King of Queens

My team sent me this today via email. Made me laugh. Nice of them I guess.



My mother in law *Arthur* is coming into town for a week to pick up the rest of her stuff. Thankfully she decided to live in Boston with Mary's sister. It's really difficult for me to love her. I'd rather pick her up and body slam her.

Yesterday our pastor said that we should try to love everyone in our church through God's eyes even if we don't particulary like them. I have a hard time with that distinction. I love to hate too much, like to focus on the negative.

I'm actually working really hard on changing this. One way I'm working on this is not to verbalize my negative thought on things and people. When you verbalize negative thoughts, you give them power and validity. You are basically reaffirming these negative thoughts that you had and giving them life. And these negative thoughts like to breed other negative thoughts. Great now I sound like Joel Osteen.

But I seriously need to change this behavior because I think it is slowly taking over me. I've become a hatemonger. I put a reminder in my Outlook every morning, it says this; Be positive. Negativity breeds. Nobody likes to be around a negative person. Always focus on the postives first! Yeah that's how serious I'm taking this.

I guess it's a lot better than looking at yourself every morning in the mirror and saying, "Nobody likes you. Everybody hates you. You're gonna lose." I actually don't say that. I stole that line from the Last Boyscout, a pretty good lesser known Bruce Willis movie co-starring Damon Wayans. But I totally know how that character felt.

*Arthur* What I nicknamed my mother in law in prior posts based on the character of "Arthur" the father in law in King of Queens.

Happy Anniversary!

Special shout out to my wife on our 3rd Anniversary. What can I say…other than you complete me (doh, j/k).

As corny as that overused clichéd Tom Cruise line is, it is very poignant. I wouldn’t want to do this thing called life without you. We are so different but I feel like we are each other’s perfect compliment because of our differences. So what you don’t know who Paul Newman was, I don’t know any of the Korean actors you talk about except for Jang Dong-Geon. =)

I remember when God brought us together that fateful day at the Talassa pool hall where you asked for my number. Then you were so excited to have my number you called me the very next day because you couldn’t wait the usual 2 day turn around time. The rest is history as they say. I know you remember the story a little differently, but I wanted to truth to be told accurately.

All joking aside, I am so thankful to God for you and Christian in my life everyday. Where would I be without you in my life? I would probably still be at the Talassa pool hall getting drunk with my friends.

Love you babe.

Uniquely Made

Today's QT was about the body of Christ. The main point is that God created us all differently for a unique purpose and each part is interdependent on the other. The author’s application was this; God has given each believer gifts that are to be exercised for the common good of the church (1 Cor. 12:7). But when some don’t pull their weight, others far less gifted in those areas must pitch in. Although the body of Christ continues to function, it is not functioning at its best. There are some overworked Christians around!

I was thinking this morning how people are so different. We often try to put our own thoughts, beliefs, and oughts onto others and when they don’t respond or react the way we think one ought to, then we get angry, discouraged, or hurt. People are so unique, shaped by their own unique, crazy, normal/un-normal experiences and no one person thinks exactly the same way about everything. I think we usually gravitate and make friends with or marry people who share unique experiences or thoughts, but even in those relationships you hit roadblocks. And it’s usually your commitment to each other as a friend or spouse that pulls you through.

I try to reach out in my personal life to different people and when they don’t respond the way I think they should, my usual reaction is to say, “Ok then forget you, I don’t need you”, or “Oh well I tried to get closer to so and so, but they didn’t want to, so I am not gonna try any more”, or even more extreme sometimes I just say, “F@*# 'em!”

But once again I am reminded that God has made every single person different. And the more I think about it, that’s a good thing. Imagine if every single person in the world thought and acted exactly the way I did, there would be a lot of messed up people walking around. We each have certain personality traits that are unique to us, that manifest themselves in different actions.

Some people are shy, but they are really good at bonding with one person intimately. Some people are outgoing, and they like to spread out their friendships. Some people like to take initiative and call people up, others like to wait around and be called and just follow. Some people are aggressive, yet passionate, others are meek, yet faithful. Some people like to talk a lot and say many frivolous things, others say few poignant words.

Every where you go, people are different. Even in a small church like ours we get a very eclectic mix of people. Not everyone will like each other, but that’s ok, not everyone has to. Sure enough somebody different will.

PDiddy's Ordination Service

Last Sunday was our pastor DeWayne's ordination service. This was the second ordination service that I've ever been to.

I was very honored to be asked to speak on behalf of the English ministry.












What I didn't expect was to be asked to lay hands on the pastor and pray before the congregation. It was quite comical actually. Dr. Wagner the pastor who led the ordination said, "Would all the ordained pastors...and Jin Choi please come up?"

Here I am laying the hands on the man.


















This is Dr. Wagner, he used to be the VP of the Southern Baptist Convention. He looks a lot like Charlton Heston.














Here are all the ordained pastors...and Jin Choi.














Pastor DeWayne Strange. I like to call him PDiddy. For some reason it stuck.













Pastor DeWayne invited his Farsi Church that he used to serve at to enjoy in the festivities. It was really awesome to be able to worship God together. It was pretty cool to have so many of our seats filled. Afterwards we ate together in celebration. It truly was a joyous time.