Pleasing Aroma

I'm starting to smell again. It reminds me of my adolescent days. I used to put on this deodorant scent named "Spring breeze." I forgot the brand name though. I learned of deodorants and such in the locker rooms during p.e. I didn't think I needed it because I never smelled, but I noticed that whenever I play Super Smash Bros. (any console) my armpits become a spring of living water (lower case "l"). Sometimes it misses the sleeves of my t-shirt and trickles along my field of eves down to my pants. raging waters!

This one time during a piano lesson at my piano teacher's house my teenage hormones went haywire, or string. I was under a lot of pressure because I had crammed a week's worth of piano homework into 10 minutes right before my lesson. She was testing me on Für Elise for the upcoming recital. So I was pretty much sight-reading the piece, which I am horrible at, and as I nervously fumbled through the first couple measures I heard something drip. Drip... Drip... Drip... When I finally got to a break in the piece and came off my stress high I looked down and saw small puddles in the grooves of the piano chair between me and my teacher (by this point, she saw it too). I thought, "hmm, that's strange." And immediately, my teacher (who knew exactly what was going on) got up and went to the kitchen and came back with a paper towel. "Oh, don't worry, my... previous student... probably spilled some water." She wiped it clean and I didn't think much of it so I continued. Then it happened again. drip... drip... drip. And that's how I created the Southwest commercials. "Wanna get awahell yea."

Drip! You are now free to sweat profusely.



Right now my armpits smell like persimmons that are ripe and in season - the kind you eat with a spoon because it's mushy. I can't stop smelling it. It smells... kinda good. I just might make a perfume that contains the essence of my sweat in every bottle...

I can't stop smelling...

...and I can't stop thinking of how we are called to be the aroma of Christ. (transition: 6/10)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Being a pleasing aroma to God means to perfectly submit and surrender to His will because we were created for His pleasure. Sniff sniff. When He smells us, does He smell rancid sin or the blood of Christ that washes our sins away? Would that all my brothers and sisters become fragrances whom God is pleased to spread everywhere. Yet like high quality perfume, this comes with a price. The price of Jesus becoming the sacrifice for our sins puts value to the price of His lovers to become living sacrifices, broken and undone, for God's purposes. This spiritual act of worship is what His people were created for and the perfect act that God has given us to follow is His Son Jesus Christ. As we know, His act of worship led Him to death, even death on the cross.

Worship bleeds out of the ones truly abandoned to God and truly stayed on His Word. "For in the midst of their physical and emotional pain, their loyalty to Christ grows pure and perfect. And in the face of persecutions, their love and worship toward God become all-consuming." The ones who will become this aroma are the ones who will lay it all down to become true worshipers of God. Flowers yield their strongest aroma when they are crushed, and God has more than a crush on His people. Undying love. It will undoubtedly be more difficult, but as Jesus says of Paul, "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name" we must pick up our cross daily and pursue our Lover just as He has pursued us. His joy is our strength. His pleasure is our pleasure because we are His pleasure forever.

Aroma backwards = amora = amor a = "love to" in spanish -> "love to" backwards = "to love"
Therefore, aroma = "to love"

thank you. thank you. I knew I should have majored in linguistics.

<3

I'll end with a poem I recently wrote (modified for general audience, rated G):

The Potter has fearfully and wonderfully created
a beautiful jar of clay
And has placed in you the aroma of Christ
which you unashamedly spray
Like a sweet, pleasant perfume exuding the fragrance of life
For me and everyone in Jesus Christ

May you forever be a pleasure to God
Fulfilling the Lord's purpose for your creation
And become a servant of God who embraces every crushed petal
Just as He has embraced your surrender and obedience
as a pleasing aroma unto Him

I want to smell like Jesus!

...please don't quote me on that...

sniff!

Me, Myself, and Eye: A Conversation

SignifiCANT or signifiCAN?

... what? that makes no sense.

Sense? or cents? (oooh)

man, keep your coins. I want change!

Yes we CANT!

.............

Welcome to my mind.

On a semi-related note, this article is from Desiring God:

Missionary to India, William Carey, once exhorted a Baptist gathering in England by saying, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” I love that quote.

But we must heed the Bible’s warning through Simon the Magician: if we attempt great things so that others will see us as great, we are in grave spiritual peril.

...

