To Live Is Christ!

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:21

This blog entry is in response to my last one - Crazy Times - and I said I wasn't quite ready to tell the world the changes that have been going on in my life, BUT now I am.  I've been meaning to post this a while ago and it's almost too much to contain right now... and I am only blogging this not to give praise and glory to myself, but to my God who has had His hand in every step of the way.

Rather than build up and prevent any opportunity to glorify myself (which is rather hard to do...) I will go ahead and just blurt it all out and explain later...  I am committing my entire life to Christ by serving in full-time ministries.  I have resigned from my current job at Dreambox Creations (in fact last Tuesday was my last day), and will be taking on a full time position TODAY at my current local church that I've been serving with for the past 3 years since I've been down here at Cal Poly.  On top of that, I am planning to further educate and prepare myself for the ministries by obtaining an Masters of Divinity at a seminary school (TBD).

Alright, now I've gotten that out of the way, I guess I'll explain more and how God led me to this change in my life.  I've been explaining it as "a calling" to everyone because those are the best words I can gather to describe the situation.  It's an irresistible pull that I have felt as early as high school, yet I've been ignoring it for a while which was me telling God: "I'll do it when I am ready..."  I've tried to accomplish so much on my own... to be independent and trusting in my own ways.  Yet, I was constantly reminding by God and His calling for me in my life.

It wasn't until recently something just clicked in my mind, and through encouragement of a friend I decided to finally answer God's call.  It's because I've felt so ALIVE the past months in rediscovering God's love and grace in my life, that I was so oblivious to before because of my good works.  I think doing good works has that effect on Christians, in a sense that good works is all that is needed for the security of eternal life, but in fact it is NOT what develops a TRUE relationship with God (something I've been missing for almost my entire Christian life!).  When we begin to cultivate a true relationship with God we will live for Him, which brings me to the verse I put at the top of the post: Philippians 1:21.  My life right now, should be all about Christ because of what He has done for me and given me.  And when I die, it is a even better because I will have gained eternity with Him!  Doing good works comes out of a relationship with God because of what He has done for us...NOT what WE can do for God...

I'm really excited to start this new position at church because knowing God chose me and has a reason for me being here fills me with anticipation on what He is planning to do specifically at this church.  Living with a purpose makes things so much clearer (doesn't necessarily mean easier).  I could go on and on with other things, but I think this is enough for one shocking post.  If I may ask your support in keeping this church (Chinese Grace Baptist Church) in your prayers, because God is about to do something amazing!  Pray that hearts and minds will be transformed!  Pray for me as well because I still have so much to learn...

This posted originally at http://blog.nicktam.com

Crazy Times

Sorry all...I know I haven't posted in a week, and there's good reason...  unfortunately I'm not ready to tell whole word what has been happening the past two weeks...yet.  I will soon.  Just letting you all know I am keeping up with my devotions still...I just haven't been able to post about them. =)

Going up to San Jose now for a nice 5 day weekend!

This posted originally at http://blog.nicktam.com

Words to Live By

"The beauty of old men [and women] is [wisdom and experience]."

Growing up is part of life and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  It's always ironic to hear how children want to become adults as fast as possible (to do "adulty" things) and adults which they could become like children so they don't have all the responsibilities they shoulder now.  But one truth that I am becoming more and more aware of is that the older you get, the faster life passes you by.  I remember when I was a child, waiting an hour seemed like eternity...I would anxious and move around a lot (well more like bounced around...just ask my family) and if there was ever times were I was waiting I didn't like it...  Think about Christmas when you were little...days seem to go slower than a snail, and when the day finally arrived our anticipation burst into happiness and joy.  I am 24 years old this year, and Christmas seems to come and go so fast.  It's already almost the end of August and we might begin seeing Christmas shopping specials soon.  I'm not only talking about Christmas, because everything in life goes by like a blur now, and I realize as I get older it will only go by faster...

Here are some words that came out of my devotion today from an elderly man: "Time has a way of catching you unawares. It seems like yesterday I was young, just married and embarking on my new life. Where did the years go? I know I've lived them all, and I get 'glimpses' of how it was back then…my hopes and dreams. But here it is…the winter of my life…How did I get here so fast? I remember seeing older people and thinking winter was so far off I couldn't fathom or imagine it. But here it is…my friends are retired and getting gray…they move slower…I see great changes. I remember when they were young and vibrant, now we're the 'old folks' we never thought we'd become. Each day I find that taking a shower is a real target, and taking a nap isn't a treat anymore, it's mandatory, otherwise I fall asleep where I'm sitting! I'm unprepared for the aches, pains, and the loss of strength and ability to do the things I wish I'd done and didn't. Winter's here and I'm not sure how long it will last. If you're not there yet, let me remind you it'll be here faster than you think. Whatever you'd like to accomplish in your life…do it today. Don't put it off, because you can never be sure if this is your winter. There's no guarantee you'll see every season of life, so say all the things you want your loved ones to remember. Your life is a gift from God, how you live it is your gift to Him and ensuing generations."

These words by the older man show his wisdom and experience, and the verse in the beginning of this post is already wisdom in itself.  His words encourages me to seize every moment of every day, because we do not know even if we have tomorrow, another mintue, or another year.  Even if we do...time will go by so quickly we might miss opportunities and life will just pass us by.  Learn from this elderly man as I have, because before I know it, I'll be that elderly man (if I live to then) who passes my wisdom and experience to younger people. 8)

This posted originally at http://blog.nicktam.com

Integrity (Part 2)

"The integrity of the upright will guide them." - Proverbs 11:3

Another problem we face, like the self-serving bias in the previous post, is something called "fundamental attribution error."  Here is what it looks like:  if something good happens we tend to explain it by taking credit for it, but if something bad happens we tend to explain it by blaming circumstances.  For example, if I do well on a test I think it is because I'm smart; if I do poorly, it's because I was distracted and didn't study enough.  But the issue gets worse when we try and put the blame on the behavior on other people instead of realizing our own bad behavior.  How about this example: if you have gotten a speeding ticket, or any type of ticket, you blame the police because they HAVE to fill their quota and were out catching speeders instead of real criminals...  I've heard that excuse a lot...and I hope I don't ever use it, because the fact is you still sped, broke the law, and now justice needs to be rendered.  You can't put the blame on other people, when you knowingly and willingly broke the law.  If they let all speeders and traffic rule breakers loose and catch only real criminals, there would be more accidents, deaths (that will affect families), and overall just utter chaos...  So, even though they have quota to meet, there is a good reason they have to do it.

