-God's Pursuant of Us-

Last night, I discussed with a friend about God's pursuant of us- whether God pursues everyone the same- as relentless or God pursues some people harder (like Paul in the Bible where God has to appear in front of him so that Paul can not deny anymore)

My friend gave a cute analogy of how a person spent $1 vs another one that is willing to $10 (10 x $1) just to get a doll inside the doll machine. We were discussing to what extent God pursues each of us, whether He does quit trying on some, but somehow think others worth more (to serve God's purposes) so He pursues them harder?

I came to a conclusion that we cannot be opinionated how hard the Lord has pursued someone based on what we have seen. We cannot really know the weight of God pursuant based on our eyes or a person’s testimony. But yeah, like my friend said....we might be able to ask God someday when we are in Heaven....if that still matters :P

All that I know and understand for now is the gravity of God's love towards every individuals is the same. It is The Cross.

Overly Joyful. Forever Thankful.

The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are-C.S.Lewis

I thank God for surrounding me with great friends, co-workers, and family. I'm blessed.
I trust God that He will put me in the midst of great friends in whom I can also trust and who will also believe in me.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-NIV)

Father, I pray as I abide in You, I will grow and bear Your fruit. Shape me, Lord. Mold me so that I can shine for You alone.

[Being Vulnerable]

I came across this quote last week and I keep on pondering on what it meant......until God reveals it to me when i was reading "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” CS Lewis

We must choose to be vulnerable- to love- because the brilliance of Christ will shine better through it. "Charles Spurgeon once said that when a jeweler shows his best diamonds, he sets them against a black velvet backdrop. The contrast of the jewels against the dark velvet bring out the luster. In the same way, God does His most stunning work where things seem hopeless. Wherever there is pain, suffering, and desperation, Jesus is." Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire p. 78

>>Nothing compares to God

For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 AMP

Reading the passage, I am once again astonished on how grand and amazing God's love for me.

God’s loving kindness is the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, one-way love of God.

When I understand this- It gives me great comfort, knowing that I can trust God- I can completely rely on Him since He always has the best of me in mind.

A teaching that gives affirmation of God’s choice of and affection for us.
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/doctrine/covenant-god-pursues

We love because He first loved us. (1John4:19)

-Counting my blessings-

Yesterday I got to spend the whole days with my mom.
It's been a while since I had my "dating" time with mom....
We went shopping and restaurant hopping in Chinatown.
I helped making-over her.....treat her to her favorite restaurant.....
and we chatted over many issues....
Feels nice^^

It makes me realize how blessed I am.....
During my quiet time last night, God reminded me my lists of prayers/petitions that I had 2 years ago when I reached my big 25 birthday :P
At that time, I was learning to view God as my Father..... and me being a spoiled and clingy daughter, I gave Him a long list of birthday gifts that I requested from Him on my 25th birthday.
Yesterday, I got to re-visited those lists again....
I am just left amazed on how God works in my life.

I am counting my blessings..........
I am very happy to have the whole family (my parents and my brother) here to celebrate my birthday this year.
I am excited to see more breakthroughs happening in my life.
This is the "kairos" =)

I am thankful and I am counting my blessings....

*Making Choices*

Recently, I was talking to a friend about the choices that just open up in our lives and how that affects our original plan....

She was afraid that the new choice or the new open door (choice B), might be a test of faith from God- to see on how strong we want the original plan to happen (choice A).

She was thinking what if choosing choice B eventually fail and we will regret it.

She forgot that the same risk is there for choice A although choice A looks safer...

I was reminded of a care group discussion that was led by my pastor's wife as she titles it "GPS: God Positioning System"- She was trying to answer our most common questions and fear: "What's God's will in my life?" "What if I don't make it?"

She was saying that like a GPS in the car, God is graceful enough that He allows u-turn if we got misrouted from His plan. However, in order for us to discern God's will- we need to start taking steps.... (like a GPS, you have to begin driving for it to function)

As long as we listened and aligned ourselves to the GPS, we will make it there (the path that God set for us) Some might take longer, but we'll get there :)

Along the years, I admit that have made several choices of which I regret. However, because of those choices/moments, I learn to understand God's grace and His redemption better. I realize that nothing can separate me from His love. I just need to offer up my hands quickly if I fall, and He'll be ready to help me getting back up.

I am making steps of faith as I make my choices and I pray for His will be done in my life as I put my trust in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him, He'll make your paths straight.

Pursuit

To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love,
scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist,
but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.
~ AW Tozer

another still small voice of God...

I am reminded of another occassion when God speaks in a still small voice... it happened when i was in the gym.
I shared this while back to the music team.
I was in one of the core strength and conditioning class... and the class was hard -.-"" At that time, they were doing lots of push ups which i am not good at, so i kinda cheated. i didnt put my 100% effort to accomplish all the exercises. but then, there was this still small voice, " who are you fooling?"
I paused.
I realized I was just fooling myself. I dont go to gym for the sake of the trainer...or others... but for my own benefit. I will not going anywhere with my goals in being fit and losing weight if i keep on cheating like that.

