Words that impact are not mere words ....

i am kinda sick and tired for so many times that we've read the Scripture, or had studied the scripture like a scholarly document without it really impacting our lives ...

i read some verses today that stood out to me ... which much grace which i really needs today ...
i'm gonna share'em ...

1 John 2 : 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for^[a] the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2 : 12 I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

1 John 2 :13 b I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 2: 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

... think about it =) ..

Daniel

Learning how to die - Jon Foreman

New song by Jon Foreman (of Switchfoot):

I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss you when you're gone
She says I love you
I'm gonna miss you and your song

I said Please,
Don't talk about the end
Don't talk about how
Every living thing goes away

She said Friend,
All along I thought I was learning how to take
How to bend, not how to break
How to live, not how to cry
But really I've been learning how to die

I've been learning how to die

Hey everyone
I've got nowhere to go
The grave is lazy
He takes our bodies slow

And I said Please
Dont talk about the end
Don't talk about how
Every living thing goes away

I said Friend
All along I thought I was learning how to take
How to bend, not how to break
How to live, not how to cry
But really I've been learning how to die

I've been learning how
to die
die
die
I've been learning how to die
I've been learning how to die

- Jon Foreman

Vision

i posted this about 2 years ago ... then i came back to it ....

From - Red Moon Rising ... what is your vision?

They are free
yet they are slaves
of the hurting and dirty and dying.
What is the vision?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars.
It scorns the good and strains for the best.
It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive,every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps,their Satan games.
…And this vision will be.
It will come to pass;
it will come easily;it will come soon.
How do I know?
Because this is the longing of creation itself,
the groaning of the Spirit,the very dream of God.
—Pete Greig, excerpted from The Vision

Thoughts on being 24

here's a bit of a delay update on my thoughts of being 24 ... (in bullet forms) - it had been kinda crazy last couple of days that i didn't really have time to think about this ... here are some reflections for the past years :

• praise God for my homegroup (aka Church/Christ centered community) - it had definitely been a awesome year
• praise God for my graduate studies at Texas A&M - at times it had been hard (and it's still is) but i've learned to enjoy it more and more =)
  
• praise God for an awesome family ! (cross-continent and pacific ocean!)
• praise God for opportunities to serve in my local community !
• praise God for providing for my needs
• praise God for awesome roommates
• praise God for awesome friends (you know who you are !)

i guess there are some stuff that i would like to accomplish before i turned 25 (woah!)
here's some of it (maybe all of it)

• see my friends come to know Christ (this is specific .... )
• donate blood
• get the Dimension of the Faith certificate from Gordon-Conwell Seminary
• finish graduate school !
• publish a paper in academia
• go to a Switchfoot or Jon Foreman concert!

that's all for now i guess .... :-P

here are some pics from my party in case you are wondering ....

yep - gathering around the karaoke machine!


jon, me and bill.

the awesome cake (from my sis esther) and i ...

i got this gift from my sis ... and it's awesome !

White as snow.

I ran across this song several months ago when Jon Foreman of Switchfoot decided to release 4 EPs (Spring,Fall,Winter and Summer) - i think this track is in the Winter EP.



White As Snow
Have mercy on me, oh God
According to Your unfailing love
According to Your great compassion
Blot out my transgressions

Create in me a clean heart, oh God
Restore in me the joy of Your salvation

The sacrifices of our God are a broken and a contrite heart
Against You and You alond have I sinned

Would You create in me a clean heart, oh God
Restore in me the joy of my salvation

Wash me white as snow
And I will be made whole
Wash me white as snow
And I will be made whole


.....

and this morning as i read Psalms 51 ...
i realize Jon was singing that Psalm - heart felt and real !

Ps 51 (From Biblegateway.com, NIV)

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ^[a] ;
you teach ^[b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are ^[c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

---

O Lord - create in us a clean heart, and restore to us the joy of your salvation.

peace.