sarahshin's Xanga

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:02:38 GMT

hello to anyone who's still out there.. haha everything's a fad.. so funny how a great majority of us have flocked to facebook..

xanga's a great tool for journalizing (duh~.. i know)..

I just spent a few minutes going through my old posts.. and i've never realized how much I blogged about God's love, grace and goodness!.. and what's more surprising... (and encouraging) is how all of those posts were written at a time in my life when circumstances were at their worst. A time when, from the worldly perspective, I was at the lowest of the lows. BUT, a time when my spirit was feasting on God's disciplines and mysteries. In hindsight, I see how much I have changed and grown.. and it's pretty amazing.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

hey! that's ME! it's like the verse is speaking to me.. I can't help but be filled with joyous laughter... what has gotten into me? Holy spirit...hard times are so neccessary. of course, at the time it sucks, but God promises:

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening- it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way" Hebrews 12:11

soo true! another thing i realize from reading my old posts and the comments friends have made is, people like to be around happy people.. (well, duh~ i know) and that is one of the reasons why God commands:

"Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

We are his representatives. People will judge us, esp. when they find out we are Christian, so we should always strive to shine with his love.. this is in itself a tool of evangelism.

It's been a long road, and undoubtedly, i've a longer one ahead of me... So praise God that He has strenghtened and disciplined me.. and continues to do so everyday, so that my future is secure in him. i've been totally backtracking since my circumstanes have improved. And I can feel God calling me to a deeper intimacy with him... why does it take hardships for us to draw near to him? It is when we are weak that God can be strong in our lives. Praise God!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:53:31 GMT

Most of us are at that age where we're making (and have made) big decisions.. some small and some life changing, but they're always important, after all- it's concerning OUR lives right? We go ahead and make decisions, we plan and execute according to our reasonings (and selfish desires... as these verses have revealed). And then God redirects us.. he says "No, it's not about you. It's about what i've called you to do. I have plans and great things in store. Just follow me.. my will is perfect."

Some of us may brush it off, some ignore this voice altogether and some of us struggle in confusion and despair. But really, it's no about US!

Boasting About Tomorrow
"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or
that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why,
you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You
are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead,
you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this
or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it,
sins."
James 4:13-17

This is why God commands us to be happy ALL the time! Because the place where i'm at right now, no matter how I feel or what the world may have to say about it, is the BEST place for me according to His will! If his will includes a season of patience endurance in suffering and trials, then praise God that's exactly where i'm at! If that is so- i'm sure there is a reason. God wouldn't put us through trials just for the heck of it! God loves us! He cannot give us anything short of the absolute best, it's not in His nature to.

Praise God!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:27:03 GMT

relationships are so difficult. why, why, WHY?! so many conditions and expectations. which are reasonable.. a relationship/marriage cannot survive on love alone, but there are things that should not be compromised. some things should never be.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:50:17 GMT

Priceless. He surrounds me with such good people. God is sooo good to me.

Do you know what Kenosis is?

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:47:59 GMT

August 27

	But made himself of no reputation ...
	Philippians 2:7

This phrase in Greek is ‘kenosis’, or, literally, ‘he emptied himself’. Jesus emptied Himself. Of what? Of His divinity? No. When Jesus came as a Man, He was still God. Then of what did He empty Himself? He emptied Himself of His Divine powers. The implications of the doctrine of kenosis are huge because it means that everything Jesus did — the miracles He ministered, the prayers He prayed, the teachings He gave — were not done in His own power. Jesus healed and prayed and taught through the power of the Holy Spirit as He followed the Father’s directives. Because I didn’t know this for probably 20+ years, when I read that Jesus walked on water, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus’; when I read that He overcame temptation, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus’; when I read that He spent the night in prayer, I thought, ‘Big deal. He’s Jesus.’ Thus, the miracles and stories of the Gospels were irrelevant to me as far as they related to being an example or model for me. I didn’t understand kenosis. I didn’t grasp Philippians 2. I didn’t comprehend that when Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of His Divine abilities — which means everything Jesus did, He did as a man just like me. Before He did anything, Jesus had to be obedient to the Father, to pray, to put Himself on the line, to be empowered by the Spirit — or nothing would happen. That’s why He said, ‘Of my own self, I can do nothing,’ (John 5:30) — and neither can you. When a man who is serious about loving and serving God understands the kenosis of Philippians 2, he’ll never look at Jesus the same way. He’ll see that Jesus’ life is truly a model for anyone willing to be directed by the Father and empowered by the Spirit.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 06:26:51 GMT

