aeci's Xanga

The Week After Conferece

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:55:05 GMT

I enjoyed this year's YFC Conference. I think that dividing up between West and East is a true sign of growth. Sure, there were only a little more than 400 people who came and see but the glory of God is not seen in the numbers, it is in the impact that things like this makes on the young people.

Serving was great for me. I have not served in a conference since Calgary in '05 and I welcomed it. Being paired up with a sister that I have never met is a true testament on how God calls us, in twos and normally with strangers. I refereed all volleyball games and I was standing there in the rain for 4 hours. It did not matter to me because God was there. Besides, it only RAINED when EDMONTON was playing. I was truly impressed with the teams that came out. They were a lot younger than I am and a lot more talented. They were truly a new generation of YFCs. I was glad for other competitions that we won. Calgary won Senior Men's Ball and Genjie got the top prize for Original Song. Banner did not make it but there's always next year. I know the team did a fantastic job and I've found someone who can take the reins when I move on.

Conference as whole had a different feel for me. The sessions were definitely a stretch from the norm and the sessions added a flavour to what I am used to. A lot of the members of the Archdiocese of Vancouver showed up and it truly made a difference to how conferences are run, a true testament that ministries cannot run separately from each other. We are all branches. I also was tested to be more humble. I will have to make apologies to people when they get back. On a lighter note, I think God's plan for me for C4 is unravelling. I know that C4 is different for everyone, and I think I can actually fulfill the promise I made 3 years ago in Winnipeg.

See you all next year in %@#&! I am glad to have met you all, sushi and hitting Robson. Keep in touch.

13 Days Later

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:40:14 GMT

It’s been a little under 2 weeks since sONE finished and it was awesome. I couldn’t be more proud of the service team and all the others that came and wanted to come closer to God.

It’s funny because in the homily, we were told to be prophets of the new age. To be prophets, we must be one with God.

Last weekend was Whitewater Rafting. It was a huge gong show, if anything needed to be said about it. I can keep complaining about lack of support but that’s growing pains for any young endeavor. This marks the first project that I put. The readings on the Thursday before the big day were:

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith”

(2 Tim)

“The Lord has set me free from all my fears” (Psalms)

I have read these before and it just reminded me of how God is ever reassuring and if we give ourselves to him then we are in good hands. It’s hard to give our lives when we are so in control that simply giving it up can’t happen. That’s what Whitewater rafting is. We give our hands to the guide who knows the river more and we are pushed so that we can enjoy the slides and the changing flow of the current. The river is our life and the guide is God in reality. Our lives change, we could sometimes float but there are rapids up ahead. If anything, I’d want to hit more rapids, even though I have to work hard for it. Life’s more interesting that way. Thanks to Jason for being a great guide. (Not you, Diala!)

I’ve also been receiving great visions for things to happen at the close of C4 for Calgary. I pray that God’s grace and Spirit be upon YFC Calgary for the awesome ride ahead. Hold on!

Feeling Nostalgic

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:45:07 GMT

I do wonder why I come back to view my Friendster profile at times. I know Facebook is SO much better. I guess it's just really nostalgic to get in touch with people that I knew from long ago and pick the pieces where we left off. It's a great feeling and it just affirms that however we change there's still room to go back to where we started. Old friends are getting old, doing different things and even changing their lives as we know it. It's only been 6 years, that long huh?

The thing is, no matter where the fruit ends up landing, it can always be traced back to the tree that bore it. Ha, that's deep, I just made that up. Hey everybody, I just made up something...again. Or, just copied something but I don't remember where I got it from.

I got Youth Camp blogs coming soon.

What I want...is for the Flames to win the Cup

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:22:57 GMT

So, in the wake of Michael Keenan’s hire to become the new head coach of the Calgary Flames, we might get what a lot of Flames fans want, defensive, hard nosed play that will surely be remembered by any opposition when they’re nursing their bruises. I have confidence in Sutter’s recent pick, since Jim Playfair sucked totally. Flames fans will hope to get what they’ve been wanting – the silver from Lord Stanley’s mantle.

Speaking of wants, I’ve been at this new job for 6 weeks and I have been buying a couple of things here and there, but not the ones that are the big goals for the season. Without further adieu, here is my 2007 wants list:

Technology and Gaming:

Nintendo Wii – for intense interaction
Sony PlayStation 3 – for the new games and a Blu-Ray player
Nikon D40 Digital SLR – because I think I’ve graduated from P/S
Samsung Micro Compact DivX Camcorder – for random moments to post on Facebook
A new laptop – bottom of my list for sure since I’m not sure when this one will come along.

