Promotional Materials 11:50 PM

If you use the internet, chances are you get tons of discount offers, promotional announcements in your Inbox all the time. Some of the promotions are genuine and some are just hoax. So how do you treat those email? Although you might see some great offers, you might choose to ignore them because you are too busy to deal with more information already.

I think our spiritual enemy is using the tactic of information overload to bombard our lives so we grow weary of distinguishing the differences between the truth and the hoax. And leads us to ignore the genuine goodness that God has to offer.

The bible has warned us about this long time ago, "All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing." (Ecclesiastes 1:8, ASV)

The solutions: "28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne." (Matthew 11: 28-30, AMP)

5th Year Anniversary 11:17 PM

Hurray! Today is the 5th year anniversary of my company. God has blessed us and had done great things for Lois and I through our little shop this past 5 years. Although we haven't got a chance to officially celebrate this day yet, we thank God for watching over us in every possible way, and He continues to do that every day.

I must say, running the company isn't easy but we can see it grows and keep getting stronger every day. And that is a great (proud parents like) satisfaction.

We will continue to strive and to use our gifts and talents to honor God through our business and our daily lives. I place my trust in Him.

God Comes to The Rescue 11:00 PM

Have you ever tried to work on a rush project but things just doesn't look right even though you tried very hard for hours? Today is one of those days for me. Out of stress and frustration. I called Lois to help me. Then she said, "Did you pray? Go pray now." So I bowed my head and start praying right then. As soon as I finished my prayer, my design went auto-pilot, I didn't have to think hard and I completed 4 great concepts within couple of hours. I was relieve but I was more amazed of how effective sincere prayer is. Why didn't I think of that before I spent all those hours, trying to make it on my own?

Evidently, God really cares about me and He's always there for me. It's my fault not to seek Him first. Honestly, it's not auto-pilot, God was the pilot and I was the vehicle. If you are facing difficulty in your daily work, free stress out like I did, would you tried to give God a chance? Where do you place God in your work life?

Mental Rest 11:06 PM

Today is a quiet day. Although I have so much to do, I have decided not to push it too hard. I remember when I was young, I would work on every weekends, I tried to get things done as fast as I could regardless of my health. Yes, a typical over-achiever's behavior.

Now, age has taught me to take it easy in between hard battles in a long war if I want to win. If I didn't take it easy, I wouldn't know how tired I actually am. I am still tired but the little mental break can help me to rejuvenate my creativity so I can refocus to get some projects done tomorrow.

Have you taken any mental rest lately?

Transformer 11:30 PM

Lois and I watched the new Transformer movie tonight. Although some critics are not favored the movie, tickets were sold out in the theaters shows after shows. As a big fan of the first movie, this show didn't let me down. I am amazed of how much work the production people had put into creating each robots and mechanism.

So you might asked what God teaches you through that? There are times that we were called to stand firm in the truth. Sometimes the challenges are so great that we have to transform by God in order to succeed. All I have to do is to look at my work load and time frame, I would immediately realized that I have no way to do it all by myself but to submit myself to God and let Him work through me, let Him transform me. If you haven't tried that before, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot. This could be one of the most exhilarating experience you would ever had.

Praise God.

Right or Fast 11:45 PM

Today I design an athletic logo for a university. It has been a very challenging project because many other places have already used the exact same name for their athletic team. As you might know, there are only so many ways to illustrate an idea, so I keep digging and keep researching the relationship between each design element. I try to think like the audience and the player to see what can make the design more exciting. As a result, I have created couple of great options for the university.

God has blessed me with the gift of creativity, but I still have a long way to go. One of the joy of living is to embrace your challenge. Each one of us faces different challenges. Some are easier to overcome then the others, but nevertheless, which path we choose will determine our future. Sometimes choosing the right path requires a longer route, just like when I choose to create a good design instead of ripping off an existing one. It's more important to do the right thing then to do it quickly.

USA Vs. Spain 11:57 PM

I was fortunate enough to watch the USA Vs. Spain FIFA Confederations's Semi-Final today. I am not a big fan of either team but I watched it because USA defeated Egypt 3-0 in the last game and I was wondering if they would survive Spain – which has won 15 straight matches overall and was unbeaten in their last 35 matches. The odds weren't good but I was so impressed with USA's perseverance while up against numerous attacks by the fast and efficient Spain. When the game was finally over, I was floored and tears almost burst out of my eyes.

