disappointment

i was up until 9:00pm last night trying to get ready. my wife thought it was cute that i was packing everything, trying my shorts on, etc. she knows im excited when i put that much preparation into the day. she came to me later that evening and tried to persuade me not to run because of the smoke. i guess she was prophetic in that sense. when i awoke at 4am this morning, i received the email below. yeah, im a little disappointed. i cant say that i was completely ready for this marathon. as mentioned previously, it's been hard finding time to train once Nolan arrived. i dont feel that bad though, as my thoughts are with those that have lost their homes due to the fire. to put things into perspective,

i cant imagine what it's like to lost your house. i just pray that people are safe and that through all of this, God's love will shine through.
--
Event Organizers Cancel Race Due To Poor Air Quality

We regret to inform you that we have been compelled to cancel today's Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon as a result of the significant wildfires in the Los Angeles area and resulting unsafe air quality. Pasadena Forward's decision was made in consultation with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Team and the City of Pasadena.

Please know that it was extremely difficult to arrive at this decision, and we know that this is a disappointing outcome for all of us who have worked so hard for this inaugural event. However, the only appropriate response to this emergent situation, given that the safety and well-being of our participants is at the forefront of our concerns, was to cancel.

Over the next several days, we will hold discussions to determine appropriate next steps. Once concrete plans have been developed, updates will be posted at www.pasadenamarathon.org. All registered participants will also be notified via email of all important updates.

Thank you for your support and patience as we work through this challenge. We hope you are safe and well.

pasadena marathon

so it's been pretty tough training for this weekend's marathon. Not only am i too tired after work to go on some weekly runs, i feel guilty for not spending enough time with Nolan. It's a part of parenthood, sacrificing my needs for those of my son and family. It reminds me of how Jesus sacrificed his life so that ours could be saved.

im trying to put together a playlist on itunes for my run. im sure i wont go through all of it, but i'd like to have a bunch of songs that i like to choose from.

Past Present Future Part 1 (Mixed By John Digweed) 1:14:15 VA Bedrock 10: Past Present Future House
Past Present Future Part 2 (Mixed By John Digweed) 1:12:14 VA Bedrock 10: Past Present Future House
Berlin 3:11 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81
Lien on Your Dreams 4:37 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81
Stop 4:38 black rebel motorcycle club Take them on, on your own Rock
We´re all in love 3:38 black rebel motorcycle club Take them on, on your own Rock
I Might Be Wrong 4:54 Radiohead Amnesiac Rock
Backdrifts 5:32 Radiohead Hail to the Thief Other
Bodysnatchers 4:02 Radiohead In Rainbows
Karma Police 4:22 Radiohead OK Computer Rock
Kelly Watch The Stars 3:45 Air Moon Safari Blues
La Femme d'Argent 7:10 Air Moon Safari [US/UK] Electronica & Dance
Neighborhood #2 (Laika) 3:32 The Arcade Fire Funeral Indie Rock
I Want to Touch You 4:41 Catherine Wheel Ferment Rock/Pop
Genesis 3:56 Chaim Renaissance: Transitions, Vol. 3 Disc 1 Electronica
Murder She Wrote 4:06 Chaka Demus & Pliers The Story Of Jamaican Music: Dancehall Good To We 1982-1993 [Disc 4] Reggae
White Riot 1:57 The Clash The Clash U.K. Other
Should I Stay or Should I Go 3:09 The Clash Combat Rock Other
The Magnificent Seven 4:29 The Clash The Singles Other
Almada 4:47 Clorofila Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3 General Electronic
Brimful of Asha 3:59 Cornershop (Fatboy Slim Remix)
Phoenix 4:57 Daft Punk Homework Electronic
Bohemian Like You 3:32 The Dandy Warhols Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia Power Pop
Amazing Grace 2:39 Dropkick Murphys The Gang's All Here Pop
far behind 2:15 eddie vedder into the wild Rock
hard sun 5:22 eddie vedder into the wild Rock
Jesus of Suburbia 9:08 Green Day American Idiot Alternative 6
Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams 8:13 Green Day American Idiot Alternative 10
Karmacoma 5:14 Massive Attack Collected - The Best Of [CD1] Alternative
Akai 47 - Discovery Download 3:36 Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich + Fussible Akai 47 - Discovery Download Alternativo 9
The Clap 2:44 Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich + Fussible Tijuana Sound Machine Alternativo 7
Rosarito 3:09 Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich + Fussible Tijuana Sound Machine Alternativo 3
Can Can 4:44 The Orb Okie Dokie Its The Orb On Komp Electronic
Captain Korma 4:13 The Orb Okie Dokie Its The Orb On Komp Electronic
Daughter 3:56 Pearl Jam Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits Rock
Voodoo People 6:27 Prodigy Music For The Jilted Generatio Alternative
There There (REAL STUDIO) 5:25 Radiohead Hail to the Thief
No Surprises 3:49 Radiohead OK Computer Rock
I Can See Clearly 2:19 Screeching Weasel Kill The Musicians Punk
Incinerate 4:56 Sonic Youth Rather Ripped Rock
Rusty Cage 4:26 Soundgarden Badmotorfinger rock
Tall Cans In The Air 3:44 Transplants Transplants
calido - el cator [chillhouse mix] 5:12 VA Ibiza Chillhouse Vol.3 CDS House

