Holiday Treason

Ecclesiastes 5:11:

"As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?"

A take on the Holiday Season. It doesn't even deserves the title "Christmas." Really. People spend thousands of dollars using plastic credit to please people with gifts they know they can't afford. Running from store to store with a list in hand to check off the people that you think need a gift in order to appreciate. Customers shoving and pushing each other on Black Friday for videogames, DVDs, and clothing like they were playing defense against LeBron James. People acting out of goodwill towards one another because green and red tell us to be nice for one month. Green and red are our colors that tell us to be good.

That's like South African president Jacob Zuma telling South Africans to be good for "one month" during the World Cup this year. (Which he did, due to South Africa's notorious crime rate)

People guard and protect the tradition of Christmas like that itself will make people feel joy. I see a flaw in that, because last time I checked the season is about Jesus Christ Himself. His Grace and Mercy by emptying Himself of Glory to become human like us. A baby. We think its cute that Jesus is a baby...but it blows my mind to think that our God, YHWH, Elohim, Jehovah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the One who made you, came down as a baby! A helpless baby! Think about that...

Now, I don't think there's nothing wrong with remembering our Christ's birth. There are legitimately good things that come about as families gather together to have good ol' fashion family time, because frankly, we don't do it much in American society anymore. Yet we can all legitimately say that Christmas was and is hijacked. To be honest, most people don't have fun. Its pack the van, go to the stores, get the gifts, and endless holiday preparations. Christmas may bring some time of actual bad memories, because of events that gone awry with family, friends, work-related problems, the Great Recession, and self-esteem.

I just want to challenge the notion of Christmas to those who are tired of the cliche themes of "peace on Earth, goodwill to Men" if people don't know why He came.

1. Look at the Real Jesus - what was His Mission? What did He come here to do? Read the story of the Nativity with your family, or to yourself. Share the Gospel with one another to flesh out the end result and ongoing story that is going on now!

2. Give gifts that matter. Does someone need something? Need help due to the Recession? Give them gift cards or cash. Give them something they lack.

3. Write legit cards. Write how you really feel about someone. How has she or he impacted your life? Send the card to them. Don't just buy a Hallmark and sign your name on the bottom. They know Hallmark wrote it. One of my biggest petpeeves. Can you encourage that person somehow?

4. Tell your kids (or nephews, little nieces, cousins) about others in the world who don't have the gifts they get (i.e. the children of Asia, Africa, and South America). Just let them know to appreciate and have fun with the gifts they get. But don't forget to tell em' about the greatest gift we have, The Son of God, given by the Father.

5. To see the impact of how Christmas affects the lives of those who actually trust and believe in Jesus, type in for example, "LeCrae testimony" on YouTube (LeCrae is a famous Christian artist whose life was radically changed by Christ). I think that's one way to keep Christmas legit.

6. Don't talk about stupid, fluffy stuff at Christmas dinner. "Hey Harold, how about that Doopers' football game?" How about "we know somebody's going to win anyway?" Talk about funny family memories, share the Gospel, share your testimony, talk about the past year, talk about something you learned. Brain food is good for the Holidays.

7. Go for a walk. Don't be cooped up inside (of course, weather pending). Take a cousin, a friend, or family member out for a walk and enjoy the outdoors. If its one thing I really take pleasure about America is the fact we have lots of space. Space to just move. And we are a nation that is obese! Wow...

8. Watch a fun, Christmas movie. Pick something. Hallmark Channel has a bunch of cheesy films to watch. Play a game, like mute the volume and put your own text into it.

9. Play boardgames. Videogames if its fun for everyone (fighting games where one person remains supreme does not count).

These are just ideas. Not a solution to Christmas woes. The only human solution to Christmas woes is to look to Jesus and see why He came. Everything else is peripheral. Jesus makes Christmas fun! Makes us reflect. Makes us be filled with joy to be reminded why we are here. I hope you, my friend, enjoy with Christmas, and reflect on His love and power to save us from sin. From a little baby...to the King of Kings.

Bunch of Bums

Something cool I'm realizing about the Bible is how the Grace of God manifests itself through a "bunch of bums."

I grew up admiring our forefathers of old in the faith...Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. I have intense respect for the New Testament brothers who held down the faith...John and James, Peter, Paul, Stephen, Silas, Timothy, and Titus. There are countless others. I've read about the major and minor prophets whom the Lord used to be His mouthpieces...Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others. The kings and judges of old who through the Lord's power did some major conquering and defending in the nation of Israel while maintaining worship to the Lord: David, Hezekiah, Deborah, Josiah, and Asa. Foreigners who followed God rather than their own people like Rahab, Ruth, and Namaan.

I look up to God because of them. They had faith in God and God used them to bring glory to His name. Sometimes I think that I personally can't be on their level because God elevated them on a whole another level. They just had "it" when it comes to faith in God.

But as I look at their lives more intricately, I started seeing more of how God was using people who were simply flawed and sinful. Yeah, its like we think these faith warriors were sinless so God chose them instead: they had the talent like a spiritual LeBron James or Ronaldinho. But, just take a look at how much these guys biffed up in their sin, yet our Lord was still faithful to finish the work that He started. He used these ordinary people to do His work.

Moses killed an Egyptian man who was abusing one of his fellow peoples (Exodus 2). David committed adultery and murdered the lady's husband through manipulation (2 Samuel 11). Rahab, who helped the Israelite people into Jericho, was a prostitute (Joshua 2). Abraham lied about his wife being his wife to the Egyptians, which brought calamity on them (Genesis 12). Jacob deceived and cheated his brother Esau...twice! (Genesis 25 and 27) Judah, one of the forefathers of our Savior Jesus, had relations with his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38). King Hezekiah ended up showing envoys of Babylon, potential thugs from the outside, his vast treasures and riches that he had stored, a huge mistake (2 Kings 20). And there are many more, because as Isaiah so aptly puts it: "I am a man of unclean lips!" (Isaiah 6:5) In God's presence, we are in big trouble.

I was just thinking about this phrase from rapper Stephen the Levite before begins his song "Stained Glass Window:"

"I'll never understand it man, a Holy God, not just allowing, but choosing sinful men, to represent Him, its crazy man..."

So, if you ever feel like God's grace is not sufficient for your sinful baggage, regret, pain? To magnify God's glory forevermore, read the Word and see how He uses and makes holy sinful people for His glory; to draw people to Himself. You'll find that a person like King David is more similar to you than you think. That's what the Bible is all about...God's Power, Glory, and Magnificence through human history, yet using ordinary, sinful people to be His vessels. And He does it all through His son, Jesus Christ, who took our sins to make it happen on the cross.

Chris Brown Teaches English Better Than I Do

This is a hilarious story that shows how pop culture can influence people better than real people.

While teaching Class 1-11 at my high school in Korea in 2009, I decided to play some music while they were doing an individual activity. I start off each class with a lecture and then some kind of activity where they have to do something on their own so they won't have to be bored all the time. I would usually play music from my iTunes library, music they never heard of, just to set the mood while they were working.

Earlier that week, during a free period at the office, I looked up YouTube videos of Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. I am a casual fan of the boy wonder from Portugal, and I enjoy watching his footwork on the ball. This one compilation video of his football acrobatics was accompanied by a really nice R&B song that was quite catchy. I didn't know who it was at the time, being that I don't really listen to pop music in the States.

Commenters on the video were asking what the song was for some of them too did not know. Then the ominous came in the form of "Chris Brown, With You." Chris Brown is the infamous pop star who abused his girlfriend Rihanna, another famous pop star in the States. He received a lot of flack and charges for it.

Now, to anyone who reads my blog or has read this blog, I have portrayed what its like to work in the public school system of South Korea. It is a system of intense, rigorous study yet with no practical real life applications. So English is an off-target program where they have the goal to learn English but they miss the shot by a mile. Most of my kids study intensely daily, but have hardly any chance to speak, therefore, a good majority do not speak it well. Many kids know grammar well, but sentences are often broken. I'm not blaming them, I blame the system.

So how did Chris Brown teach English better than I did that day? During individual work time, I played his song in the middle of class. I had two girls in that class whose English really wasn't that good. One girl in particular never participated and she always looked off towards the East Sea in boredom. She even wrote one time in her notebook that my "Soni's class is not fun." Hey, she's honest. Speaking English to the both of them was like speaking English to fish..."huh?" Okay, I'm exaggerating, because one of the girls was decent, but the East Sea-staring off to space girl had hardly no English.

Yet, when Chris Brown started singing...I heard more voices.

It was the two of them. Not only singing the choruses, but ALL the verses by heart. Flawless. I asked them if they knew who this was..."Yeah teacher! Chris Brown!" And they sung the entire song by heart.

