I saw batman the other day. I honestly wasn't impressed. It actually met my expectations. There was so much hype, and the movie turned out to be quite average. I couldn't even understand half the dialogue because they were mumbling. Batman didn't use any cool gadgets, the fights were kinda short, there was no detective work, and i was really hoping for more. In retrospect, i didn't even really care for the past 2 batman movies. owellz..
I also finished up Big. i was kinda disappointed how fast they tied things up. They dont even show him at the end! Gah i coulda been casted and laid in a comma for 15 episodes! There was a few tear jerkers when they actually do confess their feelings. I dont see why they didnt jus do that from the start. so much drama, just hook up already, gah. Stop playing hard to get. I shoulda jus walked onto the drama and swept Lee Min Jung for myself! lol.. im debating if i should watch Lie to Me, Personal Taste, or Iris. I'll probably jus try to get back into City Hunter if i get bored. mm i think im done with kdramas for awhile..
_____________
Today was long. I woke up grumpy cuz my mom woke me up to go to the dentist office. I dont like being woke up 5 mins before we hafta leave. I dont like rushing when im still dead tired. I even yelled, "Mom! Stop talking." I felt really bad. i realize how much i complain. I realize how much she does and i can seem to show or express much appreciation. It makes me upset at myself. Later i got lunch with my Dad, and we actually had a conversation about God which is rare. I pray that God helps me to be patient with my parents, and also that i would display the love of Christ to them.
After my mom got off work we went to a funeral. I've probably only gone to 3 or 4 of them before. I actually got a little teary a few times because of the eulogy and all. I didn't even know my mom's friend's mom. She had 3 sons and 6 granddaughters. What hit me was all the things the sons remembered about their mom. She lived a full life of both quantity and quality. She pasted away at the age of 89. Her husband passed away 6 years ago, and she was living in a hospice. The sons told stories about how she grew up working in the sugarcane fields. They talked about how she was very independent. They described how she loved to cook. She had very famous dishes. She taught her granddaughters her special recipes and it was seen as passing on her legacy. They spoke of the memories they had when their mom would always take care of them. One son shared how she was involved in YMCA classes and dance classes. He shared how she loved her avocado tree. Her only two regrets was not keeping the family closer together and not being able to see her granddaughters and great grandchildren grow up.
Even though a believer is set free from this world, it still hurts. The loss of a loved one is still very sad and painful. It was difficult to see all the lives that one person touched. It was hard to see others mourning. It was strange to see how some people didn't really seem to be affected. It was hard to see that only memories of her were left in this temporal world. I think the hardest part for me was hearing her one son say, "Mom, we miss you, and we love you." It made me think of how often i take for granted the people in my own family.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
A Hunger for Something to Satisfy
We all have this deep yearning to fill ourselves. Our attention span has gotten shorter. We find ourselves trying to distract ourselves with the internet or smart phone apps. We browse hundreds of channels hoping to find something entertaining. We find ourselves late at night searching sites like tumblr, facebook, youtube, or looking at things to buy. I think the internet has become a bigger problem and distraction in our generation. Hours and hours of staring at a computer. We close ourselves socially and spiritually, to be filled by the internet.
I hafta go to the dentist tomorrow and they don't really have wifi, so i'm already bummed that "i'll have nothing to do." (because i wanna watch "Big" lol. im curious to how they're gonna rap the whole drama up). But perhaps fasting from technology allows one to become more alert to what's going on around us. Why do we feed off of the internet more than we feed off of God?
We pray "Give us today our daily bread," assuming that God's Word and Spirit sustains, fills and satisfy us. And instead, we feast on media, internet, games, or other activities. As Christians, are we really living Christ-centered lives? Or Christ over-as-a-side-dish lives? We fall into the hands of lust so often because we have perverted this need for close intimacy. Sin is a inadequate way of trying to satisfy an adequate need. What we fill ourselves with is what comes out. If we fall for counterfeit sources, we'll jus end up trying to gratify our desires through other means. And i think this builds up anxiety. A constant search for something to truly satisfy. Only God offers such rest, peace and joy.
