Dinner with my teacher
Yesterday, after a really short notice from my roommate, I went out with my roommate, two other guys and one of our Japanese teachers for dinner. It was supposed to be at an Izakaya, (I'm not sure how to translate that except sort of like a cafe where you can drink alcohol and eat.) Yeah, the food was good! Nobody drank anything though, despite how I've heard from my TA how much the Japanese teacher's drank at one party. heh. I guess my teacher needed to drive home too.
Anyway, it was good. I hardly talked, because I could barely hear anything in that place. The environment was close quarters with a lot of people. I couldn't catch everything that was said. The one time that my teacher talked to me, I didn't even hear what she said.
But, still, even though I acted so quiet that night, I had a good time. I'm surprised at how much one can say with such a limited ability in Japanese. My friends weren't using hard words, but they were able to express themselves quite well.
My teacher looked a lot better. The last time I saw her, she was pregnant with her second child. I think her second, or maybe first. Anyway, I'm glad that she's happy.
My Japanese ability is increasing. Each time I use it, I'm gaining a little more knowledge. I'm just getting so lazy now that I don't have to do anything anymore, besides work.
Anyway, if I want to learn Japanese, I'm going to have to work hard to use it and keep it. It's so easy to forget something that one has learned. Right? I mean, how many of you remember the information from classes that you've taken?
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Monday, June 21, 2004
I read today about a South Korean being held hostage in Iraq. you can find it here. I wrote in an earlier blog that it was good that missionaries are going over the Iraq to spread the gospel. However, most of them will lose their lives, because people are hostile to Christianity in the middle east. It is not good that people lose their lives. But because of the word from Jesus, many will die because of trying to spread it.
The cross, a symbol of Christianity today has become a trinket to many people. Like a good luck charm.
The cross in Roman times was a sign of someone condemned to death. Criminals and people who were sentenced to death were nailed to the crosses. They were put in public places as a message to others, "If you do the same, so will be your end."
It is dangerous to be a Christian. Maybe not in the US, but around the world, following Jesus has its price of persecution. Even in the US, people don't want to hear about Jesus. Many people take their faith for granted.
The reason why people choose to endure persecution can be of many reasons. However, the one main one that I think about is, "I have a relationship with Jesus and I want others to know Jesus." Despite all the good things in this world, people are willing to take a chance at a probable certain death because they love Jesus and want others to know Him. Some fall away because of persecution.
This man, a South Korean, who went to Iraq as a dream of being a missionary probably knew that he might never come back. I can't imagine what horrors he's being threatened or punished with. Being a Christian has its price, and sometimes to follow God, you may be put to death.
But, I really think that if Jesus were not worth following, nobody would follow Him. Nobody would stay strong till the end in their faith. It all comes down to what you think. Is my Jesus worth my life, my time, my all?
The verse can be found here
If you've seen the "Passion of the Christ", you might have been grossed out by what happened to Jesus. But, this is God's love for us, not just Christians, but the world. He is willing to die for you and suffer all that to free you from the burden of sin and have a relationship with mankind again.
It all comes back to Genesis. Where God created Adam and Eve. God created Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve had fellowship with God. Fellowship is kind of like community and friendship. God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. However, Adam and Eve did eat the fruit and disobeyed God and committed the first sin. Disobedience to what God had said. So, God cast them out of the Garden of Eden, and fellowship with God was broken.
Anyway, I'm not expert in this subject, and probably someone else could explain it better. I've just summarized some of the beliefs of Christianity.
1. God and man had fellowship in the beginning
2. Man sinned and the fellowship was broken
3. God came in the form of Jesus to take away sin so fellowship could be restored
4. Through Jesus, we can have fellowship with God
The cross, a symbol of Christianity today has become a trinket to many people. Like a good luck charm.
The cross in Roman times was a sign of someone condemned to death. Criminals and people who were sentenced to death were nailed to the crosses. They were put in public places as a message to others, "If you do the same, so will be your end."
It is dangerous to be a Christian. Maybe not in the US, but around the world, following Jesus has its price of persecution. Even in the US, people don't want to hear about Jesus. Many people take their faith for granted.
The reason why people choose to endure persecution can be of many reasons. However, the one main one that I think about is, "I have a relationship with Jesus and I want others to know Jesus." Despite all the good things in this world, people are willing to take a chance at a probable certain death because they love Jesus and want others to know Him. Some fall away because of persecution.
This man, a South Korean, who went to Iraq as a dream of being a missionary probably knew that he might never come back. I can't imagine what horrors he's being threatened or punished with. Being a Christian has its price, and sometimes to follow God, you may be put to death.
