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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Wed, 30 May 2012 20:11:56 GMT--><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Blog</title><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/</link><description></description><lastBuildDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 18:56:32 +0000</lastBuildDate><copyright></copyright><language>en-US</language><generator>Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)</generator><item><title>FRIDAY GOODIES</title><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 18:54:54 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/5/4/friday-goodies.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:16128949</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>REST IN PEACE 'MCA'</p>
<p><iframe width="600" height="437" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eBShN8qT4lk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>AN INSPIRING, TOUCHING, HUMBLING, GOOSE-BUMP GIVING VIDEO.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/35638808" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-16128949.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>A LOVELY LADY, PERUVIAN CHICKEN, MACAROONS, PREACHING AT JMU &amp; BEING HUMBLED</title><category>ACF</category><category>Blog</category><category>JMU</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:15:07 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/4/23/a-lovely-lady-peruvian-chicken-macaroons-preaching-at-jmu-be.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15964298</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>This past Friday, I was invited to speak at James Madison University's (JMU) Christian fellowship, ACF. I have a few connections with JMU - my sister is an alumni and many close friends went there. I have visited JMU more than any other colleges in the area.</p>
<p><strong>Humbling moment in the middle at a peruvian chicken restaurant (ATs) and some macaroons</strong></p>
<p>Back to this weekend. My close friend Angela and I made it safely to JMU (eventhoughshedriveslikeamadwomanwithoutanycareforhumanlifeespeciallyminebutistillloveyou). We were greeted by David Rhee, whom I'm terribly proud of, Caleb and another sister. We ate at the staple of JMU - A&amp;T's. A peruvian chicken joint I always go to on every visit (also as a pit stop on our way to Virginia Tech). What makes A&amp;Ts so special is not the food, but the personality that runs it. Pa (sp?). She is a lively woman, with a small-ish frame but larger than life personality. She has the unique ability to remember everyone's name after just a few visits. I have only seen her maybe 5 or 6 times in my life, but she still remembers me by name and even kept a picture I drew for her (of me, of course on a piece of napkin). Even before I had a speaking engagement at the christian fellowship, months ago I had a burden on my heart to show her some type of appreciation. Why? Because even though she smiles (to me atleast) and jokes around, she is always covered in sweat and smoke from the kitchen. She is always there, without fail. That is dedication. That is perseverence. That is admirable, my friends. I heard that the restaurant "A&amp;T" was named after the two initials of her children. Again, awesome. After we ate that good peruvian chicken and was time for me to speak to the college fellowship, I stopped by at the counter and gave her a present. I had stopped by Shilla Bakery before to pick her up a box of macaroons. <span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/macaronsnike420x301.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1335210876998" alt="" /></span></span>It was something small. Worth only $10 (and less because I accidentally dropped the box off the top of my hood - oops :X). I handed it to her saying that this is just a small gesture of my appreciation, as well as many others. She works tirelessly and is such a great impact on the community and the daily lives of many people, including mine. Wish I could of said more, or given more, but on my way out she called me over, leaned over the counter to give me a hug. Then she proceeded to make a face that I haven't seen before on Pa. Her eyebrows furrowed, eyes big and shriveled lips. She had a genuine face of appreciation. My heart was warm and as I type it now, I have the same feeling that the Grinch (one of my favorite movies of all time - the original) had when his heart started to grow at the end of the movie overlooking the town. It's always important to look at others from their perspectives. The workers, the janitors, teachers, parents, friends, cops, people in need, etc etc the list goes on forever. Compassion and passion are two things that are lacking in today's world which results to bullying and many other forms of hate. Try to make it a habit of showing appreciation for those in your life while they can still appreciate it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Sorry for the side story, but I have a confession to make about this weekend. Was I fully prepared, yes or no? Both, kinda.</strong></p>
<p>I have thought about and prayed for my speaking engagement at JMU for quite some time now. Especially, since my first engagement had to be postponed since my mom was rushed to the ER hours before I was supposed to speak. This past weekend, my sister was also sent to the ER, but she turned out to be okay and I finally made it to JMU. After the first time being postponed, I thought to myself it was a blessing in disguise because I haven't had enough time to gather my thoughts and prayers. This time around, I vowed it would be different. And it was, sorta. My process of coming up with a sermon or a message isn't to overly prepare. What I mean by that is, not having every word or senetnce conjured up prematurely so there's no room for the Holy Spirit to speak. I have done both and found the latter to be best effective for blessings. Now, this weekend was truly humbling (in the sense of I got smacked in the face humbling). This time though, I under-compensated (I dont know if this is a word) and had too much faith in myself and my speaking abilities. The last few times I spoke at retreats and churches, it went very well. People were blessed and even led to repentance and revival. I know that was all God's doing, but anytime you are distant from God's word and voice, things can get manipulated by flesh. Which happened to me. