Happy Wednesday (08/01/2012) (Discard)

Hi All, 

I've been doing a lot of house cleaning recently and find that I've developed a bit of a pattern in my approach to things. The very first step is to throw everything onto the floor and pick through all the stuff that was hidden away in a closet or a box. I've learnt to be brutal and merciless in throwing things away. If it doesn't have deep sentimental meaning, if I will never use it ever again, if it is easily/cheaply replaceable,  out it goes. Interestingly, this discarding process is usually the most time consuming part; the actual sorting, repacking and cleaning is, in general,  quickly done. In fact, I might argue that throwing things out is the most important part of cleaning up as up to half the clutter are gone simply by throwing away what I do not need or desire anymore. 

In the parable of the unclean spirit's return (Matthew 12:45-46), the focus is usually on how a heart that is emptied of sin needs to be filled with Christ, yet so often we forget the emptied/cleaned part and try to fill our hearts with God without FIRST having emptied it. We have no room in our hearts for Christ if it is filled with clutter, and I take my once messy room as a personal parable of this truth. Without bringing to light all my old habits, selfishness, sins, habits, and ambitions; without examining all of these things and deciding if they are worth keeping around; without making room by mentally deciding to get rid of unnecessary things; God has no place in me. There needs to be this mental sorting, prioritizing, and discarding for us to truly choose Christ. He would not fit in all the clutter otherwise. 

Have a Happy Wednesday,

Edward

"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation." (Matthew 12:43-45 ESV)

Michael Jackson vs James Brown in Whose Line

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_pGo3aVQV0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Happy Wednesday (Assumptions) (07/25/2012)

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." - Philippians 4:8

In my single days I keep hearing from people and reading in books about the importance of dealing with insecurities before getting into relationships. As a bit of a catch-22, most of these insecurities won't surface until you start dating, this was certainly true in my case.

Past or current relationships that hurt us somehow tends to shape our perception and, at least in my case, leads to me making assumptions about the things people say or do. Generally these are not positive assumptions and I find myself reacting to imagined insults or attacks. How it usually plays out is a conflict rises up and I find myself assuming that her intentions are the same those of people in past interactions - which, more often than not, is simply untrue. I defend against an attack that was never there and end up hurting her. 

Why IS that? What is it in us that makes it so easy to assume the worst in others and so hard to imagine the best? Why is it so hard to trust that the people closest to us have our best interest at heart? To quote someone who was merely quoting someone else, "hurt people hurt people." The good news is that Jesus' death upon the cross was meant to repair what was damaged in the fall of Genesis 3 - namely our relationship towards not only God, but each other as well. We see it in various aspects of Jesus' ministry from the bleeding woman to his charge to John to care for his mother, Mary, after his death. Jesus cares about our relationships and always desires reconciliation. 

Encouragement for the week, to work hard at shedding cynical/judgmental views towards others and to clarify rather than assume; to be calm rather than wrathful; and to pursue peace rather than frustrations that chases us when we make false, groundless assumptions. 

Have a happy Wednesday, 

Edward

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:16-19

painting on water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay-tD7x6dK8

Happy Wednesday (Frustration) (04/25/2012)

Hey Guys, Been a while! I think the lesson I've been learning the past few weeks has been on learning to deal with frustrations. Granted, quite often frustrations come from legitimate sources, where our antagonists are purposefully unfair and spiteful; or perhaps it really IS just one of those days where the laws of probability and physics seem to conspire against you. However, what I've been learning has more to do with why perfectly normal, decent, well meaning human beings can frustrate each other. What I've found helpful in the past is that it often helps to step away from the person/problem, and soberly ask yourself whether you are the one in error (even if only partially). In my case, the answer is quite often a disheartening "yes." If so, it falls on us to humbly acknowledge this fault and to apologize. Sounds so easy but pride ensures this to be a gut wrenchingly difficult task at times. Even were it not your fault, taking the time to calm yourselves and approach the other person with humility is far more likely to obtain a positive response rather than a defensive one. I think in arguments, defense is generally the worst way to go. Talk with the person rather than avoid the issue. This is important because we often make the false assumption that we understand the other person's point of view. So often, arguments flare up over a simple misunderstanding of a person's words or intentions or a difference in expectations. Although a solution or compromise isn't always possible, understanding each other's views is the first step towards peace. Timing is important too. You do not want to talk about it too soon, while the anger is still fresh. Yet you do not want to put it off too long to where the other person (or you) no longer cares about the matter. This is not peace or reconciliation, this is apathy and in some ways it is even worse than actual fighting. Apathy is effectively saying to yourself that this person is not important enough for me to resolve problems with. You miss out on learning important things about yourself and the other person by abstaining from difficult conversations. So much about myself was learnt by striving to be honest and humble while refusing to ignore awkward conversations with people closest to me. Encouragement for the week. May we not avoid difficult conversations; may we deal with our frustrations with each other in ways that are humble and genuine; and may we find ourselves not only able, but willing to talk and pray about things that bothers us. Have a happy Wednesday Edward "Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2-3 "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32 Dare to fight? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5MDV2rj33I

