From a friend:
"The devil tempts us to destroy us. The Lord tests us to develop us. Reference stories of Daniel and Job."
Praise God :) He is so good!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
reminder to self.
I need to remember that my heart for God needs to come before everything else, even my heart for His people.
>.<
Bam!
>.<
Bam!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
october.
October always seems (or just is) the busiest month of the fall semester...definitely feeling it now. The weekend in College Station with brothers and sisters was a good change of pace and very refreshing and encouraging, but after coming back, it feels like things have been constantly overwhelming...and it's only been two days. Sigh. Praise God that He sustains.
Oh, October. Why you gotta be so crazy.
Oh, October. Why you gotta be so crazy.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
small group.
Just gonna say, leading a small group (especially when I wasn't expecting to this semester) is already such a wonderful and rewarding experience :D praise God!!! Only He could allow sisters who have just met to already be so open and free and loving with each other. Can't wait to see how the rest of the semester pans out with our SG :)
Okay. Now time to do that silly essay.
Okay. Now time to do that silly essay.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
mindblowing.
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-27)
And Jesus said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
At small group leaders' meeting last night (my first time going), my mind was blown by a totally new interpretation of that last verse. I always read it and was slightly confused, at first thinking it meant that some people who were with Jesus as He spoke would live until they saw heaven...which would mean living 2000+ years. Probably not the case. Or maybe Jesus was referring to His transfiguration on the mountain in front of three of His disciples, which happens right after this passage. Or maybe it was a reminder that we as believers don't truly die because Jesus is coming back and bringing with Him a new heaven and new earth.
What I had never thought of, however, was this: that some people who live on this earth will not realize the bitter and despairing taste of death until they see how glorious is the kingdom of God.
One of the guys compared it to his Kindle--if there were such a thing as a 3-d Kindle, he would want that instead of being satisfied with the Kindle he has now. Otherwise, he would blissfully continue living his life, satisfied with his normal Kindle. In the same way, so many of the lost around us just live without ever hearing the gospel message, and it's not until it's time for them to die that they realize how much they missed out on.
Blew my mind. Also reminded me of the urgency we should all have as believers to share the gospel with everyone we know. This is a matter of their eternal soul.
Man. I want to keep skipping MCAT Monday classes so I can come to this every week. Feel like I've been missing out!
And Jesus said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
At small group leaders' meeting last night (my first time going), my mind was blown by a totally new interpretation of that last verse. I always read it and was slightly confused, at first thinking it meant that some people who were with Jesus as He spoke would live until they saw heaven...which would mean living 2000+ years. Probably not the case. Or maybe Jesus was referring to His transfiguration on the mountain in front of three of His disciples, which happens right after this passage. Or maybe it was a reminder that we as believers don't truly die because Jesus is coming back and bringing with Him a new heaven and new earth.
What I had never thought of, however, was this: that some people who live on this earth will not realize the bitter and despairing taste of death until they see how glorious is the kingdom of God.
One of the guys compared it to his Kindle--if there were such a thing as a 3-d Kindle, he would want that instead of being satisfied with the Kindle he has now. Otherwise, he would blissfully continue living his life, satisfied with his normal Kindle. In the same way, so many of the lost around us just live without ever hearing the gospel message, and it's not until it's time for them to die that they realize how much they missed out on.
Blew my mind. Also reminded me of the urgency we should all have as believers to share the gospel with everyone we know. This is a matter of their eternal soul.
Man. I want to keep skipping MCAT Monday classes so I can come to this every week. Feel like I've been missing out!
indecisive.
Ahhhhhhhh. I can't figure out what to do over winter break >.< Current plan: Michigan, onething, then Houston...but what dates? Why do flight tickets have to be booked so far in advance...
I want to spend as much time as I can with my parents, but I don't want to miss out on fellowship stuff once finals are done...but will everyone have gone home by then, anyway? Plus, I need to use winter break to study for my MCAT X____X and onething seems really awesome! Especially since I won't get the chance to go next year if I want to go to Urbana....aiya.
God, grant me guidance in this matter, please. Help me to not do anything that I'll regret, as my sister advised me last night.
I want to spend as much time as I can with my parents, but I don't want to miss out on fellowship stuff once finals are done...but will everyone have gone home by then, anyway? Plus, I need to use winter break to study for my MCAT X____X and onething seems really awesome! Especially since I won't get the chance to go next year if I want to go to Urbana....aiya.
God, grant me guidance in this matter, please. Help me to not do anything that I'll regret, as my sister advised me last night.
fall camping trip.
IV fall camping trip this past weekend was so, so good :) Beautiful weather, lots of fun and fellowship, yummy food (even if it took forever to prepare on Sunday morning), new people!, great time of sharing by lamplight and moonlight on Saturday night, being renewed by Jesus in studying Isaiah 53, leading worship for the first time in a while, new friendships, recommitments to Christ...wow. :)
thank You, Jesus!
thank You, Jesus!
missions (x4)
So this is a belated post, but I was sharing with a friend last week about how I feel like recently, God has constantly been speaking to me about missions...about what or where particularly, I'm not sure.
Exhibit A: When I went to visit Austin Stone for the first time on Labor Day weekend, the sermon was about how we respond to God's missionary call for us as His disciples.
Exhibit B: Two weeks later, when I visited AABC for the second time, the sermon focused on the church's vision for missions, and they shared about all of their missionary couples that are abroad right now.
Exhibit C: At IV Large Group two weeks ago, one of our IV alumni shared about his year on missions with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) in Taiwan.
Exhibit D: When I went to DCBC last week (for the first time in a looong time), the sermon wasn't about missions, but our Sunday School was led by a white missionary who had been in China for five years (who had also shared during service).
And then on top of all THAT, three different brothers and sisters who did STiM this past year approached me and strongly urged me to think and pray about doing it my senior year...whoa.
Coincidence? I think not.
God, please help me to be open to whatever You're trying to show me through these messages and events.
Exhibit A: When I went to visit Austin Stone for the first time on Labor Day weekend, the sermon was about how we respond to God's missionary call for us as His disciples.
Exhibit B: Two weeks later, when I visited AABC for the second time, the sermon focused on the church's vision for missions, and they shared about all of their missionary couples that are abroad right now.
Exhibit C: At IV Large Group two weeks ago, one of our IV alumni shared about his year on missions with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) in Taiwan.
Exhibit D: When I went to DCBC last week (for the first time in a looong time), the sermon wasn't about missions, but our Sunday School was led by a white missionary who had been in China for five years (who had also shared during service).
And then on top of all THAT, three different brothers and sisters who did STiM this past year approached me and strongly urged me to think and pray about doing it my senior year...whoa.
Coincidence? I think not.
God, please help me to be open to whatever You're trying to show me through these messages and events.
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