And The Award Goes To...

no, this post is not about the closing ceremony of the olympics or about anything else olympics related. actually, i've lost intrest in the olympics after a week of intense watching. i guess i really only like the swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball events.

instead, this post is about God's blessings this weekend. first, the student leaders retreat went great! everything went pretty much as planned and it was a good time of bonding too. i saw a lot of potential in these student leaders as we shared about where they were spiritually and where they needed to grow, and i'm excited to see how God will be teaching and stretching them this year. it was also a fun weekend b/c God loves to bless us with great laughs and entertainment as some of this year's leaders are really funny and big hams!

great quote from the retreat: "no one wants to be the smelly kid in class"

then on saturday night, the student leaders did a FANTASTIC job with the basic senior graduation dinner! it was definitely very creative and top-notch! the theme was "red carpet", so they transformed the fellowship hall into a mini awards ceremony dinner. the tables were decorated with flowers & candles and there was a "red carpet" coming in from the doors down thru the dinner tables to the podium.

after dinner, our emcee introduced presenters who came down the red carpet in pairs, and then proceeded to introduce the next award (a mini trophy) and recipient. the senior for the award came up while a little slideshow of them played, and the presenters explained why they were worthy of the award. the senior then had a chance to give a little speech (sage advice or fun memory) or just say thanks.

it was really a fun night, and it was great to see the student leaders work well together. i know the seniors there felt really appreciated & special. Praise God for his blessings!

here's a photo album of my best pics from the night.

lastly, God blessed me on friday afternoon with a call back from the company i interviewed with last week. in fact, now i have two more interviews scheduled with this company. one is on monday and the other is on tuesday. i think i should probably study again for monday's interview, i have a feeling it's going to be somewhat technical. it's also at EIGHT-o'clock in the morning!! man, that's early! but, if everything goes well, i might have some good news by the end of tuesday.

PR: please pray that i may be diligent in preparing for the interviews, and that i may be calm during my interviews b/c i know and trust that God's will is best.

Up Late...Again!

ok, there's a reason my blog is named "up late", and last night proved that once again. this time, though, it wasn't b/c i'm a natural a night owl, but it's b/c i was yet again caught in my procrastination cycle. i was up until FIVE-in-da-mornin' working on the student leaders retreat stuff. *sigh, shaking head* will i ever learn?

but i must & will continue to give God all praise and glory for the unusual clarity He provides for me in the wee hours of morning! so everything's done and set, and i'm super pumped and excited for this weekend. i also give props to God for the way He fills me with energy & excitement, especially when i really shouldn't be having any with the amount of sleep i got.

my PR (prayer request) for this weekend: please pray that God will continue to guide me as i lead the student retreat, and pray for unity and conviction by the Holy Spirit.

The End Of Summer

yep, it's over. my "extended" summer break has come to an end. no, this does not mean i did well on my first interview today (i'll get to that in a minute), it just means that i'm realizing that my "break" is done, and life is starting to get busy again. now that warm beach is over, it's time for me to get focused on the student leader retreat this weekend, senior graduation dinner and the kick-off for basic. don't get me wrong, though, i'm totally excited for this new year to start...i just need to get my butt in gear and out of "break" mode!

now about that interview, i studied for like 5 hrs straight on monday and ended up with a huge headache. bleh! then i came home and was going to study some more, but i somehow got convinced by some friends that the interview was not going to be so in-depth. so i didn't study anymore...bad idea!

the first question in my interview was "what's the difference between java and c#?". i knew at that point that i should have studied more! i did answer some questions right, but some i just couldn't answer. and when i did answer something right, i ended up talking too much and then ended up saying something that was wrong. i kept trying to compensate for my lack of knowledge and got into more trouble! on top of that, there were no behavioral or past experiences questions which i totally prepped for.

oh well, it's all in God's hands now...i'll be fine with whatever happens. i'm actually surprised how not worried i am, i thought i would be more. anyways, i'm supposed to hear back in a couple of days. so for now, i need to just focus on basic stuff...i got a busy weekend ahead!

