Stuff That Matters In Life

Sunday is usually a good day. Usually tiring, usually satisfying. Today was one of those. It was a good Sunday.

Preached in Children Worship on praying for our leaders, going against the grain of complaining about our government leaders.

Good convos with random people, one in particular. Gave her some advice about her daughter that I will follow up on.

Perspectives 2nd class. This class was more typical of what I expected – more academic, less heart engagement than last week. The best part for me was the prayer exercises at the beginning. Also great to meet people from other churches. Also someone made really good carrot cake for snack.

Had J and L and Joe and Denise over for dinner. Great sharing. Deep sharing is what I enjoy most about Christian community. When I am useful to people on a personal level, then I feel useful for God’s purposes. I don’t feel that way if I’m useful in admin or tasks.

Have a problem with someone I have to tackle next Sunday. Not my favorite thing to do. Will be praying that God smooth the path and make it a growing experience for both of us. May God use me to bring unity, not break relationship when I have to correct this person.

Thankful for time spent with my kids! So very thankful to God that my kids walk with God and sincerely seek him. I wish I can take credit for that, but it is in spite of me that my kids are good kids. I am but a sinner. It is all His grace.

Started the day meeting Elliot and Nancy at the farmer’s market at Mariner’s Church. I am so impressed with how the church opens their grounds for the community. Families come out and kids are playing on the church’s children’s playground. I don’t know of any Chinese church that generously invites the community to use the church property this way. Mariner’s church even have a couple of little trains offering free rides for the kids. I love it!

A quick glance through their community thrift store yield no treasures. Also didn’t have much time. Was anxious to get on to the picnic.

Elliot and Nancy planned an early lunch picnic for my birthday – complete with cutting board, knife, chopsticks, wasabi, artisanal soy sauce, ginger – and buying fresh sashimi at the farmer’s market. First ever sashimi picnic – with salmon, tuna, and HUGE scallops.

At the farmer’s market I also bought grass fed beef bones – $7/lb. I know it’s a splurge for bone broth. I know you can get steak at that price.

Came back for Eugenia’s baby shower. Notable are games of all worksheets – unscramble baby words, completing nursery rhymes, naming kids in TV shows, matching animal baby terms with its parent (puggles is the baby of a platypus). It was great seeing old friends.

Then dinner with Audrey and Danny at home with roast duck, roast pig, roast pork, and sashimi and seared HUGE fresh scallops that I bought at the farmer’s market. Great conversation and ended with King’s Hawaiian cake – flavors Lime, Passion Fruit, Guava.

Day ended with doing a face mask.

I shall enjoy rereading the birthday cards I received from my kids. I always tell them I want them to write at least one paragraph in the cards they give me. No other gifts necessary. They still gave me gifts though, exactly stuff that I needed.

A full and happy day!

Today is my birthday 🙂 Our family do not make a big deal about birthdays.

I have a pessimistic view on aging.  I don’t want to get old and be a grouch and be slow and irrelevant, and complain about young people’s loud music, and complain about how my knees hurt, and I need help to go upstairs, and I can’t read the small print, and I can’t hear when people talk, and I have that old person smell like moth balls or Bengay, and I have to go to see the doctor every other week for some ailment or another, and I can’t sleep, and I see my friends dying off…that’s why I don’t want to get old. Pastor Jackson and I agree that we would be satisfied to live to 75 and not much more.

I had a good day though – mommy and me fellowship, meet up with JF, ping pong hang out with young couples…note all these are with people younger than me…

Yesterday, my friends took me out to lunch – my peers, not older than me…

I know in theory that aging is not a bad thing. I need to pray and ask God to give me to really internalize that so I can have joy in aging.

Hmmm, this is a rather depressing post on my birthday.

On the bright side, I’m really happy with my life. I really am. I have a wonderful husband, my house is comfortable, my church is supportive and loving, my work is fulfilling, my health is decent, I have freedom to do things, and I am in the age of the internet with modern conveniences that make life easy, my kids are doing well. And most of all, I have a Savior who walks with me through it all and into eternity.

Spent the day interacting with each pastor’s presentation of their strategies to take our church towards the church vision of disciple-making. I will be presenting my strategies tomorrow.

It’s all good on paper. And even if all our plans come to fruition, it’s not going to be any changes in the church that you can see. It’ll be something you can feel. Everyone will be on mission to make disciples of Jesus. But one thing should be evident – we should see more people coming to know Jesus and grow deeper in their faith in Him.

