aka Timothy St. John

besides brewing some of the best coffee known to man, TSJ is such an awesome guy. he started counseling/discipling me this past year, and hands down...top 10 for this year. the wisdom that he's been able to offer has been timely, and i think that his guidance has helped to further joy and perseverance in the Lord (to places i've never been). i love asking him questions and having him have the answers that i don't want, because they're the things that aren't the easiest to do, but produce the right results. and there isn't anything that is much better than being spurred on towards love and good deeds by a guy you respect, who has been through his own storms.

TSJ, i love you man.

edit: he just got engaged ftw.

20 of 31

something i've always loved are blogs.

from xanga to blogger i can't seem to shake it. a comparison is like reading the extra backstory in star wars, or watching the special features of movies that has spectacular writing or breathtaking special effects. it's the extra material that isn't necessarily guaranteed to be as blatant within the person who is writing them (in short, it's usually a raw, visceral manifest summary of the person writing them). whether you read them to gain valuable knowledge about random selected topics (such as the person themselves), friends, or family; or maybe reading them in downtime at work; or maybe its just you want to stalk the person a bit more before you finally work up the courage to meet them (think pre-facebook stalking), it had something in store for all who would venture into it's weathered lands.

anyways, i wanted to dedicate this post to people of recent days (especially this year) who have given me joy, entertainment, and fun within their unique blogs as each brings different things to the table. i encourage people to follow them and maybe you'll see what i'm talking about when i say unique.

leading off...

Scott Mizuno - www.scottmizuno.com

the reason i love scott's blog, isn't simply because he's the cousin of my former roomie, no, it's because his posts are always fresh and he keeps it pretty real on the whole for whatever he's posting about (meaning he doesn't exaggerate off the end about the warriors or giants. tbh it takes a lot of sheer honesty and self control that most people online don't possess) trying to find an unbiased opinion is like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to sports blogging; especially bay area sports. people often try to be unbiased, or lie to themselves saying that giving a mere nod to an opposing team's league MVP is enough to satisfy the critics. basically, we'll go off a ebonics quote, "game recognize game." the kid's got an eye for talent so listen to his advice and you'll be on top of the sports theory and knowledge.

anyways, check out his blog if you love humor, sports and good times.

batting second...

Megan Terasaki - http://365megan.wordpress.com/

(for those who don't know her, she's in the totoro outfit...and mandy is hugging her)

her blog manages to capture a snapshot of her life, which is filled with family, friends and food, along with fresh music and funny stories (all wonderful things).

i've been following her since i started going to lighthouse and she kept asking if i had a blog...and then telling me how much she loves google reader and keeping up with blogs. as such, i've definitely been encouraged by her to post more, and it has had a positive effect on posting & content. tbh, her blog doesn't do her the justice that she deserves because in the few conversations that i've had with her, i've been blessed through the words of wisdom she's gained, either learned through life experiences or passed down from others (notably her parents); which have given me Godly encouragement and increased joy for the Lord. the way she carries herself is by being humble, devoted, and joyful to the Lord and it shows who she is and what she values. ladies, pull your notebook out and take notes, she'll give you a good example of what it means to serve God faithfully.

third up...

Jamie De Guzman - http://mizlaydeejay.blogspot.com/

honest. real. her life be like-. jamie is a poet (don'tcha know it) and a great one at that...it's mostly in the barrage of words that she hurls from the deepest parts of who she is onto her blog which i appreciate the most. she's always bent on keeping it real and keeping it all in perspective. she's not afraid of displaying her fears, failures, and insecurities within her blogs because through it, she's growing all the more. if you were to take jamie at surface for the sweet girl that she is...and fail to see her extensive, complex, and exhaustive thoughts, you're failing (and hard) at seeing the big picture at hand. the draw is that she's on top of her game, no matter what life's throwing at her and it's because she's living on the edge that she's gonna succeed in whatever she goes through. if you were to read her posts beginning to end, you'd see a gorgeous view of a girl into a woman by the unending grace of God in sanctification. just so y'all know, she's got "de gudz" manggg. ya heard it here.

batting cleanup...

Brian Chang - http://mahbad.wordpress.com/

(his exploitation of using little paige is shown in the pic) i think it's the number of books he's read, the constant updates, the continual connecting to the main point of the cross or maybe it's just that he's such an interesting guy. i appreciate his honesty, his hard work at showing thoughts, ideas, and life learned lessons on his blog so that others can learn from his own life experiences. he juggles his life posts with book reports and others so that it's continually fresh and new. I think, his strength, is the quality of length and post timing. he manages to post on relevant topics and things that actually have some weight in today's society. the main reason why he's on here is because he wins the quote of the year...

"You have to realize, we're all at different points in our sanctification."

::runner up Quote of the Year::

"There's still so much sanctification left for me."

(E Chabs quoting his accomplished seminary professor of late years)

a special thank you to these 4 bloggers. you've given me tons of things to think about and to further me along in my journey through life.

19 of 31

i was going to write about all these things and then i decided to just scrub them to here, write a smaller snippet about them, and then include more individuals in the blogs.

i apologize for not writing in here consistently over the past few days, i've been pretty busy to say the least and i think the climax was when i was driving to jwoo's wedding and my car's axel snapped and nearly shot a wheel off my car and thus sending me smoking into the right lane. thankfully, i was unharmed, as was everyone else and i still managed to get to the wedding.

1] my car - i love her, but she's finished, i think. we'll find out tomorrow, but tbh, she's kind of the epitome of what i've always wanted in a car. performance, looks, and all around fun. i'll miss her if i find out she's totaled tomorrow.

2] Disneyland - the best place ever. the happiest place ever. so many awesome, perfect, and fun memories from mt. hermon reunions to just chillin or dates. but definitely the one place that will make you feel like a kid again, just ride splash at night = insta-win

3] movies - besides the town being the movie of the year. i've always thought that movies were a necessity in my household because that's what me and my mom would do all the time. just sit on the couch and watch movies together, or go to amc and watch some movie with an icee and popcorn. i love movies because of the entertainment value, the metaphors and deeper messages and just overall fun.

