So, I was teaching about Latino Culture and English this past week.
We were discussing the various countries of Central and South America, and up comes my list on the PowerPoint:
Sp___
Me____
P___guay
El S_l_vador
Pa_ama
Look at the last one. Very obvious? Well, to my 1-5 class student Hyun-ha, it was obvious...
"PAJAMA!" she screams out.
I've never laughed so loud in a long, long time.
Thanks Hyun-ha...thanks girl.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Spiritual Warfare
Word up! My friends on the Internet and back at home.
I haven't blogged in such a long time, I forgot to keep my peoples informed about my activities.
Here I am, approaching my third summer in South Korea. Teaching has been alright, its the same, no real breakthroughs, as kids are slogging it out towards the end of the first semester.
My new freshmen are more eager and enthusiastic to learn about English, but I now I can see them struggling.
We approach the summer days, it gets hot, the girls get antsy, exams approach, dark eyes like owls appear, the irritable meter rises, the initial drive to have fun with English gets shifted into lower gear and sometimes goes into neutral.
Sometimes kids fall in asleep in my class, partly because I'm boring (at least that's what I think), and mostly because these little girls go to sleep around 1 or 2AM. Its ridiculous what the Korean public school program puts these adolescents through. It saddens me and I feel so bad for them. Life is the same for them day in, day out as they are supposed to become adults.
The problem is, when they become adults (i.e. college), they go into a world where the pressure when the valve is released can sometimes become too great. Now they have to make decisions when they were always told what to do. Its the Confucian mindset. Do what you're told. Be a good study soldier.
Meanwhile, I got my own battles. In my life, I'm starting to realize more than ever that spiritual warfare is upon us as believers. What is spiritual warfare? It is battle between the principalities of the spirit-realm, its your personal battle as a believer in Jesus Christ and the dark forces of the spiritual realm that want to hinder your walk in Jesus. Its more real than you think.
You go to the Word not just to get your fill of the Holy Spirit, but to also equip yourself for battle. You don't do quiet time to make God happy, He wants a relationship with you not only because He loves us but He wants to equip us to fight in a world where everything is just...wrong...and sinful.
We encounter depression, frustration, anger, mindless thoughts of evil and lust, hatred, and random thoughts that are not holy. I struggle with this daily. I'm not a perfect saint, but I'm a sinner saved by Grace.
The devil is not just some goofy cartoon character you see trying to make you do bad things, he's capable of doing more. He is trying to take every single human being that doesn't trust and believe in God down with him.
He can't touch the saints' salvation. But he can attack them.
He's a schemer, the Bible calls him a liar. He tries to do many things to get to his ultimate goal, to distract you from focusing on the prize...Christ. He sews the seeds of doubt when you question, he pounces on impurity when you let unwholesome thoughts into your mind, he tries to fuel your anger into sin when someone is pushing your buttons, and piles paranoia onto your anxiety about certain situations.
1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxieties onto Him, because He cares for you." This word of Truth helped me fight some thoughts of anxiety today. Wow, I became lifted up. That's the Word of God. Its not about making God happy, God doesn't need anything from us. What He wants is us...all of us.
I have messed up this week. All now I can I do is make things right and give my life to Him, so He can clean house and the Holy Spirit can work in me.
The devil? Can be squashed with one pinky by God. To battle, there has got to be a mindset and faith that is set on Christ himself, to be like him and to consciously keep him at that forefront of your daily decision-making and interacting with people, as well as your thoughts. This is not easy, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to make it.
Why is battling not easy? Because we battle our old sin nature while we are being set apart for His glory, called sanctification. Another part of successful spiritual battling is prayer. I'm learning that prayer is like a Samurai's fighting technique, if the Bible is like a Saint's samurai sword, cutting into the world of lies. Lifting up our anxieties and fears about the future, as well as giving Him the praise for His daily gifts and Grace, is getting to the heart of the matter and putting God first.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.
