Monday, February 24, 2003:

This past Saturday was such a wedding-filled day for me! At noon-ish, I was able to spend the lunch period with Kasey and her friends to share in her bridal shower. Kasey is getting married on March 15th. We had a delicious lunch and then a sharing time together. I had to leave early because Josh & Jenny were getting married that day as well. They had a gorgeous wedding at a church in Palo Alto. Pastor Ken conducted the Exchange of Vows. It was great to be there.

The bad thing is that I lost my voice a little bit on Saturday night, and then completely on Sunday afternoon. And it is still gone. I can barely whisper because I end up coughing a lot. Uh oh. That's not good. So I took the day off today. I suppose I'll study for my GMAT coming up this Monday.

Friday, February 21st, 2003

I just had a very enlightening conversation with Eddie. It's finally hit me how much bitterness I have inside of me. I don't know how to get rid of it, but I'm going to try to love more and ask God to take these feelings away. It makes so much sense when God says to leave vengeance up to Him. Sometimes, I try to avenge my own injustice by holding back on what I can give. I'm not one to actually go out and purposefully do something to cause someone harm. So this is my way of finding justice - by withholding myself and my "things" from those who hurt me. But when I hold back on giving because of my internal bitterness, I find myself becoming someone I don't like. In the end, I'm the one who is disobedient to God. Instead of feeling better, I don't feel good about myself at all because I know God is not pleased with my selfishness. I'm humbled that Eddie can point that out to me and still love me as much as he does...

Tuesday, February 18th, 2003

I just got back from a CCGC Youth Retreat. We went up to Sky Mountain near Tahoe. I took a TON of pictures, but that's going to take a little while to get them sorted and organized and up on the website. I had such a great time. I love my small group. I'm so glad we had that chance to spend together talking and sharing. It was nice that it was actually small. I know that CFC had their English-side retreat on the same weekend. Can't wait to see pictures from that and to hear all the great stories!

I'll get going on the pictures. I think that the pictures tell the story for themselves...

InStyle magazine put out this "Best of" spread for cosmetics.

Wednesday, February 12, 2003

My friend sent me this short personality test. Just fun.

DON'T click on the results until you've answered the three questions first or else you'll ruin the fun for yourself forever! Here are the results of your answers.

Monday, February 10, 2003

This past Friday, Eddie took me to me out to a wonderful evening!! After work, I went home. Then Eddie came to pick me up. He told me to wear my big black coat because it might be cold. So when he got to my place, he took me outside to his car. Then he discreetly took out gift #1. He bought me the Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Cookbook. I love it!! I bought an ice cream maker. And I've used it once. Worked well - after we froze it some more. Can't wait to make more ice cream. Then he took out a bouquet of flowers! And I was so impressed because they weren't just a bunch of red roses (so cliche). There were different kinds of lilies and some red roses and greens - very lovely! And then we went off to San Francisco, where we dined at Hawthorne Lane. This is such a lovely California cuisine resaurant! Eddie ordered the beef tenderloin. I ordered the three course meal, which included steamed mussels in a cioppino soup, pork schnitzel over greens & exotic mushrooms, and vanilla bean creme brulee. The creme brulee was soo yummy; it had a thin, hardened sugar top, with raspberries, and a special sugar-confected weave-net to top it off. We shared the appetizer and dessert of my meal. This meal reminded me why people go out to eat at nice restaurants. And the little breads there were so delicious, too.

After that meal, we went over to the Equinox at the top of the Hyatt, which revolves 360 degrees. So we had drinks up there just watching the view. Then I fell asleep on the drive home. I was very full and very happy.

Thursday, January 23, 2003

I just read an interesting article on the web. And I agree with its message: what you watch on TV affects who you are. Actually, I think that music affects a person as well. I think that visual stimulation affects us even more than audio, though. The article discusses the results of a study that examines how watching television affected people throughout their lives. Very interesting. "By observing these youngsters until they were 30 years old, Dr. Eron found that the ones who'd watched a lot of TV when they were eight years old were more likely to be arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults." If that statement is true, then that says something about that age group & how moldable children are at that time in their lives. That's important to all parents, but even more so to Christian parents who want to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

Wednesday, January 22, 2003

Okay. I'm on a health food phase now. Not that I don't eat any junk food (that's certainly not true), but I've decided that I will put forth a worthy effort to eat healthier things. I'm trying certain organic products (like milk, some veggies). I figure that if there isn't much difference in price, then I will go for the organic since it is still undecided whether organic foods are better for you.