4. Music - is what i will always love. because it's the thing that i can relate to, flow to, cruise to, and just dance to. there's something beautiful about it, and it's something will always make my mood peak and drop as it takes me for a ride. from bach to drake...hillsongs to gaga, pretty much anything that's catchy, has an ill beat, or just straight fresh i'm down to listen to it. i definitely appreciate lyrics but most songs nowadays could say watermelon watermelon watermelon and it'd be the same outcome. meh.

5. food - is the most amazing thing...and is definitely one of the biggest blessing of being born on this earth, and is why we use it as the bond in family ties (well fed = happy). haha, it's such an amazing thing what people can do with animals and plants. the above picture was featured in the best meal of my life (so far) as it was at le bernadin in NY with the bestie. i recommend it to everyone who goes, although it is a bit pricey, but when it's the best meal of your life, can you actually put a price on that?

6. video games - are pretty much the reason why i didn't do as well as i could've in school. but was definitely one of the things that i loved to do with or without my friends and it was games such as smash, that have forever changed what a party is all about. if you were to log the amount of hours we played all 4 years of college, or just my life...it'd be gross.

7. poker - you are both the greatest game, and worst game ever. i dont think i'll ever come across a more intriguing and fun game. thanks for ruining my stewardship of time in hs/college.

8. paintball - pretty much you were the one of the only things keeping me sane in HS. you allowed me to meet tons of great people and to be engulfed in a world that celebrates style and swag as much as skill. good times.

9. basketball - i think that ball was the best sport i ever played and it definitely was something i spent a lot of time doing. it facilitated the thing that allowed me friendships later in life. it's kinda crazy how influential it was, even though i hated it in HS, i miss it. mostly because i didn't care then, but i care now...and everyone older than me told me that. life lesson learned, enjoy and seize today, because it quickly becomes a distant memory soon.

10. college/ucsb - it was the unplanned best ever. i didn't think i'd love it. i did. i didn't think i'd stay much. i didn't. i didn't think i'd make a lot of friends. meh, toss up. but i had a great time and i definitely learned a lot during my time there.

18 of 31

aka Marc "taka" Takamine

he's the cool guy, the popular guy, the fun guy, the pun guy and i don't know anyone else that rolls off my head faster as far as someone i wanted to be like when i was growing up (he's also my cousin). there are so many awesome memories with him, and my favorite was when he would babysit and hang out with me while i was young growing up because it meant the world to me for him to take out time in his life to chill...and it only got better as i grew up and he was more independent. he was always down for me to hang out with him (especially while i was in my tougher times in life) and he showed me the ropes while growing up (he is one person who i will listen to when i'm being stubborn and who will give me sound advice which i trust). as we've grown up and especially in college, that's where we became really close, and i praise God that he allowed us to really talk and connect on a level that isn't really something that you can just put into words (he knows me through and through...and i consider him the closest person probably in my life). taka has always been the guy i've looked up to and he's been nothing but kind, gracious, loving, genuine, real, and tbh, he's the guy who i know will always have my back, and i'll have his, no matter what and that's real talk.

taka, i love you so much.

17 of 31

aka Michael "Mike" Yamada

has been for the past few years, my best friend. and i think that's definitely up the ladder of things people wouldn't want to do if asked...probably one of the harder tasks of the century IMO (following WWII/Vietnam/[insert war draft]) as i'm not the easiest person in the world to deal with, but thankfully, he's gracious and loving enough to stick with me, despite me being a crappy friend at times. I think of him as the older brother i never had, and in a lot of ways he's just that, probably one of the few friends i have who is able shoot me straight when no one else would (and that was when i was at my lowest, most difficult points in recent years, he pretty much does the dirty work, the work that nobody wants to do but is so necessary for life, friendship, and overall growth). i know the guy pretty well at this point, and i know without a doubt that he is one of the most loyal, honest, and real bros around who is probably misunderstood due to his sense of humor and jokes (which i have definitely been the benefactor of his constant mockery). he's more of the personal type, and by that i mean the type who wants to actually dive deep and invest if the opposing person is willing to put in time as well and i think it shows in the way he cares for his friends (as he'll ask the hard questions, and be the person who gets you to talk about the things you don't want to, but need to.) his motivation for life, work, and God are the things i admire, and tbh&real, i've always felt i needed to impress the guy as i grew up seeing him from among the low ranks of mt. hermon and wpc/ebcsgv collabs as he was everywhere (super fun/popular and awesome guy); and the fact that i'm such good friends with him now is kind of weird and surreal, something i never saw coming, but has definitely been the biggest of blessings and changed me for life, and for good.

mike, i love you bro.

16 of 31

aka Stephen Tanizaki

the brother who i never had growing up, who was literally my second family in every regard. I probably spent the most nights at his house, seen the most movies with this guy, always having cool runnings on at his house, playing board games, eating super awesome food or doing something awesome like n64 or taking awesome family trips together (so much vg, so many great memories); i was blessed with a bffl, or a best friend for life. he's someone that i can always talk to, go to, for anything...whether it be simply talking about life, or even about what we've been going through in our walks. i can't say enough of his character, as he is probably one of the most legit guys i know, and this is probably why he'll be a successful man within the realm of law; i really respect him in short and admire his drive and determination to succeed in life. he is in every way, shape, and form my brother and it's the love that i've received from him and his family that's been a huge reason for why i am the way i am today.

i love you stephen.