What's the solution to the fundamental attribution error?  The way of grace and repentance. We need God's help to see the truth about ourselves. And He gives it to us in three ways:

1. Through prayer.
2. Through reading and applying His Word.
3. Through people who love and know us well; people who don't tell us what we want to hear but what we need to hear.

To live a life of integrity means taking the blame when you, yourself, did wrong and NOT blame others.  When we do that, we start to build up the self-serving bias and placing ourselves above others.  That's why I believe humility goes hand-in-hand with integrity; you simply cannot have one without the other.  So take this time to start humbling yourself before the Lord and ask for his help and know you will receive it in one of the three ways mentioned earlier.

This posted originally at http://blog.nicktam.com

Integrity (Part 1)

"The integrity of the upright will guide them." - Proverbs 11:3

I think the world would be a much better place if everyone had integrity.  And for the most part, there are a lot of people in the world who have admirable integrity.  But there is one problem, which is called "the self-serving bias."  That means pretty much everyone believes they are above average.  Take this for an example: 800,000 high school students were asked whether they were above or below average. Now if they were accurate they’d have split 50-50. Guess what percentage rated themselves below average? Zero! 20% rated themselves in the top 1%!  This self-serving bias is seen in many areas, most drivers view themselves as above-average drivers, 88% of college professors rated themselves as above average, and 90% of all pastors within the survey rated themselves above average preachers...

This is a huge problem because when we begin to view ourselves above others it begins to disintegrate our integrity and our capacity for integrity.  Jesus said: “…many who are first will be last, and the last, first." (Mark 10:31) The fact is we should never view ourselves above average because it just sets us up in a very bad place.  Becoming first doesn’t necessarily make us bad, but while we continue to view ourselves above average, humility and integrity begin to become absent.  In a way, we start to become the Pharisees…  Our problem is not just our lack of integrity, but that we can’t see how badly we lack it.

I viewed myself as a good driver (no accidents, or tickets, etc.), but doesn’t speeding (even a little) or performing the infamous California rolling stop already diminish that goodness?  I am in fact a very poor driver according to the law, and I can never say I am above average unless I begin to always follow speed limits, stop completely, and other things the law requires.  In fact that’s almost the same as when we view ourselves as good people, and we deserve to go to heaven.  But God has given us a very strict law, The Ten Commandments, and if you have ever broken one of them, you are considered a sinner and are destined to hell.  We should never think of ourselves as good people because we simply aren’t.  There was only one who was righteous and his name is Jesus, and that is why he was able to take our sins away, because he himself was blameless and pure.

This devotion has helped me realize that I should always humble myself in situations and never view myself above average in any situation.  That doesn’t automatically give me integrity, but it will allow me to produce an integrity that will constantly guide me as the verse from Proverbs above says.  Do you view yourself as above average in anything?

What "sells"

"Another Jesus...a different spirit...a different gospel." - 2 Corinthians 11:4

It's quite easy to teach/preach what people want to hear.  Think about these statements: "You only need to be a good person to be saved",  "God is a loving God and he doesn't allow good people to go to hell," or how about: "Everyone will go to heaven."  If any of those statements sound great to you, then clear them out of your head right now, because ALL three of those statements are FALSE.  Salvation comes by grace, through FAITH (Ephesians 2:8).  Being good just doesn't cut it because "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  Therefore, pretty much everyone will go to hell and not heaven.  I'm not making this stuff up, this is the absolute TRUTH, BUT the silver lining - that glimmer of hope - comes from THE most well known verse of the Holy Bible: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  That verse says it plainly, you MUST place your FAITH in God's Son, Jesus Christ, to have eternal life in Heaven.   And when it says God gave his Son, that means he sacrificed his Son (his ONLY one) on the cross to pay the penalty we all deserve (hell), but God loves the world too much...to see everyone perish.  That right there is the gospel, and if any part of that struck you it is time for you to place your faith in Jesus Christ.  I'm pretty sure I know most of you who read these little blogs, and I urge you to talk to me if any of this struck a chord in your heart.

There may be many other teachings that you may have heard but isn't the truth.  So how do we know what is true and what is not true?  It begins with us reading the Holy Bible, which I view as God's direct Word to us.  If you want to know God and what He has to offer you, the best place to start is reading His Word for yourself, not listen to preachers all day and tell your what his Word means.  Which would you rather trust to be more accurate, an autobiography, or a biography written by someone else?  The Holy Bible IS God's autobiography, because it gives us a very clear picture of who God is and what He desires.  This isn't just a book of history, it is His story.  It is inerrant, and the prophesies explained in the Bible actually did come true.  There is one prophesy that has not been fulfilled and that is Jesus Christ's return to this earth, and that is not a time that you want to be on the wrong side.  I'm not trying to scare you, but the end times aren't going to be pretty...  We (Christians) don't know when that time is and it could very well happen tomorrow...  Make sure you ARE on the right side...

I deviated a lot from today's devotional, but I really felt that I should proclaim the gospel in today's post and most of my posts from now on for that matter because there's always a sense of urgency since we do not know when the end times are coming.  I guess today's devotion made sure that I will continue to hold His Word close to my heart so that I may guard myself against false teachings as well as not be a false teacher myself.  The Word has a way of producing a Christ-like character in me that others will be drawn to!  So let's take Apostle Paul's advice when he warns us against anyone who preaches "another Jesus...a different spirit...or a different gospel."

Resilient People (Part 1 and 2)

"We are hard pressed." - 2 Corinthians 4:8

Life never seems to go the way we want it.  For some cards are dealt to us that we would never expect and I think the Apostle Paul knew that the best when he writes: “We are hard pressed…but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”  The fact is everyone has the choice to be resilient in any situation that we face in life and we choose to be depressed and complain about it, or we can choose to rise above it for personal growth.  Resilient people have four traits that allow them to face difficult times:

1. They take control of their lives – Instead of blaming others for their problems and never rising to the occasion they see their own strengths and begin to influence what they can, instead of focusing on what they cannot.


2. They surround themselves with the right people – This is so important especially in today’s society where it seems every just goes with the flow.  There are a few who don’t and those are the people you should surround yourselves with.  That’s why fellowship and small groups within the church are vital to the members because you will begin to lean on God through the church body.


