This is Me

Accident at State and University (2007 04 27)

2007-04-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

what happened? she swerved, so i honked and swerved to avoid her...

the pole was weak, but the traffic light was heavy. i watched in horror as it slowly came down on babycar4 and roll off, cracking, denting and scratching everything.

click to see more pictures

i discovered later that driving over the curb probably caused my axel to bend rendering my car undrivable. Praise God i have a bicycle and know how to use it!

(click to read my bicycle story)

--
thankfully there was no pedestrians near the scene of the accident, also the other driver and i are also unscratched.

please pray that the insurance and collision repair people cover everything and i can get safely back on the road again in time for all the weddings this summer!

--
picture of babycar2 (10/1991-10/19/2004)

click to read my babycar2 story

Peace and Grace be within and about you!
Gill

Five things you may not know about me...

2007-04-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

history
1. i was born in Taiwan, raised in Houston and grew up in IL; spiritually at CFC.

growing up
2a. i entered JH just under 70 lbs and entered HS under 110lbs. during JH, even though i wasn't really Christian, i prayed everyday that God would make me taller and over winter break i grew 6 inches and thus gained over 20 lbs.
b. my freshman year in high school i couldn't bench the bar (45 lbs), but i vowed to myself that i would be able to do that with the big weights on the sides (135 lbs) by the time i graduated. my senior year maxed at over 165 lbs.

start of an eight-pack (ask the Kenya '05 guys)
3. my junior and senior year in HS our track team went into an intensive training mode (i also became Christian the summer before). basically, we went undefeated and won every invite until i graduated. my friends and i were in the Trib. (and other local papers) preps plus (HS sports) every week. i stopped training when i came to college, so back then i was skinnier, but much more well cut.

what's the point? Godly intervention
4a. >1 year before SMP training, after i gave up my 300ZX, i was riding my roommate's bicycle about 11.5 miles a day, to and from work and morning prayer every weekday (some days would be in excess of 17 miles).
b. running, dancing, biking, training and dehydration probably accounted for what's known as the "eight-pack/Brad Pitt's body" phenomenon, but i'm most thankful for what God was doing in me in the midst of all that.
* let's not make this more than it is...the reason i don't show off my body isn't because i'm afraid to stumble ya'll (clearly that's not in my control), but 'cuz i'm afraid you might judge me...whatever condition my body/spiritual life is a result of what God's doing in my life, not my own doings. don't look at me, look at God who shaped me.

urgent ongoing prayer request
5. i'm taking grad school classes beginning this summer for special education early childhood in hopes for getting admitted into the program at UIUC to be certified as a teacher with a master's degree. please continue pray for this one!

Peace and Grace be within and about you!
Gill

God Works in Mysterious Ways

2007-04-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

i'm not trying to exploit anyone or tug at your heart to do anything. i just wanted to share this story from an email (background and validity: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/daniel.asp). pictures were added for visual context and were not part of the email.

(not Daniel)

--
God Works In Mysterious Ways
by Richard Ryan, 1995

It was an unusually cold day in the month of May. Spring had arrived and everything was alive with color. But a cold front from the North had brought winter's chill back to Indiana. I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, "I will work for food."

My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response.

I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: "Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square."

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.

"Looking for the pastor?" I asked.

"Not really," he replied, "just resting."

"Have you eaten today?"

"Oh, I ate something early this morning."

"Would you like to have lunch with me?"

"Do you have some work I could do for you?"

"No work," I replied. "I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch."

"Sure," he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?"

"St. Louis."

"Where you from?"

"Oh, all over; mostly Florida."

"How long you been walking?

"Fourteen years," came the reply.

I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence And articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, "Jesus is The Never Ending Story."

Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the Beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God.

"Nothing's been the same since," he said, "I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now."

"Ever think of stopping?" I asked.

"Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads."

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice.

The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: "What's it like?"

"What?"

"To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?"

"Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to Realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me."

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, "Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in."

I felt as if we were on holy ground. "Could you use another Bible?" I asked.

He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. "I've read through it 14 times," he said

"I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see." I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.

"Where are you headed from here?" I asked,

"Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon."

"Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?"

"No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next."

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

"Would you sign my autograph book?" he asked. "I like to keep messages from folks I meet."

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope."

"Thanks, man," he said. "I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you."

"I know," I said, "I love you, too."

"The Lord is good!"

"Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?" I asked.

"A long time," he replied

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, "See you in the New Jerusalem."

"I'll be there!" was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, "When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?"

"You bet," I shouted back, "God bless."

"God bless." And that was the last I saw of him.

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them. Then I remembered his words: "If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?"

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. "See you in the New Jerusalem," he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will...

God bless you, Daniel, wherever your feet take you.

--

"I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again."

Peace and Grace be within and about you!
Gill

Jeremiah 29, Growing through God's Discipline

2007-04-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Jeremiah 29, Growing through God's Discipline by Pastor Doctor Steve Lee (07.26.2006)

In Jeremiah 2, God attempts to remind the Israelites about their good time together; wandering in the desert seemed so difficult physically, but God was with them.

--
Jeremiah 29 Why exile?
from my friend's Xanga:
i notice this in the course of Israelite history too. it's when things are well, when they are in that place flowing with milk and honey that they forget to walk in the way of the Lord, they forget they need Him, they think they can handle their own way on their own. and before they know it, they're in captivity and realize just how sweet of a place it would have been IF ONLY they had walked in obedience with God. and it happens over and over again, that God gives them over to their desires, just to let them realize that their desires aren't what they really want, but what they wanted and needed was that sweet, relentless loving mercy of their Savior, their Redeemer.

it makes me wonder, when times are difficult, what is God trying to show or teach me? when times are dry, am i aware He is with me?

when times are "good" am i still seeking Him?

GOOD stuff!

Peace and Grace be within and about you!
Gill

John 3:30, He must become greater; I must become less - Spring 2007 Praise Night

2007-03-01T14:05:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

John 3:30, He must become greater; I must be come less(NIV).

pictures from and thanks to danleedotcom

Wednesday night prayer meeting this week I discovered that my wrist was bothering me A LOT (the same injury that briefly and continues to “retire” me from doing any old school break dancing).

In view of all the practices and wild things I’ve been working on, once again, it was not a huge surprise what happened. But it’s the timing and severity that makes it stand out. I had no prior warning or feeling to lead me to think it’d hurt as bad as it did. On top of that, it was revealed during our prayer time! Prayers have been really blessing and Spiritual, especially with MS and this week was no different (Thank God for Miss Kim). God can be seen in all nature and creation; He can definitely be seen in our blessings and struggles in life.

I believe part of the reason God used my old injury was to reveal once again that I continue to think more highly of myself than I actually am. If I want to boast of anything, it should be of Him and not me. It was at the Wednesday informal practice earlier that day that I found out we might be doing solos for the skit. In retrospect, prayer and repentance I discovered my heart desire was to be fed by looking good and not making mistakes on stage. Many past and present prayers and any desire to change came to a halting crash by such a “small” desire in me rekindled. Pride is huge isn’t it? I can’t anything, let alone depend on God if I continue to want to be God. But because of God’s grace and mercy, He has helped me see it and repent. He has also redeemed it and is using me still for His work.

Since Thursday I’ve been wearing my old wrap and wrist guard, praying and asking for prayer. Physically it’s been really good, so I have no doubt that it’s something God wanted me to pray through. As I pray that I would not be distracted nor distract or stumble others, a fire was rekindled to desire that God would be seen through and despite what I do. He must become great; I must become less (John 3:30 NIV).

As practices go on I feel more and more confident that He is the Everlasting God and is doing more in me than I can imagine.

Continue to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16 NASB).

--
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? prepare your hearts for what God may speak to you...

Now presenting In The Beginning... performed by Mustard Seeds at CFC Praise Night Spring 2007:

make sure your SOUND and youtube are working!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrapOVEM4Zg

*it will help to read the description AFTER you watch it all the way through, before you watch it again, and again and again...

Testimony: As people notice and continue to ask why my wrist is wrapped, I can share with them about MS, CFC, Praise Night and one day my God. I can testify to brothers and sisters His healing and recreating power. With my non-believing friends, I can witness to them my love of Christ. At work today as people were asking me about my wrist, I was able to tell them about Praise Night and invite them to our show. May God work through tiny seeds to move mountains!

--
in other news...

please lift up a prayer for my knee; i played bball yesterday and in the first game i made a cut and my right knee gave out. i'm afraid i may have done something bad, 'cuz i felt it pop out of place and back in (in the sideways direction) before i hit the ground.

it only hurt a lot for a little bit initially, but now it doesn't hurt as much. i can walk and get around, but i'm afraid to put any weight on it or move it quickly. please also pray for both my wrists too; i feel like i'm falling apart. Whatever it takes to depend on God and be broken; God's Will be done .

Peace be within you!
Gill

Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift

2007-02-24T01:45:00.000-06:00

--
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

tonight our SG lived and watched Fast and the Furious - Tokyo Drift. What a fun night; Little Ceasar's Pizza and light-hearted movie. Too much fun, too much to write now...maybe another time.

*enjoy some key moments below; if anything, the driving scenes are worth it to see the movie.

--
WHAT PLOT? WHAT DIALOGUE? - CHARACTERS of Tokyo Drift:

Han: Who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are.

