Stress Relief

It's amazing how even though I've heard it, known it, and even blogged about it, I still am fickle in my walk with the Lord and sometimes don't rely on Him. In the midst of everything I have to do on a daily basis, I forget to turn to God and say " I take your yoke." Last week, as you know, I went on Fall Retreat. It was a culmination of an extremely busy first 4 weeks, and so I was hoping that last week would be calmer and I could get back into the swing of things. But alas, I was still busy, still sick, and starting to feel burnt out. I even planned a long quiet time on Saturday to just spend time with the Lord. It was a great time, but come Monday when life got busy again, I was starting to get stressed out and burned out on my commitments. I just wanted to get away from everything for a while.

It wasn't until Tuesday night when I had 45 minutes to myself when I sat down with the Lord and said "I can't do it anymore. I need you. I want to be close to you again." And seriously, it was like God said "Finally. Now get some rest." and immediately I started feeling refreshed. Touché God. You are always there, waiting for us to come to You.

I need to stop forgetting about God's love and desire for me.

I pulled out My Utmost for His Highest and read the day's devotional. It was called "The 'Go' of unconditional identification" and the verse was Mark 10:21.

Jesus . . . said to him, ’One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor . . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Me’

Chambers says "Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships." (September 28th)

I need to give up everything to the Lord. Nothing I do is of myself. It is all His. I must stop trying to do things on my own and let Him take over. As Carrie Underwood said it well, "Jesus, take the wheel." I desire oneness with Him. All of my "busyness" must be given up to Him. I still have my commitments, but when they are on the Lord's shoulders and not my own, I won't be stressed, and I won't get burned out. Why do I always forget this again? Oh right, because I haven't been made perfect yet. Jesus, can you come back soon?

The other thing is that I started rereading The Pursuit of God with some guys in AGO, and it was a great reminder of how I need to desire God. I mean, once you start desiring Him, the passion just increases. The prayer at the end of chapter one is fantastic (like always), and it's a prayer asking for a desire to desire God. It has been a good prayer for me this week. I don't need to pursue God and Cru, or God and AGO, or God and my friends. I just need God. That's the only thing that matters. I need to follow hard after him.

Fall Retreat

Last weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to go to CRU fall retreat. It was an absolutely great weekend full of worship, sermons, outdoors, and of course, signs. I had the privilege of planning the weekend with Casey Hogue, and had a great time doing that, although that meant the weekend was a little hectic for us. In spite of not getting a ton of relaxation, sleep, or quiet time, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. In fact, I learned a good deal this weekend.

Adam Penning, the Cru director from University of Wisconsin, joined us for the weekend as our speaker. His theme was "the Center," and he gave great talks on attributes of Jesus. First, he went through the story of Mephibosheth and how David showed him hessed, loyal love. This love is the same kind of love that God has for us. He will always love us, no matter what we do.

On Saturday, Adam discussed the grandeur of God and the intimacy of God. God is bigger than anything we could every imagine. Jesus even claims his deity in John 8:58.

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM."

On the other hand, as Adam discussed Saturday night, Jesus is more personal than anything else we could imagine. He is one who sympathizes with us and one who we can follow for a right path.

Overall, It was a great set of talks. It was really nice hearing different attributes of God and how we can fit into His love. I was talking to a friend earlier this week about how we could hear these talks every week just to be reminded of how great God is. I definitely need that. It's so easy to forget the weight of the gospel when I'm more worried about studying for a quiz or sitting through a Monday night dinner. The gospel is the only thing that matters, and I don't live like that.

This brings me to Sunday morning of fall retreat. Adam talked about living sold out for Christ, whether in the ministry or in the workplace. There is no point in storing up treasures here on earth. All of that is not going to matter. What is going to matter is what Jesus says to us when we approach his throne and he says "My good and faithful servant" or "You fool! What were you doing with the gifts I gave you?" I know I don't want to hear God call me a fool. I want use the gifts God has given me. This definitely convicted me.

For those of you who don't know, I can graduate in December if I want to. I'll be done with my major requirements but I want to stick around and experience my entire senior year. That's great and all, but there is also this thing called the World Race that has a trip leaving in January with an awesome set of countries. Now I'm torn as to whether or not I want to stay at USC for an extra semester or leave for the World Race in January. On one hand, the World Race would be a great challenge but God would do crazy things in my life. On the other hand, sweet things are happening at USC that I would love to be a part of, but if I stay am I using the gifts God has given me?

If you asked me a few weeks ago what I was doing next semester, I would say sticking around USC, but that I really wanted to go on the World Race. However, after experiencing how I can be of use to CRU and AGO this last month, I feel more called to stay at USC for an extra semester and pour into the community here. These last few weeks have totally tired me out, but I have been loving it. So unless God completely changes my mind in the next 3 weeks, I will be sticking around USC in the spring.

