Friday, 10 July 2009

  • Currently
    Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
    By Francis Chan
    see related

    Inanimate Best Friends Are Difficult to Hug

    Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
    I think: useless but expensive, scratches glass, Blood Diamond, shiny rock
    Dogs are man's best friend.
    I think: Rin Tin Tin K-9 Cop & Lassie, aid to the blind & handicapped, animal-assisted therapy, sniffers, work partner, used in combat, guardians, family, friend
    Is it just me that finds that a bit...I don't know (for lack of better words) lame? ridiculous? ...what's up with that?!
    I think anyone who stays in S. Cali long enough will develop some kind of allergy (dust, smog, changing of seasons/weather), but for the most part, I've never had any allergies growing up, especially not food allergies (I count my blessings every time I eat). They say as we grow older, our bodies change. If that ever was the case, I'd rather be allergic to chocolate & ice cream, rice & meat (loaded statements, I know), gold & diamonds (ironic), rather than my best friend.

Monday, 06 July 2009

  • Thackery Binx

    now that i have an "unlimited" plan, one thing i really appreciate are random text messages from friends. my sister sent me one this past thursday: "LOL! The nerd from NCIS, Tim McGee, was Thackery Binks!!!". random and unexpected like usual, but it was a moment. for those of you who are unfamiliar with Binx, he was the brother who was transformed into a black cat by the 3 witches, as a punishment for trying to save his little sister in the Disney movie, Hocus Pocus (directed by Kenny Ortega - Newsies, High School Musical). he was also one of the guys my sister & i found quite fetching, eons ago.

    THEN

    NOW

    i guess both my sister & i had a penchant for geeks, even before we knew it, ha ha.

Saturday, 27 June 2009

  • Affairs, Separation, Divorce


    I don't usually follow the latest Hollywood buzz, but I came across news that the husband and wife of the hit reality TV show, Jon and Kate Plus 8, just filed for divorce. The reason remains unknown to the public. Sad news. How ironic it was marriage & family that brought the Gosselins     success in the first place. A marriage is hard enough + kids (8 of them) + fame/public scrutiny, did it not occur that it wouldn't be easy and it would strain the relationship? Wouldn't they have seen this coming and had time to prepare for the inevitable hardships ahead?

    South Carolina Governor Sanford, a husband and father of 3 sons, is wiping his tears as he admitted to having an affair    . He went "missing". It turns out he was in Argentina with a "dear friend". Did he not see this coming? Why would he throw all that he had away?

    I know I'm just as prone to the next to make ridiculous decisions and succumb to failures from time to time, so I'm not passing judgment. Never having even been in one, I can only grasp a bit of how difficult relationships can be, but sometimes when I hear such things, I just don't quite understand. I may be a hopeless romantic deep down (or romantically hopeless, take your pick), but it's a far distance from my heart to my head. I'm sure it's nice some days, it has tax incentives and a few other perks, but only a fool would think it's a piece of cake. My parents have been married for 25+ years. I was shocked to hear my Mom say that even she can't say without a doubt that my Dad would never cheat on or leave her, yet she never feared that he would. Why? Because 1.) My Dad is, well...my Dad. 2) My Mom said that's part of what love is. Love isn't dependent on how another acts or responds, but simply is. It's a commitment. She can't love if she ever fears. --In order to grasp my shock, you have to understand that my sister and I come home to parents who play Guitar Hero & the Wii together, sing karaoke songs, and still flirt & tease a gross amount. They act like they're still dating, minus the fact that my Dad isn't very romantic at all... I don't think he ever was though, so it doesn't matter (my Mom says he just hides it well. whatever). Sure they have disputes now and then, but for the most part, it's a relationship that I can barely even believe exists.

