Indian/Irish Man in Texas

UK Trying to Ban Internet P0rn

2010-12-20T22:37:00.001-06:00

I applaud the UK for researching the possibilities of blocking internet p0rnography, but highlt doubt it is feasable.

This article in BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12041063 says that the ISPs being asked to block this crude content is not possible.

Beyond the idea that it's not possible, we get into the realm of 'censorship' and what we here in the United States call 'liberty'. As someone that follows Christ, I don't think this kind of crude and damaging material should have any sort of Constitutional protection because I highly doubt the founders of America would have wanted this material to be protected by out laws.

Never-the-less I applaud the UK government for trying and hope that a similar attempt to curb this nasty medium is in the works.

Posted via email from Chacko World

Devotion to Faith by Mormon Youth

2010-11-22T23:53:00.001-06:00

I was always curious why Mormon youth seemed to be so much more devoted to their faith than protestant Christians of the same age. After tonight's reading of Almost Christian, I have a better idea of why that is.

To simplify what I read tonight of Kenda Creasy Dean's Almost Christian: What Faith of Out Teenagers Is Telling the American Church, the Mormon religion teaches devotion. Devotion to the practices of Mormonism are ingrained in the minds of young Mormons. It is a part of life for them, not just a mere suggestion of how things should be done.

The most telling story is that Mormon teenagers must attend Mormon Seminary which occurs at around 5:30 AM each day. This action is supported by the community, the family and the peers! Can you imagine suggesting that to the majority of Protestant youth today? Asking them to get up early in the morning so they can learn more about God's Word and why their parents do what they do and why it's important. Not only would the teenagers be opposed to this, I imagine that many parents would be as well.

This is obviously an oversimplification of the writing and research of Kenda revealed in her book, but it gives you the general idea.

Parent Pleasing or True Faith-based Action?

The other point drawn out by Creasy in her book is this:

Is this "commitment" to studying the scriptures and acting appropriately a way for these Mormon children to merely please their parents, or is it something they do because of the strong faith that they have?

That is a question that is obviously unanswerable, but one that must be thought through when looking at these findings. The same question can be asked of the teenage Christians that seem to be committed to studying the Bible. Typically those children come from homes where both parents have that faith and expect their children too.

These are questions we can never really have the answer to. I pose this question though,

Is the life that we live as followers of Christ worth imitating?

Posted via email from Chacko World

Declaration vs. Demonstration

2010-11-18T21:10:00.001-06:00

The title and majority of the content has been stolen from this blogpost in which the author quote J.R. Vassar. Now that you know this post is based on unoriginal content you can decide whether or not to continue reading.

You're still reading? Great. Here is the line of text from the quote that really stuck out to me and forced me to ask myself some challenging questions:

"Christ may have been assumed in the answer, but he was not proclaimed."

When I perform an act of service or give to someone in need who/what do I cite as my motivation for doing such a task? Do I say, "Because the love of Christ and His Gospel transformed my life, I am now free to give!" ? Or do we give the logical answer? "I have been given much so I might as well give to others."

In the first answer the Lord is glorified and in the second, not so much. So I pose this question to you and myself. Do my words and actions assume Christ in my life or do they proclaim Christ?

It's a simple thought and simple question, but one I think must be asked.

Posted via email from Chacko World

video made me smile

2010-11-03T06:20:00.001-05:00

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Demonstrating Strength by Seth Godin

2010-10-07T13:43:00.001-05:00

Apologize

Defer to others

Avoid shortcuts

Tell the truth

Offer kindness

Seek alliances

Volunteer to take the short straw

Choose the long-term, sacrificing the short

Demonstrate respect to all, not just the obviously strong

Share credit and be public in your gratitude

Risking the appearance of weakness takes strength. And the market knows it.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/10/demonstrating-strength.html

Posted via email from Chacko World

Dust it off and try again

2010-10-01T00:24:00.001-05:00

That's a line in a popular hip-hop sing, but still an appropriate and Biblical way to approach life and our day-to-day life.

How often do we pray for something one time and when we don't get the answer we want, we stop asking? Or how eager are we to stop trying something the Lord has asked us to do if it doesn't work the first time? Or what if a door is closed, but the Lord sakes us to knock one more time, do you trust Him enough to knock again?

In Luke 5 we see Peter is so ready to obey the Lord. Look at this:
v4 "And when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draughts. v5 And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and too nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets."

Despite Peter's previous experience of failure, he was ready to do exactly what the Lord asked of him even if it meant doing the same thing again. I'm sure people around thought Peter looked ridiculous when they saw him going back out to fish. They knew he was fishing all night and knew he wouldn't catch anymore just by fishing for a while longer.

Are you ready and willing to do what the Lord asks you to do, even if it's caused pain and failure in the past? Or if it makes you seem foolish in the eyes of others?

Dust yourself off and try again, because the Lord asked you to.

Sent from my iPad

Posted via email from Chacko World

Our Daily Bread: a devotional resource

2010-04-26T02:38:00.001-05:00

This first post is a quick informational update. I wanted to let you know about Our Daily Bread, a daily, mini-devotional that share a verse along with a small story and application. Is it meant to be an intensive Bible study? By no means, rather, a teaser to draw you into the Lord's Word.

Also, I wanted to let you know that often time thoughts and ideas that will be shared on this blog will be expanded thoughts from Our Daily Bread and other, similar devotionals.

There will be actual content in the future, but wanted to share this link in case you're looking for an introductory look at daily reading in the Bible.

Posted via web from Devotional Thoughts

The shampoo in my shower

2010-01-03T19:05:00.001-06:00

Is this really suppposed to help make me cleaner?

Posted via email from chacko's posterous

A recent trip to the dentist office

2009-12-06T20:48:00.001-06:00

This was one of my least painful days at the dentist :)

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me in an airplane bathroom

2009-12-06T20:44:00.001-06:00

I don't quite fit!!! Who builds these things?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jonathan Chacko <chacko.ja@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Subject:
To: Jonathan Chacko <chacko.ja@gmail.com>

Posted via email from chacko's posterous

Untitled

2009-10-29T19:47:00.001-05:00

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Question on my mind...

2009-06-26T16:01:00.002-05:00

How are you manifesting your love for Christ?
What are you doing that shows your love for Christ!?!

It's a question I need to start asking myself daily.

Mr. T and Mother's Day....must watch!!

2009-05-10T01:06:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!
On this day we should all appreciate our mothers, but I think Mr. T says it best in his music video...that's right!!! Mr. T has a music video and it's a must watch!!!