I'm hoping that my family and Eddie and I can come to settle on a wedding date soon. If you happen to be reading this, please pray that this will be resolved soon. Mostly because I don't like things to linger unnecessarily. And this is something that's quite important! Yes, there are issues that prevent us from deciding on a date. It's too complicated and unpleasant to explain publicly. Maybe Eddie and I just need to concede that we won't be able to decide for a while. I don't know what the answer is. But my personality is nudging me to be impatient because when I truly want to get something done, I just need to get it done right away. No lagging. In this case, it's not up to me or Eddie. Well, it should be up to me and Eddie. But we're letting my parents' opinions override us for now.

Friday, January 17, 2003

I read in this MSN Article, "8 Super Foods Your Body Will Thank You For," that the following are good foods: nuts, chile peppers, tomatoes, berries, leafy greens, quinoa, yogurt & tea. Interesting. Unfortunately, Eddie doesn't like tomatoes too much. I, on the other hand, love tomatoes! Tomatoes in salad, tomatoes in soup, stewed tomatoes... So if you're into your health, try to add more of these foods to your diet. Actually, I've become more and more interested in healthy foods. I want to start avoiding filling my body with junk food. I figure that if I can only hold so many calories a day, then I really don't have room for junk food.

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

My conclusion of the week: "I'm no Moses."

Monday, Janaury 13, 2003

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink."
Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD , "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."
5 The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah [1] and Meribah [2] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" -- Exodus 17: 1-7

Moses had such a hard time with the Israelites. They were a stubborn and short-sighted people (not that these qualities are exclusive to them). They sought out instant gratification, which is a common issue of mob mentality. Same thing happened earlier in chaper 16 of Exodus. The people again grumbled against God because they did not have the food that they wanted, and even suggested that slavery was better because they got to eat as much meat as they desired. Their trust in God and in Moses often waned because of their dissatisfaction that things were not they way they wanted. I admire Moses so much for his love for God and his love for his people. That's what I want to gain. Though his people complained against him, Moses looked out for his people despite of them and continued to do the right thing. His life was devoted to obedience to God. And eventually, the Israelites made it to Canaan! Well, not Moses...

Friday, January 10, 2003

I had a good talk with my dad last night. To him, getting a degree is a matter of not wasting time and always improving myself. Again, he told me not to be naive in thinking that I won't be working when I have kids. I do hope that I don't have to work when I have kids, but he's saying that I'll see that that is just naivite talking. My mom worked during periods of my childhood, but that only happened sometime after I turned 12 and could baby sit my siblings after school.

I'm thinking that perhaps I will just have to try to get my MBA while I work because we need the income. I don't know how that's going to affect my physically & emotionally because my life is already very filled as it is. But then I think about Albert (from CCGC). His life is crazy, and he's going to commute up to SF to go to grad school while working in Santa Clara & living in Walnut Creek. . That gives me hope that it can be done.

Wednesday, January 8, 2003

I am truly kicking it into gear in terms of studying for the GMAT test. There is so much math that I've forgotten. So far, I'm on the Verbal section of the study guide. I plan to take the exam on March 3. So I have 2 months to study. The problem is, "What next?" Do I try to get my degree part time? Anything is do-able. But that would just drain me. As it is, I don't feel like I have much free time. Ask my roommates and they'll tell you that I'm not home too often. There are a lot of things to do such as visit family, visit friends, work out, work at another company 2-4 times a month, etc. I am out in Walnut Creek almost every weekend for church. And if I'm not in Walnut Creek, it's because there is something else very important that I need to attend - not because I just feel like sitting around at home doing nothing. Am I to throw in grad school on top of that? If I attend part time, that means that I won't be done for the next couple of years. So does that mean that I'm going to be exhausted for the next couple of years to achieve this degree? Not to mention that this will drain my finances for many years to come. Does that sound like a good plan? And if I get an MBA, I don't know how long I will be in the work force until I decide to stay home to raise a family. I would love some insight! My parents have given me their thoughts on it. And they do think grad school is worth it. They don't think my concerns are not legitimate, which invalidates everything I've just said. They assure me that getting more education while I'm young is worth it and that I appreciate it when I'm older - that I'm being too naive right now. They say that I don't know what the future holds and that I should not assume that I won't have to work. So can someone else give me some good perspective on grad school either way? It's going to cost me a lot of time and money to get this degree... I do concede that an MBA would look great on my resume. I'm not against that. I just need to see the justification of my resources. Or should I just do this to make my parents happy? The stupid thing is that when I do something "just to make my parents happy," it often turns out that they're not actually happy with me in the end, and I am just more bitter. So that's a risk that I run. However, my pride does tug at me, saying that I should get an MBA, that I deserve to be higher in the "ladder of success."

