new car!

homeless for a day

it's one thing to learn from reading a book, it's another thing to learn from first hand experience. My friend Robin and I decided to be homeless for 24 hours. Ideally we wanted it to be longer. I thought a day would be too easy. i was wrong. it was hard. it was a great learning experience. and i think it was time well spent. i got a glimpse of the suffering that homeless people go through. honestly, one day of trying to be homeless was enough for me.

i can't believe how homeless endure their hardships everyday for years. in a sense, having nothing makes it easier to rely on God. Often the rich will place their trust in other things and may not acknowledge their need for God. The poor understand their need for help, and are more open to receiving love from others.

Ive been wanting to try and be homeless for awhile to observe and experience the hardships that homeless people face daily. I was inspired by a book called, "Under the Overpass" where a guy purposely becomes homeless for 5 months.

I think i grew up kind of spoiled, getting anything i needed or wanted. i was jus handed everything. We live in a selfish self-centered first world culture where we don't take much initiative to help the needs of others. Many of us don't know how rich and wealthy we really are because we've never experienced poverty. Doing this short homeless outreach helped my faith feel more alive. What's the point of believing in theological doctrines when we don't boldly go out to practice love in action. Faith without works is dead. I felt challenged to be more intentional and relational. Sometimes i get so caught up with just Christian theology and knowledge that we forget practical theology. What good is faith if we don't live it out? (I'm not saying u hafta go to huge extremes, I'm jus saying the church needs to love outside it's four walls.) yes we're saved by grace, but we're also called to do good works. it's easy to sit back and do nothing. step out of your comfort zone and take the initiative.

Last retreat I met a friend Robin who was in my small group. He's 20? and goes to cal state fullerton. seriously looks like nathan, if u know him. I would not have been able to do it without him. he considers himself a shy introvert, but i see a lot of boldness and courage in him. He's able to put himself last, and die to himself in order to serve others. i admire his approach to living simply and using money wisely. Robin made it a point to fast and not eat anything. I figured i'd do the same. sometimes the hunger really got the best of me.

____
first we prayed together. we wanted our time to be intentional. We decided to spend the first few hours reaching out to homeless, spend the night hours experiencing what it might be like being homeless ourselves, and then the next day trying to spend more time with the homeless. part of the plan was not knowing what was ahead.

First we went to Target to make small care packages to hand out. We made 20 sandwiches and put them in zip lock bags, we bought 20 tooth brush/tooth paste bags, water, oranges and bananas. We also threw in some Christian gospel tracts to read. as we were leaving in the parking lot a homeless man approached us asking if we could help him by chance. He only spoke italian, his sign said he had 5 kids. We smiled and we're like, "Yeah, this is actually for you!" and we we're shocked that a homeless man happened to approach us so soon. he was happy and started eating the sandwich. i played charades with him trying to understand where he sleeps at night. We both trusted him with some change. Then as we we're driving out we saw a homeless man collecting bottles, and Robin jumped out and handed him a bag. Then driving down the road, we randomly stopped whenever we saw someone homeless.

i didn't really try to strike up a small conversation with everyone. but when possible i thought it was a good idea to try and listen to their story and what they've been through. I'd ask questions like, "how long have you been on the streets? Do you have family? where do you sleep at night? have you checked out a church or shelter?" only a few times i prayed with them. everyone welcomed free stuff and seemed to appreciate the thought. I think if i were to do it again, i'd try to be more patient and try to engage in more conversation.

Eventually we got to a park in la palma. There were at least 30+ homeless people spread out at the park. We didn't have enough bags for everyone. In fact we handed out all our bags in less than 3 minutes. We we're surprised how fast it was. I specifically spoke to a guy named Craig, and it was his first week being homeless. He introduced me to a few new friends he made. He said some people have pretty bad medical problems. he and woman both had short term memory loss. He introduced me to a guy named Phil. Apparently a guy named Randy went to go buy Phil a jacket. I quickly ran to my car and told Phil I got just the thing. I pulled out an extra large jacket that i never used. it fit him perfectly. He was very grateful. Craig shared how there was a shuttle bus that comes to take them to the armory shelter where they get a free meal and shelter for the night. Randy also picks craig and phil up for church. So i was glad that they had people helping them out already.

