2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Every time I look at one of Paul's epistles I feel like I'm reading something new. His letters are so rich....

These past couple of weeks have been a series of high's and low's depending on my circumstances, specifically my interactions with people. I really need to turn to scripture and depend on God more for encouragement and emotional consistency.

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¹As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. ²For he says,

"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

³We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. ¹²We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Wow I'm such an idiot.

Looking back I was even more of an idiot - even more prideful and more arrogant.

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When Christians mess up, we often say "Don't look at us, we're sinners. Look at Christ." And it is true that we're not perfect, that we are sinners, and that we often mess up. But in the end most people will not look at Christ; they will look at YOU. So maybe it's time we stepped up to the standard to which God calls us to be; He calls us to be holy.

reliving the days of my childhood...all those road trips listening to my dad's CDs....

Currently Listening To:

- Bee Gees

=)

By the way, I just found out that Michael Buble did his own version of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and David Choi has a cover for "How Deep Is Your Love." They have good taste; I just gained a little more respect for them.

I was looking through my files on my old computer today and I found some interesting websites I saved. (I think I was a more passionate Christian back then than I am now.) Both links are from Boundless Webzine, a website with articles designed for Christians around the ages of 18-40.

Not Your Buddy: The other day I was having lunch with a friend and she began to pour out an all-too-familiar story. The guy she'd been hanging out with four nights a week, the one who'd made her a jazz mix CD and asked her to be his date to his office Christmas party, the one who'd gone to late-night movies with her and made her pasta — that guy — had crushed her hopes (again) with a single, nonchalant statement: "I don't see myself in a relationship anytime soon."

Addicted to Adultescence: Dubbed "adultescence," it covers the ages of 18 to 29 and beyond. Sociologists claim that putting off adulthood has become a permanent trend among American youth, and now, young adults. As young adults ourselves, and as Christians, we have no choice but to come to grips with this social phenomenon.

[The authors of this article also have a book titled "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations" which I also think is worth looking into. It's another book that's been on my reading list.]

A challenge I received recently: There will be many times in your life and in your ministry where you'll feel lonely and discouraged, but can you turn to God in those times and trust Him to fill you up again?

One Day

This is something that's been on my mind for a long time and I've put it on the back burner for a while but I hope to be able to finish it this summer. Not really sure what I envision the final product to be. And I'm still debating if I want to keep posting "chapters" on my blog or rather just keep it all to myself until its finished. But anyways, here's the first part, enjoy!

________________________________________________________________

The girl sat all alone. It was the first day of kindergarten and she was so terrified she barely moved, lest someone should notice her. Without a single word, with only nods and shakes of the head, she had gotten through the entire day. The moment she got home, she dropped her book bag on the floor and ran to her secret spot.

Running, she didn’t slow down until she reached the tall, gold-wrought gates. Next to the gates, on top of the large stone wall, there sat Someone so grand, clothed in robes of pure white linen. The train of His robe seemed endless, stretching on for miles and miles. His face was so high up that it was concealed in the clouds. Nonetheless, when He spoke, it wasn’t a booming sound, but a clear, calm voice. Excited to see her, He chuckled, picked her up and placed her next to Him on the high walls. She smiled at Him, swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the wall.

“So how was your first day of school?” He asked.

“Well…You know…” she responded.

“Well of course I know, but I still want to hear it from you.”

And she began to tell Him all that had transpired during her first day of school. That’s how their conversations went. They talked for hours on end at a time. It was the one place she could open up, unashamed and unafraid to be herself. She could tell Him everything because she knew that He already knew. He knew her every thought and her every feeling. He knew her. He had made her. She was His beloved daughter.

This is odd.... I've been eating all day yesterday, all night last night, and all day today. And I'm about to eat some more. I think my stomach extended back to its usual size. It's as if I came out of hibernation and now my body craves all this food....

I'm such a night owl.... I'm wide awake and am being productive.

So many things to do, so much to think about, and even more to pray about.

Nostalgic...

...for the days when things were simpler. (And music was better.)

Currently Listening To:

- "The Spirit Room" Album, Michelle Branch

- "Things I'll Never Say", Avril Lavigne

- "Don't Stop, Never Give Up", S Club 7

- "The Music of My Heart", N'Sync and Gloria Estefan

What ever happened to some of these artists...?

Lord, show me how to live on Your love and strength when all I feel is bitterness and despair.

Scary dream last night.... It was like I was watching the book of Revelation being played out...with me in it. I don't like dreams about the apocalypse.

Wonder how it'd look if someone decided to make a movie based on the Book of Revelation....

Love is a fickle thing.

But then again, maybe it never was.

Maybe it was just me,

being naive.

But now I know,

there's a thin line between love and hate.

Another Addition to My Summer To-Do List

Key to New York City: "Through June 27, 25,000 custom-made keys will be exchanged between everyday citizens in a bestowal ceremony at the Key to the City kiosk located at the heart of Times Square – catapulting a citywide exploration of secret doors, community gardens, graveyards and hidden deposit boxes at over 20 sites throughout the five boroughs of New York City."

Sometimes all you need to do is stop thinking and just get out and enjoy life.

Been thinking a lot about relationships in terms of significant others (and friends). So I just wanted to share some thoughts that impacted me.

God's standards aren't low. It's not simply whether your spouse is a Christian or not; it's whether or not he/she can really encourage you to be in closer communion with God. So to clarify my "Christian" requirement for a possible future spouse, I think he must love God more than I do. Also, he must lead me to grow in love for God daily. And I hope the second part is true of my brothers and sisters-in-Christ as well.

Jessica: "We're Bryn Mawr - we don't like boys. We go for the men."

=)

Michelle Chen: "Food for thought: Always hang out with Michelle because it's gonna be awesome." & "The road's gonna be rough, but it's okay because I've got a ball."

;)

Misunderstandings

You say I'm a hypocritical Christian.

That I judge you.

That I don't want to talk to you.

That I don't care about you.

That I'm not loving because I preach that non-Christians go to hell.

But have you ever once stopped and asked yourself why YOU are judging me?

Have you ever once thought that maybe if we were to talk that you'd find out I'm not the person you think I am?

Because if you did you would find out that I do want to talk to you,

But I'm just shy and introverted.

You would find that I do want to be friends with you,

But that it's hard for me to make friends after being stabbed in the back and abandoned multiple times over by so-called "friends".

And you would find out that I do care about you,

It's just that I've given so much of myself away to people who have only taken from me,

and now I'm afraid to be vulnerable.

And did you ever think that I don't like believing that non-Christians go to hell?

Did you know that my own family is not Christian?

Do you think I like believing that my own loved ones may be eternally condemned?

And did you know my cousin committed suicide?

Do you think I like entertaining the thought that she be suffering in hell right now?

Did you know that for me, my faith may mean that I have to choose between my God and my family?

Did you know all that?

No?

I thought so.

Who the hell are you to judge me?

So don't think you know me when you don't.

You don't know what I've been through.

But I'll tell you why I am a Christian:

Because HE knows me.

And HE knows how I feel.