Faith, Hope and Love

MOVING

2010-06-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

imjiye.tumblr.com

because i like the word tumblr more than blogspot.

One of those days...

2010-06-08T23:10:00.001-07:00

* woke up to a call from my work asking to come in within the hour
* menstrual cramp(worst ever) and lowerback pain and felt bloated ALL DAY
* 9 hours of isolation with no internet, no people interaction, in a freezing cold office
* had to drive from irvine to cerritos just to drop off a stupid key
* came home to a double parked car in the garage(mother -.-)
* scratched off a chunk of my forearm while trying to street park in frustration
* came home only to bump my hip on the staircase handle
* unsuccessful 20 minute nap
* spilled a full cup of water for no reason at all
* found out i have to sub in again tomorrow
* had to drive to a random starbucks to pick up the same freaking key
* tutored for only an hour. I was frowning the whole time.
* kevin b. kim canceled our brunch.

the only uplifter was coming home to the whole family eating fried chicken(korean style), dried squid(its good), peanuts and beer. :) i love my family.

so the question is, even when you have one of those days when everything seems to be going wrong, everything seems to be against you for NO REASON at all, will you see past it and praise God for this seemingly cursed day? Yes. I will praise God in joy and in pain. God is God.

San Diego

2010-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

jiah
gina
extraordinary desserts
phil's bbq
port of san diego
jean
cody's
cups
la jolla village
bobby
nails
mt. soledad
70% off sushi rolls
jam session

good use of my 30 hour SD trip :D
i need to vacay more often.

2010-04-06T12:21:00.001-07:00

I know that death is all around us. But there has been a lot of deaths closer to me than before and I can't help but to feel a sense of urgency. all i end up thinking is, "i hope that she was saved" "why didn't anyone tell her about the gospel," "why was no one there for him?" It almost makes me shake with an urgency to do something about it. Life here on earth is precious but eternal life is a thousand times more precious - the blood of a perfect lamb precious.

What the heck am i doing? hoarding this eternal life only to myself? i am so selfish even in the salvation that was given to me. forgive me Lord Jesus. Please help me to share the gospel with friends and family and people all around me. I want to be faithful to what you have entrusted me with.

Allergic

2010-03-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've never been allergic to anything in my whole entire life. Well, that is, until i went to college.

In college, I found out that I'm allergic to shrimp(when I exercise after), watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe. At first I was in denial. Actually even until YESTERDAY I was in denial. I kept on trying them to see if the allergy had gone away. But everytime I try these fruits, my body doesn't want them. and now, i've learned my lesson. I almost died yesterday after eating a piece of honeydew at my tutoree's house. I am finally ready to accept the fact that I really am allergic these foods and that I should stay away from them unless i want another anaphylactic shock. But the story doesn't end here.

Now, I'm at UCI. and while i'm eating my irresistable, delicious sandwich with turkey and avocado that i packed from home, my throat is starting to itch, my inner ear is irritated and my tongue feels numb.
EFF. another one. I am allergic to one of my FAVORITE foods: avocados.

When will this nightmare end? PLEASE?
i dont wanna be the only one salivating as I watch everyone else eat a cold, juicy watermelon on a hot summer day. ;( and now AVOCADOS?!!! no~~~~

today is not a good day.

p.s. i just looked up my allergy online and it says my allergies might be related to latex. O.o

My Life

2010-02-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are curious, this is my typical week:

[Monday]
10-2PM UCI Med Center
3:30-5PM Tutor(Los Al)
6-7:30PM Tutor(Anaheim Hills)
8-9:30PM Tutor(Fullerton)

[Tuesday]
10-2PM UCI Med Center
3:30-5:30PM Chung's(Cerritos)
6-7PM Tutor(Cerritos)
7:30-9PM Tutor(Fullerton)

[Wednesday]
10-1PM UCI Med Center(maybe)
2:30-4:30PM Tutor(Walnut)
5:30-7:30PM Chung's(LA)
8:30-10PM Tutor(Los Al)

[Thursday]
10-1PM UCI Med Center
1-2PM Lunch with Parents
3-7PM Reading Town
7:30-9PM Tutor(Brea)

[Friday]
10-1PM UCI Med Center(meet with PI)
1-4PM FREE TIME :)
4:30-6:30PM Chung's(Irvine)
7:45-9:30PM Church

[Saturday]
9AM-5:30PM Chung's(Cerritos) :(

Sorry if I've been MIA. I realized that even if I do work a lot and I do need my rest, I still want to and need to meet up with friends.
so... anybody want to have lunch with me?