Robin and I decided to go look for another park. We drove to many different cities. We ended up in Cerritos. But we couldn't find a single homeless person. We then realized that the government outlaws homeless people in cerritos. We did some devotions and watched people play tennis at the park. I'm glad i had Robin with me because we filled our time with so many spiritual conversations. we really did talk about everything. We talked about God, family, friends, school, church, growing up, our fears, our future, marriage/dating philosophies, and how God brought us to where we are. i was grateful that he was there with me, otherwise i don't think i would of had the courage to do it alone. also.. when ur homeless.. i learned that u have a butt load of time, usually to yourself. there's a sense of emptiness just sitting down all day.

We stayed in a taco bell, and then went to a hawaiian gardens mcdonalds. We couldn't find any homeless. it was hard being in mcdonalds knowing i had money to buy food. Resisting our hunger needs was becoming difficult. Wasting time with really nothing to do or nowhere to go seemed quite dull for awhile. We began talking more about God and different things in the bible. again, without robin this experiment outreach would be 10x harder. ill fight the hunger and the cold. but the loneliness is probably the hardest part. what if no one cared you exist? what if u had love from no one?

Around 11pm we decided to go find a place to camp for the night. We wanted to make it a point to sleep outside. We found two benches outside a church, but didn't feel like sleeping. We decided to walk over to a small center with food places.

We both agreed we weren't gonna ask people for help or buy anything to eat. It was hard not to complain about how hungry we were. I told Robin, "hey, if we were really homeless, digging out of the trash for food is fair game right?" He agreed. So we went through 8-9 trash cans and started collecting food that was still well contained and near the top. I was upset that everyone ate all their food and didn't spare us much. finding empty boxes was a tease. We found two plates of this salad thing, two bowls of miso tofu soup, a bowl with a little bit of fried rice, and then we lastly found half a sandwich and a pickle. We were so happy. so happy. so happy. scoring an untouched half sandwich seriously made my day. it was bomb. We walked back to the church, we praised God and feasted on what we scavenged.

we then brushed our teeth with a water bottle in our hands. As i spit out toothpaste onto the grass near a tree i said, "This is definitely a first."I wore four layers of clothes, and a beanie. I only had 2 towels and a fleece. a fleece is a horrible thin blanket. Robin had a warm blanket he used. I gave my warm blanket away earlier, but i really missed it. Because robin didn't use a sleeping bag i decided to go without one since most homeless don't have one too. Robin had more endurance and tolerance to pain and cold.. either that or he had a really good big blanket. He barely complained about anything, he jus sucked it up and dealt with it. It encouraged me to persevere when i wanted to jus give up.

We both were able to lightly fall asleep in periods for about 2 hours. But then the temperature really dropped. It went from low 50s, to low 40s. i was miserable. I tried to cover my face and body, but i kept shaking and shivering. Robin was asleep, but i was beginning to lose it. He woke up and saw me pacing back and fourth. I said, "dude, I don't think i can do this." I was beginning to fold. i didn't wanna wimp out. Around 3am I said, "I get it ok! I get it. It's friggen COLD out here! i get it." So we decided to go sleep in my car instead of enduring the entire night outside and risk getting sick. The car was 10 degrees warmer but we were still cold. I  didn't realize how cold our feet would get during the night, it was painful. i coulda survived the night, but there's no way i'd get any sleep.

In the morning we decided to go to mcdonalds, pick up some sausage mcmuffins for people at the first park we went in la palma. We ordered 30 breakfast sandwiches. i was really tempted to eat one. As we were waiting I noticed a lady sitting on the ground outside with a dog. I then noticed she had a homeless sign. I sat down next to her and she began sharing how she's been robbed 6 times, lost her van and how she pretty much lost everything. Valerie explained that she's trying to raise enough money to help other homeless get back on their feet, and to have shelter. She seemed determined to do something about homeless violence on each other. She was a Christian and i could tell she genuinely wanted to help others like herself. Then her friend she jus met came, her name was Ada. It was actually Ada's dog. The dog's name was Oreo. He was really fun to play with. Robin and I decided we would walk down harbor blvd with these two homeless ladies. We really got to know their background story and we listened to them share about their kids and family. Valerie walked really slow, so we all had to be patient with her because she was very wobbly.

I thought about Valerie's situation. and i thought to myself. how can u really help homeless get off the street if you're struggling urself living on the street. but she mentioned how she had a son who sometimes pays for a motel for her.

