One man's faith causes thousands of ripples...

I've been following the story of the Afghan believer, Abdul Rahman, whose life has been placed in jeopardy by his public confession of faith in Jesus Christ. At this point it seems that he will be released from custody, but the threat to his life does not end. It is clear that he will have to live the rest of his life with the possibility that he could be sought and killed because of his apostasy against Islam. Interestingly (as is often the case), the Afghan government's actions which were intended to crush Christian faith and defend Islam have only served to create a greater interest in Christianity amongst Muslims, especially Afghans who would like to find out more about Christianity.

This story describes an ironic jump in requests for Bibles in the Dari or Pashto language and an increase in requests for more information about Jesus Christ. Afghan Christian leader, Hussain Andaryas, who runs a ministry in the U.S. has noticed a significant increase in traffic at his website, as well as increased interest in Christianity amongst Afghans. The compelling story of Rahman's willingness to die for his beliefs has created quite a stir among others in the Muslim community. Once again we see the power of one man's faith in impacting many. We see that God can and does use the weak to overcome the mighty and the many. Abdul Rahman's name may not go down in history as a significant name, but his determined faith is making a significant impact.

Free at last (from probation)

No, I was not serving probation for some serious criminal offense. I had received TWO citations for very weak violations back in December (no front license plate and front tint that was too dark). The officer, Sammy Knapp, could have easily shown some grace (it was near Christmas time) and given me warnings about these issues since I was not aware that I was in violation of any regulations. I truly believe that there was a little bit of profiling involved. My car, sporty STi, my look, young Asian guy with a leather jacket and goatee probably caused him to shoot for the moon on whatever he could get. I wasn't speeding, I didn't violate any traffic laws so he just fished and came up big. This is a total contrast to Jimmy's earlier story on receiving grace from a police officer. Sammy Knapp, one of Plano's "not-so-finest" can take a lesson from Jimmy's officer. If he knew who I was and the circumstances behind the missing license plate and window tint, he might've let me off with a warning or a "fix-it" citation. If it were a white housewife in a minivan I'm absolutely certain ol' Sammy would've given her a warning and a kind word.

Anyway, all that griping to get to the point of this post. I finally turned in my deferred disposition paperwork and now I'm free again. Clean record and Sammy Knapp no longer haunts me. The only lingering ill feelings have to do with the cool $250 I had to give to the city of Plano because of ol' Sammy's handiwork. Still, these last 90 days have been a bit burdensome - constantly scanning the roads for police, constantly wondering if my car is in violation of some code I'm unaware of, constantly worrying about every little move. I'm free again and can finally relax on the roads a bit. Boy, what a difference grace can make - you see it when you receive it (a la Jimmy) and you definitely feel it when it's lacking (a la Sammy Knapp).

Some sports bites...

• Michigan's in the NIT final four. I know the NIT pretty much stands for "not in tournament" but at this point I'll take what I can get as a fan of Michigan hoops. On the other hand, we are the last Big Ten team playing this postseason. I know that the NIT is really just a consolation prize for second-tier teams, but I do not buy the "65th best team" jab. That's just an old line that sports anchors like to throw around. I really do believe that Michigan could've played with many of the teams that made the Big Dance, but I know that they deserved to be left out because of their poor regular season finish. Oh well, Go Blue!
• Mavs play the Pistons. I know it's a regular season game, but it would be very nice to win this one. Dirk would gain some MVP votes, the Mavs would gain some confidence for the stretch run, and perhaps this is a game that could eventually prove valuable in the race for the West. That being said, it seems that there is really little difference between 1st and 4th seed in terms of first round match-up. What I mean is that the middle teams in the West are all pretty tough and we may not be catching that much of a break by playing the 8th seed as opposed to a 5th seed. The most important thing now is to get injured players rested and healed up. We also need to make sure we don't ease up too much or we may go into the play-offs too cold. The Little General has a tough stretch coming up: play too hard and you may be tired going into the playoffs, rest too much and you may go in too cold. He's proven that he's a solid coach thus far, I trust that he'll get the Mavs in ready to play.
• Opening day coming up. I think the Rangers are in a hard-to-predict position. They have the potential (I stress, "potential") to contend for the AL West - if pitching is as good as it can be, if our offense can repeat the success of last season, if Buck can do a better job as manager. On the other hand, if the "ifs" I just listed don't work out, we have the potential to finish in the cellar. Hope springs eternal. It'll be nice to see Ranger baseball for the first time in 3 years.

