New low

6 games with the Jr. High Girls team.  And now the 3rd game of the Jr. High Boys team.. I've hit a new low as a coach.  We not only got spanked... we got shut out.  31 - 0.  Zero!!! In a basketball game.  We had more missed free throws than we had shot attempts.  That's how bad our offense is.  And our defense? Listless.  Unaggressive. Day dreaming.  

So many things we need to work on.  But where to start?? Fundamentals. Look... no matter how we carve it or paint the picture... it's not FUN... when we lose this badly. 

輸了... 但贏了

Game 2 against Sacred Heart Prep.  And it was a shell-lacking.  I lost track of the final score... but it was around 39-11.  At least we got to double digits. 

Motion.  It just doesn't work.  Those kids simply don't understand the concept.

Rebound. SHP outsized us in all capacity. We did not have an answer to their 2nd... 3rd.... 6th chance of making a basket.

It was simply David and Goliath.  And we... David... did not have a sling and 5 stones.

But at the end of the evening... the one parent who was 100% against early dismissal and was 100% going to miss tomorrow's game said, "C is willing to give up Math League... and willing to take early dismissal."

Getting that reluctant parent to be on our side in spite of a spanking.. that was my win for the night. 

That...and Red Wave that's turning out to be a Red Wedding.

Sinkholes

After 10 months of waiting... we're about to pour concrete when my contractor calls and says, "We have some sinkholes in your backyard."

Sink holes... WTF?!?!

I hurried from TKA all the way back to the San Jose home to deal with the 8" mysterious hole in my foundation.  What's causing the drainage and erosion? Do I live on an unstable foundation??

What do I do??? Not a moment to spare. 

Either you don't do jack... but once you open the patient... all the problems fly out of Pandora's Box. 

Jesus' Healing

"He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them." ~Matt 8:15

The biggest fear has come to pass.  We tried our best to keep NN nourished and healthy.. but alas.. she has succumbed to the flu virus. It started with SW getting the cold... but he didn't come down with a fever.  NN on the other hand... got hit a few days later.  What started as a stuffy and drippy nose is now a full blown 104 deg fever packed flu. 

She broke down... "I worked too hard to have the understudy take my part."  She doesn't have an understudy. She's the only one capable of playing this role.  I know deep down... at the very least... she will pull of her own Jordan Flu game.  There still are school protocols... but I think... the Director will aptly look the other way.  So long as NN is symptoms free (Motrin!!!) and masked up during rehearsals.  

But tonight... he was burning.  You don't need a thermometer to know she's sick.  Just standing 3 feet away... you can see the glassy eyes and feel the heat.  

She has zero appetite, but NN knows she has to force eat to get better.  At 7:30... she asked me to put her to bed cuz she knows she needs rest.  She doesn't struggle or protest any medicine or Airborne.  She wants to get better.  She's begging to get better.  And in Jesus' name... we declare... she WILL be healed. 

輸了

First game of the season... and I was late cuz I left SCF late.  When I got there.. Coach Noah was teaching them another offensive play and SW wasn't in that 5.  It was obvious... he wasn't gonna be the starting 5.  I knew he would be disappointed.  What didn't help... our team got outrebounded by the taller and bigger Menlo team.  Credit to them for doing what they oughta do. But in terms of talent... we were neck in neck with them.  We ended up falling short by 5.  But Coach Noah did a great job of rotating every body in.  Everyone had some play time.  Everyone experienced the adrenaline of being in a game. "I'm nervous coach." "I'm scared coach." 

Channel it young man.  Channel that energy.  We will prevail.  And SW... keep clawing.  Yes..  your size is a disadvantage.  But your skills and your heart will win you over.  Don't let up.  Keep flying.  Keep soaring.  Your day will come. 

All Church Retreat 2022

 This year's All Church Retreat... 又告一段落。 

It started 5 months ago when the Elders invited the MA's to help with planning.  It was a weird transition... because the mantle was not clear upon passing.  Were the elders running the show... or the MA's.  Be that as it may... I did my usual backseat driver mode and eventually started running the show. Will be glad to step away from these leadership roles in the coming season.

Some afterthoughts... 

