Take An Old Treasure Out

When I searched for my old sermon notes, I felt a nudge to take out an old envelope 'Fundraising for Skate-A-Thon' from my jean Bible case encasing the Teen NIV Bible. I typed a blog, "A Due Season to PUSH" last night from my memory since I couldn't find my old sermon notes. But I hesitantly put the envelope into my current journal for the sermon notes. I want to hold it before I am certain of what is tugging at me.

This envelope contains a cash and a check. It was for a youth camp. After my family moved out, I lost the contact with everyone at the church. Thus I buried it into the stacks of notes and memorizing verse cards within the jean Bible case. I treasured this Bible because it was my first read-though Bible with all of the reading plans checked off in the last pages. I also treasured the personal note, "Prov. 4:23" from my youth pastor bookmarked in Proverbs section. And so was the envelope stacked.

But why do I have to take a treasure out?

I felt the tug that I kept it to await for this very day when I would revisit the church. I thought I was keeping it in faith for the past seven years, believing. But God is telling me that it's now time to let it go. I really wanted to give the cash back to a certain person who gave it to me to show myself faithful. But God has a better story.

As I was trying to understand, a new thought came up! God definitely has a better plan. Sometimes we have to let something go before being able to enter into something new. So we entered into His new plan. By donating a cash that was intended for a youth camp toward my church, I enabled my previous church to bless my current church. It's awesome! But there is more to it. My previous donation toward this new location also came from another church whose had blessed me. Thus a story was created. Through the obedience, I'm privelleged to carry the blessings from two churches toward Barracks Row. Even if the blessings were a dollar and a dollar. This story was personally created. Even more, through this purchase National Community Church will be able to bless the People's Church.

Here is the whole picture: # of churches have blessed National Community Church, and then National Community Church will blesses the People's Church. Why did I wrote # in this equation? Because I wouldn't be surprised if another church also blessed National Community Church through another person. God's thoughts are way bigger than ours.

Are your story being created? Are you willingly to allow God take your story and turn it into a bigger story? Ask.

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A Due Season to PUSH

I've been thinking about 'a due season of PUSH' last evening. While I thought about it, I felt a bit restless. Is it a season of PUSH once again? UGH! This process had begun in my life after a certain Sunday service seven years ago.

Jesus told his disciples "That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19-20). The disciples were together in one accord in one place. Thus they grew in their discomfort.

On that Sunday seven years ago, the message caught me off guard. I quickly looked up as if the message was delivered to me directly. It goes like this, "Fight!" I was befuddled. In what area of my life do I need to fight for? Basketball? Maybe. I have been hearing and hearing this from my dad, "I know that God called you to be a basketball star. You need to fight. You are timid. You need to be more aggressive." And all that crap. While I'm absorbed into my own thoughts I saw my youth pastors bending their heads in the corner of my eye. I casted my glance toward them. I found them smiling, probably giggling. Oh man, they must have known that God had a word for me. I thought, "Okay... so it's not a secret then." I jotted the note, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." (Matthew 11:12)

I enrolled into Gallaudet University one and half years later, I forgot all about it. It was until a teacher challenged me through the Yawp project. We watched 'Dead Poetic Society' in our honor program First Year Seminar. In this movie, the teacher cures the stutter and inhibition of Todd by making him "yawp" in class. The project was created from this movie to challenge us. I was excited because I loved challenges. So I created some bravery details for this project. But it goes like this. Declined. Declined. And declined!

I was so frustrated! I asked her what I will need to do. She said, "Do something small since big challenges come easily to you." I'm like, "Something small? Like what?"

I had to find out. I sent out few emails. One came from my respectable teacher on 10, October 2005:

"Hi, you are not able to tell your friends from your feeling. You always keep them in yourself. You have to express yourself. That way, you can become a good leader. For example, if the students distrub during your class, you let your teacher take care. And if the student is not taken care of you should speak out to your teacher or the student. I hope it will help you and your project."

