Yes, I Would Like Some Cheese...with my "Whine"

*warning: the following is just me complaining about something that irks me, and it would totally not be that big of a deal if i didn't have such a guilty conscience or if i did the "right" thing all the time*

so there's one thing i've always hated about having birthday parties or about organizing big group activities...someone always gets left out. sometimes accidentally and sometimes intentionally for whatever reason or restriction.

sometimes the group activity/b-day party spans multiple groups of friends and someone gets accidentally forgotten about, or the word isn't passed around as well as it should have been. or sometimes, there's a limit to the number of people that can be invited and cuts have to be made. or sometimes, there's some "difficult" relationship between people, and someone or some people are left out b/c it's best not to have everyone's "good time" ruined by a few.

whatever the case may be, i hate it! often i'm the person organizing an activity, and i always end up feeling bad about someone that was left out even if it was by choice or by accident. i mean, i can't always invite everyone i know to everything i plan. i'm all for having group activities, but having gigantic group outings is crazy. not only are they more difficult to organize, but there's always going to be more people that can be invited.

so, when i sit down to send out an evite or write up an invite list, i just usually go with whoever pops into my mind. and, yes, usually it's the people that i've been hanging out with recently or talk to most often or maybe friends i haven't seen in awhile. i also try to remember to include all others that are close in association, but i have to draw the line somewhere.

anyways...yes, i know, i'm just trying to justify my guilty conscience for not being more inclusive and less exclusive. *boo* where's my cheese!

another realization: yes, i know, i'm going to have nightmares trying to create a wedding guest list when i get married. yikes!

I'm Going to JEMS Warm Beach

yesterday, i decided to be a small group leader for jems warm beach this summer. i was undecided earlier b/c of several reasons.

first, i was a bit put off by the price of the jems camp. it keeps going up every year, and i think it's outrageous and unfair to those who can't afford such an expensive camp. it's over twice the cost of the cbc camps and it only has one extra day!

second, i didn't want to commit to being a leader b/c i know i should be looking for a job, and didn't know if i would be able to take off for the retreat. and i also knew that i couldn't keep putting off my job search b/c of an upcoming "thing".

third, i was selfishly thinking that if none of the cbc students go then it might not make sense for me to go.

BUT, slowly over the past week, God changed my heart about these things. i realized that:

1. i need to have faith that God will provide the funds and will bring the people He wants to the camp

2. the job thing isn't really an issue since it's close enough that i can ask to start after the retreat. plus if He wants me at the retreat, He'll work out the details. (i'm also being really optimistic to think i'll even get a job that quickly)

3. even if none of the cbc students go, or more specifically, if none of the girls go, i should not be so close-minded to only serve the ones from my church b/c God has blessed me with the heart to work with students and this is another opportunity

so, that's it. i'm going to jems warm beach! and tonight i learned at the first prayer meeting that i will be serving alongside two new small group leaders that were in previous small groups that i led. one girl was in the very first retreat small group i ever lead, and the other was in a co-hi small group a couple of years ago. wow! God IS Amazing! *sigh* and i feel so old!

What's Cooking? Vol. 5

last night i got my second korean cooking lesson from ja-hye. steph and i went over to her place to learn how to make bibimbap. it was a success! it was really yummy, but i don't know if i will make it again. at least not unless i have a lot of time to make something for a potluck, or if i'm cooking dinner with a lot of people.

basically, you have to make all these little side dishes of veggies individually, and then put it all together for bibimbap. a lot of work, but fun if you're making it with people. next korean cooking lesson will be japchae!

Heat Wave

suffering succotash! it has been HOT these past couple of days. i'm never a fan of hot weather, but when the first thing everyone says when they come into a room is "man is it hot!", you know it's a HOT day!

i'm so glad that my friend called me today to say that we should go out for dinner instead of cooking. i was pretty sure i was going to have a meltdown if i had to fry some chicken on a day like today. instead, i got to go eat some yummy sushi at a little place in queen anne called shiki. it was very good, but sadly it had regular sushi prices. but that's ok, eating sushi in a/c with a great friend makes it all worth it.

after that we headed on over to cbc for the new cup cafe. i have to say that i was a bit wary about going tonight with my friend. i didn't know what the night was going to be like, and...well, to be honest, i was lacking faith and being real critical about it. i was afraid and worried that the night was going to be too "preachy" or that my friend would feel uncomfortable, but God was Faithful...like always!