15 of 31

aka Matt Sawasaki

tbh, i've always loved matt, ever since i've known him...he's been someone who i just love to be around [and i mean who doesn't feel this way?]; i think it must be his sense of humor, personality, charm, and wit that cohesively mesh together to create a person who is irresistible to enjoy [kind of like a fruity pebbles jamba juice]. {i wanted to also mention his family's done so much for me (from feeding me, to letting me crash on their living room couch, to pretty much adopting me as the third [probably unwanted] child)} if i could sum matt up into a category of a person, i'd say he's the all around go to guy for practically everything as he'd either know, or know someone who does know [fellow bff seminarians or josh kira]; and it's because of everything about him that makes matt, matt...it all starts with his love for God, to his love for his family and constant joking with them, to his love for friends through his support and conversation, and also his love for sc2[i threw that in ftw]. i think in more ways than one, he's been one of the most gracious and loving friends i have...& just to have a solid friend while transitioning into lighthouse is unmistakably one of the best blessings i've had this year. his friendship has been such a great one, super awesome, fun and meaningful...full of fruit, and i honestly don't know what to say to him other than thank you for everything; my heart is full of joy and gratitude towards God for him. thanks for being so awesome, aquaman, zealots and marines ftw.

i love you matt.

14 of 31

aka Christina Pham

she is most definitely the closest friend to me that is a girl atm, and the thing that i love most about her is her personality as she might be one of the funniest girls i know, simply based upon the fact that she tells it like it is (shoots it straight). i consider whatever she says, whenever she says it, because usually it's a nice nugget of truth...this has been happening since i've known her back in high school [it's rare to have friends who are honest and real who actually know where you're coming from because they know how you work and who you are] + [her bf is awesome]. in fact, i've been one of the most blessed people because of her friendship and it's no doubt that it's just another instance of God's love and grace in my life; i pray that God continues to move her and grow her in her walk as she pursues him. i believe that her awesomeness is correlated to the fact that she's been in love with my mom and my mom with her as they both enjoy baking [insofacto, my mom actually loves you, you're probably win]

insofacto, i love you, christina.

13 of 31

aka Justin "JC" Cheng

after knowing this guy for most of my life, i can easily say he's a brother to me as his warm personality and jokes barely scratch the surface of who he is, and they give a good reflection of his easygoing demeanor, but fail to display the reality that is below -he is a man of great care, thought, and love. he always manages to always take care of his own, whether that be friends, family, girlfriend, or anyone in need; quite the example for so many people including myself and something to be said for in todays society. i respect the fact that he is a realist in that he doesn't ever overextend himself by his own means and does so always without complaint (except the occasional joke of "so bad"). the best parts of JC are those that are seen after the group is gone, when the dust is settled and you're simply hanging out with the man; it's here that he really begins to shine. i am so thankful for him, as he's been a man who is dependable, trustworthy, and most of all a great friend. congrats bro, you finished college!

JC, i love you.

12 of 31

aka Russell Uchizono

words can't really describe this guy and adequately explain what this guy means to me. easily one of the closest friends i have but i'll keep the details short on account of the fact that he is a a deep, complex, and sufficiently thoughtful/sensitive person, one of the best everrr to say the least. he literally was like a brother in my life as his family allowed me to stay at his house all the time...and it's because of his friendship that i am who i am today. tbh, when we were younger, i loved the guy so much, and i think that anytime he was busy with others, i was jealous, but it's only because i admired the guy so much (and still do); i think that as life has gone on, we've grown in our own paths, but in the same way, we understand that it's just by God's grace that we're even allowed to have the blessing of each other daily and for that i am thankful. his drive, motivation, and heart-change that's gone on over the years, is something that everyone should ask to hear from him, because the testament of God's grace is so abundant and clear in purpose. i am truly blessed to be friends and roomies with this guy for so long and i pray that it continues forever.

Russ, i LoVe you.

11 of 31

aka Grant Mizuno

the best roomie ever...that i could have ever had and there is no better explanation for our pairing other than "the dorm compatibility test" (they have you take at the beginning while applying for college) well that or most likely it was God's unending faithful providence in both our lives; our match was probably the closest you could get, passionate for the game of poker, love for japanese food and being Japanese American (or JA's as i like to say), suckers for movies of old (carpool, surf ninja's, bushwhacked, jingle all the way...etc) and quotes within those movies (nobody likes you booster!) the list is endless as i was pretty dumbfounded (in awe of the blessing) at how we were not only paired for fssp (freshmen summer start program) but also for college freshmen year. i remember talking to my mom (back in freshmen year) and saying that if for some crappy reason i didn't graduate, but grant came to know Christ, that nothing else would matter...it would all be worth it and as it goes by God's grace, i not only graduated, but grant came to know Christ, ftw. God's sovereignty and power was so visibly displayed in my roommate that i came to huge changes especially in the fact that i am so faithless and God is so faithful. grant is easily one of the most humble and down to earth guys i know and i can't say much other than i was the most blessed person to have him as my roomie. there are so many things he taught me (like being humble, which i still am learning) and i continue to be blessed by him, even today. i know that he's going to be super successful, obv, because of his heart...one of a kind. like, i just think of him, and i smile with joy because i love the guy so much (no homo), he's the best.

Grant, I love you.

10 of 31

aka Raymond "ray ray" Kim

[ray is one of my smartest friends; both academically, but (more) philosophically]

-ray is the friend i've always wanted to have throughout life and the reason for that is our timeless talks... the conversations we've shared have come to challenge everything i knew about who i was, to even aspects about God's character, resulting into paradigm shifts, ftw [i haven't had too many people in my short lived life challenge and engage my thinking as much as this man has within the past 5 years i've known him]. i believe his curiosity about life will always continue to thrust him into tomorrow to be a better "everything", but the thing that i will continue to admire most is his desire to be more devoted to God in all aspects of his life (huge encouragement). i can't say enough of how awesome this guy is...and how much i miss, hope, and pray that this guy will come back home...and since our time at college was cut short, and albeit, even today i hardly see him now that he's a traveling man in the east...i know that come later in life, he'll be one of the most successful people while challenging the very things those around him have come to call as logic. ray is a man of exceptional swagger, theological thirst, lover of fun, and desire for God. a christmas wish would be to have this guy settle down back in socal. *hint hint*

"no meeee, no men the masterrr"

ray, i love you; come back.

