Service with a capital S.

(Well actually I think my mom had said "Service with a capital service," but anyway...technicalities...)

My mom was was telling me about her thoughts about service and love, and how she could notice the difference in the way people serve in preparing food for memorial services. She could clearly see the love one woman felt in even laying out the cheese on a plate - in thoughtfully adding a clump of grapes as a special touch. Even in adding a clump of grapes! Indeed, no deed is too small that we can't do it out of love. Even if we can't feel love for others in doing things such as adding grapes to plates, we can think of doing it for God. He sees even when no one else does. And He's all who matters.

The Racing Mind

What's the matter with my iPod shuffle? C'mon...don't fail me now....whew...it works. So many people...so far from the start line...what? It's time to go? Why are we still standing here? Are you running? Yeah, they might finish before we start. Finally the pack starts to budge. Little by little. Starting line. Crossed. Okay. Energy levels are high. Weaving time. In-n-out. Okay. Shed clothing on the street. Anyone need a sweatshirt or gloves? ... Anyone ever thought of shopping at a marathon for new clothes? Cool! How often does someone get to run on I-90?! Walkers seem to be on the right-hand side. Full marathoners left. Half marathoners right. Good. No way that could be any more clear. You're on my heart, just like a tattoo... Nice weather. Nice views. Wandering eyes soak in the beauty. When to take water, when to pass. Let it pass this time since they're way over there on the right-hand side. Wipe the nose. Adjust the hat bill. That's okay that my hat doesn't at all match my marigold runner shirt underneath my humongo jacket. Seattle is so beautiful! Upward I look and see Him there, who made an end of all my sin...to look on Him and pardon me... Oh man. Now people are passing me like crazy...they know how to pace themselves. Need to practice hilly runs and pacing. Set aside the cloud of witnesses. Take a little water. Bump. Sorry. Toss the cup. Keep going. Random people cheering at random places. Any familiar faces? No. Always with Liz. Who's Liz? ... her heart still beats inside... Where is the love?...One earphone out to catch the time. Okay, time to push it. GO! Lift those legs! Take it smooth and strong...Wow, gummy worms. Pass. You are yesterday, you will always be... Everything's gonna be alright... Alleluuuuuia....ALLELUUUUIA...Praise the one, risen Son of GOD!! Keep going. Okay, some more water. Keep it up. Last 3 miles? Push it! Up the trail. Various cars waiting. How long do they have to wait? Hopefully they aren't driving anyone to the hospital. Almost there. Space needle in sight. What? Going uphill again? Where's Memorial Stadium? 1/2 mile left. Next, next, next. Song search time. Police cars blocking off a street. Keep going. Anyone I know watching me? No. Okay, time to turn the music off...Fast forward a bit --> Wow, how cool is this? Running into a stadium, spectators all lined up looking for their loved ones. Go, go, go...02:19:34.8. Oh...there are my parents and Anne...I'm done. Certainly not my goal time, but, I'm done. And I exceeded my goal with the fund-raising for World Vision...THANK YOU, if any supporter is reading this...



*Note #1: The results for me ended up to be: 2:15:35.2 (chip time) and 2:19:34.8 (offtime)


*Note #2: In this recreation, while some of this might be truly what I was thinking, feeling, saying, doing, seeing or hearing, some stuff likely does not truly reflect my thoughts at the time and might not be 100% accurate...

edit: 1/27/08

Pre-Race Reflection II

So my guess is that tomorrow's race will be doable, if I don't start out too fast, and if the hills don't kill me. A few months ago I felt that even the 1/2 would be a stretch for me, but as of now I'm feeling that it will probably be doable. Maybe I'll change my mind tomorrow :). I think I can even say that I like running now.

Anyway, life application time :). If there are life tasks that at first seem really daunting & haunting, I suppose it's possible that as I gain confidence and drive to tackle them with training and endurance build-up (through Christ's strength), the dread will lessen. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point of enjoying those tasks, but who knows, maybe I'll be able to find some sort of joy in even doing the undesirable, even if not through the task itself...

We'll see how well I enjoy the 'grading/class prep marathon' that I'll be coming home to tomorrow...

Adoption Story Videoclip

Here's a neat videoclip I found of an adoption of an Iraqi orphan by an American in the military:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2007/07/06/cnn.heroes.scott.southworth.cnn

Pre-Race Reflection

So on Sunday I'll be running my first half-marathon race. My friend will also be running it, and in an e-mail update of hers, she wrote the following (boldness added) about the marathon moments of life:

"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." (Hebrews 12:1) Later on in the same chapter, the author says, "no 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." Hmmm…sounds like this guy has run a marathon before. Well, perhaps not, but he sure knew that life could feel like a marathon at times. [...] Just when we think we can't go any further, our bodies are tired, our legs are weak, and our mind is about to wander off the edge, our Heavenly Father comes and refreshes us, strengthens us, and even carries us. But it isn't without pushing us a little, encouraging us to keep going despite the pain, despite the difficulty, knowing we still have more in us, knowing our potential, knowing more about us then even we know.

Notice that part..."But it isn't without pushing us a little"...Yeah...sometimes we do get stretched...perhaps this could be compared to a pre-run stretch, warming us up for the big race ahead. Just a little prep work.

I guess right now I feel like there's this unobtainable *"takane no hana" I want to reach out and grab. I often desire to do the 'big' ... but what about jumping over the everyday hurdles and incorporating invisible service into daily life? I am not striving to honor God in all my waking moments. While I desire to become significantly more disciplined and skilled at life management, I can't really just push a green 'go' button and turn into Ms. Merry Management overnight. I need to put in some effort. Step-by-step, hill-by-hill, (and water station by water station with God's refreshment and strength!), maybe I'll make it around the bend and fly like an eagle if through waiting for the Lord my strength is renewed (Isaiah 40:31).