Veteran's day

Today is Veteran's day. Nolan is three months old now. It's amazing to watch him grow up! He recognizes us by sight and by our voices now. His smile also lights up my day. When we place him in his crib, and turn on his bedside toy, he giggles and talks to it. I really like singing to him as well. He especially likes "the itsy bitsy spider" along with the hand gestures.

It's difficult for me sometimes because by the time i get home at night from work, he's already asleep. I've been thinking a lot about my priorities as well. We're always very busy with different things. Nolan's growing up so fast, i just need to take the time to prioritize what's important in his life, like spending time with him, carrying him, etc.

I often times think about my grandfather, who served in WW2. Im sure that he would be very happy to see Nolan.

the luckiest man on the planet

It sounds like the title of a movie, doesnt it? it could star some new hollywood hot shot, like Shia Lebeouf. or an aged veteran of the silver screen like Morgan Freeman. it can be a comedy, about some clumsy chap who always seems to narrowly escape death.

in fact, it's about me. it's about God bringing joy and redemption into my life. Nolan is now about 6 weeks old. it's amazing to watch him grow up. he's now starting to recognize our voices and has started to smile as well. I came home one day from work in a foul mood because i was stuck in traffic for about 90 minutes. I remember thinking to myself as i drove up how unhappy i was at the gridlock. I was not happy at all. I came into our bedroom, where my wife was holding our son Nolan. I said to him, "how's my little guy doing? does he miss daddy?" for the next few minutes, he smiled so big that he lit up the room. I snapped the picture above with my camera phone. i've never been so happy before. i completely forgot that i sat through 90 minutes of exhaust fumes. ah, fatherhood is good!

the difficulties of being a new parent

let me preface all of this by saying that I love my son to death. I would give my life to save his. He is such a blessing to Lisa and I.

Nolan has been crying a lot lately. is it colic? is it reflux? we dont know. All we know is that the poor guy has been crying his eyes out at certain times of the day. We try to soothe him by offering the pacifier, shushing him, etc. Occasionally it helps, sometimes, it doesnt. it's so heart wrenching to see little nolan cry. his voice gets hoarse and his face turns red. It's times like these that makes me question my ability to parent. it's strained the both of us. it's also strained our relationship with each other.

sometimes i just dont know what to do.

my perfect day

I didnt feel any different when i woke up today. My bones didnt ache, i didnt feel cranky. In fact, i didnt feel a day older. i woke up earlier to feed Nolan and to change his diaper. Nolan is going to be a morning person, because he always smiles at me despite the fact the sun isnt out yet. I then went for a jog with a friend around the pasadena area. we met at Borders, ran down to san marino, in front of the Huntington Library, and back through caltech back to Borders. We then had a cup of coffee. My parents then came over, and we later met up with my brother and his family at Mission 261 for Dim Sum. As usual, we ordered way too much food. After lunch, we came home, where Lisa and I took a nap. I couldnt sleep very well, so i woke up early to watch a dvd. Teresa, Dave, and family came by for a visit, but couldnt stay very long. After a home cooked meal, Lisa and I took our dog, Mila, and Nolan out for an early evening walk. when we got home, Lisa gave me a haircut. As we get ready for bed, i couldnt help but smile and thank God that he blessed me today, with a perfect day.

colic

for the past couple of days, Nolan has been suffering from colic. He's been crying a lot, and it appears as if his belly has been full of gas. it's been difficult to burp him as well.

Tonight, we tried to feed Nolan, and midway through the process, my wife asks me to check and change his diaper. No problem, i say, as i am an expert at this by now. Having changed his first few diapers full of meconium, nothing fazes me. Well, tonight, ask i lay him down on the changing pad, he proceeds to rip several gigantic farts. The smell isnt too bad, as im used to it by now. His farts now smell somewhat sour and musty, kind of like if you let orange juice sit too long. anyhow, tonights bowel movement is especially full. which is a good thing. It relieves a lot of the gas that he's been building up, which will help him sleep better. unfortunately, it sprays up his back, and soils his onesie. so, i strip him down, change the diaper, and bring him back to mommy for round 2 of his feeding. as i bring him back, i say to him, "dude, you had a ginormous poopie son!" at which point he gazes at me and flashes me a huge smile! it's one of those smiles that makes me forget the stinky diaper on the counter next to me. I love fatherhood.

the 12th day of fatherhood

it's been 12 days since the birth of our first son, Nolan Benjamin Chiu. Born August 5, 2008 at 12:28pm. He is such a blessing to care for and to have! we originially had planned Lisa's c-section for wednesday, Aug 6th, but her water broke on monday (aug 4th). As we sat in the maternity triage that monday evening, i remember thinking to myself that i wasnt ready for all of this. Life was so unfair, im not ready, im going to be a horrible dad.