I had to gulp because I found something that will force me out of my comfort zone! My teacher finally approved my project. But the discomfort began on that day. And even to this day.

You probably love big challenges like I do. You would get on the stage. You would try something new. You wouldn't be afraid to be alone. But maybe the greatest challenge is to do something small and overlooked? Something that you avoided to do or hate to do? It is time to step out.

Boycotting the Undesirable Fame

I kept thinking about a certain picture taken two weeks ago. I couldn't stop laughing. It reminds me of few other stories in the past.

• Senior Class Favorites in CSDR, high school

I boycotted the yearbook photographer for the "Teacher's Pet" photo. I was so mad that my friends decided to vote me to be the teachers' favorite rather than the most athlete. I would do anything to be a basketball star and even a trackster star, not to be teachers' favorite. My arguments was: I finished my assignments and passed my tests to maintain my 4.0 GPA for myself only, not for the teachers. I listened to maintain my own moral values only, not for the teachers. Although I failed in the end with two 89% grades due to my miscalculation! I skipped few things when I knew I would've gotten all A's. At least I am away from being miss perfect.Afterward, I accepted the "Most Likely to Succeed" photo after negotiating with the yearbook staff. I boycotted my photo until things are being corrected.

• Good Friday service in NCC

I ditched my chair to sit on the floor to avoid the spotlight. Afterall, I planned to stand in the back. That was until it gets crowded when I saw that no one was willingly to sit in the front. Whatever, I thought. I'm going to do it if they won't. So I went ahead and fill the chair. Suddenly I realized that I'm in the spotlight when it was dark in the back. NO! I could not worship Him freely that way. I ditched my chair.

• The first People's Church service, NCC

I avoided smiling, "Cheese" when Pastor Mark took a picture of us all. Thus I hurriedly grabbed my notebook and start to jot down, "PM... SERMON... 4/17" on the headline, in order to excuse myself from smiling. Afterall, I didn't planned to sit in the front. I had to do so in order to find my way to my seat easily after leading in ASL worshipping... And pastors don't usually take a picture of us. I was the only one who boycotted the front-line photo among the twenty-eight smiling faces in the first four rows. Oh boy!I am an unique-ridiculous me. And I laughed at my ridiculous-self.

Back Away From "Dogs"

***Continued from "A Dog Senses Fear"***

"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." -Matthew 7:6

As we can see that dogs would bite and chew, not to trample. Whilst pigs will trample, not tear. Merriam-Webster says that holy is worthy of absolute devotion, to be holy is to be fully loyal and dedicated. Pearl is one that is choice or precious, pearls are something precious that came from God.

The dogs may represent those people who spurn, oppose, and abuse the foundations of faith, of biblical doctorines. They may look decent and innocence, but they will bite you when your fear was detected. Instead of ignoring those dogs and walk with confident in the Love, we turned around to pet them. We are so full of love and they are adorable lonely in the dark. For this reason we entered the unholy grounds unawared, abandoning the holy path to be with the dogs. But when we neglect the warning, we faced the troubles and trials. Slowly we reached for it. A dog bit. Ouch!

What should we do when we experience those attacks?

"They shook off the dust from their feet against them and [leave] to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." -Acts 13:51-52

It's amazing how Paul and Barnabas surrendered their rights to be in the territory and leave in obedience. We now know that it is not our business, but God's. They devoted their time to God, to be holy. Thus God strengthened them and refilled them with the Holy Spirit!

A Dog Senses Fear

A dog's sense is said to be a thousand times more sensitive than humans. In fact, a dog has more than 220 million olfactory receptors in its nose, while humans have only 5 million. 110 times more olfactory receptors in dog's nose than humans! Because of this, a dog can locate almost everything. Many agencies would use dogs to locate drugs, search for lost individuals, and even detecting certain types of tumors!

Does a dog smell the fear?

