(*) Hosanna - Brook Fraser - Hillsong United

Hi all, I can't wait to post a blog. My studies are going well, please pray for me as I take the medical boards this coming Thursday and then again next Monday.

As I was reading the Psalms this week, I had so many inspirations that I can't wait to share with you. I feel like God is showing me a picture of what praise and worship is like in His presence. (I'm in Psalm 111-118, today I started Psalm 119) I heard this song first time going to church with my friends Larry and Holly in AZ, and I heard it again last night in church. I love this song! As I think on the words of this song, I can see the King coming with all of His Glory! As she sings "Break my heart for what breaks yours..." I got choked up and tears just stream down my face. I have experienced heart break, but, I don't know what breaks God's heart... I know I break His heart. It makes me cry to know how tender our loving Father is. As I listen to this song, I love the fact that there are many of His dearests out there who have put into words their experiences of God. It makes me want to be completely drown in that Agape Love.

Here is the you tube video of Hillsong United playing the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7SMUf6QcyQ
Here is the video of Brook sharing how God inspired her to write:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sABWDaRX1E&feature=related

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HOSANNA

Verse 1
I see the King of Glory
Coming down the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes

I see His Love and Mercy
Washing over all our sins
The people sing, the people sing

Chorus
Hosanna, Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest (2x)

Verse 2
I see a generation
Rising up to take the place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith

I see a new revival
Staring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees

Bridge
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Hosanna

Studying... brb

So, sorry I've been a little silent, I have been studying. I have so much to share, but, no time to share it. I am studying Step 2 of the medical boards. I take them in 2 weeks, please keep me in your prayers. So, instead of checking and posting new blogs. I've decided to be disciplined about my studies. So, if you happen to read this, please check out my previous posts if you haven't been here before... If you have been here before, stay tuned. I will be back in 2 weeks....

ps. I've noticed that there are people from all over the US, Canada, Europe, North Africa, Middle-East who read this blog... I love it! I would like to get to know what you think of my blog and I would love to hear your story. If you have any questions for me, please don't be shy to leave one. Please leave me a comment and let me know how I can stay in touch with you.

Blessings.

Sun setting over the Channel Islands @ Ventura C Stree Surf

Taylor and his cross bike

Me and my cross bike

Tip number one-o: don't ride a bike with a cut off shirt in the middle of the day! I got such nasty sun burn right on my shoulders... ouch, they hurt!

Tip number two-o: don't use your front brakes suddenly down a soft dirt hill! I nearly rolled over the handle bar, then fell into a bush full of thorny prickley things... ouch, they hurt and itch!

Taylor was long gone on his studly bike... me, I am just a ball of hurt... but, that's ok, I really enjoyed myself. It was a challenge for sure. That hill kicked my hine-e today. Hill +1, Bike +1, George -2. At least it all balanced out.

Ventura Beach & Pier

Man, Ventura is beautiful! Taylor and I rode our cyclocross bikes from his house down to the beach trails and back, about 14miles, it was soooo nice. Ventura has a lazy beach town feel with people walking all over the place in. I am enjoying myself.

Time Off

This past weekend was nice and relaxing in Yosemite with family. We spent some time hiking and hanging out by the river. We also saw an evening program given by the photoartist Art Wolfe. He was presenting a recent production called Travel to the Edge with Art Wolfe, that is going to air on PBS. I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation as he took the audience all over the world: India, Andes, Patagonia, Somalia, Madagascar, and finishing off with South Georgia Island. All the travelling, sceneries, people, cultures, and nature are truly amazing. The beauty of God's creation, and the wisdom behind all the beauty makes my heart pound with excitement as I sat at the edge of my seat during the entire presentation. Let me tell you, he's got my second most favorite job in the world, traveling the world meeting cultures and taking photos! Be completely immersed in the cultures and getting to know the people, animals, and nature... it is awesome! (I am doing my most favorite job in the world, studying to be a physician.)

