hidden falsehoods

About 3 months ago, I had started a book called Lies Women Believe (and the truth that sets them free) by Nancy DeMoss. Recently, I felt compelled to share some of these lies to you. I’m not going to list them all, but I will tell of the ones I once believed in and consumed me.

• God’s ways are too restrictive
• I need to learn to love myself
• I can’t help the way I am
• I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings
• I can sin and get away with it
• My sins aren’t really that bad
• I am not fully responsible for my actions and reactions
• I cannot walk in consistent victory over sin
• I don’t have time to do everything I’m supposed to do
• I can make it without consistent time in the Word and prayer
• I can’t control my emotions

Most of these are gender neutral, I’d say. I still continue to struggle w/ some of them, but I feel like if I open up and share my guarded thoughts and beliefs, you can help me stay grounded in what’s true. Remember, these are LIES... if you feel they are true, analyze yourself and seek through God’s Word for authentic answers... it may be the devil’s foothold on you.

a simple story

I was at TLT, when Janet asked me about missions.
I told her I wanted to go, but I have to ask for permission.
To serve in this way, was always a passion.
But by my mother’s refusal, plans are left for revision.
Lost ambition, poor reasons,
I’m 20 years old, I need to make my own decisions!

So that same night, I joined Habitat for Humanity
Nicaragua is the place, to build houses for families
That was destroyed by Hurricane Mitch, back in the late 1990’s
And they are still recovering, due to the lack of money,
Unstable economy and forced poverty.

I made this commitment, without consulting with mother
I had to wait a few days, before I could even tell her
I was afraid of what she’d say, because I knew this would bug her.
But I felt this time may be different; maybe God made her softer.
So on Sunday, I decided to tell her
And the reaction expressed that, I did more than just bug her.

She said, “Julie-ah, le goa ga-ting sui-yeew nae
(Julie, this family needs you)
Deem-gie nae yew zuaw, loui see-see bong yun-day?
(Why do you need to go to always help others?)
Ngoa yew lay, deem-gie na mm lay?
(I need you, why don’t you care?)
Ngoa yerng zoa nae ya-neen, hie-mm-hie ngoa sai sie ngoa sum-gae?
(I raised you for 20 years, was I wasting my time?)
Nae hie-mm-hie sai sie ngoa sum hoot, ngoa hie-mm-hie jun hie yerng choa nae?
(Are you going to waste my sweat and blood? Am I going to regret having you?)"

I was so heartbroken by her words that pierced me
She wouldn’t even listen and kept cutting me off rudely.
With tears in my eyes, I shut the door behind me.
In my room I stayed, in confusion that overwhelmed me.
There was nothing else to do, but to trust god fully,
So I opened my Bible & saw James 1:19-20.
It told me to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
I thought, “This is crazy, He’s speaking to me!”
So I kept reading, every verse earnestly...

Man, did God show himself, though I expected much less
And it was only a few verses down; God was quicker, I guess.
It said to “look after orphans and widows in their distress”
I mean, what more can He say, to tidy this mess?
I must confess, I must stress,
That this test of faith was a challenging success

I know this missions trip, is my calling
But to go without mom’s blessing, can leave me bawling
And although this issue, is still resolving
My impatience is kicking, it seems like God is stalling
To change my mom’s heart and grant her understanding...
But I know everything comes, in God’s perfect timing.

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Note to readers:
TLT = The Lord's Table = a student-run weekly sandwich-run group.
I wrote this in one night and some wording could've been better.
What my mom said was in Cantonese (sorry, I can't write in Chinese).
The above situation happened almost a month ago and currently, things did work out and now my mom is okay with me going to Nicaragua! YAY! =o)

hear me ROAR

Today was the ETCBC softball tournament. It was FUNTASTIC! My team consisted of: Tracy, May, Ankie, Steve, Alan, John, Will, Keith, me and our leader, Matt. Although we were 0-4, I had such a great time! Most of the people I just met today, but just being able to get to know and play with these people is an awesome experience in itself.

I love the Lions.
We’ve had our rocky moments and are currently in some rough waves now, but I think it’s the people that make CCSA a worthwhile affair. I’m so excited to spend time with this group that I stay awake at night, trying to think of activities we can do together... yes, lame, I know. Those who aren’t coming out as much are totally missing out on how remarkable each personality is. It seems like we’ve been friends for so long, but in actual fact, we’re practically acquaintances...

Some of these ideas include:

• BBQs galore!
• Paintball night! (with possibly Illuminate players also)
• Video games adventure day! <-- bringing TV’s and game systems to someone’s house to
• have the ULTIMATE GAMING CHALLENGE!
• Beach Day!
• Bowling Tournament!
• CRANIUM competition!
• Mini track and field day! (other teams have the option of joining)
• Playing non-softball sports! E.g. Volleyball, Basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, Football, etc.
• Cooking dinner together!
• Rented Movies Marathon!
• Possible over-night event?

Technically, these ideas can be used with any group. So, feel free to take these suggestions and use it to its fullest potential! I urge you to do so! ^_^

your needs above my own

I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be a part of God’s family... Life feels so warm and so comforting. I’m so terribly blessed with all the people God’s put in my life (Christian and non-Christian); it seems like I could do so much more for them! How can you express the love and thanks to those around you, who have taken part to shape the person you are today?
Mere words, I feel, aren’t enough.

Friendship, to me, goes so much deeper than surface-conversations and hanging-out. There’s selflessness – putting the other person’s needs above your own; honesty – no hidden motives, no need to “swear” something is true, no lying; sacrifice – dropping whatever it is you’re doing when they need you; patience & forgiveness – everyone screws up, misunderstands, is stubborn, gets defensive at one point in time, how long does it take to pardon their actions? Empathy – rejoice when you rejoice, weep when you weep, understanding & compassion; Acceptance – even with our imperfections (not tolerance, since tolerance implies “settling” for something other than what you want); Support – not agreement... knowing the other person is there for you whether or not they concur with what you’re doing (other than sinning <- don’t support that)...

Underlying all of that is love. Love Love Love. A simple word with a complex and subjective definition.

Why do I love Jesus? Because He has done all the above and has gone the extra mile for me. The real question is, how can I NOT love Him?

I want to be all of that and more to my friends and family... but as the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

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Jog Progress Report:

I RAN THE 10K WITHOUT STOPPING!! 64 min was my time... and though it's slower than a lot of ppl, my goal was completed. From running 11 minutes to 64 minutes; goes to show that anything is possible (with a little sweat and motivation from a good friend). ^_^