We can all relate to Simon. We are all are tempted to pursue our own glory, even in the work of the kingdom. When we recognize that familiar craving we need to deal severely with it. We must confess it (often to others, not just God), repent, and resist. Because, if left alone, it can develop into a spiritual cancer that can blind us to real glory, and may ultimately kill us.

So, let us expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. But let us take Peter’s advice and do so “by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11).

And that's how the cookie is devoured.

Don't want to lose my soul for what I believe is practical
I'm a prodigal coming back from a world that is temporal
So why gain it back and lose what's eternal
Flesh out the spirit and spirit away the carnal
By the Spirit-led revival through Jesus Immanuel

Church Activities

We used to make up bad words - words that would hurt the target and satisfy the shooter. Being in a church setting, we had to keep it PG not because we had a choice, but because that was all our elementary minds knew. We bullied 4th graders because we were 5th graders. We bullied 8th graders because two 5th graders made one 10th grader. Our created words were the funniest things to us, and we would ping pong back and forth to see who got the smash hit that would irresistibly cause the ball to, well, have a ball and laugh to tears with us.

"You have a wrinkle-butt!"

"Your face is a butt-crunch!"

Any time the word 'butt' came up, it was automatically too funny to be an insult. But words were only the beginning. We would run around the church and start wars, using old dolls, stuffed animals, and children's books as weapons and chairs and tables as forts. All this would be happening while the adults were eating lunch in the kitchen.

"Yah! needul bahp muguh!" (Hey! You guys food eat!)

We would eat as quickly as possible and then take a box of matches up the hills into the back lot where we would light any animate object (usually insects) on fire. We used to stomp on bees and see their guts spill out (which was usually white and not yellow like honey) and explore the tropical deserts as we endured the pines that pierced through our socks. Then it was time for fireworks. I would buy these tiny tnt looking firecrackers, which were probably illegal, from the Mexican ice cream truck, place it on the playground swings and then light them on fire. "Just like looney tunes!" One time we lit one string and ran to a safe distance, but when the cracker didn't go off for awhile I boldly but cautiously crept up to check ifBOOOM! ... and my face blew up. or at least I thought so because it stung like a bumble bee, or a hornet.

Speaking of Hornets, we used to play basketball on top of the parking lot hill that doubled as a full court with only one basket. Playing ball was tricky because there was a steep 47 degree hill right behind the hoop, as in the pole was cemented into the very edge of the cliff. This made airballs deathballs. If you made an airball then you would have to climb all the way down the weed infested hill (which was waist high) to retrieve the ball as everyone stared you down and let you know how bad you are. That's why I never make airballs now. Three words. Magic Mountain baby.

After all that we, or now I, would get into fights and throw handfuls of rocks high in the air, first as a scare tactic, and then... never again after one of my bullets decided to hit the pastor's son square on his head - instant fruit punch fountain from the think tank. Ohhhh yeaaahh noooo! I got yelled at and then ran out to play again like nothing happened. I did feel bad though. Like bada~~!

But running and playing wasn't all fun and games. We were avid readers as well. There was one Sunday in particular when my friend brought to church Dragonball Volume 42, the last and final and most epic and gg pwnage and long-awaited manga in the history of saiyankind. We hid in the backseat of a car and read through as much as we could before the evil androids caught us saving the world one panel at a time.

When church was over we would walk to each others' houses and play N64 all day long and then watch a video. Sadly, I was rarely allowed to sleep over friends' places (but allowed to have friends sleep over my place. weird. my parents love me.) so the 4 or 5 times that I did, I. was. so. excited! while everyone else was thinking 'eh another sleepover.'

Then I would count down to next Sunday.

Oh and of course I remember the people too, especially the ones we were a nuisance to. I remember Mimi and Gina teacher in particular, the twins who did body worship and bible studies and everything in between. I thought that was how all churches did it - hire twins as ushers, or body worshipers, or offering basketers, or anything that's good in pairs. I heard that back in the days before the internet was in the average household, the twins would listen to Christian radio stations and whenever they heard a new song they would write down the lyrics, learn the piano part, create the body worship, make the transparency for the overhead, and introduce the final product to us on Sunday mornings. Now that I think about the dedication and effort they put into teaching us God's Word I can't help but thank God because I still remember not specific words they said (except 'Oh my peanut!' sorry another story), but their love in their actions and their sacrifice.

