AUGHHHH! Can't Look!

Continuing on the book The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. By the way, he just given a message in a conference for pastors that is straight out from this chapter. You can read, listen and even watch it here.

My thoughts on chapter 2:

The Bible has many places gives us glimpses of just how holy God is. Throughout his life, Moses has numerous encounters with God. In Exodus 33:18, he asked to see the glory of God, and God replied "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 33:20) But God did let Moses see His back. And just from that Moses' face became so radiant from reflecting the glory of God that he had to put a veil on his face, so not to terrify everyone else. (Exodus 34: 29)

God is SO SO MUCH holier than humans that we can't even handle looking at a face that has just looked at God's back. So how are we to face Him with our spotty records of our lives? How can we expect to spend eternally with Him in heaven?

"we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:10

"... we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus," Hebrews 10:19

The Holiness of God

I believe that knowing the extensiveness of God's holiness is crucial to christian living. Otherwise, we wouldn't understand how necessary Christ's work on the cross is in order for us to gain access to heaven. After all, why should we deserve hell since most of us have never kill nor sell drugs. So we have lied a little, harbored bitterness a few times and being prideful once in a while, that shouldn't be enough to go to hell, right? Well, if we consider that our God is perfectly holy, then it would make sense that even a tiny speck of sin against Him would send us hell bound.

I want to have a better understanding on the holiness of God. And then my husband got this book from the library called, incidentally, The Holiness of God! The author us R.C. Sproul and I'm going to write what I learn from it as I read it since I tend to forget.

So far what I've learnt:
Chapter 1:
• God is so holy that "Holy is His name" Luke 1:49.
• How we understand the person and character of God affects every aspect of our lives. If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the WHOLE universe. No compartmentalizing would make sense, including science, economics, and yikes, politics.

Keith Green's 7 Years of No Compromising

Seven years. That's how long Keith Green lived as a Christian before he died from a plane crash 25 years ago. But God used him to impact lives of many, and to this day, his legacy continues to inspire thousands of people to draw closer to God.

My husband and I watched a documentary of his life story, and we were touched by how he held nothing back to live out the Gospel. He could live a very comfortable life making lots of money from his albums and concerts. Instead, he cancelled the contract he had with a record company so he could give away his albums for free, and he refused to charge anything for his concerts. He took in anyone in need, to a point that his house is so full there're people sleeping in their garage, even when he was raising a young family. All his songs and messages points to God, and urged people to live out their faith. He had truly lived out the title of his 2nd album: No Compromise.

Now I need to ask myself: What do I hold back? What have I compromise in my faith? Am I willing to be used by God in anyway, or only when it's within my comfort zone?

Come Sail Away

Ever since I wrote the post titled The Grand Illusion, I can't help but think of the band Styx's album of the same title. Ok, so some of their lyrics are comparable to bad poetry from a high school student, I got to admit songs like Come Sail Away sticks with me and I would not hesitate to belt it along with the radio in the car.

Boy, now I'm nostalgic.

Awwwwww...how cute!

Apparently, devotion to your city's sport team unite people (and statues) together.
(Tribune photos by Nancy Stone & Kuni Takahash)

The Grand Illusion

Ever since I became a parent, my desire for control is even more futile as ever. I can't make my child poop, fall asleep, nor learn a certain skill at a certain time.

The truth is, we hardly have any control at all. We thought we do, but we really don’t. I mean, can you control how your heart beat? Can you control how your brain cells work? Can you control whether tomorrow you'd still have a job, a house, a family?

Oh boy. I just open the can of worms of free will/responsibility of our own actions versus God's sovereignty. Bottomline: they both exist. How? Don't know.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)

Do this! My Way! NOW!

I don't think I'm a control freak. But it does bother me in various degrees when people make different choices that I don't think it's the best, or when they don't do things exact way and timeframe that I want.

