Keep MOVING...and let God do the rest!

2009 is QUICKLY becoming the BEST YEAR OF MY WHOLE LIFE! So many great things are happening in my business and personal life and I am so very thankful for the God of Abraham, the God of Israel, the Living and Eternal God who laid out the plan for my life before I was even born. From about 2001-2005, I taught Taekwondo for the city of Lakewood and successfully produced champions. I initially started teaching that program as an assistant instructor and I only worked with the competition team. At one point the main instructor, Eddie Cha and I decided we should open a studio together. So we finally secured a location...a great one I might add, and the negotiations started to roll! Things were going so well, we were excited and we were ready to blow up. We started the process of a Conditional Use Permit, hired an architect to draw out the plans, and patiently waited for our May 16th, 2004 City Hall hearing. The location was in our hands! All of our students in Lakewood were eagerly waiting for us to confirm the approval from city hall. As the days drew closer to our hearing date, we started to notice that the agent was dodging our calls. So Eddie and I called from a private # and we got through. The agent let us know that they decided to lease the suite to Verizon Wireless instead of us. It was a very dissappointing and humiliating.

A short time after that, I was given the opportunity to take over the whole program and I graciously accepted. So now I was the Chief Instructor of the program which was very new to me, but I adapted well and the program started to really blossom. The classes were overflowing with students so Jane and I decided to try looking for a new location again. This time it was much worse. People were basically slamming their doors in our face. But we kept on moving and looking for other locations and we were SUCCESSFULLY, UNSUCCESSFUL! At this point I was very dissappointed in God, and I remember having some choice words to say to him. After my argument with him I remember turning on the radio and it happened to be on K-Wave 107.9 fm and the Pastor was speaking on how "God's Timing is way better than our timing." As I listened to the sermon, I knew He was speaking directly to me. To sum it up, the message was about the love God has for us. He loves us SO MUCH, that he is willing to block things from our lives because he knows that what we want is NOTHING compared to what He wants to give us! He knows we are probably going to be upset with him, but rather than giving in to our wants....He will make us wait for the perfect time, so He can give us the BEST!

**are you struggling right now? substitute the word us..for me and have faith**

Fast forward to today! 2009, we have been living in Rancho Cucamonga for a little over 4 years now and it hasn't been the greatest 4 years. But that is changing RAPIDLY for us! I look back now and I see why God allowed me to struggle so much...for so long. That struggle of having to dodge collection calls, having our lights shut off, and even having our Gas shutoff (WHICH WAS NOT FUN! Jane, Jordy, and I had to take cold showers for 3 days straight)! If I had the choice of getting to where we are now, but in an easier way.....I WOULD NEVER TAKE IT! Going through the hardships has given me the ability to stand up to adversity and laugh at it in the face! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I love trouble...but I am saying that when it comes, I quietly say to myself "hah, I've been through worse!"

Even when we were struggling, Jane and I said we want to be successful and help our church, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills build churches all around the world. TODAY, he has opened up another opportunity to grow Performance Martial Arts by allowing us to tap into the City of Claremont. I always had the goal of either opening 2 or more locations or 1 mega location. And beginning this summer Jane and I will start building our 2nd location. I know it's going to be tough. I know it will probably overwhelm me. I will be crazy stressed out. I won't be able to really rest and take days off. It might be a strain on my main location. "Hah...I've been through worse!" JUST KEEP MOVING AND LET HIM DO THE REST!