We are oKAY in OK

Good Friday

2011-04-22T18:23:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while and I am due for a long update on the past month, but in light of Good Friday, I thought I'd post something to reflect on...

"Remember the gospel again; hear his humble plea in the garden, see his blood-stained brow, hear the whip crack as it tears his back, smell the scent of blood that fills the air as he is hoisted up upon the tree, hear him cry in agony as the wrath you deserve is poured out upon him, and he is forsaken. Then let his words sink deeply into your soul, 'It is finished.' All that he had come to do, all that you needed him to do, he has done for you. Feel the earth tremble, hear the curtain that separated you from the presence of God tear. Think about that kind of love and welcome, let your heart weep before him, and kiss him in worship as you humble yourself, loving him much. Now, let the love that's overflowing in your heart eventuate in true obedience, put off your old, dead, loveless ways of living, and let the love that has been poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit create true holiness of life." - Elyse Fitzpatrick

I was thankful for the way Elyse Fitzpatrick engaged all of the senses and brought the reader right back to Calvary. Hope this helps you to engage your mind, your heart, your everything in what Christ has done this Easter season!

Gianna Jessen

2011-03-22T08:51:00.002-05:00

Two posts in one day...bonus!

Last night, a friend of mine told me about this woman, Gianna Jessen. She is an abortion survivor. Yup, you read that right...not that she was having an abortion and survived complications...she herself was aborted...but survived. Looked her up on youtube... Her story is gripping...maybe controversial for some. Miraculous, nonetheless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPF1FhCMPuQ

The video is about 10 minutes long, but truly worth watching.

Thoughts? Comments?

Up before the sun

2011-03-22T07:30:00.004-05:00

Woke up early this morning to take our dear friends to the airport. Decided to stay up and spend the rest of the morning at my favorite spot. (The picture above should look somewhat familiar. Don't you just love that the mug is from SIMS Orthodontics?? =P) As I've been sitting here, still in a sleepy stupor, waiting for the caffeine to kick in, I decided to look up where our friends are going on Google Images. Omg...it's friggin gorgeous! I had never even heard of Turks and Caicos before! But apparently it's a celebrity hot spot. Here are some photos:

Seriously?? That's where they get to spend their week?? Just a tad bit jealous... They actually really got hooked up because 1) their flights were free (frequent flyer miles) and 2) housing is free (they met someone who owns a house there). So essentially, they get to enjoy a week in paradise, all expenses paid! Lucky ducks...

But I can't complain. I ran out of the apartment at 5:45 this morning, and it was actually pleasantly warm...probably in the 60s...and breezy. :) Love LOVE the feeling of wind in my face. So the weather's been nice here lately. AND in just one day, we will have the pleasure of the Parks' company--John, Diana & Jonah Park, that is! SO excited to have them over!! It's going to be a fun few days with them. :D

I've actually been impressed by how much we have been able to see our fellow Midwest friends since we've been here. I kind of thought that maybe we'd see them once a year ish, but already we've seen Abe & Steph three times, and this will be our third time seeing John, Diana & Jonah! It's been a blessing!

So... who else is going to join us?! hehehehe It's a party in the middle of the USA!!!

Happy First Day of Spring!

2011-03-20T22:22:00.004-05:00

Spring is here, y'all! Woohoo!!!!!

Love from Tulsa,
The Kays

Quote of the week

2011-03-12T21:55:00.006-06:00

Haven't blogged in a few days... It's been a busy week! But I did want to post a verse from one of my favorite hymns... Something to reflect on before worship tomorrow!

Come ye weary, heavy laden,

Lost and ruined by the fall;

If ye tarry till you're better,

You will never come at all.

Not the righteous--sinners Jesus came to call.

More reflections on this later... but I feel like God's been taking me on a journey of relearning and rediscovering the joys of the gospel over the past couple of years. Verses like this have really resonated in my heart. Praying that God would speak something to your hearts through these words as well...

Seriously?

2011-03-09T22:28:00.003-06:00

Just heard on the news that Tulsa is the meth capital of OK, and possibly the nation: http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Tulsa-Is-Meth-Capital-Of-Oklahoma/gggw1sXTv0KXsUDR9pKjWw.cspx

Sigh...

Gas Prices

2011-03-08T08:15:00.002-06:00

Seems to be a hot topic these days. Well, I hate to rub it in your faces, but that's another one of the perks of living in Tulsa, OK! Our gases prices are some of the lowest in the nation: http://gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx. The dark-ish green area in north-east OK is Tulsa. Our gas prices have gone up a bit, too, of course, but I would sure hate to be back in Cali right now, esp. doing as much driving as I was while I was there!

