Rain

There's a moment when the full moon hides

Where the ready waters reside

Ready to scatter worldwide

Where the high tides rise

And the high rises collide

There's a power in the silver light

As it free flows in flight

Free to fall despite

Gravity

Fall to free write

Depravity

There's a source of that reflection

Which highlights the imperfections

Then covers them in redemption

And gives light and gives direction

There's a time and a place and a reason to shine

And the same reasons not to

Too early, you're blind

Too late, you're behind

So listen and wait

To illuminate

Listen and wait

To illuminate

Vibrissae

This entry is rated M for Mucus.

Two days ago, I cut some nose hairs (like.. not a lot) because they were getting unruly and getting too excited whenever I smile real loud (and because I can never man up and just pluck 'em out, tear*). One hair in particular was about 1.5 centimeters long and as thick as a single bristle of a toothbrush. No, I did not measure it. 1.5 is just a good number.

Yesterday, I was sneezing like a panda. It was not the infectious kind since I have no cold, but the allergy kind where one sneeze opens the floodgates of the Ol' Factory Dam and costs 2 tissues (re)used wisely or about 7-8 squares of toilet paper.

Speaking of paper (and unexpected messes), I read in the news the other day about Egypt and her hasty solution to swine flu:

When the government killed all the pigs in Egypt this spring — in what public health experts said was a misguided attempt to combat swine flu — it was warned the city would be overwhelmed with trash.

The pigs used to eat tons of organic waste. Now the pigs are gone and the rotting food piles up on the streets of middle-class neighborhoods like Heliopolis and in the poor streets of communities like Imbaba.

What seems like a quick solution leads to yet another problem. I want to say "Hah! Serves you right!" but I would be pointing at myself. It's like taking pain killers for wounds that kill instead of running to a Doctor for healing. For wounds internal. For wounds invisible. Don't go for the quick fixes that never satisfy because true satisfaction is eternal. Holla~ "We want Jesus!"

"We want Jesus!"

Today I won't be picking my boogers (at least not in public). They are my last line of defense... the first, my windows...

ashes, ashes, we all fall...

ACHOOO!

... aftereffect - the true reason for my allergic reactions was due to the dormant ashes picked up by the winds that started up yesterday. Last night our house was covered in ashes and the kitchen floor was ashy and the culprit was Ash. (funny: 1.5/10). Even with the fires put out in our mountains in LCr, the ashes are still left to do airborne damage on top of the actual burn of fire damage. This is what you call consequence.

Sin and its consequence. PR6:27.28 "Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?"

Hot dam~ Our own ashes from past mistakes may linger around, we may even have winds of circumstances that poke at our scars, but we must not be disheartened or downtrodden because God is the lifter of our heads. He is faithful and just. The day is coming when He will clear the air and we will breathe a new heaven and new earth. So look to Jesus and put faith only in Him who took on the heap of ashes and the ultimate Consequence of sin for you and for me.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

EPHESIANS TWO! EPHESIANS TWO! EPHESIANS TWO! EPHESIANS TWO!

^, ,^

Nose hair 540 to Gospel 316!!!

Wow. That's a first.

Oh! The Places You Will Take Me!

home is sweet, but Home is heaven. Fambam happy birthdayed (go away red squiggly line) me last night with homemade banana cake. woot! Today I spent all day helping dad with his VBS seminar at OMC. Exhaustive but very rewarding. There were so many volunteers and contributors and participants. It's awe-mazing! When you're doing God's work it's a guarantee that God will make a way. At the end of the laborous day I was feeling slightly fatigued. Then dad reminded me he was off to japan and korea tomorrow for more seminars/revival services for a week, and then to Seattle, Washington - then Vancouver, Canada - then Honolulu, Hawaii (of which he must sacrifice my gaduation for) - and then the world as usual. As we were eating all you can eat korean bbq (score!), I told him "Just do God's work diligently, mang." Okay, not exactly, but something like that.

On a sidenote the OMC head pastor was walking by and gave my dad a signed (or more like personally messaged) book that he wrote (Deep-Rooted in Christ), but it was in English so he gave it to me. I hope I read it. The sub-title is The Way of Transformation.

and OMG. oh, how tempted i was to graffiti the many OMC indoor signs to spell OMG. Just cross one line baby and sin has already entered. chika chika wha? Oh! Missions Go!

Noon, my wardrobe provider, came home with a b-day present. 2 'new-style' t-shirts from somewhere (I don't remember) that fit me perfectly, but said 'small' on the tag, which is strange because I'm a "medium" kinda guy. And so I says, "This says small." And she be like, "It would be if you had muscles."