We crave movies with action, romance, humor and suspense because most of the time we don't consider our lives as exciting. Once in awhile, i'll think, who can i text? who's on facebook chat? Who can i talk to? We long to connect with others. I find myself searching for something or someone to occupy myself. I remember my entire social life was comprised on who i talked on the phone with or who was on AIM. I even used to search random chatrooms just so i could talk to someone who would listen. And yet, God is always "online," always patiently waiting for us, and always completely attentive to us.
Sometimes we fall in love with characters and stories because we enjoy the adventure and drama of these other worlds. Sometimes these fictional worlds capture us because we see characters overcome difficult challenges. We love to see redemption, and those with the will to fight for something good. We long to laugh at silly things because sometimes we lack our own creativity. We like to be updated with the latest news, musical artist, and new releases. Video games can be quite appealing because role playing games allow people to assume characters that interact inside a virtual world. At the very core of it all, we seek and desire pleasure. We are in a sense, hedonists. But as Christian hedonist, we need God to be our ultimate pleasure and satisfaction.
Sometimes i walk around my house thinking. What could i possibly do right now? I walk back and fourth. Flip channels. Check the fridge, wondering if i'm really hungry or just bored. Sometimes just going out of the house makes me feel more productive.I got to go to church and saw some old friends. I got lunch with my dad a few times already. I went swimming almost every other day. And i also got to play basketball with some guys a few times. But even recreation, exercise, and work can be seen as means of filling ourselves. We try to escape or distract.
I know this can all be misinterpreted in the wrong way. No, doing activities, watching tv, and surfing the web isn't necessary bad. However, sometimes it makes us numb to what's really important. We hafta be careful not to fall into debauchery. We focus so much on the physical world and that we become completely oblivious to the spiritual world. With blinded eyes and deaf ears we miss out on communing with God. Our heart is constantly trying to fill itself and distract ourselves from the silence. Even in silence our thoughts begin racing and wandering. We are in dire need of self-control and spiritual discipline.
Have you ever over eaten? Have you ever over slept? Sometimes we need to put limits on ourselves because it's not hard to indulge. I remember one of my friend's aunties was talkin about how she hadta stop watching kdramas, because she actually saw it becoming an idol. It would consume her time and mind. She felt like it interfered with her devotion to God. Our entire culture is immersed in filling ourselves. Malls and sales tempt us to buy more stuff that we don't need. Commercials, magazines and advertisements are trying to convince and sell us on buying their products.
My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
-Jer. 2:13
We want to do something with our lives, and yet we keep our perspectives narrow due to temporary desires. Perhaps glorifying God isn't at the top of our list. We become self seeking in how we can make a name for ourselves. But at the very end of it all, what exactly are we living for? Sure we're all pursuing education for specific careers, so we can have lots of green paper in the bank. But i don't think that fulfills our purpose in life. Nor is just finding someone to marry, and having a comfortable home. What exactly are we to do with our lives?
After the dentist, my mom and i are goin to a funeral. Funerals kinda force you to think about life and death. What is it all for? What have we live for? What are we living for? and what will we live for? We take time for granted. When i'm old, i want to look back on my life and see that i spent my life living for Him by serving others. Living for anything else would just seem like a waste. Rather than asking, "What am i to do?" Perhaps a better question to ask is, "Who is the person God wants me to be?"
We all have specific callings to different "ministries." But as Christians our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are created to worship. And i guess these can all sound cliche, but exactly how do we "live" for God? Perhaps it's by expanding His kingdom and sharing the gospel. Perhaps it involves displaying more love, joy, peace, patience, etc in our lives. Perhaps it's to grow closer into the likeness of Christ. There are a combination of things that we are called to do to bring God glory. We are stewards of this life that God has given us. We can choose to invest it towards eternal purposes or waste it on physical, temporal and selfish rewards. Practically and realistically, how can we live in a way that gives God the highest glory?
