Time for a "Short" update...

Heh, actually more like a "quick" update, but I call it "Short" for the benefit of Someone who once asked me for "Short"er e-mails. Well I'm actually need to sleep SOON, kinda shouldn't be up as late as I should need to work early tommorow morning, but felt somewhat blessed tonight and want to share. More blogs comming very soon, I promise, LOL I have at least 5 unfinished blogs I'm still working on.

Tonight I went to "An evening of thanks" at RHCBC and it was really nice to have this opportunity. Not that I mind being able to serve Him, I like it in fact, but I have more responsibilities now at my church fellowship so I can't go visit RHCBC as often, but I haven't at RHCBC been since August the week I signed up and the weekend I played at the fellowship cup, so it's about time. I don't know if I told this to everyone, but I'm shorta in the midst of "church shopping". Now I know that's usually a bad philosophy, but I'm not trying to do it out of a bad motive. In fact, I don't have too many peeves with Logos, just that recently I've realized I need a change. I think I will share more later, but two primarily reasons is 1. I may move in the future to relocate for a full-time Engineering job and I may move as far as even Hong Kong, Richmond Hill or Markham would be a "little move", I feel I ought to get used to the idea I may have to move churches in the future and since I've never done something like that before, I ought to "pratice" that by taking this opportunity that even though RHCBC isn't my home church, I already know a few people there from working there and my friend John and some of his cousins I know also go there; So ya, it is easier than going to a completely new church where I might know "nobody at all", which is something I might have to face in the future if I have to relocate for work. I'm sure some of you who may have to relocate for School and may have gone to other churches in other cities might be able to relate. Such as my "daughter" (pretend daughter) Crystal who can't possibly go back every week to Vancouver for church, well she could :P but it would be pretty time consuming and expensive :P. So ya, trying to get used to the idea of trying to fit in and make new Christian friends at a church that I haven't been to for "years" or "all my Christian life" or "grew up in ____ church". 2. RHCBC seems like a good community, forgive me, you know who you are if you are reading this, hehe, this is turning out to be a "long" blog :P, that I once commented "people from your church... blah blah blah, blah...", however I must note that actually it is only a few people from RHCBC who seem to still have blocked/delete/whatever me on MSN and/or are ignoring me, everyone else I know in other Christian circles such as my own church (with the exception of perhaps one peRson) and RCCF have found it in their Christian hearts to forgive me and clearly aren't ignoring me anymore :) But over RHCBC doesn't seem bad at all, in fact like Matt's sharing, it's quite good for the most part, I see the Christian love and life from RHCBC and also I feel blessed to hear his interesting sharing tonight which for the sake of "Short" (not saying you are Short) I won't elaborate on. 3. (actually tied with #1), if I ever move to Richmond Hill or surrounding area, I know I have a church in mind already (RHCBC :)) which I can consider calling "home" and I don't have to necessarily move to the "York-Region Logos" just cause it happens to be a sister church of my home church :P Regardless of the affilation, sister church is still a "different church".

Ok, that's all I'm going to type about that, least I keep dragging it out and never finishing and actually posting an update! Today before the banquet, I also went to my cousin's house to get his help with how to jack and/or fix the brakes in my mom's car. Turns out the jack doesn't life high enough :( *embrassing too*, but that kinda sucks, like what on each do they even use this jack for, I simply got it case it was cheap and on sale $10 off, not to mention the last one too. The jack itself on the label does say you need to "transfer the weight onto jackstands ASAP" (or something like that) to avoid losing the load and risk personal injury, but still, dunno why it doesn't do what it's supposed to do, argh...Also, I'm not saying my cousin doesn't know anything, but his friend who might know more also said I need to get better quality braking rotors and I shouldn't risk "safety" on cheap parts when it comes to something like brakes. I also got these rotors on sale from Canadian Tire, at 25% off or second one half price (but they ended up taking 25% off both, or so they claim), looks like I'm going to try to refund them. Also he was like to my cousin "You didn't notice this did you?" and my cousin kept going "What? What?" and then it was pointed out that the engine did have a VTEC solenoid afterall, or well a "solenoid" and he thinks it is probably VTEC afterall, even if he's not 100%, but he's "pretty sure" he said and he showed me the solenoid on his swapped into Civic Integra engine which looks like exactly the same as mine and explained to my cousin that some cars have it on that side of the engine. We also discussed other things like how much they might be able to get their friend to fix the car for and also that the milelage I'm geting, despite how bad I think it is, is still "not too bad" and "can be expected for this type of engine" and that it's still "within limits" and not necessarily significantly less milelage. Anyhow, yeS, "enough car talk" :P