I appreciate my mother - Jane Chacko.

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Art of Obama

2009-04-29T11:52:00.001-05:00

This is a piece of art that an artist wanted to unveil on Obama's 100th day in office as President of United States. Provocative.
The artist wanted this piece to be provocative.

As someone who is 'religious' the portrait is offensive. After reading the artist's reasoning (or lack of reasoning) behind his painting, I am a little less offended.

Look at these links to read more about the art and it's purpose. In the end the artist decided to cancel the unveiling because of how much reaction his art had garnered.
Please click the last 2 links.
The 2nd to last is a Catholic's perspective on the art. The last is an interview with the artist - interesting.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96138

http://www.artbistro.com/news/articles/8824-painter-unveils-controversial-work-of-obama-on-his-100th-day-in-office?utm_source=nlet&utm_content=ab_r3_20090428_uoba

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS190871+24-Apr-2009+PRN20090424

http://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2009/04/open-letter-to-artist-michael-dantuono.html

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ODA0NTc0ZWIyYTYyOTU5NGVjNDhjNGY2MDA0MDQzYmU=

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Update on Blago & Da Bears!

2009-04-02T18:01:00.001-05:00

So...I had blogged about Illinois' ex-governor a ways back and how he was a criminal!
And just today the the Grand Jury indicted Blagojevich on 16 Felony Counts...kinda crazy!

In other big news...
The Chicago Bears just traded for a new quarterback! Jay Cutler! Now, Jay Cutler (JC) is a franchise type QB but he did come at a hefty price. Let's hope he was worth it! Time will tell. And we also got Orlando Pace!

Here's some more info on Cutler and Pace http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/jay_cutler/

Time will tell if this was worth the price..or maybe you already know.

Posted via email from chacko's posterous

State of Emotion

2009-03-28T11:58:00.005-05:00

The title of this blog was inspired by the song Out of Control (State of Emotion) by Keane . The blog wasn't inspired that song...only the title!

This past Thursday, March 26th, I was able to attend the Renewal Pastor's Summit in Fort Worth, TX held at the Pantego Bible Church. I arrived at this summit at around 5:15pm to help Gospel for Asia with a table we had setup. We were passing out free books (get yours! It's worth reading) to anyone who wanted one. Many pastors were there and ideally we were looking of people who might be interested in partnering with us in reaching the billions of lost in Asia for Christ.

People were walking by and around 7pm Jim Cymbala was speaking. For those of you who don't know who he is...he's the pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn, NY and also a noted author. Most well known is his book, Fresh Wind. Fresh Fire . Needless to say, in Texas where nearly everyone is churched, people were excited to hear him speak.

While he was speaking about the need for prayer in the church as well as faith...he went on small tangent about emotion and expressing our joy, pain, love, hope for Christ and what he has done. He went on to tell a story about an evening at his church. I was sitting behind a group of about 35 - 40 male inmates from a local prison who were praising God quite emotionally and vocally.

It was an amazing sight to see. These men who are locked up in prison were expressing their freedom, their joy and thankfulness to God for saving them! They were shouting..saying AMEN louder than anyone else in the place and singing louder than anyone else! Jim spoke a little about how Christians some how don't want to show emotion when it comes to Christ and the church.

Why is that?

We can watch our favorite team score a winning touchdown. Watch Michael Jordan his the final, winning shot in the NBA finals, be inspired by his 40 point performance while having a stomach virus...BUT when it comes to celebrating the eternal, wise God, savior of my life and of this world...we fail to show our excitement and appreciation!

What are we scared of?

The passage Jim shared from was...

Psalm 119:49

Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

The psalmist is speaking to God, reminding Him that He has promised so many things and that those promises are his hope! These promises are my hope too! God's Word and His promises are a great comfort in time of pain and discouragement. The psalmist says these words literally bring him to life! What an amazing thought! Does this inspire praise and emotion? Worship?

Verse 50

This is my comfort in my affliction; for they word hath quickened me.

I'm not talking about emotionalism...I'm talking about expressing your feelings and love to God!

What's your state of emotion?

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Arby's 4 three/free

2009-03-26T14:15:00.001-05:00

Over the past few days I've been visiting Arby's for there free Roast Burger (All-American is the best one) with a purchase of a drink. Now, with each receipt you receive from Arby's is also a survey. If you fill out the survey you can get a free roast beef sandwich or beef'n cheddar..you choose!
I've taken advantage of this and have saved up 3 receipts and today I will use all 3 at the same time to help feed my friends!

I love coupons now!

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Do you really want to see Obama fail?

2009-03-11T11:49:00.004-05:00

Interview with T.L. Hughley and Francis Schaeffer's son

I think there are some valid points here, but any Christian should be praying for our current leader no matter what is happening.

You don't have to support him, but atleast pray that the Lord would Him!

Cousins' Chicken Enchiladas

2009-03-10T18:37:00.008-05:00

On Monday, March 9th 2009, my cousin, Felix, and I embarked on a journey to make beef enchiladas. After much toiling to purchase the proper ingredients and a few trips to the store later, we soon realized we didn't have time or energy to make the intended dish.

Not to be defeated we mixed it up and bit and created our own version of enchiladas.

We located a recipe for beef echiladas on allrecipes.com, a great site to finding simple or complex recipes for any dish! Because we had not planned ahead, our ground beef had not thawed enough and I decided we should just use the chicken I had in the freezer instead. No longer having a recipe for our dinner, we had to improvise and boy did we improvise!

We both agreed it was quite delicious! I'll post the recipe below...if I can remember everything we did.

Here you go (Serves 6):

Ingredients:

1.5 cups salsa

1 (15 oz) can of black beans

.5 stick butter

1 tablespoon garlic salt

2.5 cups chopped chicken breast

8 flour tortillas

1 (18oz) can echilada sauce

1 chopped clove garlic

2 cups shredded cheese (recommend fiesta blend)

.5 cup lemon juice

on the side: 1 tomato chopped, 1 cup, shredded lettuce. .5 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9" x 13" baking dish.
Cook chicken, salsa, lemon juice, chopped garlic and black beans lightly
Melt 1/2 stick of butter, then mix 1 tablespoon of garlic salt.
Use half of the butter/garlic salt mixture to spread on bottom of the dish.
Spread 1/4 can enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish
Lay 4.5 flour tortillas in dish, on top of sauce so that the dish is covered.
Spread rest of butter/garlic salt mixture atop tortillas evenly
Pour chicken, salsa, black beans, lemon juice on top of tortillas evenly
Spread 1/4 cup of shredded cheese evenly
Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce evenly
Lay 4.5 flour tortillas on top evenly
Spread the rest of the enchilada sauce over top evenly
Layer with shredded cheese evenly and top with pepper
Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted and sauce is bubbling
Cook rice to serve with enchiladas along with fresh tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream!

