Police find 6 bodies in rapist's Cleveland home
It continues to amaze me how wicked humans can be. You know something isn't right with the world when you read stuff like this in the news. One of my friends commented the other day "I don't think the world is messed up, I think it's pretty good." What?! Are you kidding me. I don't know how he can read stuff like this, think of the Holocaust and genocide in Rwanda and Uganda and not say this world is filled with evil.
Seriously, the more I think about it, God has all his commandments for a reason: for our well being as individuals and as a society. Do not murder, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet your neighbors wife, honor your parents...
New City's messages have consistently been "As Christians, our purpose is to bring God's righteousness to earth." And how do we do that? Just obey his commandments! To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
We're in a war folks. It is a war between sin and righteousness.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Encouragement
To be blunt, switching over to blogspot and following other brothers and sisters in Christ has been one of the most encouraging things ever. I'm especially encouraged by the new Christians. It continues to blow me away how much they've grown (even within a year) and to watch their love and passion for God. They know and believe the truth because they went and searched for the truth, whereas people who grew up in the church were brainwashed to repeat "the truth" but may not have taken hold of it themselves. To see people really understand and cling to God's grace and cry out for deliverance and humility is so awesome. You guys encourage me, for reals. Praise God, praise God.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Racism still present
Some of our senior class went on a senior class trip to Chicago for Fall Break. On the final night, the senior class went to Mother's Original Bar, where six African-American students were denied entry into the bar because their "clothes were baggy," violating the dress code. They offered to go back to the hotel to change, but the bar said they still would not be admitted. Then they decided to do an experiment (WashU would...), by exchanging pants with a white classmate. The shorter and skinnier white classmate got in with the baggy jeans with no problem, clearly showing that the issue wasn't about the dress code but about race.
http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2009/10/26/nr.dress.code.racism.cnn
So many exciting things happen at WashU. Vice-presidential debate 2008. Now this...
http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2009/10/26/nr.dress.code.racism.cnn
So many exciting things happen at WashU. Vice-presidential debate 2008. Now this...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Relient K Concert
I am a hostage to my own humanity
Self detained and forced to live in this mess I've made
And all I'm asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can't ask You to give what You already gave
I fought You for so long
I should have let You in
Oh how we regret those things we do
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin
But so were You
Self detained and forced to live in this mess I've made
And all I'm asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can't ask You to give what You already gave
I fought You for so long
I should have let You in
Oh how we regret those things we do
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin
But so were You
Um, wow. That was a great concert at the Pageant tonight. Relient K was engaging, hilarious, down to earth, creative. Some of my favorite parts of the night was when they started playing "Five. Five dollar. Five door footlooong." :D Also, they did a cover for Under the Sea from Little Mermaid, which was freaking amazing. And of course, they sang all my favorite songs of theirs: High of 75, Which to bury us or the hatchet, Be My Escape, and Sadie Hawkins Dance.
Barcelona who opened for them is also really good. I'm a fan.
http://www.myspace.com/barcelona
Lights also opened. She's a bit more synthetic, which isn't my style, but definitely talented.
http://www.myspace.com/lights
Overall... Friends + Delicious Thai Food + Good Music = Great night
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Vine and the branch
Elizabeth English, our area staff director, spoke at ACF today on the topic of "How do we stay connected and be refreshed by God?" Simply put, talk with God, engage in scripture, and be deep in prayer, aka do quiet time.
"Sometimes, you have no time for quiet time because you are too busy with doing God's work." This has been a chronic problem of mine. I am a do-er. And an extrovert. So I'm almost always doing something... planning ACF, conversing with people, school work... and I sacrifice quiet time for getting more sleep or doing more homework.
There's a story of a rebellious branch that decided it would be much better off apart from the vine. The branch wanted to be independent of the vine, but what can a branch do apart from the vine? A branch that is disconnected will never grow leaves again or bear any more fruit. The rebellious branch is cutting itself off from the source of its life and heading towards death.
"It is like a baby in the uterus that hacks off the umbilical cord because it is annoying. It will die without the nutrients from the mother, its source of life!"
God, I want a deeper and richer relationship with you where I am actually faithful to you. This means going on dates with you again, and calling you at least once a day, and not just talking and demanding stuff from you, but also listening to what you have to say. I don't want to be a dead branch, I want to be alive and well and blooming with fruits of the Spirit.
"Sometimes, you have no time for quiet time because you are too busy with doing God's work." This has been a chronic problem of mine. I am a do-er. And an extrovert. So I'm almost always doing something... planning ACF, conversing with people, school work... and I sacrifice quiet time for getting more sleep or doing more homework.
There's a story of a rebellious branch that decided it would be much better off apart from the vine. The branch wanted to be independent of the vine, but what can a branch do apart from the vine? A branch that is disconnected will never grow leaves again or bear any more fruit. The rebellious branch is cutting itself off from the source of its life and heading towards death.
"It is like a baby in the uterus that hacks off the umbilical cord because it is annoying. It will die without the nutrients from the mother, its source of life!"
