Tonight, one of my friends from Mosaic Boston, Rebekah Alexander, will be holding a special benefit concert for the orphanage that I and a few others from Mosaic Boston worked with in Kathmandu, Nepal over a year ago.  Tonight's event is sponsored by the HOPE initiative, which our team also worked with last year in Nepal, and Boston Trinity Academy.

Rebekah Alexander is a professional opera singer who has arranged tonight's performance to feature classical art songs inspired by children.  She and many other talented professional musicians from Boston will be performing tonight.

Attending the concert is free of charge, with a suggested donation of $10 to $20 per adult.  100% of all proceeds will provide quality education, nutritious meals, and safe shelter to the orphans served by HOPE.

Time:  7:00PM
Where:  Marsh Chapel at Boston University, 735 Commonwealth Ave (B-line)

So if you have some free time tonight, want to enjoy great quality music, and help out with a worthy cause, please consider coming tonight to join in on a wonderful evening!

"I want to know what love is…I want you to show me…" ~
Foreigner

Ever since Sofia & I had started planning for our
wedding a long time ago, I had gotten into the habit of listening to local
music stations because I was looking for possible wedding/dance songs that we
could use during our banquet.  Prior to
this I was more comfortable with listening to music from my mp3 player jacked
into the car, but it was nice to have some "up-to-date" music to keep me
focused on driving when I made the lonely commutes from Boston to Hopkinton
when I was still at EMC.

So a few days ago, while I was driving back from the train
station, heading back home after a long day at work, I realized something about
many of the love/breakup songs that are played on the radio.  They all have a VERY shallow definition of
what love is…

I know it doesn't sound so surprising, but hang with me for
a second.  We're living in a generation
that I believe is ADDICTED to the thrill of "falling" in love with someone and
the agony of breaking up with someone. 
Those are the most common themes in almost every love-based song that is
played on our radios today.  Our
generation probably has the most compilation of words that describe the thrill
and the agony, but the least when it comes to faithfulness, commitment, and perseverance.

While we do enjoy the songs that describe love that's been
tested through the years;  love that
makes us glad that we made it;  we're
just more enthralled with the songs that tell our "love story" or why it's too
late for an Ex to apologize.  Our culture
is more familiar with what "irreconcilable differences" mean than "until death
due us part."  We're in a
love-sick-broken hearted generation, where pieces of our hearts are in so many
other people that our hearts are no longer our own anymore.

The saddest aspect about this addiction is how Christ-followers
have imported this ideology into their relationship with God.  We're used to the emotional up and down
rollercoaster type of Christianity with God. 
We know more of what it's like to have God "break our hearts" than we
know what it means to have our heats remain soft and malleable for Him to shape
us.  We know more of what it's like to
pursue being in the will of God or wanting to be filled with His Spirit than we
are actually doing and being that.

So what is love and how I can I show it?

• Love is not fickle emotion, but steadfast choice.
• Love is not about my desires, but the needs of another.
• Love is not manipulative, but willing to be taken advantage
  of.
• Love is not self-satisfying, but a daily sacrifice.
• Love is not going from thrill to thrill, but striving to birth
  life no matter the cost.

Who can do any of this but God alone?  Yet, who better to follow and be empowered by
in order to know genuine love?  For all
the songs and words our culture has used to described the thrill and agony, I
don't think they can compare to the simple words that describe the lover of our
souls:  Faithful And True

 Alleluia, He is faithful and true!

So it's been just over one month since the wedding and the wife and I celebrated it by having a small dinner with our photographer and going over some of the photos from that day.  Our photographer, like us, is a newlywed herself, and while I was cooking in the kitchen, I could tell that Sofia & her were excitedly trading stories and laughing about all the craziness that married life carries with it.

One of the more common questions that we've been asked lately has been how's married life.  It's an amusing, but pretty intriguing question when I thought about it.  For some couples, married life probably wasn't too much different than their dating life, except now that it's official and that a little piece of paper donates that they are legally bonded to each other.  For others, the differences between being an "item" to being a "couple" ranges greatly, depending on who one asks.

For us, I think the "woah" moment came on the following Sunday.  We went to church that day and after lunch time, we went back to our car.  As I started the engine, my mind immediately began calculating and thinking about what time I needed to drop Sofia off at her home and how much time we'd have together to do stuff before dinner...

Then it dawned on me...she's coming home WITH me!!!

I told Sofia what had just occurred in my mind and she humorously grabbed me and said "I'm your wife!"

So, in a nutshell, married life has been filled with humorous surprises definitely, and some harder moments too.  It's been about seeing it through on what it means to be ONE; to live not just peacefully with each other, but actively in each other's lives; for myself, to go 100% all the way in commitment; for her, to trust, encourage, and patience; 

One more beautiful and cool thing...