As Christians, how can we be faithful and practice holiness? Our hearts need to be changed by the living God. We need to strengthen ourselves by having His Word written on our hearts. We need to be in tuned to the Holy Spirit. If we want to draw closer to God and abide in Him we need to practice joyful obedience. We need to get to a place where spending time with God is our deepest desire. Worship, works and spiritual fruit then produce organically.
God, Thank you for Jesus, your salvation and your loving presence. You are my fortress, my King and my deliverer. Help me to work on my relationship with you. Help me to practice what i preach. It's easy to talk the talk, but help me to walk the walk. Help me to not fall into laziness or idleness. Help me to have grace for myself and to see myself the way you see me. Awaken my soul, may it sing songs of praise and find rest in you. Increase my faith and trust in you. Help me to turn from my sins and to come in repentance. Draw me back to you when i drift. You alone satisfy me. Reveal and smash my idols. Refine me, humble me, and give me guidance. Help me to stop being so concerned with what others think. Give me patience with others. Give me the boldness to speak up when you present the right opportunities. Help me to grow in holiness, righteousness, purity and obedience. May your will become my will. God help me to stop just praying for myself. May your Spirit work through your church, draw your people to yourself. May you receive all the glory. Amen.
I hafta go to the dentist tomorrow and they don't really have wifi, so i'm already bummed that "i'll have nothing to do." (because i wanna watch "Big" lol. im curious to how they're gonna rap the whole drama up). But perhaps fasting from technology allows one to become more alert to what's going on around us. Why do we feed off of the internet more than we feed off of God?
We pray "Give us today our daily bread," assuming that God's Word and Spirit sustains, fills and satisfy us. And instead, we feast on media, internet, games, or other activities. As Christians, are we really living Christ-centered lives? Or Christ over-as-a-side-dish lives? We fall into the hands of lust so often because we have perverted this need for close intimacy. Sin is a inadequate way of trying to satisfy an adequate need. What we fill ourselves with is what comes out. If we fall for counterfeit sources, we'll jus end up trying to gratify our desires through other means. And i think this builds up anxiety. A constant search for something to truly satisfy. Only God offers such rest, peace and joy.
We crave movies with action, romance, humor and suspense because most of the time we don't consider our lives as exciting. Once in awhile, i'll think, who can i text? who's on facebook chat? Who can i talk to? We long to connect with others. I find myself searching for something or someone to occupy myself. I remember my entire social life was comprised on who i talked on the phone with or who was on AIM. I even used to search random chatrooms just so i could talk to someone who would listen. And yet, God is always "online," always patiently waiting for us, and always completely attentive to us.
Sometimes we fall in love with characters and stories because we enjoy the adventure and drama of these other worlds. Sometimes these fictional worlds capture us because we see characters overcome difficult challenges. We love to see redemption, and those with the will to fight for something good. We long to laugh at silly things because sometimes we lack our own creativity. We like to be updated with the latest news, musical artist, and new releases. Video games can be quite appealing because role playing games allow people to assume characters that interact inside a virtual world. At the very core of it all, we seek and desire pleasure. We are in a sense, hedonists. But as Christian hedonist, we need God to be our ultimate pleasure and satisfaction.
Sometimes i walk around my house thinking. What could i possibly do right now? I walk back and fourth. Flip channels. Check the fridge, wondering if i'm really hungry or just bored. Sometimes just going out of the house makes me feel more productive.I got to go to church and saw some old friends. I got lunch with my dad a few times already. I went swimming almost every other day. And i also got to play basketball with some guys a few times. But even recreation, exercise, and work can be seen as means of filling ourselves. We try to escape or distract.
I know this can all be misinterpreted in the wrong way. No, doing activities, watching tv, and surfing the web isn't necessary bad. However, sometimes it makes us numb to what's really important. We hafta be careful not to fall into debauchery. We focus so much on the physical world and that we become completely oblivious to the spiritual world. With blinded eyes and deaf ears we miss out on communing with God. Our heart is constantly trying to fill itself and distract ourselves from the silence. Even in silence our thoughts begin racing and wandering. We are in dire need of self-control and spiritual discipline.