When all the "church activities" are done and all the discussions settle down the only thing that's left is His perfect LOVE for me in His Action and His Sacrifice. So take heart my heart. Dedicate once again and even more so to making disciples of all nations. Laugh, but this time give Words of Life. Make war, but this time in the spiritual battlefield. Set a fire, but this time fire up a passion for Jesus name. Read, but this time read and meditate on God's Word. Fight and throw rocks! No, don't fight, pursue after peace. Play, but this time spell check and pray. Visit, but this time go over to each others' spiritual houses. Count down, but this time wait for the Lord and take heart.

Begin to ACT in Love.

Footprints in the Sand

The walk of a snail. But slow and steady wins the race. Here's a little update for the uptake. I am under heavy pressure right now. But pressure is diamond. bling*

College you've been good to me. They say it's real life from here on out. I say omg. But friends and fan-mily, I do not worry. My mind is clear as if I've poured out my thoughts into a Pensieve. I look back and memories are distant, but Love is nearer than ever.

I had a dream the other day. I was in a room with fellow students and I felt this uncomfortable sense of urgency - as if I had procrastinated for a lab report that was due in one hour, which I had not started. Unfortunately, that was the exact scenario of my dream. This felt so real and I remember thinking that I was going to die and never graduate, and in my state of panic I shoved my lab partners out of their seats so I could finish everything on my own. "Get outta here!"

When I woke up and realized I was at home on my bed I couldn't help but smile real big and stupid-like. "It's over!" That's when it hit me big time - I am done with college! 17 grace-saturated years in the making (including kindergarten my favorite) and it's finally over. WIN!



Just like Fisher's smile at 0:43. It's the smile of knowing that victory is here. You know the outcome before the income. You see the finish line and it's the final stretch. No more pacing. No more tracing the dotted line. No more trailing behind. No more sulking about past faults and mistakes. You just smile because of Jesus and only look to finishing the race. this. is. CAKETOWN!

.

so.

now what?

Now I look back into the Pensieve because I accidentally poured out all my thoughts and I can't remember a single thing... ah, there we go.

For the time being this boy is headed to seminary. Lord willing, I'm aiming for Talbot. I dread the application process because I've dreaded every application process before it. My life is laid bare before the admissions office and scrutinized based on my past achievements and my merit. "Wait, but I heard... everyone gets into seminary." uh, whatever. I pray this will go smoothly and quickly.

Let's see here what else do I remember. Yes. I now have an ice cream. She is pretty cool, but not as cool as luigi.

ew don't touch me.

This will be one grand adventure. I see two sets of footprints in the sand, but our desire is we'll only see One as He carries us through and through. Rules and regulations out of love and honor because Love came down and rescued me.

Here's another memory that's fresh in my mind that I hope can encourage. After a fun filled day at magic mountain with a few of my friends I came home and slept around 2 am. Before going to sleep I prayed, "God, I'm super tired, but remember how I said I wanted to go to morning prayer everyday from now on? Well, I give up because you know how bad I am at waking up. So I give it up to You! Thank You." So I set my alarm to 5 am since mp is at 5:30. That night I had a dream and during the dream I woke up naturally, which is very rare considering I slept so late after a long day. And I said, "If the alarm goes off right now, then I'm going no matter what. If not, then good night world." And the very next second - BEEEEEEEEEEEP~!

OH MY....... LORD I WILL GO! SEND ME! HERE I AM!

So God led me to a blessed time at morning prayer! Praise the Lord!

Let's keep the summer cool for Jesus~ <3>

Flash

I shudder at the shutter speed
The Infinite upon finite being
Is more than enough to capture
The heart of humanity

Zoom in for vanity
Zoom out to take the tree
Man takes the first shot
But with no flash photography

Then skins flash and eyes discover
Pure brokenness in the lens cover
Reflecting the self
And forgetting the True Lover

Disobedience is auto
One man falls and all follow
But obedience is manual
Through One Immanuel

And the rising of the Son
Is as faithful as the sun breaks dawn
Because sovereignty means
The timer is on

In a time of testing
Red letters in a hidden message
Were taken up and poured out
To reveal a perfect image

So I develop my burdens
In a darkroom behind split curtains
Red lights manifest the water of Life
And now I'm certain

He took on the Darkness
And exposed His Goodness
That I may receive what I confess
Picture perfect Jesus

focus...

click* flash*
Righteousness



I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.
- John Wesley -

Epic

Fail.

What a true lesson of humility.

What a true time of testing.