Come home soon...

Those are the most beautiful words I can ever hear. 

On another note, decided to include a video of the slideshow that was shown at the wedding.  Right next to it is also a compilation of some of our photographer's favorites from the photos she took at our wedding.  Enjoy!

Thanks again to our photographer Rachel for putting this new photo up, but man it really is such a tease of what the wedding photos are going to look like!  

I can not say this enough times, but both of us have been SOOOOOOO grateful for such a good friend and amazingly talented sister like Rachel!  Honestly, if you know anyone looking for a photographer, she's my #1 pick by far!  She's constantly growing in her ability and personally her photos have inspired me to attempt to raise the bar on my own photos.

She's also the queen of copyright and watermarking.    Subtle, yet beautifully mixed into the photo, I like! 

One of the reasons why I love this photograph...

I rarely ever take off my glasses in public, mainly because I've just gotten so used to them.  I also have an incessant desire to see the world clearly and crisp because of my original eyesight range.  Usually the only time I walk around without glasses is at home...and besides my family, Sofia was one of the few who ever saw me without them for long periods of time, in my element I suppose.

Kinda makes this photo so appropriate in that we have reached the stage where masks(or in this case, glasses) are no longer needed; a stage in which holding back, guarding ourselves is finally over.  We see each other as who we are and as one new creation, cleaved together by God's graciousness.  That is a cool mind-blowing thought...now everything's new!

Kudos again Rachel!  Thank you for capturing such intimate and powerful moments, you rock girl!

A little taste of how wedding photos can be really fun!  Thanks again to our amazing and talented wedding photographer!  You rock!

For a detailed commentary, check out her blog.

http://www.mergeweddings.com/posts/dudes-in-tuxes/

Photo posted with permission from Rachel Hadiashar

Well, in less than 15 hours from now, my best friend & I will be entering a new stage in life...together as one.  Kinda strange to realize that tomorrow will be the final result of exactly 20 months worth of waiting.  These 20 months has really tried and tested us already as a couple and as best friends.  Yet, I also know that it is simply the beginning, not the end, to a fresh season of life.

One of my friends was with me today as we went to do some last minute shopping for wedding supplies, and as we sat down to quickly consume kosher hot dogs, he asked me how do I feel on my last day as a bachelor.  I paused for a few seconds as I realized that he was right.  I was so caught up with all the preparations the last couple of days, that I hadn't really put much thought into that.

I think the answer to my friend's question can be answered a hundred different ways by many different guys.  I looked him in the eyes and said that I'm more excited about entering this new stage in my life than missing my soon-to-be past stage.  I've enjoyed my single years and totally believe singleness is a blessing from God for however long that He wishes any of us to hold onto it. 

Yet, here I stand in the midst of this new season, and I find myself looking forward to the intensity of what marriage will bring.  Yes, there will be happiness, joy, companionship, and intimacy, but there will be hurt feelings, sadness, frustration, misunderstanding, and distance.  Even with such, and especially during the last few months, I've been able to see how marriage really is about becoming holier and not just happier.  Our fleshy weaknesses will only be intensified, but they also provide an opportunity for the Spirit to work and mold us both into Jesus' image.

I'm called to love her in a way that reflects how Jesus loves His Bride...
I'm not worthy of such a call, but I will say 'Yes'
Not my strength, not my will, not my power
Only He can do greater things through me
Only His will & word will ring true
Lord, help us to reflect you

So I did something today that I never thought I would do again.  I woke up in the wee-morning hours today, got myself cleaned up and dressed.  Trekked my way up to Cambridge and proceeded to sit in line as I waited for 2 hours before the official AT&T store opened.

The last time I did something this crazy was 2 years ago during the tax free weekend when I tried in vain to get a $100 laptop at Microcenter.  That was not a fun morning!  My best friend & I stood in line around 2am in the morning;  waited 4 hours in line;  and then told by store management that they only had 10 laptops and the rest of us can get vouchers for their "HDTVs"    After that event, I told myself that I will not do something that crazy ever again...but then again, there are a few good differences between then and now.

So I got to the CSG by around 540am and saw no one at the entrance.  For a moment I seriously thought I was the first person in line, even though I thought I saw 6 people at the same entrance when I drove passed, trying to find a parking space.  Either case, 10 minutes later, a married couple with their baby walk up to the entrance, pulled the handle and walked right in!  Why didn't I try opening the door?!?!