I love my job because our pastoral team are all on the same page. We support one another as best as we can.

Had a kobe beef burger with gluten-free bun for lunch at Fuddruckers, very satisfying.

I’ve heard stories of adult siblings who do not get along, I’m blessed I’m not in one of those families. My siblings and I met up for lunch today, we had a great time chatting. I turned my brother on to Facebook marketplace. He’s been buying/selling on Offer Up. KonMari inspires us to sell, but then once you’re on the site, you are tempted to buy it all back! Well, my brother has not heard of “spark joy”. Which rock has he been hiding under haha!

We went to Mimi’s  – with coupons of course. In the old days, I would eat those warm, fresh, soft, delicious giant muffins! But on my sort of LCHF (low carb high fat) way of eating now, I had one bite. It was brutal to see its deliciousness in front of me and not eat it. I survived. I’ve been feeling the effects of a bit more sugar lately. My throat feels it first with burning. Enough sugar for the week.

Enjoyed the rest of my usual Costco date with hubby. We almost always end up with something we want to try. Today we bought guacamole salsa because a hispanic woman grabbed a pack and said it was “really, really good.” Figured she knows what she’s talking about. And the cashier said it was really good with salmon, and that’s what we had for dinner tonight. It was…good…maybe I was expecting more based on the recommendations.

Discovered an India market in Diamond Bar. Stopped by ACE Hardware to buy bird seeds on sale. How can a small hardware store compete with Home Depot?? It was dark, it wasn’t attractive, there was nothing to catch my attention, there were no signs indicating the departments, there was nothing out in the garden area except manure and bird seed. I believe in small businesses but honestly I would rather go to Home Depot. We got our bird seeds and left.

Many years ago I wanted to take Perspectives. But I didn’t want to do the work required.

Now I’m ready. Today’s class was great. Unfortunately I missed the last hour to attend a wedding. And the wedding of Stephanie and Tyler was great too.

A great day overall. Thankful for our church and our friends.

I applied a lesson from Proverbs today.

I’ve been reading one chapter of the book of Proverbs a day. On the first of the month, I read Proverbs 1, on the 2nd of the month, I read Proverbs 2, and so on (read a extra chapter on the short months). This is my 4th month reading Proverbs this way. I learned this from Greg Koukl of Stand To Reason.

Themes emerge from Proverbs as I read it again and again – justice, honesty, fairness, foolishness, talking too much (haven’t seen a proverb about not talking enough), laziness.

So that last one…today, I woke up not wanting to go to the Awana conference I had registered for. It’s Saturday, I came back late from Awana last night, I might be coming down with a cold, no one else I know is going…I had many excuses. Did I have valid reasons or was I being lazy? And if it’s laziness, then I am not heeding what the Bible teaches. Then why bother to read Proverbs daily if I am not going to apply its wisdom?

So I got up, got ready and went to the conference. And as always, when we obey God, he blesses us. The conference was great! I enjoyed the workshops, connected with others with passion for Awana, and saw someone I know! I came away with many ideas to improve our Awana. I have to admit, I only half-heartedly asked our Awana leaders to go because I wasn’t sure if it’d be worth it. When the conference comes around next year, I will definitely encourage everyone to go.

Spent a couple hours with Audrey and Danny just sitting around chatting. Hubby put up new drapes from HomeGoods in the family room. I approved of them, so we will return the drapes I bought from Costco, along with several other things I plan on returning.

And now get ready for bed and read Proverbs 19 – my favorite part of the day.

It was pouring rain yesterday. Our pool is full, our rain barrel is full, our garden beds are puddling.

But today, I wake up to a perfect cool day with blue skies. And this is why people live in SoCal despite the traffic, the high cost of housing, high taxes, high gasoline prices, etc. etc. etc. A couple, friends my age, are planning their retirement to move out of CA for all those reasons. I don’t know how it would be to start over in unknown territory. But then I said I want to serve God in Taiwan…maybe it’s just a dream and a wish. Only God knows if I can handle it.

In an attempt to keep my new year resolution to exercise, I played basketball in our church gym for 3 minutes! I had the full court to myself. Dribbling up and down the court is tiring! Proud of myself for making a good percentage of baskets hahaha

In Awana tonight:

Speaker has a bag of candy as a skit prop.