By the way... I've been seeing commercials for tourism in Cali more often these days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExuuFNFdd0k. Looks like our home state is needing the revenue!

Coffee House on Cherry Street

2011-03-07T21:47:00.006-06:00

If you know me at all, then you know that I absolutely LOVE cafes! I have probably spent a quarter of my life at various cafes, mostly Starbucks...not because I favor Starbucks, but because it's usually most convenient. In fact, there's one right by our apartment that we often walk to! But I have found my favorite cafe here in Tulsa. It's called Coffee House on Cherry Street. Even the name is cute! The reason why I like it, though, is because it reminds me of Berkeley. It has a very... bohemian feel? Starving artist, go green, too-poor-to-have-real-curtains-so-we'll-put-up-burlap-sacs kinda feel...

Well, Terry is on a lighter rotation this month and had the weekend off, which is a rare and precious thing... So how did we decide to spend this precious time together? Studying at Coffee House on Cherry Street! He may have been off from work, but he still had to study for an upcoming boards exam. Seriously...the work never stops. Thankfully for me, cafe-ing is my favorite activity! Esp. if it's at Coffee House on Cherry Street. :)

I couldn't really get good pictures without looking like a creeper. But here are a few shots...

Our drink of choice: Chai. I'm so into it these days. :) And their chai is pretty awesome.

Coffee House on Cherry Street, thank you for being my Berkeley fix here in Tulsa.

A quote I like

2011-03-04T17:08:00.002-06:00

I'll probably have a series of these entries of quotes that I like. And this is what I'll leave you with for the weekend... (Can we make blogging an every weekday thing?)

"There is only one in all the world on whose face God can look and say, 'He is altogether lovely.' Jesus is that one. Now God is willing that you and I should hide in Jesus."

- Rev. Robert McCheyne

Groupon!

2011-03-03T23:49:00.007-06:00

Last night, we were planning on having a date night at a restaurant we had a Groupon for. We were pretty excited because it looked like a cute, hip restaurant in an up and coming area of Tulsa called Brookside. Well, we got to the restaurant, and this is what we saw:

It closed down! :( Sad for them, and sad for us! We lost our money!! Groupon should pay us back, right?

Well, the night wasn't a total bust. Thankfully, we had another Groupon for a place right up the street:

A quaint restaurant & bar called The Brook. :) And here's what we ate:

Southwest chicken nachos & fish w/ mac&cheese (in place of chips)...standard bar fare. :) We enjoyed a yummy, inexpensive meal and good conversation. All in all, it was a good night...and we were happy campers.

P.S. Groupon, we still believe in you... as long as you refund our money!

A good resource

2011-03-02T15:43:00.000-06:00

I've started listening to sermons while I do my chores. Several months ago, I found this really good resource that I thought I would share with you. Dr. Tim Keller is definitely one person we miss in NYC...but it's nice that we can listen to him from our own living rooms! He is one of the most insightful, thought-provoking and gifted preachers I have ever heard. I have been blessed by his sermons, and I hope you will be, too!

Check out these free sermons: http://sermons2.redeemer.com/

We have friends!

2011-03-01T23:47:00.000-06:00

On Super Bowl Sunday, we called my father-in-law as we were on our way to a Super Bowl party. He asked us where we were going to watch the game, and we told him that we were going to a friend's house. His response was, "What friends? You have friends there?"

As hard as it may be to believe, yes, we do have friends here! And we want you to meet some of them. :) Here are some pictures from a baby shower we went to this past weekend:

The colors were yellow and grey--gender neutral b/c the couple opted not to find out the sex of the baby.

The hostess with the mostest: Meredith Mayer, wife of a second year. Beautiful inside and out, gifted in many ways, especially talented in interior design/decor, as you can sorta see. She is also pregnant. :)

Dave & Catherine Hodge and Jennifer Jung: fellow interns. Dave & Catherine are from Florida and got married the week before we did! Dave is a teacher and Catherine is the intern. Jennifer is from Cali and went to Loma Linda with some of our good friends.

Kris Crawford and his adorable son. Kris is our fearless chief resident this year. He and his wife hosted us while we searched for housing and such. Amazing hospitality.

Bob and Natalie Schaller: sweet couple from Minnesota, also fellow interns. Bob is also a teacher, and Natalie is the intern.

