"If we lived like we sang the world would be a different place"

Sunday, November 30, 2008

THANKSGIVING BLOG!

Thank You - The Katinas

so although i may be 3 days past thanksgiving~ it's never to late to say thank yous... and to blog about it =)

my thanksgiving week was......... gratifying.

had the traditional thanksgiving dinner at my aunt's crib in Jersey~ (always gotta have that one relative with the big house and the big dinners, namsayin!)

what i cherished about that night was when it was over...
after all the turkey and mash potatoes one can digest... (and what's a korean thanksgiving dinner w/o kimchi)......................when the night was over, i had driven my sisters home.

...at which when i had come to drop off my youngest 1, we had a good talk... a spiritual sort.

how thankful, yet broken hearted i was afterwards.

the conversation started when she asked me, "John, why don't you date?"

and so how do I, in a non-righteous tone... explain the concept of purity and soulmates?

I may have come off as a Jesus freak or fanatic.... but hey, Jesus suffered much more than silly titles.

at the end, i let her know... that God doesn't love me more than her... but really wants to have a relationship with her as well.

for me.... family is the hardest mission field, yet the most rewarding.

i continue to fast and pray in Jesus name, to see them saved... and i have faith they will come to know the Lord one day, how do u know u ask? cause the bible tells me so ;)

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."-Acts 16:31

a promise i've held since 2006.... and it's given to every believer!

i understand we all may have our own hardships when it comes to family, some harder than others.... or others more than some.....
but i'm more than convinced but have experienced and have become made an example of the revolutionizing power of the blood of Christ.

where's there's a will there's a way =)

believe that ur life is pre-ordained and follow His will.... and ull come to realize, that "when God is for us, who then can be against us?"

remaining faithful, and remembering victory in the name of Jesus.

getting a bit preachy now, lol.
but hey, this year.... although i may not have the perfect family, i am thankful for them..... and i have faith that one day, they too will be thankful...in eternity. =)

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear" -Isaiah 59:1

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some thanksgiving week pictures with my other family.... DEM! HOLLA!

                           the sisters.... (Jessica and her fobby pose)

brotherly love..

brotherly torture? (i've taught u well young grasshopper) lol


i don't remember this, but thought it lookd funny enough to put up

watching WALLLL-EEEE


"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Col 3:15



Thursday, November 13, 2008

"Too Much Trouble"


Current Song:        Current mood:
"TOO MUCH TROUBLE"     relieved   
by yours truly,
T.G.S. 
(song in playlist below)


yessur, relieved that this week is OVA! nearly......

this week had been full of struggles lost and battles won.... but the ultimate victory in this war belongs to Jesus...  mmm, a reminder that'll keep u going... it continues to keep me =)

was listening to a sermon taken from Colossians by John Piper from Passion '06, on how as Christians we are CALLED and should EXPECT to suffer for His name and His glory, "how our suffering glorifies the greatness of the grace of God"

it really seems to be the theme of this year~ def for a reason, think about it.

as i was listening to the reality of the message, it brought me back to "Standfast '08: Living Hope" with my beloved DEM.

which themed around the question of, "how can we as Christians use our sufferings to glorify a sovereign God and display a message of hope?"...or rather, "how can we display hope in the midst of our hard(est) times?"

this week, i've been suffering with exams and papers (which i give praise to God in which i received an A on :)
also with the burden of greed, lust, and idolatry.

things i put before God.

you realize these burdens once u put on that eternal perspective that Pastor Stephen spoke about last Sunday. That once the resurrected Christ dwells in us, our minds are of the things above...not below.

I may be a spiritual leader to some, but that doesn't make me holier than thou........ just someone who's been around the block a couple of times, knowing and experiencing victory in the power of Jesus name and as a child of God, understanding what that means.... progressively or exponentially.

sharpened each time the discipline of God comes around.... more broken than the last.

i would be lying if i told you i don't get tempted but blessed to know the power that overcomes or overcame for that matter.

"15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." -1 Tim 1:15-17

broken my Lord's heart so many times, and yet He bestows his favor upon me....daily.

to give him my terrestrial body is the least i can do, it's the least WE can do.... for a God who gave His life for us .... and more.


my challenge to those who've read up to here:

admit the inadequacy of your own heart putting aside self-righteousness and recommit to holy living, glorifying the giver of life... remembering God during the good times and displaying His hope in the troubled times.

TGS

TGS will be playing its first gig at Saemoon church in Woodside, Queens~ this Sat.
y'all are welcome to come and show some love ;)
otherwise, i hope u keep us in prayer as well as the youth that night.

(one of our members is missing from this, lol... still got love for u Sang ;)

(ne1 else think this would make a great tshirt?lol) -_-;;


interested in supporting us and want to buy our EP? ~ hollatme! =)
what would Jesus do?

Monday, November 3, 2008

"Ever Since"

was talking to a classmate today about how short our lives were, whether he took me seriously or not, he laughed and asked what i meant?

i quoted scripture and told him life was a "vapor in the wind and withers away like the grass"~ he laughed and asked me if i was in theater....

this was my chance to nudge at the idea of eternity upon his ignorance ... "He has set eternity on the hearts of men"...

but being this was during my class, the professor interrupted us and urged us to remain focused on the assignment.

afterwards, i went tot he student lounge to get some grub and continue to study for an upcoming exam....next to me were these 2 people conversing about something, not exactly sure about what, but the guy basically said somting along the lines of:

"i am my own man, i don't trust anybody but myself...for my own safety"

when the conversation ended i was praying that God would give me courage to talk to him about Christ~ but the couple left abruptly (or did they?)

next time.... abrupt or not, i gotta give people like that this message that's bigger then the ego-centric views of the world but a self-sacrificing likeness, that can be defined as Christ Himself.

afterall, "when God is for me, who then can be against me?", c'mon now~

i guess the lesson here....is that we ALL have opportunities to spread this gospel message to friends or strangers wherever we are.
there is no such thing as next time, or i don't feel like it, or i'm too scared.... let's pray and acknowledge that we're not alone.

“ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
-Romans 10:15

"...speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly." - Phillipians 1:14

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." -Phillipians 1:21
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recorded this song b4 i wrote this blog.... still working on it, but just had to get my heart out on paper lol
it's late and my voice is weird so dont be hatin ;)

ghetto acoustic rendition of an original

tell me what you think~


Ever Since
.

Ever since I met you Christ,
You breathed new life into me
You spread my wings unto heavenly things
now I live for eternity

You reached for me when I didn’t believe
Entangled in sin oh the joy of salvation
You set me free

O how precious is the blood of the lamb, where on calvary Christ died for me
I’m Heavenbound soul is sound O how glorious is my Jesus

You took me in when my life was sinking You gave me hope
I’ll standfast in the anchor of my soul

Only a joy that heaven can bring
Is the joy that I’ll sing always
I’ve tasted all the world could give
But for you I live all my days

My life has changed I’m not the same
I may not be perfect but God thinks I’m worth it
He sacrificed so I can have life
I’ve been so broken since I met you Christ