Mmmmm mmmm good!

International Day of Awesomeness

2009-03-10T16:34:00.004-05:00

Today is the International Day of Awesomeness!

Why the picture you may ask?

For those of you who watch the TV show 'Chuck' on NBC, you know that this character is affectionately named Captain Awesome. So I thought it was only appropriate to put his pic up.

Interestingly, today is Chuck Norris' birthday. The father of awesome was birthed today...what a way to celebrate!?!

The Great Distraction

2009-03-06T10:14:00.007-06:00

Come on Illinois! Are you serious?

Illinois has just re-statused (not a real word, I don't think) Pluto to be a planet!

READ IT here, from the Illinois Senate's site.

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that as Pluto passes overhead through Illinois’ night skies, that it be reestablished with full planetary status, and that March 13, 2009 be declared “Pluto Day” in the State of Illinois in honor of the date its discovery was announced in 1930.

WHEREAS, Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of the planet Pluto, was born on a farm near the Illinois community of Streator

I'm proud that a fellow Illinoisan discovered a planet! That's awesome and it was known as the ninth in our solar system...that's awesome! And I'm proud that I know where Streator, IL actually is too.

The legislation goes on to say one very ridiculous statment:

WHEREAS, Dr. Tombaugh is so far the only Illinoisan and only American to ever discover a planet; and

It's awesome that he's from American and from IL, but he's not the only American to have discovered a planet! Come on Illinois!

The legislation does make one good point, atleast according to my uneducated perspective.

WHEREAS, Pluto was unfairly downgraded to a "dwarf" planet in a vote in which only 4 percent of the International Astronomical Union's 10,000 scientists participated; and WHEREAS, Many respected astronomers believe Pluto's full planetary status should be restored; therefore, be it

Only 4% of the scientists voted on this. Granted, I don't know how many normally vote, but if there is a good contingency of scientists who still believe Pluto should be a planet and only 4% voted it shouldn't be - there is a reason to gripe!

I also don't think a state senate should be legislating science!

Illinois went on to do something else great:

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that as Pluto passes overhead through Illinois' night skies, that it be
reestablished with full planetary status, and that March 13, 2009 be declared "Pluto Day" in the State of Illinois in honor of the date its discovery was announced in 1930.

They made March 13th "PLUTO DAY" in Illinois! I'm sorry future students of the Illinois public school system!

As one blogger put it, Illinois is making

an obvious attempt to distract America from Blagojevich’s hair...

 Haha...if you've seen his hair, you know exactly what's being talked about.  If you haven't seen his hair, scroll down to my post on "Things Not to Do"

March 13, 2009 shall be called the day of THE GREAT DISTRACTION.

is it that bad?

2009-03-05T16:10:00.001-06:00

My friend recently wrote me this:
"i'm thinking of starting a blog.

the life of me

from single

to married

to slave."

Is marriage that bad?

Start of Something New

2009-03-05T09:28:00.005-06:00

I have been gradually collecting pictures to post on my blog and at the encouragement of a friend (Abby), I will start now!

STORY:
I have a friend from near Toledo, OH and all through college she talked about how bad Toledo was. Boring, dark and dreary. After college however, she ended up moving back home to Toledo and has since tried to convince me of how great her great city really is.

Oddly enough, a new co-worker of hers used to work where I work in Dallas, TX. This co-worker, Sarah, brought with her a mug from Abby for me so that I too could display my LOVE of Toledo! The mug says: "I <3> Toledo"

Sorry Abby! This is for appearances only.

Bruce Lee & the Bible

2009-03-04T16:52:00.005-06:00

One of my all-time favorite interviews focuses on Bruce Lee and some of his thoughts. The ideology of Bruce Lee isn't somethat I ascribe to, but I his accent and intensity of this interview just cracks me up! Take a look at the interivew:

Bruce is perhaps my favorite action movie actor. First of all, he's for real. He's a martial artist and not the Stephen Segal of martial arts, but the ORIGINAL in american films. Bruce introduced martial arts to the American mainstream media in film and television. He's in shape, the master of his sport and just plain fun to watch. Sadly, Bruce passed away at a young age, but his impact on martial arts in America and in film is still being felt.

How did I arrive at this topic you way wonder.... As a designer I'm always on the lookout for cool design ideas, good uses of typography and the like. I fell upon this video
which places Bruce Lee's interview in text and imagery and is done well....I thought.

At the begining of the interview Bruce says, "Empty your mind. Be formless..." In the Eastern world and in a cutlure where meditation and yoga are prominent, that statement may not seem like much. And now, even in America, where yoga and Eastern thought have caught fire; the idea of emptying your mind seems like such a great idea. There are so many stresses, pains, thoughts, distractions and other things weighing down on our minds, bodies and spirits daily, that we relish anything that offers a way to unload. Many people subscribe to the idea of emptying your mind. What's wrong with that? Maybe nothing.

The idea of emptying the mind is not necessarily any sort of principle in the Bible. Sure, the Bible speaks of meditating. Meditation in the Bible is always in context of God's Word. One would contemplate, think on, mull over the words from God. Not remove thoughts. Rather fill your mind with what God has for you. Of course Bruce is telling you to 'empty your mind' so you can become whatever you need to become. Perhaps, be all things to all people :) Yet, you keep your identity.

I wrote this worthless post to essentially say one thing. This process of emptying your mind can't stop there! Your mind has to be filled with something. I recommend the Bible. You can be formless. Be ready to pour yourself into whatever God has for you. The key here is that God is the one pouring and not you. You are merely the water and He is choosing what form you will take. Humble yourself and be ready for what God has at hand (Philippians 2:1 - 11).

Be water my friend. Just be sure you're not the one pouring.

Michelin Man has a Name!!!

2009-02-20T12:15:00.001-06:00

Who knew? The big, rotund, tire inspired character known as the Michelin Man, actually has a name. Can you guess what coutry he's from?
His name is....DRUM ROLL PLEASE......
Monsieur Bibendum. Ya, that's right. That's his name! Who thought of that?

I found this link to 25 Random Things about Graphic Deisgn.
Here are a few more things you might find interesting.

