool accomplishment from last nite was that I was able to shave 2 seconds off of my time driving the Ferrari F-1 car at Suzuka! It's my personal best, but according to some youtube videos, I'm still well off the pace(by 10s or so....) My best is at 1:35 flat, but there are folks going at 1:25 per lap!!! They must be driving using stickier tires or something... anyway, something to shoot for later on! ;)
Last night wife and I also talked a bit of theology actually... regarding why God has to 'choose' certain folks. Why wasn't there a chinese version of the Abraham? Why must it be thru the Jews? Of course I don't really know the answer, we can only guess why God did what He did. But it is pretty clear that the Chinese were not entirely clueless... our emperors had always been called the 'son of God' and chinese emperors regularly sacrifice offerings on idol-less altars to the heaven! This 'tradition' must've came from somewhere, right? Of course eventhough God didn't choose the Chinese, it doesn't mean China had been totally Godless. Just because God didn't choose us to do certain things, it doesn't mean God must not be with us. Of course the reverse might be true too. Eventhough God has chosen the Jews to be His people, it doesn't mean God will always be with the Jews no matter what. Besides election, we must also respond in faith as well. This is where Abraham did so wonderfully.
Also, I can understand why God chose to have a single point entry into the world. Only thru this method can ensure the entire world end up reading the same Bible. If Christ had to be born and killed in every single nation over and over again, not only would it be painful for Christ, but it'll for sure cause MORE religious wars. As it is, Jews, Christians and Muslims, all believe in God of Abraham, can hate each other to the point of wanting to kill one another. Imagine if those 3 religions actually have different roots, wouldn't things be even worse?
Anyway, debating theology is pointless I think. Of course it can be fun and eductional sometimes, but if it'd cause people to stop loving one another, then for sure the point is lost. Without love, what's the point? Even sewing is boring. Building robots can be boring. Driving a fake F-1 car around a track over and over again is boring as well. Marrying another person for a whole lifetime can also be super boring. As Solomon said, everything in this world is boring and pointless... without God... or without love.
More love please! For You and for those around us! Thanks! :)
(Psalm 111-115, 174.6 lb, $2.199)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Praise and worship...
Had an early morning telecon... so I decided to just call in from home and just work at home today. Wife is now busy working with her students... now that the telecon's finished... I'm now home alone with our kitty!
After reading the psalms, it really moved me to want to sing Chris Tomlin's 'forever' song... because there were multiple psalms with the same phrase:
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever!
I remember loving this song when I was just saved... in fact there were lots of songs that I liked when I was first saved, but lately, not so much. Even Chris Tomlin himself didn't have that many soul moving songs nowadays... they all sound kind of the same, yet, not really better than before... wonder when will the next Christian Music revival happen. Well, maybe not just a musical revival, but a revival in general!!! But nevertheless, may the Holy Spirit inspire all those Christian song writers with more new sounds!!!
Oh, and a very popular song in "Faith", they used to sing this song all the time... not sure what's the name of the song: 'let the redeemed of the Lord say so... say so... say so... say so...........' It turns out that it's from Psalm 107.
'Say what?'
'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever!' :)
So then I proceeded to sing the songs... forever, blessed be your name, draw me close... just some of my favorite songs and whatever I can remember off the top of my head. I can't remember all the lyrics sometimes... , but those simple songs all have similar chord progressions, so often times I just improvised my own music with hummings! Yeah, I was singing in crazy tongues! ;)
Oh, and I think my finger tips have soften up to the point of getting easily hurt while playing guitar!!!! Used to play at church every week and practice every week..., not lately. Need to practice more that's for sure. Anyway, as lousy as I am, at least I enjoyed it! Wife being a musician... and a kitty cat who just want to sleep... I'm not sure if they'll enjoy it..., but I hope at least God finds my singing and playing enjoyable! Of course besides worshipping with music spiritually, I also better also worship truthfully with deeds also! May I be a true worshipper... not to be too forgetful of His love!
(Psalm 106-110, 175.2 lbs, $2.159)
After reading the psalms, it really moved me to want to sing Chris Tomlin's 'forever' song... because there were multiple psalms with the same phrase:
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever!
I remember loving this song when I was just saved... in fact there were lots of songs that I liked when I was first saved, but lately, not so much. Even Chris Tomlin himself didn't have that many soul moving songs nowadays... they all sound kind of the same, yet, not really better than before... wonder when will the next Christian Music revival happen. Well, maybe not just a musical revival, but a revival in general!!! But nevertheless, may the Holy Spirit inspire all those Christian song writers with more new sounds!!!
