Traveling

Dad, focus my eyes again. I’ve lost sight of what is really important again. Help me to surrender, I know that I keep parts of my life to myself that I don’t trust you enough with things that are important to me. My dreams, my goals, my parents, my career, my relationship. If a few fish and a couple loaves of bread can feed 5 thousand, let me trust that you can do so much more with what I give to you than what my mind can imagine. May I be a blessing to those around me instead of a stumbling block. May my thoughts and actions be pleasing to You. May your will be done in each and every area of my life. Thank for the changes you have wrought in me and your continued work in my life. I ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.

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Crazy Mary by FM Static

   Verse 1  Crazy Mary is a slow girl who looks up to no one,  Would do anything for a cold one,  Wishes she could find her way home,  Got the look on her face and the stare of a ray gun,  We walked by everyday,  and I wish there was something I could do for her      Chorus  Maybe if I took a little time to talk then she'd,  Heal a little if she wants to,  She can run but let's teach her how to walk away now,  I'll shake a little if she wants to,  She'll laugh a little if she needs to,  There's a key to the door that she's hiding behind       Verse 2  She watches the world pass her by like a freight train,  They all call her the same name,  Laughin' as they point and stare at her,  So she crys out to God up in Heaven,  been prayin since she was 11,  For Him to send someone to meet her there      Chorus      Bridge  And no one knows the thoughts, the dreams,  And the ideas she's got and contains inside,  She's broken apart,  and her heart is still lookin for somewhere to feel alright. (2 x)     Chorus

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Who's going to CREATION?

:-D  The heat, the sun, the concerts, chill time with the people of God... ^.^

~ Running…(Home) ~

   I went running yesterday. Out into the humid, hot night air. It was refreshing and exhausting at the same time. Breathing in the water-laden air, laced intermittenly with the smell of sweat, car exhaust, and trees. I had just finished dinner about an hour before and all the blood had since settled in my stomach. I just felt confined and constricted at home, where the heat and humidity was actually more acute. All I knew was that I wanted to run somewhere far, somewhere better than where I was at. I didn’t know that’s what I wanted, but after stopping and starting about 3 times on my way from South Philly to the Art Museum, I decided I wasn’t Rocky, but rather more like a wanderer looking for a place to lay my head.
   My lungs burning, my legs shaky, my body complaining but surprisingly, my heart was steady. I wasn’t really looking forward to running up all the steps to the front of the Art Museum, rather… I was hoping to drop in on one of my friends and ask for a cup of cold water before making my way back to South Philly. Too bad my friend wasn’t home. I called about 6 blocks from the Art Museum and got voice mail. After that I decided it wasn’t worth it to get to the Art Museum, it held no promise for me, no reward for my struggles and so I turned back and walked home.
   In a lot of ways, my run yesterday describes a life lived in faith. Too many parallels run in my mind of how this run reminds me of how I’ve been living my life for God. Lots of stops and starts. Reaching out to others to refresh me on running this race. But most of all, I seem to have lost sight or my focus of the goal at the end of the race. Perhaps that’s why, 6 blocks away, I seem to be moving backward instead of forward.

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Prayer Items:
Alaska trip
Grad going to Cornell
BW’s schoolwork
SS struggle to grasp salvation
AB’s wedding
Reaching out to F, BC, FK, B
Band of Brothers
Y’s career crossroad
Pastor Y, P, T
Nurturing
My cynicism
Parent’s Salvation
V’s spiritual direction
Surrendering romantic relationship to God.
Striving for authentic manhood
Missionaries and their trips to Peru, Micronesia, Malaysia, and Turkey

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Dad, help me to see, there’s much more than just a race, but to see what it is I strive for. A place beyond words. A love beyond comprehension. A place that seems impossible like a castle in fairy tale. I don’t want to look back anymore. Keep my eyes on you, my treasure and my great reward. Forgive me when I stop, waylaid by a simple obstacle that is no more than an excuse to stop and pretend to catch my breath. Thank you for those you have placed in my life to encourage me on in this race. May your blessings rest upon them. Help me to move beyond relying so much on myself and learn to lean on you, for there is nothing that is impossible for you. I ask all this in the name of Jesus on whom all our hopes rest, Amen.

Question of the day:

What does it take to be a good “wingman”?
(anyone have any experience in this field? I’ve heard of it, but never thought anyone would ask me… :-p)

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I’m beginning to think he might have asked the wrong guy… I don’t know if there’s such a thing as a “christian” wingman…

AskMen.com
Maximonline.com
DatingClass.com
Lackland AFB
UrbanDictionary.com

Something to smooth out your Tuesday…

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet

Walking on water

Rapture Clause

=+=
Little amusements for bible thumpers… I’m not sure whether I’m honored to understand such humor or maybe more like afraid… (feeling like a pharisee)

Ever had a song that won’t go away?

well… this one won’t leave me alone this week. So I guess I’ll share! 😀

Only You by The Platters (1955)

Only you can make this world seem right
Only you can make the darkness bright
Only you and you alone can thrill me like you do
And fill my heart with love for only you

Only you can make this change in me
For it’s true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do
You’re my dream come true, my one and only you

Only you can make this change in me
For it’s true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do Y
ou’re my dream come true, my one and only you

(One and only you)

Subject: FW: Tag you’re it!!
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 07:39:23 -0400

You have just been KISSED! . something good will happen to you at
1:00-4:00 pm tomorrow, it could be anywhere. Get ready for the biggest
shock in your life if you break this chain u will be cursed for the next
10yrs. Send this to 10people in 15min

=====================================

Got this? That means that u r loved! Send this to 15 ppl in the next
> 143 minutes, and tomrrow will be ur best day ever! Hurry!! Tonight at
> midnight ur true luv will realize they luv u. Something good will happen
> to u at 1:00-4:00PM tomrrow. It could be anywhere phone, outside,
> school, anywhere. Get ready for the biggest shock of ur life.
> If u break this chain u will be cursed w/ relationship probs for the
> next 10 years NO PASS BACKS

=====================================

Then Job replied to the LORD:

“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak: I will question you, and you shall answer me.’

