my 100th post is quite a doozy.

02.28.09
Not my usual Saturday…

My employers (parents of the kid I privately tutor) asked if I could baby/house-sit for the weekend. So I’m sitting in an easily multi-million dollar house in Newport. Kobe Bryant lives just across the street. Because they’re a lovely family (the parents are so sweet and the kids are awesome), I jumped on the opportunity (and I suppose the extra moola ain’t so bad either). I’m not gonna lie…I’m enjoying playing house for a day. Doing some laundry, serving meals, helping with homework and cleaning up after these kids. Definitely not my typical Saturday schedule.

So now here I am…attempting to write an essay in a huge house with the younger boy running around with his friends and the older one aimlessly playing with their x-box…or ipod…or iphone…or macbook…or one of their many many toys. I start to think…it’s a beautiful day outside and this kid's eyes are fixated on a TV screen, wasting their brains and time idly playing video games?! But who am I to talk when my beloved laptop and useless web-browsing often keeps me from playing outside too?

Man, then there are so many times where I think…these kids really don’t know how blessed they are. They have it all. They get whatever they want without debate. They’re allowed to eat whatever, do whatever, watch whatever, say whatever. Even with all the luxuries handed to them, they still find a way to complain. I try to knock some sense into them when I can, telling them there’s no reason why they should complain…but they just don’t get it.

I try to rationalize…maybe it’s because they’re so young that they don’t acknowledge their blessings…

But then I think how silly of me to think that these kids are so ungrateful when there’s so many of us "young people" who may be the exact same way. Okay, so we may not live in these extravagant mansions on the coast or ride around in our parents’ land rovers or attend the fanciest private schools…but we do have the luxury to throw money around on the snazziest trends, flashiest shoes or new gizmos & gadgets. We can eat out, go out, stay out…probably without thinking, man, I really should save up my money…or my parents’ money, which is often the case. But how often do we actually thank our parents for giving us the things we do not deserve? How often do we thank God for giving us all these things we do not deserve?

We can drive around, play around, fool around at our own leisure. We joke and claim that we, as mere college students, are suffering from this economic crisis and we complain because gas and movie ticket prices went up a couple bucks? We do not have the right to complain either…when there’s actually people losing their jobs and their homes, being hit with the real burdens of this "crisis".

So then, I try to rationalize…maybe it’s because we’re so young that we don’t acknowledge our blessings…perhaps.

===========

So I put the younger boys to sleep. Michael’s friend, William, was staying over and woke up in the middle of the night. He felt like he was going to have an asthma attack and forgot his inhaler. He began to freak out, expressing his fear that his parents would be really angry if he called home. He also started explaining that asthma was unpredictable…that he could die… that asthma is where you suffocate to death…how he wants to get rid of asthma. He ended up calling home and his tired mom didn’t seem so happy that he was calling so late at night. I tried to calm him down, saying that he would be fine.

As we waited for William’s dad to pick him up, he and Michael began an interesting conversation about life and death…

WILLIAM: I hate asthma. I could like die in my sleep.
MICHAEL: I don’t want to die. I want to live my whole life.
ME: Well, you will live your whole life.
MICHAEL: No, I mean like I wanna live forever, like I don’t wanna get shot or something.
WILLIAM: He’s saying that he wants to live a long time and not some miraculous fall or getting shot.
=============

Somehow the conversation took an unexpected turn...

WILLIAM: Well you’re not gonna die…unless rapture comes.

ME: What? You know about rapture?!

WILLIAM: Yeah.

MICHAEL: What’s that? Is it scary?

WILLIAM: It’s basically where God decides it’s the end of the world when the good people go to heaven and the bad people get left behind. Someone calculated it to be in 2066…but it could happen in like 3 seconds!...whenever God wants.

MICHAEL: How can he do that? So you’re saying in 3 seconds, I could just die?

WILLIAM: Yeah, it’s like…say, a giant flood comes and there’s a fire, that means it’s the rapture.

ME: Where did you learn that?

WILLIAM: In church. They talk about it all the time.
==============

I forgot the rest of the details of the conversation, but I was blown away by it. To think that these kids are 9 years old are discussing relatively mature topics. It showed me that we cannot underestimate how much young ones understand and that age should not dictate when we begin to teach people about our faith. Although William’s knowledge was pretty surface level (and I am really no expert either), it was very surprising to hear this dialog. This was also a slap-in-the-face-moment because my lack of knowledge regarding this topic made me feel incompetent and hesitant to share the gospel, which should never be the case---ever. I can only hope that the next opportunity I have to spread the Word that I take it with full force and fervent wisdom.

And that was that.