I think with certain homeless people you can tell if they really don't turn to substance abuse. many of them acknowledge that drugs jus makes their situation worst. I saw how many homeless spent their money on cigarettes. i usually don't give out change to homeless because you don't know what they use it for. However, i'm beginning to try and discern if I think they'll really use it for food or not. Sometimes we make too many excuses so we don't hafta do anything to help.

 Anyways, as we were walking we randomly met homeless people at street corners. One guy shared how he makes about $30 a day jus standing at this one intersection. as we were in the middle of crossing a street, valerie stopped to pray for a dead cat on the road. i was like, that's nice but lets not get hit by a car ok? valerie was really nice, but she shared that she's bipolar, has ptsd, and robin thought she was kinda delusional. We stopped briefly because Valerie got hungry. I watched as Robin ran inside to get napkins and then he said to Ada, "Let me clean the mud off your shoes." I felt like i just witnessed love expressed in action. I was proud of him. Ada eventually got tired of waiting for Valerie to catch up and decided to go off on her own.

we finally got to la palma park. We ran into Craig again at a mini mart. He was buying alcohol. he was one of the people i gave change to, and i told him he can only use it for food. i realized that there we're quite a bit of drug addicts at the park. I saw people selling drugs. We still approached everyone and passed out a bunch of burgers and waters. I got to pray for a few people. some people didn't speak english. Some were knocked out sleeping. some didn't even care we were offering them food. most were eager and thankful to receive food. I realized that handing out 50 sandwiches can be nice for their immediate temporal needs, but really they need someone to help them get off the street, have safe shelter, and maybe a job. many of them aren't in any condition to work. but i think many use their disadvantages as an excuse, because many of them are capable of working.

We ran out of stuff quickly and decided to walk back. In total we walked about 5-6 miles. we we're tired and sore. we ended our homeless journey and got lunch. chicken burgers never tasted so good. when i got home. I praised God for a warm shower, hugged my pillows and took a long nap. Don't take food, shelter, a bed, health and people for granted. we're extremely blessed, we need to be more thankful.

I learned and experienced what it's like to suffer and to have a little. Getting a small experience of knowing hunger and the cold for a day helped me understand how hard it is to be homeless. Knowing the pain and suffering of others should increase our compassion for those who are hurting. $1 really does increase in value when you don't have much. We need to be generous stewards, and use what we have for God's purposes. Christ died for us, we should also lay down our lives for others. God loves us and calls us to love others.

Perhaps even more than meeting other's physical needs. People respect when you offer your time to listen. Having a day just dedicated to hanging out and making friends with the homeless was time well spent. It forced us to die to ourselves and not be afraid to engage with others. I learned to approach everyone in love, regardless of their looks, social status, or where they're from.

I think God taught me to not underestimate what we can do when we're willing to trust him. There's a story of a boy who goes to the beach and is throwing washed up starfish back into the ocean so they don't die. An older man approaches him and says, "You can't possibly save them all, you can't possibly make a difference!" And the boy responds as he throws a starfish back into the ocean, "I just made a difference for that one." God calls us to be good stewards with our time, money and how we spend our life. In what ways can you make a difference and make someone's day?

homeless

I'm set on becoming homeless for 24 - 48 hours.

this is something ive always wanted to do after i watched "Into the Wild" and read a book called "Under the Overpass". It's about a christian college dude who spent 5 months being homeless by choice. he becomes homeless to reach the homeless.

2014 Dive Winter Retreat

Hello. i just got back from a winter retreat with living hope church. the theme was on deeper discipleship. i definitely feel like i learned a lot. there's almost too much to process. but i feel like God was able to restore my health back in many ways. And perhaps being surrounded by christian brothers and sisters at church helped bring healing. anyways here's what i learned..

God's Grace is Bigger than Our Sin
- see your sin and our need for grace. The samaritan woman received forgiveness and then out of joy she was motivated to witness to others what God did for her. i hate my sin. it's ugly. but God can heal the pains of our sin, guilt and shame. he welcomes us back into fellowship. God's grace is so good.

Experience God's Love
- We know God loves us. but how often to we really just receive and sit in his powerful love? Sometimes God's love is like the bright sunshine, it warms your whole body. sometimes it feels God can be distant like tiny star. and maybe that stretches our faith to seek him even during a dark night. During some free time i sat under the clear sky and just stared at the stars. When's the last time you sat to stare at the stars? It really makes you feel small, and yet still deeply loved and cherished by God. God created the universe and all of life, and then we get bogged down with tiny little issues. Arn't we created to know and love God? idk, i guess it was jus really peaceful being out under the stars. There's so much to be gained from just simply being present with God.