where is the passion and conviction that strenghtened me so. the driving force of my thoughts, meditation and actions. the living joy of peace and courage. is this the dry season i must humbly accept. for i know these are the moments of truth. when i cannot feel your presence. and so you are more pleased with worship and faithfulness. for who cannot worship when it is due. who cannot worship even in times of troubles. it is the one who worships regardless of passion and convition. the one who worships simply out of love, devotion and complete reverence to you. when you are still.

God is simple yet so complex. an oxymoron. but only because we in our limit cannot comprehend the simplest things of His nature. i guess its ok. because we have the surity that he is Love. and that's all that matters in the end really. if His nature is love.. then it is out of His character to give us anything less than the best. shouldn't this be good enough for us? that although we are so uncertain of the things to come and where we are headed- we have that amazing peace. that security in knowing that He will never settle in his plans for us. They will always be nothing short of the absolute best!

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:00:04 GMT

God is so good to me.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:21:07 GMT

it just hit me altogether in a wave last night.. i was feeling a tremendous amount of burn out from serving. Like its all been piling up. Woke up this morning regretting and sort of dreading signing up as a volunteer for another event. Went to the meeting... and left feeling refreshed, encouraged and totally at peace. God is good.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:56:58 GMT

God is truly amazing. He really provides. even when you don't expect of believe.

The other day I was jogging with my cousin (Meesh) late morning at the beach and i guess i pushed myself a little too much. I had the worst stomach ache... i though i was gona pass out. Literally- i couldnt even stand, let alone sit. I was such a mess, rolling back and forth on the bench in broad daylight agonizing in pain... asking God to heal me. My cousin asked me if I wanted water, which i refused- already short on breath and feeling nautious, water was the last thing on my mind. But then these joggers stretching nearby offered their water bottle.. and my cousin made me drink it all.

and guess what?. that's exactly what I needed!. In a minute, i was good as new, laughing with embarrassment.

Who would've thought I was dehydrated?! Of all things! Who gets stomach aches when they're dehydrated?! Forreal, Only God knows.

All we need to do is live everyday in His word and he will take care of us. He provides. Amen.

And recently, my cousin- David's CPU (Audi) was damaged. Unfortunately this happened right after his warrenty expired, which sucks- because the part alone cost $1,000+. I know. sheesh. Well, my aunt has been praying that God would take care of the problem.. and sure enough, God hooked him up with a guy at Audi who got the part covered under warrenty under a C.A auto Law.

Unbelievable?. iiKnoooww!~ who da heck pulls that?! A California auto transmition.. etc. whatever it's called?!

Again, Only God knows

" Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26

Praise God.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Tue, 29 May 2007 16:15:19 GMT

"If you had known what these words mean, ' I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." -Matthew 12: 7-8

Too many times I find myself running around trying to serve and give to God in service. Because its my love language. But regardless, Jesus has been convicting me more and more that love is not about expressing your feelings for someone, but about doing what that person needs to feel loved, putting that other person's (emotional, mental, physical...) needs before your own. Love is about sacrificing yourself not for the sake of doing it but for the sake of the heart. for the sake of mercy. for the sake of love. When you find yourself doing something you don't particulary like or not doing something you like.. when you're putting others before yourself.. then you are loving that person. "Love is not an emotion, its a commitment". A commitment to be patient, considerate, self- sacrificing, faithful, loyal, compassionate, full of mercy and caring.

Lets not be careless the next time we use the words, "I love you". Remember that when you do say those very words, you are commiting to actively love that person. Yes, even when you don't "feel like it"

I personally find it particulary hard to hold my tongue.. to love when I am being ridiculed, taken advantage of, looked down upon and belittled.. for the very sake of that person's well-being. How about you?