My typical normal day

Morning
> Run if possible
> Breakfast with parents
> Watch some sports like the NBA/NHL playoffs

Afternoon
> Help out with lunch
> Surf the net
> Chat on msn
> Read newspaper/a book
> Catch a nap

Evening/Night
> Read some christian/sports/world news article online
> Do QT
> Watch some anime

Really looks like a retirement kind of lifestyle but its really great to do the simple stuff and enjoy life at this pace. Not much longer to enjoy this so enjoy i must !

Invitation to the Thirsty

Isaiah 55

"Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor."

Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD's renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed."

He will carry you

THERE IS NO PROBLEM TOO BIG
GOD CANNOT SOLVE IT

THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN TOO TALL
HE CANNOT MOVE IT

THERE IS NO STORM TOO DARK
GOD CANNOT CALM IT

THERE IS NO SORROW TOO DEEP
HE CANNOT SOOTHE IT

IF HE CARRIES THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD UPON HIS SHOULDERS
I KNOW MY BROTHER
THAT HE WILL CARRY YOU

IF HE CARRIES THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD UPON HIS SHOULDERS
I KNOW MY SISTER
THAT HE WILL CARRY YOU

HE SAID: "COME UNTO ME
ALL WHO ARE WEARY
AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST"

Luke 6: 27-38

Love for Enemies

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

A time for everything

There's a time to rejoy, there's a time to cry
There's a time to be still, there's a time to move on
There'a a time to embrace, there's a time to reject
There's a time to build, there's a time to tear down
There's a time to question, there's a time to answer
There's a time to speak, there's a time to be silent
There's a time to love, there' a time to hate
There's a time to say hi, there's a time to say bye

He's always there

God cares even when no one else cares
God's love never changes even when those around no longer love
God listens even when those around grow tired of hearing
God walks alongside even when everyone abandons you
God refreshes whenever the soul grows tired
God assures whenever doubt creeps in
God smiles even when those around frown
God is gentle even when those around are cruel

God is always there for you

Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
(Psalm 46:10)

AS THE CLIMAX of Psalm 46, this verse is not so much about meditation as it is about the mediation of God’s kingdom in the heart of faith. The command to “be still” comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb rapha (meaning to be weak, to let go, to release), which might better be translated as, “cause yourselves to let go” or “let yourselves become weak” (in poetic contexts, the noun form rephai’im was sometimes used as a synonym for “the place of the dead”).

But to what end are we to “be still,” “let go,” “surrender,” and even to “die to ourselves”? In Hebrew grammar, the emphasis of coordinate imperatives (“be still!” and “know!”) is on the second imperative. In other words, we surrender in order to know that God is in control as Ribbono Shel Olam – the Master of the Universe. We “let go” in order to objectively know the saving power of God in our lives. We give up trusting in ourselves and our own designs in order to experience the glory of God’s all-sufficiency (Ex 14:14).

When we confess the truth about who we really are – weak, feeble, and ineffectual, especially in light of the cosmic movements of history – we can surrender our desire to control outcomes and entrust the care of the world to God. Indeed, even though the present world be shaken (v 2), with the nations raging and the kingdoms of men tottering (v 6), we will not fear, since we know that God is our present help in time of trouble (v 1).

The city of God will one day be established upon the earth (vv 4-5), and the schemes of the “princes of this world” will all become desolate (vv 8-9), but in the coming kingdom the Lord Most High (el elyon) will be exalted among the nations, and Jesus will forever be exalted among His original covenant people Israel.

Meanwhile, “set your minds on things that are above, not on things on the earth; for you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory” (Col 3:2-4).

Yes, “be still” – in order to know that the Lord God of Israel reigns!

- John. J Parsons

Story of a Nail

Don't look down on me just because I seem to be an insignificant nail. I traveled the world and I've seen much in life. The highlight of my life was the day I was taken by a Roman soldier along a dusty road that led to Calvary.

When he took me out of his bag, I saw three men waiting to be crucified. Serve them right, these criminals ! But there was something different about the man in the middle. Those weeping women called him "Messiah". A plaque on the cross read 'King of the Jews". So this was no ordinary man. He seemed to be well loved and respected. I hate to see this man die. For once, I wish I wasn't a nail.

A soldier placed me at the wrist of the man in the middle and hammered me in. "Ouch, ouch!" my head hurts. How self-centered I was. The pain must have been excruciating for Him, but He was silent. As his head turned, I saw those eyes. They were not eyes of anger and hatred, but of love and compassion. I heard him say, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

There was something I didn't understand. What crime has He committed? "He claimed to be the Son of God," one woman told another. But... to be crucified for that? Later i gathered it had to do with what man called "sin". This man had to bear the sins of the world. That sounded pretty heavy. Poor man.

It wasn't long before He breathed His last. Honestly, I was sad to see Him die. If He claimed to be God, and if it is true, surely He can save Himself? Why didn't He come down from the cross? My fellow nails and I secured Him to the cross. But it was love, love for the world that held Him there.

The story of a simple nail triggered much thought about all that Jesus had done. Who drove those nails? Was it the crowd-pleasing Pilate? The religious establishment of the day? Or the dutiful Roman soldiers?

The apostle Paul, in addressing the crowd at Pentecost, said, " ... and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him" (Acts 2:22-24)

It was our sins that drove those nails! And it was love, God's love for us that held His Son to the cross.

This Easter, as we ponder on the significance of our Savior's death and resurrection, may we love Him even more. Let us take this opportunity to bring someone into the loving embrace of his nail-scarred hands.

- Campus Crusade