But, I really think that if Jesus were not worth following, nobody would follow Him. Nobody would stay strong till the end in their faith. It all comes down to what you think. Is my Jesus worth my life, my time, my all?
The verse can be found here
If you've seen the "Passion of the Christ", you might have been grossed out by what happened to Jesus. But, this is God's love for us, not just Christians, but the world. He is willing to die for you and suffer all that to free you from the burden of sin and have a relationship with mankind again.
It all comes back to Genesis. Where God created Adam and Eve. God created Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve had fellowship with God. Fellowship is kind of like community and friendship. God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. However, Adam and Eve did eat the fruit and disobeyed God and committed the first sin. Disobedience to what God had said. So, God cast them out of the Garden of Eden, and fellowship with God was broken.
Anyway, I'm not expert in this subject, and probably someone else could explain it better. I've just summarized some of the beliefs of Christianity.
1. God and man had fellowship in the beginning
2. Man sinned and the fellowship was broken
3. God came in the form of Jesus to take away sin so fellowship could be restored
4. Through Jesus, we can have fellowship with God
There are some times in life when I am thankful that I stuck with it and didn't give up. From how low I've come to how good of a life I now have, I can only say that God has really worked in my life so much through the tough times to get to these times today.
Life is not easy, and it will not always be good. In fact, it may plainly be harsh and unrewarding.
But don't give up on trying to improve one's life. There will be disappointments, failures, and even times of pain. But, there is also good in this world. One just has to find it.
Life is not easy, and it will not always be good. In fact, it may plainly be harsh and unrewarding.
But don't give up on trying to improve one's life. There will be disappointments, failures, and even times of pain. But, there is also good in this world. One just has to find it.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Walk the walk
Saying something is one thing. Actually doing something about it is another. Over the past few weeks, I've been doing nothing but going to work and playing video games. I've decided not to play video games until I get my Japanese in working order.
Something has to change. I can't keep on saying one thing and not getting anything done.
Someone said that video games will be my downfall. And to be honest, I think that they might be right. Hence the no video game rule.
List of things to do.
1. Watch Anime (Short for Animation. Semantically meaning Japanese cartoons in places other than Japan. Anime is just animation in general in Japan) and listen to my Japanese language CD
2. Study old class notes
3. Read old textbooks
4. Read Manga
Spiritual things to do
1. Pray
2. Read Bible
3. Journal
4. Apply
Life in general
1. Discipline
2. strength
3. Treating people the same way I want them to treat me
Saying something is one thing. Actually doing something about it is another. Over the past few weeks, I've been doing nothing but going to work and playing video games. I've decided not to play video games until I get my Japanese in working order.
Something has to change. I can't keep on saying one thing and not getting anything done.
Someone said that video games will be my downfall. And to be honest, I think that they might be right. Hence the no video game rule.
List of things to do.
1. Watch Anime (Short for Animation. Semantically meaning Japanese cartoons in places other than Japan. Anime is just animation in general in Japan) and listen to my Japanese language CD
2. Study old class notes
3. Read old textbooks
4. Read Manga
Spiritual things to do
1. Pray
2. Read Bible
3. Journal
4. Apply
Life in general
1. Discipline
2. strength
3. Treating people the same way I want them to treat me
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Why am I here?
Things lately haven't been going so well. Finding a job after college isn't working out as well as I'd like it to. Roommate problems...as well as other things that can cause a person to get irritated.
I ask this question a lot and I know one reason why I'm here...to make this world a better place.
This world isn't such a nice place to live. Even if you don't mean any harm towards another person, they can get angry at you or irritated at you because that might just be their nature. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making fun of anybody or teasing anyone, but just by being here or there, some people just get irritated that I'm there.
It makes me want to say, "Excuse me for being alive."
Maybe I haven't found the right people to be with...or maybe I have. Ministry is not so much helping the people that don't need help. Ministry is helping the people that DO need help.
When Jesus was asked by the Teachers of the law and Pharisees (Ie the leading church people of the day) "Why do you eat with Tax collectors and sinners?" (Tax collectors were the pawns of the Roman government to collect taxes. Sometimes they collected more taxes than they should have and were really not liked in those times.)
Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:31-32 It can be found here
Anyway, look up the whole chapter if you like. Here It might not make sense to you, but just to get a little context as to what Jesus was doing at the time.
The reason why I write this is that lately, I think that God has been trying to grow me in my relationships with others. There comes a point where a person needs to really just take some chances and work things out with others.