PRAYER REQUEST: So at this point, I'm taking my GMAT in March. I'm going to apply to Cal State Hayward and possibly San Jose State. We'll see what happens after that. Please pray for me and my parents. Either God wants me to do this, or He doesn't. Can't be both.

Thursday, January 2, 2003

It's the new year! And I have a ton of pictures to put up! I've been busy and haven't had the chance, but that's definitely one of my goals for the near future. This vacation time was wonderful! I'm quite tired out from all the festivities. But I had a quiet day yesterday with Eddie for my birthday. He volunteered to take me out to dinner anywhere I wanted. And I wanted Buca di Beppo. So we ate there, and then went over to his place to watch Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring. (We've seen it before, but didn't remember a lot of it.)

I got to spend Christmas Eve with my family in Cupertino. And then we spent Christmas Day with Eddie's family is So Cal. And then we went to Vegas with my high school friends for 3 days, of which I was sick for 2. And we got a chance to spend an evening with Eddie's old youth group. And I had a short afternoon French lunch with Elida. And I spent New Year's Eve with our Youth Group. And I finally spent most of my birthday catching up on the sleep that I didn't get. What a lovely vacation! Can't wait to show you all the pictures.

Sunday, December 20, 2002

I had such an awesome weekend !! Some Agape girls and I went out to SF and stayed at the City Center Hostel near Union Square. I took a ton of pictures. We went out Saturday morning, stayed over in a hostel on Satuday evening, and came back on Sunday noon. It was an amazing time and an amazing testimony to God's providence and His answer to prayers!

Monday, December 9, 2002

Whew! This weekend was a very tolling weekend. God never ceases to show me how much I need him and how much I can't control. For youth group, we had small groups this past Saturday. So I led a group of five girls. In my opinion, we talked about a lot of good stuff - girl stuff. I feel like I'm slowly getting in sync with our new church. This also reminded me again (and made me very sad) that Eddie and I had such a special thing at CFC. We knew everybody, and everybody knew us. It really was a loving family for us. CFC watched us grow up since our freshmen years in college to working young adults. Eddie and I had been at CFC for 8 & 7 years, respectively. During much of that period of time, we were actively involved in the church. And now, we are starting all over and don't have that same history with this church. People are just starting to get to know us & vice versa. It's a totally new ball game for them and for us. It is completely by God's grace that we develop similar relationships in this new body of believers. I can try my best, but I know that it's the Holy Spirit that joins us into one body, and not my own efforts.

Young Adult fellowship was refreshing, as usual. I really enjoy our Sunday evenings there. I'm trying to introduce some of them to the Jamie Kennedy Experiment. It's a hidden camera show - very funny! Thursdays at 9pm - WB.

Friday, December 6, 2002

I decided to make a birthday calendar. And since I'm going to do it, I thought I'd share with y'all... And if you find that yours isn't there, it's not because I don't like you.. it's because I don't happen to have it off hand (like in a directory or something). So, if you could, please e-mail it to me. Or if that's too "bu hao yi se," then have a friend e-mail it to me, and I'll put it on. (BTW, that last statement was meant for people I actually know...) Or if you want me to take your name off, please let me know that, too. Don't worry - I didn't put any years.