Chris Brown bested me that day. Teaching English by pop songs is a good method. But Chris Brown? Give me a break. I would never teach them to abuse others.

The Source of Evil

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/connecticut/jurors-cry-at-connecticut-home-invasion-trial-newscore-20100916

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invest ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." - (Romans 1:28-32)

I became very horrified and depressed about this story of a trial of a home invasion and massacre committed in the state of Connecticut in 2007. Read the article above, because I will spare you the details as you read the gruesome account of man's wickedness and its capability to destroy life.

How man can be so diabolical? How can man do such things in all parts of the globe?

"When the question of evil is brought up, it is raised by a person or about persons. If the question is of any value, its only of value if a person is of value, and the only way a person can have value, is if there is a transcendent being of infinite worth who has given you that intrinsic worth, not given to you by state or law, or by any other fiat, will, or something else. " - Dr. Ravi Zacharias

Even in an increasing-secularizing society of America, where man tries to deliberately separate life apart from God, people in the hearts still KNOW there is God. They just deny it with their sinful lifestyle, while God, not denying free will, allows man over to his depraved mind. We make excuses that people are evil because they were reared wrong, they are messed up mentally, or that only a certain select population are capable of evil because there is something wrong with them.

Yet, looking at this saddening story, it drives me into honest depression and analysis of how man can do such things to other human beings. I look at the Bible, and it clearly outlines that its man's wicked heart...as looked at in my last blog. God is not the author of evil. He cannot be. He is Holy. But man wants it his way, and since God cannot violate the free will of mankind, He allows them into their sin. Its man wickedness and sin nature that violates other human beings and is capable of destroying.

People who do not believe in God and are vehemently against the notion of Him who created all things have a quandary in their thinking. If God is not the author of life, then naturally man is the creator of all things and he makes the rules. Man can do what he pleases outside a moral authority and he sets right and wrong, whether by socially or individually. That's why people are capable of doing such wicked things; with no referent to the value of life in God and Christ Jesus, someone can selectively choose whose life is valuable or not. Man can then choose what is pleasurable at the expense of someone else's sacred life. Outside of God, man seeks what is good and pleasurable to him, but has no regard to the person who is violated, even to the point of death.

My whole point is...man is lost not because we are are ignorant, but its our original nature. When people cry at trials and people are horrified when they see news like this, that's just another indicator that intrinsically KNOW that life has value. Its one evident proof that they do know God exists, because in order for life to have value, there must be a creator infinite worth who had a design in the beginning for creating man in God's image. And I believe that God is the God of the Bible, The Old and New Testament, the Alpha and the Omega.

"In atheism, its all oblivion, without God there is no moral framework." - Dr. Ravi Zacharias

No God, then people will just do what they want to do, and they die. No judgment, no justice, no love. We die, that's it. Just do what you want now and then you go into oblivion.

See what Paul was writing up in Romans? That this is not a new problem. Its old. The scary thing is, a person like me is capable of all those things he mentioned in those verses. To simply say those criminals are the only selective evil people capable of such acts is missing the point. God's Word outlines that anyone is capable of evil. Yet in seeking justice and the answers behind man's evil, we must look to God's Word, not our own standards. Our own standards just lead to more sin and sidesteps the real issue of who is at fault.

Next time, when you see a brutal massacre and violence in Guinea, warfare atrocities, robberies, rape, and everything listed in Romans 1:28-32, don't be surprised! Instead, I hope you are broken-hearted to realize evil is not a peripheral (outside) problem. Its an internal problem of mankind, old as Adam and Eve themselves. Yet evil attacks the peripheral world, because we are the source of it, in choosing us over God.

Yet the good news is that God's Son, Jesus Christ, died for people like Mark Soni and everyone else because as the Creator realized how hopeless as we are, He loved us still to send a Savior. And not violating our Will, we as human beings can choose His son to give us a new nature, one away from sin and evil. Life here is already doomed here. Let's choose True Life in the Son. And someday, the One who died for us will return with a vengeance: to eliminate evil and to establish His rightful throne here on earth. (Revelations 19)

Look Into A Mirror

Matthew 15:19-20: "For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean.'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"

Last night, while watching the premier episode of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, I flipped through other channels to see what's on. I came onto VH1's "Top 40 Celebrity Scandals." I stopped to watch, and surprisingly, I knew most of these scandals that broke out. The reason I knew that they broke out is that our wonderful national news coverage tends to cover controversies and scandals as their top headlines rather than important, global-covering crises in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It really is a product of national-centered news coverage that leaves Americans very oblivious of other true problems in the world today; that we should be hearing about the mishaps and sinful behavior of celebrities who have a lifestyle that none of us should not dream about.

Yet my main piñata-beating point for today is the hypocrisy of the show. Hypocrisy upon all of us. The show would do its countdown, covering old scandals from former politician Mark Foley's racy comments to his congressional interns, to sportscaster Marv Albert's lewd behavior in a hotel room and his criminal charges. The first reaction from any person in viewership is shock and laughter, shock from the bizarre sinful behavior, and laughter to see how silly they are in getting exposed. The most bizarre and funny incident involved a former NFL player, Eugene Robinson, who received the Bart Starr Award for high moral character, only to be arrested that night for soliciting a prostitute. Ridiculous.

After describing each scandal, there is a segment where comedians make fun of the incident and journalists who give analysis and insight to each scandal...how shocking it was and several jokes to complement it.

But I found something very interesting, an assumption as we the audience and the comedians/journalists have about these celebrities when it comes to moral behavior. Its very subtle, but very true: "We are better than them, only celebrities goof up and we expect them to do it." Since idolatry is prevalent in American society, we either expect these people to do these things anyways since they have access to a lavish lifestyle , or we become so shocked that these people of "higher standing" fall so fast.

Time to look into the mirror. Look at the verse above. Jesus outlines and blasts the Pharisees' hypocritical maintenance of traditional laws in religion (Matthew 15) as their basis of remaining clean in their life, presenting themselves as moral people. But Jesus exposed their hearts as they nullified the Word of God for the sake of tradition while showing that they spiritually were far away from God (verses 6-9).

So we point the finger and say, "celebrities are just doomed to fail and they are always going to be in situations where they will fall." We look at the analysts and comedians as they break down the moral failures of their life, with us assuming that "yeah, uh huh, we know that we would never get into outlandish situations like that." We feel as if celebrities are the only people who are capable of such sin.

Yet I love how Jesus exposes and convicts our hearts. The whole point is, you and I are just as capable of committing sin as someone in "high stature." We assume we live humble lives as middle-class or lower-class citizens because we don't have the means to get into "clever sins." We think that by going to church and steering clear of doing stupid stuff like this and not getting exposed will keep us clean before God and people. We won't get humiliated.

But if we truly look at what Jesus is saying, if someone really examines the Law (The Ten Commandments) and how our Savior came to fulfill, we should be humiliated anyway, because we are all sinners!

Another way to look at it, just imagine all our thoughts, especially in line with the sins Jesus outlined above, were exposed on television. You and I as regular Joe Shmoes were on a TV show called "Top Sinful Thoughts of Regular Citizens." Yet you might protest "but I never committed the act openly." Yet in the book of 1 John 1:10 says, "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him (Jesus) out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." Its a heart issue, and God is Holy: no defect, no contradiction of truth in Him, and no tolerance for sin. Being good people doesn't count it. If we believe we are better than celebs in God's eyes, then all that is left in us is pride. In other words, you might not commit the act openly, but your heart exposes your sinful behavior anyway, committed or not. You can easily murder someone in your mind, or cuss out a person in your brain, or think lustful thoughts. You and I just committed sin when we cross that barrier.

To wrap this up neatly, we know that God's judgment falls upon all of us. Yet Jesus died for the ungodly (Romans 5:8). That means He died for celebrities and everyone else. Died to give us a new life through His resurrection. To those who believe, we should have broken hearts for those who are exposed, but also should serve as a warning not to forget where we come from. To those who do not believe in Jesus, it is a call to see that your life is not perfect, no matter what you hide, God still knows about your sin. Yet how much more did Jesus pay it all.

Korea-stalgia

Today was one of those "I miss Korea days." I do recall coming home with a sense of mission and satisfaction after finishing a three-year stint in East Asia.

I remember one of the more funny "reentry shock" periods was that while getting fixed for a tux...I felt like Americans were speaking English "too much." I wasn't really comfortable speaking in English after being abroad for so long. I spoke carefully and I had to listen carefully to many conversations. It was honestly hard!

More and more memories knock on my mental door, asking to come in.

I allowed two of them to come in today for tea. One for today, the other for another day.