3. They allow pain to spur growth – Sometimes pain or failures are the best situations that promote growth in your life.  It’s almost like falling into a pit, and it forces you to become stronger to be able to climb out.  You can’t fall any lower than you already are, and the only direction you can go is up!


4. They insist on changing what they can – Attitude is a very important factor on being resilient.  You can draw from God and learn to control the one thing you can control – yourself.

I don’t know what situations you are facing, or the cards that life has dealt you, but even though we are hard pressed, we can be resilient.

Tell the Truth

"Put off falsehood and speak truthfully." - Ephesians 4:25

"Thou shall not lie"...the ninth commandment…  We all lie, and sometimes we tell ourselves even white lies are ok.  But Paul warns us about people who’ve “lied so well and for so long…they’ve lost their capacity for truth” (1 Timothy 4:2).  Yes even white lies are still lies, and while they seem harmless, they are in-fact destroying our integrity and soon enough we will be living a lifestyle of lies.  Dr Harold Sala writes: “Some people are so good at distorting the truth that they convince themselves…The chronic liar has made lying so much a lifestyle, she has a hard time perceiving reality…Not only does God distain it, but the liar is destroying her own credibility…To turn a lifestyle of dishonesty around you must recognize you have a problem: not an incurable one but a persistent one, and acknowledge it, even if it means going public.”

If these quotes have struck you, then maybe it’s time for you to start living a life of honesty.  It’s not an easy task, but just as the lifestyle started with chronic lying, you’ll need to have a lifestyle of chronic honesty.  The more you say things as they truly are, you’ll start to cure that old ugly lifestyle of lying.  If you have a problem telling the truth take these four steps to help you:

1. Repent. “If we confess our sins, he…will forgive us” (1John 1:9 NIV). And with God’s forgiveness comes His help.


2.  Become accountable. Find somebody who’s not afraid to ask you tough questions. Remember, the truth usually makes you miserable before it sets you free.


3. Drop the attitude. It’s not okay to lie because God will forgive you. That cheapens His grace. “Shall we go on sinning…that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2 NIV).


4. Keep short accounts with God. When you blow it (and we all do) “fess up” and make it right with God and the people you’ve misled.

I am pretty conscious when I tell both big and small lies, so I will listen to that voice inside my head and begin to start telling the truth all the time! :D

I’ll leave you all with a video….  Doesn’t really have to do with lying… I just really like this song 8)

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6392LoZ9XJg

When your faith feels shaky (Part 1 and 2)

"If you...believe in your heart...you will be saved." - Romans 10:9
"Reach out...stop doubting and believe." - John 20-25-27

Have you ever questioned your faith?  Maybe you don't feel like your faith is strong enough or maybe you wonder why God doesn't talk to you or answer your prayers.  Doubt is something all Christians will face at one point or another.  Sometimes we can see God in a tangible way, and sometimes we can't, but seeing God in tangible ways doesn't save us, it is still faith...  Let's say you happened to be dying of cancer, and prayer warriors prayed for complete healing, and God answers their prayer.  You've just received God's love in a tangible way and while you are not saved because of healing, it causes you to believe in a greater power, because you begin to realize how BIG He really is. 

In fact, let's think about the Israelites for a moment.  God rescued them and delivered them out of slavery in Egypt, parted the Red Sea (that would have been some sight to see), gave them just enough manna each day in the desert, delivered their enemies into their hands, won battles that seemed impossible, and so many more miracles!  But most importantly, they knew when God was with them because His presence came in a form of a cloud that rested over the tabernacle and fire as well, so He WAS somewhat visible in a tangible way...  Even after God practically did miracle after miracle, and His presence was among His chosen people...many didn't truly believe that He was really God.  They turned their backs on Him multiple times, and it's no wonder God became angry at them and punished them so many times....because of their unbelief.  I mean think about it, they just witnessed the Red Sea split into two...and right after they began to complain and said they would rather be slaves than out in the desert... 

Another example would be the disciple Thomas, who wouldn't believe that Jesus had risen unless He saw Jesus for himself with his own eyes... (Thus nick-named "doubting Thomas").  Just like the Israelites saw God perform all those miracles, and Thomas had seen Jesus throughout His entire ministry (many miracles), he still didn't quite believe Jesus rose from the dead (like Jesus said He would), and wanted to see Him with his own eyes...  He doubted his faith

So even IF God chooses to heal cancer, or reveal Himself in any other forms of miracles, it won't necessarily cause us to believe in Him (but it certainly does help).  And sometimes we are like doubting Thomas, where we won't believe unless we see it for ourselves.  That's why faith is sooooooo important, because if we wait for miracles to happen in our lives, or want to see it with our own eyes, faith will never be built up.  In fact why should we even question God's will... He thinks on such a BIGGER picture, and we think we can really know what God's will is?!?!  The bottom line is, that you only need to have faith in one person and that is God.  If you truly believe Jesus is your savior, and that He died for your sins and rose again, know for SURE that you are saved.  So stop doubting and believe!

The Harvest Is Here...

I apologize for not posting my thoughts on my daily devotionals the past three days.  I actually had a pretty crazy, eventful, and exhausting weekend...but if you want to know what happened, talk to me... because there is really only one experience out of this whole weekend that I want to talk about because it had such a profound affect me!  It is so crazy that I can't really stop thinking about it...

It actually has to do with Harvest Crusade that I went to last night.  I wasn't planning to go in the first place because already had plans, and I knew this weekend was a packed one; yet plans changed and all of a sudden I was driving people to Anaheim Stadium.  Everything that preceded the Harvest Crusade pointed for me not to go - I was extremely sore and tired from all the activities of the weekend, ride arrangements were thrust upon me to figure out (and it almost seemed impossible to get everyone there), ran into some heavy traffic on the freeway and super long signal at Disneyland (5 minutes long!!!), got there late, waited in line to get in, no more seats so we had to stand out in a porch-like area and watch everything on the Jumbo screen, our group was split up, and the list can go on and on...  It almost felt like something, or someone...ahem...Satan...cough...cough, was making its best effort to make me not want to go.  I'm sure many of the other 50,000 people who were there also faced similar challenges...  In fact I'm surprised that he didn't attack by cutting out the power or seriously screwing around with the sound, but I'm sure there were many prayer warriors asking God for provision and to make this night go accordingly....and I must say, I believe their prayers were answered.