US soccer team relived the story of "David against Goliath". They were facing the giant. When there was no way for them to get the ball pass the half court; when the goal was continuously being attacked by the powerful strike of Spain; when every player were worn out, they could have given up. But they stayed focus, kept their position and fight. Finally they scored. Twice.

As a small business owner, I sometimes felt like in the position of the US soccer team. People look down on me, projects constantly challenge me. I keep paddle to keep my head above the water, I feel like given up but I didn't. I stay in position, keep my head down and stay focus. And eventually I persevered, I scored. And I believe you can too. Remember, when we feel like all hopes are gone, all we have to do is to look up. God is on our side, cheering for us, supporting us. We will be alright.

Our World Is In Turmoil 11:35 PM

Nowadays our world is in turmoil. Iran is having crisis, North Korean are living in fear, global economy is crumbled, people are living in tents. You might have seen the worst metro train accident in Washington today. As much as I focused on my work, it's hard to just look the other way and pretend I am not bothered. I am not going to think about why God allows things like this to happen but I do wonder what God's heart is thinking right now when He sees this world is being such as mess. Almost all of the turmoils are originated by human. As much as people like to blame the nature, it's human who are not being a good steward of God has given. The fact that we are still alive today is because of a miracle called "God's mercy".

In a small way, I am going to re-commit myself to do a good job to take care of what God has given me – Health, time, talents and resources. Imagine if everyone do this together, how would this world become? Turmoil will ends, poverty will ends, thy kingdom come.

Let's give thanks to what we have and really open our eyes and see what God has blessed us with. Stop complaining and start loving.

Humble Means Weak? 11:58 AM

After dealing with some difficult people this morning, something comes to my mind. How to be humble and be strong at the same time? I understand how important it is not to boast and be offensive to others but it is so hard to act humbly yet not appears to be weak. In the world of business, the interpretation of what a person is mainly by appearance – what they look like, how they dress, their tone of voice, the words that choose to speak. It's almost brutal sometimes. Human is a complex being. People don't take time to understand others as a fellow human being, but fast to judge without mercy. View humble as weak. Maybe that's why there aren't many companies can carry the cross while operating the business. I have been trying and I've to admit, it isn't easy. Actually, according to the bible, judging others is wrong.

I guess I still will choose to be humble even though I might appears to be weak. I rather live right in the eye of the Lord than to please other people. Afterall, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James, 4:10, NIV)

Nevertheless, my goal is still the same, to bless others with the talents and gifts that God has given me. My businesses are just tools to achieve that goal.

A Quiet and Peacful Sunday 11:57 PM

When it comes to Sunday, it usually is quite emotionally racking in my household because another stressful week is just around the corner. Although we haven't started the official work time but we mentally are already on stand by.

Fortunately, today is an exception. Lois and I reconnected and we spent sometimes resting. I think I might have been a workaholic for too long and forgot about taking care of myself.

Having a life beyond work is actually quite good. I can't wait till the day that we get things organized and prioritize so Lois and I can enjoy a work life balance life style that we've been long for.

Facing the Challenge 11:58 PM

Working with my wife Lois has always been a blessing and a challenge. Although we can save money by making our business home-based and doing more tasks by ourselves. Being confining in a close quadrant can easily run into conflicts. By having different opinions, we can discover better ideas but it also can end up ruin our moods and passion for each other.

Lois is my best friend, the closest person to me in the whole world and the love of my life. But sometimes, I am being sucked into work and enslaved by it that I am not being sensitive to her and her feelings. It's really not my nature but it's so hard to overcome it when you let your business to run your lives; all because you are afraid of failure and loss. If you are thinking about getting into home-based business and are very serious about it, those would be a hurdle that you and your family must overcome.

I am glad to have the opportunity to have a deep and meaning conversation with Lois today. We are willing to work things out for the better. In order to succeed logical plan is needed, strategy must be in place, behavior changes will be challenged. But above all, we must have "love" and really value it if we want to endure the roller coaster ride of work & marriage together.

We are putting our trust in God.

Back In Touch 11:37 PM

Today is a very special day because I was able to talk with a cousin of mine for the first time in 20 years. Life changes, time flies, people grow. We're in no exception. But one thing that I am so glad is that before we talked on the phone for long , we've begun to share about our testimonies and how God has worked in our lives. As we shared our faith and encourage each other, we have found something in common – our God and immediately, we have drawn towards each other. I felt closer to him already. I don't know when will I be able to see him again but I am certain that we'll keep in touch and continue to share our faith and perhaps we can do some ministries together.