3. The Nike swoosh was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971, while she was a student at Portland State University. She was paid $35.

7. The worlds first website(as we know them today) was launched in 1992. You can still visit the URL here

18. The Great Seal of the United States was designed in the 1770's by the then secretary of congress, Charles Thomson.

19. The Red Cross is known as The Red Crescent in Muslim countries. Its logo also changes from a cross to a crescent.

Here are the rest in the list.

I can't believe he has a name.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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Thomas Jefferson and the Best Cup of Cho (colate)

2009-02-18T16:15:00.003-06:00

I recently rediscovered my love for Dunkin' Donuts hot chocolate.
I first remember having their hot chocolate 2 years ago during Thanksgiving in Norcross, GA with my cousins at around midnight :) What a night that was?!? That seemed to be the best tasting hot chocolate from a store I'd had in a LONG time.

Since a DD wasn't around me in small town IL, I was without for nearly 2 years. :( I relied then on Swiss Miss packets to sate my hot chocolate desires! Now, Swiss Miss is not too shabby. I believe they have most likely the best tasting, packet produced, chococate taste - even with water!

But hot chocolate has become a love of the american lifestyle and more importantly...my lifestyle! I drink nearly a cup of it a day. It's not coffee, but chocolate.
Even one of America's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, understood this:

"The superiority of [hot] chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain..."
Thomas Jefferson (1785) in a Letter to John Adams

In other words - America Runs on Dunkin' ( https://www.dunkindonuts.com/ )

Here are some links to hot chocolate recipes....let the love grow!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/dining/111arex.html?_r=1&ref=dining

http://sweatyguineapig.posterous.com/a-more-sophisticated-hot-choco

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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A man that doesn't think is...

2009-02-17T16:50:00.011-06:00

Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

There are four areas of well-rounded development mentioned here. These four areas correspond to 4 different disciplines that will be discussed partially here and in the future.

Mental
Physical
Spiritual
Social

These 4 ideas have been taken from an article written by a dear friend, Dwight Knight. You can read more of this article here.

Here is a short excerpt from his 1st article in a series called "A Challenging Word"

" 'A man that doesn’t think is dangerous.' One of the men who trained me in leadership hammered that in my head. Why? Because, men, in general, are inherently lazy and that particular trait will eventually be detrimental at the most crucial time. This is due largely to the fact that over the process of time and with the advent of the westernized self-centered culture, men have been allowed to become mentally lethargic. Society has worked tirelessly to take away from us the necessity to cognate at the abstract level. I find that even when dealing with the intellects of the university educated or corporate level upper management types, there is a depressing drought of men who want or are capable of wrestling with a passage of scripture or a problem in life until the truth is revealed or a solution presents itself...We are at war with the mediocre."

Let me know what you think and please read more of what he's written.

Science of the Shoe

2009-02-17T11:50:00.009-06:00

New Air Jordan

Here is the link to the new Air Jordan basketball shoe. As you click through the site, you'll be able to see how the shoe is put together and how each part is advantageous to your basketball moves.

And ... it's a cool site in general with some sweet design and Flash 3D animation.
Enjoy.

Things Not To Do.

2008-12-09T11:57:00.011-06:00

These things might seem obvious, but apparently they are not.

Don't sell a Senator seat to the highest bidder.
Don't cut an apple with a machete while in bed.

That shouldn't be too hard....right? Both of these items deal with people from Illinois, the state I spent most my life in.

Let's start with not selling a senate seat. President-elect Barack Obama will no longer be able to fulfill his role as Illinois Senator, so some one will need to replace him. In a situation like this the successor is NOT elected, but rather SELECTED by the current governor! Enter Rod Blagojevich, Illinois' Governor. (side comment - that's a terrible last name for a governor).

Here's what happened -

LINKS:

Then there is Derek Rose, the Chicago Bulls #1 draft pick. He's a very talented player but common sense escapes him at times. Here's his story.

What to learn. We're no better than Rod and it's only by God's grace that we aren't is his position and haven't made such a public error. And in the same way, we all do absent-minded things. Many of them aren't as absent-minded as Derek Roses actions, but we need to be thankful we're still alive and that we've been protected from such actions.

Want to Feel Inferior? Read this book...

2008-12-05T15:11:00.012-06:00

That's what one review has to say about Malcolm Gladwell's newest book, Outliers. The man who brought us The Tipping Point and Blink, has once again gone through case studies, social experiments, history and consulted just plain common sense to arrive at some interesting conclusions about why successful people are successful.

I read Gladwell's two previous books, The Tipping Point & Blink, and I loved them both.
The reviews for this, his newest book aren't so hot, but I'm willing to read it, learn and I can handle feeling inferior too! I'll be sure to let you know if you should read it.

Band Website Designs

2008-12-05T00:29:00.014-06:00

This is the designer in my coming out now.
I saw a post on abduzeedo about a few great band website designs. A few I stole from the abduzeedo blog and there are a few of my own choosing.

This obviously is not an exhaustive list and these bands are not on here because of their music but because of the site designs. Enjoy:

Muse

The Strokes

Remedy Drive

Massive Attack

Cold Play

Blur

Ordering a Pizza Online

2008-12-04T00:05:00.009-06:00

Tonight I'm ordering 3 pizza's from Dominos.com!

I must say it's a pleasant experience and they even track your pizza for you! Whoa! Due to this great experience I thought I would blog about it and provide an analysis of the web service!

Dominos gives you the live time. The user is then very aware of what time each event occurs in their ordering process and it makes it easier to track them to make sure Dominos is on time. They have a "30 Minute" promise with a disclaimer that it's an estimate and not an actual time table.

They show the 5 steps of the pizza making process and where your pizza is in that process. the 5 steps are: Order Placed, Prep, Bake, Box, and Ready for Pickup

Dominos gives you fun little facts to read while you wait. An example: "Americans each an average of 46 slices of pizza per year."

This line indicates at what time each stage of the process started. "Aaron began custom-making your order at 5:42" When I went in to pick-up my pizza, Aaron was the guy that gave me the pizzas.

The estimated Carryout Time is listed and they kept it right on. (10 - 15 minutes)

Each order has a number and a name. Tonight, mine was "Aladdin." For those of you who know me, I love to use that name at restaurants for reservations of just placing an order.

That was it! Dominos.com did a great job of streamlining the whole process. You can easily select the toppings you want on a pizza as well as the crust type, the amount of toppings and even if you want half and half for each topping.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and highly recommend it to you.