Yeah, worshiping with Chris Tomlin (AHHHHH :D ) was pretty great, especially with 50,000 other people...but that's not what had the profound effect on me.  It wasn't even Greg Laurie's message about Heaven...even though I love his sense of humor and his books and sermons that I have read and listened to.  The experience that I was really moved by was when Greg Laurie did an alter call for those who wanted to accept Jesus as well as prodigal sons and daughters (people who were Christians and turned away).  I remember sitting on the floor, and in front of me is a clear view of the field, and when people started flooding into that field it was almost like Heaven was rejoicing for those people who were making a public statement ready to believe in Jesus as their personal Savior.  I felt so happy and had tears of joy and I just kept saying to myself that I need to pray for them, praise God that He is being glorified at that very moment.  This was the very thing that Satan didn't want me to see, and the very act he didn't want others to do...  I can still see it clearly and it really opened up my eyes that the harvest has been ready for a very long time...  In John 4:35, Jesus says: "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."

Unfortunately, the group I went with wanted to leave early to avoid the traffic and eat, and I was very reluctant to go, in fact I wanted to stay and praise God for all the souls that were saved that night and get a small taste of what Heaven might be like…a paradise I can’t wait for.  But, it would be selfish and foolish of me not to tell others about this paradise...and equally important to tell others about the other place they would go if they cannot get into Heaven or do not believe.

We all have our own agenda and I think it blinds us to the things that God is doing in our lives and others as well.  It creates walls that will be much harder to break down later on and cause us to be stubborn and prideful of our ways.  When we control our lives, we sometimes miss out in a unique encounter with God and the longer we continue to be in control we become more oblivious to the Spirit.  Even for myself, I constantly wish for my own agenda before God’s, and it is so hard to just let go of the reins that guide my life and hand it over to someone who has much more experience in handling life.  I need to trust that He will take my life and propel it forward in doing BIG things for God.  Do you have your own agenda?  Everything you are working for will probably one day come to a screeching halt at which you won’t know what to do.  We need to start living with a greater purpose in our minds and hearts…we should be heavenly-minded people!

When you feel anxious (Part 2 and 3)

Philippians 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything"

As we looked at anxiety two days ago, these next two devotionals focused yet again on anxiety.  Tomorrow’s devotion is also on anxiety.  I think they spend so much time on anxiety for good reason, because it has such an enormous impact on many of our lives, and simply put, we can live a better life without anxiety.  That is much easier said than done, but the fact is we must choose to have anxiety, or to have faith. 

All situations can be viewed two ways, we can or we cannot.  Sometimes we feel we cannot because we don’t have faith that we can, or more importantly – God can!  Here’s what the Bible says: “The righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).  That tells us that courage has a lot to do with facing anxiety.  Courage doesn’t eliminate anxiety, it rises above it!  I took a quote from the “Do Hard Things” book I read recently and it was: “True courage is not the absence of fear.  It is refusing to allow fear to control your actions.”  It has been on my AOL Instant Messenger profile since I read it, and the reason why I was so drawn to that quote is because sometimes we believe that courage wipes out all fear and anxiety, but the truth is, courage actually only overshadows them.  Fear and anxiety that we cannot do it are still there, but they seem insignificant compared to our courage.

So if we take up courage and not let our actions be controlled by fear, we won’t ever retreat to this “safe zone” that we always go to when we fee anxiety and fear, but we take steps forward and begin to “Do Hard Things” (Shameless plug…).  Sometimes all you can do is leave it in the capable and loving hands of God!

Anxiety also affects our health.  John writes: “I pray that…you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2 NAS).  It’s interesting how there is a correlation to what John said about our physical and soul.  Studies even show that when you are anxious, you immune system drops, blood pressure rises, and cholesterol levels begin to build up and block arteries.  No wonder we are most vulnerable when we are super stress because of work, school, etc.  I can pin point exact moments when I became ill, and they were always times of high stress because of school.  Thankfully, my job has not stressed me out and I’ve been prospering in good health the past year.  I can credit not stressing over anything for my good health!

Are you anxious about your health?  Here are four verses that will guide you

1. “Worship the Lord your God and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you…I will give you a full life span” (Exodus 23:25-26 NIV)


2. “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 30:17 NIV)


3. “Listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22 NIV)


4. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV)

There is no reason to be anxious about anything.  There is no reason to stress over situations in your life.  There is no reason to fear.  The bottom line is God can, and “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27)

BTW – This is really only for my personal gain and God’s glory:  Henry, I know you are out there!  Be ready to be touched by the finger of God!  He wants to show you how much He loves you and there is nothing he wouldn’t do for His child. :wink:

Delayed post...

Sorry.... I'll post about today's devo with tomorrow's post :D

When you feel anxious (Part 1)

Philippians 4:6 - " Do not be anxious about anything."

Anxiety consumes pretty much everyone.  We can't help but feel nervous and worry about stuff.  Why are we anxious?  It can fall into three different categories: (1) About things we all face: Like aging, disability, retirement, loneliness, financial uncertainty, accidents, illness, losing a loved one, and death. (2) About things we all must do: like making decisions, starting and ending relationships, losing weight, changing careers, making a mistake. (3) Reflecting our inner state of mind: These anxieties reveal how we feel about our ability to handle things. For example, fear of rejection can affect every relationship in your life. In order to avoid being hurt you shut others out, your world grows smaller and your opportunities for personal growth are more limited.  That was taken straight out of the devotional, and I couldn't have categorized it any better.  So what do your anxieties fall under?

If we really get down to it, the bottom line is that we have anxiety because we don't feel we CAN do it.  Once we have that thought, floods of negativity enters and feeds our anxiety.  So if you knew that you CAN handle anything, would you still be anxious?  NO.  And that might sound too easy, but the fact is that once you bring God into the picture, you'll have joy in knowing that you'll overcome anything that comes your way and be anxiety-free...  Philippians 4:13 says: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength,"  and Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Let those verses be of encouragement to you as they have to me.