Have you ever over eaten? Have you ever over slept? Sometimes we need to put limits on ourselves because it's not hard to indulge. I remember one of my friend's aunties was talkin about how she hadta stop watching kdramas, because she actually saw it becoming an idol. It would consume her time and mind. She felt like it interfered with her devotion to God. Our entire culture is immersed in filling ourselves. Malls and sales tempt us to buy more stuff that we don't need. Commercials, magazines and advertisements are trying to convince and sell us on buying their products.
My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
-Jer. 2:13
We want to do something with our lives, and yet we keep our perspectives narrow due to temporary desires. Perhaps glorifying God isn't at the top of our list. We become self seeking in how we can make a name for ourselves. But at the very end of it all, what exactly are we living for? Sure we're all pursuing education for specific careers, so we can have lots of green paper in the bank. But i don't think that fulfills our purpose in life. Nor is just finding someone to marry, and having a comfortable home. What exactly are we to do with our lives?
After the dentist, my mom and i are goin to a funeral. Funerals kinda force you to think about life and death. What is it all for? What have we live for? What are we living for? and what will we live for? We take time for granted. When i'm old, i want to look back on my life and see that i spent my life living for Him by serving others. Living for anything else would just seem like a waste. Rather than asking, "What am i to do?" Perhaps a better question to ask is, "Who is the person God wants me to be?"
We all have specific callings to different "ministries." But as Christians our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are created to worship. And i guess these can all sound cliche, but exactly how do we "live" for God? Perhaps it's by expanding His kingdom and sharing the gospel. Perhaps it involves displaying more love, joy, peace, patience, etc in our lives. Perhaps it's to grow closer into the likeness of Christ. There are a combination of things that we are called to do to bring God glory. We are stewards of this life that God has given us. We can choose to invest it towards eternal purposes or waste it on physical, temporal and selfish rewards. Practically and realistically, how can we live in a way that gives God the highest glory?
As Christians, how can we be faithful and practice holiness? Our hearts need to be changed by the living God. We need to strengthen ourselves by having His Word written on our hearts. We need to be in tuned to the Holy Spirit. If we want to draw closer to God and abide in Him we need to practice joyful obedience. We need to get to a place where spending time with God is our deepest desire. Worship, works and spiritual fruit then produce organically.
God, Thank you for Jesus, your salvation and your loving presence. You are my fortress, my King and my deliverer. Help me to work on my relationship with you. Help me to practice what i preach. It's easy to talk the talk, but help me to walk the walk. Help me to not fall into laziness or idleness. Help me to have grace for myself and to see myself the way you see me. Awaken my soul, may it sing songs of praise and find rest in you. Increase my faith and trust in you. Help me to turn from my sins and to come in repentance. Draw me back to you when i drift. You alone satisfy me. Reveal and smash my idols. Refine me, humble me, and give me guidance. Help me to stop being so concerned with what others think. Give me patience with others. Give me the boldness to speak up when you present the right opportunities. Help me to grow in holiness, righteousness, purity and obedience. May your will become my will. God help me to stop just praying for myself. May your Spirit work through your church, draw your people to yourself. May you receive all the glory. Amen.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
hawaii
i forgot how peaceful hawaii is
ive been wakin up at 9 since i traveled back in time
it's nice feelin well rested
eating breakfast and fruits
then watchin cartoons
i took a short walk to the rec center today
the sun and sky were perfect
the cool winds were refreshing
all the plants and trees were bright green
i got to swim for awhile which was also fun
on my way home it started to rain
but even the rain felt so good
it's so much easier to sense God when ur surrounded by nature
having a new queen size bed is also awesome
makes me feel like i should actually make it in the morning
i can believe how much time, money and work she put into my room
it's the nicest thing anyone has done for me
i feel like i should be a good son and do everything she wants me to
everything in hawaii is simple
it's not busy and crowded like LA
i do kinda want chipotle tho
i forgot how fresh the air and water is too
its also fun to play with this little cat
although he's not that social
it's also weird watchin tv again
i forgot how many channels and shows there are
it's so hard to try and stop myself from eating everything
right now im craving chicken katsu curry
i missed goin to weds service today cuz i didnt have wheels
my mom was out usin the car, so that makes it kinda hard
batman is coming out tmrw
everyone's been waiting forever
i watched 3 movies so far
tmrw im gonna go play ball
it'll be nice to catch up with old friends i havent seen in over a year
i think having a limited time makes me value it more
it's really nice seeing my mom and dad
hopefully i'll get to see everyone i wanna see
it's so relaxing here that i hafta be careful that i dont get too lazy
i wanna go surfing but all my boards are at a friends house
it's also hard to see ppl since they work
i really dont wanna go back to school
i dont wanna be overly busy and stressed out
maybe ill end up takin less credits
i still havnt gotten shave ice..