We tried to deliver normally first, but after 16 hours of labor, Nolan just wasnt going to come out. Being with Lisa in the delivery room that evening was pretty neat. it was difficult to watch her in pain, but it was also a pleasure to serve her. i really appreciated the physical difficulties that she had to endure to carry Nolan to full term. I massaged her feet, i fed her water, i did all that i could to make her stay a bit more comfortable. On Tuesday morning, it was decided that Nolan was not making any progress, so we opted for the c-section. that in and of itself was a stressfull decision to make. I thought to myself, will the operation go smoothly? will Nolan be ok? Will Lisa be ok? as i sat outside the operating room with Katia, waiting to go in, i was anxious! was i ready to become a father? I prayed to myself asking for wisdom, courage, and for peace. as we entered the OR, Lisa was on the table, ready to go. once we sat down, it was only within 10 minutes that the doctor told her that she will feel some pressure as the deliver the baby. At which point, Lisa's body started to move from side to side as the doctors worked to extract Nolan from Lisa's womb. All i could hear in the room was the faint murmurs of the doctors talking. then, all of a sudden, a baby's cry broke the room. i couldnt stop the tears of joy that i was shedding. I looked over at my wife, and the both of us wept together at the sound of our newborn son. One of the nurses said, whoa! That's a big baby! look at how big his hands are! There's no way he would have come out naturally! The other doctor said that having the c-section was the right choice.

fast forward 12 days, Nolan is in the crib next to our bed. We wake up every 2+ hours in the evening to feed him. We're tired, but it's all worth it. I could look at him all day and still smile at every little facial expression that he makes. he is the most beautiful thing that i have ever seen. he is my most prized possession. he is further proof to me that our God is an awesome God. The creator of all things good. And surely, this is good.

at the hospital

it's now 11pm, weve been here since 7pm or so. lisa is now on the epidural and is resting comfortably. before the epidural, things got pretty intense. i could tell that the contractions were getting more intense. it was actually quite scary! they were progressively getting more and more stronger. we decided against a c-section and wanted to give natural birth a try. by the time lisa got in here, she was already 4cm dialated. nurses said that she looked good and that she had a good chance of delivering naturally. it was a difficult decision, so we prayed about it and felt at peace that a natural birth would be ok. so here we are right now. anxious to see nolan!

S O A P

S - for scripture:
2 Kings 1:9-12

Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his companyu of 50 men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill and said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come Down!' "
Elijah answered the captain, "If i am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his 50 men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!' " "If i am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men.


O - observation
I think that what God is saying to me through this scripture is, like Elijah, i need to trust God for my safety, my well being. Elijah spoke with boldness to the captains, and knew that he had God backing him up.

A - Application
with regards to my health, and this past sunday's healing prayer, i need to continue to trust that God has my back and that he will continue to take care of me.

P - Prayer
Lord, help me to see and learn from Elijah. I want to have the boldness that he speaks with. I want to walk with the faith that he walks with.

Memorial Day Retreat

We had a great time at the retreat this past weekend. The retreat was held on the campus of Cal Baptist University in Riverside. The theme of this years retreat was Yes! Which should be our response to God's calling and challenge. For Lisa and I, we definitely want to heed that challenge. I was especially moved by a movie that we watched on Sunday night called, The Finger of God. This movie is about God's miraculous power. It chronicles various healing ministries around the world. It's more than just about the healing though, it's about God's love for each and every one of us. He wants to heal us because he loves us. The stories and videos were incredible. The spirit that was in the theater was electrifying! I felt God's love for me as we watched the house churches in China, and the healings that were occuring in Africa. God loves us so much that he wants us to be free and healed! I was literally moved to tears by his love for me. One quote from the movie that touched me was from a missionary in China describing the house churches. He said that they were there to simply preach the gospel. There was no agenda - there wasnt a anti-abortion agenda, anti-homosexuality, or anti-government agenda. Sure, they prayed for the gov't, but it wasnt for overthrow or whatever. It was very refreshing to hear that because here in America we often hear about the "Conservative Christians" or the "Religious Right". I get tired of hearing about the politicising of christianity. I just want to love the Lord and be a faithful servant!