...

well well well, if you meant spiritual muscles then... touché. But if you meant physical muscles then allow me to introduce you to my two dictionaries - they're well defined. =]

Change the world.

More confirmations this week. First with the lovely prayer book. Thank you so much la myun man. I'll put it to good use for Him! Then yesterday at dad's office he gave me a thick magazine/booklet that talked about the 4/14 window in light of the 10/40 window. I was wondering where in the world is 4/14, but the author was talking about age group. Wow. Come on now! Jamone lee! It's time for a new generation of radical Jesus lovers to rise up and carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth! Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! Floor us with Your LOVE!

What a birthday. I don't need presents. I need God's Presence.

Move Me

And You move me
just when I thought that I had it all together
And You move me
just when I thought things could not get any better

I am ready come and move me once again
I am ready come and move me once again

And You move me
Closer to You closer to Your heart
I see clearer so much clearer than before
And You move me



I speak out of the overflow of my heart. My mouth does a good job at letting me know what's on my heart. These past few days have been very revealing of the limit of the measure of my love (which I don't have at all apart from Love Himself) especially when it's hard for me to love - those who I hypocritically label as the 'unlovables'. I need arms like Jesus. I need a heart like Jesus.

God is Love. God is Love. God is Love.

It's spiritual check up time again, or at least in my conscious mind because I've been giving myself brownie points for every 'good' thing and downplaying the seriousness of other sins. Following Jesus is not a balancing act. We had already fallen and we were already dead. Following Jesus is a love contract. He has put all in and He bled instead. I am free to love dangerously when I have Jesus as my foundation. The past is long gone and so I stand, not balance, on the Rock of Salvation.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
1 Corinthians 10:12

Let's move.

Remix #11: Remixed, to think upon Love before I speak and act.

Odyssey with God

There are times when I search fervently and chase after the supernatural. These are times when I am disappointed. I look for things in the physical and neglect the things in the spiritual. These are also times of hope and encouragement when God reminds me of who I am in His love. He gives me the strength to keep moving forward.

This morning I received my allowance in an unusually small envelope.

He says to me, "You're not even trying to find a job are you?"

To that I reply, "God provides!"

And we both smile.

Dad goes back to the his room to consult with mom in choosing his tie. I check the contents of the recycled envelope and I begin to calculate the tithe. It takes a while for me realize that I just need to cross out the zeros. Math and I had a falling out of some sort, but I digress. I turn the envelope over and I see messy scribbles in Korean. It reads "Child Evangelism Fellowship" and on the bottom in light pencil - "Pastor's car."

-

It's easy to for me to forget that the life I have is supernatural. The breath I breathe is a miracle. In my good times and bad times, my attitude should never be one of apathy or discontentment. There should never be a time when I simply shrug my shoulders and say "whatever" because that would be to reject and neglect who I am in Jesus Christ and what I have received from Him. When I say God is my provider I say it sitting with the family around the dining table with empty bowls watching a father's tear fall on empty plates in place of where the food should be. When I say money comes last and doesn't even place in God's kingdom I say it with a roof over my head and a bed to lay my head. When I say live only for God I say it holding the hand of a man in a ragged suit with one ragged bible in his other hand and a family by his side who is filled with love, joy, and peace. When I say only Jesus I say it with visions of grandeur so steadfast that I know I'll set a Gospel fire with this torch from heaven and change the world.

And I remind myself,

Why wouldn't a supernatural God work in a supernatural way? I want to be intimate with a God who is LOVE. Sins are meant to be dealt with, so deal with them quick. Jesus breath. Jesus blood. Jesus resurrection. Jesus revival. Social construct and unity is meaningless without Spirit and truth and without God's purpose at heart. Be careful what I see and touch. Don't let the wrong kind of fire suffocate my dreams. I want to pray for the sick and see them healed. I want to reap the harvest and live for God's glory. I want my words to speak of Love and point all hearts to Jesus. I want to see His peace and restoration in broken lives. I want my experiences grounded in God's Word. I want my spiritual eyes to open wide. I want the power of God to flow though me. I want God's love to overflow. Stop the talking. Show me what you got with your actions. See me fall off the ledge and see if I'm still alive. Offensive. Defensive. Mindful of others, yet only mindful of God. LOVE. It's time to press on.

-

I hear dad coming out of the room. The tie has been chosen. I don't like it, but that's because I have no fashion sense at all. I turn over the envelope one last time and I give all my thanks and praise to my Heavenly Dad. I say bye to my earthly dad. Kisses and hugs to mom and me.

Then he leaves for work in his brand new Odyssey.