On the internet a while back ago, I encountered a questionnaire that asked one question to the person and that was, “What is the best country in the world?”  And you simply answer.  But my question is what is considered “the best?”  The best in what?  Are we answering this question based on education, politics, medical care, retirement, happiness, financial needs, welfare, job opportunities, freedom, religion?  Anyways, my answer was obviously biased, because I answered The United States of America as the best country.  But I didn’t base it on any of the categories above, I answered because I loved the people and the freedom of individual autonomy, and power of influence.  Now I understand that someone else would answer this simple question differently, and answer a different country, which is fine.  It is hard to measure what is the best or greatest country in the world.  We all have certain biases on what is the best or greatest. 
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A few Sundays ago, we encountered a passage that the disciples were arguing who was the greatest disciple.  Jesus, of course, hearing this, responds that if you want to be great you must be last for the first will be last and the last will be first.  He continues to reiterate that being last means you must be a servant to all, put other needs ahead of your own.  And Jesus continues to tell the disciples, that anyone who accept s a child would be the greatest.  A child is Jesus’ metaphor to represent the weak, forgotten, voiceless, and vulnerable in the society. 

I like Jesus’ answer because His answer is as simple as it gets.  It is straightforward and honest and regardless of our biases, Jesus says to help one another, no matter what.  Jesus holds no judgement but only wishes that everyone that encounters Him and learns about Him will understand that what He requires is for every person to put others needs ahead of themselves.  That is true greatness. 

Take care of each other and take care of the world.  Yes, the world... the little creatures that God has places before us to be caretakers of those little ones.  Remember God’s instruction in Genesis, to be caretakers and “namers” of the creatures here below.  They are directly influenced by our human activity.  We move into next Sunday to celebrate World Communion Day, that day is for all people to recognize God glory and the savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  But this day isn’t just for us humans, it is also for all of the creation… the world, the world that includes people, animals, plants, and even inorganic materials such as mountains, valleys, and seas.  This upcoming Sunday, people, mountains, and all creatures bow to the one true God, creature of all, and redeemer of all. 

It is easy for any of us to be bias and focus World Communion Sunday to be a day for us humans… but it is a day for all creation, God’s creation to come together and worship.  Mountain bow down, even the wind and waves listen to Jesus’ voice “to be still!”  So, let's remember once again what Jesus says, “To be the greatest, you must become servant to all.  Anyone who welcomes a child is the greatest.”  So, let's make this world worthy of God’s holiness and a reflection of God’s care and love by taking care of each other and all of creation.  Show compassion on all people, animals, and the earth.  That is be responsible and be caring.

So, school has started for my kids which is exciting.  They both love their new grades, and teachers, and also reconnecting with friends they haven’t seen over the summer.  Ben is now in the 1st grade and Norah is now in the 4th grade.  Very cool to see them grow, learn, and just go through life changes.

I must say, I am very proud of my kids.  But I am starting to realize that both of them will be smarter than Eunkyung and I.  They are learning information about 10 times as fast as I did when I was their age.  Thanks to the advancement of technology and the internet, they are rapidly learning things that I am incapable of teaching them.

After school, I looked over to what Ben was watching on his tablet on YouTube, and the title of the video was, “How to get into Cambridge.”  The picture is the proof.  I was impressed and also terrified.  Ben is either going to be a superhero or a villain.  Not too sure… but I asked Ben, what he was watching, just to see if he knew what he was watching. 

Ben told me that he is watching videos that can help him solve square root equations.  Yeah… I was left scratching my head.  So, I ask him why he is watching videos of square root problems.  His answer was shocking, hurtful, and truthful.  He said he is watching these videos because daddy doesn’t know how to solve these math equations.  And Ben is absolutely correct.  I have no idea.

So… what should I do?  I guess, whatever Ben is doing, I trust in God to watch over him, because Ben knows and God knows, how incapable I am in teaching him some things he is interested in. 

Makes me wonder what kind of kid God has given me.  I just hope that Ben can still see me as a guide of other things other than intellectual ability!  I know I can still be a moral, ethical, and spiritual guide.  And I know he still needs help opening his gummy candy snack package, or his sour cream and onion lays potato chip bag, and I can do that.  And I also know regardless of how incredibly smart he is getting… he still needs hugs and emotional needs.  I know that is something I can do. 