After gym, when i was in the bus on my way home... God spoke again. He reminded me of my Christian walk with Him, on how i can fool some people sometimes, but still at the end, i am just fooling myself. i can do all the ministry to pretend that my relationship with God is fine (even song leading and lead Care Group discussion)... despite of my absent prayer life & quiet time. God reminds me for the "REAL" thing - He only wants to talk to me- have relationship with me [Martha & Mary story in Luke] rather than me busy serving and busy covering my weaknesses.

Later that night, I just came to Him to ask for His forgiveness and for Him to restore my passion for Him again...

:When God speaks:

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah experienced:
a great wind (verse 11), but God was not in the wind;
an earthquake (verse 11), but God was not in the earthquake;
a fire (verse 12), but God was not in the fire.

Finally, Elijah heard, according to the NRSV, "the sound of sheer silence." The Hebrew words translated "the sound of sheer silence" are qol damamah daqqah. Qol can be translated as "voice or sound." Damamah comes from a verbal root that means "to be silent, to be motionless," and daqqah from a root that means "small or thin." Various translations have been offered: "a sound of a gentle blowing" (NASB); "a gentle whisper" (NIV); "a still small voice" (KJV). What did Elijah hear? Silence, a whisper, a gentle wind? Whatever it was, it got his attention. And then a voice asked, "What are you doing here?"

I realize that we need to check in/ tune-in our ears to God's channel in the morning in order for us to recognize when God speaks through the still small voice... Lately, there are "coincidences" - the gentle whispers- or small voice- of God around me that I think is very cool; like, I had certain discussion with my bestfriend about the multiple dating issue, and then, at that time, I was asking whether she had found the church that she can be committed to...and I told her "It's ok, take your time, visit many churches, find which one suit you best, then you can grow and serve there" = then, there was this gentle whisper- "You should be ok with multiple dating...it's just like how you gave the advice to your friend about finding church. you are free to choose who you want to be with first. then you can be committed to one" - hmmm.....interesting, eh? =)
Also, I just had a discussion with a friend about the prosecution to the Christians in India and how we should respond to such incidents. He was quite upset at first, but then he told me that interestingly, during his devotional time, God reminded him of Romans 12:14-21. ;)

I believe that God continue speaking in our lives, through friends, to circumstances, to His word-most importantly- if we just want to listen.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. -John 10:27

-Be Yourself-

I am back to the Taiwanese drama fever -.-""

I recently watched "Miss No Good" 不良笑花 / Bu Liang Xiao Hua
The movie is cute. It is about this girl, Xiao Hua, that's trying so hard to get a makeover, so that she can behave like the upper class ladies to impress some people.

Thinking more after the movie, sometimes I realize that I do that too....Even though I am fully aware that I have "people-pleaser" mentality, many times I unconsciously pretend being someone that I am not in front of certain people or certain social clubs...

But, im really glad that many times, God reminds me that He loves me just the way I am and He made me special- only one in this Earth (do you realize that there are no one on earth shares exact genes, even twins :))

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

"I am deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman." Max Lucado
“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not.” ~Andre Gide

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Theodor Seuss Geisel

~IF~

If we are exiles and refugees on earth (1 Pet 2:11), and if our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20), and if nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35), and if His steadfast love is better than life (Psa 63:3), and if all hardship is working for us an eternal weight of glory (2 Cor 4:17), then we will give to the winds our fears and "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt 6:33).

We will count everything as rubbish in comparison with Christ (Phil 3: 7,8). We will "joyfully accept the plundering of our property" for the sake of unpopular acts of mercy (Heb 10:34). We will choose "rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin," and we will count "the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt" (Heb 11:25,26). Amen!

repost from Marini Yi's notes

::Multiple Dating.

Being out of the dating arena for quite some time, I am little scared of it.
A friend of mine asked what's my opinion on multiple dating...
[multiple dating: you date A monday, B thursday, C on sunday]
From his point of view, it is an ok thing since you are just getting to know your "dates" better.
At that moment, I do not know how to answer such questions.
It sounded ok to me too. Sounded quite normal, knowing that one of my senior pastors once told the bachelors that they should just go out with many girls to know which one is suitable for them.

Personally, when i get the chance to re-think my answer, I feel like I am in a competition.
I need to perform better than other girls to score more dates.
I do not like that feeling. But, aren't we set to compete everywhere in this Earth?
we compete at work, at our social performances....
However, as I prayed, i felt that God assures me that I do not need to compete for His love.
He gave it all, He took the risks........
I do not think I should expect a guy to be like Jesus, but I surely doubt whether the guy really interested in me or i am special-just like other girls...

Thinking further about this, I relate it with learning to play certain sports. I am a girl that I want to try it all -and can do it all (im not pleased with this particular trait. im working on it). I have tried playing golf, tennis, badminton, volleyball...etc etc.
As you learn playing these sports, I don't think you can pick up golf, tennis, badminton at the same times to be able to play well in a game. I believe the techniques are different on each sport. The same thing with dating girls, each girls are different, you can't devote your heart into learning and focusing to know one if you know that you have several others you need to somewhat please too..... I would appreciate if one focuses on one person -like learning a particular sport- then he can decide whether we play in a game or not (being in a relationship with that particular girl)

It is interesting to know what my Christian friends think about this issue though. Thoughts?

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.- Romans 5:8

Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.

Proverbs 4:23-27