JEMS WB 2004

all i gotta say is... GOD IS GOOD! this year's warm beach retreat was just plain amazing...in so many different ways. i returned from the retreat yesterday feeling super-duper tired, but also super-duper blessed!

highlights from this year's retreat:
- my small group: God really blessed me with a great group that clicked really well together & we had some really great & fun discussions
- the climbing tower: i conquered the warm beach climbing tower this year with my small group's encouragement
- the speaker: joyce's messages on lordship and her visual presentation were really powerful; "He's head over heels in love with you and trying to get your attention!"
- cbc crew: i was blessed with the opportunity to hang out with the cbc students (lots of the incoming freshmen were at the camp), and God really used them to get me excited about starting this new school year with basic
- a new believer: Praise God for helping this new believer experience His love and for helping her to understand the sacrifice and gift He offers each one of us; it's also *extra special* for me b/c she's one of the students from the sunday school class i've been helping out with this summer
- awesome & fun leaders: i felt really blessed to have had the opportunity to serve alongside some old AND new friends. also, i think b/c we got to pray together more than usual before the retreat, i felt there was a closer bond between all of us this year
- message for me: it always amazes me that i can go to a retreat to serve the students, and yet i end up leaving the retreat feeling totally blessed and with a message God had specifically for me. i still have some praying and processing to do, but i'm excited about the direction/vision God has shown me for this year at basic

Amazing Moments & A Not So Amazing Moment

wow! did you see paul hamm's performance tonight?! that was absolutely CrAZy how he pulled it off and won the all-around gold medal! he went from being in 1st to 12th to 4th and then back to 1st again! talk about an amazing moment! now that's what i call a "clutch" performance!

after seeing that performance, i felt moved to watch one of my favorite movies growing up...Nadia! i'm sure not many people have seen this movie about nadia comaneci, the best woman gymnast in history, but this movie really inspired me growing up. even in all its cheesy-ness, i'm always amazed by her "never give up" attitude which led her to receive the first perfect 10 in gymnastics history followed by 6 more in the 1976 olympics! cRAzY!

as for me, i've finally officially begun my job search. no, this isn't an "amazing moment" (though my parents might say it is), but it is significant. i've been saying that i'm going to start looking for months now, but something always came up and i postponed beginning my search. but, this past week i finally got to submitting resumes...3 to be exact.

it's really kind of sad that the motivating factor that got me here is b/c i may be facing a potential move soon, and i really want to find a job before that happens. i think w/o this potential move, i might have thought about postponing my search until the fall. i'm thinking that God really knows me best, and finally arranged for me to be in this situation to nudge me along as if to say "ok, c'mon, gotta get looking". while i totally appreciate this "nudge" thru this situation given to me by God's grace, i really wish i could be more motivated on my own like paul hamm and nadia comaneci. *sigh*

but now, i gotta get cramming so that i can do well in my first interview coming up next week. ugh...must...be...more...motivated!

note: i got some serious cramming to do after jems warm beach this weekend! please pray for me!

Olympic Fun

the 2004 olympics have begun! i watched the opening ceremonies on friday night and it was impressive! i'm usually not really into big ceremony type of events on tv, but i watched a good portion of this year's opening ceremonies b/c it was amazing how they organized such a huge production for billions of viewers. then i stayed up to watch the very first gold medal winner for the olympics in air rifle shooting. after that i was hooked!

i've watched so much olympic coverage over the past few days (thanks to nbc's most thorough coverage, you can practically watch the olympics almost 24 hrs a day!), and i have to agree that there's NOTHING like the olympics. the first reason the olympics are like nothing else is b/c of the wide range of international participation and coverage, second b/c of all the hopes and dreams that are realized in such a short period of time, third b/c of the unpredictable outcomes caused by such high pressure, and lastly b/c of the long list of sports, familiar and unusual, that are covered (the only thing missing from the olympics is bowling! what's up with that?!).

here are some "olympics inspired" pics from our youth leaders get-together we had at josh & val's new place in issaquah on sunday.

