Fall Thing

Last night was Fall Thing. A group of 6 of us went out to a Chinese Resturant before and had a blast, and then had the party in Echo Park, and then went to Denny's afterwards. I should write something about life, but I'll wait a couple more days when I'm not exhuasted! haha.

It's Been Awhile...

So I'm not sure if anyone reads this anymore. Summer rushed by with its typical craziness and somehow I have not signed in here in almost 2 months.

I am now living back down in SoCal, just a few blocks from where I attended college. I am attending and serving at the same church I went to during my time here. This year I will be teaching 1st&2nd grade on Sunday mornings and 4th-6th grades for Awanas. I haven't really worked with either age group exclusively before, so it should be a fun challenge and joy to serve those children!

I learned a lot over the summer... maybe I'll do a fun little history blog about it sometime soon. But for now I had something different in mind.

I have been in SoCal for two weeks as of today and just wanted to reflect on those two weeks a smigen. Working (almost) fulltime has shown me a more complete picture of what the 'real world' is and how desperately it needs Christ. Seeing customers and co-workers so far from Christ is a bit of a jolt to my system. The 'Master's Bubble' does exist, and I don't think its necessarily a bad thing - God taught me so much in that environment, but bursting somewhat out of that bubble I've seen the wretched state of a world opposed to Christ more fully.

Doing delivers for my job all over the LA county I see a lot of sin being proclaimed as a respite from worries and cares. Sex, booze, and wealth are the selling points for businesses. City life is different than old suburbia... the sins of both might be the same but city life proclaims its sins on billboards.

I've been thinking a lot about sin and how we interact with it, comfront it, deal with it. I've haven't come to absolute conclusions on everything just yet, but i think understanding the nature and severity of sin helps us as Christians understand the culture around us that hates the Lord. When people swear, act angrily, act loose, or whatever actions offend us... its good to be reminded that those people are not beyond the reaches of God's glorious gospel. God came to save the sinners not the righteous! Its the sinners who need His message of salvation. When people swear against our Lord we should not be surprised... those whom the Holy Spirit has not regenerated cannot do any good. The people that steal, lie, cheat... we were those people before God opened our hearts to his grace!

People seemed surprised by sin. My coworkers always complain that the world has gone down the tubes since their childhood. Has it? Has the world gotten worse? Why are people surprised that politicians aren't trustworthy, that other nations war against each other, that theives break in and steal, that crime seems rampant? Do we not understand the severity and awful digusting vile sin that has corrupted our very nature! NO we are not a good human race, NO we are not kind, loving, unselfish. Man is wicked. Read the histories of Germany, Russia, Darfur, Serbia, China, Japan... the men who committed countless atrocious acts were no different than the gentleman who lives across the street! Sin is devastating, far more awful than most people realize.

But praise be to God that he sent His only Son to die for our sin! Oh what wretched creatures we are, and yet how powerful is His love and grace!! I want to worship and cry out praises to His name for His love is higher than we can ever understand. Oh that our world would only fall to their knees in repentance and humbless and confess their sins to the One who grants forgiveness. He gives grace beyond measure to those that trust in His holy name.

Wednesday Afternoon

I just off the phone with one of my good friends. It was great to catch up with him and hear about what is going on in his life. As the conversation closed, we talked a little bit about going through trials.

Earlier today I was reading through MacArthur's commentary on James. James 1.2-10 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf on the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. Blessed is a man who preservers under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

That's kind of a long passage right there, but it's all great truth. MacArthur lists several great things about going through trials; they strengthen our faith, they humble us, wean us from depending on earthly things, call us to a heavenly hope, reveal what we love, teach us to value God's blessings, and they teach us to comfort others in trials. He also talked about how we should respond to trials; with a joyful attitude, an understanding mind, a submissive will, a believing heart, and a humble spirit.