I guess I want to challenge those who read this...not sure who you are, but someone told me of a new type of fast (giving up something to see our dependance on God) that is MUCH harder than fasting on food.  Try and fast from ANY negative thoughts, actions, or sayings...  The actions and sayings might be doable, but not thinking anything negative is actually a big challenge...  And negative thoughts feed into anxiety, so why should we be thinking negative thoughts anyways...  I already tried this a couple times, and failed within like 10 minutes, but today's devotional encouraged me to try it again today, but this time, know that I can do it with God's help!  Alright, so starting now....no negative thoughts....you can do it! :lol:

What's your vision?

Proverbs 29:18 - "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

Sometimes we have a vision to do something in our life, but when problems come that vision is quickly let go because we are only aware of what we are doing and the vision seems unattainable.  The verse above from the book of Proverbs (which by the way is an awesome book of wisdom and knowledge) doesn't mean people will die because they have no vision, but rather they will live a life with no passion or direction.  Sounds kind of boring to me... I am a purpose driven person, and I have to see the purpose in things I do to be able to experience the joy of doing it.

But sometimes we need a bigger picture; a vision from God so you begin to see what God sees and not your own eyes.  When you receive a vision from God you'll have a different perspective on what you are doing.  When your own visions seemed unattainable... God's visions for you is attainable!  Though they may be quite large, it takes small steps at a time and hard work to reach it.  Suddenly we are driven by purpose and direction to reach this vision that God has given us, and that is why we do not give up on it so easily like our own visions.  It's almost as if we've been commissioned by the President of the United States to take on a task.  Of course we will do our best!  The President just asked us to do something!  In the same way, visions that God gives you are so much more important than anything that the President asks of you, because the things you are doing fall into God's plan for your life and others as well.  Christian leader says: “Vision, like courage and discipline, is a trait that can be developed by anyone willing to work hard at making it part of their every day life.”  It takes hard work and willingness to carry out God's vision in your life!

I've recently had a vision that felt God showed me.  Actually it is quite a long story, but for those who don't really know me, I help my church lead the Youth group.  Back in May, I gave this analogy during a sharing about being on fire for God.  It's like a matchstick being lit.  But the whole analogy was more than that.  Matchsticks are so easy to catch fire, and they will burn rapidly for the first few seconds, but then slowly start to fade away.  It parallels to how Christians today catch a fire for God and burn so bright for Him, but only for a short time and soon burn out because of so much work or duties.  Then I began to share with the youth, what happens if multiple matchsticks were bonded together, and one of them catches fire...  They will all light up!  And not only that, their flame and light is so much greater than just one matchstick.  That was back in May...  About 3 weeks ago I had a prayer meeting, and I got this vision about people who were on fire for the Lord.  It wasn't a clear picture that I could see, but it was like God talking to me through the prayers.  He was telling me there are those who are on fire for Him at my church, but they are individual fires by themselves, and could soon fade and die.  It was up to me to bring them together so they will burn brighter and stronger together...  When that happens, other people will catch the fire and begin to burn for God!  It's quite funny how God uses my own teaching and says to me, "you taught it...now it's time to actually DO it..."  I feel so on fire for Him right now, and the vision God gave me is to bring others on fire together so we can do something that this church has never seen before.

I'll leave you all with a song that continues to speack to me.  It's by the Jesus Culture band, written by Chris Quilala:  (If I can find a YouTube version, I'll post it up)

Burning Ones

Here inside Your presence I'm taken by the wonder of You
Here inside Your glory we give our lives fully to You

And we cry Holy, Holy are You
 We cry Holy, Holy are You
 
Your Love it burns inside our hearts are satisfied by You
Your Love is all we want is why we ask for more of You
 
Holy, Holy are You
Our hearts are burning, burning for You
 
We are Your burning ones. We are consumed by You
We set our lives apart. We are consumed by You
 
So let this light be like a fire. Let our light be like a flame
Fill our souls with Your desire. Let our passion bring You fame

The call to love (Part 1 and 2)

Ephesians 5:2  - "Live a life of love"

What do you value?  What do you tell others you value?  Would you say that you value your family?  Or how about a specific relationship?  What about God?  No think about how you spend your time, money and energy... and ask yourself if it reflects what you value.  If you value family, how often do you actually get to talk with them, or would you rather be playing video games late into the night, watching TV, and hang out with your friends?  If you value a specific relationship, can you actually openly share with each other, and not just that, but be willing to sacrifice your own desires for that person.  If you say you value God, how often do you spend time in His Word, and praying to him.  If you are seeing a big gap between what you say you value and how you live your daily life, maybe it is time you start thinking about the choices you are making.

It is important to take a hard look at the choices because it can lead to a condition called "Active Inertia".  It happens when we continue to do things out of old-habit and not realize why we are doing it.  This will continue until we hit rock-bottom, and crisis occurs in our life.  This type of living is dangerous to our health, our family, and our spiritual well-being.  It could look something like over-working ourselves and serious illness comes into our lives. Or a couple who rarely spends time with one another because of busyness and stress, and suddenly find themselves signing divorce papers.  What about coming to church on Sundays for the wrong reasons and maintain a certain level of superficial-ness so that others won't know the real YOU and you begin to fade away until doubts and lack of faith consume your mind...

There are many, many other examples of "Active Inertia," and when you identify them in your own life, you must realize that this life here on earth ends..Period.  No matter what you have faced and are facing, will come to an end...  And then what?!  When you stop dwelling in the past and begin to look into the future, your actions will change.  You will suddenly realize the true things you value, and then start to live a life of urgency.  You will begin to seize moments and live for what you value.  You will get priorities straught.  You will begin to live a live of love...

Greg on a mission!

My brother's flight to the Philippines was canceled due to a typhoon.  They are scheduled to leave tomorrow (well today now) at 10:30pm, but they are trying to get a flight in the late morning.

As much as I want to ask all of you to pray for the safety of the all team members throughout the trip, the flight would go smoothly, and that everything would just go "according" to their plans (even getting the earlier flight)... I have to ask myself to step back and really ask why is it that we go on mission trips?  Is it to CONTINUE to live our comfortable lives and ask God wouldn't change our customary daily routines too much...or are we really called to step COMPLETELY out of our comfort zones?  Sometimes we focus so much on the team and the preparations needing to be done the worries and anxieties that fill our thoughts, and forget God has His hand in everything...  And yet we continue to ask God to help the team, ease the worries, to take care of things that need to be done, and it's almost asking God to make this mission trip as comfortable for us as possible.  We don't remember or really believe if God has willed something to happen, it will happen.  It's almost selfish in a way, so if you happen to be praying for Greg and his team, pray for the unsaved souls in the Philippines, and that God would open the team members eyes to the harvest that is ready.