I may not be the smartest… but I know there is nobody better in the world than Eunkyung and I that gives Ben and Norah the best hugs.  So, who cares if I don’t know how to solve square roots problems or that I don't know what ab is when b= -2(1/2a)2 .  There are other kinds of support I can give my kids. 

So… what the heck is Baker Elementary School teaching my kids!  Must be teaching them how to push the limits of their own brains!  Whatever they are doing over there, I hope they keep up the good work.  My kids are happy, healthy, kind, and smart.  I just have to keep up with them now.

So… I apparently have a cat that loves to sit on my computer or climb into my lap when I am trying to do work.  It is hard to just ignore it… especially when Cami (the cat) is on my computer.  Apparently, she likes to tap on the computer keys when she isn’t laying on top of the keyboard.  So, if there are any typos or anything weird in this post and future posts, there is a reason… I am not having a stroke… I just have a cat.

But having a cat, another animal in the house is a big change for me.  It’s another being to take care of, and my mornings get busy with getting the kids ready in the morning, making breakfast, now getting them ready for school, and also taking the dog out, feeding the dog, feeding the cat, cleaning up the litterbox and also anything Cami decided to knock over in her nightly activities, and the morning to do list is just getting longer and more extensive.

Mornings are more work, and my routine has changed a lot.  It is amazing how one little change in your life, can change a lot in your daily life.  Since my morning routines are longer, it pushes everything around just a little.  Some things I normally do in the morning, I no longer have time to do it, because I don’t have the time anymore, so that means I have to shuffle my schedule around.

Honestly, I don’t like changes in my life, never did.  God knows this as well.  God knows that I am a creature of habit, and I do not like deviating from my daily routine much.  But, I also know that God is teaching me to adjust to life changes that is always occurring.  Whether it is caring for a cat, or answering a call to do a random visitation, I have to adjust my life accordingly.  I have to be willing to change because life isn’t always about routines, and habits. 

If we know anything about God in the Bible, we know that God is not all about routine and habits.  God is always creating, changing, and doing something different.  Even when we cannot understand what God is doing… God continues to go His path.  We are along for the ride, and we can either learn to adapt and accept His plan, or we can fight against it, and eventually feel stress, anger, and disappointment. 

Living life well is not always about habits and routines.  Living life well includes habits and routines, but also our ability to adapt to any changes that occur in life.  Do not get overwhelmed with change, instead know that God is with you when change occurs.  And have confidence that God operates and thrives amid change, because He is the author of life, creator or habits, routines, and change. 

So embrace the moments in life and depend on God who is an expert in overcoming change and creating change.  God calls on people to adapt to all things that happen in life.  From Abraham moving way from his hometown to follow God in the desert, from Moses answering Gods call to suddenly be a leader for God’s people, to a young prophet named Samuel, and the list goes on.  David, Solomon, Mary, Joseph, the calling of all the disciples, and apostle Paul… he narrative of God’s revelation continues through the people that answered the call when their routine and lives changed because of God. 

So find peace in change, find the voice of God in change, find your mission God may be giving you in the midst of change.  

So, Cami is the new addition to our family.  She is a cat about 2 years old and we have had her for almost one week.  Many thanks to Deb from Mending Heart for matching our family up with the perfect cat for us.  If anyone is looking at get a cat, give Mending Hearts a call.  They can help you find the right one for you. 

Cami came into our lives, and everything changed.  And to be honest change is difficult and scary.  For Cami, she was taken out of her place of comfort and familiarity, transported into a car, and placed into a totally new home, that had new smells, new sounds, new territories.  And what romped around the home was a big 95lb yellow lab named Suzie. 

For Cami to feel safe and comfortable, we took baby steps.  We placed her in a separate room from Suzie.  We basically placed a gate between the living room and dining room.  Suzie had access to the living room and everything upstairs, while Cami, the new kitty, had access to the kitchen and dining room.  The gate allowed both cat and dog to see each other but not be in each other’s faces. 