Thanksgiving? Today? Really?

2008-11-28T01:32:00.002-06:00

Today was a day not to remember.

Thanksgiving. A day to be thankful for what we have.

Today, I somewhat forgot it was Thanksgiving!

I drove from Carrollton, TX to Longview, TX. Then from Longview to Tuscaloosa, AL. No turkey, no stuffing, no cranberries, no nothing. I ended up eating McDonalds :)

Okay, so I know I sound bitter and upset. I kind of am, but not entirely. I'm thankful that James and I drove safely through the night and that out Days Inn hotel room is surprisingly nice!

Happy Black Friday shopping to you all!

Updating you

2008-08-27T00:17:00.002-05:00

So...for those of you who don't know: I now reside in Texas and work as a web designer for Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org), if you'd like to check the website out. None of the work I'm working on will be up for awhile, but this little graphic I did today and it's up now because of it's urgency.

It's a pretty big deal. The rumor is that this is some of the worst persecution to have ever taken place in India! Yikes.

I'll be updating you more on my life, but here is a just a quick example of what I'm doing down here in the Republic of Texas.

Multiple paths to eternal life...and more.

2008-06-24T00:49:00.003-05:00

There is a lot of news coming across the wire this week regarding religion, politics and the moral decline of our society. Oh joy!

I believe that these articles touch on each category that I mentioned before, but you can be the judge of where they best fit. Here they are.

The heading of my post ties to the 5th article in the list of TIME articles this past week. For Christians, this article may or may not be a mass importance. I argue that attention to these stats and trends in our society is of great importance.

Trends and stats listed in this article, which essentially say that over 50% of evangelical christians believe there are other ways to eternal life separate from Christ, are represented in the Democratic Nominee for President. I do not point to Barack to bad mouth him, but in my opinion he is the most noticable and popular figure espousing these beliefs. You can go here to read an interiew with Barack Obama about his views of Chrisianity today.

Reading his views of religion is not for the purpose of voting or not voting for him, but to more adequately understand the desire of our society for universalism. No longer is there one Truth. Barack Obama is the picture of our culture and where we (the American people) want to be as a culture.

My prayer is that I continue to rely on God, seek His Holy Spirit and respond as He would have me respond. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

"...if you're gay, you're born gay..."

2008-06-18T00:25:00.003-05:00

This is a post that I had written awhile back, but never actually posted it...so here you go.

Here's the article.

We've all heard this argument. Some believe it and some don't believe.

BBC just posted this article yesterday, referencing a study that showed homosexual brains to be the same size as straight individuals of the opposite sex.

It's an interesting article. The truth is I don't know enough about science to verify or discredit this testing, but I do know that this singular study does not PROVE what it claims to prove. Also, this study in no way invalidates the scriptures stance that homosexuality is a sin.

[gulp] - I said it.

The First Half-White Democratic Presidential Nominee...oh wait

2008-06-03T23:13:00.004-05:00

Tonight I have seen history in the making. The Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama has been declared the Democratic Presidential nominee! For those of you who can't tell or don't know, Obama is an African American.

Our country has come a long way since its inception. I'm sure nearly 50 years ago, most people never would have thought that an African American (and from now on black) would be even close to claiming such a nomination.

Congratulations America! Barack Obama declared his nomination before the people of Saint Paul, MN in a classy and understanding manner. Being the great orator and inspirational individual that he is, it was a memorable speech. From the very location where the Republican Party will hold it's convention in a few short months, Obama made it a point to recognize this fact and the difference between he and McCain.

This historic evening makes me laugh a little. Being of mixed ethnicity, I laugh at this historic evening. I don't laugh that America has come far in it's racial understanding, but at the portrayal of Obama as a black man. Did you know that he is as much a white male as he is a black man?

We'll see if even greater history is made in the following months when the general election process begins, but that will be something to see.

End of the World

2008-05-16T17:54:00.003-05:00

As I was enjoying some fresh, hot General Tso's Chicken and crab meat rangoon with a a friend over lunch today, I mentioned that yesterday was a big day in the history of America. She looked at me puzzled and with a mouthful of sweet & sour chicken said, "Really?!?" Absolutely, the ban on same-sex marriages in California was overturned by the California Supreme Court yesterday! She responded in an interesting yet expected manner, "That's the end of the world" she said in a joking yet semi-serious tone. We both laughed and moved on, but that comment provoked in me so much thought and almost made me repulsed to think that I was in agreement with her...or was I?

Certainly neither of us thought it was the end of the world, and I knew what she meant by her comment...I think. Here in lies the problem with such a comment. According the the stereotypical evangelical view of homosexuality, we would see this as the end of the world. What could be worse than a bunch of homosexuals walking around holding hands and getting married in churches? (That's a joke). To many people, it couldn't get much worse.

On CNN they played a short clip of a white male, in a suit and tie describing how disgusting this ruling was for America. He said that we now have kids growing up to aspire to be gay. "That's just terrible," was how the clip ended. What's wrong with this ruling? Why can't homosexuals get married? It's a basic human right....right? Why would we try and amend the Constitution to give less rights to one people group? This same Constitution gave us (americans), the freedoms that we enjoy today!

For those of you who are reading this and know me, you might think I've gone off my rocker. If for some reason you are reading this and you don't know me or my background (unlikely), you might be in full agreement with me. Whatever the case - those are the questions that I leave this section of my post with. I would enjoy any response. :) I also had a friend who created a post on her blog last year, but I think it relates to this in a way - it's called Adam and Steve.

Moving on...kinda. I'm reading a book about the Great Commission and how for Westerners, our understanding and purpose within it is a little different than it once was. Westerners used to lead the way is sending missionaries to Asia and other parts of the world to "get them saved" and help them become better people. This book essentially states that no longer is that the case. It is now Westerners' job to support the native missionaries of the lands of Asia through money and prayer. We are after all very affluent. $60/month could support a missionary in India for 1 month. To support a Western missionary in India for 1 month could cost up to $3,000. What's a better investment?

Once we reach everyone across the world with the Gospel, it really is the end of the world.

Today is a new day...

2008-05-01T01:16:00.002-05:00

Every day is a new day...isn't it? Sometimes it doesn't feel that way. Sometimes each day seems just like the other one and that can be depressing.

I'm here to declare to you that today is a new day. It won't be the same as yesterday. It isn't the same as yesterday and tomorrow won't be like today. Sure, you might do many of the same things, but the day is different.