"The Quarantine" - Korea faced the oncoming H1N1 epidemic like the rest of the world. They were right to do it. It scared everyone. However, one unique thing about Korean society is that when they face fear from the outside, they overreact. Since the disease of 2009 opened up in Mexico City during the spring, the disease started to gain ground in America and other countries, slowly traveling the globe. Pestilence was knocking on East Asia's door, from Japan to Korea to...

So I had to go home towards the end of July 2009. My grandmother would be passing away during that time, so I did the right thing, canceled my vacation, and went home for a week to say goodbye to her. It was a sad time in my life, because I never experienced death in a family from my dad's side before. I was satisfied to see my grandmother one last time, say goodbye, and share some thoughts with her. I didn't get to share the Gospel as I liked to, but I know that it was through His timing that I knew she wouldn't be without excuse.

I returned on a Sunday...to be exact, a Sunday night. The flight was long and ridiculous. I took United Airlines (masked for Nippon Airways) to Tokyo, which wasn't exactly for their comfortable flights and good service. Then, I took the best flight in my life when I boarded Asiana Airlines for Seoul/Incheon. Asiana Air is literally rated the best in the world for its in-flight service, cleanliness, and hospitality. Their stewardesses are rated high and trained well.

Finally around late that night, bleary-eyed, I got off the plane to step into the last half of summer. Awashed with emotions from meeting my grandmother for the last time...I knew that I had to keep going and get ready for the new fall semester. I had to go into work that Monday, so no rest for the weary. The only good thing was that kids were still on vacation, so I could show up, but not really show up mentally. Summer is the only big down-time for teachers, who usually come into the man the fort to answer phone calls, get paperwork done, teach an extra class or two, or surf the Net.

In comes the pestilence. The Korean government calls for a massive quarantine of anyone who has been abroad, especially from countries that have been hit early by H1N1. My school, realizing that I could be a threat, immediately lets me know by text that I shouldn't come in tomorrow. Just for a few days.

I am elated because of the fact that I got a bonus vacation on two false grounds: 1. How do they know if I have the disease? 2. Wouldn't they screened me at the airport if I had a high temperature?

So I'm chilling in my apartment (which I brag, was one of the best for single people). For days. Doing nothing but eating, sleeping, watching my new Blu-ray discs, playing videogames all day, while getting paid. I am told "to stay in your apartment." But how do they know that? Do they have spooks on me detailing my moves?

Then my activities extended: going to the bathhouse and getting a hot bath in. After all, what better way to kill disease then to take a hot bath? Then, even though my Korean teacher at Inha University knew I was on quarantine, told me to come anyway to study (the more, the merrier). Being lazy, I opted not to go to Hapkido lessons for that week (excerise? No way). My quarantine extended to the start of school, where I missed two days of classes on government time.

The story ends with a rumor. Students suspected that I got H1N1 because I didn't show up to school, and they were asking me about it. What I wanted to reply to them was..."what a poor man I was for one week, what a blessed man I am!" I pretended to have the disease anyway.

By the middle of Fall, with the disease starting to take its turn, the Korean government discourages quarantines because by then it started to take hold on the civilian population, because control. I just got in at a good time.

Play The Right Way

• What is it with the counting of titles as a measurement of a player's greatness? Shouldn't it be on how important the player is to his team when it is winning? If the number of titles was the defining factor, wouldn't Robert Horry be the greatest power forward of all time?
-- Sam M., Helsinki, Finland

I tend to agree with your second question, Sam. You're right, Robert Horry should not be up there among the greatest ever. But when it comes to separating the players at the top of the list, their ability to make the biggest difference and complete the ultimate championship goal has to be an enormous tiebreaker. The players themselves view it that way. (by Ian Thomsen, CNNSI.com basketball correspondent)

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/06/17/countdown.lakers.celtics/1.html#ixzz0rFvLFJYo

My viewpoint: I disagree with with Mr. Ian Thomsen. After watching a dazzling 7-game series between bitter rivals the Lakers and the Celtics, reporters jumped to all sorts of articles and reviews of the series and then to their own conclusions about the next season, even though the Lakers just lifted the golden flask. I always love how reporters ask about next season when they just got the darn piece of metal in their hands. Let the players enjoy the moment!

People always define success as achievements. Whether it be a promotion at work, a championship, an award, a certificate, or a high GPA. We all want it, and keep in mind there is nothing wrong with success as a motivator, unless that becomes your idol. Success, from a secular point of view, is what drives people to excel at their art or job so they can put out the best possible product. Its good incentive to work hard so people can watch the benefits and improve on them.

Yet, does success define a good player or worker, especially in sports? I like Sam M.'s question, especially about Robert Horry. I believe the underlying implication of his question is this: does success really make a person a quality player, worker, or individual? Or does playing well and helping others win more important?

We know the greats of basketball like Jordan, Bird, and Dr. J. Winning championships are part of their resumes. We recognize greatness because they reached the pinnacle of it. Kobe Bryant got his fifth last week. We know these guys play phenomenal basketball, established in the annals of peach-basket history.

However, looking at that alone, does that mean everyone else who didn't win a championship "unsuccessful?" Does getting a piece of medal mean "you did it the right way?" Or, to better put it, do players like Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, or Reggie Miller, who never won a championship, are they "failures?"

The answer is a resounding no. Ian Thomsen says, "even players themselves view it that way," referring to that players see that between completing a championship and just doing well enough separates the "gods" and the "boys."

Let's face it, winning any championship at any level is a difficult task. Teamwork, practice, individual workouts, recovery etc...the investment takes years before someone gets there. Someone ends up on top, they achieve success for doing all the right things that earn them a championship. So competition weeds out the best from the better, better from the average. Only one gets there, the chances are few.

Yet what makes a successful player? Who do you admire more? We admire Kobe because he works hard. We admire Derek Fisher because he is a leader. They won championships.

So what about basketball players like Steve Nash? Dirk Nowitzki? (No championships) Or soccer players Luis Figo? Eusebio? Edwin Van Der Sar? (Footballers who never won the World Cup) Are they unsuccessful? I believe Ian Thomsen's answer is flawed because it bases on the assumption that its how others view their career, but not based on a more important standard of success: 1. did they play the right way, 2. did they play fair and respectfully, and 3. did they do it consistently.

In my opinion, Robert Horry, a former player who was won multiple championships with multiple teams, is one of the worst power forwards in the history of the NBA. But he has multiple rings, so he deserves credit for being a team player. But comparing his play in the regular season vs. play-offs, I saw one major problem: no consistency. In the regular season, he simply is listless, idle and gets a few shots. Finally, when the playoffs came, he "suddenly rises" up to play and hits downtown shots that lift this team, hence his nickname, "Big Shot Rob." See, he only came alive because that's where "games supposedly count." I think Robert Horry was a poor player because he just came alive only when he wanted to. He just makes big shots because he can.

For playing the right way (#1): you have John Stockton. John Stockton was the former Utah Jazz point guard wizard who could pass the ball really well. Most nights and regular season games he played well and helped his team win alot. He connected the passes with his teammates, including the most famous quarterback-wide receiver connection, "Stockton to Malone." He played his heart out and "sadly," never won a championship. Yet some things you forget is: he won a gold medal for the U.S. Olympic team and he won the Western Conference championship (the prelude to the NBA Championship). People overlook such achievements. But he is a hall of famer because he played the right way and people will always remember for passing the like no other.

Now about the consistency part (#3). If I were to teach my son basketball, or a rec-team how to play ball, who would I use as an example to teach how to play power forward? Charles Barkley or Robert Horry? Of course I would use the big southern forward from Alabama (Barkley) to demonstrate how to play. Robert Horry chucked shots, while Barkley wrecked defenses, scored, and helped his team. For playing defense, I would use someone like Ron Artest as an example how to hound defenders, stop the other team's leading scorer, and teach how to move on defense like Artest. Even though Artest won a championship recently, I still thought he was successful before because he knows how to play defense.

Back to #2, talking about playing fair. Who is more successful in terms of playing fair? Steve Nash? Reggie Miller? Derek Fisher? I look up to all these guys, two of them who never won a championship (Miller and Nash) because they play hard and don't behave like wild men on or off the court. They were classy guys, played fair, and receive the respect of the fans, the press, and their colleagues and opposition.

I remember in an article when a reporter asked Steve Nash about this recent elimination to the Lakers this past summer in the Western Conference finals. Nash responded to an inquiry about getting to the NBA finals and if he felt remorse about not making it yet. Nash responded along the lines of "how successful they were this year" because of the fact that they got this far despite the press' low expectations of their season. He also mentioned for himself, personally, that getting this far goes beyond his expectations. He mentions he came from a modest school (University of Santa Clara), while coming this far with his Phoenix Suns and the trials they have been through as a team; he is satisfied with his career. His team also swept his hated nemesis this season in the 2nd round of the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs.

