2012 (re)commitments

In 2012, I don’t want to make my usual over-the-top commitments, which consists of changing the world of some sorts. But, this year, it’s a bit more personal and specific.

One over-arching commitment is to be BLAMELESS.

God has specifically spoken to me and given me His specific Words to make this my commitment for 2012. I want to be blameless before My Father God and before others. I know this is an impossible task to completely accomplish but I want to not just get a “little” better but I want to SERIOUSLY make it an everyday goal and make it a DIRE priority in my life. IT IS TIME. It is time to work on this A LOT! No more excuses and feeling sorry for myself in 2012. BE BLAMELESS. No matter if I am misunderstood or gossiped about, I will strive to be blameless. I will use people’s judgments and misunderstandings as a means to sharpen and refine who i am- a representative of Jesus and His Follower.

Second one is very specific.

My hardest time of the day is from after lunch to 3pm. So around 130pm to 3pm. It is the most unproductive and I waste a lot of time. So I want to commit to make that my WORSHIP TIME, esp on the guitar or the piano/keyboard if i can find one for really cheap somewhere. There was one day in Ethiopia where I was able to sing and praise loudly and with all of my heart for an hour by myself and it was just… amazing. I felt God’s presence and His Spirit and LIFE became so clear and simple. I WANT THAT DAILY. I want to be someone that not only prays at morning prayer but also during the day. My dad kept telling me this break that the most scariest person in the church is the one that prays. I want to be scary for the Kingdom. I want to raise the Standard for myself. I think it is really going to be hard but I want to fall and fail while trying this…

And lastly, I still want to impact the World… haha. I want to be used so that ALL may know Jesus… ahhhhhhh.

 

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

Attractions in 2011

These are the posts that got the most views in 2011. You can see all of the year’s most-viewed posts in your Site Stats.

• 1 E2X: Trip Lee 1 comment January 2011
• 2 Are you physically attractive? 1 comment November 2009
• 3 The purpose of finding Purpose 0 comments December 2009
• 4 convictions or confusions 2 comments November 2009
• 5 Don’t take “love” too seriously 3 comments September 2011

 

Where did they come from?

Most visitors came from The United States. South Korea & Egypt were not far behind.

 

 

my favorite christmas songs… TOP TEN!

Silent Night by Taylor Swift

Lady Antebellum – On This Winters Night

Baby It’s Cold Outside AJ Rafael ft. Emily Elbert

Brian Mcknight - Christmas Time Is Here

Colbie Caillat – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Jason Mraz – All i want for christmas is us

Coldplay- Christmas Medley

Michael Bublé~Cold December Night

Michael Bublé - White Christmas

Michael Bublé~All I want for Christmas is you

 

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okay… it’s kind of cheating to put so many michael buble songs but i have to say, he is the best for this kind of stuff.

And these are not in any particular order but are the few that are on playlist this month.

but above all, i hope it’s a time to remember Jesus and to remember that LOVE is everything- love for GOD and love for others.

soulmates- crazy stupid love

i actually liked the movie. but it got me thinking about soulmates, do they really exist? is it biblical? or is it even a worthwhile pursuit?

for most of my youth and into my twenties, i really did believe that there was that One person, your soulmate. someone you meet and you just know that they are the one. they understand you. they get your humor. they share the same interest in music movies and life. and above all, you know exactly what they are thinking with one look or glance.

now, biblically, the idea of soulmates is there in the sense that God knows exactly who you will end up with, and that will be the perfect person for you- your soulmate. however, there are also the verses that show that we all have a choice… and the idea behind that is when we make that choice, that person IS your soulmate, who you were always meant to be with… even if initially, you didn’t consider that person to be “the soulmate” for you.

being in the middle of the genesis of certain relationships, gives me a lot of revelation. i’ve seen it all, really younger gentlemen ending up with older ladies. really younger ladies ending up with older gentlemen. and i’ve witness one person having no interest in the other but by some turn of events, they ended up together. also, i’ve seen two people who really liked each other but they never end up together. through all of this, my conclusion is, you just never know!

in the past year, i’ve personally been keeping three couples accountable where initially the girl absolutely had no interest in the guy. and so i had to talk to these ladies to make sure they are saying “no” for the right biblical reasons. and they said they did. but then after a few months later, they are now together! what happened?! i still have no idea. they just said they didn’t know at the time but they really did like the guy… what?!? lol :] well, at least it all worked out well!