    So when I hear of things like this... it just makes my heart sink a little bit more.
    Proverbs 7

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

  • When You Say Nothing At All

    Currently Listening: To Be Like Jesus
      by Sovereign Grace Ministries

    [ref: Ronan Keating's song from the movie, Notting Hill]     ♥ you know that feeling when a significant other and/or friend, or family member knows you...what you're feeling without you saying anything at all (or at least, not saying it very well)? Even more than that...expresses that he or she knows and cares (because they love you) by simply answering/meeting those needs? Finishing each others' sentences, so to speak. i suppose it'd be difficult to know that they know you without the meeting needs part... in any case, you do know that feeling, right? (even if it may not come very often)

    i am so grateful that the Lord Almighty knows us even more so than any man or woman this world can ever know.     in my shortcomings, i fail to remember this and be thankful. despite that, He not only knows, but is kind to remind us by revealing this reality in tangible ways, from meeting the physical needs to giving us words when we lack it (whether to help us express ourselves or to comfort us). in January, He was grand to give me words when I was speechless, overwhelmed with joy (Shaper of the Stars). in contrast, these past few days, He is gracious to give me words when I was weary (Num. 11:10-17), angry (1 Cor. 13), & disheartened (Rom. 5:1-11).
    Dad: *Lovingly commands* Look at me. Rejoice. Exult in tribulation.
    Daughter: *Wearily* Why?
    Dad: Perseverance.
    Daughter: Why? Just so I can have a higher pain-threshold? *Thinks to herself: That sucks. Unless it's like weight-lifting, but I don't care much for body-building. Those guys (and gals) look gross.*
    Dad: No, character. Proven character.
    Daughter: Right, the kind of person I am when no one else is watching or when put under fire, how I'd react. Why? *Thinks to herself: Like in Firefly: Shan Yu (totally wrong pinyin btw) and torture to meet the "real you". Lovely.* I know, I know...hope. *Grumbles* What the heck is that anyway? Wishful, happy, thoughts: "I hope you feel better," "I hope you have nice day", /meh
    Dad: *With great patience* Remember, I AM your Sure Hope (Heb. 6:18-20). I promise, you will not be disappointed. I am Helping you even now.
    let us "exult (glory) in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance (patience); and perseverance, proven character (experience); and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint (maketh not ashamed), because the love of God has been poured out (shed abroad) within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has given to us" [NASB/KJB in parenthesis] BUT in order to do so, by His grace, we must grasp (in mind & heart) the entirety of the Son's love and obedience (after all, they go hand in hand) to the Father and His love and sacrifice for us. it is impossible otherwise. --this i blog because i forget to preach the Gospel to myself every morning (and give thanks), this I blog because we need each other to point one another to Christ. Spiritual warfare. Growing pains. Whether we like it or not, we're in this world and we're all in this together (Eph. 4:14-16 *HSM soundtrack plays* i'm lame, i know, ha ha).

  • Purpose & Unity

    continued from: When You Say Nothing At All

    I know my responsibility, but I also know my role and limits.     My heart grieves. The body is hurting. Part of the battle is knowing it, right? I look around at those I'm surrounded by and I'm at awe of their love for God and His people. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware there are hurdles and hurts just the same (and that there are those amongst us that are perishing still), but the unity (amongst us believers) described/commanded in John 17, 1 Cor. 1, Phil. 2, Eph. 4, 1 Cor. 10 - we're so heart-achingly far from that. We're supposed to examine ourselves, are we not? Not core and non-core, not this ministry and that, not male and female, not life stage, nor status - it's me, you, we, us. Let us do this then (not saying that we're not, but let us press on).

    When a church begins to stray from faithfulness to Christ, this will be evident not only in the shift to impure doctrine (which can sometimes be concealed from church members by the use of evasive language) but also in the daily life of the church: its activities, its preaching, its counseling, and even the casual conversations among members will become more and more man-centered and less and less God-centered... The conversation and activities of the church will have very little genuine spiritual content--little emphasis on the need for daily prayer for individual concerns and for forgiveness of sins, little emphasis on daily personal reading of Scripture, and little emphasis on moment-by-moment trust in Christ and knowing the reality of his presence in our lives. Where there are admonitions to moral reformation, these will often be viewed as human deficiencies that people can correct by their own discipline and effort, and perhaps encouragement from others, but these moral aspects of life will not primarily be viewed as sin against a holy God, sin which can only effectively be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit working within.

    - In what ways do you think your own local church could grow in unity among its members?
    - What do you think are the barriers of that unity? In what ways could that unity be expressed? What might be the benefits of such expressions of unity?
    - Does the fact that you recognize a specific need in the church mean that God is calling you (rather than someone else) to meet that need?

    (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, The Purity and Unity of the Church)