Thoughts on Friendship II

It's all about relationships.

your relationship with God

your relationship with other people

your relationship with yourself

As we grow in our knowledge of God, we also find ourselves growing to know ourselves. As we commit to community, we often find ourselves discovering our identity. When you look at what's truly important in life, it's not the material things that matter. it's all about relationships. It's about knowing others and being known. it's about sharing your life and growing together. If we don't spend quantity time with people, how can we expect to develop quality friendships? Make time for those you care about. Protect and fight for the things that you value most. 

"What God wants is simply our presence, even if it feels like a waste of potentially productive time. That is what friends do together; they waste time with each other. Simply being together is enough without expecting to get something from the interaction. It should be no different with God." 

-The Gift of Being Yourself, David Benner

“Anything valuable requires our best effort. Friendship is worthy of this kind of investment.”

“We come into this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing, but our relationships endure forever. Into eternity we take with us our relationship with God and our friendships with believers.” 

“Deep friendship can be experienced by any two persons willing to commit themselves to work at becoming close friends.”

 - Wasting Time with God, Klaus Issler

God please help me to be a better friend

Thoughts on Friendship I

What's the best type of ship? friendships! haha.. For some reason ive been thinking about friendships a lot lately. Imagine life without friendships. Doesn't it seem empty? Can we really grow without relationships in our life? i think we're meant to grow in community and in godly friendships. Over the last few years, if there's one thing i learned, it's the importance of a strong support system. We need to surround ourselves around good people and share life together. We're not meant to go through this life alone and isolated. God created us for relationships.

Reflecting on my home of origin and growing up, i feel like i was fortunate to always be surrounded by friends.  Maybe not a lot of friends, jus close ones that were always there. I don't think i realized how much i valued being around friends. It's inevitable that we'll lose a lot of friends throughout this life. We'll grow distant and lose contact, it's a sad fact of life. 

I remember hating the fact that i would lose my friends transitioning from 6th to 7th grade. There's still a small handful of them that I still know, but for the most part we loss touch. Even though we'll lose a lot of great friendships as we grow older, we can always move towards making new friends. I still remember high school as some of the best days in my life. Attending a small school made it easier to make close friendships. We'd laugh about everything. Many friendships weakened over the years, but I was able to preserve a good core of friends till this day.

Lessons from a Walk: Gratitude

    I'm convinced that taking a walk increases our quality of life. I was feeling pretty out of it and had low energy all day. I was feeling a little restless and my roommate was feeling miserable too. So I decided we go for a walk. I was trying to cheer him up but maybe i was also trying to cheer myself up. Sometimes we're so focused on the things we lost, or the things in life we don't have, that we forget the things God has blessed us with.


    I began thinking of all things that i'm grateful for. I'm thankful for good health, a family who loves me, friendship, the comfort of shelter, food, music, transportation, technology, freedom. I have the ability to walk, get exercise and see God's glory in His creation. I have the ability to breathe fresh air. I could feel the sun shining on my skin. I saw God's beauty in two birds flying together. I stood in amazement at the enormous sky. I saw the green of plants and the great size of trees. I saw little colorful flowers. I saw kids playing and laughing together. I saw a father carrying his little son as he walked down the street. I was reminded of how God carries us and how He loves us as His children.


    Then as i was turning the corner, i saw my cat friend named Tom running across the street to come greet me. I haven't seen him in awhile so I was happy to see him. He's one of those cats who loves attention and is really comfortable around people. He's really playful and likes to purr. Then i thought, wow i would've missed all of those things if I didn't go for a walk.


The Lord is my shepherd

I shall not want

He makes me lie down in green pastures

He leads me besides quiet waters

He restores my soul


"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one bodyyou were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christdwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Col. 3:15-17


"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thes. 5:16-18

there's this other cat i met. When ur a lonely person. cats and dogs count as friends. lol. So there's tom, another cat toby, and i guess ill call this white orange one fatty. lol. i have a hypothesis. The fatter cats are, the more affectionate and fun they are. Probably jus cuz they're used to humans feeding them. i think I'm a cat whisperer or something. but I'm a dog person.. so it doesn't make sense. i wish there were cute stray puppies, but cats are fun too. sometimes i like to imagine myself in a field full of puppies and we just spend the whole day rolling around, playing and chasing each other.. lol

Time to Change

I want more of God. I want to live a higher life. I'm tired of being the way i am. There's something about receiving from God that transforms us. I want to be better. I want to be happier.

 tired of this old chris. time for a new. i didn't realize how many issues i have lol. I can easily be a depressed and negative person. I'm so fed up, that it's time to change. I need to change my thoughts and behaviors. I need to stop feeding my bad habits and start creating new healthy habits. change is hard and painful. How do you really change what you think and feel? How do you care less about things that are important to you.