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't fully comfortable speaking when delivering the message. It wasn't until mid-way through did I feel comfortable because I knew the Holy Spirit was finally speaking and not just my nonsensical ramblings. I apologize to everyone who was there and to ACF for not preparing more through prayer and intimacy with the Lord but praise God that people did get blessed. I was prepared in logistics and even in prayer. But I didn't die to myself fully in order to allow God to work fully. For that, I am sorry.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Highlight of my night</strong> was after the service. After I delivered the message, I just sat in prayer telling God to do "damage control". I just laughed while praying, being reminded once again how great our Father is in the midst of our stupidity (me = exhibit A). Afterwards, people came up to me and started to have conversation. They said they were blessed and that the message reached them on a personal level. It was mostly sisters who approached besides this amazing brother Steve. Not sure why, but it was a blessing to speak to all of you. Also had a great time of fellowship afterwards with some new and old friends at Jimmy Johns. A brother of mine, Gim dot J aka Daniel reached out to me via facebook and David Rhee to talk about some business. But, that time of business advice turn to be a great time of fellowship. Ended the night praying for that brother and got to witness my lil babies be all grown up and be fierce warriors for the kingdom of Heaven. By the way fam, just letting you know, I always support those chasing to bring Heaven here on to earth. People was asking about the shirt at church. remember what we talked about it homie!</p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 600px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/tshirt.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1335212315653" alt="" /></span></span><br /><br />It was refreshing to see some of my youth kids from my home church back in the early 2000s grow from elementary school kids to college students now. Amazing. Grateful. Excited to see what more growth will happen in ACF and the campus of JMU. Excited to see God working in all you brother and sisters, individually and collectively. If you ever do choose to have me back, trust I will prayerfully and humbly come into it. Am and will be praying for you all.</p>
<p>Love and Blessings.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>PS - Here's the link to their yelp review. A&amp;Ts check it out!<br /><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/a-and-t-chicken-harrisonburg">http://www.yelp.com/biz/a-and-t-chicken-harrisonburg</a>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15964298.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>CAINE'S ARCADE</title><category>Blog</category><category>Caine's Arcade</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:28:30 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/4/12/caines-arcade.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15816859</guid><description><![CDATA[<div></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/faIFNkdq96U?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: left; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 140%;">Meet <em>Caine Monroy</em></span>. He is a regular 9 year old boy from East Los Angeles. He is the most recent craze that's going on in the cyber world. His video [see above] has gone viral with almost a 1 million views views in less than a week - that's almost 2 million eye balls people.&nbsp;<span>I'm not going to explain too much about the story since the video does a great job of telling it, but short film short (see what I did there? no? ok. moving on), Caine has started building his own arcade made out of cardboard boxes from his father's auto shop. The ardcade is fully functional with security, tickets, claw machine, prizes and much more. With the help of a fortunate filmmaker who happened to stumble upon his father's old auto shop, his story has spread to millions of people all over.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left; font-size: 100%;"><strong>MORAL OF THIS STORY?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left; font-size: 100%;"><span>Not going to lie, I was tearing up in the heart and maybe near the eye area while watching this in my office. Why? Maybe it was the pure innocent jubilation of Caine when proudly working on his creation. Maybe it's his diligence and dedication upon his creativity to continue to improve his arcade (see the calculator and the "check button" as a security measure in the video - seriously, way too cute). Maybe it's his father unrelenting support for his son and never impeding in his son's pursuit of his goal. <span>The way I see it is that we can learn a lot from Caine, yes, but the father's role in this is ESSENTIAL. It makes my heart warm to see how supportive and how passionate the father was for his son, Caine. I'm grateful for the filmmaker to share Caine's story and to even show Caine and the father support by bringing out hundreds of people to the arcade. Hope this inspires more people to think outside of the (cardboard) box. Hope this inspires fathers to be better fathers and to support their children instead of suppressing. Love, what a story huh?</span></span></p>
<p style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;"><span><span><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 600px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/cainesarcade.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1334254335206" alt="" /></span></span><br /></span></span></p>