Cami came home and Suzie was super excited to have a friend.  Cami… not so much.  Cami came to our home scared.  She spent the first few hours hiding in the kitchen, under a shelving unit.  And soon, she moved into a little cubby area in her cat tree, in the dining room and stayed there all evening.  At night she came out, when everyone was upstairs, found her litter box, which she enjoys tossing litter around… yay for me… and used the nighttime and darkness to explore her safe place. 

In the morning, she was meowing and immediately crawled into my lap and started to play with her toys and with the kids.  She learned that she is super gentle and loves to explore.  Then after a couple of days, we would open the gate because we started to notice that Cami was getting more comfortable.  So now the cat and dog will be able to interact without a barrier.  Suzie, excited, but patient, waited for Cami.  Cami cautiously navigated new territories, going around Suzie, avoiding her, and occasionally, hissing at her.  Which was normal, I assume.  I didn’t expect Cami to warm up to Suzie so quickly.  But I was surprised at how well she navigates and explores the house, downstairs and upstairs.  Also impressed, how Suzie just stays calm and watches her. 

When we had to leave the home, we put Cami back into the safe rooms and closed the gate.  But after Sunday, we took away all barriers after I saw how Cami got close to Suzie without any fear.  Cami is still not excited about Suzie, but I think this relationship between the two will warm up at some point. 

But I learned a lot from observing Cami and how she quickly adjusted to change and how she overcomes fear.  Cami came into our home with a lot to fear about.  Every new noise startled her, a big dog is scary, unfamiliar territory is unnerving. 

Cami could live her life always in fear.  Running away and scampering away from all that scares her, but she doesn’t.  One step at a time, she moved forward, towards what gives her fear to learn and adapt and overcome.  Can we all be brave like Cami?  Yes, we can!  We can overcome our fear, one step at a time.  We can have the power to adapt to our environment when it changes.  We can have the power to be active to what gives us fear.  Even if it means we must be a bit brave.  But bravery is about moving forward, making big decisions, and taking the steps necessary to not overcome fear, but defeat fear. 

Sometimes, we must learn to take risks, like Cami.  Risks are costly.  It can cost our lives, time, and money.  But when we face fear, we have to choose.  Run and hide or Move forward and do whatever it takes to live free from fear.  

So… our family is growing.  Yesterday we welcomed Cami into our home.  Thank you to Mending Hearts for matching us with the kitty cat that is right for us.  Cami loves all people, but so far not a big fan of Suzie.  Which I know will take some time.  She loves climbing and finding cozy hiding spots.  She is still trying to get used to her environment, and I know that will only take some time. 
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I am excited to have Cami part of our family, and I pray that she will be comfortable around Suzie.  But patience is necessary.  I also learned that she is more active during the nighttime.  So, she explores, splashes around in her litter box, and eats.  She might be more active at night because it is quiet, and she feels more comfortable in the quiet night.  Which is fine.  I am just going to let her do her thing. 

So fun times so far.  Just to let everyone know… I know nothing about cats, but so far so good.  Apparently, they just seem to take care of themselves.  But I haven’t gotten bitten or clawed at, so I must be doing something right. 

Right now, I have a big gate separating our dining room and kitchen from the living room and upstairs.  So, Cami is only able to explore the kitchen and dining room and is constantly keeping an eye out for Suzie.  I am separating the two animals in hopes to get them comfortable with each other.  Hopefully Cami can see that Suzie isn’t going to be a threat. 

Anyways exciting times and also found out that apparently cats eat a lot less than dogs, or at least less than Suzie, which makes sense.  Suzie is 95 lbs. and Cami us about 7lbs maybe?  I don’t know how to weigh cats.  But she is easy to pick up, or at least tolerates it when I pick her up. 

I have always been a dog person which speaks to my personality.  I like training dogs, have being in control when having a dog.  But I learned quite quickly, you do not really train cats and that cats just kind of do their own thing.  And apparently cats like more quiet environments, which is not something I am used to.  I am loud, I know that my dog Suzie fits my loud behavior.  Yet, Cami is more delicate, soft, quiet, and calm… which is something I cannot train out of her, but something I need to adjust.  Which is totally fine. 

I am thankful to God that Cami seems to be very gentle with the kids.  Even when Ben pets her in the “wrong” direction.  Cami doesn’t seem to mind or at least tolerates it. 

