=== K.I.S.S. Rule: Applying it to my walk with God ===

2 most important commandments
What does the Lord require of you?
I beat my body and make it my slave…

=== ha256’s Friendly Mindmap ===

Props for this little xanga chain-post go out to jiahe, grace, tiff, and dana~ (hope I didn’t miss anyone…)

Mindmapping your friends…

I.    If you want to partipate, reply to this post with your name. (no innocent bystanders, ok?)
II.   I will give ONE WORD that comes to mind when I think of you.
( I’ll try to just put down the first word that comes to my mind. No promises that they won’t be weird though… Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I’ll also add something memorable about you that stuck in my mind…)
III.  Feel free to borrow this and share with your own circle of friends.

Houng (Silent -> Smile)
I always remembered you as being the quiet one. Very private, very reserved. Considering we’ve known each other for so long, I think it’s ok for you to have 2 words. You’ve matured considerably and I’ve gotten to know you a lot better. You seem to smile more easily nowadays… so yea, here’s to you, smiley~ 😀

Dana (Spunky)
You always seemed to have some sort of attitude, combined with an ability to flaunt it. Outgoing and outspoken. You remind me of a friend who has become a mature woman of God. You strike me as someone people would look up to, whether they admit it or not…

Gloria (Artist)
I’ve never met you in person, but I have a feeling that even that wouldn’t do you justice. It’s like you’ve got unfathomable depths and I can only scratch the surface. I read your writing and it makes me wish I could write like you. Passionate, emotional, and viseral. I was hooked in from the first post and consequently wished you posted more often…

Jiahe (Laugh)
You strike me as guarded and reserved. Makes me wonder why or what makes you like that… I remember that day at Creation where you laughed and I was so surprised, it’s stuck out in my mind. Your smiles always seemed hesitant, like you were waiting for some sort of approval or something. But that laugh was something else, downright refreshing…

Cindy (Aglow)
I remember the first time I met you. It wasn’t very memorable, but you definitely had and still have a heart for lost sheep. Never really got close to you, but you seem a bit distant, even through you have a caring heart. It’s all about the soul and taking your friends HOME with you to our Father’s house. I like that.

Lynda (Blaq)
I still owe you a hug. Strong, determined and very clear-headed. You seem to have this striking need to prove you are unique and independent…but you already are both unique and independent. ^_^ I have high expectations of you b/c you remind me of myself when I was younger and I know you can really fly and I hope you do… all that’s standing in your path… is yourself. That applies equally to us both, I guess…

Tiffany (Enthusiastic)
You always seem to be full of energy. Always seem to be in the middle of, getting into or avoiding the consequences of some sort of prank or mischief. Not to say I’ve ever heard or seen it, but you strike me as some sort of joker or prankster. Maybe cuz I don’t know you too well. Your xanga doesn’t seem to match your personality, so it just leaves me wondering…

Yi (Unique)
hmm… you are definitely unique. quirky tastes and strange face-making. You definitely don’t fit into any categories in my head… more like you make your own category. You are a Yi. I don’t know a better way to put it.

Anna ( Taz )
You ever seen that episode where Bugs Bunny meets Taz? Crazy-spinny-dizzy-to-behold. Yea, that seems to be your social life. And the descriptions of food… enough to make any devil drool… ^_^ But there always seems to never be enough of it and the appetite just gets bigger. (Just don’t hurt me when you next meet me, k? ^,^;;; )

Brenda (Face)
I have no clue. The dimples? The streaked hair? The smiles? I still remember your fear of heights… and I thought I hated heights. I actually had to help you down from that hill. But then again, fear isn’t exactly logical anyway. Haven’t seen you in ages. Where ya been? Met SOS and gots no time? ^_~

Kathy (Kitty)
Outspoken. Definitely vocal and maybe even enjoy questioning authority. Hello Kitty. Remind me a bit of the powerpuff girls… you’d be… I forgot the name of the one in green. ^_^ You definitely strike me as a rebel, needing a few good battles to fight.