i need to go soon! soo good!
i seriously wanna eat everything
ive been wakin up at 9 since i traveled back in time
it's nice feelin well rested
eating breakfast and fruits
then watchin cartoons
i took a short walk to the rec center today
the sun and sky were perfect
the cool winds were refreshing
all the plants and trees were bright green
i got to swim for awhile which was also fun
on my way home it started to rain
but even the rain felt so good
it's so much easier to sense God when ur surrounded by nature
having a new queen size bed is also awesome
makes me feel like i should actually make it in the morning
i can believe how much time, money and work she put into my room
it's the nicest thing anyone has done for me
i feel like i should be a good son and do everything she wants me to
everything in hawaii is simple
it's not busy and crowded like LA
i do kinda want chipotle tho
i forgot how fresh the air and water is too
its also fun to play with this little cat
although he's not that social
it's also weird watchin tv again
i forgot how many channels and shows there are
it's so hard to try and stop myself from eating everything
right now im craving chicken katsu curry
i missed goin to weds service today cuz i didnt have wheels
my mom was out usin the car, so that makes it kinda hard
batman is coming out tmrw
everyone's been waiting forever
i watched 3 movies so far
tmrw im gonna go play ball
it'll be nice to catch up with old friends i havent seen in over a year
i think having a limited time makes me value it more
it's really nice seeing my mom and dad
hopefully i'll get to see everyone i wanna see
it's so relaxing here that i hafta be careful that i dont get too lazy
i wanna go surfing but all my boards are at a friends house
it's also hard to see ppl since they work
i really dont wanna go back to school
i dont wanna be overly busy and stressed out
maybe ill end up takin less credits
i still havnt gotten shave ice..
i need to go soon! soo good!
i seriously wanna eat everything
Friday, July 13, 2012
My Treasure
awake oh my soul
put your hope in God
present yourself fully
and be filled again
long for Him
do not turn astray
there is no one greater
He is supreme over all
arise with hunger
wait patiently in silence
pause and listen carefully
feel His heartbeat
be satisfied
see His beauty
be consumed in awe
shout in worship
walk in the light
live in purity
laugh with joy
rejoice in freedom
find comfort in His peace
enjoy rest
be cleansed
by His waves of mercy
be washed anew
and bathe in His grace
embrace freedom
stand firm in faith
develop perseverance
train in righteousness
take up the armor of the Holy Spirit
He is my rock, my shelter, my shield,
He is my refuge, my strong tower,
He is my hiding place
He is my treasure
He is my all in all
my Abba showers me with love
oh how He delights in His children
how wonderful, mighty and glorious is He
always faithful, sovereign, holy and just
amazing love, how can it be
that you my King would die for me
on the solid rock I stand
all other ground is sinking sand
His love endures forever
what can wash away my sins
nothing but the blood of Jesus
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path
He delivers me from darkness
He leads me as a good shepherd
He restores my soul
I will worship you for who you are
put your hope in God
present yourself fully
and be filled again
long for Him
do not turn astray
there is no one greater
He is supreme over all
arise with hunger
wait patiently in silence
pause and listen carefully
feel His heartbeat
be satisfied
see His beauty
be consumed in awe
shout in worship
walk in the light
live in purity
laugh with joy
rejoice in freedom
find comfort in His peace
enjoy rest
be cleansed
by His waves of mercy
be washed anew
and bathe in His grace
embrace freedom
stand firm in faith
develop perseverance
train in righteousness
take up the armor of the Holy Spirit
He is my rock, my shelter, my shield,
He is my refuge, my strong tower,
He is my hiding place
He is my treasure
He is my all in all
my Abba showers me with love
oh how He delights in His children
how wonderful, mighty and glorious is He
always faithful, sovereign, holy and just
amazing love, how can it be
that you my King would die for me
on the solid rock I stand
all other ground is sinking sand
His love endures forever
what can wash away my sins
nothing but the blood of Jesus
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path
He delivers me from darkness
He leads me as a good shepherd
He restores my soul
I will worship you for who you are
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
July 4th
i jus got back from the gym. And there is seriously something spiritual about getting a good physical workout. I took a C4 prework, and my mind feels so sharp with concentration and energy.