Happy Wednesday (2/29/2012) (Guilt)

Hey Guys,

I've always known that one of my deepest fear is letting other people down, but it wasn't until recently that I begin to dig a bit at why that is and what the implications are. Every time it happens, particularly to people I am closest to, I am often filled with feelings of guilt and find myself apologizing repeatedly. On the surface, it seems like a rather noble fear but if I allow myself to be honest, it is actually a fear born more out of insecurities and hypersensitivity to what others think of me than out of genuine desire to serve others well. It stems from a desire to please others.

What I needed to realize is that letting other people down due to my own forgetfulness, sinfulness, and character flaws is a natural part of life. I need to understand that those closest to me are eager to forgive me and encourage me to be better; that I am my own harshest critic. There is nothing wrong with having a conscience and allowing God to convict us when we wrong others, moving us towards atonement or reparations. But excessive preoccupation with past mistakes, or maintaining a deep-set fear of disappointing others can be bad in at least three ways:

1) I am sometimes guilty of blowing small things out of proportion and caring too much about a mistake that is relatively small. Learning to distinguish between big and small issues is a mark of maturity.

2) I find myself holding unrealistically high expectations for my friends and family at times precisely because I hold those same extreme expectations to myself. So not only am I plagued with unnecessary guilt when I fail to meet those standards, I am plagued with sinful resentment or anger when they fail to meet those same standards I myself am not able to maintain.

3) There is usually some elements of idolatry in caring too much about what others think. In desiring their good opinions, not for God's sake, but for my own. If we are able to make amends, apologize with true humility, and ascribe all of this behaviour to God, how beautiful do we show him to be! Instead, holding onto feelings of guilt indicates a works-based mentality in which I assume people would only like me if I do not mess things up. This runs completely contrary to the Gospel which is a message of redemption rather than performance. Mistakes and sin is for God's glory, not our shame. For this reason, we should rejoice (and not grieve) over failures and mistakes because we learn and grow from them.

If you're the type to care too much about what others think of you, chances are you share this struggle with me to some degree or another. Encouragement for the week for when you screw up (and you undoubtedly will at some point): Apologize humbly and sincerely, once. Repent. Learn from the mistake. And do not forget to forgive yourself. Afterall, if our God is a God of grace, shouldn't we live in like manner towards each other as well as towards ourselves?

Have a happy, guilt-free Wednesday!

Edward

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" Romans 8:1

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

"All this from God who, through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:18-19


"Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gliHyklHr6c

Happy Wednesday (2/1/2012) (Fear)

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" Romans 8:15

Hi Guys,

An uncomfortable lesson this past week through which I learnt some unpleasant things about myself. These are, of course, the very best lessons as delving into our weaknesses is really the only way we grow.

Fear is an interesting thing. It is there to warn us of real dangers, yet it can be twisted into something irrational and harmful. I must distinguish between what I'm choosing to call "general fears" and "personal fears." General fear is loosely define as what a person might experience when faced with an armed assailant, death, disease, lions, clowns, extreme height, etc. Personal fears encompass various psychological dysfunctions such as fear of rejection or fear of insignificance.

I'm no psych major, but what I seem to find in myself and from talking with various people is that personal fears usually arises from past social interactions (or lack there of) which resulted in some sort of emotional trauma. Fear becomes a means by which we cope with that pain and attempt to avoid experiencing it again. Now, what's always seemed intuitively obvious, yet was demonstrated to me this past week, was this: personal fears harm relationships.

For example, a fear of insignificance causes one to constantly evaluate his or her own worth and how it stacks against others' around them. It is small wonder that such people would constantly boast in themselves while tearing down other people's accomplishments and merits. Such a person could never offer genuine encouragement, quite the opposite. They feel threatened, rather than delighted, by other people's growth and strengths.

On a more personal note (as someone who deals with this intermittently), a fear of rejection leads a person to either push others away OR latch tightly onto them in an unhealthy emotional dependency. Any attempts to draw needed boundaries or hesitancy to interact with the fearful in the way they expect arouse suspicions of rejection - which causes them to lash out or grasp on even more tightly. People dealing with this fear have a hard time feeling secure with their relationships and are often in constant oscillation between worrying about offending others, or being inadvertently offended themselves by unsuspecting friends.

Our sinful nature would take fear, a defensive mechanism designed by God for our self preservation, and twist it into a means of controlling pain; and in doing so, hurt ourselves and those closest to us. In short, personal fears fuel various dysfunctions and insecurities that prompts us to do/say unloving things.They cause us to act selfishly when we, as Christians, are called to live selflessly. Our tendency is to hide such fears rather than face the painful task of uprooting them, yet they are the cause of so much conflicts in our lives. The dangers of such fears is that they are sin, yet are so easily disguised as personality traits and, as such, "acceptable weaknesses."