God, I want a deeper and richer relationship with you where I am actually faithful to you. This means going on dates with you again, and calling you at least once a day, and not just talking and demanding stuff from you, but also listening to what you have to say. I don't want to be a dead branch, I want to be alive and well and blooming with fruits of the Spirit.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Overflow Bible Study: James
Today I checked out an Overflow Bible study for the second time (first time was from the summer), and it was really really good. They have been going through James, and today we were studying James 2:14-26. So many times tonight I saw things in a new light or was reminded of certain things that made me say "wow, that was epic."
Epic moments:
1. "You believe that God is one; good. Even the demons believe - and shudder!" Just believing in the existence of God is not enough! Even the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God and acknowledge his power and existence, but that does not mean they work for God's Kingdom. Goes to show the importance of bringing God's righteousness to this world as Christians.
2. "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Doing works actually helps rejuvenate our faith and prevents it from becoming stale.
3. Abraham's claim to faith was that he believed that God's promise of giving him too many descendants to count. But God tests Abraham's belief in that exact promise by asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son (that he had at a very old age), so if he did, then it physically would not be possible to have ANY descendants. His faith was proven by his works and he was considered Righteous.
4. Rahab the non-Jewish prostitute also pronounced her faith in God and follows with action. The obedience of the people is unambiguous evidence that they believe the promise.
On a lighter note, it was interesting to still see the Asian-American culture at work in the Overflow small group... meaning there would be long awkward silences when nobody would share. Haha, oh Asians.
Epic moments:
1. "You believe that God is one; good. Even the demons believe - and shudder!" Just believing in the existence of God is not enough! Even the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God and acknowledge his power and existence, but that does not mean they work for God's Kingdom. Goes to show the importance of bringing God's righteousness to this world as Christians.
2. "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Doing works actually helps rejuvenate our faith and prevents it from becoming stale.
3. Abraham's claim to faith was that he believed that God's promise of giving him too many descendants to count. But God tests Abraham's belief in that exact promise by asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son (that he had at a very old age), so if he did, then it physically would not be possible to have ANY descendants. His faith was proven by his works and he was considered Righteous.
4. Rahab the non-Jewish prostitute also pronounced her faith in God and follows with action. The obedience of the people is unambiguous evidence that they believe the promise.
On a lighter note, it was interesting to still see the Asian-American culture at work in the Overflow small group... meaning there would be long awkward silences when nobody would share. Haha, oh Asians.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Fall Break 09
Friday:
- Crepes brunch with Jean Kung and sharing the stories of the Holy Spirit moving in our region
- Sky Zone with ACF. Jumping on a gigantic trampoline floor while playing dodgeball. Little kids at a birthday party watching and cheering.
- Spades with my recent spades partner Ingold. Yay team We Won.
Saturday:
- Hanging out with freshman floormates: Pumpkins, toilet paper and cupcakery. Driving with a bike in the back seat. Lunch of scrambled eggs with onions and lamb sausage (no meat for me), chocolate chip pancakes made with kefir cultured milk, sweet potato milkshake (sweet potatoes, cinnamon, orange and soy milk), baked spaghetti squash seeds, and strawberry yogurt with pomegranate seeds. Yum.
- Shopping at West County mall with Connie, Lily and Jimmy. Forever 21=new favorite store.
- Corn Mazing in Illinois with One Voice and ACF. The adventure of getting lost driving there and back. S'mores and apple cider. Watching Drea freak out in the haunted maze. Uncle Bill's late night breakfast :)
What a long and exciting and exhausting day. Phew! I love Fall break...
- Crepes brunch with Jean Kung and sharing the stories of the Holy Spirit moving in our region
- Sky Zone with ACF. Jumping on a gigantic trampoline floor while playing dodgeball. Little kids at a birthday party watching and cheering.
- Spades with my recent spades partner Ingold. Yay team We Won.
Saturday:
- Hanging out with freshman floormates: Pumpkins, toilet paper and cupcakery. Driving with a bike in the back seat. Lunch of scrambled eggs with onions and lamb sausage (no meat for me), chocolate chip pancakes made with kefir cultured milk, sweet potato milkshake (sweet potatoes, cinnamon, orange and soy milk), baked spaghetti squash seeds, and strawberry yogurt with pomegranate seeds. Yum.
- Shopping at West County mall with Connie, Lily and Jimmy. Forever 21=new favorite store.
- Corn Mazing in Illinois with One Voice and ACF. The adventure of getting lost driving there and back. S'mores and apple cider. Watching Drea freak out in the haunted maze. Uncle Bill's late night breakfast :)
What a long and exciting and exhausting day. Phew! I love Fall break...
