But seek first...

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"

Ahaha I started this entry about one week ago with this verse and I am finally going to blog about it. Wow, during these past 2 weeks, I got a job a a dental office, I went to Philly for the AMI conference, we have been doing little outreaches to get to know the few people that we have met, and all in all God has used all these moments to teach me to just seek him first. 

Life is so funny when I think about it. Life here on earth is temporary and all the materials and prestige that we strive to live for are exactly that. TEMPORARY! These things last and are used for only a period of time. But why is it that I continue to get caught up in a cycle of striving to achieve and receive the very things that will only satisfy for so long. 

Ahahahaa. Lately, Im just taken aback by the fact that God is gracious, his love is unconditional, and he knows the depths of my heart so well that he will provide accordingly.

Even when I got this job at the dental office. Ahahaha, it was seriously only given to me when I was at the point of ultimate surrender and dependence. God works in His mysterious ways and even though I dont understand during the process, it is so clear in the end of why things work out the way they do.

I worked my first day today and the doctor is so amazingly nice! He is starting me off slowly with the patients, so I only saw 7 today and as the weeks pick up I will see more patients. If the other 2 positions had opened up, then I wouldn't be where I am today, so praise God for closing the wrong doors before opening the right one.

Oh yeah and today I read the book of Ruth. Ahahaha, I want to be as devoted and loving to this church plant as Ruth was to Naomi. She is one women, who knew what would honor her mother-in-law and God blessed her life because of it.

God is Always gooD!

While PB was gone!

On Sunday the 8th of June, we went to visit a church called Celebration Church. They had an amazing service with an amazing welcoming team (or at least that was what we experienced with a welcomer named Keith). Afterwards, we went to eat at a Japanese restaurant, that was eh... okay. =) Ben, got the Beef Don and stated, "it's not as good as Saica."

This was the last meal with just PB and the U-Soulers, before he left the following day to fly back to AA and pick up Rachel and his family.

WHILE PASTOR BEN WAS GONE ::: THIS IS WHAT THE U-SOULERS HAVE BEEN DOING!

Take1: A regular pose.

Thursday, the 12th of June 2008.

After a day of breaking fast together with cali rolls and yakisoba, walking around campus and talking with students, playing 2 games of Texas Hold 'Em, this is how we wanted to end the last night with just the u-soulers (matt flew into AA the following day for Rebecca and Jon's wedding...ahhhhh).

Take 2.

With 10 seconds before the picture, Ben decides to UNLEASH and be his crazy self. So, he falls onto Matt squishing him and Matt still trys to look at the camera and smile. I try my best to retain a cute smile with my hands doing something weird (I have no idea what type of pose that is)...puahahahaa and I kick my leg up, so that the boys don't fall onto the space that Michelle and I are occupying. And Michelle is on the side looking like a bird who is squawking about the crazyness that Ben just started!?!

Take 3.

Michelle thought of the movie Kung Fu Panda, and it's one that PB really wants to watch. So, we decided to take a picture like the animals...puahahahahahaa!! =D

Featuring...

Ben Lee: Crane

Matt Jorgensen: Mantis

Jenny Vick: Tiger

Michelle Lee: Monkey

Interviews for June 10th-18th

Working Interviews for the week: time and date are posted

June 10th: 1pm-5pm

 - full-time position

 - benefits

 - off on Fridays (so I can set-up for Access)

 - 1 hour lunch break

June 11th: 7:45am-4pm

 - full-time position

 - don't know if benefits are included

 - off on Fridays (so I can set-up for Access)

 - NO lunch break (I like eating lunch for energy =)

June 18th: 7:45am- 4:15pm

 - 3 days a week for work

 - benefits are not included

 - off on Mondays and Tuesdays

 - 30 minute lunch break

***If you guys could lift up a prayer, that would be fabulous. As you can see the Tuesday working interview is the best, but after the long interviewing process I am learning to just surrender.

TicTacs+Cards+Friends+Snacks= ??

Two Games of TEXAS HOLD 'EM 

(top left: materials we used. top right: matt contemplating on what his next move should be)

On Saturday, the 7th of June, Jenny Vick played her first

 game of Poker with experienced competitors Ben Lee, Michelle Lee, and Matt Jorgenson. Two games were played and the consequence for the two losers of the first game were to write 10 nice things on the wall of the two winners' facebook. And the consequence of the second game were for the losers to make dinner for the top winners.

They didn't have poker chips, but with creative friends like Ben and Matt they substituted the chips with tic tacs that the roots class thoughtfully placed in their Austin farewell care packages.

