May 2013
12 posts
21 on the 21st
All I need and desire more is grace. Oh Yahweh, may you churn my heart rugged and harden heart to be sensitive to your presence, which is full of grace. Full of love. Full of you.
Just watched Star Trek,
dang. i want a capitan chair and say cool stuff like, “capitan to enterprise. this is your capitan speaking.”
maybe…the first koinonia capitan instead of president???
hahahaha a little too ridiculous.
“The rules for reading yourself to sleep are easier to follow than are the rules...”
– Mortimer J. Adler, “How to Read a Book,” 45.
man, I love this guy’s humor. so spot on.
“Aslan?” said Mr. Beaver. “Why, don’t you know? He’s the King. He’s the Lord of the whole wood…”
I love how he did not say, “he’s the savior,” but “he’s the king.”
How I feel about Senior Year.
Prince Caspian: I do not think I am ready.
Aslan: it is for that very reason, I know you are.
“Always winter and never Christmas!”
- Mr. Tumnus confessing his forbidden service to the White Witch to Lucy.
Oh, this perfectly frames a waiting period for Christians. Always waiting in winter for Christmas, the Advent, but never seeing its fruition. It is “Always winter and never Christmas,” but as the story goes on, this is not the final word. No, no. It is not the...
“Every moment.
Every second.
Every pain, every laugh.
I attribute them to...”
“senior year. last year.
uh. what!?!”
– me right after turning in my last final paper.
My Usual Nerdy Summer Reading Project (2013)
Devotional: The Book of Deuteronomy* NIVAC Deuteronomy (Block, Daniel I.)* JPS Deuteronomy (Tigay) (hopefully get it soon!)
Pleasure: Life Together (Bonheoffer, Dietrich)* Drama of Doctrine (Vanhoozer, Kevin) (hopefully get it soon!)* On the Incarnation (St. Athanasius)* Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament (Walton, John)* How to Read a Book (Alder, Mortimer J. and Charles Van...
“Let us keep in touch, even when you graduate from Wheaton. I really appreciate...”
– my favorite professor at Wheaton.
I am truly blessed, thank you Yahweh.
“I think laughter is best shared.”
“Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.”
– Karl Barth
April 2013
14 posts
“Papa, I like you.”
– Little girl at Starbucks with her dad. Probably one of the cutest moments I have ever witnessed.
Moses had a speech impediment. As did Apostle Paul. To have extraordinary public speaking skills are not essential, but gifts.
Fear not, those with stage-fright and insecurity, this skill is not necessary, but do strive for it.
Be thankful, those with phenomenal public rhetoric, it is a gift.
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever...”
– 1 Peter 4:10 NRSV.
Thunders used to scare the crap out of me when I was little, but now I think they are one of nature’s most awesome phenomena. How amazing, that fear can be transformed into awe?
“Love, then, has for Paul an essential two-dimensional character, as summarized...”
– Gorman, Michael. “Cruciformity.” 160.
“To make the confession ” Jesus is Lord” is also implicitly to make...”
– Gorman, Michael. “Cruciformity.” 144.
“But, freely in Christ, our Heavenly Father has come to our aid. So our works...”
– Luther, Martin. “Freedom of a Christian.”
I think I finally get a glimpse of why Dr. Greenman said that reading more Martin Luther would do much good for the American churches today. Here is a quote blowing my mind, yet affirming a couple things:
“Let us be clear that no one needs to do these things to attain righteousness and salvation. Therefore, we should be guided in all our works by this one thought alone - that we may serve...
“Good works do not make a good person, but a good person does good works. Evil...”
– Luther, Martin. “Freedom of a Christian.”
“There is something truly liberating of calling a dream “My Dream.”
“registering for my first semester of my last year at Wheaton. cra-ji.”
לב "Lev"
Sadly, this beautiful word, “lev” (the “e” has a long “a” sound) in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) is only translated as: heart. Being in Dr. Daniel Block’s class has revolutionized my understand of this word and my Christian perspective of education.
Dr. Block has convincingly established that translating “lev” as heart is only 50% of...
“Maker of it all.
You provide it all.
In You, we live.
In You, we move.
In...”
– “Brother Moon” (Gungor).
March 2013
5 posts
“Always faithful.
Always good.
You still have me.
You still have my heart.”
– “You Have Me” - Gungor
Psalm 73
Read the entire psalm, not atomizing the psalm. It is a beautiful, dramatic monologue of the Psalmist’s life dealing with doubt of the worth of living a righteous life for Yahweh. In the end, he victoriously proclaims nothing is better than being near Yahweh.