God is Good. All the Time.

Spoiled But Not Rotten 11:59 PM

If God asks me what have I done today to glorify Him, I would say I am not sure. Although I worked hard, but I didn't give God a chance to be a part of my daily life today. I have been meshing tasks after tasks. Putting God first is easier to say than done.

I am glad that I can have this moment to reflect my day and thank God for His gracious mercy towards me. His blessing is far beyond my imagination. I remembered when parents do something nice for their kids, they don't always tell the kids what they've done for them. On the other hands, the kids usually would enjoy the blessing without a clue nor even bother to ask.

God loves me so much and spoils me in so many ways. "Thank you."

Jesus' Gentleness 11:16 PM

Lois had to drop off our beloved 16 years old cat "mow" to the vet for her first professional teeth and mouth cleaning session today. We had to wait for the most of the day before she can be released in the late afternoon. When we got back from our meeting after lunch, Lois told me that she missed mow already and felt so weird that the house was so quiet. Mow usually would make some cute sounds to ask for food and her sweet face would just brighten your day. I missed her too.

Have you ever looked at someone and all the bad moods would just go away? You would feel like a sweetness in your heart? Yep, "mow" is that person in our lives. We are so happy to have her.

I think God wants us to know how looking into Jesus feel like by giving us "mow". We often think of Jesus' sacrificial love for us, His mighty power over evil. But forget His gentleness. He isn't someone who would seat on the throne and looked down on us. He is with us, He feels our laughter and our pain. He cares, and His gentleness can comfort all our tears and fears.

I thank God for allowing me to call Jesus, my friend and my Lord. And "mow" is at her regular place now, sleeping safe and sound like a baby.

3 Chapters of Psalms 11:46 PM

Many of us have read Psalm 23 but have you tried to start reading from Psalm 21 instead? I have learned that through these three consequence chapters, David encountered some extreme ups and downs. Let's take a quick look:

In Chapter 21, David experienced "JOY" - victory over his enemies through God's help.

Just the next chapter, he was "FRIGHTENED" - "God, God ... my God! Why did you dump me miles from nowhere? Doubled up with pain, I call to God all the day long. No answer. Nothing." (The Message) 

Then in the following chapter, David said, "God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing." (The Message)

David sounds like a "drama queen", didn't he? But the truth of the matter is that we are so short-sighted, easily distracted and discouraged. We thought our faith is solid but we might not know the whole truth until we are facing some real ups and downs. 

When I first read this passage earlier today, I should be encouraged to know that God got my back; but instead, I was somewhat depressed because I was pretty tired from an early photo shoot under such a hot sun, and then I can't get myself motivated. I did get some minor works done and a proposal out but that's about it. I think I need to put my focus back on God and think about Him more so I can get my strength back like David.

Unusually Busy Monday 11:21 PM

It has been an unusually busy Monday. While I am still waiting for a result on a proposal that I sent last week (patience, patience), I have been blessed with two more new potential projects today. Both of the clients hand picked me to do their projects and I have a third client that called me for a new project that I haven't got a chance to return to him yet.

I think it's so important to keep a good and positive attitude each day. It's no easy task – especially when you're already being snowed under like me. But being unmotivated to do the work will end up losing more time and energy which both are very limited given by God. I do realized that everything is really blessings from God and I constantly try to remind myself about that. For I am weak but He is strong. I would have never survived "Monday" if He didn't give me the strength and grace that I needed.

Unstoppable Marriage 11:47 PM

It's so hot today, so I have decided to hide inside the house all day instead. While catching a breath out of my busy life, I enjoyed a Korean movie called "Unstoppable Marriage" while Lois went shopping. This movie is so funny. The lead actress is a paper doll shop owner and teacher, she has many traditional qualities, and Ki-baek, the lead actor, is a "breast enhancement surgeon" as well as a playboy who indulge a luxurious lifestyle. Being in the opposite ends of the spectrum, they fight like a cat and dog over everything. Even though they hate each other, at the same time, they come to fall for each other and become a couple. Unfortunately, the biggest hurdle is yet to come. Getting each parent's consent is much more difficult. Each one has their sadden past, leads to grunges and pissing contests. Luckily, Eun-Ho (lead actress) expresses her pure, unselfish love to conquer over the selfish gain and they got married at the end.