Home sweet home.

Just got back from speaking at a missions weekend at Perry Hall Baptist Church in the Baltimore/D.C. area. It was a good weekend of ministry and I felt very welcome at Perry Hall thanks to my friend, Chris. Chris and I studied together at Dallas Seminary and he is now on the staff at Perry Hall. Thanks to his help we were able to begin a relationship with Perry Hall's missions board 3 years ago. They faithfully supported us for the entire time we were in Russia. This weekend was an opportunity for me to express our heart-felt thanks to them in person and also serve them by bringing a word of encouragement for their spring Missions Re-charge weekend. I spoke twice and enjoyed the experience very much. It was encouraging to be able to share a fresh vision for missions out of Isaiah 25:6-9 with their congregation. Many seemed to feel that I had broadened their perspectives and given them new insights on the importance of missions.

I also had the chance to reconnect with Chris and his family after being apart for several years. We did a little sight-seeing in the "inner harbor" area of Baltimore (where Camden Yard and the Ravens' stadium are located). It was cool to be able to see some of these sights.

It was a good trip but I am also glad to be home. There's a Russian saying that goes something like, being a guest is nice, being at home is better. I loved staying with Chris and enjoyed it very much and now it's time to get back into the flow of things at home.

**Update**

A few pictures...

Me out by the scoreboard and the warehouse at Camden Yard.

Cal & Rachel drifting at Planet Pizza. A future Fujiwara in the works.

Cal goofing around with turtles & ducks. Diggin' Jurassic Park(?)

Sealy posturepedics new mattresses - they're as tough as nails.

Travelers' blues, iPod scare, kid stories...