Ruth (Twiny)
hmm… I don’t know if I can do you justice with a single paragraph, but here’s my shot. Camping. Cheesecake. Dancing. Praise. Guitar. Creation. Lisa. Lawyer. Penciled-In. 2.5 Fellowships. Mind-reading. Prayerful. Mindful. Assertive. Busy. Meticulous. and Youth! Yeah… I’m pretty sure I missed some, but there’s plenty there. Maybe I’ll actually bump into you and we can chat. ^_^

=== In the News ===

Blogging can make you unemployed…
http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/14/news/economy/blogging/index.htm?cnn=yes

The war on Tourism…
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/03/02/cuba.tourism/index.html

Firefox: Patch that security hole !!
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/03/03/mozilla.security.ap/index.html

Props for this little xanga chain-post go out to jiahe, grace, tiff, and dana~ (hope I didn’t miss anyone…)

Mindmapping your friends…

I.    If you want to partipate, reply to this post with your name. (no innocent bystanders, ok?)
II.   I will give ONE WORD that comes to mind when I think of you.
( I’ll try to just put down the first word that comes to my mind. No promises that they won’t be weird though… Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I’ll also add something memorable about you that stuck in my mind…)
III.  Feel free to borrow this and share with your own circle of friends.

====================================

== Prayer Request ==

My spiritual focus has gone to nothing as of late. Bible study has gone to nothing, my efforts like spraying water at a desert. Physical and mental doing well, but spiritually… out of it. I’m even struggling to get through The Chronicles of Narnia. Yea… something is off again. Has the dark winter of the soul set in again? Ask Dad for a little help, if you have a bit of spare time. Thanks~

– Hon

>> Edit >>

Ever gotten wacked by His word out of nowhere? Like an arrow to the heart… Wa-Thunk!

“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” – Proverbs 24:26 (NIV)

Thanks StirTheStars

… Shameless plug

Solving this jigsaw puzzle and posting about this sweepstakes for Big Red makes me eligible for free Xanga Premium for life…

Hotmail, you were soooo good before Microsoft bought you out. I miss the old you. Now, I just wish you would work properly… otherwise, I’m cutting you off and going with Gmail. (I get to see this screen at least 3 times while taking care of my email.)

Server Too Busy

Email Forwards V

I’m sure I always get the most interesting of managers… Yes, this was forwarded to me by my manager… and this is the tamest one I was able to dig up.

Enjoy~
Hon

P.S. There’s always truth to every joke…
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SWEARING AT WORK
 
Dear Employees:
It has been brought to management’s attention that some individuals
throughout the company have been using foul language during the course
of normal conversation with their co-workers. Due to complaints received
from some employees who may be easily offended, this type of language
will no longer be tolerated. We do however, realize the critical importance of
being able to accurately express your feelings when communicating with
co-workers.

Therefore, a list of 18 New and Innovative “TRY SAYING” phrases have
been provided so that proper exchange of ideas and information can
continue in an effective manner.

1) TRY SAYING:
I think you could use more training.
INSTEAD OF:
You don’t know what the f___ you’re doing.

2) TRY SAYING:
She’s an aggressive go-getter.
INSTEAD OF:
She’s a ball-busting b__ch.

3) TRY SAYING:
Perhaps I can work late.
INSTEAD OF:
And when the f___ do you expect me to do this?

4) TRY SAYING:
I’m certain that isn’t feasible.
INSTEAD OF:
No f______ way.

5) TRY SAYING:
Really?
INSTEAD OF:
You’ve got to be sh__ing me!

6) TRY SAYING:
Perhaps you should check with…
INSTEAD OF:
Tell someone who gives a sh__.

7) TRY SAYING:
I wasn’t involved in the project.
INSTEAD OF:
It’s not my f______ problem.