Kids: Can we have some of the candy?

Me: I’m sorry, our church has a rule not to give out candy. Some children may have allergies.

Boy: No one ever has allergy to candy!

A couple more reflections from yesterday:

Nancy C’s MIL has cancer that has metastasized. While she is elderly and ready to be with Jesus, Nancy says she has a good attitude, goes about doing as much as she can, not worrying about her cancer. I told Nancy that in her shoes I would be a basket case. But Nancy reminded me that it’s God’s grace that she has peace. Yes, if it’s God’s will that I suffer, I can have confidence in his promise that his grace is sufficient for me. That has been true of my past and that will be true for my present and for my future. Why do I fear?

Able to pray with Doris C at prayer meeting was a blessing. So blessed to be prayed for by the church.

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Mariners Church in Irvine is a great place to do work. People go to Starbucks and other hip coffee or boba places to work, but the best is a church with a cafe. I got a lot done, and will definitely work more often away from the office. Being in a different place opens your mind, it’s hard to explain why that works, but it does. EVFree Fullerton also has a nice work space though their cafe doesn’t serve good food.

Dinner with my son and DIL in Irvine since we were in the area. While it was nice to chat, I find it easier to get personal with young couples at church than with them. Of course it’s a different relationship. But isn’t it ironic that the people you are closest to can’t share personal things? Is it more embarrassing? I don’t know how to analyze this one. I wish I can talk to them about their marriage in a similar way I talk to the couples we mentor who are the same age as them.

Do you get that awkwardness when you don’t quite know how to end a meet up with someone?

I met up with PN today, had a great time catching up, and after almost 2 hours, we probably both felt it was time to go. We were in my office, and I thought it might look rude if I stand and open the door, which implies I want her to leave. I didn’t want her to think I’m kicking her out in case she had more to talk about.  Now the Christian thing to do is to close in prayer. I resist that because I felt my heart wasn’t about praying to God but using it as a signal. Does that make sense? Of course it could’ve been both, a true honest prayer and an ending to our time together. But I felt like I would “use” prayer as a show of pious act when all along in our conversation we didn’t mention prayer. Well, I did say one time during our conversation that I’d pray for her about the thing she was talking about. And why don’t we ever pray during conversations and only pray at the end? That bothers me about meetings too. Praying at the end of the meeting signals the end more than truly asking God to act. Why don’t we pray in the middle of meetings and during discussions to ask God to direct us? Why just at the beginning and the end? I have only one friend who prays during talking, and I love praying and talking to her.

I think next time I will signal ending by saying “Is there anything else we haven’t covered?” I usually use that line but today I forgot.

Feeling very full, digestion bothering me a bit. My mostly keto diet is mostly working for me but sometimes I still have problems.

I enjoy our staff meetings because we discuss ideas. Today we spent an inordinate amount of time discussing visitors and elderly parking spaces! While it may not sound very spiritual, and perhaps pastors should have other issues to talk about, I think this kind of discussion opens our minds to the state of our church in general. Are we presenting an easy way for new people to come to church to hear the gospel or is our lack of a seemingly simple thing as signage driving people away? Are we putting effort to care for people in this way? While we are not trying to create a perfect “user experience”, we don’t want to be discouraging to those who may be genuinely seeking God. In the perfect world, it wouldn’t matter if people have to park farther because they’d be so driven by spiritual hunger that they would walk 5 miles in the snow to attend church. Unfortunately that’s not suburban American Christianity.

Thankful for hubby, finished the painting of the family room and cleaned up. Now our couch looks bad…And this is why home improvement is never ending and always goes over budget.

Our rain barrel is full. Myth busted that it never rains in southern California.

[posted on 1/16/2019]

I want to keep to my 2019 resolution to post daily to help me reflect. Today is Tuesday and I had to think very hard of what I did Saturday! I guess all I need to know is that it was a good day.

1/12/2019 Saturday

It’s not often that I have a wide open Saturday, so I texted my sister May and see if she’s available. We met up for early dinner at Mamas Lu. It’s dinner for her, but I ate dinner again. It was nice since we don’t do it often. We are pretty close, but the distance is not physical, it’s spiritual.

After that Mike and I shopped for hot pot Sunday dinner. I enjoy planning for a meal. It was fun to be out without specific obligations or responsibilities.

