June is around the corner...

    As May is ending we have been enjoying a rather cool spring. Usually, the weathers shifts into very warm weather around this time. 

I found out some shocking news. A friend of mine was seriously ill. Fortunately he is doing better now. It shocks me because we had dinner and drinks just a few weeks ago. Our health is very important. However, our health is effected by things that are usually out of our control due to Adamic sin. 

   It is so shocking to see it in people around you. Jesus is the only way out of this predicament we are in presently. This leads me to look at being healthy in another light. One that was taught to me years ago. One that I ingored for YEARS. That is spiritual health. Buidling a relationship with Jehovah is the most important medicine in our lives. Building strong faith in God words and listening to the guidelines with in is the best health plan we can have. 

   The bible states that in the near future mankind will have 1000 years of rest. During which time disease, and death will be done away with. We will longer be shocked and horrified at reports of people close to us getting sick. 

My plan is this. Build and maintain a relationship with our wonderful creator. The bible tells us to "pray constantly". We are told to follow what Jesus tells us in the bible. To love our God, and our neighbor. To hate what is bad. There are so many good things in the bible. There is even list of things that can tell us when the lords day has arrived. Which it already has. So lets build faith in Jehovah, and his beloved son the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ. 

/tata

Summer is coming!

    In South Korea summers are very intense. Heat humidity are really tough here. We are fortunate to have 2 AC's This has helped us a lot since 2019. 

    This summer we might be getting a car. Maybe we will get one. If we do it be a second generation eqqus. We love this car. It has a dependable transmission, engine, and many useful features.

We will not be using it to travel very long distances. Instead we will drive maxium 200 to 400 kms round trip. If we want to to the beach we can drive as the west coast isn't far. However, if we want to visit the east coast, I will rent a car for that. I do want to stress the car we are buying. Unless I can see that it can hold up for such long trips. It is funny that I think 1000 km trips are long. In America, that is nothing. 

    We still in the cool part of spring. So I enjoy waling with out "neck fans". Neck fans are a cool thing to use. Basically, it is a flexible band or rigid band that has fans fitting into it. It cools the neck and the back of the head. It is a game changer for us. We will get newer models for this spring / summer season. It really helps Yogita has she has long hair. We ususally bring extra lithium battey packs so that they can last for our 1.5 hour evening walks.

    Summer we are ready for you! We will be moving again this year as the owner of the apartment has stated she needs to sell the unit due to some family need related to her son. So weekly we are dumping old clothes, and streamlining in preparation for the move. Moving companies are usually surprised at how few items we have. If I buy the car before the move I might keep our camping supplies in the trunk. 

Ok time to get this work part of the day started! 

Bible study is Mark chapter 10!

/tata

Holding on to grudges is so unhealthy!

     The people I work for took legal action against another person due to some issue. I will not go into details here. The result was that the case was thrown out. Both sides I am assuming had to spend time and money dealing that situation. I am sure they are not hurting moneywise. 

    However, the man I work for and his wife still hold a grudge against those other people. 

    In 2019 I started working for people I currently work for. When Yogita and I would enjoy our time out we would meet people in the community. It is a very small community. They would ask: "Who do you work for?" or "Where do you work?".

    Once I told them they would pause and say things like: "But you are a nice guy, why work there". I did not understand until Yogi and I had drinks for the first time with him alone. He gave more details on what happened. He was very angry about the situation. Fast forward one year. Yogita and I actually met and made friends with the other party. First, they said nothing negative about the person I work for. Second, they seemed to want to welcome them back to rekindle a friendship. 

    Now, due to the holding of this grudge they are always on the fringe. Not invited to gatherings. These gatherings can be very good sources of useful information or just a great stress reliever. A time to talk about issues that are on your mind with people who you have known for years! Instead, they have lost that. Well actually they have not. It is up to them (the people I work for) to just let go of the anger. So what that they are more successful than you are. Really we should all be happy to able to survive in this stressful world that is difficult to deal with!

 /tata

Finally a nice 3 week stretch.

     Some people love holidays. I enjoy them. I do. I enjoy the time I have with my family, my wife, and my friends. However, working in the industry that we do can cause some issues. The main one is that classes need to be rescheduled. Where I work I have even lost pay (kind of unfair but whatever) over covid days off. We have still been very fortunate during these times though. So now we are entering a 3-week stretch with no holidays. 

    So strangely enough I am going to enjoy the reguar schedule. Family bible studies, exercise, and even work will run more smoothly. Finally, we will have a stretch of time with out odd weeks were we are working then a break then back to work. Of course I am not saying that is a bad thing. It is ust nice to get back to normal. 

/tata

An unexpected break.

 Well, we are getting a four-day weekend. Usually, we have what is called sandwich days in South Korea. This is when a holiday falls in the middle of the week. The days around the holiday are not a day off. So we call it a sandwich day. These can really suck due to splitting up a week. 

Well in recent years the national and regional governments have been moving away from this practice. I really think that this year they want to spur the economy. Holidays are more expensive. Families spend time outside of the home which means they spend money camping, eating out, shopping, and visiting many other places. Basically, we spend more money.

I intend to explore some restaurants in our area. Also, family bible studies will be held. My boys will get more gaming / PC time. I will give them extra time to work on their hobbies. I will also get more exercise. I hope to walk about 15 to 16 km on the 3 days off. More is of course better but Yogita is breaking in her new sneakers. It would be nice if we could get 6kms in on Thursday and Friday. 

My student Marnie is watching me as I type this. Class time is coming so it is time to go.

/tata

Earhtly treasures vs Heavenly treasures

 Here on Earth, we measure things in material ways. My boss has a habit of measuring people he encounters with what they likely earn on a monthly basis. Others look at what brand you are wearing or driving. For my example, I am going to use cars. In this world or in this country driving a German, Japanese, or American car gets you prestige in people's eyes. 

Korean brands well it depends on the brand of the car. For example, if you have a newer higher-end model then people are very impressed. However, the reality is as soon as that car is purchased it losses A LOT OF value very very quickly. It depreciates so rapidly because the company that produced the car is already getting ready to roll out next year's model. Sometimes they totally revamp a model so that in just one year the new model's car is MUCH better at a small increase in price over last year's model. So you are left with a ride that is lacking a lot of modern features and has lost a huge amount of value because well you use it every day.

So this Earthly treasure is basically trash.

However, if we make the right changes to our lives as is spelled out in the bible. We can store up treasures that do not rot. That man can not take away. If we put faith in Jehovah's word the bible, and in his only begotten son, we are truly winners.

If we decide to live for this world, Jesus states that we will get our reward in full. This is so true. Years ago I bought a nicer second-hand (I usually get nicer second-hand cars). I was parking it and when I got out two men saw me. One remarked to his friend "His older car is better than your new car!", and he laughed. I felt pride in my heart. I got my reward in full from other humans. However, that car go wrecked a couple of years later. It was junked due to the massive damage it sustained. 

Now if I change the way I live my life and live not for a dying world. Instead, I die to sin, that is make a strong effort to do what is right. I do not practice sin. If I stumble I confess, do not make the same mistake over and over again. If others can see my example, and if I spread the good news about what I have learned. I'll gain a treasure that is finer than gold. 

I am going to buy another second-hand car. Yet, it will be different this time. I will not feel "pride" nor will I "make a show of my means of life". Rather I will use it as I am using my computers. I will see it as it is. A machine that once it came off the lot, was slowly breaking down. 

I can say I feel happier than I have ever felt in years after returning to studying the bible. 

/tata