Three Days in my New Alexandria Home

OK, so it’s a mini move.. A move within a move.  I left my short term apartment rental in Falls Church into my new non-permanent home (LOL) well, at least I will be here for two years.  The funny thing, we say we own houses, we own property but in the end, we own nothing.  From dust we come and from dust we shall return.  Lease, rent, buy a car or a house.. what difference does it make to the universe, that knows no time?  It’s humans that assign value.  It’s humans that assign a timeline.

I’m happy to start a new timeline in this apartment.  I cannot believe how convenient my new location is. I’ve got 3 ways to get to the highway.  Did I mention that the GPS rarely takes me the same route twice, since I’ve been in the DC area??  So I got 2 different options to hit the main highway, I’m at least 7-10 minutes FROM everything, from Bed Bath and Beyond, to Target, Home Depot, Harris Teeters (Whole Foods  equivalent for those out of state) and just about anything you think of.  Yes, coffee houses and Pho Vietnamese noodle.  For now I can’t complain.

Last night I had one too many fires I had to put out.  I was out shopping at IKEA in College Park at a very fine hour — yes, when it’s nighttime and everyone has gone home. I got SOO much done in two hours. Then, I drove home in light traffic and by the time it was 9:30 PM I told myself there ain’t no way I’m cooking and cleaning.  Let me just stick a gluten-free pizza (which is prescribed by my doctor) since it’s no fuss, no muss.  YEAH, I make plans and God laughs at them.

The stove from the 1970s was a gas stove..No digital buttons and preheating is NOT really needed. I went to the bathroom thinking NO rush..only to find a cloud of smoke in the hallway.  I quickly grabbed my pizza threw it in, and turned on the fan.  Crab, this 1970s fan has no power in it!!! Argghhhhhh!!  It’s either low or medium-low, no such thing as High.  Then, lucky me I hear the smoke detector beep.  It continued and finally I opened the door to see a curious neighbor. He came in to see what as going on.  I’m still on high-emergency alert thinking I’m going to burn the apartment complex down on my third day.  Turns out after opening a few doors and using my towel to swoosh at the detector, I was able to put out “fire.” Meanwhile, my pizza was still cooking.  Whew..I got to eat.  (Thank you neighbor, for your moral support and suggestions!!!)

Well, now I realize my bathroom clog was not fixed and I knew, from reading the reviews, that getting service done here was not ideal. I quickly googled Target hours and see that they close at 11 PM. Yayyyy Target.  And as I mentioned earlier, I was 7 min away from everything.  Got my new Target designer plunger.  Whew..The night was rescued.  By Bo or by God, I got what I needed done.

Can’t wait to find out what my remaining week will be like.  Lean not on my own understanding.

The New Nomad

I know I've been a nomad in the sense of traveling and adapting to new cultures. I did not know to what extent. It's scary to think I am a nomad because I make a checklist of things to do before I move and I remember most of it without having to rely on the checklist. Nomdadic compulsive disorder (NCD)?

It's survival nomadic skills 101!  What are the perks of a nomad?  Non attachment to things. I mean, how can you own so much and lug it with you? Two, we are the best kind of fakers in the world. We can learn your language, learn your style, and speak one or two things to your situation.

We learn not to depend on any sort of stability, no matter the circumstances. Anything and every thing is subject to change. Therefor, don't get too comfy. That cool boss you just started working for is not going to stick around.

Well, I guess I can appreciate being a jack of all trades after all. A tree that cannot flex as the Chinese saying goes, will simply fall over during a bad storm.

God bless you all. 

Blessings Pour In

It's been a tremendous Mother's Day so far.  I can't ask for more. I didn't expect too much, other than a peaceful Sunday.

It started with church service at 9 AM. I sang with the choir and for the first time since I joined, I'm now catching on. It took some navigating to learn their systems here.  I am a chameleon by trade, I have to learn to adapt. That's what chameleons do. Granted I had tried to change a few "systems" only to make it backfire on me. People are creatures of habit.

Back to Mother's Day. Got my morning cup of Joe followed by a pampering spa session. Then, went to return some stuff from Bed, Bath and Beyond, after I learned a few of the items I bought will not work. Funny how God works things.  They do not recycle at the apartments I am moving into, so the trash can I bought will work out after all, thankfully.  Back in the 1950s they didn't recycle a lot. Therefore, my hubby's system of bringing it to the garage while keeping aesthetics working in the kitchen worked beautifully.  Not today.