As I get back, now I am on the road again. This time, to Ventura to visit dear friends. I have decided that I wasn't going to pay the money to drive to Ventura, enduring the traffic and subpar drivers... so the next best option is to take the train! It was actually a pretty beautiful and relaxing ride and only cost 25 bucks round trip!

Ok, I know you are just itching to see some pictures of Yosemite, here they are. One note, I got to go on a photo workshop given by Art Wolfe, and sponsored by Canon, so I took some of these pictures with a very nice Canon SLR digital. Art Wolfe gave the group some really good advice on how to start taking a good picture.... alright, I'm gonna give them to you:

1. Artists like to take pictures at the margins of the day, 2 hours after sunrise and 2 hours before sunset... it is because the mild light give everything color. They also say that if it is overcasted you can shoot all day. They think the middle of the day and sunny days are the worst time for photo composition, because the light bleaches out all the colors and everything turns grey. It's true.
2. When taking pictures, think composition. Think that you are telling a story or convey a feeling by your picture. Don't just point and shoot. Include objects in your pictures that point and direct the viewer to the message. Play with putting things into and out of focus. Use a line of direction, such as a dead tree... put the camera on the tree and point it to a waterfall or something to guide your viewer to the fall, instead of putting the fall in the middle of the picture.
3. Always use a polarizer filter, it can take out glare and enrich color in your photos.
4. Always think LIGHT first. When you see a subject to be photographed, think where is the light source. You can convey different emotions and feelings by photographing a subject from different angles with various lines of shades.
5. Always think the big picture, don't just think about the subject... think about what you are including in the background of your subject... should it be in focus or out of focus... Art gave an example, that many people in Yosemite goes right to snapping the picture of a grazing deer without realizing that there is a huge tour bus in the background.
6. If you want to make the waterfall appeared 'silky,' you have to prolong the exposure time of the picture. One way to do that is to increase the aperature setting, the F-stop, try F22. Another way is to lengthen exposure speed, try setting a lower ISO like 1/30. (normal film speed is around 1/200 to 1/400)
7. "When I can make the photo appear to be a painting, magic happens." - Art Wolfe

I think these starting tips would make us better photographers...

Art Wolfe giving the tips; my application of increasing exposure to create silky flowing water of the Merced River

Pictures of the meadow

Dead tree; Vernal Falls, did you notice that there are 2 rainbows? It may be hard to see, but, there is one 'positive' rainbow (the brighter one on bottom) where the colors appear red to violet from top to bottom, then there is the 'negative' rainbow (the faint one on top of the brighter one) where the colors appear violet to red from top to bottom. I didn't knew that until my dad showed it to me! Go dad.

The Mammoth Sequoia tree, this one on left is call the Grizzly Pine, it is said to be around 2,700 years old! This tree has been here before the time of Christ and through many world disasters and wild fires. It is said that the Giant Sequoia Trees are immune to bugs, other life forms, and fire. The way they die is usually by falling over. The picture on the right is of the 'faithful couple,' that is literally 2 trees growing into one.

I've enjoyed the natural wonders, I hope I've inspired some naturalist photographer in you :)

Peace out!

A note worthy blog

Any Bible buffs or history buffs out there? I am sure you'll get a kick out of visiting my friends Larry and Holly Baca's blog: azbacafamily.blogspot.com. If you go to the sidebar on the left to 'favorite blogs' you will see their blog under the title 'My Spiritual Journey.' Larry just got back from a trip to Israel a few weeks ago. He has a chronicle of his journey on the site. They also are having a baby girl, and you can see their baby ultrasound pictures on there. The short time I've spend with them talking about Israel and Bible history, I've learned a ton. I am sure he will be posting more pictures and journals on there as time goes on. The picture on the top of their blog is a picture Larry took, facing East, sitting on the bluff of the Sea of Galilee during a sunrise service. Amazing!

