Traveling

I’m too 😛 ugh 😛 to try and finish off Hosea 4.

So… on another note:

Four signs she’s high maintenance

By Marcia Jedd

Most men have been there. Many won’t admit they’ve been there: involved with a high-maintenance date or girlfriend. You can run from a high-maintenance woman and you can hide, but your best chance of going unharmed is to avoid her all together.

“Once I get a whiff of one, I steer clear,” says Brian, 40, an advertising manager in Omaha. Ross, 43, a consultant in San Francisco, found that he hasn’t attracted one in recent years. “I really don’t date high-maintenance chicks as a rule.”

To avoid them, you’ve got to know how to spot them. Consider these tips on spotting the classic high-maintenance woman:

High H.B.A. factor. Rookie observers, remember the H.B.A. acronym (which stands for “Health, Beauty & Accessories”). As in, obsessed with H.B.A. Scan the latest trendy store, restaurant or bar and you’ll spot high-maintenance women easily in their natural habitat. Ground zero for the high-maintenance species are beauty salons, malls and occasionally, the health club. (Yes, female gym rats can be high maintenance, although scientists say it’s a rare occurrence.) Is she dressed to the nines at the grocery store? Is she sporting full-tilt makeup and big hair at the health club when other women are in sweats and no makeup? Look closer and you’ll find what constitutes high-maintenance is as varied as her patchwork quilt or designer bag, her intricately painted toenails or her voracious appetite for beauty treatments.

Emotional insecurity. High maintenance women can be as insecure as a lost toddler. They can freak out if you even so much as give an extended glance at another woman, among other indicators of emotional neediness. Her neediness often requires her to control and direct your behavior.

Controlling. Is she always instructing you to call her or sets rules around things? (Example: “Call me at work tomorrow at 2 p.m.”) Worse yet, she might express anger or manipulate you to get you to do what she wants. A range of ploys such as her demands to call frequently, fix-it items, and transportation needs (“Can you pick me up?”) are all ways to keep you on a short leash or otherwise attempt to control your behavior.

Communications. Guys, if she talks like this, run: “Like, oh my God, I was on the way to the mall and…” (At your own risk, remind her that “Valleyspeak” went out in the 1990s with Frank Zappa.) Pay attention to what she talks about for it’s the critical indicator of what might – or might not be – going on in her brain. Is it all about her, shopping and her friends? Chances are you have a high-maintenance girl on your hands. I say “girl” because rarely are mature women really that high maintenance. If they are, they may be limited to the divorcée set, who brandish fake dark tans, fake body parts, overprocessed hair and enough bling-bling to make you squint.

And, if you still have doubts, consider these stories:

Look in the mirror. Make absolutely certain that you’re not the one crying foul. Could you be high maintenance yourself? Consider the case of Michelle, now 42, who a decade ago broke up with a serious boyfriend, Jeremy. They had dated a year and a half and Michelle graciously declined his proposal for marriage and broke it off. “He accused me of being a materialistic you-know-what. Guess he was pretty raw, even after I told him not to buy an engagement ring.” Michelle was never high maintenance. She drives an older car that’s paid off, makes her own coffee every morning and has owned the same home for many years.

The picnic test. If you have doubts about her high-maintenance level, put it to the test. See how she handles an impromptu picnic. Suggest casual food from the deli, a cookout, or wine, bread and cheese. Then, gauge her reactions carefully. Dirk, a Minneapolis marketing manager, didn’t discover he was dating a high-maintenance woman until it was too late. When he was in his early thirties, he dated twentysomething Jodi for a couple of years. “On our way to a picnic, we had to stop so she could buy a new outfit, out of my pocket of course, because the one she took an hour to pick out on her own wasn’t good enough for the picnic.”

That was the first “picnic incident.” The second one was even sadder. The couple had spontaneously decided to go on a picnic, so they stopped by a deli at a grocery store near a nice lake area. “When the clerk weighed each of our salads, hers weighed more. She stormed out saying that I made her look like a pig because I wasn’t eating as much as she was. Kinda nuts, huh?”

stolen off of MSN.

hmm…. maybe it’s time for a look in the mirror.

Hear the word of the LORD , you Israelites,
because the LORD has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
“There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
 There is only cursing,  lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
 Because of this the land mourns, 
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.