Then, my brother and dad showed up and we had a nice takeout lunch at 1:00 pm. I was planning on going to an Asian bible study I have been meaning to go to. You know you lived too long and had a wide vast experience when you realize it's Mother's Day and they most likely they are not going to have one.  My dad called the Christian church and got that right... whew!

I ended the last 20 minutes booking my internet online with Xfinity. I got a chat pop up on my window and got everything done online, without having to step inside an Xfinity store. How nice.  Let's hope no more hiccups. Oh yeah...and the salesperson told me $13 a month.... I'm like yeah right. Can't trick me.  I'm 43 AND I'm an IT person. I'm worst than a parole officer (LOL.......from the words of a person I met on Friday).  At least I'll save $20.00 with a self-install package.  Dag...I knew I chose profession in the 1990s. Grandma did know best, afterall.

Well, I hope your mother's day was as great as mine.

Dear George Washington

As we head into the 4th week of Easter, we continue to see what Jesus's path takes us to -- that is to the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).  I want to direct this blog as a letter to George Washington, the founding father of America.

Dear George:

When you and your allies got together at the round table, you established basic rules and authority to take into the account of the future, not knowing how we would evolve or how the dynamics would change. It occurred to me, you made sure there were no one absolute power. You also made sure there was a system in place to ensure these powers were not abused (aka bureaurcacy).  Bureau-CRAZY? Yes. Some days it drives me nuts. But there was a reason for everything.  And though we know not what they are, we believe all actions--past, present and future, stem from the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

George, today because of strong spirited people, fighters, warriors, and people of integrity; We are made up of more than just a type the world a accepted at your time.  We are made up of strong men and women (gender), people of various ethnicity (race), and people who don't fit gender as society defines it (LGBTQ), time on the physical body (age) and finally but not in the least, people who choose to believe in their higher power(s) that governs our universe (religion).

Life was so simple in your days. I bet everyone was less stressed! But there were more hardships than we can ever imagine that in your days were NOT available; clean water (but you adapted to it). Motor vehicles (did you say run for fun??) or computers to make us smarter  (PS -- that was facetious).

George, I thank you for what you put in place for us.  Now we as a society must adapt to our ever changing environment for purpose of the survival of the human race.  Heck if you could do it, so can we.

Which one will it be for now?  Survive?  Or Jesus rescues?

Cast your Cares

I am looking for a little inspiration today. It is a bit dreary with the non stop rain. But it too is a message.

With the terrible things happening in the world today, we have to hold to the promises of Jesus. The righteousness will come to those afflicted. Cast your cares on him today, because his yoke is light.

I read an article in Catholicanswers.com that the rigid rules of the Jewish law originated from Moses to reach heaven. Jesus came to lighten the load so you didn’t have to bare the burden. 

“Galatians 2:16 has nothing to do with the Catholic belief that good works and receiving the sacraments are necessary, but not sufficient, for salvation. Deciding who spends eternity in heaven remains entirely the prerogative of our loving Creator, who has given ample guidance to the faithful. Our Protestant brothers and sisters have been misled about the meaning of the text, so let us gently show them their error (2 Tim. 2:25).” 

So I interpret this as...We are all one body of believers in Christ. Your way of worship is not better than mine. In the end, it comes down to how we love God and one another, not how we worship.  God decides on judgement day, who is worthy of entering His kingdom.

Friends and Comparison

As I was growing up, I often wondered why I didn't have friends who were my age.  Actually, it seemed more so starting in college, when I got along better with older people.  My girlfriends were on average 7-10 years older.  Why couldn't I get along with someone my age?

Then I think back to my first friends I made as a child. My first friend was a boy in kindergarten who taught me how to tie my shoes in school. It was my early social interactions and I felt accepted by him.  Then, first grade Catholic school, was my first best friend Melanie. She left after the first grade, and I felt abandoned.  I thought I never find a best friend again.  I was always shy and making friends didn't come easy.  Moving around different cities in Montgomery County with little stability didn't help either.

I came to the conclusion that maybe I never felt like I fit in with the perfect, popular cool Caucasian girls my age. To me, I thought they were better, and I didn't feel good enough.  The other friends who I did find and were my age, was Christine who was Chinese, who I met in 10th grade and of course, my Thai cousin who lived in the USA since she was 12-16 years old.  These friendships were short-lived.  Other than that, I never had a stable friend who was exactly or around my age.

When I got my first government job, I was working with a loving group of minorities who saw me as their child, not as their competition. It was one working environment I dream of being in again, because I felt loved and I felt the people there were genuine.  Thinking back how I could not relate to younger people or people my age, I think it wasn't them.  I think it was me.

