Man List

“Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.” -1 Timothy 3:2-3

Towards the beginning of the year, most of our suitemates and I made a list titled, “Ideal Man.” Of course, they were customized to fit each one of our preferences. I literally filled an entire page of college-ruled paper with 32 bullet points. Christ-follower, respectful to all, spiritually mature, passionate in pursuing his dream and helping me pursue mine, to name a few at the top of the list. The rest of the list is merely a description of me: holds childhood dreams/Disney fantasies, possesses the urge to see every corner of the Earth, clean and neat without being overly organized, deft with crafts/D.I.Y, loves children, fluent in another language, enjoys dancing, etc.

Though it’s good to keep my standards high, the healthiest outlook needs to have a biblical foundation. Not only do these six elements of biblically ordered masculinity help me focus on the essential characteristics of my future spouse, it helps men in becoming a candidate for marriage.

1. Depth of discipleship

It’s not only important to know God and have salvation, it’s vital to live with and for God. “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” -Titus 2:2

2. Cultivation of control

To be sensible is to have good sense or reason, to be rational and reasonable. This also means to have self-control in what you are passionate about and where you let your pleasures lie.  Are you passionate about getting your way in an argument towards your parents or are you passionate about how you can better honor your parents? Are you finding more pleasure in playing games, checking facebookor looking at forbidden websites than you are praying, reading and meditating the word of God? “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.” -Titus 2:6

3. Reputation of righteousness

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good.” -Titus 2:6a What are you known for? Are you known for being a person who does gentlemanly gestures, respects others and serves quietly/passionately in church? Or are you known for being immature, disrespectful, too talkative, and takes advantage of other people’s kindness?

4. Clarity of convictions

“In your teaching who integrity,” -Titus 2:6b You may have grown up in the church or been born into a Christian family, but that doesn’t make you a Christian. Similar to how standing in a garage doesn’t make you a car, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. You need to be, not just in the boat, but actively rowing the boat to God’s destination. If someone were to come up to you and ask you questions regarding your faith, you need to be ready to answer, just like how a car is ready to be driven when you go to the garage.

5. Attitude of appropriateness

Having social maturity is to know how to act appropriately in any situation. Be observant of situations and of others. There are times when it’s appropriate to make fun of your friends or burp out loud at a camp fire, but there are times when you need to treat others with seriousness and be serious/mature in conversations.

6. Soundness of speech

“show…soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” -Titus 2:8 Your mouth is a pipeline of your heart. You’re always projecting what’s in your heart straight out of your mouth. If your heart is in the wrong place, your speech is not going to be pleasing to God. It’s important to control you tongue and “let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” -Colossians 4:6

Death by Sensuality

Throw some baits into the ocean; see if the little fishies come swarming towards you. One by one, you’ll be able to catch almost all of them. Then you think, “Wow, these fish are stupid!” Imagine, if you’re a fish in the deep, blue sea. You arrive a place with a lot of food, but one by one, your fish cousin Wilber disappears, your fish friend Stephen is gone, so on so forth. Wouldn’t you want to think before you go after one of the food items that made your fishie friends disappear?

That is exactly us. We see people around us being pulled into sin by various temptations and watch them suffer in the consequences, yet we choose to ignore everything and get sucked into the same temptations and not deal with our problems. We might think, “Well, everybody’s doing it, why would I be different by doing the same thing?”

What we need to understand is the ways in which sensuality can destroy us. Do not underestimate 1. the value of wisdom 2. the subtlety of lust 3. the power of sensuality and 4. the consequences of immorality.

Proverbs 6–

²⁰ My son, keep your father’s commands
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

²¹ Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.

²² When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.

²³ For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and the corrections of discipline
are the way to life,

No matter what, your parents are your parents. They have been placed on this earth to be your authority. Not only should your respect them and obey them, since they have been on this earth more than you, you should never let your father’s commands and your mother’s teachings leave you. In the old days, they used to have scriptures on their wrists or forehead to be constantly reminded of God’s commands and teachings. You shall do the same with the wisdom God has spoken through your parents, the ones who came together to biologically produce–you.