Selfishness
- I'm selfish. i didn't really realize how selfish i am. most of my thoughts and prayers are centered around taking care of myself and what i want. God calls us to die to ourselves and to pick up our cross and follow him. we must decrease so he can increase. the gospel is the best way to deflate selfishness

#RealTalk
- i realize that i care a little too much with what others think of me. there's a healthy amount of considering how we're perceived or appear. but maybe i try too hard to impress or get ppl to like me. i guess we all have a need to be acknowledged with some attention and acceptance among our peers. i think u know you got a solid group of friends when you can truly just be yourself and authentic. you can be comfortable with joking around and being silly. instead of putting on a facade to try and fit in.  i like when friendships develop organically, but as i grow older, i see that it really does take intention to reach out. friends who can be accountable to you and you can be vulnerable with are keepers, don't take em for granted

Identity in Christ
- Jesus redefines our identity. I used to put my identity in ministry, things i did, and maybe in how i saw myself within a group of friends. but sometimes friendships fade and we leave a job/school or something. So if we placed a big chunk of our identity in those things and then lose them, we also lose a sense of our identity. rather our identity is in our faith to God. Phil. 3:7-9 keeps sticking out to me. everything else is garbage and nothing compared to the surpassing knowledge of Jesus. There really isn't anything more important than our alligance to God.

Devotion

- Sometimes i fall into a convenient Christianity. i felt convicted because i can be really lazy and only turn to God on my terms. I only do christian things when it's in my benefit. i pray only when i need something. but when it comes to evangelizing, suffering or being obedient, i can be very half hearted. i pray for a deeper boldness in sharing my faith and actually living it out daily. Our walk with God isn't jus a 1 deal commitment, it's about centering our lifestyle around what we confess to believe.

A Work in Progress
- three people gave their testimony at retreat. it made me ponder and reflect on how i could see God's fingerprints in my life as I grew up. i saw how God brought certain people in my life in certain seasons to strengthen my faith. sometimes i feel like I'm 15. but God is calling me to adulthood. i guess responsible adults are supposed to work full time and not spend their entire day playing video games and watching anime. God is calling me to rank the order of goods correctly. ma-chur-ity

Love of the Church
- The greatest commandments are to love God and love others. Really when u think about it, we can only really love when we first receive love. We love because God first loved us, and that gives us the ability to love others. God really loves me a lot. it's so simple, yet so profound. God's love is what transforms us. Receive his love! This love is what motivates our passion to love him back. We always hear about God's love, but during this retreat i think i also experienced the love of the church body. Everyone was so warm, open and welcoming. i can't imagine how the perfect fellowship in heaven with God and the church will be like. must be pretty darn epic

Confidence and Courage
- God reminded me that i need to be a leader to others. God echoed that he will be my strength, that he will use me, and that he wants me to take the initiative to minister to others and lead people to him. God blesses us to be a blessing. We're no good to others when we're dry and empty. God reminded me to first be filled with him so i can approach and share the gospel to others.

It's All About Relationships
- this past year i learned that loneliness really sucks. lots of pain. if u know me well enough, u know that i struggled with moods of depression throughout this year. but i finally feel like i was able to overcome it in this past month. screw antidepressants. i jus needed God and community. it's easy to withdraw from community and isolate yourself from people. sometimes people are hard to deal with. but we're not meant to do christianity alone. we need to be plugged in and invested into the church body in order to flourish and thrive. relational health brings emotional, and spiritual health. we all need healthy friendships in order to grow. it's all about relationships.

Spiritual Food
- I'm starting to rekindling a desire for God's word. like u actually feel like reading it, even if it's not always an easy read. I'm resolved to start the yearly reading plan for 2014. it covers the OT once and the NT twice. I really want to focus on learning more OT books since i find it harder to read through. how can we meditate on God's word when we dont even read it? hopefully one year from now i'll have read the bible at least once through. it's strange how God can give you a desire to read the bible. Sometimes really jus meditating on scripture can bring so much life into our starving souls. sometimes jus one bible verse can bring so much sanctification. its so easy to put off QT devotions, but small steps daily will ultimately bring you very far. houses require building one brick at a time. someone pls keep me accountable to my goals so i don't slack off like a lazy butt!

