Even On Mountaintops

It's the Chinese New Year! (Horses FTW.)

Today, I can't help but reminisce all about my time in China.  Last summer, for one month, I lived in Hangzhou, China. Not only did I get to study traditional Chinese medicine, but I also got to witness the hand of God thousands of miles across the world. I may have failed miserably at poking myself with acupuncture needles, and should have learned the language before I arrived, and felt very very lost for the first week I was there, but God soon opened my eyes, and my heart.

I was transported to a magical place

where the 21st century meets a thousand-year-old history

down winding roads

and placid waters.

This was my temporary home in a foreign land,

a land filled with food

and more food.

I met many people on the bus

in herbal clinics

and even on mountaintops.

But most of all, I was thankful for encountering our global Father

at church

in the work place

in this beautiful country

and in the smiles of newfound friends.

(KTV-ing it up)

Where do you encounter our global Father?

more than just a face on a tin can of oats

Today I did something I've never done before...

I went to a Quaker meeting.

Before trekking up to the 4th floor of JWW, I had never met a Quaker before, save for my high school substitute chemistry teacher and the elderly man decked in his characteristic garb on the front of a tin can of oats.

I was curious and wanted to learn more about Quakerism. So I proceeded onward.

As I walked into the room, an elderly man stood up and shook my hand. "Welcome," smiled Hans Dieter Gomes, a retired Brown University librarian and the religious life affiliate for the Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) community. He gave me a brief rundown of Quakerism, explaining how meetings work: we all sit in silence, and if God compels us to say something out loud, then we say something out loud because it could be a very important message for someone else to hear, and in return we too might hear a very important message.

It was cool just to sit in silence for 45 minutes in the middle of the day. Normally I'd probably be scrolling through Buzzfeed or scrambling to cram some Orgo functional groups into my mind. But the quietness of it all was relaxing and definitely pointed my mind towards God.

Later tonight was the Interfaith Supper, and Hans was the speaker! He shared incredible stories from his 60+ year life (ask him about it!). One Quaker tenet that he mentioned that resonated with me is that there exists a healing presence amongst the silence of a world saturated with the noise of sin.

In other words, silence is golden.

And several others have put it this way: "Don't let the noise of the world keep you from hearing the voice of the Lord."

iPods and iPads. 50-inch and 150-inch TVs. Jackhammers and jet planes.

Our ears must be ringing with tinnitus by now...

But it's not just physical noise.

The noise of temptation. Beckoning you to wander down the wrong path.

So I see why Quakers value silence.

Jesus Himself retreated into the mountains and sought personal quiet time with God.

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." ~ Mark 1:35

“Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them.” ~ Luke 6:12-13

The more time we spend with God, the more we can get to know His voice. Just like a friend, God wants to spend time with us.

'He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."' ~ Psalm 46:10

In 2010, I went to Hawaii with my high school classmates and got to witness the sunrise while standing 10,000 feet atop Haleakala Crater. Awe and peace penetrated my heart. All the feels.

Something to ponder: What do you think is the value of silence and solitude? In what ways is our world "noisy"?

A Lesson from Nike

Looks like my college town of Providence, Rhode Island is #1!
But don't just clap yet...hold the applause.
The city I am currently living in is, unfortunately tied for #1 in a recently released list of the least Bible-minded cities in America.
Derp.
Sadface.
Woe to us.
As another article claims, are we "the new Sodom and Gomorrah"? (I certainly hope not.)

But let's hold up for a second. What does "Bible-minded" even mean?  According to the American Bible Society (who conducted the survey), being "Bible-minded" means reading the Bible within the past seven days and agreeing strongly in the accuracy of the Bible.

I know a lot of people who've read the Bible within the past seven days and agree strongly in the accuracy of the Bible. But perhaps the bigger question the poll should have asked is:  
do we do it?

Are we applying what we read in the Bible to everyday life?

Are we merely following rules or deeply following Jesus?

Are we genuinely living out the faith?

Dude, trust me...it's hard to live out the faith, especially in a seemingly secular-minded campus like the one I'm at. 

But, as Nike would say:

Have no fear. God gave us His Holy Spirit to help us in our faith journey and in our walk with Him.
As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians hundreds of years ago, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Powerful stuff. God is with us. He wants to help us live a life for Him.

Of course, since we're not perfect, we're always going to mess up. But God is so good that He forgives us when we ask forgiveness from Him. He helps us get back on the right path, the path to Him.

