I am currently loving hymns - the high view of God, depth of doctrine, and centrality of the Gospel - found in the classics...
One we sang last Sunday that I really enjoy:
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" by Charles Wesley
Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav'n, to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling; All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion; Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit; Let us find the promised rest.
Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty, to deliver; Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never, Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish then Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory, TIll in heav'n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love and praise.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Amazing times in East Asia
Thank you for your prayers. I can't even begin to describe how much God is moving in East Asia and how much He taught me this summer. God's doing amazing things there. Our team got to see 44 people come to know Christ! Praise God! We also got to meet some national staff which was really exciting, since they came to know Christ in college, and now are STINTing in Central Asia, taking the Gospel to places where it would be difficult for Americans to go- the whole Back to Jerusalem movement. It's sweet to see how that nation is becoming a great sending nation.
God humbled me in many ways this summer. I realized that I came into the project with rose-colored glasses, as I thought that full-time ministry would be all good and happy since I had heard how ripe East Asia is for harvesting. But God is faithful, He shatters my expectations and with every broken piece surrendered to Him, He makes my vision clearer to gaze on Him. Despite sickness, loneliness, and discouragement, God gave me more of His joy and showed me how His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in my weakness as it says in 2 Corinthians 12:9. It was actually really cool because the second week we were there, there were around 4 of us who were really sick, and that was the week the harvest was most plentiful as our team got to see around 25 people come to know Christ. Praise God! I couldn't go out very much that week, so I stayed in my apartment and prayed for my team, but it was so encouraging seeing God use the body to accomplish His work. I actually never got to see someone come to know Christ personally, which was hard for me at first, as I struggled with comparision and feeling like a failure, but God is so faithful of reminding me to rejoice first and foremostly in my salvation, not the results, because it is God who takes care of the results as it says in Habbakuk 3:17-19, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength, he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."
I was also very encouraged by my team, and saw the great value of community especially when doing ministry. I actually miss them alot. God has grown my heart for East Asia, and I am praying to see if God is leading me to STINT next year or go back in some other way at some other time. Please pray for me as I seek God's direction this next year. I'm graduating, which is a scary thought, but I believe that this trip affirmed that God is calling me to full-time ministry, but I'm not sure what that looks like right now. I'll be applying to Biola to get an M.A. in Intercultural studies. Please be in prayer for that as well.
This is kind of a strange illustration of how much I was at peace being there: My parents told me my acne was much clearer than when I left, even though they expected that it would've gotten worse. I told them that I guess it's because it was most joyous and less stressful being fully focused on ministry. Maybe it's also because it's a simple and slower pace of life there. Please also pray for my parents, as they trust God with my plans as well. I praise God that He grew them alot during this trip, in letting me go, and trusting Him with me. I ask that He continue to grow them and grow their trust in Him since He might lead me to some crazy places in the future.
Oh yeah, and CM 2007 was amazing! It was like a glimpse of heaven.
Now, I'm at home and having a refreshing time resting in God's presence - reading, writing, listening to sermons, playing piano and guitar. It's been very refreshing, especially after experiencing exhaustion in East Asia.
God humbled me in many ways this summer. I realized that I came into the project with rose-colored glasses, as I thought that full-time ministry would be all good and happy since I had heard how ripe East Asia is for harvesting. But God is faithful, He shatters my expectations and with every broken piece surrendered to Him, He makes my vision clearer to gaze on Him. Despite sickness, loneliness, and discouragement, God gave me more of His joy and showed me how His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in my weakness as it says in 2 Corinthians 12:9. It was actually really cool because the second week we were there, there were around 4 of us who were really sick, and that was the week the harvest was most plentiful as our team got to see around 25 people come to know Christ. Praise God! I couldn't go out very much that week, so I stayed in my apartment and prayed for my team, but it was so encouraging seeing God use the body to accomplish His work. I actually never got to see someone come to know Christ personally, which was hard for me at first, as I struggled with comparision and feeling like a failure, but God is so faithful of reminding me to rejoice first and foremostly in my salvation, not the results, because it is God who takes care of the results as it says in Habbakuk 3:17-19, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength, he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."
I was also very encouraged by my team, and saw the great value of community especially when doing ministry. I actually miss them alot. God has grown my heart for East Asia, and I am praying to see if God is leading me to STINT next year or go back in some other way at some other time. Please pray for me as I seek God's direction this next year. I'm graduating, which is a scary thought, but I believe that this trip affirmed that God is calling me to full-time ministry, but I'm not sure what that looks like right now. I'll be applying to Biola to get an M.A. in Intercultural studies. Please be in prayer for that as well.
