HEBREWS 11

the faith hall of fame. on the car ride home from St. Jacobs today, i had this urge to flip open to Hebrews. i intended to read chapter 10, but i ended up reading till chapter 12. one thought caught me in particular. after listing all the heros of the ages, paul writes,

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
~Hebrews 11:39-40~

God didn't give these people what they were promised! yet they still had faith. moreover, God didn't give these people what they were promised because He was waiting for us???!!! it's like, we're in this race where everyone who finishes gets a prize. but no one gets a prize until everyone finishes. so the people who finish early stand by the sidelines and cheer the rest of the runners on. and when the last person crosses the line, the party lasts forever. glorious. just glorious. no wonder the author goes on to write,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
~Hebrews 12:1-3~

BEING REAL

its another thing to be able to be completely real and yourself with every single one of those people u know

we were discussing the pros and cons of having multiple circles of friends. how it's good because a large network allows you to connect people to the help they need. but also how it's tough because it's hard to keep yourself transparent in all circumstances. my friend's comment got me thinking about my own friends and acquaintances. if a classmate were to come hang out with me at fellowship, would they see the same person? if my christian friends were to drop in on me at work, would they recognize me? if my parents stayed with me in res...? i guess it all comes back to living Christ 24/7 and being acutely aware of it. or is it possible to be in such a habit of living Christ that one does not have to stop and evaluate anymore? hmm...

on a lighter note, i went to send my hair off yesterday. fourteen inches of black, braided hair. since the office is in florida, i had to declare what was inside the package. so, yeah, the customs label had "contents: hair". and it was marked as a gift. :p i can only hope that the customs inspector doesn't pass out. :)

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
~Proverbs 10:9~

WIND BENEATH MY WINGS

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal posession only through conflict.
Oswald Chambers

i don't know how many people prayed for me yesterday but i know someone was. it was weird. the dark cloud that was over me when i woke up in the morning slowly lifted as the day went on. it dawned on me in the afternoon that the emotional darkness was perhaps a part of the spiritual battle we're fighting. i saw my naivete in thinking that it would be smooth sailing - especially in the face of chairing our ccf and running investigative bible studies in res. so thanks to all who prayed for me. the battle's just beginning...

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:4

MORNING

woke up at 7:30 this morning. didn't get out of bed until 10:30. didn't want to get up. i dunno what it is, but i can't seem to get over this feeling of futility. i have so much to do in this next month but there's no motivation to do it. just want to curl up and sleep everything away. argh. need prayer.

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
Ecclesiastes 1:2

WISHING FOR HEAVEN

when i was younger, i'd go into this little pit of loneliness after a weekend church retreat, simply because i'd go from being surrounded by friends to being home alone with my parents. for some reason, i've hit that funk mood again. maybe it's 'cuz this summer has been so good. maybe it's 'cuz i know once school starts, the hanging out will dwindle to almost non-existence. maybe it's 'cuz i'm home alone tonight and everyone else is either out with friends or on vacation. in any case, it brings me back to my struggle to be content. it seems like no matter how much i am determined or how much i desire to be satisfied with Christ, i still have this nagging void. i wish for certain friendships, but i know that even if i were to have them, i would still feel the emptiness. it saddens me.

this world is not my home.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
2 Corinthians 5:6-9

post script:
while searching the keyword "home" on the bible online, i came across a most disturbing verse:

When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.
Judges 19:29

if you read chapters 19-21, it traces the story behind the verse and the repercussions of the incident. the conclusion comes in the last verse of chapter 21:

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.
Judges 21:25

sorta reminds me of some other time in history...

UNITED

this past thursday, friday and saturday, i experienced the body of Christ in a fresh and new way. if you've been following my updates here, you'd know that i was helping my mom do make-up for a chinese evangelistic drama. the organization that put it on was Showers Of Blessing Evangelistic Ministry (they have TV and radio shows as well). the experience was new for me in several ways. i'd never really done make-up before for any show, i'd never worked with an all chinese-speaking group and i'd never worked on a drama where the cast and crew were all Christians.

although doing make-up was fun, it didn't thrill me as much as knowing that every single person was there for one purpose. we were all there to serve God and bring people closer to Jesus. each moment was completely covered in prayer. the whole company met from 1-2pm for a prayer meeting. then, an hour before showtime, we met again to pray. when the drama was over and the pastor was speaking, everyone backstage met to pray again. it was just awesome.

another thing that brought much joy to my heart was that even though i was the newest (and youngest) person in the group, they all accepted me with no hesitation. and no one minded that i would always pray in english. the unity was both incredible and very beautiful.

looking back, those three days were yet another gift of grace in a seemingly endless stream that was the past four months. this summer, God has poured out his blessings on me. time and again, He placed me in situations i'd never expected or asked for; proving His faithfulness and relentlessly pursuing my heart. Lord, who am i compared to Your glory? Lord, who am i compared to Your majesty?