The first round for the night started with much excitement between the competitors. After receiving their pocket cards Matt and Michelle folded, leaving Ben and Jenny to play head-to-head. Jenny's pocket cards were a pair of Ace's and Ben's were a pair of Jack's. After the dealer dealt the flop (3 community cards face-up) the 3rd card ended up being a Jack, giving Ben trips (3 of a kind). Ben decided to go all-in with his 3 trips, and Jenny followed. After revealing their cards, craziness broke out between the players because Ben went over the rules of the game with Jenny before everything had started and Jenny was taught that a 3 card hand didn't count in poker.

Ben and Jenny concluded that it was only fair that the 3 card hand wouldn't count and that they would start the round over. And good thing, because Matt decided to deal the rest of the cards to see what the outcome would have been if the rules were clearly set. The fourth card, also known as the turn card was dealt having no affect on the players hands. BUT when the river (the 5th and final community card) was dealt, it was an ACE, giving Jenny an ACE trip, which would have given her a win for that round and wiped Ben out of the first game.

In the end the winners were...

Check out the facebooks of these players to find out the results.

 

(Ben (bottom right) chuckles on how he is going to wipe Jenny (bottom left) out. Michelle was the photographer for the night, so no picture of her was taken)

A Short and Sweet Clarification of the BOYS Blog.

1. This blog is not about me (maelong).

***maelong= a korean sound to describe the act of sticking out ones tongue. 

2. I posted this blog because of a few conversations I was having about relationships that week.

3. I'm not just saying that boys are the only gender that can be sketchy. I know girls can be as   well, but the title of my blog is "BOYS" not "boys are sketchy and girls are innocent." =)

4. Sketchy= "lacking in completeness."

So, yes to clarify, if someone is ready to date. READY= personally and spiritually mature. Then, please be my guest and give signals, but give signals that are not sketchy. Give signals where you will follow through and take that relationship to the next level or don't bother to give those signals at all.

And don't forget the word READY is capitalized because I believe that is key to make a relationship work. =)

Okay...hope this is brings some clarification to all you sketchballs out there! Puahahaha...kidding! =P

5. And, yes I know that there are holes in my post. Ahahaa, but its okay, relationships can be complicated. I'm not majoring in relationships and posting on my research. I just wanted to post about what I was reflecting on about boys for that week...=D 

Boys!?!

Ahahahaa, this is only my 5th blog and I am already so itchy to blog about the opposite gender. Funny isn't it.

The other day I was talking to someone online about relationships and the things that we learn after breaking up. He said something that I have definitely heard elsewhere, but for some reason this time around the words continue to linger inside my head. 

I seriously ask myself why is this statement lingering? Is it because of the the life stage that I'm at? Or because I hear ridiculous, sketchy stories about what some guys do? Maybe it's because I have my own bias observations of the opposite gender? I honestly can't pin point exactly why, or even why Im blogging about it at 12am instead of sleeping. But yes, regardless, here I am and these were the words...

"The guy needs to risk it and put it out there. If you are scared of defining the relationship, then you don't deserve a relationship."

Ahhhh APPLAUSE!! Ahahahahahaa very well said, I'd have to say!!

Of course, of course, a guy cannot just pull the trigger at every little, tiny, miniscule, feeling that arises. Sho~oot, if that were the case, then wow, people would be in broken relationships everywhere (there are many cases in the world like this). I definitely don't want this to occur.

BUT, dang, can guys stop being so sketchy. If you like the freaking girl then do your homework and go for it. Stop beating around the bush and having these pseudo relationships that confuse the girl and cause her to wonder and think and then even get hurt in the end. And if you don't like her, then stop leading her on. Don't give her special attention and don't go out of your way to talk to her. I really believe that most girls have this 6th sense of knowing. I can't speak for every girl, but most do.

So, MAN-UP! Ahahahaha...I heard from Kav that if you use this on a guy, then they have to do it otherwise it hurts their man pride =D.

Puahahahaa...like I said, I don't know exactly why I'm blogging about this. I think maybe it's pent up frustration from stories that I have been hearing and when I heard that quote it was exactly what I needed to blog!

But anyways. I honestly, don't know how many people actually read my blog, but it feels good to get this off my mind. =D

If you are a guy and you are reading this, it may not pertain to you. So thanks for listening...ahaha. But if it does...if you get even a little, tiny, inkling that this is you, then get some accountability, do your homework, and do what you think is the most selfless and most honoring to that sister. Or, just stop being sketchy and let that sister be, because you don't deserve that relationship anyway...=D

AHHHHHHH...Okay, Im refreshed...Ahahahahahaha!