(jennie loves the hair, never cut it)

Han: Life's simple, you make choices and you don't look back.
...
Han: There's no 'wax on wax off' of drifting. You learn by doin it. The first drifters invented drifting out here in the mountains by feelin it. So feel it.

twinkie (bow wow; not yellow or white) and sean

Twinkie: Do you know what 'D.K.' means?
Shawn Boswell: Donkey Kong?

Shawn Boswell: Drift?
[Elevator doors open, two cars pass drifting right in front of the door]
Twinkie: Still need a dictionary?

sean and neela (best worst accents)

Han: What'd you expect? You didn't just play with fire, you soaked the matches in gasoline.

--
EYE CANDY - CARS of Tokyo Drift:

Han: The Red Evo's yours
Shawn Boswell: What do you mean?
Han: You're representing me now. What you think, I'm gonna let roll in a Hyundai?

350z and silvia

Twinkie: You know that famous painting? The one with the woman smiling all the time?
Shawn Boswell: The Mona Lisa?
Twinkie: Right, right, right the Mona Lisa. Well look man, this car right here is like the Mona Lisa of drift work. Hahn rebiult this bad-boy from ground up. We talkin forged pistons, bigger turbo, new rise, new crankshaft. Hey man Han's labour ain't cheap, you feel me?
Shawn Boswell: Well if I needed a 30 second lesson on how to drift...
Twinkie: All right look man there lots of ways you can do this all right. Handbraking is the easiest so the first thing I want you to do, i want you to rip that E-Brake all right. After you rip that E-Brake then I want you to Pow-Wo.
[Shawn looks puzzled about the bow wow]
Twinkie: You know what, just don't mess up Mona all right?

rx8

350Z and rx7

mustang and 350z

--
SOUNDS - MUSIC of Tokyo Drift:

Original Soundtrack
* 1. Teriyaki Boyz - "Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious)" - 4:15
* 2. DJ Shadow feat. Mos Def - "Six Days the Remix" - 3:53
* 3. The 5.6.7.8's - "The Barracuda" - 2:28
* 4. Evil Nine - "Restless" - 4:56
* 5. Far*East Movement - "Round Round" - 3:21
* 6. N.E.R.D. - "She Wants to Move" - 3:35
* 7. Teriyaki Boyz - "Cho Large" - 5:15
* 8. Dragon Ash - "Resound" - 4:09
* 9. Atari Teenage Riot - "Speed" - 2:50
* 10. Don Omar feat. Tego Calderon - "Bandoleros" - 5:07
* 11. Don Omar - "Conteo" - 3:18
* 12. Brian Tyler feat. Slash - "Mustang Nismo" - 2:23

Music from the movie that is not on the soundtrack CD
* Kid Rock - "Bawitdaba"(found on the CD "Devil Without a Cause")
* Fanny Pack - Hey Mami
* MC Hammer - I Got It From the Town
* Jake One - Jake Alert
* Pharrell feat. Daddy Yankee - Mamacita
* Qypthone - Mission Banana Muffins
* GRITS - "My Life Be Like (Ooh Aah)"
* Brian Tyler - Neela Drifts (found on the Tokyo Drift score soundtrack CD)
* The Crystal Method - Realizer
* N.E.R.D. - Rockstar (Jason Nevins Mix)
* Brian Tyler - Saucin' (found on the Tokyo Drift score soundtrack CD)
* Juelz Santana - "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" (Found on CD "What The Game's Been Missing!")
* tobyMac - The Slam (song from the trailer)
* The Prodigy - You'll Be Under My Wheels (found on the CD "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned", is also on the Need for Speed: Most Wanted Soundtrack)
* DJ Shadow/Mos Def - Six Days (The remix)

Peace and Grace be within and about you!
Gill

Lenten Season (Ash Wednesday 'til Easter Sunday)

2007-02-20T23:07:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

NO MORE XANGA, NO MORE FACEBOOK UNTIL EASTER SUNDAY.
you are still more than welcome to email, IM, call etc. me!

Peace be within you!
Gill

Happy Birthday!

2007-01-10T15:36:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Thanks to everyone who made a Facebook comment on my wall wishing me a happy birthday (i got over 80 *tear! God is so good!). even though it may seem kinda impersonal, it's good to be remembered. this may be a small glimpse of how Jesus feels.

even though i'd much rather see each and every one of my friends any time, all the time, i understand and am grateful for the facebook writings on my wall.

in the same way, even though Christmas is commercialized, there are some people God knows they are genuinely thinking about Him.

Peace be within you!
Gill

http://www.artakiane.com/

2006-11-20T00:15:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

check out this website (http://www.artakiane.com/):

from ChristianityToday.com

...
"I always think about Jesus and talk about Him," she says. "I was looking for a [Jesus] model for a long, long time, and when I couldn't find anyone, one day I suggested to my family to pray all day for this model so God would send the right one." The day that they prayed, a very tall carpenter—yes, a carpenter—came to their door looking for work. When he showed up, Akiane nearly fainted. "I told my mother that that was him. I want him to be my model," she recalls.

The carpenter agreed to it at first, but he called a week later to back out.
Akiane Kramarik

"He said that he wasn't worthy to represent his Master," Akiane says. "He's a Christian, and he's a humble person. But I prayed that God would change his mind and that he would call back." And the mysterious carpenter, who wished to remain anonymous, did call Akiane back, saying that God wanted him to pose for the painting, although he felt it was unusual.
...

"We don't have an answer as to why this is happening. We don't have a clue," Forelli Kramarik says about her daughter's unfolding ministry. "We're just thankful to God."

But Akiane does seem to have an answer. When her mother asks her why she thinks she received her gift, the 10-year-old replies: "I have been blessed by God. And if I'm blessed, there is one reason and one reason only, and that is to help others."

Peace be within you!
Gill

new facebook group: Campus Oaks

2006-10-30T21:24:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

From the creator of the

John Randolph Atrium facebook group...

Introducing the

Campus Oaks facebook group!

Peace be within you!
Gill

Team Hoyt

2006-10-30T19:44:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

from: http://cjcphoto.com/can/

[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay
For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in
Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a
Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and
Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back
Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes
Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick
Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him
Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him
And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an
Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes
Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the
Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was
Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told.
``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a
Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed
Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his
Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!''
And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the
School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want
To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran
More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he
Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore
For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running,
It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving
Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly
Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a
Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few
Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then
They found a way to get into the race
Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the
Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he
Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick
Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour
Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud
Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you
Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says.
Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with
A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston
Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best
Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world
Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to
Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the
Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the
Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a
Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries
Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,''
One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.''

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston,
and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. ,
always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country
and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this
Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the
chair and I push him once.''

And the video is below....

or if having problems with the video above you can click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE

Peace be within you!
Gill

free international calls?

2006-10-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

http://www.futurephone.com/faq.html

Peace be within you!
Gill

Aaliyah: Try Again

2006-10-09T01:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

[Timbaland]
It’s been a long time, long time
I shouldn’t have left you, left
Without a dope beat to step to
Step to, step to, step to
Step to, step to
Freaky-freaky
It’s been a long time
I shouldn’t have left you
Without a dope beat to step to
Step to, step to, step to
Step to, step to
Freaky-freaky, baby girl uh

[Aaliyah]
What would you do?
To get to me
What would you say?
To have your way
Would you give up?
Or try again
If I hesitate
To let you in
Now would you be yourself
Or play your role
Tell all the boys
Or keep it low
If I say no
Would you turn away?
Or play me off
Or would you stay, oh, oh

1 – And if at first you don’t succeed
Then dust yourself off and try again
You can dust it off and try again, try again
Cause if at first you don’t succeed
You can dust it off and try again
Dust yourself off and try again, try again (and again)

[Aaliyah]
I’m in to you
You into me
But I can’t let it go
So easily
Not till I see
Whether this could be
Could be eternity
Or just a week
You know our chemistry
Is off the chain
It’s perfect now
But will it change?
This ain’t a yes
This ain’t a no
Just do your thing
We’ll see how it goes

Repeat 1

[Aaliyah]
See you don’t wanna throw it all away
I might be shy on the first date
What about the next date?
Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?
I said you don’t wanna throw it all away
I might be buggin’ on the first date
What about the next date?
Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?

Repeat 1 (3x)

[Aaliyah]
And at first you don’t succeed
Dust yourself off and try again
you can dust you it off and try again, try again
Cause if at first you don’t succeed
You can dust it off and try again
dust it off and try again, try again (again again)

[Timbaland]
Check it, uh
It’s been a long time
We shouldn’t have left you
Without a dope beat to step to
Step to, step to, step to
Step to, step to
Freaky-freaky
It’s been a long time
We shouldn’t have left you
Without a dope beat to step to
Step to, step to, step to
Step to, step to
Freaky-freaky

Repeat 1 till end

Peace be within you!
Gill

Fall 2006

2006-10-02T23:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Mustard Seeds: The Subway Skit (HTS & KCC)

FACT and Praise Night coming up. Please keep us in your prayers!

ABEL thr3e: click for more

ABEL area: click for Mini-O pics

CO111: click for more

Peace be within you!
Gill

lookalikes?

2006-10-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

see blogger for updated information .

new year, new faces...or something like that (thanks Sarah, click and see!).

Peace be within you!
Gill

October 1-2, 2006: Yom Kippur (the Day of Attonement)

2006-10-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

I have the day off today because of Yom Kippur (October 1-2, 2006)

--
Leviticus 23

Day of Atonement

26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, ^[d] and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32
It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the
evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you
are to observe your sabbath."

