Summer 2011 f'real.

After tomorrow at 1:00pm ... It will mark the first time since post-freshman year that summer might actually feel like summer for me. Lookin forward to good things in Houston, and some time to myself. Call me an introvert.

Highlights:

1) Family.
-Oh how i grow in appreciation of them more every year i'm apart from them. i just need to grow in showing it to them :D.
2) One of my cousins is getting married!
-It'll be one of the Lau's first interracial marriages too. should be a fun wedding and an excuse to see my brother and the relatives all come into town (some I don't even know).
3) Family vacation in the DC area (to see my brother).
-I learn with every vacation/trip I go on, that I enjoy them more than I thought. Some parts test my patience but for the most part I just love being in the middle of a different city with all the different people. It excites me. Every time it gives me a little bit of vision as to perhaps where God might have me 10 years from now.
-AND i get to see my brother. I notice that I don't mention him much around baylor or that friends (even some that know me well) assume I'm an only child ... but just like the parents, it's not that I love him more I don't think, but its more how much I realize I love him. We're totally different btw. My opinion at least.
4) Alone time.
-I'm naturally an introvert. Even at my most "extroverted" spurts, I find myself going "that was fun, now I need to get away." I'm a pretty introspective guy (a bit too much at times) but what I enjoy most about this time is just the silence. I confess I take the sabbath so sinfully lightly, as if it's just a suggestion more than a "God is for us" command. But ya ... A lot has happened every semester and rarely do I pursue the time to process some of it and just let God teach me what He was doing here, there, or even all the way over there.
-And sometimes despite all that, it's just good for me to be still and take a breath and enjoy the grace gifts around me.
5)" I don't know what to call this" time.
-First thought that pops into mind is my "projects" as in ... my plans as to what's going to take a bigger focus in my queue of a reading list. I think I slowly got into like 5 and then narrowed it to 2. I end up finishing books eventually ... but more time might help that. I'd post the queue of books I'm reading but I forgot them ... the only one I can remember and which is #1 right now is "The Cross of Christ" by John Stott.
-Bible Study time. I don't know about you, but I feel like there's a lot more richness in the text that I simply don't have the time to get a shovel and dig for. I don't have "study time" the way I used to or I'm a bad time management guy who can't make the time for it. Having this little break will leave me no excuse.
-Writing. I've learned that I like to write. Sure that should be obvious with a blog with a handful of verbose entries that ramble but what I've learned is that I really enjoy it. I like putting thoughts down, critiquing them, the process of conveying the right meaning with the right words, etc. And though I'm content with writing things that I'll probably be the only one to read, I've learned that I like to learn how to write for the benefit of others too. I think it's funny that this hobby(?) of mine started with making a xanga during finals week of my sophomore year in high school. I noticed a trend about my entries ... they got longer each time. Just like this list.
-Practice. Basketball, drums, I guess theology/study of the bible fits in there too, learning how to grow in growing up?
-Learning in general. There's some things/resources I've put on hold that I wanted to make time for and didn't have the time to view during the school year. Time to get at it fosho.
6) Hangout time.
-Just to do life and enjoy life with the people I love. Hardcore talks about ministry and theology are freal fun for me and so is just getting a strawberry/banana milkshake with tapioca from star snow ice with my mom paying :D (kidding ... i think), seeing a movie with the "young adults" age people of cbc (i guess i'm getting there now too), or playing ball on Tuesday nights at cbc. Not to mention tons of PHO and DIM SUM. oh man. but ya ... whatever. Just time to rest and have fun.
7) CBC.
-Chinese Baptist Church has been my home church since birth ... And we're in a transition time ... and I don't keep up with all that's going on as much as a church member should, but I love it there, even with all its kinks. I particularly love working with the youth program. Learning from everyone, being able to teach youth for a few sundays, getting (free) resources, and just doing ministry with people I love doing ministry with ... and they don't even need my help. I'm grateful for the opportunity to always go back. In the many ways going back to Houston is "home" for me, CBC is one of the top reasons why.

Having so much to look forward to, I don't even know how much free time I'll actually have ... only thing on the schedule is July 4, cousin's wedding and the vacation but ... I'm just going to hope that means I have at least a solid month or so to do all the other stuff :D.
-Jon