Thursday, December 5, 2002

Last week was a busy but wonderful week. For Thanksgiving, my mom and dad and brother went to a friend's place in the mountains and spent the evening there. My sister and I went over to the Chengs' house. My parents and brother had a relaxing time out in the fresh air. My sister and I had a great time with the Cheng family. Peggy's younger sister, Molly, and Molly's husband Matt were there. And Peggy's parents were there. It was the ideal Thanksgiving dinner. Peggy roasted a perfect turkey with a recipe provided by Amy Kao. (I took home a drumstick and made yummy jook out of it!) There was the whole works - turkey, stuffing, gravy, creamed corn, yams, mashed potatoes, salad, stuffed mushrooms, corn bread, chutney, cauliflower, little roasted onions, pumpkin pecan pie a la mode. Everything was homemade, even the 2 types of salad dressing! Molly & Matt brought their dog, Jedi, who played with Goldie-bau, both very obedient golden retrievers. Quen and I played ping-pong against Daniel Shen and Catherine. It was a split match. Quen & Daniel Shen played some praise songs, and we had a time of worship. At the end of the evening, my sister and I went back to Cupertino and fell asleep in our parents bed.

Saturday noon, Edena and Erica & Silvia held a brunch at their place. They are a true gourmet household, if ever there was one! We ate so much there! And we celebrated Silvia's birthday. And she passed her BAR exam!! Hurray!!

On Saturday evening, CCGC held a benefit concert for one of the local ministries, Love-A-Child, featuring Joe Chang & Justis Kao. We donated new toys and money to buy new toys for the kids at Love-A-Child. Annie Chen & Ed Tam brought their youth group. It was good to see Anna & Stephen Liu there! That was very cool.

Monday, November 18, 2002

This weekend was a great weekend, but super-busy again. Friday evening after work, Ashley Frey & I went out to SF to join up with Calvary Chapel. We were able to attend their fellowship time and then join in their street ministry team. I just have to say that it was wonderful! Drew, Ashley, and I were a team, and we walked around polk street, praying & handing out supplies (food, Bibles, clothes) to people we met. It was so great to talk to these people on the streets and to show them some care and love. We are only showing them a tinsy-weensy portion of the love that God has for them. It was sharp reminder that these people are just as human as we are, just as deserving of love and compassion. We have every reason to reach out to them because that's what Jesus would do. People who we met were very nice to us. No one gave us a hard time or gave us any trouble. Drew showed each person such courtesy and love. It was not a pity party or a "charity" event in a common sense of the word. It was about God and His love for the weak and the neglected. Before we started our night's journey, while we were waiting for our own team members to gather together, Orlando went to talk to an Asian man standin on the corner with us; he was not homeless. It turned out that Orlando found that he only spoke Chinese. Since I speak Chinese, I got a chance to share with him that we were a group of Christians. It turns out that Chong is a restaurant worker who just got off work around 10pm; he was waiting for his friend to pick him up to go home. And it just so happens that Drew's group had a Chinese tract. So I was able to give him one and just urged him to think about the possibility of God. At least he took the tract and seemed to look through it. Maybe God stir something up in his heart. The prostitutes were difficult to talk to; they did not want to engage with us at all. When we asked them if they would like a Bible, they would tell us that they already had 20 at home. Many of the other homeless people were cordial and friendly. It was revealed to me again that the homeless are just as precious to God as anybody else that we may know in our daily lives. Jesus never turned his face away from the poor and the crippled. Jesus went out to meet the "sinners," and he embraced them; he never thought of dirtiness as unbearable or disgusting. Where would we be if Jesus thought our sins and filth made us unworthy of his time and love? We also got a chance to meet a man who brought his nephew into a X-rated theatre. They were just walking out, so we spoke with them for just a little bit. Ashley gave the nephew a Bible. May God's Word touch him & change him & fulfull him.

Saturday morning, I went to Hayward to watch Vivian Chu play in NCA Tennis playoffs. She had some great moves on the court. That was very fun. But finding parking was terrible. It took over 20 minutes to find street parking! But it was worth it to see Vivian in her senior year NCA playoffs.

And then I went home, ate lunch, and went back to sleep. We went to fellowship in the evening time. Eddie gave a good lesson on living and making decisions as a Christian.

Sunday, I taught Sunday school, with the eighth graders & seventh graders combined. It was good because Uncle Henry was there to be the "disciplinarian." So we had a pretty good time together. We are still praying for our non-Christian friends.

I got to have lunch with Steph at California Cafe. Steph ordered the Angel Hair Pasta with chicken & I ordered the Sesame crusted Ahi Tuna. Then we shared a chocolate souffle. Then Eddie & Dave Wu & I went to Berkeley to play basketball with the CFC gang. Eddie and I played a little bit of volleyball with Edward Kao!

