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rchang502
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Name: R.
Country: United States
State: California
Metro: Los Angeles
Gender: Male
Interests: . fun people . traveling the world . finding new ways to experience adventure . being loud . truth . my one n' only Jesus .
Expertise: . world class traveller . women . dating . relationships . giving the perfect advice . just having fun . seeing the big picture before you even begin to fathom it .
Occupation: Professional Networker
Industry: Life Freedom
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  rchang502
AIM:  RCHANG502
AIM: rchang502
Member Since:
11/2/2003
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| It's a New Year. I haven't done this thing called Xanga for quite some time now. Where did 2007 go?
I feel productive and unproductive at the same time. I have friends from high school and college that are working and establishing careers - everything from low paying social work to D.C. think tanks to high paying investment banking to starting their own business ventures. It's crazy to think about the trajectory that life takes people on. A couple years ago, some of us were in the same boat, but we all decided to take our own row boats or cruise liners to different destinations, all trying to find a voice, all trying to find a way to make a life worth living.
One year ago, I was offered a happy salary to work with a multi-national company starting at a position that required three-five years of outside experience. I turned it down because I didn't want to get caught up in the race to build a bank account. At times, I look back and wonder what my life would've looked like if I took that job. I had 4 subsequent offers that were in the same industry, but lower in terms of income - I could've been a corporate man.
Then I was offered several business ventures that would've required even more time (14 hours a day), but would've, by my second year, rewarded me with a nice chunk of change - $250,000+. But I couldn't even sell my life for that amount of money. I've just grown up to listen to my heart (aligned with God's) and follow the Passions He's given me.
So here I am, in 2008, with a million things on the brink of exploding, but with nothing really happening yet. Here's my life in a nutshell...
Youth Pastor - Who would've thought that I would be in ministry. For all of you who have called me Pastor Ray from Jr. High through College, your prophetic words have come true to a degree. It's a group of 8 unique and good spirited kids. They are at times a good representation of the common kid, but at other times, extraordinary. They've developed a unique culture at the church that I am presiding over and its hard to break into their shell. Sometimes, I just feel like giving up (I have to admit) and go to one of the many other churches that have more kids and kids who actually want me to be their pastor. Some of the times with this church feels like pulling teeth. They have been so jaded in the past by poor leadership that creating any type of momentum is extremely exhausting - but God is good and I am being contained by Him daily, strengthened by Him daily, carried by Him daily.
I've never been in a position - outside of some social settings where my reputation hasn't preceded me. There is usually a brief understanding of who I am and what my competencies and character are. I rarely get any opposition, but for some reason, its at this church where I am second guessed and not trusted. At first, I thought that it was my leadership capacity that was significantly lacking, but the more I reflect and lean on God and ask people hard questions, I can only say that the past experiences they had and the first impression I left with them have stuck with them. I guess they think I don't understand them or can't relate to them: little do they know that I understand them fully, but just know a better way to process the experiences of life.
I've grown attached to them in so many ways, but something still needs to change - they need to get HUNGRY! They are so used to being spoon fed, that we are starting fresh. A few of them have stepped up into leadership roles and I'm excited to see where that is going to take us. I hope that they maintain consistent and persistent as we create a new culture of community. But its nice to know that they are committed at least to each other. They show up regularly and participate in programs that we put on. They aren't really talkative when it comes to deeper issues, but a few of them are starting to discuss things during our round table discussions - a very important aspect to community. I feel like I am trusted by a few of them and the others, I feel like they have absolutely no trust towards me. But in it all, I love each of the kids and each of my staff. I enjoy the few interactions that we share and we are starting to grow a momentum beginning with the catalyst that I knew the retreat would be. The girls are easier and fun to talk to and the guys, for now, are fun to observe as they compete and make fun of each other in ping pong and as they do something out of place. There is something very special about the group that has been tainted by the past that they have a hard time looking outside of it since it has blurred much of their possible idealistic vision. They are so stuck on trying to be realistic that they have grown to go with the flow without trying to create new streams and rivers to change the world by first changing themselves. If God can use me in one way, it would be to help let these kids know that they have within them and around them, the God who holds the universe in the palm of His hand and NOTHING is impossible to Him, for to Him and through Him, all things were created. I hold onto the words of R.C. Sproul that ministry is a thankless job and that the only source of acknowledgment and appreciation you get is from God: that is sufficient.
Grad School - Who would've thought this one too! Yes, I am going to graduate school. Starting, actually today, I will become a bona fide Masters of Organizational Leadership student at Biola University. I NEVER thought I would ever go back to school, but everything just fit in regards to this. Its nice to know that I will get intellectually stimulated once again as all I have been doing is reading books and listening to Piper sermons daily - its awesome. So, in one and a half years, I will have my masters and possibly take it to the mission field to change the world for Christ and His Kingdom. Glory to God for the abundant blessings of education He has graced me with.