Oh, and a very popular song in "Faith", they used to sing this song all the time... not sure what's the name of the song: 'let the redeemed of the Lord say so... say so... say so... say so...........' It turns out that it's from Psalm 107.
'Say what?'
'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever!' :)
So then I proceeded to sing the songs... forever, blessed be your name, draw me close... just some of my favorite songs and whatever I can remember off the top of my head. I can't remember all the lyrics sometimes... , but those simple songs all have similar chord progressions, so often times I just improvised my own music with hummings! Yeah, I was singing in crazy tongues! ;)
Oh, and I think my finger tips have soften up to the point of getting easily hurt while playing guitar!!!! Used to play at church every week and practice every week..., not lately. Need to practice more that's for sure. Anyway, as lousy as I am, at least I enjoyed it! Wife being a musician... and a kitty cat who just want to sleep... I'm not sure if they'll enjoy it..., but I hope at least God finds my singing and playing enjoyable! Of course besides worshipping with music spiritually, I also better also worship truthfully with deeds also! May I be a true worshipper... not to be too forgetful of His love!
(Psalm 106-110, 175.2 lbs, $2.159)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Hokaido! Here we come!
Trip planned for end of March is finally done! Wife and I are finally going somewhere where neither one of us have been before! Wife is more well traveled than me... it seems that everywhere we go, she's been there done that! ;)
Anyway, hopefully this trip will be an enjoyable one... :) Reading of psalms lately is now mostly about singing and praising to the Lord! I actually haven't done that for a while... maybe I'll start that tonite! :)
(Psalm 101-105, 174.4 lbs, $2.179)
Anyway, hopefully this trip will be an enjoyable one... :) Reading of psalms lately is now mostly about singing and praising to the Lord! I actually haven't done that for a while... maybe I'll start that tonite! :)
(Psalm 101-105, 174.4 lbs, $2.179)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Playing God!
Hwahahaha...
Software downloaded... parts ordered... my $50 robot should be created as soon as I receive the parts and put them together and then breath some programming into it!!!
Can't wait!!! :)
BTW, my robot will be a photovore or a light seeker. Of course we could program it to avoid lights too, but anyway, I think I'm just going to program it to be a Christian, and child of light!!! He will run around earth praising me! Well, let's see how good of a God I can play... hopefully I can get it built within 7 weeks, let alone 7 days! ;)
(Psalm 96-100, 174.8 lbs, $2.159)
Software downloaded... parts ordered... my $50 robot should be created as soon as I receive the parts and put them together and then breath some programming into it!!!
Can't wait!!! :)
BTW, my robot will be a photovore or a light seeker. Of course we could program it to avoid lights too, but anyway, I think I'm just going to program it to be a Christian, and child of light!!! He will run around earth praising me! Well, let's see how good of a God I can play... hopefully I can get it built within 7 weeks, let alone 7 days! ;)
(Psalm 96-100, 174.8 lbs, $2.159)
Monday, January 12, 2009
Johny B Goode, Barnabas B flat!
Jay is soon to be shipped off to China! We had dinner last nite to send him off. He talked about how even Motorola are having financial difficulties. Hopefully they won't go under and ruin his contract! ;) I was telling him that even in the aerospace industry, nothing's for sure either. Luckily for Chin, people still need to go to hospitals! So she and Didi should be pretty safe no matter what! :)
Anyway, today's reading of psalms was encouraging especially during such harsh economic times!
Psalm 91
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
It's interesting that we also saw a movie called 'Ghost Town', delivering pretty much the same message! ;) It's a fun little movie, way better than some of the blockbusters I think. Anyway, so for sure I think God is trying to get this message across our minds lately...
Also, besides Barnabas, I've discovered something interesting with wife last nite..., that is apparently, our ringing in the ears are ringing at B flat. Not sure how many octaves above the regular B flat, but for whatever reasons, we can both hear it. And apparently B flat is kinda special... according to NPR, alligators are pretty sensitive to B flat(1 octave below middle C). Upon hearing it, they'll start to get excited and bellow! And scientists even figure out that black holes are humming at B flat also(57 octaves below middle C, so we won't really hear it!)
So there just might be something about B flat... 466.164 Hz
(Psalm 91-95, 175.2 lbs, $2.139)
Anyway, today's reading of psalms was encouraging especially during such harsh economic times!
Psalm 91
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."
It's interesting that we also saw a movie called 'Ghost Town', delivering pretty much the same message! ;) It's a fun little movie, way better than some of the blockbusters I think. Anyway, so for sure I think God is trying to get this message across our minds lately...