 “But let no man bring a charge,
let no man accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.
 You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother-
 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
 The more the priests increased,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged  their  Glory for something disgraceful.
 They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.
 And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

 “They will eat but not have enough;
they will engage in prostitution but not increase,
because they have deserted the LORD
to give themselves  to prostitution,
to old wine and new,
which take away the understanding  of my people.
They consult a wooden idol
and are answered by a stick of wood.
A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;
they are unfaithful to their God.
 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar and terebinth,
where the shade is pleasant.
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution
and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

 “I will not punish your daughters
when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots
and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes-
a people without understanding will come to ruin!

 “Though you commit adultery, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.

“Do not go to Gilgal;
do not go up to Beth Aven. 
And do not swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
 The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the LORD pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?
 Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone!
 Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
 A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

— Hosea 4:1-19 (NIV)–

==Ranting. God-style==

God needs you to know. There’s a problem, it’s called sin. And you know what? we all have this. The easiest way to see sin, it to see it’s effects. First it takes away…

We lose faith. Do you know what it means to lose hope? If you do, then you know how it is to lose faith. Today is the only thing that matters. Tomorrow is just a faint idea… barely worth a moment’s thought. Do you remember the promises of the past? Do you know what it is that you hope for? Does a bad day tear you apart? Or are deeply rooted in something unchanging and good? Something that tells us there is more than just a pot of gold beyond the rain and the rainbows of your life? What happened to our dreams? Will they ever be fulfilled or is it going to ever be a dream deferred, a path never taken?

We confuse love with lust, admiration, and everything else in between. Who knows love? One person says, “I love you.”, and they mean that you inspire them to be a better person and they appreciate it… for now anyhow. Another person says, “I love you.”, and it means I want to get into your pants and then ditch you as soon as the relationship seems to be getting harder. Or maybe Somebody set you on the right track? Maybe when you say, I love you, you mean all those good things that God talks about. About being patient with them. Wanting the best for them, even when it does you no benefit. Sacrificing time and energy, that says, yes, you are important too. Focusing not on yourself, but on serving others. Where else can you find a reason to love wholeheartedly and without reservation? Love is in the two most important commandments. Gnaw on that a bit. I’d like to hear what you think.

We fail to acknowledge God. For those who just don’t believe that God exists, well, this portion of the bible agrees with you. For people who think that there is a God, but he’s just some distant faint deity who has better things to do than care about your life. It probably applies to you as well. God designed us with a purpose in mind, when we do things we are not designed for, we run into sin. Think about trying to open a can with a spoon instead of a can-opener. God would be the designer of the spoon and until we acknowledge God for who he is, we (the spoon) will do things our own way (can-opener-wannabe) until we start doing things God’s way (scoop food). People who say they are christian, but live their lives as if no one can see into their hearts and minds. (Yes, I am a hypocrite too.) God’s love us and wants the best for us. This is what God’s been trying to tell us all this time, through Jesus, through the people around us. But there must be some sort of response from us. That response to God… that is acknowledging Him. Acknowledging That Someone knows better than us. That Someone is in control. That there is a method to this madness called life… and His name is God.

Then it bears fruit in us… it gives us cursing and lying tongues, deceptive and selfish thoughts. Finally, it brings us to pain, and this pain isn’t limited to just our selves, but spreads to affect those around us. We break relationships thinking that our ways are better. Blood flows and it becomes a normal thing. When we live our lives this way, who cares about the death of another person, even if His name is Jesus? We even fail in our original job, caretaker of animals and this world. How can we take care of something else when we cannot take care of ourselves? Extinction of animals is sad sight. But what about the souls of darkness that have never known light?

Dad, I don’t understand the next part. When you’re ready, we’ll do that part, ok? One of my pals is having a job interview, what do you think? is it a good position? I feel like I’ve been really hypocritical lately. No passion, no heart for you. Where’s the love? Complete lack of vision and dreams of something better. What’s going on in this mess of a heart, Lord? Search my heart and cleanse me, cuz something seems stuffed up and dead… like a stagnant pool of death. Maybe it’s just me. Thanks for listening. I pray these things in the name of My Lord-Shepherd, Jesus. Amen.

=-=-=-=- Randomness -=-=-=-=

Cool Optical Illusion

My claim to Otaku-dom.

Ok, I think it’s time. Hosea 4, here I come.

::Takes a deep breath and opens the Word to the bookmarked page::

Random, Entropy, Destiny,… GOD!