This is kind of a strange illustration of how much I was at peace being there: My parents told me my acne was much clearer than when I left, even though they expected that it would've gotten worse. I told them that I guess it's because it was most joyous and less stressful being fully focused on ministry. Maybe it's also because it's a simple and slower pace of life there. Please also pray for my parents, as they trust God with my plans as well. I praise God that He grew them alot during this trip, in letting me go, and trusting Him with me. I ask that He continue to grow them and grow their trust in Him since He might lead me to some crazy places in the future.
Oh yeah, and CM 2007 was amazing! It was like a glimpse of heaven.
Now, I'm at home and having a refreshing time resting in God's presence - reading, writing, listening to sermons, playing piano and guitar. It's been very refreshing, especially after experiencing exhaustion in East Asia.
Monday, June 25, 2007
East Asia Prayer Requests.
Hi,Thank you so much for all your prayers and support in helping me go to East Asia on June 27-August 9. I am super excited as the date to depart approaches! God has been extremely faithful to me through this time of preparation and I know He's going to work mightily and blow all my expectations away on this trip. As I leave in less than a weekfor East Asia, I ask for prayer for these specific things:
- Pray for the unity of my team and that we would use the gifts Godhas given each of us. (Ephesians 4: 2-7)
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us and give us boldness tospeak the Gospel. (Acts 4:29-31, Luke 12:12)
- Pray for God's love to flow through us so that others would seethatwe are His disciples and glorify Him. (John 13:34-35)
- Pray that we would trust in God and not on our own ways or our ownstrength. (Prov. 3:5-6)
- Pray that God would open up the hearts of those we speak to sothatthey may know Him. (Romans 10:10)
- Pray for clarity as we communicate the Gospel to them. (Acts 2:6)- Pray for the safety of the nationals.
- Pray for the safety of our team.
- Pray for our health.
- Pray for the conference we are going to in Korea, Campus Mission2007.
- Pray that we would be open to God's Word and His teaching.- Pray for my team leaders, Kevin and Jenn Lamb.
- Pray for those on my team who still need to raise support.
- Pray for me, that God would keep me humble and grow me inhumility.(Philippians 2)- Pray that God would remove the fear of man in me.
- Pray that we would seek His Kingdom first. (Matthew 5:33)
- Pray that entrance and exit to the country would be smooth andthatwe would not encounter any problems.
- Pray that God would grow our dependence, love, joy, and desire forHim.
Thanks again so much! I <3 you all! If there is anything I can bepraying for you about, just email me. I probably won't be able to sendor receive emails during the trip, but I will be sure to check themright when I get back! May God bless you and enrich you in His love and grace."You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on ourbehalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."2 Corinthians 1:11
- Pray for the unity of my team and that we would use the gifts Godhas given each of us. (Ephesians 4: 2-7)
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us and give us boldness tospeak the Gospel. (Acts 4:29-31, Luke 12:12)
- Pray for God's love to flow through us so that others would seethatwe are His disciples and glorify Him. (John 13:34-35)
- Pray that we would trust in God and not on our own ways or our ownstrength. (Prov. 3:5-6)
- Pray that God would open up the hearts of those we speak to sothatthey may know Him. (Romans 10:10)
- Pray for clarity as we communicate the Gospel to them. (Acts 2:6)- Pray for the safety of the nationals.
- Pray for the safety of our team.
- Pray for our health.
- Pray for the conference we are going to in Korea, Campus Mission2007.
- Pray that we would be open to God's Word and His teaching.- Pray for my team leaders, Kevin and Jenn Lamb.
- Pray for those on my team who still need to raise support.
- Pray for me, that God would keep me humble and grow me inhumility.(Philippians 2)- Pray that God would remove the fear of man in me.
- Pray that we would seek His Kingdom first. (Matthew 5:33)
- Pray that entrance and exit to the country would be smooth andthatwe would not encounter any problems.
- Pray that God would grow our dependence, love, joy, and desire forHim.
Thanks again so much! I <3 you all! If there is anything I can bepraying for you about, just email me. I probably won't be able to sendor receive emails during the trip, but I will be sure to check themright when I get back! May God bless you and enrich you in His love and grace."You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on ourbehalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."2 Corinthians 1:11
Thursday, June 14, 2007
finale.
alas, another year has gone by. praise God for faithfulness this year! He's been so good to me, too good for me, really.
as my second year of college comes to an end, i'm quite excited for what is in store for the next...
woot woot! east asia here i come!
as my second year of college comes to an end, i'm quite excited for what is in store for the next...
woot woot! east asia here i come!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
hello goodbyes.
it's tenth week. i should be writing a paper but instead i'm practicing my writing skills here.
