I also learned that the same weekend she is home, the great Tim Tebow is set to speak at her parents church.

And then the media went wild.

Rumors started to fly about the potential for Ms. Perry to visit and make a connection with the great game-saver himself, as if her parents strategically planned for their meeting to happen. Many have spectated that she will even visit her parents church for the first time in a while just to see him.

While I may not think that all this was setup for a purpose or if there is even a motive for it, it sparked a question in my mind about marriage and relationships: why do we get so excited for this stuff?

Mr. Tebow has admirable qualities I presume for a partner to any woman, and Ms. Perry is successful in all she does. It seems like a great mix, but why do we get excited when we see potential things like this happen around us, even with people we don’t even know? Many reality TV shows today even champion that part of our social phenomenon where we just want to see perfect couple unite everywhere.

I’m guilty of it too, but why do we do it really? Does this mean that those who aren’t as attractive and aren’t as successful can’t find true love because their lives just aren’t interesting enough? Do we simply gleam over relationships and triumphs of couples deemed not noteworthy?

I guess you could say that parts of us live vicariously through these anticipated relationships, whether they materialize into anything or not. We like to see good people find love because love is the ultimate gift. We cheer them on because we want them to be happy, just as we do ourselves. But why do we only cheer on those who we think are noteworthy?

We can sometimes do the same thing with witnessing. We all identify with someone who we want to bad to come into relationship with Christ. There is always that one person that we put some extra time into witnessing. I think that is excellent. I truly believe God gives us ‘special projects’ where our gifts, talents, testimony and life can really speak into someone in a special way that only we will be able to communicate God’s love to them effectively. What I think we have to be careful in is when that person becomes so much of our center that we forget to:

1. Keep our focus on their salvation

2. Maintain our own spiritual integrity

We have to be able to remain steadfast to God’s direction for us, and He doesn’t take a break sometimes while you are in the middle of scoring a spiritual touchdown with someone. He may bring other non-believers into your realm and bring in some reinforcement on your end to help. When that happens, we can sometimes feel as if we have to maintain control of that person and that they must find Christ through us. When we allow those feelings to enter in, we jeopardize our own walk and put it at risk of self-righteousness.

I truly believe that we have the power to lead folks to Christ, but lest we forget that we offer a POWERFUL gift – the gift of LOVE; the gift of CHRIST!

Acts 8: 4-8 talks about Philip’s work in Samaria. Although a small and simple passage, I can only imagine how much power was flowing through those streets. We serve THAT God, who can turn cities around and make the impossible possible. All he did was obey, take a step of faith, and get it started, and God’s glory did the rest!

Let’s stop trying to do all the work and getting infactuated with the mission, and let’s remain sensitive to what God would have us do. We are ALL his children, even the uninteresting ones who to society deserve little attention. We ALL deserve His love. We are all on the same team. We may start a relationship or we may be at the final ending when that person finally comes to know Christ. We never know where we are in someone’s life story.

I hope Ms. Perry does end up meeting Mr. Tebow. Not because I want them to get married, but because I want her to feel loved. I hope she meets anyone out there, friend or partner, who can show her God’s love. Without expectation of reward.

Love. Love HARD. Repeat.

Let’s make that the focus of our witnessing and we will make headlines in Heaven.

I love hanging out. I mean, what better way to spend time with friends than to just spend time WITH them. Some friends and I sat around with desserts in hand and guitars strumming last night, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the first day of the year. It was a rough start with some discouraging news, but the joy of the Lord is undefinable and cannot be limited or dismayed by our circumstances. Correction. It shouldn’t.
I love having friends who remind me of that very truth. I cherish their company and will always remember moments like those where we ate chocolate mochi, reminisced on memories, and sang the night away.
Happy New Year

