The fires were devastating and they continue to be a problem to those who have lost thier homes. So we continue to serve and help those who need it.
What it reminds me of is our spirtual lives during firey trials and persuctions.
Just as the fires swept california there are fires in our lives that seem to never stop burning. They die down for a while, but then burn up again spreading like wild fire. As they continue, they destroy things in our lives that have to be rebuilt back up and sometimes destroy things that are lost forever.
But just as the San Diego fires brought the whole city together and brought out so much love for one another, so does the trials in our lives. God uses them to take things away that we don't need in our lives and to make us stronger. He uses the trials to make us pull together as a family to love, to serve, and to engourage.
Just as some people in the fires didn't want to leave their homes even when the fire was close, there are things we have a hard time letting go of. But if we can just leave them to God and evacuate to His place of refuge, which is prayer, He will make the outcome the most beautiful thing ever seen. It will be something bigger and eternal.
God bless all of you.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Walking ahead...
There was one time when Iirai and I were walking back from UTC and she was having some crampy pains. I don't know if it was the cold weather or what, but she started walking way ahead of me. I really didn't want to catch up, because I was kind of enjoying my nice and slow walk. As I looked around at the trees and the skies, I noticed she was about 100 ft. ahead of me, but I continued on my beautiful stroll. Then she turned around and started walking back toward me. When she got close enough she asked me "Why are you walking so slow?", then she turned around and continued to walk ahead.
Before I could say something smart, God stopped me and used this situation as a lesson. He told me that I sometimes turn around, walk back, and ask him the same question. "Why are you walking so slow?". You see, there are times when I walk ahead of God and I take my own path to what I think He wants me to do. But there are always those times when God wishes we would walk His way and His pace. Sometimes He just wants us to stroll with Him and talk to Him without any rushing.
From that day on, I try my best to hear Him and to walk His pace and His way. Because then we can always be blessed in all things. And when I do walk ahead, I'm learning to turn around go back and say "I'm sorry, but I'm here to walk with you..."
Before I could say something smart, God stopped me and used this situation as a lesson. He told me that I sometimes turn around, walk back, and ask him the same question. "Why are you walking so slow?". You see, there are times when I walk ahead of God and I take my own path to what I think He wants me to do. But there are always those times when God wishes we would walk His way and His pace. Sometimes He just wants us to stroll with Him and talk to Him without any rushing.
From that day on, I try my best to hear Him and to walk His pace and His way. Because then we can always be blessed in all things. And when I do walk ahead, I'm learning to turn around go back and say "I'm sorry, but I'm here to walk with you..."
Still Waters..
One morning when I was on the way to have breakfast wid Jesus, I was thinking if I should even do it, because there was allot of stuff to be done at work. My mind starting thinking that maybe if I show up early, I can get this and that done so work wouldn't be too much this day. I might even get some overtime pay that I could use. I also starting thinking of the business plans and how that was going to work out and how it would grow in the future.
I then placed all these thought aside, drove to get my breakfast and made it to mission bay. Of course, during this time, the sun still wasn't up so all I could see was the lights reflecting off of the water. As I sat on my bench looking at the waters, God spoke to me.
As the wind blew over the waters the reflection of lights and the houses off the water became blurred. Then as the wind stopped blowing and the waters were still and calm, the reflection became clear. I could even see the clear reflection of a cross that was placed on one of the houses.
We all know we are supposed to be moral mirrors of God, but when the wind comes and we start worrying about other things, that reflection becomes blurry. Other people see us and see that blurred vision of God therefore, never even think twice about knowing Him. When I worried about other things, I lost my focus on Christ, and the reflection of God to others became blurry as well.
So let us be still and know that He is God. And in being still, others may see Him cleary too.
I then placed all these thought aside, drove to get my breakfast and made it to mission bay. Of course, during this time, the sun still wasn't up so all I could see was the lights reflecting off of the water. As I sat on my bench looking at the waters, God spoke to me.
As the wind blew over the waters the reflection of lights and the houses off the water became blurred. Then as the wind stopped blowing and the waters were still and calm, the reflection became clear. I could even see the clear reflection of a cross that was placed on one of the houses.
We all know we are supposed to be moral mirrors of God, but when the wind comes and we start worrying about other things, that reflection becomes blurry. Other people see us and see that blurred vision of God therefore, never even think twice about knowing Him. When I worried about other things, I lost my focus on Christ, and the reflection of God to others became blurry as well.
So let us be still and know that He is God. And in being still, others may see Him cleary too.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Programming
Whenever I program web code, there are always times that when I run it, it gives me a big output error. The code cannot run properly because of missing or incorrect syntax that was put into the code. The good thing about the programming language I use, it that it always tells me what line in the code it believes the missing or incorrect syntax to be so I can fix it. As soon as I find out what was missing, I add or correct the syntax, run it, and the output is beautiful.
One day on the way home, I thought of all the times when I received a strange response from others. Some of the looks were disapproving and others were confused looks. What's really interesting is they don't have to say any words to tell you how they feel.
