We've all fallen, fallen real hard.

I went to the gym today with my mother and after I was done with my workout, I got my belongings and waited for my mother outside of locker room so we could meet up and leave. As usual, I was waiting for her for a while so naturally I took out my phone and started playing with it. (iPhone's are the most useful thing on the planet).

I decided to check the recent news and situations (especially Haiti). So, I did and there was an article put out today about how Haiti is asking for $3 billion to reconstruct and rebuild the nation of Haiti because of the earthquake. It was to make permanent homes for the 200,000 people that currently have no roof over their heads, other damages (ex. roads), and also for other governmental issues. Currently the U.S and the other nations that are involved in the rebuilding of Haiti are having meetings and such to see what they can possibly do with this request. Canada has been and is the longest and biggest aid to Haiti thus far. Canada is a dominantly French speaking country and many Haitian communities are scattered throughout Canada. As for the U.S., Hilary Clinton has said that she would be holding meetings and discussing this request with other government officials and the U.S. would have a concrete answer for them in the next 30-60 days.

I honestly think that that is a long time to think, but then again it is a big request. Also, the other 14 or so nations that are helping out need to be on the same page and they all need to collaborate together as well. Think swift, think hard.

This brings me to my point. Post reading this article, I was wondering about the issue of "money" or "currency". We all have money, some amount at least. Our parents have money and the world runs on money. The economy would fall if all of a sudden the biggest bank in the world was blown up and pretty much the whole world would be in ruins for a couple of years or even decades.

So, where did this all begin? I was pondering and hovering this idea of where currency even began because we know that it isn't a God-made thing.

"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." -Matthew 22:21b.

We also know that in the creation account of the world in Genesis, no where can we find anything about money or currency. To be more on point and more in detail we see that Abraham had "possessions", Scripture never mentioned that Abraham had "money".

This made me think of how money started. Did some man or woman just randomly say, "Alright. This is money and everyone needs to have it to gain anything material." I don't know how it started, but it seems to me like a religion.

Currency is definitely a man-made idea and it has succeeded exponentially.

Money runs the world. If one has no money, one pretty much has no life. We can all agree on that, no? What would happen if someone has no money? They end up on the streets, begging for it, and hoping to get lucky to get even one coffee to drink.

This also brings me to my second thought of "tithing" or "tithes" in the Church system. Tithing is definitely biblical and it can be found in Genesis as well.

"And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. - Genesis 14:20.

Abraham is at an altar of worship, and He gave to God a tenth of what he had. A tenth of his possessions, 10% of everything that He had.

So where does the church get this idea of 10% of our income or our salary? I can say for the most part, many Korean cultured churches run tithing or can explain tithing as this: Giving 10% of your weekly income. Don't misunderstand me, there are people that give 10% of their time and commit themselves to missions every year, and such, but where do we get this idea of 10% of our money going to the Church as "true tithing"?

I guess that article of Haiti requesting $3 billion just sparked my brain to go beyond and search for the deeper reasoning of money or currency. It was just a catalyst to it, but I know that this post or my thoughts don't change anything. Money still holds it's power and value (which sucks by the way).

But, Christ will descend in the same way He ascended into Heaven. He'll come down on the clouds with fire and the whole earth will shake.

Pray for Haiti my brothers and sisters.

Signing out,

Charles

Basketball, my first love.

I haven't wrote anything in the blog for a while. I don't know why, but life has been pretty eh right now. Not terribly bad or anything, but not anything spectacular at the same time.

I was going through some of my pictures and I ended up at the picture that is above this post right now. A picture of me and my boys after we won a basketball tournament in Queens. The first and last 1st place for me haha. It was a real fun time and I miss ballin' it up.

I guess this is going to be a detour post from my normal posts because it might be something that might not make you smarter or make you go, "Woah, that's crazy!" But this is one of my enjoyments and you can know a bit of my life right here.

I recently sacrificed playing ball for a few months so that I wouldn't injure my ankle for snowboarding. Every year I happen to sprain my ankle or mess up my ankle some way right before the ski resorts and mountains open up. This limits me from going all out when I ride and attempt to do tricks. It happens every year, so this year I decided to be a tad bit smarter. I guess it paid off too.

The whole time, I missed ballin' like crazy. At times I just wanted to go out in the middle of the night to Marine Park and just go shoot around a bit. Run around on the black top. Hear the swoosh of the net. The metal clanging from an overshot shot.

It's one of my getaways. It helps me to relax and just feel good. I love sweating and gasping for air after a series of fastbreaks and buckets. I feel so at ease when I'm playing, but at the same time there is the competition side.

Basketball can get very intense and competitive. A prideful person like me can really take a game seriously and it could get really heated easily. A mistaken call, an extra dribble. Whatever the case may be. But, I'm ready to ball it up again.

This has to be one of the weirdest posts I have ever written, but I didn't have to think much and the words just came out. The vivid images just came through my mind as my fingers did their work. I don't know, I feel good. I feel pretty peaceful right now. But Marine Park, I'm coming back to you soon baby.

P.S. I miss ballin' with the 1st place winners. You can see them up above.

