home is the only place you can wear funny looking clothes and not be funny looking.......

when i stepped outta the car and planted my feet into my driveway it almost felt like I'd entered into another world. the concept of time is so strange at home especially when everyone is showered and in bed by 10. it always feels later than it actually is. Good thing it's friday and my family is kinda hyper so they're sorta awake.

Just watched Initial D. I'd say that it's a very typical hong kong stars film. I liked it but I won't comment too much cuz I think you should watch it. (especially if you're a jay chou fan or even if you're not....=)) It has a very jay chou-ish theme song. i think my sister is a jay chou fan now...after we finished watching the movie, her and my dad wanted to watch it again. I must admit though the guys in the movie can't really act (except for maybe Anthony Wong) there's a pretty eye-candy loaded cast. check it out.

stopped by work today. *sigh* I know the kids don't remember me anymore, but they call me Miss Heidi and give me HUGE hugs. Talking with old co-workers and seeing the little ones march to snack makes me wanna go back and work. I want to wake up at 8am every morning to something I look foward to....which was how this past summer was. I'm slowly beginning to enjoy the changes that sophomore year brings. No doubt things are different but rich in blessings as well. There are SO many highlights already that I can talk about from the past couple of weeks. Yet, I can't help but miss this past summer and how things at home are just so simple. But everyday is a new surprise and how cool is it to wake up every morning to discover what it'll be.

heartache.........

I was down on Congress this past weekend and I think they were having a Mexican Independence march. It was really awesome seeing how happy people were yelling "viva mexico!" and throwing pins and holding up hook em fingers...really enjoying themselves. At the end of Congress next to the capital were a group of non-Mexican protestors holding up signs that said "go back to where you came from" "you don't belong here" "aliens" "criminals" and the list goes on. It really broke my heart to see that. I realize that such events happen daily in our nation but to actually witness it is pretty disappointing and disheartening.

That night I was reading through Romans and I came across:
"The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." romans 15: 2b
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity." romans 15:5

I guess incidents like these explains why Pastor Ed said that culture and ethinicity is a curse. The color of our world is beautiful...but I have reason to believe that it breaks God's heart to see his children fight.

and then there are natural disasters. What a year. Both my mom and I were named hurricanes in the same year. Let's pray Rita isn't destructive.... it's strange how close to home all the Lousiana stuff is. It can happen to anyone. Please be praying for Houston....may Katrina not repeat itself. I do wonder that if a hurricane hit...would I really think to take my Bible as the only possession I need?

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

i'm not a quaker....

i've come to a sad realization. I've realized that I cant make oatmeal. my roomie on the other hand can make a pretty mean oatmeal. so i wasn't all that hungry at lunch today and after doing a dietary analysis of what i eat, i realize i dont eat enough carbohydrates, so I was thinking to myself, "oatmeal is good!" so i followed the intructions: one cup water, 1/2 cup oats, microwave 2.5-3 minutes. when the 2.5-3 minutes was over...my oatmeal was still liquidy so i microwaved some more and then it exploded in the microwave. so i cleaned it up and started eating the oatmeal. when the bland taste of nothingness reached my tongue, I realized that I'd forgotten to add honey or Kathy's favorite splenda. usually Kathy only adds about half a pack of honey so logically, I do the same. the result? the bland taste was still there. Then I ended up adding another pack...and it still wasn't any better. Through this experience I've learned that making oatmeal is no easy task.

the fruits of labor.....


this past weekend made me feel as though I'd taken a plunge back into summer. the dread of returning to campus was a little less than the week before.
pastor gideon's dad was the speaker of the retreat I went to and surprisingly they have a very similar preaching style. I really enjoyed his message on sunday. The topic was: world view. He spoke of how many chinese christians have already expired. expiration in the sense of complacency. when things expire, like milk, they make other people sick. the expired christians can often be a source of discouragement. his sermon was one that pleaded urgency for people to reap the harvest of those thirsty for the Lord. however, he also said that sometimes the first mission trip you need to go on is with your family. if the relationship with family members is lacking, how can one be good stewards of God's message? It's a message of love, and that needs to start at home. Throughout the sermon he emphasized John 3:16 "For God so loved the world...." if you think about that, what does it really mean? of course a big part of it is how God showed his love but besides the fact that his love is unconditional and sacrificial, how is it different than all the other love we know?

sometimes the hardest thing to wonder if why a loving God lets people suffer. But I think we question that because we only look at one chapter in the bigger story, one piece of the puzzle. Faith would be in vain if we understood everything about God. we are merely man and not having the answer to the myriad of questions that cross our minds can be quite frustrating. Thank God he gives us some assurance of those unsolved mysteries in life. so once again...

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-jeremiah 29:11