and so the question is, do soulmates really exist?

after some personal experiences and counseling some couples, my personal conclusion is that they do.

and the only reason i say this is because i believe GOD really brings two people together- your soulmate. now, how GOD does it, will differ and sometimes it will be the guy pursuing the girl or the girl pursuing the guy or a blind date set up by two mutual but very wise people or it could be your friend who you never saw that way, or it could be… who knows… no one will really know until it happens.

but until it happens, i think the main thing is waiting and pursuing in a way that is honoring to GOD, yourself and the other person…

it may take one time or it can take 20 times, but it doesn’t matter how many times you try, as long as you keep on trusting and believing that GOD brings two soulmates together. it is GOD who does it.

but for all the singles out there, THIS is a great time in our lives. the grass always seem greener on the other side. but you know what, i can list many many many people who are in a relationship or married who envy singles cuz they as well think that we got it good. and how many more books are written to fix marriages or counsel married couples or fix relationships… it ain’t that great on that side either.

however, the point is, in whatever phase of life GOD has given to us, we need to be thankful and do our best to love GOD and others.

p.s. whenever i write stuff as a single, i always wonder how many more times i would be able to write from this point of view… and i start cherishing all the great opportunities as a single. LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT!!

gma and uncle’s words of wisdom

as always whenever i visit my grandmother and uncle, they unleash on me pearls of wisdom… so it’s always SO good! And it’s interesting how the things they share with me are always the same things i hear here, but it just sounds more motivating when i hear it from them

1. Train as if you will leave very soon

He was saying even though i am young and i am an assistant pastor, i am a pastor called by God. Basically, i could have all these insecurities and fears but i must be who GOD has called me to be. Meaning, i must become what my position entails and become in some ways what others envision this role to be. I must be so blameless that when i do leave, others would have confidence that i could do well even on my own.

Also, that with this mentality of training as if you will leave soon, i will approach every day and every opportunity with a learning mentality. I won’t just be someone who just does my part but everything is a learning opportunity. Even if i fail or succeed, it don’t matter because i will learn from it. This mentality separates those who just do things versus those that can replicate it elsewhere. I wanna be a replicator not a biter.

2. Find someone who will support you for who you are

Here is where my gma comes on in. From her incident this summer, she is even more fragile than before. She is slowly losing her memory as well. But she was still able to remember that i am still single lol. And in this convo, her and my uncle were saying how i need to find someone who will really support me and believe in what i stand for. Don’t settle for other attributes that are not worth much. But it is very important that this person really wants to do ministry, make that a very important non-negotiable. Make sure they are called very clearly and with conviction apart from me. ok gma, got it!

3. Dream Big!

He mentioned the life of Moses and how he received proper training in the house of Pharaoh and then when it was God perfect timing, He called him out to do His calling. But the big thing was that Moses had to get ready, he had to get trained. God always has an appointed time for his people to do his will but we must be ready… if we are not, then it may take longer. Which got me to thinking, i must not really be getting ready cuz things seem to be delayed! anyway, my uncle was just saying how i need to dream BIG for the Kingdom… so he gave me some things that i was already thinking about silently praying to the Lord about! (i love it when God does this to affirm what he wants me to do!!) So that was a great convo cuz it confirmed some of my future plans. Not only that, a few days after, i heard something else that also showed me that i was going in the right direction… snap!!

 

anyway, i always have to write my convos with the gma and uncle cuz God uses it for the most perfect timing ever!!

It’s nice to know that you are on the right path and GOD reminds you of that once in a while!

 

thanks g!

Spiritual Power

there’s nothing like invested prayer to spark spiritual power.

I’ve seen it time and time again and experienced it many times…

but the question is, why don’t i keep on praying and investing prayer into EVERYTHING I DO!

for this one in particular, i tried praying before and after every point… so we’ll see how that turns out It’s something i haven’t tried but i read that some people do that. Bathing your work in prayer can help cleanse others…

that is what i’m learning about prayer, you don’t have to be “good” at it, but you just have to “do it,” that’s all.

you just have to pray to the right Person and keep on doing it…

i wanna feel His Spirit all over!!