I found this old vitamin bottle for Glucosamine. I kept it sealed and was saving it. But when i opened it and ate one, it was super nasty.. but since i started chewing so much, i had no choice but to swallow this nasty chewy thing.. Yuck! then i rushed to the refrigerator to look for something to get the nasty taste away. I grabbed a few lychees that have been sitting there. I bit one open and shoved it in my mouth. And to my surprise it tasted horrible and gross. So now my mouth still tastes like rotten grape fruit. lol..
that was so off topic..
oh today, or yesterday was july 4th. It's funny when u type something, and you could correct yourself, but you don't. you jus keep going. It's also funny that i hardly proof read my blogs, and then when i reread them later, there's tons of mistakes. lol so much for having a bunch of concentration..
okay.. so here's what i wanted to talk about
Today was 4th of July. And i went to greg's aunt's house with greg, crystal, baraka, and ike. Gregs cousins are josh, joseph, and maria. today was my first time i met their dog shilo. He's super big and furry. He seemed nice at first.. but then later on while we we're eating he started barking at me like crazy.. it was scary. anyways, it was pretty fun eating super good steak, chicken, mexican food, super good salad and brownies. It's always fun to eat good food with friends.
i really miss summers. Summer is a time to enjoy life. You can wake up without having anything demanding to do. You can clean things that have gotten too messy. Summer is great because you don't always feel pressed with time or stressful duties. Summer allows one to focus on leisure and fun activities. I guess you could take advantage by gettin ahead with summer school or by working. But i think we all need time to jus be a kid.
One of the things i wanna focus on this summer is going to the gym more. i was watchin a bunch of inspiring utube videos about exercise. It's so fun pushing ur body to it's limits and feeling yourself get stronger. But on the flip side, i think, what's the point of working out like crazy? i guess it's best to treat it as recreational fun. i really wanna go swimming and i really wanna play basketball. I also miss surfing. I also wanna go snowboarding.. there's a new 24 in lakewood openin in august, so im excited they'll have courts and a pool.
moving to bellflower has been kinda strange. I'm still gettin used to the area. i kinda have a urge to go shopping.. i have a bunch of things i need to get at target.. I need to stop spending so much money!
from this day forward i'm gonna take my diet more seriously. I love a visalus smoothie in the morning.. so good! i think im jus gonna start eating chicken and salad more often. Oh i also wanna make rice soup, (jook).. but i guess too much rice isnt good. i kinda want gogi now.. oh and bbq ribs..
lol its hard to eat right when your stomach craves all sorts of food..
hmm.. okay.. yeah.. so here's what i really wanted to blog about..
I was listening to some worship songs, and worship really opens oneself to God. Sometimes worship can be so cluttered with all this fluff. The best worship is done in humility. The best worship seeks nothing more than to praise God. I like worship songs that have good theological truths. I like songs that focus on the the atonement of Christ. The righteousness that comes through justification. I like songs that are centered around scripture.