BOOOOO!

2010-02-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

Apparently I am NOT an employee of Chung's STI even though I work the hours they tell me to and teach the stuff they tell me to teach. Rather, I am a freelancer who teaches at their institution. Why is this significant?
They dont have to match the taxes that they should have withheld from my paycheck, meaning I am my own freaking business, meaning I am self-employed, meaning I have to pay a self-employed tax, meaning.... goodbye $300 refund check and and hello debt. not a good day.

Song Associations

2010-01-20T23:47:00.001-08:00

You associate certain songs with certain times. For example, "We Ride" by Rihanna reminds me of freshman year summer because i was obsessed with that song and it was my ringtone as well as my alarm for three month straight. (i guess i do have a semi-obsessive personality)

Other times, you associate songs with certain people. It perhaps somehow reminds you of them, or there was a certain incident that became associated with that song how ever little or big that incident was. Well, here are a couple of songs that I associate with certain people. some random, and some... not so random. :)

Britney Spears' "Circus" & Jon McLaughlin's "So Close" - Gina Lee (this is soooo her. kekeke)
Beyonce's "Put a Ring On It" & Akon's "Get Buck in Here" - Joann Kim (ask her)
Blink 182's "All the Small Things" -Dhan (white boy music)
2NE1's "Fire" & SNSD's "Gee"- Sam Kang (heard these songs for the first time when sam kang sang AND danced to it at NRB)
2pac's "Changes" - Annie Chung (this girl can rap)
Nat King Cole's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Sam Han (finals, 24 hours starbucks)
Navi's "I Love You" - Alex Hwang (drive down from tahoe trip)
Fallout Boy's "We're Going Down" - Janice Juanita Lee (first time i heard this song was the first time i met janice. freshman year, she was singing and dancing to it in a cramp car when we were going somewhere. i thought, "CCRAAAZZYYYYY girl")
T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" - Jane Shon (didn't know this song existed until Jane kept on singing it randomly throughout a whole month. the melody sounded so weird, but it all made sense the first time i heard it on the radio)

dang i know there is a lot more but can't think. maybe i'll add onto the list if i think of some more.

oOoOo Bonus for gina and joann:
Wicked OST "As Long as You're Mine" - picture of me with the kitchen mitten that's the size of my whole body. hahahaha
The Prince of Egypt OST "Deliver Us" - my dorm room freshman year. what was wrong with us?

okay, its POURING rain right now.
EVERYONE, drive safely and stay dry! :)

Segments

2009-11-12T12:13:00.000-08:00

anybody else?

UCI Medical Center

2009-10-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

UCI Medical Center
- working here has made me feel more "medical" than ever before. Everyone I talk to is either a physician, a fellow, a professor, a researcher, or a medical student. Makes me want to get into medical school even MORE. :(
- im not allowed to say what im researching -.- but I LOVE IT!
- i have a badge: Junior Specialist Department of Cardiology :)
- the only benefit I get is a free parking pass and I don't even use it because the lot is at the freaking Crystal Cathedral and I need to take the shuttle that comes every 45 minutes. I just park at the block and hope that i dont get caught by the security.
- I really want to get into UCI. DANG IT!
- i have my own cubicle but its hella empty. i need to decorate it.
- im hungry

going on a lunch break. this was yet another useless post. but whatevers. goodbye.

"Stained Glass Masquerade"

2009-10-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Winter

2009-10-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

it smells like christmas... well actually, it was just Monday and Tuesday. when God teased us with a little rain. it was chilly and i wore my yoshi indoor slippers.

now its back to sunny extended summer in socal.

Rain at Berkeley is TOTALLY different from rain in socal.

