http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMQTdXAdC7Q
"God is wonderful. He is full of wonder." - Bill Johnson.
Thank You for setting a fire down in my soul.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Mortgage
As some of you may know, I'm trying to purchase a house in my home state of Texas. The process has been excruciatingly slow, confusing, and frustrating. This is largely due to the fact that I'm currently working in Shanghai, so the time difference between Texas and China is not helping matters. However, in my own work, I routinely collaborate with people in different time zones, and honestly I have not had as much difficulty in those circumstances when compared to my own purchase of a home.
This experience has really highlighted to me the importance of communication and excellence. God always meets us where we are, and I think, similarly, people in the service industry should meet their clients where they are. If the client is relatively inexperienced (and especially if they admit their inexperience at the start of the work relationship), then I think it is the duty of an employee to "hand-hold" the client.
Proverbs 11:14 says "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." It's a good reminder of the duty (not only professionally but also to God) that I have to communicate effectively with my clients and commit myself to excellence in my work. In the end, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." Proverbs 21:31.
Thank You for guiding me.
This experience has really highlighted to me the importance of communication and excellence. God always meets us where we are, and I think, similarly, people in the service industry should meet their clients where they are. If the client is relatively inexperienced (and especially if they admit their inexperience at the start of the work relationship), then I think it is the duty of an employee to "hand-hold" the client.
Proverbs 11:14 says "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." It's a good reminder of the duty (not only professionally but also to God) that I have to communicate effectively with my clients and commit myself to excellence in my work. In the end, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." Proverbs 21:31.
Thank You for guiding me.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Hiatus
It's been a hectic few days. God has blessed our small team in Shanghai with a new project which has been taking up a bit of my time.
These past few busy days, He has been showing me how much He cares about my work - how He cares even more than me. How He is gracious to empower me to do that which I am not qualified to do. My friend often talks about how God equips the called and not the other way around. It has been a good reminder that, indeed, my qualification has and always will be Him. This mix of humility and confidence is pretty incredible.
Thank You for empowering.
These past few busy days, He has been showing me how much He cares about my work - how He cares even more than me. How He is gracious to empower me to do that which I am not qualified to do. My friend often talks about how God equips the called and not the other way around. It has been a good reminder that, indeed, my qualification has and always will be Him. This mix of humility and confidence is pretty incredible.
Thank You for empowering.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Lukewarm
"So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of
my mouth." - Revelation 3:16 (ESV)
God continues to teach me that I'm at my best only when I am at my least and surrendered to His will. I know my pride constantly wants to rebel against this pattern of truth - it hates the idea of not being in control. And it's so easy for my pride to trick my brain into thinking that I have surrendered and entrusted to Jesus. But my heart knows better. And God knows better.
So He surrounds me with daily reminders, through circumstances, through people, through whatever, to keep me grounded on His truth - to remind me of the necessity to surrender to Him.
So I'll take up my cross daily, and burn for Him. I know He's worth the commitment. I know the freedom He gives is the only true freedom. I know He loves me. And you.
Thank You for the daily reminders.
God continues to teach me that I'm at my best only when I am at my least and surrendered to His will. I know my pride constantly wants to rebel against this pattern of truth - it hates the idea of not being in control. And it's so easy for my pride to trick my brain into thinking that I have surrendered and entrusted to Jesus. But my heart knows better. And God knows better.
So He surrounds me with daily reminders, through circumstances, through people, through whatever, to keep me grounded on His truth - to remind me of the necessity to surrender to Him.
So I'll take up my cross daily, and burn for Him. I know He's worth the commitment. I know the freedom He gives is the only true freedom. I know He loves me. And you.
Thank You for the daily reminders.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Blue!
In celebration of the past few days of blue blue skies in Shanghai. I present to you one of the greatest Anime songs ever.
Blue - Mai Yamane (from Cowboy Bebop)
Thank You for the lovely days.
Blue - Mai Yamane (from Cowboy Bebop)
Thank You for the lovely days.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Fear
"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
For Christians, it is absolutely irrational to fear. Yet, I am a most irrational person sometimes.
Pray for my country - for God to heal the deep divisions within America. Prayer is the most powerful weapon against injustice, oppression, fear, hatred, indifference, evil, etc...
For Christians, it is absolutely irrational to fear. Yet, I am a most irrational person sometimes.
