January 9, 2012
The Tebow Effect

One of the most memorable games in NFL history just occurred with a 29-23 OT Denver Broncos win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The great thing, however, is not that people are talking about the game, but about the man playing the game, Tim Tebow, and what he believes.  Love him?  Awesome.  Hate him?  Cool.  Those are opinions.  Here are the facts about the game:

1.  Tebow had 316 passing yards.

2.  Tebow completed 10 passes and rushed 10 times.

3.  Tebow’s average yards per pass completed was 31.6.

4.  The referees for the game were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

5.  The last quarter of the game had a TV rating of 31.6.

6.  The leading receiver for the Broncos was Demaryius Thomas, who was born on Christmas day, and was targeted 7 times by Tebow.

7. The 7th pass to Thomas was the game winning touchdown.

8. Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception during the 2nd quarter on 3rd and 16. The only interception of the game.

9. The interception was made by Quinton Carter, number 28.

10. The Steelers time of possession for the game was 31 minutes, 6 seconds.

One has to be cautious about interpreting “signs” from God.  God is nothing if not mysterious, and this game is no exception.  The numbers 3, 1 and 6 appear together an inordinate amount of times during this game, and this happens to represent the most widely known verse in the Bible.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The other numbers represented are 10, the number of commandments, 7, the biblical number of perfection, and 28, the chapter of Matthew that depicts the resurrection of Jesus.  For my Asian brothers and sisters out there, it’s also worth mentioning that Demaryius Thomas, wears number 88.  Two eights?!  How can that be bad?  Lastly, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the first 4 books of the New Testament.

It is also worth noting that the Denver Broncos were considered Dead On Arrival (DOA) prior to this game, and were not favored to win by any notable sports experts.  In fact, the Broncos lost 3 games prior to beating the Steelers.

Jesus was crucified, buried, and 3 days later, was resurrected.

Another point of fact is that Tebow took over as the starting QB during week 7 of the 2011 season.

Now, this type of analysis could go on for quite some time, and if Tebow wins again against the Patriots, you can bet I will do my share of it.  Until then, the haters and the fanatics, both equally scary to me to be quite honest, will continue to bicker and make outrageous claims to one another.

Ultimately, the existence of God, and His Son, Jesus Christ, are neither confirmed nor denied by the outcome of a football game.  What really matters is that people are being given a reason to discuss it.  Tebow’s place in all this is pretty clear, at least to me.  He, and the Broncos, are simply a vehicle for God to make a statement, and that statement will mean different things to different people.  God will use whom He chooses, how He chooses, when He chooses.  People will be baffled, and people will wonder why, and why football?  Just like every good movie needs a good villain, every good discussion needs a good question. 

For now, I leave you with some food for thought.  The Denver offense ran 55 total plays during the game, and the defense forced a single turnover, one interception that was run back for 9 yards.  If the Tebow effect has you wondering, that too is no coincidence.

Isaiah 55:9

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,                                                                                                                                                                           so are my ways higher than your ways                                                                                                                                                                                  and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

8:55pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwEXerfy
(Notes: 17)
  
January 5, 2012

Forever and never He is out of time
For memories of sins yet to be committed
Abandoned to pain, He bore our crime
He sent His Son, the Word, that we be acquitted

1:31am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwEI521O
December 25, 2011
The Gift That Keeps on Giving. Merry Christmas!

Many have succumbed to a trick of the devil that belief is faith. Matter of factly, a mere belief in Jesus Christ is betrayal; it is to acknowledge His existence, then act as if He did not. True faith demands a response from the believer that no simple belief would ever manifest. 

And yet, faith is only good in so far as it leads you back to God the Father.  Faith, like works, is merely a reflection of your relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is often said of man, “He is a great man of faith.”, but faith in faith is just as damaging as no faith at all, and perhaps, even more so.  Faith in your relationship with God, rather than God Himself, is akin to loving your marriage more than your wife.  The focus becomes your experience of that person, and not the person.  Given the slightest incongruity, you will feel that your experiences have led you astray, and having felt deceived, you will leave. 

The One desires for us a faith that is not sustained by experience, but rather perseveres through it. Faith is a gift from God that nourishes the soul and thwarts the intellect.  The greatest gifts in life demand a response, and God will not be ignored.  Faith in the salvation that only He can bring is more than being saved from death, it is being saved to purpose.  So goes your faith, so goes a constant generation of the purpose that God placed in you from the beginning of time.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

6:08pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwDn7Xge
(Notes: 1)
  
December 20, 2011
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

The day started off innocently enough with a trip to the airport designating the official start to my Christmas vacation, but having a layover in Phoenix, AZ almost turned out to be disastrous.  My connecting flight was an hour late, and I fell asleep at the terminal.  Going in and out of consciousness, I heard those ominous words, “Final boarding call for Little Rock, AR.”  Just coherent enough to actually comprehend that this applied to me, I rushed to the gate, and down the jet bridge, only to realize I was without my cell phone.  It must’ve fallen out of my pocket!  I ran back out, asked the attendant if I could (hopefully) retrieve my phone.  Fortunately, it was where I thought it was, and I had the distinction of being the very last one onto the plane.

