A look back at 2016...

Alas... the tradition continues.  It's actually kinda fun looking back at the past 12 years - especially at the end of 2009 when a did a full decade recap. Here are the top moments of 2016, in reverse order if you may.

Honorable mentions:
-leading worship on Christmas Day
-officially started job hunting only to find it quite humbling I can't find one

10) Cancun - Nui-nui always says this is her second time going to Cancun. The first time was when she was in mommy's tummy and we went for our baby moon. 6 full days of alcohol and gluttony, came back home to de-tox.

9) The Mark of Death - 2016 marked the departure of my 大伯 and 三嬸.  It saw the departure of Roy's dad, C-hing's mom, Tall Ken's dad, Ben's grandma, Tim or Sue's grandparent.  It saw Joyce's step dad battle liver cancer.  A new found friend's mom battle and triumphed over breast cancer. So many of my childhood icons also died... Muhammad Ali, Carrie Fischer (Princess Leia), David Bowie, Prince, George Michael to name a few.

8) Election 2016 - The entire buildup since 2015... I was sure Hillary would win.  I wanted to volunteer for her campaign. I took both SW and NN to the voting booths with me, so they can say "We were there" for this historical moment.  And a historical moment it was..... that night..... when the color of the US just would NOT turn blue.  By 8PM, when the California polls closed....and Hillary still hasn't won.... America knew.  We all knew. 

7) Family Altar - It's been a passion of mine to establish a family altar at home.  And through two separate, unrelated events (21 Day Prayer Journey and Advent), I think I was able to do it!!  The kids actually expect to have "Family Time" now.  I still remember making that declaration during Intercession one morning. How faithful God is in answering my prayers!!

6)  魚蛋米 - Christmas Day when visiting dad, he said he's been eating 魚蛋米 every day since attending Thanksgiving Retreat.  Did he lose weight?? Nope.  Then I sat down by the couch... and saw a bag of chocolate and 3 jars of nuts.  He says, "I only eat those while watching TV."  No wonder he didn't lose weight!! But more importantly... dad attended a church event with us.  He read the bible.  Copied down bible verses.  And I even heard him worship along with everyone.  I still get choked up thinking about it.

5) Nui-nui needs glasses - in the back of our minds, we've always had this fear.  Just cuz both Joyce and I need glasses.  And in this day and age of tablets and smartphones... how can kids NOT need glasses.  Still remember that fateful day when we found out she couldn't read a giant billboard about 50 feet away.  The gut wrenching feeling of failing at parenting.  I hate to be vain and say it... but now my daughter isn't "perfect" anymore.

4) Siu-Wah attends Kindergarten - after 5 years of staying at home with Han-Yi... Siu Wah finally graduated from home life and moved into the real world, with real kids, with real rules, with real English.  We never once thought he would cry... he didn't.  I never once thought he would struggle... he didn't.  But we certainly never would have thought he'll become the school pet - and all the kids in school would look after him like they do.  The biggest compliment we get, "We're amazed at his tenacity in playing 4 squares with the big kids."  My boy... is growing up right in front of our eyes.

3) Warriors - it wasn't suppose to happen this way.  It was Father's Day.  We were up 3-1.  We beat them last year.  We beat them earlier in the season.  And we were the better team.  I bought a bunch of warriors clothes for big bro, Ah-So, and Eason.  I even had dinner and a beer with dad as we watched those final seconds tick away... and Kyrie "F**kin" Irving drove that dagger into the midst of all our hearts... thus turning it from one of the best, to one of the worst father's day ever. 


2) Nine months in the making - For the same time it takes to have a baby, we finally got "done" with remodeling and moved home.  Ohhhhh... the aches and pain of the whole process.  The newfound ability to hate someone.  The disgust of knowing that wickedness can be so real.  But alas... able to come home.

1) Clark Chai-Tian Leung - How fitting that the top moment of 2016 actually doesn't belong to me.  But big bro.... who after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness... finds his promised land!  A land flowing with milk and honey.  Amazingly enough, that land is in Beijing.  He reaches new heights in his career.  He finally settles down and gets married.  And in that timespan.... he became a father... and me an uncle. These things only happen on TVB shows.  Not in real life.  Not to people I know.   But alas... it did.

And that wraps up 2016.  Here's a look back at the past 12 years.



2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 - can't find it
2007 - can't find it
2006 - can't find it
2005
2004

From dream...to nightmare...