Footnotes:

d. Leviticus 23:27 Or and fast ; also in verses 29 and 32

--
Hebrews 9

Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle

1Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2A
tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table
and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4which
had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the
covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that
had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.^[a] But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7But
only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year,
and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins
the people had committed in ignorance. 8The
Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place
had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still
standing. 9This is an
illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and
sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the
worshiper. 10They are only
a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external
regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The Blood of Christ

11When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here,^[b] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He
did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered
the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained
eternal redemption. 13The
blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those
who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly
clean. 14How much more,
then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead
to death,^[c] so that we may serve the living God!

15For
this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who
are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has
died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the
first covenant.

16In the case of a will,^[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19When
Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he
took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and
branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."^[e] 21In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22In
fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,
and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23It
was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be
purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with
better sacrifices than these. 24For
Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the
true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's
presence. 25Nor did he
enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest
enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then
Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the
world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to
do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so
Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he
will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to
those who are waiting for him.

Footnotes:

Hebrews 9:5 Traditionally the mercy seat
Hebrews 9:11 Some early manuscripts are to come
Hebrews 9:14 Or from useless rituals
Hebrews 9:16 Same Greek word as covenant; also in verse 17
Hebrews 9:20 Exodus 24:8

Peace be within you!
Gill

Where does the time go? How do we stay in touch?

2006-09-11T20:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

for all ya'll whom lost touch...(sorry it's so explicit, but that's how feelings are sometimes)

D12 LYRICS
"How Come"

[Eminem:] So I changed huh? You got a phone, pick it up, call me

[Chorus: Eminem]
How come we dont even talk no more
And you dont even call no more
We dont barely keep in touch at all
And I dont even feel the same love when we hug no more
And I heard it through the grape vine we even beefin now
After all the years we been down
Aint no way no how, this bullshit can't be true
We family and aint a damn thing changed, unless it's you

[Verse 1: Eminem]
So young, so full of life in vibrant side by side wherever you was ridin' i went
So close, almost on some bonnie and clyde shit
When ronnie died you weres right by my side with a sholder to cry on
Tissue to wipe my eyes, and a bucket to catch every tear i cried inside it
You even had the same type of childhood i did
Sometimes i just want to know why is it that you surcame to yours
And mine i survived it, you ran the streets, i 9 to 5'd it
We grew up, grew apart, as time went by us, then i blew up
To both yours and mine surprises
Now i feel the vibe i just cant describe it
As much as your pride tries to hide it
Your cold, you touch its like ice
In your eyes is the look of resenment
I can sense it, and i dont like it

[Chorus]

[Verse 2: Kon Artis]

It was my dream at first to be on spittin a verse
On my own album with a deal but shit got worse
So i came out i woulda killed a nigga first
Before i let him disrespect me and check me over some worste
Some bitch that i wasnt with i would hit her then quit
But you would pull a talk with her and tell her she was the shit
I told you dont get involved in it, you was smokin the chron with her
Comin out of the bar with her stumblin half drunk
Like yall was husband and wife or somethin
But me catchin her fuckin other niggers musta hurt you pride or somethin
Cuz you wont fuck at the mouth with people like you wanted with me
When all i tried to do was show you that your bitch was shifty
And ever since the fans and all the shit that i produced
You actin like i aint you man and lyin like she can't be loose
But i am really you friend, i'm jus trying to tell you the truth
But dont hate the game or the player
Cuz the one that is changing is you

[Chorus]

[Verse 3: Proof]

You're only at the top cuz my homie had to stop
Now we actin like i gotta live only for the block
Homies in the hood only she be on the tube
Only gossip on the porch get to speakin on who
Fools i used to rap with all expect magic
Like my finger get to snappin and *poof* it jus happen
But PROOF is jus actin out the party was stoned
Shady made it so my babys aint starvin at home
See the devil in you grin since the ghetto we been friends
Whenever real intelligence thats forever till the end
I be the hatred in your eyes and the satan in your lives
And wastin my times with these snakes in disguise
(how come) when you talk its with bitter is fight
And (how come) it's my fault for what you did with your life
And everytime i go to hear you and play you look away
We barely embrace, you can't even look me in my face.

[Chorus]

i'm sorry if we've lost touch. it's my fault. i'm not very good at keeping in touch. random meetings, cell phones, email, AIM, Xanga, facebook, etc. help, but more than that, let's get to know and love God and one day we will see each other for the rest of eternity...until let's do our best to keep in touch.

Peace be within you!
Gill

new year, new beginnings...Coffee house #10

2006-08-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Peace be within you!
Gill

pray in faith

2006-06-22T02:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

I just wanted to recap/reiterate what happened yesterday so that everyone can be encouraged to pray more and in faith. I'm not anyone that I should have the privilege to share this. I am only witness to what God is doing.

Yesterday (Wednesday, June 21, 2006), the first grade CFC Summer School classes went to the Urbana Aquatic Center. After about five minutes of play the power started fluctuating until it came to a complete stop. No power meant no water pumps, filters and chemical balancing whatnot machinery which ultimately means no one in the pool.

Of course this situation upset everyone.
The bus has just left and our kids and a few families could no longer play. The lifeguards couldn’t do their job and the teachers would have to entertain the stranded kids until the bus returned to bring us back to Wesley. The rumor was that a power line/pole went down and half of Urbana was without power. After 10 minutes of failed attempts to keep the kids entertained and ourselves sane, Hannah Bai initiates a prayer for the power to come back. She leads the children to pray out loud. As the kids repeat the words, personally I sensed doubt in my wayward heart. I continued to pray with the children and asked for forgiveness quickly for my lack in faith.

The power did not come back and already kids were complaining and asking why the power was still out. What have we done?

(Miss Becky and Miss Hannah's class)

God is good.
"Halleluiah! Amen!" That's what the kids cried as their prayers were answered. The power came back in the midst of singing and dancing first graders. I'm not sure how many minutes passed before the power came back, but it was long enough for most of the families to get tired of waiting, receive their refunds and go home. We closed our mini worship time in a prayer of thankfulness.

Our children were able to play and swim for a good amount of time before it was time to go home and finish another day of summer school.

I am fully convinced that it was the prayers of the pure and faithful hearts of His children that reached and moved God's heart. I am also more convinced now that there is no place for doubt or lack in faith.

May God challenge and strengthen us daily to pray in faith.

(Miss Esther and Mr. Fishie's class)

Peace be within you!
Gill

PS - I shared this challenge in faith and prayer during Bible study and one of my new members confirmed that about 4,000 units in Urbana were without power from that outage.

Chariots of Fire

2006-05-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Chariots of Fire

Blessing story. See quotes from the movie below.

Eric Liddell: I want to compare faith with running a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul.

You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape.
But how long does that last?

So who am I to say "believe" "have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more Permanent but I can only point a way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. Where does the power come from to see the race through its end? From within.

...Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts you truly seek Me you shall ever surely find Me. If you commit yourself to the love of Christ then that is how you run the straight race.

Before Eric Liddell's race he was given a letter:
It says in the Old Book, "He that honors Me 'I will honor.'" Good luck, Jackson Scholz.

Hebrews 12
God Disciplines His Sons
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Eric Liddell: So where does the power come from to see the race through to its end? From within.

more on Eric Liddell? click the pic below.

Peace be within you!
Gill

The Five Love Languages: receiving

2006-03-23T12:34:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

i already knew this, but in case you wanted to know...

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Physical Touch
with a secondary love language being
Quality Time.

Complete set of results

Physical Touch:		12
Quality Time:		8
Acts of Service:		4
Words of Affirmation:		4
Receiving Gifts:		1

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

receiving love language isnt the same as giving, i'll share those later.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

To everyone who's lost someone they love, long before it was their time...cry out to Jesus

2006-03-21T01:55:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

*sorry, my thoughts are out of sort tonight. i just found who two more people passed away recently.

there have been more people passing away around me in the last few months than any other time in my life. though i have not know many of them personally or spiritually, the only comfort for those of us experiencing these times is that there has been some possibility that they have all known God. my hope is that i will see them again in Heaven one day.

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. " Philippians 1:6

i knew Cory since my freshman year at UIUC from Dance 2XS and i agree with everything people have been posting about him on his Xanga (click picture to link to it).

please continue to pray for his family during this time. i know that's what Cory would have wanted and God bless you.

as i was contemplating all the different people, senarios and anything concerning death tonight, this song came up in a timely fashion on the radio and i believe these words are relevant. "To everyone who's lost someone they love, long before it was their time...cry out to Jesus!" (lyrics below)

John 14:5-7

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

Cry Out To Jesus - Third Day (2005)

To everyone who's lost someone they love
long before it was their time.
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye.

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
keepin' you back from your life.
You believe that there's nothing
and there is no one who can make it right.

There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
and love for the broken hearts.
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are.

Cry out to Jesus. Cry out to Jesus.

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
have lost all of their faith in love.
and they've done all they can to make it right again
still it's not enough.

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
you try to give up but you come back again.
Just remember that you're not alone
in your shame and your suffering.

There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
and love for the broken hearts.
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are.

Cry out to Jesus.

When you're lonely and it feels like the whole world is falling on you
you just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus

Cry to Jesus.