FFi - Still going strong. They finally got approved in Korea. That means that the buzz will turn into a storm of business for me and my household. I am looking forward to the changes that are going to begin to take place in the near future. Who would've thought, vitamins for your car that reduce emissions, increase performance, and increase gas mileage. Yea.
Some of my team have gone into South east Asia and are finding great success. Now, its time to take over the rest of the Asian Market. Stay tuned!
Real Estate - You can thank my parents' persistence for this one. They are so set on me becoming a broker to be able to manage their new building project, etc. that I have gotten a phone call everyday to do this. So, I am an official Real Estate Agent. If you have any real estate needs, you can come to me. I'll take care of you and treat you right. :) Buy or sell a house through me... I can do it all.
Film Project - This is my baby. Talking to a group that acts as the go-between to projects and financiers - they LOVED the idea and the executive summary. If I complete my business plan - which only needs the financials, then I am good to go forward with it, talking to directors, screen writers, and actors to participate in creating a film that will change the way that the industry thinks and takes on projects. I hope to change Hollywood and the way they do things, from meaningless garbage to meaningful works of arts - projects that change the world and the human condition. :)
So here I am in 2008, with nothing on my plate and a lot on my plate simultaneously. My life looks a lot different than what most people would've expected, but hey, that's the beauty of life. Now, it's time for me to get a haircut and shave...
Ces't la vie.
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| So, just out of curiosity... I wonder if anyone stops by my Xanga anymore. Shout out loud if you do... I can hear you from here. Trust. | | |
| Long Story... but I'll keep it short. At curbside check in at United Airlines at LAX, the porter decided to take my bag and throw it into the baggage conveyor belt unchecked so that my bag full of clothes (approx. $10,000 worth), cell phone charger, lap top charger, and crest white strips would get lost in translation. I flew to Denver hoping that my bag would've been found by then, but no luck. I landed in Omaha, Nebraska to find out that they couldn't find my bag. Now, I should be angry, frustrated, sad, and violent according to normal standards of what society says. But I can't help, but almost feel apathetic of the situation. As soon as I got in, I did a meeting, then we went to my favorite bar in Lincoln, NE, only to fall asleep and wake up the next day, which happens to be today. I spent all day bargain shopping for clothes at TJ Maxx, Express, and some local place (where I actually splurged and got a Boss shirt to make this event memorable). But here is the lesson I learned.
Stuff happens, but why should anyone care? There are so many bigger problems out there that we don't worry about, so why should we worry about something so superficial as clothes? Granted, my life has been very inconvenient after I lost all my stuff. I also feel a sting of remorse as I lost 3 Armani suits, an Armani blazer, 4 designer jeans, 2 Lacoste Polos, 2 of my favorite Pumas, and several books. But I just can't help, but quickly think of something that actually matters - like the lessons learned from our unique experiences.
I discovered that I have a good handle on my emotions and that my locus of control is genuinely internal. There is no reason to worry as God does take care of all the details - and if something bad happens, he will compensate by allowing me to think of Him in a new light. Why people sweat the small stuff drives me insane. So in a nutshell... We have a choice in how to respond to situations. Yea, bad stuff happens everyday, some worse than others, but in the end, does what we get consumed by actually matter in the long run? I don't think so. Keeping that eye on the prize, regardless of the crap that the nonsensical process brings is what keeps people sane. Who cares about my feelings - especially when I have the world to make a difference in.
I walked by a homeless man that was bright when he was young and graduated from college today. What if someone reached out to him instead of worrying about the fact that his clothes were lost. What if for every incident that gives us pain, we decided to help someone else by giving their lives a little more pleasure. How sweet life would be. :) | | |
| Some people give life, others drain it. Today was an incredible day for me for various reasons. I will sequentially go down a list and explain at the end why my day was so good. 1. A good night's sleep.
Yesterday was a good day. My friend from NY came to San Diego for the week and took a train to come see me. We had a good time of driving in the rain, eating excessive amounts of food, and talking about nonsense and deep stuff alike.
I don't think that I've been able to get a good night's sleep in a long time. In fact, I think that the last time I was satisfied with my sleep was before my trip to the Philippines, but since I volunteered with Cerritos H.S. Key Club for the past weekend, I didn't get as much sleep as I would've liked due to the necessity of chaperoning, thus preparing me for an incredible night of dreams. 2. A phone call.
