SMALL BUT IMPORTANT

May 16, 2026

There are plenty of ways to improve your swim, bike and run performance. They are small, but important, changes. When you swim, the angle of your head can create drag in the water. We are supposed to look straight down, but a lot of the time we think we’re looking down when we are actually looking ahead. In this case, you simply need to lower your chin just a little bit more. When you stretch out your arm for your swim stroke, the arms need to be straight. In our head, we think they are straight, but in reality, many of us cross our arms. Instead, you need to imagine your arm to be in a V-shape.

When it comes to bikes, our shoulders easily become tense, causing the ride to be less effective. We should loosen up and relax on the ride. We only think of pushing feet down when pedaling, but we should also focus on pulling feet up to draw a nice circle (this only works with bike shoes that are attached to the pedal). Simple, but important changes.

There are small changes you can make while running as well. Your stride may be too long. Shorten your stride, and find the right cadence (the number of steps you make in one minute). Be watchful of your head position. This will help with the body balance for efficient running.

These are all small but important changes to help you improve. It’s not easy to make these changes unless you acknowledge them and are willing to change. The same goes for our lifestyle and attitude in life. I am sure we all have something in our life that can be a drag in walking with Jesus. When we learn to make these acknowledgements and learn to make small changes for the better, there will be great joy and much happiness with Jesus. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:10.

DELIBERATE

May 9, 2026

Yesterday, my wife and I went to Meijer to buy some grocery items. We found everything we needed, including avocados. We got back home and when we unpacked the bag, Hyemi asked, “Where are the avocados?” “They are in the plastic bag,” I replied. Well, Hyemi came home with a paper bag. It turns out, when we were at the self check out, I put the two avocados in the plastic bag, which Hyemi didn’t see, and she put the rest in the paper bag. We left the avocados there.

I called the store immediately, and told them what we did. The store rep calmly told me that it was no problem and that I could come back to get what I had left. Clearly, this must happen quite often at the grocery stores. One might say, it’s just a couple of avocados. It would cost more gas and my time to go back to grab them. But, I wanted my avocados. So the following morning, I stopped by Meijer after dropping off my girls at school to pick up my avocados. It was deliberate action on my end.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” Luke 15:4. It’s only one sheep out of a 100, one might say. Or it would be risky and dangerous for the shepherd to go find that one sheep, others might say. But, the Shepherd always goes back for that one sheep. Deliberate and determined. That is our Jesus, who always comes back for us.

Name

May 2, 2026

“And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:28

My name is Myoung. Does that sound familiar?

Our family came to the US when I was in second grade. We lived here for about 3.5 years before we moved to the Philippines. While we lived in America, I kind of wanted an English name. Many Korean Americans had English names. My Korean name is difficult for many people (including some of you) to pronounce. It also seemed cool to have an English name, too. But I never got one.

I asked Dad one time, “Why can’t I make an English name?” His reply was simple and clear, “Because I gave you your name.” Dad put a lot into my name. My whole identity, of how I was born and who I am, is all defined in the name that dad gave me. And dad wasn't going to let my identity be tampered with by some random American name just because it looked cooler. That is how important one’s name is. And it was the case for people in the Bible, too.

Jacob lived a life of deception. After many years of running away, he finally surrendered all of himself to God. And God changed his name to Israel. Because Israel now had a new identity. It wasn’t just a simple name change. He became a new person.

Revelation 2:17 writes, “And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” God has a name for us. God has changed us, and we can call Him Father!