Encouragement for the week: Begin facing down your fears and deal with them. God doesn't want us to live in fear, but in courageous love. Acknowledge that they're there and that they carry very real, very negative consequences. Ask God to work on your fears with you and pray that he would break you free. Lastly, tell someone you trust about your fears and how you've allowed it to hurt others - confess it as a sin and repent of it as you should any other.

Have a happy, fearless rest of the week!

Edward

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."
- Frank Herbert, Dune.

Dad on duty..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOfy5LDpEHo&feature=relmfu

Happy Wednesday (01/25/2012) (Better)

Hey Guys,

Recently heard a sermon where the preacher made a really good side point to the effect that we generally want to be better than we are now. There are habits we genuinely want to break and virtues we want to adopt. This wasn't even his main message but it was one of the parts that really stuck out to me. There are parts of us that want to be respected for all the right reasons rather than the wrong ones and, for the believers, a desire for the Father's approval. From a secular standpoint, moralistic behaviour are the mere byproduct of human evolution - a necessity for communal survival. For the regenerate Christian, these noble aspirations are evidences of God's grace.

I fall short so much of the time. While nonchristians would say I am too harsh on myself, I know my own mind and how easily it strays from God. So, ignoring worldly standards of right and wrong and comparing myself solely against God's standards, I know Edward to be selfish and prideful. As good and polite as I am externally, I know how deeply sin lies embedded in me. Yet there is so much grace and mercy! Not only that God would forgive, but that he would actively work in me to desire things of him. To want the painful sanctification that is so contrary to my own nature. And that is just it, our nature is self preservation and self glorification and with a tendency to shy away from thoughts and actions that would compromise either. God desires that we be conformed to his image and to worship him instead of ourselves. Would that we respond to these God-given desires to become better, instead of resisting them. Would that we put aside excuses and reasons for delay, and pursue a life of godliness and productivity.

Encouragement for the week: Be better.

Edward

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to act according to his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy Wednesday (01/18/2012) (Doors)

Hi Guys,

As most of you know, I am in the middle of applying for school - my life is going through a period of transition and changes are flying at me. I've generally found that whenever Christians pray for things like job or school applications, the phrase of choice is generally for God to "open the right doors." Verbatim, those are practically my own prayers this past season. But I noticed something interesting in studying Acts recently.

In the 16th Chapter, we find that Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned due to false accusations. In the middle of the night the prison doors miraculously opened and chains fell off their wrists and feet, yet they stayed in their cells. Why? My thought is that they were so in tune with following God's will that when they see a literal door open, their first instinct wasn't escape but seek God's will - and I believe they were told to wait. It was later revealed that both Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, and their beating and imprisonment was unlawful. Now, if I was threatened with unwarranted physical beating and imprisonment that I can get out by simply declaring my citizenship - I would probably do so. Yet these men sought God's will even under those circumstance.

This begs the question. Why would God, who loves us, purpose for us to suffer? Why would God tell Paul and Silas to bear the beating and imprisonment in stoic silence? We'll never know the full effect of their decision, that is for God to know; yet Acts records the lives of other prisoners touched by the hymns they sang to God (none of them escaped when the doors opened). We see a jailer (not usually the softest characters) moved by their testimony and integrity in not seeking escape, so much so that his entire family found salvation that very night. Lastly, we are told of magistrates who, embarrassed with the wrongful imprisonment of two Roman citizen, were all too eager to be sympathetic to a newly formed Philippian church. God's kingdom grew in Philippi and I believe it had its roots in the events surrounding Paul and Silas' decision to seek God's will rather than leap through an open door.

One of the harshest lessons for a 21rst century, first-world believer is that God's will is NOT necessarily our health and prosperity. An open door is not necessarily an invitation to walk through, but perhaps a means to demonstrate a people who would choose to value God over the blessings of an open door. I'm not saying we should live in perpetual indecision of trying to figure out God's will; but there needs to be a decision made daily to value God over any opportunities we are blessed with. Encouragement for the week: Ask for doors to be opened, but continue to seek God's will and direction even after an opportunity presents itself.

Have a happy Wednesday,

Edward

Acts 16:19-40
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2016:19-40&version=NIV

Funny video of friends hypnotizing each other (Thanks Christina)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UfZNbLOkRA&feature=g-hist&context=G2b2f439AHTxYJ0wADAA

Happy Wednesday (01/11/12) (Starting)

Hey Guys,

New Years kinda snuck up on me and I neglected to form resolutions until 2012 was well underway. As this past Monday rolled by, I was struck by the realization that high on my list was the resolve to become more organize. I chuckled as the 9th day of the year began with me looking upon my horribly disorganized work desk. The humour was furthered by the fact that ridding myself of the habit of procrastination topped that same list as well. Have I been able to keep my NY resolutions so far? I hadn't even started yet!