I need to step outside my problems and see things in a different perspective. I need sanctification. I want to be secure and rooted in my identity in Christ. I need to stop all my shanangins and jus simply be. i want to be so in love with God, that really nothing else matters. God help me to surrender to your love. Help me to trust you more. Help me to make you first.

I would describe myself as someone lying in the mud right now. I've ran from God and lost everything, i have nothing left. I'm tired of doing things the same way and making the same mistakes. Trying harder jus makes my issues worst. It's time to break these idols i've set up. I need to simply let go and move on from things i can't change or control. I need to give up these fairytale desires that aren't realistic.

I need to grow in maturity by investing into right things. I need to engage my will and conform it to God's will. I need to seize each day and enjoy the present. I easily feel defeated with not much energy. But God says, with whatever you got, jus move your pinky just a little and hold on to me and i'll pull you through this mess. It will be a slow process of healing and relearning and it won't happen over night. But a pinky finger in the right direction is better than staying face down in the mud.

letting go

I feel like i can't do anything right. i overvalued things that made me happy. and i jus don't know how to let go. i don't want to be me. I want to be better and healthier. I want to be less dependent on people to be okay. I really need to change. I jus don't know how to get there. I realized i don't like being alone. i waste so much time. I need to be more active and fill my life with good things. I put too much emphasis on things that made me happy and I obviously over think everything. I hate feeling like this. I can't believe how well i am at messing everything up. I need self-control. i need to surrender my thoughts and emotions and just stop trying so hard to fix things. Get your life together chris. stop chasing what's out of your control. Fighting to solve my problems seems to just make it worst. Letting go seems like accepting loss. i don't understand why i care so much to preserve the good things in the past. God help me to let go. Help me to trust you. just let go chris. things can't be the way you want. stop trying. let it go. go do something to better yourself.

I hate how i over complicate things. Letting go just seems like throwing everything away. You can't throw away things that have value and meaning. But i guess if i broke something important, i guess it does lose it's value. man I'm pathetic. i don't know what to do. how can we be ok when things aren't ok, guess ill jus give up and stop dwelling on it

Prayer should be our first option, not last


It's time to let go. It's time to surrender. I need to stop holding on. I have a really hard time letting go. I want to change my past, present and future, but those are out of my control. I've given up my own vain efforts. There's really nothing i can do anymore. Except in every situation there's always one thing we can do. And that's to trust God. When we pray and trust that everything is in God's hands, we can stop worrying. I want things to go back to the way they were. When you lose something valuable and important, we fight for it and try everything we can to get it back. But maybe we're just supposed to accept the loss and say goodbye. I wish i was more grateful and took care of the things the way i should've when i had the chance. There's nothing left to do but to pray and let go.

They say time heals all, but really isn't it God slowly healing our wounds? God not only makes our situation better, but he also makes us better and stronger in the process. I've caused deep injury, suffering and pain to others and myself. God says that there's grace, but I still have a hard time letting go of my guilt and forgiving myself because i'm reminded of the hurt that still lingers. God says to surrender, let go, and to trust Him. God is the only one who can sovereignly bring healing to our brokenness. God help me to trust you more. Help me to keep my head up. Fill me once again and restore my soul. Thank you for being a God who heals. You are worthy of all praise. Please be with those who are hurting and remind them of your great love.

Passion

     Today at service we had a bunch of ppl from another church come to visit. I saw about 5 friends from an old korean church i used to go to. It was refreshing to see them again. I like when church can be a safe place for friends to jus hangout. I think Korean-American churches understand the importance of community and living life together, and not jus bouncing after service.

Seeing a bunch of old friends today made me a little sad because moving from church to church really does strain friendships. I want close friendships to endure and last forever. anyways, one of the reasons I'm at this church now is because they have this really good youth pastor. every time he preaches it blows my mind. I aspire to be like him and teach with the same passion.