That being said, there are two things that I've been thinking about today. First, after this tiring weekend, I have been listening to "Desert Song" by Hillsong. The first two verse and the chorus are so choice:

Verse 1:

This is my prayer in the desert

And all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in the hunger in me

My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:

And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

Even when I feel dry or stressed out or in the middle of a trial, God is right there and is providing for me. He's not going to leave me, even if He feels a million miles away. And that gives me a reason to sing and bring praise.

Secondly, I read Psalm 62 today in my quiet time, and it is so applicable to my life all the time, but especially right now. It's a good reminder of what I need to put my trust in. The whole chapter is great, but I have been praying about verses 1,2, 11, and 12.

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone;

my salvation comes from him.

² He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that you, O God, are strong,

¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person

according to what he has done.

Christian Fast Food

I think as Christians we immediately like things more when we know they have Christian roots. For instance, Veggie Tales is way cooler to sing at 21 years old than Sesame Street. Bruce Almighty was better than Yes Man (or any Jim Carrey movie after Bruce Almighty for that matter). Matt Barkley is a much better quarterback than other USC quarterbacks, including Heisman trophy winners. The list can go on, but I want to bring up a specific category that has a special place in the hearts of Americans: fast food.

There are two Christian fast food chains that Christians hold in higher esteem than any other fast food chain on the planet. One was founded in Southern California in 1948 and is famous for its burgers. The other created the first chicken sandwich in 1964 in Atlanta. Of course you know what these two restaurants are. In-N-Out and Chick-Fil -A.

I had the pleasure of going to In-N-Out today after church with several of my friends today and ordered quite possibly the best order you can make: double double no onions, fries, and a strawberry shake. I'm pretty sure this meal confirms that In-N-Out is Christian because God wanted to bless us with such a delicious meal. If you couldn't tell, I love In-N-Out, as do many people. I think if there was a survey that asked people what they wanted most upon returning to Southern California after an extended leave (or a weekend roadtrip), 90% would say In-N-Out first, 6% would say family, and 4% would choose sleeping in their own bed.

Needless to say, In-N-Out is a cultural phenomenon. Chick-Fil-A, on the other hand, is a more Christian-acquired taste. That's not to say that non-Christians don't love Chick-Fil-A. Rather, more Christians crave it and will drive ridiculous distances to get a bite of a famous chicken sandwich. And the Christian community respects the fact that Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays. Of course it would be great if we could eat that after church on Sundays, but alas, they want their workers to take a sabbath as well.

While both companies are dearly loved by Christians everywhere, I think there has been an increased fandom towards Chick-Fil-A recently. It's good to give Chick-Fil-A more presence on the west coast, but we must not forget to be proud of In-N-Out. I'm going to get a little controversial here, so please don't judge me, but I think Chick-Fil-A has been over-hyped as of late. Yes, I said it. Chick-Fil-A is great, but not as great as everyone makes it out to be. In addition, it is pretty expensive for not a ton of food. When comparing meals from both restaurants, a meal at In-N-Out is cheaper, more filling, and more delectable than a meal from Chick-Fil-A. Call me "old school" or "traditional," but I'm sticking with my In-N-Out. Don't worry, I still support Chick-Fil-A and truly enjoy their meals, but if I had to choose between the two, In-N-Out would take the crown.

Ok, as much as I love being sarcastic, I digress with a more spiritual topic. As most, if not all of you, know, In-N-Out is most overtly Christian with it's packaging strategy. On nearly every piece of food wrapping and cup there is a bible verse. I go to In-N-Out all the time, even with non-Christians, and I never bring up the bible verses. They are making it so easy to share the gospel with people in their restaurants. I could be eating my sandwich and say "Hey look! There is a bible verse on my wrapper. Nahum 1:7. I love that verse." And then you share the gospel. Boom. That is so awesome and so easy. I need to make it an effort to memorize all the possible scriptures that I could encounter during my dining experience so that I can share them with people who are interested.

Since I like you all so much (and hope you want to memorize them as well), here is a list of all the verses and what wrapping they are on. Enjoy!

Burger and cheeseburger wrappers: Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Beverage cups and replicas: John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Milkshake cups: Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all of your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

Double-Double wrapper: Nahum 1:7

The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in Him.

Paper water cups (no longer in use) for customers. They are now used for thirsty employees: John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

License plate keychain: 1 Corinthians 13:13

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

This got me thinking. What other things in my life make it really easy to share the gospel that I haven't noticed or haven't made an effort to utilize them? Or how cool could it be to just go to In-N-Out to go sharing? The Lord is so legit in the fact that He blesses us with these easy tools to spread his love. We are called to do it. Basically In-N-Out a great way to get "full" on His Word.

Thoughts from Hawaii

As many of you know, I spent the last week in Hawaii (rough life, I know). It was a great time of relaxation, refreshment, and Trojan victory! I can't believe after being in school only a week, a week off was exactly what I needed. Anyways, while I was there I got to spend time with Grubbs, a great friend of mine who was in my fraternity 2 years ago. We had great times all around, from climbing a waterfall to cave diving in shark's cove.