9 of 31

aka Alessandra "ollie" Horii

hands-down the best friend [that's a girl] i had during my time at UCSB; and that's definitely no easy task as i'm a handful to deal with...but i'm thankful/grateful/blessed to be one of her friends. her unending kindness, devotion to growth in her walk, quality of conversation, frank humor, love for food and overall openness are only the start of an endless list of amazing qualities that i cherish endearingly. the joyful ability to entertain me while i procrastinated on every single assignment i was ever given during my 4 year tour of santa barbara is something i will never forget, especially staying up wayyyy too late and talking about nonsense -a favorite memory of mine: when eunice and I were over and an infamous late night talk developed and we had church the next day...and ollie had to drive some freshmen and so we had to go to early service...actually it might've been regular 11 o clock...but before we got to this person's dorm, as we were delusional in the car, she was like, "oh man, i'm so tired, i'll make you cookies if you don't go to church." hahahahaha i think the fact that cookies being offered as a bribe for our laziness was the crown jewel as eunice and I slept in the overflow room @reality that morning [ollie, obv, paid attention during service (actually cares)]. i definitely hit the college jackpot with a friend like ollie and it just goes to show you that God has mercy on the foolish things in this world.

i love you ollie.

8/31

aka Francesca "French[ie]" Pham

simply one of the greatest, most down to earth, amazingly humble, funny, sweet, corny, best friends (who's a girl) that anyone could ask for. she was easily my best friend through most of high school (and probably is one of the only people that i think really knows me) and was always there for me whenever i needed someone to talk to about whatever was going on at the time, and she still continues to be a person who i admire and love (a favorite pastime was "new movie tuesdays" where we'd go to best buy on tuesday after school and pickup whatever the latest hotness was and watch it together). i can't say enough for her hard work, great attitude, and joyful spirit as she's gone through so much and grown so much. and for my 18th bday, she gave me a poster board with pictures of us&friends and notes inside of cards she made from construction paper, which made it easily one of the best presents everrr due to the immense amount of time, detail, and love it was created with. when i think of her, she is the definition of what a friend is, someone who is always there for you through everything and is perfect with timing on everything.

i love you frenchie.

7 of 31

aka Greg Lee

i actually don't know what to say about this guy other than i absolutely love him. his generosity, love, and friendship, not to mention humor were always there at all times. the times that i cherish most with him were over video games, chillin outside (esp on our balcony) and playing numerous amounts of games at our house- in short, the simple things [[also hearing him play PES all the time made me quite fond of the announcer's voice, " CHANCE~!! " from one standpoint, he might very well be the most well rounded out of the house as he was super motivated to get things done [dbl major w/minor], but more than willing to hang out and chill - a nice, stable balance - in fact, he was the most balanced; and is definitely something i admire and hope to become more like and respect/admire. i can only pray that as the years advance, so does our friendship.

i love you gregie poo.

6 of 31

aka Sebastian "bassy" Eccleshall

he definitely was my PIC (partner in crime) in SB as there were so many great memories that span all 4 years - from when we met in writing 2 and pstats 5e together- to actually being roomies our last year. a softspoken man, who is definitely chill and laidback, he was reknown in the house for always yelling for cards while playing on jokerstars (pokerstars). one of our best memories was when we were driving home at night in grants car, when all of a sudden we see some raccoons investigating the nearby trashcan... and there's a mom and some young'n which we called cubs (wrong term probs), so bassy mutters "...bad habitz..." and we're like "???" and then he goes on to explain that if he was the mother, he wouldn't be teaching his cubs to dig in the trash (thus teaching them bad habits...but we were still like "uhh what the?" and he then connected it later to how his dad grew up on a farm and there were animals he raised and he made sure they wouldn't develop bad habits...but the whole situations was probably a "you have to be there" type of things, but it was definitely one of the best/funniest moments of college...life? on the real thought, he's super kind, fun, and all around awesome...for sure thought his loyalty and always being down to do whatever whenever was one of the things i loved about the guy. he is without a doubt one of the most unique people i've ever met, and everyday i'm thankful to have met my friend, bassy.

i love you bass. =D

5 of 31

aka Jason Chang

The first time I've ever really gone through the word with anyone in depth was with J in a study on philippians (which we got through a few chapters and never finished). He was the first to disciple me, invest into me, and counseled me through a lot of my younger jr. high/early hs years. His 5-speed honda accord was where i first learned how to drive stick (in the wpc parking lot) and it was there that i grew to love a form of driving that i am finally using today. best memory: when he took Russ, JC, and I to snowboard for the day and we had the worst day ever, but the best memory...so on the first run, i tried to show off (go figure) by bombing the hill and ended up rolling down a third and thus losing my lift ticket somewhere in the snow; Russ locked the keys into the old brown sienna minivan we drove, so AAA had to come out and unlock the car (i can still hear russ, "uhhh, Jason, we have a problem!!!") and to make sure me & russ weren't the only two idiots, JC ended up losing one of the walkie talkies to even it all out... and then the other thing from that trip was that we handed out our extra food to a homeless dude on the side of the freeway who was quite happy (obv my mom's cookies/brownies ftw). how he still invested into my life relentlessly i'll never know.

love you J.

4/31

aka Craig Kaneko

one of the best times ever was, "dudefest" a la your graduation party. also letting me come over all the time to just chill or talk through what i was going through in hs; there definitely weren't lots of people there for me, but you were one of them. then through the endless talks about college, poker, and theology, i always felt i could discuss my thoughts with you to no end. thanks so much for always investing your time, energy, and thoughts into mine. you've always been and will be an inspiration to me.

love U bro.

3/31

aka Jared Wong

He adopted me into his family and I couldn't have been more blessed growing up. We have had so many good memories that never seem farther than yesterday (eg. putting up the fake tree @christmas, playing wciii:tft, counter-strike, watching movies w/ bros, disneyland, the list goes on&on) Best qualities are his heart for Christ, his sense of humor, and his loyalty (always been there for me in the worst of times[esp hs]. I probably have laughed the hardest with him and his brothers, good times.

love ubro.