I pray that Cami will have a good life with us.  Again, thanks to Mending Hearts.  And I do recommend anyone that is looking for a dog or cat to give Mending Hearts a try.  Especially cats and kittens.  I honestly wish I could take more cats into my home; they have a lot of gentle cats over there that are looking for a good home.  

Well… not my dog apparently.  She’s too posh to eat the crumbs off the master’s table.  The Bible doesn’t know what it is talking about.  Just kidding. 
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Well, I guess not all dog’s are hardwired to eat any kind of fallen food.  It is funny, because I am trying to encourage my dog to eat the crumbs or eat whatever falls off the dinner table, but she never does it.  I encourage this mostly because it does help with the clean-up and it prevents me from getting on my hands and knees picking up what the kid’s messy eating. 

But no… she chooses not to eat the crumbs.  However, she will just stand there staring at you while you eat, drooling and hoping that I hand her something off of my plate.  Even if I throw some scrap of food at her to eat, once it hits the floor… forget about it… she will not touch it.

What the heck kind of high class, bourgeois dog do I have?  Just be a normal dog like what the Bible says, right?  Shoot… Ill eat the food off the floor if you aren’t going to eat it.  5 second rule, right?

Even when I trained her as a puppy, I never discouraged her from eating food falling off the table.  She honestly just doesn’t know what to do.  When food does fall off the table she just kind of stares at it and wait for me or someone to clean it up.  What’s funny is that even when I try to give her food that did fall off the table, she will ignore it!  She is a stuck-up dog man! 

I guess only fresh food for her.  Only the best for her!  And I guess that means I have to get on my hands and knees to clean up food mess off the floor. 

But I guess my dog Suzie trusts me to give her food.  She doesn’t feel the need to beg or eat whatever.  Also, Suzie is probably only looking for the best.  Nothing used or fallen I guess, I don’t know what she is thinking, I am not a dog whisperer. 

But shouldn’t we be like Suzie?  Why are we settling for crumbs of the table when it comes to how we live?  We do not deserve crumbs falling from the table.  We always deserve the best.  And to be honest the best always comes from God.  I truly believe this!  I think the world only offers us little bits of “stuff.”  And we somehow settle on being happy with the little bits of “stuff” that are given to us.  But God always offers us abundance and better living.  God isn’t giving you bits of “stuff” but God is giving you instructions on how to live your life that is based on mercy, love, and forgiveness.  God is also there to tell you to never live life ashamed because through His grace you are always loved no matter what.  And that should give you confidence to live life well. 

Never settle for crumbs off society’s table.  Get the full course and dessert from God.  Take what God is giving you.  That is love, comfort, peace, grace, and forgiveness.  Feel full and be healed so that you can live well.  Leave the crumbs on the floor and eat from the table of grace.  Trust in Him always.  

It's been a while since I posted anything.  It's just because I have been very busy, and I really haven't had the time to be any kind of reflection.  But I am trying to post things on here regularly!  That is my goal!  Life is busy, but it is exciting.  And just as I was getting stuff done, this song came on my iTunes.  I haven't heard them in a while, since I was in college maybe.  But one of the more influential bands in my childhood.  So, it was nice.  It was encouraging to hear as it caused me to reflect how this band and in particular this song really helped lift me up in times of struggle and times of struggling with low self-esteem.  Anyways, here it is!

“Help me, somebody help me
'cause I'm falling down again
Help me, somebody help me
Because I know how these stories end
I've done all I can to do what's right
I've done all I can and fought a good fight
But still I find myself
Falling, falling down again
Falling, falling down again
Falling, falling down again
Paralyzed with fear as I descend.”
                                Falling by Kill Your Idols
 
Ever feel like this?  I have and to be honest time and time again I felt this way and I am sure that in the future this feeling will come again and again.  Doesn’t matter the cause of the feeling, it’s just there are times in our life that we just feel like we are falling.  And sometimes we feel that no matter what we try or do, and all our good efforts to help ourselves seems to fall short.
 
To be honest I am not too sure what is the background story of this song, maybe it has to do with depression, suicide, maybe drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or failed relationships.  I really do not know.  But the important fact is that the feel that these song lyrics speak are real.  And many times, we can relate these feelings because of any sort of hardship we go through in life.
 
