the true cost of cotton

In my UGBA "Colloquium on the Social, Political, and Ethical Environment of Business"(yes, this is the actual title) class today, a speaker informs us that how Uzbekistan governement and big businesses used child labors to collect cotton by hands in the corrupted government of Uzbekistan. They closed the school and send the children to the hot cotton field by schoolbuses.

It's extremly cruel and inhuman to exploiting little children like that. The love of money blinds those people consciences, if they have any. It's so sad that the pleasures of a few cause pains of so many.

In the video, I remember a 8-years old girl were asked "how long have you pick cotton?" She slowly responded with an innocent look and sad voice, "A VERY LONG TIME..." =(

How many times can I turn my head and pretend that I don't see? How many ears must I have before I can hear other people's cry?

internship hunting

I went to the career fair yesterday. I planed for two hours but I ended up spending four hours talking to recruiters. I can't believe that many employers are looking for CS students. Their eyes just lit up after I revealed my EECS major.

Hehe. Life is great. Praise the Lord!

tennis and swimming

Yesterday is a nice and warm day. I couldn't resist the blue blue sky. So I went to play tennis with Paul Daubenmire.

Afterward I went to swimming at the Hearst Gym on my own. The Greek style swimming pool is so pretty and classy. I like walking on the white marble floor bare foot. O man that feels so good. =) Then I swam for about thirty minutes.

Anyway, the crazy thing is while I was taking a shower in the locker room, the warm water suddenly turned ice cold!?!? =< I get out of the shower quickly. There is another guy who just applied shampoo and soap before the cold water came. So he has to rinse them off in ice cold water. hehe. Hope he doesn't get sick.

Tomorrow I need to go to the job fair to sell myself for summer internship. Gotta do what I need to do...

Valentine's Day

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Senator Mike Gravel in our class

Senator Gravel: "I can solve the energy problem in five years. If I am the president, I will install five million windmills across the country in five years. I will install one million each year. That will solve our oil dependence once for all."



Senator Gravel: "Here is a young man that has a question." (He points to student A)

Prof. Ross: "No. Let's have another student ask the question." (He points to student B far away)

Senator Gravel: "Hey, Professor Ross! Sure he can ask the question. I AM THE SENATOR! Go, you ask the question." (He points to student A)
Laughters....

random

Everybody wants to be different, but nobody wants to change.

election 2008

A current presidential candidate will come to our poli sci 179 class next Wednesday. Yah! The professor wouldn't disclose the name. All we know is that it's not Hillary. Hopefully he is not a loser.

I guess it's mostly like be Ron Paul. Haha. Although it wouldn't hurt if Obama shows up. =)

school starts today

School starts today, yah!

In this incredible chilly morning, we are passing out gospel tracks from 7:30 am. Honestly, it's not a pleasant experience for the flesh. lol. "The flesh profits nothing..."(John 6:63).

I did promise the Lord to pass out gospel tracks every semester. I need Lord to help me to keep the promise. May the Lord call out His chosen ones through the gospel.

San Diego Wild Animal Park

Today we went to San Diego Wild Animal Park. I saw a lot of giraffes playing and resting. =) cute.

In particular, one of the giraffes has a hard time sitting down. Her legs are too long. She tried it couple times and she gave up. Poor giraffes. lol.

I will be back to Berkeley in 7 days. I need to be productive now. I trust everything to the Lord. He knows the plan He has for me, the plan to prosper me and not to harm me, the plan to give me hope and future. He knows and He wills.

universal studio tour

My family and I went to Universal Studios today. It was pouring. :(

It was a fun day at LA, nevertheless.

In the four hours drive back and forth, I listened to Romans Chapter 9 on my ipod again and again. I don't know why. The Lord is speaking to me.

As it's written, "For Jacob have I loved, for Esau have I hated." What can I say? Nothing. All i can do is just to praise the Lord for making me a "Jacob".

I did not look for God, yet He finds me. I did not love Him, yet He loves me.

