U2 Baby!

I'm going down to SD today to see U2 with some church friends! Woohoo! My small group leader Bill & his wife Kit & some other younger folks. It's funny, Kit is a U2 maniac. We had a get together at their house a few days ago to watch a concert on dvd - she was all done up in her old 80's concert t-shirt. I have to admit, it was cool seeing the old, greyish "U2 - The Unforgettable Fire" shirt. U2 sure puts on a good show! the dvd got us all hyped up.

Anyways, can't wait to rock out w/ Bono & the Edge! YEAH! This ranks right up there (historically, anyways) with my seeing Simon & Garfunkel [don't laugh!]. I don't go to concerts often, but when I do, they seem to be the old people, expensive ones. haha

I've got an extra pair of tickets for them in NY in November. But I've got one possible friend who may already want them. If this person doesn't take them, then I'll see...

from Magic (#32) to Kareem (#33)

...and next year, I'll be Shaq! (#34)

Actually, I'm literally the same age as Shaq, who just celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago from what I read.

I turned 33 today, on Good Friday, the day we commemorate the day that Jesus gave up his life for us...at the age of 33. How appropriate! All my friends & I have been joking about how much Jesus accomplished by age 33 and how I'm still looking to start a meaningful career. haha We'll see.

I've been kinda sick, so I just came home & had a nice dinner w/ the folks. My parents are pretty all right, man. It's been great being home.

I was thinking about having a little get together for my bday, but I didn't want to compete with Jesus on Good Friday...maybe next weekend... =)

Got a few phone calls today (of course, my sister was the first call - bright and early!). Feels nice to be remembered. I honestly didn't think anyone would remember - you know, guys & bdays. But I think my married & engaged friends have gotten some good sensitivity training from their wives & fiancees I guess. haha Thanks, everyone!

A Blessed Easter to everyone. I pray we get struck with the awesome newness of life that JESUS has won for all of us.

March Madness

yup, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

it's this time every year that this background dream of mine to coach a college team into the Final Four comes up again. well, that after years of exciting H.S. coaching, that is.

This used to always be my answer to the whole "If money were not a factor, what would be your dream job?" I would answer "To coach a H.S. basketball team."

Watching the college tournament, I see the passion, the energy, the comeraderie, the joy, the tears; it's the most exciting and heartwrenching sporting event there is, in my opinion. one and done, there is no "next year", no free agency or trade rumors; you're playing for your peers and the pride of your alma mater; the music comes from crazy, live band members going nuts and crying for you - win or lose, not from some computer track with some guy in a sound booth falling asleep pushing buttons. THIS is sports it its purest and most elevated energy level. Every team has a chance - even the small, hick college from the middle of America - to win a game or two; to take out a "giant" - a big, established, traditioned basketball powerhouse.

I get so excited thinking about coaching.

Only thing is, the few times I've done it, even on small scales, it's totally consumed me. I stay up, thinking about drills, plays, speeches, opponents. It's all I can think about all day and all night.

And there are other thoughts that sober these dreams. Not in the sense of obstacles to accomplishing it, but obstacles to choosing this path. But I don't want to list them here, it's too uninspiring.

For now, I just want to enjoy and wait to see "One Shining Moment..."

BTW - It's all about GaTech, baby!!

My Final Four:

Illinois
GeorgiaTech
UNC
Duke

real food

you know, I remember reading an analogy that when you're really hungry, you want real food. So you know, when you're bored, you want junk food; but after helping a friend move all day, the thought of sugar just grosses you out - you want a good, hearty meal.

So the analogy goes that when our souls truly hunger - and we let it, instead of feeding it junk food, it will hunger & be satisfied in a relationship with God.

I've experienced a small, personal version of this analogy. So here it is...

So lately, I've been totally immersed in this Fantasy Basketball league that I'm in with some of my old friends. It's been really fun & a good way to keep in touch, actually. I've been obsessed with it! I check in the morning, if I'm near a pc w/ internet, I've got to check how my players are doing, and I check it at nite. I've spent hours analysing possible trades and pickups.

But today, abruptly, I lost my appetite for it. Rather, I felt the hunger for friends. After seeing so many good, longtime friends this weekend at Phil & Jessica's wedding yesterday, today I felt that lonliness that comes typically comes after a good, bonding church event. Do you know what I'm talking about? You know, after a retreat or a missions trip - you had a great time, hanging out, maybe you really connected with some friends. And then you go home and you miss them all.