Also, besides Barnabas, I've discovered something interesting with wife last nite..., that is apparently, our ringing in the ears are ringing at B flat. Not sure how many octaves above the regular B flat, but for whatever reasons, we can both hear it. And apparently B flat is kinda special... according to NPR, alligators are pretty sensitive to B flat(1 octave below middle C). Upon hearing it, they'll start to get excited and bellow! And scientists even figure out that black holes are humming at B flat also(57 octaves below middle C, so we won't really hear it!)
So there just might be something about B flat... 466.164 Hz
(Psalm 91-95, 175.2 lbs, $2.139)
Friday, January 9, 2009
35 mpg!
Back to driving my 18 year old Civic this week! Got a new catalytic converter for passing smog, new muffler and new tires... it's still not perfect yet, but at least it's now safe and doesn't pollute anymore. Plus, I can't believe it can still do 35mpg! Best S2000 can do is 26mpg..., plus it takes premium gas. Gas prices have risen dramatically once again lately, hopefully won't be as high as the $4/gallon price soon..., but anyway, my good old Civic for sure can save me more gas money down the road!
Today's gas price at Huntington Beach is $1.899 for regular and $2.099 for premium.
Civic: $1.899*8.5 gallons = $16.14
S2000: $2.099*10 gallons = $20.99
So basically I saved about $4 on gas this week for switching to Civic! :)
Anyway, I can't believe I can still drive this 18 year old car... a car I got during High School!!! Only in California I suppose, plus, one has to handed to Honda for building such reliable cars!
Of course I also have to be credited for being a good caretaker of my beloved car too! ;)
It's kinda funny that my life really has much less worries compared to lots of other folks around the world. I still have a job. We also have smaller earthquakes compared to Costa Rica. Less violent deaths than Juarez or Gaza... We almost planned to trip to Egypt and Israel, but luckily it didn't work out I suppose. Not a good time to travel around those areas at the moment...
Thank God for His favors and blessings I suppose...
Psalm 90
12 求 你 指 教 我 們 怎 樣 數 算 自 己 的 日 子 ， 好 叫 我 們 得 著 智 慧 的 心 。
Today's gas price at Huntington Beach is $1.899 for regular and $2.099 for premium.
Civic: $1.899*8.5 gallons = $16.14
S2000: $2.099*10 gallons = $20.99
So basically I saved about $4 on gas this week for switching to Civic! :)
Anyway, I can't believe I can still drive this 18 year old car... a car I got during High School!!! Only in California I suppose, plus, one has to handed to Honda for building such reliable cars!
Of course I also have to be credited for being a good caretaker of my beloved car too! ;)
It's kinda funny that my life really has much less worries compared to lots of other folks around the world. I still have a job. We also have smaller earthquakes compared to Costa Rica. Less violent deaths than Juarez or Gaza... We almost planned to trip to Egypt and Israel, but luckily it didn't work out I suppose. Not a good time to travel around those areas at the moment...
Thank God for His favors and blessings I suppose...
Psalm 90
12 求 你 指 教 我 們 怎 樣 數 算 自 己 的 日 子 ， 好 叫 我 們 得 著 智 慧 的 心 。
13 耶 和 華 啊 ， 我 們 要 等 到 幾 時 呢 ？ 求 你 轉 回 ， 為 你 的 僕 人 後 悔 。
14 求 你 使 我 們 早 早 飽 得 你 的 慈 愛 ， 好 叫 我 們 一 生 一 世 歡 呼 喜 樂 。
15 求 你 照 著 你 使 我 們 受 苦 的 日 子 ， 和 我 們 遭 難 的 年 歲 ， 叫 我 們 喜 樂 。
16 願 你 的 作 為 向 你 僕 人 顯 現 ； 願 你 的 榮 耀 向 他 們 子 孫 顯 明 。
17 願 主 ─ 我 們 神 的 榮 美 歸 於 我 們 身 上 。 願 你 堅 立 我 們 手 所 做 的 工 ； 我 們 手 所 做 的 工 ， 願 你 堅 立 。
(Psalm 86-90, 175.2 lbs, $2.099)Thursday, January 8, 2009
The $50 Robot
This is the robot I'm going to build. Hopefully mine won't look as crappy! ;) Anyway, this project should be a good learning experience for me afterwards. It is basically a light seeker... seeks light and avoids darkness, that's how it's turning. Of course later on I could upgrade it with more sensors and with more advanced chip... Anyway, we'll see how it goes! ;)
The guy is pretty cool. Showed people step by step instructions on how to do stuff. I think the dude is pretty strong in the areas of electronics and programming, but his mechanical skills or art skills needs a bit of work on.... Anyway, thank God for him, I can now realize my new dream cheap! Oh, I also ordered my new hard drive cheaply as well. Amazon offered $30 off for applying their credit card... so for a $90 drive, I'm getting it for $60!!!
