Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. - Romans 5

Monday, February 28, 2011

To Mother by Yui. Relay for Life!




Because you told me
Teary voiced looking away
That if you couldn’t even lie anymore
Living on would not be possible
Since you wanted to be loved
You kept on laughing
Through any hardship
Sadness is something
I could endure
If I were alone
Kindness is so
Cruel, Isn’t it?
Even your heart
Becomes confused
I want (us) to be together forever but
Things I don’t like about you seem to
Increase by each passing day
We’re like-minded, aren’t we?
I feel like I understand
I have someone I can love now
If that day were ever to come
I wonder if I could change
Happiness is…
Although it doesn’t
Shine like magic
Isn’t hatred
Just a slight misunderstanding?
Please don’t cry
Mere fate
Is something you can change
Crying into the night as I ran from the house
And in that secluded park bench
I waited for you to come pick me up
Sadness is a thing
If snuggled together,
A thing of great warmth
Kindness is
If it’s close to you
Its taken advantage of
Hey…
I’m happy
Probably
Because
I had you
With me

Borrowing this from Mahhh: Coming Home Again



SMS (Shine)

I listened to this profusely when I was sad. Now I listen to it diligently when I am happy. The message is clear, and the stats are crazy.

"Take a look at David Crowder’s brand new single, “[SMS] Shine”! This amazing video was created with a LiteBrite and 1 million pegs. Everything you see in the video actually happened – NO computer generated graphics or effects! Even details such as the piano playing in the background and the monkeys beating a drum in perfect time was done free of digital affects and computer animation. It took 2,150 man hours, 1,200 LITE-BRITE images, 83 friends and 148 pizzas to complete the video."

It took me 60 (yes 60) views to realize that the girl dies in the music video.
It took me 3 months of watching it daily to realize that there was a piano playing by itself in the back.
I think the 3 drummers are pretty darn cute.
I want a lite brite now.

But it is not all about the statistics, nor the lyrics, nor the musicality. Its about how I see God and feel his love when I listen to the song and watch the video.

Revelation 5:10-12

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

2 Kings 6:16-18

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

(I don't know about you, but I want to be able to hear and see angels like that)


(Verse 1)
Send me a sign
A hint, a whisper
Throw me a line
Cause I am listening
Come break the quiet
Breathe your awakening
Bring me to light
Cause I am fading
Surround me with the rush of angels wings


(Chorus 1)
Shine Your light so I can see You
Pull me up, I need to be near You
Hold me, I need to feel loved
Can You overcome this heart thats overcome?


(Verse 2)
You sent a sign
The hint, a whisper
Human, divine
Heaven is listening
Death laid low
Quiet and in the night a stirring
All around the rush of angels


(Bridge)
O the wonder of the greatest love has come


(Chorus 2)
Shine Your light so all can see it
Lifted up, cause the whole world needs it
Love has come, what joy to hear it
He has overcome, He has overcome

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bro-Sis

So...I got found out in 3 different ways by thursday (friend guessed from my gifts, got caught making a gift with her name on top, and attempting to run away when delivering a gift) but its all good!

I got to know my sister better, and hopefully this will continue after bro-sis. I was able to appreciate her and work my BUTT off to show how much I care. It really reminds me of two years ago. I see a lot of similarities. And it also reveals how much I care for both fringe people and international students.

Need to outdo myself! Last year, cat tree? This year CASTLE!!!

I WILL make a CASTLE and learn how to PAINT SUUUUUUPERBLY!!! Just you wait!!!

New talent found...PAINTING! Now I need to learn how to paint at a relatively decent pace...a box shouldn't take 4 hours.

Sigh..."Daniel, you should have just pretended you were delivering it, but I know you are too nice to lie." - Tina

Edit: Okay...the castle was unrealistic w/ the veritas meeting and career fair, so BAKING! Not my forte, but this recipe deserves to be tried out:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/chocolate-puddle-cookies-recipe.html

Why do these cookies require no flour or oil...mind is blown.