(*) The Gardener's Delight, by my mom on 3/20/08

“Mommy, come quick! What happened to the blossoms of yellow and pink orchids? They are gone! And look, the large pink Easter lilies and the birds-of-paradise also are missing a few stalks.” “Ah, I know, mommy must have taken some flowers to the cemetery today.”

It has always been my delight to give beautiful flowers and plants from my garden to the ones I love. I know that the plants from my garden are not always perfect, but, they all carry the beautiful aroma of my home. As I remembered my own mother and father, who have already gone to Heaven, I know for sure that they understood my heart. Perhaps, it is because my mother gave birth to me on the first day of Spring that is why I have always loved all facets of nature: mountains, forests, flowers, trees, grass, fruits, and vegetables. On the day of my birthday each year, I faithfully offer fresh flowers from my garden to my mother’s grave as a way of remembrance and thankfulness for the legacy my mother had left within me. In the same light, each time I hear a student mention their birthday celebration or utter a wish-list of gifts, I would always remind them that the most important part of their birthday is to express thankfulness to their mother for carrying them and bring them into life.

Sometimes friends ask me, “You are so busy, when do you have time to plant and nurture flowers?” As I ponder that question, my mind took me to a memory of a sculpture in the garden of my elementary school. On the sculpture carved these words, “It takes ten years to grow a tree, but, a hundred years to mature a person.” This proverb has been engraved on my mind. May be I am someone’s teacher or someone’s mother, but, as I contemplate over this proverb, especially while working in the middle of my garden, I realized that the plants in my hands are like my students and my children! They are all my precious gifts. I pray and hope that they all grow to become as mature and as strong as they can be. Other than giving the very best care I can offer to them, I always remind myself that the journey of maturation requires time, and sometimes, these precious gifts of mine will have to go through suffering and survive the destruction of the violent storms and vicious bugs and pests. I need to have more patience as I watch them mature and endure hardship on the journey of growth. During the process of nurturing children, I discovered that I have too many limitations. Therefore, I have learned to pray to God each morning for my children, my students and their families for God to shower them blessings and to strengthen their hearts in the midst of adversity and to fill their hearts with God’s peace.

I also take delight in the uniqueness of some of my plants and flowers. Appreciating each phases of their growth is like seeing children of all different backgrounds excel in their learning of Mandarin. I take great joy in giving students and families plants that I have grown in my garden as a way to share my excitement and the joy of life with them. As I pour out love to develop these children, I also teach them, “Value your precious life and make the most of all your opportunities.” Amidst of my garden, beauty may come in many forms. Look at the little noisy song birds, dressed with many vibrant colors, singing their unique songs, flying as they wish, singing as they wish, as if they are fully enjoying the blessings of their freedom.

I also enjoy working the garden with my husband. Even though, we work on different projects, and at times, without much conversation, but, as we appreciate all that we have accomplished together, our hearts are filled with warmth and love. As the sun sets in our garden, over our manicured grass and vegetables, our hearts are filled again with satisfaction and thanksgiving.

Truthfully speaking, the work of the garden is never finished! It is hard work! But, why does it attract me? Let me share with you the secret: My garden is the place where my heart and spirit rest as I lay out thoughts and converse freely with my best-friend Jesus.

I am not a professional gardener, but, I enjoyed spending all my time there because I love to see things grow and mature. Similarly, as I teach the SAT Mandarin class, I also tell my students this, “I, your teacher, am not a magician. I am a coach who is willing to run and train with each of you.” The responsibility of the coach is not merely to pass on the secrets of success, but, to restlessly encourage the ones being trained. As students faithfully pursue the learning of Mandarin, continue to grow in their competencies and starting to master the heart of the language and culture, the satisfaction of watching these students mature is my reward. Thus, the gardener’s delight!

My Buddy Codie!

I've always enjoyed my stay at the Baca's house with their big baby Codie.