Credo07's Xanga

exit exam

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:57:22 GMT

My seminary requires us to take an exit exam prior to graduation. Since I'm graduating on December 8th, I went in just about an hour ago to fill in my last scantron of seminary life. I hope! 100 questions in 30 minutes, and mass confusion in between. To say the least, it was hard. I hope they still give me my degree. Perhaps I should have taken the 20 minutes I had to look over my answers, but I'm glad I didn't! Maybe at graduation, they'll give me a sheet of paper that says: "Sorry, try again!" It's not the first time I've gotten that anyways..

This is actually the second time that I've taken that test. They had us take the same exam when we walked in for orientation at the beginning of seminary. I can't believe how much I've learned, but it's appalling to realize how little I really know of the Bible and of God. But it's been a fun journey from 2006 to now. I'll be walking in the formal commencement in May, but I'll also be officially graduating in a couple of weeks. Thank God that we can still learn. We're not hopeless! Lord, teach us!

Peace.

part time jobs

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:32:06 GMT

Another funny story to share. I was doing a couple of observations in ESL classes for my ESOL Practicum this semester. And after my first class was over, the student next to me asked if I was doing anything else other than teaching English. I said that I worked at a church, but she kept asking me if I had another job. And of course, I don't, so I made this clear to her. And to my surprise, she wanted to know if I wanted to get a job bartending. Haha. She works at a bar and was wondering if I was interested in a part time gig.. goodness. Wouldn't that be interesting! Do I look like I would fit in at a bar??

I also stopped by a roach coach earlier in the evening and got a burrito. It was good, reasonably priced. But I did get slightly sick, but I won't hold a grudge. They were nice.

Anyhow, school is over in two weeks. And I gave my last sermon of my seminary career yesterday morning and had a great time. My final in Galatians lurks around the corner. And I still have a stack of papers to turn in within the week and next. Lord, have mercy!

Maranatha.

Sunday

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:30:12 GMT

Thanksgiving is really wonderful. And when I think about all that God has done for me, I'm always a bit dumbfounded. I'm also so thankful for the people that God has put in my life. True friends are like living treasures.

I have to share a funny moment from the reception last night. I was sitting at Table 1 when it came time for the bouquet to be thrown, so the call was made for all the single ladies to come to the dance floor, albeit a very small dance floor. For the last four weddings I've been to, I've opted to forego this activity. But this was the first time that the groom's brother in law made rounds forcing the singles to get up. So when he asked our table, two of my friends went up willingly, but I stayed put, of course. He kept asking, and then finally asked to see my hands. But, ha! I always have a ring on my ring finger, so I lifted both my hands proudly in the air, slightly wiggling my ring finger with a sly smile. And he threw up his hands in defeat and said: "Fair enough!" and walked away! Victory. It was a thrilling moment and my table had a nice laugh. Now I did have some moral support from my pastor, who told me not to get up since I was headed to the mission field. No argument there.

All the more reason to wear rings on the all-important digit.

Peace.

wedding.. singer

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:00:57 GMT

I sang with my friends tonight at another friend's wedding tonight. I never thought that I would do a cover of Steve Green's, but nothing is off bounds I suppose..

Stepped into the Hilton downtown for the first time last night during the rehearsal and met the wedding party. Really sweet couple, very God-centered, and God-loving individuals. And I could sense the love of the Lord from their friends and family as well. It was a blessing to meet them and be a part of the start of their marriage. It was a stressful night, but it was nice to sit down at the end and enjoy a meal around the table with people that I care for.

Tomorrow is Sunday! Yay!

Maranatha.

long

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:50:39 GMT

A much too common phenomena: long days. I suppose long weeks are worse, but the fact that time is always the same consoles me a little. Ha.

I can't seem to find the time to actually write in my journal, which bothers me a bit. I feel like I'm already losing all the memories of the last several days. But the sheer amount of events that have gone on in this last week is enough to fill up the space in my planner.. granted, it's much smaller than usual. I'm not really sure what I should jot down here, except that I'm tired and would appreciate slightly warmer weather. I'm thankful to live on the west coast. I actually have a chance for survival here..