No man is an island. Man was created to live with others. Right?
Anyway, I fail to see how I'm making this world a better place right now. I also fail to see how I can make this world a better place.
I emailed a lady about teaching English in a certain part of Japan for two years. We'll see if they hire me or not. I just emailed her about getting more information though. Nothing big, or life changing...yet.
If I had gotten the game testing job, I might not have time to apply for this other English teaching position in Japan. But we'll see. One of my friends is praying for me as to direction.
I do have good friends. They are good people, don't get me wrong about that. It's just that there comes a time when there needs to be some communication.
Plus, I don't think that my perception of how things really are is always correct. Going by one's feelings does not tell of the reality of how things are. They tell the reality of how one is feeling or doing. Hence, the "not doing so well."
But don't worry about me. I've been through much worse and have come out alright. God is faithful, despite our lack of faith...despite our lack of thanks or gratitude. I think that it's in James where James says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above." You can find it here
Anyway, again, don't worry about me. I'm doing alright. Growth always has pain in it.
Things lately haven't been going so well. Finding a job after college isn't working out as well as I'd like it to. Roommate problems...as well as other things that can cause a person to get irritated.
I ask this question a lot and I know one reason why I'm here...to make this world a better place.
This world isn't such a nice place to live. Even if you don't mean any harm towards another person, they can get angry at you or irritated at you because that might just be their nature. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making fun of anybody or teasing anyone, but just by being here or there, some people just get irritated that I'm there.
It makes me want to say, "Excuse me for being alive."
Maybe I haven't found the right people to be with...or maybe I have. Ministry is not so much helping the people that don't need help. Ministry is helping the people that DO need help.
When Jesus was asked by the Teachers of the law and Pharisees (Ie the leading church people of the day) "Why do you eat with Tax collectors and sinners?" (Tax collectors were the pawns of the Roman government to collect taxes. Sometimes they collected more taxes than they should have and were really not liked in those times.)
Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:31-32 It can be found here
Anyway, look up the whole chapter if you like. Here It might not make sense to you, but just to get a little context as to what Jesus was doing at the time.
The reason why I write this is that lately, I think that God has been trying to grow me in my relationships with others. There comes a point where a person needs to really just take some chances and work things out with others.
No man is an island. Man was created to live with others. Right?
Anyway, I fail to see how I'm making this world a better place right now. I also fail to see how I can make this world a better place.
I emailed a lady about teaching English in a certain part of Japan for two years. We'll see if they hire me or not. I just emailed her about getting more information though. Nothing big, or life changing...yet.
If I had gotten the game testing job, I might not have time to apply for this other English teaching position in Japan. But we'll see. One of my friends is praying for me as to direction.
I do have good friends. They are good people, don't get me wrong about that. It's just that there comes a time when there needs to be some communication.
Plus, I don't think that my perception of how things really are is always correct. Going by one's feelings does not tell of the reality of how things are. They tell the reality of how one is feeling or doing. Hence, the "not doing so well."
But don't worry about me. I've been through much worse and have come out alright. God is faithful, despite our lack of faith...despite our lack of thanks or gratitude. I think that it's in James where James says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above." You can find it here
Anyway, again, don't worry about me. I'm doing alright. Growth always has pain in it.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Yesterday
When I think about yesterday, (not specifically yesterday), but the days past, I find that there's a lot that I should learn from and move forward with.
If I look back, I realize that that's now gone, and I need to focus on the now and the future.
Anyway, getting back to the title. Yesterday was the last day of school for me ever. I will miss school, but I'm glad to be done. What am I going to do now? No idea, but will try to apply to Aeon and see what happens. Maybe I'll go to Japan.
I think that God wants me in Japan for some reason. I know this though, I specifically don't want to be dating anybody in Japan. I think personally that Japanese people are great, but just the cultural differences between America and Japan are too great for me to actually be comfortable with.
In Japan, less than 1% of the population is Christian. I hope that I can meet some of the people of Japan and really get to know them. Japan has helped me so much in the past, and I would like to give back to it. It was partly because of Japan that I became a Christian. I owe God a lot for postponing my trip to my senior year of high school.
I hope that God will use me in Japan to really give back to the people that helped me out so much.
The problem for me is that I've learned about Japan's past in college and it really distorted how I feel about Japan. Just so many messed up things that Japan did really made me angry.
But then again, so many messed up things in my past really made some people angry at me. Not the people of the present, but the people at the time.
The verse that I have always remembered since the day I read it was, Luke 6:37 "Do not judge and you will not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven."