When you become a parent, it is vital for you to teach your children about sexual purity, at an age younger than you think. While your children are already posing questions about sex or other things, you want to be the first one to educate them about what God has said and not let their friends respond to them with false answers.

²⁴ keeping you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife.

²⁵ Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes,

26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,
and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

Though in scripture, Solomon says the immoral woman, that was because he was talking to his son. The same goes for both men and women. Both men and women can be culprits of being an immporal person. Do not be the one to tempt others, nor be the one who is tempted. The first thing you might think when you see a gorgeous someone, you think, “Wow, he/she is some hot stuff.” Then you think, “Hmm, I would like to ——- with this hot one.” Desire someone not for their beauty, but for their character. However, don’t go out looking for someone you think is ugly and say, “I want to be attracted to you for the right reasons, because I can’t be attracted to you for the wrong reasons.” No! Just don’t lust after someone you don’t even know. Whether it be that beautiful brunette with green eyes sitting across from you in lab but have not ever talked to, or the numerous pornography photos you have no relation with, do not seek sexual desire or sexual pleasure from these things that have no relations with you. You are not falling in love or crushing on that someone, you are lusting after them. The “prostitute” may be someone you lust after or the pornographic pictures you turn to, but in the end, these things are only costing you your precious purity. On the other hand, do not devise evil schemes that manipulate the naive nature of those around you. As a believer, your duty is to protect and preserve others’ sexual purity.

²⁷ Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?

²⁸ Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?

You would never go pouring gasoline all over yourself, light the match, and think that no consequences would follow. Neither should you think that by engaging in sexual immorality that you are not going to face the consequences. First, you cannot handle the sins that you have committed; second, you cannot smear the sin of the one you’ve committed sexual immoratliy with. The question is not–How far can I go and still be okay? The question should be–How holy can I be? Instead of choosing to do the wrong things in the wrong situations, you need to make the decision to not end up in one of those unstoppable, consequential situations. Do not convince yourself, “Oh, it’s just a few seconds of holding hands,…or interlocking fingers,..or a bear hug,…or a kiss on the forehead,…or alone behind closed doors.” One thing will lead to another. There is a reason why bad things spread like wild fire.

²⁹ So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.

God said–you will not go unpunished.

³⁰ Men do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

³¹ Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

³² But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment;
whoever does so destroys himself.

³³ Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away;

³⁴ for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

³⁵ He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

You’re thinking, “Oh, shoot, what if I’ve already blew it? What if I’ve already lust after someone, watched porn, had sex, or fallen into temptation?”

1 Corinthian 6:9-10 says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

That’s right, if you have done it, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. However, if you continue reading in 1 Corinthians 6:11, God says, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Turn to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, read it.

You have seen it with your eyes. God says, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Go and run to God and repent. The worst thing you can do after realizing what you’ve done is to hide and think that you can fix everything so no one finds out. Too late. Even if no one finds out, God already knew and He knows. Just go to Him, for He is the one who granted you grace and mercy so you can entire His kingdom.

Plain, Simple Faith

People wanted something tangible and visible back in the day when the books of Hebrews was written. Whether it be stone idols, painted icons, a physical altar, or festive ceremonies, we as humans tend to believe in things we can see and touch. People still want something tangible and visible now, though we already have all we need–the risen Christ.

Though the Old Testament talks about having religious ceremonies, sacrificial altars, and other means of ‘worshipping’ God, those are only things that pointed to the coming of Christ. The body of Christ is the ultimate sacrifice. He is the answer to how it is possible to justify ungodly people. Because of God’s sacrifice, we don’t need to look for something aside from simple faith. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. The very definition of what faith is does not call for us to do anything but believe.

It is a sin to go back to the rituals and symbols that pointed to Christ. We no longer need to engage in physical things, because our religion is not about elaborate ceremonies or traditional rituals. The real and practical faith is what is at the core of true, authentic Christianity.

“Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” –Hebrews 13:9-10

As we exercise our faith in the Lord, we should have love for the brethren, love for strangers, lover for suffering believers, love for our spouse, and most importantly, lover for Christ.

“Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”

–Hebrews 13:1-6

In fellowship, we are coming together to share with those who are alos in spiritual union in Christ. Though fellowship hall is usually known to be the place with refreshments and informal conversations, true fellowship is only between believers, together, sharing everything.

Love for strangers are important, not because you know God is watching or because that someone who helped you repair your tire could be an angel. But because if you cannot love your neighbor, someone you can both see and touch, how can you love our God, who you have not seen and is invisble to us? Having love for suffering believers is our duty as Christians. By confronting them about their spiritual lives, we are not condemning them, but pleading with them to turn their faces towards the only One who can save them. Love your spouse. He or she is the only one you will engage in physical union with, for you should not commit adultery and lust after others. Above all, love the Lord, your God. Christ is the primary, distinguishing mark of authentic Christianity.  Without Christ, we are nothing and we have nothing. However, with Christ, we have everything we would ever need.

A New Habit

I’ve wanted to reflect upon all the words God has given to me through my pastors for a long time, but I was never dedicated enough to record these reflections. Starting this year, I am committing myself to what my pastors have been saying to me all these years, “Take these words home and meditate on them day and night.”

Meditate: “to focus one’s thoughts on: reflect on or ponder over; to engage in mental exercise for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.”

August 30, 2009
Phil Johnson–Galatians 4:8-20
“Formerly when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God–or rather are known by God–how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What hs happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!”

This passage marks the transition from doctrine to application. Since the Galatians have moved away from the simplicity of the doctrine, Paul is writing a letter to inform them of his anxieties.

“Formerly when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God–or rather are known by God–how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.”

First, he questions the Galatians. After being known by God and experiencing all of His greatness, how can one turn from the Almighty and return to seeking the same obedience the pagans have towards their god? We are Christians by faith and not by works! Though we often bend our standards to receive acceptance, Christianity is not a works oriented religion. Instead of celebrating the Lord with superficial works and ceremonies, Jesus said to preach the gospel.

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” –Hebrews 10:1-4

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” –Colossians 2:16-17

We cannot cleanse ourselves with sacrifices or with the works we do on earth, rather, we should embrace and be thankful of Jesus’ death on the cross, for only through the fullness of Jesus’ blood can our sins be washed away.

“I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What hs happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

Paul pleads with the Galatians and reminds of the the time when he shared the gospel with them. He saw how well they treated him, even when he had an eye illness that was repulsive to look at. Paul even go as far as to mention that they probably would have plucked out their own eyes to give to him if they could because they were so eager to help the one in need.

“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.”

Paul warns them, that the non-believers are zealously seeking to win their hearts for no good. Though it is acceptable to be zealous, they should be enthused for good things.

Finally, Paul compares his pain with that of maternal sufferings. He is deeply concerned about the faith of Galatians. For he is their spiritual growth’s father and seeing them fall causes as much pain as would a childbirth cause. Paul ends by saying that he is perplexed about them, meaning that he has much doubt on their faith and sincerely hopes to reverse their paths.

We need to examine our hearts. As ourselves, are we trusting solely on God to be the one and only who can save us or are we depending on our efforts to be self-righteous? Our “righteousness” cannot save us, only God can.

Un Leçon Bien Appris

Essentiellement, Je dois faire les connections avec le monde. Beacoup de monde. Sans les connections, je ne peux pas faire mon travaille en abondance.

Alors, écrit les courriels, vas aux heures d’office, et appele à tout les profs!

C’est Bizzare

La nuit hier, mes parents ont eu une dispute sur les choses stupides. J’allais dire à Papa tout que j’ai fait à Gilroy avec Maman, mais il s’était fâché parce qu’il pensait que nous l’ordonnons tout le temps. Alors, je suis allée dormir sans raconter mon histoire. Je me suis réveillée aujourd’hui et je suis allée à la chambre principale. Maman et Papa n’étaient pas là. J’ai pensé qu’il sont en bas, mais quand je suis allée à la cuisine, au salon, au garage, ils n’étaient pas toujours. Je suis retournée en haut et j’ai vu leur pyjamas surs leur lit. “Phew,” j’ai pensé. J’ai pensé que Jésus est venu et le monde etait terminé.

