Moved

I'm back ... after 3 months of hibernation. But I've moved my blog to our new church domain here. Please change your bookmark or RSS feed to that new address. Looking forward to chat with you again over there.

Tax and Democracy

Thanks to Bumble's blog a few days ago, I was reminded about registering to vote. Haven't voted for 8 years, partly because we were out of the country and partly because I was just sick of what's going on in politics. But the newest issue of World Magazine changed my mind last night, particularly the stories on vote rigging in Kenya and the assasination of Benazir Bhutto. I was reminded how blessed we are to have a peaceful democratic process in the US, regardless of the ugly tactics our politicians used and the poor decisions they made. So this morning I woke up thanking God for the opportunity to vote, and I prayed for an election outcome according to His will. I don't claim to know what that outcome should be. But I did register to vote today. The real hard part was to decide which political party to affiliate with this time!

I also wrote a check of $4500 to the IRS, for part of my 2007 Estimated Tax. I've been missing my tax payment for 3 quarters. Anyhow, I've never been so "happy" to pay tax, knowing that this is such a small price to pay for the blessings I'm enjoying in this land of freedom. And I thanked God for an opportunity to contribute to our privilege of peaceful democracy. I know I sound "preachy," but I really feel thankful today!

Snowed In

In exchanged for our rather uneventful Christmas and New Year, the Lord gave us an exciting and somewhat scary time in Truckee near Lake Tahoe.

We'd planned for 3-4 days of skiing but ended up spending less than 3 hours on the ski slope Wednesday afternoon. The storm arrived on Thursday, shutting down all the local mountains. We went sledding at a local park instead (at least we could still drive around that day):



By Friday the whole area was whiteout - heavy snow, strong wind and continuous blizzard for 3 straight days! Good thing we stayed near a supermarket which we could walk to, with some effort, to get the latest weather news. There was no internet at the condo, power was out for a while, and when the power was up the TV signal was down, and so we lost contact with the "outside world" for a little bit. It was scary, but exactly what I needed - a short isolation from the diversion of city life in order to encounter the majestic creation of our mighty God.

The kids had a GREAT time playing in the snow while I tried to "take it all in":



By Sunday we had to get on the road to go home. Being a pastor itching to open God's Word on Sunday, I gathered everyone before we left the condo. I read from Psalm 93, acknowledged the majesty of God, thanked Him for the encounter, and prayed for a safe trip home. Wouldn't you know it, ours were the last 2 cars that were allowed on I-80 before the freeway was shutdown again. We barely made it through and arrived home safely. Even my brother acknowledged that my prayer "worked" .

I savored the "no-internet" opportunity until Tuesday afternoon, after a prayer retreat in Santa Cruz to break the fast. There were over 100 emails waiting, taking several hours to process & respond. (although I did spend a few hours online on Monday to shop for a new laptop. It was an emergency - my faithful Thinkpad finally crashed after 5 good years of loyal service, through the thicks and thins of seminary life and ministry, but that's another story)

Pizza for New Year's Eve

During our years at Regent College, my family became close with many wonderful friends from all over the world, so close that none of us wanted to return when our time was up. My children still say the time in Vancouver was the best 3 years of their lives. Fortunately for us, two of our Regent friends, Betsy and Grace, have settled in the same area as ours, and they came by to share a quiet New Year's Eve celebration with us. Had a great time discussing (and integrating) theology, spirituality, marketplace, personal journey, and food. I've missed having discussions like this. Thank you Betsy & Grace!

I made three awesome pizzas on the new baking stone I bought this Christmas. Without a wood-fired pizza oven, the baking stone is the next best thing!

Happy New Year everyone! May 2008 be the year that we all grow in awareness of God's constant goodness around, in and through us.

Tomorrow my family will be driving up to Tahoe for a few days of vacation. There's a BIG storm coming this weekend, but the house has been paid for so off we go. LORD, please have mercy!

Junior High Party

So ... I've been struggling with insomnia and a mild depression this past week. But in the midst of it God brought some events to cheer me up - the English Service at church yesterday and the party that my wife and some teachers threw for the Junior High kids on Thursday. Here are some of the activities they did at the party:

Insomnia

Some say Paul's "thorn in the flesh" had to do with his poor eye sight (Gal 4:15). For me, it's insomnia. I have had problem with insomnia all my life, but the last few years it has become difficult to bear. My body is relax, my soul at peace, but my mind just doesn't want to go to sleep. And so I would be wide awake all night and feel sleepy all day. A few days of insomnia and I will fall into a depression. Sometimes it even led to severe panic attacks. It is frustrating because there are too much to do and too little energy to do anything.

One time I talked to my counseling professor about my insomnia and he said it's biological, meaning it had to do with my physical / chemical make up. External circumstances can aggravate the problem, but it's basically an internal issue. I've tried acupuncture, holistic medicine, antidepression, vitamin, relaxation exercises, sleeping pills, counting sheep, etc. Oh yes, prayers too.

I've come to accept that insomnia is my "thorn in the flesh", a physical condition necessary for me to experience the power of God through my weakness (2 Co 12:9). It is true that through my lack of energy, I has been forced to sit still, to contemplate, and to know that He is God (Ps 46:10).

God knows what He is doing. But ... can I just get a good sleep right now, LORD!

A Belated Christmas Wish

Christmas came and went rather uneventfully for me. I was dead tired, and somewhat depressed. I think it stems from weeks of preparation, heightened by a weekend full of events and then a family party at my home on Monday. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed every moment of it. But it was just too many events, too many people, too many strong emotions and too little sleep for my health to handle well. And so I slept for 12+ hours on Christmas and spent the rest of the day as a vegetable. Totally unproductive. I didn't feel better until I journaled late at night. It's always good after a sincere communion with God!

I meant to write a "Merry Christmas" wish to those who care enough to read my blog, but I just couldn't work up the energy to do it. So ... Merry (belated) Christmas! Thank you for understanding. I've come to understand and accept my introverted nature. A few days of rest and isolation and hopefully I will feel better.