God has forgiven me, so I should forgive Japan. Just as Japan has helped me, I think that God is telling me to go to Japan. But, I'm still not sure. I'm still now sure as to whether or not God really wants me in Japan.
But I prayed, "If you want me there, provide a way." And I know that He will if I am serious about following Him.
Anyway, my heart right now is not in the right place for Japan. I used to love Japan so much, yet my love in a lot of ways has gone cold. Maybe I'm just judging my love on how I feel. But really, I do think that I've stopped caring for the most part, because of just all the struggles that I've gone through these past three years.
One thing is true though, there is still part of me that cares very deeply. It's still hiding in me somewhere, where I've lost the location. heh.
Anyway, I got to go to sleep. I think that I'm thinking too much about the past. Maybe I need to just go out there and do something.
When I think about yesterday, (not specifically yesterday), but the days past, I find that there's a lot that I should learn from and move forward with.
If I look back, I realize that that's now gone, and I need to focus on the now and the future.
Anyway, getting back to the title. Yesterday was the last day of school for me ever. I will miss school, but I'm glad to be done. What am I going to do now? No idea, but will try to apply to Aeon and see what happens. Maybe I'll go to Japan.
I think that God wants me in Japan for some reason. I know this though, I specifically don't want to be dating anybody in Japan. I think personally that Japanese people are great, but just the cultural differences between America and Japan are too great for me to actually be comfortable with.
In Japan, less than 1% of the population is Christian. I hope that I can meet some of the people of Japan and really get to know them. Japan has helped me so much in the past, and I would like to give back to it. It was partly because of Japan that I became a Christian. I owe God a lot for postponing my trip to my senior year of high school.
I hope that God will use me in Japan to really give back to the people that helped me out so much.
The problem for me is that I've learned about Japan's past in college and it really distorted how I feel about Japan. Just so many messed up things that Japan did really made me angry.
But then again, so many messed up things in my past really made some people angry at me. Not the people of the present, but the people at the time.
The verse that I have always remembered since the day I read it was, Luke 6:37 "Do not judge and you will not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven."
God has forgiven me, so I should forgive Japan. Just as Japan has helped me, I think that God is telling me to go to Japan. But, I'm still not sure. I'm still now sure as to whether or not God really wants me in Japan.
But I prayed, "If you want me there, provide a way." And I know that He will if I am serious about following Him.
Anyway, my heart right now is not in the right place for Japan. I used to love Japan so much, yet my love in a lot of ways has gone cold. Maybe I'm just judging my love on how I feel. But really, I do think that I've stopped caring for the most part, because of just all the struggles that I've gone through these past three years.
One thing is true though, there is still part of me that cares very deeply. It's still hiding in me somewhere, where I've lost the location. heh.
Anyway, I got to go to sleep. I think that I'm thinking too much about the past. Maybe I need to just go out there and do something.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
One more day and i'm done forever.
Unless I can't find anything better to do but go back.
Tomorrow is my last day of class and my last final. Going through the past five years of school has really been the best time of my life. Not the easiest time, but definately better than anything I have experienced elsewhere.
I'm going to miss school. Something I probably never thought that I'd say before going to college.
Well, the next part is just making a resume and finding something else to do besides bum around the house. heh.
Dude, all those years back, when I was serious about quitting, I knew that I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Sticking with it has been very rewarding. However, getting a job is a different story.
Use it or lose it!
Now that I'm done with Japanese, I have to work even harder at studying it. It won't be easy to pick up a Japanese textbook and study for fun. Like muscles, the body and mind have to be used to improve and to stay at a certain level. Otherwise, you just lose everything bit by bit.
Unless I can't find anything better to do but go back.
Tomorrow is my last day of class and my last final. Going through the past five years of school has really been the best time of my life. Not the easiest time, but definately better than anything I have experienced elsewhere.
I'm going to miss school. Something I probably never thought that I'd say before going to college.
Well, the next part is just making a resume and finding something else to do besides bum around the house. heh.
Dude, all those years back, when I was serious about quitting, I knew that I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Sticking with it has been very rewarding. However, getting a job is a different story.
Use it or lose it!
Now that I'm done with Japanese, I have to work even harder at studying it. It won't be easy to pick up a Japanese textbook and study for fun. Like muscles, the body and mind have to be used to improve and to stay at a certain level. Otherwise, you just lose everything bit by bit.
Sometimes I wonder why I'm here. There's got to be a reason as to why I get these chances in life. Anyway, life has been interesting, painful, good, and still full of hardships. I can honestly say that I had not known life as full as I have known it until I started to have friendships with people in college. Yet, I have not known how hard and painful life can be from my failures and mistakes that I have made in these friendships.