---- told you it'd be a doozy. ciao.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

-- a verse mentioned by a blessed friend in a much-needed late-night car conversation last night, then also included in the sermon i heard on the radio on my way home today. a verse that is ever-so-true and ever-so-relevant. no need to be anxious when there's always a way to overcome a trial and a purpose for every situation you experience.

what a relief to know God's on my side. it's like playing kickball and you're a team captain and you intentionally pick God to be on your team. not only does He act as a teammate to help you through the game, but He's also your waterboy to provide for you, referee to warn and challenge your faults, and of course He's your coach to advise you. but you need to do your part and act like a team player...cooperate and submit.


i have no idea where this analogy came from.
i blame it on the anti-brochitis meds...good night.

nutshell version of the big day!

^ after 10 years, they FINALLY tied the knot!

^ family pic (but missing my brother)
^ just some of the cowsins
^ my date.

^ the sibs and their sig figs.

congrats to the new mr. and mrs. anda! <3

more eye candy:

pre-wedding prep
the BIG DAY!

whelmed.

im about to perform at my last clippers game with mcia.
my sister’s getting married this saturday.
midterm and fatty essay due tomorrow.
other changes are going to happen...

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus".
Philippians 4:6-7

unintended birth-week celebrations [Final Part]

i was pretty bummed that i couldn't go home for the weekend to celebrate my birthday with family and home friends. but thank God home came to me in the irvs
for some sweet surprises...

Thursday night. The bfriend and I reunited with my sisters and their sig figs for a dinner (somewhat) Italian-style. As always, it was good times with this bunch of silly kids. That was probably the last time where just the six of us would be together as six unmarried individuals. I thank God for blessing me with these sisters and for blessing my sisters with loving guys who really do complement them. I'm excited for them to officially join the family. The little sister approves! Fingers crossed they feel the same way about my choice.
From the looks of it so far, he seems like a good fit. :)

After dinner, I returned to 198 with plans to visit my beloved gym to work off my week-long cake intake then maybe sleep early. When I opened the door, to my wonderful surprise...

francine, steph and jenny were jumping up & down, equipped with snazzy balloons and yet another cake for me to indulge in.
I was extremely ecstatic by the super surprising sight! the moment reminded me of the night I returned from Italy when these same girls (+ jackie and sabrina) were jumping up & down on my driveway for an awesome homecoming surprise. Apparently, the girls had been sending secret texts to the bfriend while we were at dinner. Sneaky sneaky. A quick trip to yogurtland and a visit to the yacht. Good times, great friends.

====================

thanks again to everyone who participated in celebrating another year of life. i really don't deserve any of this or any of you. this week has further reaffirmed that God is good in providing me with an overflow of blessings for my birthday and every day. these events were way different than my 21st birthday. im really glad that was a different time of my life. so, as many old jokes i get about being..old.. im enjoying the 22 year old life. im at a good place, i am content and i can't help but acknowledge Him for that.
Love love love you all!

and then there were turtles...

Wednesday night, birthday night. Julian and Buzz are last-minute additions to our dinner guest list. During dinner, the two mention their jam-packed day of errands. I received a rather vague response when I asked them what kind of errands…but I didn’t think much of it as I continued to stuff my face with stonfire grill goodness. At about 8, Julian mentions that it’s time to leave for mavyn practice, but not before raffy could stop to ask for his number to “talk about mavyn stuff”, which (again) I didn’t think much of. He seemed flustered and rushed. I wished he could stay longer but I’m thinking, “welp, at least he showed up for dinner…I’ll see him tomorrow for lunch anyway”.

Then off to practice. During circle-up, Captain Kduh asks to speak to all the captains about serious stuff right before we start running through the set. For once, I’m actually pumped to start dancing….so I’m thinking…Really kduh? Right now? Great, and I was in a good mood. So we have an intense conversation upstairs. All I’m thinking is…man, we should really be at practice right now…there seems to be waves of silence and commotion downstairs, so thoughts of an unproductive mcia run through my head. After we’ve all thrown out our opinions, I finally say, “I think we should go back to practice”. I slowly head down, feeling rather exhausted from our deep convo. As we walk down the stairs, huge cheers arise. I’m thinking, “Aww, how cute, they’re cheering for the captains”. I may have started waving or bowing or doing the Mel pose….then…

Tunnel vision. All my mind could comprehend…all I could see…was Julian. He’s standing there with some kind of posterboard. Is that Squirt?! Whoa, so many turtles! He’s even rocking his turtle shell, this guy doesn’t overlook the details. Wait, what? So he didn’t have practice?! I start to understand what’s happening. My vision begins to widen. The entire team is gathered around him…wait, what the?! It’s NOT just the team...