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5

COME WHAT MAY

psalm 23. i haven't read that in a long time. i mean really read it. so i'm glad our speaker chose it for the sermon scripture this morning.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

lately, i've been asking God to show me how to live life fully satisfied with Christ alone. something from the sermon this morning was, "if we find ourselves wanting something, it's because someone else is our shepherd."

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...

i haven't had to face much death in this life so far. i don't fear my own, but it scares me that i will inevitably face the death of those who are close to me. this verse reminded me that even though i'll have to face it someday, i am taken care of.

I will fear no evil...

i will fear only God. (notice it does not say, I will not fear evil.)

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life...

wow, this describes my life thus far. i have been sooooo blessed! Thank you, God!

tonight, i had a really awesome time of fellowship and conversation with a friend i usually don't get to talk to very much. we chatted about all sorts of things, one of them being how God is teaching us what it means to become an adult. on the way home from dropping her off, my tire hit a nail and i had my first flat tire. i'd never known how a flat tire would sound so it was by God's grace that i had the wits about me enough to pull over to a gas station and check the funny sound. :p i've also been blessed with an auto mechanic for a dad, so guess who saved the day?! :) when the whole ordeal was over and we were on our merry way home, i realized that learning how to check a flat tire and change it with a spare tire was another step toward becoming a grown-up. :T

other reflections on my experiences with the drama this weekend to come tomorrow.

SUGARPLUM FAIRIES

oh there are too many thoughts in my head!

i had my first "real" experience as a make-up artist today. i'm helping my mom for a chinese evangelistic drama at TCCC tomorrow and saturday night. tonight was the final dress rehearsal. even though my job was just putting foundation on all the actors, i still took a couple observations away from it.
1. i really take joy in knowing that even in this small, unnoticed task, my God can be glorified. it's great to be a part of the body of Christ. :>
2. it's a weird sensation having to touch so many people's faces. :p

since i didn't post an update yesterday, i'll just say that the garages are finished and i'm at least two shades darker. it only took me a total of 10 hours. i thought it would take much longer. now my mom's going around telling everyone she knows to drive by our house. and my parents are trying to come up with something for me to paint on the garage doors at my dad's car repair shop... (i think they're being chinese, finding ways not to waste the extra paint! lol.) at least i know that if i can't find a job, i have something to fall back on - custom garage door painting. :)

changing topics again, i'm wondering why humans question God so much. like who's in control here? does He not know what He's doing? better yet, do we know what we're doing? so why do we keep questioning His reasons? i get frustrated at myself for coming back again and again to this fundamental question. but then, i was thinking about people in the bible and i realized i'm not the only one who questions. and i think some more and i realize i can't begin to fathom the depth of love God must have for us, to be so patient with us and still continue to bless us.

anyway, i'll leave you with one last thought that stuck out at me today. during the prayer meeting before rehearsal this afternoon, we looked at joshua chapter 3, just before the isrealites were to cross the jordan to capture jericho. one sentence the leader prayed encouraged me and also made me think. he said something to the effect of, Lord, we did not choose to fight this battle, but You chose us to. huh.

The Lord said to Job:
"Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!"

Then Job answered the Lord :
"I am unworthy-how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
I spoke once, but I have no answer-
twice, but I will say no more.
Job 40:1-5

SUNBAKED ME

you know when you've been out in the sun too long and your hair smells funny? yah, that's me right now. i didn't think it would be so hot outside today but five minutes into pencilling in the design on the garage doors, i had to come inside to get my sunglasses ('cuz staring at white hurts your eyes a lot) and change into shorts. a couple of my friends came over to watch me paint. i enjoyed having the company. it's not often that i get visitors. (thanx for coming!!) :> had a nice discussion about the direction for york's ccf. in the course of the afternoon, i managed to paint all three frogs, minus their hands and feet. can't say i'm thrilled with it yet. but i know all my art projects are like that. i start out not liking them and by the end, i think they're alright.

i'm feeling a deep sense of loss today. over a number of things. over things that shouldn't bother me. but it's nothing some intense journaling and scripture can't cure. :)

Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
Psalm 4:5

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Psalm 143:8

FROGS, FROGS, FROGS

frog painting starts tomorrow. just spent my whole evening looking up pictures of red-eyed tree frogs as sources for what's going up on our garage doors. should be cool. went to buy paint today and one of the paint guys, after he found out what i was buying for, said, "i wanna drive up and see this!" yeah. i promised i'd send them a photo when i'm done. :> we'll see how far i get tomorrow.

anywho, been thinking lots about my commitments and responsibilities come september. wondering if i have too much on my plate. asking God for my version of Gideon's fleece. i can only trust His judgement. Fully Rely On God.

Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me."
Judges 6:17

ENOUGH

All of You is more than enough for all of me,
for every thirst and every need;
You satisfy me with Your love,
And all I have in You is more than enough.

i wrestled with God again. it was a most enjoyable day capped off by a most lovely evening. and i was at my friend's concert tonight. i went with a couple friends and i saw many other friends there. in all, i was surrounded by love, both human and Divine. but surprisingly, it was during the concert that i wrestled with God. it's been the same question for the past few weeks now. a question rising from my own greed, impatience and lack of faith. God challenged me with this: If I give you what you wish for, would you be satisfied? What if i didn't give it to you, would you still be satisfied? Where is your sense of completeness coming from? and i am humbled yet again.

i love God's grace. one of the soloists sang the old hymn His Eye Is On The Sparrow tonight. i clung to the words in this song a little under a year ago when i was going through some rough waters with a friend. (if you know me, i even changed my icq nickname because of the song). and as i sat there listening, i couldn't help but smile, knowing that the friendship was now restored, we were both sitting in the theatre and God had proven Himself faithful once again. i was even more touched when the next song was Great Is Thy Faithfulness. at that moment, that was all my heart could say. and i was assured that His promises would ring true in all the other areas of my life as well.

on a side note, i found out that someone actually has their computer set up to tell them when i update my blog. ack! ;p well, sometimes, i'd like to know how you're doing, too!

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Psalm 63:5

TIDBITS

nothing much to post today. i feel like it's been a long time since i put anything new up, but honestly, nothing much has happened. i've been painting a fantastic and colourful set of backdrops for a production of Caillou. it's been great living in a childhood story-land. but the project finished today. next project? painting our garage doors. :p

onto deeper things... something i've realized this week is that in an hour-long commute to work, it is possible to have a wonderful conversation with Jesus. i always packed a book to read, but i found that i had so much i needed to sort out in my head before school starts that my time was much better spent talking to God. i was extra glad for the time on the days i couldn't wake myself up early enough to do devos before i stepped out the door. :>

oh yes, another thing about myself that i've been reminded of (yet again): i need to give more. it's such a challenge.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 5:42

HIDING UNDER A BOWL?

working in the theatre industry, i see a lot of "worldly ways." like, this job i'm at right now, i'm painting with a professional designer and painter who's gay, involved in the gay community and sings in his church choir. he's a wonderful person to work with and we have some great conversations. i know that some people who claim to be Christians would condemn him for his lifestyle, but in my heart of hearts, i cannot. i find that i can only pray for him more. when he opens up his gay newspapers at lunch, i get such mixed feelings. i know that homosexuality is sin in God's eyes, but how do i make it known that that's how i see it? i can't tell him how to run his life, nor can i say to him "you're wrong." i guess when Jesus hung out with the "sinners," he never had to tell people their sin. they knew, just from being in His presence. oh, that i would allow Jesus to be seen in me so that these friends of mine can be drawn to His grace!

tonight, i had another experience that made me think about this business of being light in the darkness. but this time, it was among my church friends. being the strange creature i am, i haven't actually sat down to watch TV in a very long time. so it felt very odd for me tonight. i hadn't realized just how much sex is glamourized in the media! all those images made me feel sick. but internally, i struggled with whether or not i should speak up. 'cuz i didn't want people to think that i wanted to be holier than them. i was relieved when someone else commented on the garbage we were watching and we put on a clean movie instead. but in retrospect, maybe i should have spoken up. i need to learn to stand up for God and let God take care of my reputation. i need to stop hiding this light.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16

COSTLY

recently, God's been bringing the same verse to me over and over again.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

One sentence jumps out at me: You are not your own; you were bought at a price. i know this is God, challenging me to really let Him own me. to live under the authority of Jesus Christ. i've also been challenged recently by two other pieces of writing.