Father, you’ve been beating lots of other people up around me lately. Maybe you misheard my recent prayer? 🙂 Maybe there’s a role for me to play here? Am I to shed some light somewhere? Say the ugly truth that someone wants to block out? Listen to someone’s trouble and then show them Your point of view? Things that have been running in my head: Chicago? DS’s need for friends? RR car and patience troubles? VC stressing over a best friend’s trouble? AB’s moving to NNJ? the youth at T? GL over aim? Car permit/license? BH’s dating? Jogging on saturday nights? ppl looking for work? Wisdom teeth? M and You? Slacking at work. Making a mark/Showing my mark? Bonus? relationship with brothers. Leadership? My Weird Dreams? What’s up? Too many things, don’t know what to concentrate on. God? I need some light down here. Illuminate Your Word. I ask this in your precious Son’s name, Amen.

<Randomness>

Seven-Eleven, baby!

Dreams: I dreamt today for the first time in a long time. My dad was in it and we were driving in random neighborhood. My dad would grab my shoulder as some sort of blur comes at us. I sense some sort of monster. (RL: I wake up and fall asleep to have the dream start again.) I get a deja vue of the dream again, but this time, I meet up with monster instead of just seeing a blur and a feeling. My dad and I are fleeing from this monster and I put myself between this monster and I. I get a really good look at this monster and to me, it looks like a werewolf. It growls at me and I growl back at it and for some reason, I’m fending it off with what seems to be a steering wheel, (I have no clue how I got from driving a car to running…) I look at it’s face and I see a human, but then it growls again, takes a couple of swipes at me and I think it’s an animal. (I wake up after fending off the monster a couple times… and I’m thinking why is my monster so human and inhuman at the same time?)
I’m scared/disturbed and I pray to God about what this dream was about. Why did he have me wake up at 3:25 and 4:35 in the morning… I see a bit of myself in that monster. For, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. If I give in to fleshly desire, I am becoming more like an animal, taking as much as I can get from anything weaker than I. If I choose to fight the good fight, I have to fight with this monster within myself, to stay human. God keep me fighting… And yes, I do care for my dad, as much as he drives me up the wall sometimes.

My dreams are either fighting dreams or flying/floating dreams. Isn’t it interesting that I have a horrible fear of heights and falling, but I still dream of pleasantly flying/leaping without wings?

Guitar:
For anyone who has learned to play guitar. I feel your pain. Still. (2 days and counting…)

Prayers:
ZD got hit by a car. Pray for comfort, strength and speedy recovery. Why did you do that, btw?
BC finally touched the bible. Remind me to have a chat. ^_^
AB moves to NJ, new job, new place. My friend’s in your hand, Lord.
Sermons at EC are sometimes really good, sometimes barely makes an impact. Do I have listening problems?
PL is having a large gathering, time for the harvest, Lord?
FC is comming. I dunno what to say about that one…
NF is reading The Case for Christ. Open those eyes and ears, Lord!
CW is reading The Screwtape Letters. Nothing like another perspective to give us new eyes. Let my friend see the unseen!
Besides for that. I think I’m about due for another kick in the butt, been a pew-warmer for too long. I need to do something, where are you work, Lord?

</Randomness>

EDIT: Dream 2 >>

Now this may sound strange. How about a dream of hanging onto a tiny, yet large helicopter and flying over a gigantic bridge, seeing the “roof of the world” and then jumping off the helicopter, sky-diving for a bit, narrowly avoiding becoming a stain on the ground and recover just in time to catch some falling female. Add to all this I have the singing company of some jazzy african male singer. God, what is all this weird stuff?

I’m not home yet… Dad, can I come home yet?

Why?
– Cuties.

I hate that what you see is not what you get. Whenever I meet someone good-looking the first thought that comes into my head is not, “oh… she looks good.” it is more like “pretty = superficial; will she take advantage of her looks?; will I let her take advantage of me?;why can’t I see her the way she really is on the inside?;Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised;I have 20/20 eyes and they can only see glimpses of real beauty.” I don’t want some pretty face. I enjoy beauty like anyone else, but I want the real deal. I’m looking for something beyond face paint, beyond painted fingernails and toes, perfectly done hair, cute outfits, and shoes to fit every occassion. This is just icing on the cake. If there’s no cake, what is the point of all this dang sugary frosting???

“Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”

– People asking me what worship is…

How do you explain to someone what worship is? Not just singing… not just raising your hands to the sky… more than just gathering in one place in fellowship to affirm God’s goodness. Ever wanna just dance and sing… just because you can? Not because you look good or sound good doing it, but because something inside makes the joy bubble out? That joy needs to be expressed… if we repress it, aren’t we denying the crazy-nutty-love of God inside from getting out and showing the world how we feel about our Lord?

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

– Lovers.

I see all these movies… romantic movies, chick flicks, call them what you will. They make it seem like as soon as you find “THE ONE” eveything will work out fine and happily ever after. Part of my heart is so drawn to this. But after having gotten in a long and deep relationship (3 yrs for those number munchers…) I’m disappointed. The person that you spend so much time with, that you expect to know you so well that they can get under your skin, really doesn’t know you. We see but a shadow of the other person. Can I truly find the fulfilment of my life in another person? The cynic tells me this will happen when pigs fly, hell freezes over and monkeys type out all of shakespearean works. (Yes, the cynic is seriously bitter.) But when I think about it, God did say that He placed eternity into our hearts… I want that happily ever after. But I don’t that will happen here on earth. and unfortunately for all those movies, it won’t happen with your significant other… trying to do this will only set your self up for pain and disappointment. (But don’t take my word for it, feel free to learn it the hard way… I did. 😛 )

“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

– Feeling like a visitor/guest/outsider…

You know that feeling you get when you go somewhere where you are not at home at all? You have to be on your toes and be careful you don’t do something stupid lest you will be deemed “impolite”? Yea… this happens at churches, small groups, parties, get-togethers. Makes me wanna be in my Father’s house all the more…

– Prayer.

You know how when soldiers go to war, they are always sending letters home to their loved ones? All the death, carnage, disheartening situations, the food and the homesickness… Sometimes, I think that when God hears my prayer, I think he sees it like a soldier sending back letters from the front lines. “One of my friends died… another one is wounded, and the sermons really don’t do anything to me……” So yeah, send a letter home to the family once in awhile, dad would probably like to hear from you…

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

– showing people the way home…

If I was home, there’d be no need to show people the way. I wouldn’t need to shine the light because we’d all be home already. We’d shine the light because that’s what we are LIGHT! No more lost people, just complete human beings as full God-given glorious creations. No more need to introduce people to God, cuz everyone would know the dad.

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”

– Death.

Thoughts? I’m a bit tired of Hosea. All the search for explanations and investigative work has me feelin a bit like a wrung out rag right now… I’ll probably explain those words and neural pathways in my head later.

Drop a note, say hi and leave some thoughts to nibble on if you would please~

 The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you.”
 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.

— Hosea 3 (NIV)

== i spy… ==

“Show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress.”

Why would God ask this? How does this measure up against God’s command to stone adulterers to death? (Lev 20:10)
The only clear thing to me is a glimpse into God’s heart..

“Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites”

You seem to know much of justice and of love.

Redeemed yet again: Hosea buys Gomer for “15 shekels of silver and about a homer & lethek of barley.” (That’s about 6 ox of silver and 10 bushels of barley. Pretty cheap, if you consider how much a human life is supposed to be worth.)
Looks like somewhere between verse 2 and verse 3, Gomer has managed to get herself into some trouble and Hosea has to bail her out. There’s a price to be paid for redeemption. Thanks be to God for paying for us. Not because of who we are, but because of who you are. (I would’ve kicked her to the curb so quick…)

Instead of yelling at her (like I’d probably be doing at this point) Hosea instructs/lectures his wife:

“You are to live with me many days; you must not be prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you.”

The little footnotes in my bible tell me that the words “live with” could also be interpreted as “wait for”.

Oh my, “wait for”? Love, waits? Gah, of course… duh, “Love is patient…” (1 Cor 13:4) God’s waiting for me to stop chasing other ‘lovers’ and keep Him as my #1.

==Thoughts later on in the same week…==

I’ve been a real prostitute lately. God hasn’t been #1. Maybe somewhere around #2 or #3… or probably lower. Knowing it’s a sin. Knowing some of the bad consequences. Knowing the freedom of not doing it. Knowing that all you have to do is pray and ask God for strength. Feeling the vileness in your heart. The wretchedness in the act. But still doing it. @!#$%@$ me. Yes, I am fallen. I am a sinner. Why do you come so close?
There is definitely a battle and not only is it waged publicly, out in the open but in the private places of our hearts and souls. A part of me wants God to win. But another cynical part of me doesn’t want God to win. Because if He did win, everything would be His way. I don’t think I trust you that much.