Psalm 98

A psalm.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

2 The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;

5 make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,

6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.

8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.


Theme of the week...HEDGEHOGS!!!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Boy and his Dog

A boy, about eight years old, walked into a general store. The front of the store hung a sign that said "Puppies for sale." The boy asked the owner, "may I have a puppy?" The owner gestures to the back room, where about eight puppies were kept in a pen. "Choose whichever one you like." The boy went into the back room and looked at the puppies (for some reason, I imagined them as Yorkshire terriers). The puppies peered up and hung their little paws on the side of the pen, where they excitedly wagged their tails and eagerly yelped for attention. The boy picked each one up one at a time and inspected them.

The little boy smiled, for he had found his puppy. Taking this puppy in his two hands, he cradled the puppy up to the front. "This one will be my puppy. How much is he?" the little boy asked. The owner replied, "Fifty dollars." The boy's face fell. "All I have is five dollars, sir." The manager frowned, "I'm sorry boy, but there is nothing I can do about it. They cost fifty-dollars each. If you don't have the money, would you please put the puppy back?" The boy, looking crestfallen, put his puppy back into the pen. He then went up to the owner, "I will be back for him. That puppy is my puppy." The owner shook his head, "I'm sorry boy, I cannot hold onto this puppy for you, and they go fast. I'm afraid, by the time you come back, he will already be gone." The boy smiled and said, "No, he will still be here, because he is my puppy."

For the next few days, the boy did everything he could to earn money. He went around the neighborhood and did many tasks: he mowed lawns, moved tree branches, took out trash, and ran errands. Soon enough, the boy had fifty dollars. He returned to the general store, and set the wad of cash onto the counter. "I have fifty dollars sir, can I go get my puppy now?" The owner looked up from his chair behind the counter, and sighed. "I only have three of the puppies left, and unfortunately these are the ones which are less desirable. You can still go check and see, but I highly doubt your puppy will still be among them." The boy went back and checked on the last three puppies. Indeed, the ones left were the ones that were the runts of the litter, or had irregularly patterned coats that looked displeasing. The boy reached down and picked one of them. He ran back to the front and showed the owner the puppy. "This is the one I wanted. This is my puppy."

But as the boy turned to leave the store, the owner called out to the boy. "Hey! You don't want that puppy. If you look closely, you'll will see that one of his back legs is retracted. He was born with a hip injury, and will never be able to walk or run like a normal dog." The boy stopped and frowned. "But this is my puppy." He continued towards the door. The owner continue to protest saying, "Hey boy, you will never be able to play fetch or frisbee with him. Take him back and choose one of the other puppies. They will make a much better pet than a lame dog." But the boy turned around and just gave a huge smile and continue to walk out the door. The owner stood up and was about to protest one last time, but he noticed something that he hadn't noticed before. He realized that the boy moved much slower than a normal person. Sticking from underneath the pants was the lower half of a brace. The boy was a cripple. The owner just stared at the boy walking down the street with a puppy cupped in his arms, and finally sat to contemplate what he just experienced. Then he chuckled at himself and continued on with his tasks.

(credit of the story goes to elder Brian Burkey, expanded by me)

As you learned from the story, it takes one who has suffered the same fate to truly understand another experiencing the same tragedy, whether its divorce, a death in the family, or cancer. For the rest of us, we will never understand the bearer of the suffering and pain. Sometimes we believe them to be exaggerating, that no pain can be "that bad", and that life will continue. Even more often we are afraid that we can offer no help to our friends who are hurting. Henry Nouwen once said,

"When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face us with the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

We do not have to understand their pain to be a steadfast shoulder for them to lean on. Be open, be honest, be genuine when you listen, and never abandon them to their fears and physical or psychological pain.

The story of the boy and his puppy is another analogy of how God truly cares for us. Not only does he love us so much that no matter what we do, we will never lose his love, but he was willing to experience everything we experience, including the suffering, temptations, loneliness, and even death. He fully understands what we say when we complain to him, and he also pains on the inside.