To the widow who suffers from being alone,
wipin' the tears from her eyes.
For the children around the world without a home,
say a prayer tonight.

There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
and love for the broken hearts.
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing
that meets you wherever you are.
There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary,
and love for the broken hearts.
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing
that meets you wherever you are.

Cry out to Jesus. Cry out to Jesus.

Cry out to Jesus. Cry out to Jesus

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

back from Taiwan (no Korea) and OIL

2006-01-09T23:04:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

still more pictures to come (click to enlarge)

Taiwan (Dec. 9-29, 2005):

Dad, Grandpa, me and Aleta (housekeeper and nurse for Grandpa) at Hua Tan Church

Aunt (Dad's older sister), Uncle (her husband) and Dad at store in Swe Li

Aunt (Dad's cousin) and me in restaurant in Taipei

giving Kenya presentation at Hua Tan Church

Dad, me and Hua Tan pastors

OIL (Jan. 4-7, 2006):
welcome back to our respective homes hopefully! there's so much i want to say and talk about, but i'll try to keep this brief.

if you've heard, there was a car accident coming back from OIL. here's what i know:
a van going back to Chicago with the CFC caravans crashed. it was a van from Uptown Baptist Church, which is a church near the inner city of Chicago. some people were significantly hurt, but no one went home to the Lord. please pray especially for Anthony Curtis and Jeff Johnson.
Briefly:
-Anthony broke a few bones in his back (one spine and three rib fractures). he will be transfered to Chicago and will probably have a backbrace, which should heal naturally in time.
-Jeff is going to have to have some more surgeries for his face (eye lid, nose and face). his family doesnt have a lot of money, so pray for their finances

CFC:
we will be giving as a church so, if you want to give money, you can write your check out to "CFC" and in the memo line write CLEARLY "For Jeff Johnson, UBC". The check can either be given directly to Miryung Kim or put into the offering plate.
(nonCFC: If you'd like to help Jeff, contact Uptown Baptist Church at 773-784-2922. The deacons are in charge of the benevolence fund, so i think they'll discuss how that might work)

pray for the people in this caravan (click picture for more details)

thank http://www.xanga.com/KennyKimDotCom for picture

i especially like what Pastor Ajith said about suffering; something along the lines of I am willing to pay any price because I know I’m not paying the ultimate price (Jesus dying on the cross).

more on the accident:
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_008091711.html

OIL small group #52 at Arrowhead, keep from getting sick and hold onto the blessings.

top row: Eric and Andrew
middle row: Michael, Esther, me and Jean
bottom row: Sunah, Sooyi, Suzy and Jina
let's keep praying for each other!

here's my post OIL prayer request:
God was able to strengthen and sustain me physically during OIL and to be able to drive all the way to Champaign, IL. i finally got sick during the van ride back from OIL, but was able to get home safely. because i took a lot of time off for my trip to Taiwan and OIL this break, i cant miss much more time from work, so i need more grace and mercy from God physcially the next few days until i get better. i thank God for what He did at OIL and hope that we all remember what we learned about Him.

Great speakers and sermons are great, but remember it's the Word of God that matters. pray that we all remember and check the Truths we heard through the Word.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, Asian Americans in media and Hollywood: this Christian's perspective

2005-12-06T11:54:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

so i'm into movies and as a young adult Christian, i tend to either enjoy them because of their entertainment value or thought promoting value.
when a movie can please me in both those arenas i like to share about them.

so here's the lastest movie i've seen (see my past entries for other good movies; you may have to dig deep into my archives to find them all):

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

this is where i talk about what's in the movie...

this is where i talk about Asian Americans in the media...

this is where i talk about Hollywoood and wrap up with Biblical thinking...

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Winter Break: Taiwan 2K5

2005-11-05T23:43:00.001-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

i will be going to Taiwan this Winter Break from December 8-29...

i will be visiting my extended family. pray that i will be a good witness. especially to my grandfather on my dad's side (he is 95 years old).
click to see (sorry it's so blurry, it's the most recent pic)

i may be visiting Korea during my trip to Asia.

please let me know if you'll be there!

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Praise Night Fall 2K5 (Beloved Failures and The Door)

2005-10-31T00:38:00.000-06:00

Illini Men's Rugby

2005-10-06T01:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

*edit
watch or click here

this is why people think rugby is rough

i think this is a picture of a guy who got knocked out cold from a hit (it was scary, but we prayed for him)

this is how you fight for the ball

jump ball!

can you find me?

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

The Lord of the Rings: Hope and Good

2005-09-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

WHAT are you looking for? WHERE does your HOPE lie?
according to Samwise Gamgee (LOTR) DESPITE all the evil that we encounter we can PERSEVERE: "they kept going because they were holding onto something. that there's some good in this world. and it's worth fighting for".

WHY are we looking for good, but ADDING to the evil?
BE the good we are looking for in the world. HOPE and DO GOOD that we may be the good OTHERS are looking for.

in CHRIST we can find STRENGTH, HOPE and the GOOD we seek, for God is love.
there IS more good than evil in this world because God is good.
GOD IS GOOD!

want a way to HELP the victims of Katrina? besides praying of course.
fresh view, take a look!

keep this date in mind and follow these links. spread the word!
OCTOBER 5, 2005:
click here and dine out in Champaign to help others
or
find a participating restaurant where you are
.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Champaign Early Childhood Center

2005-09-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Now announcing your new teacher assistant for Miss Mary:
ME!

here's my new new workplace!

i am working in a classroom that looks similar to these below:

i will be working with kids that look like this, but they will be real:

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

ABEL 7 2005-2006

2005-09-05T01:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

Say hello to your new ABEL 7 2005-2006 servants!

click to see how we really are!

our latest shinnanigans at Revival 2005 (thank you Dr. Zimmerman for many insights!)

more pictures and prayers needed and coming!

Hebrews 12
God Disciplines His Sons

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]

7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Footnotes:
[a] Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12
[b] Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Kenya '05 testimony: Obed-Edom: A Doorkeeper in the House of My God

2005-07-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

On behalf of everyone who participated, supported and prayed for Kenya ‘05 to the One who made all this possible, thank You for allowing us to participate in what You are doing.

1 Chronicles 13:12-14
David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?" He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had.

Please pray that I would know, love and serve God and that my cup overflows. These were some of my prayer requests before I left for Kenya, Africa and I feel that God has blessed and spoken to me through the life of Obed-Edom while I was in Kenya. Obed-Edom was an Israelite gatekeeper from the division of Koralites during the time of King David, before and after David became king of Israel. What spoke to me through Obed-Edom’s life was that the Bible says he was blessed by God and afterwards, we take notice that he continues to passion to serve God (1 Chronicles 15:17-18, 21 and 24; 1 Chronicles 16:4-6, 38 and 2 Chronicles 25:24).
Psalm 84 For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
My heart was filled by blessings from God in Kenya and I hope my life reflects the growth and passion I see in Obed-Edom. Pray that my cup overflows in the form of faithfulness, love and passion for Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

God blessed me in Kenya, Africa. I had a lot of worries before committing and going to Kenya. I had fears about what I would face physically and spiritually for the five and a half weeks overseas. I am a creature of comfort and from what I had heard about Kenya, it was not the most comfortable place I could visit. Then I heard I had to get vaccinations for some diseases I never even heard of. On top of discomfort and diseases I was also afraid of spiritual challenges I may face.

The weekend before departure was the most anxious I had been in a long time, but I was comforted by God’s Word. My hope was in His promises (Jeremiah 29:11-13). And all thanks be to God for how wonderful the weather, food, people and good health were that I experienced in Kenya.

Spiritually, I saw glimpses of God’s heart for His people in Kenya. I experienced it most in Kwale. The people we met there were mostly Muslim, but when we shared the Gospel, their hearts were open. People of all ages accepted God’s gifts of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. It wasn’t the way we presented or anything we did, but it was the Truth that set them free. Not only did people accept His message, but God showed He would heal their land. The last night in Kwale we had a revival meeting where the church repented and prayed for rain. Literally one second after we ended the meeting, rain poured over us. They have not seen rain like we saw that night for over three years. Praise God!
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land

Not only was I blessed physically and in seeing God’s heart for His people in Kenya, but I was blessed by answers of specific personal prayers. One thing I have been praying about is that God would grow me as a leader. This was because I am noticing different leadership opportunities being presented to me. Even though I have lead in different aspects and situations, I know I lack in leadership and I thought God would answer that prayer while I was in Kenya. Halfway through the trip I was becoming frustrated because I did not think the trip or God would present me with an opportunity to lead anything because of other strong leaders we had on the team. But God showed me! Right away, out of the blue, I was told to lead my first VBS. I was floored by the sharp response and timing. I was a poor emcee and had to repent for a proud selfish heart, but God is good. Throughout the trip God continued to present me with opportunities and lessons that will help me grow despite my deficiencies. What amazing grace!

Kenya ’05 was blessing and I learned a lot. God blessed Obed-Edom, his household and everything he had and it is Obed-Edom’s life afterwards that challenges me now. Obed-Edom’s name shows up multiple times in the book of Chronicles among lists of people who served by worshipping God, even after the ark was removed from his house. Please pray that, whatever God has me do in the future, my heart would be filled and overflow from knowing, loving and serving in the house of my God.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Summer missions Project 2K5 - AFRICA

2005-06-11T02:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

As you may know, I graduated from the U of I in May 2003 and since then I have been working and volunteering around the inner city of Champaign, IL. Almost three years ago, God started me on a journey to see His will for me in my life. Taking education classes and volunteering in an inner city ministry last year as an undergrad helped broaden my scope of God's heart. As time goes on, I become more and more certain that He has called me to work with children and their families. What I am most excited to write about is that I will be going with my campus church on a short-term mission trip to Africa.