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<div></div>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15816859.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>MOM CHOOSES UNBORN OVER CHEMO/OWN LIFE &amp; LOTTO WINNERS WHO DESERVED TO WIN</title><category>Blog</category><category>Jenni Lake</category><category>Lotto</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:21:15 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/4/10/mom-chooses-unborn-over-chemoown-life-lotto-winners-who-dese.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15792804</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>There's a lot of wrong in this world. A lot of my posts on facebook and twitter kind of highlight that in the hopes to have a call to action by the readers, including myself. Part of my full-time job is to browse the internet and while I browse the internet I read a lot of articles about deaths, murders, injustices and it saddens me to see two things A)the fact these tragedies are happening at an alarming high rate and B)we as the general public have become numb to it. There will be many more times where I'll speak on ways to improve our communities and those lives around us by highlighting different tragedies to learn from, but today I want to provide you with two articles that brought a little sunlight into a world that's full of darkness.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>MARYLAND SCHOOL WORKERS WIN MEGAMILLIONS</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong>Even though I didn't win (probably because I didn't enter), I'm glad these three friends did.</p>
<p id="yui_3_3_0_25_1334089981112345">"One Maryland winner is a special education teacher, one is an elementary school teacher and the third is a school administrator. All three said they plan to continue to work, noting that they were committed to their students, Martino said.</p>
<p id="yui_3_3_0_25_1334089981112348">"One said 'I can't give up on my kids," he said."</p>
<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/3-md-school-workers-split-mega-millions-win-125557944.html" target="_blank">For full article click here or the image below<br /></a><br /><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/3-md-school-workers-split-mega-millions-win-125557944.html" target="_blank"><img style="width: 600px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/marylandmegamillions.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1334090140904" alt="" /></a></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: 150%;">TEEN MOM DIES AFTER FORGOING CHEMO FOR BABY</strong></p>
<p>A bittersweet end to this story but I am inspired by the love that this 17 year old girl had for her unborn child. Gives me hope for the coming generation. We can learn a lot of how to value life from Jenni Lake. God bless you and your family</p>
<p>"Seventeen-year-old Jenni Lake had a difficult decision: Battle brain cancer or forgo chemotherapy in order to save the life of her unborn child. The Pocatello, Idaho, teen chose the latter and died of the disease just two weeks after her son was born,<a href="http://www.localnews8.com/news/30093080/detail.html" target="_blank">according to affiliate KIFI</a>.</p>
<p>Lake, who gave birth November 9, opted to end her chemo once she learned of her pregnancy. Without the treatment, the cancer grew. She died November 22, a little more than a year after her cancer fight began. Doctors had diagnosed her with Grade 3 brain cancer in October 2010 and gave her only two years to live.</p>
<p>Lake&rsquo;s newborn is being raised by her boyfriend, with the help of her family. In an emotional interview, Lake&rsquo;s mother said she wished she could tell her daughter how much she loved her.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I want Jenni here to take care of him,&rdquo;&nbsp;Diana Phillips said."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hlntv.com/video/2011/12/30/teen-mom-denies-cancer-treatment-chemo-give-birth-then-dies" target="_blank">Click her for full article &amp; video or the picture below</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/jennilake.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1334090397234" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15792804.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>I KNOW WHAT I'D DO IF I WON $540 MIL</title><category>540 million</category><category>Blog</category><category>Jackpot</category><category>Lotto</category><category>Megamillions</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:46:33 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/3/30/i-know-what-id-do-if-i-won-540-mil.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15657375</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>What would you do if you won $540 million dollars?<br /> <br />Just so it's clear, it's $540,000,000. That's alot of zeros.&nbsp;Let's just say, if taxes took half, you're still left with $270 million. How would you spend it? Here's how I would spend it, realistically.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br />Note: Please do not ask how I came up with these amounts. I'm just a genius. Let it slide ;)<br />Note 2: I rushed this entry so please excuse any typos and grammatical error. I'm still at work. Don't tell my bosses. Sh.&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/Mega-Millions_540.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1333133932269" alt="" /></p>
<p>1. <strong>Buy parents home</strong>. Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$1.3 million </span>(paid in cash, homie)</p>
<p>Not a crazy big home because they wouldn&rsquo;t want or need one. Give them a garden to do what they do. Have a room dedicated for a gym since they somewhat like to work out semi-ish. Maybe a pool, spa and a gazebo. Will definitely have the fridge stocked with ice cream for the mother and have baked goods from Shilla Bakery (I&rsquo;ll hire someone to delivery bread to them every day, yes, being a millionaire I can do that now). A HD TV with tons of Korean movies in blu-ray and hundreds of Korean channels for their viewing pleasure. Also a state of the art stove top so they can have cookouts with family and friends on a regular.</p>
<p>2. <strong>Grandparents</strong>. Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$100k</span></p>
