December 2011
55 posts
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“The love of God never wears off. Rock it proudly.”
– Austin Landis
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My friend Tim, the Body Builder
My friend Tim is a body builder. He has large arms, abs as hard as a brick wall, and motivates people to be better by saying, “One more time,” and “Beast mode.” He has tattoos that cover various parts of it, which also tell his story. He has a tattoo in honor of his father, showing just how much he loves him. He has a tattoo of a heart, clover, club, and diamond to represent his love for Vegas...
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Overflow Into Ministry
tterzek:
Our ministry is the bowl underneath the cup that represents our own spiritual life. If we wish to see our ministry being filled, it must be through the overflow of our own personal walk with God.
Amen.
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Tick, Tock
(Photo by Winnond)
The other day, I was out in Downtown Los Angeles with my best friend, Bronson. As we roamed down 7th Street, I felt like a mouse beneath towering buildings. However, it was nothing compared to navigating Manhattan. When I visited New York, I could hear the clock ticking away as people’s steps matched each tick. People were synched to time—the schedule of the...
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“If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to...”
– Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story
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New Beginings
I’ve never been good at goodbyes. It’s too final and despairing. It’s like ending a great book only to wish you never reached the last page, paragraph, and word just so that you can spend a longer time with the characters and the world they reside. Harry Potter fans can relate. But there’s hope. The end of something is really the beginning of another. This is what...
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Another Way To Look At Seminary
Me: I'm looking forward to seminary, but there's things I'm not looking forward to!
Steven: Like what?
Me: I'll be one of the youngest guys out there. Most guys that do seminary are already established. They were doctors, lawyers, or whatever...they have life experiences.
Steven: And?
Me: And I think that being around them will force me to act "older," to be more like their age. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm young. I want to maintain my youth.
Steven: Think of it as you having many different guys to look up to! Feel more sorry for the oldest guy. He has NO ONE to look up to.
Me: That's another way to look at it, I guess.
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I'm a lot stronger this Christmas
I am a lot stronger this Christmas, and it’s not because of P90X. The kind of strength that I need to get through Christmas isn’t physical, but rather emotional and spiritual. Christmas is always difficult for people who have lost loved ones. There’s usually a beautiful memory associated with your loved one during Christmas. And when you spend the holiday without them, you...
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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the...”
– Romans 15:13 (NIV)
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“Man’s maker was made man,
that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His...”
– Augustine
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“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them...”
– Mother Teresa
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I foolishly thought I was pursuing God
Sure, in some sense I am—I try to show it through my words and actions indicative of a relationship with God. But I’ve failed Him many times. When I should run desperately after Him as if my life depended on it, as if every fiber of my being needs Him to be around to hold it all together, I find my steps small and painfully slow.
Somehow, I’ve forgotten that it isn’t I...
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“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his...”
– Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
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“Good leaders create followers. Great leaders create leaders.”
– Rick Warren
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“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you....”
– Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)
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The Pill
Lately, the feeling of disappointment has festered up in my heart. I’ve been disappointed in people and in myself. I wish I could take back the things I’ve said or the things I’ve done, but I can’t. I wish there was a pill I could swallow to forget the past couple days, of seeing images I wish I never saw because they are forever etched into my memories. I want to forgive....
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“Dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for...”
– Donald Miller (via iamgiovanny)
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"Fella"ship and Football
Last Monday, I had the pleasure of taking photos of my USC fraternity brothers as they took a break from studying to play a game of football. I was amazed that they could afford the time away from hitting the books, but when I asked one of the brothers why, he said that brotherhood was important.
I began dwelling on that idea for a bit. Brotherhood, or fellowship is important. The word...
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“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an...”
– Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship
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Making an impact
I met a Cal State University, Long Beach (CSULB) fashion student two weeks ago who told me how she was inspired after reading my article in the Freedom and Fashion: Year 2 magazine. A friend of hers had passed on the magazine to her thinking she might be interested. She most definitely was! The fashion student had never come across the issue of human and sex trafficking in any of her classes.
...
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To All The Single Ladies:
iamgiovanny:
“To all single ladies who are in a hurry to get married, here’s a quick piece of Biblical advice:
Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz. While waiting on YOUR Boaz, don’t settle for ANY of his relatives: Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyinaz, Cheatinaz, Dumbaz, Drunkaz, Cheapaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornothinaz, Lazyaz, or Marriedaz…..and especially his third cousin Beatinyoaz.
Ladies, please wait...
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“It has been said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but...”
– Charles Spurgeon
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A Feeling of Disappointment
I hate the feeling of being disappointed. Something I expect or hope to happen isn’t fulfilled and I’m left with the aftermath. Darn it.
Once, I expected to receive an A in class only to learn that after my final, I received a B in class. That’s like an Asian F-; I was forever shamed. After viewing the trailer of Cowboys and Aliens and seeing Daniel Craig AND Harrison Ford...
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Anonymous asked: I liked your Edmund post and was curious about which person in the Bible you related to the most.
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"So a missionary and a pastor walk into an Asian...
I don’t like surprise unless they come in the form of a party or a gift for me. When it comes to my best friend, Bronson, surprises are just part of the friendship package. You constantly expect the unexpected so much that you grow paranoid. At any point during the day, he might pop up into your life like a friendlier and better dressed version of Freddy Krueger.
He called me up saying how...
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