2/31

soooo

i didn't think this through and there's obv too many people, places, and things for me to list in 31 days -_-

obv, poor pre meditation of idea. sorry for the fail.

apologies to the many people out there who have made big impacts, just not enough space.

with that in mind.

here we go.

aka

Andrew Kawano

(we) Grew up together and was always better at everything than me (especially ball). Nowadays it's video games (eg COD:BO) and fantasy ball (he's still probably better at ball). Best qualities are that he's always super loyal [always being down to chill (eating/hanging)], non-judgmental, and keeping things real. He's always expanding my knowledge of LA, Fashion, and Life. Thanks to him, I became a sneaker head and a lover of bape.

:D love you bro

1/31

hey blogging world. i have some good news for the readers of this blog.

i'm looking at december as a month to reflect and one thing comes to mind: thankfulness.
looking back on the year of 2010, it's been exactly what i thought it was going to be.
a long year of good change and good times.

there are things i've been meaning to get done, and after a few months of R&R i've come to a solid understanding of getting three things for this month.

1) i'm going to get a job. and it's the holiday season. neutral.
2) i'm going to get healthy. and it's the holiday season. fail.
3) i'm going to get ministry going. and it's the holiday season. win.

so for every day in december, i plan on doing 2 things for my blog.
first thing is this:
for every day in december...i'm going to post about something that has made a big impact upon my life.
i'll then proceed to write a 5 sentence paragraph about that subject (person, place, thing)

31 days of reflection, ftw.

i watched 127 hours which documents a climber who gets pinned in a small crevasse in a utah trail in the middle of nowhere. it featured james franco and grant was pretty excited about it. and it's only playing at a select amount of theatres atm.

i watched the trailer and i saw how it had an interesting plot. plus it was directed by the guy who did slumdog millionaire and it got great reviews on RT at 91% respectively. so, i had to see it, well grant did, and thus i did too.

so, we went to see it, and boy, did it deliver. i guess most people could see it at face value, and still just think, "well that was just ok." and i understand their view, but then again, they're completely missing the point of everything. i went into the movie completely unaware of it 24 hours prior and unaware of the story...what happened and what was the outcome. so i was literally guessing a bunch of times how it would conclude.

spoiler alert: if you dont want to know anything about it...dont read further.

lawl. ok fair warning. basically, he (james franco/aron rosten) gets his arm pinned and is trapped, running out of water, food and time, he has to go to desperate measures to survive. and when i say desperate, it's desperate.

the thing that i really connected on was the fact that he was prideful in his climbing ability and didn't tell anyone where he was going or when. he was a lone ranger. and a lone ranger, is a dead ranger. since his pride got in the way, there was really no chance of rescue. and i think this is exactly how i was with sin. i refused to tell people about it, close friends. anyone. and obv, i'm a dead ranger, but i can't see it yettt.

and this is when it all finally clicked again for me. [[i swear, i should just live up in SF and get all these paradigm shifts in my life all the time.]] i could see myself as him/jamesfranco/aron, in the crevasse pinned and running out of time for my life...

i finally had a clear visual symbol for the sin in my life. it's the rock that's pinning me down. i wasn't humble in the beginning and now i'm pinned and dying slowly. i thought i was hard enough to be ok on my own...but of course i got caught up and got owned.

it's down to the point where there isn't much of a chance that i'm getting out. there's one last measure to be done, and it's the one i didn't want to do the whole time. the reason why, is because it takes me dropping my pride and begging God for help. it takes me posturing rightly and acknowledging how far i fall from God's holy standard. it takes me dropping all pride i have...and thus i break out my crappy knife, which by this point since i had been using to pick at the rock earlier was to dull the blade. me picking at the rock did nothing, but dull the blade and help the rock settle in more. and thus, it's gotten to the final straw. the last option before options are no longer available and death is the only one left.

what comes next is the most raw, gruesome thing everrr...i amputate my arm to free myself from the rock/sin. i break the nerve ending, the feeling is mostly gone, and then i step back after i'm free. what i just got out of, the very thing that was threatening my life.

i finally suck up the crappiness of a dull blade and recognize my fail in just chipping away at the rock. i give up a part of me that sin has claimed, in order that the rest of my body might be saved.

[29] If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

(Matthew 5:29-30 ESV)

is this what i'm wanting?

it is.

it's not something surface...like starcraft this time. noooo no. it's something i've been trying to battle with since i can pretty much remember.

:2facts:

1st fact: sin is a cruel master. it demands more and more of me/us, and doesn't ever seem to deliver on its promises, but fail completely. i'm thinking about writing this on my computer in perm marker.

2nd fact: sin is ruthless. it will do everything and anything to get you enticed to fall away. and that's the thing...i want to believe i'm done being nice to sin, i'm done playing by it's rules. i'm done with it. and no this doesn't mean i'll never sin again. but the end result is that i'm not going to make any quarter for it. i need to destroy it, before it destroys me.

so i'm installing things into my life... things that i believed i was better than. it was my pride that wouldn't let me before. pride which dulled my blade... and now i'm giving up my pride. and amputation is still possible, it's just going to hurt more since it's so dull.

i want freedom, because it's life or death. preserve or give up. i can choose one of the two...either Christ or myself...and i see that life is too short. Christ will come quickly enough, and i don't want to say to him, "yeah, i should've worked harder on destroying that..." (in regards to sin)

at this point, i don't care how dull the blade is, how much it'll hurt. how much my rep will fall, how low i will go. because really, that's where i want to be. i know nothing. i have nothing. i am nothing. except for what i have in Christ.

i thought i wouldn't be able to bear it. again.

i thought i was going to die. again.

lol. jk.

to be honest though, i didn't wanna give up starcraft again. i mean, it's one thing when it's voluntarily punted, but having it taken abruptly clearly showed where my heart was at. it kinda was unsuspected that we were going to "radically amputate" something that we give a lot of our time to during the week. the series for those inquiring is about biblical communication and how things like texting/facebook/vg's take away from the face to face contact as well as the social aspect of everything. it's kinda a double edged sword, but basically they're probably not helping as we use it (e.g. substitute for actually catching up with people with newsfeed). so jared kira asked us to drop those things for a week. most people were dropping texting or facebook or some kind of chat. i think i used to spend a lot more time on those things, but in recent times, i've spent a lot less on those things and more on video games. which is where i knew that it was that thing i was going to give up.

