2008 was quite the year. It was eventful to say the least. But as we could see a lot of triumph and victories, we also saw a number of defeats and losses as well. As I look back on this year, there were a lot of things personally that touched me.

I think one of the things that I’ll remember in the news are the two major natural disasters this year that shook Asia. We all remember Chengdu and the 69,000 people that died due to the massive 8.0 earthquake that hit the region. But just about ten days earlier, there was an even more disastrous event in Cyclone Nargis. Over the course of those two weeks, over 200,000 people died due to those two events. It’s just baffling to think about. Think about it this way. The number of lives lost is equivalent to about half of the population of Seattle…

But the responses that the two areas had were different. Myanmar’s government and leadership failed to really answer the problems that they now had to deal with. The Chinese now had to answer the calls of the media questioning the concerns of the structural stability of their buildings and other national concerns with regards to safety and emergency response. But it makes us wondering about our ability to respond to disasters of such magnitude, should another one happen. How will we respond?

A lot of people were in the news as well. Arguably the biggest individual in the news was that of Barrack Obama. Charismatic, charming, and young, he became the first African-American (and minority in general) to become elected as President of the United States. Now the question is how will he help the country respond to the struggling times of the world economy and other issues that he inherits from the past eight years?

But as one person came to power, another one fell because of her enemies. Benazir Bhutto was looking to become the next president of Pakistan. But as she addressed her supporters and people, she was shot and the target of suicide bombers. If it wasn’t for her assassination, it could have changed relations around the world completely with new leaders coming to power this year.

But I think it was also a year of triumph as well. The Beijing Olympics provided a lot of great news and new rivalries. Out is the rivalry between Russia and the U.S. and in is China vs. the U.S. Both competed until the very end in terms of the medal count, and while the U.S. won the most medals… The Chinese came out on top in the pedestal with more golds.

The headline of it all was Michael Phelps though. Sure, Usain Bolt set two new records, but for someone to win eight gold medals was a major feat. It did require some help from teammates, but he pulled it off. It was a true showing of stamina, endurance, strength, and will by Phelps to achieve the impossible in such a time where athletes are getting stronger and quicker by the second.

I know for me, personally, this year was definitely one of its ups and downs as well. The struggle with finding a job, figuring out my future, struggling relationships, and other issues, it was definitely tough to grind it out and get through it all.

But in the midst of that, there were a lot of surprises as well. One of the things I never expected was that I would be working with youth. I figured I was too old and also not the greatest influence on those that were younger than I am. But this year, opportunities arose to work with youth, namely at Mt. Hermon and through the youth group at my church. I came in with a lot of fears and worries as I had no real experience as a youth leader. But that’s where God’s grace and strength came in. It’s been an amazing process and experience so far in the past six months to see many of the students I’ve been work with grow in their faith.

I kind of took for granted the importance of family too. As it came closer to Christmas, the weather started to worsen and grave. It became more difficult for me to go home, to the point where I had to spend Christmas away from family. While I was thankful and enjoyed spending Christmas with friends of mine, I realized how important my family was to me.

Soccer and work has been very much an experience as well. As I play on my teams and work with Underdog Sports Leagues, I’ve enjoyed hanging out and working with my teammates and co-workers. Sure, winning division titles and watching and working the games have been fun, but it’s about the relationships that I’ve gotten to develop over the course of the year. There have been a lot of great memories this past year and I know there will be many more in 2009.

I think what I really experienced most was grace. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be in the kind of shape or mentality that I am in today. I can still run around, talk to people, and well, live. In May, I managed to suffer my third concussion in as many months playing soccer. The effects of the concussion could have been much, much worse, but I managed to come out alright from the incident.

Thinking about everything else, I’m much better off than I could be. I’m not struggling financially, my health is alright (barring another concussion), and I have clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and food on the table each day.

As I went to a Seattle City Council meeting to speak to them with regards to their 2009-2010 budget, I listened to other individuals and groups advocate for specific issues, whether it be homeless shelters, youth at-risk programs, or other services that serve the community. But to hear and see the needs of just the city alone made me aware of the reality of the world today. Today, I still think and hear the stories that I heard from that meeting and constantly think about how I can help when I can, and how fortunate I am to be in the position that God’s put me in.

As 2009 comes around, I know there will be a lot more surprises, a lot more victories, and a lot more trials that I’ll encounter as well. But I’ll be ready and take them as they come.

The past year has been frustrating to say the least. There have been some bright spots, but for the most part, it had taken its toll on me. I’ve tried to maintain a positive attitude despite the problems that have risen and the events that affected me. The three concussions in the past year forcing me to quit a game I’ve loved to play for the past few years… all the job rejections that I’ve had to deal with… the relationships that I’ve cherished so much have started to fade away… my mental health slowly deteriorating due to my head injuries… my inability to work out my relationship with one of my best friends… and much more.

Over the past couple of weeks, these things started to overwhelm me. And in doing so, emotions started to flare a bit more. I started to get a lot more upset and more apathetic about things. My mind kept thinking “Screw going to church and the retreat. This job hunt is pointless. My degree was just a waste of thousands of dollars. There’s no point in staying in Seattle anymore.” I just surrounded myself with negativity and tried to verify my current situation with blame and anger. While I didn’t show it in public, I was constantly fuming. Negativity just swarmed my thoughts frequently. I started returning back to my old ways, becoming ticked off at life and isolating myself from everyone else whenever possible.

Then I was reminded of how selfish I started to become again…

Thoughts flooded my mind of the current state of the world and all the tragedies that have been occurring over the past few weeks: The hundred thousand people in Myanmar that have lost their lives, and the many more that have lost their homes, loved ones, and much more due to the cyclone. The ten thousand that died due to the earthquake in China in the past few days. It wasn’t just that, but other events as well: The genocides in Darfur, the HIV virus epidemic, the war in Iraq, and the struggles going on in Israel, the homeless that are across the US. So many of these events came up and forced me to think about my life right now… and how fortunate I should feel.

I’d become unthankful despite what God’s provided for me throughout my life. He provided me a place where I can live, a family that loves me for who I am despite my downfalls and struggles, a great group of friends that care about me and help me get back on my feet when I fall, two great roommates and a best friend that listen, give me advice and help me through the tough times. And ultimately the love that He alone provides me through the best of times and the worst of times. I had forgotten everything He’s done for me that it left me feeling broken and asking His forgiveness for what I had done. The fact of the matter is I could have be somewhere else in this world right now, struggling and suffering much, much more. What I have to deal with is nothing compared to what many in this world have to deal with.

All that I can do is be thankful for how good of a life that I’ve been given. For me to wallow in such self-centered thoughts and be frustrated about my future was not the kind of person that He asked me to be. It’s to use my resources and gifts that I have to provide to those that are in need for this world. And to be thankful for how amazing a situation I am in right now. God gave me a reality check and a swift kick in the… Well, you can pretty much finish this sentence. It’s what I needed to realize how good I have it right now.