Anyway, thank You Lord for helping me save money! :)
Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
(Psalm 81:85, 174.4 lbs, $2.039)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Change...
In today's reading of Psalms, it really felt like there are probably folks at Gaza or Juarez praying those exact things... crying out to God. Will God do anything about those injustices? Surely in due time. Stock market is also took a dive today because of host of poor economic news. When will things turn around? Lord knows.
All I know is that we better repent and change ourselves first. It's most definitely not all of God's responsibility!
Lately I did notice a change within me. First, it was the desire to learn how to sew..., I've already sewed a bunch of pillow cases and did some alterations on couple of my jeans... and I'm ready to try to alter a dress for the wife too! feeling quite accomplished given such a short time! ;) And lately, I seemed have have a desire to start building simple robots thanks to Daniel's influence! I just think it's so incredibly cool!!! Plus, in one of the books I was reading claims that robot builders are like modern day renaissance man! Because it requires knowledge of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and art! The guy claims that if Da Vinci is alive today, he'd be building robots! Yeah, I'm kinda like that... a jack of all trades, but master of none! Hopefully someday I'll be able to make robots that can vacuum, clean kitty litter, mow the grass.... Anyway, we'll see how this goes! ;)
(Psalm 76-80, 173.8 lbs, $1.999)
All I know is that we better repent and change ourselves first. It's most definitely not all of God's responsibility!
Lately I did notice a change within me. First, it was the desire to learn how to sew..., I've already sewed a bunch of pillow cases and did some alterations on couple of my jeans... and I'm ready to try to alter a dress for the wife too! feeling quite accomplished given such a short time! ;) And lately, I seemed have have a desire to start building simple robots thanks to Daniel's influence! I just think it's so incredibly cool!!! Plus, in one of the books I was reading claims that robot builders are like modern day renaissance man! Because it requires knowledge of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and art! The guy claims that if Da Vinci is alive today, he'd be building robots! Yeah, I'm kinda like that... a jack of all trades, but master of none! Hopefully someday I'll be able to make robots that can vacuum, clean kitty litter, mow the grass.... Anyway, we'll see how this goes! ;)
(Psalm 76-80, 173.8 lbs, $1.999)
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Can troubles sometimes actually be good?
Last night, I was chatting with wife about often times when everything is good, I tend to forget about keeping the 'main thing' the 'main thing'! I think most people really can be quite forgetful sometimes..., this is why we often repeat history again and again. I suppose every generation just have to learn the lessons themselves. And surprisingly, sometimes it's during crisis... such as during the aftermath of 9-11 or Katrina... that tend to bring out the best in people. Those tragedies tend to remind folks what's really important in life. People are usually more willing to do what God want us to do during those situations... It's interesting how sometimes we need those 'reminders'...
Psalm 71:20
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
Yeah, thank God that there is a loving God, who's around to help us... so that we can actually afford to make mistakes and learn from it... so that we can actually rise out of our troubles and actually become better than before!
Today, besides the slumping economy in the US, besides the laid-off and perhaps eve hungry and cold folks around the nation... There's also fighting at the Gaza strip. Will the Jews and the Palestinians ever figure out a way to love one another? Don't know, but I'm surprised to hear that there are people... and even brain surgeons, waiting around in Egypt to help the casualties. The doctor is waiting until either Israel clear aid workers into Gaza... or until the cease fire. Hmm..., very passionate about helping those in need I suppose. (But I'm forced to wonder how is he supporting himself? He must be rich I suppose! And what about patients in peaceful areas? When will they get their surgery?)
Also heard over NPR saying that Mexico is in disarray... with the drug cartels possibly becoming more powerful than the government itself. City of Juárez, very close to El Paso Texas, have people suffering from violent deaths regularly. Police are corrupted, So government sent in the army..., but now the army is also corrupted! Now, they are actually killing off the uncorrupted policemen! Their local daily newspaper is filled with pictures of dead bodies... and also full of ads with nearly naked ladies. The town is messed up. Mexico itself may be messed up too. It seems that the more the government tries to fight, the more violent the cartel becomes. Of course the drugs are being sold in the US... sooner or later, it's going to effect us. Surely it'll bring US national attention when one or two Americans end up dead... And I'm actually surprised that Mexicans are actually pretty "spiritual" about it. Over the radio interview, he said, ' God is going to do something about it!'
May it be so!
(Psalm 71-75, 173.4 lbs, $1.959)
Psalm 71:20
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
Yeah, thank God that there is a loving God, who's around to help us... so that we can actually afford to make mistakes and learn from it... so that we can actually rise out of our troubles and actually become better than before!