Sorry, just a random post...and it almost sounds like I am going (sorry it's a twin thing you wouldn't understand), but as a prayer warrior for them, I need to see things as God sees them, and He has already blessed Greg's team and preparations it's time to focus on those that will be ministered to, and that they can receive the love of God openly!

Alright...g'nite!  Do hard things big brother...

Don't keep your love in a box!

Mark 14:3 - "She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head."

Imagine...someone who went out of his or her way to do something for you that you can never repay them back.  How would you feel?  Would you try to repay them in some way or another, even though you know anything you do will never be equal the thing that that person did for you?  That is, in fact, what Jesus did for Mary (the sister of Martha and Lazarus).  We know in Luke 10:38-42 that Mary was captivated by Jesus' teaching and cared deeply for him.  But the thing that Jesus did for both Mary and Martha was He rose their brother from the back from the dead!  How awesome that must have been especially for Mary who loved Jesus and her brother, because that is certainly something we do not have the power to do by our own strength.  How could she repay Jesus, or show Him her appreciation and love?  It was through her deep devotion that led her to take expensive perfume and anoint Jesus with it.  It was pretty much all that she could do! (Mark 14:8)

Jesus did something even greater than raising Lazarus for you and me.  He took the punishment for OUR sins on the cross, and there made atonement between us and God.  He tore down the curtain separating us and God, and now, we get to worship God freely, because we are made righteous in His eyes through the blood of the perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ.  Not only that, we receive the gift of salvation if we believe in what Jesus did, acknowledge how sinful we were, and place your faith in God.  If you don't understand what that means, I think it is time that you understand that God loves you so much that "he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)  He did all this for you and me.  What can we do to repay him?  How can we repay him?  Simple (even though it is quite hard...) - we must follow Jesus' greatest two commandments that he gave us in Matthew 22:37-39 " 'Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "  It is quite interesting how we can repay God for what he has done for us out of his great love for us, by loving him and others...

Actually, I feel I'm using the wrong word here, the word repay...  repay means something we do out of obligation...  We have to repay back all the money we took out from a loan from a bank, or repay damages done from our own accidents, or repay borrowed money from a friend.  Those are all obligations that we don't do out of love, but a sense of guilt almost, because we are indebted to them.  If you understand that we don't NEED to repay God back for what he has done for us, then you understand grace, something we've been given but do not deserve! (Not to be confused with mercy - NOT getting what we DO deserve...punishment for our sins.)  Once you understand grace, you'll have this sense of love within you and devotion like Mary had when she poured out perfume on the Jesus.  Our actions are a result from devotion, and NOT obligation, and that is the type of love Jesus commands us to love our God and our neighbors with!  It's the type of love that builds a deeper and stronger relationship with God and others.  It is the type of love that causes conviction and change in people's hearts.  It is the type of love that cannot die... so don't keep THAT type of love in a box!

When it comes to giant-problems

1 Samuel 17:4 - "A champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath."

When we face giant-problems they can intimidate us and cause us to doubt, but there is hope, and God will give us an "opening" to overcome our giants.

When we are intimidated, we need to remember the victories that God accomplished like the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of Jericho, and the defeat of Goliath.  If God helped His people with matters like those, can't our BIG God help us through the giants we face today?!

We doubt because the words we hear about giant-problems are discouraging, disheartening, and destructive to our faith in God.  It's times like these that we do not dwell on those words, but turn to God's word, which has account after account of times God did great things in situations probably bigger than the problems we face today.  Isaiah 40:8 says: "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."  God's word is endless!

Lastly, God always provides an opening to overcome our giant-problems.  The interesting thing is that these openings that God provide can be so small, that it seems like it can't be done.  For the story of David and Goliath, Goliath could throw a spear half the length of a football field and wore armor that protected him from head to toe, except for one small opening between his eyes and forehead...and that is where David hit him with a rock!

Sometimes we may be so blinded by our intimidation and doubt that we don't see that small opening that God has provided, but when we remember our God is a BIG God and can do BIG things, and start to draw and hold close His word in our Hearts we will see that small opening.  And if we are discouraged on how small the opening is, GOOD!, because you need to realize that you will only overcome giant-problems by the strength of God alone!  God will use those times to build your confidence in Him so you don't rely on your own strength.

If you really think about it, if God allows you or I to overcome giant-problems by our own strength, we will say to ourselves: "I overcame that!  I persevered and endured and become victorious! I can face anything now!  What happens when you face a problem that you cannot overcome by your own strength...  Notice the contrast when we begin to rely on God's strength: "It was TOTALLY GOD who helped me overcome that!  GOD gave me the strength to persevere and endure, and become victorious!  I KNOW GOD will help me through anything that comes my way!  Yes, the glory belongs to God when we overcome situations, so praise Him...always...

So what are your giant-problems today?  Maybe you do feel intimidated, doubtful, and discouraged...  Maybe it's time for you to start relying on God.

The roller-coaster ride of life (Part 5)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything appropriate in its time."

If you ever feel like giving up on this roller-coaster ride of life, that you just can't keep the faith during the times of lows; remember 5 things

1. God is sitting right next to on on that roller-coaster!  Deuteronomy 31:8 says: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."


2. Focus on God's faithfulness rather than your faithlessness.  2 Timothy 2:13 says: "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."


3. God doesn't owe us an explanation for times in our life so we shouldn't look for one, but He promises that the ride will get better.  Stay on the roller-coaster!  1 Corinthians 10:13 says: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."


4. God will produce good in ALL your circumstances.  Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."


5. Jesus AND the Holy Spirit are interceding with the Father for you!  Romans 8:26-27 says: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."  And Romans 8:34 says: "Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

So I hope all these things in mind, giving up isn't an option anymore.  This devotion has encouraged me to stay faithful no matter what, and even when I begin to lose faith or doubt, He Remains faithful and will produce good things out of those times!

The roller-coaster ride of life (Part 4)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything appropriate in its time."

Here we are again... redefining how we look at life in both good and bad times.  There is one more (Part 5), so I'm praying that my thoughts will enlighten you as I have been enlightened through these devotionals.