Love yous!! =D Guys too! =)

Irene Lee, did you see the idiom that I used? Hyeri did you understand? Puahahaha...

The Interview Results are IN!

I woke up this morning with the strange feeling that the dental office didn't go with option #1 and I didn't get the position right away. It was already a little passed 10am, and they start work at 7:35am, so I figured if they really wanted me they would have called me right away.

At 10:54am exactly they call... 

They decide to go with the option #3 and I have to go in for a working interview next week Tuesday the 10th from 1pm-5pm because they still couldn't decide.

Booo...ahahahaa that was my first response. And my second response was to call my mom and then emily (since she has been talking to me about it everyday), and then my third was to go online and chat with those who are "working" since they can't talk on the phone. =P

But yes yes, I was about to do my QT's before I received the phone call, so God reminded me to do that first. I read in the book of Joshua today and used my usual book, Your Daily Walk by Bruce Wilkinson to reflect.

It's funny the verses that God uses to speak to me. If you know me well enough, you will know that my guiding verse for the past 4 years has been Proverbs 3:5-6. It comes up randomly when I have to make a choice or when something happens in my life.

Well, like I said, I read in the book of Joshua today, but in one of the little sections that I was reading in YDW, this little paragraph came out...

:::What decision are you tempted to make without giving God a single thought? Talk to Him first. God delights in guiding those who acknowledge their need of Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). And the consequences of ignoring Him can't be ignored!:::

It's not like anything huge happened today, nothing sad, the door to work at that specific dental office is still open, but I am so impatient, I just wanted to start working ASAP and have everything set or at least know and not be left hanging around... Ahahahahaha!

But yes yes...once again, I am reminded to just trust...everything will work out... just chill and RELAX (the favorite word of so many at HMCC=).

So, tomorrow I am off to go on another interview and we will just see how everything ends up working out. I can't wait to KNOW...the process of going through the unknown can be soo annoying...=P. Ahahahahaahahaaa...kidding...kinda...=P

Longing to love and trust You more...

I had an amazing quiet time today. It has honestly been so dry since I came to Austin, but today I was able to really sit in his presence. I was listening to music the whole time that I was praying and at the every end while I was closing out, this song came on.

:::Can I Stay Here Forever by Starfield:::

Through forgotten convictions

Misplaced affections

I'm losing the sound of your voice

I've been chasing after emptiness

Trying to tidy up this mess

I swear I've been down this road before

I want to get back to where it all began

When I would long for only you

Like a child I'll take You at Your word

As these mountains of doubt they fade away

I'm longing to love and trust You more

....

It was a good song for me to close out my qt's with and once again I was reminded that God brought me to Austin and He will provide...

...To make a long story shorter...

Above is a picture that was taken in April of 2007 with the Dean of the dental school, the director of the U of M hygiene program, and my hygiene class of 07' (can you find me?=). After graduating last year, I couldn't find a hygiene job in AA, because the state is saturated with dental professionals, so for the majority of my work, I ended up working at Sadako (the Japanese restaurant) to keep myself financial okay.

Well, since I came to Austin, Tx, I have already been offered 6 interviews. This is Crazy considering I have only been here for 15 days. 

I had 2 of my interviews last Thursday the 29th of May and I already heard back from one of the offices saying that they are going to go ahead and try a different hygienist and...ahahaa out of courtesy they asked if they could keep my resume on file =). Ahahahahahaa!!

Anyhow, to be honest, I wasn't disappointed that I didn't the position. It was only 2 days a week and even though they were the ones interviewing me, I was also interviewing the office, and for various reasons it wasn't a office that I could see myself working at long-term.

So, IF you were paying attention, I said that I had TWO interviews that day =P. Well, I ended up getting a 2nd interview with the other office this past Monday. Honestly, I would love to work there. I really took a liking to the doctor, the employees are really nice, it is a full-time position with benefits, and the office's chairside manner is similar to what I learned at the U of M.

The office has narrowed the interviewees to 2 people...Me and One other hygienist. I had my 2nd interview this past Monday and the other hygienist had hers today =). Im not gonna lie, I really want the position...

So yes yes...I am waiting to hear back. There are 3 things that can occur when I hear back from the office:

1. They decide to hire me and I work!! =D

2. They decide to hire the other hygienist and I will have to go on my other interviews for this coming Friday and next Wednesday and continue looking for a position.

3. They still cant decide and I will have to go in for a half day of work, along with the other hygienist (this is called a working interview), and they will decide from there.