I see Buzz standing there, I think I even jumped a little. He’s supposed to be dropping off julian at practice! I think by now there’s a ruckus of singing and cheering and laughing and plenty of picture-taking. From the corner of my eye, I see someone’s holding the cake…black sweater, black basketball shorts and a hat…must be jtong… wait…no!...Raffy?! Julian explains something about sitting on a cake…of which I’m not really surprised about.

I’m still in complete shock, staring at the poster...I think even at that point I’m still trying to process everything. My vision begins to widen even more. Whoa! Helen wong?! Geneyem?! Leahbeth?! Aww, Sabrina! What the heck, this is nuts! I start going around the group and giving hugs…More surprising visitors…Bogina?! At this point, I’ve made countless squeals of excitement, trying to take in the fast-paced events occurring. I can’t hold it in...I start crying tears of joy. I'm on this incredible high of goodness. God is so good. I’m just so happy!! I had NO idea. Julian went through all this trouble? People took time out to make those turtles? I don’t deserve this…I don’t deserve any of this. God is so so so good!

Everything’s happening so fast. Gamma picture. Cake in my face, cake off julian’s butt, then cake in his face. What are cfbc friends doing in this parking structure... im so happy that they drove from all over just for this. I’m running around like a crazy lady. I don't think my brain can keep up with my mood. There’s still a bunch of flashes and yelling. People keep coming up to me and giving me hugs. Happy birthday Mel! Thank you! Happy birthday Mel! Thank you!!!

I greet the guests and make frequent stops to just gaze at all the turtles…oh man…all…these…turtles! 22 years old and I’m wearing a turtle shell in front of a science fair-esque poster of cute turtles, munching on the most delicious mocha cake that was salvaged from julian’s…um...mishap. People from the team (current AND alumni) and even from church made personalized turtles with sweet love notes and birthday greetings. They’re all so cute. Seriously?! They went through all that for me?? I feel so special.

God is showing me His grace through all these friendships. I can’t help but acknowledge Him through this high of emotions. Amongst all the madness, I manage to sneak away to my car and give Him thanks. He deserves it.

The bfriend explains the hectic events that led to this surprise birthday masterpiece. His busy day of planning, his running around to finish up the poster and to collect the turtles, his week-long chain of secret emails to friends, his hours of putting it all together...and even the chaotic minutes before the surprise. After I take him to the yacht, he further explains his thought process that led him to this project. He knows I wouldn’t want anything expensive, he knows I love turtles, he knows how special it would be if a lot of people contributed. he just…knows. And it was such a beautiful moment, it just all worked out...perfectly. Wow, he really thought about this. He never fails to surprise me…with this shindig and in our relationship…this time he definitely outdid himself. He’s awesome. He must really care. I’m pretty fond of him, too. I'm so thankful for you jurr.

It’s about 3:30 am and I hurry home to read the little love notes and such. Each turtle was uniquely crafted with hints of people’s personalities, each note was so silly and so meaningful... they ALL touched my heart. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the secret turtle mission! I’ve never had any kind of surprise party, so this is a pretty high standard to beat. I can’t help but think…I’m so blessed. These friends are so wonderful. I don’t deserve this. I'm at such a better place now than where I was at 21. 22 ain't so bad and God is so so good.

thank you everyone!!
you have no idea how much this means to me.

check this out:julian's version

unintended birth-week celebrations [Part 2]

Sunday: I forgot to mention a splendid event from Sunday! Before Sunday school, I had the pleasure of having the company of miss helen for a sweet breakfast at a sweet cafe. We were easily excited by the cute decor and snazzy tea action [so, of course, lots of pictures were taken]. We gave our usual updates on life and such. It's really encouraging to be able to share blessings and trials with such a genuine friend. I can see the work God is doing in this lovely lady and I'm so blessed to know (and grow with) her. More MELEN dates to come for sure.

[see previous post] After church, Julian and I head to San Diego to visit Mama in the hospital. Then we squeezed in a dinner double date with my parents. I praise God for my grandma and my parentals for being resilient, strong-willed people who raised me and my siblings to understand the importance of family.





Tuesday: Before dinner, we had a quick little SPohana reunion, reuniting at the Starbucks where we all first met each other. I can’t believe it’s almost been an entire year since our first awkward encounter. And most of them have applied for returner so I’m excited to meet some grandkids soon! My kiddos are so awesome, they even surprised me with my first ever birthday croissant-cake! My, how they've grown...

For dinner, some mcia kids had all-you-can-eat sushi at our beloved You & I sushi joint [thanks Thomas, what an awesome birthday gift!] After a battle with food coma, I somehow manage to make a quick visit to the gym. At midnight, I hear cacho at my door, “I guess I’ll go to sleep now since there’s nothing special happening at midnight!” I walk out and see this lovely sight.