8) TRY SAYING:
That’s interesting.
INSTEAD OF:
What the f___?

9) TRY SAYING:
I’m not sure this can be implemented.
INSTEAD OF:
This sh__ won’t work.

10) TRY SAYING:
I’ll try to schedule that.
INSTEAD OF:
Why the f____ didn’t you tell me sooner?

11) TRY SAYING:
He’s not familiar with the issues.
INSTEAD OF:
He’s got his head up his a__.

12) TRY SAYING:
Excuse me, sir?
INSTEAD OF:
Eat sh__ and die.

13) TRY SAYING:
So you weren’t happy with it?
INSTEAD OF:
Kiss my a__.

14) TRY SAYING:
I’m a bit overloaded at the moment.
INSTEAD OF:
F___ it, I’m on salary.

15) TRY SAYING:
I don’t think you understand.
INSTEAD OF:
Shove it up your a__.

16) TRY SAYING:
I love a challenge.
INSTEAD OF:
This job sucks.

17) TRY SAYING:
You want me to take care of that?
INSTEAD OF:
Who the h___ died and made you boss?

18 ) TRY SAYING:
He’s somewhat insensitive.
INSTEAD OF:
He’s a pr_ck.

Thank You,
Human Resources

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

President’s Day Thoughts ~ a la ha256

I’m working… I’m tired… and I need to sleep earlier. Less thinking, more rest would be good. I had a very nice drive into work today. No one out and about in this snowy-mushy weather.  It was lovely driving down Kelly Drive… the snow on the trees reminds me of Ansel Adams’ photos of snowladen tree(s)…

P.S. What’s worse than waking up too early on a monday? Having a co-worker say: “Hey… aren’t you supposed to be on holiday today?” >.<;;;;;

<Morbid-Vday-God-Weird Thoughts>
== Communion: Vampires and Cannibals: Symbolic blood and flesh from Christ for life?

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart…
be pleasing to you… be pleasing to you.

<News over Xanga>
OverJoy71 – The prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
StoneJewel – it’s Single Awareness Day!
StirTheStars – Chasing the lady properly, from the ladies perspective…
Tigress524 – Love is in the air?
</News over Xanga>

Gung Hai Fat Choi !
(Happy New Years !)

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy (chinese, korean, cambodian, vietnamese, lunar..) New Year.

Chinese tradition tidbits:

There is to be extended house cleaning (aka spring cleaning) before New Year’s arrives and no trash is supposed to be thrown out and nothing cleaned in the house during the New Year celebration. This is to avoid having good luck/fortune being swept or thrown out.

No water is consumed during New Years. Teas and other drinks are fine. If you do drink water, supposedly rain storms will open up on your head during the year to come.

Chinese families gather on New Year’s Eve to have a family dinner. This is the chinese equivalent of Christmas or Thanksgiving. Families gather from around the globe to catch up on old news and talk of plans for future.

Hair is to remain unwashed (yuck!) for the entire period of New Years. ( I have no clue why…)

Firecrackers and the lion/dragon dances are supposed to drive away the evil spirits. (Come visit chinatown during the New Years and I believe that there are lion dances on the weekend…)

Red envelopes containing money are given out to children. (Instead of presents… Cold Hard Cash. Yea, baby!) Usually these envelopes are given to younger relatives and sons & daughters of close family friends.

Paper money and paper “possessions” are burned as sacrifices to ancestors and the various deities to honor them and hopefully have them put in a good word for your plans and fortune. Food is also cooked and left out overnight with the light left on for good spirits to come and eat their fill. (Unsure if this is New Year tradition or not…)

Dunno if I missed any, or if there is any variation among all the chinese ethnic groups… feel free to fill in any tradition tidbits or any family traditions you’d like to share.

<Superbowl Digressions>

This video was way too amusing not to share…

Spoof – Baby Got Back by SirMixALot

I dedicate this to all those godly sisters out there… hahahaha

Don’t forget to thank jasonyip for sharing.