I’ve had a childhood dream linger in my thoughts for years, and this past Sunday, I made it come true. Growing up in Hawaii, I always wanted to run the Honolulu Marathon. I remember sitting in front of the TV when it came on the news and thinking how much fun it would be. I would tell my friends about it, and they were completely uninterested in it, and would rather talk about pogs or recess. I didn’t really vocalize it too much, though. I guess it was the notion that if I said it out loud, it wouldn’t come true. I thought, though, I would never be able to do it after the accident. When I was 8 years old, I was accidentally run over by a van. The rear left tire went over my waist, and I distinctly remember this vivid image of a blue van going over my body. I pass that very site from time to time, and it still gives me goosebumps every time I go by. I remember my mom being frantic and crying over my bloodied feet and limp waistline while we were on the way to the hospital. I remember looking at her the whole time but I don’t remember crying at all. I guess it was the self-assurance that I was taken care of was enough to numb the pain. to make a long story short, I ended up getting a hairline fracture in my pelvic bone, a small crack on my femur, and a pulled ligament. My youth played an advantage for me as my bones were ‘young’ enough that they could heal to full recovery – of course, after 6-8 weeks in a body cast. I remember afterwards being the subject of many sermons by my dad and other pastors, citing the healing from God. I believe God healed me tremendously that day, as the fracture was only 3 centimeters from a vital part in my spine that would have prevented me from walking again, and that the crack in my femur was just north of an area that would have caused permanent damage to my right leg.

My mom still goes silent sometimes when we talk about it. I know it hits a mom-chord with her that she doesn’t want to relive again. Since then, I’ve taken up sports and activities that were fun, but really, allowed me to use my legs. I had a second chance with them and I didn’t want to miss one second. I had another scare with a volleyball injury to the knee, but it came around as well.  I gave up running and resorted to swimming in high school since it gave me some pressure off my knee and legs. It was fun, but I knew I wanted to do more.

Joining the military, certain parts proved challenging. I knew I wouldn’t be able to run as fast as others, as my ligament wouldn’t be as pliable as it could have been and the pressure of anything on my knee was grueling. Years passed, and swimming wasn’t doing much for my knee and legs in terms of conditioning, so I hit the road again, and after years of not putting on running shoes, I hit the trail once more. I remember my first PT Test run. It was pathetic. I could BARELY make the Coast Guard standard, and was huffing and puffing at the end. It was only a mile and a half. Still, I wanted to set out and get back into shape. I remember during a drive home back in 2004 from work, it felt like God was piercing my heart to ‘go back’ in my mind. Memories flooded my mind, and I felt like I was in some sci-fi thriller where random images pop up out of nowhere. After praying on it, I felt like this memory of the Marathon kept lingering in my mind, even on to the next morning. It wasn’t anything significant, but a vivid memory of me sitting in front of a TV wanting to do the Marathon. I knew then on that I needed to fulfill this ‘promise’ I made to myself over a decade ago. While I was in Hawai’i, I volunteered at the Honolulu Marathon for years, helping pass out water and hold the dividing line. For whatever reasons during those years, I never mustered up enough self-discipline to do it. After beating myself up over it, in 2008, I told myself I would do it in 2011 and my goal would be to not stop at all. 2011 would be my last year in the military, and although at the time I was debating on reenlisting, I wanted to secure my goal.

I moved to Virginia in 2010, and the travelling abroad started up. I made the decision to get out of the military, and I knew I had this last chance to do it while I was in uniform. So I started running. I ran all over Newport News Park, and York County. I ran all over Brasilia, Malaysia, Trinidad, Bahamas, and Vietnam. I ran until it hurt, and kept going. I told myself to move forward and push beyond anything I’ve experienced before. This was new territory for me.

This past Sunday, at 4:50 am, I said a prayer of thanksgiving. I was thankful that after all these years, I was finally at the starting line of a race that I believed for years would be a sight I would never see. I was thankful that I was healed. I was thankful that I was alive. I drank my last sip of water, and as the fireworks went up to signal the start of the race, it was a bit emotional for me. I didn’t know it would be so moving to start. 

I’ve never gone past 15 miles straight nonstop before, and I normally start to struggle at about 9 miles. Maybe it was the adrenaline of being in the race, the overwhelming aloha and support of the onlookers and cheer sections, God, or a combo of the three, but 9 miles came and went, and I was feeling more than fine. I said hi to friends as I passed them and kept my head in the game as best I could. My knee started to give way about 15 miles into it, and I was in pain, but I pushed through. I could see many start to pass me as I brought my pace down to a SLOW jog, but I kept telling myself. “RUN YOUR OWN RACE!”