I remarked on the Herculean task cleaning my desk would be to my coworker; her reply was rather profound, "Today is a good day to start." I think that phrase is a broadly applicable truth. It goes beyond resolutions, so often we look at life and find that we are not where we want to be. Be it in terms of career, relationships, ongoing struggles against sin, and so on. We find ourselves overwhelmed by the enormity of the goals and hopes we set for ourselves and deem them unreachable. But today really IS a good day to start. So my encouragement to you, and especially to me, this week: Do the things that needs doing. Crack open that bible, have that difficult conversation we've been putting off, pray that prayer that would begin setting things right between us and God...and get that stupid desk cleaned up while we're at it.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Edward

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2CpQWg2pA

Happy Wednesday (Peace) (01/04/2012)

Hi guys,

Rather short post today, I think. For one, Wednesday is almost over. For another, the simplest truths are often the most profound and do not need massive word counts to convey its meaning. So I will try my best to highlight today's lesson learnt with brevity. It was a pretty bad day. No real need for details but a general cocktail mix of work, a series of bad conversations, and school application snags. Rock climbing did little to relieve the stress and only fueled the frustration as I found myself succumbing to the effects of what climbing friends aptly named "high gravity days." Came home hoping to find solace, was instead bombarded by requests and demands, followed by some rather harsh and unkind words when I was at my absolute lowest. Tempted to yell back at this point? Of course. But I sat down at the dinner table, bowed my head, and said grace. The content of my prayer extended beyond the usual "thank you for food, amen." It was simply this: That I would know God as bigger than all of this, that it is enough - MUST be enough - that I have him, and that he would take his proper place in my heart and remove all traces of idolatry in me that is the true source of all my frustrations. Then peace. And I ate dinner.

Encouragement for the week. God is bigger than all your problems. I do not merely mean that he can solve them for you; but that you can lay all of it at his feet and rest. Truly rest. The second holds eternal significance while the first only temporary significance. My prayer for you all is that you find peace and rest in God during your worst "pretty bad days."

Have a happy Wednesday!

Edward

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

Nifty lil clip of 21 accents from around the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UgpfSp2t6k

Happy Thursday (Understand) (12/22/2011)

Hey Guys,

If you've ever tutored math, especially if math is a couple of years behind you, this feeling may sound familiar. You know how a problem is solved but you do not have a good foundational understanding for the concepts behind those solutions. Being able to derive the answer versus understanding why the answer is what it is are two different things and it shows every time your student asks "why?"

It is like this with any knowledge, be it calculus or gospel truths. It is so easy to casually accept truths for truths and move on. To hear a sermon we like and not 15 minutes later, unable to recall what it was about. Ridiculously easy to read a book or a verse, be emotionally and spiritually touched; yet when the need for gospel centered truths arises, that knowledge is nowhere to be found. True understanding needs a bit of wrestling, it requires more work; and there lies the heart of the problem. We're so easily satisfied with being mentally tickled by some new concept or idea that we do not take the time to fully internalize. The loss comes when someone needs to hear that gospel centered truth, and we fumble for answers we ourselves do not truly understand. Furthermore, we are unable to preach such truths to ourselves simply because we do not retain what we never fully understood or appreciated.

Diligent contemplation is as much an act of worship as singing praise songs. Do we wrestle with the truth? Do we dig at the bits that confounds us until we make sense of it instead of giving it up as "higher theology" that belongs to the domains of pastors and "uber Christians?" Are we driven to understand God's nature, purpose, and workings throughout the pages of history? Can we articulate the reasons why we love Christ?

May we delight in knowing God as fully as we are intellectually able, that we may help others do the same.

Have a happy Wed...I mean Thursday,

Edward

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, " 1 peter 3:15

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
2 timothy 4:2

Singing Christmas Hedgehogs (thanks Christina!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HIGCgpHYB4

Happy Wednesday (12/14/2011) (Ego)

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'" Matthew 16:24

Hi,

A while back, a friend made a general statement saying all Christians are alike. She did not mean any ill by it, in fact her perspective of Christians was a rather positive one, but it did raise an uncomfortable point of thought for me. Do we lose our identity in our pursuit of God? Afterall, Matthew 16:24 appears to paints a stark picture of blind obedience and the self denial. What exactly DO we lose when we follow Christ? This is not a question of doubt but one of faith, as by counting the cost to us in this divine transaction we get a feel for the worth of what we gain.

I was greatly helped in this by the writings of Oswald Chambers, who made a brilliant distinction between "individuality" and "personality." The former refers to the ego: Our sense of self, and desire for autonomy and uniqueness. The latter refers to who we are: Our quirks, histories, humour, character, values, etc. There is more going on here than mere semantics, the startling distinction he drew was that individuality craves after isolation whereas personality thrives on - , is shaped by - , and can only exist within the context of social interaction. This we retain in our relationship to God; what we lose is individuality. What we put to death in the waters of baptism is our sinful desire for autonomy.