Today, besides the slumping economy in the US, besides the laid-off and perhaps eve hungry and cold folks around the nation... There's also fighting at the Gaza strip. Will the Jews and the Palestinians ever figure out a way to love one another? Don't know, but I'm surprised to hear that there are people... and even brain surgeons, waiting around in Egypt to help the casualties. The doctor is waiting until either Israel clear aid workers into Gaza... or until the cease fire. Hmm..., very passionate about helping those in need I suppose. (But I'm forced to wonder how is he supporting himself? He must be rich I suppose! And what about patients in peaceful areas? When will they get their surgery?)
Also heard over NPR saying that Mexico is in disarray... with the drug cartels possibly becoming more powerful than the government itself. City of Juárez, very close to El Paso Texas, have people suffering from violent deaths regularly. Police are corrupted, So government sent in the army..., but now the army is also corrupted! Now, they are actually killing off the uncorrupted policemen! Their local daily newspaper is filled with pictures of dead bodies... and also full of ads with nearly naked ladies. The town is messed up. Mexico itself may be messed up too. It seems that the more the government tries to fight, the more violent the cartel becomes. Of course the drugs are being sold in the US... sooner or later, it's going to effect us. Surely it'll bring US national attention when one or two Americans end up dead... And I'm actually surprised that Mexicans are actually pretty "spiritual" about it. Over the radio interview, he said, ' God is going to do something about it!'
May it be so!
(Psalm 71-75, 173.4 lbs, $1.959)
Monday, January 5, 2009
New Year... new hope?
Nope. It'd still be the same hope! ;)
Psalm 62:5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
Yes, I had a pretty restful and relaxing Christmas break, especially after the Sedona trip. Of course rest and relaxation weren't around at the start of our winter break! Actually had probably one of the most serious fights with the wife during the break. Honestly felt like giving up because I don't know what else to do... and I don't know what is wrong with HER!!!
But thank God that in the end, God also used the wife to shine the light upon me to show me what is wrong with ME instead! I really need to learn to be more relational with those around me. One of the main problem with wife and my family is ME! I'm just not a very good 'bridge' between the two. As wife has pointed out, this is probably why mom never like my previous church also. It's because I haven't done a good job representing either sides very well...
Good thing I'm not Jesus, otherwise I'd probably end up causing more problems between God and men!!! ;) But anyway, thank God for Christ... and for wife... so that I'm on the road to become more Christ-like! Yippie! :)
Pastor Dawn preached about us letting go of our 'Benjamins'... (Had Jacob let Ben goto Egypt sooner, he could've turned the bad situation for his family around sooner... and realized that Joseph is still alive sooner...) I'm not really sure what's the 'Ben' in my life... probably just my spoken words... Pastor Jim also preached about the main thing being keeping the main thing the main thing! The main thing being loving God and loving one another of course... and the fruit of doing that is obviously growth. I've also finally managed to finish reading the 'how people grow' book during our Sedona trip.
So I'm looking forward to more growth in 2009. :)
(Psalm 56-70, 174.6 lbs, $1.959)
Psalm 62:5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
Yes, I had a pretty restful and relaxing Christmas break, especially after the Sedona trip. Of course rest and relaxation weren't around at the start of our winter break! Actually had probably one of the most serious fights with the wife during the break. Honestly felt like giving up because I don't know what else to do... and I don't know what is wrong with HER!!!
But thank God that in the end, God also used the wife to shine the light upon me to show me what is wrong with ME instead! I really need to learn to be more relational with those around me. One of the main problem with wife and my family is ME! I'm just not a very good 'bridge' between the two. As wife has pointed out, this is probably why mom never like my previous church also. It's because I haven't done a good job representing either sides very well...
Good thing I'm not Jesus, otherwise I'd probably end up causing more problems between God and men!!! ;) But anyway, thank God for Christ... and for wife... so that I'm on the road to become more Christ-like! Yippie! :)
Pastor Dawn preached about us letting go of our 'Benjamins'... (Had Jacob let Ben goto Egypt sooner, he could've turned the bad situation for his family around sooner... and realized that Joseph is still alive sooner...) I'm not really sure what's the 'Ben' in my life... probably just my spoken words... Pastor Jim also preached about the main thing being keeping the main thing the main thing! The main thing being loving God and loving one another of course... and the fruit of doing that is obviously growth. I've also finally managed to finish reading the 'how people grow' book during our Sedona trip.
So I'm looking forward to more growth in 2009. :)
(Psalm 56-70, 174.6 lbs, $1.959)
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