Dad

If you know my dad, you know he loves the Lakers. I can remember him watching games when A and I were young - seeing Pat Riley, with his slick back hair, yelling on the sideline with his hands on his side. He has been a fan of the purple and gold prior to my conception. He rooted for them during the Bird vs Magic era, Kobe and Shaq duo, and of course the Kobe years. He has been a constant fan - taking the journey from getting titles, not getting titles, player scandals, and coach changes. You know he's a true Laker fan because he doesn't like Boston - never has, never will. So last week's win was that much sweeter for him.

Aimee and I inherited that same devotion and love for LA teams. We also root for the Dodgers, UCLA, USC (except when they're playing against one another) Pac-Ten teams, the Clippers, and of course the Lakers. Beyond sports, dad has also instilled in A and I a love for the church and the people, a heart to see transformed lives, a desire to have a faith rooted in a firm foundation, stability, an appreciation for the corny. 

I recently had a very memorable moment with dad. I have been part of a renewal team at Venice. We are looking at what it will take to see true renewal, change, and a revival at church. We know what we want it to look like, but we have struggled with how to get there. At Annual Conference a few weeks back we heard Bishop Matt speak on the difference between a transformational church and a non-transformational church. After he finished I ran over to dad and we just hugged each other and cried - he knew what I knew - God had just dropped the answer we had been seeking right into our laps. It was a moment I will cherish forever. 

Many people long for a father to provide them with the basics - love, support, encouragement, guidance. Nowadays, such a man is hard to come by. I feel so unworthy to not only have a father who provides me with these, and a million other things, but also a father who I can serve Jesus alongside with. I thank Jesus for my dad. For his gentleness, love, and constant support; for attending every single one of our volleyball games - home and away, for cooking us breakfast when we were really young, for tucking us in each night, for going through the effort to surprise me with the pink bike, for holding me each time I failed my drivers test, for allowing me to make mistakes, for being home for family dinner every night, for not always throwing out his opinion but allowing me to just talk, for letting me walk to school in the fourth grade - and for following me at a distance in the car without me knowing, for getting the girls expelled from school who chased me home, for trying the spank on his leg first before giving it to us, and for continuing the legacy that grandpa began of loving Jesus in all things. 

He is a man of all men, and a father of all fathers. Happy Father's Day, dad. 

Facebook Funnies

Kevin (28) and Matthew (14)

Kevin Wong it just took me 40 minutes to get from my house to the 90. fml. longest commute to Starbucks centinela EVER.

9 hours ago · Comment · 

Jennifer Natalie Chewdangchew likes this.

Matthew Suyetsugu

Lol loser :)

8 hours ago

Kevin Wong

thanks matthew. if you had a license and a car, you might understand. until then, have fun driving the warthog on halo

8 hours ago

"Josh for the Win"

And people say he doesn't talk...

Kevin Wong Looks like the NBA wants to elongate this championship series as long as possible to maximize profit . . . (thanks refs)

Yesterday at 8:01pm · Comment · 

You, Katsuya Omine and 2 others like this.

Charlie Fujikawa

seriously, laker fans still using this excuse? they just got outplayed.

Yesterday at 9:28pm

Steven Sato

"Lakers in 6." Kevin, it's not the NBA or the refs. It's the lakers who want to bring it back to LA for the cash and the celebration. The second win for the celtics will again be charity. gg.

Yesterday at 10:02pm

Kevin Wong

I don't like to blame the refs, but they made more than a few calls that changed the entire trajectory of the game: Kobe's 5th foul (Ray's flop), Artest's 6th (phantom foul), ball out of bounds clearly off Garnett's hand

Yesterday at 10:39pm

Steven Sato

what kinda take me seriously

Yesterday at 10:52pm

Kevin Wong

i was more responding to the previous comment made by the person with obvious anti-Laker sentiment. haha.

Yesterday at 10:59pm

Steven Sato

preach!

