Sunday, Aug 19 2012 (Travel)

It's Tuesday. I'm still not in the mood to write about my Sunday-backpacking day and last Friday.

Last Saturday, I didn't go out early because I slept at 2AM. My mother woke up and found out that I planned to leave later. She then took my supposedly-resting-sleeping time to be her make-breakfast-help-out time. Why do they have to use my time as their own? Annoyed, I went back to my covers and uttered, "Let me have a job, God!! You're annoying, God!! Darn it!!"

I got up a little bit later. My brother prepared the breakfast. I only prepared the breakfast table and fed the dogs. Took a bath, prepared to leave.

"If I stay home, they will use my time as their own. So, it's better to leave and use my time other else. Sunday is supposed to my time of rest."

Went to a Reformed Church but found out, I was given an un-updated location. So I went to an Assembly of God church. It was a big church. They had Sunday School for all ages before the worship service started. Then I went to Christ's Commission Church, 2nd time to be there.

These two churches I went, they're message was like an hour long. It was making me drowsy. The first church, it was hard to understand what he was talking about. Hard to contemplate because I still had to understand the vernacular, his tone of voice and expression, his shifting from vernacular to English, and the message at the same time. Second church, the speaker was talking about eschatology in the perspective of the Middle East's prophecy upon their land or region. Their were points from the speaker which made me wonder his reliability. Reliability of today's economy. Could he have got his sources from rumors or from accurately reliable sources?

For my lunch, I went to a new restaurant in town. I was enjoying my Korean lunch alone.

After lunch, though still early, I went to Inside Out (IO) already, supposedly to start my devotion and study. However, I ended up surfing the internet.

During the IO service, the message was from Matthew 14:22-34 (The Storm, Jesus, and Peter). The speaker was a mentee, a new college graduate, a youth. Wow!

Last Friday IO's service, the message was from Ephesians 2:1-9 (Is Living in Sin Really Living?). The speaker was a college student, too. However, she said a mistake, "Paul hates God." Paul did not hate God. He was a scholar, a teacher of the law, a priest. He did hate Christians. That was where the young speaker made a mistake.

I pray, my home church, would someday have many young leaders that we don't have to be too dependent on our pastors and elder leaders, the Ahias and Achies.

I have nothing to say about those two messages, but I recorded the messages, embedded above. Like I said, I have not been in the mood. No mood, no words, less expression.

Sunday, Aug 12 2012 (Travel)

At 8AM, I went to my home church. Thinking I might be able to read, I still brought my book. When I arrived, I hesitated going to the sanctuary to observe the Sunday School Sunday and thought to rather stay in the church office and read my book. However, not too long later, I went to the balcony to watch the Sunday School. I was able to read 3 pages of book until the Sunday School started.

Was I annoyed when I saw my ex-mentor. I thought, "Why is she here? She's not part of the Sunday School." Then later I found out, she was going to be her "boyfriend" pastor's assistant. Well, I left the sanctuary before they even started their message.

The church service would start at 10AM, there was still an hour left, so I just hang around with "friends". I thought, "I will leave after the service and attend to another church." But when the church service ended, I was no longer in the mood to go out and attend another church, especially that the day was hot. Some people also wished me to join the Sunday School lunch.

I joined the lunch and their post-lunch fellowship. When the commitment cards were passed, I didn't take one and sign because I would be taking a rest from my home church. I was only there for the Sunday School. By the way, the message today was taken somewhere in Joshua, in relation to promoting Sunday School or the purpose of Sunday School.

I am sorry but I was not quite listening. I listened but I didn't remember much. It was about parents on kids, teachers on students...literally. It was like, "this isn't for me." But I related it to my mentors or teachers or pastors, even my ex-mentor, and I was the kid.

Anyway, after lunch, I went out with four "friends". We're not really close. We went to a tea house, they bought milk tea, and then we played Monopoly Deal. It was fun, and it was my first time.

After three games, I had to go, join Inside Out, a ministry of another church reaching out for the youth. And this was where my day ended great. A message which convicted and reminded me of God's grace. Click here to read.

Sunday, Aug 5 2012 (Travel)

So this is my second Sunday away from my home church, but my first Sunday to start spending time alone to have a connection with God...in McDonalds.

McDonalds is my favorite fastfood and one of its branches is my favorite location. I have no other places to hangout like this other than my home church. I am here with strangers. This is better because strangers cannot disturb other strangers but when I see familiar faces, I cringe and try to hide my face and act like I don't see them.

I left home at 8am so my family would think I left for church. They didn't know what my plans were. They no longer went to church, but their church was the TV with Charles Stanley.

I started reading with Moms Magazine, which I wrote/blogged my reflection here (R-18). I then did my devotion with Exodus 23-24. However, the morning had ended, I had to go to join the 3rd service with Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF). It was okay but I was drifting to sleep. I think this was my first time to nap in a church service..no offense. After service, the congregation went home. I thought, maybe their small groups had more fellowshipping.

I then went to a spa for a foot reflexology. Had been wishing it for months. Now, I need a back massage for carrying a backpack filled with my netbook, books, and handouts of study guides. Hence, baptizing myself as a Spiritual Backpacker, walking around the city.

I then joined Inside Out City Gathering (IO) again. I liked this place.

During the day, I couldn't help but fell tears when I joined these fellowships especially during praise & worship. The songs were all for and about God. Even the song like Everyday (It's You I Live For). Big tears fell. Glad these places were dark. Also tears fell when I, a lone ranger Christian, was out joining these gatherings without knowing who these people were. Alone, I only invited myself into these gatherings, not sure what these places might bring.