"Diaspora Church"

a list of songs that remind me of Diaspora.

So today was our last weekend or day with D.E.M. or Diaspora.

tough day.

i'm really going to miss many of them.

there were moments i couldn't hold it in, and let the works go... but only a little.

esp during worship; "The Heart Of Worship".

every moment i find myself pondering at the idea of not being able to see them next week or the following gets my heart to crack a little bit more.

so this blog will mainly be addressing my kids at Diaspora...

__________________________________

to my beloved D.E.M.,

when i first met you guys at Family in Touch in the summer of '07, it was crazy.

very welcoming and others shy, young and innocent, kind and loving and others very....very....touchy. 

i wonder what you guys were thinking when i first led worship at F.I.T.?

those prayer nights were so great for me; i didn't mind taking the bus and walking blocks to meet God with you guys there. Helping you guys draw closer to God was such a rewarding gift for me, even if i got lost in jersey a couple of times (not fun at all). I got to see Jason and Jonathan grow starting from those nights & was able to lead worship with Stephen and Jeehyun for the first time, and the support of Tim with simple things like powerpoint only to find them to be our future officers, no matter how out of sync we were, they put they're trust in me as i in them, thank you. I was blessed to see God use Diaspora in ETERNITY '07 & '08....and then to see Polly come join the family and Dami, Paul, Daniel, TaeSeo, & Kenny! wow~ this was a church where the provision of God was immense. God provided.

i still have the program from our first retreat pinned on my "Wall of Jesus", "Standfast: One Spirit, One Mind" August 19-22, 2007... worshipping to "Oh the Wonderful Cross", "One Voice", "The Heart of Worship".... and then "Standfast 2008: Living Hope", worshipping to, "In Need", "Mighty To  Save" & "Surrender".

I wish i could say a wonderful thing about each and every1 of you guys, but for the sake of this blog getting draggy, i'll save that for future letters. you guys have stretched me and challenged me to become a stronger leader and servant. I will miss you guys dearly and really can't wait to see you guys in heaven (but of course we will hopefully see each other during our time here on earth!)

i can't really write every single event that went on, but these were the memorable ones right now. i'll add to this blog a photographic tribute, but if i can leave you guys with one thing, it would be........to look to the cross of Christ, always.

you'll not only find salvation there, but redemption.... you'll find all the answers in life!....at the foot of the cross, working out salvation on your knees.

it's a place where God's divinity meets our depravity.... where both saints and sinners meet..... where Gods love and man's shortcomings intertwine........ a place where we can find peace in a world that's out of control... a place where we can find hope.

D.E.M.... thank you for hungering for the things of God.

the peace, joy and love of God be with you always.

i love you all.

-JP ssem

"How good and pleasant it is 
       when brothers/sisters live together in unity!"

Psalms 133:1

"Here We Go"

Going to be spending the weekend over at a brother's house from church.

a guys fellowship. our last. atleast for while.

my hopes to attain the "Fellowship of Believers" modeled for us in Acts 2:42.

it's gunna be awesome to spend time with these guys.

and much beyond being students, i consider them brothers in the faith who need as much uplifting as you and i.

it's gunna be a bit heartwrenching for me, having to leave some of them.

but as teacher, gotta hold my own and praise the GOD who gives and takes away, who knew us before we were born, who holds the whole world in His hands, who has everything in control.

D.E.M., you are His beloved... and mine as well.

"How good and pleasant it is

when brothers live together in unity!"

Psalms 133:1

pray for us.

The Princeton Review: Best Value Colleges 2009

USA TODAY Presents: The Princeton Review Best Value Colleges The Best Value Colleges were selected based upon institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from the fall of 2007 through fall of 2008. Broadly speaking, the factors we weighed covered undergraduate academics, costs and financial aid.  Additionally, we considered the percentage of graduating seniors who borrowed from any loan program and the average dollar amount of debt those students had at graduation.  Learn more about our best value colleges methodology.

TOP 10 PRIVATE 1. Swarthmore College(Swarthmore, Pa.) 2. Harvard College(Cambridge, Mass.) 3. Princeton University(Princeton, N.J.) 4. Rice University(Houston, Texas) 5. Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) 6. Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.) 7. Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.) 8. California Institute of Technology(Pasadena) 9. Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.) 10. Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.) PUBLIC 1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville) 2. New College of Florida (Sarasota) 3. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) 4. State University of New York-Binghamton 5. Florida State University (Tallahassee) 6. North Carolina State University (Raleigh) 7. University of California San Diego 8. City University of New York -- Hunter College (New York, N.Y.) 9. University of Georgia (Athens) 10. The College of New Jersey (Ewing) Source: The Princeton Review

Hunter #8! 

Holla.

Draw Me Closer

"when life throws you lemons.... make lemonade"

and right about now, things are seemingly sour.

living under a roof of regulations and expectations, only to set one up for failure, for me, has begun to shake and stir bottled frustration anticipating the brink of freedom!.... prolonged really.

there is no other love like the Father's love.

where the world may fall short, the Lord God Almighty doesn't only make up for it... He uses you to make up for it.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

God, i have no excuse.....

you are my God and i choose you over the world...give me strength.

"And we know, that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes".

Draw me closer to you God, please.

You Draw Me Closer - Vineyard Music

Lord it is your love
that can find me wherever I run
and draw me closer,
You draw me closer.

Though I turn away,
Your mercy leads me back to You again,
as You draw me closer,
You draw me closer.

Oh, and never have I found an end
to the gracious love that You extend.
All I have to do is ask and You are there,
drawing me closer.

Bridge:
Draw me clo-ser; draw me clo-ser