To wrap this up, I think what is important is to be look at the whole spectrum of the definition of success. Being successful is not just looking at the person who hoists up a trophy in the end. Trophies glitter and shine, but I believe players shine with or without them. Basing someone's career on material achievements demeans someone's effort and character if they fall short. I'm not saying competition is unfair and that some players deserve championships than others, because that's why we have sports, there's got to be a winner.

Yet it is more fruitful to look at a player's career in any sport based on how they play, they played it well, and they played it consistently. A championship is basically the fruit on top of their career...not the meat of it. Finally, the irony is that players don't win championships and are successful on their own...the teams do. People used to criticize Kobe Bryant because without "Shaquille O' Neal, he would never have won any championships on his own." Yet I could use that same argument for Shaq: without Kobe, he wouldn't have a wingman to put the ball in the net.

Do You Miss Korea, Marky?

So its been two months since I have arrived home from the Republic of Korea. Going from one culture, the U.S., to the ROK was obviously not easy during a three-year period, but through the Lord we conquered it together and along the way, He revealed some interesting things about myself.

Now, try the reverse culture-osmosis process: going from a second homeland, the ROK, back to Obamaland with the mindset of now you are not here for a visit, but for good! Its a more difficult process, but through Christ Jesus He equips through His word to get the work done.

But for now, for a short blog, here are things I miss and don't miss about the ROK with details attached.

"I'm Missing You 대한민국..." List

1. Korean Bathhouses: I get a lot of flack for this one from my fellow American friends. You get the picture...don't need to describe the situation. Yet from a cultural and health point of view, the Korean bathhouse was a special way for me, whether alone or with a few friends, to kick back and relax in the hot bath and sweat it out in the sauna. It was also a place, especially during times where it was the least busy, I would bring my Bible and have some prayer time with the Lord. I loved it...praying, confessing my sins, getting the gunk out of my wicked heart and replacing it with a fresh one, all in the while my skin is being refreshed...

2. Public Transportation: Best in the world. Cheap, could get to one end of the country and back. In America, you need a car. You have to figure out roads. In Korea, they figure it out for you.

3. Korean food: healthy, invigorating, and good...oh so good! But my mom is one baaddd cook! Shut yo mouth and do the dishes Marky!

4. Korean people: how can I not miss my mama's people? Sure, they're hot-blooded and sometimes they live too fast...but Koreans, once you get to know them, they are loyal for life.

5. My students: boys and girls alike...they were so kind and sweet, well most of them. But the ones I developed a good relationship with, had fun jokes, shared the hard times and bad test scores, or triumphs of joy, I felt my students were like little sisters and brothers to me. Forget students...they were my siblings. I miss em' alot dude.

6. My Church Fellowship Back In Seoul and Incheon. Real fellowship and prayer. Real talk. American churches need a real lesson on fellowship. Its not "did you watch the Lost series finale?" Bump that, I want "what have you been reading in the Word? How can I pray for you sister?" No fake stuff, but genuine believers who love the Lord coming together and getting it done because He is able.

"Oh Bump That..." List, Things I Don't Miss!

1. No More Social Obligations for Work! "Let's go to dinner after work." "Let's get a drink after work." I don't want to! I appreciate the fact that in America we work and leave work behind once we clock out. Having dinner with co-workers is fine, and I understand that its Korean culture to "co-worker" bond, but in the end it was more of a burden for me because I rather connect with friends or with the Lord rather than waste an entire evening watching others drink too much. No sir.

2. The Anglo-Korean Hypocrisy: "Yeah, we love English-ee, but don't ask me to speak it." "What?" "Don't ask me to learn it for real and use it with REAL people, sorry, just be a cool teacher and don't make learn anything..." Then why did you hire us? The irony to that last statement is, the Koreans' love affair for English English created an entire new economy of jobs for young (or old) expatriates who wanted an opportunity of a lifetime: see a new country, live abroad, learn a new language, try new things and learn new customs, learn a new history, make new relationships. It was the ultimate draw but the experience for some is a mixed-bag. Don't get me wrong, I loved the work that the Lord entrusted to me during my time at the boys and girls' high schools. He did as much more and beyond than I know during my time there, some of the effects I will never know until eternity. With that said, in real life, a love affair without communication or desire to communicate causes friction. It causes pain and awkward situations. Now, the Korean public school system is so stuck in turtle mode as it gets more defensive and lockdown mode as their method of teaching suffocates my students into test-taking machines. Parents these days are stuck in paying massive amounts of money on tutoring and after-school programs with the recession hitting people hard. To solve this problem, as I have been saying all along..."choose the right people for the job." Choose the right students who want to learn English, and you'll make the learning easier.

3. Kim Jong-il and his government. May the Lord deal with him severely, or perhaps he will come to know the Lord and His grace.

4. K-Pop. Yikes. "Nobody, nobody but you!" "Bo-peep bo-peep." "Listen to my heartbeat." The likes of G-Dragon, T-ara, 2AM, Shinee (even though I taught one of the members of that group), and other manufactured pop dolls suck away the true creativity of music. And the American Music Machine doesn't help. Most of my girls, I still love em, were pop-culture clones who never listened to what they were told on the radio.

5. Pollution. Its nice to breathe easier.

There you go...what I miss and don't miss.

Gotta Go With A New Look...

I revamped this whole blog set-up. Well, not totally, just a few new pics and a new theme. For three years, I've been the "transformer." Now I'm the "samurai-in-training." That might change too, or tweaked. I felt its time for a change.

Just some qualifiers and notes of why the theme change:

1. I admire samurai rhetoric and discipline, but not their history. They are warriors who live devoted lives to their master and follow his way to the end, no matter the cost.

2. I like the idea of samurai in the context of serving the Ultimate Shogun, Jesus Christ, who rules all. He has also given us the katana of truth...the Bible, to fight the attacks of the dark world.

3. I always like Japanese culture to a degree, but I love God's Truth more. (I still have my love for Korean culture fam, don't worry!)

4. Its time for a change.

My goal for this blog from this new era of my life is to catalog the new direction that I am going. Lord Willing, I hope to reveal what the Lord is showing me on what I need to do next to serve Him. For summary, my life so far can be categorized in a few phases:

a. Military kid-life (1990-1997)
b. Civilian teenage life (1998-2002)
c. College and Career Stage (Off to Maryland state universities, 2002-2006)
d. Self-imposed exile to the Republic of Korea (3 years)
e. Return to the Soni Shogunate Imperial Palace, ruled by Korean empress 박인희. (My mother, who makes all decisions for the household, my dad is a figurehead ruler and has limited power ㅋ ㅋ)

Part "e:" after exile to the Republic of Korea to experience life on my own, guided by the Heavenly Shogun, I learned more about the work of the Lord and His grace. Now I am back with no job, no clear goal, no work handed to me by Kami-sama ("Jehovah" in Japanese) just yet.

I wait, patiently wait, and learn to appreciate and use this time for the next assignment.

Its back to the castle, to train, to meditate on His Word, and to complete my duties here until I get a new job and mission. Get it done...

The American Dream: The Mission for the Hopeful

Yesterday I watched a disturbing segment on CBS News with Katie Couric. For once, instead of showing the disastrous story about the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Couric and her news cronies turned to the deepening pessimism about the direction of the United States.

The U.S. has been rocked for the past three years as it has been mired in deep recession, corruption, and debt. In this headline story, Couric goes into details about how many Americans presently are doubtful and upset about the state of the nation. Many distrust the government to handle the current economic crisis, while many have doubts about if their futures are secure. (BTW, how many Americans are distrustful of the government, always have, always will be, think Colonies-era my friends)

It made me think. I told this story to my dad, who responded, "the system is corrupt." Indeed. Financiers and big bankers run our country. They always have. Throughout history, its those "with the gold that make the rules," or at least they can manipulate for their favor. Rule of law set the rules for fair practices, but those with greedy hearts can and could always jump hurdles to finish ahead of others.

So, here we are, listening to people discuss the uncertainty of the future. It really has been tough. Many are unemployed, many are lost in their direction for their lives. People are empty. Recessions are part of economic cycles, but the corruption and depravity of how greedy we Americans can be, despite our claims to be fair, intelligent, and wise in making good decisions, show how sinful we are (greed is sin). It has made the economic crisis even more hard-felt.

People in the interviews repeatedly kept saying that they do not feel the government is not doing an adequate job.

As citizens, we have every right to question authority and its policies. If government cannot do its job, we must do the right things, like vote em' out of office (Happens every Election Term).