After so many years at SJCAC... Amy c-mo gave me one of the best Christmas presents ever.  She gave me the opportunity to lead worship.  (all the other worship leaders were out of town... and she didn't want to do it herself)

The practices were great! The worship team was formed perfectly for a newbie like me. But when it came time for the real deal... ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... So many mistakes.  I missed the beats.  I entered at the wrong place.  My mouth and throat were dry. I went waaaaay too long.  And I don't think I really had the worship effect I wanted.  In a way... I think I was seeking the results of the worship from the congregation instead of from God, Himself.  Shame on me.

That was me, living my dream, for one day.

Then came the time for me to live (or relive my nightmare).  After watching Moana with my mom and family, we had some time to kill before dinner.  So we went to Union Square in SF - the very site where I put my precious daughter in the emergency room last year when I skated over her thumb which resulted in 7 stitches.  (Posted here)

When we first arrived... she did not recognize the place.  Nn was enjoying herself as any child would - sucking in the Christmas atmosphere.  Then she walked ahead with grandma while I stayed behind with SW to watch a street performer.  When I caught up with them... I saw her eyes.  I saw her face.  She remembered.  She stared straight into me.  I couldn't look away.  All I could do at that moment was.... open up my arms and invite her to run towards me.

She ran and jumped into my arms and said, "I never want to talk about this again."  This.... while she pointed to her thumb.  And at that moment... I had to relive one of the worst nightmares I've never forgotten. Not one day goes by...where that moment doesn't haunt me and send chills down my back. 

Merry Christmas.... and may God's joy and peace come upon you and your family.  I hope His peace can finally come upon me where I can find forgiveness within myself. 

Bah humbug!!

It's been one of those Christmas Seasons.  No matter how hard I try... just not in the Christmas Mood.  More than any year... I'm soooooooo disgusted with gift exchange for the kids.  Party after party... we buy gifts for our friends/relatives kids.  They buy it for our kids.  Each party... we come home with 6-7 presents that the kids don't need or want.  Then come Christmas Morning... the kids finally open the gifts we buy them.  And by that time, they're so desensitized to gifts they won't even cherish it.  What is the true meaning of Christmas....?!?!? 

Next year... I want to ban gift exchange.  I want to ban white elephants. 

My dream (far fetched) is for my family to go caroling - at senior centers, at gas stations, at street corners, in front of our neighbor's homes.  Spread the good news... share the joy... experience the true meaning of Christmas.

Joyce says, "This will only last for a few more years."  A few more years of this crap?!?!?! I don't think I can handle it.  

膝頭上嘅功夫

幾日前， 難得可以同長老，長老太食晏。 臨別時， 她說了一句湊仔金句： 膝頭上嘅功夫唔少得㗎！

12 years!!

Just realized... that I've been writing this blog for almost 12 years.

12 years!! Over 1000 posts!! That's no small feat!  And if this website continues to hold up... I will continue to write.  I know only 1-2 people read this.  But I'm excited that I've been able to do something consistently for over a decade.

(Reaching arm over shoulder... patting self on back)

Advent and Family Altar

One of my goals of 2016 was to be able to establish a Family Altar.  A time of prayer with the family.  So many times we succeeded...and so many more times we failed.

During the time of Advent, Joyce bought a book that Sandy C-mo recommended.  It's a pretty lousy book in my humble opinion.  The writing is convoluted and hard to read.   The message is decent, but forced.  And if an adult has to read it 3-4 times to grasp it, how will little kids understand? And I have to translate it to Chinese too!!

The first two nights were horrible.  The kids not only disliked it... they hated it!!  Both nights, we ended up scolding them.  What was suppose to be a holy, sanctified time, turned out to be the exact opposite of what God finds pleasing.  The third night... I literally wanted to give up.  I told them... "I don't want to do this anymore.  God will not like this."  And it wasn't to scare them... or play mind games with them... I literally did not want to spend my time arguing with the kids.

God is faithful.  After that one night... the kids have changed their attitudes.  They now know... there will be 2-3 minutes of reading and daddy talking.  They know that before they can advance the snowman's nose one number (before it gets to 25), that we will need to spend time as a family.  They know that we will do this, every night, for the rest of the Christmas season.

I spent all year trying to establish a family altar.  And guess what... a family altar has always been there.  I just needed to bring my family to Jesus. 

Happy Thanksgiving

8 years.  It's been 8 years since we've been to a CS retreat.  The excuse is... we have kids.  The real reason... we rather spend time with family (one night) and not have to rough it.  This year was different.  Our kids are old enough now.  It's time to go back....  and this year... my dad came with us.

He who's gone to a handful of religious services... including me and big bro's First Communion.  My wedding.  And.... that's about it. 