But God reminded me that the responses of others come from the information that they currently have. Most of the time they don't have all the information you do, therefore their reponse comes out as an error. Other times they have false information which can cause really bad output errors. And even other times, we are the ones that don't realize we don't have all the informaton therefore our response becomes wrong.
If we take the time to find out what information is missing and to see what information is already there, we may be able to understand why the response is so. After all the information is taken or given, then the proper response can be seen. But as God's children, our response should always be love. So after we get all the correct information, we lift it up to God and have Him deal with the output. He is, after all, our Designer.
One day on the way home, I thought of all the times when I received a strange response from others. Some of the looks were disapproving and others were confused looks. What's really interesting is they don't have to say any words to tell you how they feel.
But God reminded me that the responses of others come from the information that they currently have. Most of the time they don't have all the information you do, therefore their reponse comes out as an error. Other times they have false information which can cause really bad output errors. And even other times, we are the ones that don't realize we don't have all the informaton therefore our response becomes wrong.
If we take the time to find out what information is missing and to see what information is already there, we may be able to understand why the response is so. After all the information is taken or given, then the proper response can be seen. But as God's children, our response should always be love. So after we get all the correct information, we lift it up to God and have Him deal with the output. He is, after all, our Designer.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Traffic Jams
There was another day of traffic in the morning and I knew I wasn't going to make it to work on time. Iirai always tells me that if I left at 5:44am, I would be ok. Of course, that always worked when I tried it out. The problem is I get up and leave later. I end up missing my breakfast with Jesus and my day gets rough. God always reminds me that the "breakfast with Jesus" isn't something I do IF I wake up early, it's something I'm supposed to WANT to do SO I can get up early.
Anyway, during my late travel time to work I hit every red traffic light. At one of the intersections, an old lady started crossing the street and I felt frustrated that she was taking her sweet time. Why did she have to press that pedestrian button which caused my light to turn red in the first place? Doesn't she know I was already late??
That's when God spoke to me...
There are times in our walk when we are disobedient and we fall into sin. And through the consequences, we tend to blame other people or things, or just show people around us that we are mad at the world. God told me to be patient at that light and as soon as I let go of that frustration and gave it to God, He took me all the way to work smoothly. At the parking lot, I devoted some of the time back to Him by reading the Word. I knew I was late, but I knew why and it was because of me not anything else. God then blessed the day anyway.
It's amazing how God is there every minute of everyday and as soon as we accept the consequence or the hardship we're going through and give it to Him, He always takes you through. He always forgives you and renews the day. And He always teaches us something in the process.
Anyway, during my late travel time to work I hit every red traffic light. At one of the intersections, an old lady started crossing the street and I felt frustrated that she was taking her sweet time. Why did she have to press that pedestrian button which caused my light to turn red in the first place? Doesn't she know I was already late??
That's when God spoke to me...
There are times in our walk when we are disobedient and we fall into sin. And through the consequences, we tend to blame other people or things, or just show people around us that we are mad at the world. God told me to be patient at that light and as soon as I let go of that frustration and gave it to God, He took me all the way to work smoothly. At the parking lot, I devoted some of the time back to Him by reading the Word. I knew I was late, but I knew why and it was because of me not anything else. God then blessed the day anyway.
It's amazing how God is there every minute of everyday and as soon as we accept the consequence or the hardship we're going through and give it to Him, He always takes you through. He always forgives you and renews the day. And He always teaches us something in the process.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
That First Lego Block.
I remember when I was smaller, I always chose the big bulky lego blocks to begin my house building. The one's you know can hold up the rest of them. I always have this great image of how it's going to look at the end. How strong and tall it's going to be.
After finishing my house made of legos, I step back to look at the work to see how close it has come to the vision. Most of the time, it doesn't seem right at first. But to fix it, I just have to find that lego block that began to ruin my vision. Once I fix that, I can start from there and continue building again.
That's why I chose this blog name. It not only symbolizes the solid foundation (the first tough blocks) we have in Christ, but it also symbolizes the beginning of a blog that shows struggles (that lego block that has to change). It also shows victories built on His words and the things that He shows us.
As the blocks are laid down, I want to be able to look back at them and see how His masterpiece came to be... from laying down the foundation, through the changing of bad blocks, and to His final vision.
And as Iirai (my lovely fiance) and I blog away, I'm hoping that I can write more parables and anologies down because as of now, she seems to have more than me. :)
God bless all of you and may you continue to grow in wisdom and faith.
After finishing my house made of legos, I step back to look at the work to see how close it has come to the vision. Most of the time, it doesn't seem right at first. But to fix it, I just have to find that lego block that began to ruin my vision. Once I fix that, I can start from there and continue building again.
That's why I chose this blog name. It not only symbolizes the solid foundation (the first tough blocks) we have in Christ, but it also symbolizes the beginning of a blog that shows struggles (that lego block that has to change). It also shows victories built on His words and the things that He shows us.
As the blocks are laid down, I want to be able to look back at them and see how His masterpiece came to be... from laying down the foundation, through the changing of bad blocks, and to His final vision.
And as Iirai (my lovely fiance) and I blog away, I'm hoping that I can write more parables and anologies down because as of now, she seems to have more than me. :)
God bless all of you and may you continue to grow in wisdom and faith.
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