I’m beginning to think God’s a hopeless romantic. I must’ve gotten from your side, dad. Cuz it certainly doesn’t seem to come from my parents.

This one’s for you, God.

Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn’t stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times
That I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can’t get near you now

Oh, can’t you see it baby
You’ve got me goin’ crazy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I wonder how we can survive
This romance
But in the end if I’m with you
I’ll take the chance

oh, can’t you see it baby
you’ve got me goin crazy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you
Waiting for you

Keep working over my heart, even if it means beating the living daylights out of me sometimes… ok, most of the time. Thanks, God. Amen.

 “Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife,
and I am not her husband.
Let her remove the adulterous look from her face
and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.
 Otherwise I will strip her naked
and make her as bare as on the day she was born;
I will make her like a desert,
turn her into a parched land,
and slay her with thirst.
 I will not show my love to her children,
because they are the children of adultery.
 Their mother has been unfaithful
and has conceived them in disgrace.
She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
who give me my food and my water,
my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.’
 Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;
I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
 She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Then she will say,
‘I will go back to my husband as at first,
for then I was better off than now.’
 She has not acknowledged that I was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
who lavished on her the silver and gold-
which they used for Baal.

 “Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens,
and my new wine when it is ready.
I will take back my wool and my linen,
intended to cover her nakedness.
 So now I will expose her lewdness
before the eyes of her lovers;
no one will take her out of my hands.
 I will stop all her celebrations:
her yearly festivals, her New Moons,
her Sabbath days-all her appointed feasts.
 I will ruin her vines and her fig trees,
which she said were her pay from her lovers;
I will make them a thicket,
and wild animals will devour them.
 I will punish her for the days
she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,”
declares the LORD .

 “Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
 There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

 “In that day,” declares the LORD,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master.’
 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
no longer will their names be invoked.
 In that day I will make a covenant for them
with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
I will abolish from the land,
so that all may lie down in safety.
 I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in  love and compassion.
 I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

 “In that day I will respond,”
declares the LORD –
“I will respond to the skies,
and they will respond to the earth;
 and the earth will respond to the grain,
the new wine and oil,
and they will respond to Jezreel.  
 I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.  ‘
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,  ‘ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ “

Hosea 2:2-23 (NIV)

== Adultery & Idolotry: Action and Reaction ==

A beautiful woman decked out in jewelry and lacking nothing in food, clothes shelter, property and wealth. Chasing lovers even though having both children and a husband. Something wrong with this picture?

If you feel that sense that something is wrong and the need for correction pulls at your heart… the spirit within you understands what God laments… God has given us so much, so many blessings… that we forget who has really given us all these great gifts. So God reminds us…

He takes away those blessings. Strips away all that is superficial and material to reveal… the spiritual. I’m sure this sounds cruel to some, but personally, I don’t know any way to show people a glimpse of themselves until they are at the end of their rope sometimes. This goes alot closer to what it feels to be naked. God showing us what he sees when he looks at us. God strips away all those things that we use to define ourselves… because this world offers so many good things, we begin to depend on these as the center of our universe. Boyfriend, girlfriend, family, best friend, money, power, honor, respect…. the list goes on and on. They are great things, but not something to center your life upon. God is the only thing to center your life upon and if you haven’t learned that lesson yet… beware, a rough ride is ahead of you. It took me 3+ yrs to learn this particular lesson and let me tell you: It ain’t pretty.

But look at what happens after all this stuff has been stripped away. We hear God again. We go back to the way things are supposed to be between us and God. Restoration of relationship between (wo)man and God. Reminders of salvation and redeemption by God.

God is never one to settle with just little reminders. We see God’s description of heaven. God returns as the redeeming one. Reclaiming those who are disowned because of their own actions. A place of peace and where God is known and acknowledged. Where idols are no longer needed. Where God’s people acknowledge Him by name.