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

(Matthew 5:29-30 ESV)

i knew the thing i was dropping this week was SC2 because it definitely held a lockdown of my thoughts and time. It wasn't necessarily that i was playing so much, but more that i was thinking about my builds, strategy, and overall skill.

to supplement the availability of time, we were supposed to use it to be a more clear use of our time in a God honoring way.

so i decided to hang out with people i don't hang out with, or hang out with people whom i haven't hung out with. (so if you got a message, yes it was a template, but it wasn't because i didn't want it to be personal (that's why i added a small blip at the end of each one) but more because i wanted it to be clear and focused on the reasoning behind me desiring to hang out. (not to have "miscommunication")

i didn't ask these people if i could post their pictures, but as with any of my posts, you can just tell me to de-post it and i'll remove it. but if you never say anything, your silence will be taken as accepting of my use of your fb picture.

monday was setup with everyone and get car stuff done.

tuesday began with Karen Ma:

haha, i hate the rain. it made me late to hang out with k. butttt it was awesome to catch some elBJ with her (al pastor ftw) and just get to know her better. i hadn't really talked to her much since i met her at the star wars potluck, but it was great to hang out and talk. she views me as a younger brother. ahhaha. high larious, because i'm not that much youngerrrr IMO.

later that night i got to hang out with Sarah Lee:

yayyy. we went to college together, and said that we'd always keep in touch. but i wasn't entirely sure if i was blatantly lying at the time because i'm terrible at keeping in touch (as most friends or past friends can attest to) anyways, we got some koba tofu and then headed to DT Fullerton to get some BOMB.COM gellato. redonk a donk! anyways, when she was ordering for us at the tofu house, it was hilarious. the whole time..... "neh neh neh (x5)" in different alternating tones and nodding of the head. :D hahahaha. (i know it's like saying yes yes yes...but still...i love it)

on wednesday i met up with senor ikeda:

haha. good times. we went to sugar rush cafe. amazing. the raisin bread french toast was ridiculous. i also was late to this meeting. stupid alarm didn't go off. that and i didn't go to sleep till 4ish. -_- anyways, it was a huge blessing to hang out with him and get to know him better. i think there's a lot of stuff we can talk about and we agreed to meet up weekly. hollerrr for being unemployed. -_- jk. not really.

then that night was occupied by wed. night CSULB bible study. me and brian went to AACF early and then to bible study, which went well. ahhaha, sorry to people i saw and didn't say hi to while i was in the area. but i'll be there next week (at least for bible study, maybe not aacf) but yeah, if you wanna catch dinner before, lemme know, and i'm down like jay sean. (((ohhhhhhhh i see what you did there)))

hahaha, ::sidenote:: i went to oceanside that night pickup jdm tails for my car and i was going to hang out with liz nguyen...but when i went to look for her number, i didn't transfer it for some reason, and then when i messaged her on FB and gmailed her to text me it, she didn't have mine either. :facepalm ftl: so anyways, we ended up not meeting up that night which was obv. a blunder on our part and God's will. so next time for sure liz. :D

thursday was UCLA day, so i brought some cookies my mom made for them. i was supposed to hang out with a couple peoples, but one had to study :cough: Sarah Moon, so she was unable to come out. but i still made sure she got the cookies.

in the morning i hung out with my little cousin kai at home:

he's a fan of the pink chair. we like to headbutt each other as a sign of hello and conveying of feelings of mutual appreciation. hahahaha. i love this guy. always happy. always in love with buzz. and always in love with his mommy. and trash trucks. :D (yes i put this picture up so girls will message me about him) ::shameless self-bump for justice:: (that was for you bassy)

but then i got to hang out with Josiah Cheng:

hahahahah, i know i'm going to get a bunch of comments on this, but the first thing i wanna say is that i went into hanging out with him unknown of the connection to JC. HAHAHAHA. redonk. and then i found out he was Jess Cheng's sister. WHAT!?!?! getttt out. anyways, we spent some time hanging out in starbucks westwood area. which was nice, to just get to know each other...we spent most of the time talking about God and our lives. :D then he showed me around campus including his dorm which was awesome as well cuz i got to meet some of the people in his hall. (man college life:tear: goodtimes) it was a blessing to get to know this guy. hopefully more to come in the future.

::sidenote:: all i gotta say is that if i went to UCLA. i would FOR SURE NOT HAVE GONE to any classes due to the crappy hills everywhere. hahahah. but on the real, the campus is 1000000x nicer than crappy UCSB, but there's no doubt SB was 10000000x better as far as location. but other than that. UCLA has one of the nicest setups overall. gross.

then at night i made a gametime decision and came back to anaheim for Christina Pham's bday dinner...

it was awesome, as i love Christina and probably my mom loves her more. hahaha. sad.

anyways, it was a huge blessing that i was able to go and spend some time catching up and just hanging out.

so now i'm done with the week as it's friday and i'm about to sleep cuz i have to many a chore to do tomorrow. but let me end on this note.

at first, i thought i was going to struggle harder with SC2 but actually it was the biggest blessing to hang out with so many different people. it was a little tiring (driving around) but it was awesome (worth it) no doubt. I developed a love (by God's grace) for loving these people, even those that i didn't know, i was excited to hang out with and meet and just be able to have fellowship with them. it was such a privilege.

i made a realization last week before this all began. i know that i'm a social kind of guy, but being social doesn't necessarily translate into me automatically loving the people that i socialize with. just because you hang out with people doesn't mean you actually love them. or to put it in perspective...just because you love someone who loves back you doesn't make you any different than the pharisees.