I’m interested…

almost everyone that wants to meet up, they always want to talk about these 3 key things: 1. heart motives 2. calling 3. relationships. But these days, the 3rd thing has been the most popular. And maybe it’s because of this fantastic weather we are having. But it’s funny because if the weather is nice, people want a relationship so they can go out and do fun things “together.” However, when the weather is gloomy and rainy, people stay in and sit by their window and still want a relationship, but it is the emo kind and the kdrama kind where the ending is a tragedy and how true love doesn’t work out (oh i wanna call out some people’s names right now but i shall restrain myself!).

But as i sit there genuinely listening and trying my best to counsel them biblically and experientially, to me, things are way too simple than what my fellow brothers and sisters make it out to be.

Should I go for her? Should I say yes to him? Should I wait or move on? There is no way I’ll be with him. Our callings don’t perfectly match. I’m not attracted to him or her.

Call it what you want, but two human beings only like each other because at some point, the other person gave you what your heart desired.

You can over-complicate it or over-romanticize it or over-spiritualize it or under-mind it but that is why we are “interested” in someone. And so as I give advice, the biggest one i give is to be HONEST with the other person! Don’t sugar coat it or be a jerk but be clear. Don’t use spiritual excuses or insecurities to basically say “I’m not interested.”

But with this honesty also comes the need to acknowledge that some of your reasons may be shallow and not biblical. But that is you. That is who you are and what you want.

You say you want a good Christian girl who loves to laugh. But you really mean you want a cute girl who happens to be a good Christian girl. Then admit that. Don’t cover that up with lame excuses that she doesn’t go out to enough prayer meetings, etc.

Or you say you want someone who wants to serve God so you can serve God together in the future. But you pursue a girl who is somewhat committed to God and doesn’t even reach out to their sg members and shows average signs of serving others. But you know what, she is cute. Well then, admit that you really just want a cute girl, don’t pull the disclaimer that you want a girl that wants to serve God.

Likewise, for the sisters, you say you want a guy that will help you love Jesus more and help you become more like Christ. But you let your heart open to them bad boys that you somehow want to save and change. Again, just admit that you want a guy you can change and save, not a guy you want to push you to love Jesus.

Or you say you want to go on missions or ministry or something related to that but you like guys who are not pursuing those things. But instead, you are interested in guys who are nice. Then you need to admit that you just want a nice guy who will be nice to you. Don’t cover it up with spiritual sounding non-negotiables.

In my 15 years here, i’ve heard it all, and occasionally, I hear more creative excuses. I’ve given some as well, which i am slowly trying to admit and be honest with.

Anyway, the point is, everyone needs to understand why they are interested in someone. It’s not as spiritual as people make it sound. You really don’t want a guy to help you grow spiritually. You really don’t want a girl that will be your spiritual companion for life. You want whatever your heart desires. You want to be fed.

But because GOD wants more from relationships, HE may cause your dream relationship to fail you so that you will know that the only Relationship that matters is the one with Him.

creativity inspires me

i get inspired in many different ways.

it could be from a quiet time, prayer time, sermon, or just walking through nature, in the shower (:O), and especially when i encounter other people being creative. This is the reason why I try to surround myself with creative people who are skilled in their art to the point where they can think outside the box… or better yet, presenting the Gospel that this world can understand and hopefully accept!

You take an iconic song like “Someone Like You” and speed it up a little and add some attitude, and the feel becomes totally different- the message changes. What was once a song that expressed regret, now turns into a song that expresses strength and power to move on… or something like that. I suck at expressing in writing what i have in my mind!!! aish…

anyway, true creativity inspires me. it fuels me. it makes me dream and be inspired. it makes me want to create art.

i wish i can do this as a ministry forever…

Strength and Victory

Obedience to God’s ways will give strength and victory.

So, when I feel weak and defeated, it is prolly because I am not obeying God in some way.
I guess that is why when we are PURE, there is POWER.

Strength and Victory is a matter of obedience.

Rejection/failures/hardships

rejection, failures, brokenness, hardships are all supposed to help you Remember the Gospel.

And once you do, you will turn back and do what you were supposed to do in the first place.

So “these” are simply signs to get you back on track. Sometimes, you are literally on the wrong path. Other times, your heart is on the wrong desire. Whichever way, Remembering the Gospel is like the compass of our soul… it always gets us back to where we need to be.

Remember the Gospel.