Let's pray that in all cities all across the world, the Holy Spirit will continue to spark flames of hope. Flames of courage. Flames of faith.

Yes I Wanna Build A Snowman

In the past few weeks, if you've ever been on Facebook/Twitter/Buzzfeed/the Internet/in contact with general civilization, then you've probably heard of Disney's latest magnum opus, "Frozen."

Olaf says hi

Reviews raved that it was on par with '90s masterpieces like The Lion King (this will always be my all-time favorite though!) and that the songs were so sing-able that "even 13- and 17-year-old teenage boys (i.e. my brothers) would miraculously join in with harmonious melodies" (they actually did sing the songs every day when I was home for break...and that was like 4 weeks of nonstop "do you wanna build a snowmaaaan").

Yeah...anyway...

For all its glittering animation and chart-topping tunes, the thing I want to bring up, however, is that "Frozen" actually sort of in an indirectly but creative way expressing the Gospel.

Yup.

The Gospel.

So here is the biggest thing I learned from "Frozen": Sacrificial love.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Anna gives up her life to save her sister Elsa from the villainous prince.  She loves Elsa so much that her love for her sister surpasses her own for herself. Whoa. That's sacrificial love.

And even Olaf seems to take on Christ-like qualities.  Towards the end of the movie, Anna's heart starts transforming nearly into ice (because Elsa accidentally struck her with an icy magical power).  So the ever chivalrous Olaf pulls her close to a fireplace to warm up...well, as you know, snow melts. But that doesn't stop Olaf from trying to save Anna, because "Some people are worth melting for."

While watching the movie, I thought about how Jesus gave up His own life to save us from our sins. 

To love is hard. To love is leaving you and your heart out in the open, unsure of what will happen next. To love is taking the risk that it can go unrequited.

But Jesus did just that. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  We're liars and thieves; pride and arrogance render a crown on our heads; we are not perfect at all.

But despite all that, Jesus loved us so much that He gave up His life for us.  He died the death we should have died.

Let it sink in.

Let it change the way we think about love.

Let it thaw a frozen heart.

It will keep on thawing mine.

PS If you want to read more on faith + "Frozen", then check out this interesting article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/25/disney-frozen-religious-allegory

would you rather...

I love college.  A place where we can eat spoonfuls of Froyo (Kit Kat-topped Froyo, that is) while trekking deep into uncharted lands.  Where friendships are forged with a simple smile or daily hello. Where it's cool to be immersed in a community of peers passionate about the world (and about Sherlock #swoon).

Last night I grabbed dinner with a friend, and while munching on pepperoni pizza and stir-fry noodles, and we got to journey into an awesome conversation about faith. She asked me a really thought-provoking question.

"Isn't Christianity exclusive?"

At first, her question made me jump (and I'm sure my eyes may have widened a bit) because it took me by surprise.  To be honest, when I was just a baby still learning how to walk on my faith journey, I had actually thought about this too.  What happens to people in Timbuktu and far-flung places who've never personally heard the Gospel? And yeah, isn't Christianity sort of exclusive for basically saying that all the other religions aren't valid?

I'm not perfect so I don't have the perfect answer at all...but in my search for answers, my beliefs have been affirmed and re-affirmed that Christianity is actually not exclusive.

So here's the gist. God created every human being, and as followers of Jesus we are called to love one another (Jesus Himself gave us that commandment in the New Testament :) ).  The gift of salvation ~ Jesus dying on the cross, atoning for our sins, and opening the gate to eternal life ~ is offered to everyone. Everyone. (And when I mean everyone, just think of how the "Pokemon Emerald Version Gameboy Game" is "rated E for Everyone"...  so yeah, everyone).

Young, old, rich, poor, citizens of all nations, humans of all cities, people of all hat shapes and shoe sizes and hairstyles ... the list goes on!

God offers this awesome gift of salvation to everyone. It's just up to each individual on whether or not he or she accepts that gift.

So in that sense, Christianity is not exclusive. Jesus is not exclusive.

But I understand where my friend is coming from. I understand her uncertainty and hesitancy.

Christianity may seem "exclusive" because there is only one way to heaven: through Jesus Christ. But that's just it. It's the truth. Jesus Himself said "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14: 6). Truth, by nature, negates all other statements because it can hold itself up against any condemnation and stand on its own beautifully.

I see why my friend struggles with this. Heck, I'm sure we've all asked this question at one point or another. It is not for me or for any of us to judge others, and ultimately I do not fully know God's mind to predict who will go to heaven or not.