Pray for my country - for God to heal the deep divisions within America. Prayer is the most powerful weapon against injustice, oppression, fear, hatred, indifference, evil, etc...
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Mystery
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Let a righteous man strike me - it is a kindness; let him rebuke me; it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.
Psalm 141:3-5.
It is a difficult thing to swallow pride and accept correction. It is an even more difficult thing to ask to be corrected and to be humbled.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. There was no preexisting material; God created from nothing, by fiat. He decided that things should exist and called them into being with His word. God gave the creation an existence dependent on His own existence yet distinct from it. In the work of creation, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit acted together. The act of creation is a mystery to us; there is more in it than we can understand. We cannot create by a mere act of the will, and we do not know how God could. To say that He created "out of nothing" is to confess the mystery, not explain it. In particular, we cannot conceive how a dependent existence can be distinct, or how angels and people in their dependent existence can make free decisions and be morally accountable to their Maker. Yet Scripture everywhere teaches us this truth." - The Reformation Study Bible, edited by R.C. Sproul
So let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Let a righteous man strike me - it is a kindness; let him rebuke me; it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.
Psalm 141:3-5.
It is a difficult thing to swallow pride and accept correction. It is an even more difficult thing to ask to be corrected and to be humbled.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. There was no preexisting material; God created from nothing, by fiat. He decided that things should exist and called them into being with His word. God gave the creation an existence dependent on His own existence yet distinct from it. In the work of creation, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit acted together. The act of creation is a mystery to us; there is more in it than we can understand. We cannot create by a mere act of the will, and we do not know how God could. To say that He created "out of nothing" is to confess the mystery, not explain it. In particular, we cannot conceive how a dependent existence can be distinct, or how angels and people in their dependent existence can make free decisions and be morally accountable to their Maker. Yet Scripture everywhere teaches us this truth." - The Reformation Study Bible, edited by R.C. Sproul
So let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
On Self-Deprecation
I have a very self-deprecating sense of humor, and I'm sure I've touched on this topic in previous posts, but last night at dinner, a friend made a very astute observation about me that got me thinking about this topic again.
I've always known that part of the reason why I do put myself down so much and so publicly is from an effort to get people to affirm me. I don't know if my efforts are conscious or subconscious, but the fact remains that I do have a pretty low self-esteem.
And my low self-esteem is not fair to the people that love me. It's definitely not fair to the God who calls me His beloved son. I know I can't do anything to truly earn God's (or for that matter my parents', my family's and my friends' ) love, but I do know that He (and they) sees true goodness in me - because of Christs' blood and the Holy Spirit within me, so I have to be more mindful of my tendency to put myself down going forward. It's a lesson that God taught me a long time ago already, but I seem to have forgotten it.
Thank You for the Spirit of remembrance.
I've always known that part of the reason why I do put myself down so much and so publicly is from an effort to get people to affirm me. I don't know if my efforts are conscious or subconscious, but the fact remains that I do have a pretty low self-esteem.
And my low self-esteem is not fair to the people that love me. It's definitely not fair to the God who calls me His beloved son. I know I can't do anything to truly earn God's (or for that matter my parents', my family's and my friends' ) love, but I do know that He (and they) sees true goodness in me - because of Christs' blood and the Holy Spirit within me, so I have to be more mindful of my tendency to put myself down going forward. It's a lesson that God taught me a long time ago already, but I seem to have forgotten it.
Thank You for the Spirit of remembrance.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Fireworks, Hotdogs, and Freedom!
Happy 4th y'all! All the way from Shanghai!
Celebrate the blessings that God has given to our nation!
God bless you. And God bless America!
Celebrate the blessings that God has given to our nation!
God bless you. And God bless America!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Greed
NYTimes on China's shadow banking - here. Sacrificing real growth and risking another worldwide financial crisis, 3% annually at a time.
Greed is rampant everywhere. I thought I saw the full terrible face of greed when I visited NYC for the first time. Then I visited Hong Kong. And then I visited China.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21.
I must confess that I still struggle constantly with greed. Yet, I can honestly say that greed is not as big of a temptation for me as it was in the past, but the fact remains that it is still very much a lurking temptation. And all I can do in the face of such temptation is to bring it to the cross and give it to my savior - so that He would remind me that my treasure is not here on this earth and so that He would remind me that He has never forsaken me (or my family), financially or otherwise. He alone can save me from myself.
