Currently Learn To Live By Darius Rucker see related

"It won't be like this for long..."

Have you ever read an old paper or letter and as soon as you start reading that first sentence, a plethora of memories and emotions come-a-flowing?

Just moments a go, I read a one page paper that had the power to change the course of my life forever.  Or at least that is what I was duped into thinking when I was seventeen years old.  How impressionable we were!

The paper I read was my college entrance statement for USC. 

I was such a foolish child.  The only glory I was seeking was my own.  I made mention of God in hopes that by doing that, God would grant me the desire of my heart.  I rub His back, he rubs my back, right?  But of course I didn’t want to come off over religious, so what do I do?  Instead of quoting the bible, I quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, Existentialist—my reason, to win the approval and favor of the USC college acceptance committee.  I show that I’m smart, and then they’re sure to want me. 

I was totally relying upon my own efforts to get into college. 

Lastly, I was extremely dramatic in my prose.  Although it was probably an accurate reflection of most of my feelings during that time, I thought I’d play the first generation, immigrant-refugee family, whose blue collar mother and father’s sacrifices for the American Dream brought me to where I was to that day card.

The use of my sad and tragic condition for my personal gain!  I am disgusted!

Although it may look like my entire application package earned me entrance into USC, and that possibly the statement had “power to change the course of my life forever” it was really God the Father at work. 

Attending USC did indeed change the course of my life forever. 

While growing up in San Diego, God had sent many workers into my life to plant the word of God into my heart.  (I’ve also been flipping through old Sunday School lessons, Sunday sermons, and youth group handouts).  There was growth throughout the years, but there were times, that the plant was being choked by the fancies of middle class suburban life in PQ and the hardships of life—family, friends, boys, dances, image, goals, academic success, popularity, desires—these things would cause me to fall but somehow by the grace of God, he carried me through the storms even though I wasn’t always seeking him. 

While in college, I was determined to take on a new leave—forget my life in San Diego and live how I wanted to live—with no supervision, no parental rules or the church hovering over me.  And during those 4 years—there was no supervision, no parental rules and no church hovering over me.  Instead, a love and understanding for the gospel that

God is Holy

I was made to worship Him

But I am a sinner

And because I am a sinner I deserve to die and go to hell

God because of His love and for His Glory

Sent Jesus

To live the perfect life I could never live

To Die the death I should have died on the Cross for my sins

On the 3^rd day rose from the dead

Conquered death

And brings me into a relationship with God

That I may now turn away from my life of Sin

And LIVE ONLY FOR HIM!

I was guided and supervised by the truth of the Bible

I recognized the good and perfect role of my parents in my life.

And the church was not hovering over me, but was there so that as a sinner I could meet with other sinners to share in the glories of God’s excellent work.

There was “fruit fruit fruit!” 

I can’t believe it’s been more than 10 years since I applied to college…10 years since I graduated from high school…10 years since I stepped foot onto the beautiful campus of USC as a fresh Freshman!...10 years since WRITING 140 and general education classes—hahaha!  10 years…10 GREAT years of continued hardships, tears, struggles, sanctification, refinement and God’s beautiful grace!!!! 

It won't be like this for long...

I’m looking forward to the next 10 years!!! 

Currently SONICFLOOd By SonicFlood In the Secret (I want to know you more) see related

Funny Memory!

So right now, I’m working on the company’s annual 401K Census for the company’s annual 401K Audit.  I’m listening to KLove and I start thinking about my spring break trip to Thailand in 2002.  I know, RANDOM.

The scene—now bear with me—we are in Bangkok and mom, dad and I are getting out of the VIP Van.  The driveway is dusty and it’s hot.  I’m concerned about my Nokia Pink 3390- do I get service? Do I get reception? Is anyone (a specific person) going to call me?  Anyhoo, I remember thinking when I arrived—“Broke Down Palace” better not happen to us.  And I hope we don’t get hijacked.  We walk into the restaurant and there’s a million +1 Asian tourists eating from this Thai buffet/Asian potpourri of food—this was the first of my many buffet adventures that I would experience here in this fine land called Thailand! (and that would later leave mom and dad with food poisoning, ending our Thailand trip a bit early—but bringing us to HK a little bit earlier! Yay! J)

Now I realize after gone to Thailand and toured China, this is the typical Asian tour deal.  Hahaha!

