Besides Star Trek, most movies aren't a straight 2-hours of mind-exploding, planet-imploding bonanzas that never seem to halt. They've got pacing to it... embedded moments of stillness and introspection that gives you a chance to breathe and reflect on the current status of the plot before it goes schizophrenic again. While I must admit, Star Trek was beyond a shadow of a doubt absolutely fantastic from start to finish, my life is very, very similar. Although I wish it was more hilarious like the movie.

I find my day locked up with little brain teasing tasks, as if my world were full of tiny fires that I gotta keep putting out. It makes it really difficult to sit back and seek God and soak in His daily provision. My mind's always on the next fire.

But thanks be to Him for His mercy. Some days I just feel like ol' Peter. Bold... but flippant. But after the resurrection Jesus still instructed the crowd to go tell the disciples.... and Peter... of His return. There's sooo much grace and forgiveness in that. This keeps me afloat. I learn each day how true the scripture "His grace is sufficient for us" is.

Nevertheless, I'm still exhausted. I was exhausted before this week even began. Thinking about merely thinking about what's to come drains me... I think. I'm not sure. I think anyone with four classes, four midterms in one week, messages to prepare, a fellowship to lead, kids to tutor, an imminent graduation, a girlfriend to please, friends to disciple, new leaders to train, a job to find, and a country soon to visit.... juuust might feel the same.

I must be still - and know He's God.

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"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." | MATTHEW 11:28

These quarterly entries are no good. Is it that I forget to write? OH oh no. I always want to. I'm on this thing all the time reading my friends' entries. So am I too busy? Maybe. Blogging on this thing is not that important... Annie got me a new hard-bound journal. I should be using that one... but.. I at least have to finish this one out.

I think I'll keep this until graduation. I kept a melo until high school graduation. Perhaps I'll keep this until June. I tend to do things like that.

So what in the world am I doing everyday? Why are my entries so scattered these days? Well here's a day-by-day play of, say, an average week.

MONDAYS - Start of the week. Entomology class not until noon, so there's extra sleeping in there. After class at 1 I usually head home to eat or grab something I need for work and then disciple Stanley at 2..... tutoring with Kaylee starts at 3 (she's a 1st grader in desperate need of reading help) until 4. Then I usually study until my other 11th grade student comes in, Andrew, who's obnoxious refuses to listen and does anything to drive me up the wall. Sometimes it gets to me, in those two hours, but I remember he's in desperate need of Christ, and when I get a chance, I try to slip in the Gospel. He has yet to be respondent though... but needless to say, he was at a sixth grade reading level, and has jumped to ninth. That is totally God's work, man. Then after this, I go home and eat with Annie and do some more and studying, take care of Wed's AACF announcements, read some Romans.. and goof around. Mondays are pretty easy.

TUESDAY - Oh gosh.. Wake up 7 in the morning, class 8-9am, sleep til 9:30 in the commons, class 9:40-11:00am, go home.. sleep some more or write another paper or study for my quiz, class 1:40-3pm, finally eat or print some AACF stuff, more entomology 4-5pm, another class 5-6:30pm, race over to work, tutoring 7-9pm, then I either print some more AACF stuff (newsletters, flyers, etc.). Then I usually scramble around trying to take care of more announcements late into the night, and calling AACF's guest speaker for turning in their forms and giving them directions. Annie and I usually just chill and watch TV this time, but i know she hates my Tuesdays. They are loooong...

WEDNESDAY - Biggest day of the week. Wake up at noon again for class, head to the library to check out my book for my Wednesday paper, finish that paper, usually go back for more tutoring in the afternoon (3, 4pm) then make back in time for discussion class at 6pm (absolutely horrible scheduling but had no choice because) AACF starts at 7pm. Class ends at 7. Ugh.. I either sprint or speed on Tyler's longboard from one end of campus to the parking lots where the guest speaker would be, go meet him pay for parking walk over to the building and then usually get him settled. Then I typically leave again to go print outreaching sign-up sheets or something (lots of printing haha) and then make it back during the middle of worship. Then I'll stand in the back and pray and get my heart right... I often have to remember if I'm emceeing any part of the night too. And if there's no guest speaker I'm usually the one who teaches that night. THEN we all go eat afterwards and then I make it back home maybe around midnight. Do homework. Romans. Sleep.

THURSDAY - Wake up early at 9, class 9:40-11 (often wind up ditching this class), sleep more, 1:40-3pm, eat, class 4-5pm, 5-6:30pm, and then i FINALLY have a free night! But once a month we have outreach meetings on Thursday nights or I'm off to just meet and encourage one of the Core Leaders in the Word. About once a month it will be entirely free. Then when Annie's done with class at 9 we'll eat some more or somethin.

FRIDAY - Class at noon but I wake up early to pick up the djembe from Titus and Wilhelm, class 12-1, outreaching, or as we call it, "Jam 4 Jesus" 1-3pm (I play djembe Annie's on guitar and we just worship while others hold up Can We Pray For You? signs and pass out free bibles and stuff. It's sooo tight.), then a break or more random nonsense to take care of 3-4, tutoring Eleno from 4-6 (love that kid), THENNNN Annie and I will typically hang out the rest of the night. Go eat. Catch up on LOST. Or head over to a friend's place and play cards... Or, we have our Friday night AACF events... the ice skating, speedzone, or go on some retreat.