Why i didn't like rain in Berkeley:
- umbrellas were a lost cause
- it rained sideways
- everything below my knees got wet
- i had to walk to class (my papers, books, bags got wet)
- my apt was like a fridge (I used to hear the wind seeping through the door cracks)

Why I like the rain in Socal:
- umbrellas actually help
- im usually indoors
- i have a car
- my house has a heater
- there is always sunshine after the rain

i can't wait for winter :)

PWNED

2009-08-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

How long will you stay in bed, you slacker?
When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the arms to rest,

and your poverty will come like a robber,
your need, like a bandit.

Proverbs 6:6-11(HCSB)

-.-

Being Nostalgic

2009-08-06T14:00:00.001-07:00

You've Got A Friend by James Taylor

When youre down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
Ill come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And Ill be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Youve got a friend.

If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
Ill come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And Ill be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, aint it good to know that youve got a friend?
People can be so cold.
Theyll hurt you and desert you.
Well theyll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but dont you let them.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
Ill come running to see you again.
Oh babe, dont you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all youve got to do is call.
Lord, Ill be there, yes I will.
Youve got a friend.
Youve got a friend.
Aint it good to know youve got a friend.
Aint it good to know youve got a friend.
Youve got a friend.

Kids

2009-07-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

now that summer school is coming to a close, I am realizing how much of a blessing it is to work with kids. Through CM and KCPC Summer School, I've gotten to experience and learn so much about kids - their hearts, their thoughts, their joys, etc.

I feel blessed to have been part of such a wonderful ministry of God.

gosh, the kids are just toooooo CUTE!!! why are they so adorable? even the ones that always cry, the ones that always cause trouble, the ones that always abuse you...

take Adam for example...

He is one violent, troublemaker but you still see how God is working in his heart.
(during sing-along time)
Teachers: okay kids, so when we sing "this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine," what does it actually mean? (Everyone else is running around, being hyperactive from lunch)
Adam: It means that we're so supposed to tell others about Jesus.
Teachers(pleasantly surprised): RIGHT ADAM! so what exactly are you supposed to say about Jesus?
Adam: That we can't go to heaven by ourselves but that if we believe in Jesus and that He died on the cross for our sins, we can go to heaven.
Teachers: YOURE RIGHT!!!! WOW!!! 2 stickers for Adam! (While, Jess goes to put the points up on the board..)
Adam: But when I say that to my friends, my friends don't believe me. (sad face)

AHHH my heart~~~ sooooooo blessed.
and dang, can this boy draw or WHAT? he has talent.

I love it when they have so much fun singing praise songs and actually understand what they are singing about. :)

Another thing that I love is when they draw things for you. This might not be the case with the older elementary kids but luckily I interact mostly with Kindergarten through 2nd grade. they love teachers :)

I was baby-sitting the first grade class for 30 minutes while the afternoon program was ending and so I let them draw. This is what Keunho drew...

He kept on asking me things.. like how old are you? I said 100. whats your favorite animal? I said dolphin. He asked me what I want for a present. I said a BIG gift. and I said I wanted an elephant birthday hat. he asked me what my favorite food was... i said pizza with pineapples, cheese, pepperoni, kimchi, and chocolate (i was messing around) i had NO idea that he was really drawing all of that. After he finished, he asked how to spell my name... and then he gave me his drawing. SOOOOOOOOO CUTE! im gonna miss these kids soooo much!

noah, peter, and keunho.

soomin!

Peter and his spaceship that he drew with chalk! a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e!

keunho again! lol i guess i do favor him SLIGHTLY.

Kindergarten @ Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Also, I want to make a shout out to CM!!! woot woot! it has been one crazy, wonderful, blessed year serving with you all. We have wayyyy too much fun. Our oh-so-time-efficient meetings filled with awkward moments and uncontrollable laughters, our "unique" retreat hangouts, long discussions about anything and everything, our hearty dinners. and of course building loving relationships with our kids. its so amazing how we are able to teach these kids the love of Christ and disciple them in Spirit and in truth. CM, YOU WILL be missed :( the fellowship we had as CM teachers was priceless.

the 1st grade teachers!! yayuh!

bible study time!!!

special ones, they are.

college CM teachers!

Hallelujah night. What a night. What a musical. What costumes. :)

blessed ministry. wonderful staff. fun kids. im going to miss this soooo much. :)

AGING and etc.