How we CHAFE at that! We naturally recoil against any demands for even partial surrender to our rights to self governance. Most of my arguments can be boiled down to people asking me to give up an opinion of some sort and adopt theirs. Now, If a call to partial surrender leads to so much anger and conflict in our lives, how much more difficult is it to truly surrender completely to God and fully deny ourselves (in fact, it is humanly impossible without the aid of the Spirit). So often we try to enter into relationship with Christ while effectively maintaining that we are our own gods. That part of us needs to die in order to gain Christ. And he is worth that sacrifice! If he is what we gain in losing our ego, then we walk away the richer for the bargain.

So while there is a loss of self-based identity that takes place, there is the gaining of a new God-based identity that is still as unique as our own thumbprints. We lose our individuality but we gain a God who relates to us in the context of our individual personality. It is my understanding that Edward would continue to crack beef jokes in heaven even as my will becomes perfectly merged with God's will, this is profound and praiseworthy truth.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Edward

"I and the Father are one." John10:30.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

Chinese cover of Lady Gaga, sung by old peepos (thanks Grace!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF5WYaoWXI4&feature=youtu.be

Happy Wednesday (11/30/11) (Remember)

Dear People (and future Edward),

For the past week or so, I debated whether I should write about my accident on 11/20/2011, 12:47pm. I finally opted for yes because this blog is not only for you, my readers, but mainly for myself to remember past lessons. Humanity has a tendency to forget miracles. A few weeks ago I came remarkably close to death, yet came out of the incident completely unscathed. For the next few days, I lived with with a simple exhilaration of being alive; it is now merely 11 days later and that feeling has already started to fade. Already, I am forgetting when I do not want to forget. Such is human nature, and so I write:

I was on a particularly twisted exit ramp going from one freeway to another when this happened. The road was wet from the rain. I was driving just a little too fast when my tires slipped on the road. My immediate reaction upon losing control of my car was to tap the brakes. Stupid. If you're ever in this situation, take your foot off the gas pedal and try to keep your car going straight until you feel traction under your wheels again. Regardless, my braking caused the car to spin in a wild 180° arc into the merging lane on my right where I narrowly passed right in between two cars. Then I spun off the edge of the freeway and my car rolled onto its ceiling before grinding to a halt a few meters off the freeway shoulder. I couldn't believe that I was alive. In retrospect, I should've taken a picture while I was hanging upside down. It would've made for one EPIC Facebook profile picture. As it was; I fought down waves of claustrophobia, rolled down my window and crawled out of my car completely uninjured.

Now, I can turn around and thank Honda engineering for designing such a crash resistant vehicle. But I know the true credit goes completely to God for his mercy upon me that day. It was not my time. It was a day of little bits. It rained just a little bit, I drove just a little bit fast, slipped just a little bit, braked just a little bit - and my world was turned upside down. On the FLIP side...had I gone just a little bit faster or slower, I would've hit another car; had I slid just a little bit less, I would've remained on the freeway where I could've easily collided with another car turning around the corner. All in all, this was a miracle. A fact chillingly punctuated by the story relayed to me of a lady who passed away just a few days prior in almost the exact same accident.

THIS, is what I am slowly forgetting and I wish it wasn't so. I wish I could hold onto the feelings of exhilaration and vitality. I wish I could remember how much I loved my friends and family in what I thought was my final moment. I wish I could still look upon a sunset with such wonder as I did the following day. I wish so much that I could remain completely aware of God's mercy and grace upon my life. And so I write.

May we continuously see how GOOD God is, and remember what he has done in our lives.

Edward

Happy Wednesday (Praise) (11/16/2011)

"I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are, the delight is incomplete till it is expressed." C.S. Lewis (Reflection on Psalms)

I came across this quote a few weeks ago and I think it true, the praising of a thing, even the silent approval in the privacy of our minds, IS the culmination of our enjoyment of that thing. We praise the things we love and enjoy most in life. A husband telling his wife that he finds her beautiful; a sport fan cheering wildly when his team wins an upset victory; a braggart, enamoured with himself, prattling ceaselessly about his virtues and accomplishments.

With each example, the acts of praise are far from arduous endeavours; rather, in proclaiming their delight in the objects of their admiration, the praisers' enjoyments are increased. In fact, were they somehow prevented from voicing their pleasures (perhaps by shyness or embarrassment), their joy would be diminished. This is praise! We are wired and designed to delight in things. A person who never compliments, never admires, never praises is a joyless person.

Now, at least within christian circles, the word "praise" generally conjures images of people singing worship songs on Sunday mornings. Many of us miss the point that we praise things besides God ALL the time. And here we come to the crux of the problem. If the objects of our most genuine and heartfelt praises indicate the where of our deepest satisfactions and, I would argue, worship; then it begs this eternally crucial question: How does our affections for God stack against everything else?