What about citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven? Aka the Church? What is our role? Simple, just keep preaching the Gospel and sharing it with the lost. Simple! One of the major lessons I learned during my sojourn in South Korea was becoming more aware that this place, earth, is not my home. It is in heaven.

If we are doomed to die bodily, what is next for the believer? The spiritual...the sanctification that goes on while our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the only one who saves us and makes us more like Him. Eternal life. It starts now.

Americans are becoming more distrustful of authority, and in this context, they have every right to be. Money was wasted, people are in debt, and the government puts more priorities in spending ourselves out of recessions without seeing the root problems of doling free loans, while keeping financial institutions afloat.

In turn, as believers, this is a grand time to be living more for Him. For many households, money is tight and the citizenry are very watchful of their cash flows. People are suffering because their number one fallback was their assets, cash on hand, and their families. But as we have seen in this recession, those things are slowly slipping. Even people who have worked their whole lives have been hit by the careless decisions of others. Fractured this society it may be, American believers and missionaries to this country can do more:

1. Pray for the American citizenry that many would turn to Christ, and not possessions for their safety and security.

2. Pray for the churches who adequately preach the Gospel. That includes us individual members of His body who are out their, whether unemployed or working, to become friends with our neighbors around us and share the Gospel.

3. Be wary of the American Idol: one of the more dangerous trends of American life is entertainment. This is a warning for myself, as television, sports, videogames, and idle time becomes more of a leech that drains spiritual time with the Lord. I recall how the Roman Empire was a nation of petty entertainment ploys that distracted the citizenry while the empire became more disjointed. Worse, the entertainment on a moral scale became worse (Gladiators and Circuses anyone?) Hedonism and free-for-all pleasure are advocated on TV shows, which we take into our minds.

4. Consider the plights of other nations. One sermon I recommend to anyone as a believer in Jesus is John Piper's "What is the recession for?" A great one to put into perspective on how as Christians we can respond during this doubtful and burdensome time. I remember my pastor, Pastor Wayne Kempson, said "many nations would love to have our recession." (Paraphrase) Oh how would a nation of Niger or some of the townships in Jo'burg, South Africa would love living situations like ours despite the recession.

5. Consider the plight of other Americans. Don't forget, America is poor. How can we support other churches who can reach out to the lost in other parts of the country?

6. Be thankful. Its not even a situation of "oh, Greece is having riots in Athens, or Bangkok is going ape," so I'm thankful! I think "comparison thankfulness" has a place in the family home, especially when your parents bombard you with the "I didn't have food" lecture, which puts into perspective of how thankful we should be. Yet comparing your situation with others can be limited because it can lead to pride and ignorance. Yet just be thankful to God that He allows us to have breath in our lungs this day. Being thankful to God (The Trinity), Baruch Hashem, puts everything into perspective. Sin is rampant so things like greed will wrought our finances and people will get away with thievery, but we know that this place 'AIN'T' our home. Yea.

7. More Bible please! Don't get swayed by hopeful philosophies the world offers. CNN's pragmatic "this is reality but it is what it is news stuff, economic forecasters giving their hopeful forecasts that provide nothing but dooms-days watches." Let's face it, the world is going down. Jesus will return...so get more Bible please, let it be nutritious for your soul, mind, and heart. Memorize it, keep it active so we can stop sinning and start winning souls.

There you have it, my take on the current situacion en Los Estados Unidos. Adios.

Re-Entry Shock: The American Nightmare

Ladies and gentlemen, I have finally returned to the United States (well, four weeks ago that is) and by God's Grace I am home and safe. Its definitely a different feeling now, knowing that this time around I just don't get to stay, greet a few friends, go to my home church, eat mama's food, and enjoy communicating in my own language for a few weeks then head back to my second home of Korea. This time I'm parking it and I don't get my car back. Its definitely taken some adjustment this time around.

Finding a new job, well, it is what it is, its slow and time-consuming, and I'm not really sure what I want to do with my life. Whatever the Lord leads, I shall follow. Yet at the same time staying put is quite unusual, but I quite like it. I really can use this time to read and pray more.

Being in America, there are some cool things that I enjoy: the trees, the fresh air, the food, and the quietness compared to the hustle and bustle of the Korean machine. I enjoy seeing my parents and the wonderful home that our Lord has given us for the past ten years. We are truly blessed. My brother and sister-in-law will be giving birth to a new baby boy in late August. What a joy. Its really cool to add to the family, and I pray that my brother and sister-in-law will be Godly parents and that I can be a Godly uncle. I hope they see Jesus in us.

Its good to see old friends and how much they have changed. For instance, tonight, I went to my good friend Charlie's 29th birthday party. It was nice to have a nice, simple party where Christians can gather and have clean fun. None of this Korean, you-gotta-drink-till-you-die parties (which I never participated FTR), but just good ol', sit down and let's catch up parties. But this time, I counted four children in one room! People who've I have known for years are now parents, or some who are getting married, or some who are starting their marriage careers. A couple are expecting in the future. Some have new careers or got new homes. Its amazing how much I've missed and how much has changed. Its crazy! I didn't hit the pause button when I was gone!

We experienced a huge storm today, with storm-watch tornadoes in the mix as massive, golf-ball sized hail shelling most of the Metro Area this evening. The sheer rawness of tornado season does make you more fearful of the Lord! The weather has been living up to its American mantra.

However, on a side note, there are some things about the American experience that really make me wonder about the state of this nation. In short, I believe that this nation is going down.

More than ever, as I watch TV or other outlets of media, go out into public, or see the different trends that represent America these days, I am very disturbed. For example, American television is surprisingly just saturated with..."stuff." Its easy today to get a Comcast box or DISH Network, and then the media menu filled with burger and fry programming comes at your doorstep, with a charge but cheap to get. DVD and Blu-ray discs are accessible in the mail, no more just going to a videostore and renting anymore.

For TV, you just choose your programs, TIVO it (record it to watch later), Pay-per-view it, plan your day around your favorite programs, its right there for the taking. Commercials sell you the things you need, while other commercials guarantee you should not miss this next episode of "this, that, and the other" because it will be the highlight of the season.

I believe that American television programming for some people has become straight up idolatry. Many families in America today revolve their life around the entertainment box. It feeds us, we glorify it, and we need it. "Did you see that TV show last night?" "Oh, did you see the season finale of so and so?" No thoughts about the real issues of life in conversations.

How about me then? Yeah, I also like to watch TV now and then, but I'm very surprised how much less of it I watch or care for it since I came back from Korea. Since I couldn't really comprehend Korean TV in the first place (due to misunderstand-able content and language barriers), I simply turned off TV when I came home from school and replaced it either with videogame or reading time, and going to Hapkido classes. Now that I am back home in the States, I do like to watch some programs: including NBA basketball, the news, mixed-martial art action shows, and the only TV drama I do like which is being canceled (Law and Order), but I find myself not as intrigued to every drama and sport that comes before my eyes. Wait till World Cup time though. For the record, I hate commercials...

Another thing that really disturbs me and shows where my country is going is the cheapening of the sacred bond of sexuality. In other words, I am shocked how cheap and twisted sexuality and purity have become in the United States. No, I'm not talking about prostitution. I'm talking about how easily one can show their bodies in this country and no one blushes. Its outrageous. To be pure and virtuous as women, and strong and honoring to the Lord as men, is an idea that does not exist in the United States.

The most shocking incident in the news lately has been a viral video called the "Beyonce 5." As we know, Beyonce is the worldwide phenomenon singer who is known for her beauty, her dance moves, and her strong, powerful voice. She has a recent music video called "Single Ladies." The video itself, which I recommend no one to watch, is her and her two fellow dancers dispalying not-so-good dance moves that make you go, "Oh just stop, you are showing too much." Now, try seven-year olds. Yikes! Alert! Yes, there was a video where five seven-year old girls at a recent dance competition did the exact same raunchy dance moves in front of a live audience. They were wearing next to nothing. They are shaking their stuff in ways that are just...wow, sinful. News outlets and newspapers were on it.

Now media critics and bloggers are left and right accusing, "what were the parents thinking?" and "this is so wrong to be allowing seven-year-olds to be baring their bodies in front of who knows what kind of people!" "What kind of outfits are those? Those parents are at fault!"

In all honesty, and I'm very forthcoming to say this, but this is the result of sin! This is not just a "moral failure on the part of the parents, or that Beyonce is at fault for inspiring this dance routine (even though its a start to penetrate the problem)." What do you expect when man worships his or her body instead, while Almighty God wants Christians to treat our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)? Sin is exchanging God for a lie, while man worship created things rather than the Creator (see Romans 1:24-25). People become suddenly shocked that we see videos like these on the news, and cry the pain because of pedophilia in this world, or pornography, or any media influence that encourages sin.