"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in [me] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Greed is rampant everywhere. I thought I saw the full terrible face of greed when I visited NYC for the first time. Then I visited Hong Kong. And then I visited China.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21.
I must confess that I still struggle constantly with greed. Yet, I can honestly say that greed is not as big of a temptation for me as it was in the past, but the fact remains that it is still very much a lurking temptation. And all I can do in the face of such temptation is to bring it to the cross and give it to my savior - so that He would remind me that my treasure is not here on this earth and so that He would remind me that He has never forsaken me (or my family), financially or otherwise. He alone can save me from myself.
"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in [me] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Authenticity vs. Raw
I'm not quite sure of what to think of this article. It's an article that tries to describe the ideology of authenticity and points out the problems of adhering to such an ideology. If my reading of the article is correct, I think the entire article may be summed up quite simply by saying: "reliance on self is unsustainable." But I think most people already know that - and if they don't, then they are likely deluding themselves. All the article may be trying to is help people to see their own denial.
Regardless, the article did get me thinking about the difference between an ideology of authenticity and my previous post on raw Christians. And I think, the difference between a person practicing an ideology of authenticity and a raw Christian is the focus of such person's thoughts and meditation. In authenticity, a person idolizes his or her own well-being has been idolized - to the point that when the self is not well, everything falls apart. Everything revolves around "me." But a Christian's focus is on the perfect, holy God. A God that never fails and who is always good. Those are facts. And a Christian's (and my own) acceptance of those facts requires faith.
A few years ago in law school, I made the choice to stop forcing the world to revolve around me and my well-being and to trust in God. I have not turned back (although I will admit that, occasionally, I do glance back and am tempted to make it all about me again). But I know I can't turn back anymore because in law school, God showed me the truth - the truth that I suck. That I am not and will never be good enough to sustain my own desires and dreams. That I, by myself, am not and will never be able to ensure my own well being here on this earth, let alone in eternity.
And I still suck. That hasn't changed. What has changed is that I have accepted that God loves me despite my suckiness. God's love for me is also a fact and my own acceptance of that fact also took faith (and still takes daily faith). But that acceptance has opened my heart and now God lives in me - and has made me a new person. So now, when I am not well, I can rely both on God's perfect comfort and on God's perfect deliverance - which is much better than relying on myself.
In the end, authenticity will get you nowhere if the authenticity is based on a lie - the lie that you are completely able, that you are god. So don't take this seductive, easy (but ultimately destructive) path to passive nihilism. Instead, take the humble, hard (but ultimately saving) path of bearing your cross daily for Him who loves you and died for you - by asking Him (daily) to give you the faith and courage to accept His gift of grace. The hard path ends up being more... authentic; more... real.
Thank You for loving me.
Regardless, the article did get me thinking about the difference between an ideology of authenticity and my previous post on raw Christians. And I think, the difference between a person practicing an ideology of authenticity and a raw Christian is the focus of such person's thoughts and meditation. In authenticity, a person idolizes his or her own well-being has been idolized - to the point that when the self is not well, everything falls apart. Everything revolves around "me." But a Christian's focus is on the perfect, holy God. A God that never fails and who is always good. Those are facts. And a Christian's (and my own) acceptance of those facts requires faith.
A few years ago in law school, I made the choice to stop forcing the world to revolve around me and my well-being and to trust in God. I have not turned back (although I will admit that, occasionally, I do glance back and am tempted to make it all about me again). But I know I can't turn back anymore because in law school, God showed me the truth - the truth that I suck. That I am not and will never be good enough to sustain my own desires and dreams. That I, by myself, am not and will never be able to ensure my own well being here on this earth, let alone in eternity.
And I still suck. That hasn't changed. What has changed is that I have accepted that God loves me despite my suckiness. God's love for me is also a fact and my own acceptance of that fact also took faith (and still takes daily faith). But that acceptance has opened my heart and now God lives in me - and has made me a new person. So now, when I am not well, I can rely both on God's perfect comfort and on God's perfect deliverance - which is much better than relying on myself.
In the end, authenticity will get you nowhere if the authenticity is based on a lie - the lie that you are completely able, that you are god. So don't take this seductive, easy (but ultimately destructive) path to passive nihilism. Instead, take the humble, hard (but ultimately saving) path of bearing your cross daily for Him who loves you and died for you - by asking Him (daily) to give you the faith and courage to accept His gift of grace. The hard path ends up being more... authentic; more... real.
Thank You for loving me.
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