<p>I wouldn&rsquo;t buy them a home because I think they enjoy their apartment complex and their neighbors, BUT I&rsquo;d definitely upgrade their standard of living. To start off, I&rsquo;d buy them an HD TV not for luxury purposes but for necessity. Let&rsquo;s be real, they like 70-80, they can&rsquo;t see like they used to, or hear haha. I&rsquo;d give them a TV and the size will be based on their age &ndash; one inch per year, so it&rsquo;d be a 70-80 inch TV ;) Same situation with parents, all Korean everything. My grandma has the sweetest tooth as well, so that Shilla Bakery delivery will have to come to their apartment as well. I&rsquo;d pay for all their medical bills and have the doctors come to THEM and not the other way around. Pay for the dentistry work, buy them some new hips and whatever else. My grandpa likes tennis so maybe enroll him in a tennis program for the elders as well. Oh and have sushi/fresh fish delivered to them on a weekly basis since they love it so much. It&rsquo;d be limitless what I&rsquo;d do for them.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Buy car for extra car for me (im not greedy, read below!), dad, sister</strong>. Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$2.5 million</span></p>
<p>I&rsquo;d buy a car for my mom and dad, since they are sharing one now and it&rsquo;s a weak car. Id buy my dad either a sports car or a SUV since hes a manly man. Maybe an old car so he can work on it and I can join him and we can do manly stuff (tap into my inner Tim the Toolman Taylor &ndash; arghhh!). I&rsquo;d pay off my sisters car, she still needs a humble car by the way she drives hahhaha. Maybe buy her foam or bubble wrap for her car so she can bounce around the highways as she pleases J I&rsquo;d buy myself an SUV and a lexus or audi. Why you ask? If you don&rsquo;t know I have tons of kids who I love and cherish (not blood of course) . The lexus or audi would be more for business trips and such. Gotta do that corporate thing you know. But also learning the lesson of what&rsquo;s necessary and what&rsquo;s excess. So bare with me people! Haha</p>
<p>4. <strong>Take family to vacation tour. You heard me, tour.</strong> Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$1 million</span></p>
<p>Let me get somewhat serious for a second. My family (parents) have not taken a vacation since coming to the United States in 1989. They work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week people. That&rsquo;s 72 hour work weeks. Insane. Never took a vacation. Sometimes working on Sundays. Without a complaint. And still provided for me and my sister. They are my heroes. Sorry Batman (see previous post). With that said, I&rsquo;d take them to wherever they wanted. California to visit family. Korea to visit family. Hawaii, because I want to go. Cancun. Paris. Wherever. They deserve it more than anyone else I know in my life.&nbsp;</p>
<p>5. <strong>Helping Hands &amp; GET clothing</strong>: Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$1 million</span></p>
<p>Some of you may or may not know, but I have started a non-profit called Helping Hands a couple years back. We&rsquo;ve done lots of shows, raised lots of money and inspired people. Amen. But secret is, we&rsquo;re not &ldquo;official&rdquo; yet (I have no idea why I put quotations around official, because its actually true, anyway I digress). So I would invest my money to start it, and fully fund myself, staff, office, equipment in order to seek revival and raise up generations of history makers. Yes! <br /> <br /> Also have in the roots, a clothing company. Can&rsquo;t speak too much about it, but I&rsquo;d use the money to hire designers, get all the equipment, branding, marketing, etc to use this shirt company to bring hope and joy to the less fortunate (starting from the school in Africa &ndash; lets do this carol!)</p>
<p>6. &nbsp;<strong>Helping Hands Center &amp; Prayer rooms</strong>. Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$3 million</span></p>
<p>Helping Hands center will&nbsp; be a retreat center, a rec center (YMCA style) and a refuge for homeless people, victims of abuse, etc. A place to be safe and be in the care of loving people. I&rsquo;d hire full time workers so the relations would be pure and genuine and of love. We&rsquo;d have homeless people come off the street and learn real life skills (computer, math, hygiene, interview skills) to prepare them but also teach them the gospel to equip them to be missionaries. They don&rsquo;t have homes, so nothing to leave behind to do God&rsquo;s work, right?</p>
<p>I&rsquo;d instill prayer rooms&nbsp; all over NOVA. Change this area with prayers and have full time intercessors and workers to plant the seed and see God send revival.</p>
<p>7. <strong>Plant wells, missionaries, churches and schools</strong> in as many places as possible. Approx: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$100 mil</span></p>
<p>I&rsquo;d honestly spend most of my money to bring hope and love to people all around the world. It&rsquo;ll take me weeks to list all the needs of this world. From medical, physical, spiritual, emotional &ndash; there&rsquo;s a lot of messed up stuff going on folks. What can we do? Pray, for sure. Let&rsquo;s not make light of prayer. Prayer &gt; Money all day. But through the tangibles, it allows us to be accepted and received by certain people as the bridge to speak the gospel. Want to see wells be planted everywhere for clean water (big ups to all those orgs that do that now, so blessed by you). Build schools and churches so young people do not have to have no future and go into trafficking. So much to do, but make DIRECT connections to these places so 0% goes to under nonsensical crap such as &ldquo;overhead&rdquo;. <br /> <br /> Also I&rsquo;d start a scholarship program to send young people to places to do God&rsquo;s work. Not necessarily overseas for I want to see the misconception that mission HAS to be outside of the US. But want to see young people realize their identity in the Lord and move powerfully in the Spirit.&nbsp;</p>
<p>8. Pay off any existing bills and help any loved ones in financial hardship and plan for my future joe jr.s, joey, joe the second, johanna, joejina and joegernat. Yes, those are my kids names im considering. The wife has to be the most understanding person in the world.</p>