It certainly does by picking up clues through its senses. It can see your hesitation by the sight. Hear your heartbeats even if you are five feet away. Or smell your sweat that came out from your stress horomone, letting it know that you fear it. Maybe you fear a dog once and it chased after you. It might have sensed your fear and thought you as an intruder!

I once petted two dogs by the fence at Ebenezers Coffeehouse while I'm reading. They are harmless, but their owner came toward me and told me to be cautious and not pet them. I stopped although I didn't understand why, they were friendly. But after a week had lapsed, I saw them once again! I knew them! But I also knew that the owner warned once. I reached toward them slowly anyway. And the dog bit me instantly. It did it so quickly as if it didn't even bit me, clever! I pushed my emotions deep into my stomach pit and secretly walked off slowly for I was humbled and hurt. Later my friend, Dasha, encouraged me to see the owner to find out if they are treated for rabies, and they are! I am safe. But it took my cracked-circle nail a while to look pretty once again. After that I'm a bit more cautious with dogs.

2nd Annual Java Jog

I took a test run at Rock Creek Park this morning with my Galaxy S 4G phone device. I jogged. I text with a friend who tried to make me guess who she was listening to- Steph Modder CD. And I took some pictures, of course I had to stop to capture some scenes! After the run, I had to gulp some water and stretch before taking a first sweaty ride upon my ninja 250. Nice!

As the team prepares our 2nd Annual Java Jog on May 28th, I had to pause to reflect upon our first Java Jog. Hains Point it was. 50ish runners ran in a 3.1 circle beside Potomac River. At the finish line, one of them ran toward the pink barricide tape thinking that she was supposed to do so! So the poles that was cemented within the painting tin fell over. We had to retilt them and reposition the tapes and we laughed about it. With the limited 5k resources, one must have misunderstood the purpose of each equipment.

This year, we will take a caution in creating the path, especially that they will not run in a circle. They will run downward, swerve a curve, and then smile hugely at a volunteer with our bib number to pose like prisoners without stopping or slowing down. After all of this, we had to reverse ourselves to head toward the finish line!

If you want to participate 5k this year, this event is ready to be purchased at http://5kjavajog.eventbrite.com

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The Measure of Our Attitude

Today I went out for a dinner with one of my awesome girlfriends who lends me a book. Which was one of the reasons I ranked her high in my top-friends drafting list. And so I read It's Your Time as I rocked my office chair, which had been distracting my roommate from her assignment. Well at least I tried.

And as I tried to quiet down, a narrative just captured my thoughts. It described the true origin of the panglossian Christians: characterized by or given to extreme optimism, especially in the face of unrelieved hardship or adversity. Let's put on our safety googles and take a look into this narrative:

"I read about an experiment that attempted to measure the power of attitude in rats. The researchers wanted to see how the rats' attitudes affected their will to live. They put one rat in a large tub of water with high sides so it could not get out. Then they put the tub in a dark room. They timed how long the rat would keep swimming before it gave up. The rat lasted a little over three minutes.
Then the researchers put another rat in the same tub, but this time they allowed a bright ray of light to shine into the room. That rat swam more than thirty-six hours, seven hundred times longer than the rat with no light.
Why was that? The rat with no light had no hope. When he looked ahead he saw only darkness. There wasn't any reason to keep swimming. That's what happens when we don't expect God's favor. We lose faith that we can overcome our obstacles. We don't believe that God is in control, so we lose our passion, we lose our enthusiasm."

-It's Your Time, Joel Osteen

It is amazing how Jesus was the source to our steadfastness until we spiritually resurrect. With God, we can be supernaturally optimism, becoming the panglossian Christians who may soar like the eagles. Soaring above the storms.

Naked in Our Lacking

This morning I've been thinking about how often I loved to refuse interpreter once a while to be able to directly communicate with the hearing. Time is not my issue. But quality time is.

Through this, I learned that our perspectives are absolute the opposite! They would normally say, "I'm sorry, but I don't know much" and signed slowly in alphabets or in some basic signs or even sheepishly escaped. My brain laughed. It wanted to tell them that it felt loved when they strive. It is not about what they lack, but how they gave their all.