The guests of honor: Melissa and Joel Watson (plus Baby Watson on the way), again fellow interns. Joel is the only other male intern in the class. Melissa is my fellow intern wife. Both Joel and Melissa are MK's from Africa. Coolest story--they first met each other in Kenya in third grade, then parted ways, but God brought them back together in college in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Crazy, huh? Now they're having a baby!

Priti and her sweet baby Joses. Priti is also an intern, married to a third year. Just gave birth to Joses in September. Priti and her husband are from Nepal.

These are the people who inspire and encourage us here. Many others are not pictured. This is just a glimpse of the amazing community God has provided us here in Tulsa. We are beyond blessed and so very thankful. We hope you can all meet them someday!

Computer Malfunction

2011-02-28T23:01:00.000-06:00

I was going to post pictures from this weekend's baby shower so that y'all could meet some of our friends here, but my computer is not cooperating with me tonight. I promise this is not just a cop-out for not blogging today. Pictures to come tomorrow...

Happy Birthday, Annie!

2011-02-27T09:12:00.000-06:00

Today is a very special day! It is the day one of my besties came into the world...

Annie Mun, you are a blessing sent from God. You are my sister, my friend, my heart twin. In you I have found a confidante, a comforter, and an example of who I want to become. I have always looked up to you for your sincere faith, your discerning heart, your humility... You have a genuine love for people that truly mimics Christ's. I have been so blessed to be able to call you friend. I love you so much! And I will be keeping you close to my heart in prayer...

Love and hugs from Oklahoma...

SNOW-klahoma!

2011-02-26T22:04:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures from the snow storms a few weeks ago...

The view from our apartment:

This wasn't my car, but all the cars in our lot basically looked like this:

Terry parked at Wal-Mart all week and walked home cuz our parking lot was impossible to get in and out of!

The funniest part about the whole thing was that the people in Tulsa seriously thought it was the end of the world! Here's a picture of the shelves at Wal-Mart:

Well, we got through two weeks without bananas and potatoes. :) We can officially say that we survived "Snow-pocalypse!"

The snow storms were followed by a week of 70-degree weather, but this week we've been reminded that it's still winter. Chilly temperatures...but still doing oKAY in OK. :)

CHALLENGE: BLOG EVERYDAY!

2011-02-25T15:08:00.000-06:00

To our 10 followers, as you have noticed, we are not very good about blogging. Well, that is about to change. Today, Veronica Shin Kim and I made a commitment to blog everyday--yes, e-ver-y-day! The idea is that doing this will actually make it easier to blog (blogging everyday = quick one-liners vs. blogging every week/month = too much time thinking of something meaningful/interesting to write). So...we'll see how it goes!

Check up on Ver, too: www.paulandvern.wordpress.com.

A few things we've learned in OK...

2010-10-08T08:25:00.001-05:00

1. Oklahoma is not considered part of the Midwest; it is actually more officially considered part of the South or Southwest, according to this census map:

2. Many small businesses, restaurants, and certainly liquor stores close on Sundays. (Why specifically mention liquor stores, you ask? Well, one Sunday I decided that I wanted to make vodka sauce for pasta. You can't buy hard liquor at your neighborhood market or Wal-Mart--they just don't sell it! You have to go to a liquor store. Soo... we didn't have vodka sauce that night.) We're the buckle of the Bible belt... Go figure.

3. When asked, "Where are you from?" what people really mean is, "What is your ethnic background?" (that is, if you're ethnic-looking)

4. Where do you go to see Asians in Tulsa? When my sister came to visit, she kept noticing how we were the only Asians everywhere we went. Well, after she left, I called her and said, "Unni, I found the Asians." And where was I?

Don't recognize this place? Here's a picture from the outside:

Yup, Borders. :) Some things don't change across borders... (get it? HA!)
Okay, sorry... Well, that will be all for today.

Still doing okay in OK :)

Visitors!

2010-09-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

We LOVE having visitors! We're so thankful to our families for making the trip out here to Tulsa and braving the sweltering heat! Here are a few pictures from their visits:

August 6-8: The Lee Clan

(In front of Oral Roberts' praying hands--the world's largest statue of praying hands)

(At Famous Dave's BBQ)

(Just SOME of the loot they brought us from Cali)

August 20-23: The Kays

(At Albert G's BBQ)

(At Woodwork Park)

September 17-20: Caros & Han

[Btw... Caros is famous! hehe :) If you haven't seen it yet, watch her iPhone 4 commercial that is airing in Korea! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebpQuDH7EB0]

(Carriage ride from the parking lot to the front door @ Cattleman's Steakhouse in OKC)

(Cute cupcake/coffee shop called Cuppies & Joe)

(At Rock 'n Rib Festival 2010)

Lots of ribs, baked beans, and laughs! :) Thank you all for filling our home with love! We miss you!