God is God. Who I am, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Who am I to say "Oh No. You can't do that. That's not FAIR?" If God wills something to happen, who can resist His will?

Praise the Lord for showing me mercy. Prause the Lord who wills.

two questions for the new year 2008

Today, the Holy Spirit asks me two questions regarding the upcoming 2008:

Are you willing to whatever God calls you to do?

I don't want this to be a religious answer. I don't know what's going to happen. God did not layout the blueprint for me. I don't know all the details. I don't know what awaits me, but God knows. YES. I am willing. It's fun to have faith in God. I know for without faith is impossible to please You.

Do you know who you are?
Yes. I am the son of the living God. I am an heir according to the promise. Abba Father!

2006 and 2007 are two years of miracles and blessings for me. 2008 will continue to be better and better, fulle of mercy and grace. Prasie the Lord!

2007 Winter Training

I went to the last day of 2007 Winter Training at Anaheim today. I didn't plan to go but I have no rest in my spirit staying home.

Praise the Lord. This is the first time I am at the live training. There are so many precious saints.

Lord, wash us from the vain manner of life. Please guard me from stumbling and to set me before Your glory without blemish in exultation. (Jude 1:24) For You is the kingdom and power and glory forever and ever, AMEN!

home, sweet home

Yah I am home! =)

I flew back home right after finish my memorable EE20 final. I wish I can stay in Berkeley for a day or two just to enjoy some study-free time.

I am putting together my budget for fiscal year 2008. I have to cut a lot of discretionary spendings. I need to distinguish between "what I need" and "what I want". Do I really need that or do I just want it? No more impulse buying. Period!

Other than that, I can totally see that next year is going to be the best year so far. God never performs His greatest feats in my yesterdays. :-)

What is anxiety?

Here is my non-clinical definition of anxiety. Anxiety is anticipating the future in the wost possible scenario and FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT. That means you think you are a prophet, but you are a prophet of doom. You are a false prophet.

"It's gonna be bad. It's gonna be really bad. It could go this way. It could go that way. This can happen. That can happen. What if...What if..."

Anxiety is a sin to be repented for, not a condition to be managed.

Oh Lord, take all my anxieties away.

Who am I in Christ?

Who am I in Christ?

I am

A Child of God (Rom. 8:16),

Saved ny Grace through Faith (Eph. 2:8),

Redeemed from the Hand of the Foe (Psa. 107:2),

An Heir of Eternal Life (1 Joh. 5:11-12), Forgiven (Eph. 1:7),

Led by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14), A New Creature (2 Cor. 5:17),

Redeemed from the Curse of Law (Gal. 3:13),

Kept in Safety wherever I go (Isa. 46:4),

Strong in the Lord and in His Mighty Power (Eph. 6:10),

Living by Faith and Not by Sight (2 Cor. 5:7),

Rescued from the Dominion of Darkness (Col. 1:13),

Justified (Rom. 5:1), An Heir of God and Co-heir with Christ, (Rom. 8:17),

Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing (Eph. 1:3),

An Overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb

and the Word of My Testimony (Rev. 12:11),

The Light of the World (Mat. 5:14), An Imitator of God (Eph. 5:1),

Healed by His Wounds (1 Pet. 2:24),

Being Transformed by Receiving of My Mind (Rom. 12:2),

Heir to the Blessings of Abraham (Gal. 3:14),

Doing All Things through Christ who Gives me Strength (Phil. 4:13),

More than a Couqueror (Roman 8:37).

Amen.

Front House Brothers Spider Hunt

Dumb college students try to kill a poor spider at night and find it amusing :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PSUKHGxmZY

report of a defective product

I don't know if you noticed that a lot of a alarm clocks stop working in the winter. lol...

So many people bought two or three alarm clock and set them up before sleep, hoping at least one of them works.

God's faithfullness

God's faithfulness does NOT fail. When Jeremiah viewed the destruction of Jerusalem, instead of of questioning God's faithfulness, Jeremiah reaffirmed it: "Great is Your faithfulness!"