Let us joyfully praise the things we love and let our love for Christ grow till it ranks above all others.


Have a happy Wednesday,

Edward

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things." Philippians 4:8

Race against a champion marathoner for 60ft (4:46 min mile time over 26.2 miles)
http://gizmodo.com/5859048/giant-video-wall-lets-you-get-smoked-by-a-marathoner

Happy Wednesday (11/9/11) (Jesus Wept)

Hey Guys,

Most of us are probably familiar with the "shortest verse" of the Bible, and even if we can't always remember that it is John 11:35, I'd imagine most could quote it as "Jesus wept." I've always been fascinated with that, why was he weeping? After all, John 11:5-6 tells us that his late arrival was intentional (and cited love as his reason for not going sooner), and he more than hinted that he was going to resurrect Lazarus. So why shed tears for a dead man soon to be brought back to life? Perhaps it was out of shared grief with Mary and Martha in the passion of the moment; but I wonder if there isn't more here than emotional empathy..

Verses 4 and 15 tells us the reasons why Lazarus had to die, that it was for the purpose of glorifying God and for people to come to see Jesus as God. The point of his earthly ministry: the parables, the miracles, raising of Lazarus, all the way down to the cross itself was for the purpose of giving us access to God. To have us believe in him. This is a loving act on God's part because what we NEED most in this life and the next IS God (this is a foundational assumption a Christian needs to establish before becoming a believer). So God's deepest desire is to give us what we most desperately need: himself.

Upon Jesus' arrival at Bethany, he was accosted three times by Martha, Mary, and the crowd and asked why he did not come in time to prevent Lazarus' death. They were looking for the blessing and not the blesser. Jesus' answer was simply this, "I AM the resurrection." What you need, I am; even if you do not know what your needs really are. Verse 33 and 38 tells us that Jesus was greatly distressed upon seeing that they did not see him for who he is, God. If they had, there should have been no weeping, but full confidence in his godhood and love. If Jesus' weeping was merely empathy for the (albeit temporary) sorrow of Mary and Martha, why would their lack of trust ("why weren't you here?") bother/hurt him? Which leads me to think...perhaps some portion of the tears Jesus shed was over the anguish of them not seeing him when they desperately needed to?

My closing thoughts on the matter is simply this: As much as God cares about our physical needs, he knows those needs to be temporary and our spiritual needs to be eternal. He is infinitely more concerned about meeting the latter, even at cost to the former if it is necessary. And for this, I love him.

Happy Wednesday!

Edward

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:31-33

"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3

Worst hunter ever (no animals were harmed in the making of this video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk0HYn2u7c0&feature=related

Happy Wednesday (Wordless Groaning) (10/19/11)

"26 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 through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." - Romans 8:26-27

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who's prayed for something that didn't come to pass, and was left to wonder if I prayed for the wrong thing. Was I at fault for not knowing the will of God? Did I not listen enough? What follows is usually perplexity at best, faith-jarring confusion at its absolute worst. The purpose of our lives and our prayers is to glorify God and so often I fail miserably to want that. What I want is happiness and health for myself and those I care about. I can't trust my own desires to be in line w/ God. What ends up happening is I get so caught up in trying to anticipate God's will that I neglect prayer, for fear of praying for the wrong thing and so be disappointed. Is it ok to pray to get into a school? What if that was not God's design? Should I be praying for a marriage partner, or is God's plan for me singleness forever and ever? So I often do not know what I ought to pray for.

I found these encouraging words in Romans 8:26, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." What this tells me is that there will OFTEN be times when we do not know how to pray. Times when we ask for direction and get absolute silence. Times when we pray, either inadvertently or (God help me) purposefully, in opposition to God's will. And (here's the good news) its OK! Paul candidly debated with himself whether he should pray for his life or death in Philippians 1:21; Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane was hardly a 100% certainty on what he wanted, AND HE'S GOD HIMSELF. In other words, this uncertainty is not unnatural, but a normal part of the Christian experience.

What we find in Romans 8 is that upon our profession of faith and adoption in God's family, we're given the Holy Spirit - the third person of the trinity. The Spirit himself prays while within us to the Father in perfect accordance to God's will, even as he slowly shifts our will into alignment with his. The right words are spoken to the one who listens, and the Spirit's prayers are always answered. Yet my prayers are an expression of my dependence and trust in God and are not wasted words, but are absolutely critical in keeping me mindful and worshipful of the one who grants righteous prayers - be it mine and/or the Spirit's. It is still right to pray our desires to God, but we keep a worshipful attitude that it is his will that must be done, not ours. So that if I prayed right when God wanted left, the Spirit will pray left and God will cause me to go in the direction I am meant to go. I desperately want the kind of unconquerable faith that would allow me to Amen the granted latter rather than the unanswered former.

Have a Happy Wednesday!