We need to make it a habit to worship God. We can worship God in anything that we do. But perhaps the best worship is the time that we intentionally give to God. The best worship involves giving our whole heart and soul. I love when my heart desires nothing but God. For some reason it seems difficult to spend time with God. I think this is why we need to feed ourselves spiritually more consistently. We need more strict accountability. We need fellowship that is invested in each other. We need friends that actually love and care for each other. We need help to do these spiritual disciplines, because we get so easily distracted.
this summer i want to focus on spiritual disciplines. I think i wanna focus on solitude, prayer and rest. Oh and also scripture reading. I struggle to make appointments with God. I struggle to slow myself down and have the patience to seek God. We need to find avenues that draw our attention to God. I think worship songs and jus being alone help. Having free time is great because i can actually listen to sermons! i miss watchin my john piper, mark driscoll, paul washer youtube videos. I also miss listening to waxer tipton back in hawaii. In order to grow closer to God, we need to feed ourselves spiritually by making time for God. We need to make spiritual disciplines habits so that we can open ourselves to hearing God speak to us. We need to make time for worship so that we can enjoy being with God. Being full on God's love leads to joy, which increases faith and leads to action or sanctification. As plants we need to be showered by God's grace, we need to absorb the warmth of His love and we need to be fertilized by His Word. We need stronger roots and a greater dependency on Him.
When we're close to God, we're far from sin. When our minds are consumed by pondering the beauty of the cross we set our hearts on worship mode. The key to loving God is seeing how He first loved us and continues to love us. When we get a taste of His love, we desire Him more.
Abba, help me to slow down. Help me to stay determined, committed and focused on my goals. I want more of you and purity in my life. I want to hate my sin. I want a deeper repentance of sin. I want to grow in fellowship with others and a deeper intimacy with you. I want to hunger and thirst for you because only you truly satisfy. May you be my greatest pleasure, delight and superior joy above all else. Help me to worship you. Help me to fall in deeper love with you daily. God help me to be a witness for you. Help me to shine your love, especially during challenging times. gaurd my thought life. God shut down any pride in my life. Grant me humility. Grant me joyful obedience. Grant me an authentic heart. Help me to be others minded. Help me to sincerely pray for others. Help me to love. Thank you for caring for me as your child. God take my heart, worship and devotion. May these not be empty words. Discipline me, speak to me and help me to spend more time with you. Don't let me waste this summer. Don't let me waste a day. Fill me with peace and joy. Amen.
I found this old vitamin bottle for Glucosamine. I kept it sealed and was saving it. But when i opened it and ate one, it was super nasty.. but since i started chewing so much, i had no choice but to swallow this nasty chewy thing.. Yuck! then i rushed to the refrigerator to look for something to get the nasty taste away. I grabbed a few lychees that have been sitting there. I bit one open and shoved it in my mouth. And to my surprise it tasted horrible and gross. So now my mouth still tastes like rotten grape fruit. lol..
that was so off topic..
oh today, or yesterday was july 4th. It's funny when u type something, and you could correct yourself, but you don't. you jus keep going. It's also funny that i hardly proof read my blogs, and then when i reread them later, there's tons of mistakes. lol so much for having a bunch of concentration..
okay.. so here's what i wanted to talk about
Today was 4th of July. And i went to greg's aunt's house with greg, crystal, baraka, and ike. Gregs cousins are josh, joseph, and maria. today was my first time i met their dog shilo. He's super big and furry. He seemed nice at first.. but then later on while we we're eating he started barking at me like crazy.. it was scary. anyways, it was pretty fun eating super good steak, chicken, mexican food, super good salad and brownies. It's always fun to eat good food with friends.
i really miss summers. Summer is a time to enjoy life. You can wake up without having anything demanding to do. You can clean things that have gotten too messy. Summer is great because you don't always feel pressed with time or stressful duties. Summer allows one to focus on leisure and fun activities. I guess you could take advantage by gettin ahead with summer school or by working. But i think we all need time to jus be a kid.