• Getting ready for my trip out to D.C. to speak at Perry Hall Baptist Church for their Spring Missions Recharge. I'm a bit nervous, but preparations have gone ok. I think I'm ready, but know that I probably could've done more. Still, I'm really looking forward to spending time with my friend, Chris. Can't wait to catch up with him and be refreshed.
• The other night I was testing out a battery pack that I had gotten for my iPod. Basically, iPod's video feature takes so much battery power that you can hardly get enough charge to watch a full-length movie. I found an external battery pack by Belkin that allows the iPod to run off AA batteries. Sounds like what I need since I'll be doing a lot of travelling this next month. Anyway, I was testing it when the movie I was watching just froze! The iPod locked up and I tried everything - tried to shut it down, tried docking it with the computer, nothing. The usual way of turning it off wasn't working. I was sure that the external battery pack had burnt out the hard drive or something. I spent about 15 minutes trying different things and trying to figure out what to do when I finally reached the point of resignation. I realized that my iPod probably died and I didn't purchase any kind of service plan from Best Buy (didn't buy it from Costco, unfortunately). Anyway, I just figured that I would leave it and that the battery would eventually die. My sliver of hope was that maybe this would naturally reset things. Still, a pretty sunken feeling to think that my iPod had died after I'd spent so much effort getting it set up just right - over 4500 songs, dozens of movies, podcasts, etc. It was finally starting to feel like MY iPod. The next morning I found it dead, as expected, and nervously plugged it into the computer to charge. After it charged a bit I turned it on. I didn't know what to expect, but then the beautiful Apple logo appeared (it looks really nice on the iPod screen). The iPod turned on and then I was excited to see that all the files were apparently intact. I went on to a users forum at a website called iLounge (a very cool site for iPod and Apple users). I found out that this happens on occassion with video that has been encoded by software other than iTunes or Quicktime. I also found out the proper button combination to do a more complete shutdown/reset (center button and menu together for 10 seconds). Whewww! I've had the lock-up happen one other time since then, but the shutdown works and the iPod seems no worse for wear. What a relief. I guess I've gotten pretty attached to this little buger, but on the other hand, I felt pretty good about how I handled it. No tears, no anguish, just a readiness to accept that this type of thing happens in life. Things break, things get lost, things are stolen. Life goes on.
• Yesterday Caleb suckered me into letting him stay out of daycare and spend the day with me. When I was getting him ready he gave me a huge hug, did the little hand-pats on my back and said he really didn't want to go to school but wanted to be with me. Then he told me he loves me very much. Man, what was I to do. I ended up dragging him around with me as I worked on things and ran errands. We actually had a fun day. I took him to Northpark mall to see the ducks and turtles. It was cool because when he saw the turtles he immediately asked if we could go visit Oleg & Sana and see their turtles. I told him they live a bit too far away, he then immediately offered that airplanes would be the way to go. Yeah, thanks for the advice. He even remembered the Russian word for turtles. It was a fun day and a great reminder of just how special my kids are. He's truly a little person with a unique personality and nature. Also a reminder of just how immense a responsibility I have as their father. Everything I do and say leaves imprints in their lives. I am reminded that this is just one more reason to strive to live a godly life in every respect. I'm leaving a legacy behind no matter what, I pray that it will be a legacy of faith that glorifies God.
• Last night was a night out for Hanna. I, being a lazy and very un-domestic dad figured that it was a good night to take the kids out. We decided to try Planet Pizza. I figured it was a Chuck E. Cheese knock-off but thought it might be a little less crowded. Turned out to be a great time. They actually have small carnival rides (bumper cars, a mini pirate ship, etc.). Rachel and Caleb had a great time. In fact, one of the highlights for me was when Caleb, while eating pizza, just spontaenously asked if he could give me a kiss. I felt a bit awkward so I just said, "it's ok, Caleb, I love you, too." He asked again so I just let him give me a little kiss on the cheek. Then he said, "I love you so much." After a few more bites of pizza, he asked if he could give me a hug so I leaned over. He then said again, "I love you so much." He then told Rachel he loved her very much, too. It was priceless. I guess Caleb was just having a great time, was completely relaxed being with me and Rachel and just had to spontaneously express how good he felt. I wish I could bottle moments like that up for rainy days. By the way, he did pretty well on the bumper cars. It was a proud moment to see Caleb out-driving other little kids who were even bigger than him. Another car guy in the works.

The Great Korean Pastime? Korea beats the US in the WBC!

Wow, Korea beat the US tonight in the World Baseball Classic. Now I can definitely say that the Koreans have already had a great tournament. Obviously they're far from done, but regardless of what happens next, they've already made their statement and made it well. If the US played Korea in a 7 game series, they would probably win. Still, Korea played a great game tonight and won by playing baseball the way it was meant to be played - excellent defense, precise pitching, smart base-running, error-free play, and timely hitting. The two big homers by the "Lion King" and Hee Seop Choi were like icing on the cake. None of the Korean pitchers threw in the high 90's, but they hit their spots and forced batters to work hard. The fielders all played gold-glove caliber defense and the hitters were just gritty and tough. Don't let the highlight homers fool you. Every batter made the US pitchers work. They took pitches, fouled off lots of balls and made the most of every mistake and opportunity. It was kinda' like playing a team full of Derek Jeters - tough, smart, fundamentally sound, and clutch.

Things couldn't have gone much better for Korea, but I do have some beefs with the uniforms. I'm ok with the blue & white color scheme for the baseball team. In fact, it would be nice if the soccer team also wore the blue instead of the red, errrrrr, pink that they wear now. I don't know why it's "be the reds!" when they're actually wearing pink. Anyway, I thought the baseball unis were ok, but the "K" on the caps looks way to big and blocky. Hanna noted that and I agree. They look like little league caps where one big letter is just ironed on the cap. A script "K" or an old English "K" embroidered on would have been awesome. Plus, the big, block "K" looks like the Korean team is just motivating the other team's pitchers to get strikeouts!