Some say "love is blind", some immediately think of "passion", as for me, it's about "forgiveness" and "the most genuine and pure kind of care of someone."
"But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love." (I Cor 13: 13)

God Is Able 11:51 PM

Today's sermon was wonderful. Pastor Jentezen Franklin showed me the 5 faith killers.

1. The sense of what we SMELL.
   If we keep lingering with our experience of being burned, being fault by others; we would be depressed, lost confident and lose our faith in God.
   
   
2. The sense of what we TOUCH.
   Remember when Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob instead of Esau by mistake because he "felt" Jacob's hands like Esau's. (Gen 27:21-25) Our feeling is not as reliable as we think. We ought to go by what we hear from God's word instead of our feeling.
   
   
3. The sense of what we SEE.
   If you watch the news for a few minutes these days, your mood will most likely to draw downward and lost faith. But what we see is not the whole truth. We need to focus on God's words and His promises through our faith instead of by what we see.
   
   
4. The sense of what we HEAR.
   Many "Nay Sayers" would tell you it's not possible, it's a waste of time, it's no good. Use your common sense and don't listen to them. Their negativity will get you nowhere but south. Tune in to what God has to say instead. After all, He has never been wrong. Not even once, so who do you trust?
   
   
5. The sense of what we TASTE.
   Put God's word into your poison and you will be alright. For faith places no limitations on God. And God places no limitation on faith.

Our God is almighty. He is more powerful than anything that we have and will ever known and He is very very able. For me, I can't live without Him. My life would be ruined. How about you? Are you counting on your own senses?

Dirty Play - Is It Worth It? 11:30 PM

Work has been rough today. I have discovered from a client that their IT firm has been bad mouthing my company, making false claims about our work because my client is using our services instead of theirs. I understand the economic environment is not at its best but acting unethical wouldn't gain them any 'real' business. Sooner of later, their clients would realize that they have been taking advantage of and leave them.

God taught us to do our work with integrity, honesty and do each tasks with all our heart as if we are serving the Lord Himself. Money isn't everything, after all, God is not short of cash and He will provide and bless us if we do our parts.

Although I have lost most of the day dealing with that issue, but justice prevails.

How to Receive God's Blessings? 11:48 PM

Do you think it's so cool that you can access the bible, devotional materials, christian radios, sermons anytime you wanted as long as you can get online? I found it so very awesome – you really don't have any excuses not to seek God every day.

God reminds me of how people love to get the blessings from Him but not pay attention to the conditions that go along with that. If you go to a grocery store to buy some strawberries, you have to pay for it. Similar format goes with the blessings from God. Although it's ultimately God's personal decision to grant you the blessings, but if you don't read the bible, don't seek Him, don't love Him, being lazy, gossip, greedy, unforgiving, love to criticize others ... it's hard to imagine God would think you are ready for His blessings. This is different than the blessing of salvation because God loves us so much that He's willing to offer this greatest gift to us
completely free as long as we have faith in Christ, His resurrection and give your life to Him.

God's blessings to us are far exceed our expectation. Some blessings are what you asked for and some you don't even know you will receive. Just to look back on the things that have happened since I started this blog a month ago would be enough evident to show how He constantly watches over me, feed me, love me.

Have you looked at your life lately? If you feel life is dry, seek Him. Seek Him Now!

School Closes for 2 Weeks 11:01 PM

Tonight, I heard from the news that the government in my home town (Hong Kong) has announced all the kindergarden and primary schools are closed for 2 weeks due to the wide spread of the swine flu. After the incident of "H5N1" years ago, the government took a much more active approach to deal with incident such as the swine flu. Public are being alerted and updated as soon as possible and as frequently as possible.

In contrary, United States is very different. I can listen to the news every half hour in the radio station in Hong Kong but I can't seem to catch any local news on the radio in here.

I wonder how God communicate to us? An active approach or a hands-off approach? Perhaps we, as human, are so busy and so forgetful that even God tells us every half-hour,  we still don't get it. A willingness to listen is very important, it can help us to avoid harm.

A Non-Productive Day 11:39 PM

Today is one of those days that I have planned to be productive but ended up being just the opposite. Woke up by the barking of my neighbor's dog 2 hours before my alarm rang, then followed by unexpected tech support for a client. Here and there – the day was gone.

I usually feel guilty about being non-productive. I always put "rest" in the back burner and not enjoy myself very well. Although I love to do what I do but being in the field for so long and working long hours years after years put a toad on my health and motivation.