Does it seem like I'm belaboring the point? Maybe I am, but today is a new day for me and it's a big deal. It's a big deal that I walk and move in the freedom of today being different from the days previous. Why?

Well, we can ask why in different perspectives. Why is this "revelation" a big deal? Why is it a big deal to me, Jonathan Chacko? Why is it a big deal that I walk in freedom?

Why is this "revelation" a big deal?
Simple. Lately, I've been living a life that has not been different from day to day. So what? Well, we can analyze why I think it's a sin to live such a life. A life that does not change.

Why is it a big deal to me?
Simple. After having a uncovering a truth or action...after exposing what is right - you can live and act in that new knowledge. It's a big deal to me because I can change. I'm not speaking of some humanistic way of my power allowing me to do what I do. I am speaking of the ability to have faith and live in that faith. So what? We can explore this later as well.

Why is it a big deal to walk in freedom?
I think this is a more abstract thought and solidifying an abstract idea is not something I'm good at which is why I need someone like Taylor Birkey (http://taylorbirkey.com) here. You should check out his blog - much sweeter than mine or most people's for that matter. Walking in freedom doesn't mean living without rules or law, much like many people assume. But it's a recognition of the rules that exist to make our walk that much more enjoyable and meaningful. And taking that knowledge and applying it to everyday decisions.

Anyway...I want to explore these 3 things more indepth later. I'm tired and going to bed, getting ready for a new day!

Reflections on Korea

2007-08-19T01:24:00.000-05:00

I am now back in the great town of Fulton, IL. Arriving in Fulton last Saturday night at about 11 pm, I began to reflect a little more deeply on my time in Korea. Up till that point I was still traveling and just reveling in what I had just done.
Many people have asked me if I was greatly encouraged by the Korean people and Christians more specifically and every time I am asked I want to say, “Yes”. I am asked if I was impressed by the faith and prayer of the Korean people and of course I want to affirm their assumption. This was a weird trip. This was the first time I went overseas or traveled for the purpose of ministry where I felt like the people did not immensely minister to me. I have been traveling with Dwight for 5 summers now, I spent 1 month in India and spent 10 days in Greece and in each of those trips and missions I have felt that I was the one ministered to in those situations. Many of you who have been on missions trips no exactly what I am talking about. In fact a common statement after returning from a short missions trip is, “I went there expecting to minister to them and they ministered to me.” You know it's true. I was just reading the Taylor University Spring Break TWO (Taylor World Outreach) booklet and most of the people who commented wrote something to that affect.
I have been home now for 7 days and I struggle with what actually happened on my trip to Korea. I loved every second of it, but to what avail? While in Korea and in travel I really questioned for what purpose was I in Korea and for what purpose was I taking these people's time?
Those questions I believe are beginning to be answered in my first few days back in America. I knew I was doing some sort of ministry, but my ministry has been fleshed out daily as I continue to communicate with people from Korea via email. These emails are filled with questions about America, the Church, girls and life. The curiosity has awakened within me a new curiosity for life too. I am forced to dig deep within my well of knowledge to answer what I can. I must pray more, read more and ask more questions. I can only hope and pray that as I continue to write and dig, I strengthen and encourage my brothers and sisters in Korea.
A new part of my journey is beginning.

DMZ and the last day

2007-08-07T07:48:00.000-05:00

Today we made it to the DMZ! I don't much time to post right now, but I'll tell you that most of us went to the DMZ today and saw a 1,600 meter tunnel the North Koreans created that went into S. Korea without the S. Koreans knowing about it!
After this 8 hour process we shopped in and around Seoul and experienced a little more traditional area of Seoul! These past couple days have been a blast and I wish I could do more.
We leave tomorrow at 3pm for America and so tonight we'll be doing a few more fun things. I want to write more, but I need to get going. See some of you in America.

A Korean Who Talks Faster Than Me!

2007-08-05T19:22:00.000-05:00

We've been at CTI now for and are heading to Seoul in about 30 minutes on our last tour of SoKo...non-military of course. Although I did find out that we are scheduled to go see the DMZ on the 7th so I am pretty pumped about that.

These past couple days CTI hosted a Bupyang Assembly Camp where about 100 people came. It is only people from that church which is about 80km away and we had a good time with most of them. We were perhaps the least involved in this camp than any others so we new the fewest people. There were a couple of familiar faces of young people that we had met at CBF in previous weeks. Dwight spoke twice a day and he sang most the times he spoke. Only few of us ate luch and dinner with the attendees, so as I said before we didn't not get to know too many of the people.

On Saturday night at about 10pm after we had a played a 2 hour long game of soccer and a short game of basketball, our driver received a call from some friends wanting to play basketball. These guys had a church about 10 minutes away with an outdoor court and lights and I shouldn't forget to mention that it had rained all day. David (our driver) and I headed over there at 10 and played until 11:30pm! We played till 100! The final score was 100 - 89! They played to 100! What are they thinking? Anyways, these guys were so good. They passed great, shot with great accuracy and were just smart players. Needless to say (haha) my team won.

Last night Dwight's interpreter and his family, who all live at CTI, took us out to Outback Steakhouse! I had never been there before, so of course my first time to Outback was in SoKo. We had a pretty hilarious time and our waitress actually talked faster than me! And she was super animated so I thought I would include a picture of her in this blog.

We are now going to Seoul and will be taking a tour of some palaces and the like. I'll be home in 3 days....not sure how I feel about that yet.

It has been a wonderful time here in SoKo and I can see that God has used this time in my life for a good break/distraction and growing time. I'll write when I get a chance.

Enjoy the picture!

Persecution in Korea

2007-08-02T02:36:00.000-05:00

With a title like that you would think that we had encountered some type of persecution or torture what we believe and were teaching. If that is what you were thinking then you were wrong, BUT if you count being beatin with a paddle on the behind and back while tied down then - YES.
Yesterday we went to see a Korean Folk Village near Osan. We had the day off and so our hosts, Brother Lee and his daughter th0ught it would be fun. So we started off and saw some old houses and camps and then moved to a performance area. There we say some tradition dancing and music and it was pretty sweet! Then it moved to aerobics stuff with a trapeeze artist. And after that we saw an equestrian show and all of this was at the Korean Folk Village. After we watched these performances we moved on to a tour of the area and visited a sort of prison. As we reached the prison we could see kids getting climbing on these small crosses that were parallel to the ground and their parents were taking a paddle and were fake hitting them and taking pictures of it.
I thought it was funny...atleast a little funny. I asked people if they would be willing to get on there and take a picture and no one volunteered...that's no fun, so I finally said I would do it. As you can tell from the picture above I got beat! As I laid myself down on the cross, stomach first, I place my hands and feet to be tied underneath rope. Everyone's cameras were out included all the Koreans around as they were thoroughly entertained that an American was doing this. Alex was going to fake hit me, or so I thought. As I am smiling and posing for the picture, Brother Lee - 50 year old, calm, quiet, gentle, Korean, Brother Kee - takes the paddle and starts wailing on me! He was hitting me hard! I was so shocked and surprised that I just started laughing. What do you do at that point? If I new him better I would have gotten up and started hitting him. He hit me a good 10 times in the back and butt! It hurt!
I never thought that would happen and especially not at the hands of Brother Lee!
I have now faced persecution in Korea...okay, maybe not.