I have to be careful not to micromanage. To do so I would overstep others' boundaries, not to mention that'd be extremely annoying. The real issue here is the lack of trust in God. Real lasting change can only comes from God. I need to put trust in God to change the hearts of others and mine, in His own time, IF that's what He planned to do.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Now we just have to make sure we're "those who love him." :)

The Driving Force Behind Apple

A must-see for any Apple fan is a video of Steve Jobs, pre-black-turtleneck-and-blue-jeans days and with all of his hair, at a keynote in 1983 showing for the first time ever the famous "1984" ad. He was so smug and the audience went so wild it's like being in a cult.

Reading some stories of Steve Jobs from people who worked with him, I believe one of the reasons Apple's products are so beautiful and work so well is his demand for excellence. For him, good isn't enough and it doesn't worth doing something unless it's done great. This may sound quite harsh but he brings out the best work from the people around him.

I should demand more of myself. Higher expections can bring growth. But I'm not sure how much I should expect from my children. Too low can stun their potential, while too high will be discouraging. Praying for wisdom is a must for parents!

Not Our Choice to Make

It's the 34th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion. I have so much to say on this issue but I'd keep it short (relatively) this time.

I've yet to find an remotely strong argument against life begins at conception.

It's not about women's right. It's not about telling women what do to with their bodies. It's not about limiting women's choices. It's about life that's totally different from the women's own. The unborn baby/fetus has a different DNA right from the beginning.

I do want to extend sympathies to those who got pregnant by means they didn't consent. However, two wrongs don't make a right.

The government should increase awareness on support for unwanted pregnant women (and men). The public, including teens and children, should be educated on the development of babies inside the mother's womb. And teaching on taking responsibility on your own actions will help too.

I had an ultrasound on my second baby at 9 weeks after conception. And I saw AND heard his heartbeat. At 9 WEEKS ONLY! Stopping that heartbeat intentionally is anything but murder is really beyond me.

Wow! They're In!

(Tribune photo by Jim Prisching)I'm happy for them, really. My hubby is so excited. I saw some photos of fans and wow, so devoted. But the real test of devotion is who's going to fork out big $$ to fly to Miami for the game. I read that tickets to the game alone will cost thousands of $$.

By the way, quit the tradition of pouring tubs of drinks on the coach already. Someone can get very sick.

AAAAAH! She's In!

First of all, I don't agree with her views on social issues, and possibly more when I have time to check out her positions.

Is it just me or does she often appears arrogant and mean? She's a very smart lady, no doubt about it. But you can display your intelligence and confidence without appearing arrogant, a la Ms. Condoleezza Rice. Now there's a smart, confident AND cool and collected lady I'd like to see continue working in the White House.

It'd be interesting to see how Hillary and her spin doctors try to soften her image during her campaign.

I have a feeling the '08 Presidential election is going to be a "who'll-do-the-least-damage type of vote". Yikes.

The Best Part of Waking Up...

...is cat poop in your cup?

Apparently for as high as $400 a pound, you can buy a delicacy coffee called Kopi Luwak. It's made from coffee beans that has been eaten by some cat-like animal. When they come out from the other end, humans collect and process them.

I'm not kidding. Check it out.

Am I a “Christian?”

I'm cautious in calling myself "Christian". Unfortunately, there are people that associate that with people who hold signs that say "God hates homosexuals", or it reminds them of their hypocritical uncle who go to church on Sundays but lies and cheats.

And then there're also people that call themselves "Christians", but what they believe or do is nowhere near what the Bible teaches.

Since the word "Christ" is in the word "Christian", obviously being Christians has everything to do with Christ. I would define a Christian as a disciple/follower of Jesus Christ.

So what does that entail?

According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, "follow" can be to engage in as a calling or way of life, to be or act in accordance with and to accept as authority.

So to be a disciple/follower of Jesus Christ, I believe one has to:

1. Study His words/work to grow in knowledge of Him. (i.e. the Bible)
2. Grow a personal relationship with Him. (prayers, not only know God in your head as intellectual knowledge, but know Him in your heart as well)
3. Do what your Lord says, regardless of how you feel.

Of course the above points will need further dissection. The fun has just begun.