The first time I heard this song, or this band was when I was in college.  Went to a show and they opened with this song.  The small crowd of about one hundred young people just exploded.  Rushing the stage singing along, jumping on top of each other.  Looks crazy, but it was all out of fun, and nobody was getting hurt.  It was like organized chaos.  But just hear the crowd loudly scream the lyrics, “Help me, somebody help me!”  really resonated with me. 
 
It resonated with me because how often we feel like we are falling, paralyzed by fear, and feeling like our life it at the end of the rope, we rarely ask for help.  We do not ask for help not because of pride, but because of the absence of pride.  When we go into those dark moments in our life, we have that feeling that my life does not matter anymore, and I do not want to bother anyone with my problems. 
 
Do not ever think you are alone in whatever you feel like you are going through.  There are people who will listen to you.  Sometimes, we all just need to scream out, “Help me, somebody help me!”  There is no shame in asking for help in your life.  You are not bothering anyone by expressing the things that are happening in your life.  Reach out and find help.  Talk about it and share your experience.  You are never alone.  

I wrote this blog in early April, but havent had a chance to upload it... but I think this life metaphor in the reading still applies to all of us now.  Enjoy!

You know why fishing isn't fun?  It's because you aren't catching any fish. Fishing is fun, when you catch fish.... well... maybe you fish to enjoy the weather.  But lately in central PA... the weather has been up and down.  Sometimes cold... sometimes warm... sometimes rainy... mostly rainy and flooded... but sometimes clear and sunny.  The erratic change in weather may make it hard to go out and catch fish.... but you can still catch fish... you just have to change your mindset and strategy.  But isn't that what life is all about?
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It’s hard to go out there and fish when you are cold, wet, and walking around with soggy socks.  But it doesn’t mean the fishing is going to be bad.  Don’t listen to what other people are saying!  As I approached my spots, everyone I talked to haven’t caught anything good, and telling me that it’s too flooded and the fishing is terrible.  Sometimes, you just got to try and find ways to catch fish that are willing to bite.  You just need the right lure… not bait… lure. 

Using bait, live bait… can be the best advantage to catching more fish.  On most days it might be much easier to fish with live bait than artificial lures to target aggressive predator fish.  But it is important to think outside of the box and out of your comfort zone.  Somedays… that the water is cold, muddy, flooded, and with a lot of current… well… artificial lures can be a huge advantage. 

With live bait, you are depending on predator fish to see your bait in order to eat it… waiting for the big fish to come along, and see that juicy worm, and injured bait fish to trigger big bites.  But again, some days… this wont be as effective because of weather and water conditions. 

Fish can’t see your worm or bait fish it the water it muddy, choppy, cloudy, or rainy.  But using an array of artificial lures, can be helpful, if you use something that is shiny, or loud, or bigger, or giving off a bigger vibration in the water… to lure the big fish to you. 

Even fi you are not comfortable with using artificial lures and feel that its too difficult to use them… try… it might t=be the only way you will be catching fishing on crummy days and conditions like these. 

Also… even if the conditions look less than ideal to us… might be what the fish like.  Maybe the flooded waters will bring the bigger fish closer to the shallows… or maybe the dark waters mean they won’t see you coming because the water has so little visibility.  Hence, making a brighter, louder, shinier, vibrating artificial lure a great advantage.

This is a great time to fish and try something new.  Sometimes we have to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. When uncomfortable situations arise whether in fishing or life, it will force us to embrace something creative.  Try something that you might not be comfortable in doing… but do it anyways.  Never know what the results can be. 

Life is all about being comfortable in the uncomfortable.  Not very often will life only give us pleasant and easy-going situations.  Life is full of its ups and downs, bad situations, struggles, and hardship.  Many times, we have faced being in uncomfortable situations.  But instead of complaining and being mad about it… be comfortable with it and do something to embrace it.  Sometimes it’s about how we must change in those uncomfortable situations, and not about how the conditions need to change for us.  In boot camp… we are taught to embrace the suck…. So, embrace it… be comfortable in the uncomfortable.    Change and adapt to the less tan ideal situations.  Don’t wait for conditions to change for you.  You change yourself, improve your odds, be successful, be mentally tough and be comfortable with the uncomfortable.  