My experience is that never judge God's faithfulness on the bases of what you see, or how you feel, because His promises DO NOT fail.

O Lord, I rejoice all day long in your wonderful faithfulness. I exalted in Your righteousness. You are my glorious strength. My power is based on Your favors. Amen.

the mysteries and beauties of faith

Here is my conversation with a dear brother Andrew Lamuda concering Philippians 4:15 during Christians On Campus bible study from yesterday:

I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me. -Philippians 4:15


Andrew Lamuda: "Hey, Richard! What does verse 15 mean?"

Me: "It means I am able to do all things in God who empowers me."

Andrew Lamuda: "What does "all things" mean? What if you don't study and take the final, can you still get a A?"

Me: "Yes, if you have faith."

Andrew Lamuda: "How can I have faith? You can't just go around and tell everybody to have faith. The question is how. What should I do to have faith?"

Me: ...


Here is my late response:

Faith is He is, I am not; He have, I have not; He can, I cannot. Faith is mysterious. There is no textbook to teach you how to have faith in God. This is not a chem lab. It's not like step 1, step 2, ..., step n, yah, then we have the result. Our God is more mysterious than that.

Reading and praying over the Scriptures is a good start. That alone can't make you have more faith. You need to experience the Triune God by faith.

As it's written, "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." Proverbs 3:5-6

I can testify that above verse is my experience.

The first beauty of the faith is that there is always uncertainties. When I offer my prayers, even though I "know" God heard my prayers and He is interceding for me, I sometimes "feel" like there is still chance that it's not gonna be done. More and more I realized that when I pray, I need to consider it already done. That saves me lot of trouble.

The second beauty of of the faith is that God will answer my prayers better than what I asked. The result is ALWAYS better than what I wanted in the first place. God's way is much much higher than my own foolish way. Faith is knowing that God will always give you something better than what you pray for. It may not be what you asked but it will help you in the way you most need it.

Luke 18 records an amazing story. A widow asked an unrighteous judge again and again to avenge of her opponent. In the beginning the unrighteous judge didn't want to, but he eventually helped the widow.

Brother and sisters, even an unrighteous judge helped the widow, WHAT ABOUT OUR RIGHTEOUS GOD? "And will not God by all means carry out the avenging of His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, though He is long-suffering over them?"

O Lord Jesus. Thank you this is my experience for the last three years. I ask, then I receive; I seek, then I find; I knock, then it's opened. I have faith in my God.

Let's say you have a son. He asks you for a piece of bread. Will you give him a stone? He asks you for a fish. Will you give him a serpent?

As it's written, "If you then being the evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those who ask Him!"

If we pray day and night and ask our Father, how much more will the Father give us? The Lord covers me for saying this. If you pray and you don't have faith, and you are still doubting, are you practically saying our God is less righteous than the unrighteous judge? This is a very serious issue. Hope we can all see this. May the Lord have mercy on us.

Praise the Lord and You gave me faith. I can boast this in Your sacred name. Amen.

A classic question: what does a engineer do?

This is "Dilbert" from last Sunday Paper Comic Section :

Title: Career Day
Place: high school classroom

Teacher: "Class, today Dilbert will tell us what a career in engineering is all about."

Dilbert: "My job involves explaining things to idiots. Then the idiots make decisions based on misinterpreting what I said. Then it is my job to try to fix the massive problems caused by the bad decisions. Eventually, rumors overwhelm facts, and I give up. In the final phase, I assign blame to an unpopular coworker. So whatever you do if life, don't be unpopular."

Teacher: "Don't listen to him!"

Dilbert: "Said the unpopular teacher."



Witty comic. Whatever. This morning, I walked out in the middle of EE20 lab. Tedious material. Nerdy students. I couldn't take that anymore.

I then went to Doe Library Main Stack. I sat there, took out my iPod and started listening to my favor hymns. All the depressions were gone. It's a bright new day again. Praise the Lord.