1/13/2019 Sunday

I try to attend Adult worship service once a month. This Sunday I was able  to do that and leave the Children Worship to the devoted volunteers. However, right after I sat down, I got a phone call from one of those volunteers, “Where are the pencils?” LOL I went out to get her the pencils and went back to adult worship.

Dinner was my highlight. Our friends Olu and Deanna came for dinner, we enjoyed a fun evening with hot pot, their first experience with that. We talked freely and able to scheduled for them to do training at our church. I hope to get together with them more. This also motivated me to invite people over more, as was our intention once we finished the floors. Now I have no excuse. Except if it’s a large group, I would rather have a bbq outside because we can’t accommodate that many inside. Looking forward to doing that in the summer.

1/14/2019 Monday

Met up with VW in the morning to prepare her house for sale. I was a real estate agent for 20+ years, and this was one of my favorite part of my job. When I can, I still join my husband in this part of real estate.

Finally we started painting the family room. Hopefully we will finish soon so we can put up new black-out drapes. Lots of touch ups needed because our unsteady hands paint go the line a lot. 😛

With the rain and cold weather, my husband and I haven’t been able to do our usual after dinner walk. So we “walk” and talk by stepping up and down on the one entry step. Do that for 15-20 minutes and it’s a good work out.

When I think of Awana nights, I am reluctant because I have to rush dinner (I eat slow) to get to church early. But once I’m there, I love it. By the end of the evening, I am so energized and don’t want to leave.

Tonight, a parent asked how her son is doing. She is concerned for his spiritual growth. She takes him with her to BSF, just started in Awana, very regular in coming to SS and worship. I wish more parents have her concern. Her 4th grade son is a typical active boy, complains he has to sit too long. I don’t blame him for saying that. Mom says he likes their previous church because they always have snacks and spend a lot of time eating. We don’t serve any snacks…

In the morning, the mommy and me fellowship was encouraging. Had good conversation with ML and LM, insight into their needs and how to pray for them. Young moms have struggles, but good kind of struggle. It doesn’t seem good at the time, I’ve been there. Parenting is a significant tool God uses to shape and sanctify us. How else would we be tested in our unconditional and sacrificial love? Parenting is the only thing in life that we willingly submit ourselves to and can’t get out of, and God will not make it easy so that we can grow through it. I am convinced that he can’t grow us any other way. Anything other means we would just quit when the going gets hard. That’s me. But I couldn’t stop being a parent.

Slept at midnight, too much energy after Awana, so this is posted on Saturday 1/12/2019.

I felt like I didn’t “accomplish” anything today, but DW reminded me of the meaningful conversations I had, and those are ministry.

PC gave me an update on her daughter whom I’ve been praying for. PTL He is at work though prayer is not completely answered, yet.

HB shared about her situation and now I know how to pray and encourage her more. Her struggles are similar to mine and I can relate.

I asked JG to help me with a project.

DW and I talked about how we can better support the young married couples.

Enjoyed starting Amy on her Konmarie. I don’t have the guts to do drastic decluttering, yet, but I promise I will. I want to start with my books and papers, but Konmarie says to start with clothes and I don’t need to declutter clothes, at least I don’t think I do…I think I’m pretty good at not accumulating clothes and only keeping what sparks joy. But then again, my closet is busting at the seams.

Didn’t keep my appointment to read today. I want to finish a book by next week.

Renewing my drivers license means a trip to the dreaded DMV.

I arrived at 10am for my 10:20am appointment. I left at 11:18am. At least I found a parking space without circling around.

Words of advice: make an appointment, get there early, make sure you read the instructions on the website and follow everything to a T, bring all your documents, they don’t take credit card, have your confirmation number ready, wait patiently, be nice to the workers because I can tell they are trying their best, but it’s a tedious job. It’s not their fault, it’s our law-makers who built this bureaucracy. Everyone there looks unhappy except for the lady taking the picture. She said hi to me with a big smile. Maybe that’s the only station where customers are happy because it means they are almost done and outa there.

Met David and Helen, missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya for the last 6 years. They are second career missionaries, David was an aerospace engineer, Helen was a med tech. They went when their daughters were 14 and 9. I am inspired by people who are willing to take a risk and go in obedience to God.