And then we went back to Walnut Creek to have a joint fellowship time with the Young Career & Family Fellowship. I got to meet a lot of new faces, including the little kids. That was great. Auntie Theresa & Uncle Gerald opened up their home for a pot luck dinner in honor of appreciating the pastor staff. One thing Uncle Richard said was very true. It is the entire church body that works together with the Holy Spirit that produces good things for the Kingdom. It was a great evening. The 4 pastors even led us in a couple hymns. It was a busy, but blessed weekend. ~cindy.

Monday, November 11, 2002

This was a fun weekend, but very busy. On Saturday, Eddie and I went to class from 7:45 to 12:25. Unfortuneately, I did not sleep well the night before, so I was quite the tired one in class. But I learned a lot about the book of Revelation. And then we went to lunch at this place called Jang Tu, an authentice Korean restaurant. It was a restaurant in my coupon book, which made it like a buy 1 get something of equal or lesser value free. It was very good. I would recommend it. And then we went back to Fremont, rested up a bit, and then went to Emeryville to meet up with the 2 other youth counselors. We had dinner at Chevy's (because Roba's was closed on Saturday evening). And then we went to church. They guys went to Q-Zar all night. And the girls made hats for one another, ate a ton of cookies & ice cream, and danced in Building B.

Then on Sunday, we went to church. I taught my 8th grade Sunday school. Though challenging, I am glad to get to those these junior highers. I realize that I have not had much experience with boys. This really is the first time I've had to be in charge of so many strong-personality boys. Interesting, to say the least. We're going through Genesis. We're praying for our non-Christian friends in Sunday School. They pray for their non-Christian friends, and I pray for them. We trying an activity to see if we can reach some of our non-believing friends.

Then, John & Christiana & Eddie & I went out to lunch at a Pho place, where we also saw some of the youth guys. But they didn't want to sit with us. And then Eddie and I took Daewoo, Tim, Okie, Joe, & Ryan to Berkeley to place basketball with CFC. That was fun! And then we went to Young Adult fellowship back at CCGC. Dorothy & Stephen came for the first time.

And now it's Monday again.

Check out the vivandingrid.com. They just put up their website today. Their designs been featured in lots of magazine & are carried in a lot of stores. I'm in love wih their necklaces! I can't believe I know one of them. Wow....

~cindy.

Wednesday, November 6, 2002

This past Sunday, CCGC went up to Pittsburg/Baypoint to serve at Love-A-Child, a local Christian homeless ministry. I had a great time. Not only was it wonderful to meet the women and children who live there, but it was also good for me to see those Christians who love others so much to give up their lives to serve. Jack and Jerome are two men who head up this ministry. They have made many worldly sacrifices to devote themselves to serving those who pass through this home and to spread God's love and His Word.

I was reminded again that there are people who understand what it means to have a generous spirit, what it means to give unconditionally. And they choose to do so because of their love for God. That's the key to it all. I realize that I am so pampered; I live such a luxurious life. And yet, my eyes still wander to more materialistic things. Why is that? There will always be people who have more money than I do, that's for sure. In fact, I don't doubt that many of my friends are/will be wealther than I. But God has chosen to give me what He has chosen to give me. And my duty is not to compare and compliain, but to live a life worthy of my calling.

Roger shared something that will always stay in my mind. He said something along the lines of, "People ask, 'Why does God let people starve and live in poverty?' The correct question to ask is, 'Why do some people who have been given so much by their Father refuse to share?" Good point.

Wednesday, October 30, 2002

This past Saturday, Carpenter's Tools International, a missions organization that reaches youth through the world with music and drama, came to CCGC & gave a great concert for our youth group. They travel very well; they bring their own equipment, their own sound system, touring around the country. If you want them to come to your church, you can give them a call. Their tours are for outreach, promotions, recruiting new members for their summer missions trips, and fund raising. They sing pop music and Christian music, aimed at reaching young people for God. When they came this past weekend, some people even auditioned for them right there! I believe they are looking for older high schoolers, college, & young adults, but mainly college & young adults.