Yet there is nothing new under the sun. Look at the tribes of people that surrounded Israel before they entered the Promised Land under Joshua (see Joshua and Judges in the Old Testament). Some of them worshiped gods in which they imposed heinous worship rites that included child sacrifice or hellish sexual acts. God ordered the Israelites to wipe those people out, because He is a righteous Judge and strictly warned them to never follow their gods and worship the only True God. God knows once His people, if they ever stepped into sin, there would be death...

Now back to the issue at hand. How much more as sin peeps out into our American sensory avenidas will people realize that its not society's fault that we produce bubble-gum, sex-cheapening, violent-glorifying pop, rap, rock music, or searching for joy in the next American Idol, or see wanton acts of revenge as we violence on CSI that its not "the other person's fault," but its OUR fault. "Wait, wait Mark, I didn't tell those kids to dance like that..."

And no, its not even an argument, "just don't buy the music" or "don't watch the programming." Its not even an issue of "we need to teach our children the right things." We need to teach the righteous standards of God's Word! Bam! What makes me upset is the futility of the anger towards these methods of displaying sexuality in the media and we cry "foul." I believe its only natural that when man exchanges God for idols that as objects of His wrath we only continue to do what we do best as sinners: sin! This is the result of glorifying singers and sexy dance moves rather than God. You put value into Beyonce, this is what you get! We are all believers that if only society got its act together we can go back to the "good ol' days." Mister or Missus, there were never any good ol' days, especially under God's Standard and His Word!

So I close it up like this. I hope my writing will challenge you to think about something: when we see the sin of the world before our eyes, should we really be surprised? I say no. Instead, as believers in Christ, we should run from it and pray that the Lord will protect us from temptation. As believers, we need to share the Gospel and share that need for a Savior is not because Jesus wants us to be nice and so we can get on God's good side. Rather we as Christians we need to share it because of the Love of Jesus Christ, people will continue to exchange their lives for lies...leaving people hopeless and empty. People will cry foul when they see seven-year-olds gyrating or other displays of heinousness on TV, but why do the cry foul? Show'em why.

Don't Waste Your Life: Lecrae Interview (Part 1)

Here is a little testimony with one of my favorite Christian rappers, LeCrae. Born LeCrae Moore, he discusses how he met Christ and how his life was radically changed by Him. Very good stuff. This is part one.

Los Guatemaltecos

In our tour group, we were like an international UN with the different theme countries represented in that tour bus: Indonesians, Chinese, Koreans, Americans, and Hong Kongians (right?). It was a fun mix, and we all used the international language of English to communicate. It was fun.

We toured another five places today, with an eclectic mix of a museum, natural sites, and a garden. The natural beauty on this island is amazing, its got palm trees and today the weather really cleared up. At Hallim Park, seeing the flowers bloom, the cacti spiking out, the parrot screaming "hello" in Korean, to the emus, the wild birds, the bears we saw yesterday, and the bonsai trees, were all a testament to God's Glory. I was amazed to see the rock formations after centuries of cooling after a major volcanic eruption occurred on Jeju Island centuries ago. There was only divine design imprinted on this. The sea was beautiful.

During this time, I happen during these two days to meet and know two people of an unusual region that I have never encountered before: Central America.

I've met Salvordianos during my time at the Chick Fil A in Maryland, but I never met anyone from the Central American republic of Guatemala.

These two people: Zoher and Susana, are two friends who for vacation are travelling around the Asian powerhouses of Korea and China. They started in Seoul before heading to the island paradise of Jeju. We met on the tour bus. What a blessing it was indeed, because they are believers in the Lord.

In the span of two days, we got to know one another and had the major privilege of being friends with one another. What made it even more special was that we came to know that we are believers through casual conversation. Jyea!

Another special thing during our interactions was something I haven't used in such a long time: Spanish. It was through my middle and high school classes, one enthusiastic teacher named Mrs. Beierle who learned her Spanish in the city of Salamanca, and hours of free practice at the Chick Fil A with my Salvodorian friends, I finally came to learn the Spanish language.

However, coming to Korea, I had no use for Spanish. Now and then, I would meet a Spanish speaker, but slowly I came to realize that I was starting to lose it. As Korean started to naturally take an importance in my life, I suppressed the languages of Spanish, Russian (which I learned for one year), and English (now and then, I'll forget words or expressions and get made fun for unusual spelling mistakes).

Yet, I remember in 2008 a meeting in Incheon with a pastor from the country of Macedonia. He speaks several languages, and I told him about my situation of learning Korean, taking the prime importance in my life as I am finally living in a country where I have to use it daily. I was worried I would lose my considerable investment into Espanol (Spanish) and what was left of my marginal profit in Russian language education stock.

He said (paraphrase), "you don't lose information. Basically, your mind locks away information, what you don't use. When you start learning again, your mind finds the information and brings it out again. You don't simply lose information, its just resting. It will come back."

So back to today. Susana speaks English fairly well, but at the same time she was allowing me to speak Spanish to her and Zoher. Zoher, a fairly young guy, speaks hardly any English but understands it very well. He too, allows me to speak my "prison, locked-up" Spanish to him while we build a relationship over the course over two years.

My two friends, "los guatemaltecos," (the Guatemalens) helped me with words I forgot, and when they replied, I had my "I knew that" moment in my mind as I became more comfortable speaking la lingua again. For me, something I realized early on when I go travelling, is that in speaking multiple languages you can get easily confused. I wanted to say "Mi Chingu," a mix of "my" in Spanish and "friend" in Korean, or substitute vocab for Spanish. Then there's the whole English thing. Try mixing three languages into one sentence. My goal when I learn languages is to share multiple convos without missing a beat. Through Christ's strength, I can do it!

So the highlight was tonight, when we got some good Mexican food at a place called "Zapata's," (my second time, he he), and eventually through the Holy Spirit we got into some mad fellowship about the Word of God and how to receive salvation from Christ alone and His redemptive power. It was bananas! Like, Zoher asked not only if my father was a Christian, but how did he become a Christian. We got into a discussion about rules and regulations and religion, but more importantly we get salvation because of His grace. It was good, real fellowship, beyond just, "oh, God is good...yeah. Ya ha." Nah, deep stuff in Spanish about how to read the Word and live and grow in His grace. I mean, to steal from C.S. Lewis, it was more than just mere Christianity.

We ended up praying for one another before we parted ways, but we exchanged contact info so we can keep in touch and perhaps meet in the future. I am loving it, yo!

So, to top it off I have to ask this question: how in the world did, through my father, one day before my first class at John Hanson Middle School, after we just moved to Waldorf, Maryland, how he encouraged me to enroll in a middle school Spanish class, would end up using Spanish again halfway across the world to meet and pray with Christians from Central America? Only the Lord can bring such things together.

Oh, the surprises of life that only Christ can bring. Zoher was telling me how thankful he is to be living and knowing the Lord. The same with Susana. I was sharing the power of what I saw during my time Jeju, from the animals to the tulips that were screaming "glory" to God our Father. We all nodded in agreement, I mean, how could you not?

I hope they have a safe trip to Beijing now, their next stop. I hope someday to travel to Guatemala and visit them someday, Lord Willing. I was meant to come to Jeju for a purpose.

And I am also going home for a purpose. My family doesn't need me...but I need the Lord.

Who's the Foreigner?

So its my second day in Jeju Island and to much of my surprise, even though the wind was blowing hard and it was really cold for a spring day, it was a good day.

Through my host family in Seoul, Korea, I signed up for a tour group where its pretty much a hands free experience. Usually tours can be hit or miss. One, some tours are dominating and you have pretty much no free time to yourself, and you simply move on with the group like lemmings. Two, some tours trap you by conveniently leaving you at tourist shops or home industry shops so you are tempted to buy something.

Yet my tour group has been a very smooth experience. No gimmicks where they try to sell you something or rush you through a site, and really no explanations about each site's significance. We have a Korean tour guide who speaks English and simply gets us from site to site. When we arrive at the site, he writes on a dry-erase board what time we have to get back, points at the entrance, and says, "have fun."

He also tags along and talks to the various tourists in our group. He doesn't need to explain what the site is, but more or less, just strikes up a convo about our feelings about that particular site. His attitude as a tour guide is splendid simply because he wants to be your friend and doesn't seem to burdened in doing his job. Props to ya my man.

One of the funnier stories today was the experience of a being a foreigner. Now, most of you know that as a Korean-American I do not attract much attention. In my three years in South Korea, unless I am actually with foreigners, I never get stared at for my looks. I blend in, to a degree. When I go to the bathhouse or shopping, now and then I get a stare because of my darker skin or non-Korean features, but its not an issue with me.

