Another Semester...

Quick update:

Went to the PI for 3 weeks to visit family. Above is a silly picture of my fam bam. They are pretty awesome. Good times.

Now I'm back at Talbot for another semester, continuing the M.A. Spiritual Formation program. I am so glad to be back. I really do feel like Biola is my home :)

First week was super long, but good.

I am excited for what the Lord has in store for this semester...

Here's a picture of our A.S. team from last weekend during planning retreat...

I love them alot. It's pretty awesome getting to serve the Talbot community with my friends :)

I am currently listening to : Hope for a Tree Cut Down by the Church of the Beloved...

http://www.byfor.org/project_hope_for_a_tree.html

I like it alot. Reminds me that I am loved by God.

One song that I especially like is called Blessed by Tara Ward, inspired by Henry Nouwen's book Life of the Beloved. I heard it while visiting Redeemer church in La Mirada a couple weeks ago. They played it during communion. It moved me to tears. Here are the lyrics:

We need reminding always that we belong

to a loving God who wont leave us alone,

but will remind us we are guided

by love on every step of our lives.

Receive. Receive. Receive the blessing of God.

And be reminded we are guided

by love on every step of our lives.

YAY! I'M GRADUATING!

I am so happy :)

Now that I'm done with finals, I can fully celebrate graduating! Yay! I was so excited to turn in my final paper on Tuesday that I skipped across Metzger Lawn with Jamie. It was so much fun :) Then on Tuesday night, I watched Midnight in Paris at the dollar theater with Michael, Mel, Maling, Annalyssa, Andrew, and Babs. When we got home, the roommies and I had a dance party amongst the three of us in our living room to celebrate being done with finals. After my final Greek class on Wednesday night, I skipped down the Talbot hallway with Annalyssa, had a Guppy's run with the roommies, and watched Polar Express in the A.S. office. Today, I am looking forward to getting hooded at Baccalaureate and then Graduation is tomorrow! WHOOOOOOOO! Let the celebration continue!

God has been so faithful to me :)

This song pretty much sums it all up. "Never Once" will be my graduation anthem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bXG4WIesA

Never Once

by Matt Redman

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we’ve come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Carried by Your constant grace

Held within Your perfect peace

Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace

Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful You are faithful, God,

You are faithful You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Nearing the End.

Graduation is only 2 weeks away! As graduation approaches, I've been reflecting on the Lord's goodness to me during my time at Talbot, and His transforming work in my life.

I read a few papers from the past few years, and I am overwhelmed by His steadfast love and mercy.

This is the application portion from a paper I wrote on Romans 8:1-11 last fall semester (October 27, 2010), for my Romans class. I actually wrote about the experience in a previous blog post:

"The present realities that there is no condemnation in Christ and the Spirit lives within believers are freeing and exciting truths for believers! These truths describe the life we have in Christ and in the Spirit, which is not a struggle between flesh and spirit – a battle that seems hopeless, but it is a life that is characterized by life and peace. The truth that the very Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us is powerful.

Writing this paper brought great joy to me, because as I meditated on these truths, I saw and felt much hope and freedom. Because I often feel guilt and condemnation which leads to a spiral down into despair, the truth that there is no condemnation in Christ is greatly freeing. For someone who struggles with the guilt and shame of depression, this truth has been transforming for me and gives me great hope. The reality that the Spirit lives within me and that there is life and power in Him also gives me great hope as I know this is a struggle that is not hopeless, but that there is victory and there is hope in the transforming work of the Spirit. While it is hard to confront the pain of looking at myself and the pain of my past, I see the hope that Christ and the Spirit give. Even in the pain and suffering, I know that Christ is holding me in His loving arms and that the Spirit’s power lives within me – and this gives me great comfort and hope.

I found so much joy in these truths that I actually started dancing in the middle of writing this paper because I cannot contain the joy that I feel while thinking about the great freedom and hope I have in Christ. I am thankful for the consolation God has given me while writing this paper, since it has been awhile since I’ve felt this excited. I love the truths of Romans 8 and having the opportunity to study these truths. I am now exuding with joy."

As I read this paper today, I was moved to tears at the how the Lord has truly brought so much freedom to my life. Even in the midst of a time when I was in a deep depression, the Lord showed me the transforming power of His truth and love through His Word, and through community. I am not the same person I was when I entered Talbot three and a half years ago, or even a year ago, and I am thankful for the Lord's grace in my life.