Faith in God's Grace
- I need to let go of things i can't control. in faith i'll hafta trust that God is able and sovereign to work everything out. sometimes i still have a hard time forgiving myself. i repent, and i know God gives grace. but sometimes it's so hard to forgive myself when i've caused so much pain. God says that holding on to all this unhealthy guilt does me no good. i simply need to surrender my pains of the past and anxieties of the future. God can heal our wounds, God can restore our relationships, God's spirit can give us freedom and restoration.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

   If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
   Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails

i love this kid

isaac:  i worry about my future

me:     why?

isaac:  what if i don't get a good job or make enough money..

me:     you're in fourth grade!

isaac:  are aliens real?

me:     i don't know

isaac:  cuz if they are, whoa! God makes crazy stuff

isaac:  i don't think i can eat breakfast tomorrow

me:     why?

isaac:  because i can't remember my memory verse

augustine:  look out for the ghost under your bed

isaac:  i don't believe in ghost, i only believe in the Holy Spirit

regarding the obedience retreat, i think my thoughts, feelings, and worries were still a distraction. I gave a short sermon on Romans 5:18-19 and it reminded me that God's grace and double imputation is what makes us righteous. My self-righteous works don't earn or make me become righteous, it is the blood and sacrifice of Christ. My other sermon was on Revelation 5. Read that chapter. it really sticks out to me. It's about how worthy the Lamb is because he was able to purchase us from a bondage and slavery of sin. He is worthy of all glory, honor and praise. i sorta miss teaching. it makes me meditate and internalize scripture more.

playing a bunch of games, laughing and eating together brought a sense of joy that i miss. it's rejuvenating to spend time with christian brothers and sisters. and i think i find fulfillment in ministering and offering care to others. Just being with people breathes health into me. over the last weekend i thought a lot about the virtue of humility. We can all be very selfish and overly self centered with how we'd like things to be. love isn't self seeking, it puts the interest of others before one's self. and i guess that's a virtue i'd like to improve in.

In regards to leaving CA and moving back to HI soon, i've had a lot of fears of losing friendships here.  i guess i realized that some friendships are given for certain seasons. friends worth fighting for can become life long friends. but that requires communication, love and mutual commitment. i pray that even tho i move away, ill still be considered a close friend to those who care. i'm also reminded that we all have the ability to make new friends. Sometimes I'm too selective with who i want to take the initiative to reach out to. maybe we all play a sort of favoritism with people we connect with better. Sometimes we make a short list of only a few ppl that we really care about. but God calls us to step out of our comfort zone and engage in fostering new friendships as well. it doesn't matter who's sitting next to you, foster relationship. change in moving can be a little scary since i still dunno what ill do for work, but I'm starting to worry a lot less because i know God will place me where i need to be when the time is right.

what i learned from last 4 years / 2014 Resolves

New Years Resolutions
- spend more intentional time with God
- be a better friend
- read entire bible
- be homeless for at least a day
- find work
- read more
- floss more
- draw more
- gain 20 pounds to hit 165
- workout like crazy
- back up everything on dropbox
- grow in character and virtues
- get a better sleep schedule

Even if i don't accomplish all my goals, i hope to at least move in the right direction.. eventually small steps everyday turn into miles of growth

_____
so i guess I've been waiting to finish seminary after 4 years. and 4 years is considered relatively fast for master of divinity. but i wish i didn't rush through it, and spent more time in ministry. there was quite a bit of suffering. and i guess that's part of the process. i remember wanting to quit so badly after 3 greek courses. but God definitely pulled me through it. I'm glad I'm done with school. i hope there's no more. in the future i may still consider doing a masters in Marriage/Family Therapy or Masters of Social Work. But just not right away. i jus wanna work. I'm not sure what to do with myself with all my time. I've been jus watching movies in bed since I've been sick for the last 2 weeks. i guess i should jus pack up my stuff to ship to hawaii, sell my car, meet with as many ppl as i can, move back and look for jobs.  i got no energy to do any of those things.

I'm not saying i did all these things well on this list, but its just things i'd like to focus on.
anyways so what i learned...

Thoughts on Friendship IV

watched Frozen the Disney movie. I liked it because it addressed a false ideology of how all you need is romantic love to be happy. The main character anna, meets a guy and they stare into each other's eyes for a while. The next thing you know their singing a song. She says, nobody wants to be alone. The guy then proposes to her and they get engaged after knowing each other for less than a day. So she thinks she's in true love. But then the story unravels to show that they obviously aren't meant to be and she doesn't even know his last name. Spoiler! Instead she finds love in the relationship of her sister. The sister the ice queen is afraid of relationships because she's afraid of hurting others. but in the end the sister sees the consequences of withdrawing from her sister and being consumed with fear. She's able to conquer her fears by trusting in this relational sibling love with her younger sister. Maybe I'm jus over analyzing it.