“All in vain have I kept my hearts clean! And washed my hands in innocence! … Nevertheless I am continually with you;...
What my classes are teaching me (the most!)
ENGL 373: Literature of the Bible - it’s been teaching me the beauty and artistry of the Bible. Man! What creative and tactful authors!
BITH 343: Old Testament Cultural Environment - not much yet…just started today…
BITH 374: Systematic Theology - theology is surprisingly enjoyable, yet still difficult and not my forte…But it’s been teaching me about the grandeur...
Learning New Things.
Everyone has heard, humility is not thinking less about yourself, but thinking about yourself less. In other words, put others above yourself. Put others’ concerns above your own. However, this seems so incomplete. The concerns of others can be burdensome, who will take care of my burdens?
It hit me like a brick wall. Humility is putting the cares of others above mine and placing my...
let's just be a little honest.
wow, again, it’s been quite a while. a lot has happened and yet I don’t post as much as I used it. It looks like I post the most when I don’t have much going on. But this post was spontaneous and albeit inspired by Joanne Kim’s constant Tumblr use. She is quite the inspiration.
Anyways, this is just a short post. A time for me to be a little honest with myself. Lately,...
December 2012
1 post
The Gospel According to Mark
Recently I just finished reading Mark, err, I think reading is not the right word in this case. I just finished “listening” to Mark. Yeah, that sounds more on point. On the Bible app for smartphones, there is a listening feature for certain translations. Fortunately, there was one for one of my favorite translations, NLT or in other words, the...
October 2012
1 post
Comfort is trust-based, not reason-based.
Lately, I have been really disliking the phrase “God did this for a reason.” It used to be one of the most reassuring phrases I have ever heard. Whenever life happens and someone says it, it’s like “Wow! God cares!” Assuming the reason is always for my good.
However, the more I have been going through Wheaton, the more I have I been realizing this truth: God is more...
August 2012
1 post
“i surrender
i surrender
i want to know you more
i want to know you more.”
– I Surrender - Hillsong (Cornerstone)
July 2012
13 posts
“Dear Devil,
Why yes, surprisingly I agree with you on some things. Yes, I...”
– Me
a not-so-hidden desire.
get a full band and just freakin’ rock out.
drums, keyboard, synth, floor toms, bass, rhythm elect, lead elect, acoustic, violin, cello, and four singers: two male and two females. One of each gender is lead and the other is harmony.
that’s not too much to ask right?
song list:
- Take Heart
- One Thirst
- Beautiful Exchange
- and much more.
Who dares deny the compassion of Yahweh?
How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
- Hosea 11:8-9
Amazing,...
Complaints < Advice.
I rarely like to blog about my complaints about people, but this is ridiculous. I’ve been working at my school’s cafeteria because there are a lot of conferences and need some people over the summer. My boss is a ridiculous boss. He’s best staying in his office and not interrupting our flow. He’s a lot of talk and no respect. It’s so unfair how he expects so much from...
Anonymous asked: do you have a book (other than the bible) That you would recommend?
“Then the spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah…He said,...”
– 2 Chronicles 20:14-15 NRSV. Yahweh’s answer to King Jehoshaphat’s prayer.
“…We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you (Yahweh).”
– 2 Chronicles 20:12 NRSV. During King Jehoshaphat’s prayer when him and his kingdom were surrounded by Moabites and Ammonites with Meunites.
“I once heard Dr. Bonar remark that he could tell whether a Christian were...”
– D. L. Moody Collection, 302. O Yahweh, what a great sinner I am, for my tongue makes great boasts about myself. Have mercy on me and pour your grace and teach me self-discipline.
“Now Yahweh came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel!...”
– 1 Samuel 3:10 NRSV.
is…”open sesame” suppose to be “open says-a-me”?
“I call upon you, my God, my mercy. You made me and, when I forgot you, you did...”
– Augustine, Confessions, 273.
friends are seriously a gift from God.
I miss my wheaton and cali friends.
“You, Lord, who are beautiful, made them for they (all of creation) are...”
– Augustine, Confessions, 224. Parenthesis added.
June 2012
7 posts
“If you want to get victory over that temper or that lust, go on to know Christ...”
– D. L. Moody
“We work because we are saved; we do not work to be saved. We work from the...”
– D. L. Moody, “The Way to God,” The D. L. Moody Collection, 124. 