Freudian slip

An innocent slip of the tongue...

I was trying to call my daughter a "pretty pink princess..." but what came out of my mouth was "a pretty pink penis." Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Then she says, "Don't call me that.  That's a boy's............."

Another first...

Experienced another first today... first time I had to lay-off someone. 


It's not firing someone.  My friend actually had to do that... and he stood by with security as they watched the employee pack.

It's not someone quitting.  There's usually an envious lunch followed by hearty handshakes.

It's not someone retiring.  Where there's the funny roasting followed by the sentimental send-off.

Laying someone off.... in California... means they get 60 day notice.  Then they get a two week notice.  Then there's the exit interview.  And then...they're gone.

And you ask yourself.... what just happened? Until it happens again......

Receiving the Holy Spirit

At KAC today.... Linda prayed with the children to receive the Holy Spirit.  Then she said... "When we play the music again, and you want to receive the Holy Spirit, you can stand-up."

The music didn't start yet... and Nui-nui was the first (and only) kid to stand-up.  I know I shouldn't have... but I immediately started to weep.  I know I can't and shouldn't tie any emotions to my daughter's walk with Christ.  It's not something I should be proud of... or disappointed in.  It's something I should trust God in.

Also... I shouldn't have teared up cuz I think Nui-nui may have stood up cuz she heard Linda say the words, "...stand-up" without hearing anything else.

Joseph Reunion

Weird.... tonight we had Joint Fellowship.  And I had the honor of leading worship... when I scanned around the room and it felt like Joseph Fellowship all over again.  Taking a quick survey... even the folks from HoC and Carmel originated from Joseph.  HA!

Sadly... things have morphed into a very different atmosphere.  Times are different.

We're all grown up now...with families... with other demands.  But for one brief moment...with a room full of brothers and sisters... it felt nice to be brought back in time.

A tearful moment...

Nui-nui graduated from preschool to kinder today. Everything went well... as planned... until the final act when the students walked in to "Pomp and Circumstance" for the handing out of diplomas.

At this point, all the parents are crowding the front of the stage fighting to grab a shot of their kids for that one "Kodak" moment.  All eyes were on the kids (of course)... and then out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of our family friend who was welling up in tears. 

Ironically, her son is stoic.  He's probably rehearsed this for a 100 times the past few months.  He probably didn't want to be there.  In fact, his mind was probably wandering and thinking about lunch or cartoons or half a dozen other things....  Most importantly, he will go through life never knowing and realizing what his mom was going through. 


Human emotions.... it's so mysterious. 

"It is finished"

Famous words muttered by Jesus on the cross as documented in the gospel of John.  A few weeks ago, as I was meditating on the gospel of John,it occurred to me that the last words spoken by Jesus was immediately following the last and final physical act from mankind.

That last act... was the soldier offering sour wine (vinegar) to Jesus when Jesus said, "I am thirsty."

Was this last act an act of defiance and humiliation? Or was it actually a sign of humility and thoughtfulness?

As a kid... I've always thought this was further torture of Jesus.  The man is dying! Suffocating! Bleeding to death!  All he wants is some water and the soldier doesn't even have the decency to offer him a drink??  But wait.... maybe the soldier did it on purpose!

For the first time, I thought (overthought) that maybe the soldier was HELPING Jesus.  Seeing him suffer already... the soldier thought that giving him water, will only quench his thirst, prolong his life for a bit longer... and have him suffer more.  By giving him vinegar... it meant that Jesus can hurry up and die and end his suffering.

"It is finished" takes on a new meaning.  This is Jesus, the moment before he dies, knowing that the last and final act from mankind is an act of kindness and worship!  So Jesus can die in peace... knowing that there is hope in mankind.  Hence the words.  His job is done.  Reconciliation can begin... and all that he's done in his 3 years of ministry leading to this moment... it was all worth it.

Way to go, Soldier!!!

"I am thirsty..."

Famous words muttered by Jesus on the cross as documented in the gospel of John.  A few years ago, as I was studying John, it occurred to me in the irony behind these words. the living water himself, has run dried and is now "thirsty." 

In John 4, when Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, he tells her about the living water;  that whoever drinks from it shall not thirst.  In John 6, Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life...he who comes to me shall not thirst." 


I believe, that John was specifically inspired by the Holy Spirit to capture those words.  Those words clearly represented the true "passion of Jesus Christ."  All too often,we focus on the bodily pain and humiliation Jesus experienced on his way of the cross.  That in it of itself fulfills a portion of scripture where a lamb without blemish is sacrificed as a sin offering.  But what the words "I am thirsty" represents.... is the fact that Christ bore all of our sins.... including the first sin where Eve bit into the fruit... till the last sin in Revelation before the New Jerusalem descends from heaven.  Every single sin was laid on top of Jesus.... and the sin was so heavy, so burdening, so REAL.... that He truly gave up and lost this relationship with God.  He lost... his godly character.  He lost... the privilege of being the Son of God.

That is the true passion of Jesus Christ.  Because of these words, "I am thirsty..." we can now truly see and believe that Jesus completed this work here on earth as described in Philippians 2 -

rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!

Element of Surprise

Remember when you saw a movie...or watched a TV show...and there was such a huge twist in the plot or a surprise ending that got you to jump out of your seat and say, "Oh sh*t!"


***SPOILER ALERT****

Like the Sixth Sense moment - when the audience finally realizes that Bruce Willis was dead the entire time. 

Or the original God of Gamblers, when Chow Yun Fat has the entire theater thinking he had a full house vs the 4 queens.  Then he turns the card and says, "你唔好采啦!" to reveal four Aces. 

Then there's the ultimate twists of twists...the father of all twists (pun intended), when Darth Vader reveals himself to be Luke Skywalker's father.  I never got that experience.  And I always wonder how I would've felt, had I been a teenager, sitting in the theaters and experiencing that moment on the silver screen for the first time. 

There's since been multiple parodies about that moment.  And there are Youtube videos of parents showing Star Wars to their kids in the proper order, starting with Ep IV...before going back to the prequels, and capture the moment of shock on his kids' face when the infamous words, "I am your father" is muttered by Vader.

Well.... I just realized.... that I've already ruined that moment for my kids!! Nui-nui, at least, will never get to experience the biggest twist in the history of movies.  Why??? Cuz I read her this book!!! A seemingly harmless book.... d'oh!

"It's the least I can do..."

Was at Barnes and Noble earlier this evening... where we treat a bookstore like a library. (hee hee)

I'm done reading Siu Wah and Nui-nui's first books.  They're off looking for their second books when I return the books back on the shelf.  The teenager who works there happens to walk by and says, "Dude...." 

I stare at him... with a questioning look.

"Thanks.  You don't even know."

(ahh... he's thanking me for returning the books)

And all I can muster was, "It''s the least I can do..."

Sometimes... even if we think folks get paid for what they do, they do appreciate the little things we do to help.