For me, I have experienced the hurt and abandonment of Christians in my past. I honestly say that those who have hurt me the most are Christian. I got to watch my parents cry and blame themselves for all the suffering I had to endure due to lack of community. It is a painful sight. I don't blame them. Life isn't easy when money dictates society. Life isnt' easy when there are worldly expectations on class and looks. Life isn't easy when there is cancer. Life isn't easy when people are selfish. Life isn't easy when hearts are very fragile. I love my parents so much for what they did for me, for what they sacrificed for me, for loving me so much and accepting me, and I will always love them.

So when I see others who are being ignored, their cries of help unanswered, or paralyzed in the grasp of torturous pain, my heart breaks for them. When there are people being left out of the community, I will try to reach out to them. When I see fellowship failing or chasing after the wrong goals, I boil over with rage. One step is the right direction is better than running a mile in the wrong direction. (A tree that bears bad fruit cannot bear good fruit). But I realize, not everyone has suffered before the same way, and so they cannot understand. To farther this, I've been in so many experiences in college, where I have to sit on the opposite side of a person who is tearfully crying. Their pain, their situation, is beyond what I can help. All I can do is watch them cry as their world breaks around them. I feel powerless. But, as mentioned above, all I can do is listen, be gentle, don't pity, and open my hand to receive some of their pain and return some of my warmth.

One thing I realized was that, if for some reason evidence appears that the God of Christianity does not exist, I personally would lose all reason to live. I might as well die immediately. The hurt I inflict to my parents and friends would mean nothing. The love and influence I would have shown the world would mean nothing. Everything will just be a human construct, and nothing has value, nothing is precious, and there will be no dream worth pursuing. I wonder how many Christians I know whose life would not change one bit if they found out Jesus doesn't exist. Would they still pursue the same goals or live life the same way?

There is really not much I can do, but to care for everyone, extend my hand of friendship to those who wish to receive it, and help those who ask for it. That is all I can do.

God is writing a KICK-ASS story. All I have to do is believe.

Analogies

There once was a man who owned a fish in a bowl. He loved the fish very much. He would sing to it, read to it, feed it the most premium fish food, and give it lots of sunshine and clean water. But the fish never showed that it recognized the love. It just kept staring and swimming aimlessly in the bowl. One night, the man had a dream. He dreamt that he changed into a fish, and entered the fish bowl. He realized now that he could communicate with the fish, so he told the fish how much he cared for it, and how wonderful it was on the outside. (Jimmy Mao thought this was brilliant; I thought this was a severe case of fish fetish at first...shows the difference in maturity level)

If you couldn't tell who this man was, it is Jesus, whom tries his hardest to show how much he loves mankind, but we give him no notice and continue on with life in our little fish bowls.

During times of unrest and discourse in other countries, the president sends his ambassadors to seek amity in these countries. When the problems escalate to a great degree, the president would send his Secretary of State or a prominent senator. If the problems become of great magnitude, affecting many people and nations, the president would send the vice-president to conciliate the situation. But, when the predicament becomes so vital that the lives of his own people and the peace of the nation are in danger, along with millions of other lives in the world, the president would go himself to subdue the problem.

This is like God, who deemed the salvation of all the people in the world so crucial, so fundamental, that he sent himself to save them.

Contrast



You got Donald Trump on the left. You have Mother Teresa on the right.

On one hand, Donald Trump is arguably one of the most successful businessman on the planet. He creates companies. He owns resorts, casinos, and tons of real estate. He has his own TV show. He builds empires. He spends his time solicitation with the world's most powerful and richest men and women. He is extremely wealthy, and has had a successful career and life.

On the other hand, you have Mother Teresa. A humble women who reaches her hand out to take in the poor and the weak. She goes to the world's most impoverished places to take care of those who suffer the most. She gives help to the helpless and hope to the hopeless.

Which of these two people would you like to be?