Look at the highlighted words. There is a stress on constancy...of consistency. I used to be one of those type of Christians who would read my Bible and pray, then I would think my work was done and I expected God to give me a good day. I was such a selfish Christian back in high school. When I had a bad day, in my mind I would think I didn't do my quiet time right or something.
But look at this letter of the church of Thessalonica...always, continually, and all, I mean who in their right mind would be joyful when you got a bunch of haters at work who don't appreciate your hard work? Or when some student punks you in the middle of class and you're embarrassed? Or when a teammate gets mad at you for a play that you didn't mean to make? Or when a loved one is going through a terminal illness?
That's what a Christian is being about. We're supposed to be so radically different from the world that the world would have no excuse or choice BUT to see Christ in us. But everytime, in spiritual battles, we give the devil a foothold, we can put ourselves into dangerous situations where we can right into sin.
A consistent Christian life is not fulfilling duty, its about a lifestyle of honor to the Lord. Its about keeping Him first in our lives at all hours. That's the continual hard part about this new calling in Jesus. We have to give up our old selves and reject the old ways of dealing with things. Is "joys always" meaning we have a big smile everywhere we go and laughing it up because that's what the world calls "joy?" Forget that...I personally am one of those guys who has joy most when I'm alone or when I'm just straight up calm. For another sister in the Lord, she may be just on fire and loud for the Lord. Or for another brother, he could just keeping it chill while enjoying the moment of peace from the Lord. Always is, always shall be.
"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." 1 Thessalonians 4:7. We're just a bunch of bums saved by Grace. We're lambs led by the Shepherd Jesus Christ.
But equipped with truth, with Grace, and by giving our anxieties and fears to Him...that holiness that oozes from our bodies will contaminate the people around us and they too will see a changed person in us, in the form of Jesus.
Oh Lord, forgive me for being selfish and losing control of my life. Let's try this again my Savior...that's what Grace is all about.
Ephesians 6:15-19:
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Time for some battling, but remember, we already have the victory...in Jesus!
I haven't blogged in such a long time, I forgot to keep my peoples informed about my activities.
Here I am, approaching my third summer in South Korea. Teaching has been alright, its the same, no real breakthroughs, as kids are slogging it out towards the end of the first semester.
My new freshmen are more eager and enthusiastic to learn about English, but I now I can see them struggling.
We approach the summer days, it gets hot, the girls get antsy, exams approach, dark eyes like owls appear, the irritable meter rises, the initial drive to have fun with English gets shifted into lower gear and sometimes goes into neutral.
Sometimes kids fall in asleep in my class, partly because I'm boring (at least that's what I think), and mostly because these little girls go to sleep around 1 or 2AM. Its ridiculous what the Korean public school program puts these adolescents through. It saddens me and I feel so bad for them. Life is the same for them day in, day out as they are supposed to become adults.
The problem is, when they become adults (i.e. college), they go into a world where the pressure when the valve is released can sometimes become too great. Now they have to make decisions when they were always told what to do. Its the Confucian mindset. Do what you're told. Be a good study soldier.
Meanwhile, I got my own battles. In my life, I'm starting to realize more than ever that spiritual warfare is upon us as believers. What is spiritual warfare? It is battle between the principalities of the spirit-realm, its your personal battle as a believer in Jesus Christ and the dark forces of the spiritual realm that want to hinder your walk in Jesus. Its more real than you think.
You go to the Word not just to get your fill of the Holy Spirit, but to also equip yourself for battle. You don't do quiet time to make God happy, He wants a relationship with you not only because He loves us but He wants to equip us to fight in a world where everything is just...wrong...and sinful.
We encounter depression, frustration, anger, mindless thoughts of evil and lust, hatred, and random thoughts that are not holy. I struggle with this daily. I'm not a perfect saint, but I'm a sinner saved by Grace.
The devil is not just some goofy cartoon character you see trying to make you do bad things, he's capable of doing more. He is trying to take every single human being that doesn't trust and believe in God down with him.
He can't touch the saints' salvation. But he can attack them.