Still, God is good. Jon G stated it best in his blog, which Ray read tonight at Senior Sendoff. I don't know Jon's xanga site, but I'm sure that I can probably find it later. His main thing was help us all to seek after God. The focus should be on God in everything we do. In our life, work, friendships, relationships, etc.
This is a kind of randomly put together blog, but I'm just wanting to write this down before I forget.
God, please help me to follow after You. After working so hard in school this past year, I've seen that nothing takes the place of You. Thank you that you still love me despite how many times I've failed you. And thank you for the victories that you have given me. It really is awesome to know You. Thank you
Still, God is good. Jon G stated it best in his blog, which Ray read tonight at Senior Sendoff. I don't know Jon's xanga site, but I'm sure that I can probably find it later. His main thing was help us all to seek after God. The focus should be on God in everything we do. In our life, work, friendships, relationships, etc.
This is a kind of randomly put together blog, but I'm just wanting to write this down before I forget.
God, please help me to follow after You. After working so hard in school this past year, I've seen that nothing takes the place of You. Thank you that you still love me despite how many times I've failed you. And thank you for the victories that you have given me. It really is awesome to know You. Thank you
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Man, I took a final today, and it didn’t go well. I guess this is my last quarter at school, but if I had spent more time studying, I could have done a whole lot better. Oh well. I guess this is a lesson for when I am applying for a job. If you don’t know the stuff beforehand, you won’t know it during the interview. Heh. Stupid logic, yes, but here’s a more applicable piece of logic.
“God is not mocked! What a man sows, he reaps.” (Galatians 6:7) Saying, if you sow things that will be harmful for you in the future, you will reap those later in life. If you sow good things, then you will reap those later in life. What I mean by sow is plant, like seed. What you do will be repaid sometime later in life. Sometimes you might not see the results in your own life, but the good or bad that you put into something will be repaid.
Yeah, I’m reaping the benefits of not studying by failing my exam. Heh. But I guess I paid that price.
Oh well. My goal for this summer is to study Japanese every day by reading articles online in Japanese and then improve my Japanese listening ability by watching anime without the subtitles. Hopefully I will learn enough Japanese to be able to use it in a job. What a man sows, he reaps right?
As I look back on my life, I see that I have repeated the same process very frequently. I slack off, I get in trouble, I stay up late trying to get my work done, and I do poorly. The only time that I haven’t done this was when my parents were looking out for me in elementary school, and during high school. I guess if you want something to be done right, you will have to work for it. Duh, right?
But, one thing that went well was my Judo presentation. God really helped me out in this by helping me to focus. It wasn’t perfect, but it went way better than I had expected it to go. Thank you guys for praying for me too. Someone volunteered to help me out and the class got a kick out of seeing the different techniques for throws, pins, and chokes. Actually, there was only one of each. But yeah, the presentation that was supposed to last 4 minutes and 30 seconds lasted 6 minutes and 50 seconds. Over the time limit, but I got rated pretty well.
“God is not mocked! What a man sows, he reaps.” (Galatians 6:7) Saying, if you sow things that will be harmful for you in the future, you will reap those later in life. If you sow good things, then you will reap those later in life. What I mean by sow is plant, like seed. What you do will be repaid sometime later in life. Sometimes you might not see the results in your own life, but the good or bad that you put into something will be repaid.
Yeah, I’m reaping the benefits of not studying by failing my exam. Heh. But I guess I paid that price.
Oh well. My goal for this summer is to study Japanese every day by reading articles online in Japanese and then improve my Japanese listening ability by watching anime without the subtitles. Hopefully I will learn enough Japanese to be able to use it in a job. What a man sows, he reaps right?
As I look back on my life, I see that I have repeated the same process very frequently. I slack off, I get in trouble, I stay up late trying to get my work done, and I do poorly. The only time that I haven’t done this was when my parents were looking out for me in elementary school, and during high school. I guess if you want something to be done right, you will have to work for it. Duh, right?
But, one thing that went well was my Judo presentation. God really helped me out in this by helping me to focus. It wasn’t perfect, but it went way better than I had expected it to go. Thank you guys for praying for me too. Someone volunteered to help me out and the class got a kick out of seeing the different techniques for throws, pins, and chokes. Actually, there was only one of each. But yeah, the presentation that was supposed to last 4 minutes and 30 seconds lasted 6 minutes and 50 seconds. Over the time limit, but I got rated pretty well.
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