SATURDAY - Loove saturdays. I typically don't set an alarm. Sleep until whenever, then I wake up and FINALLY get to homework (actually I don't i just facebook all day) and study or other important things (i really wish) and then Annie and I will hang out some more towards the later part of the day. And then finally...

SUNDAY - Promise Church at 10:30am until a little after noon, eat lunch sometimes, then every other week preparing for our core meeting, then those meetings start at 6 until the rest of the night... 11 or 12. Or we might have a core hangout before hand during the afternoon.... and then


.. it starts all over again. Spring quarter will undoubtedly be very similar. But it's all for the Lord. What could be greater?

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"And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." | II Corinthians 5:15

TEN MONTHS. I told myself I wouldn't do this.

It's hilarious reading all of my friends' blogs about the demise of this country and the interior framework seemingly crumbling before our eyes. Interestingly enough, scripture does say "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12a) and I don't really know if the US can fall in that category anymore... While I should be concerned as a resident of this nation i've been trained not to worry. God always has a way of pouring out so much grace on me to a point that everything just works out in my little microcosm of life.

So for me, it's all about His kingdom. My eyes fixed on Him results in a personal peace that passes understanding.

Last night was a blur but definitely Christ-centered, which is what I enjoyed. Kingdom Living - what a year this will be. I just need further insight and guidance, but also disicpline to trust. Trust is lost real easily in this world.

Still trying to determine who to vote for. And also which grad school to go after this year, both needing to be figured out by November. Which one deserves more effort? Haha... so, microlevel or macrolevel thinking? I seem to be constantly bouncing between.

But let His will be done! Heh, I can't think of a better way.

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"The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." | PSALM 33:10-11

Wow I am SO glad I'm done with classes for this fall quarter. Such a whirlwind of duties... constantly going to San Bernardino to tutor these kids (Omar, Mariah, Kevin, Jasmine, and Crystal) in English and Math... ranging from phoneme pronunciation to finding the slope of lines. Doing the Small Group, of course (I have a guy in my group named Tim Huang. Funny? Perhaps to some of you readers.), and dancing in Undignified, which we shall perform really soon!! Woohoo! And classes and Annie and interning and Heroes-watching (takin' a little break) and somehow I'm still afloat. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy, but day-by-day it gets a little smoother.

I saw Tiffany Young the other day at school, and was just completely tripped out. I never see that woman. She was with some friend whom she might be dating now who knows lol I'm just messing with you Tiff gosh I didn't realize how much I had missed my old friend. Although we just might be polar opposites in some respects memories never fade away.

The same goes with Tim. Apparently he's not at UCI anymore? And he's a full-time worker now? Figures. I never understood that guy. In high school it was hard to get him to do anything, be it get out of the house, take off his shirt, whatev, but then he could always just turn it on in an instant. Two midnight hours would go by and he would have read 250 pages of a book that I still didn't have the energy to even pick up, let alone mark up. But high school itself gave us all so much free-time.. so different than now. Although I feel more free with my time today, mentally it never stops. High school was a joke. Why was I so stressed all the time?

After reading Anthony's post I suddenly had the insatiable urge to race back to Chino Hills. I really really really really miss that ridiculous game, and playing with those guys... what is it about that game? the mere violence? the speed? that running gag of Anthony and Justin's (a.k.a. the knee)? I think it's more of what we ourselves put into it. No one I know likes that game outside of the "batcrew" gentlemen. We just make the game our own. And it's so fun to just let them kill me sometimes. I never have to win to have fun. I don't know why. If I really truly wanted to win I wouldn't choose skirt-flauntin' Link. Perhaps I like underdog stories.

I don't know what it is either but I see Phi in year-intervals. And generations go by before Jeff's name even surfaces. But then again who knows. I go back in town and there's always something different. Yet always something the same. Christian and Justin NEVER change (good or bad? its arguable lol). Justin says some of the strangest things sometimes, and somehow always makes his statements make sense... if that makes sense. And Christian says some of the most 'out of randomly' things too. Ted is just Ted. Often hard to understand, but I'm sure it's cuz he confuses himself.

And I really miss Jessica too. A big LOL to that one because I have no idea why exactly, but I really do. Stephanie too. All of them. Just so fun. While some of those guys are never the same when I see them again, there's an element in there that never changes. Is that the part I like? Yeah. It most certainly is.

I think that's what helps drive me forward. To see them all again someday. Somehow. Whenever I get a break.

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"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." | I JOHN 3:16

Yes! The site dedicated to preaching the Word of God has been created. Nothing has yet been posted, but be ready for future updates. For now, enjoy a Please-Excuse-Our-Mess front as the primary construction is taking place. Subscribe now, friends! The new Xanga has been entitled: "The Kingdom of God".

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." | MARK 1:15