God provided great friends that made my friend feel comfortable and she had a great night chatting and relaxing. the message of the night was a little on the "preachy" side, but it didn't turn her away like i thought it would. and i was even amazed that she actually wanted to stay and hang out after it was done. *sigh* why do i always lack faith in these things!

i just began reading Daniel as part of my 2:7 reading, and the thing that struck me in the first 2 chapters was how the author kept emphasizing God's role in all things.: the Lord delivered :: God had caused :: God gave :: He changes :: He gives :: He reveals :: He knows :: He has made :.

i realized the reason i worried so much about tonight is b/c i wasn't seeing it as God was in control, but rather i focused on the "program" and "people" as being the controlling factor. *boo* will i ever learn?!

Whee!

today was a busy day in my unemployed life. it started out with a new babysitting "gig" in issaquah. it's the first time sitting for them and for an older child...a 2 year old! things are much different when you watch a 2 year old versus a 5 month year old. way more tiring and you quickly find out that you have no say in what you play. haha, i was just grateful that this little girl at least liked to "play" sleep time...my favorite!

i also finally began the 2:7 bible study group tonight! there's 11 of us total in the group, and it's taken us about a month to finally get going. i was excited to finally start tonight, but i was a little nervous about how it would go. while it's fun to do a study with friends, it's also a little weird having to lead/facilitate a group of friends. it went pretty good though, i think, despite 2 missing people. God brought together a really great and unique group. my prayer is that each of us will come away with a stronger foundation in spiritual disciplines and that we'll hold each other accountable to the finish!

i also got to go on my first motorcycle ride tonight!! for a couple of years now, i've been bugging nick about taking me for a ride, and i finally got to go! yippee! it was a lot of fun, but a little scary at times. we just took a little ride around my neighborhood, but he did get the bike up to 60 mph going down greenwood. that was a rush! but don't worry, you won't see me buying a bike anytime soon. thanks, nick!

What's Cooking? Vol. 4

so i finally tried out the butter mochi recipe, and it turned out tasting and looking a little better than my old recipe, but it was way too buttery! i didn't use any more butter than before, only one block, but for some reason it looked like each piece was just soaked in it. needless to say, the way it looked deters people from eating a lot of it. i'll need to try a different recipe or something...i'm determined to figure out how to make it right!

i also finally made mochiko chicken. it came out great! very yummy. now, i remember why everyone likes it so much. i had forgotten b/c i hadn't had it for several years. good stuff!

funny comment & observation:
after the first piece of chicken was done, i had some friends try it. they all liked it and one of them said, "now you can get married!". we all laughed. but it actually got me thinking, maybe this time off was God's plan for me to learn some "domestic" skills in preparation for marriage. i mean, since being unemployed, i've learned how to change diapers, feed a baby, unclog a sink and cook a number of new dishes. hmmm...very interesting....

Free Latte For Reading!

yes, all of us who enjoyed our local library's summer reading programs when we were younger can now enjoy it again! reward included too! check it out: Summer Reading for Adults

Youth Leaders Retreat 2004

i have to admit, this year i was not that excited about our youth leaders retreat. i usually look forward to this retreat b/c it's a chance to get away to a cool place with the brothers & sisters i serve with all year long, and it's also a chance to have some time to relax and reflect on the past year.

this year, started off with some disappointments for me...we were supposed to go to a house on whidbey island (i've never been to any of the islands before), but that fell thru. and then more than half of the leaders couldn't make it (rare to have such a low turn out). also, i was concerned because of the uncertainty of what we were going to do at the retreat b/c we have a new youth pastor that has not been with our ministry for very long.