So now I'm still going to talk about "car" and explain my blessing :P LOL, well not "car", "gas", I got gas tonight, I left a bit earlier than I wanted to, since whenever I visit I like to get a chance to talk to as many people as I can...But I was trying to beat the clock and get home or back into Mississauga where it was "cheaper" than Richmond Hill in time to get gas before 12AM. I left around 11PM, but I missed my exit twice, well first time I missed the 400 exit on the 407 which wasn't too bad, except I pay a bit more in toll fees, took the 427 instead and should have decided to take the 427 down all the way and get to the Dundas and Dixie gas station, even if the Eglinton and Tomken one is a bit more expensive, but closer (like 0.4 cents more per liter). Anyhow, got off the wrong exit on 427 and almost got onto the 401 east via 409 exit, but bailed to airport road at the last opportunity to avoid that route... I saw "401" and just went for it, silly me, actually I should have just gone that 401 via 409 this afternoon actually as it was pretty good the last Friday afternoon I took when I avoided the 401, but it goes back to 401 eventually, but closer to the 400. But today, I got off at Derry instead since the 427 was also packed and ended up taking Kipling to Steeles since Derry became packed and then Kipling ends at Steeles apparently! Finally took Steeles to Pine Valley Drive and got to the 407... when I was on the ramp, I thought "freedom"... and THEN, major jam there too! Boourns! Ouch... ok, to keep the story short, I got lost and I cursed/swore at my misfortune when I saw that the Dixie and Dundas Petro Canada was already closed and the price changed to 98.9 (from 90.5 my brother reported to me on my cell before I left). What I can say is, you really only start to care about how much gas costs if you have to drive FAR, and I don't mean no measy 10 or 20km, I mean over 30km to get to downtown and 50km to get to Richmond Hill, one way. And also when one's car, or mom's car since I don't have my own, uses 2 more liters per ever 100km due to engine problems... definetely not a good thing with today's gas prices!