I knew he just wanted to spend time with the grandkids.  My hope was... he can come to accept Christ and find salvation. 

The first night... after the speaker was done speaking about "Our Roles in the Work Place" dad pulled me aside and asked a million questions.  I went through Apologetics.  I went through System Theology. I went through Christian History.  Alas... I went into Salvation.  And in the end... I was too timid to push.  I didn't ask if he was ready to accept Christ.  Maybe I was scared.  Maybe it wasn't the right timing.  When will be the right timing......?

The next morning.  We had our traditional TWA.  I specifically went to Daiso and bought him a notebook and a 4 colored pen.  I had a bible for him, bookmarked to all the right pages.  And thankfully... it was Brother Danny who was leading him.  The thought of my dad... reading the bible... copying the bible... brought me to tears. Was I dreaming? Was this really happening??

Throughout the rest of the weekend. I was worried about one thing.  His hard of hearing. He's going deaf in his old age and he hasn't gotten his hearing aid yet.  There were times he couldn't carry on a conversation with others.  There were times he couldn't hear me speak... and I was 2 feet away from him.  But I believe...whatever he was able to hear from the speaker... more importantly he heard the Spirit in his heart.

Saturday night... the speaker had a calling.  It wasn't quite appropriate withe the crowd and with his message.  I was praying hard that dad would raise his hand.  Alas... will have to wait till next time. 

Next time....?  I can't keep waiting for "next time" or "the right timing."  Otherwise... there won't be a next time or the right time. 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

Oh... and... wow.... what an amazing weekend.  Thank you Jesus!!

Nightmare

Woke up in a cold sweat last night.

It just occurred to me that Nn and Sw... both attending private school.  Second Generation, Evangelical Christian, middle class family.  They're both going to grow up and become.... Republicans. 

She needs glasses...

It was out of the blue.. I wanted Nn to read a random sign on the streets.  She said she couldn't see it.  I first thought she was kidding.  Then I thought we were blocking her.  Then it got serious. 

She couldn't read the license plate in front of us.  We got to Costco... she couldn't read the prices. 

Then the waterworks started flowing.  She got scared.  "Will I need surgery? Will I need glasses? And most importantly... Will I still be pretty?"

Joyce and I were pissed.  We told her.  We told her to not rub her eyes.  We told her to not read in the dark.  We told her this and we told her that.  But ultimately, we we are pissed at ourselves, but we directed our anger at her. 

True... she doesn't take good care of her eyes.  But she's 7!!!  We need to be accountable.  Maybe it's genetics.  Both Nn's parents have glasses.  All of her grandparents have glasses.  Maybe it was inevitable.  Guess we'll never know.

Today... was clearly a bad bad day. 

Democracy - You get what you deserve

Tuesday night..I was literally frightened and scared.

As we watched on TV, and the states that ought to turn blue - stayed GRAY.  That empty feeling.  The math just didn't add up.

We also saw a few more states voting to legalize recreation marijuana.  Almost 2/3 of the USA now have legalized marijuana. The future... is bleak. 

It was about 9PM.  None of the news outlets called it yet.  But we all knew.  I bet Hillary knew.  It was at that moment... I seized my daughter by her shoulder.  I looked her in the eye in the most serious look I can give her, and said.  "Sweetie.  You must stand firm.  In the future, you will go through rough and challenging times.  But you must believe that God is sovereign and in control." 

The next couple of days... I read about protests.  Mass immigration. People nesting for 4 years. Calling for change of the Electoral College in favor of the Popular Vote (which, btw was closer than a major metropolitan city's population).  Sour grapes? Sore losers? Or true patriots?? 

The White House, the Senate, the House... and pretty soon, the Supreme Court.  What will America become? 


One friend of mine said... we survived 8 years of Dubya.
Another friend said... at least we won't have too many gerrymandering. 
And another friend of mine said... it's democracy, you get what you deserve. 

Another Halloween....come and gone...

Yesterday was Halloween.  Another day where I get so nervous about the neighborhood kids coming to Trick or Treat only to read a sign on our door that says, "Our family does not celebrate Halloween.  Have a safe night. God bless."

I can't deny that Halloween has been made to be a fun holiday.  As anti-Christian as it is.... I can't blame people for wanting to dress up their kids for a night of trick-or-treat.  In my facebook feed... I see so many cute costumes.  And kids with smiles on their faces.

But deep (DEEP) down inside... I know this is not pleasing to God.

Thankfully... both NN and SW understand (for now) that we stand firm in our beliefs.  But when I hear those kids knocking on our door and reading that sign... I get goosebumps and cringes that they'll end up throwing eggs at our door.