the first one is Quest for Love by Elisabeth Elliot. in this sequel to her book Passion and Purity (which, incidentally, if you're between the ages of 15 and 25 and you still haven't read it, read it!), she presents examples and counter-examples of people who give their lovelife over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. she explains that when we focus our eyes on God and concentrate on doing His will in purity, He will bring the right person at the right time. there is no need to scout. the part that challenges me the most is to keep my thoughts and emotions between me and God while waiting in patience. her view is that by God's design, men should be the initiators while women should be the responders. but before initiating or responding happens, both should wait on God in prayer. (if you have issues with this view, read her book).

the second thing that put 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 in real-life terms for me was written by a martyr (unfortunately, i don't know his name). it speaks for itself.

A Martyr's Creed

“I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit’s power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colourless dreams, tame vision, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudit, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labour by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, back up, or shut up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, stored up, and stayed up the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colours will be clear.”

REALITY

i'll never know how much it cost
to see my sin upon that cross.

last night was the 24/7 event. but more than that, i encountered a side of Jesus i'd never experienced before.

as a symbol of our confession, we wrote our sins on a slip of paper and nailed the papers to a wooden cross. as i held my piece of paper, i was so reluctant to get up from my seat and walk to the cross. i didn't want the weight of a hammer in my hand. i didn't want to hold the nail. and most of all, i didn't want to feel the impact of the hammer meeting the head of the nail, forcing it deep into the wood. i didn't want to be responsible for crucifying my Christ. but as i wrestled, Jesus told me that i had already crucified Him countless times. i'd just never acknowledged it. every little step i took away from His will, i'd driven the nail into his flesh. every impure thought, every broken promise, every time i'd ignored a cry for help, every hint of pride.

clang.

clang.

clang.

metal to metal. hammer to nail. i could not run away from my guilt. i had nowhere to turn and no place to hide. He had taken it all. why He'd pay such a high price for a wretch, i will never understand. i only know that in response to a grace so lavish, i can only desire one thing: to let Him live through me.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

ON TRAVELLING TOGETHER

i dunno if it's just me, but maybe someone else notices this in their life: whenever i'm going through a struggle, at least a couple other people in my life are facing the same thing. and when we share about what we're dealing with, a beautiful thing happens - we encourage each other.

i haven't really noticed this effect before, but it floors me that God uses our failures to heal each other. or more accurately, He uses our willingness to be transparent about our shortcomings to help each other. we are mutually built up when we carry each other's burdens. there is much joy in that thought, and i can't help but marvel at God's awesome design. :>

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

SLOWLY SELF-DESTRUCTING

sometimes, i think there's a communication gap between my brain and my body. i just managed to stub three of my toes walking from my computer to the garbage can on the other side of my room. at work today, i hammered my thumb. and the other day, i whacked my elbow on the ceramic soap dish in my shower. that didn't stop hurting until the next day. sigh. i think i'm still growing... as if! lol.

been doing some reflecting on everything that God has brought me through this summer. all the lessons i've learned. all the experiences He's given me. the people i've met. the friendships that have developed. i'm really grateful for the time i've had just to read. all these new ideas; i feel like my mind has expanded so much! i've come to a new appreciation of God's word as living, dynamic and exciting to study. and i've realized the importance of free and total abandonment to Christ in every moment of my day (not saying that i've reached it, but now i know it's something to strive for). i hope and pray that i won't forget these lessons when the busyness of school comes crashing down. i suppose this is one of the reasons why we need each other, to keep us accountable. :)

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25

BLANK

my mind feels blank. it took me an hour to get to work today and 1 1/2 hours after i started working, they told me there was nothing left to do until tomorrow. took another half hour bus ride to meet my mom to go home. two hours of travel for 1 1/2 hours of work. what a day. i guess it's a good thing i'm getting paid more than $2 an hour! :p

no profound spiritual insights lately. although, i was reading The Message translation of the the book of Matthew this morning, and the sermon on the mount made a lot more sense. sort of related to that, i've been praying for God to convict me of sin daily. 'cuz i want to experience His grace and new mercies. i want to be sold out to Jesus, but it always seems like there's so much garbage in the way. i am so easily distracted. oh, how heaven will be so sweet; nothing to take my eyes off Jesus.

anyway, i'll leave you with a couple passages i read this morning:

And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.
Matthew 5:33-37 [The Message]

Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honour to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege.
Matthew 7:6 [The Message]