     Do you ever sit in church and actually feel something inside you yearning for change? yearning to become better? yearning for something more? I'm not quite sure what it was.. But do you ever get this burning sensation where you're filled with God's love? When we get really close to God, sometimes our hearts can feel God's heartbeat. We can actually sense God's spirit within us. And the words of scripture come alive. We become filled and satisfied by his love. His spirit is like water to our soul.
     

young forever

Let's go back to that time. that time of laughter. You know what i'm talking about. That time where we ran around playing silly games without a care in the world. who cares about school and grades. We could eat a box of popsicles, play video games and watch cartoons. We could take naps and dream the day away. Or we could listen to music and stare at the stars on the beach. We could build a fort in the sand. Go to a theme park or have your mom drop us off at the mall. Let's go for a walk not knowing where we're going. Let's prank call people at 2 in the morning. Let's gather all our friends for a poker night. Let's play hide and seek n tag. Let's make a stupid utube video. Let's throw water balloons at classmates houses, and drive off laughing like we accomplished something. Let's watch seasons of anime or watch a bunch of NBA games. Just set up the video game system or find a addicting computer game and we got entertainment for days. Let's go sneak into a rated R movie and not get busted by the security guards. Let's go to the carnival and ride every ride. Let's go buy clothes we really don't need. Let's talk on the phone and watch an episode of Friends. Let's go for joy rides and hangout at Walmart. Let's watch music videos all night and draw a world we can live in. Let's go eat a box of mochi ice cream and some curly fries. Let's go buy a box of puppies and roll around with them. Let's run away and be young forever, cuz i don't want to grow up.

Eudiamonism: Virtues & Vices

Eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία) is a greek word commonly translated as happiness or welfare; however, "human flourishing" has been propsed as a more accurate translation. Etymologically, it consists of the words "eu" (good) and "daimon" (spirit). It is a central concept in Aristotelian ethics and political philosophy, along with the terms "arete", most often translated as "virtue" or "excellence", and "phronesis", often translated as "practical or ethical wisdom". In Aristotle's works, eudaimonia was used as the term for the highest human good, and so it is the aim of practical philosophy, including ethics, to consider and to also experience what it really is, and how it can be achieved.


Do you want happiness? Do you want to experience the fruits of the spirit in your life? Do you want to grow in ma-churity? Do you want to be better? and live a higher quality of life? I want to be better. I want to live a better life. I want transformation. Reflecting on virtues and maturity has given me a better perspective of who I want to be. This process of change requires vision, intention and the means. I believe our gracious Father gladly gives us the things we ask for according to his will. The problem is that we don't ask.


Eudiamonism is something i've been thinking about lately. It's a fancy word for describing Christian ethics and morals. When you really think about it, i think it blows your mind. It involves growing in our character. Living out virtues is closely linked to happiness. There's actually experts that study what happiness is. They all agree that self seeking pleasure does not lead to true happiness. In Matt. 5 Jesus says, "blessed are those poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom.. blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled."

World's Apart

Some day you will find me
I haven't gone too far
I miss the way we were back then
How we laughed
I can feel you in my heart

There's a world in your eyes
I can see it getting brighter
All the hours that we turned into days
We were young seemed like life would go on last forever
All I had was you by my side

Some day you will answer
Remember how we were
When all our hopes and dream
Just glided through the air 
I feel it in my heart

I can feel you in my heart
That's the way that it was in the past you remember
When we ran through the winds and the rain
We were young seemed like life would go on last forever
Now everything has changed

Blue Skies  -Blackpool Lights
If ever there was a time
That you would say to me
This fire's burned out
Leaving only smoking black debris
I'd find a light to lead us
I'd find some meaning through it all
We'd search between the shadows 
Cast across this wall

Please don't wait forever
Please don't throw it all away

I'm watching these blue skies turn to grey
And all these friendships fade away

If ever there was a way
That I could say to you
I'm lost in darkness
Searching for a way to make it through
And if this sky does clear up
I hope this wouldn't be the end
It's harder to be honest
Than to just pretend

Please don't wait forever
Please don't throw it all away

I'm watching these blue skies turn to grey 
And all these friendships fade away
These clouded memories are seen through bloodshot eyes
I'm watching these blue skies turn to grey