I had a phone call with my friend who I haven't seen or talked to for a good 6 months now. She is one of those people that you know will become successful and do something exciting with her life in the business world. Extremely talented and gifted, a great communicator, and an intelligent person, she is one of the few people that I look forward to seeing where they end up. But she gave me life and energized me in just her sharing what's been going on in her life: starting a business, making strategic connections, getting certified in various tests, preparing for the married life, family business, etc. It's just great to see people doing something with their life and give you words that fill your soul - and she always compliments me in the way that doesn't seem empty or simply to flatter - she always makes me think with her positive observations of me. 3. A meeting.
Today I met with a businessman who makes well over a million dollars a year. A great man who thinks the world of me for some odd reason. Honestly, I don't know why he takes such an interest in my life and wants to help me succeed in anything that I do. I shared my business opportunity with him and he said he would create settings for me to explain it to groups of people. He also wants to help me get a business started in China, potentially earning a healthy $300,000 a year after my second year. Not too bad. I might get to live in China! But he always tells me that he wishes that his sons were like me and if they were that he would be the happiest man alive and be making at least $5 million a year. What a compliment! I love it when people who have excelled at something call excellence out of me. 4. A fun business
Who else (except ridiculously wealthy and high powered individuals) can say that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, with whoever they want? I love my life. My life is worth envying or joining. I think that people who don't choose the lifestyle they want and work towards will have their lifestyle chosen for them by the norm, or anything below that. For the next couple of weeks, I will be with some good friends, hanging out with them in Chicago, Nebraska, S. Carolina, etc. My life is just. too. good. 5. A time worth being grateful for.
I think that the easiest thing that we are capable of doing is taking time with our parents for granted. My friend who is adopted turned me onto this thought today. So I made it a point to spend some time with mom and dad and it was good. My dad is so much happier when I am around and my mom is probably the cutest thing in this universe. I have a nice big smile on my face. :D 6. A future date.
Tomorrow is my last day in So. Cal for a couple of weeks. I didn't realize how long I was going to be out of town, but I am. So tomorrow evening, I have a date with the most gorgeous girl in all the Earth - my sister! :) She's been sick for the past couple of weeks and I have been stressed out because of it. I will have to make tomorrow one of those days that makes everything better. Any ideas? 7. A God that makes sense.
So the touchy feely-ness without substance of Christians does drive me insane. I'm just tired of people basing their faith and their relationship with God on the way they feel that day. He deserves more. So, the fact that his bio is accessible to people makes me smirk with both joy and discomfort as I know that those who search for God will find him, but also that most people won't search. He's just too good not to know and it's sad that there are people that won't know that goodness. | | |
| Life allows me to go at my own pace. Too bad I choose to go at the speed of sound.
Travel News:
Nebraska - April 25-April28
Chicago - April 28-May1
S. Carolina - May 1-May3
Georgia - May3-May5
Chicago - May5-May6
Nebraska - May6-May7
Los Angeles - May7-???
**Crazy ey?** Hope University!
Back Story: Through some major bragging done about me by none other than my boy Rich, I might've gotten a job I never applied for at Hope University. They are starting a Leadership Center that is focused on marrying the theoretical and the practical and creating a center that will bring life to the most modern and timeless principles of leadership. So in an interview Rich was conducting with Hope University, he decided to edify me and bring me into the picture landing me a job I never applied for. I love my friends. FFi!
I love Network Marketing. Anyone who doesn't see the beauty of the business model is an idiot. Anyone who doesn't see why FFi has perfected it is a moron.
It's awesome working with friends to build a team. I get to travel with friends, hang out with friends, make money with friends, and laugh at people with friends.  Developing other people's incomes as well as helping them achieve a financial freedom that borders beyond horizons is a blessing that most people won't recognize. I love my life! Graduation:
I might walk for graduation. Crazy! Yea yea, I know I'm done with school, but they are letting me go back to walk the walk. Yup~ For any of you who DON'T know. I never walked for graduation and never thought I actually would. It's like... woah... Life:
*Life for me these days have been a hodgepodge of life and loving it. I havn't been able to work out for about a week so I feel like a slob (but tomorrow will change that)-I am literally dying without the gym. Yikes!~
*Being sick is no fun. For the past three days, I have been sick with something, but I am determined to will myself to health. The outcome - I am feeling like a billion dollars. I can't believe that Warren Buffet isn't the second richest man in the world anymore. What's going on!?
*Living with my sister is a blast. She is so cute. She spent all day cooking in order to delay her studies. I just want to pinch her cheeks forever. She wants a wallet from some store I have no idea the name of yet, but I know it's going to cost me a few bucks. She's so worth it... I love spoiling her.
*Debating about church stuff. I have committment issues when it comes to church. Why is it that church is the most effed up institution?
*My friends have said that I am going to be a pastor the most this week. Everywhere from North to South, East and West, I've been getting this crap that I'm going to be a pastor. Ugh~
*I love my Bose surround sound on my plasma screen.
*There is nothing better than having a house that you love going home to.
*God is good. Always. | | |
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