Not too bad though, I was the 11th person in line.  Apparently a few people did sleep outside the CSG last night.  A group of 3 college age individuals, complete with their blankets and teddy bears were the first ones in the line.  Thankfully the CSG has a closing time and forces everyone to leave the building at night.  This avoided the long traffic lines that other stores like the ones on Boylston Street have been seeing.

So I plopped myself down and proceeded to wait for the next 2 hours before the store opened.  I thought it was going to be a boring experience, but it turned out to be pleasant.  I got to finish some reading for my SG, and I struck up a nice conversation with the couple that walked in ahead of me and another dude named Ken who was right behind me.  Overall, it's nice to make connection with pleasant strangers as we all were waiting and hoping that the store wouldn't run out of stock by our turn.

A few highlights of that morning:

• The couple in front brought along their 7-month old.  Turned out the mom had to leave for work(shocking eh?) so the AT&T people told them that even if they had a baby, the baby can get the phone!
• The store only had one color, both sizes.
• A friend from Mosaic went out of her way to plan her jogging route to CSG in order to help me out!
• The store opened 5 minutes before the official time...<ssshhh>
• The store sold out by 830am...10 minutes after I got to the counter.
• Before it opened, the line at the AT&T store had grown all the way to the halfway mark of the Cheesecake factory.
• By the time I left, the AT&T line hadn't shrunk and the other bigger store in the CSG had a line that went all the way to the entrance doors on the other side!

I told my manager that I might come to work today a little late.  When she asked why & I answered, her immediate response was, "Oh gosh, you're stepping over to the dark side aren't you?"  Yes, I guess I have, which I can only say:  Power...unlimited POWER!!! 

That's exactly how many days are left before my best friend & I finally tie the knot, light the candle, share our first communion together and more.  I didn't know it at the time, probably because I was too naive to realize it at the time, but our engagement was a pretty long one.  I think I underestimated or not appreciated enough how a 1.5yr engagement would feel.  It's definitely not like the dating/courtship phase as one tries to be more careful with emotions during that time, but the engagement phase...wow what a difference.

Thoughts of oneness, team work, sharing, learning about each other's quirks, communication styles, family dynamics, all of these things started to come into play during this engagement season.  Sometimes it's a funny time, other times it's more of iron sharpening iron.  I can definitely see why some couples might not make it through the engagement season, especially when deeper issues such as family and upbringing come into play.  Marriage is a place where those places of pain need to be exposed in order to ensure good start for the couple.

Though this kind of work is inevitable, the greater gifts come along as well.  It's been a blessing to have grown closer, not just to each other, but with other more "seasoned" couples who were so willing to mentor, listen, and guide us during this season.  I really don't know how Sofia & I would have processed certain events without the wisdom these couples have provided...it's just been amazing.    I also am grateful for the encouragement and continued friendships from those we've known for years, so of whom we've known since teenage years.  It's probably been an interesting examination for them too as they watched us move from being acquaintances, to close friends, to best friends, and beyond. 

31 days left...can't come soon enough. 

Ever since I started working in Cambridge again early this year, I've had to reorient myself to the MBTA and to its bus & subway services.  It was hard to readjust at first, but over time I've gotten used to it again and now just relax during that 45min commute from Allston to Cambridge.

Usually I try to catch up on podcasts, music, talks, or book reading, but for some odd reason I decided to just watch the conductor of the C-line train I was on.  I was sitting in one of the front aisle seats in the first car, so I had a clear view of what she was seeing in front of her.  I realized that the tunnels are all lined with traffic lights.  I've noticed the lights before, but I didn't know that they literally speckle the inside of the tunnels like crazy.

Every time the light turned red, the conductor would come to a complete stop, and wait for it to turn either green or yellow.  This was how it was for the entire commute to Park Street because the train in front of us was a little slower.  When people were getting off at Park Street, another commuter commented to the conductor that it took a while just to get to the station.  She remarked that the conductor in front of us was knew to the job and still hasn't gotten used to driving the trains yet.

I think it was because of this conversation that sensitized me to the tragedy that occurred at 615pm on the D-line to Newton.  I was just glued to Fox 25 news for the whole hour as more details emerged about the crash.  Ultimately, I guess what really has caused me to feel this sorrow was realizing that a father that the news crew had interviewed at Newton-Wellesley hospital was in fact the father of the conductor of the 2nd train who passed away.

When the father was being interviewed, he wasn't sure if his daughter was on that train or not.  All he knew was that she usually works on the Green line and she usually passes that area around the time of the accident.  He spent the whole night calling her phone, talking with friends & family, contacting T officials...

Please pray for the family and for the father as they go through this dark season.  Pray that they would receive comfort in their grief and patience in their sorrow.  It's been a dark day in MA today.