Ils sont retournés à la maison une demi-heure plus tard. Glorifie le Seigneur!

Fifteen Years All in One

After getting a job this summer, my parentals have suggested that I start actively engaging in the “real world.” They’re still willing to cover my living and education expenses, but they think it’s time I man-up and earn money for my personal expenditures.

At first, I was quite proud of myself for having earned more than enough money to cover my spending urges. I always compare the price of an item or a meal to the amount of hours I have to stand there greeting customers, then I decide whether or not it was worth all that work. Moments before I started writing this post, I calculated the amount of time needed to earn the money people pay to attend private colleges (~$50,000) with my hourly salary. If I were to save every penny earned from my job now, depend on other means for shelter, food and clothing, I would have to work for a total of fifteen years before I could pay for one year at college.

It is no wonder people have started youtube channels that discuss wealth inequality, channels called “faireconomy” and posted a video called “bbs of wealth.”

“We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin a shift from a thing oriented society to a person oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered. America, the richest, most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way to this revolution of values.” –Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in 1969 at the Riverside Church in New York City

“There’s a growing gap between the very wealthy and everyone else. What does wealth inequality sound like? [They dropped one bb bullet for bb-guns into a bucket as a representation of $500].”

“If we took all the private wealth in the United States and divided it evenly among all the hundred million households – the sound lasted for 6.83 seconds – there were around 500 bbs falling into the bucket. This is equal to quarter of a million dollars for every household in the U.S.”

“If we took the wealth of the bottom 50 million households and average it out – the sound lasted a less than a second – there were only 10 bbs falling in the bucket, representative of only $5000 per household.”

“On the other end of the spectrum, the average wealth of the richest one percent of households – (To join the richest one percent, you need to have about 2.6 million dollars or more.) – the sound lasted for a total of 25 seconds.”

While 3 million people in the U.S. enjoy the luxuries of  2.6 million dollars or more, 50 million households are living with as little as $5000. The next time I step back on campus, heck, I’m going to push every penny of my education to its fullest potential, because I am way beyond privileged.

No Wonder I Chose The School Of Fighters

David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” -1 Samuel 30:1-8

As a human and a sinner, I need to encounter a snapping point. 30% of action movies (my-most-watched-movie-genre) have a normal, mellow, family guy who just wants to work and come home to his wife and children. Then, the bad guy comes along and takes away his peace and quiet, forcing this man to burst out of his comfortable bubble. -BAM- He snaps, explodes like a heated aluminum can, and goes on a rampage.

It’s time. I’m due for a snapping point where I come out swinging with spiritual violence. I’m a fighter by nature and I’m not just talking about fighting on at USC when I raise up the victory sign, but God’s fighter. Boxing is probably one of the oldest ’sports.’ Other more violent fighting ’sports’ include the killing of lions and other beasts in Ancient Rome. People gathered to watch gladiators slaughter animals or flesh shreaded into pieces in the Colosseum as entertainment. Even now, some people buy expensive plane tickets to Vegas just to watch two men or two women pounce on each other.

Finding violence in movies or sports entertaining is finding entertainment in wickedness. We’re born to fight the enemy, Satan. I am to fight in spiritual warfare with spiritual violence. Since it is in our nature to fight, if we don’t fight the enemy together, then we will end up fighting amongst each other. Satan goes after the weak, the young, the isolated and the injured. When lions are under attack, they protect their young ones or their weaker pack-members by gathering them in the middle and forming a circular barrier around them. If I can learn anything from lions, it would be their defensive strategies. (i.e. Guys might fight for the innocence of the girls in fellowship by surrounding them as spiritual warriors to keep aggressive-purity-snatchers out of the ball park.)

