Vertically Rising

Lol, most of you who read this have no idea to what that title in green letters means. =P It’s a guitar! hehe, big surprise right? Well I was at guitar center today picking up some Hot Rods (drum sticks) for the youth dept. and I stopped into the acoustic guitar room for abit. Now this Chet Atkins technically isn’t an acoustic guitar…but sorta is. It’s a hollow-body, meaning that the inside is hollow (erm…duh). It has no sound hole, and holes up against feedback very well. Two very good rythm guitarist play these, and man, it’s a nice guitar! (oh, the two guitarist who play them are David Crowder, and Dave Matthews, heh, each respectively hold there own in the music worlds). =P
Anyways, the Chet that I saw was on sale for 899$ because it was used. Wow, it was nice, a nice sunburst finish, that I’ve only seen on a few Chets (David Crowder has one with a sunburst finish). It had a few small dings in it, but man, it was still nice. The strings stunk on it though, very old. I was talking to the clerk and he said that it would be released to sell in 5 days (in used equipment, they hold on to it for 30 days for police check). I could put it on layaway, but it would be 250$ down, and I would have 30 days. Hrm….could be a challenge….hehe, wonder if I should do it, haha.

current mood: listless

I woke up this morning, and it was nice and OVERCAST!!! Whooo!! I was getting tired of being around in 90 degree heat all day. It’s great to finally be cold in the house when I’m just sitting here, hehehe. Ok, that’s all, hah.

Service went well today. We did a lot of songs though, hah, and I had to practice them all right before service during worship practice (I knew all of the, but not sure if I played all of them before). Pastor Kevin had a very good message today on being Obediant to God. I felt like he was going to do a Altar call, but was sorta surprised that he didn’t (he did ask for some hands for people that struggled with being obediant to Him). After service I had a bunch of papers I had to print up, but the computers were all acting funny, hah. Pastor Sandra had me print and deliver some papers for her while she was away, so I needed to get them out before the meeting next week. Found out the HS class had no teacher today, but I couldn’t go in and do anything since I needed to get those papers done, heh. Tim stepped in and talked about camp and hung out with them and stuff though, so it was alright.
After church we went over to Lisa Chui’s house. Hung out, played ping pong (and some CRAZY round robin style ping pong) ate pizza, and just hung out pretty much, hah. Oh and played mah-jongg. Grrr, man, I was so dumb playing mah-jongg today!! I falsely declared, not only once, but TWICE!!! aiya, so horrible.

At 5:30 at church we had a potluck dinner thing as a goodbye party for Pastor Valerie. Pastor Val was our children’s pastor at our church for about 4 years now, been awhile. It was a good gathering with fun and food, and friends. 3 Fs, whooo. hehe. A few of the kids were playing around with me left and right. Pastor Kevin has the cutest kids though, they go in the order of Matthew, Nicholas, Andrew, and Cameron. Cute kids, hehe. Nick and Sara Chin were messing around with me when I was sitting there and eating. =P

I felt bad today as I was around the 280/380 intersection. It was then that I realized how easy it was for me to find parking at church, when it took Lisa Lau like 10 times around the block before she gave up and just parked in the church parking lot. I remembered that I prayed for parking right as I was in the park coming over to Fulton, but I never gave God thanks for the space once I had it. Blah, thanked Him there for it though. =) God is good, through even the little things like praying for parking spaces.

current mood: sleepy

Well Pat and Erik came over late on Thursday night, erm, wait, I just read that I posted about that already….ok. Well the beach was cool, but REALLY cold, haha. We met at Janet’s place and then headed out to Baker Beach over by 25th Avenue. We played some Boggle out there on the beach and hung out only for about a half hour until some of us had to get to church for Prayer and Worship Practice. Lisa’s car went out to eat (forgot where) before worship. Friday’s service went well. Janet led games by doing that game “Bitty Bitty Bop” hahaha. It was slow at first, until everyone understood it and got into it. Justin spoke tonite and I think it went really well. He spoke about how we serve an Inconvienant God, ie, we only make time for God, under our conditions, and how it seems inconvienant for us to make time for Him. During prayer, I felt the urge to say something in a matter of encouragement, but also so that God would do a work in people, but Justin went up and said something else, so I didn’t get a chance to. I hope that even though I felt like I was supposed to say something, but didn’t, that God wasn’t mad at me for not saying it or something. Just as I felt like God was telling me to say it, Justin went up, so I decided to leave it be, since he sort of went off in a different direction of praying. *shrug* I dunno.
Afterwards a few of us (well just Lisa’s car load and mine) went off to Crepevine over in Sunset. It was a fun time to just hang out, and Mike Misland also came out with us to eat. During eating, Justin noticed someone else in the restaurant and it was some guy named Jaime (I think) that was on the New Orleans edition of The Real World on MTV. I (and most others of us) had no idea who he was, since we don’t have cable, but Lisa Chui went crazy, and screamed, and caused a lot of attention in the restaurant. It was pretty funny. We talked to him for like a minute, and then just let him be. Lisa Lau left to drop off Janet, and later she called me because of a strange situation that Janet was in, which I won’t really go into, but we prayed for her as we sat there.

