Today I talked vision with Max and Stina who will be interviewing with me for swingouts. Twas super in depth.
I'm praying that I see the humanity in all people.
I want to be bold and forgiving. I want to love those who are difficult to love. I want to stand firm in God.
Today I.... finished and submitted my Asian American Excellence Awards applications, turned in my extra credit assignment for HDF, habituated my lab rats, watched some hamsters die :(, hip-hop danced with choreography, prayed with my "aunt," had my eyes opened to something bittersweet, was tired, caught up with an old friend, moved one day closer to graduati
here's to trying to persist.
Got back from our spring break trip today, and I will be blogging more about that on my T4k webpage journal. Big happenings included visiting a cancer treatment center where we got to tour the facility and learn more about cancer and its treatments. Another big happening was getting into a crash with one of my teammates who skidded out under me causing me to flip too. Luckily she's alright and was wearing a helmet (which cracked) and both of us ended up with a only a few bruises. She's a tough girl.
i'm so glad i went on this trip during break, i feel like a much stronger cyclist now because of it, and though we did take a few spills, I feel much more confident in myself about biking long distances (I remember when a 30 mile ride felt tough). Next up... the 70 miler then the 100 miler.
i'm super excited about this summer now. hanging out with kind folks... it's going to be amazing.
Ride dedication: Tonight I ride for Mr. James Yin. I knew him as an optimistic and thoughtful man, father in the truest sense of the word to a joyful daughter, and a loving and gentle husband.
I just heard news that someone close to our family passed tonight of stomach cancer. I can sincerely say he was a bright, goofy, loving guy. It's so weird to use the past tense like this. I'll confess, I am pretty nervous about my 3-day ride starting tomorrow-- it's the longest we will have ridden as a team (totaling 150+ miles). Is it strange that upon hearing this news I am more ready to ride? In some ways, it's saddening that all I CAN do is ride a bicycle... nevertheless, I'll do what I can. These next three days, our team will be biking from Austin to San Marcos to New Braunfels and back. We'll be sleeping at a school gym one night and a gracious host's home the next. I'll try to post some pictures when I get the chance.
In the mean time, please be praying for Mr. Yin and his family.
Looks like cancer really does affect us all at some point in our lives.
- - -
On a more typical note, I got back to Austin today and "settled in." the next time I go home, I will have graduated from college... that's a humbling thought.
blessings*
it's days like this that burn me
turn me inside out and learn me
In other news, i need to get editing on my law school personal statement and thesis!! these are important things to take care of!! I'm trying to figure out a way to incorporate everything I do into my personal statement, because I feel like each activity (texas 4000, csa, aacm, round table, biology research) describes a different aspect of my character/lifestyle. But what is the common thread??? That is the golden question; when i can answer that, i will have a personal statement drafted and ready.
deuce and love
1) today i had steak, shrimp, salmon, and salad for lunch. and now i realize they all begin with 's'. wait, i also had mushrooms...
2) i fell asleep yet again reading "chinese in america" on my cousin's really really really comfortable couch. I feel like i sleep too much, but sometimes i believe it's the most productive thing i can do with my spare time.
3) i've been watching reruns of doogie howser m.d. I'm really enjoying that show-- the characters aren't trashy, and it's a really creative concept driving the storyline.
4) i'm trying to read through the great gatsby, but i'm having a hard time enjoying it... i'm only at the beginning of it so i hope it gets better. in comparison, the fountainhead was much more engaging-- at least for now.
5) faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
6) sacrifice.
7) praying for you guys...
Fifty miles. That's the distance from Austin to Pflugerville and back. That's also the distance our Texas 4000 team conquered as we rode this morning. It was chilly but I had my peanut butter and jelly bagel so I was feeling alive! What a good hearty breakfast that was. This morning's ride just felt good. My mind was clear and the air was fresh. It was as though the rain had washed away any lingering stenches leaving only the crisp air in its purest form. We rode north and east, past herds of cattle and horses (even donkeys). All in all it was just a nice ride-- clearing my mind for those few hours and realizing again that the world is so much vaster than what I experience at UT.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with Mary, eating pizza, watching a movie, eating popcorn, sipping sweet tea, catching up. She's a good friend--saying things that are difficult to hear and stomach, but nevertheless challenging to my faith, in a good way.
I pray that Christ would be my first love.
Sometimes it's nice to just hang out with old close friends, relax, joke around, appreciate all we have. Tonight I went out with Maxie, John, Jon, Jeff, & Chris and though it's been a while since we hung out, it seemed like we hadn't missed a beat. it was such a nice night, though rainy and a bit chilly, we were in good company. In a strange way, it was a gentle reminder of our blessings as we dished out money for s'mores and burgers. that's not to say that these things aren't okay to indulge in, rather it was just nice to be reminded how blessed i am.
in other news, i got accepted to the inter-university program at Tsinghua with UC Berkeley-- so it's official, I'll be going to China for a year to hone my mandarin skills. I realized that i've been in austin for so long but haven't experienced so much (e.g. all the art museums, coffeehouses, local diners), and time's quickly running out. I'm glad i've already experienced so much (texas crew, csa, aacm, texas 4000) and hopefully left some sort of legacy. Maybe i'll be back in austin one day. regardless, i've made so many good friends here and met so many great mentors, I think a part of me will always be tied to UT. I'd like to say i've grown more into a man during the past three years-- understood more about myself and the man God calls me to be. I think i've become aware of my pride and my need for gentleness especially among my friends. I'm glad for and encouraged by these signs of growth.
tomorrow we're going on our 50 mile ride, which will be my longest ride to date. I am a little nervous because i know it will be rainy and conditions will likely be a bit dangerous, but hopefully my being cautious and alert will prevent any accidents we may face. this has been a great week. It's been challenging for my faith, but i'm starting to see things really come together for now.
let's pray for those less fortunate than ourselves- for those who are broken whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I think we convince ourselves that life is a battle we need to fight on our own, and we lose sight that we really don't have to go through it alone; there's a loving and just God who helps us in our troubled times and fights for us when we are weak.
thanks for reading, hope you guys have a peaceful/restful break!
Jen says it's self control; I think it's grace-- cause I don't think there's any way I could have done this on my own. So here I am listening to Koo Chung late into the evening feeling like I lost something; obedience feels so bittersweet. But I guess we may never see the whole forest.
Please pray that I may "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight"
God, it's been so long since I've sought you wholeheartedly. And I want to want to break this cycle. God speed.
Let your words fall on my ears and break my stony heart.....