<p><br /><strong>JOE'S TOTAL COST: <span style="text-decoration: underline;">$108 MILLION</span></strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p>
<p><br />These are things that have been on my heart for awhile and I plan to make these happens by the grace of God. Maybe some additions/subtractions here and there but I believe the Lord wants those to happen. So to whomever wins the $540 &nbsp;million, HOLLLLLLLA!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>HOW WOULD <span style="font-size: 130%; text-decoration: underline;">YOU</span> SPEND $540 MILLION?<br />BEST ANSWER WINS $500K IF I WIN ;)&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15657375.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>WE CAN LEARN FROM BATMAN</title><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:35:49 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/3/29/we-can-learn-from-batman.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15640643</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>Remember the guy dressed as Batman who got pulled over by the cops in Silver Spring, Maryland a week or so ago? It made it on people's facebook newsfeed, TV shows and even international news.</p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html" target="_blank"><img style="width: 600px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/batman_pulledover.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1333032200546" alt="" /></a></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Today this article on the Washington Post really caught my attention (link to full article located at the bottom of the page). It revealed the 'true identity' of the Route 29 Batman. I'll admit, when I first saw the picture (above), I thought it was another loony guy wanting attention. Didn't think too much of it but it was a good laugh.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I know a lot of times people like to write blogs or post videos on current events to draw attention or re-direct hits to their respective posts, but this is not one of those cases - even though I'm sure I have been guilty of that before. I was blessed and challenged by this man, and hope you will too:&nbsp;<br /><br />His name is Lenny B. Robinson. 'B' for Batman of course. He is 48 years old and is very well off, as you can tell by the Lambo he is driving aka the Batmobile. His car is nicely detailed with yellow trim and batman logos are placed all throughout the car. Is it a gimmic? Well, sorta kinda. While he wears his $5,000 custom made costume, he goes to local children hospitals to bring toys, gifts, smiles, excitement and hope to these kids who are suffering from some type of pain and illness. He takes pictures, hugs, greets and passes around toys - Batman buys $25,000 worth of toys to pass out a year with his own money- and signs them as 'Batman'. Even though this may not be the most conventional way of giving back, the point here is, he's giving back. Not all of us have 6 figure cars or can afford to spend thousands of dollars on costumes or toys, but we have an amazing gift - the time and the ability to help. If you're one of those people who say they have no time, there always is time, trust - time to re-prioritize and reevaluate what's of 'worth' in your life. This man really challenged me. I applaud his creativity to allow the kids to relate to him but more than that, his heart. He confesses he used to have a spotty past filled with temper but no longer. He taps into the characteristics of his (and my) favorite fictionaly super-hero to allow him to have the sense of responsibility of a superhero.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;<em style="font-size: 110%;">Eventually, it sinks in and you become him,&rdquo; Batman told me. &ldquo;It feels like I have a responsibility that&rsquo;s beyond a normal person. And that responsibility is to be there for the kids, to be strong for them, and to make them smile as much as I can.&rdquo; He understands that might sound corny, but he doesn&rsquo;t care</em>."</p>
<p><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 285px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/BATMAN-%20HO-06_1332950520.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1333032013793" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html" target="_blank"><img style="width: 285px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/JN2_6825a_1332889922.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1333032185645" alt="" /></a></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>Myself, as a Christian, need to be like Christ. To fend for the weak, to speak the truth and to love unconditionally. That does not just mean in my own church or just my household. Those things are great and needed, but there's more to be done. I been spending lots of time with my grandparents and it warms my heart and brings a smile to their face, but even then, there's more to be done. There's plenty of retirement homes, children hospitals, food shelters, neighbors, etc where they need help, prayers and acts of love. There is always more to be done friends.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Mind you, this man did not ask for attention (but how could you not driving in a black lambo with batman tags and oh yeah, dressed as batman) or this article. People caught hold of that one picture and chased him down for this. I'm glad he granted the interview because he has blessed, encouraged and challenged me to do more. I will not lecture on what it is to be a 'good person' or a 'good Christian'. I'm not here to rebuke this generation for our selfishness and self-consuming nature (oops, I sorta just did ;)) but want to challenge you as well as myself to DO MORE.&nbsp;</p>
