A Night at The Public.

We had our weekly Creative Arts Ministry (CAM) meeting at Ben's restaurant The Public in SOMA. I love coming here, because the atmosphere is chill and the food that Ben prepares for us is great.

Church Wildlife.

Someone at church dressed up in this panda suit for Fall Launch. I don't think anyone understood the reason why he decided to do this, but at the same time, with the scratching heads and questioning faces at the mall, I found it to be hilariously random.

Meet Pastor Dave.

Pastor Dave Chae, the head pastor of Great Exchange Covenant Church, joined us for dinner after church today. Since our group was so large, he had to change seats in the middle of dinner to give everyone in the group an opportunity to speak with him. For some reason, all of the younger, single/not-ready-to-get-married-yet individuals were sitting on one side of the table, where the questions were mainly about establishing and maintaining relationships. Conversely, the other side of the table, consisting of mainly serious relationship types and soon-to-be-engaged people were taking the questions to a higher level. Rather than asking about relationships, when Pastor Dave got to that side of the room, the topic changed to family and raising children.

Tonight made me realize that I really got a long way to go...

Peace.

I was looking for a shot at church today, and I noticed this verse over one of the stairways leading to our sanctuary. With many of the things that have been going on with my friends recently, this is a real encouragement. So amidst the mountaintop experiences and the valleys, we need to be reminded of this truth.

A Chris Tomlin Night.

Tonight, Jeff, Hannah, and I went to San Jose to see Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and Louie Giglio in the "How Great Is Our God" tour. The concert was held in a packed SJSU Event Center, and it was awesome to see the place filled with worshippers from all walks of life.

I was bummed because we were under the impression that Matt Redman wasn't going to be there. However, much to my surprise, after Chris led us into worship, he invited Matt up on stage to join him. With a powerful message by Louie Giglio about the majesty and glory of God's power- as seen in His creation of the universe and the stars- the night was just what I needed.

I included another picture of Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman leading us into praise below.

Overcrowded.

Small group this Friday was moved to Rona's apartment. With 20+ people crammed into her cozy one-bedroom, we knew that floor space was a valuable commodity, so we decided, in homage to our Asian roots, to leave our shoes outside the door. I thought it'd be an interesting shot, so I stepped out for a minute to capture this image.

I go to church.

While on my way to church this evening, I was desperately looking for a shot before service. I knew that because we'd be hanging out and having dinner after church, it'd be harder to find one later into the night. The sky was getting darker, so the option of an outdoor shot was running slim. At the same time, I really wanted to shoot outside because I noticed that the pictures that I've taken recently have mostly been indoor shots. Needless to say, there was a sense of urgency, and time was running short.

As I exited my car and proceeded to leave the parking lot, I was vigorously scanning my surroundings to see if I could snap a quick picture before it was too dark. But to my avail, I wound up with nothing. Dejected, I headed across the street to the church, when I saw something I hadn't noticed before: the entrance sign to our church. I quickly pulled out my camera and adjusted the ISO and metering, hoping that even under the dim light, something could emerge.

And there it was, the shot of the night. I love it. The picture seems to capture the message of welcoming everyone into the fellowship of light. Quite symbolic indeed.

So you think you can dance?

Today, I joined Al and the gang as GRX SF's dance ministry kicked off their first session of the year. I honestly don't know why I decided to show up, and although it was hard for me to keep up, I wound up enjoying it. During the session, my previous theory came to mind: it's hard for me to keep up because it take more energy to move my big ol' body at the same count as average-sized people (or people smaller than me). While the jury's still out on this theory, I think I might continue attending. We shall see...

24/7 = Goofballs.

Tonight was the first small group of 2oo7. It seems like ages since we all met up, and it was really refreshing. As difficult as it was to leave NC, the church community here has made transitioning to the city more bearable. So yeah, because it was our first small group of the year, our fearless leader Jason decided that we should take a group picture. Quite fittingly, this shot captures the personality of our small group: in essence, we're all a bunch of ding-dongs.

Family picture...

This is why I miss North Carolina. And this is why I call NC home. Because my family is there, and after this trip, I know that sometime in my life, I will move back there to be reunited with them. Until then, I miss you guys.

Refiner's Fire,,,

On the last night of the retreat, we had a traditional bonfire sharing fellowship. As brothers and sisters poured out their hearts with the campfire and the picturesque lake illuminated in the background, I couldn't help be feel overwhelmed. I became humbled by the stories shared as members of our congregation opened themselves up to us, and by the end of the night, this song came into my mind.

Refiner's fire...
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for you, my Master
Ready to do Your will...

Meet Heidi and Cheryl.

Faith and I arrived early at Camp Oak Hill to help set up for registration. While taking a break, I noticed that Heidi and Cheryl were sitting at a distance, catching up with each other after a long winter break. I didn't want to interrupt their mini-reunion, and instead decided to capture the moment from afar. The thing I love about this shot is that I think it captures their friendship beautifully. Oh and another reason is because I can totally picture them in the same position thirty and forty years down the road, sitting in rocking chairs, still enjoying each other's company...