The law of attraction says that we attract reality to us.  If we see the glass half empty, it will be empty. If we think something bad is going to happen, we tend to fulfill our prophecy.  So I thought I could not get along with a girl my age because in my mind, she intimidated me and I might have intimidated her.  Maybe I was different, physically, and maturity wise.  As I read these questions on Quora, I realize that many people who felt like me, just didn't have a knack for making friends.

My first best online pal from AOL was 10 years older.  We wrote almost everyday for many months and we felt a connection.  We both like Star Trek the Next Generation.  I had several snail mail penpals, and my best one is Asian American and we were more like diary-mates.  We still keep in touch and met each several times over the course of our lives.

Today, my best friend is also older.  I think I am drawn to people who are genuine, loving and compassionate or accepting toward me.  Not someone competing against me, which I perceive to be the case.  So all you who are 43 and under... what are your comments? Do you believe in my theory of "attraction" or was I to you, someone hard to get to know?

Friends are not there for competition.  We as humans, cannot help comparing ourselves, but that is probably the underlying cause. It's the ego's fallacy telling us "I have to be better than my friend. That's the only way I can feel better about myself."  It's about how we fit in the world as we relate to one another.  So I can end now with as many cliches I can think of, when it comes to friends.

"With friends like that, who needs enemies."

"Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer."

"In order to have a friend, you have to be a friend."

"A friend in need, is a friend indeed."

"That's what friends are for."

"I'll be there for you." 

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." - Helen Keller

A difficult Subject

I completed my first practice speech on Moralistic Therapeutic Deism at yesterday's toastmasters.  I researched it for a while and finally was able to write the speech.  I practiced it over the weekend, and I knew what I had to do, to make it convincing.  In the end, how did my speech go?  I definitely improved in many areas - I varied my tone of voice. I didn't use my notes verbatim.  I made eye contact with the audience and I even walked the floor. I used body language.  These are things I had to do!!  In the end, when it came to judgement, my speech did not win any prize.  Not even "most improved."  The person who who won both first place and most improved, dressed up as Charlie Chaplin and had a big smile on his face.

This is to say, that my speech was not worse.  I believed I had more content.  My subject was about God. Who likes the subject?  Not the majority of my audience apparently.  Did he do a better job with delivery? His speech was about using visual aids, which he did great.  However 4 of those 7 minutes was spent showing his work on YouTube as Charlie Chaplin. Everyone loved his gear.  Furthermore, he couldn't get his laptop to work.  But he had a smile on his face..AND the topic was not about God.

We were both unprepared?  Absolutely. He spent 15-20 min fixing a problem to get his laptop to work.  I did not memorize my speech and actually apologized at the beginning by trying to use the word "acumen" to help add count to the word of the day. I was very nervous, my mouth was dry and so I missed many points I wanted to tell the audience because I wasn't fully prepared.  In the end though, I think I delivered what I felt God wanted me to deliver.  Maybe my writing was just a guideline.

Point of being -- I myself grew up as one of the MTD - Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.  I went to church, I did the motions, but I did not have a relationship with the Lord. I thought He was someone in heaven watching me from above. I didn't see God in other people.  I went to a church in Belgium..one of those that look like Notre Dame.  The walls echoed. The readers and the priest did not articulate well to me.  I felt like I wasn't being fed. Then I left the Catholic church.  Fast forward some ten years later, after joining other Christians, diving deeper into the bible and fellowship, I've come to learn of God as the trinity.  He lives in all of us.  Our brethren has the spirit of God in him. Jesus says, "whatever you do to the least... you do it for me."  In the Catholic Church, I felt judged. And I judged. One time I visited a church outside my home as a little girl.  The priest (I believe) maybe he was a Eucharistic minister was giving me communion. He looked at me strangely like someone he never saw before.  It is one look I will never forget.

I was in my own church and I did not feel authenticity from the people among me. It made me question, who are these "spiritual" people? They look no different than the people at the gym or outside the church. 

Lessons learned:  Everyone's spiritual level will always be different. I became a better Christian through relationship with His people, His followers by deeply delving into the bible.  Sure, the Eucharist is among the most important thing of the Catholic Church.  But so is the word and living the gospel daily, not just going to church weekly. Its simply not enough.  And I hope that the future of our faith will not turn into a water-down version of Christianity as Damon Link says author of "Theology has its Consequences."  We need to act now.  It's a difficult subject, but an important one.