Quick question, if you could choose or determine the sex of your child would you want to? Like isn't playin with your offspring's genetics like cheating God's unique design? But then, what if they had a genetic disorder? I can't believe biotechnology can actually choose what eye, hair color, etc your child can have. i get off subject sometimes..

I recently connected with an old friend i haven't talked to in like 6-7 years or so. We used to be pretty close back then. And it was comforting that even after all this time we can still just go back to where we left off, and how even tho we haven't talked in years, we're still friends who can hangout.

One of my professors said we need to surround ourselves with at least 12 people. He gave this profound analogy of a clock. He says, the top three numbers are your mentors or people you look up to. The bottom three numbers are those you take care of our mentor. The six numbers on the side represent your peers. Of course we can have more numbers/friends, but he recommended that we should strive towards having a full clock. I responded, i feel like i have a numberless clock and i don't know what time it is. It's weird how coming of age comes with losing and gaining batches of friends. Some seasons we'll find ourselves lonely. Others we'll find ourselves in strong community. It seems like when we're younger, friendships sorta happen organically and easily. But as we get older, I see that close friendships take intentionality.

Sometimes we get close with some friends and forget to keep a balance. We forget that it's not always eight o'clock and that we need other people around us instead of jus one or two. lol do i sound confusing? One person can't fulfill your entire clock. I think not growing up with any siblings made me unconsciously look to care for younger brothers and sisters in the church. The Frozen movie got it right that no one wants to be alone, and that we all need to surround ourselves with healthy relationships built on trust and respect. And i guess the first step to making new friends is being a good friend to others. I guess I'm still in the process of letting God fix my broken clock.

when you think about it, most animals are also very social. Sometimes i think cats are a little antisocial. i wish i had a dog. one that doesn't bark or stink too much. i was jus thinking, it would suck to be a dog and hafta stay home all day tied up or in a boring room with no one to play with. and then u can only run around when ur master takes ya out for a walk. I was jus thinking if animals sometimes feel lonely. I think if i ever got a dog, i'd need to get at least 2 so they could be friends.

being sick sucks cuz u can't go to the gym. u lose ur appetite. u cough uncontrolablly. u hafta go doctors. u hafta take a bunch of pills. u feel weak and drowsy all the time. u get a stuffy nose.

man im not used to cold weather. in hawaii u never hafta sleep in a hoodie. or use chapstick.

my uncle, aunt and cousin are coming up, and my cousin is.. 4 or maybe 5? we're taking her to disney land this week. Disneyland can be exhausting with a little one.

Thoughts on Friendship III

To help us gain the relational and emotional skills we need for engaging in a closer relationship with him, God offers a school of love through experiences with our human friendships. Not only are human friendships a joy in and of themselves, they are also an essential means to deepen the most important relationship we can ever have, our friendship with God. Our intimate relationships with others, brothers and sisters, spouses, friends, are actually more essential to Christian living than we may have previously thought.

Contentment

Supernatural contentment, much like Aquinas's "infused virtues," is rooted in the infinite goodness of God. Having one's ultimate desires fulfilled in the goodness of God is infinitely valuable and, at least on some views, unceasingly constant. If one begins to realize, appreciate, and internalize this greatest good, contentment in whatever circumstances would follow - even in circumstances in which there are little, if any, other satisfied desires. This realization, appreciation, and internalization is not just a cognitive process, but involves an in-depth experience and appropriation of the reality of God's goodness in one's life.

Even if we're not satisfied with how things are, we can be content because God is good.

Spiritual Emotions - R. Roberts
Being Good; Christian Virtues for Everyday Life - Austin & Geivett / S. Porter

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:11-13

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters
He restores my soul Ps 23

Praying in Confidence

What is it that I believe in? Nay, rather who is it that I believe in? I believe in my God. Not only that he exists, but that he is a loving, gracious, and merciful God. He is a sovereign, faithful and holy God. He is always in control. God is supreme over the heavens, all the nations of the earth and the entire universe. Therefore, God can also heal our brokenness, our relationships and restore our souls.

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