merry CHRISTmas!

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you
good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a

Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby
wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

[Luke 2:10-12]

this season is not about us. it's not about traditions and fancy gatherings. it's not about elaborate decorations or non-stop Christmas songs on the radio. it's not about buying, giving or receiving gifts. this is a season of celebration for the greatest gift ever.

this is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! this was no ordinary birth of an ordinary baby. this was the Son of God. this was God in the flesh born into this world to fulfill the greatest feat imaginable. God, an all-powerful being, coming into this world as a vulnerable human in the most modest circumstances to two faithful, common people. Jesus Christ sent into this world as a Savior, to save all man from all sins, a free gift that we do not deserve. this is great news! because of Jesus' birth, because of his ministry throughout his life and ultimately because of his death on the cross, we have the opportunity to reap the rewards if we only believe in him and live to follow his commandments. through faith in Christ, we are offered life beyond this life. through Christ, God gives us life and sustains our life, it only makes sense that we live in complete gratitude and submission to Him. God is forgiving and patient with our mistakes. Jesus saves us from our sins, offers peace and joy in life and gives us more than anyone or anything could ever offer. no matter how horrible your past was, God can transform you and give your life meaning. and i think that is more than enough reason to turn to Him. i really hope that this season is filled with the joy from understanding the true reason for the season--- CHRISTmas, a celebration of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

merry CHRISTmas friends! love you all!

almost.

there is a lot happening and there is a lot still to be done.
would you please soften hearts & transform minds to know You?

Lord, i can see the work that You are doing.
dear God, help us to continue to give You all the glory.

playtime.

so crazy.

"In Heaven exists a being that decides
whether or not I take another breath.
This Holy God deserves excellence, the very best I have"

- Francis Chan, "crazy love"

this plant started out maybe as tall as i was
when we moved into our house about 17 years ago.

as you can see, it started leaning to soak up more sun.

i came home last week and my dad asked me,
"did you see the plant?"

i replied,
"no, why?"

he said,
"flowers started blooming at the top.
you should take pictures of it".

so i did.

more than just the turkey.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

[Psalms 100:1-5]

==========

on sunday during our church's thanksgiving service, i was blessed to hear the message given by Pastor Lubaton of Faith Calvary Baptist Church. the title was "Be Thankful...For the Lord is Good!" oh man, what a great reminder of how absolutely undeserving we are for the wonderful blessings we are given (everything from the luxuries we enjoy or the very air we breathe!). but beyond that, how absolutely undeserving we are to have a sovereign God who abundantly pours out His unconditional love to us.

i'd just like to share the points that Pastor Lubaton presented.
some very important reasons why we should be thankful:

1) we have a sovereign God- there are no accidents/coincidences in life. God is in control of ALL things, though our flesh and pride often sways us to think otherwise.

2) God loves us unconditionally- though friendships and relationships can easily falter, we have the assurance that God continues to love us regardless of our condition, no matter how disobedient we are/were. God's love is so grand that He gave His only Son for us (which constantly boggles my mind!). God's mercy is so great that, only through Christ, He saves us from what we deserve by offering forgiveness for even our ugliest sins if we choose to have faith in Him. God's grace is so amazing that He continues to provide for us even when we do not deserve such blessings. because of this unconditional love, there is eternal salvation and eternal security.

3) we are forgiven- we've all made our mistakes, but they were not mistakes in God's eyes, they were part of His precise plan for our lives. how completely incredible to know that we can be forgiven for all our past failures when we humbly repent of our sinful lives and constantly strive to turn away from those sins and be like Christ. through our faith in Christ, our debts are completely erased and we should be eternally grateful.

4) we have direct communication with God through the Holy Spirit- God gives us so many things. sometimes we focus on the blessings more than the blesser. regardless if something good or something bad is happening, the Lord just wants our praise. how wonderful to know that through prayer, we can offer Him praise and cast our anxieties on a faithful God who grants our requests if it is according to His will.

it's not about what we receive, but who God is. when you have a problem, who better to go to but God himself who provides all things, gives all things, and loves us without question.

happy thanksgiving, lovelies!!

victory lap.

during my visit to the academic counselor:

me: "so I just need two more classes??"

counselor: "yes, now let me check if you have enough units... oh... wow, yes, you definitely have more than enough."


next quarter:
+ psychology of language
+ coaching sports
+ astronomy
+ beginning poetry
+ but hopefully history of jazz instead of one of these.


time's running short to enjoy all this free knowledge.
ah, the perks of being a super senior.

in His time

thank you Lord for being patient with us
even when we are not.

Lord, would you please continue to work
in the hearts & minds of those who are searching?

forgive us for shaking our fists
when things do not comply with our timeline.

although we do not see immediate results,
dear God, we know you are doing great things.

weAk 7.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
[Psalm 28:7]

Lord, you know that i am exhausted and drained.
would You please revive me, dear God?
please allow me to again acknowledge
that there is a purpose and perfect plan in all of this.
i continue to commit all my work to You.
i can see You are already doing
great things in these young hearts,
which i am so overjoyed and grateful for.
You would not give me anything that i could not handle.
and beyond that, there is nothing You cannot handle.

Lord, humble me to find rest in You.
and with all of this, grow me to praise You
despite the circumstances.


Lord, be my strength.

let's GO.

when i think about the Lord

how He saved me, how He raised me
how He filled me with the Holy Ghost
how He healed me to the uttermost
when i think about the Lord
how he picked me up turned me around
how He set my feet on solid ground

i've been thinking about this song a lot. what an absolute joy to know that God loved me, even before my own parents loved me, way before i even knew who He was. He picked me up, turned me around, set my feet on solid ground! PTL!

it makes me want to shout hallelujah!
thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you're worthy of all the glory,
and all the honor and all the praise!
Hallelujah! thank you, Jesus!
Lord, you're worthy of all the glory,
and all the honor and all the praise!

- When I Think About the Lord by Shane Barnard

at rock harbor, the current series is "a life that demands explanation". do you live your life set apart from the world? does your lifestyle make people curious to know what makes you so happy, so hopeful during the good and the bad times? even though you profess to have Christ on the inside, do your outward actions reflect that? does the joy and peace of having Christ in your life make people ask questions? are you a light? do you stand out in a crowd of non-believers?

it's been a blessing to hear about this topic of being "set apart" from the world and hearing church friends excited to live radically for Jesus. it scares me to get lukewarm, going through the motions of "that Christian thing", getting too comfortable with my faith, which hinders my own spiritual growth and also stunts the growth of His kingdom. it's like holding in an all-powerful cure to all diseases from everyone in the world because of laziness or fear of how someone's going to respond. that's just silly.

a resident sent me a video of jaeson ma sharing a message at the University of Texas (i encourage you to watch both parts). he explains that often time, today's Christians are so caught up in having people come to them. come to church, come to bible study. and while that it is all good to be bold enough to invite people... instead, he suggests to GO. go out and preach the gospel, go and talk to strangers, go and take those risks, go and serve the Lord. leave the security of your comfort zone. im really trying to do this and i've learned it ain't easy. it's scary and i still doubt myself, but i think that's where the problem is because it's not about me. it's about giving these daily missions to God because only because of Him and through Him and with Him can we find the strength to actually do anything at all.

pray for boldness.
pray for wisdom.
pray for opportunities.

=========

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect,
[1 Peter 3:15]

it may seem difficult to explain so much,
but dear Lord, give me the courage and wisdom to try.