All in all, through this experience I am learning to just trust in God. He is in control and even though yes I would love to just finish the process of searching and interviewing, God knows best and He will open up a door to the perfect dental office. Whether that be this one or another. Ill keep you guys updated on what happens and no matter what...

God is good and I have to trust and know that I just need to put my best forth and God will take care of the rest. Wow how reassuring eh?! Ahahahahaha...

Thank you for your prayers!! =D

Trucks...the significance they had in my life?!?

On the 2nd day of driving from Memphis to Dallas, I was the 2nd car in a row of 4 and I had to follow closely to PB because I was without a walkie talkie and I didnt want to get lost. I did follow closely at first and we ended up loosing Michelle and Matt, so here is a lovely picture of PB and Ben, as we wait for like 10-15 minutes at a gas station. =D

So, anyhow...after they caught up with us, we were on our way again for a long drive on the freeway. Trees are all around us with a clear sky and because I knew that we were going to be driving for at least an hour before we make another move on the freeway, I began to relax, pop in a Cd that my roommies made for me, reflect upon God and life, and continue to follow PB (but not as closely =).

There are 2 lanes on this highway and we are driving on the left side because we are passing drivers on our right. As we drive by 2 large trucks, the 2nd truck decides to pull infront of me. He didnt have too much room to pull in, but he managed to do so very quickly considering he was a pretty large truck. After he made his move... a few thoughts of irritation crossed my mind with the first being: What the heck does this guy think he's doing? And secondly: That Jerk, he could have waited til I passed him?  And so on...=)

I'm driving behind this truck for a good distance before he passes the first truck and pulls back into the right lane. The whole time I couldn't see ahead of me, because this truck was blocking my view and as I look ahead to see PB, he was a far distance ahead of me. I accelerated to about 95mph to catch up and as I was speeding to get there, I had began thinking about my personal walk with God.

Driving that day reminded my of my Christian walk. My car is me, PB is leading me, Michelle and Matt can talk to PB through the walkie talkie, but they are following me as well, the road is like the journey of my life and the truck is a circumstance/struggle that can occur. I was reminded of a few things, but the one that I was reflecting upon again today was:

::: I have personal relationship with God and He is one that I desire so much to follow, but when I lose focus, it is easy for me to lose that momentum and fall behind. In this case, if I do lose that momentum, circumstances can occur and I can fall behind on the very things that God has in store for my life. The circumstances can come out of anywhere and when they do, if I dont keep my focus on God and know the direction in which he is leading me, I can lose focus because the circumstance will be soo big that it will transfer my focus from God to that very struggle or situation :::

So yes yes, this reflection was exactly 14 days ago, but I am sharing it because God spoke to me that day and reminded me of it today. Before I left AA, I was growing spiritually, I could feel God moving in my life, and honestly there were so many times during the day where I just wanted to sit in front of God and be in his presence.

But, while I was traveling to Austin and even while I've been here, I began to lose that focus. I began to see the circumstances, the feelings of doubt, and myself more than I saw God. And today, he reminded me again that I need to cling to Him. Cling to Him each day and be reminded that Im on a journey and He is my guide and as long as I desire to follow, he will lead me.

I ran tonight after our whole team met together (susan, rachel and toufue were skyped in with us). And it felt soo~o good to just run, to reflect, and reconnect with God.

Welcome to My Page...

Wow, its been exactly 2 weeks since our team arrived in Austin, TX. Crazy how quickly time passes us by and as I look back, I wonder what I used my time on (lots of movies, all of the sex and the city episodes, sleeping, interviewing). As I reflect back upon my days when I first remember time going by so quickly, it began in while I was in junior high school (between 7th and 8th grade to be exact). I remember saying each year, "wow this year went by so quickly" and each year would pass by faster than the previous year.

God gave us One Life and each opportunity counts, but its so easy to squander them on momentary, temporary things.

So, anyhow, while I was leaving to come to Austin, I thought about starting a blog because I really value the friendship that I have made with yous and even though we are miles and miles away, I would love to continue to share my life with yous. By reading my blog and the reflections that I post, you can laugh with me when I share about my goofy moments, cry with me when I share about the sad times that I will experience, think critically with me as I analyze moments, and most Importantly, PRAY with me when I share about my struggles and various happenings in my life. I really do covet your prayers! =D

So yes yes...this is my first entry, wow I cannot believe that I will actually post. Check up and read when you have the time and even if you dont have the time, check up anyway, okay...ahahahhaa. I love you guys and I hope to post frequently even if its about the little things that happen in my day. Cus hey... its the little things in life that count...=D 

Love Love Love Yous!