Okai, now onto the sobering stuff—last night, I was laying on my bed thinking…wow, time has gone by so quickly.  I’ve lived in my bedroom now on and off for almost 7 years.  These walls almost know me just as well as the walls of my childhood bedroom.  These walls know my tears, my pains, my suffering; it has seen the growth, the change, and the beauty of God’s amazing work and grace in my life.  I can’t believe 911 will be 8 years in September.  I went to Thailand 7 years ago, and the memories remain very vivid.  I moved back down to San Diego 5 years ago.  My high school 10 year reunion is this year!  I’ve been a homeowner for 4 years.  My post college roommate has been married almost 2 years and will have 2 kids by the later part of 2009.  I’ve personally gone through trials that I never imagined going through in 2006.  It was humbling, it was painful and it exposed so much—yet the gospel of Jesus Christ was so sweet!  I back slid in my relationship with God in 2007—I never imagined!  I grew too proud, I relied on myself.  I was doing doing doing and not worshipping worshipping worshipping!   In 2008 it was learning to rest in His grace and not my own efforts in order to rebuild my dependence and reliance on the Lord.  And again I am currently going through trials that I never imagined going through in 2009.  But in the end—I can only say this—GOD IS FAITHFUL.  HE IS UNCHANGING.  HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY and FOREVER!

The Sovereignty of God was the theme of my life for the past couple years; God is now changing it to be the Faithfulness of God.

Oh How Jesus Loves Me!  The song of my soul hopes to one day sing perfectly with no doubt, with no more sin, and with no more hypocrisy, Oh How I Love Jesus!

Currently Listening In Christ Alone By Keith & Kristyn Getty speak o lord see related

the strong end :)

the strongend was good.

- alex and stephanie are married
- sc won
- time spent with extended family

wouldn't you say that was a strong end and not a weakend (weekend)  hahaha!

637,
LiLto, the one and only :)

Currently Listening What Am I Waiting For By Heidi Newfield Johnny and June see related

Evite.com, DCB, 50 pounds

Speaking of evite…

Just when I think all my Evite events will pass—another one appears…hee hee hee!

I <3 Evite.com :)

Anyhoo—and now for a more substantial update…

…

…

I can’t think of anything clever.

Oh well. 

Oh wait—yes, David Crowder BAND concert.  Off the hook.  There’s something about their work that makes me…makes me…so HAPPY. 

We did a hoe down—YEEEHAWWW!  I think my weirdness factor grew exponentially from Furry’s point of view.

David Crowder is way cool to the max of the maxest.  Playing the guitar hero geetar!  NICE. 

One last thing…I was talking to my co-worker last week about booster car seats for children.  There is a very good law that is in place for the protection of children under 50 pounds (or it might be 40 pounds).  Basically, if you’re child is under a certain weight, they are required by law to sit in this booster car seat.  Once they reach a certain weight, then they can sit in the actual seat of a car.  If that law was in place when I was young, that means I would have been in that booster car seat until I was age 9 or something.  Anyhoo—there’s  a funny point—when I was 3 or 4 years old, my father would wrap the seatbelt around my lap and have me sit on the buckle flap rather than buckling it into the buckle.  I have no idea why he would do that but I would just sit on that buckle flap. Hahaha.  Makes no sense at all.

Praise God that he showed his grace to me and didn’t have me lose my life due to safety belt violation.  Now I can live to TESTIFY of his work of salvation in my life—that I am a sinner that stands in the path of God’s wrath and holiness.  And it is only through Christ that my sins can be forgiven and have eternal life with God.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:19-26

The End.