One of the things i wanna focus on this summer is going to the gym more. i was watchin a bunch of inspiring utube videos about exercise. It's so fun pushing ur body to it's limits and feeling yourself get stronger. But on the flip side, i think, what's the point of working out like crazy? i guess it's best to treat it as recreational fun. i really wanna go swimming and i really wanna play basketball. I also miss surfing. I also wanna go snowboarding.. there's a new 24 in lakewood openin in august, so im excited they'll have courts and a pool.
moving to bellflower has been kinda strange. I'm still gettin used to the area. i kinda have a urge to go shopping.. i have a bunch of things i need to get at target.. I need to stop spending so much money!
from this day forward i'm gonna take my diet more seriously. I love a visalus smoothie in the morning.. so good! i think im jus gonna start eating chicken and salad more often. Oh i also wanna make rice soup, (jook).. but i guess too much rice isnt good. i kinda want gogi now.. oh and bbq ribs..
lol its hard to eat right when your stomach craves all sorts of food..
hmm.. okay.. yeah.. so here's what i really wanted to blog about..
I was listening to some worship songs, and worship really opens oneself to God. Sometimes worship can be so cluttered with all this fluff. The best worship is done in humility. The best worship seeks nothing more than to praise God. I like worship songs that have good theological truths. I like songs that focus on the the atonement of Christ. The righteousness that comes through justification. I like songs that are centered around scripture.
We need to make it a habit to worship God. We can worship God in anything that we do. But perhaps the best worship is the time that we intentionally give to God. The best worship involves giving our whole heart and soul. I love when my heart desires nothing but God. For some reason it seems difficult to spend time with God. I think this is why we need to feed ourselves spiritually more consistently. We need more strict accountability. We need fellowship that is invested in each other. We need friends that actually love and care for each other. We need help to do these spiritual disciplines, because we get so easily distracted.
this summer i want to focus on spiritual disciplines. I think i wanna focus on solitude, prayer and rest. Oh and also scripture reading. I struggle to make appointments with God. I struggle to slow myself down and have the patience to seek God. We need to find avenues that draw our attention to God. I think worship songs and jus being alone help. Having free time is great because i can actually listen to sermons! i miss watchin my john piper, mark driscoll, paul washer youtube videos. I also miss listening to waxer tipton back in hawaii. In order to grow closer to God, we need to feed ourselves spiritually by making time for God. We need to make spiritual disciplines habits so that we can open ourselves to hearing God speak to us. We need to make time for worship so that we can enjoy being with God. Being full on God's love leads to joy, which increases faith and leads to action or sanctification. As plants we need to be showered by God's grace, we need to absorb the warmth of His love and we need to be fertilized by His Word. We need stronger roots and a greater dependency on Him.
When we're close to God, we're far from sin. When our minds are consumed by pondering the beauty of the cross we set our hearts on worship mode. The key to loving God is seeing how He first loved us and continues to love us. When we get a taste of His love, we desire Him more.
Abba, help me to slow down. Help me to stay determined, committed and focused on my goals. I want more of you and purity in my life. I want to hate my sin. I want a deeper repentance of sin. I want to grow in fellowship with others and a deeper intimacy with you. I want to hunger and thirst for you because only you truly satisfy. May you be my greatest pleasure, delight and superior joy above all else. Help me to worship you. Help me to fall in deeper love with you daily. God help me to be a witness for you. Help me to shine your love, especially during challenging times. gaurd my thought life. God shut down any pride in my life. Grant me humility. Grant me joyful obedience. Grant me an authentic heart. Help me to be others minded. Help me to sincerely pray for others. Help me to love. Thank you for caring for me as your child. God take my heart, worship and devotion. May these not be empty words. Discipline me, speak to me and help me to spend more time with you. Don't let me waste this summer. Don't let me waste a day. Fill me with peace and joy. Amen.
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