We certainly felt naked when we lacked.

In the same way, we are prone to leave God in our lack of purity. We hid in our nakedness. We needed to be clothed in the modern fig leaves to cover our shame. But in God's eyes, our lack of purity is not the issue. Our willingness to be naked is.

"The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation."
-The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer

What is the Church that Jesus Built?

"And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"

What does "rock" refers to? What is a "church"?

Let me quote a Old Testament verse for the New Testament was build upon Laws, Writings, and Prophecies, which were fulfilled through Jesus Christ. "The Lord is my ROCK, and my fortress, and my deliver. My God, is the ROCK of refuge." -Psalm 18:2 & 94:22

Oh boy, I wish I could be a wonderful coach like Him! Jesus knew what he needed to say after Peter proclaimed that he is the Christ. He encouraged Peter, "through this obedience my Father and I will build you up." Peter was willingly to look foolish, opening up the opportunity for himself to be molded by God. God protects and nurtures us through the Words, through the community of Christ, and through being personally taught by Him.

Through that process, we may be either "be tossed about by every wind of doctrine" or "build on the rock" of Christ's truth in love. We would surely sink when we paid attention to the wind around us like how Peter once sank. He learned to keep his eyes upon the Rock after this experience. May we learn to lay down our doctorines and keep our eyes on Jesus, our sole Rock.

Joyce Meyer's Writing Battles

Man, I don't know why I have to rewrite my blog when everything just disappeared! Internet troubleshoot. Which happens frequently with my netbook. But I laughed when it reminds of Joyce Meyer DVD, "Battlefield of the Mind" that my girlfriends and I watched few days ago!

Joyce Meyer wrote 25,000 words saved in her computer until one day everything suddenly disappear! She kept on whining about this missing work to everyone around her. She was willingly to give out her problems, what a charity! It was until her husband preached her a Joyce Meyer sermon. It was hilarous! So she finally stopped her whining and moved on when she realized that her whinings get her nowhere. Now she continues her writing with a backup CD!

Today I decided to write my testimony about "Job 28 journey" toward the cross, the Wisdom, and his arguments with God. But I decided that it may be too much after reading Cec Murphey's blog. I don't want to bore you. Deleted. Then I wrote about how we may "Even Out Our Boundaries & Flexibility" and copied my note from the wall by my pillow. Then I searched for a certain verse about Levites' three main responsibilites. Found it at 2 Chronicles 29:11! "Minister to Him, be His ministers, and make offerings to Him..." I landed my Bible on my lap when I saw the internet tab saying, "Responding". And then my blogger.com site reappeared. Empty! I chuckled! Whatever. I'm going to write about Joyce Meyer's testimony then! And here I am!

I think I just preached myself with this blog likewise! There is one missing file that remained missing for several months now... Um...

An Alienated Duck Reconciles! (true story)

I just got off videophone with my mom today. Through the TV screen, she told me a true story about an alienated duck.

"Diane was only a teenager when her father had mallard ducks who gave birth to several eggs. And for some reason, that duck didn't mother her own eggs. They were abandoned. Sensing this, her father decided to collect them into a warm covered incubator and deliver them into a classroom where her step-mother taught some young teenagers. There they waited for a baby duck to come out. And one of them hatched! Thus an alienated duck fought out of the shell while the others rotten.

A season or two had lapsed before Diane finally met the alienated young duck. She decided that it needs to be reconciled with it's family. Unfortunately, after being raised by the humans, the abnormal duck habitually followed the humans everywhere. Even she found it sleeping with goats in the barn! She tried to carry it to it's own family and leave it there. But it tracked it's own way back to her family. She sure tried everything she could, but nothing could reconcile it to its family duck.