My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you,
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

— Job 42:1-6 (NIV)

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Is it just me… or does God lay a mean smackdown? He isn’t called “Almighty” for nothing. Pity the fool who gets in God’s way…

What do you get from the book of Job? 🙂

Monday Thoughts…

The world has no mercy. Where are we?

The Abundant Lifer… courtesy of kewlnesscounts
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I am excited to present to you our second monthly issue of “The Abundant Lifer” – Bridging the Community towards God.  This is a monthly newsletter created by the Nurturing team at my church, Abundant Life Chinese Mennonite Church (ALCMC)…  please read all about our church and the various topics in the newsletter and email me your response / feedback / suggestions / questions / praise / encouragements…

Download/View the May 2005 newsletter here: “The Abundant Lifer” – May 2005

Feel free to distribute and share among your friends and families!  Our hope is for you to come and visit us at ALCMC… and to keep coming back!
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Edit >> More funky stuff…

Open Toed Shoe Pledge

Zombies in Cambodia (Do you believe everything you read?)

How to speak lovey-dovey (My favorite: Mon petit chou~!)

Hope springs eternal (What-if Terri …?)

Would you like fries and a triple-bypass with that???

Christians… mini-me and the learning of the art of sin-eating…

A light does not change regardless of whose presence it is currently among. The sun shines on both the wicked and the righteous. A christian is a follower of a God of love, mercy & grace. Jesus gave up his life and followed God’s will all the way to the cross. The one who lived a most righteous life, perfectly in all ways… gave himself over into God’s hand and walked the path of grace-giving…

Many of us will admit to being christians, but how many of us will say that we will bleed and die for our enemies. Isn’t that what Christ has done? He died for us while we were yet sinners. The cross is not about my ability to avoid sin. The cross doesn’t tell me that if I do good… I will get earthly rewards. The cross clearly tells another story.  Jesus tells me to take up my cross and follow Him. To live out my life as a giver of grace, mercy & love to both friend and enemy alike. (Luke 23:34)

The strange thing about grace, mercy & love. You cannot purchase or earn any of these. Perhaps you think otherwise, but really, who thinks they can buy love? Don’t give me that four-letter word that people throw around nowadays. I’m talking about the kind of love that would drive a person to die for you. Now that’s what I’m talking about.

When I have wronged God, I get mercy and love. I get forgiveness and loving discipline. Is there anything I can do to add to this? Can I ever add to Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf? doubtful. There is nothing but a mixture of sorrow over my own brokeness and praise for a God who is too good to me, too much for a sinner like me. What kind of heart does God have? What about my own?

As God’s mercy and love rains down on me, I recall that my brother has wronged me. But I have wronged God plenty and still he welcomes me back… knowing full well what kind of person I am… knowing what kind of heart I have. I must do no less for those around me. My cross is to bear the wrongs given to me by my fellow sinner and return only goodness. Never to repay evil with evil, but to repay evil with good. And my life will become a sign to those who know me… a sign… a witness that points to the cross of my Savior and my Lord.

Dad. It is not an easy path you have set before us. But it does lead our hearts back to you. I always think I know what goes on in other people’s hearts, but I don’t even know all the time what goes on in my own heart. But I know of the sins I have committed against you. Your love and your grace blow my mind. Forgive me again. I drive the nails further in. I am not innocent, but cover over my sins as I forgive those who sin against me. Help me to pray for those who give me trouble. May my life be a clear sign to You and to the path of life. Thank you for a way back home. Thank you for [One Way] and all these brothers & sisters. Thank you for the many blessings that I cannot even count. Transform my heart. I know that revival can only start from within. It seems I’m lost again. Come and find me, you know where I am. I ask these things in the one name where hope died and came back, Jesus. Amen.

== EDIT ==

I found out I have no tolerance for watching movies anymore… gah! What’s wrong with me???

Friday Dreams~

I dreamt of driving… in an SUV. Driving way too fast and flying over bumps… for some reason dbyim is there… And after hitting a couple of bumps, each one where we fly higher over the road… finally we’re flying.
Dbyim seems to be a fearless flyer while I’m hanging around the supports of the bridge we were on. He smiles and goes into a free fall dive like one of those skydivers… zoom. I watch he fly ahead and then release the bridge support and start on the descent down. Scary!

Then I’m at this flooded house. Ankle deep water in some places. There’s a faceless blond there. And we’re looking someone’s cell phone. For some reason we’re hopping around on these mattresses to avoid the water. This blond isn’t really faceless as she is not identifiable. Kinda like an extra in a play. Mildly attractive, but not personable. The cell phone seems to have been discarded by the owner and we were looking at it and thinking about contacting the owner for some reason…

Then suddenly we’re in boats. And this guy is swimming up and starts shooting at people with tranquilizer darts from a shotgun. Yea, complete non-sense.And he’s not even looking where he’s shooting. He starts shooting people and he hits this other lady swimming, she’s paralzed and kinda floats there. Then he starts eating the darts… yes, just eating them. But eating them doesn’t seem to faze him. However in the process, he ends up shooting himself with the gun and then gets paralized as well. I’m talking with the lady and she offers herself as a reason for me to save her. I decline her offer and I save her anyway. Then a fast-forward to her becoming a normal gal in a spring dress looking like any other lady…

Do I have strange dreams or what?

:-p