I found a seat fifth row from the front, between a man and a woman, whom I eventually learn are in their 60s.  Initially, I thought they were together because they were both African American (I know I’m dumb and maybe a little racist, so sue me), and of course, I was wrong.  Generally, I don’t really enjoy talking on flights for a couple of reasons:  it’s cramped and the pressure clogs my ears making it difficult to hear.  Sometimes these things lead to a headache, so I normally opt to just nap.  Mr. English, however, would have none of it.  This guy was a talker, and I am fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to know him.  Actually, he wasn’t even the first to say something to me.  The lady next to me asked if I was tired when I first boarded because I yawned, and I relayed to her my life 5 minutes prior to that.  Mr. English took over from there.  He was a Vietnam war vet, father of two, one of seven children, teacher, actor, entrepreneur, drinker, widower, and maker of the best $#@% gumbo you ever ate, at least according to him.  

“I make the best gumbo. Some people likes okra gumbo, but it taste like vegetable soup or somethin’.  I need meat in dere.  Oh, I gots chicken, beef, some little sausages.  I made 5 pound of it the other day for my daughter.  I made it for parties too.  Dem down in New Orlens, they think theys king of gumbo.  You know what, I don’t even like your gumbo.  Course, if you don’t like my gumbo, you can stay home.” 

He talks up a storm about everything from comic books to religion to the state of the global economy, and he is quite entertaining.  Ms. Whitley also chimed in from time to time, and she even gave me her snacks!  Now, this is a fine woman.  She was a mother of two, owner of 9 dogs, one of seven children, and also… a widow. 

During this flight, I almost felt like a third wheel, with these two talking about old songs I’ve never heard of, their families, and so on.  Prior to all that, I was trying to find a way to minister to these two because I thought that there must be a reason why I am not asleep.  Then, I realized something else was going on.  Mr. English revealed his wife died of MS 3 years ago, and Ms. Whitley’s husband died of lung cancer 2 years before.  After that, there seemed to be some kind of spark, and stories got more enthusiastic.  Never before have I been elbowed by people in jest on a flight, much less on both sides as jokes were told.         

After we deplaned, Mr. English supplied us both with copies of his gumbo recipe, and asked to stay in touch, giving his number out, but I suspect that was more for Ms. Whitley’s benefit than mine.  The man’s got game.  Something for me to shoot for.  I plan on making that gumbo, and I told him I’d let him know how it worked out.  Of course, he said, “You might make it, and you might not like it, but that’s your problem.”  This guy is awesome.

Although I did not get to know if they were believers or not, though based on some comments I think that they are, it was a powerful reminder that we do not cease to love in this place, but sometimes we cease to have ones to love or that love us.  God overcomes because He has shown us the greatest love a man could ever know.  Crazy. 

8:56pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwDYgNpQ
(Notes: 2)
  
December 12, 2011
A Life Worth Living

It is of paramount importance in this life that we come to an understanding that in the midst of joy or sorrow, that things are never as good, or as bad, as they might seem.  For the former to be true, we tacitly admit to ourselves that life can only be downhill form there, and for the latter, we falsely believe that things could not possibly get worse.  It is always funny to me how people can say, “The day I met my wife was the happiest day of my life!”, or “The happiest day of my life was when you were born.”  So, after getting to know your wife, she became the Queen of Nagville, and then, the kid you had grew up to be the Ambassador of Shame.

There is a saying that time heals all wounds, but that’s like saying if you fall down a hole, you should just stay there until you get used to the view.  Some people do do that, and their personalities end up festering into a toxic misanthropic cloud. 

It’s actually wisdom that heals all wounds, and if you’re diligent, that comes with time.  People do not passively get wiser.  It is a purposeful pursuit of a state of mind that allows you to assess situations beyond simply being positive or negative.  We all know that knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing.  I know that being loved feels good, and I know that I want a girlfriend.  It is wisdom to understand whom I should love as a girlfriend. 

To seek this kind of wisdom is to express the spiritual initiative God so desperately wishes for all of us.  As Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand.”  Just as that man stretched out his hand, we stretch out ours seeking to change our lives for the better.  To turn our eyes to God is to ask for wisdom that turns happiness to gratitude and suffering into perseverance.  

Now, that is a life worth living. 

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

3:16am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwD93ptt
(Notes: 3)
  
December 7, 2011
Awake.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned on my blog before (you know the whole 2 posts before this one), but I am an actor, and asian to boot.  I put the secret in secret sauce, baby!

Yesterday was quite a day for me.  I had an audition for this brand new show called “Awake”.  If I land the role, I get to play a Korean gangster.  The audition itself was pretty simple, as the scene takes place in a hospital room after I crash my car during a car “chase”.  “Chase” because there is no other car.  The cops just shoot my tires, and I slam into another vehicle.  I read up on the subdural hematoma I was supposed to have, and listened to Lil Wayne and Kanye West to get into the mood for most of the night before.  An acting coach I once had told me that the music a person listens to gives you pretty good insight into the kind of person he/she is.  I believe it.

