Sometimes it’s easy to get so immersed in the “busy” aspect of life to the point that I don’t slow down, reflect on what I’ve been blessed with, and what I’ve learned along the way. Nothing helps me better to slow down better than the activity of writing itself, whether that’d be here or on paper.

Life itself is like a steak, a blessing best enjoyed and appreciated when it’s savored. Don’t eat too fast.

If I may, I’d like to add to this analogy with a quick qualifier. As a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ as my Savior, cherishing life itself is all in vain if I don’t do so in the context of God Himself giving me the very life that I have. It’s because of this truth that I must treasure the moments that come my way under the light of glorifying the Lord in everything. It’s essentially the 1 Corinthians 10:31 principle.

So with that said, I hit some pretty awesome things in life lately. I look forward to expounding on them in the next few series of posts.

Oh yes, and in case you’re wondering, I’m alive and well.

As I’ve been back from DC about eight months now, one of the predominant questions on my mind has been how I was going to get plugged into a church given that I wasn’t headed back to G-Comm or to Sun City. About a  year before I came back from DC, my folks had started attending San Gabriel Union Church. It’s a mere ten minutes from my house in Alhambra.

To be brutally honest, I was highly skeptical of how I was going to fit into this church. Perhaps it was that I didn’t feel like getting to know new people after switching churches for the third time in three years or so (what with my move from Sun City to DC and back to Los Angeles ). Maybe it was something else. Either of which was a horribly bad excuse. Whatever the case, no sentiment on my part stopped the Lord from working in my life through these past few months of my return to the Golden State and the City of Angels.

I have been tremendously blessed throughout my time here thus far with everyone who’s reached out to me at San Gabriel Union. For one thing, I’ve learned fellowship with the body of Christ is a two way conversation. While there have been numerous people that have reached out to me at the church to make me feel welcome, one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned when attending is that I shouldn’t be coming to look for people to pursue me. That’s passive on my part and it’s wrong. As a Christian, I myself am to take an active part in pursuing Christians for their edification, both young and old. I’m to look for ways to serve the body with the gifts that the Lord has given me and to use them to bless others for the building up of Christ’s bride (The Church).

Speaking of blessings, I’ve been splashed with a refreshing example of this in my life recently at San Gabriel. The word “hospitality” pretty much sums this up in two ways.

For one, my folks have really taken it upon themselves to host people from our church on  a weekly basis as a group of believers who eat, gather around the Word, and to pray for one another. Their inspiration for doing this is the church as exemplified in the book of Acts. Throughout the whole time that this weekly fellowship with the saints has taken place, many (including myself) have been blessed as we’ve all seen prayer answered and the willingness of the saints to minister to one another in practical ways. Everyone comes ready to give of themselves, a true Christ-like attitude.

For another, there is a certain couple (good friends of mine) at my church that have really taken it upon themselves to host some of us young people at their house to spend the day after church in some relaxation and good conversation at their house. This was my second week hanging out with them and it was a blast. The servant attitude in feeding a bunch of young guys chili with cream soda and edifying each other is something that I want to replicate in my home, both now and in the future when I have my own family.

What I’ve learned in my first eight months at a new church is that the Lord’s body is the ground zero of true hospitality. If more non-believers saw this side of Christians, they’d have a harder time of finding “legitimate” excuses to reject the gospel. It’s time for Christians in churches everywhere to step it up a notch and to go back to the drawing board of hospitality.

As a fan of baseball movies, I will be headed to the theater to see this film when it’s released. Even though the Dodgers hold a richer legacy than the A’s, I can always appreciate a classic baseball story and this definitely smells like one. I’m also looking forward to to downloading Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game on my Kindle, the book upon which this movie is based. Fascinating concept. Props to you, Billy Beane.

Who wants to join me?

I found out the news of her passing in the last possible way that I wanted to learn it (via my Facebook news feed on my Blackberry). I was up in the San Francisco Bay when it streamed to my feed, walking along Fisherman’s Warf to get on the electric cable car back to my hotel. From the time that the news came to me to even now, I am speechless at the reality that she is no longer with us on this earth.

At the same time, there’s an abundant peace flooding  my soul that she is in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is also the assurance that the Lord has been sovereign during this time. She is no longer suffering from her sickness. No more back and forth trips to the hospital that took a toll on her. No more pain and exhaustion that her sickness unleashed on her. Hailey is now refreshed, she’s reinvigorated, completed with a perfect body in Heaven. Before myself, she gets to see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face.

What’s more is that her sweet memory lives fresh within me, for, she was the loyal friend that everyone should have had. From my time at the Master’s College, to the time that I went to Washington DC (in both 2009 and 2010), she filled my life with immense encouragement and joy. Hailey was the epitome of the loyal friend: She offered support when I needed it. Pushed me onward when I was aiming for a goal. And called me out when my stupid immaturity kicked in at a particular point in my life. I know for a fact that many besides myself were blessed by her short time here on earth.