Cold weather makes life feel a bit lonelier for some reason.. not as many people around, and when you do see them, they're shuffling around with their brows furrowed against the cold and rain. Just makes you want to see your best friend and those close to you.

I also wish I was sleepier than what I feel at the moment, then at least I could fall asleep quickly since I really need the sleep. But at least I'm beginning to yawn!

Well, enough of the whine. Goodnight!

Peace.

bill

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:55:59 GMT

I am officially against the Obama administration. As if it wasn't that way already, the passing of the health bill marks it in red. A vote that looks like 220-215 screams opposition, especially when the majority needed to win was 218. It saddens me because Americans in the US are getting what they want and ask for - meaning that God will give this nation over. Hardness of heart is tragic! Clearly, I'm upset that it passed, but we have to live in God's hands. As much as I dislike Obama and the current state of the Democratic mind, this government's authority will never be greater than that which God allows it. This I have absolute security in. Thank God that He is King. Praise God that He is good.

Those who were against the bill have to see that good in the outcome. The Democrats knew that they would not get enough votes if they did not agree to allow an amendment to prohibit insurance subsidies for elective abortions, so what did they do? They said yes to an amendment, which Nancy Pelosi previously rejected, to secure as many votes as they needed. This was a front and center issue for conservative Democrats and Republicans, so the fact that it was allowed as an amendment to the bill is an enormous illustration of God's grace. I thank God that He made the way for the amendment. I didn't realize that the abortion amendment was going to be used as a last minute leverage of sorts, but praise God for His sovereignty. Only He can do such things. If a bill had been passed tonight that allowed for federal funds to be used towards elective abortions, it would have been something to mourn over. But again, God is good.

I am going to pray for our country. We need to pray more and be more active in what happens. If Christians never pray for their countries and despair at what happens, aren't we to point the finger at ourselves, too?

Maranatha!

thoughts

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:46:14 GMT

So, I had a rough week. Maybe you have, too. I slept at 10:37pm last night, which is rare in my world. But I was down with a migraine, which is only aggravated by my bad back. But I woke up and got my work done, and had a nice day. Weekly ESL classes come by so quickly, I barely have time to sit and make a lesson plan. It's been a great experience teaching and especially to meet these people who I otherwise would have never crossed paths with.

It's been a good focus setter as I'm wrapping up my studies in seminary. It's been reason for me to keep myself in school, so that once I'm on the field, I can be of help and support for those already there. I think about Thailand more and more these days. The last couple of years haven't allowed for much time on this, especially since the needs of the church were so immediate. But sure enough, tides change and so do our eventual directions. Three years ago, when I first started serving at Eden, I knew it was a three plus year commitment. And now that I'm almost into my fourth year, I know that the time I have left at Eden is probably less than what I've already invested. When I talk about Thailand with others and divulge my plans nowadays, they often think I'm leaving sooner than later. But this isn't the case. I still have loans to pay back and things to decide and choices to settle on. Some say that it takes an average of 10 years for missionaries to get on that plane.. from vision to nation. I can see why such a saying exists.

In the meantime, part of me has jumped into the deep end of current politics, particularly with health care. There is no doubt in my mind that this bill can be defeated, especially now that more and more people are beginning to see how distorted the proposed plan is and what it seeks to do. It will be a sad and tragic day when people stop speaking out against a government or anything or any person that seeks to legalize and somehow sanctify that which is not even good. It's downright secrecy and trickery. It is God's grace that a shift is occuring towards the Republicans and conservative Democrats.. and if you agree with the movement that is opposed to government run health care, which will mandate federal funds to be funneled into the system towards elective abortion and Planned Parenthood to be placed inside every public high school in the US, as well as include provision for the end of life controversy, sign the petition at www.aclj.org. ACLJ organizes all the petitions that they receive and presents them to the individual states, so this has a direct influence on your state legislators, not some random conglomerate.

Bottom line, those responsible for the creation of this bill have lied straight to our faces, about what it will fund, how much it will cost, etc. The projected 10 year cost, which has gone up and down over the weeks, is for a bill, that if passed, will be enacted in 4 years from now. This means the "10 year" cost in actuality will be a 6 year cost. And for politicians to be able to read the nearly 2,000 page bill that has come out and vote within two weeks is absurd. Nancy Pelosi has called for an early vote because she knows this fact, and not allowing for debates or any amendments to be voted on is simply ridiculous. Language is a weapon of deception for politicians, so be careful what you read and hear.