Today a bunch of us guys had a get together and went out to watch “The Fast and the Furious”. It was a pretty interesting movie, and I think most of the people were cast pretty well, but it could have used a few more race scenes, and maybe a lil less plot. I was going in expecting a really fun, action packed, race movie, and really just wanted to go in and be entertained, but it was a lot of plot in a small movie like that. *shrug* Afterwards, we all went to my house and then dropped Justin off and the rest of us (Joe, Gordo, Eric and I) went to Mel’s Drive-In to eat, then went home.

I’m currently watching the Simpson’s Movie Marathon =P It’s pretty cool. The Simpsons is a great show, and I’m always surprised to hear how the people do so many of the voices of different characters. Check www.imdb.com sometime to check out who does what voices (just type Simpsons into the search part).

That’s about it for now. I have worship practice early tommorrow, and I forgot my shoes again! oh no, oh well….I’ll just have to keep remembering to bring them.

current mood: bouncy

Erm, sorry, I watched Chasing Amy yesterday (psycho weird flick), but still kinda interesting, but not as good as Kevin Smith’s other films (Clerks, Mallrats, and Dogma, thou I disliked Dogma). Anyways, Pat and Erik came over last night after being in a chatroom and saying for them to come down, hah. We just hung out and played guitar and jammed and stuff. Supposed to head up to SF in a little bit and do some beach hang out thing when we meet at Janet’s. Should be interesting. Justin’s speaking for YouthQuake today, he should do well. =)

Well yesterday it was Elisa’s birthday. Didn’t do all that much, but it was enjoyable. I met up with her at her place at like 1:45 (was early by 15 minutes, oh well), and we went to stonestown to do some shopping and to return something. I had told Janet and Justin I would be going to stonestown earlier, so I tried giving them a call, but Janet’s phone wasn’t on or they were swimming or something. Later on when we were in Illuminations, Justin called, but we never met up. They just went shopping and we did too. Elisa was looking for some new purse thingy and kept looking at shoes. How many shoes do girls really need? Oh, forgot a cool fact, I bought a cool candle at Illuminations! It’s a scented candle that smells like Pear!! whooooooo. Great smell. Ahhhhhh. Ok, anyways, after Stonestown, we headed to irving street so she could get a hair cut, while I just sat there, haha. Then we met up with her bf Andy at the golf course they both worked at last summer. We did 3 holes on the course, but we were so bad and holding up other players from putting, so we just went to the driving range, and hit balls till 7:30. We met up at Elisa’s church to go to dinner, but it was actually a surprise thing we had dinner there with stuff from Pasta Pamodoro. Goooood food, even better Garlic bread. It got late (well, I was just really tired) and headed home at 9:30, and it took me like an hour to get home, but strangely I was really awake, and listened to Jars of Clay the whole way down. Sang along and hit most of the notes too, whooo.
I figured out this morning that I can hit notes better for singing after I’ve been active or talking most of the day, because it works out my vocal chords. So days like today, where I just sit on the computer, it doesn’t do much for my singing voice, blah. =P

Also, just wanted to have a update on the adventures of Josh McNiel and a Frogs Life. He has a very cool, readable tv-movie plot of his life on his web site as the Season Finale he’s been working on so much. You did a great job Joe, I loved it! =P “I wish I could read it in the bathroom!” hahahah. Check it out at www.frogslife.net

current mood: weird

Well I don’t have to explain yesterday too much, since I didn’t do much, hehe. Today my plans are with an old friend, cuz it’s her birthday! =P I’m driving up to SF for today and celebrating Elisa’s 21st birthday (and supposedly she wants me to be the designated driver…uh oh). Blah, she told me she wanted to buy some drinks since it was her 21st birthday, whatever. Looks like I may be up in SF the whole day, hopefully it won’t be too late and I’ll be able to get back down to SJ at a reasonable hour.