BALLERINA GIRL

growing up, whenever i heard that song by lionel richie, i would secretly wish that someday, i'd be at a dance and out of the blue, my special guy would dedicate that song to me. i still think it's a sweet idea, but i think it would make me sad more than anything 'cuz i'm no longer a ballerina girl. that, and the notion of me being at a dance with a special guy seems very far off at the moment... but that's not what i wanted to write about today. :P

i got a call from an auntie this evening, asking me whether i'd be able to dance for her music group's outreach concert at the end of the month. it's a chinese christian group and they do a lot of music ministry. unfortunately, i haven't danced in three years, and three weeks would not be enough time for me to prepare something (especially since it's a chinese song!). so i had to tell her no for this time.

deep inside, i miss dancing a lot. sometimes, i wonder how different i would be now if i had majored in dance rather than visual art when i was in high school. but i feel like i'm still waiting to return to dance. although, i'm not sure if i'd go back to ballet.

one of my dreams is to take some modern classes, learn sign language and combine them in worship. i know people have done this already. some call it body worship or interpretive dance. it's sort of ironic that i'm currently preparing one for this saturday. but i want to be able to express the songs with a solid knowledge of what movements i'm using. i want it to be an educated piece of art so that i'm really giving my best to God. it saddens me that dance is not incorporated into our worship more and that so few people are encouraged to learn it.

i'm biased though. i'm a kinetic worshipper; my heart worships most fully when my body reflects my emotions.

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
Psalm 149:2-3

POWERFUL WORDS

we looked at the story of Jonah in sunday school today. i haven't read it in a very long time so it was refreshing to read it again. one verse in particular jumped out at me. i think it's self explanatory, so i'll just post it for you to chew on...

Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
Jonah 2:8

ouch.

some other words to chew on that i just came across...

A world without reference to Christ — this is the message of Toronto — is a world that, sooner or later, finishes by being against man. The history of the past, even recently, shows this. One cannot push God away without finding oneself refusing man.
~Pope John Paul II in reference to World Youth Day 2002

TEE HEE

while rummaging through old papers in search of an address, i came across what could be my all-time favourite short story. i got it from my grade ten english teacher, who read it to us as a break from regular stuff. she was a little off the wall. but so am i. so here, i present to you, the African tale called

Chit-Chat

One day, a farmer was in his field, getting ready to pull some sweet potatoes out of the ground in order to sell them at the market, when one of the sweet potatoes said, "Fine, now you want to pull me up and sell me, but all the time I've been growing, you've hardly given me any water."

Startled, the farmer looked around and said, "Who's talking to me?" And his dog replied, "It was the sweet potato, you silly farmer!"

The farmer had never heard of a talking sweet potato or a talking dog -- and he became a bit frightened. To protect himself, he started to pull a big branch from a tree. "Oh, no, you don't," said the tree. "You can't take a branch from me to use as a stick. For years you've been enjoying my shade without ever saying 'Thank you.'"

Now the farmer was really frightened. And he ran all the way to the King's castle.

When he arrived, he told the King exactly what happened. "First the sweet potato talked to me," he said, "then the dog, then the tree."

"I think," said the King, "you've been working in the sun too long. You need a rest." And he waved the farmer away.

After the farmer left, the King pulled up his favourite chair. As he did, the chair laughed and said to the King, "Can you believe that farmer? Who ever heard of a talking sweet potato?"

LAUGHING GAS

i spent the past two nights bumming at my best friend's house (thanks again, ruth!!!) and i gained a wonderful insight from her that i wanted to post the minute she said it, but alas, i had to wait until now... but all's not lost, 'cuz i'm here now, aren't i? ;)

anyway, we were talking about how sometimes God asks us to do things that don't make sense to us in our current circumstances but He asks us to obey nonetheless. then, she shared this illustration with me (now, i know in my last posting, Henry Cloud uses a similar analogy but the application this time is different)...

sometimes, in life, God does things that don't make sense to us as an anesthetic for surgery. if we weren't knocked out, we might want to pick up a scalpel and "help" God with the operation, thus interfering with His work. or, we might try to direct Him or even prevent Him from doing what is neccessary. God, in His infinite wisdom, "puts us out" sometimes so that He can accomplish His purpose. so even in the midst of being asleep, we have the hope that our Master Physician is freely at work and that when we wake up, we will see what a good job He did.

The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
Isaiah 32:17

this entry is dedicated to a dear friend whose understanding and support is invaluable especially at this time. thanks, you. :>