but God extended his grace! and despite my concerns about the retreat, the weekend turned out to be pretty fun. and it was helpful in beginning good communication and relationships with our new youth pastor. i appreciated our youth pastor's honesty and willingness to listen to our needs/expectations/concerns. and i was also encouraged to hear that he really wants to make getting to know us and how he can support us as a top priority by meeting with us individually and regularly. i'm excited to see the commitment he has in supporting the youth leaders.

other things that made this weekend fun:
- went to the bite of seattle before heading down to p-town
- hiked up multonomah falls
- cooked a homemade korean dinner together (duk bok ki, kal bi, korean pancake, kim chee, veggie dishes)
- visited a church called mosaic in p-town (not affiliated with the cali church)
- went to the nordstrom anniversary sale (no sales tax!)
- i got everyone to play my "movie game" (played for 4 hrs on our way back to seattle)

our trip back was a bit long due to traffic, but we were still able to make it back in time to see taido at a potluck dinner that was held for him. it was great to hang out and see him again, and it was an awesome way to end to a fantastic weekend.

side note: i went to the bite of seattle earlier on friday and did the "alley" meal ticket. basically, you pay $8 and then get a sampler dish from a set of high-end seattle restaurants (about 8 dishes). i think it's the best deal at the bite! check it out next year!

   
   

A Rare Morning Meeting

ok, this is my 4th entry of the day, but i felt like i needed to write this one down b/c it was a good meeting (and to show that i'm not just "playing" all the time). this morning i met with pastor marty. i think this was the first time i've ever had a scheduled meeting with a non-youth pastor.

i think this partly has to do with an old habit i have of never really making an effort to talk to my prof or teacher unless i really had to, and though my pastor is not anything like my teachers, i still have this kinda "keep my distance" feeling. i think it's mostly b/c i feel like i don't want to bother them or they have so many other things going on or other people with bigger things going on. but, yeah, i guess that's not a good thing that i feel like that.

but, anyways, i was pleasantly surprised (and truthfully a little curious) when marty asked to meet with me to "catch up". so we met and i had a great time talking to him about a whole wide array of topics from my job situation, to youth ministry, to cbc, to the new pastor and other things. it was a very comfortable meeting and i'm glad we got to do it.

i also appreciated his concern and his encouragement, and i hope i can learn to be more open and honest with my pastors and not afraid to approach them. i also hope to put into practice a lesson i learned from this experience which i think will help me be a better leader with the students i serve and the people i serve with.

i learned that sometimes we think we are "approachable" b/c we're nice and polite and talk with everyone we meet, and so we don't do anything and wait for people to come to us about the deeper things on their minds. but sometimes, we need to go to them b/c even if we are "approachable" the other person might not work "that way" and will only engage with us if we go to them first.

What's Cooking? Vol. 3

tonight i made the ritz cracker chicken dish. it actually turned out really good...at least i thought so. the only thing is that it is SO bad for me. it's got butter, ritz crackers and cheese on it. so fattening!. i can't be eating like this all the time or else i'll need to work out every day of the week!

what's next? tomorrow i'm going to the bite of seattle and i'm going to try out the new butter mochi recipe.

note: hmm, this is turning out to be like ryan and siska's blog...it is kinda fun writing about food!

Old School Games

today i splurged and gave in to nostalgia (must be b/c i'm closing in on another b-day and i'm starting to feel "old-er" again). i went to target and bought 2 toys. i would've bought 3, but i thought that would be excessive.

the first was a joystick that you plug into any television and it allows you to play the old school arcade games: pac man, galaxian, dig dug, rally-x and bosconian. i used to love playing pac man and dig dug at showbiz! yay, so much fun (tho the joystick is not as good as the arcade machines).

the second toy was a travel size simon game. it's the one with the 4 buttons and you have to repeat the pattern that's played. we (my roommies, helen & tiana) had so much fun playing this game as a four person game. i haven't laughed so hard in a long time...i was crying thru the entire game cause i was laughing so much! fun!

