You never change

the things i'm learning in my econ class.. man it is disheartening.

this world is so full of consumption consumption, glamour glamour.

we always want the next new thing. we always want to be "rare" and "special" and have that thing that no one has.

then, when everyone else has it, we want to move on and find something new, something "better"

this is the world we live in. how sad that this is how we have come to define ourselves.

we have moved on from being something to having something (b/c of the Industrial Revolution, haha ... bear with me) and now it has become appearing as something.

this is the state of the society we live in. but can't lose hope just b/c of that.

"Life is more than money, time was never money 

Time was never cash, life is still more than girls. 

Life is more than hundred dollar bills and roto-tom fills, 

Life is more than fame and rock and roll and thrills, 

All the riches of the kings end up in wills 

We've got information in the information age but do 

We know what life is outside of our convenient Lexus cages? 

She said he said live like no tomorrow 

Every moment that we borrow brings us closer 

to the God who's not short of cash..."

- Switchfoot, "Gone"

lucky for us that...

"All men are like grass, 
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; 
the grass withers and the flowers fall, 
but the word of the Lord stands forever."

1 Peter 1:24-25

and as my good friends from Starfield sing..

"when all else fades, You remain."

:)

in Christ alone

In Christ alone I place my trust

And find my glory in the power of the Cross

In every victory let it be said of me

My source of strength

My source of hope

In Christ alone

Amen.

(Just felt like singing today)

grace every time.

every time i drive,

i am reminded of God's unfailing grace.

i never remember the drives, i blank out for most of the rides...

yet i make it home safely everytime.

thank you LORD. i am reminded of Your grace every time i drive.

:]

:)

"O God You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory.

Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. 

So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands."

Psalm 63:1-4

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:25-26

All I need is You

All I need is You Lord

It's You Lord

And when all else fades

You will remain

He works in His perfect way

In the midst of learning and re-defining what grace is to me, I have also been learning how sovereign God is over everything... yes, I say everything! 

We see all over the Bible how God advances Himself and His glory, His name and His fame over and over again when it looks LEAST possible for us. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

1. He promises the heir when Abraham and Sarah are too old to have children.

2. He splits the Red Sea when Israel is hopelessly trapped by Pharaoh's army.

3. He gives manna when there is no food in the wilderness.

4. He stops the Jordan River when it's time to take the land.

5. When a city stands in the way, He makes the walls fall down.

6. When the Midianites were as many as the sand of the sea, God whittled Gideon's army down to 300 so God would get the glory for the victory.

7. When Goliath defies the armies of the Lord, God sends a boy with a sling and five stones.

8. When the Son of God is to come into the world, God calls a virgin to conceive.

9. And when the mighty devil himself is to be defeated, a Lamb goes to the slaughter.

And those are only a few of the examples...

God is God. We are not.

"Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Luke 18:27

The Quarter

A Christian several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state, accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this small amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.'

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change." 

The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town?"

"Yes" he replied.

"Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself "Christian."

Better Than I Deserve

This is an excerpt from a book I just read called "Living the Cross-centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney

It was a crowded morning in Starbucks. I was standing with several customers who formed two parallel lines leading toward the counter. As my turn came to step forward and order coffee, the young man serving me smiled and said, "Hey , how are you?"

For a frequent number of years I've been giving a particular response to that frequent question. I do it as a way of preaching the gospel to myself every day; I've also found it at times to be an effective opening for sharing the gospel with others. I used the words again that morning in Starbucks.

"Better than I deserve," I answered.

Simple. We deserve nothing, yet we get everything. We get eternal life when we deserve eternal damnation. 

Every day is full of grace. Grace is all around, love is all around, God is all around. 

Live with joy! We get the best deal out of this! We get everything better than we deserve for the cost of... free 99! free 99?! Free 99! :)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God"

2 Corinthians 5:21