This stuff is eating me alive at 4 in the morning.

Random spasms of screaming and yelling and crying all throughout the day. And there seems to be no end in sight as of now.

Not blasphemy. Think catastrophe.

I hope I never forget this so I can make sure to always obey and share what God has in store instead of what I think sounds cool. No other passion but Jesus Christ passion.

Totally brushed off Love. My total mistake.

What BITTER medicine.

What growing pains.

But help is on the way.

Salvation is here.

Got Love?

Oh, how He LOVES us! This song is so powerful. It's so raw - like a child trying to describe God's love. Abandoned to Your praise! YEA!

And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great your affections are for me

I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way...

He loves us!

And that's how it starts.

Daddy is jealous over us so don't make Holy Spirit grieve over our sins because we'll be in a mess when we realize the King Himself has been rejected, has stepped down from His throne to run to us, and took up our cross to embrace us. This is LOVE.

But it can't end there with mere words or else we're no better than a useless clanging cymbal.

People are in need of deliverance and a deliverer. People need the Lord. We all need Jesus. So badly. We need to become more sensitive to HS's calling to intercede for and reach out to one another. Broken, empty hearts are standing next to us and walking by us. Downcast souls are masked by smiles. Burdened shoulders carry the weight of family issues. Distraught minds are entrapped by past memories. Name calling. Habitual sins. Physical abuse. Wandering eyes search for a purpose or at least a job just to get by. Life is holding on thirstily to the hope of an abundant life that quenches eternally - True life in Jesus Christ. Only a true encounter with God's perfect Love through His Word, His Son, His Spirit can resurrect and resuscitate the lost and backslidden! We commit our lives because of and through the Life God has committed for us and given to us.

If you feel like "I never got love," it's absolutely vital to have (or remember) the correct biblical view of God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Justice has been served through Jesus Christ. This is Truth. There is no sin that is too great for God to forgive no matter how much you think you've consciously disobeyed God. Jonah. That's what's up. And if that was not true, then Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection means nothing. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. So KNOW that you fit the requirement to receive God's beautiful grace and mercy. KNOW that Jesus actually died in place of you. KNOW that God has removed your sins as far as the east is from the west. KNOW that God's love has never failed anybody, except Jesus Christ, His only son, so that you and I can experience His unfailing love. KNOW that He has promised His children to take them Home. KNOW that he leaves the 99 behind to go after the 1 lost sheep. KNOW that God is running after you, takes great delight in you, rejoices over you with singing, and quiets you with His love.

And for those who feel like "I got love," it's your duty to give that love away. If all you're doing is smiling about how good life has been, how much love you got from your parents and others and thinking "I must be a lucky one. God blessed me." then consider yourself the most selfish, wicked, vile person on earth. You're holding onto a barrel full of fresh water and rejoicing over it all the while staring right into the eyes of a withering man parched and dying of thirst. Yes, salvation belongs to God, but if that's your excuse for never getting down to pray for whom you consider 'unlovable' and in dire need, never reaching out your hand for the sick and weary, and never sharing Jesus Christ, the Living Water, then that's bad theology - and that's when I say (bad) theology is not important when all it does is sits in your head and never travels to your heart. Does your heart break for broken hearts? Are you willing to take in everything that a person is, the pretty and the ugly, or do you treat people like a buffet? Do you have the hope and assurance that the Gospel transforms and changes lives and God uses YOU to do exactly that? Is your LOVE motivated by God's Love or by whatever sympathy you can muster up in your heart for others? If you've been loved on so much and God has shown you His great love throughout your life, it's only because you are called to share and give it ALL away and become the lowest of low, just as Jesus showed us. It's ALL about living for and loving God and living for and loving others.

Because no matter how good (or bad) you have it you cannot live for yourself. We weren't made that way. It's impossible. If life was about self-improvement, reaching self-enlightenment, receiving good karma based on personal, individual deeds, and becoming a better you then NO ONE would care about peace, friendship, marriage, children, orphans, widows, the hungry, and all of social injustice and relationships because anyone apart from you would simply be a stepping stone to get where you WANT.

But in Christ and only in Him, Jesus became the stepping ROCK on which we stand to get where we NEED, not by our own merits or accomplishments, but by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our friend, our brother, our lover, our Savior, our God.

KNOW the love of HS embracing you so dearly. This is not just a feeling. This is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is Jesus Christ.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:29-32

Got Love?

God's Love.