God has given me the exciting opportunity to serve Him in Kenya, Africa this summer. Our team will depart on June 13 and return on July 21. We will work closely with a host missionary primarily in the northern rural region near the Ugandan border. We hope to serve the churches through various ministries such as crusades, children's ministry and evangelistic meetings.

God continues to reveal His faithfulness in the lives of His children and His lost ones. I believe that our team has a great opportunity to experience what He is doing, in our lives and the lives of people we serve. As our team prays and goes, my hope is that you and your family specifically would pray for us. This is an incredible opportunity to bless and be a part of God's work this summer. Please consider partnering in this work as I must raise $2700 in support to be able to cover the costs of essentials such as food, shelter, transportation and materials. I thank you in advance for your loving support. I will do my best to keep you updated in my progress and work until I return from Kenya.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

new bike gone and back again!

2005-05-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

26" Mens Schwinn S-2000 from Target is gone:
HAVE YOU SEEN ME?

(not actual bicycle, but similar model, S-25 shown in same colors)

*edit (originally May 11, 2005)
how i found my bike

iBboy81 (8:54:49 PM): actually i guess i can start friday when we have our last campus smp meeting
iBboy81 (8:55:02 PM): cuz during prayer time God gave me proverbs 22:22-23
iBboy81 (8:55:46 PM): do not expliot the poor because they are poor...
iBboy81 (8:55:56 PM): for the Lord will take up their case
iBboy81 (8:56:15 PM): i didnt think i was gonna get my bike back, but i was comforted that God would get my back in any situation
iBboy81 (8:56:25 PM): then i thought about the person who took it and how they needed grace
iBboy81 (8:56:31 PM): so i prayed that God wouldnt take their life
iBboy81 (8:56:41 PM): cuz that's what NASB says
iBboy81 (8:57:01 PM): so anyways, i was okay with it being gone
iBboy81 (8:57:24 PM): then today, on my way to pick up a sg member i thought i saw it then stopped by and checked it out
iBboy81 (8:57:38 PM): it looked like my bike, but i wasnt sure
iBboy81 (8:57:51 PM): then i picked up my sg peeps and we came back together to check it out
iBboy81 (8:57:56 PM): we agreed that we should call the cops
iBboy81 (8:58:12 PM): then right away there was a cop stopped at the intersection we were at
iBboy81 (8:58:21 PM): so john park hailed him down
iBboy81 (8:58:40 PM): he started taking our information and called champaign police since he was state police
iBboy81 (8:58:48 PM): and the guy who was riding my bike comes out
iBboy81 (8:59:04 PM): john park recognized him as someone who did construction at atrium
iBboy81 (8:59:26 PM): his story was that he bought the bike from someone who worked with labor union or something
iBboy81 (8:59:35 PM): the people BARR hires to do construction work
email PAULINE (8:59:40 PM): what the....
email PAULINE (8:59:48 PM): did he really buy it from them?
iBboy81 (8:59:51 PM): and so the police impounded it and asked me to bring proof that it was the bike i bought
iBboy81 (8:59:56 PM): i donno, that's his story
email PAULINE (9:00:04 PM): so did u bring the police proof?
iBboy81 (9:00:12 PM): so i went to dinner with sg peeps and brought my recipts
iBboy81 (9:00:26 PM): they called target where i bought the bike and they confirmed my information
iBboy81 (9:00:35 PM): so they gave me my bike
iBboy81 (9:00:38 PM): it's in my apt now

YAY, praise God!

Proverbs 22:22-23
22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Or crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For the LORD will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

babycar4

2005-04-26T03:06:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

new 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS (not actual vehicle shown, but color and options as shown):

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Carrie Busey Elementary School - Playground Supervisor

2005-02-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

FYI - i recently started working at CBES as a Playground Supervisor. this past week was difficult (something about all the hype and candy that Valentine's Day brings in), and just adjusting to working with elementary kids in itself has challenging, but i am beginning to enjoy it. with how difficult it can get, each day can only get better as i depend on God more. i feel bad for my coworker, cuz it seems to be getting more difficult for her. i have a ton of stories already, and i'm sure i'll have a ton more, but here's one that's heavy on God's heart; which makes it heavy my heart:

i asked for more work at Carrie Busey Elementary School since i only playground supervise 1 hour, but they pay me for 2. they asked me to read with kids in one of the 1st grade classes every morning. here's what happened at the end of my very first reading time:

kid: what's that?
me: 10, for minutes you read with me. you did a good job today!
kid: what about that 2 16?
me: that is today's date, because we read today. February 16th.
kid: oh. my mom gets out in April.
me: what do you mean?
kid: she's been in jail, she gets out in April.
me: (cry!) ...it'll be good to see her again soon huh?

he is in first grade and his teacher says he reads well, but he doesnt read much at home so he isnt confident in his abilities. encourage him a lot.

God, why do you remind me so clearly that i need to die to myself and love You so that they can be loved too? i do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

OIL 2005 and blessings beyond!

2005-01-10T01:38:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus!

i miss my first OIL SG kids!

(boys to girls; left to right, top down)
Gill, James, Jon, Arthur, Nicholas, Tiffany, Sara, Hannah, Connie, Liz and Unice

HP + CP + CC = MI

During the caravan ride back from OIL I realized that...
I am living a life that would please men.
Rather than living a life that pleases God, I steal away by focusing on the fruit.
The outside might look the same, but it's the inside that must change.

Currant Prayer Request:
Pray that God would continue to sanctify me.
Pray that I check my heart; when I realize that my heart is off, I go to God and repent so He can change me.

update (1/15)
God is really doing stuff to my heart.
externally my YMCA kids ask why i'm smiling all the time. i made it to every morning prayer this week. i've been enjoying reading through the Bible. i've been praying and chatting with God a LOT. i've written like a bunch of object lessons/sermons that i'd like to share sometime. i'm home in Chicago now and i enjoy it. i love talking to people about God. God is good.

update (1/25)
i've been back on campus.
still trying to go to MP every morning, reading through the Bible and staying close to God.
CFC small groups start this week. i'm so excited to see everyone and what God has been doing in their lives!

after responding to an email from YooC i wanted to share some of it.
here goes:

(she works at a school in Clinton) two guys i lived with this summer were from Clinton. i think one of them still has family out there, but probably no one you'd run into. i couldnt even ask them cuz they took off without leaving their contact info. one of the guys, Esten (spelling?) seemed very close minded about Christianity when i moved in, even though he said he was open to everything, but i feel like after he got to know me better, he saw something in me that was different (i only say that now cuz he kept saying that all the time, praise God huh? He can use someone like me). we had some good talks this summer, i hope God grows those seeds. i totally forgot about him until i heard you talking about being out there.

as far as work, i'm still working at the YMCA. i've been trying to leave to get into substitute teaching since Oct. 2004 but YMCA hasnt been able to find anyone to replace me. why dont i just leave? if i leave, basically the program ends because it requires someone to drive a bus to pick up students from the Champaign junior high schools. because i no longer have confidence that they will find anyone that wants my job, i decided to look around for a second part-time job in the mornings. i would like to work with kids, so i have put off picking up a random job like bestbuy or walmart. if you hear of any openings in the champaign school district contact me ASAP, that is where my heart is right now.

God has been really working on my heart. He really revealed a lot to me since OIL. here's the gist of it:
1. before i get carried away in doing what i'm supposed to by my own strength/work, i have to repent and have my heart right with God. it may look the same on the outside, but it's the heart that's different.
2. trusting in God's timing. when i was praying about my future, God showed me that i was being selfish and manipulative. once again it was a heart issue. i need to pray and live with Kingdom perspective.

when i check my schedule this semester, already it seems really packed. but i feel confident in what God has planned. something i picked up that Pastor Paul Liu said at OIL, "either you're scheduling your priorities or prioritizing your schedule." because what God is teaching and revealing to me, God is my priorty and He is my strength.

as far as being wise and taking on the right amount of things, i feel like i am good this semester. i could take on more, but i committed this year to spending more time with God and away from distractions. any less and i might leave room for those distractions to come in; it's hard for my heart to let go of myself completely and cling to Jesus. God help me!

more to come...?

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

blog dedicated to ABEL 8 2004-2005 (fall semester)

2004-12-15T01:07:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

What has God been doing in my life this semester?
Teaching me the definition of service.

Mark 10:42-45
42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

We are not of this world. C.S. Lewis writes in his book Mere Christianity, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." King Solomon had it all, wisdom, riches and relationships.

We are His, so we must live. What am I supposed to do? Live in such a way that points to Christ; show the people around me who He is.

How has God used our SG in my life this semester?
Teaching me how to serve. Through Abram, despite my circumstances or what I can do, God does the work. I am grateful to be a part of what He is doing in the lives of our members.

My SG experiences go here…

Genesis 22 The Lord Will Provide
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,
"Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice,
"Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.