Edward

Crazy BMX Action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw

Happy Wednesday (Justice) (05/04/2011)

Hey Guys,

I've had a few interesting discussions concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden this week. Most are generally happy that justice has been served, but I wonder...has it really? The lives that were lost or irreparably damaged by this man will never be restored in this lifetime. Don't get me wrong, the death of an evil man who plots the death of innocents and teaches other to do likewise is a good thing. Earthly justice serves the necessary dual purposes of remedial/correction and preventing those so inclined from doing more evil. I guess I just do not like the smug "we won, they lost" attitude I see here and there.

We so easily forget that justice and judgment is God's territory and not man's. God's judgment doesn't pit the guilty against the innocent, nor one nation against another; rather, it pits the sins of every human being against Himself. Bin Laden's sins will be judged before God in the courts of heaven, even as mine will be someday. God's judgment and decrees are perfect as every sin we've ever committed from infancy till death are either overlooked by the mercy of His Son, or brought into the spotlight as evidence of our treason against Him. God's justice is greater not only because of his righteousness and moral perfection, but because His is a justice of mercy, moreover His justice WILL undo the damages done in ways the federal judicial system never could.

So concerning the wrongs done to us, wherever possible let us wait on the judgment of the Lord instead of taking matters into our own hands. This is the only way we could possibly love our enemies and turn the other cheek, as we know the judgment they are facing and for fear of their souls and out of pity and mercy, beg them to repent. Encouragement for the week, let the justice of God have a bearing on how we do life and how we do forgiveness.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Edward

"You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" Matthew 18:32-33

"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" Romans 12:17-19

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God...Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval...but if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoers." Romans 13:1-4

"He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" Revelation 21:3-5

Mean owner teases poor dog...=(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Happy Friday (Truth) (04/22/2011)

Hey Guys,

My thoughts these past week or two has been on the importance of truth. God truth. This is spurred perhaps in part by preparing for our church's apologetics miniseries, and hearing some excellent questions and objections to Christianity. Perhaps it is also due to having to make some important decisions and seeing value in having my thinking guided by the reality of Christ.

Sometimes when we're faced with tough questions, when we face doubt, or struggle with a decision; what we need aren't merely answers but a rock solid understanding of God's nature. Being able to provide a few biblical answers to the questions concerning homosexuality is not nearly as important as desperately holding onto the truth about His goodness and sovereignty. Nervousness over a first date was ultimately overcome not by wise counsel and kind reassurances from beloved friends, but in remembering that God works all things for the good of those who love him. The best that answers can do is satisfy the intellect/mind, truth satisfy the soul.

There will be days when mere answers won't be enough, but an absolute refusal to relinquish truth is like the proverbial house built on rock solid foundations. Crisp, clear, simple, short truths by which we live our lives. God is holy. God loves me. He died for my sake. He is sovereign. I sin. I am His child. He won't let go of me. He is worthy of praise. He is trustworthy. Without truths like these, we will be shaken with every tragedy we witness; conversely with truths like these, we remain steadfast even in seasons of plenty.

Encouragement for the week, let us often remind ourselves of truths that our lives might be governed by them. Let us LOVE truth. I think this is what Jesus meant by worshiping "in spirit and in truth." To know, to believe, and to express true things about God is worship, because truth is something implanted in us entirely by grace, for which we are eternally grateful.

Have a happy weekend!

Edward

"Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name." Psalm 86:11

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

"This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:4

Tickled penguin!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K3MXY5ITxQ

Happy Thursday (Altars) (04/07/2011)

Hey guys,

I recently had a conversation with a friend about people's tendency to hoard possessions and I came to the realization that I have a habit of collecting little things for sentimental reasons. An ocarina, movie stubs, an ostrich egg, couple of doodle covered notebooks, some handmade gifts from artsy friends, a large key - each of these items holds important memories to me. I also happened to have been reading a book by Mark Batterson and was on a chapter about the importance of life symbols in our Christian walk. Mark noticed one day that his office was decorated with art that, however aesthetic, held no meaning for him and resolved to fill his office with objects and pictures that would remind him of God's faithfulness in his life and ministry.

His reasoning, and I'm inclined to agree with him, is that memories of the past shape our subconscious and strongly influence our present perspectives and actions. Remembrance is a recurring theme in the bible, the word "remember" appears over 230 times. So we see holidays like Passover and Purim inaugurated, promises and covenants made, and altars built - all for the purpose of reminding these godly men and women of God's faithfulness in remembering them. We effectively build altars of remembrances for ourselves every time we revisit memories of times God's pulled through for us. It can be as simple as looking at old pictures, listening to a song that holds special meaning for us, making a pilgrimage to a location where you've encountered God, regularly examining how prayers have been answered, or perhaps by hoarding and decorating your room/office with small keepsakes to remind you of His goodness.

Encouragement for the week: Collect and review God exalting memories and build altars that reminds us of God's faithfulness so that in moments when we are most tempted to forget Him, we do not.