January 8, 2019 Tuesday

Mike had small group, so Amy and I took advantage of my birthday free meal at Ikea. One meatball entree and almond cake. And a free cup of tea as an Ikea member. Amy paid for her own meatball meal. Also had $15 off our purchase, of which we only spent about $9. Still made out, no complaints.

Stimulating discussion at staff meeting about planning out the future of the church. Our senior pastor uses words like strategic planning and envisioning, but really it means the same as making a plan to make mature believers to reach the world.  I’m on board with that. I’m working on a plan to make disciples in the children ministry.

[posted 1/9/2019]

Almost always on Monday my day off my husband and I go to Costco, for fun. We almost always don’t get out with less than $100 worth of stuff. Today was no exception. But almost always I return something, taking advantage of their generous return policy. But they make enough money off me, so I don’t feel bad at all.

Started the day with a Skype call with Odyssey in Taiwan. We met him this past October during our Short Term Mission. He loves reading Jane Austen, and now reading Agatha Christie, both are my favorite authors. So excited to talk to him, and hope to talk to him again. His wife and children are Christians but he’s not, yet. We pray often for his salvation.

I visit my friend DI about once or twice a year. We can talk for hours! I’ve known her for almost 20 years when she was one of my first customers from my real estate website. I helped her purchase her house and have been friends since. Twenty years ago was when real estate websites first came into being, and I did relatively well with it, considering I didn’t, and still don’t know much technology. I consider my most successful sale is to DI because she has become a good friend. Most of my customers do become my friends, but DI and I have a special connection over the years. I am thankful for her.

I am quite impressed with the customer service of Bath Bath & Beyond. We opened our ornament organizer, and decided to return it because it didn’t fit our ornaments. But we didn’t know how to fold it back into the original package. They refunded my open box with no questions asked.  I wasted a rehearsed a speech to argue with the store manager 🙂

Thankful today for my husband for doing the hard work of cleaning up all the Christmas decorations, taking out the tree, etc. The tree is still so green and beautiful, another excellent purchase from Costco.

Thankful for a day to do whatever I want, which included laundry that I’ve been wanting to wash.

I am very thankful for VW, a faithful and loving children ministry servant who comes at 8:30am to pray with me to start off the day. She’s been leading the preschool ministry for at least 20 years, before she was married and had kids herself! I wasn’t even interested in children ministry until I had my own kids!

Serendipitous conversations with F who said she wants to help in Awana! I don’t usually talk to her nor did I ask if she wants to help. God provides people to do His work, I have no doubt. Then I ran into MW whose mother just passed away. She remembered that I was praying for her parents and we had a nice chat. I didn’t go to the funeral because I don’t like funerals. I can’t handle the sadness of lost. Her son B used to be in my department as a 5th grader, now in 11th grade. Time flies as they say, and it’s true.

Had a good time with the children in Children Worship. I do love to preach the Sunday message, because there is so much in God’s Word that I want to share with them. I now know why pastors love to preach to their own congregation and is protective of their pulpit. I will miss the 5th graders when they move up to Youth. I think I say that about every 5th grade class.

(posted on Monday 1/7/2019)

This the first book I finished in 2019, following my new year resolution. I am counting audio books, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on Audible, free download.

I like Oscar Wilde’s writing, they are amusing, entertaining, and deep. How do you get to be a writer like that? But of course that’s what makes him so well-known. His works must have been considered quite appalling in his day although sadly, marital affairs and such are nothing to us now.

I am now downloading to listen to King’s Solomon’s Mine which is a classic I have not read.

Once a month the pastors have a Saturday 8am meeting with the Deacons of our church. It’s the only day where I have to be at church that early. But I cannot complain since I know most people have to be at work at that time or even earlier, daily. And I only live 10 minutes from church, 7 minutes if all the signals are in my favor. I enjoy the sharing with these men, always interesting to hear their perspective of church and their family. I appreciate each one for their commitment and perseverance in the faith.

In the afternoon I went with my daughter to return some online purchases. We love buying online, free shipping with free return in the store. The Orange outlet had both American Eagle and Nordstrom Rack to return our purchases. And of course we had to stop by Goodwill, both to drop off and shop. Didn’t find any treasures this time. The rain added some excitement.

Couldn’t sleep, which is rare for me. As I laid there, I felt the weight of my sin from the day, and am once again grateful to God for giving me another day today, His mercies are new every morning.

(Posted one day late for Saturday, 1/5/2019)