Thus, i'm trying to make every word, every pause, and every breath in communication be more direct with love and sincerity. i heard a sermon from Francis Chan in which used the gauge of how much of your life resembles Christ? think about that...because that's what's going to matter.

it's far too easy to get comfy in our little social bubbles i've created.

and on that note...this week was for sure 1000000x better than i imagined.

if one were to pose the question,

"JT, would you do it again?"

i would answer, "yes, pleeeeeeaseeeee."

lawl. (thanks to cory i say lawl now)

yea...this was a top 10, for sure. =D ftw.

back again! jT's back! tell a friend!

the time away from blogging on here has given me a fresh perspective on a lot of things. as i stated before, i was pretty caught up in viewership and all i did was incessantly check my google analytics seeing if i could get more people to click through to my blog. as i watched trends and how people came to find my blog, i was obsessed with the idea that i was somehow significant. were people actually interested in my life? or was it just another link that they had setup on their daily list of blogs to view while not working at work. this became too much for me to handle and i had to put it on the bench.

well, the call has come through and i'm bringing this thing up outta the minors. call it gaines. call it posey. in fact, don't call it anything, since it's going to amount to nothing close in that range. i'm going to come back to blogging with a real and vivid idea of what this is all about. and merely, that is to be a means through which i can stream my thoughts and ideas of what life has been throwing at me. yes, it's for you, the reader, but it's also not going to be an idol of my heart as i foolishly had made it out to be.

i've seen some fruit and wisdom in the time i've stepped away from this blog. there is something to be said for keeping your mouth shut and just listening. and mostly i find that in those times, there is so much to learn. i will be making it a normal practice.

i, of course, have kept up with the blogs i read, as well as the blogs that have sprung up while i was out of the game...

i've seen the new and improved blogs that have a home page with arguably my favorite hitter of all time, Junior. i see you scott.

i've seen blogs start up and pretty much never get updated cuz their first post dealt with non-mainstream top 40 artists as the beginning point for their blog (with his friends thrashing his attempt at showing who and what he's about to the rest of the world)...props to russ.

i've seen blogs begin with emotional outpour of the heart... jc ftw.

the thing is, all blogs are created for the very purpose of what their creator has deemed them to be. whether that be sports, music, life, or just pure unconscious streams of their thoughts, it's all whatever you want that blog to be.

much like our lives, our blogs are dictated by the choices we make. there is one major difference, we're accountable to God for them. our blogs are merely products we've constructed from nothing. however, our lives have been created for one purpose. and that's to give glory to God. Over the next few posts, i'll be talking about things i've learned while away from the blog. mostly about what God's been teaching me such as who He is and who i am in relation to Him.

which brings me to where i'm at now. my blog has now ceased to be an idol of mine and i'm ready to begin fresh. but at any point at which it becomes a potential threat. i'm going to drop it again. i don't owe it to anyone to keep this up. and i'm sure you probably don't care enough anyways, hahaha, but the fact is this, i'm accountable for one thing, the management of my life and decisions i make. and that's going to dictate the output and flow of what's going to be posted here.

i'm going to still strive to be transparent and honest, but with obvious censorship when it would be more than unwise to post about certain topics.

the more i've learned, the more i realize just how much i don't know. and i am definitely humbled. the thing i'm going for is to be honest, sincere and real with people i haven't talked to in a long time...and those whom i've just met as well.

the future has much in store. (a giants WS championship? i see you grant) i look forward to the rising sun emerging again from the depths of the darkness to shine ever brighter.

(no i'm not talking about japan's army, they've been done since 45'

...what?!? too soon?)

while skydiving today. there's two things i came up with to say before i die.

one: know the gospel.

two: know the gospel.

on that note:

hahaha...let's do this.

from the matter(s) at hand. i feel like i'm running away from the things i need to take care of. i need to go somewhere far away and just get away... even though that doesn't solve my problems.

i have this small feeling that i haven't begun to go and enjoy life. so many of the vacations that were supposed to happen fell through, and i guess i figured they would since there wasn't too much planning involved. but i just want to get away for a while. i wish that jet blue package was still available...

All my chains I can't disengage
And I don't believe that I want to
One hand sings your praise
The other brings me shame
I have selfishness to blame

And I'm singing for freedom
I know I'm not the only one
Praying to the one
Who can bring me this freedom
I'm ready for change

Broken down I lay I keep holding my chains
No long bound but here I stay
I scream Father please I need rescuing
I need You and You alone

And I'm singing for freedom
I know I'm not the only one
Praying to the one
Who can bring me this freedom
I'm ready for (change)

Still You patiently await
Yet I won't just let go
I see You and You alone
Say "come follow me

Despair has come so you can see...

Release

And so I'm singing for freedom
The time has come separation lost the war to love
Take my hand gace has found you where You once began
You're Alive! You're Alive! in the waking of new life
Take my hand in the end there's only love
There's only love

I'm singing for freedom
I know I'm not only one
Praying to the One
Who can bring me this freedom
I'm ready for I'm ready for...
Father please I need rescuing
I need You and You alone

When i went to mt. hermon in high school camp era circa 2005. i wanted to be in tim lee's cabin one year of the three years that i was there. hahaha, sadly i was never put into his cabin. the reason for desiring placement into his cabin ...other than he's an awesome and hilarious and godly cabin leader... is because he did this object lesson with his cabin utilizing a bunch of tape and the loss of your dominant hand for one day. and i had always heard from others about how awesome it was and etc...and i didn't know what it was about obv, since i was never in his cabin. but then, on my senior year, he let me and vince murakami join in, even though we weren't part of his cabin...

this is what happened:

we closed our eyes and he put something in the palm of our hands and he proceeded to wrap our hand. so it was like this bandaged right hand. and so the rest of the day we had to eat, and do everything with minus our right hand. then at the end of the day, we met up with him and he talked to us about sin and how devastating it is to our lives. he talked about how we need to be free from it, but freedom is only possible through Christ in His death on the cross for our sins. and then he proceeded to cut open our taped hand...and amidst the humid, pruned hand of mine...there was a chain....

that chain represented the bondage of sin that Christ has set us free from. but how it devastated everything i did during the day and how it just made life so much harder. it was the crippling disability that prevented me from doing so many things effectively. i loved this lesson and i was so grateful that he allowed me to participate... because it was such an awesome object lesson that showed me the destructive effects of sin in our lives.

i talked with david lee this past week before i left...

and i wanted to share a challenge that he gave me ending the funternship that is carrying on into my next stage in life.