Spider-man 2 convictions...

if i had to sum it up, i've been learning to serve and growing a heart to die for my small group ministry.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

late nights at #103 Atrium

2004-12-14T04:04:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

lately i've been staying up, way late. well...actually most of the semester. tonight was no different. my daily schedule is so wack right now. i want to go to bed early and wake up for MP, but it just hasnt been happening. this semester i barely made it to two MPs a week. one of them was required, which makes me sad. i used to go every morning and to all the other prayer meetings. it's not that i equate going to church meetings to holiness or being a good Christian, there's a whole lot more meaning to it all than i want to take time to explain right now.

so tonight i completely rearranged my room. i like it. too bad i dont have a digital camera, i would have taken a before and after. i cant even take an after. so you'll have to come visit me and see. i think the only people who will notice the change are my roommates (apartment mates?) and my servant and coservant. maybe my small group members will notice if they're observant enough, but other than that, not many people have been visiting my room lately. is that a good thing? i admit it, i was a pimp, playa, prostitute, however you want to say it, back in the day. but Jesus redeems! AMEN.

i've been spending a lot of time on xanga and thefacebook lately too. i have more important things to do, but those things keep me so enticed and occupied. maybe i'm building up things to give up for lent. that's terrible! i need to love God NOW. peace and God bless!

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Spider-man 2: convictions of a superhero of Christ (part two)

2004-12-10T05:34:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

click here to see PART ONE here .

[Peter Parker has chosen to live his life. By his own wisdom, he gives up Spider-man because he only sees the hurt people he loves will have to endure knowing the truth. Aunt May rebukes him with the Truth, which points not to our selfish wisdom, but points selflessly to others (Matthew 22:39).]
Aunt May: Kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people; setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero...The one that taught them to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us; that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride. Even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want most. Even our dreams...he needs him.

iBboy81 (1:25:28 PM): i may take a nap
iBboy81 (1:25:36 PM): or watch more spider-man 2
SMILEy PriS sy (1:25:48 PM): haha
SMILEy PriS sy (1:25:53 PM): spiderman 2 is so cheesy
SMILEy PriS sy (1:25:54 PM): omg
SMILEy PriS sy (1:25:56 PM): so corny
SMILEy PriS sy (1:26:06 PM): but a lotta guys like it...so maybe u'll like it too
SMILEy PriS sy (1:26:09 PM): too early for a nap
iBboy81 (1:26:10 PM): no way, dude it's awesome
SMILEy PriS sy (1:26:14 PM): watever
SMILEy PriS sy (1:26:17 PM): SO corny
SMILEy PriS sy (1:26:20 PM): he duzn't say anything
iBboy81 (1:26:30 PM): but the story says a lot
SMILEy PriS sy (1:26:30 PM): like..the script is so fake
iBboy81 (1:26:42 PM): well it is a comic book movie
iBboy81 (1:27:35 PM): the coRniness is worth the parallels it has to the Christian fight
iBboy81 (1:29:19 PM): just look harder into the deeper meaning of things
iBboy81 (1:32:43 PM): doesnt that make you wanna watch it again?
SMILEy PriS sy (1:39:02 PM): the girls says 'i love u" and he says "thank u"
SMILEy PriS sy (1:39:09 PM): it duzn't make any sense
SMILEy PriS sy (1:39:12 PM): watever

MJ: I love you. [Peter can barely hold in his his desire for her love] So here I am, standing in your doorway. I've always been standing in your doorway. [MJ touches Peter's face] Isn't it about time somebody saved your life? [long breath taking pause] Well, say something.
Peter: Thank you, Mary Jane Watson. [they kiss; theme music begins; sirens; look into each others eyes; MJ smiles; Peter pauses]
MJ: Go get them, tiger. [Peter smiles; theme music escalates; exit Spider-man; MJ moves from love to fear]
[MJ rescues Peter. All along, Peter thought he was saving others... ("For God so loved the world...") How can he respond with love without awknowledging who he was? He was selfish and prideful...he was in need of a Savior. Peter's thankfulness shows that realization.]

God really spoke to me the first time i saw this movie. everytime i watch it i see more of God's love, how much He is chasing after us and my desire to fight increases. no wonder this is my first DVD!

if you want to see it, i will prayerfully watch it again with you.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

freeipods? no, free game console!

2004-12-10T01:56:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

http://please click me to help Gill get a game cube. i only need 3 people to fill out 1 item referrals.

or copy and paste this link: http://consoles.prizecube.com/?ref=14960/

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

THE Atrium @thefacebook.com

2004-12-05T05:26:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

if you live at 609 S. Randolph, Champaign, IL 61820, now you can join the John Randolph Atrium group on thefacebook.com. login and join us!

go to this link http://uillinois.thefacebook.com/group_profile.php?gid=4050

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

ABEL THANKSGIVING DINNER

2004-11-16T01:25:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

it was many things...blessing, YUP! PRAISE GOD!!
yummy, MMMMMMMMM...
and hilarium, see for yourself!!

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

babycar3

2004-11-07T08:52:00.000-06:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

my 2002 Hyundai Accent

click here to buy it!

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

babycar2 died 10/19/2004 at 6:49pm

2004-10-21T02:54:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

this blog will be dedicated to the last moment with my babycar2.

some of you may have heard already, but tuesday night roger lin and i were meeting and picking up dinner to eat at my apt when some lady from Chicago pulled out, i'm assuming from some restauraunt because of the area we were in, and bashed into my car.

thank God everyone's okay. roger and i had headaches that same night, but i think we're okay now. there was another witness too. basically she cut him off on the way to hitting me. it wasnt too bad, but i'm pretty sure my car is gonna be totalled by the insurance companies. her car was okay, she insisted on driving back to Chicago that night. her insurance company will probably pay for everything, towing and rental hopefully.

she hit my drivers' side front quarter panel. if i was going a little bit faster, i could have been hit directly, but then again i'm skinney and my car is built pretty solid. if she hit my door my car wouldnt be totalled, but who knows right? all part of God's plan, praise God!

maybe i'll post more pictures later.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

long time no blog

2004-10-11T04:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

i dont know where to begin...

new APT (new furniture, new carpet and some friends)
living at John Randolph Atrium this year. Justin, Lhuda and Vinay are my roommates (though we have separate rooms and bathrooms). we have too much fun together. Atrium is full of CFC members, it's crazy blessing up in here. i hope we become better witnesses to the nonChristians here, in our work places and on campus.

ABEL 8
i am coserving with Mirhee and Jeannie. we have an awesome small group. we have so much fun laughing at each other. i hope we can help each other make God more real and important in our lives.

YMCA
in about a month i'll be leaving to work in the champaign or urbana school district...doing God knows what. i hope whatever i do, that it'll be glorifying to Him. i'm gonna miss the great students Fun PASS brought in this year.

that's all for now.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Chi-KO and TAF

2004-08-09T02:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

Chi-KO = super blessings from God.

click for bigger picture

(from left to right, top to bottom)
Dru (Director), Phil, Phil, Thomas, Gill, Bebe, Andrew, Madeline, Wendy, Jackie, Dan (codirector), Kerrie Ann, Yoko, Chayil, Erin, Pam, Pat & Nicole

TAF love => God's love.

more to come...

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

Spider-man 2: convictions of a superhero in Christ

2004-07-02T00:39:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

why should i convince you to see it? are you gonna have the same convictions from God after seeing it? maybe, maybe not, dont read on. just go see it! enough said.

soldiers in Christ, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11...another way to look at it, superheros in Christ, embrace your supernatural powers "of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

my revolution...how clear the picture of the Christan fight comic book writers create! what other reason is there for "supernatural beings" to have flaws? Christians are in a supernatural battle 24/7. though we have flaws, we have an awesome God in which to trust. our powers are not of ourselves, but a gift that can only come from God.

according to Ben Parker, "With great power comes great responsibility." the woman behind the man, Aunt May, reminds us by always keeping Peter/Spider-man grounded. there's more, but it's so late already.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

CPTPC Retreat 2004 - Ephesians 6:10-24 "Extreme Spiritual Makeover"

2004-06-28T01:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

June 23-27, 2004 was CPTPC retreat 2004 was awesome. how great it is to be totally dependant and blessed by God. i am not worthy, but i am available! more later...