<p>No matter how much we do, there will always be people in pain. Cancer, abuse (physical, spiritual, emotional, verbal), homelessness, human trafficking, abortion, starvation - just to name a <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">FEW</span></strong>. Sounds like we're fighting an impossible fight, right? Why even try, right? False. I believe in the all-powerful, living God. I believe He rests in me. I believe He gave us free will but also the opportunity to show His love. We march in His footsteps and continue to love - whatever way that looks - and trust me, we will be witnesses to amazing testimonies that will transcend science or even logic. God's love is supernatural, so is His ways of showing us love, so don't be surprised. Not here as a conservative or a charismatic - just here as a caring brother who wants to see people be loved.</p>
<p>We can all learn a thing or two from Batman today. I am now convinced Batman knows Jesus.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/ALERT%20--%20BATMAN-%20HO-09_1332950761.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1333032173259" alt="" /></a></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span>Full article from the Washington Post:<br /></span></span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html" target="_blank">http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/who-is-the-route-29-batman-this-guy/2012/03/28/gIQA8nPjgS_blog.html</a></p>
<p><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15640643.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>THE SHOW THAT ALMOST NEVER WAS – THE NEHEMIAH BAND &amp; ALEX HWANG</title><category>Alex Hwang</category><category>Blog</category><category>Events</category><category>Monsters Calling Home</category><category>Musicians</category><category>The Nehemiah Band</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:57:12 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/3/27/the-show-that-almost-never-was-the-nehemiah-band-alex-hwang.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15617951</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>I was in the middle of my work day at my office in McLean, VA (readers, please don&rsquo;t stalk me, but if you have to, bring me food) when I received a follow up email from Ria Kim. At that time, I have never met Ria Kim. She was from California and&nbsp;had received my contact from a mutual friend, Jeff Yoo. She also is the east coast tour manager for &lsquo;The Nehemiah Band&rsquo;. She had contacted me weeks before in search of assistance to host a show here in Virginia as part of their tour. Why is this important you ask?</p>
<p>Well, you see, this past Sunday evening, March 25<sup>th</sup> we held the show for The Nehemiah Band + Alex Hwang. It was an amazing time (I hesitate to use the word show, since it was instead a celebration of the Lord and what He&rsquo;s doing in us). It was truly a blessing for myself and I believe those who were in attendance as well as the band. We raised money for the ANDC Youth Group&rsquo;s missions trip. We even went to Korean BBQ for some gogi (meat) buffet afterwards. Ah, the glory that was. The thing is, this night almost never happened.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s why.</p>
<p>Let&rsquo;s go back to the middle of my work day at my office in McLean, VA (you don&rsquo;t have to stalk me, but please feel free to bring me food &ndash; seriously). Ria had emailed me weeks before this day asking if I could find her a venue along with a good brother of mine, Dan Kim aka Janghyun aka Lamonte aka YouTube Bang Big Star aka Pastor Dan. We tried for weeks, probably not with as much as effort as we could have, but we both concluded that neither one of us had the time or the resources to make this happen. Ironically, we discussed this prior to Ria&rsquo;s follow up email. We basically rock, paper, scissor-ed to see who would be the bearer of bad news. Of course, it was me. <br /> <br /> I opened up her email labeled &ldquo;updates?&rdquo;. I was scared to open it but I bravely left-clicked unto my Gmail account and wrote the following:<br /> <br /><em style="font-size: 120%;"> &ldquo;</em><span style="color: #222222;"><em style="font-size: 120%;"><span style="font-size: 80%;"><span style="font-size: 110%;">So sorry for the delay!...have talked to a couple people in this area including Pastor Dan and I don't think we have the time or resources to put together an event in March. We are fully in support of what you guys do and love the humility in which you approached us but realistically I don't think we can within a month of planning&hellip;sorry our schedules didn't align but hope to work with you in the future! Hope you guys continue to prayerfully move on this path that God has for you and many blessings</span>!</span>&rdquo;</em><br /> <br /> A well written email right? Friendly, firm and to the point with no room for changes. Wrong,boy was I wrong. Her response:<br /> <br /> &ldquo;<em>ahhhh! o no!&nbsp;</em></span><em><span style="color: #222222;">I thought you guys were a sealed deal! </span>ahh<span style="color: #222222;">.</span>hm<span style="color: #222222;">. </span>theres<span style="color: #222222;"> no possibility that we could just use your church as a venue? it doesn't have to be an event. we wi</span>ll<span style="color: #222222;"> take care of promoting a</span>nd<span style="color: #222222;"> setting up a</span>nd<span style="color: #222222;"> cleaning up. we are really just looking for a host venue. please let me know if that is a possibility for either yourself or pastor </span>dan<span style="color: #222222;">. </span>por</em><span style="color: #222222;"><em> favor</em>!&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222;"> <br /> Dang,she pulled out the Spanish out on me. So I obliged thinking I&rsquo;ll give her the &ldquo;run-around&rdquo; one more time and then after we exhausted every possibility, we&rsquo;ll probably end up cancelling the whole thing. But then after a few days of not hearing from me, she replies with:<br /> <br /> &ldquo;</span><span style="color: #222222;"><em>Hello, Hope your weekends were restful and that you are off to a great start to the week. :) Here's my friendly nudge!!!</em>&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Look at her, softening me up with the smiley faces, the well-wishes and the &ldquo;friendly nudge&rdquo;. Boy, I was dealing with a pro. Game recognizes game, homie. By seeing her efforts and a servant heart, I&rsquo;d went into overdrive, kind of like when Sonic the Hedgehog turns into super-saiyan yellow Sonice. All yall 90s babies know what I&rsquo;m talking about.