I am overjoyed! This picture is from a Talbot hoodie photo shoot, courtesy of Wade Chan. I love this jumping picture with my fellow Talbot A.S. teammates with Josh, Andrew, Annalyssa, and Crystal.

I also love this picture - just shows how amazing our Talbot faculty and staff are. From the left: Dr. Richard Rigsby - Hebrew professor/Talbot Bible Lands professor/my Talbot grandpa; Dr. Scott Rae - Philosophy Professor; Anita Regehr - Talbot receptionist a.k.a. Talbot mom; Gail Neal - Bible Exposition/Philosophy Departmental secretary.

Thankful.

It's 3 a.m. and I can't fall asleep, so I figure, might as well write a blog post since I haven't updated in awhile.

As Thanksgiving approaches and graduation is less than month away, there are many things to be thankful for. Today, I am especially thankful for:

- My fellow first-years in the Spiritual Formation program (a.k.a. my ISF cohort group). I did my Family Sculpture today, and I just felt so loved by their listening ears and prayerful hearts.

-Fun music and good times with friends. I saw Andrew Figueroa Chiang and the Blazing Rays of the Sun, Connie Lim, and Jane Lui, last Saturday at the Hotel Cafe with Edith and Lyndsey. It was so much fun :)

-The Lord's goodness and transforming work. I just think about where I was a year and a half ago, and I am so thankful that I see evidences of His love and grace, that I can smile and say that I do feel joy and life :)

-Cheap, good haircuts at Paul Mitchell's School and roommie time with Mel and Maling.

- Friends who have shown me what relationship means -rejoicing with me in the good, and holding me in the bad, for loving me, praying for me, and being there for me.

-The Family of God - seeing God's love and grace through my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially the Talbot family.

-Having the privilege of studying at Talbot. It's been an amazing 3 1/2 years. I am utterly amazed and blown away by the Lord's goodness and grace. And I am so thankful for the Lord's faithfulness in getting me through my first degree. I can't believe I'll be graduating with an M.A. in Bible Exposition in less than a month!

Much Ado About Autumn Again.

Last Thursday, we had our first big A.S. event for the year: Much Ado About Autumn: A Talbot Family Celebration. It was so much fun! Many families came, and it was a joy to be able to celebrate God's provision and just have fun. There was a bounce house, petting zoo, games, food, and drinks. At the end of the night, we had a more intimate time of prayer and worship to just praise God and give thanks for what He has done in our community.

We also had "Ebenezer" stones where families could write how God's provided for them.

Even though it was busy preparing for the event and during the event, I thoroughly enjoyed everything we did. I remember last year, when I was so stressed out during this first event - feeling like I was crumbling under the pressure, that after it was all over, I just felt like hiding in a hole and never coming out. I am thankful for the team that the Lord placed around me, that even when I felt weak, that they loved and supported me through it. I am thankful that there are signs of growth this year: that I didn't feel stressed out and that I was able to enjoy it.

I love seeing Talbot students and faculty with their families - seeing the different sides of these men and women as fathers, grandfathers, mothers, grandmothers, husbands, and wives. I love seeing kids and parents playing, singing and dancing. Oh to be a kid again! Such simplicity and such joy! I love being able to worship God and praise Him with other students. I enjoyed coming together with the new A.S. team this year, co-laboring with them in this ministry. It makes my heart full of joy and gratitude :)

It's begun...

My 4th year at Talbot.

Last semester in the M.A. Bible Exposition program. Starting my journey in the M.A. in Spiritual Formation program.

I've been meditating on Psalm 1 recently:

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

¹Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
²but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. ⁴The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

I've been reflecting on how God's grown me in the past year - how he's been rebuilding a stronger foundation after the foundation I thought I had crumbled to pieces - how He's deepened my roots like a tree and now I actually see fruit, and I am so grateful :)

God is so good and faithful, and His steadfast love endures forever.

Even just looking at the change of how I actually was able to really enjoy Welcome Week this year, instead of being so crazy stressed out and wanting to withdraw like I did last year, is exciting to me.

New A.S. team. We had our planning retreat at Hilltop last weekend. Good times. Amazing people. Excited to see how God's working and how He will work this year.

I'm Biola official.

It's official.

Yesterday was my first day being a staff person at Biola, working as the Assistant to the Manager of Recruiting and Outreach of Graduate Programs - Graduate Admissions. I get to tell people how amazing Biola's grad programs are and convince them to come here.

It's pretty sweet how God has provided this opportunity for me. I'm super thankful :)

*And if you or anyone you know is interested in Biola's grad programs, tell them to call me ;)