Namhae pics

2007-07-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

Koreans and pictures

2007-07-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

You ever wonder why Asians from other countries always flash the "peace" symbol with their fingers in pictures?

Well...it means cheer up or smile. That's why. That simple. In just about every picture that I have taken with Korean's here, they have held up the peace sign.

Anyways, we have just returned to CTI (if you don't know what or where that is check previous posts) from CBF (previous posts) and a Bretheren church camp near Namhae which means South Sea. Namhae is in Southern South Korea and is right on the South Sea. It was a pretty sweet time with all the believers and young people there. We did the usually singing and speaking at the camp for all the ages. On top of that we made some good friends. Everyone there, like most of South Korea was so nice and kind to us. All ages. Young and old. We were warned that this area was a very conservative area and that many of them had probably never seen anyone other than a Korea. I think it was true. We were stared at like crazy! And we took more pictures with random people than you can imagine. One day we went on a little cruise around some islands and people who weren't even part of the conference would come over to us and take pictures with Sam and I. It was pretty funny to all of us. As I mentioned this was a much more conservative area so we were worried about honoring tradition and custom while there. I think we did so with extra bowing and even going a little lower than normal. They loved hearing all of us trying to say "hello" and "thank you" in Korean. They would either be very impressed or just laugh at us. Either way it was good.

One day while at the Namhae church camp, Stephane and I went on a rafting trip on the South Sea. There were about 7 rafts and each had about 10 people on it while we paddle through the Sea. The trip lasted a good 3 hours, but it was so much fun. It was especially fun because we had no idea what people were saying to us or what they wanted us to do, so we had to figure things out!

We were at Namhe from the 28 - 31...I think. Before that we were at CBF.

The two pictures up top are from CBF. The first picture is a view of the mountains that we had. So sweet! 70% of Korea's land is mountainous! The second pic is one of Dwight and I singing for CBF.

Our time at CBF was such a great time. Most everyone there was a freshman or sophomore in college and was eager to learn the Word and about the USA. One night most the young people asked us (Sam, Lear, Alex and I) to answer questions for them about the Bible and America. We talked for a good 3 hours with them about so many different things, but it was apparent that they were curious about life in the USA and how we perceived them as Koreans. One big concern they had was whether we blamed all Koreans for the Virginia Tech shooting. The shooter was Korean and they thought Americans would hate Koreans because of that..kinda ridiculous!

I think I will be seeing some of these people in USA in the next few year...I hope. Because we are so different from people that we normally see, we are like instant celebrities with all the people. And Lear had some girls after him from CBF!
God has been so good to us on this trip. No one has become sick and everyone has had a great time so far! We have made some wonderful friends and I can only imagine we will make more.
I will post some pics of Namhae and some stories too!

Korean Family

2007-07-25T05:23:00.000-05:00

I guess I kinda have some Korean family!

We left Ansan and headed to Namsa, a small town in the middle of nowhere, yet we somehow have wireless internet! CTI is located here and we all just had dinner with the students, about 17 in all.

Leaving the family we were staying with in Ansan was actually kinda an emotional time because somehow we got really close in a matter of a few days. I guess spending 23 hours of everyday for 3 days will do that to you. They were great hosts! Feeding us every chance they had and even hand washed all of our of our laundy. This meant that 2 women, one from a different household came over and stayed up and late and came over early to help. We basically had 3 women in the house whenever we were there. They would start cooking and preparing for the next meal. We talked as much as we could with broken English and the women washed and folded my boxers, so we are basically family. They all enjoyed laughing at me when I would say something stupid. I didn't mind being a constant source of entertainment - even if they were laughing at me and not with me! I was able to teach 2 of the mothers a "cool" handshake with the little snap at the end and they loved it. They were great and they did so much for us!

Get this! All the Koreans here think I speak such clear English. I am kind of the interpreter for Koreans to the rest of our group. And then from the rest of our group to Koreans. I guess I understand the Koreans pretty well.

We are now in Namsa and I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes. It is actually a nice facility and the 4 guys and our driver (David) are in a small apartment. Dwight speaks tonight and then we head to the CBF camp in the morning for the next 5 days!

In the picture up top is the family who hosted us. From left to right: Lear (part of summer trip), Me, Jae, Mrs. An, Mrs. An, and Alex Thomas.

Here is a picture of our driver and Sam at some park.

Singing English in Korea

2007-07-24T03:12:00.000-05:00

I have sung English songs in Korean Churches twice now. I don't know why I bother even saying the words correctly because no one can understand me and no one interprets the songs. I did speak last night in a Korean church and they translate that for everyone.

When I was speaking I mentioned 30 degrees and did not specify farenheit or celcius so the audience got confused and we all laughed together for a few minutes while I was all red in the face! At all of these churches everyone keeps telling me that I look like the guy off of FOX's "Prison Break" (Michael Scofield). I don't think so and I think it is only because I have short hair, but you can be the judge.

It has been a pleasure to be here so far and I can onl think my ministry is unknown to me other than teaching English. I am currently In Ansan, South Korea and will be going to a Christian college called CTI (Christian Teaching Institute) tomorrow and after that a Christian camp for college students. In Ansan I learned a new game called Korean Chicken and I will try and get a video of me playing it online...it is hilarious. I was playing it with a 50 year old elder from the Ansan Assembly! I will teach you all once I come back.

I am off to eat some more food. By the way food is great, but sitting on the floor Indian style is killing my knees and legs! And every meal the host laughs at me because I am so inflexible! I can't help it!