<Random>

Yum… DDR… for your health…

CNN: Video game fans dance off extra pounds

</Random>

== Prayers ==

God, why did you let that happen? Was it for me… was it for her?
Thanks again for this weekend, besides for that, it was all very good. AB is thinking about a bible study for the family. Wow. God, you seriously move like the wind… Keep on working! How about this family group thing at Emmanuel Chapel? Should I go? I’ve got family and they are pretty much unhappy with how much time I spend with them as it is. Less going out? More chilling with christians? And this going to church thing, I know I haven’t really talked with you about it… It’s been kinda troubling to just go to church. Isn’t there more to this? And this book called the journey of desire… it’s just weird. I am no expert on desire or my emotions, that much is clear. But is this book right? Help me to see the truth. And oh yeah, my sleep pattern seems to have degraded even more… maybe I have been taking my sleep for granted. Did I learn my lesson yet? Cuz this is seriously tiring. But I seem to depend upon you more. Is sleep my idol?? That’s one weird thought. Get back to me on that one would you? Hosea is a pretty good book. Should’ve read it sooner. Hope, I’ve been picking up all the important stuff. Make sure I don’t miss any good stuff, k? Remind me once again… it’s not what I want, but your will be done. What I want is not always what’s good for me, You’d figure I’d have accepted this by now. But no… need more reminders. Keep me on the straight and narrow, walking the walk, talking the talk, and keeping You, numero uno! I ask these things in the name of the one who showed us how it’s done, Jesus. Amen.

EDIT:

Rest in peace, Wynne Wong, my friend.

One of my friends from college died this past week. She was hit and killed by a cleaning truck. 21 and just graduated from my alma mater. Life is short and no matter how bright your future looks… there’s something more than just this life. Our days are numbered and no one knows when it is time to meet our Creator. Father, may you have mercy on her soul.

== Requiem… ==

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”

   The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel: 
   When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD .” So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 
   Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them-not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God.”
   After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. Then the LORD said, “Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.
   “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

— Hosea 1:1-11 (NIV) —

God’s Will and Man’s desire…

“adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness”

No man could possibly wish for a union of this sort…
We dream of the perfect “soulmate”. One in purpose and goals. A joining of mind, body and soul. Our children should be the joy of our lives, returning honor, love and respect as they grow up.

God says… I want to speak through you and I have some unresolved issues with the house of Israel. God tells Hosea to find himself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness. This feels so wrong, so unjust. So Hosea finds the adulterous woman, Gomer and marries her and promptly starts having children. Imagine what people would say when you introduce them to your children: Israel-will-be-broken, Israel-will-not-see-God’s-love, and Israel-is-disowned. And I thought my name was bad…

Reminds me of Christ… and his own tragic search for God’s will in His life. Being repaid evil for good, and hatred for love. I remember the garden where Jesus asks for this cup to be taken from him, but insists that God’s will be done regardless.

Sometimes, I find I need some reminders. God sees the need for this as well. We tend to be forgetful of our promises, forgetful of the love of God and how he cares for us. We sin and feel no remorse because we have hardened our hearts against God, we don’t see the harm and pain it causes, so we continue. Imagine if the loved ones in your life were named after the consequences of sin… “Hello Worry”, “Hey Envy, How’s it going?”, and “How’s school today, Proud?”

I see that God needs to be numero uno, #1, in my life and to do otherwise is setting myself up for some interesting consequences. God’s asking something along the lines of… “Who’s your daddy?” And in this case, God’s telling the people of Israel that whoever or whatever it may be, it certainly isn’t Him. God’s asking his people, “I loved you, took care of you, brought you through the desert, gave you food to eat and water to drink, and this is how you repay me?” Sin has a price and it’s not always the person sinning who pays the price… but sometimes the next generation.

But there is hope, our God is a God of hope. Those who have been disowned by God will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ No doubt, God’s talking about the Savior. The one who will come to bring God and man back together. The Lamb of God. Without flaw, without sin, to be sacrificed so that we might have life.