</Superbowl Digressions>

Words of a Christian ( Knight: Serving the King – Part III )

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

— 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) —

What do we hope in? Have you ever taken the time to examine your own heart and see what keeps you going? What is the foundation and the full basis for how you live life? Your motivations and intentions.

Nothing shakes a person like death. When you are face to face with death, it forces you to understand once again: where you heart is and what you really treasure about life. This is my personal experience and I have once looked down the barrel of a gun. For me, the reprecussions of that day still probably echo into today. When a person is brought to the realization of their mortality, one of two things can occur: Self examination. or denial. Either we are brought to a point of trying to figure out what is worth living for… and worth dying for. Or we just bury the thoughts in something… whether it be drugs or pleasure or whatever.

Christians believe in something beyond this life. We believe that death is abnormal. I think everyone agrees about that, in one way or another. That relationships should last in this life and beyond… doesn’t your heart agree? Doesn’t grief creep up upon you sometimes… wishing for just a couple more words, one last hug… one last touch? That people shouldn’t just disappear back into dust and nothingness? <cynic>What does science tell you about your soul? What does evolution tell you of meaning and purpose? NOTHING, because science cannot speak of such things. It is only logic – deduction, induction, and belief in recognizing patterns in the way things work.</cynic>

I believe that someday, I will fly without wings, without airplanes. Fly like in my dreams where the only thing holding me close to the ground… is my fear of heights. I’m sure people have seen the Matrix. I believe that when heaven comes, flight is going to become normal. If Jesus can make Peter walk on water, if God really created this world… flight is small beans… chump change, baby.

I believe that I will meet all my friends again. But in completely different circumstances. The greatest in this world, will be the lowest… and the servant of all becomes the greatest. Me and my buddies will be able to hang out with the most wonderful of people… Jesus, Job, Ester, PD, PL, BH, AB… for the rest of eternity. I’ll run into old friends I’ve lost along the way… people who’ve fallen asleep. We’ll catch up on old times and all the things we missed in each other’s lives. Doing the things that we always had a passion in and never got the chance to fulfill in our days on earth. In christian lingo: fellowship, worship, and godliness FOREVER.

Until you find something worth dying for… you won’t know what is worth living for. I hope and I pray that I may live for Christ… because He loved me & died for me… living for Him is such a small price to pay. Come with me and live for Him. I know of nothing else worthy of nothing less than my entire life.
 
What do you hope in?

Additional Info:  The Shunammite’s Son

============================================
——————————————————————

~ GCC Retreat ~
_Songs_

History Maker
Nothing But The Blood
Create in me a clean heart
How Great is our God

_Scenes_
Wading through a sea of shoes. Praying like there’s no tomorrow. Singing and dancing to the Lord >> Praise! Feeling the spirit move. Sleeping 4 hrs a nite. Staying awake through all the services and seminars, mostly . Listening to the sawing of wood… in stereo. Relationships 101: Women want security. Men want respect. Don’t FIND the right one, BE the right one. Listening to the speaking of tongues. Getting up close and personal with the brothers in my family group. Repent, get healed, and GROW!

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. Special thanks, lastly but not least of all… to the Holy Spirit and Jesus!

-= Eye spy… a photo album =-

MLK’s legacy lives on in us. How about living it out people?

Racist Tsunami Jokes… (Hit them where it hurts… in the wallet!!)

I didn’t want to say anything, but after reading about it for the 3rd time. I’ve decided I can’t stay silent. I want freedom from stupidity! Be heard !

== == Loss == ==

I’m still slacking on my bible study.  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) Today, it’s been weighting down on me to get this thing finished. I see so many places where this passage would be helpful to people. Pray that I get cracking on the word of God so maybe I can be salt and light in their lives during their time of grief and hardship.

=== UPDATE ===

Yoink!

JUSTICE, baby ~ ! That’ll teach you to make fun of a disaster.