• One church... many cultures.  It's so hard to please everyone.  We're all so different. 
• Being the voice of the team... I inadvertently got CS all the prime spots.  Dinner.  Rooms. Adventures. Games.  I have my allegiance. And when the other congregations fall silent.. the loud voice prevails.
• Rally of Church - a little dream of mine that I nearly nixed.  But ultimately secured my spot in SJCAC history.  It was obvious when the song was blasted that my finger prints were all over it. 
• CS performances are simply one notch above the rest. We take it for real.
• MS dancers are a force to be reckoned with... they don't share the same pomp and circumstance as CS does... but when they're on stage... they bring a presence.
• MC-ing the event. I MC'ed the 40th anniversary event... and I knew there was no one else better suited to MC this event.  Finding a partner to match me was tough billing... but MS did it.  Joyce Tran matched me stride for stride. 
• Saturday night... as everyone was turning in... we hear this chorus of singing from a fire pit.  Everyone looked around and wondered what was happening.  Me being me... I approached our MS brethen who, with opened cans of budweiser, were singing Chinese folk songs from the 1950's. They were not ashamed. And I was proud to stand in their midst.
• As great as I think I am... my inability to control the Mandarin language was too apparent. I need more practice.
• The All Church Games and Ultimate Tag was a hit. Kudos to Roy and Warming for their creativity and pursuit of togetherness.
• CS takes the lead.  Snack Team.  Adventures Team. Activities Team. For some odd reason... we ended up running the entire program.
• In the midst of my pompous triumph... I can see that ES and MS all have their own ways of doing things.  People Bingo... Spiritual Dancing... Hiking... they have their own thing and they execute well. 
• Rest. Recreate. Reconnect. The theme for the retreat was perfect.  And for SW and NN... they had a chance to reconnect with their peers from pre-COVID.  SW and Daniel were inseparable. To a point where Vivian and Eric reached out to say... we gotta get together more often.  NN... in her own way... was a magnet of attention.  On the last day... I approached one of her Jr. High peers and said, "You should come back to E2.  NN really misses you." And that girl.. couldn't control it but she let out a huge smile. And that night... she messaged NN to reconnect after 2 years of ghosting.
• Never did I think I will be reading the bible with Dad.  And after that happened... never did I think that I will be praying aloud with dad.  Leveling up!!
• Speaking of dad... he for sure is aging.  He's slow. Senile. But still full of energy.  正能量。
• Watching dad play ping pong with PAL... I think that was the highlight of dad's weekend. 
• The church office team... they act behind the curtains, under the radar, to which no one notices.  But I noticed.  They're top notch servants of Christ.
• My sister Maria.  She doesn't stop.  She's a voice of truth.  She (and Mark) love this church.  She did more for this retreat than anyone would realize.  And she will go down as having zero accolades because I get the spotlight and she doesn't.  
• Age old taboo... Maria admits to me... that she dare not speak against the elders.  And she doesn't dare speak out cuz she's a woman.  I quickly admonished her for that.  Never, in my eyes, should a woman feel subservient to men.  But the truth of the matter is... we're still a male dominant church. 

There's so much more... but those are my thoughts for now.  And after this is all said and done... I have a huge withdrawal.  I find myself lost... without anything to do at nights. I need to stay busy. I need to plan.  And execute. And tell people what to do.  This stage of rest... is so restless. 

I'm a plumber??

On a random Wednesday afternoon... I find myself doing some plumbing work for SH at her new home.  Not only am I a social worker who helps her fill out forms... I'm also the IT guy that gets her TV and WiFi set up... I'm now also a plumber. What did I sign up for????

爸B Dance

Was asked by Larry to choreograph some dance moves for our Friday night presentation.  I stayed up late with NN to come up with some dance moves and after we were done, she spoke some truths.  "That's really good... for a 爸B Dance."  And as she predicted... no one was able to do the dance today.  

Back to the drawing board... HA!!

Try outs... team selection

Day 3 of tryouts.  Right away... I can tell that SW is in the lower tier of players. No knock on him.. other than he other boys in the upper tier played club... or are physically bigger and more gifted.  During the 2nd day's "tryouts", when Coach Jacob separated the boys into two teams... it cemented the fact he won't make A-team.  And then when the boys scrimmaged... it was obvious he was one of the better players in that lower tier.  He wasn't gonna get cut.

Turns out... with players dropping out... no one was cut.  And today... when Coach Jacob separated the sheep and the goats... the elites and non-elites... Team A and Team B... I knew that SW was gonna be in team B. 

After tryouts were over and we were waiting for NN... I had a sit down with SW.  His classmates/teammates were a shouting distance away...  and they were excited about making Team A.  I saw that SW was upset.  So I asked him, "Are you sad you didn't make it into Team A?" While holding tears back in his eyes... he said, "A little."

Yes... son... it is sad.  Life will throw you these curveballs. Sometimes... it's unfair.  Other times... it's just life.  Work hard son.  Earn your way onto the starting lineup.  You can do it.  Bah B is so proud of you.

On the defense

Got a fairly random email from a parent we don't even know... that NN and their daughter has some issues that's elevated to a level where they have to contact the school to resolve. I try really hard to take an impartial stance and let the truth be told.  But already we're in a disadvantageous position where we have to defend someone's accusations.  

I took the high road and said, "Let's mediate through the school."  But school hasn't contacted us.... yet.  We'll see where this goes. 

辭職信