   
   

No Fair Weather Fan Here!

i'm writing this in response to a kenny's blog entry.

ok, so it is officially after the all-star break, and i'll finally admit that the season is over for the m's. BUT, that does NOT mean that the m's suck. i really like the changes they are starting to make. i think that it shows that they are on the right track to building a good team for next year.

i liked the garcia trade and i'm really glad they finally made a decision about aurilia and olerud. and these young guys they are bringing up are pretty fun to watch, and they are not turning out to be duds either! and i think with the rest of this season left, it will give the younger pitchers time to figure things out in the majors and be ready for next year.

so, the m's just caught a bad year, but take my word...they'll be back in it next year! they'll make the trades needed during the off season...or earlier! count on it! gotta have faith, kenny!

What's Cooking? Vol. 2

today i had the urge to finally try my hand at cooking crab. i absolutely love crab, and ever since trying old bay in maryland, i find myself salivating while thinking about it. i did have the opportunity to eat some yummy crab legs in vegas with my family, but sadly the restaurant did not have any old bay on hand. so today, i set out to buy some frozen crab legs for my very first time.

and the result...it was de-lish! ok, granted all i had to do was steam it for 5 minutes b/c i bought pre-cooked frozen crab legs, but it was very satisfying to eat. sadly, the old bay did not taste quite as good as i remembered...too much kick, it overpowered the ono crab taste. but overall, i'm very pleased with my attempt at "cooking" crab.

next up: this ritz cracker chicken recipe i got from my aunty, mochiko chicken and a new butter mochi recipe! i've got the cooking "itch"!

Viva Las Vegas!

i just came back from my trip to vegas with my family, and i have to say, i LOVE going to vegas with my family. i know, it's kinda weird, but for me and my family it's always a fun time. it's the one place where my family (mom, dad, sis, aunty, grandma) can get together and do something together (outside of watching movies). our favorite thing to do is to find a table where we can all play at b/c it's much more fun playing together than with strangers.

also, despite it being "sin city", i've been truly blessed by the many opportunities God has given me to spend more time with my family there and getting to know them in a more "social" setting away from home. i think it's nice to be able to see my family outside of "home" b/c everyone's away from their normal grind. and now that we're all "older", we're able to talk at more of an "equal" level. it's also very special b/c i get to spend time hanging out with my grandma. it's fun learning from her how to play cards, and i enjoy showing her how much she means to me by watching out for her and spending lots of time with her.

but don't get me wrong, it IS las vegas and it does sadden me to see how money driven we can be in the pursuit of happiness. in fact, i always need to be in constant prayer so that i don't fall into that mindset.

"i have hidden your word in my heart that i might not sin against you" psalm 119:11

i find this verse especially true in vegas where it seems so easy to follow the world's way. during this trip, i was studying ecclesiastes and in the chapters i read it talked about how the author discovered that true joy comes from knowing God, and it is He that gives us the gift to enjoy the things in our lives and we can not earn or achieve it on our own. it was a great reminder and prayer for me, and the book also reminded me to praise God for the "good" and the "bad" b/c i know His ways are far greater than mine. isn't His word and timing awesome!


outside the paris hotel

Bowling Fun!

we (steph, stone, kenny and i) went bowling today. why was today's bowling more fun than other bowling outings?

here are the reasons:
- today was a weekday so it was less crowded and less smoky
- it was during the middle of the day while other people were at work (sorry working people)
- there was a coupon that let us bowl for 92 cents a game
- we got to bowl at leisure b/c we weren't in a rush to go anywhere
- it wasn't difficult to find a light ball to use
- b/c bowling with friends that love bowling is FUN!

yes, i know i've been "playing" a lot lately, so tomorrow i will try to get some "work" done. i really need to since i'm leaving for a trip on thursday. yikes!

random note: today the new amazing race starts! yippee! i also really miss my broadband connection.