Sometimes even a strong Christian who fears the Lord and obeys Jesus' commandments will at times walk on a path that seems like God is not lighting the way.  It is important to know God hasn't abandoned you, or trying to punish you, but actually, they are times when God is working on something bigger in your life and can't really see what it is until His will unfolds.  It's almost as if you were walking in a dark tunnel, and begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Once you see the light...you know you are going the right way, and will run toward it!

Take Shdrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  These three guys refused to worship a king's gold idol, and for that were sentenced to be burned alive.  I don't know about you, but that's a pretty horrific and excruciating way to die, yet these three guys stood firm in their faith stating God CAN deliver them and that He WILL, but if He doesn't, then they will worship the gold idol...  They were in that dark tunnel, and said we are going forward and know there is light at the end of the tunnel, but if we do not see it, we will turn back around and worship the gold idol.  Of course most of us know the story very well, that they were thrown into the fiery furnace and an angel protected them and came out without any burnt clothing or smell of fire.  They might have questioned themselves as they were about to be thrown into the furnace...yet they continued to produce faith, and their faith was rewarded with the light at the end of the tunnel.  Through their lives, they changed the King's heart and the king realized their God was the true and living God!  That was probably God's intention when He had these three guys walk the dark path.

Do you feel like you are walking on a dark path?  Do you feel abandoned by God?  Maybe it's time to think what if God is going to use me in such a big way, and that this stage of life is merely a preparation for what God has in store for you.  Actually, for myself, that is kind of how I feel right now, but I am encouraged to continue on this path that I am walking on, and I know God CAN use me, and I know He WILL use me.  I see Him preparing me in such little things in my life right now, and I pray I will see the light very soon. :P

The roller-coaster ride of life (Part 2 and 3)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything appropriate in its time."

I'm not really going to talk about today's and yesterdays devotion that I did, because it really felt God was speaking directly at me...  But I will leave you with a quote that has a lot of meaning, and opened my eyes to my own life...

Pretend this is what Satan is saying to all his followers about God: "Our cause is never in greater danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending to do our Enemy's will, looks around upon the universe from which every race of Him seems to have vanished, asks why he has foresaken, and still obeys!"

The roller-coaster ride of life (Part 1)

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything appropriate in its time."

Sometimes it is just amazing how God allows things to happen at the right moment and at the right time...  It's like a good parent who finds the opportune time to teach their children, and their children will be changed because of it.  Think about it...people don't change unless they realize they need to change, and it would be pointless to teach someone who believes they are doing everything right.  But somehow, through experiences, their pride is stripped away and suddenly, they realize what they've been doing was walking down the wrong path.

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason!  I know sometimes life has its ups and downs, and sometimes we wonder why in the world God would let bad things happen...  Why can't we just experience good times, since God is a good Father.  Well, I think the answer lies within the first paragraph...  God IS a loving Father, no doubt, but the fact that he created such a wide variety of emotions that are conjured up doing events shows just how creative, unique and thoughtful He is.  He really has made everything appropriate in its time!  Imagine a perfect world where everyone had perfect and good-looking bodies, everyone is smart, nobody fights, no divorces, tempature is always at 72 degrees, etc...  (Why wouldn't He create a world like that?!)  If God created the world like that, He would NOT be glorified because nothing will point back to Him.  Nobody will experience times of need, where God will swoop in and rescue souls.  No one will experience great joy because everyone is pretty much the same, and thus will not praise God for His hand working in situations.  People wouldn't need God...  They wouldn't have a teachable heart.  So while the ideal world sounds nice, it would really be a boring, emotionless, and pointless type of living...  As I am sitting here just thinking about this, I can't stop thinking about how much God desires a relationship with me, and will use "drama" in my life to teach me,mold me, and ultimately to show me that He loves me.  So when I am on a mountain top (good times) in life, I will praise God, and when I am in the trough (bad times) I will still prasie God.  It's like that song from Casting Crowns: "Praise You In This Storm".  No matter what, we can't give up in situations, because EVERYTHING happens for a reason!

Where's My Heart?

Matthew 6:21 - "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be."

This morning's devotion talked about a guy named William Randolph Hearst (yea Hearst Castle).  What I didn't know was he was a collector of "stuff", and boy did he have a lot of expensive treasures and unique items.  Just looking a a few pictures of the castle itself can tell you he definitely would be considered "rich".  The unfortunate thing for Mr. Hearst is his heart was set on earthly things, and after a lifetime of collecting items he has passed and now probably wishes he would have seen past money and earthly treasures and sought a fulfilling treasure that he would have gained in heaven.

Now, what would it take for Mr. Hearst and so many people who are 'addicted' to money to begin to store treasures up in heaven?  Matthew 6: 24 says: "You cannot serve both God and Money." (Interesting how 'money' is capitalized...)  Jesus also clearly tells us in Matthew 19:2324: "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  So, the Bible is pretty clear that being rich means nothing, and you won't enter the kingdom of heaven because you serve Money.  Not only that, it owns you, you are in this endless cycle of wanting more, the things you only fill the void inside you a little, and you try hard to fill it with more things.  If you truly want to fill that void, there is only one thing that can completely fill it, and that is the TRANSFORMING LOVE of God.  This devotional and appropriately titled blog entry focuses on our hearts...  Once our hearts have been transformed by the love of God, Money becomes money, and we begin to seek more of God and the treasures He has in store for us in heaven! :D

For myself, I admit that I did have a problem with trying store up earthly treasures, and I still have wants in my life today.  The fact that technology always seems to amaze me doesn't help at all either...  I'll even go as far to justify those wants and say I'll use them for the glory of God, but like the verse above said, I cannot serve both God and Money.  However, I think the past 2 months, God's transformed my heart to become more aligned with His desires and will.  I am starting to see those heavenly treasures and earthly things seem like trash now.  I'm so excited to see where He is taking all of this and really what He is about to do in my life!

Tough Love

Luke 23:34 - "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Isn't it amazing that while Jesus was up on the cross, in excruciating pain, prayed to the Father to ask for forgivness for the soldiers who were about to mock Jesus, for the rulers who didn't believe, and one of the criminals being crucified alongside Jesus that despised Him.  The most surprising fact is He prayed for them BEFORE the series of humulitation and mocking were described in the Bible.

The more I look into the life of Jesus, the more and more I realize that He IS the ultimate/perfect example for use to follow.  It is important to note He did everything in His ministries as a man, a being made of flesh who experiences the same thoughts, tempatations, hurts, emotions, pain, weaknesses, etc. as we do.  And yet, His life is still spotless and shows us how we should live our daily lives.