The last response was echoed by my friend when i was talking to him. He asked me how i was doing and wanted to hear how i was growing in the Lord through the trial. My friend is going through a trial, too, and he reminded me of the need to be humble. We are to be humble before the Lord in a trial, and be humble before others as we care for their needs above ours (Philippians 2). While life can seem hard, I have friends who have lost their jobs, friends who can't find jobs, friends who are struggling with disconentment, friends who are having trouble paying for school, friends whose parents are dying. We all don't necessarily understand what it is like to experience those things, but we all have experienced God's abundant grace in our own circumstances. God gives us the strength to endure trials, and He gives us the strength to love and care for others even in our trils. Its so easy to be selfcentered and selfish. Praise the Lord for his grace to perserve and for his grace to make us more like His loving Son.

Reflections on Grace

I haven’t updated for 3 weeks! Time is flying by so much faster than I realized it would.
I have enjoyed being home: gotten to hang out with some friends, worked on my 30-page senior history paper, read 3 books, gone dancing once, hung out with my family, went on a ridiculous day trip to 10 cities, hiked from peak to peak on Mt. Diablo, … and gotten to keep in touch with my beloved Hotchkissians.

Earlier this week I read one of my favorite passages in the Bible: John 1.

I wish I could write about the entire passage, but I’m just going to talk about a section of it. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. … And from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.”

One, one of the phrases that always sticks out to me is that Christ is full of “grace and truth.”

Two, that from Christ’s fullness we have received “grace upon grace.”

I decided to mull around my reference books to get some background on these passages. What I found was encouraging, so I thought I’d share. Truth is what accords with reality. Truth is not abstract, but revealed in the actual person of Christ. He is truth because he is the revelation of God. Boice said truth “did not come to the world through philosophy or through any other form of human speculation. Truth came into the world through Jesus Christ.” That’s just astonishing to me whenever I think about it. Christ, the Logos, is truth. In him there is no falsehood. Christ revealed in the Scriptures is true. Amen! And Christ was full of grace.

Because of man’s sinfulness we do not deserve anything from God. We deserve to have awful, miserable lives. Yet God gives his children grace upon grace. I think even as Christians we forget how much the Lord blesses us with. As Christians we have peace with God. We are no longer enemies and under the wrath of God, we are no longer in bondage to sin, we have hope in Christ! If we lived in awful circumstances, yet knew Christ, could we complain? We’d have enough to forever sing praises. And yet the Lord gives us so much more than even that ultimate gift.

We’ve received grace upon grace.

I love how Verbrugge explains ‘upon’: it denotes a perpetual and rapid succession of blessings, as though there were no interval between the arrival of one blessing and the reception of the next. ‘Grace’: is poured out in overflowing fullness. MacArthur says grace is that ‘abundant supply [that] will never be exhausted or diminished; grace will continually follow grace in a limitless, never-ending flow.’

Ironside applies it: We are not called to live upon past experiences. Many of us remember when were first saved of the grace that was poured into our souls when that took place… but that is not our experience today. That was grace indeed, wondrous grace! What we have now should be grace against grace, grace following upon grace, all down through the years.

How apathetic can we become to grace. May it not be! As James says, every good gift is from above. Everything good is from our Father. How much do we have to be thankful for, how much grace are we showered with daily, hourly. Do we praise Him for his kindness, mercy, faithfulness, justice? Do we praise Him for fellowship with our fellow believers? Do we thank Him for his grace in covering our sins? Do we thank Him for answered prayer? Do we thank Him for his Word?

Psalm 86:8-13.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord; that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depth of Sheol.

If you know Him, praise Him.
If you don’t know Him, why do you not trust in the One who is full of all truth and grace?

50th Post - and last one from Hotchkiss

So, it's very late and I'm having trouble staying awake. But...

I just wanted to say what a blessing it has been to live in Hotchkiss and attend Master's. The Lord has taught me so much through my friends here and I leave Master's with a meloncholy heart. I am so excited to see where the Lord will take me soon, but I also am reflective on my time here. I have been shown so much grace while at Master's in so many ways - and to leave this context is a bit hard.

So, congrats to Tanner and Jimmy - my fellow HUB graduates, and all my other friends who have graduated tonight!