Today was very unusual. Usually, I feel bad for my "typical foreigner" friends who get "hello'ed" at constantly or get beaten with the Konglish stick (Korean + English) a few times, I know it seems awkward for them to be randomly approached in public by strangers shouting random English phrases. I usually escape unnoticed.

Now, Jeju Island this time of year attracts an unusual group of tourists: high school students.

Korean high school students usually come to Jeju Island as part of their curriculum, during their 2nd year. They come in flocks and they are not hard to miss: girls' high schools groups are distinguished with their shrieks, constant picture taking, and their usually girly stuff such as whining about the weather or the fact that they have to use their feet. Boys' high schools are filled with short-haircut boys who are all talking the same: that rich, wonderful sound of adolescent boy shrieking that usually cracks when they hit that puberty stage. They are always hitting and horseplaying. Nerds.

This morning, while touring the coastline by myself, I came across an American military family who were coming the opposite direction. I asked the Air Force guy what was ahead. He mentions more coastline with some good views and a used set for a Korean drama. Behind me, a group of four high school girls were behind me and noticed me speaking English. One of them walks up to me and says, "hi. Where are you from?"

Now keep in mind, usually no stranger Korean has ever approached me in ENGLISH. Its usually in Korean, so I'm kinda nervous. Of course, it was natural at my school all the time when my students yelled "hi" at me. But this is different.

I carry a 5-6 minute conversation with these girls, and found out they were from Jeolla Province, which is the southwestern province known for its rich food and twangy dialect. They were very nice. We talked about their school life, blah to the blah to the blah, the usual banter. As I walked on by and they said goodbye, one of them says to me, "Goodbye. You are very handsome!" Thanks.

At other sites, even ALONE, some high school girls said "hi" to me. Some said to our group "hajimemashite," or "nice to meet you" in Japanese. I was like, "are you kidding me? Are we Japanese now?" I thought it was my students but in disguise. I never got this attention at all during my three years here. Was I on camera or something?

Then there was the bathroom incident. I'm about to leave a bathroom at our last site of the day, and there were a bunch of boys who were from a high school from Korea's eastern Gangwon Province. They ask me, "where are you from?" I say mildly: "Washington DC." One of them proceeds to hug and shake my hand while "oohhs," "ahhhs," and even a cell phone photograph was taken. I was just blown away with the foreign superstar treatment.

I am standing outside with these guys, peppered with questions for like 5 minutes about my life, I was "dang! Am I that different looking to them?" Meanwhile, my Guatemalen friend, who was harrassed earlier to take a photo by some high school chicks, is laughing at me through the bus window. They are trying their English with me and here I am, being cool, just entertaining them and having fun.

As I head to the bus, like a superstar soccer player, I wave goodbye. One of them screams (and this is a guy student) "call me!" and there is laughter. I joke to our tour group the only fans I attract are guys, and my tour guide smirks, "sorry, they are too young for you and its illegal." Laughter all around, props to the tour guide for that one.

So I have come to one conclusion: I blend in well. With foreigners, I blend in well. With Indians, I blend in well. With Koreans, I blend in well. With Japanese, Israelis to a degree, Palestinians, Filipinos, or wherever my travels have taken me, I always managed to blend in to a certain degree. Its one of the funny aspects of being mixed-race.

And by the way...God made me that way. Its worked out for some unique situations: funny and touching alike. Let's see what day two of the tour brings tomorrow.

My Last Korean Trip: Jeju Island

So this is my last full week in Korea before I head back to my home country. Its been a hectic month with packing, goodbyes to be said, taking Korean classes (and not preparing for that exam, sike!), and mentally checking myself out of my 2nd home. So I am in Jeju Island for my last Korean hurrah trip, and its been really good. No rain, but it is cold for spring (and there's no global warming?). Even though this is Korea, it sometimes feels like another country.

So I get off the airplane, grab my case, and head into a taxi. After fiddling with the address for a few minutes and calling up my guesthouse for directions, the ajosshi (Korean for "uncle") hits me up with a deal to take me around the city for really cheap. Just out of nowhere. After settling in, he picks me up and takes me to five places in less than three hours, and he got a free dinner out of it (my shot).

Instead of figuring out buses or taking various taxies for more cash, I got a deal in one day on my first day in the island, and made a new friend. We tried Jeju Island's famous "black pork," made out of black pigs, and for two servings they hook you up! I ate so much I thought I would be next on the slaughtering block because I ate like a black pig! He also explained the history of the island when we went to museums, some of the folklore, the culture, and Jeju Island's unique language. To get a tour by a local is very neat thing. Also, the certain joy, even though I'm not fluent in Korean, to converse and discuss cultural things in another language at a high level, I felt like my experience here in South Korea is being completed as we speak.

The weather is very cold, brisk, and windy, but I'm thankful to the Lord because it is not rainy. I'm going to try to enjoy these last days in another Korean region, and next Monday, I'm outta here.

On a sad note, my grandfather passed away a few days ago. I will go home and pay my last respects to him someday. Rest in peace.

God Bless fam.

My Last Round

So, I was recruited to teach this camp for boys. Middle school boys. Oh yea!

They are absolutely nuts, but an absolute joy to teach. I have been working that the Incheon Foreign Language Training Center (IFTC) at Yeongjeong Island this week. I worked here several times in the past as a replacement teacher for their permanent staff who had maternal leave, vacation, or this time around, car accidents.

My friend Evan got into a car accident, but he will be okay. In order to earn his insurance money, he must stay in the hospital. Don't ask me. But I was recruited by my old boss, Jenny, who worked at my previous girls' high school. She called me last minute as a sub teacher, and I was more than ready to help out an old friend.

So, its nice to have some pocket money while having one last shot at teaching. I must say, I have had a good bunch of boys, some of the best since teaching here. I was worried I would have knuckleheads galore, but instead, I have some very sincere and hard-working kids.

And this time around, my teaching is more refined and I feel like I could really connect and get to the kids. It was fun.

Activities including the usual core English objectives: writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Also, we threw in country lessons, club activities, and even goofy stuff like quiz games and English Olympics. The kids are supposed to take a break from their schools and have a chance to use English.

My homeroom class, Class 2, I nicknamed "Los Gatos," or Cats in Spanish. They are surely smart and funny, as well as slick like cats. I started out really slow my first day...especially since I haven't taught in several weeks. My class captain is Antonio Ahn, a young boy, with his loyalty and his hard work ethic, will become someone special in Korea.

Other kids include "Johnson," a pip-squeak kid who makes me laugh, and Jason, a very sarcastic but well-spoken kid. "Moon," is very sincere. "Sun," his counterpart, participates in my club activities well. Tony goofs on in class. Jimmy doesn't be quiet, but he makes me laugh. And there is Tom, a tall kid who will probably become a ladies' man.

Wow, it blows my mind that in a few weeks, I will be leaving one environment of Koreans to the land of Americans. I'm going to miss this alot. So many memories. Right now, I'm just enjoying watching them play "Mafia Wars," some kind of fun game, while they are argue all about it.

Wow Lord, I was a teacher for three years. But in this time period, I was taught more things than I could ever imagine.

Oh My

Goodbye

So, I said goodbye to the students at a Farewell Ceremony.

In these ceremonies, they introduce the outgoing teachers, such as myself, and then they introduce the incoming teachers who come from other schools. The girls were "oooing" and "aweing" about who was leaving and who was going.

I was genuinely sad today as I walked out the gym, three my years of my life in a foreign country...yet life goes on.

What impact have I made on this school? Have I done anything special for this school? Who knows. I can't tell.

Yet I am reminded of one verse...John 3:30.

"He must become greater, I must become less." This is in reference to John the Baptist, who paved the way for the Savior to come. Jesus was on a mission, John was his messenger. John had absolute joy (verse 29) that He was coming.

Even though I'm was not the perfect teacher to begin with and made many mistakes as a person, I hope that Jesus Christ was represented in my time here. I hope the students understand that English is the way not to a prosperous future. Rather, English should be a tool to communicate with new friends.

My father told me to never look back in life, bu to keep moving forward in Christ. I will not dwell on the past, but being reminded of the past is not a bad thing. I hope and pray that I'm being shaped into His image more and more. I had a fun, grand time here. Its the perfect time to leave.

The memories, the hopes and dreams of my students, the fun times...I will never forget. The pain and the struggles of being a foreigner in my mother's country...priceless. The conflicts with myself and with others only to discover what God wants me to do in these situations...great. The total mission of being a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven...eternal.

If you want to see how I want to be remembered, check out this song by Steve Green.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRK2Y1cZaME

You'll get the point.

The New Look Washington Wizards

My favorite team in the world, the Washington Wizards, recently blew up the core of their team to make way for a new start and new era.