Well technically for a pastor Easter isn’t quite over yet.  I will be busy until about the end of April until things really start slowing down.  But for most of the people in the country, Easter is done and over and all we are left with is a bunch of empty plastic eggshells.  The candy that was inside of them… gone.  And there is something called the after Easter depression.  Sometimes we can feel like those leftovers, forgotten, empty plastic shells. 
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We spent so much time preparing everything for Easter.  Maybe some of us had family coming over, and had to prepare a lot of food, or maybe you all have a lot of activities at church that needed time and attention.  We prepared ourselves well, by preparing nice clothing for yourself and your family on Easter day… and now… it is all over.  Easter has passed.

And initially we sigh, and say thank God, this si all over.  But after the down time of relaxing and getting rest.  We are left looking around wondering, now what?  What are supposed to do now? 

Make you wonder if this is how the disciples might be feeling after Jesus has died on the cross.  The disciples scattered, abandoned each other, and went into hiding.  It was even after some time that some disciples heard of Jesus’ resurrection… but well... word travelled slower back then, without Instagram, social media, or even internet. 

But this is the problem every year we face.  That is the after Easter woes.  But it doesn’t have to be like that.  What we felt on Easter Day, that Resurrection Day should be a feeling that continues after Easter.  Christ is Risen!  Right?  Then why the after Easter depression? 

Well, maybe it’s because everything that we expected for Easter has happened.  All the time and effort for what we expect on Easter is now finished.  And nobody ever prepared any of us to tell us what we are supposed to do after Easter.  There is no Easter after party, or nothing else “important” after Easter.  It just feels over with. 

But there is still more to do.  It is about renewal and living.  Easter represents for us a resurrected life.  So, we need to continue the mission that Christ set for us… well actually, that Christ is already one step, or several steps in front of us.  The Gospel of John retells the resurrection story of Christ has already left he tomb and is ahead of anyone that came to see him at the tomb.  Christ is gone as fast as Easter began. 

So, why are we still at the tomb?!  What are we waiting for?  Jesus isn’t there anymore!  So, we better get moving!  Jesus is already walking ahead of us, in front of us, showing us the way.  Easter is over and done, the tomb is empty, but living does not end.  The resurrection story continues.  So don’t be stuck on Easter, be alive, and live a life that is worthy of resurrection.  Make things happen.  Keep moving.  Be resilient.  Be courageous.  

What does Easter mean to you?  Well for us Christians it is about our beginning as Christians.  Without Jesus’ death on the cross, and eventful resurrection from the grave, we would not have our Christian identity.

But so what?  What does that mean for all of us?  It is just a story that we believe, or is the Easter mean something more?  Now I am not talking about the family gather, good food, or Easter Egg hunt… that is not what really matters on Easter. 

Easter is about each and every one of us living a resurrected life.  It is about knowing that there is nothing our God cannot do.  He has shown us all through Jesus Christ.  God has proven Himself to be a teacher, healer, companion, friend of the outcast, miracle worker, obedient to only God, and a resister to all oppression and oppressors.  The resurrection is not just another miracle, but it is a message to us, a final message that shows God’s absolute love for us.  Throughout life as Jesus Christ, he was all about people living their best life.  Jesus was all about living in hope and giving that hope to others.  God’s love has no boundaries in life and in death.  There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, not even death itself!  There is nothing our God cannot do!

So, live courageously, humbly, and confidently!  God is always with you.  Easter is one day ahead of us, the Day of Resurrection.  So live because God is living as well!  Live your best life because God has given you the opportunity to live that life better!  Get yourself out of the grave because Christ has rolled away the boulder so that you can step out of the shadows and into the light of Easter morning. 

Live, because life demands it and the world needs more alive people.  Live again because you are free some guilt, shame, and sin because God loves and forgives you!  The world needs people who are living.  Be the proof of resurrection to a world that is in need of seeing it.  Leave your burdens in the tomb, the shackles, chains, and old clothing, leave it behind, because living in the light of resurrection means you are made new. 

Happy Easter everyone!