For me, loving others usually comes easy, because I am just so darn nice :wink: !  I haven't really experienced someone who abuses me, or treats me like trash, and I am most thankful to God for that.  But, that doesn't mean that people who come into my life in the future won't be so easy going and friendly.  That only encourages me to pray for them now just like Jesus prayed prior to receiving abuse.  I need to constantly prepare my heart to produce tough love for when the time comes so that I will be able to forgive them, because I'll know they are in bondage to sin and they need my light to shine in the dark areas of their lives, and need the LOVE of God to transform them!

The Battle Within

Judges 1 - Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites:

This chapter was about Israel battling against the Canaanites so they can claim the land that the Lord promised them.  Yet the Israelites failed to completely remove all of the Canaanites and the chapter explains that they did not drive them out, but instead turned them into slaves, and lived alongside the Canaanites.  If it is one thing I know about God, is if He tells you to do something and gives a promise if you do it... He is always true with His promise, so it is wise to follow His commandments.  Because the Israelites didn't follow God's commandment to completely drive out the Canaanites, they were going to be a nuisance to the them.

Let's bring this a bit closer to home.  God promised us the gift of salvation, a great new life and an awesome relationship with Him, but the requirement was to "put off [our] old self" (Ephesians 4:22).  For many of us, including myself, we are charged to drive out all the bad areas of our lives (like the Israelites driving out the Canaanites) to put off our old self and put on the new...but the problem is we don't.  Without driving out the old habituous ways, they will only be a thorn in our side, and a barrier to God's plan for us.  So I was challenged to really look deep into my heart and identify the bad areas of my life so that I can calim God's promises for my life!  I'm already seeing my old self being stripped away and witnessing the wonderful things He has in store for me!  Isn't it time you take a look into your heart and fight off the remaining Cannanites in your life?

Do Hard Things

I know I always try to start updating my site on a regular basis...and time and time again I get busy, overwhelmed and push this site aside.  For the most part, I've always updated this site about pointless things, but this time it will be different.  Why?  Because I am seeking to glorify God in everything I do now.  The past 2-3 months, I've grown so much with Him, and my change of heart for Him is slowly beginning to to produce such sweet fruit, and I've seen Him at work numerous times.

I've actually had the privilege to read another book, as much as I don't really like reading or even have the time to read, but it is called Do Hard Things, by Alex and Brett Harris (yup Joshua Harris' little twin brothers author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye.  While the book was meant for teenagers, these two brothers challenged me to become greatness for God, and become a rebelutionary.  Yup, The Rebelution is the movement that really came out of their ideas, and the book gives so many inspiring examples of other young ones doing big hard things that change how the world will view teenagers.

I've been even more blessed when I got to take some of our youth's to the day conference put on by this movement in Orange County last Saturday, and I was really captivated by all the messages, and challenged even more.  To become greatness, I think that is what we are all meant to be...  Too often am I complacent about the things I do for God, and realize that I could have done SO much more for Him.  That thought makes me feel guilty in a way, but it also encourages me to something about it now.

After the conference we had this amazing awesome time of fellowship where we really got to discuss spiritual things and how we were to make permanent changes in our lives.  Most of the changes that came out will be difficult challenges for those people because it requires time and lots of effort.  But no longer will I expect very little of them, but set my expectations of them at God's high standard, just like that has become mine.  I actually almost cried when I found out someone who went to the conference challenged someone who did not go to do devotions and write about their thoughts online, and that person already started...  That type of response is like a wild fire that spreads, a passion that I envision for all the youth at my church to "spur one another toward good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24).

For those of you who were at the fellowship (I'm not really sure how many of you actually read this since I don't update it often), I want you to know from the bottom of my heart that I will use every ounce of strength in my body to encourage you and keep everyone of you accountable to the challenges you made for yourselves.  Actually, I feel my own challenge for myself was too complacent, which was to give up "Lakers" entirely.  For some, that may seem like a big thing but, to me, once I realize how much time I've wasted by watching games that don't really benefit me at all, especially when my time is precious and I can be doing better things with it - doing hard things for God!  So, I've decided one way I can help encourage those who have challenged themselves, is to have someone (me) doing it along by their side.  What that basically means, is I am going to take on pretty much everyone's challenges (except the ones I'm already doing).  So, I'll be waking up extra early in the morning to read and do devotions (I was going to start today, but didn't realize how long this post was going to take), and blog about it.  I will at least once a week post a blog about anything that happened during the week where God deserves all the glory (This post counts!).  I will be encouraging to everyone at church and not be complacent.  I will cut out all gossip.  I will take someone new out once a month and use that opportunity to evangelize.  You might be wonder, "Nick, you won't have time!"  And my response to that would be you are probably right...  But seriously, I have to put myself in situations that require God's power and hand to guide me, because if I'm always comfortable, I will never see God work.  My standard for myself is to be come like Jesus, and that is a standard that is so high and pretty much unattainable by anyone, but yet I will continue to strive for it...

Alright, thanks for reading!

All Packed...

Here is most of my stuff all packed up and ready to move...  Only have my computer and my bed and some clothes left in my room

Two Trees???

Why do we miss the fact that there were 2 (TWO) trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden?  If you understand why that is significant, it can change your whole perspective on a lot of things!  I will write up another entry about this later, and some other things I've been thinking about in relation to Christianity...but for now, I just wanted to throw this out there. :roll:

Moving

So the past month the family that I have been staying with in LA decided to move. I never realized how demanding it is especailly when I work full time, and am very invovled in church activities. When they decided to sell the house, we had to make the house in a "showroom" condition. I managed to snap a few pics of my room before I started packing and boxing things up. Sorry that the pics are blurry, my camera was all messed up at the time.

If you remember my room before (sorry no pictures), it's a lot cleaner now. I used to have a bookshelf, and some other items in the room that made it "ugly"... Pretty much everything was stuffed into the closet :-) Currently, I am sleeping on the floor, as my bed frame is now gone :-( I also disassembled the desk, and working off a folding table... seems very shakey...

Did You Know?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmz5qYbKsvM

I'm Back!

It's definitely been a while... Time to start blogging again! (More like micro blogging...)
No excuses now with the wordpress app for my touch! :)