Friday, October 16, 2009
A good start to Fall Break
Spontaneous worship jam session. Ultimate Ninja. Cartwheels and Dr. Horrible sing-along-songs. :D
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Fall Conference 09
Personally, this weekend was kind of rough for me. It started with when we first arrived at Camp Mihaska. After my passengers had taken all their bags out of the trunk, I realized that I forgot to bring my luggage with my clothes and toiletries! I felt so stupid and vulnerable. Thankfully, my ACF community was supportive and gracious to me. The girls lent me a t-shirt, socks, shampoo and soap, and one of the guys drove me to Walmart to buy the only thing I couldn't share (underwear). This experience definitely taught me that I really have to trust God and His providence... and to learn to admit that I am weak and that I need help.
Next, my camera broke. It was in my bag but the bag tumbled out of the chair and must've damaged the camera internally. The camera is still able to take pictures, but the autofocus goes crazy and I'm not able to view my LCD screen. I died a little inside. My precious baby that I had worked so hard for my senior year of high school is now handicapped. What I learned from these two situations is that all that I have belongs to God. He has the right to give and take things away... I can't really call anything my own. So, I really need to use the resources God has blessed me with for His Kingdom and not just for myself. Also, he uses these things to test my faith and also for Him to prove His faithfulness.
But besides that, this weekend was really good bonding time for ACFers. We tossed a lot of frisbee, played this ridiculous game of mini putt putt with human obstacles, and had good small group time. God thank you for answering our prayers of bringing us closer together as a community.
A few things that stuck out to me:
- Sometimes we have fears when it comes to missions. But fear is being trapped by the enemy. It is okay to be afraid, but don't let it rule you. Let Jesus, who is victorious over sin and death, rule you.
- Death is retirement for a Christian. We have a long party after we die with a feast served by God himself. Our job now is to serve and love other people.
- Our mission is unpredictable. Can't tell us what it is, when or where it is. We just have to go through the next door in our life.
Next, my camera broke. It was in my bag but the bag tumbled out of the chair and must've damaged the camera internally. The camera is still able to take pictures, but the autofocus goes crazy and I'm not able to view my LCD screen. I died a little inside. My precious baby that I had worked so hard for my senior year of high school is now handicapped. What I learned from these two situations is that all that I have belongs to God. He has the right to give and take things away... I can't really call anything my own. So, I really need to use the resources God has blessed me with for His Kingdom and not just for myself. Also, he uses these things to test my faith and also for Him to prove His faithfulness.
But besides that, this weekend was really good bonding time for ACFers. We tossed a lot of frisbee, played this ridiculous game of mini putt putt with human obstacles, and had good small group time. God thank you for answering our prayers of bringing us closer together as a community.
A few things that stuck out to me:
- Sometimes we have fears when it comes to missions. But fear is being trapped by the enemy. It is okay to be afraid, but don't let it rule you. Let Jesus, who is victorious over sin and death, rule you.
- Death is retirement for a Christian. We have a long party after we die with a feast served by God himself. Our job now is to serve and love other people.
- Our mission is unpredictable. Can't tell us what it is, when or where it is. We just have to go through the next door in our life.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Prayers
This month I've been seeing God answer many prayers, reminding me of His faithfulness. Reconciling friendships. Stepping in to unify us. Humbling the proud. Stretching time for me to get my studying done. He's so so good.
Last year, I prayed that three people would come to accept Christ. Eric accepted Christ at our first praise night, and Haejun and Melody accepted at Fall Conference last year. I wonder what I should pray for this year at Fall Conference.
Prayer requests:
- Road trip: safety, good bonding time, not getting lost
- Speaker: for his messages to resonate deeply in our hearts
- WashU IV: build cross-fellowship relationships, be passionate in applying what we learned back to campus and actually doing it
- Myself: that I may rest in Him and be filled.
Last year, I prayed that three people would come to accept Christ. Eric accepted Christ at our first praise night, and Haejun and Melody accepted at Fall Conference last year. I wonder what I should pray for this year at Fall Conference.
Prayer requests:
- Road trip: safety, good bonding time, not getting lost
- Speaker: for his messages to resonate deeply in our hearts
- WashU IV: build cross-fellowship relationships, be passionate in applying what we learned back to campus and actually doing it
- Myself: that I may rest in Him and be filled.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Excitement
Our annual Intervarsity Fall Conference begins Friday. I'm getting really excited thinking about the road trip there, being at a retreat center, not having to worry about school, bonding with ACFers, spending good quality time with Jesus, and just learning and reflecting on God's blessings and calling for our lives. *squeals with excitement* Friday, come faster!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Wrath
The sky flashes followed by a crackleBOOM a second later. The storm is getting closer... I walked faster with my umbrella praying that I would not be hit by lighting. The lighting on the beach scene from Home Sweet Alabama was playing in mind.
For the first time in awhile, I feared for my life. At that moment, with God potentially releasing His wrath around me, I realized how small and powerless I was. I am at the mercy of God and mother nature. All I could do was pray for God to have mercy on me.
For the first time in awhile, I feared for my life. At that moment, with God potentially releasing His wrath around me, I realized how small and powerless I was. I am at the mercy of God and mother nature. All I could do was pray for God to have mercy on me.
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