Out is one of my favorite players, Antawn Jamison, the captain and leader of a franchise who made the Wizards come back to respectability after being mired in the NBA doldrums for untold decades. He is now going to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a chance to play for a championship.

Caron Butler, former Heat and Lakers player, and third option to captain Jamison and former franchise face and non-stop prankster Gilbert Arenas, is now with the Dallas Mavericks. Butler, known for his toughness and going strong to the basket with bull-charging drives and mezmerizing dribbling skills, is now having his chance to play on the NBA radar again.

Then there is Gilbert Arenas, who was given a $111 million contract two seasons ago who was busted on gun charges after pulling an ill-fouled prank on a fellow teammate, Javaris Crittenton. Both players are suspended for the rest of this season, and Arenas is in danger of losing his contract and possibly his career.

So General Manager Ernie Grunfeld knew it was time for a change. In sports, Grunfeld is a man that I like and respect. He was the man who brought Antawn Jamison to our talent-depleted franchise to help us move back into the playoffs. It was he who locked in Jamison and got Butler to make a trio of scorers. They made it to the playoffs from 2004-2008 and the city was loving basketball again (before that, Marylanders enjoyed rooting for the Terps for DC fans loved the Georgetown Hoyas). Grunfeld is known for bringing in players who can contribute immediately, without spending time on draft picks who take years to develop.

But he also knew it was time to a put a halt to proceedings when the whole gun scandal went down with Mr. Arenas. Gilbert, "Agent Zero" as he is called, is an all-star caliber player who puts up points and can bring fans to the seats. Yet, his arrogance and lack of prudence for his actions plus consequences forced me to re-think about his importance to the team. He may be back, and I hope he learned his lesson, move on, and focus on basketball as a mature man.

So, we bring in through trades players like Josh Howard, defensive specialist and former all-star, Al Thornton, all-around decent player with loads of talent, Quinton Ross, a journeyman player, and James Singleton, the tough man, and we got a motley bunch.

These were four players that matched the talents of Caron Butler and former captain Jamison. You would think that fans would just sit back and let the season continue to go downhill, as Grunfeld said that the previous group of players were "stale."

Yet our team has won two straight games in a row! Now a reader would think, "hold up Mark, its just two wins buddy, they are only 19-33."

But hey, if they continue to work hard and put their talents together with the remaining talent on the team, we could make some noise for the near future.

So I continue to be a long-suffering fan of the Wizards. Its easy to be a fan of the Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs, winning is part of your formula. Yet for the Zards, its a matter of patience and building, or sometimes, rebuilding a formula for a winning attitude. For me, I love these kind of re-building franchises. I love watching the final product (unless your a LA Clippers fan).

Go Wizards!

More Memories

Continuing with some funny and cool students from the past year:

1. The Sacramento Queen, Seo Ji-min, 3rd year, Hanyang University

"The Sacramento Queen," the infamous joke that Shaquille O'Neal once called the rival Sacramento Kings during the Lakers-Kings California Shootout years (2000-2004), I apply to my girl Ji-min, one of the only few girls I have taught who is actually talented in sports. We spent time out there on the court with her two friends, Ji-won and Ji-sun (aka, the "Ji Unit"), and we went over basic drills such as dribbling, shooting, and the basic pick and roll. She has it all: smarts and a kind heart, and an affinity for sports. She's a rare student because in Korean culture, only certain femalions are chosen for sports and cultivated. Most girls are just geared towards study and becoming a future Korean lady. Don't get me wrong, many Korean women keep in good health in terms of fitness: jogging, walking, badminton, health clubs, and martial arts. Yet it was rare for me to encounter a student who was good at ball sports at a girls' high school. I taught her the basics of defense and running off the ball...and later she ended up beating me at my own game. Miss ya girl, go study hard, and keep balling with the best of them boys!

2. Yang Ah-young, 3rd grader, Inha University

Absolutely one of the most grand girls I ever met in my teaching career. By the way, you like my Kobe Bryant smile? Ah-young never, EVER complained in front of me and always had the brightest attitude one teacher could wish for. A hard worker, she is now entering one of the top universities in Incheon, South Korea. She was always smiling, always greeting me "hi teacher!" and never complained about her life. Even though she disclosed to me some tough things about her life that would really hurt her personally, she always kept positive. Maybe its the faith inside her that gave her joy.


3. Terry, Lee Yun-ju, 3rd grader.

Terry is a soft-spoken girl with a good heart. Fiercely loyal to me and my class, she attended my extra classes since junior and senior year. As a junior, she could not have my regular classes, so she signed up for the one they offered me. She was always polite. Many of my girls are very loud and always screaming at me "HIII!" in the hallways, or not saying anything at all because of the shyness disease that they catch and spread to other students...Terry was right in the middle. She wasn't too shy, but at the same time she was brave enough to come and visit my office and try her English. She was humble enough to be taught. Sometimes I had problems with the students who had a high level of English because they thought they were "too cool" for my class and they thought they knew enough. So I always enjoyed having students like Terry who know their limitations and at the same time were confident with what they did know and used it.

4. Kim Da-hee, 1st grade, Class 1-9.

This girl NEVER talked. She was ALWAYS scared of me and my class. Every time I would approach her and her friends during activity time she would cower in fear, literally. She would hide behind her hands. Perhaps I was the scary foreigner she heard about on TV...or perhaps I was ugly? OH NO! I remember one time saying hi to her in the hallway she recoiled in trepidation! Ha ha, despite her shyness, I always try to help and encourage her to try English. Sometimes, even during class time, she got a boost to raise her hand and give the answer, much to my pleasure. Yet other than that, she was extremely shy and never talked. Then came her sister's graduation (whom I also taught briefly in 2008). I was just walking around, glad-handling the kids who I taught, and then all of a sudden, up pops Da-hee! In Korean: "I want to take a picture with you." I was surprised, because no where near once she made the initiative to talk to me and or greet me. Yet at the same time, perhaps finally she knew this was her last chance to talk to me since I'm moving on. A very low "thank you" in Korean, and I proceeded to take pictures with both girls (her and her sister). It was a nice surprise from a student who hardly said anything at all. Perhaps inside she wanted to say, "I want to talk to Mr. Soni." Or perhaps, "he's not that ugly." :-)

5. My "student" parents.

As a part of my teaching schedule, I taught a free class to the parents of the students or anyone who could participate from outside of school. It was free. Free English you say? Yeah, so from the outset, about 20 people signed up from 2008. Then the numbers dwindled, and then Gideon dwindled (read the book of Judges for that reference). Why? Because some of the parents' realized that English ain't that easy, yo! They dropped like flies. By the start of 2009, my numbers petered out to 10, then 5 loyal parents. Some people at this point are like..."well, Soni, you must have stunk up the joint with your goofy teaching tactics." Nope, these ladies can vouch for me. Parents, with their busy schedules as well as depending on their English ability, came and went from my class. But these ladies in the picture (plus a few more who couldn't make it to my final class), were always coming out every week for their dose of English. We had such a good time: not just fun classes and having good conversations with one another, but lunch and dinner outings. We became real genuine friends, and they being on the outside of school, I could share some things about my school life that I can't normally share with teachers. They also sympathize with the burdens of a native English speaker among hordes of Korean students who rather watch their P2P joints than take shots of English vocab to the brain. When I was tired of teaching goof-ball boys and girls, these parents were consistent and gave me the joy of teaching again. With them, I could REALLY teach because they ate it up. It was like an MC at a hip-hop club with real hip-hop heads.

6. Mindy, Kim Min-ji, Class 1-6.

I was telling my parents' class today that you can't really know what happens to a student until years later. How will the fruit of my labors begin to bud forth? Honestly, I try to think about the present and do the good work that Christ has placed in me. One of the great perks about this job is when a student appreciates the work in the work you do in their life. Her name, "Mindy," spawns from an incident where I heard her announce her name, but instead of "Minji," a common Korean name, I thought she said, "Mindy." Laughter dies down, her colleagues spew out their mwa ha has, "your name is Mindy you butthead" and the name stuck. Mindy it was. She genuinely likes English. Not because its fun grammatically. Its just fun to her. She did well in my class and she was always polite. One day, as I was walking to Hapkido practice, this girl was waiting for her ride at the school gate. After exchanging pleasantries, she mentions to me that her English score went up. "Good for you girl," I say. Then she replies: "Well, thank you to you, because of your class I became more interested in English and my score went higher. I want to study hard." Man, that just made my day, that made my week! In a culture where praise and encouragement is lacking (because oddly, that raises self-awareness and pride), this is one of those statements that God was telling me: "you know what kid, I'll continue the good work in you, and I'll be faithful to complete it boy." (Philippians 1:6)

The work is done.