My everyday question to the Lord:
"Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"
Friday, August 12, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
mortal combat
Is there a way to fend off thoughts?
Can one make a choice to dwell on a noun or not?
I wonder if I just let my mind free, free to rest wherever it pleased. On pleasant things or prickly. I wonder how I would be if my mind was left undisciplined. Would it only rest where it's easy, comfortable, close, and immediately gratifying?
These thoughts launch me into what I need to hear.
I need to exercise mental discipline. I need to set my focus on imagining good things--not unhelpful things.
I don't want to over think possibilities and negativities. I don't want to be satisfied with planting my thoughts at the foot of difficulty, but to advance to the crest where help resides.
Help my thoughts, O God. Don't let them hurt me.
How liberating mental freedom is. How sweet is the liberation of the mind.
Can one make a choice to dwell on a noun or not?
I wonder if I just let my mind free, free to rest wherever it pleased. On pleasant things or prickly. I wonder how I would be if my mind was left undisciplined. Would it only rest where it's easy, comfortable, close, and immediately gratifying?
These thoughts launch me into what I need to hear.
I need to exercise mental discipline. I need to set my focus on imagining good things--not unhelpful things.
I don't want to over think possibilities and negativities. I don't want to be satisfied with planting my thoughts at the foot of difficulty, but to advance to the crest where help resides.
Help my thoughts, O God. Don't let them hurt me.
How liberating mental freedom is. How sweet is the liberation of the mind.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
A Prayer for Japan by Pastor John Piper
Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. We cover our faces and kiss your omnipotent hand. We fall helpless to the floor in prayer and feel how fragile the very ground is beneath our knees.
O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment—in the twinkling of an eye—we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.
And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.
Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.
Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.
May every heart-breaking loss—millions upon millions of losses—be healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures' pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.
In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.
Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.
And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.
O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.
In Jesus’ merciful name, Amen.
O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment—in the twinkling of an eye—we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.
And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.
Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.
Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.
May every heart-breaking loss—millions upon millions of losses—be healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures' pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.
In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.
Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.
And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.
O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.
In Jesus’ merciful name, Amen.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Right now we're in New York. Brooklyn to be exact. Yo this place is mad crazy. HAH.
We just screened at a Law school. It was cool. They asked a lot of questions. They were technical, but none that we couldn't handle.
I had the most amazing time at Stuyvesant high school today. Maybe cuz there were so many high school kids. Or because the response was so high. It was just an overall great day of screenings. We had maybe 7 screenings with around 500 students present. It was pretty much phenomenal. Such ambitious, heart-felt kids. I swear I witnessed the social phenomena of word of mouth. It was just one teacher first, and a few students.. it turned into us selling out of shirt styles, and just.. madness.
Anyway, we're here at a contact's house just chillin. Waiting for Fordham tomorrow. I am legitimately excited to see my friend, Cindy Cho. I think it's been 4 years or so since I've seen her. Pretty crazy. Strange how we were able to stay in touch for so long. It's really quite lovely. Is that the right word? Whatever--I'm sleepy.
Also I feel pretty nervous to be speaking in front of people I actually know. I'm glad I got a lot of practice in Ohio where I didn't give a damn what people thought.
Alright. I'm going to blog a lot more now. This season will not slip through my fingers. It's getting recorded one way or another.
Holler.
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