Shark's Cove. Can I be back in Hawaii now?

On Sunday, though, he took us to his home church, New Hope Diamond Head. It was a great service. Fun, family-like worship, and a great message. In fact, the message really struck a chord with me and I wanted to share it with all of you.

The title of the message was "I don't need help! I know what I'm doing." It was the last in a series about identity theft. I'm just gonna quickly go through my notes:

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20

He made a few points that were really interesting. First, when it says "walks," that really means "does life with." Therefore, those who you do your life with will make you wise, if you surround yourself with wise people. On the other hand, if you are a companion of fools (notice it doesn't say walks with, just companion of) you will suffer harm. Fools bring you down.

His first fill in the blanks for our notes was: The people you do life with impact your future. Your friends determine a big part of the direction and quality of your life.

That changed my perspective on my friendships. I need to surround myself daily with wise friends and not become companions of fools. Now that's not to say you must completely disassociate yourself from non-Christians or anything; instead you must not get too attached and suffer harm because of it. Keep on loving them though, just wanted to clarify that.

His second point is: We need to start building structured relationships with people that want to be biblically wise.

And here is a good verse to go along with it:

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:12

Now I'm not saying that my friendships aren't biblically wise. Quite the contrary; my friends are extremely biblically wise and it is such a huge blessing to me. However, I know I want to structure those relationships a little more so God gets brought up more. I love getting into those deep convos about God, but they don't happen as much as I would like. And that is totally on me. I shouldn't be afraid to bring up God more, especially when I know my friends enjoy those convos just as much as me.

Secondly, when it says encourage in that verse, that doesn't just mean telling each other "great job! Keep up the good work." That is part of it, but it also includes comforting, pushing, calling out, building up, confronting, informing, etc. That word, like most in the bible, is a loaded word that we must pay attention to.

This plays into his final point: We need to avoid shallowness and go deep when building relationships with the wise.

I was talking to a friend last night about how much I love reading Christian books and writing out what I'm learning on blogs, and how it makes me wonder if I want to go to seminary. I'm realizing that I don't need the Internet to share my thoughts; I can just talk to my wise friends. Chances are, I have stuff to share and they will have stuff to share. It's a way better two-way street than blog comments. and It's actual interaction as opposed to typing.

God has blessed me so much with great community, and I'm just sitting here complaining that we don't go deep enough. Maybe God is trying to tell me something? Like maybe I should be more intentional in all my relationships. Definitely. Touche God.

Ecclesiastes

Whenever I thought of Ecclesiastes prior to this last week, I just assumed it was a depressing book of the Bible where Solomon just complained about how everything is meaningless. I thought he regretted everything he did in life and was telling us how nothing matter. Alas, when I read through it this week, my perspective changed about it.

While he still talks about everything being meaningless, I see it with a different mindset. Instead of just trying to depress us, he is trying to say everything apart from God is meaningless. You can have all the wisdom in the world, all the pleasures, all the "stuff," and still feel like you're missing something. There is nothing in this world that can fill that void in your heart. Except God.

I think I liked reading this a lot more this time because he just states that in the end of it all, we will all be in the same place. Whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, we will all die the same death and be put to the same judgement. Nothing of this world will go with us once we die. That really makes me think. Despite the world's claims about the need to get rich and "be happy," what really matters? Because in 50, 60, or if you're lucky, 80 years, you're going to die. And guess what? All that wealth you accumulated....worthless. Your job title...worthless. With that in mind, what should be doing instead? Perhaps be ministers for Christ in everything we do?

I'm not trying to say that every person who's a Christian needs to be a missionary in Africa for the rest of their lives. People can and should be in the working world in order to minister to those people (there are a lot of them in America) as well as support those who are called to professional ministry. Romans 12:6-8 says:

⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Each person is called to a different aspect of the ministry. Some are called to serve, some teach, some to contribute. If you know God is calling you in one direction, however crazy it sounds to you, do it! Now back to Ecclesiastes.

Solomon goes through 12 chapters of talking about how meaningless life is and how we all end up the same. Yet he concludes with the most important point of the entire book.

¹³ Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

It doesn't get much clearer than that. Fear God and keep his commandments. Got it. Now I just need to remind myself of that everyday. God is bigger and better than: myself, my stuff, what clothes I'm wearing, where I'm working, what I'm studying, USC football, etc. If reading Counterfeit Gods was any inclination, I have so many idols in my life it's disgusting.

Like I've said many times, life is so much better when you are in close community with God. Why I don't actively pursue that every day is beyond me. It's really dumb of me, that's for sure. Just like any other relationship, my relationship with God needs to be active. I want to hang out with God more. He is way better than anything I can experience from this world.

In other news, I've been in Hawaii for the last week and get back to the mainland tomorrow so (again, hopefully) expect more consistent blog posts. Writing these are a huge blessing to me, and hopefully they are for you too. Aloha!

How can anyone say there isn't a God? Waimea Bay