He's a schemer, the Bible calls him a liar. He tries to do many things to get to his ultimate goal, to distract you from focusing on the prize...Christ. He sews the seeds of doubt when you question, he pounces on impurity when you let unwholesome thoughts into your mind, he tries to fuel your anger into sin when someone is pushing your buttons, and piles paranoia onto your anxiety about certain situations.
1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxieties onto Him, because He cares for you." This word of Truth helped me fight some thoughts of anxiety today. Wow, I became lifted up. That's the Word of God. Its not about making God happy, God doesn't need anything from us. What He wants is us...all of us.
I have messed up this week. All now I can I do is make things right and give my life to Him, so He can clean house and the Holy Spirit can work in me.
The devil? Can be squashed with one pinky by God. To battle, there has got to be a mindset and faith that is set on Christ himself, to be like him and to consciously keep him at that forefront of your daily decision-making and interacting with people, as well as your thoughts. This is not easy, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to make it.
Why is battling not easy? Because we battle our old sin nature while we are being set apart for His glory, called sanctification. Another part of successful spiritual battling is prayer. I'm learning that prayer is like a Samurai's fighting technique, if the Bible is like a Saint's samurai sword, cutting into the world of lies. Lifting up our anxieties and fears about the future, as well as giving Him the praise for His daily gifts and Grace, is getting to the heart of the matter and putting God first.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.
Look at the highlighted words. There is a stress on constancy...of consistency. I used to be one of those type of Christians who would read my Bible and pray, then I would think my work was done and I expected God to give me a good day. I was such a selfish Christian back in high school. When I had a bad day, in my mind I would think I didn't do my quiet time right or something.
But look at this letter of the church of Thessalonica...always, continually, and all, I mean who in their right mind would be joyful when you got a bunch of haters at work who don't appreciate your hard work? Or when some student punks you in the middle of class and you're embarrassed? Or when a teammate gets mad at you for a play that you didn't mean to make? Or when a loved one is going through a terminal illness?
That's what a Christian is being about. We're supposed to be so radically different from the world that the world would have no excuse or choice BUT to see Christ in us. But everytime, in spiritual battles, we give the devil a foothold, we can put ourselves into dangerous situations where we can right into sin.
A consistent Christian life is not fulfilling duty, its about a lifestyle of honor to the Lord. Its about keeping Him first in our lives at all hours. That's the continual hard part about this new calling in Jesus. We have to give up our old selves and reject the old ways of dealing with things. Is "joys always" meaning we have a big smile everywhere we go and laughing it up because that's what the world calls "joy?" Forget that...I personally am one of those guys who has joy most when I'm alone or when I'm just straight up calm. For another sister in the Lord, she may be just on fire and loud for the Lord. Or for another brother, he could just keeping it chill while enjoying the moment of peace from the Lord. Always is, always shall be.
"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." 1 Thessalonians 4:7. We're just a bunch of bums saved by Grace. We're lambs led by the Shepherd Jesus Christ.
But equipped with truth, with Grace, and by giving our anxieties and fears to Him...that holiness that oozes from our bodies will contaminate the people around us and they too will see a changed person in us, in the form of Jesus.
Oh Lord, forgive me for being selfish and losing control of my life. Let's try this again my Savior...that's what Grace is all about.
Ephesians 6:15-19:
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Time for some battling, but remember, we already have the victory...in Jesus!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Hapkido
So in April, after coming back for a third (and possibly final stint) in teaching, I needed something new in my life.
Last year, I was content with just doing my job, connecting with friends when I had time, and leading a normal life. But with the advent of gaining weight while in Korea and America (hey, bears gotta hibernate, right?), and leading a doldrum-filled existence of yelling English at unsuspecting high school girls, I thought that a physical outlet of unleashing the Soni dragon would be good for my google-loo cheeks (my grandma's Indian terminology for "chubby") and my waistline.
I get my co-teacher, Joanna Son, to contact the local hapkido gym to apply for a spot in training for this martial art. I enter this Hapkido Jang ("jang" means "place" in Korean) with virtually no experience in martial arts, the grand master helps me into my uniform, a black garb with a white belt.