A Lost Love

today i got to finally explore the new seattle central library. i also signed up for my very first library card in washington. the first book i want to borrow is a book i read back in 7th grade. i spent an hour searching for it b/c i couldn't remember the author or title, and the only thing i knew was that it had to do with dragons. but i finally found it, now i just have to go and get it.

the book is part of a trilogy written by jane yolen and is called Dragon's Blood. i can't wait to read it again. going to the library and finding this book has really brought back some great summer memories of reading tons of books for my local library's reading program.

today reminded me of my past love of reading. i remembered the time when i was able to lose myself in a book and when i would constantly carry it around with me looking for opportunities to read a few more pages and when it would not be uncommon for me to finish a book in a day or two instead of a month or two. i want to get back to that lost love before school textbooks and required reading became so overwhelming and put me to sleep.

side note: tonight i found out that i was granted david's extra invitation to get gmail (thanks dave!). i signed up immediately and was able to get "kristiek" as my username. i'm excited to test it out. so far, i've found out that i love their spell checker function. the design is more practical and friendlier for users like me who don't like to use capital letters, who use abbrev. and slang often and who needs some serious help with spelling so that i'm not completely embarrassed at my lack of spelling knowledge.

Fourth of July in Burien

my first 4th of july in washington in many years consisted of: burien, a great group of friends, lots of grilling (shrimp, chicken, steak, bratwurst), other yummy potluck dishes, strawberry log cake and ice cream pie, apples to apples, a unique fireworks watching experience and galaxy quest. it was definitely a fun time! wish i had pictures to capture the moment, but i was not in a picture taking mood.

the fireworks display was the one mystery of the day. i wasn't sure what to expect b/c we had a great view, but no nearby set fireworks scheduled. what we ended up with was a far away view of some staged fireworks and a ton of random/illegal fireworks shot off by houses all along the coast of the puget sound. it was a unique experience and sight.

I'm A Burien Hermit

yes, it's only my 3rd night house-sitting and i've already become a full-fledged burien hermit. i don't know what's wrong with me. i even timed it today on my scheduled "excursion" back to the greenwood house (i had to grab more clothes and bake a cake), a one way trip only takes about 35-40 minutes. and yet, i find myself constantly weighing my options when faced with the thought of venturing out of burien.

i ALMOST left tonight to go see a rainiers game, only to find out (right before i got on the hwy) that my friends changed their minds b/c of a sellout crowd. whew, what a relief! i didn't need to leave my comfy little town. there's just something about being by myself that i guess i do cherish from time to time.

don't get me wrong, i think i'm a fairly sociable person and have never had a desire to live by myself (b/c i like the thought of having people around), but i guess i do see time by myself as a rare thing and something i should treasure when given the opportunity. plus, it helps that i'm thoroughly enjoying the "accommodations". everyday i've taken to: sitting on the deck, reading and enjoying the sun and view, at night i've cooked some shrimp and a steak on the fancy grill, and had a relaxful evening watching my west wing episodes on the VERY nice tv. now you see why i've become a burien hermit?

  

note: i met with my friends this morning to discuss the completion of our purpose driven life study. although we didn't get to talk much about the later chapters, we all agreed that the things we read required much more thought and time. we agreed to meet in a month to check in on each other. my goal in a month is to be better at recording what God is teaching me and to think and pray about where God is leading me the next year with basic.

House-sitting in Burien

i'll be house-sitting in burien for the next week. yes, i know, burien is out in "boonie land", but i think it's kinda cool. i'm kinda thinking of it as my own little personal retreat.

this house has a great view of the puget sound with nice comfy recliner chairs to just sit and enjoy the view. or, if i want, there are also lawn chairs on a little deck so i can enjoy the sun AND view! and after i've enjoyed admiring God's creation, i can head downstairs to catch up on my west wing episodes on a 54 inch tv! Sweet! the only downside to staying here is that the computer is still on a dial-up connection. this will surely make me appreciate my broadband connection when i go back home.

hopefully, being away from my room/house and all of its distractions, i'll be able to finish updating my resume and spend more time praying and thinking about which direction to go in next. only time will tell...