*according to my Japanese idiom book, "takane no hana" means "flower on a high peak", and refers to "unrealizable desire, an unobtainable object, something out of one's reach"

"Depth" & What really matters...?

In parts of a response to the post at http://www.boundlessline.org/2007/11/balancing-act.html, someone wrote:

One big attraction of legalism is that it allows people to set aside the complicated and uncomfortable process of examining their own hearts and motivations in order to debate externals, while still maintaining the appearance of caring deeply and intelligently about an issue. It can be easier to put in many hours at complicated scripture exegesis than it is to take just a few minutes to ask yourself, "what are my real motivations for doing what I do?".

and also:

it's just good to be aware of one's main motivations. Too often, legalistic debate is mostly about escapism and a need for simplicity.

It's interesting to think that some may consider legalistic debate as a kind of escape. Perhaps desiring to think deeply could also be a surface way of escape. While thinking "deeply" could be a productive pastime, perhaps often the motivations are not pure. While reflecting deeply, what other type of activity might be being neglected as a result? Am I being lazy about taking care of other business that should be taken care of? Even though pondering about life and faith is fun, how do I act in my day-to-day life? Am I honoring God when I'm alone? Am I loving others in ways I ought? Even though I want to grow and become a person of more depth and understanding about the things of God, I should strive for holiness in more holistic ways...

Footprints of faith...

You just don't always know others' feelings and impressions of you. Seems that even just who we are, what we don't say, and little chunks of what we do say work together in shaping these opinions. One of the things that make me tick are life interactions, and I'm just encouraged by one woman's words today...

Earlier on, when still at work, a co-worker basically expressed some disappointment at my leaving to work at another community college next quarter. My only work experience at my current workplace is in the Summer of 06 and this current work quarter. Later on, I gave her a ride to Seattle, dropping her off at a QFC. She said something like this to me, "It's nice that you don't talk about God being terrible. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one (at work) who's conservative..." I'm not sure if she's of any religous background or 100% conservative. I don't think people at work explicitly say God is terrible. I don't think I've ever brought up my political beliefs at work, but I may have talked about my involvement with a children's thing at church when she was in the room. I think another co-worker (one who goes to church) may have learned I went to church through this co-worker.

I'm not too chatty at work. I often keep quiet. Occasionally a 'faith footprint' might slip out, and it's quite possible she may have heard but one.

Should I be really happy, hopeful and satisfied when situations like this come up, or through them should I be inspired to strive to be more free and intentional with the release of faith footprints...?

Cultural Connections -- the Gospel

So for a journal assignment, my students were to write about one or more of the following topics: superstitions, beliefs, ghosts, the supernatural, cultural “taboos”, etc.

Check out an excerpt from one guy's paper (which he posted on Blackboard):

In my country, there are some stories about ghost, too. Especially in my city, there was a story about the ghost with no head. Every night, it comes out and kidnaps children to eat. No one has power to go against him until a special child was born. His name is Thach. He is the son of the god. He has a super power. He didn’t say any word until he is 3 years old. Then, he grew up very fast and became a strong man. He came out and killed the Ghost. After he killed it, he went to the top of the Hai Son mountain and flew up to the sky.

Wow, huh? Somehow, it reminds me of the story of salvation in a remote way. Jesus, is the Son of God. He came to earth as a special child (of course fully God at the same time). After he defeated death, he went up to heaven...In my response to this particular student's entry, though, I didn't mention how it reminded me of my faith.

I HOPE someone will be caused to think about God, or somehow be drawn to God, the true God, even through this excerpt...or through other journal entries, my comments, or my sample journal entry. Granted it might be a stretch, but God is all-powerful and could work even through something in connection with this if it is His will.

You never know...

Paul declared the true God to a people who had the appearances of being religious and who had "...an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.'..." (Acts 17:23)

I didn't declare who God was in my response, but hopefully someone will, or hopefully he'll read my sample entry where I mentioned my "Christian faith" (though I didn't explain salvation) and possibly pause to consider God.

I don't know, God, but, in some way will You please use (if you haven't yet) this assignment to Your glory? Thank you...

A moment-by-moment eternal perspective

It's much easier to think eternally or view interactions and life happenings from a perspective of faith when we aren't in the 'heat of the moment'.

It would be wonderful if the eternal perspective could always be present like oxygen rather than reflected upon only at certain times.

Reminds me of the present perfect progressive vs. the present perfect, in a remote sort of way (always thinking eternally vs only thinking eternally at certain times).

(Yeah, so after school a student came into the office and I tried to help her understand the present perfect progressive vs. the present perfect tense. [example of ppp: have been watching; example of pp: have watched]).

Every move you make...

A co-worker of mine respectully conveyed the idea that a student walked some distance to open or push the button for a door for someone. He seemed to have gained respect, or a higher degree of respect, for that student.

You never know who might be watching...we do know GOD is always watching...

Clicking out of Cliques

Cliques aren't limited to the youth. But what comprises a clique anyway? Just people who connect tending to talk to one another more often than others? Isn't it natural to be drawn and feel closer to those with whom you connect and feel comfortable? Still, it would be good if we could find enjoyment in hanging out with acquaintances with whom we might not feel as close a connection. How can we enjoy this more and feel more comfortable partially or fully outside our closer circles? Maybe by taking the feelings of others into consideration, realizing the value of 'practicing' the life skill of graciously discovering and interacting with people of varying personalities, and realizing that God may be working through those interactions...