point and  joy of life : to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly before my God.

"Stay hungry."

set out to make more sons and daughters of the King

finding myself caught up in just these 2 words: Beautiful King.

where the Spirit is there is awe and wonder.

perhaps truly, our greatest desire is know and be known.  more and more I see that my desire to know someone or some thing well grows the more I am exposed to those things or people.  To know something in and out.  and i find that it's fulfilling because there's a purpose in all things that have been created. there's a purpose in all the things that sit in front of me.  the remote control, the bowl of spaghetti, my keys, my books, the paintings on the wall, my roommates. it is this one desire i intentionally note. that it is one single desire.  it may come out as different desires for different things but ultimately it is in our spirit, in our heart to know and be known. and it shows. it shows in my life; it shows in the lives of the people next to me, across from me, far away from me. it shows in our pursuit of many passions, hobbies, or kinds of relationships (family, friendships, romance, children, mentorship).

because i'm so limited, in a way through in which the Lord speaks to me through my family compared with other people, I'm often moved, or rather desire to be moved, by every single detail.  I want to catch it all.  God is so detailed in the small things. It amazes me.  It astounds me.  He not only moves but moves with all of his wisdom and power and kindness and gentleness.  Can you imagine?  Someone that thinks about all of you and knows all of you right at that moment. and considers it all before they speak.  because they want to love you the best they can right where you're at.  but this idea might not be too crazy for Jesus.  it's the only way He ever does anything.  He is impartial and He is eternal. There is so much more. He is more. In His humility He doesn't get jealous or angry that we often see Him as less. It is just humanly impossible to fully know God.  (correct me if I'm wrong.)  He is humble because Jesus knows He has been and will be glorified by His Father. But my response is this:  not being able to know something fully doesn't mean I can't do my best to try to.  A good friend of mine once said, "Just because earth 'isn't our home,' never implied we shouldn't enjoy the visit." This ought to be taken with conviction, wisdom, discipline, etc, of course.  But even so, it is crucial to remember that we cannot do this on our effort.  the Holy Spirit brings Truth when the time comes and I can just rest assured that right up until my last breath, what He's revealed to me is enough for me to welcome Jesus back rightly.  By Him I cry out Abba. Through him, the church will know the  clear distinction of what is good and evil, that we may always say yes to the good and put away what is evil in which grieves him and the people we love.  because without God we wouldn't know how to love our enemies and why that is absolutely necessary that we do.    There is only a hand full of people God entrusts us to love them as He loves them. But in that hand-full of people, hold his will, his dreams, his promises, his relationship. By him, we know what is necessary for those that He loves and I have come to love and what is detrimental to the same group of people.  You want your heart to stay alive and beating and burning? You want a big goal to pursue? Take part in something bigger than yourself and give all of yourself to?  something that will keep your heart alive? Abide in Him. Abide in His Word.  Make effort to keep unity and be clear minded so that you can pray.  take up His charge to make disciples of all nations.  That's what's bigger than ourselves.  At the end of day, up until His coming, you'll find that all this life has to do with one thing.

Love.

and this Love has a name.

i wanna know, what does it really mean to be blessed?  what does it mean to feel blessed?

to know that i deserved nothing that are either hidden or right in front of me right now?

---
you are continually bringing to me what brings my heart to life.  i am so grateful.  i need to be alive.  need to abide

there is no condemnation or accusation.  just love

offer hospitality without grumbling

--

graduation gown.  crimson over red. His blood over my sins. What an honor to be able to put on those garments.  Humble me even as I walk across the stage, which, more than anything, serves as the epitome of Your success, Your dreams, Your hands, Your plans, Your will that's been walked out in my life. and the ones that are being walked out.  Even as I walk across the stage, may I carry you with me. May You carry me. May you walk before and go behind me.  May goodness and mercy follow me and leave a trail for those walking behind me.

---
You are reminding me that You are King and that You reign.

Shepherd's heart.  everything the Holy Spirit was brought up was mentioned in Pastor Ray's teaching today. haha.  He is my counselor and brings truth when the time comes.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27

if the world knew how You provide for them and care and fight for them, would they want to know you?  it's hard to accept that there will still be people who will reject you blatantly.  but i suppose I haven't done it at times too.  i realize those were the times where i haven't really thought about who are You are, who You are to me and what You've done for me.

Jehovah-jireh You are.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

Keep my eyes on you, with you at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16.   the Lord is my portion and my cup

thankful to a God that counsels me still, even after the times I took glory for myself.

More than often I find that He is still patiently chiseling away this rugged art piece.  Oh to remain pure and blameless before his eyes, lest it be a white-washed tomb!  Lukewarm will never do.

it's so precious, and so crucial to be confident and really know that God knows our hearts.

help me to live in a way that will allow only Your power and Your life will manifest through me.

pray in expectation that He will come.

to have a teacher that not only teachers. but cares about those he teaches.  that's a good teacher.

life together in love is a great protection against deception. or else why else would he say love one another because there are deceivers sent out in this world.

simple biblical words. with a deep love.

if you want to know a city. the very heart of the city. or better yet, the heart of God for the city, make an intentional visit to orphanages or to the least of these of the city.  go there prayerfully, with love, and expectation only to find him to yield to.  you will then find yourself at the center of his very own heart.  you will find Him there.  and you will come alive.

only Your kind of love remains

You always live to intercede.

John 15 and John 17

my desire for You overrides my compromise

Keepsake

heart for the orphaned- God, let it arise today

let Your heart of justice and your desire for your children to come home

be known

---
and campus workers

if we really, really, really thought about it...

the fact that God finds our praises pleasing is mind-blowing. it should shock us to the core. when we've hurt him, and he still accepts it as a pleasing offering.

what!?

no wonder David had once beckoned to let his praises be a fragrance to the Lord.
who are we to sing that our praises are fragrance? do we know what we did to him or does to him? because there are times where we grieve him- when we disobey. when i ignore that voice out of fear or pride.

God's love is so merciful. There is so much to him.