3rd Men’s Fellowship!!! We checked out our church gym and played soccer & basketball. Dude… I was sweating like a dog, and I can’t keep up with the young guns. I’m old (T.T)
After sweating and series of leg cramps, we headed over to SAMURAI NOODLES for food. I ordered Mentaiko Rice and Chili Green Onion Ramen… yum.
oh yeah… one more thing. See how Woun uses his chopsticks… it makes you really wonder if he is Asian or not, hahaha.
We celebrated our 2nd Men’s Fellowship (10/16/09) with Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pan Cake)!!!
Group is small, but I am always humbled by their devotion & passion to God, and draws me closer to Him. Seriously, how much better can it get? Bible study and Food? Dude! that’s just freakin’ awesome!!!
Oh yeah… one more thing. Don’t let guys cook. Cleaning up is always a bitch ;)
Yesterday we had our first official men’s fellowship! I am currently attending Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle, and things have just been awesome. I’ve been blessed in many ways through the relationship I’ve built within the church. In the past, I had difficulties calling fellow church members as “brothers” because I said it without depth. But, God has created opportunities to make it easier for me to say it.
We spent our first men’s fellowship at Ivar’s located near Pier 52 in Seattle.
I believe this will be a start of great goodness. Our church is small, but somehow God brought us together to this place and at this time.
Afterwards we spent time at Oasis near Uwajimaya, chit chatting about our two favorite topics… God and hot girls ;)
I have my share of mistakes, regrets, and plain stupidity. However, God forgave all that. God understands my wrongdoings, and still loves me. And I don’t want to take His love for granted. I’ve been resurrected through Him, but that does not condone me to recreate my past mistakes. Because of Him, everything is now lawful, but does not necessarily mean everything is helpful to me. There are clear distinction between right and wrong, and He gave me a clearer vision to see it. He is very forgiving, but we have to play our part. I will like to cherish this 2nd chance, and walk the right path.
I am not a very good man, but I am trying my best.
What is my response to God’s love? Despite the abundant blessing I am receiving, I’ve been silent. Where is my passion? There needs to be an internal change. I’ve been distracted lately, and I need to change.
I would like to share something I wrote in an email to a friend of mine. I don’t know why I wrote it, but something inside moved me to do so. I’m usually horrible in articulating my thoughts, but today I was somewhat more successful. Anyways, here it goes. *content has been slightly modified to protect the identity of my friend.
“Today, I felt there’s nothing we could do but to pray. Hope is so elusive, and I hate the feeling how its so freakin’ intangible. Hope is so formless, touchless, and even worse, we can’t see it. Hope is supposed to give us security, but we feel more insecure chasing it. And today, I needed that sense of hope. And that is why I think we pray with two hands embracing one another because one is just not large enough to grab this ghostly phenomenon. It’s a desperate gesture just humbly asking for help, asking for hope we cannot fathom. Others see it as act of stupidity, and there are times I agree with them. But then we feel warmth. Something between the palms of our very two hands. A warmth. Something very sincere. Something encouraging. Something very understanding. Something very unexpecting. Something exciting and fiery. Something when there is nothing. Something which I like to call ‘Hope.’ “
Today I want to share my favorite Bible Verse.
Ecclesiastes 3
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
I am imperfect in many ways. I am angry, and I curse God. I am weak, and I allow it to hate myself. I weep at times of happiness. I am all this, because I am so imperfect. But this passage gives me strength, and reminds me there is a time for everything. Even my imperfection is a part of His greater plan, a plan to mold me into perfection in ways which I couldn’t have done alone. I remind myself… there is a time for everything, and there is never nothing.