The last time I was supposed to see Hailey was at my graduation ceremony a little more than a week before she passed. By the Lord’s sovereignty, I don’t understand why He allowed for us to miss each other in the midst of all the chaos on the football field. But the last sweet memory that she left for me was in the form of a Facebook post that perfectly reflected who she was to me.

I look forward to seeing her again with the Lord Jesus Christ along with other believers. Until then, I will be faithful until the end with the people in my life in the here and now.

Every time I’ve gone over to either my Grandma Sylvia or Emma’s house, they’ve always made sure that I was well taken care of to the fullest extent. Hard at work in the kitchen, there was always food on the table for me and the rest of the household. There was never a time where I was at their house and had an empty stomach. There was no lack.

Whether that’d be the amazing breakfast of chorizo and eggs that my Grandma Sylvia made me or the delicious lentil soup that my Grandma Emma prepared. To this day, food being on the table remains a trademark of both of my grandmas. As much older that they now are, age doesn’t hinder them from exemplifying the hard-working and Proverbs 31 woman.

The other day, I was strolling around on the street in Alhambra that I grew up on as a child, from Kindergarten to 6th grade to be precise. There was a lady named Mary that used to take care of me when my folks had to work long hours.  She too was always made sure that I had a bite to eat. After some 12 years, I decided that I would see if she was still alive to see how she and her husband were doing. To be honest, I wasn’t really banking on the fact that they would still be there.

I was surprised and so were they upon opening the door. Both remembered me. Even as I was there, the oven in the kitchen was cooking a dish. I was especially touched when Mary told me that, out of all the kids she cared for, I was the only one that came back to see her. As much as they aged, I’m very thankful that they remembered me.

These hard-working women are a big part of who I am today. As I progress in life, I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for the tender love that they have demonstrated to me throughout all the years. It’s an unconditional love that’s always present no matter what they’re going through and no matter how anyone else treats them.

The most sobering thought is that the grandma generation’s role in my life won’t be around much longer, given that death will inevitably be a part of their aging selves. It’s this lingering thought that hovers over me as I write this post. Blogging away on this subject helps me to reflect on their blessing in my life and so that I may not take their remaining time on this earth for granted. I can’t explain why the thought has been so prominent in my mind, but I know that there is a good reason for everything that takes place. I hope to serve them as much as possible while I still have their joyful presence in my life. I am eternally grateful for them.

1. I’m going to have a lot more time to become a man (i.e. pursue applying for a full time job). That means tweaking the resume a bit, which will hopefully land me an interview at least. I’d like to have a job by this summer so that I’d be worthy candidate in another area of life (woudn’tyouliketoknow…). This will occupy most of my time this next week.

2. I’m going to begin reading, and hopefully finish within a week’s time frame, Gary Vaynerchuk’s The Thank You Economy. From what I gather, it’s about the company-customer relationship in the age of social media. Given that I’ve built some skills in this area during my time in Washington DC in 2010, I’m looking to build more on that foundation with books like these. I was alerted to it by a former internship of mine that I highly regard. Always learning, always winning.

3. Thanks to glorious inventions like Redbox, I’m finally going to seek one for a copy of The Social Network. Yes, yes, I know. I’m one of the remnants who hasn’t seen this masterpiece. Forgive me for working two jobs in DC to the point where I wanted to do absolutely nothing on the weekends. Anyway, given that building communities online is the direction in which I’m headed, this is another large step for yours truly. I’ve heard many positive reviews about the film and am very much looking forward to the experience.

4. If I can sneak it in during my week off, I would like to see the Ryan Reynold’s “Buried” flick. I heard the film does a good job of making you feel claustrophobic. Suffice it to say, I like films like that. And yes, I know that came out a while ago as well.

5. I would like to take a trip to the beach. Santa Monica or some place I can swim without ingesting tar into my lungs. I haven’t been to a sunny beach since coming back from the East Coast. While 8 foot sharks were found in its waters last year, the Potomac River does not count as a beach. Bless you, California.

I’ve had a few meals with a few friends that I’ve known since my childhood back in my hometown of Alhambra, which has been pretty cool too. In DC, I was on the go 24/7, having the occasional time to eat lunch with friends that I made at my church over there.  Having some downtime now that I’ve been back has been a blessing. I’m hoping to head to Master’s at some point to see some old friends as well.

In just about two weeks, I will be having a small reunion with some classmates from elementary school. That’s right, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! I really believe that this wouldn’t have been possible without Facebook, which has been connecting people from all over the place. I’m looking forward to catching up with some old friends to see where they’re at in life and hopefully having some meaningful conversations with them.

Since I’ve been back, it hasn’t been all down time. I’m in the process of applying for jobs a majority of my time back here on the West Coast. On top of this, I’m spending a lot of my time reading articles and blogs relating to my career path of writing content and being manager of a company’s online outreach to their clients. It always helps to keep the mind fresh. Plus, my last internship really has assisted me in assessing my career path and has really cultivated within me to come alongside clients to communicate their messages effectively on the internet.