But how do I know when to fight? Where’s my ready-get-set-go signal? When these three likely alerts go off, it’s your turn to fight — when the enemy has thrown the first punch, when it gets personal, and when you’re confident of victory.

The Amalekites clearly threw their first punch. Then, with his two wives captured and peers plotting to stone him, David is definitely being personally involved. Finally, when he asked God for permission, God said to pursue and succeed. Look what happened to David when he fought with spiritual violence…

… David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.” – Samuel 30:17-20

Obviously, I must fight with God’s strategies. If I fight with my own strategies, then it is no longer called spiritual warfare, but plain, sinful, humanly warfare. God’s strategies are simple and straighforward – surrender, submit, stand.

To give up or to quit is to give in to the enemy or forsake your duties; while surrender means to give in to God – to be dead to this world and alive in Christ. (A cancer patient could choose to die of the the attack of the enemy as the illness eats them away or the patient could choose to leave a legacy of testimonies of the living God.)

Submission is to come under God’s authority. I have to understand that God has placed authorities over me. Not only do I have to honor my parents, regardless of the mistakes they make, I have to obey all civic rules. As long as I submit under these governing regulations (i.e. speed limits, copyright laws etc.), I don’t have to be afraid of the authorities; instead, I would be protected under their supervision.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. -Ephesians 6:11-17

Finally, stand, stand, and stand. Being a warrior means to stand your ground with proper armor. All the weapons mentioned in the Armor of God are defensive weapons, belt, breastplate, shield, helmet and sword. The only possible offensive weapon is the sword, but it definitely isn’t smart to fight with bare hands. We are defensive fighters because we’re defending what is rightfully ours. We are not fighting to claim any ground, because Jesus has already conquered victoriously. Just like Rey Maualuga, we must growl at our enemies and go all-out after an opponent who tries to invade our grounds.

Get ready to RUUUMMMble.

Fantasy

“You’ve probably experienced it–the constant thoughts about someone who has caught your eye, the heart palpitations whenever that person walks by, the hours spent dreaming of a future with that special someone. It’s infatuation.”

Test: positive. First year of college – 1, 2, 3,… (James, Max, Matthew.) I got over James and Max real fast, but Matthew was definitely a distraction. Seriously, I didn’t even know the guy. His appearance swept me head-over-heels: the raincoat, the guitar, the aviators, the hair-neck-wrap — oh, yeah, he got me.

“God is righteously jealous for our hearts; after all, He created us and redeemed us. He wants us to focus our thoughts, longings, and desires on Him. He lovingly blesses us with human relationships, but He first calls us to find our heart’s delight in Him.”

On my way to class, I normally talk to God about my day, confess my anxieties, and give glory to Him for a blissful day. However, my sight, like a back seat driver, steered me in a different direction. I wonder if he’s going to be in his seat in lab or secretly smile about how we take the same path after lecture. (Lord, I’m sorry.)

“In addition to diverting our attention from God, infatuation can cause problems for us because it is most often founded on illusion. When infatuated with someone, we tend to build up that person in our imaginations as the perfect guy or girl. We think we’d be happy forever if that person would return our affections. Of course, we can only sustain our silly crush because we’ve substituted fantasy for all the information we lack about the person. As soon as we get to know that peron’s true identity and discover that our “perfect’ man or woman is human like eveyrone else, our dreams fade and we move on to a new crush.”

Although he never bursted his perfect-persona bubble, I have experienced this infatuation deal before and Matthew definitely falls in this category: fantasy. 

“Lord, help me to appreciate this person without elevating him above You in my heart. Help me to remember that no human can ever take Your place in my life. You are my strength, my hope, my joy, and my ultimate  reward. Bring me back to reality, God; ‘give me an undivided hear’” (Psalm 86:11).

Dazzle Me

So, instead of randomly posting photos of the designs I produced this fall semester, I’m going to whet your appetite with just one piece from my portfolio. (If you are interested in seeing the rest, e-mail me for the entire collection.)

For the individuals who asked me to post my work, I would like you to view the designs in a more structured manner — aka, I’ll e-mail you the pdf file for your enjoyment.