== Prayer ==

Dear father, thank you for your work in my life. It is really hard and I know I am not the most appreciative of the hardships you bring my way to help me grow. Continue your good work and help me to listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit within me. Save me from myself because I know that I have no enemy worse than I. Convict me of my sins, because I let become the ruin of me. Lead me to greener pastures and show me the lies I keep denying. I’m tired… Lord, may I find my rest in you. I also have some brothers and sisters to bring to your attention. Anna is having a tiresome journey right now. Perhaps she needs fellowship with some loving brothers and sister, or maybe just needs to make things right with her friend. I pray that you will keep her strong in you and doing what is right. J has been having a tough time, but it seems that things are easing up. I pray that you will give him wisdom and perseverance to keep studying and showing his dad the fruits of his hard work. BC is currently seeking to know you, Lord. May you open my friend’s eyes, so that those eyes might see you. Your love, your mercy, your justice, your wisdom, your redeemption of us. Continue working in the heart where no human sees, but You work and show your power. FK is in need of some fellowship, I pray that you might bring some brothers and sisters to make the journey easier and bring encouragement when all seems lost. Praise you for giving two of my very good friends, AB & BH jobs. In all things, including work, may you be glorified. AC is still in need of summer employment. I know AC doesn’t know you very well, but your love extends beyond just those who know and love you. May AC find the job that is well suited to help with “real life” experience and to help support school needs.  You are the Provider and I know that in Your time, all necessary things will be taken care of. Thanks for this wonderful day and night. I pray that You will continue to be Lord in my life and lead me always in the right way, even when I’m being stupid and a control-freak. Help me to shine and point the way to life, real. life. I pray all this in the name of the one who shed His blood for each one of us, Jesus. Amen.

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EDIT:

Interesting thought:

God seems to answer my prayers most comically sometimes. (Comical, if someone else was reading about my life anyway…) I was really tired and washed out last weekend. My prayer at Emmanuel Chapel that week was for rest because I felt so tired and worn out. This week was WORSE!!! How then is this an answer to my prayer? I think if God’s talking to me through my situations, he’s saying something like… “If you thought you were tired last weekend… what do you think of this weekend? Son of mine, you don’t know tired… I’ll show you what it means to be tired and weary.” Yeah, so um God… if it would be ok, I think I’ve learned my lesson now, can I have my restful sleep and refreshing life back yet?

Been feeling like a prostitute lately, always selling out on what is holy and right twisting so it’s all wrong.

Hosea’s been bouncing around in my mind long enough. Bible study time!

P.S. Anonymous is so nice to give feedback, bless his/her soul, Father.

P.S.2.0 The Journey of Desire is most interesting… anyone else read this?

A woman of noble character

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. 
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value. 
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

— Proverbs 31:10-31 (NIV) —

Noble, caretaker, provider, investor, accountant, merchant, cares for the poor and needy, strong, dignified, wise, gives faithful instruction, and watches over her household. Wow, considering this is before the feminist movement in the US, it’s quite an interesting description for it’s time.

Written by Soloman: The wisest man of his time. A man with many riches, much honor and fame. He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines.

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

After seeing all these awesome qualities, my mind can only echo:

“A wife of noble character who can find?”

~ Application ~

Learn to give full confidence in a woman of noble character.
Praise the woman for her works in front of anyone and everyone.

== Prayer ==

Father, Thank you for today’s daily bread. Help me to remember that food is a blessing just like anything else and to remember and give thanks to you for it before I partake. The hot shower was lovely as usual. Merci beaucoup, mon dieu. Just a couple things bouncing around in my head. AB is still looking for a job. Got something lined up? Or maybe a lesson in mind? I pray you will keep AB’s eyes and heart open so that he may see what it is you wanted. J is hard at schoolwork. Give insight and the discipline to master the material. May he grow in knowledge and wisdom. BC is seeking you in a new light. I pray that you would continue to work in my friend’s heart. BC has taken an interest in a fellowship down in NJ. There is another position, but BC is not drawn to it. May your will be done in this matter. Finals are here, keep the students studious and concentrating upon their goals. PL is considering CA. Speak in my friend’s heart. Each and every thing can be to your glory, if this is in your will, let it be so. Otherwise, stuck on the east coast it is. B wants to read the entire Bible. Am I to be your tool here? BH is not liking the shaping. Open those eyes to your reality, Lord. Continue in the good work you have started until it’s completion. Each day may we continue to follow you with our hearts, our souls and minds. I pray all this in the name of He who died so the doors of heaven would be unlocked to sinners, Jesus. Amen.

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Bubble wrap popping maniacs click here.
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THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PRAYED FOR MY MOM !
(and a quiet thank you for those quiet supporters out there too…)

She’s doing very well at home and our family is doing better than ever. Praise be to God for another chance to show His love to my family. Thank God for being in control, cause I would hate to be boss.