I came down the corner of Kapiolani Park, and the Finish Line was ahead of me. As I approached the Finish Line, I felt as if the weight of the world lifted off my shoulder for a moment. I had a sudden burst of energy and bolted to the line, all smiles, dripping wet. 5 hours, 23 minutes, and 43 seconds of straight running. Never stopped. Never gave in.

I limped to the park afterwards, and had a brief moment with God. He carried me the entire race, and my strength came from him. It was by far the proudest moment of my life and something I will never forget. It was a bit bittersweet as I only wish I had friends or family there to celebrate it with me, but I know they were in church at the moment. I guess being alone was a good thing. That’s how I’ll look at it.

Never give up on your dreams. That is really it. Nothing more, nothing less. Never give up. God may provide them, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Hope to see you next year at the starting line

To me, that sort of advertising turns me away from the product. Sure, it may lure a few in, but for the most part, people just want to know it works, and they would rather just get the facts than try to find a hidden message somewhere or another. Some of the most memorable commercials are the funny ones, actually. Ones that display relevance, wit, charm, and comedy. They are memorable because they grab your attention, but instead of sell a product, they promote it.

There’s a difference between those two. To sell and to promote. To sell something means the intention is simply to gain profit from it, be it money or brownie points. Do some companies care what the consumer does after the sell? Not at all. But when something is promoted, and we see that they really want us to believe in the success of the product, and they take the time and energy to make a good case about it, we know they really believe in it, and thus, we start to believe it too. When we buy or order it, we exercise that belief in it. Because they promoted it well, and didn’t sell it.

I wondered about my influence as a man of God in this respect. Do I simply sell God, or do I really promote it? Do I just want the brownie points and a point for every person I encourage, or do I really invest in these relationships and in the people I help lead? There’s nothing wrong with sharing how your life has changed, but what I want us to be careful with is the intention behind it. Are we really listening to people and sharing our heart with them, or are we just waiting for the microphone time to spit out your best sales pitch?

Do I sound like an over-the-top commercial for God to everyone, sounding as fake as can be, or do people believe in what I say because I take time to build relevance, breed good relations, and offer a real passion? I’d like to say the latter, and I think I do a good job, but I know I can be a better example. It’s a simple reminder to check your gauges, and humble ourselves sometimes.

Do you ever feel like you’re listening to an exagerration of a Godly life from others, and more importantly, do you think people think that of you?

Let’s try to be real with people. Let’s honor them, by giving them ourselves. As friends. As people. Relevant people.

Before they change the channel.

Today, I traveled a few hours to watch my good friend, Fauzi, graduate from Coast Guard Basic Training. I remember first taking him on board Coast Guard Cutter RUSH when he was first interested in joining, and although I knew he was interested, I was keenly aware of how much I could make an influence in his decision. After a few months of waiting, he finally did it. And now, he’s a Guardian. On his way to OS A-School, might I add.

To see this generation of Chiefs begin to take the helm while the next generation assumes the watch is a sight to sit, behold, and appreciate. We make history everyday as Coast Guard men and women. Some will take on more responsibilities with rank and privilege, while others will start their journey into their careers for the first time as adults. What is common amongst all of us is that the decisions we make and the influence we carry spells out our impact on our Service. We can choose to make a difference in the lives of those we serve, or we can just serve. Either is a standard, but one is significant. Some decisions we make in our professional lives reflect greatly on our personal lives, and vice-versa. We bend and fold, stretch and flex, with every new decision we make. We learn from our mistakes, knowing however that our efforts are validated and encouraged. We change as professionals, but we learn how to embrace it personally as well. Our environments change, and so do our friends. We are always growing. Always.

I think back to these moments in my own career, from Boot Camp, A-School, and Chief’s Academy graduation ceremonies. I was different person at every stage, but all made me who I am today, professionally and personally. As I watched Recruit Company Hotel-184, I was reminded of why I serve, who I serve, and what impact I have on them. I was proud to be there to applaud their decision to join this Service, just as I was proud to applaud the decision of my fellow Chiefs to accept the responsibility and honor of becoming a Chief Petty Officer. As a leader, I need to be able to remind myself of these significant decisions that others have made. When I understand the passion and motivation behind these decisions by my shipmates, both young and old, I remain grounded. I remain humbled. I remain motivated. It’s only then that I can really succeed at being a Chief. It’s then that they see the Chief’s Mess supports them.