Later,

CHUNG #3

Benjamin Oh, Europa 2010.

MBCJJ TV EPISODE #1220.

So my brother Benjamin Soobin Oh is currently on a plane to Europa. Get there safe and call me when you're there my homie. I'm gonna miss you for the next 5 months man, no homo. You're the closest friend I got and we can share clothes haha. Don't be too wild and such. Take care of Christina and grow up to be a sexier man while you're there. I'll see you in 5 months bro, you're in my prayers.

A few pictures from JFK Airport.

Love you bro,

Charles

My Haiti.

This is a video of the results of the earthquake in Port Au Prince, Haiti.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IySBl2aq-A

...And these are my little siblings.

I don't have much words to say because even though I'm a Korean-American, these are my people. I love Haiti and the people of Haiti. Even though I'm a "blanc" to them, they're more than dark-colored folk to me. I miss them throughout the year when I'm not there. I miss the kids playing around until it got too dark to run. I miss the people waving at me when I wave at them and greet them, "Bonjour! Bonjour." You know it's sad that it happened to them. They're a very poorly constructed country and for an earthquake to happen there, it's just too much for them. There are a few people that are there that are very close to my heart, Pastor Brian and Etienne. I know that they are safe. I have faith that God has protected His people.

Now, we must have faith. I know I'm making it sound so simple and easy, but it's not. But, we must have faith. Our God is sovereign, He's in control. He knows what He's doing, and He's doing it well. We're too simple to understand a complex God, no, a perfect God. Let's just have faith in our good God people. God's good yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

P.R.A.Y.

Welcome to the Good Life.

Life has been so sweet these days. Nothing really negative has been going on. It may be because there are so many positive and exciting things that are overriding the negative ones, but hey thats cool with me.

Today, I went snowboarding and tomorrow, I will go snowboarding too. Haha. Life's good, no? Just that alone should tell you how awesome my life is. But, I shall go a tad bit deeper.

Besides snowboarding, besides good company, and besides a 4.0 gpa for this semester, God is good and He's been blessing my life all along. You know, so many times, we can dwell on all the negativity on our lives, but then when God sends some good times to us, we forget them so easily. Yet, the bad times we remember with such a passion.

My friend Matthew Walters used to say, "Let the good times roll!"

They honestly do keep coming, it's just when those bad times come along that we focus on those and forget about the good. That's a problem because God never brings the bad times upon us, but it is ultimately bringing the bad upon ourselves. So instead of us being all upset and grungy about bad times and terrible days, we should just blame ourselves. We did it. "Why God? Why me? What did I do to deserve this?"

Poop.

God loves us. He only does what is best for us. He showers us with gifts and blessings all day long and we breeze over them or forget about them when the bad times that we bring upon ourselves come along. What a bummer, huh.

As of right now spiritually, I am in a unusual condition. I'm walking with God, yes, but also at the same time I'm sort of complacent in where I stand. Odd a bit? I'm enjoying God and everything and I believe I am doing well and growing, no bad feelings at all. But, right now I am not doing much to spiritually enhance my relationship with my God, yet I feel good? Can it work out like this? I mean I won't be like this forever, but it's sort of a weird feeling.

I'll leave you fellas and ladies with this.

The Shema is the central confession of Israel. Any Jew or matter of fact, every Jew knows the Shema. The Shema can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4. This is Judaism's central verse and I also hold it dear to myself.

Shema - Deuteronomy 6:4

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one."

Focus on our ONE way.

Focus on our ONE love.

Focus on our ONE truth.

Focus on our ONE GOD.

Shalom brothers and sisters,

Charles

Charles Chung is moving?

Yes, Charles Chung is moving!

I have made another blog, but I will still be using this blog as well.

The other blog is a video blog.

Simply about my day and all that junk.

Check it out and smell you later!

www.charles-dailynews.blogspot.com

Let loose!

I haven't felt like this in a minute, and by a minute I mean about 5 years.

Staying away and pushing aside all the pain and the problems.

Not caring for such topics and experiences that many go through.

It's too much of a burden to handle, so I just locked it up in my heart.

But, these days it's been trying to climb out and it's doing a good job.

Something, no someone, sparked it to jump around in it's cage.

It's been a while since I've felt like this or even heard of itself in me.

Somehow, it found the keys and it started to unlock the cage, slowly.

It became loose and it's been wandering still in the deep parts of my body.

It became loose and it's been making me think about it.

It became loose and it's been waking me up at night because the dream is so unreal.

It became loose and it's been lighting a fire that was burnt out a long time ago.

Ponder that,

Charles

Commitment

I have a commitment, not a New Year's Resolution.

My commitment is to faithfully serve my church with my whole self.

And...

To become a prayer warrior, a never ending talking machine with God.

Please keep me accountable friends.

Urbana Day 3

Back from St. Louis, Missouri.

I'm sorry my fellow readers out there. I could not update everyday and such as you can see. I would like to apologize because I accidentally lied to you all. But, I am back. I am safe and sound. I will hit you guys up with more pictures and videos in the next few hours, but I am home now. Brooklyn, NY, where the obnoxious korean kids with the accent are from.

I'm BACK!