Anywho, my audition went really well, just me, the camera and the reader in the room.  She said I did really well, liked my “gangster” attitude, and had me do it twice.  All signs of a good audition.  She was even writing notes on her paper as I left.  The rest now is up to God.

After my audition, I went to tutor this girl in calculus.  I’m convinced she is partially crazy, but in a good way.  Her energy ranges from that of a rabid monkey to a dying sloth, and I never know what it’ll be when we start.  She tries to convince me that I should find Arden Cho and wed her.  That’s… silly. I don’t even know who she is when she mentions her name.

Then, I’m off to babysit this kid named Ian.  It’ll be years before he can comprehend this blog, so I should be safe mentioning his name.  This guy is quite adorable, and most of our time together is spent screaming (him), and laughing (him).  When it was time for me to go home, he almost had a meltdown.  I felt bad for him, but who doesn’t have a meltdown when I leave?  Really, right?  haha  It was actually a really tense moment because he is supposed to have a bible story read to him before bedtime, and we were at that point when his dad came home.  I took the cues to let father and son share some quality time together, but then Ian just starts to cry when I leave.  He says he wants ME to read the bible story to him… with his dad standing Right. Next. To. Me.  Awkward…  we end up compromising, and I just read the first page to him. (On a side note, isn’t this typical of human nature to have someone right in front of us that provides for all our needs, but sometimes we choose to go another way?  Alas, that is another blog for another day…)

I was actually having a hard time staying awake towards the end.  It must’ve been for 45 minutes that I read stories.  All in all, it was an action packed day, and not everything went as I would’ve liked.  I was actually a little nervous going into my audition, and then, late for babysitting because I underestimated traffic.  Sometimes it hard to keep focused on what’s important, particularly when things get chaotic, and we just move from one activity to the next.  When we lose focus, our spirit falls “asleep” and we don’t respond to things as we might like.  Yesterday was a great reminder that I must continue to feed my spirit with the things of Him, so that I’m not asleep when I should be awake.

3:28pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwCxZdiB
December 5, 2011
It’s the Destination. Not the Journey. That Screws Us Up.

Yesterday afternoon, I was walking to the grocery from my apartment, something I do a lot because it’s just one block away.  I often notice the habits of people who wait at the two crosswalks I must go through to get to Ralphs. 

The first thing I notice is a lady on the far side of the crosswalk.  She’s the only one there, and she waits by standing on the edge of the curb, and her toes are dangling off it.  To be clear, I always stand at least a few feet from the curb.  It’s partially because I don’t like the idea of being too close to traffic.  There are crazy people driving around, don’tcha know?  I also just like waiting comfortably.  Then, another lady comes by and stands right in front of me, at the edge of the curb, across from the other lady, like a mexican standoff. A few seconds after that, another lady comes by, and stands in-between me and the other lady, with a roller bag.  She proceeds to press the crosswalk button approximately 10 times.  TEN TIMES.  Then, she waits a few seconds, and then starts pressing it again.  Talk about a lack of patience.

The light finally turns, and we all cross!  Huzzah!  As I am walking, I watch roller bag lady attempt to pass the woman in front of her and fail.  I attribute this to the several possible factors.  She doesn’t take into account the lady walking the opposite direction.  The roller bag is heavy.  She is slow.  She is dumb.  She is slow and dumb. 

In all fairness to her, the final thought didn’t occur to me until we all reached the other side.  Roller bag lady attempted a final time to pass the one in front of her, by cutting to the right, but she must have underestimated the effort it would take to mount the curb with her bag.  She was either unable or unwilling to pull it up on top of the curb, and she ended up having to detour way to her left so she could go up the ramp.  Ridiculous.  I don’t know what kind of day she was having, or where she was going, but this whole thing seems like a microcosm of things we all go through.

We cannot wait for things.  While we wait, we do lots of things that don’t amount to anything, like worrying, and we often put ourselves in precarious positions that don’t expedite the process a single iota.  Not even a little.  When we finally get going, we struggle to get across, trying to make up for “lost” time. Ultimately, we are almost at our destination, and we realize we are not fully equipped to get there.  Having overlooked something, we are forced to backtrack.  The path humbles us into taking the path we should have gone on all along, and were it not for pride and carelessness, we might have realized it sooner.  Such is life.  

But yeah, the food I got from Ralphs was delicious.

9:30pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwCt2Qll
(Notes: 4)
  
December 5, 2011
The House That El Built

This was the original blog title I thought of, but I didn’t want to beat the “El” thing into the ground.  “El” is actually the Hebrew word for God. As you can see, this is my first post, and really, it’s a FIRST first post because I’ve never blogged before. (Blog virgin?)  Anywho, on with the show!  Well, maybe tomorrow.

2:34am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmMtSwCquw6X
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