Fast forward a month later, and I passed my first hapkido exam. Its just one step on a long road to martial excellence.
However, what is hapkido? When you usually think of Korea, you think of the land of Tae Kwon Do, the land of fast kicking, furious roundhouse kicking youngsters like my cousin who would be formidable foes on the streets of Seoul. Nah, hapkido is an unique martial art.
A Korean dude a long time ago went to study martial arts in Japan, during the colonial era when the Japanese controlled Korea (1910-1945). He studied various martial arts like jujistu, brought it back to Korea, and produced an eclectic artform what is now hapkido.
Hapkido incorporates lots of locks, grips, and defensive schemes that utilizes an opponent's energy against them. Someone grabs your collar, force them into a hold where they have to submit. Someone bear hugs you, hit em hard below the belt and kick em! Somebody grabs your wrist, get out and put them in a tough position.
Of course, there is the kicking element, but unlike tae kwon do, which uses a series of fast and speedy kicks to surprise the opponent, hapkido places emphasis on power. Hapkido is about combining energy and unleashing it, while using your opponent's against theirs.
I have studied the art for a month and some change, and its really invigorating my physical and mental life. After a rough day's work, I enjoy going to the place and getting all the nerves and energy out of my system by getting a new workout in.
I lost weight, toned up a little, and my goal is to become more mentally and physically sound. Now I got my South African friend Jonathan to join me for his first session tonight, I have a sparring partner to practice my moves with on a more consistent basis. Its not about fighting, its about health and defense.
Thank you Lord for the opportunity to learn martial arts. Its cool to move and move freely and learn something new, something that will impact me for the rest of my life here on earth.
Last year, I was content with just doing my job, connecting with friends when I had time, and leading a normal life. But with the advent of gaining weight while in Korea and America (hey, bears gotta hibernate, right?), and leading a doldrum-filled existence of yelling English at unsuspecting high school girls, I thought that a physical outlet of unleashing the Soni dragon would be good for my google-loo cheeks (my grandma's Indian terminology for "chubby") and my waistline.
I get my co-teacher, Joanna Son, to contact the local hapkido gym to apply for a spot in training for this martial art. I enter this Hapkido Jang ("jang" means "place" in Korean) with virtually no experience in martial arts, the grand master helps me into my uniform, a black garb with a white belt.
Fast forward a month later, and I passed my first hapkido exam. Its just one step on a long road to martial excellence.
However, what is hapkido? When you usually think of Korea, you think of the land of Tae Kwon Do, the land of fast kicking, furious roundhouse kicking youngsters like my cousin who would be formidable foes on the streets of Seoul. Nah, hapkido is an unique martial art.
A Korean dude a long time ago went to study martial arts in Japan, during the colonial era when the Japanese controlled Korea (1910-1945). He studied various martial arts like jujistu, brought it back to Korea, and produced an eclectic artform what is now hapkido.
Hapkido incorporates lots of locks, grips, and defensive schemes that utilizes an opponent's energy against them. Someone grabs your collar, force them into a hold where they have to submit. Someone bear hugs you, hit em hard below the belt and kick em! Somebody grabs your wrist, get out and put them in a tough position.
Of course, there is the kicking element, but unlike tae kwon do, which uses a series of fast and speedy kicks to surprise the opponent, hapkido places emphasis on power. Hapkido is about combining energy and unleashing it, while using your opponent's against theirs.
I have studied the art for a month and some change, and its really invigorating my physical and mental life. After a rough day's work, I enjoy going to the place and getting all the nerves and energy out of my system by getting a new workout in.
I lost weight, toned up a little, and my goal is to become more mentally and physically sound. Now I got my South African friend Jonathan to join me for his first session tonight, I have a sparring partner to practice my moves with on a more consistent basis. Its not about fighting, its about health and defense.
Thank you Lord for the opportunity to learn martial arts. Its cool to move and move freely and learn something new, something that will impact me for the rest of my life here on earth.
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2010: The Year of the Soni Tiger