Clothing and Accessories:

A Flames Jersey
A new suit – navy or black, for everyday wear and my old ones are years old and outdated
A lot of V-necks – shirts, sweaters and long sleeves
A spring/summer jacket – that will mostly be used all the time
A windbreaker – another jacket but more athletic
ASICS Gel Sensei – I know where they are, I just don’t know when I’ll get them
New gym clothes – because I plan to work out/run more than I did in the winter
New watch – maybe two, as I do annually, top picks are:
- Nixon metal atom
- Leather dress watch, probably Guess? Or a cheap Bulova

Training and Equipment:

Swim lessons – which have been booked
Golf lessons plus clubs – since I’m in business, as my boss said, I have to learn
Aikido training – I think I’ve decided on this one since it fits my personality and I totally use the workout and the discipline
Scuba diving license and at least a wetsuit and fins – I promised myself this, probably after conference and summer finals

Trips:

Victoria – to go snorkeling
A lake in Banff – to go diving
Canmore or Kananaskis – to go Rafting/Kayaking and Hiking and Camping

I think that’s all of it for now. It’s my shortest list yet since most of the items are pretty expensive, I’ll slowly work my way through them. I have conference and tuition to pay for and I haven’t applied for my student loan yet.

Y’all overworked?

Wed, 23 May 2007 19:06:48 GMT

New StatsCan reports show that “Canadian teenagers ranked first in terms of average hours spent on unpaid and paid labour during the school week when compared to nine other countries.”

The total work they do is about the same as “a 50-hour workweek, virtually the same as the adult population doing the same activities.”

"The time teens spent on these skill-enhancing activities is arguably a positive investment in their long-term personal and economic well-being. However, not surprisingly, the relatively high workloads involved do result in some stress."

“For example, 16% considered themselves workaholics, 39% felt under constant pressure to accomplish more than they could handle, and nearly two-thirds (64% per cent) cut back on sleep to get things done.”

“Less than half (45%) of teenagers who reported high stress reported being very happy or very satisfied with life, significantly lower than the 72% who reported little or no stress.”

Parents think all teens do is go online (Facebook, Xanga), but “60% of teens average 2 hours and 20 minutes a week.” I sort of don’t believe this one.

The study says that “teens were significantly more likely to do homework if both parents had a university education, if they lived in a two-parent intact family (where a divorce has not taken place), and if their parents were foreign-born.”

"Interestingly, boys with Canadian-born parents did significantly less homework than girls in similar families, and less than either girls or boys with immigrant parents."

The study also found that working part-time interferes with schoolwork for many teens and can increase the stress levels of teens.

Teens are pitching in around the house, with nearly four in 10 averaging about an hour of housework a day, according to the time use data.

I can relate to this, even though I’m no longer a “teen”. For full article, click here.

Power Link! Calgary! Edmonton!

Wed, 23 May 2007 15:19:29 GMT

It's been almost a month since I''ve been here. That's good. If anything, I'm consistent. I got a whole new lineup stored for the summer, starting with this blog.

There are news that new land has been bought for the building of a high speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton. This would be great seeing that I travel to Edmonton more than 5 times per year and it would save on gas, time and the environment. The link would be built within the next decade and the buying of land is a crucial first step. Not only will Alberta get something good from the provincial government with the economic boom and everything. The travel time woul dbe approximately 84 minutes according to the latest report.

Many likens the construction of the high speed rail link to the Shinkansen (bullet train) of Japan or the Inter City Express (ICE) of Germany. The West is paving the way to increased growth and development. Having ridden the ICE before, it would sure be a sweet ride going here and back. And being one of the laziest people alive, this would be a welcome alternative to driving myself to places.

Last bit, I was reading one my my favorite comic strips, BEERKADA, and stumbled upon this. I was reading it at work and almost burst out laughing. It's a parody of Heroes since it recently arrived in the Philippines. Forgive my poor sense of humour.

http://www.philstar.com/newphilstar/www/image/20070524/comic3.gif

Part III - I have survived?

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:56:17 GMT

This post has long been due and I think that it would have been better if I wrote this before finals were over. Since they are for a lot of people, I hope this will touch some of you. There was a defining moment this semester where I doubted where I wanted to be in my University experience, what I wanted to truly accomplish and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. My goals were to have at least a 3.5 GPA, enter the Co-op program and pull off a great semester. Those were quite ambitious goals and they seem lofty now, four months later, as I look back.