Definitions

Different people interpret different words or phrases differently, since our experiences shape how we view so many things. I believe this is one of the major causes of miscommunications. For example, person A tells person B "I'll call you SOON." For person A, "soon" means a few days, while person B's version of "soon" is a few hours. Miscommunications often lead to conflicts.

I'm cautious in using words that often have different meanings for different people. Exploring how I define things is important for me, it helps me to know clearly what I believe and why I believe them. It also helps to avoid being misunderstood.

I'd post them as I tackle them.

Blink

Today is one of those days when all of a sudden my 2-year-old boy seems much much older than, like, two days ago. I didn't realize how tall he became, nor how well he can talk. How did I miss them? I guess I'd better never blink again.

What're Your Distractions?

(Tribune photo by Jim Prisching)It's the football playoff season. My husband is excited to have his team going for another round. If they win one more game they'll be going to Superbowl.

I'm no sports fan, but I do enjoy watching a game or two occasionally. I can't quite understand how some people can live and breath sports. They take the results of games personally, even though they are not employed by or associated with the team in any way. Is it because they have nothing else in their life that is as exciting? Is it because they need escapes from their daily life so much and so badly? Do they have any other people or causes that they can root for as much as "their" team? Unless you or someone you know work for the team, I think sports are really just entertainment. It's really just a game. Chill out.

But it's not just sports. It can be any hobby. Some people spend lots of time, money and energy on cars, and I spend way too much money on cameras and too much time on the internet. All these are fun and fine, as long as they don't interfere with nor distract us from our real purpose in life, since even the best photo ever of my kids has no eternal value.

Now you DO know what your purpose in life are, don't you? (Surprise! It's not about you!)

Moo

I realized that not only I feed my kids. I, myself, is a food item. Part of me, anyway.

While some days I feel like a cow, I think nursing is the greatest idea for new mothers. It provides food for the baby, strengthens the mother-baby bond, and it's convenient and FREE! Whoa, God thought of EVERYTHING.

And did I mentioned it's FREE?

Winter Wonderland...

...in the Seattle area? While the East coast is warm and toasty?

I remember one early morning in my college days in Iowa, I was walking home from one of my "photo marathon" in the darkroom. It was a twenty-minute walk and the snow was just starting to fall. All was still and quiet except for a few city workers. I have yet to re-experience the beauty and serenity of that morning in the snow.

The Apple Love Fest

I'm not tech-savvy enough to be a geek, but "woooo-ing" and "ahhhhh-ing" while watching the MacWorld Keynote Address should put me closer to become one, right?

The Death of Saddam

I know this is old news, but there're thoughts that I need to get out of my system.

The death of Saddam. Does he deserve it? I'm pretty sure. Is it going to make a difference in the development of peace and democracy in Iraq and other Middle East countries? Probably not, at least not in the near future.

So what does this accomplish? For one thing, he needs to pay his penalty for his order of torturing and killing of thousands of people. Is his penalty fits the crime? Well, his death is probably less painful than many of his victims, however, I don't think the justice system should get down to his level.

There're people in the world that rejoice in his execution. I'm not one of them. I think his life is a tragedy. And for people who filmed, posted, and watched his execution, what you did make me sick.

I'm sad by the whole thing. I'm sad by what Saddam has done. I'm sad for the people and countries that he so ruthlessly destroyed. I'm sad that there are so much darkness in his life. I'm sad for a life that lives constantly under fear for betrayal. I'm sad for a life that is defined by insatiable appetite for absolute power and hate. I'm sad for the fact that real evil exists in this world. I'm fearful for him for what God's wrath has installed for him.

I wonder if he ever truly loved someone more than he loved power. I wonder if he was born in a different family, or if he has a different life circumstances if he'd be different. I wonder if anyone of us was put in his situation, if we'd turn out the same as he did.

I know "sin" is the correct, but very general answer of why he did what he did. But I'm eager to search for some other answers so that I can believe there's good even in a person like Saddam. I wonder what God's purpose for him was, and how does that going to fit in the whole picture of the human history.

With these thoughts written, my mind is now a little less crowded. A few more adoring looks at my sleeping sweet baby boy and I'll be back to my usual cheerful mood.