Hot Hot Heat!

IMG_3670, originally uploaded by eoshea.

Here's me running the El Prieto Handicap race this past saturday (May 17, 2008). This was a downhill point to point trail run, that started at the Millard Camp Ground. The course itself was mostly on a single track hiking path that was fairly steep and rocky at times. the end of the race was at Hahamonga Watershed Park, near JPL. The last stretch of the race was quite hot. It was out in the open, with the sun and the heat beating mercilessly down on you.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/chengdu/2008/05/we_found_fu_guanyu_and.html

i listened to this on the way home from work tonight. As a soon to be father, i was brought to tears at the desparation in the voice of the Wang Wei. i cant imagine the pain that him and his wife must be going through at this point. To lose a child is a tragedy. my heart cries out to those who have lost loved ones in this earthquake.

The World that we live in

There was a massive earthquake today in the Sichuan Province of China, near Chengdu. Estimates say that there could be up to 10,000 people killed by this magnitude 7.9 earthquake. I was fortunate enough to be born in the USA. I have traveled to China on several occasions. it breaks my heart to see all of the suffering that these people are going through as a result of a natural disaster. Stories of school children being trapped in buildings make me shudder as i anticipate the birth of my son.

Last week, Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar. US estimates the death toll to be upwards of 63-100k.

Lord, please help these people. May the doors be opened so that your glory will shine. May many people come to know you as a result of these tragedies. Please bring relief to those that are suffering from these natural disasters. Bring comfort to those that have lost loved ones and are displaced from their homes.

Congratulations to brian and queenie!

Congrats to brians and queenie on their wedding today! Ceremony
was/is held at pasadena christian church. Banquet will be held at san
gabriel hilton. Yes, I know... I should be paying attention to the
ceremony.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Welcome Avery Chiu!

My nephew, Avery Chiu was born this morning at 8:41am at Huntington Memorial Hospital. He weighed in at 8lb 3oz! I had a dream last night that me, my brother, Avery, and my son all went on a camping trip together. Avery and my boy were playing with each other, having a great time! i cant wait for that trip to actually happen!

Anniversary dinner

I took lisa to mozza pizzeria last night. It was a difficult place to
get a reservation! I was on hold for 30+ minutes! The earliest
reservation that I could get was for 9:15. The restaurant is located
on the corner of highland and melrose. we were seated after a short
wait. While perusing the menu, I happened to notice that the chef's
name was asian. It took me a few minutes, but I finally realized that
bryant ng was indeed the guy that I knew from way back in the days! I
went up to introduce myself to him, and after a few minutes he finally
recognized me! We chit chatted for a bit and he made some
recommendations on what to order. We finally settled on the meat
lovers pizza, the stinging nettles and wild spinach pizza, and the
beets marinated with horseradish. When the food came, bryant totally
hooked us up. In addition to what we ordered, he gave us tuna peppers
(excellent!), baked cauliflower with cheese, and eggplant with pine
nuts! Also, the dessert that he gave us was soo good! It was
definitely a blessing to see an old friend!

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Two years!

Time sure does fly! We've been married for two whole years! I told Lisa this morning that she has blessed me with the two happiest years of my life to date. Last year, we celebrated our 1-year anniversary by going to Coachella, then revisiting our proposal location in La Jolla. This year, our anniversary falls on a wednesday, so we'll be celebrating the occasion with our fellow lifegroup members. Im really looking forward to this next phase in life.

We took a tour of the San Gabriel Hospitals obstetrics department last night in preparation for our first child. We're trying to decide between this hospital and Huntington Memorial in Pasadena. We're leaning towards San Gabriel because the staff seemed very friendly, and it had more of a personal touch to the place. The birthing rooms at San Gabriel were just as nice as those at Huntington, but were larger. We want a place where we can feel welcomed and comfortable. We're praying that the Lord will help us make the good decision on where we can have our first kid.

Friends from out of town

We got to visit some old friends tonight. Paul and Rebecca Graf were in town for a few days, so we had the opportunity to get together with them and a bunch of others to catch up and to hear what they've been up to. It's encouraging to hear how the Lord has been blessing them in their work overseas. Rebecca was excited to see Lisa's belly and kept rubbing it for good luck.

Watch me go!

When i think about these words, i imagine my future son riding his bike for the first time. Wearing a red helmet, he's a little wobbly at first but after a few tries and scrapes, he gets going. He's in the alley behind the garage heading north, when he turns his head and says to me, "Watch me go daddy!" And then he crashes.

It's exciting for me to think about my future son. It brings a smile to my face whenever i think about him. My lovely wife, who is now 24 weeks pregnant, sang a Brasilian child's song about a train to me last night. It made me think that wow, in a few months we'll be parents.