That's how I felt today. It's not like I had a super-deep conversation with anyone in the madness of yesterday, but we've all got so much history, it doesn't take much now to communicate care to one another.

I sound like Red in Shawshank. "I guess I just miss my friend"(s)

[end of analogy]

Ok, other than that, it was SOOO fun yesterday! So many highlights, I'll just bullet list them:

- Phil & Jessica just look adorable together (I think their being the same height has part to do with it) =)
- Susan & Sandy sang during the wedding & sounded great, as usual!
- Sharon & my emceeing went well - we got lots of "good job" comments!
- DK's got some really good friends. I mean, Jessica does too, but I guess since I'm a guy, I'm more struck by the way he & his Stanford buddies interact. I can't explain it, but I was impressed.
- at the end of the reception, after thanking everyone for coming, Phil said the simplest, most sincere words of affection to Jessica. beautiful
- then then the dancing! awwww yeah! lots of fun. I must say, at the dance party, I got the most joy out of watching E.Chang dance the night away. Always a big smile on his face, having a grand ole time! You're my inspiriation, mang!~ (dj tip - good way to get everyone off the floor (at a wedding reception, anyways) - play Digital Underground's "Freaks of the Industry" - toward the end of the nite, when this came on, pretty much everyone got off. haha

Two more days & I fly up to the Bay Area for a couple of days! Woohoo!

Phil & Jessica, tying the knot!

this weekend, Phil (DK) & Jessica are getting married! after 4 years of long distance reln, thru med school on one end, and inner-city teaching on the other, the wait is over and God has provided marvelously for them!

Phil got a match w/ USC for his residency, so he, er, they will be living right here in SoCal, near family & friends - together after living so far apart for so long.

I'm gonna be emceeing the reception together with Phil's sister Sharon - haven't ever done this part of the wedding before. I've been best man, a groomsman, gift attendant, usher, music player, cd compiler, and even a part of reception entertainment (yg song); but emcee, never. I've always said (even before being invited for this weekend) that this was the toughest job outside of the two getting married. Argh.

But it should be fun cuz all the wedding's full of fun people.

It'll be great to see old friends, catch up, see some wonderful friends make profoundly enriching vows, and then...to dance, baby! Woohoo!

change of perspective

so I wrote a little while ago about small group at my new church showing me how to see my circumstances through the character of God rather than drawing conclusions about God thru my cirumstances.

I got to experience some form of that a couple of weeks ago.

So I got that nice tax return. But literally a few days after I found out I was going to be getting that money, my car started breaking down. I took it to AAMCO and found that it was going to cost a fair amount of money.

My first reaction was "Great, no sooner I get this money, I've got to use it on my stinkin' car!" But soon after that, in the humility of my situation these days (not having a whole lot of money - neither in savings nor as income), another attitude came to mind - thinking more like "Wow, God knew my car was going to give out and provided the funds to pay for it ahead of time." Good thing, too. W/o this money, I'd either have no running car, or would be in more debt in order to keep it running.

The great thing was that this change in attidude wasn't a "trying to make myself feel better", there really was this soaked in realization that God had "saved" me, and it brought be peace.

So now, rather than having my view of a sovereign God mix with frustration into an unspoken sense that God is somehow "out to get me" or doesn't want me to enjoy life; I felt an assuring sense that God sees my needs and is looking out for me. Rather than suspicion of abandonment, there was a felt sense of love and being taken care of. Thanks be to the Holy Spirit for this blessing!

boys being 'wild at heart'

So I was at one of the two homes where I do some private tutoring. This family's got 3 boys, 1 little girl (who's crazy cute!), and 1 infant girl. I tutor the eldest son in math. Today, we got to talking about camping and somehow got on the topic of adventure & getting hurt. Pretty soon, I had all 3 kids telling me about injuries they had suffered doing stupid stuff. Only they didn't think it was stupid.

They were bragging about the injury like it was a badge of courage! Smiling widely and laughing about the stories as they were telling them, I heard tales of having a face scrubbed into the sand because of a wave crashing down on them and nearly drowning, jumping off a tree and breaking an arm, hitting heads against stuff, etc. I found myself sharing stories of my own injuries as a kid, too.

It was funny. From an objective outside view, one would be thinking "what a stupid thing to do!" but here we were, very much relishing the chance to tell these stories and laugh about them. I guess that's the rub, that we lived to tell, and managed to get away without major damage. That's the thing tho. Somewhere along the way, we change to live 'safely', and find ourselves not really 'living' at all.

Reminds me of the John Eldredge book, Wild at Heart....