In moment like this, I usually think about the verse, "Be still, and know that I am God" but today, a new verse I have discovered, "Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say, “God became angry and told the people, ‘You will never enter my place of rest!’ ” God said this, even though everything has been ready from the time of creation." (Hebrews 4:3) It is very important to have faith in our daily living. God actually will punish the ones without faith.

Rest is alright. Have faith in God that He will take care of me tomorrow just like He always does. Although I am behind today but God will lead me through this.

How to Be Happy? 11:47 PM

A lot of people think about things, family, entertainment when come to "happiness". Many Christians take the verse "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Phi 4:13, NIV) out of the context and establish a god who would do on their commands. They ask for things to fulfill their own selfish desires. I think I might have been guilty of that at some point in time as well.

In verse 4:11-12, apostle Paul wrote: "I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need." The secret of "true happiness" is about "contentment".

We can count our blessings, accept of who we are, even drop the "just because he has, so I ought to have" attitude. But above all, we have to know that having Jesus is truly enough.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness;
And all these things shall be added unto you.
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

It's a promise from God. If we humble ourselves and seek Him first, only then we'll find the fountain of true happiness.

Fear 11:44 PM

I am blessed to watch a sermon on "God is Strong" by Francis Chan from Cornerstone Church in CA this weekend. Below are something that I've learned from God through this sermon.

Experiencing Fear
Sometimes when I walk along a long corridor, I would afraid of a robber might jump out from the dark corner. I would pick up my pace and try to get through the alley as quickly as possible. I was afraid.

When I notice the vehicle behind me keeps following me turn after turn, I would take a long route home and try to let that car pass me by. Although it might be a car from my neighborhood but I was afraid.

I fear of danger, I fear of lost, I fear of uncertainty, I fear of loneliness, I fear of being punished for my sin, I fear ... of many things. Why am I not strong? Why am I allow my fear to affect my relationship with God. Fear draws me away from Him.

The Good News
Indeed, I am weak but He is strong. I found this verse online from the song "Jesus loves me" –

When the nights are dark and long,

In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."

Joshua 1:6-9 said, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (ESV)

If you feel fear or weak, you can pray the following prayer with me:

Dear God,
Gives me eyes to see the power, boldness and strength you are offering me. I trust you completely Lord. Replace my fear with courage from Your strength. In Jesus Name. - Amen.

Two Tasty Trouts 11:21 PM

It's hard to believe but our newly met insurance agent Alan had delivered couple freshly caught trouts to our home today. The story began with a casual conversation about Alan's hobby during our meeting on some insurance application paper works. He told Lois that if he ever goes fishing, he would bring some fish to us. And he did ... two days later.

I seldom encounter people who does what they said, especially insurance agents or brokers (from our previous experience anyway.) One time, I found out a colleague of mind credited herself about an award winning web site that I design to land a job in an advertising agency.  My old insurance agent sold me and Lois one of the worst life insurance plan there is. If it's not because of Dave Ramsey's FPU, I would have still be blind-sided. So Lois and I felt extra blessed to know someone like Alan. 

I know at some point in time, I did fall short on the scale of honesty. But God doesn't like dishonest people. "Blessings accrue on a good and honest life, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse." (Proverbs 10:6, The Message) So I repent and move towards the target of integrity. Are you living an honest life?

First Time in Aldi 11:54 PM

Remember I talked about "being adventurous" couple nights ago? I got the opportunity to visit the Aldi in Broken Arrow with Lois this evening. I must say, it was both impressive and fun. The store isn't big, it carries mainly off brand items but the store is bright, clean and tidy. The products are decently packaged similar to the brand name ones but the prices are way better. We found it quite helpful to have a store like Aldi in this economic environment.
Photo: Giant strawberry we bought from Aldi.

I used to have some bias on this discount store because of the unknown, thought the food might not be good or fresh or safe but I was wrong. Sometimes, all it take is some courage to take the first step. I think by venturing to new places in a small ways (such as visiting a new restaurant or a store) would help to build up my courage for trying out new and bigger things in life and in business as well.

"Your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will go in. Build up his courage. He’s the one who will claim the inheritance for Israel." (Deuteronomy 1:38, The Message). Courage is something that need to build up, not an end-result of shortcuts.

Strong But Invisible Bond 11:03 PM

I found out my brother is planning to get marry in the fall next year tonight. I hope everything will go smoothly for him on all his preparation and planning. Lois and I are very excited for him but we also glad for my dad and mom. For them, it means my brother is finally on his own, to start his own family – which is a sign of maturity.
Photo: My brother & his fiancée in a pre-wedding photo set. (Taking wedding dress-up photography before the actual wedding day is a very popular practice in HK and it's a very lucrative business.)

