Levi's Stadium

Realized a childhood dream.... by walking into the 49ers stadium as a season ticket holder.

The stadium... not all that. From the outside it looks more like a factory.  Doesn't have the beauty of Pac Bell (AT&T).  Doesn't have the skyline dominance like Qwest (Seattle).  Doesn't have the sleekness of Lincoln Financial (Philly) or the signature bowl of Candlestick (SF).  But hey... it's the new home of the Niners.  It's ugly, but it's our ugly. 

Now.... I love my daughter.  I can honestly say she has me wrapped around her fingers.  And there is undoubtedly favoritism.  I admit it!!  But when it came to approaching the shadows of the fortress... when we were walking up the steps of Levi's Stadium... when we first stared onto the green of the grass.... I couldn't help but want to hold onto my son.

And nothing made me prouder... than to be able to find my season ticket holder seat... Section 321, Row 7, Seat 24.... and sit down for a picture with my dad and my son.  Three generations of Leung's... bonded and connected by the mighty 49ers.

Make the journey your destination....

I hate legos.
I hate puzzles.
I hate IKEA furniture.

I hate the long process of building things and putting things together.  I just want to get there and be done with.

Spent 2 hours last night building a Thomas train track for the kids.  The instructions were simple and prehistoric.  I actually built up a sweat doing this.  And what kept me going... was waiting to see the kids face when they wake up in the morning to see an entire train set on their living room floor.

As expected.... the kids loved it.  They couldn't stop playing with it.  It felt like it was all worthed....till I realized.... I could've built the entire thing with the kids.  That probably would've meant so much more to them.... then playing with the train set for a day.

Another lesson learned... where the journey, is the destination.

Another first....

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Yet...Another first

Been at SJCAC for close to 10 years now.  That means... >500 sermons.  Dozens and dozens of conferences and speakers.  Scores of Prayer meetings.  And probably a quarter or 1/3 of all those sermons / sharing... came with translation.


I've always wondered about live translation... wonder how I would do if I was given that chance.

I've been doing live translations... Chinese-to-English... in the back, over a headset, for the past 2 years.  Easy-peesy.  No one to judge you... no one knows what you're saying.  The few who are listening won't know if you're right or wrong.

Well... here's a first.  I was given the opportunity to translate live.... on stage... by the pulpit.... from English to Chinese.  Not Chinese to English.... no no no no.

I was stressing all weekend. Pastor Ted sent me his outline ahead of time, so I can mull over a few of those tricky theological words.  But a pastor of his caliber can go all over the place at a moment's notice.  There was simply no way to truly prepare for this.


It went by so fast.  Beside the pulpit... I looked for those few familiar faces that'll bring me comfort.  Of course... my wife.  Anytime I was struggling... I'll just look back at her.  Christie.... sitting where she usually sits up front.  Another sight of comfort.  Rocky.... all the way in the back.  Eden Fellowship and their kids.... making all the noise. 

So many places, I wish I had better terms.  So many places... I wish I was quicker in thinking.  And a few places... where I simply lost concentration and wasn't paying attention, so I just made stuff up along the way. HA! And before I knew it... it was 11:30.

Phew..... done. Over.  Time to sit down...and head to lunch.  And that....is the end of that.

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!