One Thousand Steps!

today i went back to the "Steps-O-Fun". thanks to victoria and her enthusiasm to try it out, i was motivated to take on the steps again!

the results? surprisingly, they were a little easier to do this time around. i guess my sad attempts to workout more have been paying off. this time, when we got to the end of the 4th roundtrip, i realized i wasn't as tired as the first time. so i decided to push it and try another round for a grand total of 1000 steps...well, actually 980 to be exact. and this time, driving home wasn't as problematic. i could tell my leg was still a bit shaky, but no where near as scary as the first time.

so now i'm pumped! anyone else want to tackle the "Steps-O-Fun" with me?!

27...and it just keeps getting better

27 reasons why this year's b-day was even better than the last:
1) my b-day was on a sunday; a great day for having fun!
2) christine & doug graciously provided all of the food for my party
3) an impromptu happy birthday song by the high schoolers
4) sunday school class "discussion" went well...a total blessing from God
5) friends from different parts of my life converged and/or contacted me all on one day
6) the nakanos, ja-hye and steph created an incredible spread of my favorite foods
7) ja-hye's japchae
8) the famous aunty taka's chicken (aka korean chicken)
9) kalua pig
10) grilled steak & shrimp
11) singapore style noodles & baby bok choy
12) flourless chocolate cake (heavenly)
13) trifle (a fancy looking dessert christine made w/all my faves) - layers of fresh strawberries, pound cake & banana cream (yum!)
14) a kahlua cream, chocolate & yellow layer cake
15) playing with baby mia
16) the married (and well "trained") men did all of the dishes & clean up
17) my really great friends made the time to hang out w/me...
18) AND do what i want to do =o)
19) bowling!
20) friendly competition with a last frame, last roll winner (categories were highest single game, most improved & most number of "8"s)
21) a little goofing around, a little heckling, a little trash talking & a whole lot of laughs & smiles
22) cheap bowling ($0.78 per game & $1 shoes)
23) tribond fun...especially for the winning team...mine!
24) unexpected, totally unnecessary, and yet fun presents...some which really made me laugh!
25) a super cute b-day card from mia
26) i'm was amazed to see how God has grown old and new friendships
27) i felt totally loved...by God, students, friends & family!

note: i think everyone should "embrace" their birthdays & celebrate! it's much more fun than letting it slip by.

Like A Child

this summer i've had the opportunity to take a "walk" on the younger side of our church. yes, even younger than those in our youth ministry! i'm currently helping out with the "5th going on 6th" grade sunday school class for the summer and i was a helper for the "4th going on 5th" grade group at VBS this year (my first VBS experience ever).

my vbs kids...i'm the mummy on the left!


although, these students are not that much younger than the students i've worked with in the past, i still noticed some pretty significant differences. first, i gotta say the obvious, it sure is nice to be the tallest one in the group for a change! haha

but in addition to that, i've also noticed and been amazed at how the "younger" students are so easily AND happily "conditioned" by the structure and order they are surrounded with every day. having the slightest change or delay in the schedule at vbs caused students to start asking questions about being on schedule or falling behind. they really seem to like all of the structure and predictability...i wonder if i too was like them as a child...i'm not a huge fan of that stuff now.

another difference is that they still have that "sweet & innocent" aura about them. even though my "4th going on 5th" grade group were old enough to know and point out that each vbs site they visited was just "pretend", they would still play along in the make-believe world created for them AND even appreciate all of the props brought in to transform the room. with jr highers...yeah, i just don't see it working out that way.

it's also been interesting to see even the difference between the "5th going on 6th" and the "4th going on 5th". it's at this point where the "older" kids start wanting more...they want more say, more options, more distinction, more independence. they realize that they are at the verge of being part of the "older" group (jr high), and want to get there "now"! they act like your typical "upper classmen", not realizing that they will be the "low man on the totem pole" or the "young'uns" the next year...why do they insist on trying to rush into it?