</span><span style="color: #222222;">Anyway, I digress. Following those emails, the Lord started placing the pieces right in front of us, allowed ANDC to be the venue through Pastor Soo Choi. This church has been almost a 2</span><sup style="color: #222222;">nd</sup><span style="color: #222222;">/3</span><sup style="color: #222222;">rd</sup><span style="color: #222222;"> church to me (don&rsquo;t ask). They allowed me to speak at their church, give seminars/workshops, coach their football team and even invited me to their retreats. So it was a perfect fit once again. ANDC also was in the midst of their missions fundraising so that again was a perfect fit &ndash; to use the concert as a fundraising opportunity.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222;">God is perfect in His timing and plans, amen? (Awaiting virtual amens) Amen.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222;">From there, as they say, the rest is history. Didn&rsquo;t overwork myself for this show (first time) but had an eery calming confidence that this was birthed by the Lord so He will provide. And He did. Performances were amazing, the testimonies by Steven and Lance were inspiring, time of prayer was refreshing (and nerve-wracking for me) and the fellowship was biblically genuine.<br /> <br /> I hope all those who performed, volunteered, assisted, attended, etc were blessed beyond measure and we pray that your blessings will continue to grow from that night. Shout outs to Ria, Jeff Yoo, The Nehemiah Band, Alex Hwang, ANDC staff, praise band, students/helpers, Pastor Soo and to those who came and supported and those who prayed along with me and for me for this night. Love you all.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222;">On an interesting side note &ndash; as we were gathered around the glorious mountain of gogi after the show at a Korean BBQ restaurant, I shared this story with Ria and the band members. Apparantly Ria, the amazing manager that she is, didn&rsquo;t share these troubling emails to the band but instead just said to them &ldquo;uh, I don&rsquo;t think you guys are praying enough&rdquo;.<br /> <br /> Moral of the story? Prayer works. Prayer is powerful, because God works and God is powerful.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><strong><br />Galatians 2:20</strong>: &ldquo;</span></span><span style="font-size: 120%;">I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.&rdquo;<br /><br /><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><img style="width: 280px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/thenehemiahband_1.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1332885963802" alt="" /></span>&nbsp; <span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><img style="width: 280px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/thenehemiahband_2.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1332885992753" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 120%;"><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span style="font-size: 80%;">Proof that it did happen. Love and Blessings.</span></span></span></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15617951.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>MARCH MADNESS DAY 1: 15-1 !</title><category>Blog</category><category>Brackets</category><category>March Madness</category><category>NCAA</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:25:17 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/3/16/march-madness-day-1-15-1.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15460221</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>After the first day of the first round of the NCAA College Basketball tournament better known as MARCH MADNESS, I am 15-1. Stupid UConn. Kemba Walker is rolling around in his grave.</p>
<p>[CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE]</p>
<p><br /><span class="thumbnail-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/caroline_tophalf.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331904618316" target="_blank"><img style="width: 600px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/caroline_tophalf.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331904695359" alt="" /></a></span></span></p>
<p><br /><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/caroline_bottomhalf.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331904511263" target="_blank"><img style="width: 600px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/caroline_bottomhalf.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331904642789" alt="" /></a></span></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15460221.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>DORITOS LOCO TACO - LIVE MAS!</title><category>Blog</category><category>Dorito Loco Taco</category><category>Dorito Taco Review</category><category>Taco Bell</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:10:35 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/3/9/doritos-loco-taco-live-mas.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:15365662</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>This may be the most important blog post I have ever written...</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: 140%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">DORITOS LOCO TACO IS HERE!</span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;<span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 285px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/tacobell_doritolocotaco_1-web.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331318481128" alt="" /></span></span>&nbsp; <span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 285px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/tacobell_doritolocotaco_5-web.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331318527269" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p>My obsession over the Dorito Loco Taco all started when Matt, Joe and I visited John Lee at UVA.&nbsp;Little did I know...<span style="text-decoration: underline;">my life would be changed forever</span>. We arrived late at 3 in the morning.&nbsp;We were tired, got situated in John's apartment and started watching television. &nbsp;A&nbsp;commercial came on, no biggie. It was for Taco Bell, no biggie. A doritos classic nacho cheese&nbsp;chip...odd, but no biggie. THEN all of a sudden, the dorito's chip magically transformed into a&nbsp;taco! All four of us jumped in excitement as if our beloved Washington Wizards just won the NBA&nbsp;championship (this may never happen in my lifetime, sadly). We suddenly threw away our fatigue&nbsp;in hopes of capturing this majestic creation of a meal. Sadly, Taco Bell was closed. Later, we found out it would not be released until Thursday, March 8th.</p>