Ephesians 6

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

YMCA Summer Camp bus driver

2004-06-16T00:38:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

YMCA Fun Pass ended the last school week of May and then i was jobless. i knew i could stay at 908 Stoughton #1 'til our subletters moved in. so the plan was to find a job and stay on campus somewhere, somehow. in the midst of Fun Pass ending, i was working with Karen for the YMCA Fun Bus. Fun Bus is a free YMCA on wheels. we bring equipment and sports to the community and run YMCA activities. it can range from a group or class of twenty students, to an entire grade level at a school to an entire school or community. along with Fun Pass, which runs Mon to Thurs, in the last two weeks i helped with Fun Bus Friday and Saturday. the week after Fun Pass, i worked with the Fun Bus on Wed, Thurs and Fri. it was still not going to be consistent work and pay, but i was grateful. in the midst of that i was praying and thinking about what other jobs i could do to stay down in chambana. i know God has something great in store for me here.

that same Friday, June 4th at about 9:30am, i received a call from Andy. i knew that she was in charge of the YMCA's summer camp programs, so i assumed that Chad talked to her about being a substitute bus driver for the summer. but to my surprise, she offered me a permanent position as a YMCA Summer Camp bus driver. i would work consistantly five days a week fulltime. O PRAISE GOD! He totally provided on this one! i was gonna apply at Wal-Mart or some random restaurant, but instead i get to use my limited skills and work with kids. how amazing is that?

now, after a week and a half driving for the Summer Camps, i can kinda see where God wants to use me. all the kids know me by name. thanks to the counselors who treat me like another counselor rather than a bus driver. i can see what God means when he glorifies the humble. i would have been content serving kids as a bus driver, but here i am, being appreciated and included in their lives. i am probably the only staff person this summer that all the kids and counselors know in name. that is so amazing to me. this probably feeds me in many ways, but i just want to serve God in whatever way He has chosen this summer. like i've said before, i dont know exactly where i am going, but i know that right now i'm in the right place, cuz God is in control. if this life was up to me, i'd probably be a businessman somewhere else, making lots of money, growing farther and farther away from this God who loves me. what a privilege it is to know my God wont let me go that easily.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

the ATRIUM

2004-06-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

i have moved to 609 S. Randolph #103, Champaign, IL 61820. it is also known as John Randolph Atrium, or stricty ATRIUM, though there is another Atrium on Lincoln, across from UnicoRn.

i have taken over Dean's (aka Ding Ou) room. the apt is kinda dirty, but i'll work on that, starting with my bathroom. my roommates this summer are Jonathan Choe, who Justin and i were supposed to live with originally, Matt and Estin. i'm excited to have the chance to live with Jon before he leaves campus. we are gonna have tons of fun.

the first full day here we had a huge Dimsum dinner with Catherine Yoon's friend Mo. he's a great cook. we started at 7pm and ate around 12:30am. it was crazy good though. we made a ton of dishes from scratch. it took a long time cuz it was for 8 people. i think dimsum is made to be eaten out, the price to time consumtion we experienced proves this. Pheonix anyone? even better, let's go to HK!

more fun stories later i'm sure...

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

my heart hurts

2004-06-12T01:43:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

i dont want to put this into my words of correct perspective. i said i'd be real here. so here's my raw emotional complaining. dont be stumbled or discouraged. God redeems or corrects in His time ("iBboy81" is me, "Coservant" is a protected identity).

iBboy81 (1:17:25 AM): so, you know i give people rides up to chicago all the time?
iBboy81 (1:17:33 AM): well when i go, during the school year
iBboy81 (1:17:59 AM): and sometimes it's random people
iBboy81 (1:18:08 AM): but since it's CFC or friends of, i'm okay
iBboy81 (1:18:19 AM): apparantly i cant do the same
Coservant (1:19:24 AM): eh?
iBboy81 (1:19:25 AM): she said i was random
iBboy81 (1:19:37 AM): but i thought we served together
Coservant (1:19:42 AM): someone said she can't give u a ride cuz she doesn't know you
iBboy81 (1:19:48 AM): basically
Coservant (1:19:53 AM): mm...
iBboy81 (1:20:51 AM): i donno
iBboy81 (1:21:32 AM): i know the general concerns, but i dont see where that would apply...
iBboy81 (1:21:49 AM): and she talked to someone who knows me?
iBboy81 (1:21:54 AM): and i still got a call about it
iBboy81 (1:22:03 AM): i feel really salty
Coservant (1:22:36 AM): mm..
Coservant (1:22:37 AM): sorry gill
Coservant (1:22:40 AM): =(
Coservant (1:22:45 AM): that's tough
Coservant (1:22:54 AM): i know .. u must feel pretty hurt and offfended ...
Coservant (1:23:24 AM): but ... i don't know~
Coservant (1:23:57 AM): take it for what it is .. and just don't let it affect you too much, ok? just keep trying to find a rid
iBboy81 (1:23:59 AM): i need an older brother to talk to
Coservant (1:24:13 AM): some people .. just ... have a different standard of what they feel comfortable with
iBboy81 (1:24:16 AM): sorry i always dump on you lately
Coservant (1:24:20 AM): and ... not that it's right ... but ..
Coservant (1:24:43 AM): nooo, it's ok!! i really like that you share with me about things ..
Coservant (1:24:49 AM): i'm jsut sorry i'm not helpful tho ..
iBboy81 (1:24:58 AM): whatever, you are
iBboy81 (1:25:13 AM): just dont let it go to your head
iBboy81 (1:25:14 AM): hahah
iBboy81 (1:25:16 AM): jp
Coservant (1:26:25 AM): hahah
Coservant (1:26:29 AM): alright alrighty =P
iBboy81 (1:26:38 AM): i think i'm getting too liberal for cfc undergrad
iBboy81 (1:26:51 AM): i may have to move to career
Coservant (1:27:03 AM): hahah
iBboy81 (1:28:34 AM): my issues have to do with my heart so much lately
iBboy81 (1:28:52 AM): i dont know if moving is the answer
iBboy81 (1:29:01 AM): i mean, it oesnt fix the real issue
Coservant (1:30:16 AM): yup
Coservant (1:30:34 AM): we always wanna run away .. thinking it'll be better or easier somewhere else .. but it never really is
Coservant (1:30:45 AM): cuz at the core it's really all about our heart
iBboy81 (1:31:58 AM): my initial response is, why doesnt everything change for me?
iBboy81 (1:32:14 AM): cuz i'm the center and that'll make me feel better
iBboy81 (1:32:19 AM): so selfish
iBboy81 (1:32:20 AM): ;p
iBboy81 (1:32:49 AM): i need to go to God
iBboy81 (1:33:29 AM): i have too many issues and doubts
iBboy81 (1:33:38 AM): i'll ttyl
Coservant (1:33:48 AM): ok~
Coservant (1:33:51 AM): hang in there gill ...
iBboy81 (1:34:02 AM): you too
Coservant (1:34:12 AM): be honest and real before God .....
iBboy81 (1:34:14 AM): i'll pray for your job search
Coservant (1:34:17 AM): i'll be praying for you ..
Coservant (1:34:18 AM): thanks
Coservant (1:34:22 AM): =)
Coservant (1:34:25 AM): i'll ttyl
iBboy81 (1:34:54 AM): 'nite Coservant
iBboy81 (1:35:01 AM): thank you for listening
Coservant (1:35:13 AM): night. let me know if you need anything .. or need any more help fiding a ride
Coservant (1:35:19 AM): gnight.. bye
Conversation ended at 6/12/04 1:35:22 AM.

i'm such a sensitive little girl...i hate it. grow up, be a man. my heart hurts. dont worry Random, this was just the end cap of the night, not the cake or even frosting. you already said sorry, so that's all good for me. God'll take care of the rest.

sometimes i feel so misunderstood and unloved. no one even wants to take the time to get to know me. what is there to know about me? why do i think i should be loved? what am i worth? the blood on the cross? of course, but it's not by my blood, but the blood that covers me. because of Him i will get through my hurt heart and persevere.

ONLY by His grace and mercy,
Gill

Garden Hills Elementary School/King's Club

2004-06-03T23:24:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

this Tuesday and Wednesday, i spent the school day playing with 1st graders and kindergardeners respectively through the YMCA Fun Bus. OH MY GOSH, they are so cute!

i saw a lot of my King's Club kids there too. most of them are 2nd graders or older, but i had some kindergardeners today. it was good to see them, and they actually recognized me. i made some new friends too, but i'm biast to my kids first. OH I MISS THEM!

seeing them a few times a week, through the program and home visits will leave the deepest of memories with me. it really makes me thing what kind of work/ministry should i persue? i know that where i am now is exactly where God wants me, but how do i figure out where He wants me to be in the future, or how to get there? i feel really slow when it comes to hearing and listening to His voice.

i am so grateful that in the midst of looking for a job and finding direction, God provides me with simple loves and joys. may i continue to live and be a blessing to everyone i encounter. all things in His great timing.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

The Christian hypocrite/Double Motives

2004-05-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

Romans 7
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

without comtemplative "chewing" on verses like this, i'd be left at, "huh?". you know P. Min fasted, prayed and reflected on it. here are some sermons on it. listen to God more carefully. here's one, here's the other.

here's my breif understanding of it.

when God gave the Law through Moses, our Sin was revealed. though we did not know what Sin was until the Law came, we still had it. the Law made us slaves to Sin. because of the Law, we are now accountable to our sins. by the Grace and Mercy of God, through Jesus, we are set apart from our sins and are freed from the Law and along with that, the punishment deserved for Sin. see The Passion of the Christ.

growing Christian or sometimes sinning hypocrite? good desires vs. sinful desires. though we are set apart and freed, are we sinless? did Jesus or does God expect us to become Sin-less in this life?

i only know of One who lived without Sin. everyone before and after Him lived with sin. but because Jesus died for us, we are justified. in justification, we are considered sinless and are adopted into His family. in adoption, we are His perfect children, because of the blood shed by Jesus. in us, He sees Jesus. while we live in this world, we are being sanctified. in sactification, we are becoming more like Jesus here in this world. it is our part to persevere, with the help and strength given through the Holy Spirit.

(post publication addition)
know the phrase "do what i say, not what i do"? i believe this is typically used in the context of hyporites. the response of this hypocrite is that i must make what i say, what Jesus did. Give Him the glory so that despite what i do, what i say points others to the cross.
2:33AM, May 31, 2004

By His Grace and Mercy,
Gill

blog dedicated to JAnette

2004-05-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

because she called me to see how i was doing this weekend, this blog is dedicated to my playmate of the year, miss JAnette (shown below)

she went all the way home to MD/DC a couple weeks ago. i miss her lots. now i'm on campus and almost everyone i know is in Chicagoland or elsewhere.