Have a happy Thursday!

Edward

"...My soul is cast down within me; therefore I will remember you..." Psalm 42:5

"Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." Genesis 35:3

"One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other rebuked him...And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And he said to him, 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.'" Luke 25:39-43

Quite possibly the cutest puppy ever. Happy wakes up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8G4YgQyEMk&feature=related

Happy Wednesday (Pleasure) (03/23/2011)

Hey Guys,

There are (at least) two errors a Christian can make with regards to pleasure: idolatry OR ungodly fear of idolatry. I'm not talking about sinful desires but the simple joys in life like marriage, children, careers, good food/wine, ministries, and hobbies. Most believers are, I assume, well aware of the dangers of the first error, but perhaps not as many are aware of the dangers of the second. The first leads to ungodly attachments while the second leads to ungodly asceticism, the rejection of good gifts of God and mistaking self-denial for holiness.

I recently came to realize that I harbour some serious fears of idolizing marriage through a very grace-filled conversation. I irrationally feared that a happily married life would distract me away from God and was gently warned that such a guarded approach to relationships is doomed to fail. It's as if knowing God doesn't owe me, a sinner, even one millisecond of that kind of happiness (true) yet wishes it for me (also true) fills me with feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and fear rather than humbled thankfulness. And there lies the heart of the problem, I STILL struggle with accepting grace! This idea was further underlined during a weekend church conference on the beatitudes. The word Jesus used for "blessed" (makarios) has a secondary meaning of being happy/fulfilled. In other words, God desires our delight and happiness. The key is basing our happiness on godly values. If my desire for marriage is based on the display of Christ's glory, the sanctifying work of raising a family, genuine delight at the prospect of raising godly children, experiencing love and intimacy with another Christ-centered human being. If these are the kinds of reasons my desire for a wife is based on, then there's no reason for me to feel ashamed, believe myself unworthy, or live in constant fear of idolizing a wife God Himself wants to give me.

Ecclesiastes reminds us that earthly joys and pleasures are God's gifts, meant to inspire praise and thanksgiving. Whether the error lies in idolatry or fear of idolatry, the solution to both is the same: Thankfulness. Genuine, humble, grace-filled thankfulness as we constantly acknowledge God as the source of all good things in our lives. Encouragement for the week, whether your struggle lies in idolatry or fear of idolatry, be filled with thankfulness to God for the many blessings in life - refuse the enemy any foothold for condemnation.

Have a very happy Wednesday!

Edward

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." 1 John 4:18

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to the deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:1-4

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11


Epic mullet guy manages to salvage that annoying Friday song into something that actually sounds good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw8IEd3LDzg

Happy Wednesday (Assumptions) (03/16/2011)

"So Haman came in, and the king said to him, 'What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honour?' And Haman said to himself, 'Whom would the king delight to honour more than me?'" Esther 6:6

Hey Guys,

I've been slowly making my way through the book of Esther and came across a story familiar to perhaps many of you. In this hilarious encounter, Haman (the antagonist) believed the king intended to pay him honour when the king intended to honour Mordecai, Haman's enemy. Of course, Haman lists what he thought to be appropriate treatment for himself only to have his words backfire as he was promptly ordered to do for Mordecai everything he prescribed. The main point I pulled from this passage is the automatic assumption Haman made concerning who the king "delights to honour."

Can you relate to Haman's presumptuousness? Continuous belief that we are the object of other people's conversations/thoughts/moods (whether positive or negative) is an unhealthy and prideful preoccupation. The world does not revolve around us and assumptions to the contrary often lead to baseless conclusions. Our minds can turn misunderstandings into insults, platonic compliments into flirtation, and a general bad mood into bitterness specifically directed at our persons. It constantly amazes and saddens me how such assumptions can completely dictate how I view or act towards people as I hold grudges against phantom insults.

What's worse, after I've determined the assumption to be false, it often fails to change my attitude towards them! This suggests that my distaste is, more often than not, the fruit of my own sinfulness that predisposes me to hold untrue assumptions to begin with.

I am TOTALLY aware that people are not perfect. Some people in our lives ARE in fact annoying, or rude, or inconsiderate, or offensive, or racist, or hippocritical, or judgmental, or emotionally draining, or needy, or bad tempered, or controlling, or any spectrum of complaint you could possibly list about the human race. I think we should take wise steps to protect ourselves, but I also firmly believe that it is unfair to allow ourselves to think (or worse, to gossip) untrue things about these people in our lives.

Encouragement for the week: in humility consider the possibility that you might not be the center of everyone's world; be wary of baseless assumptions that so often colour our relationships in ugly shades; and may we extend grace to sinful humanity as recipients of God's grace towards our own sinful nature.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Edward

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour." Exodus 20:16

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3

Cutest puppy EVAR!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8G4YgQyEMk&feature=related