I just purchased a refurbished Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. Surprisingly, it arrived 2 days after I ordered it! When I bought it, it was only $24.99. So one of my co-workers and I each bought one...because if you order more than $25, you get free shipping. I hope to try it this weekend! Some other buyers gave it really great reviews. And there are others that give it a thumbs down. I'll let ya know soon!

Wednesday, October 16, 2002

I'm learning how to use Fireworks at work. That's pretty fun because it lets you make a lot of fun effects for the web. So I hope that I can learn this soon and give you guys something interesting to look at! I may redo this website if I have time, but work has been quite busy lately. That's good because I like busy.

It was so funny. I turned on the TV last night, and I saw one of our family friends on this Chinese talk-show. Uncle Roger was on giving his opinion about some Chinese-American issue. I called my family in Cupertino and told them right away. That was a nice surprise.

I really love cookbooks. I spent the evening at Borders and Barnes & Noble last night just looking through cookbooks. I didn't buy any because I have plenty and there wasn't any particular book that caught my fancy and was also on sale. But it was inspiring. I think I'll have a great time cooking in my own kitchen one day.

Monday, October 14, 2002

I just got an e-mail from my long-time, long-lost friend from elementary school! We lost touch since high school when she left the Bay Area. Actually, there are a few friends who I haven't heard from in a super long time. It was good to hear from Marie. Hillary & Bonnie, if you read this, it would be wonderful to hear from you both. If you're around the area, it would be so great to catch up. One of Marie's comments to me this time was that I look the same since the 6th grade. I would have to agree with that comment. I look a little different, of course. But for the most part, I look the same. I had a growth spurt in 6th grade, and that's about it. Marie and I used to be about the same height in 6th grade. People used to ask if we were twins. And once, Marie told this little boy, "Yes, we are," just for the fun of it. And he said, "Yeah, I thought so." Hahaha! We met up with each other in high school a few times, and she was WAY taller than me then.

We watched the Giants vs. Cardinals yesterday at Albert's house. That was interesting. I actually watched most of the game (from 5:15 to 8:45). The ending was quite interesting. I'm learning more about baseball. But there really are just sooooo many odd rules...

Wednesday, October 9, 2002

Last Sunday, I taught my first 8th grade Sunday School class at CCGC. That was fun. It seems that many of the kids are not yet Christians. So let's pray that God opens their eyes and grow their faith. This reminds me why we are here. I'm thankful that God has brought these youth into my life, to give me a chance to minister to them. I plan on going through the book of Genesis with them.

Work last week was very busy. We just had our first product launch. You can visit Apache Design Solutions and take a look to see where I work.

Wednesday, October 2, 2002
I had such an awesome surprise this past Sunday! Eddie and I were driving to church in Walnut Creek. Our church is on a street with a lot of other churches, so there are people walking along the street to get to their own church. As we were about 100 ft from CCGC, I saw these two girls walking along the sidewalk on the other side of the street. They had their backs towards us because we were heading in the same direction. I didn't even think twice, but just assumed they were two girls walking to their own church. I first saw the one walking closer to the street-side of the sidewalk. And I said to Eddie, "Oh, she looks like MaryAnn... I miss her..." And then about 2 seconds later, Eddie says, "That IS MaryAnn!" And I said, "What?!?!?" And he said, "That IS MaryAnn!" So Eddie pulled over, I put my shoes on, and I jumped out of the car and called to them. After looking both ways, they ran across the street. It turns out that it was Rebecca and MaryAnn on a surprise visit! It was so great to see them. Rebecca and MaryAnn: I think you two are so sweet and so brave to come out and visit me! I know that other girls couldn't make it because of various things. But I'll be in Walnut Creek for a while. You all are welcome to visit anytime! (P.S. It would be nice to let me or Eddie know so that we can make sure we do not have meetings or anything so that we can hang out.) Anyways, we went to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. We all shared the artichoke dip appetizer (very delicious!); Eddie ordered the Peking Duck pizza; MaryAnn ordered the Santa Fe pizza; Rebecca ordered the Wild Mushroom pizza; and I ordered the Jamaican Jerk Chicken pizza. We were so stuffed. Then the 2 girls and I went to walk around Broadway Plaza for a little bit. We went to Sharper Image to try out the massage chairs. And we went to the Gap and Build a Bear Factory and Williams Sonoma (where MaryAnn & Rebecca tried a little balsalmic vinegar & olive oil) and Pottery Barn.