One day it was raining heavily, my mother thought that at least she didn't try this one. She decided to try again. Why not?! Thomas Edison tried for a thousand times before a blub brought the light. So she resolved to try one more time. She shoved the door open and ran as fast as she could, carrying the duck with her. Then she quickly threw the duck unto the group of ducks and turned back to dash into her house without looking back. She dried herself and waited for the outcome.

When the next sun shone, she opened the door finding no duck await her. She searched for it among the ducks. She found it! But it knew her no more! It had found its place among the ducks. Thus an alienated duck was reconcilled at last!"

You may feel like you are alienated. Or you may feel like you failed to reconcile an alienated person toward the group. But the good news is that through the storm, an alienated duck and the group of ducks reconciled! May we learn how to submit to God and allow Him to refine us through the heavy rain so that we may be perfected before we began to harmonize. Tis beautiful!

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Worship Him Freely with Self-Control

"He is worthy of all honor and glory, He is worthy of all our praise..." And so on we sang in the church or with the band or with friends. We forgot all about what is going on in our mind and in the world! We stood together to praise Him. Everything is so good so far! Then the song ends, we sat down or walk away thinking, is there more to this than that?

Here is the challenge: create a new song or cultivate a new way of expressing the song in our own unique way. One thing I love about signing language is that I have the privellege to use different signs to illustrate the lyrics in an unique way. Sometimes I led the songs too often that I needed to back out to be able to learn some new ways to express the songs through other signers. Or listen to the preacher's elaboration about the certain word or line within the song.

Why is it important for us to create new songs or express them in our own unique way?
Think about it, when we create something that had to be made from our own hands, body, or voice, then they are as rare as diamonds to Him!

How may we worship Him freely without being the barrier to the ones around us?
That is when the fruit of our self-control comes into the picture. We have the freedom to lift our hands and to possess the self-control to not spread our hands into the front of one's face. We have the freedom to be drugged by the Spirit and to possess the self-control to sit down before falling upon someone around us. We have the freedom to lay prostrate even throughout the sermon or the closing talk and yet possess the self-control to get up quietly and be seated or sit at the very spot. If we possess that self-control, then why are we afraid to step out and try something new?

Let us step out with our self-control and worship Him in our own unique way to experience His love in it's fullest form!

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When Will We Need To Shut-Up?

It is probably the longest time I've ever stopped to blog. I have been thinking about blog about several topics, but I held myself back from blogging. Why did I held myself back? When is it the right time to blog? Or the question should be like this, "When will we need to shut-up?" because we probably won't find the most accurate time to talk and leave things unsaid.

Let us take a look into Proverb 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." My youth pastor gave me this and I've memorized that verse ever since! But let me modify that verse a bit for us to link that verse to our thoughts, "Uppermost, we must filter our mind so that what comes out of our mind may lifts up one another."

I believe that it is our responsibility to filter our mind when it's cloudy or stormy before we talk. Sometimes our cloudy mind may last for a day, a week, a month, or even a year! How do we filter our stormy mind? I think Peter's story would metaphorically answer our question. When he sank into the stormy sea after he boldly walked on the water toward Jesus, he shouted, "Lord, save me." Is that it? Yeah our minds are full of complexions thus once we look at the complexions, we lost our eyes on Jesus. Just like how Peter saw the wind and sank. We saw how complex our mind is and we sank in our own attempt to understand our mind, our world. "Save us, Lord," we shout and He will reach toward us to plant us firmly upon the ground once again. And then we began to lift our eyes onto Him once again and continue to walk upon the water. In faith, we keep our eyes onto Him not onto the complexions of this world.

Like Peter, I once sank into a stormy sea for a lengthy morning. Thus, I decided to not blog on that day to be able to pray about the storm although I blogged almost daily at that time. After praying, a thought immediately came into my mind as the cloudy mind disappeared. So I got up from praying and blogged about my clouded mind. I believe that God wants us to be the steward of our own mind and heart so that He may allow the Spirit to flow into our creative mind to encourage one another. Authentic worship opens the heavens for the outpourings.

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." -Matt 15:18-19