Who's coming next?? :)

J/K!

2010-09-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody!

My bad for taking so long to follow up on our last blog post! I meant to do it like the next day...but uh...August was kind of a busy month. In any case, it was a joke. Sadly, we do not live in that beautiful barn house. Our apologies to those who believed us...we feel evil for having deceived you! But...I have to admit...kind of made the post worth it. ;) heehee

Finally, here are the real pictures of our apartment:

The Living Room

The Dining Room

The Kitchen

The Guest Room

The Master Bedroom

(I thought everyone would know that the barn post was a joke because I talked about our apartment in an earlier post... I guess the little story I made up about the barn house was pretty convincing!!)

Anywho...we've added some furniture and decorations even since taking these pictures...the place keeps changing! hehe But we love it and we're thankful to be able to call it "home." Hope you all can come visit us and make use of the guest room!

We miss you!!

Love,

The Kays

Our Home in OK

2010-08-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

Some of you have been inquiring about our living situation here in OK. Well, it's just as you would imagine. Here's a picture of the outside of our place:

And here's what it looks like on the inside:

Not bad, huh? We were blessed with a generous fund from all of you from the wedding, so we were able to purchase this property and renovate the inside to make a livable space. Everything is so much cheaper in here in Oklahoma! I gotta admit, it's pretty country and that's just not my style... but we'll only be living here for three years, right? And while we're here, why not embrace the experience? :) Can't wait to have visitors and host y'all in our cozy barn house!

The Past Two Months in Review

2010-07-26T01:07:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all! :)

The past two months have been a whirlwind! Just wanted to give you a few snapshots of what we've been up to...

Well, for starters... we got married!

June 5, 2010

More pictures are posted on our photographer's blog: http://www.jeretslackblog.com/. :)

Two days later, we packed the Volvo and started our long drive east to Tulsa, Oklahoma! Our first stop along the way: Sedona, AZ. That's where we had our "mini-moon"--we loved it! This was the beautiful view that welcomed us:

(Starbucks with the prettiest view) :)

We made one more stop in Albuquerque, NM and then made our way to Tulsa. When we got to Tulsa, we borrowed the chief resident's truck to transport all the boxes and gifts that we had sent to Dr. Choi's house to our new apartment. We were driving all around town and even on the freeway with a truck load of our boxes! I was so nervous...

We had a bit of apartment drama when we first got here...things not working out, having to stay in a hotel for a week, etc. But we ended up getting a place that we liked even better. :) That's the way God works, isn't it? So from then until now, we have been slowly working on our apartment to make it home for the next three years. Pictures of the apartment to come!

Terry started orientation pretty much as soon as we got here. For two weeks, he spent his days with the rest of his intern class sitting through lectures and getting tours of the various hospitals they'd be rotating through. We bonded with the rest of the intern class immediately. We are so blessed to have a family away from family. Here are a few pictures of most of the other interns (minus a few) and their spouses:

(4th of July BBQ)

We love them!

Terry is on his pediatrics rotation right now and is working hard. Next rotation: surgery! I have been filling my days with running errands (i.e., buying things at Target, unpacking, organizing, returning things at Target, going to the DMV, going to the Social Security Administration, going back to the DMV, registering my car, etc.), meeting up with other residents' wives, studying, cooking, doing dishes... :) The days fill up fast. Some parts of moving here have been frustrating for sure. But the blessings definitely outweigh the inconveniences. We are really growing to love it here...not because of the city itself, but because of the people we're here with. So yeah...we're definitely doing oKAY in OK. :)

We miss you. We love you.

- The Kays

Welcome

2010-07-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

(the welcome mat outside our apartment)

Cherished family and friends~

We have decided to start a blog to keep you all up to date on our life in Oklahoma. We have had a hectic first few weeks already and will be writing about that soon...so stay posted! But we want you all to know that we are oKAY in OK. :) In fact, we are more than okay... We are so blessed to be here and thank God for giving us this opportunity. Wherever we are, His grace is more than sufficient for us... and we are excited to see what these next three years will unfold!

We sorely miss you all and wish you could be here with us. Please come visit! (hehe) Seriously... when else will you ever make it over to the midwest??

We love you,
Terry & Gina