anyway, as the school year nears the end, i've realized how wonderful this year has been and how many amazing things God has done this year. and it's been such fun times and it's been sad that this week are the lasts of many things such as:
monday - last prayer team meeting: our team dynamic year was so great! God was so faithful in giving us unity of mind. We definitely were like a family.
also last epic meeting full of k-town fun with bbq and karaoke. aww, good times.
tuesday - last W-band practice. we were like a family too, especially after spending the whole day recording last sunday. i'll miss them and playing the rhodes. but thankfully, i'll see them again during our next recording sesh.
last Bible study meeting @ Cafe 50s. such a cute place with a cute group.
and then some coming up...
wednesday - last d-time with brittany. last real life.
thursday - last day of class.
so i say hello goodbyes. i can't believe all the seniors are graduating. i will miss all of them dearly. they were an amazing class.
but i also say hello to the summer. i'm so excited for east asia! but i must now, keep focused on the here and now and be diligent where God has placed me now...so i will go and write my paper.
anyway, as the school year nears the end, i've realized how wonderful this year has been and how many amazing things God has done this year. and it's been such fun times and it's been sad that this week are the lasts of many things such as:
monday - last prayer team meeting: our team dynamic year was so great! God was so faithful in giving us unity of mind. We definitely were like a family.
also last epic meeting full of k-town fun with bbq and karaoke. aww, good times.
tuesday - last W-band practice. we were like a family too, especially after spending the whole day recording last sunday. i'll miss them and playing the rhodes. but thankfully, i'll see them again during our next recording sesh.
last Bible study meeting @ Cafe 50s. such a cute place with a cute group.
and then some coming up...
wednesday - last d-time with brittany. last real life.
thursday - last day of class.
so i say hello goodbyes. i can't believe all the seniors are graduating. i will miss all of them dearly. they were an amazing class.
but i also say hello to the summer. i'm so excited for east asia! but i must now, keep focused on the here and now and be diligent where God has placed me now...so i will go and write my paper.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Dancing in Delight.
"The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy."
~Zephaniah 3:17
Yay! Praise God! He has renewed the joy in me once again! Thank you for your prayers. I've gotten some much needed rest and sleep. It's been good. God is good.
So this verse has come up alot recently, and it really amazes me how God delights in us as His children. He is our Abba, Father, and He loves us so much. He is in our midst. His presence never leaves us. His Holy Spirit indwells in us. He is a victorious warrior. Jesus Christ has conquered death and hell, and He has given us eternal life through the Cross and Resurrection. He is strong and mighty: a warrior. What an interesting picture, a paradox: Jesus Christ is our Warrior - mighty, fierce, powerful, over sin and death - yet He also is so joyous over us. He exults overs us with his joy and rejoices over us with shouts of joy. Another paradox: Jubilantly and loudly God delights in us. His love is extravagant and exuberant. And He also is quiet in His love. Steadfast, calm, peaceful. He is so gentle, so sweet.
I also thought about how He is quiet in His love in response to how I was feeling last week. God is always near and always faithful to us, but sometimes He is quieter than at other times. We must realize that He is always faithful and true no matter what we feel. But God also demonstrates His love for us in awesome and wonderous ways that just blow us away.
I love the song "Amazed" by Jared Anderson. It describes so very aptly my sentiments right now.
You dance over me
While I am unaware
You sing all around
But I never hear the sound
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord, I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
How You love me
You paint the morning sky
With miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand
How wide
How deep
How great
Is Your love for me.
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy."
~Zephaniah 3:17
Yay! Praise God! He has renewed the joy in me once again! Thank you for your prayers. I've gotten some much needed rest and sleep. It's been good. God is good.
So this verse has come up alot recently, and it really amazes me how God delights in us as His children. He is our Abba, Father, and He loves us so much. He is in our midst. His presence never leaves us. His Holy Spirit indwells in us. He is a victorious warrior. Jesus Christ has conquered death and hell, and He has given us eternal life through the Cross and Resurrection. He is strong and mighty: a warrior. What an interesting picture, a paradox: Jesus Christ is our Warrior - mighty, fierce, powerful, over sin and death - yet He also is so joyous over us. He exults overs us with his joy and rejoices over us with shouts of joy. Another paradox: Jubilantly and loudly God delights in us. His love is extravagant and exuberant. And He also is quiet in His love. Steadfast, calm, peaceful. He is so gentle, so sweet.
I also thought about how He is quiet in His love in response to how I was feeling last week. God is always near and always faithful to us, but sometimes He is quieter than at other times. We must realize that He is always faithful and true no matter what we feel. But God also demonstrates His love for us in awesome and wonderous ways that just blow us away.