Good-bye Seoul

2007-07-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

Today is our last day in Seoul. We are now traveling into smaller cities throughout Korea where Dwight, Sam and I will speak.
The time we have spent in Seoul and at the various churches has been wonderful! The people are so gracious to us. Every meal we have eaten has been delicious and most meals have cost them quite a sum of money. The other night they took us out to a American Steakhouse and the meal cost about $450! The Christians want to practice their English so badly that we could be at the churches for days just making small talk. Every so often a few of them knows more English and we can discuss more meaningful things. As we continue on our trip, I can tell that our duty here is to continue to show respect, open up to the Korean people and show them love and help them with their English.
Our driver is also my roommate and every night we have a little English lesson where he learns to pronounce new words and he also write paragraphs in English and I help him correct them. I am terrible with grammer, but thankfully it doesn't matter a whole lot here.
On Saturday we played basketball with some Koreas from the church at the Olympic Park in Seoul. The teams were divided into America vs. Korea and due to some not to good Americans, we almost lost. We then played some random guys at the park. One kid was almost 6'5" and they thought they could give the ball to him on the inside the whole game. Not gonna happen. We won! One Korean guy had cornrows and was decked out in Piston's gear. Seeing all these people playing basketball was just so funny!

We have been blessed on every day of this trip. God has given us great people to help us through this country and has given us the right people. After getting to know David, our driver, I can see why he is our driver as opposed to some other young Korean man. He is taking a whole 2 weeks out of school to drive us around. I can't wait to see where we go next!

Next stop - some small city in South Korea!

The Church and Korean Women

2007-07-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the way those pics are placed. All the links and such are in Korean, so I don't know how to change stuff - oops!

Today was my first full day in Seoul and it was a good day.

The day began at around 8 am with breakfast at the hotel where we are staying. It is called the Ellui - free wireless, nice beds, decent food and only $70 a night. It was kind of an American breakfast with a weak attempt at scrambled eggs, but overall it was pretty good.

For lunch we went to a tradition Korean restaurant where we had sushi, whole fish, random food served in small dishes while we ate with chopsticks. It was so good, but as most of you know I am not flexible at all! We were required to sit Indian (feather not dot) style the cushions for the whole meal. Needless to say, my legs couldn't really do it for more than 5 minutes at a time, so I continued to change my body position quite often. I know it's sad! The people on out trip left the lunch with sore legs and backs. Regardless, the food was excellent and the company was out interpreter and his wife - great time!

We then walked around Seoul and found a little park with many trees, trails and exercises equipment. It was pretty funny to see. You're walking and all of the sudden there are these benches for bench presses and there twisting, turning things, in the middle of a park. No wonder they are in such good shape!

We then had dinner at this American Steakhouse called VIPS. It was about $35 per steak, so it was pretty nice and all of these meals have been paid for by our hosts. Dwight then spoke at a church from 8pm - 9pm. The Korean people have been so kind to all of us on this trip. The Korean Christians have been especially kind to us with their time, money and just how we are treated. I met quite a few people at the meeting that night and most of them could not speak very good English. 3 guys decided they wanted to come you our hotel to hangout and chat. It was about 10pm at this time and all of us are really tired, but we of course had them in.
It was James (Korean who went to school in the US), Daniel (Korean engineer who designed some of the phone you all use - very smart), David (Korean comp sci. who works for the "Office Depot" of Korea - very smart) and Sam, Alex, Lear and I and I forgot my Korean roommate and out driver, David (Jeung Hae Won). We all talked till about 1 AM about the Church and Korean women. The first 3 guys are mentioned are all about 30 and single, so we talked about the church for awhile and then all comments and questions turned to women. They said when they get together they talked about 2 things.
1. The Church
2. Korean Women

Interesting thing I learned about the Korean college culture. The top 3 thing Korean college students want are:

To learn English
Find a job (the competitiveness here is like 42:1)
Make international connections

Those seem somewhat different than what most American college students want. Apparently when we start the camp, we will be encounter college students who want these 3 things and we, as Americans, can provide 2 of them plus a little gospel on the side!

7F

2007-07-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

I made to LA without many issues and I also got my bags ok so, I think I am set to enter South Korea or "SoKo" as I call it!
Somewhat funny story:
As I boarded the plane to Phoenix from Chicago, I went to my seat, 7F, and someone was sitting in it. I naturally asked the man if that was his seat and he said that it was. We both checked our tags and sure enough they both said 7F. I read the man's a little closer and realized he had the wrong flight. Good thing I caught that for him. He was supposed to go to Canada.
On the next flight from PHX to LA I was again was assigned 7F. I like that seat. It's by the window, near the front and it's just a nice place. Again someone was in my seat and so I once again asked the lady, "Is that your seat?" And she say's, "I think so." She checks her tag and realizes that she should be in 17F! Everyone wants that seat and frankly, I don't blame them!

DELAY

2007-07-18T04:35:00.000-05:00

Day 1: I didn't go anywhere.

I arrived at Chicago O'hare to pick my brother up from the airport and then be dropped off as I planned to go to Korea.

My flight left @ 6 PM. Due to some weather and such my flight was delayed which in turn made me miss all my connecting flights to Korea...I spent the night in Chicago and am now on my way to LA and then Korea a day after everyone else. Oh ya...somehow US Air lost my luggage and I didn't even go anywhere! Haha.

I am having a great time actually, but I kinda hope travel from here on out goes smoothly.

Pray...I will now be in Seoul with no ride to where I am going (I don't know where that is) and have no number to call and no bags. So it's all faith! Write you later.

pre-flight

2007-07-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

A new frightening and excited experience awaits me in 24 hours. I guess it's more than that because I don't actually arrive in S. Korea until the 19th, but whatever!

For those of you who don't know...here is a quick update on my life.

I am heading to S. Korea with my mentor Dwight Knight, his wife (Stephane), Sam Varghese (a friend) and a few other guys that I don't really know (Alex, Lear and some Korean friends - Ben and Peter). While we are there Dwight will be speaking at different schools and churches about the Bible and the rest of us will be "helping" ? We are there, in Seoul, for almost a month and return to the states on August 8th at some time!

I'm scared. I'm excited.

I don't really know awhole lot about what I will be doing once I leave America's shores. I'm used to that. What I'm am scared of is something that I should be excited about. I am supposed to be other there teaching the Word of God to people...a book that I should know better than the back of my hand. Assumed with that responsibility is a life that is worthy of following. And that is where is fear comes in. I don't know the Bible like I should and I don't read it like I should. On top of that my spiritual walk is nothing to be admired.

This is what I am excited about too!

I'll be in Seoul, South Korea! How great is that? All that Korean food, all those Koreans!

I need to go, but I will update here soon!