He gave me charges that i'd never really thought of... &tbh, they cut straight to my core. and it's because they revealed so much of my heart. [how it's riddled with so much sin.] i had just got to another point in life where i refused to see it.

This is what was said ...

He challenged me to simply live a week free of distractions: without a computer, tv, iphone - games|apps, or any electronic distractions. {including Starcraft II, Facebook, Blogs and all internet}

[[short of having a watch from which i will be able to tell the time. i'm keeping it to the minimum]]

He challenged me to be wise about the time i've been given and steward it accordingly.

these are all things that i've stewarded a lot of my time and interest in, such as: my car (represented by the jdm wakaba green/yellow arrow keychain and car keys), vinylmation (represented by tigger and dale), shoes (represented by the tiffany dunk), and sc ii (represented by the camera taking the photo). [[all ends in themselves]] how do they produce more relationships or spurring on others towards love and good deeds. they are not sin in and of themselves, but are they fruit bearing either???

He challenged me to grow, simply for the sake of growing... not to blog about it... to not put it on blast... to not post it for the world to see...

to be frank. his charges have set off alarms to my life.

i think talking to dave gave me a clear picture of what my life looks like from the outside.

and i am definitely grateful for that...it's really rare to have anyone give you an honest take on your life nowadays. my life is one that loves to indulge...and usually not in God.

it's a life that is dominated by one such phrase,

"well, i'm not going to be able to do it later, so i should just do it now."

which isn't the most wise, albeit godly advice for anyone.

i stumbled across this quote from Piper that i've heard in a previous sermon...it gave another ringing alarm for my life at hand

Do you have a hunger for God? If we don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. If we are full of what the world offers, then perhaps a fast might express, or even increase, our soul's appetite for God. Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence is the path of pleasant pain called fasting. - John Piper

how feeble is my hunger really for God!!! it should be unquenchable, yet, i find myself pining after useless idols that accomplish their mission of robbing my joy in God, and my heart's direction.

there is this girl at lighthouse (who will remained unnamed) who i asked if she had a blog.

to which she replied, "yea, but i don't post them online for others to see. it's just for myself to reflect on."

JUST FOR MYSELF?!?!?

i thought this girl different, "why would you do that? why wouldn't you share? don't you want to tell others of your tales and adventures???"

it wasn't until dave brought it up...that i was convicted of my own sin in this blog.

the fact is...is that i actually do care about viewership, i care about if people read. the fact is...i see so many other peers who have interesting and magnificent pages and lives...and that looks cool. i mean, i want to be cool like these other people!!! i should definitely write about my life in a blog so others can see and i can be the center of attention.

alas, no. i shouldn't care about viewership and i shouldn't invest so much of my time into this blog, sc ii, and other electronic distractions and other excuses as the reason for why i'm not spending time with God. if i'm honest with myself think my quote literally turned into something more like thisss:

"i'll have forever to worship God, so i can indulge into this (hype/fad/interest) for this moment on earth."

i'm such a idiot. if this is the actual outpouring thought from my heart, then how should i ever come to any understanding of God's word. Dave was right. in ministry, there is a extreme awareness of time and the fact is...there isn't any time to spare. every minute, every second that passes is one that has been not allocated and stewarded properly. i am becoming more aware of my lack of thought life directed toward God. how deserving he is for our worship, yet i make excuses, i allow myself to be swayed by the world.

the fact is...i should care only what God thinks about my life. i need to worship him more fully, with disregard for the distractions and threats of this world... [you'll be unpopular, no one will want to hang out with you, your friends will change] i don't care. i can't go on being an idiot who wants to indulge into the next hype.

i hope to be much akin to daniel who disregards the trap set before him by the presidents & satraps, because he knows that not even the threat of death will stop him from worshipping the true God.

[Daniel and the Lions' Den]

[6:1] It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; [2] and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. [3] Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. [4] Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. [5] Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

[6] Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! [7] All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. [8] Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” [9] Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.

[10] When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. [11] Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. [12] Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”

(Daniel 6:1-12; Daniel 6:13-27 ESV) [13] Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

[14] Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. [15] Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

[16] Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” [17] And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. [18] Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

[19] Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. [20] As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” [21] Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! [22] My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” [23] Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. [24] And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

[25] Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. [26] I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for he is the living God,

enduring forever;

his kingdom shall never be destroyed,

and his dominion shall be to the end.

[27] He delivers and rescues;

he works signs and wonders

in heaven and on earth,

he who has saved Daniel

from the power of the lions.”

(Daniel 6:1-12; Daniel 6:13-27 ESV)

continuing from the beginning...

to this day, i still have the chain on my keychain. and it's the visual reminder to be repentant everyday asking for forgiveness for the multitude of sin in my life...and to know that the free gift of grace that God has so graciously bestowed upon me, cost him his son and...woah, how amazing is that grace. Grace was not cheap.

i remember talking to cherylynn (back in 05) and we were talking on the bus...coming back from mt. hermon. we had a good week and i was definitely challenged to get rid of everything that was sinful as well as all the grey areas in my life. just imagine what it would do! what it would free up and allow for God to use and move!! how good is that in theory we both agreed. i just never did it. so i'm going to try it out now for at least a week and see how what happens...now a week doesn't seem that long, but i wanna go super hard after this for a week and then analyze it, and then probably if the results are what i think they're going to be. start trying to make provisions so that my life would be closer to that week. and even betterrr than that week.

We'll see...

and another note... i don't want anyone to think i'm judging them based upon my own convictions. this is all dependent to myself and has nothing to do with others. & i'm not saying that blogging is sin, because it's not, but for my own self, i feel like this blog has become an idol in my life. and it's time for some re-evaluation of where this blog and my life are headed. (simply a tool is a weapon.)

so i'm going to take some time off from blogging.

at least until i can figure out what i will post up for the world to see and what i will simply keep to myself.

[Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith]

[12:1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

(Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

TLDR; we're either running hard after God or we're slipping far and fast away. i'm trying to rid myself of unnecessary areas of poorly stewarded time, namely material things.

to one david lee: the challenge, is accepted.