I also think that "KOREA" on the chest could've been done with a little more style. Still, it must have been a good game if I'm complaining about the unis. And as some may have guessed, I'm already looking for a Korea jersey or cap, hehe.

As I said earlier, Korean baseball has come a long way. It was pretty nice to hear Eric Karros (ESPN's color commentator and former major leaguer) pay some really big compliments to the Korean team. It was also fun to see the Korean fans who came out in force to Anaheim because they were, well, just so Korean - banging on pots & pans, waving Korean flags, blowing horns in the ears of American fans, and just being obnoxious in a way that only Koreans can be. You could hear chants in Korean thoughout the game ("Dae han min guk!") and it even seemed that there was as much noise for the Koreans as there was for the Americans. Pretty fun. This WBC has suddenly gotten a lot more interesting..."Korea high-ting!"(that's "Korea, fighting!" which is the traditional "Konglish" cheer amongst Korean immigrants in America).

Scattershooting: viruses, visas, Korean baseball, iPod love...

• Being sick with a nasty virus is definitely not fun. I spent most of the weekend in the bathroom (literally). It had been a while since I'd been this sick and so I had almost forgotten how awful gut-wrenching cramps and heaves could be. I was "counting buicks," "worshiping the porcelain god," and dealing with Montezuma's revenge. It was so rough that my chest and stomach are still sore from all the dry-heaving - feels like I worked out all weekend. On top of all that, I was running a 100+ fever and had a headache that had me feeling like monkeys with sledgehammers were going to town inside my skull. Anyway, I'm feeling better today - just feeling a bit weak. The only plus in all this is that I had an excuse to drink some Gatorade. Since I'm diabetic I've pretty much had to swear off Gatorade (liquid sugar) and I miss it, but having a little this weekend was a tiny bright spot. "Is it in you?" Well, it was, but then it shot out...
  
• After getting over physical headaches I've had to deal with some figurative ones. I spent most of today working on my visa application for my upcoming trip to Russia. I love so many things about Russia and am extremely excited to be going next month, but I will never grow comfortable with the horrendous red-tape the Russian government throws at people. Documents, documents, documents - AAAHH!! I think I've got the visa application ready but I know that I won't really be able to rest until the visa is in my hands. Hope things go smoothly at the Russian consulate (something I will never take for granted).
  
• Enjoyed watching Korea vs. Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. First of all, it's been a while since I had watched a good baseball game and secondly, it was really cool to see how far Korea's baseball program has come. I don't think Korea is going to win it all, but they have already had a very successful tournament. They've beaten Japan and a favored Mexican team. They've shown the world that they can play with anyone and that they play the right way - good pitching and good defense. I'm even impressed with Chan Ho Park's leadership and play in the tournament. I still think his failure in Texas was inexcusable and that he's a fragile player, but he's pitched well for Korea and shown some surprising leadership. Maybe having "Korea" on your uniform really does mean more than big paychecks. It's really too bad that baseball has really fallen off as a big-time sport. It's really a rich game with so much to offer for those who are fans. It was the first sport that really got me fired and was a huge part of my childhood. I guess I have moved on to other sports (football, basketball, etc.), but baseball will always have a special place - kinda' like a "first love." Anyway, I hope that my kids will learn to enjoy the "great game" as much as I have over the years.
  
• Finally got an iPod a few weeks ago and I have to say that you should believe the hype. I know, I know, it's about time. I've always known that Apple products are a cut above in terms of design and quality, but the iPod really is as good as advertised. It's taken a while to consolidate my music collection, format video and organize podcasts, but I think I've finally got my iPod up and running as I want. I splurged and got the 60 gig monster because I knew that my music and video files would be pretty extensive. Well, the final damage comes out to about 4500 songs that run close to 30 gigs. The amazing thing is that with all the songs and videos loaded up, I've still got about 25 gigs of memory left. Pretty impressive - software compression, memory management, witchcraft - whatever Steve Jobs packs into the little suckers, it works. Not only has it been pretty cool to have my entire music library at my fingertips, but I've even been able to subscribe to a few podcasts of interest (such as the Jim Rome show) and enjoy radio programs that normally don't air in Dallas. Gotta' tip my hat to Apple. It's a pretty cool piece of technology. Say, did you ever hear about my friend who traded an iPod for some refrigerator water filters? Ask me some time...