I'll scope out new restaurants for us to go to next time CFC visits CCGC.

Friday, September 20, 2002
Last night, I made some chawan mushi (Japanese steamed egg). Other than being a bit salty, it was pretty good. My mom used to to make it. And she used to put chicken broth in it, which was very yummy. Last night, I made it with dashi (seaweed stock) instead of chicken stock. They both work well. I think it's a sad that our generation will lose so much of the Chinese culture that our parents still have. We don't speak or read like our parents; we don't know any Chinese history; we don't cook; we don't know any of those poems. What a bummer.

Speaking of my mom, if you are interested in life insurance, my mom is an insurance agent. So she can hook you up. So now, if I die, at least someone is getting some support from my insurance. It's not fun to think about, but life insurance is a pretty good deal. I'm glad someone can benefit.

Monday, September 16, 2002
Wow! Cal Football is doing so awesome! It's almost unbelievable! And Roger is back home safely...missing one of his 2 luggage, but back home. His family threw him a wonderful welcome home party yesterday.

Monday, September 9, 2002
Well, I've been wearing the ring for a week now. And it's still special. I just love wearing it.

Yesterday, we had our first new Young Adults group meeting at CCGC. It was very fung getting to know people and hearing their stories. Afterwards, we went out to dinner at Claim Jumper's. Unfortunately, I was too full to order the Mother Lode cake. It has 6 layers; it's taller than it is wide. Next time... That's the best chocolate cake I've ever had! Once, Eddie bought me half a slice, and I ate it for a week! (David Kao took the other half home for his family.)

I haven't started to make any kind of wedding plans at all, but it is so fun just to think about it. If any of you have good suggestions, e-mail me and let me know! It's so fun to brainstorm and think about it.

Let's remember to pray that Roger returns home safely. He's spent 6 months on one of the Ships serving as a missionary. And now there are complications on getting back home. It looks like Roger may be home by Wednesday.

P.S. Do you like my little recipe treat on the homepage?

Tuesday, September 3, 2002
This past Sunday, Eddie and I went out with some of the Youth Group and Young Adults from CCGC to play some ball out there. It was soooo hot! We only played 3 games cuz we were going to die. It was fun, but just too hot. On Monday evening, Eddie and I and my family got together. And now, Eddie and I are officially engaged.

Wednesday, August 28, 2002

So on Monday, I went to a Bally's class: Resistance Training. Oh my goodness! My arms are so weak! They still hurt. It's funny because when I flex, it really looks like I have a ton of muscle (my arm goes up and all), but in actuality, it's all fake. So I'm going to tone down on those weights. And I only used 5lb and 8lb weights that class! Well, now I know... I may try kickboxing tonight... hmm.....

Monday, August 26, 2002

This weekend was very full! On Friday, Eddie and I signed up for Bally's Fitness Club. We got a pretty good deal. We can go to the Bally, Pinnacle, or Gorilla clubs. On Saturday, I slept in til around noon because I haven't been getting very good sleep these past couple of weeks. My left eye has been shrinking...But it's better now! We had our Youth Rally at CCGC on Saturday. It was really great. There was a skit, body worship, Ashley's testimony, Eddie's message, and a lot of worship. I have pix of them, but they're not developed yet... I'll get them up there soon. May people be encouraged by what the presenters had to share, and may the Holy Spirit have done good work in people's spiritual lives. Felix came down this weekend. On Sunday after service, a group of young adults from CCGC went out to eat together. And what do we eat? Fuddruckers- the ultimate hamburger experience! And their salads are humungous! I have a picture of that too...to be posted at a later date... And Felix and Eddie played basketball with CFC on Sunday until around 7pm! I had a delightful talk with John Woo (a.k.a. Mongol) and company. Very enlightening, I must say. And Pat had a dinner get-together for Mikey's return and Michelle Leung's birthday! *sigh* I need to recover from all this!