anyways, it's been fun taking a glimpse into these younger classes, and though i'm a bit "shocked" by how God's word can be broken down into such simple messages that miss some bigger points, it's also been a nice reminder to know that our faith IS as simple as hearing, believing and following.

now, will i change my ministry focus and start working with younger children? i think NOT. i love serving the "older" kids in jr high and high school b/c it's at these stages that students start to question, to explore and to learn what it means to make their faith their own and not just something they were taught.

which brings me, finally (yes, i know this is a really long entry), to the song and title for this entry...

i love these lyrics from the jars of clay song b/c it reminds me of how i became a christian. "like a child" i became a Christian b/c i knew God's love for me was pure and unconditional, and knew i could believe and follow Him b/c of that love. but that was just the beginning. the AMAZING thing about being a christian is that it doesn't stop there. God does not want us to remain as "spiritual" children. He wants us AND helps us to grow in our faith and we continue to learn more and more about God thru our questions, trials and blessings. i'm blown away at how God has helped me to grow in my faith and has changed my life since trusting in Him, but i'm also glad to know that this isn't the end yet...He still has much more planned for me!

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child

More Rafting Pics

i finally found a place that would let me develop my pics and put them straight to cd without requiring me to make prints first. if you ever need to do this go to costco, and it's way cheaper than the other places even if you do get the prints.

here are more fun pics from my disposable water camera!

A "Fondue Worthy" Experience

tonight cassie and i took susan out to dinner for her b-day. our original restaurant choice was closed, so we decided to check out the melting pot. none of us had been there before, and we've always wanted to go. so we went...and it was quite a memorable experience!

here's why it was so memorable:
- it was susan's 26th b-day
- the cheese fondue (cheddar one) was absolutely yummy
- cooking the many different meats was "interesting" (i.e. very slow); you're supposed to cook it one by one by holding it in the boiling broth with your fondue fork, but towards the end we were getting tired and started dumping in food..."hot pot" style or "asian fondue" style
- b/c i'm a klutz, i burned cassie's arm when i tried to serve her some cooked meat
- the chocolate dessert fondue (bailey's chocolate sauce) was heavenly
- our entire dinner took over 3 hours long!!! we think we must have been doing something wrong cause it was such a long, but fun experience.

lastly, susan came up with the term "fondue worthy" b/c we all decided that taking a date to the melting pot is a good "test" for the relationship. you can rate your "potential" spouse as "fondue worthy" if you two make it thru the FULL melting pot experience.

what does the "fondue worthy" test prove?
1) you and your date can make decisions together (many food choices to make)
2) you and your date are able to share food "nicely" together (not like joey from friends)
3) you and your date are comfortable enough to sit and talk for a long time w/o distractions (other than the food), and hopefully your conversations aren't all food based
4) you and your date are NOT CHEAP when it comes to sharing a great experience together (i.e. this is NOT a cheap place to take a date unless you just get dessert)


.: cheese fondue :. .: seafood, meat, chicken, veggie fondue :. .: chocolate dessert fondue :.

.: scarred for life! :.

My First Rafting Trip

saturday was my very first whitewater river rafting trip. i've been wanting to go for over 3 years, but every summer i forgot about it until it was too late. but this year, i finally did it. i organized a group of 23 friends to go rafting with me, and it was an awesome day!

despite having to take a step down to an easier level (Class 1 and 2) river due to low waters on the Wenatchee, our trip on the Skagit river turned out to be lots of fun thanks to a great group of friends and raft guides. the day was filled with lots of water fights, bucket stealing, beautiful scenery, swimming around, jumping off of a rock into frigid water, trying out fun raft tricks, chatting with friends, a bbq dinner and hanging out with the "best looking" group of people in long john wetsuits!!!

next year we'll step it up to a class 3 or 4 river! maybe the wenatchee in late june or the tieton in august.




note: i'll post more pics after i get them developed from my personal camera.