<p>Alas, my friends, March 8th, 12:00AM has come and now the Dorito Loco Taco is available&nbsp;for all our pleasure nationwide! Rejoice my hungry brethrens!</p>
<p>[11:21 AM] I'm sitting in my office, mapping out the shortest route to get to Taco Bell from my&nbsp;office. 7 minutes. Excellent. Must beat rush hour. I decide to leave before the lunch rush so I&nbsp;zoom off. Finally, I get to the enchanted land of Taco goodness. I place my order, "1 Dorito&nbsp;Taco Supreme and 1 regular Dorito Taco." I make my payment. Only one car in front of me. My&nbsp;excitement is reaching an all-time high, I'm sure this is how people feel when they win the&nbsp;lottery. I somehow speed in excess of 20mph in the tiny lane in the drive-thru. I reach the&nbsp;window, grab the bag of goodness and say thank&nbsp;you to the employee making awkward eye contact&nbsp;without realizing that I was smiling. I quickly ignored my borderline-questionable behavior&nbsp;towards the employee and I park in the Taco Bell parking lot.&nbsp;I could no longer wait. The moment was here. I take a long anticipated bite into the newest&nbsp;blessing that God has allowed me to cross paths with. I took my first bite and the first thing that came to&nbsp;my mind was the Taco Bell's slogan "Live Mas". Indeed, I was living more. The heavens has opened up&nbsp;and the angels manifested in my taste bud as I had a revival of new flavor that I have yet to experience in my 26 years of living.</p>
<p>I dare not contaminate my first experience with&nbsp;hot sauce. I preserved the purity&nbsp;in its original form and only accompanied it with&nbsp;a sip of Mountain Dew Baja Blast (another Taco Bell gem). Friends,&nbsp;this creation is a delicate creation. The shell is softer. Enjoy it before the heat from the&nbsp;taco circulates in the plastic bag to make the taco soggy. That would be a sin.</p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable">&nbsp;</span><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/tacobell_doritolocotaco_3-web.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331318557613" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>You may now ask, "<em>I thoroughly enjoy this marvelous story and your enchanting style of writing Joe, but what&nbsp;does it taste like?</em>" Well, let me answer that for you my friends. I give it an 8.5 out of 10. I can&nbsp;better rate this after the hype has left and can judge in a more sober state of mind. The dorito&nbsp;shell surprisingly gave it a extra kick of flavor (a tad salty though). The dorito still held&nbsp;its key characteristic of the nacho cheese residue left on your fingers. This added flavor is a welcomed gift to its originally delightful taco, that is Taco Bell. Also, the regular is only of 170 calories and the supreme contains a mere 200 calories. Even more of a reason to like. I have now bumped it to a whopping 8.7 out of 10 rating.</p>
<p>I'm a man of simplicity and when two simple things adjoin to have an outcome of supreme genius, I get excited.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thank you for the read and happy eatings to all.</p>
<p>Sincerely,<br />A happy customer.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15365662.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>New Washington Wizards' Names?</title><category>Blog</category><category>Washington Wizards</category><dc:creator>Joe Kim</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:40:11 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/2012/1/27/new-washington-wizards-names.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">526826:6033078:14755227</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 290px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz1.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686580109" alt="" /></span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz2.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686590922" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 290px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz3.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686700945" alt="" /></span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 290px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz4.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686709679" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p><span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 290px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz5.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686716449" alt="" /></span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="full-image-inline ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 290px;" src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz6.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686723687" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.joeenco.com/storage/wiz7.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327686344456" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">HAHAH my two favorite: why &amp; basketball redskins. so sad, but true :(</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Source: <a href="http://www.sportspickle.com/opinion/9757/9-potential-new-names-for-the-washington-wizards" target="_blank">http://www.sportspickle.com/opinion/9757/9-potential-new-names-for-the-washington-wizards</a><br />Referrer: Mikael Nam</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.joeenco.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14755227.xml</wfw:commentRss></item></channel></rss>