"Hi, Mel!" ...cuz you said you check this site, so this "hello" for you! =)

Friday, August 23, 2002

US vs China game yesterday was awesome! Even though China got trampled score-wise, it didn't feel like a dud game at all! Karen got us really great seats in the lower section. We saw Yao Ming block a dunk! I was only able to take a picture of Reggie Miller during warm ups...and it was tiny b/c Eddie's camera doesn't have zoom in & it automatically has a zoom out default. Bummers. But I'll post that up when it gets developed. We saw Ben Wallace literally jump up and land all over Yao Ming when Yao was going for a shot. It was so crazy! And I read in a news article that Yao said in response to that incident, "I hope when he fell on me it didn't hurt him much." What a kind response! Though it would be nice to see him learn to be more aggressive on the court. I wonder what that bracelet he always wears if for. It seems to get in his way a lot because he's always touching it and moving up his arm. Hmmmm... And towards the end of the fourth quarter, one Chinese guy would yell, "Jong1 Guo2 Dwei4" and the rest of the group would yell back, "Jia1 You2!" (I think I got he Roman spelling correct, but don't remember...) Overall, it was a great place to be that night.

Here is a funny Yao Ming article from SF Gate.

August 19, 2002...

My brother and sister and Eddie and I are going to the game on Thursday! I'm excited!

For prayer requests, I would like God to show me where to serve in CCGC. I have a heart for Junior Highers & High School ladies. I have only met a few of the junior high girls so far...hoping to meet more of them.

Eddie and I are looking into joining up with a gym club. Not sure which one, but there are some really good deals going on right now. That should be fun! We went to go visit Bally Fitness this past Saturday. I used the treadmill, the stair climbing machine, a sit-up machine. The sit-up machine was a killer. Eddie used pretty much the same, but he also tried a stationary cycle. It was fine. We're on this free 2-week pass to check it out right now to see how things go...

August 7, 2002...

Right now, I'm living in Fremont, working in Mountain View at a one year old start-up company called Apache Design Solutions. My family is still in Cupertino where we used to live. My sister is going to be a senior (whoohoo!) and my brother is moving on up to his sophomore year (no longer a frosh). One new change for us is that just recently, Eddie and I have moved from CFC Berkeley to a church in Walnut Creek called Contra Costa Gospel Church (CCGC).. It's really funny that a lot of CFC relatives attend CCGC. Peggy's parents attend CCGC. Katherine Chang's cousin is Ian. Kiki's aunt & uncle attend CCGC. Then there's friend relationships all over the place. Our English minister at CCGC knew Amy Kao back in Taiwan. And Bridget knows Shirley May and Joseph from Cal summer classes. And Jesse knows Jerry from Intervarsity. There are a ton more. So it really feels like we're just moving from one side of the family to another side of the family (both spiritually and biologically)! It's so great! Starting this August, Eddie is working at CCGC as a Minister of Student Ministiries while he's finishing his last year in seminary. He's living in Fremont, too. Since Western Seminary is in Los Gatos, he lives right about midway between CCGC and school.

There are many prayer requests for both sides of the "family" as well as for Eddie and me. Our involvement in Agape Youth Group at CFC has touched us very deeply. Our affection for those who have passed through (and are still passing through) Agape and our desire to see them grow in their faith is still ever-solid. We want to hear about how the knowledge of Him has grown and has caused them each to worship Him more. The more I learn about God, the more I am in awe of Him, the more I want to give up my life for His service. There's a point in every Christian's life where one realizes that God really is the center of everything. Actually, that realization comes up frequently, as we humans frequently forget and need to re-realize this over and over in our lives. So we pray that each of you sees this clearly and live out your faith. And Eddie and I still hope to be a witness to what God's doing in your life, Agape.

CCGC has been so warm and so welcoming ever since we visited them early this summer. God has been gracious both when we were at CFC and now again as we are at CCGC. God is always providing me with such loving people to support and care for me wherever I go. I feel very spoiled that I get such a blessing. Why am I so fortunate? I don't know except that God is good all the time. Please pray for our ministry here. We are just getting to know the brothers and sisters here. We want so much for God to use us to teach and be blessings to this church. For me, I'm encouraged by the girls that I've met so far. And I'm excited about building fellowship with them so that we can all grow in our faith and in our worship of the Lord together. One small hindrance is that I live far and I work even further from Walnut Creek. Another is that some other young adult sisters who would have been wonderful to work with are leaving the area. One of my life's guidelines in a nutshell is to be a blessing to those God puts in my life & to teach them about my God. I'm not always good at it, but God is merciful. Amen.

So that's it for now. God bless. ~cindy.