Ya know… Friends are really great. God has really blessed me with people who do care about me and who are totally willing to pray for me. Praise the Lord! I’ve poured my heart out to a few people today (well yesterday) and they’re all praying for me, awesome aint it? Anyways, just thought I’d share that.

current mood: content

Psalm 24:3-6
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Well, today things were really interesting…But good overall. After a long conversation with a friend, that person really spoke truth into my life. They told me how I wasn’t living right with God, and though it was really really hard to hear it, and even harder to take it, because I knew that it was true. I had to come to grips with myself, and realize that I wasn’t where I’m supposed to be with God. I’m off on the wrong trail, and awhile off from camp. The roads all looked the same, but they weren’t. In each direction I looked, I thought I was doing the right thing, but I really wasn’t. So anyways….in the mist of all that, I had a good talk with God today. I let out all my regrets, all my sadness, all my shame that I wasn’t close to Him, but that I wanted to be. I’m walking on the right path now, it’s a slow journey, but I’m on it again…
Thanks to that special friend who means a lot to me.

current mood: refreshed

Whooo, another weekend update. And some nice juicy stuff to talk about, hahaha.

Friday was a cool day. I didn’t do much, but it was still good. At Youth Group we had an announcement of a new Youth Pastor for the English congregation, and it was none other than our homegrown PK girl, Pastor Sandra Lim. It’ll be a good time for Sandra to grow and for us to learn under her and be challenged by what God has put on her heart. That was pretty much friday, oh, and the spontaneous time of worship we had afterwards that went on for awhile, but it was really cool, hehe. =) We didn’t leave until around 10:30! Geez!

Saturday was loads of fun again. Almost like a barrel full of monkeys. It started out with taking Justin and Ango to the DMV (and Lisa came along too to hang out). Justin and Ango had to get their permits, cuz Justin’s expired, and Ango needs one. So off we went, but as soon as we got there, Ango didn’t have her slips she needed. We had to drive back to the Lau’s, then back to the DMV, haha. So we waited around a little bit before Justin and Ango went in to take their test, and it took SOOOOOO long of waiting (oh the reason I had to go was because I needed a front license plate after being pulled over the weekend before, but unfortunately they weren’t doing license plate things today, ARGH). So anyways, we sat around for awhile, and Justin and Ango finally took their test, and both passed. I’m 4 for 4! whoohoo
Anyways, afterwards, we went to my house to make cookies! (Since if you read my journal a lot, or were there on Thursday, we didn’t make them on Thursday, so this was to make up for it, whee ) So we made cookies, Chocolate chip (my favorite) and Oatmeal raisin walnut cookies. Yum Yum. Oh, and Lemon Squares. We didn’t eat many there, and brought them over to Sara’s place where we had a college games night kinda thing. It was fun, but we had waaaay too much food. I ate until I was stuffed. They played some funny game called something like “Gab It Up” where it sounds like you speak chineglish or ebonics and you have to realize what phrase you’re saying. Then we played Taboo, guys verses girls, and after a long battle, the guys won, but only by 2. The girls played a VERY good game! (I really mean it! You better not beat me up Lisa! haha).

Sunday, wow, today, Erm…wait, now it’s monday, doh. Thought I would get to do an update on Sunday, but oh well. ANYWAYS, Sunday was slightly long, since it was Father’s Day! It was another Joint service and the Chinese worship team led worship and we were priviledge to have Pastor Lim speak today. Also today was the installation of the new senior pastor, Pastor Au-Yueng. It was very nice and touching. After service 8 of us (Reese, Justin, Gordo, Eric, Tiff, Michelle, and Janet) went to Red Robins, and spent a bundle on lunch, blah. I dropped of Janet, and while on the way, Lisa and Ango called to ask us to hang out, so we went over to there place for a lil and watched The Watcher, and looked as some old family pics of Lisa, Ango, and their brother Lawrance, hehe. Man, kid pictures are so cute! Haha, I love looking at them. I had to get home by 6:30 to go out with my Parents, brother, and Paw-paw for Father’s Day. We went to some crazy frence restaurant that plays movies on a big wall on 21st and Mission. It was pretty interesting, and had some good food (omigosh, the BEST filiot Minget I’ve EVER had. DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL). So good. After Dinner I just jammed on home back to San Jose, wheee. Long weekend. And there it is. =)

current mood: tired