Wed-Thur-Fri

These past few days have been amazing. I've had a lot of fun and been blessed to see the Lord's grace in different areas very clearly.

On Wednesday I had my last lecture of my college career! So strange to be done with "class." I have one book report, a 30 page essay, and two finals, but that's it. That's all that left for me to do before I get my diploma! Crazy. Thankfully, my large paper won't be due for several more weeks. I also hang with my best friend and then chilled at Baskin Robbins with friends. Wednesday night I also got to see a friendship restored. It is so sweet to see a friendship restored by the Lord. I've seen it in five relationships this year at Masters, and everytime I have been so amazed at how the Lord works. He always works in a mighty way that I can't understand. It's been so humbling to see my brothers and sisters walk like Christ.

Yesterday I didn't have class, but kept busy somehow. Had homework, then lunch with Tanner and Beaks, coffee with Telle, took a friend on an errand, and then spent the rest of the day at the Keller's. I absolutely love Joe and his family. I can't begin to say what a blessing it was to spend time with them. Joe is such an example to me. It was so great to spend time cooking with them, hanging, running to the store. The Lord has taught me so much through Joe, and it was a blessing to be able to spend time with him before I leave Masters. I think Hotchkiss/Placerita Baptist/Joe are the three things I'll miss the most about being here.

Today I went to my last chapel. Hung at Starbucks with one of my professors and my class. Wrote a five page paper. Went to McDonalds. And saw Iron Man with Tanner, Matt, and Ryan. Amazing movie, and it was a blast to hang with those three!!

At Baccalauratte Chapel with Jimmy, Tanner, and Ryan.
At 31cent Baskin Robbins night with Beaks and Tanner.
Hanging with friends.
One of my favorite guys: Joe Keller.

Good Friends, Lots of School

Time has flown by so fast since I last posted. I've written two major research papers, one of the Decembrists (fascinating!) and one on John Quincy Adams's time in Russia as our first minister to Russia. Those two things consumed much of my time last week, but I was still blessed to hang with some friends and enjoy some good times of fellowship, and a trip to Santa Barbara. Oh... and I got history major of the year award!! AND... Tanner and I won for dorm spirit in the school competition! Go Hotchkiss!!

Today is my best friend's birthday. So, Happy Birthday bud! It is cool to look back a year ago when we didn't know each other that well to today where we have a good friendship. I am so blessed to call him friend and brother! I think he's probably taught me the most out of any of my peers. It's been cool to watch his life lately - he's got an amazing relationship with an godly girl and is a great example to many, he passed his ridiculous senior exam, is working towards what he is doing with his life, and is preparing to serve the Lord in New Zealand for several weeks. It's really cool to see the Lord working in his life.

I've been so blessed with great friends here. Some that minister so much to me, and some that I have been privlidged to minister to. It's cool the 'circle' that friendships take.

I have two weeks left at Masters. That is incredibly exciting and makes me a little bit sad, too. It's strange to have opposing feelings. But I don't want to write about that just yet.

Spring Party

Last night our school hosted their annual "Spring Party" at Union Station in Los Angeles. After a very spirited 'dorm day' at school (where Tanner and I sweeped any competition for most dorm spirited!), Hannah, Stephen, Jenna, and I headed down into Los Angeles to go the party.

The room was amazing! It was built in the 20/30s I imagine, and had a bar (stocked with soda and grendine - served to us by our RD's), a huge bar filled with desserts, and huge posh areas to sit down and talk. The four of us met up with my good friends Tanner, Valinda, Matt, Abi, Amanda, Adam, Jimmy, Sarah, Brian, Stacie, Jody, and Ryan. It was a blast! Hannah and I got to go around and mingle, take ridiculous photos, and have a good time being surrounded by my good friends. After the party, most of us headed down to the pier at Santa Monica to hang for a bit. It was a gorgeous night!

Well, now I need to write a 10-page paper on the 1825 Russian Revolution led by the Decembrists. =)