I love the song "Amazed" by Jared Anderson. It describes so very aptly my sentiments right now.
You dance over me
While I am unaware
You sing all around
But I never hear the sound
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord, I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
How You love me
You paint the morning sky
With miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand
How wide
How deep
How great
Is Your love for me.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Sickness.
1 Corinthians 1:29-27
"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God."
Recently, I've been having stomach pains, probably due to lack of boundaries --> lack of rest --> lack of sleep + stress + whole wheat products. God has been teaching me alot through this time of physical weakness. He's been humbling me and breaking me of my pride and thinking that I'm invincible and don't need rest. He's showing me that I need to take care of my body, and that He created my body to be frail, so that I would depend on Him. Sleep is sign of dependence on God. I have been neglecting to rest in God. I have been breaking the Sabbath. I have been neglecting the gift of sleep and my need for sleep and rest. And now it has taken its toll on my body.
Not only on my body, but also on my spiritual well-being. I haven't been as excited or passionate lately, and it's because I'm burned out. I'm tired and I don't have the energy to go on like this. God's been teaching me that I need to rely on Him and not to rely on myself. I need to stop striving and be still before Him. I don't feel as intimate or close to God as I have before. But even through this God has been teaching me not to depend on my own feelings, but to focus on His objective saving Truth. Jesus Christ died for my sin so that I may have life! That is what matters!
"Our life in Christ is based on objective truth, and the chief truth among the innumerable glorious truths of Scripture is that Jesus died for your sins. That's the heart of the gospel."
~C.J. Mahaney
Yesterday, we had a sweet time of intense prayer during Real Life and it was exciting to see how many people stayed and the intensity and passion of everyone there. It's exciting and encouraging to see how God is moving and how He is reviving people's hearts. Yet, honestly, I didn't feel as excited or passionate as everyone around me because I wasn't feeling very well, and again God reminded me that it's not about what I feel, it's about how He is moving and working and that He died to set me free! That is what matters!
Something I realized this morning: Whenever there are intense times of prayer within Crusade, I'm usually sick. I think this is God's way of humbling me: to show me that it is nothing on my own power, but only by His strength, so I will not boast in anything I've done, because it's nothing that I've done, and only by God's power. He uses the weak things of this world so that His power may be made even more known. Praise God.
I'm still not feeling the greatest. Please pray that God would once again light that fire within me. Please pray that I would not focus on my feelings and focus on God's awesome truth, and that through that He would give me more passion and more excitement for His Gospel and His amazing grace!
"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God."
Recently, I've been having stomach pains, probably due to lack of boundaries --> lack of rest --> lack of sleep + stress + whole wheat products. God has been teaching me alot through this time of physical weakness. He's been humbling me and breaking me of my pride and thinking that I'm invincible and don't need rest. He's showing me that I need to take care of my body, and that He created my body to be frail, so that I would depend on Him. Sleep is sign of dependence on God. I have been neglecting to rest in God. I have been breaking the Sabbath. I have been neglecting the gift of sleep and my need for sleep and rest. And now it has taken its toll on my body.
Not only on my body, but also on my spiritual well-being. I haven't been as excited or passionate lately, and it's because I'm burned out. I'm tired and I don't have the energy to go on like this. God's been teaching me that I need to rely on Him and not to rely on myself. I need to stop striving and be still before Him. I don't feel as intimate or close to God as I have before. But even through this God has been teaching me not to depend on my own feelings, but to focus on His objective saving Truth. Jesus Christ died for my sin so that I may have life! That is what matters!
"Our life in Christ is based on objective truth, and the chief truth among the innumerable glorious truths of Scripture is that Jesus died for your sins. That's the heart of the gospel."
~C.J. Mahaney
Yesterday, we had a sweet time of intense prayer during Real Life and it was exciting to see how many people stayed and the intensity and passion of everyone there. It's exciting and encouraging to see how God is moving and how He is reviving people's hearts. Yet, honestly, I didn't feel as excited or passionate as everyone around me because I wasn't feeling very well, and again God reminded me that it's not about what I feel, it's about how He is moving and working and that He died to set me free! That is what matters!
Something I realized this morning: Whenever there are intense times of prayer within Crusade, I'm usually sick. I think this is God's way of humbling me: to show me that it is nothing on my own power, but only by His strength, so I will not boast in anything I've done, because it's nothing that I've done, and only by God's power. He uses the weak things of this world so that His power may be made even more known. Praise God.
I'm still not feeling the greatest. Please pray that God would once again light that fire within me. Please pray that I would not focus on my feelings and focus on God's awesome truth, and that through that He would give me more passion and more excitement for His Gospel and His amazing grace!
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