But I do know this.
God is so merciful and loving and forgiving that He willingly bled for us and died in the most excruciating way. All just to save us from our sins. To show us that He loves us.

I'd rather run towards Him than run away from Him. I'd rather stretch my foot out and step out onto the stormy waters of life than hide in fear of what the future may render. I'd rather believe than not believe.

What do you guys think? I'm interested in learning your thoughts! Do you think Christianity is exclusive? What is truth and the nature of truth? 

I am a tile.

I am a tile.
A chipped one, at that.
And slightly scratched in many places.
With the paint slowly fading
Away, tumbling out across the ground
My whole inner being for God to see.

I am a tile
Part of an other-worldly design that transcends
Borders and boundaries and colors and shapes and sizes and yes
My imagination.

I am a tile
In God’s plan
His perfect design
And when that day comes
When my Maker will polish me inside and outside
When every piece He chose comes together
There will be nothing left to do
But to rejoice.

From Death to Life

Today I was dunked in water.
Held-my-breath-for-a-few-seconds-type-of-immersion.
To be honest, I was a bit nervous at first.
Should I pinch my nose?
What if my feet go flying up in the air?
Will the water be cold?
But all was well. (Turns out that the water wasn’t cold at all!)
Today, I was baptized.

In front of my family and church at home, I proclaimed that 1) I acknowledge my own sinfulness before Almighty God. 2) I believe in the death of Christ for the forgiveness of my sins. And 3) I confess Jesus as my only Lord and Savior and promise with God’s help to live for Him throughout my earthly life.

In baptism, going down into the water symbolizes how Jesus died for me because of my sins. I recognize that I was once a slave to sin… but then I rise up from the water, symbolizing how Christ rose up from the dead and conquered death for us so that we may have new life (and eternal life!) in Him.

In the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul writes that “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” and ^“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

From death to life. A new life. An eternal life. Whoaaa, what can get better than that!
My baptism didn’t save me ~ it’s just a proclamation of my faith.  In fact, nothing I do can save myself.  No matter how good I try to be, I will always fall short… It is by God’s grace that Jesus Christ saved me. 

You can ask God for forgiveness of your sins, believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior, and develop a personal relationship with Him.  It’s a gift.  The best gift I’ve ever received.  My eyes are constantly being opened to the wonders of God, His beautiful creations, His unfailing love, His mercies…

Being a child of God does not mean I will lead a perfect life…I still sin and annoy my brothers and ask forgiveness.  But it means I am secure in His love! In a world full of death and suffering and pain, how beautiful and unfailing and perfect is God’s love.

where do i see it?

i see it in the irises of a child

in the image of a friend
pulling someone back up

in the smile of a passing stranger

in the glow of the sun shining
right through the kaleidoscopic glass of a window.

what is it?
what do i see?
where do i see it?

it is the love of Someone who
gives and forgives
endlessly

who comforts and cheers

who knows our suffering
for He has suffered too.

yet He is a conquerer.
it is the strength of
a warrior whose armor is eternal.

All Things New

After our car broke down in the middle of Indiana on a frightfully icy/snowy/frozen night on our way to Chicago, then waiting in a gas station for 3+ hours (I have a certain appreciation for Speedways now), I rang in 2014 with my family, cousins, aunts and uncles.  With a new year inevitably comes a looking back at the past, and 2013 was full of ups and downs and surprises (good and bad) but the One who was always constant was the Lord God!  He never fails to bring us back to Him and reminds us of the greatest blessing of all: Jesus :).  In Christ, we are being made into new creations.

Today at church, we read from Psalm 103.  The pastor encouraged us to use anything and everything of ourselves to glorify God.  I’m neither a million dollar writer nor J.K. Rowling but I do love writing fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and poems.  I want to glorify God with all that I am, so every week on this tumblr I’ll (try to) post something I wrote ~ a poem, short story, anything that fashions in my mind. 

Below, I hope this poem will encourage you to seek out more than just temporary, yearly resolutions.  God offers a second chance that is eternal.

All Things New

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The glittering ball drops
And another year is done!

People kiss and drink champagne,
Tasseled trumpets toot their horns.
But what I especially want to celebrate
Is that we can be re-born.

Each year brings a new beginning.
Opportunities to eat more healthily (consume less sugar),
To be more brave and to be more bold,
To live in the now instead of worrying about the future.

But let us accept the best second chance of all:
Because of what You did for us, and not because of what we do,
We thank You, dear Lord, for saving us.
For forgiving us. For creating all things new.