Posts by Paul

I never thought I would get married nor, for that matter, meet “the girl of my dreams.”  Growing up, I would hear adults talk about engagement and marriage and say that someday the Lord would have that special someone for everyone of us, including me.  For me, this was all nonsense.  This was very hard for me to believe as I was not so popular among the girls as a good ‘crush’ candidate. As you can imagine, being the chubby kid in junior high who had the really high voice in choir, and who had thick glasses and braces on at the same, time didn’t help my candidacy. I still remember trying to hang out with the ‘cool’ people in junior high, when I was undoubtedly the most awkward looking kid and was immediately expelled from their lunch table after...

After going through the last batch of chocolate eggs, and watering those tulips in hopes of preserving them for possible planting, we need to remember to carry the Easter message with us in our hearts 24/7, even though we only take one weekend out of the year to really celebrate it and all that it means. Springtime is a time to look forward to new beginnings.  As followers of Jesus Christ, in the Book of Acts, we are encouraged by Jesus himself before He ascended into heaven to spread the good news of His resurrection as far and as widely as possible:  “He said to them:  ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’.” Take this spring...

For all you college sports maniacs, this is your month.  Yep, and for some of you fanatics it might be by far your favorite time of the year.  Even though the men’s basketball team of my alma mater, Saint Mary’s College, is doing superb this year by becoming the  champion of the West Coast Conference just last week and climbing up into the NCAA ranks as the as they gear up to face Purdue this Friday in the Midwest region, I have never been a huge fan of college basketball.  Don’t misunderstand me, I do enjoy watching the games, but not to the extent of being ‘mad’ to see who will make the Final Four and therefore causing me to take part in a sports bar fight (trust me, I’ve seen it happen).  For me, March has always meant absolutely nothing to me...

So it’s January.  The holidays are over and we are just a few weeks into 2012.  As you can imagine, it is always harder to get out of bed in the morning at this time of the year due to icy temperatures and our bodies’ natural tendency to ‘hibernate’. As I write this, it’s 5:30 a.m. on a very cold California winter morning, 27 degrees, to be exact.  For most people, swimming outdoors isn’t typically something you do in the middle of winter no matter what part of the country you live in (especially since swimmers don’t wear much to begin with)!  But for me, getting up at 5:30 a.m. to be at the pool by 6:00 a.m. (even in the winter) is a part of who I am.  I must say that it is mornings like these that are still a struggle for me in keeping my...

As I’ve been driving up the hill up to my home these past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed the gradual, yet sudden, change in the color of the leaves.  This obvious physical change in the color of the leaves and the change in weather are the reason why my fondest of memories consist of moments from this time of the year, autumn. I remember running cross country in high school and enjoying the moderately warm afternoons, and I remember the days getting shorter as we approached Halloween. More recently, however, the month of October has become even more special to me due to the fact that I have never been a fan of extreme temperatures.  To put it simply, California autumns have been the ideal “in between” season, rather than a season in itself.  During the...

Life.  It takes its turns.  Shakes us up.  Brings us excitement.  Leads us to trying times.  Then maybe comes back full circle before we can even think of what just happened.  We forget that life may take its sharp turns and not go the way we expect, or at least the way we had hoped.  We can make plans, have dreams and aspirations, and be almost sure that a certain goal will be attained when all of a sudden we see all of it slipping right through our hands. It’s at times like these when we throw our hands in the air and say, “Why God? Why?” We expect Him to give us a clear answer as to Why, but all too often in return He just answers us with silence. Through personal experience, I have learned that it’s ok to deal with silence.  As believers in...

Now that summer has almost arrived we can enjoy longer days, and warmer days for that matter, which means…it’s time to change up our wardrobe.  Yes, you heard me; it’s time for shorts, t-shirts, and sandals! As I grew into my teens, I developed a huge liking for clothes and all the designer brands that constitute “fashion”, such as Abercrombie, Nordstrom, etc.  It’s at any of these stores, and others of the same sort, that you might be able to find me on weekends.  But please don’t misinterpret my habit (or perhaps obsession) with shopping to that of someone who maxes out credit cards unconsciously. In fact, most of the “shopping” that I do never goes beyond just trying on a couple shirts or a pair of pants.  Notice, I did not mention the...

What is the purpose of prayer?  Some may say it’s a method of self-examination through meditation, while others may tell you it’s to have a moment of spiritual connection with a “higher power”.  Many a time prayer can often be seen as a resource to help us “feel better”.  But where do those “feel-better feelings” come from?  Are they coming from our internal wishes and desires, or are they coming from where they are supposed to—from above in the heavenly realms? As followers of Christ, one concept of prayer is clearly explained and demonstrated to us as Jesus tells us in Matthew, Chapter 6: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place…”. (New King James...