It's quite custom for chinese to live together before the sons and daughters get married (very different than the western culture.) It's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse. The family can enjoy lots of time together but it also adds extra burden and responsibility for the parents, in some cases the children.

For me, I don't get the opportunity to stay with my parents very much, maybe 2-3 years together in total. Therefore I am not tired of them, I long to spend more time with them and I miss them often. In some people's eyes, I am not very fortunate but I see it quite the opposite because I know deep down how much we love and care for each other. For some people, they need the reaffirmation of the physical gestures to express their love but not to us (although it certainly wouldn't hurt if we can hug each other.) We have a strong but invisible bond. Sometimes relationship is closer when being apart. It's a very interesting thing and I am not quite thoroughly understand how it works.

I think my relationship with Jesus is sort of like that. Sometimes I feel like He is far away but also close to me at the same time. It's an invisible but strong bond. I am looking forward to hug Him though. He's so good to me and I want to love Him more.

Try New Things 11:48 PM

Today's is a very adventurous day. I went to a new town to do a presentation for a prospect, ate some new food, got a "free" root beer float from Sonic a few minutes before midnight. The feeling of doing new things was so good. And it happened on a Wednesday!

Most of the time, my life is surrounded by routine. Work, Eat, Work, Eat, Work, Rest – the boring cycles. My sensitivity got numbed through the years. I think it's important to continue to try new things in order to stay sharp regardless of my age. As a result, I can see and appreciate what special things that God had planned for me that I wasn't aware of.

When I think of how Jesus lived, I think of an adventurous explorer. He met new people, visited new places, tried new things everyday. One day He walked on water, the next He raised someone from the dead, or turned water into wine. Although I cannot do those miracles, but by offering my willing heart to try new things I can become more like Jesus.

P.S. My presentation went very well. I'll have some more research to do and a proposal to make. Thanks again guys.

Preparing for a Presentation 11:38 PM

Self-Promotion has always been the hardest thing to accomplish for my own business. More than often, we poured all our energy to take care of our customers and their needs; our marketing effort is always being pushed to the back burner.

I have an out-of-town business presentation to conduct tomorrow but I was so behind. So I spent the afternoon to come up with the best way to present it. But selecting and preparing which design to use from my massive archive was a daunting task. Fortunately, Dave and Cyle (from my Men's Group) came to rescue. They helped me to kick start the project and boost the morale in the evening. I was able to keep the momentum going and finished it before dawn. I am so thankful for their help and their friendship. But when I think deeper about the timing, it's really a blessing from God. If it weren't for this presentation, I wouldn't even have this important communication piece.

To tell you the truth, for a long period in my life, I had no one that I could comfortably ask for help. I felt alone, inadequate and inferior. It might be because of my shy personality or how I isolated myself with crazy work schedule. Although I prayed but I didn't see any improvements. That period was "fruitless".

Then all in a sudden, Lois and I began to go back to church and the fire within us ignited again, we became involved with the church in many different ways. And God's blessing started to pour down, we are happier, more fulfilled and we don't feel alone again.

If you are feeling how I felt before – lonely, helpless and discouraged, I encourage you to really let this verse sink in, so you can receive God's blessings – "... seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)

3Ds vs 3Hs 11:59 PM

My Men's Group has finally concluded the study of the "Book of James" tonight with the discussion about prayer. To me, "prayer" is a very special subject. Unlike many other things, prayer can be as simple and direct as just a word of "thanks", or "help" or it can be extremely difficult when facing the what I called the 3Ds – "distraction, distortion and distress".

I feel like my prayer life is better than before but still have a long way to go. God has blessed me with the grace of opportunity so I can practice to spend more time with Him through little prayers through out the day. Sometimes my prayers are "cookie cutter" that I hate to do but yet do it. Sometimes I let my busy schedule override my relationship with God. But the good thing is that I am more aware of it and I am willing to make the effort to change those "bad habits" of mine.

Cyle and I were talking about the right way to pray an effective prayer, we come up with "honesty", "humble" and I was joking that there is a 3Hs. But I couldn't come up with one. And now, I think I have found one more "H" – "Holy". James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." (NLT) When we confess our sins and God makes us "holy", our prayer will be powerful.

So there you have it, the 3Ds vs 3Hs of my study of James & Elijah.