JAnette and i began hanging out a lot this past semester. she knows me pretty well and feeds my heart well (see This Love-Me Success). we hungout so much that random people in CFC even began coming up to me and asking what was going on. i assure you, we are good friends. just cuz i have many more female friends than males doesnt make me a playa or pimp. hate the sin, not the sinner. besides, i'm just me. coming from where i wanted to go, going to where God wants me to be. if you knew me, you would love me. just playin', i'm so terrible! ;p thanks for caring!

here she is back home with a new sensual haircut, showing off fashionable lunchboxes
(click to see her blogger):

anyways, we visited my hometown/Chicago and her hometown/DC, which i've never been. i donno why spending time with girls is considered taboo in our church culture, but i still love CFC. just gotta play the wise old man role i guess. if my life offends you, look at the offense of the cross. man, i just plank-eyed you. lemme get that piece of dust outta your eye with my elbow.

love God more, Gill.

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

40 days of fasting

2004-05-22T02:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

i will fast from tv. well except for basketball. because it helps me chat with nonChristians at IMPE. anyways, here's why...for lent i fasted from all types of Law and Order. believe you me, that was tough. it's my favorite show. there's lots of drama and a feeling of compensation and closure at the end. none of the relational drama i know about.

anyways, being summer and kinda bored down here in the apt alone, i've taken up a lot of television watching. so now i will fast for...forty days. i hope i have the right heart in doing this. in place of TV i will read, read and read. cuz i dont read much. i will still watch movies if it means i'll be spending time with people and building relationships for God's glory. basically, i'm fasting from wasting time, letting TV fill me unhealthily.

i will break fast after June 30th, so we'll see where i'm at July 1st. God help me!

By His grace and mercy,
Gill

YMCA Fun Pass

2004-05-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

hi friends,

soon after finding an apartment with two faithful Christian brothers (Chris and Aurum), God provided for me a job at the YMCA. i began helping as a temporary bus driver for the program. as time went on i became a more regular bus driver and helper for the program. second semester, the person i was helping left and i took over as Coordinator.

in addition to the responsibilities i had before, as Coordinator of the Fun Pass program, i had to plan monthly activities, update families with what was going on and take on full responsibility of the students and program. as i took over, a rapid growth in attendance occurred. this was worrisome and stressing for me. the majority of the students were first time Fun Passers, as i was, so we had to get used to one another. though there was only one of me, there were days where i had to take charge of 20+ junior high students. but i can testify that God is good and has taught me a great deal through this experience.

as the school year comes to a close for my students and me, there is a dwindling of attendance. part of the reason is the warming weather and the disciplinary problems some students have, at school/home, with parents.

i am now debating if i will return as Coordinator or just come in as an assistant. i want to stay in these students' lives, but i also want to choose where God wants me to be. i havent seen fruit of change of heart, but i feel confident that God has placed me there for a reason. i just want to share God's love for these students. i feel convicted that many people dont see that love without the committment behind it.

we must live consistant, Christ-like lives.

Gill

Summer Session 1

2004-05-20T08:06:00.000-05:00

i feel very displaced right now. i havent gone to morning prayer since last week. i just wake up, eat, get ready for work, work, come back to the apt to eat and watch tv, take care of pookie, then talk on AIM till it's too late and repeat.

i've been experiencing a lot about double-motives. whether it is brought up by someone or comes from something i read or listen to. what is God trying to teach me? i know i need discipline and even ask for it on occasion. why does God love me so much? i want to get myself out of this slump, i dont like it at all. i feel distant from people and God. but the true answer is...

i need God. only by the grace and mercy of God. go to the cross!

This LOVE-ME Success

2004-05-16T23:57:00.000-05:00

for those of you who stumble across here randomly, this may or may not make sense. the senior pastor at my church here at school, CFC (covenant fellowship church), pastor min, wrote his doctoral thesis on the heart motives of people.

this may not be totally precise, i still have a lot to learn about heart motives. basically, every person has one major heart motive, but there are different layers and minor(s). your layer determines how your major reacts. your minors are the other heart motives that come out, but your major is the basis of why you do the things you do. your heart motive, layers and minor(s) are what makes people different. with a better understanding, you too can redeem your heart and love God more.

there are four heart motives; love-me, like-me, respect-me and perfect-me. then you have success and failure layers. everyone has one heart motive and is in one of the layers, but in different situations and with different people, other layers or minor(s) will surface.

click it to learn a little more about heart motives.

now on to me...remember, this is me, not love-me successes in general. my minors may show through this paper.

This LOVE-ME Success

DEFINITION

This love-me success honestly believes that if you do not love me then you do not really know me. To know me better is to love me more. God so loved the world...Jesus loves me, therefore you should love me. That is the sinfulness of this heart, that I would replace God with myself.

RELATIONSHIPS

People who talk to me and spend time with me consistently, feed me. I am also fed by constant and consistent pursuing from anyone (do not worry, I am trying to repent and redeem this grossness).

Because I am selfish, I think I deserve to be loved. The time and/or priority someone gives me shows they love me, which shows they know me. If someone doesn’t take the time to get to know me, my selfishness tells me that they can at least like-me, respect-me or perfect-me.

CHOSEN ONES

Because of my selfishness, people are in concentric layers (circular levels with a common center) in relation to me. This is not to be confused with heart motive layers.

Chosen ones are people who have "passed" my testing process. They are in my inner most layer. This may have taken many years to come to fruition. Potentials are in process of testing. They may be determined at meeting, or after passing a few general tests. Close friends and aquaintancees may be potentials. Potentials are non-chosen ones as are everyone else.

My family does not seem to be my chosen ones. To me, they are required to love me, so their love is not as genuine, though I know it is. I have few close friends whom I consider chosen ones. With my chosen ones, I desire to spend more time with them. I am not afraid to chase after them, though they may reject me infinite times. With potentials or non-chosen ones, there is a testing period. After a few missed meetings/unreturned calls, I am turned away. Generally, I am testing everyone, I have many potentials. I tend to seek out or settle for relationships when I am not getting fed. My currant SG members may become my chosen ones for a short period of time, but basically they are potentials. They just get a head start on everyone else because I have a predisposition to love them.

SITUATIONS

I do not get fed by casual nods/handshakes in a large crowd situation. I would rather have a chosen one come to me and spend time with me. I think it makes me feel loved or show my lovability.

The 'This is Me' Blog

2004-05-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

i may or may not post my personal, random, truthful, thoughts. beware, they may be harse, random, God fearing, God fearless, long and or otherwise disorganized. i may or may not make this one public.

personal statement for Teaching Assistants-Early Childhood Summer Session 2004

2004-05-01T01:18:00.000-05:00

1. Please explain how your past personal and professional experience make you a quality candidate for the position for which you are applying.

I believe I am a qualified candidate for the teaching assistant opening for early childhood summer session at Washington. Though I have not decided which teaching certificate to attain, I am convicted to pursue teaching opportunities. These convictions began to formulate after my summer job, teaching English in Taiwan (The Silent Teaching Center 2002). In the fall of 2002, I took education classes at UIUC and volunteered at King’s Club International. By the New Year, I was fully committed and am still pursuing different teaching opportunities. I want to assist at Washington because it would give me experience with early childhood students in the classroom setting.

Being born in Taiwan, but raised in America, I jumped on the opportunity to teach what I learned to students at The Silent Teaching Center. For two months I taught three intermediate level ESL classes with students ranging from 8 years of to high school aged. More than learning the routine and developing classroom material, I learned a passion for my students to come to class and take something away that is useful. I am still passionate for that.

When I came back in the fall, having completed almost all of my required business classes, I decided to take some education classes to further develop my teaching and understanding for any of my future students. I enjoyed the classes and genuinely felt like I was learning. At the same time, I wanted to continue to work with children, so I signed up to volunteer with King’s Club International. Coming from a predominately upper-middle class family living in suburban chicagoland, I had to adjust to the differences in race and socioeconomic status of the families we served. It was through this ministry that I gained a love and compassion for inner city children and their families. It is through these experiences that I continue to be committed to kids as a whole, to actively make a difference in their lives.

I am currently employed at the YMCA as the Fun Pass Coordinator. The Fun Pass program is an after school program for junior high students in Champaign County. The goal of this outreach is to give lower income families a place to send their children to have safe and active fun. I began as a temporary bus driver who helped out with the program, but after a semester of commitment to the students, I was offered the coordinator position. There was no transition period from my previous coordinator to myself coordinating, so I quickly had to learn to discipline these students while adjusting to their level in order to reach out to them. In the midst of that, we experienced a rapid growth in attendance as students learned of the program. I continue to run the program with very few, if any volunteers, all the while planning field trips and activities for discontent, complaining junior high students. Though some days are very difficult, I am committed to them, knowing that I may be their only positive interaction for any given day or even week.

I know that anyone can love young children, and I do, but I think I can give more to Washington. Based on my past experiences, I have learned and adjusted for my students. I am fully committed to their lives and learning, even when it is difficult to love them. I am learning that being a teacher means you serve and are no longer being served.