Though we will never know how many people Donald had to hurt, cheat, blackmail, or trample to get to his position, we would be naive to say his past is spotless. Nevertheless, he's got it all and probably never spares even a second on blemishes in his past. Mother Teresa might have done bad things in her childhood, but she embraced her calling to her death. She died probably with practically nothing in her name, just her reputation. But what a reputation that is.

Which of these two is has affected the world more?

Donald Trump influences the millions with his money, fame, and commercial empires. He is a household name in the United States and is acquainted with many other powerful figures. Mother Teresa, who is dead? Her legacy moves billions across all the continents. Her name will probably be revered forever, but Donald's will probably die off in some history book, say, 100 years later...200 years later...kind of like Rockefeller or any other businessman. We won't give a damn. But the values Mother Teresa embraces will transcend not only our generation, but many many more. And the care and blessings she gave to her patients will carry for many generations to come.

Who do you want to be now?

No one expects you to be as powerful or influential. But do have a steadfast heart in what is right. To travel one feet on the correct path is better than running many miles down the wrong one.

(Disclaimer: This is from a message given at GF spring retreat 2011, and expanded by me. the people are only examples, and I have nothing wrong with them, they just happened to be the ones used and good ones for the illustration)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Books

One day, the in the direction the future is headed, there will be no more need for books. Soon, we will all carry a storage device of some kind on our bodies that will contain tens of thousands of digital books. Whether its a tablet, a PC, a Mac, an Ipod, a cell phone, or a kindle, soon we render books obsolete and depend solely on a screen to obtain our literature needs. Books do not last...they are made of paper. Will they all end up in a landfill? Or will they become dust and dirt, to grow new trees in the future? Or will the end up in museums, or what libraries will be called in the future, and the stereotypical librarian lady will become the new curator image.

Will we miss them? Will our generation refused to bend, giving excuses that our eyes will hurt looking at a tiny screen or flipping through pages has a nostalgic feeling. Or will we come up with more practical reasons, like books make it easier to compare and sort out information. Alas, computers and programming can easily render that excuse powerless.

Well, I may be a stubborn one, but I predict that the world will move toward an age where everything is digitized, information is processed and interpreted at lightning speed, and knowledge is portable. Oh well...

Some of my favorite books as a child:



RIP Brian Jacques February 5th 2011.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Being a Senior

You know, what is nice about being a senior? As a senior, I've met seven different academic classes. That is a ton of people, you know. I have seen many great role-models and teachers enter the real world, and I have seen many underclassmen grow from being immature froshies into great leaders and genuine caretakers. That is a great feeling, you know.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Oh how we have matured....

There once was a time, where all my friends and I talk about on skype was video games, anime, and dota. Now, we talk about crazier things...like self-confidence, hope, stormtrooper effect, cold evangelism, girls, fellowship, community, God, family, future, sin issues, purity, commitment, and love.

Oh how we've grown.


...or not.

(the crazy one is my younger brother)
Many have asked me, "Why don't you leave ACF if you are unhappy with it?" Why don't I go to another church? Why not Grace Fellowship? Yes, I've had longer connections there, they are nice people, I love the teachings, and I love the closeness of the community and inter-class relations. So why not? Because I love ACF and the people there. No matter how much I complain about the fallacies of the people, the weaknesses of Washu's most asian group, or how lacking in the spirit the social activities are, it will always be where my heart wants to be. From what I know, those who have loved ACF the most and contributed and cared the most in the past have all been people who cannot say one positive word about it. But I don't want to be the guy who is all negative, but the guy who truly wants ACF to grow and prosper and show why God is the best. So why do I want to stay in ACF, where I don't get the care I want, or the spiritual feeding I need? I really don't know...love? The same reason why God loves me, though I fail him daily and do all the things he hates.

Don't think that I see things negatively in ACF is because I hate ACF. I love it, that's why I try to spend all my time in it, trying to help and care for the people I meet there. If I really didn't care, I would have hightailed it out of there the very first chance I got and never speak of it to anyone. You worry and complain about the things you love and cherish the most.

To remind myself what True Relationships are.