No major "post-Oscar" stuff, but...

There was a time when I would look forward to the Academy Awards with great anticipation. There was a time when watching the Oscars was a major, calendar event for me. Well, I don't know if it's age, Hollywood's increasingly cloying embrace of "mindless" liberalism, or time spent in Russia where perspectives change, but I seem to have lost my fondness for the Academy Awards extravaganza. Oh sure, I still have interest in the big winners, losers, snubs, and surprises, but for the most part, I have become content to check the results via "day-after" post mortem reports.

This year I also have the additional reason of having been at church enjoying a great evening of fellowship with the English Ministry group for missing this year's Oscars. Though I didn't watch the Oscars, I did enough reading and watched enough entertainment reports to get the feeling that Jon Stewart did a decent job (more on him later), that "Crash" winning was a pretty big shock, and that something has truly changed in Academy Awards history when a group called the "3-6 Mafia" can win a statue for a song about the difficult lives of pimps and end up with more Oscars (1) than Martin Scorsese (0).

Back to Jon Stewart (of The Daily Show fame). I'm not a huge fan, but I have always thought that he's a really gifted comic with a special flair for satire, sarcasm, and insightful humor. His ability to idenitfy hipocrisy and dishonesty and then roast it is pretty notable. For more on Jon Stewart's performance and Hollywood's cool reception, check this great article about Hollywood's annoying sense of self-importance (epitomized by George Clooney's acceptance speech) and how Jon Stewart's brand of humor (satirical and introspective) was just too effective for all the world-saving Hollywood-types at the Kodak Theater.

If you just want a hilarious post-Oscar wrap-up, then check out Bill Simmons' (the Sports Guy) blog ("More Cowbell") where he comments on the Oscars. As usual, he's not only hilarious, but observant in a "having-a-great-time-with-the-fellas" sort of way (if you just got what I was talking about, you will get Bill Simmons).

For those of you who saw "oscar" in this post's title and expected some "Brokeback" jokes, sorry...

J-Mac's story and "allergy attacks"

This has been on the news recently and I just had to share it and comment on it. You may already know this about me but I really don't cry very easily. Love stories - bah. Tear-jerker dramas - hah. However, my greatest weakness is sports stories about the triumph of the human spirit, grace, and redemption. That's why I'll admit that I cried at the end of Cool Runnings. I definitely bawled when I first saw the Jake Porter story (if you don't, then maybe you need your heart checked). Now along comes the J-Mac story. It's been on the news recently and if you haven't seen or read it, please check it out. Yes, having seen this story on ESPN a few nights ago, I got choked up, errrrr, had an allergy attack. Today I heard an interview with J-Mac's coach, Jim Johnson, and I had another allergy attack.

Basically, Jason McElwain (J-Mac) is the hero in a hollywood-style inspirational story about grace and the triumph of the underdog. Jason is an autistic senior student at a high school in Rochester. He loves basketball and has been the student manager on his high school team for the past several years. For the last home game (senior day), his coach Jim Johnson - a special figure in his own right - arranged to have Jason suit up and be a reserve in the game. Everyone at the school was preparing to cheer Jason on with J-Mac masks and special posters. Coach Johnson and the team simply hoped to have Jason play and maybe make a basket. Jason was just excited to be in uniform that night. This is where the story goes to another level. He gets into the game towards the end of the fourth quarter and proceeds to miss his first three-point attempt by a few feet. Then he hits a three-pointer and suddenly he's on fire. In the next 4 minutes or so he made 6 three pointers and finished with 20 points! He was pulling up from 2 ft. behind the line and swishing treys. He then ends this fairy-tale story by hitting his final three with the clock running down and having the students swarm the floor, carrying him off on their shoulders.

Man, why would you be crying about some movie about a love affair gone wrong when true stories like this are out there? Allergies...