Yesterday at 11:01pm

Charlie Fujikawa

if you honestly believe the lakers lost today because the refs have been ordered to "milk" the finals to a long and profiting series... well, nothing i say will change your mind.

i'm just tired of people blaming the lakers' losses on the refs. the refs make horrible calls, it a part of the game, not a conspiracy theory against the lakers. ...See More

17 hours ago

Katsuya Omine

wow...

17 hours ago

Kevin Wong

i'm not sayin' the lakers only lost 'cause of the refs and that i know for sure that its a conspiracy. I just think its a definite possibility. I don't think anyone can dispute that.

More importantly, refs are going to make bad calls, but they should never decide the outcome of the game. All i'm sayin'.

16 hours ago

Vietbinh Nguyen

ah, the familiar laker tunnel vision. If I'm not mistaken the Lakers shot 41 free throws to Boston's 26. That's 15 free points the refs gave in favor of LA. Oh yea, and Ray Allen also set an NBA record 8 3-pointers in the finals. Better luck next year LA.

15 hours ago

Charlie Fujikawa

calling those mistakes, "calls that changed the entire trajectory of the game", and calls that "decide the outcome of the game" is being a bit overzealous. by making that statement, you're discounting the effort put forth by the celtics' & lakers' players.

save the drama fo yo mama, accept you got beat, and acknowledge that you have to play better next game... all i'm sayin'

8 hours ago

Kevin Wong

its obviously not worth talking to someone who is evidently a laker-hater (like most Norcalers) and who simply doesn't know what its like firsthand to root for their team during an NBA Finals albeit meaningful playoff game.

7 hours ago

Keiske Satake

haha. Wow.

7 hours ago

Charlie Fujikawa

ah... now here come the personal attacks...

love you too, kev!

7 hours ago

Vietbinh Nguyen

i'm actually from LA... hahaha

6 hours ago

Wayne Katayama

wow, entertaining, haha.

4 hours ago

Josh Uyeda

first.. there were at least 3 phantom calls on kobe. 1 was the ray "flop" - they did bump heads, but when has that (and by that, i mean watch the replay .. if someone comes back with a "headbutts are fouls" comment, you didn't actually see the play) ever been a foul. 2 was the rondo flop while falling out of bounds. 3 was the charge where big baby walked up under him while he was in the air. i get that i'm a lakers fan and the charge could be 50/50, but the other two were indefensible.

second.. if you don't think 5 fouls early in the fourth on the game's best player makes a difference that could decide the game, i don't know what to say to that. for an example, see what boston looked like in game 1 with one of their best (and maybe their most important in this matchup) in foul trouble. (jesus was robbed of the finals mvp in 08) phil said after the game that kobe tried to change the way he attacked because of the fouls.

third.. to the free throw #'s, there were actually an even 29 fouls called on each team. i would argue that the lakers edge in free throw attempts came because our bigs are taking more shots in the lane (gasol+bynum 20; kg+perk 12) while the celtics did most of their damage on jumpers (jesus).

fourth.. i'm not blaming the outcome of the game on the refs. Jesus set a NBA Finals record as we decided to play the "he can't really make the next one too" defense; we didn't get anything from shannon or mr. kardashian; we we're -5 in rebounds; we didn't defend all that well and stood around way too much on offense; and we still could/should have won the game. i'm not worried. BUT, the refs definitely influenced the game - whether by kobe's 2+ phantom fouls or the late out of bounds call off of pau's hand through kg's (they do have instant replay there, right? i mean, we all saw it..) - and as lakers fans, we definitely can have an issue with how the game was officiated.. just like boston fans will have an issue with how the next "joey on a sunday" game is officiated.

fifth.. the NBA's (and any pro sports league for that manner - besides hockey) #1 most important goal is the bottom line. it has to be. it's a business. statistics say that if a team goes up 2-0 especially in a 2-3-2 series where it's almost impossible to win 3 straight against a good team, the series is "over". from a marketing perspective, that can't happen. just like there's no way stern wanted a phoenix boston finals over boston la. how much this stuff influences the outcomes of specific games is up for discussion, but it is there.

21 minutes ago

Shawn Hiroki Arata

Josh for the win!

13 minutes ago

Wayne Katayama

for real! josh, that was beastly

12 minutes ago

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