Because to them, a Chief was there when it all started. On that first step. Just as one was for me.

Sometimes I wonder what makes us strong. I’m not talking about a tangible strength, but a steadfast solidarity in spirit. What allows us to grow? If you really think about it, there’s a difference between paying attention and focusing. Paying attention requires just that. Attention. The minimal amount necessary to allocate your thoughts towards something. But when you focus, there’s more required. There’s more to do. There’s an effort needed. There’s a need to not miss anything, and there’s a desire to digest everything for what it’s worth, making sure that you full undivided attention is executed. When you are just paying attention, you are prone to distractions, because to you, the distraction is just as powerful as the subject, and sometimes, it’s more powerful. Powerful enough to, well, distract. But when you focus, distractions don’t have as much power. They don’t have what it takes to gain your attention because you have focused everything towards your subject. Sometimes you don’t even acknowledge them.

This is why it’s so important to remain reverent to God. To make sure that He is above all that you desire, want, and need. Yes, even above those. When we do this, our desires, needs and wants don’t distract us from God, because we haven’t given them enough power in the first place to do that. You see, it’s not a matter of how powerful God is above these things, but it’s a matter of how much we allow God to be in the prime spot of our lives.When we let those things become just as powerful as God, we begin to look at them. We get distracted.

The year started off sour with this happening. But I choose to place God above all the things in my life. I don’t want to be distracted. I will not let this distract me. I still have my joy, which is in Him. He is my joy. He is my all. It’s imperative we do this with God. Someone may have stolen my identity in this world, but they did not steal my purpose. This is how I choose to live this year out.

Rob Bell quotes this in his book, Velvet Elvis, where he explores the many definitions we try to attach to God sometimes to “cushion” the blow of life’s realities.

Have you ever wondered where the mystery of God went? I mean, there’s definitely something to be said on how God works against certain things, but I think sometimes we can get too investigative on how God works. We say that God works in mysterious ways, but only in certain things and after we’ve given our hand at things. Like relationships. God works in mysterious ways, but I know FOR SURE that that person is not my future spouse. God works in mysterious ways, but I know FOR SURE that I’m not meant to do that. Some things are obvious, but have we really gotten to the point that if you don’t have a set definition of God in your life that you “need work on your spiritual life”?

I want to know God more and more each day. But I want to know only as much as God wants me to know. Because He is God. I will never fully figure Him out. So why waste my time on that when He could be trying hard to tell me to do otherwise. Like, oh I don’t know, obey. Obey without question.

I don’t want to lose that reverence and respect for God. I don’t want to fully figure Him out. That’s not my business. Instead, I want to train myself to be more aware of God, more cognizant of His voice in me. There is a reason why God allows only a glimpse of His glory to us. We can’t contain it all. We can’t comprehend it. We simply can’t fully get it.

So let’s stop with this crazy nonsense of trying to always figure out God’s next move. He will lead us. He will guide our ways. God is not on our side. WE are on HIS side.

This place gives me a sense of belonging unlike any other place. Maybe you could say it’s picture of a calling. I’ll be quite honest, I don’t really know for sure what my life calling is, but I’m working on fine-tuning my sense of reception towards it. And Hawai’i gives me a strong sense of its truth. This isn’t just another ideal place to visit; this is really home. And with that, I understand the value of it even more because I live somewhere else. I’ve moved on from my time here into another life, as I’ve done before, but I know that my time here isn’t over. I think that promise allows me to live life fully in my new environment, which I’ve taken every opportunity to do. I’ll admit, my life is different there. I’m not as mobile as I am here, and I’ve switched up my eating habits profoundly, but it’s because new things are in store for me. New things must happen. New beginning must take place, for new things to happen.

I’m glad I came back home for a brief timeout. A dose of home is always good, I believe. Whether it’s coming back to good times, or revisiting for an opportunity for closure, a reminder of normalcy helps set you up for the newness of life. I’ll be back on the East Coast next week, but for now, it’s time to enjoy life in Hawai’i.