Speaking of San Francisco, I’m looking in that general direction for a job. I’ve always enjoyed that area. Let’s just face it, nothing beats the California coast.

After a round of internships for the past year in Washington DC, I’m back. I’m back in the Golden State, where all that glitters doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s gold. And I’ll be here in California for a quite a while, at least for a few months as I seek to wrap up some things that I didn’t get to wrap when I got the first internship call to come to DC in December of last year. When great opportunities arise, there are just some things that need to be put on hold and I’ve returned to finish business (in a non-Jason Bourne kind of way).

In the great state of California for the time being, I’m also hoping to find some answers, answers to certain questions that have been looming over me for the past year. These questions are ones that I’ve had no control over answering because of being 3,000 miles away from having the power to answer them. With a closer proximity to taking some action, I am able to hopefully find what I’ve been pondering during my whole time over on the desert island of Washington DC.

It’s been a good year. I’ve spent the first half of the year as a reporter on Capitol Hill, meeting everyone from Tea Party candidates who are now senators to briefly interviewing a certain attorney general who has played a significant role in overturning the individual mandate in ObamaCare…for now. I’ve also met the Rev. Al Sharpton and watched as Jesse “The Body” Ventura stomped with his camera crew through the  halls of congressional offices. Being a part of the mover and shaker DC press was an absolute blast.

In the second half of the year, I’ve spent some time interning at a pretty awesome technology communications firm . It was there that I grew the most and which connected a lot of the dots for me on how to maximize the potential of the internet. I am very grateful for my time there.

Above all, I have been extremely blessed to have been a part of an amazing church. The fellowship and close attention to what God’s word has to say and how it applies to life has taught me a lot. I have grown during my time there and am seeking to take those lessons back here. I have learned that Christ isn’t just a part of life but is life. He is my waking up, my working throughout the day, my running errands, my relationships, and my going to bed.

It’s good to be back, being reunited with the family and with some good friends of mine.

Here’s to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

So here we go. Part I:

For the next 7 weeks,  I will be living on Capitol Hill quite near my church for the remaining time I’m here in DC. How close do I live? Let’s just say about a 5 minute walk.

Prior to me moving on Capitol Hill, I lived in Alexandria, Virginia. During that particular  time, I commuted a total of two hours (or more)  a day from Virginia to DC 5 days a week. Sometimes working a combined 50 hours a week with my two gigs and with the commuting time to work, it was difficult to make it to fellowship with the believers at the mid week services and even outside of the church.

Due to God’s gracious provision, this commuting problem will no longer be the case. Thanks to the circumstances that have allowed me to move to Capitol Hill, I am now about 10 minutes away from work and am now able to attend church pretty much anytime the doors are open.

This is what I have always desired, to be with the Lord’s people pretty much anytime I have the opportunity. There is no longer the pressure of not being able to make it to the midweek service because the church is now right outside my doorstep (literally).

Lesson to implement in my life: All this has me thinking about life down the line, when I get settled in a permanent place and such. One of my goals, if the Lord allows, is to move near the church where I can get involved heavily, ministering to others as there is need.

I want to have my home available as a spot where fellow members can come over for refreshment for Christ-centered fellowship (whether that’d be a Bible study or for food). Yes, I said food. For goodness sake, that’s what good Baptist churches do.

All of this would be greatly enhanced if I was in proximity to the church.

This mindset I’ve cultivated isn’t a result of just moving close to Capitol Hill Baptist; rather, it’s a result of always living near my local church all throughout my life. I remember how having easy access to my local church was always a blessing to me, whether that’d be hanging with small group leaders, the youth group, or hanging with the other members in various settings.

I thrive off of the fellowship of the church as it has encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. I want to be that same encouragement to others that members have given to me.

Ultimately, being a part of a strong church community is one of the central aspects of living life for Christ, not only for the sake of strengthening the church itself but also for the sake of demonstrating the love of Christ to non-believers.

John 13:34-35:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

An illustration that resonated with me today comes from Joe Trippi’s The Revolution will not be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything. In Chapter 1, Trippi talks about his fear of flying in planes and how he eventrually got over that fear.

His solution: Confront the object of his fear. Learn everything about flying and planes. Immerse himself in it. Understand how it works. Conquer it. Dominate it. Now, through his mastery of his fear of flying in planes, Trippi is now able to fly with ease. Being a guy in politics, his job requires him to fly quite frequently.

In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne took the same approach, conquering his fear of bats through immersing himself in a flock of bats, confronting them, and eventually dressing up as one to take care Gotham’s crime problem.

I’ve already conquered my fear of flying about a year ago and I have no intention of dressing up as a bat. Yet, there’s still one fear that I have. I won’t get into details on this blog, but be assured. Reading how Trippi conquered his fear, I’m pretty pumped and ready to confront mine.

Bring. It. On.