2009-07-11T12:11:00.001-07:00

I'm aging. my body is breaking down.

After 5 days of summer school, with the last day being a full day at the children's discovery museum in San Jose, my body could NOT handle it. By the end of the day, my head started to hurt, my whole body ached and I started developing a fever. No, it wasn't a cold, or a flu or any "sickness." My body was basically EXHAUSTED. :( I took advil and I knocked out for a total of ~12 hours.

What a sad reality. My body just doesn't have the energy and the stamina that it used to have freshman year in college. But then again, I don't think its really a "sad" reality persay. Yes, your body might be breaking down, but with aging, I firmly believe that you gain much maturity and wisdom. I look back at freshman year and think to myself, "Oh my gosh, what the heck was I thinking. I was soooo immature. I didn't know anything." I've learned so much since then. And then again, I know that even a year from today, I will have gained a little more wisdom and insight about myself, the world, its people and most importantly about God. I look at all these great leaders in today's world, and just stand in awe of how much they have accomplished and grown throughout the years. And to think that all these people and their abilities is NOTHING compared to our AWESOME GOD.

And so in some aspects, I look forward to aging, knowing that what I know now is still only a small glimpse of the knowledge and wisdom that God has in store for me.

p.s. i should be working on my secondaries!! ah!!!

Love

2009-07-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, God reminds you of a certain passage and highlights it throughout the day through various people and means. Today, God reminded me of this passage:

1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I read it over and over again. It kept on coming up and I now want to meditate on it more and more. I want to base everything in my life with this kind of love. This is the kind of love that God commands of us but before that, this is the kind of love that God has revealed to us through Christ. I desire to know Christ more because He is the perfect manifestation of God's love for us. I desire to love others like He loves. I dont know about you, but I find it to be amazingly difficult. But I dont want to give up. May we all pray and ask God for His love to fill us and to overflow to everyone around us.

First Day of KCPC Summer School

2009-07-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

I started KCPC Summer school today...

6:30AM, got ready, grabbed a special k bar
7:10AM got picked up by sam..
7:35AM - 7:50AM traffic at the toll because sam forgot that we can go on carpool haha
8:15AM teacher's devotionals. krispy creme and coffee. mmmm
9:00AM - 5:10PM DEATH

I'm teaching kindergarten. having 10 rowdy, restless, whining kids is no joke. so... random thoughts from today:
* Thank God that they're still young enough to behave well when you bribe them through stickers. haha.
* I need a TA. If JessChi wasn't there today I would have DIED.
* Singing songs for 1.5hrs is ridiculous.
* Kids do not know how to play chutes and ladders.
* I think I'm allergic to watermelon.
* Why do kids have so much energy?! and WHY are they so violent?! I'm scared.
* My feet hurt. I was basically standing or walking the WHOLE TIME I was there.

We came back around 6PM (earlier than I thought). I took a 30 minute nap and headed to work on campus. at least here I can just sit and relax. Now I finally have time to catch up on my secondaries... :( but I'm dead tired.

man, the book list I had on the previous post seems very unrealistic now :( but we shall see. I'm really gonna try to make time for it.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God - 1 Corinthians 10:31

My Summer Reading List

2009-07-01T11:04:00.001-07:00

* The Gospel for the Real Life by Jerry Bridges
* The Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
* The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
* Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
* East of Eden by John Steinbeck
* Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
* The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
* The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
* Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
* The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
* A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

anymore recommendations???

fyi: I'm being really ambitious right now. I'm a SLOW reader.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart - Jeremiah 29:13

first post

2009-06-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

new blog for the new stage of my life

now that college is over, I can see how a blog is needed more than ever before so that I can keep in contact with those around me. Yes, it is a sad reality. I wish I could call up and hang out with people like we did during college. But the truth is, keeping in touch is hard, especially when everyone is moving on to their next step in life - working, more studying, playing, etc. I start this blog for the sake of those who I cherish dearly because they deserve to know what is going on in my life and overall, I want to share my joys, my loves, my sorrows, my pains with the loving people around me. On a less serious note, I just want to experiment with blogging, get my creative juices flowing, share my thoughts and things of that nature. we'll see how it goes. :)