The spark of this post came earlier during midterm time when I was talking to some people about the status of their courses. Some of them were planning to drop their course because it was “too hard.” I didn’t want to tell them that they should not back down from a challenge. They should face it and take it on (with a don). When people drop courses, it hurts, especially when I did later on. I had to swallow all the crap that I gave those folks. I do hope that this is the last time I drop since I’m lightening my load next year and trying to do more non-academic stuff. I thought that I won’t achieve my goals and I won’t be on track, a feeling which was shared by too many to mention. Now, I don’t feel as stressed. In YEDD, I remembered this speech that said, “I hope you [failed] in some courses, so that you’ll learn that your GPA doesn’t define your stint in University. I do keep that in mind, friend. For those who were on the receiving end of the rambling above, I do apologize.

Well, I survived and I sort of thrived. University just got into a deeper layer this semester and I could go nowhere else but up. I do hope everyone had a great semester and want to challenge themselves more next time around. I hope you too have failed at something, so that you could pick yourself up and do it again tomorrow. That’s HOUSE wisdom for you, if you watched last Tuesday’s episode.

Part II I'm freaking out inside, but why not outside?

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:26:22 GMT

People are subject to stress. There are so many types and people act upon them differently. I am the type who, no matter what, will stay calm and take it as life takes me. It's the way rice farmers stop planting seedlings when they feel a breeze coming. Instead of forcing the seedlings to be planted, they stop and feel the breeze as it gently touches their faces. The breeze will only uproot the fragile seedlings and the farmers know that they cannot force it or risk getting the whole crop ruined and replanting all of them.

I am that type of person. Lately, however, I found that my stress found a way to appear in the surface. Could it be that I was losing control, such a tight regimen of calm and cool? The fact was, I am was putting myself through so much that my body could not take it. My heart was restless and my mind was on the brink of total shutdown.

I believe that God challenges us everyday. Does He always take us to our limits? Yes and No. We are challenged to move forward, to be subject to change and rely on him even more. God does not give us anything that we ourselves could not do. He is our coach, trainer, mentor, drill sergeant. Won't you count yourself lucky blessed that your God is constantly helping you to become a better child, student, spouse, worker, PERSON?

So, should I mind that my stresses are surfacing? Why should a person be stressed and let other people around get stressed out along with you? I'll do what rice farmers do. Take the gentle breeze, let it pass and touch me gently before I move forward, move on. Sure, the mantra will be changed every now and then but isn't that what change does? What God does? Move on. Think about something else. I'm sure God has some elaborate scheme planned.

Part I Coming back to God

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 19:56:12 GMT

Six weeks ago, I was a mess, trying to straighten up my schedule, pulling late nights to finish my homework, getting events together and skipping out of the things that should have been good for me. God was the last thing on my mind. I could not commit to anything. Lent changed all that. Now that Easter is here, I have nothing but peace and relief from all the burdens that cause aches in my heart.

My pastor was talking about how the Church, in its wisdom, gave us 6 weeks out of every year to see sin for what it is, and reject it. We find that by Easter, it’s a time of peace, rejoice for Christ is born again in us.

My pastor continued, “What does this day matter? What will change tomorrow?” What struck me was his answer. Knowing that God lived and died for you, being with everyone and offered salvation to all; to be with God is to know peace, love and glory – FOREVER. That will change tomorrow. You are saved now, tomorrow forever. The fact that we celebrate Jesus’ passion every year is a testament of his great love. And even though it’s hard that we make the commitment to reject sin, we change because of it. You cannot outsin God’s mercy. You can only find peace.

Now, on this Easter day, I am still a mess. I am still trying to straighten up my schedule. I am still pulling late nights to finish my homework, getting events together, wrapping up the semester and getting a job. The only difference is that God is on my side and I am in his grace.

In the end, I know, I never really left God. Living righteously is the hardest thing in the world. But what is impossible if you have God with you, anyway? Tomorrow and forever, I know I am saved.

Hard to cope with death

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:46:20 GMT

My brother died today. I'd weep and mourn, but it's pointless. It happens every year and every time I think of it. It's not that I should remain in sadness for his passing, but rather rejoice because he loved me enough to give it all up to me and everyone else. He gave his life for my sake so that I will be saved. Because of him, I will have peace and will know that if I follow him, I, too, will share the same end. Do you believe that?

Rest in peace J, see you Sunday.

more to come later...