Ok, that was the bad news, now here's a bit of good! I manage to get cheaper gas still, even though the price changed. I was like... ah well, might as well worth another try and take Tomken north even with the slower speed limit and just hope/pray that it's still cheap somehow and I thought to myself "the pump tells the real price, not the big sign, if there's not too many people, give it a try, read the price at the pump"... Now, here is where after I filled up, I'm getting a bit teary eyed, cause on Wednesday we had just watch that "The Story of Jesus for Childern" movie which I also saw at Kid's clubhouse last year when the Some of the other counsellorS were asleep :P. Anyhow that part when the fisherman, I believe it was Peter, I think... don't remember, one of his disciples :P was like "Away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man..." after catching that miraclous catch of fish. That's how I felt, I wanted to cry during the movie and again after getting gas. Well, the truth is, the price had already changed, it was 98.9 there also, BUT! But, something unusual happened, there were too pumps to the side that are not in service, now I understand why those pylons are there and nobody goes to those two. But I pulled my car up to one of them and read the price at the pump, 98.9 for 91 octane??? Say what??? To avoid all the "car talk" (if you wanna know, just ask me and I'll give you the "car talk"/explaination of why it might be the case), all you need to know is my mom's car seems to get about 30% better milelage with 91 octane so we've been pumping that into the car for a while now and it's really not too bad, I was able to work at Kid's clubhouse last year, even on the weeks I drove home and back to work at RHCBC (100km each way), with the gas price how cheap it was, I was able to fill up for less than $40 on 91 octane each Monday. But recently :(, it's been quite expensive and it costs like over $55 or so, or maybe as much as $65-$70 to fill up the same amount of gas on 91 octane which can cost as much as $1.13/liter or so I once payed. 91 octane is usually 10 or 11 cents more per liter for those that don't know... so I was like "Huh?" then I saw "regular (87 octane)" was also 98.9 and I was like... uh oh... are they out of 91 octane? Then I went to look at the other side and I saw the "sign" God was giving me! "We are out of regular, please accept supreme at regular cost" Woohoo! This was the second time I ever had this situation, last year at 63.5 the price of regular was an even greater miracle, but I think I appreciate it more this time around, cause I was being bad *embrassed*. Well, I'll never know, they don't post this type of info on the website my brother and I check the gas prices on, at least I don't think, it should only post the time, location and price... Anyhow, even though I'll never know if I could have gotten 91 octane at 90.9/liter if before 12AM, must be cause it was cheap tonight ->90.9 ($0.909) that they ran out, haha :P I still filled up cause 98.9 is like what I would pay if the regular price was 87.9 or maybe 88.9! Which isn't cheap, that was considered "expensive" back before the summer last year (2004) when I worked when it was less than 70 cents per liter, but I gotta take my blessings when they come, especially now I'm so poor and going to be even poorer cause my First String Sports job barely provides enough for me to make OSAP payments after tax provided I spend every cent I earn towards the OSAP payments alone, I'm broke! Too MSN names I put to reflect that with Music notes around them "My OSAP's stressing... all broke... next month, next month...." and "OSAP makes me feel... OSAP makes me feel...OSAP makes me feel like a natural brokeman..." :P Anyhow, back to the tears... as I was saying, I've been bad, as I mention, I cursed my misfortune and cursed myself for missing the wrong exit and not making it on time, like how could I be so stupid, argh.. F-word, etc.... etc.... But yet, WHAT IF... WHAT IF the 91 octane only ran out after 12AM as it was cheap before 12AM and everyone probably filled up after comming home from the other side of town which caused all that traffic I encountered on my way to RHCBC. I'm getting 87.9 (the price regular would have to be for me to get the same price on 91 octane), which is even better than if I got 90.9 before 12AM, provided they didn't run out yet, so I thought to myself... I'm not worthy Lord :'(, please forgive me... "Away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man..." :'(

Was going to end it there, but since I feel touched to sing a song that will indeed bring me to tears, time to go Joycie style and post some song lyrics, BTW, Joyce, didn't see you tonight :(, did you go visit Syd or something? :P Not that there's anything wrong with that ;). Here is one of my newer tear causing favourites (the original, first song about Jesus that made me cry is still "Beneath The Cross of Jesus") it has the guitar chords, I didn't bother wasting my time taking them out, you can still read the lyrics, I think this site usually pops up on the top of the list when I search for it's lyrics:

Redeemer, Saviour, Friend
VERSE 1:
D/F# D2 G2 G
I know You had me on your mind
A/C# D Em A
When You climbed up on that hill
D/F# D D/F# G2 G
For You saw me with eternal eyes
Em G Bm
While I was yet in sin
G A D
Redeemer Savior Friend

VERSE 2:
D/F# D D/F# G2 G
Every stripe upon Your battered back
A/C# D Em A
Every thorn that pierced Your brow
D/F# D D/F# G2 G
Every nail drove deep through guiltless hands
Em G Bm
Said that Your love knows no end
G A D
Redeemer Savior Friend

CHORUS:
A D G D
Redeemer, redeem my heart again
A Bm G A
Savior, shelter me from sin
Bm A G
You’re familiar with my weaknesses
D G
Devoted to the end
Em A D
Redeemer Savior Friend

VERSE 3:
So the grace you poured out on my life
Will return to You in praise
I’ll gladly lay down all my crowns
For the name of which I’m saved
Redeemer Savior Friend
©1999 Integrity's Hosanna! Music / Integrity's Praise!
Words and Music by Darrell Evans and Chris Springer