I couldn't help but run to get my camera (of course). I can't imagine living somewhere else. These crazy kids are so great. 198 is home to me. My 3 adorable roomies equipped with a turtle ice cream cake! After a rather awkwardly sensual birthday serenade from cacho, I blow out the candles and we indulge in the frozen goodness.

Wednesday: Thank you everyone for the texts, messages and wall posts!! Each one meant a lot to me…like forealzies. After a full day of work…work out…then work again, 198 & Co. brought our appetites to Stonefire Grill. We stuffed ourselves with a scrumptious combination of tri-tip, salad, pizza, breadsticks and mashed potatoes (and even saved some room for some cheesecake!)...all for ten bucks, which I ain't complaining about. I'm really blessed to have met these amazing friends to share countless college memories with. Geez, I don't even know how it got to be our fourth year already.

198.

girl roommate & cuesta neighbors.

skelly
(who i would later find out was a sneaky accomplice to future events)
buzz
(yet another partner-in-crime to the madness that was about to occur)

and the b-friend
(who left dinner early to "go to mavyn practice"...
but in reality, had other secret plans in mind)

With a full stomach and content heart, I headed over to practice in a super good mood...and the crazy series of events that happened after that will need its own post. :)


As always, I thank God for these events, for providing the financial ability to fund the fun, for bringing us to these places safely, for working through all of us, for allowing us to enjoy each other's company...and for letting me see His good grace through these great friendships. Being 22 ain't too shabby.

unintended birth-week celebrations [Part 1]

I went home for the weekend, a couple days earlier than I had planned. On Thursday, my grandma was rushed to the hospital after an unexpected collapse. She had what appeared to be similar to a stroke. I visited her often. I read our favorite Bible verses, laid next to her and she smothered me with those grandma smelling kisses. Each time I visited, I was inspired by her good spirits despite her weakness. Her faith in God seemed to overpower the pain she was enduring. After prayers and God’s healing hand, she was released on Monday. God-willing, her faith and resilience will continue to keep her strong.

After driving up for church on Sunday, I drove back down to san diego ...this time with the bfriend sitting shotgun. The ride was pretty rough for various reasons. I was a mess of emotions, but I prayed for comfort and He surely delivered. Mama’s face lit up when we walked into her room (probably more so for the surprise guest). I love seeing them interact, like bff’s. It makes my heart really happy. She was way more talkative than usual, practically telling her life story. That's a good sign. She must really like him...at least I really hope so because she may have to be around him for awhile. :)

As we were leaving, she gave us a snipit of wise words:

“Love each other, support each other, have compassion.
That’s all I want for you”.

Then, that night began my unplanned series of birthday celebrations. After some last minute phone calls, julian and i had the pleasure of having a sweet double date with the parentals. I thoroughly enjoyed spending some quality time with my parents, something I haven’t done in quite some time. It felt nice to have the four of us together for a pre-birthday meal outback-style. My date also contributed to the lovely evening.

I thank God for my parents.
I hope they know how much they are loved.

This was a nice little way to kick off the week.

God is so good [and so was that ice cream].
He constantly provides things I know I do not deserve.
I pray that in this 22nd year of life and so on, I learn to love Him more and remain faithful even during changes and challenging times.

…more updates later. It only gets better. :)

acceptance

this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan. this is God's plan.

hey, just thought you should know.

modernCIA hip-hop dance team. sometimes i think i'm crazy to stay on this non-competitive hip hop dance team for a full four years of my college career. why? what good will being on this team do for my future? why invest my time and heart into such an organization? will "dancer" really enhance my resume? what's so great about dancing in a structure until 5 am? why put up with the frustration, the drama, the sweat, the exhaustion? what's the point? mcia has definitely taken a lot out of me over the years. there were several times where i questioned my choice to come back year after year. then there were the thousands of times where i thought those questions were just silly. i come back because of those individuals that are right there with me, going through the same emotional rollercoaster, the same changes, the same struggles, the same experience of falling in love with the team over and over and over and over again. God wasn't ready to let my passion for dancing slide after high school and so here i am, half-way through my fourth year on this team. i can't even begin to explain my gratitude to YOU mcia-ers for being my outlet to this crazy world. it's highly unlikely that the 100+ mcia peeps who i've had the blessing of dancing with will read this post. but hey, just thought i'd share how i feel or at least begin to try.

this is what keeps me here. my happiness. you ask why i stay? because of the many beautiful people i've shared these four wondertastic days (nights & early morns) with.

because every day on mcia is the BEST.DAY.EVER. :)