I hate to sound like a fanatic, but this is worth the battle. Things like this, which are so clearly going to hurt the people whom the government is supposed to protect, need to be stood up against. Some will certainly disagree, but the issues such as abortion and end of life are things that will quickly erode the moral identity of the US. Lord, have mercy.

Maranatha.

coffee break

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:41:11 GMT

Every once in a while, I'll head over to campus to study at the library. I've always disliked the library and still do. I actually only go when I need references that I can't otherwise check out and take home. But there I was today, sitting at the computer and working on my homework for my Galatians course, parsing my Greek verbs, and looking up information on BibleWorks for my word study. It wasn't all too bad, but it really isn't my idea of Fridays..

And then, I invited my friend Lillian, who was doing the same work for Galatians, for coffee at a local shop and we ended up sitting and chatting for a couple of hours about school and church. I don't know why, but I really felt God just tugging at me to ask if she wanted a coffee break. It was one of those times where you know you'll regret not putting out the suggestion. Thankfully, her husband wasn't waiting for her to come home, but was busy at work, etc. Turns out that it may just have been her first time going out for coffee with a seminary friend since she started two years ago. I don't blame her! Lillian is very humble and is probably overworked as a youth pastor of her church. But it's nice to hear from school friends about their ministries and how God is moving in their lives. Puts things in perspective for me. It's not often that you hear people in ministry being overworked at Korean churches..

Wait.. yeah it is.

Peace.

looking forward

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:52:02 GMT

There are numerous times during my week when I wish and wish that my studying days were over. And yet, I'm still here! Of course..

My linguistics class has got me going around in circles most days. I remember taking a linguistics course in college and absolutely hating it. I hated the room, the teacher wasn't particularly good at comforting confused students, and the assignments were horrendous. All I came out of the class with was the textbook. Frightening.

But look at me now.. as soon as my MDiv days are behind me in December, my schedule will be filled to the brim with linguistics! Phonetic transcription was challenging enough, but now these phonemes and drawing tree diagrams of phonemes.. goodness. I'd rather write essays in phonetics all day than draw tree diagrams of phonemes. As a matter of fact, I'd rather read Greek than any of this.

Good luck to myself on my midterm!

Well, have to go prepare for ESL class. Enjoy your evening.

Peace.

Dawkins v God = God wins

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:48:33 GMT

After watching Ben Stein's "Expelled" documentary on intelligent design and those against it, I started to become much more aware of Richard Dawkins and his views. He is quite pessimistic and at times extremely angry at those who hold to faith in God. Evolution is the answer for Dawkins and the idea of God is not only improbable for him, it's altogether unnecessary. Of course there will be those like him in all spheres of life, but for someone who is seemingly so intelligent and educated, he appears to be very unhappy. Obviously for Christians, this is only natural, for those who are not at peace with God in a living relationship can only feel and be dead in their hearts.

As I was watching an interview between Dawkins and Alister McGrath, who is a Christian professor at King's College London, I kept thinking to myself whether Dawkins has gone too far in his rejection of God to ever accept the truth of God's existence and His love for the world. I do believe that unbelief in God leads to greater hostility and rebellion against God, and certainly, hardened hearts are what Jesus condemns. The hardest of hearts will reject the witness of the Holy Spirit, which Scriptures tell us is the unforgiveable sin. This is not because God is somehow schizophrenic in His decision to forgive, not knowing which sins to forgive and not forgive, but because the rejection of Christ as the Son of God and Saviour can only lead to judgment and hell. You reject the Holy Spirit's testimony that Christ is who He claims to be, and you have rejected God altogether. And that is hell. But only God is God, and He is just and fair as He judges the hearts of man. I do pray for Dawkins, that he will one day see the truth of God - hopefully before he stands before God in judgment, because by then of course, it'll be too late.

He reminds me of friends that I knew in high school, a majority of which didn't believe in God. I pray for them, too.

Peace.